bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring of phytochemical constituents of Achillea arabica Kotschy. ethanolic flower extract by LC-MS/MS and its possible antioxidant and antidiabetic effects in diabetic rats
Authors: Hanalp Hanife Ceren , Dogan Abdulahad , Saygi Tuba Kusman , Donmez Fatih , Battal Abdulhamit
Published: March 2022

The aim of this study was to reveal the antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of ethanolic lyophilized extract of Achillea arabica flower extract against streptozotosine (STZ)-induced in diabetic rats and to determine its phytochemical content by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). After toxicity test, 35 female rats were divided into 5 groups. Control, Diabetes mellitus (DM), A. arabica (400 mg/kg) extract, DM + A. arabica (400 mg/kg) extract and DM + Glibenclamide (2 mg/kg). It was determined that while diabetic rats treated A. arabica plant extract significantly decreased blood glucose level, serum glucose, HbA1c, liver and kidney damage biomarker levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content compared to the DM group, it caused fluctuations in antioxidant enzyme levels. According to LC–MS/MS results of A. arabica flower extract, quinic acid (2439.9 μg/g), cyranoside (858.4 μg/g), chlorogenic acid (698.7 μg/g) and cosmosiin (347.8 μg/g) were determined as major compounds, respectively. In addition, two new compounds were determined in this extract according to NMR and Mass analyses and these compounds were named edremitine and achillosine, respectively. Thus, A. arabica flower extract has possible therapeutic effects to prevent high blood glucose level and oxidative stress casued by DM in liver and kidney via its high phenolic content.
Preconception health status of women, 18-45 years, in Trinidad: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Bala Ria , Maharaj Rohan G , Boppana Leela Krishna Teja , Teelucksingh Surujpal
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND: Despite overwhelming evidence that preconception care (PCC) has the promise to improve the health and welfare of women, infants, and children; it is not routinely undertaken nor recommended to the population of Trinidad and Tobago. This study assessed maternal health status prior to conception by means of a screening tool, physical measurements and laboratory samples in Trinidad.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among women, aged 18-45, at a primary care centre in Arima, Trinidad, between December 4th 2016 and January 14th 2017. A de novo PCC screening tool assessed 13 domains of high-risk pregnancy in participants. Blood pressure, weight, height and waist circumference were recorded, and a capillary blood sample determined random blood glucose and HbA1c. All data were coded and entered into SPSS ver. 21. RESULTS: A total of 400 women were recruited. 366 were included in the final analysis. Most (96.7%) had one or more risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. These included overweight (BMI ≥ 23) 26.8%, obese (BMI ≥ 27.5) 47.5%, central obesity (WC ≥ 80cm) 69.4%, Impaired Glucose Tolerance/ Diabetes mellitus (IGT/DM) (HbA1C ≥ 5.7) 26.2%, sedentary lifestyle 74.9%, diet high in processed food/fats 88.8%. Only 13.1% had planned to conceive and of those who had no immediate plans of conceiving 76.4% were sexually active and most (60.7%) did not use birth control techniques. More than half (57.1 %) never had a PAP smear. On the other hand, 86.3% knew their HIV status. Self-reporting percentages for vaccination were as follows: 100% had received vaccination for MMR but only 17.5% for tetanus, 11.5% for Hepatitis B and 2.7% for influenza. The vast majority (82.8%) had not visited the dentist in the past year with 35.9% of these exhibiting signs of periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of participants had a risk factor for an adverse pregnancy outcome. There is a need for enhanced preconception care for women in Trinidad.
Advanced Water Pollution Control Strategies: A Systematic Review
Authors: Abdallah Clement Kamil , Mourad Khaldoon A. , Cobbina Samuel Jerry
Published: March 2022

A range of technologies, strategies and policies have been implemented to improve water quality worldwide. This systematic review comprehensively appraises technologies, strategies, and water pollution control policies enacted in different countries worldwide between 2055 and 2021. Five databases, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google scholar and Library of Congress, were used for the search. After screening, a total of 86 eligible manuscripts were selected from 2119 documents for further analysis. Selected articles were divided into two categories: (1) articles introducing the strategies enacted for controlling water pollution based on different technologies, and (2) articles that focused on different policies and regulations to control water pollution in different countries. The results indicated that the most common technologies are Eco-Remediation, Aquatic Vegetation Restoration Technology, Bio-Manipulation Technology, Floating Aquatic-Plant Bed Systems, Wetlands Rehabilitation Technology and Adsorption Technology. And the current one is Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). Most of these technologies are related to controlling industrial water pollution. Policies and regulations enacted in most countries are pertinent to the industrial and agricultural sectors. Adopting green industrialisation and farming, particularly elimination or limited use of pesticides, was reported as an effective action by governments to reduce water pollution. Overall, most policies enacted by governments can be divided into two general categories: (a) Prescriptive policies (b) Market-Based policies. Depending on the circumstances, these policies are implemented alone or jointly. In addition to the acceptance of international agreements to reduce water pollution by governments, safe agricultural practices, treating industrial waste before discharge play an important role in reducing water pollution.
A novel potent CDK4/6 inhibitor BPI-16350 in preclinical cancer models
Authors: Gao Shuiping , Liu Ru-Jiao , Chen Yang , Wang Yi-qian , Chen Hong , Zhang Hui-juan , Ma Tian-yi , Wang Jia-bing , Hu Xi-Chun , Zhang Jian
Published: March 2022

