bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coprecipitation Aided Synthesis of Bimetallic Silver Tungstate: A Response Surface Simulation of Sunlight-Driven Photocatalytic Removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol
Authors: Rakshitha Rajashekara , Gurupadayya Bannimath , Devi Sake Haridass Kameshwari , Pallavi Nagaraju
Published: January 2022

In the present study, the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) model was used to investigate the photocatalytic performance of silver tungstate (Ag2WO4) in the removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) under natural sunlight. The Ag2WO4 which has nanoflower-like structure was synthesized by a coprecipitation method. The synthesized photocatalyst was characterized for FESEM, TEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. RSM was employed to scrutinize the suitable model to yield a profound pollutant removal rate. The four independent factors such as pollutant concentration, catalyst dosage, pH, and contact time are simulated using RSM. 91% of 2,4-DCP degradation was achieved at a higher catalyst dosage and lower pollutant concentration with contact duration of 8 h in an alkaline pH condition. The coefficient of regression (R2) and probability value (P) were 0.98 and 0.0472, respectively, which confirmed the ideality of RSM modeling. The study discusses on the possible photocatalytic degradation mechanisms of 2, 4-DCP. The results showed a significant dependence of the photocatalytic removal of 2, 4-DCP on the functional parameters.
Ketogenic Diet Modulates Neuroinflammation via Metabolites from Lactobacillus reuteri after Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Adolescent Mice
Authors: Dilimulati Dilirebati , Zhang Fengchen , Shao Shuai , Lv Tao , Lu Qing , Cao Mengqiu , Jin Yichao , Jia Feng , Zhang Xiaohua
Published: January 2022

Repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI) is associated with a range of neural changes which is characterized by axonal injury and neuroinflammation. Ketogenic diet (KD) is regarded as a potential therapy for facilitating recovery after moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, its effect on rmTBI has not been studied. In this study, we evaluated the anti-neuroinflammation effects of KD after rmTBI in adolescent mice and explored the potential mechanisms. Experimentally, specific pathogen-free (SPF) adolescent male C57BL/6 mice received a sham surgery or repetitive mild controlled cortical impacts consecutively for 7 days. The uninjured mice received the standard diet, and the mice with rmTBI were fed either the standard diet or KD for 7 days. One week later, all mice were subjected to behavioral tests and experimental analysis. Results suggest that KD significantly increased blood beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) levels and improved neurological function. KD also reduced white matter damage, microgliosis and astrogliosis induced by rmTBI. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling pathway, which was mediated by indole-3-acetic acid (3-IAA) from Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) in gut and activated in the microglia after rmTBI, was inhibited by KD. The expression level of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) in microglial cells, which mediates the NF-κB pathway, was also attenuated by KD. Taken together, our results indicated that KD can promote recovery following rmTBI in adolescent mice. KD may modulate microgliosis and activation by altering L. reuteri in gut and its metabolites. The inhibition of indole/AHR pathway and the downregulation of TLR4/MyD88 may play a role in the beneficial effect of KD against neuroinflammation in rmTBI mice.
GAS5 Attenuates Malignant Progression of Glioma Stem-like Cells via Regulating E-cadherin
Authors: Wang Haiyang , Wang Ding , Shen Yongfeng , Sun Chenglong , Hu Qiang , Jiang Li , Du Quan
Published: January 2022

Background: It is commonly understood that glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) play a vital role in the malignant progression of glioma. Recent studies have reported that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) closely associate with glioma development, however, the underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms on GSCs have not been fully clarified. Methods: LncRNA GAS5 expression level was analyzed by bioinformatics and qRT-PCR assays. GSCs were separated from glioma tissues and identified using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Cell proliferation ability was measured by EdU assays. Cell invasion and migration ability was evaluated by transwell assays. Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. Subcutaneous tumorigenesis assays were performed to explore the GSCs growth in vivo. Luciferase reporter assays were used to identify the direct molecular interaction. E-cadherin expression level was measured by qRT-PCR assays and western blot.Results: In this study, we established two highly malignant glioma stem-like cells from clinical surgical specimens, and found that lncRNA GAS5 was downregulated in GSCs and high-grade glioma tissues, and showed a correlation with patient survival. Functional assays showed that depleting GAS5 promoted the proliferation, invasion, migration, stemness and tumorigenicity, and inhibited apoptosis of GSCs. Mechanistically, GAS5 directly sponge with miR-23a which acts as an oncogene by regulating E-cadherin (CDH1). In addition, rescue experiments demonstrated that GAS5 modulate both the expression and function of E-cadherin via the dependent manner of miR-23a. Conclusions: GAS5 functions as a suppressor in GSCs by targeting the miR-23a/CDH1 axis, which may be a promising therapeutic target against gliomas.
Long-Term Behavior of Tropospheric Temperatures in Jupiter:
Evidence for Quasi-Seasonal and Non-Seasonal Variability
Authors: Orton Glenn , Antuñano Arrate , Fletcher Leigh , Sinclair James , Momary Thomas , Fujiyoshi Takuya , Yanamandra-Fisher Padma , Donnelly Padraig , Greco Jennifer , Payne Anna , Boydstun Kimberly , Wakefield Laura
Published: January 2022

