bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-Energy Ion Transport Between Two Insulating Parallel Plates
Authors: DuBois R. D. , Tőkési K. , Giglio E.
Published: December 2021

Experimental data are presented for low-energy singly charged ion transport between two insulating parallel plates. Using a beam intensity of approximately 20 pA, measurements of the incoming and transmitted beams provide quantitative temporal information about the charge deposited on the plates and the guiding probability. Using a smaller beam intensity (~1 pA) plate charging and discharging properties were studied as a function of time. These data imply that both the charge deposition and decay along the surface and through the bulk need to be modeled as acting independently rather than as a combined weighted average. A further reduction of beam intensity to ~25 fA allowed temporal imaging studies of the positions and intensities of the guided beam plus two bypass beams to be performed. Because of the parallel plate geometry, SIMION software was used to simulate trajectories of the guided and bypass beams. This provides information about the amount and location of deposited charge and, as a function of charge patch voltage, the probability of beam guiding and how much the bypass beams are deflected. Information about the electric fields which provides insights into the relative charge decay via the surface and bulk is also obtained. An equivalent electric circuit model of the parallel plates is used to associate the deposited charge with the patch voltage. To achieve internal consistency between the various sets of experimental data and the SIMION information, the deposited charge is implied to be distributed primarily on the inner surface of the plates, transverse to the beam direction, rather than being distributed throughout the entire plate.
Conditioned Medium From M1 Macrophages Induces the Migration of Neural Stem Cells Through MCP-1/CCR2 and ERK Pathway
Authors: Cheng Zhijian , Zhu Wen , He Xijing , Kai Cao , Li Jin , Li Haopeng , Wang Guoyu
Published: December 2021

After spinal cord injury, grafted neural stem cells (NSCs) can migrate toward injured area, where there are a large number of bone marrow derived macrophage. However, little is known about the effect of M1 macrophage from bone marrow on NSCs migration and the mechanism responsible for migratory responses of grafted NSCs in vitro and in vivo. Migration of NSCs were conducted by using the transwell chamber and SCI model. Conditioned medium from M1 macrophages (M1-CM) can attract NSCs migration in vitro. The number of migrated C-C chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) -/- NSCs induced by M1-CM were significantly decreased compared with wild type (WT) NSCs (P<0.05). Furthermore, compared with M0 macrophages, the production of MCP-1 by M1 macrophages was significantly increased and M1-CM treated with anti-MCP-1 antibody to neutralize MCP-1 can lead to a significant reduction of NSCs migration (P<0.05). In addition, Western blot showed that ERK1/2 was dramatically activated following the stimuli of M1-CM and then ERK inhibitor can also inhibit M1-CM-mediated MSCs migration. Finally, CCR2 was needed for grafted NSCs migration toward injured area. Bone marrow derived M1 macrophage persisted within the epicenter of injured area and the expression of MCP-1 mRNA was significantly increased 7days after SCI (P<0.05). These results demonstrated the effect of M1 macrophages on NSCs migration and the important role of MCP-1/CCR2 and ERK signal pathway on M1-CM-induced NSCs migration.
Assessment of the Gastrointestinal Fate of Bacterial Cellulose and Its Toxicological Effects After Repeated-dose Oral Administration
Authors: Gama Miguel , Rodrigues Ana Cristina , Rodrigues Lígia , Duarte-Silva Sara , Teixeira-Castro Andreia , Lamas Nuno , Dourado Fernando
Published: December 2021

BackgroundBacterial cellulose (BC) is a nanofibrillar polysaccharide produced by certain acetic acid bacteria. BC may be used in food, pharma and many other applications. However, detailed studies of the oral toxicology of BC are limited. Controversial data is published regarding this topic, specially when it comes to answering the question on whether cellulose is absorbed at the intestine.MethodsFollowing the European Food Safety Authority guidelines (EFSA), this work presents the results of a 21-day repeated dose oral toxicity of BC in male and female Wistar Han rats (Wistar rats). In parallel, microcrystalline cellulose Avicel LM310 (commercially available as a food additive) was used. Wistar rats were subjected to daily oral gavage of 0.75 mL of an aqueous suspension 1% (m/v) BC or of its counterpart of plant origin, Avicel LM310. Rats not submitted to gavage were included in the experiment as controls. Clinical observations, such as body weight measurements, food consumption and ophthalmologic evaluations were performed during the assay. After occision, serum chemistry, necropsic examination and histopathological analyses of the liver, kidneys, spleen and small and large intestines were performed. The presence of BC fibers along the gastrointestinal tract was assessed histologically using a Green Fluorescence Protein coupled to a Cellulose Carbohydrate Binding Module (GFP-CBM) from Clostridium cellulolyticum.ResultsNo adverse clinical observations related to BC administration were noticed, nor appreciable differences in the toxicological endpoints evaluated were detected. No evidence of BC persorption was found. Particularly, no BC was detected in the Peyer´s patches or in the mesenteric lymphatic nodules. Moreover, the histopathological analyses revealed that the global architecture and morphology of the organs and tissues was preserved, among the different experimental groups, with no significant pathological changes among them. Regarding serum biochemistry, no significant differences were recorded, for both sexes.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that BC nanofibers can be considered safe and, as the vegetal cellulose, can be used as a food additive.
Asperosaponin VI Ameliorates The CMS-Induced Depressive-Like Behaviors By Inducing A Neuroprotective Microglial Phenotype To Restore Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity Via PPAR-γ Pathway
Authors: Jiang Xue , Yi Saini , Liu Qin , Su Dapeng , Li Liangyuan , Xiao Chenghong , Zhang Jinqiang
Published: December 2021

