bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrothermal Upgrading of Waste Plastics: An Environmental Impact Study
Authors: Ozoemena Matthew , Coles Stuart
Published: July 2022

This paper presents the life cycle assessment results of a study of plastic recycling via hydrothermal upgrading (HTU), a chemical recycling technology. It was investigated due to its potential to address current gaps in the plastic recycling system, largely due to several plastic packaging materials and formats that cannot be processed by traditional mechanical recycling technologies (primarily due to technoeconomic reasons). As society transitions towards a net-zero-based circular economy, assessments should be conducted with a futuristic outlook, preventing costly mistakes by employing the right technologies in the right areas. HTU can generate up to 76% reduction in climate change impacts when compared with comparable end-of-life treatment technologies whilst conserving material with the system. Additionally, further reductions could be achieved by changes in electricity consumption within the study. This represents a new insight to chemical recycling of polymers by establishing a prospective life cycle assessment study that looks to introduce a step-change in the recycling system. By creating a transparent cut-off model with consistent allocation, it highlights the benefits of introducing this technology as opposed to the current model of disposal through incineration or landfill.
Mouse Models for Unravelling Immunology of Blood Stage Malaria
Authors: Olatunde Adesola C , Cornwall Douglas H , Roedel Marshall , Lamb Tracey J
Published: July 2022

Malaria comprises a spectrum of disease syndromes and the immune system is a major participant in malarial disease. This is particularly true in relation to the immune responses elicited against blood stages of Plasmodium-parasites that are responsible for the pathogenesis of infection. Mouse models of malaria are commonly used to dissect the immune mechanisms underlying disease. While no one mouse model of Plasmodium infection completely recapitulates all the features of malaria in humans, collectively the existing models are invaluable for defining the events that lead to the immunopathogenesis of malaria. Here we review the different mouse models of Plasmodium infection that are available, and highlight some of the main contributions these models have made with regards to identifying immune mechanisms of parasite control and the immunopathogenesis of malaria.
Biological and Cosmetical Importance of Fermented Raw Materials: An Overview
Authors: Majchrzak Weronika , Motyl Ilona , Śmigielski Krzysztof
Published: July 2022

The cosmetics industry is currently looking for innovative ingredients with higher bioactivity and bioavailability for the masses of natural and organic cosmetics. Bioferments are innovative ingredients extracted from natural raw materials by carrying out a fermentation process with appropriate strains of microorganisms. The review was conducted using the SciFinder database with the keywords fermented plant, cosmetics, fermentation. Mainly bioferments are made from plant-based raw materials. The review covers a wide range of fermented raw materials from waste materials (whey with beet pulp) to plant oils (F-Shiunko, F-Artemisia, F-Glycyrrhiza). The spectrum of applications for bioferments is broad and includes properties such as skin whitening, antioxidant properties (blackberry, soybean, goji berry), anti-ageing, anti-aging (red ginseng, black ginseng, Citrus unshiu peel), hydrating and anti-allergic (aloe vera, skimmed milk). Fermentation increases the biochemical and physiological activity of the substrate by converting high-molecular compounds into low-molecular structures, this makes fermented raw materials more compatible compared to unfermented raw materials.
Adenovirus Infection in Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Challenge Still Open for Survival
Authors: Cesaro Simone , Porta Fulvio
Published: July 2022

Human Adenovirus (HAdV) infection occurs in 14-16% of patients in the early months after pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and this correlates with a higher risk to develop HAdV disease and overall 6-month mortality. The main risk factors for HAdV infection are T-cell depletion of the graft by ex vivo CD34+ selection or in vivo use of alemtuzumab or anti-thymocyte serum, the development of grade III-IV graft versus host disease (GVHD), the type of donor (unrelated donor, cord blood, haploidentical or HLA mismatched parent) and severe lymphopenia (< 0.2 x 109/L). The prevention of HAdV disease is based on early intervention with antivirals in the asymptomatic patient when the permitted viral load threshold on blood (> 102-3 copies/ml) and/or on the stool (109 copies/g stool) is exceeded. Cidofovir, a monophosphate nucleotide analog of cytosine, is the primary drug for preemptive therapy, used at 5 mg/kg/week for 2 weeks followed by 3-5 mg/kg every 2 weeks. The alternative schedule is 1 mg/kg every other day (three times/week). Enhancing virus-specific T-cell immunity in the first months post-HCT by donor-derived or third-party-derived virus-specific T cells represents an innovative and promising way of intervention applicable both in prevention and therapeutic setting.
Complete genome sequence of patchouli chlorosis-associated cytorhabdovirus, a new cytorhabdovirus infected in patchouli plant in Brazil
Authors: Kauffmann Caterynne Melo , Boari Alessandra de Jesus , Silva João Marcos Fagundes , Blawid Rosana , Nagata Tatsuya
Published: July 2022

