bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulations of Taylor Bubbles in Vertical and Inclined Pipes with Upward and Downward Liquid Flow
Authors: Lizarraga-Garcia E. , Buongiorno J. , Al-Safran E.
Published: March 2021

Two-phase flow is a common occurrence in pipes of oil and gas developments. Current predictive tools are based on the mechanistic two-fluid model, which requires the use of closure relations to predict integral flow parameters such as liquid holdup (or void fraction) and pressure gradient. However, these closure relations carry the highest uncertainties in the model. In particular, significant discrepancies have been found between experimental data and closure relations for the Taylor bubble velocity in slug flow, which has been determined to strongly affect the mechanistic model predictions (Lizarraga-García 2016). In this work, we study the behavior of Taylor bubbles in vertical and inclined pipes with upward and downward flow using a validated 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach with level set method implemented in a commercial code. A total of 56 cases are simulated, covering a wide range of fluid properties, pipe diameters, and inclination angles: Eo ∈ [10, 700]; Mo ∈ [1×10–6, 5×103]; ReSL ∈ [–40, 10]; θ ∈ [5°, 90°]. For bubbles in vertical upward flows, the simulated distribution parameter, C0, is successfully compared with an existing model. However, the C0 values of downward and inclined slug flows where the bubble becomes asymmetric are shown to be significantly different from their respective vertical upward flow values, and no current model exists for the fluids simulated here. The main contributions of this work are (1) the relatively large 3D numerical database generated for this type of flow, (2) the study of the asymmetric nature of inclined and some vertical downward slug flows, and (3) the analysis of its impact on the distribution parameter, C0.
Effect of Direct Vibration on the Activity of Deep Trunk Muscles of Patients with Non-specific Chronic Low Back Pain
Authors: Kim Nackhwan , Yoon Soo Hoon , Kim Minhee , Lee Sang-heon , Kim Dong Hee , Kim Ki Hoon
Published: March 2021

Background: We used two methods, direct and indirect, to study the application of vibration training. This pilot study aimed to investigate the short-term effect of direct vibration and spinal stabilization exercises on the deep trunk muscles of patients with non-specific chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods: Sixty-two participants with non-specific CLBP were randomly placed into two groups, one with direct vibration to the trunk muscles, VSE (vibration-plus stabilization exercise) group, and one without, CSE (conventional stabilization exercise) group. The groups underwent twelve sessions of an exercise program for spinal stability. We measured the thickness and activity of the following trunk muscles using ultrasonography and surface electromyography (sEMG): transversus abdominis (TrA), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), rectus abdominis (RA), lumbar multifidus (LM), and lumbar erector spinae (LES). Results: The ultrasonographic examination revealed that the ratio of muscle thickness to muscle contraction and relaxation was increased after training in the TrA and LM muscles of patients in the CSE group, and in the TrA, LM, and IO muscles in the VSE group. We also found that the LM/LES ratio in the CSE group and the IO/RA, TrA/RA, and LM/LES ratios in the VSE group were significantly increased. Using multiple regression analysis, we showed that the improvement of the symptoms was related to increased activity of the deep trunk muscles in the VSE group (p<0.05).Conclusion: The findings suggest that direct vibration on the trunk muscles may increase the activity of contracting deep muscles and be used in addition to the effective enhancement of stabilization exercise in patients with non-specific CLBP.Trial registration: KCT0003858. Registered 26 April 2019.
Scales of Effect for Urban Mammals Vary Among Species and Environmental Attributes
Authors: MacDougall Brandon , Sander Heather A
Published: March 2021

Context. Cities are increasingly recognized for their biodiversity conservation potential. Incomplete understanding of urban species habitat requirements and of the areal extents over which species-habitat interactions occur (“scale of effect”), however, restricts such conservation.Objectives.Better-understanding scales of effect for urban species could improve urban conservation by identifying areal extents to target in management. We sought to identify scales of effect for urban mammals and if and how these scales differ among species and environmental covariates.Methods. We constructed Eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginianus) occupancy models using data from trail cameras in Iowa City, Iowa, USA. We compared models constructed using environmental covariates estimated over different extents and identified appropriate scales of effect for each covariate based on model fit.Results. Scales of effect varied among species and covariates. Environmental covariates based on home ranges sometimes provided the best model fit; however, best-fit model covariates were often estimated over other extents. The best-fit fox squirrel model included covariates estimated at different, but relatively local scales (<250 m). Both opossum and red fox models included local to landscape-level covariates. Thus, scales of effect differed among species, possibly with body size, and environmental attributes, offering clear evidence that urban mammals exhibit a multi-scalar response to their environments.Conclusions. Our findings suggest that habitat models should include covariates estimated over a range of biologically-informed extents to more accurately identify habitat relationships. Such modeling will inform the choice of extent in urban habitat management.
Wearable integrated piezoelectric film sensor with tensioning, bending, shearing and twisting detection functions for human motion recognition
Authors: Jin Lu , Li Zhenhong , Liu Zekun , Richardson Bethany , Zheng Yan , Xu Lulu , Chen Zhongda , Zhai Heng , Kim Hongdoo , Song Qingwen , Yue Pengfei , Xie Sheng Q. , Kim Kap Jin , Li Yi
Published: March 2021

