bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Epithelial Hyperplasia as a Cause of Irregular Astigmatism: Successful Treatment by Mechanical Removal of the Epithelium Only
Authors: Victoria de Rojas Silva Mª , Juan Álvarez de Toledo , Adrián Tobío Ruibal 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
The corneal epithelium remodeling in response to changes in the anterior corneal surface (keratoconus, corneal refractive surgery) is well-documented in the literature. However, several conditions may induce a different behavior of the epithelium, in which focal areas of epithelial thickening induce irregular astigmatism. This case report presents a very unusual case of irregular astigmatism induced by an epithelial hyperplasia of unknown etiology, which was treated by mechanical removal of only the epithelium.
Case presentation
A 29-year-old woman underwent implantable collamer lens implantation to correct myopia. The patient provided written informed consent. The procedure was uneventful in both eyes. Twenty months later, she complained of decreased visual acuity in the left eye (LE) (uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCDVA) was 20/30; corrected distance visual acuity was 20/20 with + 1.00 -2.25 x 170). Corneal topography revealed a nasal steepening in the LE. Although the corneal thickness map was normal, epithelial thickness mapping revealed a localized nasal area of epithelial hyperplasia in the LE, that matched with the area of steepest curvature. Slit lamp examination showed a total clear cornea with no signs of abnormality. Medical history was unremarkable and a case of epithelial hyperplasia without active inflammation of unknown etiology was considered. The decision was made to perform a mechanical removal of the corneal epithelium after application of diluted alcohol. One month after the procedure, the topography of the epithelized cornea showed a regular bow tie pattern and UCDVA improved to 20/20. No recurrence of the epithelial hyperplasia was detected after eight months.
Conclusions
Focal epithelial hyperplasia may induce irregular astigmatism. Epithelial thickness mapping is a very helpful technology to assess cases with irregular topography. De-epithelization as an isolated procedure may be useful to manage these cases successfully. Further investigations are required to understand the mechanism that may trigger the spontaneous development of a focal epithelial hyperplasia.
Association between Renal Function and the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema: Two-Year Long-Term Follow-Up
Authors: Chou Yu-Bai , Chang Jin-Yu , Chou Yiing-Jenq , Pu Christy 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background: To determine the correlation between the severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME).
Methods: The retrospective 2-year cohort study included eyes with DME confirmed using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, between 2010 and 2020. All the eyes were treated with an intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) during regular follow-up over 2 years. They were categorized into 3 different groups: an estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥ 60 (mL/min per 1.73 m2 ) (group A), <60 (group B), and patients undergoing hemodialysis (group C). The main outcome measures were (1) visual improvement, (2) structural improvement, and (3) the injection frequency of anti-VEGF in the different groups.
Results: In this study, 167 eyes from 120 patients were enrolled. Compared with groups B and C, the eyes in group A experienced the only significant visual improvement at month 3, month 6, and month 12 (P=.0001, .0002, .0013, respectively). The presence of subretinal fluid and intraretinal cysts was significantly decreased in groups A and B. In the treatment frequency analysis, the number of injections was the highest in group A and lowest in group C during the 2-year study period (P = .04).
Conclusions: The severity of CKD had an impact on the DME treatment. The less severe CKD was, the greater the visual improvement that could be achieved. In addition, relatively poor renal function required a lower anti-VEGF injection frequency. The active prevention of the progression of CKD may play a key role in DME treatment.
