bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pengaruh Curing Time Terhadap Material Komposit Serat Kulit Jagung Sebagai Alternatif Bumper Mobil
Authors: Yudo Eko , Adha Adha , Subhan Muhamad , Yuliyanto Yuliyanto
Published: January 2024

Salah satu sumber serat alam yang pemanfaatannya masih perlu dikembangkan lagi adalah serat dari kulit jagung yang murah, berlimpah dan ramah lingkungan. Produksi tanaman jagung yang semakin meningkat menyebabkan peningkatan limbah kulit jagung semakin tinggi juga. Padahal kulit jagung ini memiliki serat yang sangat kuat dan bisa dijadikan komposit serat alam. Komposit berpenguat serat alam memiliki sifat ketahanan korosi yang sangat baik, serta biaya produksi yang lebih murah, berlimpah dan dinilai lebih ramah lingkungan.  Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui pengaruh perendaman NaOH 7 % selama 1 jam, 2 jam dan 3 jam dan pengaruh curing time pada temperatur 95,105  dan 115 selama 4 jam terhadap kekuatan tarik komposit anyaman serat kulit jagung dan untuk mengetahui apakah komposit serat anyam kulit jagung bisa diaplikasikan sebagai pembuatan bumper mobil. Pembuatan sampel menggunakan metode hand lay-up. Analisis dilakukan menggunakan metode faktorial. Hasilnya tertinggi berada pada spesimen uji tarik yang menggunakan variasi waktu perendaman NaOH selama 2 jam dengan temperatur 95°C memiliki kekuatan uji tarik sebesar 19,93 MPa. Sedangkan nilai kekuatan uji tarik terendah sebesar 12,13 MPa menggunakan variasi waktu perendaman NaOH selama 3 jam dengan temperatur 115°C. berdasarkan standar pembuatan bumper mobil maka komposit serat anyaman kulit jagung dapat diaplikasikan sebagai material alternatif pembuatan bumper mobil.
Comparison of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Models of Sepsis-Associated Acute Lung Injury
Authors: Zhou G , Xie D , Fan R , Yang Z , Du J , Mai S , Xie L , Wang Q , Mai T , Han Y , Lai F
Published: January 2024

To compare different rat models of sepsis at different time points, based on pulmonary or extrapulmonary injury mechanisms, to identify a model which is more stable and reproducible to cause sepsis-associated acute lung injury (ALI). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to (1) cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) with single (CLP1 group) or two repeated through-and-through punctures (CLP2 group); (2) tail vein injection with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of 10mg/kg (IV-LPS10 group) or 20mg/kg (IV-LPS20 group); (3) intratracheal instillation with LPS of 10mg/kg (IT-LPS10 group) or 20mg/kg (IT-LPS20 group). Each of the model groups had a sham group. 7-day survival rates of each group were observed (n=15 for each group). Moreover, three time points were set for additional experimental studying in each model group: 4 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours after modeling (every time point, n=8 for each group). Rats were sacrificed to collect BALF and lung tissue samples at different time points for detection of IL-6, TNF-α, total protein concentration in BALF and MPO activity, HMGB1 protein expression in lung tissues, as well as the histopathological changes of lung tissues. More than 50 % of the rats died within 7 days in each model group, except for the IT-LPS10 group. In contrast, the mortality rates in the two IV-LPS groups as well as the IT-LPS20 group were significantly higher than that in IT-LPS10 group. Rats received LPS by intratracheal instillation exhibited evident histopathological changes and inflammatory exudation in the lung, but there was no evidence of lung injury in CLP and IV-LPS groups. Rat model of intratracheal instillation with LPS proved to be a more stable and reproducible animal model to cause sepsis-associated ALI than the extrapulmonary models of sepsis.
Válság – ársapka – extraprofit – AI és az emberek védelme
Authors: Kertész Gábor
Published: January 2024

2022-23-ban, hasonlóan az egy évtizeddel ezelőtti nemzetközi hitelpiacokról kiindult, az egész világon megérzett válság után ismét válság jelent meg, aminek az alapja a COVID járvány és az orosz-ukrán fegyveres konfliktus után a nemzetközi piacokon az ellátási láncokban sok probléma merült fel. A cikkben az orosz-ukrán konfliktus rövid nemzetközi jogi elemzése után rövid gazdaságtörténeti kitekintés, valamint makro-ökonómiai elvek és tételek felelevenítése és a mai modern, az AI kapcsolatos kihívások és veszélyek áttekintése után az ebben a helyzetben megjelent magyar megoldások elemzése mellett a helyzetre adandó lehetséges újszerű megoldásokat nézem végig.
These Today’s Millennials
Authors: Csástyu Lilla
Published: January 2024

“Today's young people don't care about anything.” This sentence can also be written with a period and a question mark at the end. According to popular belief, this statement may be even more appropriate for the Now Generation, or the Millennials. Encouraged by this way of thinking, I started searching for writings that would give some kind of answer to this suggestion. And Cynthia Pearce Lemay's book, Millennials and Conflict in the Workplace, Understand the Unique Traits of the Now Generation, gives much more than I first thought.
COVID-19 PANDEMİSİNİN YETİŞKİN BİREYLERDE SİGARA BIRAKMA BAŞARI ÖNGÖRÜSÜ ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİNİN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ
Authors: ERGÜDEN Burcu , ASLAN Yasemin
Published: January 2024

