bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One dimensional regional shear velocity structure from joint inversion of fundamental mode group velocity dispersion measurements of Love and Rayleigh waves-application to the Uttarakhand Himalaya
Authors: GUPTA ABHISHEK KUMAR , Mandal Prantik , Srina D. , Tiwari Anil , Sain Kalachand , Paul Ajay
Published: May 2023

Between 2017 and 2019, the CSIR-NGRI, Hyderabad, Telangana, established a broad-band seismic-network with fifty-five 3-component bb seismometers in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. Out of 55 three component broadband seismic (BBS) networks, we chose 17 for the present study. Using digital waveform data from twenty-one (21) regional Indian earthquakes of Mw 5.0-6.2 that were recorded in the 17 broadband seismometer, we compute fundamental mode group-velocity dispersion (FMGVD) characteristics of surface waves (love and Rayleigh waves) and the average one-dimensional regional shear-wave velocity (Vs) structure of the Uttarakhand Himalayan region. First, we compute FMGVD curves for Love waves (6-73sec) and Rayleigh waves (at 6.55-73 sec) period and then, we finally invert these dispersion curves to compute the final average one dimensional regional crustal & sub-crustal shear-wave velocity (Vs) structure below the Uttarakhand Himalaya. Our best model in Uttarakhand Himalayan region, India, reveals the 8-layered crust with a mid-crustal low velocity layer (MC-LVL) (approximately a drop of 1.5–2.3% in Vs) between 8 and 20 km depth in the proximity of MCT (Main Central Thrust). In the upper crustal part (0–20 km depths), our modelling suggests shear velocities (Vs) varies from 3.1–3.9 km/sec while shear velocities (Vs) in the lower crustal part (20–45 km depth) are modelled to be varying from 3.7–4.69 km per sec. The Moho-depth is calculated to be 45 km deep below the K-G Himalaya, and the shear-velocity (Vs) in the sub-crustal sector is 4.69 km/sec. Our estimated mid-crustal low velocity layer (MC-LVL) could be linked to the presence of metamorphic fluids in the fractured Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), resulting from the weakening of the crustal material at the interface between the overriding Eurasian plate and upper -part of the under thrusting Indian plate.
Antibiotic resistances from slaughterhouse effluents and enhanced antimicrobial blue light technology for wastewater decontamionation
Authors: Cong Xiaoyu , Krolla Peter , Khan Umer Zeb , Savin Mykhailo , Schwartz Thomas
Published: May 2023

The global spread of antimicrobial resistances is mainly due to the emission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, facultative pathogenic bacteria, and antimicrobial resistance causing substances in human and animal waste into the environment. Innovative strategies are sought to intervene decentrally or centrally at sources of the emergence and spread of hygienically relevant bacteria. In this study, the dissemination of facultative pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes of clinical relevance are monitored in the raw effluents from poultry and pig slaughterhouses in combination of some conventional wastewater treatments on site. As an innovation step, the antimicrobial blue light (aBL) in combination with a porphyrin-based photo-enhancer is investigated for decontamination purpose. Facultative pathogenic bacteria from the clinically significant ESKAPE group are used as reference bacteria and examined for the effectiveness of this inactivation strategy. Beside the directed analyses with reference bacteria, a successful application of the combinatory light-based method was also demonstrated using raw sewage from slaughterhouse.
Evaluating the environmental safety of shotcrete as preliminary lining for tunnel: New insights from occurrence of fluorine in hydration products
Authors: Yang Renhe , Zhang Pengyu , Li Yang , Wang Dongmei , Sun Qian , Mao Zhiyi , Wang Wanshen , He Tingshu
Published: May 2023

If there was abundant fluorine in shotcrete, it might leach out and pollute the soil or migrate to corrode the reinforcement.Therefore, this research mainly investigated the basic properties of high-fluorine alkali free liquid accelerator (HF-AFA) and its occurrence forms in cement hydration products.The macro-test results showed that with the increase of HF-AFA dosage, it appeared excellent coagulation promoting property. However, when the HF-AFA dosage exceeded 7.0%, the 1d compressive strength of mortar specimen was lower than 7.0 MPa. In addition, by measuring the early hydration heat of cement, C3A, C3S, C2S and C4AF pastes with and without HF-AFA, and combining XRD and SEM micro-analysis, the occurrence forms of fluorine in different clinker minerals were obtained.The final analysis results indicated that fluorine mainly existed in the form of CaF2, CaAlF5 and Ca2AlF7 crystals in C3A and C3S minerals, while only little CaF2 crystals appeared in C2S and C4AF minerals.
Harmonization of Brain PET Images in Multi-center PET Studies using Hoffman Phantom Scan
Authors: Shekari Mahnaz , Verwer Eline E , Yaqub Maqsood , Daamen Marcel , Buckley Christopher , Frisoni Giovanni , Visser Pieter Jelle , Farrar Gill , Barkhof Frederik , Gispert Juan Domingo , Boellaard Ronald
Published: May 2023

Background:

Image harmonization has been proposed to minimize heterogeneity in brain PET scans acquired in multi-center studies. However, standard validated methods and software tools are lacking. Here, we assessed the performance of a framework for the harmonization of brain PET scans in a multi-center European clinical trial.

