bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AI-Big Data-Mobile System Development of Measuring Nursing Workloads using Wearable device and Real Time Location Information
Authors: Park Hyunggon , Kang Younhee
Published: May 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to develop an AI-Big Data-Mobile system for measuring nursing workloads and nurses’ physiological responses to work using wearable device and beacon.
Methods: This was a study of technological development, the IoT-Big data-Mobile system measuring nursing workloads and physiological responses to work using the real-time location information.
Results: The overall system consists of four components, which are data generation devices, nurses’ devices, servers, and database. The location and health data generated from beacons and wearable devices are stored in nurses’ smart phones. Then, the data are transmitted from the user to the server and is stored in database of the server. The location data is collected from multiple beacons if smart devices of nurses are in the proximity of the beacons. The health data on iOS can be accessed via HealthKit, which is the framework that allows the access and share of nurses' health and fitness data on devices. We use the Apple Watch paired with an iPhone and the data is automatically synchronized with the associated iPhone. For data transmission, we adopt the socket communication to transmit data to the server, as it can support real-time, bidirectional, and event-based communication.
Conclusion: Throughout this system developed, objective quantification of nursing workloads by the time and nursing space might be realized. Furthermore, based on data of accurate nursing workloads by types of hospital, department, and work-shift, the prediction model of nursing workloads could be developed with big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The appropriate arrangement of nursing workforce is a key prerequisite for the high-quality nursing care. The system developed in this study would be able to estimate nursing workforce needed to provide the optimum nursing services based on the scientific and objective data and inferences on workforce.
“I’ve been waiting for 10 years to start living again” – Self-perceived problems of Afghan asylum seekers and refugees and their experiences with a short psychological intervention
Authors: Kantor Viktoria , Weindl Dina , Schiess-Jokanovic Jennifer , Verginer Lucia , Lueger-Schuster Brigitte , Knefel Matthias
Published: May 2023

Background: This study examined Afghan asylum seekers and refugees’ experiences treated with an adapted version of the brief psychological intervention Problem Management Plus (aPM+) and explored which problems trouble them most, and how these problems influence their daily functioning. It further examined how various standardized outcome measures correlate with these subjectively perceived problems.
Method: This study is part of a larger research project (PIAAS study) and uses a multi-method approach consisting of two parts. First, it investigated the participants’ self-identified problems and subjective functional impairment with quantitative and an qualitative assessments within the treatment and control group (n=88). Second, we conducted qualitative in-depth interviews to gain a deeper understanding of personal experiences with aPM+ as well as suggestions for improvement with a subsample of the treatment group (n=24). Spearman correlations were applied for quantitative data and for qualitative data deductive and inductive approaches of thematic analysis were used.
Results: We identified six main themes of self-perceived problems (post migration living difficulties, general mental problems, interpersonal stressors, mental problems specifically associated with stress, and somatic problems) and their consequences as well as subjective functional impairment. Standardized measures of general mental health, posttraumatic psychopathology, and quality of life did not correlate with the perceived intensity of the self-perceived problems. aPM+ was perceived mostly positively and few participants had recommendations for its improvement.
Conclusion: The study aimed at giving a voice to Afghan trauma survivors to inform service providers and policy makers about their needs. Further, it includes their expertise to tailored interventions for their actual needs and its practical use. APM+ shows to be a positively perceived intervention that reduces subjective symptom burden and facilitate daily functioning. Thus, culture-sensitive treatments should be facilitated within (mental) health services to increase service use and (mental) health in a long run.
Seismic performance of a new type of RC shear walls confined with high-strength rectangular spiral reinforcements
Authors: Zhao Huajing , Li Sen , Hu Yifan , Liu Jiangyuan , Yang Penghui
Published: May 2023

To improve the seismic performance of structures, a new type of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls confined with high-strength rectangular spiral reinforcements (HRSRs) is proposed. Pseudo-static tests were conducted on four 1/2-scale HRSR shear walls possessing different parameters. The influence of HRSR on the bearing capacity, ductility, and failure modes of the shear walls was systematically studied. The test results clearly indicate that using HRSR as hoops and transverse reinforcements can effectively restrain the deformation and capacity-decline stage of the high-strength concrete shear walls, improving their bearing capacity and ductility. Particularly, the seismic performance of the RC shear walls with a high axial-compression ratio can be significantly improved by applying HRSR. A simplified model was proposed for the ultimate flexural capacity of the HRSR shear walls, which precisely agreed with the experimental results. These results provide a new strategy for seismic-performance design of RC shear walls in engineering structures.
Changes in DNA methylation associated with type of delivery
Authors: Krumpolec Patrik , Kodada Dominik , Hadžega Dominik , Petrovič Oliver , Babišová Klaudia , Dosedla Erik , Turcsányiová Zuzana , Minárik Gabriel
Published: May 2023

