bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Reaction Time, Temperature And Heavy Metal On Characteristics of Cellulose- And Wood-Derived Hydrochars From Hydrothermal Carbonization
Authors: Zhao Xin , Li Zhaonan , Chen Yao , Ma Zhanwen , Huang Jin , Müller Michael
Published: September 2021

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising technique to convert biomass into valuable solid fuels. In this work, cellulose and wood-derived hydrochars were synthesized under hydrothermal carbonization conditions with different temperatures (200-250 ℃), reaction times (6 h or 12 h) and to determine their influence on hydrochars. Heavy metal element zinc is chosen to introduce into samples to simulate the heavy metal accumulate in biomass. The physical, chemical, and combustion properties of the hydrochars revealed that the majority of cellulose and wood conversion occurs at first 6 h, and faster conversion occurs at higher temperatures. The content of fixed carbon in the cellulose-derived hydrochar is higher than in wood-derived hydrochar. Moreover, cellulose is easier to be carbonized during HTC reaction than wood. O/C and H/C ratios of all hydrochars were similar to those of lignite and decreased with increasing reaction temperature. The composition of solids recovered after 12 h is similar at all temperatures, consisting primarily of sp2 carbons (furanic and aromatic groups) and alkyl groups. When a large amount of metal is introduced, part of the metal is combined with the energetic group, while the rest condense on the surface of the sample as zinc ions.
Systematic Transcriptome Analysis of Synovial Sarcoma Reveals Novel Transcriptional And Post-Transcriptional Abnormalities
Authors: Sun Zhengwang , Xu Qiyue , Huang Quan , Yin Mengchen , Zhang Hongqiang , Chen Geng , Chen Yong , Yan Wangjun
Published: September 2021

Background: Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a rare and aggressive cancer that can come from distinct soft tissue types including muscle and ligaments. The SS transcriptome is crucial for understanding the SS biology; however, the transcriptomic landscape of SS is still poorly understood. Methods: We performed deep total RNA sequencing on ten paired SS and tumor-adjacent tissues to systematically dissect the transcriptomic profile of SS in terms of gene expression, alternative splicing, gene fusion, and circular RNAs.Results: A total of 2,309 upregulated and downregulated genes were identified between SS and tumor-adjacent tissues. Those upregulated genes could lead to the upregulation of the cell cycle, ribosome, and DNA replication pathways, while the downregulated genes may result in the downregulation of a set of metabolic biological processes and signaling pathways. Moreover, 2,511 genes (including 21 splicing factors) were differentially alternative spliced, indicating that the deregulation of alternative splicing could be one important factor that contributes to the tumorigenesis. Additionally, we identified the known gene fusions of SS18-SSX1/SSX2 as well as 11 potentially novel gene fusions. Interestingly, 49 circular RNAs were differentially expressed and their parental genes could function in muscle contraction and muscle system processes. Conclusions: Collectively, our comprehensive dissection of the transcriptomic profile of SS from both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels provides novel insights into the biology and underlying molecular mechanism of SS.
PPT1 Deficiency-Induced GABAAR Hyperpalmitoylation Impairs Synaptic Transmission And Memory Formation
Authors: Tong Jia , Feng Bingyan , Gao Jingjing , Zhao Xing , Li Junmei , Qi Yawei , Yuan Tiangang , Zhang Qiuyu , Lu Chengbiao , Peng Shiyong
Published: September 2021

Background: Palmitoylation is a reversible and dynamic process involving addition of palmitic acid to cysteine residues of proteins. Studies have indicated that a variety of neuronal receptors, including glutamate receptors such as AMPAR, NMDAR, and GABAAR, are palmitoylated, which contributes to the dynamic modulation of synaptic strength in response to neuronal activity. However, little is known about the depalmitoylation of these receptors. Methods: A mouse model with a lost function mutation knock-in of palmitoyl protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1), an important enzyme for depalmitoylation, was employed to mimic human disease of infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCLs). Immunofluorescent staining, Western blotting, biochemical assays, electrophysiological recording and behavioural tests were used to measure the effects of PPT1 deficiency.Results: We identified for the first time that the GABAARα1 subunit rather than AMPAR is the substrate of PPT1. In PPT1-deficient mice, excessive palmitoylation and extended membrane location of GABAAR were detected. Simultaneously, spatial learning and memory deficits with dysregulation of neuronal network γ oscillation and impairment of long-term plasticity were shown in the mice at as early as 2-month-old. Application of N-tert-butylhydroxylamine hydrochloride, a thioesterase mimetic, attenuated PPT1 mutation-induced GABAAR hyper-palmitoylation and its membrane accumulation with improved neuronal transmission and memory functions in the mice. Conclusions: These data provide new insights into the mechanisms of neuronal disorder caused by depalmitoylation deficiency and offer a clue for further intervention for INCLs and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Adenomyosis: Is It A Confounder Or An Innocent Companion In Patients With Endometrial Hyperplasia?
Authors: Taşgöz Fatma Nurgül , Erturk Nergis Kender , Kılıç Gulnur Tanrıverdi , Gokce Gulay
Published: September 2021

