bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of life among Syrian refugees in Germany: a cross-sectional pilot study
Authors: Al Masri Feras , Müller Mattea , Nebl Josefine , Greupner Theresa , Hahn Andreas , Straka Dorothee
Published: November 2021

Background

More than 10 million Syrians have left their homes and sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Europe, since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in March 2011, and immigration continues to this day. This cross-sectional study included Syrian refugees residing in and around Hannover, Germany. We investigated whether general socioeconomic factors (e.g. age, sex, housing, asylum duration) were predictive factors for the quality of life (QOL) of Syrian refugees in Germany.

Methods

The QOL of Syrian refugees was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF tool, a questionnaire assessing the QOL in four domains: Physical health, psychological, social relationships and environment. A total of 114 Syrian refugees, aged between 18 and 45 years, who obtained one of the following statuses, asylum, refugee protection or subsidiary protection, were included. The QOL domain and total scores of Syrian refugees in Germany were compared with a Western norm and Sub-Saharan population. Data were analyzed with the Spearman Rho correlation coefficient, Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U test and multivariate linear regression.

Results

More than 65% of the participants (62.3% male, 37.7% female) were between 18 and 29 years old, and 45% had lived in Germany for less than four years. The lowest QOL score was reported in the social relationship’s domain (60.5%), while the psychological score was lowest in participants aged 40–45 years (P = 0.011). The age was significantly negatively associated with physical health (P = 0.010), psychological (P <  0.001) and the total QOL (P = 0.005). Asylum duration was associated with the environment domain (P = 0.040), the short-time refugees were less satisfied than the longtime refugees, and with aspects of the psychological domain in Enjoying life and Concentration ability (P <  0.001 and P = 0.033, respectively), yet was not associated with total QOL or total domain scores. There were significant associations between housing and the psychological domain (P = 0.032) and housing and the social relationship domain (P <  0.001). The refugees who living in camps registered a lower score in psychological than residents of apartments and houses, and the single refugees had a higher score than those married and divorced (P = 0.032 and P = 0.035, respectively).

Conclusions

The Syrian refugees participating in this study showed a low QOL score in the assessment of all domains compared to the normal population, especially regarding social relations and psychological; it was associated with socioeconomic factors, such as housing, asylum duration and marital status. This calls for urgent societal and political efforts to strengthen the social living conditions of Syrian refugees in Germany.
A hospital-wide outbreak of IMI-17-producing Enterobacter ludwigii in an Israeli hospital
Authors: Schechner Vered , Levytskyi Katya , Shalom Ohad , Yalek Alexander , Adler Amos
Published: November 2021

Absract

Background

To describe the course and intervention of an hospital-wide IMI-Producing Enterobacter ludwigii outbreak.

Methods

This was an outbreak interventional study, done at a tertiary care center in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Data was collected on the course of the outbreak and the demographic and clinical characteristics of all patients involved in the outbreak. The intervention measures included patients’ cohorting, contact isolation precautions, environmental cleaning and screening of contacts. The molecular features and phylogeny of outbreak-related isolates were studied by whole-genome based analysis.

Results

The outbreak included 34 patients that were colonized by IMI-Producing E. ludwigii and were identified in 24 wards throughout the hospital. Colonization was identified in the first 72 h of admission in 13/34 patients (38.2%). Most patients (91.2%) were admitted from home and had relatively low level of comorbidities. The majority of them (88%) had no recent use of invasive catheters and none had previous carriage of other multi-drug resistant bacteria. All available isolates harbored the blaIMI-17 allele and belonged to Sequence-Type 385. With the exception of two isolates, all isolates were closely related with less than a 20-SNP difference between them.

Conclusions

This outbreak had most likely originated in the community and subsequently disseminated inside our institution. More studies are required in order to elucidate the epidemiology of IMI-Producing E. ludwigii and the possible role of environmental sources in its dissemination.
The cytotoxicity and apoptotic effects of verbascoside on breast cancer 4T1 cell line
Authors: Daneshforouz Atena , Nazemi Samad , Gholami Omid , Kafami Marzieh , Amin Bahareh
Published: November 2021

Background

Despite significant advancements in breast cancer therapy, novel drugs with lower side effects are still being demanded. In this regard, we investigated the anti-cancer features of verbascoside in 4 T1 mouse mammary tumor cell.

Methods

First, MTT assay was performed with various concentrations (ranging between 5 to 200 μM) of verbascoside and IC50 was calculated. Then the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3 was evaluated in treated 4 T1 cells. In addition, we investigated the expression of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB to ascertain the underlying mechanism of the anti-proliferative feature of verbascoside. Also, flow cytometry followed by double PI and Annexin V was conducted to confirm the apoptosis-inducing effect of verbascoside.

Results

Our results from MTT assay showed verbascoside inhibits proliferation of 4 T1 cancer cells (IC50 117 μM) while is safe for normal HEK293T cells. By qRT-PCR, we observed that verbascoside treatment (100, 117 and, 130 μM) increases the expression of caspase-3 and Bax while reduces the expression of Bcl-2. Also, verbascoside (100, 117 and, 130 μM) increased the expression of TLR4 only at 130 μM dose and the expression of MyD88 whereas reduced the expression of NF-κB at mRNA level. Flow cytometry analysis also confirmed verbascoside induces apoptosis in 4 T1 cells at 117 μM.

