bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peningkatan pengetahuan dan keterampilan pelaku UMKM perikanan melalui sosialisasi manajemen dan pemasaran
Authors: Wulandari Yeni Sari , Abadi Slamet , Zahra Fatimah Az , Syahputra Ali Fahmi
Published: June 2023

Desa Muarabaru merupakan kawasan pesisir karawang yang mengembangkan hasil produk perikanan dalam meningkatkan pendapatan rumah tangga nelayan. Keterlibatan anggota keluarga dalam rumah tangga masyarakat pesisir dalam aktivitas mencari nafkah sudah menjadi pola strategi adaptasi penghidupan yang terkonstruksi baik secara tradisi maupun akibat dari dinamika kondisi lingkungan sosial ekonomi. Permasalahan yang dihadapi adalah: 1) Tingginya tingkat kemiskinan masyarakat kawasan pesisir, 2) Keterbatasan sumber daya manusia dan kemampuan dalam memaksimalkan sumberdaya perikanan yang ada, 3) Keterbatasan modal dalam usaha pengolahan hasil perikanan. Oleh karena itu, Pengabdian pada masyarakat ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan masyarakat pesisir khususnya dalam mengolah hasil perikanan melalui pendampingan dan pelatihan dalam perbaikan produk hasil perikanan serta diperlukan strategi pemasaran pada UMKM perikanan sehingga meningkatkan pendapatan rumah tangga nelayan dan menjadi solusi dari pengentasan kemiskinan masyarakat pesisir di Indonesia.
Upaya kegiatan kuliah kerja nyata integratif mendorong motivasi petani ikan dalam peningkatan produksi ikan air tawar
Authors: Grandiosa Roffi , Rosidah Rosidah , Putra Pringgo Kusuma Dwi Noor Yadi
Published: June 2023

Pembudidaya ikan di Desa Cintaratu yang tergabung dalam Kelompok Kaliwungu Rahayu di Pangandaran dikenal dengan budidaya ikan Tilapia, Mas dan Nilem. Kelompok budidaya ini disertifikasi oleh Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan Indonesia, namun pengembangan budidaya ikan tergantung pada pengetahuan pembudidaya karena produksi di daerah setempat masih  belum efektif. KKN atau yang dikenal dengan Kuliah Kerja Nyata Universitas Padjadjaran telah membawa hasil positif dimana dosen bersama mahasiswa dan petani belajar bersama mengenai topik inovasi pakan dalam budidaya seperti aplikasi herbal dan probiotik melalui metoda Participatory Action Research Method. Hasil pengamatan menunjukkan bahwa 100% petani ikan responden merasakan kegiatan pengabdian ilmiah memberikan manfaat terhadap peningkatan produksi dan peningkatan ilmu pengetahuan. Sekarang para pembudidaya menyadari faktor-faktor penting dari inovasi kualitas pakan ini yang berdampak nyata langsung pada turunnya rasio konversi pakan, meningkatnya pertumbuhan, meningkatnya pertumbuhan dan kelangsungan hidup ikan, membaiknya kesehatan dan produksi ikan. Pengetahuan praktik terbaik untuk mengimplementasikan kemajuan teknologi dalam budidaya sangat penting untuk memberdayakan budidaya ikan di daerah pedesaan.
Pengembangan aplikasi Babyfication untuk museum ramah anak
Authors: Muttaqien M. Zainal , Asiyah Nur , Kurniawan  , Nurjanah Hidayatul , Shofa Asyida Hayati
Published: June 2023

Sebagai tujuan wisata, museum seringkali dipandang sebagai objek yang kuno dan tidak menarik, khususnya bagi anak-anak. Hal ini karena pelayanan museum tersebut tidak dirancang dan ditujukan untuk ramah anak. Salah satu di antaranya dapat dilihat pada bahasa teks yang digunakan untuk menjelaskan artefak-artefak museum yang terkesan formal dan ditujukan pada orang dewasa. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan cara yang berbeda untuk menyampaikan seluruh informasi yang ada di museum agar bisa diterima dan menarik bagi anak-anak. Babyfication adalah sebuah konsep untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut. Babyfication adalah aplikasi yang berisi gambar animasi artefak-artefak museum yang dilengkapi dengan penjelasan dalam bentuk audio dan teks Bahasa Indonesia dan Bahasa Inggris. Sebagai salah satu bagian dari kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat, purwarupa aplikasi ini sudah diterapkan di Museum Keris Nusantara dan Museum Radya Pustaka. Hasil yang diperoleh menunjukkan bahwa baik para pengguna/pengunjung maupun pemangku kepentingan museum menyambut baik aplikasi ini sebagai perangkat sekaligus metode untuk menciptakan museum yang ramah anak. Sebagai tindak lanjut dari kegiatan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat ini, diharapkan pihak pengelola kedua museum secara aktif mempromosikan ketersediaan aplikasi ini secara langsung kepada pengunjung atau melalui media massa dengan tujuan untuk menarik para pengunjung muda.
Penta helix “Rembuk Nyekrup” aspek pemberdayaan ekonomi kreatif dan UMKM di Jawa Timur
Authors: Susyanti Jeni , Pardiman
Published: June 2023

