bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Oral Microbiome and Its Role in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases: A Systematic Review of Big Data Analysis
Authors: Gao Lu , Cheng Zijian , Zhu Fudong , Bi Chunsheng , Shi Qiongling , Chen Xiaoyan
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Despite decades of research, systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs) continue to be a major global health concern and the etiology of these diseases is still not clear. To date, with the development of high-throughput techniques, increasing evidence indicated a key role of oral microbiome in the pathogenesis of SADs, and the alterations of oral microbiome may contribute to the disease emergence or evolution. This review is to present the latest knowledge on the relationship between the oral microbiome and SADs, focusing on the multiomics data generated from a large set of samples.

Methodology

By searching the PubMed and Embase databases, studies that investigated the oral microbiome of SADs, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and Sjögren's syndrome (SS), were systematically reviewed according to the PRISMA guidelines.

Results

One thousand and thirty-eight studies were found, and 25 studies were included: three referred to SLE, 12 referred to RA, nine referred to SS, and one to both SLE and SS. The 16S rRNA sequencing was the most frequent technique used. HOMD was the most common database aligned to and QIIME was the most popular pipeline for downstream analysis. Alterations in bacterial composition and population have been found in the oral samples of patients with SAD compared with the healthy controls. Results regarding candidate pathogens were not always in accordance, but Selenomonas and Veillonella were found significantly increased in three SADs, and Streptococcus was significantly decreased in the SADs compared with controls.

Conclusion

A large amount of sequencing data was collected from patients with SAD and controls in this systematic review. Oral microbial dysbiosis had been identified in these SADs, although the dysbiosis features were different among studies. There was a lack of standardized study methodology for each study from the inclusion criteria, sample type, sequencing platform, and referred database to downstream analysis pipeline and cutoff. Besides the genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics technology should be used to investigate the oral microbiome of patients with SADs and also the at-risk individuals of disease development, which may provide us with a better understanding of the etiology of SADs and promote the development of the novel therapies.
Microsimulation Study on Energy Release and Rock Block Ejection Force of Granite under Different Unloading Conditions
Authors: Wang Xin-Yuan , Yin Yan-Chun , Xing Ming-Lu , Zhang Dong-Dong , Chen Yang , Wang En-Chao
Published: June 2022

Rock burst is one typical dynamic disaster caused by excavation in deep underground engineering. High-stress unloading test is a common research method for rock bursts. Due to the limitation of laboratory test conditions, it is difficult to monitor the energy release and dissipation information during rock bursts in the unloading test. But the study of energy evolution law is more helpful to reveal the essential characteristics of rock burst. Therefore, the energy evolution process and ejection failure characteristics of granite after unloading were analyzed through the unloading simulation test in this paper, and the influence of unloading velocity, lateral stress, and axial stress were researched. The microstructure numerical model of the granite was established by using digital image processing technology and PFC2D software, aiming to match the real granite. The energy evolution process of unloading granite can be divided into three stages, namely the whole energy rapid release stage, sidewall energy slow-release stage, and rock block ejection stage. The area near the unloading sidewall is the main energy release and rock block ejection area. In the whole energy rapid release stage, the energy release velocity and dissipation velocity show similar law, i.e., a positive power function correlation with unloading velocity, a negative power function correlation with lateral stress, and a positive linear function correlation with axial stress. In the rock block ejection stage, with increasing the unloading velocity and axial stress, the rock block ejection force increases as a power function, while it decreases with increasing lateral stress. This research is an important supplement to the laboratory unloading test. It has theoretical guiding significance for rock burst hazard assessment during excavation in deep underground engineering.
G Allele of the rs1801282 Polymorphism in PPARγ Gene Confers an Increased Risk of Obesity and Hypercholesterolemia, While T Allele of the rs3856806 Polymorphism Displays a Protective Role Against Dyslipidemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Li Shujin , He Chuan , Nie Haiyan , Pang Qianyin , Wang Ruixia , Zeng Zhifu , Song Yongyan
Published: June 2022

Background

The relationships between the rs1801282 and rs3856806 polymorphisms in nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) gene and obesity indexes as well as serum lipid levels have been extensively investigated in various studies, but the results were inconsistent and even contradictory.

Methods

PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Wanfang, CNKI and VIP databases were searched for eligible studies. The random-effTPDEects model was used, and standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to estimate the differences in obesity indexes and serum lipid levels between the subjects with different genotypes in a dominant model. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed by Cochran’s x2-based Q-statistic test. Publication bias was identified by using Begg’s test.

Results

One hundred and twenty studies (70,317 subjects) and 33 studies (18,353 subjects) were identified in the analyses for the rs1801282 and rs3856806 polymorphisms, respectively. The G allele carriers of the rs1801282 polymorphism had higher levels of body mass index (SMD = 0.08 kg/m2, 95% CI = 0.04 to 0.12 kg/m2, p < 0.001), waist circumference (SMD = 0.12 cm, 95% CI = 0.06 to 0.18 cm, p < 0.001) and total cholesterol (SMD = 0.07 mmol/L, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.11 mmol/L, p < 0.01) than the CC homozygotes. The T allele carriers of the rs3856806 polymorphism had lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (SMD = -0.09 mmol/L, 95% CI = -0.15 to -0.03 mmol/L, p < 0.01) and higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (SMD = 0.06 mmol/L, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.10 mmol/L, p < 0.01) than the CC homozygotes.

