bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathogenesis of sarcopenia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Ma Kai , Huang Fengxiang , Qiao Ruiping , Miao Lijun
Published: July 2022

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common pulmonary disease characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow obstruction. In addition to lung diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often associated with other organ diseases, and sarcopenia is one of the common diseases. In recent years, multiple factors have been proposed to influence muscle dysfunction in COPD patients, including systemic and local inflammation, oxidative stress, hypoxia, hypercapnia, protein synthesis, catabolic imbalance, nutritional changes, disuse, ageing, and the use of medications such as steroids. These factors alone or in combination can lead to a reduction in muscle mass and cross-sectional area, deterioration of muscle bioenergy metabolism, defects in muscle repair and regeneration mechanisms, apoptosis and other anatomical and/or functional pathological changes, resulting in a decrease in the muscle’s ability to work. This article reviews the research progress of possible pathogenesis of sarcopenia in COPD.
Mortality, Enzymatic Antioxidant Activity and Gene Expression of Cabbage Aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae L.) in Response to Trichoderma longibrachiatum T6
Authors: Inayat Rehan , Khurshid Aroosa , Boamah Solomon , Zhang Shuwu , Xu Bingliang
Published: July 2022

Aphids are one of the most common insect pests in greenhouse and field crops worldwide, causing significant crop yields and economic losses. The objective of this study was to determine the mortality, enzymatic antioxidant activity and gene expression of cabbage aphids (Brevicoryne brassicaeL.) in response toTrichoderma longibrachiatumT6 (T6) at different time points from Day 1 to 7 after inoculation. Our results showed that the highest mortality ofB. brassicaewas observed on Day 7 at a concentration of 1 × 108spores ml−1(73.31%) after inoculation with T6 compared with the control on Day 7 (11.51%). The activities of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were increased by 52.98%, 44.77%, 48.26%, 49.39%, 45.13% and 39.67%, respectively on Day 3 after inoculation with T6 compared to the control. Howerver increased days post treatment (dpt) decreased the activities of SOD,POD,CAT,APX,GPX and GST enzymes by 20.79%, 21.05%, 13.75%, 20.45%, 25.38%, and 19.76% repectively on Day 7 compared to control. The transcript levels ofSOD,POD,CAT,GPX, andGSTgenes were increased by 10.87, 9.87, 12.77, 6.22 and 4.07 respectively at Day 3 after inoculation with T6 in comparison to the control. However, theSOD,POD,CAT,GPX, andGSTtranscription levels decreased by 0.43, 0.44, 0.35, 0.52 and 0.47 respectively, compared to control at Day 7.Our results suggest that the T6 strain has a potential effect on the antioxidant activity and mortality ofB. brassicaeand therefore could be used as a natural biocontrol agent againstB. brassicaein the future.
Unveiling the Angiotensin-(1–7) Actions on the Urinary Bladder in Female Rats
Authors: Lamy Gustavo B. , Cafarchio Eduardo M. , do Vale Bárbara , Antonio Bruno B. , Venancio Daniel P. , de Souza Janaina S. , Maciel Rui M. , Giannocco Gisele , Silva Neto Artur F. , Oyama Lila M. , Aronsson Patrik , Sato Monica A.
Published: July 2022

Angiotensin-(1–7) is a peptide produced by different pathways, and regardless of the route, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) is involved in one of the steps of its synthesis. Angiotensin-(1–7) binds to Mas receptors localized in different cells throughout the body. Whether angiotensin-(1–7) exerts any action in the urinary bladder (UB) is still unknown. We investigated the effects of intravenous and topical (in situ) administration of angiotensin-(1–7) on intravesical pressure (IP) and cardiovascular variables. In addition, the Mas receptors and ACE-2 gene and protein expression were analyzed in the UB. Adult female Wistar rats were anesthetized with 2% isoflurane in 100% O2 and submitted to the catheterization of the femoral artery and vein for mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) recordings, and infusion of drugs, respectively. The renal blood flow was acquired using a Doppler flow probe placed around the left renal artery and the renal conductance (RC) was calculated as a ratio of Doppler shift (kHz) and MAP. The cannulation of the UB was performed for IP recording. We observed that angiotensin-(1–7) either administered intravenously [115.8 ± 28.6% angiotensin-(1–7) vs. −2.9 ± 1.3% saline] or topically [147.4 ± 18.9% angiotensin-(1–7) vs. 3.2 ± 2.8% saline] onto the UB evoked a significant (p < 0.05) increase in IP compared to saline and yielded no changes in MAP, HR, and RC. The marked response of angiotensin-(1–7) on the UB was also investigated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting assay, which demonstrated the mRNA and protein expression of Mas receptors in the bladder, respectively. ACE-2 mRNA and protein expression was also observed in the bladder. Therefore, the findings demonstrate that angiotensin-(1–7) acts in the UB to increase the IP and suggest that this peptide can be also locally synthesized in the UB.
Research progress of placental vascular pathophysiological changes in pregnancy-induced hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Lei Jiahui , Zhao Meng , Li Lingjun , Ji Bingyu , Xu Ting , Sun Miao , Chen Jie , Qiu Junlan , Gao Qinqin
Published: July 2022