Method:

Hoffman 3D brain phantoms were acquired in 28 PET scanners and reconstructed using site-specific settings. Full-Width-at-Half-Maximum (FWHM) of the Effective Image Resolution (EIR) and harmonization kernels were estimated for each scan. The target EIR was selected as the coarsest EIR in the imaging network. Using “Hoffman 3D brain Analysis tool”, indicators of image quality were calculated before and after the harmonization: The Coefficient of Variance (COV%), Grey Matter Recovery Coefficient (GMRC), Contrast, Cold-Spot RC, and left-to-right GMRC ratio. A COV%≤15% and Contrast≥2.2 were set as acceptance criteria. The procedure was repeated to achieve a 6mm target EIR in a subset of scans. The method’s robustness against typical instrumental errors was assessed.

Results:

The EIR across scanners ranged from 3.3 to 8.1 mm and an EIR of 8mm was selected as the target resolution. After harmonization, all scans met acceptable image quality criteria while only 13 (39.4%) did before. The harmonization procedure resulted in lower between-scanner variability indicators: mean±SD COV% (from 16.97±6.03% to 7.86±1.47%), GMRC Inter-Quartile Range (0.040 to 0.012), and Contrast SD (0.14 to 0.05). Similar results were obtained with a 6mm FWHM target EIR. Errors of ±10% in the DRO activity resulted in differences below 1mm in the estimated EIR.

Conclusion:

Harmonizing the EIR of brain PET scans significantly reduced image quality variability while minimally affecting quantitative accuracy. This method can be used prospectively for harmonizing scans to target sharper resolutions and is robust against instrument-related errors. Comparable image quality is attainable in brain PET multi-center studies while maintaining quantitative accuracy.
Transcriptome sequencing and identification of genes related to polysaccharide biosynthesis in Hibiseu manihot L
Authors: Shi Hui-Min , Yu Jie , Wang Qi-Feng , Feng Xiao-Yan , Lu Jun-Xing , Zhu Bo , Zhang Tao
Published: May 2023

Background Hibiseu manihot L (H. manihot) is an annual herb, and polysaccharides are one of the main components of H. manihot. To explore the genes related to polysaccharide biosynthesis of in H. manihot, the transcriptome of H. manihot flowers and leaves was sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq high-throughput sequencing platform.Results Functional annotation of the unigenes obtained by sequencing was performed, including alignment with seven databases, including the NR, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, COG, KOG, GO and Pfam databases. At the same time, based on the expression of Unigenes in different samples, through data mining, unigenes that may be involved in H. manihot polysaccharide (HMPS) biosynthesis were analyzed, and the possible pathways and key genes of polysaccharide synthesis were predicted. It was speculated that the pathway from fructose to glucose 1-phosphate was the main pathway for the synthesis of UDP-glucose. UGP2 is the key enzyme for the synthesis of UDP-glucose. The expression of HMPS synthesis genes determined by qRT‒PCR were consistent with the bioinformatics data.Conclusions In this study, the possible biosynthetic pathways and key enzyme genes of HMPS biosynthesis were predicted. These results provide a reference for the study of biosynthesis pathways of H. manihot secondary metabolites.
The RNF214-TEAD-YAP signaling axis promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via TEAD ubiquitylation
Authors: Lin Mengjia , Zheng Xiaoyun , Yan Jianing , Huang Fei , Chen Yilin , Ding Ran , Wan Jinkai , Zhang Lei , Cao Xiaolei , Lou Yan , Feng Xin-Hua , Zhao Bin , Lan Fei , Shen Li , He Xianglei , Qiu Yunqing , Jin Jianping
Published: May 2023

RNF214 is an understudied ubiquitin ligase without any knowledge of its biological functions or specific protein substrates. Using an APEX2-mediated proximity labeling method coupled with the mass spectrometry technique, we identified the TEAD transcription factors in the Hippo pathway as interactors of RNF214. We showed that RNF214 induces non-proteolytic ubiquitylation at a conserved single lysine residue of TEADs, enhances the interactions between TEADs and the transcription coactivators of the Hippo pathway including YAP and TAZ, and then promotes transactivation of the downstream genes of the Hippo signaling. Moreover, we proved that YAP and TAZ could bind polyubiquitin chains, implying the underlying mechanisms by which RNF214 regulates the Hippo pathway. Furthermore, we found that RNF214 is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Clinical and statistical analysis indicated that high expression levels of RNF214 are associated with low differentiation status and poor prognosis of HCC. Consistently, we showcased that RNF214 promotes proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells and HCC tumorigenesis in mouse models via the Hippo pathway. Collectively, our data revealed that RNF214 is a critical component in the Hippo pathway by forming a new signaling axis of RNF214-TEAD-YAP, thereby upregulating the transcriptional activities of the YAP/TAZ-TEAD complex. More importantly, our results suggest that RNF214 serves as an oncogene of HCC and could be a potential drug target of HCC therapy.
Magnitude and predictors of post-stroke cognitive impairment among Ethiopian stroke survivors: A facility-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Zewde Yared , Alem Atalay , Seeger Susanne K.
Published: May 2023