A cytorhabdovirus, tentatively named “patchouli chlorosis-associated cytorhabdovirus” (PCaCV), was identified in patchouli plant, using high-throughput sequencing. Its genome confirmed by Sanger sequencing comprises 12,913 nucleotides and contained five open reading frames in order of 3'-N-P'-P-P3-M-L-5'. The glycoprotein gene exhibited irregular patterns with stop codons in coding frame, hence this gene is considered as defective. PCaCV is more closely related to tomato yellow mottle-associated virus, sharing 38.7% nucleotide sequence identity of the complete genome and 73.9% amino acid sequence identity of the L protein. These analyses suggest that PCaCV is considered a new member of the genus Cytorhabdovirus.
Trait-mediated leaf retention of atmospheric particulate matter in fourteen tree species in southern China
Authors: Zhao Kangning , Liu Dandan , Chen Yongfa , Feng Jiayi , He Dong , Huang Chunhua , Wang Zhiyuan
Published: July 2022

Particulate air pollution is a serious threat to human health, especially in urban areas, and trees can act as biological filters and improve air quality. However, studies on greening tree species selection are rare. We measured three particular matter adsorption metrics (PM2.5, PM2.5−10 and PM> 10 captured per leaf area) and six functional traits for each of fourteen species and estimated their minimum light requirements based on field surveys. We found that shade-tolerant species captured more coarse particles (PM2.5−10) than light-demanding species. For traits, a strong negative correlation was found between photosynthetic capacity and adsorption capacity for all three PM size fractions, indicating that in comparison to acquisitive species, conservative species captured larger amounts of particles. Moreover, denser wood species and smaller leaves were more efficient in capturing large particles (PM> 10), while species with ‘expensive’ leaves (high leaf N or P) were more efficient in capturing fine particles (PM2.5), indicating that capturing large and fine particles was related to mechanical stability traits and leaf surface traits, respectively. Our results demonstrated that the metabolism (e.g., photosynthetic capacity) and chemistry (e.g., leaf N and leaf P) of leaves help explain species capacity to capture PM. We encourage future studies to investigate the ecosystem functions and stress tolerance of tree species with the same framework and trait-based methods.
Elucidating HONO formation mechanism and its essential contribution to OH during haze events
Authors: Ge Maofa , Zhang Xinran , Tong Shengrui , Jia Chenhui , Zhang Wenqian , Wang Zhen , Tang Guiqian , Hu Bo , Liu Zirui , Wang Lili , Zhao Pusheng , Pan Yuepeng
Published: July 2022

Atmospheric nitrous acid (HONO) chemistry is of critical importance to air quality during polluted haze events. However, current air quality models generally underestimate the concentration of HONO, indicating that a fundamental understanding of haze pollution is lacking. Here, by combining field observations during haze events in Beijing and modeling results, we developed the new parameterization scheme for heterogeneous nitrogen dioxide (NO2) reaction on aerosol surfaces [with the synergistic effects of relative humidity, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide], which has not been considered in existing air quality models. Including NO2 heterogeneous reactions into modeling significantly improves the estimation accuracy of HONO and OH levels, with the contribution reaching up to 91% and 78% during pollution episodes. The OH derived by HONO can partly explain high concentrations of particulate matter. Together, our work provides a new approach to illustrate the formation of HONO, OH, and haze with the consideration of heterogeneous NO2→HONO chemistry.
NQO1/CPT1A promotes the progression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma via fatty acid oxidation
Authors: Xu Ran , Liu Ying , Ma Liang , Sun Yao , Liu Hai Feng , Yang Yang , Jin Tie Feng , Yang Da Wei
Published: July 2022

NQO1, a cytosolic enzyme, is closely related to progression of cancers and patients’ poor outcome. However, the molecular biological mechanism of NQO1 tumorigenicity in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) has not been clearly reported. Therefore, we demonstrate the molecular mechanism of NQO1 PAAD in proliferation, metastasis and fatty acid oxidation (FAO). In this report, NQO1 is overexpressed in PAAD, connects with lymph node metastasis and poor overall survival. The overexpression of NQO1 improves tumor growth, metastasis and FAO in PAAD. Mechanistically, NQO1 is able to bind to carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A), a key enzyme controlling FAO. And NQO1 promotes the PAAD progression via CPT1A-mediated FAO. In short, our findings identify CPT1A-depedent FAO as an essential metabolic pathway for NQO1 to promote PAAD process. Targeting NQO1/CPT1A in PAAD to attenuate proliferation and dissemination is a potential approach to promote a better antitumor effect and improve patient outcomes.
Key words: NQO1; PAAD; metastasis; fatty acid oxidation; CPT1A
Assessing safety and transceive performance of volumetric wireless coil for wrist MRI at 3 T
Authors: Nasonov Aleksei , Schelokova Alena , Tikhonov Pavel , Brui Ekaterina
Published: July 2022

Background
The concept of a volumetric wireless coil electromagnetically coupled to a body coil (BC) to improve the quality and radiofrequency (RF) safety of wrist MRI at 1.5 T was recently proposed and confirmed via in vivo studies. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time, that the same concept can be applied at 3 T, where the RF safety issue is more critical. Our work includes a detailed analysis of the wireless coil robustness to the possible breakages of coil elements and its imperfect positioning inside the BC.
Methods
The wireless coil design is based on a periodic array of coupled split-loop resonators. The cases of a wireless coil breakage and inaccurate positioning were considered in terms of influence on RF safety via electromagnetic simulations with a human voxel model. In vivo experiments were also performed to evaluate the transmit efficiency and uniformity of the B1+-field.
Results
Numerical simulations demonstrated that the wireless coil provides a 4.1-fold increase in the local RF safety and almost a 7-fold increase in the global RF safety in comparison with the case of the same BC used alone. Minor breakages and positioning errors only slightly affect the transmit efficiency and the RF safety, confirming the wireless coil robustness.
Conclusion
The wireless coil was shown to be feasible for wrist imaging at 3 T. A significant improvement of the RF safety may be useful in studies with implants and in the case when high-performance pulse sequences are required for improving the image quality.
High-k materials based on SrHfO3 and BaHfO3: A Hybrid Density Functional Theory Study
Authors: Yeo Abdul Hannan , Wu Wei , Choy Kwang-Leong
Published: July 2022

