bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
LPAR3 and Col8A1, as matrix stiffness-related biomarkers, promote nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis by triggering epithelial-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis
Authors: You Bo , yi lu , Xie Haijing , Huang Li , Zhang Kaiwen , Pan Si , Yin Haimeng , You Yiwen 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Matrix stiffness affects the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but the underlying mechanism is still unknown. It has been demonstrated that the stiffness of collagen fibers deposited in NPC and adjacent tissues differs. Here, we performed RNA-seq analysis of NPC cells cultured on polyacrylamide (PA) hydrogel systems and found that LPAR3 and Col8A1 are potential matrix stiffness markers. Besides analyzing cells in vitro, a nude mouse model of tumorigenesis with NPC cells expressing low levels of LPAR3 and Col8A1 showed a reduction in tumorigenesis. We found that matrix stiffness triggers the formation of EMT by increasing the expression of LPAR3 in NPC, which is related to metastasis. In addition, matrix stiffness promotes the expression of Col8A1 secreted by NPC and is related to tumor angiogenesis. Simultaneous inhibition of LPAR3 and Col8A1 genes significantly reduced NPC invasion and metastasis. Based on our investigation, there is no doubt that matrix stiffness governs the progression of NPC, and that LPAR3 and Col8A1 can be used as matrix stiffness-related biomarkers to promote NPC metastasis through the induction of EMT and angiogenesis. Overall, the in-depth exploration of matrix stiffness may provide a strategy for clinical treatment intervention and provide promising targets for clinical NPC treatment.
Involvement of the systemic microcirculation in pediatric uveitis
Authors: Kouwenberg Carlyn Violette , Spierings Julia , de Groot Evianne L. , de Boer Joke H. , Ayuso Viera Kalinina 
Published: July 2023

Abstract

Background
Pediatric uveitis is a severe inflammatory ocular condition that can lead to sight-threatening complications and can negatively impact quality of life. The retinal microcirculation is often affected in intermediate uveitis and panuveitis. Here, we examined the extraocular (i.e., systemic) microcirculation in pediatric uveitis cases and healthy controls using nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC).
Methods
We performed NFC in 119 children with noninfectious uveitis and 25 healthy pediatric controls, and assessed the following parameters: capillary density (number of capillaries/mm), dilated capillaries (apex >20 µm), avascular area, the presence of microhemorrhages, and capillary morphology. Differences in NFC parameters between cases and controls were calculated using regression analysis after adjusting for age and sex.
Results
The mean (±SD) age of the patient group was 13.7 (±3) years, with 56% females; 46%, 18%, and 36% of cases presented as anterior uveitis, intermediate uveitis, and panuveitis, respectively, with an overall mean disease duration of 4.7 (±4.0) years. Compared to the control group, the pediatric uveitis cases had a significantly higher number of dilated capillaries/mm and a higher prevalence of ramified capillaries. Moreover, compared to the control group the intermediate uveitis cases had a significantly higher number of dilated capillaries, whereas the anterior uveitis cases had a lower capillary density and a higher prevalence of ramified capillaries.
Conclusions
Children with uveitis without systemic disease can present with changes in systemic microcirculation. These changes vary amongst the subtypes of uveitis.
An Underwater Target Enhancement Method for Three-Dimensional Sonar Images Based on Time Accumulation
Authors: Zeng Teng , Wang Peng , Huang Haining 
Published: July 2023

Abstract

Three-dimensional sonar (3DS) can get the image of the entire scene by emitting sound signal once time. However, the image quality is poor manifested as sparse and missing of target surface points, owing to complex underwater environment and hardware limitation of sonar. To obtain dense and complete object structure, we propose a target enhancement method based on time-accumulation. This method includes two crucial steps: 1) Space mapping and registration. The operation convert the 3DS images from polar coordinate system to the Cartesian coordinate system, which can acquire object point cloud. Then the spatial deviation between image frames as well as relative motion between sonar and object would be corrected. 2) Point data fusion. The operation can covering different dynamic environment, time, and target morphology by fusing at the data level, thus going the result of enhancement. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed enhancement method can effectively enhance the object result, improve the quality and understandability of the 3DS image.
