bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microplastic pollution in seawater and marine organisms across the Tropical Eastern Pacific and Galápagos
Authors: Alfaro-Núñez Alonzo , Astorga Diana , Cáceres-Farías Lenin , Bastidas Lisandra , Villegas Cynthia Soto , Macay Kewrin Choez , Christensen Jan H.
Published: October 2020

It is not surprising anymore the detection of plastic debris degrading into micro and nanoplastics across all oceanic environments and in marine organisms, which now appears as one of the world’s main concerns. To determine the levels of microplastic pollution at sea, water samples were collected across a 4000 km-trajectory in the Tropical Eastern Pacific and the Galápagos archipelago, covering an area of 453,000 square kilometres. Furthermore, 240 specimens of 16 different species of fish, squid, and shrimp, all of human consumption, were collected along the continental coast. Microplastic particles were found in 100% of the water samples and marine organisms. Microplastic particles from 150 – 500 µm were the most predominant. This is one of the first reports simultaneously detecting and quantifying microplastic particles abundance in the Eastern Tropical Pacific region, the Galápagos archipelago and inside marine organisms.
Low-noise X-ray PIN photodiodes made of perovskite single crystals by Solution-processed doped epitaxial growth
Authors: Wang Xin , Xu Yubing , Pan Yuzhu , Li Yuwei , Xu Ji , Chen Jing , Wu Jun , Li Qing , Zhang Xiaobing , Zhao Zhiwei , Elemike Elias , Onwudiwe Damian , Akram Javed , Lei Wei
Published: October 2020

X-ray photodiodes made of metal halide perovskites (MHPs) which directly convert X-ray photons into electron-hole pairs have shown advantages in low-cost and high X-ray detection sensitivity. However, devices fabricated by spin-coating and evaporation methods suffer from high traps density near poor interfacial layers (n-type/intrinsic and p-type/intrinsic) which lead to high dark current and noise current under large reverse bias. In this work, solution-processed doped epitaxial growth is employed to limit these traps through epitaxially growing n-type MHPs (bismuth-doped) and p-type MHPs (silver-doped) on opposite faces of intrinsic CH3NH3PbBr2.5Cl0.5 MHP single crystals. Through energy structure design, effective electron/hole blocking layers could decrease the noise and dark current, these X-ray PIN photodiodes work under a large external electrical field, which enables a state-of-art response speed (fall) of 750 ns and a lowest detectable dose rate of 17.7 nGys-1(40 kVp). This work will motivate new strategies to fabricate high-performance devices based on perovskites using solution-processed methods. These founding also explore a new generation of low dose and high dynamic X-ray detectors based on MHPs.
Investigation of mechanical and micro structural properties of ST14 steel sheet joints by friction stir welding process
Authors: Afshari Mahmoud , Rad Ehsan Salahshour , Foroushani Hossein Norozi , Far Iraj Sattari
Published: October 2020

High strength and ductility are some of reasons that make ST14 steel one of the most widely used steels in automotive and aerospace industries. FSW is one of the new methods of solid-state welding that is proposed as a method with desirable mechanical properties.In this study, mechanical and microstructural properties of 1.5mm thick ST14 steel sheets were investigated in the friction stir welding process. The results showed that the welded specimen with rotational speed of 800 rpm and linear motion speed of 80 mm/min had the highest tensile strength of 305MPa. In addition, results of metallographic test showed that the sample with 1000 rpm rotational speed and 50 mm/min linear motion speed had the highest heat input to the piece, and therefore the tungsten carbide particles were separated from the instrument and entered the stirred zone. Also the results of micro hardness test showed that in the welded specimen with rotational speed of 1000 rpm and linear motion speed of 50 mm/min, hardness increased to 115H1 HV in the stirred zone, which is higher than hardness of other samples in same region. It can be claimed that tungsten carbide particles are present in this area.
The Extended Lipid Panel Assay: A Clinically-Deployed High-Throughput Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Method for the Simultaneous Measurement of Lipids and Apolipoprotein B
Authors: Garcia Erwin , Bennett Dennis W. , Connelly Margery A. , Jeyarajah Elias J. , Warf Franklin C. , Shalaurova Irina , Matyus Steven P. , Wolak-Dinsmore Justyna , Oskardmay David N. , Young Randolph M. , Sampson Maureen , Remaley Alan T. , Otvos James Dorian
Published: October 2020

