bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Methodical study of Chromium (VI) ions adsorption from aqueous solution using low-cost agro-waste material: Isotherm, Kinetic and Thermodynamic studies
Authors: Akiode Olubunmi Kolawole , Adetoro Ahmed , Anene Augustine Ikechukwu , Afolabi Samson Olusegun , Alli Yakubu Adekunle
Published: December 2022

The presence of chromium (VI) ions in waste water is highly hazardous to humanity and their environment. Therefore, removal of Cr (VI) ions from waste water is essential. Adsorption process remediation is an alternative efficient method to conventional chemical methods of water treatment which is expensive. In this study, adsorbent prepared from Saccharum officinarium was used for the removal of Cr (VI) ions in a batch process. The adsorbent was modified with oxalic acid for improved performance. Surface morphology of the adsorbents were characterised by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) while Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) analysis was carried out before and after the adsorption of Cr (VI) ions to determine the participating functional group in the processes. The effect of pH, contact time, initial metal ion concentration and temperature on the biosorption process were studied. Adsorption isotherm studies were subjected to two-parameter (Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R)) and three-parameter (Redlich-Peterson (R-P) and Sips,) isotherms. The experimental data were best fitted to the isotherms with R2 > 0.9 for adsorption of Cr (VI) ions onto raw S. officinarium (RSO) and modified S. officinarium (MSO). The adsorption energy (E) obtained from D-R were found to be 3.460 and 6.325 kJmol-1 for RSO and MSO respectively. This indicate that the physiosorption process was favoured in interaction of Chromium (VI) ion with both adsorbents. Separation factors obtained shows that the process is favoured with increase in initial concentration of the adsorbate. Thermodynamic parameters values obtained showed that the sorption of chromium (VI) ions onto RSO and MSO is feasible, spontaneous and endothermic in nature. The positive value of ΔSo indicates increase in disorderliness of the process. Kinetic data achieved at different concentrations have been analysed and the mechanism of the reaction were also studied by intra-particle and Bangham kinetic model. Each of the model were tested with R2 ˃ 0.9 where pseudo-second-order is the best fitted model and Bangham mechanism only fitted with adsorption of Cr (VI) ion with RSO. The reusability potential of RSO and MSO contribute to their economic value and reliability as adsorbent for removal of Cr (VI) ion from aqueous solution.
Analyze capabilities of structural social capital to enhance disaster recovery
Authors: KUMARI APARNA , Frazier Tim , Humes Karen
Published: December 2022

Given the ever-increasing impacts from disasters (FEMA 2020), it is more important than ever to develop strong public/private partnerships to enhance preparedness and post disaster recovery. Structural social capital is a part of this partnership and is considered a crucial element for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The structural dimension of social capital includes social institutions and their capacity to work in cooperation to achieve a common good. The hazards and climate change literature put emphasis on the importance of social institutions for the purpose of disaster recovery; however, how the capabilities of social institutions can impact the recovery process has not been thoroughly analyzed. For better utilization of social institutions, it is important to assess the factors that strengthen or weaken the social institutions contributing to disaster response and recovery trajectories. This study analyzes the association between structural social capital of institutions and their capabilities for disaster recovery and demonstrates how capabilities of institutions can have positive impact on the structural social capital and thus in turn affect the recovery trajectories.
YOLOOD: An Arbitrary-Oriented Flexible Flat Cable Detection Method in Robotic Assembly
Authors: Bai Yuxuan , Wei Shimin , Dong Mingshuai , Li Jian , Yu Xiuli
Published: December 2022

Flexible Flat Cable (FFC) detection is the premise of robot 3C assembly and is challenging because FFCs are often non-axis aligned with arbitrary orientations having cluttered surroundings. However, to date, the traditional robotic object detection methods mainly regress the object horizontal bounding box (HBB), in which the size and aspect ratios do not reflect the actual shape of the target object and hardly separate the FFCs in dense. In this paper, rotated object detection was introduced into FFC detection, and a YOLO-based arbitrary-oriented FFC detection method named YOLOOD was proposed. Firstly, oriented bounding boxes (OBB) are used to reflect the object's physical size and angle information and better separate the FFCs from the dense background. Secondly, the circular smooth label (CSL) angular classification algorithm is adopted to obtain the angle information of FFCs. Finally, the head point regression branch is introduced to distinguish between the head and the tail of the FFC and expand the range of FFC detection angle to [0° , 360°). The proposed YOLOOD can reach the detection performance with an average precision of 90.82% and a detection speed of 112 FPS on an FFC dataset. Meanwhile, an actual FFC grasping experiment demonstrated the proposed YOLOOD's effectiveness and feasibility in practical assembly scenarios. In conclusion, this paper innovatively introduces rotating object detection into robot object detection, and the proposed YOLOOD solves the problem of detecting and locating non-axis aligned FFCs and has particular significance for robot 3C assembly.
Efficacy of CytoSorb® - A Metaanalysis
Authors: Becker Sören , Lang Hannah , Barbosa Clara Vollmer , Tian Zhejia , Melk Anette , Schmidt Bernhard M.W.
Published: December 2022

