bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Olsen and Barrett-universal II; two intraocular lens power calculation formulas for monofocal intraocular lens, in Iranian patients; Kermanshah; 2018-2020
Authors: safarzadehkhoushabi ashkan , eidizadeh mojtaba , ebadi-soofloo leila
Published: February 2022

Background: With improvements in the formulas, the accuracy of predicting IOL power in emmetropic eyes with an axial length (AL) of 22.0 to 24.5 mm can now be guaranteed. On the other hand, as the condition of the fundus is complex in highly myopic eyes, many formulas are unable to predict the IOL power accurately; in such cases. Myopia, associated with long axial length (AL), is a global public health issue. The estimated incidence of myopia has been reported between 25 to 46.4%.The IOL power calculation formulas are less accurate in long eyes, which is commonly defined as AL longer than 24.5 mm.Material and methods:This prospective cohort study protocol was reviewed and approved by the local university Institutional Ethics Committee and the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki were followed throughout the study. A written informed consent was obtained from each patient and only those who were consenting and willing for follow‑up were enrolled into the study.Results: Before being included in the study, all patients were informed of its purpose and gave their written consent. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Kermanshah University Medical Sciences and health services, and the study complied with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. Institutional review board approval was obtained for this study. Of the 423 eyes underwent cataract surgery during the study period, Inclusion criteria were met by 250 eyes. 173 eyes were excluded from the study due to inadequate biometry data (N = 136); associated ocular comorbidities and previous intraocular surgeries (N = 19) or postoperative complications (N = 18).Discussion:In our cohort study on 250 eyes in Iranian patients during 2018 to 2020, the BU II formula was found to be most accurate than Olsen in normal and short axial length eyes; neither long axial length eyes. It also had the lowest MAE, standard deviation of error, median absolute error, and highest percentage of eyes within ± 0.25 D, ± 0.50 D, and ± 1.00 D; all significantly meaningful (p-value < 0.005).Conclusion:Our study on 250 Iranian eyes underwent phacoemulsification surgery (microincision cataract surgery) with posterior chamber IOL implantation, and received an in-the-bag insertion of a monofocal IOL between March 2018 to August 2020. After measurement of some refractive information with Lenster L900; data analyses revealed that BUII formula perfoming more accurately than Olsen formula in eyes with normal or short axial length.
Down-regulation of S1PR2 is Correlated with Poor Prognosis and Immune Infiltrates in Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Endocervical Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhang Yu , Yan Li
Published: February 2022

Background
Cervical squamous cell carcinoma and cervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) are the second leading cause of deaths from malignant tumors in women, while their therapeutic and diagnostic aims are still finited. A growing body of evidence indicated that sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2) plays essential roles in the occurrence and development about several human cancers. Nevertheless, the key mechanism and role mechanism of S1PR2 in CESC are still unclear.
Methods
we first used Tissue Expression (GTEx) and Genotypic Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data to perform pan-cancer analysis on the expression and prognosis of S1PR2, and found that S1PR2 may have a potential impact on CESC. To generate a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network using the STRING database. The clusterProfiler package is used for feature-rich analysis. The Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource was used to determine the connection between S1PR2 mRNA expression and immune infiltrates.
Results
S1PR2 expression in CESC tissues was down-regulated compared with adjacent normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that compared with patients with high expression of S1PR2, CESC patients with low S1PR2 expression had a worse prognosis. Reduced S1PR2 expression is associated with patients with high clinical stage, more histological types of squamous cell carcinoma, and poor primary treatment outcomes. The receiver operating characteristic curve of S1PR2 was 0.870. Correlation analysis showed that the mRNA expression of S1PR2 was related to immune infiltrates and tumor purity.
Conclusion
down-regulated S1PR2 expression is related to poor survival and immune infiltration in CESC. S1PR2 is a potential biomarker for poor prognosis and as a potential target for CESC immune therapy.
Barriers Faced by Medical Students in Seeking Mental Healthcare: A Scoping Review
Authors: Berliant Maria , Rahman Nabiha , Mattice Christopher , Bhatt Chirayu , Haykal Kay-Anne
Published: February 2022

Introduction
Medical students commonly encounter psychological illness in both the classroom and in clinical settings, but unfortunately also face a variety of mental health issues themselves. Despite the availability of professional help on medical campuses, help-seeking continues to be a challenge for some students (Rotenstein et al., 2016). Our review aimed to identify the barriers medical students face when seeking professional mental healthcare.
Question
What are the barriers to seeking professional mental healthcare faced by medical students?
Methods
A MeSH search was created for articles using the databases PubMed, Embase, and PsychINFO to identify articles specifically about medical students and their barriers to professional mental healthcare. 454 articles were identified and screened by title/abstract and then full text. Data was extracted from 33 articles using an independent framework. Barriers identified were compiled and reported.
Results
From a total of 33 articles, the most commonly identified barriers to seeking mental healthcare were fear of negative effect on residency/career opportunities, fear of confidentiality breach, stigma and fear of shaming from peers, lack of perceived seriousness/normalization of symptoms, lack of time, and fear of documentation on academic record. Students also preferred to seek care outside of their institution from fear of provider being an academic preceptor.
Discussion
Many of the barriers to mental healthcare faced by medical students relate to a fear of academic/career reprisal and fear of confidentiality breach. It appears that despite recent efforts to decrease stigma surrounding mental illness, many medical students struggle to seek appropriate support. Access to mental health care can be improved by increasing transparency regarding what information will be displayed on academic records, dispelling common myths about mental healthcare and increasing awareness about available resources for medical students.
Connectivity of Hydrogen Bond Networks in EDL Dominates the Kinetical pH Effect of Hydrogen Electrocatalysis on Pt
Authors: Li Peng , Jiang Yaling , Hu Youcheng , Men Yana , Liu Yuwen , Cai Wenbin , Chen Shengli
Published: February 2022