Conclusion

Taken together, our data showed verbascoside is a safe natural compound for normal cells while has apoptosis-inducing feature through TLR4 axis on 4 T1 cells.
Latitudinal- and height-dependent long-term climatology of propagating quasi-16-day waves in the troposphere and stratosphere
Authors: Tang Wentao , Zhang Shaodong , Huang Chunming , Huang Kaiming , Gong Yun , Gan Quan
Published: November 2021

The global amplitude of the westward propagating quasi-16-day waves (16DW) with wavenumber 1 (Q16W1), the strongest component of 16DW, are derived from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ERA-Interim reanalysis temperature and zonal wind data sets from February 1979 to January 2018. In terms of temperature and zonal wind, strong climatologically average amplitudes of Q16W1 appear in the upper stratosphere at mid–high latitudes in both hemispheres, and the wave amplitude is stronger in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) than in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Multivariate linear regression is separately applied to calculate the responses of the Q16W1 temperature and zonal wind amplitudes to the QBO (quasi-biennial oscillation), ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation), solar activity and linear trends of the Q16W1 amplitude. The QBO signatures of the Q16W1 temperature and zonal wind amplitudes are mainly located in the stratosphere. The Q16W1 has significant QBO responses at low latitudes. In addition, only the temperature amplitude presents a larger QBO signature in its strongest climatological amplitude region. No significant responses to ENSO and solar activity are observed in temperature and zonal wind amplitudes. The linear trends of the monthly mean Q16W1 temperature and zonal wind amplitude are generally positive, especially in the mid-upper stratosphere. The trend is asymmetric about the equator and significantly stronger in the NH than in the SH. The seasonal variation in the trend of the temperature amplitude is studied and illustrated to be stronger in winter and weaker in spring and autumn. Further investigation suggests that the background and local instability trends contribute most of the increasing trend of the Q16W1 amplitude. In winter in both hemispheres, a weakening trend of eastward zonal wind provides more favourable background wind for Q16W1 upward propagation, in autumn and winter in the NH and in spring, autumn and winter in the SH, and the increasing trend of local instability may enhance wave excitation.

Graphical Abstract
Creating a training set for artificial intelligence from initial segmentations of airways
Authors: Dudurych Ivan , Garcia-Uceda Antonio , Saghir Zaigham , Tiddens Harm A. W. M. , Vliegenthart Rozemarijn , de Bruijne Marleen
Published: November 2021

Airways segmentation is important for research about pulmonary disease but require a large amount of time by trained specialists. We used an openly available software to improve airways segmentations obtained from an artificial intelligence (AI) tool and retrained the tool to get a better performance. Fifteen initial airway segmentations from low-dose chest computed tomography scans were obtained with a 3D-Unet AI tool previously trained on Danish Lung Cancer Screening Trial and Erasmus-MC Sophia datasets. Segmentations were manually corrected in 3D Slicer. The corrected airway segmentations were used to retrain the 3D-Unet. Airway measurements were automatically obtained and included count, airway length and luminal diameter per generation from the segmentations. Correcting segmentations required 2–4 h per scan. Manually corrected segmentations had more branches (p < 0.001), longer airways (p < 0.001) and smaller luminal diameters (p = 0.004) than initial segmentations. Segmentations from retrained 3D-Unets trended towards more branches and longer airways compared to the initial segmentations. The largest changes were seen in airways from 6th generation onwards. Manual correction results in significantly improved segmentations and is potentially a useful and time-efficient method to improve the AI tool performance on a specific hospital or research dataset.
An insight into Alzheimer’s disease and its on-setting novel genes
Authors: Vigneswaran Jaanaky , Muthukumar Sivaloganathan Anogh , Shafras Mohamed , Pant Geetika
Published: November 2021

According to the World Health Organisation, as of 2019, globally around 50 million people suffer from dementia, with approximately another 10 million getting added to the list every year, wherein Alzheimer’s disease (AD) stands responsible for almost a whopping 60–70% for the existing number of cases. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the progressive, cognitive-declining, age-dependent, neurodegenerative diseases which is distinguished by histopathological symptoms, such as formation of amyloid plaque, senile plaque, neurofibrillary tangles, etc. Majorly four vital transcripts are identified in the AD complications which include Amyloid precursor protein (APP), Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), and two multi-pass transmembrane domain proteins—Presenilin 1 and 2. In addition, the formation of the abnormal filaments such as amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau and their tangling with some necessary factors contributing to the formation of plaques, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis which in turn leads to the emergence of AD. Although multiple molecular mechanisms have been elucidated so far, they are still counted as hypotheses ending with neuronal death on the basal forebrain and hippocampal area which results in AD. This review article is aimed at addressing the overview of the molecular mechanisms surrounding AD and the functional forms of the genes associated with it.
Berries instead of bears: new insight into gastronomic attractiveness of Russian Siberia
Authors: Ermolaev Vladimir A. , Ruban Dmitry A. , Yashalova Natalia N.
Published: November 2021

