bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of a Novel HOOK3-FGFR1 Fusion Gene Involved in Activation of The NF-kappaB Pathway
Authors: Zhang Xuehong , Wang Furong , Yan Fanzhi , Huang Dan , Wang Haina , Gao Beibei , Gao Yuan , Hou Zhijie , Lou Jiacheng , Li Weiling , Yan Jinsong
Published: November 2021

BackgroundRearrangements involving the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) gene result in 8p11 myeloproliferative syndrome (EMS), which is a rare and aggressive hematological malignancy that is often initially diagnosed as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Clinical outcomes are typically poor due to relative resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and rapid transformation to acute leukemia. Deciphering the transcriptomic signature of FGFR1 fusions may open new treatment strategies for FGFR1 rearrangement patients.MethodsDNA sequencing (DNA-seq) was performed for 20 MDS patients and whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed for one HOOK3-FGFR1 fusion positive patient. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed for 20 MDS patients and 8 healthy donors. Fusion genes were detected using the STAR-Fusion tool. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and Sanger sequencing were used to confirm the HOOK3-FGFR1 fusion gene. The phosphorylation antibody array was performed to validate the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling. ResultsWe identified frequently recurrent mutations of ASXL1 and U2AF1 in the MDS cohort, which is consistent with previous reports. We also identified a novel in-frame HOOK3-FGFR1 fusion gene in one MDS case with abnormal monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis and ring chromosome 8. FISH analysis detected the FGFR1 break-apart signal in myeloid blasts only. qRT-PCR and Sanger sequencing confirmed the HOOK3-FGFR1 fusion transcript with breakpoints located at the 11th exon of HOOK3 and 10th exon of FGFR1, and Western blot detected the chimeric HOOK3-FGFR1 fusion protein that is presumed to retain the entire tyrosine kinase domain of FGFR1. The transcriptional feature of HOOK3-FGFR1 fusion was characterized by the significant enrichment of the NF-kappaB pathway by comparing the expression profiling of FGFR1 fusion positive MDS with 8 healthy donors and FGFR1 fusion negative MDS patients. Further validation by phosphorylation antibody array also showed NF-kappaB activation, as evidenced by increased phosphorylation of p65 (Ser 536) and of IKBalpha (Ser 32). ConclusionThe HOOK3-FGFR1 fusion gene may contribute to the pathogenesis of MDS and activate the NF-kappaB pathway. These findings highlight a potential novel approach for combination therapy for FGFR1 rearrangement patients.
Encoder Lipschitz Integers: The Lipschitz integers that have the ”division with small division” property
Authors: Duram Ramazan , Güzeltepe Murat
Published: November 2021

The residue class set of a Lipschitz integer is constructed by modulo function with primitive Lipschitz integer whose norm is a prime integer, i.e. prime Lipschitz integer. In this study, we consider primitive Lipschitz integer whose norm is both a prime integer and not a prime integer. If the norm of each element of the residue class set of a Lipschitz integer is less than the norm of the primitive Lipschitz integer used to construct the residue class set of the Lipschitz integer, then, the Euclid division algorithm works for this primitive Lipschitz integer. The Euclid division algorithm always works for prime Lipschitz integers. In other words, the prime Lipschitz integers have the ”division with small remainder” property. However, this property is ignored in some studies that have a constructed Lipschitz residue class set that lies on primitive Lipschitz integers whose norm is not a prime integer. In this study, we solve this problem by defining Lipschitz integers that have the ”division with small remainder” property, namely, encoder Lipschitz integers set. Therefore, we can define appropriate metrics for codes over Lipschitz integers. Also, we investigate the performances of Lipschitz signal constellations (the left residue class set) obtained by modulo function with Lipschitz integers, which have the ”division with small remainder” property, over the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel by agency of the constellation figure of merit (CFM), average energy, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
Ethnomycological Study of Wild Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms in District Jammu, J&K, India
Authors: Sharma Roshi , Sharma Y. P , Hashmi S. A.J. , Kumar Sanjeev , Manhas R. K.
Published: November 2021

