bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of Vanua in climate-related voluntary immobility in Fiji
Authors: Yee Merewalesi , McNamara Karen E. , Piggott-McKellar Annah E. , McMichael Celia
Published: December 2022

People, communities, and regions around the world are being pushed to adapt as climate-related risks increase. Within both policy and academic literature, the planned relocation of communities is often viewed as an adaptation option of last resort, given that it can lead to losses including attachment to place, place-based cultural practices, and identity. To date, however, few empirical studies have investigated the diverse and context-specific reasons for community reluctance to relocate. This study aimed to examine the motivations behind people's decisions to remain in locations at risk from climate change. Drawing on ethnographic data from fieldwork undertaken in 2021 in Serua Island, Fiji, this study shows how the concept of Vanua, a Fijian term that refers to the natural environment, social bonds and kinship ties, ways of being, spirituality, and stewardship, is used by Indigenous people to resist climate-driven relocation. Through exploring local decision-making, this study contributes to the small body of research on voluntary immobility in the context of climate change. This research also contributes to academic discussions on “decolonizing climate change” from a Pacific perspective while offering a strong empirical basis for critically addressing climate mobility scholarship through Indigenous narratives, values, and worldviews. We highlight that policy and practice must better integrate local understandings of voluntary immobility to avoid potential maladaptation and loss and damage to culture, livelihoods, and social networks. This can help develop more appropriate adaptation strategies for communities in Fiji and beyond as people move, but also resist mobility, in a warming world.
Interchangeability of right ventricular longitudinal shortening fraction assessed by transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography in the perioperative setting: A prospective study
Authors: Beyls Christophe , Huette Pierre , Vangreveninge Paul , Leviel Florent , Daumin Camille , Ammar BenAmmar , Touati Gilles , Roger Bouzerar , Caus Thierry , Dupont Hervé , Abou-Arab Osama , Momar Diouf , Mahjoub Yazine
Published: December 2022

Background

Conventional transthoracic (TTE) and transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) parameters assessing right ventricle (RV) systolic function are daily used assuming their clinical interchangeability. RV longitudinal shortening fraction (RV-LSF) is a two-dimensional speckle tracking parameter used to assess RV systolic function. RV-LSF is based on tricuspid annular displacement analysis and could be measured with TTE or TEE.

Objective

The aim of the study was to determine if RV-LSFTTE and RV-LSFTEE measurements were interchangeable in the perioperative setting.

Methods

Prospective perioperative TTE and TEE echocardiography were performed under general anesthesia during scheduled cardiac surgery in 90 patients. RV-LSF was measured by semi-automatic software. Comparisons were performed using Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman plots. RV-LSF clinical agreement was determined as a range of −5 to 5%.

Results

Of the 114 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 90 were included. The mean preoperative RV-LSFTTE was 20.4 ± 4.3 and 21.1 ± 4.1% for RV-LSFTEE. The agreement between RV-LSF measurements was excellent, with a bias at −0.61 and limits of agreement of −4.18 to 2.97 %. All measurements fell within the determined clinical agreement interval in the Bland-Altman plot. Linear regression analysis showed a high correlation between RV-LSFTTE and RV-LSFTEE measurement (r = 0.9; confidence interval [CI] 95%: [0.87–0.94], p < 0.001).

Conclusion

RV-LSFTTE and RV-LSFTEE measurements are interchangeable, allowing RV-LSF to be a helpful parameter for assessing perioperative changes in RV systolic function.

NCT

NCT05404737. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05404737.
A submarine morphotectonic analysis combining GIS-based methods and virtual reality: Case study of the low-rate active thrust faulting off Boumerdès (Algeria)
Authors: Déverchère Jacques , Barbé Antoine , Kernec Maxime , Jaud Marion , Ruault Riwalenn
Published: December 2022

The Algerian margin is located at the slow-rate convergent boundary between African and Eurasian plates and experienced several strong earthquakes in the last centuries. Among them, the 2003 Mw 6.8 Boumerdès event has triggered large turbidity currents in the slightly concave canyons of the slope and numerous cable breaks in the abyssal plain. In this study, we explore where, how and when the tectonic inversion of the margin off Boumerdès has left witnesses in the seafloor morphology and whether the observed deformation correlates with the 2003 coseismic rupture zone and with the Plio-Quaternary sedimentation. We have performed a careful analysis of the seafloor morphology and subsurface seismic reflectors at the landscape scale and along/between canyons by combining classical GIS-based methods and Virtual Reality techniques. From the mid-slope to the deep basin off the ∼60 km long Boumerdès-Dellys coast, we evidence large knickpoints corresponding to the development of four main cumulative fault scarps and two perched basins which are deeply incised by steep canyons and gullies. We interpret these structures to result from frontal propagation of two main south-dipping thrusts by upper crustal décollement ramping, evidencing an incipient sub-thrust imbrication in a stage of initiation of an accretionary wedge. The flat-ramp thrust geometry and their along-strike segmentation explain the development and shape of the perched basins in the backlimb of fault-related folds. The onset of growth strata is dated at 1.5 ± .5 Ma on the slope and .9 ± .3 Ma in the deep basin. The length, position, strike and segmentation of the older, southern thrust ramp are consistent with the coseismic characteristics of the Mw 6.8 2003 earthquake. The cumulative vertical scarp throw exceeds 1 km, supporting Quaternary shortening rates of 1.6 ± .7 mm/yr, in agreement with geodetic strain rates across the western Mediterranean basin. Virtual Reality offers powerful and promising means to correlate seismic imagery and seafloor morphology and is of great help to improve the robustness of tectonostratigraphic interpretation.
Promoting future work skills in vocational training and baccalaureate setting through engagement in volunteering
Authors: Olmos-Gómez María del Carmen , García-Garnica Marina , Romero-Díaz de la Guardia Jose Javier
Published: December 2022

