bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comprehensive Review of DNA Origami Stabilization Techniques
Authors: Yan Lionel
Published: June 2023

In recent years, DNA has emerged as a powerful tool in the field of nanotechnology. The DNA origami technique is largely responsible for this, revolutionizing nanofabrication due to its controllability, precision, and ability to leverage DNA’s unique properties. The technique consists of folding a long, single-stranded DNA (called a scaffold strand) by binding it with shorter staple strands to create almost any shape desired. With a desired structure in mind, researchers can design and assemble scaffold and staple strands using computer software like Cadnano or Tiamat. This is possible because of the Watson-Crick base pairing of DNA strands, which allows for programmable self-assembly of DNA nanostructures and therefore, the synthesis of arbitrary 2D and 3D shapes. Because DNA is a biomolecule,the nanostructures are also biocompatible and can be employed in biological applications including drug delivery. DNA origami nanostructures are not only limited to biological applications; they have also found uses in nanophotonics, plasmonics, and electronics. However, DNA origami still faces many challenges before it can be widely adopted. One such challenge is ensuring stability, and thus guaranteeing the performance of the DNA origami, in the presence of heat, nuclease in organic bodies, and chaotropic agents. This warrants the question: what methodologies can be employed to best stabilize DNA origami structures? This paper further focuses on two methods: covalently binding various molecules by cross-linking and non-binding encapsulation. Detailed analysis and comparison between various molecules used to bind and coat DNA nanostructures is used to evaluate performance and applicability of each method. In the end an oligolysines coating cross-linked with glutaraldehyde was found to have the strongest biological stability, thymine cross-linking had the strongest thermal stability, a silica coating had the best stability against the largest number of factors, and both graphene and Al3O2 coatings had the best mechanical stability.
Manual Therapy Improves Immediate Blood Flow and Tissue Fiber Alignment of the Forearm Extensors
Authors: Speicher Timothy E. , Selkow Noelle M. , Warren Aric J.
Published: June 2023

Background: Manual therapy is commonly used by clinicians to improve blood flow and tissue fiber orientation. Hypothesis/Purpose: Using diagnostic ultrasound, the purpose of the study was to examine how the application of Positional Release Therapy (PRT), instrumented assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), therapeutic ultrasound (US) and a combination of all three, affect lateral elbow immediate blood flow and tissue fiber alignment. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Twenty-five participants (26.0 ± 4.5 years; 69.3 ± 4.3 cm; 81.8 ± 16.9 kg) received PRT =13, US =12, IASTM =13, and a combination treatment = 12. Results: Blood flow was significantly higher following PRT (691.54 ± 1237.16 mm2) compared to IASTM (18.73 ± 227.10 mm2) (p=0.050; ES=0.073 (0.16-1.5) and US (-10.09 ± 479.26 mm2) (p=0.042; ES=0.72 (-0.03-1.29), but no different from the combination intervention (627.64 ± 820.22 mm2) (p=0.849). Seventy-five percent of elbows in the PRT intervention showed improvement in blood flow, 54% in the IASTM group, 45% in US, and 73% in the combination group. Tissue fiber alignment was significantly better following IASTM (-5756.00 ± 8156.19 mm2) compared to PRT (-1552.54 ± 3896.58 mm2) (p=0.042; ES=0.66 (-0.01 – 1.31), but no difference was demonstrated among the other interventions (p>0.066). All elbows (100%) that received IASTM showed improved tissue orientation, 77% in the PRT group, 64% in US and 64% in the combination group. Conclusion: Manual therapy, particularly PRT and IASTM, seem to be better at increasing blood flow and muscle fiber orientation, respectively. Level of Evidence: II.
PHOTOTHERAPY AND CELLULAR TECHNOLOGIES APPLICATION IN COMPLEX VITILIGO THERAPY. OWN EXPERIENCE
Authors:   Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine, Tsepkolenko V. O. , Karpenko K. S. ,   Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine,   Institute of Plastic Surgery Virtus
Published: June 2023

Vitiligo is a chronic acquired disorder of skin pigmentation, characterized by the presence of sharply limited depigmented areas of the skin as a result of the progressive loss of melanocytes. The purpose of the work: increasing the effectiveness of treatment of patients with vitiligo by shortening the treatment period, ensuring the stability of results and reducing the number of complications with combined methods of treatment of a stable form of vitiligo with the use of cultured melanocytes and keratinocytes compared to methods approved by European standards and domestic orders. Study object and methods: 107 vitiligo patients aged 19 to 65 were under our observation. Depending on the method of treatment, the patients were randomly selected into two representative groups: the main group, which received treatment according to the developed method, and the comparison group, which received traditional treatment. When evaluating the results of treatment in examined patients 8 and 16 weeks after the start of therapy, more pronounced positive dynamics were found in patients of the main group, whose complex therapy included melanocyte-keratinocyte suspension (MCS) and automesoconcentrate (AMK). Conclusions: the analysis of the results of treatment of patients with vitiligo proved not only good tolerance, but also high efficiency of treatment when using, along with traditional therapy, cellular technologies.
MODELING THE DEVELOPMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROCESSES USING THE EXAMPLE OF SYPHILITIC INFECTION
Authors:   SE «Institute of Dermatology and Venereology of NAMS of Ukraine», Bondarenko G. M. , Povoroznyuk A. I. ,   National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute», Nikitenko I. M. ,   SE «Institute of Dermatology and Venereology of NAMS of Ukraine», Bezruchenko O. A. ,   SE «Institute of Dermatology and Venereology of NAMS of Ukraine», Gubenko T. V. ,   SE «Institute of Dermatology and Venereology of NAMS of Ukraine»
Published: June 2023

