bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of Concentrated Lignocellulosic Nanofibrils Suspension
Authors: Wang Ping , Huang Luyao , He Lilong , Gao Wenhua , Zeng Jinsong , Wang Bin , Xu Jun , Wang Zhiwei
Published: August 2021

Lignocellulosic nanofibrils (LCNF) is usually isolated from biomass with concentration less than 2.0 wt%. The low concentration limited the transportation and end-use application of LCNF. Therefore, the development of concentration process and the characteristics of concentrated LCNF become desirable and important for commercial deployment of LCNF application. In this study, 1.0 wt% LCNF suspension was dewatered to solid concentration of 5.9 wt%, 16.3 wt% and 25.9 wt% by a centrifuge, respectively. The un-concentrated LCNF suspension showed obviously stable translucent and well dispersed in water, while the concentrated LCNF exhibited the gel-like behavior or “solid-like” behavior based on the concentration degree. The bundle-like fibrils were observed in the concentrated LCNF, and average diameter of concentrated LCNF became large but still less than 100 nm. The crystallinity and crystallite size of un-concentrated LCNF and concentrated LCNF were similar, and it was indicated that the morphological structure changes of LCNF mainly occurred in the amorphous region of fibrils. The concentrated LCNF films still had relatively good UV-blocking property, water absorption and oxygen permeability. The increasing basis weight of films was benefit for enhancing the surface smoothness of films and interweaves between fibrils, resulting in the tensile index and specific modulus of films increasing. In sum, the concentration process affected the morphology structure of LCNF, but the concentrated LCNF still kept relatively good properties. Concentration process of LCNF suspension may be a feasible strategy for large-scale LCNF production and storage.
Genetic Diversity and Differentiation of Alpinia Oxyphylla Miquel as Revealed by AFLP Markers
Authors: Pan Kun , Hou Jie , Su Wenqin , Yi Bo , Gao Bingmiao
Published: August 2021

In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity and population structure of 90 A. oxyphylla accessions from Hainan island using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. These 90 accessions were composed of 15 populations from different geographic locations and divided into 4 clusters (A, B, C, and D) using the Unweighted pair group method based on arithmetic average (UPGMA). The genetic similarity between individuals ranged from 0.47 to 1.00 (average of 0.74), and most accessions from the same geographic population were grouped together. Principal coordinate analysis (PCA) showed a clear distinction among three clusters (A, B and C). Based on the loci information, the population structure analysis results by STRUCTURE and TESS were consistent with the clustering of PCA. Nine AFLP primer combinations generated 1537 polymorphic bands displaying rich polymorphism, thus indicating high genetic diversity among these 15 populations with an average Nei’s gene diversity of 0.1328 ± 0.160. In conclusion, AFLP markers efficiently analyzed the genetic diversity in A. oxyphylla, demonstrating highly significant genetic variation within and among populations. However, intrapopulation genetic variance was much higher than interpopulation variability, suggesting that efforts should be made for in situ germplasm conservation and resistant varieties cultivation.
Identification of Four Serum miRNAs as Potential Markers to Screen for Thirteen Cancer Types
Authors: Chen Joe W. , Dhahbi Joseph
Published: August 2021

Introduction: Cancer has consistently remained one of the top causes of death in the United States every year, with many cancer deaths preventable if detected early. Circulating serum miRNAs pose as a promising, minimally invasive supplement, or even alternative, to many current screening procedures. Many studies have shown that different serum miRNAs can discriminate healthy individuals from those with certain types of cancer. Although many of those miRNAs are often reported to be significant in one cancer type, they are also altered in other types of cancers. Currently, very few studies have investigated serum miRNA biomarkers for multiple different cancer types simultaneously for general cancer screening.Method: To identify serum miRNAs that would be useful in simultaneously screening multiple types of cancers, microarray cancer datasets were curated, yielding 13 different types of cancer with a total of 3352 cancer samples and 2809 non-cancer samples. The samples were then divided into discovery and validation sets. A hundred random forest models were built using the discovery set to select candidate miRNAs. The selected miRNAs were then used in the validation set to see how well they can differentiate cancer from normal samples in an independent dataset. Further analysis of the interactions between these miRNAs and their target mRNAs were investigated as well.Result: The random forest models achieved an average of 97% accuracy in the discovery set with 95% bootstrap confidence interval from 0.9544 to 0.9778. The selected miRNAs were hsa-miR-663a, hsa-miR-6802-5p, hsa-miR-6784-5p, hsa-miR-3184-5p, and hsa-miR-8073. Each individual miRNA exhibited high area under the curve (AUC) value using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Moreover, the combination of four out of the five miRNAs achieved the highest AUC value of 0.9815 with perfect sensitivity, indicating that these miRNAs have a high potential for cancer screening. miRNA-mRNA interaction and protein-protein interaction analysis provided insights into how these miRNAs may play a role in cancer in general.
Comparative Study of Functional Outcomes between OTA/AO type C, Gustilo type I/II Open Fractures and Closed Fractures of the Distal Humerus Treated by Open Reduction and Internal Fixation.
Authors: chen Chen , Xiao Dan , Li Ting , Gong Maoqi , Zha Yejun , Hua Kehan , Sun Weitong , Ji Shangwei , Jiang Xieyuan
Published: August 2021

