bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Infectivity of human group B adenovirus to cells from different species
Authors: Yuan Liu , Mengke Wang , Yuanqing Qu , Zonghai Hu , Jie Xiong , Lu Wang , Lu Liu , Wenbo Wang
Published: May 2023

Adenovirus is a world public health problem that causes symptoms of respiratory, intestine, urethra and bladder, eyes and liver. The aim of this study is to observe the infectivity of adenovirus to cells from different species, which will provide evidence for finding potential adenovirus infecting animals and nature hosts. 10 cells from different species were infected with human adenovirus (HAdV) in group B (HAdV-3, HAdV-7, HAdV-14 and HAdV-55). Results showed that all the cells supported HAdV-55 entry and hexon protein expression. Increased viral DNA levels were observed in HEp-2, Vero, MDCK, PK15, OAR-L1, MDBK, and F81 cells, while not in CHO, NIH3T3, CT26WT and BHK21 cells. Infectious viral particles were produced in HAdV-55 infected HEp-2, Vero, MDCK, MDBK and PK15 cells, and in HAdV-7 infected HEp-2, Vero, MDCK, F81, MDBK, PK15 and OAR-L1 cells. Conclusively, it is possible to find animals that might be infected by human adenovirus through screening of susceptible cells, and the prevalence of human adenovirus in these animals deserves further investigation.
The Mediating Role of e-Health Literacy in Self-efficacy and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese College Students
Authors: Wang Yanan , Wang Tiantian , Wang Yaning , Liu Yitong , Xi Hanqing , Zhong Yaqin
Published: May 2023

Background Depressive symptoms is a relatively common mental disorder, which can lead to serious physical, psychological, and social problems. This study aimed to explore the associations between self-efficacy, e-Health literacy and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students and to evaluate the effect of e-Health literacy as a potential mediator.
Methods By using a cluster sampling method, 1500 students from two universities were recruited in Nantong City, China. Participants' demographic characteristics, self-efficacy, e-Health literacy and depressive symptoms were collected. OLS was used to explore the associations between variables and the Karlson Holm and Breen method was used to estimate the mediation effect.
Results A total of 1388 valid questionnaires were collected. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among the sample was 50.29%. Higher self-efficacy and e-Health literacy were all significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. E-health literacy partially mediated the association between self-efficacy and depressive symptoms, accounting for 26.6% of the total effect.
Conclusion Our results indicated that self-efficacy was negatively associated with depressive symptoms in college students. E-health literacy partially mediated the association between self-efficacy and depressive symptoms. Interventions for college students should include increasing self-efficacy, e-health literacy to attenuate depressive symptoms.
A four steps protocol for in vitro propagation of Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae)
Authors: Franco Lucas Barasuol , Hermann Bruna Ronchi , Fritsche Yohan , Stefenon Valdir Marcos
Published: May 2023

The maintenance of forest formations under a scenario of climatic changes and unsustainable anthropic use of natural resources is vital for the future of mankind. In this context, there is a rising agreement that underutilized crops may be important for the future production of food, as they tend to be more adapted to stressful conditions than domesticated crops.Eugenia unifloraL. (Myrtaceae) is a key species in different forest formations with ecological, economical, and medicinal importance. The present work aimed at establishing anin vitroculture procedure for the mass micropropagation ofE. unifloragenotypes through the organogenesis route. Nodal segments fromin vitrogerminated seeds were introduced in a semi-solid medium for organogenesis establishment and posteriorly cultivated in immersion systems for shoot development and rooting. Different culture media, plant growth regulator concentrations, and immersion systems were tested. The protocol provided in this study may be helpful for the mass production of seedlings for degraded areas recovery or commercial orchard implementation, as well as in genetic improvement programs forE. uniflora.
Systematic Analysis of the Aberrances and Functional Implications of UPR in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Xu Xuan , Huang Shaozhuo , Gao Na , Liao Weixin , Chen Yongjian , Dai Shixue
Published: May 2023

Background
Unfolded protein response (UPR), an orchestrating adaptive mechanism activated by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, plays an instrumental protumoral roles in several kinds of cancers, and high unfolded protein response is correlated to poorer prognosis and malignant hallmark. Considerable evidence indicates that UPR induced by oncogenic conditions is a distinguishing feature of cancer.
Methods
Bioinformatics mining was carried out by using the public pancer data of TCGA and other public databases to analyze the differential gene expression profiles of the patients and Cox regression analysis to find out the differentially expressed endoplasmic reticulum stress related genes with prognostic value. ER-stress Potential Index (EPI) was defined to computationally dissect the UPR trends via gene set enrichment analysis using R package ‘GSVA’. Combined with TCGA and GEO databases, the clinical characteristics of EPI were comprehensively analyzed in LIHC. Virtual screening was performed to find out potential compounds targeting STC2, which was a good diagnostic marker and pharmacological target towards endoplasmic reticulum stress in LIHC.
Results
Pan-cancer analysis results showed that unfolded protein response pathway was generally positive associated with poor prognosis of patients across different cancer types. It would be an important and ubiquitous mechanism in different tumors. High EPI was positive associated with tumor malignant phenotype, including higher death rate, recurrence rate, metastatic risk, larger tumor size and other undesirable aggressive clinical traits. In addition, EPI was also responsible for immune evasion via upregulating the expression of immunosuppressive gene and facilitating the production of pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory cytokines. Besides, EPI played pivotal role in liver cancers’ resistance of chemotherapy and therapeutic targeting UPR would be enhance the anti-tumor effectiveness. STC2 would be a good diagnostic marker and pharmacological target in LIHC. Through virtual screening, we found that flavonoids compounds could be a good compound targeting STC2. Flavonoids could become a good pharmaceutical therapeutic candidate in unique or adjuvant therapeutic approaches toward LIHC.
Conclusion
EPI was associated with subtypes and clinical features and providing new insight into tumor biology and can guide efficient pharmalogical intervention of unfolded protein response to help patients.
A Non-Flammable Flexible Aluminum-Lithium Dual-Ion Battery with a Wide Temperature Range Based on Ionic Liquid Electrolytes
Authors: Wang Lili , Yuan Zeyu , Zhao Lianjia , Chen Ruoyu , Li Dongdong , Han Wei
Published: May 2023

