bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of Strontium Doped Erbium Oxide Nanoparticles for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Aqueous Solution
Authors: KANDASAMY BHUVANESWARI , Susselaa Sreeja Balakrishnapillai , Sankararajan Radha , Govindasamy Palanisamy , Thangavelu Pazhanivel , Shanmugam Vignesh , Nagaraj Elavarasan , Govindaraj Venkatesh , Manickam Srinivasan , Perumalsamy Ramasamy
Published: December 2021

A simple wet impregnation approach had been used to the successful preparation of different weight percentages of strontium/niobium doped Er2O3 nanoparticles. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV-visible (UV) spectroscopy was used to analyze the samples as they were prepared. With Sr and Nb doping at Er2O3 nanoparticles, the XRD patterns intensity was shifted, and its positioning was also shifted as weight percentages of doped were increased. Similarly, the lattice d spacing values were also decreased. According to HR-TEM images, Er2O3 seems to have a two-dimensional hexagonal nanoplate-like structure as well as being a few nm in size. The photocatalytic activities of pristine and Sr/Nb doped samples were evaluated against the methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine B (Rh B) dyes under UV-visible light irradiation. Within seventy-five minutes of UV-Visible light irradiation, the five-weight percentage of Sr doped Er2O3 nanoparticles shows significantly enhanced photocatalytic degradation efficiency against Rh B dye. The synergistic effect of the strong metal-support interaction between the Sr and Er2O3 nanoparticles could be attributed to the improved photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples. The cyclic stability and radical trapping experiments were also investigated against the same reaction conditions.
Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Towards Cancer Pain Management Amongst Healthcare Workers (Physicians, Pharmacists, And Nurses): A Cross-Sectional Study From First-Tier Cities in China
Authors: Xie Jiyi , Zhang Cong , Li Shijun , Dai Rong , Deng Bin , Xu Qiling , jinglin Wang , Shi Chen , Zhang Yu
Published: December 2021

Purpose China is currently one of the countries with the largest increased number of new cancer cases in the world, but cancer pain management (CPM) is still inadequate. This study, through a questionnaire designed to show the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) status and differences towards CPM among healthcare workers (HCWs) in developed areas of China and explore areas and advantages of the role of pharmacists and mobile devices.Methods This study used data from a questionnaire on CPM from March to June 2019. The study population consisted of a total of 515 HCWs in four first-tier developed cities in China. The questionnaire has four major components, analysis of differences in KAP of different occupations through one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results Among the respondents, the physicians had the highest knowledge scores towards CPM, pharmacists had the lowest practice scores. Around half of the respondents indicated that their hospital or department have a pharmacist participating in CPM. Physicians, and nurses were more likely to expect pharmacists to provide drug counseling. The HCWs interviewed most expect that the mobile-based pain management system can automatically screen and mark patients with pain.Conclusion From this study, it can be suggested that pharmacists and nurses in the CPM team should actively promote relevant knowledge. Besides, pharmacists should focus on improving practical ability such as increasing the frequency of pain assessment. Multidisciplinary collaboration and the introduction of mobile devices can improve and refine the CPM.
Environmental Impacts, Human Health, and Energy Consumption of Nitrogen Management for Maize Production in Subtropical Region
Authors: Yao Zhi , Zhang Wushuai , Wang Xingbang , Lu Ming , Zhang Wei , Liu Dunyi , Gao Xiaopeng , Chen Yuanxue , Chen Xinping
Published: December 2021

Over-application of fertilizers could not improve crop yield and agronomic efficiency, but result in increasing nitrogen (N) surplus and adverse effects on the ecosystem sustainability. Although some previous studies have addressed one or a few environmental aspects in crop production, an integrated assessment for the effects of N fertilizer on multiple environmental impacts, and the optional steps of normalization and weighting is required. A consecutive 2-yr plot-based field experiment was conducted with five N fertilizer levels (0, 90, 180, 270, and 360 kg N ha-1) in maize production at three sites in Southwest China, to evaluate the environmental performance and sustainability through joint use of life cycle assessment (LCA) and energy consumption analysis. Results demonstrated that the optimal N rate (180 kg N ha-1) showed greater potential for maintaining high yield (achieved 86% of the yield potential) and reducing the global warming (-31%), acidification (-47%), eutrophication (-44%) compared to farmers’ practice, and energy depletion potentials, by reducing pollutants emission during the production and transportation of N fertilizer and Nr losses at farm stage. Optimal N treatment indirectly reduced the land use, life-cycle human toxicity, aquatic eco-toxicity, and terrestrial eco-toxicity potentials by improving grain yield and agronomic efficiency. In addition, the optimal N treatment reduced the energy consumption by enhancing the energy use efficiency (EUE) (+74%) and reducing non-renewable energy form (-45%) than the farmer’s practice. This study will provide comprehensive information for both scientists and farmers involved in maize production and N management in subtropical region.
Gaps in the Congenital Syphilis Prevention Cascade: Qualitative Findings from Kern County, California
Authors: Park Eunhee , Yip Julie , Harville Emily , Nelson Marlene , Giarratano Gloria , Buekens Pierre , Wagman Jennifer
Published: December 2021

