bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proteomics analyses of acute kidney injury biomarkers in a rat exertional heat stroke model
Authors: Wen Fu-Li , Xu Yong-Jun , Xue Lai-En , Fu Yun-Feng , Cui Lin-Lin , Wang Jun-Zhu , Zheng He-Ping , Zhou Dong-Hui , Lu Jun
Published: June 2023

The frequency of exertional heat stroke (EHS) increases with the gradual elevation of global temperatures during summer. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of EHS, and its occurrence often indicates the worsening of a patient’s condition or a poor prognosis. In this study, a rat model of AKI caused by EHS was established, and the reliability of the model was evaluated by HE staining and biochemical assays. The expression of kidney tissue proteins in the EHS rats was analyzed using label-free liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 3,129 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were obtained, and 10 key proteins were finally identified, which included three upregulated proteins (Ahsg, Bpgm, and Litaf) and seven downregulated proteins (medium-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 2 (Acsm2), Hadha, Keg1, Sh3glb1, Eif3d, Ambp, and Ddah2). The qPCR technique was used to validate these 10 potential biomarkers in rat kidney and urine. In addition, Acsm2 and Ahsg were double-validated by Western blotting. Overall, this study identified 10 reliable biomarkers that may provide potential targets for the treatment of AKI caused by EHS.
Isolation and Identification Antagonistic Bacterium Paenibacillus tianmuensis YM002 against Acidovorax citrulli
Authors: Koo Young Mo , Heo A Yeong , Choi Hyong Woo
Published: June 2023

In this study, we aimed to screen antagonistic microorganisms against Acidovorax citrulli, the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch, which is known to induce sever diseases in cucurbit crops. From 240 bacterial strains isolated, only one unknown bacterial isolate, named YM002, showed significant antagonistic activity against A. citrulli KACC17909. Further experiments revealed that YM002 shows antagonistic activity against all tested A. citrulli strains, including KACC17000, KACC17001 and KACC17005, to different degrees. The phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences identified YM002 as Paenibacillus tianmuensis. Importantly, pretreatment of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) leaves with YM002 enhanced disease resistance as observed by significantly reduced necrotic symptom development and bacterial growth. YM002-induced resistance accompanied by enhanced expression of defense-related genes, such as PAL1, PR1-1a and CTR1. Importantly, culture filtrate of YM002 significantly suppressed biofilm formation and swimming motility of A. citrulli, which is indispensable for its full virulence. In addition to its antagonistic activity, YM002 showed a various plant growth promotion (PGP)-related traits, such as production of ammonia production, amylase production, ACC deaminase production, inodole-3-acetic acid production, extracellular protease production, siderophore production, and zinc solubilization activities. Indeed, treatment of cucumber roots with YM002 significantly enhanced plant growth parameters, such as fresh and dry weight of leaves or roots. This study suggests the potential of YM002 as an effective PGPR with biological control activity against Acidovorax citrulli in cucumber plants.
Molecular and functional dissection of LIGULELESS1 (LG1) in plants
Authors: Qin Lei , Wu Xintong , Zhao Hang
Published: June 2023

Plant architecture is a culmination of the features necessary for capturing light energy and adapting to the environment. An ideal architecture can promote an increase in planting density, light penetration to the lower canopy, airflow as well as heat distribution to achieve an increase in crop yield. A number of plant architecture-related genes have been identified by map cloning, quantitative trait locus (QTL) and genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis. LIGULELESS1 (LG1) belongs to the squamosa promoter-binding protein (SBP) family of transcription factors (TFs) that are key regulators for plant growth and development, especially leaf angle (LA) and flower development. The DRL1/2-LG1-RAVL pathway is involved in brassinosteroid (BR) signaling to regulate the LA in maize, which has facilitated the regulation of plant architecture. Therefore, exploring the gene regulatory functions of LG1, especially its relationship with LA genes, can help achieve the precise regulation of plant phenotypes adapted to varied environments, thereby increasing the yield. This review comprehensively summarizes the advances in LG1 research, including its effect on LA and flower development. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future research goals associate with LG1.
Morphological transparency and markedness matter in heritage speaker gender processing: an EEG study
Authors: Luque Alicia , Rossi Eleonora , Kubota Maki , Nakamura Megan , Rosales César , López-Rojas Cristina , Rodina Yulia , Rothman Jason
Published: June 2023

