bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emotional, inflammatory, and genetic factors of resilience and vulnerability to depression in patients with premenopausal breast cancer: A longitudinal study protocol
Authors: Almeida Susana S. , Oliveira Magda A. , Medeiros Rui , Guerra Marina P. , Pariante Carmine M. , Fernandes Lia
Published: February 2023

Background

Psychosocial stress and depressive disorder have been associated with cancer as putative contributors to worse prognosis. On the other hand, cancer diagnosis is a recognised life event that can contribute to distress and depressive states. Humoral and cellular inflammation can promote depressive disorder by means of decreased monoamine synthesis, glutamate neurotoxicity, neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and glucocorticoid resistance. This protocol objectives are to observe the interactions between psychosocial variables and biochemical and immunological biomarkers in a longitudinal, prospective design; to identify inflammation-related depression endophenotypes in breast cancer patients and to understand if early diagnosed and treated depression in this population will translate in better inflammation status and better global prognosis.

Methods

Prospective observational cohort, composed by 100 consecutive premenopausal patients, diagnosed with non-distant metastatic breast carcinoma and with no history of major psychopathology or other organic illness. The participants will have an in-person assessment in three different moments, along illness treatment and follow-up, with respect to cytometric, immunologic, and psychosocial parameters and will be tested for depression vulnerability and resilience inflammation-related functional genetic polymorphisms. Additionally, at years 5 and 10 post enrollment, patients`medical records will be assessed. As a control cohort, all patients excluded due to psychiatric history or past psychiatric treatments will have their clinical records assessed at years 5 and 10 after admission. All the data will be managed with the SPSS® software.

Discussion and conclusion

This study is an original longitudinal cohort of breast cancer premenopausal patients, with a comprehensive approach to psychosocial, clinical, inflammatory, and genetic variables. It expects to provide evidence regarding the links between genetic, cytometric, immunologic, and psychosocial factors, their potential contribution to the pathophysiology of depressive disorder, breast cancer course, progression, and prognosis. It may further contribute with data to better efficacy of the psycho-oncological interventions.

Trial registration

National Commission of Data Protection (CNPD) 13413/2017; Ethics Committee of IPOP project code CI-IPOP81/2017.
Cytokine response in asymptomatic and symptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infections in children in a rural area of south-eastern Gabon
Authors: Oyegue-Liabagui Sandrine Lydie , Mbani Mpega Ntigui Chérone Nancy , Ada Mengome Mérédith Flore , Kouna Lady Charlene , Tsafack Tegomo Nathalie Pernelle , Longo Pendy Neil Michel , Lekana-Douki Jean-Bernard
Published: February 2023

Plasmodium falciparum is a parasite that causes asymptomatic or symptomatic malaria infections in humans depending on various factors. These infections are also a major cause of anemia in intertropical countries such as Gabon. Past studies have clearly demonstrated that inflammatory markers such as cytokines play a key role in the pathogenesis of malaria disease. However, the clinical manifestations of severe malaria vary according to the level of transmission and more information is needed to gain a better understanding of the factors involved. As such, the objective of this study was to investigate the circulating levels of nine cytokines in asymptomatic and symptomatic P. falciparum infections in Gabonese children and their roles in the pathogenesis of anemia. Blood samples were collected from 241 children aged 3 to 180 months in Lastourville, south-eastern Gabon. Diagnosis of P. falciparum infection was performed using Rapid Diagnosis Tests, microscopy and nested PCR. Levels in the plasma of the Th1 (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-12p70), Th17 (IL-17A and IL-22) and Th2 (IL-10, IL-4 and IL-13) cytokines were measured by ELISA. Data showed that IL-6, IFN-γ, IL-12p70, IL-10, and IL-13 levels were significantly higher in children with symptomatic P. falciparum infection compared to uninfected children. IL-10 levels were significantly higher in symptomatic children than in asymptomatic children, who had moderately increased levels compared to uninfected controls. Moreover, only IL-10 and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in children with severe malarial anemia compared to children with uncomplicated malaria who had significantly lower IL-10 levels than children with moderate malarial anemia. These data indicate that the progression of P. falciparum infection towards an advanced stage in children is accompanied by a significant increase in type Th1 and/or Th2 cytokines. These inflammatory mediators could serve as potential predictors of anemia for malaria patients.
Knowledge, beliefs and practices towards HIV/AIDS among adolescents in India: A scoping review protocol
Authors: Patsani Pranita , Parida Jayashree , Panda Arpita , Jena Susangita , Behera Swati Sukalyani , Pradhan Abinash , Patra Prasanna Kumar , Pati Sanghamitra , Kaur Harpreet , Acharya Subhendu Kumar
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a major health concern among Indian adolescents (10–19 years). Indian adolescents lack adequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS and adopt wrong practices. The present scoping review aims to understand the status of knowledge, beliefs and practices among Indian adolescents about HIV or HIV/AIDS. The present study will also focus on their understanding and the source of knowledge and awareness regarding HIV/AIDS.

Methodology

The recommendations of Arksey and O’Malley in 2005, Levac et al. in 2010 and The Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers’ manual in 2015 to conduct a systematic scoping review will be employed. The review questions, eligibility criteria and search strategy for this study will be ensured by the Population, Concept and Context (PCC) strategy. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) will be used for reporting of this scoping review. The methodological quality of all the relevant studies will be assessed by the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), Version- 2018. Literature search will be carried out by using electronic databases such as PubMed, APA PsycInfo, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. Cross-references will be used to extract additional studies.