BackgroundStandard lipid panel assays employing chemical/enzymatic methods measure total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), from which are calculated estimates of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). These lipid measures are used universally to guide management of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. Apolipoprotein B (apoB) is generally acknowledged to be superior to LDL-C for lipid-lowering therapeutic decision-making, but apoB immunoassays are performed relatively infrequently due to the added analytic cost. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the performance of a rapid, high-throughput, reagent-less assay producing an “Extended Lipid Panel” (ELP) that includes apoB, using the Vantera® nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyzer platform already deployed clinically for lipoprotein particle and other testing.MethodsPartial least squares regression models, using as input a defined region of proton NMR spectra of plasma or serum, were created to simultaneously quantify TC, TG, HDL-C, and apoB. Large training sets (n >~1,000) of patient sera analyzed independently for lipids and apoB by chemical methods were employed to ensure prediction models reflect the wide lipid compositional diversity of the population. The analytical performance of the NMR ELP assay was comprehensively evaluated.ResultsExcellent agreement was demonstrated between chemically-measured and ELP assay values of TC, TG, HDL-C and apoB with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.980 to 0.997. Within-run precision studies measured using low, medium, and high level serum pools gave coefficients of variation for the 4 analytes ranging from 1.0 to 3.8% for the low, 1.0 to 1.7% for the medium, and 0.9 to 1.3% for the high pools. Corresponding values for within-lab precision over 20 days were 1.4 to 3.6%, 1.2 to 2.3%, and 1.0 to 1.9%, respectively. Independent testing at three sites over 5 days produced highly consistent assay results. No major interference was observed from 38 endogenous or exogenous substances tested.Conclusions﻿Extensive assay performance evaluations validate that the NMR ELP assay is efficient, robust, and substantially equivalent to standard chemistry assays for the clinical measurement of lipids and apoB. Routine reporting of apoB alongside standard lipid measures could facilitate more widespread utilization of apoB for clinical decision-making.
Silencing SHMT2 Inhibits the Progression of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Through Cell Cycle Regulation
Authors: Liao Yan , Wang Fang , Zhang Yadong , Cai Hongshi , Song Fan , Hou Jinsong
Published: October 2020

Background Serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2) is a vital metabolic enzyme, which catalyzes the conversion of serine to glycine in one-carbon metabolism. SHMT2 has been reported to play a crucial role in the progression of tumors, but its function in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear.Method SHMT2 expression was analyzed using publicly-available online databases, and assessed using immunohistochemistry staining of collected clinical specimens. The correlation between SHMT2 expression and the cell cycle was predicted through bioinformatic analysis, including weighted gene co-expression network analysis and gene set enrichment analysis. After transfection with siRNA CCK8 assay, Edu staining, flow cytometry, transwell, and wound healing experiments were performed to verify the functional role of SHMT2 in vitro. A stable cell line with SHMT2 silencing was established to detect the oncogenic function of SHMT2 in vivo.Results We found that SHMT2 was up-regulated in OSCC tissues and cell lines, and high level of SHMT2 was significantly linked with a poorer clinical outcome for OSCC patients. Bioinformatic analysis found that SHMT2 was closely related with cell cycle regulation. Down-regulation of SHMT2 effectively suppressed the proliferation rate of OSCC cells, and induced the prolongation of the G1 phase of the cell cycle in vitro. Western blotting found that cell cycle-related regulators such as cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and cyclinD1 expression levels were increased, while the expression levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21Cip1 and p27Kip1 were decreased after SHMT2 knockdown. Invasive and migrative ability and epithelial mesenchymal transition were impaired by SHMT2 knockdown. Silencing SHMT2 in the HN6 cell line using short hairpin RNA impeded tumor growth in vivo.Conclusion Our findings suggested that high expression of SHMT2 in OSCC indicated low survival rates, and was associated with malignant behaviors of OSCC. SHMT2 may serve as a novel prognostic and therapeutic target of interest in OSCC.
Liquid Biopsy for Colorectal Adenoma: Is the Exosomal miRNA Derived from Organoid a Potential Diagnostic Biomarker?
Authors: Handa Tomoyuki , Kuroha Masatake , Nagai Hiroshi , Shimoyama Yusuke , Naito Takeo , Moroi Rintaro , Kanazawa Yoshitake , Shiga Hisashi , Kakuta Yoichi , Kinouchi Yoshitaka , Masamune Atsushi
Published: October 2020

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have attracted considerable attention as tumor biomarkers. Nevertheless, few reports have described studies of colorectal adenoma (CRA) for liquid biopsy. Recently, organoid culture system development has supported the long-term expansion of investigations of human colon epithelium. This study examined the profile of exosomal miRNAs extracted from CRA organoid and potentiation of candidate miRNAs for clinical application of liquid biopsy in CRA patients. Method: We established organoids from normal colon tissues and CRA from endoscopically resected specimens. Exosomes were prepared from the conditioned medium of the organoids. miRNAs were prepared from the exosomes and their source organoids. The microRNA expression profiles were compared using microarray analysis. To investigate exosomal miRNAs extracted from organoid culture as a candidate for liquid biopsy, we prospectively compared changes in the expression of serum and exosomal miRNA before and after endoscopic resection in 26 patients with CRA.Result: We established three organoid lines from normal colon epithelium and CRA. Microarray analysis revealed that seven exosomal miRNAs expression in CRA organoids were increased compared with normal colon organoids: miR-4323, miR-4284, miR-1268a, miR-1290, miR-6766-3p, miR-21-5p, and miR-1246. The expressions of four exosomal miRNAs (miR-4323, miR-4284, miR-1290, and miR-1246) and two serum miRNAs (miR-1290 and miR-1246) were significantly lower in post-treatment sera. Combinations of four exosomal miRNA expressions can differentiate both CRA and large-size (>12.6 cm2) CRA with respective areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.698 (95% CI = 0.536–0.823) and 0.834 (95% CI = 0.660–0.929). Combinations of two-serum miRNA expression can differentiate both CRA and large-size CRA with respective AUCs of 0.691 (95% CI = 0.528–0.817) and 0.834 (95% CI = 0.628–0.938). Conclusion: This report is the first to show that exosomal miRNAs derived from CRA organoid culture have potential for use as diagnostic biomarkers for CRA.
The Clinical Results of Arthroscopic Treatment for Calcified Tendinitis of Rotator Cuff—— A Retrospective Study With No Less Than 2 Years Follow Up
Authors: Li Tao , Xiong Yan , Qing WanYi , Li Jian , Tang Xin
Published: October 2020