The present study investigated the qualitative nature of grammatical gender knowledge and processing in heritage speakers (HSs) of Spanish living in the United States. Forty-four adult Spanish HS bilinguals participated, completing a behavioral grammatical gender assignment task and a grammaticality judgment task (GJT) while their brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). The EEG GJT task included grammatical and ungrammatical sentences with grammatical gender violations on inanimate nouns, where transparency of the morpho(phono)logical cue and markedness were manipulated. The results of this study revealed that grammatical gender violations elicited the typical P600 effect across all relevant conditions, indicating that the grammatical representations and processing of grammatical gender in HSs are qualitatively similar to those in Spanish-dominant native speakers. Given the experimental manipulation in this study, these findings also suggest that both morphological transparency and markedness play significant roles in how grammatical gender is processed. However, the results of this study differ from those reported in previous studies with Spanish-dominant native speakers, as the P600 effect found was accompanied by a biphasic N400 effect. This pattern of results is interpreted as further evidence that the bilingual experience of HSs modulates certain aspects of morphosyntactic processing, particularly conferring a greater reliance on morphology. Additionally, the results of this study highlight the importance of incorporating neurolinguistic online processing methods to better understand what underlies HS bilingual competence and processing outcomes.
The generation mechanism underlying the career decision-making difficulties faced by undergraduates in China during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study based on SCCT theory
Authors: Shi Hairong
Published: June 2023

As COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide, the record number of graduates in China and pressure resulting from the economic downturn have led to low confidence in employment among college students, and the difficulties associated with career decision-making have gradually developed into a psychological barrier to the successful employment of Chinese college students. Using the “purposive sampling” approach to qualitative research, this study selected 20 undergraduates exhibiting delayed employment from a university as our research sample and used the career self-management model of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as an analytical framework to conduct semistructured interviews with the aim of exploring influencing factors associated with and generation mechanism underlying the career decision-making difficulties experienced by Chinese undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the career self-management model of SCCT theory, the four variables of individual, parents, peers and social environment influence Chinese undergraduates’ career decision-making difficulties. On this basis, this study proposes a multivariable and single-subject generation mechanism to explain undergraduates’ career decision-making difficulties and tries to explicate the mental changes associated with the career decision-making difficulties encountered by undergraduates exhibiting delayed employment by reference to mind sponge theory.
The light, the dark, and everything else: making sense of young people's digital gaming
Authors: Meriläinen Mikko , Ruotsalainen Maria
Published: June 2023

Whether gaming has a beneficial or detrimental effect on young people's lives is a defining feature in both the research and the public discussion of youth digital gaming. In this qualitative study, we draw from a thematic analysis of the experiences of 180 game players in Finland, aged 15–25 years. Utilizing the digital gaming relationship (DGR) theory, we explore how different aspects of gaming actualize in their lives, and how different features of gaming culture participation come together to form their experience. We contend that framing gaming as a balancing act between beneficial and detrimental obscures much of the complexity of young people's gaming, reinforces a partially false dichotomy, and overlooks young people's agency. Based on our results, we suggest alternative approaches that help reduce and avoid these problems.
Height and subjective body image are associated with suicide ideation among Korean adolescents
Authors: Song Kyungchul , Lee Junghan , Lee San , Jeon Soyoung , Lee Hye Sun , Kim Ho-Seong , Chae Hyun Wook
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Suicide is the leading cause of death among Korean adolescents. Suicide has been found to be associated with body mass index (BMI), height, and subjective body image among adults, but investigations of these associations among adolescents are limited. Thus, we aimed to examine to what extent suicide ideation is associated with height, BMI, and subjective body image among Korean adolescents.

Methods

This study examined the data of 6,261 adolescents, selected from a nationally representative survey. The participants were divided into subgroups by sex, suicide ideation, and subjective body image. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association of suicide ideation with height, BMI, and subjective body image.

Results

The proportion of perceived obesity was high in the total sample; the height Z-score was lower for the group with suicide ideation than the group without suicide ideation; the height Z-scores were also lower for female participants with suicide ideation than those female participants without suicide ideation. The proportions of depressed mood, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts were higher among the total sample and female participants with perceived obesity than among those with a normal body image. On logistic regression, perceived obesity was positively associated with suicide ideation even after adjusting for age, height Z-score, weight Z-score, and depressed mood, whereas height Z-score was negatively associated with suicide ideation. These relationships were more prominent among female participants than among male participants.

Conclusion

Low height and perceived obesity, not real obesity, are associated with suicide ideation among Korean adolescents. These findings indicate that the need for an integrated approach to growth, body image, and suicide in adolescents is warranted.
The Bahraini food based dietary guidelines: a holistic perspective to health and wellbeing
Authors: Naja Farah , Khaleel Sharfa , Alhajeri Maryam Ebrahim , Ajlan Buthaina Yusuf , Abulfateh Najat Mohamed , Alawadhi Amna Ghassan , Bowah Marwa Husain Jan , Al-Jawaldeh Ayoub
Published: June 2023

