bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protecting Women’s and Newborns’ Rights in a Public Maternity Unit During the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Case of Dra. Eloísa Díaz - La Florida Hospital in Santiago, Chile
Authors: Leiva Gonzalo , Sadler Michelle , López Camila , Quezada Susana , Flores Víctor , Sierra Cristian , Díaz Susan , Figueroa Christian
Published: March 2021

The Maternity in Dra. Eloísa Díaz’ hospital, located in the municipality of La Florida and city of Santiago, Chile, opened its doors in 2014, and has integrated a humanistic model of care called the “Safe Model of Personalized Childbirth” since 2016. With around 3,000 births per year, it has been recognized as an example of excellence in maternity care in the country. The COVID-19 outbreak presented a big challenge to this Maternity: to maintain its quality of care standards despite the health crisis. This article presents the Maternity’s responses to the pandemic from March to July 2020, describing the strategies that were deployed and the obstetric outcomes achieved. Semi-structured interviews with midwives and OB-GYNs, and a retrospective review of the childbirth standards of care and outcomes of the 55 women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, were carried out. The results show how the Maternity's staff responded in order to avoid a significant negative impact on the rights of women and newborns. Protocols to reestablish the companion during labor and childbirth and skin-to-skin contact, which were suspended for almost three weeks at the beginning of the outbreak, and the creation of an Instagram account to communicate with the external community were some of the measures taken. After some initial weeks of adjustment, the standards of care for all women, included for those diagnosed with COVID-19, were reestablished almost to pre-pandemic levels. This case shows that quality of care can be maintained and the rights of women and newborns can be respected during health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ecosystem Services in Working Lands of the Southeastern USA
Authors: Coffin Alisa W. , Sclater Vivienne , Swain Hilary , Ponce-Campos Guillermo E. , Seymour Lynne
Published: March 2021

Agriculture and natural systems interweave in the southeastern US, including Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, where topographic, edaphic, hydrologic, and climatic gradients form nuanced landscapes. These are largely working lands under private control, comprising mosaics of timberlands, grazinglands, and croplands. According to the “ecosystem services” framework, these landscapes are multifunctional. Generally, working lands are highly valued for their provisioning services, and to some degree cultural services, while regulating and supporting services are harder to quantify and less appreciated. Trade-offs and synergies exist among these services. Regional ecological assessments tend to broadly paint working lands as low value for regulating and supporting services. But this generalization fails to consider the complexity and tight spatial coupling of land uses and land covers evident in such regions. The challenge of evaluating multifunctionality and ecosystem services is that they are not spatially concordant. While there are significant acreages of natural systems embedded in southeastern working lands, their spatial characteristics influence the balance of tradeoffs between ecosystem services at differing scales. To better understand this, we examined the configuration of working lands in the southeastern US by comparing indicators of ecosystem services at multiple scales. Indicators included measurements of net primary production (provisioning), agricultural Nitrogen runoff (regulating), habitat measured at three levels of land use intensity, and biodiversity (supporting). We utilized a hydrographic and ecoregional framework to partition the study region. We compared indicators aggregated at differing scales, ranging from broad ecoregions to local landscapes focused on the USDA Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network sites in Florida and Georgia. Subregions of the southeastern US differ markedly in contributions to overall ecosystem services. Provisioning services, characterized by production indicators, were very high in northern subregions of Georgia, while supporting services, characterized by habitat and biodiversity indicators, were notably higher in smaller subregions of Florida. For supporting services, the combined contributions of low intensity working lands with embedded natural systems made a critical difference in their regional evaluation. This analysis demonstrated how the inclusion of working lands combined with examining these at different scales shifted our understanding of ecosystem services trade-offs and synergies in the southeastern United States.
Knowledge of Hazards Associated With Urban Livestock Farming in Southeast Nigeria
Authors: Asadu Anthonia N. , Chah Jane M. , Attamah Clement O. , Igbokwe Edwin M.
Published: March 2021

The study assessed urban farmers' knowledge of health hazards associated with Urban Livestock Farming (ULF) in Southeast Nigeria. Multistage and random sampling techniques were used to select 210 respondents. Structured interview schedule was used to collect data. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Major type of animals reared was broiler. A good proportion of the respondents had a high knowledge of hazards associated with livestock keeping. However, some farmers did not know that animal products from intensive system can be contaminated with heavy metals and that animal dung should be treated before use for crop cultivation. There was a significant influence of socio-economic characteristics of farmers on knowledge of hazards posed by livestock keeping. Farmers' knowledge of hazards varied significantly between the three states studied. Farmers therefore need technical advice to fully understand the hazards associated with urban livestock farming and their consequences as well as on pre-treatment of dung to reduce transfer of pathogens.
Fotografías de un viaje hacia la libertad: Un caso masculino de dependencia emocional
Authors: Linares Marina Jiménez
Published: March 2021