Background: Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has a rich tradition of usage of wild edible mushrooms (WEM) for culinary and medicinal purposes. But very few studies, restricted to some regions of the Union Territory, have been conducted to enlist the WEM. District Jammu has never been explored for WEM. Moreover, the quantification of the traditional knowledge of WEM has not been carried out as yet in J&K. Therefore, the present study was conducted in Jammu district with aims of; enlisting the WEM and its usage, finding the most used WEM, and enumerating the consensus of usage for a species and associated knowledge. Methods: Data of use reports was collected as per semi–structured questionnaire from 192 randomly selected informants. The cultural importance index (CI) and informant consensus factor (Fic) were calculated on the basis of use reports. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate the significance of differences in the usage of WEM among the different informant categories.Results: Results of the present study show that the locals were having the knowledge of fourteen fleshy fungi that are mainly utilized for culinary purposes. They also affirmed various medicinal values of some of these fungi. Termitomyces sp. (CI, 0.57) was the most important and diversely used species. Termitomyces heimii, Termitomyces clypeatus and Termitomyces striatus var. annulatus were the other frequently consumed species by the locals. More than 78.6% of these WEM were new records as culinary and medicinal for Jammu and Kashmir (UT). Agaricaceae and Lyophyllaceae were the largest families and Termitomyces (5 species) the most represented genera. Females, elders, and informants who have not attended schools were having significantly (P<0.05) higher information regarding WEM. The maximum consensus was recorded for the use of WEM as culinary with 596 citations and 0.98 Fic, and the minimum homogeneity was found for their use in skin diseases (42 citations and 0.76 Fic).Conclusion: The inhabitants of district Jammu had good knowledge of WEM, but no documentation, lying of most of the information with elders and uneducated people, and destruction of forests and other natural habitats of WEM pose serious threat of losing this valuable information in near future. An ardent need is to educate locals regarding regionally available WEM. Further studies are recommended for developing protocols of cultivation of these WEM so that their future availability is ascertained along with creating income resources for the local population.
Communication with cancer survivors: Disparities by education level but not race in a majority-minority community
Authors: Chock Marci , Tamashiro Sharon , Fujinaga Kristy , Nakasone Ryon , Acoba Jared
Published: November 2021

Purpose Patient-provider communication (PPC) is an important component of optimal patient care. Many factors influence the quality of PPC among cancer patients, however, there are conflicting data on the impact of patient race and education level on PPC. We sought to assess the effect of race and education level on PPC among a multiracial cohort of cancer survivors. Methods We conducted a survey of 360 cancer survivors. Data were collected on age, race, income, and education level. The survey assessed satisfaction with PPC and follow-up with cancer physician. Questions were answered on a 5-point response scale. We evaluated PPC using nonparametric analyses and built logistic regression models for satisfaction with follow-up care. Results Patients with a high school or lower education consistently rated questions of PPC more poorly than those who attained a higher level of education. No significant associations were detected between PPC and race. Results for perceived quality of care showed a similar disparity by education level. High school educated patients reported significantly lower satisfaction with quality of follow-up care compared with patients who attained Graduate level education (OR 3.50, 95% CI 1.37-8.94). Conclusion Our study demonstrated that education level, but not race, is associated with perception of communication and satisfaction with follow-up care. Patients who attained higher levels of education had higher PPC ratings and satisfaction with follow-up care. Our findings identify an opportunity for improvement in PPC through individualizing the delivery of health-related information with the goal of achieving optimal care of long-term cancer survivors.
Association of Cancer Caregiver Stress and Negative Attribution Style With Depressive Symptoms and Cortisol: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Pössel Patrick , Mitchell Amanda M , Harbison Brooks , Fernandez-Botran G. Rafael
Published: November 2021

Purpose. We examined the effect of cancer caregiver stress and negative attribution style (NAS) on depressive symptoms and salivary cortisol. Method. The sample came from a hospital bone marrow unit and caregiver support organizations and included 60 informal cancer caregivers (51.7% partners) of cancer patients (provided care for a median of 27.5 hours per week for 12 months) and 46 non-caregiver participants. In this cross-sectional study, participants completed questionnaires assessing NAS and depressive symptoms and provided saliva samples to measure cortisol. Results. Linear regressions demonstrated that cancer caregiver stress (p=0.001) and the cancer caregiver stress by NAS interaction (p=0.017), but not NAS alone (p=0.152), predicted depressive symptoms. Caregivers independent of their NAS and non-caregivers high in NAS reported high depression while non-caregivers low in NAS reported low depression. Neither cancer caregiver stress (p=0.920) nor NAS alone (p=0.114), but their interaction, predicted cortisol (p=0.036). Higher NAS was associated with a higher cortisol in both groups while non-caregivers had higher cortisol than caregivers. Conclusions. If the findings can be replicated, the implementation of interventions to support informal caregivers in managing their chronic stress and modify their NAS appears warranted.
Epidemiology and in-Depth Clinical and Biochemical Assessment of Cushing’s Syndrome – A Population-Based Study
Authors: Mangion Jessica , Imbroll Miriam Giordano , Craus Sarah , Vassallo Josanne , Gruppetta Mark
Published: November 2021