With the rapid development and increase in popularity of electric vehicles and wearable devices, battery safety in the field of energy storage has become an increasingly strong focus. Aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) are gaining attention as energy-storage systems that are low cost with high levels of safety and high theoretical energy density. However, to date, the dense alumina passivation layer on the aluminum anode surface and the slow kinetic performance of the IL (ionic liquid) electrolyte has rendered their performance unsatisfactory. We have reported on a new type of lithium–aluminum battery that maintains a certain discharge performance under destructive conditions such as continuous bending, high- and low-temperature environments, and shearing. The prepared AlLi metal battery achieved a stable cycle of 130 mAh g− 1 specific capacity and approximately 260 Wh kg− 1 energy density at a wide voltage platform of 2 V and a test temperature of 25°C. The batteries did not experience combustion and this product can meet the current demand for flexible and safe batteries. We also analyzed the reaction mechanism and principle of this Al–Li cell based on density functional theory and conducted ex situ XRD and XPS tests to elucidate the storage mechanisms of the Al-Li battery.
Genetic variations and character association among CGMS based chilli F1 hybrids for morphometric, fruit quality, and yield traits in shallow basaltic soils of India
Authors: Khapte Pratapsingh Suresh , Ponnam Naresh , K.M. Boraiah , Wakchaure G.C. , S. Gurumurthy
Published: May 2023

Chilli (Capsicum) is in high demand as a vegetable and spice throughout the world. Fruits have wider applications in the food, phytogenic feed, cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical industries. As surge for their uses is increasing, there is a need to develop F1 hybrids to enhance yields with tolerance/ resistance to major threatening diseases. The present investigation was carried out to study the diversity of morphometric, fruit quality and yield traits, and their reaction to chilli leaf curl disease among fourteen CGMS based high yielding F1 hybrids developed at ICAR-IIHR, Bangalore, India. The hybrids Arka Nihira, Arka Yashasvi, H-25, H-26, and Arka Tanvi excelled for the majority of the evaluated traits in terms of yield enhancement. The yield increment potential in these hybrids is attributed to higher morphometric, fruit biometric and physiobiochemcial traits (NDVI and chlorophyll content). In relation to the local check, hybrid Arka Nihira exhibited enhanced green fruit yield by about sixty-two percent. The cluster plot partitioned these hybrids into four primary groups, revealing genetic similarities and differences among the hybrids. Further, character association indicates that the traits such as days to 50 percent flowering, plant spread, fruit girth, and the number of fruits per plant can be leveraged as indirect selection indices for green fruit yield while selecting a commercial hybrid cultivar in chilli breeding programs. As a result, the hybrids Arka Nihira and Arka Tanvi, in particular, have the potential to be commercial cultivars in terms of yield, agronomic characteristics, and leaf curl disease tolerance in shallow basaltic soils of the Deccan plateau of India.
Microstructure evolution of S-TC4 titanium alloy blade preformed by cross wedge rolling
Authors: Li junling , Hang Sun , Li Xuan , Chen Ping , Wang Baoyu
Published: May 2023

This paper proposed to use cross wedge rolling (CWR) to manufacture sintered TC4 (S-TC4) titanium alloy blade preform prepared by powder metallurgy technology. The hot uniaxial compression tests, CWR experiments and numerical simulation were carried out to investigate the influence of forming parameters on microstructure evolution. The results showed that the pattern of stress-strain curve is typical featured of work hardening and dynamic softening, and the Arrhenius equation was determined to describe the high temperature flow behavior of the studied S-TC4 alloy. In regard to microstructure evolution, the volume fraction of alpha phase \({f}_{\alpha }\) increases and then decreases radially from inside to outside, and the lamellar alpha phase was equiaxialized by to the shear and torsion stress. And increasing the initial forming temperature T was not conducive to the preservation of the alpha phase, and both the volume fraction of alpha phase fα and average thickness of lamellar alpha phase lα are negatively correlated with the rolling speed n and area reduction \(\phi\). Moreover, the maximum initial forming temperature, rolling speed and area reduction are 940℃, 10r/min and 60%, respectively, in order to achieve the best match between strong plasticity and thermal.
Effects of contagious respiratory infections on breath biomarkers
Authors: Kemnitz Nele , Fuchs Patricia , Remy Rasmus , Rührmund Leo , Bartels Julia , Klemenz Ann-Christin , Trefz Phillip , Miekisch Wolfram , Schubert Jochen K. , Sukul Pritam
Published: May 2023

