bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification and validation of prognostic features of amino acid metabolism-related lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: CHENG LVE , Cai Dong , Li Shengwei
Published: January 2023

Background

As an important part of cellular energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism provides energy support for tumor progression. In recent years, it has been found that in addition to traditional proteins, long-stranded non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are also involved in amino acid metabolism in tumors. However, potential lncRNA biomarkers that potentially regulate amino acid metabolism and affect the prognosis of HCC patients remain to be further explored.

Materials and Methods

Genomic and clinical data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and amino acid metabolism-related genes were obtained from the Molecular Signature Database v5.1 (MSigDB). Prognostic features were constructed by co-expression analysis and Cox regression analysis. Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups, and then independent prognostic analysis and ROC curve plotting were performed to assess the prognostic value of the features. Subsequently, immune-related functions of lncRNA and tumor mutational burden (TMB) were analyzed. Finally, we analyzed amino acid metabolism-related lncRNAs using the Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) algorithm to determine their sensitivity to potential drugs for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Results

A total of 6 lncRNAs related to amino acid metabolism were obtained as LINC02870, AL031985.3, AC011476.3, AC012640.1, AL365361.1, LUCAT1, and prognostic features were established. We found that high-risk patients had poorer overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) and higher mortality. Independent prognostic analysis, ROC, C-index and column line plot showed that amino acid metabolism-related lncRNAs could accurately predict the prognosis of patients. Column line plots and heat maps showed a significant difference in the distribution of amino acid metabolism-related lncRNAs between high- and low-risk groups. We also found that patients with high TMB had poorer OS, and the TIDE algorithm showed that high-risk patients had a greater likelihood of immune escape and poorer immunotherapy outcomes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, six lncRNAs associated with amino acid metabolism can accurately predict the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and may provide new insights for clinical application and treatment.
Reliability of routine and standardized in-center blood pressure measurement in chronic hemodialysis patients in Dakar: a case control study
Authors: Faye Moustapha , Ouanekpone Cedric Patrick , Ba Baro , Diop Mariama , Ba Bacary , Faye Gnagna , Keita Niakhaleen , Ndongo Modou , Sy Abou , Faye Maria , Lemrabott Ahmed Tall , Niang Abdou , Ka Elhadji Fary
Published: January 2023

Background
Blood pressure (BP) measurement in the diagnosis and monitoring of hypertension continues to be a topic of debate. The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the performance of hemodialysis center BP measurements (routine and standardized BP measurements) in the diagnosis of ambulatory BP in chronic hemodialysis patients using 44h ambulatory BP monitoring (44h-ABPM) as the reference measurement; 2) to compare the performance of standardized and routine BP measurement; and 3) to evaluate the concordance between the values measured at the hemodialysis center and the BP values at 44h-ABPM.
Methods
In this 23-month case control study including 56 patients followed in the hemodialysis units of Aristide Le Dantec Hospital (HALD) and Idrissa Pouye General Hospital (HOGIP), BP was measured by 3 methods: i) an automated measurement (OMRON®) carried out by health professional called routine BP measurement (RBPM) in pre and post dialysis; ii) the mean of five automated measurements in a patient isolated in a quiet room called standardized BP measurement (SBPM) before and after dialysis; iii) 44h-ABPM with the CONTEC® device. The hypertension was defined as BP ≥ 130/80 mmHg at 44h-ABPM.
Results
Fifty-six (56) patients including 31 men (55%) with a mean age of 45.20 ± 13.64 years were included. Thirty-one patients (55%) were hypertensive at the 44h-ABPM. Pre-dialysis SBPM was significantly better than pre-dialysis RBPM (AUC [IC 95%], 0.881 [0.778-0.984]/0.785 [0.664-0.907], p=0.02) in detecting 44h ambulatory systolic BP (SBP) ≥ 130 mmHg. Post-dialysis SBPM was also outperformed post-dialysis RBPM (0.916 [0.843-0.988]/0.874 [0.782-0.965]) in detecting 44h ambulatory SBP ≥ 130 mmHg without statistically significant difference. Pre-dialysis SBPM outperformed pre-dialysis RBPM (0.882 [0.776-0.988]/0.878 [0.781-0.975] in detecting 44h ambulatory DBP ≥ 80 mmHg without statistically significant difference. Post-dialysis SBPM also outperformed post-dialysis RBPM (0.914 [0.832-0.996]/0.848 [0.743-0.952]) in detecting 44h ambulatory DBP ≥ 80 mmHg without statistically significant difference. Hemodialysis center measurements overestimate ambulatory BP at 44h-ABPM.
Conclusion
Hemodialysis center measurements overestimate ambulatory BP despite excellent performance on ROC curve analysis. SBPM performs better than RBPM and in particular in the detection of a SBP ≥ 130 mmHg in the ambulatory setting. SBPM overestimates SBP less than RBPM.
Signature methods for brain-computer interfaces
Authors: Xu Xiaoqi , Lee Darrick , Drougard Nicolas , Roy Raphaëlle N.
Published: January 2023

