bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Refractive Error Characteristics and Influence on Ocular Parameters in Patients with Unilateral Congenital Ptosis
Authors: Liu Yingli , Chen Tingting , Huang Jingwen , Li Wentao , Chen Yilin , Huo Lijun
Published: March 2022

BackgroundThe study aimed to investigate the difference of refractive status and ocular parameters between ptotic and fellow eyes in patients with unilateral congenital ptosis.Methods25 patients (52% males, age 22.04±10.96) with unilateral congenital ptosis diagnosed and treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun-yet Sen University were enrolled and underwent detailed refractive examination from March 2019 to November 2021. Ocular biometric measurements were performed by IOL Master 700 biometer. The difference of refractive error characteristics, best-corrected acuity (BCVA), as well as ocular parameters including axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), aqueous depth (AQD), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), and keratometry values between ptotic and fellow eyes were analyzed.ResultsLower BCVA (p=0.01) and higher incidence of amblyopia (p=0.018) were observed in ptotic eyes. Among patients with amblyopia, the presence (p=0.038) and magnitude (p=0.044) of astigmatism were higher in ptotic eyes. The CCT of ptotic eyes was thicker than that of fellow eyes (p＜0.001). The keratometry values at the flat axis (K1), and mean corneal power (Km) were smaller (both p＜0.001). There was no statistical difference of AL between ptotic and fellow eyes.ConclusionsCongenital ptosis influenced ocular parameters, mainly causing a thicker and flatter cornea. Patients with unilateral congenital ptosis might have lower BCVA in ptotic eyes, while higher amblyogenic astigmatism was observed.
Feasibility research of enhanced recovery after surgery implemented in esophageal cancer patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Tang Zhanpeng , Zhu Xirui , Li Yanzhi , Qu Chenghao , Li Lin , Li Shuhai , Qi Lei , Lu Ming , Cheng Chuanle , Tian Hui
Published: March 2022

Background: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a perioperative management protocol to accelerate patient recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of ERAS protocols implemented in patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) before minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy. Methods: This retrospective study compared the short-term clinical outcomes in esophagectomy patients from June 2018 to June 2021. Subjects were divided into two categories: those who underwent NACT (NACT group) and the non-NACT group. Results: There was no significant difference in total postoperative complication morbidity between the NACT and non-NACT groups (21.2% vs. 20.7%, P=0.936). In addition, the hospital length of stay post-surgery (7.90 vs. 7.71 days, P=0.424) was not significantly longer when compared to the non-NACT group. The time to chest tube removal (5.37 vs. 5.13 days, P=0.238) and first bowel movement (2.92 vs. 3.01 days, P=0.560) was also similar between the two groups. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in postoperative complications rate, postoperative hospital length of stay, and readmission rate between the two group. This study proved that ERAS protocols were safe and feasible for patients who received NACT before esophagectomy.
“From rest to depressed”: reduced subgenual cingulate–dorsolateral prefrontal connectivity as an electrophysiological marker for depression
Authors: BENSCHOP Lars , VANHOLLEBEKE Gert , LI Jian , LEAHY Richard M. , VANDERHASSELT Marie-Anne , BAEKEN Chris
Published: March 2022

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a widespread mental illness that causes considerable suffering, and neuroimaging studies are trying to reduce this burden by developing biomarkers that can facilitate detection. Prior fMRI- and neurostimulation studies suggest that aberrant subgenual Anterior Cingulate (sgACC) – dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) functional connectivity is consistently present within MDD. Combining the need for reliable depression markers with the electroencephalogram’s (EEG) high clinical utility, we investigated whether aberrant EEG sgACC–DLPFC functional connectivity could serve as a marker for depression. Source-space Amplitude Envelope Correlations (AEC) of 20 MDD patients and 20 matched controls were contrasted using non-parametric permutation tests. In addition, extracted AEC values were used to a) correlate with characteristics of depression and b) train a Support Vector Machine (SVM) to determine sgACC–DLPFC connectivity’s discriminative power. FDR-thresholded statistical maps showed reduced sgACC–DLPFC AEC connectivity in MDD patients relative to controls. This diminished AEC connectivity is located in the beta-1 (13–17Hz) band and is associated with patients’ lifetime number of depressive episodes. Using extracted sgACC–DLPFC AEC values, the SVM achieved a classification accuracy of 84.6% (80% sensitivity and 89.5% specificity) indicating that EEG sgACC–DLPFC connectivity has promise as a biomarker for MDD.
Anticoagulation for Left Ventricular Thrombi Secondary to COVID – Is Three Months Too Long?: A Case Report
Authors: Garg Rimmy , Sachdeva Amitoj , Fratti Juan Del Cid , Mortoti Samuel
Published: March 2022

