bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Centering Girls' (Media-Making) Stories: A Pandemic Exploration of Video-Storytellers and their Practices, Personas, and Projects
Authors: Terzopoulos Tatyana
Published: May 2023

This interdisciplinary, feminist-informed research explores racialized tween and teen girls’ video-based storytelling and considers how extracurricular programs can support their media-making. Drawing from youth media cultures and media education scholarship, this work aligns with and builds upon research about community-based youth documentary media-making initiatives and limited yet pivotal scholarship that centres girls’—marginalized girls in particular—experiences, including as media-makers. It was further motivated by the prevailing lack of diverse representation in key creative and leadership roles in media industries, my experiences as a woman working in media, and the paucity of research on Canadian youth and their experiences learning about and making media.

My inquiry was underpinned by feminist theory, public pedagogy, and feminist media. Utilizing a qualitative case study design, I designed and facilitated a virtual digital storytelling program in Spring 2021 of the pandemic; four ethnoracially-diverse and marginalized girl-identifying youth from Toronto participated in both the program and research study. Research methods included interviews, vlogs, participant-created media, observational footage, and researcher notes. Analysis involved immersing myself in each participant’s data to holistically consider the creative, technical, and social dimensions of her video-storytelling; I also coded interviews and vlogs to identify themes that united the participants. Inspired by Lange’s (2014) exploration of youth technical identities and Lawrence-Lightfoot’s (1983) narrative portraiture methodology, I crafted a video-storytelling “persona” for each participant, weaving in her own words and media project images. Next, I note the broader significance of relationships and connection as well as video storytelling-specific peer and mentor support for participants. I then discuss their video-making in relation to postfeminist-influenced and video-based social media ecologies and girls’ informal, self-directed media education.

This research honours participants’ stories and critically reflects upon the wide-ranging nature of their video-storytelling experiences and approaches. It also offers initial recommendations for girl-centered programs that emphasize community, support skills development, and provide safer spaces for their media-making and learning. I advocate for girl-specific media-making communities of practice—particularly for marginalized girls—as necessary interventions in evolving media industries and culture to more fully include, support, reflect, and represent diverse populations of girls and women and their stories. 
Polychronic Actants: Modern Promptbooks as Anticipated Acts, Unanticipated Acts, and Ideal Assemblages
Authors: Kaethler Mark , Malone Toby , Roberts-Smith Jennifer
Published: May 2023

Modern Shakespeare promptbooks do not fit comfortably into any of the conceptual models current in discourses around the role of text in performance. Promptbooks operate as cue lists; records of unexpected acts; and records of or efforts to approximate ideal enactments. While promptbooks are not necessarily limited to these three temporalities, their encapsulation of all three points to their polychronic resistance to a straightforward and easily codified archival record of performance. This article presents a new theoretical model of promptbooks as temporal actants that are neither text nor performance in the ways currently understood in textual studies. The promptbook is more usefully conceived of as an actant within different theatrical networks at different times in production processes. To make this claim, the authors first revisit previous criticism on as well as misunderstandings of the purposes of Shakespearean promptbooks before theorising how a promptbook operates in relation to the larger event that is a theatrical performance. The article uses the 2005 promptbook of The Tempest from the Canadian Stratford Festival Archives as a case study to illustrate the ways in which promptbooks initiate the three kinds of temporal action the authors theorise: anticipated acts, unanticipated acts, and idealised polychronic assemblages.
Translatability of the Islamic Terms with Reference to Selected Quranic Verses
Authors: Basim Jubair Kadhim  , Merzah Zaid , Mujtaba Muhammed Ali
Published: May 2023

Translating religious texts can be a challenging process, particularly when it comes to conveying specialized terms and cultural nuances from the source language to the target language. The process is further complicated by the complexity of sentence structures and the absence of direct counterparts for certain concepts in the target language. The study focuses on the difficulties of translating Quranic verses with regard to the usage of pronouns in the source language, Arabic, and the target language, English. The paper examines the challenges posed by reference switching and ambiguity in pronouns and how these challenges can lead to potential misunderstandings among readers. Through a comprehensive analysis of translation strategies employed by translators to tackle these challenges, the research aims to contribute to a better understanding of the nuances of Quranic translation and the complexities of pronoun usage in the Quranic text.
Deictic Expressions and their Contribution to Create a Viewpoint in Discourse
Authors: Albadi Mariam
Published: May 2023

his paper provides an overview of the main three deictic expression categories, which are: person deictics, temporal deictics, and spatial deictics. It will explain their forms, meaning and their relationship to the speech reference. It will argue that there are a certain class of expressions in Arabic which can be considered in their linguistics usage as spatial deixis. This class of words is known as ‘‘The Vocative/ Call Elements’’ (أدوات النداء). Therefore, this paper attempts to answer these questions: What is a deictic expression? What is a deictic centre? What are The Vocative Elements in Arabic? How can they be considered as a category of linguistics deictic expression? and how can a deictic expression be applied to create a particular point of view in discourse? These main points will be considered through the discussion. A variety of different examples will be quoted or created alongside the theoretical discussion in order to clarify these mentioned points.
Study of Water Quality and Heavy Metals in Several Locations in Rivers and Estuaries of Lurang Village, North Wetar, Southwest Maluku, Indonesia
Authors: Tuhumury Semuel F , Putuhena Jusmy D , Pattipeilohy Christian Ernsz
Published: May 2023

