bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Muscodor spp. controls tomato wilt disease by Ralstonia solanacearum and increases yield and total soluble solids content in tomatoes
Authors: GUIMARAES SARAH DA SILVA COSTA , Santos Ítalo Augusto Férrer Melo , Nunes Peterson Sylvio de Oliveira , Mengez Gabriela Andrade Leite , Monteiro Mônica Cristina Pereira , Resende Luciane Vilela , CARDOSO PATRICIA GOMES
Published: July 2023

Tomato is one of the most economically important crops in Brazil. However, several diseases limit tomato production, among which phytobacterial diseases are responsible for the greatest losses, such Ralstonia solanacearum, the pathogen most relevant to the crop. Endophytic fungi of the genus Muscodor are well known for the bioactivity of their volatile organic compounds (VOCs) against phytopathogens and also have the potential to promote plant growth, as in commum beans. Thus, in this study, we hypothesized that isolates of Muscodor spp. can be used for Ralstonia solanacearum control, and to increase tomato yield and total soluble solids content. To test our hypothesis, seven Muscodor coffeanum and two Muscodor sp. isolates associated with Coffea arabica were screened in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, using divided Petri dishes to evaluate the effect of VOCs, it was shown that the isolate of M. coffeanum CML 4009 promoted greater inhibitory effects on the growth of R. solanacearum race 3. In vivo, we inoculated seeds with Muscodor spp. isolates and later transplanted tomato seedlings into soil infested with R. solanacearum, and observed that the isolate CML 4009 reduced the severity of bacterial wilt. Muscodor isolates promoted an increase in fruit production and total soluble solids in tomatoes. Inoculation with Muscodor spp. is a plausible strategy for tomato seed treatment to control R. solanacearum diseases and increase tomato yield. The future of the M. coffeanum CML 4009 isolate as a biocontrol agent and plant growth promoter is promising.
Analysis of age-related difference in lower limb muscle activation pattern and movement strategies during walking balance control on a compliant surface
Authors: Jeon Woohyoung , Ramadan Ahmed , Whitall Jill , Alissa Nesreen , Westlake Kelly
Published: July 2023

Substantial evidence demonstrates that falls in older adults are leading causes of fatal and non-fatal injuries and lead to negative impacts on quality of life in the aging population. Most falls in elderly fallers result from unrecoverable limb collapse during falling momentum control in the single limb support (SLS) phase. To understand why older adults are more likely to fall than younger adults, we investigated age-related differences in knee extensor eccentric control, lower limb muscle activation patterns, and their relation to balance control. Ten older and ten younger healthy adults were compared during balance control while walking on a compliant surface. There was a positive correlation between knee extensor eccentric work of perturbed leg and swinging leg’s speed and margin of stability. In comparison to younger adults, older adults demonstrated 1) smaller eccentric work, reduced eccentric electromyography burst duration in the perturbed leg, 2) higher postural sway during SLS, and 3) impaired swinging leg balance control. The group specific muscle synergy showed that older adults had a prominent ankle muscle activation while a prominent hip muscle activation in younger adults. These findings provide insight into targeted balance rehabilitation directions to improve postural stability and reduce falls in older adults.
Unlocking the Power of Differentiation: Lessons Learned from Children's Writing in First Grade Sessions
Authors: Vardanyan Shushan
Published: July 2023

The current article examined the importance of hands-on writing lessons for first-grade classrooms. The author offered guidelines on differentiation strategies, explaining how resources, instructions, and activities can be modified to the needs of individual students. The author highlighted various areas of focus, such as creativity, differentiation, phonological awareness, and autonomy, using first-grade students’ writing samples. Children’s work samples were obtained from a pilot program called Developmentally Engaging Learning and Teaching Approaches (DELTA) with the goal of moving away from worksheets to hands-on learning. The information provided in this paper will be beneficial for educators teaching students from pre-K to third grade. The article ends with recommendations and implications for educators who work with young children.
Adherence to Lifestyle Recommendations Linked to Innate Immunity and Lipoprotein Metabolism: A Cross-Sectional Comparison Using Untargeted Proteomics
Authors: Nieman David C. , Sakaguchi Camila A. , Pelleigrini Matteo , Thompson Michael J. , Sumner Susan , Zhang Qibin
Published: July 2023

This study used untargeted proteomics to compare blood proteomic profiles in two groups of adults that differed widely in lifestyle habits. A total of 52 subjects in the lifestyle group (LIFE) (28 males, 24 females) and 52 in the control group (CON) (27 males, 25 females) participated in this cross-sectional study. Age, education level, marital status, and height did not differ significantly between LIFE and CON groups. The LIFE and CON groups differed markedly in body composition, physical activity patterns, dietary intake patterns, disease risk factor prevalence, blood measures of inflammation, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, glucose, and insulin, weight-adjusted leg/back and handgrip strength, and mood states. The proteomics analysis showed strong group differences for 39 of 725 proteins identified in dried blood spot samples. Of these, 18 were downregulated in the LIFE group and collectively indicated a lower innate immune activation signature. A total of 21 proteins were upregulated in the LIFE group and supported greater lipoprotein metabolism and HDL remodeling. Lifestyle-related habits and biomarkers were probed and the variance (> 50%) in proteomic profiles was best explained by group contrasts in indicators of adiposity. This cross-sectional study established that a relatively small number of proteins are associated with good lifestyle habits.
A novel higher performance nomogram based on explainable machine learning for predicting mortality risk in stroke patients within 30 days based on clinical features on the first day ICU admission
Authors: chen Haoran , Yang Fengchun , Duan Yifan , Yang Lin , Li Jiao
Published: July 2023

