bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic, molecular, and symbiotic characterization of the rhizobial symbionts isolated from Acacia saligna grown in different regions in Morocco: An multivariate approach
Authors: LEBRAZI Sara , FADIL Mouhcine , CHRAIBI Marwa , BENBRAHIM Kawtar FIKRI
Published: April 2023

The introduced species Acacia saligna is a very promiscuous host as it can be efficiently nodulated with a wide range diversity of rhizobia taxa, including both fast and slow-growing strains. Fourteen nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria were isolated from root nodules of wild Acacia saligna growing in distinct geographic locations in Morocco and were examined for their symbiotic efficiency and phenotypic properties. Multivariate tools, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), were used to study the correlation between phenotypic and symbiotic variables and discriminate and describe the similarities between different isolated bacteria with respect to all the phenotypic and symbiotic variables. Phenotypic characterization showed a variable response to extreme temperature, salinity and soil pH. At the plant level, the nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and the shoot and root dry weights were considered. The obtained results show that some of the tested isolates exhibit remarkable tolerances to the studied abiotic stresses while showing significant N2 fixation, indicating their usefulness as effective candidates for the inoculation of acacia trees. The PCA also allowed showing the isolates groups that present a similarity with evaluated phenotypic and symbiotic parameters. The genotypic identification of N2-fixing bacteria, carried out by the 16S rDNA approach, showed a variable genetic diversity among the 14 identified isolates, and their belonging to three different genera, namely Agrobacterium, Phyllobacterium and Rhizobium.
Cancelled total hip arthroplasty and knee arthroplasty: a retrospective analysis of 1003 patients
Authors: Cao Jian , Liao Kai , Mou Ping , Wang Wen-qi , Li Ze-xi , Zhou Zong-ke
Published: April 2023

Background The aim of the present study is to analyze the hospital length of stay (LOS), total hospital expense (THE), reasons, and subsequent fate of patients who had a total joint arthroplasty (TJA) cancelled.Methods In December 2020, we retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of 18,508 patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty or knee arthroplasty between January 2009 and December 2018. Patients with unexpected cancellations of scheduled TJA surgeries were identified. LOS, THE, reasons for cancellations, and the number of patients who eventually performed arthroplasty were recorded.Results A total of 1,003 (5.4%) participants had scheduled TJA surgeries cancelled, which included 23 (2.3%) with two cancellations and 980 (97.7%) with one cancellation. The median LOS and THE of cancellations were 4 days (interquartile range [IQR] 3–7) and 4139 RMB (IQR 2611-6583.5), respectively. There were 720 patients (71.8%) who were cancelled due to medical-related reasons. Compared to non-medically related cancellation, medical-related cancellation had a higher age (60.9 vs 54.2, p < 0.001), LOS (5 vs 3, p < 0.001), and THE (4862 vs 2661, p < 0.001); meanwhile, the latter had a higher percentage of two cancellations (3.2% vs 0.0%, p = 0.002). During the follow-up, three hundred and twenty-three (32.3%) patients finally performed joint replacement in our institution, and the median time interval between the originally scheduled date of surgery and the actual date of surgery was 94 days (IQR 46-275.5).Conclusions This study suggests that the cancellation rate is relatively high in TJA practice, and medical-related cancellations are the most common. On the other hand, cancelling the operation will result in huge additional costs for patients and increased length of non-surgical hospital stay. Given that many of the reasons for cancellation are modifiable, a physician-guided pre-admission assessment is necessary to erase the concerns before the patient is admitted. Meanwhile, to prevent further delays, attention should be paid to patients whose TJA procedures have been cancelled and help them get their procedures rescheduled in a timely manner.
Multivalent nanobody-based sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for sensitive detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus
Authors: Sun Mingxia , Sun Yue , Yang Yongbo , Zhao Man , Cao Dan , Zhang Minmin , Xia Dasong , Wang Tao , Gao Yanfei , Wang Shanghui , Wang Haiwei , Cai Xuehui , An Tongqing
Published: April 2023

