bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Production of Non-Cytotoxic Pyomelanin by A Laccase: Properties and Chemical Structure Compared to Bacterial and Synthetic Pigments
Authors: Lorquin Faustine , Ziarelli Fabio , Amouric Agnès , Giorgio Carole Di , Robin Maxime , Piccerelle Philippe , Lorquin Jean 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Pyomelanin is a polymer of homogentisic acid synthesized by microorganisms. This work aimed to develop a production process and evaluate the quality of the pigment. Three procedures have been elaborated and optimized, (1) an HGA-Mn2+ chemical autoxidation (PyoCHEM yield 0.317 g/g substrate), (2) an induced bacterial culture of Halomonas titanicae through the 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid-1-hydroxylase route (PyoBACT, 0.55 g/L), and (3) a process using a recombinant laccase with the highest level produced (PyoENZ, 1.25 g/g substrate) and all the criteria for a large-scale prototype. The chemical structures had been investigated by 13C solid-state NMR (CP-MAS) and FTIR. Car-Car bindings predominated in the three polymers, Car-O-Car (ether) linkages being absent, proposing mainly C3-C6 (β-bindings) and C4-C6 (α-bindings) configurations. This work highlighted a biological decarboxylation by the laccase or bacterial oxidase(s), leading to the partly formation of gentisyl alcohol and gentisaldehyde that are integral parts of the polymer. By comparison, PyoENZ exhibited an Mw of 5,700 Da, was hyperthermostable, non-cytotoxic even after irradiation, scavenged ROS induced by keratinocytes, and had a highly DPPH-antioxidant and Fe3+-reducing activity. As a representative pigment of living cells and an available standard, PyoENZ might also be useful for applications in extreme conditions and skin protection.
SPINK7 Expression Changes Accompanied by HER2, P53 and RB1 Can Be Relevant to Predict Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma at Molecular Level
Authors: Pennacchiotti Gina , Garrido Fabio Valdés , González-Arriagada Wilfredo , Montes Héctor , Parra Judith , Guida Valeria , Gómez Silvina , Guerrero-Gimenez Martín , Fernandez-Muñoz Juan , Zopino Felipe , Carón Rubén , Ezquer Marcelo , Fernández-Ramires Ricardo , Bruna Flavia 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) affects patients worldwide with a high morbidity rate. Changes of SPINK7 in precancerous lesions could promote oncogenesis. Our aim was to evaluate SPINK7 as a potential molecular biomarker predictive of OSCC stages, compared with: HER2, TP53, RB1, NFKB and CYP4B1.
Oral biopsies from patients with dysplasia (n=33), less invasive (n=28) and highly invasive OSCC (n=18) were used. 20 cases with a clinical suspicion but normal mucosa confirmed were the control. Gene levels of SPINK7, P53, RB, NFKB and CYP4B1 were quantified by qPCR. SPINK7 levels were correlated with a cohort of 330 patients from the TCGA. Also, SPINK7, HER2, TP53, and RB1, were evaluated by immunohistofluorescence. One-way Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn's post-hoc with a p<0.05 significance was used to data analyze.
In OSCC, SPINK7 expression was down regulated and P53, RB, NFKB and CYP4B1 were up regulated (p<0.001). Also, SPINK7 was diminished in TCGA patients (p=2.10e-6). In less invasive OSCC, SPINK7 and HER2 proteins were decreased and TP53 and RB1 increased respect to others groups (p<0.05). Our results suggest that SPINK7 changes accompanied of HER2, P53 and RB1 can be used to classify the molecular stage of OSCC lesions, allowing a diagnosis to molecular and histopathological level.
