bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between El Niño and extreme temperatures in southern South America in CMIP5 models. Part 1: model evaluation in the present climate
Authors: Collazo S , Barrucand M , Rusticucci M
Published: February 2021

Climate variability might temporarily improve or mitigate the effects of increasing global warming. Understanding and estimating internal variability is just as important as understanding the role of anthropogenic forcing, as the combination of both drives climate events in the real world. The objective of this work is to analyze the relationship between the SST of the equatorial Pacific and 4 extreme temperature indices in southern South America considering gridded observational data (HadEX3), reanalyses (ERA-Interim, NCEP1, NCEP2), and global climate models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) in the historical period 1979-2005. For this, correlations and quantile regression for the 90th percentile were estimated between the variables. Moreover, to assess the performance of the reanalysis and CMIP5 models, multiple metrics were calculated. The observations showed that warm conditions in the equatorial Pacific are mainly associated with a higher occurrence of warm nights in the north and center of Argentina and Chile in winter and spring. However, the different reanalyses considered in this study showed discrepancies in representing these relationships. Several CMIP5 models were generally able to simulate correlation patterns for the warm extremes of the minimum and maximum temperature in comparison to HadEX3. These types of studies are critical to understanding whether climate models simulate temperature extremes in association with physical processes, providing greater confidence in their future projections.
The ‘One’s own — Alien’ conflict in Lesia Ukrainka’s dramaturgy: ethnic-national and worldview aspects
Authors: Prylipko Iryna
Published: February 2021

The paper focuses on the specific features of the ‘One’s own — Alien’ conflict in the dramatic works by Lesia Ukrainka. The majority of her dramas and dramatic poems were written on the basis of foreign cultural phenomena, including the Ancient Greek, Biblical, and other topoi and images. Foreign cultural realities are aimed at the actualization of both the entire context of Ukraine and the writer’s autobiographic discourse in a recipient’s consciousness, forming the imagological paradigms ‘One’s own — Alien,’ ‘Me — Another’. Upon involving the imagological theories, the author of the paper traces the development of dialogue between various cultural realities in Lesia Ukrainka’s dramatic works. This allowed elucidating the peculiarities in the artistic representation of the exotic topoi of different countries as the significant feature of Neoromantic and, in general, Modernist discourses, which were basic for Lesia Ukrainka’s writing. The textual analysis of Lesia Ukrainka’s dramas reveals the specific features of unfolding the ‘One’s own — Alien’ conflict, first of all, on the ethnic-mental level, epitomized in the ‘conquered — conqueror’ collision of the plays “Babylonian Captivity”, “Over the Ruins”, “Orgy” and “Boiarynia”. The other dimension is the worldview and religious level, mostly realized through the collision ‘Antiquity — Christianity’ (“In the Catacombs”, “Rufinus and Priscilla”, “Martian the Lawyer”, and others). It is proved that the  ‘One’s own — Alien’ conflict deepens the problems of the works and serves as a way to reveal the essential characteristics of the heroes. The paradigm of the mentioned conflict highlights the borders of the national and personal identities, emphasizes axiological concepts and active ideas, fundamental for Lesia Ukrainka’s dramatic works, such as the tragedy of misunderstanding, the need for constructive dialogue, the necessity of choice, the search for spiritual and national freedom, the meaning of sacrifice, and the role of art.
Kapabilitas Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi Sekretariat Jendral DPR RI Menuju Parlemen Modern
Authors: Iskandar Indra
Published: February 2021

Organisasi Sekretariat Jenderal Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia (Setjen DPRRI) memiliki peran penting sebagai sistem pendukung terlaksananya tugas dan fungsi dari DPRRI. Ketidakpercayaan publik terhadap parlemen dan ketidakpahaman publik mengenai sistem politik demokrasi dapat mengakibatkan ketidakstabilan politik. Dengan adanya DPPRI modern, maka diharapkan kepercayaan publik terhadap parlemen akan kembali. Tujuan Penelitian ini adalah adalah menganalisis kapabilitas teknologi informasi sekretariat jendral DPRRI dalam mendukung DPRRI yang modern. Metodologi penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode deskriptif. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah observasi secara langsung, wawancara mendalam kepada pihak terkait, penyebaran kuisioner kepada 82 pegawai setjen DPRRI eselon 1 sampai dengan 3. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Setjen DPRRI selama bulan Desember 2019 sampai dengan Januari 2020. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan kapabilitas Teknologi dan Informasi (TIK) setjen DPPRI sudah baik dengan aplikasi-aplikasi yang dibangun untuk kebutuhan pegawai internal, anggota dewan dan masyarakat umum. TIK yang sudah baik ini belum digunakan secara maksimal baik oleh pegawai setjen, anggota DPRRI maupun masyarakat umum dikarenakan sosialisasi yang kurang dan kemampuan penggunanya. Sehingga direkomendasikan sosialisasi dan pelatihan secara masif agar infrastruktur TIK yang sudah ada dapat dimanfaatkan secara maksimal. Kapabilitas TIK ini akan menjadikan DPRRI modern yang berarti lebih terbuka, transparan dan bertanggung jawab, mendorong orang untuk lebih terlibat dalam kehidupan publik dengan memberikan informasi yang berkualitas dan akses yang lebih besar ke dokumen dan kegiatan DPRRI atau badan legislatif agar warga negara berpartisipasi dalam proses pembuatan kebijakan maupun perundang-undangan. Kapabilitas TIK ini juga menjadikan pegawai atau setjen menjadi andal sebagai sistem pendukung kegiatan DPRRI dan kepercayaan publik terhadap DPRRI semakin meningkat.