Background The pandemic of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has caused huge economic losses and continues to threaten the swine industry worldwide. Antibodies are critical for determining the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic immunoassays. Recently, nanobodies have been increasingly used in diagnostic immunoassays because of their numerous advantages over traditional antibodies, including simple genetic engineering to improve the affinity and fusion with reported agents. This study is the first to develop a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with high sensitivity and specificity to detect the PRRSV.Results Thirteen nanobodies against PRRSV were prepared by using phage display technology and prokaryotically expressed. Two of those nanobodies with high affinity, Nb12 and Nb35, were selected and employed to develop the sandwich ELISA. To obtain greater sensitivity, a trivalent nanobody (3×Nb12) and a bivalent nanobody-HRP fusion protein (2×Nb35-HRP) were used as the capture antibody and the detecting antibody, respectively, in a subsequently modified sandwich ELISA. This modified ELISA was found to have high sensitivity for detecting PRRSV, with a detection limit of 10 TCID50/µL, which was approximately 200-fold greater than the single-copy nanobody-based sandwich ELISA. The developed assay shows high specificity and can detect almost all circulating lineages of PRRSV-2 in China.Conclusions The trivalent nanobodies and bivalent nanobody-HRP were applied to develop an improved sandwich ELISA for the first time, and the ELISA exhibits high sensitivity and specificity for detecting the target virus. This study provides suggestions for reforming nanobodies and for the further development of multivalent nanobody-based ELISAs for other various viruses.
Molecules with antimicrobial activity in the secretion of the arthrodial membrane gland of a harvester (Arachnida, Opiliones)
Authors: SILVA Norton Felipe dos Santos , WILLEMART Rodrigo Hirata , SILVA José Roberto Machado Cunha , Junior Pedro Ismael Silva
Published: April 2023

Because of the exoskeleton, arthropods must have flexible areas to be able to move. Such regions are called arthrodial membranes and are particularly vulnerable to bacteria and fungi. Here, we analyzed the secretion in the glands underneath it in a Neotropical harvester (Arachnida, Opiliones) and tested whether it has antiseptical properties. We punctured the membrane, collected and diluted the secretion and quantified proteins and peptides in a spectrophotometer. We also fractionated and analyzed the samples in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and then incubated the treated fractions and determined growth inhibition by measuring absorbance. The secretions resulted in 42 fractions, among which two had activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Micrococcus luteus and against the yeast Candida albicans. The low concentrations at which the secretions were active are relevant from a biotechnological point of view. For the animals, the secretions possibly prevent infections, including when they are attacked in these regions by predators that pick that spot to bite.
Tryptophan metabolites alleviates Intestinal Candida albicans Infection by reduction of IL-22 releasing from colonic lamina propria group 3 innate lymphoid cells and gut microbiome modification
Authors: Peng Ziyao , Zhang Jiali , Zhang Meng , Yin Liping , Zhou Ziyang , Lv Cuiting , Wang Zetian , Tang Jianguo
Published: April 2023

Background: Invasive candidiasis may be caused by Candida albicans (C. albicans) colonisation of the intestinal tract. Therefore, protection against invasive C. albicansinfections requires a functional intestinal epithelial barrier. Mice infected with Candida albicans in the gut and healthy mice were sampled for faecal analysis. After C. albicans infection, we found significant changes in tryptophan metabolites-kynurenic acid (KynA) and indole acrylate (IA)compared with healthy mice.
Results: We identify the mechanism by which KynA and IA ameliorate dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced intestinal C. albicansinfection, based on a systematic analysis of the gut microbiota, metabolomics and transcriptome sequencing in mice. KynA and IA suppress inflammation, upregulate the expression of intestinal tight junctions and reduce IL-22 secretion of colonic lamina propria ILC3 in response of invasive Candida infection. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the gut barrier protection and ILC3 regulation mediated by KynA and IA were dependent on gut microbiota modification by transplanting faecal microbiota into ABX-treated C57BL/6J mice.
Conclusion: Our study provides microbiome-to-metabolite alterations in C. albicans gut infection and identifies gut microbiome regulation and IL-22 derived from colonic lamina propria ILC3 as novel targets for C. albicans gut infection therapies.
Data Protection in Internet of Medical Things Using Blockchain and Secret Sharing Method
Authors: Shree Shreyshi , Zhou Chen , Barati Masoud
Published: April 2023

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) combines Internet of Things (IoT)with medical devices to facilitate healthcare, providing affordable solutions, and faster treatments to patients. An increase in IoMT use hasled to several security/privacy challenges, since many IoMT devices havenot been designed with security and privacy features in mind, whichmakes them vulnerable to attacks. Furthermore, as security risks andthreats affect all the layers developed for IoMT-based architectures, anIoMT network must follow stricter privacy and security specificationscompared to other IoT devices. In order to address this, we present anew IoT-based architecture to improve the data privacy, security, andintegrity leveraging distributed InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) storage and blockchain. The data captured from medical devices is split intomultiple encrypted pieces using Secret Sharing Algorithm (SSA) andthese pieces are then stored in distributed IPFS storage hosted on edgeand cloud servers, and their copies are verifiable by a blockchain network. The applied SSA method ensures that even if a piece of data iscompromised, the original data is neither leaked nor lost. Our proposedarchitecture is implemented and tested on an IoMT-based monitoring system to investigate its feasibility, scalability, and performance.
Bibliometric and visual analysis of the global treatment of affective disorders in the 21st Century: Developments, hotspots, and trends
Authors: Wei Zhizi , Zhong Chaofang
Published: April 2023

