bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pengaruh Pendekatan PMRI Berbantu Geogebra pada Pembelajaran Jarak Jauh terhadap Kemampuan Pemahaman Konsep Matematis Siswa SMP Labschool Cibubur
Authors: Gusnia Farida , Sampoerno Pinta Deniyanti , Santi Vera Maya
Published: March 2023

Kemampuan pemahaman konsep siswa di Indonesia masih rendah sehingga perlu ditingkatkan melalui inovasi pembelajaran. Penerapan pendekatan PMRI berbantu media Geogebra merupakan salah satu inovasi pembelajaran yang tepat. Penelitian ini menguji apakah penerapan pendekatan PMRI berbantu Geogebra dalam pembelajaran jarak jauh berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan pemahaman konsep matematis siswa. Metode yang digunakan untuk meneliti hal tersebut adalah metode kuasi eksperimen dan desain penelitiannya adalah Posttest Only Control Group. Simple Random Sampling adalah teknik pengambilan sampel penelitian. Kemudian yang terpilih sebagai sampel adalah siswa kelas VIII-A dan VIII-F SMP Labschool Cibubur. Instrumen penelitian berupa 8 soal uraian terkait Persamaan Garis Lurus yang telah valid dan reliabel merupakan instrumen yang mengukur kemampuan pemahaman konsep matematis. Data yang diperoleh setelah penelitian kemudian dianalisis dengan uji normalitas, homogenitas, uji hipotesis dan uji besar pengaruh. Berdasarkan uji hipotesis menggunakan uji-
PKM RELAWAN PEDULI LINGKUNGAN DALAM MENUMBUHKAN SOCIALPRENEURSHIP BERBASIS BAHAN AJAR DIGITAL
Authors: Budiaman  , Kustandi Cecep , Jumhur Aam Amaningsih , Andaryati Arenarita Peni , Susanti Astri Febry
Published: March 2023

Kegiatan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Terintegrasi Kuliah Kerja Nyata ini bertujuan untuk menumbuhkan jiwa socialpreneurship Relawan Peduli Lingkungan di SMPN 9 dan SMPN 21 Kota Bekasi. Jiwa socialpreneurship diharapkan dapat dipahami oleh siswa sekaligus diaplikasikan dalam pengelolaan sampah non organik sehari-hari, baik sampah rumah tangga, maupun sekolah. Prioritas permasalahan mitra yang akan ditangani dalam program ini adalah permasalahan dalam sistem pemilahan dan produksi sampah yang bernilai ekonomi tinggi, permasalahan dalam pemasaran ketika produksi bijih plastik dari berbagai jenis botol plastik sudah dikelompokan. Kegiatan ini dirancang dengan selalu memperhatikan keterlibatan mitra. Metode pelaksanaan berupa observasi dan FGD yang dilakukan di sekolah mitra yaituSMP Negeri 9 dan SMP Negeri 21 Kota Bekasi. Selain itu dilakukan simulasi pemilahan dan pencacahan botol plastik dengan menggunakan mesin insenerator. Solusi yang dapat diberikan dari setiap permasalahan adalah se agai berikut: (1) Memberikan pendampingan untuk pembina ekstrakulikuler lingkungan dalam menumbuhkan socialpreneurship siswa., (2) Memberdayakan relawan peduli lingkungan dalam memilah sampah non organik yang bernilai ekonomi tinggi, dan (3) Melakukan simulasi pengolahan sampah di Bank Sampah mitra dalam rangka menumbuhkan socialpreneurship.
Small-Scale Determination of Total Phenols, Tannins, and Flavonoids from Foliar Tissue Using Colorimetric Assays
Authors: Bravo-Monzón Angel E. , Montiel-González Cristina , Avila-Cabadilla Luis Daniel , Alvarez-Añorve Mariana Y.
Published: March 2023

The quantification of plant secondary metabolites at levels higher than the population (i.e. community and ecosystem) requires the implementation of efficient, low-cost, and small-scale assays. We propose a modified protocol based on the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric assay that integrates the simultaneous quantitative determination of total phenols and total tannins from 40 µL of methanolic extract, and a modified aluminum chloride assay to quantify total flavonoids from 20 µL of methanolic extract. These miniaturized microplate colorimetric assays were tested and adjusted to work with as little as 50 mg of foliar tissue and to encompass the variation of secondary metabolite concentrations present in trees of 77 species, 58 genera, and 27 families from conserved and secondary tropical dry forest. At present, these new protocols are of great relevance to study ecological processes in highly diverse and strongly threatened ecosystems.
Carnosine supplementation and retina oxidative parameters in diet-induced obesity model
Authors: Torres Rogil José de Almeida , Moreto Fernando , Luchini Andrea , Torres Rogerio Joao de Almeida , Longo Sofia Pimentel , Pinho Ricardo A , Nagashima Seigo , de Noronha Lucia , Ferron Artur Junio Togneri , Silva Carol Vagula de Almeida , Correa Camila Renata , Aldini Giancarlo , Ferreira Ana Lucia Anjos
Published: March 2023