 

Kata kunci: Kapabilitas; Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi; DPRRI Modern
The Mechanisms of Development of Musical Culture Industry in Russia and China: Educational Cooperation
Authors:   Center for Comprehensive Art Studies, Saratov State L.V. Sobinov Conservatory, Malshina Nataliya А. , Mu Quanzhi ,   Nizhny Novgorod State M. I. Glinka Conservatory
Published: February 2021

The increasing globalization and internationalization of the cultural industry requires careful consideration of the global trends in the development of the cultural industry. During the last decade many Asian countries, especially China, have also taken a leading position in the global market of services of the cultural industry. China has achieved an impressive amount of success in the development and industry of culture and tourism around the world. The relevance of this study is due to the opportunities and need to make use of the experience of China for the development of the cultural industry and, primarily, musical culture in Russia. The development of the cultural industry, the experience of propaganda, the experience of opposing the Western model, and the experience of financing and internationalization must be studied and adapted to Russian conditions. After the Nanjing Peace Treaty of 1842 there began a gradual influence of European artistic achievements on China. Solo violin, chamber and orchestral music became widespread, the system of professional training for violinists began to take shape, and Chinese composers started composing their first works for the violin. In the context of the formation of a contemporary model of relations between Russia and China, scientific and educational cooperation involves a detailed analysis of the mechanisms of the organization of partner countries and the identification of possible ways of cooperation in this area. The development of the management experience of cultural industry, propaganda experience, the experience of opposition to the Western model, and the experience of financing and internationalization must be studied and disseminated in the Russian context.
The Image of Yaromir in the Artistic System of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Opera- Ballet “Mlada
Authors:   Volgograd P.A. Serebryakov Conservatory, Podshivalova Svetlana A. , Shmakova Olga V. ,   Volgograd P.A. Serebryakov Conservatory
Published: February 2021

The article is devoted to the image of Yaromir in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera-ballet “Mlada,” a mythological work in its structure and content. Russian musicology does not include a systematic research work from such an angle, and this stipulated the topicality of the present theme. The image of Yaromir is examined in a complex form, highlighting the characteristic means of musical expressivity, related to intonation, timbre, texture and modality-tonality. In conclusion, it is emphasized that Yaromir is a complex character. At first he appears in heroic light as the Prince of Arkona. Passing through peripetiae of mystically conditioned circumstances in the confrontation between the forces of Good and Evil, in the struggle for happiness within the framework of the lyrical triangle (Voyislava – Mlada), Yaromir perishes physically, but is elevated in the spiritual realm. Above all his trials is only Love.
Attributive Indications of Characters and Protagonists of Comic Operas in the Thematicism of Mozart’s Clavier Sonatas
Authors:   Ufa State Institute of Arts named after Zagir Ismagilov, Danilova Yana Yu.
Published: February 2021

Many instrumental works by 17th and 18th century composers are generated, as it is well known, on the principle of the atricalization of the plots which demonstrates the characters and protagonists of opera works, various “migrating plotlines,” dramatic and comic situations generated in theatrical and opera works. In Mozart’s clavier sonatas it frequently becomes possible to discern the musical manifestation of typical indications of characteristic images, as well as the migrating comic opera attributes connected with them. This type of plotline organization of the piano musical text may be labeled as theatrical. The article is aimed at analyzing the signs of migrating operatic characters and protagonists, stage settings, dialogues and polylogues, and at times entire theatrical acts, consisting of several alternating scenes demonstrating the appearance of the semantic situation of “a text within a text.” Within the scope of a clavier composition this manifests itself in the form of a theatrical dialogue containing signs of verbal actions and motional plastic arts.
The Role of City Culture in the Formation of the Bashkir National Art of the Pre-Revolutionary Period
Authors:   Ufa State Institute of Arts named after Zagir Ismagilov, Galina Gulnaz S.
Published: February 2021