The aim of the present study was to analyze differences in future work skills as a function of participation in volunteering and work. The present study was based on a total sample of 3,101 students enrolled in secondary and baccalaureate education and vocational training in Andalusia (Spain). Once the quality parameters of the instrument were determined, its reliability and validity were confirmed, and data collection was initiated. With regards to data analysis, multivariate analysis (ANOVA) was conducted which interacted the variable describing engagement in volunteering and the variable pertaining to employment, with both variables having two levels (yes–no). From the data obtained, it was concluded that working or having worked at some point in time was particularly related with aspects related to intelligence linked with the society in which work is carried out. Other conclusions were that workers and volunteers possessed better competency attributions, knowledge of new means of communication and multidisciplinary skills. These outcomes were related with a series of motivations such as professional development, personal growth and putting their abilities into practice in order to improve their professional career.
Unraveling the role of Breg cells in digestive tract cancer and infectious immunity
Authors: Moreira Helena , Dobosz Agnieszka , Cwynar-Zając Łucja , Nowak Paulina , Czyżewski Marek , Barg Marta , Reichert Paweł , Królikowska Aleksandra , Barg Ewa
Published: December 2022

Over the past two decades, regulatory B cells (Breg cells or Bregs) have emerged as an immunosuppressive subset of B lymphocytes playing a key role in inflammation, infection, allergy, transplantation, and cancer. However, the involvement of Bregs in various pathological conditions of the gastrointestinal tract is not fully understood and is the subject of much recent research. In this review, we aimed to summarize the current state of knowledge about the origin, phenotype, and suppressive mechanisms of Bregs. The relationship between the host gut microbiota and the function of Bregs in the context of the disturbance of mucosal immune homeostasis is also discussed. Moreover, we focused our attention on the role of Bregs in certain diseases and pathological conditions related to the digestive tract, especiallyHelicobacter pyloriinfection, parasitic diseases (leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis), and gastrointestinal neoplasms. Increasing evidence points to a relationship between the presence and number of Bregs and the severity and progression of these pathologies. As the number of cases is increasing year by year, also among young people, it is extremely important to understand the role of these cells in the digestive tract.
Frequent somatic mosaicism in T lymphocyte subsets in individuals with and without multiple sclerosis
Authors: Van Horebeek Lies , Dedoncker Nina , Dubois Bénédicte , Goris An
Published: December 2022

Background

Somatic variants are variations in an individual’s genome acquired after the zygotic stadium and result from mitotic errors or not (fully) repaired DNA damage.

Objectives

To investigate whether somatic mosaicism in T lymphocyte subsets is enriched early in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods

We identified somatic variants with variant allele fractions ≥1% across the whole exome in CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes of 21 treatment-naive MS patients with <5 years of disease duration and 16 partially age-matched healthy controls. We investigated the known somatic STAT3 variant p.Y640F in peripheral blood in a larger cohort of 446 MS patients and 259 controls.

Results

All subjects carried 1-142 variants in CD4+ or CD8+ T lymphocytes. Variants were more common, more abundant, and increased with age in CD8+ T lymphocytes. Somatic variants were common in the genes DNMT3A and especially STAT3. Overall, the presence or abundance of somatic variants, including the STAT3 p.Y640F variant, did not differ between MS patients and controls.

Conclusions

Somatic variation in T lymphocyte subsets is widespread in both control individuals and MS patients. Somatic mosaicism in T lymphocyte subsets is not enriched in early MS and thus unlikely to contribute to MS risk, but future research needs to address whether a subset of variants influences disease susceptibility.
Insights into the bacterial community compositions of peanut worm (Sipunculus nudus) and their association with the surrounding environment
Authors: Zhong Ruzhuo , Huang Jianqiang , Liao Yongshan , Yang Chuangye , Wang Qingheng , Deng Yuewen
Published: December 2022

