bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatially distinct molecular patterns of gene expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Blumhagen Rachel Z. , Kurche Jonathan S. , Cool Carlyne D. , Walts Avram D. , Heinz David , Fingerlin Tasha E. , Yang Ivana V. , Schwartz David A.
Published: November 2023

Background

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a heterogeneous disease that is pathologically characterized by areas of normal-appearing lung parenchyma, active fibrosis (transition zones including fibroblastic foci) and dense fibrosis. Defining transcriptional differences between these pathologically heterogeneous regions of the IPF lung is critical to understanding the distribution and extent of fibrotic lung disease and identifying potential therapeutic targets. Application of a spatial transcriptomics platform would provide more detailed spatial resolution of transcriptional signals compared to previous single cell or bulk RNA-Seq studies.

Methods

We performed spatial transcriptomics using GeoMx Nanostring Digital Spatial Profiling on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue from 32 IPF and 12 control subjects and identified 231 regions of interest (ROIs). We compared normal-appearing lung parenchyma and airways between IPF and controls with histologically normal lung tissue, as well as histologically distinct regions within IPF (normal-appearing lung parenchyma, transition zones containing fibroblastic foci, areas of dense fibrosis, and honeycomb epithelium metaplasia).

Results

We identified 254 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between IPF and controls in histologically normal-appearing regions of lung parenchyma; pathway analysis identified disease processes such as EIF2 signaling (important for cap-dependent mRNA translation), epithelial adherens junction signaling, HIF1α signaling, and integrin signaling. Within IPF, we identified 173 DEGs between transition and normal-appearing lung parenchyma and 198 DEGs between dense fibrosis and normal lung parenchyma; pathways dysregulated in both transition and dense fibrotic areas include EIF2 signaling pathway activation (upstream of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress proteins ATF4 and CHOP) and wound healing signaling pathway deactivation. Through cell deconvolution of transcriptome data and immunofluorescence staining, we confirmed loss of alveolar parenchymal signals (AGER, SFTPB, SFTPC), gain of secretory cell markers (SCGB3A2, MUC5B) as well as dysregulation of the upstream regulator ATF4, in histologically normal-appearing tissue in IPF.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that histologically normal-appearing regions from the IPF lung are transcriptionally distinct when compared to similar lung tissue from controls with histologically normal lung tissue, and that transition zones and areas of dense fibrosis within the IPF lung demonstrate activation of ER stress and deactivation of wound healing pathways.
Hollow manganese dioxide-chitosan hydrogel for the treatment of atopic dermatitis through inflammation-suppression and ROS scavenging
Authors: Wu Yaguang , Zhou Zihao , Zhang Min , Li Song , Sun Mengyi , Song Zhiqiang
Published: November 2023

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with immune dysfunction. High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can lead to oxidative stress, release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and T-cell differentiation, thereby promoting the onset and worsening of AD. In this study, we innovatively used quaternary ammonium chitosan (QCS) and tannic acid (TA) as raw materials to design and prepare a therapeutic hydrogel(H-MnO2-Gel) loaded with hollow manganese dioxide nanoparticles (H-MnO2 NPs). In this system, the hydrogel is mainly cross-linked by dynamic ion and hydrogen bonding between QCS and TA, resulting in excellent moisture retention properties. Moreover, due to the inherent antioxidant properties of QCS/TA, as well as the outstanding H2O2 scavenging ability of H-MnO2 NPs, the hydrogel exhibits significant ROS scavenging capability. In vitro experiments have shown that H-MnO2-Gel exhibits good cellular biocompatibility. Importantly, in an AD-induced mouse model, H-MnO2-Gel significantly enhanced therapeutic effects by reducing epidermal thickness, mast cell number, and IgE antibodies. These findings suggest that H-MnO2-Gel, by effectively clearing ROS and regulating the inflammatory microenvironment, provides a promising approach for the treatment of AD.
Exercise improves cognitive dysfunction and neuroinflammation in mice through Histone H3 lactylation in microglia
Authors: Han Hao , Zhao Yawei , Du Junda , Wang Sushan , Yang Xuehan , Li Weijie , Song Jiayi , Zhang Siwei , Zhang Ziyi , Tan Yongfei , Hatch Grant M. , Zhang Ming , Chen Li
Published: November 2023

Background

Exercise is postulated to be a promising non-pharmacological intervention for the improvement of neurodegenerative disease pathology. However, the mechanism of beneficial effects of exercise on the brain remains to be further explored. In this study, we investigated the effect of an exercise-induced metabolite, lactate, on the microglia phenotype and its association with learning and memory.

Results

Microglia were hyperactivated in the brains of AlCl3/D-gal-treated mice, which was associated with cognitive decline. Running exercise ameliorated the hyperactivation and increased the anti-inflammatory/reparative phenotype of microglia and improved cognition. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with sodium lactate (NaLA) had similar beneficial effects as that of exercise training. Exogenous NaLA addition to cultured BV2 cells promoted their transition from a pro-inflammatory to a reparative phenotype.

