bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacto de Centro de Escritura con Enfoque Fonoaudiológico
Authors: Trujillo Piedrahita Ana Silvana
Published: January 2022

Investigación enfocada a identificar la percepción de los actores directos e indirectos, sobre la experiencia vivida en el centro de escritura de una universidad del Sur-occidente colombiano.  Se propuso como estrategia, el desarrollo de 5 grupos focales que permitieran describir los aspectos significativos de la experiencia en el centro durante los años 2010 al 2015, como parte de la sistematización de experiencias que se propone el proyecto macro. El artículo socializa la metodología, los resultados y el impacto de las experiencias vividas en un espacio de servicios que aborda las competencias comunicativas de lectura, escritura y oralidad de una universidad incluyente. 

Investigación cualitativa descriptiva, que define como estrategia de investigación los grupos focales.  Se utilizó la herramienta DOFA implementada alrededor de siete consignas direccionadoras.  La investigación se desarrolló en cinco fases denominadas: Diseño, Trabajo de Campo, Reflexión, discusión de la información y la Fase de Informe Final.  Las estrategias utilizadas fueron: grabación de los discursos, cuadernillo para escribir percepciones no manifestadas verbalmente y la implementación de cuatro rejillas para procesar la información: literal, categorización, macrocategorías e impacto de las percepciones.

Como resultado de la triangulación de los datos, emergen ocho categorías que permiten entender las percepciones de los actores que participaron en la investigación. Las categorías evidencian elementos que aportan al desarrollo y fortalecimiento del modelo de atención fonoaudiológica de un centro de escritura, que genera servicios en una universidad incluyente, que reconoce la diversidad y genera propuestas coherentes con la población objeto de servicios.
Prevalencia de la Disfagia Secundaria al Tratamiento de Cáncer de Cabeza y Cuello
Authors: Castañeda Maldonado Jorge Iván Marco Antonio , Suárez Velázquez Andrea Marcela
Published: January 2022

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo describir la población con cáncer de cabeza y cuello desde los procedimientos fonoaudiológicos de evaluación e intervención en una institución de cuarto nivel de atención. Se tomó una muestra de 36 pacientes, 334 sesiones en un periodo de tres meses; se realizó la descripción de las funciones fonoaudiológicas en la atención de pacientes con cáncer de cabeza y cuello y se evaluó la evolución de éstos después del tratamiento. El cáncer con mayor incidencia para tratamiento fonoaudiológico fue el de tiroides con un 25%, la edad promedio fue de 57 años, el tratamiento oncológico más común fue la cirugía con 83%, seguido de radioterapia con el 65%. En el tratamiento fonoaudiológico se usaron maniobras posturales, deglutorias y técnicas compensatorias observando en mayor proporción las maniobras deglutorias; el grado de severidad de la disfagia se logró disminuir en un 58.7%. Con este estudio se concluye que el tratamiento en el manejo del cáncer de cabeza y cuello genera efectos directos sobre el proceso deglutorio y el tratamiento fonoaudiológico oportuno y asertivo disminuye el grado de disfagia.
Audiología y Mareo de Origen Cervical
Authors: Otero-Velasco Eider Fernando , Muñoz-Moreno Erika Geraldine , Gomez-Calvache Leidy Johana
Published: January 2022

En esta revisión sistemática se discute el rol del especialista en audiología en el abordaje del mareo de origen cervical mediante la identificación de las diferentes hipótesis causales de esta condición reportadas en la literatura. Para la búsqueda de artículos en bases de datos se usaron palabras claves como mareo de origen cervical, vértigo cervicogénico, cervicogenic dizziness, dolor cervical, latigazo cervical, espondilosis cervical y audiología. Los resultados de la revisión sugieren que la afectación de las estructuras musculoesqueléticas del cuello puede derivar en sensaciones de mareo. No se encuentran estudios que reporten el rol específico que el especialista en audiología puede desempeñar en el abordaje del mareo cervical, pero algunos estudios sugieren que es pertinente realizar exploración del sistema vestibular para determinar si existe afectación vestibular y así contribuir en el proceso de diagnóstico por exclusión. Adicionalmente, otras investigaciones reportan que el uso de estrategias de rehabilitación vestibular mejora la propiocepción cervical del paciente con mareo cervicogénico. A partir de la revisión se infiere que es pertinente que el especialista en audiología aborde este tipo de mareo desde su fase diagnóstica y de intervención.
Protocolo de Entrenamiento Vocal Fonoaudiológico Para Cantantes - VOCALICAL -
Authors: López García Jessica Rocio
Published: January 2022

