bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One-year Outcomes of Fixed-Dosing Aflibercept Therapy for pre treated and naive polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy patient
Authors: Choo Hun Gu , Lee Jin Hae , Oh Hyun Sub , You Yong Sung , Kim Soon Hyun , Kwon Oh Woong
Published: January 2021

Background: Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a type of age-related macular degeneration that can cause permanent vision loss. The purpose of this paper was to report the one-year outcomes of fixed-dosing aflibercept therapy for the treatment of PCV.Methods: This was a prospective, single-arm, interventional case series study of 25 PCV patients; 12 pre-treated and 13 treatment-naïve patients. The patients were treated and monitored for 12 months. Each patient was administered with an aflibercept (2.0 mg) injection every month for the first three months (the loading phase), and thereafter, once every two months. At every follow-up visit, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) test, fundus examination, and optical coherence tomography for measuring the central subfield macular thickness (CSMT) were performed. Fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography were conducted at baseline and at 4 and 12 months.Results: After 12 months of aflibercept therapy, the mean BCVA of the patients significantly improved from 65.48 letters at baseline to 69.91 letters (p=0.001), and the CSMT significantly decreased from 406.92 um at baseline to 276.12 um (p<0.001). Additionally, ten patients (40%) showed complete polyp regression. The treatment-naïve patients showed a statistically significant improvement in BCVA from 66.58 letters at baseline to 76.36 letters at 12 months, and a significant decrease in CSMT, from 462 to 243 um. In the pre-treated group, there was no change in BCVA (64.46 letters), and the decrease in CSMT from 356.08 to 303.69 um was not statistically significant.Conclusions: The fixed-dosing aflibercept regimen is effective for treating patients with PCV and is more effective in treatment-naïve patients than in pre-treated patients.
Hydrolysis pattern analysis of xylem tissues of woody plants pretreated with hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid: Rapid saccharification of softwood for economical bioconversion
Authors: Lee Dae-Seok , Lee Yoon-Gyo , Cho Eun Jin , Song Younho , Bae Hyeun-Jong
Published: January 2021

Background: Woody plants with high glucose content are alternative bioresources for the production of biofuels and biochemicals. Various pretreatment methods may be used to reduce the effects of retardation factors such as lignin interference and cellulose structural recalcitrance on the degradation of the lignocellulose material of woody plants. Results: A hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid (HPAC) pretreatment was used to reduce the lignin content of several types of woody plants, and the effect of the cellulose structural recalcitrance on the enzymatic hydrolysis was analyzed. The cellulose structural recalcitrance and the degradation patterns of the wood fibers in the xylem tissues of Quercus acutissima (hardwood) resulted in greater retardation in the enzymatic saccharification than those in the tracheids of Pinus densiflora (softwood). In addition to the HPAC pretreatment, the application of supplementary enzymes (7.5 FPU cellulase for 24 h) further increased the hydrolysis rate of P. densiflora from 61.42% to 91.94% whereas the same effect was not observed for Q. acutissima. It was also observed that endoxylanase synergism significantly affected the hydrolysis of P. densiflora. However, this synergistic effect was lower for other supplementary enzymes. The maximum concentration of the reducing sugars produced from 10% softwood was 89.17 g L-1 after 36 h of hydrolysis with 15 FPU cellulase and other supplementary enzymes. Approximately 80 mg mL-1 of reducing sugars was produced with the addition of 7.5 FPU cellulase and other supplementary enzymes after 36 hours, achieving rapid saccharification. Conclusion: HPAC pretreatment removed the interference of lignin, reduced structural recalcitrance of cellulose in the P. densiflora, and enabled rapid saccharification of the woody plants including a high concentration of insoluble substrates with only low amounts of cellulase. HPAC pretreatment may be a viable alternative for the cost-efficient production of biofuels or biochemicals from softwood plant tissues.
Allogeneic Human Neural Stem Cells for Improved Therapeutic Delivery to Peritoneal Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Batalla-Covello Jennifer , Abidi Wafa , Ngai Hoi Wa , Hyde Caitlyn , Machado Diana , Majid Asma Abdul , Kang Yanan , Hammad Mohamed , Flores Linda , Copeland Gregory , Dellinger Thanh , Han Ernest , Berlin Jacob , Aboody Karen , Mooney Rachael
Published: January 2021

