bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IL-17-related signature genes linked to human necrotizing enterocolitis
Authors: Tremblay Éric , Ferretti Emanuela , Babakissa Corentin , Burghardt Karolina Maria , Levy Emile , Beaulieu Jean-François
Published: March 2021

Objective

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most frequent life-threatening gastrointestinal disease experienced by premature infants in neonatal intensive care units all over the world. The objective of the present study was to take advantage of RNA-Seq data from the analysis of intestinal specimens of preterm infants diagnosed with NEC. Function enrichments with Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were used to analyse previous data in order to identify biological and functional processes, which could provide more insight into the pathogenesis of NEC in infants.

Results

Gene set enrichment analysis indicated that the most significant biological pathways over-represented in NEC neonates were closely associated with innate immune functions. One of the striking observations was the highly modulated expression of inflammatory genes related to the IL-17 pathway including such as pro-inflammatory cytokines (CXCL8), chemokines (CXCL5 and CXCL10) and antimicrobials (DEF5A, DEF6A, LCN2, NOS2) in the intestine of neonates diagnosed with NEC. Interestingly, the increase in IL-17 expression appeared to be under the IL-17F form, as reported in Crohn's disease, another inflammatory bowel disease. Further investigation is thus still needed to determine the precise role of IL-17F and its downstream targets in NEC.
Organoids in domestic animals: with which stem cells?
Authors: Pain Bertrand
Published: March 2021

Organoids are three-dimensional structures that are derived from the self-organization of stem cells as they differentiate in vitro. The plasticity of stem cells is one of the major criteria for generating organoids most similar to the tissue structures they intend to mimic. Stem cells are cells with unique properties of self-renewal and differentiation. Depending on their origin, a distinction is made between pluripotent (embryonic) stem cells (PSCs), adult (or tissue) stem cells (ASCs), and those obtained by somatic reprogramming, so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). While most data since the 1980s have been acquired in the mouse model, and then from the late 1990s in humans, the process of somatic reprogammation has revolutionized the field of stem cell research. For domestic animals, numerous attempts have been made to obtain PSCs and iPSCs, an approach that makes it possible to omit the use of embryos to derive the cells. Even if the plasticity of the cells obtained is not always optimal, the recent progress in obtaining reprogrammed cells is encouraging. Along with PSCs and iPSCs, many organoid derivations in animal species are currently obtained from ASCs. In this study, we present state-of-the-art stem cell research according to their origins in the various animal models developed.
Zinc is an important inter-kingdom signal between the host and microbe
Authors: Xia Pengpeng , Lian Siqi , Wu Yunping , Yan Li , Quan Guomei , Zhu Guoqiang
Published: March 2021

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element in living organisms and plays a vital role in the regulation of both microbial virulence and host immune responses. A growing number of studies have shown that zinc deficiency or the internal Zn concentration does not meet the needs of animals and microbes, leading to an imbalance in zinc homeostasis and intracellular signalling pathway dysregulation. Competition for zinc ions (Zn2+) between microbes and the host exists in the use of Zn2+ to maintain cell structure and physiological functions. It also affects the interplay between microbial virulence factors and their specific receptors in the host. This review will focus on the role of Zn in the crosstalk between the host and microbe, especially for changes in microbial pathogenesis and nociceptive neuron-immune interactions, as it may lead to new ways to prevent or treat microbial infections.
n-Expansively super-homogeneous and $(n,k)$-contractively sub-homogeneous fuzzy control functions and stability results with numerical examples
Authors: Saadati Reza , Park Choonkil , O’Regan Donal , Nadaban Sorin
Published: March 2021

We consider fuzzy sets and generalized triangular norms on positive elements of order commutative $C^{*}$

C
∗

-algebras to study the concept of $C^{*}$

C
∗

-algebra valued normed algebras with uncertainty. Using n-expansively super-homogeneous and $(n,k)$
(
n
,
k
)
-contractively sub-homogeneous control functions, we make stochastic $(\Theta,\Upsilon,\Xi )$
(
Θ
,
ϒ
,
Ξ
)
-derivations stable and get a better estimated error. We present some numerical examples of control functions and approximations to illustrate the applicability of the main results.
Existence of positive solutions for a class of fractional differential equations with the derivative term via a new fixed point theorem
Authors: Sang Yanbin , He Luxuan , Wang Yanling , Ren Yaqi , Shi Na
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we firstly establish the existence and uniqueness of solutions of the operator equation $A(x,x)+ B(x,x)+C(x)+e = x$
A
(
x
,
x
)
+
B
(
x
,
x
)
+
C
(
x
)
+
e
=
x
, where A and B are two mixed monotone operators, C is a decreasing operator, and $e\in P$
e
∈
P
with $\theta \leq e \leq h$
θ
≤
e
≤
h
. Then, using our abstract theorem, we prove a class of fractional boundary value problems with the derivative term to have a unique solution and construct the corresponding iterative sequences to approximate the unique solution.
Diversity roles of CHD1L in normal cell function and tumorigenesis
Authors: Xiong Xifeng , Lai Xudong , Li Aiguo , Liu Zhihe , Ma Ningfang
Published: March 2021

