bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maternal hyperglycemia inhibits pulmonary vasculogenesis during mouse fetal lung development by promoting GβL Ubiquitination-dependent mammalian target of Rapamycin assembly
Authors: Luo Qingqing , Chai Xinqun , Xin Xiaoyan , Ouyang Weixiang , Deng Feitao
Published: March 2023

Background

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with retarded lung development and poor lung health in offspring. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key regulator of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the role mTOR plays in pulmonary vasculogenesis during fetal lung development under maternal hyperglycemia.

Methods

First, GDM was induced via streptozotocin injection in pregnant C57BL/6 mice before the radial alveolar count (RAC) in the fetal lungs was assessed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The angiogenic ability of the cultured primary mouse fetal lung endothelial cells (MFLECs) was then assessed using the tube formation assay technique, while western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to determine the expression of mTOR, regulatory-associated protein of mTOR (Raptor), rapamycin-insensitive companion of mTOR (Rictor), stress-activated protein kinase interacting protein 1 (Sin1), G protein beta subunit-like protein (GβL), Akt, tumor necrosis receptor associated factor-2 (TRAF2), and OTU deubiquitinase 7B (OTUD7B) in both the fetal lung tissues and the cultured MFLECs. Immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to evaluate the status of GβL-ubiquitination and the association between GβL and mTOR, Raptor, Rictor, and Sin1 in the cultured MFLECs.

Results

The GDM fetal lungs exhibited a decreased RAC and reduced expression of von Willebrand factor, CD31, and microvessel density. The high glucose level reduced the tube formation ability in the MFLECs, with the mTOR, p-mTOR, p-Raptor, and TRAF2 expression upregulated and the p-Rictor, p-Sin1, p-Akt, and OTUD7B expression downregulated in both the GDM fetal lungs and the high-glucose-treated MFLECs. Meanwhile, GβL-ubiquitination was upregulated in the high-glucose-treated MFLECs along with an increased GβL/Raptor association and decreased GβL/Rictor and GβL/Sin1 association. Furthermore, TRAF2 knockdown inhibited the high-glucose-induced GβL-ubiquitination and GβL/Raptor association and restored the tube formation ability of the MFLECs.

Conclusion

Maternal hyperglycemia inhibits pulmonary vasculogenesis during fetal lung development by promoting GβL-ubiquitination-dependent mTORC1 assembly.
The relationship of insulin resistance and diabetes to tau PET SUVR in middle-aged to older adults
Authors: Ennis Gilda E. , Betthauser Tobey J. , Koscik Rebecca Langhough , Chin Nathaniel A. , Christian Bradley T. , Asthana Sanjay , Johnson Sterling C. , Bendlin Barbara B.
Published: March 2023

Background

Insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes have been found to increase the risk for Alzheimer’s clinical syndrome in epidemiologic studies but have not been associated with tau tangles in neuropathological research and have been inconsistently associated with cerebrospinal fluid P-tau181. IR and type 2 diabetes are well-recognized vascular risk factors. Some studies suggest that cardiovascular risk may act synergistically with cortical amyloid to increase tau measured using tau PET. Utilizing data from largely nondemented middle-aged and older adult cohorts enriched for AD risk, we investigated the association of IR and diabetes to tau PET and whether amyloid moderated those relationships.

Methods

Participants were enrolled in either the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) or Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (WI-ADRC) Clinical Core. Two partially overlapping samples were studied: a sample characterized using HOMA-IR (n=280 WRAP participants) and a sample characterized on diabetic status (n=285 WRAP andn=109 WI-ADRC). IR was measured using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Tau PET employing the radioligand18F-MK-6240 was used to detect AD-specific aggregated tau. Linear regression tested the relationship of IR and diabetic status to tau PET standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) within the entorhinal cortex and whether relationships were moderated by amyloid assessed by amyloid PET distribution volume ratio (DVR) and amyloid PET positivity status.

Results

Neither HOMA-IR nor diabetic status was significantly associated with tau PET SUVR. The relationship between IR and tau PET SUVR was not moderated by amyloid PET DVR or positivity status. The association between diabetic status and tau PET SUVR was not significantly moderated by amyloid PET DVR but was significantly moderated by amyloid PET positivity status. Among the amyloid PET-positive participants, the estimated marginal tau PET SUVR mean was higher in the diabetic (n=6) relative to the nondiabetic group (n=88).

Conclusion

Findings indicate that IR may not be related to tau in generally healthy middle-aged and older adults who are in the early stages of the AD clinicopathologic continuum but suggest the need for additional research to investigate whether a synergistic relationship between type 2 diabetes and amyloid is associated with increased tau levels.
Cloud-edge data encryption in the internet of vehicles using Zeckendorf representation
Authors: Wu Yun , Wu Liangshun , Cai Hengjin
Published: March 2023

Cloud-edge data security is a key issue in the internet of vehicles (IoV), as the potential for data breaches increases as more vehicles are connected. As vehicles become smarter and more connected, the risk of unauthorized access to the data generated by the vehicles also increases. Data encryption is a highly effective security measure that is widely used to protect the IoV from malicious actors. By encrypting data, it becomes virtually impossible for unauthorized individuals to access the information. This ensures that only the intended parties can access the data, allowing for secure communication between cloud and edge. Data encryption is a cost-effective and reliable security measure that is essential for any organization that relies on the IoV. The IoV is characterized by the large volume of data that is exchanged between devices in cloud and edge. This necessitates the use of a strong encryption method, such as stream ciphering, which is particularly well-suited to this type of environment. Stream ciphering provides the highest levels of security, making it the ideal choice for securing data transmission in the IoV. Many stream ciphering algorithms use bitwise exclusive or (XOR) to encrypt the data stream, so the core is the generation of a pseudo-random key stream. This paper proves that the probability of the number 1 appearing in the middle part of the Zeckendorf representation is constant, which can be used to generate pseudo-random key stream sequences. The pseudo-random sequence generated by the linear feedback shift register (LSFR) is periodic, and the key sequence will be duplicated. The logistic chaos (LC) sequence is too sensitive to the disturbance of initial value, and its stability is poor. In this paper, our proposed ZPKG (key generator based on Zeckendorf presentation) algorithm solves these two main problems in stream ciphering. The generated key sequence not only has strong randomness, but also is infinitely long, and it is robust to the minor disturbance of the initial value.