The treatment of affective disorders is becoming the mainstream of research, and its study has attracted extensive attention from scholars all over the world. However, there is no comprehensive review of this research. From the perspective of bibliometrics, based on 2692 articles in the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database, this paper systematically and comprehensively describes the progress and hot spots in the treatment of affective disorders. Since the 21st century, research on treating affective disorders has shown a growing trend. The results show that from 2000 to 2021, the United States was the most active country in publishing relevant articles, Harvard University was the most productive institution, and Ketter T was the most representative author in this field. However, there was little cooperation between different countries/institutions. The research in the field of affective disorder treatment can be summarized into three main research areas: the leading causes of affective disorder, the harm of affective disorder, and the treatment methods. Finally, this paper proposes some challenges and prospects for the rapid and balanced development of the field of affective disorder therapy. As far as we know, this study is the first one specialized in visualizing the treatment of affective disorders, which is conducive to identifying current research hotspots and predicting potential future research directions.
G protein signaling 1 regulator facilitate ovarian cancer development by activating NF-κB signal pathway
Authors: Shengnan Liu , Jiayan Xi , Kaisi Zhu , Li Li , Wei Huang , Shengyuan Cai , Mingjuan Xu
Published: April 2023

Background The RGS1 protein and its regulators are key players in the development of different malignancies. The RGS1 gene was considered as a promising biomarker for ovarian cancer prognosis, and it was hypothesized that it would encourage proliferation via the NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods The data was gathered using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) dataset, and the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. The role of RGS1 in the development of OC was examined utilizing the CCK-8, EDU, Transwell, real-time PCR, and Western blotting assays. In nude mice, the impact of RGS1 on OC formation was confirmed.Results RGS1 was revealed to be a major determinant of OC prognosis. Functionally, although knockdown of RGS1 had the opposite effects, ectopic expression of RGS1 increased growth capacity in vitro and triggered tumor development in vivo. Additionally, RGS1 suppression caused OC cells to stop in the G1/S phase, which is in line with changes in cell-cycle components. In terms of mechanism, RGS1 knockdown inhibited the NF-κB signaling pathway.Conclusions RGS1 can be a target for cancer treatment since it performed an oncogenic function in the development of OC, in part via controlling the NF-κB signaling pathway.
Efficacy and safety of Thoracoscopic-guided Paravertebral Block on the Early Postoperative Analgesia following Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy: A Randomized Blinded Controlled Study
Authors: Li Zhixiong , Lin Qingshui , Lin Liangqing , Wu Qinghua , Ke Pinhui , Chen Huan , Lin Chunlan , Yu Yaohua
Published: April 2023

Background: Paravertebral block (PVB) has been increasingly popular for postoperative analgesia. However, a well-designed randomized study is needed to estimate the efficacy and safety of PVB using thoracoscope-assisted technique for early postoperative analgesia following video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (VATS LOBECTOMY).
Methods: 106 patients scheduled for elective VATS LOBECTOMY were randomly assigned into two groups in a 1:1 ratio. Control group: receiving patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) after surgery; PVB group: receiving thoracoscopic-guided multi-points PVB before the end of the surgery combined with PCIA following surgery. The primary endpoint was opioid consumption within 48 h after surgery.
Results: Compared with control group, sufentanil consumption was significantly lower in PVB group with longer duration of first time PCIA usage, less times of analgesic pump pressing and less rescue analgetic consumption. VAS scores at rest and during exercising were significantly lower in PVB group at all time points within the first 48h after surgery. PVB group was also associated with significantly higher total QoR-40 scores and lower incidence of analgesia related adverse events.
Conclusions: Thoracoscopic-guided PVB were effective and safe for early postoperative analgesia after VATS LOBECTOMY. Additionally, thoracoscope-assisted modality is technically easy, it should be recommended before the end of VATS LOBECTOMY.
Factors Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life Among Breast Cancer Survivors in the Saudi Arabia: Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Omar Mohammed TA , Dhwayan Nouf Al , Al-Karni Mohammed Ali Turki , Ajarim Dahish , Idreess May Jameel Nouri , Gwada Rehab FM
Published: April 2023