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on Pt and other noble metals often undergo ~2 orders of magnitude decrease in reaction kinetics when changing the electrolyte pH from acid to alkaline regime. The origin of this kinetic pH effect remains far from a consensus, hindering the rational design of pH-specific electrocatalysts. Herein, by meticulously comparing the electric double layer (EDL) structures of acid and alkaline interfaces from the ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations, and the computational vibration spectra of water molecules in the AIMD-simulated interfaces with the results of in situ surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS), we conclude that neither the hydrogen adsorption strength nor the water dissociation barrier is responsible for the greatly reduced HER kinetics on Pt in alkaline media, because the alkaline interface could have more favorite hydrogen adsorption strength and lower barriers for individual Volmer reactions; it is the significantly different connectivity of hydrogen bond networks in EDL that cause the huge kinetic pH effect of HER. What’s further, using Pt-Ru alloy as model, our results reveal an unprecedented role of OH adsorption in improving the kinetics of alkaline hydrogen electrocatalysis on Pt-based catalysts, namely, by increasing the connectivity of hydrogen bond networks in EDL rather than by directly affecting the energetics of surface steps. These findings should add significant new insights into the key roles of EDL structures in electrocatalysis. Meanwhile, this study offers a referential research paradigm for exploring the atomic structures of electrochemical interfaces by combining AIMD simulations, computational spectroscopy, and experimental spectroscopy.
Construction of an m6A-related lncRNA model for predicting prognosis and immunotherapy in patients with lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Tang Jin-hai , Shen Hong-yu , Zhang Jin , Xu Di , Xu Zheng , Liang Mingxing , Chen Wen-quan , Xia Wen-jia
Published: February 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-related lncRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: Gene expression data and clinical data of LUAD patients were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Database. Combined with clinical information, the prognostic m6A-related lncRNAs were identified through differential lncRNA expression analysis and Spearman correlation analysis. Next, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to establish the prognostic risk model. We evaluated and validated the predictive performance of this model via survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The expression of immune checkpoints, immune cell infiltration and drug sensitivity of patients in different risk groups were analyzed separately. Results: A total of 19 prognostic m6A-related lncRNAs were identified and then the prognostic risk model was well established. The patients were divided into high- and low-risk group based on the median value of the risk scores. Compared with the patients in the low-risk group, the prognosis of the patients in the high-risk group was relatively poor. The ROC curves showed that this model had excellent sensitivity and specificity. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the risk score could be used as an independent prognostic risk factor. The expression levels of immune checkpoint CD276, PVR, and VTCN1 were significantly increased in the high-risk group. Finally, we found that the risk scores were correlated with immune cell infiltration and drug sensitivity. Conclusion: We constructed a prognostic risk model in LUAD patients based on m6A-related lncRNAs. This model was also associated with the expression of immune checkpoints, immune cell infiltration and drug sensitivity, which will provide new insights into immunotherapy for LUAD patients in the future.
Elucidation of a Novel Mechanism of Presepsin Production by Monocyte/macrophage Phagocytosis of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps
Authors: Ikegame Akishige , Kondo Akihiro , Kitaguchi Ken , Sasa Kanami , Miyoshi Masashi
Published: February 2022

Presepsin, a biomarker discovered in Japan, has been clinically applied as a diagnostic aid for sepsis. Recently, however, it has been reported that presepsin levels are elevated in patients with severe systemic lupus erythematosus without infection, suggesting the existence of a production mechanism that does not involve bacterial phagocytosis. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism of presepsin production without bacterial phagocytosis and explore the clinical significance of presepsin. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were induced by Escherichia coli and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) in neutrophils isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy subjects. NET induction alone did not increase presepsin levels, but co-culturing with monocytes significantly increased them. The addition of a NET formation inhibitor also suppressed presepsin levels, suggesting that presepsin production is greatly influenced by monocyte phagocytosis of NETs. Phagocytosis of NETs by THP-1 and U937 cells, which was induced by CD14 expression, also increased presepsin levels. This study suggests that presepsin can be used to assess the severity of inflammatory diseases, such as autoimmune diseases, and monitor treatment effects.
Wireless Muometric Navigation System
Authors: Tanaka Hiroyuki K.M.
Published: February 2022