Background: Immortalized, clonal HB1.F3.CD21 human neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs), loaded with therapeutic cargo prior to intraperitoneal (IP) injection, have been shown to improve the delivery and efficacy of therapeutic agents in pre-clinical models of stage III ovarian cancer. In previous studies, the distribution and efficacy of the NSC-delivered cargo has been examined; however, the fate of the NSCs has not yet been explored. Methods: To monitor NSC tropism, we used an unconventional method of quantifying endocytosed gold nanorods to overcome the weaknesses of existing cell-tracking technologies. Results: Here, we report efficient tumor tropism of HB1.F3.CD21 NSCs, showing that they primarily distribute to the tumor stroma surrounding individual tumor foci within 3 hours after injection, reaching up to 95% of IP metastases without localizing to healthy tissue. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these NSCs are non-tumorigenic and non-immunogenic within the peritoneal setting. Conclusions: Their efficient tropism, combined with their promising clinical safety features and potential for cost-effective scale-up, positions this NSC line as a practical, off-the-shelf platform to improve the delivery of a myriad of peritoneal cancer therapeutics.
Critically ill patients with diabetes and Middle East respiratory syndrome: A multi-center observational study
Authors: Jose Jesna , Al-Dorzi Hasan , Al-Omari Awad , Mandourah Yasser , Al-Hameed Fahad , Sadat Musharaf , Al-Qasim Eman , Alraddadi Basem , Harthy Abdulrahman Al , Mekhlafi Ghaleb A Al , Almotairi Abdullah , Khatib Kasim Al , Abdulmomen Ahmed , Qushmaq Ismael , Sindi Anees , Mady Ahmed , Solaiman Othman , Al-Raddadi Rajaa , Maghrabi Khaled , Rajab Ahmed , Kharaba Ayman , Shalhoub Sara , Al-Aithan Abdulsalam M , Vishwakarma Gajendra K , Bhattacharjee Atanu , Arabi Yaseen
Published: January 2021

Background: Diabetes is a risk factor for infection with coronaviruses. This study describes the demographic, clinical data, and outcomes of critically ill patients with diabetes and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 14 hospitals in Saudi Arabia (September 2012- January 2018). We compared the demographic characteristics, underlying medical conditions, presenting symptoms and signs, management and clinical course, and outcomes of critically ill patients with MERS who had diabetes compared to those with no diabetes. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine if diabetes was an independent predictor of 90-day mortality.Results: Of the 350 critically ill patients with MERS, 171 (48.9%) had diabetes. Patients with diabetes were more likely to be older, and have comorbid conditions, compared to patients with no diabetes. They were more likely to present with respiratory failure requiring intubation, vasopressors, and corticosteroids. The median time to clearance of MERS-CoV RNA was similar (23 days (Q1, Q3: 17, 36) in patients with diabetes and 21.0 days (Q1, Q3: 10, 33) in patients with no diabetes). Mortality at 90 days was higher in patients with diabetes (78.9% versus 54.7%, p<0.0001). Multivariable regression analysis showed that diabetes was an independent risk factor for 90-day mortality (odds ratio, 2.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-3.72).Conclusions: Half of the critically ill patients with MERS have diabetes; which is associated with more severe disease. Diabetes is an independent predictor of mortality among critically patients with MERS.
Diagnosis Prediction of Tumours of Unknown Origin Using ImmunoGenius, A Machine Learning-based Expert System for Immunohistochemistry Profile Interpretation
Authors: Chong Yosep , Thakur Nishant , Lee Ji Young , Hwang Gyoyeon , Choi Myungjin , Kim Yejin , Yu Hwanjo , Cho Mee Yon
Published: January 2021

BackgroundImmunohistochemistry (IHC) remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of pathological diseases. This technique has been supporting pathologists in making precise decisions regarding differential diagnosis and subtyping, and in creating personalized treatment plans. However, the interpretation of IHC results presents challenges in complicated cases. Furthermore, rapidly increasing amounts of IHC data are making it even harder for pathologists to reach to definitive conclusions. MethodsWe developed ImmunoGenius, a machine-learning-based expert system for the pathologist, to support the diagnosis of tumors of unknown origin. Based on Bayesian theorem, the most probable diagnoses can be drawn by calculating the probabilities of the IHC results in each disease. We prepared IHC profile data of 584 antibodies in 2009 neoplasms based on the relevant textbooks. We developed the reactive native mobile application for iOS and Android platform that can provide 10 most possible differential diagnoses based on the IHC input. ResultsWe trained the software using 562 real case data, validated it with 382 case data, tested it with 164 case data and compared the precision hit rate. Precision hit rate was 78.5%, 78.0% and 89.0% in training, validation and test dataset respectively. which showed no significant difference. The main reason for discordant precision was lack of disease-specific IHC markers and overlapping IHC profiles observed in similar diseases.Conclusion The results of this study showed a potential that the machine-learning algorithm based expert system can support the pathologic diagnosis by providing second opinion on IHC interpretation based on IHC database. Incorporation with contextual data including the clinical and histological findings might be required to elaborate the system in the future.
Development of a simple method to measure static body weight distribution in orthopedically and neurologically normal mature small breed dogs
Authors: Linder Jessica E , Thomovsky Stephanie , Bowditch Jessica , Lind Mallory , Kazmierczak Kristine A , Breur Gert J , Lewis Melissa J
Published: January 2021