Background: This study aimed to develop a higher performance nomogram based on explainable machine learning methods, and to predict the risk of death of stroke patients within 30 days based on clinical characteristics on the first day of intensive care units (ICU) admission.
Methods: Data relating to stroke patients were extracted from the Medical Information Marketplace of the Intensive Care IV database. The LightGBM machine learning approach together with Shapely additive explanations (termed as explain machine learning, EML) was used to select clinical features and define cut-off points for the selected features. These selected features and cut-off points were then evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards regression model and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Finally, logistic regression-based nomograms for predicting 30-day mortality of stroke patients were constructed using original variables and variables dichotomized by cut-off points, respectively. The performance of two nomograms were evaluated in overall and individual dimension.
Results: A total of 2982 stroke patients and 64 clinical features were included in this study, the 30-day mortality rate was 23.6%. 10 variables (“sofa”, “glucose_min”, “sodium_max”, “age”, “spo2_mean”, “temperature_max”, “heart_rate_max”, “bun_min”, “wbc_min” and “charlson_comorbidity_index”) and respective cutoff points were defined from the EML. In the Cox proportional hazards regression model (Cox regression) and Kaplan-Meier survival curves, after grouping stroke patients according to the cutoff point of each variable, patients belonging to the high-risk subgroup were associated with higher 30-day mortality than those in the low-risk subgroup. The evaluation of nomograms found that the EML-based nomogram not only outperformed the conventional nomogram in NIR (net reclassification index), brier score and clinical net benefits in overall dimension, but also significant improved in individual dimension especially for low “temperature_max” patients.
Conclusions: The 10 selected first-day ICU admission clinical features require greater attention for stroke patients. And the nomogram based on explainable machine learning will have greater clinical application.
The nonlinear post-buckling behavior of FG cylindrical copper shell reinforced with carbon nanotubes with a polymer core
Authors: Ajri Masoud
Published: July 2023

This research analyzes the buckling and post-buckling behavior of composite cylindrical shells with a polymer core and carbon nanotube reinforced inner and outer copper layers with functional distribution under axial compressive loading. For this purpose, the differential equations governing the nonlinear buckling behavior of these shells were extracted with considering large deformations. Employing the Ritz energy method and considering the Airy function, analytical relations for the buckling load and the critical stress of the structure are extracted. In the following, considering different distributions, the equivalent mechanical properties of the composite structure have been calculated using the law of mixtures. Finally, the effect of different parameters, such as distribution types and volume fraction of nanotubes, on nonlinear buckling loads and post-buckling behavior of these materials is investigated. Results show that increasing the volume fraction of carbon nanotubes reduces the change in the critical length of the cylindrical shell, which happens as a result of increasing Young's modulus and the equivalent stiffness of the shell.
A multidimensional model of memory complaints in elderly individuals and the associated hub regions
Authors: Paban Veronique , Mheich Ahmad , Spieser Laure , Sacher Mathilde
Published: July 2023

Memory complaints are highly prevalent among middle-aged and older adults, and they are frequently reported in individuals experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD). SCD has received increasing attention due to its implications for the early detection of dementia. The factors contributing to memory complaints in SCD appear to be multifaceted and require further identification. To address this, we employed structural equation modeling to investigate the relationships between various factors, such as metacognitive beliefs, personality, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and resilience, and memory complaints. Our findings revealed that self-esteem and conscientiousness significantly influenced memory complaints. At the cerebral level, analysis of delta and theta electroencephalographic frequency bands recorded during rest was conducted to identify hub regions using a local centrality metric known as betweenness centrality. Notably, our study demonstrated that certain brain regions undergo changes in their hub roles in response to the pathology of SCD. Specifically, the inferior temporal gyrus and the left orbitofrontal area transition into hubs, while the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the middle temporal gyrus lose their hub function in the presence of SCD. This rewiring of the neural network may be interpreted as a compensatory response employed by the brain in response to SCD, wherein functional connectivity is maintained or restored by reallocating resources to other regions.
Experiences and perceptions of patients and their caregivers on visitor guidelines for patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Protocol for a research study
Authors: Julià-Mora Joana Maria , Calafell-Vert Margarita , Rosal-Obrador Francesca Rosa , Blanco-Mavillard Ian , Miró-Bonet Margalida
Published: July 2023