Background: Venous and arterial thromboembolic events are common sequelae of COVID-19 infection. However, there are no set guidelines as to the appropriate duration of anticoagulation for such thrombotic events. Case Presentation: A 62-year-old woman presented with chest pain 2 weeks after she was diagnosed with COVID-19. She was found to have an anterior STEMI with a thrombotic occlusion of the left anterior descending artery as well as multiple left ventricular (LV) thrombi. The patient was treated with guideline directed medical therapy for acute coronary syndrome. As for the LV thrombi, she was bridged from heparin to warfarin with plan to continue anticoagulation for a minimum of 3 months; however, she was noted to have resolution of the thrombi in 2 months with no subsequent recurrence. Conclusion: In the setting of an acute myocardial infarction with apical akinesis, an LV thrombus is not uncommon. In such cases, ACC/AHA recommends oral anticoagulation (OAC) for 3 months while ESC recommends OAC for up to 6 months. There have been no large studies looking at the optimal duration for OAC for LV thrombi due to COVID-19. Given resolution of the thrombi in our patient within 2 months, we suggest a shorter length of anticoagulation for such cases guided by echocardiographic imaging. However, prospective data regarding this matter is first needed.
Experimental investigation of the low temperature oil-on-water cooling and lubrication in turning the hardened AISI D2 steel
Authors: Zhang Jihui , Tang Linhu , Ma Furong , Hu Yanjun , Li Baodong , Sun Yongji
Published: March 2022

In this paper, the influence of the cutting speed, feed, and the depth of cut on the cutting force, surface roughness, cutting temperature, and tool wear were experimentally investigated under the low temperature oil-on-water (LTOoW) cooling and lubrication condition in turning the hardened tool steel AISI D2 (60±1HRC) with the PCBN cutting tool. The results showed that the three-component cutting forces is FY>FZ>FX and the cutting speed has more significant effect on the ratio of FY/FZ at the range of 55-495 m/min cutting speed, 0.05-0.25 mm feed, and 0.05-0.25 mm depth of cut. The influence of the cutting speed on the cutting temperature is slightly more visible compared to the feed and depth of cut. In this experiment, a satisfactory surface roughness value of 0.54 µm can be obtained, gaining the effect of the turning instead of the grinding. The flank wear values of the PCBN tool are 142 µm and 148 µm respectively at the cutting speeds of 55 and 140 m/min; however, the flank wear value abruptly increases to 668 µm at a 495 m/min, which has a very serious impact on the tool life. The abrasive wear is considered to be a predominant wear mechanism on the flank wear of PCBN tool. The rake face is dominated by crater wear due to the high temperature, high pressure, high stress and high friction at the chip-tool interface.
Galvanic vestibular stimulation down-regulated NMDA receptors in vestibular nucleus of PD model
Authors: Kim Gyutae , Shin Nara , Kim Kyu-Sung
Published: March 2022

Parkinsonian symptoms relief by electrical stimulation is known to modulate neural network activity, and Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) has been proposed as an alternative electrical stimulation. However, the underlying mechanism is still elusive. Due to the tight link from the peripheral area to vestibular nucleus (VN), the effect by GVS was investigated to understand the neural mechanism. Using SD rats, behavioral response, extracellular neural recording, and immunohistochemistry of VN were conducted before and after the construction of Parkinson’s disease (PD) model. Animals’ locomotion was tested using rota-rod, and single extracellular neuronal activity was recorded in VN. The immunohistochemistry detected AMPA and NMDA receptors in VN to assess the effects by different amounts of electrical charge (0.018, 0.09, and 0.18 coulombs) as well as normal and PD with no GVS. All PD models showed the debilitated function of locomotion, and the loss of TH+ neurons in mfb and striatum was observed. Sixty-five neuronal extracellular activities (32 canal & 33 otolith) were recorded, and no significant difference in the resting firing rates and the kinetic responding gain were found in the PD models. On the other hand, the numbers of AMPA and NMDA receptors increased in the PD model, and the effect by GVS was significantly evident in NMDA receptors (p < 0.018). Thus, the increased glutamate receptors in PD models were down-regulated by GVS, and the plastic modulation mainly occurred through NMDA receptor in VN.
In Silico Analysis of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension to İdentify Key Biomarkers at Protein and RNA Levels
Authors: akçay sevinç
Published: March 2022

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic cardiopulmonary disorder marked by a raised hypertension in the pulmonary arteries. There is no remedy for PAH, existing medications can help to reduce the disease’s progression. The goal of this research was to investigate potential protein and RNA biomarkers of PAH by bioinformatic analysis. Methods Two PAH datasets accessed from the publicly available Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were utilized to discover differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses for common DEGs were conducted by the DAVID tool. Cytoscape was used to create the protein-protein interaction (PPI) and pick the top 10 hub genes. The transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) that target DEGs and hub genes were investigated using the JASPAR database. Potential therapeutics that target the top hub genes have been discovered. Results Ten hub genes were discovered to be linked to the pathogenesis of PAH (CCL5, TLR4, TLR1, SPP1, CYBB, HGF, IGF1, SELL, CD163 and POSTN). “Positive regulation of tumor necrosis factor biosynthetic process” and a “toll-like receptor signaling pathway” are the most enriched GO term and KEGG pathway, respectively. “hsa-mir-26b-5p, hsa-mir-146a-5p, hsa-mir-335-5p” and FOXC1, YY1, GATA2 are the top TFs targeting hub genes. 21 drugs targeting ten hub genes have been discovered. Conclusions Our results would help to discover the pathogenesis of PAH and hub genes, miRNAs and 10 TFs that might serve as potential therapeutic targets at protein and RNA levels for PAH patients.
Impact of the addition of antithymocyte globulin to post-transplant cyclophosphamide in haploidentical transplantation with peripheral blood compared to post-transplant cyclophosphamide alone in acute myeloid leukemia: a retrospective study on behalf of the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the EBMT
Authors: Battipaglia Giorgia , Labopin Myriam , Blaise Didier , Diez-Martin Jose Luis , Bazarbachi Ali , Vitek Antonin , Chevallier Patrice , Castagna Luca , Grillo Giovanni , Daguindau Etienne , López-Jiménez Javier , Koc Yener , Ruggeri Annalisa , Nagler Arnon , Mohty Mohamad
Published: March 2022