Human motion recognition using flexible/stretchable wearable sensors holds great promise for human-machine interaction and biomedical engineering. However, to measure the individual joint motion with multiple degrees of freedom, many sensor networks are normally required and pinpointed onto the targeted area, restricting body movement. This is due to the limitation of current wearable sensors; inferring a sensor deformation based on the sensor's electrical signal is challenging. A new concept of wearable sensor that can recognize how the sensor deforms could radically solve this issue. Here, we report a wearable integrated piezoelectric film sensor (i-PFS) capable of detecting basic deformations. To achieve this, for the first time, we propose a novel design concept of using uniaxially drawn piezoelectric poly L-lactic acid (PLLA) films to engineer unimodal tension, bend, shear, and twist sensors that only respond to their corresponding deformations with the enhanced piezoelectric response and self-shielding function. Based on this, we construct the i-PFS by combining the four unimodal sensors and demonstrate that the i-PFS can detect and differentiate individual deformation modes, such as tensioning, bending, shearing, and twisting. To our best knowledge, the i-PFS is the world's first film-based sensor that identifies the abovementioned deformations. To prove the potential impact of the i-PFS, we design a sleeve and a glove with the i-PFS that can capture various wrist motions and subtle finger movements, respectively. We also develop a virtual text-entry interface system using the glove and a deep neural network algorithm with a character classification accuracy of about 90 %. The i-PFS technology is expected to provide a turning point in developing motion capture systems.
A de novo SEMA6B variant in a Chinese patient with progressive myoclonic epilepsy-11 and review of the literature
Authors: Li Qian , Liu Min , Huang Dan-ping , Li Tao , Huang Jing , Jiang Ping , Ling Wei-hao , Chen Xuqin
Published: March 2021

Progressive myoclonic epilepsy is a group of neurodegenerative diseases with complex clinical and genetic heterogeneity, which is associated with spontaneous or action-induced myoclonus and progressive neurodegeneration. Since 2020, 4 families with progressive myoclonic epilepsy-11 [OMIM#618876] have been reported with a very limited spectrum of SEMA6B pathogenic variants. In our study, whole-exome sequencing was used in a proband from a nonconsanguineous Chinese family presenting with growth retardation and recurrent atonic seizures. A deletion mutation (c.1960_1978del, p.Leu654Argfs*25) in the last exon of SEMA6B was detected, which is a de Novo variant and pathogenic. The new genetic evidence we reported here strengthened the gene-disease relationship, and the gene curation level between SEMA6B and progressive myoclonic epilepsy-11 became “strong” following the ClinGen SOP. Therefore, the results of this study broaden the mutation spectrum of SEMA6B in different ethnic groups and strengthen the gene-disease relationship between SEMA6B and progressive myoclonic epilepsy-11.
The New Direction of Senolytic Drug Research Should Be on Cancer Prevention, Adjuvant Therapies in Cancer and Healthy Aging in Cancer Survivors
Authors: Tanriverdi Ozgur , Turkcu Ummuhani Ozel
Published: March 2021

In cases where cellular senescence does not function properly, the use of drugs called senolytics in the prevention of chronic aging-related disorders such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases has become a very interesting topic. There are studies showing that senolytic drugs can be used for the purpose of preventing cancer, preventing recurrence in individuals diagnosed with cancer, and delaying multimorbidity situations that may develop as long-term side effects of anti-cancer treatments. This article has been prepared with the aim of reminding general information about senolytic drugs and cellular senescence due to the fact that there are many controversial researches in the field of oncology in the future
Assimilation in networks promoting common pool resource conservation
Authors: Tiet Tuyen
Published: March 2021

This study investigates how assimilation in social comparison (i.e., changing behaviors in order to fit in with a group) impacts individual behaviors in the extraction of a common pool resource in different network structures (i.e., empty network, star, circle, and complete network). Our results suggest that over-exploitation is more likely to happen when there is a presence of assimilation in comparison. However, it is possible to incentivize resource conservation since the assimilation effect on individual conservation behavior highly depends on the network structures. Thus, promoting assimilation to a centralized network or networks with fewer connections is a good way to encourage resource conservation. More particularly, in a decentralized network with fewer connections (e.g., a circle network), assimilation in social comparison (e.g., feedback on their behaviors and the average behaviors of their neighbors) could help to promote resource conservation. A centralized network is useful in diffusing information and promoting assimilation in comparison by incentivizing the resource conservation of the central agents.
Evaluation of the Electro-removal Technique of the Treated Wood Using the Accelerated Decaying Fungus Test
Authors: Candaten Luana , Gouveia Fernando Nunes , Trevisan Rômulo , Silva Anna Sofya Silvério da , SILVEIRA MARCELO FONTANA DA , de Oliveira José Roberto Victor , Bairros Paulo Roberto da Silva , Wastowski Arci Dirceu
Published: March 2021

Waste from treated wood can be hazardous to the environment and human health. Therefore, research is needed to investigate what to do with this waste. The electro-removal technique is a viable technique to remove the copper, chromium and arsenic metals contained in the CCA-treated wood. But is the CCA really removed? the present study investigated this cause, using the living organism Trametes versicolor to verify this hypothesis.
Removal of azithromycin from aqueous bulk solution using water/ethanol/transcutol/capryol-90 green nanoemulsion
Authors: Hussain Afzal , Alshehri Sultan , Altamimi Mohammad A. , Siddique Mohd Usman Mohd
Published: March 2021