Ethics and dissemination

As the planned study is based on secondary data and doesn’t involve human and animal subjects, there is no requirement for formal ethical approval.

Strengths and limitations of the study

The planned scoping review is the first of such study on the topic of HIV/AIDS among adolescent population in India as per the electronically available literature.

There will be quality assessment of all the included studies.

A thorough search strategy will be conducted as per the recommendations of the experts in scoping review search.

On limitation side, the planned study will only utilize electronically available resources/evidences that are written in English language.

The planned evidence based study will be of much help for the healthcare professionals and policy makers.
Sound garden: How snakes respond to airborne and groundborne sounds
Authors: Zdenek Christina N. , Staples Timothy , Hay Chris , Bourke Lachlan N. , Candusso Damian
Published: February 2023

Evidence suggests that snakes can hear, but how snakes naturally respond to sound is still unclear. We conducted 304 controlled experiment trials on 19 snakes across five genera in a sound-proof room (4.9 x 4.9 m) at 27ºC, observing the effects of three sounds on individual snake behavior, compared to controls. We quantified eight snake behaviors (body movement, body freezing, head-flicks, tongue-flicks, hissing, periscoping, head fixation, lower jaw drop) in response to three sounds, which were filtered pink-noise within the following frequency ranges: 0–150Hz (sound 1, which produced ground vibrations, as measured by an accelerometer), 150–300Hz (sound 2, which did not produced ground vibrations), 300–450Hz (sound 3, which did not produced ground vibrations). All snake responses were strongly genus dependent. Only one genus (Aspidites, Woma Pythons) significantly increased their probability of movement in response to sound, but three other genera (Acanthophis(Death Adders),Oxyuranus(Taipans), andPseudonaja(Brown Snakes)) were more likely to move away from sound, signaling potential avoidance behavior. Taipans significantly increased their likelihood of displaying defensive and cautious behaviors in response to sound, but three of the five genera exhibited significantly different types of behaviors in sound trials compared to the control. Our results highlight potential heritable behavioral responses of snakes to sound, clustered within genera. Our study illustrates the behavioral variability among different snake genera, and across sound frequencies, which contributes to our limited understanding of hearing and behavior in snakes.
Effects of sex and APOE ε4 genotype on brain mitochondrial high-energy phosphates in midlife individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s disease: A 31Phosphorus MR spectroscopy study
Authors: Jett Steven , Dyke Jonathan P. , Boneu Yepez Camila , Zarate Camila , Carlton Caroline , Schelbaum Eva , Jang Grace , Pahlajani Silky , Williams Schantel , Diaz Brinton Roberta , Mosconi Lisa
Published: February 2023

Age, female sex, and APOE epsilon 4 (APOE4) genotype are the three greatest risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The convergence of these risks creates a hypometabolic AD-risk profile unique to women, which may help explain their higher lifetime risk of AD. Less is known about APOE4 effects in men, although APOE4 positive men also experience an increased AD risk. This study uses 31Phosphorus Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (31P-MRS) to examine effects of sex and APOE4 status on brain high-energy phosphates [adenosine triphosphate (ATP), phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate (Pi)] and membrane phospholipids [phosphomonoesters (PME), phosphodiesters (PDE)] in 209 cognitively normal individuals at risk for AD, ages 40–65, 80% female, 46% APOE4 carriers (APOE4+). Women exhibited lower PCr/ATP and PCr/Pi levels than men in AD-vulnerable regions, including frontal, posterior cingulate, lateral and medial temporal cortex (multi-variable adjusted p≤0.037). The APOE4+ group exhibited lower PCr/ATP and PCr/Pi in frontal regions as compared to non-carriers (APOE4-) (multi-variable adjusted p≤0.005). Sex by APOE4 status interactions were observed in frontal regions (multi-variable adjusted p≤0.046), where both female groups and APOE4+ men exhibited lower PCr/ATP and PCr/Pi than APOE4- men. Among men, APOE4 homozygotes exhibited lower frontal PCr/ATP than heterozygotes and non-carriers. There were no significant effects of sex or APOE4 status on Pi/ATP and PME/PDE measures. Among midlife individuals at risk for AD, women exhibit lower PCr/ATP (e.g. higher ATP utilization) and lower PCr/Pi (e.g. higher energy demand) than age-controlled men, independent of APOE4 status. However, a double dose of APOE4 allele shifted men’s brains to a similar metabolic range as women’s brains. Examination of brain metabolic heterogeneity can support identification of AD-specific pathways within at-risk subgroups, further advancing both preventive and precision medicine for AD.
Pain phenotyping and investigation of outcomes in physical therapy: An exploratory study in patients with low back pain
Authors: Wilson Abigail T. , Riley Joseph L. , Bishop Mark D. , Beneciuk Jason M. , Cruz-Almeida Yenisel , Markut Keri , Redd Charlotte , LeBlond Nicholas , Pham Patrick H. , Shirey David , Bialosky Joel E.
Published: February 2023