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of adenomyosis on the discordance of pathologic findings in patients with endometrial hyperplasia (EH) before hysterectomy.Methods: Two hundred seventeen patients who were diagnosed as having EH via endometrial sampling and underwent hysterectomy within 3 months were included in this retrospective study. The patients’ preoperative and postoperative pathologic findings were compared and discordant results were defined as overdiagnosed and underdiagnosed.Results: The rate of concurrent endometrial carcinoma (EC) among all EH was 22.11%, whereas this rate was 41.4% in EH with atypia. There was no difference between EH subtypes in terms of demographic characteristics and coexisting myometrial lesions. The discordance between preoperative endometrial sampling and final hysterectomy specimen results was evaluated, and patients with underdiagnosis were older (60.5 years, p<0.001), had a higher BMI (30.84 kg/m2, p<0.001), were mostly postmenopausal (p<0.001), had lower parity numbers (median=2, p=0.002), and had a lower rate of co-existing adenomyosis (p=0.009). The rates of co-existing leiomyomas between the groups were not different. No effect of other demographic characteristics was observed in the multivariate regression analysis; however, the presence of adenomyosis was a significant independent risk factor affecting a 5.8-fold increase in overdiagnosis (-1.50; OR: 0.17 (0.05-0.50) p=0.002) and 4.5-fold increase in underdiagnosis (-1.50; p=0.005).Conclusion: Co-existing adenomyosis could lead to discordance of the pathologic findings in women with EH diagnoses before hysterectomy.
Short-Term Traffic Volume Forecast Method Based On CNN-LSTM-At
Authors: Xu Xing , Liu Chengxing , Zhao Yun , Yu Xuyang , Wu Xiang
Published: September 2021

In order to tackle existing traffic flow prediction problem, a Traffic Volume Forecast Model based on deep learning is designed. The model implements Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to extract spatial matrix information, uses long and short-term neural network (LSTM) for sequence prediction, appends attention mechanism to time step on LSTM, and assigns weights to different time steps. By implementing model verification on the Chengdu taxi dataset, dividing data into various categories, cross validating different categories of data, and comparing the model with other models, it is concluded that the CNN-LSTM-At network model proposed in this article has higher accuracy compared with traditional network model.
Endothelial Progenitor Cell Transplantation Attenuated Synaptic Loss by Enhancing CR3 Dependent Microglial Phagocytosis in Mice
Authors: Ma Yuanyuan , Jiang Lu , Wang Liping , Li Yongfang , Liu Yanqun , Wang Yongting , Yang Guo-Yuan , Ding Jing , Zhang Zhijun
Published: September 2021

Background: Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) transplantation has been shown to have therapeutic effects in cerebral ischemia. However, whether the therapeutic effect of EPCs is a result of the modulation of microglia activity remain elusive. Methods: Adult male mice (n=184) underwent 90 minute-middle cerebral artery occlusion and EPCs were transplanted into the peri-infarct region immediately after the surgery. Microglia migration and phagocytosis were evaluated in the ischemic brain in vivo and underwent oxygen-glucose-deprivation culture condition in vitro. Complement receptor 3 was examined in ischemic brain and cultured primary microglia. Complement receptor 3 agonist leukadherin-1 was intraperitoneally injected to mice immediately after ischemia to imitate the EPC effect. Expression of synapse remodeling related synaptophysin and PSD-95 proteins was detected in the EPC and leukadherin-1 treated mice, separately. Results: EPC transplantation increased the number of microglia in the peri-infarct region of the brain at 3 days after focal ischemia (p<0.05). The ability of phagocytizing apoptotic cells of microglia was higher in EPCs transplanted group at 3 days after ischemia compared to the controls (p<0.05). In vitro study showed that cultured microglia displayed a higher migration (p<0.05) and phagocytosis ability (p<0.05) under the stimulation of EPC conditioned medium or cultured EPCs compared to the controls. Complement receptor 3 expression in the ischemic mouse brain with EPC transplantation (p<0.05), and primary microglia treated by EPC conditioned medium or cultured EPCs was up-regulated (p<0.05). Leukadherin-1 reduced brain atrophy volume at 14 days (p<0.05) and ameliorated neurological deficiency during 14 days after cerebral ischemia (p<0.05). Both EPC transplantation and leukadherin-1 injection increased synaptophysin (p<0.05) and PSD-95 expressions (p<0.05) at 14 days after focal ischemia. Conclusion: We concluded that EPC transplantation promoted regulating complement receptor 3 mediated microglial phagocytosis at acute phase, and subsequently benefited for attenuating synaptic loss at the recovery phase of ischemic stroke, which provided a novel therapeutic mechanism of EPC for cerebral ischemia.
Crop Recommendation System by Artificial Neural Network
Authors: S Bangaru Kamatchi , Parvathi R.
Published: September 2021

The agriculture yield mostly depends on climate factors. Any information associated with climatic factors will help farmers in foreordained farming. Choosing a right crop at right time is most important to get proper yield. To help the farmers in decision making process a classification model is built by considering the agro climatic parameters of a crop like temperature, relative humidity, type of soil, soil pH and crop duration and a recommendation system is built based on three factors namely crop, type of crop and the districts. Predicting the districts is the novel approach in which crop pattern of 33 districts of Tamilnadu is marked and based on that classification model is built. Thorough analysis of machine learning algorithms incorporating pre-processing, data augmentation and comparison of optimizers and activation function of ANN. Log loss metric is used to validate the models. The results shows that artificial neural network is the best predictive model for classification of crops crop type and district based on agrometeorological climatic condition. The accuracy of artificial neural network model is compared with five different machine learning algorithms to analyse the performance.
Investigating the Impact of Self-Heating Effects on Some Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of Dielectric Pocket Gate-All-Around (DPGAA) MOSFETs
Authors: Purwar Vaibhav , Gupta Rajeev , Tiwari Pramod Kumar , Dubey Sarvesh
Published: September 2021