Background. Use of haploidentical cell transplantation (Haplo-HCT) with peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) is increasing for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We explored whether the addition of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) to post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) allows better outcomes than PTCy alone in Haplo-PBSC.Methods. We included 441 adult patients undergoing a first Haplo-PBSC for AML in first or second complete remission; graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis contained either PTCy alone (n = 374) or ATG + PTCy (n = 67), in addition to cyclosporine A (CsA) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) as other immunosuppressive agents. Transplant period was 2011–2019.Results. No major imbalances were observed between the two groups. Median age was 56 years and median year of Haplo-HCT was 2017 for both groups. Most patients received a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen (57% and 61% in PTCy and ATG + PTCy, respectively; p = 0.54). Median follow-up was 19 versus 15 months in PTCy and ATG + PTCy, respectively (p = 0.59). Neutrophil engraftment occurred in 97% and 98% of PTCy and ATG + PTCy, respectively. In univariate analysis, no statistical differences in transplant outcomes were observed between PTCy and ATG + PTCy. In multivariate analysis ATG + PTCy resulted in a lower risk of chronic GVHD as compared to PTCy alone (HR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.23–0.93; p = 0.03). No differences were observed for the other transplant outcomes.Conclusion. In Haplo-PBSC, addition of ATG to PTCy (with CsA and MMF) is feasible, better at preventing chronic GVHD, and survival and transplant outcomes are comparable to those with PTCy alone, without increasing transplant toxicity, mortality, or relapse incidence.
Fabrication of Biologically Active Fish Bone Derived Hydroxyapatite and Montmorillonite Blended Sodium Alginate Composite for In-vitro Drug Delivery studies
Authors: Ahamed A Fiaz , Manimohan Murugaiyan , Kalaivasan N
Published: March 2022

Fishbone comprising hydroxyapatite (bio-ceramic) is regularly viewed as a natural resource for biological and pharmaceutical applications. In this study, hydroxyapatite has been prepared from fishbone waste using thermal calcination method. The composite hydroxyapatite-montmorillonite-sodium alginate was synthesized by co-precipitation method. Various functional groups of biocomposite were characterised using Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction studies were exhibited the thermal stability and crystallinity of biocomposite respectively. The morphological surface of composites was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The synthesized composite was designed to study the enhanced biological potential such as antibacterial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, drug loading and the drug releasing ability. Antioxidant and anti-diabetic analysis of composite were studied using Phosphomolybdenum and α-Amylase inhibitory method respectively. The drug releasing ability of compounds (Doxorubicin and Curcumin) were investigated by UV–spectrophotometry method at different pH medium (pH = 5.5, 6.8 and 7.4). Additionally, In-vitro kinetic studies were carried out on composite to determine the drug releasing ability of doxorubicin and curcumin.
Spontaneous Peroneal Entrapment Neuropathy due to Anatomic Abnormality of Proximal Tibiofibular Joint：A Clinical Study of 10 Cases
Authors: Yusufu Aihemaitijiang , Chen Hui , Wumaierjiang Yiliyaer , Liu Zhenhui , Yushan Maimaiaili , Maimaiti Xiayimaierdan , Xu Lei
Published: March 2022

Background: Dislocation or instability of the proximal tibiofibular joint is often obscure, difficult to diagnose, easily overlooked by clinicians, and may be the cause of some unexplained cases of common peroneal nerve compression. Moreover, the literature on proximal tibiofibular joint dislocation is very limited, with only a few case reports. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological characteristics and anatomic variation of tibiofibular joint through preoperative auxiliary examination and intraoperative exploration and to discuss its clinical significance.Methods: From October 2015 to July 2021, a common peroneal nerve palsy diagnosis was made for 243 patients in our institution, of whom 10 were diagnosed with unexplained common peroneal nerve palsy. We carefully compared the results of intraoperative exploration with anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the patients’ lower limbs and CT of their lower limbs to investigate the presence of bony structural abnormalities. Results: In the examination of lower limb CT, we found that the anatomical relationship of tibiofibular joint was significantly abnormal in three patients, among whom the preoperative CT plain scan of the lower limbs indicated that the fibula position of the affected limb was 2 cm lower than that of the opposite side in one typical patient. In one of the three patients with abnormal CT results, high common peroneal tension was found even after releasing the thickened fibers at the fibula head. The compression factor of this patient was the anatomic variation of the tibiofibular joint, which led to the common peroneal nerve being pulled downward by the fibular head; thus, peroneal osteotomy was performed during the operation. After osteotomy, the common peroneal nerve was markedly reduced in tone.Conclusions: Anatomic abnormalities or dislocation of the proximal tibiofibular joint may result in the entrapment of the common peroneal nerve. Preoperative CT examination of these patients is required to determine the presence of common peroneal nerve compression due to bony structural abnormalities. If the patient has a definite bony structural abnormality, peroneal osteotomy may be required at the time of peroneal nerve release.
Detecting Bots in Social-Networks Using Node and Structural Embeddings
Authors: Dehghan Ashkan , Siuta Kinga , Skorupka Agata , Dubey Akshat , Betlen Andrei , Miller David , Xu Wei , Kaminski Bogumil , Pralat Pawel
Published: March 2022