Phenotypes have been proposed as a method of characterizing subgroups based on biopsychosocial factors to identify responders to analgesic treatments. This study aimed to, first, confirm phenotypes in patients with low back pain receiving physical therapy based on an a priori set of factors used to derive subgroups in other pain populations. Second, an exploratory analysis examined if phenotypes differentiated pain and disability outcomes at four weeks of physical therapy. Fifty-five participants completed psychological questionnaires and pressure pain threshold (PPT). Somatization, anxiety, and depression domains of the Symptom-Checklist-90-Revised, and PPT, were entered into a hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis with Ward’s method to identify phenotypes. Repeated measures ANOVAs assessed pain ratings and disability by phenotype at four weeks. Three clusters emerged: 1) high emotional distress and pain sensitivity (n = 10), 2) low emotional distress (n = 34), 3) low pain sensitivity (n = 11). As an exploratory study, clusters did not differentiate pain ratings or disability after four weeks of physical therapy (p’s>0.05). However, trends were observed as magnitude of change for pain varied by phenotype. This supports the characterization of homogenous subgroups based on a protocol conducted in the clinical setting with varying effect sizes noted by phenotype for short-term changes in pain. As an exploratory study, future studies should aim to repeat this trial in a larger sample of patients.
Comparison of quality of life between elderly and non-elderly adult residents in Okuma town, Japan, in a post-disaster setting
Authors: Hande Varsha , Orita Makiko , Matsunaga Hitomi , Kashiwazaki Yuya , Taira Yasuyuki , Takamura Noboru
Published: February 2023

With the growing elderly population who are susceptible to poor health, improvement of their quality of life is essential. In the post-disaster setting of the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) accident, affected municipalities such as Okuma town commenced their recovery processes and lifted evacuation orders in 2019. This study examines the differences in self-reported mental and physical health status, social functioning, risk perception, and intention to return between elderly (age ≥65 years) and non-elderly (age 20–64 years) residents. Questionnaires were distributed to current residents and evacuees of Okuma. Results revealed that the elderly had a 1.4 times higher odds ratio (95%CI 1.0–1.8, p = 0.034) for having anxiety regarding radiation-related health effects on future generations and a 1.3 times higher odds ratio (95%CI 1.1–1.5, p = 0.001) for wanting to know about the release of FDNPP-treated water into the environment than the younger group. Elderly residents also demonstrated a 2.2 times higher odds ratio for reporting poor physical health than younger residents. Clearing misconceptions and disseminating coherent information will reduce risk perception among this group. Further in-depth research regarding the disposal of FDNPP-treated water and its perceived risks is required. Health promotion through the encouragement of social participation, improvement of surroundings to facilitate healthy behaviors, and enhanced access to health services will improve the quality of life of elderly Okuma residents.
Immunoglobulins response of COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 vaccine recipients, and random individuals
Authors: Al-Tamimi Mohammad , Tarifi Amjed A. , Qaqish Arwa , Abbas Manal M. , Albalawi Hadeel , Abu-Raideh Jumanah , Salameh Muna , Khasawneh Ashraf I.
Published: February 2023

Background

The development of specific immunoglobulins to COVID-19 after natural infection or vaccination has been proposed. The efficacy and dynamics of this response are not clear yet.

Aim

This study aims to analyze the immunoglobulins response among COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 vaccine recipients and random individuals.

Methods

A total of 665 participants including 233 COVID-19 patients, 288 COVID-19 vaccine recipients, and 144 random individuals were investigated for anti-COVID-19 immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM).

Results

Among COVID-19 patients, 22.7% had detectable IgA antibodies with a mean of 27.3±57.1 ng/ml, 29.6% had IgM antibodies with a mean of 188.4±666.0 BAU/ml, while 59.2% had IgG antibodies with a mean of 101.7±139.7 BAU/ml. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients had positive IgG in 99.3% with a mean of 515.5±1143.5 BAU/ml while 85.7% of Sinopharm vaccine recipients had positive IgG with a mean of 170.0±230.0 BAU/ml. Regarding random individuals, 54.9% had positive IgG with a mean of 164.3±214 BAU/ml. The peak IgM response in COVID-19 patients was detected early at 15–22 days, followed by IgG peak at 16–30 days, and IgA peak at 0–60 days. IgM antibodies disappeared at 61–90 days, while IgG and IgA antibodies decreased slowly after the peak and remained detectable up to 300 days. The frequency of IgG positivity among patients was significantly affected by increased age, admission department (inpatient or outpatient), symptoms, need for oxygen therapy, and increased duration between positive COVID-19 RT PCR test and serum sampling (p˂0.05). Positive correlations were noted between different types of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, and IgA) among patients.

Conclusions

Natural infection and COIVD-19 vaccines provide IgG-mediated immunity. The class, positivity, mean, efficacy, and duration of immunoglobulins response are affected by the mechanism of immunity and host related variables. Random community individuals had detectable COVID-19 IgG at ~55%, far from reaching herd immunity levels.
Proteomic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis: A pilot study from Zanzibar, Tanzania
Authors: Barakat Ahmed , Birkeland Even , Jørstad Melissa D. , El Hajj Magalie , Marijani Msafiri , Døskeland Anne , Mjaavatten Olav , Berven Frode S. , Mustafa Tehmina
Published: February 2023

This study aimed at exploring the proteomic profile of PBMCs to predict treatment response in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This was a pilot study conducted among 8 adult patients from Zanzibar, Tanzania with confirmed PTB. Blood samples were collected at baseline, at 2 months of treatment, and at the end of treatment at 6 months. Proteins were extracted from PBMCs and analyzed using LC-MS/MS based label free quantitative proteomics. Overall, 3,530 proteins were quantified across the samples, and 12 differentially expressed proteins were identified at both 2 months of treatment and at treatment completion, which were involved in cellular and metabolic processes, as well as binding and catalytic activity. Seven were downregulated proteins (HSPA1B/HSPA1A, HSPH1, HSP90AA1, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, complement component 9, calcyclin-binding protein, and protein transport protein Sec31A), and 5 proteins were upregulated (SEC14 domain and spectrin repeat-containing protein 1, leucine-rich repeat-containing 8 VRAC subunit D, homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, NEDD8-activating enzyme E1 regulatory subunit, and N-acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase-like protein). The results showed that proteome analysis of PBMCs can be used as a novel technique to identify protein abundance change with anti-tuberculosis treatment. The novel proteins elucidated in this work may provide new insights for understanding PTB pathogenesis, treatment, and prognosis.
Recent transposable element bursts are associated with the proximity to genes in a fungal plant pathogen
Authors: Oggenfuss Ursula , Croll Daniel
Published: February 2023