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to high cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Spain and the Balearic Islands. Vulnerable individuals were disproportionately affected, especially in nursing homes. Strict isolation measures and visitor restrictions had negative impacts. The study aims to explore patient and caregiver experiences and propose improvement strategies for future health crisis protocols.Methods: a qualitative study of content analysis through semi-structured interviews. 32 interviews will be conducted with patients and relatives or caregivers, 16 will be hospitalized COVID patients or accompanying relatives: 8 patients and 8 relatives, and 16 will be non-COVID patients or accompanying relatives also admitted during the COVID-19 pandemic: 8 patients and 8 relatives. Intentional theoretical sampling shall be carried out. The inclusion criteria for COVID patients will be patients admitted to ICU or specific COVID units. The exclusion criteria for patients will be those in gynaecology and obstetrics units. Two data collection techniques will be used, the semi-structured interview with patients and their caregivers, and the field diary of the principal investigator. An analysis of the content will be carried out following deductive and inductive strategies. Funding was approved in April 2021.Discussion: The experiences and perceptions of patients and relatives on visiting guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic will be identified. Impact: the study will allow us to highlight the impact of visiting policies on patients and their families as well as propose new measures for said visiting policies in the framework of future health crises focusing on patients and families. This will help to minimize the suffering these restrictions may cause.
Drosophila UBE3A regulates satiety signaling through the Piezo mechanosensitive ion channel
Authors: Geier Benjamin , Neely Logan , Coronado Eli , Reiter Lawrence T.
Published: July 2023

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurogenetic disorder characterized by developmental delays, speech impairments, ataxic movements, and in some cases, hyperphagic feeding behavior. Loss of function mutations, loss of expression from the maternal allele or absence of maternal UBE3A result in AS. Recent studies have established a connection between UBE3A and the mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO2, suggesting the potential role of UBE3A in the regulation of PIEZO channels. In this study, we investigated the role of Drosophila UBE3A (Dube3a) in Piezo associated hyperphagic feeding behavior. We developed a novel assay using green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressing yeast to quantify gut distention in flies with Piezo and Dube3a mutations. We confirmed that Dube3a15b loss of function flies displayed gut distention to almost identical levels as PiezoKO flies. Further analysis using deficiency (Df) lines encompassing the Dube3a locus provided proof for a role of Dube3a in satiety signaling. We also investigated endogenous Piezo expression across the fly midgut and tracheal system. Piezo protein could be detected in both neurons and trachea of the midgut. Overexpression of Dube3a driven by the Piezo promoter resulted in distinct tracheal remodeling within the midgut. These findings suggest that Dube3a plays a key role in the regulation of Piezo and that subsequent dysregulation of these ion channels may explain the hyperphagic behavior observed in 32% of cases of AS. Further investigation will be needed to identify the intermediate protein(s) interacting between the Dube3a ubiquitin ligase and Piezo channels, as Piezo does not appear to be a direct ubiquitin substrate for UBE3A in mice and humans.
Semi-supervised Attack Detection in Industrial Control Systems with Deviation Networks and Feature Selection
Authors: Liu Yanhua , Deng Wentao , Liu Zhihuang , Zeng Fanhao
Published: July 2023

With the rapid development of Industry 4.0, the importance of cyber security for industrial control systems has become increasingly prominent. The complexity and diversity of industrial control systems result in data with high dimensionality and strong correlation, posing significant challenges in obtaining labeled data. However, current intrusion detection methods often demand large amounts of labeled data for effective training. To address this limitation, this paper proposes a semi-supervised anomaly detection framework, called SFSD, which leverages feature selection and deviation networks to detect anomalies in industrial control systems. Specifically, we introduce a feature selection algorithm (IG-PCA) that utilizes information gain and principal component analysis to reduce the dimensionality of features in industrial control data by eliminating redundant features. Then, we propose a semi-supervised learning method based on an improved deviation network, which utilizes an anomaly scoring network to learn end-to-end anomaly scores for the training data, thus assigning anomaly scores to each training data. Finally, using a limited amount of anomaly-labeled data, we design a specific deviation loss function to optimize the anomaly scoring network, enabling a significant score bias between positive and negative samples. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed SFSD outperforms existing semi-supervised anomaly detection frameworks by improving the accuracy and detection rate by an average of 1-2\%. Moreover, SFSD requires less training time compared to existing frameworks, resulting in a training time reduction of approximately 10\% or more.
Face-on Molecular Map of the Milky Way and the 3-kpc Expanding Ring based on the High-accuracy Rotation Curve
Authors: Sofue Yoshiaki
Published: July 2023

We analyze the longitude-velocity diagram (LVD) of 12CO line emission from archival data and use the most accurate rotation curve (RC) of the Milky Way to transform radial velocity to face-on position in the galactic plane. We find that, especially in the inner Milky Way, the face-on transformation is highly sensitive to the adopted RC in the sense that deviations of the RC from the true rotation velocity lead to artifact holes or overcrowded concentrations along the tangent circle for overestimated or underestimated RC, respectively. Even if the RC is sufficiently accurate, non-circular motion such as with the 3 kpc expanding ring introduces significant artifacts in the resulting face-on-map, as long as a circular rotation is assumed. On the other hand, if we properly take into account the non-circular motion, it can be used to solve the near-far degeneracy problem of determination of kinematic distance. We thus propose a new method to solve the degeneracy problem by incorporating the expanding motion of a ring. We apply the method to the LVD of the 3-kpc expanding ring and present a face-on map projected onto the galactic plane for the first time.
“Surviving Pneumonectomy: Identifying key determinants and outcomes.”
Authors: Feyissa Mekonnen , Gullilat Dereje , kassa seyoum , Bezabih Abebe
Published: July 2023