El presente artículo expone un caso masculino de dependencia emocional cuya peculiaridad es que este patrón relacional constituye y se plantea en sí mismo como demanda propia y explícita. Ha sido abordado desde una perspectiva fenomenológico-existencial, concretamente en base al Modelo del Desarrollo Moral, planteando el proceso terapéutico como un acompañamiento hacia la libertad y la autonomía del paciente.
Cuando una terapia es cosa de uno. Un caso de infidelidad
Authors: Cordero Shaddai
Published: March 2021

El caso que se presenta reproduce esquemáticamente y de manera bastante típica la evolución que siguen muchas parejas en las que se produce una infidelidad que da origen a la formación de una pareja paralela, con descendencia incluida. Se describen las particularidades de la demanda, el trabajo terapéutico y el proceso seguido por la pareja hasta el término de la terapia.
Las monjas de Amadeon. ¿Un vaso de aversión sexual?
Authors: Batlle Diana
Published: March 2021

Este trabajo describe el tratamiento de un caso de trastorno del deseo sexual hipoactivo dentro del marco teórico del desarrollo de la moral. Estos síntomas son vistos como un mecanismo de compensación hacia una regulación moral socionómica más obediente. Fomentar la asertividad, la autoestima y la autonomía facilita la desaparición del síntoma y la restauración del deseo sexual de una forma espontánea y gratificante.
Molecular Characteristics of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium from Bulk Tank Milk in Korea
Authors: Yoon Sunghyun , Lee Young Ju
Published: March 2021

Enterococci are considered to be environmental mastitis-causing pathogens that can easily spread antimicrobial resistance or virulence genes via horizontal transfer. In this study, the molecular characteristics of enterococci from bulk tank milk were investigated to assess the importance of dairy herd management. A total of 338 enterococci (305 Enterococcus faecalis and 33 Enterococcus faecium) were isolated from 1584 batches of bulk tank milk samples from 396 farms affiliated with four dairy companies in Korea, and significant differences (40.6–79.7%) (p < 0.05) in the prevalence of enterococci were observed in the samples from different companies. Enterococci showed the highest resistance to tetracycline (TET) (73.4%), followed by doxycycline (DOX) (49.7%) and erythromycin (ERY) (46.2%), while two enterococci isolates showed resistance to vancomycin (VAN). Among 146 tetracycline (TET) and ERY-resistant enterococci, each 50 (19.4%) enterococci carried combination-resistance and transposon gene types erm(B) + tet(M) + IntTn and erm(B) + tet(L) + tet(M) + IntTn, respectively. The virulence genes such as ace (99.0%), efaA (97.7%), cad1 (95.7%), and gelE (85.9%) were highly conserved in E. faecalis and significantly predominated over E. faecium (p < 0.001). Our results indicate that pathogens from bulk tank milk can also become a reservoir for the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors through cross-contamination processes.
Feeding a Negative Dietary Cation-Anion Difference to Female Goats Is Feasible, as Indicated by the Non-Deleterious Effect on Rumen Fermentation and Rumen Microbial Population and Increased Plasma Calcium Level
Authors: Yang Kang , Tian Xingzhou , Ma Zhengfa , Wu Wenxuan
Published: March 2021

The dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) has been receiving increased attention in recent years; however, information on rumen fermentation, cellulolytic bacteria populations, and microbiota of female goats fed a negative DCAD diet is less. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of feeding a negative DCAD diet for goats with emphasis on rumen fermentation parameters, cellulolytic bacteria populations, and microbiota. Eighteen female goats were randomly blocked to 3 treatments of 6 replicates with 1 goat per replicate. Animals were fed diets with varying DCAD levels at +338 (high DCAD; HD), +152 (control; CON), and −181 (low DCAD; LD). This study lasted 45 days with a 30-d adaption and 15-d trial period. The results showed that the different DCAD levels did not affect the rumen fermentation parameters including pH, buffering capability, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, sum of acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, or the ratio of acetic acid/propionic acid (p > 0.05). The 4 main ruminal cellulolytic bacteria populations containing Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, and Ruminococcus albus did not differ from DCAD treatments (p > 0.05). There was no difference in bacterial richness and diversity indicated by the indices Chao, Abundance Coverage-based Estimator (Ace), or Simpson and Shannon, respectively (p > 0.05), among 3 DCAD levels. Both principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) weighted UniFrac distance and unweighted UniFrac distance showed no difference in the composition of rumen microbiota for CON, HD, and LD (p > 0.05). At the phylum level, Bacteroidetes was the predominant phylum followed by Firmicutes, Synergistetes, Proteobacteria, Spirochaetae, and Tenericutes, and they showed no difference (p > 0.05) in relative abundances except for Firmicutes, which was higher in HD and LD compared to CON (p < 0.05). At the genus level, the relative abundances of 11 genera were not affected by DCAD treatments (p > 0.05). The level of DCAD had no effect (p > 0.05) on growth performance (p > 0.05). Urine pH in LD was lower than HD and CON (p < 0.05). Goats fed LD had higher plasma calcium over HD and CON (p < 0.05). In summary, we conclude that feeding a negative DCAD has no deleterious effects on rumen fermentation and rumen microbiota and can increase the blood calcium level, and is therefore feasible for female goats.
Mothers’ Experiences and Challenges Raising a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Papadopoulos Dimitrios
Published: March 2021