While satellite-based global navigation systems have become essential tools in our daily lives, their effectiveness is often hampered by the fact that the signals cannot be accessed in underground, indoor, or underwater environments. Recently, a novel navigation system has been invented to address this issue by utilizing the characteristics of the ubiquitous and highly penetrative cosmic-ray muons. This technique, muometric navigation, does not require active signal generation and enables positioning in the aforementioned environments within a reference coordinate defined by the three-dimensional positions of multiple detectors. In its first phase of development, these reference detectors had to be connected to the receivers via a wired configuration to guarantee precise time synchronization. This work describes more versatile, wireless muometric navigation system (MuWNS), which was designed in conjunction with a cost-effective, crystal-oscillator-based grandmaster clock and a performance evaluation is reported for shallow underground/indoor, deep underground and undersea environments. It was confirmed that MuWNS offers a navigation quality almost equivalent to aboveground GPS-based handheld navigation by determining the distance between the reference frame and the receivers within a precision range between 1 m and 10 m.
Fractal Geometry Based Chakra-shaped Microstrip Patch Antenna Array for Vehicular Communications Under 5G Environments
Authors: RAHIM ABDUL , Malik Praveen Kumar , Das Sudipta
Published: February 2022

In this paper, fractal geometry based two printed antenna structures are proposed for vehicular communication in 5G wireless communication networks. Initially, a 48×39 mm2 single element fractal patch antenna is designed and tested which shows dual band resonance at around 28.1 GHz and 32.5 GHz. In order to improve different antenna characteristic descriptors such as bandwidth, reflection coefficient, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), and gain, number of fractal radiating elements have been increased to four and constructed an array of patches such that it can be used for multiple applications in the field of vehicular communications. For better performance, the antenna is replicated in the form of a 2×2 patch array such that the performance can be increased by at least 20%. The proposed array model is fabricated on a Rogers RT duroid 5880tm material of size 115×82 mm2 and tested using Agilent Technologies N5247A VNA. The measured results confirm the validity of the designed model for intended applications. The proposed array antenna operates at distinct quintuple bands in the frequency range of 25—36 GHz for vehicular communication within the proposed lower fifth generation (5G) channel. The proposed array configuration shows a good peak gain of 6.72dB within the operating bands.
MoS 2 -based absorbers: whole visible spectrum coverage with high efficiency
Authors: Hashemi Mahdieh , Ansari Narges , Vazyefi Mahsa
Published: February 2022

To design highly efficient and broadband nanometer-sized absorbers based on the atomically thin transition metal dichalco-genides (TMDCs), we propose utilizing inclined gold gratings on MoS 2 monolayer. In the case of gold gratings with zero inclination, coverage of the absorption spectrum in the entire visible range occurs between the values of 42% to 73%. Considerable increase in the absorbed light occurs by introducing 13 nm inclination to the gold gratings with equal values of the grating’s period and width as 60 nm. With the application of this grating, maximum absorption of 88% is reached and the absorption bandwidth covers the entire visible spectrum with only 12% variation of the absorption value relative to this maximum (88%). Footprints of resonant excitation of two different modes in the absorber structure are evident: the named "reflection" mode and localized surface plasmons (LSPs). Inclination of the gratings leads the LSP modes to slide toward the MoS 2 and causes a remarkable increment in the absorption efficiency. An impressive absorption value of 56% in MoS 2 monolayer is gained by the gold grating’s inclination of 17 nm. The designed absorber paves a new way in designing TMDC-based absorbers with extended bandwidths and higher efficiencies.
PD-L1 Mediates Triple Negative Breast Cancer Evolution by Regulating TAM/M2 Polarization
Authors: meng ziqi , Zhang Rui , Wu Xuwei , Zhang Meihua , Jin Tiefeng
Published: February 2022

Aim
This study aimed to explore the role of αPD-L1 (PD-L1 inhibitor) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells metastasis and angiogenesis by regulating tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) polarization and its possible molecular mechanism.
Methods
The effects of αPD-L1 on tumor metastasis and TAMs polarization were confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. The expression of M2-type macrophages (TAM/M2) and M1-type macrophages (TAM/M1) surface markers were detected by flow cytometry, western blot and IF staining assays. The effects of αPD-L1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of TAM/M2 were detected by MTT and flow cytometry assays. The effects of αPD-L1 on the migration capability of TNBC cells were detected by wound healing and transwell assays. The effects of angiogenesis were detected by endothelial tube formation and western blot assays. The effects of αPD-L1 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and stemness of TNBC cells were detected by western blot and IF staining assays. The expression and location of STAT3 and p-STAT3 proteins in cells were detected by western blot and IF staining assays.
Results
In this study, we demonstrated that αPD-L1 significantly inhibited IL-13-induced TAM/M2 polarization in vitro. αPD-L1 inhibited EMT process and stemness of TNBC cells mediated by reversing TAM/M2 polarization, thus inhibiting the migration and angiogenesis of TNBC cells. αPD-L1 prevented STAT3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation, resulting in TAM/M2 polarization arrest. αPD-L1 reduced the number of lung metastases without affecting tumor growth in vivo. αPD-L1 reduced the expression of TAM/M2, EMT, stemness, and vascular markers in tumor tissues.
Conclusions
Taken together, these data suggest that αPD-L1 plays a vital role in anti-metastasis and anti-angiogenesis of TNBC in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting TAM/M2 polarization.
The impassable gap between experiential and symbolic values
Authors: Garcia Basile , Lebreton Maël , Bourgeois-Gironde Sacha , Palminteri Stefano
Published: February 2022