Conclusions

The meta-analysis suggests that the G allele of the rs1801282 polymorphism confers an increased risk of obesity and hypercholesterolemia, while the T allele of the rs3856806 polymorphism displays a protective role against dyslipidemia, which can partly explain the associations between these polymorphisms and cardiovascular disease.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier [CRD42022319347].
Oncofertility and Fertility Preservation in Cancer Patients Across the Twitterverse
Authors: Martinez-Ibarra Nayeli A. , Remolina-Bonilla Yuly A. , Buerba-Vieregge Hector H. , Barragan-Carrillo Regina , Castro-Alonso Francisco J. , Mateos-Corella Samantha , Bourlon Maria T.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Infertility is a major problem affecting children, adolescents, and young adults (AYAs) with cancer, either due to the disease itself or because of oncologic treatment. Oncofertility (OF) focuses on counseling cancer patients about fertility risks and preservation options. However, OF and fertility preservation (FP) conversations on Twitter and their impact are unknown. We aim to characterize the users and type of content of these conversations.

Materials and Methods

This observational study analyzed tweets with the hashtags “#Oncofertility” and “#FertilityPreservation” over eight months. We classified Twitter accounts by user type and country. Tweets were categorized by content type, and retweets and likes were quantified. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.

Results

A total of 399 tweets from 223 different accounts were evaluated. Twitter accounts comprised 22 countries and stemmed from high, upper-middle, and lower-middle-income countries in 86.5%, 5.4%, and 6.3%, respectively; no accounts from low-income countries were found. Accounts were mostly from physicians (37%) and healthcare centers (20%); we did not find any patient accounts. The most common content category was informative tweets directed to patients (30.8%), followed by discussion/sharing of medical papers (25.6%). Only 14.5% of tweets contained information about children and adolescents. Still, only 4.5% were aimed at children. Retweets were absent in 16.5% of the tweets, and 80.7% did not have comments.

Conclusion

OF and FP discussions on Twitter were limited to interactions among medical professionals. Also, advocacy groups showed limited activity on social media. Even though a significant proportion of tweets directed to patients were found, no active involvement of patients was observed. Finally, limited number of tweets (4.5%) were directed to children and adolescents. There is a need to raise awareness about the effects of cancer on fertility in this group. Currently, Twitter is not a resource of information for children and AYAs with cancer who need OF counseling and fertility preservation. Our results open a debate on how to promote the use of social media in the future to improve the quality of OF information available, awareness, and care since there is an unmet need for fertility preservation access in young cancer patients.
Power Leakage Monitoring and Warning Device for Power Grid Fault Diagnosis: Design and Field Test
Authors: Yang Qi , Xie Xuegang , Huang Jisheng , Wu Jintao
Published: June 2022

Electrical equipment insulation damage, metal shell conduction on rainy days, and wire short circuits are easy to produce leakage, which form step voltage on the ground and endangers the life and safety of nearby personnel. In addition to the existing leakage protector, a new method is proposed to use leakage energy to obtain energy and early warning. The step voltage generated by the leakage current is collected through the electrode, which is rectified and reduced by the nano power LTC3588, while energy is stored in the supercapacitor for the superheterodyne transmitting module to send the leakage signal to the nearby receiving device. Based on the possibility of the superheterodyne transmitting module sending the leakage signal, it is judged whether leakage occurs here. The experimental results illustrate that when 10 mA leakage occurs in a 220 V wire, the electrode distance is 1.0 m, while the energy extraction device can obtain 360 MW of power for the superheterodyne transmitting module to send the leakage signal.
Analysis of Industrial Carbon Transfer in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei City Cluster and Surrounding Areas
Authors: Siqin Gao , Huijuan Wang
Published: June 2022

