bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advanced glycation end products impair bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells osteogenesis in periodontitis with diabetes via FTO-mediated N6-methyladenosine modification of sclerostin
Authors: Zhou Jie , Zhu Yanlin , Ai Dongqing , Zhou Mengjiao , Li Han , Li Guangyue , Zheng Leilei , Song Jinlin
Published: November 2023

Background

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and periodontitis are two prevalent diseases with mutual influence. Accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in hyperglycemia may impair cell function and worsen periodontal conditions. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an important post-transcriptional modification in RNAs that regulates cell fate determinant and progression of diseases. However, whether m6A methylation participates in the process of periodontitis with diabetes is unclear. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effects of AGEs on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), elucidate the m6A modification mechanism in diabetes-associated periodontitis.

Methods

Periodontitis with diabetes were established by high-fat diet/streptozotocin injection and silk ligation. M6A modifications in alveolar bone were demonstrated by RNA immunoprecipitation sequence. BMSCs treated with AGEs, fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) protein knockdown and sclerostin (SOST) interference were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, immunofluorescence, alkaline phosphatase and Alizarin red S staining.

Results

Diabetes damaged alveolar bone regeneration was validated in vivo. In vitro experiments showed AGEs inhibited BMSCs osteogenesis and influenced the FTO expression and m6A level in total RNA. FTO knockdown increased the m6A levels and reversed the AGE-induced inhibition of BMSCs differentiation. Mechanically, FTO regulated m6A modification on SOST transcripts, and AGEs affected the binding of FTO to SOST transcripts. FTO knockdown accelerated the degradation of SOST mRNA in presence of AGEs. Interference with SOST expression in AGE-treated BMSCs partially rescued the osteogenesis by activating Wnt Signaling.

Conclusions

AGEs impaired BMSCs osteogenesis by regulating SOST in an m6A-dependent manner, presenting a promising method for bone regeneration treatment of periodontitis with diabetes.
Deep neural network based tissue deconvolution of circulating tumor cell RNA
Authors: Yan Fengyao , Jiang Limin , Ye Fei , Ping Jie , Bowley Tetiana Y. , Ness Scott A. , Li Chung-I , Marchetti Dario , Tang Jijun , Guo Yan
Published: November 2023

Prior research has shown that the deconvolution of cell-free RNA can uncover the tissue origin. The conventional deconvolution approaches rely on constructing a reference tissue-specific gene panel, which cannot capture the inherent variation present in actual data. To address this, we have developed a novel method that utilizes a neural network framework to leverage the entire training dataset. Our approach involved training a model that incorporated 15 distinct tissue types. Through one semi-independent and two complete independent validations, including deconvolution using a semi in silico dataset, deconvolution with a custom normal tissue mixture RNA-seq data, and deconvolution of longitudinal circulating tumor cell RNA-seq (ctcRNA) data from a cancer patient with metastatic tumors, we demonstrate the efficacy and advantages of the deep-learning approach which were exerted by effectively capturing the inherent variability present in the dataset, thus leading to enhanced accuracy. Sensitivity analyses reveal that neural network models are less susceptible to the presence of missing data, making them more suitable for real-world applications. Moreover, by leveraging the concept of organotropism, we applied our approach to trace the migration of circulating tumor cell-derived RNA (ctcRNA) in a cancer patient with metastatic tumors, thereby highlighting the potential clinical significance of early detection of cancer metastasis.
Twitter discussions on breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Jagarapu Jawahar , Diaz Marlon I. , Lehmann Christoph U. , Medford Richard J.
Published: November 2023

Background

Breastfeeding is a critical health intervention in infants. Recent literature reported that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant mental health issues in pregnant and breastfeeding women due to social isolation and lack of direct professional support. These maternal mental health issues affected infant nutrition and decreased breastfeeding rates during COVID-19. Twitter, a popular social media platform, can provide insight into public perceptions and sentiment about various health-related topics. With evidence of significant mental health issues among women during the COVID-19 pandemic, the perception of infant nutrition, specifically breastfeeding, remains unknown.

Methods

We aimed to understand public perceptions and sentiment regarding breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic through Twitter analysis using natural language processing techniques. We collected and analyzed tweets related to breastfeeding and COVID-19 during the pandemic from January 2020 to May 2022. We used Python software (v3.9.0) for all data processing and analyses. We performed sentiment and emotion analysis of the tweets using natural language processing libraries and topic modeling using an unsupervised machine-learning algorithm.

Results

We analyzed 40,628 tweets related to breastfeeding and COVID-19 generated by 28,216 users. Emotion analysis revealed predominantly “Positive emotions” regarding breastfeeding, comprising 72% of tweets. The overall tweet sentiment was positive, with a mean weekly sentiment of 0.25 throughout, and was affected by external events. Topic modeling revealed six significant themes related to breastfeeding and COVID-19. Passive immunity through breastfeeding after maternal vaccination had the highest mean positive sentiment score of 0.32.

