bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
miR-1307-5p suppresses proliferation and tumorigenesis of bladder cancer via targeting MDM4 and the Hippo signaling pathway
Authors: Huang Wei , Xiong Shida , Zhang Cheng , Zhou Xiaocheng , Wang Gongxian , Guo Ju
Published: April 2022

Background
Emerging evidence has shown that miR-1307-5p is involved in tumorigenesis of various types of cancer. This study aims to assess the role and mechanism of miR-1307-5p in bladder cancer.
Methods
Bioinformatics analyses were carried out with clinical datasets in the public domains. To investigate the cellular functions of miR-1307-5p, assays of cell proliferation, cell cycle and cell apoptosis were conducted in bladder cancer cell lines and xenografts. The molecular mechanisms of miR-1307-5p were studied using luciferase reporter, RT-qPCR, and western blotting analyses.
Results
We found that miR-1307-5p expression was significantly decreased in bladder cancer tissues, and its lower level was associated with poor prognosis. Cellular assays demonstrated the tumor-suppressor roles of miR-1307-5p were linked to cell proliferation and cell cycle inhibition and cell apoptosis promotion. Conversely, anti-miR-1307-5p facilitated cell proliferation and cell cycle and antagonized cell apoptosis. In the in vivo setting, tumor growth was suppressed by miR-1307-5p overexpression. We determined by bioinformatic and luciferase reporter assays that miR-1307-5p targets the 3'-UTR of MDM4, a well-known Inhibitor of TP53-mediated transactivation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Specifically, miR-1307-5p markedly reduced MDM4 proteins expression, decreased the expression of Ki-67 and PCNA, and increased the expression of cleaved-caspase 3 and caspase 9. While in parallel assays, anti-miR-1307-5p had opposite effects. In addition, we validated that miR-1307-5p overexpression would suppress bladder cancer cell growth by inhibiting MDM4 and its downstream Hippo pathway.
Conclusion
In bladder cancer, miR-1307-5p functions as a tumor suppressor and has the potentials as biomarker and therapeutical agent.
Varicose Vein Education and Informed coNsent (VVEIN) study: A randomized controlled pilot feasibility study
Authors: Kiernan Aoife , Boland Fiona , Moneley Daragh , Doyle Frank , Harkin Denis
Published: April 2022

Doctors have a legal requirement and duty of care to ensure patients are enabled to make an informed decision about their treatment, including discussion of the benefits, risks and alternatives to a procedure. A patient centred approach to consent has been firmly established in Ireland and fundamental to this is the ability to engage in a dialogue that offers comprehensible information to patients. Telemedicine has revolutionised the way we can deliver care to patients in the modern era of computers, tablets, and smartphones and its use has been rapidly expanded. Novel digital strategies to improve the informed consent process for surgical procedures have been increasingly under investigation over the last 10-15 years and may offer a low cost, accessible and tailored solution to consent for surgical interventions. Within vascular surgery, superficial venous interventions have been associated with a high number medicolegal claims and also represents an area within the specialty with rapidly evolving technology and techniques. The ability to communicate comprehensible information to patients has never been greater. Thus, the author’s aim to explore whether it is feasible and acceptable to deliver a digital health education intervention to patients undergoing endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA) to supplement the consent process. Methods: This is a prospective, single centre, randomised controlled, feasibility trial recruiting patients with chronic venous disease deemed suitable to undergo EVTA. Patients will be randomised to receive either standard consent or a newly developed digital health education tool. The primary outcome is feasibility; assessing the recruitment and retention rate of participants and assessing acceptability of the intervention. Secondary outcomes include knowledge retention, anxiety and satisfaction. This feasibility trial is designed to recruit 40 patients, which will allow for a moderate dropout rate. This pilot study will inform the authors of the appropriateness of an adequately powered multicentre trial.Discussion: This trial will be the first randomised trial to examine the role of a digital consent solution for EVTA. This may improve and standardise the consent dialogue with patients and may have the potential to reduce claims related to poor consent processes and disclosure of risks.Ethical committee reference: Ethical approval has been sought and received from both the Bon Secours Hospital and RCSI (202109017), on the 14th May 2021 and 10th October 2021, respectively.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05261412, registered on the 1st of March 2022, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05261412
Role of clinical pharmacists in reducing antimicrobial resistance: systematic review
Authors: Sefera Birbirsa , Chelkeba Legesse , Dechasa Mesay
Published: April 2022

Background
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is defined as the resistance of bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal microorganisms to antimicrobial medicines that were previously effective for treatment of infectious disease. It is a major international concern in both developed and developing countries. Therefore, the aim of this review is to investigate the role of clinical pharmacists in reducing antimicrobial resistance.
Methods
The databases Medline, PubMed, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), and EMBASE were searched for articles published between 1999 and 2019 that involved studies on the role of clinical pharmacists and the expanded services of clinical pharmacists in health care system and their contributions in antimicrobial use.
Results
Studies from different countries have demonstrated that the roles of clinical pharmacists in health care team resulting in improved clinical outcome and economic outcome.
Conclusions
This review highlights that integration of clinical pharmacist services in healthcare systems will assist in reducinggrowing of catastrophic AMR.
Conducting fillers based multilayer polymer composites for terahertz absorber applications
Authors: Gautam Saurabh Singh , Mishra Shubham , Dubey Ashish , Dev Om , Agarwal Sanjay , Dixit Alok Kumar
Published: April 2022