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) allow direct communication between one’s central nervous system and a computer without any muscle movement hence by-passing the peripheral nervous system. They can restore disabled people’s ability to interact with their environment, e.g. communication and wheelchair control. However, to this day their performance is still hindered by the non-stationarity of electroencephalography (EEG) signals, as well as their susceptibility to noise from the users’ environment and from their own physiological activity. Moreover, a non-negligible amount of users struggle to use BCI systems based on motor imagery. In this paper, a new method based on the path signature is introduced to tackle this problem by using features which are different from the usual power-based ones. The path signature is a series of iterated integrals computed from a multidimensional path. It is invariant under translation and time reparametrization, which makes it a robust feature for multichannel EEG time series. The performance can be further boosted by combining the path signature with the gold standard Riemannian classifier in the BCI field exploiting the geometric structure of symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices. The results obtained on publicly available datasets show that the signature method is more robust to inter-user variability than classical ones, especially on noisy and low-quality data. Hence, this study paves the way towards the use of mathematical tools that until now have been neglected, in order to tackle the EEG-based BCI variability issue. It also sheds light on the lead-lag relationship captured by path signature which seems relevant to assess the underlying neural mechanisms.
An Analytical Local Tool Path Smoothing Method with Curvature Control
Authors: Zhao Gang , Wei Zixuan , Jing Xishuang , Shen Boyan , Xie Fubao , Zhang Chengyang , Chen Siyu
Published: January 2023

In traditional multi-axis machining, the linear tool path generated by computer-aided manufacturing systems is still in a broad tool path format, resulting in discontinuities at the corners, which slow down tool motion, and also trigger tool vibration, reducing machining accuracy and surface quality. In order to ensure the C3 continuity of the tool during the multi-axis machining process, this paper proposes an analytical B-spline local smoothing method with curvature control. The tool position trajectory and tool orientation are both smoothed by a 5th spline curve with 9 control points. Optimal control points are determined for position and orientation splines to achieve C3 continuity at the junctions between the spline and linear segment while preserving the predefined geometric tolerance limits and minimizing the maximum curvature of the inserted B-spline curve. The smoothed tool path is expected to have less curvature fluctuation, which can significantly improve both the kinematic performance of the machine tool and the machining efficiency. Both computer simulations and physical printing experiments are carried out to demonstrate the improvements of our proposed method in motion smoothness and tracking accuracy in multi-axis machining tasks.
Textbook Outcome in Colon Carcinoma: Implications for Overall Survival and Disease-free Survival.
Authors: Rubio-García J.J , Barberá Francisco Mauri , Tudela Celia Villodre , Morote Silvia Carbonell , Olea Ana Isabel Fábregues , López Cándido Alcázar , Torremocha Clara Llopis , López Joaquín Ruiz , Martín Álvaro Gomis , Simo Manuel Romero , Ramia-Ángel José Manuel
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND:
Textbook outcome (TO) is a multidimensional quality management tool that uses a set of traditional surgical measures to reflect an "ideal" surgical result for a particular pathology. The aim of the present study is to record the rate of TO in patients undergoing elective surgery for colon cancer.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
Retrospective study of all patients undergoing scheduled colon cancer surgery at a Spanish university hospital from September 2012 to August 2016. Patients with rectal cancer were excluded. The variables included in the definition of TO were: R0 resection, number of isolated nodes ≥12, no Clavien-Dindo ≥IIIa complications, no prolonged stay, no readmissions, and no mortality in the first 30 days.
RESULTS:
Five hundred and sixty-four patients were included in the study. TO was achieved in 49.8%. The sample had a mean age of 69 ± 11 years, and 60% were male. Female sex (OR 1.61; 95% CI 2.30-1.13), T3 and T4 classification (OR 2.50, 95% CI 4.59-1.36, and OR 2.55, 95% CI 5.21-1.24 respectively) and laparoscopic approach (OR 1.53, 95% CI 2.33-1.00) were independent factors that were significantly associated with achieving a TO. Patients who achieved TO had higher overall survival (p=0.008) than those who did not. However, with regard to disease-free survival, no statistically significant differences were found (p=0.303).
CONCLUSION:
TO is a useful, easy-to-interpret management tool for measuring oncological results and for predicting patient survival.
The study was registered in the public accessible database clinicaltrials.gov with the ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05675904. Public release date: 01/05/2023.
Investigation on cutting damage mechanism of carbon fiber reinforced polymer based on macro/microscopic simulation
Authors: Zhu Zhaoju , Kang Rongqing , Huang Jianwei , Zhu Yunqi , Sun Xinhui
Published: January 2023

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is widely used in the aerospace field due to its excellent physical and mechanical properties such as high specific strength, high specific modulus and good corrosion resistance. However, it is prone to bring burrs, tears, matrix, and fiber debonding during the cutting process due to its non-homogeneity and anisotropy, which seriously affects the service life of the material. To explore the damage failure mechanism of the CFRP cutting process, 2D and 3D finite element simulation models were established based on Abaqus in this paper. Furthermore, the influence law of fiber direction on cutting damage failure and chip forming was analyzed from micro and macro levels. Finally, the effectiveness of the simulation model was verified by experiments. The results show that the cutting surface of CFRP with a 45° fiber angle is serrated, and the local failure is not obvious; the main defect of CFRP with 90° fiber angle cutting is a matrix and fiber debonding, and some fibers will be crushed and cut off; Serious degumming phenomenon occurred in the cutting process of CFRP with 135° fiber angle, and the bending and fracture of fiber also occur below the cutting depth; It is noteworthy that the stress distribution diverges along the fiber direction.
Association of RNF213 polymorphism and cortical hyperintensity sign on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images after direct revascularization surgery for moyamoya disease: possible involvement of intrinsic vascular vulnerability
Authors: Uchino Haruto , Ito Masaki , Tokairin Kikutaro , Tatezawa Ryota , Sugiyama Taku , Kazumata Ken , Fujimura Miki
Published: January 2023