Conclusions

Our study provides insight into public perceptions and sentiment regarding breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contrary to other topics we explored in the context of COVID (e.g., ivermectin, disinformation), we found that breastfeeding had an overall positive sentiment during the pandemic despite the documented rise in mental health challenges in pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. The wide range of topics on Twitter related to breastfeeding provides an opportunity for active engagement by the medical community and timely dissemination of advice, support, and guidance. Future studies should leverage social media analysis to gain real-time insight into public health topics of importance in child health and apply targeted interventions.
NRTPredictor: identifying rice root cell state in single-cell RNA-seq via ensemble learning
Authors: Wang Hao , Lin Yu-Nan , Yan Shen , Hong Jing-Peng , Tan Jia-Rui , Chen Yan-Qing , Cao Yong-Sheng , Fang Wei
Published: November 2023

Background

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) measurements of gene expression show great promise for studying the cellular heterogeneity of rice roots. How precisely annotating cell identity is a major unresolved problem in plant scRNA-seq analysis due to the inherent high dimensionality and sparsity.

Results

To address this challenge, we present NRTPredictor, an ensemble-learning system, to predict rice root cell stage and mine biomarkers through complete model interpretability. The performance of NRTPredictor was evaluated using a test dataset, with 98.01% accuracy and 95.45% recall. With the power of interpretability provided by NRTPredictor, our model recognizes 110 marker genes partially involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Expression patterns of rice root could be mapped by the above-mentioned candidate genes, showing the superiority of NRTPredictor. Integrated analysis of scRNA and bulk RNA-seq data revealed aberrant expression of Epidermis cell subpopulations in flooding, Pi, and salt stresses.

Conclusion

Taken together, our results demonstrate that NRTPredictor is a useful tool for automated prediction of rice root cell stage and provides a valuable resource for deciphering the rice root cellular heterogeneity and the molecular mechanisms of flooding, Pi, and salt stresses. Based on the proposed model, a free webserver has been established, which is available at https://www.cgris.net/nrtp.
Orthopaedic surgeons’ ability to detect pathologic hip fractures: review of 1484 fractures reported to the Norwegian Hip Fracture Register
Authors: Sund Anders , Dybvik Eva , Gjertsen Jan-Erik
Published: November 2023

Background

The proximal femur is the most common location of metastases in the appendicular skeleton. Data on pathologic hip fractures, however, are sparse despite it is the most frequently operated pathologic fracture. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of orthopaedic surgeons to identify pathologic hip fractures in an acute setting and secondly to validate the underlying cause of the pathologic fractures reported to Norwegian Hip Fracture Register (NHFR).

Methods

In the NHFR dataset between 2005 and 2019, we identified 1484 fractures reported to be pathologic possibly secondary to a malignancy. These fractures were thoroughly validated by reviewing X-rays, the patient journal, the operation description for date, side, why there had been suspicion of pathologic fracture, and implant choice. Pathology reports were reviewed once a biopsy had been performed. Based on this validation, information in the NHFR was corrected, whenever necessary.

Results

Of the 1484 fractures possible secondary to malignancy, 485 (32.7%) were not a pathologic fracture. When reviewing the 999 validated pathologic fractures, 15 patients had a pathologic fracture secondary to a benign lesion. The remaining 984 patients had a pathologic fracture secondary to malignancy. The underlying diagnosis reported was corrected in 442 of the 999 patients. The true rate of pathologic hip fractures secondary to malignancy in our material was 0.8%, and most patients had underlying prostate (30%), breast (20%), or lung (17%) cancer.

Conclusion

Orthopaedic surgeons in Norway failed to report correct data on pathologic fractures and the corresponding cancer diagnosis in an acute setting in many patients. The corrected data on pathologic fractures in the NHFR from 2005 to 2019 can now be a valid resource for further studies on the subject.
Utilization of carbon-coated ZrO2/Mn-Mg-Zn ferrites nanostructures for the adsorption of Cs (I) and Sr (II) from the binary system: kinetic and equilibrium studies
Authors: Abdel Maksoud M. I. A. , Murad G. A. , Hassan H. S.
Published: November 2023

Carbon-coated ZrO2/Mn-Mg-Zn ferrites nanostructures (CZ-FN) have been prepared as a new inorganic sorbent to remove Cs (I) and Sr (II) from a waste stream. Adsorption of Cs (I) and Sr (II) has been implemented considering different noteworthy parameters, for example, shaking time and the optimum time achieved high adsorption capacity of both ions [103 and 41 mg/g for Sr (II) and Cs (I)] was found 30 min. Also, the impact of pH values was studied; the best pH value for the adsorption process is pH 6. The adsorption saturation capacity of CZ-FN is 420.22 and 250.45 mg/g for strontium and cesium, respectively. The solubility percentage of CZ-FN was calculated utilizing diverse molarities from HNO3, HCl, and NaOH as eluents, the obtained data reveals an increase in the solubility percentage with more increase in the molarity of the eluents. The elevation in the solubility percentage follows the following order; HNO3 < HCl < NaOH. The kinetic studies were applied using the nanolinear form of different kinetic models; it was found that the adsorption process obeys the nonlinear pseudo-second-order. According to equilibrium studies, the Langmuir model has been more accurate than the Freundlich model for adsorption in the case of binary systems. The values of Di for the strontium and cesium are 10−10 m2/s, which displays the chemisorption nature of this process. The greatest values of the desorption process for the strontium and cesium are 96.87% and 94.43 by 0.3 M of HNO3. This indicated that the carbon-coated ZrO2/Mn-Mg-Zn ferrites could be regenerated and recycled to remove strontium and cesium ions from waste streams.
Proteomic characterization of a lutein-hyperaccumulating Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant reveals photoprotection-related factors as targets for increasing cellular carotenoid content
Authors: McQuillan Josie L. , Cutolo Edoardo Andrea , Evans Caroline , Pandhal Jagroop
Published: November 2023

Background

Microalgae are emerging hosts for the sustainable production of lutein, a high-value carotenoid; however, to be commercially competitive with existing systems, their capacity for lutein sequestration must be augmented. Previous attempts to boost microalgal lutein production have focussed on upregulating carotenoid biosynthetic enzymes, in part due to a lack of metabolic engineering targets for expanding lutein storage.

