bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Desain Yuridis Peraturan Desa Dalam Penanganan sampah Melalui Bank Sampah di Desa Bongo Nol-Gorontalo
Authors: Nggilu Novendri Mohamad , Towadi Mellisa
Published: July 2022

Artikel ini bertujuan untuk memenuhi luaran laporan pengabdian pada program penanganan sampah melalui Bank Sampah di Kabupaten Boalemo. Metode yang digunakan yaitu dengan mendesain peraturan desa melalui pelatihan dan pendampingan penyusunan Peraturan Desa serta sosisalisasi dan pelatihan untuk kader desa dan masyarakat dalam penanganan sampah di desa Bongo Nol. Hasil yang dicapai dalam program KKS pengabdian ini adalah ; (1) terbentuknya peraturan desa Bongo Nol tentang Pembentukan dan Pengelolaan Bank Sampah yang menjadi basis yuridis bagi pemerintah desa untuk mengelola sampah yang dapat meningkatkan pendapatan bagi desa dan masyarakat desa Bongo Nol dengan bentuk penyertaan dana desa yang menjadi modal dalam pembentukan Bank Sampah, pengangkatan pengelola bank sampah, dalam proses pencapaian pembentukan peraturan desa tersebut, dilakukan tahapan pencapaian melalui pendampingan kepada aparat desa dalam penyusunan perdes, uji publik kepada masyarakat desa, pembahasan, sementara proses penetapan, pengesahan hingga ke pengundangan perdes tentang Pembentukan dan Pengelolaan Bank Sampah akan dialkukan secara internal antara pemerintah desa (kepala desa) dengan Badan Permusyawaratan Desa yang secara yuridis memang memiliki kewenangan untuk penetapan, dan pengundangan; (2) terbentuknya bank sampah yang dilakukan dengan tahapan pendirian bank sampah (termasuk pengelolanya) yang berpusat di kantor desa dan ditambah satu uni bank sampah yang berada di Dusun yang berada di Jalan Trans Boalemo dengan pertimbangan produksi jumlah sampah yang ada di dusun tersebut cukup besar disbanding dusun-dusun lainnya. (3) keterampilan pengelolaan sampah melalui kegiatan pelatihan pengelolaan sampah oleh mitra Kelompok KKS Pengabdian.
Peningkatatn Kesadaran Masyarakat Di Kelurahan Bener Tegalrejo Yogyakarta Terhadap Bahaya Pernikahan Di Bawah Umur Melalui Penyuluhan Hukum
Authors: Hapsari Murti Ayu
Published: July 2022

Underage marriage is something that still happens a lot in society, there are many negative impacts that arise due to underage marriage, ranging from the possibility of violence in the household to the potential for maternal and child deaths that occur too early. Marriage is ideally carried out by a partner who is physical and can be said to be an adult, thus being able to be responsible for himself and for others. Prevention of underage marriages is also closely related to the fulfillment of children's rights which should be fulfilled but their access is closed because they are considered adults and have to take care of their own household. To this problem finally issued a revision of Law No. 1 of 1974 related to the minimum marriage limit for children especially women, who were originally 16 years old to 19 years old as a form of responsibility to protect their citizens. Based on the survey results from the Janabadra University Community Service Team, village officials view this issue as one of the important issues that must be submitted by the community, the request was followed up with legal counseling related to Law no. 16 of 2019 in conjunction with Law No. 1 of 1974. The preparation stage was coordinated with the Janabadra University Community Service Team to determine the time and place, then continued with preparations to look for materials and materials to be delivered to the fish. The implementation of the activities carried out with the presentation of the material followed by a question and answer session with the counseling participants.
Penyuluhan Hukum Tentang Keselamatan Kerja Tenaga Kerja Bongkar Muat (TKBM) di Pelabuhan Tanjung Priok-Jakarta
Authors: Gultom Elfrida Ratnawati
Published: July 2022

Artikel ini merupakan suatu bentuk laporan hasil kegiatan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Tenaga Kerja Bongkar Muat (TKBM) di Pelabuhan Tanjung Priok, Jakarta. Adapun kegiatan ini dilakukan untuk memberikan penyuluhan hukum tentang keselamatan kerja TKBM di Pelabuhan Tanjung Priok dalam melakukan kegiatan bongkar muat di atas kapal, karena merupakan jenis pekerjaan yang beresiko tinggi yang sangat memerlukan kehati-hatian dari TKBM dan perlindungan keselamatan kerja dari Pemberi Kerja. Apakah TKBM di Pelabuhan Tanjung Priok Jakarta dalam melakukan pekerjaannya sudah memenuhi standard keselamatan dan perlindungan dalam bekerja? adalah permasalahan yang akan dibahas dalam artikel ini. Artikel ini merupakan penelitian yuridis empiris, yang didukung oleh data sekunder dan data primer sebagai sumber data utama, kemudian akan dianalisis secara kualitatif dan diuraikan secara deskriptif. Kesimpulan yang diperoleh dalam kegiatan penyuluhan yang didalamnya ada proses tanya jawab, bahwa TKBM di Pelabuhan Tanjung Priok sudah hampir sepenuhnya mendapatkan perlindungan keselamatan dalam bekerja dari si pemberi kerja, yaitu dalam bentuk Badan Penyelenggaraan Jaminan Sosial atau BPJS, dimana data pada bulan Mei 2021 menunjukkan jumlah TKBM sebagai peserta sebanyak 2.325 pekerja TKBM. Selain itu, TKBM juga mendaftar sebagai peserta program lain, yaitu Jaminan Kecelakaan Kerja dan Jaminan Kematian.
Penguatan Kapasitas Desa Biluhu Timur Melalui Penyuluhan Hukum Tentang Tata Kelola Badan Usaha Milik Desa
Authors: Achir Nuvazria , Imran Suwitno
Published: July 2022