Background: The natural compound asperosaponin VI has shown potential as an antidepressant, but how it works is unclear. Here we explored its effects on mice exposed to chronic mild stress (CMS) and the underlying molecular pathways.Methods: Mice were exposed to CMS for three weeks followed by asperosaponin VI (40 mg/kg) or imipramine (20 mg/kg) for another three weeks. Depression-like behaviors were assessed in the forced swimming test, sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, open field test and novelty-suppressed feeding test. Microglial phenotype and synaptic plasticity were evaluated using immunofluorescence staining, real-time quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in hippocampus of mice. In some experiments, stressed animals were treated with the PPAR-γ antagonist GW9622 to examine its involvement in the effects of asperosaponin VI.Results: Asperosaponin VI ameliorated depression-like behaviors of CMS mice based on all three behavioral tests, and this was associated with a switch of hippocampal microglia from a pro-inflammatory (iNOS+-Iba1+) to neuroprotective (Arg-1+-Iba1+) phenotype. The natural compound also promoted interactions between hippocampal microglia and neurons by enhancing CX3CL1/CX3CR1 and CD200/CD200R, and preserved synaptic plasticity based on PSD95 and CamKIIa levels. These effects of asperosaponin VI were blocked by GW9662. Conclusion: CMS in mice induces a proinflammatory microglial phenotype, disrupting neuron-microglia communication and synaptic function in hippocampus, ultimately leading to depression-like behaviors. Asperosaponin VI may ameliorate the effects of CMS by inducing microglia to adopt a PPAR-γ-dependent neuroprotective phenotype.
Liquid-Liquid Phase Transition in Supercooled H2O and D2O: A Path-Integral Computer Simulation Study
Authors: Eltareb Ali , Lopez Gustavo E. , Giovambattista Nicolas
Published: December 2021

We perform path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) and classical MD simulations of H2O and D2O using the q-TIP4P/F water model over a wide range of temperatures and pressures. The density ρ(T), isothermal compressibility κT(T), and self-diffusion coefficients D(T) of H2O and D2O are in excellent agreement with available experimental data; the isobaric heat capacity CP(T) obtained from PIMD and MD simulations agree qualitatively well with the experiments. Some of these thermodynamic properties exhibit anomalous maxima upon isobaric cooling, consistent with recent experiments and with the possibility that H2O and D2O exhibit a liquid-liquid critical point (LLCP) at low temperatures and positive pressures. The data from PIMD/MD for H2O and D2O can be fitted remarkably well using the Two-State-Equation-of-State (TSEOS). Using the TSEOS, we estimate that the LLCP for q-TIP4P/F H2O, from PIMD simulations, is located at Pc = 167±9 MPa, Tc = 159±6 K, and ρc = 1.02±0.01 g/cm3. Isotope substitution effects are important; the LLCP location in q-TIP4P/F D2O is estimated to be Pc = 176 ± 4 MPa, Tc = 177 ± 2 K, and ρc = 1.13±0.01 g/cm3. Interestingly, for the water model studied, differences in the LLCP location from PIMD and MD simulations suggest that nuclear quantum effects (i.e., atoms delocalization) play an important role in the thermodynamics of water around the LLCP (from the MD simulations of q-TIP4P/F water, Pc = 203 ± 4 MPa, Tc = 175 ± 2 K, and ρc = 1.03 ± 0.01 g/cm3). Overall, our results strongly support the LLPT scenario to explain water anomalous behavior, independently of the fundamental differences between classical MD and PIMD techniques. The reported values of Tc for D2O and, particularly, H2O suggest that improved water models are needed for the study of supercooled water.
Myelin Water Fraction in Relation To Fractional Anisotropy and Reading in 10-Year-Old Children
Authors: Economou Maria , Billiet Thibo , Wouters Jan , Ghesquière Pol , Vanderauwera Jolijn , Vandermosten Maaike
Published: December 2021

Diffusion-weighted imaging studies have repeatedly shown that white matter correlates with reading throughout development. However, the neurobiological interpretation of this relationship is constrained by the limited microstructural specificity of diffusion imaging. A critical component of white matter microstructure is myelin, which can be investigated noninvasively using MRI. Here, diffusion-weighted as well as myelin water imaging were applied to examine the links of myelin water fraction (MWF) with fractional anisotropy (FA; a common diffusion index) and reading ability in 10-year-old children (n = 69). The results replicate previous reports on a positive relationship between FA and MWF, which is significant in dorsal but not ventral tracts. Moreover, our findings revealed a negative correlation between word reading and MWF in left reading-related white matter tracts. Altogether, this study contributes important insights into the role of myelin-related processes in the relationship between reading and white matter structure.
Prompt Gamma based Detection and Discrimination of 2 Neutron Capture Events for NCEPT Dose 3 Quantification
Authors: Chacon Andrew , Kielly Marissa , Rutherford Harley , Franklin Daniel R. , Caracciolo Anita , Buonanno Luca , D’Adda Ilenia , Rosenfeld Anatoly , Guatelli Susanna , Carminati Marco , Fiorini Carlo , Safavi-Naeini Mitra
Published: December 2021

