bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identified γ-glutamyl cyclotransferase (GGCT) as a novel regulator in the progression and immunotherapy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma through multi-omics analysis and experiments
Authors: Zheng Ying , Xiong Qunli , Yang Yang , Ma Yifei , Zhu Qing 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Background
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is renowned for its formidable and lethal nature, earning it a notorious reputation among malignant tumors. Due to its challenging early diagnosis, high malignancy, and resistance to chemotherapy drugs, the treatment of pancreatic cancer has long been exceedingly difficult in the realm of oncology. γ-Glutamyl cyclotransferase (GGCT), a vital enzyme in glutathione metabolism, has been implicated in the proliferation and progression of several tumor types, while the biological function of GGCT in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma remains unknown.

Methods
The expression profile of GGCT was validated through western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and RT-qPCR in both pancreatic cancer tissue samples and cell lines. Functional enrichment analyses including GSVA, ssGSEA, GO, and KEGG were conducted to explore the biological role of GGCT. Additionally, CCK8, Edu, colony formation, migration, and invasion assays were employed to evaluate the impact of GGCT on the proliferation and migration abilities of pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, the LASSO machine learning algorithm was utilized to develop a prognostic model associated with GGCT.

Results
Our study revealed heightened expression of GGCT in pancreatic cancer tissues and cells, suggesting an association with poorer patient prognosis. Additionally, we explored the immunomodulatory effects of GGCT in both pan-cancer and pancreatic cancer contexts, found that GGCT may be associated with immunosuppressive regulation in various types of tumors. Specifically, in patients with high expression of GGCT in pancreatic cancer, there is a reduction in the infiltration of various immune cells, leading to poorer responsiveness to immunotherapy and worse survival rates. In vivo and in vitro assays indicate that downregulation of GGCT markedly suppresses the proliferation and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells. Moreover, this inhibitory effect appears to be linked to the regulation of GGCT on c-Myc. A prognostic model was constructed based on genes derived from GGCT, demonstrating robust predictive ability for favorable survival prognosis and response to immunotherapy.
Effect of bile salts on intestinal epithelial function in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata)
Authors: Fuentes J. , Gregório S. F. , Fonseca F. , Robles-Arozarena R. , Martos-Sitcha J. A. , Moyano F. J. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIn the context of modern aquaculture, the effort to reduce the reliance on fishmeal/marine ingredients in fish diets has led to the exploration of plant-based protein sources as potential substitutes, a dietary shift that disrupts the bile acid profile in fish. Therefore, bile salts are being sought as additives. However, artificially increased intestinal levels of bile acids may significantly impact mucosal function. Therefore, here, we explored the regulatory role in the intestine of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) of (i) chenodeoxycholic acid (CDC), (ii) a mixture formed by two bile acids, 3% cholic acid and 97% deoxycholic acid (MIX), and (iii) a conjugated bile salt sodium taurocholate (TC) in Ussing chambers with the epithelial voltage clamp technique. We tested the bile salts in a 50–500 μg/ml concentration range, and all of them promoted ion absorption. Yet, clear concentration-dependent and more pronounced effects on the ion transport were observed in the posterior intestine. On the other hand, bile salts had no or minor effects on tissue resistance. However, there are indications that the MIX could have adverse effects at high concentrations (500 μg/ml), promoting a threefold increase in tissue permeability measured using FITC-dextran (4 kD) regardless of the intestinal region, thus suggesting an alteration in intestinal permeability at high bile salt concentrations. The findings from our study emphasize the importance of considering intestinal function when contemplating the possible use of a particular bile salt as a dietary supplement. It appears that bile salts, whether acting individually or in combination, play a pivotal role in orchestrating nutrient absorption by influencing the function of epithelial ion transport. However further research is needed to fully grasp the region-dependent nuances of bile salt effects on ion transport and the ultimate consequences for nutrient absorption in the context of fish aquaculture.
A Review of Ice Deformation and Breaking Under Flexural-Gravity Waves Induced by Moving Loads
Authors: Ni Baoyu , Xiong Hang , Han Duanfeng , Zeng Lingdong , Sun Linhua , Tan Hao 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Ice-breaking methods have become increasingly significant with the ongoing development of the polar regions. Among many ice-breaking methods, ice-breaking that utilizes a moving load is unique compared with the common collision or impact methods. A moving load can generate flexural-gravity waves (FGWs), under the influence of which the ice sheet undergoes deformation and may even experience structural damage. Moving loads can be divided into above-ice loads and underwater loads. For the above-ice loads, we discuss the characteristics of the FGWs generated by a moving load acting on a complete ice sheet, an ice sheet with a crack, and an ice sheet with a lead of open water. For underwater loads, we discuss the influence on the ice-breaking characteristics of FGWs of the mode of motion, the geometrical features, and the trajectory of motion of the load. In addition to discussing the status of current research and the technical challenges of ice-breaking by moving loads, this paper also looks ahead to future research prospects and presents some preliminary ideas for consideration.
Identifying miRNA Signatures Associated with Pancreatic Islet Dysfunction in a FOXA2-Deficient iPSC Model
Authors: Elsayed Ahmed K. , Aldous Noura , Alajez Nehad M. , Abdelalim Essam M. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe pathogenesis of diabetes involves complex changes in the expression profiles of mRNA and non-coding RNAs within pancreatic islet cells. Recent progress in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology have allowed the modeling of diabetes-associated genes. Our recent study using FOXA2-deficient human iPSC models has highlighted an essential role for FOXA2 in the development of human pancreas. Here, we aimed to provide further insights on the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) by studying the miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in iPSC-derived islets lacking the FOXA2 gene. Consistent with our previous findings, the absence of FOXA2 significantly downregulated the expression of islet hormones, INS, and GCG, alongside other key developmental genes in pancreatic islets. Concordantly, RNA-Seq analysis showed significant downregulation of genes related to pancreatic development and upregulation of genes associated with nervous system development and lipid metabolic pathways. Furthermore, the absence of FOXA2 in iPSC-derived pancreatic islets resulted in significant alterations in miRNA expression, with 61 miRNAs upregulated and 99 downregulated. The upregulated miRNAs targeted crucial genes involved in diabetes and pancreatic islet cell development. In contrary, the absence of FOXA2 in islets showed a network of downregulated miRNAs targeting genes related to nervous system development and lipid metabolism. These findings highlight the impact of FOXA2 absence on pancreatic islet development and suggesting intricate miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks affecting pancreatic islet cell development.
Graphical Abstract
Social choice models and topological dynamics
Authors: Juárez-Anguiano Hugo 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIn this paper, we propose a topological social choice model in an equivariant setting. We generalize the Chichilnisky–Heal impossibility theorem to the realm of proper actions of almost-connected locally compact groups. We also improve one result stated in Juárez-Anguiano (Topol Appl 279:107246, 2020) about the preservation of equivariant ANR’s by symmetric powers.
Racial Fairness of Individual- and Community-Level Proxies of Socioeconomic Status Among Birthing Parent–Child Dyads
Authors: Makkad Harsimran , Saini Amisha , Manning Erika Rasnick , Duan Qing , Colegate Stephen , Brokamp Cole 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Background
While precision medicine algorithms can be used to improve health outcomes, concerns have been raised about racial equity and unintentional harm from encoded biases. In this study, we evaluated the fairness of using common individual- and community-level proxies of pediatric socioeconomic status (SES) such as insurance status and community deprivation index often utilized in precision medicine algorithms.