Program dalam kegiatan ini berupa Penyuluhan Hukum Terkait Pengelolaan Badan Usaha Milik Desa (BUMDes) dari perspektif Peraturan Perundang-undangan, Pendampingan Terhadap Masyarakat Dalam Penelusuran Potensi Desa dan Pendampingan terhadap masyarakat dan Aparat Desa dalam penyusunan rencana Pengelolaan Potensi Desa. Tujuannya adalah memberikan manfaat khususnya terhadap pengurus dan aparat pemerintah desa dalam pengelolaan BUMDes berdasarkan peraturan perundang-undangan maupun regulasi yang berlaku. Selain itu, memberikan manfaat dalam pengembangan kehidupan perekonomian masyarakat ke arah yang lebih baik, melalui penguatan tata kelola dan pemahaman pengurus terhadap pengelolaan baik secara administrasi maupun teknis BUMDes di Biluhu Timur, serta terjalinya kemitraan Desa dengan Perguruan Tinggi khususnya Fakultas Hukum, dengan menetapkan Biluhu Timur Sebagai Desa Binaan FH UNG. Hasil pelaksanaan kegiatan yakni terdapat masukan dalam hal kolaborasi dan pendampingan Perdes serta penyusunan AD/ART oleh Fakultas Hukum, tindak lanjut pelatihan aplikasi BUMDES serta masukan terkait data potensi yang dapat dikelola melalui Usaha BUMDes yaitu Pasar Ikan yang dibentuk melalui Perdes termasuk masukan terhadap litigasi bencana di desa dan Perdes Pencegahan Stunting. Pengelolaan Potensi Ikan menjadi salah satu usaha BUMDes dapat dilakukan dengan membentuk Perdes terlebih dahulu sehingga menjadi wadah Desa untuk melakukan usaha khususnya bidang ekspor ikan.
Stimulasi Peran Masyarakat Berbasis Ekonomi Dan Teknologi Informasi Dan Pengetahuan Hukum, di Desa Tiohu Kecamatan Asparaga Kabupaten Gorontalo
Authors: Moonti Agustinus , Mozin Nopiana
Published: July 2022

Stimulasi peran masyarakat berbasis ekonomi dan teknologi informasi merupakan bentuk pendampingan terhadap masyarakat serta pemerintah desa dalam melahirkan berbagai program dan strategi berkelanjutan dalam pengembangan desa. Peran masyarakat yang di stimulus melalui ekonomi, teknologi informasi dan pengetahuan hukum digagas dengan tujuan untuk meningkatkan pengelolaan potensi desa dan sumber daya manusia yang distimulasi awal melalui aspek teknologi sehingga dalam tujuan jangka panjang dapat diarahkan pada peningkatan produktivitas masyarakat. Hasil dari berbagai program yang dilaksanakan yaitu meningkatnya skill masyarakat terkait penguasaan aspek teknologi informasi serta adanya peran nyata masyarakat dalam memanfaatkan lahan pekarangan rumah untuk budidaya tanaman jangka pendek. Tujuan dari pemanfaatan lahan pekarangan adalah agar areal lahan pekarangan dapat memberikan kontribusi ekonomi bagi rumah tangga.
Citizen Mobility, Lockdowns, and the Limits of Political Leadership
Authors: Jackson Karl D. , Dore Giovanna , Anderson Mira , Chang Jonah
Published: July 2022

This article addresses the effectiveness of government mandates on citizen mobility and whether mandated lockdowns contained the Covid-19 virus from March 2020-June 2021. All states and nations in this study (with the exception of Sweden) used legal strictures to constrain mobility in attempting to contain Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths per million. Of 13 cases examined here there were three statistically significant relationships between mandated lockdowns and hospitalizations and deaths per million, and these correlations are negative. Mandated lockdowns decreased citizens’ movement, but lockdown efficacy decreased over time. State mandated lockdowns did not have a statistically significant impact on decreasing the spread of Covid-19 deaths or hospitalizations. In addition, the more stringent the lockdowns, the greater the economic damage.
Complex System Object (/.Xio)
Authors: Brindley Heather
Published: July 2022

This article discusses three different ways of representing a single, uniquely identifiable complex system object. These representations originate from the domains of Biophysics and Information Systems Engineering, but with care they may be mapped to any complex system object. The representations are the origin of /.Xio, a type-free, scale-free knowledge asset which can represent an "object of care" in any knowledge domain.
Внесок Південно-Російського товариства акліматизації у розвиток і наукове забезпечення сільського господарства (кінець ХІХ – початок ХХ ст.)
Authors: Demuz Inna
Published: July 2022

Метою статті є аналіз внеску заснованого у 1896 р. у Харкові Південно-Російського товариства акліматизації у наукове забезпечення окремих галузей сільського господарства – садівництва, бджільництва, шовківництва, птахівництва тощо.

Наукова новизна дослідження полягає у висвітленні основоположних засад діяльності товариства, його складу та структури, основних напрямів діяльності, здобутків, внеску осередку у вивчення акліматизаційних процесів задля розвитку сільського господарства.

Методологія дослідження. Використовувалися проблемно-хронологічний, порівняльно-історичний, описовий методи, джерелознавча критика, а також апробувалася мережева модель науки та інституційний підхід до аналізу історії української науки. Основою джерельної бази для підготовки статті стали річні звіти наукового товариства.