The activity of transposable elements (TEs) contributes significantly to pathogen genome evolution. TEs often destabilize genome integrity but may also confer adaptive variation in pathogenicity or resistance traits. De-repression of epigenetically silenced TEs often initiates bursts of transposition activity that may be counteracted by purifying selection and genome defenses. However, how these forces interact to determine the expansion routes of TEs within a pathogen species remains largely unknown. Here, we analyzed a set of 19 telomere-to-telomere genomes of the fungal wheat pathogenZymoseptoria tritici. Phylogenetic reconstruction and ancestral state estimates of individual TE families revealed that TEs have undergone distinct activation and repression periods resulting in highly uneven copy numbers between genomes of the same species. Most TEs are clustered in gene poor niches, indicating strong purifying selection against insertions near coding sequences, or as a consequence of insertion site preferences. TE families with high copy numbers have low sequence divergence and strong signatures of defense mechanisms (i.e., RIP). In contrast, small non-autonomous TEs (i.e., MITEs) are less impacted by defense mechanisms and are often located in close proximity to genes. Individual TE families have experienced multiple distinct burst events that generated many nearly identical copies. We found that aCopiaelement burst was initiated from recent copies inserted substantially closer to genes compared to older copies. Overall, TE bursts tended to initiate from copies in GC-rich niches that escaped inactivation by genomic defenses. Our work shows how specific genomic environments features provide triggers for TE proliferation in pathogen genomes.
First study on capsular serotypes and virulence factors of Pasteurella multocida isolates from Phan Rang sheep in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Phu Van , Le Cong Tuan , Nguyen Xuan Huy , Nguyen Tuan Manh , Nguyen Kim Cuc Thi
Published: February 2023

Background and Aim: Pasteurella multocida is considered as a main factor mediating pneumonic pasteurellosis in ruminants, including sheep. It is also a current threat to Phan Rang sheep in Vietnam. This study aimed to characterize P. multocida isolated from Phan Rang sheep, their antibiotic resistance profile, and the prevalence of some virulence-associated genes of these strains.

Materials and Methods: Bacteria were isolated on brain heart infusion, 10% sheep blood agar plates, and screened by biochemical tests. The polymerase chain reaction technique was used with specific primers to identify P. multocida, the presence of virulence-associated genes, and serotypes of isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility and biofilm formation of isolates were examined using the disk diffusion method and crystal violet-based method, respectively.

Results: A total of 41 P. multocida strains were isolated from 485 samples from clinically sick and healthy sheep. Of the isolates, 58.53% were serotype A, 9.75% were serotype B, and 31.71% were serotype D. Healthy animals were infected with serotype D only. All 15 virulence genes were identified in all strains isolated from clinically sick sheep, while strains isolated from healthy sheep carried 11/15 virulence genes tested. Among virulence-associated genes exbB, exbD, tonB, ompA, oma87, fimA, hgbA, and nanB were detected in over 90% of isolates, whereas hgbB, nanH, tbpA and pfhA were less frequent. Interestingly, pmHAS and tadD were highly prevalent in capsular type A strains, whereas the toxA gene was detected in capsular type D strains only. All of the isolated strains were fully susceptible to enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, neomycin, and ofloxacin. About 92.68% were susceptible to chloramphenicol and 90.24% to amikacin, but there was high resistance to erythromycin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin. Our results reveal that 53.65% of 41 isolates could produce biofilm, whereas 46.34% could not.

Conclusion: Pasteurella multocida from Phan Rang sheep possess many virulence genes and resistance to several common antibiotics such as erythromycin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin. The results are an important warning regarding antibiotic resistance of P. multocida.
A téri nyelv Nagy József vizsgáló módszereiben és a fejlődési
pszicholingvisztikában
Authors: Pléh Csaba
Published: February 2023

A tanulmány elemzi Nagy József vizsgáló módszereinek relációszókincs
fejezetét. Ennek egy része a téri nyelvvel kapcsolatos. Nagy József
munkássága jelentős ezen a területen, amit a későbbiekben érdemes lenne
tovább fejleszteni azzal, amit a FORRÁS kódolás nehézségéről és a sok
argumentumú névutók kései elsajátításáról feltárt a fejlődési
pszicholingvisztika.
A szén-dioxid-kibocsátások árazása : Az elméleti alapoktól a vállalati gyakorlatig
Authors: Nemes Zsófia , Széchy Anna
Published: February 2023