Water plays an important role in life and is a vital component that supports biodiversity and secures the existence of ecosystems. Water sampling in this study consisted of 13 stations, namely 10 stations in river waters and 3 stations in estuary areas in the waters of Lurang Village, North Wetar District, Southwest Maluku Regency, Indonesia. The water quality parameter measurement results show that the water quality conditions in several locations are below the optimum limit. Heavy metal test samples were taken from 4 locations, namely RW35, RW36, RW39 and RWBG.Ds to be tested for the metal content of Selenium (Se), Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg). The presence of heavy metals in waters is a result of pollution from industrial, agricultural and other waste products. This study aims to determine the water quality and distribution of heavy metals in the river and estuary waters in Lurang Village, North Wetar District, West Maluku Regency.
Nasal Angiomyolipoma (Clinical Case)
Authors:   A.I. Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center, Moscow, Russia, Shestopalova M.A. , Galkina T.A. ,   A.I. Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center, Moscow, Russia, Lischuk S.V. ,   A.I. Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center, Moscow, Russia
Published: May 2023

Angiomyolipoma (AML) is a rare benign tumor originating from mesenchial tissue [1]. Most often, this tumor affects the kidneys and is 0.3–3% [1-3]. Extrarenal AML is observed very rarely (about 40 cases have been described in the literature). After the kidneys, AML is most often found in the liver, then in descending order: in the uterus, brain, vagina, penis, nasal cavity, hard palate, abdominal wall, fallopian tubes, spermatic cord, colon, retroperitoneal space. To date, 6 cases of AML of the nasal cavity have been officially registered [ ]. As a rule, they are hamartomic lesions containing smooth muscles, vascular network and mature adipose tissue. This article presents a clinical observation of a patient with such a rare pathology as AML of the nasal cavity. The use of a complex of histological and immunohistochemical diagnostic methods makes it possible to make the correct diagnosis
PERAN LSM SEBAGAI SOSIAL KONTROL MASYARAKAT DALAM PEMBANGUNAN MENURUT UNDANG-UNDANG 32 TAHUN 2009 TENTANG LINGKUNGAN HIDUP
Authors: Rabu Rabu
Published: May 2023

Peranan Lembaga Swadaya Masyarakat yang bergerak di bidang lingkungan hidup sebagai sosial kontrol pembangunan baik pemerintah maupun yang bergerak di bidang industri yang dilakukan oleh pihak swasta dengan prinsip pembangunan yang berwawasan lingkungan hidup yang telah di atur dalam Undang-undang Lingkungan Hidup Nomor 32 tahun 2009. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui peran lsm sebagai sosial kontrol di tengah masyarakat dalam pembangunan berwawasan lingkungan hidup, penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif dimana objek atau masalah yang diteliti kemudian dianalisis secara menyeluruh sebagai suatu kesatuan yang terintegritas bertujuan untuk memberikan gambaran atau penjelasan secara sistematis, faktual dan akurat, dengan teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan metode pada umumnya yaitu observasi wawancara dengan informan, studi dokumen, analisis data dilakukan sepanjang penilitian ini berlangsung, berdasarkan hasil penelitian peran lsm sudah berjalan baik dan membantu masyarakat baik individu ataupun keluarga, memperhatikan program-program pemerintah yang berkaitan erat dengan pembangunan yang berwawasan lingkungan hidup, walaupun masih diperlukan komunikasi yang lebih baik dan transparans.
PENERAPAN PRINSIP GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DALAM PEMBERIAN KREDIT DI PT. BANK BTPN CABANG PEKANBARU
Authors: Yulisa Putri Dwi
Published: May 2023

Pemberian kredit merupakan kegiatan bank yang mengandung resiko yang dapat berpengaruh terhadap kesehatan dan kelangsungan bank, salah satu faktor menentukan kesehatan bank adalah prinsip Good Corporate Governance. Penerapan prinsip tranparansi dianggap memadai mengingat dalam pelaksanaan pemberian kredit telah dilakukan dengan benar dan memberikan informasi yang jelas, tepat dan terbuka. Kedua, prinsip akuntabilitas, marketing bank BTPN sudah mengetahui fungsi dan tugasnya masing-masing, dan bertanggung jawab dengan setiap pekerjaan. Ketiga, prinsip responsabilitas yaitu marketing ketika menjalankan tugasnya sudah menerapkan prinsip kehati-hatian dan mengikuti segala peraturan-peraturan yang berlaku. Keempat, prinsip independensi dalam proses pemberian kredit Bank BTPN Cabang Pekanbaru tidak pernah dibantu atau tidak pernah adanya campur tangan pihak lain. kelima, prinsip fairness yang masih belum berjalan dengan baik, hal ini disebabkan oleh salah satu oknum yang berani melanggar aturan prosedur pemberian kredit kepada nasabah. Faktor pendukung dari penerapan gcg di Bank BTPN yaitu Adanya kerjasama dari setiap pegawai marketing, terdapat komite yang mengawasi, adanya harapan yang tinggi calon nasabah untuk mendapatkan pelayanan yang prima. Sedangkan faktor penghambatnya adalah kurangnya pengetahuan beberapa marketing tentang gcg, dan Tidak ada peraturan yang dikeluarkan oleh bank mengenai gcg.
PERJANJIAN PENYEDIAAN JASA SATUAN PENGAMAN PADA PERUSAHAAN PENGGUNA JASA
Authors: Handayani Pristika , Sakti Indra
Published: May 2023

Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Perdata dalam hal ini adalah Pasal 1320 sebagai barometer untuk membuat perjanjian antara para pihak, dengan mengacu pada syarat sahnya perjanjian agar tidak terjadi perselisihan dikemudian hari, dan juga tentunya tidak merugikan pihak-pihak yang terkait. Selain kitab undang-undang hokum perdata terdapat juga aturan mengeai undang-undang cipta kerja sebagai acuan mengenai ketenagakerjaan dan aturan lain yang terkait. Dengan adanya penelitian ini nantinya diharapkan agar berbagai aspek mengetahui bagaimana pengelolaan yang baik sebagai perusahaan penyedia jasa keamanan kepada perusahaan pengguna dan juga tentunya pekerja juga mengetahui dengan baik apa yang menjadi hak dan kewajibannya selama bekerja. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah yudiris normarif dengan mendalami isi dari perundang-undangan dan aturan lain yang terkait.
Asociación entre el uso de internet con el ámbito geográfico y lengua materna en la población peruana
Authors: Guevara-Tirado Alberto , Mendoza-Merino Marisol , Sivincha-Quispe Mariella R.
Published: May 2023

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la asociación entre el uso de internet con el ámbito geográfico y lengua materna en la población de Perú. Se realizó un estudio del tipo descriptivo, observacional y de corte transversal. La información fue obtenida a partir de la encuesta nacional de hogares perteneciente al instituto nacional de estadística e informática, la cual contó con 15360 personas de diferentes regiones del país. Las variables fueron: uso de internet, tipo de lengua materna tipo de región. El análisis de asociación se realizó mediante la prueba de Chi cuadrado, la intensidad de asociación se realizó con las pruebas de correlación Phi y V de Cramer considerando en todos los casos como punto de corte de significación estadística un valor alfa menor de 0.05. El procesamiento y análisis de datos se realizó con el programa SPSS 25. Se encontró que las regiones Sierra y Selva tuvieron menor uso de internet que las regiones de la costa y Lima metropolitana (p=0.000). Asimismo, el uso de lenguas maternas originarias se asoció con un menor uso de internet que en las personas cuya lengua materna fue el idioma español (p=0.000) hallándose en todos los casos asociación estadística baja y positiva según la prueba de correlación Phi y V de Cramer. En conclusión, el uso de internet está asociado con el ámbito geográfico y el tipo de lengua materna en población peruana. Es necesario desarrollar estrategias, políticas e inversiones para reducir estas brechas geográficas y lingüísticas.
Bienestar mental y optimismo laboral en empleados turísticos de una región de Perú
Authors: Paredes-Pérez Marco A. J. , Palomino-Crispín Antonio E. , Cárdenas-Tapia Víctor R. , Gonzales-Borda Juan C. , Artica-Dueñas Teresa V. , Gonzales-Peralta Carla F.
Published: May 2023

El objetivo fue determinar la relación entre bienestar mental y optimismo laboral en colaboradores turísticos de la región Junín. El paradigma fue positivista-cuantitativo, tipo básico, nivel relacional, diseño no experimental. Método observacional e inductivo-deductivo. La muestra probabilística-estratificada fue de 384 dependientes. Los resultados mostraron que existe correlación directa y significativa entre salud mental positiva y optimismo, con un nivel de significancia bilateral inferior al 1 %, así como una fuerza de correlación Tau b de Kendall de 0.445. Se concluye que, a mayor bienestar mental, mayor optimismo laboral.
Mitigating the impacts of weather on lamb survival in Southern New Zealand
Authors: Stevens David , Casey Marie
Published: May 2023

Increased fecundity and improved feed management have doubled the number of lambs born in any threeday period in spring since 1990. Four farmer catchment groups were engaged to investigate options that farmers may use to reduce the impacts of weather at lambingtime. After workshops identified potential mitigations, a lamb survival model was developed using data from the literature. This was applied at daily time steps to weather data over a 20-year period from 1980-1999, with chosen mitigations added to investigate their impact. Direct intervention by improving pre-lambing ewe nutrition increased live lambs by 7-8% (P<0.05). Policy development strategies to provide shelter increased live lambs by 8 and 17% with reductions in wind speed of 50 and 100% respectively (P<0.05). These results were consistent across all environments tested. Increasing fecundity increased the net number of lambs at docking, though also resulted in a greater number of lamb losses. Spreading risk by spreading lambing did not alter the net long-term lamb survival rate. Provision of shelter, both before and during lambing, and ensuring adequate pre-laming ewe nutrition were most effective at consistently improving lamb survival in all the environments tested.
HAK PENDIDIKAN ANAK KORBAN PERANG IRAK TAHUN 2003 BERDASARKAN KONVENSI TENTANG HAK ANAK
Authors: Maulana Rifqi Arif
Published: May 2023

Children as one of the vulnerable groups who became victims of the war in the armed conflicts of the United States and Iraq in 2003 still have the right to education that should not be ignored. The international community has recognized the right to education as an international right where this arrangement has been stated in the convention on the rights of the child which has been agreed by various countries around the world. This writing aims to analyze the practice of protecting children's education rights based on the convention on children's rights using normative juridical methods so that it has a conclusion that the United States has a big responsibility to restore children's education rights that have been temporarily lost after the conflict is over with various infrastructures damaged in severe levels.

