12 research outputs found
Semantic Web Technologies for Digital Libraries: From Libraries to Social Semantic Digital Libraries (SSDL), Over Semantic Digital Libraries (SDL)
No full textDigital libraries have been an important source of information throughout the history of mankind. It has been present in our societies in different forms. Notably, traditional libraries have found their on the desktops of internet users. They have taken the shape of semantic digital libraries, which are accessible at any time, and accordingly provide a more meaningful search. This paper further discusses social semantic digital libraries that also incorporate the social and collaborative aspect
Intronic elements in the Na+/I-symporter gene (NIS) interact with retinoic acid receptors and mediate initiation of transcription
Get PDFActivity of the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) in lactating breast is essential for iodide (I-) accumulation in milk. Significant NIS upregulation was also reported in breast cancer, indicating a potential use of radioiodide treatment. All-trans-retinoic acid (tRA) is a potent ligand that enhances NIS expression in a subset of breast cancer cell lines and in experimental breast cancer models. Indirect tRA stimulation of NIS in breast cancer cells is very well documented; however, direct upregulation by tRA-activated nuclear receptors has not been identified yet. Aiming to uncover cis-acting elements directly regulating NIS expression, we screened evolutionary-conserved non-coding genomic sequences for responsiveness to tRA in MCF-7. Here, we report that a potent enhancer in the first intron of NIS mediates direct regulation by tRA-stimulated nuclear receptors. In vitro as well as in vivo DNA-protein interaction assays revealed direct association between retinoic acid receptor-α (RARα) and retinoid-X-receptor (RXR) with this enhancer. Moreover, using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) we uncovered early events of NIS transcription in response to tRA, which require the interaction of several novel intronic tRA responsive elements. These findings indicate a complex interplay between nuclear receptors, RNA Pol-II and multiple intronic RAREs in NIS gene, and they establish a novel mechanistic model for tRA-induced gene transcription. © The Author(s) 2010. Published by Oxford University Press
Retraction Note: Nickel oxide nanoparticles synthesis using plant extract and evaluation of their antibacterial effects on Streptococcus mutans (Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, (2022), 45, 7, (1201-1210), 10.1007/s00449-022-02736-6)
No full textThe Editor-in-Chief has retracted this article because, after publication, concerns were raised regarding the citation of irrelevant references, authorship, and author contributions. The authors were requested to provide explanations for the raised concerns but the Editor-in-Chief found the response provided by the authors insufficient. In the article, references 16, 19, 21–22, 80–81, 108–124 appear to be unrelated to the research described in this article. Additionally, the reference 22 appears to be incorrectly attributed. The Editor-in-Chief therefore no longer has confidence in the reliability of the data presented in this article. Dalal H. Alotaibi, Hanen Sellami, and Mehrdad Khatami do not agree to this retraction. Saade Addalkareem Jasim and Fuad Ameen have not explicitly stated whether they agree to this retraction notice. Nastaran Chokhachi Zadeh Moghadam and Marcos A.L Nobre have not responded to any correspondence from the editor/publisher about this retraction.Department of Pediatric Dentistry Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental MedicineMedical Laboratory Techniques Department Al-Maarif University CollegeDepartment of Botany and Microbiology College of Science King Saud UniversityDepartment of Periodontics and Community Dentistry College of Dentistry King Saud UniversitySchool of Technology and Sciences Sao Paulo State University (Unesp), SPWater Research and Technologies Center (CERTE) Borj-Cedria Technopark University of CarthageAntibacterial Materials R&D Centre China Metal New Materials (Huzhou) Institute, ZhejiangSchool of Technology and Sciences Sao Paulo State University (Unesp), S
Link stability estimation based on link connectivity changes in mobile ad-hoc networks
Get PDFDear Wang,
Re: Link Stability Estimation Based on Link Connectivity Changes in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks
I have not been able to assess if this is an author version peer-reviewed or is it an author version non peer reviewed. Could you please clarify this so I can proceed to add your paper to Spiral. Spiral digital repository only accept peer-reviewed papers.