Background: Stroke is emerging as a public health threat in sub-Saharan African countries including Ethiopia. Even though cognitive impairment is increasingly being recognized as a major cause of disability among stroke survivors there is a paucity of information on the magnitude of stroke-related cognitive dysfunction in Ethiopia. Thus, we assessed the magnitude and predictors of post-stroke cognitive impairment among Ethiopian stroke survivors.
Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was employed to assess the magnitude and predictor of post-stroke cognitive impairment among adult stroke survivors who came for follow-up at least 3 months after the last stoke episode from February to June 2021 in three outpatient neurology clinics in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We used the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale-Basic (MOCA-B), modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess post-stroke cognition, functional recovery, and depression, respectively. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS software version 25. A binary logistic regression model was employed to identify the predictors of post-stroke cognitive impairment. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Of the 79 stroke survivors approached, 67 were included. The mean (SD) age was 52.1 (12.7) years. Over half (59.7%) of the survivors were males and most (67.2%) were urban residents. The median stroke duration was 3 years ranging from 1 to 4 years. Almost half (41.8%) of stroke survivors had cognitive impairment. Increased age (AOR=0.24, 95% CI=0.07,0.83), lower education (AOR=4.02, 95% CI=1.13,14.32), and poor function recovery (mRS ³3) (AOR=0.27, 95% CI=0.08-0.81) were predictors significantly associated with post-stroke cognitive impairment.
Conclusion: Nearly one in two stroke survivors had cognitive impairment. The major predictors associated with cognitive decline were age above 45 years, low literacy, and poor recovery in physical function. Although causality cannot be inferred, physical rehabilitation and better education are essential in building cognitive resilience among stroke survivors.
Torque Teno Virus Plasma DNA Load: A Novel Prognostic Biomarker in CAR-T Therapy
Authors: Benzaquén Ana , Giménez Estela , Iacoboni Gloria , Guerreiro Manuel , Hernani Rafael , Albert Eliseo , Carpio Cecilia , Balaguer-Roselló Aitana , Perez Ariadna , Asunción Carlos Solano de la , Sánchez-Salinas Mario Andrés , Chorão Pedro , Piñana Jose Luis , Beas Francisco , Montoro Juan , Hernandez-Boluda Juan Carlos , Facal Ana , Ferrer Blanca , Villalba Marta , Amat Paula , Gómez María Dolores , Campos Diana , Terol Maria Jose , Sanz Jaime , Barba Pere , Navarro David , Solano Carlos , Barba Pere
Published: May 2023

Torque Teno Virus (TTV) is a single-stranded circular DNA virus which has been identified as a surrogate marker of immune competence in transplantation. In this study we investigated the dynamics of plasma TTV DNAemia in 79 adult patients undergoing chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy for relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, also evaluating the impact of TTV on immunotoxicities, response and survival outcomes. After lymphodepleting therapy, TTV DNA load decreases slightly until reaching nadir around day 10, after which it increased steadily until reaching maximum load around day 90. TTV DNA load < 4.05 log10 copies/ml at immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) onset identified patients at risk of severe ICANS (OR 16.68, P = 0.048). Finally, patients who experienced falling or stable TTV DNA load between lymphodepletion and CAR-T infusion had better progression-free survival than those with ascending load (HR 0.31, P = 0.006). These findings suggest that TTV monitoring could serve as a surrogate marker of immune competence, enabling predictions of CAR-T efficacy and toxicity. This could pave the way for the development of TTV-guided therapeutic strategies that modulate clinical patient management based on plasma TTV load, similar to suggested strategies in solid organ transplant recipients.
Improving hybrid rice breeding programs via stochastic simulations: number of parents, number of hybrids, tester update, and genomic prediction of hybrid performance
Authors: Fritsche-Neto Roberto , Ali Jauhar , De Asis Erik Jon , Allahgholipour Mehrzad , Labroo Marlee Rose
Published: May 2023

One of the most common methods to improve hybrid performance is reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS). Genomic prediction (GP) can be used to increase genetic gain in RRS by reducing cycle length, but it is also possible to use GP to predict single-cross hybrid performance and recover higher-performing hybrids. The impact of the latter method on genetic gain has not been previously reported. Therefore, our study compared various phenotypic and genomics-assisted RRS breeding schemes which used GP to predict hybrid performance rather than reducing cycle length, which allows minimal changes to phenotypic schemes. We used stochastic simulation to compare compared five RRS breeding schemes in terms of genetic gain and best hybrid performance: Traditional (TRAD_RRS), drift (DRIFT_RRS), Traditional but updating testers every cycle (TRAD_RRS_ UP), Genomic Additive (GS_A_RRS), and Genomic Additive+Dominace (GS_AD_RRS). We also compared three breeding sizes which varied the number of genotypes crossed within heterotic pools, the number of genotypes crossed between heterotic pools, the number of the number of phenotyped hybrids, and the number of genomic predicted hybrids. Schemes which used genomic prediction of hybrid performance outperformed the others for both the average interpopulation hybrid population performance and the best hybrid performance. Furthermore, updating the testers increased hybrid genetic gain with phenotypic RRS. Overall, the largest breeding size tested had the highest rates of genetic gain and in the lowest decrease in additive genetic variance due to drift, although cost was not considered. This study demonstrates the usefulness of single-cross prediction, which initially may be easier to implement than rapid-cycling RRS, and cyclical updating of testers. We also demonstrate that larger population sizes tend to have higher genetic gain and less depletion of genetic variance, disregarding cost.
Estimation and evaluation of the risks of protozoan infection related to the water produced by a treatment plant in southern Brazil.
Authors: Visentini Claudia Bauer , Tagliari Lorenzo Rüling
Published: May 2023