Conclusion

The elevated lactate acted as an “accelerator” of the endogenous “lactate timer” in microglia promoting this transition of microglia polarization balance through lactylation. These findings demonstrate that exercise-induced lactate accelerates the phenotypic transition of microglia, which plays a key role in reducing neuroinflammation and improving cognitive function.
Challenges in substance use treatment as perceived by professionals and Arabic-speaking refugees in Germany
Authors: Saleh Ebtesam A. , Klapprott Felix , Heinz Andreas , Kluge Ulrike
Published: November 2023

Background

Substance use (SU) and substance use disorders (SUDs) have been recently documented among forcibly displaced populations as a coping mechanism to migration and postmigration stressors. Although the literature exploring substance use among refugees has grown recently, little is known about SU among Arabic-speaking refugees and, more specifically, on the challenges and experiences in regards to SU treatment. This study investigates this topic from the perspectives of Arabic-speaking refugees and professionals in Germany.

Methods

Design and participants To expand our knowledge on this topic, a qualitative approach was employed by conducting in-depth and semi-structured interviews among 26 participants (13 refugees and 13 professionals) in Germany during 2020–2021. Purposive sampling was used to recruit Arabic-speaking refugees in two rehabilitation centers in Berlin.

Data and analysis Interviews were conducted with 26 participants of which 13 were refugees and 13 professionals. Refugees were interviewed individually in the rehabilitation centers, they ranged from 21 to 52 years of age, and their average time in Germany was 6.3 years. An open-ended survey was conducted among the professionals via the SoSci-survey platform, and they ranged from 22 to 66 years of age, with an average of 5 to 9 years of work experience. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Three themes resulted from the thematic analysis: (1) The treatment is facilitated by institutional and emotional support; (2) The affected refugees struggle with complex contextual barriers to access SUD treatment; and (3) Individual and community preventive strategies are needed.

Conclusions

This study provides insight into the support and challenges of accessing effective SU treatment and prevention among Arabic-speaking refugees in Germany. Collaborative efforts by the community, professionals, and policymakers are needed to facilitate access to effective treatment and implement culturally and linguistically sensitive approaches for the treatment and prevention of SU among refugees.
Is dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation affected by a bystander’s emotional stress state in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest?
Authors: Tuffley Rebecca Hvidt , Folke Fredrik , Ersbøll Annette Kjær , Blomberg Stig Nikolaj Fasmer , Linderoth Gitte
Published: November 2023

Aim

The study aimed to investigate whether a bystander’s emotional stress state affects dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-CPR) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The primary outcome was initiation of chest compressions (Yes/No). Secondarily we analysed time until chest compressions were initiated and assessed how dispatchers instructed CPR.

Method

The study was a retrospective, observational study of OHCA emergency calls from the Capital Region of Denmark. Recorded calls were evaluated by five observers using a pre-defined code catalogue regarding the variables wished investigated.

Results

Included were 655 OHCA emergency calls, of which 211 callers were defined as emotionally stressed. When cardiac arrest was recognized, chest compressions were initiated in, respectively, 76.8% of cases with an emotionally stressed caller and 73.9% in cases with a not emotionally stressed caller (2.18 (0.80–7.64)). Cases with an emotionally stressed caller had a longer time until chest compressions were initiated compared to cases with a not emotionally stressed caller, however non-significant (164 s. vs. 146 s.; P = 0.145). The dispatchers were significantly more likely to be encouraging and motivating, and to instruct on speed and depth of chest compressions in cases with an emotionally stressed caller compared to cases with a not emotionally stressed caller (1.64 (1.07–2.56); 1.78 (1.13–2.88)). Barriers to CPR were significantly more often reported in cases with an emotionally stressed caller compared to cases with a not emotionally stressed caller (1.83 (1.32–2.56)).

Conclusion

There was no significant difference in initiation of chest compressions or in time until initiation of chest compressions in the two groups. However, the dispatchers were overall more encouraging and motivating, and likely to instruct on speed and depth of chest compressions when the caller was emotionally stressed. Furthermore, barriers to CPR were more often reported in cases with an emotionally stressed caller compared to cases with a not emotionally stressed caller.

Trial registration

We applied for ethical approval from The Danish National Committee on Health Research Ethics, but formal approval was waived. We received permission for storage of data and to use these for research of OHCAs in the Capital Region of Denmark by Danish Data Protection Agency (P-2021-670) and Danish Health Authorities (R-2,005,114). The study is registered at ClinicalTrials (NTC05113706).
Loss of p53-DREAM-mediated repression of cell cycle genes as a driver of lymph node metastasis in head and neck cancer
Authors: Brennan Kevin , Espín-Pérez Almudena , Chang Serena , Bedi Nikita , Saumyaa Saumyaa , Shin June Ho , Plevritis Sylvia K. , Gevaert Olivier , Sunwoo John B. , Gentles Andrew J.
Published: November 2023

Background

The prognosis for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) is poor and has improved little in recent decades, partially due to lack of therapeutic options. To identify effective therapeutic targets, we sought to identify molecular pathways that drive metastasis and HNC progression, through large-scale systematic analyses of transcriptomic data.

