bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Przyjęcie do wykonania kary orzeczonej przez sądy państwa obcego a prawo łaski
Authors: Krawczyk Przemysław 
Published: May 2021

In this paper the author considers the connotations between the presidential pardon applied under the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and the judgments of foreign courts sensu largo. This article deals with issues that are on the borderline between constitutional law, criminal law (substantive and procedural) and international law, both public and criminal. The analysis of literature and jurisprudence in this respect allows the author to conclude that the right of grace is significantly limited by international law, due to the international agreements and art. 9 of the Polish Constitution. The author argues that the acceptance of a punishment to be enforced (ordered by a foreign court) excludes the possibility of applying presidential law of clemency to the perpetrator, unless an international agreement (or custom) provides otherwise.
Stroboscopic observation of a random walker
Authors: Mansilla R. 
Published: May 2021

The patterns of motion of mobile agents have received recently wide attention in the literature. There is a number of recent studies centered around the motion behavior of many agents ranging from albatrosses to human beings. Special attention has been given to the covered distances statistical distributions. In some cases, due to the lack of accurate data about the motion of the agents it has been necessary to plan very clever experiments to obtain them. These experiments try to infer the statistical properties of the agents' real motion from the observed positions in consecutive time intervals. The length of the time intervals are random variables taking their values from a previously known statistical distribution or from a distribution deduced from empirical data. The aim of this work is to demonstrate that for a Gaussian Random Walker it is, in general, impossible to recover the real motion patterns distribution from the stroboscopic observation of the agents unless the length of the intervals between two consecutive measurements are equal. Moreover, it is also shown that the distances distribution strongly depends on the agents' observation time intervals. These claims are sustained by numerical experiments.
Tip optical fiber refractive index sensor based on a thin copper film
Authors: Lopez-Dieguez Y. , Estudillo-Ayala J. M. , Jáuregui Vázquez D. , Herrera-Piad L. A. , Martín-Vela J. A. , Sierra-Hernandez J. M. , Hernandez-Garcia J. C. , Bianchetti M. , Avazpour M. , Rojas-Laguna R. 
Published: May 2021

We report a refractive index tip fiber optic sensor based on a modal interferometer coated with a thin copper film. This device can be used for solute concentration in aqueous mixture measurement. The copper film increases the device reflectivity and, as a result, increases the multimodal interference pattern visibility. To validate the sensor device, different water-glycerol weight concentrations were used in the range from 0 to 45 Glycerol %. The recorded spectral responses show a redshifting, and a sensitivity of 19 pm / (Glycerol % by weight) from 0 to 18 % and 4.7 pm / (Glycerol % by weight) from 18 to 45 % was achieved. Besides, using a phase analysis we calculated a sensitivity of -15 rad/RIU.
Mitigasi Cekaman Salinitas pada Fase Perkecambahan Kedelai melalui Invigorasi dengan Ekstrak Kulit Manggis dan Ekstrak Kunyit
Authors: Suryaman Maman , Hodiyah Ida , Nuraeni Yeni 
Published: May 2021

Fase perkecambahan merupakan fase yang peka terhadap cekaman abiotik, termasuk cekaman salintas. Invigorasi dapat mengurangi efek negatif cekaman salinitas dan mempercepat proses perkecambahan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari perlakuan invigorasi dalam memitigasi cekaman salinitas pada fase perkecambahan. Penelitian dilaksanakan di rumah plastik Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Siliwangi. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan acak kelompok dengan pola faktorial yang diulang 3 kali. Faktor 1 = cekaman salinitas air laut, terdiri dari 3 level (0% = DHL = 0,6 mS cm-1; 10% = 7,69 mS cm-1; dan 20% = 11,4 mS cm-1), Faktor 2 = invigorasi, terdiri dari 4 level (air sebagai kontrol, ekstrak kulit manggis, ekstrak kunyit, dan campuran ekstrak kulit manggis dan ekstrak kunyit). Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa tidak terjadi efek interaksi secara nyata antara cekaman salinitas dengan invigorasi terhadap semua parameter pengamatan, tetapi masing masing perlakuan secara mandiri memberikan pengaruh yang signifikan. Cekaman salinitas menimbulkan efek negatif pada fase perkecambahan. Invigorasi dengan menggunakan ekstrak kulit manggis atau ekstrak kunyit dapat mempertahankan vigor kedelai pada kondisi cekaman salinitas, sehingga dapat digunakan untuk memitigasi cekaman salinitas pada fase perkecambahan.
Pyk2/MCU Pathway as a New Target for Reversing Atherosclerosis
Authors: Zhang Yingzhen , Yang Xiaoli , Li Zhongzhong , Bu Kailin , Li Tong , Ma Zhizhao , Wang Binbin , Ma Lina , Lu Honglin , Zhang Kun , Liu Luji , Zhao Yanying , Zhu Yipu , Qin Jin , Cui Junzhao , Liu Lin , Liu Shuxia , Fan Ping , Liu Xiaoyun 
Published: May 2021