Active use of berries in regional cuisines underlines gastronomic specifics of Russia. The present study focuses on three regions of Russian Siberia and establishes that edible berries are numerous there and determine specifics of the regional cuisine rooted into the cultural traditions. These cultural and gastronomic traditions developed during four centuries by Russian settlers in Siberia who adapted to severe natural conditions, explored new food resources, and interacted with the local peoples. If so, berries and berry products can be regarded as a kind of ethnic food. Modern berries-based tourism (bacatourism) initiatives and, particularly, berry picking and tasting at you-pick farms and raspberry festival are registered on the study territory. Sellers tend to position berry products as typically Siberian, which permits their use as regional, quasi-ethnic souvenirs. Berries determine significant gastronomic attractiveness of Southern Siberia, and further exploitation of this potential can contribute to sustainable development of this vast territory and maintaining its cultural identity within the broad and diverse Russian space.
Changes in the level of oxidative stress markers in Indian catfish (Wallago attu) infected with Isoparorchis hypselobagri
Authors: Sahreen Anam , Fatima Kaneez , Zainab Tahmina , Saifullah Mohammad Khalid
Published: November 2021

Background

Helminth infection and infestation in fishes are detrimental and have a major effect on fish health and fish production. Among various factors, parasitic infections are known to modulate antioxidant defences in fish. Similar to other aerobic animals,
fish are also susceptible to the effect of reactive oxygen species and thus have well established intrinsic and efficient antioxidant defences. ‘Oxidative stress markers are an important indicator of the physiological state of the parasite and its host’. Indian catfish,
Wallago attu is a freshwater fish that serves as the definitive host of the adult piscine trematode Isoparorchis hypselobagri. Our two years prevalence data signifies the intensity of the problem revealing a minimum of 5.5% and a maximum of 54% I. hypselobagri infection in Indian catfish W. attu (unpublished data). The present study aimed to achieve baseline data attributed to changes in some oxidative markers due to parasitic infection.

Results

During the present study, the level of enzyme activities of Catalase (CAT), Glutathione reductase (GR), Glutathione-S-transferase (GST), Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipid peroxidation was investigated to explore the pathogenic impact on the fish host. The level of these oxidative stress markers was monitored in the swim bladder, liver, intestine and muscle of the host. We also recorded the enzyme activities in the parasite I. hypselobagri. Analysis of data revealed an elevation in GST, SOD, GR, GPx and CAT activity in the infected host tissue as compared to the non-infected fish. Further, we observed presence of GST, SOD, GR and GPx enzymes in the parasite I. hypselobagri while CAT did not show any enzyme activity.

Conclusions

Increased level of enzyme activity in liver, muscle and intestine of infected host has been recorded which indicates increased oxidative stress in the host due to parasitic invasion. The presence of antioxidant enzymes in the parasites suggests an active antioxidant defence system to avoid immune responses to long term survival and establishment in their host.
A dictionary learning method for seismic data compression
Authors: Faouzi Zizi Mohammed Outhmane , Turquais Pierre
Published: November 2021

For a marine seismic survey, the recorded and processed data size can reach several terabytes. Storing seismic data sets is costly, and transferring them between storage devices can be challenging. Dictionary learning (DL) has been shown to provide representations with a high level of sparsity. This method stores the shape of the redundant events once and represents each occurrence of these events with a single sparse coefficient. Therefore, an efficient DL-based compression workflow, which is specifically designed for seismic data, is developed here. This compression method differs from conventional compression methods in three respects: (1) The transform domain is not predefined but data-driven, (2) the redundancy in seismic data is fully exploited by learning small-sized dictionaries from local windows of the seismic shot gathers, and (3) two modes (i.e., two different parameterizations) are proposed depending on the geophysical application. Based on a test seismic data set, we have determined superior performance of our workflow in terms of compression ratio (CR) for a wide range of signal-to-residual ratios, such as the zfp software or algorithms from the Seismic Unix package. Using a more realistic data set of marine seismic acquisition, we evaluate the capability of our workflow to preserve the seismic signal for different applications. For applications such as near-real-time transmission and long-term data storage, we observe insignificant signal leakage on a 2D line stack when the DL method reaches a CR higher than 20. For other applications, such as visual quality control of shot gathers, our method preserves the visual aspect of the data even when a CR of 95 is reached.
How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting women's menstrual cycles and quality of life? A view from South Asia
Authors: Hashmi Nida , Ullah Irfan , Tariq Syeda Rida , de Filippis Renato , Orsolini Laura , Pinto da Costa Mariana , Virani Sanya , Pereira-Sanchez Victor
Published: November 2021

The substantial strain that women are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic can affect their menstrual cycle and further impair their quality of life. In low- and middle-income countries, this strain is exacerbated by: cultural taboos and poor education related to menstruation; ‘period poverty’; unavailability of menstrual hygiene products; and poor hygiene facilities. We suggest actions that governments, healthcare professionals and individuals can take to address these factors and minimise the psychological impact of COVID-19 on women's physical and mental health.
TP53 Gain-of-Function and Non–Gain-of-Function Mutations Are Differentially Associated With Sidedness-Dependent Prognosis in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Pan Minggui , Jiang Chen , Tse Pam , Achacoso Ninah , Alexeeff Stacey , Solorzano Aleyda V. , Chung Elaine , Hu Wenwei , Truong Thach-Giao , Arora Amit , Sundaresan Tilak , Suga Jennifer Marie , Thomas Sachdev , Habel Laurel A.
Published: November 2021

PURPOSE

To examine the association of gain-of-function (GOF) and non–gain-of-function (non-GOF) TP53 mutations with prognosis of metastatic right-sided (RCC) versus left-sided colorectal cancer (LCC).