Background. Congenital syphilis is preventable through timely access to prenatal care, syphilis screening and treatment of pregnant women diagnosed as infected. In 2018, California had the second highest number of congenital syphilis cases in the United States (U.S.), a nearly 2-fold increase in cases since 2014. This study assessed gaps in preventing congenital syphilis in the high morbidity region of Kern County, California. Methods. Between May 2018 and January 2019, we conducted five focus group discussions with pregnant/postpartum women and ten semi-structured interviews with prenatal care providers in Kern County. Focus group and interview data were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify emergent themes pertaining to facilitators and barriers at each step (prenatal care, syphilis screening and treatment) in the congenital syphilis prevention cascade.Results. Gaps in congenital syphilis prevention discussed in focus group discussions with pregnant/postpartum women were related to limited prenatal care access, social-, economic-, and cultural-barriers, and substance use and co-occurring intimate partner/domestic violence. The gaps identified from interviews with prenatal care providers included social economic vulnerabilities of pregnant women and stigma and shame around the vulnerabilities, distrust in medical system, prenatal substance use, limited prenatal substance use disorder treatment facilities, and inadequate provider training on context-specific congenital syphilis management strategies. Gaps in partner notification, screening and treatment for syphilis were brought up by pregnant/postpartum women and prenatal care providers. Conclusions. Congenital syphilis continues to increase in Kern County and throughout the U.S. In high syphilis morbidity areas, comprehensive and tailored public health approaches addressing setting-specific gaps in prenatal screening and treatment are needed.
Global Longitudinal Strain as a Predictor of Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity
Authors: Avila Monica Samuel , Alves Marco Stephan Lofrano , Ayub-Ferreira Silvia Moreira , Junior Mauro Rogerio de Barros Wanderley , Cruz Fatima das Dores , Brandão Sara Michelly Gonçalves , Hajjar Ludhmila Abrahão , Filho Roberto Kalil , Cruz Cecilia Beatriz Bittencourt Viana , Abduch Maria Cristina , Moleta Danilo Bora , Bocchi Edimar Alcides
Published: December 2021

Background
Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity (ChC) is an important complication among patients receiving anthracyclines. Biomarkers and imaging parameters have been studied for their ability to identify patients at risk of developing this complication. Left ventricle global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) has been described as a sensitive parameter for detecting systolic dysfunction, even in the presence of preserved left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF).
Objective
to evaluate the role of the LV-GLS as a predictor of ChC.
Methods
This study is a post-hoc analysis of CECCY trial (Carvedilol for Prevention of Chemotherapy-Related Cardiotoxicity) that evaluated the primary prevention of cardiotoxicity with carvedilol during doxorubicin chemotherapy in a population with breast cancer. Cardiotoxicity was defined as a reduction ≥10% in LVEF. LV-GLS was obtained before chemotherapy in patients with no prior cardiovascular disease or echocardiogram abnormalities.
Results
Thirty-one patients who had a complete echocardiography study including measurement of LV-GLS before chemotherapy were included in this analysis. An absolute LV-GLS <16.9% before chemotherapy showed 100% sensitivity and 73% specificity for predicting cardiotoxicity (AUC=0.85; 95%CI 0.680 – 0.959, p<0.001). In this population, LVEF values before chemotherapy did not predict ChC (95%CI 0.478 to -0.842, p=0.17). The association of low LV-GLS (<17%) and BNP serum levels (>17 pg/mL) two months after chemotherapy increased the accuracy for detecting early onset ChC (100% sensitivity, 88% specificity, AUC=0.94; 95%CI 0.781 – 0.995, p<0.0001).
Conclusions
Our data suggest that LV-GLS is a potential predictor of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. Larger studies are needed to confirm the clinical relevance of this echocardiographic parameter in this clinical setting.
FG-Droid: Grouping Based Feature Size Reduction for Android Malware Detection through Machine Learning
Authors: ARSLAN Recep Sinan
Published: December 2021

The number of applications prepared for use on mobile devices has increased rapidly with the widespread use of the Android OS. This has resulted in the undesired installation of Android apks that violate user privacy or malicious. The increasing similarity between Android malware and benign applications makes it difficult to distinguish them from each other and causes a situation of concern for users. In this study, FG-Droid, a machine-learning based classifier with an efficient working system, using the method of grouping the features obtained by static analysis, was proposed. It was created as a result of experiments with Machine learning (ML), DNN, RNN, LSTM and GRU based models using Drebin, Genome and Arslan datasets. Experimental results reveal that FG-Droid has achieved 97.7% AUC score with a vector includes only 11 static features, and ExtraTree algorithm. FG-Droid analyze the applications with using the least number of features compare to previous studies, and required the least processing time for training and prediction. As a result, it has been shown that Android malware can be detected in high accuracy rate with an effective feature set and there is no need to use a large number of features extracted with different techniques (static, dynamic or hybrid).
Integrated analysis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma cohorts from three continents reveals conserved subtypes of prognostic significance.
Authors: Chakravarthy Ankur , Reddin Ian , Henderson Stephen , Dong Cindy , Kirkwood Nerissa , Jeyakumar Maxmilan , Rothschild-Rodriguez Daniela , Gonzalez-Martinez Natalia , McDermott Jacqueline , Su Xiaoping , Egawa Nagayasau , Fjeldbo Christina , Skingen Vilde , Halle Mari , Krakstad Camilla , Soleiman Afschin , Sprung Susanne , Ellis Peter , Wass Mark , Michaelis Martin , Lyng Heidi , Fiegl Heidelinde , Salvesen Helga , Thomas Gareth , Doorbar John , Chester Kerry , Feber Andrew , Fenton Tim
Published: December 2021