Objective: Multiple mechanisms including vascular endothelial cell damage have a critical role in the formation and development of atherosclerosis (AS), but the specific molecular mechanisms are not exactly clarified. This study aims to determine the possible roles of proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2)/mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) pathway in AS mouse model and H2O2-induced endothelial cell damage model and explore its possible mechanisms.Approach and Results: The AS mouse model was established using apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE–/–) mice that were fed with a high-fat diet. It was very interesting to find that Pyk2/MCU expression was significantly increased in the artery wall of atherosclerotic mice and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) attacked by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In addition, down-regulation of Pyk2 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) protected HUVECs from H2O2 insult. Furthermore, treatment with rosuvastatin on AS mouse model and H2O2-induced HUVEC injury model showed a protective effect against AS by inhibiting the Pyk2/MCU pathway, which maintained calcium balance, prevented the mitochondrial damage and reactive oxygen species production, and eventually inhibited cell apoptosis.Conclusion: Our results provide important insight into the initiation of the Pyk2/MCU pathway involved in AS-related endothelial cell damage, which may be a new promising target for atherosclerosis intervention.
Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Behçet’s Disease: A Retrospective Survey of Patients Treated in Europe, on Behalf of the Autoimmune Diseases Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
Authors: Puyade Mathieu , Patel Amit , Lim Yeong Jer , Blank Norbert , Badoglio Manuela , Gualandi Francesca , Ma David D. , Maximova Natalia , Greco Raffaella , Alexander Tobias , Snowden John A. 
Published: May 2021

BackgroundBehçet’s Disease (BD) is an autoimmune disease mostly presenting with recurrent oral and genital aphthosis, and uveitis. Patients are rarely refractory to immunosuppressive treatments. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) is a standard of care in other autoimmune diseases. Some patients with BD have been treated with aHSCT based on compassionate use.ObjectivesEvaluate the outcome of aHSCT in adult patients with BD treated in member centers of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT).MethodsAdults who received aHSCT primarily for BD were identified retrospectively in the EBMT registry and/or in published literature. Data were extracted from either medical records of the patient or from publications.ResultsEight out of 9 cases reported to the registry and extracted data of 2 further patients from literature were analyzed. Four were female, median age at onset of BD was 24y (range 9-50). Median age at aHSCT was 32y (27-51). Patients had received median 4 (2-11) previous lines of therapy (89% corticosteroids, 50% methotrexate, anti-TNFα therapy or cyclophosphamide). All patients had active disease before mobilization. Conditioning regimen was heterogeneous. Median follow-up was 48 months (range 6-240). No treatment-related mortality was reported. This procedure induced complete remission (CR) in 80%, partial remission in 10% and lack of response in 10% of the patients. Relapse rate was 30% (2 relapses in patients in CR and 1 relapse in the patient in PR) with panuveitis (n=1), aphthosis (n=2) and arthralgia (n=1). Six patients were in CR. No late complications were reported.ConclusionaHSCT has an acceptable safety profile and represents a feasible and relatively effective procedure in severe and conventional treatment-resistant cases of BD and has the potential to stabilize BD in patients with life-threatening involvements.
Anti-TNF-α agents Modulate SARS-CoV-2 Receptors and Increase the Risk of Infection Through Notch-1 Signaling
Authors: Keewan Esra’a , Beg Shazia , Naser Saleh A. 
Published: May 2021