El entrenamiento vocal es un campo que puede ser apoyado por profesiones con experticia y conocimiento en el tema de la voz, como la fonoaudiología. La presente investigación evidencia y describe el diseño de un protocolo de entrenamiento vocal fonoaudiológico basado en los principios de aprendizaje sensoriomotor con ejercicios de la técnica Alexander, la técnica Pranayama, el método Pilates y el tracto vocal semiocluido y su relación con: la propiocepción, el control respiratorio, el aumento de la capacidad pulmonar y la eficiencia fonatoria necesarios para lograr una economía vocal en pro del desempeño profesional del cantante. El protocolo fue validado en su contenido por 3 jueces expertas en el tema, quienes delimitaron que es pertinente, relevante, suficiente y coherente, en cuanto a la claridad se encontró que el protocolo debía mejorar algunos aspectos referidos a las imágenes de apoyo y claridad en las instrucciones (repeticiones y desarrollo), sugerencias que fueron tenidas en cuenta para realizar los respectivos ajustes. En conclusión, el entrenamiento vocal es un proceso extenso que requiere una gran disciplina por parte del estudiante, sin embargo, profesiones con la experticia y conocimiento en el campo de la voz como lo es la fonoaudiología, deben brindar herramientas para apoyar el trabajo de los profesionales de la voz previo a la aparición de patologías vocales.
Revisión de la Relación entre Estrés y Tinnitus.
Authors: Carmona Cortés Saida Melisa
Published: January 2022

El tinnitus es un síntoma común y frecuente definido como una sensación de sonido que se produce en ausencia de cualquier fuente acústica externa. El tinnitus crónico no solo es aversivo, sino que también interfiere con las actividades de la vida diaria de las personas que lo perciben. Los modelos fisiopatológicos actuales relacionan la aparición y el mantenimiento del tinnitus con el estrés; esta activación implica un conjunto de reacciones conductuales y fisiológicas (neuronales, metabólicas y neuroendocrinas) que permiten responder al estresor de la manera más adaptada posible. Esta respuesta depende tanto de la magnitud del estresante que en este caso es el tinnitus como del aprendizaje, autoestima, sentido de dominio y control, apoyo social y emocional de la persona que presenta el síntoma. Dado que los sistemas auditivo y límbico están interconectados, el tinnitus puede afectar las propiedades emocionales y cognitivas y a su vez, el sistema límbico puede desempeñar un papel esencial para la generación o estabilización del tinnitus Este artículo recoge la evidencia reciente que demuestra la relación fisiológica y psicológica del tinnitus con el estrés para poner de manifiesto la importancia de que sea un factor a tener en cuenta en la evaluación y manejo de esta población.
Estructura Lingüística y Teoría de la Mente en trastorno del lenguaje
Authors: Sandoval Zúñiga María Soledad , Corral Zavala Sebastián , Kuncar Uarac Patricia Katherine , Esparza Garcés María José , González López Camila Francisca , Iturra Vergara Natalia
Published: January 2022

El concepto de Teoría de la Mente (ToM, de su sigla en inglés) hace referencia a la capacidad de ponerse en el lugar de la otra persona y ser así capaz de interpretar creencias, deseos e intenciones de otros. El propósito de esta investigación fue determinar la relación entre el desarrollo de la forma del lenguaje y la Teoría de la mente en niños con Trastrorno Específico del Lenguaje (TEL) tipo Mixto y niños con desarrollo típico.

Para evaluar el desarrollo de la estructura del lenguaje se aplicaron el Test de Procesos de Simplificación Fonológica (TEPROSIF-R) y Test de Comprensión Auditiva de E-Carrow (TECAL); en tanto, para determinar el desarrollo de la ToM se utilizan las puebas de Sally y Anne y la de Mentalización. La muestra estuvo constituida por 28 niños con TEL Mixto (grupo estudio) y 28 niños con desarrollo normal (grupo control).

Los resultados indican que existe una relación entre el desarrollo de la teoría de le mente y el desarrollo de la estructura del lenguaje en su modalidad expresiva y comprensiva principalmente en los niños con TEL Mixto. A partir de estos resultados se hace necesario intervenir desde el quehacer fonoaudiológico, además de las habilidades lingüísticas, aquellas asociadas con la ToM.
Diagnósticos Fonoaudiológicos y Síntomas no Motores en Pacientes con Enfermedad de Parkinson
Authors: Suárez Torres Martha , Cano Villagrasa Alejandro , Valles González Beatriz
Published: January 2022

Objetivo: Este estudio descriptivo se orientó a conocer el perfil clínico-epidemiológico de la Enfermedad de Parkinson y la coexistencia entre síntomas no motores y síntomas fonoaudiológicos. Método: La muestra estuvo conformada por 34 personas con Parkinson idiopático (26 hombres y 8 mujeres), cuyas historias clínicas fueron analizadas para describir la relación entre síntomas fonoaudiológicos, como la hipofonía, la disprosodia, la disartria y la disfagia, con síntomas no motores, tales como: trastornos gastrointestinales, depresión, trastornos del sueño y deterioro cognitivo. Resultados: Los resultados señalan que las personas con Parkinson tenían edades entre los 25 a los 86 años. En cuanto a la fase, se clasificaron en: estadio I el 11,7%, II el 17,6%, III el 47%, IV el 14,7% y V el 8,8%. El 47% llegó al servicio de Fonoaudiología en una etapa avanzada de la enfermedad de Parkinson. Los síntomas no motores más frecuentes fueron trastornos del sueño (67,6%), depresión (58,8%), alteraciones gastrointestinales (29,4%) y deterioro cognitivo (15%). Los síntomas fonoaudiológicos se distribuyeron así: disprosodia (38%), hipofonía (33%), disartria (18%) y disfagia (11%). Conclusión: los trastornos del sueño y la depresión podrían tener un mayor impacto negativo en el rendimiento fonoaudiológico de las personas con Parkinson.
Criterios Para Iniciar la Succión Nutritiva en Un Neonato con Dificultades Respiratorias Una Revisión Literaria
Authors: Leguizamo Galvis Rosa Paola
Published: January 2022

