bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sampling SARS-CoV-2 Proteomes for Predicted CD8 T-Cell Epitopes as a Tool for Understanding Immunogenic Breadth and Rational Vaccine Design
Authors: Hare Jonathan , Morrison David , Nielsen Morten
Published: February 2021

Predictive models for vaccine design have become a powerful and necessary resource for the expeditiousness design of vaccines to combat the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic. Here we use the power of these predicted models to assess the sequence diversity of circulating SARS-CoV-2 proteomes in the context of an individual’s CD8 T-cell immune repertoire to identify potential. defined regions of immunogenicity. Using this approach of expedited and rational CD8 T-cell vaccine design, it may be possible to develop a therapeutic vaccine candidate with the potential for both global and local coverage.
Utilizing Text Mining, Data Linkage and Deep Learning in Police and Health Records to Predict Future Offenses in Family and Domestic Violence
Authors: Karystianis George , Cabral Rina Carines , Han Soyeon Caren , Poon Josiah , Butler Tony
Published: February 2021

Family and Domestic violence (FDV) is a global problem with significant social, economic, and health consequences for victims including increased health care costs, mental trauma, and social stigmatization. In Australia, the estimated annual cost of FDV is $22 billion, with one woman being murdered by a current or former partner every week. Despite this, tools that can predict future FDV based on the features of the person of interest (POI) and victim are lacking. The New South Wales Police Force attends thousands of FDV events each year and records details as fixed fields (e.g., demographic information for individuals involved in the event) and as text narratives which describe abuse types, victim injuries, threats, including the mental health status for POIs and victims. This information within the narratives is mostly untapped for research and reporting purposes. After applying a text mining methodology to extract information from 492,393 FDV event narratives (abuse types, victim injuries, mental illness mentions), we linked these characteristics with the respective fixed fields and with actual mental health diagnoses obtained from the NSW Ministry of Health for the same cohort to form a comprehensive FDV dataset. These data were input into five deep learning models (MLP, LSTM, Bi-LSTM, Bi-GRU, BERT) to predict three FDV offense types (“hands-on,” “hands-off,” “Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) breach”). The transformer model with BERT embeddings returned the best performance (69.00% accuracy; 66.76% ROC) for “ADVO breach” in a multilabel classification setup while the binary classification setup generated similar results. “Hands-off” offenses proved the hardest offense type to predict (60.72% accuracy; 57.86% ROC using BERT) but showed potential to improve with fine-tuning of binary classification setups. “Hands-on” offenses benefitted least from the contextual information gained through BERT embeddings in which MLP with categorical embeddings outperformed it in three out of four metrics (65.95% accuracy; 78.03% F1-score; 70.00% precision). The encouraging results indicate that future FDV offenses can be predicted using deep learning on a large corpus of police and health data. Incorporating additional data sources will likely increase the performance which can assist those working on FDV and law enforcement to improve outcomes and better manage FDV events.
Power System Network Topology Identification Based on Knowledge Graph and Graph Neural Network
Authors: Wang Changgang , An Jun , Mu Gang
Published: February 2021

The automatic identification of the topology of power networks is important for the data-driven and situation-aware operation of power grids. Traditional methods of topology identification lack a data-tolerant mechanism, and the accuracy of their performance in terms of identification is thus affected by the quality of data. Topology identification is related to the link prediction problem. The graph neural network can be used to predict the state of unlabeled nodes (lines) through training on features of labeled nodes (lines) with fault tolerance. Inspired by the characteristics of the graph neural network, we applied it to topology identification in this study. We propose a method to identify the topology of a power network based on a knowledge graph and the graph neural network. Traditional knowledge graphs can quickly mine possible connections between entities and generate graph structure data, but in the case of errors or informational conflicts in the data, they cannot accurately determine whether the relationships between the entities really exist. The graph neural network can use data mining to determine whether a connection obtained between entities is based on their eigenvalues, and has a fault tolerance mechanism to adapt to errors and informational conflicts in the graph data, but needs the graph data as database. The combination of the knowledge graph and the graph neural network can compensate for the deficiency of the single knowledge graph method. We tested the proposed method by using the IEEE 118-bus system and a provincial network system. The results showed that our approach is feasible and highly fault tolerant. It can accurately identify network topology even in the presence of conflicting and missing measurement-related information.
Homeostatic Response to Three Years of Experimental Warming Suggests High Intrinsic Natural Resistance in the Páramos to Warming in the Short Term
Authors: Lasso Eloisa , Matheus-Arbeláez Paola , Gallery Rachel E. , Garzón-López Carol , Cruz Marisol , Leon-Garcia Indira V. , Aragón Lina , Ayarza-Páez Alejandra , Curiel Yuste Jorge
Published: February 2021