Background: Pneumonectomy is a surgical procedure that involves the complete removal of a lung and was first performed in 1933 by Evarts A. Graham for lung carcinoma. Despite its efficacy in treating lung diseases, Pneumonectomy is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates compared to other lung resection procedures.
Methods: This retrospective case-control study included 180 patients who underwent Pneumonectomy or Other lung resection at TASH between January 2017 and December 2022. Data were collected using a checklist by trained data collectors and analyzed using SPSS V.25. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify determinants of Pneumonectomy. The Pearson's chi-square test, COR, and AOR were calculated for categorical variables, where appropriate. Binary logistic regression models were computed to identify determinants of Pneumonectomy, and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.
Results: The majority of patients who underwent Pneumonectomy were in the 20-30 age range (48.2%), with a male to female ratio of 1.6:1. Emergency admission (AOR, 3.43; 95%CI: 1.28, 8.67), TB treatment history (AOR, 40.3; 95%CI: 3.01, 540.2), blood loss (AOR, 9.07; 95%CI: 1.04, 79.13), ICU stay (AOR, 0.02; 95%CI: 0.001, 0.17), and post-operative complications (AOR, 37.9; 95%CI: 1.82, 792) were identified as significant determinants of Pneumonectomy.
Conclusion: This study identified several determinants of Pneumonectomy, including emergency admission, TB treatment history, blood loss, ICU stay, and post-operative complications. The study recommends a focus on TB prevention strategies and proper patient evaluation before treatment at all health facility levels to improve patient outcomes and reduce the incidence of postoperative complications.
Cornuside protects against ischemic stroke in rats by suppressing the IL-17F/TRAF6/NF-κB pathway via the brain-gut axis
Authors: Yan Chao , Liu Zhihao , Xu Xiaoyan , Zhang Ting , Xie Waner , Li Guodong , Ye Lei , Gong Jianwei
Published: July 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
The effect of eight weeks of combined training on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor- MIR132 levels and Cognitive Function in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Rabiee Mohammadreaz , Omidi Mohsen , Salesi Mohsen
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Neurotrophins are factors that protect nerve tissue and improve the function of the central nervous system. In diabetes, despite insulin resistance, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and function are impaired, while physical activity has a great impact on brain function and BDNF levels. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of eight weeks of combined training (resistance circular-aerobic) on blood sugar, insulin, MIR132, and BDNF levels, in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Methods: 40 Spraguedali rats were randomly divided into four groups: h.s (healthy sports), h.n.s(healthy non-sports), d.s (diabetes sports) d.n.s (diabetes non-sport). Rats in the training groups performed combined training for 8 weeks and the subjects' memory was assessed using a cognitive function test in a water maze. BDNF levels in the hippocampus were measured by western blotting and to measure MIR132 by the real-time PCR
Results: The present study showed that eight weeks of combined exercise resulted in a significant reduction in fasting blood sugar in the h.s group and BDNF levels of the cerebral hippocampus were also observed in the d.s group compared to the d.n.s group. But No significant difference was observed in hippocampal mir-132 between groups. By examining serum mir-132, a significant difference was observed between the d.n.s with the d.s and h.s, which was associated with a significant decrease in this variable in the exercise (h.s and d.s) groups compared to the inactive patient.
Conclusions: 8 weeks of combined training reduces BDNF in the hippocampus of the brain and the level of cognitive performance in the: h.s and ds groups compared to h.n.s and d.n.s groups increased, but no significant difference was observed between the test groups in the miR-132 variable of the hippocampus, so this type of training is very effective in improving the complications such as complications of retinopathy and neuropathy of type 2 diabetes.
Using advanced convolutional neural network approaches to reveal patient age, gender, and weight based on tongue images
Authors: Li Xiaoyan , Li Li , Wei Jing , Zhang Pengwei , Turchenko Volodymyr , Vempala Naresh , Kabakov Evgueni , Habib Faisal , Gupta Arvind , Huang Huaxiong , Lee Kang
Published: July 2023

The human tongue has been long believed to be a window to provide important insights into a patient's health in medicine. The present study introduced a novel approach to predict patient age, gender, and weight inferences based on tongue images using pre-trained deep CNNs. Our results demonstrated that the deep CNN models trained on dorsal tongue images produced excellent results for age prediction with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.71 and a mean absolute error of 8.5 years. We also obtained an excellent classification of gender, with a mean accuracy of 80% and an AUC of 88%. The model also obtained a moderate level of accuracy for weight prediction, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.39 and a mean absolute error of 9.06 kilograms. These findings support our hypothesis that the human tongue contains crucial information about a patient. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using the pre-trained deep CNNs along with a large tongue image dataset to develop computational models to predict patient medical conditions for non-invasive, convenient, and inexpensive patient health monitoring and diagnosis.
Chronic kidney disease may evoke anxiety by altering CRH expression in the amygdala and tryptophan metabolism in rats
Authors: Ibos Katalin Eszter , Bodnár Éva , Dinh Hoa , Kiss Merse , Márványkövi Fanni , Kovács Zsuzsanna Z. A. , Siska Andrea , Földesi Imre , Galla Zsolt , Monostori Péter , Szatmári István , Simon Péter , Sárközy Márta , Csabafi Krisztina
Published: July 2023