Purpose Assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a major concern among breast cancer survivors. There is little knowledge about HRQO and its determinants among Saudi women with breast cancer (BC). This study aimed to describe HRQOL in Saudi women with breast cancer and explore the association of HRQO with sociodemographic and clinical variables. Methods A cross-sectional study involving 147 BC participants who fulfilled a 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) administered by the Medical Outcomes Study. An analysis of multivariable linear logistic regression was conducted to determine what factors are associated with HRQOL. Results For the physical component scale, general health scored the highest (55.41 ± 17.99) while role physical function scored the lowest (48.61 ± 22.51). The mean scores in the mental component were higher for social function (56.91 ± 20.84), while the lowest score was observed for energy and vitality (49.62 ± 20.84). Significant differences were observed in many SF-36 domains across sociodemographic and clinical variables. Older age, having had a mastectomy as well as comorbid conditions, and receiving chemotherapy and hormonal therapy were associated with decreased HRQOL. However, being physically active, employed, and having more education were associated with higher HRQOL. Conclusion HRQOL is generally poor among breast cancer survivors in Saudi Arabia, depending on a variety of factors. These findings highlight the need for routine QOL assessment. Furthermore, recognizing these predictors may play a key role in maximizing HRQOL for breast cancer participants.
Risk factors of esophagojejunal anastomotic leakage after total gastrectomy for gastric and Siewert type II/III esophagogastric cancer: a retrospective analysis from a tertiary hospital.
Authors: Liu Junjie , Fang Jiaming , Chen Yingliang , Chen Yonghe , He Jiasheng , Deng Zijian , Peng Junsheng , Lian Lei , Chen Shi
Published: April 2023

Background:To detect the risk factors associated with esophagojejunal anastomotic leakage (EJAL) after total gastrectomy for gastric and Siewert type II/III esophagogastric cancer and investigate the effect of laparoscopic anastomosis on EJAL.Methods:The data for 609 patients underwent Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy after total gastrectomy between March 2015 and March 2021 were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the risk factors. We adopted propensity score matching to compare the rate of the anastomotic leakage of the laparoscopic and open anastomosis group.Results:EJAL was observed in 48 (7.9%) of 609 patients. Univariate analysis revealed that gender, age, the number of comorbidities, postoperative serum albumin, tumor location, duration of operation were risk factors associated with EJAL. Patients who had the following factors including male, age ≥50 years, the number of comorbidities ≥2, postoperative serum albumin ＜35 g/L, tumor location was esophagogastric junction, duration of operation ≥260 min were more likely to develop EJAL than those who had not. Multivariate analysis revealed that the number of comorbidities (OR 3.214, 95% CI 1.092 – 9.463,p= 0.034) and duration of operation (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.251 – 5.740,p= 0.011) were independent risk factors associated with EJAL. 161 patients received laparoscopic anastomosis and 448 patients received open anastomosis. The rates of anastomotic leakage in the laparoscopic and open anastomosis groups were comparable after propensity score matching (Laparoscopic 8.1% vs Open 10.6%,p= 0.565).Conclusions:More morbidities and prolonged operative duration were independently associated with EJAL after total gastrectomy for gastric and Siewert type II/III esophagogastric cancer. Laparoscopic anastomosis did not increase the risk of anastomotic leakage, compared with open anastomosis.
Surgical outcomes of isolated hydrocoeles and concurrent V-Y-Scrotoplasty for a compound penoscrotal fusion of under-5 years at Ho Teaching Hospital
Authors: Ali Mahamudu Ayamba , Maalman Raymond Saa-Eru , Oyortey Mawuenyo Attawa , Anyorigiya John Noah , Naabo Nuhu Noel , Kyei Mathew Yamoah
Published: April 2023

Purpose: Failure of reconstructive surgery and wound breakdown occur when scrotoplasty is combined with other multiple surgeries. Unfortunately, hydroceles are common whether isolated or associated with other conditions in penoscrotal malformations that may require surgical intervention during the reconstruction procedure.
Method: We retrospectively reviewed the surgical outcome of under-five year old children with isolated hydrocoeles or in combination with other inguinoscrotal pathologies operated at the Ho Teaching Hospital over a 12-month period.The diagnoses, procedure performed, complications and days of hospital stay were analysed and descriptively presented.
Results: Majority 17(85.0%) of the 20 patients reviewed were diagnosed with communicating and vaginal hydrocoele with surgeries been division of the patent processus or excision of tunica vaginalis respectively. Left-sided lesions were dominance for communicating hydrocoele. Hydrocoeles associated with undescended testes and the Penoscrotal fusion in 15.0% had orchidopexy and penoscrotal reconstruction. The frequent complication was wound infection.
Conclusion: Wound infection was not a side effect against combine PSF reconstruction and hydrocoele operation however, it appeared to be more severe.
Assessment of stream order and drainage pattern of flood prone areas of Ebonyi State Southeastern Nigeria
Authors: Ogbonna Jeremiah Nwankwagu , Okoro Okoro Enyinnaya , Ibe Henry.
Published: April 2023