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cervical cancer represents one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Although low-middle income countries are disproportionately affected, our knowledge of the disease predominantly originates from populations in high-income countries. Using the largest multi-omic analysis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) to date, totalling 643 tumours and representing patient populations from the USA, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, we identify two CSCC subtypes (C1 and C2) with differing prognosis. C1 tumours are largely HPV16-driven, display increased cytotoxic T-lymphocyte infiltration and frequently harbour PIK3CA and EP300 mutations. C2 tumours are associated with shorter overall survival, are frequently driven by HPVs from the HPV18-containing alpha-7 clade, harbour alterations in the Hippo signalling pathway and increased expression of immune checkpoint genes, B7-H3 (also known as CD276) and NT5E (also known as CD73) and PD-L2 (also known as PDCD1LG2). In conclusion, we identify two novel, therapy-relevant CSCC subtypes that share the same defining characteristics across three geographically diverse cohorts.
Small reorganization energy acceptors enable low energy losses in non-fullerene organic solar cells
Authors: Shi Yanan , Chang Yilin , Lu Kun , Chen Zhihao , Zhang Jianqi , Yan Yangjun , Qiu Dingding , Liu Yanan , Adil Muhammad Abdullah , Ma Wei , Hao Xiaotao , Zhu Lingyun , Wei Zhixiang
Published: December 2021

Minimizing the energy loss is of critical importance in the pursuit of attaining high-performance organic solar cells (OSCs). Interestingly, electron-vibration coupling (namely reorganization energy) plays a crucial role in the photo-electric conversion processes. However, a molecular understanding of the relationship between the reorganization energy and the energy loss has rarely been studied. Here, two new acceptors Qx-1 and Qx-2 with quinoxaline (Qx)-containing fused core were designed and synthesized. The results indicate that the reorganization energies of these two acceptors during the photoelectric conversion processes are substantially smaller than the conventional Y6 acceptor, which is beneficial for improving the exciton lifetime and diffusion length, promoting charge transport and reducing the energy loss originating from exciton dissociation and non-radiative recombination. As a result, an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.2% with high Voc above 0.93 V in the PM6:Qx-2 blend, accompanying a significantly reduced energy loss of 0.48 eV. To the best of our knowledge, the obtained energy loss is the smallest for the binary OSCs with PCEs over 16% reported to date. This work underlines the importance of the reorganization energy in achieving small energy loss in organic active materials and paves a new way to obtain high-performance OSCs.
Microstructure Transformation In Palm-Fiber Cell Wall And Its Influence On the Fiber's Mechanical Properties During Alkali Treatment
Authors: Jing Lingxiao , Jiang Ying , Deng Penghu , Wang Yuehan , Ma Yifa , Zhang Tonghua
Published: December 2021

In this study, we examined the microstructure transformation of palm fiber and the influence of this transformation on the fiber mechanical properties during alkali treatment. The fibers were treated with different concentrations of NaOH to study the change rules of the microstructure and the tensile properties. FT-IR microspectroscopic imaging and confocal laser scanning microscopy were adopted to observe microstructure transformation during alkali treatment. Research results showed that the hemicellulose and lignin in the fiber cell wall were removed by alkali treatment, leading to a rearrangement of cellulose chains. The tensile properties palm fibers were significantly improved because of crystallinity alterations in the cell walls after alkali treatment. This study might provide a basis for palm fiber’s high-value utilization in the field of materials.
Nutrient Intakes of Canadian Children and Adolescents: Results from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2015 – Nutrition Public Use Microdata Files
Authors: Ng Alena (Praneet) , Ahmed Mavra , L'Abbe Mary
Published: December 2021

Background: Up-to-date and appropriate estimates of the usual intakes of key nutrients are crucial for monitoring the nutritional adequacy of the Canadian population. Comprehensive, nationally-representative nutrient estimates for Canadian children and adolescents are available using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) – Nutrition 2004, however results are scarce for the most-recent 2015 data. The objective of this research was to assess nutrient intakes of Canadian children and adolescents using data from the CCHS 2015 Public Use Microdata Files (PUMF) Methods: Participants’ first 24-hr dietary recall, and the second-day recall from a subset of participants were used to estimate usual intakes of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals in children and adolescents (2-18 years). Usual intakes by Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) age-sex groups were estimated using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) method, adjusted for age, sex, misreporting status, weekend/weekday, and sequence of recall analyzed (first/second), with consideration for outliers (N=5,493). Usual intakes from food and beverages were assessed for prevalence of inadequacy in relation to the DRI recommendations. Results: Children 2-3y consumed a percentage of total energy from protein above the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR). Among children and adolescents, 71% met the AMDR for carbohydrates and 63-71% met the AMDR for total fat. With the exception of calcium and vitamin D, a very low prevalence (<10%) of inadequate intakes was observed for select micronutrients among Canadian children 2-8y, while a substantial proportion of adolescents (>15%) did not meet requirements for vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and zinc.Conclusions: Canadian children and adolescents may not be meeting recommendations for short fall nutrients such as calcium, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin D. Fibre intake continues to remain low, while sodium intake exceeded recommendations. These findings provide important, updated baseline estimates on the nutrient intakes of this subpopulation in Canada for continued monitoring of adherence to the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide and may be useful to inform future public health nutrition policies, programs and initiatives.
Whole-genome Sequencing of Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma Combined With Plasma Cell Leukemia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhang Enfan , Cai Zhen , He Jingsong
Published: December 2021