To achieve the goal of carbon neutrality and win the blue-sky defense battle, the environmental situation in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas is still grim, and the optimization of its industrial structure and energy structure is imminent. With the rapid development of interregional trade in intermediate products, carbon emissions are transferred across regions with the trade. Due to the large differences in the technology, industrial structure, and economic development of cities, extending the environmental governance chain of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas is indispensable. In this article, based on the interregional input-output tables in 2002, 2007, and 2012, we establish the average propagation length (APL) model and the structural path analysis model Structural Path Analysis model for analyzing the carbon conduction relationship in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. And we also compare the situation of the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta. The results show that: i) From perspective of the whole urban clusters, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei has obvious characteristics of coal-fired urban clusters. More than 65% of the carbon-containing resources in Hebei’s coal industry are transferred to the electricity and heat industry. In the carbon conduction chain, the carbon emissions caused by electricity and heat industry, which acts as an intermediary, account for more than 85% of the total emissions. ii) From the perspective of industrial structure transfer within the urban clusters, Hebei Province has an important resource support position. Its secondary industry can not only effectively alleviate the shortage of energy supply in other resource provinces, but also has great development potential in the improvement of economic benefits. iii) From the perspective of specific industry sectors, resource provinces such as Shanxi and Inner Mongolia have high carbon emission coefficients in the electricity and heat industry, which is the main reason for the high carbon emissions in the transfer chain.
Effects of Climate Change on Hydrological Indicators of Subsurface Drainage for a Representative French Drainage Site
Authors: Jeantet Alexis , Thirel Guillaume , Jeliazkov Alienor , Martin Philippe , Tournebize Julien
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study is to evaluate from a hydrological perspective and in the context of climate change the future of subsurface drainage of the La Jaillière site (western France), which is representative of the pedology of the majority of French subsurface drainage. We used a uniquely large and comprehensive range of 17 hydrological indicators (HIs), describing the temporal dynamics of drainage season, soil saturation, drained water balance and flood events. The HI values are calculated from simulated discharges provided by a subsurface drainage model, the SIDRA-RU model, fed by 12 climate projections from 1975 to 2100 (CMIP5 Euro-Cordex project), with three climate change scenarios: Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. We first verified that the HIs simulated using climate projections in the SIDRA-RU model over the historical period were not critically biased compared to the HIs obtained from the reference climatic reanalysis (SAFRAN). Second, we analysed and compared the HI evolution over different periods and under different scenarios. Our results showed that the number of significant changes in HI values increased under climate change by 2100, depending on the RCP: 2 HIs out of the 17 changed under RCP2.6; 6 HIs under RCP4.5; 10 HIs under RCP8.5. The intensity of drainage peak flows linked to flood events and the annual maximal discharge changed significantly under all RCPs. The temporality of the drainage season was substantially affected according to how pessimistic the RCP was. The worst changes were observed under RCP8.5, which exacerbated extreme events: The wet period was shorter while the dry period was longer by about 67%; the drought index increased by 100%; the summer drained water balance decreased by 9%. On the contrary, in winter, the duration of the wet period decreased while maintaining the same drained water balance, thus inducing stronger flood events leading to an earlier saturation of the drainage networks. The sustainability of the drainage system design at La Jaillière is therefore threatened, with the risk of fulfilling its function less effectively by 2100, exposing current crops to more important runoff and affecting water quality by increasing the leaching of agrochemical inputs.
Does Degree of Stringency Matter? Revisiting the Pollution Haven Hypothesis in BRICS Countries
Authors: Wen Yuzhao , Haseeb Mohammad , Safdar Noreen , Yasmin Fouzia , Timsal Sajida , Li Zaijun
Published: June 2022

This study aims to demonstrate the validity of the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH) for BRICS nations by revealing the empirical relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI), air pollution, and environmental regulations. At the same time, the study objectives are based on the BRICS′ COP26 goals focused on mobilizing climate finance annually. The SDGs agenda for 2030 seeks to implement effective climate change planning and management. However, the study uses the panel data of BRICS countries from 2000 to 2020. This study has used the PMG/PARDL model to empirically test the existence of PHH in BRICS countries. Therefore, the empirical estimates indicate that an increase in FDI increases environmental degradation. Consequently, the findings confirm the existence of PHH in BRICS. This study demonstrates that at low levels of stringency, the likelihood of pollution-intensive FDIs increases with a decrease in severity. Even though strict regulations may lead to higher pollution-intensive foreign direct investment (FDI), this is not always the case at lower levels of law. This implies that the same pollution activity may be economically and socially unsuitable for developed environments but desirable for less advanced environments. These distinctions are the foundation for the emergence of pollution havens. Therefore, environmental policy laxity must be formed to induce FDI flow into the BRICS countries, further implying SDG’s accomplishment. Furthermore, additional stringent regulations might very well result in FDIs with a more significant environmental impact. This suggests that pollution havens are only possible if environmental rules are lax or inconsequential.
Exploring the Effects of Mitonuclear Interactions on Mitochondrial DNA Gene Expression in Humans
Authors: Torres-Gonzalez Edmundo , Makova Kateryna D.
Published: June 2022

Most mitochondrial protein complexes include both nuclear and mitochondrial gene products, which coevolved to work together. This coevolution can be disrupted due to disparity in genetic ancestry between the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes in recently admixed populations. Such mitonuclear DNA discordance might result in phenotypic effects. Several nuclear-encoded proteins regulate expression of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes. We hypothesized that mitonuclear DNA discordance affects expression of genes encoded by mtDNA. To test this, we utilized the data from the GTEx project, which contains expression levels for ∼100 African Americans and >600 European Americans. The varying proportion of African and European ancestry in recently admixed African Americans provides a range of mitonuclear discordance values, which can be correlated with mtDNA gene expression levels (adjusted for age and ischemic time). In contrast, European Americans did not undergo recent admixture. We demonstrated that, for most mtDNA protein-coding genes, expression levels in energetically-demanding tissues were lower in African Americans than in European Americans. Furthermore, gene expression levels were lower in individuals with higher mitonuclear discordance, independent of population. Moreover, we found a negative correlation between mtDNA gene expression and mitonuclear discordance. In African Americans, the average value of African ancestry was higher for nuclear-encoded mitochondrial than non-mitochondrial genes, facilitating a match in ancestry with the mtDNA and more optimal interactions. These results represent an example of a phenotypic effect of mitonuclear discordance on human admixed populations, and have potential biomedical applications.
Transcriptome Analysis Explored the Differential Genes’ Expression During the Development of the Stropharia rugosoannulata Fruiting Body
Authors: Wang Cui , Zhang Xunjie , Zeng Zhiheng , Song Feifei , Lin Zhen , Chen Liangjun , Cai Zhixin
Published: June 2022

