bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA-211-5p Overexpression Effect on Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Apoptotic Genes in Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Farghadan Maryam , Zavaran-Hosseini Ahmad , Farhadi Elham , Sharafat Vaziri Arash , Tahmasebi Mohammad Naghi , Jamshidi Ahmadreza , Mahmoudi Mahdi
Published: August 2022

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) play a major role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and dysregulation of unfolded protein response are involved in the resistance to apoptosis of FLSs in RA (RA-FLSs). MicroRNA (MiR)-211 plays an important role in controlling ER stress and apoptotic genes in a PKR-like ER kinase (PERK)-activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)-dependent manner. We investigated the effect of miR-211-5p overexpression on ER stress and apoptotic genes in RA-FLSs.
FLSs were isolated from synovial tissues of trauma (n=10) and RA (n=10) patients. MiR-211-5p and mRNA expression of the selected genes involved in the PERK pathway and apoptosis regulation were measured in RA, trauma, and thapsigargin (Tg)-treated RA-FLSs. Afterward, Tg-treated RA-FLSs following miR-211-5p overexpression were evaluated for miR-211-5p and mRNA levels of the study genes.
The expression of miR-211-5p, PERK, BAX, and BCL2 showed no differences between RA and trauma. However, the expression of ATF4 and BCL-XL showed a significant increase in trauma. In addition, the levels of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and MCL1 indicated a significant increase in RA-FLSs. Tg treatment significantly increased the expression of PERK, ATF4, and CHOP in RA-FLSs with no effect on miR-211-5p, BAX, BCL2, BCL-XL, and MCL1. Furthermore, Tg treatment following miR-211-5p overexpression in RA-FLSs showed a significant increase in levels of miR-211-5p with no changes in apoptotic genes.
MiR-211-5p overexpression in stimulated RA-FLSs did not alter the levels of selected genes involved in apoptosis regulation. However, more investigations are necessary to determine the ER stress role in apoptosis regulation in RA-FLSs.
Cobalt Chloride-induced Hypoxia Can Lead SKBR3 and HEK293T Cell Lines Toward Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition
Authors: Sadri Maryam , Delbandi Ali-Akbar , Rashidi Nesa , Kardar Gholam Ali , Falak Reza
Published: August 2022

Hypoxia is a common characteristic of the tumor microenvironment. In response to hypoxia, expression of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) can lead to activation of downstream molecular events such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and angiogenesis. In this study, CoCl2 was used to simulate hypoxia in SKBR3 and HEK293T cell lines to investigate whether this treatment can induce hypoxia-associated EMT and invasion in the studied cells. SKBR3 and HEK293T cells were treated with different concentrations of CoCl2 at different exposure times and their viability was analyzed. To confirm successful hypoxia induction, the expression levels of HIF1α and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) mRNA were assessed.
Additionally, the expression of EMT-associated markers including snail, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and vimentin, as well as invasion-related genes including matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) and MMP9 was measured.
We found that cell viability in CoCl2-treated cells was concentration-dependent and was not affected at low doses. While the expression of HIF and VEGFA genes was upregulated following hypoxia induction. E-cadherin expression was significantly downregulated in HEK293T cells; while, N-cadherin and snail were upregulated in both cell lines. Moreover, an increment of MMP expression was only observed in SKBR3 cells.
Taken together, the findings indicated that CoCl2 can mimic hypoxia in both cell lines, but EMT was triggered in SKBR3 cells more effectively than in HEK293T cells, and invasion was only stimulated in SKBR3 cells. In conclusion, SKBR3 cancer cells can be used as an EMT model to better understand its control and manipulation mechanisms and to investigate new therapeutic targets for the suppression of tumor metastasis.
Evaluation of Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells in the Blood of Iranian COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Mortaz Esmaeil , Movassaghi Mehrnaz , Bassir Ali , Dezfuli Neda K. , Roofchayee Neda Dalil , Jamaati Hamidreza , Garssen Johan , Adcock Ian M.
Published: August 2022