Graphical Abstract
A study of COVID anxiety, spiritual well-being and resilience levels in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in the south of Iran
Authors: Khiyali Zahra , Naderi Zeinab , Vakil Mohammadkazem , Ghasemi Hajar , Dehghan Azizallah , Bijani Mostafa
Published: March 2023

Background

Patients with cancer are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 with poor prognosis. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate anxiety, spiritual well-being, and resilience levels in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic in the south of Fars Province, Iran.

Methods

This is a descriptive study with a cross-sectional design conducted on the patients undergoing chemotherapy at Dr. Ali Shariati Hospital in Fasa from November 2021 to February 2022. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were included in the study by census method. Out of 210 patients, 155 participated in the study. Data were collected electronically using the standard instruments of Ellison’s Spiritual Well-being Scale, COVID-19 anxiety questionnaire, and Connor-Davidson resilience scale. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS 22 using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation tests, T-test, ANOVA and multivariate linear regression at a level of significance of P < 0.05.

Results

The participants’ resilience mean score was 46.35 ± 26.51 and their spiritual well-being mean score was 69.58 ± 9.32. In addition, their COVID anxiety mean, score was found to be 16.85 ± 10.51. The results showed a significant direct correlation between the patients’ spiritual well-being and resilience (r = 0.47, P < 0.001) and a significant inverse correlation between the patients’ spiritual well-being and COVID-19-related anxiety (r = − 0.275, P < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant inverse correlation between the variables of resilience and COVID-19-related anxiety (r = − 0.637, P < 0.001). Based on multivariate linear regression, the most common predictors in resilience were age and history of infection with COVID-19, and in spiritual health and anxiety, was a history of infection with COVID-19.

Conclusion

Enhancement of spiritual well-being and resilience in patients should be an integral part of care as these qualities are valuable resources in fighting cancer and lowering patients’ anxiety, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Comparison of gene expression between human and mouse iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes for stem cell therapies of cardiovascular defects via bioinformatic analysis
Authors: Bellman Ryan , Chen Jishizhan , Chen Lidan , Nomikou Nikolitsa , Tsui Janice , Hamilton George , Song Wenhui
Published: March 2023

Background

Preclinical studies have demonstrated the potential use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to treat cardiovascular disease (CVD). In vivo preclinical studies conducted on animal models (murine, porcine, guinea pig, etc.) have employed either syngeneic or human-derived iPSCs. However, no study has been carried out to investigate and report the key genetic differences between the human and animal-derived iPSCs. Our study analysed the gene expression profile and molecular pathway patterns underlying the differentiation of both human and mouse iPSCs to iPSC-cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs), and the differences between them via bioinformatic analysis.

Method

Data sets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and included both human and mouse models, and the data for undifferentiated iPSCs and iPSC-CMs were isolated from each. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened and then analysed. The website g:Profiler was used to obtain the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks of the DEGs were constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database and Cytoscape software. The subclusters were then extracted from the PPI network for further analysis.

Results

iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes expressed many genes related to vascular, endothelial, and smooth muscle repair in the human iPSC-CMs, and prevention of calcification in the mouse iPSC-CMs with clear differences in gene expression, which will affect how iPSCs act in research. Especially in the human iPSC-CMs, and also prevention of calcification processes in the mouse data. The identified differences in gene expression of iPSCs derived from the two species suggests that in vivo studies using mouse iPSC-CMs may not reflect those in humans.

Conclusion

The study provides new insights into the key genes related to the iPSCs, including genes related to angiogenesis, calcification, and striated muscle, endothelium, and bone formation. Moreover, the clear differences between both mouse and human-derived iPSCs have been identified, which could be used as new evidence and guidance for developing novel targeted therapy strategies to improve the therapeutic effects of iPSC treatment in cardiovascular defects.
Comparison between gaits after a medial pivot and posterior stabilized primary total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Risitano Salvatore , Cacciola Giorgio , Capella Marcello , Bosco Francesco , Giustra Fortunato , Fusini Federico , Indelli Pier Francesco , Massé Alessandro , Sabatini Luigi
Published: March 2023

Background

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most performed orthopedic procedures worldwide. While excellent efficacy has been reported, about 20% of patients are not satisfied with the result. A potential cause is the problematic reproduction of knee kinematics. This systematic review examines gait analysis studies in primary medial pivot (MP) and posterior stabilized (PS) TKAs to investigate the differences between the two prosthesis designs.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted by following PRISMA guidelines. Five databases (PubMed, Medline, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) were analyzed, and eligible articles were evaluated in terms of the levels of evidence. The methodological quality of the articles was assessed by using the MINORS scoring. This review was registered in PROSPERO.