Background: Objective outcome measures capable of tracking different aspects of functional recovery in dogs with acute intervertebral disc herniation are needed to optimize physical rehabilitation protocols. Normal, pre-injury distribution of body weight in this population is unknown. The aims of this study were to quantify static weight distribution (SWD) using digital scales and to establish the feasibility of different scale methods in neurologically normal, mature, chondrodystrophic small breed dogs predisposed to intervertebral disc herniation. Results: Twenty-five healthy, mature dogs were enrolled with a mean age of 4.6 years (SD 2.7) and a mean total body weight of 11.5 kg (SD 3.6). SWD for the thoracic and pelvic limbs and between individual limbs was acquired in triplicate and expressed as a percentage of total body weight using commercially available digital scales in four combinations: two bathroom, two kitchen (with thoracic and pelvic limbs combined), four bathroom and four kitchen (with limbs measured individually). SWD was also obtained using a pressure sensing walkway for comparison to scale data. Feasibility for each method was determined and coefficients of variation were used to calculate inter-trial variability. Mean SWD values were compared between methods using an ANOVA. The two bathroom scales method had the highest feasibility and lowest inter-trial variability and resulted in mean thoracic and pelvic limb SWD of 63% (SD 3%) and 37% (SD 3%), respectively. Thoracic limb mean SWD was higher for the PSW compared to any of the scale methods (p<0.0001). Conclusions: SWD in a population of healthy chondrodystrophic dogs was simple to obtain using inexpensive and readily available digital scales. This study generated SWD data for subsequent comparison to dogs recovering from acute intervertebral disc herniation.
White oak (Quercus fabri Hance) regenerated stump sprouts show few senescence symptoms during 40 years’ growth in a natural forest
Authors: Sun Honggang , Wu Sisheng , Wu Liwen
Published: January 2021

Background: The relationship between the parental tree’s physiological age and the clonal offspring’s lifespan is unclear. White oak (Quercus fabri Hance) has a high sprouting capability after harvest, with the regenerated sprouts being typical clonal individuals. To determine whether regenerated sprouts undergo rapid senescence compared with the parent, the senescence levels of 5-, 10-, 20- and 40-year-old regenerated stump sprouts in a natural forest were evaluated. The antioxidative abilities and transcriptomes in these leaves and shoots were compared. Results: Older regenerated sprouts still had robust antioxidative systems, with 40-year-old sprouts having lower peroxidation product levels but similar antioxidative enzyme activity levels compared with 5-year-old sprouts. Older leaves had greater transcriptional activities in pathways related to cell growth and division than younger leaves. However, older sprouts had some unhealthy characteristics, such as increased base excision repair levels and upregulated phagosome, proteasome and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways in 40-year-old leaves, which indicates that DNA damage and tissue remodeling occurred more frequently than in younger leaves. Additionally, plant–pathogen interactions and MAPK signals pathways were upregulated in older shoots, which indicates that older shoots suffered from more pathogen-related biotic stress. Conclusions: The 40-year-old sprouts still had the same vitality level as the 5-year-old sprouts, although the former had some unhealthy characteristics. We conclude that during their first 40 years of growth, regenerated stump sprouts do not begin to senesce, and that the parental tree’s physiological age does not significantly affect its clonal offspring’s lifespan.
Can Social Capital Play a Role in Contracting Services of Family Doctors in China? Reflections Based on an Integrative Review.
Authors: Xu Xinglong , Antwi Henry Asante , Zhou Lulin , Mustafa Tehzeeb , Boafo-Arthur Ama
Published: January 2021

Background: The family doctors’ contract service problem is not about government management alone, but an interaction of a complex social environment. Consequently, the effect of contracted services of family doctors not only depends on policy incentives but also needs to win the participation, acknowledgement, and confidence of community residents. The purpose of this integrative review is to examine whether there is any significant evidence that social capital in the form of social networking groups and other forms of social groups have any positive impact on the acceptance and the effectiveness of family doctors' contractual services.Method: Research on qualitative, quantitative and hybrid methods published in peer-reviewed journals on the social capital role in the process of contract service of family doctors were eligible for inclusion. In view of the increasing attention paid to the contract service effect of family doctors during this period, a 10-year time scale was selected to ensure full coverage of relevant literature in the same period. In total, 809 articles were determined in the database retrieval results which were downloaded and transferred to the Mendeley reference application software.Results: Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria for this integrative review and the quality of the included studies were assessed using the published criteria for the critical appraisal of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Majority of the articles assessed reported that there was evidence of a positive link between social support, especially a sense of belonging and the presence of regular family doctors. The influencing factors of patients' contract behavior of studies conducted in China were social interaction of social capital, acceptance of the first contact in the community, year of investigation, and exposure to the public.Conclusion: The study affirms previous studies that suggest that social resources have the propensity to improve relationship between patients and clients and between doctors and peers for the benefit of the patients and the stability of the overall healthcare system. Through the integration of various social resources family doctor systems accelerate the development of community construction. These social capital (social network groups) can guide residents to use family doctor services to maintain health. Social capital can also help residents have a regular and reliable family doctor.
Denoising large-scale biological data using network filters
Authors: Kavran Andrew J , Clauset Aaron
Published: January 2021

