bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced NRP1 Expression in Dendritic Cells of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Its Impact on T Cell Proliferation
Authors: Choi Yunjung , Lee Eun-Gyeong , Kim Kyoung Min , Yoo Wan-Hee
Published: August 2023

Background
Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that acts as a receptor of class III/IV semaphorins known to play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. To date there has been only limited research into the role NRP1 plays in autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study aimed to investigate the clinical and pathogenetic roles of NRP1 expression in lupus mouse models and patients with SLE.
Methods
NRP1 expression was measured by flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and immunofluorescence assay using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) taken from both healthy controls and patients with SLE, as well as dendritic cells and renal tissues of both control mice and TLR-7 agonist-induced lupus mice. The correlation between NRP1 expression in PBMCs and disease activity markers were analyzed in patients with SLE (n = 57). To determine the effects of NRP1 on dendritic cells on T cells, as well as their mechanism, a proliferation assay was performed by flow cytometry, and the underlying signaling, including the MAPKs and NF-κB pathway, were examined with immunoblotting.
Results
The expression of NRP1 in dendritic cells and the kidneys was significantly higher in the lupus murine group than in the control group. The dendritic cells in the patients with SLE also showed a markedly higher expression of NRP1 than those of the healthy controls. The correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between NRP1 expression and disease activity markers, which included SLEDAI-2K score, as well as C3, C4 and anti-dsDNA antibody titers. The NRP1 antagonist (EG00229) decreased the capacity of dendritic cells on the proliferation of T cells under the condition of TLR7 agonist stimulation. It also downregulated the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and NF-κB in dendritic cells.
Conclusion
Our results show that NRP1 is highly expressed in the dendritic cells of SLE patients, and its expression is significantly correlated with known disease activity markers. The inhibition of NRP1 in dendritic cells diminishes the proliferation of T cells, an effect that is mediated by the suppression of MAPKs and NF-kB signaling. These results indicate that dendritic cells with enhanced NRP1 expression alter immune functions by increasing T cell proliferation as part of the pathogenesis of SLE; accordingly, NRP1 may be a potential target in the search for a treatment for SLE.
“You can’t die here”: An exploration of the barriers to dying-in-place for structurally vulnerable populations
Authors: Stajduhar Kelli I. , Giesbrecht Melissa , Mollison Ashley , Whitlock Kara , Burek Piotr , Black Fraser , Gerke Jill , Dosani Naheed , Colgan Simon
Published: August 2023

Background: One measure of quality in palliative care involves ensuring people approaching the end of life are able to receive care, and ultimately die, in the places they choose. Canadian palliative care policy directives stem from this tenet of autonomy, acknowledging that most people prefer to die at home, where they feel safe and comfortable. Limited research, however, considers the lack of ‘choice’ people positioned as structurally vulnerable (e.g., experiencing extreme poverty, homelessness, substance-use/criminalization, etc.) have in regard to places of care and death, with the option of dying-in-place most often denied.
Methods: Drawing from ethnographic and participatory action research data collected during two studies that took place from 2014 to 2019 in an urban centre in British Columbia, Canada, this analysis explores barriers preventing people who experience social and structural inequity the option to die-in-place. Participants include: (1) people positioned as structurally vulnerable on a palliative trajectory; (2) their informal support persons/family caregivers (e.g., street family); (3) community service providers (e.g., housing workers, medical professionals); and (4) key informants (e.g., managers, medical directors, executive directors). Data includes observational fieldnotes, focus group and interviews transcripts. Interpretive thematic analytic techniques were employed.
Results: Participants on a palliative trajectory lacked access to stable, affordable, or permanent housing, yet expressed their desire to stay ‘in-place’ at the end-of-life. Analysis reveals three main barriers impeding their ‘choice’ to remain in-place at the end-of-life: (1) Misaligned perceptions of risk and safety; (2) Challenges managing pain in the context of substance use, stigma, and discrimination; and (3) Gaps between protocols, policies, and procedures for health teams.
Conclusions: Common rhetoric regarding ‘choice’ in regard to preferred place of death fails to acknowledge how social and structural forces eliminates options for structurally vulnerable populations. Re-defining ‘home’ within palliative care, enhancing supports, education, and training for community care workers, integrating palliative approaches to care into the everyday work of non-health care providers, and acknowledging, valuing, and building upon existing relations of care, can help to overcome existing barriers to delivering palliative care in various settings, while increasing the opportunity for all to spend their end of life in the places that they prefer.
Socio-demographic Determinants of the Knowledge of Monkeypox Virus among the General Public: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Tertiary Care Center in Nepal
Authors: Das Santa Kumar , Bhattarai Abhinav , Paudel Kiran , Bhusal Sandesh , Shah Sangam , Timsina Sakchhyam , Subedi Aastha , Niraula Sandhya , Alshahrani Najim Z. , Sah Sanjit , Padhi Bijaya Kumar , Barboza Joshuan J. , Rodriguez-Morales Alfonso J. , Salas-Matta Luis A. , Bonilla-Aldana D. Katterine , Sah Ranjit
Published: August 2023

