bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting long non-coding RNA MALAT1 reverses cancerous phenotypes of breast cancer cells through microRNA-561-3p/TOP2A axis.
Authors: Hajibabaei Sara , Nafissi Nahid , Azimi Yasamin , Mahdian Reza , Rahimi-Jamnani Fatemeh , Valizadeh Vahideh , Rafiee Mohammad Hesam , Azizi Masoumeh
Published: December 2022

Non-coding RNAs, including Inc-RNA and miRNA, had been reported to regulate gene expression and were associated with cancer progression. MicroRNA-561-3p (miR-561-3p), as a tumor suppressor, has been reported to play a role in preventing cancer cell progression, and MALAT1 (Lnc-RNA) has also been demonstrated to promote malignancy in various cancer, such as breast cancer (BC). In this study, we aimed to determine the correlation between miR-561-3p and MALAT1 and their roles in breast cancer progression. The expression of MALAT1, mir-561- 3p, and topoisomerase alpha 2 (TOP2A) as a target of miR-561-3p was determined in BC clinical samples and cell lines via qRT-PCR. The binding site between MALAT1, miR-561-3p, and TOP2A was investigated by performing the dual luciferase reporter assay. MALAT1 was knocked down by siRNA, and cell proliferation, apoptotic assays, and cell cycle arrest were evaluated. MALAT1 and TOP2A were significantly upregulated, while mir-561-3p expression was downregulated in BC samples and cell lines. MALAT1 knockdown significantly increased miR 561 3p expression, meaningfully inverted by co-transfection with the miR 561 3p inhibitor. Furthermore, the knockdown of MALAT1 by siRNA inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis, and arrested the cell cycle at the G1 phase in BC cells. Notably, the mechanistic investigation revealed that MALAT1 predominantly acted as a competing endogenous RNA in BC by regulating the miR-561-3p/TOP2A axis. Based on our results, MALAT1 upregulation in BC may function as a tumor promoter in BC via directly sponging miRNA 561-3p, and MALAT1 knockdown serves a vital antitumor role in BC cell progression through the miR-561- 3p/TOP2A axis.
Determination of Soil Quality Index in Areas with High Erosion Risk and Usability in Watershed Rehabilitation Applications
Authors: DEMİR Yasin , DEMİR Azize DOĞAN , MERAL Alperen , YÜKSEL Alaaddin
Published: December 2022

Erosion is an important environmental issue threatening natural resources and ecosystems, especially soil and water. Soil losses occur in many parts of the world due to erosion at different degrees, and various rehabilitation plans have been carried out to reduce these losses. However, soil protection applications are generally carried out by considering only the essential characteristics of the soil. This may decrease the chance of success of rehabilitation applications. The present study aimed to determine the soil quality index (SQI) by weighting the soil quality parameters according to the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in the Çapakçur microcatchment (Bingöl, Türkiye) where soil loss is high. Accordingly, 428 soil samples were taken from the study area and analyzed. The soil losses in the Çapakçur watershed were calculated employing the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). To determine the soil quality index, a total of 20 indicators were used, including (i) physical soil properties, (ii) chemical soil properties, and (iii) soil nutrient content. Soil quality index results are divided into classes between 1 and 5. As a result of the study, the annual total amount of soil lost from the microcatchment was calculated as 96 915.20 tons, and the yearly average amount of soil lost from the unit area was calculated as 10.14 tons.ha-1. According to SQI, the largest area in the micro-catchment was Class-2 (weak), with 39.49%, whereas the smallest area was 1.4% (the most suitable). However, it was determined that there was a significant negative relationship between SQI and soil erodibility. Considering the SQI distribution of the area in the planning of soil protection and erosion prevention practices in watershed rehabilitation studies may increase success.
Predictive factors for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis: A model obtained from a machine learning algorithm technique
Authors: Abbas Janan , Yousef Malik , Peled Natan , Hershkovitz Israel , Hamoud Kamal
Published: December 2022

Background
Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) is the most common spine disease in the elderly population. It is usually associated with lumbar spine joints/or ligaments degeneration. Machine learning technique is an exclusive method for handling big data analysis; however, the development of this method for spine pathology is rare. This study aims to detect the essential variables that predict the development of symptomatic degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) using the random forest of machine learning (ML) algorithms technique.
Methods
A retrospective study with two groups of individuals. The first included 165 with symptomatic DLSS (sex ratio 80 M/85F), and the second included 180 individuals from the general population (sex ratio: 90M/90F) without lumbar stenosis symptoms. Lumbar spine measurements such as vertebral/or spinal canal diameters from L1 to S1 were conducted on computerized tomography (CT) images (Brilliance 64, Philips Medical System, Cleveland, OH). Demographic and health data of all the participants (e.g., body mass index and diabetes mellitus) were also recorded.
Results
The decision tree model of ML demonstrate that the AP diameter of the bony canal at L5 (males) and L4 (females) levels have the greatest stimulus for symptomatic DLSS (scores of 1 and 0.938). In addition, combination of these variables with other lumbar spine features is mandatory for developing the DLSS.
Conclusions
Our results indicate that combination of lumbar spine characteristics such as bony canal and vertebral body dimensions rather than the presence of a sole variable is highly associated with symptomatic DLSS onset.
Molecular characterization of waterborne protozoa in surface water and sediment in Brazil: a taxonomic survey of ciliated protozoa and their correlation with Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp.
Authors: Bonatti Taís Rondello , Siqueira-Castro Isabel Cristina Vidal , Leal Diego Averaldo Guiguet , Durigan Maurício , Dias Roberto Júnio Pedroso , Franco Regina Maura Bueno
Published: December 2022