Background
Due to their immediate exhalation after generation at the cellular/microbiome levels, exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may provide real-time information on pathophysiological mechanisms and host response to infections. In recent years, metabolic profiling of most frequent respiratory infection gained interest as it holds potential for early non-invasive detection of pathogens and monitoring of disease progression and response to therapy.
Methods
In contrast to previous studies with pre-selected patient groups, we conducted a real-time mass-spectrometry based breath profiling in hundreds of consecutive subjects under an actual respiratory infection screening scenario. Recruited subjects were grouped for further comparisons, based on multiplex-PCR confirmed infection (infected by common respiratory pathogen(s) and healthy) and presence or absence of flu like symptoms.
Results
Amongst recruitments, we obtained 256 healthy cases and 223 infected/coinfected (171 mono-infections, 52 coinfections) with Haemophilus influenza, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Rhinovirus. We observed multiple effects of these mono-infections and co-infections onto the exhaled VOC profiles and variations, especially on endogenous ketone, short-chain fatty acid, organosulfur, aldehyde and terpene concentrations. Based on VOCs origins, we encountered changes in patient’s energy metabolism, systemic microbial immune homeostasis, inflammation, oxidative stress and antioxidative defense. Presence of bacterial pathogens depicted more complex metabolic effects and cross-talk – most likely due to their own metabolism.
Conclusion
Alike our recent reports on COVID-19 and in line with other recent multi-omics and clinical microbiological reports, these results offered unique insight into common respiratory infections, pathogenesis, ‘host-microbiome-pathogen’ interactions. Breathomics depicted the non-invasive potential for ‘monitoring’ respiratory mono-infections and coinfections.
Accidental child poisoning and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at a referral Children’s Hospital in Greece
Authors: Kotsi Elisabeth , Milas Gerasimos Panagiotis , Thanasia Marina , Papantzimas Konstantinos , Kostaridou Stavroula
Published: May 2023

Purpose Poisoning remains a major health problem worldwide. Most non-intentional acute exposures are non- or minimally toxic, but occasionally highly toxic substances need specific medical interventions. The COVID-19 pandemic with the lockdown that followed had a negative impact on the poisoning incidence.Methods This was a retrospective study including data from 103 children that were examined during the period 2019–2021 at the Penteli Children’s General Hospital.Results The most common poisons were drugs (N = 39, 37.9%) and cigarettes (N = 33, 32.0%). Detergents and insecticides followed with 5.9% (N = 6) and 4.9% (N = 5), respectively. The number of poisoned children was lower in 2019 (N = 25) compared to 2020 (N = 46). The majority were observed in 2020 (44.7%), during the Covid19 lockdown.Conclusion Pediatric poisoning constitutes a global emergency. Despite the overall decrease in the pediatric visits, an increase in the poisonings was noted during the lockdown. Prevention should focus on adult supervision and proper storage of chemicals.
Effect of spark plasma sintering temperature on phase evaluation and mechanical behaviour of Cu- 4wt% SiC composite
Authors: Venkatesh V. S.S , Rao R. N. , Patnaik Lokeswar
Published: May 2023

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a novel approach to fabricate Cu- SiC composites which have a relatively broad range of potential uses in space applications. The Cu- 4wt% SiC composite with homogeneously dispersed SiC particles has been successfully synthesized at various SPS temperatures. In this study, the effect of SPS temperatures on the phase evaluation and mechanical characteristics of the Cu- 4wt% SiC composite was investigated. From the results, it was confirmed that the optimum sintering temperature for Cu- 4wt% SiC composite is 950 ℃. Raising the spark plasma sintering temperature from 850 ℃ to 950 ℃ led to a higher concentration of copper-liquid phase which accelerates the SiC particle rearrangement and fills the interstitial voids present in the interfaces of matrix and reinforcements which improves the mechanical properties of the Cu- 4wt% SiC composite. However, increasing the SPS temperature by more than 950 ℃ prone to the generation of the copper net and inhomogeneous SiC particle dispersion in the copper phases and declines the performance characteristics of the synthesized composite. The Cu- 20wt% SiC composite sintered at 950 ℃ exhibits superior mechanical characteristics than the composite sintered at 850 ℃, 900 ℃ and 1000 ℃.
Towards provably efficient quantum algorithms for large-scale machine learning models
Authors: Eisert Jens , Liu Junyu , Liu Minzhao , Liu Jin-Peng , Ye Ziyu , Alexeev Yuri , Jiang Liang
Published: May 2023