Background and Objective
Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is the causative agent of monkeypox's zoonotic infection and was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). Studies from different countries have shown insufficient knowledge among the general public on MPXV. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of the general public of Nepal on MPXV.
Methods
Three hundred people were interviewed in person in October 2022, and 282 complete responses were recorded. The questionnaire related to the knowledge of MPXV was derived from a previous study conducted among the general population of Saudi Arabia. Twenty-two questions were included that assessed the knowledge and attitude of Nepalese toward monkeypox. Statistical comparison between high and low knowledge was performed using Pearson's Chi-square test. Logistic regression models were deployed to establish the relationship between participants' knowledge and socio-demographic characteristics.
Results
Among the total respondents, 53.8% demonstrated high knowledge of monkeypox. People aged 18-25 years, unmarried people, and those living in urban areas had significantly higher levels of knowledge. Most respondents believed that MPXV is not a conspiracy or bioterrorism (63.1%) and agreed that it is likely to affect people's social and economic life as COVID-19 did (67.0%). The history of COVID-19 vaccination (aOR: 2.980; 95%CI: 1.227, 7.236) and the younger age (aOR: 2.975; 95%CI: 1.097, 8.069) were found to be significant determinants of the knowledge of the participants on monkeypox.
Conclusion
We observed that most Nepalese populations had a high knowledge of monkeypox and that social media was the most valuable source of information.
Difference Expression Of m6A Regulators In Breast Cancer and Its Relationship With Immune Response
Authors: Tuersuntuoheti Muhairemu. , Chen Xiaofang , Ou Jianghua , Yi Lina , Paizula Xuelaiti. , Li Yongtao
Published: August 2023

Objective.
RNA N6-methyl adenosine (m6A) plays a key role in tumor development. However, its role in breast cancer has not been fully elucidated.
Methods.
In this study, 23 M6A RNA regulatory factors were systematically analyzed from the TCGA database to analyze the relationship between M6A and breast cancer by bioinformatics. Then, We further detected the expression of M6A by immunohistochemical method, and analyzed the relationship between it and the prognosis of breast cancer
Results.
We found increased expression of 6 regulators in breast cancer patients. We further studied the effect of abnormal expression of CBLL1, YTHDC1, METTL14, HNRNPA2B1, RBMX, and HNRNPC on the survival time of breast cancer. In addition, we also found that the abnormality of the M6A regulatory factor is closely related to immune infiltration and genetic changes.
Conclusions.
Our findings suggest that the expression of M6A regulators in breast cancer has important clinical diagnostic significance and that abnormal expression may be associated with poor clinical prognosis in BC. This helps to provide us with a new direction of targeted therapy for breast cancer.
Heparin enables the reliable detection of endotoxin in human blood samples using the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay
Authors: Harm Stephan , Schildböck Claudia , Cont Denisa , Weber Viktoria
Published: August 2023

The determination of lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) in serum or plasma samples using Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL)-based assays is currently not sufficiently reliable in clinical diagnostics due to numerous interfering factors that strongly reduce the recovery of LPS in clinical samples. The specific plasma components responsible for the endotoxin neutralizing capacity of human blood remain to be identified. There are indications that certain endotoxin-neutralizing proteins or peptides, which are part of the host defense peptides/proteins of the innate immune system may be responsible for this effect. Based on our finding that several antimicrobial peptides can be neutralized by the polyanion heparin, we developed a heparin-containing diluent for serum and plasma samples, which enables reliable quantification of LPS measurement in clinical samples using the LAL assay. In a study involving 40 donors, this improved protocol yielded an over 8-fold increase in LPS recovery in serum samples, as compared to the standard protocol. This modified protocol of sample pretreatment could make LPS measurement a valuable tool in medical diagnostics.
Assessment of metal pollution and its association with human health risk in urban areas of Myanmar
Authors: Soe Pyae Sone , Mon Ei Ei , Nakata Haruhiko , Kobayashi Jun , Ishibashi Yasuhiro , Agusa Tetsuro
Published: August 2023

This study analyzed metals in road dust from urban areas of Yangon and Mandalay and sub-urban areas of Pathein and Wundwin in Myanmar. Concentrations of Al, Se, Cd, Gd, Hg, and Tl in road dust were the highest in Mandalay. In urban areas, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ga, and Pb concentrations were significantly higher than suburban areas. Metal pollution in urban areas and regional difference in metal concentrations between the northern region (Mandalay and Wundwin) and the southern region (Yangon and Pathein) were explained by principal component analysis (PCA). Positive matrix factorization model extracted two potential factors of metal sources; one was vehicle emissions and industrial activities by Ag, Zn, Mo, Cd, Cu, and Pb and other was natural source by Al, Rb, Sr, Gd, and Tl. Moreover, those factors supported above site specific difference in metal and PCA results, suggesting urban metal pollution in Yangon and Pathein and background difference in metal concentrations between the North and the South. Geomean of hazard index (HI) for adults and children were less than one. However, a study location from Yangon showed above one of HI for children indicated that few human health risk in the studied areas of Myanmar is considered in general.
In situ sulfonated mesoporous polydivinylbenzene as a solid acid catalyzed the condensation of phenol and acetone
Authors: Wei Ning , Wang Qingyin , Guo Li , Wang Danjun , Chen Tong , Wang Gongying
Published: August 2023