30/11/12 author has confirmed peer reviewe
Alterations in Olfactory Cortex Volume in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia: A Study of Sex-Related Differences
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Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Background/Objectives: Aging is one of the greatest risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). As the disease progresses, neural loss in brain regions, such as the olfactory cortex (OC), i.e., a set of areas including the mediotemporal and orbitofrontal regions, may lead to dysfunction in the sense of smell and affect other brain regions that relate to the olfactory cortex by either afferent or efferent projections. Methods: The objective of this study was to assess sex-related differences in olfactory cortex volume using magnetic resonance imaging in individuals with mild cognitive impairment, probable dementia of the AD type and in healthy older adults, using the Mini-Mental Statement Examination score, years of education, and total intracranial volume as correction factors. Results: Atrophy of the olfactory cortex was observed in patients of both sexes with probable AD dementia. However, at the MCI stage, significant volumetric loss in the OC was detected in females only but not in males. Conclusions: This finding indicates greater pathological effects in this region in females at an earlier disease stage than in males. This study suggests that OC volume loss occurs differently between the sexes in older adults, with volumetric loss being greater in females.M.M.A. was funded by a scholarship from the King Abdullah International Research Center (KAIMRC). A.V. was supported by funding obtained under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3—Call for tender No. 341 of 15 March 2022 of the Italian Ministry of University and Research funded by the European Union—NextGenerationEU, Project code PE0000006, Concession Decree No. 1553 of 11 October 2022 adopted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, CUP D93C22000930002, “A multiscale integrated approach to the study of the nervous system in health and disease” (MNESYS)
Prenatal exome sequencing and chromosomal microarray analysis in fetal structural anomalies in a highly consanguineous population reveals a propensity of ciliopathy genes causing multisystem phenotypes
No full text\ua9 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.Fetal abnormalities are detected in 3% of all pregnancies and are responsible for approximately 20% of all perinatal deaths. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and exome sequencing (ES) are widely used in prenatal settings for molecular genetic diagnostics with variable diagnostic yields. In this study, we aimed to determine the diagnostic yield of trio-ES in detecting the cause of fetal abnormalities within a highly consanguineous population. In families with a history of congenital anomalies, a total of 119 fetuses with structural anomalies were recruited and DNA from invasive samples were used together with parental DNA samples for trio-ES and CMA. Data were analysed to determine possible underlying genetic disorders associated with observed fetal phenotypes. The cohort had a known consanguinity of 81%. Trio-ES led to diagnostic molecular genetic findings in 59 fetuses (with pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants) most with multisystem or renal abnormalities. CMA detected chromosomal abnormalities compatible with the fetal phenotype in another 7 cases. Monogenic ciliopathy disorders with an autosomal recessive inheritance were the predominant cause of multisystem fetal anomalies (24/59 cases, 40.7%) with loss of function variants representing the vast majority of molecular genetic abnormalities. Heterozygous de novo pathogenic variants were found in four fetuses. A total of 23 novel variants predicted to be associated with the phenotype were detected. Prenatal trio-ES and CMA detected likely causative molecular genetic defects in a total of 55% of families with fetal anomalies confirming the diagnostic utility of trio-ES and CMA as first-line genetic test in the prenatal diagnosis of multisystem fetal anomalies including ciliopathy syndromes
SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity are associated with genetic variants affecting gene expression in a variety of tissues
Get PDFVariability in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity between individuals is partly due to genetic factors. Here, we identify 4 genomic loci with suggestive associations for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and 19 for COVID-19 disease severity. Four of these 23 loci likely have an ethnicity-specific component. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in 11 loci colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 20 genes in 62 tissues/cell types (range: 1:43 tissues/gene), including lung, brain, heart, muscle, and skin as well as the digestive system and immune system. We perform genetic fine mapping to compute 99% credible SNP sets, which identify 10 GWAS loci that have eight or fewer SNPs in the credible set, including three loci with one single likely causal SNP. Our study suggests that the diverse symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 observed between individuals is associated with variants across the genome, affecting gene expression levels in a wide variety of tissue types. © 2021 The Author(s