To choose between options of different natures, standard decision models presume that a single representational system ultimately indexes their subjective value on a common scale, regardless of how they are constructed. To challenge this assumption, we systematically investigated hybrid decisions between experiential options, whose value is built from past outcomes experience, and symbolic options which describe probabilistic outcomes. We show that participants' choices exhibited a pattern consistent with a systematic neglect of the experiential values. This normatively irrational decision strategy held after accounting for alternative explanations, and persisted when it bore an economics cost. Overall, our results demonstrate that experiential and symbolic values are not symmetrically considered in hybrid decisions, suggesting that they are not commensurable and recruit different representational systems which may be assigned different priority levels in the decision process. These findings challenge the dominant models commonly used in value-based decision-making research.
An Iterative Model for Identifying Essential Proteins based on the Whole Process Network of Protein Evolution
Authors: Zhu Yaocan , Liu Xin , Chen Zhiping , Zhang Zhen , Wang Lei
Published: February 2022

Background: Essential proteins play important roles in cell growth and regulation. However, due to high cost and low efficiency of traditional biological experiments to identify essential proteins, in recent years, with the development of high-throughput technologies and bioinformatics, more and more computational models have been proposed to infer key proteins based on Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks.Result: In order to improve the predictive accuracy of computational methods, a novel prediction model named MWPNPE (Model based on the Whole Process Network of Protein Evolution) was proposed to infer potential basic proteins in this manuscript. In MWPNPE, known PPI data and gene expression data were first downloaded from benchmark databases and adopted to construct the whole process network of protein evolution. And then, considering that the interaction between proteins is a kind of dynamic process, a new measure was designed to estimate the relationships between proteins, based on which, an improved iterative algorithm was put forward to evaluate the importance of proteins. Finally, in order to verify the predictive performance of MWPNPE, we compared it with state-of-the-art representative computational methods, and experimental results demonstrated that the recognition accuracy of MWPNPE in the top 100, 200 and 300 candidate key proteins can reach 89, 166 and 233 respectively, which is significantly better than the predictive accuracies achieved by these competitive methods.Conclusions: Through combining a variety of data sources of proteins, a whole process network of protein evolution was constructed first in this manuscript, which greatly reduced the noises and errors existing in original PPI networks. Moreover, through considering the dynamic process of interactions between proteins in the network, a new measure was designed to estimate the relationship between proteins, which improved the predictive accuracy of the newly proposed model effectively. Hence, it can be seen that MWPNPE may be a useful tool for the development of key protein recognition in the future.
JQ1 attenuates neuroinflammation by inhibiting the inflammasome-dependent canonical pyroptosis pathway in SAE
Authors: Zhong Xiaolin , Chen Zuyao , Wang Yajuan , Mao Mingli , Deng Yingcheng , Shi Mengmeng , Xu Yang , Chen Ling , Cao Wenyu
Published: February 2022

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) manifests clinically in hyperneuroinflammation. Pyroptosis, which can induce an inflammatory cascade response, has been considered to be a causative factor of SAE. Evidence has shown that the bromo- and extraterminal (BET) proteins (including BRD2, BRD3, BRD4 and BRDT) inhibitor JQ1 can inhibit inflammation and suppress pyroptosis in various diseases. Therefore, we examined the effect of JQ1 on inflammasome-induced pyroptosis in the hippocampus in a mouse model of sepsis induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. The results showed that JQ1 treatment alleviated sepsis-related symptoms, protected the blood–brain barrier (BBB), as indicated by upregulated expression of the tight junction proteins occludin and ZO-1, and remarkably rescued neuronal damage in SAE mice. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that JQ1 intervention inhibited the expression of BRD proteins and decreased the expression of inflammasomes by blocking nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signalling, attenuating the canonical pyroptosis (mediated by cleaved-Caspase1/11) pathway and the release of proinflammatory factors in the hippocampus of septic mice. Interestingly, we also found that JQ1 selectively suppressed the activation of hippocampal microglia in SAE mice. Thus, JQ1 protected the hippocampal BBB and neuronal damage through the attenuation of neuroinflammation by inhibiting the inflammasome-dependent canonical pyroptosis pathway induced by LPS injection in mice, and JQ1 may be a promising target for the prevention of SAE.
Hymenobacter Translucens sp. nov., Hymenobacter Pini sp. nov. Isolated From Soil
Authors: Bang Minji , Kim Myung-Kyum , Jung heeyoung
Published: February 2022

Two novel bacterial strains BT175T and BT728T, were isolated from soil collected in Republic of Korea. Both strains were Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, and had circular, convex, and pink-colored colonies. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between the strains BT175T and BT728T was 93.6%, indicating that they represent a distinct species. 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicated that strains BT175T and BT728T belong to a distinct lineage within the genus Hymenobacter (family Hymenobacteraceae, order Cytophagales, class Cytophagia, phylum Bacteroidetes). Strain BT175T was closely related to Hymenobacter persicinus 1-3-3-3T (97.2%, 16S rRNA gene similarity), Hymenobacter knuensis 16F7C-2T (96.6%), and Hymenobacter daejeonensis PB105T (96.1%). Strain BT728T was closely related to Hymenobacter rigui KCTC 12533T (98.4%), Hymenobacter metallilatus 9PBR-2T (97.6%), and Hymenobacter perfusus LMG26000T (97.4%). Strain BT175T and BT728T were found to have the MK-7 as the major respiratory quinone. The DNA G + C content of strain BT175T was 61.6 mol% and BT728T was 59.6 mol%, respectively. Characterization based on polyphasic analysis indicated that strains BT175T and BT728T represent novel species of the genus Hymenobacter and the name Hymenobacter translucens sp. nov. and Hymenobacter pini sp. nov. are proposed. The type strain of Hymenobacter translucens is BT175T (= KCTC 72330T = NBRCxxxxxT) and Hymenobacter pini is BT728T (= KACC 22629T = NBRC xxxxxT).
Radiation shift from triple to quadruple frequency caused by the interaction of terahertz pulses with a nonlinear Kerr medium
Authors: Artser Ilya , Melnik Maksim , Ismagilov Azat , Guselnikov Mikhail , Tcypkin Anton , Kozlov Sergei
Published: February 2022

