bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uso de biofertilizantes en la producción de sábila Aloe vera (L.) L. N. Burm y calidad de gel
Authors: Aba-Guevara Cinthia G. , Pedroza-Sandoval Aurelio , Trejo-Calzada Ricardo , Sánchez-Cohen Ignacio , Samaniego-Gaxiola José A. , Chávez-Rivero José A.
Published: October 2021

La demanda de productos orgánicos derivados de la hoja de sábila es cada vez mayor. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de distintas fuentes y dosis de biofertilizantes en el crecimiento de la hoja y calidad del gel de sábila. Se usó un diseño de bloques al azar, con ácidos húmicos: 0, 54 y 108 l ha-1, y 0, 5 y 10 t ha-1 de lombricomposta. El grosor de hoja fue mayor cuando se aplicó 10 t ha-1 de lombricomposta; la concentración de sólidos totales, sólidos precipitables en metanol y carbohidratos se incrementaron significativamente en diciembre de 2011, lo cual eleva la calidad del gel. El fósforo (P) mostró una mayor concentración cuando se aplicaron 108 l ha-1 de ácidos húmicos.
Çocuklar ve Aileleri için Yeme Farkındalığı Müdahale Programı’nın Türk Kültürüne Uyarlama Çalışması
Authors: Kocaadam Bozkurt Betül , Köksal Eda
Published: October 2021

Çocuklarda yeme süresince odaklanmış farkındalığı teşvik eden yeme farkındalığı becerileri uygulamalarının, çocukluk çağı obezitesinin önlenmesinde ve tedavisinde etkili olabileceği düşünülmektedir. Bu nedenle, çocuklarda obezitenin önlenmesini amaçlayan sağlıklı beslenme alışkanlıklarının kazandırılması için erken müdahale programları geliştirmek ve uygulamak çok önemlidir. Bu doğrultuda, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nde 8-11 yaş çocuklar ve ebeveynleri için oluşturulan Çocuklar ve Aileleri için Yeme Farkındalığı Müdahale Programı’nın, Türkçeye ve Türk kültürüne uyarlanması amaçlanmıştır. Bu müdahale programı, her birinin süresi 45 dk-1 saat olan 6 eğitimden (Bilinçsiz Yemenin Önüne Geçme; Duyuları Keşfetme; Açlık ve Tokluk Sinyallerini Fark Etmeye Başlama; Duyguların Dışa Vurumu; Farkındalığa Tohum Ekme; Kültürel Yemek Daveti) oluşmaktadır. Aynı zamanda bu program, çocukların aileleri ile birlikte evde uygulayabilecekleri pratik uygulamaları, ödevleri ve oyunları içermektedir. Bu çalışmanın, Türkiye’de çocuklarda yeme farkındalığı becerilerini kazandırmayı hedefleyen ilk müdahale programı olması nedeniyle oldukça önemli olduğu düşünülmektedir.
On Hegel’s Ground
Authors: Diamanti Jeff
Published: October 2021

Climate change is not just about rising sea levels and greenhouse gases. It is also an intensive process of real-time terraforming without any obvious subject verbing the process. This is most visibly underway at the ablation zone of the Earth’s cryosphere. Is it reasonable to situate our understanding of ecological crisis at this new ground? What would it mean to take anthropogenic climate change as the ground for reason amid the ecological crises careening toward the present? This essay returns to the second half of part one of Hegel’s The Science of Logic —the culmination of the Objective Spirit — where something appears from nothing, and it does so in and as “Ground.” I argue that recent conceptual basins of attraction in climate and earth sciences —namely, the feedback loop and the tipping point —intimate a return to elemental philosophy, and that the dialectic of nonidentity that marks Hegel’s philosophy of nature interfaces with the form-matter-content triad thrumming at the culmination of the Objective Spirit. The nonidentity of the earth has been unearthed.
The Basics of Immunology
Authors: Schmitt Heinz-Josef , Garçon Nathalie
Published: October 2021

Humans have defense mechanisms against micro-organisms exemplified by the immune system that consists of an unspecific (“innate immunity”) and specific (“adaptive immunity”) arm, leading to an effective response via humoral and cellular mechanisms.

Innate immunity is activable at any time (skin, tears, ciliae, …). It includes recognition of various chemical patterns on microorganisms. Such chemical structures are detected by macrophages or dendritic cells, which travel to the draining lymph nodes and are presented to cells of the adaptive immune system.

The adaptive immune system is highly specific against individual microorganisms and directed against non-self-structures. It needs days to weeks to be effective and it induces immune memory, allowing for an immediate defense response upon re-infection.

As a result of presentation of non-self-structures to the adaptive immune system, highly specific antibodies and cells are generated which may kill/neutralize microbial invaders.

Currently, antibody responses are the cornerstone to vaccine licensure. Functional antibody tests detecting killing/neutralizing ability are the cornerstone of vaccine-induced immunity. Tests for cell-mediated immunity are also considered.