Páramos, tropical alpine ecosystems, host one of the world’s most diverse alpine floras, account for the largest water reservoirs in the Andes, and some of the largest soil carbon pools worldwide. It is of global importance to understand the future of this extremely carbon-rich ecosystem in a warmer world and its role on global climate feedbacks. This study presents the result of the first in situ warming experiment in two Colombian páramos using Open-Top Chambers. We evaluated the response to warming of several ecosystem carbon balance-related processes, including decomposition, soil respiration, photosynthesis, plant productivity, and vegetation structure after 3 years of warming. We found that OTCs are an efficient warming method in the páramo, increasing mean air temperature by 1.7°C and mean daytime temperature by 3.4°C. The maximum air temperature differences between OTC and control was 23.1°C. Soil temperature increased only by 0.1°C. After 3 years of warming using 20 OTC (10 per páramo) in a randomized block design, we found no evidence that warming increased CO2 emissions from soil respiration, nor did it increase decomposition rate, photosynthesis or productivity in the two páramos studied. However, total C and N in the soil and vegetation structure are slowly changing as result of warming and changes are site dependent. In Sumapaz, shrubs, and graminoids cover increased in response to warming while in Matarredonda we observed an increase in lichen cover. Whether this change in vegetation might influence the carbon sequestration potential of the páramo needs to be further evaluated. Our results suggest that páramos ecosystems can resist an increase in temperature with no significant alteration of ecosystem carbon balance related processes in the short term. However, the long-term effect of warming could depend on the vegetation changes and how these changes alter the microbial soil composition and soil processes. The differential response among páramos suggest that the response to warming could be highly dependent on the initial conditions and therefore we urgently need more warming experiments in páramos to understand how specific site characteristics will affect their response to warming and their role in global climate feedbacks.
CT-Informed Skull Osteology of Palaeolagus haydeni (Mammalia: Lagomorpha) and Its Bearing on the Reconstruction of the Early Lagomorph Body Plan
Authors: Wolniewicz Andrzej S. , Fostowicz-Frelik Łucja
Published: February 2021

Lagomorpha is a clade of herbivorous mammals nested within Euarchontoglires, one of the major placental groups represented today. It comprises two extant families with markedly different body plans: the long-eared and long-limbed Leporidae (hares and rabbits) and the short-eared and short-limbed Ochotonidae (pikas). These two lagomorph lineages diverged probably during the latest Eocene/early Oligocene, but it is unclear whether the last common ancestor of crown lagomorphs was more leporid- or more ochotonid-like in morphology.Palaeolagus, an early lagomorph dominant in western North America from the late Eocene to Oligocene is of particular importance for addressing this controversy. Here, we present new and comprehensive data on the cranial anatomy ofPalaeolagus haydeni, the type species for the genus, based on micro-computed tomography (μCT). Our μCT data allow us to confirm, revise and score for the very first time the states of several leporid-like and ochotonid-like characters in the skull ofPalaeolagus. This mixed cranial architecture differentiatesPalaeolagusfrom the crown groups of Lagomorpha and supports its phylogenetic status as a stem taxon.
IL10- and IL35-Secreting MutuDC Lines Act in Cooperation to Inhibit Memory T Cell Activation Through LAG-3 Expression
Authors: Koga Marianna M. , Engel Adrien , Pigni Matteo , Lavanchy Christine , Stevanin Mathias , Laversenne Vanessa , Schneider Bernard L. , Acha-Orbea Hans
Published: February 2021

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells involved in the initiation of immune responses. We generated a tolerogenic DC (tolDC) line that constitutively secretes interleukin-10 (IL10-DCs), expressed lower levels of co-stimulatory and MHCII molecules upon stimulation, and induced antigen-specific proliferation of T cells. Vaccination with IL10-DCs combined with another tolDC line that secretes IL-35, reduced antigen-specific local inflammation in a delayed-type hypersensitivity assay independently on regulatory T cell differentiation. In an autoimmune model of rheumatoid arthritis, vaccination with the combined tolDCs after the onset of the disease impaired disease development and promoted recovery of mice. After stable memory was established, the tolDCs promoted CD4 downregulation and induced lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) expression in reactivated memory T cells, reducing T cell activation. Taken together, our findings indicate the benefits of combining anti-inflammatory cytokines in an antigen-specific context to treat excessive inflammation when memory is already established.
Transcriptional Profiling of STAT1 Gain-of-Function Reveals Common and Mutation-Specific Fingerprints
Authors: Giovannozzi Simone , Demeulemeester Jonas , Schrijvers Rik , Gijsbers Rik
Published: February 2021