This study assessed the stream order and drainage pattern of flood prone areas to determine the relationship between stream order and the magnitude of the flood in Ebonyi state. The river courses, different tributaries and the drainage network within Ebonyi State were identified using the Shuttle Rader Topographic Mission (SRTM) which generated the river network with the aid of Topographic analysis of Spatial Analyst on Hydrology. This SRTM activated the examination of the effects of stream order and drainage pattern on flood areas of Ebonyi State using the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) which proved that the drainage gets heavier down the slope as more volume of water were added to the traversing channel, hence the upsurge resulting in floods. The data was acquired from the field through Geometric Positioning. The LANDSAT data were equally downloaded from United State Geological Survey (USGS) Earth explorer for 2019 and that of the Thematic Mapper (TM) for 2009. The STRM collected its data from its sporadic available drainage encompassing tributaries and drainage network within Ebonyi State. The study revealed the need for an adequate adjustments of the stream order to accommodate more volume of water within the basin that will empty into the major consequent river down the slope avert flood. Therefore there is a need for urgent adjustments and constructions of a drainage system to accommodate more water volumes.
Carbon dioxide fluxes over grassland ecosystems in the Middle Tianshan region of China with eddy covariance method
Authors: Zhang Kun , Wang Yu , Mamtimin Ali , Liu Yongqiang , Gao Jiacheng , Aihaiti Ailiyaer , Wen Cong , Song Meiqi , Yang Fan , Zhou Chenglong , Huo Wen
Published: April 2023

Grassland ecosystems are an important component of global terrestrial ecosystems and play a critical role in the carbon cycle of ecosystems. It is important to study the Carbon dioxide (CO2) process in the Middle Tianshan grassland ecosystem, which can be regarded as a typical representative of the mountain grasslands in Xinjiang. Eddy Covariance (EC) was used to continuously observe Xinjiang’s Middle Tianshan grassland ecosystem during the 2018 growing season. The results showed significant daily and monthly variations in net ecosystem exchange (NEE), gross primary productivity (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (Reco). On a daily scale, there was a net uptake of CO2 during the day and a net release during the night. The grassland was a carbon sink from 6:00 to 18:00 and a carbon source for the rest of the day. At the monthly scale, June and July were carbon sinks, while the other months were carbon sources. The accumulated NEE, GPP, and Reco throughout the growing season were − 329.49 g C m− 2, 779.04 g C m− 2, and 449.55 g C m− 2, respectively. On the half-hourly and daily scales, soil temperature (Ts) contributed the most to CO2 fluxes and was the main factor influencing variations in CO2 fluxes, while air temperature (Ta) was also highly correlated with CO2 fluxes. CO2 uptake in grassland ecosystems was strongest and peaked at soil temperatures of 25°C. As the air temperature reaches above 15℃, NEE gradually decreases while CO2 uptake increases.
Native bioagents released phytohormones induce biochemical changes in rice against stem rot and false smut diseases
Authors: Sowmya V , Gopalan N. S. Raja , Maruthi P , Baskar M , Umadevi G , D Ladha lakshmi , P Koteshwar , G Jesudasu , Rathod Santhosha , M Srinivas Prasad , P Rajanikant , G Rekha , SK Hajira , RM Sundaram , Mohapatra Sridev , C Kannan
Published: April 2023