The impact of food consumption extends well beyond the physical aspect of health to affect the mind, the society, and the environment. The biopsycho-ecological (BSE) theory recognizes the interplay between these factors and emphasizes the need for a holistic perspective to dietary recommendations. This manuscript presents a situation analysis of food consumption and diet-related diseases in Bahrain and describes the themes of the Bahraini Food based dietary guidelines (FBDG) and their alignment with the BSE constructs. Available data revealed low fruit and vegetable intake and excessive consumption of processed meat and sugary drinks in the country. These dietary habits are accompanied by a high burden of non-communicable diseases and their risk factors, anemia, and vitamin D deficiency. The Bahraini FBDG consisted of 11 context-specific themes and key messages that addressed the four dimensions of health depicted by the BSE theory, as follows: diet, physical activity, and food safety (body), physical activity, mindful eating and mental health (mind); family relations and cultural heritage (society), and food waste and environmental footprints of dietary intake (environment). The Bahraini FBDG present a model of dietary guidelines that adopted a holistic perspective to address health as they promote the role of food and dietary habits in maintaining the health of the body and that of the mind, the society, and the environment.
Zero-shot style transfer for gesture animation driven by text and speech using adversarial disentanglement of multimodal style encoding
Authors: Fares Mireille , Pelachaud Catherine , Obin Nicolas
Published: June 2023

Modeling virtual agents with behavior style is one factor for personalizing human-agent interaction. We propose an efficient yet effective machine learning approach to synthesize gestures driven by prosodic features and text in the style of different speakers including those unseen during training. Our model performs zero-shot multimodal style transfer driven by multimodal data from the PATS database containing videos of various speakers. We view style as being pervasive; while speaking, it colors the communicative behaviors expressivity while speech content is carried by multimodal signals and text. This disentanglement scheme of content and style allows us to directly infer the style embedding even of a speaker whose data are not part of the training phase, without requiring any further training or fine-tuning. The first goal of our model is to generate the gestures of a source speaker based on thecontentof two input modalities–Mel spectrogram and text semantics. The second goal is to condition the source speaker's predicted gestures on the multimodal behaviorstyleembedding of a target speaker. The third goal is to allow zero-shot style transfer of speakers unseen during training without re-training the model. Our system consists of two main components: (1) aspeaker style encoder networkthat learns to generate a fixed-dimensional speaker embeddingstylefrom a target speaker multimodal data (mel-spectrogram, pose, and text) and (2) asequence-to-sequence synthesis networkthat synthesizes gestures based on thecontentof the input modalities—text and mel-spectrogram—of a source speaker and conditioned on the speaker style embedding. We evaluate that our model is able to synthesize gestures of a source speaker given the two input modalities and transfer the knowledge of target speaker style variability learned by the speaker style encoder to the gesture generation task in a zero-shot setup, indicating that the model has learned a high-quality speaker representation. We conduct objective and subjective evaluations to validate our approach and compare it with baselines.
The changing landscape of semiconductor manufacturing: why the health sector should care
Authors: Zhai Kevin
Published: June 2023

As semiconductor devices become increasingly ubiquitous in healthcare, the health sector has in turn grown highly dependent on the semiconductor industry. This relationship is not always symbiotic, and even mild turbulence in the semiconductor industry has the potential to derail patient care. Here, we introduce semiconductor manufacturing and discuss political and economic forces that will shape the industry for years to come. The uncertain outlook for semiconductors underscores the need for stakeholder collaboration to ensure an adequate supply of semiconductor-utilizing medical devices for the patients of today and tomorrow.
Robust segregation of donor and recipient cells from single-cell RNA-sequencing of transplant samples
Authors: Wilson Gavin W. , Duong Allen , Moshkelgosha Sajad , Bader Gary , Keshavjee Shaf , Martinu Tereza , Juvet Stephen C. , Yeung Jonathan C.
Published: June 2023

Background

Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology has revealed novel cell populations in organs, uncovered regulatory relationships between genes, and allowed for tracking of cell lineage trajectory during development. It demonstrates promise as a method to better understand transplant biology; however, fundamental bioinformatic tools for its use in the context of transplantation have not been developed. One major need has been a robust method to identify cells as being either donor or recipient genotype origin, and ideally without the need to separately sequence the donor and recipient.

Methods

We implemented a novel two-stage genotype discovery method (scTx) optimized for transplant samples by being robust to disparities in cell number and cell type. Using both in silico and real-world scRNA-seq transplant data, we benchmarked our method against existing demultiplexing methods to profile their limitations in terms of sequencing depth, donor and recipient cell imbalance, and single nucleotide variant input selection.

Results

Using in silico data, scTx could more accurately separate donor from recipient cells and at much lower genotype ratios than existing methods. This was further validated using solid-organ scRNA-seq data where scTx could more reliably identify when a second genotype was present and at lower numbers of cells from a second genotype.