Objective: Detection of trend, its analytical description and forecasting of time series for short-term and long-term periods for modeling the development of epidemiological processes in syphilitic infection. Materials and methods: MATLAB application package was used to develop an automatic analysis system for time series monitoring of the development of epidemiological processes for their forecasting. The Financial Toolbox library was used to analyze time series. Results: Mathematical models of trends were obtained for the existing time series, and the effectiveness of using an exponential trend in the declining phase of the syphilis epidemic was shown. The coefficient of determination R2 = 0.9956 indicates that the model explains 99.56% of the variance (the approximation error is 0.44%). However, such high accuracy of approximation (and accordingly, forecast accuracy) is true only if a new outbreak of the epidemic is unlikely during the forecast period. If the real data start deviating from the forecast (increase to at least 10,000 cases per year), a new wave of the infection process can be detected.
THE APPROACH TO DIAGNOSIS OF PERFORATING ELASTOSIS SERPIGINOSA
Authors:   Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine, Kaliuzhna L. D.
Published: June 2023

The goal is to demonstrate a clinical case of serpiginous perforating elastosis for better awareness of doctors.The hallmark of the perforating diseases is the transepidermal elimination of degraded dermal componenrs. The material extruded may represent abnormally constituded collagen, elastic fibers or other matrix components. Four classical forms of primary perforating dermatosis are described: reactive perforating collagenosis, Kyrle’s disease, perforating folliculitis and elastosis perforans serpiginosa.
O corpo carioca no imaginário turí­stico do Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Perrotta Isabella Vicente
Published: June 2023

Embora a praia não tenha sido sempre um elemento de territorialização, turistificação ou identificação da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, já há muito tempo que o é. Se no século XIX a cidade era imaginada pelas paisagens e aspectos da natureza reproduzidos pelas tintas dos artistas viajantes, no século XX o carnaval, o futebol e suas praias (não mais como paisagem, mas enquanto espaço de fruição) fizeram sua fama. E também as (supostamente belas) mulheres que frequentam as praias e que, em algum momento, saem delas. Fatos, versões e construções culturais levaram a crer que seus corpos, muito expostos – especialmente o da mulata – estão disponí­veis, na praia, no carnaval, nas ruas e na noite da cidade. E, mais recentemente, o corpo masculino – idí­lica e supostamente esculpido pelos esportes praticados ao ar livre– também passou a fazer parte de um imaginário de experiências turí­sticas da cidade, para além de suas atrações convencionais. Muito se diz que essa é uma construção imputada pelos agentes estrangeiros. Contudo há, claramente, indí­cios de aceitação e/ou adoção dessa imagem tanto pelas vozes populares quanto pelos órgãos oficiais. Assim como o Rio é dito como "o lugar mais bonito do mundo" , por cariocas que jamais saí­ram de sua cidade, há também uma crença nativa de superioridade da beleza da mulher brasileira, embora uma grande parte do povo brasileiro seja fisicamente mal tratada e sem glamour, e a obesidade esteja por volta de 20%. O objetivo desse artigo é visitar alguns momentos dessa construção e alguns exemplos da disputa entre a aceitação e a rejeição dessa imagem.
Acute malignant colorectal obstruction (K56.6; C18, C19, C20), adults
Authors: Achkasov S. I. , Bagatelia Z. A. , Bagnenko S. F. , Belyaev A. M. , Gevorkyan Yu. A. , Denisenko V. L. , Zatevakhin I. I. , Kaprin A. D. , Karachun A. M. , Kit O. I. , Mammedli Z. Z. , Moskalev A. I. , Nazarov I. V. , Revishvili A. Sh. , Sazhin A. V. , Stilidi I. S. , Sushkov O. I. , Timerbulatov V. M. , Totikov V. Z. , Trifonov V. S. , Tyagunov A. E. , Khatkov I. E. , Shabunin A. V. , Shelygin Yu. A. , Yartsev P. A.
Published: June 2023

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The role of diet in bowel cleansing for colonoscopy (results of prospective observation study). Prospective observations study
Authors: Galyaev A. V. , Surovegin E. S. , Likutov A. A. , Sushkov O. I. , Vaganov Yu. E. , Voskanyan A. S. , Merkulova E. S.
Published: June 2023

AIM: to evaluate the impact of dietary compliance in bowel cleansing for colonoscopy on the quality of the procedure.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: one thousand patients who scheduled for diagnostic colonoscopy were included in the prospective observation study. The quality of bowel preparation was assessed using the Boston scale. Neoplasms were detected and endoscopically evaluated. The optical verification of tumors was used to calculate the indicators of identified adenomas and polyps (ADR and PDR).

RESULTS: the quality of bowel cleansing by the Boston Scale was 6 (6; 8) points. One hundred eight (19.8%) patients did not follow the recommended diet. Poor preparation, which did not allow a total colonoscopy was found in 91 (9,1%) cases. The ADR was 37.4%, PDR — 43.4%. Logistic regression analysis showed that the noncompliance for diet recommendation was the only one significantly negative factor associated whit inadequate bowel cleansing.