Purpose: To provide complete epidemiological data on Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) with analysis and differentiation of biochemical parameters including blood count indices and serum inflammation-based scores.Methods: Clinical records of 35 patients diagnosed with CS between 2008 and 2020 at the only central national health service hospital in Malta, were retrospectively analysed. Detailed clinical and biochemical data were obtained for each patient. Correlation and receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were used to establish a threshold value for different variables to predict malignant CS.Results: Standardized incidence rate (SIR) (/million/year) of CS was 4.5, SIR of Cushing’s disease (CD) was 2.3, 0.5 for ectopic CS, 1.5 for cortisol secreting adrenal adenoma and 0.3 cases for cortisol-producing ACC. Malignant cause of CS had a statistically significant higher cortisol, size of tumour and lower potassium at diagnosis (P<0.001). Additionally, malignant causes had a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (P=0.001), systemic immune inflammation index (P=0.005) and a lower lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (P<0.001). Using ROC curve analysis to predict malignant cause of CS, a potassium level of < 3.05 was 75% sensitive and 100% specific (ROC-AUC 0.907, P = 0.001), a post-ODST cortisol level of > 841nmol/L was 100% sensitive and 91% specific (ROC-AUC 0.981, P <0.001), while a NLR ratio > 3.9 was 100% sensitive and 57.7% specific (ROC-AUC 0.885, P = 0.001).Conclusion: Biochemical and blood count indices and serum inflammatory-based scores remarkably differ between benign and malignant causes of endogenous CS and such indices can help in predicting severity of disease and thus prognosis.
Hyaluronan-CD44 Interaction Regulates Mouse Retinal Progenitor Cells Migration, Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation
Authors: Ma Jian , Fang Xiaoyun , Chen Min , Wang Yao , Zhang Li
Published: November 2021

Background: Therapeutic applications of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) are hindered by their limited proliferation and differentiation capacity and poor ability to migrate into damaged retinal tissue. Our study aimed to explore the effects of HA-CD44 interactions on the regulation of RPCs migration, proliferation and differentiation, and to investigate the underlying regulation mechanisms.Methods: Mouse RPCs were isolated and amplified. Western blot and flow cytometry analyses were used to investigate the expression of CD44 in RPCs. The effects of HA-CD44 interactions on the RPCs behaviors, including migration, proliferation and differentiation, were investigated by MTT assay, CCK8 assay, vertical collagen gel invasion assay, time-lapse imaging, immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR and western blot assay. Furthermore, the downstream signals of HA-CD44 interactions were investigated.Results: CD44 was expressed in RPCs, and HA-CD44 interaction markedly improved RPCs adhesion and migration. The stimulation of miR-21 expression by HA-CD44 interaction was PKC/Nanog-dependent in RPCs. Treatment of RPCs with PKC- or Nanog-specific ASODN or miR-21 antagomir effectively blocked HA-mediated RPCs adhesion and migration. Moreover, ROK/Gab-1 associated PI3K/AKT signaling activation was required in the HA-CD44 interaction mediated RPCs proliferation and neuronal differentiation.Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated new roles for HA-CD44 interaction in regulating both migration, proliferation and neuronal differentiation of RPCs. HA-CD44 signaling could comprise a novel approach to control RPC fates, which may be instructive for the application of RPCs for future therapeutic application.
The Effects of youth rural-urban migration on the socio-economic aspects of migrant-sending rural households; the case of Yaya Gulale woreda
Authors: Dadi Jambo
Published: November 2021

Youth migration is becoming a world-wide pandemic. In developing countries like Ethiopia rural-urban migration is continuing to occur at high levels as people seek new opportunities in the city to escape from rural poverty. Young people leave their villages and even their countries because of the limited potential for development inside their community. The effects of this exodus of youth can simultaneously affects development in both urban and rural areas. To this end, this study was conducted to assess the effects of youth rural-urban migration on the socio-economic aspects of migrant sending rural households. In order to generate extensive data, the study was employed cross-sectional qualitative research design. Study participants were selected via purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Both primary and secondary data were employed; in-depth interview, key informant interview and focus group discussion were used to collect the first hand information from study participants. Data generated through different data collection instruments triangulated for their reliability and validity purpose and analyzed by using thematic analysis. Finding from this study reveals that youth rural-urban migration is a burden as well as opportunity for migrant sending rural households. Hence, the out flows of economically active people from rural agricultural sector reduce the availability labor force migrant households are experiencing shortage of labor which adversely affects their productivity. Moreover, rural youth migration put the life of rural elderly parents at risky as much as it takes away the care givers thereby exposes them for loneliness and depression. On the other side, youth rural outmigration is an opportunity for migrant sending households as much as the money sent back from migrants helped family left behind in improving their livelihood. It is recommended that in order to minimize the rate of rural youth migration social amenities should be provided by government and awareness should be given for migrant households on the best use of remittance to maximize its long-term benefits.
An explainable model of host genetic interactions linked to COVID-19 severity
Authors: Onoja Anthony , Picchiotti Nicola , Fallerini Chiara , Baldassarri Margherita , Fava Francesca , Colombo Francesca , Chiaromonte Francesca , Renieri Alessandra , Furini Simone , Raimondi Francesco
Published: November 2021