The cytokine storm and lymphopenia are reported in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Myeloid-derived suppressive cells (MDSCs) exist in two different forms, granulocyte (G-MDSCs) and monocytic (M-MDSCs), that both suppress T-cell function. In COVID-19, the role of chemokines such as interleukin (IL)-8 in recruiting MDSCs is unclear. A recent report has correlated IL-8 and MDSCs with poor clinical outcomes in melanoma patients. In the current study, we evaluated the frequency of MDSCs and their correlation with serum IL-8 levels in severe COVID-19 patients from Iran.
Thirty-seven severe patients (8 on ventilation, 29 without ventilation), thirteen moderate COVID-19 patients, and eight healthy subjects participated in this study between 10th April 2020 and 9th March 2021. Clinical and biochemical features, serum, and whole blood were obtained. CD14, CD15, CD11b, and HLA-DR expression on MDSCs was measured by flow cytometry.
COVID-19 patients compared to healthy subjects had a greater frequency of M-MDSCs (12.7±13.3% vs 0.19±0.20%,), G-MDSCs (15.8±12.6% vs 0.35±0.40%,) and total-MDSCs (27.5±17.3% vs 0.55±0.41%,). M-MDSC (16.8±15.8% vs 5.4±4.8%,) and total-MDSC (33.3±18.5% vs 17.3±13.3%) frequency was higher in non- ventilated compared to moderate COVID-19 subjects. Serum IL-8 levels were higher in patients with COVID-19 than in normal healthy subjects (6.4±7.8 vs. 0.10±00 pg/mL). Ventilated patients (15.7±6.7 pg/mL), non-ventilated patients (5.7±2.7 pg/mL) and moderate patients (2.8±3.0 pg/mL) had significantly different levels of IL-8. A negative correlation was found between the frequency of G-MDSCs and the international normalized ratio (INR) test (r=-0.39), and between the frequency of total-MDSCs and oxygen saturation (%) (r=-0.39).
COVID-19 patients with severe non-ventilated disease had the highest levels of M-MDSCs. In addition to systemic MDSCs, lung, serum IL-8, and other inflammatory biomarkers should be measured.
Management of clinical infections of Escherichia coli by new β-lactam/ β-lactamase inhibitor combinations
Authors: Ahmed Kadry Ashraf , El-Antrawy May Ayman , El-Ganiny Amira Mohammed
Published: August 2022

Background and Objectives: Escherichia coli (E. coli) is an important member of Enterobacteriaceae family involved in severe infections. The increased rate of resistance towards different classes of antibiotics limits their treatment options. The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro activity of classical and novel combinations of β-lactam/ β-lactamase inhibitor against E. coli clinical isolates.
Materials and Methods: 140 clinical isolates of E. coli were collected from clinical specimens from Gastrointestinal Sur- gery Center (GISC) in Egypt. Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) was detected by double disk synergy test. Further- more, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for five different combinations were determined using the broth mi- crodilution method including: amoxicillin/clavulanate and ampicillin/sulbactam as an example for classical combinations and cefoperazone/sulbactam, ceftazidime/avibactam, and cefepime/enmetazobactam as an example for new combinations.  
Results: The percentage of ESBL production among the tested isolates was 46.4%. Isolates were highly resistant to classical β-lactam/ β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, where (40.7%) and (42.9%) of isolates were resistant to amoxicillin/clavula- nate and ampicillin/sulbactam, respectively. While new β-lactam/ β-lactamase inhibitor combinations had promising inhib- itory action. The addition of novel β-lactamase inhibitors restored the susceptibility of isolates, where (94.3%) of isolates became susceptible to ceftazidime/avibactam combination, followed by cefoperazone/sulbactam (89.2%) and cefepime/en- metazobactam (85.7%). The synergistic effect seems to be effective where ceftazidime and avibactam were synergistic in 80% of isolates.
Conclusion: The antibacterial activity of some antimicrobial agents can be enhanced by the addition of new β-lactamase inhibitors. Further in vivo investigation is needed to confirm their therapeutic efficacy against local isolates.
Discrepancies in Studies on ADHD and COVID-19 Raise Concerns Regarding the Risks of Stimulant Treatments During an Active Pandemic
Authors: Ophir Yaakov , Shir-Raz Yaffa
Published: August 2022

Two publications by Merzon and colleagues in theJournal of Attention Disorders(JAD) suggest that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increases the risk of COVID-19 infections (2020) and severe outcomes (2021). Adherence to stimulant treatments was recommended to attenuate the spread of the pandemic (2020). The conclusions of these timely studies attracted considerable attention, probably due to their wide-scope implications for the public health. But how valid are they? Furthering our earlier critique published in this journal, the current article outlines seven severe gaps in these publications, including inconsistencies in the definitions and rates of ADHD, inadequate definition for ADHD medications, omissions of crucial information, unsuitable analyses, and unmet declarations regarding conflicts of interests and data availability. In fact, the latter, which constitutes a repeated avoidance of data sharing (up to this day, March 28, 2023), seems to have led the editor-in-chief ofJADto propose the write-up of the current article (which he then judged, after the peer review process, as “worthy of publication,” but also thatJADis “not the best placement” of its publication—despite its specific focus on severalJADarticles). To complete the picture regarding this burning public health issue, this article also provides a glimpse into the problematic happenings that took place behind the scenes, which included a personal defamation and various stalling tactics, along with an elaborated and fully-referenced response that was sent by the authors of the current article to the reviewers and the editor-in-chief ofJADin real time (Appendix). Together, the discrepancies and problematic ethical conducts that are exposed in the current article suggest that the speculation regarding the link between a neurodevelopmental diagnosis (ADHD) and a respiratory virus (COVID-19) has not been subjected to adequate scientific inquiry. On the contrary, the lack of transparency, the observed gaps, and the existing extensive literature on stimulant-related cardiovascular risks, including the recently published guidelines for starting ADHD medications by one of the authors of the 2021 study, raise concerns regarding the potentially dangerous implications of stimulant use during a global epidemic.
Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Willingness to Vaccinate for COVID-19
Authors: Patterson Charlotte J. , Potter Emma C.
Published: August 2022