Cytokine adsorption using the CytoSorb® device has been proposed in various clinical settings including sepsis, ARDS, hyperinflammatory syndromes, cardiac surgery or recovery after cardiac arrest. The aim of this analysis is to provide evidence for the efficacy of the CytoSorb® device with regard to mortality in various settings. Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library database and the database provided by Cytosorbents™ (01.1.2010–29.5.2022). We considered randomized controlled trials and intervention studies with control groups. The longest reported mortality was defined as primary endpoint. For analyzing the data, we computed risk ratios and 95%-confidence intervals and used DerSimonian and Lairds random effects model. We analyzed all studies combined and divided into the subgroups sepsis, cardiac surgery, other severe illness, SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovery from cardiac arrest. The meta-analysis was registered in advance (PROSPERO: CRD42022290334). Results: Of an initial 1295 publications, 34 studies were found eligible, including 1297 patients treated with CytoSorb® and 1314 controls. Cytosorb® did not lower mortality in all studies together (1.07 [0.88; 1.31] RR [95%-CI]), in sepsis (0.98 [0.74; 1.31]), CPB surgery (0.91 [0.64; 1.29]), severe illness (0.95 [0.59; 1.55]) or SARS-CoV-2 (1.58 [0.50; 4.94]). In patients with cardiac arrest, we found a significant survival advantage of the untreated controls (RR 1.22 [1.02; 1.46]). We did not find significant differences in ICU length of stay, lactate levels, or IL-6 levels after treatment. Interpretation: To date there is no evidence for a positive effect of the CytoSorb® adsorber on mortality across a variety of indications that justifies its widespread use in intensive care medicine.
Evaluation of health literacy and its associated factors in paramedical students
Authors: Rahmani Faezeh , Moghbeli Fatemeh , Khoshkangin Atefeh , Habibi Mohammad Reza Mazaheri
Published: December 2022

Background
Low levels of health literacy lead to reduced health, increased length of hospital stays, and increased use of emergency services in patients and impose higher medical costs on individuals. Considering the effect of paramedical students' health literacy on community health promotion, this study aimed to determine the level of health literacy and its associated factors in paramedical students.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was performed on 310 paramedical students during a two-month period from January to March 2021. The data collection tool was the Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA) questionnaire. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the questionnaire was designed online, and its link was provided to students.
Results
Among the participants, 247 (79.7%) cases were female, and 63 (20.3%) cases were male with a mean age of 21.16 ± 1.97 years. According to the results, 3.9% of the students had inadequate health literacy, 37.3% had not so adequate health literacy, 46.6% had adequate health literacy, and 12.2% had excellent health literacy. The results of ANOVA and t-test showed a significant association between the mean total health literacy score of students and their age, gender, and semester (P < 0.05).
Conclusion
This study findings showed that more than half of the participating students had adequate and excellent levels of health literacy. Since paramedical students are promoters of health in the community, more attention should be paid to the education of these individuals. Therefore, it is necessary to empower them in the field of health literacy.
Institutional Review Boards in Saudi Arabia: The First Survey- Based report on Their Functions and Operations
Authors: AlFattani Areej , AlBedah Norah , AlShahrani Asma , Alkawi Ammar , AlMeharish Amani , Altwaijri Yasmin , Omar Abeer , AlKawi M. Zuheir , Khogeer Asim
Published: December 2022

Background
Institutional review boards (IRBs) are formally designated to review, approve, and monitor biomedical research. They are responsible for ensuring that researchers are compliant with the ethical guidelines concerning human research participants. IRBs might face different obstacles that cause delay in their processes or conflicts with investigators. This study aims to report the functions, roles, resources, and review process of the IRBs in Saudi Arabia.
Method
This was a cross-sectional self-reported survey conducted from March 2021 until March 2022. The survey was sent to the IRB chairperson and the administration director (or secretary) through email after receiving verbal consent. The validated survey consisted of eight aspects: (a) organizational aspects, (b) membership and educational training, (c) submission arrangements and materials, (d) minutes, (e) review procedures, (f) communicating a decision, (g) continuing review, and (h) research ethics committee (REC) resources. A total of 200 points indicates optimal IRB functions.
Results
Twenty-six IRBs across Saudi Arabia responded to the survey. Relatively newer IRBs that were established less than ten years ago, conducted meetings at least once in a month, had annual funding, and more balanced gender representation tended to score higher than older IRBs. The organizational aspect score was the lowest among all items in the survey (14.3 score difference, p-value < 0.01). The average turnaround time for expedited research from proposal submission to final decision was 7 days, while it was 20.5 days for the full committee review.
Conclusion
Saudi IRBs performed well generally. However, there is room for focused improvement with respect to extra resources and organizational issues that require closer evaluation and guidance from the regulatory bodies.
TET1 inhibits the migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells by regulating autophagy
Authors: Ren ji , Chen Xiuying , Li Jing , Zan Yuxin , Wang Shan , Tan Yujie , Ding Yan
Published: December 2022