Keywords: children's education rights: conventions on children's rights; United States of America.
PERLINDUNGAN HUKUM TERHADAP FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY REWARD BASED CROWDFUNDING PADA PROYEK DARI INDUSTRI KREATIF (Studi pada Platfrom Kickstarter.com)
Authors: Hapsari Recca Ayu , Nisa Apri , Putri Agatha jessica
Published: May 2023

Bank Indonesia stated that Financial Technology/Fintech is the result of a combination of technology and financial services. Platforms such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Lending Club, Rock et Hub are becoming increasingly popular for crowdfunding new products and services. The type of contribution that supporters make determines the difference between these platforms. Kickstarter supporters can see first hand the creative process and contribute to the project's success.Several community groups have also developed insights to make the most of internet facilities. The research method used a normative legal approach and an empirical approach. The data collection technique used in this research is library research. Legal protection for financial technology reward based crowdfunding in creative industry projects (Studies on the Kickstarter.com Platform) explains that Kickstarter has adopted a general policy regarding copyright in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

Keywords: Financial Technology; Technology; Kickstarter.
KAJIAN YURIDIS KERUGIAN KEUNGAN NEGARA AKIBAT KORUPSI DAN KORELASINYA DENGAN HAK WARGA NEGARA
Authors: Yawang Anderson Umbu , Nurdin Fransiskus Saverius , Ndakularak Ernalinda
Published: May 2023

The practice of criminal acts of corruption in Indonesia is getting more and more apprehensive day by day. This thesis is supported by data 2019 to 2021 released by ICW that corruption practices have increased significantly, causing state financial losses reaching up to IDR 51.928 trillion. The problem of this study is how the correlation of state financial losses due to the practice of criminal acts of corruption by corruptors with the fulfillment of citizens' rights as constitusional rigts but not human rights. This research is a doctrinal legal research with a statutory and conceptual approach. This study concludes that there is an absolute correlation between state financial losses and the non-fulfillment of citizen rights such as work and a decent living.

Keywords: Corruption; State Financial Losses; the Citizen’s Right.
Irish Minerva Writers and the Affordances of Big Data: Some Preliminary Findings
Authors: Kearns Edward , Morin Christina
Published: May 2023

This article explores how big data – or very large collections of data that are too extensive to be evaluated in any meaningful way by conventional literary analysis – and machine learning can help us to recover the cultural impact of Irish-authored texts published by London’s Minerva Press, the most prolific – and critically decried – publisher of popular fiction in Romantic-era Britain. In particular, it outlines how Named-Entity Recognition and Natural Language Processing can facilitate an analysis of intertextual references to Minerva’s Irish-authored works in the British Library’s open access Nineteenth-Century Literature Dataset, which comprises approximately 68,000 digitized volumes of text originally published between 1789 and 1900. Identifying and exploring these allusions helps to reveal the ongoing influence of Minerva texts in the long nineteenth century despite critical condemnation both then and now. Quantitative data invites qualitative exploration of authorial engagement with these publications and with the Minerva Press more generally in nineteenth-century Anglophone literature. In this, the article argues, machine learning provides a useful tool in recovering the network of textual relations fundamentally linked to Minerva’s Irish writers and indicative of their long-lasting impact – both negatively and positively construed – on literary production of the period.
Exploring the sonodynamic effects of bacteriochlorophyll a
Authors: Jia Lanqi , Wang Longhao , Song Yiqiong , Pang Xin , Zhao Jie
Published: May 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether bacteriochlorophyll a (BCA) could be used as a potential diagnostic factor in near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging and in mediating sonodynamic antitumor effect.

Methods: The UV spectrum and fluorescence spectra of bacteriochlorophyll a were measured. The IVIS Lumina imaging system was used to observe the fluorescence imaging of bacteriochlorophyll a. 9,10-Dimethylanthracene (DMA) reagent was used as a singlet oxygen sensor to detect singlet oxygen produced by bacteriochlorophyll a. LLC cells of mouse lung adenocarcinoma were selected as experimental subjects. Flow cytometry was used to detect the optimal uptake time of bacteriochlorophyll a in LLC cells. A laser confocal microscope was used to observe the binding of bacteriochlorophyll a to cells. The cell survival rate of each experimental group was detected by the CCK-8 method to detect the cytotoxicity of bacteriochlorophyll a. The effect of BCA-mediated sonodynamic therapy (SDT) on tumor cells was detected by the calcein acetoxymethyl ester/propidium iodide (CAM/PI) double staining method. 2,7-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein-diacetate (DCFH-DA) was used as the staining agent to evaluate and analyze intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry (FCM). A confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) was used to observe the localization in the organelles of bacteriochlorophyll a. The IVIS Lumina imaging system was used to observe the fluorescence imaging of BCA in vitro.