Chromodomain helicase/ATPase DNA binding protein 1-like gene (CHD1L) is a multifunctional protein participated in diverse cellular processes, including chromosome remodeling, cell differentiation and development. CHD1L is a regulator of chromosomal integrity maintenance, DNA repair and transcriptional regulation through its bindings to DNA. By regulating kinds of complex networks, CHD1L has been identified as a potent anti-apoptotic and pro-proliferative factor. CHD1L is also an oncoprotein since its overexpression leads to dysregulation of related downstream targets in various cancers. The latest advances in the functional molecular basis of CHD1L in normal cells will be described in this review. As the same time, we will describe the current understanding of CHD1L in terms of structure, characteristics, function and the molecular mechanisms underlying CHD1L in tumorigenesis. We inference that the role of CHD1L which involve in multiple cellular processes and oncogenesis is well worth further studying in basic biology and clinical relevance.
Heterologous immunoassay strategy for enhancing detection sensitivity of banned dye rhodamine B in fraudulent food
Authors: Wang Jin , Shen Xing , Zhong Peng , Li Zhaodong , Tang Qiushi , Huang Xinan , Zherdev Anatoly V. , Dzantiev Boris B. , Eremin Sergei A. , Xiao Zhili , Lei Hongtao , Li Xiangmei
Published: March 2021

Background

The high quality of antibody (Ab) is critical for an immunoassay; usually, an Ab with low affinity is often regarded as a “bad” one in the immunoassay development. How to use a “bad” Ab to develop a highly sensitive immunoassay is still a huge challenge.

Methods

In this study, a heterologous immunoassay strategy was designed to enhance the sensitivity for the detection of banned dye, rhodamine B (RB), in fraudulent food. The RB Ab could not recognize RB by pairing with homologous coating antigen (Ag). However, the Ab showed unexpected high specificity and sensitivity recognition after being replaced by heterologous coating Ag. Indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) was developed based on the heterologous strategy.

Results

The detection limit of icELISA for chilli powder, Chinese prickly ash, hot-pot seasoning, and chilli sauce was 0.002 μg/kg, and the recoveries of the four samples ranged from 76.0 to 102.0%, with the coefficient of variation between 3.9 and 18.8%. Parallel experiment for 20 market samples with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed on to confirm the performance of the practical application of the developed icELISA, and the results of the two methods had good correlation. Molecular modeling inferred that the carboxyl group of hapten and its exposure level played an important role in the hapten-Ab recognition.

Conclusions

The proposed icELISA can be used for the surveillance screening of RB in a range of seasoning foods, and the heterologous strategy is an effective approach to enhance the sensitivity in an immunoassay.
Factors associated with 1-year visual response following intravitreal bevacizumab treatment for diabetic macular edema: a retrospective single center study
Authors: Choovuthayakorn Janejit , Tantraworasin Apichat , Phinyo Phichayut , Patumanond Jayanton , Kunavisarut Paradee , Srisomboon Titipol , Winaikosol Pawara , Patikulsila Direk , Chaikitmongkol Voraporn , Watanachai Nawat , Pathanapitoon Kessara
Published: March 2021

Background

To explore the association of clinical characteristics and retinal microstructural features on optical coherence tomography in predicting 1-year visual response following intravitreal bevacizumab injections in eyes with visual impairment from center-involved diabetic macular edema (CI-DME).

Methods

Medical records of patients with visual impairment from CI-DME, who initiated intravitreal bevacizumab injections between Jan 2012 and Dec 2016 and were followed for a minimum of 12 months were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

The study included 226 eyes with a mean (SD) baseline visual acuity (VA) of 51.8 (19.1) letters. At week 12, following the three initial treatments, a mean (SD) VA improved to 61.7 (17.8) letters. Visual gain ≥ 10 letters was observed in 109 eyes (48.2%), while a limited early visual gain < 5 letters was noted in 80 eyes (35.4%). At one year, 110 eyes (48.7%) achieved a good VA gain ≥ 10 letters. In addition, eyes with poor baseline VA had a higher proportion of eyes that obtained limited early VA gained at week 12 (< 5 letters) and maintained in this visual response category at moth 12 compared to eyes with better baseline VA (74.1% versus 59.1%). In the multivariable logistic regression, the following factors reduced the probability of 1-year visual gain ≥ 10 letters: elderly (p = 0.040), better baseline vision (p = 0.001), and limited early visual gain < 5 letters at week 12 (p < 0.001). In multivariable linear regression, male (p = 0.010) and eyes with the presence of hyperreflective foci on baseline OCT (p = 0.010) were likely to have higher VA improvement. However, eyes with better baseline VA (p = 0.002), limited early VA gain at week 12 (p < 0.001), and a presence of EZ disruption at week 12 (p = 0.002) were likely to have less VA improvement.