Around the world, and particularly in the United States, where COVID-19 vaccinations are widely available, questions about vaccine acceptance have become very important. Working with an online sample of 788 cisgender adults living in Southeastern United States, we studied predictors of variation in the willingness to vaccinate. Guided by the Health Belief Model, we assessed perceived threat, motivations for vaccination, hesitations about vaccination, personal health conditions, and demographic variables among participants who varied in race (“White” and “Black”), gender (cisgender men, women), and sexual identity (heterosexual, sexual minority). Consistent with the Health Belief Model, results showed that demographics (e.g., race, sex, political affiliation, etc.), perceived threat of COVID-19, motivations for vaccination, and hesitations about vaccination significantly predicted willingness to vaccinate. Over and above the predictions based on all of these variables, sexual identity was also a significant predictor; members of sexual minorities were more likely than their heterosexual peers to be willing to vaccinate. Overall, we found that taking sexual orientation into account can lead to improved prediction of the willingness to vaccinate. For this reason, public health officials should account for sexual identity in their models of vaccination uptake.
IMPLEMENTASI SUPERVISI DALAM MENINGKATKAN KINERJA TENAGA KEPENDIDIKAN DI MA AZ-ZUBAIR TLANAKAN PAMEKASAN
Authors: Halik Abd. , Nurhadi Ali , Soleh Badrus , Adi Kurniawan David
Published: August 2022

Supervisi atau pengawasan dilaksanakan sebagai usaha dalam memastikan bahwa seluruh kegiatan berjalan sebagaimana mestinya sekaligus sebagai antisipasi ketika ada persoalan yang perlu ditindak lanjuti dengan serius. Dalam lembaga pendidikan sepervisi sebagai kontrol utama bagi kepala madrasah dalam memastikan kegiatan berjalan dengan lancar menyesuaikan dengan tujuan yang telah ditentukan sebelumnya. Berdasarkan hal tersebut maka dilakukan penelitian ke MA Az-Zubair Tlanakan Pamekasan tentang implementasi supervisi dalam meningkatkan kinerja tenaga kependidikan yang terdiri dari tiga fokus penelitian yaitu: 1) Bagaimana implementasi supervisi dalam meningkatkan kinerja tenaga kependidikan di MA Az-Zubair Tlanakan Pamekasan; 2) Faktor apa saja yang mendukung dan menghambat pelaksanaan supervisi kepala madrasah dalam meningkatkan kinerja tenaga kependidikan di MA Az-Zubair Tlanakan Pamekasan; 3) Bagaimana dampak atau implikasi supervisi kepala madrasah dalam meningkatkan kinerja tenaga kependidikan di MA Az-Zubair Tlanakan Pamekasan.
Rola i znaczenie instytucji zmiany sposobu wykonywania zakazu prowadzenia pojazdu w świetle art. 182a k.k.w.
Authors: Włodarczyk Magdalena , Kalisz Tomasz
Published: August 2022

Artykuł stanowi próbę przybliżenia problematyki związanej z wprowadzoną do obowiązującego porządku prawnego ustawą z 20 marca 2015 roku o zmianie ustawy — Kodeks karny oraz niektórych innych ustaw (Dz.U. z 2015 r. poz. 541) instytucją zmiany sposobu wykonywania orzeczonego prawomocnym wyrokiem sądu środka karnego w postaci zakazu prowadzenia pojazdów wedle art. 182a kodeksu karnego wykonawczego. Wprowadzony przepis przy spełnieniu określonych warunków ustawowych pozwala bowiem sądowi na zmniejszenie (złagodzenie) elementu represyjnego orzeczonego środka karnego zakazu prowadzenia pojazdów poprzez umożliwienie skazanym prowadzenia pojazdów wyposażonych w blokadę alkoholową.
Neglect of normative principles by social work practitioners: Recommendations for social work education
Authors: Blanz Mathias , Kolbeck Anna Katharina
Published: August 2022

Two hundred and four German social work practitioners were reviewed to what extent they neglect ethical and normative principles in their daily professional social work practice. The principles have been derived from the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), and the German Professional Association for Social Work (DBSH). Different from expectations, factor analyses led to a classification of these neglects into three areas: the neglect of goals of the profession (e.g., improving social work's public image), of guidelines for dealing with clients (e.g., not favoring one client over another), and regarding general regulations of careful work (e.g., documenting one's daily actions). Item analyses and scale formations for these three domains are described. In addition, correlation analyses with eight validity variables document convergent, discriminant and criterion validity of the elaborated scales. Finally, the meaning of the three dimensions and the consequences for educating ethical principles in social work are discussed. In addition, suggestions are given to improve the assessment instrument in further research.
MECHANISMS OF THE KEEPING AND CHANGE OF FORMS AND SIZES OF THE CELL NUCLEI (REVIEW)
Authors: Areshidze David A.
Published: August 2022