Methods

We performed meta-analysis across 29 gene expression studies including 2074 primary HNC biopsies to identify genes and transcriptional pathways associated with survival and lymph node metastasis (LNM). To understand the biological roles of these genes in HNC, we identified their associated cancer pathways, as well as the cell types that express them within HNC tumor microenvironments, by integrating single-cell RNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq from sorted cell populations.

Results

Patient survival-associated genes were heterogenous and included drivers of diverse tumor biological processes: these included tumor-intrinsic processes such as epithelial dedifferentiation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition, as well as tumor microenvironmental factors such as T cell-mediated immunity and cancer-associated fibroblast activity. Unexpectedly, LNM-associated genes were almost universally associated with epithelial dedifferentiation within malignant cells. Genes negatively associated with LNM consisted of regulators of squamous epithelial differentiation that are expressed within well-differentiated malignant cells, while those positively associated with LNM represented cell cycle regulators that are normally repressed by the p53-DREAM pathway. These pro-LNM genes are overexpressed in proliferating malignant cells of TP53 mutated and HPV + ve HNCs and are strongly associated with stemness, suggesting that they represent markers of pre-metastatic cancer stem-like cells. LNM-associated genes are deregulated in high-grade oral precancerous lesions, and deregulated further in primary HNCs with advancing tumor grade and deregulated further still in lymph node metastases.

Conclusions

In HNC, patient survival is affected by multiple biological processes and is strongly influenced by the tumor immune and stromal microenvironments. In contrast, LNM appears to be driven primarily by malignant cell plasticity, characterized by epithelial dedifferentiation coupled with EMT-independent proliferation and stemness. Our findings postulate that LNM is initially caused by loss of p53-DREAM-mediated repression of cell cycle genes during early tumorigenesis.
The single and interactive effects of aluminium and low pH, or Ca/Al ratios on red pine seedlings
Authors: Shan Yunfeng , Riaz Ammara
Published: November 2023

Acid deposition has been one of the major environmental pollution problems for longer than 50 years, since the 1970s. Investigation on the interactive effects of aluminum (Al) and low pH or Ca/Al ratios on red pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb. and Zucc.) has been required but lacking. In the present study, needles of red pine seedlings exposed to Al treatments with solution pH 4.0 and 3.5 exhibited purplish leaf characteristics of Al toxicity. The dry weights of the needle and whole plant, and the current needle elongation were linearly reduced with Al concentrations from 0, 13 to 26 ppm. Results show that red pine is an intermediate species in sensitivity to Al and is insensitive to low pH. However, the synergistic interactions of low pH treatments with the elevated Al were significant. Al toxicity to red pine was significantly enlarged with reduced pH. The root length and whole plant length were significantly decreased at 1:10 of Ca/Al ratios (p < 0.05), but Al phytotoxicity was completely lost when the Ca/Al molar ratio was 10:1. Liming is still an applicable measure to remediate acidification problems by natural or anthropogenic factors such as acid deposition.
HD_BPMDS: a curated binary pattern multitarget dataset of Huntington’s disease–targeting agents
Authors: Stefan Sven Marcel , Pahnke Jens , Namasivayam Vigneshwaran
Published: November 2023

The discovery of both distinctive lead molecules and novel drug targets is a great challenge in drug discovery, which particularly accounts for orphan diseases. Huntington’s disease (HD) is an orphan, neurodegenerative disease of which the pathology is well-described. However, its pathophysiological background and molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. To date, only 2 drugs have been approved on the US and European markets, both of which address symptomatic aspects of this disease only. Although several hundreds of agents were described with efficacy against the HD phenotype in in vitro and/or in vivo models, a successful translation into clinical use is rarely achieved. Two major impediments are, first, the lack of awareness and understanding of the interactome—the sum of key proteins, cascades, and mediators—that contributes to HD initiation and progression; and second, the translation of the little gained knowledge into useful model systems. To counteract this lack of data awareness, we manually compiled and curated the entire modulator landscape of successfully evaluated pre-clinical small-molecule HD-targeting agents which are annotated with substructural molecular patterns, physicochemical properties, as well as drug targets, and which were linked to benchmark databases such as PubChem, ChEMBL, or UniProt. Particularly, the annotation with substructural molecular patterns expressed as binary code allowed for the generation of target-specific and -unspecific fingerprints which could be used to determine the (poly)pharmacological profile of molecular-structurally distinct molecules.
Inhibitory potential of rutin and rutin nano-crystals against Helicobacter pylori, colon cancer, hemolysis and Butyrylcholinesterase in vitro and in silico
Authors: Qanash Husam , Al-Rajhi Aisha M. H. , Almashjary Majed N. , Basabrain Ammar A. , Hazzazi Mohannad S. , Abdelghany Tarek M.
Published: November 2023