The preparation of sulfonic acid solid acid by in situ sulfonation method is simpler, safer, and produces less acidic waste liquid than by post sulfonation method. In this paper, sulfonated mesoporous polydivinylbenzene solid acid was prepared by in situ sulfonation method, and the physical and chemical properties of solid acids were characterized by XRD, BET, FT-IR, etc. The acid density of sulfonated mesoporous polyvinylbenzene was characterized by acid base titration, and the results showed that the acid density was 1.58 mmol H+/g. The condensation of phenol and acetone was used as a probe reaction to investigate the catalytic performance of sulfonated mesoporous polydivinylbenzene as a solid acid. The results showed that the conversion rate of phenol could reach 38% (phenol theoretical conversion of 40%) and the selectivity of Bisphenol-A was 91% at 90 oC. More importantly, sulfonated mesoporous polydivinylbenzene had good stability, and after repeated use for five times, the catalytic performance was not significantly reduced.
RETRACTED: Study of Optimum Laser Fluence for Actuation of Shape Memory Alloy Sheet for MEMS Applications
Authors: . Suraj , Kumar Arun
Published: August 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Mycorrhizae-rhizobacterial interaction to enhance the growth, development, nutrient content, and physiological attributes of okra in compost amended soil
Authors: Niaz Humaira , Mushtaq Zain , Jaffar Muhammad Tauseef , Zhang Jianguo , Asghar Hafiz Naeem
Published: August 2023

Soil fertility, soil quality, and crop yield decline due to the misuse of chemical fertilizers. Eco-friendly strategies based on biological or organic procedures can mitigate the harmful effects of agrochemicals on the environment. A more effective option for boosting plant development and production is the use of Arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR). Therefore, a completely randomized design (CRD) pot experiment was carried out to assess the efficacy of AMF, PGPR, and their interaction in enhancing okra's growth, physiology, nutrient absorption, and yield, with and without the addition of compost. While both AMF and PGPR improved the traits that were tested, the results showed that combined inoculation of the two was far more effective than either inoculation alone or the control treatment at increasing fresh and dry weight, plant length, fruit yield per plant, chlorophyll A and B, and carotenoids. The combined application of AMF and PGPR significantly enhanced the plant height (48.4%), the number of okra fruits (87.4%), fresh weight (60.7%), dry weight (83.2%), and P (63.2%) without compost but the maximum increase in N (55.5%) and K (64%) concentrations, stomatal conductance (22.1%), transpiration rate (2.7 times), photosynthetic (1.4 times), water use efficiency (1.1 times) was found under combined inoculation of AMF and PGPR in compost amended soil. Pearson correlation showed that the plant height, number of okra fruits, and fresh and dry weight were significantly associated with chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoid, water use efficiency, and P concentration. The PLS-SEM showed that the 88% shift in nutrient concentration and 98.5% variation (indirectly) in growth and yield can be elucidated by the addition of microbes under compost amendment. The PCA results concluded that the studied attributes were improved under the integrated application of AMF and PGPR, especially in compost-amended soil.
Symptomatic clusters related to amyloid positivity in cognitively unimpaired individuals
Authors: Sannemann Lena , Bartels Claudia , Brosseron Frederic , Buerger Katharina , Fliessbach Klaus , Freiesleben Silka Dawn , Frommann Ingo , Glanz Wenzel , Heneka Michael T. , Janowitz Daniel , Kilimann Ingo , Kleineidam Luca , Lammerding Dominik , Laske Christoph , Munk Matthias H. J. , Perneczky Robert , Peters Oliver , Priller Josef , Rauchmann Boris-Stephan , Rostamzadeh Ayda , Roy-Kluth Nina , Schild Ann-Katrin , Schneider Anja , Schneider Luisa-Sophie , Spottke Annika , Spruth Eike Jakob , Teipel Stefan , Wagner Michael , Wiltfang Jens , Wolfsgruber Steffen , Duezel Emrah , Jessen Frank
Published: August 2023