High-dielectric-constant (high-k) materials are important as dielectric layers for computer processors to prevent unnecessary electrical current leakages. There is a fast-growing demand in the semiconductor industry for the exploration and integration of alternative high-k materials with the electronic device because the conventional dielectric material such as it gradually becomes difficult for SiO2 to satisfy the industrial need. There are many promising candidates for the high-k materials such as BaTiO3 and HfO2. Among these, ternary oxides (consisting of three elements and usually having perovskite crystal structure) can offer much better electrical properties than SiO2, thus providing potentially better solutions for the current-leakage problem. The previous experiments on the band structure and dielectric properties of SrHfO3 and BaHfO3 have shown their good potential for high-k materials. However, the theoretical understanding of these materials is still rare. In this paper, we have computed the electronic structure, optical and static dielectric constants of SrHfO3 and BaHfO3 by using hybrid-exchange density-functional theory. This work aims to provide a better understanding through accurate computational calculations of ternary oxides to prove its compatibility and superior material qualities for the future integration into semiconductor devices. A larger band gap (~ 10 eV) with comparable static dielectric constant with HfO2 (another good candidate for high-k dielectrics) has been suggested by our calculations for SrHfO3 and BaHfO3. The computed static dielectric constants for both materials are in agreement with the experimental results reported previously. Our calculations will provide a solid theoretical foundation for using Hf-bearing ternary oxides to tackle the future need of high-k materials.
Expressions of bone development related protein BMP5, HMGA1 and PLAG1 varied with the expression of HOXA1 in mouse osteoblasts
Authors: Zhang Ben , Hu Panyang , Zhang Menghao , Shi Lidan , Ju Mingming , Wang Chunxiu , Qiao Ruimin
Published: July 2022

Background: To investigate if the expression of bone development causal genes BMP5, HMGA1 and PLAG1 in animals could be affected by HOXA1 with small molecule interfering RNA (siRNA) experiment in mouse embryonic osteoblast precursor cells.Methods: Four HOXA1 target siRNA sequences (siRNA1-4) were designed to transfect Mc3t3-e1-24 cells with LipofectamineTM2000 liposomes. The transcription and protein expression levels of HOXA1 were compared between siRNA groups. The mRNA and protein expressions of BMP5, HMGA1 and PLAG1 were compared before and after HOXA1 transfection. The mRNA expressions of bone cell proliferation marker genes Runx2, ALP, OCN, FGF3 and IGF2 were measured.Results: SiRNA1 has the strongest interference efficiency. The expressions of HOXA1 transfected with siRNA1 in Mc3t3-e1-24 cells were significantly down-regulated (P < 0.05). After the expression of HOXA1 was suppressed, the mRNA and protein expressions of BMP5 (P < 0.01), HMGA1 (P < 0.05) and PLAG1 (P < 0.05) were significantly increased. And, the transcription levels of Runx2, ALP, OCN, FGF3 and IGF2 genes were significantly increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), which indicated the increasing of osteoblast proliferation.Conclusions: In mouse embryonic osteoblast precursor cells, the expression levels of BMP5, HMGA1 and PLAG1 could be affected by the inhibition of HOXA1, and the changes of their expression levels were consistent that they all increased with the decreased HOXA1 and the increased cell proliferation. The molecular mechanisms under the interaction among these genes needs to be further studied.
Influencing factors decomposition of CO2 emission during in silicon production by using method of LMDI
Authors: Jiang Kaizhi , Chen Zhengjie , Ma Wenhui
Published: July 2022

It is important to understand the factors actually influencing CO2 emissions during the production of industrial silicon so that targeted energy saving and emission reduction policies can be formulated. According to the production data provided by an industrial silicon manufacturer, the dynamic characteristics of CO2 emissions from 8.5 MVA and 12.5 MVA submerged arc furnaces (SAF) during silicon production were analyzed. Using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index method (LMDI method) to build an index decomposition model for CO2 emissions, the factors influencing CO2 emissions from an industrial silicon furnaces were decomposed into four factors , namely CO2 emission coefficient, energy consumption structure, energy intensity, and the total production. This quantitative factor analysis of the silicon production industry identified the driving factors underlying changes in CO2 emissions. Industrial silicon production (ISP) was the most influential factor underlying increases in CO2 emissions, while energy intensity was the biggest factor restraining for CO2 emissions. Energy consumption structure also had an important impact on the reduction of CO2 emissions, but the effect was not obvious because no marked improvements in energy structure were made during this period. Therefore, improving the energy efficiency of silicon production is key to achieving CO2 emission reductions.
Construction of regeneration system of Pyrus and the genetic stability analysis of regenerated population
Authors: Liu Qi , Yang Yingjie , Liu Jianlong , Song Jiankun , Li Dingli , Wang Rencai , Wang Ran
Published: July 2022

