bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preclinical investigation in FAAH inhibition as a neuroprotective therapy for frontotemporal dementia using TDP-43 transgenic male mice
Authors: Santos-García Irene , Rodríguez-Cueto Carmen , Villegas Patricia , Piscitelli Fabiana , Lauritano Anna , Shen Che-Kun J. , Di Marzo Vincenzo , Fernández-Ruiz Javier , de Lago Eva
Published: May 2023

Background

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a heterogeneous group of early onset and progressive neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by degeneration in the frontal and temporal lobes, which causes deterioration in cognition, personality, social behavior and language. Around 45% of the cases are characterized by the presence of aggregates of the RNA-binding protein TDP-43.

Methods

In this study, we have used a murine model of FTD that overexpresses this protein exclusively in the forebrain (under the control of the CaMKIIα promoter) for several biochemical, histological and pharmacological studies focused on the endocannabinoid system.

Results

These mice exhibited at postnatal day 90 (PND90) important cognitive deficits, signs of emotional impairment and disinhibited social behaviour, which were, in most of cases, maintained during the first year of life of these animals. Motor activity was apparently normal, but FTD mice exhibited higher mortality. Their MRI imaging analysis and their ex-vivo histopathological evaluation proved changes compatible with atrophy (loss of specific groups of pyramidal neurons: Ctip2- and NeuN-positive cells) and inflammatory events (astroglial and microglial reactivities) in both cortical (medial prefrontal cortex) and subcortical (hippocampus) structures at PND90 and also at PND365. The analysis of the endocannabinoid system in these mice proved a decrease in the hydrolysing enzyme FAAH in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, with an increase in the synthesizing enzyme NAPE-PLD only in the hippocampus, responses that were accompanied by modest elevations in anandamide and related N-acylethanolamines. The potentiation of these elevated levels of anandamide after the pharmacological inactivation of FAAH with URB597 resulted in a general improvement in behaviour, in particular in cognitive deterioration, associated with the preservation of pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex and the CA1 layer of the hippocampus, and with the reduction of gliosis in both structures.

Conclusions

Our data confirmed the potential of elevating the endocannabinoid tone as a therapy against TDP-43-induced neuropathology in FTD, limiting glial reactivity, preserving neuronal integrity and improving cognitive, emotional and social deficits.
Global mpox lineage discovery and rapid outbreak tracking with nanopore sequencing
Authors: Bosmeny Michael S. , White Adam A. , Pater Adrian A. , Crew Jennifer , Geltz Joshua , Gagnon Keith T.
Published: May 2023

Insufficient tracking of virus introduction, spread, and new lineage emergence for the human monkeypox (mpox) virus 1 (hMPXV1) outbreak of 2022 hindered epidemiological studies and public health response. hMPXV1 mutations accumulated unexpectedly faster than predicted. Thus, new variants with altered pathogenicity could emerge and spread without early detection. Whole genome sequencing addresses this gap when implemented but requires widely accessible and standardized methodologies to be effective both regionally and globally. Here we developed a rapid nanopore whole genome sequencing method complete with working protocols, from DNA extraction to phylogenetic analysis tools. Using this method, we sequenced 84 complete hMPXV1 genomes from Illinois, a Midwestern region of the United States, spanning the first few months of the outbreak. The resulting five-fold increase in hMPXV1 genomes from this region established two previously unnamed global lineages, several mutational profiles not seen elsewhere, multiple separate introductions of the virus into the region, and the likely emergence and spread of new lineages from within this region. These results demonstrate that a dearth of genomic sequencing of hMPXV1 slowed our understanding and response to the mpox outbreak. This accessible nanopore sequencing approach makes near real-time mpox tracking and rapid lineage discovery straightforward and creates a blueprint for how to deploy nanopore sequencing for genomic surveillance of diverse viruses and future outbreaks.
Orofacial findings and orthodontic treatment conditions in patients with down syndrome – a retrospective investigation
Authors: Möhlhenrich Stephan Christian , Schmidt Peter , Chhatwani Sachin , Kniha Kristian , Tsipkis Alan , Jackowski Joachim , Schulte Andreas G. , Danesh Gholamreza
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The most common chromosomal anomaly is Down syndrome/Trisomy 21, which can be associated with varying degrees of intellectual disability and physical malformation. Specific orofacial characteristics regarding orthodontic treatment options and features are described on the basis of a patient collective from the Witten/Herdecke University, Germany.

Methods

Data of 20 patients (14 boys and 6 girls, mean age: 11.69 ± 3.94 years) who underwent orthodontic treatment between July 2011 and May 2022 were analyzed. Baseline skeletal and dental conditions were assessed, as well as the presence of hypodontia, displacements, and treatment-related root resorptions. The treatment need was evaluated based on the main findings according to the German KIG classification. In addition, treatment success was determined in relation to patient compliance.