Although the study of autism is burgeoning with important implications both for public health and society, there is little research exploring the experiences of raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the maternal perspective. The aim of this study was to investigate the lived experiences of mothers of children with ASD in Greece. Nine mothers of children with ASD were recruited and engaged in semistructured interviews. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three interconnected themes were identified in the analysis: (a) emotional burden, (b) family burden, and (c) social burden. A key finding in the themes was the sense of burden, distress, and vulnerability experienced by the mothers. The findings provide valuable understanding of the experiences of mothers raising children with ASD in one of Europe’s medium-income countries. Further, results can be used by researchers, clinicians, mental health providers, and policy makers to address the unique needs of families caring for and supporting children with ASD.
CD28 Co-Stimulus Achieves Superior CAR T Cell Effector Function against Solid Tumors Than 4-1BB Co-Stimulus
Authors: Textor Ana , Grunewald Laura , Anders Kathleen , Klaus Anika , Schwiebert Silke , Winkler Annika , Stecklum Maria , Rolff Jana , Henssen Anton G. , Höpken Uta E. , Eggert Angelika , Schulte Johannes H. , Jensen Michael C. , Blankenstein Thomas , Künkele Annette
Published: March 2021

Spacer or co-stimulatory components in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) design influence CAR T cell effector function. Few preclinical mouse models optimally support CAR candidate pre-selection for clinical development. Here we use a model in which murine CAR T cells can be exploited with human tumor xenografts. This mouse-in-mouse approach avoids limitations caused by species-specific factors crucial for CAR T cell survival, trafficking and function. We compared trafficking, expansion and tumor control for T cells expressing different CAR construct designs targeting two antigens (L1CAM or HER2), structurally identical except for spacer (long or short) or co-stimulatory (4-1BB or CD28) domains to be evaluated. Using monoclonal, murine-derived L1CAM-specific CAR T cells in Rag-/- mice harboring established xenografted tumors from a human neuroblastoma cell line revealed a clear superiority in CAR T cell trafficking using CD28 co-stimulation. L1CAM-targeting short spacer-CD28/ζ CAR T cells expanded the most at the tumor site and induced initial tumor regression. Treating patient-derived neuroblastoma xenografts with human L1CAM-targeting CAR T cells confirmed the superiority of CD28 co-stimulus. CD28 superiority was also demonstrated with HER2-specific CAR T cells (targeting ovarian carcinoma xenografts). Our findings encourage incorporating CD28 signaling into CAR design for adoptive T cell treatment of solid tumors.
In Vivo Biodistribution and Efficacy Evaluation of NeoB, a Radiotracer Targeted to GRPR, in Mice Bearing Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor
Authors: Montemagno Christopher , Raes Florian , Ahmadi Mitra , Bacot Sandrine , Debiossat Marlène , Leenhardt Julien , Boutonnat Jean , Orlandi Francesca , Barbato Donato , Tedesco Mattia , Ghezzi Catherine , Perret Pascale , Broisat Alexis
Published: March 2021

NeoB is a radiotracer targeting the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), a G-protein–coupled receptor expressed in various cancers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the biodistribution and efficacy of this new therapeutic agent in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST). Eighty-two SCID mice bearing GIST-882 tumors were employed. [177Lu]Lu-NeoB biodistribution was evaluated up to seven days by organ sampling (200 pmol/0.8 MBq, i.v.). For efficacy evaluation, mice received either saline, 400 pmol or 800 pmol of [177Lu]Lu-NeoB (37MBq, 1/w, 3 w, i.v.). SPECT/CT imaging was performed at 24 h, and tumor volume was determined up to 100 days. Elevated and specific [177Lu]Lu-NeoB uptake was found in the GIST tumor, as demonstrated by in vivo competition (19.1 ± 3.9 %ID/g vs. 0.3 ± 0.1 %ID/g at 4h). [177Lu]Lu-NeoB tumor retention (half-life of 40.2 h) resulted in elevated tumor-to-background ratios. Tumor volumes were significantly reduced in both treated groups (p < 0.01), even leading to complete tumor regression at the 400 pmol dose. [177Lu]Lu-NeoB exhibited excellent pharmacokinetics with elevated and prolonged tumor uptake and low uptake in non-target organs such as pancreas. The potential of this new theragnostic agent in different indications, including GIST, is under evaluation in the FIH [177Lu]Lu-NeoB clinical trial.
Clinical Benefits of Conversion Surgery for Unresectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Single-Institution, Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Mataki Yuko , Kurahara Hiroshi , Idichi Tetsuya , Tanoue Kiyonori , Hozaka Yuto , Kawasaki Yota , Iino Satoshi , Maemura Kosei , Shinchi Hiroyuki , Ohtsuka Takao
Published: March 2021