Background The treatment of CT remains controversial. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the pain and functional outcomes of arthroscopic excision with or without rotator cuff repair for treating calcified tendinitis of the rotator cuff.Methods Between Jan 2015 and Apr 2018, a total of 38 patients with 39 shoulders CT of the rotator cuff underwent arthroscopic surgery and were followed for at least two years. The clinical outcomes were evaluated at intervals of 2, 4, and 8 weeks and 3, 6，12 and 24 months after the surgery and annually thereafter. The efficacy measures included the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score and radiographic outcomes.Results All patients underwent follow-ups, and the mean follow-up time was 45.38 months. The VAS score significantly decreased from 73.59±11.35 mm before the surgery to 26.41±10.63 mm at 6 months after surgery and continued to decrease to 5.64±5.02 mm at the end of the follow-up period (all p < 0.01). This result was supported by a significant increase in both the UCLA score and ASES score (all p<0.01) after surgery. Plain radiographs after surgery revealed complete calcification removal in all patients. No recurrence was observed during the follow-up period.Conclusions Arthroscopic excision can relieve pain and improve shoulder joint function in patients with CT. Additional randomized controlled studies need to be conducted to confirm our findings.
Reconstruction for Massive Proximal Tibial Bone Defects Using Patient-customized Three-dimensional-printed Metaphyseal Cones in Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Li Yang , Wang Xinguang , Tian Hua
Published: October 2020

Background: The reconstruction of massive bone defects is one of the main challenges in revision total knee arthroplasty (RTKA). Although several methods are available, each of them has its prominent shortcomings. The purpose of this study is to review the clinical outcomes of RTKA with massive proximal tibial bone defects using patient-customized three-dimensional (3D)-printed highly porous metaphyseal cones.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed seven RTKAs with Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute (AORI) type III tibial defects using patient-customized 3D-printed highly porous metaphyseal cones, which have been performed at a single institution between 2016 and 2018. Results: The mean age at diagnosis of the patients was 68 years old (61-77). The mean length of follow-up was 25.3 months (19-36). At the latest follow-up, no aseptic loosening or prosthetic joint infection has been determined. The mean HSS increased from 49 (39-63) to 78 (70-83) (P<0.01); the mean WOMAC increased from 59 (46-73) to 26 (12-38) (P<0.01). All patients obtained the range of motion and mechanical alignment improvement postoperatively.Conclusion: The patient-customized 3D-printed metaphyseal cone could be a promising technique in addressing severe tibial defects in RTKA. Our study shows encouraging short-term clinical and radiological outcomes with no aseptic loosening, periprosthetic infection, or fracture. Nevertheless, further follow-up and the expansion of sample size are needed to demonstrate the advantage of this innovative technique fully.
Exploiting Prunability for Person Re-identification
Authors: Masson Hugo , Bhuiyan Md Amran Hossen , Nguyen-Meidine Le Than , Javan Mehrsan , Siva Parthipan , Ayed Ismail Ben , Granger Eric
Published: October 2020

Recent years have witnessed a substantial increase in the deep learning (DL) architectures proposed for visual recognition tasks like person re-identification, where individuals must be recognized over multiple distributed cameras. Although these architectures have greatly improved the state-of-the-art accuracy, the computational complexity of the CNNs commonly used for feature extraction remains an issue, hindering their deployment on platforms with limited resources, or in applications with real-time constraints. There is an obvious advantage to accelerating and compressing DL models without significantly decreasing their accuracy. However, the source (pruning) domain differs from operational (target) domains, and the domain shift between image data captured with different non-overlapping camera viewpoints leads to lower recognition accuracy. In this paper, we investigate the prunability of these architectures under different design scenarios. This paper first revisits pruning techniques that are suitable for reducing the computational complexity of deep CNN networks applied to person re-identification. Then, these techniques are analysed according to their pruning criteria and strategy, and according to different scenarios for exploiting pruningmethods to ne-tuning networks to target domains. Experimental results obtained using DL models with ResNet feature extractors, and multiple benchmarks re-identification datasets, indicate that pruning can considerably reduce network complexity while maintaining a high level of accuracy. In scenarios where pruning is performed with large pre-training or ne-tuning datasets, the number of FLOPS required by ResNet architectures is reduced by half, while maintaining a comparable rank-1 accuracy (within 1% of the original model). Pruning while training a larger CNNs can also provide a significantly better performance than ne-tuning smaller ones.
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in Harlequin Ichthyosis, a Rare Combination or the Clinical Spectrum of the Disease? Report of a Child Treated With Etanercept and Review of the Literature 
Authors: Baldo Francesco , Brena Michela , Carbogno Simone , Minoia Francesca , Lanni Stefani , Guez Sophie , Petaccia Antonella , Agostoni Carlo , Cimaz Rolando , Filocamo Giovanni
Published: October 2020