Results

The patient group was characterized predominantly by a class III relationship (ΔANB: −2.07 ± 3.90°; ΔWITS: −3.91 ± 4.33 mm) and a brachyfacial cranial configuration (ΔML-NL: −4.38 ± 7.05°, ΔArGoMe: − 8.45 ± 10.06°). The transversal discrepancy of the dental arch width from maxilla to mandible was −0.91 ± 3.44 mm anteriorly and −4.4 ± 4.12 mm posteriorly. Considering the orthodontic indication groups, the most frequent initial finding and treatment indication represented hypodontia (85%), followed by frontal (75%) and unilateral lateral (35%) crossbite. In 55% of the cases, the teeth had a regular shape, but in 35% a generalized and in 15% an isolated hypoplasia. Only 25% of the patients could be treated with a fixed multiband appliance due to sufficient cooperation. In each of these patients, varying degrees of root resorptions were detected during treatment, and 45% of all treatments had to be terminated prematurely due to a lack of cooperation by patients or parents.

Conclusion

The extent of dental and skeletal malformations and the high rate of findings requiring treatment in patients with Down syndrome represent a significant indication for orthodontic therapy, which can be well illustrated by the KIG classification. However, this is in contrast to the eventually increased risk of root resorption, with significantly reduced patient cooperation. A compromised treatment outcome and process must be expected. Consequently, the orthodontic treatment must be simple and realistic to achieve fast and therapeutically satisfactory treatment result.
Culture adaptation for enhanced biogas production from birch wood applying stable carbon isotope analysis to monitor changes in the microbial community
Authors: Hashemi Seyedbehnam , Solli Linn , Lien Kristian M. , Lamb Jacob J. , Horn Svein Jarle
Published: May 2023

Birch wood is a potential feedstock for biogas production in Northern Europe; however, the lignocellulosic matrix is recalcitrant preventing efficient conversion to methane. To improve digestibility, birch wood was thermally pre-treated using steam explosion at 220 °C for 10 min. The steam-exploded birch wood (SEBW) was co-digested with cow manure for a period of 120 days in continuously fed CSTRs where the microbial community adapted to the SEBW feedstock. Changes in the microbial community were tracked by stable carbon isotopes- and 16S r RNA analyses. The results showed that the adapted microbial culture could increase methane production up to 365 mL/g VS day, which is higher than previously reported methane production from pre-treated SEBW. This study also revealed that the microbial adaptation significantly increased the tolerance of the microbial community against the inhibitors furfural and HMF which were formed during pre-treatment of birch. The results of the microbial analysis indicated that the relative amount of cellulosic hydrolytic microorganisms (e.g. Actinobacteriota and Fibrobacterota) increased and replaced syntrophic acetate bacteria (e.g. Cloacimonadota, Dethiobacteraceae, and Syntrophomonadaceae) as a function of time. Moreover, the stable carbon isotope analysis indicated that the acetoclastic pathway became the main route for methane production after long-term adaptation. The shift in methane production pathway and change in microbial community shows that for anaerobic digestion of SEBW, the hydrolysis step is important. Although acetoclastic methanogens became dominant after 120 days, a potential route for methane production could also be a direct electron transfer among Sedimentibacter and methanogen archaea.
SOCS1 methylation level is associated with prognosis in patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure
Authors: Li Feng , Zhang Ying , Wang Zhao-Hui , Gao Shuai , Fan Yu-Chen , Wang Kai
Published: May 2023

Background

Glucocorticoids could greatly improve the prognosis of patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACHBLF). Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 1 methylation has been shown to be associated with mortality in ACHBLF.

Methods

Eighty patients with ACHBLF were divided into group glucocorticoid (GC) and group conservative medical (CM). Sixty patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and Thirty healthy controls (HCs) served as control group. SOCS1 methylation levels in peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was detected by MethyLight.

Results

SOCS1 methylation levels were significantly higher in patients with ACHBLF than those with CHB and HCs (P < 0.01, respectively). Nonsurvivors showed significantly higher SOCS1 methylation levels (P < 0.05) than survivors in both GC and CM groups in ACHBLF patients. Furthermore, the survival rates of the SOCS1 methylation-negative group were significantly higher than that of the methylation-positive group at 1 month (P = 0.014) and 3 months (P = 0.003) follow-up. Meanwhile, GC group and CM group had significantly lower mortality at 3 months, which may be related to application of glucocorticoid. In the SOCS1 methylation-positive group, the 1-month survival rate was significantly improved, which may be related to GC treatment (P = 0.020). However, no significant difference could be observed between the GC group and CM group in the methylation-negative group (P = 0.190).