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with anxiety; however, its exact mechanism is not well understood. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of moderate CKD on anxiety in rats. 5/6 nephrectomy was performed in male Wistar rats. 7 weeks after, anxiety-like behavior was assessed by elevated plus maze (EPM), open field (OF), and marble burying (MB) tests. At weeks 8 and 9, urinalysis was performed, and blood and amygdala samples were collected, respectively. In the amygdala, the gene expression of Avp, as well as the gene and protein expression of Crh, Crhr1, and Crhr2 were analyzed. Furthermore, the plasma concentration of corticosterone, uremic toxins, and tryptophan metabolites were measured by UHPLC-MS/MS. Laboratory tests confirmed the development of CKD. In the CKD group, the closed arm time increased, the central time and the total number of entries decreased in the EPM. There was a reduction in rearing, central distance and time in the OF, and fewer interactions with marbles were detected during MB. CKD evoked an upregulation of Crh, Crhr1, and Crhr2 genes in the amygdala, but protein expression did not change. In the CKD group, plasma concentrations of p-cresyl-sulfate, indoxyl-sulfate, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, anthranilic acid, xanthurenic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, picolinic acid, and quinolinic acid increased. However, the levels of tryptophan, tryptamine, 5-hydroxytryptophan, serotonin, and tyrosine decreased. In conclusion, moderate CKD evoked anxiety-like behavior that might be mediated by the upregulation of the amygdalar CRH system, uremic toxins and metabolites of the kynurenine pathway.
Study on the interactions between oral mucin and cyanidin 3-O-glucoside: the effect of oxidized quinone
Authors: Mao Mengqi , Li Kaixin , Liao Minjie , Chen Fang , Hu Xiaosong , Ma Lingjun , Ji Junfu
Published: July 2023

Cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (C3G) is believed to combine with oral mucin, thus impairing oral lubrication and leading to the development of oral astringency. When C3G is oxidized into cyanidin 3-O-glucoside quinone (C3GQ), it might covalently interact with cysteine of mucin to enhance astringency. Herein, their detailed interactions at the molecule level were characterized through spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry and determination of free amino and sulfhydryl groups. The results showed that hydrogen bond and van der Waals force were the predominant non-covalent interactions. Furthermore, C3GQ could additionally bind to mucin by forming C-N and C-S bonds since the amino and sulfhydryl groups of mucin decreased by 0.48 mmol/g and 4.14 µmol/g after reacting with C3GQ. Besides, C3GQ had stronger interaction with mucin as the exothermic value of Muc-C3GQ (2513 KJ/mol) was larger than Muc-C3G (60.4 KJ/mol). These findings may explain the phenomenon of increased astringency of anthocyanins after being oxidized into quinones.
Integral equations in scattering by metasurface formed by multilayer graphene grating inside a grounded dielectric slab
Authors: Kaliberda Mstislav E. , Pogarsky Sergey A. , Sierhieieva Anastasiia A.
Published: July 2023

The H-polarized waves scattering and absorption by the metasurface, which consists of multilayer grating of finite number of graphene strips inside a grounded dielectric slab is considered. The problem is formulated in the domain of Fourier transform (spectral domain). The solution is obtained in two steps. At first, the scattering operators of a single graphene grating inside the infinite dielectric medium are obtained from the singular integral equations. At the second stage, the integral equations in the operator form relatively unknown Fourier amplitudes are presented for the whole structure. The kernel-functions of these equations contain singularities at the points, which correspond to the propagation constants of the natural waves of the dielectric waveguide with perfectly electric conducting wall. To eliminate the singularities and to convert the kernel-functions to the regular ones, the regularization procedure is proposed. The approach is meshless, full-wave and convergence is guaranteed by the theorems. The numerical results for the plane wave and natural wave of corresponding dielectric waveguide with perfectly electric conducting wall incidence are presented. Special attention is paid to the excitation of the plasmon and grating-mode resonances. By taking layers with different period and chemical potential, one can control the elevation angle of the main lobe and excitation frequency of the natural waves of dielectric waveguide.
Targeted CRISPR activation and knockout screenings identify novel drug transporters
Authors: Li Yufeng , Tan Minkang , Sun Shengnan , Stea Elena , Pang Baoxu
Published: July 2023