Perekonomian Jawa Timur banyak dijalankan UMKM yang berperan dalam menggerakkan ekonomi masyarakat lokal, disamping memiliki potensi sebagai sebagai destinasi ekonomi kreatif. Tujuan pengabdian ini adalah mengkaji, memberdayakan, dan mengaplikasikan ilmu pengetahuan kepada ekonomi kreatif dan UMKM untuk keberlanjutan usaha pada masa pandemi COVID-19. Pendekatan kualitatif, meliputi persiapan perancangan kegiatan, penentuan lapang, pegurusan perijinan, penjajagan dan melakukan penilaian kondisi UMKM, dilanjutkan dengan pemberdayaan ekonomi kreatif dan UMKM melalui dilakukannya tinjauan lapang, wawancara ekonomi kreatif dan UMKM di lokasi pengabdian, dan Bimbingan Teknis. Hasil pengabdian melalui pendampingan pemasaran online, digitalisasi- networking dan penguatan manajemen usaha dapat membantu keberlanjutan usaha UMKM di wilayah Jawa Timur. Model pendekatan Penta Helix, menjadi harapan pemerataan kesejahteraan masyarakat, Pemerintah Provinsi Jawa Timur dengan slogan “rembug Nyekrup”, Akademisi Universitas Islam Malang, Bisnis, Masyarakat atau komunitas, Media, bersatu membangun kebersamaan dalam pemberdayaan UMKM untuk meningkatkan pembangunan Jawa Timur.
Optimalisasi peran kader posyandu dalam peningkatan kesehatan ibu dan anak
Authors: Indahwati Lilik , Dewi Mustika , Fatmawati Fatmawati , Gayatri Mergy , Dewi Triyana Sinta , Sari Mita Herlina , Savitri Meiliana Eka
Published: June 2023

Masalah kesehatan ibu hamil dan anak merupakan masalah yang harus dipantau secara berkelanjutan terutama di daerah pasca bencana seperti pasca erupsi Semeru. Kader adalah bagian dari masyarakat yang memiliki akses langsung kepada masyarakat di wilayahnya. Kader  kesehatan sangat membantu dalam peningkatan kesehatan ibu dan anak. Dengan demikian diperlukan update pengetahuan untuk menunjang peran tersebut. Tujuan kegiatan adalah meningkatkan pengetahuan kader melalui pelatihan tentang kesehatan ibu dan anak. Kegiatan ini dilaksanakan di Desa kawasan rawan bencana Gunung Semeru, Kecamatan Pronojiwo, Kabupaten Lumajang. Pelatihan diikuti oleh 24 kader. Metode kegiatan yaitu Participatory Action Research (PAR). Hasil kegiatan menunjukkan adanya peningkatan pengetahuan kader tentang kesehatan ibu dan anak, yang awalnya baik menjadi sangat baik. Diharapkan kegiatan selanjutnya dapat mengaplikasikan metode tersebut untuk meningkatkan keterampilan kader terkait kesehatan ibu dan anak.
Luminescent Nanocrystals
Authors:   , van der Bok Johanna Cornelia
Published: June 2023

Nanomaterials have become an increasingly important class of materials in the past decades due to their size-tunable optical, electronic, and magnetic properties. Nanomaterials are not only of great scientific interest, but their versatility has also resulted in a wide range of applica¬tions. This thesis focuses on two types of luminescent (light-emitting) nanomaterials, cadmium chalcogenide nanocrystals (NCs) and NaYF4 NCs doped with rare earth ions (lanthanides, e.g., erbium and ytterbium). Both the optical properties and nanocrystal growth mechanisms are investigated.
Semiconductor NCs, especially CdSe nanoplatelets (NPLs), exhibit narrow emission bands in the visible part of the spectrum, a property needed for more efficient white light LEDs (w-LEDs) and vibrant displays. In these applications, the luminescent materials operate at elevated tem¬peratures, which affects the emission linewidth.
Insight into this thermal broadening is important for application in w-LEDs but has so far not been investigated over a temperature range that is relevant for these applications. In this thesis, I report on the temperature-dependent spectral linewidth of cadmium chalcogenide NPLs and QDs.
NaYF4 NCs doped with lanthanide ions are efficient upconversion materials that can convert two low-energy infrared photons to one high-energy visible photon. These materials can be used in deep-tissue imaging and to enhance the efficiency of solar cells. The formation mechanism of both NaYF4 NCs and CdSe NPLs is still debated. Control over the NC growth is essential to adjust the NC properties. In this thesis, I report on the mechanisms of their nucleation and growth, monitored using in situ absorption and x-ray scattering techniques.
Spinosad Application Prevents Damage by Agriotes spp. Larvae (Wireworms) and Protects Maize (Zea mays) Yield in Northeast Italy
Authors: Cantao Fernando Rodrigo De Oliveira , Mian Giovanni
Published: May 2023