Background. Harlequin ichthyosis (HI) is the most severe phenotype of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis. Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) represents a heterogenous group of disorders all sharing the clinical manifestation of chronic arthritis. Association of HI and chronic arthritis has been reported in few cases. Case presentation. We report the case of a child HI who developed a severe form of chronic polyarthritis during the first years of life, treated with repeated multiple joint injections, methotrexate and etanercept with good response and any adverse events. Conclusion. The case reported, followed by a review of the literature, could suggest the possibility that the presence of this peculiar severe polyarthritis with early onset and FR / ANA negativity, could be part of the clinical manifestation of Harlequin Ichthyosis instead that a rare combination of two diseases as reported by previous papers.
Pushing the limits of solubility prediction via quality-oriented data selection
Authors: Sorkun Murat , Koelman J. M. , Er Süleyman
Published: October 2020

Accurate prediction of the solubility of chemical substances in solvents remains a challenge. The sparsity of high-quality solubility data is recognized as the biggest hurdle in the development of robust data-driven methods for practical use. Nonetheless, the effects of the quality and quantity of data on aqueous solubility predictions have not yet been scrutinized. In this study, the roles of the size and the quality of datasets on the performances of the solubility prediction models are unraveled, and the concepts of actual and observed performances are introduced. In an effort to curtail the gap between actual and observed performances, a quality-oriented data selection method, which evaluates the quality of data and extracts the most accurate part of it through statistical validation, is designed. Applying this method on the largest publicly available solubility database and using a consensus machine learning approach, a top-performing solubility prediction model is achieved.
Impact of Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Combination Vaccination on Asthma Symptoms and Pneumonia in 5-year-old Children in Rural Bangladesh: a Case-control Study and Comparison With a Previous Cross-sectional Study 
Authors: TAKEUCHI HARUKO , Hasan S. M. Tafsir , Zaman Khalequ , Takanashi Sayaka , Hore Samar Kumar , Yeasmin Sultana , Ahmad Shaikh Meshbahuddin , Alam Md Jahangir , Jimba Masamine , Iwata Tsutomu , Khan Md Alfazal
Published: October 2020

Background: Although the prevalence of bronchial asthma has been increasing worldwide since the 1970’s, the prevalence among 5-year-old children was significantly lower in 2016 than in 2001 in rural Bangladesh. We aimed to determine whether the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) combination vaccination (without booster) started in 2009 contributed to this decrease.Methods: A case-control study was conducted among 1658 randomly selected 5-year-old children from Matlab, Bangladesh. Data on wheezing were collected using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. The vaccination data were collected from the records of the Matlab Health and Demographic Surveillance System, while data on pneumonia were obtained from the clinical records of Matlab Hospital. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated for the risk for wheezing. The reduction rate was calculated to determine the impact of the vaccination on pneumonia history between the present study and our previous study conducted in 2001 by using the following formula: (percentage of pneumonia cases in 2001 - percentage of pneumonia cases in 2016)/(percentage of pneumonia cases in 2001) times 100 (%).Results: Hib combination vaccination was a protecting factor against wheezing (aOR: 0.50; p = 0.010), while pneumonia at 1, 2, 3–4 years of age were risk factors for wheezing (aOR: 2.86, 3.19, 2.86; p = 0.046, 0.030, 0.030, respectively). The history of pneumonia was significantly lower in the 2016 study participants than those in 2001 both in the overall cohort and the wheezing group (paired t-test: p = 0.012, p < 0.001, respectively). Whereas the history of pneumonia decreased when the children grew older in the 2001 overall cohort, it peaked at the age of 2 years in 2016 wheezing group. The reduction rate decreased when children grew older in both the overall cohort and the wheezing group, however, it decreased faster in the wheezing group.Conclusions: Hib combination vaccination was a protective factor against wheezing in 0-year-old children. However, the effects of vaccination might have attenuated at the ages of 1-4 years, because no booster dose was administered. The addition of a booster dose might further decrease the prevalence of asthma and wheezing.
Herpes Infections in Suspected Cases of Yellow Fever in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Makiala-Mandanda Sheila , Abbate Jessica L , Pukuta-Simbu Elisabeth , Ahuka-Mundeke Steve , Muyembe-Tamfum Jean-Jacques , Leroy Eric M , Becquart Pierre
Published: October 2020

In the battle to quickly identify potential yellow fever arbovirus outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, active surveillance of acute febrile jaundice patients across the country is a powerful tool. However, patients who test negative for yellow fever virus infection are too often left without a diagnosis. By retroactively screening samples for other potential viral infections, we can both try to find sources of patient disease and also gain information on how commonly they circulate in the population. Here, we assessed the prevalence of human herpes viruses (HHVs) in these acute febrile jaundice disease samples. We found 22.6% had active HHV replication, and that over half were characterized by co-infection either among HHVs or between HHVs and other viral infections previously identified. Our results show that the role of HHV primary infection or reactivation in contributing to acute febrile jaundice disease should be further investigated.
A Study of Genetic Variants in Genes of Glutamate Signaling and Risk of Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Liu Jun , Yu Hong , Hu Pingfang , Yang Aiping , Zhang Zengyu
Published: October 2020