Methods
Using 2012–2021 vital records obtained from the Ohio Department of Health, we geocoded and matched each residential birth address to a census tract to obtain community deprivation index. We then conducted sensitivity and specificity analyses to determine the degree of match between deprivation index, insurance status, and birthing parent education level for all, Black, and White children to assess if there were differences based on race.

Results
We found that community deprivation index and insurance status fail to accurately represent individual SES, either alone or in combination. We found that deprivation index had a sensitivity of 61.2% and specificity of 74.1%, while insurance status had a higher sensitivity of 91.6% but lower specificity of 60.1%. Furthermore, these inconsistencies were race-based across all proxies evaluated, with greater sensitivities for Black children but greater specificities for White children.

Conclusion
This may explain some of the racial disparities present in precision medicine algorithms that utilize SES proxies. Future studies should examine how to mitigate the biases introduced by using SES proxies, potentially by incorporating additional data on housing conditions.
A-HERO: Integrating Authenticity into the Psychological Capital Model
Authors: Sutton Anna , Roemer Anja 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAuthenticity was proposed as a potential addition to the Psychological Capital construct several years ago, but the PsyCap model has not yet been expanded. We review the theoretical and empirical support for the inclusion of authenticity and test this proposal in two studies. Study 1 examines the structural model of A-HERO (Authenticity, Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism) as an extended representation of the PsyCap construct. Study 2 tests the extent to which A-HERO may explain well-being. CFA demonstrates that the addition of authenticity provides slight improvement in overall PsyCap model fit. Hierarchical regression shows that the addition of authenticity to the PsyCap model improves the explanation of well-being, with beta values of comparable size to optimism and greater than efficacy. We therefore recommend that authenticity be included in PsyCap to provide a more holistic understanding of personal resources and to enable the further identification of interactions and potential synergies amongst A-HERO components.
Ethical Dimensions of Digital Phenotyping Within the Context of Mental Healthcare
Authors: D’Alfonso Simon , Coghlan Simon , Schmidt Simone , Mangelsdorf Shaminka 
Published: June 2024