The peanut worm (Sipunculus nudus) is an important economic and ecological fishery resource in China. To determine how S. nudus interacts with its culture environment, in this study, the diversity, composition, and interrelationships of bacterial communities in the intestine, coelomic fluid, and culture environment of S. nudus through high-throughput sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq sequencing platform. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the highest bacterial community richness and diversity were found in the sediments. Species annotation revealed that Proteobacteria dominated in all samples (48.92%–58.36%), and the other dominant phyla were highly variable, indicating a certain independence between the environment and the composition of the bacterial community of S. nudus. The coelomic fluid of S. nudus contained high concentrations of Bacillus and could be a source of potential probiotic bacteria for isolation and culture. Cluster and operational taxonomic unit Venn diagram analyses showed that the bacterial community composition in the intestine was more similar to that in the sediments compared with water. The predicted functional analysis of bacterial communities indicated that the functions of bacterial communities in the different surrounding environment were highly similar and involved in various aspects, such as membrane transport, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and replication and repair. Our findings have important implications on the establishment of sustainable microecological regulation and management strategies for S. nudus culture and provide a reference for the development and utilization of probiotic bacteria.
On the joint use of scattering and damping models to predict X-band co-polarized backscattering from a slick-covered sea surface
Authors: Meng Tingyu , Nunziata Ferdinando , Buono Andrea , Yang Xiaofeng , Migliaccio Maurizio
Published: December 2022

In this study, sea surface scattering with and without surfactants is predicted using the two-scale boundary perturbation model (BPM) and the advanced integral equation model (AIEM) augmented with two different damping models, i.e., the Marangoni one and the model of local balance (MLB). Numerical predictions are showcased for both mineral oil and biogenic slicks. They are contrasted with actual satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) measurements collected at X-band by the German TerraSAR-X sensor over mineral oil and plant oil slicks of known origin. Experimental results show that the two-scale BPM augmented with the Marangoni damping model is more suitable for predicting the normalized radar cross section and the damping ratio of plant oil (biogenic) slicks. In contrast, the AIEM combined with the damping MLB results in a better agreement with SAR measurements collected over mineral oil slicks.
Research of storable and ready-to-use artificial red blood cells (hemoglobin vesicles) for emergency medicine and other clinical applications
Authors: Sakai Hiromi , Kure Tomoko , Taguchi Kazuaki , Azuma Hiroshi
Published: December 2022

Hemoglobin (Hb) is the most abundant protein in blood, with concentration of about 12–15 g/dl. The highly concentrated Hb solution (35 g/dl) is compartmentalized in red blood cells (RBCs). Once Hb is released from RBCs by hemolysis during blood circulation, it induces renal and cardiovascular toxicities. To date, hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers of various types have been developed as blood substitutes to mitigate the Hb toxicities. One method is Hb encapsulation in phospholipid vesicles (liposomes). Although the Hb toxicity can be shielded, it is equally important to ensure the biocompatibility of the liposomal membrane. We have developed Hb-vesicles (HbV). A new encapsulation method using a rotation-revolution mixer which enabled efficient production of HbV with a high yield has considerably facilitated R&D of HbV. Along with our academic consortium, we have studied the preclinical safety and efficacy of HbV extensively as a transfusion alternative, and finally conducted a phase I clinical trial. Moreover, carbonyl-HbV and met-HbV are developed respectively for an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative agent and an antidote for poisons. This review paper specifically presents past trials of liposome encapsulated Hb, biocompatible lipid bilayer membranes, and efficient HbV preparation methods, in addition to potential clinical applications of HbV based on results of our in vivo studies.
Quantifying bacterial concentration in water and sand media during flow-through experiments using a non-invasive, real-time, and efficient method
Authors: Zhang Xiaoming , Chen Fengxian , Yang Liqiong , Qin Fucang , Zhuang Jie
Published: December 2022

Monitoring the dynamics of bacteria in porous media is of great significance to understand the bacterial transport and the interplay between bacteria and environmental factors. In this study, we reported a non-invasive, real-time, and efficient method to quantify bioluminescent bacterial concentration in water and sand media during flow-through experiments. First, 27 column experiments were conducted, and the bacterial transport was monitored using a real-time bioluminescent imaging system. Next, we quantified the bacterial concentration in water and sand media using two methods—viable count and bioluminescent count. The principle of the bioluminescent count in sand media was, for a given bioluminescence image, the total number of bacteria was proportionally allocated to each segment according to its bioluminescence intensity. We then compared the bacterial concentration for the two methods and found a good linear correlation between the bioluminescent count and viable count. Finally, the effects of porous media surface coating, pore water velocity, and ionic strength on the bioluminescent count in sand media were investigated, and the results showed that the bioluminescence counting accuracy was most affected by surface coating, followed by ionic strength, and was hardly affected by pore water velocity. Overall, the study proved that the bioluminescent count was a reliable method to quantify bacterial concentration in water (106 to 2 × 108 cell mL−1) or sand media (5 × 106-5 × 108 cell cm−3). This approach also offers a new way of thinking for in situ bacterial enumeration in two-dimensional devices such as 2D flow cells, microfluidic devices, and rhizoboxes.
Soil Acidobacterial community composition changes sensitively with wetland degradation in northeastern of China
Authors: Sui Xin , Frey Beat , Yang Libin , Liu Yingnan , Zhang Rongtao , Ni Hongwei , Li Mai-He
Published: December 2022

