bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metcalfa pruinosa Say, 1830 as a new parasite of hop plants in Ukraine
Authors: Yanse L. , Sus N.
Published: June 2023

Metcalfa pruinosa (Say, 1830) is an invasive, gregarious sap-sucking insect that spreads rapidly through Ukraine and now detects in Kyiv city, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zakarpattia, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions. Additionally, this sap-sucking insect parasitizes more than 300 species of plants, including the common hop (Humulus lupulus L.). H. lupulus is a valuable industrial crop grown in many countries, including Ukraine. In Ukraine, this industrial crop is grown in the Lviv, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, and Zhytomyr regions. Specifically, the Zhytomyr region accounts for almost 74% of the total area of hop plantations in Ukraine. Thus, hop-growing areas in Ukraine are closest to Kyiv city and the Kyiv region, among the M. pruinosa infested areas in Ukraine. Additionally, H. lupulus is an important ornamental plant used for vertical gardening throughout Ukraine, including Kyiv city. Given the above, this study aimed to characterize the “M. pruinosa — H. Lupulus” host-parasite system in Kyiv city. To achieve the above purpose, the authors visually inspected hop plants in Kyiv city in 2021–2022. As a result, the inspections revealed that infestation of H. lupulus by this parasite predisposed the appearance of sooty mould. The authors also identified that micromycetes belonging to the genus Cladosporium Link, 1816 caused the sooty mould and that these micromycetes used honeydew excreted by M. pruinosa as substrate. Additionally, inspections found that in Kyiv city in 2021 and 2022, 4.4% and 1.29%, and 26.4% and 1.94% of common hop plants were damaged by M. pruinosa and sooty mould, respectively. Finally, the authors described the signs of hop infestation with M. pruinosa and sooty mould-causing micromycetes, including the diagnostic ones. The diagnostic sign of hop infestation by M. pruinosa was, respectively, the presence of a whitish, sticky, woolly coating on the leaves and stems, presented from the beginning of July until the end of October. The non-diagnostic signs of hop infestation by M. pruinosa included interveinal chlorosis and necrosis, chlorotic and necrotic spots on leaves. Meanwhile, the diagnostic sign of sooty mould was the presence of a black sticky coating on the leaves.
Mapping of the right-bank part of Сherkasy region water consumption by corn for grain
Authors: Mykolaiko V. , Kyrylіuk V. , Rozhi T.
Published: June 2023

The article examines one of the directions of mapping for an administrative entity using the example of creating cartograms of the average multi-year total water consumption of corn per grain by interphase periods of development. The purpose of the article is to create cartograms of corn water consumption per grain by interphase periods for the right-bank part of the Cherkasy region. In this study, based on empirical information for a 30-year period (1991–2020) and its analysis, the calculation of the average multi-year total water consumption of corn per grain by interphase periods was carried out. The total water consumption of the studied culture for separate interphase periods was determined by the water balance method. On the basis of the calculated values of water consumption, cartograms of the average multi-year total water consumption (mm) of corn per grain by interphase periods for the right-bank part of the Cherkasy region were compiled and generalized. Cartograms of the average multi-year total water consumption of corn per grain by interphase periods were compiled by the method of isolines, which were obtained by interpolation at the sampling points. As a result, information on individual meteorological stations was approximated for the entire studied territory. For agricultural formations of various forms of ownership of the right-bank part of the Cherkasy region, the information presented on the cartograms can be used to identify factors that affect the water consumption of corn for grain in interphase periods or to carry out appropriate differentiated agrotechnical and meliorational measures necessary to achieve the planned yield.
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING WITH DIGITAL STORYTELLING TO IMPROVE SCIENCE LITERACY OF 10TH-GRADE STUDENTS IN MA AL MANSHURIYAH SCHOOL
Authors: Munawar Rizal Muharam , Jaenudin Dadang , Retnowati Rita
Published: June 2023

Abstract: This study aims to describe the effectiveness of the project-based learning (PJBL) model with digital storytelling to enhance science literacy among 10th-grade students on ecosystem subjects. The research design was a quasi-experimental non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group. The study was conducted at MA Al Manshuriyah with 57 participants from two classes, IPA 1 and IPA 2. IPA 1 was selected as the experimental group that used a project-based learning model with digital storytelling, while IPA2 was the control group that used a conventional learning model. Validation and judgment of the research instruments were performed by experts until they were deemed suitable for use. The results showed that the learning process made the students more active in creatively solving problems. There was an improvement in students' science literacy skills on ecosystem subjects with an N-gain score of 65% (experimental group) and 56% (control group). The percentage of good category in science literacy for the experimental group was 85%, while for the control group was 78%. Students' caring attitude towards the environment was obtained at 79% with a very good category. The researchers concluded that project-based learning with digital storytelling was effective in enhancing students' science literacy skills and raising awareness of the environment
Kerawanan Kepadatan Jentik Terhadap Risiko Penularan Penyakit DBD di Kota Padang
Authors: Rahmah Jihad Waffiqa , Onasis Aidil , Wati Linda , Marza R Firwandri , Gusti Awalia
Published: June 2023