La respiración comprende una serie mecanismos complejos, que van desde el intercambio de gases con el exterior hasta la utilización de oxígeno (O2) por la célula y la eliminación de dióxido de carbono (CO2). Estos mecanismos requieren de la coordinación de diferentes órganos y sistemas, no únicamente del sistema respiratorio, el cual se encuentra estrechamente relacionado con la succión y la deglución en el neonato, convirtiéndose en un determinante a la hora de alimentar o no a un neonato por vía oral, sobre todo si este es nacido pretérmino o presenta alguna dificultad respiratoria. El objetivo de esta revisión es determinar los criterios más importantes para el inicio de la succión nutritiva en los neonatos con dificultades respiratorias, para ello se realiza la búsqueda de evidencia científica al respecto en diferentes bases de datos como PubMed, Scopus y Cochrane desde el año 2000 en adelante, en donde se eligen 70 artículos, de los cuales después de aplicar los criterios de selección se trabaja con 16 de ellos, considerados los más apropiados para el desarrollo de la temática. Se concluyó que, dentro de los criterios más importantes para iniciar la succión nutritiva en pacientes con dificultades respiratorias, se encuentran  la medición de la saturación periférica de oxígeno (SpO2), una coordinación de la triada SRD adecuada, la inexistencia de signos de alarma como la tos, la regurgitación nasal y el tiraje intercostal y definitivamente una succión nutritiva a través de la lactancia materna, gracias a sus múltiples beneficios incluida la disminución del riesgo de desaturación.
Diferencias en el Rendimiento de las Habilidades Cognitivas en Personas Con y Sin Hipertensión Arterial de 50 A 60 ños de la Comuna de Chillán
Authors: Fuenzalida Cabezas Rodrigo Waldo , Sandoval  Zuñiga Maria Soledad , Rivas Baeza Paula Fernanda , Hernández Neira Catalina Teresa , Benítez Leal Nery Ailynne
Published: January 2022

La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo establecer diferencias significativas en el rendimiento de las habilidades cognitivas en 60 personas con y sin Hipertensión Arterial entre 50 y 60 años de la comuna de Chillán, mediante el instrumento Cognitive Linguistic Quick Test, CLQT, el cual permite identificar las fortalezas y debilidades de los cinco dominios cognitivos. La metodología de investigación utilizada presentó un enfoque cuantitativo, con un diseño no experimental, de tipo transversal y con un alcance descriptivo-comparativo y correlacional. En base a los resultados se pudo establecer que existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los grupos específicamente en las habilidades cognitivas de memoria, lenguaje y el puntaje total del CLQT. Sin embargo, no se pudo establecer correlación estadísticamente significativa entre el tiempo de diagnóstico y el grado de presión arterial, por lo tanto, estas variables no influyeron en el rendimiento cognitivo de la muestra. Finalmente, se concluye que la Hipertensión Arterial influye significativamente en el rendimiento cognitivo de las personas que padecen de esta patología.
Two-Stage Deep Neural Network via Ensemble Learning for Melanoma Classification
Authors: Ding Jiaqi , Song Jie , Li Jiawei , Tang Jijun , Guo Fei
Published: January 2022

Melanoma is a skin disease with a high fatality rate. Early diagnosis of melanoma can effectively increase the survival rate of patients. There are three types of dermoscopy images, malignant melanoma, benign nevis, and seborrheic keratosis, so using dermoscopy images to classify melanoma is an indispensable task in diagnosis. However, early melanoma classification works can only use the low-level information of images, so the melanoma cannot be classified efficiently; the recent deep learning methods mainly depend on a single network, although it can extract high-level features, the poor scale and type of the features limited the results of the classification. Therefore, we need an automatic classification method for melanoma, which can make full use of the rich and deep feature information of images for classification. In this study, we propose an ensemble method that can integrate different types of classification networks for melanoma classification. Specifically, we first use U-net to segment the lesion area of images to generate a lesion mask, thus resize images to focus on the lesion; then, we use five excellent classification models to classify dermoscopy images, and adding squeeze-excitation block (SE block) to models to emphasize the more informative features; finally, we use our proposed new ensemble network to integrate five different classification results. The experimental results prove the validity of our results. We test our method on the ISIC 2017 challenge dataset and obtain excellent results on multiple metrics; especially, we get 0.909 on accuracy. Our classification framework can provide an efficient and accurate way for melanoma classification using dermoscopy images, laying the foundation for early diagnosis and later treatment of melanoma.
Meclozine Attenuates the MARK Pathway in Mammalian Chondrocytes and Ameliorates FGF2-Induced Bone Hyperossification in Larval Zebrafish
Authors: Takemoto Genta , Matsushita Masaki , Okamoto Takaaki , Ito Toshinari , Matsuura Yuki , Takashima Chieko , Chen-Yoshikawa Toyofumi Fengshi , Ebi Hiromichi , Imagama Shiro , Kitoh Hiroshi , Ohno Kinji , Hosono Yasuyuki
Published: January 2022