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Multidimensional Signals and Analytic Flexibility: Estimating Degrees of Freedom in Human-Speech Analyses
Get PDFRecent empirical studies have highlighted the large degree of analytic flexibility in data analysis that can lead to substantially different conclusions based on the same data set. Thus, researchers have expressed their concerns that these researcher degrees of freedom might facilitate bias and can lead to claims that do not stand the test of time. Even greater flexibility is to be expected in fields in which the primary data lend themselves to a variety of possible operationalizations. The multidimensional, temporally extended nature of speech constitutes an ideal testing ground for assessing the variability in analytic approaches, which derives not only from aspects of statistical modeling but also from decisions regarding the quantification of the measured behavior. In this study, we gave the same speech-production data set to 46 teams of researchers and asked them to answer the same research question, resulting in substantial variability in reported effect sizes and their interpretation. Using Bayesian meta-analytic tools, we further found little to no evidence that the observed variability can be explained by analysts’ prior beliefs, expertise, or the perceived quality of their analyses. In light of this idiosyncratic variability, we recommend that researchers more transparently share details of their analysis, strengthen the link between theoretical construct and quantitative system, and calibrate their (un)certainty in their conclusions. © The Author(s) 2023.Open access articleThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
Physiological parameters for Prognosis in Abdominal Sepsis (PIPAS) Study: A WSES observational study
No full textBackground: Timing and adequacy of peritoneal source control are the most important pillars in the management of patients with acute peritonitis. Therefore, early prognostic evaluation of acute peritonitis is paramount to assess the severity and establish a prompt and appropriate treatment. The objectives of this study were to identify clinical and laboratory predictors for in-hospital mortality in patients with acute peritonitis and to develop a warning score system, based on easily recognizable and assessable variables, globally accepted. Methods: This worldwide multicentre observational study included 153 surgical departments across 56 countries over a 4-month study period between February 1, 2018, and May 31, 2018. Results: A total of 3137 patients were included, with 1815 (57.9%) men and 1322 (42.1%) women, with a median age of 47 years (interquartile range [IQR] 28-66). The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 8.9%, with a median length of stay of 6 days (IQR 4-10). Using multivariable logistic regression, independent variables associated with in-hospital mortality were identified: age > 80 years, malignancy, severe cardiovascular disease, severe chronic kidney disease, respiratory rate ≥ 22 breaths/min, systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg, AVPU responsiveness scale (voice and unresponsive), blood oxygen saturation level (SpO2) < 90% in air, platelet count < 50,000 cells/mm3, and lactate > 4 mmol/l. These variables were used to create the PIPAS Severity Score, a bedside early warning score for patients with acute peritonitis. The overall mortality was 2.9% for patients who had scores of 0-1, 22.7% for those who had scores of 2-3, 46.8% for those who had scores of 4-5, and 86.7% for those who have scores of 7-8. Conclusions: The simple PIPAS Severity Score can be used on a global level and can help clinicians to identify patients at high risk for treatment failure and mortality. © 2019 The Author(s)
Which level of preoperative glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) affect early morbidity and mortality after cardiac surgery?
Get PDFBackgroundDiabetics account for 34 per cent of all patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, and have higher rates of postoperative mortality. Furthermore, they are at risk for ICU admission postoperatively due to complications of hyperglycaemia, which in turn increases hospital mortality.AimsThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, and to establish it is an independent predictor for postoperative mortality and morbidity.Methods This retrospective study was conducted at King Fahd University Hospital. Files of 146 diabetic patients who underwent cardiac surgery in the period between September 2015 to June 2018 were included. One hundred and five patients met the inclusion criteria. Depending on the results of HbA1c preoperatively, patients were divided into 2 groups: Group A, with a HbA1c > =8.5 per cent, accounting for 33 patients, and Group B with a HbA1c < =8.4 per cent accounting for 71 patients.Results This study included 79 males and 25 females, with ages ranging in between 17 to 87 years old, with no significant difference between both groups in age and sex. A significant difference was found between Group A and Group B in postoperative mortality (p-value < 0.002). No significant difference was found when comparing length of hospital stay, wound infection postoperatively, reoperation, or readmission.ConclusionThere was a significant difference in mortality postoperativly between the two groups, with patients who had higher HbA1c levels experiencing higher mortality. Since our sample size was small, we recommend that further studies be done in multiple centres
