bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
OPTIMALISASI PERAN KELEMBAGAAN PERENCANAAN SUMBER DAYA ALAM DALAM PENANGANAN PERMASALAHAN PENANAMAN MODAL
Authors: Pambudi Andi Setyo
Published: January 2023

Dinamika penanaman modal di Indonesia secara umum berkaitan dengan permasalahan internal maupun eksternal yang seringkali direspons dengan perubahan regulasi dan kebijakan. Hal ini wajar mengingat saat ini Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Indonesia masih rendah dengan menduduki peringkat 73 dari 190 negara, dimana dalam konteks wilayah ASEAN masih berada di peringkat 6 dari 8 negara. Regulasi dan kebijakan yang disusun sejak era Presiden Joko Widodo membawa perubahan yang cukup signifikan yang ditunjukkan dengan realisasi penanaman modal, baik dalam negeri (PMDN) maupun asing (PMA), meskipun sedikit terkoreksi sebagai dampak mewabahnya COVID-19. Jika ditarik lebih kedalam, sejak Undang-Undang Nomor 25 Tahun 2007 (UUPM) berlaku, memang terlihat bahwa perekonomian Indonesia membaik secara bertahap. Sumber daya alam sebagai salah satu sektor dalam investasi memerlukan perencanaan yang mampu beradaptasi terhadap perubahan, baik secara substansi, regulasi dan kelembagaan. Potret penanaman modal dan permasalahannya menjadi hal yang menarik diulas ketika dikaitkan dengan kelembagaan yang ada. Dari sisi penyusun kebijakan, optimalisasi potensi kelembagaan terkait penanaman modal diperlukan sebagai langkah strategis perbaikan pelayanan kepada publik. Makalah ini bertujuan untuk menampilkan potret permasalahan penanaman modal, kelembagaan perencanaan sumber daya alam terkait penanaman modal saat ini dan mengidentifikasi potensi pengembangan menuju optimalisasi peran dalam menunjang pembangunan nasional. Metode yang digunakan dalam analisis adalah berbasis literature review, baik dari penelitian sebelumnya, maupun regulasi dan kebijakan yang ada di Indonesia. Hasil analisis menghasilkan rekomendasi kebijakan dan rekomendasi kelembagaan dalam penanaman modal yang sesuai kondisi terkini untuk dapat ditindaklanjuti oleh pemangku kepentingan dan pengambil kebijakan dalam rangka pembangunan investasi yang berdaya saing dan berkelanjutan.
Implementasi Kebijakan Penyederhanaan Organisasi Di Kementerian Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara dan Reformasi Birokrasi
Authors: Setiawan Irfan , Sururama Rahmawati , Nurdin Ismail
Published: January 2023

Penyelenggaraan organisasi pemerintahan memerlukan birokrasi yang ramping dan fleksibel agar dapat memberikan pelayanan publik yang berkuliatas dan tidak kaku. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis Langkah-langkah dalam penyederhanaan organisasi pemerintahan, dan implementasi penyederhanaan struktur organisasi di Kementerian tersebut. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah deskritif kualitatif dengan mengumplukan data melalui wawancara, observasi dan dokumentasi sesuai tema yang diteliti. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa langkah-langkah yang dilakukan Kementerian meliputi kegiatan penyiapan peraturan dan penataan formasi peta jabatan, serta kegiatan sosialisasi kepada seluruh pegawai di lingkungan kementerian. Pada proses implementasi penyederhanaan struktur organisasi di Kementerian Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara dan Reformasi Birokrasi, faktor komunikasi jelas, sumber daya memadai, disposisi yang terlaksana dan struktur birokrasi tersedia sehingga menghasilkan penyelenggaraan kebijakan yang terlaksana dengan baik.
Strategi Pemberdayaan Petani Pala Dalam Meningkatkan Kualitas Tanaman Pala Oleh Dinas Perkebunan Di Kabupaten Fakfak
Authors: Naisin Misrull Ashary , Asyik Muhammad Fandy
Published: January 2023

Kabupaten Fakfak adalah penghasil buah pala terbesar di Provinsi Papua Barat dan sangat terkenal sejak dahulu akan hal itu. Namun pada kenyataan dilapangan kuantitas pala yang diproduksi tidak berbanding lurus dengan kualitas yang dihasilkan. Oleh sebab itu nilai jual pala dari Kabupaten Fakfak menjadi rendah dipasaran sehingga petani pala sulit mencapai kesejahteraan. Tujuan pembuatan penulisan ini ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana strategi pemberdayaan masyarakat petani pala dalam meningkatkan kualitas hasil tanaman pala di Kabupaten Fakfak yang dilakukan oleh Dinas Perkebunan Kabupaten Fakfak dan juga untuk mengetahui faktor pendukung dan faktor penghambat hal tersebut. Penulis memberikan saran kapada seluruh pihak kususnya kepada Dinas Perkebunan Kabupaten Fakfak untuk terus menjaga kelestarian hutan sebagai habitat tanaman pala dan konsisten dalam menjalankan program-program yang sudah direncanakan serta memanfaatkan perkembangan zaman untuk membantu promosi dan pemasaran pala secara online karena akan sangat efektif dan efisien dimasa sekarang maupun dimasa akan datang.
Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Program Kampung KB Selama Covid-19 Ditinjau dari Fungsi Keluarga di Kota Dumai
Authors: Sari Nurmala
Published: January 2023