Chaperonin containing TCP-1 subunit genes are potential prognostic biomarkers and correlate with Th2 cell infiltration in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Du Ruijuan , Zhou Zijun , Huang Yunlong , Li Kai , Guo KeLei , Han Li , Bian Hua 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
Chaperonin containing TCP-1 (T-complex protein 1) subunit genes (CCTs) is a family of molecular chaperone complex that assists the folding of multiple proteins. However, there is no comprehensive analysis of CCTs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).
Methods
UALCAN, The Human Protein Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were used to evaluate CCTs mRNA expression. Immunohistochemistry was performed to measure CCTs protein expression. CCTs mutation was detected through cBioPortal and promoter methylation was measured by UALCAN database. Prognostic value of CCTs was evaluated using PrognoScan analysis. GEPIA2.0 was to measure the prognostic value of CCTs and CCTs related Hub genes. Correlation analysis between the expression of CCTs was based on GEPIA2.0. The ROC curves, clinical correlation analysis, Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) analysis and immune cells infiltration analysis were from TCGA and then analyzed and visualized using R language. The STRING was used for protein-protein interaction analysis.
Results
CCTs expression increased in LUAD and upregulated CCTs levels predicted advanced diseases and poor prognosis in LUAD patients. ROC curves analysis indicated the possibility of CCTs serving as diagnostic indicators. Functional enrichment analysis showed that CCTs were involved in mitosis mediated cell cycle process. We also identified ten hub genes correlated with CCTs which were related with LUAD prognosis and tumor progression. Immune cell infiltration analysis showed CCTs expression in tumor tissues tend to be related with Th2 cell infiltration.
Conclusions
Our findings revealed that CCTs may serve as valuable biomarkers for LUAD diagnosis and targeted therapy.
Artificial Intelligence Reveals Distinct Prognostic Subgroups of Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer on Histology Images
Authors: Eminaga Okyaz , Leyh-Bannurah Sami-Ramzi , Shariat Shahrokh F. , Krabbe Laura , Lau Hubert , Xing Lei , Abbas Mahmoud 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a highly heterogeneous and costly disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Understanding tumor histopathology leads to tailored therapies and improved outcomes. In this study, we employed weakly supervised learning and neural architecture search to develop a data-driven scoring system. This system aimed to capture prognostic histopathological patterns observed in H&E-stained whole slide images. We constructed and externally validated our scoring system using multi-institutional datasets with 653 whole-slide images. Additionally, we performed survival analyses and explored the association between our scoring system and seven histopathological features, as well as 126 molecular signatures. Through our analysis, we identified two distinct risk groups with varying prognoses, reflecting inherent differences in histopathological and molecular subtypes. The hazard ratio for overall mortality was 1.46 (95% CI 1.05-2.02; z: 2.23; p=0.03). Furthermore, we observed an association between our novel digital biomarker and the squamous phenotype, subtypes of miRNA, mRNA, long non-coding RNA, DNA hypomethylation, as well as several gene mutations including FGFR3 in MIBC. Our findings underscore the risk of confounding bias when reducing the complex biological and clinical behavior of tumors to a single mutation. Histopathological changes can only be fully captured through the use of comprehensive multi-omics profiles. The introduction of our scoring system has the potential to enhance daily clinical decision-making for MIBC. It facilitates shared decision-making by offering comprehensive and precise risk stratification, treatment planning, and cost-effective preselection for expensive molecular characterization.