Background: Dysfunction of glutamate signaling has been implicated in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This case-control study was to examine the association between childhood ASD and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes of the glutamate signaling pathway in a Chinese Han population.Methods: A total of 12 SNPs in the SLC1A1, SLC25A12, GRM7 and GRM8 genes were examined. The Children Autism Rating Scale (CARS) was applied to evaluate the severity of the disease. The relationship between SNPs and the risk of ASD or the severity of the disease was determined by logistic regression.Results: The T allele of rs2292813 in the SLC25A12 gene was significantly associated with an increased risk of ASD (odds ratio (OD) =1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-2.6, P=0.0107). Other examined SNPs were not associated with the risk of ASD. None of the SNPs examined were associated with the severity of ASD.Conclusions: Our findings support the involvement of SNPs in the SLC25A12 gene, but not SNPs in the SLC1A1, GRM7 and DRM8 genes, in the development of childhood ASD in the Chinese Han population.
Polar and mid-latitude vortices and zonal flows on Jupiter and Saturn
Authors: Heimpel Moritz , Yadav Rakesh , Featherstone Nick , Aurnou Jonathan
Published: October 2020

Zonal flow on Jupiter and Saturn consists of equatorial super–rotation and alternating East-West jet streams at higher latitudes. Interacting with these zonal flows, numerous vortices occur with various sizes and lifetimes. The Juno mission and Cassini’s grand finale have shown that the zonal jets of Jupiter and Saturn extend deeply into their molecular envelopes. On Jupiter, the vast majority of low and mid-latitude jovian vortices are anticyclonic, whereas cyclones appear at polar latitudes. Cassini mission observations revealed a similar pattern on Saturn; its North and South polar vortices are cyclonic, whereas anticyclones occur at mid-latitudes. We use the recently developed code Rayleigh to run high-resolution simulations of rotating convection in 3D spherical shells. Four model runs are presented that result in dynamical flows that are comparable to those on the giant planets. We confirm previous results, finding that deep convective turbulence can explain the structure of jets. However, the strength and depth of stable stratification, and the latitude, can modify jet morphologies and affect the formation and dynamics of vortices. Lower latitudes favour shallow anticyclonic vortices that form due to upward and divergent flow near the outer boundary. These anticyclones are typically shielded by cyclonic filaments associated with downwelling return flow. In contrast, a single polar cyclone, or clusters of cyclones form near the poles. All of our simulations have this global pattern; a strong preference for shallow anticyclones in the first anticyclonic shear zone away from the equatorial jet (corresponding to the region of the great red spot on Jupiter and Storm Alley on Saturn), cyclonic and anticyclonic vortices at higher mid-latitudes, and a deeply seated cyclone or cyclone clusters at each pole. Our results show that Juno and Cassini observations of cloud-level flow can be explained in terms of deep convective dynamics in the molecular envelopes of Jupiter and Saturn.
Mediating Effect of Deteriorated Kidney Function in Comorbidity-related Excess Deaths in COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Luo Dongling , Liu Qiaomei , Xie Changming , Wang Weidong , Wang Xiong , Wu Juan , Xi Maomao , Yin Yilin , Xiong Di , Wu Yuwei , Xie Yuqing , Shi Ximin , Luo Pengcheng , Dong Fang , Huang Hui
Published: October 2020

BackgroundIn-hospital death risks vary in COVID-19 patients with comorbidities. Kidney function decline is prevalent in this course and found associated with in-hospital death. However, what role it plays is not clear.MethodsTo explore the exact role of deteriorated kidney function, we applied a retrospective cohort study including 1266 participants in Wuhan Tongren Hospital between January 27 and March 3, 2020. Demographic characteristics, preexisting comorbidities history, organ function data and outcomes were extracted. Deteriorated kidney function was identified as the decline percentage, assessed by an increase in peak serum creatinine from the baseline. Mediating effect was calculated by mediation analysis.Key Results1266 hospitalized COVID-19 patients (60±15 years, 47.8% are male) were included, with an overall in-hospital death rate of 4.42% (56/1266). For critical cases, 77.02% had at least one preexisting comorbidity. Patients with comorbidities suffered higher in-hospital death and more severe decline of kidney function. Compared to patients with minor function decline (<10%), significant risk increase was found in those with more severe one (OR 3.57; 95%CI 1.70 to 7.52; P=.001 for moderate with 10-50% decline, and 37.45; 95%CI 18.71 to 74.55; P＜.001 for severe with>50%). More interestingly, the mediation analysis found deteriorated kidney function played as an important mediator between different comorbidities and COVID-19 patients’ in-hospital death, with the mediation effect of 11%, 12%, 16% and 32% respectively for hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease.ConclusionsAll-cause deteriorated kidney function is strongly associated with increase of in-hospital death in COVID-19 and partially mediates the facilitating effect of preexisting comorbidities on in-hospital death. Thus, dynamic monitoring kidney function, preventing the deterioration of kidney function might be helpful to improve survival in COVID-19 patients, especially those with preexisting comorbidities.
Rhomboid Protein 2 of Eimeria Maxima Provided Partial Protection Against Infection by Homologous Species
Authors: Chen Yufeng , Tian Di , Chen Siying , Ding Wenxi , Sun Xiaoting , Wang Mingyue , Chen Chen , Liu Xiaoqian , Su Junzhi , Xu Lixin , Yan Ruofeng , Li Xiangrui , Song Xiaokai
Published: October 2020