Rhizosphere essentially harbours native bioagents that are beneficial to plants growth and development, stress tolerance and competitive advantage over its rivals. The bioagents often exhibits multiple mechanisms including secretion of secondary metabolites, phytohormones and defense enzymes to offer such advantages to the host plants. Stem rot and false smut caused by Sclerotium hydrophilumand Ustilaginoidea virensrespectively, are two major constraints in India and other countries where rice is cultivated. There are reports on the critical role of microbial phytohormones viz., ABA and SA, IAA, GA, zeatin on growth and stress of plants. They play a role in the regulation of plant immune responses by eliciting induced systemic resistance (ISR) in host plants against invading pathogens. Accordingly, we studied the activity of native bioagents viz., Trichoderma asperellum strain TAIK 1, Bacillus cabrialesii strain BIK3, Pseudomonas putida strain PIK1 and Pseudomonas otitidis strain POPS1 on enhancement of plant growth, increase in defence enzymes and reduction in severity of stem rot and false smut diseases of rice. We followed the Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometric (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method for the analysis of the phytohormones viz., IAA, GA, Zeatin, SA and ABA released by the bioagents. Bioagents treated plants showed 100% germination, enhanced plant growth parameters and reduction in percent disease index like 20.98% (stem rot), 23.14% (false smut) over the control plants (70.01% for stem rot and 75.24% for false smut). Our study indicated a direct relationship between the number and intensity of phytohormones released by the bioagents and the plant growth and disease suppression in rice.
Genetically predicted levels of circulating cytokines and risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease: evidence from complementary genetic methods
Authors: Zhang Kai , Wang Yani , Li Jiqing , Liu Xiaowen , Fu Ping , Xue Fuzhong
Published: April 2023

Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the top two common neurodegenerative diseases. In recent years, the role of cytokines-related neuroinflammatory response in the pathogenesis of AD/PD has received increasing attention. This study aims to investigate the relationship between genetically determined cytokines and the risk of AD/PD.Methods Four systematic univariable Mendelian randomizations (MR) approaches were adopted to assess the causal effect of cytokines on AD/PD and their robustness, including inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted-median estimator (WME), robust adjusted profile score (RAPS), and wald ratio (WRO) methods. Furthermore, multivariate MR (MVMR) with Bayesian model averaging (MR-BMA) was performed to prioritize the cytokine combinations that may be on the AD/PD causal pathway. Besides, we used the standard IVW MVMR to re-estimate the causal effect and confidence interval of each cytokine in the top 10 models screened by MR-BMA. Bidirectional MR analysis was additionally performed to detect the causal directionality. Finally, results generated by univariate MR and MR-BMA methods were combined.Results Univariable MR (IVW) analysis indicated genetically determined higher levels of macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP1b) were positively associated with both AD and PD [odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were 1.05 (1.01–1.09) and 1.06 (1.02–1.10)]. Besides, Interleukin (IL) IL16 was positively associated with PD [OR (95%CI): 1.09 (1.01–1.18)]. However, IL2 receptor alpha (IL2ra) was negatively associated with AD [OR (95%CI): 0.92 (0.86–0.98)]. Particularly, MR-BMA analysis corroborated that MIP1b was the top priority risk factor for both AD and PD [posterior probability (marginal inclusion probability): 0.212 (0.190) and 0.509 (0.782)]. In addition, standard IVW MVMR detected that the genetical positive effect of MIP1b on both AD and PD was still significant. The relationship between MIP1b and PD was further replicated by FinnGen summary-level dataset. Finally, the results of bidirectional MR showed neither AD nor PD could modify the level of MIP1b.Conclusions Genetic predisposition to elevated circulating levels of MIP1b was associated with a higher risk of both AD and PD. In addition, MIP1b was screened as the most prioritized cytokine-related risk factor. Whether targeting MIP1b or its pathways could lower the AD/PD incidence requires future functional studies.
Provenance and pretreatment effect on seed germination of twenty-six provenances of Xanthoceras sorbifolium
Authors: Yang Yingying , Liu Xiaojuan , Zhao Ziquan , xu Huihui , Fu Guanghui , Bi Quanxin , Wang Libing
Published: April 2023

Due to the long dormancy period and hard seed coat, the natural germination percentage of the yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium) seeds is very low, which seriously hinders the large-scale cultivation of the yellowhorn. In this study, the seeds of 26 provenances with different climatic and geographical conditions were collected and the seed germination was tested, which was conducted to determine the effects of seed pretreatment methods on the germination of yellowhorn at China from twenty-six provenances. Germination percentages (GP), mean germination time (MGT) and germination index (GI) were calculated and the data was subjected to ANOVA. The study showed that the GP, GI and MGT of twenty-six provenances of yellowhorn seeds in different pretreatment methods were highly significantly (P<0.01). Within the same provenance, the GP, GI and MGT using five pretreatment methods also had significant differences, except those of Jingbian, Fangshan, Kulun and Tubuxin provenances (P<0.05). In addition, the study indicates that provenances are as important as pretreatments in germination of the species. Correlation between germination ability and geo-climatic data of seed collection sites showed if the annual average temperature of the provenance with short frost-free period is low, the germination percentage of seeds will increase which pretreated with sand storage + PEG. This study provides a reference for the selection of suitable pretreatment methods for 26 provenances of yellowhorn.
Sector-Level Economic Effects of Regulatory Complexity: Evidence from Spain
Authors: Mora-Sanguinetti Juan S. , González Javier Quintana , Albaladejo Isabel Soler , Spruk Rok
Published: April 2023