A four-decade study of ground-based mid-infrared observations of Jupiter covering three and a half of its solar orbits over ±30° of latitude has revealed unexpected variations of upper-tropospheric temperatures. Patterns of variability with 10-14 year periods at discrete latitudes were discovered, all within ±2 years of Jupiter’s 11.9-year orbital period. Their repeated pattern of temperature variations is strongly anticorrelated between conjugate latitudes at 16°, 22° and 30° from the equator, latitudes too low to be significantly influenced by seasonal solar forcing. A strong temperature periodicity of 8-9 years is limited to within 10° of the equator. Another periodicity of 7 years covers a wide range of latitudes. A weaker but significant 4-year period covers latitudes from 10°S to 30°N. The 4- and 8-9-year periods at 330 mbars appear to be correlated with those 60-70 km higher in the stratosphere near ~10 mbar, with a ~2-year delay from the stratospheric to the tropospheric level, suggesting a top-down control of tropospheric temperatures by radiative processes in Jupiter’s stratosphere. Correlations between temperature variability and changes in visible appearance of clouds were also detected in Jupiter’s South Equatorial Belt (6°S-17°S) and North Equatorial Belt (6-15°N). No variability was detected at periods longer than 14 years.
Evaluate Urban Resilience in Light of Water Resources and Identify Critical Driving Factors-a Case Study from the Yangtze River Economic Belt's Lower Reaches
Authors: An Min , Song Mengfei , He Weijun , Huang Jin , Fang Xue
Published: January 2022

The acceleration of urbanization created a series of problems such as water shortage crisis and serious water pollution which brought the vulnerability of urban water resources, thus affected the economic and social development of city and increased risk of external impact on the urban system. Therefore, improving urban resilience (UR) from the viewpoint of water resources plays an essential role in resisting external shocks. Our paper based on 21 cities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt’s (YREB) lower reaches relevant data from 2010 to 2018, constructs a new UR evaluation framework of “Economy-Society-Infrastructure-Water Resources”. Then the Projection Pursuit Evaluation Model of Real Coding based on Accelerating Genetic Algorithm (RAGA-PP) is used to measure the UR scientifically, Geographic Detectors (GD) method detected and analyzed the UR driving factors. The results present that: (1) The general level of UR in study area was low and characterized by attenuation from central cities to marginal cities, among them Shanghai is the highest (0.651), while Chizhou is the lowest (0.178). The resilience of cities along the YREB’s lower reaches shows a downward trend. (2) Compared with the UR without considering water resources, the UR from the perspective of water resources is relatively higher. Which means that cities along the YREB’s lower reaches have enhanced their ability to deal with external pressure and impact from the perspective of water resources. (3) Water resources and Infrastructure were two factors affected the spatial diversity of UR along the YREB’s lower reaches in 2018 and their average explanatory power of factors increased by 30.610% and 139.035% respectively; the explanatory power of Economy (5.270%) and Society (1.342%) were relatively smaller. With these findings our paper provides relevant suggestions to enhance UR along the YREB’s lower reaches from the perspective of water resources.
Control strategies used in lower limb exoskeletons for gait rehabilitation after brain injury: a systematic review and analysis of clinical effectiveness
Authors: de Miguel-Fernandez Jesus , Lobo-Prat Joan , Prinsen Erik , Font-Llagunes Josep Maria , Marchal-Crespo Laura
Published: January 2022

BackgroundIn the past decade, there has been substantial progress in the development of robotic controllers that specify how lower-limb exoskeletons should interact with brain-injured patients. However, it is still an open question which exoskeleton control strategies can more effectively stimulate motor function recovery. Within this review, we aim to complement previous literature surveys on the topic of exoskeleton control for gait rehabilitation by: (1) Providing an updated structured framework of current control strategies, (2) Analyzing the methodology of clinical validations used in the robotic interventions, and (3) Reporting the potential relation between the employed control strategies and clinical outcomes. MethodsFour databases were searched using database-specific search terms from 2000 to September 2020. We identified 1648 articles, of which 159 were included and evaluated in full-text. We included studies that clinically evaluated the effectiveness of the exoskeleton on impaired participants, and which clearly explained or referenced the implemented control strategy. Results(1) We found that adaptive assistive control (100 \% of exoskeletons) that followed rule-based algorithms (72 \%) based on ground reaction force thresholds (63 \%) in conjunction with trajectory-tracking control (97 \%) were the most implemented control strategies. (2) Regarding the clinical validations used in the robotic interventions, we found high variability on the experimental protocols and outcome metrics selected. (3) With moderate grade of evidence, associated to the high heterogeneity in the experimental protocol and low number of studies, we found that adaptive control strategies, which followed threshold-based or adaptive oscillator algorithms together with trajectory-tracking control, resulted in the highest improvements on clinical outcomes for people with stroke. ConclusionsDespite the efforts to develop novel more effective controllers for gait neurorehabilitation, the current level of evidence on the effectiveness of the different control strategies on clinical outcomes is still low. There is a clear lack of standardization in the experimental protocols leading to high levels of heterogeneity. Standardized comparisons among control strategies analyzing the relation between control parameters and biomechanical metrics will fill this gap to better guide future technical developments. The most promising controllers seem to be those that adapt to key biomechanical descriptors based on the patients' specific pathology.
Development of In-situ MMC Joint Using Friction Stir Spot Welding of Al6061-T6
Authors: Chaudhary Neeru , Singh Sarbjit
Published: January 2022