Large machine learning models are revolutionary technologies of artificial intelligence whose bottlenecks include huge computational expenses, power, and time used both in the pre-training and fine-tuning process. In this work, we show that fault-tolerant quantum computing could possibly provide provably efficient resolutions for generic (stochastic) gradient descent algorithms, scaling as O(T2 × polylog(n)), where n is the size of the models and T is the number of iterations in the training, as long as the models are both sufficiently dissipative and sparse, with small learning rates. Based on earlier efficient quantum algorithms for dissipative differential equations, we find and prove that similar algorithms work for (stochastic) gradient descent, the primary algorithm for machine learning. In practice, we benchmark instances of large machine learning models from 7 million to 103 million parameters. We find that, in the context of sparse training, a quantum enhancement is possible at the early stage of learning after model pruning, motivating a sparse parameter download and re-upload scheme. Our work shows solidly that fault-tolerant quantum algorithms could potentially contribute to most state-of-the-art, large-scale machine-learning problems.
Marrying plasmonic earth-abundant metals with catalytic metals for visible-light- promoted hydrogen generation on biobased materials
Authors: Ramírez Oscar , Castillo Sebastian , Bonardd Sebastian , Saldías César , O’Shea James N. , Ryder Christopher Philip Clive , Díaz David Díaz , Angel Leiva
Published: May 2023

Bimetallic CuPt alloyed nanoparticles were conveniently synthesized on biohydrogels and were capable of carrying out hydrogen release from ammonium borane hydrolysis. The biohydrogel consisted of bead-shaped alginate chains crosslinked by calcium ions, which were used as support material to synthesize and stabilize the bimetallic nanoparticles, employing adsorption and coreduction strategy steps. The as-prepared nanoparticles exhibited light absorption in the visible range (580 nm) resulting from the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon ascribed to the presence of copper in the alloyed system. On the other hand, the presence of platinum atoms in these nanoalloys endows them with a notable catalytic performance toward ammonia borane hydrolysis as a hydrogen release reaction, reaching kr values from 0.32 x 10-4 to 2.23 x 10-4 mol L-1 min-1 as the Pt content increases. Finally, by taking advantage of the SPR light absorption shown by CuPt 1:1, it was demonstrated that these entities could be successfully employed as photocatalysts for the hydrogen generation reaction, boosting its activity by almost 2.06 times compared to its performance in dark conditions. This catalytic enhancement was mainly ascribed to the plasmonic-derived light-harvesting properties and the specimen's metallic composition.
A sex-specific trade-off between pesticide resistance and thermal tolerance in Tetranychus urticae
Authors: Costa Sofia G. , Magalhães Sara , Santos Inês , Zélé Flore , Rodrigues Leonor R.
Published: May 2023

Current pest management relies extensively on pesticide application worldwide, despite the frequent rise of pesticide resistance in crop pests. This is particularly worrisome because resistance is often not costly enough to be lost in populations after pesticide application, resulting in increased dependency on pesticide application. As climate warming increases, effort should be put into understanding how thermal tolerance will affect the persistence of pesticide resistance in populations. To address this, we measured thermal tolerance in two populations of the spider mite crop pest Tetranychus urticae that differ solely in the presence or absence of a target-site mutation conferring resistance to etoxazole pesticide. We found that developmental time and fertility, but not survival, were negatively affected by increasing temperatures in the susceptible population. Furthermore, we found no difference between resistant and susceptible populations in all life-history traits when both sexes developed at control temperature, nor when females developed at high temperature. Resistant heat-stressed males, in contrast, showed lower fertility than susceptible ones, indicating a sex-specific trade-off between thermal tolerance and pesticide resistance. This suggests that global warming can lead to reduced pesticide resistance in natural populations. However, resistant females, being as affected by high temperature as susceptible individuals, may buffer the toll in resistant male fertility. In addition, the decrease in developmental time of both sexes at high temperature may accelerate adaptation to both temperature and pesticide, which can promote the maintenance of resistant populations under climate warming.
Comparison of bone reamer and trephine for foraminoplasty in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy based on 3D slicer and Digimizer software
Authors: Sun Jiewei , Wang Jun , Wu Ruiji , Zhao Zhi , Fan Bingkai , Cai Jie , Feng Fabo
Published: May 2023

Objective:To explore the applicability of bone reamer and trephine for foraminoscopy in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy(PELD), and to provide a theoretical basis for foraminoplasty options in clinical practice.Methods:This study was a prospective cohort study. Sixty-three consecutive patients who underwentPELD for lumbar disc herniation between May 2021 and July 2022 were analysed. Foraminoplasty were performed by bone reamer or trephine. The amount of bone resected and the area enlarged during foraminoplasty by both tools were measured by 3D slicer as well as Digimizer software, and the numbers of fluoroscopic views were recorded.Results:The bone reamer resected less bone in the Superior Articular Process (SAP) than the trephine (t=17.507, P<0.001)，and the area enlarged by the bone reamer was smaller than that of the trephine (t=10.042, P=0.002). The overall numbers of fluoroscopic views were significantly more in the bone reamer group than in the trephine group (t=19.003, P<0.001). In the bone reamer group, when the area of preoperative foraminoplasty zone was no less than 54.55 mm², the mean number of fluoroscopic views significantly decreased.(t=14.443,P=0.001).Conclusion:Bone reamer was safer and trephine was more efficient for foraminoscopy in PELD. An area of preoperative foraminoplasty zone of 54.55 mm²can be used as a critical value: bone reamer reduced the risk for cases above the value, while trephine improved the efficiency for cases less than the value.
Ecofriendly one-pot fabrication of 7-methoxy coumarin encapsulated zeolitic imidazole nanocomposite for pH-responsive wound healing application and its biosafety evaluations
Authors: Raju Prabhu , Rajkumar Mangaiyarkarasi , Muthu Jegatheeswaran Sona
Published: May 2023