STAT1 gain-of-function (GOF) is a primary immunodeficiency typically characterized by chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC), recurrent respiratory infections, and autoimmunity. Less commonly, also immunodysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy X-linked (IPEX)-like syndromes with CMC, and combined immunodeficiency without CMC have been described. Recently, our group and others have shown that different mutation-specific mechanisms underlie STAT1 GOF in vitro, including faster nuclear accumulation (R274W), and reduced mobility (R321, N574I) to near immobility in the nucleus (T419R) upon IFNγ stimulation. In this work, we evaluated the transcriptomic fingerprint of the aforementioned STAT1 GOF mutants (R274W, R321S, T419R, and N574I) relative to STAT1 wild-type upon IFNγ stimulation in an otherwise isogenic cell model. The majority of genes up-regulated in wild-type STAT1 cells were significantly more up-regulated in cells expressing GOF mutants, except for T419R. In addition to the common interferon regulated genes (IRG), STAT1 GOF mutants up-regulated an additional set of genes, that were in part shared with other GOF mutants or mutation-specific. Overall, R274W and R321S transcriptomes clustered with STAT1 WT, while T419R and N574I had a more distinct fingerprint. We observed reduced frequency of canonical IFNγ activation site (GAS) sequences in promoters of genes up-regulated by all the STAT1 GOF mutants, suggesting loss of DNA binding specificity for the canonical GAS consensus. Interestingly, the T419R mutation, expected to directly increase the affinity for DNA, showed the most pronounced effects on the transcriptome. T419R STAT1 dysregulated more non-IRG than the other GOF mutants and fewer GAS or degenerate GAS promotor sequences could be found in the promoter regions of these genes. In conclusion, our work confirms hyperactivation of common sets of IFNγ-induced genes in STAT1 GOF with additional dysregulation of mutation-specific genes, in line with the earlier observed mutation-specific mechanisms. Binding to more degenerate GAS sequences is proposed as a mechanism toward transcriptional dysregulation in R274W, R321S, and N574I. For T419R, an increased interaction with the DNA is suggested to result in a broader and less GAS-specific response. Our work indicates that multiple routes leading to STAT1 GOF are associated with common and private transcriptomic fingerprints, which may contribute to the phenotypic variation observed in vivo.
The Influence of Additives on the Rheological and Sedimentary Properties of Magnetorheological Fluid
Authors: Zhang Xiangcheng , Liu Xiaotong , Ruan Xiaohui , Zhao Jun , Gong Xinglong
Published: February 2021

In this research, the influence of additives on the rheological and sedimentary properties of the magnetorheological fluid (MRF) was tested and analyzed. The additives were stearic acid, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and their mixture, respectively. The MRF was composed of carbonyl iron particle, silicone oil, liquid paraffin, graphite particle, bentonite, stearic acid, and SDS. The results indicated that the rheological properties of the MRF were mainly influenced by the mass fraction of carbonyl iron particle. When the mass fractions of carbonyl iron particle and additive were the same, the shear stress of MRF with stearic acid was larger than that of MRF with SDS, and the maximum increment was 73.81%. When the mass fraction of carbonyl iron particle was 40–50%, the shear stress of MRF increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of the external magnetic flux density. When the mass fraction of carbonyl iron particle was 60–70%, the shear stress of MRF increased firstly and then was stable with the increase of the external magnetic flux density. The results indicated that the sedimentary property of MRF with the mixture was better than that of MRF with the stearic acid and SDS. The settling rate of MRF with the mixture increased 91.53% compared to other additives.
Inhibition of Pyruvate Kinase From Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum by IMP Is Independent of the Extra-C Domain
Authors: Fenton Christopher A. , Tang Qingling , Olson Daniel G. , Maloney Marybeth I. , Bose Jeffrey L. , Lynd Lee R. , Fenton Aron W.
Published: February 2021

The pyruvate kinase (PYK) isozyme from Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum (TsPYK) has previously been used in metabolic engineering for improved ethanol production. This isozyme belongs to a subclass of PYK isozymes that include an extra C-domain. Like other isozymes that include this extra C-domain, we found that TsPYK is activated by AMP and ribose-5-phosphate (R5P). Our use of sugar-phosphate analogs generated a surprising result in that IMP and GMP are allosteric inhibitors (rather than activators) of TsPYK. We believe this to be the first report of any PYK isozyme being inhibited by IMP and GMP. A truncated protein that lacks the extra C-domain is also inhibited by IMP. A screen of several other bacterial PYK enzymes (include several that have the extra-C domain) indicates that the inhibition by IMP is specific to only a subset of those isozymes.
Peptides Derived From the α-Core and γ-Core Regions of a Putative Silybum marianum Flower Defensin Show Antifungal Activity Against Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Fernández Agustina , Colombo María Laura , Curto Lucrecia M. , Gómez Gabriela E. , Delfino José M. , Guzmán Fanny , Bakás Laura , Malbrán Ismael , Vairo-Cavalli Sandra E.
Published: February 2021

Fusarium graminearum is the etiological agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), a disease that produces a significant decrease in wheat crop yield and it is further aggravated by the presence of mycotoxins in the affected grains that may cause health problems to humans and animals. Plant defensins and defensin-like proteins are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs); they are small basic, cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) ubiquitously expressed in the plant kingdom and mostly involved in host defence. They present a highly variable sequence but a conserved structure. The γ-core located in the C-terminal region of plant defensins has a conserved β-hairpin structure and is a well-known determinant of the antimicrobial activity among disulphide-containing AMPs. Another conserved motif of plant defensins is the α-core located in the N-terminal region, not conserved among the disulphide-containing AMPs, it has not been yet extensively studied. In this report, we have cloned the putative antimicrobial protein DefSm2, expressed in flowers of the wild plant Silybum marianum. The cDNA encodes a protein with two fused basic domains of an N-terminal defensin domain (DefSm2-D) and a C-terminal Arg-rich and Lys-rich domain. To further characterize the DefSm2-D domain, we built a 3D template-based model that will serve to support the design of novel antifungal peptides. We have designed four potential antifungal peptides: two from the DefSm2-D α-core region (SmAPα1-21 and SmAPα10-21) and two from the γ-core region (SmAPγ27-44 and SmAPγ29-35). We have chemically synthesized and purified the peptides and further characterized them by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. SmAPα1-21, SmAPα10-21, and SmAPγ27-44 inhibited the growth of the phytopathogen F. graminearum at low micromolar concentrations. Conidia exposure to the fungicidal concentration of the peptides caused membrane permeabilization to the fluorescent probe propidium iodide (PI), suggesting that this is one of the main contributing factors in fungal cell killing. Furthermore, conidia treated for 0.5h showed cytoplasmic disorganization as observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Remarkably, the peptides derived from the α-core induced morphological changes on the conidia cell wall, which is a promising target since its distinctive biochemical and structural organization is absent in plant and mammalian cells.
Evaluation of 18F-DCFPyL PSMA PET/CT for Prostate Cancer: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Pan Ke-Hao , Wang Jin-Feng , Wang Chun-Ying , Nikzad Abdul Aziz , Kong Fang Q. , Jian Li , Zhang Yin-Qiu , Lu Xiao-Ming , Xu Bin , Wang Ya-Li , Chen Ming
Published: February 2021