Background: To evaluate the difference of functional outcomes between OTA/AO type C, Gustilo type I/II open fractures and closed fractures of the distal humerus after open reduction and internal fixation.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with OTA/AO-C distal humerus fractures who were treated in our department from January 2014 to December 2016. The patients were divided into an open fracture group and a closed fracture group. Their baseline characteristics and functional outcomes were analyzed and comparedResults: A total of 64 patients treated by operative fixation were identified (25 open and 39 closed injuries), and the average follow-up time was 35.1±13.6 months. There were no significant differences in the hospitalization time, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, medical costs, range of motion (ROM) of the elbow, Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score, or complications between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion: OTA/AO type C, Gustilo I/II distal humeral open fractures can yield satisfactory clinical results similar to those of closed distal humeral fractures after open reduction and internal fixation.Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III; Retrospective Cohort Comparison; Treatment Study.
Structure, Defects and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Al-doped and Al/Nd Co-doped Ba4Nd9.33Ti18O54 Ceramics
Authors: Guo Weijia , Ma Zhiyu , Luo Yu , Chen Yugu , Yue Zhenxing , Li Longtu
Published: August 2021

Ba4Nd9.33Ti18-zAl4z/3O54 (BNT-A, 0 ≤ z ≤ 2) and Ba4Nd9.33+z/3Ti18-zAlzO54 (BNT-AN, 0 ≤ z ≤ 2) ceramics were prepared by solid state method, and the effects of the two doping methods on microwave dielectric properties were compared. As the doping amount z increased, the relative dielectric constant (εr) and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) values of the ceramics decreased, and the quality factor (Q, usually expressed by Q×f, where f is the resonant frequency) of the ceramics obviously increased when z ≤ 1.5. With the same z value, the εr and Q×f values of Al/Nd co-doped ceramics are both higher than those of Al-doped ceramics. Rietveld refinement, Raman spectroscopy and thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) technique were applied to clarify the relationship among the structure, defects and microwave dielectric properties. It is shown that the Q×f values of those ceramics were closely related to the strength of the A-site cation vibration and the concentration of oxygen vacancies (B). Excellent microwave dielectric properties of εr = 72.2, Q×f = 16480 GHz, and τf = +14.3 ppm/℃ were achieved in BNT-AN ceramics with z = 1.25.
Microsatellite Instability Analysis and Its Prognostic Value in Invasive Nonampullary Duodenal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Yang Guang , Tanaka Takehiro , Kinugasa Hideaki , Kanzaki Hiromitsu , Chen Xi Meng , Ichimura Koichi , Nakagawa Masahiro , Jin Shun Zai , Zheng Yi Ru , Yoshino Tadashi
Published: August 2021

Purpose: Nonampullary duodenal adenocarcinoma is a rare disease. Although several prognostic factors have been reported for this disease, they remain controversial due to their rarity. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 54 cases of invasive nonampullary duodenal adenocarcinoma, focusing on the microsatellite instability phenotype, PD-L1 expression, and prognostic factors. Methods: Expression of the PD-L1 protein and cell differentiation markers in tumors was detected by immunohistochemistry. Microsatellite markers (NR-21, NR-22, NR-24, BAT-25 and BAT-26) were amplified for MSI assessment by PCR.Results: The incidence of microsatellite instability in invasive nonampullary duodenal adenocarcinoma was 35.2%. No significant correlation between the microsatellite instability phenotype and clinicopathological factors was observed. Positive expression of PD-L1 by immune cells was common in advanced-stage disease (P=0.054), and positive expression of PD-L1 in cancer cells correlated significantly with the histologically undifferentiated type (P=0.016). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated a significantly better overall survival in patients with microsatellite instability (P=0.013) and at early-stage disease (P=0.000) than in those with microsatellite stability or at late tumor stages. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that microsatellite instability (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.282, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.106-0.751, p=0.011) and early tumor stage (stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ) (hazard ratio [HR]: 8.81, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.545-30.500, p=0.001) were independent better prognostic factors of overall survival. Conclusions: Microsatellite instability and early tumor stage (stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ) were independent better prognostic factors of overall survival. A high proportion of microsatellite instability phenotypes and positive PD-L1 expression may be helpful for identifying immune checkpoint inhibitors as a novel therapeutic strategy.
Spatial and Temporal Expression of High Mobility Group Nucleosome-Binding (HMGN) Genes in Brain Areas Associated With Cognition in Individuals With Down Syndrome
Authors: Rodriguez-Ortiz Alejandra , Montoya-Villegas Julio Cesar , García-Vallejo Felipe , Mina-Paz Yecid
Published: August 2021