Purpose:To describe retina oxidative parameters and carnosine influence in diet-induced obesity model.Methods:Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: Standard diet (SD), high sugar-fat diet (HcD), standard diet + carnosine (SD+Carn), and high sugar-fat diet + carnosine (HcD+Car). Evaluation in animals included body weight, adiposity index, plasma glucose, total lipids, high density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), uric acid, creatinine, and triglycerides. The retinas were analyzed for markers of oxidative stress. Hydrogen peroxide production was assessed by oxidation of 2', 7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). The analysis of the antioxidant system included total glutathione (tGSH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), protein carbonyl, and sulfhydryl type.Results:The hypercaloric diet induced higher body weight, adiposity index, glucose, and triglyceride. Carnosine supplementation influenced on plasma triglyceride. Absence of diet effect was verified in retina fluorescent derivative of oxidized DCFH-DA (DCF), TAC, GSH reduced levels and GSH:GSSG ratio. High retina TAC levels were found in rats treated with carnosine. Retina GSH reduced levels and GSH:GSSG ratio improved in carnosine-supplemented rats treated with high sugar-fat diet (vs.SD+Car). Diet was associated with increase in retina carbonyl content and decrease in sulphydryl levels. However, carnosine supplementation had no interference in both retina parameters from animals treated with high sugar-fat diet.Conclusion: The results suggest that the sugar- and fat-enriched diet fed the rats may trigger an imbalance in the retinal redox state and that carnosine may improve the oxidative parameters.
Pathways in a Pandemic: Studying STEM-interested Students’ Trajectories during a Global Pandemic
Authors: MacPherson Anna , Chaffee Rachel , Bjorklund Peter , Gupta Preeti , Hammerness Karen
Published: March 2023

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic caused dramatic upheaval in the lives of undergraduate students at colleges and universities. This study aimed to characterize the experience of a group of STEM-interested students and included 190 college youth who were part of a larger, 10-year longitudinal study of science college and career pathways. All participants completed a mentored science research program in high school. Over 78% of the participants were currently majoring in a STEM discipline (National Science Foundation, 2015); 80% identify as BIPOC. Participants completed surveys in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021; 26 were interviewed during Summer 2021. The survey consisted of closed and open-ended items about their experience in college during the pandemic, as well as a social network survey which asked participants to name individuals who had supported them.
Results
Students reported both challenges they experienced during the pandemic and resources upon which they drew. Challenges included online learning, opportunities for collaboration, and lack of support for career pathway planning. Second-year students were most likely to report significant challenges. Rates of switching majors into and out of STEM were comparable to previously published studies; however, we uncovered stories of students switching out of STEM due to pandemic circumstances. Students reported drawing upon their networks for guidance and most frequently named parents and friends as providers of support; however, they named faculty as individuals that provided multiple types of support.
Conclusions
The pandemic exacerbated inequitable circumstances that existed pre-pandemic; colleges and universities and individuals that comprise youth social networks can act to offer support to mitigate pandemic impacts, as well as improve business as usual.
WITHDRAWN: Global multi-omics profiling reveals evolutionary drivers of phylogeographic diversity of fungal specialized metabolism
Authors: Xie Huali , Hu Jie , Yue Xiaofeng , Zhao Fang , Chen Jianwei , Hooft Justin J.J. van der , Medema Marnix , Li Peiwu , Zhang Qi
Published: March 2023

This preprint has been withdrawn, pending revisions, because some of the claims presented as novel findings from the new dataset presented in this preprint are similar to results from previously published datasets (Drott et al., 2019, 2020, and 2021) , and a proper crediting of and comparison with the latter datasets is lacking. The authors apologize for any confusion caused by this.
Intelligent system simulation and data accuracy of physical fitness training for sports majors based on real-time status update of wearable Internet of Things
Authors: Yong Zhou
Published: March 2023

With the development of modern science and technology, sports training has begun to develop in the direction of new ideas, new technologies and new equipment. Wearable devices with wireless data transmission and real-time feedback functions are more and more widely used in sports training, providing a simpler and more scientific way to explore the biological significance of sports training. In this paper, the wearable Internet of Things is applied to the intelligent system simulation of physical training for sports majors. With the support of the Internet of Things technology, wearable devices can quickly capture the movement data of students' physical training, and quickly transmit these information to the intelligent system of physical training for sports majors, so that the system can be updated in real time. Wearable devices are high-tech products developed in the context of big data. The use of wearable devices to achieve sports training and data collection is only an external manifestation of sports scientific monitoring. The collection and statistics of the original sports data obtained through more scientific information processing technology is the focus of sports scientific monitoring. At present, the use of wearable devices in sports training also has some measurement errors, which affect the validity and credibility of data. Data processing is not systematic and perfect, and the compatibility and connectivity are low. Statistical analysis is a common way to analyze sports training data at home and abroad. This paper discusses the physical training data based on the status update of the wearable object network, and uses the optimized data processing method to improve the accuracy of the data.
Barriers and facilitators to oral hygiene for critically ill patients at a regional referral hospital in Uganda: A qualitative study
Authors: Lotuk Emmanuel , Mwebembezi Gerald , Najjuma Josephine N
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Critically ill patients may not take care of activities of daily living like oral care. Due to the complexity of care and need for close monitoring for critically ill patients, they are commonly admitted to high dependence units (HDU) or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where oral health is expected to be provided by the bed side nurses. In Low and Middle-Income countries (LMIC) where there are low staffing levels, patient family (caregivers) are expected to help with some of the nursing procedures like oral care. We aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to quality oral hygiene by caregivers for critically ill patients at a rural regional referral hospital in southwestern Uganda.
Methods: We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 9 purposively selected adult caregivers for patients who were critically ill admitted at emergency ward and intensive care units of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. Data was analyzed by thematic analysis.
Results: Themes identified were divided into barriers and facilitators. Barriers included lack of knowledge about oral hygiene for critically ill patients, lack of support from the nursing staff, directional training/teaching for oral hygiene, critically ill state of the patient, fear/discomfort, and limited resources for oral hygiene, the facilitators included training/teaching, availability of resources, patients’ previous quality of oral care, and family support.
Conclusion: Training/teaching patient family and provision of supplies for oral care may facilitate quality oral care for critically ill patients in resource limited settings like Uganda.
A mixed method exploration of the impact of Covid-19 on ethnic inequalities in maternal and neonatal outcomes
Authors: Dooley Jemima , Jardine Jen , Ibrahim Buthaina , Mongru Rohan , Pradhan Farrah , Wolstenholme Daniel , Lenguerrand Erik , Draycott Tim , Bruce Faye , Iliodromiti Stamatina
Published: March 2023