Conclusion

scTx introduces the capability to accurately segregate donor and recipient gene expression at the single-cell level from scRNA-seq data without the need to separately genotype the donor and recipient. This will facilitate the use of scRNA-seq in the context of transplantation.
An Experimental Outlook on Quality Metrics for Process Modelling: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis
Authors: Ireddy Ashish T. S. , Kovalchuk Sergey V.
Published: June 2023

The ideology behind process modelling is to visualise lengthy event logs into simple representations interpretable to the end user. Classifying process models as simple or complex is based on criteria that evaluate attributes of models and quantify them on a scale. These metrics measure various characteristics of process models and describe their qualities. Over the years, vast amounts of metrics have been proposed in the community, making it difficult to find and select the appropriate ones for implementation. This paper presents a state-of-the-art meta-review that lists and summarises all the evaluation metrics proposed to date. We have studied the behaviour of the four most widely used metrics in process mining with an experiment. Further, we have used seven healthcare domain datasets of varying natures to analyse the behaviour of these metrics under different threshold conditions. Our work aims to propose and demonstrate the capabilities to use our selected metrics as a standard of measurement for the process mining domain.
Air Frosts in Poland in the Thermal Growing Season (AT > 5 °C)
Authors: Koźmiński Czesław , Mąkosza Agnieszka , Nidzgorska-Lencewicz Jadwiga , Michalska Bożena
Published: June 2023

Frosts cause damage to plants in field crops and also trees, thus contributing to heavy economic losses in agriculture. One of the consequences of climate warming is the lengthening of the thermal growing season (AT > 5 °C) and acceleration of phenological phases as well as the lengthening of the frost-free period. This favourable element allows the extension of the range of cultivated plants to include plants requiring warmth and a longer development period. The present study concerns the area of Poland. The data on mean and minimum 24-h period air temperature (200 cm above ground level) were obtained from 52 meteorological stations of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management—National Research Institute (IMGW-PIB) for the period 1971–2020. A day with air frost was identified when the recorded minimum air temperature was below 0.0 °C and the mean 24-h period air temperature was above 0.0 °C. All calculations concerning frosts were limited to the period with mean 24-h period air temperature >5 °C (the growing season) as determined with the Gumiński method. The obtained results show that in the thermal growing season (AT > 5 °C) in Poland, no statistically significant change in the average number of days with air frosts in the period 1971–2020 was found. On average, in Poland, in the years 1971–2020, a lengthening of the thermal growing season by 6.2 days over 10 years was identified. Earlier disappearance of the latest air frosts in spring was identified as 2 to 3 days over 10 years, and the later occurrence of air frosts in autumn as 1 to 4 days over 10 years. The share of severe (−4.1°C ÷ −6.0 °C) and very severe (<−6.0 °C) frosts in the total number of days with air frosts in Poland amounts to, on average, 5.8% in spring and 2.6% in autumn.
Environmental and Socio–Cultural Factors Impacting the Unique Gene Pool Pattern of Mae Hong-Son Chicken
Authors: Wongloet Wongsathit , Singchat Worapong , Chaiyes Aingorn , Ali Hina , Piangporntip Surachai , Ariyaraphong Nattakan , Budi Trifan , Thienpreecha Worawit , Wannakan Wannapa , Mungmee Autchariyapron , Jaisamut Kittipong , Thong Thanyapat , Panthum Thitipong , Ahmad Syed Farhan , Lisachov Artem , Suksavate Warong , Muangmai Narongrit , Chuenka Rattanaphon , Nunome Mitsuo , Chamchumroon Wiyada , Han Kyudong , Nuangmek Aniroot , Matsuda Yoichi , Duengkae Prateep , Srikulnath Kornsorn
Published: June 2023

Understanding the genetic diversity of domestic chicken breeds under the impact of socio–cultural and ecological dynamics is vital for the conservation of natural resources. Mae Hong Son chicken is a local breed of North Thai domestic chicken widely distributed in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand; however, its genetic characterization, origin, and diversity remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the socio–cultural, environmental, and genetic aspects of the Mae Hong Son chicken breed and investigated its diversity and allelic gene pool. We genotyped 28 microsatellite markers and analyzed mitochondrial D-loop sequencing data to evaluate genetic diversity and assessed spatial habitat suitability using maximum entropy modeling. Sequence diversity analysis revealed a total of 188 genotyped alleles, with overall nucleotide diversity of 0.014 ± 0.007, indicating that the Mae Hong Son chicken population is genetically highly diverse, with 35 (M1–M35) haplotypes clustered into haplogroups A, B, E, and F, mostly in the North ecotype. Allelic gene pool patterns showed a unique DNA fingerprint of the Mae Hong Son chicken, as compared to other breeds and red junglefowl. A genetic introgression of some parts of the gene pool of red junglefowl and other indigenous breeds was identified in the Mae Hong Son chicken, supporting the hypothesis of the origin of the Mae Hong Son chicken. During domestication in the past 200–300 years after the crossing of indigenous chickens and red junglefowl, the Mae Hong Son chicken has adapted to the highland environment and played a significant socio–cultural role in the Northern Thai community. The unique genetic fingerprint of the Mae Hong Son chicken, retaining a high level of genetic variability that includes a dynamic demographic and domestication history, as well as a range of ecological factors, might reshape the adaptation of this breed under selective pressure.
Anthelmintic Treatment of Sheep and the Role of Parasites Refugia in a Local Context
Authors: Höglund Johan , Gustafsson Katarina
Published: June 2023