The recent advancement towards THz system design and development, THz spectroscopy and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) fascinates researchers’ attention in development of absorbing coating and composites to counter stealth technologies and shielding from THz radiation. Conductive fillers based THz absorber composites have emerged as a solution as their properties can be tuned with the change in the filler loading. In the current work, several multilayer composites are prepared by wet lay-up process using conducting fillers- chopped carbon fibre (CCF), milled carbon fibre (MCF) and carbon veil (CV) in epoxy matrix with glass fibre as reinforcement. These composite samples were evaluated for absorption in 0.75–2.25 THz frequency domain to explore their use for THz absorber applications. The results show that absorption performance of fabricated composite structures is significantly affected by type of filler, percentage loading of filler and frequency range. The polymer composite with CV filler exhibits maximum 99% absorption (10–20 dB reflection loss) in frequency range 0.5–2.25 THz. Considering the high mechanical strength and broadband absorption of THz radiations, these composites may provide a better substitute for fragile wideband THz absorptive coatings as well as metamaterials based narrowband THz absorbers.
Association between Types of Pain Change and Depression among Korean Older Adults
Authors: Jeong Kyu-hyoung , Son Hye-Gyeong , Kim Sunghee , Ryu Ju Hyun , Lee Seoyoon
Published: April 2022

Background: The world's population is aging faster than it did in the past and many under-represented issues in the lives of older adults have been neglected; pain is one of the issues. Older people may regard their pain as incurable and may lead to not seeking appropriate medical treatment. It is hard to manage pain efficiently when individuals or society recognize that increased pain is a typical symptom of getting older. Considering the fact that pain negatively affects older adults, an in-depth review should be undertaken by categorizing changes in pain. Hence, the purpose of this study is to identify the types of pain changes that affect older Koreans 65 years and over, as well as their effects on depression.Methods: We analyzed the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) data collected from 2010 (3rd) to 2018 (7th). Data from a total of 1,359 participants, aged 65 or older were used to estimate the change in pain. A latent growth model was performed to estimate the overall change in pain and Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM) was performed to categorize the types of pain changes. Lastly, multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the effect of pain change types on depression among older adults.Results: The pain changes of older adults were classified into two categories: 'low-stable' (87.9%, n=1,194), and 'high increasing' (12.1%, n=165). Depression showed a stronger relationship among the high-increasing type of pain than the low-stable type (B=.844, p<.001). Upon examining the differences in demographic characteristics by type, the high-increasing type had a higher percentage of women, lower-income, relatively low educational attainment, and a higher percentage of rural residents than the low-stable type.Conclusions: The significance of this study lies in the fact that it reiterated the importance of early pain diagnosis and intervention by identifying the types of pain changes in older adults and analyzing their effects on depression. Therefore, it is especially important to pay attention to interventions that are designed to help vulnerable groups with a high risk of pain obtain effective pain management.
Alginate encapsulation of micro-cuttings in endangered Satureja khuzistanica species: a promising method for obtaining genetically stable plants with high rosmarinic acid content
Authors: Asadi Roya , Abdollahi Mohammad Reza , Moosavi Sayyed Saeed , Mirzaie-Asl Asghar
Published: April 2022

Synthetic seed production is a suitable method for the rapid, mass, and uniform proliferation of Satureja khuzistanica Jamzad, a valuable medicinal plant of the Lamiaceae family. In this study, the encapsulation of micro-cuttings of S. khuzistanica was investigated using sodium alginate (SA). In order to determine the best conditions for encapsulation in the S. khuzistanica plant, different concentrations of SA and CaCl2.2H2O, different types of explant and matrix culture media, different types and concentrations of plant growth regulator, and different cold storage conditions of synthetic seeds were tested. Also, the genetic stability of regenerated plants from synthetic seeds using the ISSR molecular marker as well as the content of rosmarinic acid in synthetic seed derived plants were evaluated in this study. The use of 3% SA and 100 mM CaCl2.2H2O was found to be the best composition for gel complexation. Encapsulation of nodal segments with 1/2 MS medium containing 2.5 µM BAP resulted in the highest regrowth percentage (72.22%) and regrowth rate (0.173). Pre-culture of nodal segments in 1/2 MS medium containing 5 µM IBA and 0.2% activated charcoal for 10 days and the use of 2.5 µM IBA in the rooting medium resulted in the highest rooting percentage (88.88%) in synthetic seed-derived plants. The highest regrowth percentage (61.11%) and regrowth rate (0.173) of synthetic seeds were obtained using 0.45 mg/L TDZ in MS liquid medium. The placement of germinated seeds on the coco peat substrate resulted in the highest conversion rate (61.11%) of synthetic seeds to the plant. Also, storage of encapsulated nodal segments at 4°C in MS culture medium, compared to cold storage without using MS medium, resulted in better regrowth of synthetic seeds. The highest regrowth percentage (44.44%) and regrowth rate (0.092) for cold-stored synthetic seeds occurred after two weeks. The genetic stability testing by ISSR molecular marker showed that synthetic seed-derived plantlets were genetically similar to their mother plants. Also, encapsulated nodal segments and shoot tip derived plants significantly enhanced the rosmarinic acid content up to 7.77 times the natural seed derived plants. Genetic restoration programs, short-term storage, and germplasm distribution in S. khuzistanica plants could all benefit from the encapsulation regeneration strategy reported here.
Spine fractures caused by suicide jumping and the influence of COVID pandemic
Authors: Mulhem Ali , Hammersen Stefanie , Omran Ziad , Alsuliman Abdul Masik , Moskopp Dag
Published: April 2022