The placenta is a vital organ for fetal development, providing the fetus with nutrients, oxygen, and other important factors. Placenta is rich in blood vessels. Abnormal placental vascular function and blood circulation may lead to insufficient blood supply to the fetus in the uterus, leading to serious consequences such as pregnancy complications, fetal distress and even stillbirth. Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are common complications of pregnancy. Recent studies report that pregnancy complications are often accompanied by changes in placental vascular structure and function. What are the physiological characteristics of human placental blood vessels? What are the pathological changes in the state of PIH and GDM? What are the relationships between these pathological changes and the occurrence of these pregnancy complications? Answers to these questions not only increase the understanding of placental vascular characteristics, but also provide important information for revealing the pathological mechanism of PIH and GDM. This article will summarize the research on the pathological changes of placental blood vessels in PIH and GDM, hoping to further unravel the physiological and pathological characteristics of placental blood vessels in the state of PIH and GDM, provide information for guiding clinical treatment for PIH and GDM.
The double-edged sword effect of ethical leadership on constructive deviance: An integrated model of two approaches based on organizational identification and normative conflict
Authors: Niu Lixia , Xia Wende , Liu Yong
Published: July 2022

Based on the normative conflict model, this study proposes a dual-pathway model that is constituted of organizational identification and normative conflict, and examines the double-edged sword effect of ethical leadership on subordinates’ constructive deviance. According to the analysis of 449 questionnaires collected from Chinese employees, the results show that ethical leadership can promote employees’ constructive deviance by improving their constructive intention (Organizational identification), and it can weaken employees’ deviance motivation (normative conflict) to prevent their constructive deviance. Moreover, ethical leadership has different effects on different types of constructive deviance. This research further enriches the formation mechanism of constructive deviance and provides practical guidance to exert the effectiveness of constructive deviance in organizational management.
Entrepreneurship education-infiltrated computer-aided instruction system for college Music Majors using convolutional neural network
Authors: Cao Hong
Published: July 2022

The purpose is to improve the teaching and learning efficiency of college Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education (IEE). Firstly, from the perspective of aesthetic education, this work designs the teacher and student sides of the Computer-aided Instruction (CAI) system. Secondly, the CAI model is implemented based on the weight sharing and local perception of the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Finally, the performance of the CNN-based CAI model is tested. Meanwhile, it analyses students’ IEE experience under the proposed CAI model through a case study of Music Majors from Xi’an Conservatory of Music. The experimental data show that the CNN-based CAI model can respond quickly and stably when users access different functional modules, such as webpage browsing. The proposed CAI model increases students’ entrepreneurial interest, skills, and knowledge by 55.62, 57.32, and 72.12%, respectively. Students’ entrepreneurial practice ability has been improved by over 50.00%; such an increase in entrepreneurial practice ability has also shown individual differences. Thus, the proposed Music Majors-oriented IEE-infiltrated CAI model based on CNN improves students’ entrepreneurial practice ability and reflects the positive experience of Music Majors on IEE. The finding provides references for the step-by-step identification of the CNN-based CAI model and has certain guiding significance for analyzing the effect of college IEE.
Thought-Shapers Embedded
Authors: Kondor Zsuzsanna
Published: July 2022

Accepting the idea that the mental representations of concepts, diagrams, relations, plans, etc., are thought-shapers, I suggest going a bit further. Any kind of representation, be it mental or public, i.e., accessible to others, bears thought-shaping potential, albeit not in the same manner. Just as the idea of embodied cognition takes into consideration environmental facilities and obstacles, I suggest investigating thought processes in a broader context, i.e., placing thought-shapers in the context of their formation. I propose that the elements of the above mentioned definition of thought-shapers are built upon a structure that consists of representational skills, means, and institutions. In accordance with the idea of embeddedness and enactment, the need for communication and the given cognitive and physical aptitudes result in different kinds of expression, i.e., different kinds of representations available to others. When an expressional mode solidifies, it opens up new possibilities and limitations. I propose that mundane, almost unnoticeable affordances and their accompanying limits do shape our thoughts thoroughly. In my argument for the thought-shaper potential of the generative technique of public representations, I will delineate a historical overview of representational means in tandem with the main characteristics of different eras’ crucial ideals and patterns of reasoning. I will close the historical overview with a terminological excursion exploring how publicly available representation and mental representation relate to each other and the kinds of ambiguities that accompany the latter term’s use. Accordingly, embedding thought-shapers, I will outline the evolution of different representational techniques and skills. Then, because language is a decisive representational means, I will investigate its orientating and distortive potential. I will rely on some of Bergson’s lesser-known remarks. I will illuminate how ocular-centrism was able to be a decisive metaphor in science and philosophy for long centuries, until recently even. In conclusion, as a case study, I will illuminate how the term “mental representation” as a highly abstract term facilitates and at the same time hinders philosophical and scientific inquiry.
“We are doing the best we can to bridge the gap” - service provider perspectives of educational services for autism spectrum disorder in South Africa
Authors: Pillay Sarosha , Duncan Madeleine , de Vries Petrus J.
Published: July 2022

Background

The South African education system is increasingly unable to meet the growing needs of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent studies in the Western Cape, one of the better resourced provinces in South Africa, showed that the pathway to care for children with ASD was an inconsistent and lengthy process, and that many children with ASD waited for extended periods to get access to an appropriate school placement. It is therefore clear that scalable and sustainable solutions are required to improve access to appropriate education for children with ASD.