Background

To systematically review the clinical value of 18F-DCFPyL prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PSMA PET/CT) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods

Literature concerning 18F-DCFPyL PSMA PET/CT in the diagnosis of prostate cancer published from 2015 to 2020 was electronically searched in the databases including PubMed and Embase. Statistical analysis was carried out with STATA 15 software, and the quality of included studies was tested with quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS) items. The heterogeneity of the included data was tested.

Results

In total, nine pieces of literature involving 426 patients met the inclusion criteria. The heterogeneity of the study group was not obvious. The SEN, SPE, LR+, LR−, DOR as well as AUC of 18F-DCFPyL PSMA PET/CT diagnosis of prostate cancer were 0.91, 0.90, 8.9, 0.10, 93, and 0.93. The pooled DR of 18F-DCFPyL labeled PSMA PET/CT in PCa was 92%. The pooled DR was 89% for PSA≥0.5 ng/ml and 49% for PSA < 0.5ng/ml.

Conclusion

18F-DCFPyL PSMA PET/CT had good sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. The DR of 18F-DCFPyL PSMA PET/CT was correlated with PSA value. Further large-sample, high-quality studies were needed.
Chronic Exposure to 4-Nonylphenol Alters UDP-Glycosyltransferase and Sulfotransferase Clearance of Steroids in the Hard Coral, Pocillopora damicornis
Authors: Rougée Luc R. A. , Collier Abby C. , Richmond Robert H.
Published: February 2021

The effects of the xenoestrogen 4-nonylphenol (4NP) on endocrine and metabolic homeostasis in the reef building coral, Pocillopora damicornis were investigated. The aim was to understand if ubiquitous nonylphenol ethoxylate contaminants in the marine environment result in altered homeostatic function. Coral colonies were chronically exposed (6 weeks) to a sublethal concentration (1 ppb) of 4NP and sampled over the coral’s lunar reproductive cycle. Although activity of steroidogenic enzymes [cytochrome P450 (CYP) 17, CYP 19, and 3-β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase] and the conjugation enzyme glutathione-S-transferase was not altered, significant increases in the activity of the steroid clearing enzyme UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) were observed. The natural fluctuation of UGT activity with the lunar cycle was replaced with consistently high UGT activity throughout the reproductive cycle during 4NP exposure. No effect of 4NP on the reverse reaction, mediated by β-glucuronidase, was observed. Thus, 4NP shifts the UGT:β-glucuronidase ratio toward greater clearance at points in the lunar cycle where retention of compounds is typically favored. Additionally, 4NP reduced activity of the steroid regeneration enzyme steroid sulfatase, further shifting the system toward clearance rather than regeneration. These data imply that environmentally relevant levels of 4NP may be impacting the reproductive health of corals and threatening the persistence of coral reefs.
Maternal Immune Activation and Schizophrenia–Evidence for an Immune Priming Disorder
Authors: Choudhury Zahra , Lennox Belinda
Published: February 2021

Schizophrenia is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder affecting around 19. 8 million people worldwide. The etiology of the disorder is due to many interacting genetic and environmental factors, with no one element causing the full spectrum of disease symptoms. Amongst these factors, maternal immune activation (MIA) acting during specific gestational timings has been implicated in increasing schizophrenia risk in offspring. Epidemiological studies have provided the rationale for this link with prevalence of maternal infection correlating to increased risk, but these studies have been unable to prove causality due to lack of control of confounding factors like genetic susceptibility and inability to identify specific cellular and molecular mechanisms. Animal models have proved significantly more useful in establishing the extent to which MIA can predispose an individual to schizophrenia, displaying how maternal infection alone can directly result in behavioral abnormalities in rodent offspring. Alongside information from genome wide association studies (GWAS), animal models have been able to identify the role of complement proteins, particularly C4, and display how alterations in this system can cause development of schizophrenia-associated neuropathology and behavior. This article will review the current literature in order to assess whether schizophrenia can, therefore, be viewed as an immune priming disorder.
Genetic Risk Score Increased Discriminant Efficiency of Predictive Models for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Using Machine Learning: Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Yikang , Zhang Liying , Niu Miaomiao , Li Ruiying , Tu Runqi , Liu Xiaotian , Hou Jian , Mao Zhenxing , Wang Zhenfei , Wang Chongjian
Published: February 2021

Background: Previous studies have constructed prediction models for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but machine learning was rarely used and few focused on genetic prediction. This study aimed to establish an effective T2DM prediction tool and to further explore the potential of genetic risk scores (GRS) via various classifiers among rural adults.