The article presents some basic information about the development of city musical culture in the Orenburg gubernia and in Ufa during the pre-revolutionary period. The regularity of the formation of the phenomenon of the city cultural milieu is traced by the examples of such components as concert and theatre practice, in the context of which the foundations of compositional and performance professionalism indispensable for the development of European genres were perfected. As the result of an overview of various forms of musicmaking at home and the concert and theater practice, the foundations of which had been installed by the direct bearers of European culture itself — Polish insurgents banished to the gubernia in the 18th century — the fact is substantiated that the Russian-European academic musical tradition conditioned the environment due to which national concert life was established in the early 20th century. It is proven that the Europeanization in Bashkir culture began not during the period of the Soviet cultural development, but on the wave of Jadidism in the activities of the new-method madrassahs, which in the beginning of the previous century became the main centers for sacred and secular culture. At the same time, the emergence of combined Tatar-Bashkir dramatic theatrical troupes conducive towards the onset of national theatrical music is the greatest accomplishment of Bashkir music in the prerevolutionary period, which connected the pre-revolutionary epoch with the period of formation of national compositional schools.
Interview with Composer Diego Sánchez Haase
Authors:   Manhattan School of Music, Green Edward
Published: February 2021

ICONI Magazine is proud to present an interview conducted by Dr. Edward Green, professor at the Manhattan School of Music, with Maestro Diego Sánchez Haase, the most distinguished musician yet produced by the nation of Paraguay. First and foremost a composer, with works in many different genres, Haase is likewise a major orchestral conductor, and a powerful advocate for the music of Bach. This interview includes discussion of his operas Pancha y Elisa (2018) and Ñomongeta (2019) — each rooted in the history and culture of Paraguay: the latter opera being the fi rst ever to have its libretto in Guarani — the language of its indigenous population. (It is one of the two offi cial languages of Paraguay; the other being Spanish.) In this interview is also substantial discussion of Haaseʼs study of Bach with Helmut Rilling, and of two operas Maestro Haase is currently creating, including one based on the Bibleʼs “Song of Songs.”
Creative Flute Playing in Work with Beginners
Authors:   Children’s Art School, Boldurescu Yulia V.
Published: February 2021

The article is addressed to faculty members of departments of wind and percussion instruments in children’s music schools and children’s schools for the arts for collaborative work with beginners in elementary fl ute classes. The article proceeds to describe and formulate questions and playing assignments with utilization of the repertoire of folk melodies for bringing out the instructor’s and pupil’s artistic approaches in working with original musical texts and cognizing its content-related side on the early stages of studies in children’s music schools and children’s schools for the arts. The term “playing assignments” presume role playing in the dialogues of two fl utes or fl ute and piano with a revision and transformation of the primary musical text (the arrangement). Due to the technique of semantic analysis, the instructor may demonstrate to children the secrets of arrangements; they will understand how to make use of various means of transformation of the musical texts, as well as the semantic fi gures involved, acquaint themselves with the peculiarities of construction of folk song melodies and learn to disclose the boundaries of musical retorts in musical dialogues.
Workshops in the Higher Educational Institution Course “Methodology of Musicological Research”
Authors:   Saratov State L.V. Sobinov Conservatory, Kulapina Olga I.
Published: February 2021

“Methodology of musicology research” refers to an insuffi ciently developed higher educational institution discipline studied by musicology students from the advanced courses (major fi eld of studies). The purpose of the article is to examine the relevant and largely innovative forms of practical development of the course, which corresponds to the content of the curriculum drawn up by the author. The focus of our attention is on three types of workshops held as part of seminars: 1) methodological analysis of specifi c musicological theories, 2) preparation by the students of the methodological subsection of the fi nal qualifi cation thesis, 3) the work of studying the introductory sections of monographs and abstracts of dissertations for the degree of Candidate of Arts (analysis of the methodological position). Organization of these workshops makes it possible for students to enrich their knowledge with existent and new informational sources, to develop their skills in working with scholarly texts, revealing their methodological component, to comprehend the signifi cance of the approaches and methods used in studying and writing academic works of different genres, to adapt the methodology of scholarly research for professional activities in the fi eld of scholarship, education, and enlightenment. Thereby, it becomes possible to increase the competence of future specialists in various types of activities in the fi eld of musical scholarship, art and culture.
Aesthetic Realism Explains Rock and Roll and Our Lives
Authors:   State University of New York at Stony Brook, Fennell Kevin
Published: February 2021

This is an inquiry into what rock and roll as art can say to us about our very lives. It is based on the following principle of Aesthetic Realism, the philosophy founded by American poet Eli Siegel: “All beauty is a making one of opposites, and the making one of opposites is what we are going after in ourselves.” Six well-known rock and roll recordings are looked at for how they make a one of opposites — principally, inner feeling and outward expression, also wildness and precision, continuity and discontinuity, pleasure and pain; and how the seeing of these aesthetic opposites as one in the music of rock and roll can inform us about how we, as human beings, want to be in our everyday lives in order to be happy and truly expressed.
Innovations of Genre-Related Form in Karmella Tsepkolenko’s Piano Music
Authors:   Odessa National A.V. Nezhdanova Music Academy, Perepelytsia Oleksandr O.
Published: February 2021