Results: Bacteriochlorophyll a-mediated SDT significantly increased cytotoxicity to LLC cells compared to other treatments, such as ultrasound (US) only, bacteriochlorophyll a only, and sham therapy. The CLSM observed bacteriochlorophyll a aggregation around the cell membrane and cytoplasm. FCM analysis and fluorescence microscopy showed that bacteriochlorophyll a-mediated SDT in LLC cells significantly inhibited cell growth and caused an obvious increase in intracellular ROS levels, and its fluorescence imaging function suggests that it can be a potential diagnostic factor.

Conclusion: The results showed that bacteriochlorophyll a possesses good sonosensitivity and fluorescence imaging function. It can be effectively internalized in LLC cells, and bacteriochlorophyll a-mediated SDT is associated with ROS generation. This suggests that bacteriochlorophyll a can be used as a new type of sound sensitizer, and the bacteriochlorophyll a-mediated sonodynamic effect may be a potential treatment for lung cancer.
Autophagy, innate immunity, and cardiac disease
Authors: Santovito Donato , Steffens Sabine , Barachini Serena , Madonna Rosalinda
Published: May 2023

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of cell adaptation to metabolic and environmental stress. It mediates the disposal of protein aggregates and dysfunctional organelles, although non-conventional features have recently emerged to broadly extend the pathophysiological relevance of autophagy. In baseline conditions, basal autophagy critically regulates cardiac homeostasis to preserve structural and functional integrity and protect against cell damage and genomic instability occurring with aging. Moreover, autophagy is stimulated by multiple cardiac injuries and contributes to mechanisms of response and remodeling following ischemia, pressure overload, and metabolic stress. Besides cardiac cells, autophagy orchestrates the maturation of neutrophils and other immune cells, influencing their function. In this review, we will discuss the evidence supporting the role of autophagy in cardiac homeostasis, aging, and cardioimmunological response to cardiac injury. Finally, we highlight possible translational perspectives of modulating autophagy for therapeutic purposes to improve the care of patients with acute and chronic cardiac disease.
Pathological modeling of glycogen storage disease type III with CRISPR/Cas9 edited human pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Rossiaud Lucille , Fragner Pascal , Barbon Elena , Gardin Antoine , Benabides Manon , Pellier Emilie , Cosette Jérémie , El Kassar Lina , Giraud-Triboult Karine , Nissan Xavier , Ronzitti Giuseppe , Hoch Lucile
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Glycogen storage disease type III (GSDIII) is a rare genetic disease caused by mutations in the AGL gene encoding the glycogen debranching enzyme (GDE). The deficiency of this enzyme, involved in cytosolic glycogen degradation, leads to pathological glycogen accumulation in liver, skeletal muscles and heart. Although the disease manifests with hypoglycemia and liver metabolism impairment, the progressive myopathy is the major disease burden in adult GSDIII patients, without any curative treatment currently available.

Methods: Here, we combined the self-renewal and differentiation capabilities of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) with cutting edge CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to establish a stable AGL knockout cell line and to explore glycogen metabolism in GSDIII.

Results: Following skeletal muscle cells differentiation of the edited and control hiPSC lines, our study reports that the insertion of a frameshift mutation in AGL gene results in the loss of GDE expression and persistent glycogen accumulation under glucose starvation conditions. Phenotypically, we demonstrated that the edited skeletal muscle cells faithfully recapitulate the phenotype of differentiated skeletal muscle cells of hiPSCs derived from a GSDIII patient. We also demonstrated that treatment with recombinant AAV vectors expressing the human GDE cleared the accumulated glycogen.

Discussion: This study describes the first skeletal muscle cell model of GSDIII derived from hiPSCs and establishes a platform to study the mechanisms that contribute to muscle impairments in GSDIII and to assess the therapeutic potential of pharmacological inducers of glycogen degradation or gene therapy approaches.
Species and embryo genome origin affect lipid droplets in preimplantation embryos
Authors: Lipinska Paulina , Pawlak Piotr , Warzych Ewelina
Published: May 2023

Mammalian embryo development is affected by multiple metabolism processes, among which energy metabolism seems to be crucial. Therefore the ability and the scale of lipids storage in different preimplantation stages might affect embryos quality. The aim of the present studies was to show a complex characterization of lipid droplets (LD) during subsequent embryo developmental stages. It was performed on two species (bovine and porcine) as well as on embryos with different embryo origin [after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and after parthenogenetic activation (PA)]. Embryos after IVF/PA were collected at precise time points of development at the following stages: zygote, 2-cell, 4-cell, 8/16-cell, morula, early blastocyst, expanded blastocyst. LD were stained with BODIPY 493/503 dye, embryos were visualized under a confocal microscope and images were analyzed with the ImageJ Fiji software. The following parameters were analyzed: lipid content, LD number, LD size and LD area within the total embryo. The most important results show that lipid parameters in the IVF vs. PA bovine embryos differ at the most crucial moments of embryonic development (zygote, 8–16-cell, blastocyst), indicating possible dysregulations of lipid metabolism in PA embryos. When bovine vs. porcine species are compared, we observe higher lipid content around EGA stage and lower lipid content at the blastocyst stage for bovine embryos, which indicates different demand for energy depending on the species. We conclude that lipid droplets parameters significantly differ among developmental stages and between species but also can be affected by the genome origin.
Oxygen-saturation-related functional parameter as a biomarker for diabetes mellitus—extraction method and clinical validation
Authors: Zhang Jinze , Luo Zhongzhou , Wang Gengyuan , Huang Yuancong , Fei Keyi , Liu Yushuang , Li Jiaxiong , Yuan Jin , Xiao Peng
Published: May 2023