The dielectric pocket gate-all-around (DPGAA) MOSFET is being considered the best suited candidate for ULSI electronic chips because of excellent electrostatic control over the channel. However, the phenomena of self-heating and hot carrier injection (HCI) severely affect the performance of the device, and make the behaviour of the DPGAA FET very unpredictable. In the present article, a comprehensive investigation under the influence of self-heating effects has been done for the variation in the lattice and carrier temperature against spacer length, ambient temperature, device length, and thermal contact resistance including ON and Off currents with gate bias voltage (VGS). In order to analyse the SHEs, the hydrodynamic (HD) and thermodynamic (TD) transport models have been used for three-dimensional (3D) electrothermal (ET) simulation. The Lucky (hot carrier injection) model has been used to study the HCI degradation in DPGAA MOSFET using Sentaurus 3D TCAD simulator.
Expression Profile And Genome-Wide Association Analyze of Silique Length In Brassica Napus L.
Authors: wang Jia , Fan Yueling , Mao Lin , Qu Cunmin , Lu Kun , Li Jiana , Liu Liezhao
Published: September 2021

Background: Silique length (SL) is an important trait tightly related to seed yield in Brassica napus (B. napus). Many studies related to SL have been reported in B. napus, but only a few candidate genes have been found and cloned, and the regulatory mechanism of SL is not clear. Results: We identified QTL for SL by using a RIL population and two independent GWAS populations. Major QTL on A07, A09, and C08 chromosome were stably detected in all environments from all populations. As important candidate genes, several genes related to starch and sucrose metabolism, plant hormone signal transmission and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were detected in the main QTL interval. Such as, BnaA9.CP12-2, BnaA9.NST2, BnaA7.MYB63, BnaA7.ARF17, etc. At the same time, the results of RNA-seq and WGCNA showed that starch and sucrose metabolism, photosynthesis, and secondary cell wall biosynthesis played an important role in the development of siliques. Conclusions: we propose that photosynthesis, sucrose and starch metabolism, plant hormones, and lignin content play an important role in the development of rapeseed silique.
INHBA is A Novel Prognostic Biomarker And Correlated With Immune Infiltrates In Gastric Cancer
Authors: Yu Weifeng , Zhong Zishao , He Guihua , Zhang Wang , Ye Zhenhao , Huang Suiping
Published: September 2021

Background: Inhibin subunit beta A (INHBA) is reportedly a potential prognostic biomarker for a variety of cancers. However, its role in gastric cancer (GC) remains elusive. Methods: The expression of INHBA in GC and healthy tissues based on the data obtained from the UCSC Xena database. Logistic regression and Cox regression was performed to explore the correlation between clinical indicators and INHBA expression. Kaplan–Meier curve analysis was performed to assess the impact of INHBA expression on overall survival(OS). In addition, Received operating characteristic curve analysis was implied to clarify the diagnostic role of INHBA in GC. Functional analyses were conducted to explain the potential functions and enrichment pathways for INHBA. TIMER and GEPIA databases were used to calculate the confidence between INHBA and immune cell infiltration in GC. Results: INHBA was upregulated in GC(P < 0.001) and associated with a poor prognosis(P = 0.037). INHBA expression was an independent risk factor for OS(P = 0.004). Additionally, INHBA was a potential diagnostic marker in GC(AUC=0.961) and it was associated with extracellular matrix organization, response to growth factor, and cell-substrate adhesion. Tumor-associated signaling pathways, such as Wnt, Hippo, and p53, were associated with INHBA. Reactome pathways, such as collagen formation and extracellular matrix organization, were significantly enriched. Moreover, high INHBA expression displayed a strong correlation with immune cell infiltration, especially with macrophage infiltration in GC.Conclusions: INHBA could be a potential prognostic biomarker for GC and may drive the abnormal activity of critical cancer-associated pathways, potentially contributing to immune cell infiltration to promote GC development and becoming a new drug target for targeted GC therapies.
Prognostic Value of Left Atrial Volume Index in End Stage Renal Disease Patients
Authors: saleem sidra , Mansur Abeera , Naveed Haris , Zartash Syeda Huma , Mahmood Asad , Ittifaq Afshan , Sarwar Shahbaz
Published: September 2021