Identification, classification and characterization of the dermonecrotic toxins in venom glands of Hottentotta saulcyi, Androctonus crassicauda and Hemiscorpius lepturus using transcriptome analysis
Authors: Baradaran Masumeh , Salabi Fatemeh 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Venom phospholipase D (PLDs), known as dermonecrotic toxins, are the major molecules in the crude venom of scorpions that are mainly responsible for lethality and dermonecrotic lesions during scorpion envenoming. The purpose of this study was fourfold: First to identify transcripts coding for venom dermonecrotic toxin by transcriptomic analysis of the venom from Androctonus crassicauda, Hottentotta saulcyi, and Hemiscorpius lepturus; second to classify them by sequence similarity to known PLDs and motif extraction method; third to characterize scorpion PLDs; and fourth to investigate phylogenetic relationships of the PLD proteins. This is the first report of the presence of dermonecrotic toxin sequence in A. crassicauda and H. saulcyi venom. We found that the venom gland of scorpions encodes two PLD isoforms; PLD1 ScoTox-beta and PLD2 ScoTox-alpha I. Two highly conserved regions shared by all PLDs beta are GAN and HPCDC (HX2PCDC), and the most important conserved regions shared by all PLDs alpha are two copies of the HKDG (HxKx4Dx6G) motif. We found that PLD1 is a 31–43 kDa acidic protein containing signal sequences and PLD2 is a 128 kDa basic protein without known signal sequences. The gene structures of PLD1 and PLD2 contain 6 and 21 exons respectively.
Improved YOLOv5 infrared tank target detection method under ground background
Authors: Liang Chao , Yan Zhengang , Ren Meng , Wu Jiangpeng , Tian Liping , Guo Xuan , Li Jie 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
To solve the problem of low target detection accuracy caused by the change of imaging scale, complex ground background and inconspicuous infrared target characteristics when infrared image seeker detects ground tank targets. In this paper, a You Only Look Once, Transform Head Squeeze-and-Excitation (YOLOv5s-THSE) model is proposed based on the YOLOv5s model, and a multihead attention mechanism is added to the backbone and neck of the network. The Cross Stage Partial, Squeeze-and-Exclusion (CSP_SE) module is added to the neck of the network, a small target detector is introduced into the head of the network, and the complete center section over union loss function is used in the model. Through various improvement measures, the background of the infrared target is suppressed, and the detection ability of the infrared tank target is improved. Experiments on infrared tank target data sets show that the model proposed in this paper can effectively improve the detection performance of infrared tank targets under ground background compared with several methods, such as YOLOv5s, YOLOv5s + SE, and YOLOV 5s + Convective Block Attention Module (CBAM).
Dog1 Expression in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Potential Applications and Diagnostic Pitfalls
Authors: Marando Alessandro , Tucci Francesco , Aquilano Maria Costanza , Blasi Elena Di , Bonoldi Emanuela 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) represent a heterogeneous group of rare tumors, more frequently arising from gastroenteropancreatic tract and lungs. At the time of diagnosis, 20% of cases are metastatic, and 10% of cases are considered as cancer of unknown primary origin. Several immunohistochemical markers are routinely used to confirm the neuroendocrine differentiation, first among all Synaptophysin and Chromogranin-A; on the other hand, different immunohistochemical markers are used to establish primary anatomical site, as TTF1, CDX2, Islet-1 and Calcitonin, but no marker is available in order to distinguish among different sites of the digestive tract. DOG1 (discovered on GIST-1) is a gene normally expressed in interstitial cells of Cajal and, in routine practice, DOG1 immunostaining is used in diagnosis of GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor). DOG1 expression has been described in several neoplasms other than GIST, both in mesenchymal and epithelial neoplasms. In the present study, DOG1 immunostaining has been performed in a large cohort of neuroendocrine neoplasms, including neuroendocrine tumors and neuroendocrine carcinomas, in order to evaluate frequency, intensity and pattern of expression in different anatomical site and in different tumor grade. DOG1 expression was detected in a large percentage of neuroendocrine tumors, with statistically significant association between DOG1 expression and gastrointestinal tract neuroendocrine tumors. As a consequence, DOG1 could be included in marker panel for the identification of primary site in neuroendocrine metastases of unknown primary origin; moreover, these results recommend careful evaluation of DOG1 expression in gastrointestinal neoplasms, in particular in differential diagnosis between epithelioid GIST and neuroendocrine tumors.