A klímaváltozás problémája az utóbbi években mind a döntéshozók, mind a vállalati szféra részéről növekvő figyelmet kap, ugyanakkor a jelenlegi erőfeszítések továbbra sem elegendőek a folyamat megállításához. A klímaközgazdászokat régebb óta foglalkoztatja a karbonkibocsátások árának megállapítása, amely egyrészt megfelelő alapot adhat a klímapolitikai döntések meghozatalához, másrészt a gyakorlatban alkalmazva hatékonyan ösztönözheti az emissziók csökkentését. Napjainkban egyre több országban kell adó vagy kvótavásárlás formájában fizetni a szén-dioxid-kibocsátásért, a nagyvállalatok környezeti menedzsment eszköztárában pedig megjelent és gyorsan terjed a kibocsátások úgynevezett belső árazása (internal carbon pricing). A cikk célja, hogy áttekintést adjon a karbonárazás elméletéről és gyakorlatáról, különböző alkalmazási területeiről, illetve az árak alakulásáról. A hatósági árak ugyanis a klímapolitika szigorodásával várhatóan közelítenek a közgazdaságilag „helyes” értékek felé, a vállalati karbonárazás fő célja pedig, hogy a cégeket felkészítse ezekre a változásokra – a cikkben a szerzők bemutatják, hogy jelenleg hol tart ez a folyamat.
Hogyan professzionalizáljuk a vállalkozásunkat? : Egy longitudinális esettanulmány tapasztalatai egy hazai közepes méretű családi vállalkozás példáján keresztül
Authors: Kárpáti Zoltán , Drótos György
Published: February 2023

Egyre több publikáció hangsúlyozza a családi vállalkozások professzionalizálásának fontosságát. Jelen tanulmányban arra a kérdésre keressük a választ, hogy milyen erőforrás- és képességváltozásokon megy vagy kell keresztül mennie egy közepes méretű családi vállalkozásnak a professzionalizálás folyamata során. A publikáció első részében bemutatjuk a professzionalizálódás megközelítéseit a különböző stratégiai paradigmák megközelítéséből és elhelyezzük az erőforrás-alapú nézet keretrendszerében. A cikk második felében az esettanulmány eredményei kerülnek bemutatásra. Az eredmények rámutatnak arra, hogy a professzionalizáció dimenzió összefüggenek és az egyik vagy másikban történő lemaradás bizonytalansághoz vezet a vállalaton belül. Fontos eredmény, hogy a professzionalizálódás során a családi vállalati tulajdonosoknak minden dimenzióra figyelniük kell.
Acute Toxicity Test of Ekor Naga (Rhaphidophora pinnata (L.f) Schott) Leaf Extract in Mice and Kidney Histological Examination
Authors: Sani K. Fathnur , Magfirah Dian , Yuliawati Yuliawati , Elisma Elisma , Lestari Uce
Published: February 2023

Ekor Naga (Rhaphidophora pinnata (L.f) Schott) is a traditional plant used by the community. Previous studies have shown that this plant has pharmacological effects, including as anthelmintics, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory agent as well as promotes wound healing. Thus, it is necessary to do a toxicity test. The study aimed to determine the effect of the extract on histopathology of the kidney through a toxicity test. The research used an experimental design. The test animals were divided into 5 groups, each of which consisted of 5 test animals: negative control (0.5% Na. CMC), Treatment 1 (Extract of ekor naga leaves at a dose of 200 mg/Kg BW), Treatment 2 (Extract of ekor naga leaves at a dose of 600 mg/Kg BW), Treatment 3 (Extract of ekor naga leaves at a dose of 1800 mg/Kg BW), and Treatment 4 (Extract of Ekor Naga Leaves at a dose of 5400 mg/Kg BW). The parameters observed were the Letal Dose (LD50) and the histophatology of the kidney. Data were analyzed using One Way ANOVA test, followed with Duncan’s test. The results showed no significant difference in the weight of the kidney (p>0.05), and the histophatology of the kidney after 14 days of acute administration of ekor naga leaf extract in all the treatment was normal. The administration of ekor naga leaf extract at therapeutic doses and larger doses of single administration did not have a bad effect on the histology of the kidney.Keywords: Ekor Naga Leaves, Kidney, Histopathology, Acute Toxicity.
Virtual Screening on Molecules Targeting the Interaction Between Estrogen Receptor Beta and Murine Double Minute 2
Authors: Salmasfattah Novyananda , Nurulita Nunuk Aries , Dhiani Binar Asrining
Published: February 2023

Estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) is an isoform of estrogen receptor that plays a role in breast cancer. An E3 ubiquitin ligase, murine double minute 2 (MDM2), can bind to ERβ and degrade it. Virtual screening and protein-protein docking studies are one of the approaches that can be performed to discover FDA-approved drugs targeting the interaction of the ERβ-MDM2 complex. This study aimed to conduct virtual screening of 1615 compounds targeting the interaction between ERβ-MDM2 as an initial study to discover potential breast cancer drugs. Biovia Discovery Studio 2021, ClusPro 2.0, PyRx 8.0, and PyMOL software were utilized in this study. ERβ (PDB ID: 3OLS) and MDM2 (PDB ID: 1T4E) receptors were docked to obtain the ERβ-MDM2 protein complex. The ligands used in the virtual screening were FDA-approved drugs downloaded from the ZINC database. PIC and PLIP web tools were also utilized to analyze the amino acid residues involved in the interaction. The virtual screening results showed that ergotamine was the drug with the lowest energy score (-12.0 kcal/mol) among 1057 drugs and was able to establish the strongest interaction between ERβ-MDM2. In conclusion, based on this computational study, ergotamine strengthens the interaction between ERβ-MDM2 and thus could be used as a candidate for breast cancer drug. Thorough validation of in vitro, biochemical, and in vivo studies are needed to confirm this finding.Keywords: Estrogen receptor beta, breast cancer, protein-protein interaction, MDM2.
Chorioamnionitis secondary to Ureaplasma parvum infection: a case report
Authors: Moreno-Flores Antonio , Domínguez-Landesa María , Vázquez-López María Guadalupe , Sante-Fernández Laura
Published: February 2023

Objectives

Ureaplasma species are the most frequently isolated microorganisms in cases of spontaneous preterm labor, premature rupture of the membranes, or chorioamnionitis.