The detection of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. was performed, along with the identification of the ciliated protozoa biodiversity, to evaluate the correlation between these protozoa in freshwater quality monitoring. Water and sediment samples from two sites in the Atibaia River (Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil) were collected monthly for two years (n = 96). Pathogenic protozoa in water and sediment were detected by using immunomagnetic separation, followed by visualization by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). All positive aliquots in IFA were subjected to DNA extraction and subsequently nested PCR. Qualitative (in vivo observation and silver impregnation) and quantitative (in vivo enumeration) analyses were performed for the ciliated protozoa. Giardia cysts were detected in 62.5% of the surface water samples and Cryptosporidium spp. in 25.0%. In the sediment, cysts were detected in 35.4% samples and oocysts in 16.6%. A total of 57 samples positive for Giardia cysts were subjected to sequencing, 40 of which were harboring G. duodenalis (24 were characterized as sub assemblage AII). For ciliated protozoa, 73 taxa belonging to 53 genera were identified over the period of the study. These results revealed a high degree of contamination by waterborne protozoa in the main water source which supplies drinking water for more than one million people in Campinas (São Paulo), highlighting the need for continuous monitoring of this catchment site. In addition, the present study provides important data regarding the sources of the water body degradation, i.e., fecal contamination of human origin, in addition to the survey of the ciliated protozoa.
Elevated gonadotropin levels are associated with increased biomarker risk of Alzheimer’s disease in midlife women
Authors: Nerattini Matilde , Rubino Federica , Jett Steven , Andy Caroline , Yepez Camila Boneu , Zarate Camila , Carlton Caroline , Kodancha Vibha , Loeb-Zeitlin Susan , Havryliuk Yelena , Pahlajani Silky , Williams Schantel , Berti Valentina , Dyke Jonathan , Brinton Roberta Diaz , Mosconi Lisa
Published: December 2022

Menopause has been implicated in women’s greater life-time risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) due to its disruptive action on multiple neurobiological mechanisms resulting in amyloid-β deposition and synaptic dysfunction.While these effects are typically attributed to declines in estradiol, mechanistic analyses implicate pituitary gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), in AD pathology. In transgenic mouse models of AD, increasing FSH and LH accelerate amyloid-β deposition, while inhibiting these hormones prevents emergence of AD lesions and neurodegeneration. Herein, we take a translational approach to show that, among midlife women at risk for AD, FSH elevations over the menopause transition are associated with higher amyloid-β burden, and both FSH and LH increases are associated with lower gray matter volume in AD-vulnerable brain regions. Results were independent of age, hormone therapy usage, and plasma estradiol levels. These findings provide novel therapeutic targets for sex-based precision medicine strategies for AD prevention.
Factors affecting the need for silicon tube implantation in cases of congenital dacriostenosis: Time of delivery, mode of delivery and age of operation
Authors: Yavuz Sibel , İlhan Hatice Deniz , Ersoy Merve
Published: December 2022

Purpose
To evaluate the delivery time, mode of delivery, age at the time of operation, and surgical methods applied in cases of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO).
Methods
This study retrospectively included a total of 207 eyes of 160 patients who underwent surgery for CNLDO between February 2012 and April 2021. According to their age at the time of operation, the patients were divided into 0–12, 12–24, 24–36, 36–48 and > 48 months groups. The cases were evaluated as term/preterm according to the delivery time and cesarean section/vaginal delivery according to the mode of delivery. The surgical methods applied were examined as probing alone and probing plus silicone tube implantation.
Results
Of the cases, 190 (91.8%) were born at term and 17 (0.08%) were born preterm, and there was no statistically significant difference in the silicone tube implantation rates according to the time of delivery. The rate of tube implantation was statistically significantly higher in the vaginal delivery group than in the cesarean section group (p = 0.001; p < 0.01). The rate of silicone tube implantation was higher in those who were older than the age of the operation.
Conclusions
Although the rate of those who were born by cesarean section was higher in probing cases, those who required silicone intubation were more common in those who were born vaginally. This suggests that dacryostenosis in the vaginally born cases resulted from a persistent structural and anatomical obstruction despite the presence of a high intrauterine pressure increase and enzymatic lysis.
Real-time measurements of vascular permeability in the mouse eye using vitreous fluorophotometry
Authors: Colé Nadine , Thoele Janina , Ullmer Christoph , Foxton Richard
Published: December 2022

