bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of modified peck formula in surface settlement of hejiapo tunnel
Authors: Yan Sheng-Hui , Wen Chang-Ping
Published: September 2022

In order to accurately predict the surface settlement caused by the excavation of shallow buried tunnels in mountain areas, timely control the future settlement of the surface of the non excavated section, and ensure the absolute safety in the construction process, this paper uses peck formula to predict the surface settlement of hejiapo tunnel of Guiyang Jinsha expressway. Because there is a large error between the predicted data of Peck and the measured data, this paper intends to use the linear regression fitting method in quantitative statistics to fit and correct the measured surface settlement data, and introduce the maximum settlement correction coefficient and the settlement tank width correction coefficient. Through the analysis of a large number of cross-sectional measured data, the empirical range of the correction coefficient of the local peck formula is obtained, and the peck formula is corrected. The results show that the modified peck formula curve is highly linearly related to the actual surface settlement curve, and the accuracy of the modified peck formula is the highest when the correction coefficient α∈ (0.6, 1.2) and β∈ (0.5, 0.8). A section is randomly selected for verification. The results show that the predicted value after section excavation is highly linearly related to the measured value. From the research results, it can be seen that peck formula can predict the surface settlement caused by the construction of shallow buried tunnel by the underground excavation method, but there is a large error with the actual settlement curve. It is necessary to refer to the measured data to fit and correct peck formula. The modified peck formula plays a practical guiding role in the subsequent construction of Hejia broken tunnel.
Molluscs organisms diversity and temperature fluctuation of Cap Estérias rocky foreshore (Gabon)
Authors: Zongo Sylvie Brizard , Ngohang Franck Estimé , Mabert Brice Didier Celce Koumba , Moundounga Nick Roland
Published: September 2022

This study has made it possible to link the configuration and distribution of molluscs in the Cape Estérias mediolittoral rocky foreshore area, from January 2021 to January 2022, during a one-year cycle. In fact, the intertidal area being a fragile and above all unstable, it necessitates regular and frequent monitoring. The malacofauna were then taken every two weeks during spring tides. And the temperature was measured twice a day in situ during the two tides. The Cap Estérias rocky foreshore malacofauna reveals 36 molluscs belonging to 3 families (29 gastropods, 6 bivalves and 1 cephalopod). As for the water temperature, it shows large fluctuations with average amplitude of 0.75 °C, probably due to tidal dynamics and the Mondah fresh water in flows. These temperatures vary from 32.2 to 23.5 °C, for an average of around 28.5 ± 1.5 °C year - round. To end, the highest water temperatures are recorded during the rainy seasons, while the lowest are recorded during the dry seasons; this is in accordance with the equatorial climate of the studied area.
The evaluation of both the expression and serum protein levels of Caspase-8 and Mitogen-activated protein kinases one genes in patients with different degrees of SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: acat murat , gülhan pınar yıldız , Eroz Recep , Özkan Ayşegül Ertınmaz , Koca Oğuzhan , Çınar Caner
Published: September 2022

Aim:We performed the current study to evaluate the effects of caspase-8 (CASP8), Mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) gene expression levels, and their products on preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.
Methods:40 individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in the current study. The patients were divided into four main groups mild (n=7), moderate (n=10), severe(n=14), and critical(n=9) levels of the disease. Individuals under the age of 18 and pregnant women were excluded. Patients were classified according to the WHO classification system (WHO/2019-nCoV/clinical/2021.1).
Results: Totally 40 individuals (male: 15 (37.5%); female: 25 (62.5%) with SARS-CoV2 infection were included in the current study. When all groups were taken into consideration, statistically significant differences were detected among all groups for both CASP82-ΔΔCt(p=0.006) and MAPK1 2-ΔΔCtvalues (p=0.015). Also, statistically significant differences were detected between mild and moderate (p=0.013), moderate and critical (p=0.018), and severe and critical (p=0.023) groups for lymphocytes.
Conclusions:The CASP8/MAPK1 expression levels and/or its products are essential in preventing injury caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. They play crucial roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis and viability. Perhaps CASP8/MAPK1 levels can provide information about the severity of the disease.
Effect of Tenofovir on gut microbiota and inflammatory factors in HBV-infected individuals
Authors: Jianfei Long , Pan Zhang , Yu Zhang , Ling Li , Shuangmei Tong , Jingru Gong , Han Zhu , Xiaolin Liu , Hongyan Ren , Chao Liu , Jiming Zhang , Bin Wang
Published: September 2022

Background
Studies have found dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected individuals. Tenofovir dipivoxil (TDF) is one of the preferred oral antiviral drugs for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), but the effect of TDF on gut microbiota and inflammatory factors remains unexplored.
Methods
In this study, we prospectively collected stool samples from unmedicated HBV patients and CHB patients treated with TDF. Gut microbiota and inflammatory factors were studied in 42 healthy subjects (HC group), 109 HBV-infected individuals, including 48 CHB patients who did not take nucleoside analogue drugs (No-NAs group) and 61 CHB patients who took TDF (TDF group).
Results
16S rRNA sequencing revealed that TDF treatment caused significant alterations in intestinal microbiota in HBV-infected individuals, however, HBV-infected individuals could not fully recover from intestinal microbiota dysbiosis. The relative abundance of Bacteroidota decreased gradually from HC group to No-NAs and TDF groups. Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were more abundant in No-NAs and TDF groups than in the HC group. The relative abundance of Fusobacteriota was significantly higher in the No-NAs group than those in HC group. At the genus level, Dialister, Eubacterium_hallii_group, Halomonas, Collinsella, Sphingomonas, Xanthomonadaceae_unclassified, and Rhizobiaceae_unclassified were found to be overrepresented, while the abundances of Bacteroides and Fusobacterium were significantly decreased in No-NAs and TDF groups.
Conclusions
This study showed that TDF treatment significantly improved gut microbiota dysregulation. In addition, we did not observe a significant improvement in serum inflammatory factor levels, which may be related to the relatively short duration of TDF administration in this study.
Factors affecting insulation failure in reusable surgical devices
Authors: Homma Takahiro
Published: September 2022