Users on social networks such as Twitter interact with and are influenced by each other without much knowledge of the identity behind each user. This anonymity has created a perfect environment for bot and hostile accounts to influence the network by mimicking real-user behaviour. To combat this, research into designing algorithms and datasets for identifying bot users has gained significant attention. In this work, we highlight various techniques for classifying bots, focusing on the use of node and structural embedding algorithms. We show that embeddings can be used as unsupervised techniques for building features with predictive power for identifying bots. By comparing features extracted from embeddings to other techniques such as NLP, user profile and node-features, we demonstrate that embeddings can be used as unique source of predictive information. Finally, we study the stability of features extracted using embeddings for tasks such as bot classification by artificially introducing noise in the network. Degradation of classification accuracy is comparable to models trained on carefully designed node features, hinting at the stability of embeddings.
Do Adriatic Bora winds impact Venice?
Authors: Qayyum Rizwan , Melito Lorenzo , Calantoni Joseph , Brocchini Maurizio , Sheremet Alex
Published: March 2022

The Jan. 2014 Adriatic Bora storm produced a measurable impact in north Adriatic, where tidal gauges recorded 5-cm sea-level fluctuations with a characteristic period of 100 min. Given the sensitivity of Venice flooding to sea-level perturbations and the localized, basin-transversal jet structure of the Bora winds, the observations are both significant and surprising. We investigate the event based on field observations off the Senigallia coast, Italy, and use simple linear analytical and numerical models. The model suggests that the oscillations observed are a mixture of edge-waves and seiches with a significant basin-transversal component, generated during the relaxation of Bora wind setup. The spatial structure of seiches explains the surprising basin-longitudinal reach of Bora storm. Despite the model simplicity, simulations results are consistent with sea-level measurements. The study suggests that Bora winds may have an impact on Venice and its surroundings and deserve more consistent monitoring and more accurate modeling.
The Influence of Body Fat Content and Distribution on Bone Mass in Healthy Chinese Adults
Authors: Chen Bin , Liu Gongwen , Wang Xiao , Gao Yan , Wang Aifei , Li Guangfei , Jia Peng , Dai Jun , Zhang Hui , Xu Youjia
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Many previous studies have reported a close relationship between body mass index (BMI) and bone mineral density (BMD). However, the effects of fat on bone health remain controversial, particularly for fat tissue distribution.Methods: This study enrolled 18,263 participants who had undergone health examinations. Body composition and BMD were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The relationships of BMI and regional fat percentage with BMD were detected by multiple linear regression and generalized additive models. The risk of low BMD was calculated using logistic regression.Results: There was a negative relationship between the regional fat percentage and FN BMD or LS BMD in both genders (P<0.05). In females, this relationship was bidirectional. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the risk for low BMD linearly increased across increasing regional fat percentage quartile categories. In females, the ORs for low LS BMD were 3.095 (95% CI, 2.618-3.658) for hip fat percentage and 1.532 (95% CI, 1.271-1.848) for waist fat percentage. In males, the ORs for low FN BMD were 2.211 (95% CI, 1.831-2.670) for waist fat percentage and 1.998 (95% CI, 1.694-2.355) for hip fat percentage.Conclusions: Overall, the body fat content was a negative predictor of the BMD, and this effect was gender- and location-dependent. In males, waist fat has a greater effect on the FN BMD, whereas in females, hip fat exerts a more negative influence on the LS BMD, which implies a cross-influence between regional fat content and bone mineral density in males and females.
Epigenetic Regulations, Motif and Pathway Identification of Myelofibrosis Chip Sequences
Authors: Sane Sravani , Bagchi Preenon , IA Shylesh Murthy
Published: March 2022

Next generation sequence technique that is Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) on the ChIP–Seq of Myelofibrosis. Myelofibrosis is a type of blood cancer which is also considered as a form of chronic leukemia. It is two types primary myelofibrosis and secondary myelofibrosis its leads to complication of an autoimmune disease, additional disease features include hepatosplenomegaly, extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) etc. In this work, its chip-Seq is retrieved from SRA database, the PCR duplicates are removed and finally the genome enriched region is identified using the MAC2 call peak tool. This annotated peak table was used to identify the motifs present in the chip-Seq of Myelofibrosis. Peak table was annotated to identify the genes and the corresponding pathways was identified from the KEGG pathway.
Fatigability And Quality Of Life In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients With And Without Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Almurdi Muneera , Alrashoud Asma , Alhamdan Reema , Alammar Norah , Alshehri Ghaidaa , Rifaey Maha , Alsaleh Muneera , Kachanathu Shaji John , AlAbdulwahab Sami
Published: March 2022