Background: The NIA-AA Research Framework on Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) proposes a transitional stage (stage 2) between the fully asymptomatic stage 1 and mild cognitive impairment (stage 3) in the evolution of symptoms over the disease course. Proposed features of stage 2 include subtle cognitive dysfunction, subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild neurobehavioral symptoms. Here, we aimed to identify specific clusters of participants based on these features and assess the association with amyloid positivity in cognitively unimpaired individuals.
Methods: We used baseline data of n=338 participants from the German DZNE Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (DELCODE) study without objective evidence of cognitive impairment and with available data on cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for AD. Specifically, healthy controls (n=90), participants with SCD (n=202) and first-degree relatives of AD patients (n=46) were included. Classification into the Alzheimer’s continuum (i.e., amyloid positivity, A+) was based on Aß42/40 status. Neuropsychological test data were used to assess subtle objective cognitive dysfunction (OBJ), the subjective cognitive decline interview (SCD-I) was used to detect SCD, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) was used to assess neurobehavioral changes (NPS). A two-step cluster analysis was carried out and differences in AD biomarkers between clusters were analysed.
Results: We identified three distinct participant clusters based on presented symptoms. The highest rate of A+ participants (47.6%) was found in a cluster characterized by both OBJ and SCD. A cluster of participants that presented with SCD and NPS (A+:26.6%) and a cluster of participants with overall few symptoms (A+:19.7%) showed amyloid positivity in a range that was not higher than the expected A+ rate for the age group. Across the full sample, participants with a combination of SCD and OBJ in the memory domain showed a lower Aß42/ptau181 ratio compared to those with neither SCD nor OBJ.
Conclusion: In this study, we identified three distinct clusters of participants based on symptoms associated with the NIA-AA stage 2. The cluster characterized by OBJ and concomitant SCD was associated with an increased A+ frequency, suggesting that this combination is enriched for stage 2 of the Alzheimer’s continuum.
Trial registration
German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00007966. Registered 4 May 2015.
Research on Longitudinal change trends and influencing factors of eating behaviour in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy
Authors: Zhu Yan , Yufang Ren , Wang Guorong
Published: August 2023

Background: Currently, the longitudinal changes in eating behaviour during radiotherapy and the effect of these changes on dietary intake in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma remain unclear. The purpose of the study was to observe the longitudinal changes in eating behaviour in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy, and to explore the key factors affecting dietary intake.
Methods: A total of 107 patients were enrolled. Data were collected at eight time points during radiotherapy. Results: After the commencement of radiotherapy, the eating behaviour of patients changed as expected. The intake of calories decreased gradually from 1180.86 ±545.28 kcal to 753.73 ±315.83 kcal. The mixed effect model showed that simultaneous chemotherapy (β =-243.62, P< 0.0001) and a high symptom score (β =-12.1618, P< 0.0001) decreased food intake, while the consumption of a general diet (β = 193.61, P< 0.0001) and oral nutritional supplements (β = 157.7, P< 0.0001) increased food intake.
Conclusions: The results of this study underline the importance of early identification of changes in eating behaviour in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients undergoing radiotherapy. Patients who are unable to consume a general diet or soft foods may ensure stable intake by increasing the frequency of meals and using oral nutritional supplements.
Genomic prediction for agronomic traits in a diverse Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) germplasm collection
Authors: Hoque Ahasanul , Anderson James , Rahman Mukhlesur
Published: August 2023

Breeding programs require exhaustive phenotyping of germplasms, which is time-demanding and expensive. Genomic prediction based on next-generation sequencing techniques helps breeders harness the diversity of any collection to bypass phenotyping. Here, we examined the genomic prediction’s potential for seed yield and nine agronomic traits using 26171 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in a set of 337 flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) germplasm, phenotyped in five environments. We evaluated 14 prediction models and several factors affecting predictive ability based on cross-validation schemes. Most models gave close predictive ability values across traits for the whole marker set. Models covering non-additive effects yielded better predictive ability for low heritable traits, though no single model worked best across all traits. Marker subsets based on linkage disequilibrium decay distance gave similar predictive abilities to the whole marker set, but for randomly selected markers, it reached a plateau above 3000 markers. Markers having significant association with traits improved predictive abilities compared to the whole marker set, when marker selection was made on the whole population instead of the training set indicating a clear overfitting. The correction for population structure did not increase predictive abilities compared to the whole collection. However, stratified sampling by picking representative genotypes from each cluster improved predictive abilities. The indirect predictive ability for a trait was proportionate to its correlation with other traits. These results will help breeders to select the best models, optimum marker set, and suitable genotype set to perform an indirect selection for quantitative traits in this diverse flax germplasm collection.
An Observational Study of Adjunctive Artisanal Cannabidiol Use by Adults with Treatment Resistant Epilepsies: Behavioral and Urinalysis Data
Authors: Brett Barbara , Conroy Matthieu , Doshi Hardik , Lowe Matthew X. , Kalcheff-Korn Sasha , Jackson Heather
Published: August 2023