Background: DNA methylation and histone posttranslational modifications are epigenetics processes which contribute to neurophenotype of Down Syndrome (DS). Previous reports present strong evidence that nonhistone High mobility group N proteins (HMGN) are epigenetic regulators. They play important functions in several process to maintain the brain homeostasis. We aimed to analyze the differential expression of five human HMGN genes along some brain structures and age ranks from DS postmorten brain samples.Methodology: We performed a computational analysis of human HMGN expression from a DNA microarray experiment data (GEO database ID GSE59630). Using the transformed log2 data, we analyzed the differential expression of five HMGN genes in several brain areas associated with cognition in patients with DS. Moreover, using information from several genome databases, we explore the coexpression and protein interactions with the histones of nucleosome core particle and linker H1 histone. Results: We registered that HMGN1 and HMGN5 were significantly overexpressed in hippocampus and areas of prefrontal cortex including DFC, OFC and VFC of DS patients. Age ranks comparisons between euploid control and DS individuals showed that HMGN2 and HMGN4 were overexpressed in the DS brain of 16 to 22 weeks of gestation. From BioGRID database we registered high interaction scores of HMGN2 and HMGN4 with Hist1H1A and Hist1H2BA, Hist2AG, and Hist1H3A respectively. Conclusions: Overall our results give strong evidence to propose that DS would be an epigenetics-based aneuploidy. Remodeling the brain chromatin by HMGN1 and HMGN5 would essential pathway in the modification of brain homeostasis in DS.
Evaluating Caregivers’ Service Quality Perceptions: Impact-Range Performance and Asymmetry Analyses
Authors: Wang Wen-Fu , Chen Chun-Min , Jhang Kai-Ming , Su Yung-Yu
Published: August 2021

Background: This study aimed to analyze family caregivers’ (FCs) dementia care service perceptions to identify the various attributes impacting FCs satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey study using convenience sampling methods. A self-completion questionnaire was developed from the Service Quality scale and distributed using a convenience sampling method to family caregivers in community-based dementia care centers to determine their perceptions of service quality in dementia care. A total of 155 questionnaires were collected; however, 95 were included for data analysis after questionnaires with incomplete and biased data were eliminated. This study employed Impact Range Performance Analysis (IRPA) and Impact Asymmetry Analysis (IAA) to analyze the data obtained from FCs across five attribute dimensions (Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy). Priorities for service improvement were derived using a three-step analytical framework.Results: This study reported that the overall perceived performance of service provided is high. The results indicated that practitioners should focus on attributes such as demand coordination, appropriate services, timely service, barrier-free environment, care-giving process, fire and safety compliance, professional knowledge, and reliable services, which have a higher range of impact on customer service and low impact-asymmetry and attribute performance scores. Conclusion: This study used expectation and perceived performance to suggest that the priorities for improvement and resource allocation in dementia care centers vary across different attributes. Thus, attentiveness toward satisfying user demand could improve patient care and caregiver satisfaction. The dimensions and attributes identiﬁed by our study can serve as basic data for future research on the long-term care system.
KLRK1 as a Prognostic Biomarker for Lung Adenocarcinoma Cancer
Authors: Zhang Yanan , Chen Zeyang , Gao Guanqi
Published: August 2021

Background. Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancy worldwide and causes estimated 1.6 million deaths each year. Cancer immunosurveillance has been found to play an important role in lung cancer and may be related with its prognosis. KLRK1, encoding NKG2D, is a homodimeric lectin-like receptor. However, there has not been one research of KLRK1 as a biomarker in lung cancer.Methods. Data including patients` clinical characteristics and RNAseq information of KLRK1 from TCGA were downloaded. A total of 1019 patients with lung cancer were included in this study, among which 407 patients were female and 611 patients were male. Evaluations of mRNA expression, diagnostic value by ROC (Receiver operating characteristic) curves and prognostic value by survival curve, Cox model and subgroup analysis were performed. The CCK-8 assay investigated the proliferation rate and the wound healing assay assessed the migratory ability in vitro.Results. The expression of KLRK1 in tumor was lower than that in normal tissue. KLRK1 expression was associated with gender, histologic grade, stage, T classification and vital status. Patients with high KLRK1 expression presented an improved overall survival (P=0.0036) and relapse free survival (P=0.0031). KLRK1 was found to have significant prognostic value in lung adenocarcinoma (P=0.015), stage I/II (P=0.03), older patients (P=0.0052), and male (P=0.0047) by subgroup overall survival analysis, and in lung adenocarcinoma (P=0.0094), stage I/II (P=0.0076), older patients (P=0.0072) , and male (P=0.0033) by subgroup relapse free survival analysis. Lung adenocarcinoma cancer patients with high KLRK1 expression presented an improved overall survival (P=0.015) and relapse free survival (P=0.0094). In vitro studies indicated that KLRK1 inhibited tumor cell proliferation and migration.Conclusions. KLRK1 was an independent prognostic factor and high KLRK1 expression indicated a better overall and relapse free survival. KLRK1 may be a prognostic biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma cancer.
In vitro effect of codeine on human sperm motility and DNA integrity
Authors: Akhigbe Roland Eghoghosoa , Hamed Moses Agbomhere , Ajayi Lydia Oluwatoyin , Anyogu Davinson Chuka , Ajayi Ayodeji Folorunsho
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study assessed the in vitro effect of codeine, a popular drug of abuse, on human spermatozoa motility, plasma membrane integrity, DNA integrity, and oxidative stress.
Materials and Methods