CONCLUSION: the leading factor worsening the quality of bowel cleansing was non-compliance with the prescribed diet before the colonoscopy.
An integrated weed management approach in tomato using soil steaming, mulching, and winter cover crops
Authors: de Oliveira Tabata Raissa , Serafim Augusto Dubou , Breland Brenton , Miller Alyssa , Beneton Karina , Singh Varsha , Segbefia Worlanyo , Argenta Josiane C. , Broderick Shaun R. , Tseng Te Ming
Published: June 2023

One of the most significant yield losses in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is due to weeds. Yellow and purple nutsedge, large crabgrass, and Palmer amaranth are the most troublesome weed species in tomato production throughout the southeastern United States. This study aimed to determine the impact of soil steaming, plastic mulching, and cover crops on weed suppression, tomato height, and fruit yield. The cover crops used were hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), and cereal rye (Secale cereale). The study was conducted at the Mississippi State University Truck Crops Experiment Station in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, USA. The experiment used a completely randomized block design with three fall cover crop treatments, including fallow, and each was replicated three times and repeated in two years. Each plot was broadcasted with a mixture of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.), large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis L.), barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli), and Palmer amaranth [Amaranthus palmeri (S.) Watson] at a density of 20 plants m-2 for each weed species. Two days after sowing the weed seeds, the soil surface was steamed according to its assigned treatment until it reached 61°C for either 0, 5, or 20 min. After steaming, drip irrigation tubing was laid on each row, and covered by black, 0.0254-mm plastic mulch. Data were recorded in both years, including weed cover, plant height, and fruit yield. The lowest weed cover was observed at 5 min of soil steaming in mulched treatment, and the highest cover was noted at 0 min of soil steaming in the absence of mulching. Yellow nutsedge was the dominant weed species, even under steam and mulch treatments. The use of cover crops did not show a difference compared to fallow treatments. However, hairy vetch showed the lowest weed cover, followed by crimson clover. Tomato plants in steamed soil were up to 13 cm taller than those in unsteamed soils. Additionally, steaming at 5 or 20 min in combination with plastic mulch increased the marketable and cull yield. Soil steaming and mulching increased tomato plant height and yield while decreasing weed population and can, therefore, be effectively incorporated into an integrated weed management program in tomato.
E-cadherin Interacts With Posttranslationally-Modified AGO2 to Enhance miRISC Activity
Authors: Li Jie-Ning , Sun Hui-Lung , Wang Ming-Yang , Chen Pai-Sheng
Published: June 2023

Graphical Abstract

Regulatory effect between E-cadherin and AGO2.
Loss of FAM111B protease mutated in hereditary fibrosing poikiloderma negatively regulates telomere length
Authors: Kliszczak Maciej , Moralli Daniela , Jankowska Julia D. , Bryjka Paulina , Subha Meem Lamia , Goncalves Tomas , Hester Svenja S. , Fischer Roman , Clynes David , Green Catherine M.
Published: June 2023

Hereditary fibrosing poikiloderma (HFP) is a rare human dominant negative disorder caused by mutations in the FAM111B gene that encodes a nuclear trypsin-like serine protease. HFP patients present with symptoms including skin abnormalities, tendon contractures, myopathy and lung fibrosis. We characterized the cellular roles of human FAM111B using U2OS and MCF7 cell lines and report here that the protease interacts with components of the nuclear pore complex. Loss of FAM111B expression resulted in abnormal nuclear shape and reduced telomeric DNA content suggesting that FAM111B protease is required for normal telomere length; we show that this function is independent of telomerase or recombination driven telomere extension. Even though FAM111B-deficient cells were proficient in DNA repair, they showed hallmarks of genomic instability such as increased levels of micronuclei and ultra-fine DNA bridges. When mutated as in HFP, FAM111B was more frequently localized to the nuclear envelope, suggesting that accumulation of the mutated protease at the nuclear periphery may drive the disease pathology.
Term alpaca placenta glycosylation profile and its correlation with pregnancy maintenance and fetal survival
Authors: Navarrete Zamora Miluska Beatriz , Silva Thamires Santos da , Silva Mônica Duarte da , Almeida Gustavo Henrique Doná Rodrigues , Silva-Júnior Leandro Norberto da , Horvath-Pereira Bianca de Oliveira , Baracho Hill Amanda Trindade , Acuña Francisco , Carreira Ana Claudia Oliveira , Barreto Rodrigo da Silva Nunes , Sato Alberto Sato , Miglino Maria Angélica
Published: June 2023