Bu çalışmanın amacı COVID-19 pandemisinin sigara kullanan yetişkin bireylerde sigara bırakma başarı öngörüsü üzerindeki etkisinin değerlendirilmesidir. Nicel yöntemle kesitsel türde tasarlanan çalışmaya 18 yaş ve üzeri, sigara kullanan ve çalışmaya katılmaya gönüllü bireyler dahil edilmiştir. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak “Sosyodemografik ve COVID-19 Bilgi Formu” ile “Sigara Bırakma Başarısı Öngörü Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Veriler 506 kişinin katılımıyla yüz yüze görüşme tekniğiyle toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde SPSS 26 Programı ve tanımlayıcı istatistiklerden yararlanılmıştır. COVID-19 geçiren, COVID-19 nedeniyle hastanede yatan veya bir yakınını kaybeden, COVID-19 aşısı olan katılımcıların sigara bırakma başarısı öngörü puanlarının daha yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Katılımcıların %61.5’inin COVID-19 nedeniyle sigarayı bırakmayı düşündüğü görülmüştür. COVID-19 komplikasyonları açısından yüksek risk altında olabilecek bu popülasyona yönelik halk sağlığı politikalarının belirlenmesi ve sigaranın bırakılması yönünde destek verilmesi faydalı olabilir.
EGZERSİZİN SİGARA BAĞIMLILIĞI, YAŞAM KALİTESİ VE UYKU KALİTESİNE ETKİSİ
Authors: CANBAY GÖKÇEK Özden , DOĞRU HÜZMELİ Esra , ARGALI DENIZ Mine , BAŞER Miray , KATAYIFÇI Nihan , ÖZ Fatma , HÜZMELİ İrem , DURNA Harun , TÖRE Faruk , DOĞRU Sibel
Published: January 2024

Bu araştırmada, yürüyüş bandı egzersizinin sigarayı bırakma üzerindeki etkinliği, uyku kalitesi ve yaşam kalitesi üzerindeki etkisi ile birlikte incelenmiştir. Sigarayı bırakmak isteyen 40 kişi rasgele iki gruba ayrılmıştır. Deney grubu 15 seanslık bir yürüyüş bandı egzersiz programına katılırken, kontrol grubu sigarayı bırakmaya yönelik herhangi bir müdahale almadı. Katılımcıların; demografik bilgileri kaydedildi. Uyku kaliteleri Pittsburgh Uyku Kalitesi Ölçeği ile yaşam kaliteleri Yaşam Kalitesi Ölçeği-Kısa Formu ile ve dispne şiddetleri Modifiye Borg Skalası ile değerlendirildi. Tedavi sonrasında deney grubunda dispnenin şiddeti önemli ölçüde azaldı. Her iki grup da tedaviden sonra uyku kalitesinde iyileşme gösterdi. Deney grubunda tedavi sonrasında yaşam kalitesi ölçeğinin alt boyutlarında artış tespit edildi. Ayrıca, deney grubunda kaşeksi ve obezite olan katılımcıların sayısında azalma tespit edildi. Öte yandan, kontrol grubunun yaşam kalitesinde ve vücut kütle indeksi sınıflandırılmasında önemli bir değişiklik tespit edilmedi. Araştırmada, yürüyüş bandı egzersizi eşliğinde sigarayı bırakmanın sadece dispnenin şiddetini azaltmakla kalmayıp aynı zamanda yaşam kalitesini, uyku kalitesini ve genel sağlık algısını da iyileştirdiği sonucuna varıldı. Bu durum, sigarayı bırakmaya çalışan bireyler için faydalı olabilir.
Is It Appropriate to Implement the Accounting Treatment for Production Employee Benefits at PT XYZ?
Authors: Yunita Audina Safira , Widiastuti Retno , Yusna
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the suitability of the employee benefits accounting treatment. Accounting treatment includes recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure for production employees at PT XYZ with SAK ETAP Chapter 23. This research type is descriptive quantitative. Research methods that used to collect the data are interviews and documentation to obtain the secondary data sources. The results showed that PT XYZ has already implemented the accounting treatment of employee benefits for its production division employees as required in SAK ETAP Chapter 23. However, the company only applies 3 types of employee benefits which are short-term employee benefits, post-employment benefits, and other long-term benefits, whereas for employee benefits type termination benefits have not been implemented by the company.
SIRT7 and p53 interaction in embryonic development and tumorigenesis
Authors: Vazquez Berta N. , Fernández-Duran Irene , Hernandez Yurdiana , Tarighi Shahriar , Thackray Joshua K. , Espinosa-Alcantud Maria , Kumari Poonam , Ianni Alessandro , Cesaire Lionel , Braun Thomas , Esteller Manel , Tischfield Jay , Vaquero Alejandro , Serrano Lourdes
Published: January 2024