Case presentation

A woman at 28+6 weeks of gestation with no apparent history of interest presented at the hospital with contractions. Upon suspicion of chorioamnionitis, the patient was admitted for a low segment transverse cesarean section, which was completed without any complications. The patient was discharged at 7 days. The newborn remained stable and showed no clinical signs of infection. However, on suspicion of chorioamnionitis, empirical treatment with intravenous ampicillin (2 g every 6 h) and gentamicin (5 mg/kg once daily) was initiated. Samples of pharyngeal/tonsillar, ear, and anal/rectal exudates were collected. At 24 h, all samples were positive for Ureaplasma parvum. Empirical treatment was suspended, and treatment with intravenous azithromycin was initiated (12 mg once daily). Endocervical and placental exudates were also positive for U. parvum. Fifty-two days after birth, the newborn was discharged.

Conclusions

The relationship between Ureaplasma spp. colonization and perinatal disease seem to be clear. However, the high frequency of vaginal Ureaplasma spp. colonization and high rates of term labor among pregnant women with this colonization make further studies necessary.
Arenicolous marine fungi of sandy beaches of Taiwan
Authors: Pang Ka-Lai , Chen I-An , Wai-Lun Chiang Michael , Shaumi Ami , Hsieh Sung-Yuan , Guo Sheng-Yu
Published: February 2023

This study investigated the morphological diversity of arenicolous marine fungi (only those forming fruiting bodies on sand grains) at 11 sandy beaches in Taiwan. The species of Corollospora were identified by ascospore morphology and confirmed through a phylogenetic analysis of the 28S rDNA with other published sequences. The phylogenetic analysis revealed four previously unknown clades of Corollospora spp. related to C. portsaidica, while differences in ascospore morphology of the isolates in these four clades were observed. A total of 13 species of arenicolous marine fungi was identified from the 11 sandy beaches, including two Arenariomyces spp., nine Corollospora spp. (including four unknown Corollospora clades), Kohlmeyeriella crassa and Carbosphaerella cf sp. Taan Beach had the highest species richness (eight species), followed by Yongzhen Sea Park and Pisirian (five species each). The Shannon’s diversity index revealed the highest diversity at Taan Beach (1.51) over Pisirian (1.44), but the diversity was more even at the latter site (Pielou’s evenness index = 0.9) compared with the former (0.73). Non-metric multidimensional scaling suggests that there was generally a divide in the fungal community composition between the east and the west coasts of Taiwan.
A Symmetric Interior Penalty Method for an Elliptic Distributed Optimal Control Problem with Pointwise State Constraints
Authors: Brenner Susanne C. , Gedicke Joscha , Sung Li-Yeng
Published: February 2023

We construct a symmetric interior penalty method for an elliptic distributed optimal control problem with pointwise state constraints on general polygonal domains.
The resulting discrete problems are quadratic programs with simple box constraints that can be solved efficiently by a primal-dual active set algorithm.
Both theoretical analysis and corroborating numerical results are presented.
Carbonate texture identification using multi-layer perceptron neural network
Authors: Fociro Oltion , Fociro Ana , Muçi Redi , Skrame Klodian , Pekmezi Jeton , Mezini Mario
Published: February 2023

This study proposes an approach to identifying carbonate rocks depositional texture utilizing more than 1250 thin-section photos as a data set from shallow-water carbonates of the Kruja zone (Albania). The proposed technique uses a numerical methodology based on digitized images of thin sections. According to the Dunham classification, it permits the user to recognize the carbonate texture automatically. The carbonate rock should not be affected by post-depositional processes. This technique uses as input gray-scale digital images taken from thin sections. Image processing can extract (as output) a set of 22 numerical parameters measured in the entire image, including white areas representing calcite cement. A multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network inputs these numerical parameters and produces, as output, the estimated depositional texture. We utilized 654 images of thin sections to evaluate this technique to train the neural network. We used 348 pictures taken from the same data set and 250 from the Burizana section (Kruja zone, Albania) to test the technique. The proposed method has shown 90.5 and 91.3% accuracy in identifying the automatically depositional texture using digitized images on the 348 and 250 test sets. Based on the good results obtained, this technique can be extending not only in identifying carbonate rocks texture but in every type of rock, getting fast and correct results. Python was used as a computer programming language for image processing and displaying images.
Anthropomorphic Motifs in Ancient Greek Ideas on the Origin of the Cosmos
Authors: Zelinová Zuzana , Škvrnda František
Published: February 2023

In our article, we will focus on an analysis of the relationship between man and the cosmos, set against the backdrop of ancient Greek ideas about the origin of the world. On the one hand, we will deal with the images of the creation of the world provided in Greek mythology and the religious tradition associated with it (in particular Hesiod); on the other hand, we will approach the anthropomorphic elements within the framework of philosophical cosmogonies (Plato’s dialogue, the Timaeus). Our aim is to show that Greek philosophical thought was never able to fully relinquish this anthropomorphism but nonetheless it did move away from a purely mythological tradition (as found in Hesiod and the pre-Socratics) and, in some measure towards a more scientific interpretation of the cosmos (as found in Plato).
Doing leadership in style: Pragmatic markers in New Zealand workplace interaction
Authors: Vine Bernadette , Holmes Janet
Published: February 2023