Висновки. Встановлено, що головними здобутками товариства стало: видання часопису з питань сільського господарства, сільськогосподарської промисловості, торгівлі та просвітництва – «Известия Южно-Русского общества акклиматизации»; опіка питаннями екології, зокрема, шляхом упровадження перших у Російській імперії свят деревонасаджень, які, до того ж, сприяли екологічному вихованню підростаючого покоління; облаштування шкільних садів при нижчих і середніх навчальних закладах, де займалися не лише садівництвом, а й городництвом, лісівництвом, бджільництвом, шовківництвом та іншими галузями сільського господарства; відкриття однієї з перших у Російській імперії станцій бджільництва та шовківництва, профільного музею, при якому засновано курси бджільництва; облаштування міського саду та віварію, який став зародком функціонуючого сьогодні Харківського державного зоологічного парку; проведення перших у місті виставок: садівництва та рослинництва; акваріумів, тераріумів і кімнатних рослин; птахівництва. Товариство опікувалося також питаннями рибництва і рибальства.

Крім завдань практичного характеру члени осередку проводили активну популяризаційну та наукову роботу, виголошували наукові доповіді з найважливіших питань акліматизації рослин і тварин, сільського господарства тощо.

Серед відомих членів Південно-Російського товариства акліматизації були: академік П.В. Овсянников, професори О.Ф. Брандт, А.Є. Зайкевич, П.А. Гордєєв, П.Т. Степанов, землевласники І.І. Каразін та Ф.Е. Фальц-Фейн, родина Алчевських – кандидат природничих наук Дмитро Олексійович і Христина Дмитрівна й ін.
Optimal Mixed Placement and Capacity Distribution of Buckling-Restrained Braces and Conventional Braces on a Large Metal Spatial Structure Without Rigid Diaphragm Assumption
Authors: Terazawa Yuki , Fujishima Miho , Takeuchi Toru
Published: July 2022

This paper presents a design application of the proposed generalized response spectrum analysis (GRSA)-based seismic optimization method to a large metal spatial structure (constructed in Japan) where a rigid diaphragm assumption is not available and displacement responses are disproportionally distributed in a story. It also discusses the optimal mixed placement and capacity distribution of buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) and conventional braces (CBs) to minimize both the story drift response and the number of BRBs (i.e., the introduction cost of expensive energy-dissipation devices used as dampers). GRSA is a quick and efficient analysis method for estimating the reduced seismic responses of structural models with a large degree of freedom, and GRSA-based computational optimization enables a more efficient seismic design process than trial-and-error approaches with time-consuming nonlinear response history analysis. In this study, the efficiency is verified through a comparison with the Japanese standard BRB design method. According to the results, the optimal design solution by the proposed method has approximately 20% less steel tonnage of BRBs than that obtained from the standard method, whereas the seismic performance is equal to or better than the others. Moreover, although engineers should still consider the possibility of damage concentration, the brace configuration of the substructure where BRBs and CBs are arranged in adjacent stories is the most effective for reducing both the number of BRBs and the story drift response.
Circ_0005918 Sponges miR-622 to Aggravate Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Authors: Cui Yan , Zhao Xintong , Wu Yangang
Published: July 2022

Intervertebral discdegeneration (IDD) is the most common cause of lower back pain, but the exact molecular mechanism of IDD is still unknown. Recently, studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) regulate diverse biological procedures such as cell metastasis, growth, metabolism, migration, apoptosis, and invasion. We demonstrated that IL-1β and TNF-α induced circ_0005918 expression in the NP cell, and circ_0005918 was overexpressed in the IDD group compared with the control group. Moreover, the upregulated expression of circ_0005918 was associated with disc degeneration degree. The elevated expression of circ_0005918 promoted cell growth and ECM degradation, and it induced secretion of inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Moreover, we found that circ_0005918 sponged miR-622 in the NP cell. In addition, the exposure to IL-1β and TNF-α suppressed the expression of miR-622, which was downregulated in the IDD group compared with the control group. Furthermore, the downregulated expression of miR-622 was associated with disc degeneration degree. The expression level of miR-622 was negatively associated with circ_0005918 expression in the IDD group. In conclusion, circ_0005918 regulated cell growth, ECM degradation, and secretion of inflammatory cytokines by regulating miR-622 expression. These data suggested that circ_0005918 played important roles in the development of IDD via sponging miR-622.
Ferroptosis Associates With Diagnosis and Prognosis by Promoting Antitumor Immune Response in Melanoma
Authors: Qian Benheng , Wu Kui , Lou Xiaoying , Li kexin , Wu Lianpin , Zhang Donghong
Published: July 2022

Immunotherapy has greatly improved the clinical benefits of cancer treatment, especially in melanoma. Ferroptosis is a novel mechanism of cell death which relates to immunity. This study aimed at understanding the potential link between ferroptosis and cancer immunocompetent in melanoma using multiple bioinformatics analyses. By the WGCNA assay, we first constructed a key module–gene of ferroptosis, which was strongly correlated with the diagnosis, prognosis, and infiltration of immune cells in melanoma. The elevated module–gene could effectively distinguish melanoma from normal tissues and acted as a good prognostic marker. The module–gene of ferroptosis was positively correlated with the infiltration of immune cells. In particular, the module was positively correlated with the expression of PD-L1 and sensitively increased after effective anti-PD-1 treatment. Furthermore, the differential expression of the module–gene between normal and tumor tissues was observed in pan-cancer. The similarity correlations of the module–gene with infiltration of immune cells and the expressions of PD-L1 were confirmed in the pan-cancer level. Our study demonstrated that the key module–gene of ferroptosis was closely related with diagnosis, prognosis, and anti-immune response in melanoma, as well as in pan-cancer.
Does the Gut Microbiome Play a Role in Obesity in Type 1 Diabetes? Unanswered Questions and Review of the Literature
Authors: Ismail Heba M. , Evans-Molina Carmella
Published: July 2022