Penelitian ini untuk melihat partisipasi masyarakat Kampung KB Keberkahan Bersama selama masa pandemi covid 19 ditinjau dari 8 (delapan) fungsi keluarga. Pentingnya pastisipasi masyarakat dalam pembangunan suatu desa ketika pendemi covid-19. Begitu juga dengan keberhasilan program kampung KB tidak lepas dari partisipasi masyarakatnya. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk melihat sejauh mana partisipasi masyarakat dalam program Kampung KB selama pandemi covid-19 ditinjau dari 8 (delapan) fungsi keluarga. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dengan pendekatan kualitatif dengan teknik pengambilan data dengan dokumentasi, wawancara dan observasi serta analisis data dengan trianggulasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa partisipasi masyarakat sangat tinggi selama masa pandemi ini, hal itu dilihat dari tabel data partisipasi masyarakat dari tahun 2020-2021 yang mana semua kegiatan 8 (delapan) fungsi keluarga terealisasi dengan baik dan melebihi dari target yang telah ditetapkan. Semua kegiatan dilakukan dengan tetap menjalankan protokol kesehatan (Prokes).
Erken Cumhuriyet Yıllarında Milli Vatandaşlığın Pekiştirilmesi: Vatandaşlıktan Çıkarılmalar (1923-1938)
Authors: YUCA İrşad Sami
Published: January 2023

Bir gruba aidiyetin sembolleri olan etnisite, dil, kültür ve inanç gibi bağlarla inşa edilmiş milli veya etnik kimlik algısı, aynı zamanda vatandaşlık duygusunun modern dönemlerdeki yeni sınırlarını milliyetçi ve seküler fikirler ile çizmekteydi. Toplumların daha politik ve ekonomik referanslar ile ayrışmaya başladığı ve yeniden örgütlenmesine yol açan Aydınlanma Çağı, Sanayi İnkılabı ve Fransız İhtilali gibi gelişmeler millet tanımına yeni yorumlar kazandırmıştır. Çağdaş, düşünsel ve ideolojik referansların etkisiyle millet olmanın yeni yapay sınırları ulusal topraklar ile millileştirilmiş edebiyat, tarih, kültür ve hukuk ile bunları özümsemiş yeni vatandaş tipi tanımlanmaktaydı. Milliyetçilik, vatandaşlığın tanımında gün geçtikçe daha geçerli bir yorum haline gelmekteydi. Avrupa’nın diğer ülkelerinden farklı bir tarihselliği olan Osmanlı’da, vatandaşlığın tarifi din temelli olup hem karmaşık hem de heterojen bir karakteristiği resmetmekteydi. Vatandaşlığın, Cumhuriyet döneminde el alınışı ise laik ve çağdaş bir Türklük tanımlanması şeklinde olmuştur. Yeni kurumsal anlayışı ve ideolojik vasıfları ile Cumhuriyet ideolojisinde, Kemalist milliyetçilerinin temel düşünce evrenini, yapılan inkılâplar inşa etmekteydi. Haliyle, millî vatandaşlığın çerçevesini de bu gelişmeler oluşturmaktaydı. Bu süre zarfında yeni ulusal karakterli vatandaşlık tanımına uymayanların veya uymak istemeyenleri çeşitli siyasi, kültürel, bürokratik ve hukuki süreçler beklemekteydi. Bu çalışmada, erken Cumhuriyet yıllarında uygulanan yeni vatandaşlık rejimine uymayan kişilerin vatandaşlıktan çıkarılma süreçleri sebepleriyle ele alınmıştır.
A EXISTÊNCIA DA OBRA DE JOHN DEWEY E O QUE SCHOOLS OF TO-MORROW TEM A DIZER PARA O ENSINO DAS ARTES VISUAIS NOS DIAS DE HOJE
Authors: Moreira Daniela Almeida , Lampert Jociele
Published: January 2023

O presente artigo apresenta um estudo introdutório da obra Schools of To-morrow (1915) de John Dewey em coautoria com Evelyn Dewey. O objetivo deste estudo é ampliar o referencial teórico da pesquisa sobre o ensino das Artes Visuais a partir de uma das obras de John Dewey. O texto foi desenvolvido a partir da seleção dos princípios: ajustment (ajuste), movimento, experiência, liberdade, disciplina e learning by doing (aprender fazendo) para apresentar alguns apontamentos sobre o ensino das Artes Visuais nos dias atuais. Como resultado apresentamos a importância dos conceitos selecionados da obra para outras perspectivas do processo de apreciação, observação, investigação e prática orientada no ensino das Artes Visuais. A conclusão desse estudo é que os princípios destacados podem ser aliados na articulação do ensino das Artes Visuais e aprendizagem em conexão com a vida.
DO EMBELEZAMENTO À “BELEZA FEIA”
Authors: Schraiber Rogério Tubias , Berguenmayer Minuzzi Reinilda de Fátima
Published: January 2023