Background: Rhomboid-like proteases (ROMs) are considered as a new candidate antigen for developing new-generation vaccine due to their important role involved in the invasion of apicomplexan protozoa. In prior works, we obtained a ROM2 sequence of Eimeria maxima (EmROM2) which is the homologous gene with ROM2 of Toxoplasma gondii. This study was conducted to evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of EmROM2 recombinant protein (rEmROM2) and EmROM2 DNA (pVAX1-EmROM2) against infection by Eimeria maxima (E. maxima).Methods: Western blot assay was conducted to analyze the immunogenicity of rEmROM2. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot assay were performed to determine the transcription and expression of pVAX1-EmROM2 recombinant plasmid. EmROM2-induced changes in transcriptional level of cytokines, T lymphocytes subsets and specific serum IgG antibody were detected through qPCR (quantitative real-time PCR), flow cytometry and indirect ELISA, respectively. Ultimately, a vaccination-challenge trial was performed to evaluate the protective efficacy of rEmROM2 and pVAX1-EmROM2 against infection with E. maxima. Results: The purified rEmROM2 was recognized with chicken anti-E. maxima serum. After vaccination with pVAX1-EmROM2, apparent transcription and translation of EmROM2 were observed in the vaccinated chickens. Vaccination with rEmROM2 and EmROM2 DNA significantly upregulated the proportion of CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes, the transcription level of cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, TGF-β and TNF SF15) and serum IgG antibody response. Meanwhile, the vaccination significantly alleviated enteric lesions, weight loss, and reduced oocyst output caused by challenge infection of E. maxima, and provided anticoccidial index (ACI) of more than 160, indicating partial protection against E. maxima.Conclusions: Vaccination with rEmROM2 and pVAX1-EmROM2 activated notable humoral and cell-mediated immunity and provided partial protection against infection by E. maxima. These results demonstrated that EmROM2 protein and DNA are promising vaccine candidates against E. maxima infection.
Innovative Method for CO2 Fixation and Storage
Authors: Sorimachi Kenji
Published: October 2020

The concentration of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere has been gradually increasing since the Industrial Revolution, primarily as a result of the use of fossil fuels as energy sources. Although coal and oil have been vital to the development of modern civilization, it is now recognized that atmospheric CO2 levels must be reduced so as to avoid the serious effects of climate change, including natural disasters. Consequently, there is currently significant interest in developing suitable methods for the fixation of CO2 in the air and in exhaust gases. The present work demonstrates a simple yet innovative approach to the chemical fixation of extremely low and also very high CO2 concentrations in air, such as might result from industrial sources. This process is based on the use of aqueous solutions of the water soluble compounds NaOH and CaCl2, which react with CO2 to produce the harmless solids CaCO3 (limestone) and NaCl (salt) via intermediates such as NaHCO3 and Na2CO3. The NaCl generated in this process can be converted back to NaOH via electrolysis, during which H2 (which can be used as a clean energy source) and Cl2 are produced simultaneously. This system provides a safe, inexpensive approach to CO2 fixation and storage.
Chemo- and Regioselective Hydroformylation of Alkenes with CO2/H2 over a Bifunctional Catalyst
Authors: HUA Kai , Liu Fang , Wei Yin , Shao Long , Deng Chao , Zhang Ming , Xia Lin , Zhong Liangshu , Wang Hui , Sun Yuhan
Published: October 2020

Combining CO2 and H2 to prepare building blocks for high-value-added products is an attractive yet challenging approach. A general and selective rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of alkenes using CO2/H2 as a syngas surrogate is described here. With this protocol, the desired aldehydes can be obtained in up to 97% yield and 93/7 regioselectivity under mild reaction conditions (25 bar, 80 ºC). Key-to-success is the use of bifunctional Rh/PTA catalyst (PTA: 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane), which facilitates both CO2 hydrogenation and hydroformylation. Notably, monodentate PTA exhibited better activity and regioselectivity than common bidentate ligands, which might be ascribed to its built-in basic site and tris-chelated mode. Mechanistic studies indicate that the transformation proceeds through cascade steps, involving free HCOOH production through CO2 hydrogenation, fast release of CO, and rhodium-catalyzed conventional hydroformylation. Moreover, the unconventional hydroformylation pathway, in which HCOOAc acts as a direct C1 source, has also been proved feasible with superior regioselectivity than that of CO pathway.
A quantum magnetic analogue to the critical point of water
Authors: Ronnow Henrik , Larrea Julio , Crone Schelto , Fogh Ellen , Zayed Mohamed , Lortz Rolf , Pomajkushina Ekaterina , Conder Kazimierz , Laeuchli Andreas , Weber Lukas , Wessel Stefan , Honecker Andreas , Normand Bruce , Rüegg Christian , Corboz Philippe , Mila Frederic
Published: October 2020