Background and Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the associated factors of IF in reusable endoscopic instruments.
Methods: The insulation coating of reusable endoscopic instruments underwent routine visual checks, hand washing to remove visible stains, and mechanized sterilization. We recorded the cleaning number and usage period of all instruments. The instruments were tested for IF using a detector.
Results: IF was found in eight of 69 devices (11.6%). Examining by clinical specialty, we found IF in 4 of 28 gastrointestinal (14.3%), 3 of 20 gynecological (15.0%), 1 of 12 urological (8.3%), and none of the nine thoracic devices. The median distance from the tip to the damaged part was 5 cm (3–5 cm). In the IF and the intact groups, the period of use (7 years [6–8] versus 7 years [4–8], P = 0.90) and the number of cleanings (281 [261–323] versus 261 [179–320], P = 0.27) were not significantly different. The IF group included products of three different companies; however, six of the eight (75.0%) were from the same company.
Conclusions: Cleaning methods and usage period might have a smaller effect on IF than the instrument insulation and usage methods.
Robust Calibration Estimation of Population Mean in Stratified Sampling in the Presence of Outlier
Authors: Babatunde Oluwagbenga T. , Oladugba Abimibola V.
Published: September 2022

A new improved calibration estimator for the population mean in a stratified sampling in the presence of an outlier in the auxiliary variable was proposed in this paper. The median of the auxiliary variable was used in defining the calibration constraints. Simulation study as well as empirical study were performed to establish the performance of the proposed estimator over some existing estimators. The results of both simulation and empirical studies show that the proposed calibration estimator performed better and more efficient to all the existing calibration estimators in this work.
Photobiomodulation upregulates neuroligin-3 and improves the synapses and cognitive function and ameliorates epileptic seizure
Authors: Hong Namgue , Kim Hee Jung , Kang Keunsoo , Kim Hyung-Gun , Kang Bong Hui , Chung Phil-Sang , Lee Min Young , Ahn Jin-Chul
Published: September 2022

Background
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) remains one of the most drug-resistant focal epilepsies. Glutamate excitotoxicity and neuroinflammation which leads to loss of synaptic proteins and neuronal death appear to represent a pathogen that characterizes the neurobiology of TLE. Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a rapidly growing therapy for the attenuation of neuronal degeneration harboring non-invasiveness benefits. However, the detailed effects of PBM on excitotoxicity or neuroinflammation remain unclear. We investigated whether tPBM exerts neuroprotective effects on hippocampal neurons in epilepsy mouse model by regulating synapse and synapse-related genes.
Methods
In an in vitro study, we performed imaging analysis and western blot in primary hippocampal neurons from embryonic (E17) rat pups. In an in vivo study, histological stain and immunohistochemistry analyses were used to assess neuronal survival, synaptic connections and neuroinflammation. Behavioral tests were used to evaluate the effects of PBM on cognitive functions. RNA sequencing was performed to identify the gene regulatory by PBM.
Results
PBM was upregulated synaptic connections in an in vitro. In addition, it was confirmed that transcranial PBM reduced neuronal apoptosis, synaptic degeneration, and neuroinflammation in an in vivo. These effects of PBM were supported by RNA sequencing results showing the relation of PBM with gene regulatory networks of neuronal functions. Specifically, Nlgn3 showed robust increase after PBM and silencing the Nlgn3 reversed the positive effect of PBM in in vitro. Lastly, behavioral alterations including hypoactivity, anxiety and impaired memory were recovered along with the reduction of seizure score in PBM-treated mice.
Conclusions
Our findings demonstrate that PBM attenuates epileptic excitotoxicity, neurodegeneration and cognitive decline induced by TLE through gene regulation of the neuronal developments including Nlgn3.
Expression of the angiogenesis marker endocan in Cushing's syndrome due to cortisol producing adenoma
Authors: Can Mustafa , Kocabaş Muhammet , Karaköse Melia , Esen Hacı Hasan , Kulaksızoğlu Mustafa , Karakurt Feridun
Published: September 2022