Stropharia rugosoannulata (S. rugosoannulata) is a fungus with great edible and nutritional values; however, the development mechanism of its fruiting body has not been studied. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in four stages; primordia stage (Sra1), young mushroom stage (Sra2), picking stage (Sra3), and opening umbrella stage (Sra4). Therefore, total RNA was extracted for further RNA-sequencing analysis. In three pairwise comparison groups (PCGs), Sra1 vs. Sra2, Sra2 vs. Sra3, and Sra3 vs. Sra4, a total of 3,112 DEGs were identified among the three PCGs. A GO analysis of the DEGs showed that there were 21 terms significantly enriched in Sra1 vs. Sra2 PCG. There was no significantly enriched GO term in the other two PCGs. Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis showed that these DEGs were mainly enriched in glucose and amino acid metabolisms. Moreover we found that intron retention (IR) and the alternative 3′ splice site (A3SS) accounted for more than 80%. The development of the S. rugosoannulata fruiting body mainly involved glucose and amino acid metabolisms. IR and A3SS were the two main types of ASE, which played an important role in the development and maturation of the S. rugosoannulata fruiting body.
Determinants of Mental Healthcare-Seeking Behavior of Postpartum Women in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Odufuwa Oyeteju T. , Olaniyan Olanrewaju , Okuonzi Sam A.
Published: June 2022

The mental healthcare-seeking behavior of postpartum mothers has received little attention in Nigeria. Previous studies in the country have focused on determinants of physical health-seeking behavior, choice of maternal healthcare provider, prevalence, and determinants of maternal mental illness, yet, determinants of maternal mental health-seeking behavior among Nigerian women has been understudied. This study, therefore, examined the determinants of mental health-seeking behavior among postpartum women in Ibadan, Nigeria. Maternal mental illness, which was proxied using postpartum depression, was computed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale. Data for the study were obtained through a survey method using a 9-page questionnaire. A 3-stage sampling technique was employed. The first stage was a stratified sampling to disaggregate the health facilities offering postnatal and immunization services on the basis of ownership of public and private healthcare providers. In the second stage, seven healthcare facilities comprising three (3) private and four (4) public healthcare were purposively selected based on the number of attendees. The final stage was a random selection of 390 postpartum mothers attending postnatal and immunization clinics across seven healthcare facilities. The prevalence of depression among the mothers was 20.8%. While only 39.5% of the depressed women sought care, 22.3% of the non-sufferers also sought mental healthcare. This revealed that both sufferers and non-sufferers sought mental healthcare. Also, a higher incidence of postpartum depression among the sufferers increased the likelihood of seeking mental healthcare. Age, family history of postpartum depression, and having the desired gender of child were determinants of mental health-seeking behavior. Among the sufferers of postpartum depression who failed to seek care, a low perceived need for mental healthcare, the perception that the depressive symptoms will go on their own, as well as fear of being stigmatized as a “weak mother”, were reasons for not seeking mental healthcare. Thus, to promote mental healthcare, the non-cost factors, like availability and accessibility to a mental healthcare facility should be addressed. To achieve this, mental healthcare sensitization programs should be integrated into maternal healthcare at all levels, and mothers attending antenatal clinics should be routinely screened for early symptoms of depression in the postpartum period.
Optimized Protocols for In-Vitro T-Cell-Dependent and T-Cell-Independent Activation for B-Cell Differentiation Studies Using Limited Cells
Authors: Marsman Casper , Verhoeven Dorit , Koers Jana , Rispens Theo , ten Brinke Anja , van Ham S. Marieke , Kuijpers Taco W.
Published: June 2022

Background/Methods

For mechanistic studies, in-vitro human B-cell differentiation and generation of plasma cells are invaluable techniques. However, the heterogeneity of both T-cell-dependent (TD) and T-cell-independent (TI) stimuli and the disparity of culture conditions used in existing protocols make the interpretation of results challenging. The aim of the present study was to achieve the most optimal B-cell differentiation conditions using isolated CD19+ B cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures. We addressed multiple seeding densities, different durations of culturing, and various combinations of TD and TI stimuli including B-cell receptor (BCR) triggering. B-cell expansion, proliferation, and differentiation were analyzed after 6 and 9 days by measuring B-cell proliferation and expansion, plasmablast and plasma cell formation, and immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion. In addition, these conditions were extrapolated using cryopreserved cells and differentiation potential was compared.