We employed a multifaceted computational strategy to identify the genetic factors contributing to increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection from a Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) dataset of a cohort of 2000 Italian patients. We coupled a stratified k-fold screening, to rank variants more associated with severity, with training of multiple supervised classifiers, to predict severity on the basis of screened features. Feature importance analysis from decision-tree models allowed to identify a handful of 16 variants with highest support which, together with age and gender covariates, were found to be most predictive of COVID-19 severity. When tested on a follow-up cohort, our ensemble of models predicted severity with good accuracy (ACC=81.88%; ROC_AUC=96%; MCC=61.55%). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and clustering of patients on important variants orthogonally identified two groups of individuals with a higher fraction of severe cases.
Our model recapitulated a vast literature of emerging molecular mechanisms and genetic factors linked to COVID-19 response and extends previous landmark Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). It revealed a network of interplaying genetic signatures converging on established immune system and inflammatory processes linked to viral infection response, such as JAK-STAT, Cytokine, Interleukin, and C-type lectin receptor signaling. It also identified additional processes cross-talking with immune pathways, such as GPCR signalling, which might offer additional opportunities for therapeutic intervention and patient stratification. Publicly available PheWAS datasets revealed that several variants were significantly associated with phenotypic traits (e.g. “Respiratory or thoracic disease”), confirming their link with COVID-19 severity outcome.
Taken together, our analysis suggests that curated genetic information can be effectively integrated along with other patient clinical covariates to forecast COVID-19 disease severity and dissect the underlying host genetic mechanisms for personalized medicine treatments.
Predicting the impacts of land management for sustainable development on depression risk in a Ugandan case study
Authors: Pienkowski Thomas , Keane Aidan , Kinyanda Eugene , Asiimwe Caroline , Milner-Gulland E.J.
Published: November 2021

Agricultural intensification and expanding protected areas are proposed sustainable development approaches. But, their consequences for mental health – a global priority – are poorly understood. We predict how forest conservation and contract farming may alter resource access and depression risk in rural Uganda. We asked 695 residents in 11 communities about their expectations under land management scenarios, household characteristics, and depression symptoms. Over 80% of respondents presented with a ‘business-as-usual forest-access’ scenario expected reduced forest income and food over the next decade. This number climbed to over 90% among respondents presented with a ‘restricted forest access’ scenario. Over 80% said losing forest access would increase food insecurity and poverty among forest-dependent households. Furthermore, over 99% of those presented with two land access scenarios (‘business-as-usual land access’ and ‘sugarcane expansion land access’) expected wealthy households to gain land but poorer families to lose it. This land redistribution was expected to increase poverty and food insecurity among small-scale farmers. Bayesian structural equation suggested that depression severity was positively associated with food insecurity (estimate = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.12-0.28) and economic poverty (estimate = 0.11, 95% CI 0.02-0.19). Conservation and agricultural approaches that restrict access to livelihood resources may threaten vulnerable groups’ mental health.
Ascertaining the Prevalence of Heart Malformations in Neonates: A Novel Clinically Approved Solution
Authors: Bordbar Arash , Kashaki Mandana , Vafapour Maryam , Sepehri Amir A. , Partovi Elaheh
Published: November 2021

Background: It is vital to screen all critical congenital heart defects as early as possible. Screening for congenital heart diseases in neonates is essential for saving children's lives and reducing undetected adult congenital heart diseases. Unfortunately, over 50% of neonates with heart malformations are unrecognized at birth. Accurate screening for congenital heart malformations can be accomplished using the certified and internationally patented digital intelligent phonocardiography machine. The objective of this study is 2-fold: assess the actual prevalence of newborn heart defects in our well-baby nursery and evaluate the digital intelligent phonocardiogram screening for critical congenital heart diseases. Methods: In this study, we have accomplished "The Neonates Cardiac Monitoring Research Project" (ethics approval IR-IUMS-FMD. REC.1398.098) at Shahid Akbarabadi Maternity Hospital. Eight hundred forty neonates from our well-baby nursery have undergone both the standard clinical examinations at birth and the digital intelligent phonocardiogram examination in a double-blinded format. The median age of the neonates was 30,85 hours, and the median weight was 3.12 Kg. In addition, the pediatric cardiologist has performed echocardiography diagnosis for each neonate classified as abnormal either by the intelligent machine or by the standard medical examinations of a neonate. Detailed dataset of the eight hundred neonates’ examinations and printouts of the intelligent machine are available online.Results: We have found that the prevalence of heart malformations in our well-baby nursery is 5%. 44% of the heart malformations are unrecognized at birth through the standard medical examination of the hospital, including neonates with CCHD, Whereas the intelligent phonocardiogram has recognized 100% of neonates with heart malformations.Conclusions: We have accomplished screening for congenital heart malformations in all neonates accurately and cost-effectively in our hospital using the digital intelligent phonocardiogram. The intelligent machine has detected CCHD, where we have not detected it through the hospital's standard medical examinations, including pulse oximetry and the heart sound auscultation. In addition, the intelligent machine interprets innocent murmurs as healthy heart sounds.
The role of Plasmonic metal-oxides core-shell nanoparticles on the optical absorption of Perovskite solar cells
Authors: Ullah Ihsan , Saghaei Hamed , Shah Said Karim
Published: November 2021