Agriotes spp. larvae, commonly known as wireworms, are major pests that cause great economic damage to many European crops. To combat them, most farmers prophylactically apply soil insecticides, including high-impact ones such as neonicotinoids. However, due to their hidden life cycle below ground, wireworms are difficult to control, especially in organic farming where persistent, non-specific soil insecticides cannot be used. As legislation tightens regulation on chemical insecticides that have harmful effects on humans and the environment (such as the withdrawal of many chemicals and the general limitation of all of them), biological control agents are gaining attention as an alternative strategy. The aim of this study was to investigate the agronomic effectiveness of Spinosad, a bioinsecticide, in row application during planting to manage wireworms in maize (Zea mays) in Northern Italy. Based on the performance of Spinosad, even in harsh conditions as observed throughout this study, and its ability to mitigate yield losses compared to the non-treated control, we conclude that this product can be used as part of an Integrated Pest Management to mitigate the damages caused by this pest in organic agriculture. However, further studies are required to better understand how this bioinsecticide can be integrated into Agriotes spp management to reduce economic losses and have a positive impact on the environment and public health
TERPAAN MEDIA DI INSTAGRAM TERHADAP BRAND IMAGE PADA FOLLOWERS AKUN INSTAGRAM @MENANTEA.TOKO
Authors: Ayuningtyas Fitria , Pratiwi Marisa Mutie , Manihuruk Hermina
Published: June 2023

Instagram tidak sekedar sebagai sebuah media sosial hanya untuk berbagi foto maupun video kepada pengguna lain. Namun juga dimanfaatkan untuk mengembangkan bisnis dan brand secara lebih luas. Instagram berada diposisi ketiga sebagai media sosial yang sering dipakai oleh masyarakat Indonesia. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian sebelumnya diketahui bahwa Instagram sebagai media memiliki pengaruh terhadap pembentukan maupun peningkatan brand image suatu brand. Situasi ini mendorong peneliti untuk menjalankan penelitian perihal seberapa besar pengaruh terpaan media di Instagram berupa konten-konten iklan dan pemasaran lainnya terhadap brand image Menantea. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuktikan pengaruh dari terpaan konten-konten di Instagram yang dijadikan sebagai informasi mengenai brand Menantea terhadap tingkat brand image Menantea dengan menguji teori advertising exposure. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ialah metode kuantitatif dan memakai kuesioner. Dibagikan kepada followers akun @menantea.toko yang merupakan akun resmi Instagramnya Menantea sebagai sampel dari penelitian ini yang melibatkan 100 orang responden. Sampel yang dipakai adalah non probability sampling serta menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Perolehan dari penelitian memperlihatkan ditemukan pengaruh sebesar 37,8% dari terpaan media dalam hal ini di media sosial Instagram terhadap brand image pada akun resmi Instagram @menantea.toko. Penelitian ini mengidentifikasi dua dimensi dengan hasil nilai tertinggi ialah dimensi atensi dari terpaan media serta dimensi strength dari brand image atau citra merek.
Developing Undergraduate Learning Assistants’ Skills in Guiding Science Learning
Authors:   Department of Physical, Life, Movement and Sports Science, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, Idaho, USA, Mataka Lloyd M.
Published: June 2023

This concurrent triangulation mixed method design study describes the influence of a science education seminar (SES) on the learning assistants’ (LAs) perceptions of their roles in the classroom. The SES was developed to train undergraduate students as LAs at a Southern liberal arts college in the USA. The focus of the seminar was teaching the LAs how to guide students through the learning process. Using the LAs perception survey, a pre and post-survey was administered to a conveniently sampled nine LAs to observe changes in their perceptions of their role. An interview was given to eleven LAs at the end of the seminar to investigate their perception of the seminar and any changes that had occurred in their perceptions of their role as LAs. A test of the significance of the quantitative data was done using the Kruskal–Wallis Chi-square and the qualitative data were analyzed using Atlas software. The pre- and post-survey results indicated that the LAs’ perceptions about their roles changed during the semester. During an interview conducted at the end of the seminar, LAs indicated that their views on how to approach students’ problems had changed mainly due to the seminar. The interview also showed that the LAs felt that the seminar was valuable because it changed the way they viewed themselves in their role. Results from this study inform colleges of the importance of training LAs.
Editorial
Authors:   College of Education, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, Sexton Steven S.
Published: June 2023

Editorial volume 34, issue 2, 2023
In search of good relaxations for the urban snow removal problem
Authors: Hajizadeh Roghayeh , Holmberg Kaj
Published: May 2023

Snow removal is, in Sweden, an infrequently occurring challenge. Doing the snow removal more efficiently could give much benefits for society. Since the amounts of snow vary a lot from day to day, and from year to year, fixed plans are not the best. Optimization of the snow removal tours could save much money. In this paper, we study the multi-vehicle urban snow removal problem from a mixed integer programming perspective. It is a very hard problem, and obtaining the exact optimum seems to be out of reach. Therefore, we study relaxations of the problem. Our goal is simply to find the best bounds for the optimal objective function value that is possible in limited time. We present some promising possibilities, verified by extensive computational tests.
Advances in molecular characterization of pediatric acute megakaryoblastic leukemia not associated with Down syndrome; impact on therapy development
Authors: Li Jixia , Kalev‐Zylinska Maggie L.
Published: June 2023

Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) is a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in which leukemic blasts have megakaryocytic features. AMKL makes up 4%–15% of newly diagnosed pediatric AML, typically affecting young children (less than 2 years old). AMKL associated with Down syndrome (DS) shows GATA1 mutations and has a favorable prognosis. In contrast, AMKL in children without DS is often associated with recurrent and mutually exclusive chimeric fusion genes and has an unfavorable prognosis. This review mainly summarizes the unique features of pediatric non-DS AMKL and highlights the development of novel therapies for high-risk patients. Due to the rarity of pediatric AMKL, large-scale multi-center studies are needed to progress molecular characterization of this disease. Better disease models are also required to test leukemogenic mechanisms and emerging therapies.
RDA coupled with deep sequencing detects somatic SVA-retrotranspositions and mosaicism in the human brain
Authors: Möhner Jonas , Scheuren Maurice , Woronzow Valentina , Schumann Sven , Zischler Hans
Published: June 2023