The density of Aedes aegypti larvae is one of the risk factors for the transmission of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF). This type of research is descriptive with a spatial approach from March to May 2022. The population in this study is 3 sub-districts with the highest population density in the Padang Pasir Public Health Center, West Padang District as many as 3,212 houses with a total of 97 houses. The results showed that ABJ in the Kelurahan in the Padang Pasir Public Health Center working area was 78.3%. Mosquito Breeding Place with a Container Index value of 17.6. The implementation of 3M activities is 78.3%. Larva density susceptibility indicates that Purus Village is an area with a density of mosquito larvae, Rimbo Kaluang Village is in the medium vulnerability category and Flamboyan Village has low vulnerability. It is hoped that the community will carry out vector control by implementing the Eradication of Mosquito Nests (PSN), the puskesmas can use GIS technology as a medium of information and developments in the transmission of DHF and cooperate with the Health Office to jointly play an active role in suppressing cases of Dengue Fever in the community.
Faktor-Faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Keluhan Low Back Pain Pada Pengendara Ojek Online Gojek di Kawasan Nanggalo
Authors: Triana Nabila , Merri Suks , Seno Basuki Ario
Published: June 2023

One of the groups who are at risk of experiencing Low Back Pain complaints are online motorcycle taxi drivers. This study aims to determine the factors associated with complaints of Low Back Pain in online Gojek motorcycle taxi drivers in the Nanggalo area, Padang City in 2022. The type of research used is quantitative with a cross sectional approach which was carried out from January to March 2022. The population in this study are all Gojek online motorcycle taxi drivers in the Nanggalo area, Padang City with a large sample of 49 Gojek online motorcycle taxi drivers. Data obtained from interviews using questionnaires and observations. Data analysis was carried out univariate and bivariate using Chi square statistical test. The results of the study stated that 61.2% of Gojek online motorcycle taxi drivers experienced complaints of Low Back Pain, 67.3% belonged to a risky age, 57.1% had a risky BMI, 59.2% with a risky work posture, 71.4% with a duration of work. There is a relationship between age (p = 0.028), Posture (p = 0.003) and duration of work (p = 0.001) with complaints of Low Back Pain. Most Gojek online motorcycle taxi drivers in the Nanggalo area in 2022 experience Low Back Pain complaints, to reduce the risk of LBP complaints, it is expected that Gojek online motorcycle taxi drivers to do sports based on age, sufficient food intake, work with a balanced working time and perform an ergonomic work system to minimize the risk of low back pain.
Faktor-Faktor Yang Berhubungan Dengan Penggunaan Masker Dalam Upaya Pencegahan Penyebaran Covid-19 Pada Siswa SD N 09 Bidar Alam Kecamatan Sangir Jujuan Kabupaten Solok Selatan
Authors: Muslimah Ulfa Mifta , Wel Dar , Adriyanti Sri Lestari , Din Awalud , Gusti Awalia
Published: June 2023

This research is motivated by problems at SD N 09 Bidar Alam, it is still found that students use masks that do not match the correct technique which causes students to be susceptible to contracting COVID-19. to the students of SD N 09 Bidar Alam, Sangir Jujuan District, South Solok Regency. This type of research is quantitative with a cross-sectional research design, the population and sample of this study are students of SD N 09 Bidar Alam. Data collection techniques using a questionnaire. Processing and analyzing data with chi-square statistical test. The results of the study 72.2% of respondents chose to wear surgical masks, 63.6% of respondents did not use masks with the correct technique, 54.5% of respondents had good knowledge about the use of masks, 51.5% of respondents had negative attitudes towards the practice of using masks, 60.6% of respondents have less information about the correct use of masks. Statistics show a significant relationship between knowledge, attitudes, and health information with the use of masks with the correct technique with a p-value <0.05. It was concluded that knowledge, attitude, and health information were factors related to the use of masks with the correct technique. It is hoped that the school will carry out health campaigns or promotions directly or indirectly related to the use of masks with the correct technique.
Paparan Gas Hidrogen Sulfida (H2S) dan Aktivitas Pemulung Terhadap Risiko Kesehatan Lingkungan di TPA Tahun 2022
Authors: Fahmi Rani Nabilla , Onasis Aidil , Merri Suks , Muslim Burhan , Zicof Erick
Published: June 2023

Scavengers have the potential to be exposed to gases from the waste decomposition process at the final disposal area due to the activities of scavengers in the final disposal environment. Exposure to these gases can cause health problems for scavengers, one of which is due to Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) gas. The purpose of the study was to determine the exposure of Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) gas to scavengers at the Air Dingin final disposal area of Padang in 2022. The research method used Environmental Health Risk Analysis. The results of the three points measured were above the odor level limit value (0.02 ppm or 0.0278 mg/m3). The average realtime intake value is 1.55 x 10-3 mg/kg/day and the lifetime intake is 3.11 x 10-3 mg/kg/day. Realtime and lifetime RQ values, obtained RQ>1. This means that exposure to Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) is not safe for scavengers. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out risk control efforts. For scavengers to use PPE, especially masks, and increase body resistance. For the Department of Environment of Padang, recommended to be able to monitor air quality related to polluting gases in the air around the final disposal area on a regular basis.
Mixture of Faults Identification on Power Transformers Using Multi-Method Dissolved Gas Analysis
Authors: Prasojo Rahman Azis , Muhammad Akmal Afibuddin Putra  , Neelmani
Published: June 2023