Antibody responses to vaccines can be evaluated as
o Geometric Mean Titer (GMT) or Geometric Mean Concentration (GMC)
o Fold-rise pre/post vaccination
o Percentage of study subjects achieving a clinically relevant amount of antibody (“sero-responders”)
o Reverse Cumulative Distributions (RCDs), ideally showing data pre- and post-vaccination.
PROBLEMS OF FORESTRY AS THEY AFFECT LAND-USE FOR AGRICULTURE IN WESTLAND Part 2: The Protection Forests
Authors: Holloway J.T.
Published: October 2021

THE AREA of Westland Forest Conservancy is approximately 3,800,OO acres, of which about 2,300,OOO acres, or 60%, is steep, unoccupied,5mountain land held in Crown ownership as State Forest, unalienated Crown Land, or Nalional Park. The value of this land, for timber production or for agricultural or pastoral use, is entirely negligible, yet upon the safe custody of it the future of Westland must largely depend. The most cursory evaluation of flood hazards, particularly in respect to the key agricultural and pastoral lands on the flood plains of the rivers, will show that this statement is no exaggeration. Under Westland conditions, protection works designed by man will not be worth twopence if there is failure to maintain an adequate cover of vegetation on the flanks of the mountains.
CROPS AND PASTURE IN THE RANGITIKEI DISTRICT
Authors: Booth A.K.
Published: October 2021

THE predisposing factors of soil and climate have determined the type of farming that has developed in the intensively farmed areas of the Lower Rangitikei. In this area a system of fat lamb farming with the production of cash crops is predominant. The extent to which cash cropping is carried out depends mainly on the cash returns from crops when compared with the returns from livestock. However, there are some restrictions caused by soil fertility, poor drainage and soil contour.
ЦИФРОВІ БАЗИ ДАНИХ У СУДОВО-ЕКСПЕРТНІЙ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ ЯК ЗАСІБ ОПТИМІЗАЦІЇ ЇЇ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ
Authors: Бондар В.С.
Published: October 2021

У статті розглянуто комплекс особливостей створення та застосування інформаційних систем та баз даних у судово-експертній діяльності. Актуалізовано окремі аспекти дослідження баз даних в експертизі зброї та ДНК-аналізі. Досліджено основні цілі використання баз даних у судово-експертній діяльності. Визначено основні проблеми при використанні інформаційних систем та баз даних.
ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ІСТОРИЧНО-ПРАВОВОГО ТА КОМПАРАТИВІСТСЬКОГО МЕТОДІВ ПРИ ДОСЛІДЖЕННІ СИСТЕМ УПРАВЛІННЯ ДЕРЖАВНОЮ СЛУЖБОЮ В УКРАЇНІ ТА ПОЛЬЩІ
Authors: Федоренко М. В.
Published: October 2021

У статті розкрито особливості застосування історично-правового та порівняльно-правового методів у складі методології дослідження проблем формування, функціонування та розвитку систем управління державною (цивільною) службою в Україні та По­льщі. Встановлено передумови утвердження цих методів у державно-правовій науці, починаючи з XIX ст. Зауважено, що методологія державно-правових наук, яка поширювалася й на дослідження явищ адміністративного права, стала системою завдань, цілепокладань, світоглядних принципів, прийомів і способів пізнання сутності та змісту адміністративно-правових явищ, режимів і статусів, а також аналізу та узагальнення відповідної правотворчої, правозастосовної, а після утвердження адміністративної юстиції в кінці XIX ст. ‒ і правосудної діяльності. Зроблено висновок, що історичний метод є похідним від загального світоглядного принципу історизму, який використовується для дослідження більшості правових явищ, процесів, режимів і статусів, включаючи інститут державної служби. Зазначено, що аналізуючи й порівнюючи системи управління державною службою в Україні та Республіці Польща, необхідно не лише обґрунтувати висновок про їх схожість і відмінність, а й виокремити позитивні складники польської системи і сформувати пропозиції щодо можливості їх імплементації в українську систему, з урахуванням усіх чинників, які можуть нівелювати результати такої імплементації на практиці.
The Contextual Essentiality of Mitochondrial Genes in Cancer
Authors: Thomas Luke W. , Ashcroft Margaret
Published: October 2021

Mitochondria are key organelles in eukaryotic evolution that perform crucial roles as metabolic and cellular signaling hubs. Mitochondrial function and dysfunction are associated with a range of diseases, including cancer. Mitochondria support cancer cell proliferation through biosynthetic reactions and their role in signaling, and can also promote tumorigenesis via processes such as the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The advent of (nuclear) genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 deletion screens has provided gene-level resolution of the requirement of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes (NEMGs) for cancer cell viability (essentiality). More recently, it has become apparent that the essentiality of NEMGs is highly dependent on the cancer cell context. In particular, key tumor microenvironmental factors such as hypoxia, and changes in nutrient (e.g., glucose) availability, significantly influence the essentiality of NEMGs. In this mini-review we will discuss recent advances in our understanding of the contribution of NEMGs to cancer from CRISPR-Cas9 deletion screens, and discuss emerging concepts surrounding the context-dependent nature of mitochondrial gene essentiality.
Aberrant Phase Separation of FUS Leads to Lysosome Sequestering and Acidification
Authors: Trnka Franziska , Hoffmann Christian , Wang Han , Sansevrino Roberto , Rankovic Branislava , Rost Benjamin R. , Schmitz Dietmar , Schmidt H. Broder , Milovanovic Dragomir
Published: October 2021