Background: A type of delivery represents an epigenetic factor with potential to affect further development by multiple mechanisms. One of them can be DNA methylation, which represents major epigenetic mechanism inolving direct chemical modification to the DNA.
This study aims to examine wheather type of delivery induces changes of DNA methylation comparing the umbilical cord blood and periphery blood of the newborns.
Methods: The blood samples from infants, born by vaginal delivery and cesarean section, were used to preparation of the Methylseq library according to NEBNext enzymatic Methyl-seq Methylation Library Preparation Kit with further generation of target-enriched DNA libraries by Twist Human Methylome Panel. DNA methylation status was measured using Illumina next-generation sequencing.
Results: We identified 168 differentially methylated regions in umbilical cord blood samples and 157 regions in peripheral blood samples. These were associated with 59 common biological, metabolic and signaling pathways for umbilical cord and peripheral blood samples.
Conclusions: Cesarean section probably represents important epigenetic factor with potential to induce changes in genome, which could play an important role in development of broad spectrum of disorders. Our results could contribute to elucidate how epigenetic factors, like type of delivery, could have an adverse impact on health later in the life.
An automatic pipeline for PET/MRI attenuation correction validation in the brain
Authors: Hamdi Mahdjoub , Ying Chunwei , An Hongyu , Laforest Richard
Published: May 2023

Purpose
PET/MRI quantitative accuracy for neurological applications is challenging due to accuracy of the PET attenuation correction. In this work, we proposed and evaluated an automatic pipeline for assessing the quantitative accuracy of four different MRI = based attenuation correction (PET MRAC) approaches.
Methods
The proposed pipeline consists of a synthetic lesion insertion tool and the FreeSurfer neuroimaging analysis framework. The synthetic lesion insertion tool is used to insert simulated spherical, and brain regions of interest (ROI) into the PET projection space and reconstructed with four different PET MRAC techniques, while FreeSurfer is used to generate brain ROIs from T1 weighted MRI image. Using a cohort of 11 patients' brain PET dataset, the quantitative accuracy of four MRAC(s), which are: DIXON AC, DIXONbone AC, UTE AC, and Deep learning trained with DIXON AC, named DL-DIXON AC, were compared to the PET-based CT attenuation correction (PET CTAC). MRAC to CTAC activity bias in spherical lesions and brain ROIs were reconstructed with and without background activity and compared to the original PET images.
Results
The proposed pipeline provides accurate and consistent results for inserted spherical lesions and brain ROIs inserted with and without considering the background activity and following the same MRAC to CTAC pattern as the original brain PET images. As expected, the DIXON AC showed the highest bias; the second was for the UTE, then the DIXONBone, and the DL-DIXON with the lowest bias. For simulated ROIs inserted in the background activity, DIXON showed a -4.65% MRAC to CTAC bias, 0.06% for the DIXONbone, -1.70% for the UTE, and − 0.23% for the DL-DIXON. For lesion ROIs inserted without background activity, DIXON showed a -5.21%, -1% for the DIXONbone, -2.55% for the UTE, and − 0.52 for the DL-DIXON. For MRAC to CTAC bias calculated using the same 16 FreeSurfer brain ROIs in the original brain PET reconstructed images, a 6.87% was observed for the DIXON, -1.83% for DIXON bone, -3.01% for the UTE, and − 0.17% for the DL-DIXON.
Conclusion
The proposed pipeline provides accurate and consistent results for synthetic spherical lesions and brain ROIs inserted with and without considering the background activity; hence a new attenuation correction approach can be evaluated without using measured PET emission data.
Para-infectious brain injury in COVID-19 persists at follow-up despite attenuated cytokine and autoantibody responses
Authors: Michael Benedict , Dunai Cordelia , Needham Edward , Tharmaratnam Kukatharamini , Williams Robyn , Huang Yun , Boardman Sarah , Clark Jordan , Sharma Parul , Subramaniam Krishanti , Wood Greta , Collie Ceryce , Digby Richard , Ren Alexander , Norton Emma , Leibowitz Maya , Ebrahimi Soraya , Fower Andrew , Fox Hannah , Tato Esteban , Ellul Mark , Sunderland Geraint , Held Marie , Hetherington Claire , Egbe Franklyn , Palmos Alish , Stirrups Kathleen , Grundmann Alexander , Stewart James , Griffiths Michael , Solomon Tom , Breen Gerome , Coles Alasdair , Cavanagh Jonathan , Irani Sarosh , Vincent Angela , Baillie J , Openshaw Peter , Semple Malcolm ,   ISARIC-4C Investigators, corsortium COVID-CNS , Taams Leonie , Menon David
Published: May 2023

