bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PERANCANGAN APLIKASI PEMESANAN DAN PERCETAKAN PADA PT SANGKAKALA INDAH MENGGUNAKAN METODE UCD (USER CENTRAL DESIGN) BERBASIS ANDROID
Authors: Sibarani Sarina , Simanjuntak Pastima
Published: October 2023

The development of technology today is very fast, without exception, both information and communication technology. Therefore, an efficient step is needed to anticipate it. Information and communication technology is now starting to enter various aspects of life, one of which is in the business world. This is because a lot of work is assisted by information technology which is able to minimize the level of errors even to the level of losses that will occur. PT Sangkakala Indah is a company engaged in the printing sector, namely serving the design of document notes, banners, banners and is currently facing problems in the field of ordering. The ordering system at PT Sangkakala Indah is still done conventionally. For example, in recording orders, making order invoices to taking orders and transaction reports, they still rely on recording on notes and the difficulty of communication between graphic designers and customers. This of course can cause loss or damage to the order data or sales transaction. \Digital printing is a printing method for producing printouts that are done using digital-based images or documents. With this method, documents or print applications can be processed quickly and easily. This digital printing is an innovation from its predecessor, offset printing, which is classified as wasteful of raw materials and production time. Digital printing has advantages such as producing sharp print and color applications, lower costs, being able to print in small quantities, and being able to streamline production timeUser centered design (UCD) is called human centered design.
PERANCANGAN PROTOTIPE JEMURAN PAKAIAN OTOMATIS BERBASIS ARDUINO DENGAN PENDEKATAN INTERNET OF THING
Authors: Fazira Shella , Nopriadi Nopriadi
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT

 

It is currently impossible to forecast whether it will rain or be sunny in Indonesia, particularly in the city of Batam. This continues to be a significant issue for those who are drying clothes, particularly in wet weather. Weather like this makes some people concerned because they don't have time to pick up the clothesline in wet circumstances, so they frequently leave clothing that have dried in the sun to travel. In addition, Indonesia's tropical climate frequently has extended rainy seasons, and there are several places with high rainfall, which gives us pause when air-drying garments outside the house. Most individuals hang their clothing to dry on the house's terrace during the rainy season. This is done to prevent precipitation from drying out on clothes when their owners are out and about. The author derived a design for an automatic clothesline puller from the description of the issue given above. This device incorporates a rain sensor and a light dependent resistor sensor into an Arduino Uno microcontroller. For this tool to draw the clothesline to a location that is shielded from rainwater, it first uses the rain sensor and the LDR sensor to sense the weather around it. When the sensor does not get light, the equipment will translate rain. The tool will move the clothesline to a location where it is exposed to the sun when the sensor detects sunshine since it will interpret this as a sign that it is hot outside. While raindrops are being detected by the rain sensor. When drying clothing during the rainy season, it is hoped that the development of an automatic clothesline puller will help people feel less anxious.
Transcriptomic insights into the roles of the transcription factors Clr1, Clr2 and Clr4 in lignocellulose degradation of the thermophilic fungal platform Thermothelomyces thermophilus
Authors: Siebecker Benedikt , Schütze Tabea , Spohner Sebastian , Haefner Stefan , Meyer Vera
Published: October 2023

Introduction:Thermothelomyces thermophilus, formerly known as Myceliophthora thermophila, is used in industry to produce lignocellulolytic enzymes and heterologous proteins. However, the transcriptional network driving the expression of these proteins remains elusive. As a first step to systematically uncover this network, we investigated growth, protein secretion, and transcriptomic fingerprints of strains deficient in the cellulolytic transcriptional regulators Clr1, Clr2, and Clr4, respectively.

Methods: The genes encoding Clr1, Clr2, and Clr4 were individually deleted using split marker or the CRISPR/Cas12a technology and the resulting strains as well as the parental strain were cultivated in bioreactors under chemostat conditions using glucose as the carbon source. During steady state conditions, cellulose was added instead of glucose to study the genetic and cellular responses in all four strains to the shift in carbon source availability.

Results: Notably, the clr1 and clr2 deletion strains were unable to continue to grow on cellulose, demonstrating a key role of both regulators in cellulose catabolism. Their transcriptomic fingerprints uncovered not only a lack of cellulase gene expression but also reduced expression of genes predicted to encode hemicellulases, pectinases, and esterases. In contrast, the growth of the clr4 deletion strain was very similar compared to the parental strain. However, a much stronger expression of cellulases, hemicellulases, pectinases, and esterases was observed.