In this study, friction stir spot welded joints of Al6061-T6 were obtained using Silicon Carbide particles as reinforcement. The effect of reinforced particles along with process parameters was analyzed in terms of tensile-shear strength, weld structure, hook formation. The investigations revealed that tensile-shear strength increased by 29.78 % with incorporation of silicon carbides particles in the weld region. The guiding hole diameter was found to be significant parameter for improved weld strength. Combination of moderate tool rotation speed, higher pre-dwelling time and guiding hole diameter were recognized as effective combination of process parameters. Weld cross sections were studied under stereo zoom microscope and optical microscope to observe different bonding regions. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the presence of silicon carbides particles in weld region.
Compact Filtering-Diamond Antenna Designed For 5G Applications at the n77-Band
Authors: Ouadi Zakaria El , Khabba Asma , Amadid Jamal , Yassini Abdessalam El , Ibnyaich Saida , Zeroual Abdelouhab
Published: January 2022

A new compact microstip filtering Diamond Antenna (DA) is presented in this article for possible applications in the Fifth-Generation (5G) at the n77-band (3.3 GHz- 4.2 GHz), such as, Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) which is a radiocommunication system between fixed earth stations utilizing one or more satellites. The structure is implemented on an FR4 Epoxy substrate wich has a dielectric constant ϵr = 4.4, a loss tangent tan(δ) = 0.025 and a thickness h equal to 1.6 mm. The substrate has a small size of 39.7×30×1.6 mm3 which make it suitable to be integrated in various intelligent systems. A good results are obtained with this design, starting with the reflection coefficient S11 which is equal to -22.31 dB at the first resonant frequency 3.57 GHz and -34.41 dB at the second resonant frequency 4.10 GHz. Several other results will be presented and discussed later in this article. The software used for the simulation is High-Frequency Structure Simulator (ANSYS HFSS) which employs the finite element approach. A prototype of the filtenna (filtering Antenna) was fabricated and measured using the Vectorial Network Analyzer 3656D (VNA).
Identification of key endometrial microRNAs and its target genes associated with pathogenesis of recurrent implantation failure by integrated bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Shang Jin , Cheng Yanfei , Li Min , Wang Hui , Zhang Jinning , Guo Xinmeng , Cao Dandan , YAO YuanQing
Published: January 2022

Purpose
Recurrent implantation failure (RIF) is an enormous challenge for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) clinicians. Understanding of the molecular mechanisms of RIF helps to predict prognosis and develop new therapeutic strategies. The study is designed to identify diagnosis biomarkers for RIF, as well as the potential mechanisms underlying RIF by utilizing public databases together with experimental validation.
Methods
Two microarray datasets of RIF patients and healthy controls endometrium were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Firstly, differentially expressed microRNAs(miRNAs) (DEMs) were identified and their target genes were predicted. Then we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and selected hub genes through Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses. Functional enrichment analyses of DEGs and DEMs were conducted. Furthermore, the key DEMs which targeted those hub genes were selected to obtain key miRNA-target genes network. The key genes in miRNA-target genes network were validation by a single cell RNA-sequencing dataset of endometrium from GEO. Finally, we selected two miRNA-target genes pairs to further experimental validation used dual-luciferase assay and quantitative PCR (qPCR).
Results
We identified 49 DEMs between RIF patients and fertile group and found 136,678 target genes. Then 325 DEGs were totally used to construct PPI network, and 33 hub genes were selected. 25 DEMs targeted 16 key DEGs were obtained to establish key miRNA-target genes network, and 16 key DEGs were validated by single cell RNA-sequencing dataset. Finally, the target relationship of hsa-miR-199a-5p-PDPN and hsa-miR-4306-PAX2 were verified by dual-luciferase assay, and there were significant differences in the expression of those genes between RIF and fertile group by PCR (P<0.05).
Conclusion
We constructed miRNA-target gene regulatory networks associated with RIF which provide new insights regarding the underlying pathogenesis of RIF. hsa-miR-199a-5p-PDPN, hsa-miR-4306-PAX2 could be further explored as potential biomarkers for RIF, and their detection in endometrium could be applied in clinics to estimate the probability of successful embryo transfer.
Co-delivery of repurposing Itraconazole and VEGF siRNA by composite nanoparticulate system for collaborative anti-angiogenesis and anti-tumor efficacy against breast cancer
Authors: Jin Mingji , Zeng Bowen , Liu Yanhong , Jin Li , Hou Yan , Liu Chao , Liu Wei , Wu Hao , Chen Liqing , Gao Zhonggao , Huang Wei
Published: January 2022