Semen samples were collected from fifteen healthy donors and conventional semen analysis was carried out per the guideline of the World Health Organization. Direct Swim-up technique was performed to obtain highly motile sperm. Samples were incubated at 34.5°C with different concentrations (0, 0.1, 1, 5 and 10 mM) of codeine. The non-exposed (0 mM) was used as the control group. Sperm motility and DNA integrity were assessed at 30, 60, and 90 minutes, while sperm membrane integrity and sperm 8-OHdG level were determined at 90 minutes.
Results

Codeine at any tested concentration significantly reduced sperm motility and plasma membrane integrity but increased sperm 8-OHdG level compared to the control in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, codeine at 1, 5, and 10 mM markedly increased sperm DNA damage. In addition, correlation study showed that sperm 8OHdG level was negatively associated with sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, and DNA integrity.
Conclusions

Codeine may impair human spermatozoa fertilization capacity by inducing sperm dysmotility and damage to the sperm plasma membrane and DNA through an oxidative stress-dependent mechanism.
Simulator Acceleration and Inverse Design of Fin Field-Effect Transistors Using Machine Learning
Authors: Kim Insoo , Park So Jeong , Jeong Changwook , Shim Munbo , Kim Dae Sin , Kim Gyu-Tae , Seok Junhee
Published: August 2021

The simulation and design of electronic devices such as transistors is vital for the semiconductor industry. Conventionally, a device is intuitively designed and simulated using model equations, which is a time-consuming and expensive process. However, recent machine learning approaches provide an unprecedented opportunity to improve these tasks by training the underlying relationships between the device design and the specifications derived from the extensively accumulated simulation data. This study implements various machine learning approaches for the simulation acceleration and inverse-design problems of fin field-effect transistors. In comparison to traditional simulators, the proposed neural network model demonstrated almost equivalent results (R2 = 0.99) and was more than 122,000 times faster in simulation. Moreover, the proposed inverse-design model successfully generated design parameters that satisfied the desired target specifications with high accuracies (R2 = 0.96). Overall, the results demonstrated that the proposed machine learning models aided in achieving efficient solutions for the simulation and design problems pertaining to electronic devices. Thus, the proposed approach can be further extended to more complex devices and other vital processes in the semiconductor industry.
Safety and toxicity of human limbus-derived stromal/mesenchymal stem cells with and without alginate encapsulation for clinical application
Authors: Damala Mukesh , Pakalapati Naveen , Singh Vivek , Basu Sayan
Published: August 2021

Background

The purpose of this study was to assess the ocular and systemic toxicity of topically applied human limbus-derived stromal/mesenchymal stem cells (hLMSCs) with and without alginate encapsulation as per Indian regulatory guidelines for stem cell therapy.
Methods

The hLMSCs were obtained from cadaveric corneoscleral rims and expanded in a current good manufacturing practice compliant laboratory. The hLMSCs were checked for viability, chromosomal stability, growth kinetics, contamination, and endotoxin levels. Cells with (En+ hLMSCs) or without (En− hLMSCs) alginate encapsulation were used for the animal experiments. The study involved 3 groups of 6 New Zealand white rabbits each, which underwent corneal wounding followed by treatment with sham (G1), En− hLMSCs (G2), and En+ hLMSCs cells (G3). Ophthalmic assessment including intraocular pressure (IOP), blood investigations and inflammatory marker (IL-6, TNF-α, IgE) expression in serum and tears were assessed on days 1, 7, 14, 21, and day 28. At the end of 28 days, the animals were sacrificed, and the organs were subjected to histopathological examination.
Results

The hLMSCs had 88.33 ± 2.37% viability at the end of 6 hours and 78.21 ± 1.47% at the end of 24 hours. The cells showed positive expression for the stem-cell biomarkers (p63α, Pax6, and ABCG2), extracellular matrix marker (Col-III) and mesenchymal biomarkers (VIM, CD73, CD90 and CD105). No contamination by the Mycoplasma species was found in either of the En-/En + hLMSCs and the levels of bacterial endotoxins in the En- hLMSCs and En + hLMSCs cell suspension was found be within the permissible levels (≤ 0.12 EU/mL). Ophthalmic examination showed no significant difference in IOP, corneal clarity and conjunctival congestion between the three groups at every time point. Haematological parameters were comparable between the three groups. The inflammatory markers in tear and serum (TNF-α and IL-6) were not significantly elevated in the groups receiving En+/En− hLMSCs. Histological examination did not show any abnormality in the ocular or corneal tissue, and the viscera.
Conclusions

The results of the study show that hLMSCs do not cause any local or systemic toxicity in recipients, implying that these cells are safe for clinical use and their efficacy can be assessed in human clinical trials.
Utilization of HBV Surface Antigen Positive Grafts in Liver Transplantation: A Matched Study Based on a National Registry Cohort
Authors: Yu Songfeng , Cen Cao , Zhang Xuanyu , Cheng Longyu , Xia Weiliang , Jia Junjun , Ye Yufu , Yu Jun , Zhang Min , Shen Yan , Zheng Shusen
Published: August 2021