Cells of the developing human brain are affected by the progressive acquisition of genetic and epigenetic alterations that have been reported to contribute to somatic mosaicism in the adult brain and are increasingly considered a possible cause of neurogenetic disorders. A recent work uncovered that the copy–paste transposable element (TE) LINE-1 (L1) is mobilized during brain development, and thus mobile non-autonomous TEs like AluY and SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) families can use L1 activity in trans, leading to de novo insertions that may influence the variability of neural cells at genetic and epigenetic levels. In contrast to SNPs and when considering substitutional sequence evolution, the presence or absence of TEs at orthologous loci represents highly informative clade markers that provide insights into the lineage relationships between neural cells and how the nervous system evolves in health and disease. SVAs, as the ‘youngest’ class of hominoid-specific retrotransposons preferentially found in gene- and GC-rich regions, are thought to differentially co-regulate nearby genes and exhibit a high mobility in the human germline. Therefore, we determined whether this is reflected in the somatic brain and used a subtractive and kinetic enrichment technique called representational difference analysis (RDA) coupled with deep sequencing to compare different brain regions with respect to de novo SINE-VNTR-Alu insertion patterns. As a result, we detected somatic de novo SVA integrations in all human brain regions analyzed, and the majority of de novo insertions can be attributed to lineages of telencephalon and metencephalon, since most of the examined integrations are unique to different brain regions under scrutiny. The SVA positions were used as presence/absence markers, forming informative sites that allowed us to create a maximum parsimony phylogeny of brain regions. Our results largely recapitulated the generally accepted evo-devo patterns and revealed chromosome-wide rates of de novo SVA reintegration targets and preferences for specific genomic regions, e.g., GC- and TE-rich regions as well as close proximity to genes that tend to fall into neural-specific Gene Ontology pathways. We concluded that de novo SVA insertions occur in the germline and somatic brain cells at similar target regions, suggesting that similar retrotransposition modes are effective in the germline and soma.
Case report: Endovascular treatment of acute limb ischemia in an adolescent with newly diagnosed lupus
Authors: Liu Lu-Hang , Lee Ming-Dar , Huang Ting-Huan , Chu Szu-Hung , Hsieh Mu-Yang
Published: June 2023

We report a 14-year-old adolescent who presented with acute limb ischemia caused by systemic lupus erythematosus-related antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). In the pediatric population, acute limb ischemia is rare. This case is unique in that after the initial medical treatment failed, interventional devices for acute stroke intervention were utilized to salvage the limb in our patient with a small tibial artery vessel to achieve procedural success. To provide limb salvage, operators may combine peripheral and neuro-intervention devices to maximize procedure success.
The impact of geriatric nutritional risk index on one-year outcomes in hospitalized elderly patients with heart failure
Authors: Miura Masakazu , Okuda Shinichi , Murata Kazuhiro , Ohno Yutaka , Katou Satoshi , Nakao Fumiaki , Ueyama Takeshi , Yamamoto Takeshi , Ikeda Yasuhiro
Published: June 2023

Background

Strategies that accurately predict outcomes in elderly heart failure (HF) patients have not been sufficiently established. In previous reports, nutritional status, ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), and lower limb muscle strength are known prognostic factors associated with cardiac rehabilitation (CR). In the present study, we investigated which CR factors can accurately predict one-year outcomes in elderly patients with HF among the above factors.

Methods

Hospitalized patients with HF over 65 years of age from January 2016 to January 2022 were retrospectively enrolled in the Yamaguchi Prefectural Grand Medical (YPGM) Center. They were consequently recruited to this single-center retrospective cohort study. Nutritional status, ADL, and lower limb muscle strength were assessed by geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), Barthel index (BI), and short physical performance battery (SPPB) at discharge, respectively. One year after discharge, the primary and secondary outcomes were evaluated by all-cause death or HF readmission and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), respectively.

Results

Overall, 1,078 HF patients were admitted to YPGM Center. Of those, 839 (median age 84.0, 52% female) met the study criteria. During the follow-up of 228.0 days, 72 patients reached all-cause death (8%), 215 experienced HF readmission (23%), and 267 reached MACCE (30%: 25 HF death, six cardiac death, and 13 strokes). A multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis revealed that the GNRI predicted the primary outcome (Hazard ratio [HR]: 0.957; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.934–0.980; p < 0.001) and the secondary outcome (HR: 0.963; 95%CI: 0.940–0.986; p = 0.002). Furthermore, a multiple logistic regression model using the GNRI most accurately predicted the primary and secondary outcomes compared to those with the SPPB or BI models.