Retinitis Pigmentosa is Associated With Shifts in The Gut Microbiome
Authors: Kutsyr Oksana , Maestre-Carballa Lucía , Lluesma-Gomez Mónica , Martinez-Garcia Manuel , Cuenca Nicolas , Lax Pedro 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The gut microbiome is known to influence the pathogenesis and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. However, there has been relatively little focus upon the implications of the gut microbiome in retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Here, we investigated changes in gut microbiome composition linked to RP, by assessing both retinal degeneration and gut microbiome in the rd10 mouse model of RP as compared to control C57BL/6J mice. In rd10 mice, retinal responsiveness to flashlight stimuli and visual acuity were deteriorated with respect to observed in age-matched control mice. This functional decline in dystrophic animals was accompanied by photoreceptor loss, morphologic anomalies in photoreceptor cells and retinal reactive gliosis. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data showed a microbial gut dysbiosis with differences in alpha and beta diversity at the genera, species and amplicon sequence variants (ASV) levels between dystrophic and control mice. Remarkably, four fairly common ASV in healthy gut microbiome belonging to Rikenella spp., Muribaculaceace spp., Prevotellaceae UCG-001 spp., and Bacilli spp. were absent in the gut microbiome of retinal disease mice, while Bacteroides caecimuris was significantly enriched in mice with RP. The results indicate that retinal degenerative changes in RP are linked to relevant gut microbiome changes. The findings suggest that microbiome shifting could be considered as potential biomarker and therapeutic target for retinal degenerative diseases.
A Q Methodology Study on Divergent Perspectives on CRISPR-Cas9 in The Netherlands
Authors: Schuijff Mirjam , De Jong Menno , Dijkstra Anne 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: CRISPR-Cas9, a technology enabling modification of the human genome, is developing rapidly. There have been calls for public debate to discuss its ethics, societal implications, and governance. So far, however, little is known about public attitudes on CRISPR-Cas9. This study contributes to a better understanding of public perspectives by exploring the various holistic perspectives Dutch citizens have on CRISPR-Cas9. Methods: This study used Q methodology to identify different perspectives of Dutch citizens (N=30) on the use of CRISPR-Cas9. The Q-sort method aims at segmenting audiences based on the structural characteristics of their views. Participants individually ranked 32 statements about CRISPR-Cas9 and discussed their rankings in small groups. By-person factor analysis was performed using PQMethod. Participants’ contributions to the discussions were used to further make sense of the audience segments identified.Results: Five perspectives on CRISPR-Cas9 were identified: (1) pragmatic optimists (2) concerned sceptics; (3) normative optimists; (4) enthusiastic supporters; and (5) benevolent generalists. Each perspective represents a unique position motivated by different ranking rationales. Sorting rationales included improving health, preventing negative impacts on society, and fear of a slippery slope. Overall, there is broad, but not universal support for medical uses of CRISPR-Cas9. Conclusions: Research on CRISPR-Cas9 should prioritise the broadly supported applications of the technology. Research and public debates on CRISPR-Cas9, its uses, its broader implications, and the governance of CRISPR-Cas9 are recommended. A discourse that includes all perspectives can contribute to the embedding of future uses of CRISPR-Cas9 in society is advised. This study shows that Q methodology followed by group discussions enables citizens to contribute meaningfully to discourses about research.
Exhausted gas reservoirs drive massive galaxy quenching in the early universe
Authors: Whitaker Katherine , Williams Christina , Mowla Lamiya , Spilker Justin , Toft Sune , Narayanan Desika , Pope Alexandra , Magdis Georgios , Dokkum Pieter van , Akhshik Mohammad , Bezanson Rachel , Brammer Gabriel , Leja Joel , Man Allison , Nelson Erica , Richard Johan , Pacifici Camilla , Sharon Keren , Valentino Francesco 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
When the Universe was merely three billion years old, about half of massive galaxies had already formed the bulk of their stars and new star formation plummeted [1]. How galaxies quench at such early times remains a puzzle, as their dark matter halos contain large gas reservoirs [2-4]. This gas should cool efficiently, sustaining star formation over long periods [5,6]. Here we present sensitive 1.3mm wavelength observations of cold dust in six quenched galaxies in the redshift range z=1.6 to z=3.2 with stellar masses ranging from 2.5x1010M⊙ to 5x1011M⊙, which are magnified by foreground galaxy clusters. Even with factors of up to 30 in magnification, four of the six galaxies are undetected at this wavelength. We show that these quenched galaxies have extremely little dust at early times, and by proxy very little cold molecular gas. The median dust mass is <0.01% of the stellar mass (molecular gas mass <1%), more than two orders of magnitude less than star-forming galaxies at this epoch [4]. The implication is that most early galaxies shut off star formation because their reservoir of molecular gas was rapidly depleted or removed, and is not being replenished.