The main objective of this study was to estimate the risk of giardia and cryptosporidiuminfection through ingestion of the water produced by a treatment plant located in southern Brazil, between the years 2015 and 2021. The protozoan removal values ​​were obtained through two different approaches and the annual infection risks were estimated by the Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment Methodology (QMRA). Although the collected raw water showed a higher concentration of giardia cysts than cryptosporidium oocysts, the annual risk values ​​were significantly higher for cryptosporidiuminfection. The choice of the type of approach to estimate the removal of protozoa had a great impact on the magnitude of the infection risk values ​​obtained. In general, the water treated by the studied plant presented infection risk values ​​lower than or very close to the annual risk value considered tolerable by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, it was concluded that the conventional requirements present in norms and legislation, such as in Brazilian legislation, are not sufficient to guarantee the microbiological safety of drinking water.
Neuroticism, Physical Activity, and Cognitive Functioning in a Population-Based Cohort of Older Adults
Authors: Desai Pankaja , Beck Todd , Krueger Kristin , Wilson Robert , Evans Denis , Rajan Kumar
Published: May 2023

Background. Little is known about how physical activity influences the relationship between neuroticism and cognitive function and cognitive decline.Methods. Data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) was utilized to conduct this study. CHAP is a population-based cohort study of chronic conditions in older adults. Participants completed in-home interviews cycles of three years from 1993–2012. Mixed effects regression models were conducted to test the associations between physical activity, neuroticism, and the interaction between neuroticism and global cognitive function and global cognitive decline. Stratified mixed effects regression models by physical activity level were conducted to test the associations between neuroticism and global cognitive function and global cognitive decline.Results. A total of 7,685 participants were eligible for this study. Participants were 62% female and 64% African American. We found statistically significant associations for the interaction of medium physical and neuroticism (β = 0.014 (SE = 0.007), p = .037) and the interaction of high physical activity and neuroticism (β = 0.021 (SE = 0.007), p = .003) on global cognitive function at baseline but not for decline over time. Stratified analysis showed that among participants with high physical activity levels, the association between neuroticism and global cognitive decline was statistically significant (β=-0.002 (SE = 0.001), p = .023).Conclusion. Increasing physical activity level benefits the cognitive functioning of individuals with high neuroticism. Interventions should incorporate health behavior change approaches which aim to reduce characteristics of neuroticism.
Epidemiology of Vertebral Fractures in Chile: A retrospective study in the largest neurosurgery reference center of the country
Authors: Vera Sergio , Vega Roberto , Cofré Cristopher , Marcano Ramón , Padilla César , Luna Felipe
Published: May 2023

Study Design:
Retrospective cohort study.
Objectives:
This study aims to describe the occurrence of vertebral fractures according to age, sex, cause, type of fracture, compromised level, treatment, and complications in adult individuals.
Setting:
A Chilean neurosurgery reference center.
Methods:
All patients ≥ 18 years old suffering from an acute vertebral fracture between 2017 and 2022 were included in this study. Demographical data, fracture characteristics and management were obtained from medical records.
Results:
In total, 175 individuals with vertebral fractures were identified. The highest percentages of vertebral fractures were concentrated in 2 periods of life: under 30 years of age (25.7%, N=45), and ≥ 65 years (30.9%, N=54). Mostly of these patients were men (56.6%). Over 90 percent of individuals had a traumatic vertebral fracture (90.2%), whereas 9.8% had a pathological vertebral fracture. The most frequent localization was in the Thoracolumbar region of the spine (58.3%), being the Burst fractures (A3 or A4) the most frequent types (47.4%). Sixty-two patients had a neurological deficit (35.4%), mostly paraparesis. Finally, spinal fusion, with or without decompression, was the most used surgical technique (52.1%), with almost 13% of complications, mainly due to surgical site infections.
Conclusions:
Worldwide distribution of data regarding characterization of vertebral fractures is heterogeneous, even in our own region. However, data on the subject in Latin America is scarce. Understanding the clinical and demographic characteristics of these patients will help to prevent injuries, deciding type of management, and aiming to reduce complications in cases of traumatic and non-traumatic spine injuries.
Establishment of a predictive model for postpartum hemorrhage in twins: a retrospective study
Authors: Qi Sangsang , Fu Xianhu
Published: May 2023