The article is devoted to the innovations in the piano compositions of Karmella Tsepkolenko. The presentation of the present theme demonstrates the complex-dialogical character of the interrelations between the composer and artistic space in contemporary music, which requires a broad contextual approach upon analysis and study of the latter. By the example of Tsepkolenko’s children’s pieces and concert piano pieces, disclosure is made of the main parameters of innovations, such as artistic stimulation, the emotional-energetic context of the composition, the scenary development of the musical material, the principle of synthetic mastery of art, and theatricalization of non-theatrical musical genres. Scenary development (the composer’s expertise) becomes the foundation on which the theatricalized events in the piano pieces are unfolded. At the same time the eventful groundwork of the music does not wedge itself into the Procrustean bed of the traditional, historically developed forms and genres, but directs the composer’s thinking towards innovation, towards the creation of new forms and genres appropriate to the scenario. In the children’s pieces and in the concert piece the narrative unfolds according to the principle of “the theater of representation,” when the narration is stated from the third person. One of the manifestations of the “theater of representation” is the inner theatricalization, based on the dialogic relations between separate structural modules, thematic germs, juxtapositions both within each of the musical structures and between them. An important particularity of inner theatricalization is the presence of the element of play, bringing in the role principle into the development of the musical material, fi lling the composition with “images” of the protagonists. Outward theatricalization is also broadly used, and a special role in outward theatricalization belongs to plastic forms — these are gestures of the musicianactors, their behavioral roles. It is shown that the use of the principles of synthetic mastery of art, relying on the phenomenon of play in its inseparable integrality, theatricalization as the main principle of the unfolding of artistic form and scenary development of the musical material directs the composer towards the creation of new aesthetic models, activates the composer’s subconscious structures for the creation of semantic complexes which are new in their new in their form and content, and fi lls the musical composition with complex dialogic connections and play energy.
Music, Mathematics and Computer Science: History of Interaction
Authors:   Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Gorbunova Irina B. , Zalivadny Mikhail S. ,   Saint-Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory
Published: February 2021

The lecture “Music, Mathematics and Computer Science” characterizes by concrete examples various aspects of interaction of these studies with each other by incorporating the apparatus of corresponding scholarly disciplines (set theory, probability theory, information science, group theory, etc.). The role and meaning of these aspects in the formation of an integral perception about music and in the realization of practical creative musical goals are educed. Examination of these questions is what the lecture studies are devoted to as part of the educational courses “Mathematical Methods of Research in Musicology” and “Informational Technologies in Music” developed by the authors for the students of the St. Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory and the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia. The lecture “Music, Mathematics and Computer Science” is subdivided into two parts. The fi rst part, “Music, Mathematics and Computer Science: History of Interaction” examines the processes of interconnection and interpenetration of various fi elds of music, mathematics and computer science, spanning the period from Ancient Times to the turn of the 20th and the 21st centuries. The second part of the lecture: “Music, Mathematics and Computer Science: Particular Features of Functioning of Computer-Musical Technologies” (due to be published in the journal’s next issue) is devoted to examining various aspects of developing and applying computer-musical technologies in contemporary musical practice, including musical composition, performance and the sphere of music education.
Flamenco Dance as a Means of Expressing Emotions and Developing Emotional Intelligence
Authors:   Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service, Kucherenko Anastasia L. , Konopleva Nina A. ,   Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service
Published: February 2021

The article examines the fl amenco dance as a means of expression of the dancer’s emotions and development of emotional intellect. It has been noted that up to the present time in scholarship there has not been any unifi ed approach towards the essence of the concept of “emotion” and the characterization of emotional intellect. The authors of the article note that emotions demonstrate the experience of various types of situations by the subject, evaluation of their meaning, as well as transformations and regulations of behavior in consideration of the achieved evaluation. The article substantiates the meaning of human existence in the context of the affective-emotional nature of individuals and people’s belonging to the category of emotional-social beings. It is shown that emotions serve not only as an organizing and motivating factor of behavior, but also as a factor of personalized development and relationship with the surrounding world. Analysis is made of the views on emotions of a number of authors, including Wilhelm Reich, who presumed that chronic tension in the human being’s organism negatively affects his energetic fi eld, at the basis of which lie strong emotions, not allowing him to experience these emotions and distorting the expression of feelings. The human being can free himself of such energy blocks only after having fully experienced these emotions. In its turn, the experience of these emotions and, consequently, their discharge may be carried out by means of art and artistic creativity. Hereinafter the fl amenco dance is examined as a means not only of remittal of the dancer’s and the audience’s psycho-emotional tension, but also the development of emotional intellect.
Decreased Cytokine Plasma Levels and Changes in T-Cell Activation Are Associated With Hemodynamic Improvement and Clinical Outcomes After Percutaneous Mitral Commissurotomy in Patients With Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis
Authors: Silva Vicente R. , Neves Eula G. A. , Passos Lívia S. Araújo , Cristina de Melo Flávia , Teixeira-Carvalho Andrea , Nassif Maria Cecília L. , Junqueira Lucas Lodi , Aikawa Elena , Dutra Walderez O. , Nunes Maria Carmo P.
Published: February 2021