Handgrip strength and its association with noncommunicable diseases and their risk factors among elderly individuals in Malaysia
Authors: Shah Shamsul Azhar , Safian Nazarudin , Ahmad Saharuddin , Hassan Mohd Rohaizat , Mohammad Zulkefley , Nurumal Siti Rohani , Ibadullah Wan Abdul Hannan Wan , Mansor Juliana , Shobugawa Yugo 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Handgrip strength (HGS) is indicative of overall physical health among older people. A reduction in HGS may be associated with an increased risk of disease. This study aims to assess the association between HGS and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the related risk factors.Methods: One thousand two hundred four (1204) participants from four areas in Selangor state, Malaysia, were recruited. A comprehensive face-to-face interview based on the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES-BM) questionnaire was administered, followed by HGS assessments by a handgrip dynamometer.Results: The mean age of the participants was 68.7 (SD 6.36) years. A total of 691 participants (57.4%) were male, and 513 (42.6%) were female. The mean HGS was 30.0 (SD 7.53) kg for men and 19.4 (SD 5.28) kg for women. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that factors associated with HGS among elderly males were age group, employment status, smoking status, alcohol consumption, moderate physical activity, BMI class, diabetes mellitus and self-rated health status. For females, the significant factors were age group, moderate and light physical activity, and BMI class.Conclusions: The study contributed to a better understanding of factors associated with HGS among elderly individuals in Malaysia. Consequently, HGS may be recommended as an assessment for identifying elderly individuals at risk of NCDs and poor health status.Trial RegistrationNot applicable
Single Frontal Burr-hole Craniostomy Under Local Anaesthesia for Treating Chronic Subdural Haematoma in the Septuagenarians and Older Adults: Surgical Technique and Results
Authors: Adeleye Amos Olufemi , Ulasi Bartholomew 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Introduction. Chronic subdural haematoma is not a totally benign disease in the elderly patients, especially those aged 70 years and above. Hence, the surgical treatment of CSDH in those aged patients needs to be as minimally disruptive as possibleMaterials and Methods. An annotated description of the surgical technique of single frontal burr-hole craniostomy performed under local anaesthesia and without closed tube drainage for evacuating CSDH in the septuagenarians and older adults is described. We also review the outcome of the procedure on a prospective consecutive cohort of patients in our serviceResults. Thirty patients, 25 males, aged 70 years and above successfully underwent this surgical procedure. Their mean age was 76.5 years (standard deviation, SD, 4.3). The CSDH was bilateral in 30% (9/30); more left-sided in the rest, the unilateral cases, and was of mixed density radiologically, in most cases (73%, 22/30). Clinical presentation was mainly gait impairment, cognitive decline, and headache; and 57% (17/30) presented in coma or stupor as assessed by the Markwalder grading scale. The surgery was successfully executed in all, median duration 45.0 minutes (IQR 37.3-60.0), and solely under local anaesthesia in 77% (23/30) or with momentary short-acting sedation in the rest. Outcome was very good in 83.3% (25/30) using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) including two-third (20/30) completely asymptomatic (mRS 0), and 5/30 with only slight symptoms and no disability, mRS 1. Three patients died perioperatively.Conclusion. This surgical technique appears very effectual for CSDH, is executed at a comparatively low-cost, and, being much less disruptive than other traditional methods, may be a more homeostatic operative treatment in geriatric patients at least.