The present work aimed to remove azithromycin (AZM) from contaminated aqueous system using a water/ethanol/transcutol/capryol-90 green nanoemulsion. The drug is identified as potential pharmaceutical drug for detrimental effect on flora and fauna of aquatic lives and human health. Green nanoemulsions were tailored and characterized for thermodynamic stability, globular size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, viscosity, refractive index (RI), and morphological assessment using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, nanoemulsions were investigated for percent removal efficiency and factors affecting the %RE. The results obtained from in vitro characterization parameters suggested that the developed green nanoemulsions (ANE1-ANE5) were stable, and possessing globular size ˂ 200 nm. ANE5 exhibited the lowest value of globular size (49 nm), low PDI (0.17), minimum viscosity (~ 93 cP), and optimum zeta potential (-27.8 mV). The value of %RE depended upon the content of water and capryol-90 oil of the nanoemulsion. Furthermore, the value of %RE was found to be increased with increased content of water and decreased concentration of capryol-90 in the nanoemulsions. Similarly, % RE value was increased with decreased value of globular size and decreased viscosity of nanoemulsion. There was no impact of contact time on %RE results. Thus, the maximum %RE value (96.8%) was obtained by ANE5 from the aqueous solution after 20 min of contact time with ANE5. Thus, this method could be a promising approach to remove AZM from a contaminated water and suitable alternative to conventional methods.
Cryptocurrencies’ Time to shine in Tunisia
Authors: JERIBI ahmed , MANZLI Yasmine SNENE , KHEFACHA Islem
Published: March 2021

Using the DCC-GARCH (1.1) model, we investigate the dynamic conditional correlations between Tunisian indices, digital assets, and gold prices for the period ranging from 4 January 2016 to 30 April 2020. Our findings reveal that digital assets (Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, and Dash) and gold can be considered as hedge and diversifier assets before the 2020 global pandemic. Contrarily to Ripple which can be a safe haven asset for the Tunisian investors in early 2020, Monero can be considered as a diversifier asset more than a hedge. Finally, our results can be useful to Tunisian investors when accounting for implementing hedging strategies.JEL classification: C22, C5, G1
Population-Based Screening in Children For Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Design of The VRONI Study
Authors: Sanin Veronika , Schmieder Raphael , Ates Sara , Schlieben Lea Dewi , Wiehler Jens , Sun Ruoyu , Decker Manuela , Sander Michaela , Holdenrieder Stefan , Kohlmayer Florian , Friedmann Anna , Mall Volker , Feiler Therese , Dressler Arne , Strom Tim , Prokisch Holger , Meitinger Thomas , von Scheidt Moritz , Koenig Wolfgang , Leipold Georg , Schunkert Heribert
Published: March 2021

Background: Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) represents the most frequent monogenic disorder with an estimated prevalence of 1:250 in the general population. Diagnosis during childhood enables early initiation of preventive measures, reducing the risk of severe consecutive atherosclerotic manifestations. Nevertheless, population-based screening programs for FH are scarce.Methods: In the VRONI study children aged 5 to 14 years in Bavaria are invited to participate in a FH screening program during regular pediatric visits. The screening is based on LDL-C measurements from capillary blood. If exceeding 130 mg/dl (3.34 mmol/l), i.e. the expected 95th percentile in this age group, subsequent molecular genetic analysis for FH is performed. Children with FH pathogenic variants enter a registry and are treated by specialized pediatricians. Furthermore, qualified training centers offer FH-focused training courses to affected families. For first degree relatives, reverse cascade screening is recommended to identify and treat affected family members.Results: Implementation of VRONI required intensive prearrangements for addressing ethical, educational, data-safety, legal and organisational aspects, which will be outlined in this paper. Recruitment started in January of 2021, within two months more than 280 pediatricians screened over 1,150 children. Approximately 60,000 children are expected to be enrolled in the VRONI study until 2024. Conclusion: VRONI aims to test the feasibility of a population-based screening for FH in children in Bavaria, intending to set the stage for a nation-wide FH screening infrastructure. Further we aim to validate genetic variants of unclear significance, detect novel causative mutations, and contribute to polygenic risk indices. (German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00022140; registered August 21st2020.)
Risk Factors for Diabetic Foot Ulcers in Metreleptin Naïve Patients With Lipodystrophy
Authors: Saydam Onur , Saydam Basak Ozgen , Adiyaman Suleyman Cem , Ince Melda Sonmez , Eren Mehmet Ali , Keskin Fatma Ela , Bilen Habib , Dagdeviren Murat , Kaya Seher , Akinci Gulcin , Balci Ali , Altay Canan , Bayraktar Firat , Oral Elif A , Akinci Baris
Published: March 2021