Neste estudo apresenta-se um processo de criação sobre autorretrato a partir da selfie, desenvolvido em um programa de pós-graduação em artes visuais em nível de doutorado. Objetiva-se discutir a transfiguração do rosto por meio de uma subversão do embelezamento facial com máscara de argila e efeitos de aplicativos de edição de selfie. A pesquisa está embasada no conceito de ‘embelezamento’, de Danto (2015), e a abordagem metodológica segue as três dimensões propostas por Rey (2002), resultando em autorretratos que exibem um rosto transfigurado, disforme, em decorrência do modo operatório utilizado. Isso permitiu concluir que a criação de uma subversão do embelezamento convencional revela uma “beleza feia” que diz mais sobre a transfiguração do rosto como conteúdo conceitual e contribui para pensar a beleza volátil das inúmeras selfies postadas, cotidianamente, nas redes sociais como potência criativa na realização do autorretrato inserido no contexto da arte contemporânea e em diálogo com as tecnologias atuais.
POLES DANCE
Authors: Gabriel Marcos F.
Published: January 2023

O título para este ensaio visual não pretende ocultar, como pode parecer, nossa preocupação com a questão ambiental em sua dimensão político-planetária. Muito pelo contrário, trata-se de que tal como eu, como artista, a compreendo, não é algo simples como dizer que a natureza está sendo destruída pela ação de tais e quais fatores.
Simultaneous extraction and determination of alkaloids and organic acids in Uncariae Ramulas Cum Unicis by vortex-assisted matrix solid phase dispersion extraction coupled with UHPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Xu Xianjun , Wen Jiake , Wang Shuangqi , Hao Jia , Du Kunze , Fang Shiming , He Jun , Li Jin , Chang Yanxu
Published: January 2023

A simple and efficient vortex-assisted matrix solid phase dispersion with a ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (VA-MSPD-UHPLC-MS/MS) was applied for simultaneous extraction and determination of seven alkaloids and three organic acids from Uncariae Ramulas Cum Unicis. The optimal extraction conditions of the target components were obtained by Box-Behnken design (BBD) combined with response surface methodology (RSM). The results of the method validation showed that this analytical method displayed good linearity with a correlation coefficient (r) no lower than 0.9990. The recoveries of ten active ingredients from Uncariae Ramulas Cum Unicis ranged from 95.9% to 103% (RSD ≤ 2.77%). The RSDs of intra-day and inter-day precisions were all below 2.97%. The present method exhibited not only lower solvent and sample usage, but also shorter sample processing and analysis time. Consequently, the developed VA-MSPD-UHPLC-MS/MS method could be successfully and effectively used for the extraction and analysis of ten active components from Uncariae Ramulas Cum Unicis.
Waterborne asbestos: Good practices for surface waters analyses
Authors: Avataneo Chiara , Capella Silvana , Luiso Mariagrazia , Marangoni Giuliana , Lasagna Manuela , De Luca Domenico A. , Bergamini Massimo , Belluso Elena , Turci Francesco
Published: January 2023

Asbestos occurrence has been mainly monitored in air so far and only limitedly considered in other matrices, such as water. Waterborne asbestos could originate from natural or anthropogenic sources, leading to non-conventional exposure scenarios. It could be a secondary source of airborne asbestos in case of water-to-air migration, particularly in case of surface moving water, such as in rivers and streams. The scarce attention dedicated to waterborne asbestos has led to a considerable fragmentation in regulatory approaches regarding the study of water samples possibly contaminated by mineral fibres. In this context, this study has been designed to test the reliability of an existing analytical method devoted to natural waters investigations. Following the operational protocol issued by the Piedmont (Italy) Environmental Protection Agency, Scanning Electron Microscopy analyses have been performed on a standard sample of waterborne chrysotile, mimicking stream water. The investigations have been performed by different operators and using different analytical setups, to verify whether the method applied has a good interlaboratory reproducibility and which could be the most error-prone analytical steps. Three data sets have been obtained on the same sample, showing a low reproducibility among each other. Possible reasons causing this discrepancy have been discussed in detail and good practices to perform reliable analyses on surface water samples containing asbestos have been proposed to help the regulatory organs to better define analytical protocols.
Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and serological status related to Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in Germany: A cross-sectional study in six German cities
Authors: Wirth Margit , Gálvez Rosa Isela , Jochum Johannes , Strauss Ricardo , Kristensen Kaja , Stich August , Stegemann Miriam , Stahl Philipp , Puchner Karl Philipp , Strasen Jörn , Parisi Sandra , Braasch Trixi , Bender Marion , Hörning Anna , Hanke Monika , Störk Stefan , Jacobs Thomas , Pritsch Michael , Zoller Thomas
Published: January 2023

Background

Little is known about knowledge, attitudes and behaviors concerning Chagas disease (CD) among Latin American migrants in Germany to inform public health decision making.

Methods

A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted between March 2014 and October 2019 among Latin American migrants in six cities in Germany to obtain information on migration history, socioeconomic and insurance status, knowledge about CD, potential risk factors for Trypanosoma cruzi infection, and willingness to donate blood or organs.

Results

168 participants completed the questionnaire. The four countries with the highest proportion of participants contributing to the study population were Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Ecuador. Before migrating to Europe, the majority of the study population resided in an urban setting in houses made of stone or concrete, had higher academic education and was integrated into the German healthcare and healthcare insurance system. The majority of all study participants were also willing to donate blood and organs and a quarter of them had donated blood previously. However, many participants lacked basic knowledge about symptoms and modes of transmission of Chagas disease. One out of 56 serologic tests (1.8%) performed was positive. The seropositive female participant born in Argentina had a negative PCR test and no signs of cardiac or other organ involvement.