Conclusions

Although bevacizumab is considered as effective management for CI-DME, variability in treatment responses is expected. This study revealed that baseline characteristics and visual responses at week 12 might help predict the long-term treatment response. Eyes with characteristics at risk of limited long-term visual outcome may require attention in optimizing their individual treatment strategies.
Clinical management of an outbreak of nutritionally variant streptococcus endophthalmitis following intravitreal bevacizumab injection
Authors: Barnes Alexander C. , Rathbun Stephen L. , Kuthyar Sanjana , Hubbard G. Baker , Bergstrom Chris , Yeh Steven , Iyer Mohan N.
Published: March 2021

Background

The management of an outbreak of endophthalmitis associated with intravitreal bevacizumab represents a challenging real-time process involving identification of cases, treatment and mitigation measures during the outbreak. We summarize the clinical presentation and management of a cluster of endophthalmitis cases from contaminated bevacizumab, in addition to mathematical probabilistic assessment of the number of cases that define an outbreak.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted to assess the management of an endophthalmitis outbreak after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) administration. Demographic data, clinical information, individual patient management and public health reporting measures were reviewed. Outcomes of patients who received prophylactic antibiotics for endophthalmitis prevention were also reviewed. Binomial tail probability calculations were performed to determine the likelihood of clusters of endophthalmitis that could inform when an outbreak was evolving that would warrant more public health notification measures and communication.

Results

Forty-five eyes of 42 patients who received IVB from a single batch were reviewed. Four cases of endophthalmitis from Granulicatella adiacens, a nutritionally-variant Streptococcus species, were treated successfully with intravitreal antibiotics ± vitrectomy. Thirty-four of the remaining 41 eyes were treated with prophylactic intravitreal vancomycin with no additional cases of endophthalmitis. Outbreak management also included CDC, ASRS and public health authority notification. Binominal tail probabilities demonstrated the rarity of clusters from a single batch (i.e. ~ 1/10,000 for 2 cases; 1/2 million for 3 cases). However, given the U.S. scale of IVB administration, there is an 87% chance of a cluster ≧ 2 and a 1% chance of a cluster ≧ 3 cases annually, which may guide outbreak management. A process diagram was developed to incorporate patient management and public health measures when an outbreak is suspected.

Conclusion

Intravitreal antibiotics and vitrectomy were effective in the individual management of cases of endophthalmitis, and no serious adverse events occurred with prophylactic intravitreal vancomycin for at-risk eyes. Best practices for outbreaks should be evaluated, given their likelihood within the U.S. and the sight-threatening consequences of endophthalmitis.
Spectrum of atypical pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19 on computed tomography
Authors: Gurumurthy Balasubramanian , Das Sudha Kiran , Hiremath Rudresh , Shetty Sachin , Hiremath Aniketh , Gowda Thasmai
Published: March 2021

Background

The typical CT manifestations of COVID-19 pneumonia include ground-glass opacity (GGO) with or without consolidation and superimposed interlobular septal thickening. These are often rounded in morphology and frequently bilateral, multilobar, posterior, peripheral, and basilar in distribution. The various atypical CT features of COVID-19 are seldom described in the literature. The study aims to enumerate the atypical pulmonary CT features in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia in correlation with the disease severity.

Results

A total of 298 confirmed cases of COVID-19 pneumonia with positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) who underwent chest CT scans were retrospectively evaluated. The cohort included 234 (78.5%) men and 64 (21.5%) women and the mean age was 53.48 ± 15.74 years. The most common presenting symptoms were fever [n = 197 (66.1%)] and cough [n = 139 (46.6%)]. Out of 298 cases of COVID-19 pneumonia, 218 cases (73.1%) showed typical CT features while 63 cases (21.1%) showed atypical CT features with concurrent classical findings and the remaining 17 cases (5.8%) were normal. Among the atypical CT features, the most common was pulmonary cysts [n = 27 (9%)]. The other features in the order of frequency included pleural effusion [n = 17 (5.7%)], nodules [n = 13 (4.3%)], bull’s eye/target sign[n = 4 (1.3%)], cavitation [n = 3 (1.0%)], spontaneous pneumothorax [n = 2 (0.6%)], hilar lymphadenopathy [n = 2 (0.6%)], spontaneous pneumo-mediastinum with subcutaneous emphysema [n = 1 (0.3%)], Halo sign [n = 1 (0.3%)], empyema [n = 1 (0.3%)] and necrotizing pneumonia with abscess [n = 1 (0.3%)].

Conclusion

CT imaging features of COVID-19 pneumonia while in a vast majority of cases is classical, atypical diverse patterns are also encountered. A comprehensive knowledge of various atypical presentations on imaging plays an important role in the early diagnosis and management of COVID-19.
Cold-atmospheric-plasma–induced skin wrinkle
Authors: Zheng Hui , Chen Peijian , Chen Zhitong
Published: March 2021

The biomedical applications of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) involve diverse multidisciplinary approaches and are based on the plasma interactions with tissues/cells and other biomaterials. Recently, we have implemented experiments for plasma-tissue interactions and first observe CAP-induced skin wrinkling behavior. The plasma-induced wrinkling behavior during the CAP interaction with a mouse's skin is explored through theoretical modeling and numerical simulation. It is found that the critical strain decreases with the increase of the elastic modulus ratio of the equivalent film-substrate model. The change of the elastic modulus ratio will lead to different surface morphology, which infers a suitable way to diagnose skin diseases. In addition, surface morphologies with similar wavelength but larger amplitude can be observed for a larger radius of curvature. These results might help the plasma community to understand the CAP-induced wrinkling phenomenon and stimulate extensive discussions on studies on plasma-tissue/biomaterials interactions.
ЦИФРОВАЯ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИЯ БИЗНЕС-ПРОЦЕССОВ КОММЕРЧЕСКИХ БАНКОВ ПОД ВЛИЯНИЕМ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ ИСКУССТВЕННОГО ИНТЕЛЛЕКТА
Authors: Tereshchenko Sergei Nikolaevich
Published: March 2021