Methylation modifications play pertinent roles in regulating gene expression and various biological processes. The silencing of the demethylated modifier TET1 can affect the expressions of key oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, thus contributing to tumor formation. Nonetheless, how TET1 affects the progression of cervical cancer is yet to be elucidated. In this study, we found that the expression of TET1 was significantly downregulated in cervical cancer tissues. Functionally, TET1 knockdown in cervical cancer cells can promote cell proliferation, self-renewal, migration, invasion, and cervical xenograft tumor formation. On the contrary, its overexpression can reverse the aforementioned processes. Moreover, the autophagy level of cervical cancer cells can be enhanced after TET1 knockdown. Mechanistically, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP)-sequencing and MeDIP quantitative real-time PCR revealed that TET1 mediates the methylation of autophagy promoter regions. These findings suggest that TET1 affects the malignant biological behavior of cervical cancer cells by altering the methylation levels of autophagy genes NKRF and HIST1H2AK, but the specific mechanism needs to be investigated further.
Characterization of Oral Bacterial and Fungal Microbiome in Recovered COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Wei Nana , Zhu Guangqi , Zhao Tingxiao , Wang Yan , Lou Haifei , Li Haoxuan , Yang Zhejuan , Zhang Zheen , Wang Qiujing , Han Mingfang , Lin Zhibing , Li Shibo
Published: December 2022

COVID-19 has emerged as a global pandemic, challenging the world’s economic and health systems. Human oral microbiota comprises the second largest microbial community after the gut microbiota and is closely related to respiratory tract infections; however, oral microbiomes of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have not yet been thoroughly studied. Herein, we compared the oral bacterial and fungal microbiota after clearance of SARS-CoV-2 in 23 COVID-19 recovered patients to those of 29 healthy individuals. Our results showed that both bacterial and fungal diversity were nearly normalized in recovered patients. However, the relative abundance of some specific bacteria and fungi, primarily opportunistic pathogens, decreased in recovered patients (RPs), while the abundance of butyrate-producing organisms increased in these patients. Moreover, these differences were still present for some organisms at 12 months after recovery, indicating the need for long-term monitoring of COVID-19 patients after virus clearance.
War on telomere: Telomere shortening in War-Exposed Syrian Refugees
Authors: cam fethi sirri , Rahman Fatih , Batır Muhammet Burak
Published: December 2022

A telomere is a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome. The cellular environment plays an essential role in regulating telomere length. Also, there is growing evidence that harsh conditions in the environment of humans increase the telomere shortening level. In this study, the effects of exposure to war and the duration of exposure to war on telomere length were investigated. In addition, the anxiety and depression status of the participants and the effect of anxiety and depression on telomere length were also examined. A group of 40 cases exposed to war and had to migrate to Turkey, and a control group of 40 who were not exposed to war were examined according to their anxiety and depression status. They were evaluated according to the Hospital and Anxiety Score (HADS). Also, the between the war exposed and control groups were evaluated according to their telomere length. The telomere length of the samples was analyzed with Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) method. While the telomere length of the group exposed to war was 8.27 ± 0.68 kb, the telomere length of the control group was 8.96 ± 0.43 kb. In addition, a significant relationship was found between increased exposure to war and the shortening of telomeres. This study showed a significant relationship between war exposure and telomere shortening.
Shengjiang San alleviated sepsis-induced lung injury through its bidirectional regulatory effect
Authors: Shifan Yan , Yu JIANG , Ting Yu , Changmiao Hou , Wen Xiao , Jing Xu , Huili Wen , Jingjing Wang , Shutong Li , Fang Chen , Shentang Li , Xiehong Liu , Hao Tan , Liu yanjuan , Yimin zhu
Published: December 2022

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by dysregulated host responses to infection, for which effective therapeutic strategies are still absent. Shengjiang San (SJS), a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine formula, has been widely used clinically. However, its role in sepsis-induced lung injury remains unclear.
Methods: To explore its specific mechanism, we firstly established a sepsis animal model using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) and treated MH-S cells with LPS plus ATP. Then, UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS was utilized to identify its active ingredients. Network pharmacology analysis was performed to uncover the potential mechanism. HE staining and biochemical analysis were conducted to validate its therapeutic effect. ELISA was applied to detect the release of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Western blot was utilized to detect the protein levels of GSDMD, NLRP3, P65, ASC and caspase-1.
Results: SJS could dramatically increase the survival rate of sepsis. In addition, it is able to inhibit the pro-inflammatory cytokines release at day 1 post CLP while promote their production at day 7, indicating SJS could attenuate uncontrolled inflammatory response in the early stage and improve immunosuppression in the late phase. Network pharmacology analysis showed that pyroptosis is the crucial action SJS exerted in the protection of sepsis-induced lung injury. Western blot data implicated SJS could attenuate pyroptosis in early sepsis while enhance in the late phase.
Conclusions: SJS acted to alleviate sepsis-induced lung injury through its bidirectional regulatory effect.
The Effect of Intradialytic Exercise on Dialysis Patient Survival: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Tabibi Mohammad Ali , Cheema Bobby , Salimian Nasrin , Corrêa Hugo , Ahmadi Saghar
Published: December 2022