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to the death of upper and lower motor neurons. While most cases of ALS are sporadic, some of the familial forms of the disease are caused by mutations in the gene encoding for the RNA-binding protein FUS. Under physiological conditions, FUS readily phase separates into liquid-like droplets in vivo and in vitro. ALS-associated mutations interfere with this process and often result in solid-like aggregates rather than fluid condensates. Yet, whether cells recognize and triage aberrant condensates remains poorly understood, posing a major barrier to the development of novel ALS treatments. Using a combination of ALS-associated FUS mutations, optogenetic manipulation of FUS condensation, chemically induced stress, and pH-sensitive reporters of organelle acidity, we systematically characterized the cause-effect relationship between the material state of FUS condensates and the sequestering of lysosomes. From our data, we can derive three conclusions. First, regardless of whether we use wild-type or mutant FUS, expression levels (i.e., high concentrations) play a dominant role in determining the fraction of cells having soluble or aggregated FUS. Second, chemically induced FUS aggregates recruit LAMP1-positive structures. Third, mature, acidic lysosomes accumulate only at FUS aggregates but not at liquid-condensates. Together, our data suggest that lysosome-degradation machinery actively distinguishes between fluid and solid condensates. Unraveling these aberrant interactions and testing strategies to manipulate the autophagosome-lysosome axis provides valuable clues for disease intervention.
Electron Microscopy Techniques for Investigating Structure and Composition of Hair-Cell Stereociliary Bundles
Authors: Ivanchenko Maryna V. , Indzhykulian Artur A. , Corey David P.
Published: October 2021

Hair cells—the sensory cells of the vertebrate inner ear—bear at their apical surfaces a bundle of actin-filled protrusions called stereocilia, which mediate the cells’ mechanosensitivity. Hereditary deafness is often associated with morphological disorganization of stereocilia bundles, with the absence or mislocalization within stereocilia of specific proteins. Thus, stereocilia bundles are closely examined to understand most animal models of hereditary hearing loss. Because stereocilia have a diameter less than a wavelength of light, light microscopy is not adequate to reveal subtle changes in morphology or protein localization. Instead, electron microscopy (EM) has proven essential for understanding stereocilia bundle development, maintenance, normal function, and dysfunction in disease. Here we review a set of EM imaging techniques commonly used to study stereocilia, including optimal sample preparation and best imaging practices. These include conventional and immunogold transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as focused-ion-beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), which enables 3-D serial reconstruction of resin-embedded biological structures at a resolution of a few nanometers. Parameters for optimal sample preparation, fixation, immunogold labeling, metal coating and imaging are discussed. Special attention is given to protein localization in stereocilia using immunogold labeling. Finally, we describe the advantages and limitations of these EM techniques and their suitability for different types of studies.
2,7-Carbazole Derived Organoboron Compounds: Synthesis and Molecular Fluorescence
Authors: Chen Minhui , Wei Juan , Zhang Yufeng , Wu Lin , Tan Leibo , Shi Shanglong , Shi Junqing , Ji Lei
Published: October 2021

Triarylboranes have drawn much attention in OLEDs owing to their remarkable solid-state luminescence properties. Here two new A-D-A type compounds, 2,7-bis(dimesitylboryl)-N-ethyl-carbazole (BCz) using triarylborane as electron acceptor and carbazole as electron donor while 2,7-bis((4-(dimesitylboryl)phenyl)ethynyl)-9-ethyl-carbazole (BPACz) using phenylacetylene as extra conjugated bridge, have been synthesized and their photoluminescence related properties in various states have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Both compounds show blue emission with high quantum yields, being potential candidates for blue OLED materials.
Long-Term Data Reveal the Associations of the Egg Quality With Abiotic Factors and Female Traits in the Baltic Herring Under Variable Environmental Conditions
Authors: Rajasilta Marjut , Mäkinen Katja , Ruuskanen Suvi , Hänninen Jari , Laine Päivi
Published: October 2021

In fish, the lipid resources of the female form a link between the environment and progeny, contributing to the contents of the egg yolk. Variation of the environmental conditions is therefore expected to affect the egg quality via maternal pathways, reflecting the female’s response to the environmental factors before spawning. We investigated the content of lipids and thyroid hormones in the ovary and eggs of the Baltic herring during 1988–2019, when salinity of the Baltic Sea first declined and then stabilized to a lower level, and winters varied between severe and mild. The total lipid resources of spawning females decreased by 40–50% during the study, and the ovarian lipid concentration followed this trend resulting in a decrease of the lipid content of eggs. The concentration of thyroid hormones in the ovary suggested a hormonal response in females to salinity and winter temperature and was observable also in the content of thyroid hormones in the eggs. A change in the egg lipid content took place approximately around 1998 (SE ± 3 years) suggesting that in declining salinity, egg quality was associated with salinity and intrinsic factors in the female, i.e., fecundity and amount of lipids deposited into the ovary. However, during the period of stable salinity, egg quality was mainly limited by the female’s lipid resources. As also the body size of the females decreased over the years, it is suggested that small body size can be a key phenotypic trait to reduce the environmental impact on egg quality in variable environmental conditions.
Functional Roles of Non-coding RNAs in the Interaction Between Host and Influenza A Virus
Authors: Sajjad Nelam , Wang Song , Liu Ping , Chen Ji-Long , Chi Xiaojuan , Liu Shasha , Ma Shujie
Published: October 2021