Conclusion

A nutrition status model using GNRI provided a better predictive value than ADL ability or lower limb muscle strength. It should be recognized that HF patients with a low GNRI at discharge may have a poor prognosis at one year.
Experiences of health professional students’ participation in the GEMx regional elective exchange program in Africa
Authors: Nawagi Faith , Iacone Anna , Seeling Justin , Yuan Shiyao , Mukherjee Snigdha
Published: June 2023

Background

Given the significant gap in International Electives (IEs) opportunities for African health professions students, ECFMG|FAIMER through its Global Educational Exchange in Medicine and other health professions (GEMx) program launched a pilot African regional elective exchange program in 2016. During IEs, students have a choice of discipline they would like to learn, and the location, often at a host institution in a different country. This study provides an overview of health professional students’ experiences through participation in the pilot GEMx regional elective exchange program in Africa.

Methods

This was a quasi-experimental, single-group post-test-only study using the survey method. Data were collected online using a self-administered survey through SurveyMonkey. Students (N= 107) received emails with a link to the survey as they completed the electives. The survey was open for a month for each student and weekly reminders were sent.

Results

The survey obtained a 100% response rate. All postgraduate and undergraduate students from various professional training programs (n= 107) reported gaining knowledge that was applicable back home. Over 43.4% (n= 46) reported having formed professional networks that are valuable for career progression. More than half 59.8% (n= 64) gained clinical skills and learned various procedures while 26.2% (n= 28) recognized the need for increased reliance on history taking for disease diagnosis. More than a third, 34.6% (n= 37) appreciated the different cultures and the effect of cultural beliefs on health outcomes.

Discussion and conclusions

The GEMx regional elective exchange program in Africa provided a useful platform that enabled health professional students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in their respective disciplines to gain enhanced perspectives on health issues, acquire clinical knowledge and skills applicable to their home country, strengthen personal and professional development, and develop positive attitude change in various health care delivery approaches.
Functional materials for solar thermophotovoltaic devices in energy conversion applications: a review
Authors: Dada Modupeola , Popoola Patricia , Alao Alice , Olalere Folasayo , Mtileni Evlly , Lindokuhle Ntanzi , Shamaine Makinita
Published: June 2023

Fossil fuels are now used to meet over 80% of the world’s energy demands, but they have the disadvantages of being unsustainable economically and polluting the environment. Solar energy is also one of the most desired alternative forms of renewable energy due to the quantity of direct sunlight among these sources. Due to the difficulties with solar cells, less than 1% of this energy is harvested and transformed into electricity. Notably, solar thermal and photovoltaic systems are the traditional methods for converting solar energy into electricity. It can be challenging to turn the solar energy captured by these systems into power. In contrast to conventional conversion methods, which involve converting solar energy directly into electricity, this article conducts a thorough investigation of solar thermophotovoltaic devices and the high-tech materials used in solar thermophotovoltaic systems as a solution to the conversion challenges.
The combustion and emission improvements for diesel–biodiesel hybrid engines based on response surface methodology
Authors: Li Junming , Zhong Weihuang , Zhang Jian , Zhao Ziheng , Hu Jingyi
Published: June 2023

With the rapid technological progress of society and increasingly stringent environmental regulations, further reduction of emissions has become an important issue for environmental protection. This study developed a response surface model with the biodiesel blending ratio (BBR), load, and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) as independent variables and brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), and NOx, and CO emission rates as dependent variables. Simulations were performed and calculated. The results of the response surface approach with the objectives of maximizing the BTE of the engine and minimizing BSFC, NOx emissions, and CO emissions show that when the BBR is 20%, the EGR rate is 15%, and the engine load is 74.52%, pollutant emissions are significantly reduced while the engine power’s performance is maximized.
The contribution of seedbank to the green roof plant community dynamics analogous to semi-natural grasslands
Authors: Rivière Lucie , Sellier Alizé , Dutoit Thierry , Vidaller Christel , Buisson Elise , Mahy Grégory
Published: June 2023

Extensive green roofs have been shown to support native biodiversity and plant communities that are analogous to natural or semi-natural habitats such as grasslands. However, little is known about the role of soil seedbanks in the dynamic of extensive green roof plant communities. The purpose of this study was to analyze the seedbank that developed after 4 years of an extensive green roof analog to dry grassland plant community, seeded with 29 species. We aimed to understand the contribution of seedbank to the resilience of vegetation to harsh conditions of the roof and to colonization by surrounding spontaneous species. We monitored the plant species cover in 36 plots during 4 years in June (between 2018 and 2021), and sampled the seedbank in February 2021. Our results showed that the soil seedbank was dominated by transient spontaneous ruderals species, while the standing vegetation was still dominated by seeded grassland species. We found that seeded grassland species had poor seedbank stock, similar to their natural environments. The similarity index between the standing vegetation and the seedbank increased over time, and we measured a significant correlation between dominant species cover and their seedbank density. Spontaneous species cover was not correlated to the proportion of soil not colonized by seeded species cover, indicating that gaps in vegetation did not influence the development of spontaneous species. Our findings highlight the importance of seedbank in the dynamic of green roof vegetation and demonstrate that analogous habitat species exhibit similar behavior as in their natural environments.
Regional anthropogenic disturbance and species-specific niche traits influence the invasiveness of European beetle species
Authors: Simões Marianna V. P. , Nuñez-Penichet Claudia , Warren Dan , Schmitt Thomas , Krull Marcos
Published: June 2023