Alpaca is a South American camelid, particularly present in Peruvian highlands, where oxygen concentration and atmospheric pressure are very low. Due to this fact, gestational physiology has adapted to preserve the conceptus’ and mother’s health. In this context, several cellular and molecular features play an essential role during and at the end of gestation. Structural carbohydrates act on maternal–fetal communication, recognize exogenous molecules, and contribute to placental barrier selectivity. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the structural carbohydrate profiles that are present in the term alpaca placenta, kept in their natural habitat of around 4,000 m height. For this propose, 12 term alpaca placentas were collected, and the material was obtained at the time of birth from camelids raised naturally in the Peruvian highlands, in the Cusco region. All placenta samples were processed for histological analysis. A lectin histochemical investigation was performed using 13 biotinylated lectins, allowing us to determine the location of carbohydrates and their intensity on a semi-quantitative scale. Our results demonstrated that during term gestation, the epitheliochorial alpaca placenta shows a high presence of carbohydrates, particularly glucose, α-linked mannose, N-acetylglucosamine β (GlcNAc), galactose (αGal), and N-acetylgalactosamine α (GalNAc), present in the trophoblast, amnion epithelium, and mesenchyme, as well as the presence of sialic acid residues and low affinity for fucose. In fetal blood capillaries, the presence of bi- and tri-antennary complex structures and α-linked mannose was predominated. In conclusion, we characterized the glycosylation profile in the term alpaca placenta. Based on our data, compared to those reported in the bibliography, we suggest that these carbohydrates could participate in the labor of these animals that survive in Peruvian extreme environments.
Whole-Genome Doubling as a source of cancer: how, when, where, and why?
Authors: Sanz-Gómez Natalia , González-Álvarez María , De Las Rivas Javier , de Cárcer Guillermo
Published: June 2023

Chromosome instability is a well-known hallmark of cancer, leading to increased genetic plasticity of tumoral cells, which favors cancer aggressiveness, and poor prognosis. One of the main sources of chromosomal instability are events that lead to a Whole-Genome Duplication (WGD) and the subsequently generated cell polyploidy. In recent years, several studies showed that WGD occurs at the early stages of cell transformation, which allows cells to later become aneuploid, thus leading to cancer progression. On the other hand, other studies convey that polyploidy plays a tumor suppressor role, by inducing cell cycle arrest, cell senescence, apoptosis, and even prompting cell differentiation, depending on the tissue cell type. There is still a gap in understanding how cells that underwent WGD can overcome the deleterious effect on cell fitness and evolve to become tumoral. Some laboratories in the chromosomal instability field recently explored this paradox, finding biomarkers that modulate polyploid cells to become oncogenic. This review brings a historical view of how WGD and polyploidy impact cell fitness and cancer progression, and bring together the last studies that describe the genes helping cells to adapt to polyploidy.
Live cell imaging of DNA and RNA with fluorescent signal amplification and background reduction techniques
Authors: Lu Song , Hou Yu , Zhang Xian-En , Gao Yunhua
Published: June 2023

Illuminating DNA and RNA dynamics in live cell can elucidate their life cycle and related biochemical activities. Various protocols have been developed for labeling the regions of interest in DNA and RNA molecules with different types of fluorescent probes. For example, CRISPR-based techniques have been extensively used for imaging genomic loci. However, some DNA and RNA molecules can still be difficult to tag and observe dynamically, such as genomic loci in non-repetitive regions. In this review, we will discuss the toolbox of techniques and methodologies that have been developed for imaging DNA and RNA. We will also introduce optimized systems that provide enhanced signal intensity or low background fluorescence for those difficult-to-tag molecules. These strategies can provide new insights for researchers when designing and using techniques to visualize DNA or RNA molecules.
Leukocyte telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number associate with endothelial function in aging-related cardiovascular disease
Authors: Li Kangbo , Dai Mengjun , Sacirovic Mesud , Zemmrich Claudia , Pagonas Nikolaos , Ritter Oliver , Grisk Olaf , Lubomirov Lubomir T. , Lauxmann Martin A. , Bramlage Peter , Persson Anja Bondke , Buschmann Eva , Buschmann Ivo , Hillmeister Philipp
Published: June 2023

Background

We investigated the association between leukocyte telomere length, mitochondrial DNA copy number, and endothelial function in patients with aging-related cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods

In total 430 patients with CVD and healthy persons were enrolled in the current study. Peripheral blood was drawn by routine venipuncture procedure. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected. Cell-free genomic DNA (cfDNA) and leukocytic genomic DNA (leuDNA) were extracted from plasma and PBMCs, respectively. Relative telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Endothelial function was evaluated by measuring flow-mediated dilation (FMD). The correlation between TL of cfDNA (cf-TL), mtDNA-CN of cfDNA (cf-mtDNA), TL of leuDNA (leu-TL), mtDNA-CN of leuDNA (leu-mtDNA), age, and FMD were analyzed based on Spearman's rank correlation. The association between cf-TL, cf-mtDNA, leu-TL, leu-mtDNA, age, gender, and FMD were explored using multiple linear regression analysis.

Results

cf-TL positively correlated with cf-mtDNA (r = 0.1834, P = 0.0273), and leu-TL positively correlated with leu-mtDNA (r = 0.1244, P = 0.0109). In addition, both leu-TL (r = 0.1489, P = 0.0022) and leu-mtDNA (r = 0.1929, P < 0.0001) positively correlated with FMD. In a multiple linear regression analysis model, both leu-TL (β = 0.229, P = 0.002) and leu-mtDNA (β = 0.198, P = 0.008) were positively associated with FMD. In contrast, age was inversely associated with FMD (β = −0.426, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

TL positively correlates mtDNA-CN in both cfDNA and leuDNA. leu-TL and leu-mtDNA can be regarded as novel biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction.
Influence of snowpack on forest water stress in the Sierra Nevada
Authors: Casirati Stefano , Conklin Martha H. , Safeeq Mohammad
Published: June 2023