The Wellington Language in the Workplace Project (LWP) team has devoted considerable attention over the last few decades to researching workplace communication. We have focused especially on the insights that discourse analysis can provide regarding similarities and differences between the two major ethnic groups in New Zealand in “ways of doing things at work”. In this paper, we draw on both quantitative and qualitative analyses of interaction in Māori and Pākehā workplaces to demonstrate how these complementary approaches contribute to understanding different styles of leadership. Using Holmes’ concept of theculture orderand Connell’s concept of thegender order,we analyze the distribution and use of two specific pragmatic markers,ehandyou know.Ehis a distinctively New Zealand pragmatic marker whileyou knowhas been well-researched in English-speaking communities, providing rich contextual information on its functions. We examine the frequency of occurrence of each marker in both large formal meetings and smaller one-to-one interactions. We then analyze in more detail how these pragmatic markers contribute to one Māori male leader’s effective construction of a progressive, hybridized leadership identity, whilst also demonstrating the familiar double bind facing successful women leaders.
On commitment to untruthful implicatures
Authors: Meibauer Jörg
Published: February 2023

In the current debate on the lying-misleading distinction, many theorists distinguish between lying as insincere assertion and misleading through conveying an untruthful implicature. There is growing empirical evidence that average speakers count untruthful implicatures as cases of lying. What matters for them is the (degree) of commitment to an untruthful implicature. Since untruthful conversational implicatures may arise with non-assertions, and untruthful presuppositions are also judged as lying, a realistic conception of lying should aim at a definition of lying that it is able to cover these possibilities. Such a conception, which supports traditional assumptions about the semantics-pragmatics distinction, leads to a commitment-based definition of lying, as recently proposed by a number of authors.
lncRNA TPT1-AS1 promotes cell migration and invasion in esophageal squamous-cell carcinomas by regulating the miR-26a/HMGA1 axis
Authors: Cheng Wenhua , Yang Fang , Ma Yong
Published: February 2023

lncRNA TPT1-AS1 plays an oncogenic role in ovarian and cervical cancers. However, its involvement in the pathological progress of esophageal squamous-cell carcinomas (ESCCs) is unclear. lncRNA TPT1-AS1 was mainly localized in the cytoplasm of ESCC cells and interacted with miR-26a. In ESCC tissues, lncRNA TPT1-AS1 level was obviously increased, while miR-26a level was decreased. Interestingly, lncRNA TPT1-AS1 level was not significantly correlated with miR-26a level but was positively correlated with HMGA1 mRNA, a target of miR-26a. In ESCC cell lines KYSE510 and KYSE-30, lncRNA TPT1-AS1 overexpression enhanced HMGA1 expression, while it had no effect on miR-26a expression. Cell migration and proliferation assays indicated that lncRNA TPT1-AS1 and HMGA1 overexpression promoted ESCC cell migration and invasion, while their effects were alleviated by miR-26a overexpression. The migration and invasion of ESCC cells were suppressed by lncRNA TPT1-AS1 knockdown. In conclusion, lncRNA TPT1-AS1 plays an oncogenic role in ESCC and might function by upregulating HMGA1 via sponging miR-26a.
SIRT1/APE1 promotes the viability of gastric cancer cells by inhibiting p53 to suppress ferroptosis
Authors: Zhao Huijin , Ding Yuanyi , Zhang Lan
Published: February 2023

Gastric cancer (GC) is a common cancer worldwide with high mortality. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and apurinic/apyrimidinic endodeoxyribonuclease 1 (APE1) are abnormally expressed in GC cells and related to p53, which is involved in ferroptosis. Thus, we explore the mechanism via which SIRT1, APE1, and p53 impact ferroptosis in GC cells. Specifically, GC cells were transfected with small-interfering RNA for SIRT1 (SiSIRT1) or small-interfering RNA for APE1 (SiAPE1) or with short-hairpin RNA for p53, and the cell viability, Fe2+, malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) contents were detected by cell counting kit-8 assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot, immunofluorescence, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were conducted to quantify SIRT1, APE1, p53, solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) levels in GC cells. Silencing of SIRT1 decreased viability, GSH content, and expressions of GPX4 and SLC7A11, while increased Fe2+, MDA content, and p53 expression in GC cells. Such aforementioned effects were reversed by APE1 overexpression. Also, SiAPE1 generated the same effects as SiSIRT1 on the above aspects, which was offset by p53 silencing. In short, SIRT1/APE1 promotes the growth of GC cells by targeting p53 to inhibit ferroptosis.
Glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma B interacts with epidermal growth factor receptor to regulate neural stem cell survival and differentiation
Authors: Yang Hua , Jin Gang , Chen Shihong , Luo Jing , Xu Wei
Published: February 2023