Background. Suicide is a major problem worldwide, and jumping from a height is a common suicide method in Europe and Germany. This method primarily results in severe spinal fractures. As a maximum-care hospital in Berlin, we observed an increase in severe spine fractures due to suicidal jumping.Objective. To describe the characteristics of these fractures in suicidal jumpers compared to non-suicidal individuals and analyse their association with the COVID-pandemic. Method. We extracted the chart data of patients who suffered severe spine fractures (from thoracic vertebra 1 to lumbar vertebra 5) due to trauma and who were treated surgically in our centre between 01 January 2015 and 31 May 2021. Results. Seventy-one patients were included in the study. Suicidal jumpers were about 11 years younger (p = 0.008) and more likely to be female (relative risk= 1.3, p = 0.47). The two groups differed in their initial haemoglobin values (mean difference= two g/dl, p <0.001). The lumbar region was twice as affected in suicidal jumpers (p = 0.02). Before the COVID-lockdown within 63 months, there were 19 suicide cases and 38 non-suicidal cases. After COVID-lockdown within 14 months, 11 suicidal cases vs only three non-suicides resulted in a ratio of 2.57 (p-value<0.001). There were no significant differences in radiological and clinical outcomes. Conclusions. Spine fractures in suicide jumpers differ from those in non-suicide jumpers in terms of age, initial haemoglobin level, and spine region. These fractures have increased significantly in Berlin since the COVID lockdown. Surgical treatment of these fractures provided the same results in both groups.
Utilization of dental care service and associated factors among pre-school children in northwest China over the past decade
Authors: Hu Xiao , Fan Xiaoyu , Tian Jiangang , Zhang Bin , Huang Ruizhe
Published: April 2022

Object:
The information comparing factors affecting the use of dental care services in pre-school children over the past decade in northwest China is rare. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors influencing the utilization of oral health care among 5 years old children.
Method
The studies were conducted in 2005 and 2015 and included 5-year –old children who underwent dental examination by trained dentists and the caregivers of the children were requested to answer the questionnaire. A multi-level stratified sampling method was used. Chi-square tests were used to analyze the utilization of dental care and other socio-economic variables. Logistic regression models were employed to explore the primary factors influencing the use of dental care among pre-school children.
Results
In 2005, a total of 399 and in 2015, 492 child-caregiver pairs were included. The majority of the caregivers in both survies were females, comprising 68.2% and 74.8% of the caregivers in 2005 and 2015, respectively. 75.2% and 87.0% of the respondents had an education level of lesser than 9 years. The prevalence of caries was higher in 2015 (63.2%) than in 2005 (53.4%). In 2005 and 2015, the utilization of dental care services was 20.8% and 20.0%, respectively. A statistically significant association was observed between caries and dental care use in 5-year-olds over the past decade. After adjusting for confounders, dental service usage among children in urban areas was 1.62 times higher than that of rural areas in 2005 (95% CI: 0.069–0.571), and the self-assessment of caregivers regarding their child’s oral health significantly improved oral health use in 2015.
Conclusion
The utilization of dental care services over the past decade is insufficient among pre-school children in northwest China. Availing of these services accurately and appropriately can reduce the prevalence of dental caries. Hence, with the decreasing gap about economic and health service resources, policymakers should place greater emphasis on raising awareness among caregivers about the oral health status of their children.
Tumor-associated fibroblasts promote the migration and invasion of Hepatocellular carcinoma cells by regulating THY-1
Authors: WANG Zheng , Pan Ming-Xing
Published: April 2022