The size and shape of the cell nucleus are the frequently used parameters in the studies of Russian and foreign-states authors, not only as necessary for calculating the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio of a cell in ontogenesis, differentiation, and pathological processes, but also having values as such. However, in discussions, two extreme points of view are expressed on the value of information about the shape and, especially, about the size of the nucleus. According to the first point of view, the morphometry of the size and shape of the cell nucleus without measuring the cytoplasm with the subsequent calculation of the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio does not make any sense, and the data obtained do not carry significant information. Proponents of the second point of view consider the cell nucleus as a labile and significant indicator of the morphological and functional state of the cell, the size and shape of which change during normal aging, pathological conditions, proliferation, gene expression, and protein synthesis. In this regard, a meta-analysis of modern scientific literature devoted to the study of the mechanisms of maintaining and changing the size and shape of the cell nucleus was carried out. The data obtained were subjected to an analytical study in order to formulate and explain the structures, factors and mechanisms of maintenance, changes in the size, shape of the cell nucleus. Based on the analysis of data from Russian and foreign-states sources, it can be confidently stated that the amount of DNA in the nucleus is not the only factor that determines its size and shape, but also the structure and modification of chromatin can affect nuclear morphology. It can be considered proven that the leading structures of the cell that determine the size and shape of the cell nucleus are the cytoskeleton, the complex of nuclear pores, the nuclear lamina, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the factors are nuclear-cytoplasmic exchange and osmolarity. Further study of the structures and factors affecting the size and shape of the nucleus, establishing the relationship between its morphology and processes occurring at the tissue and cellular levels, promises to provide new approaches to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of a number of diseases.
Hashimoto Tiroiditinde Nöromusküler Fonksiyonların Değerlendirilmesi
Authors: GÜLLÜOĞLU Halil , UYSAL Hasan Armağan
Published: August 2022

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most prevalent autoimmune thyroid disease with an increasing incidence. Although the exact causes and pathogenesis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are not yet fully understood, the literature indicates complex interactions of immunologic, genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors. It generally leads to hypothyroidism which can cause neuromuscular problems including neuropathy and myopathy. Data on neuromuscular functions of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients are relatively underreported and not up to date.The current observational study aimed to evaluate neuromuscular functions and sympathetic skin responses (SSR) in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and compare them with healthy participants. In total, 50 patients (25 females, 25 males; mean age, 31.6±4.9 years; range: 25-40 years) including 33 euthyroid, 10 with subclinical hypothyroidism, and 7 with hypothyroidism were included. The control group consisted of 50 healthy individuals (25 females, 25 males; mean age: 31.5±5.1 years; range, 25-40 years). Nerve conduction studies, repetitive nerve stimulation, SSRs and F wave recordings were performed in all participants. There were significant differences in the mean SSR latency and amplitude both in the upper extremities (p<0.001 and p=0.013, respectively) and in the lower extremities (p=0.008 and p=0.002, respectively) in the comparison groups. There was a significant difference in comparison groups regarding needle electroneuromyography (EMG) tests (p=0.012) and 14% of the patients showed myogenic EMG findings. In addition, a significant correlation was found between EMG findings and anti-TPO levels in the Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients (r=0.453; p=0.001). No significant differences were found in the nerve conduction studies, routine EMG tests, repetitive nerve stimulations or F wave recordings between patients and control groups. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, can cause negative influences on the proper functioning of neuromuscular systems. SSR, and electrophysiological tests may be beneficial for early detection and investigation of neuromuscular abnormalities in these patients.
The Function of Histone Modifications in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Foroughi Nezhad Amin
Published: August 2022

Numerous genes expression lead to inflammation in the individuals’ lungs that have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be affected by epigenetic alteration. Important epigenetic processes include methylation of DNA and different histones post-translational changes, including ubiquitination, phosphorylation, methylation, SUMOylation and acetylation. Smoking can trigger the enzymes that control these epigenetic changes. According to the majority of publications, both environmental and genetic variables have a substantial role in the development of COPD. Although, the information about COPD epigenetic is not much but, a better perception of the disease pathophysiology and identifying new markers to create novel therapeutics for patients can be achieved via a better understanding of the epigenetic processes involved.
The Dark Universe Cosmology
Authors: Pachankis Yang Immanuel
Published: August 2022

The sources of dark matter and its spatial distribution is not in the typical standard model. The study thought to induct the physical causalities with empirical evidence on the theory of black hole and white hole juxtapose. The research applied a mixed method of data analysis and observational cosmology. With the cosmological observations on the traces of white holes, the research finds that the accretion phenomenon of black holes is largely contributed by its thermonuclear binding with the white hole. The antimatter saturated plasma of cold fusion and hot fission are key to the phenomenon of black hole and white hole juxtapose. The force between the black hole and the white hole is stronger than the strong force, and sheds new directions on cosmological and gravitation studies. The research concludes that black holes are white hole entropy. The higher order of the universe in matter forms can exist beyond the observed force. The thermal arrow of time is critical to future general relativity dependent instrumentation discoveries.
Meta-analisis validitas booklet klasifikasi makhluk hidup sebagai suplemen bahan ajar ipa kelas vii smp
Authors: Alencia Pujha , Syamsurizal Syamsurizal
Published: August 2022

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tingkat keabsahan Booklet Klasifikasi Makhluk Hidup Sebagai Tambahan Ajaran untuk Kelas VII SMP. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode meta-analisis. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan mencari jurnal dan tesis yang berhubungan dengan booklet. Sampel yang digunakan adalah 18 jurnal dan skripsi yang berkaitan dengan pengembangan booklet. Hasil meta analisis penelitian untuk bahan ajar berupa booklet sebesar 87,89% dengan kategori sangat valid. Berdasarkan hasil analisis jurnal dan tesis pada bahan ajar berupa booklet, diharapkan validitas Booklet Klasifikasi Makhluk Hidup Sebagai Tambahan Ajaran untuk Sekolah Menengah Pertama diperoleh kriteria sangat valid.