p53 is a hallmark tumor suppressor due in part to its role in cell cycle progression, DNA damage repair, and cellular apoptosis; its protein activity interrelates with the Sirtuin family of proteins, major regulators of the cellular response to metabolic, oxidative, and genotoxic stress. In the recent years, mammalian Sirtuin 7 (SIRT7) has emerged as a pivotal regulator of p53, fine-tuning its activity in a context dependent manner. SIRT7 is frequently overexpressed in human cancer, yet its precise role in tumorigenesis and whether it involves p53 regulation is insufficiently understood. Depletion of SIRT7 in mice results in impaired embryo development and premature aging. While p53 activity has been suggested to contribute to tissue specific dysfunction in adult Sirt7−/− mice, whether this also applies during development is currently unknown. By generating SIRT7 and p53 double-knockout mice, here we show that the demise of SIRT7-deficient embryos is not the result of p53 activity. Notably, although SIRT7 is commonly considered an oncogene, SIRT7 haploinsufficiency increases tumorigenesis in p53 knockout mice. Remarkably, in specific human tumors harboring p53 mutation, we identified that SIRT7 low expression correlates with poor patient prognosis. Transcriptomic analysis unveils a previously unrecognized interplay between SIRT7 and p53 in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and extracellular matrix regulation with major implications for our understanding of embryonic development and tumor progression.
Quantifying cytoskeletal organization from optical microscopy data
Authors: Desroches Sarah , Harris Andrew R.
Published: January 2024

The actin cytoskeleton plays a pivotal role in a broad range of physiological processes including directing cell shape and subcellular organization, determining cell mechanical properties, and sensing and transducing mechanical forces. The versatility of the actin cytoskeleton arises from the ability of actin filaments to assemble into higher order structures through their interaction with a vast set of regulatory proteins. Actin filaments assemble into bundles, meshes, and networks, where different combinations of these structures fulfill specific functional roles. Analyzing the organization and abundance of different actin structures from optical microscopy data provides a valuable metric for assessing cell physiological function and changes associated with disease. However, quantitative measurements of the size, abundance, orientation, and distribution of different types of actin structure remains challenging both from an experimental and image analysis perspective. In this review, we summarize image analysis methods for extracting quantitative values that can be used for characterizing the organization of actin structures and provide selected examples. We summarize the potential sample types and metric reported with different approaches as a guide for selecting an image analysis strategy.
The impact of Helicobacter pylori infection on low skeletal muscle mass risk in Chinese women over 40: a cross-sectional analysis
Authors: Xu Xiaohui , Qian Yidan , Jin Kejia , Chen Junpeng , Fu Jiayue , Chen Chengshui , Zhu Zaisheng
Published: January 2024

Background

Sarcopenia can lead to significant personal, social, and economic burdens. The diagnosis of sarcopenia heavily relies on the identification of Low Skeletal Muscle Mass (LSMM), which is an independent predictor of frailty, disability, and increased risk of death among seniors. Women have physiologically lower levels of skeletal muscle mass than men, and female sarcopenia appears to be more influenced by menopause. They also tend to have higher body fat levels than man, which increases the risk of sarcopenia obesity. On another front, it’s also recognized that humans are largely prone to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, with global prevalence rates often surpassing 50%. Nevertheless, the interconnection between H. pylori infection and LSMM remains relatively unexplored. Hence, our study specifically targeted women as the research population and sought to explore several risk factors for LSMM. Additionally, we delved into the potential correlation between LSMM and H. pylori infection in women, hoping to gain insights into potential preventative measures or treatment options that may enhance the quality of life for women affected by sarcopenia.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among women aged over 18 years undergoing physical examination. We performed 13C-urea breath test (UBT) for diagnosis of H. pylori infection and Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for the assessment of LSMM. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations of H. pylori infection with LSMM.

Results

This study enrolled 1984 Chinese women who were undergoing health check-ups. A univariate logistic regression analysis did not reveal a direct correlation between H. pylori infection and LSMM among this female population (OR=1.149, 95% CI 0.904-1.459, p=0.257). Yet, upon dividing the participants into age-based subgroups, an evident link was observed between H. pylori infection and LSMM in women aged 40 or above (OR=1.381, 95%CI 1.032-1.848, p= 0.030). After adjusting for variables including Age, BMI, TP, ALK, Cre, this relationship remained statistically relevant (OR=1.514, 95%CI 1.085-2.113, p= 0.015).

Conclusions

Women who are over 40 years old and currently infected with H. pylori have an increased risk of developing LSMM. Therefore, timely treatment for H. pylori eradication is recommended for this group of women to reduce the occurrence of LSMM.
BeeLife: a mobile application to foster environmental awareness in classroom settings
Authors: Stock Adrian , Stock Oliver , Mönch Julia , Suren Markus , Koch Nadine Nicole , Rey Günter Daniel , Wirzberger Maria
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Significant threats to our environment tremendously affect biodiversity and related gains. Particularly wild bees actively contribute by pollinating plants and trees. Their increasing extinction comes with devastating consequences for nutrition and stability of our ecosystem. However, most people lack awareness about those species and their living conditions, preventing them to take on responsibility.