Utilities rely on the various Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) interpretation methods to identify incipient fault within power transformers. However, confusion often arises due to the use of different DGA methods which can have different results or fail to detect mixture of faults (multiple faults). This paper implements the combination of Duval Triangle and Duval Pentagon as one of the most consistent methods to do fault identification based on DGA. Recent historical DGA data of generator step up high voltage power transformers and other several previously published historical data were collected and analyzed. This article aims to assist transformer asset manager in detecting mixture of faults using multi method. The use of combined Duval triangle and Pentagon method is done in accordance to the guideline in IEEE C57.104-2019.
Energy Community in the Concept of Achieving Geo-economic and Energy Security of the Countries of the Western Balkans
Authors: Nešković Slobodan , Bylo Ardita
Published: June 2023

Energy security is essential to the overall stability of any country and economic development. The Energy Community means a strategic project of cooperation between the European Union and the countries of Southeast Europe, and at the same time the Western Balkans, in the field of energy, promoted at the beginning of this century. It defines the components of a process aimed at stability in the supply and functioning of the energy market. The Energy Union is a compatible plan with the European Commission in providing optimal conditions for its members. The paper also discusses the implications of these concepts on the geo-economic position and perspectives of the Western Balkan countries.
Evaluation of Emotional State and Mediterranean Diet Adherence During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Butterfly Effect
Authors: ATABİLEN Büşra , AKBULUT Gamze , KOÇAK Tevfik , ACAR TEK Nilüfer
Published: June 2023

Objective: The COVID-19 disease, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infectious agent, is the last member of infectious diseases. Factors such as uncertainties about the prognosis of the disease, insufficient control measures, lack of effective therapeutic mechanisms can cause negative effects on individuals’ daily living activities and mental health. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the mood changes and Mediterranean diet adherence of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The study was carried out between November 2020 and January 2021 with individuals over 18 years of age. The data required for the research were collected with an online questionnaire. The COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S) and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) were used to assess the emotional state of individuals. The Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) was used to examine the adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

Results: A total of 6609 individuals between the ages of 18-70 participated in the study and 70% of the participants are female. The median score obtained from the C19P-S in female individuals was found to be significantly higher than in male subjects (p
EU Data Governance Act: Outlining a Potential Role for CLARIN
Authors: Kamocki Paweł , Linden Krister , Puksas Andrius , Kelli Aleksei
Published: June 2023

The Data Governance Act was proposed in late 2020 as part of the European Strategy for Data, and adopted on 30 May 2022 (as Regulation 2022/868). It will enter into application on 24 September 2023. The Data governance Act is a major development in the legal framework affecting CLARIN and the whole language community. With its new rules on the re-use of data held by the public sector bodies and on the provision of data sharing services, and especially its encouragement of data altruism, the Data Governance Act creates new opportunities and new challenges for CLARIN ERIC. This paper analyses the provisions of the Data Governance Act, and aims at initiating the debate on how they will impact CLARIN and the whole language community.
Semantic Classification of Prepositions in BulTreeBank WordNet
Authors: Kancheva Zara
Published: June 2023

The paper presents the work in progress for a PhD thesis about preposition incorporation in the Bulgarian BulTreeBank WordNet. Being one of the most polysemous parts of speech, prepositions are still relatively challenging for NLP and are usually missing in wordnets. A preposition semantic classification, a model for preposition synsets and synset relations are proposed. The planned applications of the prepositions and the directions for future processing are introduced.
Evaluation of Defense Methods Against the One-Pixel Attack on Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Arvidsson Victor , Al-Mashahedi Ahmad , Boldt Martin
Published: June 2023

The one-pixel attack is an image attack method for creating adversarial instances with minimal perturbations, i.e., pixel modification. The attack method makes the adversarial instances difficult to detect as it only manipulates a single pixel in the image. In this paper, we study four different defense approaches against adversarial attacks, and more specifically the one-pixel attack, over three different models. The defense methods used are: data augmentation, spatial smoothing, and Gaussian data augmentation used during both training and testing. The empirical experiments involve the following three models: all convolutional network (CNN), network in network (NiN), and the convolutional neural network VGG16. Experiments were executed and the results show that Gaussian data augmentation performs quite poorly when applied during the prediction phase. When used during the training phase, we see a reduction in the number of instances that could be perturbed by the NiN model. However, the CNN model shows an overall significantly worse performance compared to no defense technique. Spatial smoothing shows an ability to reduce the effectiveness of the one-pixel attack, and it is on average able to defend against half of the adversarial examples. Data augmentation also shows promising results, reducing the number of successfully perturbed images for both the CNN and NiN models. However, data augmentation leads to slightly worse overall model performance for the NiN and VGG16 models. Interestingly, it significantly improves the performance for the CNN model. We conclude that the most suitable defense is dependent on the model used. For the CNN model, our results indicate that a combination of data augmentation and spatial smoothing is a suitable defense setup. For the NiN and VGG16 models, a combination of Gaussian data augmentation together with spatial smoothing is more promising. Finally, the experiments indicate that applying Gaussian noise during the prediction phase is not a workable defense against the one-pixel attack.
Preliminary Results on the use of Artificial Intelligence for Managing Customer Life Cycles
Authors: Ahlstrand Jim , Boldt Martin , Borg Anton , Grahn Håkan
Published: June 2023