Neutron Capture Enhanced Particle Therapy (NCEPT) boosts the effectiveness of particle therapy by capturing thermal neutrons produced by beam-target nuclear interactions in and around the treatment site, using tumour-specific 10B or 157Gd-based neutron capture agents. Neutron captures release high-LET secondary particles together with prompt gamma photons with energies of 478 keV (10B) or 7.94 MeV (157Gd). A key requirement for NCEPT’s translation is the development of in vivo dosimetry techniques which can measure both the direct ion dose and the dose due to neutron capture. In this work, we report signatures which can be used to discriminate between photons resulting from neutron capture and those originating from other processes. A Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation study into timing and energy thresholds for discrimination of prompt gamma photons resulting from thermal neutron capture during NCEPT was conducted. Three simulated 300×300×300 mm3 cubic PMMA targets were irradiated by 4He or 12C ion beams with a spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) depth range of 60 mm; one target is homogeneous while the others include 10×10×10 mm3 neutron capture inserts (NCIs) of pure 10B or 157Gd located at the distal edge of the SOBP. The arrival times of photons and neutrons entering a simulated 50×50×50 mm3 ideal detector were recorded. The majority of photons resulting from neutron capture were found to arrive at the detector at least 60 ns later than photons created by other processes. A range of candidate detector and thermal neutron shielding materials were simulated, and detections meeting the proposed acceptance criteria (i.e. falling within the target energy window and arriving 60 ns post beam-off) were classified as true or false positives, depending on their origin. The ratio of true / false positives (RTF) was calculated; for targets with 10B and 157Gd NCIs, the detector materials which resulted in the highest RTF were cadmium-shielded CdTe and boron-shielded LSO, respectively. The optimal irradiation period for both carbon and helium ions was 1 µs for the 10B NCI and 1 ms for the 157Gd NCI.
Real Ambient Particulate Matter-Induced Myocardial Hypertrophy and Myocardial Lipotoxicity : Roles of PDGFRβ Methylation
Authors: Zhang Ying , Dun Xinyun , Li Benying , Bao Hongxu , Li Danchuan , Xu Zijian , Ji Angdong , Jin Zhenzhen , Wang Jianxun , Zhang Rong , Chen Rui , Chen Wen , Zheng Yuxin , Cui Lianhua
Published: December 2021

Background: PM exposure can lead to myocardial hypertrophy, with a potential contribution via DNA methylation. Myocardial lipotoxicity is closely related to myocardial hypertrophy. But, myocardial lipotoxicity caused by PM has not been reported. PDGFRβ, a platelet-derived growth factor receptor, is also essential for normal cardiovascular development. However, It is unclear the role of PM-induced PDGFRβ methylation in myocardial hypertrophy and myocardial lipotoxicity. We investigated the effect of PDGFRβ methylation induced by PM on myocardial hypertrophy and myocardial lipotoxicity. Results: PDGFRβ methylation caused by PM decreased PDGFRβ mRNA and protein expression in C57BL/6J mouse hearts. Thus inhibiting gene expression in its downstream pathway, ultimately leading to cardiac hypertrophy. Disturbances of myocardial lipid metabolism caused by PM in AC16 cells and C57BL/6J mouse hearts were also observed. High expression of PDGFRβ in neonatal rat primary cardiomyocytes was found to activate its downstream pathway and ameliorate the effects of PM-induced cardiac hypertrophic activity. At the same time, adenovirus was used to induce high expression of PDGFRβ in C57BL/6J mice. It was found that PDGFRβ not only improved PM-induced cardiac hypertrophy, but also alleviated PM-induced myocardial lipotoxicity. Conclusions: PDGFRβ gene methylation may be one of the potential biomarkers of myocardial hypertrophy induced by PM exposure. And high expression of PDGFRβ may be a potential way to prevent myocardial hypertrophy and cardiac lipid metabolism disorder caused by PM exposure in mice.
An integrated omics analysis reveals the gene expression profiles of rapeseed, castor bean, and maize for seed oil biosynthesis
Authors: Liu Nian , Liu Jing , Fan Shihang , Liu Hongfang , Zhou Xue-Rong , Hua Wei , Zheng Ming
Published: December 2021

Background

Seed storage lipids are valuable for human diet and for the sustainable development of mankind. In recent decades, many lipid metabolism genes and pathways have been identified, but the molecular mechanisms that underlie species differences in seed oil biosynthesis are not fully understood.
Results