Conclusions

The study population does not reflect the population structure at risk for T. cruzi infection in endemic countries. Most participants had a low risk profile for infection with T. cruzi. Although the sample size was small and sampling was not representative of all persons at risk in Germany, the seroprevalence found was similar to studies previously conducted in Europe. As no systematic screening for T. cruzi in Latin American blood and organ donors as well as in women of child-bearing age of Latin American origin is implemented in Germany, a risk of occasional transmission of T. cruzi remains.
Utilizing the codon adaptation index to evaluate the susceptibility to HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 related coronaviruses in possible target cells in humans
Authors: Zhou Haoyu , Ren Ruohan , Yau Stephen Shing-Toung
Published: January 2023

Comprehensive identification of possible target cells for viruses is crucial for understanding the pathological mechanism of virosis. The susceptibility of cells to viruses depends on many factors. Besides the existence of receptors at the cell surface, effective expression of viral genes is also pivotal for viral infection. The regulation of viral gene expression is a multilevel process including transcription, translational initiation and translational elongation. At the translational elongation level, the translational efficiency of viral mRNAs mainly depends on the match between their codon composition and cellular translational machinery (usually referred to as codon adaptation). Thus, codon adaptation for viral ORFs in different cell types may be related to their susceptibility to viruses. In this study, we selected the codon adaptation index (CAI) which is a common codon adaptation-based indicator for assessing the translational efficiency at the translational elongation level to evaluate the susceptibility to two-pandemic viruses (HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2) of different human cell types. Compared with previous studies that evaluated the infectivity of viruses based on codon adaptation, the main advantage of our study is that our analysis is refined to the cell-type level. At first, we verified the positive correlation between CAI and translational efficiency and strengthened the rationality of our research method. Then we calculated CAI for ORFs of two viruses in various human cell types. We found that compared to high-expression endogenous genes, the CAIs of viral ORFs are relatively low. This phenomenon implied that two kinds of viruses have not been well adapted to translational regulatory machinery in human cells. Also, we indicated that presumptive susceptibility to viruses according to CAI is usually consistent with the results of experimental research. However, there are still some exceptions. Finally, we found that two viruses have different effects on cellular translational mechanisms. HIV-1 decouples CAI and translational efficiency of endogenous genes in host cells and SARS-CoV-2 exhibits increased CAI for its ORFs in infected cells. Our results implied that at least in cases of HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, CAI can be regarded as an auxiliary index to assess cells’ susceptibility to viruses but cannot be used as the only evidence to identify viral target cells.
Feasibility study of temporary permanent pacemaker in patients with conduction block after TAVR
Authors: Chang Sanshuai , Liu Xinmin , Lu Zhi-Nan , Yao Jing , Yin Chengqian , Wu Wenhui , Yuan Fei , Luo Taiyang , Liu Ran , Yan Yunfeng , Zhang Qian , Pu Junzhou , Modine Thomas , Piazza Nicolo , Jilaihawi Hasan , Jiang Zhengming , Song Guangyuan
Published: January 2023

Background

Limited data exist on the use of temporary permanent pacemaker (TPPM) to reduce unnecessary PPM in patients with high-degree atrioventricular block (HAVB) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Objectives

This study aims to determine the feasibility of TPPM in patients with HAVB after TAVR to provide prolonged pacing as a bridge.

Materials and methods

One hundred and eleven consecutive patients undergoing TAVR were screened from August 2021 to June 2022. Patients with HAVB eligible for PPM were included. TPPM were used in these patients instead of conventional temporary pacing or early PPM. Patients were followed up for 1 month. Holter and pacemaker interrogation were used to determine whether to implant PPM.

Results

Twenty one patients met the inclusion criteria for TPPM, of which 14 patients were third-degree AVB, 1 patient was second-degree AVB, 6 patients were first degree AVB with PR interval > 240 ms and LBBB with QRS duration > 150 ms. TPPM were placed on the 21 patients for 35 ± 7 days. Among 15 patients with HAVB, 26.7% of them (n = 4) recovered to sinus rhythm; 46.7% (n = 7) recovered to sinus rhythm with bundle branch block. The remains of 26.7% patients (n = 4) still had third-degree AVB and received PPM. For patients with first-degree AVB and LBBB, PR interval shortened to < 200 ms in all 6 patients and LBBB recovered in 2 patients. TPPM were successfully removed from all patients and no procedure-related adverse events occurred.

Conclusion

TPPM is reliable and safe in the small sample of patients with conduction block after TAVR to provide certain buffer time to distinguish whether a PPM is necessary. Future studies with larger sample are needed for further validation of the current results.
Insights in diabetes: Molecular mechanisms-Protectin DX, an anti-inflammatory and a stimulator of inflammation resolution metabolite of docosahexaenoic acid, protects against the development of streptozotocin-induced type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in male Swiss albino mice
Authors: Rengachar Poorani , Polavarapu Sailaja , Das Undurti N.
Published: January 2023