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to investigate the endocan expression in tissue samples of patients diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome (CS) due to Cortisol-Producing-Adenoma (CPA) and compare it with normal adrenal cortex tissue, and also to evaluate the correlations of endocan expression with clinical and histopathological features.
Methods: 11 patients who were operated for CS due to CPA between 2009-2021 and 14 control subjects with normal adrenal cortex were included in the study. Demographic, laboratory and clinicopathological data of the patients were recorded. Sections of 4-5 µm thickness were taken from paraffin blocks of patients diagnosed with CS due to CPA and control subjects with normal adrenal cortex tissue. The sections were then stained in a closed system automatic immunohistochemical staining device to perform immunohistochemical analysis. The endocan positive grade were determined based on the proportion of stained cells on a scale of negative to strong.
Results: The number of subjects with positive endocan expression and the mean endocan expression level in the CS group were significantly higher than the control group (p=0.005, p<0.001, respectively). No correlation was found between endocan expression and clinical and histopathological features
Conclusion: According to the results of our study, endocan overexpression in CPA tissues may be related to the hormonal functionality of CPA.
The WAVE3/β-Catenin oncogenic signaling regulates chemoresistance in triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Wang Wei , Rana Priyanka S. , Markovic Vesna , Sossey-Alaoui Khalid
Published: September 2022

Background Metastatic breast cancer is responsible for the death of the majority of breast cancer patients. In fact, metastatic BC is the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the United States and worldwide. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), which lack expression of hormone receptors (ER-α and PR) and ErbB2/HER2, are especially lethal due to their highly metastatic behavior, propensity to recur rapidly, and for their resistance to standard of care therapies, through mechanisms that remain incompletely understood. WAVE3 has been established as a promoter of TNBC development and metastatic progression. In this study, we investigated molecular mechanisms whereby WAVE3 promotes therapy-resistance and cancer stemness in TNBC.
Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset was used to study the expression of WAVE3 and β[1]Catenin in breast cancer tumors. Kaplan-Meir Plotter analysis was used to correlate expression of WAVE3 and β-Catenin with breast cancer patients’ survival probability. MTT assay was used to quantify cell survival. CRIPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing, 2D and 3D tumorsphere growth and invasion assays, Immunofluorescence, Western blotting, Semi-quantitative and real-time quantitative PCR analyses were applied to study the WAVE3/β-Catenin oncogenic signaling in TNB. Tumor xenograft assays were used to study the role of WAVE3 in mediating chemotherapy resistance of TNBC tumors.
Results Genetic inactivation of WAVE3 in combination of chemotherapy resulted in inhibition of 2D growth and 3D tumorsphere formation and invasion of TNBC cells in vitro, as well as tumor 3 growth and metastasis in vivo. In addition, while re-expression of phospho-active WAVE3 in the WAVE3-deficient TNBC cells restored the oncogenic activity of WAVE3, re-expression of phospho-mutant WAVE3 did not. Further studies revealed that dual blocking of WAVE3 expression or phosphorylation in combination with chemotherapy treatment inhibited the activity and expression of β-Catenin. Most importantly, the combination of WAVE3-deficiency and chemotherapy suppressed the oncogenic behavior of chemoresistant TNBC cells, both in vitro and in vivo.
Conclusion We identified a novel WAVE3/β-Catenin oncogenic signaling axis that modulate chemoresistance of TNBC. This study suggests that a targeted therapeutic strategy against WAVE3 could be effective for the treatment of chemoresistant TNBC tumors.
New Insights into COL26A1 in Thyroid Carcinoma: Prognostic Prediction, Functional Characterization, Immunological Drug Target and ceRNA Network
Authors: Luo Yulou , Chen Lan , Qu Ximing , Yi Na , Ran Jihua , Chen Yan
Published: September 2022

Backgrounds: Collagen is the main component in extracellular matrix. More and more researches have determined the oncogenic effect of collagen in cancer progression, which is intriguing to be further explored. Collagen type ⅩⅩⅥ alpha 1 chain (COL26A1) is a newly discovered collagen subtype, functions of which still remain poorly demonstrated. No studies have reported the roles of COL26A1 in human cancers ever before. Thus we tried to initially explore the potential associations between COL26A1 and thyroid carcinoma (THCA), in an attempt to enrich the relevant literature, serving as basis for further elucidation and experimental validation.
Results: We processed a series of bioinformatic analysis for exploration, which mainly distributed to 4 aspects: Prognostic/diagnostic prediction, functional characterization, immunological target and ceRNA network. We found that high expression level of COL26A1 infers poor prognosis for patients with THCA. The aberrant expression of COL26A1 could be applied as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker with a certain degree of accuracy. Besides, a novel nomogram containing several independent prognostic factors was established to predict the survival probability of patients with THCA. Functional characterizations implied that COL26A1 is tightly associated with immunological processes, as well as several oncogenic signaling pathways. Subsequently, we determined that high COL26A1 expression is accompanied by higher infiltration levels of multiple immune cells and higher stromal/immune score. Also, the significantly positive correlations of COL26A1 expression with infiltration levels of multiple immune cells and stromal/immune score were determined. In addition, we identified that COL26A1 is significantly positively co-expressed with most immune checkpoints, including PD1, PD-L1, TIGIT, LAG3 and CTLA4. The drugs that can decrease the expression level of COL26A1 were also identified. The predicted lncRNA-miRNA-COL26A1 regulatory axes were displayed.
Conclusions: Our work has primarily appraised COL26A1 as a promising biomarker for diagnosis/prognosis and target for immunotherapy in THCA.
Tumor Cell Integrin β4 and Tumor Stroma E-/P-Selectin Cooperatively Regulate Tumor Growth in vivo
Authors: Genduso Sandra , Freytag Vera , Schetler Daniela , Kirchner Lennart , Schiecke Alina , Maar Hanna , Wicklein Daniel , Gebauer Florian , Bröker Katharina , Stürken Christine , Milde-Langosch Karin , Oliveira-Ferrer Leticia , Ricklefs Franz L. , Ewald Florian , Wolters-Eisfeld Gerrit , Riecken Kristoffer , Unrau Ludmilla , Krause Linda , Bohnenberger Hanibal , Offermann Anne , Perner Sven , Sebens Susanne , Lamszus Katrin , Diehl Linda , Linder Stefan , Jücker Manfred , Schumacher Udo , Lange Tobias
Published: September 2022