Methods

We introduce an intervention consisting of a mobile app and related project workshops that foster responsibility already at an early stage in life. Drawing on principles from multimedia learning and child-centered design, six gamified levels and accompanying nature-based activities sensitize for the importance of wild bees and their role for a stable and diverse ecosystem. A pilot evaluation across three schools, involving 44 children aged between 9 and 12, included a pre-, post-, and delayed post-test to inspect app usability and learning gains.

Results

Most children perceived the app as intuitive, engaging, and visually appealing, and sustainably benefited from our intervention in terms of retention performance. Teacher interviews following the intervention support the fit with the envisioned target group and the classroom setting.

Discussion

Taken together, the obtained evidence emphasizes the benefits of our intervention, even though our sample size was limited due to dropouts. Future extensions might include adaptive instructional design elements to increase observable learning gains.
Voluminous magma formation for the 30-ka Aira caldera-forming eruption in SW Japan: contributions of crust-derived felsic and mafic magmas
Authors: Nishihara Ayumu , Tatsumi Yoshiyuki , Kaneko Katsuya , Kimura Jun-Ichi , Chang Qing , Geshi Nobuo , Miyazaki Takashi , Vaglarov Bogdan Stefanov , Hinata Hironobu , Suzuki-Kamata Keiko
Published: January 2024

Understanding the origin, assembly, and evolution of voluminous magma that erupts in catastrophic caldera-forming eruptions (CCFEs) is a community imperative. A CCFE of the Aira caldera at 30 ka discharged over 350 km3 of magma, which can be grouped into petrographically and geochemically distinct types: voluminous rhyolite, small amounts of rhyodacite, and andesite magmas. To further understand the magma plumbing system of the Aira CCFE, we examined the geochemical characteristics of whole rock and plagioclase from its eruptive deposits. The trace element and 87Sr/86Sr signatures recorded in the plagioclase phenocrysts of these magmas indicate that the three magmas were originally produced by partially melting an identical source rock, which was estimated to be a mafic amphibolite with an 87Sr/86Sr signature of ∼0.7055 that comprised the lower crust. Melting of mafic amphibolite produced both felsic and mafic magmas by low and high degrees of partial melting, respectively. The mafic magma assimilated uppermost crustal materials and crystallized to produce an andesite magma type. The andesitic magma consists of phenocrysts (∼39 vol%) and melt with a dacitic (∼70 wt% SiO2) composition. The felsic magma mixed with ∼10% of the andesite magma and crystallized, forming the rhyolite magma. The mixing between the andesite and rhyolite magmas before the Aira CCFE produced the rhyodacite magma. The 30-ka Aira CCFE magmas were generated only by melting two kinds of crustal materials with different geochemical characteristics and had geochemical variations due to different conditions of partial melting and mixing between various crustal melts. The lack of definitive evidence of the mantle component mixing with the Aira CCFE magmas suggests that the mantle-derived magmas worked only as a heat source for crustal melting.
Three-dimensional reconstruction optimization of tunnel face and intelligent extraction of discontinuity orientation based on binocular stereo vision
Authors: Song Min , Ma Quan , Yan Wenpin , Lv Haiqiang , Ren Leping , Yang Qinzheng , Wang Hongtian , Zhao Ying , Li Ang
Published: January 2024

In the process of grading and dynamically optimizing the design and construction parameters of the surrounding rock mass of a rock tunnel face, efficiently and accurately acquiring the geometrical parameters of the rock discontinuities is an important basic task. To address the problems of time consuming, low accuracy, and high danger associated with traditional methods of obtaining the structural information of rock mass, this paper proposes a method for three-dimensional reconstruction and intelligent information extraction of tunnel face based on binocular stereo vision (BSV). First, the parallel binocular device with a single camera was improved, calibrated using the checkerboard calibration method. By integrating with the semi-global matching algorithm, the BSV based method for the three-dimensional reconstruction of the rock mass of the tunnel face was optimized. Furthermore, based on the results from on-site engineering applications, this study leveraged two parameters, point cloud density and algorithm runtime, to determine the optimal values for the disparity range and window size parameters within the semi-global stereo matching algorithm. This enhancement improved the performance of the 3D reconstruction method based on binocular stereo vision. Finally, efficient and refined intelligent methods for extracting structural parameters of the rock mass were proposed based on k-nearest neighbor search and kernel density estimation. The research results can provide reliable technical support for the intelligent and efficient acquisition of rock mass structural information in rock tunnel engineering faces.
Body in the forefront, again? Distance learning drawbacks and implications for policy
Authors: Jacomuzzi Alessandra Cecilia , Milani Marin Laura Emma
Published: January 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic launched a challenge on the education system and required schools to make organizational changes in order to continue serving the local community. Essential to this process are support teachers who play a key role as agents of change. Despite their role, the perspectives, desires, and needs of these teachers have since been neglected, despite their centrality in contemporary Italy. Accordingly, the specific aim of this study revolves around supporting teachers’ experiences with digital technologies (i.e., learning applications, telecommunication media, and interactive devices) within a pandemic context, especially technologies used to maintain the educational bond with students with disabilities. Attuned to an interpretative paradigm, this qualitative research has an ethnographic design, which was implemented in a secondary school in a Northern Italian city. Throughout the article, we discuss the three main drawbacks found in fieldwork: (i) the prevailing change in bureaucratic management; (ii) the pervading mind–body binarism in teaching; and (iii) a long-term vision for inclusion being subject to a passive logic of adaptation. Finally, we reflect on some emerging implications. The first points to a necessary move from a rationalistic school management to an alternative model focused more on guaranteeing social justice among educational stakeholders. The second is that the very introduction of a new technology should be aimed at engaging actors whose work has been invisible to date in a school setting to empower them as key agents for change. The third suggests that, to overcome community disaggregation and mind-body binarism, a teacher-researcher figure is needed, a figure with holistic skills in addition to those of a technical nature delivered by institutional training programs.
Mechanism and physical activities in bone-skeletal muscle crosstalk
Authors: Zhao Zhonghan , Yan Kai , Guan Qiao , Guo Qiang , Zhao Can
Published: January 2024