Breakdown of blood-retinal barrier integrity underpins pathological changes in numerous ocular diseases, including neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Whilst anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies have revolutionised disease treatment, novel therapies are still required to meet patients' unmet needs. To help develop new treatments, robust methods are needed to measure changes in vascular permeability in ocular tissues in animal models. We present here a method for detecting vascular permeability using fluorophotometry, which enables real-time measurements of fluorescent dye accumulation in different compartments of the mouse eye. We applied this method in several mouse models with different increased vascular leakage, including models of uveitis, diabetic retinopathy and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Furthermore, in the JR5558 mouse model of CNV, we observed with anti-VEGF post-treatment a longitudinal reduction in permeability, in the same animal eyes. We conclude fluorophotometry is a useful method for measuring vascular permeability in the mouse eye, and can be used over multiple time points, without the need to sacrifice the animal. This method has the potential to be used in both basic research for studying the progression and factors underlying disease, but also for drug discovery and development of novel therapeutics.
Value of thyroid cancer history in the prognosis of pancreatic cancer: a SEER population-based study
Authors: He Jun , Wang Yu , Chen Xiangmei , Chen Wenxiang , Zhou Jianyin
Published: December 2022

Thyroid cancer patients have a good prognosis, and their long survival increases the likelihood of developing a second primary tumor. Meanwhile, pancreatic cancer (PC) has a poor prognosis and therapeutic efficacy. However, the association between prior thyroid cancer and the subsequent PC prognosis is unknown. Herein, we selected pathologically diagnosed PC patients older than 17 between 2010 and 2015 from the SEER database. We used propensity score matching (PSM) to reduce confounding factors between groups and matched each PC patient witha history of thyroid cancerwith 10 PC patients without a history of thyroid cancer. Finally, we selected 103 PC patients with prior thyroid cancer and 1030 PC patients without prior thyroid cancer. Then, we analyzed the factors influencing the overall survival (OS) and the cancer-specific survival (CSS) of PC patients. The median overall survival of PC patients with and without a history of thyroid cancer was 12 and 9 months, respectively. The history of thyroid cancer in PC patients reduced the PC-specific mortality (p < 0.05). Prior thyroid cancer might increase PC patients’ survival and reduce PC-specific death, especially in male patients.
Subject terms: Cancer
Integrating Development Inhomogeneity into Geohazards Risk Assessment Framework in Mountainous Areas – A Case Study in Lushan-Baoxing counties, Southwestern China
Authors: He Yufeng , DING Mingtao , Zheng Hao , Gao Zemin , Huang Tao , Duan Yu , Cui Xingjie , Luo Siyuan
Published: December 2022

The impact of geohazards on mountainous settlement have been focused in recent years. Despite the booming development in the modeling of hazards and vulnerability, the risk assessment in mountainous area still have difficulty in absence of refined data. Moreover, development imbalances widely exist in mountainous areas, which ignored in previous researches. In this study, the development imbalances were quantified and integrated into risk assessment framework, which be applied in Lushan and Baoxing mountainous areas. The refined distribution of soc-economic data is obtained by using spatialization from the census, which eases the situation of the lack of data. Then, a frequency ratio-random forest (FR-RF) model is conducted to evaluate the geohazards hazard. Meanwhile, vulnerability was evaluated using triangular fuzzy number‑based analytic hierarchy process (TFN-AHP). In vulnerability assessment, the inhomogeneity index is integrated to evaluate the imbalance between indicators, the use of which can reward a more realistic vulnerability result. Finally, risk map was produced by multiplying hazard and vulnerability. The risk assessment framework is successfully applied in Lushan and Baoxing counties of Southwestern China, which is a typical mountainous area with frequent earthquakes, uneven development, and a lack of high-precision data. The total area of high and extremely high hazard (868.82 km2), vulnerability (258.66 km2), and risk (113.49 km2) are estimated and mapped.
Immune Response Serves as a Bridge between Abnormal Lipid and Bone Metabolism: A Differential Expression Genes Profile Analysis Based on Clinical Data-mining
Authors: Zhang Fangqing , Wu Jiashuo , Xia Jing , Ruan Haonan , Wang Jingxun , Xue Haotian , Li Yuzhuo , Shi Yue
Published: December 2022

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that adipogenic metabolism is intricately connected with bone mass regulation in rodent models and humans. Energy metabolism dysfunction includes diseases such as obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. People with these diseases are often accompanied by bone loss and abnormal bone structure and function. Similarly, the incidences of obesity and lipid metabolism disorders are incredibly high after impaired bone formation and bone resorption. Existing studies have reported a deep connection between abnormal lipid and bone metabolism. However, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms leading to comorbidity. Herein, bioinformatics and systems biology approaches were utilized to compare clinical datasets of obese subjects to those with bone-related disorders including osteoporosis (OP), osteoarthritis (OA), osteosarcoma (OS), and low osteogenic potential (LOP) to investigate the potential genetic links. A significant number of overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in regulating the inflammatory and immune processes. As per the biological enrichment analyses, these DEGs were distributed in the biological processes and signaling pathways related to inflammatory responses such as taxis, chemotaxis, leukocyte chemotaxis, regulation of immune response, and leukocyte activation. Protein-protein interaction and gene regulation networks were constructed to understand the potential interaction effects between common DEGs, microRNAs (miRNAs), transcription factors (TFs), and chemical compounds. Drug prediction was used to screen for potential pharmacological therapies against comorbidity between lipid and bone metabolic disorder (CLBD). Together, our findings provide insights into the potential association between abnormal lipid and bone metabolism. Further, it lays the foundation for developing novel therapeutic strategies that apply agents of immune-related diseases to treat CLBD clinically.
Spatial Pattern and Genetic Diversity of Marine Bacterial Communities of Coastal Seawater and Sediments from Qatar
Authors: El-Malah Shimaa S. , Rasool Kashif , Jabbar Khadeeja Abdul , Sohail Muhammad Umar , Baalousha Husam Musa , Mahmoud Khaled A.
Published: December 2022