Background and purposeDonor shortage has become worldwide limitation in liver transplantation. Use of HBsAg+ donors could be an alternative source of donor organs. This study aims to prove the safety and efficacy of liver transplantation using HBsAg+ liver grafts and its long-term outcome.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of adults liver transplantation registered in the database of the China Liver Transplant Registry between January 2015 and September 2018. By propensity score matching (1:1), 503 eligible patients who received HBsAg+ liver grafts were compared with 503 matched patients who received HBsAg- liver grafts.ResultsThe 1-, 3- and 4-year patient survival rates were 81.52%, 72.04% and 70.03% in HBsAg+ donor group, that were comparable to 83.93%, 77.27% and 75.52% in HBsAg- donor group (p=0.222). The 1-, 3- and 4-year graft survival rates were also comparable between the two groups (81.49%, 71.45% and 70.24% vs. 83.62%, 77.11% and 75.32%, respectively, p=0.243). Most main complications were not increased in HBsAg+ donor group except for the retaining of HBsAg positivity after liver transplantation. Furthermore, transplanting HBsAg+ liver grafts did not result in inferior outcomes either in HBsAg+ or HBsAg- recipients. The risk of tumor recurrence after liver transplantation was neither increased in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Conclusions﻿The outcomes of using HBsAg+ liver grafts were comparable with those of HBsAg- liver grafts. Our study provided strong evidence for the safe use of HBsAg+ grafts to expand the donor liver pool.
Better vascular healing of ultrathin strut biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stents in patients with acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Kawamura Akito , Egami Yasuyuki , Kawanami Shodai , Sugae Hiroki , Ukita Kohei , Nakamura Hitoshi , Matsuhiro Yutaka , Yasumoto Koji , Tsuda Masaki , Okamoto Naotaka , Matsunaga-Lee Yasuharu , Yano Masamichi , Nishino Masami , Tanouchi Jun
Published: August 2021

This study aimed to compare the strut coverage between Orsiro ultrathin struts biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents (O-SES) and Xience thin struts durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents (X-EES) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients using optical coherence tomography (OCT). In BIOSTEMI trial, O-SESs were superior to X-EESs with respect to target lesion failure (TLF) in ACS patients. However, there were few reports comparing intravascular imaging between the two stents in ACS. Between August 2016 and February 2020, 50 lesions from 50 ACS patients who underwent OCT-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were enrolled. We compared mid-term vascular healing using OCT between O-SESs and X-EESs at 8-month after stenting. The protocol was approved by the Osaka Rosai Hospiral ethics committee. Among 50 lesions, the X-EES group consisted of 25 lesions and the O-SES of 25 lesions. The percentage of covered strut, the percentage of malapposed strut and mean neointimal thickness at 8-month were evaluated. In the 8-month OCT analysis, the proportion of covered strut was significantly higher in the O-SES group than in in the X-EES group (97.3% vs. 86.0%; p = 0.001). On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the frequency of malapposed strut (0.4% vs 1.0%, p = 0.238). The O-SES group had the tendency of thinner neointima compared to the X-EES group (60µm vs 76µm, p = 0.089). Compared to X-EESs, O-SESs showed better mid-term vascular healing and tended to have thinner neointima in ACS patients. Ultra-thin strut may play a key role in better vascular healing.
Network structure optimization for social networks by minimizing the average path length
Authors: Du Wei , Li Gang , He Xiaochen
Published: August 2021

Network structure plays an important role in the natural and social sciences. Optimization of network structure in achieving specified goals has been a major research focus. In this paper, we propose a definition of structural optimization in terms of minimizing the network’s average path length (APL) by adding edges. We suggest a memetic algorithm to find the minimum-APL solution by adding edges. Experiments show that the proposed algorithm can solve this problem efficiently. Further, we find that APL will ultimately decrease linearly in the process of adding edges, which is affected by the network diameter.
Role of methylation-related genes and microRNA revealed from RNA-Seq study of FHB susceptible hexaploid wheat NIL in response to pathogen stress
Authors: Kharbikar Lalit Laxman , Shanware Arti S. , Nandanwar Shweta K. , Saharan Mahender S. , Marathe Ashish , Mishra Neeti S. , Edwards Simon G.
Published: August 2021