Bone and skeletal muscle work in coordination to maintain the function of the musculoskeletal system, in which skeletal muscle contraction drives the movement of the bone lever system while bone provides insert sites for skeletal muscle through the bone-muscle junction. Existing evidence suggests that factors secreted by skeletal muscle and bone mediate the interaction between the two tissues. Herein, we focused on the relationship between skeletal muscle and bone and the underlying mechanism of the interaction. Exercise can promote bone strength and secrete osteocalcin and insulin-like growth factor I into the blood, thus improving muscle quality. In addition, exercise can also promote myostatin, interleukin-6, Irisin, and apelin in muscles to enter the blood so that they can act on bones to maintain the balance between bone absorption and bone formation. There is a special regulatory axis interleukin-6/osteocalcin between myokines and osteokines, which is mainly influenced by exercise. Therefore, we pay attention to the important factors in the bone-muscle intersection that are affected by exercise, which were found or their functions were expanded, which strengthened the connection between organs of the whole body, highlighting the importance of exercise and contributing to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of osteoporosis and sarcopenia in the clinic.
Prevalence of asymptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in newborns in northeast Florida
Authors: Alissa Rana , Maraqa Nizar , Williams Patty D. , Hipp Jennifer A. , Nath Sfurti , Torres Nicole S. , Lee Tiffany , Matoq Amr , Rathore Mobeen
Published: January 2024

Background

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the leading cause of hearing loss and neurocognitive delay among children. Affected infants may be asymptomatic at birth and even pass their universal hearing screen. Early identification of CMV-infected infants will allow earlier detection, evaluation and management. The prevalence of congenital CMV infection in the developed world varies geographically from 0.6% to 0.7% of all deliveries and certain regions are at higher risk. The prevalence of congenital CMV is unknown for our region.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of CMV infection among the neonatal population at an urban, tertiary hospital in northeast Florida which serves a large population of patients with low socioeconomic status to assess if universal screening program for congenital asymptomatic CMV infection can be determined.

Methods

The study was submitted and approved by our Institutional Review Board. We tested the urine for CMV infection in 100 asymptomatic newborns (>32 weeks gestational age and >1,750 g weight at the time of delivery) delivered between June 2016 and July 2017.

Results

Urine CMV was tested on 100 infants. One infant had a positive urine NAAT for CMV, making the prevalence of congenital CMV infection among asymptomatic newborns in our hospitals' population 1%.

Conclusion

CMV prevalence in our setting of an urban, tertiary hospital is relatively consistent with the national average of all congenital CMV infections. A policy of universal screening for congenital CMV may be necessary.
Bioassay complexities—exploring challenges in aquatic chemosensory research
Authors: Hardege Jorg D. , Fletcher Nichola , Burnett Jonathan W. , Ohnstad Hannah , Bartels-Hardege Helga D.
Published: January 2024

Chemosensory science, the study of how organisms produce and assess olfactory information, is central to our understanding of how organisms interact and gain information about their environment. Signaling cue identification in aquatic systems lags behind our knowledge in terrestrial insects due to analytical challenges in aqueous environments. Unambiguous, reliable, and fast behavioral assays to evaluate the biological activity and function of a chemosensory cue are critical to understand aquatic signaling systems and enable research into their ecology, evolution, and threats in a changing environment. Yet, a range of anthropomorphic assumptions made in this research field create additional challenges to interpret data generated. Here, we evaluate common challenges including assumed readiness of individuals to respond, lack of information on the animals’ physiological and social status, their pre-experimental cue exposure, the innate or learned character of the responses, the animals’ acclimation and habituation status, and the impact of the animals upon their own environment. These factors lead to significant variability in animals’ responses in bioassays, both in the field and in laboratory setups. In the light of our limited knowledge of aquatic chemosensory cues’ chemical structure, active concentrations in samples, and undetermined response thresholds, we evaluate methods of mitigation to minimize differences between studies. We conclude that currently it is nearly impossible to compare results from chemosensory behavioral studies undertaken in different ecosystems, laboratories, and time points. There is an urgent need for the standardization of behavioral methods, recording of environmental conditions, and individuals’ physiology, physical, and social status, to avoid conflicting and contradicting results when comparing studies. Including these parameters in experimental design and data interpretation will provide a deeper understanding of chemosensory communication, reduce unconscious bias in studies, and can help to explain the substantial individuality in animals’ responses to chemosensory cues and their acclimation to environmental stress.
Novel antioxidant protein target therapy to counter the prevalence and severity of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Kaur Priyajit , Dey Akash , Rawat Kartik , Dey Sharmistha
Published: January 2024

Background

This review analyzed the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic globally and in India and the measures to counter its effect using natural and innate immune booster molecules. The study focuses on two phases: the first focuses on the magnitude, and the second on the effect of antioxidants (natural compounds) on SARS-CoV-2.