Methods

Here we performed a qualitative study using thematic analysis of ten multi-sectorial ASD service provider interviews in the Western Cape Province to examine provider perspectives and proposed solutions to meet the educational needs of children with ASD.

Results

Provider perspectives were grouped in three categories: “bridging the gap across the spectrum and lifespan”, “gaps to bridge”, and “building bridges”. The first category captured provider perspectives of the service-related needs inherent to a diagnosis of ASD. The second category summarized service provider views of the challenges associated with providing services to children with ASD and the third category captured provider perspectives on potential actions to improve ASD education services delivery in the province. The overarching theme that emerged was “We're doing the best we can to bridge the gap”.

Conclusion

Participants provided ten key recommendations for service strengthening that may lead to contextually relevant innovations to meet the educational needs of children with ASD in the province. Findings from this study has direct relevance to other South African provinces and may have relevance to improve pathways and reduce service delivery gaps also in other low-and-middle-income countries.
Sustainable Participatory Governance: Data-Driven Discovery of Parameters for Planning Online and In-Class Education in Saudi Arabia During COVID-19
Authors: Alswedani Sarah , Mehmood Rashid , Katib Iyad
Published: July 2022

Everything about our life is complex. It should not be so. New approaches to governance are needed to tackle these complexities and the rising global challenges. Smartization of cities and societies has the potential to unite us, humans, on a sustainable future for us through its focus on the triple bottom line (TBL) – social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Data-driven analytics are at the heart of this smartization. This study provides a case study on sustainable participatory governance using a data-driven parameter discovery for planning online, in-class, and blended learning in Saudi Arabia evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, we developed a software tool comprising a complete machine learning pipeline and used a dataset comprising around 2 million tweets in the Arabic language collected during a period of over 14 months (October 2020 to December 2021). We discovered fourteen governance parameters grouped into four governance macro parameters. These discovered parameters by the tool demonstrate the possibility and benefits of our sustainable participatory planning and governance approach, allowing the discovery and grasp of important dimensions of the education sector in Saudi Arabia, the complexity of the policy, the procedural and practical issues in continuing learning during the pandemic, the factors that have contributed to the success of teaching and learning during the pandemic times, both its transition to online learning and its return to in-class learning, the challenges public and government have faced related to learning during the pandemic times, and the new opportunities for social, economical, and environmental benefits that can be drawn out of the situation created by the pandemic. The parameters and information learned through the tool can allow governments to have a participatory approach to governance and improve their policies, procedures, and practices, perpetually through public and stakeholder feedback. The data-driven parameter discovery approach we propose is generic and can be applied to the governance of any sector. The specific case study is used to elaborate on the proposed approach.
Intuitionistic and Interval-Valued Fuzzy Set Representations for Data Mining
Authors: Petry Fred , Yager Ronald
Published: July 2022

Data mining refers to a variety of techniques in the fields of databases, machine learning and pattern recognition. The intent is to obtain useful patterns and associations from a large collection of data. In this paper we describe extensions to the attribute generalization process to deal with interval and intuitionistic fuzzy information. Specifically, we consider extensions for using interval-valued fuzzy representations in both data and the generalization hierarchy. Moreover, preliminary representations using intuitionistic fuzzy information for attribute generalization are described. Finally, we consider how to use fuzzy hierarchies for the generalization of interval-valued fuzzy representations.
Combined Passive/Active Flow Control of Drag and Lift Forces on a Cylinder in Crossflow Using a Synthetic Jet Actuator and Porous Coatings
Authors: Farrell Gearóid , Gibbons Michael , Persoons Tim
Published: July 2022

This paper combines a synthetic jet actuator (SJA) and a leeward porous coating to alter the aerodynamic forces on a cylinder in crossflow at Re = 4.2 × 104. While SJAs and porous coatings are known to be effective flow control methods in isolation, their combined effect has not been studied. A 2D numerical model was created of a cylinder with a SJA at 90° and 100° leeward porous coating. The model was validated using accompanying water tunnel tests. The combined model was tested for dimensionless frequencies 0.15 <f+< 4 and compared to reference models. For f+< 1, using only the SJA increases the cylinder drag coefficient (Cd). Combining a porous coating with the SJA in that regime lowers the Cd values by 15–21%, and causes an overall reduction in Cd compared to the smooth cylinder baseline case. However, using only the porous coating causes a superior 35% reduction in Cd. For f+> 1, the combined SJA and porous coating configuration did not differ from the SJA only configuration, achieving the largest drag reduction of 45% at f+ = 4. The flow control mechanisms of the SJA and porous coating do not combine constructively in this current setup. However, the porous coating is beneficial for f+< 1, causing an overall drag reduction even when the active SJA tends to increase drag.
Empirical Analysis of Strategic Management in Inter-Governmental Organization
Authors: Wan James , Wang Ling , Saade Raafat , Guan Hong , Liu Hao
Published: July 2022