Results

Nine studies were included. Gait analysis was performed in 197 MP TKA and 192 PS TKA patients. PS TKA cases showed (P < 0.05) a significantly higher peak of knee flexion angle during the swing phase, greater knee flexion angle at toe-off, an increased knee adduction angle, higher knee flexion and extension moment, increased anterior femoral roll during knee flexion and anterior translation on medial and lateral condyle during knee flexion compared to MP TKA. MP TKA showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) higher knee rotational moment and greater tibiofemoral external rotation motion during knee flexion than PS TKA. No statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) was reported regarding gait spatial–temporal parameters. The Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Comparison in terms of Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score (mean stiffness) showed that MP TKA yielded significantly better results than PS TKA.

Conclusions

This systematic review revealed significant kinematic and kinetic differences between MP and PS TKA at all gait analysis phases. Furthermore, the considerable difference between TKA design and the kinematics of healthy knee were highlighted in this study.

Level of evidence

III.
Erdheim-Chester Disease With BRAF V600E Mutation and Central Diabetes Insipidus Successfully Treated With Glucocorticoid
Authors: Imaizumi Toshinori , Daido Hisashi , Kato Takehiro , Yabe Daisuke
Published: March 2023

Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis characterized by xanthoma/xanthogranuloma infiltration in various organs and a broad spectrum of clinical presentations, including bone lesions, central diabetes insipidus and renal failure. BRAF V600E mutation is seen in almost half of the cases of ECD; the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib is recommended treatment in the United States and the European Union. However, the indication for vemurafenib in Japan is limited to unresectable malignant melanoma with BRAF mutation. Although glucocorticoids, interferon, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are treatment options, no standard therapy for ECD has yet been established in Japan. We describe here a patient with central diabetes insipidus and retroperitoneal lesions who was successfully treated with prednisolone. Glucocorticoid therapy is therefore a plausible alternative for ECD with BRAF V600E mutation when the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib cannot be used.
Sonolucent Cranioplasty in Extracranial to Intracranial Bypass Surgery: Early Multicenter Experience of 44 Cases
Authors: Salem Mohamed M. , Ravindran Krishnan , Hoang Alex Nguyen , Doron Omer , Esparza Rogelio , Raper Daniel , Jankowitz Brian T. , Tanweer Omar , Lopes Demetrius , Langer David , Nossek Erez , Burkhardt Jan-Karl
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND:

The new sonolucent cranioplasty implant (clear polymethyl methacrylate, PMMA) adds functionality besides surgical reconstruction. One possible application uses the transcranioplasty ultrasound (TCUS) technique after PMMA cranioplasty to assess graft patency of extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass procedures.

OBJECTIVE:

To report our early multicenter experience.

METHODS:

This is a multicenter analysis of consecutive EC-IC bypass patients from 5 US centers (2019-2022) with closure postbypass using PMMA implant.

RESULTS:

Forty-four patients (median age 53 years, 68.2% females) were included. The most common indication for bypass was Moyamoya disease/syndrome (77.3%), and superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypass was the most common procedure (79.5%). Pretreatment modified Rankin Scales of 0 and 1 to 2 were noted in 11.4% and 59.1% of patients, respectively. Intraoperative imaging for bypass patency involved a combination of modalities; Doppler was the most used modality (90.9%) followed by indocyanine green and catheter angiography (86.4% and 61.4%, respectively). Qualitative TCUS assessment of graft patency was feasible in all cases. Postoperative inpatient TCUS confirmation of bypass patency was recorded in 56.8% of the cases, and outpatient TCUS surveillance was recorded in 47.7%. There were no cases of bypass failure necessitating retreatment. Similarly, no implant-related complications were encountered in the cohort. Major complications requiring additional surgery occurred in 2 patients (4.6%) including epidural hematoma requiring evacuation (2.3%) and postoperative surgical site infection (2.3%) that was believed to be unrelated to the implant.

CONCLUSION:

This multicenter study supports safety and feasibility of using sonolucent PMMA implant in EC-IC bypass surgery with the goal of monitoring bypass patency using TCUS.
Septins and K63 ubiquitin chains are present in separate bacterial microdomains during autophagy of entrapped Shigella
Authors: Lobato-Márquez Damián , Conesa José Javier , López-Jiménez Ana Teresa , Divine Michael E. , Pruneda Jonathan N. , Mostowy Serge
Published: March 2023

During host cell invasion, Shigella escapes to the cytosol and polymerizes actin for cell-to-cell spread. To restrict cell-to-cell spread, host cells employ cell-autonomous immune responses including antibacterial autophagy and septin cage entrapment. How septins interact with the autophagy process to target Shigella for destruction is poorly understood. Here, we employed a correlative light and cryo-soft X-ray tomography (cryo-SXT) pipeline to study Shigella septin cage entrapment in its near-native state. Quantitative cryo-SXT showed that Shigella fragments mitochondria and enabled visualization of X-ray-dense structures (∼30 nm resolution) surrounding Shigella entrapped in septin cages. Using Airyscan confocal microscopy, we observed lysine 63 (K63)-linked ubiquitin chains decorating septin-cage-entrapped Shigella. Remarkably, septins and K63 chains are present in separate bacterial microdomains, indicating they are recruited separately during antibacterial autophagy. Cryo-SXT and live-cell imaging revealed an interaction between septins and LC3B-positive membranes during autophagy of Shigella. Together, these findings demonstrate how septin-caged Shigella are targeted for autophagy and provide fundamental insights into autophagy–cytoskeleton interactions.
Measurement of voluntary bite forces in large carnivores using a semi-automated reward-driven system
Authors: van der Meijden Arie , González-Gómez Julio César , Pulido-Osorio María D. , Herrel Anthony
Published: March 2023