Results

Here, we isolated a lutein hyper-producing mutant of the model green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and characterized the metabolic mechanisms driving its enhanced lutein accumulation using label-free quantitative proteomics. Norflurazon- and high light-resistant C. reinhardtii mutants were screened to yield four mutant lines that produced significantly more lutein per cell compared to the CC-125 parental strain. Mutant 5 (Mut-5) exhibited a 5.4-fold increase in lutein content per cell, which to our knowledge is the highest fold increase of lutein in C. reinhardtii resulting from mutagenesis or metabolic engineering so far. Comparative proteomics of Mut-5 against its parental strain CC-125 revealed an increased abundance of light-harvesting complex-like proteins involved in photoprotection, among differences in pigment biosynthesis, central carbon metabolism, and translation. Further characterization of Mut-5 under varying light conditions revealed constitutive overexpression of the photoprotective proteins light-harvesting complex stress-related 1 (LHCSR1) and LHCSR3 and PSII subunit S regardless of light intensity, and increased accrual of total chlorophyll and carotenoids as light intensity increased. Although the photosynthetic efficiency of Mut-5 was comparatively lower than CC-125, the amplitude of non-photochemical quenching responses of Mut-5 was 4.5-fold higher than in CC-125 at low irradiance.

Conclusions

We used C. reinhardtii as a model green alga and identified light-harvesting complex-like proteins (among others) as potential metabolic engineering targets to enhance lutein accumulation in microalgae. These have the added value of imparting resistance to high light, although partially compromising photosynthetic efficiency. Further genetic characterization and engineering of Mut-5 could lead to the discovery of unknown players in photoprotective mechanisms and the development of a potent microalgal lutein production system.
The Streptococcus virulence protein PepO triggers anti-tumor immune responses by reprograming tumor-associated macrophages in a mouse triple negative breast cancer model
Authors: Liu Bichen , Huang Jun , Xiao Jiangming , Xu Wenlong , Zhang Hong , Yuan Yuan , Yin Yibing , Zhang Xuemei
Published: November 2023

Background

The efficacy of current surgery and chemotherapy for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is limited due to heterogenous and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), which are regarded as an M2 tumor-promoting phenotype, are crucial in the development of the immunosuppressive TME. Targeting TAM reprograming is a promising strategy in anti-tumor therapy since reprogramming techniques provide the opportunity to actively enhance the antitumor immunological activity of TAM in addition to eliminating their tumor-supportive roles, which is rarely applied in TNBC clinically. However, how to drive M2 macrophages reprogramming into M1 with high potency remains a challenge and the molecular mechanisms how M2 macrophages polarized into M1 are poorly understood. Here, we identified a new immunoregulatory molecular PepO that was served as an immunoregulatory molecule governed the transformation of tumor-promoting M2 to tumor-inhibitory M1 cells and represented an effective anti-tumor property.

Results

At the present study, we identified a new immunoregulatory molecular PepO, as a harmless immunoregulatory molecule, governed the transformation of tumor-promoting M2 to tumor-inhibitory M1 cells efficiently. PepO-primed M2 macrophages decreased the expression of tumor-supportive molecules like Arg-1, Tgfb, Vegfa and IL-10, and increased the expression of iNOS, Cxcl9, Cxcl10, TNF-α and IL-6 to inhibit TNBC growth. Moreover, PepO enhanced the functions of macrophages related to cell killing, phagocytosis and nitric oxide biosynthetic process, thereby inhibiting the development of tumors in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, PepO reprogramed TAMs toward M1 by activating PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway via TLR4 and suppressed the function of M2 by inhibiting JAK2-STAT3 pathway via TLR2. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 abrogated the role of PepO in switching M2 macrophages into M1 and in inhibiting TNBC growth in vivo. And PepO failed to govern the M2 macrophages to reprogram into M1 macrophages and inhibit TNBC when TLR2 or TLR4 was deficient. Moreover, PepO enhanced the antitumor activity of doxorubicin and the combination exerted a synergistic effect on TNBC suppression.