Perturbation of PI3K/Akt&nbsp;Signaling Affected Autophagy Modulation in Dystrophin-deficient Myoblasts
Authors: Yazid Muhammad Dain , Chen Hung-Chih 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: The absence of dystrophin has gave a massive impact on myotube development in Muscular Dystrophy pathogenesis. One of the conserved signaling pathways involved in skeletal muscle differentiation is the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway that plays a vital role in autophagy regulation. To further understand and establish targeted therapy in dystrophin-deficient myoblasts, protein expression profiling has been determined which provides information on perturbed autophagy modulation and activation. Methods: In this study, a dystrophin-deficient myoblast cell line established from the skeletal muscle of a dystrophic (mdx) mouse was used as a model. The dfd13 (dystrophin-deficient) and C2C12 (non-dystrophic) myoblasts were cultured in low mitogen conditions for 10 days to induce differentiation. The cells were subjected to total protein extraction prior to Western blotting assay technique. Protein sub-fractionation has been conducted to determine protein localization. The live-cell analysis of autophagy assay was done using a flow cytometer. Results: In our culture system, the dfd13 myoblasts did not achieve terminal differentiation. PTEN expression was profoundly increased in dfd13 myoblasts throughout the differentiation day subsequently indicates perturbation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR regulation. In addition, rictor-mTORC2 was also found inactivated in this event. This occurrence has caused FoxO3 misregulation leads to higher activation of autophagy-related genes in dfd13 myoblasts. Autophagosome formation was increased as LC3B-I/II showed accumulation upon differentiation. However, the ratio of LC3B lipidation and autophagic flux were shown decreased which exhibited dystrophic features. Conclusion: perturbation of the PTEN-PI3K/Akt pathway triggers excessive autophagosome formation and subsequently reduced autophagic flux within dystrophin-deficient myoblasts where these findings are of importance to understand Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) patients. We believe that some manipulation within its regulatory signaling reported in this study could help restore muscle homeostasis and attenuate disease progression.
Towards a Universal Features Set for IoT Botnet Attacks Detection
Authors: Hussain Faisal , Abbas Syed Ghazanfar , Fayyaz Ubaid U. , Shah Ghalib A. , Toqeer Abdullah , Ali Ahmad 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The security pitfalls of IoT devices make it easy for the attackers to exploit the IoT devices and make them a part of a botnet. Once hundreds of thousands of IoT devices are compromised and become the part of a botnet, the attackers use this botnet to launch the large and complex distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks which take down the target websites or services and make them unable to respond the legitimate users. So far, many botnet detection techniques have been proposed but their performance is limited to a specific dataset on which they are trained. This is because the features used to train a machine learning model on one botnet dataset, do not perform well on other datasets due to the diversity of attack patterns. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a universal features set to better detect the botnet attacks regardless of the underlying dataset. The proposed features set manifest preeminent results for detecting the botnet attacks when tested the trained machine learning models over three different botnet attack datasets.
Geospatial View of Air Pollution and Health Risk over North Indian Region in COVID-19 Scenario
Authors: Singh Dharmendra , Dahiya Minakshi , Nanda Chintan 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Air pollutant concentration, Air Quality Index (AQI) and Excess Risk (ER %) is assessed in three scenarios including pre-lockdown, lockdown and post-lockdown based on 47 ground station data (during January 2020 to June 2020) distributed over northern part of India using statistics and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. Significant decrease in pollutants concentration, AQI and ER % was observed in lockdown period amid COVID-19. PM2.5, PM10, NO2, NH3 and CO decreased by 46%, 31%, 39%, 24% and 34% respectively, in lockdown scenario as compared to the pre-lockdown scenario. A decrease of 39% in AQI was observed as compared to pre-lockdown scenario however the difference was less when compared with post-lockdown scenario. The decrease in total ER % was 60.36 % over the study area due to improvement in air quality amid COVID-19 lockdown. The meteorological conditions were found consistent in the current year with respect to previous year and very less influence was observed on the concentration of air pollutants. The major implications of the current findings are air pollution management, health risk management, and pollution source and type identification.
Professionals’ perceptions of the establishment of a specialized brief therapy unit in a district psychiatric centre - a qualitative study.