Meclozine has been developed as an inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) to treat achondroplasia (ACH). Extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation was attenuated by meclozine in FGF2-treated chondrocyte cell line, but the site of its action has not been elucidated. Although orally administered meclozine promoted longitudinal bone growth in a mouse model of ACH, its effect on craniofacial bone development during the early stage remains unknown. Herein, RNA-sequencing analysis was performed using murine chondrocytes from FGF2-treated cultured tibiae, which was significantly elongated by meclozine treatment. Gene set enrichment analysis demonstrated that FGF2 significantly increased the enrichment score of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family signaling cascades in chondrocytes; however, meclozine reduced this enrichment. Next, we administered meclozine to FGF2-treated larval zebrafish from 8 h post-fertilization (hpf). We observed that FGF2 significantly increased the number of ossified vertebrae in larval zebrafish at 7 days post-fertilization (dpf), while meclozine delayed vertebral ossification in FGF2-induced zebrafish. Meclozine also reversed the FGF2-induced upregulation of ossified craniofacial bone area, including ceratohyal, hyomandibular, and quadrate. The current study provided additional evidence regarding the inhibitory effect of meclozine on the FGF2-induced upregulation of MAPK signaling in chondrocytes and FGF2-induced development of craniofacial and vertebral bones.
sgRNA Knock-in Mouse Provides an Alternative Approach for In Vivo Genetic Modification
Authors: Zhang Lichen , Li Wushan , Liu Zhuangzhuang , Liu Yang , Liu Zhilong , Gu Yanrong , He Le , Zhou Binhui , Li Tianhan , Chao Tianzhu , Liang Yinming , Lu Liaoxun
Published: January 2022

Functional genomics in a mammalian model such as mice is fundamental for understanding human biology. The CRISPR/Cas9 system dramatically changed the tempo of obtaining genetic mouse models due to high efficiency. However, experimental evidence for the establishment of sgRNA knock-in animals and analyses of their value in functional genomics are still not sufficient, particularly in mammalian models. In this study, we demonstrate that the establishment of sgRNA knock-in mice is feasible, and more importantly, crosses between sgRNA knock-in mice and the Cas9 constitutively expressing mice result in complete deletion of the target gene. Such sgRNA knock-in provides an alternative approach for in vivo genetic modification and can be useful in multiple circumstances, such as maintenance of genetically modified animals, which are difficult to breed as homozygotes, and cross of such mice to diverse genomic backgrounds to obtain genetically modified animals.
An Iron Metabolism-Related Gene Signature for the Prognosis of Colon Cancer
Authors: Yuan Jing , Liu Tao , Zhang Yuhong
Published: January 2022

As an essential microelement, the iron ion is involved in cell proliferation, metabolism, and differentiation. Iron metabolism plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). In this study, univariate and multivariate Cox regression, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analyses were conducted to construct the gene signature, based on a dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We identified the prognostic value of two iron metabolism-related genes [SLC39A8 (encoding solute carrier family 39 member 8) and SLC48A1 (encoding solute carrier family 48 member 1)] in COAD. A nomogram model was established to predict the overall survival of patients with COAD. Functional analysis showed that the tumor microenvironment and immune cell infiltrate were different between the low risk and high risk subgroups. This study verified that the iron metabolism-related gene signature (SLC39A8 and SLC48A1) could be used as a prognostic biomarker for patients with COAD.
Insights Into Bone Marrow Niche Stability: An Adhesion and Metabolism Route
Authors: Ashok Driti , Polcik Laura , Dannewitz Prosseda Svenja , Hartmann Tanja Nicole
Published: January 2022

The bone marrow microenvironment provides critical cues for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and differentiation and contributes to their malignant conversion. The microenvironment comprises a complex mixture of multiple cell types, soluble factors, and extracellular matrix in specialized regions termed ‘niches.’ Positioning of the various cellular players within these niches depends on their repertoire of adhesion molecules and chemotactic signaling, involving integrins and chemokine receptors and the corresponding intracellular players such as kinases and GTPases. The mechanical role of adhesion is to control the strength and morphology of the cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix contacts and thereby the energy needed for the optimal localization of cells to their surroundings. While it is clear that biomechanical adhesive bonds are energetically expensive, the crosstalk between cell adhesion and metabolic pathways in the normal and malignant microenvironment is far from understood. The metabolic profile of the various cell types within the niche includes key molecules such as AMPK, glucose, mTOR, and HIF-1α. Here, we describe our most recent understanding of how the interplay between adhesion and these metabolic components is indispensable for bone marrow niche stability. In parallel, we compare the altered crosstalk of different cell types within the bone marrow niches in hematological malignancies and propose potential therapeutic associations.
Immunobiology of Carbohydrates: Implications for Novel Vaccine and Adjuvant Design Against Infectious Diseases
Authors: Stefanetti Giuseppe , Borriello Francesco , Richichi Barbara , Zanoni Ivan , Lay Luigi
Published: January 2022