Third-generation Thyrotropin Receptor Antibody (Trab) Assay for Predicting Neonatal Thyroid Dysfunction in Pregnant Women With Graves’ Disease
Authors: Priyanka Raghavendran , Srid Subbiah , Sumathi Baskaran , Ashokraja Jeyaraj , Vasanthiy Natarajan , Subbiah Eagappan , Raghavan Kasthuri Santharam , Sangumani Jayaraman 
Published: July 2023

Abstract

PURPOSE:The aim is to validate the third generation Thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAB) assay for predicting neonatal thyroid dysfunction and adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with Graves’ disease.METHODS:This prospective cohort study was conducted in TRAB positive pregnant women with Graves’ disease and their off springs. The primary outcome was to assess different forms of neonatal thyroid dysfunction in relation to maternal and neonatal TRAB levels. The secondary outcome was to predict adverse pregnancy outcomes by using maternal TRAB levels. Serum T3, FT4, TSH, TRAB levels were measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.RESULTS:51 pregnant women were included. Five women had adverse pregnancy outcomes, TRAB levels of > 19.06 IU/L (10.9 times the upper limit of normal (ULN)) predicted adverse pregnancy outcomes with 100% sensitivity and 93.5 % specificity. Among the 46 successful live births, 13 (28.3%) had neonatal thyroid dysfunction. Out of 13 neonates, 7 (32%) had neonatal thyrotoxicosis, 4 (18%) had primary hypothyroidism, 2 (9%) had central hypothyroidism. Third trimester maternal TRAB levels of > 7.99 IU/L (4.6 times the ULN)and day three neonatal TRAB levels of >5.03 IU/L (2.9 times the ULN), predicted the neonatal thyrotoxicosis with 100% sensitivity and 97.4% specificity.CONCLUSION:Very high maternal third generation TRAB levels strongly predicted the adverse pregnancy outcomes and neonatal thyroid dysfunction in pregnant women with Graves’ disease. Neonatal thyroid function test along with the TRAB levels strongly correlated with different forms of neonatal thyroid dysfunction and is very useful in avoiding inadvertent treatment to neonates.
The Relationship Between Ghrelin and Iron Metabolism in Beta Thassemia Major Patients
Authors: Sarkaya Nihan Cansel , Kurtoğlu Ayşegül Uğur , Göçer Mesut 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Studies on HIF2α, hepcidin, and ferroportin molecules in beta thalassemia majör (β-TM) patients show that there are disorders in these pathways. In recent years, studies conducted in patients with iron deficiency anemia have investigated the relationship between ghrelin hormone and iron metabolism. In this study, we aimed to contribute to the etiopathogenesis of this disease by examining the changes in ghrelin hormone levels in patients with β-TM. 52 β-TM and 23 controls were included in our study. Cell blood counts, biochemical parameters, HIF2α, hepcidin and ghrelin levels were studied from blood samples taken from the volunteers. Serum HIF2α, hepcidin and ghrelin levels were measured by ELISA method. Erythrocyte indexs, serum total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity, total iron binding capacity and ferritin levels showed significant differences between the two groups (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in serum HIF2α and hepcidin levels. When the patient group and healthy controls were compared, serum ghrelin levels were found to be significantly higher in the patient group (p < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between serum ghrelin and ferritin levels in the patient group (r = 0.401) (p < 0.05). It suggested that high ghrelin levels may have an important role in the regulation of impaired iron metabolism in patients with β-TM. The positive correlation between serum ghrelin levels and ferritin suggested that serum iron may have an important role in ghrelin synthesis, and that increased ghrelin levels may be a factor that increases ferritin synthesis.
Profiling with Trust: System Monitoring from Trusted Execution Environments
Authors: Eichler Christian , Röckl Jonas , Jung Benedikt , Schlenk Ralph , Müller Tilo , Hönig Timo 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Large-scale attacks on IoT and edge computing devices pose a significant threat. As a prominent example, Mirai is an IoT botnet with 600,000 infected devices around the globe, capable of conducting effective and targeted DDoS attacks on (critical) infrastructure. Driven by the substantial impacts of attacks, manufacturers and system integrators propose Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) that have gained significant importance recently. TEEs offer an execution environment to run small portions of code isolated from the rest of the system, even if the operating system is compromised. In this publication, we examine TEEs in the context of system monitoring and introduce the Trusted Monitor (TM), a novel anomaly detection system that runs within a TEE. The TM continuously profiles the system using hardware performance counters and utilizes an application-specific machine-learning model for anomaly detection. In our evaluation, we demonstrate that the TM accurately classifies 86% of 183 tested workloads, with an overhead of less than 2%. Notably, we show that a real-world kernel-level rootkit has observable effects on performance counters, allowing the TM to detect it. Major parts of the TM are implemented in the Rust programming language, eliminating common security-critical programming errors.