High-intensity optical radiation propagation in a transparent dielectric medium causes the phenomena of self-action of the pulse and the generation of radiation at triple frequencies due to the cubic nonlinearity of the medium. However, usually the quadratic nonlinear effects outshine the cubic ones in the anisotropic nonlinear crystals. In this work, we demonstrate that for certain experimental parameters the nonlinear effect of the third order can be stronger than one of the second order in MgO:LiNbO3 crystal for terahertz frequency range. We experimentally and theoretically show that it can lead to the significant modification of the classical phenomenon of radiation generation at triple frequencies in the case when the pulse represents only one complete oscillation of the optical field. In the experiment it was shown that the phenomenon of generation of radiation at triple frequencies with respect to the frequency of the maximum spectral density in a nonlinear medium of the pulse disappears, and it is replaced by the generation of radiation at quadruple frequencies. The analysis demonstrates that this effect is based on the asymmetry of the initial spectrum of such extremely short pulses in terms of the number of oscillations.
Neuroprotective and Hypoglycemic Effects of the Nanoemulsion and Nettle Aqueous Extract on Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Neuropathy in Rats: Molecular, Biochemical, and Histological Evidence
Authors: Javadi Sara , Motaghinejad Majid , Kazemi Negar Motakef , Seifalian Amelia
Published: February 2022

Background: Nanotechnology plays an important role in controlling diabetes. Aim of Study: In current study, antidiabetic properties of the O/W Nano emulsion of nettle extract and cumin essential oil were evaluated. Methods:Various doses of Nettle (Urtica dioica) aqueous extract, nettle Nano emulsion, and Cuminum cyminum L essence were used in Streptozocin-induced diabetes in rats. Randall-Selitto method and Tail Flic Test were used for sciatic nerve neuropathy. Sciatic histological changes and level of Insulin like growth factor (IGF), neural growth factor (NGF), Oxidative stress, inflammatory, and apoptosis as well as blood levels of Glucose, Insulin, and inflammatory parameters were evaluated. Results: Nettle Nano emulsion, aqueous extract, and Cuminum cyminum L essence caused decreases in serum levels of glucose and cytokines, and increased insulin level while improved histological changes and reduced sciatic levels of thiobarbituric acid, reduced glutathione (GSH), TNF-a, IL-1ß, IL-6 Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, and Caspase-7, and increased the oxidized level of glutathione (GSSG) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR) and levels of IGF and NGF in the sciatic tissue of diabetic rats. Conclusion: Nettle Nano emulsion, aqueous extract, and Cuminum cyminum L essence can be a good candidates for diabetic subjects.
Pattern and Variation in Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) at Different Genomic Regions and Its Implications to Maize Evolution and Breeding
Authors: Zhao Meiqi , Shu Guoping , Cao Gangqiang , Hu Yanhong , Wang Yibo
Published: February 2022

BackgroundRepeptive DNA sequences accounts for over 80% of maize genome. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs), while only take up about 0.03% among them, have been widely used in maize genetic research and breeding as highly informative codominant DNA markers. The genome-wide distribution and polymorphism of SSRs are not well studied due to the lack of high-quality genome DNA sequence data. ResultsIn this study, using data from high-quality De Novo-sequenced maize genomes of five representative maize inbreds, we reveal that SSRs are more densely present in telomeric region than centromeric region, and are more abundant in genic sequences than intergenic sequences. On genic sequences, tri- and hexa-nucleotide motifs are more abundant in CDS sequence and some mono- and dinucleotide motifs are more abundant in UTR sequences. Median length and chromosomal density of SSRs are both narrowly range-bound, with median length of 14-18bp and genome-wide average density of 3355.77 bp/Mbp. LTR-RTs of <0.4 Mya are found have higher SSR density（4498-4992 bp/Mbp). The genome-specific and motif-specific SSR polymorphism are studied and their potential breeding applications discussed.ConclusionsThe nearly constant median length of SSR sequences of different SSR motifs, the much higher SSR density in genic regions than intergenic regions, the narrowly range-bound SSR density at LTR-RTs of different evolutionary ages, and, the isokinetic evolution of SSRs and their LTR carriers, all these observations indicate that SSR length and density are under control of yet unknown evolutionary forces. The chromosome region-specific and motif-specific SSR polymorphisms we observed support the notion that SSR polymorphism is invaluable genome resource for developing highly informative genome and gene markers in maize genetic research and molecular breeding.
Susceptibility of invasive mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for infection with Japanese encephalitis virus, an emerging zoonosis
Authors: Hernandez-Triana Luis Miguel , Hernandez-Triana Luis Miguel , Folly Arran J. , Sewgobind Sanam , Lean Fabian Z. X. , Ackroyd Stuart , Nuñez Alejandro , Delancour Sarah , Drago Andrea , Visetin Patrizia , Mansfield Karen L. , Johnson Nicholas
Published: February 2022