At the familiar liquid-gas phase transition in water, the density jumps discontinuously at atmospheric pressure, but the line of these first-order transitions defined by increasing pressures terminates at the critical point [1], a concept ubiquitous in statistical thermodynamics [2]. In correlated quantum materials, a critical point was predicted [3] and measured [4, 5] terminating the line of Mott metal-insulator transitions, which are also first-order with a discontinuous charge density. In quantum spin systems, continuous quantum phase transitions (QPTs) [6] have been investigated extensively [7-11], but discontinuous QPTs have received less attention. The frustrated quantum antiferromagnet SrCu2(BO3)2 constitutes a near-exact realization of the paradigmatic Shastry-Sutherland model [12-14] and displays exotic phenomena including magnetization plateaux [15], anomalous thermodynamics [16] and discontinuous QPTs [17]. We demonstrate by high-precision specific-heat measurements under pressure and applied magnetic field that, like water, the pressure-temperature phase diagram of SrCu2(BO3)2 has an Ising critical point terminating a first-order transition line, which separates phases with different densities of magnetic particles (triplets). We achieve a quantitative explanation of our data by detailed numerical calculations using newly-developed finite temperature tensor-network methods [16, 18-20]. These results open a new dimension in understanding the thermodynamics of quantum magnetic materials, where the anisotropic spin interactions producing topological properties [21, 22] for spintronic applications drive an increasing focus on first-order QPTs.
Barriers and Drivers to Stakeholder Engagement in Global Mental Health Projects
Authors: Murphy Jill , Qureshi Onaiza , Endale Tarik , Esponda Georgina Miguel , Pathare Soumitra , Eaton Julian , De Silva Mary , Ryan Grace
Published: October 2020

Background: Engagement with diverse stakeholders, including policy makers, care providers and end users, is essential for successful implementation of global mental health interventions. Despite being a fundamental factor in the implementation process, evidence about challenges and drivers to stakeholder engagement is limited in the global mental health literature. Methods: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with n=29 recipients of global Grand Challenges Canada Global Mental Health funding to assess barriers and drivers to global mental health implementation across a portfolio of Grand Challenges Canada-funded projects. We used framework analysis to identify key themes related to implementation barriers and facilitators. This paper reports on barriers and facilitators to stakeholder engagement, with results related to capacity development and service delivery reported elsewhere in this volume. Results: Barriers and drivers to stakeholder engagement were identified across four themes: 1) Contextual Considerations, 2) Resources, 3) Participation, Uptake and Empowerment, and 3) Stigma. While complex contextual challenges create barriers, mechanisms such as formative research can facilitate a deeper contextual understanding that supports effective implementation planning. Limited financial and human resources and competing priorities can lead to substantial challenges. Investing in and leveraging existing local resources and expertise can help to mitigate these barriers. The challenge of achieving active participation from stakeholders and diverging expectations about the nature of participation were identified as barriers, while providing opportunities for meaningful participation and empowerment acted as facilitators. Stigma at the institutional and individual level was also identified as a substantial barrier to engagement. Conclusion: Stakeholder engagement is critical to successful implementation of global mental health interventions, particularly for promoting scale-up and sustainability. The findings of this study are relevant to implementors in global mental health. They also have implications for global mental health funding agencies and policy organizations, who can support improved stakeholder engagement in several ways. Investing in high-quality formative research, supporting capacity building in methods such as integrated knowledge translation and participatory priority-setting, investing in longer-term funding schemes to support sustainable partnerships and scale-up and supporting researchers to build skills in policy engagement would help to foster successful engagement and thus support effective implementation of global mental health innovations.
Risk Assessment of Patients After ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction by Killip Classification: An Institutional Experience
Authors: Hashmi Kashif Ali , Adnan Fahar , Hashmi Atif Ali , Ali Javaria Parwez , Irfan Muhammad , Khan Amir , Edhi Muhammad M.
Published: October 2020

Objectives: Revalidation of Killip class in our local population is mandatory. We planned this study to increase cardiologist readiness to tackle the risks associated with increased mortality in each class post ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Objectives were to determine frequency of Killip class I, II, III, IV and in-hospital mortality in each Killip class in patients with left ventricle failure secondary to STEMI.Results: This cross-sectional Study was conducted in Department of Cardiology, Jinnah Hospital. Patients with STEMI were stratified using Killip Class and validation was performed by determining the within 15 days in-hospital mortality in each Killip class. Patients with chronic disease were excluded. The frequency (percentage) of patients with STEMI in each killip class from I to IV was 395 (81.4%), 46 (9.5%), 27(5.6%) and 17(3.5%) respectively while in-hospital mortality came out to be, 39 (9.8%), 4 (8.6%), 25 (92.5%), and 17(100%), in Killip class I, II, III and IV respectively. Presence of diabetes, history of smoking and BMI more than 30kg/m2 were significant contributor to mortality along with higher Killip class and age of presentation. It is concluded that Killip class is a valid tool for risk stratification for patients after STEMI.
Circular RNA circLMO7 acts as a microRNA-30a-3p sponge to promote gastric cancer progression via the WNT2/β-Catenin pathway
Authors: Cao Jiacheng , Zhang Xing , Xu Penghui , Wang Haixiao , Wang Sen , Zhang Lu , Li Zheng , Xie Li , Sun Guangli , Xia Yiwen , Lv Jialun , Yang Jing , Xu Zekuan
Published: October 2020

Background : Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Currently, the overall survival rate of GC is still unsatisfactory despite progress in diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, studying the molecular mechanisms involved in GC is vital for diagnosis and treatment. CircRNAs, a type of noncoding RNA, have been proven to act as miRNA sponges that can widely regulate various cancers. By this mechanism, circRNA can regulate tumors at the genetic level by releasing miRNA from inhibiting its target genes. The WNT2/β-Catenin regulatory pathway is one of the canonical signaling pathways in tumors. It can not only promote the development of tumors but also provide energy for tumor growth through cell metabolism (such as glutamine metabolism).