Exploring Different Participant-EvaluatorCommunication Methods in VR User Studies
Authors: Ganias Giorgos , Katifori Akrivi , Lougiakis Christos , Roussou Maria , Ioannidis Yannis , Ioannidis Ioannis Panagiotis 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Recent studies in Virtual Reality highlighted the importance of avoiding Breaks inPresence that occur when experiment participants alternate between the virtualand physical environment to fill in questionnaires or interact with the evaluator.In this paper, we report on a within-groups experiment comparing threemeans of communication between the evaluator and the immersed participantsin user studies in VR: Voice-Speaker, Video-Screen, and a 3D-Avatar. Immersedparticipants (N=38) completed three sets of tasks and were observed and theninterviewed through these three methods successively. Our findings reveal nosignificant difference in user performance between the methods. There were, however,significant differences in how they were perceived by the participants, withVideo-Screen, considered the most effective communication method. In contrast,the 3D-Avatar was the most “fun” and the users’ “favorite”, along with the Video-Screen. The Voice-Speaker was thought to be the least distracting yet impersonal,and least favorite.
Structural characteristics of Niaouli forests, biodiversity, and ethnobotanical importance of the valuable species
Authors: GANGLO Isis Togbédji , KOURA Kourouma , KIKI Edmond , HOUNSA Michael , KINGBO Armand , AOUDJI Augustin K. N. , GANGLO Jean Cossi 
Published: July 2023

Abstract

In Benin, forest resources are limited and are in the grip of alarming degradation. In southern Benin, the Niaouli forests (6°40' to 6°45' North Lat. and 2°05' to 2°10' East Long.) require special attention given their state of degradation leading to loss of biodiversity. In order to contribute to the sustainable management of the forests, our investigations focused on the characterization of the structure, floristic diversity, and forms of use of the valuable species. The data was collected by systematic sampling with rectangular meshes of 100 m × 200 m in square plots of one (01) ha each. In total, seven (07) plots were installed for the determination of dendrometric and biodiversity parameters. The regeneration of the species was counted in quadrats of 100 m² installed on a diagonal of each plot. Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out within local populations, on a sample of 188 people made of heads of peasant households or their representatives, carpenters, traditional healers, and loggers in order to identify valuable species and appraise their ethnobotanical importance. Four valuable species were identified. They were Albizia zygia, Antiaris toxicaria, Ceiba pentandra, and Newbouldia laevis. The diversity parameters showed that the forests of Niaouli are characterized by a low floristic diversity in comparison with the forest ecosystems of southern Benin. The main valuable species of the Niaouli forests were experiencing a regeneration problem likely to hinder their sustainability and sustainable use. Albizia zygia, Antiaris toxicaria, and Ceiba pentandra are used more in the form of wood respectively by 85%, 50%, and 75% of respondents. Newbouldia laevis is used more in the form of an infusion by 33%, fodder by 21%, and wood by 21% of respondents. Respondents cited 58 diseases treated with species from the Niaouli forests. Considering the results obtained, regular reforestation and the introduction of new adapted species must be carried out to increase the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the forests.