Methods: In this prospective study, the GRS for a total of 5,712 participants from the Henan Rural Cohort Study was calculated. Cox proportional hazards (CPH) regression was used to analyze the associations between GRS and T2DM. CPH, artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF), and gradient boosting machine (GBM) were used to establish prediction models, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and net reclassification index (NRI) were used to assess the discrimination ability of the models. The decision curve was plotted to determine the clinical-utility for prediction models.

Results: Compared with the individuals in the lowest quintile of the GRS, the HR (95% CI) was 2.06 (1.40 to 3.03) for those with the highest quintile of GRS (Ptrend < 0.05). Based on conventional predictors, the AUCs of the prediction model were 0.815, 0.816, 0.843, and 0.851 via CPH, ANN, RF, and GBM, respectively. Changes with the integration of GRS for CPH, ANN, RF, and GBM were 0.001, 0.002, 0.018, and 0.033, respectively. The reclassifications were significantly improved for all classifiers when adding GRS (NRI: 41.2% for CPH; 41.0% for ANN; 46.4% for ANN; 45.1% for GBM). Decision curve analysis indicated the clinical benefits of model combined GRS.

Conclusion: The prediction model combined with GRS may provide incremental predictions of performance beyond conventional factors for T2DM, which demonstrated the potential clinical use of genetic markers to screen vulnerable populations.

Clinical Trial Registration: The Henan Rural Cohort Study is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Register (Registration number: ChiCTR-OOC-15006699). http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=11375.
Development and Validation of the Knowledge and Attitude Scale Toward COVID-19 Pandemic Breaking Transmission Chain (KA-C) Among Iranian Population
Authors: Abounoori Mahdi , Maddah Mohammad Moein , Sharif Nia Hamid , Rahmatpour Pardis , Khosravifar Shaghayegh , SamadiKouchaksaraei Mohammad , Khosravifar Shahrzad
Published: February 2021

Objectives:We aimed to develop a scale and evaluate this scale's validity and reliability to measure factors affecting people's knowledge and attitudes toward the pandemic breaking transmission chain.

Methods:This exploratory mixed-method study was carried out in two phases: (1) item generation using literature reviews and interviews and, (2) item reduction by psychometric assessments of the developed scale. The face, content, construct (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis), convergent, and discriminant validity of the scale were assessed in the Iranian population (n= 500) from March to June 2020. The Composite Reliability (CR) and the internal consistency correlation coefficient were estimated.

Results:The Knowledge and Attitude Scale Toward COVID-19 Pandemic Breaking Transmission Chain (KA-C) among the Iranian population included 18 items. Two factors with a whole variance of 66.05% were identified by exploratory factor analysis. Factors were labeled as “health literacy” and “home health empowerment.” The confirmatory factor analysis showed the goodness of fit. The CR of the scale for first and second factors were 0.965 and 0.833 receptively. The scale's internal consistency correlation coefficient was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.960 and 0.823, average interitem correlation = 0.643 and 0.635, McDonald's omega = 0.963 and 0.829, for the first and second factor, receptively).

Conclusion:The KA-C scale can be exerted to screen the people's knowledge and attitude about the COVID-19 pandemic breaking the transmission chain as a valid and reliable scale for further policymaking, health care providers, and for a multi-dimensional psychosocial assessment of the pandemic period.
From Conventional to Precision Therapy in Canine Mammary Cancer: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Valdivia Guillermo , Alonso-Diez Ángela , Pérez-Alenza Dolores , Peña Laura
Published: February 2021

Canine mammary tumors (CMTs) are the most common neoplasm in intact female dogs. Canine mammary cancer (CMC) represents 50% of CMTs, and besides surgery, which is the elective treatment, additional targeted and non-targeted therapies could offer benefits in terms of survival to these patients. Also, CMC is considered a good spontaneous intermediate animal model for the research of human breast cancer (HBC), and therefore, the study of new treatments for CMC is a promising field in comparative oncology. Dogs with CMC have a comparable disease, an intact immune system, and a much shorter life span, which allows the achievement of results in a relatively short time. Besides conventional chemotherapy, innovative therapies have a large niche of opportunities. In this article, a comprehensive review of the current research in adjuvant therapies for CMC is conducted to gather available information and evaluate the perspectives. Firstly, updates are provided on the clinical–pathological approach and the use of conventional therapies, to delve later into precision therapies against therapeutic targets such as hormone receptors, tyrosine kinase receptors,p53 tumor suppressor gene, cyclooxygenases, the signaling pathways involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and immunotherapy in different approaches. A comparison of the different investigations on targeted therapies in HBC is also carried out. In the last years, the increasing number of basic research studies of new promising therapeutic agents on CMC cell lines and CMC mouse xenografts is outstanding. As the main conclusion of this review, the lack of effort to bring thein vitrostudies into the field of applied clinical research emerges. There is a great need for well-planned large prospective randomized clinical trials in dogs with CMC to obtain valid results for both species, humans and dogs, on the use of new therapies. Following the One Health concept, human and veterinary oncology will have to join forces to take advantage of both the economic and technological resources that are invested in HBC research, together with the innumerable advantages of dogs with CMC as a spontaneous animal model.
Pisma Krzysztofa Kluka jako źródło leksykalne do Słownika języka polskiego S.B. Lindego.
Authors: Szamryk Konrad Kazimierz
Published: February 2021