Acidobacteria are a major component of the soil bacteria and are conducted for many soil functions, and the soil Acidobacterial structure and diversity are affected by climate changes and human activities. However, soil Acidobacterial structure and diversity in wetland ecosystems are still limited recognized. The current study aimed to study the Acidobacterial community and diversity in relation to soil environmental factors along a typical degradation series from primitive wetland to forest in a representative fresh wetland in northeastern China. In this research, we assessed the soil Acidobacterial community composition, using Illumina MiSeq sequencing along a typical degradation series from primitive wetland to forest in a representative fresh wetland in northeastern China. The soil physico chemical properties changed significantly among the eight degrade stages (p < 0.05). The α diversity index (Shannon and Chao1 index) of soil Acidobacteria changed significantly between different degradation stages (p < 0.05). Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) revealed that the soil acidobacteiral communities obviously separated into wetland group and forest group. The most abundant subgroups of Acidobacteria accounted for 31% (Gp1), 5% (Gp2), 12% (Gp3), 2% (Gp4), 5% (Gp6), and 2% (Gp7) in soils within eight successional series. The compositions of soil Acidobacteria in wetland stages were significantly affected by soil moisture content, soil total nitrogen and available nitrogen contents, while those in forest stages were significantly driven by soil pH, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and soil moisture content. Our results indicated that the soil Acidobacterial community was mainly structured by soil physico chemical parameters, and wetland degradation towards forests will greatly influence the soil Acidobacterial structure and thus the wetland functions.
Biogeographic distributions of microbial communities associated with anaerobic methane oxidation in the surface sediments of deep-sea cold seeps in the South China Sea
Authors: Jiang Qiuyun , Jing Hongmei , Liu Hao , Du Mengran
Published: December 2022

Cold seeps are oasis for the microbes in the deep-sea ecosystems, and various cold seeps are located along the northern slope of the South China Sea (SCS). However, by far most microbial ecological studies were limited to specific cold seep in the SCS, and lack of comparison between different regions. Here, the surface sediments (0–4 cm) from the Site F/Haima cold seeps and the Xisha trough in the SCS were used to elucidate the biogeography of microbial communities, with particular interest in the typical functional groups involved in the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) process. Distinct microbial clusters corresponding to the three sampling regions were formed, and significantly higher gene abundance of functional groups were present in the cold seeps than the trough. This biogeographical distribution could be explained by the geochemical characteristics of sediments, such as total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), nitrate (NO3−), total sulfur (TS) and carbon to nitrogen ratios (C/N). Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that mcrA and pmoA genotypes were closely affiliated with those from wetland and mangroves, where denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) process frequently occurred; and highly diversified dsrB genotypes were revealed as well. In addition, significantly higher relative abundance of NC10 group was found in the Xisha trough, suggesting that nitrite-dependent DAMO (N-DAMO) process was more important in the hydrate-bearing trough, although its potential ecological contribution to AOM deserves further investigation. Our study also further demonstrated the necessity of combining functional genes and 16S rRNA gene to obtain a comprehensive picture of the population shifts of natural microbial communities among different oceanic regions.
SMoRe ParS: A novel methodology for bridging modeling modalities and experimental data applied to 3D vascular tumor growth
Authors: Jain Harsh Vardhan , Norton Kerri-Ann , Prado Bernardo Bianco , Jackson Trachette L.
Published: December 2022

Multiscale systems biology is having an increasingly powerful impact on our understanding of the interconnected molecular, cellular, and microenvironmental drivers of tumor growth and the effects of novel drugs and drug combinations for cancer therapy. Agent-based models (ABMs) that treat cells as autonomous decision-makers, each with their own intrinsic characteristics, are a natural platform for capturing intratumoral heterogeneity. Agent-based models are also useful for integrating the multiple time and spatial scales associated with vascular tumor growth and response to treatment. Despite all their benefits, the computational costs of solving agent-based models escalate and become prohibitive when simulating millions of cells, making parameter exploration and model parameterization from experimental data very challenging. Moreover, such data are typically limited, coarse-grained and may lack any spatial resolution, compounding these challenges. We address these issues by developing a first-of-its-kind method that leverages explicitly formulated surrogate models (SMs) to bridge the current computational divide between agent-based models and experimental data. In our approach, Surrogate Modeling for Reconstructing Parameter Surfaces (SMoRe ParS), we quantify the uncertainty in the relationship between agent-based model inputs and surrogate model parameters, and between surrogate model parameters and experimental data. In this way, surrogate model parameters serve as intermediaries between agent-based model input and data, making it possible to use them for calibration and uncertainty quantification of agent-based model parameters that map directly onto an experimental data set. We illustrate the functionality and novelty of Surrogate Modeling for Reconstructing Parameter Surfaces by applying it to an agent-based model of 3D vascular tumor growth, and experimental data in the form of tumor volume time-courses. Our method is broadly applicable to situations where preserving underlying mechanistic information is of interest, and where computational complexity and sparse, noisy calibration data hinder model parameterization.
The effect of membrane thickness on the membrane permeabilizing activity of the cyclic lipopeptide tolaasin II
Authors: Steigenberger Jessica , Mergen Catherine , De Roo Vic , Geudens Niels , Martins José C. , Heerklotz Heiko
Published: December 2022