Background For approximately 30% of people with epilepsy, seizures are not well-controlled by antiepileptic drugs. This condition, called treatment resistant epilepsy (TRE), is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and substantially impacts the quality of life of both the individual and their family. Non-responsiveness to AEDs leads many people with TRE to seek alternative therapies, such as cannabinoid-based medication, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), with or without medical or professional advice. This is due in part to widespread reporting in the media on the benefits of CBD for seizures in some forms of epilepsy. Methods Ten adults with TRE, opting to add CBD to their existing treatment regime, participated in this prospective, observational, longitudinal study. We hypothesized that adjunctive CBD use would positively impact participants’ quality of life and psychological well-being. Participants were followed for a period of approximately six months – for approximately one month prior to the initiation of CBD use and approximately five months after. At three time points, participants provided urine samples and completed behavioral questionnaires that assessed quality of life, anxiety/depression, and adverse events. Results Analyses showed a statistically significant improvement in quality of life, a statistically significant decrease in anxiety symptoms, and a statistically significant decrease in the experience of adverse events over time (p < 0.05). Urinalysis revealed the majority of participants had no CBD/metabolites in their system at the beginning of the study, and confirmed the presence of CBD/metabolites in participants’ urine after CBD was added to their treatment regime. Conclusion These results suggest that adjunctive use of artisanal CBD may be beneficial for the behavioral and psychological symptoms of TRE and may improve medication tolerability.
RNA-seq Parent-of-Origin Classification with Machine Learning applied to Alignment Features
Authors: Miller Jason R , Adjeroh Donald A
Published: August 2023

Background
Parent-of-origin allele-specific gene expression (ASE) can be detected in interspecies hybrids by virtue of RNA sequence variants between the parental haplotypes. ASE is detectable by differential expression analysis (DEA) applied to the counts of RNA-seq read pairs aligned to parental references, but aligners do not always choose the correct parental reference.
Results
We used public data from four species pairs that are known to hybridize. For each pair, we obtained RNA-seq read pairs from both species and measured our ability to assign each read to its proper species by comparing reads to the transcriptome or genome references. We tested four software packages that assign each read pair to a reference position and found that they often favored the incorrect species reference. To address this problem, we introduce a post process that extracts alignment features and trains a random forest classifier to choose the better alignment. On each dataset tested, our machine-learning post-processor achieved higher accuracy than the aligner by itself at choosing the correct species per RNA-seq read pair.
Conclusions
For the parent-of-origin classification of RNA-seq, machine learning can improve the accuracy of alignment-based methods. This approach should be useful for enhancing ASE detection in interspecies hybrids. We believe this is the first application of machine learning to this problem domain.
A novel dual-component radar signals modulation recognition method based CNN-ST
Authors: Wan Chenxia , Zhang Qinghui
Published: August 2023

This paper presents a randomly overlapping dual-component radar signals recognition method based on a convolutional neural network-swin transformer (CNN-ST) under different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), for improving the lower recognition performance and the higher computational costs of the conventional methods. To enhance the feature representation ability and decrease the loss of the detailed features of dual-component radar signals under different SNR, the swin transformer is adopted and integrated into the designed CNN model. An inverted residual structure and lightweight depthwise convolutions are used to maintain the powerful representational ability. The results show that the dual-component radar signals recognition accuracy of the proposed CNN-ST is up to 82.58% at -8 dB, which shows the better recognition performance of the CNN-ST over others. The dual-component radar signals recognition accuracies under different SNR are all more than 88%, which verified that the CNN-ST achieves better recognition accuracy under different SNR. The recognition performance of 2FSK-EQFM, 2FSK-LFM, 2FSK-NS, EQFM-LFM, EQFM-NS, and LFM-NS are up to 94.44%, 93.33%, 88.89%, 95.56%, 87.78%, and 94.44% at SNR of -8 dB, respectively. This work offers essential guidance in enhancing dual-component radar signals recognition under different SNR and promoting actual applications.
A Novel Defect Detection Method for Gear System Based on EEWT and DELM
Authors: Huang Xuebin , Liu Hongbing , Chen Fangyuan , Ye Bingcheng
Published: August 2023

Gear system is the one of the most important components of station wagon, so it is very important to study the defect detection method for gear system of station wagon. Defect detection for gear system of station wagon by extensive empirical wavelet decomposition and deep extreme learning machine is proposed in this paper. As the features the time-frequency image based on extensive empirical wavelet decomposition (EEWT) are clearer than those of empirical wavelet decomposition (EWT), EEWT is used to decompose the vibration signals of gear system of station wagon, and create the time-frequency images of the vibration signals of gear system of station wagon. Deep extreme learning machine (DELM) is formed by stacking multi-layer extreme learning auto-encoders, so it can extract higher-level features and has higher classification and recognition accuracy than traditional ELM, thus, DELM is used to defect detection for gear system of station wagon. The experimental results demonstrates that the defect detection accuracy of EEWT-DELM is higher than EWT-DELM,EWT-ELM, and traditional ELM, and EEWT-DELM is suitable for defect detection of gear system of station wagon.
Optimizing Reinforced Concrete Structures: A Comparative Investigation of Diverse Wire Mesh Configurations
Authors: Mebrahtom Misgina , Fissha Yewuhalashet , Ali Mujahid , Gebretsadik Angesom , Kide Yemane , Nguse Zaid , Gebrehiwot Zemicael
Published: August 2023