Bite force is a key performance trait of the feeding system, but maximal in vivo bite force has been measured in few large mammals. The alternative, modelling of bite force from anatomy, cannot be validated without in vivo measurements. To overcome existing limitations of ethics, safety and animal well-being, we propose a semi-automated method to obtain voluntary maximum bite forces from large mammals using bite plates that automatically dispense a food reward if an incrementally increasing threshold force value is reached. We validated our method using two Malayan sun bears, two Andean spectacled bears and a lioness. We show that voluntary bite force measurement using positive reinforcement is a non-invasive and reliable method to record maximum voluntary bite force performance in large mammals. Our results further show that in vivo data are critical as modeling efforts from osteology have greatly underestimated bite forces in Andean spectacled bears.
Ο ρόλος της Εκκλησίας της Ρώμης στις εργασίες των Οικουμενικών Συνόδων
Authors: Μεταλλίδης Κωνσταντίνος
Published: March 2023

Σκοπός της διατριβής ήταν να διερευνηθεί συνολικά ο ρόλος της εκκλησίας της Ρώμης στα τεκταινόμενα των Οικουμενικών Συνόδων. Στο πρώτο και εισαγωγικό μέρος ασχοληθήκαμε με τη θέση της εκκλησίας της Ρώμης και του επισκόπου της στην πρώιμη χριστιανική κοινότητα. Εξετάσαμε τη σχέση πάπα και συνοδικού θεσμού, τον ρόλο της ρωμαϊκής εκκλησίας στις πριν τη Νίκαια Συνόδους, τις αρμοδιότητες των παπικών τοποτηρητών στις εργασίες των Συνόδων και τον Στ΄ κανόνα της Α΄ Οικουμενικής Συνόδου ως επιβεβαίωση των «αρχαίων εθών» και ρυθμιστή της δικαιοδοσίας της εκκλησίας της Ρώμης. Στο δεύτερο μέρος της εργασίας μας επιχειρήσαμε την αποσαφήνιση της δικαιοδοσίας ή επιρροής της εκκλησίας της Ρώμης στις ευρύτερες περιοχές και παρουσιάσαμε το σύνολο των επιστημονικών απόψεων. Οριοθετήσαμε την έκταση του δυτικού τμήματος της αυτοκρατορίας -αφού τα εκκλησιαστικά όρια ακολουθούν τα πολιτικά- και στη συνέχεια διερευνήσαμε τις σχέσεις της εκκλησίας της Ρώμης και των επισκόπων της με τις εκκλησίες της Ιταλίας, του Ιλλυρικού (δυτικού και ανατολικού), Γαλλίας, Ισπανίας, Βρετανίας, Β.Αφρικής καθώς επίσης με το εξαρχάτο της Ραβέννας. Στο τρίτο και βασικότερο μέρος της διατριβής παρουσιάσαμε μέσα από τις πηγές (πρακτικά Οικουμενικών Συνόδων, ιστορικούς και πατέρες της εποχής τους) τον συνολικό ρόλο της εκκλησίας της Ρώμης στην προετοιμασία, στη σύγκληση, στις εργασίες και στην αποδοχή ή μη των αποφάσεων των Οικουμενικών Συνόδων. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, παραθέσαμε τη στάση και τις δράσεις -θεολογία, επιστολογραφία, ενέργειες σύγκλησης και υποστήριξης Συνόδων- όλων των Ρωμαίων προκαθημένων. Ερευνήσαμε τον ρόλο των εκπροσώπων του επισκόπου Ρώμης σε όλες τις συνεδριάσεις όλων των Οικουμενικών Συνόδων με λεπτομέρεια και εξηγάγαμε ασφαλή συμπεράσματα. Τέλος, ελέγξαμε την παρουσία και αξιολογήσαμε την προσφορά των κληρικών (επισκόπων, πρεσβυτέρων, διακόνων και μοναχών) της δικαιοδοσίας ή επιρροής της εκκλησίας της Ρώμης στις συνεδριάσεις των Οικουμενικών Συνόδων. Συμπερασματικά, με την εργασία μας αυτή παρουσιάζουμε την κοινή πορεία ανατολής και δύσης κατά την περίοδο των Οικουμενικών Συνόδων, με τις συγκλήσεις, τις αντιπαλότητες και τις αντιπαραθέσεις, και την προτείνουμε ως υπόδειγμα μιας νέας πορείας συνεννόησης και καταλλαγής.
New genomic changes in myeloid neoplasms
Authors: Μαυρίδου Έλενα-Ελένη
Published: March 2023