Objectives: Physical fatigue and quality of life (QoL) characteristics in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients may or may not be influenced by long-term complications such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between muscle fatigability and QoL concerns in patients with T2DM with or without DPN.Methods: This study included sixty male and female subjects with an average age of 56±6.6 years from a diabetic screening clinic. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy (T2DMPN), patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without peripheral neuropathy (T2DM), and healthy control subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups (n=20). To assess fatigue, quality of life (QoL), and disability in all groups, the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Short Form survey (SF-36), and Modified Neuropathy Disability Score (MNDS) were used.Results: FSS and QoL, particularly Physical Component Summary (PCS), were statistically significantly affected in T2DMPN patients as compared to T2DM patients and healthy controls (p<0.05). However, the Mental Component Summary (MCS) of QoL was found to be insignificant in all study groups, including healthy controls, T2DM, and T2DMPN (p>0.05). Both the healthy control and T2DM groups exhibited nearly identical levels of FSS and QoL, as well as PCS and MCS (p>0.05).Conclusions: T2DM with DPN has a significant impact on fatigability and QoL. This could be because of T2DM's pathological consequences and diabetic management in each demographic cohort. According to the findings, further efforts are needed to prevent or minimize deterioration in physical performance and QoL in T2DMPN patients.
Microencapsulation of Dragon Fruit Peel Extract by Freeze-Drying Using Hydrocolloids: Optimization by Hybrid Artificial Neural Network and Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Raj G. V.S. Bhagya , Dash Kshirod K.
Published: March 2022

The freeze drying encapsulation process was used to encapsulate dragon fruit peel extract with three distinct wall materials: maltodextrin, gum arabica, and gelatin. The process was modeled using a feed forward back propagation artificial neural network with four, eleven, and four neurons in the input, hidden, and output layers. Three of the four input neurons were concentrations of wall material (g), while the fourth was ultrasonication power. The four output neurons were encapsulation efficiency, antioxidant activity, hygroscopicity, and solubility of freeze-dried encapsulation powder. The procedure was optimized using hybrid artificial neural network (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA) approach. The optimal wall material composition for encapsulation obtained by the integrated ANN and GA was 4.461 g maltodextrin, 3.863 g gum arabic, and 3.198 g gelatin. The optimal ultrasonication power for achieving a homogenous mixture was determined to be 123 W. At the optimal condition, the predicted values for the responses encapsulation efficiency, antioxidant activity, hygroscopicity, and solubility were found to be 88.143%, 81.702%, 6.924 g/100g, and 32.841%, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the relative deviation between the predicted model and experimental outcomes was less than 2.077%. The thermal stability of the encapsulated powder followed the first order kinetic modeling. The results showed that the sample treated at pH of 7 was more thermally stable at 80°C than the sample treated at pH of 3.6. The half-life time was found to be 140 min and 103 min for the sample treated at pH of 7 and 3.6, respectively.
New Template in Synthesis of Copper Tungsten -Mesoporous Silica for Photo Oxidative-Desulfurization of Dibenzothiophene
Authors: Salem Heba M. , Mohmed Dina , Zaki E. G.
Published: March 2022

A novel CuWO4/SiO2 heterojunction catalyst was successfully synthesized using a new sulfonamide derivative. The physical characteristics of the prepared samples were investigated by TGA, XRD, FTIR, SEM, UV, PL, and XPS. The prepared catalysts were applied as a nano photocatalyst for photooxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene under visible light using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. The photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization performances of the prepared samples were investigated. Various factors as the reaction time, dibenzothiophene concentration, catalyst dose, and the oxidizing agent dose were also studied. The prepared photocatalyst has high desulfurization activity in the removal of DBT under mild conditions. Results showed that the CuWO4/SiO2 exhibited considerably higher activity than neat support SiO2. Such improved photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to the efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs on CuWO4/SiO2 heterojunction. Moreover, the synergistic effects of this photocatalytic oxidation and the green oxidant hydrogen peroxide played an essential role in desulfurization. The reaction is pseudo-first-order and can reach 98.6 % removal of dibenzothiophene after 70 min and 97.2% after four cycles.
Psychosomatic Symptoms: Resilience as a Protective Factor in Adolescents. Observational, Descriptive, Cross-Sectional, and Multicenter Study
Authors: Fuentes-Chacón Rosa Mª , Simón-Saiz Mª José , Díaz-Valentín Mª José , Rodriguez-Sánchez Mª José , Martínez-García Rosa Mª , Garrido-Abejar Margarita
Published: March 2022