Coleoptera are key elements of terrestrial trophic interactions and generate significant economic and ecological benefits, but their representatives also represent severe pest species. Understanding how invasive species operate is indispensable to identify and anticipate potential invasion areas. However, few studies have explored niche dynamics and drivers of invasions in this group. Here we examined niche dynamics across 54 invasive beetle species native to Europe and assessed whether factors such as human influence index, feeding habits, body size, and niche breadth are associated with the degree of invasion. The realized niches had low similarity in invasive and native ranges (i.e., invaded areas are climatically dissimilar to native ranges). This included a high degree of niche expansion in invaded areas but also environments occupied in the native ranges but unoccupied in the invasive range (unfilling), suggesting that altered species–climate relationships during invasion processes are common. Niche expansions showed positive association with small native niche breadth sizes and movements from highly disturbed native areas to less disturbed invaded ranges; unfilling was associated with invaded niche breadth size and frequency of species occurrence. Both were related to dissimilar realized climatic niches in invaded ranges. Colonization of invaded areas might be triggered by low quality resources in native areas. Unfilling levels might be related to the year of introduction and loss of biotic constraints present in their native distribution, leading to the use of different climatic spaces in the invasive areas. This idea is reinforced by larger invasive climatic niche breadth. Our results provide insight into patterns of invasive species, and initial holistic exploration towards the understanding of invasive species dynamics.
Similar deamination activities but different phenotypic outcomes induced by APOBEC3 enzymes in breast epithelial cells
Authors: Granadillo Rodríguez Milaid , Wong Lai , Chelico Linda
Published: June 2023

APOBEC3 (A3) enzymes deaminate cytosine to uracil in viral single-stranded DNA as a mutagenic barrier for some viruses. A3-induced deaminations can also occur in human genomes resulting in an endogenous source of somatic mutations in multiple cancers. However, the roles of each A3 are unclear since few studies have assessed these enzymes in parallel. Thus, we developed stable cell lines expressing A3A, A3B, or A3H Hap I using non-tumorigenic MCF10A and tumorigenic MCF7 breast epithelial cells to assess their mutagenic potential and cancer phenotypes in breast cells. The activity of these enzymes was characterized by γH2AX foci formation and in vitro deamination. Cell migration and soft agar colony formation assays assessed cellular transformation potential. We found that all three A3 enzymes had similar γH2AX foci formation, despite different deamination activities in vitro. Notably, in nuclear lysates, the in vitro deaminase activity of A3A, A3B, and A3H did not require digestion of cellular RNA, in contrast to that of A3B and A3H in whole-cell lysates. Their similar activities in cells, nonetheless, resulted in distinct phenotypes where A3A decreased colony formation in soft agar, A3B decreased colony formation in soft agar after hydroxyurea treatment, and A3H Hap I promoted cell migration. Overall, we show that in vitro deamination data do not always reflect cell DNA damage, all three A3s induce DNA damage, and the impact of each is different.
A frameshift variant in the SIRPB1 gene confers susceptibility to Crohn’s disease in a Chinese population
Authors: Tang Jian , Wan Xingyang , Zhang JunXiao , Diao Na , Zhang Caibin , Gao Xiang , Ren Donglin
Published: June 2023

Background: Crohn’s disease (CD), a chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disease, is increasing in China. With a focus on Han Chinese families with CD, the aim of this study was to find genetic variations that increase CD susceptibility by genome sequencing, genetic association, expression, and functional research.

Materials and methods: We performed family-based genome sequencing (WGS) analysis on 24 patients with CD from 12 families and then filtered shared potential causal variants by incorporating association results from meta-analyses of CD GWAS and immunology genes and in silico variant effect prediction algorithms. Replication analyses were performed in an independent cohort including 381 patients with CD and 381 control subjects.

Results: There were 92 genetic variants significantly associated with CD in Chinese individuals. Among them, 61 candidate loci were validated in replication analyses. As a result, patients carrying a rare frameshift variant (c.1143_1144insG; p. Leu381_Leu382fs) in gene SIRPB1 had significantly higher risk to develop CD (p = 0.03, OR 4.59, 95% CI 0.98–21.36, 81.82% vs. 49.53%). The frameshift variation induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk, Akt, and Jak2, elevated the expression of SIRPB1 at the mRNA and protein levels, activated DAP12, and controlled the activation of NF-κB in macrophages. Additionally, it promoted the synthesis of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1, TNF-, and IL-6.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that the rare gain-of-function frameshift variant in SIRPB1 is associated in Han Chinese patients with CD. The functional mechanism of SIRPB1 and its downstream inflammatory pathways was preliminarily explored in CD.
Correlation analysis of vaginal microecology and different types of human papillomavirus infection: a study conducted at a hospital in northwest China
Authors: Feng Fang , Hou Yue-min , Zhang Yan , Wang Lu-yuan , Li Pei-pei , Guo Ying , An Rui-fang
Published: June 2023

Background

Vaginal microecology has a definite influence on human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and clearance, but the specific correlation is still controversial. This research aimed to investigate the differences in the vaginal microenvironment of different types of HPV infection and also provide data supporting clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

According to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, the case data of 2,358 female patients who underwent vaginal microecology and HPV-DNA tests at the same time in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from May 2021 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The population was divided into two groups: an HPV-positive group and an HPV-negative group. HPV-positive patients were further classified into HPV16/18-positive group and HPV other subtypes positive group. The vaginal microecology of HPV-infected patients was analyzed using the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression.