During the last decade we have witnessed how artificial intelligence (AI) have changed businesses all over the world. The customer life cycle framework is widely used in businesses and AI plays a role in each stage. However, implementing and generating value from AI in the customer life cycle is not always simple. When evaluating the AI against business impact and value it is critical to consider both the model performance and the policy outcome. Proper analysis of AI-derived policies must not be overlooked in order to ensure ethical and trustworthy AI. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the literature on AI in customer life cycles (CLV) from an industry perspective. The study included 31 of 224 analyzed peer-reviewed articles from Scopus search result. The results show a significant research gap regarding outcome evaluations of AI implementations in practice. This paper proposes that policy evaluation is an important tool in the AI pipeline and empathizes the significance of validating both policy outputs and outcomes to ensure reliable and trustworthy AI.
Relationship between Helicobacter pylori and glycated hemoglobin: a cohort study
Authors: Chen Yi , Yang Chaoyu , You Ningning , Zhang Jinshun
Published: June 2023

Background

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has increasingly been shown to be related to extragastric diseases. Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), an indicator of glycemic control, is closely linked to the event of diabetes. The purpose of this research was to analyze the association between H. pylori and HbA1c through a cohort study.

Methods

The population who underwent multiple physical checkups in the physical examination center of Taizhou Hospital was included. All of them underwent urea breath test, serological examination and physical parameter measurement. Multiple regression was used for analyzing the influencing factors of HbA1c. In addition, the result of HbA1c on H. pylori infection was studied by restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index represents the level of insulin resistance (IR) in the population. The population was classified on the basis of primary and last H. pylori infection, therefore, the variations of HbA1c and TyG index among totally different teams were investigated.

Results

Multiple regression demonstrated that H. pylori was an influential factor in HbA1c. RCS analysis showed a nonlinear relationship between HbA1c and H. pylori infection. When HbA1c>5.7%, the chance of H. pylori infection was considerably enlarged. Additionally, long-term H. pylori infection increased HbA1c levels, while HbA1c levels decreased after H. pylori eradication. Similarly, long-term H. pylori infection also increased the TyG index.

Conclusion

Prediabetes increases the danger of H. pylori infection, long-term H. pylori infection increases HbA1c and IR levels, and wipeout of H. pylori could have a positive impact for glycemic control in the population.
Role of E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinating enzymes in SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Zhao Mingjiu , Zhang Mengdi , Yang Zhou , Zhou Zhiguang , Huang Jiaqi , Zhao Bin
Published: June 2023

Ever since its emergence in 2019, COVID-19 has rapidly disseminated worldwide, engendering a pervasive pandemic that has profoundly impacted healthcare systems and the socio-economic milieu. A plethora of studies has been conducted targeting its pathogenic virus, SARS-CoV-2, to find ways to combat COVID-19. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is widely recognized as a crucial mechanism that regulates human biological activities by maintaining protein homeostasis. Within the UPS, the ubiquitination and deubiquitination, two reversible modifications, of substrate proteins have been extensively studied and implicated in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2. The regulation of E3 ubiquitin ligases and DUBs(Deubiquitinating enzymes), which are key enzymes involved in the two modification processes, determines the fate of substrate proteins. Proteins associated with the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 may be retained, degraded, or even activated, thus affecting the ultimate outcome of the confrontation between SARS-CoV-2 and the host. In other words, the clash between SARS-CoV-2 and the host can be viewed as a battle for dominance over E3 ubiquitin ligases and DUBs, from the standpoint of ubiquitin modification regulation. This review primarily aims to clarify the mechanisms by which the virus utilizes host E3 ubiquitin ligases and DUBs, along with its own viral proteins that have similar enzyme activities, to facilitate invasion, replication, escape, and inflammation. We believe that gaining a better understanding of the role of E3 ubiquitin ligases and DUBs in COVID-19 can offer novel and valuable insights for developing antiviral therapies.
Ensemble-based classification approach for PM2.5 concentration forecasting using meteorological data
Authors: Saminathan S. , Malathy C.
Published: June 2023

Air pollution is a serious challenge to humankind as it poses many health threats. It can be measured using the air quality index (AQI). Air pollution is the result of contamination of both outdoor and indoor environments. The AQI is being monitored by various institutions globally. The measured air quality data are kept mostly for public use. Using the previously calculated AQI values, the future values of AQI can be predicted, or the class/category value of the numeric value can be obtained. This forecast can be performed with more accuracy using supervised machine learning methods. In this study, multiple machine-learning approaches were used to classify PM2.5 values. The values for the pollutant PM2.5 were classified into different groups using machine learning algorithms such as logistic regression, support vector machines, random forest, extreme gradient boosting, and their grid search equivalents, along with the deep learning method multilayer perceptron. After performing multiclass classification using these algorithms, the parameters accuracy and per-class accuracy were used to compare the methods. As the dataset used was imbalanced, a SMOTE-based approach for balancing the dataset was used. Compared to all other classifiers that use the original dataset, the accuracy of the random forest multiclass classifier with SMOTE-based dataset balancing was found to provide better accuracy.
Assessment of students’ metacognitive skills in the context of education 4.0
Authors: Popandopulo Anar , Kudysheva Ainash , Fominykh Nataliia , Nurgaliyeva Murshida , Kudarova Nazgul
Published: June 2023

Introduction

This article measures the meta-comprehension of reading practices among schoolchildren and students.