The aim of this paper is to discuss the writings by Krzysztof Kluk (1739–1796),
a naturalist of the Enlightenment, the author of Dykcjonarz roślinny (Dictionary
of plants) and guidebooks in the fi elds of botany, zoology, and mineralogy as
lexical sources of Słownik języka polskiego (Dictionary of Polish) by S.B. Linde
(LD). The paper presents an analysis of the material excerpted from Volumes 1
and 3 of LD, which has allowed the estimation that K. Kluk is discussed more
frequently in the dictionary than J. Kochanowski, P. Kochanowski, J. Przybylski,
and only slightly less frequently than M. Rej and W. Potocki. The material has
been analysed also with the use of the method of semantic fi elds, which has
enabled identifi cation of the thematic circles that allow the determination of the
angle from which S.B. Linde excerpted vocabulary from K. Kluk’s writings. The
lexis from Kluk’s works in LD is not limited only to names of plants, animals
or minerals; it covers also parts of the body, animal husbandry (e.g. horses,
birds, bee-keeping, fi shery), gardening, agriculture, animal diseases, metal and
mineral working, transport, construction, home appliances, food, clothes, and
social life.
Nazwy czarnoskórych mieszkańców Afryki w dawnych przekładach Nowego Testamentu.
Authors: Zarębski Rafał
Published: February 2021

The author analyses translation equivalents of the names referring to black
people (Gr. Αἰθίοψ, Νίγερ, Lat. Aethiops, Niger) in old Polish translations of the
New Testament. He has excerpted translations based on Greek sources as
well as on the Latin Vulgate, diversifi ed according to the translation method
and religious denomination. The number of the excerpted Polish equivalents
(transferred words: ‘Niger’, adopted words: ‘Murzyn’ (Negro), and its derivatives,
ethnonyms: ‘Etiopczyk’, ‘Etyjopianin’ (Ethiopian), native words: ‘Czarny’ (Black))
have been confronted with the terms accepted in etymological dictionaries and
history books. The author concludes that the translators from the Middle Polish
period used the translation equivalents referring to black inhabitants of Africa
quite freely. The reason for that was that the names ‘Murzyn’ and ‘Czarny’ were
not burdened with such a stylistic and pragmatic load in the Old Polish language
as they are in Modern Polish.
Performatywne rozpoznania medialności polityki w myśli Judith Butler
Authors: Sanakiewicz Marcin
Published: February 2021

Judith Butler, an American philosopher and performance theorist, sees the transformations of public sphere and democracy in the possibilities of making visible the human bodies. Butler interprets a performance as a setting boundary for belonging to a community. Public appearance requires the existence of the body and media technologies. In this way, the performative nature of political activities acquires the characteristics of biopower, according to Michel Foucault: control over the coupling of social and biological existence of man, taking into account his public visibility. Politics, by merging with what is media, obtains a performative (discursive/event) character.
Strategia komunikacyjna Konfederacji w wyborach w 2019 roku – próba rekonstrukcji
Authors: Kolczyński Mariusz
Published: February 2021

The analysis of electoral actions taken by Konfederacja [Confederation Liberty and Independence] party in 2019 leads to assumption that their core formation achieved a consistent (also regarding axiological dimension) strategic plan which included two campaigns and was aimed at arising on Polish political market (gaining parliamentary representation). Organization and consolidation of a new political formation, able (in terms of structure, resources and strategy) to create a communication strategy allowing them to effectively compete in parliamentary elections, should be regarded as considerable success.
Monopolizacja władzy kulturowej w liberalnej demokracji
Authors: Węgrzecki Janusz
Published: February 2021

There is cultural domination of power in contemporary system of liberal democracy. In effect there is reaction as social, political and cultural evolution in Poland, Europe, USA. The article analyses different definitions of liberalism, describes interpretation of cultural monopolization of power, its character, mechanisms, manifests and reaction to domination of liberal-left identity. In conclusions describes identity clash of liberal-left with liberal-right and proposes a new deal and new consensus that establish a new form of democratic state as liberal-left-right democratic.
Molecular Subtyping and Outlier Detection in Human Disease Using the Paraclique Algorithm
Authors: Hagan Ronald D. , Langston Michael A.
Published: February 2021

Recent discoveries of distinct molecular subtypes have led to remarkable advances in treatment for a variety of diseases. While subtyping via unsupervised clustering has received a great deal of interest, most methods rely on basic statistical or machine learning methods. At the same time, techniques based on graph clustering, particularly clique-based strategies, have been successfully used to identify disease biomarkers and gene networks. A graph theoretical approach based on the paraclique algorithm is described that can easily be employed to identify putative disease subtypes and serve as an aid in outlier detection as well. The feasibility and potential effectiveness of this method is demonstrated on publicly available gene co-expression data derived from patient samples covering twelve different disease families.
London Street Noises: A Ground-Breaking Field Recording Campaign from 1928
Authors: Drever John L. , Yildirim Aysegul , Cobianchi Mattia
Published: February 2021