Discussion: The data gained in this study suggest that both transcriptional regulators Clr1 and Clr2 activate the expression of genes predicted to encode cellulases as well as hemicellulases, pectinases, and esterases. They further suggest that Clr1 controls the basal expression of cellulases and initiates the main lignocellulolytic response to cellulose via induction of clr2 expression. In contrast, Clr4 seems to act as a repressor of the lignocellulolytic response presumably via controlling clr2 expression. Comparative transcriptomics in all four strains revealed potentially new regulators in carbohydrate catabolism and lignocellulolytic enzyme expression that define a candidate gene list for future analyses.
Pharmacological activities of chemically characterized essential oils from Haplophyllum tuberculatum (Forssk.)
Authors: Agour Abdelkrim , Mssillou Ibrahim , Allali Aimad , Chebaibi Mohamed , El Abdali Youness , El Barnossi Azeddin , Bin Jardan Yousef A. , Wondmie Gezahign Fentahun , Nafidi Hiba-Allah , Bourhia Mohammed , Bari Amina , Lyoussi Badiaa , Derwich Elhoussine
Published: October 2023

The present work aimed at characterizing the phytochemical composition of Haplophyllum tuberculatum essential oil (HTEO), assessing its antifungal activity against various fungal strains, evaluating its insecticidal and repulsive properties against Callosobruchus maculatus, and determine its antioxidant capacity. To this end, Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis detected 34 compounds in HTEO, with β-Caryophyllene being the major constituent (36.94%). HTEO demonstrated predominantly modest antifungal effects, however, it sustains notable activity, particularly against Aspergillus flavus, with an inhibition rate of 76.50% ± 0.60%. Minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 20.53 ± 5.08 to 76.26 ± 5.08 mg/mL, effectively inhibiting fungal growth. Furthermore, the antifungal, and antioxidant activities of HTEO were evaluated in silico against the proteins Aspergillus flavus FAD glucose dehydrogenase, and beta-1,4-endoglucanase from Aspergillus niger, NAD(P)H Oxidase. Moreover, HTEO displayed strong insecticidal activity against C. maculatus, with contact and inhalation tests yielding LC50 values of 30.66 and 40.28 μL/100g, respectively, after 24 h of exposure. A dose of 5 μL/100g significantly reduced oviposition (48.85%) and inhibited emergence (45.15%) compared to the control group. Additionally, HTEO exhibited a high total antioxidant capacity of 758.34 mg AAE/g EO, highlighting its antioxidant potential. Insilico results showed that the antifungal activity of HTEO is mostly attributed to γ-Cadinene and p-Cymen-7-ol, while antioxidant is attributed to α-Terpinyl isobutyrate displayed. Overall, HTEO offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic products used to manage diseases.
Fluorescent homooxacalixarenes: recent applications in supramolecular systems
Authors: Marcos Paula M. , Berberan-Santos Mário N.
Published: October 2023

This review covers recent advances (from 2006 to date) in supramolecular systems based on fluorescent homooxacalixarenes, namely hexahomotrioxacalix[3]arenes, dihomooxacalix[4]arenes and tetrahomodioxacalix[4]arenes, focusing on fluorescence sensing using their intrinsic fluorescence (built-in mesitol-like groups) or the extrinsic fluorescence of organic fluorophores, either covalently linked to the calixarenes or forming supramolecular complexes with them. Sensing applications of ions, ion pairs and neutral molecules are discussed, as well as the potential measurement of temperature based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence.
A machine learning approach to predict DevOps readiness and adaptation in a heterogeneous IT environment
Authors: Sriraman Gopalakrishnan , R. Shriram
Published: October 2023

Software and information systems have become a core competency for every business in this connected world. Any enhancement in software delivery and operations will tremendously impact businesses and society. Sustainable software development is one of the key focus areas for software organizations. The application of intelligent automation leveraging artificial intelligence and cloud computing to deliver continuous value from software is in its nascent stage across the industry and is evolving rapidly. The advent of agile methodologies with DevOps has increased software quality and accelerated its delivery. Numerous software organizations have adopted DevOps to develop and operate their software systems and improve efficiency. Software organizations try to implement DevOps activities by taking advantage of various expert services. The adoption of DevOps by software organizations is beset with multiple challenges. These issues can be overcome by understanding and structurally addressing the pain points. This paper presents the preliminary analysis of the interviews with the relevant stakeholders. Ground truths were established and applied to evaluate various machine learning algorithms to compare their accuracy and test our hypothesis. This study aims to help researchers and practitioners understand the adoption of DevOps and the contexts in which the DevOps practices are viable. The experimental results will show that machine learning can predict an organization's readiness to adopt DevOps.
Clinical value of mean platelet volume in predicting and diagnosing pre-eclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ye Dan , Li Shuwen , Ding Yi , Ma Zhenqin , He Rongxia
Published: October 2023

Background

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a severe pregnancy complication. Thrombocytopenia and platelet dysfunction are common hematology disorders in PE. Previous studies considered mean platelet volume (MPV), a functional marker of platelets, as a potentially useful predictor for the diagnosis of PE.

Methods

PubMed, China Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Embase, Wanfang, VIP, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to gather diagnostic trials evaluating the diagnosis of PE using MPV, from their inception to 13 March 2023. We also searched Google Scholar and Baidu.