In this study, we present a strategic change theoretical model and empirically validate it in the context of inter-governmental organizations. We followed a survey methodology approach and tested our model hypotheses using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Traditional strategic management models were created primarily with the private sector in mind. Therefore, validation of the model constructs for their appropriateness to the present construct is essential, especially that these types of organizations, such as those of the United Nations agencies, face major challenges when it comes to change. We found significant re-groupings of items, leading to the necessity to reformulate the constructs, as the context of our study is significantly different. We found that institutional pressures have a significant influence on strategic change and were mediated by strategic formulation. We also found that strategic pressures did not have any influence on strategic intent. Our research theoretical model and results provide many insights to future research directions and inter-governmental organizational practitioners who are engaged in change management.
Effect of Harvesting Time on the Chemical Composition of Cynara cardunculus L. var. altilis Blades
Authors: Mandim Filipa , Petropoulos Spyridon A. , Santos-Buelga Celestino , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R. , Barros Lillian
Published: July 2022

In the present study, the fluctuations in fatty acids, tocopherols, organic acids, and free sugars content of cardoon blades collected at sixteen harvest dates (samples B1–B16, corresponding to principal growth stages (PGS) between 1 and 9) were evaluated. A total of 26 fatty acids were identified, with palmitic (C16:0, 19.9–40.13%), α-linolenic (C18:3n3, 6.39–33.2%), and linoleic (C18:2n6c, 9–34.8%) acids being present in higher relative abundances in most of the samples, while lipid content was the highest in samples of late (B15) and intermediate (B8–B10) stages of maturity. The α- and γ-tocopherols were the only detected vitamin E isoforms, while α-isoform presented the highest concentration (80–8567 µg/100 g dw) in all the studied samples, except for samples B9–B11, for which the γ-tocopherol was detected in higher concentrations. Moreover, samples B1 and B14 showed the highest content of total tocopherols (8352 and 10,197 µg/100 g dw, respectively). The identified organic acids were oxalic, quinic, malic, citric, and fumaric. Malic acid was present in higher concentrations in almost all the samples analyzed, except for samples B3 and B15, in which the presence of oxalic acid stood out. Regarding the free sugar’s composition, fructose, glucose, sucrose, trehalose, and raffinose were the only detected compounds, with sucrose being present in higher concentrations in almost all the samples (1.662–10.8 g/100 g dw), while samples at younger maturation stages, namely samples B4 and B5, presented the highest concentrations of total sugars. In conclusion, the obtained results demonstrate the influence that the growth cycle may have on the chemical composition of this tissue (blades) of the species. Moreover, having a more complete knowledge regarding its composition and identifying the stage of maturation which is most appropriate for obtaining a greater amount of certain bioactive compounds will help to increase the added value of this multi-purpose crop.
Effects of Dietary Amylose—Amylopectin Ratio on Growth Performance and Intestinal Digestive and Absorptive Function in Weaned Piglet Response to Lipopolysaccharide
Authors: Wang Min , Yang Can , Wang Qiye , Li Jianzhong , Li Yali , Ding Xueqin , Huang Pengfei , Yang Huansheng , Yin Yulong
Published: July 2022

This study investigated the effects of diet with different amylose–amylopectin ratios (AAR) on the growth performance, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activities and mRNA expression of nutrients transporters in piglets with short-term lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intraperitoneal injections. Sixty 21 days-old piglets (Landrace × Yorkshire; 6.504 ± 0.079) were randomly assigned based on their body weight (BW) and litters of origins to five groups with experimental diets with an AAR of 0.00, 0.20, 0.40, 0.60, or 0.80 (namely, the 0.00, 0.20, 0.40, and 0.80 groups), respectively. Each treatment included 12 piglets (one piglet per pen). This experiment lasted for 28 days. On the 28th day, six piglets in each treatment were randomly selected for an LPS intraperitoneal injection (100 μg/kg BW), and other piglets were injected with normal saline. Twelve hours after LPS injection, all piglets were sacrificed to collect small intestinal mucosa for analysis. Although different AAR did not influence the final BW in piglets, the piglets in the 0.40 group represented the poorest feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) in the first, second and fourth week (p < 0.05) and the lowest average daily gain (ADG) in the fourth week (p < 0.05) compared with other groups. In terms of the small intestinal morphology, piglets in the 0.20 and 0.60 groups showed better ileal villous width (p < 0.05). Piglets in the 0.60 group presented greater activities of jejunal maltase, sucrase and alkaline phosphatase (p < 0.05) than those of 0.20 and 0.40. However, a low amylose diet increased the mRNA expression of jejunal glucose and amino acid transporters (p < 0.05). In addition, compared to saline injection, the LPS challenge significantly lessened jejunal digestive enzyme activities (p < 0.01) and, ileal villous width and downregulated the gene expression of glucose and amino acid transporters (p < 0.05) in piglets. Interestingly, certain diet -LPS interactions on duodenal VH/CD, jejunal maltase activity (p < 0.05) and the expression of glucose transporters (p < 0.05) were observed. Taken together, in terms of small intestinal digestion and absorption capacity, these results demonstrated that a diet with an AAR of 0.60 diets could improve the intestinal digestive and absorptive capability by affecting small intestinal morphology, digestive enzymes, and nutrients absorptions in piglets. In addition, the diets containing an AAR of 0.40–0.60 were more likely to resist the damage of LPS stress to intestinal morphology and nutrient absorption.
The Effects of Sodium Butyrate, Coated Sodium Butyrate, and Butyric Acid Glycerides on Nutrient Digestibility, Gastrointestinal Function, and Fecal Microbiota in Turkeys
Authors: Makowski Zbigniew , Lipiński Krzysztof , Mazur-Kuśnirek Magdalena
Published: July 2022