Технологии искусственного интеллекта сегодня являются сквозными технологиями цифровой трансформации субъектов экономической деятельности, в том числе и банковского сектора. Коммерческие банки, за последнее десятилетие, прошли существенный путь трансформации от классических банков с филиальной сетью с менеджерско-кассирским обслуживанием до практически полного превращения банка в онлайн-сервис с обработкой многих функций интеллектуальным агентом без участия человека. Банковский сектор стал одним из драйверов внедрения систем искусственного интеллекта. Для оценки ключевых этапов цифровой трансформации банковского сектора в мире можно использовать анализ крупнейших мировых соревнований по программированию и прикладному применению технологий искусственного интеллекта для задач банковской отрасли.В статье рассматриваются технологические подходы по решению ключевых задач банковского дела в международных соревнованиях по программированию. Результаты соревнований анализируются как срез текущего запроса на технологии от банковского сектора и показатели уровня развития технологий искусственного интеллекта.Цель – исследование хода проведения и результатов международных соревнований по применению технологий искусственного интеллекта в задачах банковского дела как метрики цифровой трансформации бизнес-процессов банковского сектора.Метод или методология проведения работы: в статье использовались приемы и инструменты системного анализа и обобщения.Результаты: выявлены ключевые этапы цифровой трансформации бизнес-процессов банковского сектора за период 2010–2020 гг. и определен вектор развития технологий банковского дела.Область применения результатов: полученные результаты целесообразно применять субъектами банковского сектора для выстраивания стратегии цифровой трансформации бизнес-процессов.
ПОСЛЕДСТВИЯ ЦИФРОВИЗАЦИИ ЭКОНОМИКИ ДЛЯ ЗАНЯТОСТИ НАСЕЛЕНИЯ
Authors: Elzara Musayevna Abdulkhairova
Published: March 2021

В данной статье рассматривается влияние развития цифровых информационных технологий на рынок труда и занятость населения. При этом, отдельно анализируется воздействие цифровой экономики на территории с относительно низким уровнем жизни и высоким уровнем безработицы. Автором представлены данные о состоянии процесса цифровизации экономики России, и сделан вывод о высоком уровне развития информационной инфраструктуры, в то же время, отмечено наличие сильного разрыва в уровне цифровизации между регионами. При оценке влияния развития интернет-технологий на занятость, выделено два основных последствия: уменьшение воздействия географического фактора на спрос и предложение на рынке труда, и вовлечение в производственный процесс ранее не занятых в нем социальных групп. Быстрое развитие цифровой экономики, ускоренная индустриализация цифровых технологий, таких как Интернет, большие данные и облачные вычисления, привели к дальнейшему улучшению вычислительной̆ мощности, значительному сокращению вычислительных затрат, значительному скачку в возможностях анализа и обработки данных все большего количества рутинных задач.Целью исследования является анализ и оценка последствий цифровизации экономики для занятости населения.Метод или методология проведения работы: в рамках проведенного исследования применялись как общенаучные, так и частнонаучные методы: формально-логические методы исследования (метод индукции, дедукции, аналогии, синтеза, сравнения, наблюдения, описания, систематизации), формально-юридический, историко-правовой, сравнительно-правовой, институциональный, системного анализа.Результаты: в работе проведен анализ актуальных глобальных экономических и технологических тенденций, влияющих на трансформацию рынка труда и формирование новых социально-экономических отношений в условиях становления цифровой экономики. В данной статье рассматривается влияние развития цифровых информационных технологий на рынок труда и занятость населения. При этом, отдельно анализируется воздействие цифровой экономики на территории с относительно низким уровнем жизни и высоким уровнем безработицы. Обращается внимание на изменение характера труда и форм трудовой деятельности, требований к профессиональным умениям и навыкам. Показано, как изменения, связанные с цифровизацией экономики, непосредственно затрагивают вопросы обучения и переподготовки наиболее востребованных специалистов. Представлены прогнозные сценарии цифрового будущего рынка труда. Автором представлены данные о состоянии процесса цифровизации экономики России и сделан вывод о высоком уровне развития информационной инфраструктуры, в то же время отмечено наличие сильного разрыва в уровне цифровизации между регионами.Область применения результатов: результаты исследования могут быть использованы в деятельности органов государственной власти всех уровней для разработки и корректировки программ дальнейшего развития рынка труда и предотвращения безработицы.
Net-Metered Distributed Renewable Energy: A Peril for Utilities?
Authors: Sunar Nur , Swaminathan Jayashankar M.
Published: March 2021