A cortical hyperintensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images (FLAIR cortical hyperintensity, FCH) is an abnormal finding after direct revascularization surgery for moyamoya disease. This study aimed to investigate the pathophysiology of FCH through genetic analyses of RNF213 p.R4810K polymorphism and perioperative hemodynamic studies using single photon emission computed tomography. We studied 96 hemispheres in 65 adults and 47 hemispheres in 27 children, who underwent combined direct and indirect revascularization. Early or late FCH was defined when it was observed on postoperative days 0–2 or 6–9, respectively. FCH scores (range: 0–6) were evaluated according to the extent of FCH in the operated hemisphere. FCHs were significantly more prevalent in adult patients than pediatric patients (early: 94% vs. 78%; late: 97% vs. 59%). In pediatric patients, FCH scores were significantly improved from the early to late phase regardless of the RNF213 genotype (mutant median: 2 vs. 1; wild-type median: 4 vs. 0.5). In adults, FCH scores were significantly improved in patients with the wild-type RNF213 allele (median: 4 vs. 2); however, they showed no significant improvement in patients with the RNF213 mutation. FCH scores were significantly higher in patients with symptomatic cerebral hyperperfusion than those without it (early median: 4 vs. 3; late median: 5 vs. 4). In conclusion, the RNF213 p.R4810K polymorphism was associated with prolonged FCH, and extensive FCH was associated with symptomatic cerebral hyperperfusion in patients with moyamoya disease.
Cell reprogramming via direct somatic embryogenesis in an Atlantic Forest species vulnerable to extinction: polarity of Euterpe edulis stem segments induced with pyridinecarboxylic acid
Authors: de Mello Tamyris , Correia Ludmila Nayara Freitas , Hegedus Clovis Eduardo Nunes , Schmildt Edilson Romais , Ferreira Adésio , Lopes José Carlos , Otoni Wagner Campos , Alexandre Rodrigo Sobreira
Published: January 2023

Euterpe edulis Martius, commonly known as juçara, has high economic value because its palm heart is considered a delicacy and its fruit, which is rich in antioxidants, is considered a “super fruit.” Because this endangered species can only be propagated via the seminiferous route, we aimed to analyze somatic embryogenesis of stem explants from E. edulis seedlings in response to their polarity and the type and concentration of growth regulators. Immature seeds were collected from a selected matrix in Pedra Menina (ES/MG, Brazil) and germinated in vitro. Six-month-old seedlings were segmented into four explants based on their polarity, and placed in culture medium supplemented with 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 450 or 600 µM picloram (PIC). After induction, the explants were transferred to maturation medium supplemented with 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (0.53 µM) and 2-isopentenyladenine (12.3 µM) and two maturation times (30 and 60 days) were evaluated. After 60 days of induction, proembryos appeared asynchronously directly from the stem segments. Upon transfer to maturation medium, a large number of somatic embryos and masses were observed at both times. The polarity of the explants did not influence their embryogenic induction, and all four stem segments could be used for somatic embryogenesis following treatment with 150 µM PIC. A large number of somatic embryos were generated during later stages of maturation. It is recommended to remove the explants from the maturation medium after 30 days to avoid oxidation.
CBCT-based synthetic CT generation using a hybrid approach for adaptive radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Jihong Chen , Kerun Quan , Kaiqiang Chen , Xiuchun Zhang , Yimin Zhou , penggang Bai
Published: January 2023

Objective:
This study aims to utilize a hybrid approach of phantom correction and deep learning for synthesized CT (sCT) images generation based on cone-beam CT (CBCT) images for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
Methods:
A total of 52 CBCT/CT paired images of NPC patients were used for training (41), validation (11) datasets. Hounsfield Units (HU) of the CBCT images was corrected by a commercial CIRS phantom. Then the original CBCT and the corrected CBCT (CBCT_cor) were trained separately with the some cycle generative adversarial network (CycleGAN) to generate SCT1 and SCT2. The mean error (ME) and mean absolute error (MAE) were used to quantify the image quality. For the patients in the validation datasets, the contours and treatment plans in CT images were transferred to original CBCT, CBCT_cor, SCT1 and SCT2 for dosimetric comparison. Finally, dose distribution, dosimetric parameters and 3D gamma pass rate were analyzed.
Results:
Compared with rigidly registered CT (RCT), the MAE of CBCT, CBCT_cor, SCT1 and SCT2 were 346.11 ± 13.58HU, 145.95 ± 17.64HU, 105.62 ± 16.08HU and 83.51 ± 7.71HU, respectively. Moreover, the average dosimetric parameter differences for the CBCT_cor, SCT1 and SCT2 were 2.7% ± 1.4%, 1.2% ± 1.0% and 0.6% ± 0.6%, respectively. Using the dose distribution of RCT images as reference, the 3D gamma pass rate of the hybrid method was significantly better than the other methods.
Conclusion:
A novel hybrid approach based on HU-ED correction and CycleGAN was developed to generate sCT images for CBCT images of NPC patients. The image quality and dose accuracy of the hybrid approach were outperform the simple CycleGAN method. This finding has great significance for the clinical application of adaptive radiotherapy for NPC.
Mapping Metabolic Signatures with Machine Learning and Deep Learning
Authors: Fadiel Ahmed , Eichenbaum Kenneth D. , Hassouneh Aya , Koster Adam
Published: January 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Approximation schemes for McKean-Vlasov and Boltzmann type equations (error analysis in total variation distance)
Authors: Qin Yifeng
Published: January 2023