Results

This study demonstrates improved differentiation efficiency after 9 days of culturing for both B-cells and PBMC cultures using CD40L and IL-21 as TD stimuli and 6 days for CpG and IL-2 as TI stimuli. We arrived at optimized protocols requiring 2,500 and 25,000 B–cells per culture well for the TD and TI assays, respectively. The results of the PBMC cultures were highly comparable to the B-cell cultures, which allows dismissal of additional B-cell isolation steps prior to culturing. In these optimized TD conditions, the addition of anti-BCR showed a little effect on phenotypic B-cell differentiation; however, it interferes with Ig secretion measurements. The addition of IL-4 to the TD stimuli showed significantly lower Ig secretion. The addition of BAFF to optimized TI conditions showed enhanced B-cell differentiation and Ig secretion in B-cell but not in PBMC cultures. With this approach, efficient B-cell differentiation and Ig secretion were accomplished when starting from fresh or cryopreserved samples.

Conclusion

Our methodology demonstrates optimized TD and TI stimulation protocols for more in-depth analysis of B-cell differentiation in primary human B-cell and PBMC cultures while requiring low amounts of B cells, making them ideally suited for future clinical and research studies on B-cell differentiation of patient samples from different cohorts of B-cell-mediated diseases.
Case Report: Complete Remission of a Patient With Metastatic Gastric Cancer Treated With Nivolumab Combined With Chemotherapy After Palliative Surgery
Authors: Dai Peilin , Rao Xi , Zhang Xi , Qiu Enming , Wu Gang , Lin Yu , Li Sitong , Li Zhou , Cai Zhai , Han Shuai
Published: June 2022

Metastatic advanced gastric cancer, for which treatment strategies are extremely limited, has a poor prognosis. Complete remission is rare. Patients usually lose the opportunity of therapeutic surgery because the lesions cannot be completely removed, although it can greatly prolong their survival time. Palliative surgery usually suggests bad outcomes. In recent years, the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) nivolumab has shown significant efficacy in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. However, its applicable conditions and optimal withdrawal time remain controversial owing to its low response rate and high incidence of immune-related adverse events. Herein, we introduce a 66-year-old male patient with advanced gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases who underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy for acute gastric bleeding. The patient received eight cycles of S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) and switched to eight cycles of SOX plus nivolumab combined regimen in a stable state, later achieving complete remission. There was no recurrence for 32 months after the surgery. This is the first reported case of gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases with long-term complete remission with nivolumab treatment after palliative surgery. The potential mechanism of complete remission was discussed through clinical, genomic, and immune characteristics. The patient had a history of psoriasis and was positive for programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), and the interaction of TP53 mutation and HER-2 (-) gene may be associated with complete remission.
Identification of Critical Biomarkers and Immune Infiltration in Rheumatoid Arthritis Based on WGCNA and LASSO Algorithm
Authors: Jiang Fan , Zhou Hongyi , Shen Haili
Published: June 2022

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is the most common inflammatory arthritis, and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. RA patients’ synovial inflammation contains a variety of genes and signalling pathways that are poorly understood. It was the goal of this research to discover the major biomarkers related to the course of RA and how they connect to immune cell infiltration. The Gene Expression Omnibus was used to download gene microarray data. Differential expression analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to identify hub markers for RA. Single-sample GSEA was used to examine the infiltration levels of 28 immune cells and their connection to hub gene markers. The hub genes’ expression in RA-HFLS and HFLS cells was verified by RT-PCR. The CCK-8 assay was applied to determine the roles of hub genes in RA. In this study, we identified 21 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in RA. WGCNA yielded two co-expression modules, one of which exhibited the strongest connection with RA. Using a combination of differential genes, a total of 6 intersecting genes was discovered. Six hub genes were identified as possible biomarkers for RA after a lasso analysis was performed on the data. Three hub genes, CKS2, CSTA, and LY96, were found to have high diagnostic value using ROC curve analysis. They were shown to be closely related to the concentrations of several immune cells. RT-PCR confirmed that the expressions of CKS2, CSTA and LY96 were distinctly upregulated in RA‐HFLS cells compared with HFLS cells. More importantly, knockdown of CKS2 suppressed the proliferation of RA‐HFLS cells. Overall, to help diagnose and treat RA, it’s expected that CKS2, CSTA, and LY96 will be available, and the aforementioned infiltration of immune cells may have a significant impact on the onset and progression of the disease.
State of Play in Marine Soundscape Assessments
Authors: Havlik Michelle-Nicole , Predragovic Milica , Duarte Carlos Manuel
Published: June 2022