Inhibition of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6-retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway is an effective therapeutic strategy against cancer. Here, we report a novel CDK4/6 inhibitor, BPI-16350, identified from comprehensive screening of a large panel of kinases. A series of investigations to evaluate anti-tumor activity show that BPI-16350 exhibits potent antiproliferative activities by inducing G1 arrest in a wide range of human Rb-positive tumor cells. Multiple carcinoma xenografts reveal that BPI-16350 has equivalent or improved anti-tumor efficacy compared with palbociclib or abemaciclib, and achieves obvious tumor regression without body weight loss in experimental animals, where pharmacokinetic study in SD rats indicates a longer half-life of BPI-16350 with once daily. Furthermore, BPI-16350 achieves excellent brain penetration with a nearly sixfold brain-to-plasma ratio in mice, suggesting the potential of treating tumor brain metastasis. Taken together, our findings indicate that BPI-16350 is a novel CDK4/6 inhibitor with favorable pharmaceutical properties as an anti-cancer agent.
­A diagnostic support system based on pain drawings: binary and k-disease classification of EDS, GBS, FSHD, PROMM, and a control group with Pain2D
Authors: Emmert Dorian , Szczypien Natasza , Bender Tim T.A. , Grigull Lorenz , Gass Annette , Link Carolina , Klawonn Frank , Conrad Rupert , Mücke Martin , Sellin Julia
Published: March 2022

Background and objective : The diagnosis of rare diseases (RDs) is often challenging due to their rarity, variability and the high number of individual RDs, resulting in a delay in diagnosis with adverse effects for patients and healthcare systems. The development of computer assisted diagnostic decision support systems (DDSS) could help to improve these problems by supporting differential diagnosis and by prompting physicians to initiate the right diagnostic tests. Towards this end, we developed, trained and tested a machine learning model implemented as part of the software called Pain2D to classify four rare diseases (EDS, GBS, FSHD and PROMM), as well as a control group of unspecific chronic pain, from pen-and-paper pain drawings filled in by patients. Methods: Pain drawings (PDs) were collected from patients suffering from one of the four RDs, or from unspecific chronic pain. The latter PDs were used as an outgroup in order to test how Pain2D handles more common pain causes. A total of 261 (59 EDS, 29 GBS, 35 FSHD, 89 PROMM, 50 unspecific chronic pain) PDs were collected and used to generate disease specific pain profiles (PP). PDs were then classified by Pain2D in a leave-one-out-cross-validation approach. Results: Pain2D was able to classify the four rare diseases with an accuracy of 61-77% with its binary classifier. EDS, GS and FSHD were classified correctly by the Pain2D k-disease classifier with sensitivities between 63-83% and specificities between 83-90%. For PROMM, the k-disease classifier achieved a sensitivity of 51% and specificity of 90%. Conclusions: Pain2D is a scalable, open-source tool that could potentially be trained for all diseases presenting with pain.
Reanalysis of the Revised EEDI Parameters for Inland Ships of Bangladesh
Authors: Hasan S M Rashidul , Karim Md. Mashud
Published: March 2022

A revision of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) formulation was previously proposed to be useful for inland ships of Bangladesh. The study had incorporated the shallow water effect using Schlichting’s method, however, the evaluation and presentation of Schlichting’s results did not cover all range of ship parameters. In addition to that, the previous proposal was not based on field studies and the consideration main engine’s Maximum Continuous Rating (MCR) was not appropriate. This study has corrected the previously proposed EEDI formulation for inland ships of Bangladesh based on the physical investigation. In this regard, 15 inland ships of Bangladesh (05 cargo, 05 oil tanker and 05 passenger ships) have been physically investigated. The impact of shallow water effect on EEDI was assessed based on field study, which was compared with approved methods. It was assumed with reasonable considerations that the bank/restricted channel effects on the ship are negligible. The MCR was also fixed based on the field study. It was found that the deviations of Schlichting's results varied from 31.34% to 81.46% in comparison to the investigated results. The deviations of results calculated by Lackenby and Barras methods were varied from 10.10% to 43.83% and -22.19% to 16.53% to the field studies. In addition to that, MCR has been measured for the same 15 ships. Investigated results show that the average MCR for inland cargo and oil tankers of Bangladesh is 70% whereas it is 80% for passenger ships. Based on the key findings of the field studies, a revised EEDI formulation is proposed for the inland ships of Bangladesh.
Ultralong Stretchable Soft Actuator(US2A): Design, Modeling and Application
Authors: wang wenbiao , Zhu Yunfei ,   Shibo1 Cai, Bao Guanjun
Published: March 2022