Despite the vital activity of many compounds, they lack that effectiveness due to their low solubility in water. Unfortunately, for this reason, rutin often leads to low tissue permeability and insufficient bioavailability, which has greatly limited its pharmacological utility. Therefore, the present investigation is designed to overcome this problem by formulating the rotin to rotin nanocrystals (RNCs) with studying their some pharmacological applications in vitro and in silico. RNCs were created via the ultrasonication approach and showed a spherical shape via Transmission electron microscopy with a mean particle size of 27 nm. RNCs reflected inhibitory action against Helicobacter pylori with an inhibition zone (IZ) of 22.67 mm compared to rutin (IZ of 18 mm) and standard control (IZ of 19.5 mm). RNCs exhibited less minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) (7.8 µg/mL) than rutin (62.5 µg/mL). The MBC/MIC index of rutin and RNCs indicated their bactericidal properties. RNCs were more acutely (92.12%) than rutin (85.43%) for inhibition the H. pylori biofilm formation. A promising half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) (6.85 µg/mL) was recorded using RNCs for urease inhibition compared to the IC50 value of rutin (97.8 µg/mL). The activity of rutin and RNCs was tested against cancer cells of human colon cancer (HT-29) and normal Vero cells. IC50 values of RNCs were less 168.23 ± 1.15 µg/mL and 297.69 ± 4.23 µg/mL than the IC50 values of rutin 184.96 ± 4.33 µg/mL and 335.31 ± 2.02 µg/mL against HT-29 cells and normal Vero cells, respectively. Different percentages (72.2, 77.3, and 81.9%) of hemolysis inhibition were recorded using RNCs, but 63.6, 68.9, 73.6, and 80.6% were obtained using rutin at 600, 800, and 1000 µg/mL, respectively. Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition % was documented at a lower IC50 value for RNCs (12.74 µg/mL) than the IC50 of rutin (18.15 µg/mL). The target molecule underwent molecular docking research against H. pylori [Protein Data Bank (PDB) code: 4HI0], HT-29 cells (PDB code: 2HQ6), and BChE (PDB code: 6EMI) in order to enhance the interactions between rutin and the chosen receptors and to estimate its molecular operating environment (MOE) affinity scoring. Rutin has predicted strong binding interactions and potent activity against the examined proteins 4HI0, 2HQ6, and 6EMI with low binding scores of − 7.47778 kcal/mol, − 7.68511 kcal/mol, and − 9.50333 kcal/mol, respectively.
Aedes aegypti microbiome composition covaries with the density of Wolbachia infection
Authors: Pascar Jane , Middleton Henry , Dorus Steve
Published: November 2023

Background

Wolbachia is a widespread bacterial endosymbiont that can inhibit vector competency when stably transinfected into the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, a primary vector of the dengue virus (DENV) and other arboviruses. Although a complete mechanistic understanding of pathogen blocking is lacking, it is likely to involve host immunity induction and resource competition between Wolbachia and DENV, both of which may be impacted by microbiome composition. The potential impact of Wolbachia transinfection on host fitness is also of importance given the widespread release of mosquitos infected with the Drosophila melanogaster strain of Wolbachia (wMel) in wild populations. Here, population-level genomic data from Ae. aegypti was surveyed to establish the relationship between the density of wMel infection and the composition of the host microbiome.

Results

Analysis of genomic data from 172 Ae. aegypti females across six populations resulted in an expanded and quantitatively refined, species-level characterization of the bacterial, archaeal, and fungal microbiome. This included 844 species of bacteria across 23 phyla, of which 54 species were found to be ubiquitous microbiome members across these populations. The density of wMel infection was highly variable between individuals and negatively correlated with microbiome diversity. Network analyses revealed wMel as a hub comprised solely of negative interactions with other bacterial species. This contrasted with the large and highly interconnected network of other microbiome species that may represent members of the midgut microbiome community in this population.

Conclusion

Our bioinformatic survey provided a species-level characterization of Ae. aegypti microbiome composition and variation. wMel load varied substantially across populations and individuals and, importantly, wMel was a major hub of a negative interactions across the microbiome. These interactions may be an inherent consequence of heightened pathogen blocking in densely infected individuals or, alternatively, may result from antagonistic Wolbachia-incompatible bacteria that could impede the efficacy of wMel as a biological control agent in future applications. The relationship between wMel infection variation and the microbiome warrants further investigation in the context of developing wMel as a multivalent control agent against other arboviruses.
Association between personality traits and smoking cessation among Chinese adults
Authors: Jin Weiyun , Xian Bensong , Zhao Longlong , Li Changle
Published: November 2023

Background

Although the tobacco epidemic is one of the greatest public health threats, the smoking cessation rate among Chinese adults is considerably lower. Personality information may indicate which treatments or interventions are more likely to be effective. China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco worldwide. However, little is known about the association between smoking cessation and personality traits in China.