Purpose Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is a distinct subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphomas, sometimes involves proliferation of plasma cells. Currently, only 7 cases of AITL with monoclonal plasmacytosis have been reported. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between monoclonal plasma cells and T cells have not been identified. We describe a rare case of AITL with plasma cell leukemia (PCL) in this report. Methods The patient was a 67-year-old female diagnosed with AITL and PCL. CD138 positive plasma cells and CD138-negative mixed bone marrow populations of this patient were collected for whole-genome sequencing (WGS). A review of the literature on AITL cases with monoclonal plasma cells is presented.Results WGS showed that the two cell populatoins shared 282 non-synonymous single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and excess of G to A and C to T transitions. We identified 14 potential driver genes in this patient. Functional enriched analysis of mutant genes confirmed several significantly enriched pathways, including VEGF signaling. The patient was treated with one cycle of PD (combined Bortezomib and Dexamethasone) and Chidamide. However, the patient developed severe pneumonia and pancytopenia, refused to receive further treatment, and died one week after discharge. Conclusion Being aware of the coexistence of PCL and AITL is important for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. In addition, our results suggested the involvement of a group of genes and pathways in AITL with coexisting PCL, providing valuable information for further exploration of the underlying molecular mechanisms.
A New Systematic Encoding Circuit of Hamming (15, 11) Using Low-Power XOR-FS-GDI Based Logic Gate: Fast Computing and Efficient Area FEC
Authors: El-Bendary Mohsen , El-Badry O
Published: December 2021

Due to the power efficiency importance of digital signal processing and data protection in different communications systems, this paper proposes an efficient design of different Hamming Codes utilizing Full Swing- Gate Diffusion Input (FS-GDI) approach. The proposed codes design aims to improve the power efficiency and the required area through reducing the required number of transistors. FS-GDI is a new low power VLSI design approach, it is a power effective approach for realizing the different logic gates. In this work, the Hamming codes (11, 7) and (15, 11) are designed by utilizing the original GDI, FS-GDI and the traditional CMOS approaches. The amount of consumed power, delay time, Power Delay Product (PDP) and hardware simplicity-Number of Transistors (No. Ts) are employed as a metrics for evaluating the efficiency of the proposed design compared to the traditional design. The design simulation experiments are executed utilizing Cadence Virtuoso simulator package under 65nm technology. The simulation experiments revealed these proposed codes achieve delay time reduction by 52.91% and 10% for Hamming codes (7, 4) and (11, 7), respectively On the other hand, the Hardware (H/W) of these codes became more simple where the H/W simplicity of the used Hamming codes is reduced 50 % CMOS approaches respectively. From the results analysis, the proposed design achieves efficient power and the delay optimizing of Hamming codes utilizing the FS-GDI approach. On the other hand, the power consumption and area in communications systems due to the encoding process can be reduces.
Protective effects of phytomediated synthesized magnesium hydroxide nanomaterials using Monodora myristica against diabetes-associated hepatopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy in streptozotocin-exposed rat
Authors: Afolabi Olakunle Bamikole , Oloyede Omotade I , Aluko Bukola T , Johnson Jonathan
Published: December 2021

There is recently a fast growing interest in green nanotechnology as a better approach for managing diabetes mellitus (DM) and its associated complications. This study therefore aimed at exploring the protective potentials of biogenic phytomediated magnesium-based nanoparticles using Monodora myristica seed (Mg(OH)2NP-Mm) against streptozotocin-induced diabetic hepatopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy in Wistar rats. Mg(OH)2NP-Mm was biosynthesized and characterized using standard techniques. Forty-eight (48) adult male Wistar rats weighing 150-200 g, were indiscriminately grouped into eight (8) groups of six (6) rats (n=6) each. Diabetes was induced with a low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) (55 mg/kg bw) and diabetic animals administered 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg bw Mg(OH)2NP-Mm for 21 days, while control groups received glibenclamide (5 mg/kg bw) and Mg(OH)2-STD (150 mg/kg bw), respectively. In this study, treatment with Mg(OH)2NP-Mm caused a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in fasting blood sugar (FBG), serum hepatic biomarkers (AST, ALT and ALP activities), renal clearance markers (creatinine and urea), total protein (TP) and bilirubin. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, as well as histomorphological examinations indicated a significant (p < 0.05) restoration of the hepatic, renal and brain tissues. This finding therefore, hypothesizes attenuation of redox imbalance which probably could be the basis for the protective effect demonstrated by Mg(OH)2NP-Mm in the tissues examined from STZ-induced diabetic rats.
The Effect of Ionic Strength and pH on the Dewatering Rate of Cellulose Nanofibril Dispersions
Authors: Fall Andreas , Henriksson Marielle , Karppinen Anni , Opstad Anne , Heggset Ellinor Bævre , Syverud Kristin
Published: December 2021