Tolaasin II is an amphiphilic, membrane-active, cyclic lipopeptide produced by Pseudomonas tolaasii and is responsible for brown blotch disease in mushroom. To better understand the mode of action and membrane selectivity of tolaasin II and related lipopeptides, its permeabilizing effect on liposomes of different membrane thickness was characterized. An equi-activity analysis served to distinguish between the effects of membrane partitioning and the intrinsic activity of the membrane-bound peptide. It was found that thicker membranes require higher local peptide concentrations to become leaky. More specifically, the mole ratio of membrane-bound peptide per lipid needed to induce 50% leakage of calcein within 1 h, Re50, increased monotonically with membrane thickness from 0.0016 for the 14:1 to 0.0070 for the 20:1 lipid-chains. Moreover, fast but limited leakage kinetics in the low-lipid regime were observed implying a mode of action based on membrane asymmetry stress in this time and concentration window. While the assembly of the peptide to oligomeric pores of defined length along the bilayer z-axis can in principle explain inhibition by increasing membrane thickness, it cannot account for the observed limited leakage. Therefore, reduced intrinsic membrane-permeabilizing activity with increasing membrane thickness is attributed here to the increased mechanical strength and order of thicker membranes.
Differences in retinal microvasculature between large artery atherosclerosis and small artery disease: an optical coherence tomography angiography study
Authors: Lu Kun , Kwapong William Robert , Jiang Shuai , Zhang Xuening , Xie Jianyang , Ye Chen , Yan Yuying , Cao Le , Zhao Yitian , Wu Bo
Published: December 2022

Purpose: Recent reports suggest retinal microvasculature mirror cerebral microcirculation. Using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), we investigated the retinal microvasculature differences between ischemic stroke patients with large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) and small artery disease (SAD).

Methods: All patients underwent MR imaging and were classified as SAD and LAA; LAA was subdivided into anterior LAS and posterior LAS depending on the location. Swept-source OCTA (SS-OCTA) was used to image and segment the retina into the superficial vascular complex (SVC) and deep vascular complex (DVC) in a 6 × 6 mm area around the fovea. A deep learning algorithm was used to assess the vessel area density (VAD, %) in the retinal microvasculature.

Results: Fifty-eight (mean age = 60.26 ± 10.88 years; 81.03% males) were LAA while 64 (mean age = 55.58 ± 10.34 years; 85.94% males) were SAD. LAS patients had significantly reduced VAD in the DVC (P = 0.022) compared to SAD patients; the VAD in the SVC did not show any significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.580). Anterior LAA ischemic stroke showed significantly lower VAD (P = 0.002) in the SVC compared with posterior LAS patients. There was no significant difference in the DVC between the two groups (P = 0.376).

Conclusions: We found LAA patients had significantly reduced DVC density compared with SAD; we also showed anterior LAA patients had significantly reduced SVC density compared with posterior LAA. These findings suggest retinal imaging has the potential to be used to detect microvasculature changes in subtypes of ischemic stroke.
Convulsive behaviors of spontaneous recurrent seizures in a mouse model of extended hippocampal kindling
Authors: Zahra Anya , Sun Yuqing , Aloysius Nancy , Zhang Liang
Published: December 2022

Growing studies indicate that vigilance states and circadian rhythms can influence seizure occurrence in patients with epilepsy and rodent models of epilepsy. Electrical kindling, referred to brief, repeated stimulations of a limbic structure, is a commonly used model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Kindling via the classic protocol lasting a few weeks does not generally induce spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS), but extended kindling that applies over the course of a few months has shown to induce SRS in several animal species. Kindling-induced SRS in monkeys and cats were observed mainly during resting wakefulness or sleep, but the behavioral activities associated with SRS in rodent models of extended kindling remain unknown. We aimed to add information in this area using a mouse model of extended hippocampal kindling. Middle-aged C57 black mice experienced ≥80 hippocampal stimulations (delivered twice daily) and then underwent continuous 24 h electroencephalography (EEG)-video monitoring for SRS detection. SRS were recognized by EEG discharges and associated motor seizures. The five stages of the modified Racine scale for mice were used to score motor seizure severities. Seizure-preceding behaviors were assessed in a 3 min period prior to seizure onset and categorized as active and inactive. Three main observations emerged from the present analysis. (1) SRS were found to predominantly manifest as generalized (stage 3–5) motor seizures in association with tail erection or Straub tail. (2) SRS occurrences were not significantly altered by the light on/off cycle. (3) Generalized (stage 3–5) motor seizures were mainly preceded by inactive behaviors such as immobility, standing still, or apparent sleep without evident volitional movement. Considering deeper subcortical structures implicated in genesis of tail erection in other seizure models, we postulate that genesis of generalized motor seizures in extended kindled mice may involve deeper subcortical structures. Our present data together with previous findings from post-status epilepticus models support the notion that ambient cage behaviors are strong influencing factors of SRS occurrence in rodent models of temporal lobe epilepsy.
Value-driven modulation of visual perception by visual and auditory reward cues: The role of performance-contingent delivery of reward
Authors: Antono Jessica Emily , Vakhrushev Roman , Pooresmaeili Arezoo
Published: December 2022