Carbohydrates are ubiquitous molecules expressed on the surface of nearly all living cells, and their interaction with carbohydrate-binding proteins is critical to many immunobiological processes. Carbohydrates are utilized as antigens in many licensed vaccines against bacterial pathogens. More recently, they have also been considered as adjuvants. Interestingly, unlike other types of vaccines, adjuvants have improved immune response to carbohydrate-based vaccine in humans only in a few cases. Furthermore, despite the discovery of many new adjuvants in the last years, aluminum salts, when needed, remain the only authorized adjuvant for carbohydrate-based vaccines. In this review, we highlight historical and recent advances on the use of glycans either as vaccine antigens or adjuvants, and we review the use of currently available adjuvants to improve the efficacy of carbohydrate-based vaccines. A better understanding of the mechanism of carbohydrate interaction with innate and adaptive immune cells will benefit the design of a new generation of glycan-based vaccines and of immunomodulators to fight both longstanding and emerging diseases.
BigFiRSt: A Software Program Using Big Data Technique for Mining Simple Sequence Repeats From Large-Scale Sequencing Data
Authors: Chen Jinxiang , Li Fuyi , Wang Miao , Li Junlong , Marquez-Lago Tatiana T. , Leier André , Revote Jerico , Li Shuqin , Liu Quanzhong , Song Jiangning
Published: January 2022

Background

Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) are short tandem repeats of nucleotide sequences. It has been shown that SSRs are associated with human diseases and are of medical relevance. Accordingly, a variety of computational methods have been proposed to mine SSRs from genomes. Conventional methods rely on a high-quality complete genome to identify SSRs. However, the sequenced genome often misses several highly repetitive regions. Moreover, many non-model species have no entire genomes. With the recent advances of next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, large-scale sequence reads for any species can be rapidly generated using NGS. In this context, a number of methods have been proposed to identify thousands of SSR loci within large amounts of reads for non-model species. While the most commonly used NGS platforms (e.g., Illumina platform) on the market generally provide short paired-end reads, merging overlapping paired-end reads has become a common way prior to the identification of SSR loci. This has posed a big data analysis challenge for traditional stand-alone tools to merge short read pairs and identify SSRs from large-scale data.

Results

In this study, we present a new Hadoop-based software program, termed BigFiRSt, to address this problem using cutting-edge big data technology. BigFiRSt consists of two major modules, BigFLASH and BigPERF, implemented based on two state-of-the-art stand-alone tools, FLASH and PERF, respectively. BigFLASH and BigPERF address the problem of merging short read pairs and mining SSRs in the big data manner, respectively. Comprehensive benchmarking experiments show that BigFiRSt can dramatically reduce the execution times of fast read pairs merging and SSRs mining from very large-scale DNA sequence data.

Conclusions

The excellent performance of BigFiRSt mainly resorts to the Big Data Hadoop technology to merge read pairs and mine SSRs in parallel and distributed computing on clusters. We anticipate BigFiRSt will be a valuable tool in the coming biological Big Data era.
Normal Faulting Along the Kythira-Antikythira Strait, Southwest Hellenic Forearc, Greece
Authors: Veliz-Borel Violeta , Mouslopoulou Vasiliki , Nicol Andrew , Begg John , Oncken Onno
Published: January 2022

Upper-plate normal faults along forearcs often accumulate slip during >Mw 6 earthquakes. Such normal faults traverse the forearc of the Hellenic Subduction System (HSS) in Greece and are the focus of this study. Here, we use detailed field-mapping and analysis of high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to study 42 active normal faults on the islands of Kythira and Antikythira in the Aegean Sea. Onshore fault kinematic data are complemented by seabed bathymetry mapping of ten offshore faults that extend along the Kythira-Antikythira Strait (KAS). We find that normal faults in the KAS have lengths of ∼1–58 km and scarps ranging in height from 1.5 m to 2.8 km, accommodating, during the Quaternary, trench-orthogonal (NE-SW) extension of ∼2.46 ± 1.53 mm/a. Twenty-eight of these faults have ruptured since the Last Glacial Maximum, with their postglacial (16 ± 2 ka) displacement rates (0.19–1.25 mm/a) exceeding their Quaternary (≤0.7–3 Ma) rates (0.03–0.37 mm/a) by more than one order of magnitude. Rate variability, which is more pronounced on short (<8 km) faults, is thought to arise due to temporally clustered paleoearthquakes on individual KAS faults. When displacement accumulation is considered across the entire onshore fault network, rate variability between the two time-intervals examined decreases significantly (2.79 ± 0.41 vs 1.29 ± 0.99 mm/a), a feature that suggests that earthquake clustering in the KAS may occur over ≤16 ka timescales.
Investigating the Distractors to Explain DIF Effects Across Gender in Large-Scale Tests With Non-Linear Logistic Regression Models
Authors: Ozdemir Burhanettin , AlGhamdi Hanan M.
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine the distractors of items that exhibit differential item functioning (DIF) across gender to explain the possible sources of DIF in the context of large-scale tests. To this end, two non-linear logistic regression (NLR) models-based DIF methods (three parameters, 3PL-NLR and four-parameter, 4PL-NLR) were first used to detect DIF items, and the Mantel-Haenszel Delta (MH-Delta) DIF method was used to calculate the DIF effect size for each DIF item. Then, the multinomial log-linear regression (MLR) model and 2-PL nested logit model (2PL-NLM) were applied to items exhibiting DIF with moderate and large DIF effect sizes. The ultimate goals are (a) to examine behaviors of distractors across gender and (b) to investigate if distractors have any impact on DIF effects. DIF results of the Art Section of the General Aptitude Test (GAT-ART) based on both 3PL-NLR and 4PL-NLR methods indicate that only 10 DIF items had moderate to large DIF effects sizes. According to MLR differential distractor functioning (DDF) results, all items exhibited DDF across gender except for one item. An interesting finding of this study is that DIF items related to the verbal analogy and context analysis were in favor of female students, while all DIF items related to the reading comprehension subdomain were in favor of male students, which may signal the existence of content specific DIF or true ability difference across gender. DDF results show that distractors have a significant effect on DIF results. Therefore, DDF analysis is suggested along with DIF analysis since it signals the possible causes of DIF.
Inherited Disorders of Thyroid Hormone Metabolism Defect Caused by the Dysregulation of Selenoprotein Expression
Authors: Lee Kyu Won , Shin Yoochan , Lee Sungahn , Lee Sihoon
Published: January 2022