Aim

This study aimed to examine the association between successful smoking cessation and personality traits among Chinese adults.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used data from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies. Probit regression models were employed to analyze the association between successful smoking cessation and personality traits stratified by sex.

Results

Lower scores for neuroticism (Coef.=-0.055, p < 0.1), lower scores for extraversion (Coef.=-0.077, p < 0.05), and higher scores for openness to experience (Coef.=0.045, p < 0.1) predicted being a successful male quitter after adjusting for demographics. Moreover, lower scores for conscientiousness (Coef.=-0.150, p < 0.1) predicted being a successful female quitter after adjusting for demographics.

Conclusion

The empirical findings suggested that among Chinese men, lower levels of neuroticism, lower levels of extraversion, and higher levels of openness to experience were associated with a higher likelihood of smoking cessation. Moreover, lower levels of conscientiousness were associated with successful smoking cessation among Chinese women. These results showed that personality information should be included in smoking cessation interventions.
Prenatal ethanol exposure and changes in fetal neuroendocrine metabolic programming
Authors: Liu Liang , Wen Yinxian , Ni Qubo , Chen Liaobin , Wang Hui
Published: November 2023

Prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) (mainly through maternal alcohol consumption) has become widespread. However, studies suggest that it can cause intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and multi-organ developmental toxicity in offspring, and susceptibility to various chronic diseases (such as neuropsychiatric diseases, metabolic syndrome, and related diseases) in adults. Through ethanol’s direct effects and its indirect effects mediated by maternal-derived glucocorticoids, PEE alters epigenetic modifications and organ developmental programming during fetal development, which damages the offspring health and increases susceptibility to various chronic diseases after birth. Ethanol directly leads to the developmental toxicity of multiple tissues and organs in many ways. Regarding maternal-derived glucocorticoid-mediated IUGR, developmental programming, and susceptibility to multiple conditions after birth, ethanol induces programmed changes in the neuroendocrine axes of offspring, such as the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and glucocorticoid-insulin-like growth factor 1 (GC-IGF1) axes. In addition, the differences in ethanol metabolic enzymes, placental glucocorticoid barrier function, and the sensitivity to glucocorticoids in various tissues and organs mediate the severity and sex differences in the developmental toxicity of ethanol exposure during pregnancy. Offspring exposed to ethanol during pregnancy have a “thrifty phenotype” in the fetal period, and show “catch-up growth” in the case of abundant nutrition after birth; when encountering adverse environments, these offspring are more likely to develop diseases. Here, we review the developmental toxicity, functional alterations in multiple organs, and neuroendocrine metabolic programming mechanisms induced by PEE based on our research and that of other investigators. This should provide new perspectives for the effective prevention and treatment of ethanol developmental toxicity and the early prevention of related fetal-originated diseases.
Use of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) data to complement exposure–response analysis in early clinical cancer drug development
Authors: Xia Huiming , Booth Brian P. , Wang Yaning , Fan Chunling , Bhatnagar Vishal , Kluetz Paul , Fourie Zirkelbach Jeanne
Published: November 2023

Background

This proof-of-concept retrospective case study investigated whether patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments, designed to capture symptomatic adverse event data, could identity a known exposure–response (ER) relationship for safety characterized in an original FDA analysis of an approved anti-cancer agent. PRO instruments have been designed to uniquely quantify the tolerability aspects of exposure-associated symptomatic adverse events. We explored whether standard ER analyses of clinician-reported safety data for symptomatic adverse events could be complemented by ER analysis using PRO data that capture and quantify the tolerability aspects of these same symptomatic adverse events.

Methods

Exposure-associated adverse event data for diarrhea were analyzed in parallel in 120 patients enrolled in a clinical trial using physician reported Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) and patient-reported symptomatic adverse event data captured by the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) PRO Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) instrument. Comparative ER analyses of diarrhea were conducted using the same dataset. Results from the CTCAE and PRO-CTCAE ER analyses were assessed for consistency with the ER relationship for diarrhea established in the original NDA using a 750-patient dataset. The analysis was limited to the 120-patient subset with parallel CTCAE and PRO-CTCAE assessments.

Results

Within the same 120-patient dataset, ER analysis using dense, longitudinal PRO-CTCAE-derived data was sensitive to identify the known ER relationship for diarrhea, whereas the standard CTCAE based ER analysis was not.