Neurological complications occur in a significant proportion of COVID-19 cases. In order to identify key biomarkers, we measured brain injury markers, inflammatory mediators, and autoantibodies in 203 participants admitted to hospital for management of COVID-19; 111 provided acute sera (1-11 days post admission) and 56 with COVID-19-associated neurological diagnoses provided convalescent sera (up to76 weeks post admission). Compared to 60 controls, brain injury biomarkers (total-Tau, GFAP, NfL, UCH-L1) were increased in acute sera, significantly more so for NfL and UCH-L1, in participants with altered consciousness. Total-Tau (tTau) and NfL remained elevated in convalescent sera, particularly following cerebrovascular and neuroinflammatory disorders. Acutely, inflammatory mediators (including IL-6, IL-12p40, HGF, M-CSF, CCL2, and IL-1RA) were higher in participants with altered consciousness and correlated with brain injury biomarker levels. Inflammatory mediators were lower in convalescent sera than acute sera. Levels of CCL2, CCL7, IL-1RA, IL-2Rα, M-CSF, SCF, IL-16 and IL-18 in individual participants correlated with tTau levels even at later time points. When compared to acute COVID-19 patients with a normal Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS), network analysis showed significantly altered immune responses in patients with acute alteration of consciousness, and in convalescent patients who had suffered an acute neurological complication. The frequency and range of autoantibodies did not associate with neurological disorders. However, autoantibodies against specific antigens were more frequent in patients with altered consciousness in the acute phase (including MYL7, UCH-L1, GRIN3B, and DDR2), and in patients with neurological complications in the convalescent phase (including MYL7, GNRHR, and HLA antigens). In a novel low-inoculum mouse model of SARS-CoV-2, while viral replication was only consistently seen in mouse lungs, inflammatory responses were seen in both brain and lungs, with significant increases in CCL4, IFNγ, IL-17A, and microglial reactivity in the brain. Neurological injury is common in the acute phase of COVID-19 and we found brain injury markers persist during convalescence and may be driven by a para-infectious process involving a dysregulated host response.
Is fatigue mechanism implicated in intraoral fracture of narrow dental implants? A retrieval analysis study
Authors: Jabbari Youssef S. Al , Fournelle Raymond , Sufyan Arif , Zinelis Sprios
Published: May 2023

Purpose
This study aimed to perform a thorough failure analysis of two fractured narrow dental implants (NDIs) after medium-term in vivo use.
Materials and Methods
The top parts of two fractured NDI fixtures were retrieved from two different locations at two different times from the same patient. The first NDI fixture (NDI-specimen-1) was 12 months in service while the second NDI fixture (NDI-specimen-2) was 17 months in service. In both cases, the top parts of the fractured NDI fixtures that were attached to prosthetic components were retrieved and subjected to thorough, non-destructive (light microscopy [LM] and scanning electron microscopy [SEM]), and destructive testing (metallography, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy [EDS] and hardness testing).
Results
LM and SEM revealed that both the retrieved fractured NDI fixtures failed because of fatigue, characterized by beach and ratchet marks. Macroscopic examination revealed that fatigue cracks initiated at the internal thread surfaces of the implants and propagated around them until final fracture. Both samples fractured near the end of the retaining screw and followed the root of the internal thread (crest of the retaining screw). Both optical and SEM analyses revealed a uniform distribution of irregularly shaped grains with diameters ranging from approximately 2 to 5 µm. EDS analysis showed that the NDI-specimen-1 was made using Ti-14%Zr with traces of Si and Al and its microhardness was 288 ± 5 HV.
Conclusion
In both cases, the fracture occurred by a fatigue failure mechanism; thus, an increase in fatigue resistance will be beneficial for the longevity of NDI.
An exploration of motivations to conserve energy in public area
Authors: Dupre Mickael , Meineri Sebastien
Published: May 2023

The study contributes insight to the understanding of underlying cognition to behave eco-responsibly. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into motivation influencing a pro-environmental behavior (i.e. turning off a light). The aim of the study is to contribute to the understanding of decision-making regarding consumer behavior of energy conservation. More precisely, this research explores the behavioral effect of normative and guilt-inducing messages, and a combination of both. This research is based on an experiment which displayed five messages inciting individuals to turn off the light when they leave a room. 960 users of public toilets in a shopping center were involved in the experiment. This research used a quasi-experimental method. Results show that injunctive and persuasive messages do not increase a user’s likeliness to turn a light off while normative and guilt-inducing messages do increase this behavior. A combination of normative and guilt-inducing messages also increase the frequency of this pro-environmental behavior. These comparisons allow us to conclude that decisions to turn off a light use the automatic system 1 described by Khaneman. In this case, behavior is not motivated by altruism but by social influence. Moreover, findings argue in favor of normative messages to influence behavior. The aim of the study is to propose practical solutions to improve the communication of organizations targeting energy conservation. The research concludes that communicating on normative information could change environmental behavior in public- access buildings.
Utilization of deep learning to evaluate the measurement results of forced oscillation technique
Authors: Funaita Chiune , Furuie Wakaba , Koike Fumika , Oyama Saki , Endo Junji , Otani Yoshio , Ichikawa Yuri , Ito Minako , Nakamura Yoichi , Komatuzaki Keiko , Hirata Akira , Miyazaki Yasunari , Sumi Yuki
Published: May 2023

No reference values have been established for MostGraph, which measures total respiratory resistance and reactance using the forced oscillation technique, making it difficult to interpret the results. This study aimed to establish a reference range for MostGraph measurements and examine its usefulness in discriminating participants with asthma from controls (participants without any respiratory diseases). The study also aimed to investigate the effectiveness of deep learning in discriminating between the two aforementioned groups. To establish reference ranges, the MostGraph measurements of healthy controls (n = 215) were power-transformed to distribute the data more normally. After inverse transformation, the mean ± standard deviation ⋅ 2 of the transformed values were used to establish the reference ranges. The number of measured items from the reference ranges was evaluated to discriminate patients with asthma (n = 941) from controls. Additionally, MostGraph measurements were evaluated using deep learning. Although reference ranges were established, patients with asthma could not be discriminated from controls. However, with deep learning, we could discriminate between the two groups with 78% accuracy. Therefore, deep learning, which considers multiple measurements as a whole, was found to be more effective in interpreting MostGraph measurement results compared to the reference range, which considers each result individually.
Development of Evolutionally Algorithm-Based Protein Redesign Method
Authors: Ozawa Hiroki , Unno Ibuki , Sekine Ryohei , Ito Sohei , Nakano Shogo
Published: May 2023