AimPatients with lipodystrophy are at high risk for chronic complications of diabetes. Recently, we have reported 18 diabetic foot ulcer episodes in 9 subjects with lipodystrophy. This current study aims to determine risk factors associated with foot ulcer development in this rare disease population.MethodsNinety metreleptin naïve patients with diabetes registered in our national lipodystrophy database were included in this observational retrospective cohort study (9 with and 81 without foot ulcers).Results Patients with lipodystrophy developing foot ulcers had longer diabetes duration (p = 0.007), longer time since lipodystrophy diagnosis (p = 0.008), and higher HbA1c levels (p = 0.041). Insulin use was more prevalent (p = 0.003). The time from diagnosis of diabetes to first foot ulcer was shorter for patients with generalized lipodystrophy compared to partial lipodystrophy (p = 0.036). Retinopathy (p < 0.001), neuropathy (p < 0.001), peripheral artery disease (p = 0.001), and kidney failure (p = 0.003) were more commonly detected in patients with foot ulcers. Patients with foot ulcers tended to have lower leptin levels (p = 0.052). Multiple logistic regression estimated significant associations between foot ulcers and generalized lipodystrophy (OR: 40.81, 95%CI: 3.31 - 503.93, p = 0.004), long-term diabetes (≥ 15 years; OR: 27.07, 95%CI: 2.97 - 246.39, p = 0.003), and decreased eGFR (OR: 13.35, 95%CI: 1.96 - 90.67, p = 0.008).ConclusionOur study identified several clinical factors associated with foot ulceration among patients with lipodystrophy and diabetes. Preventive measures and effective treatment of metabolic consequences of lipodystrophy are essential to prevent the occurrence of foot ulcers in these high-risk individuals.
Extracellular HMGB1 Interacts with RAGE and Promotes Chemoresistance in Acute Leukemia Cells
Authors: Lai Weixin , KONG QIAN , CHEN HAN , LI XINYU , LI YUNYAO , FANG JIANPEI
Published: March 2021

Background

Nowadays, acute leukemia(AL) among children has a more favorable outcome, yet some of them get refractory or relapse mainly due to drug resistance. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) has been proven to have a important role in drug resistance via upregulation of autophagy after chemotherapy treatment in acute leukemia. However, the mechanism how extracellular HMGB1 acts on AL celIs and leads to chemoresistance remains elusive.

Method

CCK8 was used to examine the toxicity of chemotherapeutic drug.Western blot and mRFP-GFP-LC3 adenoviral particles as well as transmission electron microscopy were used to detect the autophagy flux. Elisa was performed to detect the release of HMGB1.Western blot and flow cytometry were applied to evaluate the apoptosis. qPCR and western blot were conducted to detect the expression of drug efflux protein. Lentivirus infection was applied to knock down RAGE. In addition, T-ALL NOD/SCID mice xenograft model was used to observe the effect of inhibiting HMGB1/RAGE axis.

Results

We found that extracellular HMGB1 do upregulate autophagy and in the meantime downregulate apoptosis, primarily through interaction with receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Suppression of RAGE by RNA interference alleviated the level of autophagy and enhanced apoptosis. What’s more, HMGB1/RAGE induced autophagy was associated with the activation of ERK1/2 and decreased phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), while HMGB1/RAGE limited apoptosis in a Bcl-2-regulated way mediated by P53. On the other hand, we found that HMGB1/RAGE activated the NF-κB pathway and promoted the expression of P-glycation protein(P-gp) as well as multidrug resistance-associated protein(MRP), both are ATP-binding cassette transporters. In vivo experiment, we found that blocking HMGB1/RAGE axis do have a mild pathological condition and a better survival in T-ALL mice.

Conclusion

HMGB1/RAGE have a important role in drug resistance after chemotherapy treatment, mainly by regulating autophagy and apoptosis as well as promoting the expression of drug efflux protein such as P-gp and MRP. HMGB1/RAGE might be a promising target to cure AL, especially for those met with relapse and refractory.
Perioperative red blood cell infusion and deep vein thrombosis in patients with femoral and pelvic fractures: A propensity score matching
Authors: Wu Linqin , Cheng Bo
Published: March 2021

Background:The relationship between perioperative red blood cell（RBC）infusion and deep vein thrombosis(DVT) has not been determined.Objectives:To analyze the time-event relationship between perioperative RBC infusion and DVT in patients with femoral and pelvic fractures after adjusting for confounding factors and to provide reference for optimizing DVT risk factors.Methods: The clinical data of 569 patients with femoral and pelvic fractures who received surgical treatment from May 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed on 20 covariates of DVT. With the formation or progression of DVT after RBC infusion as the end point, the time-event relationship between perioperative RBC infusion and DVT in patients was analyzed by binary Logistic regression.Results: After 1:1 PSM of 569 patients included in this study, 126 patients were in the transfusion group and the non-transfusion group, respectively.Before PSM (P=0.023, OR=1.496 [95%CI,1.058-2.115]), perioperative RBC infusion was associated with DVT formation for femoral and pelvic fractures.This conclusion was still obtained after PSM (P=0.038,OR=1.728, 95%CI=(1.031,2.896)). The risk of DVT in patients with RBC infusion of 2-4U and >4U is 1.833 and 2.667 times that of ≤2U, respectively. Excluding patients who received preoperative RBC infusion and had DVT formation or progression prior to transfusion, there were still differences in perioperative RBC infusion between non-DVT group and DVT group (P=0.037, OR=2.231 [95% CI ,1.049-4.745]).Conclusion: Perioperative RBC infusion is the cause of DVT in patients with femoral and pelvic fractures, and the risk of DVT is positively correlated with the amount of RBC infusion.
Light-Matter Coupling in Scalable Van der Waals Superlattices
Authors: Kumar Pawan , Lunch Jason , Song Baokun , Ling Haonan , Barrera Francisco , Zhang Huiqin , Anantharaman Surendra , Digani Jagrit , Zhu Haoyue , Choudhury Tanushree , McAleese Clifford , Wang Xiaochen , Conran Ben , Whear Oliver , Motala Michael , Snure Michael , Muratore Christopher , Redwing Joan , Glavin Nicholas , Stach Eric , Davoyan Artur , Jariwala Deep
Published: March 2021