Conclusions

Our research identified a possible macrophage-based TNBC immunotherapeutic approach and suggested a novel anticancer immunoregulatory molecular called PepO.
The current landscape of using direct inhibitors to target KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC
Authors: Batrash Firas , Kutmah Mahmoud , Zhang Jun
Published: November 2023

Mutation in KRAS protooncogene represents one of the most common genetic alterations in NSCLC and has posed a great therapeutic challenge over the past ~ 40 years since its discovery. However, the pioneer work from Shokat’s lab in 2013 has led to a recent wave of direct KRASG12C inhibitors that utilize the switch II pocket identified. Notably, two of the inhibitors have recently received US FDA approval for their use in the treatment of KRASG12C mutant NSCLC. Despite this success, there remains the challenge of combating the resistance that cell lines, xenografts, and patients have exhibited while treated with KRASG12C inhibitors. This review discusses the varying mechanisms of resistance that limit long-lasting effective treatment of those direct inhibitors and highlights several novel therapeutic approaches including a new class of KRASG12C (ON) inhibitors, combinational therapies across the same and different pathways, and combination with immunotherapy/chemotherapy as possible solutions to the pressing question of adaptive resistance.
The Tendency to Avoid Physical Activity and Sport Scale (TAPAS): Rasch analysis with differential item functioning testing among a Chinese sample
Authors: Fan Chia-Wei , Chang Yen-Ling , Huang Po-Ching , Fung Xavier C. C. , Chen Ji-Kang , Bevan Nadia , O’Brien Kerry S. , Yeh Ya-Chin , Chen Hsin-Pao , Chen I-Hua , Lin I-Ching , Griffiths Mark D. , Lin Chung-Ying
Published: November 2023

Background

The benefits of physical activity are well-known to prevent multiple long-term health conditions. Physical appearance and weight-related stigma may influence individuals’ decision to engage in physical activity and sport. Therefore, the present study examined the psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument, the Tendency to Avoid Physical Activity and Sport Scale (TAPAS), using modern test theory.

Methods

A total of 2319 university students were recruited from mainland China and they completed the TAPAS. Rasch analysis was used to examine the TAPAS’ rating scaling functioning, test unidimensionality, item hierarchy, ceiling and floor effects, and differential item functioning (DIF). Moreover, the concurrent validity of the TAPAS was examined using the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ), Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS), and body mass index (BMI).

Results

Unidimensionality was confirmed except for one item. Items corresponding to attitude toward physical activity were more easily adopted compared to items corresponding to actual behavioral aspects. No ceiling and floor effects were found. No DIF existed in the TAPAS items. The TAPAS was strongly correlated with both the WSSQ and WBIS, but not BMI.

Conclusion

The study showed that overall, the TAPAS has robust psychometric properties. However, future research needs to address the misfit item and explore the feasibility of applying the TAPAS to other populations including wider ethnic groups, age ranges, and life stages.
Reduced graphene oxide coated alginate scaffolds: potential for cardiac patch application
Authors: Baheiraei Nafiseh , Razavi Mehdi , Ghahremanzadeh Ramin
Published: November 2023

Background

Cardiovascular diseases, particularly myocardial infarction (MI), are the leading cause of death worldwide and a major contributor to disability. Cardiac tissue engineering is a promising approach for preventing functional damage or improving cardiac function after MI. We aimed to introduce a novel electroactive cardiac patch based on reduced graphene oxide-coated alginate scaffolds due to the promising functional behavior of electroactive biomaterials to regulate cell proliferation, biocompatibility, and signal transition.

Methods

The fabrication of novel electroactive cardiac patches based on alginate (ALG) coated with different concentrations of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using sodium hydrosulfite is described here. The prepared scaffolds were thoroughly tested for their physicochemical properties and cytocompatibility. ALG-rGO scaffolds were also tested for their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Subcutaneous implantation in mice was used to evaluate the scaffolds' ability to induce angiogenesis.

Results

The Young modulus of the scaffolds was increased by increasing the rGO concentration from 92 ± 4.51 kPa for ALG to 431 ± 4.89 kPa for ALG-rGO-4 (ALG coated with 0.3% w/v rGO). The scaffolds' tensile strength trended similarly. The electrical conductivity of coated scaffolds was calculated in the semi-conductive range (~ 10
−4
S/m). Furthermore, when compared to ALG scaffolds, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured on ALG-rGO scaffolds demonstrated improved cell viability and adhesion. Upregulation of VEGFR2 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels confirmed that rGO coating significantly boosted the angiogenic capability of ALG against HUVECs. OD620 assay and FE-SEM observation demonstrated the antibacterial properties of electroactive scaffolds against
Escherichia coli
,
Staphylococcus aureus
, and
Streptococcus pyogenes
. We also showed that the prepared samples possessed antioxidant activity using a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay and UV–vis spectroscopy. Histological evaluations confirmed the enhanced vascularization properties of coated samples after subcutaneous implantation.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that ALG-rGO is a promising scaffold for accelerating the repair of damaged heart tissue.

Graphical Abstract
Improved lower bound for the complexity of unique shortest vector problem
Authors: Jin Baolong , Xue Rui
Published: November 2023

Unique shortest vector problem (uSVP) plays an important role in lattice based cryptography. Many cryptographic schemes based their security on it. For the cofidence of those applications, it is essential to clarify the complexity of uSVP with different parameters. However, proving the NP-hardness of uSVP appears quite hard. To the state of the art, we are even not able to prove the NP-hardness of uSVP with constant parameters. In this work, we gave a lower bound for the hardness of uSVP with constant parameters, i.e. we proved that uSVP is at least as hard as gap shortest vector problem (GapSVP) with gap of $$O(\sqrt{n/\log (n)})$$

O
(

n
/
log
(
n
)

)

, which is in $$NP \cap coAM$$

N
P
∩
c
o
A
M

. Unlike previous works, our reduction works for paramters in a bigger range, especially when the constant hidden by the big-O in GapSVP is smaller than 1.