Biocompatible 7-methoxy coumarin encapsulated 7-MC@ZIF-L nanocomposite was fabricated to develop efficient wound healing. The stimuli-responsive drug release mechanism was examined at pH 5 and 7.4. The release of coumarin was increased within three hours by burst release under acidic conditions. The 7-MC@ZIF-L nanocomposite shows significant bacterial growth control against human infectious pathogens S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. epidermis. Moreover, the MTT and AO/EB assays revealed that nanocomposite had high cell viability towards L929 fibroblast cells. The present study enlightens a novel one-pot fabrication of 7-MC@ZIF-L nanocomposite as a drug delivery system and its stimuli-responsive drug release ability. The current methodology is an effective approach than any existing post-synthesis methods. The synthesized 7-MC@ZIF-L nanocomposite demonstrates ultrahigh thermal and chemical stability. The anti-biofilm results confirmed that the nanocomposite effectively inhibits biofilm formation and damages the biofilm architectural matrix based on the dose-dependent manner. In vitro wound scratch assay revealed that the sustainable and slow release of 7-methoxy coumarin and zinc ions promotes the cell proliferation rate. Bio-compatibility study results confirmed that the 7-MC@ZIF-L nanocomposite is safer and non-toxic for human use. In vivo artemia, salina lethality assay concluded that the nanocomposite is highly suitable for wound healing and other biomedical applications. The overall results signify that the 7-MC-ZIF-L nanocomposite is an efficient material for stimuli-responsive wound healing treatment in the future for wound care therapy.
Quantitative analysis of vertebral fat fraction in osteoporosis using IDEAL-IQ sequences
Authors: Zhou Feng , Sheng Bo , Lv Furong
Published: May 2023

Objective To investigate the predictive value of vertebral fat fraction (FF) values from IDEAL-IQ sequences in distinguishing between normal bone mass, osteopenia, and osteoporosis.Methods We recruited 105 women and 69 men over 30 years of age who voluntarily underwent DXA, QCT scans, and MRI examinations and collected clinical information from each subject. Bone mineral density (BMD) values measured by DXA and QCT were used as reference standards. The intra-observer correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the reproducibility of inter-observer and intra-observer measurements. One-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and subject work characteristic curve analysis were performed.Results The age, height, weight, BMD, and FF values in the DXA and QCT subgroups were significantly different (P < 0.05). Interestingly, FF was correlated with visceral adiposity (r = 0.221, P = 0.003) in the QCT grouping. FF was moderately negatively correlated with aBMD values (r = − 0.515, P < 0.001; after correcting for gender and age: r = − 0.316, P < 0.001), and FF showed a significant negative correlation with vBMD (r = − 0.790, P < 0.001; after correcting for gender and age: r = − 0.601, P < 0.001). Lumbar FF was positively correlated with age (r = 0.643, P < 0.001). In the DXA subgroup, the area under the curve (AUC) value of the FF values for distinguishing low bone mass was estimated to be 0.714, with a sensitivity of 0.822, a specificity of 0.518, and a cut-off value of 42.85%. In the QCT subgroup, the AUC of the FF values for distinguishing low bone mass was estimated to be 0.869, with a sensitivity of 0.841, a specificity of 0.721, and a cut-off value of 47.97%.Conclusions The vertebral FF value from IDEAL-IQ sequences has the potential to be a new biological marker for the assessment of osteopenia and osteoporosis. The FF value was more effective in assessing low bone mass measured by QCT than DXA, so QCT combined with IDEAL-IQ sequences is superior for obtaining a comprehensive assessment of osteoporosis.
Endophyte mediated restoration of citrus microbiome and modulation of host defense genes against Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus
Authors: Li Yongmei , He Pengfei , Ahmed Ayesha , Liu Yinglong , Ahmed Waqar , Wu Yixin , He Yueqiu , He Pengbo , Munir Shahzad
Published: May 2023

Background Phloem limited non-culturable bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) affects the worldwide citrus production through causing citrus Huanglongbing (HLB). Despite the efficient colonization of citrus endophyte in the phloem as same niche as CLas pathogen, citrus microbiome manipulation and recruitment as well as citrus defense mechanisms in the presence of indigenous citrus endophyte against this pathogen are still unknown.Results Endophyte-mediated microbiome manipulation may potentially play a significant role in restoration of disease suppressive endophytic microbiome in vascular pathogen affected diseased plants and positively influence the citrus defense. For this, citrus endophyte Bacillus subtilis L1-21 was introduced in CLas-infected citrus groves for one year and pathogen reduction from 105 to 10 copies/gram/leaves was recorded. Resident bacterial community composition in diseased host dramatically changed after introduction of B. subtilis L1-21 and positive enrichment of certain bacteria was recorded in diseased citrus host. These enrichments were predominantly driven by high and low relative abundance of Bacillus and CLas pathogen respectively, after one year of endophyte application. Moreover, endophyte application resulted in citrus defence gene induction against CLas pathogen and demonstrated key resistance genes (PR-1, PR-4, RPS5, RBOHD) in endophyte-pathogen interaction pathway in infected citrus. Upon introduction of B. subtilis L1-21 in the diseased citrus plants, we identified high level of up-regulated genes (> 2-fold) involved in defense pathway (padj < 0.05) underpinning the fundamental defense mechanisms.Conclusion Thorough evaluation of disease suppressive mechanism of endophyte against pathogen requires further exploration. However, introduction of B. subtilis L1-21 restructured citrus microbiome by regulating key bacterial communities which might help plant to control this pathogen. In addition, we highlight advanced insights regarding activation of multiple disease resistance and secondary metabolites encoding genes in endophyte treated HLB-infected citrus plants showing potential resistance against CLas pathogen. Conclusively, endophyte-mediated manipulation could play decisive role in restoration of microbiome to positively influence the citrus defense.
The involvement of the serotonergic system in ketamine and fluoxetine combination-induced cognitive impairments in mice
Authors: Uyar Emre , Erdinç Meral , Kelle İlker , Erdinç Levent , Şeker Uğur , Nergiz Yusuf
Published: May 2023

Glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors have vital roles in memory formation. Changes in the activity of these receptors can influence memory processes. Ketamine is a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist drug with promising mood-altering and pain-reducing effects in low doses. The present study investigated the effects of low-dose ketamine administrations on memory acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval processes. Sixty-four male BALB/c mice used in this experiment were treated with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine, and a serotonin depletion agent, p-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA). A serotonin antagonist, methiothepin, and ketamine were administered 60 mins before or after the behavioral tests. A passive avoidance test measured emotional memory acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval processes. Hippocampi malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were analyzed, and histopathological examinations were performed. Ketamine alone did not significantly affect memory encoding processes, while the ketamine-fluoxetine combination disrupted memory consolidation. Antiserotonergic drugs, pCPA, and methiothepin augmented memory only in the consolidation trial. The memory acquisition process was also affected by fluoxetine. Ketamine application insignificantly increased MDA levels. In all ketamine-applied groups, histopathologic alterations were evident. Ketamine, even in low doses, combined with fluoxetine, can potentially disrupt memory-encoding processes and cause neurotoxicity through increased serotonergic activity.
Nitrogen uptake in lentil cultivar mixtures is not predictable from pure stands performance but is correlated with agronomic parameters and cropping conditions
Authors: Lorenzetti Elisa , Carlesi Stefano , Michelsen Anders , Bàrberi Paolo
Published: May 2023

In the context of rising costs of raw materials and environmental degradation caused by livestock farming, the agri-food sector faces significant challenges in sourcing sustainable proteins. Grain legumes have emerged as cost-effective protein sources, with lower water footprint and GHG emissions compared to animal sources. However, their cultivation is threatened by strong yield fluctuations. Leveraging intra-specific diversity through cultivar mixtures in cropping systems can effectively buffer biotic and abiotic stresses, hence increasing yield stability. In this study, we investigate the effect of intra-specific diversity on lentil nitrogen uptake under pot (2020) and field conditions (2021). Our aim is to examine the interactions between cultivars grown in mixtures and their correlations with grain production, total biomass, and nodules number. We hypothesize that cultivars with higher affinity for nitrogen fixation may influence the other components of the mixture, and that nitrogen uptake dynamics may be a possible driver in modulating cultivar mixture behaviour. We designed two-, three-, and four-cultivar mixtures with a trait-blind approach and compared them to sole cultivars. Our results show inconsistencies across the two experimental years, indicating that lentils may shift their nitrogen source from the atmosphere to the soil when grown in pots. Mixtures 15N enrichment was not always consistent with pure stand performance, suggesting that cultivar mixtures may have an unpredictable cumulative effect on soil microbiota. Regarding correlations with agronomic parameters from previous study, we observed a robust association between nodules number and nitrogen concentration, regardless of experimental conditions. Finally, we found that 15N excess emerged as a significant predictor for pure stands’ yield, but the differences were diluted with the increase in diversity levels.
Integrative Transcriptomics Analysis of Early-Onset and Late-Onset Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Al-Madhagi Haitham
Published: May 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer as it accounts for approximately 7% of all cancer types. The goal of this study is to identify and analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in early-onset CRC (EOCRC) and late-onset CRC (LOCRC). The RNA-seq data was downloaded from GEO database and analyzed using GEO2R tool. This was followed by gene and pathway enrichment, detection of protein-protein interactions, predicting the governing transcriptional factors. Besides, survival rate and response to chemotherapy were also assessed. 250 DEGs were obtained, 235 down-regulated and 15 up-regulated. Extracellular structure organization, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, platelet-derived growth factor and protein digestion and absorption were the most common biological process, cellular compartment, molecular function and KEGG pathway. Moreover, ten hub genes were filtered, namely COL1A1, VWF, COL3A1, EGF, IGF1, COL1A2, ITGB3, COL11A2, COL6A1, CD163 as the top-ten hub genes while FOXC1, GATA2, YY1, TFAP2A and PPARG were predicted to be the most significant transcriptional factors controlling them. Only EGF was considered as prognostic biomarker while COL1A1 as predictive biomarker. In conclusion, the shortlisted hub genes account for the discrimination between EOCRC and LOCRC which should be further explored in-depth.
Hypophosphatemic Rickets secondary to Fanconi Syndrome and Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism; A Rare Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Zaidi Syeda Mahrukh Fatima , Siddiq Mohammad Arham , Qamar Safia , Hasan Syed Mohammad , Khem Bharta , Alam Muhammad Tanveer , Zaidi Syeda Dua e Zehra
Published: May 2023