Perception is modulated by reward value, an effect elicited not only by stimuli that are predictive of performance-contingent delivery of reward (PC) but also by stimuli that were previously rewarded (PR). PC and PR cues may engage different mechanisms relying on goal-driven versus stimulus-driven prioritization of high value stimuli, respectively. However, these two modes of reward modulation have not been systematically compared against each other. This study employed a behavioral paradigm where participants’ visual orientation discrimination was tested in the presence of task-irrelevant visual or auditory reward cues. In the first phase (PC), correct performance led to a high or low monetary reward dependent on the identity of visual or auditory cues. In the subsequent phase (PR), visual or auditory cues were not followed by reward delivery anymore. We hypothesized that PC cues have a stronger modulatory effect on visual discrimination and pupil responses compared to PR cues. We found an overall larger task-evoked pupil dilation in PC compared to PR phase. Whereas PC and PR cues both increased the accuracy of visual discrimination, value-driven acceleration of reaction times (RTs) and pupillary responses only occurred for PC cues. The modulation of pupil size by high reward PC cues was strongly correlated with the modulation of a combined measure of speed and accuracy. These results indicate that although value-driven modulation of perception can occur even when reward delivery is halted, stronger goal-driven control elicited by PC reward cues additionally results in a more efficient balance between accuracy and speed of perceptual choices.
STSC-SNN: Spatio-Temporal Synaptic Connection with temporal convolution and attention for spiking neural networks
Authors: Yu Chengting , Gu Zheming , Li Da , Wang Gaoang , Wang Aili , Li Erping
Published: December 2022

Spiking neural networks (SNNs), as one of the algorithmic models in neuromorphic computing, have gained a great deal of research attention owing to temporal information processing capability, low power consumption, and high biological plausibility. The potential to efficiently extract spatio-temporal features makes it suitable for processing event streams. However, existing synaptic structures in SNNs are almost full-connections or spatial 2D convolution, neither of which can extract temporal dependencies adequately. In this work, we take inspiration from biological synapses and propose a Spatio-Temporal Synaptic Connection SNN (STSC-SNN) model to enhance the spatio-temporal receptive fields of synaptic connections, thereby establishing temporal dependencies across layers. Specifically, we incorporate temporal convolution and attention mechanisms to implement synaptic filtering and gating functions. We show that endowing synaptic models with temporal dependencies can improve the performance of SNNs on classification tasks. In addition, we investigate the impact of performance via varied spatial-temporal receptive fields and reevaluate the temporal modules in SNNs. Our approach is tested on neuromorphic datasets, including DVS128 Gesture (gesture recognition), N-MNIST, CIFAR10-DVS (image classification), and SHD (speech digit recognition). The results show that the proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art accuracy on nearly all datasets.
Antidiabetic effect of sciadonic acid on type 2 diabetic mice through activating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and altering intestinal flora
Authors: Chen Lin , Jiang Qihong , Lu Hongling , Jiang Chenkai , Hu Wenjun , Yu Shaofang , Xiang Xingwei , Tan Chin Ping , Feng Yongcai , Zhang Jianfang , Li Mingqian , Shen Guoxin
Published: December 2022

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of sciadonic acid (SA) on disorders of glucolipid metabolism and intestinal flora imbalance and to further investigate its potential molecular mechanism of anti-diabetes. The experimental data indicated that SA could alleviate hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, the inflammatory response, repair liver function damage, and promote glycogen synthesis caused by T2DM. SA could also activate the PI3K/AKT/GLUT-2 signaling pathway, promote glucose metabolism gene expression, and maintain glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, 16S rRNA analysis revealed that SA could reduce the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota (F/B) ratio; promote norank_f__Muribaculaceae, Allobaculum, Akkermansia, and Eubacterium_siraeum_group proliferation; increase the levels of major short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid; and maintain the homeostasis of the intestinal flora. In conclusion, these results suggested that SA could reshape the structural composition of intestinal microbes, activate the PI3K/AKT/GLUT2 pathway, improve insulin resistance, and decrease blood glucose levels.
Nutritional characterization of the extrusion-processed micronutrient-fortified corn snacks enriched with protein and dietary fiber
Authors: Shah Faiz-ul-Hassan , Sharif Mian Kamran , Ahmad Zulfiqar , Amjad Adnan , Javed Muhammad Sameem , Suleman Raheel , Sattar Dur-e-Shahwar , Amir Muhammad , Anwar Muhammad Junaid
Published: December 2022