Actuator plays a significant role in soft robots. This paper proposed an ultralong stretchable soft actuator (US2A) with a variable and sizeable maximum elongation. The US2A is composed of a silicone rubber and a surrounding bellow woven sleeve. The maximal extension can be conveniently regulated by adjusting the wrinkles' initial angle of the bellows woven sleeve. The kinematics of US2A could be obtained by geometrically analyzing the structure of the bellows woven sleeve when the silicone rubber is inflated. Based on the geometrical principle and kinetic energy conservation law, a novel modeling method was developed and used to establish the actuating models: the pressure-elongation model and the force model. These models reflect the influence of the silicone tube's shell thickness and material properties on the pneumatic muscle's performance, which facilitates the optimal design of US2A under different working conditions. The experimental results show that the maximum elongation of the US2A prototype is 257%, and the effective elongation could be variably regulated in range of 0 and 257%. The proposed models were also verified with pressure-elongation and output force-constant pressure experiments, with average error of 5% and 2.5%, respectively. Finally, based on the US2A, we designed a soft arm robot, rigid-soft coupling continuous robot, and pneumatic rehabilitation gloves, which further verified the feasibility of US2A as a soft driving component.
Experimental evaluation of impact factors on VOC emissions from different building materials
Authors: Cheng Zhu , Wang Moxin , Lei Nuoa , Wang Ziyun , Xiong Jie
Published: March 2022

With the continuing urbanization, much public attention has been placed on the pollutant emission of building materials. In this paper, experimental analysis of different emission rate impact factors (including temperature, relative humidity, ventilation, and seasonality) was performed to investigate the characteristic of formaldehyde and TVOC emissions from dry and wet building materials. The experiment was conducted in an environmental chamber, and the effects of the impact factors were analyzed using one-factor-at-a-time control method. The results showed that the VOC emission trends of dry and wet building materials are basically the same over time, so are the emission trend under different air exchange rates. Increased air exchange rate can promote the emission rate, for which the effect of air exchange rate is higher for the TVOC emission rate than for the formaldehyde emission rate. On the other hand, temperature and relative humidity showed significantly higher impacts for the emission rate of formaldehyde than the air exchange rate, and synergy between high temperature and high humidity could increase the emission rate of TVOC. Furthermore, it was found that the formaldehyde emission in the summer is much higher than that in the winter and transition season. In general, results of this research could provide invaluable data support and guidance for TVOC emission control, indoor air pollutants management, and control strategy optimization.
The developement of one-day surgical care in Hungary between 2010-2019
Authors: Ponusz Robert , Endrei Dóra , Kovács Dalma , Pónusz Evelin , Kelemen Bence Kis , Elmer Diána , Németh Noémi , Vereczkei András , Boncz Imre
Published: March 2022

BackgroundThe constant increase in the utilization of one-day surgical care could be identified since more than a decade in most of European countries. Initially, according to the international rankings, the exploitation of one-day surgery in Hungary was not really significant. In 2010, the Hungarian policy makers intended to increase one-day surgical care as a priority strategy. The aim of our study was to analyze the evolution of the Hungarian one-day surgical care during the last decade in DRG- based performance financing system in Hungary.MethodsThe dataset of the research was provided by the National Health Insurance Fund Administration of Hungary. The most important indicators related to the one-day surgical care were compared to inpatient care (market share, number of cases, and DRG cost-weights). To discover the impact of one-day surgical care to the utilization of inpatient treatment, the number of hospitalized days was also analyzed.ResultsBetween 2010-2019, the market share of one-day surgical cases increased from 42%, to 80%. Simultaneously the constant increase of one-day surgical cases, the number of hospitalized days were decreased in inpatient care by 17%. The value of Case Mix Index has also increased, approximately by 140%, which could confirm that more complex interventions are being conducted in one-day surgical care as well. ConclusionsDue to the comprehensive health policy strategy related to the dissemination of one-day surgical care in Hungary, several important performance indicators were improved between 2010-2019. Given that Hungary belongs to the low- and middle-income countries, the results of the study could be considerable even in an international comparison.
Cell-specific regulation of gene expression using splicing-dependent frameshifting.
Authors: Blackshaw Seth , Ling Jonathan , Bygrave Alexei , Santiago Clayton , Carmen-Orozco Rogger , Trinh Vickie , Yu Minzhong , Li Yini , Han Jeong , Taneja Kamil , Liu Ying , Dongmo Rochinelle , Babola Travis , Parker Patrick , Jiang Lizhi , Leavey Patrick , Smith Jennifer , Vistein Rachel , Gimmen Megan , Dubner Benjamin , Teodorescu Patric , arantanos Theodoros K , Ghiaur Gabriel , Kanold Patrick , Bergles Dwight , Langmead Ben , Sun Shuying , Nielsen Kristina , Peachy Neal , Singh Mandeep , Dalton William , Rajaii Fatemeh , Huganir Richard
Published: March 2022

Precise cell-specific gene delivery remains technically challenging. Here we report a splicing-based approach whereby separate translational reading frames are coupled to the inclusion or exclusion of cell-specific alternative exons. Candidate exons are identified by analyzing publicly available RNA sequencing datasets and filtering by cell specificity, sequence conservation, and intron length. This method, which we term splicing-linked expression design (SLED), can be combined in a Boolean manner with existing minipromoters and viral serotypes. We generated AAV-based SLED vectors that selectively target all neurons, photoreceptors, or excitatory neurons. We further used SLED to generate a GluA2 flip/flop reporter and a dual excitatory/inhibitory neuronal calcium indicator. Finally, we show the translational potential of SLED by rescuing photoreceptor degeneration in Prph2rds/rds mice and by developing an oncolytic vector that can selectively induce apoptosis in SF3B1 mutant cancer cells. The flexibility of SLED technology enables new avenues for basic and translational research.
Comparative Analysis of the Endophytic Bacteria Inhabiting the Phyllosphere of Aquatic Fern Azolla Species by High-Throughput Sequencing
Authors: Yang Yan-Qiu , Deng Su-Fang , Yang You-Quan , Ying Zhao-Yang
Published: March 2022