In a leading article by Sir Percival Philips in the UK popular newspaper, the Daily Mail, July 16, 1928, came the following headlines: “Millions Lost by Noise – Cities’ Worst Plague – Menace to Nerves and Health – What is Being Done to Stop it”. The article was supported by research from Prof Henry J. Spooner, who had been researching and campaigning on the ill-effects of noise and its economic impact. The article sparked subsequent discussion and follow-up articles in the Daily Mail and its international partners. In an era of rapid technological change, that was on the cusp of implementing sound pressure measurements, the Daily Mail, in collaboration with the Columbia Graphophone Company Ltd, experimented with sound recording technology and commentary in the field to help communicate perceived loudness and identify the sources of “unnecessary noise”. This resulted in the making of series of environmental sound recordings from five locations across central London during September 1928, the findings of which were documented and discussed in the Daily Mail at the time, and two recordings commercially released by Columbia on shellac gramophone disc. This was probably the first concerted anti-noise campaign of this type and scale, requiring huge technological efforts. The regulatory bodies and politicians of the time reviewed and improved the policies around urban noise shortly after the presentation of the recordings, which were also broadcast from the BBC both nationally and internationally, and many members of the public congratulated and thanked the Daily Mail for such an initiative. Despite its unpreceded scale and impact, and the recent scholarly attention on the history of anti-noise campaigning, this paper charts and contextualises the Daily Mail’s London Street Noise campaign for the first time. As well as historical research, this data has also been used to start a longitudinal comparative study still underway, returning to make field recordings on the site on the 80th and 90th anniversaries and during the COVID-19 lockdown, and shared on the website londonstreetnoises.co.uk.
Extended-State-Observer-Based Super Twisting Control for Pneumatic Muscle Actuators
Authors: Cao Yu , Fu Zhongzheng , Zhang Mengshi , Huang Jian
Published: February 2021

This paper presents a tracking control method for pneumatic muscle actuators (PMAs). Considering that the PMA platform only feedbacks position, and the velocity and disturbances cannot be observed directly, we use the extended-state-observer (ESO) for simultaneously estimating the system states and disturbances by using measurable variables. Integrated with the ESO, a super twisting controller (STC) is design based on estimated states to realize the high-precision tracking. According to the Lyapunov theorem, the stability of the closed-loop system is ensured. Simulation and experimental studies are conducted, and the results show the convergence of the ESO and the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Characterisation and Control of a Woven Biomimetic Actuator for Wearable Neurorehabilitative Devices
Authors: Murphy Vaughan , Edmonds Brandon P. R. , Trejos Ana Luisa
Published: February 2021

Twisted coiled actuators (TCAs) are a type of soft actuator made from polymer fibres such as nylon sewing thread. As they provide motion in a compact, lightweight, and flexible package, they provide a solution to the actuation of wearable mechatronic devices for motion assistance. Their limitation is that they provide low total force, requiring them to actuate in parallel with multiple units. Previous literature has shown that the force and stroke production can be improved by incorporating them into fabric meshes. A fabric mesh could also improve the contraction efficiency, strain rate, and user comfort. Therefore, this study focused on measuring these performance metrics for a set of TCAs embedded into a woven fabric mesh. The experimental results show that the stroke of the actuators scaled linearly with the number of activated TCAs, achieving a maximum applied force of 11.28 N, a maximum stroke of 12.23%, and an efficiency of 1.8%. Additionally, two control methods were developed and evaluated, resulting in low overshoot and steady-state error. These results indicate that the designed actuators are viable for use in wearable mechatronic devices, since they can scale to meet different requirements, while being able to be accurately controlled with minimal additional components.
Spatial Variation in Particulate Emission Resulting from Animal Farming in Poland
Authors: Roman Monika , Roman Kamil , Roman Michał
Published: February 2021

The article presents a spatial variation in particulate emission from animal farming in Poland. In addition, this paper estimates the PM2.5 and PM10 particulate emissions. The data on respective emissions sources have been acquired from the Central Statistics Authority (GUS) of 2019 (Local Data Bank). The emissions of PM2.5 and PM10 particulates were estimated from the structure of the emissions sources covered in the “EEA/EMEP Emission Inventory Guidebook” following the Tier 1 method. The research shows that, in Poland, the biggest share in particulate emission is found for poultry and cattle farming, which are the emissions of 5.5 and 3 m kg of particulates annually all across Poland, respectively. The highest pollution with PM2.5 resulting from animal farming was recorded for the Podlaskie (0.19 kg/ha), Wielkopolskie (0.16 kg/ha), and Mazowieckie (0.14 kg/ha) provinces, whereas the highest pollution with PM10 was recorded for the Wielkopolskie province (0.83 kg/ha). The key sources of particulate emission indicated in the study facilitate adapting the adequate method to reduce the particulate emissions in respective provinces. It is essential, especially due to the negative effect of particulates on human health.
Land Uses, Altitude and Texture Effects on Soil Parameters. A Comparative Study in Two Districts of Nagaland, Northeast India
Authors: Mishra Gaurav , Francaviglia Rosa
Published: February 2021