Methods

The Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) and Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Scale (MAI) was used to do this.

Results

The research results showed that MARSI students overall outperformed MARSI high school students, and the differences were tested using Student’s t-test. The problem-solving subscale recorded high levels for students and moderate levels for high school students. Supported reading strategies and Global reading strategies were in the medium range for each age group.

Discussion

The obtained results are primarily important for students and teachers. By being aware of their cognitive processes, students take the first step towards meaningful and thoughtful reading, which is the goal of many modern developments and approaches. As students become more aware of their cognitive processes, their role in the learning process expands to the point where they dominate it, rather than the teacher.
Glucose-dependent effect of insulin receptor isoforms on tamoxifen antitumor activity in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells
Authors: Stella Stefania , Massimino Michele , Manzella Livia , Parrinello Nunziatina Laura , Vitale Silvia Rita , Martorana Federica , Vigneri Paolo
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, and it is linked to several risk factors including genetic alterations, obesity, estrogen signaling, insulin levels, and glucose metabolism deregulation. Insulin and Insulin-like growth factor signaling exert a mitogenic and pro-survival effect. Indeed, epidemiological and pre-clinical studies have shown its involvement in the development, progression, and therapy resistance of several cancer types including breast cancer. Insulin/Insulin-like growth factor signaling is triggered by two insulin receptor isoforms identified as IRA and IRB and by Insulin-like growth factor receptor I. Both classes of receptors show high homology and can initiate the intracellular signaling cascade alone or by hybrids formation. While the role of Insulin-like growth factor receptor I in breast cancer progression and therapy resistance is well established, the effects of insulin receptors in this context are complex and not completely elucidated.

Methods

We used estrogen-dependent insulin-like growth factor receptor I deleted gene (MCF7IGFIRKO) breast cancer cell models, lentivirally transduced to over-express empty-vector (MCF7IGFIRKO/EV), IRA (MCF7IGFIRKO/IRA) or IRB (MCF7IGFIRKO/IRB), to investigate the role of insulin receptors on the antiproliferative activity of tamoxifen in presence of low and high glucose concentrations. The tamoxifen-dependent cytotoxic effects on cell proliferation were determined by MTT assay and clonogenic potential measurement. Cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by FACS, while immunoblot was used for protein analysis. Gene expression profiling was investigated by a PCR array concerning genes involved in apoptotic process by RT-qPCR.

Results

We found that glucose levels played a crucial role in tamoxifen response mediated by IRA and IRB. High glucose increased the IC50 value of tamoxifen for both insulin receptors and IRA-promoted cell cycle progression more than IRB, independently of glucose levels and insulin stimulation. IRB, in turn, showed anti-apoptotic properties, preserving cells’ survival after prolonged tamoxifen exposure, and negatively modulated pro-apoptotic genes when compared to IRA.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that glucose levels modify insulin receptors signaling and that this event can interfere with the tamoxifen therapeutic activity. The investigation of glucose metabolism and insulin receptor expression could have clinical implications in Estrogen Receptor positive breast cancer patients receiving endocrine treatments.
Integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis unveil the response mechanism in wild rice (Zizania latifolia griseb.) against sheath rot infection
Authors: Chen Limin , Ma Yamin , He Tianjun , Chen TingTing , Pan Yiming , Zhou Dayun , Li Xiaowei , Lu Yaobin , Wu Quancong , Wang Lailiang
Published: June 2023

Sheath rot disease (SRD) is one of the most devastating diseases of Manchurian wild rice (MWR) (Zizania latifolia Griseb). Pilot experiments in our laboratory have shown that an MWR cultivar “Zhejiao NO.7”exhibits signs of SRD tolerance. To explore the responses of Zhejiao No. 7 to SRD infection, we used a combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis approach. A total of 136 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs, 114 up- and 22 down-accumulated in FA compared to CK) were detected. These up-accumulated metabolites were enriched in tryptophan metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, flavonoids, and phytohormone signaling. Transcriptome sequencing results showed the differential expression of 11,280 genes (DEGs, 5,933 up-, and 5,347 downregulated in FA compared to CK). The genes expressed in tryptophan metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling, and reactive oxygen species homeostasis confirmed the metabolite results. In addition, genes related to the cell wall, carbohydrate metabolism, and plant-pathogen interaction (especially hypersensitive response) showed changes in expression in response to SRD infection. These results provide a basis for understanding the response mechanisms in MWR to FA attack that can be used for breeding SRD-tolerant MWR.
Cumulative effect of AOC1 gene variants on symptoms and pathological conditions in adult women with fibromyalgia: a pilot study
Authors: Okutan Gülşah , Perucho Alcalde Teresa , Ruiz Casares Eva , Penadés Bruno F. , Sánchez Niño Guerthy Melissa , Terrén Lora Ana , López Oliva Sara , Torrente Estríngana Lorena , Duelo Adriana , San Mauro Martín Ismael
Published: June 2023