We investigate the role of Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration of Hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Culture Hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG2 and Huh7) and primary fibroblasts, isolate and identify primary fibroblasts; Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR techniques to detect the expression of thymocyte differentiation antigen (Thy-1) in the cells; And establish a co-culture system of Hepatocellular carcinoma cells and CAFs, divide the cells into Hepatocellular carcinoma cell group, co-culture system group (blank control group), co-culture system + isotype IgG antibody group (negative control group), co-culture system + anti-Thy-1 Antibody group. Transwell experiment detects the effect of Thy-1 on the migration ability of Hepatocellular carcinoma cells in the co-culture system; Western blot technology detects the effect of Thy-1 on the epithelial (E-cad) and stroma (N-cad and ZEB2) of Hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines in the co-culture system The effect of phenotypic marker protein expression. The CAFs were successfully isolated, and there was no significant difference in the morphology of normal fibroblasts. Both showed a spindle morphology. It was found that the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in CAFs was significantly higher than that of matched NFs cells, suggesting that The isolated CAFs can be used as follow-up related experimental research; Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR technology detection indicates that Thy-1 mRNA and protein in CAFs are highly expressed, which has obvious statistical significance compared with paired NFs, and Thy- 1 Low expression in Hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines; after CAFs are co-cultured with Hepatocellular carcinoma cells, the migration ability of Hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines is significantly enhanced, and the expression of E-cad is significantly reduced, and the expression of N-cad and ZEB2 is obvious However, after pre-incubation with Thy-1 antibody in CAFs in the co-culture system, it was found that compared with the negative control group, the migration ability and EMT effect of Hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines were significantly weakened. Thy-l over-expressed in CAFs cells enhances the migration ability and EMT effect of HCC cells in the in vitro co-culture system.
Retinal microvasculature and early cerebral hemodynamics in patients with internal carotid artery stenosis
Authors: Liu Junfeng , Wan Jincheng , Kwapong William Robert , Tao Wendan , Ye Chen , Liu Ming , Wu Bo
Published: April 2022

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between retinal microvasculature and cerebral hemodynamics in patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis.Methods: Patients with unilateral moderate or severe ICA stenosis(≥50%) from West China hospital, Sichuan university were enrolled in the current study. The retinal microvasculature was evaluated with the swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA). The cerebral blood flow perfusion on bilateral MCA territories measured at the basal ganglia level was assessed by brain CTP. CTP data were postprocessed to generate maps of different perfusion parameters including cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), time to peak (TTP), mean transit time (MTT) and permeability surface(PS). Relative perfusion parameters (rPS, rCBF, etc.) were calculated as the ratio of the value in the contralateral side to that in the ipsilateral side.Results: In the final analysis, 31 patients were included, of whom 11 patients had a moderate ICA stenosis and 20 with a severe ICA stenosis. A total of 55 eyes were analyzed in the study, 27 eyes from the ipsilateral side (ie, side with stenosis) and 28 eyes from the contralateral side. In the patients with ICA stenosis, there was a strong correlation between the retinal microvascular perfusion of superficial vascular complex (SVC) with rCBV(β=0.239, p=0.03 ), rCBF(β=0.472, p=0.02) and rPS(β=0.653, p<0.001) after adjustment for age, sex and vascular risk factors. Similar correlations were also found between microvasculture in superficial vascular plexus (SVP) and cerebral perfusion changes. There were no any significant associations of microvascular perfusion in both deep vascular complex(DVC) and deep capillary plexus(DVP) with CTP parameters (all p>0.05).Conclusions: Assessing retinal perfusion changes in superficial vascular layer(SVC and SVP)with the SS-OCTA as a proxy for early brain hemodynamic compromise could be a potentially valuable tool for early identification subgroups with a high risk of stroke in patients with ICA stenosis.
Women's Desire to Limit Child-Bearing and its associated factors in rural Ethiopia: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Kidie Atitegeb Abera , Aychiluhm Setognal Birara , Gizachew Birtukan , Kokeb Tsion , Awoke Elisa , Adane Seteamlak , Tunta Abayneh
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Ethiopia is twelfths and the second most populous country in the world and Africa respectively. The fertility level of Ethiopia is high especially in rural areas. Rapid population growth had a significant negative impact on the economic performance of the country. Women desire to limit child bearing is one of the most important issue that bears directly on population growth. Objective: the aim of this study was to assess women desire to limit childbearing and its associated factor among rural womenMethodology: We have used a crosectional survey dataset of Ethiopian demographic and health survey 2016. A total of 12,019 rural women were included in the study. A mixed effect binary logistic regression was used to identify determinants of women’s desire to limit childbearing. Adjusted odds ratio with its corresponding 95% confidence interval was used to declare statistically significant variables.Result: Women in the age group of 25- 34 years (AOR=1.61, 95% CI=1.28,2.13 ), 35- 49 years (AOR=4.96, 95% CI = 3.64, 6.65), women who had no children (AOR=0.06, 95% CI =0.04, 0.09) , having children 1-3 (AOR=0.29, 95% CI = 0.23, 0.36), married women (AOR=0.45, 95% CI=0.27, 0.75), living in small peripherals region (AOR=0.33,95% CI=0.24, 0.45) and community level poverty (AOR=0.72, 95% CI= 0.57, 0.89) were significantly associated with women’s desire to limit child bearing.Conclusion: there is low desire to limit childbearing in rural Ethiopia. Women who are older and wlarge number of children were more desire to limit child bearing. Whereas those married women, from small peripheral regions and with high community poverty proportion were less likely to limit child bearing. Therefore, providing education about benefit of small family size and providing family planning service may important to enhance women desire to limit their childbearing.
Unsupervised anomaly detection with generative adversarial networks in mammography
Authors: Park Seungju , Lee Kyung Hwa , Ko Beomseok , Kim Namkug
Published: April 2022