Background: Deep inequalities in maternity care and outcomes for women from ethnic minority groups were present before the coronavirus pandemic. During the pandemic, rapid and heterogeneous changes were made to maternity services and care. It is not known what effect these changes have had on maternity outcomes and whether this effect differed across ethnic groups. Identification of changes which may reduce inequality is a national priority. The aim of this project was to identify changes in maternity care which reduced inequalities in maternal and perinatal outcomes during the period of rapid organisational change in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A Women’s Reference Group of public advisors guided the project. Analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care data of 128 NHS Trusts in England identified “positive deviant” healthcare organisations that reduced inequalities in maternity outcomes. Maternal and perinatal composite adverse outcome indicators were used to compare outcomes between White and Minority ethnic groups, before and during the pandemic to identify “positive deviants”. Positive deviant Trusts were identified for qualitative interview, alongside comparators. Senior clinicians, heads of midwifery and representatives of women giving birth were interviewed. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed.
Results: We conducted 20 interviews from six positive deviant and four comparator Trusts. Positive deviants reported that necessary shifts in roles led to productive and novel use of expert staff; comparators reported senior staff ‘stepping in’ where needed and no benefits of this. They reported proactivity and quick reactions, increased team working, and rapid implementation of new ideas. Comparators found constant changes overwhelming, and no increase in team working. No specific differences in care processes were identified.
Conclusions: Proactivity, flexibility, staffing resource, and increased team working were associated with a reduction in ethnic inequalities in maternal and perinatal outcomes. Hence, harnessing these strengths of high-functioning units proves vital in reducing health inequalities.
Sensor-Based Environmental Impact of Soil Erosion in Rural Areas and Rural Revitalization in Gansu
Authors: Shi Ruxia , Yang Yingli , Ma Bei , Bai Pengpeng , Wen Yuhua , Du Guozhen
Published: March 2023

Today, sensor technology, and micro-electromechanical technology, wireless sensor networks have gradually developed as an emerging information acquisition technology. Through the application of wireless sensor networks, people can have more precise control on the location of nodes, so that the routing efficiency is greatly improved, so as to provide effective technical guarantee for the whole network. Agricultural production often faces many natural disasters, and soil erosion is an important factor affecting agricultural production. In order to better understand the impact of soil erosion on the environment of a specific location, so as to open up a new reasonable path for soil and water conservation at a specific location, this paper conducts analysis and research in the junction zone where wind erosion and water erosion occur, and collects local data. Surface soils are analyzed to a certain extent through certain experiments, and the fluctuations of soil nutrients in this type of area are specifically grasped to ensure that the research in this article is carried out in a practical and effective experimental environment. Based on the overall grasp of the requirements of Gansu’s rural revitalization strategy under the new situation, this paper conducts an on-site inspection of a specific town in Gansu Province, distinguishes different development models, and at the same time, on the basis of using existing sensor technology, Study the impact of soil erosion, which is a major threat to agricultural production, on production under certain circumstances, so as to clarify reasonable views on rural revitalization in the study area.
Response of microalgae size-class structure to nutrients differences in northern Yellow Sea, China
Authors: Song Lun , Liu Yin , Song GuangJun , Wu JinHao , Liu SuXuan
Published: March 2023