Background: Combination of two different therapeutic modalities of VEGF inhibitors against angiogenesis can cooperatively impede breast cancer tumor growth and enhance therapeutic efficacy. Itraconazole (ITZ) is a conventional antifungal drug with high safety, but it has been repurposed to be a multitarget anti-angiogenesis agent for cancer therapy in recent years. Results: In the present study, composite nanoparticles co-loaded with ITZ and VEGF siRNA were prepared in order to investigate their anti-angiogenesis efficacy and synergistic anticancer effect against breast cancer. The nanoparticles have suitable particle size (117.9 ± 10.3 nm) and weak positive surface charge (6.69 ± 2.46 mV), as well as good stability and drug release profile in vitro. Moreover, the nanoparticles were successfully taken up by 4T1 cells and escaped from endosomes, and realized cell apoptosis and cell proliferation inhibition in vitro. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the nanoparticles successfully induced the silencing of VEGF-related expressions and inhibited angiogenesis. Furthermore, the in vivo results demonstrated that the co-loaded ITZ-siRNAVEGF NPs could inhibit tumor growth effectively due to the combined anti-angiogenesis and anti-tumor effect, as well as low toxicity and little side effects. Conclusions: Taken together, our study suggests that the as-prepared delivery vehicles are simple and safe nanoplatform that improve antitumor efficacy of VEGF siRNA and ITZ, which allows the repositioning of the generic drug ITZ as a great candidate for antitumor therapy.
Economic analysis through alternative data and big data techniques: what do they tell about Brazil?
Authors: Libório Matheus Pereira , Ekel Petr Iakovlevitch , Martins Carlos Augusto Paiva da Silva
Published: January 2022

Alternative data are now widely used in economic analyses worldwide but still infrequent in studies on the Brazilian economy. This research demonstrates how alternative data extracted from Google Trends and Google Mobility contribute to innovative economic analysis. First, it demonstrates that the search for the future on the internet is correlated (R=0.62) with the average household income in Brazilian states. The three Brazilian states with the most people looking for the future on the internet have an average household income 1.6 times higher than people from states that do not have this behavior. The search for the future represents 10.9% of the economic development potential of the states, while the proportion of people with university degrees, scientific publications, and researchers represents another 60.4%. The reduction in mobility in retail/recreation locations averaged 34.28% in Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay. This group of countries had COVID-19 infection and death rates 1.25 and 1.74 times higher than in countries that reduced their mobility in retail/recreation locations by 45.03%. The impact of reduced mobility in retail/recreation locations on the unemployment rate, gross domestic product degrowth, and inflation in countries such as Brazil was 1.1, 2.2, and 2.6 times lower than in countries that reduced mobility more of people. The research contributions are associated with identifying new indicators extracted from alternative data and their application to carry out innovative economic analyses.JEL Code: A12; C00; E01; J1
Objective Assessment of Eye Alignment and Disparity-driven Vergence in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Gupta P. , Murray J.M. , Beylergil S. B. , Jacobs J. , Kilbane C.W. , Shaikh A.G. , Ghasia Fatema F.
Published: January 2022

Diplopia is a common non-motor symptom in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) affecting 1/3rd of patients. We used high-resolution video-oculography to demonstrate that diplopia in PD arises from disruption of binocular co-ordination of eye movements. Using video-oculography we measured fixation eye movements, the angle and control of eye alignment and its correlation to convergence insufficiency in 13 PD patients and 6 healthy controls. We found that all PD patients had larger amplitude of fixational saccades with increased inter-saccadic drifts particularly of the non-fixing or non-viewing eye. Eye movement recordings suggest that the extent of eye alignment varies across PD subjects, 38% had good eye alignment and control under monocular and binocular viewing similar to controls (Group1). 62% of PD patients had increase in eye position difference, which was outside the threshold window of good alignment under monocular and binocular viewing (Group2 PD). PD subjects with good eye alignment were less likely to exhibit saccadic responses to disparity-driven vergence whereas those with poor control and worse eye alignment were more likely to exhibit saccadic responses with staircase saccades. A cohort of PD patients (Group2) exhibited pure vergence or combined vergence/saccade responses; they had deficits of both fusion initiating (prolonged latencies, reduced gain and peak vergence velocities) and fusion sustaining components (increased eye position variance). The results demonstrate that the vergence abnormalities in PD subjects systematically correlate with both the angle and control of eye alignment. Further, our data suggests an interaction between the vergence and saccade subsystems in PD patients. Abnormalities of vergence in PD may be the result of direct effects of the disease on vergence motor control, coupled with disturbances in the saccadic pathway indirectly leading to effects on vergence.
Hayabusa2 returned samples: A unique and pristine record of outer Solar System materials from asteroid Ryugu
Authors: Ito Motoo , Tomioka Naotaka , Uesugi Masayuki , Yamaguchi Akira , Shirai Naoki , Ohigashi Takuji , Liu Ming-Chang , Greenwood Richard , Kimura Makoto , Imae Naoya , Uesugi Kentaro , Nakato Aiko , Yogata Kasumi , Yuzawa Hayato , Kodama Yu , Tsuchiyama Akira , Yasutake Masahiro , Findlay Ross , Franchi Ian , Malley James , McCain Kaitlyn , Matsuda Nozomi , McKeegan Kevin , Hirahara Kaori , Takeuchi Akihisa , Sekimoto Shun , Sakurai Ikuya , Okada Ikuo , Karouji Yuzuru , Arakawa Masahiko , Fujii Atsushi , Fujimoto Masaki , Hayakawa Masahiko , Hirata Naoyuki , Hirata Naru , Honda Rie , Honda Chikatoshi , Hosoda Satoshi , Iijima Yu-ichi , Ikeda Hitoshi , Ishiguro Masateru , Ishihara Yoshiaki , Iwata Takahiro , Kawahara Kosuke , Kikuchi Shota , Kitazato Kohei , Matsumoto Koji , Matsuoka Moe , Michikami Tatsuhiro , Mimasu Yuya , Miura Akira , Mori Osamu , Morota Tmokatsu , Nakazawa Satoru , Namiki Noriyuki , Noda Hirotomo , Noguchi Rina , Ogawa Naoko , Ogawa Kazunori , Okada Tatsuaki , Okamoto Chisato , Ono Go , Ozaki Masanobu , Saiki Takanao , Sakatani Naoya , Sawada Hirotaka , Senshu Hiroki , Shimaki Yuri , Shirai Kei , Sugita Seiji , Takei Yuto , Takeuchi Hiroshi , Tanaka Satoshi , Tatsumi Eri , Terui Fuyuto , Tsukizaki Ryudo , Wada Koji , Yamada Manabu , Yamada Tetsuya , Yamamoto Yukio , Yano Hajime , Yokota Yasuhiro , Yoshihara Keisuke , Yoshikawa Makoto , Yoshikawa Kent , Fukai Ryota , Furuya Shizuho , Hatakeda Kentaro , Hayashi Tasuku , Hitomi Yuya , Kumagai Kazuya , Miyazaki Akiko , Nishimura Masahiro , Soejima Hiromichi , Iwamae Ayako , Yamamoto Daiki , Yoshitake Miwa , Yada Toru , Abe Masanao , Usui Tomohiro , Watanabe Sei-ichiro , Tsuda Yuichi
Published: January 2022