Methods: Through RNA sequencing, we found that hsa_circ_0008259 (circLMO7) was highly expressed in GC tissues. After verifying the circular characteristics of circLMO7, we determined the downstream miRNA (miR-30a-3p) of circLMO7 by RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter assays. We verified the effect of circLMO7 and miR-30a-3p on GC cells through a series of functional experiments, including colony formation, 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine and Transwell assays. Through Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses, we found that WNT2 was the downstream target gene of miR-30a-3p and further confirmed that the circLMO7-miR-30a-3p-WNT2 axis could promote the development of GC. In addition, measurement of related metabolites confirmed that this axis could also provide energy for the growth of GC cells through glutamine metabolism. We found that circLMO7 could promote the growth and metastasis of GC in vivo by the establishment of nude mouse models. Finally, we also demonstrated that HNRNPL could bind to the flanking introns of the circLMO7 exons to promote circLMO7 cyclization.

Results: CircLMO7 acted as a miR-30a-3p sponge affecting the WNT2/β-Catenin pathway to promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells. Moreover, animal results also showed that circLMO7 could promote GC growth and metastasis in vivo . CircLMO7 could also affect the glutamine metabolism of GC cells through the WNT2/β-Catenin pathway to promote its malignant biological function. In addition, we proved that HNRNPL could promote the self-cyclization of circLMO7.

Conclusions: CircLMO7 promotes the development of GC by releasing the inhibitory effect of miR-30a-3p on its target gene WNT2.
Differential Expression Analysis Using A Model-Based Gene Clustering Algorithm for RNA-Seq Data
Authors: Osabe Takayuki , Shimizu Kentaro , Kadota Koji
Published: October 2020

Background RNA-seq is a tool for measuring gene expression and is commonly used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene clustering is used to classify DEGs with similar expression patterns for the subsequent analyses of data from experiments such as time-courses or multi-group comparisons. However, gene clustering has rarely been used for analyzing simple two-group data or differential expression (DE). In this study, we report a model-based clustering algorithm, MBCluster.Seq, that can be implemented using an R package for DE analysis.Results The input data originally used by MBCluster.Seq is DEGs, and the proposed method (called MBCdeg) uses all genes for the analysis. The method uses posterior probabilities of genes assigned to a cluster displaying non-DEG pattern for overall gene ranking. We compared the performance of MBCdeg with conventional R packages such as edgeR, DESeq2, and TCC that are specialized for DE analysis using simulated and real data. Our results showed that MBCdeg outperformed other methods when the proportion of DEG was less than 50%. However, the DEG identification using MBCdeg was less consistent than with conventional methods. We compared the effects of different normalization algorithms using MBCdeg, and performed an analysis using MBCdeg in combination with a robust normalization algorithm (called DEGES) that was not implemented in MBCluster.Seq. The new analysis method showed greater stability than using the original MBCdeg with the default normalization algorithm.Conclusions MBCdeg with DEGES normalization can be used in the identification of DEGs when the PDEG is relatively low. As the method is based on gene clustering, the DE result includes information on which expression pattern the gene belongs to. The new method may be useful for the analysis of time-course and multi-group data, where the classification of expression patterns is often required.
Analysis and forecast of COVID-19 spreading in India using Nonlinear curve fitting model with machine learning
Authors: Pandey Pawan , Katoch Vikas , Kumar Pawan
Published: October 2020

In this paper, an analysis and forecasting of Indian COVID-19 data is discussed by using scipy optimize curve fitting model of machine learning. We demonstrates the month wise analysis of coming cases, daily recovered cases, death cases and test cases conducted by the Government of India, of COVID-19 from 01st March 2020 to 02nd August 2020, and also forecast for the new cases, recover cases & death cases from 03rd August 2020 to 01st November 2020. Our study show that the total numbers of affected persons due to COVID-19 up to 01st November 2020 will be total cases 13,690,491, recover cases 10,499,593 and death of 129,271.
How can we help PhD students cope with mental health issues and drop-out? An extensive analysis of discourse.
Authors: Lemée Colin , Pierre Flores , Jeanne Boisselier , Guillard Mary , Wagner Vincent
Published: October 2020

There is a growing concern regarding the increase of the mental health problems among PhD students worldwide. This problem is worrying, and it remains a major issue for research teams and labs. However, the particularity of this environment has not been explored in consistent enough ways to provide a clear way forward for universities and health services to answer this problem. Therefore, we carried out a large online survey and collected 480 testimonies on health issues and work conditions from doctoral students and young doctors. Our aim was to identify levers and key factors for intervention. A lexicometric analysis of the discourse was carried out, using the Iramuteq package for R. Results highlight a need to intervene at different levels, in terms of instruction, prevention, care and follow-up to reduce mental health problems among PhD students. It also highlights the perceived importance of the university and feeling of belonging to a community as possible factors to reduce these problems and reduce drop out probability. More than anything, the study reveals that there are no differences in the discourse of doctoral students according to their field, which reveals the generality of these processes.