Enzymes have the potential to become next-generation biocatalysts for synthesizing fine chemicals, but tailoring highly functional enzymes depending on the applications remains a challenging task. In this study, we developed a novel enzyme redesign tool called GAOptimizer to overcome this hurdle. GAOptimizer generates artificial enzymes by accumulating positively-affected mutations through a genetic algorithm, using a template structure as the starting point for the evolution; mutations are selected from phylogenetically conserved residues in homologs of the template. Both stability and non-stability based scores can be used as fitness functions to determine whether mutations may have positive effects. The successful design of three distinct enzymes using GAOptimizer suggests that the tool can generate highly functional enzymes with enhanced properties, such as thermostability, solubility, and activity, by modifying fitness functions. GAOptimizer is freely available at the following URL: https://github.com/shognakano/GAOptimizer.
Single-cell sequencing dissects the transcriptional identity of activated fibroblasts and identifies novel persistent distal tubular injury patterns in kidney fibrosis
Authors: Rudman-Melnick Valeria , Adam Mike , Stowers Kaitlynn , Potter Andrew , Ma Qing , Chokshi Saagar M. , Vanhoutte Davy , Valiente-Alandi Iñigo , Lindquist Diana M. , Nieman Michelle L. , Kofron J. Matthew , Potter S. Steven , Devarajan Prasad
Published: May 2023

Examining kidney fibrosis is crucial for mechanistic understanding and developing targeted strategies against chronic kidney disease (CKD). Persistent fibroblast activation and tubular epithelial cell (TEC) injury are key CKD contributors. However, cellular and transcriptional landscapes of CKD and specific activated kidney fibroblast clusters remain elusive. Here, we analyzed single cell transcriptomic profiles of two clinically relevant kidney fibrosis models which induced robust kidney parenchymal remodeling. We dissected the molecular and cellular landscapes of kidney stroma and newly identified three distinctive fibroblast clusters with “secretory”, “contractile” and “vascular” transcriptional enrichments. Also, both injuries generated failed repair TECs (frTECs) characterized by decline of mature epithelial markers and elevation of stromal and injury markers. Notably, frTECs shared transcriptional identity with distal nephron segments of the embryonic kidney. Moreover, we identified that both models exhibited robust and previously unrecognized distal spatial pattern of TEC injury, outlined by persistent elevation of renal TEC injury markers including Krt8, while the surviving proximal tubules (PTs) showed restored transcriptional signature. Furthermore, we found that long-term kidney injuries activated a prominent nephrogenic signature, including Sox4 and Hox gene elevation, which prevailed in the distal tubular segments. Our findings might advance understanding of and targeted intervention in fibrotic kidney disease.
Long-term Efficacy of Anti-IL-4 Receptor Antibody in a Patient With Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease and IgG4-Related Disease
Authors: Jeon Hyun-Seob , Jang Jae-Hyuk , Lee Youngsoo , Park Hae-Sim
Published: May 2023

Background
Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) and IgG4-related disease (IgG4RD) share a common pathway of Th2-mediated immune mechanism; there have been several cases of IgG4RD developed in patients with asthma, especially in those comorbid with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). IgG4RD has often been treated with systemic corticosteroids, rituximab, or immune-suppressive agents, but frequently failed with relapse.
Case presentation:
Here, we present a case of a 64-year-old male patient with severe AERD with CRS complicated with IgG4RD, who has been successfully treated and maintained with anti-IL-4 receptor antibody, dupilumab after achieving unsatisfactory responses with previous treatments including steroids, rituximab, omalizumab, and reslizumab. The patient’s symptoms (periorbital swelling and asthmatic/nasal symptoms) were remarkably improved; serum levels of IgG4/IgE as well as plasmablast/eosinophil counts progressively decreased without any recurrence sign for over 2 years of dupilumab treatment.
Conclusion
These findings demonstrate that blocking the IL-4/IL-13 pathway with dupilumab can be an effective treatment with long-term safety in patients with severe AERD with CRS complicated by IgG4RD.
Derivation of trophoblast stem cells unveils unrestrained potential of mouse embryonic stem cells and epiblast
Authors: Jana Debabrata , Singh Priya , Sailasree Purnima , Srivast Mansi , Kumar Nithyapriya , Vishnu Vijay V , Kale Hanuman T , Lakshmi Jyothi , Srini Gunda , Sowpati Divya Tej , Shekar P Chandra
Published: May 2023