Severe environmental conditions can have a diverse impact on marine microorganisms, including bacteria. This can have an inevitable impact on the biofouling of membrane-based desalination plants. In this work, we have utilized the indicator bacteria such as total coliform, fecal coliform, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate the impact of environmental conditions and spatial variations on the diversity of bacterial communities in the coastal waters and sediments from selected sites of Qatar over different seasons. The concentration levels of indicator bacteria were affected by increasing temperature and pH and decreasing salinity of seawater samples. Diversity indices and the molecular phylogeny demonstrated that Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria were the dominant phyla in all locations. The most abundant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at the family level were from Flavobacteriaceae (27.07%, 4.31%) and Rhodobacteraceae (22.51%, 9.86%) in seawater and sediments, respectively. Alphaproteobacteria (33.87%, 16.82%), Flavobacteria (30.68%, 5.84%), Gammaproteobacteria (20.35%, 12.45%) were abundant at the species level in both seawater and sediment, respectively, while Clostridia (13.72%) was abundant in sediment only. Results suggest that the sediments can act as a reservoir for indicators of bacteria with higher diversity and lower abundance as compared to seawater. This study helps to understand the impact of environmental conditions on the diversity and structural behavior of microbial communities specific to the marine environment of the Arabian Gulf.
PCP-ACO: a deadline-constrained workflow scheduling algorithm for cloud environment
Authors: Shobeiri Peyman , Rastaghi Mehdi Akbarian , Abrishami Saeid , Shobiri Behnam
Published: December 2022

A cloud computing environment is the most popular choice for workflow execution, as it gives customers on-demand access to computing resources. However, in cloud workflow scheduling, cloud-native requirements regarding QoS requirements such as monetary cost and execution time should be taken into account. This paper proposes PCP-ACO, a list scheduling algorithm for minimizing the execution cost of a workflow, while meeting its user-defined deadline in cloud environments. In PCP-ACO, first a topological sort of the workflow tasks is computed to assign a priority to each task. Then, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) meta-heuristic is used to assign a proper resource to each task of the workflow, in order of their priorities. The Partial Critical Path (PCP) concept is also used as a heuristic to guide ACO algorithm. Several experiments are conducted using real scientific workflows, and the cost saving is compared with PSO and IC-PCP algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms other compared algorithms in terms of cost saving.
Functionalization of Jute and Jute-Cotton Fabrics through Flame- retardant Finish
Authors: Begum Most Setara , Kader Abdul , Milašius Rimvydas
Published: December 2022

The ligno-cellulosic Jute fiber, which holds the second largest volume among the natural cellulosic fibers after Cotton. This study focuses on the determination of the flame-retardance (FR) properties of pure Jute and Jute-Cotton fabrics treated with Pyrovatex CP New at concentrations of 90% (owf), M:L: 1:7. A significant improvement in flame-retardancy was determined on both fabrics. After the ignition period, the recorded flame spread time was zero second on both FR treated fabrics; on the other hand, it was measured 21 seconds and 28 seconds to burn the entire length (15cm) of untreated Jute and Jute-Cotton fabrics, respectively. Within these flame-spread times, the length of the char was 2.1 cm and 2.57 cm in the Jute and Jute-Cotton fabrics, respectively. The physio-mechanical properties dropped remarkably after the FR finish in both the warp and weft directions of both fabrics. The SEM images determined the deposition of flame-retardant finishes on the fabric surface. FTIR characterization showed that the inherent properties of the fibers were not affected by the flame-retardant chemical. The TGA analysis showed that the early decomposition occurred on both FR treated fabrics and hence formed more char than the untreated samples. A significant improvement in residual mass (more than 40%) was observed in both fabrics after FR treatment. The detected formaldehyde content on the FR treated samples was much higher; however, it was still in the limit of the allowed formaldehyde content present in textiles that are designed for outerwear and not worn next to the skin. The findings reported in this study show the potential application of Pyrovatex CP New to jute-based materials.
Cantharidin increases force of contraction and protein phosphorylation in the isolated human atrium
Authors: Schwarz R. , Hofmann B. , Gergs U. , Neumann J.
Published: December 2022