C-type asteroids likely formed in the outer Solar System and were then scattered inwards during giant planet migration (Walsh et al., 2011). They may have transported volatiles to the inner Solar System and created the conditions suitable for life on Earth(Alexander, 2017). Carbonaceous chondrites are fragments from C-type asteroids and provide evidence that these generally organic-rich (Garvie and Buseck, 2007) bodies experienced extensive aqueous alteration early in Solar System history (Alexander et al., 2014). On 6th December 2020, ~5.4g of material was delivered to Earth from the C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft (Yada et al., 2021). Here we present the results of an integrated bulk and micro-analytical study of Ryugu particles, which provides a unique insight into the interrelationship between aliphatic-rich organics and surrounding hydrous minerals at a sub-micrometer scale. This dataset has clear implications for better understanding the origin and early evolution of Solar System organic matter and demonstrates that Ryugu particles are among the most uncontaminated extraterrestrial materials so far studied.
Photochemical Synthesis of Transition Metal-Capped Uranium(VI) Nitride Complexes
Authors: Maron Laurent , Xin Xiaoqing , Douair Iskander , Zhao Yue , Wang Shuao , Zhu Congqing
Published: January 2022

Uranium nitrides play important roles in dinitrogen activation and functionalization and in nuclear power chemistry, but the synthesis and isolation of mono-uranium molecular nitrides remains a challenge due to their high reactivity. Here, we report the first example of transition metal (TM)-capped mono-U(VI) nitride complexes, which was generated by the photolysis of azide-bridged U(IV)-TM (TM = Rh, Ir) precursors. The U(V) nitride intermediates with bridged azide ligands were isolated successfully by careful control of the irradiation time, suggesting that the photolysis of azide-bridged U(IV)-TM precursors is a stepwise process. The presence of two U(VI) nitrides capped by three TMs was clearly demonstrated by an X-ray crystallographic study. These TM-capped mono-U(V) nitride intermediates and mono-U(VI) nitride products exhibit excellent stability both in the solid-state and in THF solution under ambient light. Density functional theory calculations show that the photolysis was necessary to break the N-N bond of the azide ligands, as suggested by the antibonding N-N interaction in their lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals.
Effects of ciprofloxacin on turion germination and seedling development in two submerged aquatic plants
Authors: Fan Pei , Liu Chunhua , Ke Zhen , Zhou Wei , Wu Zhonghua
Published: January 2022

Germination and seedling development are crucial processes for plant growth and survival, and asexual propagules are predominant reproduction organs for aquatic plants. Ciprofloxacin is widely detected in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, while studies on its effects on germination and seedling development mainly focused on terrestrial plants. We evaluated effects of ciprofloxacin (0.1, 1, 5 and 10 mg/L) on turion germination and early establishment of two submerged plants species (Potamogeton crispus L and Hydrilla verticillata Royle). Results showed that ciprofloxacin did not impact germination rate and rooting rate of both species. However, 0.1 mg/L ciprofloxacin significantly accelerated germination of H. verticillata while 5-10 mg/L ciprofloxacin significantly delayed rooting process of both species. With rising ciprofloxacin concentrations and prolonging exposure time, seedling tolerance index and root number of both species decreased significantly, and shoot number decreased slightly in P. crispus but kept increasing in H. verticillata, suggesting better tolerance of the later under ciprofloxacin exposure. Root and shoot biomass accumulation of both species was significantly inhibited, which was partially due to ciprofloxacin toxicity on photosynthetic pigments. By integrating the biomarkers including plant antioxidants, lipid peroxidation degree and hydrogen peroxide contents, we found that the holistically toxicological effects of ciprofloxacin on seedlings of both species were enhanced with increasing ciprofloxacin concentrations. Overall, ciprofloxacin impacted turion germination process and harmed early establishment of these two submerged plants, which might suggest adverse effects of ciprofloxacin on the survival and expansion of submerged aquatic plant populations and their restoration effectiveness for degraded aquatic vegetations.
Error Fields: Robotic training forces that forgive occasional movement mistakes
Authors: Patton James L. , Aghamohammadi Naveed Reza , Bittman Moria Fisher , Klamroth-Marganska Verena , Riener Robert , Huang Felix C.
Published: January 2022