To investigate the molecular mechanisms of seed oil accumulation in different species, we performed comparative genome and transcriptome analyses of rapeseed and castor bean, which have high seed oil contents, and maize, which has a low seed oil content. The results uncovered the molecular mechanism of the low and high seed oil content in maize and castor bean, respectively. Transcriptome analyses showed that more than 61% of the lipid- and carbohydrate-related genes were regulated in rapeseed and castor bean, but only 20.1% of the lipid-related genes and 22.5% of the carbohydrate-related genes were regulated in maize. Compared to rapeseed and castor bean, fewer lipid biosynthesis genes but more lipid metabolism genes were regulated in the maize embryo. More importantly, most maize genes encoding lipid-related transcription factors, triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthetic enzymes, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and Calvin Cycle proteins were not regulated during seed oil synthesis, despite the presence of many homologs in the maize genome. These results revealed the molecular underpinnings of the low seed oil content in maize. In castor bean, we observed differential regulation of vital oil biosynthetic enzymes and extremely high expression levels of oil biosynthetic genes, which were consistent with the rapid accumulation of oil in castor bean developing seeds.
Conclusions

Compared to oil seed (rapeseed and castor bean), less oil biosynthetic genes were regulated during the seed development in non-oil seed (maize). These results shed light on molecular mechanisms of lipid biosynthesis in rapeseed, castor bean, and maize. They can provide information on key target genes that may be useful for future experimental manipulation of oil production in oilseed crops.
Organic Matter Decomposition in River Ecosystems: the Role of Microbial Interactions Regulated by Environmental Factors
Authors: Liu Yibo , Zhang Baiyu , Zhang Yixin , Shen Yanping , Cheng Cheng , Yuan Weilin , Guo Ping
Published: December 2021

Microbes are the critical contributors to the organic matter decomposition (OMD) in river ecosystems. However, the role of microbial interactions on the OMD in river ecosystems and the regulation of environmental factors to the microbial interactions were not considered previously thus tacked in this study. Cotton strip (CS) as a substitute for organic matter was introduced to Luanhe River Basin in China. The results indicated that CS selectively enriched bacterial and fungal groups related to cellulose decomposition, leading to the cotton strip decomposition (CSD). In these groups, bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, fungal phyla Rozellomycota and Ascomycota were the dominant groups associated with the CSD. Bacteria and fungi on CS cooperatively formed a co-occurrence network to achieve the CSD. In the network, the key modules 2 and 4, mainly composed of phyla Proteobacteria and Ascomycota, directly promoted the CSD. Keystone taxa maintained the stability of microbial network structure and function, and regulated microbial groups associated with CSD in the key modules, rather than directly decomposing the CS. Notably, this study profoundly revealed that water temperature and total nitrogen (TN) regulated the keystone taxa and key modules in microbial interactions and then promoted the OMD. The two key modules 2 and 4 were significantly correlated with water temperature and TN in water, and two keystone taxa (bacterial genera Emticicia and Flavihumibacter) were significantly associated with TN. The research findings help us to understand the microbial mechanism of the OMD in rivers, which provides valuable insights into improving effective management strategies for river ecosystems.
Genetic Dissection of the Breakdown of Durable Resistance in Indica Rice Variety PTB33 to Brown Planthoppers Nilaparvata Lugens (Stål)
Authors: Tabata Shusaku , Yamagata Yoshiyuki , Fujita Daisuke , Sanada-Morimura Sachiyo , Matsumura Masaya , Yasui Hideshi
Published: December 2021

BackgroundTo avoid and delay the resistance breakdown of varieties against pathogens and insect pests, broad-spectrum and durable resistance by multiple genes pyramiding are expected to be one of the practical approaches. The indica rice variety PTB33 (Oryza sativa L.) shows high and durable resistance to the brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens Stål). However, this variety gradually lost its resistance against the recent virulence development of BPH. However, breakdown processes are not fully elucidated by individual genetic loci. ResultsEffective QTLs were explored across the whole genomic region against four BPH populations collected in Japan in 1988, 1989, 1999, and 2013 using high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing. Among seven genomic regions of PTB33 likely conferring BPH resistance, four QTLs, qFSA4a, qFSA6, qFSA11, and qFSA12 on chromosomes 4, 6, 11, and 12, respectively, were validated as BPH resistance QTLs. The PTB33 alleles at the four QTLs positively contributed to BPH resistance. Infestation of monogenic segregating lines showed that the PTB33 alleles at qFSA11, qFSA12, and qFSA4a lost resistance effects at least in 1989, 1999, and 2013, respectively. ConclusionThis study showed breakdown of durable resistance in PTB33 was explained by step-by-step losses of genetic effects at each resistance locus and probably multiple acquisitions of virulence genes in BPH in a gene-by-gene specific manner.
Welding Parameters Optimization in Plunging and Dwelling Phase of FSW Medium Thickness 2219 Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Lu Xiaohong , Qiao Jinhui , Qian Junyu , Sun Shixuan , Liang Steven Y.
Published: December 2021

The influence of welding parameters on temperature distribution in plunging and dwelling phase of friction stir welding (FSW) medium thickness 2219 aluminum alloy is blank. Improper selection of welding parameters will result in uneven temperature distribution along the thickness of the weldment, which will lead to welding defects and ultimately affect the mechanical properties of the weldment. To realize the prediction of temperature distribution and achieve the optimization of welding parameters, a simulation model of FSW 18mm thick 2219 aluminum alloy is built based on DEFORM. The validity of the simulation model is verified by temperature measurement experiments. With the minimum temperature difference in the core area of the weldment as target value, and weldable temperature range of 2219 aluminum alloy as constraint conditions, orthogonal experiments are conducted considering the rotational speed, the press amount, the tool tilt angle, the plunging traverse speed and the dwelling time. The results of variance analysis show that the rotational speed and the dwelling time are significant factors affecting temperature field during plunging and dwelling phase. Through single factor simulation, the welding parameters in plunging and dwelling phase are optimized. This study provides a reference for realizing high-quality welding of a heavy rocket fuel tank.
Parental Decision Regret after Consenting to or Refusing Hypospadias Repair: an Australian Survey
Authors: Vavilov Sergey , Roberts Elysa , Smith Grahame HH , Starkey Malcolm , Pockney Peter , Deshpande Aniruddh V.
Published: December 2021