A soundscape is the recording of all sounds present in an area, creating a holistic view of the acoustic profile in an ecosystem. Studying acoustic parameters of marine soundscapes as a whole has been shown to give an indication of the health status of the location, as well as correlate to which species may be present and using the area. With the rapid innovation of technology, especially data storage and declining cost of equipment, marine soundscape research is fast increasing, and these previous limitations have been switched for computing capacity for data analysis. Here, we perform a systematic assessment of literature of marine soundscape studies, from 1978, when the first soundscape study was reported, until 2021. We identified 200 primary research studies that recorded soundscapes and captured their geographical location, depth, habitat, duration of the study, and number of sites in each study. Using this data, we summarize the state of play in marine soundscapes studies, and identify knowledge gaps in the spatial coverage, depth profiles, habitat representation and study duration. Spatially, studies are biased towards the northern hemisphere. They are also more prevalent in more easily accessible ecosystems, in order from most to least studied, in coastal (38%), pelagic (20%), tropical coral reef (17%), rocky reef (7%), polar (5.5%), seagrass meadows, oyster reef and kelp/algal forest (<5% each) areas, with zones of cold-water coral the least studied (0.3%). Continuing the trend of accessibility, studies also tended to focus on shallow ecosystems. Most recordings (68%) were conducted in the upper 50 m, with 13% in 50-200 m depths, and only 0.6% at a depth >4000 m. With anthropogenic noise and other pollution sources increasing globally, these gaps in research should be further addressed, especially as they pertain to vulnerable ecosystems, many of which are affected by global climate change and anthropogenic influences. It is crucial that marine soundscape studies continue to be developed and pursued, to establish baselines for healthy ecosystems and/or document recovery following management actions.
Larval Ecology of Gobiid Fishes in a Subtropical Embayment: Environmental Preferences and Spatiotemporal Habitat Partitioning
Authors: Zhang Hui , Yuan Xingwei , Ling Jianzhong , Jiang Yazhou
Published: June 2022

Larval ecology of gobiid fishes in Xiangshan Bay of the east coast of China was examined from ichthyoplanktonic data collected during 10 weekly cruises in spring–early summer of 2015. Particular attention was given to their environmental preferences and spatiotemporal habitat partitioning. A total of 87, 007 gobiid larval individuals, distributed in 9 species, were collected. The thermal and salinity preferences of 6 of the 9 gobiid larvae have been determined using a quotient-rule analysis. This work filled some gaps in larval ecology of these poorly studied gobiids. Temporal succession in gobiid larvae composition was strongly evident. The bay ecosystem was mainly occupied by Asian freshwater goby Acanthogobius ommaturus, branded goby Chaeturichthys stigmatias and tank goby Glossogobius giuris, with preferences for temperature bellow 19°C during April to early May, while striped sand goby Amoya pflaumi and burrowing goby Trypauchen vagina, which preferred water temperature above 22°C, predominated the larval assemblage in early June. With respect to spatial distribution, relatively little variation was detected among species. Most of gobiid larvae exhibited little obvious habitat preference except pinkgray goby Amblychaeturichthys hexanema and A. ommaturus, which distributed preferably in the inner zone and mouth of the bay ecosystem, respectively. Water temperature was the major structuring factor of gobiid larvae assemblage structure in the bay. The gobiid larvae exhibited to be particularly susceptible to the rapid rising temperature shocks. Sharp decline in the total abundance of gobiid larvae was detected with each rapid heating process. In addition, significant shift in larval fish composition occurred following the process. The results suggest that pattern of temperature increase in spring and early summer plays a vital role in recruitment success of the gobiid larvae.
InterNet: Detection of Active Abdominal Arterial Bleeding Using Emergency Digital Subtraction Angiography Imaging With Two-Stage Deep Learning
Authors: Min Xiangde , Feng Zhaoyan , Gao Junfeng , Chen Shu , Zhang Peipei , Fu Tianyu , Shen Hong , Wang Nan
Published: June 2022

Objective

Active abdominal arterial bleeding is an emergency medical condition. Herein, we present our use of this two-stage InterNet model for detection of active abdominal arterial bleeding using emergency DSA imaging.

Methods

Firstly, 450 patients who underwent abdominal DSA procedures were randomly selected for development of the region localization stage (RLS). Secondly, 160 consecutive patients with active abdominal arterial bleeding were included for development of the bleeding site detection stage (BSDS) and InterNet (cascade network of RLS and BSDS). Another 50 patients that ruled out active abdominal arterial bleeding were used as negative samples to evaluate InterNet performance. We evaluated the mode's efficacy using the precision-recall (PR) curve. The classification performance of a doctor with and without InterNet was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

The AP, precision, and recall of the RLS were 0.99, 0.95, and 0.99 in the validation dataset, respectively. Our InterNet reached a recall of 0.7, the precision for detection of bleeding sites was 53% in the evaluation set. The AUCs of doctors with and without InterNet were 0.803 and 0.759, respectively. In addition, the doctor with InterNet assistant could significantly reduce the elapsed time for the interpretation of each DSA sequence from 84.88 to 43.78 s.

Conclusion

Our InterNet system could assist interventional radiologists in identifying bleeding foci quickly and may improve the workflow of the DSA operation to a more real-time procedure.
The Role of Corticosteroids in Treating Acute Ocular Toxoplasmosis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Case Report
Authors: Lin Hung-Yi , Lee Wan-Ju Annabelle
Published: June 2022

Background

This study aimed to report a case who was treated with corticosteroids and anti- parasitic agents for ocular toxoplasmosis, but who progressed to acute retinal necrosis, and finally retinal detachment.