Graphical abstract
Suicides in National Hormone Pituitary Program Recipients of Cadaver-Derived Human Growth Hormone
Authors: Abrams Joseph Y , Mills James L , Schonberger Lawrence B , Chang David , Maddox Ryan A , Belay Ermias D , Leschek Ellen W
Published: November 2023

Context

Numerous reports of suicide among individuals who received cadaver-derived human growth hormone (c-hGH) through the National Hormone Pituitary Program (NHPP) raised the alarm for potentially increased suicide risk.

Objective

We conducted a study to assess suicide risk in the NHPP cohort and identify contributing factors to facilitate early recognition and intervention.

Methods

The study population consisted of patients receiving NHPP c-hGH starting from 1957, and cohort deaths with an ICD code consistent with suicide or possible suicide through 2020 were evaluated. Descriptive data were extracted from medical records. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) to compare the observed number of suicide deaths in the cohort to the expected number were calculated using general population suicide rates by sex, age group, and time period.

Results

Among 6272 patients there were 1200 all-cause cohort deaths, of which 55 (52 male, 3 female) were attributed to suicide. Of these, 47 were identified by ICD code alone compared to an expected count of 37.8 (SMR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.91-1.66). Among male cohort members, the SMR was 1.33 (95% CI 0.97-1.78). Elevated risk of suicide was detected for cohort members aged 25-34 (SMR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.06-2.83) and during the period from September 19, 1985, to December 31, 1998 (SMR = 1.70, 95% CI 1.02-2.65).

Conclusion

Overall, the observed number of suicides among NHPP c-hGH recipients was not significantly higher than expected. However, certain subgroups may be at elevated risk of suicide. Studies are needed to better understand the nature and magnitude of suicide risk among c-hGH recipients to facilitate early intervention to prevent suicide deaths.
Who Will Take upon Himself to Contradict the Shulḥan ‘Arukh? Mourning Suicide as a Case Study of Halakhic Authorities Leading the Process of Halakhic Change
Authors: Sariel Eliezer , Sariel Aviram
Published: November 2023

Abstract: This article presents a case study of a halakhic innovation led by Orthodox authorities: in a watershed ruling on mourning a suicide, the Ḥatam Sofer allowed families of suicides to mourn. The exemplar par excellence of Orthodoxy and coiner of its supposed motto “the novel is prohibited by the Torah,” Sofer headed a ruling both novel and permissive. Further, the bulk of his responsum is explicitly dedicated to confronting the Shulḥan ‘arukh . In our opinion, Sofer contended with a substantial challenge to the halakhic system presented by Saul Berlin in his controversial book, Besamim Rosh . We trace commonalities between Berlin and Sofer and note their differences. Consequently, we demonstrate how historical analysis must include rabbinic polemics and study their efforts to preserve the accountability and rationality of the Halakhah.
First report of Amblyomma sculptum (Amblyomma cajennense complex) in a Brazilian state classified as a silent area for human rickettsiosis
Authors: Gama Bruna Costa , Martins Thiago Fernandes , Labruna Marcelo Bahia , Costa Vieira Rafael Felipe , Almeida Jonatas Campos
Published: November 2023

Background and Aim: Studies on ticks of public health concern in equine husbandry are scarce in the Northeastern region of Brazil. This study aimed to investigate the presence of ticks on horses in the State of Alagoas, which is classified as a silent area for human rickettsiosis.

Materials and Methods: Ticks infesting horses were collected using anatomical tweezers or a commercial hook and kept in ethanol-labeled tubes for taxonomic identification.

Results: A total of 2,238 ticks were found. Ticks were identified as 2,215 (98.89%, 95% CI: 98.41–99.28) Dermacentor nitens, 19 (0.98%, 95% CI: 0.05–1.38) Amblyomma sculptum, and 4 (0.18%; 95% CI: 0.007–0.46) Rhipicephalus microplus.

Conclusion: This is the first study to report A. sculptum and D. nitens in the State of Alagoas. The presence of A. sculptum should draw the attention of public health managers once Alagoas State is considered a silent area for rickettsial diseases, which means the absence of local surveillance programs for these pathogens.

Keywords: Amblyomma sculptum, public health, silent area.
First report of phenotypic and genotypic (blaOXA-61) beta-lactam resistance in Campylobacter jejuni from broilers in Indonesia
Authors: Yanestria Sheila Marty , Effendi Mustofa Helmi , Tyasningsih Wiwiek , Mariyono Mariyono , Ugbo Emmanuel Nnabuike
Published: November 2023

Background and Aim: Campylobacter is a zoonotic bacterium that is a major source of foodborne diseases. In humans, most cases of campylobacteriosis are caused by Campylobacter jejuni. Poultry is the main reservoir of Campylobacter for humans, because Campylobacter is part of the normal flora of the digestive tract of poultry. Antimicrobial resistance to several antibiotics in Campylobacter isolated from humans and food animals has increased rapidly. Beta-lactam is an antibiotic with a high prevalence of resistance in Campylobacter. This study aimed to investigate phenotypic and genotypic (blaOXA-61) beta-lactam resistance in C. jejuni from broilers in Indonesia.

Materials and Methods: A total of 100 samples of broiler intestinal contents were obtained from 10 broiler farms in Pasuruan Regency, Indonesia. Campylobacter jejuni was identified using conventional and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods. Phenotypic detection of beta-lactam resistance was performed using an antimicrobial susceptibility test with antibiotic disks of aztreonam, ampicillin, and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. Genotypic detection by PCR was performed using the blaOXA-61 gene, which encodes beta-lactamase.