METHODS

This cohort study included patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) who had next-generation sequencing performed from November 2017 to January 2021. We defined R175H, R248W, R248Q, R249S, R273H, R273L, and R282W as GOF and all other mutp53 as non-GOF. We used Cox regression modeling to examine the association between GOF and non-GOF mutp53 and overall survival (OS), adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, performance status, Charlson comorbidity index and receipt of chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Of total 1,043 patients, 735 had tumors with mutp53 and 308 had wild-type p53 (wtp53). GOF was associated with worse OS than non-GOF mutp53 only in LCC (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.66 [95% CI, 1.20 to 2.29]), but not in RCC (HR = 0.79 [95% CI, 0.49 to 1.26]). Importantly, RCC was associated with worse OS than LCC only in the subset of patients whose CRC carried non-GOF (HR = 1.76 [95% CI, 1.30 to 2.39]), but not GOF mutp53 (HR = 0.92 [95% CI, 0.55 to 1.53]) or wtp53 (HR = 0.88 [95% CI, 0.60 to 1.28]). These associations were largely unchanged after also adjusting for RAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations, and microsatellite instability-high.

CONCLUSION

Poorer survival of patients with metastatic RCC versus LCC appeared to be restricted to the subset with non-GOF mutp53, whereas GOF versus non-GOF mutp53 was associated with poorer survival only among patients with LCC. This approach of collectively classifying mutp53 into GOF and non-GOF provides new insight for prognostic stratification and for understanding the mechanism of sidedness-dependent prognosis. If confirmed, future CRC clinical trials may benefit from incorporating this approach.
Identification and generation of different statistical distributions of light using Gamma modeling
Authors: Zhang Shuanghao , Zheng Huaibin , Wang Gao , Chen Hui , He Yuchen , Luo Sheng , Liu Jianbin , Zhou Yu , Li Fuli , Xu Zhuo
Published: November 2021

Correlation measurement or calculation is typically used to classify the antibunched, bunched, or superbunched light with the degree of second-order coherence. However, it cannot characterize and identify the statistical distribution type of light. Since the statistical distributions of many classical light sources can be characterized by the generalized Gamma distribution, here we propose a new method to directly identify and generate classical light with different correlation properties by Gamma modeling from statistics rather than correlation. Experimental verification of beams from a four-wave mixing process agrees with this method, and the influences of temperature and laser detuning on the measured results are investigated. The proposal demonstrates an efficient approach to classifying and identifying classical light sources using Gamma modeling. More importantly, it can flexibly design and generate the required correlated lights meeting various optical applications according to the presented rules.
Fictitious Meals, Culinary Constraints: The Recipe Form in Four Oulipian Texts
Authors: Joensuu Juri
Published: November 2021

This article looks into fictitious meals and the use of culinary recipe form in experimental and procedural literature, namely, works of constrained writing associated with OuLiPo (Ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle). The recipe form is first scrutinized from the procedural, structural, and historical viewpoints, also concerning its lesser-known imaginative and esoteric genealogy. In addition, its connections to the notions of narrativity and fiction are discussed. The recipe's relationship to action is depicted by a simple procedural model. There is a metaphorical and conceptual, but also formal and operational, similarity between the coded procedures of cooking and writing. A recipe is a procedure, a script for an infinity of possible meals, and a literary procedure is a recipe for writing. It is not surprising, then, that Oulipian writers have utilized the recipe form in their food-related works. Four such literary recipes (by Georges Perec, Jacques Roubaud, Harry Mathews, and Alastair Brotchie) are closely examined, after discussion of key concepts of Oulipian poetics from the culinary viewpoint. The article's special point of reference is the parodic, satirical, absurd, and other humorous meanings that literary recipes often seem to produce, which is linked to the operational and structural dimensions of the recipe—its comically posited procedural form.
Riddles inJin Ping Mei
Authors: Kelly Thomas
Published: November 2021

Jin Ping Mei cihua 金瓶梅詞話 (Plum in the Golden Vase) displays an unprecedented interest in breaking apart and reassembling the components of words. This essay asks where the Cihua edition's fascination with character manipulation (a procedure the author refers to as chaibai daozi 拆白道字) comes from and how it relates to literary riddles that precede and follow this landmark sixteenth-century novel. Jin Ping Mei cihua enlarges the presentation and associations of riddles in fiction through its engagement with contemporaneous theatrical literature and the entertainment culture of the brothel. Later commentators, notably Zhang Zhupo 張竹坡 (1670–1698), reorganize the game sequences within which bouts of character manipulation are embedded for the purposes of narrative prolepsis and character development, advocating an approach to reading enigmas as portents that influenced late imperial novelists. In doing so, however, they efface the Cihua's unruly celebration of contingency, the novel's seductive insinuation that it might be written otherwise.
The Textual Architecture of Empire in Two Early Qing Anthologies
Authors: Moyer Jessica Dvorak
Published: November 2021