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of sodium butyrate (SB), coated sodium butyrate (CSB), and butyric acid glycerides (BAG) in turkey nutrition based on an analysis of nutrient digestibility, gastrointestinal function, and fecal bacterial populations. A total of 400 1-day-old female BIG 6 turkeys were divided into 4 groups, with 5 replicates per group and 20 birds per replicate, to determine the effects exerted by various forms of butyric acid (SB, CSB, and BAG). The addition of CSB and BAG to turkey diets improved the feed conversion ratio (FCR, p < 0.05), increased the values of the European Efficiency Index (EEI, p < 0.01) and duodenal villus height (p < 0.05), and decreased the fecal populations of Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens (p < 0.05). Dietary supplementation with BAG increased protein digestibility (p < 0.05). The analyzed forms of butyrate added to turkey diets increased the butyric acid concentration in the cecal digesta (p < 0.01). The results of this study indicate that protected forms of butyric acid can be valuable feed additives in turkey nutrition.
Genetic Diversity and Virulence Profile of Methicillin and Inducible Clindamycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in Western Algeria
Authors: Laceb Zahoua Mentfakh , Diene Seydina M. , Lalaoui Rym , Kihal Mabrouk , Chergui Fella Hamaidi , Rolain Jean-Marc , Hadjadj Linda
Published: July 2022

Staphylococcus aureus causes a wide range of life-threatening infections. In this study, we determined its prevalence in the hospital environment and investigated nasal carriage among healthcare workers and patients admitted to a hospital in western Algeria. A total of 550 specimens were collected. An antibiogram was performed and the genes encoding resistance to methicillin, inducible clindamycin and toxins were sought among the 92 S. aureus isolates. The spread of clones with a methicillin- and/or clindamycin-resistance phenotype between these ecosystems was studied using genomic analysis. A prevalence of 27%, 30% and 13% of S. aureus (including 2.7%, 5% and 1.25% of MRSA) in patients, healthcare workers and the hospital environment were observed, respectively. The presence of the mecA, erm, pvl and tsst-1 genes was detected in 10.9%, 17.4%, 7.6% and 18.5% of samples, respectively. Sequencing allowed us to identify seven sequence types, including three MRSA-IV-ST6, two MRSA-IV-ST80-PVL+, two MRSA-IV-ST22-TSST-1, two MRSA-V-ST5, and one MRSA-IV-ST398, as well as many virulence genes. Here, we reported that both the hospital environment and nasal carriage may be reservoirs contributing to the spread of the same pathogenic clone persisting over time. The circulation of different pathogenic clones of MRSA, MSSA, and iMLSB, as well as the emergence of at-risk ST398 clones should be monitored.
Geometry-V-Sub: An Efficient Graph Attention Network Struct Based Model for Node Classification
Authors: Lyu Zhengyu , Aziguli Wulamu , Zhang Dezheng
Published: July 2022

With the development of deep learning and graph deep learning, the network structure is more and more complex, and the parameters in the network model and the computing resources and storage resources required are increasing. The lightweight design and optimization of the network structure is conducive to reducing the required computing resources and storage resources, reducing the requirements of the network model on the computing environment, increasing its scope of application, reducing the consumption of energy in computing, and is conducive to environmental protection. The contribution of this paper is that Geometry-V-Sub is a graph learning structure based on spatial geometry, which can greatly reduce the parameter requirements and only lose a little accuracy. The number of parameters is only 13.05–16.26% of baseline model, and the accuracy of Cora, Citeseer and PubMed is max to 80.4%, 68% and 81.8%, respectively. When the number of parameters is only 12.01% of baseline model, F1 score is max to 98.4.
Mediation of Sinusoidal Network Oscillations in the Locus Coeruleus of Newborn Rat Slices by Pharmacologically Distinct AMPA and KA Receptors
Authors: Rawal Bijal , Ballanyi Klaus
Published: July 2022