Background: Large-scale biological data sets are often contaminated by noise, which can impede accurate inferences about underlying processes. Such measurement noise can arise from endogenous biological factors like cell cycle and life history variation, and from exogenous technical factors like sample preparation and instrument variation.Results: We describe a general method for automatically reducing noise in large-scale biological data sets. This method uses an interaction network to identify groups of correlated or anti-correlated measurements that can be combined or “ﬁltered” to better recover an underlying biological signal. Similar to the process of denoising an image, a single network ﬁlter may be applied to an entire system, or the system may be ﬁrst decomposed into distinct modules and a diﬀerent ﬁlter applied to each. Applied to synthetic data with known network structure and signal, network ﬁlters accurately reduce noise across a wide range of noise levels and structures. Applied to a machine learning task of predicting changes in human protein expression in healthy and cancerous tissues, network ﬁltering prior to training increases accuracy up to 43% compared to using unﬁltered data.Conclusions: Network ﬁlters are a general way to denoise biological data and can account for both correlation and anti-correlation between diﬀerent measurements. Furthermore, we ﬁnd that partitioning a network prior to ﬁltering can signiﬁcantly reduce errors in networks with heterogenous data and correlation patterns, and this approach outperforms existing diﬀusion based methods. Our results on proteomics data indicate the broad potential utility of network ﬁlters to applications in systems biology.
Clara cell 16KDa protein mitigates house dust mite-induced airway inflammation and damage via regulating airway epithelial cell apoptosis in a manner dependent on HMGB1-mediated signaling inhibition.
Authors: Liu Meixuan , Lu Jingjing , Zhang Qian , Zhang Yunxuan , Guo Zhongliang
Published: January 2021

Background: House dust mite (HDM) inhalation can cause airway epithelial damage which is implicated in the process of airway inflammation in asthma. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is critically required for cellular damage and apoptosis as an important endogenous danger signal. Recently, Clara cell 16KDa protein (CC16) has been identified to exert anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory influence in various injury-related diseases model. However, little is known about its ability to protect against airway epithelial injury in allergic asthma. This study was aimed to clarify the protective roles of CC16 on airway epithelia in HDM-induced asthma and the regulation of HMGB1 by CC16.Methods: Mice were sensitized and challenged by HDM extract and administrated intranasally with CC16 (5ug/g or 10ug/g) or saline in the challenged period. The BEAS-2B human airway epithelial cell line were cultured with CC16 or the control vehicle and then exposed to HDM. Knockdown or overexpression of HMGB1 was induced by cell transfection or intratracheal injection of recombinant adenovirus.Results: CC16 treatment decreased airway inflammation and histological damage of airway epithelium dose-dependently in HDM-induced asthma model. Airway epithelia apoptosis upon HDM stimulation was noticeably abrogated by CC16 in vivo and in vitro. In addition, upregulation of HMGB1 expression and its related signaling were also detected under HDM conditions, while silencing HMGB1 significantly inhibited the apoptosis of BEAS-2B cells. Furthermore, the activity of HMGB1-mediated signaling was restrained after CC16 treatment whereas HMGB1 overexpression abolished the protective effect of CC16 on HDM-induced airway epithelia apoptosis.Conclusions: Our data confirm that CC16 attenuates HDM-mediated airway inflammation and damage via suppressing airway epithelial cell apoptosis in a HMGB1-dependent manner, suggesting the role of CC16 as a potential protective option for HDM-induced asthma.
Global expression of noncoding RNome reveals dysregulation of small RNAs in patients with HTLV-1–associated adult T-cell leukemia: a pilot study
Authors: Nacimento Andrezza , de Souza Daniela Raguer Valadão , Pessôa Rodrigo , Pietrobon Anna Julia , Nukui Youko , Pereira Juliana , Casseb Jorge , de Oliveira Augusto César Penalva , Loureiro Paula , Duarte Alberto José da Silva , Clissa Patricia Bianca , Sanabani Sabri Saeed
Published: January 2021

Background: Adult T cell lymphoma/leukemia (ATLL) is a peripheral T-cell neoplasm caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1 (HTLV-1). Small RNAs (sRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), play a pivotal role in the initiation and development of hematological malignancies and may represent potential therapeutic target molecules. However, little is known about how these molecules impact the pathogenesis of ATLL. In this study, we aimed to identify sRNA expression signatures associated with ATLL and to investigate their potential implication in the pathophysiology of the disease. Methods: Small-RNAseq analysis was performed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HTLV-1- associated ATLL (n = 10) in comparison to asymptomatic carriers (n = 8) and healthy controls (n = 5). Sequencing was carried out using the Illumina MiSeq platform, and the deregulation of selected miRNAs was validated by real-time PCR. Pathway analyses of most deregulated miRNA were performed and their global profiling was combined with transcriptome data in ATLL. Results: The sequencing identified specific sRNAs signatures associated with ATLL patients that target pathways relevant in ATLL, such as the transforming growth factor-(βTGF-β), Wnt, p53, apoptosis, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades. Network analysis revealed several miRNAs regulating highly connected genes within the ATLL transcriptome. miR-451-3p was the most downregulated miRNA in active patients. Conclusions: Our findings shed light on the expression of specific sRNAs in HTLV-1 associated ATLL, which may represent promising candidates as biomarkers that help monitor the disease activity.
The Effective Screening Tools for Detecting Hearing Loss in Elderly Population: HHIE-ST Versus TSQ
Authors: CHAYAOPAS NICHTIMA , Kasemsiri Pornthep , Thanawirattananit Panida , Piromchai Patorn , Yimtae Kwanchanok
Published: January 2021