Purpose: To develop a computational method for oxygen-saturation-related functional parameter analysis of retinal vessels based on traditional color fundus photography, and to explore their characteristic alterations in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: 50 type 2 DM patients with no-clinically detectable retinopathy (NDR) and 50 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. An optical density ratio (ODR) extraction algorithm based on the separation of oxygen-sensitive and oxygen-insensitive channels in color fundus photography was proposed. With precise vascular network segmentation and arteriovenous labeling, ODRs were acquired from different vascular subgroups, and the global ODR variability (ODRv) was calculated. Student’s t-test was used to analyze the differences of the functional parameters between groups, and regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to explore the discrimination efficiency of DM patients from healthy subjects based on these functional parameters.

Results: There was no significant difference in the baseline characteristics between the NDR and healthy normal groups. The ODRs of all vascular subgroups except the micro venule were significantly higher (p<0.05, respectively) while ODRv was significantly lower (p<0.001) in NDR group than that in healthy normal group. In the regression analysis, the increased ODRs except micro venule and decreased ODRv were significantly correlated with the incidence of DM, and the C-statistic for discrimination DM with all ODR is 0.777 (95% CI 0.687-0.867, p<0.001).

Conclusion: A computational method to extract the retinal vascular oxygen-saturation-related optical density ratios (ODRs) with single color fundus photography was developed, and increased ODRs and decreased ODRv of retinal vessels could be new potential image biomarkers of DM.
Aorto-mitral curtain reconstruction in invasive double-valve endocarditis: mid-term outcomes
Authors: Vobornik Martin , Timbilla Salifu , Gofus Jan , Smolak Petr , Chek James Lago , Pojar Marek , Cermakova Eva , Zacek Pavel , Vojacek Jan
Published: May 2023

Background

Invasive double-valve endocarditis with structural damage (abscess or perforation) of the aorto-mitral curtain is a relatively rare but fatal diagnosis requiring complex surgical reconstruction. This study presents the short-term and mid-term outcomes from a single center.

Methods

From 2014 to 2021, 20 patients with double-valve endocarditis with structural damage of the aorto-mitral curtain underwent surgical reconstruction (Hemi-Commando procedure n = 16 and Commando procedure n = 4). Data were obtained retrospectively.

Results

In 13 cases, the procedure was a reoperation. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 239 ± 47 min and the mean cross-clamp time was 186 ± 32 min. Concomitant procedures were tricuspid valve repair in two, coronary revascularization in one, closure of a ventricular septal defect in one and hemiarch (using circulatory arrest) in one patient. Eleven patients (55%) required surgical revision for bleeding. Thirty-day mortality was 30% (6 patients)—3 patients from the Hemi-Commando group (19%) and 3 patients from the Commando group (75%). Overall survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was 60%, 50% and 45% respectively. Reoperation was required by 4 patients. Freedom from reoperation at 1, 3 and 5 years was 86%, 71% and 71% respectively.

Conclusion

Despite the high postoperative morbidity and mortality, complex surgical reconstruction of the aorto-mitral continuity of patients with double-valve endocarditis represents the only real chance for survival. Mid-term outcomes are acceptable, but strict follow-up is required due to the risk of valve failure.
The NMDA receptor regulates integrin activation, ATP release and arterial thrombosis through store-operated Ca2+ entry in platelets
Authors: Reusswig Friedrich , Yilmaz Münteha , Brechtenkamp Marius , Krueger Irena , Metz Lisa Maria , Klöcker Nikolaj , Lammert Eckhard , Elvers Margitta
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Platelet activation and thrombus formation is crucial for hemostasis, but also trigger arterial thrombosis. Calcium mobilization plays an important role in platelet activation, because many cellular processes depend on the level of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+](i)), such as integrin activation, degranulation, cytoskeletal reorganization. Different modulators of Ca2+ signaling have been implied, such as STIM1, Orai1, CyPA, SGK1, etc. Also, the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) was identified to contribute to Ca2+ signaling in platelets. However, the role of the NMDAR in thrombus formation is not well defined.

Methods

In vitro and in vivo analysis of platelet-specific NMDAR knock-out mice.

Results

In this study, we analyzed Grin1fl/fl-Pf4-Cre+ mice with a platelet-specific knock-out of the essential GluN1 subunit of the NMDAR. We found reduced store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), but unaltered store release in GluN1-deficient platelets. Defective SOCE resulted in reduced Src and PKC substrate phosphorylation following stimulation of glycoprotein (GP)VI or the thrombin receptor PAR4 followed by decreased integrin activation but unaltered degranulation. Consequently, thrombus formation on collagen under flow conditions was reduced ex vivo, and Grin1fl/fl-Pf4-Cre+ mice were protected against arterial thrombosis. Results from human platelets treated with the NMDAR antagonist MK-801 revealed a crucial role of the NMDAR in integrin activation and Ca2+ homeostasis in human platelets as well.