Οι αιματολογικές νεοπλασίες και ειδικότερα οι λευχαιμίες χαρακτηρίζονται από γενετικές αλλοιώσεις, όπως κληρονομούμενες και/ή επίκτητες μεταλλάξεις, αλλαγμένους επιγενετικούς μηχανισμούς και επίκτητες ειδικές χρωμοσωματικές ανωμαλίες. Ένα από τα πιο καλά μελετημένα γονίδια που σχετίζονται με τις μυελογενείς νεοπλασίες είναι το RUNX1, ενώ πολυάριθμες μελέτες αναδεικνύουν και τη σημασία του γονιδίου BCOR στη φυσιολογική αιμοποίηση. Συγκεκριμένα, έχει δειχθεί ότι μεταλλάξεις αυτού του γονιδίου σε οργανισμούς "νοκ-άουτ" οδηγούν σε μη φυσιολογική αιμοποίηση. Στη παρούσα εργασία χαρακτηρίστηκε μια έως τώρα άγνωστη χρωμοσωματική αμοιβαία μετάθεση, η t(X;21)(p11.4;q22.12), που εμφανίζεται σε ασθενείς με Μυελοδυσπλαστικό Σύνδρομο (ΜΔΣ) και Οξεία Μυελογενή Λευχαιμία (ΟΜΛ). Επομένως, η μετάθεση αυτή επηρεάζει προφανώς ένα αιμοποιητικό αρχέγονο κύτταρο ή έναν πρώιμο πρόγονο. Περιέργως, το αποτέλεσμα της μετάθεσης δεν ήταν ένα γονίδιο σύντηξης. Αντίθετα, οι κύριες μοριακές συνέπειες ήταν οι ελλείψεις και των δύο γονιδίων BCOR και AML1. Έτσι, η t(X;21) αντιπροσωπεύει μια ασυνήθιστη χρωμοσωματική αλλοίωση στα ΜΔΣ και ΟΜΛ που οδηγεί σε έλλειψη δύο ολόκληρων γονιδίων. Απαιτούνται λειτουργικές μελέτες για την κατανόηση της επίδρασης αυτού του πρωτογενούς κυτταρογενετικού γεγονότος και του ρόλου του στη σταδιακή παθογένεση της κακοήθους διαδικασίας, η οποία χαρακτηρίζεται από ένα γονιδιωματικό τοπίο που περιλαμβάνει και επιγενετικούς μηχανισμούς. Πρόσφατες μελέτες αποκαλύπτουν επίσης τη σημασία της καλύτερης κατανόησης της συσχέτισης μεταξύ ανοσολογικών και κακοήθων διαταραχών. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό, η ινδολεαμίνη 2,3-διοξυγενάση 1 (IDO1) που ανήκει στην κατηγορία των ανασταλτικών μορίων του ανοσοποιητικού σημείου ελέγχου, φαίνεται να διαδραματίζει σπουδαίο ρόλο. Τέτοιοι ρυθμιστές του ανοσοποιητικού συστήματος είναι ζωτικής σημασίας για την πρόληψη της αυτοανοσίας. Γενετικές αλλοιώσεις του IDO1 έχει αναφερθεί ότι σχετίζονται με δυσλειτουργίες του ανοσοποιητικού συστήματος αλλά και με τον καρκίνο. Με την αποκωδικοποίηση του λειτουργικού ρόλου της πρωτοπεριγραφόμενης μετάλλαξης rs751360195 SNV, η παρούσα μελέτη αναδεικνύει το IDO1 ως πιθανό βιοδείκτη ανοσολογικών διαταραχών συμβάλλοντας επίσης στον κακοήθη φαινότυπο. Η ταυτοποίηση παραλλαγών στην κωδικοποιούσα αλληλουχία υποδηλώνει το ρόλο του IDO1 τόσο σε ανοσολογικές όσο και σε κακοήθεις διαταραχές. Αυτό υποστηρίζεται και από την ανίχνευση τέτοιων μεταλλάξεων σε περιπτώσεις με κληρονομούμενη μετάλλαξη στο γονίδιο DDX41. Η αιτιολογική συσχέτιση γενετικών παραλλαγών και φαινοτύπου συμβάλει στην ακριβέστερη διάγνωση και στοχευμένη θεραπευτική προσέγγιση ασθενειών, ανοίγοντας το δρόμο για την εξατομικευμένη ιατρική.
Smart thing design by children
Authors: Ρουμελιώτη Ευτυχία
Published: March 2023

Στο παρελθόν, ερευνητές από το πεδίο της αλληλεπίδρασης παιδιού-υπολογιστή συνεργάστηκαν με παιδιά που συμμετείχαν ως χρήστες, δοκιμαστές, πληροφοριοδότες ή συνεργάτες σχεδιασμού για να υποστηρίξουν το σχεδιασμό μελλοντικής τεχνολογίας με τη συμβολή των παιδιών. Τα τελευταία χρόνια, οι ερευνητές επεσήμαναν ότι ο σχεδιασμός με παιδιά θα πρέπει να αξιολογείται σε σχέση όχι μόνο με τα απτά αποτελέσματα αλλά και με τα οφέλη των συμμετεχόντων. Προέκυψαν λοιπόν νέοι ρόλοι για παιδιά, οι οποίοι επικεντρώνονται σε διαφορετικά οφέλη ή ευκαιρίες ενδυνάμωσης για τα παιδιά κατά τον σχεδιασμό. Σύμφωνα με αυτή την προοπτική, οι ερευνητές στη μάθηση με χρήση τεχνολογίας πέρασαν από τον σχεδιασμό με παιδιά στον σχεδιασμό από παιδιά: πλαισίωσαν τον σχεδιασμό για παιδιά σε στάδια με υποστηρικτικά κιτ εργαλείων και εστίασαν σε μετρήσιμα οφέλη που μπορούν να προκύψουν από τη διαδικασία. Η παρούσα διατριβή ξεκινά από αυτή την έρευνα και εστιάζει στο σχεδιασμό έξυπνων αντικειμένων από παιδιά.Η διατριβή προτείνει ένα μοντέλο για το πλαίσιο σχεδίασης έξυπνων αντικειμένων από παιδιά και ένα συνοδευτικό εργαλείο, που ονομάζεται SNaP. Τα υπάρχουσα εργαλεία για το σχεδιασμό έξυπνων αντικειμένων επικεντρώνονται σε ένα στάδιο σχεδιασμού, π.χ. στο στάδιο της παραγωγής ιδέας ή του προγραμματισμού. Επιπλέον, τα μοντέλα σχεδίασης τείνουν να μην καλύπτουν ρητά τη χρήση εργαλείων από τα παιδιά, έτσι ώστε τα παιδιά να μπορούν να εργαστούν μόνα τους κατά τον σχεδιασμό. Αντίθετα, το SNaP πλαισιώνει ολόκληρο τον σχεδιασμό έξυπνων αντικειμένων και καθοδηγεί τα παιδιά στην εξερεύνηση, την παραγωγή ιδέας, τον προγραμματισμό και τη δημιουργία πρωτοτύπων με τη χρήση εργαλείων. Μέσω της μεθοδολογίας έρευνα-δράση, το μοντέλο και εργαλείο SNaP υιοθετήθηκε σε δράσεις με παιδιά και συγκεκριμένα σε εργαστήρια σχεδιασμού. Τα αποτελέσματα των ενεργειών χρησιμοποιήθηκαν για να κάνουν το SNaP να εξελιχθεί σε κύκλους δράσης, προβληματισμού και ανάπτυξης, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη τα οφέλη των παιδιών, όπως για παράδειγμα τη δέσμευσή τους και την εκμάθηση του σχεδιασμού έξυπνων αντικειμένων.
EUROPAMOBIL: A Vehicle for the European Union to Keep Moving
Authors: Charisi Michaela
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the necessity to increase the connection the European youth has with the European Union. Education policy might be a responsibility of the Member States, but the EU shall take upon more initiatives in order to bring the young Europeans closer to it. EUROPAMOBIL, is a project that can add educational value to the currently covered areas by the European school curricula, without intervening on national territories and can have a positive impact among the youth, which is an interval part for the continuation of the EU and the achievement of its goals.
The Influence and Implications of the Ukrainian Crisis on European Regional Security
Authors: Papadakis Konstantinos , Spyrakou Vera
Published: March 2023