Genetic assessment of pear regeneration population is very important for genetic fidelity maintenance in genetic engineering breeding. In this research, a regeneration system for a pear dwarfing rootstock cultivar, 'Qingzhen D1', was constructed on NN69 medium supplemented with different concentrations of thidiazuron (TDZ) and Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). And the genetic stability of the regenerated population was evaluated through flow cytometry (FCM) and whole genome resequencing techniques. The highest percentage (93%) regeneration rate was induced on NN69 medium supplemented with 3.0 mg·L− 1 TDZ and 2.4 mg·L− 1 IBA, with 3.9 adventitious buds per leaf. No phenotype and ploidy changes were detected in regeneration population. But a high variation frequency (5.0×10 − 4) at a single site was detected. The mutations occurred most frequently on chromosome 5, 10 and chromosome 15, while least on chromosome 4. High-impact changes only accounted for 0.065% of SNPs and 1.429% of Indels of all polymorphisms, and most of which caused by frameshift. Functional analysis of genes affected by high impact variants showed that they were mainly related to adaptation to environment. This study will provide a theoretical basis for the application of pear genetic engineering breeding in the future.
An abuse liability assessment of the glo tobacco heating product in comparison to combustible cigarettes and nicotine replacement therapy
Authors: Hardie George , Gale Nathan , Milleri Stefano , Ziviani Luigi , Proctor Christopher J. , Murphy James , McEwan Michael
Published: July 2022

Tobacco heating products (THPs) have reduced emissions of toxicants compared with cigarette smoke, and as they expose user to lower levels than smoking, have for a role to play in tobacco harm reduction. One key concern of Public Health is that new tobacco and nicotine products should not be more addictive than cigarettes. To assess their abuse liability, we determined nicotine pharmacokinetics and subjective effects of two THPs compared with conventional cigarettes and a nicotine replacement therapy (Nicotine inhaler). In a randomised, controlled, open-label, crossover study healthy adult smokers used a different study product in a 5 min ad libitum use session in each of four study periods. Product liking, overall intent to use again, urge for product and urge to smoke questionnaires were utilised to assess subjective effects. Nicotine uptake was greater for the cigarette (Cmax = 22.7 ng/mL) than for either THP (8.6 and 10.5 ng/mL) and the NRT (2.3 ng/mL). Median Tmax was significantly longer for the NRT (15.03 minutes) than for the tobacco products (4.05–6.03 minutes). Product liking and overall intent to use again was highest for the cigarette, and higher for the THPs than the NRT. Urge to smoke was reduced more by the cigarette than by the other three products. Urge to use the THPs was greater than the NRT. These findings suggest that the abuse liability of the THPs lies between that of subjects usual brand cigarettes and the NRT.
Cold Formed Steel Stud Walls Subject to Blast Loading-non Linear Dynamic Analysis
Authors: Juluru Srija , R Divahar , R Abirami
Published: July 2022

A detailed dynamic non-linear numerical investigation has been conducted on the conventional and stiffened steel stud wall panel under blast loading. Various parameters such as charge weight, mesh dependency and boundary condition have been investigated in this study, with a specific emphasis on assessing performance of both the types of stud wall panels with respect to midpoint displacement and energy dissipation of the models, with the inclusion of geometrical and material non-linearity. Modeling method and material properties used have been discussed in detail. Initially the numerical simulation has been validated by considering existing experimental results available in literature. The analysis has been led to numerous interesting results on the response of square honeycomb stiffened steel stud wall panel compared to a conventional one. The comparative study also includes suggestion regarding improvement of performance of steel stud walls under blast loading.
Development of a high-performance platinum-sensitized Co2P/NF electrode for hydrogen production from water decomposition
Authors: Deng Xiaoyan , Qu Qiuyue , Ji Xiaoyang , Bu Hongkai , Zhao Yan , Wang Chuanling , Gao Hongtao
Published: July 2022

Clean energy hydrogen, which can be produced by catalytic water splitting, has attracted more and more attention of researchers. Due to their low cost, abundance, and high efficiency, Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have received more and more attention as ever-evolving catalytic materials instead of noble metal catalysts. In this work, The Cobalt hydroxide precursor was first grown on foam nickel (NF) by hydrothermal reaction, which was phosphated to Co2P though high temperature vapor phase. Then a small amount of Pt was anchored on the surface of Co2P, marked as Pt-Co2P/NF, by potential-cycling method. Both electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) and intrinsic catalytic activities of the catalyst were improved, with the performance of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) increasing. The electrochemical test indicated that the Pt-Co2P/NF exhibited excellent electrocatalytic performance in alkaline electrolyte, and the overpotential was only 13mV and 133mV respectively at 10 and 1000 mA cm-2. The low Tafel slope of 28 mV dec−1 implied its rapid HER kinetics. Especially at high current density, Pt-Co2P/NF showed excellent catalytic activity and stability, which was possible to meet the requirements of hydrogen production industry. Coupled by first principle calculations based on density functional theory (DFT), a mechanism insight of the chemical transformation was provided, which could elucidate the origin of the platinum-sensitized behavior of HER.
First Principles Data Driven Potentials for Prediction of Iron Carbide Clusters
Authors: Diao Enhu , Liu Xuhong , Tong Qiang , Liu Xiulei
Published: July 2022