Results: Campylobacter jejuni was identified in 23% of the samples. Phenotypically, 100% (23/23) and 73.9% (17/23) C. jejuni isolates had high resistance to aztreonam and ampicillin, respectively, but all isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin–clavulanic acid. Genotypically, all isolates carried blaOXA-61, indicated by the presence of a 372-bp PCR product.

Conclusion: Campylobacter jejuni is highly resistant to beta-lactams and is a serious threat to human health. Resistance to beta-lactams should be monitored because beta-lactamase genes can be transferred between bacteria. Public awareness must also be increased on the importance of using antibiotics rationally in humans and animals.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, beta-lactam, blaOXA-61, Campylobacter jejuni, human health.
Tetracycline residues in fresh dairy milk from three districts in Indonesia: Occurrence and dietary exposure assessment
Authors: Widiastuti Raphaella , Martindah Eny , Anastasia Yessy
Published: November 2023

Background and Aim: Milk can introduce antibiotics into the human diet which poses a public health risk. Therefore, a study to determine the tetracycline residue in dairy milk and its health risk assessment is needed. A cross-sectional study was performed to detect tetracycline residues in fresh dairy milk samples collected from the districts of Malang, Boyolali, and Padang Panjang, Indonesia, and to evaluate dietary exposure to tetracycline residues through milk consumption in 10-12-year-old children and adults.

Materials and Methods: A total of 203 fresh dairy milk samples were collected from local and smallholder dairy cows in Malang, Boyolali, and Padang Panjang in April and August 2018. High-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a photodiode array at 355 and 368 nm was used to detect tetracycline residues. Data were evaluated for dietary exposure assessment.

Results: The results showed that the most common residue found was chlortetracycline (8.37%), followed by tetracycline (7.88%) and oxytetracycline (5.91%) in the concentration range of 14.8-498.4, 11.7-49.4, and 11.6-85.6 ng/g, respectively. Seven (3.45%) samples exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL) for chlortetracycline. However, neither oxytetracycline nor tetracycline residues exceeded the MRL. The mean concentration of the tetracycline residues was 21.76-137.05 ng/g, resulting in an estimated daily intake of 16.46-172.83 ng/kg body weight/day.

Conclusion: Tetracycline residues were found in almost all milk sampling locations. The highest prevalence and residue concentration were obtained from chlortetracycline. Estimated daily intake of tetracycline through milk by 10–12-year-old children and adult consumers was low and the risk to consumers was negligible.

Keywords: dietary exposure assessment, fresh dairy milk, high-performance liquid chromatography, residues, tetracycline.
Culture vultures: HIV/AIDS, structured disparities and stigma in Sindh province of Pakistan
Authors: Ali Inayat
Published: November 2023

The transmission rate of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is significantly increasing in Pakistan, which amounts to the second most rapid spread in Asia. In early 2019, the media reported on a HIV outbreak in the Taluka (sub-district) of Ratodero, located in the Larkana district of Pakistan’s Sindh province. In just one village, approximately 1,150 cases were diagnosed. Unfortunately, most of them were children. The outbreak, on the one hand, is a result of a conjuncture of local, national, and global economic and political inequalities. On the other hand, it is multiplying the adverse consequences for the economically and politically marginalized segments of society, such as children and women. This paper proposes strategies to address the outbreak and provides model questions for studying it. Outbreaks such as HIV pose a significant challenge to human existence. They require specific attention at different levels in order to be dealt with effectively. They require studies to examine the crucial role of sociocultural, economic and political factors in their origin and prevalence as well as the impact of sociocultural differences on the outcome.
Investigating Time-Varying Causality Between Military Spending and Macroeconomic Indicators in the United States
Authors: Raifu Isiaka Akande , Afolabi Joshua Adeyemi
Published: November 2023

Military expenditures constitute a large chunk of the United States’ annual budget and its macroeconomic implications had been modelled using the Granger causality test, which suffers power loss when variables are subjected to structural breaks. This study explored alternative approaches by applying both traditional VAR-based Granger causality and the time-varying causality test techniques to obtain new evidence on the causality between military spending and selected macroeconomic indicators (economic growth, investment, unemployment and inflation rate) in the United States. Relevant data covering 1972Q1–2021Q2 were analysed. The results of the VAR-based Granger Causality test are dominated by a unidirectional causality that runs from macroeconomic variables to military spending and the result are robust to alternative military spending measures. However, the results of the time-varying causality method show that bidirectional causality dominates the relationship between military spending and some macroeconomic indicators, especially economic growth, investment and unemployment. With the variance observed in the causality between military spending and macroeconomic indicators, policymakers need to moderate military spending to achieve desired economic outcomes.
Applications of hypergraph-based methods in classifying and subtyping psychiatric disorders: a survey
Authors: Niu Ju , Du Yuhui
Published: November 2023