The current study use varied steel wire meshes in lightweight concrete to investigate the effects on mechanical properties in lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC). There were three types of steel wire mesh used: hexagonal (chicken) wire mesh, welded square wire mesh, and expanded metal mesh in various layers and orientations in LWAC. Several mechanical properties such as flexural strength (FS), compressive strength (CS), and energy absorption (EA) were investigated. A total of 45 prisms specimens with dimension of 100x100x500mm ( width x depth x length) was casted for FS, 33 cube specimens were prepared for CS 150x150x150mm, whereas 45 specimens were costed for EA tests with a dimension of 400x300x75mm (LxWxH) respectively for 14 days of curing. The experimental results shows that the wire mesh as an additional reinforcement in the beam, enhanced the flexural behavior of the beam by distributing the forces along the section. The increment of the flexural resistance of the reinforced concrete due to the addition of one layer of chicken wire mesh, welded square wire mesh, and expanded metal mesh is 52.96%, 23.76%, and 22.2% respectively. The flexural strength in one-layer hexagonal wire mesh shows the highest FS which is 29.49MPa compared to the rest of the layers. However, the lowest FS were found in the wire mesh with one layer in all three meshes (hexagonal, welded, and expanded). There is a gradual decrease in the CS of concrete incorporating LWAC by increasing the layers of the hexagonal, welded, and expended wire mesh. The highest CS were found in the hexagonal wire mesh with one layer that is 36.56MPa. There is no such variation in the CS of combination of all three types of meshes and were found 29.79MPa. The highest energy was recorded in the expanded and chicken wire mesh with three layers before the ultimate failure that 1108.7 and 1425.6 Joul whereas, for welded square wire mesh, the highest energy absorption (752.3Joul) were found in the combination of three layer. For the first layer of hexagonal wire mesh reinforced concrete, the energy absorption was increased by 82.81% before crack whereas, it increases 88.34% before ultimate failure. Finally, it was concluded and recommended that hexagonal wire mesh outperforms than welded and expanded wire meshes.
Extra-facet puncture PVP in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures
Authors: Zheng Huo-Liang , Li Bo , Jiang Qin-Yu , Jiang Lei-Sheng , Zheng Xin-Feng , Jiang Sheng-Dan
Published: August 2023

PURPOSE To assess the safety and efficacy of the extra-facet puncture technique applied in unilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for treating osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). METHODS Demographics (age, gender, body mass index and underlying diseases) were recorded for analyzing. VAS (Visual analogue scale) and ODI (Oswestry Disability Index) scores as well as their corresponding MCID (minimal clinically important difference) were used to evaluate clinical outcomes. The segmental kyphotic angle, the vertebral compression ratio and bone cement distribution pattern were evaluated by the plain radiographs. The facet joint violation (FJV) was defined by the postoperative computed tomography (CT) scan. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate relationships between multiple risk factors and residual back pain. RESULTS VAS and ODI scores in both traditional puncture group and extra-facet puncture group were significantly decreased after PVP surgery (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups according to VAS and ODI scores. The proportion of patients achieving MCID of VAS and ODI scores was higher in extra-facet puncture group as compared to traditional puncture group within a month (p<0.05). Finally, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that FJV (odds ratio [OR]: 16.38, p<0.001) and unilateral bone cement distribution (OR: 5.576, p = 0.020) were significant predictors of residual back pain after PVP surgery. CONCLUSIONS Extra-facet puncture percutaneous vertebroplasty can decrease the risk of FJV and it also has the advantage of more satisfied bone cement distribution.
SAR1B contributes to progression of lung cancer via enhancing cell proliferation and migration
Authors: Wen Huanshun , Zhang Jin , Liang Chaoyang
Published: August 2023

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with increasing incidence. Secretion associated ras related GTPase 1B (SAR1B) encode a protein that responsible for protein transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. However, the exact involvement of SAR1B in lung cancer is not yet fully understood. In this study, clinical human lung cancer tissues and normal para-carcinoma tissues were analysed to identify the expression of SAR1B. We additionally evaluated the impact of SAR1B on malignant features of lung cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo by developing stable knockdown cell models for SAR1B. Our results revealed that SAR1B was highly expressed in lung cancer tissues, particularly in those that had advanced stages of the lung cancer, as compared with normal para-carcinoma tissues. Concomitantly, overexpression of SAR1Bwas associated with a shorter survival for patients with lung cancer. Moreover, SAR1B knockdown was shown to have a significant impact on suppressing the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells, while promoting cell apoptosis. Our in vivoexperiments further confirmed the the indispensable role of SAR1B on tumorigenesis. In conclusion, these results demonstrated the promoting role of SAR1B in proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells. SAR1B shows promise as a novel biomarker for lung cancer progression and has potential for use as a therapeutic target for patients with lung cancer.
Timing of Global Surface Water Transitions Reveals Anthropogenic Dominance of Recent Growth in Water Extent
Authors: Nagel Gustavo , Darby Stephen , Leyland Julian
Published: August 2023