Our previous studies revealed that certain endogenous low molecular weight lipids have potent anti-diabetic actions. Of all, arachidonic acid (AA) and its anti-inflammatory and inflammation resolving metabolite lipoxin A4 (LXA4) are the most potent anti-diabetic molecules. Similar anti-diabetic action is also shown by resolvins. In our efforts to identify other similar lipid based anti-diabetic molecules, we investigated potential anti-diabetic action of protectin DX that also has anti-inflammatory and inducer of inflammation resolution action(s) like LXA4. Protectin DX {10(S),17(S)-dihydroxy-4Z,7Z,11E,13Z,15E,19Z-docosahexaenoic acid, also called as 10(S),17(S)-DiHDoHE)} prevented the development of streptozotocin-induced type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Swiss male albino mice. Protectin DX showed potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic actions that could explain its anti-diabetic action. In view of these beneficial actions, efforts need to be developed to exploit PDX and other similar compounds as potential anti-diabetic molecule in humans.
Effects of Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizoma polysaccharide on intestinal microbiota composition in rats with mammary gland hyperplasia
Authors: Ping Yang , Li Changxu , Wang Lihong , Zhao Hong
Published: January 2023

Background

In recent years, mammary gland hyperplasia (MGH) has been considered to be one of the diseases caused by endocrine disorders. It has been shown that diseases caused by endocrine disorders can be treated by regulating intestinal microbial. As a commonly used medicine in clinical practice, Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizoma has good functions in regulating intestinal homeostasis. Therefore, this paper studied the effect of Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizoma polysaccharide (AMP) on the intestinal flora of MGH rats, providing a new idea for polysaccharide treatment of MGH.

Materials and methods

Eighteen female SD rats were selected and randomly divided into three groups: blank control group (Con), model control group (Mod), and AMP group, six rats in each group. MGH rat models were established by estradiol-progesterone combination and treated with AMP gastric infusion. The levels of E2, P, and PRL in the serum of rats were measured, the intestinal contents were collected, and 16s rRNA high- throughput sequencing technology was analyzed the changes of intestinal flora in the MGH rats.

Results

AMP has good therapeutic effects on MGH rats, decreasing estradiol (E2) and prolactin (PRL) levels and increasing progesterone (P) levels; at the same time, it can regulate the abundance and diversity of intestinal flora of MGH rats, improve the disorder of intestinal flora caused by MGH, and change the community structure, increase the abundance of beneficial flora, and decrease the abundance of pathogenic flora.

Conclusion

AMP can improve the intestinal microbiological environment of MGH rats, maintain the microecological balance of intestinal microbial, and improve MGH symptoms.
An improved LSTM-Seq2Seq-based forecasting method for electricity load
Authors: Mu Yangyang , Wang Ming , Zheng Xuehan , Gao He
Published: January 2023

Power load forecasting has gained considerable research interest in recent years. The power load is vulnerable to randomness and uncertainty during power grid operations. Therefore, it is crucial to effectively predict the electric load and improve the accuracy of the prediction. This study proposes a novel power load forecasting method based on an improved long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network. Thus, an long short-term memory neural network model is established for power load forecasting, which supports variable-length inputs and outputs. The conventional convolutional neural network (CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN) cannot reflect the sequence dependence between the output labels. Therefore, the LSTM-Seq2Seq prediction model was established by combining the sequence-to-sequence (Seq2Seq) structure with that of the long short-term memory model to improve the prediction accuracy. Four prediction models, i.e., long short-term memory, deep belief network (DBN), support vector machine (SVM), and LSTM-Seq2Seq, were simulated and tested on two different datasets. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed LSTM-Seq2Seq method. In the future, this model can be extended to more prediction application scenarios.
Chromosome conformation capture approaches to investigate 3D genome architecture in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: Davidson Connor , Wordsworth B. Paul , Cohen Carla J. , Knight Julian C. , Vecellio Matteo
Published: January 2023

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis of the spine exhibiting a strong genetic background. The mechanistic and functional understanding of the AS-associated genomic loci, identified with Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS), remains challenging. Chromosome conformation capture (3C) and derivatives are recent techniques which are of great help in elucidating the spatial genome organization and of enormous support in uncover a mechanistic explanation for disease-associated genetic variants. The perturbation of three-dimensional (3D) genome hierarchy may lead to a plethora of human diseases, including rheumatological disorders. Here we illustrate the latest approaches and related findings on the field of genome organization, highlighting how the instability of 3D genome conformation may be among the causes of rheumatological disease phenotypes. We suggest a new perspective on the inclusive potential of a 3C approach to inform GWAS results in rheumatic diseases. 3D genome organization may ultimately lead to a more precise and comprehensive functional interpretation of AS association, which is the starting point for emerging and more specific therapies.
Alkaline phosphatase combined with γ-glutamyl transferase is an independent predictor of prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving programmed death-1 inhibitors
Authors: Xu Lei , Chen Lin , Zhang Bin , Liu Zhicheng , Liu Qiumeng , Liang Huifang , Chen Yifa , Chen Xiaoping , Leng Chao , Zhang Bixiang
Published: January 2023

Background

Immunotherapy plays an increasingly critical role in the systemic treatment of HCC. This current study aimed to establish a novel prognostic predictor of Programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) independent of Child-Pugh grade.

Methods

Our study screened patients with HCC who received PD-1 inhibitors at Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2018 to December 2020. ALG grade was determined by the patient’s serum ALP and GGT levels before the initiation of PD-1 inhibitors. The endpoints of our study were overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Follow-up ended at May 31, 2022.