 

Meta-analysis validity of the booklet on classification of living things as supplement for seventh grader. This research aims to determine the level validity of the Booklet on Classification of Living Things as Teaching Supplement for Class VII Junior High School. This study uses a meta-analysis method. The data was collected by searching for journals and theses related to booklets. The samples used were 18  journals and theses related to booklet development. The results of the research meta analysis for teaching materials in the form of booklets amounted to 87,89% with a very valid category. Based on the results of the analysis of journals and theses on teaching materials in the form of booklets, it is expected that the validity of the Booklet on Classification of Living Things as Teaching Supplement for Junior High School obtained very valid criteria.
Passive Tomographic Study on Velocity Changes in Underground Mines Using Tabular Mesh Grids
Authors: Ma Xu , Westman Erik , Guo Kai , Sun Enji , Yang Tao
Published: August 2022

Double difference tomographic inversion on measurements of travelling time and location are performed to analyze the velocity structure within rock mass in underground mining. Residuals of each iteration are estimated to evaluate the conversion of computation. Average wave propagation velocities in tabular areas are assessed to compare the velocity change affected by mainshocks. It is summarized that velocity increases before mainshocks and then reduces with temporal evolution after them. Possible explanations include static stress buildup that enhances the wave propagation before mainshocks and static stress reduction that weakens the waveform propagation. Additionally, wave propagation is attenuated by the dynamic-shaking induced fractures and ruptures within rock masses. Velocity change is shown to be of importance in assessing the stress redistribution and stability of rock masses. It is found that P-wave velocity increased by 1% ~5% before the occurrence of mainshocks. After the mainshocks, the velocity turned into decreasing and eventually dropped to a level that was even lower than the average level before the mainshocks. It can be inferred that stress increased and formed a stress concentration region before the mainshocks. The occurrence of mainshocks caused damage and stress relaxation in the rock mass, leading to a significant velocity decrease.
Size of contralateral aneurysm: an indicator of Posterior Communicating artery mirror aneurysm management
Authors: Li Jiayao , Wang Chao , Chang Jia-Yi , Xu Dong-Mei , Zhou Han , Li Huanting , Li Shifang , Feng Yugong
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Intracranial mirror aneurysm is one of the subspecies of multiple intracranial aneurysms. The clear consensus on the treatment of mirror aneurysms has not come into existence. We investigated the preoperative value for radiographic data of Posterior Communicating artery (PComA) mirror aneurysms in operation choosing. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with PComA mirror aneurysms treated with clipping from December 1997 to April 2019. The PComA mirror aneurysms were confirmed by computed tomographic angiography or digital substraction angiography and PComA mirror aneurysms patients with other aneurysms complicated were excluded. Patients’ radiographic data, general clinical data and Modified Rankin Score were analysed by R 4.1.2. Results: 33 PComA mirror aneurysm patients were analysed. Mirror aneurysms were clipped by one-stage unilateral craniotomy approach in 10 of 33. There was one factor that was statistically significant. In patients accepted unilateral approach, the size of silence aneurysm tended to be in the range of 5.1mm to 10mm. Discussion: The size of silent aneurysm performs as an indicator for neuro- surgeon in choosing management strategy of mirror aneurysms. Thus it is helpful to measure the size of silence aneurysm before operation.
Benchmarking Electrical Stun Devices by Considering Electroporation
Authors: Guo Xiaofei , Su Ying , Schilling Meinhard , Meisner Johann , Passon Stephan , Seifert Helmut , Cang Tianzhu
Published: August 2022

Background:
Electrical stun devices can be easily purchased on the market without knowing their potential risks. To date, no method has been available to measure the risk of ventricular fibrillation caused by general electrical stun devices. To solve this problem, we developed a new benchmarking procedure using a combination of a neuron model and an anatomical model, the latter of which was based on the finite element method.
Results:
The field strength dependent conductivity of muscle tissue up to 2 kV/cm was measured and included in the finite element method. It was set up to calculate the current density on the surface of the heart. The variable conductivity changes the current density distribution, induces the maximum current density on the heart surface. Two electrical stun devices were tested via this benchmarking procedure. The waveforms of the electrical stun devices significantly affected the risk of direct electrical stimulation to the heart from exposure to electrical stun devices.
Conclusions:
Potential human health risks from general electrical stun devices were not fully discussed or clearly defined in previous studies. The novel benchmarking procedure in our study provides a means to assess the risk of ventricular fibrillation posed by individual electrical stun devices. By considering the field strength-dependent conductivity of muscle tissue and the waveforms of the electrical stun devices, the risk of the devices can be more accurately estimated.
Unraveling the importance of some PvPR10 genes in response of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to combined abiotic stress and hormones
Authors: Feki Kaouthar , Tounsi Sana , Mrabet Moncef , Boubakri Hatem , Saidi Mohamed Najib , Harrabi Wissal , Brini Faical , Mhadhbi Haythem
Published: August 2022