Cantharidin, an inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A (PP1, PP2A), is known to increase force of contraction and to shorten time of relaxation in human ventricular preparations. We hypothesized that cantharidin has similar positive inotropic effects in human atrial preparations (HAP). During bypass-surgery trabeculae carneae from human right atrium were obtained. These trabeculae were mounted in organ baths and electrically stimulated (1 Hz). For comparison, we studied isolated electrically stimulated left atrial preparations (LA) and isolated spontaneously beating right atrial preparations (RA) from wild type mice. We noted a concentration-dependent positive inotropic effect of cantharidin, cumulatively applied, starting at 10 µM to 30 µM that reached a plateau at 300 µM in HAP, LA and RA. This positive inotropic effect was accompanied by a shortening of time of relaxation in HAP. Notably, cantharidin did not alter the beating rate in RA. Moreover, cantharidin (100 µM) increased the phosphorylation state of phospholamban and the inhibitory subunit of troponin I in HAP that could account for the faster relaxation, that we had measured. The present data suggest a functional role for PP1 and/or PP2A in human atrial contractility.
Predictors of Dopamine Dysregulation Syndrome in Patients with Early Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Liang Keke , Li Xiaohuan , Ma Jianjun , Yang Hongqi , shi Xiaoxue , Fan Yongyan , Yang Dawei , Guo Dashuai , Liu Chuanze , Dong Linrui , Chang Qingqing , Gu Qi , Chen Siyuan , Li Dongsheng
Published: December 2022

Background: Dopamine dysregulationsyndrome (DDS) is a complication of Parkinson's disease (PD) that seriously affects the quality of life of PD patients. Currently, the risk factors for DDS are unknown, and it is critical to identify them in the early stages of PD.
Objective: To explore the incidence of and risk factors for DDS in patients with early PD.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on the general data, clinical features and imaging data of patients with early PD in the PPMI database. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to analyze the risk factors for the development of DDS in patients with early PD, and Kaplan‒Meier curves examined the frequency and predictors of incident DDS symptoms.
Results: At baseline, 2.2% (n=6) of patients with early PD developed DDS, and the cumulative incidence rates of DDS during the 5-year follow-up period were 2.8%, 6.4%, 10.8%, 15.5% and 18.7%, respectively. In the multivariate Cox regression model controlling for age, sex and drug use, hypersexuality (HR=3.088; 95% CI: 1.416~6.732; P=0.005), compulsive eating (HR=3.299; 95% CI: 1.665~6.534; P=0.001), compulsive shopping (HR=3.899; 95% CI: 1.769~8.593; P=0.001), anxiety(HR=4.018; 95% CI: 2.136~7.599; P<0.01) and lower Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) stage (HR=0.278; 95% CI: 0.152~0.509; P<0.01) were independent risk factors for DDS in patients with early PD. Dopamine transporter (DAT) uptake in PD patients with DDS was lower after follow-up than at baseline.
Conclusion: Early PD patients with a hypersexuality, compulsive eating, compulsive shopping, anxiety and lower H-Y stage were at increased risk for DDS. The occurrence of DDS may be related to the decrease in the average DAT uptake of the caudate and putamen.
Identification and verification of inflammatory biomarkers for primary sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Liu Xiaodan , Wang Haojie , Wang Xiao , Jiang Xiaodan , Jin Yinji , Han Ying , Zhang Zhihui
Published: December 2022

Background:Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory infiltration and dysfunction of the salivary and lacrimal glands. This research aimed to explore the disease pathogenesis and improve the diagnosis and treatment of pSS by mining inflammatory biomarkers.Methods:Five pSS-related datasets were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Inflammatory biomarkers were determined by Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and support vector machines recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE). Single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was implemented to profile the infiltration levels of immune cells. The expression of biomarkers in clinical samples was verified by Real-Time Quantitative PCR.Results:Four genes (LY6E, EIF2AK2, IL15, and CXCL10) were confirmed as inflammatory biomarkers in pSS. Functional enrichment suggested that the biomarkers were involved inimmune and inflammation-related pathways. Immune infiltration analysis revealed that biomarkers were notably connected with some differential immune cells between pSS and control. Also, the RT-qPCR results of clinical samples further affirmed the results of the public database.Conclusion:Four inflammatory biomarkers (LY6E, EIF2AK2, IL15, and CXCL10) were defined and regulatory mechanisms and targeted drugs were investigated in pSS, which provided a basis for understanding the pathogenesis and improving clinical diagnosis and treatment for the disease.
Nicotiana Hairy Roots for Recombinant Protein Expression, Where to Start? A systematic review
Authors: Aragão Matheus , Alvarez Maria , Caiafa Luana , Santos Marcelo
Published: December 2022

Hairy roots are a plant-tissue culture raised by Rhizobium rhizogenes infection (formerly known as Agrobacterium rhizogenes). Nowadays, these roots have been gaining more space in biotechnology due to their benefits for the recombinant expression of valuables proteins; it includes simplified downstream processing, protein rhizosecretion, and scalability in bioreactors. However, due to methodological inconsistency among reports, the tissue platform is still a disruptive technology. In the current paper, we propose the first step to overcome this issue through a systematic review of studies that employ Nicotiana hairy roots for recombinant expression. We conducted a qualitative synthesis of 36 out of 387 publications initially selected. Following the PRISMA procedure, all papers were assessed for exclusion and inclusion criteria. Multiple points of root culture were explored, including transformation methods, root growth curve, external additives, and scale-up with bioreactors to determine which approaches performed best and what is still required to achieve a robust protocol. The information presented here may help researchers who want to work with hairy roots in their laboratories trace a successful path to high recombinant expression.
A terminological portrait of Breast Cancer to improve PubMed search precision
Authors: Khakimova Aida , Zolotarev Oleg , Zatsman Igor , Gu Dongxiao
Published: December 2022