AbstractDigital phenotyping (DP) refers to the emerging field within digital (mental) health that involves the collection of data from individual’s digital devices (smartphones, wearable, Internet usage, etc.) to monitor and analyse their behaviours, activities and health-related patterns. That such ‘digital footprint’ data can be mined for behavioural insights is an intriguing idea, which has motivated an increasing amount of research activity, particularly in the field of digital mental health. Whilst of potentially revolutionary utility in (mental) healthcare, the idea of DP also raises a set of rich sociotechnical, ethical and philosophical considerations, and a cottage industry of sociotechnical and ethical critiques of DP has emerged, particularly within the humanities. Within this scene of early empirical investigation in the health/behavioural sciences on the one hand and general conceptual critiques from the humanities on the other, in this paper we instead explore a case for the potential utility of DP in circumstances of clinical mental health practice and examine its ethical dimensions in this context. After providing an explicatory framework for DP and making a case for it within this framework, we subsequently examine the ethical pros and cons of three topics pertaining to DP in clinical practice, namely (1) issues in psychometric assessment/testing, (2) the role and responsibilities of mental health practitioners with regard to DP technology, and (3) the value DP can afford clients in terms of self-awareness/empowerment and strengthening the therapeutic alliance with their clinician.
Rapid and quantitative detection of Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem using loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay
Authors: Dai Xiaodong , Cao Yanyong , Yu Minghui , Hou Meiwei , Li Huimin , Li Jie , Li Hangyu , Li Peipei , Wang Zhenyu , Zhang Xinyou 
Published: June 2024

AbstractPeanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) crown rot and root rot are common diseases caused by Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem. Early and accurate detection of A. niger is key to disease management. In this study, the design of two to five sets of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) primers was based on the EglA, GOD, Tub, NRPS, Tan, CbhA, and CbhB genes of A. niger. Of these, primer set GOD-91 was selected for optimization of the three-factor LAMP system: the Bst DNA polymerase concentration, the concentration ratio of the inner and outer primers, and the concentration of Mg2+. In addition, the optimized LAMP reaction system for A. niger detection was validated for specificity, sensitivity, and on-site feasibility. The specificity test showed that A. niger could be specifically detected with the proposed method without cross-amplification of other pathogenic fungi DNA. Moreover, based on the sensitivity test, the lowest detection limit of this reaction system was 5.1 × 10−7 ng/µL pAN01 plasmid DNA, after which a standard curve was generated for the quantitative detection of A. niger. The LAMP method was further applied for field sample assessment before and after A. niger infection, successfully detecting A. niger presence in the samples collected in the field. This study yielded a sensitive, specific, and reproducible LAMP system that can be used to assess on-site samples within 45 min. It is an effective approach for the rapid and quantitative detection of A. niger.
Research progress on flexible WO3 based thin film electrodes for supercapacitor applications: a comprehensive review
Authors: Muslu Elif , Eren Esin , Oksuz Aysegul Uygun 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIn recent years, there has been significant research interest in flexible supercapacitors as energy storage devices for enhancing wearable and portable electronics. This is due to their lightweight nature, high power density, excellent cyclic durability, fast charge/discharge rate, and robust mechanical integrity. Flexible supercapacitors offer the potential to revolutionize the field of energy storage by providing efficient and reliable power sources for various portable and wearable applications. Thin film based electrodes, as one of the ingredients of flexible supercapacitors, have a considerable role on the electrochemical performance of flexible supercapacitors. Tungsten oxide (WO3), a transition metal oxide (TMO), is a highly desirable electrode material for flexible supercapacitor applications. It offers several advantages, including low cost, environmental friendliness, inherent conductivity, versatile oxidation states, and high theoretical capacity. These properties make WO3 an excellent choice for developing efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions. Specially, this review provides current developments on the WO3 based thin film electrodes toward flexible supercapacitors. We will present the focus attention on the charge storage mechanisms, fabrication strategies, and characterization methods employed in this field.
May the SSRIs play a role in the onset of peri- and post-menopausal cervical cancer?
Authors: Gargiulo Isacco Ciro , Del Prete Raffaele , Distratis Pietro , Lazzaro Rita , Nguyen Kieu C. D. , Inchingolo Francesco , Pham Van Hung , Tran Toai Cong , Santacroce Luigi , Balzanelli Mario G. 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
The emergence of cancer-causing bacteria and viruses that have become resistant to either antibiotics or viral treatment is often attributed to their overuse in people and livestock. Intriguingly, the class of antidepressant drugs, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may also contribute to generating resistant microorganisms with a profound disturbing role in local cervix-vagina homeostasis. Therefore, we proposed the possible involvement of SSRIs in the onset and growth of cervical cancer (CC), which is based on some empirical considerations, (i) the number of women diagnosed with post-menopausal CC is almost equivalent to the number of women diagnosed with depressive problems, (ii) the proven affection of SSRIs on both vaginal and intestinal microbiota, (iii) the essential role of the microbiota in the immune response against oncogenic pathogens, including human papillomavirus and Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis), (IV) the role of SSRIs in favoring the rise of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, and (V) the inhibitory effect of SSRIs in the estradiol-serotonin-prolactin axis. These features are important in the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, responsible for different harmful activities such as higher cell membrane permeability and porosity, hyperstimulation of transcription, and translational activities, with overall stress on check-point genes involved in ATP synthesis, DNA breaks, and abnormal mutations. This paper's results suggested reconsidering the efficacy of SSRIs on long-term use since the overall increase in prescriptions is mainly due to long-term treatment rather than the diagnoses per se, secondly little is known about the consequences of long-term use. The evidence that supports the role of antidepressant drugs in increasing the risk of CC was searched and discussed.
Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by the bacterial strains isolated from the dumping site community
Authors: Khampratueng Pornya , Rice Daniel , Anal Anil Kumar 
Published: June 2024