Iron carbide clusters are studied extensively in many catalysis fields by quantum chemistry methods. The high cost of structural energy calculation has always been the bottleneck of its development. First principles based on density functional theory (DFT) have high calculation accuracy and sound portability. Still, its computational cost is so high that it is difficult to carry out large-scale, long-term, and high-throughput simulations. A data driven potential is crucial for further accelerating the screening or prediction process in the high through-put calculation. In this paper, we generate 177k clusters data and choose some state-of-the-art machine learning models in physical chemistry to train them. The generated potential gives a very high prediction accuracy on the order of the structure stability and achieves better adaptability/tolerance on poor structures of clusters. In addition, we use the machine learning potential to assist in high-throughput data collection and realize the prediction of the adsorption position of hydrogen atoms on the cluster surface. We can get a more stable adsorption position of the hydrogen atom in a shorter time, compared with traditional quantum chemical calculators.
Performance of Sonoelastography for Predicting Malignancy in soft Tissue
Authors: Bodard Sylvain , Lassalle Louis , Larousserie Frédérique , Guinebert Sylvain , Hacquart Thomas , Campagna Raphael , Biau David , Regnard Noreddine , Feydy Antoine
Published: July 2022

Background: Separating benign from malignant soft-tissue masses often requires a biopsy. The objective of this study was to assess whether shear-wave elastography (SWE) helped to separate benign from malignant soft-tissue masses. Methods: In 2015–2016, we prospectively included patients with soft-tissue masses deemed by our multidisciplinary sarcoma board to require a diagnostic biopsy. All patients underwent ultrasonography (US) followed by SWE to measure elasticity. We compared benign and malignant tumors, overall and after separating tumors with vs. without a fatty component. The biopsy findings, and surgical-specimen histology when available, served as the reference standard. Results: We included 136 patients, 99 with non-fatty and 37 with fatty soft-tissue masses. Mean elasticity and T/F values were significantly lower for the benign than the malignant soft-tissue masses in the overall cohort (30.9 vs. 50.0 kPa, P=0.03; and 2.55 vs. 4.30, P=0.046) and in the non-fatty subgroup (37.8±31.9 vs. 58.9±39.1 kPa, P=0.049 and 2.89±5.25 vs. 5.07±5.41, P=0.046). Data for fatty tumors were non relevant due to lack of conclusive results. By receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, a T/F cutoff of 3.5 had 46% sensitivity and 84% specificity for separating benign and malignant soft-tissue masses. Conclusions: SWE had good specificity for separating benign from malignant soft-tissue masses.
Identification of the cuproptosis related prognostic gene signature and the associated regulation axis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Guo Lingyu , An Tian , Wan Ziyan , Huang Zhixin , Chong Tie
Published: July 2022

Background
The most common type of renal cell carcinoma is clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), which has a poor prognosis. In addition to regulating tumor cells' growth and metabolism, cuproptosis can also affect patients' prognosis. However, the function of cuproptosis-related genes(CRGs) in ccRCC remains unclear.
Methods
Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was used to evaluate CRGs expression level, prognostic value and relationship with tumor immune infiltration. Furthermore, we constructed prognostic gene models and ceRNA networks based on bioinformatics analysis.
Results
In ccRCC, we found a total of 16 CRGs up-regulation or down-regulation. We also focused on the mutation of CRGs in ccRCC. Based on prognosis analysis, these genes were associated with ccRCC prognosis. We subsequently constructed a prognostic CRGs model to predict the prognosis of ccRCC patients. Immunocorrelation studies revealed the correlation between CRGs and tumor immune infiltration. The lncRNA OIP5-AS1/miR-222-3p/DBT regulatory axis was constructed in ccRCC. We also verified the expression of DBT and lncRNA OIP5-AS1 in ccRCC cell lines via the qRT-PCR method.
Conclusions
Through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, we analyzed the expression and prognostic value of CRGs in ccRCC, and identified the prognostic CRGs signature of ccRCC patients, including NLRP3, FDX1, LIPT2, GLS, CDKN2A, DBT and GCSH. Our follow-up study also found an lncRNA OIP5-AS1/ Mir-222-3p /DBT regulatory axis, which may explain the internal mechanism of CRGs involved in regulating the progression of ccRCC.
Covid-19: Relative risks of non-vaccinated to vaccinated individuals
Authors: Barbieri Davide , Melegari Gabriele , Bertellini Elisabetta , Gaspari Arianna , Halasz Geza
Published: July 2022

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate and quantify the relative risk of hospital admission and death because of Sars-Cov2 infection between non-vaccinated and vaccinated individuals in Italy.MethodsData about vaccinated and non-vaccinated people, infections, hospital admissions, intensive care units and fatalities were extracted from the bulletin published by the Italian National Health Institute (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) on the 24th of December 2021. Likelihood ratios of hospital admission, intensive care and death were calculated between non-vaccinated and vaccinated people for each of the observed patient outcomes, in order to quantify the relative risk in the two sub-populations.ResultsNon-vaccinated people had a 3.1 time higher risk of becoming infected compared to vaccinated individuals. Non-vaccinated individuals had a 5.1 times higher risk of being admitted to hospital and a 10.4 times higher risk of becoming critical compared to vaccinated individuals. Further, non-vaccinated people had a 4.3 times higher risk to die compared to vaccinated individuals.ConclusionsThe relative risk of infection, hospital and intensive care admission is progressively higher in non-vaccinated compared to vaccinated individuals in case of infection by Sars-Cov2, as the condition worsens. Still, the relative risk does not increase further when the outcome is death, possibly because non-vaccinated individuals are younger and healthier of those who decided to take the vaccine. Individual conditions may play a more relevant role than the vaccine when the illness becomes critical.
Full Genome Characterization of a putative novel serotype of Yonaguni orbivirus isolated from cattle in Yunnan Province, China
Authors: Yang Zhengxing , He Yuwen , Meng Jinxin , Li Nan , Wang Jinglin
Published: July 2022