Background: Unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (UR-PDAC) has a poor prognosis. Conversion surgery is considered a promising strategy for improving the prognosis of UR-PDAC. This study aimed to investigate the clinical benefits of conversion surgery in patients with UR-PDAC. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with PDAC who were referred to our department for possible surgical resection between January 2006 and December 2019. Conversion surgery was performed only in patients with UR-PDAC who could expect R0 resection. We analyzed the prognostic factors for overall survival among patients who underwent conversion surgery. Results: Overall, 638 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were enrolled in this study. According to resectability, resectable cancer (R) was present in 180 patients, borderline resectable cancer (BR) was present in 60 patients, unresectable locally advanced cancer (UR-LA) was present in 252 patients, and unresectable cancer with distant metastasis (UR-M) was present in 146 patients. Conversion surgery was performed in 20 of the 398 UR cases (5.1%). The median period between the initial therapy and conversion surgery was 15.5 months. According to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) evaluation, the treatment response was CR in one patient, PR in 13, SD in five, and PD in one. Downstaging was pathologically determined in all cases. According to the Evans grading system, grade I was observed in four patients (20%), grade IIb was observed in seven (35%), III was observed in seven (35%), and IV was observed in two (10%). We compared the overall survival period from initial treatment among patients undergoing conversion surgery; the median overall survival durations in the conversion surgery, R, BR, UR-LA, and UR-M groups were 73.7, 32.7, 22.7, 15.7, and 8.8 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence or absence of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and the RECIST partial response (PR)/complete response (CR) for the main tumor were statistically significant prognostic factors for overall survival among patients undergoing conversion surgery (p = 0.004 and 0.03, respectively). Conclusion: In UR-PDAC, it is important to perform multidisciplinary treatment, including CRT with conversion surgery.
Cellular Energetics of Mast Cell Development and Activation
Authors: Mendoza Ryan P. , Fudge Dylan H. , Brown Jared M.
Published: March 2021

Mast cells are essential first responder granulocytes in the innate immune system that are well known for their role in type 1 immune hypersensitivity reactions. Although mostly recognized for their role in allergies, mast cells have a range of influences on other systems throughout the body and can respond to a wide range of agonists to properly prime an appropriate immune response. Mast cells have a dynamic energy metabolism to allow rapid responsiveness to their energetic demands. However, our understanding of mast cell metabolism and its impact on mast cell activation and development is still in its infancy. Mast cell metabolism during stimulation and development shifts between both arms of metabolism: catabolic metabolism—such as glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation—and anabolic metabolism—such as the pentose phosphate pathway. The potential for metabolic pathway shifts to precede and perhaps even control activation and differentiation provides an exciting opportunity to explore energy metabolism for clues in deciphering mast cell function. In this review, we discuss literature pertaining to metabolic environments and fluctuations during different sources of activation, especially IgE mediated vs. non-IgE mediated, and mast cell development, including progenitor cell types leading to the well-known resident mast cell.
Adaptive Extremum Seeking Control of Urban Area Wind Turbines
Authors: Dietrich Felix , Borchers-Tigasson Steffen , Naumann Till , Schulte Horst
Published: March 2021

Maximum-power point tracking of wind turbines is a challenging issue considering fast changing wind conditions of urban areas. For this purpose, an adaptive control approach that is fast and robust is required. Conventional approaches based on simple step perturbations and subsequent observation, however, are difficult to design and too slow for the demanding wind conditions of urban areas including gusts and turbulence. In this paper, an extremum seeking control scheme to the recently developed wind turbine MOWEA (Modulare Windenergieanlagen GmbH) is proposed and successfully applied. To this end, a comprehensive aero-electromechanical model of the wind turbine under study including basic control is formulated. Next, the extremum seeking control scheme is adapted to the system. Several aspects to increase adaptation speed are highlighted, including a novel phase compensation. Finally, a validation of the proposed approach is performed considering real wind data, thus demonstrating its fast and robust adaptability. The proposed control scheme is computationally efficient and can be easily implemented on the existing onboard electronics.
The European Heat Wave 2018: The Dendroecological Response of Oak and Spruce in Western Germany
Authors: Neuwirth Burkhard , Rabbel Inken , Bendix Jörg , Bogena Heye R. , Thies Boris
Published: March 2021

The European heat wave of 2018 was characterized by extraordinarily dry and hot spring and summer conditions in many central and northern European countries. The average temperatures from June to August 2018 were the second highest since 1881. Accordingly, many plants, especially trees, were pushed to their physiological limits. However, while the drought and heat response of field crops and younger trees have been well investigated in laboratory experiments, little is known regarding the drought and heat response of mature forest trees. In this study, we compared the response of a coniferous and a deciduous tree species, located in western and central–western Germany, to the extreme environmental conditions during the European heat wave of 2018. Combining classic dendroecological techniques (tree–ring analysis) with measurements of the intra–annual stem expansion (dendrometers) and tree water uptake (sap flow sensors), we found contrasting responses of spruce and oak trees. While spruce trees developed a narrow tree ring in 2018 combined with decreasing correlations of daily sap flow and dendrometer parameters to the climatic parameters, oak trees developed a ring with above–average tree–ring width combined with increasing correlations between the daily climatic parameters and the parameters derived from sap flow and the dendrometer sensors. In conclusion, spruce trees reacted to the 2018 heat wave with the early completion of their growth activities, whereas oaks appeared to intensify their activities based on the water content in their tree stems.
Allelopathic Effects of Three Herb Species on Phytophthora cinnamomi, a Pathogen Causing Severe Oak Decline in Mediterranean Wood Pastures
Authors: Rodríguez-Romero Manuela , Godoy-Cancho Belén , Calha Isabel M. , Passarinho José António , Moreira Ana Cristina
Published: March 2021