Background
Azolla is a small floating fern living in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria and provides a variety of important ecosystem benefits. Previous studies have presented that Azolla harbors diverse bacteria that may play a key role in host fitness and productivity. However, the characteristics of endophytic bacteria inhabiting the phyllosphere of different species of Azolla have not yet been fully understood.
Results
In this study, the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) V5-V7 region of bacteria was determined by Illumina high-throughput sequencing platform to study the diversity and richness of endophytic bacterial communities in the phyllosphere of five Azolla species collected from different countries. A total of 1150 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected for the endophytic bacteria community. According to the α diversity indices, the diversity of bacteria was ordered as Azolla imbricata > A. pinnata > A. filiculoides > A. mexicana > A. caroliniana. The PCoA results displayed that the bacterial communities of A. mexicana and A. caroliniana shared the highest similarity, followed by the similarity between A. pinnata and A. imbricata, and they were significantly distinct from the community of A. filiculoides. The dominant bacteria of Azolla mainly belonged to the phylum of Proteobacteria, followed by Actinobacteria, Chlorobillobacteria, and Firmicutes. In detail, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in A. imbricata was 52.23%, whereas it was more than 80.00% in the other four species of Azolla. Notably, Herbaspirillum (45.91%, 44.08%) and Methylophilus (29.97%, 37.96%) were the main genera inhabiting A. mexicana and A. caroliniana respectively. Ferrovibrio (18.54%) and Rhizobium (16.68%) were the dominant genera inhabiting A. filiculoides. The group of unidentified genera (41.63%, 44.92%) consisted most of the bacteria in A. imbricata and A. pinnata respectively. Further analysis suggested that the significant different bacteria identified in LDA Effect Size analysis existed Azolla species-specific patterns.
Conclusions
In summary, all results suggested that the diversity and composition of the endophytic bacterial communities were Azolla species-specific.
A Reactivity-controlled Epitaxial Growth Strategy for Large-sized Nanocrystal Synthesis
Authors: Long Zhiwei , Liu Mingrui , Wu Xian-gang , Gu Kai , Yang Gaoling , Chen Zhuo , Liu Yang , Liu Ronghui , Zhong Haizheng
Published: March 2022

Large-sized ZnSe nanocrystals are expected to emit pure-blue-light between 455-475 nm for display applications, however, haven’t been achieved up to date. By analyzing the influence of the reactivity of Zn and Se precursors, we found that the final size of ZnSe nanocrystals via hot-injection has a critical value that can be varied by ligands or precursors. To describe the key factors in determining the final size of ZnSe nanocrystals, we propose a nuclei number-considered LaMer model based on the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of crystal embryos. As a result, a general strategy of reactivity-controlled epitaxial growth (RCEG) was developed to synthesize large-sized ZnSe nanocrystals through sequential injection of high-reactivity and low-reactivity Zn (Se) precursors. The resulted large-sized ZnSe nanocrystals show pure-blue emission between 455-470 nm. We further fabricated efficient and stable large-sized ZnSe/ZnS core-shell nanocrystals with photoluminescence quantum yields up to 60%. Moreover, the RCEG strategy is versatile to synthesize large-sized CdSe and PbSe nanocrystals with average size over 35 nm. The hybridization of quantum confined effects and classical surface effects in these large-sized semiconductor nanocrystals, which will open up new directions for fundamental research and application explorations.
Regime Impact of Two-dam Coexistence: A Special Withdrawal Measure in Fengman Reservoir, China
Authors: Yang Xiaoqian , Tuo Youcai , Yang Yanjing , Deng Yun , Wang Xingmin , Chen Min
Published: March 2022

The two-dam coexistence (TDC) is a special measure adopted by the Chinese Fengman Dam for risk management of old and dangerous dams, which acts as selective withdrawal by demolishing a partial elevation of the original dam. This study combined measured water temperature data for many years with the characteristics of the TDC to reveal the influence of the TDC on the thermal stratification in front of the dam and the withdrawal water temperature (WWT) process. The results showed that the TDC accompanying the operation and outflow daily regulation of the two power stations caused a general decline and periodic fluctuation in temperature contours. The metalimnion moved upward, and stratification strengthened with the temperature gradient from 0 to 10.5°C/m. The vertical mixture was weakened with the difference between the surface and bottom water temperatures ranging from 6.8°C to 26.8°C. The stratification stability of the water column was 1.6 times that with the one-dam condition (ODC), and there were interannual differences. The buoyancy frequency decreased correspondingly. Additionally, the TDC had a higher WWT in the warming period (3.2°C on average from May to Jun.) and a lower WWT in the freeze-up period (0.2°C on average from Jan. to Feb.) than the ODC. The maximum temperature difference between the front of the two dams occurred at the bottom of the reservoir (3.5°C to 12.2°C), verifying that the main WWT difference was caused by releasing water above the demolition elevation. With the TDC, the withdrawal layer raised 19.6 m from near the intake to near the demolition elevation. Thus, more stable stratification and various changes in the WWT played a vital role in several sensitive elements and reservoir management. This study can provide practical experience for the effect of similar disease reservoirs treatment and can provide a reference for optimizing water quality management strategies.
Correlation Between Albuminuria and Interstitial Injury Marker Reductions Associated with SGLT2 Inhibitor Treatment in Diabetic Patients with Renal Dysfunction
Authors: Sato Saeko , Takayanagi Kaori , Shimizu Taisuke , Kanozawa Koichi , Iwashita Takatsugu , Hasegawa Hajime
Published: March 2022