Evidence suggests that type 1 diabetes (T1D) risk and progression are associated with gut bacterial imbalances. Children with either T1D or islet antibody positivity exhibit gut dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) characterized by lower gram-positive to gram-negative gut bacterial ratios compared to healthy individuals, leading to a pro-inflammatory milieu. In addition, specific gut microbiome changes, including increased virulence factors, elevated phage, prophage, and motility genes, and higher amplitude stress responses, have been identified in individuals who have or are progressing towards T1D. Additionally, gut microbiome differences are associated with and thought to contribute to obesity, a comorbidity that is increasingly prevalent among persons with T1D. Obesity in T1D is problematic because individuals with obesity progress faster to T1D, have reduced insulin sensitivity compared to their lean counterparts, and have higher risk of complications. Animal and human studies suggest higher relative abundance of bacterial taxa associated with changes in bile acid and short chain fatty acid biosynthesis in obesity. However, it is unknown to what extent the gut microbiome plays a role in obesity in T1D and these worse outcomes. In this review, we aim to evaluate potential gut microbiome changes and associations in individuals with T1D who are obese, highlighting the specific gut microbiome changes associated with obesity and with T1D development. We will identify commonalities and differences in microbiome changes and examine potential microbiota-host interactions and the metabolic pathways involved. Finally, we will explore interventions that may be of benefit to this population, in order to modify disease and improve outcomes.
Massive Bleeding After Surgical Repair in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Patients: Risk Factors, Outcomes, and the Predicting Model
Authors: Zhang Chen-Han , Ge Yi-Peng , Zhong Yong-Liang , Hu Hai-Ou , Qiao Zhi-Yu , Li Cheng-Nan , Zhu Jun-Ming
Published: July 2022

Background

Massive bleeding throughout aortic repair in acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) patients is a common but severe condition that can cause multiple serious clinical problems. Here, we report our findings regarding risk factors, short-term outcomes, and predicting model for massive bleeding in ATAAD patients who underwent emergent aortic repair.

Methods

A universal definition of perioperative bleeding (UDPB) class 3 and 4 were used to define massive bleeding and comprehensively evaluate patients. A total of 402 consecutive patients were enrolled in this retrospective study during 2019. Surgical strategies used to perform aortic arch procedures included total arch and hemiarch replacements. In each criterion, patients with massive bleeding were compared with remaining patients. Multivariable regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for massive bleeding. Logistic regression was used to build the model, and the model was evaluated with its discrimination and calibration.

Results

Independent risk factors for massive bleeding included male sex (OR = 6.493,P< 0.001), elder patients (OR = 1.029,P= 0.05), low body mass index (BMI) (OR = 0.879,P= 0.003), emergent surgery (OR = 3.112,P= 0.016), prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR = 1.012,P= 0.002), lower hemoglobin levels (OR = 0.976,P= 0.002), increased D-dimer levels (OR = 1.000,P= 0.037), increased fibrin degradation products (OR = 1.019,P= 0.008), hemiarch replacement (OR = 5.045,P= 0.037), total arch replacement (OR = 14.405,P= 0.004). The early-stage mortality was higher in massive bleeding group (15.9 vs. 3.9%,P= 0.001). The predicting model showed a well discrimination (AUC = 0.817) and calibration (χ2= 5.281,P= 0.727 > 0.05).

Conclusion

Massive bleeding in ATAAD patients who underwent emergent aortic repair is highly associated with gender, emergent surgery, increased D-dimer levels, longer CPB time, anemia, and use of a complex surgical strategy. Since massive bleeding may lead to worse outcomes, surgeons should choose suitable surgical strategies in patients who are at a high risk of massive bleeding.
Blockchain for Electronic Vaccine Certificates: More Cons Than Pros?
Authors: Toubiana Raphaëlle , Macdonald Millie , Rajananda Sivananda , Lokvenec Tale , Kingsley Thomas C. , Romero-Brufau Santiago
Published: July 2022

Electronic vaccine certificates (EVC) for COVID-19 vaccination are likely to become widespread. Blockchain (BC) is an electronic immutable distributed ledger and is one of the more common proposed EVC platform options. However, the principles of blockchain are not widely understood by public health and medical professionals. We attempt to describe, in an accessible style, how BC works and the potential benefits and drawbacks in its use for EVCs. Our assessment is BC technology is not well suited to be used for EVCs. Overall, blockchain technology is based on two key principles: the use of cryptography, and a distributed immutable ledger in the format of blockchains. While the use of cryptography can provide ease of sharing vaccination records while maintaining privacy, EVCs require some amount of contribution from a centralized authority to confirm vaccine status; this is partly because these authorities are responsible for the distribution and often the administration of the vaccine. Having the data distributed makes the role of a centralized authority less effective. We concluded there are alternative ways to use cryptography outside of a BC that allow a centralized authority to better participate, which seems necessary for an EVC platform to be of practical use.
Cryospheric Impacts on Volcano-Magmatic Systems
Authors: Edwards Benjamin R. , Russell James K. , Pollock Meagen
Published: July 2022

