bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diurnal oscillations of epigenetic modifications are associated with variation in rhythmic expression of homoeologous genes in Brassica napus
Authors: Xue Zhifei , Gao Baibai , Chen Guoting , Liu Jie , Ouyang Weizhi , Foda Mohamed Frahat , Zhang Qing , Zhang Xiwen , Zhang Wei , Guo Mingyue , Li Xingwang , Yi Bin
Published: October 2023

Background

Epigenetic modifications that exhibit circadian oscillations also promote circadian oscillations of gene expression.Brassica napusis a heterozygous polyploid species that has undergone distant hybridization and genome doubling events and has a young and distinct species origin. Studies incorporating circadian rhythm analysis of epigenetic modifications can offer new insights into differences in diurnal oscillation behavior among subgenomes and the regulation of diverse expressions of homologous gene rhythms in biological clocks.

Results

In this study, we created a high-resolution and multioscillatory gene expression dataset, active histone modification (H3K4me3, H3K9ac), and RNAPII recruitment inBrassica napus. We also conducted the pioneering characterization of the diurnal rhythm of transcription and epigenetic modifications in an allopolyploid species. We compared the evolution of diurnal rhythms between subgenomes and observed that the Cn subgenome had higher diurnal oscillation activity in both transcription and active histone modifications than the An subgenome. Compared to the A subgenome inBrassica rapa, the An subgenome ofBrassica napusdisplayed significant changes in diurnal oscillation characteristics of transcription. Homologous gene pairs exhibited a higher proportion of diurnal oscillation in transcription than subgenome-specific genes, attributed to higher chromatin accessibility and abundance of active epigenetic modification types. We found that the diurnal expression of homologous genes displayed diversity, and the redundancy of the circadian system resulted in extensive changes in the diurnal rhythm characteristics of clock genes after distant hybridization and genome duplication events. Epigenetic modifications influenced the differences in the diurnal rhythm of homologous gene expression, and the diurnal oscillation of homologous gene expression was affected by the combination of multiple histone modifications.

Conclusions

Herein, we presented, for the first time, a characterization of the diurnal rhythm characteristics of gene expression and its epigenetic modifications in an allopolyploid species. Our discoveries shed light on the epigenetic factors responsible for the diurnal oscillation activity imbalance between subgenomes and homologous genes’ rhythmic expression differences. The comprehensive time-series dataset we generated for gene expression and epigenetic modifications provides a valuable resource for future investigations into the regulatory mechanisms of protein-coding genes inBrassica napus.
TPpred-LE: therapeutic peptide function prediction based on label embedding
Authors: Lv Hongwu , Yan Ke , Liu Bin
Published: October 2023

Background

Therapeutic peptides play an essential role in human physiology, treatment paradigms and bio-pharmacy. Several computational methods have been developed to identify the functions of therapeutic peptides based on binary classification and multi-label classification. However, these methods fail to explicitly exploit the relationship information among different functions, preventing the further improvement of the prediction performance. Besides, with the development of peptide detection technology, peptide functions will be more comprehensively discovered. Therefore, it is necessary to explore computational methods for detecting therapeutic peptide functions with limited labeled data.

Results

In this study, a novel method called TPpred-LE based on Transformer framework was proposed for predicting therapeutic peptide multiple functions, which can explicitly extract the function correlation information by using label embedding methodology and exploit the specificity information based on function-specific classifiers. Besides, we incorporated the multi-label classifier retraining approach (MCRT) into TPpred-LE to detect the new therapeutic functions with limited labeled data. Experimental results demonstrate that TPpred-LE outperforms the other state-of-the-art methods, and TPpred-LE with MCRT is robust for the limited labeled data.

Conclusions

In summary, TPpred-LE is a function-specific classifier for accurate therapeutic peptide function prediction, demonstrating the importance of the relationship information for therapeutic peptide function prediction. MCRT is a simple but effective strategy to detect functions with limited labeled data.
Association between antenatal corticosteroid treatment and severe adverse events in pregnant women
Authors: Tsai Hui-Ju , Wallace Beth I. , Waljee Akbar K. , Hong Xiumei , Chang Sheng-Mao , Tsai Yi-Fen , Cheong Mei-Leng , Wu Ann Chen , Yao Tsung-Chieh
Published: October 2023

Background

Antenatal corticosteroids are considered the standard of care for pregnant women at risk for preterm birth, but studies examining their potential risks are scarce. We aimed to estimate the associations of antenatal corticosteroids with three severe adverse events: sepsis, heart failure, and gastrointestinal bleeding, in pregnant women.

Methods

Of 2,157,321 pregnant women, 52,119 at 24 weeks 0/7 days to 36 weeks 6/7 days of gestation were included in this self-controlled case series study during the study period of 2009–2018. We estimated incidence rates of three severe adverse events: sepsis, heart failure, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Conditional Poisson regression was used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for comparing incidence rates of the adverse events in each post-treatment period compared to those during the baseline period among pregnant women exposed to a single course of antenatal corticosteroid treatment.