BackgroundWe investigated the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) administration focusing its involvement in tubulo-interstitial disorders in diabetic kidney.MethodsThis study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University (#1062 and #2470). Enrolled patients with diabetic kidney disease received a mean dose of 52.3 mg of an SGLT2i (ipragliflozin) daily. Blood and urine were sampled at 0, 1, and 12 months (M).ResultsNon-renal-dysfunction patients (NRD: baseline eGFR≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2, n=12) and renal-dysfunction patients (RD: baseline eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m2, n=9) were analyzed separately. The median urine albumin-to-Cr ratio (ACR) was significantly decreased at 1M in both groups (NRD: 163.1 at 0M vs 118.5 mg/gCr at 1M, RD: 325.2 at 0M vs 136.0 mg/gCr at 1M). In the RD, but not the NRD group, reduction of urine monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) by SGLT2i showed a significant difference between high-responders (HR: -25.7±11.4%) and low-responders (LR: 59.2±17.0%), defined by ACR reduction at 1M. Univariate analysis showed a significant correlation between the reduction of ACR and MCP-1 (R=0.683, p=0.042) in RD. There is no possible confounder in the correlation, as shown by multivariate analysis (ß=0.683, R2=0.467).ConclusionSGLT2i exerted an anti-albuminuric effect regardless of the presence/absence of renal dysfunction. However, the anti-albuminuric effect of SGLT2i in patients with renal dysfunction appears more closely associated with amelioration of tubulointerstitial disorders compared to patients without renal dysfunction.
Evaluation of serum and pleural levels tumor M2-pyruvate kinase in lung cancer patients with pleural effusion
Authors: Zhang Tiantian , Liu Wei , Li Li , Jue Zou , xu chunhua
Published: March 2022

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of tumor M2-pyruvate kinase (TuM2-PK) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in both pleural effusion and serum in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant pleural effusion. Methods: This prospective study was conducted among 80 patients with pleural effusion caused by benign disease (BPE group) and 125 patients with malignant pleural effusion associated with lung cancer (MPE group). The levels of TuM2-PK and CEA were measured by using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and electrochemiluminescence. The receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to confirm the optimal critical value to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of TuM2-PK and CEA. Results: The TuM2-PK and CEA levels in pleural effusion and serum, and their ratio (P/S) were higher in MPE group than that in BPE group (P<0.05). In pleural effusion and serum, the diagnostic efficiency of combined TuM2-PK and CEA for MPE was superior to either single detection. Conclusions: The combined detection of TuM2-PK and CEA has a high sensitivity for diagnosis of MPE and provides important information for rapid and accurate diagnosis of patients.
Wear of Teflon coating on non-stick pan in hot oil lubrication
Authors: Zhang Yang , Chen Weiqi , Chen Haosheng
Published: March 2022

The wear of Teflon coatings on non-stick pans has drawn wide attention since the pans are daily used in cooking. In most of the national standards for non-stick pans, the wear of Teflon coatings on the pan is tested in dry friction at room temperature, while it actually works at high temperatures with oil lubrication. It is still unknown whether the wear of the coating will be more serious or not in the hot oil lubrication condition. Therefore, in this work, the wear of Teflon coatings of non-stick pans is investigated with oil lubrication at the temperature of 150°C. The testing results illustrate that the hot oil lubrication brings about an increase of the wear of the Teflon coatings, and that is attributed to the diffusion of the hot oil into the cracks of the coating, which accelerates the detachment of the coating from the substrate. This finding will inspire us to review the testing standard of the coatings on non-stick pans.
Pharmacological characterization of GR1803, a novel BCMA × CD3 bispecific antibody for multiple myeloma treatment
Authors: Li Lili , Chen Xiangling , Li Yongpeng , Lou Liguang
Published: March 2022

B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is an ideal target for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), and a bispecific antibody (bsAb) of BCMA × CD3 has entered clinical trials with great potential. In this study, we characterized GR1803, a novel bsAb for MM treatment. We reported that GR1803 bound to recombinant BCMA, CD3, BCMA-positive (BCMA+) MM cells, and human T cells; that it induced T cell activation and cytokine release dependent on the presence of BCMA+ cells; and that it effectively killed MM cells with EC50 values less than 10 ng/mL. We found that GR1803 induced MM cells to release various cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, interferon-g (IFN-γ), GM-CSF, and TNF-α. Finally, we found that GR1803 significantly and dose-dependently inhibited the growth of tumors specifically expressing human BCMA in vivo. Taken together, these results demonstrate that GR1803, a novel BCMA × CD3 bsAb, efficiently and selectively kills MM cells and represents a novel immunotherapy for treating MM.
Drought response of tree-ring width in the southern boundary of Pinus tabulaeformis from Mt. Funiu, central China
Authors: Peng Jianfeng , Li Jinbao , Li Xuan , Cui Jiayue , Peng Meng
Published: March 2022