Results

Among the 2,358 female patients, the HPV infection rate was 20.27% (478/2,358), of which the HPV16/18 infection rate was 25.73% (123/478), and the HPV other subtypes infection rate was 74.27% (355/478). The difference in HPV infection rates between the age groups was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The prevalence of mixed vaginitis was 14.37% (339/2,358), with bacterial vaginosis (BV) paired with aerobic vaginitis (AV) accounting for the majority (66.37%). The difference in HPV infection rates among mixed vaginitis was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The prevalence of single vaginitis was 24.22% (571/2,358), with the most frequent being vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC; 47.29%, 270/571), and there was a significant difference in HPV infection rates among single vaginitis (P < 0.001). Patients with BV had a higher risk of being positive for HPV16/18 (OR: 1.815, 95% CI: 1.050–3.139) and other subtypes (OR: 1.830, 95% CI: 1.254–2.669). Patients with Trichomoniasis were at higher odds of other HPV subtype infections (OR: 1.857, 95% CI: 1.004–3.437). On the contrary, patients with VVC had lower odds of becoming infected with other HPV subtypes (OR: 0.562, 95% CI: 0.380–0.831).

Conclusion

There were disparities in HPV infection among different age groups; therefore, we should pay attention to the prevention and treatment of susceptible individuals. BV and Trichomoniasis are linked to HPV infection; hence, restoring the balance of vaginal microecology could assist in the prevention of HPV infection. As a protective factor for other HPV subtype infections, VVC may provide new insights into the development of immunotherapeutic therapies.
Boron-peptide conjugates with angiopep-2 for boron neutron capture therapy
Authors: Xiang Jing , Ma Lin , Tong Jianfei , Zuo Nan , Hu Weitao , Luo Yupeng , Liu Junqi , Liang Tianjiao , Ren Qiushi , Liu Qi
Published: June 2023

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) induces intracellular nuclear reaction to destroy cancer cells during thermal neutron irradiation. To selectively eliminate cancer cells but avoid harmful effects on normal tissues, novel boron-peptide conjugates with angiopep-2, namely ANG-B, were constructed and evaluated in preclinical settings. Boron-peptide conjugates were synthesized using solid-phase peptide synthesis, and the molecular mass was validated by mass spectrometry afterwards. Boron concentrations in 6 cancer cell lines and an intracranial glioma mouse model after treatments were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Phenylalanine (BPA) was tested in parallel for comparison. In vitro treatment with boron delivery peptides significantly increased boron uptake in cancer cells. BNCT with 5 mM ANG-B caused 86.5% ± 5.3% of clonogenic cell death, while BPA at the same concentration caused 73.3% ± 6.0% clonogenic cell death. The in vivo effect of ANG-B in an intracranial glioma mouse model was evaluated by PET/CT imaging at 31 days after BNCT. The mouse glioma tumours in the ANG-B-treated group were shrunk by 62.9% on average, while the BPA-treated tumours shrank by only 23.0%. Therefore, ANG-B is an efficient boron delivery agent, which has low cytotoxicity and high tumour-to-blood ratio. Based on these experimental results, we expected that ANG-B may leverage BNCT performance in clinical applications in future.
Astrocytic modulation of neuronal signalling
Authors: Purushotham Sushmitha S. , Buskila Yossi
Published: June 2023

Neuronal signalling is a key element in neuronal communication and is essential for the proper functioning of the CNS. Astrocytes, the most prominent glia in the brain play a key role in modulating neuronal signalling at the molecular, synaptic, cellular, and network levels. Over the past few decades, our knowledge about astrocytes and their functioning has evolved from considering them as merely a brain glue that provides structural support to neurons, to key communication elements. Astrocytes can regulate the activity of neurons by controlling the concentrations of ions and neurotransmitters in the extracellular milieu, as well as releasing chemicals and gliotransmitters that modulate neuronal activity. The aim of this review is to summarise the main processes through which astrocytes are modulating brain function. We will systematically distinguish between direct and indirect pathways in which astrocytes affect neuronal signalling at all levels. Lastly, we will summarize pathological conditions that arise once these signalling pathways are impaired focusing on neurodegeneration.
SSTM-IS: simplified STM method based on instance selection for real-time EEG emotion recognition
Authors: Ran Shuang , Zhong Wei , Duan Danting , Ye Long , Zhang Qin
Published: June 2023

Introduction

EEG signals can non-invasively monitor the brain activities and have been widely used in brain-computer interfaces (BCI). One of the research areas is to recognize emotions objectively through EEG. In fact, the emotion of people changes over time, however, most of the existing affective BCIs process data and recognize emotions offline, and thus cannot be applied to real-time emotion recognition.

Methods

In order to solve this problem, we introduce the instance selection strategy into transfer learning and propose a simplified style transfer mapping algorithm. In the proposed method, the informative instances are firstly selected from the source domain data, and then the update strategy of hyperparameters is also simplified for style transfer mapping, making the model training more quickly and accurately for a new subject.

Results

To verify the effectiveness of our algorithm, we carry out the experiments on SEED, SEED-IV and the offline dataset collected by ourselves, and achieve the recognition accuracies up to 86.78%, 82.55% and 77.68% in computing time of 7s, 4s and 10s, respectively. Furthermore, we also develop a real-time emotion recognition system which integrates the modules of EEG signal acquisition, data processing, emotion recognition and result visualization.