Authors: Markussen Hilde Våbenø , Aasdahl Lene , Rise Marit By 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Increasing mental health problems and scarce treatment resources put pressure on mental health services to make innovations in service provision, such as developing differentiated services adapted to different needs. One innovation in differentiated service provision is brief or short-term treatment to patients with moderate mental health problems. Implementing a new unit in an organization usually faces many potential barriers and facilitators, and knowledge on how the professionals providing the services perceive the implementation of innovative approaches in mental health services is scarce. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the professionals’ perceptions of how the establishment of a specialized brief therapy unit had affected the organization, especially the everyday work in the outpatient clinics.Methods: Eleven professionals, five men and six women, took part in individual interviews. All participants were between 40 and 60 years old and had leading or coordinating positions in the organization. Their professional backgrounds were within psychology, nursing and medicine, most of them specialists in their field. Data was analyzed according to Systematic text condensationResults: The professionals’ experiences represented four main themes: (1) The brief therapy unit was perceived as successful and celebrated. (2) The general outpatient clinics, on the other hand, were described as “forgotten”. (3) The establishment process had elucidated different views on treatment in the outpatient clinics - and had set off (4) a discussion regarding the criteria for prioritizing in mental health services. Conclusion: Providing targeted treatment to patients with moderate mental health problems, while having a concurrent aim to solve broader problems in mental health services, entails a discussion regarding resource use and the appropriate level of treatment provision. Professionals should be more involved when innovative efforts are implemented, and the criteria for success must be conceptualized and evaluated. Longitudinal research on the implementation of innovative efforts in the services should include professionals’ and service users’ perspectives.
Family Presence During Resuscitation: Adaptation and Validation into Spanish of the Family Presence Risk-Benefit Scale and the Self-Confidence Scale Instrument
Authors: de Mingo-Fernández Eva , Belzunegui-Eraso Ángel , Jiménez-Herrera María 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background Since the 1980s, the controversial issue of family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation has been studied both to identify the perceptions, opinions and beliefs of health professionals, patients and family members, and to identify benefits and barriers, as well as to design training programs and protocols for its implementation. In 2008, Twibell et al designed a questionnaire that measured nurses’ perceptions of Risks-Benefits and Self-Confidence regarding Family Presence during Resuscitation. There are few studies in Spain on this practice, and therefore, this study is carried out using the same instrument, so that a comparison can be made.Methods The objective is to adapt and validate into Spanish the Family Presence Risk-Benefit scale and Family Presence Self-Confidence scale (FPRB-FPSC) instrument by Twibell et al. and thus, know the opinions of our healthcare professionals. For this purpose, a paper and online questionnaire was used. It was self-administered, semi-structured and translated cross-culturally. Statistical tests were carried out for the validity of the questionnaire. 541 healthcare professionals were invited to respond. The results were analyzed by means of factorial analysis with varimax rotation (maximum likelihood method), in addition to ANOVA and Student’s t-test to observe associations between different variables. The study was approved by the institutional review board of the Consorci Sanitari del Garraf, and by the clinical research Ethic Committee of the Fundació Unió Catalana Hospitals.Results 237 healthcare professionals answered the survey (69% women), of whom 167 were nurses. Healthcare providers who have experienced Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation barely reach 13%, with the majority being men and older people. As for the invitation to the FPDR, it barely reaches 5%, and regarding the willingness to include FP in the advance directives, 66% of the healthcare providers are in favor. Health professionals identify similar barriers to Family Presence and factors in its favor.The correlation between the two measured scales, FPRB-FPSC, is significant and has a moderate intensity of the relationship (r = 0.65 and α <0.001).Conclusions The Family Presence During Resuscitation (FPDR) generates controversy among health professionals, with a trend observed along with generational change, since younger professionals tend to accept the Family Presence better. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire indicate high validity and reliability. Risk-Benefit perception and self-confidence are related to the healthcare professionals who consider the Family Presence to be beneficial.