Results

Among 52,119 eligible participants who received antenatal corticosteroid treatment, the estimated incidence rates per 1000 person-years were 0.76 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69–0.83) for sepsis, 0.31 (95% CI: 0.27–0.36) for heart failure, and 11.57 (95% CI: 11.27–11.87) for gastrointestinal bleeding. The IRRs at 5 ~ 60 days after administration of antenatal corticosteroids were 5.91 (95% CI: 3.10–11.30) for sepsis and 4.45 (95% CI: 2.63–7.55) for heart failure, and 1.26 (95% CI: 1.02–1.55) for gastrointestinal bleeding; and the IRRs for days 61 ~ 180 were 2.00 (95% CI: 1.01–3.96) for sepsis, 3.65 (95% CI: 2.14–6.22) for heart failure, and 1.81 (95% CI: 1.56–2.10) for gastrointestinal bleeding.

Conclusions

This nationwide population-based study suggests that a single course of antenatal corticosteroids is significantly associated with a 1.3- to 5.9-fold increased risk of sepsis, heart failure, and gastrointestinal bleeding in pregnant women. Maternal health considerations, including recommendations for adverse event monitoring, should be included in future guidelines for antenatal corticosteroid treatment.
Coordinated modulation of long non-coding RNA ASBEL and curcumin co-delivery through multicomponent nanocomplexes for synchronous triple-negative breast cancer theranostics
Authors: He Xuesong , Lin Fengjuan , Jia Runqing , Xia Yang , Liang Zhaoyuan , Xiao Xiangqian , Hu Qin , Deng Xiongwei , Li Qun , Sheng Wang
Published: October 2023

Background

Abnormally regulated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) functions in cancer emphasize their potential to serve as potential targets for cancer therapeutic intervention. LncRNA ASBEL has been identified as oncogene and an anti-sense transcript of tumor-suppressor gene of BTG3 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Results

Herein, multicomponent self-assembled polyelectrolyte nanocomplexes (CANPs) based on the polyelectrolytes of bioactive hyaluronic acid (HA) and chitosan hydrochloride (CS) were designed and prepared for the collaborative modulation of oncogenic lncRNA ASBEL with antago3, an oligonucleotide antagonist targeting lncRNA ASBEL and hydrophobic curcumin (Cur) co-delivery for synergetic TNBC therapy. Antago3 and Cur co-incorporated CANPs were achieved via a one-step assembling strategy with the cooperation of noncovalent electrostatic interactions, hydrogen-bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, the multicomponent assembled CANPs were ulteriorly decorated with a near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) Cy-5.5 dye (FCANPs) for synchronous NIRF imaging and therapy monitoring performance. Resultantly, MDA-MB-231 cells proliferation, migration, and invasion were efficiently inhibited, and the highest apoptosis ratio was induced by FCANPs with coordination patterns. At the molecular level, effective regulation of lncRNA ASBEL/BTG3 and synchronous regulation of Bcl-2 and c-Met pathways could be observed.

Conclusion

As expected, systemic administration of FCANPs resulted in targeted and preferential accumulation of near-infrared fluorescence signal and Cur in the tumor tissue. More attractively, systemic FCANPs-mediated collaborative modulating lncRNA ASBEL/BTG3 and Cur co-delivery significantly suppressed the MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumor growth, inhibited metastasis and extended survival rate with negligible systemic toxicity. Our present study represented an effective approach to developing a promising theranostic platform for combating TNBC in a combined therapy pattern.
Combining public health evidence, policy experience and communications expertise to inform preventive health: reflections on a novel method of knowledge synthesis
Authors: Heenan Maddie , Chung Alexandra , Howse Elly , Signy Helen , Rychetnik Lucie
Published: October 2023

Knowledge synthesis methods help summarize evidence and utilize content expertise to draw out key messages to aid knowledge mobilization and translation. Systems thinking and coproduction can support this by facilitating a multiperspective view and ensuring that knowledge is mobilized and translated in a useful and meaningful way for policy-makers and practitioners. In this paper, we describe the development of a knowledge synthesis approach that utilizes coproduction with policy-makers to combine the findings of a programme of research with policy knowledge to support decision-makers working in chronic disease prevention. The process developed by The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre combined the expertise of research, policy and science communications experts. We reflect on how we used coproduction processes to embed policy-makers as partners in the evidence synthesis process via research-policy dialogues, and embedded science communication into the development and presentation of the findings. This differs from a more common approach of researchers generating evidence for policy with limited input from policy-makers themselves. By collaborating with policy-makers and using coproduction, we can better inform policy-relevant research and generate policy-relevant knowledge. We describe the development of our knowledge synthesis approach using two case studies: the first drawing on a body of work in public health law, and the second on a body of work focused on the first 2000 days of life. We consider how these case studies demonstrate the value of working with policy partners as part of a knowledge synthesis process, and discuss how this process could be adapted and used in future.
Lycium barbarum glycopeptide alleviates neuroinflammation in spinal cord injury via modulating docosahexaenoic acid to inhibiting MAPKs/NF-kB and pyroptosis pathways
Authors: Jiang Zhanfeng , Zeng Zhong , He He , Li Mei , Lan Yuanxiang , Hui Jianwen , Bie Pengfei , Chen Yanjun , Liu Hao , Fan Heng , Xia Hechun
Published: October 2023

Background

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is an active ingredient extracted from Lycium barbarum that inhibits neuroinflammation, and Lycium barbarum glycopeptide (LbGp) is a glycoprotein with immunological activity that was purified and isolated from LBP. Previous studies have shown that LbGp can regulate the immune microenvironment, but its specific mechanism of action remains unclear.