Histone acetyltransferase CSRP2BP promotes the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and metastasis of cervical cancer cells by activating N-cadherin
Authors: Yang xiaohui , Sun Fei , Gao Yueying , Liu Mian , Wei Yunjian , Jie Qiuling , Wang Yibing , Li Mengyongwei , Mei Jiaoqi , Mei Jingjing , Ma Linna , Shi Yuechuan , Chen Manling , Li Yongsheng , Li Qi , Liu Mingyao , Ma Yanlin 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Background:Dysregulated epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in cervical cancer metastasis and is associated with histone acetylation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of histone acetylation in cervical cancer EMT and metastasis are still elusive.Methods:Here, we systematically investigated the expression patterns of histone acetylation genes and their correlations with EMT pathway in cervical cancer. The expression ofhistone acetyltransferase CSRP2BP among cervical cancer tissues and cell lines was detected using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry analyses. The effect of CSRP2BP on cervical cancer cell proliferation and tumorigenicity were determined by cell growth curve, EdU assay, flow cytometryand xenotransplantation assays. Wound healing assays, transwell migration assays and pulmonary metastasis model were used to evaluate the effect of CSRP2BP on the cellinvasion, metastasis of cervical cancer cellsin vivoandin vitro. RNA-seq, Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and luciferase reporter were further applied to research for the roles and molecular mechanisms of CSRP2BP in promoting cervical cancer EMT and matastasis.Results:We prioritized a top candidate histone acetyltransferase, CSRP2BP, as a key player in cervical cancer EMT and metastasis. The expression of CSRP2BP was significantly increased in cervical cancer tissues and high CSRP2BP expression was associated with poor prognosis. Overexpression of CSRP2BP promoted cervical cancer cell proliferation and metastasis bothin vitroandin vivo,while knockdown of CSRP2BP obtained the opposite effect. In addition, CSRP2BP-promoted resistant to cisplatin chemotherapy. Mechanistically, CSRP2BP mediated histone 4 acetylation at lysine sites 5 and 12, and cooperate with the transcription factor SMAD4, bound to the SEB2 domain of theN-cadheringene promotor region and upregulated N-cadherin transcription. Consequently, CSRP2BP involved cervical cancer cell EMT and matastasis dependent on activating N-cadherin.Conclusions:These findings reveal for the first time the involvement of histone acetyltransferase CSRP2BP in cervical cancer metastasis partially through promoting the EMT process and imply that CSRP2BP could be a prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for combating cervical cancer metastasis.
Pulcherrimin protects Bacillus subtilis against oxidative stress during biofilm development
Authors: Chai Yunrong , Angelini Leticia , Santos Renato Corrêa dos , Fox Gabriel , Paruthiyil Srinand , Gozzi Kevin , Shemesh Moshe 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Pulcherrimin is an iron-binding reddish pigment produced by various bacterial and yeast species. In the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis, this pigment is first synthesized intracellularly as the colorless pulcherriminic acid by using two molecules of tRNA-charged leucine as the substrate; pulcherriminic acid molecules are then secreted and bind to ferric iron extracellularly to form the red-colored pigment pulcherrimin. The biological importance of pulcherrimin is not well understood. A previous study showed that secretion of pulcherrimin caused iron depletion in the surroundings and growth arrest on cells located at the edge of a B. subtilis colony biofilm. In this study, we identified that pulcherrimin is primarily produced under biofilm conditions and provides protection to cells in the biofilm against oxidative stress. We presented molecular evidence on how pulcherrimin lowers the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alleviates oxidative stress and DNA damage caused by ROS accumulation in a mature biofilm. We also performed global transcriptome profiling to identify differentially expressed genes in the pulcherrimin-deficient mutant compared to wild type, and further characterized the regulation of genes by pulcherrimin that are related to iron homeostasis, DNA damage response (DDR), and oxidative stress response. Based on our findings, we propose pulcherrimin as an important antioxidant as well as a signal modulating B. subtilis biofilm development.