We deal with Mckean-Vlasov and Boltzmann type jump equations. This means that the coefficients of the stochastic equation depend on the law of the solution, and the equation is driven by a Poisson point measure with intensity measure which depends on the law of the solution as well. In [3], Alfonsi and Bally have proved that under some suitable conditions, the solution $X_t$ of such equation exists and is unique. One also proves that $X_t$ is the probabilistic interpretation of an analytical weak equation. Moreover, the Euler scheme $X_t^{\mathcal{P}}$ of this equation converges to $X_t$ in Wasserstein distance. In this paper, under more restricted assumptions, we show that the Euler scheme $X_t^{\mathcal{P}}$ converges to $X_t$ in total variation distance and $X_t$ has a smooth density (which is a function solution of the analytical weak equation). On the other hand, in view of simulation, we use a truncated Euler scheme $X^{\mathcal{P},M}_t$ which has a finite numbers of jumps in any compact interval. We prove that $X^{\mathcal{P},M}_{t}$ also converges to $X_t$ in total variation distance. Finally, we give an algorithm based on a particle system associated to $X^{\mathcal{P},M}_t$ in order to approximate the density of the law of $X_t$. Complete estimates of the error are obtained.
Origin and evolution of RAS oncoprotein membrane targeting
Authors: Philips Mark , García-España Antonio
Published: January 2023

KRAS, HRAS and NRAS oncogenes belong to a family of 40 highly homologous genes, which in turn are a subset of a superfamily of >160 genes encoding small GTPases. RAS oncoproteins consist of a globular G-domain (aa1-166) and a 22-23aa unstructured hypervariable region (HVR) that mediates membrane targeting. The evolutionarily origins of the RAS isoforms, their HVRs and alternative splicing of the KRAS locus has not been explored. We found that KRAS is basal to the oncogene family and its duplication generated HRAS in the common ancestor of vertebrates. In a second round of duplication HRAS generated NRAS and KRAS generated an additional RAS gene we have designated KRASBL, absent in mammals and birds. KRAS4A arose through a duplication and insertion of the 4th exon of NRAS into the 3rd intron of KRAS. We found evolutionarily conservation of a short polybasic region (PBR1) in HRAS, NRAS and KRAS4A, a second polybasic region (PBR2) in KRAS4A, two neutralized basic residues (NB) and a serine in KRAS4B and KRASBL, and a modification of the CaaX motif in vertebrates with farnesyl rather than geranylgeranyl polyisoprene lipids, suggesting that a less hydrophobic membrane anchor is critical to RAS oncoprotein function. The persistence of four RAS isoforms through >400 MY of evolution argues strongly for differential function.
Accurate Detection of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation with Certified-GAN and Neural Architecture Search
Authors: Asadi Mehdi , Poursalim Fatemeh , Loni Mohammad , Daneshtalab Masoud , Sjödin Mikael , Gharehbaghi Arash
Published: January 2023

This paper presents a novel machine learning framework for detecting Paroxysmal Atrial Fib-rillation (PxAF), a pathological characteristic of Electrocardiogram (ECG) that can lead to fatalconditions such as heart attack. To enhance the learning process, the framework involves a Gen-erative Adversarial Network (GAN) along with a Neural Architecture Search (NAS) in the datapreparation and classifier optimization phases. The GAN is innovatively invoked to overcome theclass imbalance of the training data by producing the synthetic ECG for PxAF class in a certifiedmanner. The effect of the certified GAN is statistically validated. Instead of using a general-purposeclassifier, the NAS automatically designs a highly accurate convolutional neural network architecture customized for the PxAF classification task. Experimental results show that the accuracy of theproposed framework exhibits a high value of 99% which not only enhances state-of-the-art by up to5.1%, but also improves the classification performance of the two widely-accepted baseline methods,ResNet-18, and Auto-Sklearn, by 2.2% and 6.1%
Yield loss in coconut variety East Coast Tall (ECT) owing to rugose spiraling whitefly (RSW), Aleurodicus rugioperculetus M. infestation
Authors: Raghuteja Puvvala Viswanadha , Rao Nagulapati Butchi Venkata Chalapathi , Padma Ede , Kireeti Alwala , Umakrishna Kavuru , Rao Ganta Koteswara
Published: January 2023