Introduction: The amine oxidase copper-containing 1 (AOC1) gene encodes for the diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme. DAO is an enzyme that catabolizes some molecules, including histamine, and is the degradative enzyme in the polyamine catabolic pathway that is active in intestinal mucosal cells. Variants of AOC1 are associated with reduced DAO activity, resulting in accumulation of high levels of histamine and causing a wide range of neurological, gastrointestinal, and epidermal disorders, which are present in people with fibromyalgia. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of four AOC1 gene variants, namely, rs10156191, rs1049742, rs1049793, and rs2052129, on fibromyalgia symptoms measured by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), such as sleep disorders, atopic dermatitis, migraine, gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, allergies, and intolerances, in adult women with fibromyalgia.

Methods: The sample consisted of 100 unrelated women with fibromyalgia between 33 and 60 years of age (48.48 years ±7.35), whose were diagnosed by a rheumatologist based on symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and fatigue. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of AOC1 were identified using oral mucosa samples collected following a standard hygiene protocol. DNA was extracted, and gene variants of interest were analyzed using multiplex single-nucleotide primer extension (SNPE). Clinical data were collected using the FIQ and a series of variables that quantified the intensity and frequency of the symptoms.

Results: The minor allele frequencies of rs10156191, rs1049742, rs1049793, and rs2052129 were 31.5, 10, 32.5, and 27%, respectively. Each variant was found to be in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, but partial linkage disequilibrium between AOC1 SNPs is suspected. The results show that fibromyalgia symptoms measured using the FIQ tend to increase with the number of risk alleles and that the intensity of dry skin and low stool consistency may be associated with an increase in the number of these alleles.

Conclusion: This study constitutes the first step in investigating associations between fibromyalgia symptoms and candidate variants of the AOC1 gene in DAO enzyme activity. Identification of reduced DAO activity may improve the quality of life and treatment of symptoms in fibromyalgia patients.
A meta-analysis of the pooled impact of CYP7A1 single nucleotide polymorphisms on serum lipid responses to statins
Authors: Lim Megan Yu Cai , Tee Jia Rong , Yau Wai-Ping , Ho Han Kiat
Published: June 2023

Background and Aims: Various publications suggested that there is an association between CYP7A1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and a reduced response to statin therapy, but the results were inconsistent. This study aimed to collectively review these publications to appraise the effect of statins on cholesterol control in carriers of CYP7A1 variant alleles.

Methods: PUBMED, Cochrane and EMBASE were searched systematically to identify reported studies on the lipid responses to statin treatment between carriers of the variant allele versus the non-variant allele of CYP7A1 SNPs. The change from baseline in lipid responses for all included studies were calculated using weighted mean differences (WMD) (with 95% confidence interval (CI)). A meta-analysis was conducted to pool results using either the random-effects model or the fixed effects model.

Results: A total of 6 publications comprising of 1,686 subjects for the assessment of total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C and 1,156 subjects for the assessment of triglycerides were included in the meta-analyses. Subjects who were non-carriers of a CYP7A1 SNP (−204 A/C (rs3808607), −278 A/C (rs3808607) and rs8192875) had a greater reduction in total cholesterol (overall WMD -0.17, 95% CI -0.29, −0.06) and LDL-C levels (overall WMD -0.16, 95% CI -0.26, −0.05) as compared with subjects who borne the variant allele of CYP7A1 SNPs when administered a statin.

Conclusion: The presence of variant allele of CYP7A1 SNPs may result in suboptimal control of total cholesterol and LDL-C levels as compared with individuals who do not carry the variant allele, when administered an equivalent dose of statin.
Predicting prognosis, immunotherapy and distinguishing cold and hot tumors in clear cell renal cell carcinoma based on anoikis-related lncRNAs
Authors: Hao Chao , Li Rumeng , Lu Zeguang , He Kuang , Shen Jiayun , Wang Tengfei , Qiu Tingting
Published: June 2023

Background

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most frequently occurring malignant tumor within the kidney cancer subtype. It has low sensitivity to traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the optimal treatment for localized ccRCC has been surgical resection, but even with complete resection the tumor will be eventually developed into metastatic disease in up to 40% of localized ccRCC. For this reason, it is crucial to find early diagnostic and treatment markers for ccRCC.

Methods

We obtained anoikis-related genes (ANRGs) integrated from Genecards and Harmonizome dataset. The anoikis-related risk model was constructed based on 12 anoikis-related lncRNAs (ARlncRNAs) and verified by principal component analysis (PCA), Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and T-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), and the role of the risk score in ccRCC immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint expression levels, and drug sensitivity was evaluated by various algorithms. Additionally, we divided patients based on ARlncRNAs into cold and hot tumor clusters using the ConsensusClusterPlus (CC) package.

