bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inducible MLL-AF9 expression drives an AML program during human pluripotent stem cell-derived hematopoietic differentiation
Authors: Heuts Branco , Arza-Apalategi Saioa , Alkema Sinna , Tijchon Esther , Jussen Laura , Bergevoet Saskia , Reijden Bert van der , Martens Joost H. A. 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

A t(9;11)(p22;q23) translocation produces the MLL-AF9 fusion protein, which is found in up to 25% of de novo AML cases in children. Despite major advances, obtaining a comprehensive understanding of context-dependent MLL-AF9-mediated gene programs during early hematopoiesis is challenging. Here, we generated a human inducible pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) model with doxycycline dose-dependent MLL-AF9 expression. We exploit MLL-AF9 expression as an oncogenic hit to uncover epigenetic and transcriptomic effects on iPSC-derived hematopoietic development and the transformation into (pre-)leukemic states. In doing so, we observed disruption of early myelomonocytic development and expansion of a CD34+ early hematopoietic progenitor compartment upon MLL-AF9 activation. In agreement, we identified gene profiles consistent with primary MLL-AF9 AML and uncovered highly confident MLL-AF9-associated core genes that faithfully represent primary MLL-AF9 AML, including known and thus far unknown factors. Our system allows for careful chemically controlled and stepwise in vitro hiPSC-derived differentiation under serum-free and feeder-free conditions. For a disease that currently lacks effective precision medicine, our system provides a novel entry-point into exploring potential novel biomarkers and targets for personalized therapeutic strategies.
Price Freezes and Gas Pass-Through: An Estimation of the Price Impact of Electricity Market Restructuring
Authors: Hill Alexander 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

This article examines the impact of market restructuring on retail prices, using the restructuring of the electricity industry as a case study. Utilizing synthetic control as an estimation strategy, this paper finds full restructuring reduced retail prices across all sectors by an average of $1.5/MWh, relative to their counterfactual outcome. On average, prices fell for residential and commercial users and rose for industrial users. The price differential is consistent with the successful enactment of price ceilings and increased pass-through of changes in the price of natural gas. (JEL L51, L94, Q41, Q48)
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and oncostatin M as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for sepsis: Association between myokines and muscle mass
Authors: Seok Hyeri , Shim Euddeum , Jung Minsuk , Kim Jooyun , Jeon Ji Hoon , Choi Won Suk , Park Dae Won 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background. Biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis are urgently needed. Myokines secreted from muscles play a key role in the immune system. In the present study, we evaluated two myokines, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and oncostatin M, for their potential use as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for patients with sepsis. We also evaluated the association between myokines and muscle mass.
Methods. BDNF and oncostatin M levels were measured upon the initial diagnosis of sepsis, and again at the end of treatment, in patients who visited the emergency room between January 2016 and January 2020. On abdomen/pelvis computed tomography (CT) performed during the hospital stay, muscle mass was measured as an index of the total abdominal muscle area index (TAMAI). We evaluated the relationship between mortality due to sepsis, myokine levels, and muscle mass.
Results. A total of 210 participants (168 patients and 42 healthy controls) were enrolled in the present study. Median BDNF levels in patients diagnosed with sepsis and septic shock were significantly lower than in healthy controls. In contrast, median oncostatin M levels in patients with sepsis and septic shock were significantly higher than in healthy controls. BDNF and oncostatin M levels showed a statistically significant negative correlation. TAMAI in patients with sepsis and septic shock were 34.6 cm2/m2 and 34.2 cm2/m2, respectively; however, the TAMAI had no correlation with either BDNF or oncostatin M levels. BDNF level was significantly higher in the 28-day survivors than in those that died. Increased oncostatin M levels were associated with higher 14- and 28-day mortalities. At the end of treatment, BDNF levels and muscle mass were significantly higher in survivors than in deceased patients.
Conclusions. BDNF levels were significantly lower, and oncostatin M levels were significantly higher in patients with sepsis and septic shock than in healthy controls. Muscle mass was significantly lower in patients who died as the result of sepsis; however, the levels of myokines were not associated with muscle mass. These results highlight the potential of BDNF and oncostatin M as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of sepsis.
Elastin is responsible for the rigidity of the ligament under shear and rotational stress: A mathematical simulation study
Authors: Naya Yuki , Takanari Hiroki 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
[Background]
It is important to accurately understand the mechanical response of ligaments to prevent damage and rupture. Most mathematical simulation studies consider the ligament as a single uniform sheet or focus only on collagen fibers, ignoring the other major component such as elastin. We evaluated how elastin affects the mechanical response of the ligaments under stresses using a simple mathematical model.