During the first half century of the Qing dynasty, Manchu emperors commissioned massive publication projects on the Chinese classics. In early Qing interpretations of classics on the family, negotiations between Manchu and Han family and gender norms furthered the empire-building project. This article compares the spatial form of the Yuding Nei ze yanyi 御定内則衍義 (1656), an expansion of the “Inner Standards” chapter of the Classic of Rites commissioned by the Shunzhi emperor, to that of the Yuding Xiao jing yanyi 御定孝經衍義 (1682), an expansion of the Classic of Filial Piety commissioned by the Kangxi emperor. These works are textual spaces where the cultural and political negotiations of the early Qing empire play out; they use spatial strategies of juxtaposition and hierarchy to balance different messages for different constituencies, creating textual models of empire.
Unfinished Revolutions
Authors: Tan Li Wen Jessica
Published: November 2021

This article examines Wei Beihua's modernist works, which have receded into the shadows of Sinophone Malayan (Mahua) literary history, in relation to Indonesian poet Chairil Anwar, to excavate a neglected route of transculturation at the height of Southeast Asia's nationalist movements during the 1950s. Unlike Anwar's modernist poems that thrive in Indonesia, Wei Beihua's works were considered outliers during a period when realist literature was deemed an effective tool for social mobilization in postwar Malaya. Nonetheless, it is critical for us to recognize that Wei Beihua did not reject realism or underestimate the role of literature in nation building. This article argues that Wei Beihua's idea of modernism is premised on an artist's affective and self-reflexive engagement with realism, which gives rise to a dialectical tension. The tension between his advocacy of an artist's individualism, which is inspired by Anwar, and the impetus of responding to nationalism manifests in his meta-fictional short stories that reflect on the varying motivations behind art creation. His works offer a productive perspective to reconsider the modernist artist's role during revolution and “the limits of realism” of revolutionary works when art was deemed integral to nation building in postwar Southeast Asia.
A new method to localise and quantify oxidative stress in live juvenile mussels
Authors: Delorme Natalí J. , Schmidt Alfonso J. , Zamora Leonardo N. , Burritt David J. , Ragg Norman L. C.
Published: November 2021

Stress and survival of the juvenile New Zealand green-lipped mussel, Perna canaliculus, is a poorly understood bottleneck in the ecological and economic performance of a significant aquaculture crop. This species was therefore selected as a model organism for the development of a new method to quantify oxidative stress in whole individuals. An in vivo ROS-activated stain (CellROX™) was administered to anaesthetised, translucent juveniles that were subsequently formaldehyde fixed and then visualised using confocal microscopy. Subsequent application of image analysis to quantifying ROS-positive tissue areas was successfully used to detect stress differences in juvenile mussels exposed to varying levels of emersion. This integrated method can be used to localise and quantify ROS production in individual translucent bivalve life stages (larval and juvenile), while relative stability following fixation greatly expands potential practical field applications.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first and third authors of the paper.
Novel patient-derived models of desmoplastic small round cell tumor confirm a targetable dependency on ERBB signaling
Authors: Smith Roger S. , Odintsov Igor , Liu Zebing , Lui Allan Jo-Weng , Hayashi Takuo , Vojnic Morana , Suehara Yoshiyuki , Delasos Lukas , Mattar Marissa S. , Hmeljak Julija , Ramirez Hillary A. , Shaw Melissa , Bui Gabrielle , Hartono Alifiani B. , Gladstone Eric , Kunte Siddharth , Magnan Heather , Khodos Inna , De Stanchina Elisa , La Quaglia Michael P. , Yao Jinjuan , Laé Marick , Lee Sean B. , Spraggon Lee , Pratilas Christine A. , Ladanyi Marc , Somwar Romel
Published: November 2021

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is characterized by the t(11;22)(p13;q12) translocation, which fuses the transcriptional regulatory domain of EWSR1 with the DNA-binding domain of WT1, resulting in the oncogenic EWSR1-WT1 fusion protein. The paucity of DSRCT disease models has hampered preclinical therapeutic studies on this aggressive cancer. Here, we developed preclinical disease models and mined DSRCT expression profiles to identify genetic vulnerabilities that could be leveraged for new therapies. We describe four DSRCT cell lines and one patient-derived xenograft model. Transcriptomic, proteomic and biochemical profiling showed evidence of activation of the ERBB pathway. Ectopic expression of EWSR1-WT1 resulted in upregulation of ERRB family ligands. Treatment of DSRCT cell lines with ERBB ligands resulted in activation of EGFR, ERBB2, ERK1/2 and AKT, and stimulation of cell growth. Antagonizing EGFR function with shRNAs, small-molecule inhibitors (afatinib, neratinib) or an anti-EGFR antibody (cetuximab) inhibited proliferation of DSRCT cells. Finally, treatment of mice bearing DSRCT xenografts with a combination of cetuximab and afatinib significantly reduced tumor growth. These data provide a rationale for evaluating EGFR antagonists in patients with DSRCT.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first two authors of the paper.
The rat rotenone model reproduces the abnormal pattern of central catecholamine metabolism found in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Landau Regev , Halperin Reut , Sullivan Patti , Zibly Zion , Leibowitz Avshalom , Goldstein David S. , Sharabi Yehonatan
Published: November 2021