Aims

In this study, we aimed to explore the mechanism of action of LbGp in the treatment of spinal cord injury through metabolomics and molecular experiments.

Methods

SD male rats were randomly assigned to three experimental groups, and after establishing the spinal cord hemisection model, LbGp was administered orally. Spinal cord tissue was sampled on the seventh day after surgery for molecular and metabolomic experiments. In vitro, LbGp was administered to mimic the inflammatory microenvironment by activating microglia, and its mechanism of action in suppressing neuroinflammation was further elaborated using metabolomics and molecular biology techniques such as western blotting and q-PCR.

Results

In vivo and in vitro experiments found that LbGp can improve the inflammatory microenvironment by inhibiting the NF-kB and pyroptosis pathways. Furthermore, LbGp induced the secretion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by microglia, and DHA inhibited neuroinflammation through the MAPK/NF-κB and pyroptosis pathways.

Conclusions

In summary, we hypothesize that LbGp improves the inflammatory microenvironment by regulating the secretion of DHA by microglia and thereby inhibiting the MAPK/NF-κB and pyroptosis pathways and promoting nerve repair and motor function recovery. This study provides a new direction for the treatment of spinal cord injury and elucidates the potential mechanism of action of LbGp.
Comparative efficacy of unilateral biportal endoscopy and micro-endoscopic discectomy in the treatment of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Meng Hai , Su Nan , Lin Jisheng , Fei Qi
Published: October 2023

Background

Given the inconclusive literature on operative time, pain relief, functional outcomes, and complications, this meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy of Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy (UBE) and Micro-Endoscopic Discectomy (MED) in treating Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (DLSS).

Methods

A thorough literature search was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and based on the PICO framework. The study interrogated four primary databases—PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library—on August 16, 2023, without time restrictions. The search employed a strategic selection of keywords and was devoid of language barriers. Studies were included based on strict criteria, such as the diagnosis, surgical intervention types, and specific outcome measures. Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, and statistical analysis was executed through Stata version 17.

Results

The meta-analysis incorporated 9 articles out of an initial yield of 1,136 potential studies. Considerable heterogeneity was observed in surgical duration, but no statistically significant difference was identified (MD = − 2.11, P = 0.56). For VAS scores assessing lumbar and leg pain, UBE was statistically superior to MED (MD = − 0.18, P = 0.013; MD = − 0.15, P = 0.006, respectively). ODI scores demonstrated no significant difference between the two surgical methods (MD = − 0.57, P = 0.26). UBE had a lower incidence of complications compared to those receiving MED (OR = 0.54, P = 0.036).

Conclusions

UBE and MED exhibited comparable surgical durations and disability outcomes as measured by ODI. However, UBE demonstrated superior efficacy in alleviating lumbar and leg pain based on VAS scores. The findings present an intricate evaluation of the two surgical interventions for DLSS, lending valuable insights for clinical decision-making.
Utilization of spontaneous breathing trial, objective cough test, and diaphragmatic ultrasound results to predict extubation success: COBRE-US trial
Authors: Varón-Vega Fabio , Giraldo-Cadavid Luis F. , Uribe Ana María , Rincón Adriana , Palacios Jonathan , Crevoisier Stephanie , Tuta-Quintero Eduardo , Ordoñez Lina , Boada Natalia , Rincón Paola , Poveda Marcela , Monedero Pablo
Published: October 2023

Background

The results of clinical and weaning readiness tests and the spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) are used to predict the success of the weaning process and extubation.

Methods

We evaluated the capacity of the cuff leak test, rate of rapid and shallow breathing, cough intensity, and diaphragmatic contraction velocity (DCV) to predict the success of the SBT and extubation in a prospective, multicenter observational study with consecutive adult patients admitted to four intensive care units. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to assess the tests’ predictive capacity and built predictive models using logistic regression.

Results

We recruited 367 subjects who were receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and on whom 456 SBTs were performed, with a success rate of 76.5%. To predict the success of the SBT, we derived the following equation: (0.56 × Cough) − (0.13 × DCV) + 0.25. When the cutoff point was ≥ 0.83, the sensitivity was 91.5%, the specificity was 22.1%, and the overall accuracy was 76.2%. The area under the ROC curve (AUC-ROC) was 0.63. To predict extubation success, we derived the following equation: (5.7 × SBT) + (0.75 × Cough) − (0.25 × DCV) − 4.5. When the cutoff point was ≥ 1.25, the sensitivity was 96.8%, the specificity was 78.4%, and the overall accuracy was 91.5%. The AUC-ROC of this model was 0.91.