The current study focused on developing protein- and dietary fiber-enriched, micronutrient-fortified corn snacks using extrusion technology. Corn, soybean, and chickpea flour were used to develop micronutrient-fortified (Fe, Zn, I, and vitamin A, and C) extruded snacks, followed by an exploration of their nutritional traits. Soybean and chickpea were supplemented discretely (20–40/100 g) or in a combination of both (10:10, 15:15, and 20:20/100 g). According to the results, the relative proportion of the raw material composition was reflected in corn snacks' proximate composition and mineral and vitamin levels. Corn snacks with 40/100 g soy flour showed the best nutrient profile, with a maximum percent increase in protein (171.9%) and fiber (106%), as compared to the snacks developed using chickpea and/or mixed supplementation with soy and chickpea. Total dietary fiber (18.44 ± 0.34%), soluble dietary fiber (10.65 ± 0.13%), and insoluble dietary fiber (7.76 ± 0.38%) were also found to be highest in the soy-supplemented snacks (40/100 g). It was discovered that 100 g of corn snacks could provide 115–127% of the RDA for iron, 77–82% of the RDA for zinc, 90–100% of the RDA for vitamin A, and 45–50% of the RDA for vitamin C. The results for the effect of extrusion processing on amino acids showed a 2.55–45.1% reduction in essential amino acids, with cysteine and valine showing the greatest decrease and leucine and tryptophan remaining relatively stable during extrusion.
Validation of the GALAD model and establishment of a new model for HCC detection in Chinese patients
Authors: Chen Ping , Song Haolin , Xu Wei , Guo Jin , Wang Jianfei , Zhou Juhong , Kang Xiang , Jin Chaolei , Cai Yubo , Feng Zixuan , Gao Hainv , Lu Fengmin , Li Lanjuan
Published: December 2022

Background

GALAD model is a statistical model used to estimate the possibility of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic liver disease. Many studies with other ethnic populations have shown that it has high sensitivity and specificity. However, whether this model can be used for Chinese patients remains to be determined. Our study was conducted to verify the performance of GALAD model in a Chinese cohort and construct a new model that is more appropriately for Chinese populations.

Methods

There are total 512 patients enrolled in the study, which can be divided into training set and validation set. 80 patients with primary liver cancer, 139 patients with chronic liver disease and 87 healthy people were included in the training set. Through the ROC(receiver operating characteristic) curve analysis, the recognition performance of GALAD model for liver cancer was evaluated, and the GAADPB model was established by logistic regression, including gender, age, AFP, DCP, total protein, and total bilirubin. The validation set (75 HCC patients and 130 CLD patients) was used to evaluate the performance of the GAADPB model.

Result

The GALAD and GAADPB achieved excellent performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.925, 0.945), and were better than GAAP, Doylestown, BALAD-2, aMAP, AFP, AFP-L3%, DCP and combined detection of AFP, AFP-L3 and DCP (AUCs: 0.894, 0.870, 0.648, 0.545, 0.879, 0.782, 0.820 and 0.911) for detecting HCC from CLD in the training set. As for early stage of HCC (BCLC 0/A), GAADPB had the best sensitivity compared to GALAD, ADP and DCP (56.3%, 53.1%, 40.6%, 50.0%). GAADPB had better performance than GALAD in the test set, AUC (0.896 vs 0.888).

Conclusions

The new GAADPB model was powerful and stable, with better performance than the GALAD and other models, and it also was promising in the area of HCC prognosis prediction. Further study on the real-world HCC patients in China are needed.
Successful treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer with concurrent pleural and pericardial effusions: Case report
Authors: Kashima Ayaka , Fukuda Yosuke , Shimamura Miri , Ijichi Miharu , Sagara Hironori
Published: December 2022

It is unclear whether pleural/pericardial drainage and pleurodesis/pericardiodesis should be performed before or after initiating chemotherapy in patients with chemotherapy-sensitive small-cell lung cancer. A 76-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with progressive dyspnea on exertion for a week. Chest computed tomography showed a mass shadow anterior to the left upper lobe, bilateral pleural effusions, and a circumferential pericardial effusion surrounding the heart. We diagnosed extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer based on the clinical course and pathological findings. We first performed pleurodesis and pericardial drainage and successfully initiated immune checkpoint inhibitor combined chemotherapy, with improved performance status. This case highlights the importance of aggressive drainage and pleurodesis/pericardiodesis, and suggests that drainage and pleurodesis/pericardiodesis should be considered before systemic chemotherapy in patients with concurrent pericardial or pleural effusions, even in patients with small-cell lung cancer that is sensitive to chemotherapy.
Abdominoinguinal approach in en bloc resection of retroperitoneal sarcoma involving iliac vessels with graft interposition
Authors: Lv Ang , Liu Bo-Nan , Liu Dao-Ning , Wang Zhen , Hao Chun-Yi
Published: December 2022

Background

Retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPSs) located in the lower abdominal quadrants involving iliac vessels are difficult to manage. This study introduced a 5-step method for en bloc resection with graft interposition using the abdominoinguinal approach and evaluated its efficacy and safety.