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are extensively expressed in various cells and tissues, and studies have shown that ncRNAs play significant roles in cell regulation. However, in the past few decades, the knowledge of ncRNAs has been increased dramatically due to their transcriptional ability and multiple regulatory functions. Typically, regulatory ncRNAs include long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), miRNAs, piRNAs, Y RNAs, vault RNAs, and circular RNAs (circRNAs), etc. Previous studies have revealed that various ncRNAs are involved in the host responses to virus infection and play critical roles in the regulation of host-virus interactions. In this review, we discuss the conceptual framework and biological regulations of ncRNAs to elucidate their functions in response to viral infection, especially influenza A virus (IAV) infection. In addition, we summarize the ncRNAs that are associated with innate immunity and involvement of interferons and their stimulated genes (ISGs) during IAV infection.
Comparative Genomic Analysis of Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies dysgalactiae Isolated From Bovine Mastitis in China
Authors: Xu Siyu , Liu Yang , Gao Jian , Zhou Man , Yang Jingyue , He Fumeng , Kastelic John P. , Deng Zhaoju , Han Bo
Published: October 2021

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae (SDSD) is one of the most prevalent pathogens causing bovine mastitis worldwide. However, there is a lack of comprehensive information regarding genetic diversity, complete profiles of virulence factors (VFs), and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes for SDSD associated with bovine mastitis in China. In this study, a total of 674 milk samples, including samples from 509 clinical and 165 subclinical mastitis cases, were collected from 17 herds in 7 provinces in China from November 2016 to June 2019. All SDSD isolates were included in phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). In addition, whole genome sequencing was performed on 12 representative SDSD isolates to screen for VFs and AMR genes and to define pan-, core and accessory genomes. The prevalence of SDSD from mastitis milk samples was 7.57% (51/674). According to phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA, 51 SDSD isolates were divided into 4 clusters, whereas based on MLST, 51 SDSD isolates were identified as 11 sequence types, including 6 registered STs and 5 novel STs (ST521, ST523, ST526, ST527, ST529) that belonged to 2 distinct clonal complexes (CCs) and 4 singletons. Based on WGS information, 108 VFs genes in 12 isolates were determined in 11 categories. In addition, 23 AMR genes were identified in 11 categories. Pan-, core and accessory genomes were composed of 2,663, 1,633 and 699 genes, respectively. These results provided a comprehensive profiles of SDSD virulence and resistance genes as well as phylogenetic relationships among mastitis associated SDSD in North China.
Enzalutamide-Resistant Progression of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Is Driven via the JAK2/STAT1-Dependent Pathway
Authors: Luo Yong , Yang Xiaobing , Basourakos Spyridon P. , Zuo Xuemei , Wei Dechao , Zhao Jiahui , Li Mingchuan , Li Qiankun , Feng Tao , Guo Pengju , Jiang Yongguang
Published: October 2021

Previous studies showed that CXCR7 expression was upregulated after enzalutamide (ENZ) treatment, and an increased level of CXCR7 could increase the invasion, migration, and angiogenesis of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. This study demonstrated that the levels of p-JAK2, p-STAT1, C-Myc, and VEGFR2 were significantly reduced after CCX771, a specific CXCR7 inhibitor, treatment. This effect further increased after the combination treatment of ENZ and CCX771. Then, we verified that targeting the inhibition of JAK2 or STAT1 could remarkably increase apoptosis and DNA damage and decrease the migration of CRPC cells. More importantly, the combination treatment of ENZ + JAK2/STAT1 led to much greater suppression than the single-agent treatment of JAK2 or STAT1. Subcutaneous CRPC xenograft tumor growth was also reduced by single-agent ENZ treatment and single-agent FLUD, a specific STAT1 antagonist, treatment; but much superior effect was elicited by the combination treatment of ENZ + FLUD. The proliferative indices significantly decreased following combination treatment in tumor tissues compared with control-treatment tissues and single-agent-treatment tissues. Our results demonstrated that CXCR7, which signifies an androgen receptor (AR)-independent signaling pathway, caused CRPC progression via the downstream JAK2/STAT1 signal transduction cascade. Combined inhibition targeting both the AR and JAK2/STAT1 resulted in substantial tumor suppression due to the reduction in DNA damage repair ability and increment in apoptosis.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Olfactory System in Older Adults With and Without Hyposmia
Authors: Felix Cynthia , Chahine Lana M. , Hengenius James , Chen Honglei , Rosso Andrea L. , Zhu Xiaonan , Cao Zichun , Rosano Caterina
Published: October 2021

Objectives: To compare gray matter microstructural characteristics of higher-order olfactory regions among older adults with and without hyposmia.

Methods: Data from the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT) were obtained in 1998–99 for 265 dementia-free adults from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study (age at BSIT: 74.9 ± 2.7; 62% White; 43% male) who received 3T diffusion tensor imaging in 2006–08 [Interval of time: mean (SD): 8.01 years (0.50)], Apolipoprotein (ApoEε4) genotypes, and repeated 3MS assessments until 2011–12. Cognitive status (mild cognitive impairment, dementia, normal cognition) was adjudicated in 2011–12. Hyposmia was defined as BSIT ≤ 8. Microstructural integrity was quantified by mean diffusivity (MD) in regions of the primary olfactory cortex amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex (including olfactory cortex, gyrus rectus, the orbital parts of the superior, middle, and inferior frontal gyri, medial orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus), and hippocampus. Multivariable regression models were adjusted for total brain atrophy, demographics, cognitive status, and ApoEε4 genotype.

Results: Hyposmia in 1998–99 (n = 57, 21.59%) was significantly associated with greater MD in 2006–08, specifically in the orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus, and amygdala, on the right [adjusted beta (p value): 0.414 (0.01); 0.527 (0.01); respectively].