Hydrogeophysical Investigation of Shallow Aquifers and Possible Pollution Interaction of Dumpsite, Douala Basin Cameroon
Authors: Ahmed Mbouemboue Nsangou Moussa , Lordon Anatole Eugene Djieto , Agyingi Christopher m. , Kevin Zebaze Mba 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Landfill leachate contains thousands of complex components that become part of groundwater after infiltration. Landfills have serious environmental consequences for air, soil, surface water, and groundwater, particularly in sedimentary formations such as those found in the Douala sub basin. The present study investigated the possible dump sites pollution effects on shallow aquifer groundwater system in part of Maképé Missoké (Northern river N’gongué), Douala city, Cameroon. A total of 08 profiles were ran using the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to locate the aquifer and then afterward 10 points were selected for groundwater sampling in the study area and were analysed for selected major ions and bacteriological test. The ERT results show predominantly low to intermediate (0.03-1173ohmm) resistivity zones of leachate which extend down to a depth of > 30m below the surface. The physicochemical analyses results show that their elemental composition values for Ca2+(0.63–26.64 mg/l), K+ (0.52–19.41 mg/l), Cl−(2.21–52.51 mg/l), SO42−(0.71–83.27 mg/l), NO3−(8.38–51.44 mg/l), Na+(4.95–64.42 mg/l), Mg2+ (< 0.03–3.79 mg/l) tie with what was obtained in other areas worldwide for a typical dumpsite or landfill leachate and wells A4 and A6 and borehole A3 are not within the Cameroon drinking water standard based on their K and NO3 content respectively (14.35, 19.31 and 51.44). Results from bacteriological analyses show that 05 of the water samples (A4: >3000cfu, A6: 44cfu, A7: >3000cfu, A16: 32cfu, A17: 13cfu) which are especially from hand dug wells and streams are not drinkable as of the Cameroon drinking water standards and WHO. The multi-parameter and resistivity meter (multi-electrodes) were found to be good instruments that can be used to monitor the environment. The Douala aquifer at Makepé Missoké was characterized and observed to be polluted at the landfill site.
Influence of Multiple Water Uses on an Important Cross-border Watershed in South America
Authors: Boeira Lukas dos Santos , Collares Gilberto Loguercio , Santos Gabriel Borges dos , Possa Thais Magalhães , Terra Viviane Santos Silva 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Knowing water behavior in a watershed is extremely important to manage its multiple uses adequately. One of the models that has been highlighted by several studies and strategies to diagnose and understand hydrological processes and, consequently, define multiple water uses, is the Large Basin Model (MGB). The Mirim-São Gonçalo watershed (MSGW), which is a cross-border basin that stretches over the extreme south of Brazil and northeastern Uruguay, has significant environmental, economic, political and social importance to the population that lives there. This study aims at applying the distributed MGB to the MSGW to describe hydrodynamic processes and fluctuation resulting from water levels by considering input and output in the system, natural and anthropic ones, based on the Water Exploitation Index (WEI) and the Water Commitment Index (WCI). Results show that the adapted MGB enabled to simulate hydrological-hydrodynamic characteristics in the MSGW when information on winds were inserted. Results of the Brazilian part of the basin were better due to the distribution of input data. Regarding multiple uses, both the WCI and the WEI clearly show that the Uruguayan part of the basin is in a comfortable situation, in contrast with the Brazilian part, which needs special and criterial care since its situation is more critical.
Heavy Metal Intake from Meat and Poultry Consumption and Potential Human Health Risk Assessment in Noakhali, Bangladesh
Authors: Chowdhury Akibul Islam , Alam Mohammad Rahanur 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Heavy metal contamination poses a significant food safety risk for human health in developing countries like Bangladesh. This study examined the quantities of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Fe, and Cu) in commercially accessible meat, poultry, and game products in Noakhali, Bangladesh, and their carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry was used to analyze heavy metals, and the health risk assessment was based on Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Targeted Hazard Quotient (THQ), Total THQ, and Total Carcinogenic Risk (TCR). Most samples exceeded Maximum Allowable Concentrations (MAC) for heavy metals. The EDI value of Cd, Pb, and Cr for duck liver, goat liver, and pigeon brain, were higher than the Maximum Tolerable Dietary Intake (MTDI). Children had 1.28 times higher HI values than an adult. The calculation of THQ of all elements in adults and children was in the order of Cu> Pb>Ni>Cr>Cd>Fe. The calculated TTHQ values were in the range of 0.051 to 1.988 and 0.047 to 3.975 for adults and children, respectively. The TCR values for Cd in poultry liver, brain, and meat, Sonali chicken, cow, pigeon, duck, and goat liver were higher than the reference value for adults and children, suggesting a potential cancer risk.