[Methods]
Based on multiphoton microscopic images of porcine knee collateral ligaments, we constructed a simple mathematical simulation model that individually includes the mechanical properties of collagen fibers and elastin (fiber model) and compared with that considers the ligament as a single sheet (sheet model). We also evaluated the difference in mechanical response in the fiber model depending on the elastin content.
[Results]
Uniform stress was applied to the entire ligament in the sheet model, while strong stress was applied at the junction of collagen fibers and elastin in the fiber model. In the same fiber model, as elastin content increased, the stress and displacement applied to the collagen fibers during tensile and shear stresses decreased and the slope of the stress-strain relationship increased especially under shear stress. The stress required to rotate the bones at both ends of the ligament by the same angle increased with increasing elastin content.
[Conclusions]
The fiber model, which included the mechanical properties of elastin, could provide us more precise stress distribution and mechanical response. It was shown that elastin is responsible for the rigidity of the ligaments during shear and rotational stresses.
Pyroptosis-Related lncRNA Signatures Predict Prognosis and Indicate Immune Microenvironment Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: 胡 Jiayu , Yuan Chen , Yang Chen , Li Huanjuan , Zhou Junyu , Tang Lusheng , Yu Yanhua , Zhang Yinghao , Li Yanchun , Tong Xiangmin , Wu Gongqiang , Wang Ying 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background.Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with limited treatment options. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are essential regulators of HCC progressand are closely related to the pyroptotic cell death. However, the influence of pyroptosis-related lncRNAs on HCC remains indefinite.
Methods. We systematically explored the expression profile of pyroptosis-related lncRNAs to establish a novel signature for predicting the outcome of HCC patients based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database by multiple analysis methods. Four lncRNAs with the highest hazard ratio in the above model were selected for external verification in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Finally, the expression of these lncRNAs was verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in different cell lines.
Results. The results showed that 25 pyroptosis-related lncRNAs were evidently correlatedwith the prognosis of HCC patients. Cox regression analyses demonstrated the prognostic ability of the risk model established by the pyroptosis-related lncRNAs. And the high and low-risk groups were linked to different types of infiltrating immune cells and affected the physiological state of the tumor microenvironment in HCC.
Conclusion.We constructed and validated an independent pyroptosis-related lncRNAs prognostic model and preliminarily described the potential immune correlations, providing novel prognostic factors and directions of immunotherapeutic strategies for HCC.
Recent increase in tree damage and mortality and their spatial dependence on drought intensity in Mediterranean forests
Authors: Rebollo Pedro , Moreno-Fernández Daniel , Cruz-Alonso Verónica , Gazol Antonio , Rodríguez-Rey Marta , Astigarraga Julen , Zavala Miguel A. , Gómez-Aparicio Lorena , Andivia Enrique , Miguel-Romero Sofía , Ruiz-Benito Paloma 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Context
Land-use and climate change are leading to more frequent and intense tree damage and mortality events. Drought-induced tree mortality is occurring worldwide leading to broad-scale events, but the spatial patterns of tree damage and mortality, their underlying drivers and their variation over time is largely unknown.
Objectives
We investigated the spatial patterns of tree damage and mortality across Mediterranean forests of the Iberian Peninsula, the underlying effects of competition and climate, and how the spatial patterns and relationships with underlying drivers changed over time.
Methods
We used the Spanish Forest Inventory to analyse the autocorrelation in tree damage and mortality across forest types, hurdle-gamma models to quantify the effect of competition and climate on tree damage and mortality, and cross-correlograms to assess their spatial dependence and its change over time.
Results
We observed a greater magnitude and a stronger autocorrelation in tree damage than mortality, with positive aggregation up to 20 kilometres. There was a spatial dependence between tree damage and mortality with their drivers, with spatial aggregation increasing with water availability, drought intensity and competition. The spatial dependence of tree damage and mortality with the underlying drivers increased over time, particularly for drought intensity.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that the combined effect of intense competition and drought could favour more extensive die-off and tree mortality events, providing key information for identifying vulnerable areas and the planning of adaptation measures.
Individualized medicine using 3D printing technology in gynecology: a scoping review
Authors: Cooke Carly M , Flaxman Teresa E , Sikora Lindsey , Miguel Olivier , Singh Sukhbir S 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Objective: Developments in 3-dimensional (3D) printing technology has made it possible to produce high quality, affordable 3D printed models for use in medicine. As a result, there is a growing assessment of this approach being published in the medical literature. The objective of this study was to outline the clinical applications of individualized 3D printing in gynecology through a scoping review.
Data Sources: Four medical databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus) and grey literature were searched for publications meeting eligibility criteria up to 31 May 2021.
Study Eligibility Criteria: Publications were included if they were published in English, had a gynecologic context, and involved production of patient specific 3D printed product(s).
Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods: Studies were manually screened and assessed for eligibility by two independent reviewers and data were extracted using pre-established criteria using Covidence software.