AbstractLow-density polyethylene (LDPE) is the predominant single-use plastic and rarely decomposes after disposal. The primary objective of this study was to identify potential bacteria capable of degrading LDPE plastic and investigating the biochemical pathways of this process. Bacteria were isolated from soil samples collected from a local garbage dumping site in Thailand and tested on their capability to degrade LDPE plastic. Two of the bacteria isolated from the dumping site, Bacillus sp. AS3 and Sphingobacterium sp. AS8, demonstrated 3.06% and 2.01% (w/w) LDPE plastic weight loss over four weeks, respectively. Analysis by FTIR showed that both bacterial strains degraded the LDPE in the region of 3200–3400 cm−1, which represents the OH group in a commercial LDPE polymer. Bacillus sp. AS3 caused the formation of a new range in the carbonyl group (C=O stretch) and the alcohol, carboxylic acid, esters, and ethers group (–C–O stretch). GC–MS analysis revealed various depolymerized compounds, such as alkane, alcohol, and carboxylic compounds, during LDPE degradation by Bacillus sp. AS3. Bacillus sp. AS3 illustrated esterase activity as 0.608 ± 0.004 U/mL after incubation. The proposed schematic of the LDPE biodegrading pathway by Bacillus sp. AS3 relies on the identification of depolymerized molecules as evidence. This suggests that Bacillus sp. AS3 possesses extracellular enzymes that break down LDPE into smaller molecules through depolymerization. Moreover, the surface of LDPE degraded by Bacillus sp. AS3 and Spingobacterium sp. AS8 was marked by cavities and a rough texture when observed under SEM analysis. This study provides microbial applications to reduce plastic pollution by utilising microorganisms to assimilate plastic waste as a carbon source.
Non-native flora changes in rural gardens of China: the role of tourism
Authors: Yang Mingyu , Zhang Dezheng , Geng Yupeng 
Published: June 2024

AbstractHuman cultivation facilitates the naturalization and subsequent invasion of non-native plant species through, for example, protection from predators or reducing environmental stochasticity. With the development of tourism, non-native plant species have been increasingly introduced into rural home gardens for landscape greening and amenity planting. However, few studies have examined non-native flora in rural home gardens, and in particular the importance of tourism in determining changes of garden non-native flora has not been scrutinized. In this study, we investigated non-native plant species in 135 home gardens across five rural tourism villages in tropical China. Attributes related to garden or household characteristics were also collected through interviews and questionnaires. A distance-based redundancy analysis was then performed to reveal the relationships between the non-native species composition and garden attributes. A total of 338 non-native plant species were recorded in the surveyed gardens. Among them, the majority (63%) were ornamentals, whereas 19% were for nutritional uses and 12% were spontaneous weeds. Gardening preference and distance to tourist attractions governed the non-native compositions, with gardens preferring cultural (ornamental) cultivation or gardens close to tourist attractions having more non-native species. These results highlight an increasing role of tourism in promoting non-native cultivation in rural gardens. Recommendations for species risk assessment, trade and supply regulation, and proper garden management are provided to help harness plant invasion along tourism development in rural China and other regions around the world.