Appraisal of nut yield reduction in East Coast Tall (ECT) variety of coconut palms with exotic and invasive rugose spiraling whitefly (RSW) infestation @ low (<10 spirals per leaflet), medium (10 – 20 spirals per leaflet) and high (> 20 spirals per leaflet) incidence was studied out at two experimental locations viz., Horticultural Research Station (HRS), Ambajipeta and Kalavalapalli. The per cent (%) yield loss was estimated to be 6.61 and 22.45 per cent in ECT palms with low and medium RSW incidence, while comparatively greater yield loss of 27.59 per cent was recorded in palms with high incidence at HRS, Ambajipeta. Likewise, at Kalavalapalli village, the per cent (%) yield loss in ECT palms with low, medium and high RSW incidence was recorded to be 6.49, 25.65 and 30.38 per cent respectively. Further, declining trend of button setting was noticed for last 2 years (2019 to 2021) at HRS, Ambajipeta with 45.04 per cent during 2018 (highest before RSW infestation), while the least setting was recorded in the year 2021 with 28.39 per cent. The button setting during the years 2019 and 2020 was 33.41 and 31.19 per cent.
Conformational preferences of inosine and its methyl derivatives: Comparison of the AMBER derived force field parameters and reparameterization of the glycosidic torsion parameters
Authors: Dutta Nivedita , Deb Indrajit , Sarzynska Joanna , Lahiri Ansuman
Published: January 2023

Inosine is one of the most abundant post-transcriptionally modified ribonucleosides which is known to play a major role in several important biological processes and is of great therapeutic importance. The growing importance of this modified ribonucleoside in therapeutics suggests the requirement of further theoretical studies involving inosine and its derivatives and ensuring the accuracy of their force field parameters is crucial for such theoretical studies to be reliable. The present study reports the validation of the AMBER derived force field parameter sets for inosine as well as examination of the transferability of the available revised sets of glycosidic and gamma torsion parameters corresponding to the respective canonical nucleosides based on detailed comparison of different conformational features from replica exchange molecular dynamics. We also report newly developed sets of partial atomic charges and glycosidic torsion parameters (𝛘KOL0) for inosine and its methyl derivatives. These parameters, in combination with the AMBER FF99 parameters (Cheatham, T. E., III; Cieplak, P.; Kollman, P. A. J. Biomol. Struct. Dyn. 1999, 16, 845 − 862; Aduri, R.; Psciuk, B. T.; Saro, P.; Taniga, H.; Schlegel, H. B.; SantaLucia, J. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2007, 3, 1464 − 1475), and the recommended bsc0 correction for the gamma torsion (Pérez, A.; Marchán, I.; Svozil, D.; Sponer, J.; Cheatham, T. E.; Laughton, C. A.; Orozco, M. Biophys. J. 2007, 3817 − 3829.), reproduced the conformational properties of inosine and its 1-methyl derivative in agreement with experimental (NMR) data. In this study, we have also predicted the conformational preferences for the other two methyl derivatives of inosine, i.e., 2’-O-methylinosine and 1,2’-O-dimethylinosine using the revised sets of glycosidic torsion parameters.
TMTC1 promotes invasiveness of ovarian cancer cells through integrins β1 and β4
Authors: Huang Min-Chuan , Yeh Ting-Chih , Lin Neng-Yu , Chiu Chin-Yu , Hsu Tzu-Wen , Wu Hsin-Yi , Lin Hsuan-Yu , Chen Chi-Hau
Published: January 2023

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy and is characterized by peritoneal disseminated metastasis. Although O-mannosyltransferase TMTC1 is highly expressed by ovarian cancer, its pathophysiologic role in ovarian cancer remains unclear. Here, immunohistochemistry showed that TMTC1 was overexpressed in ovarian cancer tissues compared with the adjacent normal ovarian tissues and high TMTC1 expression was associated with poor prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer. Silencing TMTC1 reduced ovarian cancer cell viability, migration, and invasion in vitro as well as suppressed peritoneal tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Moreover, TMTC1 knockdown reduced cell-laminin adhesion, which was associated with the decreased phosphorylation of FAK at pY397. Conversely, TMTC1 overexpression promoted these malignant properties in ovarian cancer cells. Glycoproteomic analysis and Concanavalin A (ConA) pull-down assays showed that integrins β1 and β4 were novel O-mannosylated protein substrates of TMTC1. Furthermore, TMTC1-mediated cell migration and invasion were significantly reversed by siRNA-mediated knockdown of integrin β1 or β4. Collectively, these results suggest that TMTC1-mediated invasive behaviors are primarily through integrins β1 and β4 and that TMTC1 is a potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.
Establishment of a diagnostic reference level for dental intraoral bitewing X-rays in Western Australia
Authors: Storm Cameron , Nezich Rikki
Published: January 2023

Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for dental intraoral X-rays have been established in Western Australia. DRL values of 2.0 mGy incident air kerma (IAK) and 57 mGy cm2 air kerma-area product (KAP) for an adult posterior bitewing X-ray were determined based on 811 X-ray units surveyed. This IAK DRL value is greater than those established in several other nations and regions around the world in similar studies. Analyses of radiographic technique and equipment usage are included to provide broad guidance as to ways that imaging could be optimised, such as in the selection of exposure factors, collimators, image receptors, and X-ray unit models.
Effects of egg yolk choline intake on cognitive functions and plasma choline levels in healthy middle-aged and older Japanese: A Randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled parallel-group study
Authors: Yamashita Soyogu , Kawada Naoki , Wang Wei , Susaki Kenta , Takeda Yumi , Kimura Mamoru , Iwama Yoshitaka , Miura Yutaka , Sugano Michihiro , Matsuoka Ryosuke
Published: January 2023