The functional recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a challenge clinically. Among the proteins interacted with the glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma B (GPNMB), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) during activation is able to promote the proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the spinal cord. We investigated the roles of GPNMB and EGFR in regulating the survival and differentiation of the NSCs. By overexpression and short-hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of GPNMB in the NSCs, GPNMB promoted cell viability and differentiation by increasing the expressions of βIII tubulin and CNPase (2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3-phosphodiesterase). Using co-immunoprecipitation, we found that EGFR interacted with GPNMB. Furthermore, EGFR had a similar effect as GPNMB on promoting cell viability and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR reversed the decrease in viability and differentiation caused by the knockdown of GPNMB, and vice versa. Last but not least, we tested the effect of GPNMB and EGFR on several intracellular pathways and found that GPNMB/EGFR modulated the phosphorylated (p)-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1/2/JNK1/2 ratio and the p-nuclear factor κB (NF-κB p65)/NF-κB p65 ratio. In sum, our findings demonstrate the interaction between GPNMB and EGFR that regulates cell bioprocesses, with the hope to provide a new strategy of SCI therapy.
The crystal structure of 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid – 3-[7-{[2-(3,4-difluorophenyl)cyclopropyl]amino}-5-(propylsulfanyl)-3H-[1,2,3] triazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-3-yl]-5-(2-hydroxyethoxy)cyclopentane-1,2-diol – water (1/1/1), C30H36F2N6O9S
Authors: Xia Ying-Fan , Lu Rong-Bin , Sun Wei-Jie , Lin Shu-Ting , Zhang Jia-Rong , Jiang Cheng-Jun
Published: February 2023

C30H36F2N6O9S, orthorhombic, P212121 (no. 19), a = 5.2364(8) Å, b = 10.0250(14) Å, c = 59.689(9) Å, V = 3133.4(8) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt
(F) = 0.0384, wRref
(F
2) = 0.0969, T = 170 K.
Traditional agri-food products and sustainability – A fruitful relationship for the development of rural areas in Portugal
Authors: Pato Maria Lúcia , Duque Ana Sofia
Published: February 2023

The protection of agri-food regional products is taking on growing importance in a market dominated by global companies and brands, often with no personality. Thirty years ago, the European Union (EU) agricultural product quality policy introduced the protection of geographical indications (GIs) for agricultural products and foodstuffs, with the aim of highlighting the quality of products resulting from a specific origin, therefore helping their communication and positioning in the market. This is important in countries with a considerable percentage of rural regions, as is the case of Portugal. Bearing this in mind, the purpose of this study is to see what are the drivers of the spatial distribution of traditional products (protected geographical indications, protected designations of origin, and traditional speciality guaranteed) in Portugal. For this purpose, the distribution of traditional products by regions and categories in Portugal will be presented. Also, Portugal’s position will be analysed and compared to the other EU countries, regarding the number of traditional products. Results show that Portugal is the country with the fourth biggest number of traditional certified products in EU territory. In the national territory, the Northern Region of Portugal has the biggest percentage of protected products, followed by Alentejo and the Centre Region of Portugal. Also, in Portugal, looking at the type of products, from a list of ten different categories of GIs, the ranking is dominated by (1) fresh meat, (2) meat products (cooked, salted, or smoked), and (3) cheese and milk-based products. If we consider that many of the aforementioned products are produced in less favoured regions, these results constitute an opportunity for their sustainable development. This benefits not only the producers, but also consumers who increasingly seek “authentic” and more natural products.
Zum Wasserstoffnarrativ und der diskursiven Rolle des Narrativs der Brückentechnologie – Ein empirisch gestützter Definitions-vorschlag
Authors: Meer Dorothee
Published: February 2023

In the last few years, usage of the term narrative has increased both in the media and in different scientific disciplines. This development has not been met with unanimous approval. In light of this and building on corpus studies of hydrogen, the following article introduces the term narrative and describes constructions that can be subsumed under narrative other than narrations in a narrower sense. At the same time, it is argued that this reading of the term narrative is suitably broad to be used for relevant developments in current mediated discourse.
Viele Vorschläge zur Güte
Authors: Sonntag Nico
Published: February 2023

Dieser Beitrag nimmt die von Strübing und Kollegen vorgeschlagenen Gütekriterien zum Anlass, deren Nutzen aus Sicht der analytisch-empirischen Soziologie sowie umgekehrt die Notwendigkeit analytisch-empirischer Gütekriterien für die qualitative Forschung zu diskutieren. Es werden zwei potentielle blinde Flecken der analytisch-empirischen Gütekontrolle besprochen. Erstens, die Möglichkeit der Theorieschöpfung aus einer reichhaltigen Empirie durch gegenstandsangemessene Methoden und der in der analytisch-empirischen Methodologie vernachlässigten Entstehungszusammenhang; zweitens, ein zu rigider Methodenbegriff. Die Fruchtbarkeit der Vorschläge von Strübing et al. wird hinsichtlich dieser Schwächen diskutiert. Obwohl hinsichtlich des ersten blinden Flecks Verbesserungspotential besteht, sind die Gütekriterien zu unbestimmt und zu speziell zugleich. Sie geben einerseits zu wenige Anhaltspunkte für systematische Methodenforschung und konkrete Gütebestimmung, enthalten andererseits in ihren Begründungen eine inhaltliche Festlegung auf bestimmte Methoden. Im zweiten Teil des Beitrags werden ausgewählte analytisch-empirische Gütekriterien diskutiert: 1) die Gütekriterien der Theoriebildung, 2) die interne und externe Validität sowie 3) Transparenz und Reproduzierbarkeit. Analytisch-empirische Gütekriterien beziehen sich auf alle Aspekte des Forschungsprozesses und nicht nur (wie behauptet) auf den engen Bereich der Messung. Die ausgewählten drei Anforderungsbereiche sind konkreten Methoden und auch einer Qualitativ-Quantitativ-Spaltung vorgelagert. Sie sollten daher in einem umfassenden Gütebegriff für die qualitative Forschung stärker berücksichtigt werden.