Mitral stenosis (MS) is a consequence of rheumatic heart disease that leads to heart failure requiring mechanical intervention. Percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC) is the treatment of choice for the intervention, and currently there are no soluble markers associated with hemodynamic improvement after PMC. This study aims to determine the changes in cytokine/chemokine plasma levels, as well as T cell activation after PMC, and to investigate their association with immediate hemodynamic improvement and clinical outcomes. Plasma samples from eighteen patients with well-defined MS who underwent PMC and 12 healthy controls were analyzed using BioPlex immunoassay. We observed that 16 out of the 27 (60%) molecules assessed were altered in patients' plasma pre-PMC as compared to control group. Of those, IL-1β, IL-12, IL-6, IL-4, PDGF, and CCL11 showed significant decrease after PMC. Stratifying the patients according to adverse outcome after a 28-month median follow up, we detected a significant reduction of IL-1β, IL-12, IL-6, IL-4, IFN-γ, CXCL-10, VEGF, FGF and PDGF post-PMC in patients without events, but not in those who presented adverse events during the follow-up. Patients with adverse outcomes had lower IL-10 pre-PMC, as compared to the ones without adverse events. In addition, the frequency of CD8+ activated memory cells was increased after PMC, while the frequency of CD4+ activated memory cells did not change. Our results show an association between the decrease of specific cytokines and changes in T cell activation with hemodynamic improvement post-PMC, as well as with long-term outcomes, suggesting their possible use as soluble markers for hemodynamic recovery after MS intervention.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Preventive Oral Health Care During Wave One
Authors: Meyer Beau D. , Danesh David O.
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Early childhood caries burdens children, their families, and the health care system. Utilizing fluoride varnish at medical well-child visits with non-dental primary care providers can be an interprofessional strategy to combat early childhood caries. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered preventive health care delivery and the effects on preventive oral health care delivery have not been previously described.

Methods: This analysis used descriptive statistics and non-parametric Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney tests to compare preventive oral health utilization among 1 to 5-year old children in two state Medicaid agencies before and during the pandemic. Fluoride utilization rates at dental visits and medical well-child visits were calculated as number of users per 1,000 enrolled children. Additionally, the proportion of well-child visits that included fluoride application was calculated for each state.

Results: During the pandemic, the quarterly fluoride utilization rate significantly decreased at dental visits (pre-pandemic = 153.5 per 1,000 enrolled children; pandemic = 36.1 per 1,000 enrolled children, p < 0.001) and signficantly decreased at medical well-child visits (pre-pandemic = 72.2 per 1,000 enrolled children; pandemic = 32.3 per 1,000 enrolled children, p = 0.03) during the pandemic.

Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of interprofessional collaboration among non-dental primary care providers and dental providers to provide access to preventive oral health services, particularly when access to dentists is limited. Future directions might include rigorous evaluations of co-located medical and dental services or the use of interprofessional telehealth technologies.
Consequences of Increased Variation in Peatland Hydrology for Carbon Storage: Legacy Effects of Drought and Flood in a Boreal Fen Ecosystem
Authors: Kane Evan S. , Dieleman Catherine M. , Rupp Danielle , Wyatt Kevin H. , Rober Allison R. , Turetsky Merritt R.
Published: February 2021