Tree ring data from the southern boundary of Pinus tabulaeformis distribution where is the southern margin of warm temperate, the paper analyzes the response of climate factors along north-south direction to tree growth. The results show that temperature and precipitation in May-June and relative moisture from March to June are main limiting factors on tree growth; however, the temperature in the south of the mountain and the humidity in the north of the mountain have relatively greater influence on tree growth. The regional scPDSIMJ (that is PDSI in May-June) is the most significant and stable limiting factors on tree growth to be used for reconstruction, which explains 50.4% of the variance in the instrumental records from 1963 to 2016 CE. The reconstructed scPDSIMJ revealed that there were 29 extremely dry years (accounting for 12.96%) and 30 extremely wet years (accounting for 13.89%) and it can represent the drought variation in central and eastern monsoon region, and agree with the reconstructed PDSI for Mt. Shennong and the drought/wetness series in Zhengzhou, with correlation coefficients 0.367 (n = 210, p = 0.000) and 0.196 (n = 200, p = 0.005), respectively. Further research found that drought of May-June in central China mainly impacted by local temperature and moisture (including precipitation, soil moisture, potential evaporation and water pressure), and then the Pacific and the Atlantic. These results may provide better understanding of May-June drought variation and service for agricultural production in central China.
The utility of the emBODY tool as a novel method of studying complex phenomena-related emotions
Authors: Herman¹ Aleksandra M. , Zaremba¹ Dominika , Kossowski¹ Bartosz , Marchewka¹ Artur
Published: March 2022

Bodily sensations are one of the major building blocks of emotional experience. However, people differ in their ability to recognise and name their emotions, especially those in response to complex phenomena such as climate change or the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we investigated whether the bodily sensation maps (BSMs) approach can be employed to study emotions related to phenomena that are likely to evoke various, and perhaps even conflicting, emotions in people. Using a unique topographical self-report method - the emBODY tool, 548 participants marked where in the body they feel sensations (activations and deactivations) when they experience distinct emotions (e.g. happiness) and when they think about different phenomena, namely climate change, COVID-19 pandemic, war, nature, friends, and summer holidays. We revealed maps of bodily sensations associated with different emotions and phenomena. Importantly, each phenomenon was related to a statistically unique BSM, suggesting that participants were able to differentiate between feelings associated with distinct phenomena. Yet, we also found that BSMs of phenomena showed some similarity with maps of emotions. Together, these findings indicate that the emBODY tool might be useful in uncovering the range of emotions individuals experience towards complex phenomena.
Screening of HRas, RRas and FOS as Potential Pharmacodynamic Candidates for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Mishra Savita , Hora Sandhya , Katare Deepshikha Pande
Published: March 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly primary tumour that begins in hepatocytes. Tumour cell proliferation and progression is influenced by cellular components of the liver and their microenvironment. Pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers are biomolecules that demonstrate the effect of a therapeutic intervention on the affected organ and its microenvironment. PD biomarkers are used to study drug target interactions and their biological responses. High-throughput technologies and bioinformatics tools are critical for interpreting proteomics data and exploring new biological insights into cellular processes, disease pathogenesis, and biomarker discovery. We have developed an animal model of HCC using DEN with 2AAF as a carcinogen and treated it with multiple doses of sorafenib-silibinin combinational tablets. With proteomic studies, we have screened differently expressed protein signatures as pharmacodynamic biomarkers. The PPI network was created on the STRING platform and visualised on Cytoscape software. The MCODE plug-in was implied to identify the modules with the highest significant score. Later, the CytoHubba plug-in was used to filter the top ten hub genes in each module. Finally Drug-gene interaction was done using hub gene on the STITCH platform for molecular analysis of combinational treatments. We have identified a total of 11 differentially expressed proteins with MALDI-TOF-MS. Bioinformatics analysis of these biological factors is used to identify genes that are helpful in treatment. The PPI network complex resulted in 141 nodes with 1520 edges. The top ten hub gene list revealed the significance of three query proteins (HRas, RRas, and FOS) in the protein network, which was later validated with overall survival analysis using the GEPIA tool. Finally, drug–gene interaction predicted that combinational treatment has a significant effect at the molecular level and, out of 11 differentially expressed proteins, 3 could be potential pharmacodynamic biomarker. Based on computational and proteomic analysis, we have screened the expression and therapeutic value of potential pharmacodynamic biomarkers (HRas, RRas, and FOS) with sorafenib-silibinin formulation treatment in the HCC model.
Evaluating the Risk of Hypertension in Residents in Primary Care in Shanghai, China with Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Chen Ning , Fan Feng , Geng Jinsong , Yang Yan , Gao Ya , Jin Hua , Chu Qiao , Yu Dehua , Wang Zhaoxin , Shi Jianwei
Published: March 2022