Psychiatric disorders exhibit extremely high heterogeneity, thus making accurate diagnosis and timely treatment challenging. Numerous neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal changes in brain functional connectivity among patients with psychiatric disorders. To better understand the complexity of these disorders, researchers have explored hypergraph-based methods. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging data and hypergraph theory, studies have modeled and analyzed brain functional connectivity hypernetworks to classify psychiatric disorders and identify associated biomarkers. Furthermore, modeling a subjects-level hypergraph aids in estimating potential higher-order relationships among individuals; thus, hypergraphs can be used for classifying psychiatric disorders and identifying biomarkers. Recent neuroimaging studies have revealed specific subtypes of psychiatric disorders with biological importance. Hypergraph-based clustering methods have been used to investigate subtypes of psychiatric disorders. However, limited work has surveyed the applications of hypergraph-based methods in classifying and subtyping psychiatric disorders. To address this gap, this article provides a thorough survey, and discusses current challenges and potential future research directions in this field.
EN PRENSA. CARACTERÍSTICAS PRODUCTIVAS DEL PASTO ROSADO (Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka). EN PRENSA
Authors: Gutiérrez Gutiérrez Obed Gabriel , Morales Nieto Carlos Raúl , Melgoza Castillo Alicia
Published: November 2023

Los objetivos del trabajo fueron caracterizar la morfología, producción forrajera, calidad nutricional y resistencia a la sequía del pasto rosado. El trabajo de campo se realizó en el Rancho Salinas, municipio de Sátevo, Chihuahua y el trabajo de laboratorio se llevó a cabo en la Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología. Las variables evaluadas fueron: composición botánica (línea de puntos), producción de forraje (corte en cuadrantes de 0.25 m2), morfología del pasto (separación de los componentes de la planta), análisis bromatológico durante la etapa de crecimiento (PC; método Kjeldahl) y Fibras Ácida y Neutra (método Van Soest), el porcentaje de germinación estándar y la resistencia a niveles de sequía mediante el potencial osmótico (0, -1.0 y -2.0 MPa). Los datos se analizaron mediante un análisis completamente al azar. La producción en el área de estudio fue desde los 244 hasta los 2118 kg MS ha-1. El porcentaje de germinación del pasto rosado disminuye en un 72 % cuando es sometido a niveles de presión osmótica de -1.0 MPa. Durante la etapa de crecimiento el pasto rosado presentó niveles de 11.53 % de Proteína Cruda. Los niveles de proteína cruda podrían deberse a la cantidad de hoja que se presentaron durante la época de crecimiento. Se recomienda hacer mediciones de proteína cruda a través del año con la finalidad de observar dinámicas de cambio en pasto rosado.
An Improved Deeplabv3+ Model for Semantic Segmentation of Urban Environments Targeting Autonomous Driving
Authors: Wang Wang , He Hua , Ma Changsong
Published: November 2023

This paper proposes an improved Deeplabv3+ model for semantic segmentation of urban scenes targeting autonomous driving applications. A high-quality semantic segmentation dataset is constructed from 2,967 manually labeled aerial images captured at 200m height with a 5-eye camera. The images contain 5 classes - buildings, vegetation, ground, lake and playgrounds. The improved Deeplabv3+ network enriches high-level semantics by replacing max pooling with depthwise separable convolutions. Dilated convolutions extract multi-scale features to avoid overfitting. Experiments demonstrate that the model achieves an overall mean IoU of 0.87 on the test set, with IoU scores of 0.90, 0.92 and 0.94 on buildings, vegetation and water respectively. The model shows promising results for extracting semantic information from complex urban environments to support navigation for autonomous vehicles.
Smart Agriculture in the Digital Age: A Comprehensive IoT-Driven Greenhouse Monitoring System
Authors: Simo Attila , Dzitac Simona , Duțu Amalia , Pandelica Ionuț
Published: November 2023

The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in agriculture has emerged as a transformative force, revolutionizing traditional farming practices and driving efficiency and sustainability. This paper presents the development and implementation of a cost-effective greenhouse monitoring system utilizing LoRaWAN technology for data communication. The system’s design, deployment, and performance are discussed in detail. Key components include an array of sensors for monitoring environmental parameters and LoRaWAN for long-range, low-power communication. The low-cost nature of the system challenges the notion that advanced agricultural technology is prohibitively expensive, making it accessible to farmers of varying scales. The system’s affordability and realtime data accessibility make it a valuable tool for precision agriculture, contributing to improved crop yields and resource management.
How Crowd Worker Factors Influence Subjective Annotations: A Study of Tagging Misogynistic Hate Speech in Tweets
Authors: Hettiachchi Danula , Holcombe-James Indigo , Livingstone Stephanie , De Silva Anjalee , Lease Matthew , Salim Flora D. , Sanderson Mark
Published: November 2023

Crowdsourced annotation is vital to both collecting labelled data to train and test automated content moderation systems and to support human-in-the-loop review of system decisions. However, annotation tasks such as judging hate speech are subjective and thus highly sensitive to biases stemming from annotator beliefs, characteristics and demographics. We conduct two crowdsourcing studies on Mechanical Turk to examine annotator bias in labelling sexist and misogynistic hate speech. Results from 109 annotators show that annotator political inclination, moral integrity, personality traits, and sexist attitudes significantly impact annotation accuracy and the tendency to tag content as hate speech. In addition, semi-structured interviews with nine crowd workers provide further insights regarding the influence of subjectivity on annotations. In exploring how workers interpret a task — shaped by complex negotiations between platform structures, task instructions, subjective motivations, and external contextual factors — we see annotations not only impacted by worker factors but also simultaneously shaped by the structures under which they labour.
Uso de metodologias ativas no curso de serviço social - relato de experiência
Authors: Mascêna Maria do Socorro , Lima Irismar Batista de , Sousa Milena Nunes Alves de
Published: November 2023