Methods

The magnitude of the prevalence, mortality, and comorbidities was acquired from the World Health Organization (WHO) report, media, a report from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), newspapers, and the National Centre of Disease Control (NCDC). Research articles from PubMed as well as other sites/journals and databases were accessed to gather literature on the effect of antioxidants.

Results

In the elderly and any chronic diseases, the declined level of antioxidant molecules enhanced the reactive oxygen species, which in turn deprived the immune system.

Conclusion

Innate antioxidant proteins like sirtuin and sestrin play a vital role in enhancing immunity. Herbal products and holistic approaches can also be alternative solutions for everyday life to boost the immune system by improving the redox balance in COVID-19 attack. This review analyzed the counteractive effect of alternative therapy to boost the immune system against the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interleukin-15 responses to acute and chronic exercise in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Khalafi Mousa , Maleki Aref Habibi , Symonds Michael E. , Sakhaei Mohammad Hossein , Rosenkranz Sara K. , Ehsanifar Mahsa , Korivi Mallikarjuna , Liu Yubo
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Interlukin-15 (IL-15) is an inflammatory cytokine that plays a vital role in immunology and obesity-associated metabolic syndrome. We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate whether exercise promotes circulating IL-15 concentrations in adults.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to May, 2023 and identified original studies that investigated the effectiveness of acute and/or chronic exercise on serum/plasma IL-15 levels in adults. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random effect models. Subgroup analyses were performed based on type of exercise, and training status, health status and body mass indexes (BMI) of participants.

Results

Fifteen studies involving 411 participants and 12 studies involving 899 participants were included in the acute and chronic exercise analyses, respectively. Our findings showed that acute exercise increased circulating IL-15 concentrations immediately after exercise compared with baseline [SMD=0.90 (95% CI: 0.47 to 1.32), p=0.001], regardless of exercise type and participants’ training status. Similarly, acute exercise was also associated with increased IL-15 concentrations even one-hour after exercise [SMD=0.50 (95% CI: 0.00 to 0.99), p=0.04]. Nevertheless, chronic exercise did not have a significant effect on IL-15 concentrations [SMD=0.40 (95% CI: -0.08 to 0.88), p=0.10].

Conclusion

Our results confirm that acute exercise is effective in increasing the IL-15 concentrations immediately and one-hour after exercise intervention, and thereby playing a potential role in improving metabolism in adults.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=445634, identifier CRD42023445634.
Alterations in leukocyte DNA methylome are associated to immunosuppression in severe clinical phenotypes of septic patients
Authors: Beltrán-García Jesús , Casabó-Vallés Germán , Osca-Verdegal Rebeca , Navarrete-López Paula , Rodriguez-Gimillo María , Nacher-Sendra Elena , Ferrando-Sánchez Carolina , García-López Eva , Pallardó Federico V. , Carbonell Nieves , Mena-Mollá Salvador , García-Giménez José Luis
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Sepsis patients experience a complex interplay of host pro- and anti-inflammatory processes which compromise the clinical outcome. Despite considering the latest clinical and scientific research, our comprehension of the immunosuppressive events in septic episodes remains incomplete. Additionally, a lack of data exists regarding the role of epigenetics in modulating immunosuppression, subsequently impacting patient survival.

Methods

To advance the current understanding of the mechanisms underlying immunosuppression, in this study we explored the dynamics of DNA methylation using the Infinium Methylation EPIC v1.0 BeadChip Kit in leukocytes from patients suffering from sepsis, septic shock, and critically ill patients as controls, within the first 24 h after admission in the Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary hospital.

Results and discussion

Employing two distinct analysis approaches (DMRcate and mCSEA) in comparing septic shock and critically ill patients, we identified 1,256 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) intricately linked to critical immune system pathways. The examination of the top 100 differentially methylated positions (DMPs) between septic shock and critically ill patients facilitated a clear demarcation among the three patient groups. Notably, the top 6,657 DMPs exhibited associations with organ dysfunction and lactate levels. Among the individual genes displaying significant differential methylation, IL10, TREM1, IL1B, and TNFAIP8 emerged with the most pronounced methylation alterations across the diverse patient groups when subjected to DNA bisulfite pyrosequencing analysis. These findings underscore the dynamic nature of DNA methylation profiles, highlighting the most pronounced alterations in patients with septic shock, and revealing their close association with the disease.
Fusarium biocontrol: antagonism and mycotoxin elimination by lactic acid bacteria
Authors: Krishnan S. Vipin , Nampoothiri K. Madhavan , Suresh Anandhu , Linh Nguyen Thuy , Balakumaran P. A. , Pócsi István , Pusztahelyi Tünde
Published: January 2024

Mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species are secondary metabolites with low molecular weight formed by filamentous fungi generally resistant to different environmental factors and, therefore, undergo slow degradation. Contamination by Fusarium mycotoxins in cereals and millets is the foremost quality challenge the food and feed industry faces across the globe. Several types of chemical preservatives are employed in the mitigation process of these mycotoxins, and they help in long-term storage; however, chemical preservatives can be used only to some extent, so the complete elimination of toxins from foods is still a herculean task. The growing demand for green-labeled food drives to evade the use of chemicals in the production processes is getting much demand. Thus, the biocontrol of food toxins is important in the developing food sector. Fusarium mycotoxins are world-spread contaminants naturally occurring in commodities, food, and feed. The major mycotoxins Fusarium species produce are deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, zearalenone, and T2/HT2 toxins. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), generally regarded as safe (GRAS), is a well-explored bacterial community in food preparations and preservation for ages. Recent research suggests that LAB are the best choice for extenuating Fusarium mycotoxins. Apart from Fusarium mycotoxins, this review focuses on the latest studies on the mechanisms of how LAB effectively detoxify and remove these mycotoxins through their various bioactive molecules and background information of these molecules.
Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and genotyping of Neisseria meningitidis of serogroup C, Italy, 2000–2020
Authors: Vacca Paola , Fazio Cecilia , Neri Arianna , Ambrosio Luigina , Carannante Anna , Lista Florigio , Fillo Silvia , Ciammaruconi Andrea , Fortunato Antonella , Stefanelli Paola
Published: January 2024

Background

In Italy the introduction of meningococcal C conjugate vaccine in 2005 has led to a significant reduction of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by Neisseria meningitidis of serogroup C (MenC). However, this serogroup is still responsible of sporadic cases, clusters and local outbreaks. The study aims to investigate the genotype and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of MenC isolates collected in Italy from 2000 to 2020.

Methods

Bacterial isolates and biological samples (blood or cerebrospinal fluid) from invasive meningococcal cases are collected and characterized at the National Reference Laboratory for IMD of Istituto Superiore di Sanità. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by MIC Test Strip Method and interpreted according to the EUCAST breakpoints guideline. Genotypic characteristics, including multi locus sequence typing (MLST), finetype, and antimicrobial resistance target genes were performed and analyzed using the PubMLST database. Genomic comparison of core genome MLST (cgMLST) of MenC genomes was also carried out.

Results

From 2000 to 2020, a total of 665 MenC isolates were investigated for antimicrobial susceptibility and 301 for genotyping. Over two decades, almost all MenC isolates resulted susceptible to antimicrobials with few isolates resulting resistant to ciprofloxacin (N = 2), penicillin G (N = 13), and rifampicin (N = 9), respectively. Molecular typing of MenC obtained from isolates or clinical specimens identified mostly the genotype C:P1.5-1,10-8:F3-6:ST-11(cc11). However, phylogenetic analysis, performed on genomes from MenC isolates, identified two sub lineages, 11.1 and 11.2, among cc11, of which the sub lineage 11.2 was the predominant.

Conclusion

Wider application of the genomic analysis and monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility represent key aspects of IMD surveillance and to monitor the continued evolution of these hyperinvasive strains.
High diversity of Salmonella spp. from children with diarrhea, food, and environmental sources in Kilimanjaro – Tanzania: one health approach
Authors: Hugho Ephrasia A. , Kumburu Happiness H. , Thomas Kate , Lukambagire AbdulHamid S. , Wadugu Boaz , Amani Nelson , Kinabo Grace , Hald Tine , Mmbaga Blandina T.
Published: January 2024

Salmonella is one of the most frequent causes of diarrhea globally. This study used a One Health approach to identify Salmonella species in children admitted with diarrhea and tested samples from the cases’ household environment to investigate their genetic similarity using whole genome sequencing. Surveillance of hospitalized diarrhea cases among children under 5 years was conducted in rural and urban Moshi Districts in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania from July 2020 through November 2022. Household visits were conducted for every child case whose parent/caregiver provided consent. Stool samples, water, domestic animal feces, meat, and milk were collected and tested for Salmonella. Isolates were sequenced on the Illumina NextSeq platform. Multilocus Sequence Typing and phylogenetic analyses were performed to map the genetic relatedness of the isolates. Salmonella was isolated from 72 (6.0%) of 1,191 samples. The prevalence of Salmonella in children with diarrhea, domestic animal feces, food, and water was 2.6% (n = 8/306), 4.6% (n = 8/174), 4.2% (n = 16/382), and 17.3% (n = 39/225), respectively. Four (1.3%) of the 306 enrolled children had a Salmonella positive sample taken from their household. The common sequence types (STs) were ST1208, ST309, ST166, and ST473. Salmonella Newport was shared by a case and a raw milk sample taken from the same household. The study revealed a high diversity of Salmonella spp., however, we detected a Salmonella clone of ST1208 isolated at least from all types of samples. These findings contribute to understanding the epidemiology of Salmonella in the region and provide insight into potential control of foodborne diseases through a One Health approach.
A tangled threesome: understanding arbovirus infection in Aedes spp. and the effect of the mosquito microbiota
Authors: Mantilla-Granados Juan S. , Castellanos Jaime E. , Velandia-Romero Myriam Lucía
Published: January 2024