Conclusions

ER analysis using PRO assessed symptomatic adverse event data may be a sensitive tool to complement traditional ER analysis. Improved identification of relationships for safety, by including quantification of the tolerability aspect of symptomatic adverse events using PRO instruments, may be useful to improve the sensitivity of exposure response analysis to support early clinical trial dosage optimization strategies, where decision making occurs within limited small patient datasets.
Antiviral activities of three Streptomyces spp. against Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) infecting squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) plants
Authors: Ghanem Gamal A. M. , Mahmoud Ahmed M. A. , Kheder Ahmed A. , Gebily Doha A. S. , Osamy Asmaa
Published: November 2023

Background

Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) is the major devastating disease worldwide, which leads to substantial economic losses (up to 100%) to yield and fruits quality produced of squash plants. Application of agro-pesticides is efficient and incompatible with organic agriculture and reportedly has harmful effects on human health and ecosystem. Nowadays, Streptomyces spp., a rich source of potential bioactive secondary metabolites, is extensively used to manage various biotic stresses for sustainable agriculture and considered to be eco-friendly.

Results

An isolate of ZYMV was isolated from squash plants and identified based on biological and molecular characterization using RT-PCR for several genes, i.e., coat protein gene (CP), DAG, P1 and P3 coding regions in the virus RNA, and then, nucleotide sequences were compared to other isolates submitted in GenBank having accession numbers, i.e., OM925548.1, OM925549.1, OM925550.1 and OM925551.1, respectively. Phylogenetic trees of CP, DAG, P1 and P3 sequences compared to other ZYMV nucleotide sequences presented in the GenBank. In order to determine new efficient substances elicitors derived from Streptomyces spp. to control ZYMV, greenhouse trials were designed with seven treatments including culture broth of three Streptomyces spp. (S. sampsonii, S. rochei and S. griseus) individually or in combinations. Early application of Streptomyces spp. revealed potent antiviral activity against ZYMV infection, inhibited virus replication and promoted plant growth as well as induced systemic resistance. Moreover, physiological stress markers as indicators for systemic acquired resistance were distinguished via significantly enhanced proline, phenols and defense-related enzymes, i.e., catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase by culture broth treatments, despite the presence of infection. Real-time qPCR assay was a more reliable and accurate detection for quantification ZYMV than conventional PCR. The results revealed that the three Streptomyces spp. novel biocontrol agents produced Behenic alcohol (Docosanol) which provided clues to be potential antiviral mechanisms capable to down-regulate P1 gene expression responsible for virus replication and movement from cell to cell to induce systemic infection as well as safe eco-friendly candidates for the controlling approaches against plant viral pathogens.

Conclusion

Results suggest that the three Streptomyces spp. provided clues as a novel biocontrol agent having potential antiviral with protective activity and eco-friendly alternative pesticides for managing plant viruses.
Pro-Con Debate: Superior Versus Inferior Triangle Needle Placement in Transforaminal Epidural Injections
Authors: Doshi Tina L. , Engle Alyson M. , Przybysz Aaron J. , Nelson Ariana M.
Published: November 2023

Although transforaminal epidural injections have long been used for radicular pain, there is no universal standard injection approach to the neural foramen. The intervertebral foramen and its surrounding structures comprise an anatomically sensitive area that includes bone and joint structures, the intervertebral disk, blood vessels (in particular, the radicular arteries), the epidural sheath, and the spinal nerve root. Given the relatively high risk of inadvertent injury or injection to these nearby structures, image guidance for transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESIs) is standard of care. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding the optimal approach to the neural foramen: from the traditional superior (“safe”) triangle or from the inferior (Kambin’s) triangle. In this Pro-Con commentary article, we discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of each approach for TFESIs.
Fully Endoscopic Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia Caused by Vertebrobasilar Artery: A Case Series Review: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Sun Jinxing , Wang Jiwei , Jia Junheng , Cao Zexin , Li Zhenke , Zhang Chao , Guo Xing , Wu Qianqian , Li Weiguo , Ma Xiangyu
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Microvascular decompression (MVD) is the most definitive and preferred surgical treatment for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Treatment of TN caused by the vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) has been reported to be challenging and less satisfactory in complications and recurrence. Endoscopy has been implemented to provide a comprehensive view of neurovascular conflicts and minimize brain tissue stretch injury while exploring the trigeminal nerve. However, there are few retrospective studies on the treatment of TN caused by VBA by fully endoscopic microvascular decompression (E-MVD). This article aimed to illustrate the safety and efficacy of E-MVD for TN caused by the VBA.

METHODS:

Clinical data for 26 patients with TN caused by the VBA who underwent E-MVD from 2019 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The characteristics of vertebrobasilar-associated TN were summarized. The safety and efficacy of E-MVD for vertebrobasilar-associated TN were estimated based on the analysis of intraoperative manipulation, postoperative symptom relief, and complications.