The aim of the study is to form a set of meaningful terms to improve the precision of searches in the PubMed scientific library for information related to the early stage of breast cancer. The proposed methodology included several stages. First, an experimental array of documents retrieved from PubMed database was generated. Then two groups of terms were formed based on the documents of the array. The terms of the first group referred to the general description of the disease (general terms). The terms of the second group referred to its early stage (original terms). The terms of both groups were divided into seven categories. Next, an expert comparison was made between both groups of terms in each category. Using the methodology, the following results were obtained. The most significant terms for the general course of the disease and for the early stage were identified. The terminological portrait of breast cancer including two corresponding parts (general course and early stage) was created. The main novelty of the results obtained lies in the selection out original terms of the terminological portrait for each category. An increase in the search precision is shown when using original terms in comparison with a search based on the general terms. The using of original terms will allow medical users to retrieve the documents related to the early stage of disease.
Comparing Quantum and Classical Machine Learning for Vector Boson Scattering Background Reduction at the Large Hadron Collider
Authors: Cugini Davide , Gerace Dario , Govoni Pietro , Perego Aurora , Valsecchi Davide
Published: December 2022

We report on a consistent comparison between techniques of quantum and classical machine learning applied to the classification of signal and background events for the Vector Boson Scattering processes, studied at the Large Hadron Collider installed at the CERN laboratory. Quan- tum machine learning algorithms based on variational quantum circuits are run on freely available quantum computing hardware, showing very good performances as compared to deep neural networks run on classical computing facilities. In particular, we show that such kind of quantum neural networks are able to correctly classify the signal with an Area Under the characteristic Curve (AUC) that is very close to the one obtained with the corresponding classical neural network, but employ- ing a much lower number of resources, as well as less variable data in the training set. Albeit giving a proof-of-principle demonstration with limited quantum computing resources, this work represents one of the first steps towards the use of near term and noisy quantum hardware for practical event classification in High Energy Physics experiments.
Infinite time bubbling for the SU(2) Yang-Mills heat flow on $\mathbb{R}^4$
Authors: Sire Yannick , Wei Juncheng , Zheng Youquan
Published: December 2022

We investigate the long time behaviour of the Yang-Mills heat flow on the bundle R × SU(2). Waldron [44] proved global existence and smoothness of the flow on closed 4-manifolds, leaving open the issue of the behaviour in infinite time. We exhibit two types of long-time bubbling: first we construct an initial data and a globally defined solution which blows-up in infinite time at a given point in R4. Second, we prove the existence of bubble-tower solutions, also in infinite time. This answers the basic dynamical properties of the heat flow of Yang-Mills connection in the critical dimension 4 and shows in particular that in general one cannot expect that this gradient flow converges to a Yang-Mills connection. We emphasize that we do not assume for the first result any symmetry assumption; whereas the second result on the existence of the bubble-tower is in the SO(4)-equivariant class, but nevertheless new.
Effect of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy for Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome: A Japanese Nationwide Observational Study
Authors: Senda Atsushi , Endo Akira , Fushimi Kiyohide , Otomo Yasuhiro
Published: December 2022

BackgroundStreptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is a rare but potentially fatal condition. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment appears to reduce mortality; however, the clinical evidence remains controversial. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of IVIG using a nationwide database by considering and adjusting for all background factors.MethodsThe treatment efficacy of IVIG in patients with STSS was investigated. Patient data were extracted from a Japanese nationwide database between April 2015 and March 2018. In-hospital mortality was considered the primary outcome, and 30-day and 7-day mortalities were considered secondary outcomes. Background adjustments were made using multivariate logistic analysis. For the sensitivity analysis, propensity score matching, time dependence of IVIG administration, and dose-response relationship were also assessed.ResultsOverall, 102 patients were included for the analysis. Their characteristics were as follows: median age, 62 years; female sex, 33.0% (34/102); overall mortality, 30.4% (31/102); necrotizing fasciitis patients, 57.8% (59/102); and IVIG-treated patients, 35.3% (36/102). After adjustment using multivariate logistic regression, no effect of IVIG treatment was observed on in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 0.99 [0.90–1.08], p=0.88). This result was consistent with that after propensity score matching (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.00 [0.34–2.92], p>0.99). Furthermore, IVIG treatment did not change the 30-day and 7-day mortalities. Neither the timing of IVIG administration nor IVIG dose had an effect on in-hospital mortality.ConclusionsThe administration of IVIG did not show any survival benefits.An equivalent or a more extensive observational study is warranted to confirm these findings.
Predictive Analysis for Soil moisture content and Soil organic matter from Soil Images
Authors: Srivast Pallavi , Shukla Aasheesh , Bansal Atul
Published: December 2022