Background
Choline, as a neurotransmitter acetylcholine precursor, is reportedly associated with cognitive function. Although there are several cohort and animal studies on choline-containing foods and cognitive function, only a few interventional studies were reported. This study aimed to investigate the effect of consuming 300 mg of egg yolk choline per day on cognitive function of Japanese adults. Egg yolk is a rich source of choline containing different chemical forms such as phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine, and a-glycerophosphocholine.
Methods
A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was conducted in 60 middle-aged and elderly males and females (46.7% female) aged ≥ 60 years and ≤ 80 years without dementia. Participants were randomly assigned to the placebo and choline groups. The choline group received a supplement containing egg yolk choline (300 mg/day), and the placebo group received an egg yolk supplement free from choline for 12 weeks. Assessments of Cognitrax, Trail Making Tests A and B, the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, the Simplified Japanese Version of the WHO-Five Well-Being Index, and plasma choline levels were performed before and 6 and 12 weeks after supplement intake.
Results
The analysis excluded 19 subjects (9 in the placebo group and 10 in the choline group) who met the criteria for discontinuation and participant compliance. and the results revealed significantly higher verbal memory scores and verbal memory test-correct hit (delay) in the choline group compared with the placebo group at 6 and 12 weeks. The plasma-free choline level was significantly higher in the choline group compared with the placebo group at 6 weeks. Conversely, the choline group showed significantly lower Cognitrax processing speed scores, symbol digit coding testing correct responses, and SF-36 physical quality of life summary scores compared to the placebo group at 6 weeks. No significant differences were found for the other parameters between two groups.
Conclusions
The results showed the possibility that continued intake of egg yolk choline improved verbal memory, which is a part of cognitive functions. To confirm observed effects of egg yolk choline more well-designed, large-scale studies are warranted.
Trial registration:
Study protocols were pre-registered in the Clinical Trials Registration System (UMIN-CTR) (UMIN 000045050).
Microencapsulate Probiotics (MP) Promote Growth Performance and Inhibit Inflammatory Response in Broilers Challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium
Authors: Wu Huixian , Ding Chenchen , Ma Xujie , Gao Zhangshan , Liu Shuhui , Liu Bin , Song Suquan
Published: January 2023

Antibiotic-resistant becteria are prevalent in husbandry around the world due to the abuse of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs), therefore it is necessary to find alternatives to AGPs in animal feed. Among all the candidates, probiotics are promising alternatives to AGPs against Salmonella infection. The anti-Salmonella effects of three probiotic strains, namely Lactobacillus crispatus 7 − 4, Lactobacillus johnsonii 3 − 1 and Pediococcusacidilactici 20 − 1, have been demonstrated in our previous study. In this study, we further obtained the alginate beads that containing compound probiotics, namely microencapsulate probiotics (MP), and evaluated its regulatory effect on the health of broilers. The results showed that compared to free probiotics, encapsulation increased tolerance of compound probiotics in the simulated gastrointestinal condition. We observed that the application of probiotics, especially MP, conferred protective effects against S.Tm infection in broilers. Compared to the S.Tm group, the MP could promote the growth performance (p < 0.05) and reduce the S.Tm load in intestine and liver (p < 0.05). In detail, MP pretreatment could modulate the cecal microflora, up-regulate the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Enterobactericeae. Besides, MP could reduce the inflammation injury of the intestine and liver, reduce the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β) expression, and induce of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) expression. Futhermore, MP could inhibit NLRP3 pathway in ileum, thereby attenuating S.Tm-induced inflammation. In conclusion, MP could be a new feeding supplementation strategy to substitute AGPs in poultry feeding.
Sequential application of inoculation methods for the mycorrhization of Quercus ilex seedlings with Tuber melanosporum
Authors: Gómez-Molina Eva , Sánchez Sergio , Puig-Pey Meritxell , Garcia-Barreda Sergi
Published: January 2023

The use of mycorrhized seedlings has been critical in the success of modern truffle cultivation, which nowadays supplies most black truffles to markets. Ascospore inoculation has been traditionally used to produce these seedlings, but little scientific information is publicly available on the inoculation methods applied or on the possibility of combining them. We evaluated the potential of sequential inoculation for the controlled colonization of holm oak fine roots with black truffle, with two nursery assays and a full factorial design. Three inoculation methods were sequentially applied: radicle inoculation, inoculation of the substrate in seedling trays and inoculation of the substrate in the final pot. The sequential application appeared as an effective and realistic alternative for commercial inoculation of holm oak seedlings with black truffle. The increase in the amount of inoculum applied with each inoculation method improved the mycorrhizal colonization of seedlings, although separately none of the inoculation methods appeared clearly superior to the other ones. The depth distribution of mycorrhizae levels pointed to the inoculation in the final pot substrate as being more effective than other methods in lower parts of the root system, whereas the early inoculation appeared more effective to reduce the occurrence of the opportunist ectomycorrhizal fungus Sphaerosporella brunnea. However, the difference of results between both assays suggests that cultivation conditions and/or the timing of the nursery operations may influence the relative effectiveness of these inoculation methods.
Novel Cross Wedge Rolling Method for Producing Railcar Axles
Authors: Pater Zbigniew , Tomczak Janusz , Bulzak Tomasz
Published: January 2023