Electricity end-users have been increasingly generating their own electricity via rooftop solar panels. We study the impact of such distributed renewable energy (DRE) on utility profits and social welfare under net metering, which is a widespread policy in the United States. Utilities have been lobbying against net-metered distributed solar based on the common belief that it harms utility profits. We find that when wholesale market dynamics are considered, net-metered DRE may be a positive for utilities. That is, net-metered DRE strictly improves the expected utility profit when the utility’s self-supply is below a threshold and the wholesale electricity price is sufficiently responsive to wholesale demand fluctuations. Our paper distinctively considers both downstream and upstream impacts of net-metered DRE on utilities and analyzes the tradeoff between these impacts. Net-metered DRE can increase utilities’ expenses because of their required buyback from generating customers, and reduces their retail sales revenues. In addition, it can either reduce utilities’ wholesale procurement costs or affect their wholesale market revenues. Our results suggest that utilities might benefit from emerging business strategies that motivate their customers to install solar panels. Our numerical study uses data on the distributed solar in California and the wholesale electricity market operated by the California Independent System Operator, and demonstrates that our findings hold under realistic parameters.

This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, operations management.
Timing It Right: Balancing Inpatient Congestion vs. Readmission Risk at Discharge
Authors: Shi Pengyi , Helm Jonathan E. , Deglise-Hawkinson Jivan , Pan Julian
Published: March 2021

One of the most important decisions a hospitalist makes at the intersection of cost and quality of care is when to discharge a patient from the hospital. Keeping patients longer (shorter) increases (decreases) overcrowding and hospital costs but also decreases (increases) readmission risk. Here a long-run average cost optimization problem for determining on each day who and how many patients to discharge is developed. The authors combined structural properties of the model with an analytical solution for a special cost structure to approximately solve the high-dimensional Markov decision process. This transformed the originally intractable problem into a simple univariate optimization problem that can be solved efficiently yet allowed capture of time nonstationarity and fully heterogeneous inpatient populations, where each patient has a personalized risk trajectory. Moreover, the authors took one step beyond theory and implemented their discharge decision support tool in a partner hospital. For the tool to be properly parametrized and implementable, the authors developed a model to predict readmission risk as a function of length of stay that integrated several statistical methods in a novel manner. The resulting implementation was described as a showcase, demonstrating the tool’s applicability for integration with general hospital data systems and workflows.
Social Responsibility Beyond the Corporate: Executive Mental Accounting Across Sectoral and Issue Domains
Authors: Lungeanu Razvan , Weber Klaus
Published: March 2021

Business elites influence the allocation of resources to a range of causes related to the social good, such as to corporate community or environmental programs. We extend research on executive influence on corporate attention to alternative causes by showing how chief executive officers’ (CEOs’) engagement in two distinct institutional domains, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and independent foundation philanthropy, are interrelated. We draw on the psychology of moral accounting to refine the assumption of personal consistency prevalent in studies of executives’ corporate influence. Specifically, we show that executives use flexible means to realize an overall aspiration of doing good, resulting in divergent emphases in their CSR and philanthropic causes. Evidence comes from a panel of 677 corporations linked to 309 foundations through 1,109 CEOs during the period 2003–2011. CEOs compensated for deficits in their firms’ CSR record by joining the board of trustees of specific nonprofit foundations, but subsequently advanced divergent cause priorities in the corporation and the foundation. Our work suggests that studies of CSR and of executive influence on organizations benefit from taking into account executives’ cross-domain engagement.
Student response of Medan State University to independent campus discussion
Authors: Wahyuni Indah , Anshori Akhyar
Published: March 2021

Some time ago, Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud) Nadiem Makarim launched a program called "Merdeka Learning" aimed at Universities / Colleges which is also known as the Independent Campus. The discourse conveyed by the Minister of Education and Culture regarding the Merdeka Campus has four policies in the scope of higher education, namely (1) Opening of new study programs, in which this program provides autonomy for State (PTN) and Private Universities (PTS) to open or establish new study programs, (2) Higher education accreditation system, (3) Freedom for PTN Public Service Agency (BLU) and Work Unit (Satker) to become PTN Legal Entity (PTN BH), (4) Right for students to take courses outside the study program and changing the definition of the Semester Credit System (SKS). The purpose of this study was to determine how the Medan State University Student Response to the Discourse of the Merdeka Campus. The data collection technique used in this study used several methods including literature study, observation, interviews, and documentation. This data analysis technique uses a qualitative descriptive method which is used to describe a situation that is currently running at the time the research is carried out and examines the causes of a particular symptom, then analyzed by conducting a conceptual examination of a statement so that the clarity of the meaning contained in the statement can be obtained. the. Where all the speakers know the discourse on an independent campus that has been conveyed by the Minister of Education and Culture some time ago, but from the results of the interviews conducted in more depth, five people only approved and three people did not approve of the independent campus.
PENGARUH PENDIDIKAN ANAK USIA DINI TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN KONDISI SOSIAL-EMOSI ANAK USIA PRASEKOLAH
Authors: Asmarita Asmarita , Hamid Abdurrahman , Utami Agnita
Published: March 2021