Background: The immunological composition of the tumor microenvironment has a decisive influence on the biological course of cancer and is therefore of profound clinical relevance. In this study, we analyzed the cooperative effects of integrin β4 (ITGB4) on tumor cells and E-/ P-selectin on endothelial cells within the tumor stroma for regulating tumor growth by shaping the local and systemic immune environment.
Methods: We used several preclinical mouse models for different solid human cancer types (xenograft and syngeneic) to explore the role of ITGB4 (shRNA-mediated knockdown in tumor cells) and E-/P-selectins (knockout in mice) for tumor growth; effects on apoptosis, proliferation and intratumoral signaling pathways were determined by histological and biochemical methods and 3D in vitro experiments; changes in the intratumoral and systemic innate immune cell composition was determined by flow cytometry; chemokine levels and their attracting potential were measured by ELISA and 3D invasion assays, respectively.
Results: We observed a very robust synergism between ITGB4 and E-/P-selectin for the regulation of tumor growth, accompanied by an increased recruitment of CD11b+ Gr-1Hi cells with low granularity (i.e. myeloid-derived suppressor cells, MDSCs) specifically into ITGB4-depleted tumors. ITGB4-depleted tumors undergo apoptosis and actively attract MDSCs, well-known to promote tumor growth in several cancers, via increased secretion of different chemokines. MDSC trafficking into tumors crucially depends on E-/P-selectin expression. Analyses of clinical samples confirmed an inverse relationship between ITGB4 expression in tumors and number of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes.
Conclusions: These findings suggest a distinct vulnerability of ITGB4Lo tumors for MDSC-directed immunotherapies.
The spatial distribution and source apportionment of heavy metals in soil of Shizuishan, China
Authors: Bai Yiru , Zhang Yuhan , Liu Xu , Wang Youqi
Published: September 2022

Environmental pollution of heavy metals in a typical coal industrial city should be paid more attentions nowadays. The spatial distribution and source apportionment of 8 heavy metals (i.e., Cd, Cr, Co, Zn, Ni, Cu, Pb and Mn) from topsoil (158) of Shizuishan city in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China were investigated using principal component analysis/absolute principal component scores (PCA/APCS) receptor model and the geostatistics analysis. These results showed that the mean concentrations of Cd, Cr, Co, Zn, Ni, Cu and Pb were higher than their soil background values in Ningxia. 99.36% of soil was heavily polluted according to analysis of integrated Nemerow pollution index (PN), whereas 81.65% of soil exhibited the highly strong potential ecological risk by ERI (the comprehensive of potential ecological risk index) values. The source apportionment results showed that 8 heavy metals in soil were mainly from natural(32.39%), industrial (26.56%), traffic emission/coal consumption(20.18%) and atmospheric deposition source(12.73%). Typically, Zn, Mn and Ni were derived from natural source, whereas Cr and Co mainly derived from industrial sources. Cu was from the multiple sources, whereas Pb and Cd was weighted primarily from traffic emission/coal consumption source and atmospheric deposition source, respectively. These findings are crucial for the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution in Shizuishan city.
Sea ice and oxygen
Authors: Hambler Clive
Published: September 2022

1) Atmospheric oxygen cycles on a seasonal basis, as does carbon dioxide.
2) Photosynthesis is likely contributing to these cycles, but the dominant spatial regions are unknown and the contribution of marine plankton has been assumed to be small.
3) Since the cyclic rate of change of carbon dioxide is very highly correlated with that of sea ice, I predict the cyclic rate of change of oxygen will also be, at least at high latitudes.
4) I test and confirm the prediction that seasonal sea ice and oxygen rates are highly coherent at high latitudes, with peak oxygen emission near peak rates of sea ice loss.
5) Determining causality requires far more observations and experimentation.
6) These results provide further evidence that polar phenomena have been neglected in studies of the oxygen and carbon cycles, and are consistent with a proposed major role of high latitudes in carbon dioxide cycles.
A Bone Age Assessment based on a hybrid Knowledge Distillation Paradigm using single ROI
Authors: Mardanpour Malihe , Sepahvand Majid , Abdali-Mohammadi Fardin , Sarabi Homeyra
Published: September 2022