Marine phytoplankton size-class structure affects ecological functions and shellfish culture. We use high-throughput sequencing and size-fractioned grading techniques to identify and analyze responses of phytoplankton differences in environmental variables at Donggang, northern Yellow Sea (high inorganic nitrogen (DIN)) and Changhai (low DIN) for 2021. The main environmental variables that correlate with differences in the proportional contributions of pico-, nano-, and microphytoplankton to the total phytoplankton community are inorganic phosphorus (DIP), nitrite to inorganic nitrogen ratio (NO2/dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN)), and ammonia nitrogen to inorganic nitrogen ratio (NH4/DIN), respectively. DIN, which contributes most to environmental differences, mainly positively correlates with changes in picophytoplankton biomass in high DIN waters. Nitrite (NO2) correlates mostly with changes in the proportional contribution of microphytoplankton in high DIN waters and nanophytoplankton in low DIN waters, and negatively correlates with changes in the biomass and proportional representation of microphytoplankton in low DIN waters. For near-shore phosphorus-limited waters, an increase in DIN may increase total microalgal biomass, but proportions of microphytoplankton may not increase; for high DIN waters, an increase in DIP may increase proportions of microphytoplankton, while for low DIN waters, an increase in DIP may preferentially increase proportions of picophytoplankton and nanophytoplankton. Picophytoplankton contributed little to the growth of two commercially cultured filter-feeding shellfish,Ruditapes philippinarumandMizuhopecten yessoensis.
Empowering Real-time Flood Impact Assessment through the Integration of Machine Learning and Google Earth Engine: A Comprehensive Approach
Authors: Khan Nafis Sadik , Roy Sujit Kumar , Talukdar Swapan , Billah Md. Mostaim , Iqbal Ashik , Zzaman Rashed Uz , Chowdhury Md. Arif , Mahtab Sania B , Mallick Javed
Published: March 2023

Floods are a major natural disaster that causes significant losses to life and property, particularly in flood-prone areas like the north-western region of Bangladesh. Accurate and timely assessment of flood impacts is crucial for effective flood management and decision-making by stakeholders. In this study, we employed geospatial and remote sensing techniques to assess the impact of the 2020 flood in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts. We utilized synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from Sentinel-1 and the Google Earth Engine platform to generate near real-time flood inundation maps. We used an automatic threshold method to calculate inundated areas from the SAR data. For land use/land cover (LULC) analysis, we used the high resolution sentinel-2 image using machine learning algorithms like artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM). The best LULC method was selected using six performance matrices like kappa, accuracy, and F1 score. Our results showed that the highest inundation occurred in July, with more than 600,000 people exposed to floods, which is about 17% of the total population. The ANN model outperformed other models for LULC mapping with the accuracy of 0.94. The LULC map generated from our machine learning algorithm showed high accuracy, enabling us to identify the most vulnerable areas for floods and prioritize flood management efforts. The croplands were the most affected areas, with 53.7% being inundated in July. Our study highlights the potential of SAR data and machine learning algorithms for near real-time flood monitoring and accurate LULC mapping, which are essential for reliable flood management. The use of remote sensing data and geospatial techniques can facilitate more efficient and effective decision-making in response to natural disasters like floods. Our findings can assist decision-makers in developing appropriate flood management strategies to minimize the impacts of floods on life, property, and agricultural production.
Human forebrain organoids-based multi-omics analyses reveal PCCB's regulation on GABAergic system contributing to schizophrenia
Authors: Zhang Wendiao , Zhang Ming , Xu Zhenhong , Yan Hongye , Wang Huimin , Jiang Jiamei , Wan Juan , Tang Beisha , Liu Chunyu , Chen Chao , Meng Qingtuan
Published: March 2023

Identifying genes whose expression is associated with schizophrenia (SCZ) risk by transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) facilitates downstream experimental studies. Here, we integrated multiple published datasets of TWAS (including FUSION, PrediXcan, summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR), joint-tissue imputation approach with Mendelian randomization (MR-JTI)), gene coexpression, and differential gene expression analysis to prioritize SCZ candidate genes for functional study. Convergent evidence prioritized Propionyl-CoA Carboxylase Subunit Beta (PCCB), a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial gene, as an SCZ risk gene. However, the PCCB’s contribution to SCZ risk has not been investigated before. Using dual luciferase reporter assay, we identified that SCZ-associated SNP rs35874192, an eQTL SNP for PCCB, showed differential allelic effects on transcriptional activities. PCCB knockdown in human forebrain organoids (hFOs) followed by RNA-seq revealed dysregulation of genes enriched with multiple neuronal functions including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic synapse, as well as genes dysregulated in postmortem brains of SCZ patients or in cerebral organoids derived from SCZ patients. The metabolomic and mitochondrial function analyses confirmed the deceased GABA levels resulted from reduced tricarboxylic acid cycle in PCCB knockdown hFOs. Multielectrode array recording analysis showed that PCCB knockdown in hFOs resulted into SCZ-related phenotypes including hyper-neuroactivities and decreased synchronization of neural network. In summary, this study utilized hFOs-based multi-omics data and revealed that PCCB downregulation may contribute to SCZ risk through regulating GABAergic system, highlighting the mitochondrial function in SCZ.
Glycome profiling and immunohistochemistry uncover spaceflight-induced changes in non-cellulosic cell wall components in Arabidopsis thaliana seedling roots
Authors: Blancaflor Elison , Nakashima Jin , Pattathil Sivakumar , Avci Utku , Chin Sabrina , Sparks J. Alan , Hahn Michael , Gilroy Simon
Published: March 2023