Results

Eighty- five patients (77 with Child−Pugh grade A, 8 with Child−Pugh grade B at baseline) were enrolled according to the inclusion criteria. Patients with Child−Pugh grade A achieved longer PFS and OS than those with Child−Pugh grade B. Patients with ALG grade 3 at baseline showed worse tumor response and poorer survival, and ALG grade could stratify patients with Child−Pugh grade A into subgroups with significantly different prognosis.

Conclusions

ALG grade, combining ALP and GGT, is a novel and readily available prognostic marker and the predictive effect of ALG grade on patient prognosis is independent of Child−Pugh grade.
Application of paper sludge ash and incinerated sewage ash in emulsified asphalt cold mixtures
Authors: Dulaimi Anmar , Qaidi Shaker , Al-Busaltan Shakir , Milad Abdalrhman , Sadique Monower , Kadhim Mustafa Amoori , Al-Khafaji Ruqayah , Sabri Sabri Mohanad Muayad
Published: January 2023

Certain disadvantages could have appeared while using hot mix asphalt (HMA), such as the release of unhealthy gases into the environment (environmental issues), difficulty in sustaining the temperature over long distances (logistical issues), and consuming a sufficient amount of energy while preparing and laying down (practical and economic issues). To overcome the aforementioned issues, this study aimed to develop rapid-curing emulsified asphalt cold mixes (EACM) comprising a cementitious filler made from industrial by-product materials. Paper sludge ash (PSA) is used as an active filler for application in the EACM rather than conventional mineral filler. Additionally, to maximize the effect of PSA’s hydraulic activity, incinerated sewage ash (ISA) is utilized as an activator at a concentration of 0%–4% by mass of the aggregates. The results demonstrate that the use of waste PSA significantly improves the indirect tensile stiffness modulus (ITSM) by around 10 times more after 2 days than the traditional emulsified asphalt cold mixes. In addition, the improvement in ITSM was around 30% and 65% for 6%PSA+1%ISA and 6%PSA+4%ISA mixes, respectively. Furthermore, the rutting for the 6%PSA+1%ISA and 6%PSA+4%ISA mixes decreased to around 19% and 11% in comparison to the traditional 131-pen HMA. The formation of hydration products and rapid demulsification of asphalt emulsion, which results in binding within the mixtures, are responsible for the increased ITSM and rutting resistance. As a result, environmental issues are minimized, and energy preservation may be maintained.
Effect of microstructure on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of a welded joint of 620-grade marine steel
Authors: Dong Yifan , Liu Denghui , Du Hegang , Sun Haoran , Zuo Xiurong
Published: January 2023

The relationship between the microstructure and the mechanical and corrosion properties of a welded joint of 620-grade marine steel was studied using metallographic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, an energy dispersive spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy, and microhardness and tensile tests. The results showed that the strength and hardness of the weld center area (WMmid) were higher than those of the inner and outer welding surface region (WMin and WMout) because the volume fraction of the martensite-austenite (MA) constituents (21.6%) was higher than that in WMin and WMout (18.0% and 14.3%, respectively). There were numerous MnO-Al2O3-SiO2-TiO2-type inclusions located at the bottom of dimples in the fracture surface; however, the MA constituents took precedence over this kind of inclusion in inducing pitting corrosion. In contrast, pitting corrosion can be initiated by Al2O3-MgO-CaO-CaS inclusions in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and base metal (BM). The corrosion resistance of the welded joint was in the order of weld metal > HAZ > BM. The WMmid with smaller dendrite spacing and a larger size of MA constituents had better corrosion resistance compared with the WMin and WMout. The corrosion resistance of the HAZ decreased in the sequence of coarse grain HAZ, fine grain HAZ, and intercritical HAZ.
Temporal attention affects contrast response function by response gain
Authors: Jing Chengxu , Jin Hongyuan , Li Wenxia , Wu Zhouhao , Chen Yao , Huang Dan
Published: January 2023

Orienting attention to a specific point in time has been shown to improve the contrast sensitivity at the attended time point and impair it earlier or later. This phenomenon could be explained by temporal attention increasing the effective contrast of the target presented at the attended time point which leads to changes in contrast psychometric function by contrast gain. Another explanation is that temporal attention multiplicatively amplifies the amplitude of behavioral or neural response to contrast, resulting in alterations in contrast psychometric function by response gain. To explore the underlying mechanism, we adopted a temporal cueing orientation discrimination task using audio pre-cues composed of different frequency components to induce different attentional allocations in the time domain and targets of various contrast intensities to measure contrast psychometric functions. Obtained psychometric functions for contrast sensitivity were fitted for different conditions with discrepant attentional states in time. We found that temporal attention manipulated by cue affected contrast psychometric function by response gain, indicating that multiplying the contrast response of the visual target occurring at the selected point in time by a fixed factor is a crucial way for temporal attention to modulate perceptual processing.
Effects of hydrodynamic cavitation on physicochemical structure and emulsifying properties of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) myofibrillar protein
Authors: Hou Yucheng , Ren Xian’e , Huang Yongchun , Xie Kun , Wang Keyao , Wang Liyang , Wei Fengyan , Yang Feng
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this research was to explore the different hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) times (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 min; power 550 W, pressure 0.14 MPa) on the emulsifying properties of tilapia myofibrillar protein (TMP). Results of pH, particle size, turbidity, solubility, surface hydrophobicity, and reactive sulfhydryl (SH) group indicated that HC changed the structure of TMP, as confirmed by the findings of intrinsic fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectra. Furthermore, HC increased the emulsifying activity index (EAI) significantly (P < 0.05) and changed the emulsifying stability index (ESI), droplet size, and rheology of TMP emulsions. Notably, compared with control group, the 10-min HC significantly decreased particle size and turbidity but increased solubility (P < 0.05), resulting in accelerated diffusion of TMP in the emulsion. The prepared TMP emulsion showed the highest ESI (from 71.28 ± 5.50 to 91.73 ± 5.56 min), the smallest droplet size (from 2,754 ± 110 to 2,138 ± 182 nm) and the best rheological properties, as demonstrated by the microstructure photographs. Overall, by showing the effect of HC in improving the emulsifying properties of TMP, the study demonstrated HC as a potential technique for meat protein processing.
Laparoscopic versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic and periampullary tumor: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and non-randomized comparative studies
Authors: Yan Yong , Hua Yinggang , Chang Cheng , Zhu Xuanjin , Sha Yanhua , Wang Bailin
Published: January 2023