Background
Patients with kidney failure have a high mortality rate. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of intradialytic exercise on survival in patients receiving hemodialysis (HD).
Methods
In this randomized controlled trial conducted in a HD center in Iran, adult patients receiving chronic HD were randomized to intradialytic exercise (60 minutes) in the second hour of thrice weekly dialysis for 6 months (intervention) or no intradialytic exercise (control). The primary outcome was survival rate at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were serum albumin, hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell count, serum calcium, serum phosphorous, parathyroid hormone, physical function (6-minute walk test) and nutritional status (Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index) during the first 6 months. The trial follow-up period was 12 months.
Results
The study included 74 participants (44 males) with an age average of 64 ± 12 years old and a dialysis history of 27 ± 12 months, randomized to intervention (n = 37) or control (n = 37). Compared with controls, 1-year survival was higher in the intervention group compared with the control group (94% vs 73%, P = 0.01). The hazard ratio on univariate analysis in intervention group was 0.17 (95% CI 0.04–0.8; P = 0.02) compared to that in control group. During the 6-month intervention period, significant between-group changes were observed in all secondary outcomes between the intervention and control groups.
Conclusion
Intradialytic exercise performed for at least 60 minutes during thrice weekly dialysis sessions improves survival in adult patients receiving HD. This effect may be mediated by exercise-related improvements in bone mineral metabolism, anemia, physical function or nutritional status.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04898608. Retrospectively registered on 24/05/2021. Registered trial name: The Effect of Intradialytic Exercise on Dialysis Patients Survival.
Effects of social influences on infant food consumption in the city of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso): a retrospective survey
Authors: BOUGMA Sanogo , TAPSOBA François , SEMPORE Judith Nomwendé , BOUGMA Sibiri , DOUNIA Prudence , SONGRE-OUATTARA Laurencia Toulsoumdé , SAVADOGO Aly
Published: December 2022

Background
From the age of 6 months, children need, in addition to breast milk, a complementary food with nutritional composition that meets their needs. In addition, the lack of adaptation of some children to family feeding conditions could be sources of malnutrition. In Burkina Faso, little information’s are available on children's consumption of family foods. The objective was therefore to describe the feeding habits and frequencies of infants aged from 6 to 23 months.
Methods
The study consisted in collecting through a retrospective survey and analyzing dietary data of the last 24 hours. Sphinx V5, IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0 and XLSTAT 2016 were used to process the data.
Results
The dietary data of 618 children were collected. It was found that the most consumed foods were simple porridges (67.48%), cooked cereal doughs (65.70%), cookies and cakes (62.94%), juices and sweetened drinks (62.94%). The least consumed foods were cowpeas and peas (17.31%), improved porridges (13.92%) and eggs (6.63%). The most observed meal frequency was three meals per day (33.98%). Children having the minimum meal frequency per day was 86.41%. The principal component analysis showed a positive correlation between the consumption of imported infant flours, fish soups, fruits, juices and sweetened drinks, cookies and cakes, simple porridges, cooked cereal doughs with the social status of the mother. In addition, 55.72% of the children showed a preference for local infant formula porridges. The main reason given by responding mothers whose children did not consume infant formula was lack of information (57.75%).
Conclusion
In general, a high consumption of family-type meals with acceptable meal frequencies has been observed. In addition, a correlation between the types of food consumed and the social status of the parents was also found.
Analysis of the crosstalk between EMT-related gene and Tumor-infiltrating immune cell in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Wu Bin , Li Shihao , Zhai Yujia , Li Zihao , Li Feng , Dong Bo , Sheng Yinliang , Huang Lan , Qi Yu
Published: December 2022

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has the leading rate of metastasis and mortality, so effectively suppressing cancer progression and prolonging the long-term prognosis has always been a proactive and challenging task.
Methods: This study aimed to identify the promising biomarkers related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and attempted to elucidate the potential role of the crosstalk between the EMT process and tumor infiltrating immune cell in the tumorigenesis and progression of ESCC. Based on the combined analysis of mouse esophageal cancer models and ESCC patients, we identified 5 novel EMT biomarkers (PLAUR, TIMP1, LAMC2, COL7A1 and IGFBP3), which are significantly up-regulated during ESCC tumorigenesis. Based on the expression of these 5 genes, ESCC patients were clustered into three subgroups (cluster 1, cluster 2 and cluster 3).
Results: Notably, compared to cluster 2, patients in cluster 3 had higher expression of EMT-related genes (ZEB1, Vimentin, Snail, and Slug), higher infiltration of myeloid dendritic cells and M2 macrophages, and lower infiltration of T regulatory cells (Tregs). Moreover, we also demonstrated that ESCC patients with high infiltration of Tregs had lower expression of Vimentin and Snail, while patients with high infiltration of M2 macrophage had higher expression of ZEB1, Vimentin and Snail. Finally, through multi-cohort correlation analysis and verification, we identified 4 core biomarker-related ceRNA networks (LAMC2-MIR193BHG axis, LAMC2-MIR4435-2HG axis, LAMC2-PLAUR axis and PLAUR-LINC00707 axis).
Conclusions: In summary, we identified and initially validated 5 EMT biomarkers, and investigated the interaction of EMT process and tumor infiltrating immune cell in ESCC.
Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation modulates neural activities in mice under propofol anesthesia
Authors: Liu Meiqi , Yuan Yi , Wang Xingran , Wang Teng , Bian Nannan , Zhao Li , Cui Guangying , Liu Wenchao , Ma Zhongfeng , Yang Xiaochun , Liang Shujuan , Liu Zhuo
Published: December 2022