A large and diverse library of glycan-directed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was used to determine if plant cell walls are modified by low-gravity conditions encountered during spaceflight. This method called glycome profiling (glycomics) revealed global differences in non-cellulosic cell wall epitopes in Arabidopsis thaliana root extracts recovered from RNA purification columns between seedlings grown on the International Space Station-based Vegetable Production System and paired ground (1-g) controls. Immunohistochemistry on 11-day-old seedling primary root sections showed that ten of twenty-two mAbs that exhibited spaceflight-induced increases in binding through glycomics, labeled space-grown roots more intensely than those from the ground. The ten mAbs recognized xyloglucan, xylan, and arabinogalactan epitopes. Notably, three xylem-enriched unsubstituted xylan backbone epitopes were more intensely labeled in space-grown roots than in ground-grown roots, suggesting that the spaceflight environment accelerated root secondary cell wall formation. This study highlights the feasibility of glycomics for high-throughput evaluation of cell wall glycans using only root high alkaline extracts from RNA purification columns, and subsequent validation of these results by immunohistochemistry. This approach will benefit plant space biological studies because it extends the analyses possible from the limited amounts of samples returned from spaceflight and help uncover microgravity-induced tissue-specific changes in plant cell walls.
Investigation of air pollution during COVID-19 pandemic using satellite and on-site measurment data in six provinces in Iran
Authors: Shahne Maryam Zare , Noori Amirhossein , Attar Mehdi Alizadeh
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Iran has been one of the countries with the highest rates of COVID-19 cases, such that over 7 million cases have been recorded for this illness, and more than 140000 people died because of the COVID-19 pandemic up to May 2022 in Iran. Studies have been conducted to investigate the association between exposure to poor air quality and the increasing rate of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19.
Materials and methods:
In the present study, the temporal variation of Sentinel-5P TROPOMI-derived air pollutants (NO2 and SO2,) and MODIS-derived AOD were examined by using satellite missions in six major air pollution’ hotspots provinces, including Isfahan, Tabriz, Mashhad, Tehran, Ahvaz, and Gilan in Iran for contemporaneous time periods before (as a baseline period and pre-lockdown year), and during the epidemic, including the first wave lockdown period of the COVID-19 outbreak, from the 22nd of February, 2019, to the 22nd of February, 2021. Moreover, the satellite data were compared with field measurements in these periods.
Results: The results revealed that the mean ratio of NO2 and SO2 has not varied drastically in the considered provinces. These column concentration ratios for all months were within the range of +2%(Tehran) to -6% (Tabriz). In comparison, the ratio of variance is more considerable, especially for Gilan province, a tourist attraction province, even in travel restrictions and lockdowns in Iran. The AOD distribution map and its trend illustrated that Gilan, Khorasan-Razavi, and Tabriz had become more pollutants after the outbreak due to changes in tourist patterns and emission inventories. The results have provided a monthly RMSE of 2.5*10-5, 1.4*10-4, and 1.8*10-4, for NOx, SOx, and AOD, respectively.
Base on wavelet transform, implemented on ground-measurment of PM2.5, the PM2.5 concentration increased in early 2021 (especially Februray) from the value in baseline period, due to eased restriction and expansion of public COVID-19 vaccine in all considered provinces.
Conclusions: The results of this study provide helpful insight to air pollution conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. It is also could assist air pollution policymakers to plan effective control strategies in a similar situation.
Predicting IDH mutation status as well as Ki-67 and p53 expression in high-grade gliomas using amide proton transfer-weighted and arterial spin labeling MRI
Authors: Chen Ling , Li Yao , Zhang Jinhuan , Li Shuanghong , Huang Lizhao , Tang Lifang , Wu Min , Zhu Li , Zeng Zisan , Li Tao
Published: March 2023

This study aimed to explore the efficiency of APT imaging and ASL perfusion for evaluating IDH mutation status as well as Ki-67 and p53 expression in patients with high-grade gliomas. Sixty patients with newly diagnosed HGGs were retrospectively analyzed. All subjects were divided into IDH mutation subgroups, Ki-67 index subgroups, and p53 expression subgroups based on the pathological results. rAPTw and rCBF values were compared among different molecular types. ROC curve analysis was used to assess the predictive ability of imaging parameters. Our results showed that significant differences in rAPTw and rCBF values were observed between IDH mutation subgroups and Ki-67 expression subgroups. rAPTw and rCBF values showed no significant association with p53 expression. The AUC of rAPTw and rCBF for predicting IDH mutation status were 0.854 and 0.87, respectively; for Ki-67 index, the AUC values were 0.75 and 0.727, respectively. Combined use of rAPTw and rCBF values showed better predictive ability for IDH mutation and Ki-67 expression status compared to their individual predictive ability. In conclusion, APTw and ASL could be valuable MRI biomarkers for identifying IDH mutation status and Ki-67 index in HGGs, but they may not be useful for assessing p53 expression.
Comprehensive analysis of a prognostic immune-related gene signature in esophageal carcinoma predicts disease prognosis and treatment response
Authors: Jiang Chenhao , Ren Yilin , Xue Lele , Li Fanping , Wang Zhe , Zhang Anzhi , Li Ya , Xie Yufang , Li Jiangfen , Yang Kaige , Liang Weihua , Zhang Haijun , Li Man , Yang Lan , Li Feng , Hu Jian Ming
Published: March 2023