Background
Psychosomatic symptoms—clinical manifestations without a clear pathological origin—have a high prevalence in adolescents. However, most studies are oriented towards the search for risk factors and very few have approached the subject by examining which elements may be protective. The objective of this current work was to identify whether there is an association between the presence of psychosomatic symptoms and the capacity for resilience in adolescents.
Methods
This was an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and multicenter study carried out at five different schools in Cuenca (Spain). The sample comprised 844 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years who were in the 3rd or 4th years of compulsory secondary education or the 1st or 2nd years of the baccalaureate. At each academic level, groups were randomly selected for administration of the Psychosomatic Problems Scale and 10-Item Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (to determine psychosomatic symptoms and resilience, respectively); sociodemographic data were also recorded.
Results
Girls overall, and adolescents aged 17–18 years, presented significantly higher psychosomatic symptoms. Being more resilient was negatively correlated with all the psychosomatic symptoms. The strongest correlation was between ‘felt sad’ and ‘concentrating difficulties’ and the multivariate analysis, which controlled for sex and age, predicted fewer psychosomatic symptoms among the most resilient individuals.
Conclusions
Psychosomatic symptoms are frequently observed in the adolescent population and are often expressions that make emotional distress visible. The capacity for resilience positively affected emotional well-being and reduced the risk of presenting psychosomatic symptoms in our study population.
Repopulated microglia induce expression of Cxcl13 with modest changes in Tau phosphorylation but do not impact amyloid pathology
Authors: O'Banion M. Kerry , Karaahmet Berke , Le Linh , Mendes Monique S. , Majewska Ania K.
Published: March 2022

Background: Adult microglia rely on self-renewal through division to repopulate and sustain their numbers. However, with aging, microglia display morphological and transcriptional changes that reflect a heightened state of neuroinflammation. This state threatens aging neurons and other cells and can influence the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we sought to determine whether renewing the microglia through a forced partial depletion/repopulation method could attenuate AD pathology in the 3xTg and APP/PS1 mouse models.Methods: We pharmacologically depleted the microglia of two cohorts of 21-22 month old 3xTg mice and one cohort of 14 month old APP/PS1 mice using PLX5622 formulated in chow for 2 weeks. Following depletion, we returned the mice to standard chow diet for 1 month to allow microglial repopulation. We assessed the effect of depletion and repopulation on AD pathology, microglial gene expression, and surface expression of homeostatic markers on microglia using immunohistochemistry, single-cell RNAseq and flow cytometry.Results: Although we did not identify a significant impact of microglial repopulation on amyloid pathology in either of the AD models, we observed a modest but significant increase in specific isoforms of phosphorylated-Tau species after repopulation in the 3xTg mice. We provide evidence that repopulated microglia in the hippocampus exhibited changes in the expression of homeostatic microglial markers. Lastly, we identified novel subpopulations of microglia by performing single-cell RNAseq analysis on CD45int/+ cells from hippocampi of control and repopulated 3xTg mice. In particular, one subpopulation induced after repopulation is characterized by heightened expression of Cxcl13.Conclusion: Overall, we found that depleting and repopulating microglia alters their phenotype and causes overexpression of microglial Cxcl13 with disparate effects on Tau and amyloid pathologies.
Prenatal vitamin intake in first month of pregnancy and DNA methylation in cord blood and placenta in two prospective cohorts
Authors: Dou John F. , Middleton Lauren Y.M. , Zhu Yihui , Benke Kelly S. , Feinberg Jason I. , Croen Lisa A. , Hertz-Picciotto Irva , Newschaffer Craig J. , LaSalle Janine M. , Fallin Daniele , Schmidt Rebecca J. , Bakulski Kelly M.
Published: March 2022

Background
Prenatal vitamin use is recommended before and during pregnancies for normal fetal development. Prenatal vitamins do not have a standard formulation, but many contain calcium, folic acid, iodine, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, and D, and usually they contain higher concentrations of folic acid and iron than regular multivitamins in the U.S. Nutrient levels can impact epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation, but relationships between maternal prenatal vitamin use and DNA methylation have been relatively understudied. We examined use of prenatal vitamins in the first month of pregnancy in relation to cord blood and placenta DNA methylation in two prospective pregnancy cohorts: the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI) and Markers of Autism Risk Learning Early Signs (MARBLES) studies.
Results
In placenta, prenatal vitamin intake was marginally associated with − 0.52% (95% CI: -1.04, 0.01) lower mean array-wide DNA methylation in EARLI, and associated with − 0.60% (-1.08, -0.13) lower mean array-wide DNA methylation in MARBLES. There was little consistency in the associations between prenatal vitamin intake and single DNA methylation site effect estimates across cohorts and tissues, with only a few overlapping sites with correlated effect estimates. However, the single DNA methylation sites with p-value < 0.01 (EARLI cord nCpGs =4,068, EARLI placenta nCpGs =3,647, MARBLES cord nCpGs =4,068, MARBLES placenta nCpGs =9,563) were consistently enriched in neuronal developmental pathways.
Conclusions
Together, our findings suggest that prenatal vitamin intake in the first month of pregnancy may be related to lower placental global DNA methylation and related to DNA methylation in brain-related pathways in both placenta and cord blood.
Improving Treatment Outcomes for Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder Through a Socioecological Approach
Authors: Bo Sune , Sharp Carla , Kongerslev Mickey T. , Luyten Patrick , Fonagy Peter
Published: March 2022