RESULTS:

Intraoperatively, the vertebrobasilar artery was regarded as a direct offending vessel in all 26 patients with TN, the vertebral artery in 18 (69.23%) and the basilar artery in 10 (38.46%). In addition to the vertebrobasilar artery, other vessels involved included the superior cerebellar artery in 12 patients, anterior inferior cerebellar artery in 9, posterior inferior cerebellar artery in 1, and veins in 4. All patients underwent E-MVD, and TN was entirely resolved in 26 (100%) patients immediately postoperatively. During the follow-up period of 12–45 months, no recurrence or serious complications were found. There were no serious postoperative complications, such as cerebellar swelling, intracranial hemorrhage, or death.

CONCLUSION:

E-MVD for vertebrobasilar-associated TN is effective and safe.
Virtual Reality Opera Space: Energy-Efficient Clustering Protocol Based on Cluster Centers for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Yang Zhiyong
Published: November 2023

Energy efficiency presents a notable challenge in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) as the sensor nodes, which are responsible for collecting and transmitting data, operate under limited energy capacity. The sensor nodes must generate as much power as possible to make the network last longer. Generally, every sensor node in a WSN has batteries with limited capacities. It can be challenging to replace this little battery at times due to its vast number and numerous environmental issues. Therefore, it is believed that energy-efficient communication is essential for prolonging the lifespan of a sensor node. This work suggests a brand-new routing protocol clustering method that is energy efficient. Initially, the bamboo growth optimizer novel metaheuristic method was built on differential equations of bamboo growth and the Gaussian mixture model (BFGO). Secondly, a Cluster Centered Cluster Head Selection Algorithm (C3HA) of a routing protocol (BFGO-C3HA) is presented, with the encoding method and fitness function being revised. This algorithm is based on the BFGO technique. It can reduce transmission distance and increase energy efficiency. The results of simulations show that applying BFGO-C3HA can efficiently lessen the sensor network's energy consumption while increasing the amount of information transmitted to extend the network's lifetime.
Efficient Clustering of Brain Tumor Segments using Level-set Hybrid Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Lvliang He , Hua Wu
Published: November 2023

Cluster computing is an essential technology in distributed environments for practical data analysis in complex datasets like tumor segmentation, disease classification etc. Today real-world applications like medicine and transport are needed for big data analytics environments. This research article considers complex image data environments like brain tumor segmentation based on advanced clustering techniques for effective tumor prediction. An a-state-of-art analysis used Hierarchical clustering to extract initial tumor segments from the image. The next segment is further refined using novel Noise detection-based level-setting techniques. The unsupervised Fuzzy C-means and k- means clustering is used to segment the diseases affected region to enhance noise detection used in the level set. Effective features are extracted using gray level co-occurrence matrix and redundant discrete wavelet transform. Finally, classifying malignant and benign brain tumor images is done using deep probabilistic neural networks. Publicly available datasets are used to validate the proposed algorithms. Experimental results prove that proposed pipeline techniques have effective performance in tumor segmentation and classification model.
Lightweight Intrusion Detection Method of Vehicle CAN Bus under Computational Resource Constraints
Authors: Ming Xiancheng , Wang Zhenyu , Xu Bo
Published: November 2023

In order to improve the security protection performance of the vehicle Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, the research builds an adaptive lightweight intrusion detection algorithm based on the limited computing and storage resources of the on-board ECU environment and the message cycle characteristics to supervise and detect the vehicle CAN bus intrusion. The results showed that the message cycle-based adaptive intrusion detection algorithm had high accuracy and recall rate, and fast computational search efficiency, with a stable detection time of less than 3 seconds. The intrusion detection capability is continuously optimized as the training time increases, and after stabilization, the resource utilization rate reaches over 95% with a throughput of 100Mb/s. The algorithm has strong protection capabilities. The average vehicle CPU usage of the algorithm is only 4.76%, which is 10.17% lower than the intrusion detection algorithm based on support vector machines. It can effectively prevent interference with the normal operation of the vehicle CAN bus. The algorithm has high detection accuracy for interrupt type attacks, and there are no false positives or missed alarms. For injection type attacks, the probability of missed alarms is less than 1%. The intrusion detection of vehicle CAN bus based on the message cycle characteristics provides technical reference for the safety and stability of the vehicle network, and has important practical value for the intelligent and networked development of the automobile industry.
Design and Implementation of Vehicle Scheduling Optimization for Smart Logistics Platform Powered by Hadoop Big Data
Authors: Yu Guangtian , Yu Wangtianhua
Published: November 2023