Results

A total of 22 studies from 20 articles were found. The pooled diagnostic accuracy of the MPV for PE recognition was as follows: sensitivity (SEN) 0.676 [95% confidence interval (CI) (0.658–0.694)], specificity (SPE) 0.710 [95% CI (0.703–0.717)], and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) 7.012 [95% CI (4.226–11.636)], and the SROC-AUC and Q* indices were 0.7889 and 0.7262, respectively. The pooled SEN, SPE, and DOR of the diagnostic accuracy of MPV for PE before 16 weeks of gestation were 0.707 [95% CI (0.670–0.743)], 0.639 [95% CI (0.611–0.667)], and 4.026 [95% CI (2.727–5.943)], and the SROC-AUC and Q* indices were 0.7278 and 0.6753, respectively. For the interval of truncation values between 9 and 10 fl, the SROC-AUC and Q* indices for MPV were 0.8856 and 0.8162, respectively.

Conclusions

Available evidence suggests that MPV has a moderate predictive and diagnostic value for PE, particularly in diagnosing after 20 weeks of gestation. The diagnostic accuracy is higher when the MPV cut-off falls between 9 and 10 fl. The sensitivity of MPV alone in diagnosing PE is not high, and the combination of other markers for predictive diagnosis may better differentiate PE.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023425154, identifier: CRD42023425154.
Prognostic value of negative stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with moderate-severe coronary artery stenosis
Authors: Haney Ailís Ceara , Salatzki Janek , Hund Hauke , Friedrich Matthias G. , Giannitsis Evangelos , Frey Norbert , Steen Henning , Loßnitzer Dirk , Riffel Johannes , André Florian
Published: October 2023

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) without inducible ischemia in a real-world cohort of patients with known severe coronary artery stenosis.

Background

The prognosis of patients with severe coronary artery stenosis and without inducible ischemia using stress CMR remains uncertain, even though its identification of functionally significant coronary artery disease (CAD) is excellent.

Materials and methods

Patients without inducible ischemia and known CAD who underwent stress CMR between February 2015 and December 2016 were included in this retrospective study. These patients were divided into two groups: group 1 with stenosis of 50%–75% and group 2 with stenosis of >75%. The primary endpoint was defined as the occurrence of a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) [cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)].

Results

Real-world data collected from 169 patients with a median age of 69 (60–75) years were included. The median follow-up was 5.5 (IQR 4.1–6.6) years. Events occurred after a mean time of 3.0 ± 2.2 years in group 1 and 3.7 ± 2.0 years in group 2 (p = 0.35). Sixteen (18.8%) patients in group 1 and 23 (27.4%) patients in group 2 suffered from MACE without a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.33). In group 2, one cardiac death (1.2%), seven non-fatal MI (8.3%), 15 PCI (17.9%), and one CABG (1.2%) occurred.

Conclusion

The findings of this pilot study suggest that long-term outcomes in a real-world patient cohort with known severe and moderate coronary artery stenosis but without inducible ischemia were similar. Stress CMR may provide valuable risk stratification in patients with angiographically significant but hemodynamically non-obstructive coronary lesions.
Analytical advances in homeowner flood risk quantification considering insurance, building replacement value, and freeboard
Authors: Rahim Md Adilur , Mostafiz Rubayet Bin , Friedland Carol J. , Rohli Robert V. , Bushra Nazla
Published: October 2023

An accurate economic loss assessment for natural hazards is vital for planning, mitigation, and actuarial purposes. The widespread and costly nature of flood hazards, with the economically disadvantaged disproportionately victimized population, makes flood risk assessment particularly important. Here, flood risk is assessed as incurred by the homeowner vs. the flood insurer for insured U.S. properties through the derivation of average annual loss (AAL). AAL is estimated and partitioned using Monte Carlo simulation at the individual home scale, considering insurance coverage and deductible, and the first-floor height (i.e., height of the first floor above the ground), to determine the AAL proportion of homeowners (i.e., apportionment factor) for building and contents, distinguished from that borne by the insurer. In general, AAL estimates suggest that a large portion of the U.S. property flood risk is borne by the flood insurer. The flood insurance policy deductible directly influences the apportionment factor, whereby higher deductibles leave homeowners with a higher annual risk; however, the apportionment factor remains relatively insensitive to coverage values, especially for higher coverage amounts. The homeowner’s flood risk is further reduced by freeboard, with AAL, following an exponential decay trend as freeboard increases. These results reveal new perspectives about how flood insurance protects homeowners from flood risk. In general, the results enhance the proactive decision-making process that allows homeowners to self-assess their degree of preparation and vulnerability to the devastating economic impacts of flood.
Rhizosphere microbial characteristics of pioneer plant Oxyria sinensis Hemsl. in abandoned Pb-Zn mining area
Authors: Tang Hong , Yang Jie , Yuan Xin-qi , Wang Si-chen , Li Lin-yang , Duan Chang-qun
Published: October 2023