Arboviral infections transmitted by Aedes spp. mosquitoes are a major threat to human health, particularly in tropical regions but are expanding to temperate regions. The ability of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus to transmit multiple arboviruses involves a complex relationship between mosquitoes and the virus, with recent discoveries shedding light on it. Furthermore, this relationship is not solely between mosquitoes and arboviruses, but also involves the mosquito microbiome. Here, we aimed to construct a comprehensive review of the latest information about the arbovirus infection process in A. aegypti and A. albopictus, the source of mosquito microbiota, and its interaction with the arbovirus infection process, in terms of its implications for vectorial competence. First, we summarized studies showing a new mechanism for arbovirus infection at the cellular level, recently described innate immunological pathways, and the mechanism of adaptive response in mosquitoes. Second, we addressed the general sources of the Aedes mosquito microbiota (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) during their life cycle, and the geographical reports of the most common microbiota in adults mosquitoes. How the microbiota interacts directly or indirectly with arbovirus transmission, thereby modifying vectorial competence. We highlight the complexity of this tripartite relationship, influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic conditions at different geographical scales, with many gaps to fill and promising directions for developing strategies to control arbovirus transmission and to gain a better understanding of vectorial competence. The interactions between mosquitoes, arboviruses and their associated microbiota are yet to be investigated in depth.
Correlation dimension and entropy in the assessment of sex differences based on human gait data
Authors: Świtoński Adam , Josiński Henryk , Polański Andrzej , Wojciechowski Konrad
Published: January 2024

Introduction

It is proved that there are differences between gait performed by females and males, which appear in movements of selected body parts. Despite numerous state-of-the-art studies related to the discriminative analysis of motion capture data, the question of whether measures of signal complexity and uncertainty can extract valuable features for the problem of sex distinction still remains open. It is the subject of the paper.

Methods

Correlation dimension, as well as approximate and sample entropies, are selected to describe motion data. In the numerical experiments, the collected dataset with 884 samples of 25 females and 30 males was used. The measurements took place in the Human Motion Laboratory (HML), equipped with a highly precise motion capture system. Two variants of data representation were investigated-time series that contain joint rotations of taken skeleton model as well as positions of the markers attached to the human body. Finally, a comparative analysis between the populations of females and males using descriptive statistics, non-parametric estimation, and statistical hypotheses verification was carried out.

Results

There are statistically significant sex differences extracted by the taken measures. In general, the movements of lower limbs result in greater values of correlation dimension and entropies for females, while selected upper body parts play a similar role for males. The dissimilarities are mainly observed in hip, ankle, shoulder, and head movements.

Discussion

Correlation dimension and entropy measures provide robust and explainable features of motion capture data with a valuable description of the human locomotion system. Thus, beyond the importance of discovered differences between females and males, their interpretation and understanding are also known.
Quality of life and socio-demographic factors associated with nutritional risk in Brazilian community-dwelling individuals aged 80 and over: cluster analysis and ensemble methods
Authors: Brech Guilherme Carlos , da Silva Vanderlei Carneiro , Alonso Angelica Castilho , Machado-Lima Adriana , da Silva Daiane Fuga , Micillo Glaucia Pegorari , Bastos Marta Ferreira , de Aquino Rita de Cassia
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The aim of the present study was to use cluster analysis and ensemble methods to evaluate the association between quality of life, socio-demographic factors to predict nutritional risk in community-dwelling Brazilians aged 80 and over.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 104 individuals, both sexes, from different community locations. Firstly, the participants answered the sociodemographic questionnaire, and were sampled for anthropometric data. Subsequently, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was applied, and Mini Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (MAN) was used to evaluate their nutritional status. Finally, quality of life (QoL) was assessed by a brief version of World Health Organizations’ Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire and its older adults’ version (WHOQOL-OLD).

Results

The K-means algorithm was used to identify clusters of individuals regarding quality-of-life characteristics. In addition, Random Forest (RF) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithms were used to predict nutritional risk. Four major clusters were derived. Although there was a higher proportion of individuals aged 80 and over with nutritional risk in cluster 2 and a lower proportion in cluster 3, there was no statistically significant association. Cluster 1 showed the highest scores for psychological, social, and environmental domains, while cluster 4 exhibited the worst scores for the social and environmental domains of WHOQOL-BREF and for autonomy, past, present, and future activities, and intimacy of WHOQOL-OLD.

Conclusion

Handgrip, household income, and MMSE were the most important predictors of nutritional. On the other hand, sex, self-reported health, and number of teeth showed the lowest levels of influence in the construction of models to evaluate nutritional risk. Taken together, there was no association between clusters based on quality-of-life domains and nutritional risk, however, predictive models can be used as a complementary tool to evaluate nutritional risk in individuals aged 80 and over.