In July 2019, a virus strain (JH2019C603) was isolated from a sentinel cattle in Jinghong city, the subtropical region of Yunnan Province, China. The virus replicated and caused cytopathological effects (CPE) in both Aedes albopictus (C6/36) and Baby Hamster Syrian Kidney (BHK-21) cells. Agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) analysis revealed the viral genome consisted of 10 segments of double-stranded RNA, with a ‘1-2-2-1-1-1-1-1’ migration pattern. Complete genome sequences of the JH2019C603 virus were determined by full-length amplification of cDNAs. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid (aa) sequences of RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase (Pol), Major subcore (T2), Major core-surface (T13), showed that JH2019C603 clustered with Yonaguni orbivirus (YONOV) from Japan, and the aa identity with those of YONOV was 97.7% (Pol), 99.0% (T2) and 98.5% (T13), respectively. However, phylogenetic analysis based on the aa sequences of OC1 and OC2 proteins, showed that JH2019C603 formed an independent branch in phylogenetic tree, and the aa identity with YONOV was only 55.4% (OC1) and 80.8% (OC2), respectively. Compared with the prototype of YONOV, a notable sequence deletion was observed in 3’-NCRs of NS1, and the NS1 of JH2019C603 was encoded within Seg-7, unlike the NS1 of YONOV, which is encoded in Seg-6. These indicated that JH2019C603 belongs to the YONOV, but might be a novel serotype or a highly variant strain of YONOV. This is first time that YONOV has been isolated in China, providing new insights into the genetic diversity and geographic distribution of this virus species.
DNA methylation regulator-based modification patterns define distinct immune phenotypes and immunotherapy responses in colorectal cancer
Authors: Yang Chao , Cao Fengyu , Cheng Hua , Zheng Yongbin
Published: July 2022

Background: A major challenge in immunotherapy is identifying populations that can benefit from treatment. DNA methylation is one of the most extensively studied epigenetic regulation mechanisms and reportedly involved in immune regulation and anticancer immune responses. How the integrated DNA methylation modification pattern affects the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the response to immunotherapy is poorly understood, however. Methods: In this study, samples from 1,691 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients recruited from five independent cohorts were used to comprehensively evaluate DNA methylation regulator patterns and TME characteristics. DNA methylation regulator patterns were determined using unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis based on 20 DNA methylation regulators. The CIBERSORT and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis algorithms were used to respectively assess tumor-infiltrating immune cell relative abundance and immune-related pathways in each sample. A principal component analysis algorithm–based DNA methylation scoring scheme (DM_Score) was devised to quantify DNA methylation levels in candidates. The predictive value of the DM_Score for immunotherapy was evaluated in two cohorts. The association between the DM_Score and TME was assessed in an external cohort from our center.Results: Three DNA methylation regulator patterns associated with various clinical outcomes and TME characteristics were identified, consistent with classical immune phenotypes (immune-desert, immune-inflamed, and immune-excluded). The DM_Score established based on 270 DNA methylation-related signature genes strongly predicted unfavorable CRC prognoses associated with various mutations and TME landscapes. In addition, the DM_Score was positively correlated with many recognized biomarkers of immunotherapy response, including tumor mutational burden, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion, immunophenoscore, PD-L1 mRNA, and microsatellite instability. In the two immunotherapy cohorts, a significant survival advantage was observed in patients with a high DM_Score after anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.Conclusions: We present the first comprehensive analysis of cross-talk between DNA methylation modification patterns and TME characteristics in CRC. Quantitative evaluation of DNA methylation levels in individual tumors can aid in guiding more-precise immunotherapy strategies.
Experimental study on freeze-thaw damage characteristics of coal samples of different moisture contents in liquid nitrogen
Authors: Wang Xiaoqi , Qi Xiaohan , Ma Heng , Gao Ke , Li Shengnan
Published: July 2022