In this analysis, the theoretical framework is examined based on primary and secondary sources of research concerning the foundation of Russian-Ukrainian relations. Subsequently, the existing security environment is extensively analysed, at the international and regional level, while a critical overview of the political-military framework of security at the European level is also examined. Furthermore, an overview of the relations between Russia and Ukraine is attempted in two dimensions, regarding to the geopolitical role of Greece and its role in the European interaction, and the analysis of influence and the effects of the Ukrainian crisis in the field of Energy Policy of the European Union (EU) within its effect on the European defence policy. In this context, the key role of Greece and Cyprus and both mediation for energy sufficiency and Europe’s autonomy is thoroughly examined, as a consequence of the geopolitical and geographical factor that may affect the existing dependencies on Russian natural gas based on of the East Med area, hence the potential influence of forming a new field of interdependence at the energy level.
Physiotherapy interventions for head and trunk control in children with developmental disabilities: A scoping review protocol
Authors: Shakya Shristi , Parsekar Shradha S. , Ramachandran Selvam , Madapura S. Shamantha , Balakrishna Shetty Harikishan , Anaby Dana , Gopalakrishna Sivakumar , Venkatesan V. S. , Rao Bhamini Krishna
Published: March 2023

Background: Head and trunk control is prerequisite skill that maximizes engagement and participation in one’s environment by integrating vision, oromotor skill, arm control and respiration. Various physiotherapy and technology-based interventions have been utilized to facilitate head and trunk control in children with developmental disabilities. This scoping review is planned to map and summarize existing studies from the scientific literature on physiotherapy and technology-based interventions for head and trunk control in children with developmental disabilities.

Methods: The scoping review will utilize the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology. The review will cover studies including children and adolescents aged between six months and 17 years 11 months 29 days, with developmental disabilities where in child finds difficulty in lifting its head and aligning head and trunk. We will include randomized controlled trial (RCT), non-RCT, quasi-experimental trial, and systematic reviews that have employed physiotherapy and technology-based interventions. Database-specific search strategy will be used to search records in Medline (PubMed and Web of Science), Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, PEDro, and Cochrane Library. Additionally, various grey literatures and clinical-trial registries will be searched. Two reviewers, independently, will screen and extract the data. Tables and visual representations will be utilized to present the extracted data.

Registration details: The protocol has been registered in Open Science Framework, DOI:  10.17605/OSF.IO/B3RSU (22nd August 2022)
Queervertising: An empowerment tool for the gay men and lesbian community
Authors: Iglesias-Sánchez Patricia P. , Jambrino-Maldonado Carmen , de las Heras-Pedrosa Carlos , Díaz-Tendero Rafael
Published: March 2023

Background: Today’s society clams to be more inclusive, but there has been a lack of practical examination of this area. This study analyses how advertising and society interact and evolve in parallel, with advertising seeking to balance more traditional representations – in accordance with the Mirror Theory – with mainstreaming, which can influence social change. In this case, analysis is focused on the homosexual community.

Methods: A content analysis of audiovisual advertising in Spain from the 1960s to 2021 is carried out in addition to a review of historical milestones and legislation.

Results: The results evidence the transformation of advertising. The main findings show a shift from the total invisibility of the gay men and lesbian community in the 1960s to effective and respectful integration today.