Higher global temperatures and intensification of extreme hydrologic events, such as droughts, can lead to premature tree mortality. In a Mediterranean climate like California, the seasonality of precipitation is out of sync with the peak growing season. Seasonal snowpack plays a critical role in reducing this mismatch between the timing of water input to the root zone and the peak forest water use. A loss of snowpack, or snow droughts, during warmer years, increases the asynchrony between water inputs and the peak of forest water use, intensifying water stress and tree mortality. Therefore, we hypothesize that the montane vegetation response to interannual climate variability in a Mediterranean climate is regulated by the snowpack. We tested this hypothesis using the 2012–2015 drought as a natural experiment. Regional Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) were used to infer and quantify the role of snowpack on forest water stress. The models simulate the Normalized Difference Infrared Index (NDII) as a proxy of forest water stress using water deficit (as seasonality index), location, slope, and aspect. The GAMs were trained using 75% of the data between 2001 and 2014. The remaining 25% of the data were used for validation. The model was able to simulate forest water stress for 2015 and 2016 across the northern, central, and southern Sierra Nevada with a range of R2 between 0.80 and 0.84. The simulated spatial patterns in forest water stress were consistent with those captured by the USDA Forest Service Aerial Detection Survey. Our findings suggest that the failure of a reduced snowpack in mitigating water deficit exacerbates forest water stress and tree mortality. Variations in water and surface energy budget across an elevational gradient play a critical role in modulating the vegetation response. These results provide insights into the importance of the Sierra Nevada snowpack under a warming climate. The models can aid forest managers to identify future forest water stress and tree die-off patterns.
Analyzing the effect of the COVID-19 vaccine on Parkinson’s disease symptoms
Authors: Sabat Revati , Dayton Orrin L. , Agarwal Amit , Vedam-Mai Vinata
Published: June 2023

Background

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. PD has recently received more attention by researchers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective

Yet to be researched is the effect of the COVID-19 vaccines on PD patients. Several PD patients are still hesitant to the vaccine due to this unaddressed fear. The purpose of this study is to address this gap.

Methods

Surveys were administered to PD patients 50 years and older at UF Fixel Institute who received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Survey questions included patients’ severity of PD symptoms before and after the vaccine and extent of worsening PD symptoms post-vaccination. After three weeks of collecting responses, the data was analyzed.

Results

34 respondents were eligible for data consideration because they fell within the age range being studied. A total of 14 respondents out of 34 (41%, p=0. 0001) reported that their PD symptoms worsened after the COVID-19 vaccine to some extent.

Conclusion

There was strong evidence of worsening of PD symptoms post COVID-19 vaccination, however it was mostly mild and limited to a couple of days. The worsening had statistically significant moderate positive correlation with vaccine hesitancy and post-vaccine general side effects. A possible causative mechanism of PD symptom worsening using existing scientific knowledge would be stress and anxiety associated with vaccine hesitancy and the extent of post-vaccine general side effects (fever, chills, pain), likely via simulating a mild systemic infection/inflammation the latter already established causes of PD symptom worsening.
Atypical Sweet syndrome: skin sinus tracts in an acutely febrile patient after lymphoma treatment: a case report
Authors: Lu Shi-Ying , Yang Hui-Fang , Zeng Qing-Li , Chen Peng , Chen Li , Gao Jing , Gu Xue-Kui , Lan Hai , Luo Man
Published: June 2023

Sweet syndrome (SS) is an uncommon inflammatory disease that involves painful skin, edematous, red papules, plaques, or nodules often accompanied by fever and leukocytosis. SS has three subtypes, including classical, malignant-tumor associated, and drug-induced SS (DISS). Patients with DISS have clear histories of recent drug exposure. The incidence of SS is high in hematological malignancy but rare in lymphomas. Glucocorticoid treatment is the recommended treatment for all subtypes of SS. This case study describes a male patient who had a history of sALCL(Systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma) and was treated with multiple cycles of monoclonal-antibody (mAb) therapy. They also received the G-CSF injection at the site where skin lesions later developed. They met the diagnosis criteria for DISS, which was considered to be caused by the G-CSF injection. In addition, BV(Brentuximab vedotin) administration might predispose them to DISS. This case illustrates the first reported SS during the lymphoma treatment, with rare clinical presentations of local crater-like suppurative skin lesions. This case expands the available literature on SS and hematologic neoplasms and reminds clinicians to promptly recognize and diagnose SS to minimize patient morbidity and long-term sequelae.
The current advances of lncRNAs in breast cancer immunobiology research
Authors: Fonseca-Montaño Marco Antonio , Vázquez-Santillán Karla Itzel , Hidalgo-Miranda Alfredo
Published: June 2023

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Breast cancer development and progression are mainly associated with tumor-intrinsic alterations in diverse genes and signaling pathways and with tumor-extrinsic dysregulations linked to the tumor immune microenvironment. Significantly, abnormal expression of lncRNAs affects the tumor immune microenvironment characteristics and modulates the behavior of different cancer types, including breast cancer. In this review, we provide the current advances about the role of lncRNAs as tumor-intrinsic and tumor-extrinsic modulators of the antitumoral immune response and the immune microenvironment in breast cancer, as well as lncRNAs which are potential biomarkers of tumor immune microenvironment and clinicopathological characteristics in patients, suggesting that lncRNAs are potential targets for immunotherapy in breast cancer.
System metabolic tools reveal fucoxanthin metabolism in Nitzschia laevis for the improvement of fucoxanthin productivity
Authors: Lu Xue , Sun Han , He Yongjin , Yang Shufang , Chen Feng
Published: June 2023