Conclusion

Objective measurement of cough and diaphragmatic contraction velocity could be used to predict SBT success. The equation for predicting successful extubation, which includes SBT, cough, and diaphragmatic contraction velocity values, showed excellent discriminative capacity.
Second-order optimality conditions for interval-valued functions
Authors: Ruiz-Garzón Gabriel , Osuna-Gómez Rafaela , Rufián-Lizana Antonio , Beato-Moreno Antonio
Published: October 2023

This work is included in the search of optimality conditions for solutions to the scalar interval optimization problem, both constrained and unconstrained, by means of second-order optimality conditions. As it is known, these conditions allow us to reject some candidates to minima that arise from the first-order conditions. We will define new concepts such as second-order gH-derivative for interval-valued functions, 2-critical points, and 2-KKT-critical points. We obtain and present new types of interval-valued functions, such as 2-pseudoinvex, characterized by the property that all their second-order stationary points are global minima. We extend the optimality criteria to the semi-infinite programming problem and obtain duality theorems. These results represent an improvement in the treatment of optimization problems with interval-valued functions.
A case of sacrococcygeal teratoma associated with antenatally acquired urethrovaginal fistula and hydrocolpos
Authors: Shibui Yuichi , Obata Satoshi , Hirose Ryuichiro , Nakano Ryo , Setoue Takashi , Miyazaki Takeshi , Matsuoka Hirofumi , Sato Toshihiko
Published: October 2023

Background

Sacrococcygeal teratomas (SCTs) are known to cause urological complications, but urethrovaginal (UV) fistula as a complication of SCT is rare. We herein report a case of SCT with UV fistula and hydrocolpos.

Case presentation

A 1-day-old female neonate presented to our department with prominent swelling in the sacrococcygeal region. She was born at 37 gestational weeks via spontaneous vaginal delivery from a 39-year-old woman. The weight of the baby was 2965 g, and her Apgar scores were 4/10 (at 1 and 5 min). An MRI examination confirmed an 11 × 11 cm Altman classification typeII SCT associated with hydrocolpos, a dilated urinary bladder, and bilateral hydronephrosis. When she was 5 days, the SCT was excised totally and a coccygectomy was performed. After the operation, as her urinary output appeared unstable, a cystoscopic examination was performed on the third postoperative day. This revealed that the UV fistula was located approximately 1 cm from the urethral opening. In addition, the proximal urethra was unobstructed and connected to the bladder. The cystoscope allowed for the passage of a urinary catheter through the urethra. After 1 month of catheter placement, she was discharged from the hospital at 57 days of age. Follow-up was uneventful, with neither urinary infection nor retention.

Conclusions

SCTs are associated with not only trouble with rectal function and lower extremity movement but also urinary complications. The pathogenesis of this UV fistula is thought to be the rapid growth of the SCT that developed in the fetal period, resulting in obstruction of the urethra by the tumor and the pubic bone, which in turn caused urinary retention and the formation of a fistula as an escape route for the pressure. Because SCTs can cause a variety of complications depending on the course of the disease, careful examination and follow-up are necessary.
Nanoarchitectonics of tannic acid based injectable hydrogel regulate the microglial phenotype to enhance neuroplasticity for poststroke rehabilitation
Authors: Liu Zongjian , Zhang Shulei , Ran Yuanyuan , Geng Huimin , Gao Fuhai , Tian Guiqin , Feng Zengguo , Xi Jianing , Ye Lin , Su Wei
Published: October 2023

Background

Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. Poststroke rehabilitation is still unsatisfactory in clinics, which brings great pain and economic burdens to stroke patients. In this study, an injectable hydrogel in which tannic acid (TA) acts as not only a building block but also a therapeutic drug, was developed for poststroke rehabilitation.

Methods

TA is used as a building block to form an injectable hydrogel (TA gel) with carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) by multivalent hydrogen bonds. The morphology, rheological properties, and TA release behavior of the hydrogel were characterized. The abilities of the TA gel to modulate microglial (BV2 cells) polarization and subsequently enhance the neuroplasticity of neuro cells (N2a cells) were assessed in vitro. The TA gel was injected into the cavity of stroke mice to evaluate motor function recovery, microglial polarization, and neuroplasticity in vivo. The molecular pathway through which TA modulates microglial polarization was also explored both in vitro and in vivo.

Results

The TA gel exhibited sustainable release behavior of TA. The TA gel can suppress the expression of CD16 and IL-1β, and upregulate the expression of CD206 and TGF-β in oxygen and glucose-deprived (OGD) BV2 cells, indicating the regulation of OGD BV2 cells to an anti-inflammatory phenotype in vitro. This finding further shows that the decrease in synaptophysin and PSD95 in OGD N2a cells is effectively recovered by anti-inflammatory BV2 cells. Furthermore, the TA gel decreased CD16/iNOS expression and increased CD206 expression in the peri-infarct area of stroke mice, implying anti-inflammatory polarization of microglia in vivo. The colocalization of PSD95 and Vglut1 stains, as well as Golgi staining, showed the enhancement of neuroplasticity by the TA gel. Spontaneously, the TA gel successfully recovered the motor function of stroke mice. The western blot results in vitro and in vivo suggested that the TA gel regulated microglial polarization via the NF-κB pathway.

Conclusion

The TA gel serves as an effective brain injectable implant to treat stroke and shows promising potential to promote poststroke rehabilitation in the clinic.

Graphical Abstract
Pituitary macroadenomas in childhood and adolescence: a clinical analysis of 7 patients
Authors: Aguilar-Riera Cristina , Clemente María , González-Llorens Núria , Mogas Eduard , Campos-Martorell Ariadna , Fàbregas Anna , Biagetti Betina , Vázquez Elida , Yeste Diego
Published: October 2023

Background

Pituitary adenomas (PPAs) are uncommon in childhood and adolescence, accounting for 2–6% of all intracranial neoplasms. Delayed puberty, growth retardation, galactorrhea and weight gain are common features at presentation in pediatric patients. Functional tumors constitute a vast majority (90%) of PPAs, with the most frequent being prolactinomas.