Background: Parental decision regret in hypospadias surgery is a recognised source of long-lasting psycho-social morbidity. Its reported prevalence is high but until now, it has not been studied in Australasian context or among parents who declined the repair for their son. The aim of this study is to report on decision regret in an Australian cohort of parents, including parents who accepted or who declined repair for their son and explore underlying factors for decision-making, satisfaction, and regret. Methods: An online anonymous survey was administered to three groups: 1) parents who consented for hypospadias repair, 2) parents who declined repair and 3) a control group who requested circumcision for their child. Operations occurred between 2010 and 2020. The survey included a validated decision regret assessment tool and additional questions to explore the possible basis of the opinions. Results: One hundred and eighteen parents (eligible 381, response rate 31%) participated. Decision regret was present in group 1 (n=89) – 55% (moderate-to-severe 15%), in group 2 (n= 14) – 71% (moderate-to-severe 57%), and in the control group (n=15) – 15% (moderate-to-severe 8%) of parents. There was a significant difference in the median decision regret score between all three groups. Parents who chose hypospadias repair were mostly concerned about function. They named the direction of the urine from the tip of the penis as the most satisfying outcome, and the appearance of the foreskin and the need for several operations as the least satisfying outcomes of the repair. Conclusions: The prevalence of decision regret among Australian parents who consented for their son’s hypospadias repair was lower compared with the mean decision regret reported in the literature to date (55% vs 65%). Decision regret and its severity were highest among parents who declined hypospadias repair. New strategies are needed to reduce decision regret in parents whether or not they elect for surgery.
Fractal scaling of C. elegans behavior is shaped by insulin signaling
Authors: Arata Yukinobu , Shiga Itsuki , Ikeda Yusaku , Kimura Hiroshi , Jurica Peter , Kiyono Ken , Sako Yasushi
Published: December 2021

Fractal scaling governs the complex behavior of various animal species and, in humans, can be altered by neurodegenerative diseases and aging1. However, the mechanism underlying fractal scaling remains unknown. Here, we videorecorded C. elegans that had been cultured in a microfluidic device for 3 days and analyzed temporal patterns of C. elegans actions by fractal analyses. The residence-time distribution of C. elegans shared a common feature with those of human and mice2–4. Specifically, the residence-time power-law distribution of the active state changed to an exponential-like decline at a longer time scale, whereas this change did not occur in the inactive state. The exponential-like decline disappeared in starved C. elegans but was restored by culturing animals with glucose. The exponential-like decline similarly disappeared in insulin-signaling daf-2 and daf-16 mutants. Therefore, we conclude that insulin signaling regulates fractal scaling of C. elegans behavior. Our findings indicate that neurosensory modulation of C. elegans behavior by insulin signaling is achieved by regulation of fractal scaling. In humans, diabetes mellitus is associated with depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorder5, which affect daily behavioral activities. We hypothesize that comorbid behavioral defects in patients with diabetes may be attributed to altered fractal scaling of human behavior.
Tonsil-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit the Proliferation of Hematological Cancer Cells through Downregulation of IL-6 Gene Expression under Hyperthermia
Authors: Yüce Melek , Albayrak Esra
Published: December 2021

Stem cells are extensively being studied as promising biological therapeutic candidates in cancer treatment. In various cancer types, some studies show proliferative effects while others show inhibitory effects of MSCs on tumors. Some studies have reported that MSCs isolated from different sources display different anti-cancer properties. Tonsils are one of the secondary lymphoid organs that form an important part of the immune system and located at the mucosal interface. The relation between secondary lymphoid organs and cancer progression lead us to investigate the effect of tonsil-derived MSCs (T-MSC) on cancer treatment. Therefore, we aimed to determine the anti-tumoral effects of tonsil-derived MSCs cultured at febrile temperature on hematological cancer cell lines. We found that co-culture of K562 cells and MOLT-4 with T-MSCs significantly decreased the viable cell number post 7 days of the culture under the febrile and normal culture conditions. Besides, the T-MSC co-culture not only induced the apoptosis on K562 and MOLT-4 cells but also, induced the cell cycle arrest at G2-M phase on MOLT-4 cells. The apoptotic effect of T-MSC co-culture under febrile stimulation was confirmed by upregulation of Bax, c-myc genes for K562 cells and upregulation of Bax, p53 and c-myc genes for MOLT-4 cells in transcriptional level. Our study has contributed to highlight the effect of the cellular interaction between the T-MSCs and human hematological cancer cells during in vitro co-culture under hyperthermia for tumor progression. In the light of these results, we indicated that tonsil-derived MSCs have promising therapeutic potential for cancer therapy.
Asset-Based, Sustainable Local Economic Development: Using Community Participation to Improve Quality of Life Across Rural, Small-Town, and Urban Communities
Authors: Kammer-Kerwick Matt , Takasaki Kara , Kellison J. Bruce , Sternberg Jeff
Published: December 2021