Objective To explore the risk factors and develop a predictive model for postpartum hemorrhage in twin pregnancies.
Methods This retrospective cohort study included 2,045 patients who met the inclusion criteria for inpatient deliveries at Ningbo Women's and Children's Hospital from January 2018 to August 2022. The patients were randomly divided into training and testing cohorts by 7:3, LASS0 regression screening variables and dichotomous logistic multifactor analysis were applied in R language to determine independent risk factors for postpartum hemorrhage in twin births nomograms were drawn to validate and evaluate the predictive efficacy of the model.
Results Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis showed maternal age, assisted reproduction, platelet count, fibrinogen level, albumin level, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, placenta praevia, number of previous cesarean deliveries, number of previous intrauterine manipulation, and neonatal weight were independent risk factors for postpartum hemorrhage in twin births. The area under curve (AUC) for the training cohort was 0.810 [95%CI (0.781, 0.839)], with a sensitivity of 76.5%, specificity of 71.0%, and positive and negative predictive values of 0.358 and 0.935, respectively, while the AUC for the testing cohorts was 0.821 [95%CI (0.781, 0.860)], with a sensitivity of 80.9%, specificity of 69.49%, and positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 0.426 and 0.929.
Conclusion The predictive model can effectively and quantitatively assess the risk of postpartum hemorrhage in twin pregnancies and help clinicians to take personalized preventive measures.
Combining transcriptomics and metabolomics to identify key response genes for aluminum toxicity in the root system of Brassica napus L. seedlings
Authors: Li Chenyang , Shi Hongsong , Xu Lu , Xing Mingli , Wu Xiaoru , Bai Yansong , Niu Mengyuan , Gao Junqi , Zhou Qingyuan , Cui Cui
Published: May 2023

Aluminum (Al) toxicity has become one of the important abiotic stress factorsin areas with acid soil, which hinders the absorption of water and nutrients by roots, and consequently retards the growth of crops. A deeper understanding of the stress response mechanism of Brassica napus may allow us to identify the tolerance gene(s) and use this information in breeding resistant crop varieties. In this study, a population of 138 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was subjected to aluminum stress, and QTL (quantitative trait locus) mapping was used to preliminarily locate quantitative trait loci related to aluminum stress. Root tissues from seedlings of aluminum-resistant (R) lines and aluminum-sensitive (S) lines from the RIL population were harvested for transcriptome sequencing and metabolome determination. By combining the data on quantitative trait genes (QTGs), differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs), key candidate genes related to aluminum tolerance in rapeseed were determined. The results showed that there were 3186 QTGs in the RIL population, 14,232 DEGs and 457 DAMs in the comparison between R and S lines. Lastly, 138 hub genes were selected to have a strong positive or negative correlation with 30 important metabolites (|R|≥0.95). These genes were mainly involved in the metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and secondary metabolites in response to Al toxicity stress. In summary, this study provides an effective method for screening key genes by combining QTLs, transcriptome sequencing, and metabolomic analysis, but also lists key genes for exploring the molecular mechanism of Al tolerance in rapeseed seedling roots.
Keratin 15 protects against cigarette smoke-induced epithelial mesenchymal transformation by MMP-9
Authors: wensi Zhu , Han Linxiao , Wu Yuanyuan , Tong Lin , He Ludan , Wang Qin , Yan Yu , Pan Ting , Shen Jie , Song Yuanlin , Zhu Qiaoliang , Shen Yao , Zhou Jian
Published: May 2023

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic inflammatory lung disease, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Prolonged cigarette smoking (CS) that causes irreversible airway remodeling and significantly reduces lung function is a major risk factor for COPD. Kertin15+ (Krt15+) cells with the potential of self-renewal and differentiation properties have been implicated in the maintenance, proliferation, and differentiation of airway basal cells; however, the role of Krt15 in COPD is not clear.Methods Krt15 knockout (Krt15−/−) and wild-type (WT) mice of C57BL/6 background were exposed to CS for six months to establish COPD models. Krt15-Cre;Rosa26-tdTomato mice were used to trace the fate of the Krt15+ cells. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson stainings were performed to assess histopathology and fibrosis, respectively. Furthermore, lentivirus-delivered short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was used to knock down KRT15 in human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells stimulated with cigarette smoke extract (CSE). The protein expression was assessed using western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results Krt15−/− CS mice developed severe inflammatory cell infiltration, airway remodeling, and emphysema. Moreover, Krt15 knockout aggravated CS-induced secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT). Consistent with this finding, KRT15 knockdown promoted MMP-9 expression and EMT progression in vitro, which was reversed by SB-3CT, an MMP-9 inhibitor. Furthermore, Krt15+ cells gradually increased in the bronchial epithelial cells during CS exposure in mice.Conclusion Krt15 regulates the EMT process by promoting MMP-9 expression and protects the lung tissue from CS-induced injury, inflammatory infiltration, and apoptosis. These results suggest Krt15 as a potential therapeutic target for COPD.
Combining Self-attention and Depth-wise Convolution for Human Pose Estimation
Authors: fan Zhang , qingxuan Shi , yanli Ma
Published: May 2023