Introduction: Cardiovascular Disease is the leading cause of death in End Stage Renal Disease patients. Left atrial volume index is an established independent risk predictor for mortality in atherosclerotic heart disease. However, Left atrial volume index has not been extensively studied in hemodialysis population. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of Left atrial volume index on mortality in hemodialysis patients.Methods: This is a descriptive cross sectional study. From January 1, 2013, through April 30, 2018, we evaluated echocardiographic findings of 91 End stage renal disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Patient information was collected and data analysed using SPSS version 22 for windows software package. Results :The average age of the patients was 62.85±12.4 years. The average duration of dialysis was 29.54 months as shown in Table 1.The mean Left atrial volume index of our dialysis patients was 38.993 ml/m2. The mean Left atrial volume index of 42.62±10.24 ml/m2 in expired patients as compared to 36.6 ml/m2 in alive patients with a p-value of 0.004 shows that Left atrial volume index of expired patients was significantly higher as compared to alive patients (Table 2).Area under the curve using Receiver operating characteristic curve was found 66.7% which was statistically significant with p-value 0.007, which suggests that the cutoff value of Left atrial volume index for expired patients can be at least 38.5.61.5% patients that expired had a Left atrial volume index of more than 38.5 ml/m2, whereas 62.7% patients that were alive had a Left atrial volume index less than 38.5 ml/m2 , the p-value 0.02 suggested a significant association of Left atrial volume index with Mortality. Left atrial volume index gives positive association with mortality, for Left atrial volume index greater than 40, the odds ratio was 3.5.Mortality didn’t give any significant association with Ejection Fraction, Pulmonary artery systolic pressure and EE ratio. Conclusion : Increased Left atrial volume index is associated with higher mortality in End stage renal disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Increased Left atrial volume index was the best predictor of mortality among measured echocardiographic parameters in our hemodialysis population.
Multi-layer MoS2 : An Effective Barrier Enhancer and a Promising Nanofiller for Metal Protection
Authors: Wang Jing , Wang Ning , Zhao Qianyu , Ge Chengyue , Hou Baorong , Liu Guichang , Sun Wen , Hu Yiteng , Ning Yanli
Published: September 2021

Two-dimensional nanomaterials are of great interest because of their unique properties and the great application potential in various fields. In this study, the performance of few-layer MoS2 nanosheets (MDNSs) as new nanofillers to enhance the barrier properties of poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) is investigated. Gas permeability tests show that well-dispersed MDNSs can prevent at least 98% of oxygen molecules and 31% of water vapour from penetrating through the matrix of MDNS/PVB composites. Electrochemical analyses reveal that the corrosion rate of brass coated with the resulting composite coating is as low as 1.35×10− 8 mm/year, which is six orders of magnitude smaller than that of brass protected by a pristine PVB coating. These results indicate that MDNSs are highly effective barrier enhancers and suitable candidate materials for metal protection.
Risk-Factor Analysis of Disc and Facet Joint Degeneration After Inter-Segmental Pedicle Screw Fixation for Lumbar Spondylolysis
Authors: Meng Hao , Gao Yuan , Lu Peng , Zhao Guang-Min , Zhang Zhi-Cheng , Sun Tian-Sheng , Li Fang
Published: September 2021

Background: To assess the effects of inter-segment pedicle screw fixation for the treatment of lumbar spondylolysis, and evaluate various risk factors potentially predicting the probability of disc and facet joint degeneration after instrumentation.Methods: The study included 54 male L5 spondylolysis patients who underwent pars repair and inter-segment fixation using pedicle screws. Bony union was evaluated using reconstruction images of computed tomography. Radiographic changes including the disc height, vertebral slip, facet joint and disc degeneration in the grade of adjacent and fixed segments were determined from before to final follow-up. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the incidence of disc and facet joint degeneration.Results: Bony union was achieved in all cases. Logistic regression analysis revealed that duration of instrumentation of more than 15.5 months and 21.0 months were significant risk factor of the incidence of L4/5 and L5S1 facet degeneration, respectively. Conclusions: Inter-segmental pedicle screw fixation provides good surgical outcomes and good isthmic bony union rates in patients with lumbar spondylolysis. The duration of fixation was confirmed as a risk factor of facet joint degeneration. Once bony union is achieved, remove of the instruments should be recommended.
Exploring Inequity in Childhood Neurodisability in a Disadvantaged Metropolitan Region in Australia
Authors: GARG PANKAJ , Dronavalli Mithilesh , Ostojic Katarina , Jalaluddin Bin , Vivekanandarajah Sinthu , Goodwin Glenys , Raman Shanti
Published: September 2021

BackgroundSouth Western Sydney (SWS) region, in the state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia is a culturally and linguistically diverse area of marked social disadvantage. Using the best available data sources, we aimed to explore the prevalence of children with developmental disability and their access to disability and special education support services, to identify equity gaps. MethodsData on the potential number of children in SWS with neurodisability was identified from the district wide Child Developmental Assessment Service (CDAS) database of public-funded Community Paediatrics services, the NSW/Australian capital territory (ACT) Cerebral Palsy (CP) register, the State-wide Infant Screening-Hearing (SWISH) Program, the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children and the Department of Education. The proportion of children with access to disability services for children up-to 18 years of age was explored from the datasets of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Relative risks were calculated to compare any differences in proportion of supports in SWS compared to NSW. ResultsIn 2018, 503 children (median age 4.3 years) were assessed by CDAS; 65% had autism spectrum disorder (ASD) either alone or in association with global developmental delays and 24% had global developmental delay. The prevalence of CP in SWS was 1.86/1000; with a higher proportion of severe functional and intellectual impairment in SWS compared to the state. The prevalence of sensori-neural hearing loss in SWS was 2.2/1000, and more children in SWS had severe visual impairment compared to the state (P=0.003). Students in support classes with special needs were overrepresented in SWS compared to the state (P<0.0001). There were slightly more children with intellectual disability in SWS supported by the NDIS, but proportions for other conditions were comparable to NSW. Conclusions While available data sources are incomplete, we identified greater proportions of children with neurodisability, experiencing more functional impairment in SWS, compared to NSW; with ASD being the most common neurodisability presenting to developmental clinics. We also identified potential equity gaps in disability service provision. A state-wide child disability register would aid planning and research, with concerted advocacy needed to improve equity in disability support provision in this region.
Research progress on meibomian gland dysfunction from 2011 to 2020: a bibliometric and visualized analysis
Authors: Liu Qian , Zhao Fangkun , Kong Jun
Published: September 2021