Conclusions

GC treatment could decrease the mortality of ACHBLF and SOCS1 methylation levels might serve as prognostic marker for favorable response to glucocorticoid treatment.
Interaction of TAGLN and USP1 promotes ZEB1 ubiquitination degradation in UV-induced skin photoaging
Authors: Li Yinan , Huang Xiu , Jin Jing , Zhang Haohao , Yang Kai , Han Jingxia , Lv Ying , Sun Yu , Yao Cheng , Lin Tingting , Zhu Caibin , Liu Huijuan
Published: May 2023

Background

Ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation can lead to skin damage and premature skin aging known as photoaging. This work found that UVA irradiation caused an imbalance between dermal matrix synthesis and degradation through the aberrant upregulation of transgelin (TAGLN) and studied the underlying molecular mechanism.

Results

Co-immunoprecipitation and proximal ligation assay results showed that TAGLN can interact with USP1. USP1 can be retained in the cytoplasm by TAGLN in UVA-induced cells, which inhibits the interaction between USP1/zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), promote the ubiquitination degradation of ZEB1, and lead to photoaging. TAGLN knockdown can release USP1 retention and help human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) resist UVA-induced damage. The interactive interface inhibitors of TAGLN/USP1 were screened via virtual docking to search for small molecules that inhibit photoaging. Zerumbone (Zer), a natural product isolated from Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith, was screened out. Zer can competitively bind TAGLN to reduce the retention of USP1 in the cytoplasm and the degradation of ZEB1 ubiquitination in UV-induced HSFs. The poor solubility and permeability of Zer can be improved by preparing it as a nanoemulsion, which can effectively prevent skin photoaging caused by UVA in wild-type (WT) mice. Zer cannot effectively resist the photoaging caused by UVA in Tagln−/− mice because of target loss.

Conclusions

The present results showed that the interaction of TAGLN and USP1 can promote ZEB1 ubiquitination degradation in UV-induced skin photoaging, and Zer can be used as an interactive interface inhibitor of TAGLN/USP1 to prevent photoaging.
Does type of funding affect reporting in network meta-analysis? A scoping review of network meta-analyses
Authors: Veroniki Areti Angeliki , Wong Eric Kai Chung , Lunny Carole , Martinez Molina Juan Camilo , Florez Ivan D. , Tricco Andrea C. , Straus Sharon E.
Published: May 2023

Background

Evidence has shown that private industry-sponsored randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses are more likely to report intervention-favourable results compared with other sources of funding. However, this has not been assessed in network meta-analyses (NMAs).

Objectives

To (a) explore the recommendation rate of industry-sponsored NMAs on their company’s intervention, and (b) assess reporting in NMAs of pharmacologic interventions according to their funding type.

Methods

Design: Scoping review of published NMAs with RCTs.

Information Sources: We used a pre-existing NMA database including 1,144 articles from MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, published between January 2013 and July 2018.

Study Selection: NMAs with transparent funding information and comparing pharmacologic interventions with/without placebo.

Synthesis: We captured whether NMAs recommended their own or another company’s intervention, classified NMAs according to their primary outcome findings (i.e., statistical significance and direction of effect), and according to the overall reported conclusion. We assessed reporting using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension to NMA (PRISMA-NMA) 32-item checklist. We matched and compared industry with non-industry NMAs having the same research question, disease, primary outcome, and pharmacologic intervention against placebo/control.

Results

We retrieved 658 NMAs, which reported a median of 23 items in the PRISMA-NMA checklist (interquartile range [IQR]: 21–26). NMAs were categorized as 314 publicly-sponsored (PRISMA-NMA median 24.5, IQR 22–27), 208 non-sponsored (PRISMA-NMA median 23, IQR 20–25), and 136 industry/mixed-sponsored NMAs (PRISMA-NMA median 21, IQR 19–24). Most industry-sponsored NMAs recommended their own manufactured drug (92%), suggested a statistically significant positive treatment-effect for their drug (82%), and reported an overall positive conclusion (92%). Our matched NMAs (25 industry vs 25 non-industry) indicated that industry-sponsored NMAs had favourable conclusions more often (100% vs 80%) and were associated with larger (but not statistically significantly different) efficacy effect sizes (in 61% of NMAs) compared with non–industry-sponsored NMAs.

Conclusions

Differences in completeness of reporting and author characteristics were apparent among NMAs with different types of funding. Publicly-sponsored NMAs had the best reporting and published their findings in higher impact-factor journals. Knowledge users should be mindful of this potential funding bias in NMAs.
Strategies to improve genomic predictions for 35 duck carcass traits in an F2 population
Authors: Cai Wentao , Hu Jian , Fan Wenlei , Xu Yaxi , Tang Jing , Xie Ming , Zhang Yunsheng , Guo Zhanbao , Zhou Zhengkui , Hou Shuisheng
Published: May 2023

Background

Carcass traits are crucial for broiler ducks, but carcass traits can only be measured postmortem. Genomic selection (GS) is an effective approach in animal breeding to improve selection and reduce costs. However, the performance of genomic prediction in duck carcass traits remains largely unknown.