Bone age assessment (BAA) has been widely used in clinical area from pediatric endocrine diagnosis to estimating height of children for adulthood. Advancements in technology has accelerated the evolution of BAA methodologies, one of which is deep learning algorithms, which overcome the drawbacks of conventional approaches. In spite of excellent effectiveness of deep neural networks in detection of the correct class for bone age, they have a significant degree of complexity due to the numerous parameters they employ for each ROI. Therefore, they are not suitable for implementation in edge devices with limited resources. In this paper, we propose a BAA method using a hybrid knowledge distillation (KD) paradigm in order to conquer this difficulty by mapping different ROIs into a single ROI. In this regard, the student receives knowledge from a teacher network that has been pre-trained on six ROIs including bones of five fingers and the wrist, transfers the knowledge of its final response layer and internal layers to the student. Then, six student models each of which is constructed based on just one of these ROIs, while receiving the information of the teacher model by matching the feature maps of intermediate layers and last output of teacher with those of student in distillation modules. Empirical results on Digital Hand Atlas (DHA) report that our student model trained on one ROI obtains 95% accuracy on 19 classes of bone age makes it appropriate for medical IoT deployment. Also, it has competitive performance compared to the other state-of-the-art BAA studies, and performance analysis of our KD with three base KD models indicates superiority of our introduced method.
EMOCATNET: An Efficient CNN-Based Deep Neural Architecture with Effective Channel Attention Mechanism for Emotion Recognition Using EEG Signal
Authors: Mahmud Md. Sultan , Saha Oishy , Fattah Shaikh Anowarul
Published: September 2022

In the arena of human-computer interaction (HCI), emotion recognition using the electroencephalogram (EEG) has obtained a wide range of popularity owing to the significant variations in neural activities in response to different types of emotions. In this paper, an efficient CNN-based end-to-end deep neural network scheme with a channel grouping approach is proposed for automatic emotion recognition. Furthermore, a channel-wise attention mechanism is introduced to distribute the significance of EEG channels according to the relative contribution to the elicitation of different emotions. Unlike conventional methods, an additional stage for extracting features from the input EEG data is avoided which offers a reduction in computational burden. In order to incorporate the inter-channel relationship among different EEG channels, a spatial informative feature extraction block, namely the inter-channel relation (ICR) block is considered in the proposed CNN-based EMOCATNET network. Extensive experimentation is carried out on a publicly available EEG emotion (DEAP) dataset and very satisfactory classification performance is obtained for valence and arousal types of emotions in the 2-class scenario and mixed subject analysis. The average accuracies in the 2-class problem for valence and arousal are found 94.74% and 95.17%, respectively. For the mixed subject analysis, the average accuracies for valence and arousal are 90.91% and 90.71% respectively.
Monkeypox in an immunocompromised patient with underlying human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis infections in Southern Florida of the United States: A Case Report
Authors: Jang Wooyoung , Kandimalla Likhita , Rajan Sivagami , Abreu Rafael , Campos Jamie Enrique
Published: September 2022

Background: The monkeypox virus causes the rare disease monkeypox, and underlying immune deficiencies might lead to worse outcomes. In this report, we described a rare case of monkeypox with an underlying immune deficiency that was combined with human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis infection and discussed differences in initial clinical presentation and clinical course compared to typical monkeypox cases.
Case presentation: We report the case of a 32-year-old male with human immunodeficiency virus infection who was admitted to a hospital in Southern Florida. The patient presented to the emergency department with shortness of breath associated with fever, cough and left sided chest wall pain. Upon arrival, he was found to have left sided pneumothorax and minimal atelectasis in left mid lung with a small pleural effusion at left lung base in chest radiograph. A pustular skin rash consisting of generalized exanthema with small white and red papules was also noticed. The patient was found to be in a state of sepsis with lactic acidosis. An infectious disease specialist raised the possibility of monkeypox, and the sample of the lesion was finally positive for monkeypox deoxyribonucleic acid. In this case, possible diagnosis of skin lesions varied because the patient was positive for syphilis and human immunodeficiency virus, and the differential diagnosis of monkeypox infection was prolonged due to the initial atypical clinical features.
Conclusions: Monkeypox with immunocompromised patient who has human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis infections can present with atypical clinical features and delay a proper diagnosis, which can increase the risk of spreading monkeypox in the hospital. Thus, patients with rash and risky sexual behavior should be screened with monkeypox, and an easily available, rapid, and accurate test is required to stop the transmission of monkeypox in the hospital.
Interpreting Epidemiological Data of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Indonesia and Its Implication for Travel Advice: a lesson learned
Authors: Kusumaratna Rina , Pakasi Levina S. , Pakasi Trevino A.
Published: September 2022

Background
Descriptive data on major epidemiological parameters of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is reported daily in Indonesia. However, raw data are not sufficient to provide accurate travel advice. The study objective is to conduct analytical statistics of publicly available epidemiology data, focusing on the dynamics of test positivity rate (TPR) and case fatality rate (CFR) to better understand the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study, using electronic data provided by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, between July 2020 to February 2021. Test positivity rate was the number of positive cases divided by the total people tested, multiplied by 100%. Case Fatality Rate was the number of death divided by the total number of died and recovered cases, multiplied by 100%. Monthly comparisons were tested using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc analysis with Bonferroni’s method. Correlation between numerical variables was tested using Pearson’s correlation test.
Results
There were 274 daily reports retrieved for analysis. The number of specimens and people tested, and confirmed new cases tended to increase from July 2020 to peak in January 2021. The overall mean TPR was 17.9%, with an increasing trend since December 2020. The number of deaths was increasing since November 2020, but the overall mean CFR was 3.3% with a decreasing trend in 2021.
Conclusions
High transmission implies that travel should be restricted. The case fatality rate is stable with a decreasing trend, reflecting adequate clinical care in Indonesia.
BBB-on-a-chip with Integrated micro-TEER for permeability evaluation of multi-functionalized gold nanorods against Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Palma-Florez Sujey , López-Canosa Adrián , Moralez-Zavala Francisco , Castaño Oscar , Kogan M. J. , Samitier Josep , Lagunas Anna , Mir Mònica
Published: September 2022