Case presentation

A retrospective review of the clinical features and outcomes of 7 pediatric patients with pituitary macroadenomas was conducted. We included PPAs in patients under 18 years at diagnosis with diameters larger than 10 mm by magnetic resonance (MRI).

Six patients were males (85%), with age at diagnosis ranging from 8 to 15 (median 14 ± 2.8SDS). The primary symptoms that led to medical attention were growth retardation, gigantism and secondary amenorrhea. The visual field was reduced in three cases (42%). Suprasellar extension was present in 3 subjects, and one had a giant adenoma. Adenomas were clinically functioning in 6 patients (85%) (three prolactinomas, two somatropinomas, one secreting FSH and one no-producer). The prolactinomas responded to treatment with cabergoline. For the rest, one required transsphenoidal surgery and the other three both surgery and radiotherapy. All patients undergoing radiotherapy had secondary panhypopituitarism. In relation to the genetic studies, two patients presented a pathogenic mutation of theAIPgene and one of theMEN1.

Discusion and conclusion

Pediatric pituitary macroadenomas are a distinct entity, mostly found in males and with a predominance of functional tumors leading to detrimental effects on growth and puberty in addition to neuro-ophthalmological manifestations. It is important to perform genetic studies in patients with macroadenomas appearing under the age of 18 years as genetic and syndromic associations are more frequent in this age group.
Filling borehole image gaps with a partial convolution neural network
Authors: Jiang Lei , Si Xu , Wu Xinming
Published: October 2023

Borehole images are measured by logging tools in a well, providing a microresistivity map of the rock properties surrounding the borehole. These images contain valuable information related to changes in mineralogy, porosity, and fluid content, making them essential for petrophysical analysis. However, due to the special design of borehole imaging tools, vertical strips of gaps occur in borehole images. We develop an effective approach to fill these gaps using a convolutional neural network with partial convolution layers. To overcome the challenge of missing training labels, we introduce a self-supervised learning strategy. Specifically, we replicate the gaps found in borehole images by randomly creating vertical blank strips that mask out certain known areas in the original images. We then use the original images as label data to train the network to recover the known areas masked out by the defined gaps. To ensure that the missing data do not impact the training process, we incorporate partial convolutions that exclude the null-data areas from convolutional computations during forward and backward propagation of updating the network parameters. Our network, trained in this way, can then be used to reasonably fill the gaps originally appearing in the borehole images and obtain full images without any noticeable artifacts. Through the analysis of multiple real examples, we determine the effectiveness of our method by comparing it with three alternative approaches. Our method outperforms the others significantly, as demonstrated by various quantitative evaluation metrics. The filled full-bore images obtained through our approach enable enhanced texture analysis and automated feature recognition.
Household Instability and Girls’ Teen Childbearing
Authors: Perkins Kristin L.
Published: October 2023

More than one third of U.S. children spend part of their childhood living with extended family members. By age 18, nearly 40% of U.S. children experience a household change involving a nonparent. Research has found that having extended family or nonrelatives join or leave children's households negatively affects children's educational attainment. I argue that we need new ways of theorizing, conceptualizing, and measuring household changes and their effects on children. I use the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and marginal structural models with inverse probability of treatment weighting to estimate the association between household changes involving parents and nonparents and teen childbearing among girls. I find that experiencing household changes involving nonparents and parents during childhood is associated with a significantly higher probability of having a child as a teenager than experiencing no changes. In addition, the association between changes involving parents and teen childbearing is statistically indistinguishable from the association between changes involving nonparents and teen childbearing, suggesting that household composition shifts involving nonparents can be as disruptive to girls as those involving parents.
Μελέτη νέων λειτουργιών της ταλίνης στη φυσιολογία και την παθοφυσιολογία του ενδοθηλίου
Authors: Ρούνη Γεωργία
Published: October 2023