Case Presentation

A 42-year-old man presented to the ophthalmology clinic with a 1-month history of progressive blurred vision and floaters in his right eye. His best visual acuity (VA) was 20/20 in both eyes. The anterior segment was unremarkable. Funduscopic examination of the right eye revealed active lesions of whitish foci of chorioretinitis with surrounding edema along the superonasal vessels, and retinal vasculitis with perivascular sheathing. Serologic testing was positive for Toxoplasma gondii IgM and IgG, but negative for other virus- and syphilis infections. Ocular toxoplasmosis was diagnosed. Corticosteroids and anti-parasitic agents were given simultaneously, but his right eye VA became 20/100. Funduscopic examination revealed retinal necrosis with localized retinal breaks. We immediately performed focal photocoagulation, however, his right eye progressed to retinal detachment and required vitrectomy.

Conclusion

Early administration of systemic corticosteroids in patients with acquired acute ocular toxoplasmosis may lead to complications that impair vision. Intensive observation should be arranged after corticosteroid use.
Performance of TB-LAMP in the Diagnosis of Tuberculous Empyema Using Samples Obtained From Pleural Decortication
Authors: Liu Chang , Fan Lichao , Zhang Jiansong , Hong Qi , Ren Yi , Tian Huaiyu , Chen Yu
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To evaluate the performance of TB-LAMP in the diagnosis of TB empyema using pleural tissue specimens obtained during pleural decortication.

Methods

Using the clinical records and the different diagnostic test results of patients who underwent pleural decortication in a TB-designated hospital over 3.5 years, we calculated the sensitivity, specificity positive predictive, and negative predictive values of the pathology, MGIT 960 culture, and TB-LAMP obtained by using pleural tissue specimens against the etiologic diagnosis and composite clinical reference standard (CCRS) as the reference standards.

Result

A total of 304 patients' records were extracted. All these patients had gone through pleural decortication. When the etiologic diagnosis was used as the reference, the sensitivity of TB-LAMP in identifying TB empyema was 77.8% (compared to 10.6% of MGIT 960 P < 0.05). The sensitivity of MGIT 960, pathology, and TB-LAMP was 8.2%, 77.7%, and 67.2% against CCRS as the reference; and the specificity of the three was 100.0, 100.0, and 96.2% against the same standard. A combination of pathology and TB-LAMP would increase the sensitivity and specificity to 84.7 and 96.0%. Using TB-LAMP to diagnose TB empyema using pleural tissue samples obtained from pleural decortication was faster with satisfactory performance.

Conclusion

TB-LAMP has great potential in faster and more accurate diagnosis of TB empyema. Our findings provide insights for optimizing diagnostic algorithms for TB empyema.
Two Methods of AuNPs Synthesis Induce Differential Vascular Effects. The Role of the Endothelial Glycocalyx
Authors: Maldonado-Ortega Daniel Alberto , Martínez-Castañón Gabriel , Palestino Gabriela , Navarro-Tovar Gabriela , Gonzalez Carmen
Published: June 2022

AuNPs are synthesized through several methods to tune their physicochemical properties. Although AuNPs are considered biocompatible, a change in morphology or properties can modify their biological impact. In this work, AuNPs (~12 to 16 nm) capping with either sodium citrate (CA) or gallic acid (GA) were evaluated in a rat aorta ex vivo model, which endothelial inner layer surface is formed by glycocalyx (hyaluronic acid, HA, as the main component), promoting vascular processes, most of them dependent on nitric oxide (NO) production. Results showed that contractile effects were more evident with AuNPsCA, while dilator effects predominated with AuNPsGA. Furthermore, treatments with AuNPsCA and AuNPsGA in the presence or absence of glycocalyx changed the NO levels, differently. This work contributes to understanding the biological effects of AuNPs with different capping agents, as well as the key role that of HA in the vascular effects induced by AuNPs in potential biomedical applications.
Case Report: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Followed by Intra-Aortic Balloon Counterpulsation Successfully Treated Cardiac Arrest Caused by Anomalous Origin of a Left Coronary Artery From the Right Coronary Sinus
Authors: Xu Xiaolan , Xu Peng , Wu Xiaoyan , Lin Hua , Chen Yinhua , Hu Xiaohua , Yu Jiangquan , Zheng Ruiqiang
Published: June 2022

Background

Anomalous origin of a coronary artery (AOCA) is defined as the failure of the coronary artery to originate from the normal coronary sinus. The anomalous origin of the left coronary artery arising from the right coronary sinus is rare, dangerous and at risk of malignant arrhythmia, sudden death, and high mortality.

Case Presentation

In this study, we present a 14-year-old adolescent male who went to a hospital with transient unconsciousness after exercise, who subsequently developed cardio arrest due to malignant arrhythmia. He was admitted to the intensive care unit, and who subsequently received successful veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) assisted circulation followed by intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP). Echocardiography and cardiac CTA were also performed, further confirming that the abnormal left coronary artery originated from the right coronary sinus. The patient subsequently underwent heart surgery.