Background The lack of predictive models that mimic the blood-brain barrier (BBB) hinders the development of effective drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. Animal models behave differently from humans, are expensive and have ethical constraints. Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) platforms offer several advantages to resembling physiological and pathological conditions in a versatile, reproducible, and animal-free manner. In addition, OoC give us the possibility to incorporate sensors to determine cell culture features such as trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER). Here, we developed a BBB-on-a-chip (BBB-oC) platform with a TEER measurement system in close distance to the barrier used for the first time for the evaluation of the permeability performance of targeted gold nanorods for theranostics of Alzheimer's disease. GNR-PEG-Ang2/D1 is a therapeutic nanosystem previously developed by us consisting of gold nanorods (GNR) functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG), angiopep-2 peptide (Ang2) to overcome the BBB and the D1 peptide as beta amyloid fibrillation inhibitor, finally obtaining GNR-PEG-Ang2/D1 which showed to be useful for disaggregation of the amyloid inin vitroandin vivomodels. In this work, we evaluated its cytotoxicity, permeability, and some indications of its impact on the brain endothelium by employing an animal-free device based on neurovascular human cells. Results In this work, we fabricated a BBB-oC with human astrocytes, pericytes and endothelial cells and a TEER measuring system (TEER-BBB-oC) integrated at a micrometric distance of the endothelial barrier. The characterization displayed a neurovascular network and the expression of tight junctions in the endothelium. We produced GNR-PEG-Ang2/D1 and determined its non-cytotoxic range (0.05–0.4 nM) for plated cells included in the BBB-oC and confirmed its harmless effect at the highest concentration (0.4 nM) in the microfluidic device. The permeability assays revealed that GNR-PEG-Ang2/D1 cross the BBB and this entry is facilitated by Ang2 peptide. Parallel to the permeability analysis of GNR-PEG-Ang2/D1, an interesting behavior of the TJs expression was observed after its administration probably related to the ligands on the nanoparticle surface. Conclusion BBB-oC with a novel TEER integrated setup which allow a correct read-out and cell imaging monitoring was proven as a functional and throughput platform to evaluate the brain permeability performance of nanotherapeutics in a physiological environment with human cells, putting forward a viable alternative to animal experimentation.
Predictors of COVID-19 Mortality in Intensive Care Unit Patients
Authors: Gopaul Chavin D. , Ventour Dale , Thomas Davlin
Published: September 2022

Introduction.
Understanding the factors that predict the likelihood of death among intensive care unit (ICU) patients with COVID-19 is important in reducing mortality. This study sought to determine the indicators of mortality risk among ICU patients with COVID-19.
Methods
A retrospective chart review was conducted among 289 files of patients managed at the ICU of two COVID-19 hospitals in Trinidad and Tobago from March 2021 to December 2021. Included patients belonged to either the ICU survivors cohort (n = 82) or the ICU non-survivors cohort (n = 207). Variables collected included CBC and biochemistry reports, and vital signs upon ICU admission and discharge, comorbidities, age, sex, vaccination status, and mortality status up until discharge from the COVID-19 facility. Data was analysed using logistic regressions and Cox proportional hazards models.
Results
The median age of ICU non-survivors was higher (57.0, IQR = 19 years) compared to those who survived (51.50, IQR = 21 years). The univariate analysis indicated that vaccination status has a significant effect on whether ICU patients with COVID-19 survive in hospital (p = 0.041). The interaction between age and sex has a significant effect on whether ICU patients with COVID-19 survive in hospital (p = 0.047). However, the vitals and the CBC parameters are not reliable predictors of survival among ICU patients with COVID-19, but chronic kidney disease and sickle cell disease are significant predictors of survival.
Conclusion
To enhance survival, there is a need a need to pay attention to vaccination status, age and sex of the ICU patients with COVID-19.
STAR Voting, Equality of Voice, and Voter Satisfaction: Design considerations for a novel voting method
Authors: Wolk Sara , Quinn Jameson , Ogren Marcus
Published: September 2022

We introduce STAR Voting as a single-winner voting method which should be considered to replace Plurality Voting for governmental elections. The five star ballot offers an expressive and user-friendly interface which, as we demonstrate, treats political factions equally regardless of how many candidates they field or their position in the political spectrum. We discuss a number of criteria for voting methods relating to strategic voting and vote-splitting. We assess how well these voting methods incentivize and empower voters to voice their honest opinions, and how well these methods allow voters to gain equitable representation. Using a realistic clustered spatial model for voter ideologies, we present the metrics of Voter Satisfaction Efficiency (VSE) and Average Strategic Regret (ASR) to evaluate voting methods with a high degree of granularity. We find that STAR Voting and Smith/Minimax are among the best methods as measured by VSE, markedly outperforming Plurality, Top-Two Runoff, and Instant Runoff. We find that STAR Voting, and especially Smith/Minimax, substantially reduce the need for voters to consider candidate electability as they cast their ballots. We conclude that STAR Voting offers a viable and compelling proposal for more equitable and more representative elections, both for individual voters and for the electorate as a whole.
Leakage threshold of a saddle point
Authors: Huang De , Yan Xiang , Larsson Roland , Almqvist Andreas
Published: September 2022