The characterization of PR10 proteins has been conducted in many plant species. However, little is known about the roles of PvPR10 in response of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to stress. Thus, for the first time a genome wide analysis revealed that the 34 genes of Bet v 1 family were divided into three major subfamilies according to phylogenetic relationship analysis from P. vulgaris and other plant species. The analysis uncovered that tandem duplication was the major force in the expansion of the Bet v 1 family genes in P. vulgaris and two other Fabaceae plants. Furthermore, the gene structure and motifs examination revealed that genes of Bet v 1 family were relatively conserved during evolution. Likewise, we recognized in the PvPR10 promoter regions several cis-regulatory elements related not only to abiotic and biotic stresses but also to phytohormones. In P. vulgaris, several PvPR10 genes exhibited differential expression profiles in many developmental tissues and organs. Notably, the expression profiles showed that essentially the two genes PvPR10-2 and PvPR10-3 genes were up-regulated under various treatments. Besides, the combined NaCl-JA stress enhanced their expressions in leaves and stems. Finally, we noticed that these inductions seem to be correlated with the enhancement of the expression of ABA biosynthesis PvNCED3 gene and the transcription factor PvDREB. Taken together, these data provide a foundation for further functional studies of certain PvPR10 that could be used in various stress tolerance improvements.
Impact assessment of surface ozone exposure on crop yields at three tropical stations over India
Authors: Roy Sompriti Deb , Bano Shahana , Beig Gufran , Murthy Bandarusatya
Published: August 2022

Surface ozone is a damaging pollutant for crops and ecosystems and the ozone-induced crop losses over India remain uncertain and a topic of debate due to lack of sufficient observations and uncertainties involved in the modelled results. In this study we have used the observational data from MAPAN (Modelling Air Pollution And Networking) for the first time to estimate the relative yield losses, crop production losses and economic losses for the two major crops (wheat and rice). The detailed estimation has been done focussing on three individual suburban sites over India (Patiala, Tezpur and Delhi) and compared with other related studies over the Indian region. We have used the concentration-based metric (M7, 7-hour average from 09:00 to 15:59 hours) along with the cumulative ozone exposure indices (AOT40, Accumulated exposure Over a Threshold of 40ppb) and applied the Exposure-Response (E-R) functions for calculation of the crop losses. Our study shows that the yearly crop losses can reach the level of 12.4–40.8% and 2.0–11.1% for the wheat and rice crops respectively at certain places like Patiala over India. The annual economic loss can be as high as 373 million INR (Indian Rupee) and 53.8 million INR for wheat and rice crops respectively even at individual locations over India. Our estimated %RYL (Relative Yield Loss) lies in the range of 0.3+/ 0.6 times of the recent regional model estimates which uses only the AOT40 metric. Region-specific E-R functions based on factors suitable for the Indian region needs to be developed.
Provision for Energy: Federated Learning in Edge Systems
Authors: Liu Mingyue , Alias Syazwina
Published: August 2022

An energy-efficient transmission and computation resource allocation problem for federated learning (FL) on wireless communication networks is investigated. Based on the considered model, each user exploits limited local computing resources to train a local FL model with its collected data. The local FL model is then transmitted to a base station (BS), which aggregates the local FL model and broadcasts it back to all users. Based on the learning accuracy level, computation and communication latency are determined by the exchange of learning models between users and BS. During the FL process, both the local computation energy and the transmission energy must be considered. Due to wireless users’ limited energy consumption, the communication problem is formulated as an optimization problem whose objective is to minimize the overall energy consumption of the system with a latency limitation. To solve this problem, we resort to an iterative algorithm with a solution of bandwidth, power, computational and other factors. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithms can reduce energy consumption compared to the conventional FL method.
Generation of novel phosphite-mediated weed control system for Brassica napus by expressing PtxDQ from Ralstonia sp.4506
Authors: Zhong Yuan , Li Sijia , Ma Chaozhi , Wu Gaobing , Dai Cheng
Published: August 2022

Weeds are managed by the herbicides in modern agriculture. However, the herbicide control options are rapidly diminishing due to the recent increased in the number of herbicide-resistant weeds in fields, which affect the sustainable development of agriculture in the future. Plants could absorb phosphite (Phi) through the Pi transporters, but the Phi cannot be metabolized and used as phosphorus (P) fertilizers for crops, which leads to the plant growth inhibition. Previously, a ptxD gene isolated from Ralstonia sp.4506, and a mutagenesis of the Tyr139 to Gln (Y139Q) enhanced activity of PtxD. To evaluate the efficacious of a phosphite-based weed control system in Brassica napus, we generated transgenic B. napus plants with a codon-optimized ptxD (Y139Q, ptxDQ) gene. Ectopic expression of ptxDQ gain an ability to convert Phi into orthophosphate (Pi), leading to improved plant growth in the presence of Phi. When P is supplied in the form of Phi, ptxDQ-expressing B. napus plants outcompete Setaria glauca, in artificial substrates. Additionally, Pi-starvation induced genes were suppressed in ptxDQ transgenic lines by suppling Phi. Overall, the ptxDQ/Phi system provide an effective alternative to suppressing the growth of weeds while providing adequate Pi nutrition to the crops, which in turn will improve the sustainability of agriculture.
The effect of aerobics exercise on professional women’s mental health and body composition
Authors: Liu Yuanxin , Zhao Xinhui
Published: August 2022