Background
To explore the research areas, hotspots, and progress of meibomian gland dysfunction through bibliometrics.
Methods
Related publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection from 2011 to 2020. VOSviewer1.6.16, Citespace.5.7.R2, and GraphPad Prism 8 were used to visualize the distribution of countries, research institutions, journals, authors, keywords, and annual publication numbers in this field.
Results
A total number of 716 relevant publications were retrieved. The United States and Keio University ranked the first among the countries and organizations with the most publications. Cornea, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, and Ocular Surface were the top three journals with the highest publication counts and citations. The authors who contributed to this topic mainly formed three clusters which manifested the research areas, and the extracted keywords mainly formed four clusters which manifested the hotspots were explored.
Conclusions
The research areas and hotspots of meibomian gland dysfunction were as follow: (1) Pathogenesis or potential etiology of meibomian gland dysfunction; (2) Diagnosis of meibomian gland dysfunction; (3) Therapy of meibomian gland dysfunction and the International Workshop`s dedication to it; (4) Epidemiology of meibomian gland dysfunction.
Exploration of the regulatory mechanism for hepatocellular carcinoma based on ceRNA networks analysis and immune infiltration
Authors: Huang Ning , Chen Qiang , Wang Xiaoyi
Published: September 2021

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as malignant cancer has been deeply investigated for its widespread distribution and extremely high mortality rate worldwide. Despite efforts to understand the regulatory mechanism in HCC, it remains largely unknown.
Methods

The RNA (mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs) profiles were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Based on the Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), the hub differentially expressed RNAs (DERNAs) were screened out. The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and Protein and Protein Interaction (PPI) network were constructed based on the hub DERNAs. The Cox and LASSO regression analysis were used to find the independent prognostic ceRNAs. We performed the “CIBERSORT” algorithm estimate the abundance of immune cells. The correlation analysis was applied to determine the relationship between HCC-related immune cells and prognostic ceRNAs. GEPIA and TIMER database were used to explore the association of critical genes with survival and immune cell infiltration, respectively.
Results

A total of 524 hub RNAs (507 DEmRNAs, 13 DElncRNAs and 4 DEmiRNAs) were identified in the turquoise module (cor = 0.78, P = 4.7e − 198) using WGCNA algorithm. PPI network analysis showed that NDC80, BUB1B and CCNB2 as the critical genes in HCC. Subsequently, survival analysis revealed that the low expression of NDC80 and BUB1B resulted in a longer overall survival (OS) time for HCC patients in GEPIA database. These critical genes and several immune cells were all significantly positive correlated in TIMER database. The ceRNA network were establish, and were incorporated to risk model. Subsequently, ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the 1-, 3-, and 5-year were 0.762, 0.705, and 0.688, respectively. Out of the 22 cell types, T cells CD4 memory resting were identified as the HCC-related immune cells by systematic analysis. The correlation analysis shown that T cells CD4 memory resting is negatively associated with both AL021453.1 (R = − 0.44, P = 0.00049) and CCDC137 (R = − 0.47, P = 2e-04).
Conclusion

The current study provide potential prognostic signatures and therapeutic targets for HCC.
Strategies for ear elevation and the treatment of relevant complications in autologous cartilage microtia reconstruction
Authors: Xu Zhicheng , Li Yiyuan , Li Datao , Zhang Ruhong , Zhang Qun , Xu Feng , Chen Xia
Published: September 2021

Despite various surgical techniques for ear elevation in autogenous cartilage microtia reconstruction, it is still challenging for plastic surgeons to obtain a satisfactory depth of the cephaloauricular sulcus and stable projection of the reconstructed ear. Here, the authors demonstrate individualized options for surgical approaches and relevant details for complication management. Between January 2014 and June 2020, a series of 895 patients who underwent the second stage of microtia reconstruction were reviewed. Complications occurred in 103 patients aged between 8 and 34 years. Recommended surgical selections, as well as appropriate strategies for complication prophylaxis and treatment, were shown to minimize the negative influence on the contour of the cephaloauricular sulcus according to individual conditions. We found that 78% of the patients were satisfied with the auricle contour with harmonious integrity. Individualized strategies for ear elevation and complication treatment contribute to symmetry and satisfactory projection of the reconstructed auricle.
Association of hepatitis B virus infection and allergy with the risk of gastrointestinal cancer
Authors: ZHOU Xi , WANG W.H , Shao Tianbo , ZHOU Zhen , Liu Dajin , Pan Guoqing , Li Jingyi
Published: September 2021