Brain control by locus coeruleus (LC) neurons involves afferent glutamate (Glu) inputs. In newborns, LC Glu receptors and responses may be sparse due to immaturity of the brain circuits providing such input. However, we reported, using newborn rat brain slices, that Glu and its ionotropic receptor (iGluR) agonist NMDA transform spontaneous local field potential (LFP) rhythm. Here, we studied whether α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic-acid (AMPA) and kainate (KA) iGluR subtypes also transform the LFP pattern. AMPA (0.25–0.5 µM) and KA (0.5–2.5 µM) merged ~0.2 s-lasting bell-shaped LFP events occurring at ~1 Hz into ~40% shorter and ~4-fold faster spindle-shaped and more regular sinusoidal oscillations. The AMPA/KA effects were associated with a 3.1/4.3-fold accelerated phase-locked single neuron spiking due to 4.0/4.2 mV depolarization while spike jitter decreased to 64/42% of the control, respectively. Raising extracellular K+ from 3 to 9 mM increased the LFP rate 1.4-fold or elicited slower multipeak events. A blockade of Cl−-mediated inhibition with gabazine (5 μM) plus strychnine (10 μM) affected neither the control rhythm nor AMPA/KA oscillations. GYKI-53655 (25 μM) blocked AMPA (but not KA) oscillations whereas UBP-302 (25 μM) blocked KA (but not AMPA) oscillations. Our findings revealed that AMPA and KA evoke a similar novel neural network discharge pattern transformation type by acting on pharmacologically distinct AMPAR and KA receptors. This shows that already the neonatal LC can generate oscillatory network behaviors that may be important, for example, for responses to opioids.
Health Risk Assessment and Influencing Factors Analysis of High Temperatures on Negative Emotions
Authors: Huang Huanchun , Zhang Shuying , Xiong Shangao , Shi Chunxiang
Published: July 2022

The emotional health of urban residents has been seriously threatened by frequent and normalized heat waves. This study constructed the VI-level assessment standard for emotional health risk using data from satellite images, meteorological sites, questionnaire surveys, and statistical yearbooks to assess the effect of high temperatures on negative emotions in Hangzhou. The results showed that the morphological changes of urban high-temperature areas were aggregated from a cross-shape to a large patch shape, then dispersed into cracked patch shapes. Additionally, the health risk of daytime negative emotions peaked at the VI-level from 1984 to 2020, and the influence level of the typical period risk increased by 1–2 levels compared with the daytime. Additionally, driven by urban spatial structure policies, the risk pattern of emotional health expanded outward from a single center into multiple centers. The emotional health risk level rose and then descended in urban centers, and the innovation industries drove the variation tendency of hot spots. Furthermore, high educational background, employment, and couples living together were critical variables that could alleviate the emotional health risk to the middle-aged and elderly population. This study aimed to optimize the urban spatial structure and alleviate residents’ emotional health hazards for healthy urban planning.
Predictive Analytics for Early-Stage Construction Costs Estimation
Authors: Castro Miranda Sergio Lautaro , Del Rey Castillo Enrique , Gonzalez Vicente , Adafin Johnson
Published: July 2022

Low accuracy in the estimation of construction costs at early stages of projects has driven the research on alternative costing methods that take advantage of computing advances, however, direct implications in their use for practice is not clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate how predictive analytics could enhance cost estimation of buildings at early stages by performing a systematic literature review on predictive analytics implementations for the early-stage cost estimation of building projects. The outputs of the study are: (1) an extensive database; (2) a list of cost drivers; and (3) a comparison between the various techniques. The findings suggest that predictive analytic techniques are appropriate for practice due to their higher level of accuracy. The discussion has three main implications: (a) predictive analytics for cost estimation have not followed the best practices and standard methodologies; (b) predictive analytics techniques are ready for industry adoption; and (c) the study can be a reference for high-level decision-makers to implement predictive analytics in cost estimation. Knowledge of predictive analytics could assist stakeholders in playing a key role in improving the accuracy of cost forecast in the construction market, thus, enabling pro-active management of the project owner’s budget.
Assessment of Performance Indicators of a Large-Span Reinforced Concrete Arch Bridge in a Multi-Hazard Environment
Authors: Marić Marija Kušter , Ivanković Ana Mandić , Srbić Mladen , Skokandić Dominik
Published: July 2022

Assessment of a single bridge and management system for all bridges in the network is still a major challenge, although much research has been carried out and implemented in existing networks over the last four decades. This paper presents a case study of a long-span arch bridge, the Maslenica Motorway Bridge, located in a multi-hazard maritime environment. Although special attention was paid to durability during design, the bridge required repair after 20 years of operation. The analysis includes an overview of the design project, structural health monitoring during construction and operation, numerous laboratory and in-situ testing, numerical analysis of structural capacity and remaining service life, and meteorological monitoring of the bridge site. A new approach to bridge assessment is presented that includes not only a deterioration index, but five groups of key performance indicators: (1) safety, reliability, and security; (2) availability and maintainability; (3) costs; (4) the environment; and (5) health and politics. Incorporating all available data and evaluating various aspects of bridge performance provides greater insight into the condition of the bridge, not only at the structure level but also at the network level. The method is applied to the reinforced concrete arch bridge in a harsh maritime environment and evaluation is provided based on the comprehensive data analysis. The key performance assessment procedure and lessons learned from this case study can be applied to a wide range of structures.
miRNAs in Serum Exosomes for Differential Diagnosis of Brain Metastases
Authors: Catelan Silvia , Olioso Debora , Santangelo Alessandra , Scapoli Chiara , Tamanini Anna , Pinna Giampietro , Sala Francesco , Lippi Giuseppe , Nicolato Antonio , Cabrini Giulio , Dechecchi Maria Cristina
Published: July 2022