Background: There is a dearth of studies evaluating treatment efficacy for adolescents diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The few available randomized controlled trials that have been conducted show modest results and treatments appear to have equivalent effects. The current paper draws on (a) the lessons learnt from the last 50 years of psychotherapy research in general and (b) recent advances in mentalization-based understanding of why treatment works, which together point to the importance of following a socioecological approach in the treatment of personality problems in adolescence – a developmental period that insists on a treatment approach that goes beyond the therapist-client dyad. Case presentation: Here, we describe such an approach, and offer a clinical case example with a young 17-year old girl diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, to illustrate what a shift toward a more socioecological approach would entail. Conclusions: The clinical impact of the socioecological approach and the potential benefits as illustrated in the current case illustration, offers a framework that justifies and allows for the expansion of service delivery for youth with borderline personality disorder beyond dyadic therapist-client work.
Inequitable Access: Factors Associated with Incomplete Referrals to Pediatric Cardiology
Authors: Warren Paul W , Beck Andrew F , Zang Huaiyu , Anderson Jeffrey , Statile Christopher
Published: March 2022

Objective: To assess the variables associated with unscheduled and incomplete cardiology clinic visits among referred pediatric patients with a focus on equity gaps. Study Design: We conducted a retrospective chart review for patients less than 18 years of age who were referred to cardiology clinics at a single quaternary referral center from 2017 to 2019. We collected patient demographic data including race, an index of neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation linked to a patient’s geocoded address, referral information, and cardiology clinic information. The primary outcome was an incomplete clinic visit. The secondary outcome was an unscheduled appointment. Independent associations were identified using multivariable logistic regression. Results: There were 10,610 new referrals; 6,954 (66%) completed new cardiology clinic visits. Black race (OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.22-1.63), public insurance (OR 1.29; 95% CI 1.14-1.46), and a higher deprivation index (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.08-1.61) were associated with higher odds of incomplete visit compared to the respective reference groups of White race, private insurance, and a lower deprivation index. The findings for unscheduled visit were similar. A shorter time elapsed from the initial referral to when the appointment was made was associated with lower odds of incomplete visit (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.52-0.74).Conclusion: Race, insurance type, neighborhood deprivation, and time from referral date to appointment made were each associated with incomplete referrals to pediatric cardiology. Interventions directed to understand such associations and respond accordingly could help to equitably improve referral completion.
Antireflection of Optical Anisotropic Dielectric Metasurfaces
Authors: Liao Yu-Hsuan , Hsu Wei-Lun , Wang Chin-Ming
Published: March 2022

We propose a hetero-nano-fin structure to further improve the efficiency of Pancharatnam–Berry phase metasurfaces. Two hetero-nano-fin types, MgF2/GaN and MgF2/Nb2O5, were investigated. The overall polarization conversion efficiency (PCE) improved from 52.7% to 54% for the MgF2/GaN nano-fin compared with the bare GaN nano-fin. The overall PCE of the Nb2O5 nano-fin was 1.7 times higher than that of the GaN nano-fin. The overall PCE improved from 92.4% up to 96% after the application of MgF2 antireflection. Although the increment of energy seems minimal, antireflection is crucial for a metasurface, not only enhancing efficiency but also reducing background signal of a meta-device.
An experimental study in Real-time Facial Emotion Recognition on 3RL dataset
Authors: Zafra Rahmeh Abou , Abdullah Lana Ahmad , Alaaraj Rouaa , Albezreh Rasha , Barhoum Tarek , Jallad Khloud Al
Published: March 2022

Although real-time facial emotion recognition is a hot topic research domain in the field of human-computer interaction, state-of-the-art available datasets still suffer from various problems such as some unrelated photos like document photos, unbalanced number of photos in each class, and some misleading images that can affect negatively on correct classification. 3RL dataset was created which contains about 24K images and will be publically available, to overcome previously available datasets problems. 3RL dataset is labelled with five basic emotions: happiness, fear, sadness, disgust, and anger. Moreover, we compared 3RL dataset with other most famous state-of-the-art datasets (FER dataset, CK+ dataset), we have applied the most common used algorithms in previous works, SVM and CNN. Results have shown a noticeable improvement of generalization on 3RL dataset. Experiments have shown an accuracy of up to 91.4% on 3RL dataset using CNN where results on FER2013, CK+ are respectively (approximately from 60% to 85%).
(-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate Attenuates Spinal Motoneuron Death Induced by Brachial Plexus Root Avulsion in Rats
Authors: Lu Fatai , Zhang Guodong , Zhu Yingkang , Liu Zunpeng
Published: March 2022

Background EGCG benefits a variety of insults. Methods Rats were randomized into: EGCG, Avulsion, and Sham. Results P-c-Jun-positive motoneurons and the ratio of p-c-Jun/c-Jun were significantly lower in EGCG group at 3d and 7d after injury. Conclusions EGCG protected motoneurons
Microcontroller Implementation of Current Modulated Edge Emitting Semiconductor Lasers with Pulse Packages and Chimera States in Its Network
Authors: Ramachandran Dhanagopal , Saeed Nasr , Tchamda André Rodrigue , Kingni Sifeu Takougang , Karthikeyan Anitha , Hussain Iqtadar
Published: March 2022