Oxyria sinensis has the characteristics of drought resistance, barren resistance, pollution resistance and clonal reproduction, and has the potential to be developed as a restoration plant (pioneer plant) for vegetation restoration and heavy metal pollution control in mining wasteland. In this study, the rhizosphere microbial communities of the pioneer plant O. sinensis growing in a lead-zinc mine wasteland and the rhizosphere microbial communities of O. sinensis growing in adjacent non-mining areas were studied by field investigation. There were significant differences in the composition of microbial communities between the rhizosphere soil of O. sinensis and the bare soil. There were significant differences in the composition of soil microbial communities between the non-mining area control and the lead-zinc mine wasteland. Compared with the non-mining area control, the rhizosphere soil of O. sinensis in the lead-zinc mine wasteland had a unique microbial community. The dominant bacteria were Nitrospirae, Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Ascomycota and Kickxellomycota. Further gene function prediction showed that the metabolic pathway sequences related to heavy metal ion transport, heavy metal resistance and repair in the rhizosphere soil of O. sinensis were more abundant than those in the control. The dominant ecological functional groups of fungi in the rhizosphere soil of O. sinensis were saprophytic flora and pathological flora. Plenodomus, Surfurifusis, Sphingomonas, Filobasidium and Articulospora were enriched in the rhizosphere soil of O. sinensis in the abandoned land of lead-zinc mining area, and had high tolerance to heavy metals in the soil, indicating that O. sinensis can recruit heavy metal-tolerant microbial groups to promote its survival and adaptation in the abandoned land of the mining area.
DNA cytosine deamination is associated with recurrent Somatic Copy Number Alterations in stomach adenocarcinoma
Authors: Shi Yilin , Shen Huangxuan
Published: October 2023

Stomach Adenocarcinoma (STAD) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Somatic Copy Number Alterations (SCNAs), which result in Homologous recombination (HR) deficiency in double-strand break repair, are associated with the progression of STAD. However, the landscape of frequent breakpoints of SCNAs (hotspots) and their functional impacts remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the frequency and impact of these hotspots in 332 STAD patients and 1,043 cancer cells using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE). We studied the rates of DSB (Double-Strand Breaks) loci in STAD patients by employing the Non-Homogeneous Poisson Distribution (λ), based on which we identified 145 DSB-hotspots with genes affected. We further verified DNA cytosine deamination as a critical process underlying the burden of DSB in STAD. Finally, we illustrated the clinical impact of the significant biological processes. Our findings highlighted the relationship between DNA cytosine deamination and SCNA in cancer was associated with recurrent Somatic Copy Number Alterations in STAD.
Towards a critical realist approach to the dark side of digital transformation
Authors: Wheaton Jamie , Kreps David
Published: October 2023

The Dark Side of Information Systems (IS) is a school of thought which explores the detrimental consequences that can arise from IS phenomena such as digital transformation (DT). Critical Realism (CR), meanwhile, is a philosophical approach which can lend a deeper understanding of dark phenomena thanks to its emphasis upon the role of deep-lying, generative mechanisms. However, as our paper demonstrates, the extant research base applying a CR approach in the exploration of dark phenomena in general is small with respect to examining the potential dark consequences of DT. Our paper therefore introduces the CR philosophical approach to the research of dark phenomena, through a case study of the digital transformation of Britain's land-based betting industry. This example highlights how a CR approach unearthed a generative mechanism formed by the productivity of digital platform-based forms of gambling. Whilst platforms provide novel gambling markets and ease-of-access which may be seen positively by the consumer, our example shows that the generative mechanism formed by the productivity of platform gambling gives rise to the continuous exploitation of staff and customers alike in addition to the continuous accumulation of capital by operator. We demonstrate that, as opposed to specific, pre-identified dark phenomena such as addiction or technostress, dark phenomena caused by generative mechanisms may be unknown, perceived positively or differently over time. A CR approach can facilitate a deeper understanding of how these generative mechanisms and subsequent dark phenomena emerge and evolve, and promote wiser approaches to DT.
Immune-related adverse events with severe pain and ureteral expansion as the main manifestations: a case report of tislelizumab-induced ureteritis/cystitis and review of the literature
Authors: Zhou Qihao , Qin Zhiquan , Yan Peiyuan , Wang Qunjiang , Qu Jing , Chen Yun
Published: October 2023

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) is an up-to-date therapy for cancer with a promising efficacy, but it may cause unique immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Although irAEs could affect any organ, irAEs-induced whole urinary tract expansion was rarely reported. Herein, we reported a 27-year-old male patient with thymic carcinoma who received the treatment of tislelizumab, paclitaxel albumin and carboplatin. He was hospitalized for severe bellyache and lumbago after 6 courses of treatment. Antibiotic and antispasmodic treatment did not relieve his symptoms. The imaging examinations reported whole urinary tract expansion and cystitis. Therefore, we proposed that the patient’s pain was caused by tislelizumab-induced ureteritis/cystitis. After the discontinuation of tislelizumab and the administration of methylprednisolone, his symptoms were markedly alleviated. Herein, we reported a rare case of ICI-induced ureteritis/cystitis in the treatment of thymic cancer and reviewed other cases of immunotherapy-related cystitis and tislelizumab-related adverse events, which will provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of ICI-related irAEs.
Decline of gastric cancer mortality in common variable immunodeficiency in the years 2018-2022
Authors: Milito Cinzia , Pulvirenti Federica , Garzi Giulia , Sculco Eleonora , Cinetto Francesco , Firinu Davide , Lagnese Gianluca , Punziano Alessandra , Discardi Claudia , Costanzo Giulia , Felice Carla , Spadaro Giuseppe , Ferrari Simona , Quinti Isabella
Published: October 2023

Introduction

In patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency, malignancy has been reported as the leading cause of death in adults, with a high risk of B-cell lymphomas and gastric cancer.