Breast cancer is a common cancer among women, and screening mammography is the primary tool for diagnosing this condition. Recent advancements in deep learning technologies have triggered the implementation for the research studies via mammography. In clinical situations, where abnormal data are significantly lacking, semisupervised or unsupervised methods are often used to overcome the limitations of supervised learning such as manpower and time for labeling. Accordingly, we proposed a generative model that uses a state-of-the-art generative network (StyleGAN2) to create high-quality synthetic mammographic images and the anomaly detection method to detect breast cancer on mammograms in unsupervised methods. The generation model trained via only normal mammograms and breast cancer classification was performed via anomaly detection using 50 each breast cancer and normal mammograms that did not overlap with the dataset for generative model learning. We developed an anomaly detection method that would evaluate this method in breast cancer classification. Our generative model has shown comparable fidelity to real images, and the anomaly detection method via this generative model showed high sensitivity, demonstrating its potential for breast cancer screening. This method could differentiate between normal and cancer-positive mammogram and help overcome the weakness of current supervised methods.
Transforming Communication in Health Care via Information Technology: Implementation of a free telephone directory app
Authors: Hania A , Barkat R , Nolan R , Buggy E , Eochagain A Ni
Published: April 2022

Background:Timely communication is key to patient safety and management in health care. Communication failure and delays in the transfer of information between healthcare workers can result in avoidable errors. We measured the effect of the implementation of a free telephone directory app for hospital staff to connect efficiently within the hospital.Methods:We implemented a free telephone directory app for smartphones which is available to all hospital staff that provides immediate access to all the internal phone lines and bleeps without calling switch. An audit of telephone calls made to switch before and after the implementation of the app was then performed.Results:Number of total calls to switch board in a 24hour period reduced by 10.9% (2,248 to 2,002 calls) following implementation of the app. The proportion of calls to switch which were from an internal line with staff requesting the number of an internal line or bleep was also reduced from 29.9% (n=672) to 24.6% (n=492), p-value <0.001.Conclusion:The use of a hospital phone directory app with mobile technology is a cost-effective measure that can benefit the hospital by improving efficiency in hospital switchboards, enhance communication and productivity for healthcare workers which can help improve patient care.
Immune characteristics and genetic markers of esophageal cancer by single-cell analysis: Implications for immunotherapy
Authors: Xu Bing , Chen Hui , Tseng I Hsuan , Ai Dashan , Fang Xumeng , Shen Jingyi , Liu Qi , Chen Yun , Sun Xinchen , Ge Xiaolin , Zhu Hongcheng , Zhao Kuaile
Published: April 2022

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The prognosis for patients with the same stage of EC can vary substantially. Progress of single-cell analysis technology has furthered the understanding of tumor heterogeneity. This paper aimed to apply single-cell analysis to explore the characteristics of the tumor environment of EC and provide inspiration for personalized treatment.Methods: The latest gene expression data and clinical follow-up information of single-cell sequencing results of EC samples were downloaded using from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Genomic Data Commons (GDC) Application Programming Interface (API). A differential gene function analysis of the immune infiltration signature agents in the tumor microenvironment was undertaken using bioinformatics analytic methods, and potential molecular targets were sought.Results: We identified specific cell subsets in the EC and paracancerous samples, including panel cells, natural killer (NK) cells, exhausted CD8+ T cells, CD8+ memory T (Tcm) cells, and effector memory T (Tem) cells, including B cell enrichment in the cancer samples. Differences were detected between B cells and monocytes in Stage II and Stage III tumors, and these differences may have related to RNA transcription and degradation. The CXCL8 protein was identified as a valid potential prognostic marker.Conclusions: Cell groups with homogenous cell surface markers exhibit intercellular variations that exert a considerable effect on cell function. Our study will contribute to the understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) and cellular heterogeneity in EC patients and serve as a valuable resource for in-depth exploration of the pathogenesis of EC and the identification of potential therapeutic targets in the future.
Analysis of the circumferential bulging capacity and uniformity under different TEC layout and the roll structure in the ETCR
Authors: Xu Zhiqiang , hai yang , Yang Tingsong , Zhou Haonan , Du Fengshan
Published: April 2022

Electronic temperature control roll (ETCR) technology is a new roll profile control technology based on the principle of the semiconductor cooling and heating effect. The thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is the core component for controlling roll profiles in this technology. The TEC layout and the roll structure can affect the bulging ability of the roll, the bulging uniformity and the uniformity of the roll temperature field. To research the influence of the TEC layout and the roll structure on these factors, a circumferential finite element model of ETCR is established by the finite element software MSC.MARC, and is verified on the experimental platform of ETCR. After analysis, it was found that increasing the roll diameter or decreasing the diameter of the roll inner hole can increase the bulging ability of the roll, improve the bulging uniformity and weaken the temperature ratchet. Increasing the temperature of TEC or decreasing the single piece influence angle can increase the bulging ability of the roll and improve the temperature ratchet, while the effect of changing the single piece influence angle on the bulging uniformity is larger than that of the temperature of TEC. In view of the difficulty of circumferential uniform bulging when the single piece influence angle is large, a scheme of adding a metal layer of high thermal conductivity material in the roll inner hole is proposed. The results showed that the copper layer has little influence on the bulging ability of the roll and can reduce the circumferential bulging difference.
The Significance of Chaos/Complexity Theory in Maltese as a Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Żammit Jacqueline
Published: April 2022