Tissue-specific drug uptake has not been well studied, compared to the deeper understanding of drug resistance mediated by the cellular efflux system such as MDR1 proteins. It has been suggested that many drugs need active or defined transporters to pass the cell membrane. In contrast to efflux components that are induced after anti-cancer drugs reach the intracellular compartment, drug importers are required for initial drug responses. Furthermore, tissue-specific uptake of anti-cancer drugs may directly impact the side effects of many drugs when they accumulate in healthy tissues. Therefore, linking anti-cancer drugs to their respective drug import transporters would directly help to predict drug responses, whilst minimizing side effects. We designed and applied customized CRISPR activation and knockout libraries targeting all potential human transporters to identify potential drug transporters of the commonly used anti-cancer drug doxorubicin. Integrating the data from these comprehensive CRISPR screenings, we confirmed previously indicated doxorubicin exporters such as ABCB1 and ABCG2 genes, and identified novel doxorubicin importer gene SLC2A3 (GLUT3). The newly identified importers may have direct clinical implications for the personalized application of doxorubicin in treating distinct tumors.
Unique speciation and antibiotic susceptibility of acne complicated by gram negative folliculitis
Authors: Kumar Bipul , Sardana Kabir , Gautam Hemant K.
Published: July 2023

Gram-negative folliculitis (GNF) is an infection that is seen as a complication in patients with acne vulgaris and is consequent to long term received systemic antibiotics. Two main types have been described; type-I is around 80% of cases with the presence of multiple papules and pustules and type-II occurs in 20% of cases with the characterization of inflammation of nodules or cyst. Objective of current study is to characterize the gram-negative bacteria from GNF lesions and evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility against some of the commercially available antibiotics. The confirmatory characterization of isolated bacteria has been performed, using 16S rRNA sequencing and broth dilution assay has been performed to evaluate minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibiotics against isolated gram negative bacteria. There are 21 different gram-negative bacterial strains have been characterized and submitted to NCBI which mainly contains Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phylum primarily belong to the descriptions of all isolated gram-negative bacteria from acne lesions. The abundance of family bacteria of Enterobacteriaceae, Moraxellaceae and Paenibacillaceae was 77%, 19% and 4% respectively. Klebsiella , Enterobacter and Acinetobacter demonstrated resistance to erythromycin, zinc oxide, azelaic acid, nadifloxacin, and gentamicin, while tetracycline and doxycycline tolerance was shown only by E. liudwigii. The current study shows that Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter sp., Proteus mirabilis and Acinetobacter sp. bacterial strains may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of Gram-negative folliculitis.
Vision-and-Language Pretraining: Methods, Applications, and Future Challenges
Authors: Nguyen Thong , Nguyen Cong-Duy , Wu Xiaobao , Ng See-Kiong , Luu Anh-Tuan
Published: July 2023

With the burgeoning amount of data of image-text pairs and diversity of Vision-and-Language (V&L) tasks, scholars have introduced an abundance of deep learning models in this research domain. Furthermore, in recent years, transfer learning has also shown tremendous success in Computer Vision for tasks such as Image Classification, Object Detection, etc., and in Natural Language Processing for Question Answering, Machine Translation, etc. Inheriting the spirit of Transfer Learning, research works in V&L have devised multiple pretraining techniques on large-scale datasets in order to enhance the performance of downstream tasks. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive revision of contemporary V&L pretraining models. In particular, we categorize and delineate pretrain-ing approaches, along with the summary of state-of-the-art vision-and-language pretrained models. Moreover, a list of training datasets and downstream tasks is supplied to further polish the perspective into V&L pretraining. Lastly, we decided to take a further step to discuss numerous directions for future research.
Tamoxifen-predictive value of gene expression signatures in premenopausal breast cancer - data from the randomized SBII:2 trial
Authors: Lundgren Christine , Tutzauer Julia , Church Sarah E , Stål Olle , Ekholm Maria , Forsare Carina , Nordenskjöld Bo , Fernö Mårten , Bendahl Pär-Ola , Rydén Lisa
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND Gene expression (GEX) signatures in breast cancer provide prognostic information, but little is known about their predictive value for tamoxifen treatment. We examined the tamoxifen-predictive value and prognostic effects of different GEX signatures in premenopausal women with early breast cancer. METHODS RNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue from premenopausal women randomized between two years of tamoxifen treatment and no systemic treatment was extracted and successfully subjected to GEX profiling (n = 437, NanoString Breast Cancer 360™ panel). The median follow-up periods for a recurrence-free interval (RFi) and overall survival (OS) were 28 and 33 years, respectively. Associations between GEX signatures and tamoxifen effect were assessed in patients with estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER+/HER2−) tumors using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox regression. The prognostic effects of GEX signatures were studied in the entire cohort. False discovery rate adjustments (q-values) were applied to account for multiple hypothesis testing. RESULTS In patients with ER+/HER2 − tumors,FOXA1expression below the median was associated with an improved effect of tamoxifen after 10 years with regards to RFi (hazard ratio [HR]FOXA1(high): 1.04, HRFOXA1(low): 0.3), and the same pattern was observed forAR(HRAR(high): 1.15, HRAR(low): 0.42). Similar trends were observed for OS. Tamoxifen was in the same subgroup most beneficial in patients with lowESR1expression (HRRFiESR1(high): 0.76, HRRFi,ESR1(low): 0.56). Irrespective of molecular subtype, higher levels ofESR1, Mast cells, andPGRon a continuous scale were correlated with improved 10 years RFi (HRESR1: 0.80,q = 0.005; HRMast cells: 0.74,q < 0.0001; and HRPGR: 0.78,q = 0.002). For BC proliferation and Hypoxia, higher scores were associated with worse outcomes (HRBCproliferation: 1.54;q < 0.0001) and Hypoxia (HRHypoxia: 1.38;q < 0.0001). The results were similar for OS. CONCLUSIONS Expression ofFOXA1is a promising predictive biomarker for tamoxifen effect in ER+/HER2 − premenopausal breast cancer. In addition, each of the signatures BC proliferation, Hypoxia, Mast cells, and the GEX ofAR,ESR1, andPGRhad prognostic value, also after adjusting for established prognostic factors. TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial was retrospectively registered in the ISRCTN database the 6th of December 2019, trial ID: ISRCTN12474687.
Inter-species competition of surface bacterial flora of pomegranate and their role in spoilage
Authors: Pant Indu , Ravindranath Shashidhar
Published: July 2023