Two-dimensional (2D) crystals have renewed opportunities in design and assembly of artificial lattices without the constraints of epitaxy. However, the lack of thickness control in exfoliated van der Waals (vdW) layers prevents realization of repeat units with high fidelity. Recent availability of uniform, wafer-scale samples permits engineering of both electronic and optical dispersions in stacks of disparate 2D layers with multiple repeating units. We present optical dispersion engineering in a superlattice structure comprised of alternating layers of 2D excitonic chalcogenides and dielectric insulators. By carefully designing the unit cell parameters, we demonstrate > 90 % narrowband absorption in < 4 nm active layer excitonic absorber medium at room temperature, concurrently with enhanced photoluminescence in cm2 samples. These superlattices show evidence of strong light-matter coupling and exciton-polariton formation with geometry-tunable coupling constants. Our results demonstrate proof of concept structures with engineered optical properties and pave the way for a broad class of scalable, designer optical metamaterials from atomically-thin layers.
Development of a refined ex vivo model of peritoneal adhesion formation, and a role for Connexin 43 in their development
Authors: Chua Jia Wang , Madden Leigh , Lim Beng Hui , Phillips Anthony , Becker David Laurence
Published: March 2021

Despite many advances across the surgical sciences, post-surgical peritoneal adhesions still pose a considerable risk in modern-day procedures. We have developed a novel mouse peritoneal strip ex vivo adhesion model which may serve to bridge the gap between single cell culture systems and in vivo animal drug testing for the assessment of potential anti-adhesion agents, and study of causality of the process.We investigated the optimal conditions for adhesion formation with mouse peritoneal tissue strips by modifying an existing ex vivo rat model of peritoneal adhesions. We assessed the impact of the following conditions on the formation of adhesions: contact pressure, abrasions, and the presence of clotted blood.Macroscopic adhesions were detected in all mouse peritoneal strips exposed to specific conditions, namely abrasions and clotted blood, where peritoneal surfaces were kept in contact with pressure using cotton gauze in a tissue cassette. Adhesions were confirmed microscopically. Interestingly, Connexin 43, a gap junction protein, was found to be upregulated at sites of adhesions. Key features of this model were the use of padding the abraded tissue with gauze and the use of a standardised volume of clotted blood. Using this model, peritoneal strips cultured with clotted blood between abraded surfaces were found to reproducibly develop adhesion bands at 72 hours.
Circular RNA hsa_circ_0001658 Inhibits Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Development by Regulating hsa-miR-181c-5p/FAS
Authors: Meng Ge-dong , Xu Baoshan
Published: March 2021

Background and purpose: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the main cause of low back pain, but its pathogenesis has not been studied clearly. Circular RNA is a type of non-coding RNA (ncRNA). In this study, we aim to study the potential role of circular RNA in the pathogenesis of IDD. Methods: We obtained microarray data (GSE116726, GSE67566) from Gene Expression Omnibus database, and differentially analyzed ncRNA in nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues of IDD patients. The potential circRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs regulatory network was analyzed by starBase. The effect of the interaction between hsa_circ_0001658, hsa-miR-181c-5p and FAS on the proliferation and apoptosis of human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) were studied. Results:Hsa_circ_0001658 was significantly up-regulated (logFC>2.0 and adj.P.Val<0.01) in the NP tissues of IDD patients, and hsa-miR-181c-5p expression was down-regulated (logFC<-2.0 and adj.P.Val<0.01). Silencing of hsa-miR-181c-5p or overexpression of hsa_circ_0001658 inhibited the proliferation of hNPCs and promoted their apoptosis. Hsa_circ_0001658 acted as a sponge of hsa-miR-181c-5p. Hsa-miR-181c-5p down-regulated the expression of FAS, promoted the proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis of hNPCs. Hsa_circ_0001658 functioned in hNPCs through targeting hsa-miR-181c-5p/FAS.Conclusion:Circular RNA hsa_circ_0001658 inhibits intervertebral disc degeneration development by regulating hsa-miR-181c-5p/FAS. It is expected to be a potential target for the therapy of IDD.
Multidisciplinary Treatment of Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Severe Arterioportal Shunt: A Case Report.
Authors: luo yao-chang , lu hai-lin , song wen-ling , Xuan Fei-fei
Published: March 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most lethal malignancy globally. However, most patients present in advanced stages with limited curative treatment options. Therefore, multidisciplinary treatment is often warranted. Here we report a patient with HCC combined with severe arterioportal shunt (APS) who was treated with multidisciplinary approach, comprising interventional radiology procedures, apatinib and camrelizumab. A 31-year-old man who presented to our hospital because of hematemesis caused by HCC with a severe APS. The patient underwent multidisciplinary treatment including transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, transarterial chemoembolization of arterial branches feeding the shunt and hepatic lesions and subsequent molecular target therapy combined with immunotherapy. After treatment, stable condition of intrahepatic mass and a notable decrease in the number and size of the lung lesions were observed. The patient achieved a long-time survival of more than 2 years. This data suggests that multidisciplinary treatments may be efficacious in the treatment of advanced HCC with severe APS.
Transformation of a rolling mill aggregate to a Cyber Physical Production System: from sensor retrofitting to machine learning
Authors: Ralph Benjamin James , Sorger Marcel , Hartl Karin , Schwarz Andreas , Messner Florian , Stockinger Martin
Published: March 2021