Consistent activation and functioning of thyroid hormones are essential to the human body as a whole, especially in controlling the metabolic rate of all organs and systems. Impaired sensitivity to thyroid hormones describes any process that interferes with the effectiveness of thyroid hormones. The genetic origin of inherited thyroid hormone defects and the investigation of genetic defects upon the processing of thyroid hormones are of utmost importance. Impaired sensitivity to thyroid hormone can be categorized into three conditions: thyroid hormone cell membrane transport defect (THCMTD), thyroid hormone metabolism defect (THMD), and thyroid hormone action defect (THAD). THMD is caused by defects in the synthesis and processing of deiodinases that convert the prohormone thyroxine (T4) to the active hormone triiodothyronine (T3). Deiodinase, a selenoprotein, requires unique translation machinery that is collectively composed of the selenocysteine (Sec) insertion sequence (SECIS) elements, Sec-insertion sequence-binding protein 2 (SECISBP2), Sec-specific eukaryotic elongation factor (EEFSEC), and Sec-specific tRNA (TRU-TCA1-1), which leads to the recognition of the UGA codon as a Sec codon for translation into the growing polypeptide. In addition, THMD could be expanded to the defects of enzymes that are involved in thyroid hormone conjugation, such as glucuronidation and sulphation. Paucity of inherited disorders in this category leaves them beyond the scope of this review. This review attempts to specifically explore the genomic causes and effects that result in a significant deficiency of T3 hormones due to inadequate function of deiodinases. Moreover, along withSECISBP2,TRU-TCA1-1, and deiodinase type-1 (DIO1) mutations, this review describes the variants inDIO2single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) that result in the reduced activity of DIO2 and subsequent abnormal conversion of T3 from T4. Finally, this review provides additional insight into the general functionality of selenium supplementation and T3/T4 combination treatment in patients with hypothyroidism, suggesting the steps that need to be taken in the future.
Insight Into the Metabolomic Characteristics of Post-Transplant Diabetes Mellitus by the Integrated LC-MS and GC-MS Approach- Preliminary Study
Authors: Wang Min , Xu Jie , Yang Na , Zhang Tianqi , Zhu Huaijun , Wang Jing
Published: January 2022

Post-transplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common metabolic complication after solid organ transplantation, which not only results in elevated microvascular morbidity, but also seriously impacts graft function and recipient survival. However, its underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. In this study, an integrated liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based-metabolomics approach was adopted to dissect the metabolic fluctuations and deduce potential mechanism associated with PTDM. 68 adult liver transplant recipients were recruited and classified as 32 PTDM and 36 non-PTDM subjects. PTDM group and non-PTDM group were well matched in gender, age, BMI, family history of diabetes, alcohol drinking history, ICU length of stay and hepatitis B infection. Peripheral blood samples from these recipients were collected and prepared for instrument analysis. Data acquired from LC-MS and GC-MS demonstrated significant metabolome alterations between PTDM and non-PTDM subjects. A total of 30 differential metabolites (15 from LC-MS, 15 from GC-MS) were screened out. PTDM patients, compared with non-PTDM subjects, were characterized with increased levels of L-leucine, L-phenylalanine, LysoPE (16:0), LysoPE (18:0), LysoPC (18:0), taurocholic acid, glycocholic acid, taurochenodeoxycholic acid, tauroursodeoxycholic acid, glycochenodeoxycholic acid, glycoursodeoxycholic acid, etc, and with decreased levels of LysoPC (16:1), LysoPC (18:2), LysoPE (22:6), LysoPC (20:4), etc. Taken collectively, this study demonstrated altered metabolites in patients with PTDM, which would provide support for enhancing mechanism exploration, prediction and treatment of PTDM.
Coordinated Scheduling Strategy for Networked Microgrids Preserving Decision Independence and Information Privacy
Authors: Sun Wenyao , Tian Youwen , Zhao Yi , Zhang Haonan , Fu Qiaochu , Li Maolin
Published: January 2022

With the increasing penetration of distributed renewable generations (DRGs), microgrids will play an important role in the future power system. This paper studies the coordinated scheduling strategy of networked microgrids with private data exchange limitations and local management independence. Based on an adaptive robust optimization method, a coordinated scheduling model of networked systems considering the uncertainty of renewable generations is established. Then distributed algorithms are developed to meet the needs of data privacy protection of individual microgrids. The Augmented Lagrangian (AL) decomposition method decomposes the model into several sub-problems, and an alternate optimization method is developed to speed up the solution. Case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and the solution methods.
A Bayesian-Model-Averaging Copula Method for Bivariate Hydrologic Correlation Analysis
Authors: Wen Yizhuo , Yang Aili , Kong Xiangming , Su Yueyu
Published: January 2022