A 14-year-old female patient presented with generalized body weakness and difficulty walking. Further history revealed growth and pubertal delay. On examination there was wrist widening, bowing of legs with breast, and pubic hair of tanner stage 2. Serum and urine investigations presented diagnoses of Fanconi syndrome associated with hypophosphatemic rickets with low LH and FSH levels and normal prolactin. MRI showed a normal-sized pituitary gland without any mass lesion. The patient was started with phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium supplements with 25(OH)D.
Measuring Long-Term Exposure to Wildfire PM2.5 in California: Time-Varying Inequities in Environmental Burden
Authors: JA Casey , MA Kioumourtzoglou , A Padula , DJX González , H Elser , R Aguilera , AJ Northrop , SY Tartof , ER Mayeda , D Braun , F Dominici , EA Eisen , R Morello-Frosch , T Benmarhnia
Published: May 2023

Introduction: While considered extreme events, wildfires will lengthen and strengthen in a changing climate, becoming an omnipresent climate-sensitive exposure. However, few studies consider long-term exposure to wildfire fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Here, we present a conceptual model to assess long-term wildfire PM2.5 exposure and evaluate disproportionate exposures among marginalized communities.
Methods: We used 2006-2020 California census tract-level daily wildfire PM2.5 concentrations generated from monitoring data and statistical techniques to derive five long-term wildfire PM2.5 measures. We classified tracts based on their CalEnviroScreen (CES) score, a composite measure of environmental and social vulnerability burdens, and their racial/ethnic composition. We determined associations of (a) CES score and (b) racial/ethnic composition with the five wildfire PM2.5 measures using separate mixed-effects models accounting for year and population density. To assess differences by year, models included CES or race/ethnicityyear interaction terms.
Results: We conceptualized and compared five annual wildfire PM2.5 exposure measures to characterize intermittent and extreme exposure over long-term periods: (1) weeks with wildfire PM2.5 >5μg/m3; (2) days with non-zero wildfire PM2.5; (3) mean wildfire PM2.5 during peak exposure week; (4) smoke-waves (2 consecutive days with 25μg/m3 wildfire PM2.5­); (5) annual mean wildfire PM2.5 concentration. Within individual years, we observed exposure disparities, but generally did not when averaging over the study period. Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native populations, however, were consistently over-represented among the exposed population compared to their California-wide representation.
Conclusion: We found that wildfire PM2.5, measured via five metrics, disproportionately affected persistently marginalized California communities—with substantial year-to-year variability.
Effect of central - local financial relations on regional business environment -- Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis
Authors: Junli Wang , Jianjun Li
Published: May 2023

Regional business environment is the core institutional environment of protecting the vitality of the main market and pushing forward high-quality economic development. The central-local financial relation division is of great significance for arousing the initiative of the central and local governments, regulating the structure of government functions, and the relation of the government and the market. This paper studies influence of the groups resulting from the integration of six key elements of the central-local financial relations on the business environment using fsQCA (fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis) method. Our main findings show that there are five patterns of groupings causing the high business environment. The groups of low business environments are characterized by low financial autonomy and partial or total absence of financial and administrative powers. This paper also explores the feasibility of QCA method for research in the field of finance and taxation. Moreover, it shows that the matching of the financial and administrative powers, and a higher degree of financial autonomy, is the key factor to create a high-level business environment. The study provides a theoretical basis of further reform and reconstruction of China’s financial system.
Non-viral pathogens of infectious diarrhoea post allogeneic stem cell transplantation are associated with graft-versus-host-disease.
Authors: Rees Matthew , Rivalland Alexandra , Xie Mingdi , Yong Michelle , Ritchie David
Published: May 2023

Infectious diarrhoea is common post-allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (alloHSCT). While the epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) post-alloHSCT has been described, the impact of other diarrhoeal pathogens is uncertain. We reviewed all alloHSCT between 2017–2022 at a single large transplant centre; 374 patients were identified and included. The 1-year incidence of infectious diarrhoea was 23%, divided into viral (13/374, 3%), CDI (69/374, 18%) and other bacterial infections (16/374, 4%). There was a significant association between infectious diarrhoea within 1-year post-transplant and the occurrence of severe acute gastrointestinal graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD, OR = 4.64, 95%CI 2.57–8.38, p < 0.001) and inferior GVHD relapse-free-survival on analysis adjusted for age, donor type, stem cell source and T-cell depletion (aHR = 1.64, 95%CI = 1.18–2.27, p = 0.003). When the classes of infectious diarrhoea were compared to no infection, bacterial (OR = 6.38, 95%CI 1.90–21.40, p = 0.003), CDI (OR = 3.80, 95%CI 1.91–7.53, p < 0.001) and multiple infections (OR = 11.16, 95%CI 2.84–43.92, p < 0.001) were all independently associated with a higher risk of severe GI GVHD. Conversely, viral infections were not (OR = 2.98, 95%CI 0.57–15.43, p = 0.20). Non-viral infectious diarrhoea is significantly associated with the development of GVHD. Research to examine whether the prevention of infectious diarrhoea via infection control measures or modulation of the microbiome reduces the incidence of GVHD is needed.
Risk assessment of dental-maxillofacial morphology affecting alveolar bone loss of the first molar in periodontitis based on a machine learning algorithm,a pilot study
Authors: Nie Haidan , Wang Ru , Yuan Yuan , Chen Yuxin , Guo Honglei , Zhi Min , Qiao Feng , Xiao Mo , Zhou Liwen , Wang Yilin , Zuo Zhigang , Li Xinyi , Wang Yonglan , Wu Ligeng
Published: May 2023