This paper describes the transformation of a rolling mill aggregate from a stand-alone solution to a fully integrated cyber physical production system. Within this process, already existing load cells were substituted and additional inductive and magnetic displacement sensors were applied. After calibration, those were fully integrated into a six-layer digitalization architecture at the Smart Forming Lab at the Chair of Metal Forming (Montanuniversitaet Leoben). Within this framework, two front end human machine interfaces were designed, where the first one serves as a condition monitoring system during the rolling process. The second user interface visualizes the result of a resilient machine learning algorithm, which was designed using Python and is not just able to predict and adapt the resulting rolling schedule of a defined metal sheet, but also to learn from additional rolling mill schedules carried out. This algorithm was created on the basis of a black box approach, using data from more than 1900 milling steps with varying roll gap height, sheet width and friction conditions. As a result, the developed program is able to interpolate and extrapolate between these parameters as well as different initial sheet thicknesses, serving as a digital twin for data-based recommendations on schedule changes between different rolling process steps. Furthermore, via the second user interface, it is possible to visualize the influence of this parameters on the result of the milling process. As the whole layer system runs on an internal server at the university, students and other interested parties are able to access the visualization and can therefore use the environment to deepen their knowledge within the characteristics and influence of the sheet metal rolling process as well as data science and especially fundamentals of machine learning. This algorithm also serves as a basis for further integration of materials science based data for the prediction of the influence of different materials on the rolling result. To do so, the rolled specimens were also analyzed regarding the influence of the plastic strain path on their mechanical properties, including anisotropy and materials’ strength.
Design of a New Multiplexer Structure Based on a New Fault-Tolerant Majority Gate in Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata
Authors: Rahmani Yaser , Heikalabad Saeed Rasouli , Mosleh Mohammad
Published: March 2021

Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) technology is believed to be a good alternative to CMOS technology. This nanoscale technology can provide a platform for design and implementation of high performance and power efficient logic circuits. However, the fabrication of QCA circuits is susceptible to faults appearing in this form of missing cells, additional cells, rotated cells, and displaced cells. Over the years, several solutions have been proposed to address these problems. This paper presents a new solution for improving the fault tolerance of three input majority gate. The proposed majority gate is then used to design 2-1 multiplexer and 4-1 multiplexer. The proposed designs are implemented in QCA Designer. Simulation results demonstrate significant improvements in terms of fault tolerance and area requirement.
Quantification of Site City Interaction Effects on Responses of Buildings and Basin Under Realistic Earthquake Loading for Development of Economic Smart City
Authors: Joshi Lav , Narayan J.P.
Published: March 2021

The paper presents the quantification of site-city-interaction (SCI) effects on the responses of buildings of a city and free field motion under realistic earthquake loading for the economic development of a smart city. The state of the art pseudo-dynamic earthquake rupture is implemented in the existing fourth-order viscoelastic staggered-grid SH-wave finite-difference program, and simulated results validated. SH-wave responses of various homogeneous and heterogeneous cities situated on horizontal sediment layer as well as in 2D heterogeneous basins are simulated and analyzed for different dynamic parameters of the buildings. The simulated SCI effects using realistic earthquake loading reveals a reduction of transfer function (TF) of buildings in a wide frequency bandwidth. This finding is conflicting with the reported splitting of bandwidth of the FoSB in the past SCI studies, carried out using simple plane incident wave-front with a single zero-phase wavelet. The obtained largest SCI effects on a building was highly dependent on the building type, city and basin heterogeneity in contrast to the general perception that it should be maximum at centre of city. It is also obtained that SCI effects are always beneficial to buildings when fundamental frequency of building on rock FoSR <1.4FoB( FoB is the fundamental frequency of basin/sediment layer). The obtained reduction of of building of city as well as free field motion due to the effects of SCI corroborates with the past SCI studies. The increase of coupling between the buildings and basin due to an increase of building density causes an increase of SCI effects on the responses of both the buildings and free field motion. The SCI effects in the case of buildings with low damping are beneficial during an earthquake. It is recommended that the smart city should be homogeneous in nature and of buildings should be less than around 1.4 times the of the underlying basin/sediment deposit and buildings should preferably be a steel one.
ANFIS Based Optimal Routing using Group Teaching and Adaptive Equilibrium Optimization based Trust Aware Routing Protocol in MANET
Authors: Hemalatha R. , Umamaheswari R , Jothi S
Published: March 2021