Background: With the continuous acceleration of the harmonious society, physical and mental health has attracted great attention from the general public. For example, to improve physical and mental health, more and more people start doing aerobics. We aim to observe the effect of aerobics exercise on the mental and physical composition of professional women, and to explore its effect on professional women's positive emotions and life satisfaction.Methods: Questionnaire survey, group training experiment and mathematical statistics were used to investigate the positive emotions, work engagement, life satisfaction and physical composition indicators of the professional women who took part in aerobics exercise. Results: The four subscale scores of exercise volume, refreshment sense, quiet sense, and active participation sense of the experimental group were much better than the control group, respectively (P<0.001), while there was no significant difference on the feeling of fatigue between two groups (P>0.05). As for the contrast of the above factors before and after the exercise, the statistical results of exercise volume, refreshment, quietness, and participation active of the experimental group were much better than the control group, respectively (P<0.01), while there was also no significant difference on the feeling of fatigue between two groups (P>0.05). Furthermore, the work commitment, work dedication, and work focus of the exercise experimental group were much better than the control group (P<0.001). The general life satisfaction between the experimental group is significant higher the control group (P<0.001). Before and after the experiment, the experimental group showed better body fat mass, body fat percentage and lean body weight than the control group (P<0.01), while there’s no significant difference in body weight and BMI.Conclusion: Aerobics training can improve professional women’s positive emotions, work commitment, and body composition. Aerobics training enhances professional women’s life satisfaction, and has a positive effect on professional women’s psychology.
A survey of butcher perspectives and prevalence of ingested plastic and hardware among goats in rural Malawi markets
Authors: Airs Paul M , Safalaoh Andrews CL , Mvula Winchester , Khonje Patience , Ventura-Cordero Jaiver , Takahashi Taro , Nalivata Patson , Wyk Jan Van , Morgan Eric R
Published: August 2022

Smallholder goat production plays a major role in rural livelihoods and food security in Malawi. While goat production is closely linked to small scale local markets for slaughter and butchering the perspectives of butchers and their potential as a source of information on animal health is largely untapped. Understanding butchers’ perceptions of factors impacting goat smallholdings is important to identify hardships for both butchers and smallholders. Butchers can provide insights into goat health issues that go unseen before slaughter, including the presence of indigestible foreign bodies (IFBs), which can impact negatively on goat health but are difficult to diagnose before death. The current study includes a survey of 50 butchers in central Malawi to investigate visible animal health issues before and after slaughter, attitudes to procurement, income, and impacts of covid-19 on business. Results revealed butchers find IFBs to be a problem, with 100% of butchers witnessing plastic and 66% witnessing other hardware in recently slaughtered goats. Dog bites were also frequent but the relationship between observed injuries from IFBs and dog bites to goat health was not clearly delineated by butchers’ responses. Income from goats varies and is largely dependent on sales following harvest of agricultural products, with potential for income to drop below the poverty line in times of hardship.
Genome-wide association study and selective sweeps reveal genetic variations associated with Chip Processing clones selected over sixty years in global potato breeding programs
Authors: Jo Kwang Ryong , Choi Jang-Gyu , Kwon Do-Hee , Park Young-Eun , Kim Su-Jeong
Published: August 2022

Key message A Chip Processing phenotype in potato was characterized using both the case-control genome-wide association study and selective sweep approaches, pinpointing the associated genetic variants on chromosome 10, as well as finding variants under selection across the genome. Although with booming potato chip industry, distinct chip processing clones have been released over the past 60 years, the genetic architecture of their chip processing characteristics remains largely unknown. The case-control genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using SolCAP SNP array data for Chip Processing clones versus all other market classes in the 359-line potato diversity panel (Jo et al. 2022) were performed to detect significant signals on chromosome 10. The signals were redetected in the GWAS test using the strata-corrected 190-line panel and also genomic scans employing selective sweep approaches such as the cross-population composite likelihood ratio method (XP-CLR) and PCAdapt. Through applications of four selective sweep approaches including XP-CLR, PCAdapt, the integrated haplotype homozygosity score (iHS), and the cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) for a 227-line panel separated into two groups (chip processing vs non-chip processing) by principal component analysis, various genetic variants were found across the genome that had been differentially selected. These genomic regions under selection are involved in carbohydrate-related genes or loci and transcription factors, indicating to be associated with the improvement of chip processing performance of potato cultivars. The results could have implications for genomics-assisted breeding of the promising chip processing cultivars in potato.
Application of a novel second-order differential equation grey model to forecast NOx emissions in China
Authors: Xu Xiaozeng , Zeng Bo
Published: August 2022