Cellulose nanofibrils, CNFs, show a great potential in many application areas. One main aspect limiting the use of the material is the slow and energy demanding dewatering of CNF suspensions. Here we investigate the dewatering with a piston press process. Three different CNF qualities, two laboratory grades (high and low charge) and one industrial grade (low charge) were tested. The chemical conditions were varied by changing salt concentration (NaCl) and pH. For the original suspensions, the dewatering rate is substantially slower for the high charge CNFs. However, by changing the conditions it dewatered as fast as the two low charge CNFs, even though salt/acid additions also improved dewatering rate for these two CNFs. Finally, by tuning the conditions fast dewatering could be obtained with only minor effect on strength and barrier performance of films prepared from the CNFs.
Mega-Environment Analysis To Assess Adaptability, Stability, And Genomic Predictions In Grain Sorghum Hybrids
Authors: Fonseca Jales Mendes Oliveira , Perumal Ramasamy , Klein Patricia E. , Klein Robert R. , Rooney William L.
Published: December 2021

Multi-environment trials (MET) are fundamental for assessing genotype-by-environment interaction (GxE) effects, adaptability and stability of genotypes and provide valuable information about target regions. As such, a MET involving grain sorghum hybrid combinations derived from elite inbred lines adapted to diverse sorghum production regions was developed to assess agronomic performance, stability, and genomic-enabled prediction accuracies within mega-environments (ME). Ten females and ten males from the Texas A&M and Kansas State sorghum breeding programs were crossed following a factorial mating scheme to generate 100 hybrids. Grain yield, plant height, and days to anthesis were assessed in a MET consisting of ten environments across Texas and Kansas over two years. Genotype plus Genotype-by-block-of-environment biplot (GGB) assessed ME, while the "mean-vs-stability" view of the biplot and the Bayesian Finlay-Wilkinson regression evaluated hybrid adaptability and stability. A genomic prediction model including the GxE effect was applied within ME to assess prediction accuracy. Results suggest that grain sorghum hybrid combinations involving lines adapted to different target regions can produce superior hybrids. GGB confirmed distinct regions of sorghum adaption in the U.S. Further, genomic predictions within ME reported inconsistent results, suggesting that additional effects rather than the correlations between environments are influencing genomic prediction of grain sorghum hybrids.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Prodrugs For Nitroreductase Based 4-β-Amino-4'-Demethylepipodophyllotoxin As Potential Anticancer Agents
Authors: Wu Zhengrong , Deng Wei , He Dian
Published: December 2021

A series of prodrugs for nitroreductase based 4-β-amino-4'- Demethylepipodophyllotoxin as potential anticancer agents were synthesized, and their antiproliferative activities in vitro showed compounds 2b (IC50=0.77, 0.83 and 1.19 μM) and 2d (IC50=0.98, 0.91 and 1.58 μM) were greatly selectively toxic to tumor cells A-549, HeLa and HepG2, respectively, and lower damage to normal WI-38 cells in comparison with positive agent Etoposide and Demethylepipodophyllotoxin, and induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase with a concomitant decrease in the population of G1 phase in HeLa cells, which were accompanied by apoptosis. Furthermore, Molecular docking model showed that compounds 2b and 2d appeared to form stable bonds with NTR 1DS7. Taken together, these conjugates have the potential to be developed as anti-tumor drugs.
Solvation Data for the Redox Interaction Between Nano Cobalt Sulfate (NCS) and Fuchsin Acid (FA) Using Doped Nano Composite+ Multicarbon Nanotubes Glassy Carbon Electrode at Different Temperatures
Authors: Gomaa Esam A , Killa H A , Fathi H , Farouk A
Published: December 2021

Preparation of nano tantalum pentoxide and nano cobalt sulfate were prepared by ball milling using Retsch MM2000 apparatus with three stainless steel balls having diameter 12 mm.Preparation of new working electrode was done by adding nano tantalum petoxide to multicarbonnatubes and carbon with specific ratioand finish nano paste put at the tip of glassy carbon electrode and used for use.The redox reaction of nano cobalt sulfate were studied in 0.1M KBr alone at two temperatures 292.15K and 297.15 using cyclic voltammetry.Different solvation and kinetic parameters were calculated at the used two temperatures and their data were discussed.Interaction parameters of the nano cobalt sulfate with Fucgsin acid dye was done to study the complexationcharcheterbeteen the two cyclic voltammetrically and the resulted data are discussed.Different thermodynamic data were evaluated for the interaction of nanocobal sulfate NCS with Fuchsin Acid, FA like stability constants, Gibbs free energies of complexation, enthalpies and entropies were evaluated and their values were discussed
Pregnancy-related Type Citrullinemia Type 1: an Analysis of 14 Cases and Review of the Literature
Authors: Li Jiapo , Zhang Liyang , Wang Ruochen , Li Fan , Abdelrahim Maryam F. , Huang Ling , Qiao Chong
Published: December 2021