The ability of three herbaceous plants (Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC., Eruca vesicaria L. and Raphanus raphanistrum L.) from Iberian wood pastures to reduce Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands pathogen populations through allelopathic relationships is studied. The inhibitory capacity of their aqueous root extracts (AREs) on mycelial growth and production of P. cinnamomi reproductive structures is analysed in vitro. In addition, Quercus seedlings were grown in infested by P. cinnamomi-soils and with the presence or absence of allelopathic and susceptible herb species to the pathogen to assess the defensive chemical response of Quercus seedlings through their leaf phenolic compounds. Results show a strong inhibitory capacity of AREs on P. cinnamomi activity in vitro and a protective effect of these herb species on Quercus plants against P. cinnamomi in vivo. D. tenuifolia would be especially suited for biological control in the pathogen suppression.
Fetal Megalencephaly with Cortical Dysplasia at 18 Gestational Weeks Related to Paternal UPD Mosaicism with PTEN Mutation
Authors: Pooh Ritsuko Kimata , Machida Megumi , Imoto Issei , Arai Eri Noel , Ohashi Hiroyasu , Takeda Masayoshi , Shimokawa Osamu , Fukuta Kaori , Shiozaki Arihiro , Saito Shigeru , Chiyo Hideaki
Published: March 2021

The phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene is a tumor-suppressor gene located on 10q22-23. Since the introduction of molecular genetics in prenatal diagnostics, various birth defects associated with gene mutations have been diagnosed. However, no reports on fetal cases related to PTEN mutation have been found, so far. We encountered a rare case of fetal PTEN mutation. Fetal macrocephaly was noted at 16 weeks. At 18 and 20 weeks, neurosonography revealed megalencephaly with an asymmetrical structure and multifocal polygyria. The head circumference (HC) was +6.2 SD at 18 weeks and +8.1 SD at 20 weeks. The parents opted for pregnancy termination, and the male fetus was delivered at 21 weeks, with HC +9.3 SD. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array for amniotic cells showed paternal uniparental disomy (UPD) 10q mosaicism, and the mosaic ratio was calculated as 56% from B-allele frequency. Exome sequencing revealed the pathogenic PTEN mutation with mosaicism. The heterozygous PTEN mutation may not cause early manifestations from the fetal period, and an abnormal phenotype may appear after birth. This may be the reason why fetal defects associated with PTEN mutation are not detected. Since this case had homozygous and heterozygous mutations, survival was possible, exhibiting an incredibly huge head with cortical dysplasia from early pregnancy.
The Role of TCOF1 Gene in Health and Disease: Beyond Treacher Collins Syndrome
Authors: Grzanka Małgorzata , Piekiełko-Witkowska Agnieszka
Published: March 2021

The nucleoli are membrane-less nuclear substructures that govern ribosome biogenesis and participate in multiple other cellular processes such as cell cycle progression, stress sensing, and DNA damage response. The proper functioning of these organelles is ensured by specific proteins that maintain nucleolar structure and mediate key nucleolar activities. Among all nucleolar proteins, treacle encoded by TCOF1 gene emerges as one of the most crucial regulators of cellular processes. TCOF1 was initially discovered as a gene involved in the Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by severe craniofacial deformations. Later studies revealed that treacle regulates ribosome biogenesis, mitosis, proliferation, DNA damage response, and apoptosis. Importantly, several reports indicate that treacle is also involved in cancer development, progression, and response to therapies, and may contribute to other pathologies such as Hirschsprung disease. In this manuscript, we comprehensively review the structure, function, and the regulation of TCOF1/treacle in physiological and pathological processes.
Evaluation of Ecological Environment Effect of Villages Land Use and Cover Change: A Case Study of Some Villages in Yudian Town, Guangshui City, Hubei Province
Authors: Ren Wei , Zhang Xuesong , Shi Yebo
Published: March 2021