Recent reports indicate that Parkinson's disease (PD) involves specific functional abnormalities in residual neurons – decreased vesicular sequestration of cytoplasmic catecholamines via the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) and decreased aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. This double hit builds up the autotoxic metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL), the focus of the catecholaldehyde hypothesis for the pathogenesis of PD. An animal model is needed that reproduces this abnormal catecholamine neurochemical pattern. Adult rats received subcutaneous vehicle or the mitochondrial complex 1 inhibitor rotenone (2 mg/kg/day via a minipump) for 10 days. Locomotor activity was recorded, and striatal tissue sampled for catechol contents and catechol ratios that indicate the above abnormalities. Compared to vehicle, rotenone reduced locomotor activity (P=0.002), decreased tissue dopamine concentrations (P=0.00001), reduced indices of vesicular sequestration (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC)/dopamine) and ALDH activity (DOPAC/DOPAL) (P=0.0025, P=0.036), and increased DOPAL levels (P=0.04). The rat rotenone model involves functional abnormalities in catecholaminergic neurons that replicate the pattern found in PD putamen. These include a vesicular storage defect, decreased ALDH activity and DOPAL build-up. The rat rotenone model provides a suitable in vivo platform for studying the catecholaldehyde hypothesis.
Intrinsic and damage-induced JAK/STAT signaling regulate developmental timing by the Drosophila prothoracic gland
Authors: Cao Xueya , Rojas Marta , Pastor-Pareja José Carlos
Published: November 2021

Development involves tightly paced, reproducible sequences of events, yet it must adjust to conditions external to it, such as resource availability and organismal damage. A major mediator of damage-induced immune responses in vertebrates and insects is JAK/STAT signaling. At the same time, JAK/STAT activation by the Drosophila Upd cytokines is pleiotropically involved in normal development of multiple organs. Whether inflammatory and developmental JAK/STAT roles intersect is unknown. Here, we show that JAK/STAT is active during development of the prothoracic gland (PG), which controls metamorphosis onset through ecdysone production. Reducing JAK/STAT signaling decreased PG size and advanced metamorphosis. Conversely, JAK/STAT hyperactivation by overexpression of pathway components or SUMOylation loss caused PG hypertrophy and metamorphosis delay. Tissue damage and tumors, known to secrete Upd cytokines, also activated JAK/STAT in the PG and delayed metamorphosis, at least in part by inducing expression of the JAK/STAT target Apontic. JAK/STAT damage signaling, therefore, regulates metamorphosis onset by co-opting its developmental role in the PG. Our findings in Drosophila provide insights on how systemic effects of damage and cancer can interfere with hormonally controlled development and developmental transitions.
Insulin at 100 years – is rebalancing its action key to fighting obesity-related disease?
Authors: Brierley Gemma V. , Semple Robert K.
Published: November 2021

One hundred years ago, insulin was purified and administered to people with diabetes to lower blood glucose, suppress ketogenesis and save lives. A century later, insulin resistance (IR) lies at the heart of the obesity-related disease pandemic. Multiple observations attest that IR syndrome is an amalgamation of gain and loss of insulin action, suggesting that IR is a misnomer. This misapprehension is reinforced by shortcomings in common model systems and is particularly pronounced for the tissue growth disorders associated with IR. It is necessary to move away from conceptualisation of IR as a pure state of impaired insulin action and to appreciate that, in the long term, insulin can harm as well as cure. The mixed state of gain and loss of insulin action, and its relationship to perturbed insulin-like growth factor (IGF) action, should be interrogated more fully in models recapitulating human disease. Only then may the potential of rebalancing insulin action, rather than simply increasing global insulin signalling, finally be appreciated.
Crystal structure of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) frameshifting pseudoknot
Authors: Jones Christopher P. , Ferré-D'Amaré Adrian R.
Published: November 2021

SARS-CoV-2 produces two long viral protein precursors from one open reading frame using a highly conserved RNA pseudoknot that enhances programmed −1 ribosomal frameshifting. The 1.3 Å-resolution X-ray structure of the pseudoknot reveals three coaxially stacked helices buttressed by idiosyncratic base triples from loop residues. This structure represents a frameshift-stimulating state that must be deformed by the ribosome and exhibits base-triple-adjacent pockets that could be targeted by future small-molecule therapeutics.
Homicídios em homens jovens: tendência e projeção em Mato Grosso-Brasil, 1996-2022
Authors: Carlo Franciele Silvia , Oliveira Ligia Regina , Souza Andrade Amanda Cristina
Published: November 2021

Objetivo: Analisar a tendência de 1996 a 2017 e projetar de 2018 a 2022 a taxa de homicídios em homens jovens, segundo faixa etária, no estado de Mato Grosso. Métodos: Trata-se de Estudo ecológico, exploratório, de tendência temporal. Para modelagem da série e predição da taxa de homicídios para o período de 2018-2022, utilizou-se o método ARIMA (autoregressive integrated moving average). Resultados: Verificou-se a tendência temporal crescente de homicídios em homens jovens (15 a 29 anos), com manutenção de taxas altas para a população masculina de 15 a 19 anos. A previsão para o quinquênio 2018-2022 indicou elevação das taxas de homicídios entre homens jovens, revelando crescimento maior em adolescentes, mesmo com menores taxas ao longo dos anos. Conclusão: Este estudo indicou tendência crescente de homicídios em homens jovens em Mato Grosso, sobretudo em adolescentes. Visto que o homicídio possui variadas facetas fomentadoras admite-se que número substancial de homicídios deste estrato social poderia ser evitado seguindo estratégias eficazes de prevenção por meio de políticas públicas.
Αξιολόγηση πιστοληπτικής ικανότητας επιχειρήσεων και λήψη επιχειρηματικών αποφάσεων των Ελληνικών τραπεζών με τη χρήσησ της μεθόδου AHP
Authors: Κατσιμπέρης Βαλεντίνος
Published: November 2021