This paper studies for first time the impact of the regulatory complexity by sector in Spain on various measures of economic efficiency. We base our analysis on an innovative database that classifies 206,777 regulations by sector of activity and by region which highlights the growing volume of regulation, as well as its diversity by sector, by region and by business cycle stage.
This analysis first looks at the aggregate impacts of sectoral regulatory complexity on the employment-to-population ratio, total working hours, sectoral GDP shares, labor intensity or capital intensity, but it delves, in the second place, into the heterogenous impacts observed over firms with different sizes and ages, making use of a rich database at the enterprise level, the MCVL - Continuous Work History Sample-.
On the first front, we estimate a set of multiple fixed-effects model specifications across 13 economic sectors, 23 regulatory sectors and 17 Spanish regions over the period 1995-2020. Our results suggest that greater regulatory complexity has a negative effect on employment rate and has a negative impact on value added. The effect on employment is consistent with previous findings for the U.S. In particular, each additional increase in regulatory complexity index is associated with 0.7 percent drop in the sector-level employment share, ceteris paribus. Furthermore, our results suggest that several distortionary sector-level effects of increasing regulatory complexity are taking place. Markedly lower labor intensity and decreased sector-level investment rates, which confirm that expansive regulatory complexity entails non-trivial sector-level costs. Distortionary effects of regulatory complexity materialize through compositional differences mainly through reduced wages and investment rate.
On the second front, using data on employment by firms’ characteristics, we show that the negative impact of regulatory complexity concentrates on smaller and younger firms. This finding supports the hypothesis that a more complex regulation imposes a burden than small and less experienced firms are less capable to handle. At the sector level, the group of sectors more negatively affected is manufacturing. This may be related to the higher investment required by these sectors.
JEL CODES: K2; R11; J00; E02.
Application of Artificial Neural Network in Daily Prediction of Bleeding in ICU Patients Treated With Anti-Thrombotic Therapy
Authors: Chen Daonan , Wang Rui , Jiang Yihan , Xing Zijian , Liu Xiaoqing , Zhao Lina , Xie Hui
Published: April 2023

Objectives Anti-thrombotic therapy is the basis of thrombosis prevention and treatment. Bleeding is the main adverse event of anti-thrombosis. Existing laboratory indicators cannot accurately reflect the real-time coagulation function. It is necessary to develop tools to dynamically evaluate the risk and benefits of anti-thrombosis to prescribe accurate anti-thrombotic therapy.Methods The prediction model,daily prediction of bleeding risk in ICU patients treated with anti-thrombotic therapy, was built using deep learning algorithm recurrent neural networks, and the model results and performance were compared with clinicians.Results There was no significant statistical discrepancy in the baseline. ROC curves of the four models in the validation and test set were drawn, respectively. One-layer GRU of the validation set had a larger AUC (0.9462; 95%CI, 0.9147–0.9778). Analysis was conducted in the test set, and the ROC curve showed the superiority of two layers LSTM over one-layer GRU, while the former AUC was 0.8391(95%CI, 0.7786–0.8997). One-layer GRU in the test set possessed a better specificity (sensitivity 0.5942; specificity 0.9300). The Fleiss’ k of junior clinicians, senior clinicians, and machine learning classifiers is 0.0984, 0.4562, and 0.8012, respectively.Conclusions Recurrent neural networks were first applied for daily prediction of bleeding risk in ICU patients treated with anti-thrombotic therapy. Deep learning classifiers are more reliable and consistent than human classifiers. The machine learning classifier suggested strong reliability. The deep learning algorithm significantly outperformed human classifiers in prediction time.
Identification of common factors among Fibrosarcoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, and Osteosarcoma by network analysis
Authors: Radak Mehran , Ghamari Nakisa , Fallahi Hossein
Published: April 2023