Conclusion: Older adults with higher mean diffusivity in regions important for olfaction are more likely to have hyposmia up to ten years prior. Future studies should address whether hyposmia can serve as an early biomarker of brain microstructural abnormalities for older adults with a range of cognitive functions, including those with normal cognition.
COVID-19 Era Effect on Pandemic and Post-pandemic Pediatric Telemedicine Use: A Survey of the European Academy of Pediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings Network
Authors: Reingold Stephen M. , Hadjipanayis Adamos , van Esso Diego , del Torso Stefano , Dornbusch Hans Jürgen , de Guchtenaere Ann , Pancheva Rouzha , Mujkic Aida , Syridou Garyfallia , Valiulis Arunas , Mazur Artur , Rios Joana , Spreitzer Mateja Vintar , Mamenko Marina , D'Avino Antonio , Kubatova Gabriela , Geitmann Karin , Wyder Corrine , Altorjai Peter , Michailidou Kyriaki , Grossman Zachi
Published: October 2021

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine use has increased within community pediatrics. This trend runs counter to reluctance to adaptation of the new mode of healthcare that existed prior to the pandemic. Little is known about what we can expect after the pandemic: if physicians will opt for telemedicine modalities and if tele-pediatrics will continue to be a significant mode of community pediatric care.

Objective: The goal of this study was to survey primary pediatric care providers as to their experiences and clinical decision making with telemedicine modalities prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their projected use after the pandemic ends.

Material and methods: Using the EAPRASnet database we surveyed pediatricians throughout Europe, using a web-based questionnaire. The survey was performed during the COVID-19 pandemic (June–July 2020), assessed telemedicine use for several modalities, prior to and during the pandemic as well as predicted use after the pandemic will have resolved. Participants were also surveyed regarding clinical decision making in two hypothetical clinical scenarios managed by telemedicine.

Results: A total of 710 physicians participated, 76% were pediatricians. The percentage of respondents who reported daily use for at least 50% of all encounters via telemedicine modalities increased during the pandemic: phone calls (4% prior to the pandemic to 52% during the pandemic), emails (2–9%), text messages (1–6%), social media (3–11%), cell-phone pictures/video (1–9%), and video conferencing (1–7%) (p < 0.005). The predicted post-pandemic use of these modalities partially declined to 19, 4, 3, 6, 9, and 4%, respectively (p < 0.005), yet demonstrating a prospectively sustained use of pictures/videos after the pandemic. Reported high likelihood of remotely treating suspected pneumonia and acute otitis media with antibiotics decreased from 8 to 16% during the pandemic to an assumed 2 and 4% after the pandemic, respectively (p < 0.005).

Conclusions: This study demonstrates an increased utilization of telemedicine by pediatric providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a partially sustained effect that will promote telemedicine use as part of a hybrid care provision after the pandemic will have resolved.
Identification of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Obese Adolescents With Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Lee Jung Won , Hong Young Mi , Kim Hae Soon
Published: October 2021

Objective: There are studies that show different associations between metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular disease in adolescent. This study is aimed to identify probable cardio-vascular risk factors in obese adolescents with MS.

Methods: Sixty-five obese adolescents with a body mass index (BMI) > 95 percentile were enrolled and divided into two groups with MS or without MS. Left ventricular mass (LVM), left ventricular mass index, ejection fraction, epicardial fat thickness, visceral fat thickness (VFT) and carotid intima-media thickness were measured. Anthropometric and blood chemistry parameters were estimated. Above parameters were compared based on presence or absence of MS.

Results: The prevalence of MS was 23.1% in obese adolescents. LVM showed significant correlation with body mass index (BMI), hip circumference (HC), fat mass, total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and waist circumference (WC). VFT significantly correlated with WC, BMI, hip circumflex (HC), obesity index (OI), fat %, fat mass, insulin, TC, LDL-C, insulin, triglyceride (TG), glucose, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and leptin.

Conclusions: Screening for the MS in overweight adolescents may help to predict risk of future cardiovascular disease. These data suggest that LVMI and VFT are significant parameters for predicting cardiovascular disease risk in obese adolescents.
Miconazole Suppresses 27-Hydroxycholesterol-induced Inflammation by Regulating Activation of Monocytic Cells to a Proinflammatory Phenotype
Authors: Kim Bo-Young , Son Yonghae , Cho Hyok-rae , Lee Dongjun , Eo Seong-Kug , Kim Koanhoi
Published: October 2021

Miconazole is effective in treating inflammatory skin conditions and has well-established antifungal effects. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms mediating its additional beneficial effects, we assessed whether miconazole influences the inflammation induced by 27-hydroxycholesterol (27OHChol), an oxygenated cholesterol derivative with high proinflammatory activity, using THP-1 monocytic cells. Miconazole dose-dependently inhibited the expression of proinflammatory markers, including CCL2 and CCR5 ligands such as CCL3 and CCL4, and impaired the migration of monocytic cells and CCR5-positive T cells. In the presence of 27OHChol, miconazole decreased CD14 surface levels and considerably weakened the lipopolysaccharide response. Furthermore, miconazole blocked the release of soluble CD14 and impaired the transcription of the matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene and secretion of its active gene product. Additionally, it downregulated the expression of ORP3 and restored the endocytic function of THP-1 cells. Collectively, these findings indicate that miconazole regulates the 27OHChol-induced expression of proinflammatory molecules in monocytic cells, thereby suppressing inflammation in an oxysterol-rich milieu.
Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase as a Therapeutic Target of Dihydroartemisinin for Esophageal Squamous Cancer
Authors: Li Qingrong , Ma Qiang , Xu Lei , Gao Chuanli , Yao Lihua , Wen Jilin , Yang Miyuan , Cheng Jibing , Zhou Xi , Zou Jiang , Zhong Xiaowu , Guo Xiaolan
Published: October 2021

Objective: To elucidate the oncogenic role of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) in esophageal squamous cancer and unravel the therapeutic role and molecular mechanism of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) by targeting hTERT.