Rapid economic development has a significant negative impact on the rural ecological environment. Evaluating the ecological environmental effect of land use and its change trend at the village scale has important practical significance for maintaining ecological functions and ensuring ecological safety. Taking a typical village in Yudian Town as an example, we applied a land-use ecological environment effect evaluation and the CA-Markov change trend prediction model and constructed an index of ecological environmental effect status. Based on the land use, resource environment, and social economic data from 2014 and 2019, we evaluated the ecological environmental effects of land use in each village, simulated the land-use change in each village in two different scenarios, i.e., the developmental orientation (DO) and ecological orientation (EO), in 2030, and analyzed the corresponding change trend of the land-use effect. The ecological environmental effect of land use showed obvious characteristic differentiation in villages with different development levels. For example, villages with poor natural geographic background conditions and slower economic development had a good level of ecological environmental effect, whereas villages with better resource and environmental endowments but faster economic development had lower levels of ecological environmental effect. Village land-use management methods have had a certain effect on improving ecological security, but the effect has been slow. In conclusion, the research results portray the relationship between rural land use and ecological environmental effects in low hilly areas in northern Hubei at a small scale and have reference value for land resource allocation and spatial pattern optimization in similar regions.
Active Treatment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Cold Mine Water Using Advanced Oxidation and Membrane-Related Processes: A Review
Authors: Ryskie Sébastien , Neculita Carmen , Rosa Eric , Coudert Lucie , Couture Patrice
Published: March 2021

Responsible use and effective treatment of mine water are prerequisites of sustainable mining. The behavior of contaminants in mine water evolves in relation to the metastable characteristics of some species, changes related to the mine life cycle, and mixing processes at various scales. In cold climates, water treatment requires adaptation to site-specific conditions, including high flow rates, salinity, low temperatures, remoteness, and sensitivity of receiving waterbodies. Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) represent a newer issue in mine water treatment. This paper reviews recent research on the challenges and opportunities related to CECs in mine water treatment, with a focus on advanced oxidation and membrane-based processes on mine sites operating in cold climates. Finally, the paper identifies research needs in mine water treatment.
Individual and Combined Inhalational Sedative Effects in Mice of Low Molecular Weight Aromatic Compounds Found in Agarwood Aroma
Authors: Castro Kimberly P. , Ito Michiho
Published: March 2021

Agarwood is known to have a sedative effect and the less studied volatile aromatic constituents it contains may have contribution to the activity. In this study, two Kyara grade (highest-grade agarwood in Japan) samples were extracted using headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Six low molecular weight aromatic compounds (LACs) and one structurally simple compound (diethylene glycol monoethyl ether) present in the aromas were individually evaluated for inhalational sedative activity in mice through open field test. Doses of 0.0001 g/L to 1 g/L were prepared for each compound and administered to mice (n = 6/dose/compound). Results revealed all compounds decreased spontaneous motor activity at almost all doses. Strongest sedative activity of each compound reduced total spontaneous motor activity by more than half against control, demonstrating their contribution to agarwood aroma and potential as independent sedating agents. Mixtures of compounds using their most effective dose were made and evaluated again for inhalational sedative effect. Interestingly, the combination of all compounds showed no significant effect and even caused stimulation in mice movements. This result suggests antagonistic-like interaction between the compounds, which is probably due to structural similarities. Consequently, it implies the other constituents present in agarwood, along with LACs, are also important to the overall sedative activity.
The Free-Amino-Acid Content in Six Potatoes Cultivars through Storage
Authors: Pęksa Anna , Miedzianka Joanna , Nemś Agnieszka , Rytel Elżbieta
Published: March 2021

Potatoes of six cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.) with red, purple, and yellow flesh were stored at 2 and 5 °C for 3 and 6 months, and the influence of these factors on the content of free amino acids was determined. The potato cultivar and storage time had the greatest impact on the free amino acid content. The tubers of red-fleshed (Rote Emma) and purple-fleshed (Blue Congo) potatoes contained over 28 mg/g DM of free amino acids, and the Blaue Annelise cultivar with purple flesh had over 18 mg/g DM. After 6 months, the highest increase in their content (by 36%) was recorded in tubers of the Fresco cultivar (yellow-fleshed). In the analysed potatoes, the content of alanine, proline, serine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and α-aminoadipic acid increased, while that of asparagine, aspartic acid, and glutamine decreased. Asparagine decreased to the greatest extent in “Blaue Annelise” potatoes (by 24%) and that of glutamine in tubers of Rote Emma and Vineta by 18%.
Determination of Trimethylamine N-oxide and Betaine in Serum and Food by Targeted Metabonomics
Authors: He Mingshuai , Yu Heshui , Lei Peng , Huang Shengjie , Ren Juanning , Fan Wenjing , Han Lifeng , Yu Haiyang , Wang Yuefei , Ren Ming , Jiang Miaomiao
Published: March 2021

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), as a gut-derived metabolite, has been found to be associated with enhanced risk for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. We presented a method for targeted profiling of TMAO and betaine in serum and food samples based on a combination of one-step sample pretreatment and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The key step included a processing of sample preparation using a selective solid-phase extraction column for retention of basic metabolites. Proton signals at δ 3.29 and δ 3.28 were employed to quantify TMAO and betaine, respectively. The developed method was examined with acceptable linear relationship, precision, stability, repeatability, and accuracy. It was successfully applied to detect serum levels of TMAO and betaine in TMAO-fed mice and high-fructose-fed rats and also used to determine the contents of TMAO and betaine in several kinds of food, such as fish, pork, milk, and egg yolk.
A Ketogenic Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Diet Increases LDL Cholesterol in Healthy, Young, Normal-Weight Women: A Randomized Controlled Feeding Trial
Authors: Burén Jonas , Ericsson Madelene , Damasceno Nágila , Sjödin Anna
Published: March 2021