Citrullinemia type 1 (CTLN1) is a rare autosomal recessive urea cycle disorder, without functional argininosuccinate synthase (ASS) enzyme, mostly occurring in newborns and infants, but it has been reported having an adult-onset in carriers of the pathogenic gene, and even more rarely, the onset of the disease is pregnancy related. The diagnosis and management process of pregnancy-related type citrullinemia 1 was found very challenging in the clinical practice. Citrullinemia type 1 was, often seen in newborns with a worldwide prevalence of 1:44,300-250,000, characterized by hyperammonemia and elevated citrulline levels in blood and urine as clinical features. Since 1980, only 14 cases with onset during pregnancy and puerperium have been reported. This review provides an overview of the relationship between Citrullinemia type 1 and pregnancy and discusses the mechanisms, clinical manifestations and genetic characteristics of pregnancy-related onset.
The Prognosis-related Genes Participate in Immunotherapy of Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Maybe Through Targeting Dendritic Cells
Authors: Fang Guodong , Wang Xudan
Published: December 2021

Tumor immunotherapy has become one of the hotspot methods of tumor treatment. This study aims to screen and analyze the role of prognostic genes in the diagnosis, prognosis and immunotherapy of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) by bioinformatics methods. Based on the Gene Expression Omnibus Datasets and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Datasets, we screened out the nine differentially expressed genes (TYROBP, APOC1, CSTA, LY96, LAPTM5, CD300A, ALOX5, C1QA, C1QB) associated with clinical traits and prognosis by "WGCNA" package in R and Kaplan-Meier Plotter. The ROC curves showed that the combination of these genes had high diagnostic value (AUC=0.990). The COX regression analysis was used to construct the risk signature, and the risk score calculated by the 9 genes was an independent prognostic factor that could predict survival probability for patients at 1 year, 3 years, 5 years. The high-risk group had lower Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion score and higher tumor mutation burden and PD-1 levels. The immune checkpoint blockade response rates in the high- and low- risk groups were 49.25% and 24.72% (p≤0.001). The immune infiltration and Pearson correlation analyses suggested that the prognostic genes were negatively correlated with activated dendritic cells in the low-risk group, rather than in the high-risk group. In conclusion, prognostic-related genes have high diagnostic value and can guide prognostic evaluation and immunotherapy for ccRCC, and this process needs to be mediated by the activated dendritic cells.
The network of the subjective experience in embodiment phenomena
Authors: Tosi Giorgia , Romano Daniele
Published: December 2021

Body illusions are designed to temporarily alter body representation by embodying fake bodies or part of them. Despite their large use, the embodiment questionnaires have been validated only for the embodiment of fake hands in the Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI). With the current study, we aimed at (i) extending the validation of embodiment questionnaires to a different illusory situation (e.g., the Full-Body Illusion - FBI); (ii) comparing two methods to explore the questionnaires structures: a classic Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and a modern Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA). 118 healthy participants completed an FBI procedure where the subjective experience of embodiment was measured with a standard questionnaire. The EFA results in two-factor structures. However, the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) fit indices do not show a good fit with the data. Conversely, the EGA identified four communities: ownership, agency, co-location and disembodiment; the solution was confirmed by a CFA. Overall, the EGA seems to be the best fitting method for the present data. Our results confirm the EGA as a suitable substitute for a more classical EFA. Moreover, the emerged structure suggests that the FBI induces similar effects to the RHI, implying that the embodiment sensations are common to different illusory methods. Public Significance Statement: The study indicates that the Exploratory Graph Analysis is a convenient substitute for a more classical Exploratory Factor Analysis. Moreover, the present paper suggests that different illusory methods induce similar embodiment effects.
How Does Misperception Affect Zero-Determinant Strategies In Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma?
Authors: Cheng Zhaoyang , Chen Guanpu , Hong Yiguang
Published: December 2021

Zero-determinant (ZD) strategies have attracted wide attention in Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma (IPD) games, since the player equipped with ZD strategies can unilaterally enforce the two players’ expected utilities subjected to a linear relation. On the other hand, uncertainties, which may be caused by misperception, occur in IPD inevitably in practical circumstances. To better understand the situation, we consider the influence of misperception on ZD strategies in IPD, where the two players, player X and player Y , have different cognitions, but player X detects the misperception and it is believed to make ZD strategies by player Y. We provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the ZD strategies in IPD with misperception, where there is also a linear relationship between players’ utilities in player X’s cognition. Then we explore bounds of players’ expected utility deviation from a linear relationship in player X’s cognition with also improving its own utility.
Application of AHP – Entropy–TOPSIS methodology for soil heavy metal classification: Analysis of soil environment status in Jingshan as a case study
Authors: Liu Sugang , Ni Qingguo , Li Xudong , Huang Lei
Published: December 2021