Methods: The expression of hTERT in esophageal squamous cancer and the patients prognosis were analyzed by bioinformatic analysis from TCGA database, and further validated with esophageal squamous cancer tissues in our cohort. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and colony formation assay were used to evaluate the proliferation of esophageal squamous cancer cell lines (Eca109, KYSE150, and TE1) after hTERT overexpression or treated with indicated concentrations of DHA. Transwell migration assay and scratch assay were employed to determine the migration abilities of cancer cells. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry were conducted to measure the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in cancer cells after treated with DHA. Moreover, RT-PCR and Western blot were performed to test the alteration of associated genes on mRNA and protein level in DHA treated esophageal squamous cancer cell lines, respectively. Furthermore, tumor-bearing nude mice were employed to evaluate the anticancer effect of DHA in vivo.

Results: We found that hTERT was significantly upregulated in esophageal squamous cancer both from TCGA database and our cohort also. Overexpression of hTERT evidently promoted the proliferation and migration of esophageal squamous cancer cells in vitro. Moreover, DHA could significantly inhibit the proliferation and migration of esophageal cancer cell lines Eca109, KYSE150, and TE1 in vitro, and significantly down-regulate the expression of hTERT on both mRNA and protein level in a time- and dose-dependent manner as well. Further studies showed that DHA could induce intracellular ROS production in esophageal cancer cells and down-regulate SP1 expression, a transcription factor that bound to the promoter region of hTERT gene. Moreover, overexpression of SP1 evidently promoted the proliferation and migration of Eca109 and TE1 cells. Intriguingly, rescue experiments showed that inhibiting ROS by NAC alleviated the downregulation of SP1 and hTERT in cells treated with DHA. Furthermore, overexpression of SP1 or hTERT could attenuate the inhibition effect of DHA on the proliferation and migration of Eca109 cells. In tumor-bearing nude mice model, DHA significantly inhibited the growth of esophageal squamous cancer xenografts, and downregulated the expression of SP1 and hTERT protein, while no side effects were observed from heart, kidney, liver, and lung tissues by HE stain.

Conclusion: hTERT plays an oncogenic role in esophageal squamous cancer and might be a therapeutic target of DHA through regulating ROS/SP1 pathway.
Response of Water Balance Components to Changes in Soil Use and Vegetation Cover Over Three Decades in the Eastern Amazon
Authors: Silva-Júnior Renato Oliveira da , Souza-Filho Pedro Walfir Martins e , Salomão Gabriel Negreiros , Tavares Alexandra Lima , Santos Jorge Filipe dos , Santos Diogo Corrêa , Dias Luanna Costa , Silva Marcio Sousa da , Melo Adayana Maria Queiroz de , Costa Carlos Eduardo Aguiar de Souza , Rocha Edson José Paulino da
Published: October 2021

Impacts on global water resources may be intensifying due to the growing and differentiated forms of land use and occupation, which influence the water cycle and thus the maintenance of life. In the Amazon, the effect may be even worse, as it is one of the world's most vulnerable regions to these changes. This work aimed to analyze the response of the components of the water balance to changes in land use and cover in the Eastern Amazon over three decades (1980–2013). First, soil texture maps were prepared. These combined with the classes of use in each decade let us estimate the values of storage and variation in storage (ΔS) of water in the soil. The behavior of the components of the water balance [precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, actual evapotranspiration (E), and ΔS] were analyzed according to the Budyko model on the annual scale as a function of the aridity and evaporative indices. For the seasonal scale, a new parameter (y0) was introduced to explicitly represent the additional water available for E, in addition to instantaneous precipitation. The seasonality of the rains and the seasonal dynamics of storage were directly incorporated into the model developed, which allowed us to understand what the dominant control factors of water balance are. In the decade from 2000 to 2009, the remaining forest cover is only 48.91%, while the cover formed by pasture is 50.47%, meaning the water storage capacity in the soil decreased 8.1%. In the 1990s, to 1999, precipitation shows a reduction, probably as a reflection of the very strong events of La Niña and El Niño (1988–1989 and 1997–1998). Observing the sum of the surface area of water bodies in the region and the relationship of forest vs. pasture, it is possible to infer that the elevation in evapotranspiration is more related to the increase in evaporation due to the increase in the pasture area than to the reduction transpiration due to forest loss, reinforcing the hypothesis that evapotranspiration increases with pasture area.
A Modified Endoscopic Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion Technique: Preliminary Clinical Results of 96 Cases
Authors: Gong Junfeng , Huang Zheng , Liu Huan , Zhang Chao , Zheng Wenjie , Li Changqing , Tang Yu , Zhou Yue
Published: October 2021

Background: As a newly emerging technique, endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-TLIF) has become an increasingly popular procedure of interest. The purpose of this study was to introduce a modified Endo-TLIF system and share our preliminary clinical experiences and outcomes in treating lumbar degenerative disease with this procedure.