Although millions of patients with underlining conditions are treated primarily with anti-TNF-α agents, little is known about the safety of this standard therapy during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this study, we investigated the effect of anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibodies on the cellular entry mechanism of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and increasing the risk of COVID-19 development. We focused on the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2), type II transmembrane serine proteases (TMPRSS2)/TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE) ratio. We also investigated the involvement of Notch-1 signaling and its downstream influence on IL-6, myeloid cell leukemia sequence-1(MCL-1) in the anti-TNF-α mode of action and increased the susceptibility to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection. Surprisingly, anti-TNF-α downregulated ACE2 expression by 0.46-fold and increased TMPRSS2/TACE ratio by 44% in THP-1 macrophages. Treatment of macrophages with rIL-6 also downregulated ACE2 and increased TMPRSS2/TACE ratio by 54%. Interestingly, anti-TNF-α treatment upregulated Notch-1, IL-6, and MCL-1 by 1.3, 1.2, and 1.9-fold, respectively, and increased viability and burden of MAP infection in macrophages. Blocking Notch signaling doubled ACE2 expression, decreased TMPRSS2/TACE ratio by 38%, and reduced MAP viability by 56%. In a small group of patients, ACE2 level was significantly lower in the plasma from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients on anti-TNF-α treatment compared to healthy control. The data in this critical study demonstrated that through Notch-1/IL-6 signaling, anti-TNF-α agents decreased ACE2 expression and shedding through TMPRSS2/TACE modulation and increased the susceptibility to infection. Overall, this study warns against anti-TNF-α therapy in some patients with underlining inflammatory conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings should impact current guidelines regarding treatment decisions of patients on anti-TNF-α during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Use of Quantitative Sensation Testing to Identify the Physiological Differences Between the Median and Ulnar Nerves
Authors: Koszewicz Magdalena , Szydlo Mariusz , Gosk Jerzy , Wieczorek Malgorzata , Slotwinski Krzysztof , Budrewicz Slawomir 
Published: May 2021

IntroductionSimilarities in morphology, physiological function, and neurophysiological findings between median and ulnar nerves are not unequivocal. Our previous study confirmed differences in motor fiber parameters between these nerves in healthy persons. We made an attempt to assess and compare the physiological parameters of different sensation modalities (temperature, pain, and vibration) in median and ulnar nerves.MethodsThe study was performed in 31 healthy, right-handed volunteers: 17 women, 14 men, mean age 44.8 ± 15.5 years. Standard sensory conduction tests in the median and ulnar nerves were performed together with the estimation of vibratory, temperature, and warm- and cold-induced pain thresholds in the C7 and C8 dermatomes on the palm, using quantitative sensory testing.ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences in the standard sensory conduction test in the median and ulnar nerves across the whole group: between right and left hands, and between women and men. We revealed differences in the temperature and pain thresholds between these nerves, mainly in low temperature perception. There were no differences in estimated thresholds between sides or in female and male groups. The vibratory limits did not differ significantly between nerves, and subgroups.ConclusionThe study confirmed the differences in the physiological sensory perception between the median and ulnar nerves. The median nerve is more sensitive to temperature stimulation than the ulnar nerve, but simultaneously less sensitive to pain-inducing temperature stimuli. These findings should be considered during the examination of hand nerve pathology.
Principal Components Analysis Using Data Collected From Healthy Individuals on Two Robotic Assessment Platforms Yields Similar Behavioral Patterns
Authors: Wood Michael D. , Simmatis Leif E. R. , Jacobson Jill A. , Dukelow Sean P. , Boyd J. Gordon , Scott Stephen H. 
Published: May 2021