The extent of coastal and inland surface water resources is constantly varying in response to complex interrelated processes, driven by natural and anthropogenic factors. Recent advance in satellite technology and cloud computing have enabled global-scale monitoring of the changing occurrence and extent of these surface water resources. However, until now, no previous study has sought to estimate the timing of these surface water changes at the global-scale. Here we introduce the first global-scale identification of the year when water advanced or receded within a given pixel, using a 38-year Landsat time series. Our methods focus exclusively on persistent changes in water features, filtering out seasonal or short-lived fluctuations. We use the new algorithm to map the timing of water advance and/or recession events globally, encompassing both inland water bodies and coastal dynamics. Additionally, the timing of water transitions enabled the identification of the primary drivers behind these changes. As a result, we identified that most of the large-scale water change events are related to human influence, such as damming, infrastructure failures and even conflicts. These combined factors contributed to a global shift, with accumulated water advancing surpassing water receding over time.
Circular RNA hsa_circ_0078767 regulates ferroptosis in lung cancer cells through miR-330-3p/p53 axis
Authors: Chen Ting , Jiang Hua , Lu Lin , Ye Lijuan , Hou Fei , Peng Xiaoqi , Wang Yinghui , Cai Haolin , Zheng Xihua
Published: August 2023

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been proved have a major impact on tumorigenesis. Whereas, the specific regulation of circRNAs during lung cancer progression is still need further investigation. Here, we found hsa_circ_0078767 was lowly expressed in lung cancer. Through CCK-8, colony formation, EdU staining, and flow cytometer apoptosis assays. We found that up-regulation of hsa_circ_0078767 repressed lung cancer cells proliferation and facilitated cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we identified the regulatory function of hsa_circ_0078767 on ferroptosis during the malignant development of lung cancer. Elevated iron, Fe2+, and ROS levels was found in hsa_circ_0078767 overexpressed lung cancer cells. Ferroptosis activator erastin reduces the cell viability, and the hsa_circ_0078767 overexpression reinforced erastin-induced inhibitory effect on lung cancer cells. Mechanically, hsa_circ_0078767 sponged miR-330-3p to affect p53 expression. Up-regulation of miR-330-3p and knockdown of p53 reversed the role of hsa_circ_0078767 overexpression on lung cancer cells. Taken together, hsa_circ_0078767 may be a new research highlights for inhibiting lung cancer by promoting ferroptosis in lung cancer cells.
Fire prediction using Machine Learning Algorithms based on the confusion matrix
Authors: Adil Korchi , Ahmed Abatal , Essaid Mohamed
Published: August 2023

In an earlier article, we outlined the process of developing a Machine Learning project that is often complex to establish, and that the problem must be broken down into several stages to facilitate its resolution [1]. We were able to identify 5 steps that we think are the most important to tackle such a project. These 5 steps are : the definition of the problem, the preparation of the data, the choice of the right algorithms, the optimization of the results and the presentation of the final results. In this manuscript, we will propose the application of different ways of evaluating classification models through an algorithm that predicts whether there is a fire in a given location or not. We are conscious that this problem is difficult to solve, especially when we have to predict the latter when there is none, do not predict when there is really one, or not predict when there is none. The method of this study will show how to choose the right algorithm and how to Evaluate it. The experiment shows promising results obtained thanks to the classification model algorithm and confusion matrix which provide fire detection accuracy around 92.71%.
Barriers to the father-adolescent sexual communication: Findings from a cross-sectional study in Iran
Authors: Nabavi Hadiseh Sadat , Ganji Jila , Mohammadpour Reza Ali , Hamidi Fatemeh , Shahhosseini Zohreh
Published: August 2023

Background
Most studies on parent-adolescent sexual communication have been conducted on mothers, whilst fathers' participation in this issue has not been adequately addressed. Hence, this study aimed to determine the barriers to sexual communication between fathers and adolescents.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was performed on 196 parents of adolescents aged 15 to 19 from August 2020 to January 2021 in northern Iran. A socio-demographic medical information form, the parent-adolescent sexual communication barriers questionnaire, and the sexual communication topics between parents and adolescents were used to gather information. A logistic regression test was administered using SPSS-26 to determine the barriers to sexual communication.
Results
The prevalence of father-girl sexual communication (51.1%) was lower than that of father-boy sexual communication (55.8%). The most frequent barriers to fathers' sexual communication with both genders were the adolescent's embarrassment and the possibility of provoking their curiosity about sex. The logistic regressions showed that adolescents' embarrassment and conveying not trusting them and approving of them having sex were barriers to father-adolescent sexual communication. Conversely, adolescents asking more private questions were positive predictors of father-adolescent sexual conversation.
Conclusion
Father-adolescent communication is one of the most critical aspects of parenting, though not an easy one. There is a need to develop appropriate interventions for empowering fathers to communicate with their adolescents about various sexual issues.
Integrative Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles of Substantia Nigra Identifies Potential Diagnosis Biomarkers in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Huang Junming , Li Bowen , Wei Huangwei , Li Chengxin , Liu Chao , Mi Hua , Chen Shaohua
Published: August 2023