Methods: Ninety-six patients (thirty-seven men and fifty-nine women; mean age 55.85 ± 11.03 years) with lumbar degenerative diseases who underwent Endo-TLIF in our hospital were enrolled. The surgical time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospitalization time and postoperative drainage were documented. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, and modified MacNab criteria. Bone fusion was identified through computerized tomography (CT) scans or X-ray during the follow-up period.

Results: All patients were followed up for at least 12 months, and the average follow-up time was 17.03 ± 3.27 months. The mean operative time was 136.79 ± 30.14 minutes, and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 53.06 ± 28.89 ml. The mean VAS scores of low back pain and leg pain were 5.05 ± 1.37 and 6.25 ± 1.03, respectively, before surgery, which improved to 2.27 ± 0.66 and 2.22 ± 0.55, respectively, after the operation (P < 0.05). The final VAS scores of low back pain and leg pain were 0.66 ± 0.60 and 0.73 ± 0.66, respectively (P < 0.05). The preoperative ODI score (49.06 ± 6.66) also improved significantly at the 3-month follow-up (13.00 ± 7.37; P < 0.05). The final ODI score was 8.03 ± 6.13 (P < 0.05). There were 10 cases of non-fusion (nine women and one man) at the 12-month follow-up, but no cases of non-union were identified by imaging at the final follow-up.

Conclusions: The present study demonstrated satisfactory clinical and radiologic results among patients who received Endo-TLIF treatment from our institution. This indicates that Endo-TLIF is efficient and safe for select patients.
Zn2+-Doped TiO2:WO3 Films Prepared by Electrospinning and Sintering: Microstructural Characterization and Electrical Signature to Moisture Sensing
Authors: Silva Georgenes M. G. , Leão Victor N. S. , Pereira Michel F. G. , Faia Pedro M. , Araújo Evando S.
Published: October 2021

In this work, Zn2+-doped TiO2:WO3 nanostructured films, with different doping levels, were produced by electrospinning followed by sintering, and tested as potential materials for relative humidity (RH) detection. The materials microstructure was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrical characterization was performed by electrical impedance spectroscopy in the range of 400 HZ–40 MHZ, at 20 °C. The sensors’ sensitivity to moisture was evaluated from the impedance variations in response to changes in RH (10–100%). The analyses confirmed the interaction of water molecules with the oxides surface, and showed that zinc atoms were incorporated into the titanium vacancies in the crystal lattice. All the studied sensors showed a p- to n-type conduction transition taking place at around 40% RH. The nanocomposite with 2 wt% of dopant presented the best sensitivity to moisture, with an impedance variation of about 1 order of magnitude. The results are discussed in relation to the microstructure and fabrication route.
Dataset of Students’ Performance Using Student Information System, Moodle and the Mobile Application “eDify”
Authors: Hasan Raza , Palaniappan Sellappan , Mahmood Salman , Abbas Ali , Sarker Kamal Uddin
Published: October 2021

The data presented in this article comprise an educational dataset collected from the student information system (SIS), the learning management system (LMS) called Moodle, and video interactions from the mobile application called “eDify.” The dataset, from the higher educational institution (HEI) in Sultanate of Oman, comprises five modules of data from Spring 2017 to Spring 2021. The dataset consists of 326 student records with 40 features in total, including the students’ academic information from SIS (which has 24 features), the students’ activities performed on Moodle within and outside the campus (comprising 10 features), and the students’ video interactions collected from eDify (consisting of six features). The dataset is useful for researchers who want to explore students’ academic performance in online learning environments, and will help them to model their educational datamining models. Moreover, it can serve as an input for predicting students’ academic performance within the module for educational datamining and learning analytics. Furthermore, researchers are highly recommended to refer to the original papers for more details.
Oxygen Consumption and Ammonia Excretion of Marphysa sanguinea (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) in Relation to Body Mass and Temperature
Authors: Wang Chengjian , Kou Na , Liu Xiaowei , Yang Dazuo
Published: October 2021

(1) Background: Marphysa sanguinea is a polychaete with high economic value and ecological importance. Information on metabolism is important to understand the physiological action of organisms. (2) Methods: The rates of oxygen consumption (R) and ammonia excretion (U) were measured using different temperatures (T) and body mass (M) levels. The activation energy (E) was calculated using the universal temperature dependence theory. (3) Results: Oxygen consumption presented a curve with an upward trend first, and then a downward trend, and ammonia excretion displayed a “U” curve. The effects of temperature and body size on oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion rates were extremely significant. Small individuals had higher metabolic rates than large polychaetes at the same temperature. The relationship between oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion, and M was expressed as Y = a·Mb, bR = 0.56 ± 0.09, and bU = 0.35 ± 0.30. The oxygen consumption activation energy was ER = 0.68 eV, and the ammonia excretion activation energy was EU = 0.53 eV. The O:N ratio at different temperatures and body sizes was in the range of 3.55–56.44. (4) Conclusions: The results not only provide basic data on the metabolism of M. sanguinea but also insights to understand the relationship between animal metabolism and ecological factors from different perspectives.
Wounaan Storying as Intervention: Storywork in the Crafting of a Multimodal Illustrated Story Book on People and Birds
Authors: Ismare Peña Rito , Carpio Opua Chenier , Cheucarama Membache Doris , Grin Frankie , Membora Peña Dorindo , Peña Ismare Chindío , Velásquez Runk Julie
Published: October 2021