Απαραίτητη προϋπόθεση για την ομαλή λειτουργία των ενδοθηλιακών κυττάρων κατά την αγγειογένεση αλλά και στην ομοιοστασία των αγγείων αποτελεί η ρύθμιση των θέσεων κυτταρικής προσκόλλησης στην εξωκυττάρια μήτρα. Η δημιουργία και η αναδιοργάνωση των θέσεων κυτταρικής προσκόλλησης γίνεται μέσω ενός συμπλόκου δομικών και σηματοδοτικών πρωτεϊνών, που οργανώνεται μέσω των ιντεγκρινών διαμεμβρανικών πρωτεϊνών, και ονομάζεται «συνδεόσωμα». Κύρια πρωτεΐνη του συνδεοσώματος αποτελεί η talin, η οποία παίζει καθοριστικό ρολό στην λειτουργία των αγγείων καθώς η έλλειψη της από τα ενδοθηλιακά κύτταρα οδηγεί σε πρώιμο εμβρυικό θάνατο. Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης είναι η κατανόηση των μοριακών μηχανισμών που ρυθμίζουν τις θέσεις κυτταρικής προσκόλλησης, εστιάζοντας στη διαλεύκανση της λειτουργίας της talin στη φυσιολογία και παθοφυσιολογία του ενδοθηλίου. Μελετώντας το ρόλο της talin σε σταθερά προσκολλημένα κύτταρα αναδείχθηκε η καθοριστική της σημασία στην μηχανική κυτταρική απόκριση των ενδοθηλιακών κυττάρων. Συγκεκριμένα δείξαμε ότι δυο υπο-περιοχές της talin πρωτεΐνης, η περιοχή της κεφαλής (talin head) και η περιοχής της ράβδου (talin rod) μεμονωμένα μπορούν να αλληλεπιδρούν με άλλες πρωτεΐνες του συνδεοσώματος, όπως η paxillin, η tensin και η Kank και να ρυθμίζουν την μεταγωγή των δυνάμεων, τη σταθεροποίηση των θέσεων κυτταρικής προσκόλλησης και τη διατήρηση της μορφολογίας των ενδοθηλιακών κυττάρων. Επιπλέον, με τη χρήση της τεχνικής της πρωτεομικής ανάλυσης μελετήσαμε την οργάνωση του ενδοθηλιακού συνδεοσώματος. Τα αποτελέσματα ανέδειξαν την talin ως κύριο ρυθμιστή των θέσεων κυτταρικής προσκόλλησης αφού η γενετική εξάλειψη της talin μειώνει την έκφραση όλων των πρωτεϊνών του συνδεοσώματος. Πολύ σημαντικό εύρημα είναι ο νέος ρόλος της talin σε μεταβολικά μονοπάτια, όπως της γλυκόλυσης. Επιπρόσθετα πρωτεομικές μελέτες απομονωμένων θέσεων κυτταρικής προσκόλλησης, αποκάλυψαν νέα μέλη του συνδεοσώματος στα ενδοθηλιακά κύτταρα. Πιο συγκεκριμένα βρέθηκε η caprin-1, μια πρωτεΐνη που δεσμεύει RNA, να εντοπίζεται στις θέσεις κυτταρικής προσκόλλησης και να είναι εξαρτώμενη από την talin. Τέλος, δείξαμε πως η talin επηρεάζει την ακεραιότητα των διακυτταρικών συνδέσεων των ενδοθηλιακών κυττάρων, και αποσαφηνίσαμε τον μοριακό μηχανισμό για το σύνδρομο συστηματικής τριχοειδούς διαρροής , μια σπάνια νόσο που έχει σαν χαρακτηριστικό την αγγειακή διαρροή, με απώτερο σκοπό την εφαρμογή νέων θεραπευτικών στόχων. Συνολικά η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή ενίσχυσε την επιστημονική γνώση για τη φυσιολογική λειτουργία των αγγείων και συνέβαλλε στην κατανόηση των μηχανισμών παθοφυσιολογίας του ενδοθηλίου που εμπλέκεται σε πληθώρα παθολογικών καταστάσεων.
Assessing cyber security coverage in non-computing disciplines
Authors: Furnell Steven , Stavrou Eliana
Published: October 2023

Cyber security is now the concern and responsibility of everyone who uses technology, regardless of whether they are IT or security practitioners. And this needs to be reflected in education. There are many disciplines, not directly related to cyber security, where knowledge of the threats and the basic skills to combat them are becoming necessary if graduates are to fully contribute to a society safe from cyber risks.
An exceptional new weevil genus and species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Tanzania
Authors: GÜLTEKİN LEVENT , LYAL CHRISTOPHER H. C.
Published: October 2023

The new genus Borisius gen. nov. and the new species, Borisius korotyaevi sp. nov. are described and illustrated in the tribe Lixini from Tanzania in the Afrotropical region. The new genus can easily be recognized by the following combination of characters: antennal club greatly elongate and spindle-shaped, forehead with two prominent ridges triangularly diverging anteriad, pronotum constricted with two lateral projections, third elytral interstria strongly raised in basal fifth, humeri swollen, femora dentate.
A new weevil genus, Minimania Gültekin & Lyal, with notes and a key to Lachnaeus Schoenherr (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae)
Authors: GÜLTEKİN LEVENT , LYAL CHRISTOPHER H. C.
Published: October 2023

A new monotypic genus Minimania Gültekin & Lyal gen. nov. is described for M. parvula (Faust, 1898) comb. nov. from Lachnaeus, which has the smallest body size in the tribe Lixini (Curculionidae: Lixinae). It is similar to the genus Lachnaeus Schoenherr, 1826 in the common possession of long erect setae on the body, but it differs from this genus in the following unique characters: rostrum with straight ridge and linear sulcus on pregena and elongate pseudosytlus on gonocoxites. Lectotypes are designated for Lachnaeus crinitus Boheman, 1835, Lachnaeus gibbosus Petri, 1907 and Stolatus horridus Reitter, 1890. A key to the species of Lachnaeus is given and digital images showing distinctive morphological characters are presented for each species.
Thickening Performance Evaluation and Molecular Dynamics Simulation on Hydrophobic Associated Polymer in Acid Circumstances
Authors: Jing Xianwu , Liu Youquan , Zhou Lang , Zhang Pengfei , Lan Jian , Qi Jie , Dai Shanshan , Lu Hongsheng
Published: October 2023