Background
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease whose etiology is attributed to development of Lewy bodies and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Currently, there are no definitive diagnostic indicators for PD. In this study, we aimed to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers for PD and analyzed the impact of immune cell infiltrations on disease pathogenesis.
Method
The PD expression profile data for human SN tissue, GSE7621, GSE20141, GSE20159, GSE20163 and GSE20164 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database for use in the training model. After normalization and merging, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using the Robust rank aggregation strategy. Simultaneously, DEGs after batch correction were identified. Gene interactions were determined through Venn Diagram analysis. Functional analyses and protein-protein interaction networks were used to the identify hub genes, which were visualized through Cytoscape. A Lasso Cox regression model was employed to identify the potential diagnostic genes. The GSE20292 dataset was used for validation. The proportion of infiltrating immune cells in the samples were determined via the CIBERSORT method.
Results
Sixty-two DEGs were screened in this study. They were found to be enriched in nerve conduction, dopamine (DA) metabolism, and DA biosynthesis Gene Ontology terms. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Lasso Cox regression analysis revealed seven potential diagnostic genes that were subsequently validated in peripheral blood samples obtained from healthy control (HC) and PD patients, as well as in the GSE20292 dataset. The results revealed the exceptional sensitivity and specificity of these genes in PD diagnosis and monitoring. Moreover, PD patients exhibited a higher number of plasma cells, compared to HC individuals.
Conclusion
The SLC18A2, TAC1, PCDH8, KIAA0319, PDE6H, AXIN1, and AGTR1 are potential diagnostic biomarkers for PD. Our findings also reveal the essential roles of immune cell infiltration in both disease onset and trajectory.
Comparison of weighting methods of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in evaluation of flood hazard index
Authors: Esmaili Reza , Karipour Seydeh Atefeh
Published: August 2023

Preparing a map of flood hazard susceptibility is an important step in flood risk management. Therefore, it is necessary to use methods that reduce errors and increase accuracy in identifying flood hazard areas. This study was conducted with the aim of preparing a map of the flood hazard index (FHI) and evaluating subjective and objective multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) weighting methods. Talar basin on the north of Iran has been investigated as a case study for this research. Seven flood-influencing factors including elevation, slope, flow accumulation, distance from the river, rainfall intensity, land cover, and geology were used to create a flood hazard map. The weighting of these factors has been performed by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), sensitivity analysis of AHP (AHPS), Shannon Entropy (SE), and Entropy-AHP. The maps created with the data of past floods were validated with ROC and Kappa index methods. The results showed that the FHI-SE method was more accurate than other methods with an accuracy value of 0.979. FHI-SEA, FHIS, and FHI methods were placed in the next priorities, respectively. Based on the SE method, the factors of distance from the river, elevation, and slope respectively have obtained the highest weight value in creating the flood hazard index map. Different classifications of distance from river variables separately for mountains and plains can reduce the overestimation of flood hazard areas in mountainous areas. The objective weighting method has provided more accuracy than the subjective weighting method such as AHP.
Rapamycin Protects Mouse Skin from Ultraviolet B-Induced Photodamage by Modulating Hspb2-Mediated Autophagy and Apoptosis
Authors: Li Ang , Chen Ai-Jun , Xu Jing , Wen Zhu-Yuan , Bai Gen-Long , Wang Zi-Yue , Jiang Yu-Xin , Wang Ping
Published: August 2023

Continuous exposure to UVB is the main extrinsic cause of skin photodamage, which is associated with oxidative stress, DNA damage, apoptosis and degradation of collagen. Rapamycin, a mechanistic target inhibitor of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), has been shown to play a crucial role anti-tumor and aging retardation, but its mechanism of action in UVB-induced photodamage still remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of rapamycin and Hspb2(also known as Hsp27)in UVB-induced photodamage in mice. Histological results showed that knockout of the hspb2 exacerbated the skin damage, as evidenced by thickening of the epidermis, breakage and disruption of collagen fibers and reduction in their number, which is reversed by rapamycin treatment. In addition, hspb2 knockout promoted UVB-induced apoptosis and reduced autophagy levels, with a significant increase in p53 levels and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, a reduction in LC3II/I ratio and an increase in p62 levels in the KO mice compared to those in WT mice after the same dose of UVB irradiation. Rapamycin was also found to inhibit collagen degradation induced by hspb2 knockdown through activation of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. There is some evidence that rapamycin may alleviate UVB-induced photodamage.