A growing body of scholarship addresses what Indigenous peoples have always known: stories are critically important to who we are and how to be in the world. For Wounaan, an Indigenous people of Panama and Colombia, ancestors’ stories are no longer frequently told. As part of the Wounaan Podpa Nʌm Pömaam (National Wounaan Congress) and Foundation for the Development of Wounaan People’s project on bird guiding, birds and culture, and forest restoration in Panama, we leveraged the publication requirement as political intervention and anticolonial practice in storying worlds. This article is the story of our storying, the telling and crafting of an illustrated story book that honors Wounaan convivial lifeworlds, Wounaan chaain döhigaau nemchaain hoo wënʌʌrrajim/Los niños wounaan, en sus aventuras vieron muchas aves/The Adventures of Wounaan Children and Many Birds. Here, we have used video conference minutes and recordings, voice and text messages, emails, recollections, and a conference co-presentation to show stories as Indigenous method and reality, as epistemological and ontological. We use a narrative form to weave together our collaborative process and polish the many storying decisions on relationality, time, egalitarianism, movement, rivers, embodiment, and verbal poetics through an everyday adventure of siblings and birds. Available as a multimodal illustrated story book in digital audio and print, we conclude by advocating for new media to further storying Indigenous lifeworlds.
Performance of a Salt-Accumulating Substitution Lime Render for Salt Laden Historic Masonry Walls
Authors: Fragata Ana , Veiga Rosário , Velosa Ana
Published: October 2021

Salt crystallization is one of the main decay processes in historic masonry mortars, and climate change can worsen the salt weathering effects on those materials as result of, e.g., more often rain falls, more intense solar radiation and sea level rise. In this paper, the effectiveness and durability of a substitution “ventilated render” system (a two-layer render, with base and outer layer and “vertical grooves” in the base layer) on a full-scale salt laden masonry wall to reproduce conditions that may be found in real cases was investigated. The crystallization at the interface between render layers and in vertical grooves and the effect of the porous structure on salt crystallization were thoroughly investigated. It was highlighted the reliability of the results of the salt crystallization testing procedure on a full-scale masonry wall to attest the efficiency and durability of the render system. Finally, it was proven that the ventilated render system with water repellent in the outer layer is durable and efficient enough to be used as a substitution render on salt laden historical masonries, acting as a salt accumulation render where salts preferably crystallize in, delaying the damage on the outer surface without introducing harmful effects in the masonry.
Engineering Cardiac Small Extracellular Vesicle-Derived Vehicles with Thin-Film Hydration for Customized microRNA Loading
Authors: Bheri Sruti , Kassouf Brandon P. , Park Hyun-Ji , Hoffman Jessica R. , Davis Michael E.
Published: October 2021

Cell therapies for myocardial infarction, including cardiac ckit+ progenitor cell (CPC) therapies, have been promising, with clinical trials underway. Recently, paracrine signaling, specifically through small extracellular vesicle (sEV) release, was implicated in cell-based cardiac repair. sEVs carry cardioprotective cargo, including microRNA (miRNA), within a complex membrane and improve cardiac outcomes similar to that of their parent cells. However, miRNA loading efficiency is low, and sEV yield and cargo composition vary with parent cell conditions, minimizing sEV potency. Synthetic mimics allow for cargo-loading control but consist of much simpler membranes, often suffering from high immunogenicity and poor stability. Here, we aim to combine the benefits of sEVs and synthetic mimics to develop sEV-like vesicles (ELVs) with customized cargo loading. We developed a modified thin-film hydration (TFH) mechanism to engineer ELVs from CPC-derived sEVs with pro-angiogenic miR-126 encapsulated. Characterization shows miR-126+ ELVs are similar in size and structure to sEVs. Upon administration to cardiac endothelial cells (CECs), ELV uptake is similar to sEVs too. Further, when functionally validated with a CEC tube formation assay, ELVs significantly improve tube formation parameters compared to sEVs. This study shows TFH-ELVs synthesized from sEVs allow for select miRNA loading and can improve in vitro cardiac outcomes.
Spatial Rigid-Flexible-Liquid Coupling Dynamics of Towed System Analyzed by a Hamiltonian Finite Element Method
Authors: Ding Huaiping , Wang Qiao , Hu Wei , Yin Xiaochun
Published: October 2021

An effective Hamiltonian finite element method is presented in this paper to investigate the three-dimensional dynamic responses of a towed cable-payload system with large deformation. The dynamics of a flexible towed system moving in a medium is a classical and complex rigid-flexible-liquid coupling problem. The dynamic governing equation is derived from the Hamiltonian system and built-in canonical form. A Symplectic algorithm is built to analyze the canonical equations numerically. Logarithmic strain is applied to estimate the large deformation effect and the system stiffness matrix will be updated for each calculation time step. A direct integral solution of the medium drag effect is derived in which the traditional coordinate transformation is avoided. A conical pendulum system and a 180° U-turn towed cable system are conducted and the results are compared with those retraced from the existing Hamiltonian method based on small deformation theory and the dynamic software of Livermore software technology corp. (LS-DYNA). Furthermore, a circularly towed system is analyzed and compared with experimental data. The comparisons show that the presented method is more accurate than the existing Hamiltonian method when large deformation occurred in the towed cable due to the application of logarithmic strain. Furthermore, it is more effective than LS-DYNA to treat the rigid-flexible-liquid coupling problems in the costs of CPU time.