Results

The AUC of risk score was the highest among various factors, including age, gender, and stage, indicating that the model we built to predict survival was more accurate than the other clinical features. There was greater sensitivity to targeted drugs like Axitinib, Pazopanib, and Sunitinib in the high-risk group, as well as immunotherapy drugs. This shows that the risk-scoring model can accurately identify candidates for ccRCC immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Furthermore, our results suggest that cluster 1 is equivalent to hot tumors with enhanced sensitivity to immunotherapy drugs.

Conclusion

Collectively, we developed a risk score model based on 12 prognostic lncRNAs, expected to become a new tool for evaluating the prognosis of patients with ccRCC, providing different immunotherapy strategies by screening for hot and cold tumors.
O-GlcNAcylation of RIPK1 rescues red blood cells from necroptosis
Authors: Seo Junghwa , Kim Yeolhoe , Ji Suena , Kim Han Byeol , Jung Hyeryeon , Yi Eugene C. , Lee Yong-ho , Shin Injae , Yang Won Ho , Cho Jin Won
Published: June 2023

Necroptosis is a type of cell death with excessive inflammation and organ damage in various human diseases. Although abnormal necroptosis is common in patients with neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases, the mechanisms by which O-GlcNAcylation contributes to the regulation of necroptotic cell death are poorly understood. In this study, we reveal that O-GlcNAcylation of RIPK1 (receptor-interacting protein kinase1) was decreased in erythrocytes of the mouse injected with lipopolysaccharide, resulting in the acceleration of erythrocyte necroptosis through increased formation of RIPK1-RIPK3 complex. Mechanistically, we discovered that O-GlcNAcylation of RIPK1 at serine 331 in human (corresponding to serine 332 in mouse) inhibits phosphorylation of RIPK1 at serine 166, which is necessary for the necroptotic activity of RIPK1 and suppresses the formation of the RIPK1-RIPK3 complex in Ripk1-/- MEFs. Thus, our study demonstrates that RIPK1 O-GlcNAcylation serves as a checkpoint to suppress necroptotic signaling in erythrocytes.
Serum cytokine analysis in a cohort of advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with PD-1 inhibitors reveals predictive markers of CXCL12
Authors: Xu Yanjun , Ding Ling , Li Hui , Peng Zhongsheng , Ding Kaibo , Huang Zhiyu , Zhou Zichao , Xie Mingying , Yan Junrong , Feng Sijie , Fan Yun
Published: June 2023

Background

The circulating predictive factors for the outcomes of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remain elusive. We aimed to assess the predictive value of circulating cytokines for outcomes.

Methods

Serum samples of 102 advanced-stage NSCLC patients who underwent immunotherapy were collected at baseline. The relative levels of 37 cytokines were detected. PD-L1 expression was also analyzed.

Results

Higher serum CXCL12 levels (top 33%) were a poor predictive biomarker for durable clinical benefit (DCB) (23.5% vs. 72.1%, p<0.001), progression-free survival (PFS) (3.76 vs. 14.40 months; p<0.001) and overall survival (OS) (12.20 vs. 44.84 months; p=0.008). Compared with PD-L1-negative patients, PD-L1-positive patients had a significantly higher objective response rate (ORR) (70.0% vs. 28.8%, p<0.001) and a prolonged mPFS (25.35 vs. 4.64 months, p=0.003) and tended to have an increased mOS (44.84 vs. 20.42 months, p=0.087). A signature comprising PD-L1<1% and the top 33% CXCL12 level was associated with the lowest ORR (27.3% vs. 73.7%, p<0.001) and DCB (27.3% vs. 73.7%, p<0.001) and the worst mPFS (2.44 vs. 25.35 months, p<0.001) and mOS (11.97 vs. 44.84 months, p=0.007). Area under the curve (AUC) analyses of PD-L1 expression, CXCL12 level and PD-L1 expression plus CXCL12 level to predict DCB or no durable benefit (NDB) showed AUC values of 0.680, 0.719 and 0.794, respectively.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that serum cytokine CXCL12 levels can predict the outcomes of patients with NSCLC receiving ICI. Moreover, the combination of CXCL12 levels and PD-L1 status can predict outcomes with a significantly improved discriminatory power.
Bioinformatic analysis of gene expression data reveals Src family protein tyrosine kinases as key players in androgenetic alopecia
Authors: Premanand Adaikalasamy , Reena Rajkumari Baskaran
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common progressive scalp hair loss disorder that leads to baldness. This study aimed to identify core genes and pathways involved in premature AGA through anin-silicoapproach.

Methods

Gene expression data (GSE90594) from vertex scalps of men with premature AGA and men without pattern hair loss was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the bald and haired samples were identified using thelimmapackage in R. Gene ontology and Reactome pathway enrichment analyses were conducted separately for the up-regulated and down-regulated genes. The DEGs were annotated with the AGA risk loci, and motif analysis in the promoters of the DEGs was also carried out. STRING Protein-protein interaction (PPI) and Reactome Functional Interaction (FI) networks were constructed using the DEGs, and the networks were analyzed to identify hub genes that play could play crucial roles in AGA pathogenesis.