Discussion

Both the results of offline and online experiments show that the proposed algorithm can accurately recognize emotions in a short time, meeting the needs of real-time emotion recognition applications.
Examining the relation between oral contraceptive use and attentional engagement in everyday life
Authors: Smith Alyssa C. , Marty-Dugas Jeremy , Smilek Daniel
Published: June 2023

Oral contraceptives (OCs) used by women worldwide include artificial estradiol and progesterone, which can attach to receptors in the brain and potentially influence cognition. In the present studies, we examined the relation between OC use and self-reported everyday attention. We collected trait-level measures of mind wandering, attention-related errors, and attention lapses in undergraduate women using OCs (Study 1: OC group N = 471, Study 2: OC group N = 246) and naturally cycling women not using any form of hormonal contraceptives (Study 1: Non-OC group N = 1,330, Study 2: Non-OC group N = 929). In Study 1, we found that women using OCs reported significantly less spontaneous and deliberate mind wandering than naturally cycling women and no differences between groups on attention-related errors and attention lapses. In Study 2, our findings indicated no significant differences between groups on any of our attention measures. Regression analyses controlling for depression symptoms and semester of data collection found that OC use did predict unique additional variance on some attention measures, but these effects were small and unreliable across the two studies. Taken together, our data suggests there is little evidence that OC use is related to differences in attentional engagement in everyday life.
Multivariate prediction of long COVID headache in adolescents using gray matter structural MRI features
Authors: Kim Minhoe , Sim Sunkyung , Yang Jaeseok , Kim Minchul
Published: June 2023

Objective

Headache is among the most frequent symptoms after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), so-called long COVID syndrome. Although distinct brain changes have been reported in patients with long COVID, such reported brain changes have not been used for predictions and interpretations in a multivariate manner. In this study, we applied machine learning to assess whether individual adolescents with long COVID can be accurately distinguished from those with primary headaches.

Methods

Twenty-three adolescents with long COVID headaches with the persistence of headache for at least 3 months and 23 age- and sex-matched adolescents with primary headaches (migraine, new daily persistent headache, and tension-type headache) were enrolled. Multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) was applied for disorder-specific predictions of headache etiology based on individual brain structural MRI. In addition, connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) was also performed using a structural covariance network.

Results

MVPA correctly classified long COVID patients from primary headache patients, with an area under the curve of 0.73 (accuracy = 63.4%; permutation p = 0.001). The discriminating GM patterns exhibited lower classification weights for long COVID in the orbitofrontal and medial temporal lobes. The CPM using the structural covariance network achieved an area under the curve of 0.81 (accuracy = 69.5%; permutation p = 0.005). The edges that classified long COVID patients from primary headache were mainly comprising thalamic connections.

Conclusion

The results suggest the potential value of structural MRI-based features for classifying long COVID headaches from primary headaches. The identified features suggest that the distinct gray matter changes in the orbitofrontal and medial temporal lobes occurring after COVID, as well as altered thalamic connectivity, are predictive of headache etiology.
Translation and concurrent validity, sensitivity and specificity of Chinese version of Short Orientation Memory Concentration Test in people with a first cerebral infarction
Authors: Zhao Jiang-Li , Chen Pei-Ming , Ng Shamay S. M. , Mao Yu-Rong , Huang Dong-Feng
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to translate the English version of the Short Orientation-Memory-Concentration (SOMC) test into a Chinese version, denoted the C-SOMC test, and to investigate the concurrent validity, sensitivity, and specificity of the C-SOMC test against a longer and widely used screening instrument in people with a first cerebral infarction.

Methods

An expert group translated the SOMC test into Chinese using a forward–backward procedure. Eighty-six participants (67 men and 19 women, mean age = 59.31 ± 11.57 years) with a first cerebral infarction were enrolled in this study. The validity of the C-SOMC test was determined using the Chinese version of Mini Mental State Examination (C-MMSE) as the comparator. Concurrent validity was determined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. Univariate linear regression was used to analyze items’ abilities to predict the total score on the C-SOMC test and the C-MMSE score. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to demonstrate the sensitivity and specificity of the C-SOMC test at various cut-off values distinguishing cognitive impairment from normal cognition.

Results

The total score for the C-SOMC test and the score for item 1 on this test exhibited moderate-to-good correlations with the C-MMSE score, with respective ρ-values of 0.636 and 0.565 (P < 0.001). The scores for each of items 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 yielded fair correlations with C-MMSE score, with ρ-value from 0.272 to 0.495 (P < 0.05). The total score on the C-SOMC test and the item score were good predictors (adjusted R2 = 0.049 to 0.615) of the C-MMSE score, and six items were good predictors (adjusted R2 = 0.134 to 0.795) of the total score. The AUC was 0.92 for the C-SOMC test. A cut-off of 17/18 on the C-SOMC test gave optimal performance: correct classification of 75% of participants, with 75% sensitivity and 87.9% specificity.

Conclusion

The C-SOMC test demonstrated good concurrent validity, sensitivity and specificity in a sample of people with a first cerebral infarction, demonstrating that it could be used to screen for cognitive impairment in stroke patients.