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a most important crop among the cereals, accounts for over 20% of the total calories and protein available in human food. However, Fusarium graminearum, a devastating Fusarium head blight (FHB) pathogen of wheat, poses a greater threat to quality wheat grain production as it produces obnoxious mycotoxins. Presently, FHB is a minor disease in India but can cause significant yield and quality losses if rain occurs during mid-anthesis. In plants, epigenetics including DNA methylation and sRNA accumulation regulates gene expression and plays a definitive role in the adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. In a previous study response of wheat to F. graminearum was investigated through transcriptome analysis of lines differing for 2DL FHB resistance QTLs. However, a comprehensive analysis of methylation-related genes in response to pathogen was not performed in that study or any other studies. We re-analyzed the RNA-Seq data of said study to reveal the roles of methylation-related genes in response to F. graminearum. Sixteen methylation-related genes were down-regulated in a susceptible line, 2-2890 (pedigree of line). GO associated these genes with L-methionine salvage from methylthioadenosine and S-adenosylmethionine and steroid biosynthesis (p-value 0.001). Co-expression analysis of this NIL with methionine S-methyl-transferase gene (MSM; TraesCS1A02G013800) resulted in 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR; TraesCS5A02G269300). HMGCR was negatively correlated (-1.00) with genes encoding pathogenesis-related and detoxification proteins and xylanase inhibitors. GO associated these genes with methionine S-methyl transferase (p-value 0.001). Expression of HMGCR was higher (Log2 levels from 3.25 to 4.00) in pathogen inoculated compared to MSM (Log2 levels from 1.25 to 3.25) in mock-inoculated samples. 43 genes were down-regulated by miR9678. These genes are associated with responses to biotic stimulus and glucan endo-1,4-beta-glucanase in GO.
The effects and possible mechanism of action of apolipoprotein M on the growth of breast cancer cells
Authors: Zhou Ying , Yao Shuang , Yu Miaomei , Wei Jiang , Fang Qi , Xu Ning , Luo Guanghua
Published: August 2021

Background: To investigate the effects and mechanism of action of apolipoprotein M (ApoM) on the growth of breast cancer (BC) cells.Methods and Results: Bioinformatics, cell experiments and animal experiments were used to verify the effect of ApoM on breast cancer cell lines and breast tumor growth in vivo. ApoM expression was significantly reduced in BC tissues, and patients with lower ApoM mRNA expression had a poorer prognosis (P<0.0001). Besides, ApoM can partially inhibit the proliferative, migratory and invasive processes of BC cells. In vivo, the difference between ApoM-OE and NC groups was no significant. The level of vitamin D receptor (VDR) protein in MDA-MB-231 cells was increased by overexpression of ApoM (P<0.05), while in MCF-7 cells, VDR levels decreased (P<0.05).Conclusions: ApoM can partially inhibit the growth of BC cells. VDR may play a role, but is not the main pathway.
Supergiant porphyry Cu deposits are failed large eruptions
Authors: Chiaradia Massimo , Caricchi Luca
Published: August 2021

Porphyry copper deposits, the principal natural source of Cu and Mo, form at convergent margins. Copper is precipitated from fluids associated with cooling magmas that have formed in the mantle and evolved at variably deep crustal levels, before raising close to the surface where they exsolve fluids and copper. Despite significant advances in the understanding of their formation, there are still underexplored aspects of the genesis of porphyry copper deposits. Here, we address the role played by magma injection rates into the shallow crust on the formation of porphyry copper deposits with different copper endowments. Using a mass balance approach, we show that supergiant porphyry Cu deposits (>10 Mt Cu) require magma volumes and magma injection rates typical of large volcanic eruptions. Because such volcanic events would destroy magmatic-hydrothermal systems or prevent their formation, the largest porphyry Cu deposits can be considered as failed large eruptions and this may be one of the causes of their rarity.
Characterization and Quantification of Meteorological Drought in the Oued El-Abid Watershed, Central High Atlas, Morocco (1980-2019)
Authors: Layati Elhoucein , Ouigmane Abdellah , Qadem Abdelghani , El Ghachi Mohamed
Published: August 2021

The present study is focused on analysis of rainfall in the Oued El-Abid watershed, which is characterized by an important potential in water supply of the Bin El Ouidane dam and the recharging groundwater of the plains downstream. The aim of the present research is to characterize the meteorological drought in the Oued El-Abid watershed, located in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region (Central High Atlas, Morocco). The study focused on the analysis of the meteorological drought detection indices such as the deviation from the mean (DM), the rainfall index (RI) and the standardized precipitation index (SPI) based on annual precipitation for the three stations (Tilouguit, Ait Ouchen and Tizi N'Isli) generally experienced alternating periods of surplus and deficit. The results of these indices allowed us to determine the most remarkable and common drought years are: 1981, 1983, 1990, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2017 and 2019. This study is helpful for water resource managers to make decisions and develop tools for adaptation and mitigation of climate change impacts.
Strategic autonomy of the European Union: on the way to «European Sovereignty» in defense?
Authors: Яковюк Іван Васильович , Трагнюк Олеся Янівна , Сергійович Бойчук Дмитро
Published: August 2021