Conclusions: Queervertising is proposed as a new theoretical concept as the result of gender and sexual diversity being identified in advertising over time. The inclusion of gay men and lesbians in advertising is a current trend that, moreover, offers a challenge for brands. Although this turnaround in advertising creativity should be highlighted and recognized as being to some extent responsible for changes and social evolution, the commercial messages which are found today are still not always disruptive or excessively explicit, in order to avoid some rejection by audiences.
Criminal procedure: general provisions and pre-trial proceedings. Workshop
Authors: Budanova Lyudmila , Aleksandrova Ol'ga , Smirnova Irina , Shabanov Vyacheslav , Ulanova Yuliya , Makarkina Oksana
Published: March 2023

The workshop is a set of questions for knowledge control, abstracts, creative (research) works, practical tasks, the implementation of which will allow you to more successfully master the discipline "Criminal procedure" in terms of general provisions and pre-trial proceedings, develop skills for applying theoretical knowledge in specific law enforcement situations, registration of procedural documents.
Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation.
For students of higher educational institutions enrolled in legal programs, teachers and all interested persons.
Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Pregnancy
Authors: Grabowska Ewa , Pawłocik Weronika , Pawlak Weronika , Wojtala Laura , Szymańska Julia , Kapłon Kamil , Możdżyńska Agnieszka , Musiał Lena , Rymarz Anna , Kamińska Izabela
Published: March 2023

Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disease with a wide spectrum of manifestations from different organs, therefore it is challenging to diagnose. The disease presents antiphospholipid antibodies such as anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL), lupus anticoagulant (LA) and antiβ2-glycoprotein 1 antibodies (β2GPI). The most common symptoms include thrombosis in veins and arteries and obstretical complications such as early miscarriage, intrauterine fetal death, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), placental insufficiency, premature labor and eclampsia. To diagnose a patient with APS certain criteria have been chosen, where at least one clinical and one laboratory criterion must be present. In many cases it takes a lot of time before a proper diagnosis has been made, when a female patient presents obstretical complications. Adequate pharmacological treatment increases the odds of live birth rate from 20-30% to 70-80%. Scientific research shows correlation between antiphospholipid syndrome, infertility and premature ovarian insufficiency. Treatment mostly consists of heparin and low-dose aspirin, in certain cases hydrochloroquine is prescribed. Aside from pharamcological therapy, it is very important to minimize the effects of modifiable risk factors. The following article focuses on complications, diagnosing and therapy in pregnant women suffering from Antiphospholipid syndrome. All sources can be found in Pubmed’s website database.
Diferencias de representación de género entre las películas españolas dirigidas por hombres y por mujeres (2018-2019)
Authors: Marcos Ramos María , Martín García Teresa , González de Garay Beatriz
Published: March 2023

Desde hace unos años se viene gestando un movimiento social que reclama una mayor diversidad en la sociedad, incluido el cine. Así, miembros de minorías reclaman su espacio como creadores de contenidos. Diversas organizaciones han señalado que si hay más mujeres en la dirección de películas, habrá más películas protagonizadas por mujeres. Empero, no hay evidencia científica de ello, y este estudio quiere comprobar si existe una relación directa entre el género del director y los personajes. El objetivo fue estudiar la representación de género en el cine español a través de la relación entre la representación de personajes femeninos/masculinos y el género de los directores. Se analizó el contenido de 30 películas españolas de 2018 y 2019 con un total de 468 caracteres (n = 468). Se concluyó que, aun cuando sigue existiendo una infrarrepresentación de personajes femeninos, no existe una relación estadística significativa entre esta infrarrepresentación y el género de los consejeros. Además, no hubo una relación estadística significativa entre el género del director y la ocupación del personaje u objetivos personales vs. laborales. En comparación con las películas de directoras, en el trabajo de los directores masculinos, la frecuencia de diálogo entre personajes femeninos y masculinos es significativamente mayor.
El debate regional en la periferia. Origen y transformación frente al pensamiento estructuralista latinoamericano
Authors: Trucco Ignacio , Fernández Víctor Ramiro
Published: March 2023

La dimensión territorial es consustancial al pensamiento estructuralista latinoamericano, el cual objetó las metáforas espaciales que componían las principales corrientes del pensamiento económico. Las conceptualizaciones de las relaciones centro-periferia no se limitaron a la for­mulación de hipótesis ad hoc a los núcleos conceptuales preexistentes. Por el contrario, buscaron captar la especificidad de la periferia como un proceso histórico particular de modernización y estructuración social. Sin embargo, las relaciones territoriales de carácter subnacional o, di­cho de otro modo, la cuestión regional, tuvieron un peso menor y constituyeron un genuino interrogante que interpeló dicha perspectiva. Para el presente trabajo se trazó el objetivo de analizar el desarrollo de dicho debate tomando como criterio de lectura su relación con las principales hipótesis estructuralistas. Se concluye que el debate estuvo marcado por un aleja­miento sistemático de dichas bases teóricas, que dejó la cuestión regional como un problema pendiente de resolución.
Digital Arterial Occlusion at the Metacarpophalangeal Joint with Hypothenar Hammer Syndrome-like Symptoms: A Case Report
Authors: Niitsuma Gaku , Kawasaki Keikichi , Inagaki Katsunori
Published: March 2023

Introduction: We present a rare case of ischemia caused by blunt trauma at the metacarpophalangeal joint, with no fracture or dislocation. This case resulted in digital arterial injury of the little finger with a pathological mechanism similar to that of hypothenar hammer syndrome (HHS). Case Report: Pre-operative computed tomography (CT) revealed an occluded ulnar artery at the brachial artery bifurcation and occluded ulnar digital artery in the little finger. The blunt trauma to the radial digital artery of the little finger caused ischemia. Arterial anastomosis was performed microsurgically to preserve the little finger. Necrosis was successfully prevented. The condition of the finger improved gradually, with no restriction in the range of motion Conclusion: When a patient presents with HHS-like symptoms and is unresponsive to conservative treatment, surgical treatment should be considered. We recommend using contrast-enhanced CT for evaluating the entire upper extremity, even for ischemia associated with blunt hand trauma, such as HHS
High-quality manipulable fiber-microsphere for super-resolution microscopy
Authors: Hajj Tony , Marbach Sebastien , Pfeiffer Pierre , Montgomery Paul , Lecler Sylvain , Flury Manuel
Published: March 2023