Gastrointestinal nematodes in grazing livestock are ubiquitous and can cause severe damage, leading to substantial losses in agricultural yields. It is undeniable that the integrated use of anthelmintics is often an essential component of successful intensive livestock management. However, anthelmintic resistance has been a major challenge for several decades, especially in pasture-based lamb production. Measures are therefore needed to reduce the risk and prevent further spread. In many countries with more extensive lamb production and pronounced resistance problems than in Sweden, the importance of keeping parasites in refugia is emphasised. To ensure that treatment is necessary, the Swedish model is based on deworming certain groups of ewes based on the parasitological results of a faecal examination and then releasing them with their lambs to safe pastures. This is intended to reduce the risk of infection, which ultimately reduces the number of subsequent treatments. Whether this preventive strategy in turn means an increased risk of resistance is debatable. In this review, we explain the importance of parasites in refugia and how they can help delay the development of resistance to anthelmintics. We also discuss how likely it is that our model contributes to an increase in resistance risk and whether there is reason to question whether it is a sustainable strategy in the long term.
Emission Ratios and Diurnal Variability of Volatile Organic Compounds and Influence of Industrial Emissions in Two Texas Cities
Authors: Shrestha Sujan , Yoon Subin , Alvarez Sergio L. , Wang Yuxuan , Flynn James H. , Usenko Sascha , Sheesley Rebecca J.
Published: June 2023

Changing urban emission landscapes and increasing population make it imperative to understand the driving forces for air quality in growing urban areas. Recent field studies in an industrial area in Houston and a semiurban area in San Antonio reveal unique emission signatures for these two growing Texas cities. A comparison of benzene, toluene, xylenes, isoprene, and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) was conducted for these two Texas locations and previous studies in other megacities. It was found that San Antonio had similar emission ratios as these megacities for benzene, toluene, and xylenes (1.10, 4.57, and 3.60 pptv ppbv−1 of CO, respectively), likely indicating a similar traffic emission source. Isoprene and MEK were of biogenic origin in San Antonio. However, analysis of emission ratios, diurnal trends, and comparison with emission inventories indicated that benzene, toluene, and MEK were likely associated with fugitive and stack emissions in the industrial corridor in Houston. Isoprene in Houston appeared to have mixed fugitive and biogenic sources in Houston, based on diurnal trends and emission ratio. The peak nighttime concentrations for benzene, toluene, xylene, isoprene, and MEK observed during the campaign were 66, 533, 21, 138, and 731 ppbv, respectively, in the Houston site. The emission ratio for xylenes (3.37 pptv ppbv−1 of CO) for the Houston site was similar to Paris, London, and Mexico City, despite emission inventories indicating high fugitive and stack emissions. The conditional probability function (CPF) analysis closely matched the direction of the industrial sources with the highest recorded emission levels as listed in the emission inventory for the Houston site. The estimated ozone production efficiency (OPE) for the industrial area in Houston indicated volatile organic compound (VOC)–limited conditions in the morning, which transitioned to nitrogen oxide (NOx)–limited conditions in the afternoon. Texas cities have complex emission scenarios, and future efforts to mitigate ozone and particulate matter may have to consider a variety of emission reduction strategies.
Visualization of Prediction Methods for Wildfire Modeling Using CiteSpace: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Pan Mengya , Zhang Shuo
Published: June 2023

Wildfire is a growing concern worldwide with significant impacts on human lives and the environment. This study aimed to provide an overview of the current trends and research gaps in wildfire prediction by conducting a bibliometric analysis of papers in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. CiteSpace was employed to analyze the co-occurrence of keywords, identify clusters, and detect emerging trends. The results showed that the most frequently occurring keywords were “wildfire”, “prediction”, and “model” and the top three clusters were related to “air quality”, “history”, and “validation”. The analysis of emerging trends revealed a focus on vegetation, precipitation, land use, trends, and the random forest algorithm. The study contributes to a better understanding of the research trends and gaps in wildfire prediction and provides recommendations for future research, such as incorporating new data sources and using advanced techniques.
The Influence of Wind-Induced Response in Urban Trees on the Surrounding Flow Field
Authors: Ren Xinyi , Zhang Guoyi , Chen Zhonggou , Zhu Junhao
Published: June 2023

In recent years, cities have experienced frequent climate changes and deteriorating wind environments. Urban vegetation has become an important measure to improve local microclimates with its flexible configuration. Leaves and branches also reorient with the direction of wind, affecting the airflow through the tree. However, trees are usually considered as stationary porous media areas and are not influenced by wind speed in existing numerical simulation studies. Therefore, by considering the response of a tree under natural wind, this study established a fitted relationship between porosity and wind speed by measuring the porosity of trees at different wind speeds in the field. A numerical model of the wind response of the tree was developed, and the tree drag coefficient was changed using the additional source term method to verify the feasibility of the model by measuring the wind environment behind the tree. To understand the effect of the wind-induced response on the surrounding flow field and its variation pattern, the surrounding flow fields of stationary tree (T-S) and wind-induced tree (T-D) at different wind speeds were compared and analyzed. The effect of porosity and height-to-width ratio under the wind-induced response of trees on the wind environment were quantified. It was found that at different wind speeds, as the wind speed increases, the tree porosity gradually increases and the drag coefficient decreases accordingly. The effective shading distance after wind response was 2.4H, which was 0.3H less compared to vertically fixed trees. The minimum wind speed increased linearly with plant porosity, and the minimum wind speed occurrence location and wind speed recovery distance were linearly and negatively correlated with tree height-to-width ratio. Therefore, the flow field around the tree was simulated to provide references for guiding tree planting and mitigating urban wind environments.
Bioinks of Natural Biomaterials for Printing Tissues
Authors: Rijal Girdhari
Published: June 2023