The production of fucoxanthin from microalgae is rapidly gaining popularity due to its exceptional productivity, lack of contamination, and straightforward extraction process. However, the optimal conditions for increasing biomass concentration and/or fucoxanthin content through the manipulation of light and carbon sources are context specific. This study explored fucoxanthin metabolism in Nitzschia laevis under heterotrophic and mixotrophic conditions using 13C tracer-based metabolic flux analysis, targeted metabolomics, and transcriptome analysis. Mixotrophic culture at 10 μmol m-2 s-1 improved fucoxanthin content by 27.54% but decreased biomass concentration by 15.65% compared to heterotrophic culture. At the molecular level, exposure to low light results in a reduction in carbon flux in the TCA cycle, leading to an increased flux toward carotenoid and fatty acid biosynthesis. The accumulation of high levels of citrate, isocitrate, and α-ketoglutaric acid is attributed to the reduced activity of the TCA cycle. Moreover, the metabolism of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate was found to be more active under mixotrophic cultivation than heterotrophic ones, resulting in a substantial accumulation of fucoxanthin. The higher ATP and NADPH consumption provided sufficient energy for fucoxanthin and fatty acid biosynthesis. Furthermore, gene expression analysis revealed that low light upregulated the genes involved in fucoxanthin biosynthesis and promoted the violaxanthin cycle, especially after 12 h of cultivation. To improve fucoxanthin productivity, low light conditions were applied after a fed-batch culture, resulting in a 22.92% increase in fucoxanthin accumulation. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the advantages of employing multi-stage cultivation techniques to improve microalgal production.
Protistan community structure and the influence of a branch of Kuroshio in the northeastern East China Sea during the late spring
Authors: Kim Yun Hee , Seo Hye Jin , Yang Hyun Jun , Lee Min-Young , Kim Tae-Hoon , Yoo Dohyeop , Choi Byoung-Ju , Jang Se Hyeon
Published: June 2023

The northeastern East China Sea is an ecologically important marine ecosystem influenced by warm water derived from the Kuroshio Current. However, relatively little is known about the spatial variation of protist communities and their regulating factors from this region’s ecosystem during the spring season. Here, we investigated protistan community structures using a complementary approach combining 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and light microscopy cell counts at nine stations from the northeastern East China Sea to the west of Jeju Island. The vertical profiles of physicochemical properties revealed that the Jeju Warm Current water mass, flowing from the southeast towards the northwest, created a thermohaline front dividing the region in two. These two regions had similar planktonic biomass, but the protistan communities differed significantly: dinoflagellates accounted for higher proportions of the protistan communities in the warm and saline waters, particularly at stations E35, E44, and E45, while the relative abundances of diatoms and picochlorophytes were higher in the low-density water of the western stations (E32 and E42). Furthermore, higher species richness and Shannon Diversity Index values in the warm and saline waters suggests that the Jeju Warm Current, a branch of the Kuroshio, increases protistan taxonomic diversity in the northeastern East China Sea during the late spring. Seed populations of harmful algal bloom-causing species were discovered in the warm and saline water originating from the Kuroshio, which is particularly important as it indicates that these waters could introduce harmful species that may spread to the Yellow Sea and Korea Strait. Taken together, the study suggests that potential changes to the current systems in the region could dramatically alter the structure of its protistan community.
Efficacy and safety of ultra-short wave diathermy on COVID-19 pneumonia: a pioneering study
Authors: Huang Liangjiang , Li Qian , Shah Sayed Zulfiqar Ali , Nasb Mohammad , Ali Iftikhar , Chen Bin , Xie Lingfeng , Chen Hong
Published: June 2023

Background

The ultra-short wave diathermy (USWD) is widely used to ameliorate inflammation of bacterial pneumonia, however, for COVID-19 pneumonia, USWD still needs to be verified. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of USWD in COVID-19 pneumonia patients.

Methods

This was a single-center, evaluator-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Moderate and severe COVID-19 patients were recruited between 18 February and 20 April 2020. Participants were randomly allocated to receive USWD + standard medical treatment (USWD group) or standard medical treatment alone (control group). The negative conversion rate of SARS-CoV-2 and Systemic Inflammatory Response Scale (SIRS) on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 were assessed as primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included time to clinical recovery, the 7-point ordinal scale, and adverse events.

Results

Fifty patients were randomized (USWD, 25; control, 25), which included 22 males (44.0%) and 28 females (56.0%) with a mean (SD) age of 53 ± 10.69. The rates of SARS-CoV-2 negative conversion on day 7 (p = 0.066), day 14 (p = 0.239), day 21 (p = 0.269), and day 28 (p = 0.490) were insignificant. However, systemic inflammation by SIRS was ameliorated with significance on day 7 (p = 0.030), day 14 (p = 0.002), day 21 (p = 0.003), and day 28 (p = 0.011). Time to clinical recovery (USWD 36.84 ± 9.93 vs. control 43.56 ± 12.15, p = 0.037) was significantly shortened with a between-group difference of 6.72 ± 3.14 days. 7-point ordinal scale on days 21 and 28 showed significance (p = 0.002, 0.003), whereas the difference on days 7 and 14 was insignificant (p = 0.524, 0.108). In addition, artificial intelligence-assisted CT analysis showed a greater decrease in the infection volume in the USWD group, without significant between-group differences. No treatment-associated adverse events or worsening of pulmonary fibrosis were observed in either group.