Background: Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the principal cause of mosquito-borne encephalitis in human populations within Asia. If introduced into new geographic areas, it could have implications for public and animal health. However, potential mosquito vectors for virus transmission have not been fully investigated. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, has emerged into Europe and is now expanding its geographical range into more northerly latitudes. Culex quinquefasciatus, although absent from Europe, has been detected in Turkey, a country with territory in Europe, and could act as a vector for JEV in other regions. To assess the risk of these invasive species acting as vectors for JEV, we have investigated the vector competence of Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatusMethods: Two colonised lines of Ae. albopictus (Italy and Spain), and a line of Cx. quinquefasciatus (Tanzania) were compared for susceptibility to infection by oral feeding with JEV strain SA-14, genotype III, at 106 PFU/ml and maintained at 25oC. Specimens were processed at 7 and 14 days post-infection (dpi). Rates of infection, dissemination and transmission were assessed through detection of viral RNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in mosquito body, legs and saliva, respectively, at each time point. Where possible, infection and dissemination were confirmed by immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of the JEV envelope protein.Results: Aedes albopictus from Italy showed no susceptibility to infection with JEV strain SA-14. Conversely, Ae. albopictus colonised in Spain was susceptible and 100% of infected mosquitoes expressed viral RNA in saliva at 14 dpi. Culex quinquefasciatus was highly susceptible to infection as early as 7 dpi and 50% of infected mosquitoes expressed viral RNA in saliva at 14 dpi. Infection and dissemination were confirmed in Cx. quinquefasciatus by IHC detection of JEV envelope protein in both the mid-gut and salivary glands.Conclusions: Aedes albopictus from two different locations in Europe range from being fully susceptible to JEV and capable of transmission, through to being totally resistant. Culex quinquefasciatus, also appears highly susceptible, therefore both species could potentially act as competent vectors for JEV and facilitate the emergence of JEV into new regions.
WheatQTLdb V2.0: A Supplement to the Database for Wheat QTL
Authors: Singh Kalpana , Saini Dinesh Kumar , Saripalli Gautam , Batra Ritu , Gautam Tinku , Singh Rakhi , Pal Sunita , Kumar Manoj , Jan Irfat , Singh Sahadev , Kumar Anuj , Sharma Hemant , Chaudhary Jyoti , Kumar Kuldeep , Kumar Sourabh , Singh Vikas Kumar , Singh Vivudh Pratap , Kumar Deepak , Sharma Shiveta , Kumar Sachin , Kumar Rahul , Sharma Shailendra , Gaurav Shailendra Singh , Sharma Pradeep Kumar , Balyan Harindra Singh , Gupta Pushpendra Kumar
Published: February 2022

We recently developed a database for hexaploid wheat QTL (WheatQTLdb; www.wheatqtldb.net) that included 11,552 QTL affecting various traits of economic importance. However, that database did not include valuable QTL from other wheat species and/or progenitors of bread wheat. Therefore, an updated and wider version of wheat QTL database (WheatQTLdb V2.0) was developed in this study which now includes information on hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) as well as seven other related species: T. durum, T. turgidum, T. dicoccoides, T. dicoccum, T. monococcum, T. boeoticum, and Aegilops tauschii. WheatQTLdb V2.0 includes a much improved list of QTL, so that V2.0 now has 27,518 main-effect QTL, 202 epistatic QTL, and 1,321 metaQTL. This newly released WheatQTLdb V2.0 will provide plant breeders and geneticists much more valuable options to search and choose the category-wise and trait-wise data for their research or breeding programmes.
Effect of Preoperative Body Mass Index on Surgical Textbook Outcomes Following Curative-intent Resection for Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Liu Zhi-Peng , Zhong Shi-Yun , Chen Wei-Yue , Wang Zi-Ran , Pu Jia-Le , Liu Xing-Chao , Fan Hai-Ning , Pan Yu , Xie Dan , Cheng Jun-Jie , Yang Yi-Shi , Bai Jie , Jiang Yan , Zhang Yan-Qi , Dai Hai-Su , Chen Zhi-Yu
Published: February 2022