BackgroundKinarm Standard Tests (KSTs) is a suite of upper limb tasks to assess sensory, motor, and cognitive functions, which produces granular performance data that reflect spatial and temporal aspects of behavior (&gt;100 variables per individual). We have previously used principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimensionality of multivariate data using the Kinarm End-Point Lab (EP). Here, we performed PCA using data from the Kinarm Exoskeleton Lab (EXO), and determined agreement of PCA results across EP and EXO platforms in healthy participants. We additionally examined whether further dimensionality reduction was possible by using PCA across behavioral tasks.MethodsHealthy participants were assessed using the Kinarm EXO (N = 469) and EP (N = 170–200). Four behavioral tasks (six assessments in total) were performed that quantified arm sensory and motor function, including position sense [Arm Position Matching (APM)] and three motor tasks [Visually Guided Reaching (VGR), Object Hit (OH), and Object Hit and Avoid (OHA)]. The number of components to include per task was determined from scree plots and parallel analysis, and rotation type (orthogonal vs. oblique) was decided on a per-task basis. To assess agreement, we compared principal components (PCs) across platforms using distance correlation. We additionally considered inter-task interactions in EXO data by performing PCA across all six behavioral assessments.ResultsBy applying PCA on a per task basis to data collected using the EXO, the number of behavioral parameters were substantially reduced by 58–75% while accounting for 76–87% of the variance. These results compared well to the EP analysis, and we found good-to-excellent agreement values (0.75–0.99) between PCs from the EXO and those from the EP. Finally, we were able to reduce the dimensionality of the EXO data across tasks down to 16 components out of a total of 76 behavioral parameters, which represents a reduction of 79% while accounting for 73% of the total variance.ConclusionPCA of Kinarm robotic assessment appears to capture similar relationships between kinematic features in healthy individuals and is agnostic to the robotic platform used for collection. Further work is needed to investigate the use of PCA-based data reduction for the characterization of neurological deficits in clinical populations.
YTHDF1 Is a Potential Pan-Cancer Biomarker for Prognosis and Immunotherapy
Authors: Hu Jian , Qiu Dongxu , Yu Anze , Hu Jiao , Deng Hao , Li Huihuang , Yi Zhenglin , Chen Jinbo , Zu Xiongbing 
Published: May 2021

BackgroundYTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 1 (YTHDF1) has been indicated proven to participate in the cross-presentation of tumor antigens in dendritic cells and the cross-priming of CD8+ T cells. However, the role of YTHDF1 in prognosis and immunology in human cancers remains largely unknown.MethodsAll original data were downloaded from TCGA and GEO databases and integrated via R 3.2.2. YTHDF1 expression was explored with the Oncomine, TIMER, GEPIA, and BioGPS databases. The effect of YTHDF1 on prognosis was analyzed via GEPIA, Kaplan-Meier plotter, and the PrognoScan database. The TISIDB database was used to determine YTHDF1 expression in different immune and molecular subtypes of human cancers. The correlations between YTHDF1 expression and immune checkpoints (ICP), tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and neoantigens in human cancers were analyzed via the SangerBox database. The relationships between YTHDF1 expression and tumor-infiltrated immune cells were analyzed via the TIMER and GEPIA databases. The relationships between YTHDF1 and marker genes of tumor-infiltrated immune cells in urogenital cancers were analyzed for confirmation. The genomic alterations of YTHDF1 were investigated with the c-BioPortal database. The differential expression of YTHDF1 in urogenital cancers with different clinical characteristics was analyzed with the UALCAN database. YTHDF1 coexpression networks were studied by the LinkedOmics database.ResultsIn general, YTHDF1 expression was higher in tumors than in paired normal tissue in human cancers. YTHDF1 expression had strong relationships with prognosis, ICP, TMB, MSI, and neoantigens. YTHDF1 plays an essential role in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and participates in immune regulation. Furthermore, significant strong correlations between YTHDF1 expression and tumor immune-infiltrated cells (TILs) existed in human cancers, and marker genes of TILs were significantly related to YTHDF expression in urogenital cancers. TYHDF1 coexpression networks mostly participated in the regulation of immune response and antigen processing and presentation.ConclusionYTHDF1 may serve as a potential prognostic and immunological pan-cancer biomarker. Moreover, YTHDF1 could be a novel target for tumor immunotherapy.
Adrenaline May Contribute to Prothrombotic Condition via Augmentation of Platelet Procoagulant Response, Enhancement of Fibrin Formation, and Attenuation of Fibrinolysis
Authors: Golaszewska Agata , Misztal Tomasz , Marcinczyk Natalia , Chabielska Ewa , Rusak Tomasz 
Published: May 2021