Globally important carbon (C) stores in boreal peatlands are vulnerable to altered hydrology through changes in precipitation and runoff patterns, groundwater inputs, and a changing cryosphere. These changes can affect the extent of boreal wetlands and their ability to sequester and transform C and other nutrients. Variation in precipitation patterns has also been increasing, with greater occurrences of both flooding and drought periods. Recent work has pointed to the increasing role of algal production in regulating C cycling during flooded periods in fen peatlands, but exactly how this affects the C sink-strength of these ecosystems is poorly understood. We evaluated temporal trends in algal biomass, ecosystem C uptake and respiration (using static and floating chamber techniques), and spectroscopic indicators of DOM quality (absorbance and fluorescence) in a boreal rich-fen peatland in which water table position had been experimentally manipulated for 13 years. Superimposed on the water table treatments were natural variations in hydrology, including periods of flooding, which allowed us to examine the legacy effects of flooding on C cycling dynamics. We had a particular focus on understanding the role of algae in regulating C cycling, as the relative contribution of algal production was observed to significantly increase with flooding. Ecosystem measures of gross primary production (GPP) increased with algal biomass, with higher algal biomass and GPP measured in the lowered water table treatment two years after persistent flooding. Prior to flooding the lowered treatment was the weakest C sink (as CO2), but this treatment became the strongest sink after flooding. The lower degree of humification (lower humification index, HIX) and yet lower bioavailability (higher spectral slope ratio, Sr) of DOM observed in the raised treatment prior to flooding persisted after two years of flooding. An index of free or bound proteins (tyrosine index, TI) increased with algal biomass across all plots during flooding, and was lowest in the raised treatment. As such, antecedent drainage conditions determined the sink-strength of this rich fen—which was also reflected in DOM characteristics. These findings indicate that monitoring flooding history and its effects on algal production could become important to estimates of C balance in northern wetlands.
Microarray Data of Lacrimal Gland Implicates Dysregulated Protein Processing in Endoplasmic Reticulum in Graves’ Ophthalmopathy
Authors: Tu Wenling , Yao Jia , Mei Zhanjun , Jiang Xue , Shi Yuhong
Published: February 2021

Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO) has become one of the most common orbital diseases. Although some evidences announced the potential mechanism of pathological changes in extraocular muscle and orbital adipose tissue, little is known about that in lacrimal enlargement of GO patients. Thus, gene expression profiles of lacrimal gland derived from GO patients and normal controls were investigated using the microarray datasets of GSE105149 and GSE58331. The raw data and annotation files of GSE105149 and GSE58331 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Bioinformatics including differentially expressed genes (DEGs), Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, hub gene identification, and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were successively performed. A total of 173 overlapping DEGs in GSE105149 and GSE58331 were screened out, including 20 up-regulated and 153 down-regulated genes. Gene Ontology, KEGG and GSVA analyses of these DEGs showed that the most significant mechanism was closely associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Moreover, we identified 40 module genes and 13 hub genes which were also enriched in the ER-associated terms and pathways. Among the hub genes, five genes including HSP90AA1, HSP90B1, DNAJC10, HSPA5, and CANX may be involved in the dysfunction of protein processing in ER. Taken together, our observations revealed a dysregulated gene network which is essential for protein processing in ER in GO patients. These findings provided a potential mechanism in the progression of lacrimal enlargement in GO patients, as a new insight into GO pathogenesis.
Female Fertility Has a Negative Relationship With Longevity in Chinese Oldest-Old Population: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Zhu Qiao , Fu Shihui , Zhang Qian , Tian Jinwen , Zhao Yali , Yao Yao
Published: February 2021

Background

Despite research efforts in this field for more than a century, the relationship between female fertility and longevity is unclear. This study was designed to investigate this relationship in Chinese oldest-old population.

Methods

The China Hainan Centenarian Cohort Study was performed in 18 cities and counties of Hainan. A total of 1,226 females, including 758 centenarian women and 468 women aged 80–99 years, were enrolled in this study. Using a standardized protocol, in-person interviews and blood analyses were conducted by a well-trained research team through home visits.

Results

Centenarian women had significantly lower number of children (NOC) and higher initial childbearing age (ICA) and last childbearing age (LCA) than women aged 80–99 years (p < 0.05 for all). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NOC and testosterone (T) levels were positively associated with women aged 80–99 years, when centenarian women was considered as reference (p < 0.05 for all). ICA, LCA, and estradiol (E2) levels were negatively associated with women aged 80–99 years, when centenarian women was considered as reference (p < 0.05 for all).

Conclusions

The centenarians had crucial characteristics of less and delayed childbearing, indicating a negative relationship between female fertility and longevity in Chinese oldest-old population. Serum E2 levels were positively associated and serum T levels were negatively associated with longevity. The less and late childbearing might be a significant factor of longevity, and successful aging might be promoted by reducing and delaying female childbearing.
Use of AMH in the Differential Diagnosis of Anovulatory Disorders Including PCOS
Authors: Capuzzo Martina , La Marca Antonio
Published: February 2021

Since the historical use of gonadotrophin and estradiol levels to define the different anovulatory disorders has shown some limitations, the use of other markers such as anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) has been proposed. This review addresses the role of AMH in the differential diagnosis of anovulatory disorders, especially focusing on its value in the prognostic characterization of their severity. Current limitations and future clinical applications are discussed.
A Novel Body Plan Alters Diversification of Body Shape and Genitalia in Live-Bearing Fish
Authors: Langerhans R. Brian , Rosa-Molinar Eduardo
Published: February 2021