E-commerce has become the mainstream consumption mode for people, and with the continuous increase of online shopping business volume, controlling logistics costs has become an urgent problem to be solved. In order to solve the challenges in vehicle scheduling and achieve a scientific and reasonable vehicle scheduling scheme, this research is based on Hadoop Big data platform, introduces the concept of time axis, and builds a vehicle scheduling model based on Hadoop intelligent platform. Based on quantum genetic algorithm and combined with MapReduce model, a quantum improved genetic algorithm is constructed to solve vehicle scheduling optimization problems. The results show that the traditional quantum genetic algorithm converges after 20 iterations, achieving an optimal value of 575 and taking 360 seconds. The improved quantum genetic algorithm converged after 10 iterations and achieved an optimal value of 675, taking 200 seconds. Compared with quantum genetic algorithm, the improved quantum genetic algorithm reduces the time spent by 44.4%. Selecting customer data from a certain logistics company for testing, the improved algorithm shortens the delivery time and achieves the design of the optimal path scheduling plan. This study optimized transportation routes and resource scheduling, reduced transportation costs, and played an important role in optimizing vehicle scheduling in the logistics industry.
Detecting Academic Affective States of Learners in Online Learning Environments Using Deep Transfer Learning
Authors: Komaravalli Purushottama Rao , B Janet
Published: November 2023

Online Learning Environments (OLEs) have become essential in global education, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, OLEs face a challenge in recognizing student emotions, hindering educators' ability to provide effective support. To address this issue, researchers emphasize the importance of a balanced dataset and a precise model for academic emotion detection in OLEs. However, the widely-used DAiSEE dataset is imbalanced and contains videos captured in well-lit environments. However, real-time observations reveal students' diverse lighting conditions and proximity to cameras. Consequently, models trained on DAiSEE dataset exhibit poor accuracy. In response, this work suggests a customized DAiSEE dataset and proposes the Xception-based transfer learned model and AffectXception model. Our customization process involves selectively extracting single-label frames with intensity levels 2 or 3 from the original DAiSEE dataset. To enhance dataset diversity and tackle the issue of dataset imbalance, we meticulously apply data augmentation techniques on these extracted frames. This results in frames that showcase variations in lighting, both low and high, as well as diverse camera perspectives. As a result, the customized DAiSEE dataset is now well-balanced and exceptionally suitable for training deep learning models to detect academic emotions in online learners. Then we trained and tested both proposed models on this dataset. The AffectXception model outperforms existing models, achieving significant improvements. For Boredom, Engagement, Confusion, and Frustration, it attains accuracy rates of 77%, 79.28%, 83.76%, and 91.87%, respectively. Additionally, we evaluate the AffectXception model on the Online Learning Spontaneous Facial Expression Database (OL-SFED), obtaining competitive results across various emotion classes. This work empowers educators to adjust their content and delivery methods based on learners' emotional states, resulting in more effective and informative online sessions. As OLEs continue to play a crucial role in education, our approach enhances their capacity to address students' emotional needs.
Anomaly Diagnosis Method and Condition Assessment of Power Metering Device Based on SSD Algorithm
Authors: Jiang Chao , Wang Jinghua , Wang Yue , Zhao Wanru
Published: November 2023

The advancement of anomaly diagnosis methods plays a crucial role in classifying and analyzing data, particularly in distinguishing between normal and abnormal patterns. This study explores the utilization of Support Vector Machine (SVM) techniques to facilitate the selection of pertinent data, thus enhancing the accuracy of anomaly detection. Furthermore, this research delves into the condition assessment process, which offers valuable insights into the real-time state of entities passing through power metering devices. Drawing upon a wealth of secondary data sources, this study employs the SSD algorithm to gain a comprehensive understanding of power metering devices and their interrelated aspects. The SSD algorithm, with its diverse anchor points, is revealed as a powerful tool for quantifying the energy flow passing through the power metering device. This approach not only aids in precise energy measurement but also provides essential insights into the functioning of power metering systems. By combining anomaly diagnosis, SVM techniques, and the SSD algorithm, this study contributes to a deeper comprehension of power metering devices' performance and their capacity to accurately measure energy. These insights have significant implications for improving the overall reliability and efficiency of power metering in various applications.
Cigarette Production Line Flow Automatic Control System Based on PLC Technology and Embedded Software
Authors: Zhi Ding , Xie Lihua , Xia Yong , Shi Jie
Published: November 2023

The automatic controlling system of the production will increase the preciseness of the work and it helps the employees to meet the organizational targets. The programming logic controller (PLC) and software-based technologies controlled everything interrelated with the production processes. This reduces the risk of production and evaluates the quality of the tobacco used to manufacture cigarettes. This study is based on secondary sources as which helps to get adequate information about the study topic. The implementation cost of the PLC is quite high, and proper training of the employees is needed for the manipulation of the PLC system of production. This is a computerised technology that supports the production process of the organisation and reduces the cost of production in the long term. The term control technology is usually based on the control which is manual and on which the human operator has a general or primary role in following the procedures. These approaches are used for the decision-making and the execution of the programs and the operations, which are done manually.