Among all the different methods to enhance the optical absorption of photovoltaic devices. The plasmonic effect is one the most prominent and effective ways to capture more incident light and also provide good carrier dynamic management. Here, we systematically introduce spherical gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with different radii in the absorber layer of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The overall enhanced optical absorption around 14.20% and 20.02% is achieved for incorporated monolayer and bilayer Au NPs, respectively, in the active layer compared to the pure perovskite layer. Moreover, we employ the metal (Au)-dielectric (TiO2 and SiO2) nanoparticles in the absorber layer. The optical absorption increases as the core-shell size decreases. The optical absorption elevates in both Au@TiO2 core-shell and Au@SiO2 core-shell 17.5% and 3.5%, respectively. These results support superior separation and transfer of charge in the existence of plasmonic NPs. In addition, this study presents a very sophisticated approach in the optical enhancement of PSCs and thus helps to boost the overall photovoltaic device performance.
Effect of levamisole on gastrointestinal nematodes and weight gain of grazing livestock in the municipality of San Jose Chiltepec, Oaxaca, Mexico
Authors: Libreros-Osorio Ulises , Vázquez-Arrieta Daniela Donaji , Limón Ilhuicamina Daniel , Patricio-Martínez Aleidy , Patricio-Martínez Felipe
Published: November 2021

The aim of the present work was to study the effect of administration of levamisole on parasitic load of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and the percentage of weight gain of grazing cattle. The animals were randomly distributed to form three experimental groups, levamisole, ivermectin and control. The collection of feces samples was carried out one day before and 15 days’ post-treatment and subsequently it was quantifying the eggs number per gram of feces. The body weight of the animals was recorded at days 0, 15, 30 and 45 after treatments to evaluate its gain. The results observed up to the final day (45 days’ post-treatment) showed the group treated with Ivermectin had a 10.1% increase in body weight, while the group under Levamisole treatment had an increase of 14.3%. The groups under ivermectin and levamisole showed a decrease in the number of eggs per grams of feces (EPG), which were measured 15 days after their treatment (22.5 EPG in ivermectin) and (55.0 EPG in levamisole) compared to the vehicle group (377.5 EPG) and pre-treatment (486.5 EPG). In the present work, it was possible to show that with two subcutaneous administrations of levamisole in grazing calves in the municipality of Chiltepec, Oaxaca, it’s possible to increase the weight in cattle while decreasing its parasite load of GIN. However, it is necessary to determine the anthelmintic resistance in farms that report the use of levamisole with different treatment and repeated doses of levamisole.
The Analysis of the Spatiotemporal Variations and Mechanisms for the Near-Surface Wind Speed Over China in the Last 40 Years
Authors: Li Xia , Pan Yongjie , Jiang Yingsha
Published: November 2021

Near-surface wind speed is of great significance in many aspects of the human production and living. This study analyses the spatiotemporal characteristics of the near-surface wind speed and wind speed percentiles with meteorological station observations in China from 1979 to 2019. Furthermore, the mechanisms of the wind speed variations are also investigated with ERA-Interim reanalysis dataset. Spatially, the wind speeds in the northern and eastern regions of China are larger than that in the central and southern regions. Seasonally, the wind speed in spring is significantly larger than that in the other seasons. The dispersion degree of wind speed in spring is larger than that in the other seasons both spatially and temporally. The near-surface wind speed in China shows significantly decreasing trends during 1979–2019, particularly in 1979–1999, but the wind speed trend reversed after 2000. After dividing the wind speed into different percentiles, it recognizes that the decreasing trend of stronger winds are more significant than that of weaker winds. The weaker the wind speed, the more significant increasing trend after 2000. Therefore, the decreasing wind speed trend before 2000 is mainly caused by the significant reduction of strong wind, while the reversal trend after 2000 results from the increase of weak wind. The variations of the wind speed over China attributed to both the U and V wind components, and the variations of zonal wind is closely related to the weakened upper westerly wind field and the uneven warming between high and low latitudes.
Junctionless Accumulation Mode Ferroelectric FET (JAM-FE-FET) for High Frequency Digital and Analog applications
Authors: Yadav Snehlata , Rewari Sonam , Pandey Rajeshwari
Published: November 2021

In this paper, a Junctionless Accumulation Mode Ferroelectric Field Effect Transistor (JAM-FE-FET) has been proposed and assessed in terms of RF/analog specifications for varied channel lengths through simulations using TCAD Silvaco ATLAS simulator, using the Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination, ferro, Lombardi CVT, fermi and LK models. Major analog metrics like transconductance (gm), intrinsic gain (AV), output conductance (gd), and early voltage (VEA) are obtained for the JAM-FE-FET arrangement. The proposed structure shows an improvement in parameters like gm, Ion/Ioff, Av, TGF by 6.82%, 27.95%, 5.2%, 38.83% respectively. Further, frequency analysis of the proposed device is performed and several critical RF parameters like fT, TFP, GFP, and GTFP have been observed to be enhanced by 6.89%, 11.38%, 13.65%, 12.01% respectively. Thus, the Junctionless accumulation mode ferroelectric FET (JAM-FE-FET) arrangement has been found to have superior analog and RF performance when compared to Junctionless ferroelectric FET(JL-FE-FET). As a result, the JAM-FE-FET device presented here can be contemplated a good contender for applications in high-frequency systems.
Correlated Stochastic Epidemic Model for the Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 with Vaccination
Authors: Khan Tahir , Ullah Roman , Zaman Gul , Khatib Youssef
Published: November 2021