Conclusion

NMDAR signaling is important for SOCE in platelets and contributes to platelet activation and arterial thrombosis. Thus, the NMDAR represents a novel target for anti-platelet therapy in cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Cardiorenal syndrome and diabetes: an evil pairing
Authors: Méndez Fernández Ana Belén , Vergara Arana Ander , Olivella San Emeterio Aleix , Azancot Rivero Maria Antonieta , Soriano Colome Toni , Soler Romeo Maria Jose
Published: May 2023

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a pathology where the heart and kidney are involved, and the deterioration of one of them leads to the malfunction of the other. Diabetes mellitus (DM) carries a higher risk of HF and a worse prognosis. Furthermore, almost half of people with DM will have chronic kidney disease (CKD), which means that DM is the main cause of kidney failure. The triad of cardiorenal syndrome and diabetes is known to be associated with increased risk of hospitalization and mortality. Cardiorenal units, with a multidisciplinary team (cardiologist, nephrologist, nursing), multiple tools for diagnosis, as well as new treatments that help to better control cardio-renal-metabolic patients, offer holistic management of patients with CRS. In recent years, the appearance of drugs such as sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors, have shown cardiovascular benefits, initially in patients with type 2 DM and later in CKD and heart failure with and without DM2, offering a new therapeutic opportunity, especially for cardiorenal patients. In addition, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists have shown CV benefits in patients with DM and CV disease in addition to a reduced risk of CKD progression.
Two modes of gypsum replacement by carbonate and native sulfur in the Lorca Basin, SE Spain
Authors: Rouwendaal Simon E. , Birgel Daniel , Grossi Vincent , Aloisi Giovanni , Guibourdenche Laetitia , Labrado Amanda L. , Brunner Benjamin , Rouchy Jean-Marie , Peckmann Jörn
Published: May 2023

Organoclastic sulfate reduction and bacterial sulfide oxidation have been suggested to explain the formation of authigenic carbonate and native sulfur replacing gypsum in the Lorca Basin, Spain. To gain more insight into the nature of this replacement, two types of sulfur-bearing carbonate (laminated and brecciated) from the late Miocene Lorca Basin were studied. Petrographic observations revealed that a sulfur-bearing laminated carbonate consists of clay-rich and dolomite-rich laminae with carbonate and native sulfur pseudomorphs after gypsum. Positive δ18Ocarbonate values in the laminae (δ18O = 2.6‰) and lipid biomarkers of halophilic archaea (e.g., extended archaeol) suggest formation under hypersaline conditions. Bacterial sulfate reduction, evidenced by biomarkers such as iso-C15, iso-C16, and iso-C17 fatty acids, produced hydrogen sulfide inducing the abiotic formation of organic sulfur compounds. Gypsum in the laminated carbonate likely dissolved due to undersaturation as evidenced by a low content of carbonate-associated sulfate (3,668 ppm) and 34S-enriched native sulfur (δ34S = 22.4‰), reflecting sulfate limitation. Such 34S-enrichment implies limited fluid flow, which probably restricted the supply of molecular oxygen required for native sulfur formation through oxidation of hydrogen sulfide. Alternatively, sulfate-reducing bacteria may have mediated native sulfur formation directly as a stress response to environmental conditions. The formation of sulfur-bearing calcite in brecciated carbonates is due to post-depositional alteration. Negative δ18O values of the calcite (δ18O = −1.5‰) and a tenfold decrease in carbonate-associated sulfate content (752 ppm) suggest gypsum dissolution and subsequent calcite precipitation from meteoric water. Relatively 34S-depleted native sulfur (δ34S = 13.1‰) leaves it ambiguous whether meteoric water influx could have supplied sufficient molecular oxygen for oxidation of hydrogen sulfide. In case of the brecciated carbonate, methanogenesis, anaerobic oxidation of methane, and bacterial sulfate reduction apparently mediated the formation of secondary minerals as indicated by 13C-depleted lipid biomarkers representative for the respective metabolisms. This study reveals that the conditions and timing of gypsum replacement are variable–taking place 1) during or shortly after gypsum deposition or 2) significantly after sedimentation–and suggests that methanogens in addition to anaerobic methanotrophic archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria may be involved in the mineral-forming processes in the sedimentary subsurface.
Stability analysis of slopes based on cloud model-Monte Carlo coupling
Authors: Han Liwei , Chen Ming , Sun Zuozhuang , Si Jiaxuan , Ma Liyuan , Ji Wenhui , Zhang Hongyang
Published: May 2023