Background: Globally increasing number of elders is concerned. Hearing loss process in older adults cannot be avoided. An effective screening tool for hearing loss is essential for proper diagnosis and rehabilitation, which can improve QOL in older adults. Methods: This prospective-diagnostic test study evaluates the diagnostic value of Thai version of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly Screening (HHIE-ST) and the Thai Single Question (TSQ) surveys in screening hearing disability in 1109 Thai participants aged 60 years and older in communities in four provinces in Thailand. The HHIE-ST consisted of 10 selected questions from the validated HHIE-Thai version. A TSQ survey was developed to have the same meaning as an English Single Question survey. The participants answered both questionnaires, and a standard audiometry test assessed with air conduction from 250 to 8000 Hz was included as a gold standard. Results: The prevalence of hearing disability was 38.34%. The HHIE-ST achieved a sensitivity of 88.96% (95% CI 85.77-91.64) and specificity of 52.19% (95% CI 48.24-56.13) for diagnosis hearing disability in Thai older adults, whereas the TSQ yielded a sensitivity of 88.73% and a specificity of 55.93%. A combined test including the HHIE-ST and TSQ achieved better performance with sensitivity of 85.29% and specificity of 60.13%. Conclusions: Either the HHIE-ST or the TSQ is a sensitive and useful tool for screening hearing disability in Thai older adults. Using the HHIE-ST together with the TSQ resulted in a better screening tool for detecting moderate hearing loss older adults who will benefit and recommended for hearing rehabilitation.
Elucidation of molecular and hormonal background of early growth cessation and endodormancy induction in two contrasting Populus hybrid cultivars
Authors: Boldizsár Ákos , Soltész Alexandra , Tanino Karen , Kalapos Balázs , Marozsán-Tóth Zsuzsa , Monostori István , Dobrev Petre I , Vankova Radomira , Galiba Gábor
Published: January 2021

Background Over the life cycle of perennial trees, the dormant state enables the avoidance of abiotic stress conditions. The growth cycle can be partitioned into induction, maintenance and release and is controlled by complex interactions between many endogenous and environmental factors. While phytohormones have long been linked with dormancy, there is increasing evidence of regulation by DAM and CBF genes. To reveal whether the expression kinetics of CBFs and their target PtDAM1 is related to growth cessation and endodormancy induction in Populus, two hybrid poplar cultivars were studied which had known differential responses to dormancy inducing conditions.Results Growth cessation, dormancy status and expression of six PtCBFs and PtDAM1 were analyzed. The ‘Okanese’ hybrid cultivar ceased growth rapidly, was able to reach endodormancy, and exhibited a significant increase of several PtCBF transcripts in the buds on the 10th day. The ‘Walker’ cultivar had delayed growth cessation, was unable to enter endodormancy, and showed much lower CBF expression in buds. Expression of PtDAM1 peaked on the 10th day only in the buds of ‘Okanese’. In addition, PtDAM1 was not expressed in the leaves of either cultivar while leaf CBFs expression pattern was several fold higher in ‘Walker’, peaking at day 1. Leaf phytohormones in both cultivars followed similar profiles during growth cessation but differentiated based on cytokinins which were largely reduced, while the Ox-IAA and iP7G increased in ‘Okanese’ compared to ‘Walker’. Surprisingly, ABA concentration was reduced in leaves of both cultivars. However, the metabolic deactivation product of ABA, phaseic acid, exhibited an early peak on the first day in ‘Okanese’.Conclusions Our results indicate that PtCBFs and PtDAM1 have differential kinetics and spatial localization which may be related to early growth cessation and endodormancy induction under the regime of low night temperature and short photoperiod in poplar. Unlike buds, PtCBFs and PtDAM1 expression levels in leaves were not associated with early growth cessation and dormancy induction under these conditions. Our study provides new evidence that the degradation of auxin and cytokinins in leaves may be an important regulatory point in a CBF-DAM induced endodormancy. Further investigation of other PtDAMs in bud tissue and a study of both growth-inhibiting and the degradation of growth-promoting phytohormones is warranted.
Conditioned medium-preconditioned EPCs enhanced the ability in oligovascular repair in cerebral ischemia neonatal rats
Authors: Zhou Ning , Wang Lei , Fu Ping , Cui Zihao , Ge Yuhang , Jiang Feiyu , Liu Jing , Ren Chao , Luan Zuo , Fan Hongbin , Yao Ruiqin
Published: January 2021