Acid thickener is of necessity for improving the exploitation capacity for oil and gas resources of carbonate reservoirs. Here a hydrophobic associated polymer (HPA) by introducing a nonionic hydrophobic monomer (AO) was designed as the acid thickener. The experimental results demonstrated that HPA suggests excellent acid resistance, shear resistance, and thermal stability attributing to the gradual exposure of hydrophobic chain to H2O circumstances that enhances the strength of hydrophobic association. The square radius of gyration of HPA raises with the introduction of AO confirming the unfold of HPA by intermolecular hydrophobic association, which strengthens the network structure. The decrease of mean square displacement and diffusion coefficient of H2O and H3O+ molecules suggest the enhancement for network structure by hydrophobic chain owing to HPA hindered the diffusion of H2O and H3O+ molecules. These findings are expected to supply a guidance for the design and research on the acid thickener.
Design, Synthesis and Anticancer Properties of Novel Hydrazino-Fused Pyrimidines
Authors: Mittapalli Sathish Kumar , Rizwana Iffath , Murthy Ch. Hari Prasad , Jain Nimisha , Pamu Sagar , Gupta Pawan Kumar
Published: October 2023

The Pyrimidine system has received great attention and a vital component of genetic material emerged has fundamental source to fight against cancer. The pyrazolo(1,5-a) pyrimidines (5a-5j) were designed based on the structural features of antitumor antimetabolites, synthesized and chemical structures were confirmed using spectroscopic methods such as IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, Mass Spectral and elemental analysis. The cytotoxic activity was evaluated by DPPH free radical scavenging assay against standard ascorbic acid and MTT assay against MCF-7, HepG-2, and imatinib as standard. The DPPH assay indicated 5b, 5c, 5e, 5h and 5j were efficient antioxidants, while the MTT assay discloses potent cytotoxicity of 5b, 5d against MCF-7 with 16.61, 19.67µg/ml and 5c, 5h against HepG-2 with 14.32 and 19.24µg/ml compared to 5-FU. The ligands 5c and 5h demonstrated promising towards tyrosine kinase and cyclin dependent kinase 2, respectively and the bonding energy is similar as doxorubicin. Concluding that the compounds had reasonable cytotoxic potential and good association observed between in vitro and in silico studies.
Nanocellulose from Agricultural Waste – A Concise Insight into Extraction and Applications
Authors: Tiwari Amit , Sanjog J.
Published: October 2023

Uncontrolled dumping of agricultural wastes is a cause of concern for the well-being of the environment. Nanotechnology has gained research popularity due to its beneficial applications. Nowadays the separation of nanocellulose from different agricultural wastes is explored in an increasing measure. Agricultural wastes are subjected to various treatments to extract nanocellulose. Nanocellulose extracted from agricultural wastes can be used in the preparation of biodegradable nanocellulose-based materials (for various applications) which are environment-friendly and can promote sustainable economic growth by ensuring the good usage of agricultural wastes.
Quantification of Telmisartan and Azelnidipine Combination in using Liquid Chromatography: Stability Studies
Authors: Andrews B.S.A. , Abbaraju V D N Kumar , Lakshman Shaik , V Sreeram , Vijayalakshm Kancharla
Published: October 2023

A stability-indicating RP-HPLC method for the development of Telmisartan (TTN) and Azelnidipine (ADN) is analyzed in tablet dosage form. The quantification of TTN and ADN combination is done by Supel cosil C18 column (250 mm, 4.6 mm, & 5 µm). Isocratic mobile phase had mobile phase consists of 0.10M Na2SO4(pH 3.6) and acetonitrile (pH 3.6) as 55:45v/v. For this analysis flow rate is measured as 1.00 ml/min. Wavelength is identified as 258nm to examine TTN and ADN. Stability for both these drugs under distinctive environments were performed. Injected volume is 10μL. Run time is 8min. Retention time is 2.8 and 3.7 respectively. The responses were linear in the concentrate range as 37.4-110.3 for TTN and 2.24-10.51 µg/mL for ADN respectively. Percent comparative standard deviance to precision is 0.193% for TTN, 0.195% for ADN. Percent assay to accuracy for both these drugs are 98.76% and 99.04% respectively. LOD values for TTN and ADN were 0.020μg/ml and 0.065μg/ml and LOQ values for TTN and ADN were 0.009μg/ml and 0.031μg/ml. Robustness studies revealed that this method is robust by percent comparative standard deviance. This stability-indicating RP-HPLC procedure to both TTN, ADN analysis is more simple, highly sensitive, more precise, highly specific and robust, making it appropriate to the assessment of TTN and ADN in formulation.
Digitization in the European Union - towards sustainable development?
Authors: Pakulska Teresa
Published: October 2023

Cel pracy

Dynamiczny rozwój gospodarki cyfrowej składnia do refleksji nt. jej roli w kształtowaniu zrównoważonego rozwoju (ZR) w krajach UE, które przyjęły szereg politycznych inicjatyw w kierunku transformacji ekologicznej. Celem artykułu jest próba pokazania zachodzących współzależności pomiędzy ucyfrowieniem, wyrażonym wskaźnikiem DESI a autorskim wskaźnikiem ZR.

Materiał i metody

Zgodnie z teorią, ZR obejmuje trzy filary: ekologiczny (ślad ekologiczny), społeczny (indeks ludzkiej pomyślności i wpływu na środowisko - WHI) i ekonomiczny (PKP/cap wg PPP). Do pogrupowania państw UE ww. wskaźników wykorzystano metodę Warda (baza danych World Population Review, The World Happiness Report, Gallup, International Monetary Fund, DESI).