Bioinks are inks—in other words, hydrogels—prepared from biomaterials with certain physiochemical properties together with cells to establish hierarchically complex biological 3D scaffolds through various 3D bioprinting technologies [...]
Enhancing the Shear Capacity of RC Beams with Web Openings in Shear Zones Using Pre-Stressed Fe-SMA Bars: Numerical Study
Authors: Elkafrawy Mohamed , Khalil Ahmed , AlHamaydeh Mohammad , Hawileh Rami , Abuzaid Wael
Published: June 2023

Openings in the shear span can significantly affect the structural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams, particularly in terms of shear capacity and crack propagation. This paper aims to investigate the feasibility of strengthening the web opening in the shear zone of RC beams by using iron-based shape memory alloy (Fe-SMA) bars, providing valuable insights for structural engineers and researchers. Numerical analysis with ABAQUS/CAE 2020 software was employed in the current study. The research was divided into six groups of beams with web openings of different lengths (150, 300, and 450 mm), prestressing levels (0%, 30%, and 60%), and reinforcement diameters (14, 18, and 22 mm) of Fe-SMA bars. The results show that the presence of web openings can cause a significant reduction in the cracking and ultimate loads of the beams, with reductions ranging from 11% to 50% and 36% to 48%, respectively. However, by adding pre-stressed Fe-SMA bars around small web openings (100 × 150 mm), the shear capacity of the beam is restored, and the beam exhibits behavior similar to solid beams. Additionally, activating the Fe-SMA bars by 30% and 60% resulted in almost similar cracking loads but improved load-carrying capacity of the beam with small openings by 12% and 9%, respectively, compared to the solid beam. The technique proposed for enhancing shear strength is most effective for beams with small (100 × 150 mm) and medium (100 × 300 mm) web openings as it can restore both the beam’s shear strength and stiffness. However, for beams with larger web openings (100 × 450 mm), the use of activated Fe-SMA beams can recover almost 90% of the solid beam’s shear capacity. Furthermore, reinforcing small openings with Fe-SMA bars of different diameters enhances beam shear capacity and stiffness, while for larger openings, higher Fe-SMA reinforcement ratios could potentially restore the beam’s full strength and stiffness. This study emphasizes the importance of strengthening web openings in RC beams, particularly in shear zones, and provides significant insights into how to strengthen beams with web openings, thereby contributing to developing safer structures. However, further laboratory experiments are recommended to validate, complement and extend the findings of this numerical study.
Innovation in Radionuclide Therapy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancers: Radiochemical Perspective and Recent Therapeutic Practices
Authors: Deshayes Emmanuel , Fersing Cyril , Thibault Constance , Roumiguie Mathieu , Pourquier Philippe , Houédé Nadine
Published: June 2023

Prostate cancer represents the second cause of death by cancer in males in western countries. While early-stage diseases are accessible to surgery and/or external radiotherapy, advanced metastatic prostate cancers are primarily treated with androgen deprivation therapy, to which new generation androgen receptor antagonists or taxane-based chemotherapies are added in the case of tumor relapse. Nevertheless, patients become invariably resistant to castration with a median survival that rarely exceeds 3 years. This fostered the search for alternative strategies, independent of the androgen receptor signaling pathway. In this line, radionuclide therapies may represent an interesting option as they could target either the microenvironment of sclerotic bone metastases with the use of radiopharmaceuticals containing samarium-153, strontium-89 or radium-223 or tumor cells expressing the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a protein found at the surface of prostate cancer cells. This review gives highlights the chemical properties of radioligands targeting prostate cancer cells and recapitulates the clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of radionuclide therapies, alone or in combination with other approved treatments, in patients with castration-resistant prostate tumors. It discusses some of the encouraging results obtained, especially the benefit on overall survival that was reported with [177Lu]-PSMA-617. It also addresses the specific requirements for the use of this particular class of drugs, both in terms of medical staff coordination and adapted infrastructures for efficient radioprotection.
Long Non-Coding RNAs as Emerging Targets in Lung Cancer
Authors: Gencel-Augusto Jovanka , Wu Wei , Bivona Trever G.
Published: June 2023