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is a lethal disease with dismal survival rates. The tumor immune microenvironment plays a key contributor to the poor prognosis of EC. Here, we aimed to identify an immune-associated gene biomarker signature in EC and explore potential therapeutic strategies.
Methods: We combined the publicly available TCGA dataset with qRT-PCR results and constructed an immune-related 3-genemodel related to the survival of patients with EC. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and time-dependent receiver operating curve (ROC) were then conducted to determine the predictive performance of the model, followed by clinical validation and nomogram establishment using Cox regression analysis. The underlying molecular mechanisms were explored with gene set enrichment analysis and tumor mutational burden (TMB). Finally, the immune microenvironment landscape was described with ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT, and the TIDE algorithm and the pRRophetic package were used to evaluated the model’s ability to predict immunotherapeutic and chemotherapeutic efficacy for different EC patient sub-groups.
Results: We identified a 3-gene signature that significantly associated with poor overall survival in the TCGA and clinical data sets. And the EC samples were divided into the high- and low-risk groups depending on their risk scores. Then, a nomogram was established which included the gene model, clinical stage and positive lymph node metastasis for potential clinical translation. There were significant differences in the tumor immune microenvironment, TMB and metabolic pathways between the two groups. Cell type composition analysis found that M0 Macrophages, CD8 T cell and other immune cells not only have increased abundance in the tumor, but also can be reflected by the model. Additionally, while low-risk patients were found to benefit more from immunotherapy, high-risk patients with a worse prognosis could benefit more from the application of agents such as Bryostatin.1and FH535.
Conclusion: We report a novel gene model which reveals the driving immune-related factors in EC. These factors may act as immunotherapeutic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for novel EC treatments.
Projected Climate Extremes over Agro-climatic Zones of Ganga River Basin under 1.5, 2 and 3-degree Global Warming Levels
Authors: Singh Harsh Vardhan , Joshi Nitin , Suryavanshi Shakti
Published: March 2023

In the present study, we have evaluated the extreme precipitation and temperature indices over the 10 agro-climatic zones falling under Ganga River basin (GRB)utilizing a high resolution daily gridded temperature and precipitation multi-model ensembled CMIP6 dataset (0.25°x0.25°) under global warming levels of 1.5°C, 2°C, and 3°C.We found that annual daily minimum temperature(TNN) showing higher rise of about 67% than maximum temperature (TXX)of 48%in GRB. The basin also experiences a greater increase in the frequency of warm nights (TN90P) of about 67.71% compared to warm days (TX90P) of 29.1% for 3°C global warming level.Along with extreme indices, population exposed due to the impact of the extreme maximum temperature has also been analysed for progressive warming levels. Population exposure to extreme temperature event (TXX) has been analysed with 20-year return period using GEV distribution method. The study concludes that exposed population to extreme temperature event experienced an increase from 46.99–52.16% for whole Ganga Basin. Consecutive Dry Days (CDD) and Consecutive Wet Days (CWD) both show a significant increasing trend, but CWD has significant increase in majority of the zones, while CDD show significant decreasing trend for some of the zones for three warming levels periods.Extreme climate indices help to understand the frequency and intensity of the extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, droughts, heatwaves etc. to develop early warning systems and adaptation strategies to mitigate such events.
PIK3CA Mutational Profiling in a Patient Cohort with HR+/HER2- Advanced Metastatic Breast Cancer at a Tertiary Cancer Center
Authors: ALSMADI OSAMA , Abdel-Razeq Hikmat , Talab Yazan , Abdulelah Hazem , Shaheen Zeena , Tbakhi Abdelghani
Published: March 2023

Common PIK3CA gene activating mutations can be found in 20–30% of all breast cancer cases, and regarded as predictive markers for therapeutic response to PI3K inhibitors. The therascreen PIK3CA mutation companion assay and the alpha-specific PI3K inhibitor, Alpelisib, are FDA-approved for selecting and treating patients with advanced PIK3CA-mutated metastatic breast cancer. The main objective behind this report was to investigate the composition and proportion of PIK3CA mutations using a PIK3CA mutation Therascreen RT-PCR assay, in a patient cohort with receptor-positive/HER2-negative (HR+/HER2) metastatic breast cancer, who were diagnosed and treated at King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC). Patients with PIK3CA-mutated tumors represented 39.4% (91/231) of all patients. Four PIK3CA mutations comprised 86.8% of all PIK3CA mutations; mainly H1047R (33.3%), E545K (20.9%), E542K (24.2%), and H1047L (8.8%). The four main mutations map to the helical and kinase domains of the PIK3CA encoded protein. C420R was found in only one patient, and E545A was found in two patients. Nine of the 91 mutated patients had shown double PIK3CA mutations (9.9%). In conclusion, PIK3CA is frequently mutated in multiple types of cancers at known ‘Hot-spots’, mainly in the kinase and helical modular domains, which was found consistent with our findings. PIK3CA mutational signature in our metastatic breast cancer cohort varied with a 39.4% (91/231) positivity rate. The PIK3CA mutational screening panel did not capture mutations in the remaining 140 (60.6%) cases; these patients may be mutated in other genes related to breast cancer, or in PIK3CA loci not covered by the Therascreen assay. Survival and clinical outcomes in association with PIK3CA mutational profiles shall be addressed in a follow-up investigation for this patients’ cohort.
Predictive value of renal resistance index on the timing of CRRT weaning in patients with acute kidney injury in ICU
Authors: Zhang Zhuo , Xu Yan , Ma Yibo , Pu Hao , Zhou Shujun , Li Wen
Published: March 2023