Results: Overall, 32 studies (15 abstracts,17 full text articles) were included in the scoping review. Most studies were either case reports (12/32,38%) or case series (15/32,47%). Gynecologic sub-specialties in which the 3D printed models were intended for use included: gynecologic oncology (21/32,66%), benign gynecology (6/32,19%), pediatrics (2/32,6%), urogynecology (2/32,6%) and reproductive endocrinology and infertility (1/32,3%). Twenty studies (63%) printed 5 or less models, 6/32 (19%) printed greater than 5 (up to 50 models). Types of 3D models printed included: anatomical models (11/32,34%), medical devices, (2/32,6%) and template/guide/cylindrical applicators for brachytherapy (19/32,59%).
Conclusions: Our scoping review has outlined novel clinical applications for individualized 3D printed models in gynecology. To date, they have mainly been used for production of patient specific 3D printed brachytherapy guides/applicators in patients with gynecologic cancer. However, individualized 3D printing shows great promise for utility in surgical planning, surgical education, and production of patient specific devices, across gynecologic subspecialties. Evidence supporting the clinical value of individualized 3D printing in gynecology is limited by studies with small sample size and non-standardized reporting, which should be the focus of future studies.
Structural Basis for Self-Discrimination by Neoantigen-Specific TCRs
Authors: Finnigan John , Newman Jenna , Patskovsky Yury , Patskovska Larysa , Ishizuka Andrew , Lynn Geoffrey , Seder Robert , Krogsgaard Michelle , Bhardwaj Nina 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Physical interactions between T cell receptors (TCRs) and mutation-derived tumour neoantigens (neoAg) presented by major histocompatibility class-I (MHC-I) enable sensitive and specific cytolysis of tumour cells. Adoptive transfer of neoAg-reactive T cells in patients is correlated with response to immunotherapy; however, the structural and cellular mechanisms of neoAg recognition remain poorly understood. We have identified multiple cognate neoAg:TCRs from B16F10, a common murine implantable tumour model of melanoma. We identified a high affinity TCR targeting H2-Db-restricted Hsf2K72N that conferred specific recognition of B16F10 in vitro and in vivo. Structural characterization of the peptide-MHC (pMHC) binary and pMHC:TCR ternary complexes yielded highresolution crystal structures, revealing the formation of a solvent-exposed hydrophobic arch in H2-Db that enables multiple intermolecular contacts between pMHC and the TCR. These features of structural stability strikingly mimic that of a previously published influenza peptide-H2-Db complex and its corresponding TCR, suggesting that there are shared structural motifs between neoantigens and viral peptides that explain their shared immunogenicity.
Family caregivers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative study.
Authors: Rico-Blázquez Milagros , Sánchez-Ruano Raquel , Oter-Quintana Cristina , Polentinos-Castro Elena , Martín-García Angel , Otones-Reyes Pedro , González-Beltrán Damián , Martínez-Marcos Mercedes 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Background.
The COVID-19 pandemic imposed lockdown measures worldwide which altered the normal way in which dependent people are cared for. Little is known about the changes that took place and the strategies adopted by family caregivers in order that they might continue their work in this new situation, characterised by uncertainty, fear and isolation. The aim of this study was to better understand the caregiving experiences of family caregivers looking after the dependent people that lived in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods.
A qualitative research with a phenomenological approach was conducted at primary healthcare centers in the Madrid region in Spain. A total of 21 family caregivers were selected. Purposive and theoretical sampling approaches were used by nurses to recruit family caregivers from primary healthcare centers. Participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide to explore the caring experience during COVID-19 pandemic. Interview transcripts were evaluated using thematic analysis.
Results.
Two themes stemmed from the data: “Caregivers during lockdown – providing care in a time of adversity” and “Caregiving toward normality”. Caregivers contrasted life during the pandemic with the lives they had had previously. The sub-themes identified were the re-structuring of before-care services and the introduction of new care approaches, managing the dependent person’s health problems, looking after oneself and dealing with adversity. In order to adapt to the new normal, strategies were put in place designed to recover confidence and trust, reincorporate assistance and reconnect with others.
Conclusions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic there was an intensification of the care given to dependent people. Family caregivers undertook their work without assistance, confronting fear and putting the focus on preventing contagion and protecting themselves in order to be able to continue giving care.