Control of movement uses error feedback during practice to predict actions for the next movement. We have shown that augmenting error can enhance motor learning, while such findings are encouraging, new methods are needed to accommodate a person's individual reactions to error. The current study demonstrates the design we call error fields (EF), where we temper the augmentation when errors are less likely. We tested the ability of healthy participants (n=21) to adapt to a visual transformation, and we enhanced the training with error fields. We found that training with error fields led to the fastest learning and greatest reduction in error. EF training reduced error more and faster than controls who practiced without error fields (50% more and 46% faster in the target direction; 21% more and 67% faster in the direction perpendicular to that). Moreover, EF was also significantly greater and faster than our previous error augmentation (EA) technique. Hence, clear advantages exist no mater how this is measured or compared to controls. These findings represent an effective teaching method for enhanced training that leverages the statistics of error.
A Pan-Cancer Analysis of FAT Atypical Cadherin 4 (FAT4) in Human Tumors
Authors: Mao Weili , Zhou Jiajing , Hu Jie , Zhao Kui , Fu Zhenling , Wang Jun , Mao Kaili
Published: January 2022

Objective: We performed a pan-cancer analysis to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of FAT4 in 33 different tumors. Methods: In this study, we selected 33 types of cancer based on the datasets of TCGA (the cancer genome atlas). We analyzed the expression of FAT4 in tumor and paracancer tissues. Meanwhile, we analyzed the expression levels of FAT4 in tissues from tumors of different stages. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, immune infiltration analysis and FAT4-related gene enrichment analysis were performed. Results: FAT4 expression in most tumor tissues was lower than in corresponding control tissues. FAT4 expression was different in different stages of bladder cancer (BLCA), kidney clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and breast cancer (BRCA). In addition, the expression level of FAT4 in different types of tumors has an important impact on the prognosis of patients. We observed a statistically positive correlation between cancer-associated fibroblasts and FAT4 expression in most tumors. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) indicated that the role of FAT4 in the pathogenesis of cancer may be related to human papillomavirus infection, Hippo signaling pathway, PI3K−Akt signaling pathway. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis further showed that most of these genes were related to the pathways or cell biology, such as peptidyl−tyrosine phosphorylation, cell junction assembly, protein tyrosine kinase activity, etc. Conclusion: This pan-cancer analysis showed that FAT4 expression was statistically correlated with clinical stages, clinical prognosis, immune infiltration, and FAT4-related gene enrichment analysis, which aided in understanding the role of FAT4 in tumorigenesis from the perspective of clinical tumor samples.
The Impact of Environmental Factors On The Evolution of Brain Size In Carnivorans
Authors: Michaud Margot , Toussaint Séverine , Gilissen Emmanuel
Published: January 2022

The reasons why some animals have developed larger brains has long been a subject of debate. Yet, it remains unclear which selective pressures may favour the encephalization and how it may act during evolution at different taxonomic scales. Here we studied the patterns and tempo of brain evolution within the order Carnivora and present the first large-scale comparative analysis of the effect of ecological, environmental, social, and physiological variables on relative brain size in a sample of 174 extant carnivoran species. We found a complex pattern of brain size change between carnivoran families with differences in both the rate and diversity of encephalization. Our findings suggest that during carnivorans’ evolution, a trade-off have occurred between the cognitive advantages of acquiring a relatively large brain allowing to adapt to specific environments, and the metabolic costs of the brain which may constitute a disadvantage when facing the need to colonize new environments.
LINC01023 Promotes the Hepatoblastoma Tumorigenesis via miR-378a-5p/WNT3 Axis
Authors: BHANDARI RAMESH , Shaikh Imran Ibrahim , Bhandari Rajeev , Chapagain Sadikchha
Published: January 2022