Given the complexity of the soil environment, the evaluation of soil pollution should consider the comprehensive weight of multiple evaluation factors to obtain highly objective and scientific conclusions. In this paper, two main ways are proposed to comprehensively analyze the degree of heavy metal pollution in the region: the combination of subjective weight (the analytic hierarchy process method) and objective weight (the entropy method) to determine the combination weight, and the use of the TOPSIS method to quantify the relative relationship between samples and the soil background values in the study area and analyze the spatial and geographical distribution of heavy metal elements in the samples.Analysis results show that the weight ranking of 31 out of 56 samples in the study area is higher than that based on the soil background value of Hubei Province, indicating that 55.36% of the samples had a comprehensive pollution degree lower than the soil background value of Hubei Province. According to the spatial distribution of heavy metal pollution, the soil pollution status in the study area is poor, and some parts are polluted by heavy metals to a certain extent.
Interactive Responses of Enkephalin, δ-opioid Receptor and Dopamine Receptor D1/D2 to Hypoxia and/or MPP+ Stress in PC12 Cells
Authors: Chen Tao , Wang Qing-Yu , Chao Dong-Man , Deng Yi-Dong , Liu Yan-Hui , Cai Ben-Chi , Zhao Jian-Nong , Wen Guo-Qiang , Xia Ying
Published: December 2021

Hypoxic/ischemic brain injury is a potential etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). There is evidence suggesting that the up-regulation of enkephalin, an endogenous opioid, in the midbrain may have a compensatory effect against Parkinson’s disease (PD) related motor symptoms. To explore the potential mechanism underlying this action, we investigated the effects of hypoxia and MPP+, a pathological inducer PD, on enkephalin, δ-opioid receptor (DOR, an enkephalin receptor), and prohormone convertases 1 and 2 (PC1/PC2) on in- vitro PD model of PC12 cells. We found that (1) short-term hypoxia could inducing cell protection by up-regulating the level of enkephalin, accompanied by the synergistic up-regulation of δ-opioid receptor (DOR) ; (2) a longer period of hypoxia or MPP+ insult accelerated the proteolysis of proenkephalin by up-regulating PC1/PC2 which might produce more active enkephalin and thus activating DOR for cell protection; (3) The levels of enkephalin and DOR decreased significantly after a prolonged hypoxia or MPP+ insult; and (4) a certain degree of hypoxia improved cell viability and enhance the transcription of dopamine D1/D2 receptorby increasing their mRNA level. Our findings suggest that hypoxia may induce an interactive reaction of enkephalin, DOR and dopamine receptor D1/D2, which is potentially beneficial for cell surviving to severe/prolonged hypoxia and PD condition.
Efficiently generate functional hepatic cells from human pluripotent stem cells by complete small-molecule strategy
Authors: Pan Tingcai , Wang Ning , Zhang Jiaye , Yang Fan , Chen Yan , Zhuang Yuanqi , Xu Yingying , Fang Ji , You Kai , Lin Xianhua , Li Yang , Li Shao , Liang Kangyan , Li Yin-xiong , Gao Yi
Published: December 2021

Background: Various methods have been developed to generate hepatic cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that rely on the combined use of multiple expensive growth factors, limiting industrial-scale production and widespread applications. Small molecules offer an attractive alternative to growth factors for producing hepatic cells since they are more economical and relatively stable. Methods: We dissect small-molecule combinations and identify the ideal cocktails to achieve an optimally efficient and cost-effective strategy for hepatic cells differentiation, expansion, and maturation.Results: We demonstrated that small-molecule cocktail CIP efficiently induced definitive endoderm (DE) formation via increased endogenous TGF-β/Nodal signaling. Furthermore, we identified that combining Vitamin C, Dihexa, and Forskolin (VDF) could substitute growth factors to induce hepatic specification. The obtained hepatoblasts (HBs) could subsequently expand and mature into functional hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) by the established chemical formulas. Thus, we established a stepwise strategy with complete small molecules for efficiently producing scalable HBs and functionally matured HLCs. The small-molecule derived HLCs displayed typical functional characteristics as mature hepatocytes in vitro and repopulating injured liver in vivo. Conclusion: Our current small-molecule based hepatic generation protocol presents an efficient and cost-effective platform for the large-scale production of functional human hepatic cells for cell-based therapy and drug discovery using.
Vertical Program of Screenings and Check-ups in the Russian Federation: Design, Implementation and Lessons Learnt
Authors: Sheiman Igor , Shishkin Sergey , Sazhina Svetlana
Published: December 2021

Background. The Russian Federation has introduced a vertical large-scale program of ‘dispensarization’ (Program) that includes health check-ups and screenings for the entire adult population. It is expected to improve the results of medical interventions and ensure health gains at a relatively low cost. The major research question: Does the design and implementation of the program meet the expectations? Methods. We analyze regulatory acts and the literature on the design and the outcomes of the Program. Physicians’ surveys and interviews are conducted to understand the capacity of primary care providers to meet the requirements of the Program, as well as the link between the early identification of new illnesses and their follow-up management, administration of the program, the barriers to its successful implementation. Results. There is a substantial progress of the coverage of the population and increase in the number of identified illnesses. Some specific instruments of the Program implementation work well, others require more careful design and additional integrative and managerial activities. The capacity of primary care providers does not allow to provide high quality preventive services, as well as to ensure a continuum of preventive and curative work. The pattern of the Program administration facilitates its nation-wide implementation according to the unified rules, but makes it more difficult to account for the local conditions and limits the autonomy of professionals to choose specific population risk groups and a list of services. The interaction of providers in preventive activities is inadequate. Conclusion The expectations of the Program are too high due to the inconsistency in its design and implementation. The major lesson learnt is that the program like this should meet the capacity of primary care and be designed as a complex of interrelated activities to identify illnesses and provide their follow-up management.
LaCl3 Treatment Improves Agrobacterium-mediated Immature Embryo Genetic Transformation Frequency of Maize
Authors: Liu Shengnan , Shi Yunlu , Liu Fang , Guo Yan , Lu minhui
Published: December 2021

Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of immature embryos is important for gene-function studies and molecular breeding of maize. However, the relatively low genetic transformation frequency remains a bottleneck for applicability of this method, especially on commercial scale. We report that pretreatment of immature embryos with LaCl3 (a Ca2+ channel blocker) improves the infection frequency of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, increases the proportion of positive calluses, yields more positive regenerated plantlets, and increases the transformation frequency from 8.40% to 17.60% for maize. This optimization is a novel method for improving the frequency of plant genetic transformations mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
Gut Microbiota Reveals the Environmental Adaption in Gastro-intestinal Tract of Wild Boar in Karst Region of Southwest China
Authors: Cao Heqin , Yang Xiongwei , Peng Caichun , Wang Yeying , Guo Qunyi , Su Haijun
Published: December 2021

BackgroundGut microbes, has become one of the research hotspots in animal ecology, playing an important role in monitoring dietary adaptation and health status of host. However, there are few studies on the gut microbiota in the stomach, small intestine (ileum) and large intestine (cecum, colon and rectum) of wild boar. ResultsAlpha diversity and Beta diversity showed there were significant differences in the abundance and distribution of microbes in gastrointestinal tract of wild boar. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the most dominant phyla in stomach, cecum, colon and rectum of wild boar, while Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the most dominant in ileum. At genus level, there were different leading genera in stomach (Prevotella and Lactobacillus), small intestine (Escherichia-Shigella and Lactobacillus) and large intestine (Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group and Escherichia-Shigella). PICRUSt function predictive analysis suggested that there were significant differences in microbial metabolic pathways among five locations of wild boar. Conclusions﻿This study comprehensively revealed the differences in composition of microbial community in gastrointestinal trac of wild boar. Future work links microbes with the metabolites to accurately reveal the health of wild boar.
Development of a Standardised Process of Scenario Writing Through a Virtual Assistant Model in Nursing Teaching
Authors: Martins Teresa , Santos Francisco , Araújo Maria de Fátima , Freire Rosa Maria , Lumini Maria José , Peixoto Maria José , Salazar Berta , Sousa Maria Rui , Fernandes Carla
Published: December 2021

Background: The use of simulation allows students to develop skills. Simulation in the teaching of clinical skills is preceded by some stages, the first of which requires the development of a scenario. This study aimed to develop and test a virtual model for creating scenarios for realistic simulation, focusing on the person with dependence in self-care activities. Methods: A methodological study was conducted in two phases. The first phase of the study aimed to analyse and propose the structure and functioning of the virtual assistant for scenario creation through the nominal group’s technique, involving a group of 10 experts. The second, a quasi-experimental study without a control group, with 128 second-year students, in the four-year nursing degree course, who participated in two moments of realistic simulation, one with a traditional scenario and the other with a scenario built through the virtual assistant. The students completed a questionnaire to assess their understanding of the data, suggested interventions, and their contribution to learning after each simulation experience. Results: The group of experts identified the fields and key concepts that should be part of the structure of the scenarios and proposed a set of icons for better visual recognition of the information. Students considered that the new scenario template favoured their understanding of the situation under analysis and the recognition of the focuses of attention that they should prioritise for the elaboration of the intervention plan. Conclusions: A virtual role-play assistant model for a standardized process of scenario writing to help realistic simulation in nursing teaching is a novelty in this study likely to contribute to learning gains.
Clinicopathological Characteristics of Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia: A 10-Year Review form a Referral Tertiary Centre in Nigeria
Authors: Suleiman Dauda Eneyamire , Liman Almustapha Aliyu , Waziri Garba Dahiru , Iliyasu Yawale , Ahmed Saad Aliyu
Published: December 2021

Background: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia is a heterogenous group of proliferative squamous lesions on the ocular surface with varying biologic behaviours. This study aims to report the clinical profile and pathologic characteristics of cases of OSSN seen at a tertiary referral centre in North West NigeriaMethods: A retrospective review of all cases of OSSN diagnosed over a 10-year period was doneResults: OSSN accounted for 68 out of 91 ocular surface lesions affecting twice as many males as females and a peak incidence in the 30-39 years age group. They frequently presented as higher grade and higher stage lesions with invasive squamous cell carcinoma being the most frequently diagnosed OSSN. They also frequently show association with HIV infection and a relatively long duration of symptoms before presentationConclusion: OSSN occur in a relatively young age group in our environment. Certain clinical and epidemiological features appear to [predict the occurrence of higher grade lesions and this may help in the clinical prediction of likely pathologic grade and/or biologic behaviour of these lesions.