Results

In this study, we estimated the genetic parameters, performed GS using different models and marker densities, and compared the estimation performance between GS and conventional BLUP on 35 carcass traits in an F2 population of ducks. Most of the cut weight traits and intestine length traits were estimated to be high and moderate heritabilities, respectively, while the heritabilities of percentage slaughter traits were dynamic. The reliability of genome prediction using GBLUP increased by an average of 0.06 compared to the conventional BLUP method. The Permutation studies revealed that 50K markers had achieved ideal prediction reliability, while 3K markers still achieved 90.7% predictive capability would further reduce the cost for duck carcass traits. The genomic relationship matrix normalized by our true variance method instead of the widely used $$\sum {2p}_{i}(1-{p}_{i})$$

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could achieve an increase in prediction reliability in most traits. We detected most of the bayesian models had a better performance, especially for BayesN. Compared to GBLUP, BayesN can further improve the predictive reliability with an average of 0.06 for duck carcass traits.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates genomic selection for duck carcass traits is promising. The genomic prediction can be further improved by modifying the genomic relationship matrix using our proposed true variance method and several Bayesian models. Permutation study provides a theoretical basis for the fact that low-density arrays can be used to reduce genotype costs in duck genome selection.
Children and adolescents coping with home isolation and social distancing during Covid-19 in Qatar: a cross sectional study with qualitative items
Authors: Zainel Abduljaleel Abdullatif , Daher-Nashif Suhad , Al-Maadeed Alyaa Nasser , Qotba Hamda Abdulla , Al Mujalli Hanan , Al-Kohji Sadriya Mohd
Published: May 2023

Background

Covid-19 related studies report psychological impacts during home isolation and social distancing. Despite that, children and adolescents were able to adopt coping strategies that assisted in lowering severe levels of psychological disorders. This study aims to report on the psychosocial implications of social distancing and isolation on children of different nationalities who reside in Qatar, and to reveal their coping ways.

Methods

This is a cross sectional study with qualitative component at its end. The study is a part of a larger study that reported the results of a national screening for psychological disorders experienced by children and adolescents in Qatar. A bilingual online questionnaire included close-ended and one open-ended question to screen for psychological changes and identify coping strategies practiced by children and adolescents (7–18 years) during home-isolation and social distancing. The quantitative questionnaire had five main sections as follows: the sociodemographic characteristics, Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale, Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale, and Clinical Anger Scale). The last section screened for eight different coping strategies. The summative content analysis was used to analyze the open-ended question “What practices do you do at home that make you happy?”. First, open coding was used (for identification), followed by the axial coding (for comparison), and lasted by sorting of coping strategies inductively.

Results

Six thousand six hundred and eight (6608) subjects participated between June 23 and July 18, 2020. The clinical outcomes of the study had varying prevalence and levels of severity, which ranged from mild to severe. Higher prevalence was noted for adjustment disorder 66.5% (n = 4396), and generalized anxiety 60% (n = 3858), in comparison to depression 40% (n = 2588). Additionally, participants reported using cognitive, spiritual, social, and physical coping strategies. Eight higher order themes were identified to reflect the coping strategies: playing with siblings or pets, gardening, cooking, practicing arts and crafts, and doing chores. Furthermore, Sociodemographic factors such as ethnicity, religion and family status played a considerable role in choosing the type of coping strategy.

Conclusion

The uniqueness of the study is bringing the psychosocial implications of social distancing through the voices of children and adolescents, and coping strategies from their perspective. These results are of importance for educational and healthcare systems that are recommended to collaborate even in “normal” times to prepare these age categories for any future crises. The importance of daily lifestyle and family is highlighted as protectors, and crucial factors in emotional management.
New cell sources for CAR-based immunotherapy
Authors: Mazinani Marzieh , Rahbarizadeh Fatemeh
Published: May 2023

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, in which a patient’s own T lymphocytes are engineered to recognize and kill cancer cells, has achieved striking success in some hematological malignancies in preclinical and clinical trials, resulting in six FDA-approved CAR-T products currently available in the market. Despite impressive clinical outcomes, concerns about treatment failure associated with low efficacy or high cytotoxicity of CAR-T cells remain. While the main focus has been on improving CAR-T cells, exploring alternative cellular sources for CAR generation has garnered growing interest. In the current review, we comprehensively evaluated other cell sources rather than conventional T cells for CAR generation.
Exploration of issues, challenges and latest developments in autonomous cars
Authors: Padmaja B. , Moorthy CH. V. K. N. S. N. , Venkateswarulu N. , Bala Myneni Madhu
Published: May 2023

Autonomous cars have achieved exceptional growth in the automotive industry in the last century in terms of reliability, safety and affordability. Due to significant advancements in computing, communication and other technologies, today we are in the era of autonomous cars. A number of prototype models of autonomous cars have been tested covering several miles of test drives. Many prominent car manufacturers have started investing huge resources in this technology to make it commercialize in the near future years. But to achieve this goal still there are a number of technical and non-technical challenges that exist in terms of real-time implementation, consumer satisfaction, security and privacy concerns, policies and regulations. In summary, this survey paper presents a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the latest developments in the field of autonomous cars, including cutting-edge technologies, innovative applications, and testing. It addresses the key obstacles and challenges hindering the progress of autonomous car development, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the current state of the art and future potential of autonomous cars.
Threshold optimization and random undersampling for imbalanced credit card data
Authors: Leevy Joffrey L. , Johnson Justin M. , Hancock John , Khoshgoftaar Taghi M.
Published: May 2023