Conclusion

Among patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 pneumonia, USWD added to standard medical treatment could ameliorate systemic inflammation and shorten the duration of hospitalization without causing any adverse effects.

Clinical Trial Registration: chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR2000029972.
Hepatitis E Virus Persistence and/or Replication in the Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Acute HEV-Infected Patients
Authors: Sayed Ibrahim M. , Abd Elhameed Zeinab A. , Abd El-Kareem Doaa M. , Abdel-Malek Mohamed A. Y. , Ali Mohamed E. , Ibrahim Maggie A. , Sayed Ayat Abdel-Rahman , Khalaf Khaled Abo bakr , Abdel-Wahid Lobna , El-Mokhtar Mohamed A.
Published: June 2023

Graphical Abstract

Flow of the study design: Blood collected from acute HEV patients were fractiontated into plasma and PBMCs. Plasma was used for cytokine assay. RNA was extracted from the PBMCs and used for determinaton of viral load, detection of (+) and (−) HEV RNA strands, and gene expression assay.
Antimicrobial peptides as drugs with double response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis coinfections in lung cancer
Authors: Polinário Giulia , Primo Laura Maria Duran Gleriani , Rosa Maiara Alane Baraldi Cerquetani , Dett Freddy Humberto Marin , Barbugli Paula Aboud , Roque-Borda Cesar Augusto , Pavan Fernando Rogério
Published: June 2023

Tuberculosis and lung cancer are, in many cases, correlated diseases that can be confused because they have similar symptoms. Many meta-analyses have proven that there is a greater chance of developing lung cancer in patients who have active pulmonary tuberculosis. It is, therefore, important to monitor the patient for a long time after recovery and search for combined therapies that can treat both diseases, as well as face the great problem of drug resistance. Peptides are molecules derived from the breakdown of proteins, and the membranolytic class is already being studied. It has been proposed that these molecules destabilize cellular homeostasis, performing a dual antimicrobial and anticancer function and offering several possibilities of adaptation for adequate delivery and action. In this review, we focus on two important reason for the use of multifunctional peptides or peptides, namely the double activity and no harmful effects on humans. We review some of the main antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory bioactive peptides and highlight four that have anti-tuberculosis and anti-cancer activity, which may contribute to obtaining drugs with this dual functionality.
Study on the experiment and reaction kinetics of sulfur removal from coal by microorganisms
Authors: Zhao Dan , Sun Ping-ping , Ai Chun-ming , Mu Xiao-zhi
Published: June 2023

To solve the safety problem of spontaneous combustion of high-sulfur coal, applied microbiology, physical chemistry, reaction kinetics theory, combined with the SEM, FTIR and TG-DTG-DSC experiments and analysis of testing methods, the microbial desulfurization experiments were carried out, and the change law of the desulfurization reaction of coal before and after the element composition, main physical and chemical properties, the coal spontaneous combustion point was studied. The results show that when the temperature is 30°C, the coal particle size is 120 mesh, the initial pH value is 2.0 and the bacteria liquid amount is 15 mL, the desulfurization effect of the coal sample is the best, and the maximum desulfurization rate can reach 75.12%. There is obvious erosion on the surface of the coal sample after microbial desulfurization, the pyrite in the coal is obviously reduced, and the molecular structure in the coal is basically unchanged. Under the action of microorganism, part of inorganic sulfur in coal is removed, the spontaneous combustion point of coal is increased by 50°C, the activation energy of coal has increased more than three times, and the possibility of spontaneous combustion of coal is reduced. By analyzing the reaction kinetics of the microbial desulfurization process, it can be seen that the microbial desulfurization reaction is controlled by external diffusion, internal diffusion and chemical reaction, among which internal diffusion is the main influencing factor.
Tyrosol induces multiple drug resistance in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Noskova Elizaveta O. , Markova Olga V. , Knorre Dmitry A. , Galkina Kseniia V.
Published: June 2023

In yeast, multiple (pleiotropic) drug resistance (MDR) transporters efflux xenobiotics from the cytoplasm to the environment. Additionally, upon the accumulation of xenobiotics in the cells, MDR genes are induced. At the same time, fungal cells can produce secondary metabolites with physico-chemical properties similar to MDR transporter substrates. Nitrogen limitation in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae leads to the accumulation of phenylethanol, tryptophol, and tyrosol, which are products of aromatic amino acid catabolism. In this study, we investigated whether these compounds could induce or inhibit MDR in yeast. Double deletion of PDR1 and PDR3 genes, which are transcription factors that upregulate the expression of PDR genes, reduced yeast resistance to high concentrations of tyrosol (4–6 g/L) but not to the other two tested aromatic alcohols. PDR5 gene, but not other tested MDR transporter genes (SNQ2, YOR1, PDR10, PDR15) contributed to yeast resistance to tyrosol. Tyrosol inhibited the efflux of rhodamine 6G (R6G), a substrate for MDR transporters. However, preincubating yeast cells with tyrosol induced MDR, as evidenced by increased Pdr5-GFP levels and reduced yeast ability to accumulate Nile red, another fluorescent MDR-transporter substrate. Moreover, tyrosol inhibited the cytostatic effect of clotrimazole, the azole antifungal. Our results demonstrate that a natural secondary metabolite can modulate yeast MDR. We speculate that intermediates of aromatic amino acid metabolites coordinate cell metabolism and defense mechanisms against xenobiotics.
Multi-robot cooperative autonomous exploration via task allocation in terrestrial environments
Authors: Yan Xiangda , Zeng Zhe , He Keyan , Hong Huajie
Published: June 2023