The social and emotional development of young children is affected by many stimulating factors, and one of those factors is early childhood education. However, not all pre-school children have the opportunity to attend early childhood education. This study was aimed at comparing children’s social and emotional development of those who attend and do not attend early childhood education. This comparative study was carried out using a cross-sectional approach among 72 participants divided into 2 groups: 36 participants who attend early childhood education and 36 participants who do not attend early childhood education. Accidental sampling technique was applied to select samples, Non-parametric statistical test employed was the Mann Whitney test.  Comparison value of children attending and not attending early childhood education was P-value 0.000; the emotional comparison value was P-value 0.040. It means there were differences in social and emotional development between children who attend early childhood education and those who do not attend early childhood education. It can be concluded that early childhood education can help stimulate the development of children. Parents should pay more attention to their children’s social and emotional development, whereas if parents cannot be the medium to support children’s social and emotional development, they should engage their children to early childhood education.
Experimental and theoretical study of adsorption of L-cysteine on the passivation and corrosion inhibition of aluminum alloy in alkaline environment
Authors: Kharacha Said , Belkhaouda M’hamed , Bammou Lahcen , Batah Ahmed , Bazzi Ilyasse , Salghi Rachid , El Issami Souad , Hilali Mustapha
Published: March 2021

L-Cysteine (L-Cyst) was tested as a corrosion inhibitor of 3003 aluminum alloy (AA3003) in Na2CO3 0.1M + NaCl 1M solution. The inhibition action of this inhibitor was studied by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. The temperature effect on the inhibition efficiency was studied in the range from 298 to 328K, and the values of activation thermodynamic parameters were calculated and explained. Experiment results show that inhibition efficiency increases with the increase of L-Cysteine concentration, and its inhibition efﬁciency reaches 92% at 10−3M. The inhibition efficiency decreases slightly with the elevation of a corrosive medium temperature.  Analysis of the polarization curves revealed that L-Cyst is considered a mixed inhibitor. The results from electrochemical measurements and theoretical calculations are in good agreement. The morphological changes of the surface during corrosion, in the presence and absence of the inhibitor, were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Numerical investigation of comb-like optical filters based on guided-mode resonances enabled in thick slab waveguide gratings
Authors: Hoang Thu Trang , Pham Van Dai , Nguyen Van An , Pham Thanh Son , Le Khai Q. , Ngo Quang Minh
Published: March 2021

We numerically investigate innovative comb-like filters working in the telecommunication region based on guided-mode resonances in thick slab waveguide gratings, with emphasis on their resonant properties such as number of resonances, full width at half-maximum, and free spectral range. The slab waveguide gratings with various thicknesses and grating depths are designated and analyzed using a finite-difference time-domain method. Since the slab waveguide is much thicker than the wavelength of operation, a large number of resonances are obtained in the spectral region of interest. By adding an antireflection coating having thickness of quarter-wavelength on the back side of the waveguiding slab, we observe that a usual interference between the directly transmitted zero-order mode and the diffracted order generating the guided mode is eliminated. As a consequence, the sharp resonances and undisturbed comb-like spectra are achieved. The incident and polarization angles, and the surrounding medium’s refractive index influence on the resonant properties are also examined. The guided-mode resonance-based comb-like filters may find applications in optical clocks, optical spectroscopy, optical communications, and lasers. Our systematic investigation provides useful guidelines for designing grating-based frequency comb devices.
Microscope integrated optical coherence tomography system combined with augmented reality
Authors: Tang Ning , Fan Jinyu , Wang Pinghe , Shi Guohua
Published: March 2021

One of the disadvantages in microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography (MI-OCT) systems is that medical images acquired via different modalities are usually displayed independently. Hence, surgeons have to match two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of the same operative region subjectively. In this paper, we propose a simple registration method to overcome this problem by using guided laser points. This method combines augmented reality with an existing MI-OCT system. The basis of our idea is to introduce a guiding laser into the system, which allows us to identify fiducials in microscopic images. At first, the applied voltages of the scanning galvanometer mirror are used to calculate the fiducials’ coordinates in an OCT model. After gathering data at the corresponding points’ coordinates, the homography matrix and camera parameters are used to superimpose a reconstructed model on microscopic images. After performing experiments with artificial and animal eyes, we successfully obtain two-dimensional microscopic images of scanning regions with depth information. Moreover, the registration error is 0.04 mm, which is within the limits of medical and surgical errors. Our proposed method could have many potential applications in ophthalmic procedures.
Photonic approach to flexible multi-band linearly frequency modulated microwave signals generation
Authors: Men Yuan , Wen Aijun , Li Yuanyuan , Tong Yubo
Published: March 2021

In this paper, a flexible multi-band linearly frequency modulated (LFM)
signal generator based on a dual-polarization binary phase-shift
keying (DP-BPSK) modulator is proposed and demonstrated by experiment.
Two dual-drive Mach–Zehnder modulators of the DP-BPSK modulator are
driven by a local oscillator (LO) signal and an LFM signal,
respectively. By appropriately changing the phase difference
introduced by a polarization controller, flexible multi-band LFM
signals can be obtained after photoelectric conversion. The LO signal
is phase modulated to eliminate self-heterodyne, which will affect the
quality of the resulting signal.
Dynamics of electronic excitations involved in laser-induced damage in HfO2 and SiO2 films
Authors: Kafka K. R. P. , Hoffman B. N. , Kozlov A. A. , Demos S. G.
Published: March 2021