Purpose

To investigate the association of hepatitis B virus infection and allergy with gastrointestinal carcinogenesis, to provide a basis for risk factor identification among gastrointestinal cancer(GICA) risk populations, and for studies concerning the CICA etiology.
Methods

Clinical data of 2,375 GICA patients hospitalized from 2009 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, with 48,496 non-oncologic patients in the departments of psychiatry, neurology and cardiology as controls, totaling 50,871 patients. The data were processed using R software and SPSS22.0 for 1:4 propensity score matching.
Results

Overall, HBsAg positivity rate was 3.3% for 50,871 patients. A total of 11,872 patients completed the 1:4 propensity score matching, including 2,375 patients with GICA and 9,497 controls. HBsAg positivity was 4.5% in the GICA group and 3.2% in the control group, showing a significant inter-group difference (P = 0.002, OR = 1.427, 95% CI: 1.138–1.789). The incidence of GICA among patients with a history of allergies was significantly lower at 5.9% (139/2352) than among those without such history at 17.1% (4,592/26,785), also showing a significant inter-group difference (P < 0.001, OR = 3.294, 95% CI: 2.767–3.921). Besides, the incidence of allergies among HBsAb-positive patients was 9.0% (923/10,246), which was high than that among HBsAb-negative patients 7.6% (732/9,591), with a significant inter-group difference between the two groups (P < 0.001).
Conclusion

HBV infection is positively associated with gastrointestinal carcinogenesis. HBsAb positivity is also positively correlated with allergy, while allergy is negatively correlated with gastrointestinal carcinogenesis. The exact mechanism underlying these associations deserves further clarification. In addition, HBsAg positivity rate in Southwest China is approximately 3.3%.
Focal adhesion kinase inhibitor TAE226 combined with Sorafenib slows down hepatocellular carcinoma by multiple epigenetics effects
Authors: Romito Ilaria , Porru Manuela , Braghini Maria Rita , Pompili Luca , Panera Nadia , Crudele Annalisa , Gnani Daniela , De Stefanis Cristiano , Scarsella Marco , Pomella Silvia , Mortera Stefano Levi , de Billy Emmanuel , Conti Libenzio Adrian , Marzano Valeria , Putignani Lorenza , Vinciguerra Manlio , Balsano Clara , Pastore Anna , Rota Rossella , Tartaglia Marco , Leonetti Carlo , Alisi Anna
Published: September 2021

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and lethal malignant tumours worldwide. Sorafenib (SOR) is one of the most effective single-drug systemic therapy against advanced HCC, but the identification of novel combination regimens for a continued improvement in overall survival is a big challenge. Recent studies highlighted the crucial role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in HCC growth. The aim of this study was to investigate the antitumor effects of three different FAK inhibitors, alone or in combination with SOR, using in vitro and in vivo models of HCC.
Methods

The effect of PND1186, PF431396, TAE226 on cell viability was compared to SOR. Among them TAE226, emerging as the most effective FAKi, was then tested alone or in combination with SOR using 2D/3D human HCC cell line cultures and HCC xenograft murine models. The mechanisms of action were assessed by gene/protein expression and imaging approaches, combined with high-throughput methods.
Results

TAE226 emerged as the more effective FAKi to be combined with SOR against HCC. Combined TAE226 and SOR treatment reduced HCC growth both in vitro and in vivo by affecting tumour-promoting gene expression and inducing epigenetic changes via dysregulation of the nuclear interactome of FAK. We characterized a novel nuclear functional interaction between FAK and the NuRD complex. TAE226-mediated FAK depletion and SOR-promoted MAPK down-modulation causing an increase of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation, counteracting its trimethylation by decreasing the nuclear amount of HDAC1/2.
Conclusions

Altogether, our findings provide the first evidence that TAE226 combined with SOR efficiently reduce HCC growth in vitro and in vivo. Our data also highlight that deep analysis of FAK nuclear interactome may lead to the identification of new promising therapeutic approaches for HCC.
CLEC10A is A Prognostic Biomarker and is Correlated with Immune Infiltrates in Breast Cancer
Authors: Tang Shasha , Zhang Yi , Lin Xiaoyan , Cen Chunmei , Yong Liyun , Zhang Hongyi , Cai Fengfeng
Published: September 2021

Background

To investigate the association between CLEC10A and prognosis in breast cancer (BC) patients.
Methods

We assessed the prognostic value of CLEC10A in BC using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) online database. We examined CLEC10A expression differences in BC and normal tissues via the TIMER and UALCAN databases. Then, we used the Kaplan-Meier plotter database to evaluate the correlation of CLEC10A mRNA levels with clinical outcomes. Subsequently, the TIMER platform and TISIDB website were used to assess the correlation of CLEC10A with the tumor immune cell infiltration level in BC.
Results

Our results showed that CLEC10A levels were significantly downregulated in BC tissues compared with normal tissues. CLEC10A expression was associated with histologic type, pathologic stage, T stage, Her2 status and a poor prognosis. Additionally, CLEC10A was positively related to the level of different tumor-infiltrating immune cells in BC, and CLEC10A was closely correlated with the gene markers of diverse immune cells. Additionally, low CLEC10A expression predicted a poor prognosis in BC patients grouped based on immune cell infiltration levels.
Conclusion