Output thresholding is well-suited for addressing class imbalance, since the technique does not increase dataset size, run the risk of discarding important instances, or modify an existing learner. Through the use of the Credit Card Fraud Detection Dataset, this study proposes a threshold optimization approach that factors in the constraint True Positive Rate (TPR) ≥ True Negative Rate (TNR). Our findings indicate that an increase of the Area Under the Precision–Recall Curve (AUPRC) score is associated with an improvement in threshold-based classification scores, while an increase of positive class prior probability causes optimal thresholds to increase. In addition, we discovered that best overall results for the selection of an optimal threshold are obtained without the use of Random Undersampling (RUS). Furthermore, with the exception of AUPRC, we established that the default threshold yields good performance scores at a balanced class ratio. Our evaluation of four threshold optimization techniques, eight threshold-dependent metrics, and two threshold-agnostic metrics defines the uniqueness of this research.
Explaining tourist revisit intention using natural language processing and classification techniques
Authors: Gregoriades Andreas , Pampaka Maria , Herodotou Herodotos , Christodoulou Evripides
Published: May 2023

Revisit intention is a key indicator of business performance, studied in many fields including hospitality. This work employs big data analytics to investigate revisit intention patterns from tourists’ electronic word of mouth (eWOM) using text classification, negation detection, and topic modelling. The method is applied on publicly available hotel reviews that are labelled automatically based on consumers’ intention to revisit a hotel or not. Topics discussed in revisit-annotated reviews are automatically extracted and used as features during the training of two Extreme Gradient Boosting models (XGBoost), one for each of two hotel categories (2/3 and 4/5 stars). The emerging patterns from the trained XGBoost models are identified using an explainable machine learning technique, namely SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations). Results show how topics discussed by tourists in reviews relate with revisit/non revisit intention. The proposed method can help hoteliers make more informed decisions on how to improve their services and thus increase customer revisit occurrences.
Ectopic recurrence craniopharyngioma: series report and literature review
Authors: Ji Chenxing , Cheng Haixia , Zhou Xiang , Cao Xiaoyun , Qiao Nidan , Shi Chengzhang , Zhang Yichao , Ye Zhao , Zhao Yao
Published: May 2023

Background

Craniopharyngioma is a common intracranial tumor located in the sellar-suprasellar region. Due to the involvement of adjacent structures, it can lead to increased intracranial pressure, visual impairment, and endocrine deficiencies. Surgical resection is the primary treatment, but it is a tough challenge to achieve total resection, which will led to the frequency of recurrences and progressions. Among them, distant spread is extremely rare, but important complication, identifying and providing proper therapy, is crucial.

Methods

We report two cases of ectopic recurrence craniopharyngioma and make a literature review for the published similar case reports.

Results

Our literature review revealed 63 cases (including our patient). The onset age in children group and adult group ranges from 2–14 years old (6.70 ± 3.33) to 17–73 years old (40.63 ± 15.58), while the interval year between tumor initiation and ectopic recurrence ranges from 0.17–20 (7.28 ± 6.76) years to 0.3–34 (6.85 ± 7.29). Achieving gross total resection seems not to prevent the ectopic recurrence. The major pathology of ectopic recurrence craniopharyngioma is adamantinomatous type. The most common site of ectopic recurrence is frontal lobe. According to the pathogenesis, 35 cases were seeding along the surgical approach, and 28 cases were seeding via the CSF pathway.

Conclusion

Ectopic recurrence craniopharyngioma is rare, but it can lead to serious symptoms. Delicate surgical procedure can help to reduce the risk of ectopic recurrence, and standardized follow-up can provide valuable information for treatment.
Association between adherence to a low carbohydrate dietary (LCD) pattern with breast milk characteristics and oxidative markers in infants’ urine: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Karbasi Samira , Binabaj Maryam Moradi , Khorasanchi Zahra , Bideh Milad , Zarban Asghar , Bahrami Afsane
Published: May 2023

Background

Breast milk (BM) is a dynamic fluid that varies over time and between women. The variations in BM components are most likely associated with maternal diet quality. This study aimed to assess adherence to a low carbohydrate dietary (LCD) pattern with oxidative stress markers of BM characteristics and infants’ urine.

Materials and methods

In this cross-sectional study 350 breastfeeding mothers and their infants were recruited. BM samples were collected from mothers, and urine specimens were obtained from each infant. To evaluate LCD scores, subjects were divided into 10 deciles according to the percent of energy obtained from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Determination of total antioxidant activity was conducted using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2, 2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), and Ellman’s assay. Biochemical assays of samples including calcium, total protein, and triglyceride level were also performed using commercial kits.