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are mRNA-like molecules that do not encode for proteins and that are longer than 200 nucleotides. LncRNAs play important biological roles in normal cell physiology and organism development. Therefore, deregulation of their activities is involved in disease processes such as cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths due to late stage at diagnosis, distant metastasis, and high rates of therapeutic failure. LncRNAs are emerging as important molecules in lung cancer for their oncogenic or tumor-suppressive functions. LncRNAs are highly stable in circulation, presenting an opportunity for use as non-invasive and early-stage cancer diagnostic tools. Here, we summarize the latest works providing in vivo evidence available for lncRNAs role in cancer development, therapy-induced resistance, and their potential as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis, with a focus on lung cancer. Additionally, we discuss current therapeutic approaches to target lncRNAs. The evidence discussed here strongly suggests that investigation of lncRNAs in lung cancer in addition to protein-coding genes will provide a holistic view of molecular mechanisms of cancer initiation, development, and progression, and could open up a new avenue for cancer treatment.
B7H3 Role in Reshaping Immunosuppressive Landscape in MSI and MSS Colorectal Cancer Tumours
Authors: Mielcarska Sylwia , Dawidowicz Miriam , Kula Agnieszka , Kiczmer Paweł , Skiba Hanna , Krygier Małgorzata , Chrabańska Magdalena , Piecuch Jerzy , Szrot Monika , Ochman Błażej , Robotycka Julia , Strzałkowska Bogumiła , Czuba Zenon , Waniczek Dariusz , Świętochowska Elżbieta
Published: June 2023

The study aimed to assess the expression of B7H3 concerning clinicopathological and histological parameters, including MSI/MSS status, CD-8 cells, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), budding, TNM scale and grading. Moreover, we analyzed the B7H3-related pathways using available online datasets and the immunological context of B7H3 expression, through the 48-cytokine screening panel of cancer tissues homogenates, immunogenic features and immune composition. The study included 158 patients diagnosed with CRC. To assess B7H3 levels, we performed an immunohistochemistry method (IHC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To elucidate the immune composition of colorectal cancer, we performed the Bio-Plex Pro Human 48-cytokine panel. To study biological characteristics of B7H3, we used online databases. Expression of B7H3 was upregulated in CRC tumour tissues in comparison to adjacent noncancerous margin tissues. The concentrations of B7H3 in tumours were positively associated with T parameter of patients and negatively with tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes score. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis showed that B7H3 expression in tumours correlated positively with cytokines associated with M2-macrophages and protumour growth factors. The expression of B7H3 in tumours was independent of MSI/MSS status. These findings will improve our understanding of B7H3 role in colorectal cancer immunity. Our study suggests that B7-H3 is a promising potential target for cancer therapy. Further studies must clarify the mechanisms of B7H3 overexpression and its therapeutic importance in colorectal cancer.
Gastric Cancer (GC) with Peritoneal Metastases (PMs): An Overview of Italian PSM Oncoteam Evidence and Study Purposes
Authors: Sammartino Paolo , De Manzoni Giovanni , Marano Luigi , Marrelli Daniele , Biacchi Daniele , Sommariva Antonio , Scaringi Stefano , Federici Orietta , Guaglio Marcello , Angrisani Marco , Cardi Maurizio , Fassari Alessia , Casella Francesco , Graziosi Luigina , Roviello Franco
Published: June 2023

Gastric cancer (GC) continues to be one of the leading types of malignancies worldwide, despite an ongoing decrease in incidence. It is the fifth most frequent type of cancer in the world and the fourth leading cause of cancer death. Peritoneal metastases (PMs) occur in 20–30% of cases during the natural history of the disease. Systemic chemotherapy (SC) is undoubtedly the standard of care for patients with GC and PMs. However, with the development of highly effective regimens (SC combined with intraperitoneal chemotherapy), significant tumor shrinkage has been observed in many patients with synchronous GC and PMs, allowing some to undergo curative resection “conversion surgery” with long-term survival. In recent years, there has been growing interest in intraperitoneal chemotherapy for PMs, because the reduced drug clearance associated with the peritoneal/plasma barrier allows for direct and prolonged drug exposure with less systemic toxicity. These procedures, along with other methods used for peritoneal surface malignancies (PSMs), can be used in GCs with PMs as neoadjuvant chemotherapy or adjuvant treatments after radical surgery or as palliative treatments delivered either laparoscopically or—more recently—as pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy. The great heterogeneity of patients with stage IV gastric cancer did not allow us to carry out a systemic review; therefore, we limited ourselves to providing readers with an overview to clarify the indications and outcomes of integrated treatments for GCs with PMs by analyzing reports from the international clinical literature and the specific experiences of our oncoteam.
Integrated Neurosurgical Management of Retroperitoneal Benign Nerve Sheath Tumors
Authors: Benato Alberto , D’Alessandris Quintino Giorgio , Murazio Marino , Pacelli Fabio , Mattogno Pier Paolo , Fernández Eduardo , Lauretti Liverana
Published: June 2023

Peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST) of the retroperitoneum are rare and are often treated by general surgeons dealing with retroperitoneal cancers. However, resection without the correct microsurgical technique can cause permanent neurological deficits and pain. Here, we discuss our interdisciplinary approach based on the integration of expertise from neurosurgery and abdominal surgery, allowing for both safe exposure and nerve-sparing microsurgical resection of these lesions. We present a series of 15 patients who underwent resection of benign retroperitoneal or pelvic PNST at our institution. The mean age of patients was 48.4 years; 67% were female. Tumors were 14 schwannomas and 1 neurofibroma. Eight patients (53%) reported neurologic symptoms preoperatively. The rate of complete resection was 87% (n = 13); all symptomatic patients showed improvement of their preoperative symptoms. There were no postoperative motor deficits; one patient (7%) developed a permanent sensory deficit. At a mean postoperative follow-up of 31 months, we observed no recurrences. To our best knowledge, this is the second-largest series of benign retroperitoneal PNST consistently managed with microsurgical techniques. Our experience confirms that interdisciplinary management allows for safe treatment of these tumors with good neurological and oncological outcomes.
Deep Learning in Different Ultrasound Methods for Breast Cancer, from Diagnosis to Prognosis: Current Trends, Challenges, and an Analysis
Authors: Afrin Humayra , Larson Nicholas B. , Fatemi Mostafa , Alizad Azra
Published: June 2023

Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of mortality among women around the world. Ultrasound (US) is one of the noninvasive imaging modalities used to diagnose breast lesions and monitor the prognosis of cancer patients. It has the highest sensitivity for diagnosing breast masses, but it shows increased false negativity due to its high operator dependency. Underserved areas do not have sufficient US expertise to diagnose breast lesions, resulting in delayed management of breast lesions. Deep learning neural networks may have the potential to facilitate early decision-making by physicians by rapidly yet accurately diagnosing and monitoring their prognosis. This article reviews the recent research trends on neural networks for breast mass ultrasound, including and beyond diagnosis. We discussed original research recently conducted to analyze which modes of ultrasound and which models have been used for which purposes, and where they show the best performance. Our analysis reveals that lesion classification showed the highest performance compared to those used for other purposes. We also found that fewer studies were performed for prognosis than diagnosis. We also discussed the limitations and future directions of ongoing research on neural networks for breast ultrasound.
Deregulated microRNAs Involved in Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness and Treatment Resistance Mechanisms
Authors: Gujrati Himali , Ha Siyoung , Wang Bi-Dar
Published: June 2023

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among American men. Complex genetic and epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the development and progression of PCa. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs that regulate protein expression at the post-transcriptional level by targeting mRNAs for degradation or inhibiting protein translation. In the past two decades, the field of miRNA research has rapidly expanded, and emerging evidence has revealed miRNA dysfunction to be an important epigenetic mechanism underlying a wide range of diseases, including cancers. This review article focuses on understanding the functional roles and molecular mechanisms of deregulated miRNAs in PCa aggressiveness and drug resistance based on the existing literature. Specifically, the miRNAs differentially expressed (upregulated or downregulated) in PCa vs. normal tissues, advanced vs. low-grade PCa, and treatment-responsive vs. non-responsive PCa are discussed. In particular, the oncogenic and tumor-suppressive miRNAs involved in the regulation of (1) the synthesis of the androgen receptor (AR) and its AR-V7 splice variant, (2) PTEN expression and PTEN-mediated signaling, (3) RNA splicing mechanisms, (4) chemo- and hormone-therapy resistance, and (5) racial disparities in PCa are discussed and summarized. We further provide an overview of the current advances and challenges of miRNA-based biomarkers and therapeutics in clinical practice for PCa diagnosis/prognosis and treatment.
Increased Risk of Malignancy with Immunosuppression: A Population-Based Analysis of Texas Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Cicalese Luca , Westra Jordan R. , O’Connor Casey M. , Kuo Yong-Fang
Published: June 2023

Immunosuppressive drugs (IMD) are widely utilized to treat many autoimmune conditions and to prevent rejection in organ transplantation. Cancer has been associated with prolonged use of IMD in transplant patients. However, no detailed, systematic analysis of the risk of cancer has been performed in patients receiving IMD for any condition and duration. We analyzed Medicare data from Texas Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of their age, between 2007 and 2018, from the Texas Cancer Registry. We analyzed the data for the risk of cancer after IMD use associated with demographic characteristics, clinical conditions, and subsequent cancer type. Of 29,196 patients who used IMD for a variety of indications, 5684 developed cancer. The risk of cancer (standardized incidence ratio) was particularly high for liver (9.10), skin (7.95), lymphoma (4.89), and kidney (4.39). Patients receiving IMD had a four fold greater likelihood of developing cancer than the general population. This risk was higher within the first 3 years of IMD utilization and in patients younger than 65 years and minorities. This study shows that patients receiving IMD for any indications have a significantly increased risk of cancer, even with short-term use. Caution is needed for IMD use; in addition, an aggressive neoplastic diagnostic screening is warranted.