The implementation of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Transformers has significantly accelerated the booming advances of human pose estimation. However, challenges persist in accurately estimating target details, and performing pose estimation in complex environments where targets may be blurred or chaotic. In this paper, we exploit TokenPose as the baseline, revisiting the design of CNNs and Transformers. TokenPose utilizes CNNs and Transformers sequentially, combining the advantages of CNNs in extracting low level features and Transformers in establishing long-range dependencies. On this basis, we modify the CNNs and Transformer related structures to further enhance expression ability of the model. The modification is made to the original CNNs section: we alter BasicBlock to AtBlock to maintain high-resolution information exchange to further excavate details of objects. The two following modifications are applied to the subsequent Transformer section: (1) we replace the self-attention layer in each encoder block with the Local Enhancement Self-Attention(LESA) module to capture local information. (2) we propose a Local Perception Feed-Forward Network(LPFFN) to substitute for the feed-froward network layer in each encoder block, which employs the depth-wise convolution to enhance the correlation of neighbour information in the spatial dimension. Our modifications contribute to analyzing poses that are arduous to estimate due to occlusion. Our method combines self-attention and depth-wise convolution, which is named CSDNet. We demonstrate a better performance over the TokenPose baseline on both the COCO2017 and MPII datasets. Additionally, in complicated environments such as poor lighting conditions, our method can more accurately estimate fuzzy keypoints.
IRAK-M Plays A Role in the Pathology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Through Suppressing the Activation of Microglia
Authors: Zhong Xinghua , Li Chuqiao , Li Yanran , Huang Yingyi , Liu Jingsi , Jiang Anqi , Chen Jinyu , Peng Yu
Published: May 2023

Background
Microglial activation plays a crucial role in the disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Interleukin receptor-associated kinases-M (IRAK-M) is an important negative regulatory factor in the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway during microglia activation, and its mechanism in this process is still unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the dynamic changes of IRAK-M and its protective effects for motor neuron in SOD1-G93A mouse model of ALS.
Methods
qPCR(Real-time Quantitative PCR Detecting System) were used to examine the mRNA levels of IRAK-M in the spinal cord in both SOD1-G93A mice and their age-matched wild type (WT) littermates at 100 and 140 days of age. we established an adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)-based platform by which IRAK-M was targeted mostly to microglial cells to investigate whether this approach could provide a protection in the SOD1-G93A mouse .
Results
Compared with age-matched WT mice, IRAK-M mRNA level was elevated at 100 and 140 days in the anterior horn region of spinal cords in the SOD1-G93A mouse. AAV9-IRAK-M treated SOD1-G93A mice showed reduction of IL-1β mRNA levels and significant improvements in the numbers of spinal motor neurons in spinal cord. Mice also showed previously reduction of muscle atrophy.
Conclusions
Our data revealed the dynamic changes of IRAK-M during ALS pathological progression and demonstrated that an AAV9-IRAK-M deliverywas an effective and translatable therapeutic approach for ALS. These findings may help identify potential molecular targets for ALS therapy.
Bayesian Discrete Lognormal Regression Model for Genomic Prediction
Authors: Montesinos-Lopez Abelardo , Gutiérrez-Pulido Humberto , Ramos-Pulido Sofia , Montesinos-López José Cricelio , Montesinos-López Osval A. , Crossa Jose
Published: May 2023

Genomic selection is a powerful tool in modern breeding programs that uses genomic information to predict the performance of individuals and select those with desirable traits. It has revolutionized animal and plant breeding, as it allows breeders to identify the best candidates without labor-intensive and time-consuming phenotypic evaluations. While several statistical models have been developed, most of them have been for quantitative continuous traits and only a few for count responses. In this paper, we propose a discrete lognormal regression model in the Bayesian context, developed using the inference by Gibbs sampler to explore the corresponding posterior distribution and make the predictions. A data set of resistance disease is used in the wheat crop and is then evaluated against the traditional Gaussian model and a lognormal model over the located response. The results indicate the proposed model is a competitive and natural model for predicting count genomic traits.
Paget's Disease of Bone: a Single Center Experience
Authors: Ünübol Mustafa , Ozcaglayan Ruhsen , Erdemir Zehra , İyiyapıcı Ayşe , Güney Engin
Published: May 2023

Introduction Paget's disease of bone, osteitis deformans is a benign disease of bone that affects one or more bones. Its prevalence and clinical features show geographical region differences. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the treatment responses and follow-up results as a single center experience by using the demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological characteristics of patients with Paget's Disease of the Bone.
Method Fifty one patients who were diagnosed and followed up in Aydın Adnan Menderes University Endocrinology clinic between September 2004 and December 2021 were included in the study retrospectively.
Results The mean age of onset of the disease was 61.8±12.5 years and the mean follow-up period was 9.3±8.2 years. It was observed that 68.63% of the patients were asymptomatic. Polyostotic involvement is present in 62.7% of the patients. It was observed that the disease most commonly involved the pelvis. It was determined that alkaline phosphatase value was above the upper reference limit in all patients at the time of diagnosis. All patients have increased activity in whole body bone scintigraphy. Except for one patient, all patients received bisphosphonate therapy. Remission was achieved in all patients who received zolendronic acid treatment as the first treatment. Since there was no response in the treatment of 8 patients receiving oral bisphosphonate and 2 patients receiving pamidronate, IV zolendronic acid treatment was started. Treatment response was achieved in 6 (75%) of 8 patients who did not go into remission with oral bisphosphonate, and in 1 (50%) of 2 patients who received pamidronate and did not go into remission, after switching to zolendronic acid, and serum alkaline phosphatase values were found to regress to the normal range.
Conclusion In this study, it was determined that patients with asymptomatic alkaline phosphatase elevation should also be examined for Paget's disease of the bone and that zolendronic acid provides an effective treatment in Paget's disease of the bone.
Segmented in vitro fertilization and frozen embryo transfer in levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device treated patients with endometrial cancer
Authors: Wei Hongyi , Ma Caihong , Pan Ningning , Wang Yang
Published: May 2023