Methods

We conducted a five-year prospective study aiming to update the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer and the incidence of gastric precancerous lesions in 512 CVID patients who underwent a total of 400 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies.

Results

In the pre-pandemic period, 0.58 endoscopies were performed per patient/year and in the COVID-19 period, 0.39 endoscopies were performed per patient/year. Histology revealed areas with precancerous lesions in about a third of patients. Patients who had more than one gastroscopy during the study period were more likely to have precancerous lesions. Two patients received a diagnosis of gastric cancer in the absence of Helicobacter pylori infection. The overall prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in biopsy specimens was 19.8% and related only to active gastritis. Among patients who had repeated gastroscopies, about 20% progressed to precancerous lesions, mostly independent of Helicobacter pylori.

Discussion

While gastric cancer accounted for one in five deaths from CVID in our previous survey, no gastric cancer deaths were recorded in the past five years, likely consistent with the decline in stomach cancer mortality observed in the general population. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer screening has been delayed. Whether such a delay or true decline could be the reason for the lack of gastric cancer detection seen in CVID may become clear in the coming years. Due to the high incidence of precancerous lesions, we cannot rely on observed and predicted trends in gastric cancer mortality and strongly recommend tailored surveillance programs.
Survival after radiofrequency ablation and/or chemotherapy for lung cancer and pulmonary metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Ziyi , Lyu Xia , Yang Huilin , Wang Bingbing , Xu Dan , Huo Lingyi , Zhang Runzi , Huang Yingjun , Diao Benshu
Published: October 2023

Background

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and chemotherapy are used to treat lung cancer or pulmonary metastases, but no direct comparison of overall survival (OS) has been published. The present study aimed to assess the OS of RFA and/or chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer or pulmonary metastases who were not candidates for surgical resection.

Methods

To identify relevant studies, the following databases were electronically searched from their inception to 31 March 2023: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Ovid, ScienceDirect, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, Wanfang Database, LILACS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Chictr.org. Manual retrieval was also conducted. We used published hazard ratios (HRs) if available or estimates from other survival data.

Results

A total of 1,387 participants from 14 trials were included in the final analysis. Patients treated with RFA combined with chemotherapy significantly improved OS compared with those treated with chemotherapy alone [HR 0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41–0.61; p < 0.00001], with an absolute difference at 12 months of 29.6% (95% CI 23.7–35.5), at 24 months of 19.2% (95% CI 10.1–28.2), and at 36 months of 22.9% (95% CI 12.0–33.7). No statistically significant difference was observed in the subgroups of case type, cancer type, chemotherapy drugs, and tumor size. The HR for OS with RFA plus chemotherapy vs. RFA alone was 0.53 (95% CI 0.41–0.70; p < 0.00001), corresponding to a 27.1% (95% CI 18.3–35.8), 31.0% (95% CI 19.9–41.9), and 24.9% (95% CI 15.0–34.7) absolute difference in survival at 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months, respectively. Subgroup analysis by geographic region and TNM stage showed that RFA combined with chemotherapy still significantly improved OS compared to RFA. The HR of RFA vs. chemotherapy was 0.98 (95% CI 0.60–1.60; p = 0.94), with an absolute difference at 12 months of 1.4% (95% CI -19.2 to 22.1), at 24 months of 7.8% (95% CI -11.3 to 26.8), and at 36 months of 0.3% (95% CI -13.2 to 13.8). The overall indirect comparison of OS for RFA vs. chemotherapy was 0.95 (95% CI 0.72–1.26; p = 0.74). Data on progression-free survival were not sufficiently reported.

Conclusion

RFA combined with chemotherapy might be a better treatment option for patients with lung cancer or pulmonary metastases than chemotherapy alone or RFA alone. The comparison between RFA and/or chemotherapy remains to be specifically tested.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=335032, identifier CRD42022335032.
Mmp17-deficient mice exhibit heightened goblet cell effector expression in the colon and increased resistance to chronic Trichuris muris infection
Authors: Vornewald Pia M. , Forman Ruth , Yao Rouan , Parmar Naveen , Lindholm Håvard T. , Lee Lilith S. K. , Martín-Alonso Mara , Else Kathryn J. , Oudhoff Menno J.
Published: October 2023