Northeast (NE) India is a typical tropical ecosystem with a luxuriant forest vegetation cover, but nowadays forests are under stress due to exploitation and land use changes, which are known to affect soil health and productivity. However, due to a scarcity of data, the influence of land uses and altitude on soil properties of this peculiar ecosystem is poorly quantified. This study presents the changes in soil properties in two districts of Nagaland (Mon and Zunheboto) in relation to land uses (forest, plantation, jhum and fallow jhum), altitude (<500 m, 500–1000 m, >1000 m) and soil texture (coarse, medium, fine). For this, a random soil sampling was performed in both the districts. Results indicated that soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and available potassium (K) were significantly influenced by land uses in the Mon district, while in Zunheboto a significant difference was observed in available phosphorus (P) content. SOC stocks showed an increasing trend with elevation in both districts. The influence of altitude on P was significant and the maximum concentration was at lower elevations (<500 m). In Mon, soil texture significantly affected SOC stocks and the available N and P content. The variability in soil properties due to land uses, altitudinal gradients and textural classes can be better managed with the help of management options, which are still needed for this ecosystem.
Management and Land Cover Changes in the Western Carpathian Traditional Orchard Landscape in the Period after 1948
Authors: Žarnovičan Hubert , Kollár Jozef , Falťan Vladimír , Petrovič František , Gábor Marian
Published: February 2021

In Slovakia, traditional orchards, like other European rural landscapes and their agricultural systems, are at long-term risk from changes in land use and management. We focused on this issue in the Nová Baňa dispersed settlement region (central Slovakia), which contains numerous traditional orchards. Management changes over the period 1949–2017 were evaluated on the basis of structured interviews conducted with the owners of 63 traditional orchards. Management measures were evaluated separately for 1949, 1970, 1991, 2000, 2007 and 2017. These data were supplemented by data on land cover over time, with an emphasis on orchards, evaluated for the years 1949, 1976, 1991 and 2017 using historical orthophoto maps. Traditional orchard management included mowing, grazing, plowing, fertilizing, and litter raking. By 2017, the management regime had changed in 92% of orchards. The use of plowing and grazing in orchards decreased, and the use of mulching has increased since 2000. From 1949 to 2017, the number of identifiable management regimes doubled; regimes consisting of a single management measure appeared, while regimes of multiple management measures decreased in frequency. Between 1949 and 2017, there was a total decrease of 38.36% in the area of traditional orchards; 31.62% of orchards remained unchanged. The largest decrease was caused by orchard conversion into grasslands (18.93%), forests (13.81%), shrubs (9.42%) and urbanized areas (8.87%).
What Should Farmers’ Rights Look Like? The Possible Substance of a Right
Authors: Adhikari Kamalesh , Bikundo Edwin , Chacko Xan , Chapman Susannah , Humphries Fran , Johnson Hope , Keast Evan , Lawson Charles , Malbon Justin , Robinson Daniel , Rourke Michelle , Sanderson Jay , Tranter Kieran
Published: February 2021

Farmers’ Rights formally appeared in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) as a means of recognising the past, present, and future contributions of farmers in conserving, improving, and making available the plant genetic materials that are important for food and agriculture. Discussions have been underway under the auspices of the ITPGRFA’s Governing Body with the recent Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Farmers’ Rights (AHTEG-FR) collecting together views, experiences, and best practices to produce an inventory and options for encouraging, guiding, and promoting the realisation of Farmers’ Rights. While this is useful, this article reports on the outcomes of a workshop that applied a different methodology. Our purpose was to identify what could be and should be the substance of Farmers’ Rights so that the policy substance drives the implementation rather than the AHTEG-FR’s retro-fitting Farmers’ Rights to existing views, best practices, and measures. The contribution of this article is to develop and set out a list of possible substantive Farmers’ Rights as a contribution and foundation for further consultations and negotiations.
Decreased Size of Mammary Tumors Caused by Preoperative Treatment with Aglepristone in Female Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris) Do Not Influence the Density of the Benign Neoplastic Tissue Measured Using Shear Wave Elastography Technique
Authors: Pieczewska Barbara , Glińska-Suchocka Kamila , Niżański Wojciech , Dzięcioł Michał
Published: February 2021

Shear wave elastography (SWE) can be useful to discriminate between malignant and benign mammary tumors. In dogs with elevated progesterone levels compared to the baseline and fast-growing tumors, treatment with the use of aglepristone allows for tumor size reduction, which facilitates surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the preoperative treatment of benign mammary tumors (BMTs), performed with the use of aglepristone, on the density of the tumor tissue measured by SWE. Twelve female dogs with diagnosed BMTs and increased levels of progesterone were treated with aglepristone (Alizine, Virbac, France) at 10 mg/kg s.c. (Subcutaneous injection). twice, with a 24 h interval. The density of the tumor was evaluated by SWE before and after the treatment. The type of tumor was evaluated by fine needle aspiration cytology before treatment, and a histopathological examination was made after surgical removal, performed after the aglepristone treatment. In all the cases, a significant reduction in the mammary tumor’s size was observed following treatment, with no influence on the density of the tumor’s tissue measured by SWE. Similar studies on malignant mammary tumors are warranted to verify if in these cases, density will also be a constant parameter that is not dependent on the tumor size.