Mouse epiblast and embryonic stem cells (mESCs) are considered to adhere strict lineage restriction and lack the potential to contribute to trophoectoderm (TE). In contrast, here we report the derivation of trophoblast stem cells (ESTS) from the mESCs. The single-cell transcriptome and molecular characterization of ESTS show similarity with TSCs. They efficiently integrate into the TE compartment of the blastocyst and contribute to the placenta during development. We discovered GSK3b signaling as the primary barrier for TE potential of the ESCs. It plays a vital stage-specific function during ESTS derivation. b-CATENIN and an intron-I regulatory element of Cdx2 were found to be essential for priming the ESCs to TE fate. We further show that the mouse epiblast possesses developmental plasticity and can readily differentiate into TE lineage. In contrast to the paradigm of the restricted potential of pluripotent ESCs and epiblast, our data shows that murine ESCs and epiblast have the unrestrained developmental potential for extraembryonic lineages.
Annealing determined β-phase polypropylene crystal texture, separator porous channels after biaxial stretching, and lithium-ion battery performances
Authors: Ding Lei , Li Dandan , Zhang Sihang , Du Fanghui , Zhang Daoxin , Yang Feng
Published: May 2023

Uneven porous channels tend to undergo structure-determined chemical deterioration as lithium-ion battery (LIB) operates, which may restrict lithium-ion migration behaviors within the separator and deteriorate cell performances. This research precisely regulates β-phase polypropylene crystal texture and porous channels after biaxial stretching based on the systematic annealing process to explore annealing decided separator porous channels and subsequent electrochemical performances of LIB. Suitable annealing temperature maximally concentrates lamellae layer dispersion and enhances thermal stability, which homogenizes biaxial tensile deformation and subsequent porous channels. Identical crystal and porous channel optimizations are also achieved by synchronously rising annealing temperature and shortening annealing time, especially annealing at 155℃ for only 10s, which lowers the Li+ migration barrier and strengthens cell C-rate and cycling stability. This desirable improvement does not require the sacrifice of time cost to achieve, which verifies separator structure-chemical affected LIB performance and the application feasibility of annealing in the actual production of the dry double-drawn separator.
Potential use of artichoke on melanoma treatment
Authors: Mathew Annette , Deng Zuliang , Nelson Christian , Mayberry Trenton G , Bai Qian , Lequio Marco , Fajardo Emerson , Xiao Huaping , Wakefield Mark , Fang Yujiang
Published: May 2023

Background
Melanoma is the most lethal malignancy in skin cancers. About 97,610 new cases of melanoma are projected to occur in the US in 2023. Artichoke is a very popular plant widely consumed in the US due to its nutrition. In recent years, it has been shown that artichoke shows powerful anti-cancer effects on cancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer and leukemia. However, there is little known about its effect on melanoma. This study was designed to investigate if artichoke extract (AE) has any direct effect on the growth of melanoma.
Methods
Clonogenic survival assay, cell proliferation, and caspase-3 activity kits were used to evaluate the effects AE on cell survival, proliferation, and apoptosis of the widely-studied melanoma cell line HTB-72. We further investigated the possible molecular mechanisms using RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining.
Results
The percentage of colonies of HTB-72 melanoma cells decreased significantly after treated with AE. This was paralleled with the decrease in the optic density (OD) value of cancer cells after treated with AE. This was further supported by the decreased expression of PCNA mRNA after treated with AE. Furthermore, the cellular caspase-3 activity increased after treated with AE. The anti-proliferative effect of AE on melanoma cells correlated with increased p21, p27 and decreased cdk4. The pro-apoptotic effect of AE on melanoma cells correlated with decreased survivin.
Conclusions
Artichoke inhibits growth of melanoma by inhibition of proliferation and promotion of apoptosis. Such a study might be helpful to develop a new promising treatment for melanoma.
Effects of three kinds of different protein-to-fat ratio ingredi-ents on growth, slaughter performance and fat deposition of Small-Tail Han lambs
Authors: Li Qin , Yang Dong , Yan Tu , Ma Tao , Du Xinmin , Ruijun Liu , Zhang Jianxin , Diao Qiyu
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to investigate the effect of three kinds of different protein-to-fat ratio ingredients on growth, slaughter performance and meat quality of Small-tail Han lambs. For this, 45 Small-tailed Han lambs (♂)(BW = 34.00 ± 2.5 kg, age = 120 ± 9 d) were randomly assigned to three treatment: (1) PF5 group, (2) PF10 group and (3) PF20 group, each treatment consisted of fifteen repeats. The ratio of protein and fat in three ingredients were the PF5 (CP:EE = 50:5 ), PF10 (CP:EE = 50:10), and PF20 (CP:EE = 50:20 ). This experiment lasted for 65 days, with feed intake recorded daily, and animals being weighed on days 0, 30, and 65. At the end of the experiment, eight lambs from each group were slaughtered, slaughter performance and meat quality were subsequently determined. The results showed that the PF10 group had the highest average daily weight gain (370.15 g) (P < 0.05). Fore-gastric weights (1216.88 g) of the PF10 group were significantly highest the other groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the proportion of fat weight to body weight in different parts, which was basically at the same level (P > 0.05). Feed conversion rate of the PF10 group was also the best. Furthermore, the PF10 group had a high carcass weight and slaughter rate and there were few differences between the other groups in terms of dry matter intake, meat quality, organ weight, and fat deposition (P > 0.05). In conclusion, a protein-fat ratio of raw materials of 50:10 is the best ratio, which can more conducive to enhancing the growth and development of small-tail Han lambs.
Study on the Influence of Desert Highway Corridor on Sand Dune Mobility Rate
Authors: Wang Fang , Liu Shixiao
Published: May 2023