Railcar axles are large-size parts produced in large batches. Nowadays they are manufactured from semi-finished products obtained by press or rotary forging. Studies are conducted on developing more effective methods for producing these parts, with a focus on methods based on rolling processes. A promising line of research in this respect is connected with the use of cross wedge rolling (CWR), a manufacturing method for producing automotive shafts and axles. Nonetheless, there exist no rolling mills that would make it possible to manufacture such large-size parts as railcar axles. A solution to this problem was inspired by the symmetric shape of a railcar axle, which makes it possible to roll this part in two passes using the same tools. The present paper describes this method of manufacturing railcar axles, which was developed at the Lublin University of Technology. Taking advantage of the potential offered by numerical modelling, simulations were made of two rolling processes for producing a railcar axle type BA302, i.e. one process was conducted with the use of two rolls and the other with two flat tools moving in the opposite directions. It was assumed that the rolling processes would be performed on the largest available rolling mills used for CWR. Numerical results demonstrated that railcar axles produced by the proposed rolling process had neither external nor internal (cracks) defects. The effectiveness of the developed CWR method was ultimately confirmed by the high quality of railcar axles that were produced (in a scale of 1:5) under industrial conditions at the Lublin University of Technology.
MicroRNA-193b, a critical factor in cell aging, in human lymphatic endothelial cells
Authors: Jung Sun-Ah , Shin Jongdae , Kim Ungsoo Samuel , Lee Joon H.
Published: January 2023

Purpose
Recent studies indicate that microRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in cellular development, homeostasis, and response. However, the function of miRNA in the senescence of human lymphatic endothelial cells (HLECs) remains unclear. We aimed to find miRNAs related to HLECs’ aging and elucidate miRNAs’ molecular mechanism.
Methods
HLECs were cultured, and total RNA was harvested from the cells. Then, MiRNA screening was performed, with targeted miRNAs selected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). To evaluate the effect of miR-193b, HLECs were treated with a mimic and inhibitor, and tube formation was investigated. We used a luciferase assay to analyze the expression of CCND1, a well-known gene involved in cell passage, in response to miR-193b.
Results
Seven miRNAs were primarily screened. Among them, miR-193b-3p showed a high affinity for HLECs. Transfection of the mir-193b-3p mimic decreased cell proliferation and affected tube formation. CCND1 mRNA and protein levels also were decreased by the cell-transfected mir-193b-3p mimic.
Conclusion
This study provides the first evidence that miR-193b-3p represses cell proliferation and regulates CCND1, which may play an important role in lymphangiogenesis.
Flat-slab conveyor effect induces precursory crustal contraction in the Central Andes
Authors: Pons Michaël , Piceda Constanza Rodriguez , Sobolev Stephan , Scheck-Wenderoth Magdalena , Strecker Manfred
Published: January 2023

The southern Central Andes (29°S-39°S) is a key area to better understand the mechanisms of non-collisional mountain building associated with changes in oceanic plate dip geometry and the interaction between the oceanic and continental plates. The orogen experienced an increase of shortening during the last 35 Ma which is coeval with the southward migration of a flat subduction segment and the passage of a bathymetric anomaly known as the Juan Fernandez Ridge. Based on data-driven geodynamic numerical modelling, we use the present-day plate configuration to assess the role of the flat-slab on the deformation of the overriding plate. The resulting deformation field suggests that the shallowing of the oceanic slab controlled the onset of the compression at ~10 Ma before the arrival of the ridge leading to the formation of a ~370-km-wide transpressive shear zone at the transition between the flat (27°S - 32°S) and the steep slab segments (south of 33°S). The contraction of the crust is accommodated by the dextral rotation of micro-crustal Sierras Pampeanas basement blocks and strike-slip deformation at their borders (i.e., thick-skin foreland deformation). We propose a novel concept for oceanic and continental plate interaction, where the southward migration of the flat slab functions as a conveyor belt for upper-plate crustal deformation, with an increase in the intensity of deformation foreshadowing the flat-slab arrival.
Observational characterization of the ejecta from the DART-Dimorphos impact
Authors: Ofek Eran , Kushnir Doron , Polishook David , Waxman Eli , Tohuvavohu Aaron , Ben-Ami Sagi , Katz Boaz , Gnat Orly , Strotjohann Nora , Segre Enrico , Blumenzweig Arie , Sofer-Rimalt Yahel , Yaron Ofer , Gal-Yam Avishay , Shvartzvald Yossi , Engel Michael , Cenko S. , Hershko Ofir
Published: January 2023

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test1,2 (DART) was intended to test planetary defense strategies via the reaction of the near-Earth asteroid Dimorphos, a satellite of Didymous, to a spacecraft impact. Pre-impact modeling3–7 predicted a momentum gain of the impacted asteroid in the range of 1−5 times that of the impactor. These models further suggest that the velocity distribution of the ejecta depends, for example, on the material cohesion and porosity. Therefore, detailed observations of the velocity and particle-size distribution in the ejecta can be used to calibrate the models and assess the target properties. Here we report on ultraviolet (UV), visible, and near-infrared (NIR) observations of the Dimorphos-DART impact. We show that the ejecta were composed of two main components. A slow component with high scattering efficiency expanding at a few ms−1 with a mass ≳ 2×104 kg, and a fast component moving at 1,600ms−1. Measuring the time scale on which these ejecta become optically thin, the surface brightness evolution, and multi-band Mie scattering, we detect not only the visible scattering ejecta, but also the “unseen" absorbing ejecta. The fast component is composed of ∼ 0.01 to ≈ 0.2μm sized particles, with a total mass of ∼ 103 kg. Most of the momentum gain of Dimorphos, after the impact, was due to the fast ejecta, and so the momentum gain of impacts can be estimated using such observations.
A Flexible Production Cost Model for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines for Electric Vehicles
Authors: Hemsen Jonas , Nowak Nikita , Eckstein Lutz
Published: January 2023