2019 marked 20 years since EU Member States decided to create a joint EU approach to security and defense. The paper raises the question on finding new approaches to provide security and defense in Europe in the current context, as well as the formation of a new paradigm for research on regional security in Europe. Traditional approaches to the study of European integration (neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism) are of little use for theorizing the development of European defense in conditions of new challenges and threats to national and regional security, as well as transatlantic solidarity violations. The article studies European Strategic Autonomy (ESA), which refers to the ability of the European Union, in conjunction with Member States, to independently determine its own priorities according to which to take decisions and implement them in the fields of foreign policy, security and defense. ESA is not synonymous with independence, nor does it deny membership in military-political alliances, since a more realistic scenario implies positioning itself as a European pillar of NATO. The implementation of the idea of building a "european sovereignty" in the field of security and defense implies that the European Union should take bigger responsibility for its own security, the security of its neighbors, andshould strengthen its role in transatlantic relations without opposing NATO. In order to move from rhetoric to concrete policy steps, the EU needs to develop a plan of measures for political, institutional and industrial action. It means that achieving real autonomy requires time and joint efforts by EU institutions and Member State governments. However, political and institutional autonomy can be built exclusively within the whole Union, while military-industrial autonomy can be initiated and implemented by a group of the most economically and technologically advanced EU Member States.
The types of of criminal law remedies
Authors: Юрій Анатолійович Пономаренко
Published: August 2021

The article contains structured criminal-law remedies and the accumulated amount of knowledge about them. It has been established that the structuring of the system of criminal legal meaning begins with the advent of “multicolumnite” of criminal law. It was determined that the classification of criminal law remedies by way of suffering two drawbacks: the inability to clearly outline the range of those criminal law meanings that are allocated to the “ways” of criminal law influence; and the lack of a clear criterion for the distribution of criminal law meanings between separate “paths”. Depending on the peculiarities of the combination of coercion and encouragement in the application of a particular criminal legal meaning, they are divided into incentive and coercive. The compulsory nature of incentive measures is exemplified. According to the criterion of the presence or absence of punitive properties in criminal legal meaning, they are divided into two groups: punitive and non-punitive. The disadvantages of existing classifications are explained.It is offered to separate the classification of criminal law remedies that determine the criminal legal consequences of committing a criminal offence from criminal law remedies, regarding such an offence as the institution of criminal law. Depending on the role of meaning in legal regulation, they can be divided into meanings of establishment and meanings of action. Criminal legal meanings determine those provisions of the criminal law that determine the types and sizes of influence on the legal status of a person in connection with the commission of a criminal offence. Criminal legal means of action are the practical implementation of the powers of the state defined by the criminal law on the application of criminal legal means of decrees to specific entities.
Aspects of hazardous waste management legislation in lithuania
Authors: Bereikienė Daiva
Published: August 2021

The article analyzes the legal regulation of hazardous waste management in Lithuania and its compliance with regional waste management strategies and legislation. Noteworthy, that in Lithuania, the hazardous waste management policy is based on the EU waste management hierarchy. We can assume that the system of administrative measures applied for the management of hazardous waste: licensing, permits, is appropriate and presupposes the reduction of the negative impact of the generation and management of hazardous waste on human health and the environment. For companies, which operates with hazardous waste management the legislation imposes an obligation to operate in accordance with the general EU environmental principles of precaution and sustainability, technical feasibility and economic viability, protection of resources, and the overall impact on the environment, public health, the economy and the social environment.
Process parameters optimization by bat inspired algorithm of CNC turning on EN8 steel for prediction of surface roughness
Authors: Burande Chaitanya Girish , Kulkarni Omkar K. , Jawade Samidha , Kakandikar G. M.
Published: August 2021

Due to its high precision, productivity, and surface quality, computer numerical control turning (CNC) is a desirable processing tool in the traditional processing area. CNC machining procedures have a huge number of process parameters, making it challenging to find the best combination of parameters for increased accuracy. In this research work, the Taguchi method and ANOVA were used to study the effects of CNC machining parameters in EN8 steel turning: Surface roughness (Ra) value of component affected due to cutting speed, depth of cut and feed rate. Three-level three-parameter experimental design, using Minitab 17 software using L9 orthogonal array, using coated carbide insert cutting tools, using signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) to study the performance characteristics of EN8 steel turning. In this study, statistical approaches such as the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ratio) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to explore the effects of cutting speed, depth of cut, and feed rate on surface roughness. Nature-inspired algorithms play a vital role in solving real life. In this study, the bat algorithm can be used to predict the optimal surface value (Ra) and process parameters. Verify the results by conducting confirmation experiments. The current research shows that the feed rate is the most important factor affecting the surface roughness (Ra) of EN8 steel turning.
Synthesising the sound of a car engine based on envelope decomposition and overlap smoothing
Authors: Chen Fan , Zhang Xiaoyu
Published: August 2021

The synthesised sound of a car engine is used to alert people to the approach of an electric vehicle, to personalise the sound of an engine and for virtual reality. A methodology for synthesising engine sound based on concatenating samples is proposed. First, using filtering, the engine sound is decomposed into a combination of low-frequency harmonics that depend on the engine speed and high-frequency narrowband amplitude-modulated signals. The high-frequency signals are modulated by the harmonics that depend on the engine speed. The carrier and envelope of the amplitude-modulated signal are extracted with a Hilbert transform. The decomposed segments are concatenated by overlap smoothing. All the concatenated segments are assembled to form a synthesised sound. Finally, the synthesised sound is evaluated using the cepstrum distance and subjective auditory experiment, and it is compared with the raw engine sound and other synthesised sound.
Customers’ satisfaction assessment in water laboratories
Authors: Fernandes Ana , Figueiredo Margarida , Neves José , Vicente Henrique
Published: August 2021