Recently, routing is considered the main problem in MANET due to its dynamic nature. The route discovery and the optimal route selection from the multiple routes are established for the efficient routing in MANET. The major objective of this research is to select the optimal route for packet transmission in MANET. In this paper, four stages namely trust evaluation, route discovery, optmal route selection and route maintanance are elucidated. Initially, the trust evaluation is made by using ANFIS where the primary trust values are evaluated. The next stage is the route discovery scheme, in which the routes are established by Group teaching optimization algorithm (GTA). From the route discovery scheme, multiple routes are found. The optimal route for the transmission is selected with the help of the Adaptive equilibrium optimizer (AO) algorithm. Finally, the route maintenance process is established; if any of the routes fails for the broadcast it immediately selects the alternate optimal route from the multi-zone routing table for efficient packet transmission. The proposed approach is evaluated by various performance measures like throughput, energy consumption, packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, packet loss rate, detection rate, and routing overhead. This result describes that the proposed approach outperforms other state-of-art approaches.
SUMOylation restrains ACE2 degradation through TOLLIP-mediated selective autophagy to facilitate the host susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Cui Jun , Jin Shouheng , He Xing , Ma Ling , Lin Meng , Cai Sihui , Wei Lu , Zhao Zhiyao , Wu Yaoxing , Sun Lin , Chun-Wei Li , Zhao Yong , Songyang Zhou , Peng Ke , Zhao Jincun
Published: March 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Alongside investigations into the virology of SARS-CoV-2, understanding the host–virus dependencies are vital for the identification and rational design of effective antiviral therapy. Here, we report the dominant SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor, ACE2, conjugates with small ubiquitin-like modifier 3 (SUMO3) through a proteome-wide protein interaction analysis. We further demonstrate that E3 SUMO ligase PIAS4 prompts the SUMOylation and stabilization of ACE2, whereas deSUMOylation enzyme SENP3 reverses this process. Conjugation of SUMO3 with ACE2 at lysine (K) 187 hampers the K48-linked ubiquitination of ACE2, thus suppressing its subsequent cargo receptor TOLLIP-dependent autophagic degradation. Pharmacological intervention of ACE2 SUMOylation blocks the entry of SARS-CoV-2 and viral infection-triggered immune responses. Collectively, our findings suggest selective autophagic degradation of ACE2 orchestrated by SUMOylation and ubiquitination can be targeted to future antiviral therapy of SARS-CoV-2.
Significant Increases in EEG Anterior-Posterior Alpha and Beta Powers By Transcranial Photobiomodulation (tPBM) in Healthy Humans With Exclusion of Thermal Effects
Authors: Wanniarachchi Hashini , Wang Xinlong , Wu Anqi , Gonzalez-Lima F. , Liu Hanli
Published: March 2021

Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) of the prefrontal cortex can improve human cognition and increase electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha and beta powers, but it was unclear whether tPBM-induced heat would influence EEG oscillation powers. This study aimed to prove that tPBM-induced increases in anterior-posterior EEG powers at alpha and beta bands would be significant after removal of tPBM-associated thermal effects. We performed both sham-controlled tPBM and sham-controlled thermal stimulation (thermo_stim) experiments under the eyes-closed resting state with concurrent recordings of 64-channel EEG before, during, and after 8-min tPBM at 1064-nm wavelength and thermo_stim with temperature from 33 to 41 °C, respectively, from healthy humans (n=46 for tPBM; n=14 for thermo_stim). Sham-subtracted topographies of EEG powers at five frequency bands were averaged at the group level during and post both stimulations. Two-sample t-tests with FDR correction and effect size were calculated for comparing tPBM and thermal effects at all five frequency bands. Right-frontal tPBM induced significant increases in EEG anterior-posterior alpha and beta powers under the eyes-closed conditions, consistent with the results previously reported in the eyes-open tPBM experiments. In contrast, right-frontal thermal stimulation under the eyes-closed resting state resulted in opposite effects on EEG power patterns with respect to those by tPBM. tPBM-induced enhancement in alpha and beta oscillations occurred during the 8-min intervention after exclusion of thermal effects. The ability of tPBM to synchronize alpha and beta oscillations in the anterior-posterior regions may be linked to the enhancement of frontoparietal network and the improvement of human cognition.
ILCs, the Frontliners of Immune Defense in Mouse Model of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Ajami Abolghasem , keykhosravi Mohsen , javadzadeh Seyed Mohammad , Tehrani Mohsen , Asgarian-omran hossein , Rashidi Mohsen , Hossein-Nataj Hadi , vahedi-Larijani Laleh
Published: March 2021

Background and Objective: Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have been shown to play important roles in tumor immunity. We studied the frequency of three subsets of circulating ILCs in mouse models of colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Two mouse models of CRC were developed; including a chemically-induced model, via administration of azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS), and an orthotopic mouse model, using the CT-26 cell line. Based on histopathological examinations, mice were divided into 3 groups of dysplasia group (consists of chemically-induced and orthotopic induced), chemically-induced reparative change group, normal. A sham group was also considered in which mice were screened for stresses that originated from interventions and injections. Flow cytometry analysis was performed to evaluate the frequencies of ILC1, ILC2, and ILC3 in the peripheral blood of all studied mice.Results: The frequency of ILC1 was significantly higher in the chemically-induced reparative change group compared to the sham and dysplasia groups. ILC2s showed higher frequencies in the dysplasia groups than the sham and chemically-induced reparative change groups. In addition, altered composition of ILCs was observed in peripheral blood of dysplastic mice skewing toward ILC3s in the dysplasia groups compared to sham and chemically-induced reparative change groups. Conclusions: A higher frequency of ILC1 in the reparative change group suggests a potentially anti-tumorigenic role. Higher ILC2s might be in favor of differentiation from the reparative change stage to the dysplasia. In addition, it seems likely that ILC3s are participating in the primary stages of CRC development.
Maternal aromatase inhibition via letrozole altered RFamide-related peptide-3 and gonadotropin releasing hormone expression in pubertal female rat
Authors: Shaaban Zahra , Tamadon Amin , Shirazi Mohammad Reza Jafarzadeh , Zamiri Mohammad Javad , Derakhshanfar Amin
Published: March 2021