Ketogenic low-carbohydrate high-fat (LCHF) diets are popular among young, healthy, normal-weight individuals for various reasons. We aimed to investigate the effect of a ketogenic LCHF diet on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (primary outcome), LDL cholesterol subfractions and conventional cardiovascular risk factors in the blood of healthy, young, and normal-weight women. The study was a randomized, controlled, feeding trial with crossover design. Twenty-four women were assigned to a 4 week ketogenic LCHF diet (4% carbohydrates; 77% fat; 19% protein) followed by a 4 week National Food Agency recommended control diet (44% carbohydrates; 33% fat; 19% protein), or the reverse sequence due to the crossover design. Treatment periods were separated by a 15 week washout period. Seventeen women completed the study and treatment effects were evaluated using mixed models. The LCHF diet increased LDL cholesterol in every woman with a treatment effect of 1.82 mM (p < 0.001). In addition, Apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB), small, dense LDL cholesterol as well as large, buoyant LDL cholesterol increased (p < 0.001, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively). The data suggest that feeding healthy, young, normal-weight women a ketogenic LCHF diet induces a deleterious blood lipid profile. The elevated LDL cholesterol should be a cause for concern in young, healthy, normal-weight women following this kind of LCHF diet.
Cell-Free DNA for the Management of Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
Authors: Camus Vincent , Jardin Fabrice
Published: March 2021

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, is an emerging “liquid biopsy” tool for noninvasive lymphoma detection, and an increased amount of data are now available to use this technique with accuracy, especially in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). The advantages of cfDNA include simplicity of repeated blood sample acquisition over time; dynamic, noninvasive, and quantitative analysis; fast turnover time; reasonable cost; and established consistency with results from tumor genomic DNA. cfDNA analysis offers an easy method for genotyping the overall molecular landscape of pediatric and adult cHL and may help in cases of diagnostic difficulties between cHL and other lymphomas. cfDNA levels are correlated with clinical, prognostic, and metabolic features, and may serve as a therapeutic response evaluation tool and as a minimal residual disease (MRD) biomarker in complement to positron emission tomography (PET). Indeed, cfDNA real-time monitoring by fast high-throughput techniques enables the prompt detection of refractory disease or may help to address PET residual hypermetabolic situations during or at the end of treatment. The major recent works presented and described here demonstrated the clinically meaningful applicability of cfDNA testing in diagnostic and theranostic settings, but also in disease risk assessment, therapeutic molecular response, and monitoring of cHL treatments.
Changes in HIRS Detection of Cloud over Australia from 1985 to 2001
Authors: Chedzey Helen , Menzel W. Paul , Lynch Mervyn
Published: March 2021

A long-term archive of cloud properties (cloud top pressure, CTP; and cloud effective emissivity, ε) determined from High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) data is investigated for evidence of regional cloud cover change. In the 17 years between 1985 and 2001, different cloud types are analysed over the Australian region (10° S–45° S, 105° E–160° E) and areas of change in total cloud frequency examined. Total cloud frequency change over the Australian region between two adjacent eight-year time periods (1994 to 2001 minus 1985 to 1992) shows the largest increases (ranges between 6% and 12%) of average HIRS total cloud cover occurring over the offshore regions to the northwest and northeast of the continent. Over land, the largest reduction of average HIRS total cloud frequency is in the southwestern region of Australia (between 2% and 8%). Through central Australia, there is a 2% to 7% increase in average HIRS total cloud frequency when comparing these eight-year periods. This paper examines the regional cloud changes in 17 years over Australia that are embedded in global cloud statistics. Examining total HIRS cloud cover frequency over Australia and comparing two different eight-year time periods, has highlighted notable areas of average change. Preliminary reporting of satellite-derived HIRS cloud products and Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) rainfall products during La Niña seasons between 1985 and 2001 has also been undertaken.
GECORIS: An Open-Source Toolbox for Analyzing Time Series of Corner Reflectors in InSAR Geodesy
Authors: Czikhardt Richard , van der Marel Hans , Papco Juraj
Published: March 2021

Artificial radar reflectors, such as corner reflectors or transponders, are commonly used for radiometric and geometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor calibration, SAR interferometry (InSAR) applications over areas with few natural coherent scatterers, and InSAR datum connection and geodetic integration. Despite the current abundance of regular SAR time series, no free and open-source software (FOSS) dedicated to analyzing SAR time series of artificial radar reflectors exists. In this paper, we present a FOSS Python toolbox for efficient and automatic estimation of: (i) the clutter level of a particular site before a corner reflector installation, (ii) the Radar Cross Section (RCS) to track a corner reflector’s performance and detect outliers, for example, due to damage or debris accumulation, (iii) the Signal-to-Clutter Ratio (SCR) to predict the positioning precision and the InSAR phase variance, (iv) the InSAR displacement time series of a corner reflector network. We use the toolbox to analyze Sentinel-1 SAR time series of the network of 23 corner reflectors for InSAR monitoring of landslides in Slovakia.
Improving Co-Registration for Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 Optical Images
Authors: Ye Yuanxin , Yang Chao , Zhu Bai , Zhou Liang , He Youquan , Jia Huarong
Published: March 2021