Background: Oligovascular niche mediates interactions between cerebral endothelial cells and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Disruption of OPC-endothelium trophic coupling may aggravate the progress of cerebral white matter injury (WMI) because endothelial cells could not provide sufficient support under diseased conditions. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been reported to ameliorate WMI in adult brain by boosting oligovascular remodeling. It is necessary to clarify the role of the conditioned medium from hypoxic endothelial cells preconditioned EPCs (EC-pEPCs) in WMI since EPCs usually were recruited and play important roles under blood-brain barrier disruption. Here, we investigated the effects of EC-pEPCs on oligovascular remodeling in a neonatal rat model of WMI.Methods: In vitro, OPCs apoptosis induced by the conditioned medium from oxygen-glucose deprivation-injured brain microvascular endothelial cells (OGD-EC-CM) was analyzed by TUNEL and FACS. The effects of EPCs on EC damage and the expression of cytomokine C-X-C motif ligand 12 (CXCL12) were examined by western blot and FACS. The effect of the CM from EC-pEPCs against OPCs apoptosis was also verified by western blot and silencing RNA. In vivo, P3 rat pups were subjected to right common carotid artery ligation and hypoxia, and treated with EPCs or EC-pEPCs at P7, and then angiogenesis and myelination together with cognitive outcome were evaluated at the 6th week.Results: In vitro, EPCs enhanced endothelial function and decreased OPCs apoptosis. Meanwhile, it was confirmed that OGD-EC-CM induced an increase of CXCL12 in EPCs, and CXCL12-CXCR4 axis is a key signaling since CXCR4 knockdown alleviated the anti-apoptosis effect of EPCs on OPCs. In vivo, the number of EPCs and CXCL12 protein level markedly increased in the WMI rats. Compared to the EPCs, EC-pEPCs significantly decreased OPCs apoptosis, increased vascular density and myelination in the corpus callosum, and improved learning and memory deficits in the neonatal rat WMI model.Conclusions: EC-pEPCs more effectively promote oligovascular remodeling and myelination via CXCL12-CXCR4 axis in the neonatal rat WMI model.
Lnc-GULP1-2:1 affects granulosa cell proliferation by regulating COL3A1 expression and localization​
Authors: Yao Guidong , Kong Yue , Yang Guang , Kong Deqi , Xu Yijiang , He Jiahuan , Xu Ziwen , Bai Yucheng , Fan Huiying , He Qina , Sun Yingpu
Published: January 2021

Backgrounds: Long non-coding RNA is a novel group of non-protein coding transcripts over 200nt in length. Recent studies have found that they are widely involved in many pathological and physiological processes. In our previous study, we found that lnc-GULP1-2:1 was significantly down-regulated in the ovarian cortical tissue of patients with primary ovarian insufficiency and predicted that lnc-GULP1-2:1 has a regulatory effect on COL3A1. Results: In this study, we found that lnc-GULP1-2:1 was mainly localized in the cytoplasm of luteinized granulosa cells. The expression of lnc-GULP1-2:1 was lower in patients with diminished ovarian reserve but substantially elevated in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Overexpression of lnc-GULP1-2:1 in KGN cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation, likely through cell cycle related genes CCND2 and p16. Moreover, lnc-GULP1-2:1 expression was positively correlated with the level of COL3A in luteinized granulosa cells from patients with different ovarian functions as well as in multiple cell lines. Overexpression of lnc-GULP1-2:1 in KGN cells promoted the expression of COL3A1 and its translocation into the nucleus. Consistently, silencing COL3A1 in KGN cells also significantly inhibited cell proliferation. Conclusions: Lnc-GULP1-2:1 affects the proliferation of granulosa cells by regulating the expression and localization of COL3A1 protein, and may participate in the regulation of ovarian follicle development. This study will provide new insight into molecular mechanisms underlying ovarian follicular development, which will help generate novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for diseases related to ovarian follicular development disorders.
Space Use and Seasonal Movement of Isolated Mountain Goat Populations in the North Cascades, WA
Authors: Sevigny Jennifer , Summers Amanda , George-Wirtz Emily
Published: January 2021

The spatial distribution and seasonal movement patterns of isolated populations of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) in the North Cascade range of Washington State is not fully understood. Determining harvest potential in these populations is challenging without a clear understanding of spatiotemporal movement, space use, and spatial overlap. Mountain goat populations in the North Cascades are fragmented and many have declined considerably from historic estimates. Identification of harvestable populations requires a clear understanding of population size, distribution, and movement. We investigated the population trends and spatial distribution of mountain goats in the Boulder River North Harvest Area in the Boulder River Wilderness of Washington State. We reviewed recent mountain goat population estimates and used Global Positioning System collar data to determine year-round and seasonal home range distributions, spatial overlap within these ranges, and proximity of mountain goats to roads and trails. We found 2 populations of mountain goats inhabiting the Whitehorse and Three Fingers Mountains in the Boulder River North Harvest Area. These 2 populations were spatially distinct and did not intermix during our study period. We also found mountain goats using exclusive areas seasonally on Whitehorse Peak. The Whitehorse population appeared to be more vulnerable to harvest than Three Fingers based on its proximity to roads and trails. This study provides space use and movement information on mountain goats in the North Cascades Range that can be used to improve harvest management of fragmented and isolated populations. Our results indicate that a re-evaluation of harvest level, harvest unit boundary, and monitoring strategy may be warranted for the Boulder River North mountain goat harvest area.
Adropin expression correlates with age-related neuropathologies in the human brain and improves neuroinflammation and cognitive function in aging mice
Authors: Banerjee Subhashis , Ghoshal Sarbani , Girardet Clemence , DeMars Kelly M. , Yang Changjun , Niehoff Michael L. , Nguyen Andrew D. , Jayanth Prerana , Mersman Brittany A. , Xu Fenglian , Banks William A. , Hansen Kim M. , Zhang Jinsong , Candelario-Jalil Eduardo , Farr Susan A. , Butler Andrew A.
Published: January 2021