Wyniki

Z badań wynika, że wyższemu poziomowi ucyfrowienia, towarzyszy wyższy poziom rozwoju gospodarczego oraz ZR. Brak jest jednak jednoznacznych powiązań pomiędzy DESI a filarem ekologicznym.

Wnioski

Uzyskane wyniki wskazują na konieczność szybszej implementacji narzędzi cyfrowych w filarze ekologicznym oraz zmian instytucjonalnych, aby rewolucja cyfrowa nie była nową rewolucją przemysłową prowadzącą do tym razem do cyfrowego nie-zrównoważenia.
Betterment of a displacement retrieval method based on data fitting in a near-half-fringe zone
Authors: Kim Il-Hyok , Kim Chol-Hyon , Sin Tong-Myong , Ri Kyong-Ho
Published: October 2023

Raising the speed and accuracy of displacement retrieval by overcoming the weakness of time-consuming parameter estimation and a complex displacement retrieval algorithm is of key importance in improving the real-time quality of optical feedback self-mixing-based displacement measurement sensor. This paper proposes a high-speed and accurate simultaneous estimation method of displacement, optical feedback factor, and linewidth enhancement factor based on data fitting near a half-fringe cooperating with the fringe-counting method. The displacement measurement accuracy of the proposed method is about 16 nm. The high estimation speed ensured by the principle of the reported method constitutes the main character of the method; besides, the method can be applied to any motion, as well as a harmonic vibration.
Design and pulse-formation properties of chirped pulse Kerr solitons
Authors: Dong Xue , Renninger William H.
Published: October 2023

Kerr resonators generate stable frequency combs and ultrashort pulses with applications in telecommunications, biomedicine, and metrology. Chirped pulse solitons recently observed in normal dispersion Kerr resonators with an intracavity spectral filter can enable new material design freedom, reduced fabrication requirements, and the potential for improved ultrashort pulse peak powers. This study examines the design and formation properties of chirped pulse Kerr solitons essential to enable these advances. First, prior theoretical predictions that chirped pulse solitons are relatively insensitive to cavity loss and the strength of the dispersion map are experimentally validated. The loss insensitivity property is applied to demonstrate high-energy pulses in a cavity with a large output coupling and the map insensitivity property is applied to demonstrate femtosecond pulses, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, from chirped pulse solitons in a dispersion-mapped cavity with small net-normal dispersion. The relationship between chirped pulses and bright pulses enabled by higher order dispersion is examined with respect to pulse formation, cavity design parameters, and performance properties. Finally, guidelines for additional improvements are detailed for chirped pulse soliton-based high-performance pulse generation.
Photothermal optical coherence tomography for 3D live cell detection and mapping
Authors: Sun Jingyu , Fang Tianqi , Wang Hongjun , Wang Shang
Published: October 2023

Imaging cells in their 3D environment with molecular specificity is important to cell biology study. Widely used microscopy techniques, such as confocal microscopy, have limited imaging depth when probing cells in optically scattering media. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can provide millimeter-level depth for the imaging of highly scattered media but lacks the contrast to distinguish cells from the extracellular matrix or to distinguish between different types of cells. Photothermal OCT (PT-OCT) is a promising technique to obtain molecular contrast at the imaging scale of OCT. Here, we report PT-OCT imaging of live, nanoparticle-labeled cells in 3D. In particular, we demonstrate detection and mapping of a single cell in 3D without causing cell death, and show the feasibility of 3D cell mapping through optically scattering media. This work presents live cell detection and mapping at an imaging scale that complements the major microscopy techniques, which is potentially useful to study cells in their 3D native or culture environment.
Multiple light signaling pathways control solar tracking in sunflowers
Authors: Brooks Christopher J. , Atamian Hagop S. , Harmer Stacey L.
Published: October 2023

Sunflowers are famous for their ability to track the sun throughout the day and then reorient at night to face east the following morning. This occurs by differential growth patterns, with the east sides of stems growing more during the day and the west sides of stems growing more at night. This process, termed heliotropism, is generally believed to be a specialized form of phototropism; however, the underlying mechanism is unknown. To better understand heliotropism, we compared gene expression patterns in plants undergoing phototropism in a controlled environment and in plants initiating and maintaining heliotropic growth in the field. We found the expected transcriptome signatures of phototropin-mediated phototropism in sunflower stems bending towards monochromatic blue light. Surprisingly, the expression patterns of these phototropism-regulated genes are quite different in heliotropic plants. Most genes rapidly induced during phototropism display only minor differences in expression across solar tracking stems. However, some genes that are both rapidly induced during phototropism and are implicated in growth responses to foliar shade are rapidly induced on the west sides of stems at the onset of heliotropism, suggesting a possible role for red light photoreceptors in solar tracking. To test the involvement of different photoreceptor signaling pathways in heliotropism, we modulated the light environment of plants initiating solar tracking. We found that depletion of either red and far-red light or blue light did not hinder the initiation or maintenance of heliotropism in the field. Together, our results suggest that the transcriptional regulation of heliotropism is distinct from phototropin-mediated phototropism and likely involves inputs from multiple light signaling pathways.