Οι τράπεζες, προκειμένου να αποφασίσουν για την έγκριση ή την απόρριψη μιας αίτησης επιχειρηματικού δανείου, ακολουθούν μια διαδικασία αξιολόγησης. Σε ένα άκρως ανταγωνιστικό οικονομικό και επιχειρηματικό περιβάλλον επιδιώκουν συνεχώς να βρίσκουν ευέλικτες και απλούστερες μεθόδους αξιολόγησης, ώστε να είναι ευρέως εφαρμόσιμες, κατανοητές και εύκολα τροποποιήσιμες από τους αναλυτές τους. Η μελέτη αυτή παρουσιάζει ένα μοντέλο μαζικής αξιολόγησης επιχειρήσεων με τη χρήση της πολυκριτήριας ανάλυσης και άλλων μεθόδων λήψης αποφάσεων. Το εν λόγω μοντέλο αποτελείται από τρεις φάσεις που θα αναλυθούν μέσω δυο σεναρίων καταδεικνύοντας τη σταθερότητα και την ευελιξία του. Με τον τρόπο αυτό, εξοικονομούνται χρόνος και πόροι με ταυτόχρονη εξασφάλιση της ποιότητας των παραγόμενων αποτελεσμάτων. Η απόδοση του μετρείται μέσω της προσέγγισης εξόρυξης δεδομένων (καμπύλες ROC) καταδεικνύοντας τις δυνατότητές του. Στο τέλος της διαδικασίας θα προκύψει μια λίστα με αξιολογημένες και ταξινομημένες επιχειρήσεις οι οποίες, ανάλογα με τη βαθμολογία που επιτυγχάνουν, εγκρίνονται ή απορρίπτονται από την τράπεζα όσον αφορά τη λήψη ενός επιχειρηματικού δανείου.
The perspectives of patients and their caregivers on self-management interventions for chronic conditions: a protocol for a mixed-methods overview
Authors: Niño de Guzmán Ena , Martínez García Laura , González Ana I. , Heijmans Monique , Huaringa Jorge , Immonen Kaisa , Ninov Lyudmil , Orrego-Villagrán Carola , Pérez-Bracchiglione Javier , Salas-Gama Karla , Viteri-García Andrés , Alonso-Coello Pablo
Published: November 2021

Introduction: Self-management (SM) interventions are complex interventions and one of the main components of high-quality chronic disease care for which the incorporation of the perspectives of patients and their informal caregivers is crucial. We aim to identify, appraise and synthesise the evidence exploring patients’ and caregivers’ perspectives on SM interventions. More precisely, we aim to 1) describe how they value the importance of outcomes of SM interventions, and 2) identify the factors that might impact on acceptability and feasibility of SM interventions based on their preferences and experiences.

Methods and analysis: We will conduct four mixed-methods overviews as part of COMPAR-EU, a European Union (EU) funded project aimed to identify the most effective and cost-effective SM interventions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure (HF), obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We will search in MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for systematic reviews of studies addressing patients’ preferences on outcomes, or their experiences with SM alongside their disease trajectory or with SM interventions, published in English. Selection of studies and data extraction will be conducted in pairs. We will assess the overlap of studies and methodological quality. We will follow a three-step synthesis process: 1) narrative synthesis for quantitative evidence, 2) thematic synthesis for qualitative evidence, and 3) integration of findings in the interpretation phase. Additionally, we will consult on the relevance of findings with patients and their caregivers.

Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42019117867
From frustration to enlightenment: experiences of student exchange program awardees in Taiwan
Authors: Silalahi Wolter Parlindungan , Sitorus Friska Ria
Published: November 2021

Background: This qualitative study investigates the experiences of international students’ exchange who faced difficulties in adjusting to their new environment. They experienced awkwardness in the use of advanced equipment from technology and in various cultural aspects. This study investigates two Indonesian students who participated for a semester at a Taiwanese university. It aims to explore the Indonesian student exchange program awardees’ experiences by examining both the obstacles and benefits of attending the Taiwanese university.

Methods: This study used qualitative data analysis. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview, informal participant observations, and a set of open and closed-ended questions. Two Indonesian undergraduate students who belonged to the same major, year, and university were recruited to participate in this study.

Results: Challenges and Benefits are the two major themes in this research. Challenges include: (1) Departure and journey; (2) Difficulties in settling in; (3) Inability to use technology facilities. Benefits include: (1) Meeting new people and exploring new places; and (2) 21st-century classroom environments.