Background & Objects:
A comprehensive evaluation of the performance during the perioperative period is essential to provide good surgical care. To incorporate numerous characteristics into a single specified quality indicator, "Textbook outcomes (TO)" has been presented. The effect of the preoperative body mass index (BMI) on the occurrence of achieving/not achieving TO (non-TO) among patients having curative-intent resection for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) was studied.
Methods
This cohort study enrolled patients who underwent curative-intent resection for pCCA between 2014 and 2018 from a multicentre database. All cohort patients were classified into three groups according to the preoperative BMI: normal BMI (18.5 ~ 24.9 kg/m2), low BMI (≤ 18.4 kg/m2), and high BMI (≥ 25.0 kg/m2). The occurrences of non-TO among the above groups were compared. Univariable and multivariable logistic analyses were used to determine whether there was any significant effect of the preoperative BMI on non-TO.
Results
A total of 313 patients were enrolled in this study, and 212 (67.7%), 46 (14.7%), and 55 (17.6%) were in the normal-BMI, low-BMI, and high-BMI groups, respectively. In all patients, the occurrence of non-TO was 71.6%, and the occurrence of non-TO in both the high- and low-BMI groups was significantly higher than that in the normal-BMI group (85.5% and 82.6% vs. 65.6%, both P < 0.01). The multivariable logistic analyses indicated that both high BMI and low BMI were independently associated with a greater occurrence of non-TO (OR: 2.517, 95CI: 1.052–6.021, P = 0.038; OR: 3.379, 95CI: 1.423–8.022, P = 0.006).
Conclusions
More than two-thirds of the patients following curative-intent resection for pCCA did not achieve surgical TO. In addition, both preoperative high BMI and low BMI were independently associated with a higher risk of not achieving surgical TO following curative-intent resection for pCCA.
Clinical Laboratory Blood Biomarker-Based Nomograms for Prediction of Lymph Node Metastasis and Prognosis in Resectable Esophagogastric Junction Adenocarcinoma: A Retrospective Diagnostic Study
Authors: Liu Can-Tong , Hong Chao-Qun , Guo Hai-Peng , Huang Xu-Chun , Guo Hong , Huang Xin-Yi , Chu Ling-Yu , Lin Yi-Wei , Wei Lai-Feng , Peng Yu-Hui , Xu Yi-Wei
Published: February 2022

Background
Esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (EJA) lacks blood-based predictive biomarkers for lymph node status and prognosis. We aimed to build nomograms with the preoperative blood biomarkers to predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) and prognosis in resectable EJA.
Methods
In this study, EJA patients who underwent surgery were collected from the Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College between January 2010 and December 2017. The patients were divided into training cohort (n = 465) and validation cohort (n = 289) chronologically. 52 candidate biomarkers for nomogram construction included sociodemographic data and preoperative clinical laboratory blood baseline data. Lasso regression was used to build LNM prediction nomogram (LNM nomogram). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was applied to select factors for overall survival prediction nomogram (OS nomogram).
Results
As a result, for predicting LNM, the LNM nomogram containing seven biomarkers showed good discrimination and calibration ability, with C-indexes of 0.684 and 0.630 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Moreover, the OS nomogram for survival prediction composed of 12 factors yielded C-indexes of 0.652 and 0.663 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed patients with high OS nomogram scores had worse 5-year OS than those with low scores (training cohort: 59.6% vs. 26.2%; validation cohort: 58.6% vs. 38.6%; all p < 0.0001).
Conclusions
In conclusion, these two nomograms constructed based on the clinical laboratory blood biomarkers are potential prediction models for lymph node status and survival of resectable EJA.
Low genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 and 2 and multiplicity of infections in western Ethiopia following effective malaria interventions
Authors: Tadele Geletta , K.Jatieh Fatou , Oboh Mary , Oriero Eniyou , Dugassa Sisay , Amambua-Ngwa Alfred , Golassa Lemu
Published: February 2022

Background: Genetic diversity of malaria parasites can inform the intensity of transmission and poses a major threat to malaria control and elimination interventions. Characterization of the genetic diversity would provide essential information about the ongoing control efforts. This study aimed to explore allelic polymorphism of merozoite surface protein 1 (msp1) and merozoite surface protein 2 (msp2) to determine the genetic diversity and multiplicity of P. falciparum infections circulating in high and low transmission sites in western Ethiopia. Method: Parasite genomic DNA was extracted from a total of 225 dried blood spot collected from confirmed uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria infected patients in western Ethiopia. Of these, (163) 72.4% and (62) 27.6 % of the samples were collected in high and low transmission areas, respectively. Polymorphic msp1 and msp2 genes were used to explore the genetic diversity and multiplicity of falciparum malaria infections. Msp1 genotyping was successful in 141/163 and 55/62 samples collected from high and low transmission areas, respectively. On the other hand, genotyping of msp2 was carried out among 85.3 % and 96.8 % of the samples collected in high and low transmission sites, respectively. P. falciparum msp1 and msp2 genes were amplified by nested PCR and the PCR products were analyzed by Qiaxcel software. A p-value of less or equal to 0.05 was considered significant.Result: High prevalence of falciparum malaria was identified in children less than 15 years as compared with those ≥ 15 years old (AOR= 2.438, P=0.005). The three allelic families of msp1 (K1, MAD20, and RO33) and the two allelic families of msp2 (FC27 and 3D7), were observed in samples collected in high and low transmission areas. However, MAD 20 and FC 27 alleles were the predominant allelic families in both settings. P. falciparum isolates circulating in western Ethiopia had low genetic diversity and mean MOI. No difference in mean MOI between high transmission site (mean MOI 1.104) compared with low transmission area (mean MOI 1.08) (p> 0.05). Expected Heterozygosity of msp1 gene was slightly higher in isolates collected from high transmission site (He= 0.17) than those isolates from low transmission (He= 0.12). However, the heterozygosity of msp2 gene was not different in both settings (Pfmsp2: 0.04 in high transmission; pfmsp2: 0.03 in low transmission).Conclusion: P. falciparum from clinical malaria cases in western Ethiopia have low genetic diversity and multiplicity of infection irrespective of the intensity of transmission at the site of sampling. These may be signalling the effectiveness of malaria control strategies in Ethiopia; although further studies are required to determine how specific intervention strategies and other parameters that drive the pattern.
Impact of Text Representation Techniques on Clustering Models
Authors: S Ashwini K , P Shantala C , Jan Tony
Published: February 2022