The surface of fruits is heterogenous in term of its microenvironment hence dictate the kind of microflora that develops during storage. A better understanding of spoilage organisms would lead to better preservation methods. The pomegranate was chosen, since its sturdy and spoils slow at room temperature and is ideal for studying fruit spoilage in-situ. In the current study we isolated organisms from fruit surface and study the spoilage and competition amongst microbial species. Total 17 unique bacterial isolates from pomegranate were identified. The 16s rRNA gene identification placed them in 8 major genera (Acinetobacter, Micrococcus, Pantoea, Microbacterium, Strenotrophomonas, Bacillus, Staphylococcus and Exiguobacterium). Competition assay among isolate suggested that Exiguobacterium is dominant species followed by Micrococcus, Pantoea and Bacillus. The consortium of 3 different combinations (5 bacteria each) of isolated bacteria showed the spoilage phenotype on pomegranate. Except for 3 bacterial isolates, the rest of the isolates produced any one or multiple enzymes associated with the food spoilage (cellulase, amylase, lactase, pectinase and protease). The isolates were checked for the presence of genes associated with antibiotic resistance and 78.9% of the tested micro-organisms were blaTEM positive. Aminoglycoside resistance genes were present in 10% of the tested microbes. This study demonstrated interspecies competition amongst spoilage organisms. This understanding of surface flora of fruit would give better insights to preserve fruits.
The Proteomics Analysis of Exosomes Revealed the Possible Function of HSPD1 Protein in Helicobacter pylori Infection
Authors: Li Yujie , Wen Qiude , Cao Hui , Wang Nan , Wang Yan , Wen Tingting , Wang Jianjun , Zhu Hong
Published: July 2023

Background: Exosomes containing various protein components play important roles in cell communication. In the present study, a systematic proteomic analysis of exosomes obtained from H. pylori infected cells was performed.
Methods: Exosomes were evaluated by nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy and western blotting. The recognized protein components were quantified by label-free proteomics and subjected to bioinformatics assays. The expression of HSPD1 in exosomes, host cells and gastric cancers infected by H. pylori was determined by western blotting and immunohistochemical respectively. In addition, the apoptotic regulation mechanisms of HSPD1 in H. pyloriinfection were analyzed by western blotting and flow cytometry.
Results: A total of 120 important differential proteins were recognized in the exosomes from H. pylori-infected cells and subjected to Gene Ontology analysis. Among them, CD63 and HSP-70 were verified via western blotting. Moreover, HSPD1 expression was significantly increased, while ERK1/2 expression was markedly decreased in the exosomes from H. pylori-infected GES-1 cells. H. pylori infection promoted an abnormal increase in HSPD1 expression in GES-1 cells, AGS cells, gastric mucosa and gastric cancer according to western blotting and multicolor immunohistochemistry.In addition, knockdown of HSPD1 suppressed the apoptosis of infected cells and the expression of Bcl2, and promoted the upregulation of Bax, as determined through flow cytometry and western blotting.
Conclusion: The present study provided a comprehensive proteomic description of exosomes from H. pylori-infected cells, and found that HSPD1 may play important roles in the process of H. pylori infection.
Study in two new patchy ecosystem models with commensalism
Authors: Chen Lijuan , Xia Yue , Chen Fengde , Li Zhong
Published: July 2023

In this paper, two new patchy ecosystem models with commensalism are proposed. The environmental capacity of one species is enhanced due to commensalism. When the species has logical growth, commensalism can only increase the density. However, when the species has strong Allee effect, commensalism has great influence on the dynamic behavior of the system such as the emergence of the positive equilibrium and saddle-node bifurcation. Also, once the strong Allee effect is incorporated, the corresponding model has bistable attractors including a stable boundary equilibrium and a stable positive equilibrium. Commensalism is beneficial to the persistence of the species.
2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 34C25; 92D25; 34D20; 34D40
Neuromedin B receptor as a potential therapeutic target for corticotroph adenomas
Authors: Sekizaki Tomonori , Kameda Hiraku , Nakamura Akinobu , Kuwabara Saki , Nomoto Hiroshi , Cho Kyu Yong , Ishi Yukitomo , Motegi Hiroaki , Miyoshi Hideaki , Atsumi Tatsuya
Published: July 2023