The dynamics of electron excitations associated with the initiation of laser-induced damage in hafnia and silica monolayer films are investigated using time-resolved damage testing involving a pair of 0.7 ps pulses with adjustable delay and laser pulse fluences. Results in hafnia indicate that the relaxation profile depends on the pump-pulse fluence (initial excitation), and as a result, it exhibits an effective lifetime that is variable. Analogous experiments in silica form two different types of damage morphologies that are observed on different ranges of delay times.
Pedagogically fast model to evaluate and optimize passively Q-switched Nd-doped solid-state lasers
Authors: Chen Y. F. , Hsieh M. X. , Tu Y. C. , Lee C. C. , Yu Y. T. , Tsou C. H. , Liang H. C.
Published: March 2021

The coupled rate equations with the spatial overlap effect for four-level passively Q-switched lasers are fully considered. A transcendental equation is derived for the residual fraction of the inversion density after the finish of the Q-switched pulse. Comprehensive calculations for the transcendental equation were executed to attain an analytical function for precisely fitting the residual fraction of the inversion density. With the fitting function, a pedagogical model with the correction for high output coupling is developed to straightforwardly analyze the output pulse energy and peak power. Detailed experiments are carried out to validate the model.
CD74 is a regulator of hematopoietic stem cell maintenance
Authors: Becker-Herman Shirly , Rozenberg Milena , Hillel-Karniel Carmit , Gil-Yarom Naama , Kramer Mattias P. , Barak Avital , Sever Lital , David Keren , Radomir Lihi , Lewinsky Hadas , Levi Michal , Friedlander Gilgi , Bucala Richard , Peled Amnon , Shachar Idit
Published: March 2021

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are a small population of undifferentiated cells that have the capacity for self-renewal and differentiate into all blood cell lineages. These cells are the most useful cells for clinical transplantations and for regenerative medicine. So far, it has not been possible to expand adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) without losing their self-renewal properties. CD74 is a cell surface receptor for the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), and its mRNA is known to be expressed in HSCs. Here, we demonstrate that mice lacking CD74 exhibit an accumulation of HSCs in the bone marrow (BM) due to their increased potential to repopulate and compete for BM niches. Our results suggest that CD74 regulates the maintenance of the HSCs and CD18 expression. Its absence leads to induced survival of these cells and accumulation of quiescent and proliferating cells. Furthermore, in in vitro experiments, blocking of CD74 elevated the numbers of HSPCs. Thus, we suggest that blocking CD74 could lead to improved clinical insight into BM transplant protocols, enabling improved engraftment.
Detecting cell-type-specific allelic expression imbalance by integrative analysis of bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing data
Authors: Fan Jiaxin , Wang Xuran , Xiao Rui , Li Mingyao
Published: March 2021

Allelic expression imbalance (AEI), quantified by the relative expression of two alleles of a gene in a diploid organism, can help explain phenotypic variations among individuals. Traditional methods detect AEI using bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data, a data type that averages out cell-to-cell heterogeneity in gene expression across cell types. Since the patterns of AEI may vary across different cell types, it is desirable to study AEI in a cell-type-specific manner. Although this can be achieved by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), it requires full-length transcript to be sequenced in single cells of a large number of individuals, which are still cost prohibitive to generate. To overcome this limitation and utilize the vast amount of existing disease relevant bulk tissue RNA-seq data, we developed BSCET, which enables the characterization of cell-type-specific AEI in bulk RNA-seq data by integrating cell type composition information inferred from a small set of scRNA-seq samples, possibly obtained from an external dataset. By modeling covariate effect, BSCET can also detect genes whose cell-type-specific AEI are associated with clinical factors. Through extensive benchmark evaluations, we show that BSCET correctly detected genes with cell-type-specific AEI and differential AEI between healthy and diseased samples using bulk RNA-seq data. BSCET also uncovered cell-type-specific AEIs that were missed in bulk data analysis when the directions of AEI are opposite in different cell types. We further applied BSCET to two pancreatic islet bulk RNA-seq datasets, and detected genes showing cell-type-specific AEI that are related to the progression of type 2 diabetes. Since bulk RNA-seq data are easily accessible, BSCET provides a convenient tool to integrate information from scRNA-seq data to gain insight on AEI with cell type resolution. Results from such analysis will advance our understanding of cell type contributions in human diseases.
Deleterious mutation accumulation and the long-term fate of chromosomal inversions
Authors: Berdan Emma L. , Blanckaert Alexandre , Butlin Roger K. , Bank Claudia
Published: March 2021