Conclusion

The successful treatment of the patient in this report was attributed to the immediately VA ECMO, supplemented by IABP. Establishing clear diagnosis is a process of multidisciplinary joint diagnosis, which provides a reference for clinicians when encountering similar cases.
A Snapshot of Microbial Succession and Volatile Compound Dynamics in Flat Peach Wine During Spontaneous Fermentation
Authors: Xu Xiaoyu , Miao Yuanyuan , Wang Huan , Ye Piping , Li Tian , Li Chunyan , Zhao Ruirui , Wang Bin , Shi Xuewei
Published: June 2022

Flat peaches possess characteristic flavors and are rich in nutrients. The fermentation of flat peaches to produce wine through complex biochemical reactions is an effective method to overcome their seasonal defects. Spontaneously fermented flat peach wine has plentiful and strong flavors, but the microbiota of fermentation are still unknown. In this study, the microbial succession and volatile compound dynamics of spontaneous fermentation in Xinjiang flat peach wine were investigated using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technology, respectively, to better understand the microbiota involved. Multivariate data analysis was used to predict the relationship between microorganisms and volatile chemicals. The results showed that Kazachstania, Pichia, Aspergillus, Fructobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Lactobacillus were the dominant genera during the spontaneous fermentation of flat peach wine. Furthermore, ethyl hexanoate, 3-hexen-1-yl acetate, ethyl caprate, ethyl caprylate, phenethyl acetate, ethanol, γ-decalactone, decanal, 1-hexanoic acid, and octanoic acid endued flat peach wine with a strong fruity and fatty aroma. The core functional microbiota (primarily consisting of 11 bacterial and 14 fungal taxa) was strongly associated with the production of 27 volatile compounds in the spontaneously fermented flat peach wine, according to multivariate data analysis. Some alcohols and esters were positively linked with the presence of Kazachstania and Pichia. Meanwhile, the presence of Fructobacillus, Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Weissella was significantly correlated with 2-non-anol, ethanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, octyl formate, isoamyl lactate, and ethyl lactate. This snapshot of microbial succession and volatile compound dynamics provides insights into the microorganisms involved in flat peach wine fermentation and could guide the production of flat peach wine with desirable characteristics.
Quantitative Analysis of the Protein Methylome Reveals PARP1 Methylation is involved in DNA Damage Response
Authors: Wang Xinzhu , Mi Shaojie , Zhao Mingxin , Lu Chen , Jia Chenxi , Chen Yali
Published: June 2022

Protein methylation plays important roles in DNA damage response. To date, proteome-wide profiling of protein methylation upon DNA damage has been not reported yet. In this study, using HILIC affinity enrichment combined with MS analysis, we conducted a quantitative analysis of the methylated proteins in HEK293T cells in response to IR treatment. In total, 235 distinct methylation sites responding to IR treatment were identified, and 38% of them were previously unknown. Multiple RNA-binding proteins were differentially methylated upon DNA damage stress. Furthermore, we identified 14 novel methylation sites in DNA damage response-related proteins. Moreover, we validated the function of PARP1 K23 methylation in repairing IR-induced DNA lesions. K23 methylation deficiency sensitizes cancer cells to radiation and HU-induced replication stress. In addition, PARP1 K23 methylation participates in the resolution of stalled replication forks by regulating PARP1 binding to damaged forks. Taken together, this study generates a data resource for global protein methylation in response to IR-induced DNA damage and reveals a critical role of PARP1 K23 methylation in DNA repair.
Thymol Nanopolymer Synthesis and Its Effects on Morphine Withdrawal Syndrome in Comparison With Clonidine in Rats
Authors: Moayeri Ardeshir , Mehdizadeh Reza , Karimi Elahe , Aidy Ali , Ghaneialvar Hori , Abbasi Naser
Published: June 2022

The drug delivery system is valuable in the treatment of the disease. A nanopolymer as a thymol and Thymbra spicata release system was synthesized and its effects on morphine withdrawal syndrome in comparison with clonidine in rats were studied. The nanopolymer was characterized by different methods, namely, IR, HNMR, CNMR, GPC, DLS, and AFM. Thymol in T. spicata extract was assessed. The loading and release rate of thymol and T. spicata extract on the nanopolymer were evaluated by HPLC. The median lethal dose (LD50) of the T. spicata extract, thymol, extract nanopolymer, and thymol nanopolymer was studied. The frequency of jumping, rearing, and teeth chattering in naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal syndrome was studied. Synthesized nanopolymer was desirable as a carrier for the drug. The loaded amount of extract and thymol on nanopolymer was estimated 55 ± 3.2% and 48 ± 2.6% and the drug released was 71 and 68%, respectively. LD50 of the T. spicata extract, thymol, extract nanopolymer, and thymol nanopolymer was 975, 580, 1,250, and 650 mg/kg, respectively. This study showed that thymol nanopolymer was more effective than clonidine to reduce the frequency of morphine withdrawal symptoms. Our results suggest that T. spicata extract, thymol, extract nanopolymer, and thymol nanopolymer are mighty in reducing the narcotic withdrawal signs. The mechanism of action and therapeutic potential is maybe similar to clonidine.