Trata-se de um relato de experiência, cujo objetivo foi descrever a experiência vivenciada em turmas do curso de serviço social de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior privada. A prática aconteceu em duas etapas: a primeira nas turmas de primeiro estágio e a segunda nas do segundo e terceiro. Foram utilizados os métodos de observação e aplicação. O período foi bastante enriquecedor, oportunizou a prática dos conhecimentos adquiridos no Curso de Especialização em Metodologias Ativas. Nas turmas de primeiro estágio foram utilizadas algumas ferramentas tecnológicas para envio do material, como e-mail e whattsap, trabalhamos vídeos, palavras cruzadas e seminário temático, nas turmas do segundo e terceiro, exposições interativas com atividades preparatórias referentes a um tema, dramatização e as informações foram compartilhadas a partir das ferramentas. A disciplina planejada serviu para nortear o direcionamento das aulas, pensando na possibilidade de aliar teoria e prática, desenvolvendo interação constante, aprendente e educador, desenvolvendo uma aula inovadora e diferente e melhorando o feedback entre os autores.
Perfil epidemiológico de pacientes oncológicos em um serviço secundarista
Authors: Da Silva Tavares Denes , Sousa Milena Nunes Alves de , De Lucena Carvalho Fabrício Kleber
Published: November 2023

Resumo: O rastreio do perfil epidemiológico de pacientes oncológicos é de relevância científica, visto que o mesmo busca relacionar a distribuição dos fatores determinantes que influenciam na oncogênese e gerar dados sobre quais os indivíduos estão mais suscetíveis a desenvolver algum dos tipos de cânceres e identificar os tipos de neoplasias e sua prevalência em uma determinada população. O objetivo do estudo foi determinar os tipos de câncer mais comuns, faixa etária e sexo mais acometidos de pacientes oncológicos atendidos em um serviço secundarista do município de Patos, Paraíba. Tratou-se de uma avaliação epidemiológica com caráter descritivo e abordagem quantitativa. A pesquisa foi realizada em um centro de especialidades, serviço de atenção secundária da cidade de Patos (PB) e foram selecionados 2.000 pacientes, aleatoriamente, sendo 400 pacientes por especialidades, destes, 50 pacientes oncológicos. Os dados foram coletados a partir de prontuários médico e, posteriormente, computados com dupla digitação e analisados eletronicamente. A análise dos dados foi realizada com base no cálculo da prevalência ajustada e estratificada de cada variável, pelo Microsoft Office Excel®. Houve a mesma porcentagem quanto aos sexos masculino e feminino (50%; n=25). Maior predominância nos pacientes com idade superior a 65 anos (48%; n=24). Em relação aos tipos de câncer mais frequentes, 28 pacientes possuíam câncer de pele não melanoma, 7 câncer de mama, 4 de câncer de colo de útero e 4 de câncer de próstata. O câncer de pele não melanoma foi a neoplasia mais presente. Entretanto ao se desconsiderar esse tipo de neoplasia, o câncer de mama e colo de útero foram os mais frequentes em mulheres e o de câncer de próstata em homens. Os achados revestem-se de importância por indicar mais disponibilidade de tempo para cuidar de si.
Repercussão da esclerose lateral amiotrófica na família
Authors: Nunes Guedes Rosilene , Cavalcante Lima Laiany , Sousa Milena Nunes Alves de , Aguila Toledo Miguel , De Souza Lima Daltro Manuela Carla , Campos de Assis Samara
Published: November 2023

Objetivou-se identificar o impacto que a Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica (ELA) causa na família. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa e descritiva, voltada para avaliar a repercussão que o diagnóstico da ELA causa na família do paciente acometido. A população foi constituída por dois voluntários com diagnóstico clínico de esclerose lateral amiotrófica atendidos em centro especializado em reabilitação na cidade de Patos, no estado da Paraíba e respectivamente pelos seus cuidadores. Utilizando como ferramenta para coleta de dados um questionário semiestruturado contendo pergunta sobre a repercussão do diagnóstico da doença e a sua convivência até os dias de hoje. Os resultados indicam que o tempo de diagnóstico foi demorado e o mesmo ocasionou abalo emocional nos pacientes, ficando transtornados e entristecidos com a notícia. Ao estar cientes sobre o seu verdadeiro estado de saúde e passando pelo processo de aceitação da doença, isto fez com que entendessem a sua limitação física e passassem a praticar suas atividades motoras. Por conta dessa fragilidade surgiram mudanças repentinas na rotina familiar, exigindo muito da colaboração do seu cuidador. Em relação à expectativa de vida, encontram-se esperançosos pela cura. Percebeu-se que os sujeitos vivenciaram um drama pessoal difícil de ser encarado, provocando uma grande repercussão tanto pessoalmente quanto familiar, em especial no cuidador assumindo um papel de cuidar corretamente e mesmo havendo uma grande sobrecarga não fogem do seu compromisso com o doente como também não perdem a esperança pela cura do enfermo. Levando em conta o que foi observado nesse estudo reconhecemos que mesmo com toda a limitação física do sujeito, isto não impedem de viver naturalmente desfrutando dos dias que lhe restam, nem muito menos diminui a confiança na sua recuperação.