Background: Previous study reported that low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) can significantly decrease time to emergence from anesthesia in rats. However, how TUS modulates neural activity during wakefulness in anesthetized mice is unclear.
Methods: In this study, to answer this question, we used ultrasound to stimulate the brain tissue of propofol anesthesia mice, recorded local field potentials in the mouse motor cortex and EMG signals from mouse neck, and analyzed the emergence and recovery time, the mean absolute power, relative power and entropy of local field potentials.
Results: We found that TUS can significantly reduce the time from anesthesia to awake; We also found that compared with Sham group, 20 min after TUS during the recovery from anesthesia, 1) the absolute power of local field potentials in mice was significantly reduced at [1-4 Hz] and [13-30Hz] frequency bands, and significantly increased at [55-100 Hz], [100-140 Hz] and [140-200Hz] frequency bands. 2) the relative power of local field potentials in mice enhanced at [30-45 Hz], [100-140 Hz] and [140-200 Hz] frequency bands. 3) the entropy of local field potentials ([1-200Hz]) increased.
Conclusion:These results demonstrate that TUS can effectively modulate neural activities during wakefulness in anesthetized mice andhas a positive effect on the recovery from propofol anesthesia of mice.
The potential of lncRNAs to regulate cuproptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma: establishment and validation of a novel risk model
Authors: He Jing , Li Weiqi , Shen Hao , Chang Yushun , Zhao Weijun , Liu Boqiang , He Qiang , Yu Hong , Wang Yifan , Shi Liang , Cai Xiujun
Published: December 2022

Background
Recently, a novel, different from the known mechanisms, copper-dependent cell death-"cuproptosis" was demonstrated. However, the regulation of cuproptosis, especially in malignancy, remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the hepatocellular carcinoma-long noncoding RNAs (HCC-lncRNAs) closely related to cuproptosis.
Methods
First, we identified lncRNAs that are associated with cuproptosis-related genes and abnormally expressed in HCC. Subsequently, the comprehensive methods of Univariate cox regression analysis, multivariate cox regression analysis and LASSO regression analysis were used to further screen targets and establish a risk models in the training group and test group with no clinical difference in TCGA. ssGSEA was used to estimate the contents of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. In vitro elesclomol-CuCl2 shock test verified the correlation between the lncRNAs targets and copper toxicity.
Results
We successfully constructed a cuproptosis-related risk model: risk score = 0.82 * AC018690.1 + 0.65 * AL050341.2 + 0.61 * LINC02038, which could accurately reflect the prognosis of HCC patients. Further, we added clinical factors to optimize the model. Meanwhile, the tumor immune microenvironment was observably different between high and low risk groups, in which the infiltration levels of T helper 2 cells, T helper cells 17 and dendritic cells were significantly related to the risk scores. Interestingly, the patients in the high-risk group are more sensitive to immunotherapy, while sorafenib and dasatinib are less effective. Finally, we confirmed that knocking down these lncRNAs targets could significantly weaken the resistance to cuproptosis in vitro.
Conclusions
Based on three novel HCC-lncRNAs, we established an accurate risk model with potential value for clinical application. Given these lncRNAs dramatically regulate the response of HCC to copper toxicity, it raises hope for the development of copper-related therapy, even “sorafenib -copper ionophores -immunotherapy”, on HCC.
Automated sample preparation for electrospray ionization mass spectrometry based on CLOCK- controlled autonomous centrifugal microfluidics
Authors: Futami Masahiro , Naito Hiroki , Ninomiya Satoshi , Chen Lee Chuin , Iwano Tomohiko , Yoshimura Kentaro , Ukita Yoshiaki
Published: December 2022

We report a centrifugal microfluidic device that automatically executes sample preparation at steady-state rotation for clinical applications using mass spectrometry. The autonomous microfluidic device was designed for the control of liquid operation based on centrifugal hydrokinetics (CLOCK) paradigm. The reported device was highly stable with less than 7% variation in the time of each unit operation (sample extraction, mixing, and supernatant extraction) with respect to the preparation process. Mixing of the sample and organic solvent in this device was realized using an agitation mechanism with bubbling. We confirmed that the device effectively removed protein aggregates from the sample, and the performance was comparable to that of conventional manual sample preparation procedure that uses high-speed centrifuge. In addition, probe electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PESI-MS) was performed to compare the device-treated and manually treated samples. The obtained PESI-MS spectra were analyzed by partial least squares discriminant analysis, confirming that the preparation capability of the device was equivalent to that of the conventional method.
CXCL9, 10, 11/CXCR3 axis contributes to the progress of primary Sjogren's syndrome by activating GRK2 to promote T lymphocyte migration
Authors: Zhang Jing , Zhang Xiao , Shi Xinjie , Liu Yuqi , Chen Danqian , Tian QIanwen , Lin Ning , Wei Wei , Wu Huaxun
Published: December 2022

Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease that causes dysfunction of secretory glands and the specific pathogenesis is still unknown. The CXCL9, 10, 11/CXCR3 axis and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) involved in many inflammation and immunity processes. We used NOD/Ltj mice, a spontaneous SS animal model, to elucidate the pathological mechanism of CXCL9, 10, 11/CXCR3 axis promoting T lymphocyte migration by activating GRK2 in pSS. We found that CD4+GRK2, Th17+CXCR3 was apparently increased and Treg+CXCR3 was significantly decreased in the spleen of 4W NOD mice without sicca symptom compared to ICR mice (control group). The protein levels of IFN-γ, CXCL9, 10, 11 increased in submandibular gland (SG) tissue accompanied by obvious lymphocytic infiltration and Th17 cells overwhelmingly infiltrated relative to Treg cells at the sicca symptom occurs, and we found that the proportion of Th17 cells was increased, whereas that of Treg cells was decreased in spleen. In vitro, we used IFN-γ to stimulate human salivary gland epithelial cells (HSGECs) co-culture with Jurkat cells, and the results showed that CXCL9, 10, 11 was increased by IFN-γ activates JAK2/STAT1 signal pathway and Jurkat cells migration increased with the raised of cell membrane GRK2 expression. HSGECs with tofacitinib or Jurkat cells with GRK2 siRNA can reduce the migration of Jurkat cells. The results indicate that CXCL9, 10, 11 significantly increased in SG tissue through IFN-γ stimulating HSGECs, and the CXCL9, 10, 11/CXCR3 axis contributes to the progress of pSS by activating GRK2 to promote T lymphocyte migration.
Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome Following a Dog Bite in an Asplenic Patient: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Berlot Giorgio , Tomasini Ariella , Zanchi Silvia , Moro Edoardo , Pinamonti Maurizio , Mohamed Sara , De Bellis Eleonora
Published: December 2022

The Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome represents a critical condition characterized by a septic shock associated with a disseminated intravascular coagulation causing the plugging of the microvascular network virtually all organs and systems, including the skin, the kidneys, the liver and adrenal glands; the mortality rate is elevated and survivors often must undergo multiple limb amputations. Here we describe the uncommon case of an asplenic patient who developed this syndrome after a superficial wound caused by a dog bite causing an initial infection due to Capnocytophaga canimorsus that is part of the normal oral microbiome of pets. The clinical and pathological findings and the current and future therapeutic options are reviewed and discussed.
Identifying an unknown coefficient in the fractional parabolic differential equation
Authors: Sidi Hamed Ould , Huntul M. J. , Sidi Maawiya Ould , Emadifar Homan
Published: December 2022

In this study, we considered a fractional parabolic equation for identifying the unknown diffusion coefficient from the noisy measurement of the ultimate time solution. It is an inverse problem involving a nonlocal operator that is nonlinear and poorly formulated. By demonstrating the existence of this inverse problem singular solution with regard to the final observed data, we demonstrate the identifiability of this problem. The inverse problem is expressed as a regularized optimization problem that minimizes a cost function of the least-squares kind. We have covered various theoretical and practical difficulties pertaining to the problem under consideration. It has been demonstrated that a unique stable solution to the optimization problem exists. The Morozov discrepancy principle and the conjugate gradient approach are used to develop an iterative reconstruction procedure. The accuracy and efficiency of the suggested method are illustrated using a few numerical examples.
Transfer learning-based attenuation correction for static and dynamic cardiac PET using a generative adversarial network
Authors: Sun Hao , Wang Fanghu , Yang Yuling , Hong Xiaotong , Xu Weiping , Wang Shuxia , Mok Greta S. P. , Lu Lijun
Published: December 2022

Purpose
Current attenuation correction (AC) of myocardial perfusion (MP) positron emission tomography (PET) remains challenging in routine clinical practice due to the propagation of CT-based artifacts and potential mismatch between PET and CT. The goal of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility of directly generating attenuation-corrected PET (AC PET) images from non-attenuation-corrected PET (NAC PET) images in the reconstruction domain for [13N]ammonia MP PET based on a generative adversarial network (GAN).
Methods
We recruited 60 patients who underwent rest [13N]ammonia cardiac PET/CT examinations. One static frame and twenty-one dynamic frames were acquired for each patient with both NAC PET and CT-based AC (CTAC) PET images. Paired 3D static or dynamic NAC and CTAC PET images were used as network inputs and labels for static (S-DLAC) and dynamic (D-DLAC) MP PET, respectively. In addition, the pre-trained S-DLAC network was fine-tuned by 3D paired dynamic NAC and CTAC PET frames for then AC in the dynamic PET images (D-DLAC-FT). Qualitative and quantitative assessments were implemented using CTAC PET as reference.
Results
The proposed S-DLAC, D-DLAC and D-DLAC-FT methods were qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with clinical CTAC. The S-DLAC showed a higher correlation with the reference static CTAC (S-CTAC) as compared to static NAC. The estimated kinetic parameters and blood volume fraction images from D-DLAC and D-DLAC-FT methods showed comparable performances with the reference dynamic CTAC (D-CTAC). D-DLAC-FT was slightly better than D-DLAC in terms of various physical and clinical indices.
Conclusion
The proposed S-DLAC, D-DLAC and D-DLAC-FT methods reduced attenuation artifacts significantly and achieved comparable performance with clinical CTAC for static and dynamic cardiac PET. The use of transfer learning is effective for the dynamic MP PET AC purpose.
LncRNA HCG18 promotes Prostate Cancer progression by regulating miR-512-3p/HK-2 axis
Authors: Zhu Yaru , Wang Zhijing , Li Haopeng , Ren Zhen , Zi Tong , Qin Xin , Sun Wenhuizi , Chen Xi , Wu Gang
Published: December 2022