A cost model for the estimation of production costs of permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSM) is presented, which allows to alter design choices such as wire technology, winding layout, cooling system, materials and more. With the goal to make results reproducible by others, the methods are explained in detail and used data and assumptions are given. The developed model helps to understand the interaction between the design of PMSMs, manufacturing methods and the resulting costs. With it, different PMSM technologies and materials can be evaluated regarding its influence on the production costs, which is a perquisite to find the best compromise between performance and costs. Production volume is shown to be the most decisive factor for the resulting production costs. Between minimum and maximum assumed volumes, an average cost per unit reduction of 67% could be observed. Furthermore, it is shown that the winding production is responsible for the greatest part of the overall costs, followed by the rotor assembly (including rare earth magnets). When using the model to compare different wire types, it can be stated that up to a production volume of roughly 150,000 units/year, hairpin wires are more expensive to produce. Above this volume, hairpin windings will get cheaper than round wire windings due to its higher grade of automation of the production process. Through the conducted investigations and the presented results, it is demonstrated that the cost model can serve to evaluate technologies with regards to costs in the early development stage. This way a more holistic assessment of technologies for PMSM is possible, helping to find the ideal compromises between costs and performance and to increase the attractiveness of sustainable mobility.
The 5-point Beloch Circle
Authors: Heath Daniel
Published: January 2023

The sixth axiom of origami says that we can fold two points P1, P2 onto two lines l1, l2 respectively. In general, there are three such fold lines f1, f2, f3, as the equation induced is cubic. Let Q1 = f2 ∩ f3, Q2 =f1∩f3, Q3 = f1∩f2, and C be the circle containing points Q1,Q2,Q3. We show that P1, P2 ∈ C, with two related conjectures for dessert.
Emotion Recognition in Teachers' Teaching Behavior Based on Multimodal Data Analysis
Authors: Lu Yuanyuan , Chen Zengzhao , Zheng Qiuyu , Wang Mengke
Published: January 2023

The teaching effect and learning state of teachers are significantly influenced by many emotions that are manifested in teaching behaviour. The affective recognition model can be applied to the analysis of useful teaching feedback data found in teaching behaviour data to assist teachers in raising the level of instruction they provide. The accuracy of emotion classification is impacted by the typical emotion recognition model's inability to completely distinguish the intricate emotional aspects and hints in instructional conduct. In order to improve the performance of emotion classification, this paper proposes a multi-modal emotion recognition model of teaching behaviour based on dynamic convolution and residual gating. This model enhances the performance of emotion classification by further mining advanced local features and creating efficient interactive fusion strategies. First, text, audio, and images' low-level features, high-level local characteristics, and context dependencies are each extracted. Second, cross-modal dynamic convolution (CMDC) is employed to represent the interaction between modes and within modes, simulate the interaction between lengthy time series, capture the interaction properties of various modes, and prevent the obliteration of crucial information. The experimental results demonstrate that this model performs better than other comparable models in terms of accuracy of emotion categorization and F1 value on the self-built data set, reaching 83.5% and 83.1%, respectively. It has been demonstrated that the emotion classification model can help teachers become more effective over time by giving them a framework on which to analyse teaching behaviour with objectivity.
Spatiotemporal gait parameter fluctuations in older adults affected by mild cognitive impairment: comparisons among three cognitive dual-task tests
Authors: Du Shan , Ma Xiaojuan , Wang Jiachen , Mi Yan , Zhang Jie , Du Chengxue , Li Xiaobo , Tan Huihui , Liang Chen , Yang Tian , Shi Wenzhen , Zhang Gejuan , Tian Ye
Published: January 2023

Backgrounds: Gait disorder is associated with cognitive functional impairment, and this disturbance is more pronouncedly when performing additional cognitive tasks. Our study aimed to characterize gait disorders in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) under three dual tasks and determine the association between gait performance and cognitive function.
Methods: A total of 260 participants were enrolled in this cross-sectional study and divided into MCI and cognitively normal control. Spatiotemporal and kinematic gait parameters (31 items) in single task and three dual tasks (serial 100-7, naming animals and words recall) were measured using a wearable sensor. Baseline characteristics of the two groups were balanced using propensity score matching. Important gait features were filtered using random forest method and LASSO regression and further described using logistic analysis.
Results: After matching, 106 participants with MCI and 106 normal controls were recruited. Top 5 gait features in random forest and 4~6 important features in LASSO regression were selected. Robust variables associating with cognitive function were temporal gait parameters. Participants with MCI exhibited decreased swing time and terminal swing, increased mid stance and variability of stride length compared with normal control. Subjects walked slower when performing an extra dual cognitive task. In the three dual tasks, words recall test exhibited more pronounced impact on gait regularity, velocity and dual task cost than the other two cognitive tests.
Conclusion:Gait assessment under dual task conditions, particularly in words recall test, using wearable sensors could be useful as a complementary strategy for early detection of MCI.