We formulate a mathematical model has been proposed to describe the stochastic influence of SARS-CoV-2 virus with various sources of randomness and vaccination. We assume the various sources of ran-domness in each population groups by different Brownian motion. We develop the correlated stochastic model by taking into account the various sources of randomness by different Brownian motions and distributed the total human population in three groups of susceptible, infected and recovered with reservoir class. Because reservoir play a significant role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus spreading. Moreover, the vaccination of susceptible are also accorded. Once we formulate the correlated stochastic model, the existence and uniqueness of positive solution will be discussed to show the problem feasibility. The SARS-CoV-2 extinction as well as persistency will be also discussed and we will obtain the sufficient conditions for it. At the last all the theoretical results will be supported via numerical/graphical findings.
Assessment of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratios in Patients with Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration
Authors: SANNAN NAIF , RAMADHAN MAJED , ELSAYID MOHIELDIN , ALGHAMDI HANAN , ALGHAMDI LAMIS , ALQAHTANI MAHA
Published: November 2021

Purpose: To assess the significance of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an inflammatory indicator in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Study design: A retrospective case-control study.Methods: Clinical diagnosis along with complete blood count (CBC) results were extracted from hospital and laboratory information systems for patients with dry-AMD and age/gender-matched controls attending the ophthalmology clinic at King Abdulaziz medical city, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between 2018-2020. NLR was calculated by dividing the neutrophil by the lymphocyte count. Results: This study captured 90 patients diagnosed with dry-AMD and 270 control subjects without AMD. The mean of ages 70 and 71 years old for cases and controls, respectively. In univariate analysis, there were no significant differences in CBC results between cases and control. In NLR, dry-AMD patients have a slightly higher mean than the control group; however, this increase was not statistically significant (P-value 0.8). In the NLR model, age and gender were statistically significant factors affecting the NLR values in dry-AMD (P-value 0.03, 0.01 respectively). Conclusion: as a systemic inflammatory biomarker, NLR alone could not predict dry-AMD. However, the slight increase in the NLR values may be helpful if augmented with other laboratory measurements to aid in early disease prediction.
Shielding Effect of Melatonin Improves Seminal Quality and Oxidative Stress Indices During Chilled Storage of Ram Semen
Authors: Kumar Tapendra , Kumar Pramod , Saini Nirmala , Bhalotia Shivendra Kumar , prakash Chandan , Mahala Ajit Kumar , Kumar Ashok
Published: November 2021

Supplementation of antioxidant to semen extender maintains seminal quality by reducing oxidative stress during preservation time period. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentration of melatonin supplementation on liquid storage of Magra ram semen. This study was performed on adult Magra ram (n=8) and seminal ejaculates (48) were collected and evaluated for various macroscopic and microscopic seminal quality parameters for further processing. After preliminary evaluation, ejaculates of each collection session were mixed and divided into four equal aliquots. All the aliquots were diluted (1:10) with Tris-citric fructose egg yolk extender contained sans melatonin served as control whereas the other three aliquots were supplemented with 0.5, 1 and 2 mM MLT were grouped as MLT0.5, MLT1 and MLT2, respectively. Thereafter, the samples were stored at 4ºC for 72 h and various seminal parameters (individual sperm progressive motility, viability, abnormalities, plasma membrane functionality) along with oxidative stress parameters (total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) were evaluated at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h of preservation. The results indicated that the mean percent values for progressive sperm motility, viability, plasma membrane functionality and TAC were significantly higher (p<0.05) in treated groups with the highest values in MLT1 group. Significantly lower (p<0.05) percentage of total sperm abnormalities and MDA level were observed in treatment groups compared to control group. The results report that supplementation of 1mM melatonin efficiently maintain the seminal quality and ameliorate oxidative stress during preservation up at 4ºC to 72h.
METTL3 Depletion Contributes to HR+/HER2- Breast Cancer Progression and Drug Resistance via m6A Modification of Constituents of the CDKN1A/EMT and BAX/caspase-9/-3/-8 Signalling Pathways
Authors: Ouyang Dengjie , Hong Tao , Fu Mengdie , Li Yitong , Zeng Liyun , Chen Qitong , He Hongye , Wen Ying , Cheng Yan , Zhou Meirong , Zou Qiongyan , Yi Wen-jun
Published: November 2021