The threshold condition for leakage inception is of great interest to many engineering applications, and it is essential for seal design. In the current study, the leakage threshold is studied by means of a numerical method for a mechanical contact problem between an elastic bisinusoidal surface and a rigid flat surface. The coalesce process of the contact patches is first investigated, and a generalized form of solution for the relation between the contact area ratio and the average applied pressure is acquired. The current study shows that the critical value of the average applied pressure, required to close the percolation path, can be represented as a power law of a shape parameter if the effect of the hydrostatic load from the pressurized fluid is ignored. With contact patches merged under a constant applied load, the contact breakup process is investigated under elevated sealed fluid pressure conditions, and it is shown that the leakage threshold is a function of the excess pressure, which is defined as a ratio between the average applied pressure and the critical pressure under dry contact conditions.
Do Ambassadors Need a Relationship with the Brand or Product? The Study based on the Opinion of a Focus Group
Authors: Nyikos Bendegúz Richárd
Published: September 2022

Celebrity endorsement has been commonly used by marketing professionals for a very long time. Well-known characters can efficiently increase the number and value of the sales and extend the company market share. Celebrities can also affect the decision making process of the customer, the buying behaviour and also the cognitive functions. Cognition and attitudes are significant in the marketing process: with the display of celebrities potential customers may realize that they want to be similar with the person they see in the commercial, therefore the products they purchase can help them in the pursuit of their goals and additionally, also increases their self-confidence. There is no doubt that celebrities are powerful tools, the question is whether there must a sort of a relationship between the product and the endorser or it is only required to show a favourable image in order to create cognitive dissonance and eventually, to increase the sales. In the pursuit of answers, both secondary and primary researches had been concluded in order to find out how effective celebrity endorsement is when brands are aiming to psychologically influence consumer behaviour.
papel da informação e as vertentes do poder
Authors: Neves Tatiely Mayara de Oliveira , Novo Hildenise Ferreira
Published: September 2022

A informação e o poder exercem influência na sociedade, pois um retroalimenta o outro, visto que ambos fazem parte do desenvolvimento das sociedades. No decorrer da história brasileira, avanços e retrocessos motivados por esses dois aspectos, agregados à precarização da educação pública, transformaram a realidade do país. O objetivo deste estudo é discutir sobre a relevância dos pesquisadores que se dedicam em prol do desenvolvimento científico e tecnológico, que resistem às estratégias econômicas governamentais, especialmente quando os investimentos em Ciência e Educação são precários ou priorizam privilegiar apenas algumas áreas do conhecimento. Logo, este trabalho se configura como um ensaio dialógico, a partir da revisão de literatura, se propõe a: fomentar discussões a fim proporcionar possibilidades para a Ciência da Informação, aliada a uma perspectiva mais social; atuar por meio do diálogo entre informação e poder; e, por fim, compreender os reflexos na sociedade contemporânea, assim como as repercussões nos rumos da Educação, da Ciência e do progresso em geral do país.
Imersão digital e novas formas de fazer ciência
Authors: Rossi Dorival Campos , Cortina Joseph Jesus Florez
Published: September 2022

A ampla utilização da Internet para inúmeras atividades levou à criação de novos paradigmas no relacionamento humano e permitiu mudanças significativas no pensamento, na construção e veiculação do conhecimento científico assim como nas estruturas sociais estabelecidas ao longo do tempo. Para refletir sobre o acesso ao conhecimento e suas formas de veiculação atual, o artigo apresenta uma revisão de literatura sobre o tema com o objetivo de compreender os principais componentes e metodologias que vêm sendo desenvolvidos pela ciência aberta principalmente como uma nova alternativa de participação social nos entornos digitais voltados à criação do conhecimento.
Curiosidade, ambição intelectual e conhecimento
Authors: Unger Roberto
Published: September 2022

A curiosidade recebe diferentes considerações ao longo dos tempos: mau hábito, luxuria, vício, e virtude. As análises de diferentes épocas e autores perpassa a religião, preconceitos e, finalmente a ciência, que a consagra. É a faculdade mais ativa na infância e adolescência e possibilita o desenvolvimento das aptidões gerais da mente. No passado remoto foi condenada pela religião e considerada a responsável pela queda da civilização adâmica assim como o infortúnio da mítica Pandora. Na atualidade, pesquisadores apontam que a curiosidade aumenta com a incerteza e desperta a busca por conhecimento. Compreender a base neural da curiosidade têm importantes implicações substantivas permitindo observar que a busca de informações é evolutivamente adaptativa. As modernas tecnologias modernas e a internet ampliam a quantidade de informações disponíveis, aumentando, portanto, os efeitos potenciais da curiosidade. O arquétipo ambição intelectual e o conceito de conhecimento são utilizados para compreender o aprimoramento do intelecto juntamente com a curiosidade.
Expression and Purification of Human Granzyme B Fusion Protein to
Induce Targeted Apoptosis in PSMA Positive Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Hadi Mahdieh , Akbari Amir , Dehbidi Gholamreza Rafiei , Arabsolghar Rita , Bahmani Taraneh
Published: September 2022

Background:

Granzyme B can induce apoptosis in target cells by direct and indirect
activation of caspases and cleavage of central caspase substrates. Prostate-specific membrane
antigen (PSMA) is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein and its expression increases following
prostate cancer progression.