In the literature, several definitions of quality can be found in the context of organizations. However, all of them are related to customer satisfaction with the products or services offered by companies. Thus, organizations are increasingly committed to meet customers’ requests, aiming to promote high levels of satisfaction. This study aims to evaluate the levels of satisfaction of water laboratory customers and to establish a predictive model for customers’ satisfaction assessment. To achieve this goal, artificial intelligence methods have been used. A questionnaire was used to collect data and applied to a cohort including 253 customers. The results showed most of the customers rating the global performance of the laboratory as positive. However, this study revealed that clarity of answers to customers’ questions, reliability of the results, and presentation of analytical results contributed most to customers’ dissatisfaction. The model presented in this study, based on artificial neural networks, exhibited good performance in the prediction of the customers’ satisfaction and contributed to establish improvement measures to promote their satisfaction.
Comparative life cycle assessment of aerobic treatment units and constructed wetlands as onsite wastewater treatment systems in Australia
Authors: Gongora Giovani Rodolfo Alatrista , Lu Ray Hangyong , El Hanandeh Ali
Published: August 2021

Life Cycle Assessment was used to evaluate onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS): aerobic treatment unit (ATU) with reinforced concrete (C.ATU) and HDPE (H.ATU) tank; and constructed wetland (CW) with three biochar concentrations in the substrate (0%; 10, and 20% v:v), dubbed CW.BC0, CW.BC10 and CW.BC20, respectively. CML 2001 in SimaPro® was used to evaluate the impacts of the treatment of 1 m3 wastewater. The OWTS were compared on their overall environmental performance scores (OEP). ATUs have higher impacts on human toxicity, eutrophication, freshwater and marine ecotoxicity. The CW.BC20 has the lowest global warming impact (GWP) while CW.BC0 has the highest. Electricity consumption was the largest contributor to the impacts of the ATUs. PVC pipes, coir peat, geomembrane, and electronic devices were the biggest contributors to the impacts of the CWs. The OEP of the CWs were almost a third of the ATUs’ (6.07E-03). Changes in electricity sources were tested according to the 2030-Australian targets; increasing renewables share improves the OEP of ATUs by 39%; nevertheless, CWs continue to outperform the ATUs. Variations in biochar biodegradation had a small effect on the OEP of CWs; being relevant only to GWP. This study provides a reference to policy makers for better evaluation of OWTS.
Quando a Extensão Universitária debate temas emergentes: o caso do Turismo Esportivo
Authors: Ribeiro Carlos
Published: August 2021

O objetivo desta pesquisa é relatar a experiência extensionista em formato de evento acadêmico denominado “Turismo Esportivo: o Rio Pós Megaeventos”. O Rio de Janeiro recebeu na última década diversos eventos esportivos, inclusive dois de nível planetário. Porém, a importância destes eventos ainda não foi suficientemente estudada e seus impactos econômicos e sociais precisam ser sentidos por todos. Assim, o Seminário Esporte e Turismo: o Rio Pós Megaeventos trouxe os principais agentes de atuação neste segmento que contribuem para o turismo esportivo nessa cidade. O evento foi de caráter científico, trazendo experiencias bem-sucedidas, sendo aberto a todos que estudam, trabalham ou querem compreender melhor esta área de atuação e conhecimento.
Inhibition of Liver Cancer HepG2 Cell Proliferation by Enzymatically
Prepared Low-molecular Citrus Pectin
Authors: Wu Xiao-Qian , Fu Jia-Ying , Mei Ru-Yi , Dai Xian-Jun , Li Jun-Hui , Zhao Xiao-Feng , Liu Ming-Qi
Published: August 2021

Background:

Low-molecular citrus pectin (LCP) is a pectin polysaccharide with low molec-ular weight, low degree of crux, and no branching. It is obtained by degrading natural citrus pectin (CP) through physical, chemical and enzymatic methods. LCP has received considerable attention in recent years due to its potential applications in the medical and biological fields.

Methods:

In our previous study, LCP was prepared from CP by using recombinant Bacillus subtilis pectate lyase B. Monosaccharide comparative analysis revealed that the galacturonic acid content of LCP was higher than that of CP. The cell viability effect of LCP was elucidated by using HepG2 cells and the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, and flow cytometer propidium iodide stain-ing were performed to detect the effects of LCP on apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HepG2 cells. Mi-tochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was observed through 5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine assay.

Results & discussion:

The Mw of the prepared LCP was 7.6 kDa, which was significantly lower than that of CP (140 kDa). Cell viability decreased with the increase in the concentration of LCP. The half-inhibitory concentration of 1.46 ± 0.02 mg/mL was determined. Treatment with 1.6 mg/mL LCP in-duced the apoptosis of HepG2 cells with the inhibition rate of 83.10% ± 4.72%, and the cell cycle was arrested in the S phase. Furthermore, the MMP of HepG2 cells decreased with the increase in LCP concentration.

Conclusion:

The enzymatically prepared LCP could inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells. This study provided a partial experimental basis and reference for LCP to become a potential functional food for anti-liver cancer.