In contrast to water and air, ice is the most dynamic enveloping medium and unique environment for volcanic eruptions. While all three environments influence volcanic activity and eruption products, the cryospheric eruption environment is unique because: 1) it supports rapid changes between those environments (i.e. subglacial, subaqueous, subaerial), 2) it promotes a wide range of eruption styles within a single eruption cycle (explosive, effusive), 3) it creates unique edifice-scale morphologies and deposits, and 4) it can modulate the timing and rates of magmatism. The distinctive products of cryospheric eruptions offer a robust means of tracking paleoclimate changes at the local, regional and global scale. We provide a framework for understanding the influence of the cryosphere on glaciovolcanic systems, landforms and deposits.
Early Peak Ground Acceleration Prediction for On-Site Earthquake Early Warning Using LSTM Neural Network
Authors: Hsu T.Y. , Pratomo A.
Published: July 2022

On-site earthquake early warning techniques, which issue alerts based on seismic waves measured at a single station, are promising, and have performed quite successfully during some damaging earthquakes. Conventionally, most existing techniques extract several P-wave features from the first few seconds of seismic waves after the trigger to predict the intensity or destructiveness of an incoming earthquake. This type of technique neglects the behavior of temporal varying features within P waves. In other words, the characteristics of data sequences are not considered. In this study, a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network, which is capable of learning order dependence in seismic waves, is employed to predict the peak ground acceleration (PGA) of the coming earthquake. A dense LSTM architecture is proposed and a large data set of earthquakes is used to train the LSTM model. The general performance of the LSTM model indicated that the predicted PGA values are quite promising but are generally overestimated. However, the predicted PGA of the Chi-Chi earthquake data set, whose fault rupture is complex and long, using the proposed LSTM model is more accurate than the PGA predicted in a previous study using a support vector regression approach. In addition, an alternative alert criterion, which issues alerts when the predicted PGA exceeds the threshold in successive time windows, is presented, and the performance of the proposed LSTM model when different PGA thresholds are considered is also discussed.
Digital Distance Learning and the Transformation of Vocational Schools From a Qualitative Perspective
Authors: Delcker Jan , Ifenthaler Dirk
Published: July 2022

Digital distance learning has become one of the main modes of education at vocational schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. A large-scale survey with almost 4,000 stakeholders from 15 vocational schools in Germany was conducted to analyze the current state of digital distance learning, with the goal to identify the challenges teachers, students, school leaders, parents, and training companies face when digital distance learning processes are implemented. A total ofN= 1,493 qualitative statements have been analyzed as part of the survey. The results of the deductive structuring content analysis suggest the influence of digital distance learning on eight categories within school development, namely teaching, feedback, organization, collaboration, personal resources, technical infrastructure, perceived learner success, and professionalization. The identification of challenges within these categories can help school leaders at vocational schools and policy makers to transform the experiences during thead hocimplementation of digital distance practices into sustainable school development processes. The research work also proposes a transformation of existing theoretical frameworks of school development in the light of digitalization.
New Insights in Cytokines in Childhood Obesity: Changes in TWEAK and CD163 After a 2-Year Intervention Program in Prepubertal Children With Obesity
Authors: Escartín Rocío , Font Maria , González-Clemente José Miguel , Vendrell Joan , Caixàs Assumpta , Corripio Raquel
Published: July 2022

Objective

Obesity is characterized by a low-grade inflammatory state in adipose tissue. Tumor Necrosis Factor Weak Inducer of Apoptosis (TWEAK) and Cluster of Differentiation 163 (CD163) are cytokines potentially involved in the pathogenesis of obesity. Little is known about them in children. The aim of this study was to observe serum levels of TWEAK and CD163 in prepubertal children with obesity compared to lean, and to evaluate its changes after a 2-year intervention program in children with obesity.

Methods

Case-control study with a prospective follow-up of cases for 2 years in a referral pediatric endocrine outpatient centre. Seventy-three prepubertal children with obesity, and forty-seven age- and gender-matched lean controls were studied. Sixty-two cases finished the program. Anthropometric parameters, Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), lipid profile, and concentrations of TWEAK and CD163 were determined. Children with obesity were re-evaluated after a 2-year intervention program consisting of diet and exercise. Weight loss was considered if z-score Body Mass Index (BMI) decreased at least 0.5 Standard Deviations (SD).

Results

We observed higher CD163 levels in children with obesity compared to controls. No significant differences were observed in TWEAK and CD163/TWEAK ratio at baseline. After the 2-year intervention program, TWEAK levels were higher and CD163/TWEAK ratio was lower in children with weight loss than those without weight loss. CD163 decreased in both groups.

Conclusion

TWEAK and CD163 seem to have a role in the pathogenesis of obesity in prepubertal children.
High Mortality Rate in Oral Glucocorticoid Users: A Population-Based Matched Cohort Study
Authors: Einarsdottir Margret J. , Ekman Per , Molin Mattias , Trimpou Penelope , Olsson Daniel S. , Johannsson Gudmundur , Ragnarsson Oskar
Published: July 2022

Objective

The aim of the study was to investigate all-cause and disease-specific mortality in a large population-based cohort of oral glucocorticoid (GC) users.