Background
Chemotherapy is an important strategy for the treatment of hormone receptor positive / human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer (BC), but this subtype has a low response to chemotherapy. Growing evidence indicates that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common RNA modification in eukaryotic cells and that methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) participates in tumour progression in several cancer types. Therefore, exploring the function of METTL3 in HR+HER2- BC initiation and development is still significant.
Methods
mRNA and protein expression levels were analysed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting, respectively. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 assays, cell migration was analysed by wound healing assays, and apoptosis was analysed by TUNEL assays. Finally, m6A modification was analysed by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP).
Results
Chemotherapy-induced downregulation of the m6A modification is regulated by METTL3 in HR+/HER2- BC. METTL3 knockdown in MCF-7/T47D cells weakened the drug sensitivity of HR+/HER2- BC cells by promoting tumour proliferation and metastasis and inhibiting apoptosis. Mechanistically, CDKN1A was subsequently recognized as a downstream target of METTL3 that activates the AKT pathway and promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT). Moreover, the RNA level of BAX was decreased due to a lower level of m6A modification mediated by METTL3, and apoptosis was inhibited by inactivation of caspase 3/9/8.
Conclusion
METTL3 regulates the proliferation, migration, and drug sensitivity of HR+/HER2- BC via activation of the CDKN1A/EMT and m6A-BAX/caspase 9/3/8 signalling pathways, which suggests its role as a potential biomarker for predicting the prognosis of patients with HR+/HER2- BC.
Quantitative Susceptibility Atlas Construction in Montreal Neurological Institute Space: Towards Histological-consistent Iron-rich Deep Brain Nucleus Sub-region Identification
Authors: He Chenyu , Guan Xiaojun , Zhang Weimin , Li Jun , Liu Chunlei , Wei Hongjiang , Xu Xiaojun , Zhang Yuyao
Published: November 2021

Iron-rich deep brain nuclei (DBN) of the human brain are involved in various motoric, emotional and cognitive brain functions. The abnormal iron alterations in the DBN are closely associated with multiple neurological and psychiatric diseases. Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) provides the spatial distribution of tissue magnetic susceptibility in the human brain. Compared to traditional structural imaging, QSM has superiority for imaging the iron-rich DBN owing to the susceptibility difference existing between brain tissues. In this study, we construct a Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space unbiased QSM human brain atlas via group-wise registration from 100 healthy subjects aged 19-29 years. The atlas construction process is guided by hybrid images that fused from multi-modal Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI), thus named as Multi-modal-fused magnetic Susceptibility (MuSus-100) atlas. The high-quality susceptibility atlas provides extraordinary image contrast between iron-rich DBN with their surroundings. Parcellation maps of DBN and their sub-regions that are highly related to neurological and psychiatric pathology are then manually labeled based on the atlas set with the assistance of an image border-enhancement process. Especially, the bilateral thalamus is delineated into 64 detailed sub-regions referring to the Schaltenbrand and Wahren stereotactic atlas. To our best knowledge, the histological-consistent thalamic nucleus parcellation map is well defined for the first time in MNI space. Comparing with existing atlases emphasized on DBN parcellation, the newly proposed atlas outperforms on atlas-guided individual brain image DBN segmentation accuracy and robustness. Moreover, we apply the proposed DBN parcellation map to conduct detailed identification of the pathology-related iron content alterations in subcortical nuclei for Parkinson Disease (PD) patients. We envision that the MuSus-100 atlas could play a crucial role in improving the accuracy of DBN segmentation for the research of neurological and psychiatric disease progress and also be helpful for target planning in deep brain stimulation surgery
Engineering Saccharomyces Cerevisiae for the Production and Secretion of Affibody Molecules.
Authors: Gast Veronica , Sandegren Anna , Dunås Finn , Ekblad Siri , Güler Rezan , Thorén Staffan , Mohedano Marta Tous , Molin Mikael , Engqvist Martin K M , Siewers Verena
Published: November 2021

BackgroundAffibody molecules are synthetic peptides with a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic applications. To date, Affibody molecules have mainly been produced by the bacterial production host Escherichia coli. There is an interest in exploring alternative production hosts to address if improvements in terms of yield, ease of production and if purification advantages can be identified. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a production chassis for this group of proteins. Results We examined the production of three different Affibody molecules in S. cerevisiae and found that these Affibody molecules were partially degraded. An albumin-binding domain, which may be attached to the Affibody molecules to increase their half-life, showed to be a substrate for several S. cerevisiae proteases. We tested the removal of three vacuolar proteases, proteinase A, proteinase B and carboxypeptidase Y. Removal of one of these, proteinase A, resulted in intact secretion of one of the targeted Affibody molecules. Removal of either or both two additional proteases, carboxypeptidase Y and proteinase B, resulted in intact secretion of the two remaining Affibody molecules. The produced Affibody molecules were verified to bind human HER3 as potently as the corresponding molecules produced in E. coli in an in vitro surface-plasmon resonance binding assay. Finally, we performed a fed-batch fermentation with one of the engineered protease-deficient S. cerevisiae strains and achieved a protein titer of 530 mg Affibody molecule/L. ConclusionThis study shows that engineered S. cerevisiae has a great potential as a production host for recombinant Affibody molecules, reaching high yields and for proteins where endotoxin removal could be challenging, the use of S. cerevisiae obviates the need for endotoxin removal from protein produced in E. coli.
ACROMIO-AXILLO-SUPRASTERNAL NOTCH INDEX [AASI] : A SCREENING METHOD TO PREDICT DIFFICULT LARYNGOSCOPY IN PATIENT UNDERGOING GENERAL ANAESTHESIA AND REQUIRING ENDOTRACHEAL INTUBATION
Authors: Acharya Shilpa , Sardesai Shalini , Chavan Pritam , Holkar Vinod
Published: November 2021