Background: Adrenaline is believed to play a role in thrombosis and hemostasis. The complex effect of its clinically relevant concentrations on thrombus formation, coagulation and fibrinolysis in human blood has never been specifically studied.Methods: Confocal microscopy was used to study thrombus formation under flow, exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) in adhered platelets, to evaluate clots density, and to measure kinetics of fibrin formation and external fibrinolysis under flow. Flow cytometry was utilized to assess PS exposure in non-adhered platelets. Kinetics of clot formation and internal fibrinolysis was evaluated by thromboelastometry. Platelet aggregation was measured by optical aggremometry. Kinetics of clot retraction was assessed by using digital camera.Results: We found that adrenaline (1–10 nM) is able to enhance platelet activation evoked by subthreshold collagen (150 ng/ml), resulting in augmentation of platelet aggregation, thrombus formation under arterial flow conditions, platelet PS exposure, and formation of platelet-fibrin clots. The development of platelet procoagulant response evoked by adrenaline + low collagen was associated with the formation of denser platelet-fibrin clots and the decrease in rate of fibrinolysis despite whether lysis was initiated inside (internal fibrinolysis) or outside the clot (external fibrinolysis). The above phenomena were abolished by the α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist, rauwolscine. Adrenaline-collagen synergism, expressed as PS exposure, was significantly reduced by cyclooxygenase inhibitor (acetylsalicic acid), GPIIb/IIIa receptor blocker (tirofiban), and P2Y12 receptor antagonist (PSB 0739).Conclusion: Clinically relevant concentrations of adrenaline may significantly augment responses of human platelets in the presence of subthreshold concentrations of collagen, which should be considered during therapies involving adrenaline infusion. Routinely used antiplatelet drugs may reduce the prothrombotic state evoked by adrenaline-collagen synergism.
Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Methylated Derivatives in Sewage Sludge from Northeastern China: Occurrence, Profiles and Toxicity Evaluation
Authors: Mohammed Rashid , Zhang Zi-Feng , Kan Ze , Jiang Chao , Liu Li-Yan , Ma Wan-Li , Song Wei-Wei , Nikolaev Anatoly , Li Yi-Fan 
Published: May 2021

This paper assesses the occurrence, distribution, source, and toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and their methylated form (Me-PAHs) in sewage sludge from 10 WWTPs in Northeastern China was noted. The concentrations of ∑PAHs, ∑Me-PAHs ranged from 567 to 5040 and 48.1 to 479 ng.g−1dw, which is greater than the safety limit for sludge in agriculture in China. High and low molecular weight 4 and 2-ring PAHs and Me-PAHs in sludge were prevalent. The flux of sludge PAHs and Me-PAHs released from ten WWTPs, in Heilongjiang province, was calculated to be over 100 kg/year. Principal component analysis (PCA), diagnostic ratios and positive matrix factorization (PMF) determined a similar mixed pyrogenic and petrogenic source of sewage sludge. The average values of Benzo[a]pyrene was below the safe value of 600 ng.g−1 dependent on an incremental lifetime cancer risk ILCR of 10−6. Sludge is an important source for the transfer of pollutants into the environment, such as PAHs and Me-PAHs. Consequently, greater consideration should be given to its widespread occurrence.
Microeukaryotic Communities on the Fruit of Gardenia thunbergia Thunb. with a Focus on Pathogenic Fungi
Authors: Steudel Bastian , Baijnath Himansu , Schwedt Thorben , Schmitt Armin Otto 
Published: May 2021

Woody fruit which stay on ornamental plants for a long time may present a risk of infection to other organisms due to the presence of pathogens on their surface. We compared the microbe communities on the fruit surfaces of garden ornamental Gardenia thunbergia Thunb. with those on other surfaces in the study region. As Gardenia fruit contain antifungal substances, the focus of this study was on the fungal communities that exist thereon. We used Illumina sequencing to identify Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASV) of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the ribosomal RNA. The microbial communities of the Gardenia fruit are distinct from the communities from the surrounding environments, indicating a specialized microhabitat. We employed clustering methods to position unidentified ASVs relative to known ASVs. We identified a total of 56 ASVs representing high risk fungal species as putative plant pathogens exclusively found on the fruit of Gardenia. Additionally, we found several ASVs representing putative animal or human pathogens. Those pathogens were distributed over distinct fungi clades. The infection risk of the high diversity of putative pathogens represented on the Gardenia fruit needs to be elucidated in further investigations.