Intestinal epithelial homeostasis is maintained by intrinsic and extrinsic signals. The extrinsic signals include those provided by mesenchymal cell populations that surround intestinal crypts and is further facilitated by the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is modulated by proteases such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Extrinsic signals ensure an appropriate balance between intestinal epithelial proliferation and differentiation. This study explores the role of MMP17, which is preferentially expressed by smooth muscle cells in the intestine, in intestinal homeostasis and during immunity to infection. Mice lacking MMP17 expressed high levels of goblet-cell associated genes and proteins, such as CLCA1 and RELM-β, which are normally associated with immune responses to infection. Nevertheless, Mmp17 KO mice did not have altered resistance during a bacterial Citrobacter rodentium infection. However, when challenged with a low dose of the helminth Trichuris muris, Mmp17 KO mice had increased resistance, without a clear role for an altered immune response during infection. Mechanistically, we did not find changes in traditional modulators of goblet cell effectors such as the NOTCH pathway or specific cytokines. We found MMP17 expression in smooth muscle cells as well as lamina propria cells such as macrophages. Together, our data suggest that MMP17 extrinsically alters goblet cell maturation which is sufficient to alter clearance in a helminth infection model.
Advances in proteomics: characterization of the innate immune system after birth and during inflammation
Authors: Bennike Tue Bjerg
Published: October 2023

Proteomics is the characterization of the protein composition, the proteome, of a biological sample. It involves the large-scale identification and quantification of proteins, peptides, and post-translational modifications. This review focuses on recent developments in mass spectrometry-based proteomics and provides an overview of available methods for sample preparation to study the innate immune system. Recent advancements in the proteomics workflows, including sample preparation, have significantly improved the sensitivity and proteome coverage of biological samples including the technically difficult blood plasma. Proteomics is often applied in immunology and has been used to characterize the levels of innate immune system components after perturbations such as birth or during chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In cancers, the tumor microenvironment may generate chronic inflammation and release cytokines to the circulation. In these situations, the innate immune system undergoes profound and long-lasting changes, the large-scale characterization of which may increase our biological understanding and help identify components with translational potential for guiding diagnosis and treatment decisions. With the ongoing technical development, proteomics will likely continue to provide increasing insights into complex biological processes and their implications for health and disease. Integrating proteomics with other omics data and utilizing multi-omics approaches have been demonstrated to give additional valuable insights into biological systems.
The prognostic value of the tertiary lymphoid structure in gastrointestinal cancers
Authors: Yu Aoyang , Cao Menghan , Zhang Kaile , Yang Yule , Ma Luyao , Zhang Xinran , Zhao Yang , Ma Xiao , Fan Zhixiang , Han Zhengxiang , Wang Hongmei
Published: October 2023

Background

Numerous studies and research papers have provided evidence suggesting that tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) play a crucial role in combating and suppressing tumor growth and progression. Despite the wealth of information on the significance of TLS in various types of cancer, their prognostic value in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remains uncertain. Therefore, this meta-analysis investigated the prognostic value of TLS in GI cancers.

Methods

We searched Web of science, Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Library for studies that met the requirements as of May 1, 2023, and the hazard ratio (HR) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were included in the analysis. The bioinformatics analysis results based on the TCGA database are used to supplement our research.

Results

The meta-analysis included 32 studies involving 5778 patients. The results of comprehensive analysis showed that TLS-High is associated with prolonged OS (HR=0.525,95%CI:0.447-0.616 (P < 0.001), RFS (HR=0.546,95%CI:0.461-0.647, P < 0.001), DFS (HR=0.519,95%CI:0.417-0.646, P < 0.001) and PFS (HR=0.588,95%CI:0.406-0.852, P=0.005) in GI cancer. Among the patients who received immunotherapy, TLS-High is associated with significantly prolonged OS (HR=0.475, 95%CI:0.282-0.799, P=0.005) and PFS(HR=0.576, 95%CI:0.381-0.871, P=0.009). It is worth noting that subgroup analysis showed that there was no significant relationship between TLS and OS(HR=0.775, 95%CI:0.570-1.053,P=0.103) in CRC. And when Present is used as the cut-off criteria of TLS, there is no significant correlation between TLS and OS (HR=0.850, 95%CI:0.721-1.002, P=0.053)in HCC.

Conclusion

TLS is a significant predictor of the prognosis of GI cancers and has the potential to become a prognostic biomarker of immunotherapy-related patients.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails, identifier CRD42023443562.
Lin28 regulates thymic growth and involution and correlates with MHCII expression in thymic epithelial cells
Authors: Xiao Shiyun , Zhang Wen , Li Jie , Manley Nancy R.
Published: October 2023