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays an important role in tumor progression. Numerous studies show that lncRNA is strongly associated with prostate cancer progression. Our study confirmed that lncRNA HCG18 was highly expressed in prostate cancer (PC) and correlated with tumor progression in databases and cell lines. Western blot, RNA Pull-down, dual luciferase assay and rescue assays verified the correlation among lncRNA HCG18, miR-512-3p and hexokinase-2(HK-2). In general, the results showed that lncRNA HCG18 accelerated cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of PC via up-regulating HK-2 through sponging miR-512-3p, which provided a new direction for the diagnosis and treatment of PC.
Investigation and Numerical Simulations of Openings Impact on the Workability and Performance of the Flat Slabs via Punching Shear Resistance Analysis
Authors: Ibraim Mohaimen , Naimi Sepanta
Published: December 2022

This research is executed to investigate and examine the critical impact of making openings and holes (needed for mechanical and electrical installations) on the flat slabs’ workability and performance. Numerical analysis and simulations using the ABAQUS software were implemented. Besides, a comparative study (between nine cases) was adopted to explore the influence of openings on the workability and performance of flat slabs. The damaged zone area, maximum load, maximum deflection, and maximum displacement were recorded. Also, the effect of the opening size on these variables was analyzed. The results revealed that cases C1, C2, and C3 have approximately similar maximum displacement values ranging between 31.6 mm and 32.7 mm. The maximum load (failure load) in case C2 (50×50 cm) was 223.7 kN, 34% less than in case C1, and case C3 (100×100 cm) was 186.5 kN, 45% less than in case C1. The damaged zone area increased by 47 percent and 144 percent for C2 and C3, respectively. It is evident that when opening sizes increase, punching shear resistance decreases because the perimeter decreases. Also, different values of loads were recorded corresponding to various amounts of displacement in cases from one to nine, in which the load increases with elevating the displacement.
A Prospective Study of Dose Comparison Between Deep Inspiratory Breath Hold (DIBH) Technique Versus Free Breathing (FB) Technique in Reducing Cardiac Dose in Left Sided Post Mastectomy Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Radiotherapy
Authors: Ravishankar Dev , Sunil Devika , Yadala Nalini , Gandhi Arun , Mohanty Kirti Ranjan
Published: December 2022

Cardiac mortality and morbidity during breast cancer treatment can be caused by both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. As chemotherapy cannot be omitted due its proven overall survival benefit, newer radiotherapy techniques like DIBH with real time position monitoring (RPM), have been devised to minimise dose to the heart without compromising target coverage. Very sparse prospective data look into the benefit of DIBH in chest wall radiotherapy.
AIM - To determine dosimetrically whether DIBH reduces the cardiac (heart and left anterior descending [LAD] artery) and ipsilateral lung doses compared to FB, in patients receiving radiotherapy to left side chestwall with 3D-CRT technique and to quantify it.
MATERIAL AND METHODS − 25 consecutive left sided postmastectomy breast cancer patients with minimum breath hold duration more than 15 seconds were selected. 2 plans were made for each patient using 3D-CRT technique with a dose of 40Gy in 15 fractions- first in FB (control) and the second in DIBH with RPM system. Dose volume histograms (DVH) for each patient were generated, recorded and analysed.
RESULTS - The target coverage parameters (PTV) were found to be comparable in both plans. DIBH significantly reduced (p < 0.001) the mean heart dose by 28.19% (from 5.18Gy to 3.72Gy), mean LAD dose from 25.94Gy to 16.99Gy (ie 34.50%), maximum heart distance (MHD) from 2.17cm to 1.22cm (ie by 43.54%) and all heart parameters analysed. DIBH also reduced left lung V20Gy and mean lung dose and combined mean lung doses.
CONCLUSION - With appropriate patient selection and adequate training, DIBH is an acceptable technique in reducing both cardiac and lung doses in left sided post mastectomy patients receiving radiotherapy without compromising target coverage. This could result in fewer radiotherapy-related complications even when using hypofractionated radiation doses. However, long term follow up and studies with larger sample size are warranted in the future to consolidate the significance obtained in our study.
Characterization of functional amyloid curli in biofilm formation of an environmental isolate Enterobacter cloacae SBP-8
Authors: Misra Tripti , Tare Meghana , Jha Prabhat Nath
Published: December 2022