Circulating miRNAs are increasingly studied and proposed as tumor markers with the aim of investigating their role in monitoring the response to therapy as well as the natural evolution of primary or secondary brain tumors. This study aimed to evaluate the modulation of the expression of three miRNAs, miR-21, miR-222 and miR-124-3p, in the serum exosomes of patients with high-grade gliomas (HGGs) and brain metastases (BMs) to verify their usefulness in the differential diagnosis of brain masses; then, it focused on their variations following the surgical and/or radiosurgical treatment of the BMs. A total of 105 patients with BMs from primary lung or breast cancer, or melanoma underwent neurosurgery or radiosurgery treatment, and 91 patients with HGGs were enrolled, along with 30 healthy controls. A significant increase in miR-21 expression in serum exosomes was observed in both HGGs and BMs compared with healthy controls; on the other hand, miR-124-3p was significantly decreased in BMs, and it was increased in HGGs. After the surgical or radiosurgical treatment of patients with BMs, a significant reduction in miR-21 was noted with both types of treatments. This study identified a signature of exosomal miRNAs that could be useful as a noninvasive complementary analysis both in the differential diagnosis of BMs from glial tumors and in providing information on tumor evolution over time.
Clinicopathological and Prognostic Value of Survivin Expression in Surgically Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Vay Christian , Babaei Shahrooz , Safi Sami-Alexander , Dizdar Levent , Rehders Alexander , Haeberle Lena , Roderburg Christoph , Loosen Sven H. , Esposito Irene , Knoefel Wolfram T. , Krieg Andreas
Published: July 2022

Background: Survival after surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains poor. Thus, novel therapeutic concepts focus on the development of targeted therapies. In this context, inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) survivin is regarded as a promising oncotherapeutic target. However, its expression and prognostic value in different tumour compartments of PDAC have not been studied. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of survivin in different PDAC tumour compartments from 236 consecutive patients was correlated with clinicopathological variables and survival. Results: In comparison to healthy pancreatic tissue high nuclear (p < 0.001) and high cytoplasmic (p < 0.01) survivin expression became evident in the tumour centre, along the invasion front and in lymph node metastases. Cytoplasmic overexpression of survivin in tumour centres was related to the presence of distant metastasis (p = 0.016) and UICC III/IV stages (p = 0.009), while high cytoplasmic expression at the invasion front grouped with venous infiltration (p = 0.022). Increased nuclear survivin along the invasion front correlated with perineural invasion (p = 0.035). High nuclear survivin in tumour centres represented an independent prognostic factor for overall survival of pancreatic tail carcinomas (HR 13.5 95%CI (1.4–129.7)) and correlated with a limited disease-free survival in PDAC (HR 1.80 95%CI (1.04–3.12)). Conclusion: Survivin is associated with advanced disease stages and poor prognosis. Therefore, survivin will help to identify patients with aggressive tumour phenotypes that could benefit from the inclusion in clinical trials incorporating survivin inhibitors in PDAC.
The Impact of Perioperative Events on Cancer Recurrence and Metastasis in Patients after Radical Gastrectomy: A Review
Authors: Zhi Xing , Kuang Xiaohong , Li Jian
Published: July 2022

Radical gastrectomy is a mainstay therapy for patients with locally resectable gastric cancer (GC). GC patients who are candidates for radical gastrectomy will experience at least part of the following perioperative events: surgery, anesthesia, pain, intraoperative blood loss, allogeneic blood transfusion, postoperative complications, and their related anxiety, depression and stress response. Considerable clinical studies have shown that these perioperative events can promote recurrence and decrease the long-term survival of GC patients. The mechanisms include activation of neural signaling and the inflammatory response, suppression of antimetastatic immunity, increased release of cancer cells into circulation, and delayed adjuvant therapy, which are involved in every step of the invasion-metastasis cascade. Having appreciated these perioperative events and their influence on the risk of GC recurrence, we can now use this knowledge to find strategies that might substantially prevent the deleterious recurrence-promoting effects of perioperative events, potentially increasing cancer-free survival in GC patients.
Comparison of Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Positron-Emission Tomography Imaging in Primary Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhao Yi , Simpson Benjamin S. , Morka Naomi , Freeman Alex , Kirkham Alex , Kelly Daniel , Whitaker Hayley C. , Emberton Mark , Norris Joseph M.
Published: July 2022