The prevention of hypertension in primary care requires an effective and suitable hypertension risk assessment model. The aim of this study was to develop and compare the performances of three machine learning algorithms in predicting the risk of hypertension for residents in primary care in Shanghai, China. A dataset of 40,261 subjects over the age of 35 years was extracted from Electronic Healthcare Records of 47 community health centres from 2017 to 2019 in the Pudong district of Shanghai. The XGBoost model outperformed the other two models and achieved an AUC of 0.765 in the testing set. Twenty features were selected to construct the model, including age, diabetes status, urinary protein, BMI, elderly health self-assessment, creatinine, systolic blood pressure of the upper right arm, waist circumference, smoking status, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, frequency of drinking, glucose, urea nitrogen, total cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure of the upper right arm, exercise frequency, time spent engaged in exercise, high salt consumption, and triglycerides. XGBoost outperformed random forest and logistic regression in predicting the risk of hypertension in primary care. Integration of such a risk assessment model into primary care may improve the prevention and management of hypertension in residents.
Readiness to take COVID-19 vaccines: a national cross-sectional survey in Vietnam
Authors: Hoang Huong Thi Xuan , Vu Anh Hoang , Nguyen Liep Van
Published: March 2022

Background: COVID-19 caused a pandemic that drastically affected health systems, the economy, and social life globally. Vaccination is likely the solution for helping bring the pandemic under control when combine with other prevention measures. Understanding and measuring the general population's readiness to take COVID-19 vaccines is needed to facilitate an effective vaccination program.Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the readiness of the public toward COVID-19 vaccination in Vietnam based on seven components of vaccination readiness (7Cs) and investigate the factors affecting the readiness to receive these vaccines. Methods: The 7Cs of vaccination readiness scale (7Cs) was used in the study. The questionnaire was distributed via social media platforms to collect the data.Results: A total of 1026 participants were included. The presented study reflected a medium score of readiness toward COVID-19 vaccination among Vietnamese (average score of 7Cs was 103.25 ± 15.13) although 71.9% of the participants have already received at least one dose or booked to receive the first dose. Several predictors were found to hinder their readiness of COVID-19 taking vaccines including the level of agreement level with some common reasons for not taking COVID-19 vaccines (including awareness of the instances of death or serious adverse effects, the concern of the manufacturer or place of origin, waiting for a better vaccine, confused by different information of the vaccines, don't believe in the advice of the government regarding the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19-vaccines), how COVID-19 affects one’s health, and the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing the severity and complications of COVID-19. Conclusion: Findings reported a medium score of readiness toward COVID-19 vaccinations. Based on the based on seven components of vaccination readiness, it is suggested that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination programs can be improved by focusing on correcting the misinformation and promoting the efficacy of COVID-19.
Cutting performance and antifriction mechanism of Al2O3/TiC/TiB2/h-BN@Al2O3 self-lubricating ceramic tool
Authors: Shi Yuxin , Xiao Guangchun , Chen Zhaoqiang , Ji Lianggang , Yi Mingdong , Zhang Jingjie , Chen Hui , Xu Chonghai
Published: March 2022

The machinability and wear reduction mechanism of self-repairing and self-lubricating ceramic tools sintered by vacuum hot-pressing method in the dry turning of 40Cr hardened steel were studied. By comparing the cutting performance and wear morphology of AT (Al2O3/TiC) ceramic tools under different cutting parameters, it was found that AT10B@5 (Al2O3/TiC/10 vol% TiB2/5 vol%h-BN@Al2O3) tool has a longer service life and better machining quality. Owing to the precipitation of solid lubricant during the cutting of AT10B@5 ceramic tool, the friction force during the cutting is reduced, thus decreasing the cutting force and cutting temperature of AT10B@5 ceramic tool during the cutting. The main cutting force decreased by 20.8%; the cutting temperature decreased by 22.2%; and the friction coefficient of front tool face decreased by 11.6% compared with AT tool. This effectively improved the surface quality of working parts, reduced the tool wear, increased the processing quality of work piece, and prolonged the tool life.
Processing performance of vitrified bonded fixed-abrasive lapping plates for sapphire wafers
Authors: Xiong Qiang , Nie Xiaowei , Lu Jiabin , Yan Qiusheng , Deng Jiayun
Published: March 2022

To enhance the lapping effects of sapphire wafers, two vitrified bonded fixed-abrasive lapping plates with different mechanical properties were developed and used to lap sapphire wafers to evaluate the effects of lapping time and dressing cycle on the lapping process effect and the stability of the lapping plates. The results indicate that the lapping material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (Ra) of the workpiece decrease with increasing lapping time; the higher the hardness of the lapping plate, the larger the MRR and Ra. There are differences in the primary wear forms between the two types of plates, with the high-hardness plate being mainly abrasive wear and abrasive breakage, while the low-hardness plate being mainly abrasive peeling off and abrasive wear. The two plates have the same trend in material removal for sapphire wafers -increasing the lapping time, the MRR is found to be gradually decreased and plateaued after 30 min, which is only about 20% of that of the initial lapping time, resulting in the plates needing to be dressed. After dressing the lapping plates, the plate processing performance returns to its initial state; the MRR deviation is less than 10% within the same period of use after several dressings.
Process Fundamentals and Quality Investigation in Extrusion 3D Printing of Shear Thinning Materials——Extrusion Process Based on Nishihara Model
Authors: Luo Yonghao , Sun Weiwen , Bao Minle , Zhu Xiaowu , Ning Chenhong , Zhang Weiye , Li Yanhui , Zhang Xinyue
Published: March 2022