In order to more conveniently explore the movement rate of the Tengger desert dunes and analyze the influencing factors, this paper takes the Tengger desert dunes as the research object, starting from the dune ecology of the highway corridor,the influence of the construction of corridor on dune movement is explored by using UAV tilt photography technology. The results found that after the construction of the desert highway corridor, the movement rates of the leeward side with protection, the windward side with protection, the leeward side without protection and the windward side without protection are 1.13 m/a, 1.40 m/a, 1.47 m/a and 1.94 m/a, respectively. After the construction, the movement rates of the dunes decrease by 48.17%, 35.78%, 20.18% and 11.18%, respectively.The UAV tilt photography technology can provide a more convenient monitoring services for the sand dune migration at a larger scale, and the research results can provide a reference for the characteristics of the sand dune migration characteristics in similar areas.
HOXB2 Is a Prognostic Biomarker and Correlated with Immune Infiltration in Colorectal Cancer and Glioma
Authors: Liu Zhenrui , Wen Puqiao , Wang Shuxing , Liao Yuxuan , Zhou Dawei , Wang Hongyi , Xu Ruofan , Chen Yiwei
Published: May 2023

Homeobox B2 (HOXB2) is a transcription factor that belongs to the homeobox family. Previous investigations have demonstrated that tumor prognosis was strongly linked to aberrant HOXB2 expression. However, the mechanism linking HOXB2 to the tumor microenvironment (TME) and prognosis has not been explored in detail.
Three cohorts at different stages of colorectal cancer (GSE17536, GSE17537, GSE14333) demonstrated that elevated HOXB2 expression had significantly association with poorer overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS). Additionally, the poor prognosis in low grade glioma (LGG) (OS HR = 1.8, P-value = 0.00084; DFS HR = 1.5, P-value = 0.014) was associated with increased HOXB2 expression. Moreover, we also demonstrated that the correlation between HOXB2 expression with prognosis of gastric cancer, breast cancer, and liver cancer. What’s more, the results analyzed by TIMER further showed that HOXB2 expression was associated with immune infiltration level of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), rectum adenocarcinoma (READ) and LGG, particularly B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ cells. macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells (DCs). The positive correlation between HOXB2 expression and the expression of immune maker genes was also observed. The results of RT-qPCR were reliable and we supposed that HOXB2 expressing validation provided strong evidence for HOXB2 functioning as a novel prognosis biomarker.
These findings suggested that poor prognosis and increased immune infiltration levels were found to be correlated with increased HOXB2 expression in multiple cancers, especially in COAD, READ and LGG. Furthermore, in COAD, LGG and READ, HOXB2 potentially regulates TAMs, DCs, T cell exhaustion, and Tregs. Therefore, HOXB2 can serve as a biomarker with special prognostic value and may be involved in the regulation of immune cell infiltration in patients with COAD, READ and LGG.
Metagenomic insight into the microbial degradation of biomass and alkaloids in the aging process of cigar
Authors: Xue Fang , Yang Juan , Luo Cheng , Li Dongliang , Shi Guiyang , Song Guangfu , Li Youran
Published: May 2023

The aging process is the final step in cigar production and plays a vital role in the quality. There are complex microbial growth and metabolism, enzymatic catalysis, and chemical reactions in this process. Among them, microorganisms function as a bridge between organic and inorganic contents. At present, we do not yet have sufficient knowledge of the evolution of microorganisms in the aging process of cigars. Neither are we clear about the mechanisms by which environmental conditions may impact the quality of cigars through the interaction of microorganisms and chemical substances. In this study, we used a metagenomics sequence-guided strategy to identify the microbes and enzymes involved in the degradation of key compounds, biomass and alkaloids, under different environmental conditions. The results showed that different environmental factors including temperature, humidity, aging cycle, and turning frequency resulted varied contents of total sugar, and alkaloids in cigars. Microbial communities showed significant correlations with starch, reducing sugars, total sugars and alkaloids. Vital species in the catabolism of starch (Bacillus pumilus, Pseudomonas sp. 286 and Aspergillus cristatus), reducing sugars and total sugars (Aspergillus cristatus and Nitrolancea hollandica) were identified. Corynespora cassiicola and Pseudomonas fulva were proposed to contribute to the degradation of nornicotine and neonicotinoid. Our work should deepen the understanding of microbial roles in cigar aging and provide a new viewpoint for applying specific microbial consortia to modulate the degradation of biomass and alkaloids in cigar leaves.
Inter-provincial Carbon Emission Transfer Paths, Spatial and Temporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors in China from a Value Perspective
Authors: Liu Hongguang , Dong Xiaocui
Published: May 2023