Hepatoblastoma is the most common type of hepatic tumors occurring in children between 0 – 5 years. And the exact pathophysiology of the disease is still mysterious. Accumulating studies on LncRNA have shown its pivotal role in the development and progression of distinct human cancers. However, the role of LINC01023 in hepatoblastoma is unknown.Methods: The relative expression of LINC01023, miR-378a-5p, and Wnt3 on hepatoblastoma tissue and cell lines was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The effect of LINC01023 downregulation and upregulation on cell proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis activities in HUH6 and HepG2 Cells was assessed by CKK8, clonogenic and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Dual luciferase, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RNA pull-down were performed to confirm the interaction between LINC01023 and miR-378a-5p. Similarly, Dual luciferase assay was performed to confirmed the interaction between Wnt3 and miR-378a-5p. The xenograft tumorgenicity test was performed to elucidate the tumorgenicity potential of LINC01023.Results: LINC01023 was significantly upregulated in hepatoblastoma tissue and cell lines rather than in adjacent normal hepatic tissue and QSG7701 cell lines. LINC01023 silencing attenuated cell proliferation, colony formation and increased cell apoptosis. Conversely, LINC01023 upregulation results in significant increase in cell proliferation, and colony formation activities however, a significant reduction apoptosis activity. Interaction between the LINC01023 and WNT3 was confirmed by dual luciferase assay. Xenograft animal tumorgenicity test confirmed the in-vivo tumorigenesis potential of LINC01203.Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first study demonstrating the role of LINC01023 in hepatoblastoma tumorigenesis through the LINC01023/miR-378a-5p/Wnt3 axis. It could be a potential therapeutic target and a prognostic biomarker in hepatoblastoma.
Emergency Intubation of Critically Ill Covid-19 Patients Using Conventional Laryngoscope: a Descriptive Observational Study
Authors: Ratnayake Ashani , Rajapakse Ayeshani , Kumarihamy Prabhashini , Jayasinghe Amila
Published: January 2022

BackgroundVideo laryngoscopy is recommended for critically ill COVID-19 patients due to safety concerns and to avoid complications. It is not available in some places forcing the operator to rely on conventional laryngoscope. Intubations in critically ill COVID is challenging and may lead to adverse complications and this may be affected by the laryngoscope used. The aim of the study was to analyse predictors of difficult intubation, complexity of intubation and complications of using conventional laryngoscopy in emergency intubations of COVID- 19 patients.MethodsA prospective observational study was done in COVID Intensive care unit of Base Hospital- Teldeniya, Sri Lanka from 1st of January 2021 to August 2021. Data was collected using a performa filled by operator at the end of the intubation. Apart from demographic data and clinical parameters, data related to intubation including MACOCHA score which is a validated score predicting difficult intubation in ICU(3) and Intubation difficulty scale (IDS) which measures actual complexity of intubation(4) were collected. The complications related to intubation were also analysed.Results84 out of 91 emergency intubations were done using conventional laryngoscope. Out of them 50.72 % were male and 49.27% Were female. Mean age was 50.75 years. First pass success rate was 83.3%. 25% had MACOCHA score more than 3. Most patients scored on the desaturation component of the score. Despite this only 50 % of the predicted difficult intubations actually had major difficulty in intubation. The commonest complication was hypotension. 12 had suffered cardiac arrest, and 4 of them were fatal. Conclusions Intubation of Critically ill COVID-19 patients are challenging, but can be done successfully with conventional laryngoscope. However, one must prepare for complications including cardiac arrest.
Investigation of Long-Term COVID-19 Patients’ Quality of Life and Affecting Factors: Data from Single COVID-19 Follow-Up Center
Authors: Uçan Anıl , Güvenç Şebnem Eker , Mutlu Fezan Şahin , Bakılan Fulya , Bildirici Yaşar
Published: January 2022

Background: The main challenge faced by many researchers is to predict and monitor the long-term outcome of patients with COVID-19. The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between quality of life change and long-term COVID-19 patient’s stats in COVID-19 Follow-up Centre.Methods: This study was designed retrospectively with patients who admitted COVID-19 Follow-up Centre of between January and May 2021. Study sample consisted of 125 patients divided into two groups according to their admission date. 1st admission indicates of first 3 months and 2nd admission covers 3-6 months after diagnosed with COVID-19. Patient values recorded retrospectively with a form which includes questions about the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals, comorbidities, and the assessment of the patient's health-related quality of life with the SF-36 scale.Results: Comparison of baseline characteristics showed that cough and chest pain have been increased in second admission (p<0.001). Thirty-six item of short form Health Status Questionnaire-36 (SF-36) measured quality of life and there was a significant difference between first and second admission in all parameters. However, no significant differences were found in SF-36 change according to age. Only trace amounts of decreasing in General Health sub-group were detected in females compare to males (p=0.004). In addition, comparing with the SF-36 subgroups in terms of treatment places, only a significant difference between the inpatient and I.C.U groups in General Health sub-group (p=0.044).Conclusions: In summary, these findings have significant implications for the understanding of long term COVID-19 patients with a multidisciplinary approach and necessity of follow-up centers for detection of the unpredictable results of the long-term COVID-19.
Association of Fluid Management with Outcome in Invasively Ventilated COVID–19 ARDS Patients – Insights From the PRoVENT-COVID Study: A National, Multicenter, Observational Cohort Analysis.
Authors: Ahuja Sanchit , de Grooth Harm-Jan , Paulus Frederique , Ven Fleur van der , Neto Ary Serpa , Schultz Marcus J. , Tuinman Pieter Roel
Published: January 2022