Results

Participants with the greatest LCD pattern adherence were placed into the last quartile (Q4), and those with the minimum LCD were in the first quartile (Q1). Individuals in the highest LCD quartile had significantly higher levels of milk FRAP, thiol, and protein, as well as infant urinary FRAP and lower milk MDA levels than those in the lowest quartile. Multivariate linear regression analyses indicated that higher score of the LCD pattern was associated with a higher level of milk thiol, protein, and lower level of milk MDA (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our findings show that adherence to a LCD, as defined by a low level of carbohydrates in daily food intake, is linked with improved BM quality and markers of oxidative stress in infant urine.
Just in time vessel arrival system for dry bulk carriers
Authors: Senss Alexander , Canbulat Onder , Uzun Dogancan , Gunbeyaz Sefer Anil , Turan Osman
Published: May 2023

Cargo conveyance onboard dry bulk carriers is contemporarily often affiliated to preoperational waiting times, which may affect the income situation of stakeholders and the sustainability of the sector. Therefore, repetitively occurring waiting problems, potentially paired with port congestion phenomena, indicating that just in time (JIT) arrival potential for a distinct or a combination of reasons has not been realised, can be frequently identified. Undesired increment of waiting times and development of port congestion is frequently responded to by an array of measures. JIT arrival concepts, vessel arrival systems (VAS) and virtual arrival (VA) agreements thereby do not strive to eliminate waiting times but facilitate their sensible transformation into additional navigation time. In practice, VAS applications may, however, only enfold their inherent sustainability potential within closely defined delimitations. At the same time, JIT mechanisms and VA agreements may lack acceptance due to impracticability or missing alignment to underlying trade requirements. Therefore, fair but environmentally inefficient arrival mechanisms like the first come first serve (FCFS) concept remain widely applied. As a remedy, a VAS has been conceptualised by diverting from a static to a dynamic time-, distance- and speed JIT concept wherein these parameters are defined by predicted berth and cargo operation availability. A circular based Reporting Line furnished with the functions attributable to the place where line up positions are customarily allocated is fluctuating in correspondence to the time to go until the nearest berthing opportunity becomes available. The concept does not only provide for a dynamically shifting line and corridor to obtain an often highly valued line up position, but for the distance and conditions where under a vessel is going to arrive JIT. The FCFS concept interwoven with unbiased allocating of line-up positions is being retained as an integral part while VA applications are supported.
2022 World of shipping Portugal: an international research conference on maritime affairs
Authors: Casaca Ana Cristina Paixão , Loja Maria Amélia Ramos
Published: May 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world. It showed the possibility of running economic activities remotely, allowing people to learn how to have a more balanced life. As a result, electronic commerce flourished, and it is here to stay. However, only time will tell whether people will shop more online or return to traditional brick-and-mortar shopping. With more people at home, prevented from going out to a cinema, or a theatre, the service industry was severely impacted until governments relieved the confinement measures so that their economies returned to pre-pandemic levels. Certainly that container shipping was the winner of all shipping market segments, given the increased number of finished goods to be carried. When all seemed to return to normalcy, the Russian–Ukraine crisis complicated the economic and political environment. Maritime transport was affected in the Black Sea, and only after many weeks of negotiation did the parties involved reach the Ukraine grain deal enabling Ukraine to transport millions of tonnes of food through the Black Sea despite the ongoing conflict. The number of sanctions against Russia increased, and many countries and regions were forced to look for alternative sources of oil, oil by-products and gas, this time benefiting the gas and tanker shipping markets with increasing freight rates. Apart from this, the maritime industry is still facing extraordinary challenges. Endeavours are being made to accelerate industry decarbonisation, digitalisation and operations optimisation. The quest for finding alternative fuels to power the world fleet is there. For now, LNG and methanol are the most promising alternatives, with the possible installation of carbon storage units to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. These events draw the industry to deal with the market, technology, and regulatory challenges and risks whose outcome is yet to be seen. With this background, seven papers presented at the 2022 World of Shipping Portugal Conference, An International Research Conference on Maritime Affairs, 27–28 January, that took place online via CiscoWebex due to the Covid-19 pandemic were selected to be published in this Special Issue. They open the scope for new research areas and address essential aspects that contribute to the efficiency of the overall maritime sector.
Evaluation of the biocontrol potential of the fungus Botrytis euroamericana strain HZ-011 for herbicidal activity
Authors: Zhu Haixia , Lin Zerong , Ma Yongqiang
Published: May 2023

Background

Weeds in farmland seriously threaten crop yield and cause huge economic losses. Due to the extensive use of chemical herbicides, a series of problems have been arisen, such as environmental pollution, soil degradation and pesticide residues. To assess the herbicidal activity, crop safety, taxonomic identity and infection process of strain HZ-011, the methods of inoculation on detached leaves in vitro and pot plants in vivo, as well as scanning electron microscopy, were used in this study.