CLEC10A may be a potential biomarker and may efficiently predict prognosis in BC patients.
Changes and clinical significance of invariant natural killer T cells and their subsets in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients
Authors: Guo Hui , Tian Shuci , Gao Lichao
Published: September 2021

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the changes and clinical significance of the invariant natural killer T(iNKT) cells and their subsets in peripheral blood of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients. Methods: 23 newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients and 17 healthy volunteers(from 2015 to 2019)were collected. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated by FICOII method, the ratio of main cell subsets of PBMC was determined by Flow cytometry. The changes of iNKT cells and their subsets (CD4 + , CD4-CD8-, CD8 + , CD4 + CD8 +) in peripheral blood as well as their correlation with clinical indexes were monitored. Results: Compared with the healthy group, the absolute TCRVβ11+iNKT cell number in the peripheral blood of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients (p=0.03) was significantly higher. The absolute CD4+TCRVβ11iNKT cell number (p=0.00) , CD4+TCRVα24 +iNKT cells (p=0.01) , CD4+TCRVα24J18 +iNKT cells (p=0.00) ,CD8+TCRVβ11+iNKT cells(p=0.021) and CD4+CD8+ TCRVα24+iNKT cells (p=0.002) were significantly increased. The absolute CD4-CD8-TCRVα24+iNKT cell number (p=0.030) in T1DM patients was significantly lower than that in HC. In newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients, the absolute CD4+TCRVβ11+iNKT cell number was negatively correlated with BMI (p=0.001, r=-0.492) , and the absolute CD4+TCRVα24+iNKT cell number was negatively correlated with BMI (p=0.014, r=-0.387) , the absolute CD4+TCRVα24J18+iNKT cell number was negatively correlated with BMI (p=0.010, r=-0.402) and positively correlated with glycated hemoglobin (P=0.048, r=0.417). The absolute CD4+CD8+TCRVα24+iNKT cell number was positively correlated with 30 minutes and 1 hour postprandial C-peptide(p= 0.002, r=0.664; p= 0.002, r = 0.669) . Conclusion: Our data indicated a higher absolute iNKT cell number in T1DM patients compared with that in healthy patients, and was accompanied by changes in the number of cell subsets. The immune dysfunction mediated by iNKT cells may associate with the development of type 1 diabetes.
Efficient Prediction of Temperature-dependent Elastic and Mechanical Properties of 2D Materials
Authors: Ekuma Chinedu , Liu Z , Kastuar Srihari
Published: September 2021

An efficient automated toolkit for predicting the mechanical properties of materials can accelerate new materials design and discovery; this process often involves screening large configurational space in high-throughput calculations. Herein, we present the ElasTool toolkit for these applications. In particular, we use the ElasTool to study diversity of 2D materials and heterostructures, including their temperature-dependent mechanical properties and developed a machine learning algorithm for exploring predicted properties.
Assessment of air quality during worst wildfires in Turkey
Authors: Tariq Salman , ul-Haq Zia , Mariam Ayesha , Mehmood Usman , Ahmed Waseem
Published: September 2021

Recently, a worse and large-scale forest fire broke out across Turkey, which adversely affected the country’s air quality level and caused a tremendous loss. Mugla and Antalya cities were the hot spot areas of this fire that experience adverse effects. In this paper, we examined and compare the air pollution scenario before and during the forest fire episode i.e., from 27 July to 10 August 2021 in Antalya and Mugla. The results show that before the fire accusation, i.e., on 27 July, the daily mean aerosol optical depth (AOD), was 0.1 indicates a clear sky. However, as the fire breakouts on 28 July, this daily mean AOD value increased too rapidly and reached 0.52 on 6 August, indicating intense air pollution. The highest AOD was 2.2 over northern Marmaris, Ula, southeastern Milas, Mugla Merkezon on 5 August 2021. The results show that peak fire activity occurred during 4–8 August. Meanwhile, the highest NO2 concentration was 167 µmol/m2 over mid-east Merkez and Köycegiz. The peak HCHO load was 750 µmol/m2 over southern Mugla city. Moreover, Mugla and central Antalya cities experienced the highest O3 concentrations of 0.14 µmol/m2. Similarly, at the Junction of Dalaman, Köycegiz, and Ortaca, peak CO (0.08 mol/m2) and AI (3.5) had been observed. The high-altitude smoke was over Mugla city. Whereas, over Antalya, mixed aerosols had dominant, followed by smoke, dust, non-smoke fine mode, and fine dominated aerosols.
CSDVP: Compressed Sensing for Drug-Virus Prediction
Authors: Besharatifard Milad , Gharagozlou Arshia
Published: September 2021