Despite extensive research in second language acquisition (SLA), we are still a long way from understanding what exactly happens in the adult’s mind while learning a second language (L2). This study explores whether a learning pattern could be established over time in 35 adults learning Maltese as a second language (ML2), especially with respect to Maltese verbs. This research is driven by chaos/complexity theory. It focuses on the non-linear learning curve, the origins of the butterfly effect and fractal patterns of learning. It describes how learning is unpredictable, chaotic, dynamic and complex. A longitudinal research system and a mixed-method approach focussed on methodological triangulation were used in this research. Structured Timed Grammaticality Judgment Tests, verb conjugation tasks, reflected journals and interviews were used to investigate the learning curve over a period of 15 months. According to the results, all participants indicated a non-linear learning pattern and confirm the characteristics of Chaos/Complexity Theory.
Comparison of various neonatal transport scoring methods in predicting mortality risk for full-term out-born infants
Authors: Qu Wenwen , Shen Yanhua , Qi Yujie , Jiang Min , Zheng Xu , Zhang Jinjing , Wu Dan , He Wenwen , Geng Wenjing , Hei Mingyan
Published: April 2022

The transport of critically ill newborns makes it possible for many high-risk neonates to survive. Relatively little is known about death factors and the risk assessment of full-term newborns. We compared the effectiveness of neonatal transport scoring methods to predict the mortality risk of full-term out-born infants within the first week after transportation. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Beijing Children’s Hospital from January 2019 to December 2020. All patients were full-term out-born neonates admitted by our transport team. Each patient was assessed by the following scores: the Transport Risk Index of Physiologic Stability (TRIPS) score; the Mortality Index for Neonatal Transportation (MINT) score; the Transport Related Mortality Score (TREMS); and the Neonatal Critical Illness Score (NCIS). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and decision curve analysis (DCA) in the R environment were used to test and compare the effectiveness and clinical utility of these scores in predicting the mortality risk of full-term infants within the 1st week after admission. In total, 368 full-term infants were included (368/770, 47.8% of all transported infants). Within the 1st week after admission, five infants (1.36%, 5/368) died under advanced life support and full treatment, while 24 infants (6.52%, 24/368) died soon after they were discharged against medical advice. The AUCs of the MINT, TRIPS, TREMS and NCIS in the prediction of mortality were 0.822, 0.827, 0.643 and 0.731, respectively (all p<0.05). However, the clinical net benefit was far superior for the MINT and TRIPS scores than for the NCIS and TREMS scores.Conclusions: TRIPS and MINT scores might be more suitable for predicting mortality in full-term out-born neonates in the NICU within the 1st week after transportation.
Immunolocalization of zinc transporters and metallothioneins reveals links to microvascular morphology and functions
Authors: Tran Hai Bac , Jakobczak Rachel , Abdo Adrian , Asare Patrick , Reynolds Paul , Beltrame John , Hodge Sandra , Zalewski Peter
Published: April 2022

Zinc homeostasis is vital to immune and other organ system functions, yet over a quarter of the world’s population are zinc deficient. Abnormal zinc transport or storage protein expression has been linked to diseases, such as cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. Although recent studies indicate a role for zinc regulation in vascular functions and diseases, detailed knowledge of the mechanisms involved remain unknown. This study aimed to assess protein expression and localization of zinc transporters of the SLC39A/ZIP family (ZIPs) and metallothioneins (MTs) in human subcutaneous microvessels, and to relate them to morphologic features and expression of function-related molecules in the microvasculature. Microvessels in paraffin biopsies of subcutaneous adipose tissues from 14 patients undergoing hernia reconstruction surgery were analysed for 9 ZIPs and 3 MT proteins by MQCM (multifluorescence quantitative confocal microscopy). Zinc regulation proteins detected in human microvasculature included ZIP1, ZIP2, ZIP8, ZIP10, ZIP12, ZIP14, and MT1-3, which showed differential localization among endothelial and smooth muscle cells. ZIP1, ZIP2, ZIP12 and MT3 showed significantly (p < 0.05) increased immunoreactivities, in association with increased microvascular muscularization, and upregulated ET-1, α-SMA and the active form of p38 MAPK (Thr180/Tyr182 phosphorylated, p38 MAPK-P). These findings support roles of the zinc regulation system in microvascular physiology and diseases.
Interrelation of T-cell Cytokines and Autoantibodies in Lupus Nephritis: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Alduraibi Fatima , Sullivan Kathryn , Chatham W.Winn , Hsu Hui-Chen , Mountz John D.
Published: April 2022