Background: Increasing evidence indicates the potential benefits of restricted fluid management in critically ill patients. Evidence lacks on the optimal fluid management strategy for invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients. We hypothesized that the cumulative fluid balance would affect the successful liberation of invasive ventilation in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).Methods: We analyzed data from the multicenter observational ‘PRactice of VENTilation in COVID-19 patients’ (PRoVENT-COVID) study. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 and ARDS who required invasive ventilation during the first 3 months of the international outbreak (March 1, 2020, to June 2020) across 22 hospitals in the Netherlands were included. The primary outcome was successful liberation of invasive ventilation, modeled as a function of day 3 cumulative fluid balance using Cox proportional hazards models, using the crude and the adjusted association. Sensitivity analyses without missing data and modeling ARDS severity were performed.Results: Among 650 patients, three groups were identified. Patients in the higher, intermediate and lower groups had a median cumulative fluid balance of 1.98 liters (1.27-7.72 liter), 0.78 liter (0.26-1.27 liter) and –0.35 liter (–6.52-0.26 liter), respectively. Higher day 3 cumulative fluid balance was significantly associated with a lower probability of successful ventilation liberation (adjusted hazard ratio 0.85, 95% CI 0.77-0.94, P = 0.0013). Sensitivity analyses showed similar results.Conclusions: In a cohort of invasively ventilated patients with COVID-19 and ARDS, a higher cumulative fluid balance was associated with a longer ventilation duration, indicating that restricted fluid management in these patients may be beneficial. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04346342); Date of registration: April 15, 2020
Feasibility Assessment of a Health Preference Study in Autism Based on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS2): A Qualitative Study with Clinicians and Caregivers
Authors: Hartl Kristina , Durno Nicholas , Schmid Ramona , Heisen Marieke , Ethgen Olivier , Szilvasy Zsuzsanna , Friedel Evelyne , Wong Olivier , Charman Tony , Cáceres Antonia San José , Mühlbacher Axel , Hout Ben Van , Brazier John , Stolk Elly
Published: January 2022

BackgroundIn childhood autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the Childhood Autism Rating Scale–2nd edition (CARS2) is a condition-specific instrument to be filled out by clinicians, resulting in a score for diagnosis and severity. Our aim is to estimate a preference-based scoring of CARS2 to better understand the value of changes in the CARS2 score. Using caregivers and clinicians as proxies for autistic children, we assessed the feasibility of establishing preferences for CARS2-based attributes.MethodsThe 15 CARS2 items were assessed regarding their relevance as attributes and the appropriateness of their wording. Best-worst scaling (BWS) and discrete choice experiment (DCE) choice task designs were developed, as well as a mapping task between CARS2 and the EQ-5D-Y. Individual qualitative interviews with caregivers, clinicians, and autistic adults were conducted (N=10). A committee of experts advised on the study, including caregivers, clinicians, and specialists in CARS2, health technology assessment, and preference research methodology. ResultsThirteen of the 15 CARS2 items were deemed appropriate attributes for the preference study. Caregivers and autistic adults identified with the attributes and perceived them as comprehensive. The attribute definitions and level descriptions were shortened and refined to ensure comprehension for non-experts. The choice tasks were challenging for participants; however, 9/10 respondents could make a choice. Interviewees favored a two-profile DCE over a three-profile BWS design. In a subsequent internal pilot (N=13), participants favored a stacked layout, in which attributes with overlapping levels were clustered. The CARS2/EQ-5D-Y mapping task was feasible using step-by-step instructions. ConclusionA preference study in childhood ASD based on the CARS2 instrument is feasible with caregivers and clinicians as proxies for children’s preferences.
New Evidence of Changes in Students’ Achievement Motivation in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Smith Jonathan , Guimond Fanny-Alexandra , St-Amand Jérôme , Fitzpatrick Caroline , Bergeron Julie , Gagnon Mathieu
Published: January 2022

In an article published early in 2021, we shared results indicating that expectancy (i.e., competence beliefs) and value (i.e., interest in learning, utility value, mastery and performance goals) perceptions among a sample of 90 French Canadian students (Mage = 14.81) in grades 9 and 10 remained at similar levels from few weeks before the first wave (January 2020) to the second wave (November 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic. One perception (i.e., interest) even improved, suggesting that, after experiencing a confinement, students re-approached in-class activities with enthusiasm. To determine if this pattern of results remained the same as the pandemic persisted, an additional measurement has been performed during the third wave. Analysis with this additional data point revealed that interest, utility value and mastery goals ended up declining. These new data suggest that, ultimately, this pandemic has negative effects on students’ motivation, even if they keep benefiting from in-class activities.
Bacteria and Antimicrobial Resistance in Children at Damascus Hospital
Authors: Kahal Fares , Helwani Ahmed , Bani Maher Al
Published: January 2022

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is the third top-ranking global causative of death.Aims: The aim is to evaluate antimicrobial resistance and sensitivity to aid the assessment of the efficacy in Syrian management protocols.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze children with positive culture results presenting with nosocomial or community-acquired infections in Damascus Hospital, Damascus, Syria.Results: 117 patients with 183 positive culture results were included in the study. The most antibiotic-resistant bacterium was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The highest bacterial antibiotic resistance occurred with Ceftriaxone, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (89%), Escherichia coli (77%), Enterobacter (74%), and Proteus (42%). Staphylococcus sensitivity towards vancomycin was only 3%. The mortality was 19(16%), nosocomial infection 11(55%) and community infections 9(45%).Conclusion: The efficacy of the remaining antibiotics to which the bacteria are sensitive must be maintained through rationalization of its use. Strict precautionary measures must be implemented to ban the illegal dispensation of antibiotics.