Purpose Cushing’s disease (CD) results from autonomous adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion by pituitary corticotroph adenomas, leading to excessive cortisol production, ultimately affecting morbidity and mortality. Pasireotide is the only FDA approved tumor directed treatment for CD, but it is effective in only about 25% of patients, and is associated with a high rate of hyperglycemia. Neuromedin B (NMB), a member of the bombesin-like peptide family, regulates endocrine secretion and cell proliferation. Here, we assessed NMB and NMB receptor (NMBR) expression in human corticotroph adenomas and the effects of NMBR antagonist PD168368 on murine and human corticotroph tumors.Methods To investigate NMB and NMBR expression, real-time qPCR and immunostaining on human pathological specimens of corticotroph, non-functional and somatotroph pituitary adenomas were performed. The effects of PD168368 on hormone secretion and cell proliferation were studied in vitro, in vivo and in seven patient-derived corticotroph adenoma cells. NMB and NMBR were expressed in higher extent in human corticotroph adenomas compared with non-functional or somatotroph adenomas.Results In murine AtT-20 cells, PD168368 reduced proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) mRNA/protein expression and ACTH secretion as well as cell proliferation. In mice with tumor xenografts, tumor growth, ACTH and corticosterone were downregulated by PD168368. In patient-derived adenoma cells, PD168368 reduced POMC mRNA expression in four out of seven cases and ACTH secretion in two out of five cases. A PD168368-mediated cyclin E suppression was also identified in AtT-20 and patient-derived cells.Conclusion NMBR antagonist represents a potential treatment for CD and its effect may be mediated by cyclin E suppression.
Dermoscopic features of subcorneal hematoma on the palms and soles: differences from acral melanoma
Authors: Won Sang-Hyeon , Seong Jeongwu , Lee Jungsoo , Shin Kihyuk , Kim Hoon-Soo , Ko Hyun-Chang , Kim Byung-Soo , Kim Moon-Bum
Published: July 2023

Background
The diagnosis of subcorneal hematoma (SH) can be challenging because the clinical presentation of SH can resemble melanocytic lesions. Few studies have examined the characteristic dermoscopic features of SH, but a more detailed large-scale study is needed to overcome the diagnostic challenge of differentiating it from acral melanoma.
Objectives
To describe the dermoscopic features of SH.
Methods
We evaluated the clinical and dermoscopic features of 50 SH lesions from 43 patients at the Pusan National University Hospitals (Busan and Yangsan).
Results
In the color analysis, 86% of cases showed the bruise color sign; 7 cases had a single color (red to purple: 2; black: 1; brown: 4). Typical dermoscopic features of SH, acral nevi, and acral melanoma-associated patterns were observed in 60%, 0%, and 72% of lesions, respectively. Hematoma-associated patterns were homogenously red to black with or without satellite globules (32%) and pebbles on the ridges (28%). Acral melanoma-associated patterns showed a parallel ridge pattern (PRP) (52%), irregular dots and globules (50%), polychromia (34%), asymmetry (24%), irregular blotches (10%), and ulcers (10%). No case showed blue-white veils, regression structures, atypical vascular patterns, or irregular fibrillar patterns. The bruise color sign was positive in most cases with acral melanoma-associated patterns(88.9%).
Conclusions
This study revealed the positive (bruise color sign, distinct PRP, and polychromia) and negative (blue-white veil, regression structures, atypical vascular pattern, and irregular fibrillar pattern) dermoscopic features of SH. Cases that are ambiguous between SH and acral melanoma can be distinguished based on these features.
Volatilome changes in brines along the spontaneous fermentation of Spanish-style cv. Chalkidiki green olives under high and low NaCl conditions
Authors: Alvanoudi Panagiota , Ordoudi Stella A. , Nakas Alexandros , Assimopoulou Andreana N. , Mantzouridou Fani Th.
Published: July 2023

Table olives are essential components of the Mediterranean diet and their consumption is constantly spreading worldwide. However, as there are special concerns regarding their contribution to salt intake, there is a trend to reformulate traditional products via safe interventions. The present work systematically examines the profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in brines during spontaneous fermentation of Spanish-style cv. Chalkidiki green table olives under high (8% w/v) and 50% lower NaCl content using selected combinations of chloride salts (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2) in pilot-scale for two consecutive periods. VOCs were determined by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Changes in population of the dominant microbial groups, pH and titratable acidity values were also investigated using appropriate methods. A total of 56 VOCs were identified, including acids, alcohols, carbonyls, esters, and phenols. A volatilomic approach through multivariate data analysis allowed to explore the links between volatile metabolites, microbial groups and fermentation stages under different NaCl conditions. The evolution of propanoic acid and 2-butanol was intriguing for monitoring a fermentation dominated by lactic acid bacteria under low NaCl conditions, while 3-methyl-1-butanol was indicative of yeast prevalence, arising from seasonal variation and/or high NaCl processing. Furthermore, a sharply increased content of acetic acid at a late stage of fermentation was typical in low NaCl brines. The comprehensive results aided to systematically evaluate the volatile variation in high/low NaCl content brines throughout spontaneous fermentation of Spanish-style cv. Chalkidiki olives and could be beneficial for marker-assisted monitoring of the fermentation processes in the future.