Exploring Key Quality Indicators (KQIS) in Green Office Buildings Through Pareto Analysis
Authors: Halicioglu Fahriye Hilal , Demirkapi Hande Betul , Gurel Kubra , Kasul Nurdan 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Ensuring higher user satisfaction while reducing building energy consumption is one of the challenges faced by the green building industry since quality comes into view at the level of responding to the environmental and sustainable expectations, health, and comfort needs of green building users. The main objective of this study is to explore the quality indicators in green office buildings. It attempts to answer the question: What are the key quality indicators in evaluating user satisfaction during the operational stage of green office buildings? To that end, a systematic case study review and Pareto analysis are used as a methodological approach. Firstly, a literature review was conducted to determine the quality indicators. Following that, the Pareto analysis was used to find key quality indicators in the literature dataset according to their occurrence frequencies. Finally, the study identified a total of 37 quality indicators and concluded by presenting 23 key quality indicators (kQIs) affecting satisfaction in green office buildings. This study draws attention to the fact that user-oriented quality improvement by getting feedback from the user experiences is inevitable for achieving sustainability goals in green office buildings. It contributes to understanding quality indicators for assessing and enhancing user satisfaction in green office buildings and fills the knowledge gap in the quality improvement of green office buildings.
Lime-Stabilized Solid-Waste Blends as Alternative Building Blocks in Construction
Authors: James Jijo , Gobinathan Ayyapakam Ranganathan , Balaji Adhimoolam Kannan , Ashwin Saravanan , Aravind Chinnathurai 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Stabilized blocks have been gaining ground in recent times. Stabilized solid waste blocks provide an eco-friendly alternative to conventional fired bricks. The present investigation dealt with the development of lime stabilized blended solid waste blocks comprising fly ash (FA), steel slag (SS) and phosphogypsum (PG). The PG content was limited to 10% and the proportion of FA:SS was varied in the remaining 90% in the ratios of 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1. The blends were stabilized using 2%, 4% and 6% lime. The blends were dry mixed, followed by the addition of a sufficient quantity of water to obtain a uniform wet mix. This mix was then packed into moulds to cast blocks. The blocks were demoulded after 24 hours under wet gunny bags and cured in water for 7 days. Similarly, the blends were also mixed with sand to prepare solid waste mortars blocks and cured for 7 days. At the end of their stipulated curing periods, the stabilized solid waste blocks and mortar blocks were tested for their compressive strength. The results of the investigation revealed that the mix LFSP621 developed the maximum strength of all combinations tested and hence, it can be concluded that the solid waste blend consisting of 60% FA, 30% SS and 10% PG stabilized with a further 6% lime by weight of the solid waste mix was the most optimal mix for developing maximum strength of the solid waste blocks. The mortar blocks, however, met with limited success. Thus, it can be concluded that stabilized solid waste blocks can become an effective alternative building material.
Strength Reduction Method in the Stability Assessment of Vegetated Slopes
Authors: Świtała Barbara 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
The thoughtful design and mitigation of ecological slope stabilization measures rely heavily on the reliable assessment of the stability of vegetated slopes. This is a complex problem due to the many aspects of vegetation presence that must be taken into account. The numerical model should be able to consider mechanical root reinforcement and root water uptake, which can lead to soil desaturation. This paper presents the application of the strength reduction method to the Modified Cam-Clay model for unsaturated, root-reinforced soils, which allows for the quantitative estimation of slope stability. The technique is implemented in finite element software and tested using several numerical examples. Firstly, the sensitivity of the factor of safety to changes in root constitutive parameters is investigated. In the second example, the stability of the modelled slope is assessed under rainfall of a certain duration followed by progressively modifying soil strength parameters until failure occurs. Furthermore, slope stability is assessed for various durations of the rainfall period.
Air Grilles Designed to Prevent Backflows in Natural Ventilation Stacks – Experimental Investigation
Authors: Koper Piotr , Szpank Dominik 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
The paper presents the results of the experimental research on the air grills designed to stop backflows in natural ventilation stacks. For each grill pressure drop was measured for different airflow rates, in both flow directions. Two ∅ 100 mm grills working on different principles were tested: one with moving flaps, and one shaped in a way that should greatly increase the hydraulic losses during backflow. For comparison, the ordinary air grill was also tested. The results show that the grill with moving flaps works as intended. With only slightly higher hydraulic losses in the forward direction compared to ordinary grill, it shuts off the backflows almost completely. The other, diffuser-shaped grill doesn’t work as intended. It has very high hydraulic losses in both directions, and the effect of changing the air resistance with the reverse flow is barely noticeable.