Objective:

In this study, we designed a fusion protein including mutant granzyme B, the influenza
virus hemagglutinin HA-2 N-terminal, and PSMA ligand to construct GrB-HA-PSMA ligand fusion
protein as a molecular agent for selective targeting of PSMA-positive (LNCaP) cells.

Methods:

The DNA sequence of our designed structure was synthesized and cloned into a pET28a
expression vector. The recombinant protein was expressed in E. coli origami bacteria and then
purified. The expression of the recombinant protein was verified by SDS PAGE and ELISA
method. Furthermore, ELISA and flow cytometry assays were utilized to investigate the efficiency
of binding and permeability of the recombinant protein into the LNCaP cells. Finally, cell
proliferation and apoptosis rate were evaluated by MTT assay and flow cytometry assay,
respectively. HeLa and PC3 cell lines were used as controls.

Results:

The results showed that GrB-HA-PSMA ligand fusion protein could specifically bind and
internalize into the PSMA-positive cells. Furthermore, treatment of the cells with GrB-HA-PSMA
ligand fusion protein resulted in increased apoptotic cell death and decreased proliferation of
LNCaP cells.

Conclusion:

Our findings indicate the specificity of GrB-HA-PSMA ligand fusion protein for
PSMA-positive cells and suggest that this fusion protein is a potential candidate for prostate cancer
targeted therapy.
Mechanism of Action and Implication of Naphthoquinone as Potent Anti-trypanosomal Drugs
Authors: Rani Ruma , Sethi Khushboo , Gupta Snehil , Varma Rajender S. , Kumar Rajender
Published: September 2022

Naphthoquinone is a heterocyclic moiety whose natural derivatives are present as bioac-tive compounds in many plants and have stimulated a resurgence of interest in the past decades due to their wide range of pharmacological activities. Naphthoquinone agents have dynamic pharmaco-phores and privileged sub-structures in the chemistry of medicine. They have received much interest in drug discovery as trypanocidal because naphthoquinone and their derivatives revealed massive significance potential against the trypanosomes. Among natural naphthoquinones, lapachol, β-lapachone and its α-isomer exhibited useful trypanocidal activities. Some naphthoquinones have already been used commercially as an antiparasitic agent. Several naphthoquinones with diverse structural motifs have been synthesized and evaluated mainly against Trypanosoma cruzi and some studies have also been reported against Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma evansi. This review summarized various mechanisms of action of naphthoquinone like reductive activation of quinone by the production of the semiquinone, generation of reactive oxygen species and free radicals such as superoxide anion radical and H2O2, and oxidative stress in the parasite. The information assembled in this review will help to understand the mechanism behind the activity and may also be useful to find the bio-efficacy of naphthoquinone compounds upon substitution against trypanoso-matids.
BIMBINGAN TEKNIS PENGEMBANGAN MATERI AJAR BAHASA INGGRIS DI MASA PANDEMI COVID-19: KETERAMPILAN MEMBACA MENGGUNAKAN LMS CANVAS INSTRUCTURE
Authors:   Universitas PGRI Adi Buana Surabaya, Nurjati Nunung , Bandjarjani Wahju ,   Universitas PGRI Adi Buana Surabaya, Yulia Rahayu Endah ,   Universitas PGRI Adi Buana Surabaya, Habib Samsul ,   Universitas PGRI Adi Buana Surabaya
Published: September 2022

Pandemi COVID-19 menuntut tiap elemen dalam Pendidikan, terutama tenaga pendidik, untuk menyesuaikan diri, seperti mengubah metode pembelajaran; dari pembelajaran tatap muka (luar jaringan) menjadi pembelajaran jarak jauh (dalam jaringan). Para tenaga pendidik untuk semua mata pelajaran, termasuk bahasa Inggris. Oleh karena itu, program pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini bertujuan memberikan kontribusi kepada MGMP Bahasa Inggris SMA Negeri dan SMK Negeri di Surabaya dalam proses pengajaran bahasa Inggris, terutama reading, di tengah masa pandemi COVID-19 dengan memanfaatkan media Canvas Instructure melalui bimbingan teknis kepada para pendidik/guru SMA dan SMK Negeri di Surabaya. Adapun tujuan bimbingan teknis ini adalah: 1) mengenalkan platform aplikasi Canvas Instructure sebagai salah satu Learning Management System (LMS) untuk mengajarkan keterampilan membaca dalam mata pelajaran bahasa Inggris di kelas; 2) memberikan bimbingan teknis kepada para pendidik/guru mengembangkan bahan ajar mata pelajaran Bahasa Inggris dengan menggunakan media pembelajaran LMS Canvas Instructure; 3) memberikan bimbingan teknis kepada para pendidik/guru mempraktekkan pembelajaran daring menggunakan LMS Canvas Instructure untuk bahan ajar yang telah dikembangkan; dan 4) memonitor penerapan penggunaan Canvas Instructure dalam mata pelajaran Bahasa Inggris, khususnya keterampilan membaca dengan menggunakan bahan ajar yang telah dikembangkan oleh sekolah.