Background To establish a risk assessment of dental-maxillofacial morphology affecting alveolar bone loss in patients with periodontitis using machine learning algorithms.Methods Four machine learning algorithms were used to screen possible predictor variables such as age, sex, clinical probing depth (CPD), skeletal relationship between the maxilla and mandible (ANB angle), mandibular plane angle (FH-MP), upper and lower central incisor inclination (U1-L1). The algorithms were also used to establish a risk assessment model in patients with periodontitis. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the discrimination of the models. The model was visualized by a nomogram.Results The optimal variables screened were CPD and FH-MP using random forest algorithm; CPD, FH-MP and U1-L1 using lasso regression; and CPD, FH-MP, and age using both optimal subset regression and cross-validation. CPD, FH-MP, U1-L1, and age were selected as the optimal prediction subsets. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.778.Conclusions Within the limitations of this study, FH-MP was an important predictor of the degree of alveolar bone loss in the first molar affected by periodontitis. The degree of alveolar bone loss in the first molar was more serious in high-angle periodontitis than in those with low- and average-angle periodontitis.
Research revealed a targeted regulatory relationship between hsa-mir-296 or hsa-mir-744 and TNSF15 in colorectal cancer
Authors: Tan Pengsheng , Zhang Shuiying , Hu Zhaoyang , Zheng Sen , Zhang Yongli , Zheng Feng , Wang Cuiping , Yang Xiuhong , Liu Xueli
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUD: Colorectal cancer has an extremely high incidence and mortality rate, and early detection and treatment is important for health.
METHODS: DEmiRNAs were searched for in different datasets. core DEmiRNAs were identified by one-factor cox analysis and target genes were predicted using targetscan and miRDB. Select intersections of target genes and DEmRNAs to identify key genes by survival analysis.
RESULTS: Three miRNAs in COAD and two miRNAs in READ were identified as core DEmiRNAs. After searching for targeted mRNA and conducting survival and expression analysis, it was found that hsa-mir-296-TNSF15 and hsa-mir-744-TNSF15 are effective regulatory networks in colorectal cancer.
CONCLUSION: This study identified hsa-mir-296-TNSF15 and hsa-mir-744-TNSF15 as effective regulatory networks related to the prognosis of colorectal cancer.
Virtual Assistant and Navigation for Visually Impaired using Deep Neural Network and Image Processing
Authors: Bhukhya Charan , Bhumireddy Kashyap , Palakonalu Harsha Vardhan Reddy , Singh Shashank Kumar , Bansod Saurabh , Pal Prashant , Kumar Yogesh
Published: May 2023

The quick development of technology promotes the use of the resources that are at hand to make simpler daily tasks and improve the standard and quality of life for those who are blind. This module suggests creating a system of virtual assistant glasses to help the visually impaired navigate around them. An obstacle detection module built into the device uses computer vision to find obstacles and inform the user through haptic feedback. The system also has a text recognition module that can turn any text it identifies into speech that the user can hear using built-in speakers in the user's glasses. Users are now able to access to printed materials like menus and signs in a way that was not previously feasible. A sign board recognition module, which converts text on signs into speech, is also part of the system. The proposed approach has the potential to enhance the liberty and standard of existence of blind individuals through integrating these attributes in a wearable device.
Some complements and refinements of the operator Bellman inequality
Authors: Liao Wenshi , Long Pujun , Cao Haisong , Wu Junliang , Li Chunyan
Published: May 2023

We present several generalizations and refinements of the Bellman inequality involving the interpolation paths by the Callebautinequality and apply it to the operator geometric means acting on a Hilbert space. We also give some reverse operator Bellmaninequalities. Finally, we get a reverse Choi-Davis-Jensen inequality concerning operator mean and use it for obtaining agenernalization of the reverse operator Bellman type inequality.
AMS Subject Classification: 15A42; 47A63; 47A30
Hybrid Cat Swarm Optimization with Genetic Algorithm to solve the Open Shop Scheduling with Vehicle Routing Problem
Authors: Kekli Amal , Nouri Houssem Eddine , Driss Olfa Belkahla
Published: May 2023

Supply chain management consists of optimising production process from raw material sourcing to final product, logistics and delivery to the final customer. In this context, we propose for the first time the hybridization of two metaheuristic algorithms, the cat swarm optimization and the genetic algorithm, for a simultaneous resolution of the open shop scheduling problem with the vehicle routing problem. The objective function is to minimize the end date of workshop process called makespan and the total traveled distance by the vehicles. The computational experiments were performed based on well-known benchmark data instances. The generated results were compared with the best approaches of the literature, in terms of generated solutions and processing time, in order to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.