– Soil organic matter (SOM) and soil moisture contents (SMC) are two main properties in defining soil health. It is a challenge to measure organic matter and moisture content in soil, as the conventional methods are time, labor and money consuming. In order to overcome these challenges, various image processing based models have been proposed to predict SOM and SMC. Proposed model uses a stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) method to predict these properties on basis of soil color features like color moments, GLCMs and different color models as well, since, soil moisture and organic content are influenced by soil color. Multiple soil samples from field are collected with a certain distance in order to simulate continuous variation in the contents. Loss of ignition method is used to generate the ground truth to feed the model. For produce and compare the result first 34 and then 6 optimal predictor variables are used in model. The output results in external validation for SOM prediction were: R 2 = 0.07, RMSE = 0.76, RPIQ = 1.00 and that for SMC were: R 2 = 0.77, RMSE = 0.55, RPIQ = 1.07.
Comparison of Mothers of Intrafamilial and Extrafamilial Sexual Abused Children: Is there any predictor related to mothers for sexual abuse?
Authors: Sahbudak Begum , Gencer Ozlem
Published: December 2022

Background:Childhood sexual abuse might be transferred to next generations. Our aim was to define the differences between victims of intra and extrafamilial sexual abuse, to compare attachment features, parental attitudes, childhood traumas of mothers and family functionality.Methods:The sample of the study consist of 60 subjects, 60 controls. The data was collected from sociodemographic data form, Parental Attitudes Scale(PAS), Parental Bonding Instrument(PBI), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire(CTQ) and Family Assessment Device(FAD).Results:There were no significant differences between IFSA and EFSA groups in terms of CTQ, FAD, PBI and PAS. It was found that the rate of marriage before 18 of IFSA was more frequent than in EFSA. The mothers’ marriage at younger ages, familial psychiatric disorders history, mothers with CSA history, and lower PBI scores were found related to CSA.Conclusion:When assessing sexually abused children, it is important to assess the risk factors, especially mothers’ characteristics.
Novel diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic biomarkers for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-derived hepatocellular carcinoma: Capable to overcome the heterogeneity-specific barrier
Authors: Qi RuYi , Huang ZhiMing
Published: December 2022

Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the incidence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-derived liver cancer, the heterogeneity-specific nature of biomarkers is significantly contributing to the high mortality rate worldwide.
Objective: To screen new pathogenic genes associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-derived hepatocellular carcinoma (NASH-related HCC) and related pathways, and break through the heterogeneity barrier.
Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using a gene expression chip. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG analyses were performed after. We then built protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks to identify hub gene. The diagnostic and prognostic role of the hub genes in NASH-related HCC patients of various clinicopathological features were revealed by a comprehensive bioinformatics approach.
Results: The following 10 HUB genes were identified: YWHAZ, JUN, MDM2, ACTR3, HNRNPA2B1, FOS, CANX, RBBP4, RBFOX3, and RAC1. These genes were mainly enriched in pathways such as cell division, cell metabolism, protein binding. We further revealed that all the hub genes were significantly dysregulated in HCC patients of various clinicopathological features including different races, cancer stages, genders, age groups, and body weights. Additionally, some chemotherapeutic drugs were found to interact with hub gene.
Conclusions: The genes identified in this study might play a crucial role in the progression of NASH to hepatocellular carcinoma and as potential biomarkers of NASH-HCC patients that could help to overcome the heterogenetic-specific barrier across different clinicopathological features.
Development of a microplate-based novel toxicity bioassay using Chlorophyta and Phaeophyceae macroalgae
Authors: Onduka Toshimitsu , Somiya Rei , Yamagishi Takahiro , Hano Takeshi , Yamamoto Hiroshi , Mochida Kazuhiko
Published: December 2022