Adropin is most abundant in neural tissues yet its neurological functions are unclear. Data from post-mortem human brain tissue samples indicates adropin expression occurs predominantly in astrocytes, peaks during critical post-natal periods of brain development, and then declines with aging. Previous experiments indicate adropin regulates mitochondrial metabolism. Gene clusters correlating with adropin are age- and dementia-specific, possibly indicating survivor bias. In people aged <40y adropin correlates positively with genes involved in mitochondrial metabolism, APOE and Clusterin. In the ‘old-old’ (>75y) with dementia, adropin expression correlates with genes linked to mitochondrial metabolism and neurodegenerative conditions. In the ‘old-old’ (>75y) without dementia, adropin correlates with genes involved in morphogenesis, growth of neuronal processes (dendrites, axons) and synapse function. Accordingly, adropin elicits neurotrophic responses in primary cultured neurons. Adropin expression also correlates positively with protein markers of tau-related neuropathologies and inflammation, particularly in people without dementia, indicating a link to cellular stressors. How variation in brain adropin expression affects neurological aging was investigated using C57BL/6J mice. In mice, adropin is more widely expressed in neurons, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, oligodendrocytes, and microglia. Preventing the decline in expression observed with aging of mice using transgenesis improved cognitive function and resilience, while also reducing mRNA markers of inflammation in 18-month old mice. Treating 18-month old mice with adropin peptide also improved cognitive performance. These results link adropin expression to cellular energy metabolism and stress responses in the brain and indicates a possible relationship with aging-related cognitive decline.
Associations between Online Hate Victimization and Perpetration
Authors: Wachs Sebastian , Wright Michelle F.
Published: January 2021

It is well known that victims of violence are more likely than non-victims to be perpetrators, and that perpetrators are more likely than non-perpetrators to be victims. However, the overlap between being the victim of violence and the perpetrator of violence is not well understood when it comes to online hate. An explanatory mechanism in this relationship could potentially be the use of specific coping strategies. We sought to develop a better understanding of the relationship between the victims and the perpetrators of online hate to inform effective intervention and prevention initiatives in the field of media education. Self-report questionnaires on receiving and committing online hate and on technical and assertive coping were completed by 1,480 young people between 12 and 17 years old (M = 14.21 years; SD = 1.68). Results showed that increases in being the recipient of online hate were positively related to being a perpetrator of online hate. Technical and assertive coping strategies were negatively related to perpetrating online hate. Furthermore, victims of online hate reported less instances of perpetrating online hate when they reported higher levels of technical and assertive coping strategies, and more frequent instances of perpetrating online hate when they reported lower levels of technical and assertive coping strategies. In conclusion, our findings suggest that, if they are to be effective, prevention and intervention programs that target online hate should consider educating young people in problem-focused coping strategies.
Evaluation of changes in blood pressure in patients submitted to dental surgical procedures
Authors: Andrade Poliana Keller de , Balestrassi Rayra Batista , Prando Ricardo Henrique Nunes , Matos Jefferson David Melo de , Nakano Leonardo Jiro Nomura , Prado Pedro Henrique Condé Oliveira , Lopes Guilherme da Rocha Scalzer , Bottino Marco Antonio , Vasconcelos John Eversong Lucena de , Andrade Valdir Cabral , Perez Erick Gomes
Published: January 2021

The present study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of significant changes in systemic blood pressure (SBP) during surgical-dental procedures. A prospective study was performed with a sample of 135 randomly selected individuals who underwent surgical procedures at the Bucomaxillofacial Surgery Clinic of the Dentistry School of the ESFA (ES) between the second half of 2017 and April 2018. After consent, sociodemographic, lifestyle data, weight and height were obtained through a questionnaire, weighing and measurement, respectively. BP measurements were performed at three moments: preoperative (BP1), intraoperative (BP2) and postoperative (BP3) using a mercury column sphygmomanometer and stethoscope. Values ​​<120/80 mmHg were used as normal values. When BP1 and BP2 were compared, 63.0% remained within normal values ​​and 22.2% reached the stage of hypertension. In the comparison of BP1 and BP3, 66.7% remained normal, and only 7.4% reached the stage of hypertension. When BP2 and BP3 were compared, 53.6% remained within the normality stage and 12.2% reached the stage of hypertension. It was concluded that there were variations in blood pressure, being the largest variation found in BP2, and can be attributed to the stress caused by the surgical act, since no statistically significant connections were found between the changes in blood pressure and the anesthetics used in the research.
Rancangan “Wonderful Indonesia” Sebagai Branding-Destination
Authors: Kumoratih Dewi
Published: January 2021