A Bayesian-model-averaging Copula (i.e., BMAC) approach was proposed for correlation analysis of monthly rainfall and runoff in Xiangxi River watershed, China. The BMAC approach was formulated by incorporating existing Bayesian model averaging (i.e., BMA) method and Archimedean Copula techniques (e.g., Gumbel-Hougaard, Clayton and Frank Copulas) within a general bivariate hydrologic correlation analysis framework. In this paper, the BMA method was applied to determine the marginal distribution functions of variables, and the Copula method was used to analyze the correlation. Results showed that: 1) the BMA method could improve the representation of the marginal distribution of hydrological variables with smaller corresponding errors; 2) the predictive joint distributions of monthly rainfall and runoff was much better calibrated by the Gumbel Copula according to criteria of the root mean square error (i.e., RMSE), Akaike Information Criterion (i.e., AIC) values, Anderson-Darling test (i.e., AD test), and Cramer-von Mises test (i.e., CM test); and 3) the bivariate joint probability and return periods of rainfall and runoff based on the optimal Copula function was characterized and the monthly rainfall and runoff presented a strong positive correlation based on Kendall and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. Therefore, the BMAC approach performed reasonably well and can be further used to simulate runoff values according to the historical and predicted rainfall data. Highlights: 1) A Bayesian-model-averaging Copula method is proposed for correlation analysis; 2) the monthly rainfall and runoff in Xiangxi River watershed has a positive correlation. 3) Gumbel Copula is the best in modelling the joint distributions in the Xiangxi River watershed.
Ecological Constraints on Sexual Selection in a Human-Modified Landscape
Authors: Nair Aswathy , Balakrishnan Rohini
Published: January 2022

Anthropogenic activities are changing the sensory landscape, interfering with transmission and reception of sexual signals. These changes are leading to alterations in mating behaviour with consequences to fitness. In systems where mate-finding involves long-distance signalling by one sex and approach by the other sex, the spatial distribution of signallers can have implications for male and female fitness. Spatial distribution of signallers is typically determined by an interplay of multiple factors, both ecological and evolutionary, including male competition, female choice and resources, such as calling and oviposition sites. We investigated the possible influence of resource distribution (signalling sites) on the strength and direction of sexual selection acting on false-leaf katydid Onomarchus uninotatus males, signalling in a human-modified landscape in the Western Ghats, India, a biodiversity hotspot. The landscape has changed from evergreen forests to plantations owing to human settlements. We first determined the spatial distribution of calling males and of available calling sites, which are trees of the genus Artocarpus, in the landscape. Using the information on male spacing, call transmission and hearing thresholds, the perceptual spaces of male signals were computed to understand the acoustic environment of calling males and females. It was found that both calling males and females could hear calls of males from neighbouring trees with a probability of 0.76 and 0.59, respectively. Although calling males were found to be spaced apart more than predicted by chance, significant overlap was seen in their acoustic ranges. Clustering of males enables females to easily sample multiple males, facilitating mate choice, but is detrimental to males as it increases competition for females. Using simulations, we determined the optimal spatial distributions of O. uninotatus males for female choice, and for reduction of male competition, given the signalling site distribution. The observed distribution of signallers was then compared with the hypothetical optimal distributions to examine the drivers of signaller spacing. Spacing of calling males in the field was found to be not optimal for either males or females. Resource distribution was found to limit the effectiveness of sexual selection drivers in pushing male spacing toward fitness optima of males or females.
Breaking Down the Barrier: The Role of Cervical Infection and Inflammation in Preterm Birth
Authors: Tantengco Ourlad Alzeus G. , Menon Ramkumar
Published: January 2022

Approximately 40% of cases of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) are associated with ascending intrauterine infections. The cervix serves as a physical and immunological gatekeeper, preventing the ascent of microorganisms from the vagina to the amniotic cavity. The cervix undergoes remodeling during pregnancy. It remains firm and closed from the start until the late third trimester of pregnancy and then dilates and effaces to accommodate the passage of the fetus during delivery. Remodeling proceeds appropriately and timely to maintain the pregnancy until term delivery. However, risk factors, such as acute and chronic infection and local inflammation in the cervix, may compromise cervical integrity and result in premature remodeling, predisposing to sPTB. Previous clinical studies have established bacterial (i.e., chlamydia, gonorrhea, mycoplasma, etc.) and viral infections (i.e., herpesviruses and human papillomaviruses) as risk factors of PTB. However, the exact mechanism leading to PTB is still unknown. This review focuses on: (1) the epidemiology of cervical infections in pregnant patients; (2) cellular mechanisms that may explain the association of cervical infections to premature cervical ripening and PTB; (3) endogenous defense mechanisms of the cervix that protect the uterine cavity from infection and inflammation; and (4) potential inflammatory biomarkers associated with cervical infection that can serve as prognostic markers for premature cervical ripening and PTB. This review will provide mechanistic insights on cervical functions to assist in managing cervical infections during pregnancy.
Research Progress and Applications of Multivalent, Multispecific and Modified Nanobodies for Disease Treatment
Authors: Wang Jiewen , Kang Guangbo , Yuan Haibin , Cao Xiaocang , Huang He , de Marco Ario
Published: January 2022