Macroalgae are one of the main producers in marine environments. However, only a few toxicity test methods have been established that use reference strains of macroalgae to evaluate the effects of chemicals on the growth and reproduction of macroalgae to monitor water quality. We selected reference strains of Chlorophyta, Ulva aragoënsis; Phaeophyceae, Ectocarpus siliculosus; and wakame, Undaria pinnatifida, as test species to establish a microplate-based method to investigate the toxicity of potassium dichromate, 3,5-dichlorophenol, and common herbicides (diuron and simazine). We determined the growth of the three macroalgae in their early life stages and during sporangia formation stage in E. siliculosus under laboratory conditions. We observed that the growth and sporangia formation in these algae were impaired in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, we investigated the sensitivity of these macroalgae by comparing the toxicity values of toxicants used in this study with those obtained from a database. Compared to other microalgae and plant species, macroalgae showed a relatively high sensitivity to organic compounds, including herbicides. Growth tests using U. aragoënsis and E. siliculosus produced reliable results at 0–32 and 25–32 practical salinity units (PSU). The tests established in this study could test the toxicity of chemical substances in macroalgae and are thus expected to contribute to a better understanding of the environmental risks of chemical substances on aquatic biota. The tests could be applied to all effluent toxicity tests used for the management of seawater and brackish water quality.
Nutrient fluxes via litterfall in silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) stands growing on post-arable soils
Authors: Jonczak Jerzy , Oktaba Lidia , Chojnacka Aleksandra , Pawłowicz Edyta , Kruczkowska Bogusława , Oktaba Jarosław , Słowińska Sandra
Published: December 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the importance of litterfall as a link in biogeochemical cycling of certain elements (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) in silver birch stands growing on post-arable soils under temperate climatic conditions (Poland). The study covered three stands on sandy soils (21, 29, and 40 years old) and three on loamy soils (15, 33, and 41 years old). Litterfall was collected during 2020–2021 and analyzed using standard procedures. Elemental contents were determined also in green leaves collected from the tree crowns in early summer to determine intensity of retranslocation. The total litterfall production varied from 2,576 to 5,293 kg ha− 1, depending on the stand and year. These values are typical of temperate forests. Litterfall production was positively correlated with stand age. Leaves made up the major fraction, followed by twigs. Silver birch litterfall was generally rich in nutrients compared to many other tree species typical for temperate climatic zone. Nutrient fluxes to the soil were in the upper limits reported in the literature. It may partially be an effect of the post-arable history of these stands. Large fluxes of nutrients to the soil via litterfall are important in the context of the high nutritional demands of the studied tree species. This study also showed that silver birch strongly retranslocates N, P, and K from senescing leaves, whereas Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn are accumulated in these organs.
Temperature-induced densification in compressed basaltic glass revealed by in-situ ultrasonic measurements
Authors: Xu Man , Jing Zhicheng , Ryu Young Jay , Chantel Julien , Van Orman James A. , Yu Tony , Wang Yanbin
Published: December 2022

Acoustic velocities of a model basalt glass (64 mol% CaMgSi2O6 + 36 mol% CaAl2Si2O8) were measured along different pressure-temperature (P-T) paths. One set of experiments involved isothermal compression-decompression cycles, performed at temperatures of 300, 641, 823, and 1006 K and pressures up to 12.2 GPa. The other set of experiments involved constant-load heating-cooling cycles at temperatures up to 823 K and pressures up to 7.5 GPa. Both sets of experiments were performed in a multi-anvil apparatus using a synchrotron-based ultrasonic technique. Our results show that the glass compressed isothermally at 300 K (cold-compression) displays anomalously decreasing compressional (VP) and shear (VS) wave velocities with increasing pressure until ~8 GPa. Beyond 8 GPa, both VP and VS start to increase sharply with pressure and irreversible densification of the glass occurred, producing large hysteresis loops of velocities upon decompression. However, for the glass compressed isothermally at increasingly higher temperatures (hot-compression), the velocity minima gradually shift to lower pressures. At temperature close to the glass transition temperature Tg, the velocity minima disappear completely, displaying a monotonic increase of velocities during compression and higher VP and VS during decompression. In addition, constant-load heating-cooling experiments show that velocities generally decrease slightly with increasing temperature, but start to increase once heated above a threshold temperature (~650 K). During cooling the velocities increase almost linearly with decreasing temperature, resulting in higher velocities (~1.5–2.5% higher) when returned to 300 K. This implies that a temperature-induced densification may have occurred in the glass at high pressures. Raman spectra on recovered samples show that the hot-compressed and high-P heated glasses contain distinctly densified and depolymerized structural signatures compared to the initial glass and the cold-compressed glass below the velocity transition pressure PT (~8 GPa). Such densification may be attributed to the breaking of bridging oxygen bonds and compaction in the intermediate-range structure. Our results demonstrate that temperature can facilitate glass densification at high pressures and point out the importance of P-T history in understanding the elastic properties of silicate glasses. Comparison with melt velocity suggests that hot-compressed glasses may better resemble the pressure dependence of velocity of silicate melts than cold-compressed glasses, but still show significantly higher velocities than melts. If the abnormal acoustic behaviors of cold-compressed glasses were used to constrain melt fractions in the mantle low-velocity regions, the melt fractions needed to explain a given velocity reduction would be significantly underestimated at high pressures.
The Influence of Self-Efficacy Beliefs of University English Instructors on their Pedagogy
Authors: Hasan Zahir
Published: December 2022

This research study examines teaching beliefs of English-language instructors in Japan, and how their pedagogy is influenced by those beliefs.  An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) research design was used.  Seven English-language instructors employed full-time in universities in Tokyo prefecture of Japan participated in this study.  Social Cognitive Theory was used as the theoretical framework.  It was observed that each instructor’s beliefs interacted in a complex manner within the higher education system in Japan, which impacted instructors’ teaching practices.  This study demonstrated that language instructors’ self-efficacy (LTSE) beliefs are intrinsically related to their pedagogy.  It revealed a complex relationship between what instructors think and what they may do in class.  Findings of this study suggest that English Language instructors’ beliefs are key to their decision-making. In addition, the findings will provide valuable implications for ways to better understand the impact that personal beliefs of instructors have on curriculum and learning.  Finally, it has implications for professional education programs for teachers and brings attention to potential research directions for scholars.