Carbon emission reduction is an arduous task that needs to be faced and solved globally at present and in the future period, and it is also an important goal in the process of China's economic and social development, and it is crucial to study carbon emissions based on value chain transfer to achieve carbon emission reduction and scientific and reasonable allocation of carbon emission reduction responsibilities. Based on the input-output method, this paper applies the value-based carbon emission accounting method to calculate the carbon emissions, net transfer of carbon emissions and net transfer growth rate of 30 provinces, autonomous regions and cities (excluding Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) in China in 2012 and 2017, and analyzes the carbon emission transfer characteristics between provinces in China. The results show that during 2012–2017, China's carbon emissions as a whole showed a shift from regions with a higher level of economic development to regions with a lower level of economic development, from the east to the west, and the net transfer out center of gravity shifted significantly to the north and to the west. The main carbon emission transfer in and out of each province and city have changed, and the central region has always been the region with the most transferred carbon emissions, but the net transfer growth rate between some provinces in the central region and other regions has decreased more, and the net transfer growth rate between the northeast and western regions and all provinces and cities in the country, especially those in the coastal region, are larger. The level of economic development and industrial structure contribute the most to the change of net transfer of carbon emissions, and the population factor contributes the least. The results of this paper will provide a basis for improving carbon transfer research in China and guiding the formulation and implementation of carbon emission reduction policies.
MicroRNA-499-5p inhibits Transforming Growth Factor β1-Induced Smad Signaling pathway and suppresses atrial fibroblasts in rat by targeting TGFβ-R1
Authors: Zhao Qing , Yang Wentao , Li Xiangdong , Yuan Hongtao , Guo Jianping , Wang Yutang , Shan Zhaoliang
Published: May 2023

Background
Artial fibrosis has been recognized as a typical pathological change in atrial fibrillation (AF). Although present evidence suggests that microRNA-499-5p (miR-499-5p) plays an important role in the development of atrial fibrosis, the specific mechanism is not fully understood. Therefore, this study attempted to assess the influence of miR-499-5p on atrial fibroblasts and explore the potential molecular mechanism.
Methods
Atrial fibroblasts from Sprague Dawley (SD) rat were respectively transfected with miR-499-5p mimics, miR-499-5p negative control and miR-499-5p inhibitors, atrial fibroblasts without any treatment were also established. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and Transwell assay were used to detect the proliferation and migration of atrial fibroblasts in each group. Expressions of miR-499-5p, TGFβ1, smad2, a-SMA, collagen-I and TGFβ-R1 in mRNA and protein level were subsequently detected via Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Furthermore, the prediction of the binding sites of miR-499-5p and TGFβ-R1 was performed via the bioinformatics online software TargetScan and verified by Dual Luciferase Reporter.
Results
By utilizing miR-499-5p-transfected atrial fibroblasts model, expression of miR-499-5p in the miR-499-5p mimics group was upregulated, while it was downregulated in the miR-499-5p inhibitors group. Upregulated miR-499-5p expression led to to a significant decrease in the proliferative and migratory ability of cultured atrial fibroblasts, while downregulated miR-499-5p expression led to a significant increase in the proliferative and migratory ability of cultured atrial fibroblasts. Additionally, upregulated miR-499-5p expression made a significant rise in TGF-β1-induced mRNA and protein expression of TGFβ1, TGFβ-R1, smad2, a-SMA and collagen-I in atrial fibroblasts. Furthermore, results from the Dual Luciferase Reporter conformed that miR-499-5p may repress TGFβ-R1 by binding the 3'UTR of TGFβ-R1 directly.
Conclusions
MiR-499-5p is able to inhibit the activation of Transforming Growth Factor β-Induced Smad Signaling and eventually suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of atrial fibroblasts by targeting TGFβ-R1.
Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles for treatment of chronic kidney disease in preclinical animal models: a meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Hongshuang , Liu Jiazhi , Fang Fang , Gao Lanjun , Zhao Chenchen , Wang Zheng , Zhong Yan , Wang Xiangting
Published: May 2023

Objective. Evaluate the effectiveness of extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the treatment of chronic kidney disease based on meta-analysis.
Methods. We searched CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, Web of Science and other databases on randomized controlled trial (RCT) of oral traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations to improve inflammatory response in patients with diabetes nephropathy. The search time was from the establishment of the database to October 2022. All researchers independently screened and extracted documents for quality evaluation. Data analysis was conducted on documents that met quality standards using Stata 16.0 software and RevMan 5.4.
Results. 12 studies (n=198) satisfied the inclusion criteria.The results demonstrated that the levels of Scr (SMD=-0.38;95%CI=-4.29,-1.87;P<0.00001),BUN (SMD =−3.68, 95%CI=−5.24, −2.13;P<0.00001),and COL-1(SMD=-5.14; 95%CI=-9.32, -0.97; P<0.00001); α-sma SMD=-4.95%, 95%CI=-5.49,-2.50;P<0.00001); TGF-β (SMD=-4.19%, 95%CI=-6.92, -1.46;P=0.003) and the apoptotic cells (SMD=-3.85%, 95%CI=-5.05, -2.65;P＜0.00001) were significantly decreased in the EV group.
Conclusion. The results confirmed that MSCs-EV therapy could improve renal function and delaying kidney fibrosis in preclinical animal CKD model.
Influence of external insert Angle on structural deformation of long pipe shed with shallow hole
Authors: Jiang Chao teng , Mao Wei , Zhang Yongkang , Liu Xuejun , Muhemaier Ruheiyan , Xie Liangfu
Published: May 2023