Major evolutionary innovations can greatly influence subsequent evolution. While many major transitions occurred in the deep past, male live-bearing fishes (family Poeciliidae) more recently evolved a novel body plan. This group possesses a three-region axial skeleton, with one region—the ano-urogenital region—representing a unique body region accommodating male genitalic structures (gonopodial complex). Here we evaluate several hypotheses for the evolution of diversity in this region and examine its role in the evolution of male body shape. Examining Gambusia fishes, we tested a priori predictions for (1) joint influence of gonopodial-complex traits on mating performance, (2) correlated evolution of gonopodial-complex traits at macro- and microevolutionary scales, and (3) predator-driven evolution of gonopodial-complex traits in a post-Pleistocene radiation of Bahamas mosquitofish. We found the length of the sperm-transfer organ (gonopodium) and its placement along the body (gonopodial anterior transposition) jointly influenced mating success, with correlational selection favoring particular trait combinations. Despite these two traits functionally interacting during mating, we found no evidence for their correlated evolution at macro- or microevolutionary scales. In contrast, we did uncover correlated evolution of modified vertebral hemal spines (part of the novel body region) and gonopodial anterior transposition at both evolutionary scales, matching predictions of developmental connections between these components. Developmental linkages in the ano-urogenital region apparently play key roles in evolutionary trajectories, but multiple selective agents likely act on gonopodium length and cause less predictable evolution. Within Bahamas mosquitofish, evolution of hemal-spine morphology, and gonopodial anterior transposition across predation regimes was quite predictable, with populations evolving under high predation risk showing more modified hemal spines with greater modifications and a more anteriorly positioned gonopodium. These changes in the ano-urogenital vertebral region have facilitated adaptive divergence in swimming abilities and body shape between predation regimes. Gonopodium surface area, but not length, evolved as predicted in Bahamas mosquitofish, consistent with a previously suggested tradeoff between natural and sexual selection on gonopodium size. These results provide insight into how restructured body plans offer novel evolutionary solutions. Here, a novel body region—originally evolved to aid sperm transfer—was apparently co-opted to alter whole-organism performance, facilitating phenotypic diversification.
Identification of Infertility-Associated Topologically Important Genes Using Weighted Co-expression Network Analysis
Authors: Wu Jingni , Xia Xiaomeng , Hu Ye , Fang Xiaoling , Orsulic Sandra
Published: February 2021

Endometriosis has been associated with a high risk of infertility. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of infertility in endometriosis remains poorly understood. In our study, we aimed to discover topologically important genes related to infertility in endometriosis, based on the structure network mining. We used microarray data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to construct a weighted gene co-expression network for fertile and infertile women with endometriosis and to identify gene modules highly correlated with clinical features of infertility in endometriosis. Additionally, the protein–protein interaction network analysis was used to identify the potential 20 hub messenger RNAs (mRNAs) while the network topological analysis was used to identify nine candidate long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Functional annotations of clinically significant modules and lncRNAs revealed that hub genes might be involved in infertility in endometriosis by regulating G protein-coupled receptor signaling (GPCR) activity. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis showed that the phospholipase C-activating GPCR signaling pathway is correlated with infertility in patients with endometriosis. Taken together, our analysis has identified 29 hub genes which might lead to infertility in endometriosis through the regulation of the GPCR network.
Stratification of Estrogen Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer Patients by Integrating the Somatic Mutations and Transcriptomic Data
Authors: Hou Jie , Ye Xiufen , Wang Yixing , Li Chuanlong
Published: February 2021

Patients with estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer generally have a worse prognosis than estrogen receptor-positive patients. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of the estrogen receptor-negative cases have favorable outcomes. Identifying patients with a good prognosis, however, remains difficult, as recent studies are quite limited. The identification of molecular biomarkers is needed to better stratify patients. The significantly mutated genes may be potentially used as biomarkers to identify the subtype and to predict outcomes. To identify the biomarkers of receptor-negative breast cancer among the significantly mutated genes, we developed a workflow to screen significantly mutated genes associated with the estrogen receptor in breast cancer by a gene coexpression module. The similarity matrix was calculated with distance correlation to obtain gene modules through a weighted gene coexpression network analysis. The modules highly associated with the estrogen receptor, called important modules, were enriched for breast cancer-related pathways or disease. To screen significantly mutated genes, a new gene list was obtained through the overlap of the important module genes and the significantly mutated genes. The genes on this list can be used as biomarkers to predict survival of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer patients. Furthermore, we selected six hub significantly mutated genes in the gene list which were also able to separate these patients. Our method provides a new and alternative method for integrating somatic gene mutations and expression data for patient stratification of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancers.
A Novel XGBoost Method to Infer the Primary Lesion of 20 Solid Tumor Types From Gene Expression Data
Authors: Chen Sijie , Zhou Wenjing , Tu Jinghui , Li Jian , Wang Bo , Mo Xiaofei , Tian Geng , Lv Kebo , Huang Zhijian
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Establish a suitable machine learning model to identify its primary lesions for primary metastatic tumors in an integrated learning approach, making it more accurate to improve primary lesions’ diagnostic efficiency.