Methods

This was a retrospective, matched cohort study. Information on dispensed prescriptions was obtained from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register. The cause of death was obtained from the Swedish Cause-of-Death Registry. Patients receiving prednisolone ≥5 mg/day (or equivalent dose of other GC) for ≥21 days between 2007-2014 were included. For each patient, one control subject matched for age and sex was included. The study period was divided into 3-month periods and patients were divided into groups according to a defined daily dose (DDD) of GC used per day. The groups were: Non-users (0 DDD per day), low-dose users (>0 but <0.5 DDD per day), medium-dose users (0.5-1.5 DDD per day) and high-dose users (>1.5 DDD per day). Hazard ratios (HRs), unadjusted and adjusted for age, sex and comorbidities, were calculated using a time-dependent Cox proportional hazard model.

Results

Cases (n=223 211) had significantly higher all-cause mortality compared to controls (HR adjusted for age, sex and comorbidities 2.08, 95% confidence interval 2.04 to 2.13). After dividing the cases into subgroups, adjusted HR was 1.31 (1.28 to 1.34) in non-users, 3.64 (3.51 to 3.77) in low-dose users, 5.43 (5.27 to 5.60) in medium-dose users and, 5.12 (4.84 to 5.42) in high-dose users. The highest adjusted hazard ratio was observed in high-dose users for deaths from sepsis 6.71 (5.12 to 8.81) and pulmonary embolism 7.83 (5.71 to 10.74).

Conclusion

Oral GC users have an increased mortality rate compared to the background population, even after adjustment for comorbidities. High-dose users have an increased risk of dying from sepsis, and pulmonary embolism compared to controls. Whether the relationship between GC exposure and the excess mortality is causal remains to be elucidated.
Exosomes of A549 Cells Induced Migration, Invasion, and EMT of BEAS-2B Cells Related to let-7c-5p and miR-181b-5p
Authors: Liu Yun , Su Chao-Yue , Yan Yan-Yan , Wang Jian , Li Jia-Jun , Fu Ji-Jun , Wang Yu-Qing , Zhang Jian-Ye
Published: July 2022

As carriers containing abundant biological information, exosomes could deliver the property of donor cells to recipient cells. Emerging studies have shown that tumor cells could secrete a mass of exosomes into the microenvironment to regulate bystander cells. However, the underlying mechanisms of such a phenomenon remain largely unexplored. In this research, we purified and identified the exosomes of A549 cells and found that A549-cell-derived exosomes promoted BEAS-2B cells migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Importantly, we observed that let-7c-5p and miR-181b-5p were attenuated in A549-cell-derived exosomes compared to BEAS-2B-cell-derived exosomes. The analysis of miRNA expression level in BEAS-2B cells indicated that incubation with A549-cell-derived exosomes reduced the expression levels of let-7c-5p and miR-181b-5p. In transient transfections assay, we found that downregulation of let-7c-5p and miR-181b-5p simultaneously showed stronger promotion of BEAS-2B cells migration and invasion than individually. Moreover, exosomes secreted from A549 cells with upregulated expression of let-7c-5p and miR-181b-5p significantly reduce their regulatory effect on BEAS-2B cells. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that let-7c-5p and miR-181b-5p inhibit the EMT process mainly by regulating focal adhesion and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Thus, our data demonstrated that A549-cell-derived exosomal let-7c-5p and miR-181b-5p could induce migration, invasion, and EMT in BEAS-2B cells, which might be regulated through focal adhesion and MAPK signaling pathway. The expression level of let-7c-5p and miR-181b-5p may show great significance for the early diagnosis of lung cancer.
One-Dimensional Experimental Investigation of Polyethylene Microplastic Transport in a Homogeneous Saturated Medium
Authors: Okutan Hande Mahide , Sağir Çağdaş , Fontaine Claude , Nauleau Benoît , Kurtulus Bedri , Le Coustumer Philippe , Razack Moumtaz
Published: July 2022

Plastics are widely used in every part of life. Microplastics (MPs) are classified as emerging contaminants in nature. Yet, microplastic transportation parameters in groundwater are not characterized well. In this study, microplastic transport in saturated homogeneous media was investigated. For this purpose, one-dimensional column tests were performed using the fluorescent and microplastic tracers to figure out the hydrodynamic conditions for the microplastic transport. Large silica, small silica, sand, and coarse gravel were the tested media. The hydrodynamic transport parameters were calculated by inverse solution methodology using the experimental and the analytical solution results. Only the coarse gravel medium with a minimum 1 mm and maximum 20 mm (5 mm of median) pore sizes and kinematic porosity 40.2% were found to be suitable for the transport of the used polyethylene (PE) whose particle size was between 200 and 500 µm. It is not possible to transport PE particles of selected size from fine-grained media. Transportation occurred in coarse-grained media such as coarse gravel. The calculated dispersivity values for the coarse gravel were 2.58 and 3.02 cm by using fluorescent and PE tracers, respectively. The experiments showed that the used PE particles cannot be transported if the mean flow velocity is lower than 2.02 cm/min in the coarse gravel medium. The microplastic accumulation might be an issue for an actual aquifer rather than the transportation of it considering the actual groundwater flow velocity is generally much lower.
Influencing Factors of Green Credit Efficiency in Chinese Commercial Banks
Authors: Deng Xiang , Hao Haitao , Chang Mei , Ren Xiaohang , Wang Lan
Published: July 2022

This paper is applied the Tobit panel model to analyze the driving factors of green credit efficiency by using Chinese commercial banks’ data from 2009 to 2019. Based on the undesirable-SBM-DEA model, this paper is attempted to construct the green credit evaluation index by incorporating carbon emissions, and evaluating the green credit efficiency of Chinese commercial banks. The result shows that the green credit efficiency of Chinese commercial banks is low currently. Moreover, there is a mutually significant relationship between the efficiency and profitability of commercial banks’ green credit funds. Our findings suggest that the commercial banks should pursue the scale of green credit capital and improve the efficiency of green credits to help China achieve carbon neutrality goals.
Analysis of Recurrent Times-to-Clinical Malaria Episodes and Plasmodium falciparum Parasitemia: A Joint Modeling Approach Applied to a Cohort Data
Authors: Stanley Christopher C. , Mukaka Mavuto , Kazembe Lawrence N. , Buchwald Andrea G. , Mathanga Don P. , Laufer Miriam K. , Chirwa Tobias F.
Published: July 2022