Results

The results indicated that strain HZ-011 had pathogenic effects on detached leaves of four weeds, including Amaranthus retroflexus Linn., Elsholtzia densa Benth., Malva crispa Linn. and Chenopodium album Linn. in vitro. Strain HZ-011 also showed high pathogenicity to C. album and A. retroflexus in vivo, in which the pathogenicity rates were 100%, meaning all plants died after 7 days in the pot test, while the pathogenicity rates for E. splendens and M. crispa were 60.00 and 29.60%, respectively. This strain was safe for local crops, including Vicia faba Linn., Pisum sativum Linn., Brassica napus Linn., Hordeum vulgare Linn. and Triticum aestivum Linn. Strain HZ-011 was identified as the fungus Botrytis euroamericana based on its morphology, molecular biology and a constructed phylogenetic tree. The infection process of B. euroamericana HZ-011 in C. album was studied by plant histopathological observations after pathogen infection. This procedure showed that the mycelium of strain HZ-011 invaded C. album tissues from the stomata, infected and propagated within the tissues, and the spores produced further damage in the C. album tissues and lesions occurred on the surfaces of C. album leaves.

Conclusion

These tests provide a basis for fungus B. euroamericana HZ-011 as a potential microbial herbicide.
Effects of formulated Nigerian yellow maize, soybean, and crayfish blends on some growth performance and physiological status
Authors: Adegbusi Halid Sheriff , Ismail Amin , Mohd. Esa Norhaizan , Daud Zulfitri Azuan Mat
Published: May 2023

In order to develop adequate complementary foods (CFs) to improve infant and young child feeding, the inclusion of animal source foods (ASFs) into plant-based foods (PBFs) is paramount. Unfortunately, the incorporation of ASFs into PBFs to formulate adequate CFs was infrequent in the developing countries, especially Nigeria. Yet, few CFs that were formulated by this strategy lacked adequate studies. This study investigated the compositional quality of CFs formulated from Nigerian yellow maize flour (MF), yellow maize + soybean flour (MSF), yellow maize + soybean + crayfish flour (MSCF), and commercial fortified wheat milk flour (FWMF) and their impact on the growth performance and physiological status of Sprague Dawley rats (SDRs). Compositional quality of CFs and their effects on the health status of SDRs were assessed. MSCF had higher protein and ash contents, its sulphur amino acids content was about 132% higher than that of MSF and astaxanthin was detected only in it. Determined antinutrients much reduced in MSCF compared with other CFs. The body weight gain (23.75 g) in yellow maize + soybean + crayfish diet (MSCD) group was significantly higher than other diet groups, whilst the value of protein efficiency ratio (2.59), feed efficiency ratio (0.30) in MSCD group was nominally higher compared with other groups. Better improvement in some of the biochemical and haematological parameters were observed in MSCD group compared with other groups, but no signs of illness, infection, and organ damage were seen in all the groups. The current study proved that crayfish could be used in a dietary modification to produce an adequate CF that potentiates improved growth performance and positive health outcomes in animals.

Graphical Abstract
Numerical analysis on seismic behavior of the assembled modular steel plate shear wall with inclined slots
Authors: Yang Shengchao , Jin Shuangshuang
Published: May 2023

This paper proposes a novel multi-grids steel plate shear wall with inclined slots (called MSPSW). This MSPSW composed of the steel plates with inclined slots, precast concrete panels, the transverse and longitudinal (T&L) connecting stiffeners, and external frame components. Smaller single plates can be used in the design and installation process since the space size of individual frames inside the frame is reduced as a result of the T&L connecting stiffeners. The direction of inclined slots in the adjacent grids is opposite, which makes the lateral resistance and stiffness close to symmetry. Numerical analysis is conducted to evaluate the seismic behavior. With the correct finite element model, finite element analysis is performed on the key parameters of MSPSW, such as the cross-sectional dimension of T&L connecting stiffeners, the thickness of steel plate, the width of inclined slots and the width of plate slot strips. The Mises distribution and development regular pattern of MSPSW are also explored. The FE numerical analysis discovered that the MSPSW increased the bearing capacity and energy consumption capacity of the members due to the installation of T&L connecting stiffeners. Additionally, the thickness required for concrete panels is lowered when the components are subjected to cyclical loads. Finally, the internal force development curves in frame beams and columns are extracted, it can be found that the internal forces become smaller, which weakens the demand of frame members. The theoretical calculation formulas of the maximum internal forces of frame beams and columns are provided.
The La Luna Formation, Venezuela: A prospective unconventional reservoir
Authors: Liborius-Parada Andreina , Philp R. Paul , Slatt Roger
Published: May 2023