Despite the prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) among childbearing women and the development of many animal models for this syndrome, information on its etiology is still scarce. Intrauterine hyperandrogenic environment may underlie changes at the levels of hypothalamus, pituitary and ovary organization in female offspring, and PCOS later in life. Letrozole, has been shown to mimic reproductive and metabolic characteristics of PCOS in adult rodent models. Therefore, the aim of this research was to assess the condition in a prenatal letrozole-treated rat model. Twenty-eight female rats from dams receiving letrozole at certain doses during late pregnancy were used in the trial. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 21) received letrozole treatment on days 16–18 gestation at doses 1.25, 1.0, 0.75, 0.5, and 0.25 mg/kg body weight (BW). Prenatal letrozole-treatment delayed parturition time and reduced the litter size in pregnant dams (P < 0.0001). Late puberty onset, irregular ovarian cyclicity, increased anogenital distance (AGD), body weight gain, and serum testosterone concentration and reduced estradiol levels (P < 0.0001) were observed in the female offspring of dams receiving 1.25 and 1 mg/kg BW letrozole. Furthermore, Letrozole at 1.25 and 1 mg/kg BW showed increased Rfrp and decreased Gnrh mRNA expression (P < 0.0001). Letrozole treatment at doses 1 mg/kg BW and lower was not feto-toxic. It was concluded that 1 mg/kg BW letrozole may be suggested for prenatal PCOS induction.
Understanding the Psycho-Social Context for a New Early intervention for Resistance to Change that Aims to Strike a Beneficial Balance Between Structure and Flexibility
Authors: Blackwell Siobhán , Zylberberg Alex , Scerif Gaia , Miller Sarah , Woodcock Kate A.
Published: March 2021

Background: Emotional and behavioural problems linked to changes to expectations – resistance to change – are linked to disability in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Prader-Willi (PWS) and fragile X syndromes (FXS). Structuring routines is best practice for minimising current resistance to change. But complete structure is impractical and flexibility in early life may actually reduce later resistance by supporting cognitive development. We aimed to examine the psycho-social context of families with children at risk of developing resistance to change so as to identify design requirements for an intervention that strikes a beneficial balance between structure and flexibility. Methods: Thirty-six caregivers of children aged 4-12 years (17 ASD, 15 PWS, and 4 FXS) took part in an interview designed collaboratively with 12 professional stakeholders. Results: Children need to feel like they are in control of flexibility but they also need support in choice making, understanding plans (using individually tailored visuals) and anxiety reduction. Caregivers need an accessible approach that they have full control over, and which they can tailor for their child. Caregivers also need clear guidance, education and support around structure and flexibility. Conclusions: We propose a digital approach which addresses the needs identified. It tackles the most perplexing challenge by presenting flexibility to children in the context of a game that children can feel they have full control over, whilst caregivers can maintain control in reality. Furthermore, individualised support for children and caregivers would be enabled.
Fabrication of Electro Spun Nylon6.12/Chitosan @PES Nanofibrous UF Membrane Towards Dyes Rejection From Synthetic Wastewater
Authors: Taha Eman Omar , Mubarak Mahmoud F. , Selim Hanaa , Elshypany Rania
Published: March 2021

Nanofibrous ultrafilter of nylon6.12/chitosan@Poly ether sulfone (N6.12/CS@PES) membrane were fabricated by chitosan casted PES membrane and coated with nylon6.12 thin layer using electrospinning technique for dye rejection. The membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Both of cationic and anionic dye rejection capability of the membrane was investigated for basic blue dye41 and alizarin red dye, respectively, as dyes were investigated with respect to solution parameters (pH, Zeta potential, pressure, dye concentration and different electrolyte) through filtration system. In addition, the effect of parameters and their possible interactions on dye rejection have been studied. An enhanced hydrophilicity and antifouling property was observed for the composite membrane as compared to pristine PES ultrafiltration membranes. The results show that the rejection of dyes increase with the decreases of operating pressure. At optimum condition of PH=7, and pressure=10 bar and concentration=220 mg/L, the rejection ratio improves from 75.3 to 99.5% and 71 to 82% for basic blue dye41 and alizarin red dye, respectively. Dye rejection are not changed after 7 cycles and not change separation efficiency of dyes. The mechanical and electrical properties were investigated for PES and N6.12 / CS@PES composite membrane. The results showed that the N6.12 / CS@PES composite membrane exhibited the highest mechanical properties and the highest dielectric constant especially at low frequencies with low dielectric loss. This study demonstrated that the developed nanofibrous composite membrane were successfully characterized and proved to be a good rejection for dyes from aqueous solutions.