Methods

Data of 24 consecutive patients who met the inclusion criteria from 272 patients with RPS who underwent surgical treatment between April 2015 and April 2022 were retrospectively collected and analyzed.

Results

The patients underwent left- or right-sided abdominoinguinal incision. In all patients, the abdominoinguinal approach provided good exposure, and complete resection was achieved. Iliac artery+vein, vein, and artery resection and replacement by graft were performed in 70.8%, 25.0%, and 4.2% of patients, respectively. Additional resected organs mainly included the colon, ureter, bladder, kidney, and abdominal wall. The median number of organs resected was 5. In 37.5% of patients, reconstruction of the lower abdominal wall and inguinal ligament was performed using a mesh. Venous graft thrombosis occurred in 21.7% of patients, while no patient had pulmonary embolism or arterial occlusion. Major complications occurred in 20.8% of patients, and no 30-day mortality was observed. The estimated 5-year local recurrence and distant metastasis rates were 54.4% and 22.1%, respectively, with a median recurrence-free survival of 27 months.

Conclusions

En bloc resection of RPS involving iliac vessels with graft interposition using the abdominoinguinal approach is feasible and advantageous. Good complete resection rate and safety can be achieved. The long-term survival benefit of this surgical approach should be verified by further large-scale prospective controlled studies.
Dinutuximab beta plus conventional chemotherapy for relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma: A single-center experience
Authors: Olgun Nur , Cecen Emre , Ince Dilek , Kizmazoglu Deniz , Baysal Birsen , Onal Ayse , Ozdogan Ozhan , Guleryuz Handan , Cetingoz Riza , Demiral Ayse , Olguner Mustafa , Celik Ahmet , Kamer Serra , Ozer Erdener , Altun Zekiye , Aktas Safiye
Published: December 2022

Background

Relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma has a dismal prognosis. Anti-GD2-mediated chemo-immunotherapy has a notable anti-tumor activity in patients with relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma. The purpose of this study was to analyze the efficacy and safety of the combination of immunotherapy with dinutuximab beta (DB) and chemotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma.

Methods

All patients received the Turkish Pediatric Oncology Group NB 2009 national protocol for HR-NB treatment at the time of diagnosis. Salvage treatments were administered after progression or relapse. The patients who could not achieve remission in primary or metastatic sites were included in the study. The most common chemotherapy scheme was irinotecan and temozolomide. DB was administered intravenously for 10 days through continuous infusion with 10 mg/m2 per day. The patients received 2 to 14 successive cycles with duration of 28 days each. Disease assessment was performed after cycles 2, 4, and 6 and every 2 to 3 cycles thereafter.

Results

Between January 2020 and March 2022, nineteen patients received a total of 125 cycles of DB and chemotherapy. Objective responses were achieved in 12/19 (63%) patients, including complete remission in 6/19 and partial response in 6/19. Stable disease was observed in two patients. The remaining five patients developed bone/bone marrow and soft tissue progression after 2-4 cycles of treatment. The most common Grade ≥3 toxicities were leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypertransaminasemia, fever, rash/itching and capillary leak syndrome, respectively.

Conclusion

Our study results suggest that DB-based chemo-immunotherapy seems to be suitable with encouraging response rates in patients with relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma.
Multi-analyte liquid biopsies for molecular pathway guided personalized treatment selection in advanced refractory cancers: A clinical utility pilot study
Authors: Patil Darshana , Akolkar Dadasaheb , Nagarkar Rajnish , Srivastava Navin , Datta Vineet , Patil Sanket , Apurwa Sachin , Srinivasan Ajay , Datar Rajan
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The selection of safe and efficacious anticancer regimens for treatment of patients with broadly refractory metastatic cancers remains a clinical challenge. Such patients are often fatigued by toxicities of prior failed treatments and may have no further viable standard of care treatment options. Liquid Biopsy-based multi-analyte profiling in peripheral blood can identify a majority of drug targets that can guide the selection of efficacious combination regimens.

Patients and methods

LIQUID IMPACT was a pilot clinical study where patients with advanced refractory cancers received combination anticancer treatment regimens based on multi-analyte liquid biopsy (MLB) profiling of circulating tumor biomarkers; this study design was based on the findings of prior feasibility analysis to determine the abundance of targetable variants in blood specimens from 1299 real-world cases of advanced refractory cancers.

Results

Among the 29 patients in the intent to treat (ITT) cohort of the trial, 26 were finally evaluable as per study criteria out of whom 12 patients showed Partial Response (PR) indicating an Objective Response Rate (ORR) of 46.2% and 11 patients showed Stable Disease (SD) indicating the Disease Control Rate (DCR) to be 88.5%. The median Progression-Free Survival (mPFS) and median Overall Survival (mOS) were 4.3 months (95% CI: 3.0 – 5.6 months) and 8.8 months (95% CI: 7.0 – 10.7 months), respectively. Toxicities were manageable and there were no treatment-related deaths.

Conclusion

The study findings suggest that MLB could be used to assist treatment selection in heavily pretreated patients with advanced refractory cancers.