Background: Few studies have been undertaken to establish the optimal time for discontinuing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in individuals with acute kidney injury (AKI). This study aimed to find prospective renal biomarkers or clinical signs that could indicate successful CRRT deconditioning.
Methods： A prospective observational study was carried out on 45 patients wt CRRT who discontinued following renal recovery. When patients did not require CRRT for at least 7 days, they were regarded as successfully discharged. Patients who resumed dialysis within seven days were deemed unsuccessful.
Results: 24 (53.3%) of the 45 patients examined were successfully released from CRRT. The 24-h urine volume after weaning cessation, the renal resistance index (RRI) after cessation, and the creatinine ratio on the day of weaning and the day following weaning were determined to be variables impacting the effectiveness of CRRT cessation in a multivariate model. The RRI AUC-ROC after CRRT discontinuation was 0.872 (0.76 -0.99), and the 24-h urine volume AUC-ROC was 0.929. (0.84-1.00). The AUC-ROC for the 24-h urine volume after CRRT discontinuation was 0.929 (0.84-1.00), and the creatinine ratio on the first day following CRRT cessation vs the day of weaning was 0.643 (0.476-0.810).
Conclusions: RRI was the main risk factor of successful CRRT weaning.
Single-step discovery of high-affinity RNA ligands by UltraSelex
Authors: Zhang Yaqing , Jiang Yuan , Kuster David , Ye Qiwei , Huang Wenhao , Fürbacher Simon , Zhang Jingye , Tang Zhipeng , Ibberson David , Wild Klemens , Sinning Irmgard , Hyman Anthony , Jäschke Andres
Published: March 2023

Aptamers, nucleic acid ligands against specific targets, have emerged as drug candidates, sensors, imaging tools, and nanotechnology building blocks. The most successful method for their development has been SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential Enrichment), an iterative procedure that is labor- and time-intensive and often enriches candidates for criteria other than those desired. Here we present UltraSelex, a non-iterative method that combines biochemical partitioning, high-throughput sequencing, and computational background minimization through statistical rank modeling. This approach avoids the common bias for abundant sequences and selects high-affinity ligands, even if they are extremely scarce. In six independent UltraSelex experiments (three towards each target), we discovered high-affinity aptamers for a fluorogenic silicon rhodamine dye, and a protein target, the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. These aptamers enabled live-cell RNA imaging and efficient enzyme inhibition, respectively. The wet-lab partitioning part of UltraSelex can be completed in a few hours, and including sequencing and rank modeling via a public web server, the identification of lead candidates can be accomplished in about one day. UltraSelex provides a rapid route to novel drug candidates and diagnostic tools with greatly improved performance.
Tob negatively regulates NF-κB activation in breast cancer through its association with the TNF receptor complex.
Authors: Yamamoto Tadashi , Tokumasu Miho , Sato Atsuko , Ito-Kureha Taku , Yamamoto Mizuki , Ohmine Nao , Semba Kentaro , Inoue Jun-ichiro
Published: March 2023

NF-κB mediates transcriptional regulation crucial to many biological functions, and elevated NF-κB activity leads to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, as well as cancer. Since highly aggressive breast cancers have few therapeutic molecular targets, clarification of key molecular mechanisms of NF-κB signaling would facilitate development of more effective therapy. In this report, we show that Tob, a member of the Tob/BTG family of antiproliferative proteins, acts as a negative regulator of the NF-κB signal in breast cancer. Studies with 35 human breast cancer cell lines reveal that Tob expression is negatively correlated with NF-κB activity. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database of clinical samples reveals an inverse correlation between Tob expression and NF-κB activity. Tob2, another member of the Tob/BTG family, shows no such negative correlations. Furthermore, in TNF-α treated cells, Tob associates with TNF receptor complex I to suppress polyubiquitylation of RIPK1, which results in repression of NF-kB activity. Therefore, Tob functions as a negative regulator of the NF-κB pathway and may serve as a therapeutic target for aggressive breast cancer.
Statistical Comparison among Brain Networks with Popular Network Measurement Algorithms
Authors: Pran Rakib Hassan
Published: March 2023

In this research, a number of popular network
measurement algorithms have been applied to several brain
networks (based on applicability of algorithms) for finding out
statistical correlation among these popular network
measurements which will help scientists to understand these
popular network measurement algorithms and their
applicability to brain networks. By analyzing the results of
correlations among these network measurement algorithms,
statistical comparison among selected brain networks has also
been summarized. Besides that, to understand each brain
network, the visualization of each brain network and each
brain network’s degree distribution histogram have been
extrapolated. Six network measurement algorithms have been
chosen to apply time to time on sixteen brain networks based
on applicability of these network measurement algorithms and
the results of these network measurements are put into a
correlation method to show the relationship among these six
network measurement algorithms for each brain network. At
the end, the results of the correlations have been summarized
to show the statistical comparison among these sixteen brain
networks.
Optic nerve sheath diameter as a new noninvasive marker for predicting the prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke in the intensive care unit
Authors: Wang Cuicui , Xing Yingqi , Li Cong , Chen Hongxiu , Meng Yan , Liu Ying , Zhang Jie , Wang Lijuan
Published: March 2023