Methods

After deleting the features whose expression level is lower than the threshold, we use two methods to perform feature selection and use XGBoost for classification. After the optimal model is selected through 10-fold cross-validation, it is verified on an independent test set.

Results

Selecting features with around 800 genes for training, theR2-score of a 10-fold CV of training data can reach 96.38%, and theR2-score of test data can reach 83.3%.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that by combining tumor data with machine learning methods, each cancer has its corresponding classification accuracy, which can be used to predict primary metastatic tumors’ location. The machine-learning-based method can be used as an orthogonal diagnostic method to judge the machine learning model processing and clinical actual pathological conditions.
Comprehensive Analysis of Aerobic Exercise-Related Genes Identifies CDCA4 That Promotes the Progression of Osteosarcoma
Authors: Hao Suyu , Zhu Jun , Zhang Xinyue , Qiu Jingyue , Xuan Qin , Ye Liping
Published: February 2021

Background

Exercise has a positive impact on patients with osteosarcoma, improving function, reducing disability, maintaining independence and quality of life. Exercise may also directly affect the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Cell division cycle-associated protein 4 (CDCA4) is reported to function importantly during numerous human cancers development. Nevertheless, the details toward CDCA4 function are still to be investigated.

Methods

This study comprehensively analyzed the GSE74194 database and obtained aerobic exercise-related genes. Protein-protein interaction network (PPI) and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis were performed on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and tumor genome atlas (TCGA) data mining were applied to measure aerobic exercise-related gene CDCA4 level in osteosarcoma tissue. We conducted lots of functional experiments to uncover CDCA4 function and its corresponding mechanism in osteosarcoma.

Results

We screened a total of 547 DEGs related to aerobic exercise, of which 373 were up-regulated and 174 were down-regulated. PPI analysis revealed 90 genes that might play key roles. GO analysis showed that aerobic exercise-related DEGs were significantly enriched during the mitotic cell cycle, cell division, mitotic nuclear division and sister chromatid segregation, nuclear division, microtubule cytoskeleton organization involved protein, microtubule-based process, spindle organization, G2/M transition of mitotic cell cycle. Our results indicated that CDCA4 was increased in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines, and its level had association with high mortality of osteosarcoma patients. Further studies revealed that absence of CDCA4 largely hindered osteosarcoma cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration.

Conclusion

Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis improves our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of aerobic exercise on osteosarcoma. This provides evidence for the effect of aerobic exercise on CDCA4 expression. Our data suggested that CDCA4 could facilitate osteosarcoma development, and gave a hint that CDCA4 was a candidate target in the treatment of osteosarcoma, aerobic exercise might help the treatment and prognosis of patients with osteosarcoma.
The Protective HIV-1 Envelope gp41 Antigen P1 Acts as a Mucosal Adjuvant Stimulating the Innate Immunity
Authors: Xu Lin , Tudor Daniela , Bomsel Morgane
Published: February 2021

Mucosal nasal vaccine development, although ideal to protect from pathogens invading mucosally, is limited by the lack of specific adjuvant. We recently used P1, a conserved region of HIV-1 gp41-envelope glycoprotein, as efficient antigen in a prophylactic HIV-1 mucosal vaccine applied nasally. Herein, P1 immunomodulation properties were assessed on human nasal mucosal models by measuring induction of cytokine and chemokine production, intracellular signaling pathways, mucosal dendritic cell (DC) activation, and T cell proliferation. P1 adjuvant properties were evaluated by quantification of antigen-specific B cell responses against a model antigen in an in vitro immunization model. We now demonstrated that P1 has additional immunological properties. P1 initiates immune responses by inducing nasal epithelial cells to secrete the Th2-cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a described mucosal adjuvant. Secreted TSLP activates, in turn, intracellular calcium flux and PAR-2-associated NFAT signaling pathway regulated by microRNA-4485. Thereafter, P1 induces mucosal dendritic cell maturation, secretion of TSLP in a TSLP-receptor (R)-dependent autocrine loop, but also IL-6, IL-10, IL-8, CCL20, CCL22, and MMP-9, and proliferation of CD4+ T cells. Finally, P1 acts as an adjuvant to stimulate antigen-specific B cell responses in vitro. Overall, P1 is a multi-functional domain with various immuno-modulatory properties. In addition to being a protective vaccine antigen for HIV prevention, P1 acts as adjuvant for other mucosal vaccines able to stimulate humoral and cellular antigen-specific responses.