Purpose
To evaluate the efficacy of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) during controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in patients with early stage endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC).
Methods
A retrospective study was conducted. The study population comprised patients with EEC who achieved complete response after fertility-sparing treatment from December 2018 to December 2021 and all the women who underwent COS had LNG-IUDs inserted in the uterine cavity.
Results
16 patients were enrolled who underwent 26 COS cycles. The average age was 33.19 ± 4.04 years. 12 patients had 19 subsequent frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles, no embryos were obtained in 1 patient, 1 patient got pregnancy spontaneously with term delivery after COS, 1 patient relapsed before FET, and 1 patient did not transfer embryos for personal reasons. Among 19 FET cycles, the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates in each ET cycle were 36.84% (7/19) and 26.32% (5/19), respectively. 7 clinical pregnancies resulted in 2 miscarriages (28.57%), and 5 live births (71.43%). Totally 6 patients achieved 7 live births, the cumulative live birth rate was 37.5% (6/16). Three (18.75%)of these patients relapsed after COS during the follow-up period(31.31 ± 15.89 months). Time interval from COS to relapse was 6.63,11.67 and 16.23 months respectively.
Conclusion
LNG-IUD may benefit the pregnancy and oncological outcomes of patients with EEC during COS.
Cable Path Optimization by Fixing Multiple Guides on One Link for Industrial Robot Arms
Authors: Iwamura Shintaro , Mizukami Yoshiki , Endo Takahiro , Matsuno Fumitoshi
Published: May 2023

Several methods have been developed in recent years to automatically design cable paths for a given robot motion. However, an optimal solution may not be found when applied to complex motions such as inspection or assembly processes. Observation of experts’ works reveals that multiple guides are empirically fixed on one link to avoid cable collisions with peripheral devices and to lessen cable bending fatigue. This study proposes a cable path optimization method with multiple guides on one link to obtain the optimal solution for complex motions. Further, it experimentally demonstrates its effectiveness. However, fixing multiple guides on one link may increase computational burden because the solution search space will remarkably expand. Therefore, a combination of Hermite interpolation and interpolated coordinate system calculation using rotation minimizing frames was introduced to reduce the significant burden of connected geometry computation. The connected geometry is the geometry of the cable segment which connects the guides at both ends and is used as an initial geometry in the physical simulation considering gravity to determine the convergent geometry of the cable segment.
Palmitic acid induces posttranslational modifications of tau protein in Alzheimer´s disease-related epitopes and increases intraneuronal tau levels.
Authors: García-Cruz Valeria Melissa , Arias Clorinda
Published: May 2023

Metabolic diseases derived from an unhealthy lifestyle have been linked with an increased risk for developing cognitive impairment and even Alzheimer´s disease (AD). Although high consumption of saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid (PA) has been associated with the development of obesity and type II diabetes, the mechanisms connecting elevated neuronal PA levels and increased AD marker expression remain unclear. Among other effects, PA induces insulin resistance, increases intracellular calcium and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and reduces the NAD+/NADH ratio, resulting in decreased activity of the deacetylase Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) in neurons. These mechanisms may affect signaling pathways that impact the posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of the tau protein. To analyze the role played by PA in inducing the phosphorylation and acetylation of tau, we examined PTM changes in human tau in differentiated neurons from human neuroblastoma cells. We found changes in the phosphorylation state of several AD-related sites, namely, S199/202 and S214, that were mediated by a mechanism associated with the dysregulated activity of the kinases GSK3β and mTOR. PA also increased the acetylation of residue K280, and elevated total tau level after long exposure time. These findings provide information about the mechanisms by which saturated fatty acids cause tau PTMs that are similar to those observed in association with AD biochemical changes.
Automated radiosynthesis and in vivo evaluation of [18F]ADPM06 as a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy
Authors: Kawamura Kazunori , Yamasaki Tomoteru , Fujinaga Masayuki , Tomomi Kokufuta , Zhang Yiding , Mori Wakana , Kurihara Yusuke , Ogawa Masanao , Tsukagoe Kaito , Nengaki Nobuki , Zhang Ming-Rong
Published: May 2023