Nitrogen oxide (NOx) contains two harmful air pollutants: nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The reasonable prediction of China's NOx emissions is of positive significance for the government to formulate environmental protection policies. To this end, a new grey prediction model with second-order differential equation is proposed in this paper, which has more reasonable model structure and better modeling performance than the traditional grey model. Secondly, according to the data characteristics of NOx emissions of China in recent years, a smoothing algorithm and weakening buffer operator are employed to process the original data to solve the rationality of the prediction results of the new model. Thirdly, the model for predicting China's NOx emissions has been constructed by the new proposed model. The results show that the mean comprehensive error of the new model is only 0.0692%, and its performance is much better than that of several other mainstream grey prediction models. Finally, the new model is applied to China's carbon dioxide prediction in the next five years, and the rationality of the prediction results is analyzed. Based on the prediction results, relevant countermeasures and suggestions are put forward.
QTL mapping and improvement of pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) resistance using japonica weedy rice
Authors: Lee Chang-Min , Park Hyun-Su , Baek Man-Ki , Jeong O-young , Seo Jeong-Hwan , Kim Suk-Man
Published: August 2022

Background
The stability of cultivation and production in terms of crop yield has been threatened by climate change due to global warming. Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is a threat to crops, especially staple foods, including rice, because of reductions in yield and quality. To address the problem of precocious germination before harvest, we performed quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for PHS using F8 RILs populations derived from japonica weedy rice in Korea.
Results
QTL analysis revealed that two stable QTLs, qPH7 and qPH2, associated with PHS resistance were identified on chromosomes 7 and 2, respectively, explaining approximately 38% of the phenotypic variation. The QTL effect in the tested lines significantly decreased the degree of PHS, based on the number of QTLs included. Through fine mapping for main QTL qPH7, the region for the PHS was found to be anchored within 23.575–23.785 Mbp on chromosome 7 using 13 cleaved amplified sequence (CAPS) markers. Among 15 open reading frames (ORFs) within the detected region, one ORF, Os07g0584366, exhibited upregulated expression in the resistant donor, which was approximately nine times higher than that of susceptible japonica cultivars under PHS-inducing conditions.
Conclusion
A QTLs introgression japonica line was developed to improve the characteristics of PHS and design practical PCR-based DNA markers for marker-assisted backcrosses of many other PHS-susceptible japonica cultivars.
Regenerative Potential of Multinucleated Cells; Bone Marrow Adiponectin Positive Multinucleated Cells Take the Lead
Authors: Moein Shiva , Ahmadbeigi Naser , Adibi Rezvan , Kamali Sara , Moradzadeh Kobra , Nematollahi Pardis , Nardi Nance Bayer , Gheisari Yousof
Published: August 2022

Background
Polyploid cells can be found in a wide evolutionary spectrum of organisms. These cells are assumed to be involved in tissue regeneration and resistance to stressors. Although the appearance of large multinuclear cells (LMCs) in long-term culture of bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal cells has been reported, the presence and characteristics of such cells in native BM and their putative role in BM reconstitution following injury have not been fully investigated.
Methods
BM-derived LMCs were explored by time-lapse microscopy from the first hours post isolation to assess their colony formation and plasticity. In addition, sub-lethally irradiated mice were sacrificed every other day for four weeks to investigate the histopathological processes during BM regeneration. Moreover, LMCs from GFP-transgenic mice were transplanted to BM-ablated recipients to evaluate their contribution to tissue reconstruction.
Results
BM isolated LMCs produced mononucleated cells with characteristics of mesenchymal stromal cells. Time-series inspections of BM sections following irradiation revealed that LMCs are highly resistant to injury and originate mononucleated cells which reconstitute the tissue. The regeneration process was synchronized with a transient augmentation of adipocytes suggesting their contribution to tissue repair. Additionally, LMCs were found to be adiponectin positive linking the observations on multinucleation and adipogenesis to BM regeneration. Notably, transplantation of LMCs to myeloablated recipients could reconstitute both the hematopoietic system and BM stroma.
Conclusions
A population of resistant multinucleated cells reside in the BM that served as the common origin of stromal and hematopoietic lineages with a key role in tissue regeneration. Furthermore, this study underscores the contribution of adipocytes in BM reconstruction.
An experimental and numerical study of double dowel-type shear connector
Authors: Vanova Patricia , Dubecky Daniel , Weissova Michala , Bartus Jakub , Kvocak Vincent
Published: August 2022

The hunger for a better, more effective, more economic, easier for construction, and overall more sustainable bridge design is enormous nowadays. One of the solutions for the problems described is a composite structure with embedded steel beams in a form of a shear connector. The paper presented deals with a study of a suggested shear connector. A new design of the connector is presented - of double dowel type. Its geometrical attributes are closely described and the idea of its origin is explained. The study of the connectors consists of experimental and numerical part. In experimental study, the experiments performed together with measuring methods are described and their results are presented and analysed. In numerical study the finite element model developed in an ABAQUS software is presented with a detail description of the modeling process. In results and discussions the software results are compared to with results from the experimental study and the overall behavior of the proposed shear connector is compared to shear connectors from other studies.