Signature Verification by Multi-Size Assembled-Attention with the Backbone of Swin-Transformer
Authors: Chu Jian , Zhang Wenkang , Zheng Yufan , Ahmad Rafiq 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Handwritten signature verification is an indispensable means of identification in biometric information recognition and has broad application prospects and research significance in financial, judicial, and educational systems. With the advancement of signature forgery technology, people have higher requirements for the accuracy and efficiency of signature verification, and sophisticated convolutional networks capable of automatic feature extraction are gradually being applied to the field of handwriting recognition. However, these convolution methods still have the potential for improvement in recognition capability, generalization capability, and accuracy rate. This paper proposes a novel network model, Multi-Size Assembled-Attention Swin-Transformer network, to perform signature handwriting authenticity identification. The inputs to the network are signature images that are resized to multiple sizes, including (224, 224), (112, 112), (56, 56). Then, features within the same image are extracted using the self-attention mechanism in Swin-Transformer, and features between different images are also extracted with the cross-attention mechanism in Assembled-Attention Block, enabling signature feature information to interact within the same image and between different images. Also, Regularized Dropout strategy and adversarial method are implemented in the training stage. Therefore, our method considerably prompts the identification ability of the signature handwriting and obtains state-of-the-art performance, especially 57.1% and 50.4% improvement, in the situation of training in CEDAR and evaluation in Bengali and Hindi. Meantime, we evaluated the impact of the input images passing through the model's times on performance and found that the network achieves the optimal performance at times of four.
Fixed points for SF-GF-contractive mappings type
Authors: Taqbibt Abdellah , Elomari M’hamed , Chaib Mohamed , Melliani Said 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The aim of this work is to provide the existence and uniqueness of a fixed point for a new SF -GF -contraction type. We show its properties, we also generalize and unify several results in the literature . Finally, we give some examples and applications to describe these results.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2010). 34A08, 26A33,34K37.
Physicochemical and structural evidence that Bacillus cereus isolated from the gut of waxworms (Galleria mellonella larvae) biodegrades polypropylene efficiently in vitro
Authors: Nyamjav Indra , Jang Yejin , Park Nohyoon , Lee Ye Eun , Lee Sukkyoo 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Biodegradation of plastic waste using microorganisms has been proposed as one of the solutions to the increasing worldwide plastic waste. Polypropylene (PP) is the second most used plastic used in various industries, and it has been widely used in the production of personal protective equipment such as masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, biodegradation of PP becomes very important. Here, we present results on the physicochemical and structural studies of PP by Bacillus cereus isolated from the gut of the waxworms, Galleria mellonella larvae. We also studied the biodegradability of PP by the gut microbiota compared with B. cereus. We analyzed the microbial degradation of the PP surface using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and confirmed that the physical and chemical changes were caused by B.cereus and the gut microbiota. The chemical structural changes were further investigated using X-ray photoelectron microscopy and Fourier-transform-infrared spectroscopy, and it was confirmed that the oxidation of the PP surface proceeded with the formation of carbonyl groups (C=O), ester groups (C-O), and hydroxyl groups (-OH) by B. cereus. Additionally, the gut microbiota composed of diverse microbial species showed equal oxidation of PP compared to B. cereus. More importantly, GPC analysis showed that B. cereus exhibited quantitatively a higher biodegradability of PP compared to the gut microbiota. Our results suggest that B. cereus possesses a complete set of enzymes required to initiate the oxidation of the carbon chain of PP and will be used to discover new enzymes and genes that are involved in degrading PP.
Immune status in chronic critical illness: a systematic review
Authors: Berikashvili Levan B. , Geize A. V. , Kornelyuk R. A. , Plotnikov G. P. 
Published: January 2023

INTRODUCTION: Currently, there is an increase in the number of patients who are classified as chronically critically ill patients. OBJECTIVE: The review is aimed at studying the indicators of the immune status of chronically critically ill patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed and Google Scholar were used to identify relevant articles. The following 3 searches were performed: “chronically critically ill patients AND immune”, “chronic critical illness AND immune”, “persistent inflammation, immunosuppression, and catabolism syndrome AND immune”. The literature review was limited from 2012 to August 2022. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) patients with chronic critical illness (CCI) or persistent inflammation, immunosuppression and catabolism syndrome (PICS); (2) comparison groups are at least one of the specified — patients undergoing rapid recovery, healthy volunteers; (3) parameters of the immune status, inflammation and catabolism are the study endpoints; (4) original articles. To assess the validity of the results, a risk of bias assessment was performed for each study included in the analysis. The risk of bias in non-randomised studies of exposures (ROBINS-E) tool was used. The Delphi method was executed in two rounds by three researchers to assess bias. RESULTS: Chronically critically ill patients with the immunosuppressive status have reduced levels of HLA-DR and ALC and elevated sPD-L1 and IL-10 levels. The results of the studies were rated at ‘high’ and ‘moderate’ risk of reporting bias. Their findings should be considered as low-quality results. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic critical illness is a poorly understood condition that periodically occurs in patients in the ICU. The immune status of chronically critically ill patients is a debatable issue, as the current data are insufficient to draw a definitive conclusion. Based on the systematic review, further prospective trials are required to study the immune status of chronically critically ill patients.