Background
A family of BF2-chelated tetraaryl-azadipyrromethenes was developed as non-porphyrin photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy. Among the developed photosensitizers, ADPM06 exhibited excellent photochemical and photophysical properties. Molecular imaging is a useful tool for photodynamic therapy planning and monitoring. Radiolabeled photosensitizers can efficiently address photosensitizer biodistribution, providing helpful information for photodynamic therapy planning. To evaluate the biodistribution of ADPM06 and predict its pharmacokinetics on photodynamic therapy, we synthesized [18F]ADPM06 and evaluated its in vivo properties.
Results
[18F]ADPM06 was automatically synthesized by Lewis acid-assisted isotopic 18F-19F exchange using ADPM06 and tin (IV) chloride at room temperature for 10 min. Radiolabeling was carried out using 0.4 µmol of ADPM06 and 200 µmol of tin (IV) chloride. The radiosynthesis time was approximately 60 min, and the radiochemical purity was > 95% at the end of the synthesis. The decay-corrected radiochemical yield from [18F]F- at the end of irradiation was 13 ± 2.7% (n = 5). In the biodistribution study, radioactivity levels in the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, spleen, kidney, small intestine, muscle, and brain gradually decreased over 120 min after the initial uptake. The mean radioactivity level in the bone was the highest among all organs investigated and increased for 120 min after injection. Upon co-injection with ADPM06, the radioactivity levels in the blood, heart, and brain significantly increased, whereas those in the lung, liver, pancreas, kidney, small intestine, muscle, and bone were not affected. In the metabolite study of the plasma in mice, the percentage of radioactivity corresponding to [18F]ADPM06 was 76.3 ± 1.6% (n = 3). In a positron emission tomography study using MDA-MB-231-HTB-26 tumor-bearing mice, radioactivity accumulated in the bone at a relatively high level and in the tumor at a moderate level for 60 min after injection.
Conclusions
We synthesized [18F]ADPM06 using an automated 18F-labeling synthesizer and evaluated the biodistribution of [18F]ADPM06 in mice, which may be useful for predicting the pharmacokinetics of ADPM06 in photodynamic therapy.
Interfacial phenomenon and Marangoni convection of Fe–C melt on coke substrate under in situ observation
Authors: GAO Lihua , HUANG Yibin , ZHAN Wenlong , WANG Chuan , HE Zhijun , PANG Qinghai , ZHANG Junhong
Published: May 2023

The interfacial phenomenon between liqiuid iron and coke is important for determining the melting efficiency in the blast furnace iron-making process. In this study, the interaction observed in the case of the iron-carbon (Fe–C) melt on coke substrate was investigated using a high-temperature vacuum wettability test equipment. The Fe–C melt did not wet and spread on the coke substrate with different graphitization degrees (r0) at a high temperature of 1450℃. The contact angles changed from 124.5° to 105.3°, and the r0 increased from 9.30 to 50.00, thus indicating a nonwetting state. The deepening of graphitization decreased the contact angle. Thereby, increasing the contact area between liquid iron and the carbonaceous material, which facilitated carbon dissolution. The irregular movements of Fe–C melt were observed in situ during the wetting process. The horizontal force of the droplet caused by interfacial tension and the contact angle; the Marangoni convection owing to the gradient of carbon concentration; and the impulse force caused by the generation, aggregation, and release of SiO bubbles at the interface were attributed to the driving force.
The distribution structure of medical and care resources based on regional characteristics throughout Japan in 2020
Authors: Kusunoki Takuya , Yoshikawa Tohru
Published: May 2023

Background
Given Japan’s rapidly aging population, a coordinated system for providing medical and care services tailored to regional characteristics needs to be established. To gain useful knowledge for the development of such a system, the present study aimed to identify the structure of the distribution of medical and care resources based on regional characteristics.
Methods
Initially, regional characteristics were used to group all 334 secondary medical areas in Japan by principal component analysis. Subsequently, the related structure of the distribution of medical and care resources was modeled using structural equation modeling. Finally, multigroup analysis was conducted to investigate differences in the models across groups.
Results
The nationwide secondary medical areas were categorized based on urbanicity and low-density urbanicity, which revealed differences in the related structure of the distribution of medical and care resources.
Conclusions
The key finding was that the government’s objective of reducing hospital beds to enhance medical delivery efficiency may not be achieved solely by expanding nursing homes. This finding was particularly relevant in low-density urbanicity groups. Given concerns about the oversupply of nursing homes and sprawl in such areas, we conclude that trends in the location of nursing homes should be closely monitored.
Exploring the effect of Desmopressin on Bladder Interstitial Cells of Cajal with Detrusor Overactivity
Authors: Wang Ying , Chui Hinsan , Yu Han , Zeng Sixun , Zhang Fenghua
Published: May 2023

Background: Enuresis is a common pediatric disease in clinical, and the pathogenesis of enuresis is complex and not fully understood. Modern studies have found that enuresis is closely related to detrusor overactivity (DO). Desmopressin (DDAVP) is the most commonly used drug in the clinic for enuresis, but studies have yet to be reported on the direct effects of DDAVP on the Bladder. So this study investigates whether DDAVP can improve DO and explore the underlying mechanism of action.
Methods: In this study, the bladder outlet obstruction rat model serum was used to intervene in Bladder interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) as a cell model of DO, which dealt with DDAVP-containing serum. ICCs were identified by optical microscope and immunofluorescence. The expression of tyrosine-protein kinase Kit (c-Kit), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), b-cell lymphoma-2-interacting myosin-like coiled-coil protein (Beclin 1) and microtubule-associated protein one light chain three betas (LC3B) protein levels was detected by Western Blot.
Results: The study showed that the expression levels of c-Kit, PI3K, AKT, and mTOR were increased in the model group. DDAVP can effectively inhibit the expression of related proteins. Beclin 1 and LC3B were not significantly changed in the model group while Beclin 1 and LC3B decrased after the DDAVP intervention.
Conclusions: DDAVP can improve DO by decreasing c-Kit expression in Bladder ICCs and regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, but not acting through autophagy.