Despite the gain in resolution brought by microsphere (MS)-assisted microscopy, it has always faced several limitations, such as a limited field of view, surface defects, low contrast, and lack of manipulability. This Letter presents a new type of MS created at the tip of an optical fiber, which we call a fiber microsphere (fMS). The fMS is made from a single-mode or coreless fiber, molten and stretched, ensuring high homogeneity and a sphere diameter smaller than the fiber itself. In addition, the connection between the fMS and the fiber makes scanning the sample a simple task, offering a solution to the difficulties of handling. The fabrication procedure of the fMS and the optical system used in the study are detailed. Our measurements show a clear superiority of the fMS over the soda-lime MS in resolving power and imaging performance.
Highly efficient harmonic vortex generation from a laser irradiated hollow-cone target
Authors: Hu Ke , Yi Longqing
Published: March 2023

It has been recently reported that ultraviolet harmonic vortices can be produced when a high-power circular-polarized laser pulse travels through a micro-scale waveguide. However, the harmonic generation quenches typically after a few tens of microns of propagation, due to the buildup of electrostatic potential that suppresses the amplitude of the surface wave. Here we propose to use a hollow-cone channel to overcome this obstacle. When traveling in a cone target, the laser intensity at the entrance is relatively low to avoid extracting too many electrons, while the slow focusing by the cone channel subsequently counters the established electrostatic potential, allowing the surface wave to maintain a high amplitude for a much longer distance. According to three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, the harmonic vortices can be produced with very high efficiency >20%. The proposed scheme paves the way for the development of powerful optical vortices sources in the extreme ultraviolet regime—an area of significant fundamental and applied physics potential.
Optical pulse interharmonic extraction and repetition rate division based on a microwave photonic phase detector
Authors: Shao Kunlin , Li Ping , Zhang Yamei , Li Shaobo , Liang Xiaodong , Liu Anni , Pan Shilong
Published: March 2023

Microwave photonic phase detectors (MPPDs) can extract ultrastable microwaves from a mode-locked laser (MLL), but their frequencies are often limited by the pulse repetition rate. Few works studied methods to break the frequency limitation. Here, a setup based on an MPPD and an optical switch is proposed to synchronize an RF signal from a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) to an interharmonic of an MLL and to realize the pulse repetition rate division. The optical switch is employed to realize pulse repetition rate division, and the MPPD is followed to detect the phase difference between the frequency-divided optical pulse and the microwave signal from the VCO, which is then fed back to the VCO via a proportional–integral (PI) controller. Both the optical switch and the MPPD are driven by the signal from the VCO. When the system reaches its steady state, the synchronization and repetition rate division are achieved simultaneously. An experiment is conducted to verify the feasibility. The 80½th, 80⅓rd, and 80⅔rd interharmonics are extracted, and pulse repetition rate division factors of two and three are realized. The phase noises at offset frequency of 10 kHz are improved by more than 20 dB.
High Reliability and Luminance of Color Wheel by Novel Phosphor-in-Inorganic Silicone
Authors: CHENG WEI-CHIH , Chun-Nien Liu , SHIH HSING-KUN , Chen Yi-Chian , Chen Yun-Huei , Cheng Wood-Hi
Published: March 2023

A high reliability and luminance of color wheel in laser light engine (LLE) employing novel phosphor-in-inorganic silicone (PiIS) fabricated at low temperature of 180°C for laser projector applications is presented and demonstrated for the first time. Yellow (Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³+) and green (Lu₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³+) phosphors were uniformly mixed by inorganic silicone, organic silicone, and glass to fabricate as a phosphor color wheel. The PiIS based color wheels showed better thermal stability than the phosphor-in-organic silicone (PiOS) about 3-7 times less lumen loss and 7-8 times less chromaticity shift under accelerated aging at 350°C for 1008 hours. The advantage of the PiIS fabricated at a low temperature of 180oC enabled achievement of excellent thermal performance, which was similar to the phosphor-in-glass (PiG) fabricated at a high temperature of 680oC. The good thermal stability of the PiIS can be attributed to the high glass melting temperature up to 510oC. Low temperature fabrication, excellent optical performance, and high reliability of the proposed PiIS based color wheels benefit as promising candidates to replace the current PiOS or PIG based color wheels in the LLE modules for the next-generation laser projector applications.
Large eddy simulation of droplet transport and deposition in the human respiratory tract to evaluate inhalation risk
Authors: Murga Alicia , Bale Rahul , Li Chung-Gang , Ito Kazuhide , Tsubokura Makoto
Published: March 2023

As evidenced by the worldwide pandemic, respiratory infectious diseases and their airborne transmission must be studied to safeguard public health. This study focuses on the emission and transport of speech-generated droplets, which can pose risk of infection depending on the loudness of the speech, its duration and the initial angle of exhalation. We have numerically investigated the transport of these droplets into the human respiratory tract by way of a natural breathing cycle in order to predict the infection probability of three strains of SARS-CoV-2 on a person who is listening at a one-meter distance. Numerical methods were used to set the boundary conditions of the speaking and breathing models and large eddy simulation (LES) was used for the unsteady simulation of approximately 10 breathing cycles. Four different mouth angles when speaking were contrasted to evaluate real conditions of human communication and the possibility of infection. Breathed virions were counted using two different approaches: the breathing zone of influence and direction deposition on the tissue. Our results show that infection probability drastically changes based on the mouth angle and the breathing zone of influence overpredicts the inhalation risk in all cases. We conclude that to portray real conditions, the probability of infection should be based on direct tissue deposition results to avoid overprediction and that several mouth angles must be considered in future analyses.