Background

Recurrent clinical malaria episodes due to Plasmodium falciparum parasite infection are common in endemic regions. With each infection, acquired immunity develops, making subsequent disease episodes less likely. To capture the effect of acquired immunity to malaria, it may be necessary to model recurrent clinical disease episodes jointly with P. falciparum parasitemia data. A joint model of longitudinal parasitemia and time-to-first clinical malaria episode (single-event joint model) may be inaccurate because acquired immunity is lost when subsequent episodes are excluded. This study's informativeness assessed whether joint modeling of recurrent clinical malaria episodes and parasitemia is more accurate than a single-event joint model where the subsequent episodes are ignored.

Methods

The single event joint model comprised Cox Proportional Hazards (PH) sub-model for time-to-first clinical malaria episode and Negative Binomial (NB) mixed-effects sub-model for the longitudinal parasitemia. The recurrent events joint model extends the survival sub-model to a Gamma shared frailty model to include all recurrent clinical episodes. The models were applied to cohort data from Malawi. Simulations were also conducted to assess the performance of the model under different conditions.

Results

The recurrent events joint model, which yielded higher hazard ratios of clinical malaria, was more precise and in most cases produced smaller standard errors than the single-event joint model; hazard ratio (HR) = 1.42, [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22, 2.03] vs. HR = 1.29, [95% CI:1.60, 2.45] among participants who reported not to use LLINs every night compared to those who used the nets every night; HR = 0.96, [ 95% CI: 0.94, 0.98] vs. HR = 0.81, [95% CI: 0.75, 0.88] for each 1-year increase in participants' age; and HR = 1.36, [95% CI: 1.05, 1.75] vs. HR = 1.10, [95% CI: 0.83, 4.11] for observations during the rainy season compared to the dry season.

Conclusion

The recurrent events joint model in this study provides a way of estimating the risk of recurrent clinical malaria in a cohort where the effect of immunity on malaria disease acquired due to P. falciparum parasitemia with aging is captured. The simulation study has shown that if correctly specified, the recurrent events joint model can give risk estimates with low bias.
NEAT1/MALAT1/XIST/PKD--Hsa-Mir-101-3p--DLGAP5 Axis as a Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker Associated With Immune Cell Infiltration in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Rao Xiaosheng , Cao Haiyan , Yu Qingfeng , Ou Xiuyu , Deng Ruiqi , Huang Jinkun
Published: July 2022

Background: The clinical value of the biomarkers of bladder cancer (BC) is limited due to their low sensitivity or specificity. As a biomarker, DLG associated protein 5 (DLGAP5) is a potential cell cycle regulator in cancer cell carcinogenesis. However, its functional part in BC remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to identify DLGAP5 expression in BC and its potential diagnostic and prognostic values. Eventually, it predicts the possible RNA regulatory pathways of BC.

Methods: Data on DLGAP5 expression levels in BC and normal bladder tissues were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC), Kaplan–Meier survival curves, and the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis determined the diagnostic and prognostic values of DLGAP5 in BC patients. Finally, the StarBase predicted the target RNAs and constructed networks using Cytoscape.

Results: DLGAP5 expression was significantly upregulated in BC tissue, verified by the TCGA (p < 0.001), GSE3167, GSE7476, and GSE65635 datasets (p < 0.01). BC patients with increased DLGAP5 had poor overall survival (OS) (p = 0.01), disease specific survival (DSS) (p = 0.006) and progress free interval (DFI) (p = 0.007). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.913. The multivariate Cox analysis identified that lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.007) and DLGAP5 (p = 0.002) were independent prognostic factors.

Conclusion: Increased DLGAP5 expression was closely associated with a poor prognosis in BC patients. In this case, DLGAP5 might be a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for BC. DLGAP5 expression might be regulated by NEAT1/MALAT1/XIST/PKD--Hsa-mir-101-3p pathways.
Network Embedding Across Multiple Tissues and Data Modalities Elucidates the Context of Host Factors Important for COVID-19 Infection
Authors: Hu Yue , Rehawi Ghalia , Moyon Lambert , Gerstner Nathalie , Ogris Christoph , Knauer-Arloth Janine , Bittner Florian , Marsico Annalisa , Mueller Nikola S.
Published: July 2022