In today’s environment, an enormous amount of unstructured data is generated in an exponential manner. Understanding such complex unstructured data is imperative in the applications including analysis of social media data, image and video data, sensor data, medical data, and customer review data. Generally, clustering is a well-accepted model in classifying and analyzing such documents. An effective and efficient text clustering technique can significantly improve the task of document analysis and grouping with minimum human intervention. The main two factors in text clustering are the text representation model and the clustering algorithm. Firstly, unstructured data must be represented in a structured format for the analysis. Text representation models transform a large volume of text into vector representations by capturing the semantic information. In this paper, we are investigating the text document representation techniques, their limitations, and how text clustering is different from humans understanding of the text data. In this paper, we are aiming to focus on different text representation methods and clustering algorithms to demonstrate how the choice of representation techniques can impact on clustering results.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes and associated cervical disease in an anti-retroviral setting in Accra, Ghana
Authors: Amelor Dodzi Kofi , Donkoh Emmanuel Timmy , Asmah Richard Harry , Nortey Priscilla , Oppong Samuel Antwi , Wiredu Edwin K
Published: February 2022

Background
The vast majority of women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS are found in the Sub-Saharan African region. These women have a high chance of being infected with human papillomaviruses (HPV), which causes cervical cancer and precursor lesions. Early initiation of HAART coupled with a high HAART compliance may reduce disease burden, but in Ghana, little is known about the distribution of HPV infections and epithelial changes in this vulnerable group.
Methods
This work was carried out to establish the distribution of genital HPV genotypes among women living with HIV attending a special HIV outpatient clinic at the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital Accra, Ghana. Pap smears were performed for 538 selected women. A highly sensitive nested multiplex PCR (NMPCR) assay was conducted for the detection and typing of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes. These included, 6/11, 16,18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68. Cervical smears were examined for cytologic abnormalities by two cytologists and verified by a pathologist.
Results
Coverage of HAART in this population was 84%. HPV DNA was detected in 280 out of the 538 individuals studied, 52.0% (95%CI 47.7–56.3). Out of these 129 (46.1%, 95%CI 40.1–52.1) had multiple HPV infections and 151 (53.9%, 95%CI 47.9–59.9) had single infections. The prevalence of LR HPV was 10.2% (95% CI: 11.3–17.6). while that of HR HPV was 29.7% (95% CI: 27.4–35.7). The commonest HR types were, 35 ,18 ,58 ,52 and 45 in descending order. The frequency of HPV 16 was 2.4%. Cytologically, 2.8% had ASCUS, 3.9% LGSIL and 2.8% HGSIL, none of the women was found to have atypical glandular cells or adenocarcinoma. The commonest HPV genotypes detected among women with ASCUS were HPV-18 (25% of all ASCUS cases), 52 (25% of all ASCUS cases) and 68 (25% of all ASCUS cases). Among women with LSIL most prevalent were HPV-52 (66.5% of all LSIL cases), HPV-18 (22.2% of all LSIL cases) and HPV 45 (22.2% of all LSIL cases). HPV-16, 52 and 42 were each found in 50% of all High-grade lesions., being the top three in that order for high grade intraepithelial/severe dysplasia lesions
Conclusions
There is a high burden of HPV infection in women living with HIV attending clinic at the KBTH. Given the high prevalence of HIV-HPV coinfection despite the high coverage of HAART, associated cervical lesions represent a major public health burden. These results show that currently available prophylactic vaccines have the potential to be useful in the primary prevention of HPV infections among immunocompromised women. This study also found a cross-sectional association between early age at first sex and the presence of precancerous cervical lesions. Efforts to make vaccines available to young girls before sexual debut should be prioritized along with education on safe sexual habits.
Extracting high-order cosmological information in galaxy surveys with power spectra
Authors: Wang Yuting , Zhao Gong-Bo , Koyama Kazuya , Percival Will , Takahashi Ryuichi , Hikage Chiaki , Gil-Marin Hector , Hahn ChangHoon , Zhao Ruiyang , Zhang Weibing , Mu Xiaoyong , Yu Yu , Zhu Hongming , Ge Fei
Published: February 2022

The "reconstruction" method was proposed more than a decade ago to boost the signal of baryonic acoustic oscillations measured in galaxy redshift surveys, which is one of key probes for dark energy. After moving observed galaxies in galaxy surveys back to their initial position, the reconstructed density field is closer to a linear Gaussian field, with higher-order information moved back into the power spectrum. By combining power spectra measured from the pre- and post-reconstructed galaxy samples, higher-order information beyond the 2-point power spectrum can be efficiently extracted, as power spectra can be measured more quickly than direct measurements of the bispectrum and other higher order functions. This opens a new window to easily use higher-order information when constraining cosmological models.