The 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic has recently hit most countries hard. Therefore, many researchers around the world are looking for a way to control this virus. Examining existing medications and using them to prevent this epidemic can be helpful. Drug repositioning solutions can be effective because designing and discovering a drug can be very time-consuming. Although no drug has been definitively approved for the treatment of this disease, the effectiveness of a few drugs for the treatment of the disease has been observed. In this study, with the help of computational matrix factorization methods, the associations between drugs and viruses have been predicted. By combining the similarities between the drugs and the similarities between the viruses and using the compressed sensing technique, we investigated the association between the drug and the virus. The Compressed Sensing approach to Drug-Virus Prediction (CSDVP) can work well. We compared the proposed method with other methods in this field and found its accuracy is more desirable than other methods. In fact, the CSDVP approach with the HDVD dataset and evaluation through 5-fold CV, with AUC = 0.96 and AUPR = 0.85, can identify the relationship between drugs and viruses. We also investigated the effect of drug properties on model performance improvement using autoencoder. Thus, with each decrease in the size of the characteristics in different sizes, we examined the performance of the CSDVP model in predicting the drug-virus relationship. The relationship between drugs and coronavirus infection is also analyzed, and the results are presented.
Supersymmetry and multicriticality in a ladder of constrained fermions
Authors: Chepiga Natalia , Minář Jiří , Schoutens Kareljan
Published: September 2021

Supersymmetric lattice models of constrained fermions are known to feature exotic phenomena such as superfrustration, with an extensive degeneracy of ground states, the nature of which is however generally unknown. Here we address this issue by considering a superfrustrated model, which we deform from the supersymetric point. By numerically studying its two-parameter phase diagram, we reveal a rich phenomenology. The vicinity of the supersymmetric point features period-4 and period-5 density waves which are connected by a floating phase (incommensurate Luttinger liquid) with smoothly varying density. The supersymmetric point emerges as a multicritical point between these three phases.
Inside the period-4 phase we report a valence-bond solid type ground state that persists up to the supersymmetric point.
Our numerical data for transitions out of density-wave phases are consistent with the Pokrovsky-Talapov universality class.
Furthermore, our analysis unveiled a period-3 phase with a boundary determined by a competition between single and two-particle instabilities accompanied by a doubling of the wavevector of the density profiles along a line in the phase diagram.
Research Progress on Dipeptidyl Peptidase Family: Structure, Function
and Xenobiotic Metabolism
Authors: Qian Xing-Kai , Zhang Jing , Li Xiao-Dong , Song Pei-Fang , Zou Li-Wei
Published: September 2021

Prolyl-specific peptidases or proteases, including Dipeptidyl Peptidase 2, 4, 6,
8, 9, 10, Fibroblast Activation Protein, prolyl endopeptidase, and prolyl carboxypeptidase,
belong to the dipeptidyl peptidase family. In human physiology and anatomy, they have
homology amino acid sequences and similarities in the structure; however, they have distinct
functions and play different roles. Some of them also play important roles in the metabolism
of drugs containing endogenous peptides, xenobiotics containing peptides, and
exogenous peptides. The major functions of these peptidases in both the metabolism of
human health and bioactive peptides are of significant importance in the development of
effective inhibitors to control the metabolism of endogenous bioactive peptides. The
structural characteristics, distribution of tissue, endogenous substrates, and biological
functions were summarized in this review. Furthermore, the xenobiotics metabolism of
the dipeptidyl peptidase family is illustrated. All the evidence and information summarized
in this review would be very useful for researchers to extend the understanding of
the proteins of these families and offer advice and assistance in physiology and pathology
studies.
Peptidoglycan Deacetylases in Bacterial Cell Wall Remodeling and
Pathogenesis
Authors: Planas Antoni
Published: September 2021

The bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan (PG) is a dynamic structure that is constantly
synthesized, re-modeled and degraded during bacterial division and growth. Postsynthetic
modifications modulate the action of endogenous autolysis during PG lysis and
remodeling for growth and sporulation, but also they are a mechanism used by pathogenic
bacteria to evade the host innate immune system. Modifications of the glycan backbone
are limited to the C-2 amine and C-6 hydroxyl moieties of either GlcNAc or MurNAc residues.
This paper reviews the functional roles and properties of peptidoglycan de-Nacetylases
(distinct PG GlcNAc and MurNAc deacetylases) and recent progress through
genetic studies and biochemical characterization to elucidate their mechanism of action,
3D structures, substrate specificities and biological functions. Since they are virulence
factors in pathogenic bacteria, peptidoglycan deacetylases are potential targets for the design
of novel antimicrobial agents.
Implantable Microfluidic Device: An Epoch of Technology
Authors: Joseph Abey , Rajendran Arivazhagan , Karthikeyan Akash , Nair Baiju G.
Published: September 2021

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Implantable microfluidic devices are milestones in developing devices that can measure parameters like ocular pressure and blood glucose level or deliver various components for therapeutic needs or behavioral modification. Researchers are currently focusing on the miniaturization of almost all its tools for a better healthcare platform. Implantable microfluidic devices are a combination of various systems including, but not limited to, microfluidic platforms, reservoirs, sensors, and actuators, implanted inside the body of a living entity (in vivo) with the purpose of directly or indirectly helping the entity. It is a multidisciplinary approach with immense potential in the area of the biomedical field. Significant resources are utilized for the research and development of these devices for various applications. The induction of an implantable microfluidic device into an animal would enable us to measure the responses without any repeated invasive procedures. Such data would help in the development of a better drug delivery profile. Implantable microfluidic devices with reservoirs deliver specific chemical or biological products to treat situations like cancers and diabetes. They can also deliver fluorophores for specific imaging inside the body. Implantable microfluidic devices help provide a microenvironment for various cell differentiation procedures. These devices know no boundaries, and this article reviews these devices based on their design and applications.