In this study, the surface crack-propagation law and pore damage characteristics of coal samples of different water contents after they undergo leaching in liquid nitrogen are investigated using a 4K scientific -research camera, HC-U7 non-metal ultrasonic detector, nuclear magnetic resonance testing technology, and self-made multi-functional three axial fluid-solid coupling test system. Experimental investigations are conducted on coal samples of different water contents before and after they undergo liquid-nitrogen freezing and thawing in order to determine the propagation law of surface fissures, the development law of internal micro-fissures, the development process of internal pores, the change law of the pore-size distribution, and the law of coal-sample deformation and gas seepage during the stress process. The test results show that, with the increase in water content in the liquid-nitrogen leaching process, the frost heave force on the coal surface increases, and the greater the increase ratio of the coal porosity, the faster is the development of micro-cracks and pores. Under the action of liquid nitrogen, the number of micro-pores, meso-pores, and macro-pores in the coal sample increased, and with the formation of new cracks and the connection of the original cracks, liquid-nitrogen freezing and thawing can promote the development of the pore structure in the coal body. The permeability changes of coal samples of different water contents during unloading failure exhibit obvious stage characteristics. The above results demonstrate that the moisture content of coal has a significant effect on the development of surface cracks and pore-damage characteristics of coal after liquid-nitrogen freezing and thawing, and there is a positive correlation between the surface crack expansion and internal damage of the coal samples of different moisture contents leached in liquid nitrogen.
Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking studies of a new series of bis-chalcones
Authors: Khazaei-poul Zahra , Mahmoodi Nosrat Ollah , Nahzomi Hossein Taherpour
Published: July 2022

A convenient and efficient reaction for the synthesis of several new bis-hydroxy derivatives of chalcones 4a-h was accomplished via the two-directional Claisen Schmidt condensation of different ketones 3a-e with premade benza-ldehyde 2 under alkaline conditions. Products were obtained with reasonable yields and with excellent purity. The in vitro antioxidant activity of bis-hydroxychalcones were assessed by DPPH radical scavenging activity in comparison to ascorbic acid and products showed good antioxidant activity. To determine the possible binding mechanism with the active site of Tubulin, docking analyses were performed. According to the docking results, ompound s 4a-b showed the best binding affinity of -9.13 and -9.11 kcal/mol for Tubulin, respectively.
Utilization of Chitosan and Polyacrylamide Gel to Remove Direct Dyes from Wastewater
Authors: ElZahar Medhat M. H.
Published: July 2022

The adsorption of direct blue 78 dye with a commercial (DB78) from synthetic wastewater using a pure chitosan powder and chitosan micro-beads has been studied. The ability of chitosan as a bio-adsorbent to remove dyes from textile wastewater effluent has been investigated in detail. This study aims to achieve the highest removal efficiency with a lower contact and sedimentation time of direct blue dye using chitosan particles enhanced with polyacrylamide polymer. A series of batch experiments were conducted in terms of adsorbent dose, contact time, and pH. The chitosan particles were characterized by physicochemical analysis namely; FTIR and Zeta potential analysis. It was found that the net surface charge was + 6.52 mv and + 28.77 mv respectively for pure chitosan powder and chitosan micro-beads. The adsorption tests showed that the removal efficiency increases with increasing adsorbent dosage and contact time. Removal efficiency decreases at the high initial concentration of direct blue 78 dye. The maximum capacities for removal of dyes were achieved up to 94.2% with an initial concentration of 50 mg/l and pure chitosan dose of 4.5 g/L and an optimal contact time of 60 minutes. Furthermore, the sedimentation time for chitosan powder decreases from 8 hours to 10 minutes by using a polyacrylamide gel dose of 45 mL/L of synthetic wastewater. Studies have shown that equilibrium data followed Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm closely, but the latter isotherm better suited the results with R2 = 0.997. These results revealed that the use of pure chitosan powder enhanced with adding polyacrylamide gel is an effective adsorbent for the removal of direct blue 78 dye. The removal efficiency is considered high with a low adsorbent dose compared to using pure chitosan micro-beads.
Determination of Immunostimulatory Efficacy of Benzimidazole Derivatives Against Leishmania infantum
Authors: Kelleci Kübra
Published: July 2022

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease affecting more than 12 million people worldwide. Although the use of chemotherapeutic drugs is among the current treatment methods, it is emphasized that the limitations of the drugs, their disadvantages such as insufficient safety and efficacy, the disease being endemic, and the need to develop drugs for this disease. In this study, in vitro anti-leishmanial activities of two benzimidazole derivatives (B1 and B2) were tested against L. infantum promastigote and amastigote for the first time. In our study, the anti-leishmanial effects of B1 and B2 on both amastigote and promastigote forms of Leishmania infantum were investigated using J774 macrophage cells. It was found that the tested compounds were not toxic to the host cell. In addition, when compared to the drug miltefosine, which is used worldwide in the treatment of leishmaniasis, it has been determined that it has a serious inhibitory effect by reducing the proliferation of promastigotes and the metabolic activities of amastigotes, and it acts at lower concentrations than miltefosine. We found that benzimidazolium derivatives (B1 and B2) used for the first time in this study were more effective on both forms of L. infantum. The obtained results showed that benzimidazolium derivatives have high anti-leishmanial potential against L. infantum, which is the cause of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which is known to be the deadly form of leishmaniasis. It has been shown that the obtained results will help the development of safe, stable, and effective anti-leishmanial drug formulations against VL.
Preventive treatment can reverse cognitive impairment in chronic migraine
Authors: González-Mingot Cristina , Gil-Sánchez Anna , Canudes-Solans Marc , Peralta-Moncusi Silvia , Solana-Moga Maria José , Brieva-Ruiz Luis
Published: July 2022