Introduction and Aims: Difficult laryngoscopy [poor visualisation of larynx] is a surrogate indicator of difficult intubation and inability to manage difficult visualisation of larynx (DVL) can be life threatening. This study is performed to assess the ability of new index â€“Acromio -Axillo-Suprasternal Notch Index to predict difficult laryngoscopy in patient undergoing general anaesthesia in addition to other common predictors. Material and Methods: 100 patients with ASA class I and II candidate for general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation were enrolled to this study. The four usual tests Modified MallampatiTest[MMT], Ratio Of Height to Thyromental Distance[RHTMD], Neck Circumference/ Thyromental distance, Sternomental distance difference were assessed before induction of anaesthesia. The new test AASI is calculated as follow: 1) Using a ruler a line is drawn vertically from the top of the acromion process to the superior border of the axilla at the pectoralismajor muscle named as line A. 2) A second line is drawn perpendicular to line A from the suprasternal notch (line B) and 3)That portion of line A that lies above where line B bisects line A is line C. AASI is calculated from the length of line C divided by line A[AASI = C/A]. By a skilled anaesthesiologist with more than 5 years of experience & who was unaware of the study, A laryngoscopy was done and based on Cormack-Lehane classification, grading of laryngoscopy was recorded. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value with 95% Confidence Interval for each airway predictor in isolation was studied. Results: DVL observed in 12% patients. We observed that sensitivity,specificity,PPV,NPV,AUC of Roc[95% confidence interval] of AASI was 80%[44.4-97.5%], 95.56%[89-98.8%],66.67%[42.22-84.6%],97.7%[92.6-99.33%},0.985[0.898-0.988]respectively & these results are better than other conventional methods of difficult airway predictors. Conclusion: AASI more than or equal to 0.5 is a good predictor of difficult visualisation of larynx (DVL) at direct laryngoscopy.
The Influence of Real Engagement in Active Problem Solving on Deep Learning: An Important Component of Exceptional Talent in the 21st Century Context
Authors:   The University of Arizona, Maker June , Zimmerman Robert ,   World Health Organization, Bahar A. Kadir ,   The University of Georgia, In-Albon Christine ,   Vail Unified School District
Published: November 2021

Exceptional talent includes the ability and willingness to solve varied, complex problems, and having a knowledge structure that facilitates problem solving and creativity. The purpose of this study was to determine changes in students’ knowledge structures resulting from fidelity of implementation of Real Engagement in Active Problem Solving (REAPS), a vehicle for igniting, cultivating, extending, and strengthening exceptional talent. Using regression analysis, we found teachers’ fidelity of implementation was a significant predictor of student growth (F [4, 413] = 7.194, p < .001) in total scores and subscores on concept maps, a measure of knowledge structure. Implementation of principles for talent development in the dimensions of content, processes, products, and learning environment had differential, but positive, effects. Because concept maps have no ceiling, students already scoring at high levels can show growth. Concept maps can be used as assessments of learning, for learning, and as learning.
Normalization of assembly technical process of the frame of power and control equipment for nuclear power plants by the method of simulation
Authors: Loskutov I. A.
Published: November 2021

Objectives.The modern world is associated with a clear dependence on it. The number of consumers is growing exponentially. In order to minimize the costs of enterprises, an assumption was made about the rationality of the number of nuclear power plants. When considering the timing of the construction of nuclear complexes, an excessive duration of the manufacture of power and control equipment for nuclear power plants was revealed. In order to reduce time costs, it was proposed to standardize the work of assembly, assembly and packaging production associations.

Method.Research in this area was practically not carried out and were, often, of an episodic nature. Initially, it was believed that the operations of the technological process of manufacturing equipment should be rationalized by classical methods, however, in the previous works of the author, a new approach was proposed, based on the analysis of the characteristics of the employee employed in the technical process, the specifics of the type of operational work, as well as various disturbing factors that negatively affect the production time. Then the systematization of the obtained data and their further modeling is carried out.Results. The paper shows the derivation of the final equation for the assembly of the frame of power and control equipment for nuclear power plants. The substantiation of the applied methods was given, the target audience was indicated, the regulatory framework was taken into account. In addition, the results of previous works are shown, on the basis of which the mathematical model was built. Separately, recommendations were given on the additional use of the functions of the resulting equation.

Conclusion.The equation obtained in the work makes it possible to calculate with maximum accuracy the time spent on assembling the frame of the power and control equipment for a nuclear power plant. The principles shown in other works can be used in an area that has directionality with minimal model change.