Cooperative autonomous exploration is a challenging task for multi-robot systems, which can cover larger areas in a shorter time or path length. Using multiple mobile robots for cooperative exploration of unknown environments can be more efficient than a single robot, but there are also many difficulties in multi-robot cooperative autonomous exploration. The key to successful multi-robot cooperative autonomous exploration is effective coordination between the robots. This paper designs a multi-robot cooperative autonomous exploration strategy for exploration tasks. Additionally, considering the fact that mobile robots are inevitably subject to failure in harsh conditions, we propose a self-healing cooperative autonomous exploration method that can recover from robot failures.
DeePay: deep learning decodes EEG to predict consumer’s willingness to pay for neuromarketing
Authors: Hakim Adam , Golan Itamar , Yefet Sharon , Levy Dino J.
Published: June 2023

There is an increasing demand within consumer-neuroscience (or neuromarketing) for objective neural measures to quantify consumers’ subjective valuations and predict responses to marketing campaigns. However, the properties of EEG raise difficulties for these aims: small datasets, high dimensionality, elaborate manual feature extraction, intrinsic noise, and between-subject variations. We aimed to overcome these limitations by combining unique techniques of Deep Learning Networks (DLNs), while providing interpretable results for neuroscientific and decision-making insight. In this study, we developed a DLN to predict subjects’ willingness to pay (WTP) based on their EEG data. In each trial, 213 subjects observed a product’s image, from 72 possible products, and then reported their WTP for the product. The DLN employed EEG recordings from product observation to predict the corresponding reported WTP values. Our results showed 0.276 test root-mean-square-error and 75.09% test accuracy in predicting high vs. low WTP, surpassing other models and a manual feature extraction approach. Network visualizations provided the predictive frequencies of neural activity, their scalp distributions, and critical timepoints, shedding light on the neural mechanisms involved with evaluation. In conclusion, we show that DLNs may be the superior method to perform EEG-based predictions, to the benefit of decision-making researchers and marketing practitioners alike.
Supplemental methionine selenium effects on egg yolk physicochemical, functional, and protein structure during storage
Authors: Chen Dan , Liu Yaotong , Xu Shiwen
Published: June 2023

To clarify the effect of the addition of methionine selenium on the physicochemical, functional, and protein structural properties of egg yolk during storage. We analyzed the changes in the main indicators of egg yolks stored at 4°C and 25°C for 28 days. The results showed that the increase in water content and pH, and the decrease in absolute zeta potential and apparent viscosity of the selenium-rich egg yolks (Se-group) during storage were smaller than those of the control group egg yolks (C-group). In addition, the antioxidant capacity and emulsifying ability of the Se-group during storage were better than those of the C-group. Simultaneously, the hardness and chewiness of the Se-group gel during storage were lower than those of the C-group. The protein structure results showed that selenium rich treatment did not affect the secondary structure of egg yolk protein during storage but could improve the fluorescence intensity of the egg yolk protein. Therefore, the addition of methionine selenium can reduce the degree of deterioration in the physicochemical properties of egg yolk during storage and extend its shelf life.
Pre-diagnostic prognostic value of leukocytes count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients who develop colorectal cancer
Authors: Turri Giulia , Caligola Simone , Ugel Stefano , Conti Cristian , Zenuni Silvia , Barresi Valeria , Ruzzenente Andrea , Lippi Giuseppe , Scarpa Aldo , Bronte Vincenzo , Guglielmi Alfredo , Pedrazzani Corrado
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Emerging evidence is pointing towards a relevant role of immunity in cancer development. Alterations in leukocytes count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) at diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) seems to predict poor prognosis, but no data is available for the pre-diagnostic values.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of patients who underwent surgery for CRC at our center (2005 – 2020). 334 patients with a complete blood count dating at least 24 months prior to diagnosis were included. Changes in pre-diagnosis values of leukocytes (Pre-Leu), lymphocytes (Pre-Lymph), neutrophils (Pre-Neut), and NLR (Pre-NLR) and their correlation with overall- (OS) and cancer-related survival (CRS) were analyzed.

Results

Pre-Leu, Pre-Neut and Pre-NLR showed an increasing trend approaching the date of diagnosis, while Pre-Lymph tended to decrease. The parameters were tested for associations with survival after surgery through multivariable analysis. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, Pre-Leu, Pre-Neut, Pre-Lymph and Pre-NLR resulted independent prognostic factors for OS and CRS. On sub-group analysis considering the interval between blood sampling and surgery, higher Pre-Leu, Pre-Neut, and Pre-NLR and lower Pre-Lymph were associated with worse CRS, and the effect was more evident when blood samples were closer to surgery.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first study showing a significant correlation between pre-diagnosis immune profile and prognosis in CRC.