Results and discussion

Thein-silicostudy revealed that genes involved in the structural makeup of the skin epidermis, hair follicle development, and hair cycle are down-regulated, while genes associated with the innate and adaptive immune systems, cytokine signaling, and interferon signaling pathways are up-regulated in the balding scalps of AGA. The PPI and FI network analyses identified 25 hub genes namely CTNNB1, EGF, GNAI3, NRAS, BTK, ESR1, HCK, ITGB7, LCK, LCP2, LYN, PDGFRB, PIK3CD, PTPN6, RAC2, SPI1, STAT3, STAT5A, VAV1, PSMB8, HLA-A, HLA-F, HLA-E, IRF4, and ITGAM that play crucial roles in AGA pathogenesis. The study also implicates that Src family tyrosine kinase genes such as LCK, and LYN in the up-regulation of the inflammatory process in the balding scalps of AGA highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets for future investigations.
Combining bacteriophage and vancomycin is efficacious against MRSA biofilm-like aggregates formed in synovial fluid
Authors: Taha Mariam , Arnaud Tia , Lightly Tasia J. , Peters Danielle , Wang Liyuan , Chen Wangxue , Cook Bradley W. M. , Theriault Steven S. , Abdelbary Hesham
Published: June 2023

Background

Biofilm formation is a major clinical challenge contributing to treatment failure of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Lytic bacteriophages (phages) can target biofilm associated bacteria at localized sites of infection. The aim of this study is to investigate whether combination therapy of phage and vancomycin is capable of clearing Staphylococcus aureus biofilm-like aggregates formed in human synovial fluid.

Methods

In this study, S. aureus BP043, a PJI clinical isolate was utilized. This strain is a methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) biofilm-former. Phage Remus, known to infect S. aureus, was selected for the treatment protocol. BP043 was grown as aggregates in human synovial fluid. The characterization of S. aureus aggregates was assessed for structure and size using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and flow cytometry, respectively. Moreover, the formed aggregates were subsequently treated in vitro with: (a) phage Remus [∼108 plaque-forming units (PFU)/ml], (b) vancomycin (500 μg/ml), or (c) phage Remus (∼108 PFU/ml) followed by vancomycin (500 μg/ml), for 48 h. Bacterial survival was quantified by enumeration [colony-forming units (CFU)/ml]. The efficacy of phage and vancomycin against BP043 aggregates was assessed in vivo as individual treatments and in combination. The in vivo model utilized Galleria mellonella larvae which were infected with BP043 aggregates pre-formed in synovial fluid.

Results

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and flow cytometry data demonstrated the ability of human synovial fluid to promote formation of S. aureus aggregates. Treatment with Remus resulted in significant reduction in viable S. aureus residing within the synovial fluid aggregates compared to the aggregates that did not receive Remus (p < 0.0001). Remus was more efficient in eliminating viable bacteria within the aggregates compared to vancomycin (p < 0.0001). Combination treatment of Remus followed by vancomycin was more efficacious in reducing bacterial load compared to using either Remus or vancomycin alone (p = 0.0023, p < 0.0001, respectively). When tested in vivo, this combination treatment also resulted in the highest survival rate (37%) 96 h post-treatment, compared to untreated larvae (3%; p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

We demonstrate that combining phage Remus and vancomycin led to synergistic interaction against MRSA biofilm-like aggregates in vitro and in vivo.
Trends in research on acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with viral pneumonia from 1992 to 2022: a 31-year bibliometric analysis
Authors: Zhang Luofei , Mei Shenghui , Zhu Bin , Zhao Zhigang
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is a dangerous symptom in patients with severe viral pneumonia. This study aims to comprehensively review the cooperation and influence of countries, institutions, authors and co-cited journals/authors/references and keywords in the field of ALI/ARDS associated with viral pneumonia from the perspective of bibliometrics, evaluate the clustering evolution of knowledge structure, and find hot trends and emerging topics.

Methods

Publications on ALI/ARDS associated with viral pneumonia published from January 1, 1992 to December 31, 2022 were extracted from the Web of Science core collection. The document type was limited to original article or review, with the language set to English. Citespace was used to conduct the bibliometric analysis.

Results

A total of 929 articles were included, and the number of them generally increased over time. The countries with the most published articles in this field are the United States (320 papers) and Fudan University is the institution (15 papers) with the most research results. The New England Journal of Medicine was the most frequently co-cited journal, while the most influential co-cited journal was American Journal of Clinical Pathology. Reinout A Bem and Cao Bin were the most prolific author, but there was no leader in this field. The keywords with both high frequency and high centrality were “pneumonia” (Freq = 169, Central = 0.15), “infection” (Freq = 133, Central = 0.15), “acute lung injury” (Freq = 112, Central = 0.18), “respiratory distress syndrome” (Freq = 108, Central = 0.24), and “disease” (Freq = 61, Central = 0.17). “Failure” was the first keyword with citation bursts. Meanwhile, “coronavirus,” “cytokine storm” and “respiratory syndrome coronavirus” continue to burst.

Conclusion

Although there was a surge in literature since 2020, attentions to ALI/ARDS associated with viral pneumonia were still insufficient over last three decades. The communication and cooperation among countries, institutions and authors need to be further strengthened.