The aim of this paper is to examine Indonesia’s latest branding-destination, “Wonderful Indonesia”. This study attemps to find the missing link between what the country is trying to communicate, represented by the logo of its destination brand, and how this logo is perceived by its audience. Furthermore, in conjunction with its campaign, it is also important to discover whether design as a discipline, plays a major role in the strategic planning of the nation’s grand-design. Required data of logo implementation and distribution were collected through online media as well as above the line and below the line media. The method used is based on qualitative research dan data was examined through art history, visual communication design dan marketing approaches. The outcome suggests that the Ministry responsible for tourism needs to re-evaluate its branding strategy in a more strategic basis due to its lack of consistency in terms of implementations and communications.
Manajemen Kurikulum Kelas Unggulan di MI Darul Ulum Wates Ngaliyan Semarang
Authors: Hardianti Dini , Fatkuroji Fatkuroji , Hasanah Silviatul
Published: January 2021

Perpaduan kurikulum nasional dan kurikulum lokal yang diterapkan dalam kelas unggulan di MI Darul Ulum Wates Ngaliyan Semarang dengan potensi peserta didik yang memiliki kemampuan lebih yang pastinya membutuhkan pembinaan yang berbeda dan tidak dapat diberikan perlakuan yang sama dengan peserta didik biasa. Penelitian ini mengambil fokus permasalahan yaitu: (1) Perencanaan kurikulum kelas unggulan (2) Pengorganisasian kurikulum kelas unggulan (3) Pelaksanaan kurikulum kelas unggulan, dan (4) Evaluasi kurikulum kelas unggulan. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa: (1) Perencanaan dilakukan dengan menganalisis konteks, kebutuhan, dan mengidentifikasi standar nasional pendidikan, dilanjut dengan pemilihan atau penetapan tujuan dan penentuan strategi, kebijakan, program, prosedur, metode, sistem, anggaran, dan standar yang dibutuhkan untuk mencapai tujuan pendidikan. (2) Pengorganisasian dilakukan dalam beberapa tahap. Tahap pembagian tugas dan wewenang oleh tim khusus kepada tim pengembang. Tahap pembagian tugas mengajar. Tahap penyusunan jadwal pelajaran dan beban jam mengajar. Tahap penyusunan jadwal kegiatan intrakurikuler dan ekstrakurikuler. (3) Pelaksanaan kurikulum dengan melakukan pembelajaran sesuai prinsip dan model tuntutan kurikulum. (4) Evaluasi kurikulum menggunakan dua macam evaluasi yaitu evaluasi proses pembelajaran dan evaluasi hasil belajar melalui penilaian formatif dan sumatif
In vitro Biomodels in Stenotic Arteries to Perform Blood Analogues Flow Visualizations and Measurements: A Review
Authors: Carvalho Violeta , Maia Inês , Souza Andrews , Ribeiro João , Costa Pedro , Puga H. , Teixeira Senhorinha , Lima Rui A.
Published: January 2021

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death globally and the most common pathological process is atherosclerosis. Over the years, these cardiovascular complications have been extensively studied by applyingin vivo,in vitroand numerical methods (in silico).In vivostudies represent more accurately the physiological conditions and provide the most realistic data. Nevertheless, these approaches are expensive, and it is complex to control several physiological variables. Hence, the continuous effort to find reliable alternative methods has been growing. In the last decades, numerical simulations have been widely used to assess the blood flow behavior in stenotic arteries and, consequently, providing insights into the cardiovascular disease condition, its progression and therapeutic optimization. However, it is necessary to ensure its accuracy and reliability by comparing the numerical simulations with clinical and experimental data. For this reason, with the progress of thein vitroflow measurement techniques and rapid prototyping, experimental investigation of hemodynamics has gained widespread attention. The present work reviews state-of-the-artin vitromacro-scale arterial stenotic biomodels for flow measurements, summarizing the different fabrication methods, blood analogues and highlighting advantages and limitations of the most used techniques.
Deflection of a Concrete T-beam with Prestressed and Non-prestressed Fiber Reinforcement Polymers at Elevated Temperatures
Authors:   Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, MSC 194, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA, Faruqi Mohammed , Dean Zachary Scott , Aguiniga Francisco , Bailey Breanna
Published: January 2021

Prestressed concrete members have gained popularity as an efficient and effective way of designing a structural member with the best engineering and material properties. The method of prestressing a structural concrete member has the capability of controlling increased service loads with less depth over longer spans. However, deflections from over-loading or loading over time give a disadvantage to the common steel reinforced concrete members by the effect of corrosion as the structural concrete develop cracks. To prevent corrosion of a structural concrete member, exchanging of steel reinforcement with Fiber Reinforcing Polymers (FRP) has sparked engineering interest in recent years. Both prestressed and non-prestressed FRP reinforcement can reduce tension in concrete. However, the performance of such structural members under elevated temperatures is currently unknown. The knowledge and application of this may lead to a cost effective, and practical consideration in fire safety design. In this article, an analytical model is developed using flexural rigidity of a concrete T-beam with both prestressed and non-prestressed FRP reinforcement to study the deflection behavior at practical elevated temperatures. The model is compared with the finite element model (FEM) of a T-beam with both prestressed and non-prestressed reinforcement subjected to practical elevated temperatures. In addition, comparison is also made with an indirect reference to the real behavior of the material. The results of the analytical model correlated reasonably with the FEM and the real behavior, and were within the accepted range of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) specifications.