Conclusions: Despite the challenges that are associated with being students exchange awardee, there are vast opportunities for self-development and learning that is associated with teaching from the 21st-century classroom pedagogy.
snpQT: flexible, reproducible, and comprehensive quality control and imputation of genomic data
Authors: Vasilopoulou Christina , Wingfield Benjamin , Morris Andrew P. , Duddy William
Published: November 2021

Quality control of genomic data is an essential but complicated multi-step procedure, often requiring separate installation and expert familiarity with a combination of different bioinformatics tools. Software incompatibilities, and inconsistencies across computing environments, are recurrent challenges, leading to poor reproducibility. Existing semi-automated or automated solutions lack comprehensive quality checks, flexible workflow architecture, and user control. To address these challenges, we have developed snpQT: a scalable, stand-alone software pipeline using nextflow and BioContainers, for comprehensive, reproducible and interactive quality control of human genomic data. snpQT offers some 36 discrete quality filters or correction steps in a complete standardised pipeline, producing graphical reports to demonstrate the state of data before and after each quality control procedure. This includes human genome build conversion, population stratification against data from the 1,000 Genomes Project, automated population outlier removal, and built-in imputation with its own pre- and post- quality controls. Common input formats are used, and a synthetic dataset and comprehensive online tutorial are provided for testing, educational purposes, and demonstration. The snpQT pipeline is designed to run with minimal user input and coding experience; quality control steps are implemented with numerous user-modifiable thresholds, and workflows can be flexibly combined in custom combinations. snpQT is open source and freely available at https://github.com/nebfield/snpQT. A comprehensive online tutorial and installation guide is provided through to GWAS (https://snpqt.readthedocs.io/en/latest/), introducing snpQT using a synthetic demonstration dataset and a real-world Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis SNP-array dataset.
Revisiting the Rist diagram for predicting operating conditions in blast furnaces with multiple injections
Authors: Bailera Manuel , Nakagaki Takao , Kataoka Ryoma
Published: November 2021

Background: The Rist diagram is useful for predicting changes in blast furnaces when the operating conditions are modified. In this paper, we revisit this methodology to provide a general model with additions and corrections. The reason for this is to study a new concept proposal that combines oxygen blast furnaces with Power to Gas technology. The latter produces synthetic methane by using renewable electricity and CO2 to partly replace the fossil input in the blast furnace. Carbon is thus continuously recycled in a closed loop and geological storage is avoided.

Methods: The new model is validated with three data sets corresponding to (1) an air-blown blast furnace without auxiliary injections, (2) an air-blown blast furnace with pulverized coal injection and (3) an oxygen blast furnace with top gas recycling and pulverized coal injection. The error is below 8% in all cases.

Results: Assuming a 280 tHM/h oxygen blast furnace that produces 1154 kgCO2/tHM, we can reduce the CO2 emissions between 6.1% and 7.4% by coupling a 150 MW Power to Gas plant. This produces 21.8 kg/tHM of synthetic methane that replaces 22.8 kg/tHM of coke or 30.2 kg/tHM of coal. The gross energy penalization of the CO2 avoidance is 27.1 MJ/kgCO2 when coke is replaced and 22.4 MJ/kgCO2 when coal is replaced. Considering the energy content of the saved fossil fuel, and the electricity no longer consumed in the air separation unit thanks to the O2 coming from the electrolyzer, the net energy penalizations are 23.1 MJ/kgCO2 and 17.9 MJ/kgCO2, respectively.

Discussion: The proposed integration has energy penalizations greater than conventional amine carbon capture (typically 3.7 – 4.8 MJ/kgCO2), but in return it could reduce the economic costs thanks to diminishing the coke/coal consumption, reducing the electricity consumption in the air separation unit, and eliminating the requirement of geological storage.
CHINA'S "KOREAN WAVE" AND CHINA'S ACTIVE CHOICE FOR THE KOREAN WAVE
Authors: HU XIN-YUE
Published: November 2021

Hallyu has gradually exerted greater influence in China and even in the world. Through the development of Korean TV dramas imported to China, and compared to the development of Japanese TV dramas in China, the author found that the development of Korean TV dramas was influenced by the development of the Chinese society and reflected China’s active choose on the import of Korean TV series.
FROM VIRTUAL-REALITY FUSION TO COMPREHENSIVE VIRTUAL: THE FUTURE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS
Authors: XU BO
Published: November 2021

The performing arts have experienced the transformation from traditional to digital in the twentieth century and now are on the edge of digital to virtual phase. In this process, digital media technologies make significant effort to mediate conventional performances, which bring new features to some aspects of performing arts. This paper examines the phenomenon through space, body and interactivity these three fundamental elements to check what has happened during the transition and what new characteristics appear. Despite theory discussion, this article also uses fresh examples such as virtual idol, virtual performance, online game entertainment event and other like to investigate the connotations of the concepts about immersion, embodiment, presence in digital virtual environment.
AN APPRECIATION OF ELIZABETH BISHOP OF LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Authors: YANG YONG-QING
Published: November 2021

As the important works in American literature, those works of late twentieth century play a very important role. The works of female poet Elizabeth Bishop reflect dramatically contrasting attitudes toward the subject of poetry and its cultural roles. Bishop thinks that she is capable of acquiring unmediated access to the truth of history. Through her large number of works, we can sense her unique language features and impressed images.
A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE MODIFICATION EFFECT OF VISUAL ILLUSION ON GARMENT STYLING
Authors: WAN HUI
Published: November 2021

People's living standard is constantly improving, in the past such as comfort and warmth of these basic needs, has been difficult to meet the idea of today's people, those highlighting the personality and functional clothing, more and more recognized by the public.[1]Any figure can wear a sense of beauty, so that clothing to truly achieve the purpose of sculpture figure correction is a common concern of designers and consumers. By analyzing the law of optical illusion, this paper expounds the influence of optical illusion on clothing design, so as to make beneficial exploration on how to use optical illusion scientifically and better meet the needs of clothing design.[2]