The long pipe shed advanced support has the characteristics of large construction difficulty, wide support range, and easy deviation. The difference in construction dip angle will produce a different plastic zone of surrounding rock and supporting effects, and the rationality of advanced support design plays an important role in the safety of tunnel opening excavation. Based on the Tianshan Tunnel project, this paper aims at the problems of the loose pebble layer structure, poor cohesion, strong permeability, shallow excavation is not easy to form a confined arch, and easy to causes surrounding rock deformation and failure. Combined with the new method theory, the finite difference software FLAC3D was used to simulate seven excavation schemes of the shallow tunnel entrances. The mechanism and effect of advance support and the influence of construction angle on support effect are analyzed, and the simulation values are compared with the measured data. The results show that using long pipe shed advanced support can effectively reduce the disturbance of excavation to lose pebble rock mass and reduce the convergence value of surrounding rock. The results show that using long pipe shed advanced support can effectively reduce the disturbance of excavation to lose pebble rock mass and reduce the convergence value of surrounding rock. The plastic zone of surrounding rock produced by different angles can be divided into three parts. The structural stability difference of the C1 zone is small, and that of the C3 zone is large. The bending moment, shear force, and shape variables of the pipe shed decrease with the increase of the dip Angle, while the axial force increases with the increase of the dip Angle. According to the fitting effect of simulation results and measured values, the best supporting effect is when the dip Angle of shallow-buried tunnel advance support pipe shed is set in the range of 0°~3°.
Species diversity and major host–substrate associations of the genus Akanthomyces
Authors: Wang Yao , Wang Zhi-Qin , Luo Run , Souvanhnachit Sisommay , Thanarut Chinnapan , Dao Van-Minh , Yu Hong
Published: May 2023

Akanthomyces, a group of fungi with rich morphological and ecological diversity in Cordycipitaceae (Ascomycota, Hypocreales), has a wide distribution among diverse habitats. By surveying arthropod-pathogenic fungi in China and Southeast Asia over the last six years, nine Akanthomyces spp. were found and identified. Four of these were new species, and they were named A. kunmingensis and A. subaraneicola from China, A. laosensis from Laos, and A. pseudonoctuidarum from Thailand, and they were described and illustrated according to the morphological characteristics and molecular data. Akanthomyces araneogenus, which is isolated from spiders from different regions in China, Thailand, and Vietnam, is described as a newly recorded species from Thailand and Vietnam. The phylogenetic positions of the nine species were evaluated based on phylogenetic inferences according to five loci, namely, ITS, nrLSU, TEF, RPB1, and RPB2. In this study, we reviewed the research progress achieved for Akanthomyces regarding its taxonomy, species diversity, geographic distribution, and major host–substrate associations. The morphological characteristics of 35 species in Akanthomyces, including four novel species and 31 known taxa, were also compared.
The alleviative remedy effect of Dates’ fruit consumption on severity symptoms of Autism spectrum disorder: A randomized controlled three-month trial
Authors: Metwally Ammal M. , Raouf Ehab R. Abdel , Elsaied Amal , Ashaat Engy A. , El-Saied Mostafa M. , Abdel-Latif Ghada A. , El-Din Ebtissam M. Salah , El-Sonbaty Marwa M. , Hashish Adel F. , Mehanna Nayra Sh. , Swailem Saleh M. Al , Attia Hanaa R. M. , Mahmoud Walaa S. , Naga Maie M. , Fathy Asmaa M. , Ibrahim Nihad A. , El-Sonbaty Mohamed M.
Published: May 2023

Aim
To investigate the effectiveness of a 90-day regular consumption of Dates fruit on alleviating autism severity symptoms in 131 Egyptian children aged 3–12 years with confirmed Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The influence of the baseline and improvement of children’s clinical and laboratory characteristics on this effectiveness was explored.
Methodology
This study involved a randomized, controlled, double-blind 3-month of dates fruit intake. Cases were randomized into one of the three groups; Group I on 3 pieces of dates’ fruit/day (47 children), Group II on 5 pieces of dates’ fruits/day (42 children), and group III; on non-dates group (42 children). The probiotic levels of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in stool, blood levels of three oxidative markers; Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPX1), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), adaptive behaviors, nutrition, dietary assessment, and anthropometric measurements were assessed before and after the intervention.
Results
A significant reduction in the mean severity score of CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Ed (DSM-5) was detected for those on dates’ regimens compared to those with non-dates (p < 0.01). The improvement for participants was dose dependent (5 dates’ fruits/day). The improvement was mainly in the social communication and interaction domains. Responders to Dates’ fruit intake as based on DSM-5 diagnosis was detected among 62.9% of the intervention groups. Responders are those who showed significant improvement in the colony counts of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli levels, BMI z score, and in the ratio levels of both MDA/SOD and MDA/GPX as a result of dates fruit consumption. Non-responders within the intervention groups are those who were at risk of malnutrition (RR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1–3.4), obese (RR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.0-3.5), and those who had a deficiency of the baseline of lactobacillus Spp (RR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.1–4.4).
Conclusion
Dates’ fruit (a non-pharmacological and risk-free option) due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effect is recommended for autistic children as adjuvant therapy daily to achieve consistent improvement.
This study was registered at the US National Institutes of Health (ClinicalTrials.gov) # NCT04261595, with Protocol ID: 12060158, the first registration date was 10/02/2020.