We analyze survey data from 5,487 residents of 85 Texas communities, including rural communities, small towns, medium-sized cities, and the five largest urban centers, to model the influence of the degree of urbanity and rurality of a community as well as residents’ social position, values, and their satisfaction with local assets. The paper’s central argument is that a wide range of factors impact how community members think about their needs and thus should be considered in any community development process. This human-centered approach to looking at how these factors impact economic and quality-of-life development project preferences will support the adaptation of community development decision-making processes to the conditions of each community. For the sake of parsimony, the present study presents results for three community development project concepts: 1) renovating some downtown buildings as mixed-use facilities with retail shops and apartments, 2) opening a community health center, and 3) and deploying gigabit high-speed fiber broadband internet in the downtown area. Our findings specifically highlight areas where participatory processes can be introduced to guide further interactions between experts and community members to 1) identify groups in the community to bring into the process who may be most impacted by the choice of one intervention over another, and 2) target areas where further community discussion and deliberation is necessary around which community dialogues (round tables, town halls, workshops, etc.) could be facilitated.
Intraparietal stimulation disrupts negative distractor effects in human multi-alternative decision-making
Authors: Kohl Carmen , Wong Michelle , Wong Jing Jun , Rushworth Matthew , Chau Bolton
Published: December 2021

There has been debate about whether addition of an irrelevant distractor option to an otherwise binary decision influences which of the two choices is taken. We show that disparate views on this question are reconciled if distractors exert two opposing but not mutually exclusive effects. Each effect predominates in a different part of decision space: 1) a positive distractor effect predicts high-value distractors improve decision-making; 2) a negative distractor effect, of the type associated with divisive normalisation models, entails decreased accuracy with increased distractor values. Here, we demonstrate both distractor effects coexist in human decision making but in different parts of a decision space defined by the choice values. We show disruption of the medial intraparietal area (MIP) by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) increases positive distractor effects at the expense of negative distractor effects. Furthermore, individuals with larger MIP volumes are also less susceptible to the disruption induced by TMS. These findings also demonstrate a causal link between MIP and the impact of distractors on decision-making via divisive normalization.
A Conformal Predictive System for Distribution Regression with Random Features
Authors: Zhang Wei , He Zhen , WANG Di
Published: December 2021

Distribution regression is the regression case where the input objects are distributions. Many machine learning problems can be analysed in this framework, such as multi-instance learning and learning from noisy data. This paper attempts to build a conformal predictive system(CPS) for distribution regression, where the prediction of the system for a test input is a cumulative distribution function(CDF) of the corresponding test label. The CDF output by a CPS provides useful information about the test label, as it can estimate the probability of any event related to the label and be transformed to prediction interval and prediction point with the help of the corresponding quantiles. Furthermore, a CPS has the property of validity as the prediction CDFs and the prediction intervals are statistically compatible with the realizations. This property is desired for many risk-sensitive applications, such as weather forecast. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to extend the learning framework of CPS to distribution regression problems. We first embed the input distributions to a reproducing kernel Hilbert space using kernel mean embedding approximated by random Fourier features, and then build a fast CPS on the top of the embeddings. While inheriting the property of validity from the learning framework of CPS, our algorithm is simple, easy to implement and fast. The proposed approach is tested on synthetic data sets and can be used to tackle the problem of statistical postprocessing of ensemble forecasts, which demonstrates the effectiveness of our algorithm for distribution regression problems.
Topological Data Analysis Gives Two Folding Paths in HP35(nle-nle), Double Mutant of Villin Headpiece Subdomain
Authors: Ichinomiya Takashi
Published: December 2021

The folding dynamics of proteins is a primary area of interest in protein science. We carried out topological data analysis (TDA) of the folding process of HP35(nle-nle), double-mutant of villin headpiece subdomain. Using persistent homology and non-negative matrix factorization, we reduced the dimension of protein structure into two, and investigate the flow in the reduced space. We found this protein has two folding paths, distinguished by the pairings of inter-helix residues. Our analysis showed the excellent performance of TDA in capturing the formation of tertiary structure.
Synthesis, Photophysical, Electrochemical, and DFT Examinations of Two New Organic Dye Molecules Based on Phenothiazine and Dibenzofuran
Authors: Kannan Periyasamy , P Sakthivel , G Venkatesh , PM Anbarasan , P Vennila , Y Sheena Mary , S Kaya , Erkan Sultan
Published: December 2021