Due to the complexity of extrusion 3D printing objects and lack of universal parameters, there are few classified statistics or quantitative description for the "extrudability" of material with shear thinning properties. In order to systematically study the rheological properties of extrudable materials and establish a unified criterion or quality evaluation standard from the basic process theory, a Nishihara rheological constitutive model based on visco-elastic and visco-plastic characteristics of materials is explored to predict and investigate the extrusion performance of four typical dispersed-continuous phase binary mixture. The creep model result shows that, expect for the gelatin network-water system with almost complete elastic behavior, the material with shear thinning property based on Nishihara model is in good agreement with the experimental results. In the extrusion process, the shear stress is related to the advancing speed, material viscosity and nozzle size. The effects of advancing speed and nozzle size on shear stress show antagonistic characteristics in a certain range, that is, the velocity gradient is the dominant factor at lower extrusion speed, and the dynamic viscosity is the dominant factor at higher extrusion speed. In terms of extrusion properties, the material system with smaller yield strain/stress has the least obvious extrusion delay characteristics, and is easier to extrude under the condition of the same material strength.
Anthropometric, Neuromuscular, Physiologic and Training variables as determinants to Laboratory Cycling Performance
Authors: Lanferdini Fábio Juner , Kons Rafael Lima , Detanico Daniele , Pupo Juliano Dal , de Lucas Ricardo Dantas , Vaz Marco Aurélio
Published: March 2022

The goal of this study was to verify whether physical components (anthropometric, physiological and neuromuscular), as well as training characteristics, could predict cycling performance during maximal incremental and time-to-exhaustion tests. Twenty male cyclists volunteered to participate in this study and performed an incremental cycling ramp test. Anthropometric, training history and training volume were assessed. Second ventilatory threshold (VT2), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2MAX), and maximal power output (POMAX) were assessed during incremental test. Muscle architecture of the vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles was evaluated bilaterally to calculate the mean legs’ muscle thickness, pennation angle and fascicle length, at rest condition. Soon after, the cyclists performed a warm-up and the time-to-exhaustion test at POMAX. In addition, muscle activation of the VL, RF and vastus medialis (VM) muscles was evaluated through the mean root mean square value from both legs. Cyclists’ height (R2 = 0.37), experience time and training volume (R2 = 0.46) were predictors of POMAX (p<0.02), while cadence (R2 = 0.30) was the only predictive variable for the time-to-exhaustion performance (p<0.01). The main predictors of the maximal incremental cycling test performance were height, experience time and training volume, while cadence was a predictor of time-to-exhaustion.
Hierarchical Reduced Graphene Oxide-MnO2@Polypyrrole coaxial nanotube Composite Hydrogel as a Potential Adsorbent for Cr(VI) Removal
Authors: Wang Xiangyu , Du Hanwei , Ji Jiayou , Li Liang
Published: March 2022

A hierarchical reduced graphene oxide-MnO2@polypyrrole coaxial nanotube composite hydrogel are prepared via oxidative polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of MnO2 nanotubes, followed by the hydrothermal treatment of graphene oxide and MnO2@polypyrrole coaxial nanotubes. The stable composite hydrogel with hierarchical network is composed of one-dimensional MnO2@polypyrrole coaxial nanotube and two-dimensional graphene nanosheet and characterized by scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The composite hydrogel can be used as an efficient adsorbent for Cr(Ⅵ) removal due to the synergistic interaction between graphene and MnO2@polypyrrole and the hierarchical structure of the hydrogel. Moreover, the composite hydrogel is easily separated because of its stable monolith, and reusable (76.8% of removal ability remaining after five adsorption-desorption cycles). The simple fabrication and cost-effective separation process together with the excellent absorption performance endows the composite hydrogel with great potential for practical wastewater treatment.
Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus in Jinan, China, 2008–2020
Authors: Xu Mingjie , Liu Fang , Zhao Qianqian , Zhou Yunying , Zhuang Yuanmei , Ji Mingyu
Published: March 2022

Background:Updated estimate of anti-HCV prevalence is critical for developing strategies to manage or eliminate HCV infection. To achieve this, a comprehensive study was conducted for the seroprevalence of HCV among patients in Jinan Central Hospital, China. Methods: From 2008 to 2020, 365,210 patients were tested for anti-HCV, core antigen of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV cAg), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), syphilis antibody (anti-TP), HIV antigen+antibody (Ag+Ab) assays, anti‑HAV IgM and anti‑HEV IgM.Results:The HCV seroprevalence was 0.79%. HCV seroprevalence is related to age distribution, the children (<18 years) had a lower HCV seropositivity 0.15%, and among adults ( ≥18 years) was 0.81%. A increasing prevalence of HCV was found in adults aged greater than or equal to 41 years, the HCV seropositivity for those aged between 41 to 80 accounted for 74.56% of all seropositiveindividuals. Surprisingly, rate of HCV-HIV co-infection was 0. The HCV seroprevalence of patients in Kidney Disease Unit & Dialysis Department was much higher than patients in other departments, whether in inpatients or outpatients.Conclusions:A lower HCV seroprevalence in Jinan, but a higher HCV seroprevalence in Kidney Disease Unit & Dialysis Department, especially in patients on hemodialysis.