This paper investigates the dynamical behavior of a single and a network of current modulated edge emitting semiconductor lasers (CMEESLs). Different dynamical behaviors of CMEESL are revealed in two-dimensional parameters space by varying the amplitude and frequency of modulation. Single CMEESL exhibits periodic pulse packages followed by period-doubling cascade to chaotic pulse packages for frequency of modulation current density less than 1 GHz. Microcontroller results which agree with numerical results of single CMEESL are presented. To investigate the dynamics in a network of CMEESLs, a nonlocally coupled lattice array of CMEESLs is analyzed numerically by varying the coupling strength. It is found that the coupling strength plays a significant role in the coherent and incoherent behaviors of the nodes in the network. For a small range of coupling strength, the network exhibits chimera states which are confirmed by their respective state plots. Synchronization error between the nonlocally coupled CMEESLs is also presented to show the existence of chimera states.
Remediation of Pear Iron Deficiency Chlorosis by Nanocellulose-iron Chelation and the Underlying Mechanism
Authors: Guo Xianping , Bian Yiwei , Qiu Qizhen , Wang Dongsheng , Wu Zhongying , Lv Zhenzhen , Zhang Beijing , Wu Qingnan , Wang Hezhong
Published: March 2022

Nanocrystal cellulose possesses a strong capability to chelate Fe due to its adsorptive properties. Iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) is a mineral disorder that remarkably weakens pear photosynthesis, causing declines in plant yields and quality. Conventional methods for controlling IDC generally lack efficiency and overuse chemicals. Foliar application of nanocellulose (NC)-Fe chelate (NCFe) provides a new approach to remediate IDC in pear (Pyrus betulifolia). In this study, NC was prepared by acidic hydrolysis using 64 wt% H2SO4 at 45 °C for 45 minutes. NCFe was formulated based on the net charge density of NC and ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) solution. The nanoparticle properties were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering, and conductometry. Pyrus betulifolia seedlings were pre-etiolated in an improved Hoagland’s nutrient solution and treated with bicarbonate. Changes in chlorophyll content, active Fe content, and photosynthesis rate in NCFe-treated leaves were determined by SPAD values, spectrophotometry, and photosynthetic apparatus, respectively. Ferritin genes (PbFER) and pectin methylesterase genes (PbPME) were extracted from leaf tissue, and gene expression profiles were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The results showed that NCFe particles maintained a whisker-like morphology; the Z-average hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential of NCFe measured by dynamic light scattering were 107.4 ± 3.0 nm and −9.7 ± 0.4 mV, respectively. When NCFe was prepared at a mixing ratio of 1:3000, the total chlorophyll content, active Fe content, and net photosynthetic rate of plant leaves were significantly enhanced by 23.8%, 65.9%, and 40.4% after 72 hours of treatment, respectively, compared with FeSO4 spraying. Importantly, NCFe treatment also significantly downregulated the expression of PbPME and upregulated the expression of PbFER, which are key genes regulating the active Fe content.
Root-zone Temperature Effects on Spinach Biomass Production Using a Nutrient Film Technique System
Authors: Wang Rui , Isozaki Masahide , Iwasaki Yasunaga , Muramatsu Yukinari
Published: March 2022

Root-zone temperature (RZT) is closely related to nutrient transportation and biomass production. However, its influence on biomass production and dry matter distribution remains unknown, especially in year-long production greenhouses. We explore the potential of RZT as an environmental control method to promote spinach field production by quantifying the effects of RZT to increase spinach production. Three RZT treatments using a nutrient film technique (NFT) system quantified and evaluated the effects of spring, summer, and winter spinach cultivation. We investigated the growth characteristics, total aboveground dry matter, and fraction of dry matter distribution to the leaf and root (which corresponded with yield). The RZT effects on total aboveground dry matter varied with the average air temperature inside the greenhouse. The total aboveground dry matter correlated positively with RZT in optimal air temperature conditions (15–20 °C). The dry matter-to-leaves ratio of the spinach did not correlate significantly with RZT in suboptimal (5 °C < air temperature < 15 °C) or supraoptimal (20 °C < air temperature) conditions. Therefore, RZT can promote biomass accumulation. We suggest RZT provides a feasible method for controlling the dry matter distribution fraction. Further research into the functional role of RZT will support hydroponic growers in improving crop yield.
Coarse-grained curvature tensor on polygonal surfaces
Authors: Duclut Charlie , Amiri Aboutaleb , Paijmans Joris , Jülicher Frank
Published: March 2022

Using concepts from integral geometry, we propose a definition for a local coarse-grained curvature tensor that is well-defined on polygonal surfaces. This coarse-grained curvature tensor shows fast convergence to the curvature tensor of smooth surfaces, capturing with accuracy not only the principal curvatures but also the principal directions of curvature. Thanks to the additivity of the integrated curvature tensor, coarse-graining procedures can be implemented to compute it over arbitrary patches of polygons. When computed for a closed surface, the integrated curvature tensor is identical to a rank-2 Minkowski tensor. We also provide an algorithm to extend an existing C++ package, that can be used to compute efficiently local curvature tensors on triangulated surfaces.