Risk analysis of dam slopes is crucial for ensuring the safety and stability of hydraulic engineering. To improve the accuracy and reliability of risk analysis, we adopt the cloud theory approach and conduct a study on the distribution types of soil shear strength indicators based on indoor geotechnical tests. We propose a “cloud model-Monte Carlo” coupling model that uses the cloud model to describe the uncertainty of risk factors and determine the probability distribution types of shear strength parameters, while the Monte Carlo method is used to simulate random variables in the model. The effectiveness of the proposed model is validated through a risk analysis of a slope of an earth-rock dam, with results showing significantly greater accuracy and reliability compared to traditional methods. The calculation results show that the risk probability corresponding to the design flood level of the dam is 9.01×10-6, exceeding its allowable risk standard of 0.5×10-6, hence the need for reinforcement treatment. The proposed model can accurately evaluate the risk of dams and provide the scientific basis for decision-making in dam safety management.
“To brain or not to brain”: evaluating the possible direct effects of the satiety factor oleoylethanolamide in the central nervous system
Authors: Romano Adele , Friuli Marzia , Eramo Barbara , Gallelli Cristina Anna , Koczwara Justyna Barbara , Azari Elnaz Karimian , Paquot Adrien , Arnold Myrtha , Langhans Wolfgang , Muccioli Giulio G. , Lutz Thomas Alexander , Gaetani Silvana
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Oleoylethanolamide (OEA), an endogenous N-acylethanolamine acting as a gut-to-brain signal to control food intake and metabolism, has been attracting attention as a target for novel therapies against obesity and eating disorders. Numerous observations suggested that the OEA effects might be peripherally mediated, although they involve central pathways including noradrenergic, histaminergic and oxytocinergic systems of the brainstem and the hypothalamus. Whether these pathways are activated directly by OEA or whether they are downstream of afferent nerves is still highly debated. Some early studies suggested vagal afferent fibers as the main route, but our previous observations have contradicted this idea and led us to consider the blood circulation as an alternative way for OEA’s central actions.

Methods

To test this hypothesis, we first investigated the impact of subdiaphragmatic vagal deafferentation (SDA) on the OEA-induced activation of selected brain nuclei. Then, we analyzed the pattern of OEA distribution in plasma and brain at different time points after intraperitoneal administration in addition to measuring food intake.

Results

Confirming and extending our previous findings that subdiaphragmatic vagal afferents are not necessary for the eating-inhibitory effect of exogenous OEA, our present results demonstrate that vagal sensory fibers are also not necessary for the neurochemical effects of OEA. Rather, within a few minutes after intraperitoneal administration, we found an increased concentration of intact OEA in different brain areas, associated with the inhibition of food intake.

Conclusion

Our results support that systemic OEA rapidly reaches the brain via the circulation and inhibits eating by acting directly on selected brain nuclei.
Tight power balance multi-time scale disposal strategy for wind integrated system considering electric vehicle charging station
Authors: Yang Shengchun , Chang Yifan , Xie Jun
Published: May 2023

High wind power penetration and peak load pose significant challenges to the power system in maintaining the power supply–demand balance. Once the power supply–demand balance is disrupted, system load shedding and wind spillage become inevitable. In this study, the aforementioned problem is defined as the tight power balance (TPB) problem. The accuracy of wind power and load forecasting increases with a decrease in the forecasting timescale. Based on the aforementioned characteristics, a TPB multi-timescale disposal strategy for wind-integrated power systems considering electric vehicle (EV) charging stations is established to address the TPB problem at different timescales. First, the operation model of an electric vehicle charging station offering flexible ramping capacity is established. Second, a multi-timescale disposal strategy, which includes an intra-day 4-h plan, an intra-day 1-h plan, and a real-time 15-min plan, is presented by quantifying the flexible demand at different timescales. Finally, the proposed strategy is verified using a modified IEEE 118-bus system. The analysis results show that the proposed TPB multi-timescale disposal strategy effectively promotes the disposal level of the TPB problem.
Integrated bioinformatics and machine learning algorithms reveal the critical cellular senescence-associated genes and immune infiltration in heart failure due to ischemic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Guo Ling , Xu Chong-En
Published: May 2023

Heart failure (HF) is the final stage of many cardiovascular illnesses and the leading cause of death worldwide. At the same time, ischemic cardiomyopathy has replaced valvular heart disease and hypertension as the primary causes of heart failure. Cellular senescence in heart failure is currently receiving more attention. In this paper, we investigated the correlation between the immunological properties of myocardial tissue and the pathological mechanisms of cellular senescence during ischemic cardiomyopathy leading to heart failure (ICM-HF) using bioinformatics and machine learning methodologies. Our goals were to clarify the pathogenic causes of heart failure and find new treatment options. First, after obtaining GSE5406 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and doing limma analysis, differential genes (DEGs) among the ICM-HF and control groups were identified. We intersected these differential genes with cellular senescence-associated genes (CSAG) via the CellAge database to obtain 39 cellular senescence-associated DEGs (CSA-DEGs). Then, a functional enrichment analysis was performed to elucidate the precise biological processes by which the hub genes control cellular senescence and immunological pathways. Then, the respective key genes were identified by Random Forest (RF) method, LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) algorithms, and Cytoscape’s MCODE plug-in. Three sets of key genes were taken to intersect to obtain three CSA-signature genes (including MYC, MAP2K1, and STAT3), and these three CSA-signature genes were validated in the test gene set (GSE57345), and Nomogram analysis was done. In addition, we assessed the relationship between these three CSA- signature genes and the immunological landscape of heart failure encompassing immunological infiltration expression profiles. This work implies that cellular senescence may have a crucial role in the pathogenesis of ICM-HF, which may be closely tied to its effect on the immune microenvironment. Exploring the molecular underpinnings of cellular senescence during ICM-HF is anticipated to yield significant advances in the disease’s diagnosis and therapy.