COVID-19 is a heterogeneous disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Aside from infections of the lungs, the disease can spread throughout the body and damage many other tissues, leading to multiorgan failure in severe cases. The highly variable symptom severity is influenced by genetic predispositions and preexisting diseases which have not been investigated in a large-scale multimodal manner. We present a holistic analysis framework, setting previously reported COVID-19 genes in context with prepandemic data, such as gene expression patterns across multiple tissues, polygenetic predispositions, and patient diseases, which are putative comorbidities of COVID-19. First, we generate a multimodal network using the prior-based network inference method KiMONo. We then embed the network to generate a meaningful lower-dimensional representation of the data. The input data are obtained via the Genotype-Tissue Expression project (GTEx), containing expression data from a range of tissues with genomic and phenotypic information of over 900 patients and 50 tissues. The generated network consists of nodes, that is, genes and polygenic risk scores (PRS) for several diseases/phenotypes, as well as for COVID-19 severity and hospitalization, and links between them if they are statistically associated in a regularized linear model by feature selection. Applying network embedding on the generated multimodal network allows us to perform efficient network analysis by identifying nodes close by in a lower-dimensional space that correspond to entities which are statistically linked. By determining the similarity between COVID-19 genes and other nodes through embedding, we identify disease associations to tissues, like the brain and gut. We also find strong associations between COVID-19 genes and various diseases such as ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and hypertension. Moreover, we find evidence linking PTPN6 to a range of comorbidities along with the genetic predisposition of COVID-19, suggesting that this kinase is a central player in severe cases of COVID-19. In conclusion, our holistic network inference coupled with network embedding of multimodal data enables the contextualization of COVID-19-associated genes with respect to tissues, disease states, and genetic risk factors. Such contextualization can be exploited to further elucidate the biological importance of known and novel genes for severity of the disease in patients.
Single-Cell Mononucleotide Microsatellite Analysis Reveals Differential Insertion-Deletion Dynamics in Mouse T Cells
Authors: Aska Elli-Mari , Zagidullin Bulat , Pitkänen Esa , Kauppi Liisa
Published: July 2022

Microsatellite sequences are particularly prone to slippage during DNA replication, forming insertion-deletion loops that, if left unrepaired, result in de novo mutations (expansions or contractions of the repeat array). Mismatch repair (MMR) is a critical DNA repair mechanism that corrects these insertion-deletion loops, thereby maintaining microsatellite stability. MMR deficiency gives rise to the molecular phenotype known as microsatellite instability (MSI). By sequencing MMR-proficient and -deficient (Mlh1+/+ and Mlh1−/−) single-cell exomes from mouse T cells, we reveal here several previously unrecognized features of in vivo MSI. Specifically, mutational dynamics of insertions and deletions were different on multiple levels. Factors that associated with propensity of mononucleotide microsatellites to insertions versus deletions were: microsatellite length, nucleotide composition of the mononucleotide tract, gene length and transcriptional status, as well replication timing. Here, we show on a single-cell level that deletions — the predominant MSI type in MMR-deficient cells — are preferentially associated with longer A/T tracts, long or transcribed genes and later-replicating genes.
Chloroplast Genomes of Genus Tilia: Comparative Genomics and Molecular Evolution
Authors: Yan Linjun , Wang Huanli , Huang Xi , Li Yingchao , Yue Yuanhao , Wang Zhongwei , Tang Shijie
Published: July 2022

Tilia is a complex genus in the family Malvaceae that has high ecological and economical values. Owing to the lack of sufficient distinguishable morphological and molecular characteristics, interspecific relationships in this genus are not clear. Chloroplast (cp) genomes are small, meanwhile most angiosperms usually undergo matrilineal inheritance. Consequently, they can be used in molecular systematics and phylogenetic analyses. Here, we sequenced and assembled cp genomes from T. endochrysea, T. tomentosa, T. miqueliana, T. americana and T. cordata, and compared them with those of seven previously reported Tilia species. Similar gene contents, gene orders and GC contents existed among the 12 cp genomes, which ranged from 162,564 to 162,855 bp and encoded 113 unique genes. Abundant simple sequence repeats (119–127) and dispersed repeats (97–135) were detected in Tilia cp genomes. In total, 11 hypervariable regions were identified that could be suitable for species identification and phylogenetic studies. A phylogenetic analysis of Malvaceae based on 5 hypervariable genes (matK + ndhF + rpoB + rpoC2+ycf1) revealed that all eight subfamilies were monophyletic groups. Additionally, the genus Tilia was divided into three groups on the basis of all 521 molecular variation loci. The current study provides valuable insights into the genomic evolution of the genus Tilia.
Dynamics in Circulating Proinflammatory Biomarkers for Prognostic Assessment of Patients With Advanced HCC – A Substudy From the SORAMIC Trial
Authors: Schütte Kerstin , Kupčinskas Juozas , Morkunas Egidijus , Öcal Osman , Schinner Regina , Seidensticker Max , De Toni Enrico N. , Ben Khaled Najib , Pech Maciej , Palmer Daniel , Berg Thomas , Sengel Christian , Basu Bristi , Valle Juan W. , Benckert Julia , Gasbarrini Antonio , Sangro Bruno , Malfertheiner Peter , Ricke Jens
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Prediction of response to treatment in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may assist in the selection of personalized management.

Objective

This exploratory analysis of the palliative arm of the SORAMIC trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01126645) evaluated the prognostic potential of basal and dynamic changes in systemic levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), systemic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Methods

We evaluated the correlations between overall survival (OS) and concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, VEGF, and LPS at follow-up approximately 7-9 weeks after treatment initialization (FU) compared to baseline (BL) in 90 patients treated either with 90Yttrium (90Y) microspheres combined with sorafenib (n = 44) or with sorafenib (n = 46) alone.

Results

Changes in IL-6 concentration during treatment showed correlations with the outcome. An increase in IL-6 concentration of less than 16.8 pg/mL over baseline readings was associated with better survival [median OS 16.3 months compared with 8.9 months (p = 0.0354)]. Correlations with survival were not observed for VEGF or LPS concentrations at baseline, at FU, or changes between these time points.

Conclusions

Changes in IL 6 serum levels at 7-9 weeks after treatment initialization but not in IL 8, VEGF, or LPS add important information on the outcome of advanced HCC patients treated palliatively within the SORAMIC trial.