Objective

This meta-analysis compares the perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) to those of open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) for pancreatic and periampullary tumors.

Background

LPD has been increasingly applied in the treatment of pancreatic and periampullary tumors. However, the perioperative outcomes of LPD versus OPD are still controversial.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized comparative trials (NRCTs) comparing LPD versus OPD for pancreatic and periampullary tumors. The main outcomes were mortality, morbidity, serious complications, and hospital stay. The secondary outcomes were operative time, blood loss, transfusion, postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), postpancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH), bile leak (BL), delayed gastric emptying (DGE), lymph nodes harvested, R0 resection, reoperation, and readmission. RCTs were evaluated by the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. NRCTs were assessed using a modified tool from the Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies. Data were pooled as odds ratio (OR) or mean difference (MD). This study was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42022338832).

Results

Four RCTs and 35 NRCTs concerning a total of 40,230 patients (4,262 LPD and 35,968 OPD) were included. Meta-analyses showed no significant differences in mortality (OR 0.91, p = 0.35), serious complications (OR 0.97, p = 0.74), POPF (OR 0.93, p = 0.29), PPH (OR 1.10, p = 0.42), BL (OR 1.28, p = 0.22), harvested lymph nodes (MD 0.66, p = 0.09), reoperation (OR 1.10, p = 0.41), and readmission (OR 0.95, p = 0.46) between LPD and OPD. Operative time was significantly longer for LPD (MD 85.59 min, p < 0.00001), whereas overall morbidity (OR 0.80, p < 0.00001), hospital stay (MD −2.32 days, p < 0.00001), blood loss (MD −173.84 ml, p < 0.00001), transfusion (OR 0.62, p = 0.0002), and DGE (OR 0.78, p = 0.002) were reduced for LPD. The R0 rate was higher for LPD (OR 1.25, p = 0.001).

Conclusions

LPD is associated with non-inferior short-term surgical outcomes and oncologic adequacy compared to OPD when performed by experienced surgeons at large centers. LPD may result in reduced overall morbidity, blood loss, transfusion, and DGE, but longer operative time. Further RCTs should address the potential advantages of LPD over OPD.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO, identifier CRD42022338832.
Incremental prognostic value of ADC histogram analysis in patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving adjuvant hormonal therapy after radical prostatectomy
Authors: He Kangwen , Zhang Yucong , Li Shichao , Yuan Guanjie , Liang Ping , Zhang Qingpeng , Xie Qingguo , Xiao Peng , Li Heng , Meng Xiaoyan , Li Zhen
Published: January 2023

Purpose

To investigate the incremental prognostic value of preoperative apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram analysis in patients with high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) who received adjuvant hormonal therapy (AHT) after radical prostatectomy (RP).

Methods

Sixty-two PCa patients in line with the criteria were enrolled in this study. The 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles of ADC (ADC10, ADC50, ADC90), the mean value of ADC (ADCmean), kurtosis, and skewness were obtained from the whole-lesion ADC histogram. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between biochemical recurrence-free survival (BCR-fs) and ADC parameters and other clinicopathological factors. Prognostic models were constructed with and without ADC parameters.

Results

The median follow-up time was 53.4 months (range, 41.1-79.3 months). BCR was found in 19 (30.6%) patients. Kaplan−Meier curves showed that lower ADCmean, ADC10, ADC50, and ADC90 and higher kurtosis could predict poorer BCR-fs (all p<0.05). After adjusting for clinical parameters, ADC50 and kurtosis remained independent prognostic factors for BCR-fs (HR: 0.172, 95% CI: 0.055-0.541, p=0.003; HR: 7.058, 95% CI: 2.288-21.773, p=0.001, respectively). By adding ADC parameters to the clinical model, the C index and diagnostic accuracy for the 24- and 36-month BCR-fs were improved.