Objective: To determine if circulating autoantibodies (autoAbs) and T-helper cell cytokines correlate with a different class of lupus nephritis (LN), including class III/IV, compared to class V and other manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: All patients (N=62) met the SLE classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) or Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) classification criteria. Demographic, clinical data, and serologic manifestations included anti-DNA, anti-Smith (Anti-Sm), C3, and C4 were included. Plasma levels of interferon gamma (IFNɣ), interleukin 17 (IL-17), interleukin 10 (IL-10) isotype-specific (IgG) anti-DNA, anti-Ro/SSA (SSA), and anti-Sm were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: The most common manifestations by history were arthritis in 61% (N=38), photosensitivity rash in 53% (N=33), LN in 44% (N=27), and oral/nasal ulcer in 31% (N=19) SLE patients. AutoAbs (anti-DNA, anti-SSA, and anti-Sm), IFNɣ, and IL-17, but not IL-10, were significantly elevated in SLE patients compared to healthy controls. There were elevated plasma levels of anti-DNA (p = 0.0101) and anti-Sm (p = 0.0499) in patients with a history of LN compared to patients without LN. In contrast, plasma levels of anti-Sm were decreased in patients who had a history of acute mucocutaneous manifestations, including photosensitivity rash and/or malar rash (p = 0.0152). Among the three cytokines that were analyzed, IL-10 was significantly elevated in patients with a history of LN compared to patients without LN (p = 0.0216). IL-17 was positively correlated with anti-SSA (p = 0.0130) and was significantly higher in patients with discoid rash (p = 0.0238) and history of class V LN (p = 0.0055). IFNɣ was positively correlated with anti-DNA (p = 0.0355) and anti-SSA (p = 0.0402). Conclusion: This cross-sectional study supports the role of different T-helper cell cytokines that may be associated with the development of different autoAbs in influencing the diversity of SLE clinical manifestations. The results suggests that elevated IFNɣ and IL-17 are more generalized features in SLE patients. In contrast, higher levels of IL-10 were observed in patients with a history of LN. This provide insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of LN that can help guide future diagnosis and therapies.
REIIBP promotes TLR7-BTK-IL6 pro-inflammatory response through histone H3 lysine methylation in t(4;14) myelomagenesis
Authors: Chong Phyllis S.Y. , Chooi Jing Yuan , Lim Sze Lynn Julia , Chung Tae-Hoon , Toh Sabrina Hui Min , Balan Kalpnaa , Azaman Muhamad Irfan Bin , Wu Zhengwei , Wee-Joo Chng
Published: April 2022

Background
Recurrent chromosomal translocations are central to the pathogenesis of Multiple Myeloma (MM), and the t(4;14) translocation is an adverse prognostic factor found in approximately 15% of MM patients. REIIBP is a t(4;14)-deregulated histone methyltransferase arising from alternative promoter usage within the MMSET locus. The role of this short isoform in t(4;14) myelomagenesis is poorly understood.
Methods
RPMI8266 was transfected with REIIBP vector to create stable isogenic cells using puromycin selection, and the oncogenic and histone methyltransferase activities were evaluated by RT-qPCR, immunoblotting, viability and colony-forming assays. Microarray and ChIP-sequencing were used to identify REIIBP targets, followed by genetic and biochemical inhibition to determine the underlying mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. Clinical relevance was validated with CoMMpass dataset.
Results
Despite sharing identical sequence with the C-terminus of MMSET, we found that REIIBP displayed distinct expression pattern with other MMSET breakpoint variants and gene products of the t(4;14) locus. Additionally, the expression of REIIBP can be regulated through microRNAs by another histone methyltransferase, EZH2 in a Dicer-dependent manner. Stable overexpression of REIIBP in the t(4;14)-negative RPMI8226 promoted oncogenic phenotypes and predominantly catalyzes the repressive H3K27me3 and active H3K4me3 histone modifications. Identification of differentially-regulated genes through microarray and correlation with H3K4me3/H3K27me3 ChIP-sequencing revealed that Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) and Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) are targets of REIIBP. Importantly, this led to a B-cell receptor (BCR)-independent activation of BTK and NF-ĸB effector signaling in t(4;14) myeloma cells. As myeloma cells do not express BCR, the re-activation of BTK signaling by TLR7 was functionally validated, conferring bortezomib resistance through the dysregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression such as IL-6 and IL-27. Furthermore, comparison of BTK expression and dependency scores across lineages revealed that BTK is an important target in multiple myeloma, and correlated with REIIBP expression in the CoMMpass dataset. t(4;14)-translocated cells were amenable to BTK targeting using Ibrutinib, improving bortezomib response in myeloma cells and mice engrafted with RPMI8226-REIIBP tumors.
Conclusion
Altogether, our results provided a rationale for the blockade of REIIBP in t(4;14) cells through combining proteasome and BTK inhibitors as a therapeutic strategy for further clinical evaluation.
Resection of scar tissue in rats with spinal cord injury can promote the expression of βⅢ-tubulin in the injured area
Authors: Liu Baoguo , Liu Sumei , Sun Dejun
Published: April 2022