Recombinant antibodies such as nanobodies are progressively demonstrating to be a valid alternative to conventional monoclonal antibodies also for clinical applications. Furthermore, they do not solely represent a substitute for monoclonal antibodies but their unique features allow expanding the applications of biotherapeutics and changes the pattern of disease treatment. Nanobodies possess the double advantage of being small and simple to engineer. This combination has promoted extremely diversified approaches to design nanobody-based constructs suitable for particular applications. Both the format geometry possibilities and the functionalization strategies have been widely explored to provide macromolecules with better efficacy with respect to single nanobodies or their combination. Nanobody multimers and nanobody-derived reagents were developed to image and contrast several cancer diseases and have shown their effectiveness in animal models. Their capacity to block more independent signaling pathways simultaneously is considered a critical advantage to avoid tumor resistance, whereas the mass of these multimeric compounds still remains significantly smaller than that of an IgG, enabling deeper penetration in solid tumors. When applied to CAR-T cell therapy, nanobodies can effectively improve the specificity by targeting multiple epitopes and consequently reduce the side effects. This represents a great potential in treating malignant lymphomas, acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, multiple myeloma and solid tumors. Apart from cancer treatment, multispecific drugs and imaging reagents built with nanobody blocks have demonstrated their value also for detecting and tackling neurodegenerative, autoimmune, metabolic, and infectious diseases and as antidotes for toxins. In particular, multi-paratopic nanobody-based constructs have been developed recently as drugs for passive immunization against SARS-CoV-2 with the goal of impairing variant survival due to resistance to antibodies targeting single epitopes. Given the enormous research activity in the field, it can be expected that more and more multimeric nanobody molecules will undergo late clinical trials in the next future.

Systematic Review Registration
Experimental Analysis of Survival and Recovery of Ship Fouling Mussels During Transit Between Marine and Freshwaters
Authors: Riley Cyrena , Drolet David , Goldsmit Jesica , Hill Jaclyn M. , Howland Kimberly L. , Lavoie Marie-France , McKenzie Cynthia H. , Simard Nathalie , McKindsey Christopher W.
Published: January 2022

Ships and boats may transport whole communities of non-indigenous species (NIS) through hull biofouling, some members of which may become invasive. Several studies have evaluated the diversity of these communities, but very few have analyzed the survival of organisms after their voyages into different and potentially inhospitable conditions. This factor is important to consider because the last port of call approach for risk assessments assumes that if the conditions observed in the last port of call are different from those observed in a receiving port, risks are diminished or null. Using an innovative experimental system, we tested the survival and recovery of the marine blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and the freshwater zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) by exposing them to adverse salinity conditions at varying temperatures to simulate ships and boats transiting to ports or marinas with contrasting environmental conditions. Both mussel species, which are well-known for their adaptability to new environments as aquatic NIS, survived better at colder temperatures, with blue mussels surviving up to 14 days in freshwater, and zebra mussels up to 8 days in marine water. This highlights the importance of considering the resistance of fouling organisms to adverse conditions in vector and species risk assessments.
Methane Emissions From Nordic Seagrass Meadow Sediments
Authors: Asplund Maria E. , Bonaglia Stefano , Boström Christoffer , Dahl Martin , Deyanova Diana , Gagnon Karine , Gullström Martin , Holmer Marianne , Björk Mats
Published: January 2022

Shallow coastal soft bottoms are important carbon sinks. Submerged vegetation has been shown to sequester carbon, increase sedimentary organic carbon (Corg) and thus suppress greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The ongoing regression of seagrass cover in many areas of the world can therefore lead to accelerated emission of GHGs. In Nordic waters, seagrass meadows have a high capacity for carbon storage, with some areas being recognized as blue carbon hotspots. To what extent these carbon stocks lead to emission of methane (CH4) is not yet known. We investigated benthic CH4 emission (i.e., net release from the sediment) in relation to seagrass (i.e. Zostera marina) cover and sedimentary Corg content (%) during the warm summer period (when emissions are likely to be highest). Methane exchange was measured in situ with benthic chambers at nine sites distributed in three regions along a salinity gradient from ∼6 in the Baltic Sea (Finland) to ∼20 in Kattegat (Denmark) and ∼26 in Skagerrak (Sweden). The net release of CH4 from seagrass sediments and adjacent unvegetated areas was generally low compared to other coastal habitats in the region (such as mussel banks and wetlands) and to other seagrass areas worldwide. The lowest net release was found in Finland. We found a positive relationship between CH4 net release and sedimentary Corg content in both seagrass meadows and unvegetated areas, whereas no clear relationship between seagrass cover and CH4 net release was observed. Overall, the data suggest that Nordic Zostera marina meadows release average levels of CH4 ranging from 0.3 to 3.0 μg CH4 m–2 h–1, which is at least 12–78 times lower (CO2 equivalents) than their carbon accumulation rates previously estimated from seagrass meadows in the region, thereby not hampering their role as carbon sinks. Thus, the relatively weak CH4 emissions from Nordic Z. marina meadows will not outweigh their importance as carbon sinks under present environmental conditions.