Chromosomal inversions contribute widely to adaptation and speciation, yet they present a unique evolutionary puzzle as both their allelic content and frequency evolve in a feedback loop. In this simulation study, we quantified the role of the allelic content in determining the long-term fate of the inversion. Recessive deleterious mutations accumulated on both arrangements with most of them being private to a given arrangement. This led to increasing overdominance, allowing for the maintenance of the inversion polymorphism and generating strong non-adaptive divergence between arrangements. The accumulation of mutations was mitigated by gene conversion but nevertheless led to the fitness decline of at least one homokaryotype under all considered conditions. Surprisingly, this fitness degradation could be permanently halted by the branching of an arrangement into multiple highly divergent haplotypes. Our results highlight the dynamic features of inversions by showing how the non-adaptive evolution of allelic content can play a major role in the fate of the inversion.
Entelon (vitis vinifera seed extract) reduces degenerative changes in bovine pericardium valve leaflet in a dog intravascular implant model
Authors: Choi Gab-Chol , Kim Sokho , Rahman Md. Mahbubur , Oh Ji Hyun , Cho Yun Seok , Shin Hong Ju
Published: March 2021

Background and aims

Inflammation and calcification are major factors responsible for degeneration of bioprosthetic valve and other substitute heart valve implantations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-calcification effects of Entelon150®(consisting of grape-seed extract) in a beagle dog model of intravascular bovine pericardium implantation.

Methods

In total, 8 healthy male beagle dogs were implanted with a bovine pericardium bilaterally in the external jugular veins and divided into two groups. Animals in the Entelon150®group (n = 4) were treated with 150 mg of Entelon150®twice daily for six weeks after surgery. The negative control (NC) group (n = 4) was treated with 5 ml of saline using the same method. After six weeks, we measured the calcium content, performed histological examination, and performed molecular analysis.

Results

The calcium content of implanted tissue in the Entelon150®group (0.56±0.14 mg/g) was significantly lower than that in the NC group (1.48±0.57 mg/g) (p < 0.05). Histopathological examination showed that infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells, such as fibroblasts and macrophages, occurred around the graft in all groups; however, the inflammation level of the implanted tissue in the Entelon150®group was s lower than that in the NC group. Both immunohistochemical and western blot analyses revealed that bone morphogenetic protein 2 expression was significantly attenuated in the Entelon150®group.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that Entelon150®significantly attenuates post-implantation inflammation and degenerative calcification of the bovine pericardium in dogs. Therefore, Entelon150®may increase the longevity of the bovine pericardium after intravascular implantation.
Characterization of CRISPR/Cas9 RANKL knockout mesenchymal stem cell clones based on single-cell printing technology and Emulsion Coupling assay as a low-cellularity workflow for single-cell cloning
Authors: Gross Tobias , Jeney Csaba , Halm Darius , Finkenzeller Günter , Stark G. Björn , Zengerle Roland , Koltay Peter , Zimmermann Stefan
Published: March 2021

The homogeneity of the genetically modified single-cells is a necessity for many applications such as cell line development, gene therapy, and tissue engineering and in particular for regenerative medical applications. The lack of tools to effectively isolate and characterize CRISPR/Cas9 engineered cells is considered as a significant bottleneck in these applications. Especially the incompatibility of protein detection technologies to confirm protein expression changes without a preconditional large-scale clonal expansion creates a gridlock in many applications. To ameliorate the characterization of engineered cells, we propose an improved workflow, including single-cell printing/isolation technology based on fluorescent properties with high yield, a genomic edit screen (Surveyor assay), mRNA RT-PCR assessing altered gene expression, and a versatile protein detection tool called emulsion-coupling to deliver a high-content, unified single-cell workflow. The workflow was exemplified by engineering and functionally validating RANKL knockout immortalized mesenchymal stem cells showing bone formation capacity of these cells. The resulting workflow is economical, without the requirement of large-scale clonal expansions of the cells with overall cloning efficiency above 30% of CRISPR/Cas9 edited cells. Nevertheless, as the single-cell clones are comprehensively characterized at an early, highly parallel phase of the development of cells including DNA, RNA, and protein levels, the workflow delivers a higher number of successfully edited cells for further characterization, lowering the chance of late failures in the development process.
Systemic brain derived neurotrophic factor but not intestinal barrier integrity is associated with cognitive decline and incident Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Voigt Robin M. , Raeisi Shohreh , Yang Jingyun , Leurgans Sue , Forsyth Christopher B. , Buchman Aron S. , Bennett David A. , Keshavarzian Ali
Published: March 2021

The inflammatory hypothesis posits that sustained neuroinflammation is sufficient to induce neurodegeneration and the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s dementia. One potential source of inflammation is the intestine which harbors pro-inflammatory microorganisms capable of promoting neuroinflammation. Systemic inflammation is robustly associated with neuroinflammation as well as low levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the systemic circulation and brain. Thus, in this pilot study, we tested the hypothesis that intestinal barrier dysfunction precedes risk of death, incident AD dementia and MCI, cognitive impairment and neuropathology. Serum BDNF was associated with changes in global cognition, working memory, and perceptual speed but not risk of death, incident AD dementia, incident MCI, or neuropathology. Neither of the markers of intestinal barrier integrity examined, including lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) nor intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP), were associated with risk of death, incident AD dementia, incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI), change in cognition (global or domains), or neuropathology. Taken together, the data in this pilot study suggest that intestinal barrier dysfunction does not precede diagnosis of AD or MCI, changes in cognition, or brain pathology. However, since MCI and AD are related to global cognition, the findings with BDNF and the contiguous cognitive measures suggest low power with the trichotomous cognitive status measures. Future studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to further investigate the results from this pilot study.