Background The scar tissue formed in the injured area after spinal cord injury is one of the reasons that hinder nerve regeneration and tissue repair. In previous studies, the researchers tried to prevent the formation of scar tissue to promote nerve regeneration and tissue repair, but it ran counter to the their desire, which also reflected the favorable side of scar tissue in the formation process. Further studies confirmed that scar formation of tissue is a dynamic process of hindering and promoting, nerve regeneration and tissue repair. By grasping the dual action of glial scar, understanding the underlying mechanism of its diversity is the key to break through the regeneration of nerve function after spinal cord injury.Results Based on the rat models of the transection injury of the T8-T9 spinal cord, we selected several different key time points to resect the scar tissue formed after spinal cord injury and we found that the resection of scar tissue promoted the recovery of motor function and the expression of βⅢ-tubulin in the injured area, especially significant after scar excision in the second week after spinal cord injury. Further studies have shown that the mechanism of recovery might be a combination of promoting nerve axons regeneration, promoting nerve signal transmission, forming functional blood vessels, protecting neurons survival, and reducing scarring, etc. Meanwhile, we found that Tubb3 and Tubb6 genes were significantly different in the tissue before and after early scar resection.Conclusions The motor function of the rats with spinal cord injury after scar resection was improved, and it could be seen that the expression of βⅢ-tubulin increased in the re-formed scars. The Tubb3, Tubb6 genes expression and other neural regeneration pathways were significantly different in the tissue before and after early resection. It was proved that excision of scar tissue promoted nerve regeneration.
Analysis of clinical features and prognosis of HPV-negative endocervical adenocarcinoma
Authors: Ju Shuang , Zhang Junhua , Liu Xiaoli , Liu Lu , Sun Wenxiong , Mu Wendi , Guo Lingyu , Sun Yu , Han Sai , Zhang Youzhong
Published: April 2022

Objectives: To analyze the differences in clinical features and prognosis of HPV-negative and HPV-positive endocervical adenocarcinoma (ECA).Methods: The database of Qilu Hospital was searched for women with HPV testing who underwent primary surgery for ECA between January 2014 and December 2020. The clinical features of the two groups were compared, and the prognosis was evaluated by Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Moreover, immunohistochemical characteristics were reviewed in combination with literatures.Results: Among the 198 enrolled cases of ECA, 62 cases (31.31%) were HPV-negative ECA. Compared with HPV-positive ECA, HPV-negative ECA was more significantly associated with age, clinical symptoms, cervical cytology, CA125, FIGO stage, histologic subtypes, tumor diameter (<3 cm), deep stromal invasion (DSI), lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), ovarian metastasis and intermediate-risk factors (all p<0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in the pregnancy and parturition times, CA19-9 level, CEA level or lymph node metastasis between the two groups (all p≥05). The OS of patients with HPV-negative ECA was poorer than that of those with HPV-positive ECA (p=0.00). Multivariable analysis showed that HPV-negative status, lymph node metastasis and DSI were significantly associated with the OS of ECA.Conclusions: HPV-negative ECA is characterized by older age, larger tumor, higher stage, susceptibility to LVSI, insensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy and poor prognosis. Furthermore, lymph node metastasis and DSI can be used as predictors of prognosis in ECA. The diagnosis of HPV-negative ECA requires consideration of cervical cytology, colposcopy screening and clinical symptoms. And, biopsy plus immunohistochemistry can improve accuracy of diagnosis.
Cytotoxicity and anti-biofilm activities of biogenic cadmium nanoparticles and cadmium nitrate: a preliminary study
Authors: Adeli-Sardou Mahboubeh , Shakibaie Mojtaba , Forootanfar Hamid , Jabari-Morouei Fereshteh , Riahi-Madvar Soudabe , Ghafari-Shahrbabaki Sima-Sadat , Mehrabani Mitra
Published: April 2022

Cadmium nanoparticles (Cd NPs) were prepared using Artemisia persica extract and microwave irradiation in this research. Cd NPs and Cd (NO3)2 were evaluated for their cytotoxicity, antibacterial, anti-biofilm, and biocompatibility. It was found that Cd NPs (11.2–18.6 nm) had a lower cytotoxic effect than Cd (NO3)2 against both HepG2 and HUVEC cells. The antibacterial activity of Cd NPs against clinically isolated Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was above 2560 μg mL-1. The Cd NPs (640 μg mL-1) decreased the biofilm formation by S. aureus, P. mirabilis, and P. aeruginosa to 24.6%, 31.6%, and 26.4%, respectively. Adding Cd NPs (100 μg/disc) to commercial antibiotic discs increased the antibacterial activity of vancomycin, gentamicin, tetracycline, streptomycin, meropenem, and kanamycin against Methicillin-resistant S. aureus, significantly. The Cd NPs (640 μg mL-1) exhibited low hemolysis activity. More research should be conducted to understand the related cytotoxicity and antibacterial mechanisms of Cd NPs.