Correlation between induced polarization and sulfide content of rock samples obtained from seafloor hydrothermal mounds of the Okinawa Trough, Japan
Authors: Ohta Yusuke , Goto Tada-nori , Koike Katsuaki , Kashiwaya Koki , Lin Weiren , Tadai Osamu , Kasaya Takafumi , Kanamatsu Toshiya , Machiyama Hideaki 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Physical properties of seafloor massive sulfides provide a basis for interpreting of sub-seafloor images obtained from geophysical surveys. They are useful for elucidating the evolution of seafloor mineral deposits. A few reports have described studies of the correlation between electrical conductivity and the volume of conductive minerals of rocks collected from seafloor massive sulfide deposits. More studies are performed on artificial samples than on natural rock samples, and the characteristics of natural samples are not well understood. For this study, complex conductivity measurements, elemental concentration analysis, and content mineral identification analysis were applied to rock samples collected from the hydrothermal active zones of the Okinawa Trough in Japan. The measured complex conductivity is characterized by a very high overall value, with a large imaginary component and a wide frequency band by induced polarization. Most of the rock samples have contained large amounts of conductive sulfide minerals, e.g., pyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena predominating. A rock physics model, the Cole–Cole model, was applied to the measured data. Our results indicate good correlation between rock chargeability and the volume fraction of conductive sulfide minerals. However, the correlation trend differs from those found from earlier studies. The intensity of the induced polarization is much larger than that predicted from earlier studies of artificial samples. The samples have less distinct quadrature conductivity peaks, and might continue to be polarized outside of the conventional measurement frequency bands. This discrepancy is probably attributable to the geometric characteristics of sulfide minerals.
First-principles study on the stability of Cd passivates in soil
Authors: Shen Jianglong , Li Juan , Mao Zhongan , Zhang Yang 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The stable existence of heavy metals in soil under natural conditions is the core issue in heavy metal pollution solidification and remediation technology. This paper takes the common heavy metal ion Cd2+ as an example to analyze the stability of the combination of heavy metal ions and common ion groups in soil. The stability and existing form of Cd are analyzed by using the first principle, and the free energy, band structure, and partical density of states (PDOS) of CdCO3, CdSO4, CdCl2, CdSiO3 are calculated. Determine the stability of Cd binding to common anions in soil. The results show that the order of structural stability of cadmium compounds from high to low is CdSiO3, CdSO4, CdCO3, CdCl2. SO42−, and SiO32− can be used as preferred functional groups for cadmium pollution passivation. Anhydrous sodium sulfate and sodium silicate are effective passivator.
Creation of Co(II) single-ion magnets by doping into Zn(II) diamagnetic metal-organic frameworks
Authors: Wakizaka Masanori , Ishikawa Ryuta , Tanaka Hisaaki , Gupta Shraddha , Takaishi Shinya , Yamashita Masahiro 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The combination of single-ion magnets (SIMs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is expected to produce new quantum materials. The principal issue to be solved in this regard is the development of new strategies for the synthesis of SIM-MOFs. This work demonstrates a new simple strategy for the synthesis of SIM-MOFs where a diamagnetic MOF is used as the framework into which the SIM sites are doped. 1 mol%, 0.5 mol%, and 0.2 mol% of the Co(II) ions are doped into the Zn(II) sites of [CH6N3][ZnII(HCOO)3]. The doped Co(II) sites in the MOFs perform as SIM with a positive D term of zero-field splitting. Temperature dependency of the relaxation time suggests suppressing spin- lattice relaxation by the rigid framework. Thus, this work represents a proof of concept for the creation of single-ion doped magnets in MOFs. This simple synthetic strategy will be widely applied for the creation of quantum magnetic materials.