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are essential for T cell development in the thymus, yet the mechanisms governing their differentiation are not well understood. Lin28, known for its roles in embryonic development, stem cell pluripotency, and regulating cell proliferation and differentiation, is expressed in endodermal epithelial cells during embryogenesis and persists in adult epithelia, implying postnatal functions. However, the detailed expression and function of Lin28 in TECs remain unknown. In this study, we examined the expression patterns of Lin28 and its target Let-7g in fetal and postnatal TECs and discovered opposing expression patterns during postnatal thymic growth, which correlated with FOXN1 and MHCII expression. Specifically, Lin28b showed high expression in MHCIIhi TECs, whereas Let-7g was expressed in MHCIIlo TECs. Deletion of Lin28a and Lin28b specifically in TECs resulted in reduced MHCII expression and overall TEC numbers. Conversely, overexpression of Lin28a increased total TEC and thymocyte numbers by promoting the proliferation of MHCIIlo TECs. Additionally, our data strongly suggest that Lin28 and Let-7g expression is reliant on FOXN1 to some extent. These findings suggest a critical role for Lin28 in regulating the development and differentiation of TECs by modulating MHCII expression and TEC proliferation throughout thymic ontogeny and involution. Our study provides insights into the mechanisms underlying TEC differentiation and highlights the significance of Lin28 in orchestrating these processes.
CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells: a potential “armor” to shield “transplanted allografts” in the war against ischemia reperfusion injury
Authors: Jeyamogan Shareni , Leventhal Joseph R. , Mathew James M. , Zhang Zheng Jenny
Published: October 2023

Despite the advances in therapeutic interventions, solid organ transplantation (SOT) remains the “gold standard” treatment for patients with end-stage organ failure. Recently, vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) has reemerged as a feasible treatment option for patients with complex composite tissue defects. In both SOT and VCA, ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) is inevitable and is a predominant factor that can adversely affect transplant outcome by potentiating early graft dysfunction and/or graft rejection. Restoration of oxygenated blood supply to an organ which was previously hypoxic or ischemic for a period of time triggers cellular oxidative stress, production of both, pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, infiltration of innate immune cells and amplifies adaptive alloimmune responses in the affected allograft. Currently, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs for the treatment of IRI are unavailable, therefore an efficacious therapeutic modality to prevent, reduce and/or alleviate allograft damages caused by IRI induced inflammation is warranted to achieve the best-possible transplant outcome among recipients. The tolerogenic capacity of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), have been extensively studied in the context of transplant rejection, autoimmunity, and cancer. It was not until recently that Tregs have been recognized as a potential cell therapeutic candidate to be exploited for the prevention and/or treatment of IRI, owing to their immunomodulatory potential. Tregs can mitigate cellular oxidative stress, produce anti-inflammatory cytokines, promote wound healing, and tissue repair and prevent the infiltration of pro-inflammatory immune cells in injured tissues. By using strategic approaches to increase the number of Tregs and to promote targeted delivery, the outcome of SOT and VCA can be improved. This review focuses on two sections: (a) the therapeutic potential of Tregs in preventing and mitigating IRI in the context of SOT and VCA and (b) novel strategies on how Tregs could be utilized for the prevention and/or treatment of IRI.
Spatial distribution and composition of marine litter on sandy beaches along the Indian Ocean coastline in the south Java region, Indonesia
Authors: Yona Defri , Nooraini Pratiwi , Putri Sisylia Eka Narriyah , Sari Syarifah Hikmah Julinda , Lestariadi Riski Agung , Amirudin Akhmad
Published: October 2023

Marine litter in coastal areas can bring economic, social, and environmental damage, especially the loss of aesthetic value of a tourist site. Therefore, research on the composition of marine litter to identify its sources is important for planning strategic action to minimize the problem. This study analyzed beach litter composition on five beaches (Kondangmerak, Balekambang, Ungapan, Ngudel, and Goa Cina) along the Indian Ocean coastline in the eastern part of the south Java region, Indonesia. All the beaches are known as the famous touristic beaches of Malang City, and receive many visitors, especially during the holiday season. Beach litter composition was obtained by collecting different types of litter in a 5 x 5 m square transect. Five square transects were placed along the beach strandline at each beach, and intervals of 20 m separated each transect. In each transect, the litter was collected and counted based on its category (plastic, paper, rubber, fabric, processed wood, metal, glass, ceramic, and hazardous items) and size (0.5–2.5cm, 2.5–5cm, 5–10 cm, and > 10 cm). There was a statistically significant variation in the number of litters among the sizes (p<0.05). However, the distribution of beach litter remained consistent across beaches regardless of its size. In general, beach litter with a size > 10 cm was found least on all beaches (< 15%), while the other three size categories were found in similar numbers (in the range of 20% to 50%). Plastic was the dominating type of litter on all beaches. Based on the Clean Coastal Index, all beaches were considered dirty to extremely dirty. All litter on the beaches was the product of tourism activities, and littering habits play a significant role as the source of marine litter in the study areas. Since this is the first study on the marine litter composition in the eastern part of south Java, the results of this study can be used as a baseline for future studies to prevent marine debris pollution and to develop management strategies for reducing the impact of marine debris on the environment.
COBRA Master Class: Providing deep-sea expedition leadership training to accelerate early career advancement
Authors: Rotjan Randi D. , Bell Katherine L. C. , Huber Julie A. , Wheat Charles Geoffrey , Fisher Andrew T. , Sylvan Rosalynn Lee , McManus James , Bigham Katharine T. , Cambronero-Solano Sergio , Cordier Tristan , Goode Savannah , Leonard Juliana , Murdock Sheryl , Paula Fabiana S. , Ponsoni Leandro , Roa-Varón Adela , Seabrook Sarah , Shomberg Russell , Van Audenhaege Loïc , Orcutt Beth N.
Published: October 2023