Multiparametric magnetic-resonance imaging (mpMRI) has proven utility in diagnosing primary prostate cancer. However, the diagnostic potential of prostate-specific membrane antigen positron-emission tomography (PSMA PET) has yet to be established. This study aims to systematically review the current literature comparing the diagnostic performance of mpMRI and PSMA PET imaging to diagnose primary prostate cancer. A systematic literature search was performed up to December 2021. Quality analyses were conducted using the QUADAS-2 tool. The reference standard was whole-mount prostatectomy or prostate biopsy. Statistical analysis involved the pooling of the reported diagnostic performances of each modality, and differences in per-patient and per-lesion analysis were compared using a Fisher’s exact test. Ten articles were included in the meta-analysis. At a per-patient level, the pooled values of sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) for mpMRI and PSMA PET/CT were 0.87 (95% CI: 0.83–0.91) vs. 0.93 (95% CI: 0.90–0.96, p < 0.01); 0.47 (95% CI: 0.23–0.71) vs. 0.54 (95% CI: 0.23–0.84, p > 0.05); and 0.84 vs. 0.91, respectively. At a per-lesion level, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC value for mpMRI and PSMA PET/CT were lower, at 0.63 (95% CI: 0.52–0.74) vs. 0.79 (95% CI: 0.62–0.92, p < 0.001); 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81–0.95) vs. 0.71 (95% CI: 0.47–0.90, p < 0.05); and 0.83 vs. 0.84, respectively. High heterogeneity was observed between studies. PSMA PET/CT may better confirm the presence of prostate cancer than mpMRI. However, both modalities appear comparable in determining the localisation of the lesions.
Efficacy of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Discrimination of Oral Cancerous Lesions from Normal Mucosa Based on the Oral Mucosal Image: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kim Ji-Sun , Kim Byung Guk , Hwang Se Hwan
Published: July 2022

The accuracy of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted discrimination of oral cancerous lesions from normal mucosa based on mucosal images was evaluated. Two authors independently reviewed the database until June 2022. Oral mucosal disorder, as recorded by photographic images, autofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography (OCT), was compared with the reference results by histology findings. True-positive, true-negative, false-positive, and false-negative data were extracted. Seven studies were included for discriminating oral cancerous lesions from normal mucosa. The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of AI-assisted screening was 121.66 (95% confidence interval [CI], 29.60; 500.05). Twelve studies were included for discriminating all oral precancerous lesions from normal mucosa. The DOR of screening was 63.02 (95% CI, 40.32; 98.49). Subgroup analysis showed that OCT was more diagnostically accurate (324.33 vs. 66.81 and 27.63) and more negatively predictive (0.94 vs. 0.93 and 0.84) than photographic images and autofluorescence on the screening for all oral precancerous lesions from normal mucosa. Automated detection of oral cancerous lesions by AI would be a rapid, non-invasive diagnostic tool that could provide immediate results on the diagnostic work-up of oral cancer. This method has the potential to be used as a clinical tool for the early diagnosis of pathological lesions.
UFMylation System: An Emerging Player in Tumorigenesis
Authors: Jing Yu , Mao Ziming , Chen Fengling
Published: July 2022

Ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 (UFM1), a newly identified ubiquitin-like molecule (UBLs), is evolutionarily expressed in multiple species except yeast. Similarly to ubiquitin, UFM1 is covalently attached to its substrates through a well-orchestrated three-step enzymatic reaction involving E1, the UFM1-activating enzyme (ubiquitin-like modifier-activating enzyme 5, UBA5); E2, the UFM1-conjugating enzyme 1 (UFC1); and E3, the UFM1-specific ligase 1 (UFL1). To date, numerous studies have shown that UFM1 modification is implicated in various cellular processes, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, DNA damage response and erythroid development. An abnormal UFM1 cascade is closely related to a variety of diseases, especially tumors. Herein, we summarize the process and functions of UFM1 modification, illustrating the relationship and mechanisms between aberrant UFMylation and diversified tumors, aiming to provide novel diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for cancer treatments.
Impact of Blood Parameters and Normal Tissue Dose on Treatment Outcome in Esophageal Cancer Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Radiochemotherapy
Authors: Bütof Rebecca , Häberlein Laura , Jentsch Christina , Kotzerke Jörg , Lohaus Fabian , Makocki Sebastian , Valentini Chiara , Weitz Jürgen , Löck Steffen , Troost Esther G. C.
Published: July 2022

Despite technological advances, normal tissue sparing in photon beam irradiation is still challenging. Since in esophageal cancer this may inflict damage on the lungs, heart and bone marrow, possibly impacting on outcome, the aim of this study was to investigate the association of normal tissue dose and blood parameters on the survival of patients having undergone neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCTx) followed by surgery. This retrospective study included 125 patients irradiated to 40–41.4 Gy with photons or protons combined with concurrent chemotherapy. On initial and restaging 18F-FDG-PET/CT, the lungs and heart were contoured as organs at risk for which standardized uptake values (SUV) were evaluated. The mean radiation dose (Dmean) to the lungs and heart, the volume of the lungs receiving at least 20 Gy (V20Gy_lung) and various pre- and per-treatment blood parameters were included in the Cox regression analyses. Results: The median follow-up time was 19.8 months and median overall survival 37 months (95% confidence interval: 16–58.9 months). In multivariate analysis, higher radiation doses to the lungs and heart were statistically significantly associated with decreased overall survival (Dmean_lung: p < 0.001; V20Gy_lung: p < 0.002; Dmean_heart: p = 0.005). Neither the 18F-FDG-PET nor blood parameters were predictive for overall survival. In patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer treated with RCTx, the radiation dose to the heart and lungs was significantly associated with overall survival.