Conclusion

ADC histogram analysis has incremental prognostic value in patients with high-risk PCa who received AHT after RP. Combining ADC50, kurtosis and clinical parameters can improve the accuracy of BCR-fs prediction.
A bibliometric analysis of research progress on pharmacovigilance and cancer from 2002 to 2021
Authors: Sa Rina , Xu Yi , Pan Xinbo , Wang Yu , Lin Zhijian , Zhang Xiaomeng , Zhang Bing
Published: January 2023

The complexity of cancer itself and treatment makes pharmacovigilance critical in oncology. Despite rapid progress on pharmacovigilance and cancer research in the past two decades, there has been no bibliometric analysis in this field. Therefore, based on the Web of Science database, we used CiteSpace, VOS-viewer and R-bibliometrix to analyze and visualize publications, and described the development trend and research hot spots in this field. 502 publications were included. The development of pharmacovigilance and cancer research has continued to grow. The USA has the largest number of publications and citations, followed by France and UK. Vanderbilt University and Sorbonne University are the institutions that contribute the most papers, and 5 of the top 10 high-yield institutions are from France. Salem JE and Lebrun-Vignes B of Sorbonne University have published the most papers, and they have a strong cooperative relationship. Salem JE has the highest H index. Drug Safety has the largest number of publications in the field of pharmacovigilance and cancer, with a high impact factor (IF). In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been identified as a hot topic and will continue to be maintained. This paper can help researchers get familiar with the current situation and trend of pharmacovigilance and cancer research, and provide valuable reference for the selection of future research directions.
APTw combined with mDixon−Quant imaging to distinguish the differentiation degree of cervical squamous carcinoma
Authors: Meng Xing , Tian Shifeng , Ma Changjun , Lin Liangjie , Zhang Xiaoxiao , Wang Jiazheng , Song Qingwei , Liu Ai Lian
Published: January 2023

Background

To investigate the value of amide proton transfer weighted (APTw) imaging combined with modified Dixon fat quantification (mDixon-Quant) imaging in determining the degree of differentiation of cervical squamous carcinoma (CSC) against histopathologic.

Methods

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were collected from 52 CSC patients. According to histopathologic results, patients were divided into the poorly differentiated group (37 cases) and the well/moderately differentiated group (15 cases). The APTw value by APTw imaging and the fat fraction (FF) and transverse relaxation rate R2* values by mDixon-Quant were independently measured by two radiologists. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to test the consistency of APTw, FF, and R2* values measured by the two observers. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the difference in each parameter between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between the degree of differentiation on histopathology and imaging parameters by APTw and mDixon Quant. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of various parameters and their combination in distinguishing the degree of CSC differentiation on histopathology. The DeLong test was used to access the differences among the area under the ROC curves (AUCs). The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between APTw and mDixon-Quant imaging parameters.

Results

The APTw means were 2.95 ± 0.78% and 2.05 (1.85, 2.65)% in the poorly and well/moderately differentiated groups, respectively. The R2* values were 26.62 (21.99, 33.31)/s and 22.93 ± 6.09/s in the poorly and well/moderately differentiated groups, respectively (P < 0.05). The AUCs of APTw, R2*, and their combination were 0.762, 0.686, and 0.843, respectively. The Delong test suggested statistical significance between R2* and the combination of APTw and R2*. R2* values showed a significant correlation with APTw values in the poorly differentiated group.

Conclusions

APTw combined with mDixon-Quant can be used to efficiently distinguish the differention degrees of CSC diagnosed on histopathology.
Emerging targeted and cellular therapies in the treatment of advanced and metastatic synovial sarcoma
Authors: Fuchs Joseph R. , Schulte Brian C. , Fuchs Jeffrey W. , Agulnik Mark
Published: January 2023

Synovial sarcoma is a soft tissue sarcoma accounting for approximately 1,000 cases per year in the United States. Currently, standard treatment of advanced and metastatic synovial sarcoma is anthracycline-based chemotherapy. While advanced synovial sarcoma is more responsive to chemotherapy compared to other soft tissue sarcomas, survival rates are poor, with a median survival time of less than 18 months. Enhanced understanding of tumor antigen expression and molecular mechanisms behind synovial sarcoma provide potential targets for treatment. Adoptive Cell Transfer using engineered T-cell receptors is in clinical trials for treatment of synovial sarcoma, specifically targeting New York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma-1 (NY-ESO-1), preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME), and melanoma antigen-A4 (MAGE-A4). In this review, we explore the opportunities and challenges of these treatments. We also describe artificial adjuvant vector cells (aAVCs) and BRD9 inhibitors, two additional potential targets for treatment of advanced synovial sarcoma. This review demonstrates the progress that has been made in treatment of synovial sarcoma and highlights the future study and qualification needed to implement these technologies as standard of care.
Title: Immunotherapy; a ground-breaking remedy for spinal cord injury with stumbling blocks: An overview
Authors: Saeed Yasmeen
Published: January 2023

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating disorder with no known standard and effective treatment. Despite its ability to exacerbate SCI sequel by accelerating auto-reactive immune cells, an immune response is also considered essential to the healing process. Therefore, immunotherapeutic strategies targeting spinal cord injuries may benefit from the dual nature of immune responses. An increasing body of research suggests that immunization against myelin inhibitors can promote axon remyelination after SCI. However, despite advancements in our understanding of neuroimmune responses, immunoregulation-based therapeutic strategies have yet to receive widespread acceptance. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to enhance the understanding of immune regulation to ensure the safety and efficacy of immunotherapeutic treatments. The objective of the present study was to provide an overview of previous studies regarding the advantages and limitations of immunotherapeutic strategies for functional recovery after spinal cord injury, especially in light of limiting factors related to DNA and cell-based vaccination strategies by providing a novel prospect to lay the foundation for future studies that will help devise a safe and effective treatment for spinal cord injury.