Leading deep-sea research expeditions requires a breadth of training and experience, and the opportunities for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to obtain focused mentorship on expedition leadership are scarce. To address the need for leadership training in deep-sea expeditionary science, the Crustal Ocean Biosphere Research Accelerator (COBRA) launched a 14-week virtual Master Class with both synchronous and asynchronous components to empower students with the skills and tools to successfully design, propose, and execute deep-sea oceanographic field research. The Master Class offered customized and distributed training approaches and created an open-access syllabus with resources, including reading material, lectures, and on-line resources freely-available on the Master Class website (cobra.pubpub.org). All students were Early Career Researchers (ECRs, defined here as advanced graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, early career faculty, or individuals with substantial industry, government, or NGO experience) and designated throughout as COBRA Fellows. Fellows engaged in topics related to choosing the appropriate deep-sea research asset for their Capstone “dream cruise” project, learning about funding sources and how to tailor proposals to meet those source requirements, and working through an essential checklist of pre-expedition planning and operations. The Master Class covered leading an expedition at sea, at-sea operations, and ship-board etiquette, and the strengths and challenges of telepresence. It also included post-expedition training on data management strategies and report preparation and outputs. Throughout the Master Class, Fellows also discussed education and outreach, international ocean law and policy, and the importance and challenges of team science. Fellows further learned about how to develop concepts respectfully with regard to geographic and cultural considerations of their intended study sites. An assessment of initial outcomes from the first iteration of the COBRA Master Class reinforces the need for such training and shows great promise with one-quarter of the Fellows having submitted a research proposal to national funding agencies within six months of the end of the class. As deep-sea research continues to accelerate in scope and speed, providing equitable access to expedition training is a top priority to enable the next generation of deep-sea science leadership.
Delayed bilateral spontaneous renal rupture after surgery for unilateral upper ureteral calculi: a case report
Authors: Tang Wen , Yang Denghao , Wu Tao , Liang Guobiao
Published: October 2023

Spontaneous renal rupture is a rare clinical condition characterized by spontaneous bleeding in the renal subcapsular and perinephric spaces in patients without a history of trauma. It occurs mainly in pathologic kidneys and after some renal surgeries. We report a 40-year-old male patient admitted with a diagnosis of gallstones with cholecystitis due to fever and abdominal pain after unilateral ureteral calculi. The patient developed delayed right renal rupture hemorrhage during treatment, controlled after selective arterial embolization (SAE). Still, the patient developed spontaneous left renal rupture due to a systemic inflammatory response. Finally, the patient’s life was saved after several selective embolizations of the renal artery. We retrospectively analyzed this case to improve our understanding of the disease.
Development and validation of an artificial intelligence-powered acne grading system incorporating lesion identification
Authors: Li Jiaqi , Du Dan , Zhang Jianwei , Liu Wenjie , Wang Junyou , Wei Xin , Xue Li , Li Xiaoxue , Diao Ping , Zhang Lei , Jiang Xian
Published: October 2023

Background

The management of acne requires the consideration of its severity; however, a universally adopted evaluation system for clinical practice is lacking. Artificial intelligence (AI) evaluation systems hold the promise of enhancing the efficiency and reproducibility of assessments. Artificial intelligence (AI) evaluation systems offer the potential to enhance the efficiency and reproducibility of assessments in this domain. While the identification of skin lesions represents a crucial component of acne evaluation, existing AI systems often overlook lesion identification or fail to integrate it with severity assessment. This study aimed to develop an AI-powered acne grading system and compare its performance with physician image-based scoring.

Methods

A total of 1,501 acne patients were included in the study, and standardized pictures were obtained using the VISIA system. The initial evaluation involved 40 stratified sampled frontal photos assessed by seven dermatologists. Subsequently, the three doctors with the highest inter-rater agreement annotated the remaining 1,461 images, which served as the dataset for the development of the AI system. The dataset was randomly divided into two groups: 276 images were allocated for training the acne lesion identification platform, and 1,185 images were used to assess the severity of acne.

Results

The average precision of our model for skin lesion identification was 0.507 and the average recall was 0.775. The AI severity grading system achieved good agreement with the true label (linear weighted kappa = 0.652). After integrating the lesion identification results into the severity assessment with fixed weights and learnable weights, the kappa rose to 0.737 and 0.696, respectively, and the entire evaluation on a Linux workstation with a Tesla K40m GPU took less than 0.1s per picture.

Conclusion

This study developed a system that detects various types of acne lesions and correlates them well with acne severity grading, and the good accuracy and efficiency make this approach potentially an effective clinical decision support tool.