The biofilm formation by bacteria is a complex process that is strongly mediated by various genetic and environmental factors. Biofilms contribute to disease infestation, especially in chronic infections. It is, therefore important to understand the factors affecting biofilm formation. This study reports the role of a functional amyloid curli in biofilm formation at various abiotic surfaces, including medical devices, by an environmental isolate of Enterobacter cloacae (SBP-8). A knockout mutant of csgA, a structural gene of curli, was created to study the effect of curli on biofilm formation by E. cloacae SBP-8. Our findings confirm curli production at 25°C and 37°C in the wild-type strain. We further investigated the role of curli in the attachment of E. cloacae SBP-8 to glass, enteral feeding tube, and foley latex catheter. Contrary to the previous studies reporting the curli production below 30°C in most biofilm-forming bacterial species, we observed its production in E. cloacae SBP-8 at 37°C. The formation of more intense biofilm in wild-type strain on various surfaces compared to curli-deficient strain (ΔcsgA) at both 25°C and 37°C suggested a prominent role of curli in biofilm formation. Further, electron and confocal microscopy studies demonstrated the formation of diffused monolayers of microbial cells on the abiotic surfaces by ΔcsgA strain as compared to the thick biofilm by respective wild-type strain, indicating the involvement of curli in biofilm formation by E. cloacae SBP-8. Overall, our findings provide insight into biofilm formation mediated by curli in E. cloacae SBP-8. Further, we show that it can be expressed at a physiological temperature on all surfaces, thereby indicating the potential role of curli in the pathogenesis.
Breast cancer: how hippotherapy bridges the gap between healing and recovery. A randomized controlled clinical trial.
Authors: Viruega Hélène , Galy Corinne , Loriette Célia , Jacquot Stéphane , Houpeau Jean Louis , Gaviria Manuel
Published: December 2022

Background: Breast cancer is the most diagnosed women’s cancer with a high survival rate nowadays. Because cancer is a systemic disease characterized by variable course, heterogeneity and unequal environmental inputs, disparities in the persons’ future are the norm. Despite enormous progress in early accurate detection and treatment’s effectiveness/precision, life reconstruction is well beyond the current care path. It requires comprehensive cross-sectoral approaches between different knowledge areas and deeper consideration of the challenges the patients have to deal with. The psychological and social sciences must be integrated to the physiological sciences to build a robust patient-centered healthcare practice.
Methods: We conducted a randomized open, prospective, two-arms controlled trial on the effectiveness of hippotherapy versus conventional supportive care on adult women with a diagnosis of breast cancer, after the period of primary treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy), according to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The 6-months program included, in the treated group, an initial 1-week daily hippotherapy session followed by three short 2-days sessions with an interval of 2 months between each where the patients received conventional supportive care. On the other hand, the control group received a 6-month conventional supportive care. The primary end point was quality of life, whereas cognitive performances, fatigue, anxiety and depression, and body image were the secondary end points. Measurements were done through self-reported questionnaires.
Results: We observed statistical differences for each measurement test and items between the treated and control group. Indeed, the treated group showed a significant and continuous improvement of quality of life, cognitive performance, fatigue, anxiety and depression, and body image as early as the first week after hippotherapy treatment compared to the conventional supportive care group.
Conclusions: We demonstrate through this clinical trial, the therapeutic relevance of hippotherapy, an one-health approach, as a key initial stage after cancer diagnosis and treatment to foster recovery. Furthermore, hippotherapy has a strong impact on treatments’ efficiency and reconstruction of the individuals’ shattered life and their ecosystem. This work reveals a layer of complexity that needs to be broadly considered.
Trial registration: ClincalTrials.gov NCT04350398. Registered 17 April 2020, retrospectively registered; French Clinical Trials in Cancer Register RECF3818. Registered 18 March 2019, retrospectively registered.
A Social Dynamic Approach on Floristic Composition and Physiochemical Characteristics of Karankadu Mangrove Forest, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu
Authors: V Sankara Vel , A Arunprasath , Sudhir Sreeram
Published: December 2022

This study investigates the diversity of angiosperms and the assessment of physiochemical studies in accordance with seasonal variations on Karankadu Mangrove Forest, Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu. In the study area, 62 species of angiosperms including five true mangroves Avicennia marina, Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata and Bruguiera cylindrica are identified. The seasonal variations affect both the physiological status of the true mangroves present in the study area, particularly during the North East monsoon. The water and soil samples are collected for four different seasons pre-monsoon, Monsoon, Post-monsoon and summer. Abiotic components include mainly water and soil which support the mangroves. A physical parameter is mainly the temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, moisture content. Chemical parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), organic carbon and mineral composition – Nitrogen, Sodium and Potassium. The maximum value for most of the parameters was recorded during the post-monsoon season; it is due to a higher concentration of dissolved salts in water. During monsoon, the water is almost pure with a lesser number of dissolved salts hence most of the parameters found low values in monsoon season. The results indicate that dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand and Nitrogen phosphorous potassium supplements are huge during monsoon season and the lowest values are recorded in the post-monsoon season. In conclusion, it may be noted this study provides a pathway for proper utilization, conservation and acts as supplement information for Mangrove growth which may be implemented further for the Conservation and Management of mangroves.