Objective. To study the impact of chronic migraine (CM) on the cognition and quality of life (QoL) of patients in the interictal period, and to analyze the degree of reversibility of any observed alterations following the use of preventive treatment.Background. CM is a highly disabling disease, and migraineurs often have associated comorbidities, such as subjective memory problems, that are involved in the development of cognitive impairment.Methods. The cognition and QoL of 50 control subjects and 46 patients with CM were assessed using a battery of tests, prior to the use of preventive treatment based on botulinum toxin or oral drugs and after 3 months of this treatment.Results. Compared with controls, patients with CM had lower scores on the assessment of cognitive performance (Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure test [ROCF], Trail Making Test [TMT] B) (p < 0.05) and QoL (p < 0.05). Three months after the use of preventive treatment, improvement was observed in all cognitive parameters (p < 0.05) and QoL (p < 0.05), except the ROCF copy task (p = 0.79). No statistically significant differences were observed when these outcomes were compared based on treatment.Conclusions. This study confirms poor cognitive performance that is not explained by migraine pain itself, as it occurs in the interictal period, irrespective of the patients’ emotional status. Our findings show that these effects are reversible in some cases with preventive treatment of CM, reaffirming the important impact of this condition on the QoL of these patients, and the need to establish preventive treatment guidelines.
Biological Isolation and Characterization of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don Methanolic Leaf Extracts and their Assessment of Antimicrobial, Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Activities
Authors: Rajashekara Somashekara , Reena Dondapati , Mainavi Mullahalli VenkataramaReddy , Sand Locheruvapalli Srinivasa , Baro Utpal
Published: July 2022

Background: Biological synthesis of natural products from the plants has made us an inspiring methodology in the arena of science and biotechnology. Methods: The methanolic leaf extracts of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don plants (CrPLE) were isolated/extracted and characterized utilizing phytochemicals estimation, Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis; and further in understanding the biomedical uses of CrPLE. The evaluation of the seven phytochemicals clearly designates that the presence of secondary metabolites in the CrPLE. Results: The CrPLE (test samples) exhibited the Catechin and Caffeic acid contents of 0.0055 and 0.0149 mg/g respectively. The CrPLE unveiled highest antimicrobial activity and confirmed with mortal effect against the tested microorganisms. A cytotoxicity known against the breast cancer cell lines of exposed that CrPLE as a good anticancer agent and metabolically vigorous cells. Conclusion: Consequently, the biological synthesized methanolic leaf extracts of the C. roseus plants would be appreciated and have the incredible contributions in the field of medicinal applications.
Assessment of Zataria multiflora essential oil- incorporated electrospun polyvinyl alcohol fiber as active packaging
Authors: Moradinezhad Farid , Hedayati Sara , Ansarifar Elham
Published: July 2022

In this study, an active packaging containing Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZMEO), a powerful natural antimicrobial agent encapsulated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber by electrospinning is presented. ZMEO was effective on pathogenic bacteria, particularly gram-positive bacteria, fungi and yeasts. Results showed that the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of fibers had bead-free and uniform structure. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) revealed that ZMEO was encapsulated into PVA through a physical process, without chemical interaction between the ingredients. Strawberries treated with PVA/ZMEO significantly (p˂0.05) preserved the anthocyanin, total phenols, antioxidant, soluble solids, titratable acidity, firmness, and color during 15 days of cold storage. According to these findings, electrospinning was an efficient method for encapsulating bioactive compounds. ZMEO loaded into PVA fiber delayed the physiological and biochemical changes of fruits and extended the fruit shelf-life. This study revealed the benefits of incorporating ZMEO into PVA fiber mats, which could lead to new possibilities for active packaging.
Comprehensive chemical profiling of volatile constituents of Angong Niuhuang Pill in vitro and in vivo based on gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry
Authors: Jiang Yue , Li Jie , Ding Meng , Guo Zi-Fan , Yang Hua , Li Hui-Jun , Gao Wen , Li Ping
Published: July 2022

Background: Angong Niuhuang Pill (ANP), a renowned precious traditional Chinese medicine prescription, is extensively utilized for the clinical treatment of stroke, meningitis and encephalorrhagia in China. As a classic resuscitation-inducing aromatic prescription, ANP has been investigated for its pharmacological effects in recent years, while the volatile composition in ANP still lacks comprehensive elucidation.Method: To better explore the volatile constituents in ANP, a qualitative analysis method was developed based on the gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Furthermore, a validated quantitative method was established to determine 21 main compounds in 8 batches of commercially available ANP samples by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The quantitative data were successively subjected to Pearson correlation coefficient analysis. Additionally, the absorbed volatile constituents in rat plasma after single oral administration of ANP have also been characterized.Results: A total of 93 volatile constituents including 29 sesquiterpenoids, 28 monoterpenoids, 13 fatty acids and their esters, 7 alkanes, 6 ketones, 3 phenols, 3 aldehydes, 2 benzoate esters, and 2 other types, were preliminarily characterized, which primary originated from Borneolum, Moschus, Curcumae Radix, and Gardeniae Fructus. d-Borneol, isoborneol and muscone were the top three abundant ingredients (>600 μg/g) in 8 batches of ANP samples. Subsequently, the average Pearson correlation coefficient of the contents of 21 analytes was 0.993, inferring the high batch-to-batch similarity among 8 batches. After oral administration of ANP, d-borneol, isoborneol, muscone and camphor were the main volatile constituents absorbed in the rat plasma.Conclusion: This research may be helpful for the comprehensive quality control study of ANP, and provide for guarantee the clinical efficacy of ANP.