Since the early 2000s, the exploitation of unconventional reservoirs has become very important to the oil and gas industry because of their high potential source of energy and economic value. Venezuela possesses a world-class hydrocarbon source rock in one of the most prolific hydrocarbon basins in the world, namely the Cretaceous La Luna Formation in the Maracaibo Basin. Outcrop and core samples collected from the northwestern Maracaibo Basin provide the database for this study. A comprehensive multiscale characterization of the samples is undertaken to unravel the stratigraphic properties of the petroleum system. In addition, a geochemical approach is taken to evaluate the prospectivity of the La Luna Formation as an unconventional resource in the Maracaibo Basin. Rock-Eval pyrolysis and biomarker data indicate that the La Luna Formation is dominated by type II kerogen, indicating an oil-prone marine organic matter origin. Total organic carbon values range between 3.85 wt% and 9.10 wt%. Distributions of isoprenoids, steranes, and terpanes including gammacerane and monoaromatic steroid hydrocarbons indicate a hypersaline, marine carbonate anoxic depositional environment. Thermal maturity parameters indicate that most of the cores are currently in the oil window. This combined stratigraphic geochemical study indicates that the La Luna Formation has excellent potential as an unconventional reservoir for oil and gas in the study area.
Non-canonical odor representation and learning in Dipteran brains
Authors: Rauscher Michael J , Wolff Gabriella H
Published: May 2023

For decades, the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster has provided a window into the structure and function of the insect olfactory system, revealing a remarkable organizational correspondence between insects and vertebrates. In both clades, olfactory sensory neurons expressing the same class of sensory receptor proteins exclusively target a dedicated neuropil known as a glomerulus. Here, we review recent evidence from Drosophila and other Dipteran taxa that challenges this canonical view, showing widespread co-expression of olfactory sensory proteins within the same neurons. We discuss the consequences of co-expression for early sensory processing in the insect olfactory system. In addition, we situate these findings within the broader framework of olfactory learning, highlighting recent findings that suggest a wider importance of the antennal lobe than has been previously appreciated.
Inclisiran - hope in the fight against dyslipidemia
Authors: Krawiec Paulina , Madej Karolina , Wolanin Izabela , Zielonka Bartłomiej , Kowalczyk Ilona , Stachyra Bartłomiej , Wolanin Marta , Stawikowski Cezary , Dengler Barbara , Osińska Aleksandra
Published: May 2023

Introduction:Lipid disorders are one of the most common modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Until now, the mainstay of dyslipidemia treatment was the use of widely available statins. These drugs, despite significantly lowering cholesterol and bringing its concentration to desired values were associated with a number of side effects. In addition, the need for daily use of statins is inconvenient for patients and leads to their irregular use and, consequently, failure to achieve the desired effect. The new drug, inclisiran, which is a PCSK9 inhibitor, represents the future in the treatment of lipid disorders. Studies conducted to date have explored the drug's mechanism of action, frequency of administration to achieve the desired effect, and side effects. The results of these studies have confirmed the significant efficacy of inclisiran,which may become a major form of treatment for dyslipidemia in the future.
Purpose of the work: This article reviews the state of knowledge based on available studies on inclisiran. The aim of the review is to present the most important information about this drug related to the mechanism of action, effects on the body or assessment of efficacy.
Materials and methods: The authors, based on databases such as PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar, created a paper summarizing a review of currently available publications, concerning a new drug in the treatment of dyslipidemia- inclisiran.  The authors searched for available information , using terms under the heading "key words" contained in other scientific papers.
Summary
Inclisiran is a novel drug that represents the future in the treatment of dyslipidemia. Due to the lack of systemic effect, it has insignificant side effects, and the need for such rare administration will allow to obtain the desired lipid concentrations even in patients who do not cooperate.
Creating Exciting Content: A Descriptive Study of Pixbox's Digital Marketing Strategies on Social Media
Authors: Simabur Lisda Ariani , Herlina Rita , Wiradharma Gunawan
Published: May 2023

Many companies have adapted their marketing strategies to focus on digital media to overcome the limitations of face-to-face communication. Pixbox, an Indonesian local shipping company, has created brand awareness through digital marketing, including social media platforms, to attract customers and promote their services. This study aims to determine how the Pixbox creative team creates digital marketing content on social media. The research used a descriptive qualitative approach, collecting data through interviews and analyzing them using qualitative methods. The study focused on the Pixbox marketing content creator team and their social media activities, using purposive sampling to select participants and qualitative data analysis techniques to analyze the data. This study indicated that in creating exciting content, the content creator team of Pixbox carried out three stages, namely the pre-production stage, trying to plan content by thinking about how the purpose of the content will be, the production stage as a stage of content creation strategy as well as publishing it. The post-production stage, as the content evaluation stage, shows that the achievement of content creation on social media has an impact on increasing Pixbox brand awareness/customers, which is targeted at young entrepreneurs. Pixbox’s content creator team creates exciting marketing content in three stages: pre-production, production, and post-production, successfully increasing brand awareness and customer orders. Suggestions for improvement include better planning and research in the pre-production stage, exploring other social media platforms, and constantly evaluating content creation.