Co-registering the Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Sentinel-2 optical data of the European Space Agency (ESA) is of great importance for many remote sensing applications. However, we find that there are evident misregistration shifts between the Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 optical images that are directly downloaded from the official website. To address that, this paper presents a fast and effective registration method for the two types of images. In the proposed method, a block-based scheme is first designed to extract evenly distributed interest points. Then, the correspondences are detected by using the similarity of structural features between the SAR and optical images, where the three-dimensional (3D) phase correlation (PC) is used as the similarity measure for accelerating image matching. Lastly, the obtained correspondences are employed to measure the misregistration shifts between the images. Moreover, to eliminate the misregistration, we use some representative geometric transformation models such as polynomial models, projective models, and rational function models for the co-registration of the two types of images, and we compare and analyze their registration accuracy under different numbers of control points and different terrains. Six pairs of the Sentinel-1 SAR L1 and Sentinel-2 optical L1C images covering three different terrains are tested in our experiments. Experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve precise correspondences between the images, and the third-order polynomial achieves the most satisfactory registration results. Its registration accuracy of the flat areas is less than 1.0 10 m pixel, that of the hilly areas is about 1.5 10 m pixels, and that of the mountainous areas is between 1.7 and 2.3 10 m pixels, which significantly improves the co-registration accuracy of the Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 optical images.
Physical Properties of Chocolates Enriched with Untreated Cocoa Bean Shells and Cocoa Bean Shells Treated with High-Voltage Electrical Discharge
Authors: Barišić Veronika , Petrović Jovana , Lončarević Ivana , Flanjak Ivana , Šubarić Drago , Babić Jurislav , Miličević Borislav , Doko Kristina , Blažić Marijana , Ačkar Đurđica
Published: March 2021

Recently, the enrichment of chocolate has become a very interesting topic, along with the management of food industry by-products, such as cocoa shells. Cocoa shells could be a great raw material for the cocoa industry, both for economical reasons (maximized utilization of cocoa beans) and for their functional properties (increased fiber content). In this research, we used untreated and high-voltage electrical discharge (HVED)-treated cocoa shells in the production of chocolate. Different proportions of cocoa mass were replaced with cocoa shells to produce dark and milk chocolates in a ball mill. Additionally, dark chocolate with 15% and milk chocolate with 5% of shells were chosen for further research and to study the alteration of the composition. The rheology, particle size distribution, hardness, and color were determined for all the prepared samples. Treated cocoa shells provided chocolates with inferior physical properties compared to chocolates with untreated shells. Therefore, untreated cocoa shells were selected for further analysis. The addition of both treated and untreated cocoa shells resulted in softening and darkening of samples, which could have a positive effect for consumers. On the other hand, the particle size distribution and rheology were negatively affected. Further research is needed to find a solution for these problems.
Influence of the Intrinsic Characteristics of Cementitious Materials on Biofouling in the Marine Environment
Authors: Hayek Mahmoud , Salgues Marie , Souche Jean-Claude , Cunge Etienne , Giraudel Cyril , Paireau Osanne
Published: March 2021

Coastal marine ecosystems provide essential benefits and services to humanity, but many are rapidly degrading. Human activities are leading to significant land take along coastlines and to major changes in ecosystems. Ecological engineering tools capable of promoting large-scale restoration of coastal ecosystems are needed today in the face of intensifying climatic stress and human activities. Concrete is one of the materials most commonly used in the construction of coastal and marine infrastructure. Immersed in seawater, concretes are rapidly colonized by microorganisms and macroorganisms. Surface colonization and subsequent biofilm and biofouling formation provide numerous advantages to these organisms and support critical ecological and biogeochemical functions in the changing marine environment. The new challenge of the 21st century is to develop innovative concretes that, in addition to their usual properties, provide improved bioreceptivity in order to enhance marine biodiversity. The aim of this study is to master and clarify the intrinsic parameters that influence the bioreceptivity (biocolonization) of cementitious materials in the marine environment. By coupling biofilm (culture-based methods) and biofouling (image-analysis-based method and wet-/dry-weight biomass measurement) quantification techniques, this study showed that the application of a curing compound to the concrete surface reduced the biocolonization of cementitious materials in seawater, whereas green formwork oil had the opposite effect. This study also found that certain surface conditions (faceted and patterned surface, rough surface) promote the bacterial and macroorganism colonization of cementitious materials. Among the parameters examined, surface roughness proved to be the factor that promotes biocolonization most effectively. These results could be taken up in future recommendations to enable engineers to eco-design more eco-friendly marine infrastructure and develop green-engineering projects.