New dyes were developed and produced utilizing distinct electron donors (phenothiazine and dibenzofuran), a p-spacer, and an electron acceptor of cyanoacetohydrazide, and their structures were studied using FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy. Following the synthesis of dye molecules, the photophysical and photovoltaic characteristics were investigated using experimental and theoretical methods. The photosensitizers have been exposed to electrochemical and optical property experiments in order to study their absorption performance and also molecular orbital energies. The monochromatic optical conversion efficiency of (Z)-N-((5-(10H-phenothiazin-2-yl)furan-2-yl)methylene)-2-cyanoacetohydrazide (PFCH) found higher than that of (Z)-2-cyano-N'-((5-(dibenzo[b,d]furan-4-yl)furan-2-yl)methylene)acetohydrazide (BFCH), with IPCEs of 58 and 64% for BFCH and PFCH, respectively. According to the photosensitizer molecular energy level diagram, the studied dye molecules have strong thermodynamically advantageous ground and excited state oxidation potentials for electron injection into the conduction band of titanium oxide. It was observed that the ability to attract electrons correlated favorably with molecular orbital energy. While density functional theory calculations were used to examine molecule geometries, vertical electronic excitations, and frontier molecular orbitals, experimental and computed results were consistent. Natural bond orbital and nonlinear optical properties were also calculated and discussed.
Comparative evaluation of shear bond strength of composite to dentin in presence of different dantal liners: An in-vitro study
Authors: Omrani Ladan Ranjbar , Tohidkhah Saba , Ahmadi Elham , Abbasi Mahdi , Farimani Reza Morvaridi
Published: December 2021

Background: The aim of the current study was to evaluate and compare the influence of Dycal, Lime-lite, Theracal LC, Biodentine, Resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC), and Activa Bioactive as the pulp capping material on the shear bond strength of resin composite to dentin.Methods: A total of 70 extracted caries-free molars were randomly assigned to seven groups. Six test groups were covered with various protective liners: Dycal (GD), Theracal LC (GT), lime-lite (GL), Activa Bioactive (GA), Biodentine (GB), RMGIC (GR). The control group (GC)received no liner pretreatment. Each sample was bonded to resin composite using the total-etch tetric N bond adhesive. The samples were then tested for shear bond strength using the universal testing machine at a cross-head speed of 1 mm/min until bond failure occurred. The data were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA test followed by the Tamhane post-hoc test for pairwise comparisons of the groupsResults: Independent of the type of the applied liner, all groups exhibited inferior SBS to dentine compared to the control group. GT and GR showed significantly higher shear bond strength than GB and GD, which showed the lowest shear bond strength. GL and GA also had significantly lower SBS results than GT. The mode of fracture was predominantly cohesive in GD, GB, and GT and adhesive in GA.Conclusion: This present study concludes that the bond strength of resin-composite to dentine can be affected differently using various types of liners.
Courting innovative diplomacy for health safety and security amidst the Covid-19 pandemic; the case of South Africa
Authors: Adetiba Toyin Cotties
Published: December 2021

Notwithstanding its level of socio-economic development, health failure is a threat to any country. Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic is believed to be the greatest threat to the existentiality of humanity since the end of World War II. The level of global interconnectivity also made it the most destructive to human existence. The accelerating growth of the pandemic in South Africa has devastated effects on its economy and cuttingly intensified prior socio-economic challenges and inadvertently, presented South Africa with an unseen and formidable enemy that does not know the differences between South African Black, Coloured, Indian or White. The study used a qualitative research approach, underpinned by the rationality for South Africa, to embrace innovative diplomacy as a means to an end for its health safety and security amidst the covid-19 pandemic. The paper argued that South Africa must innovatively engage the acceptable global mechanisms and other health security measures with focus on its commitment to the goals of its national interests, while strengthening the efficiency of its health initiatives through better-quality governance where both local and international investors are allowed to participate actively in state socio-economic activities that respond to the safety and health security of the emotionalized publics. Thus, in a globalised system of innovation, South Africa needs to see the innovation environment as a steady pipeline of its domestic ability to control the negative effect of Covid-19 on its national health security. The paper concludes that South Africa must begin to invest, modify, and localise the biotechnology industry, and thus serving as a source of employment for the teaming unemployed South Africans.
Gender discrepancy in economic participation: the case of young women in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Lipoko Darla Urmiche Diya , Iwu Chux Gervase , Opute Abdullah Promise
Published: December 2021

Given the patriarchal nature of the African society, females are often secondary. In patriarchal societies, men are viewed as forbearers of knowledge and hence dominate other considerations. A direct consequence therefore is structural discrimination of women, and small businesses are owned and managed by men. Youth unemployment is notably high in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and especially among females. Notably too, one critical factor that drives entrepreneurship start-ups is self-employment, often induced by unemployment. In patriarchal societies, not only are there few opportunities for women but also women face more constraints than their male counterparts. Inspired by the gap in the literature, this study utilizes the descriptive literature review approach to understand the problems, faced by young women when starting a business in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Understanding this theoretical premise and from the perspective of the explored population is important given the criticality of entrepreneurship to economic growth (including unemployment and poverty reduction). In addition, this study would contribute to strategic policy change for achieving productive entrepreneurship. Finally, this study flags research directions for steering necessary research towards productive entrepreneurship goals.
«Terrible triad» of the shoulder. Biomechanicalsemi-natural modeling andjustificationto rotator cuff restoration
Authors: Sukhin Oleksii , Strafun Sergii , Lysak Andriy , Lazarev Igor
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study: was determine the force of tension and deformation of axillary nerve in rupture rotator cuff and paresis of deltoid muscle of the shoulder joint.