Objective: Intracranial hypertension is linked to poor prognosis after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Intracranial pressure can be evaluated by using the ultrasonographic optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and transcranial Doppler (TCD). This study aims to determine whether ONSD and TCD parameters could noninvasively predict the prognosis of AIS patients.
Design: Prospective observational blinded study.
Setting: Neurology intensive care unit (ICU).
Patients: Consecutive patients with AIS.
Interventions: ONSD and TCD parameters of 81 AIS patients were obtained upon admission. The Glasgow Outcome Scale scores were evaluated at the 6-month follow-up. The clinical differences between the poor and good prognosis groups were compared. The association between variables and prognosis was assessed, and the cutoff values for the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and ONSD for predicting poor prognoses were analyzed.
Measurements and main results: At the 6-month follow-up, 54 patients had poor prognosis; the ONSDs of the poor and good prognosis groups were 5.45±0.38 and 4.96±0.32, respectively (P<0.001). There were no significant differences in TCD parameters between the two groups. ONSD (odds ratio [OR] 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–1.7; P<0.001) and GCS score (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5–0.9; P=0.003) were independent factors influencing poor prognosis. The best ONSD cutoff value for poor prognosis was 5.21 mm; the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve were 87.0%, 82.1%, and 0.862, respectively.
Conclusions: Ultrasonographic measurement of ONSD may be a new prognostic indicator of functional outcomes in ICU AIS patients. However, TCD parameters have no significant prognostic value for AIS patients.
A fractional-order Wilson-Cowan formulation of cortical disinhibition
Authors: González-Ramírez Laura Rocío
Published: March 2023

This work presents a fractional-order Wilson-Cowan model derivation under Caputo’s formalism, considering an order of 0 < α ≤ 1. To that end, we propose memory-dependent response functions and average neuronal excitation functions that permit us to naturally arrive to a fractional-order model that incorporates past dynamics into the description of synaptically coupled neuronal populations' activity. We then focus on a particular example to analyze the fractional-order dynamics of the disinhibited cortex. This system mimics cortical activity during neurological disorders such as epileptic seizures, which allows brain dynamics to transition to a hyperexcited activity state. In the first-order mathematical model, we recover traditional results showing a transition from a low-level activity state to a plausibly pathological high-level activity state as an external factor modifies cortical inhibition. On the other hand, under the fractional-order formulation, we establish novel results showing that the system resists such transition as the order is decreased, permitting the possibility of staying in the low-activity state even with increased disinhibition. Furthermore, considering the memory index interpretation of the fractional-order model motivation here developed, our results establish that by increasing the memory index, the system becomes more resistant to transitioning towards the high-level activity state. That is, a possible effect of the memory index is to stabilize neuronal activity. To summarize our results, we present a two-parameter structural portrait describing the system’s dynamics dependent on a proposed disinhibition parameter and the order. We also explore numerical model simulations to validate our results.
Prognostic analysis of patients with stage IIIC1p cervical cancer treated by surgery
Authors: Fan Xiang , Wang Yifei , Yang Ni , Zhu Pengfeng
Published: March 2023

Background
Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common gynecologic malignancies. The prognosis of patients with stage IIIC1p cervical cancer treated by surgery is heterogeneous. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the factors influencing the prognosis of patients with stage IIIC1p cervical cancer treated by surgery.
Methods
From January 2012 to December 2017,102 patients with cervical cancer who underwent surgical treatment in Department of Gynecology and Tumors, Changzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital and had pelvic lymph node metastasis confirmed by pathology were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent radical hysterectomy with/without oophorectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy with/without para-aortic lymphadenectomy. Information about the clinical features of patients were collected, including age, surgical method, ovarian status, intraoperative blood loss, perioperative complications, tumor size, pathological type, depth of stromal invasion(DSI), whether lymphatic vascular space was infiltrated, number of pelvic lymph node metastases, location of pelvic lymph node metastases, total number of lymph nodes resected, lymph node ratio(LNR), nature of vaginal margin, whether parametrium was involved, postoperative adjuvant therapy, preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and prognostic information of patients were followed up. Survival curves for overall survival(OS) and disease-free survival(DFS) were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the difference between the survival curves was tested using the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate COX regression models were used to assess the factors associated with overall survival and disease-free survival in patients with IIIC1p cervical cancer. Nomogram plots were constructed to predict OS and DFS, and the predictive accuracy of nomograms was measured by Harrell's C-index and calibration curves.
Results
A total of 102 patients with stage IIIC1p cervical cancer were included in the study, with a median follow-up time of 63 months (range from 6 to 130 months). The 5-year OS was 64.7% and the 5-year DFS was 62.7%. Multivariate analysis showed that no postoperative adjuvant therapy, LNR > 0.3 and NLR > 3.8 were independent risk factors for OS and DFS in patients with stage IIIC1p cervical cancer.
Conclusions
Patients with stage IIIC1p cervical cancer have a poor prognosis. Lower OS and DFS were associated with no postoperative adjuvant therapy, LNR > 0.3, and NLR > 3.8.