Material and methods: Semi-natural modelling based on the axial scans spiral computed tomography of the intact shoulder joint was performed to determine the degree of traction load on the axillary nerve with distal displacement shoulder head and tendon rupture which paresis of the deltoid muscle.

Result: The values of deformations for axillary nerve being at the limit of tissue strength at distal displacement of humeral head of the model by 50 %, progressively increased with increasing distal displacement of humeral head to 100 % of its diameter, reaching values 1.7 times higher than the strength nervous tissue.

Conclusion: The progressive changes occurring in the axillary nerve under the action of traction loads, and as a consequence of its ischemia, over time can lead not only to demyelination, but also to the defeat of the axons themselves atrophy of its fibers. In turn, deltoid muscle atrophy increases the traction load on the affected axillary nerve, which forms a vicious circle. The only possible option to "break" the vicious circle is restore the stabilizing structures damaged during the injury, among which one of the most important is the tendons of the rotator cuff of the shoulder. Surgical restoration of the integrity rotator cuff of the shoulder reduces the traction load acting on the axillary nerve, which in turn significantly improves the conditions for reinnervation of the deltoid muscle.
Evaluation of vestibular function in children with purulent media otitis by computer stabilometry
Authors: Lozova Iuliia , Garyuk Grigoriy , Pochuiеva Tatiana , Redka Iryna , Samusenko Serhii
Published: December 2021

The aim of the research – assessment of vestibular function in children with acute purulent otitis media by computer static stabilometry compared with typically developed children of the same age.

Materials and methods: 22 children with purulent otitis media aged 4 to 7 years and 30 practically healthy peers were examined by static stabilometry on the device “MPFI stabilograph 1” (Kharkiv, Ukraine). Indicators of variation and shape of the pressure center distribution, spectral-correlation indicators of stabilograms, as well as integral indicators of stability (length, velocity and angle of postural oscillations) were taken into account and the equilibrium functions of the two sensory states (open and closed eyes) are calculated in the StabiliS software.

Results: purulent otitis media causes posterior displacement of the absolute coordinates of the pressure center. In the state with closed eyes, children with purulent otitis differ from their healthy coevals by 14 of 24 stabilometric parameters, including stabilogram length, speed, angle and amplitude of oscillations, giving way to them in the stability of equilibrium. Children with purulent otitis media are more sensitive to the visual canal of postural control than their coevals. Involvement of visual afferents in postural control significantly improves balance maintenance in children with purulent otitis by reducing deviations of postural oscillations, which is reflected in the probable changes of 9 out of 24 stabilometric parameters compared to control.

Conclusions: In preschool age, purulent otitis media leads to latent vestibular dysfunction, which is manifested by a violation of the stability of the vertical posture in a state with closed eyes and is compensated by visual-vestibulo-proprioceptive integration in the process of postural control.
Development of methods of identification and quantitative determination of active substances in semi-solid dosage forms with sapropel extracts
Authors: Strus Oksana , Polovko Nataliia , Gushcha Sergey , Filipska Anna
Published: December 2021

For use in veterinary medicine for the treatment of the wound process and the prevention of mastitis, the composition and technology of an emulsion-based cream, conventionally called “Saprocream”, has been developed. Clinical trial of the drug “Saprocream” proved its effectiveness and safety for use in the healing of microtraumas, erosions and cracks (wounds) of the udders of cows.

The aim of the research were was the standardization of the cream under the conventional name “Saprocream” for use in veterinary medicine as a wound healing agent, the development of methods of identification and quantification and their validation.

Materials and methods. Test samples of emulsion cream type o / v, containing 15 % aqueous extract of sapropel (VES), 10 % oil extract of sapropel (OES), 6 % emulsifier No. 1, 1 % cetylstearyl alcohol, preservatives – 0.01 % nisin, 0.1 % euxil K 100 and purified water up to 100 g were made by phase inversion.

The methods of pharmacopoeial articles of the European Pharmacopoeia of the 10th edition, SPhU 1.0, as well as industry standards were used to develop methods for identification and quantification of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in the developed cream and its standardization.

Results. The chromatographic profile of the acetone extract from the cream coincides with the chromatographic profile of the reference solution ((PRS) β-carotene), which indicates the presence of substances of carotenoid structure. The absorption spectrum of hexane extraction from the cream in the range from 500 nm to 750 nm has a maximum absorption at a wavelength of 670±2 nm, which coincides with the maximum absorption of hexane solution OES, indicating the presence of chlorophyll.

A method for quantifying the total mass fraction of humic acids (HA) has been developed and it has been established that the total mass fraction of HA in cream samples with sapropel extracts is 0.828 %.

The results of the validation of the method show that there is a linear relationship between the concentration of the total mass fraction of HA and the mass of the AES sample with a correlation coefficient of 0.9981 (³ 0.9981). The developed technique is precise, because the value of the relative confidence interval is less than the critical value for the convergence of the results: D %=1.34≤1.60 and the criterion of insignificance of systematic error d=0.51 is fulfilled.

Conclusions. An emulsion-based cream under the conventional name “Saprocream” has been standardized, methods for identification and quantification of active substances have been developed and validation of the developed methods for use in veterinary medicine as a wound-healing and anti-inflammatory agent has been carried out.