Sarcoma cancers are uncommon malignant tumors, and there are many subgroups, including fibrosarcoma (FS), which mainly affects middle-aged and older adults in deep soft tissues. Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), on the other hand, is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in children and is located in the head and neck area. Osteosarcomas (OS) is the predominant form of primary bone cancer among young adults, primarily resulting from sporadically random mutations. This frequently results in the dissemination of cancer cells to the lungs, commonly known as metastasis. Mesodermal cells are the origin of sarcoma cancers. In this study, a rather radical approach has been applied. Instead of comparing homogenous cancer types, we focus on three main subtypes of sarcoma: fibrosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and osteosarcoma, and compare their gene expression with normal cell groups to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Next, by applying protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, we determine the hub genes and crucial factors, such as transcription factors (TFs), affected by these types of cancer. Our findings indicate a modification in a range of pathways associated with cell cycle, extracellular matrix, and DNA repair in these three malignancies.
Results showed that fibrosarcoma (FS), rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), and osteosarcoma (OS) had 653, 1270, and 2823 down-regulated genes (DEGs), respectively. Interestingly, there were 24 DEGs common to all three types. Network analysis showed that the fibrosarcoma (FS) network had two sub-networks identified in FS that contributed to the catabolic process of collagen via the G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathway. The rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) network included nine sub-networks associated with cell division, extracellular matrix organization, mRNA splicing via spliceosome, and others. The osteosarcoma (OS) network has 13 sub-networks, including mRNA splicing, sister chromatid cohesion, DNA repair, etc. In conclusion, the common DEGs identified in this study have been shown to play significant and multiple roles in various other cancers based on the literature review, indicating their significance.
GNSS data analysis and updated geodetic velocity field in Greece
Authors: Bitharis Stylianos , Pikridas Christos , Fotiou Aristeidis , Rossikopoulos Dimitrios
Published: April 2023

In this study an updated crustal velocity field for the Greece area was estimated using a time series analysis that covers a duration of 16 years from 227 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) permanent stations. The GNSS processing was carried out using GNSS Analysis software at MIT (GAMIT) and the velocity field expressed with respect to Eurasian plate. For the time-series analysis, we applied a robust Median Interannual Difference Adjusted for Skewness (MIDAS) trend estimator to mitigate the effects of discontinuities due to geophysical phenomena on the estimation of geodetic velocities and their uncertainties. We also compare our geodetic velocities with five previous publications, where we found consistency at the mm/year level, leading to reliable results for the geodynamic behavior of the Greek area, providing a dense velocity field.
Coupling a void growth model with an elastoplastic material model for a simultaneous prediction of the borehole plastic zone and critical collapse pressure
Authors: Oyedokun Femi
Published: April 2023

The elastoplastic shear stability of highly inclined boreholes is explored in this study. First, the stress concentrations in the elastic and plastic zones around a highly inclined borehole are derived. Unlike other previously published elastoplastic wellbore stability solutions, this work considered the contributions of the anti-plane shear stresses. Furthermore, a new method for estimating the collapse pressure and extent of the plastic zone around the borehole is presented. In this approach an elastoplastic material model is coupled with a void-growth model to simultaneously predict the collapse pressure and plastic zone. The predicted collapse mud weights from the proposed approach compared very well with observed field data. The pure shear strength of the formation is a key material property that determines the contributions of the anti-plane shear stress in the stability of the borehole. If the pure shear strength is disregarded, as is the case with other previously published solutions, the predicted collapse pressure will be overly optimistic, underestimating the collapse pressure, if the pure shear strength of the rock is not negligible compared to the loading conditions. After conducting several sensitivity studies, the elastic brittle-plastic model performs better in predicting the shear stability of boreholes than the elastic perfectly-plastic model.
Building use-inspired species distribution models: using multiple data types to examine and improve model performance
Authors: Braun Camrin D. , Arostegui Martin C. , Farchadi Nima , Alexander Michael , Afonso Pedro , Allyn Andrew , Bograd Steven J. , Brodie Stephanie , Crear Daniel P. , Culhane Emmett F. , Curtis Tobey H. , Hazen Elliott L. , Kerney Alex , Lezama-Ochoa Nerea , Mills Katherine E. , Pugh Dylan , Queiroz Nuno , Scott James D. , Skomal Gregory B. , Sims David W. , Thorrold Simon R. , Welch Heather , Young-Morse Riley , Lewison Rebecca
Published: April 2023

Species distribution models (SDMs) are becoming an important tool for marine conservation and management. Yet while there is an increasing diversity and volume of marine biodiversity data for training SDMs, little practical guidance is available on how to leverage distinct data types to build robust models. We explored the effect of different data types on the fit, performance and predictive ability of SDMs by comparing models trained with four data types for a heavily exploited pelagic fish, the blue shark (Prionace glauca), in the Northwest Atlantic: two fishery-dependent (conventional mark-recapture tags, fisheries observer records) and two fishery-independent (satellite-linked electronic tags, pop-up archival tags). We found that all four data types can result in robust models, but differences among spatial predictions highlighted the need to consider ecological realism in model selection and interpretation regardless of data type. Differences among models were primarily attributed to biases in how each data type, and the associated representation of absences, sampled the environment and summarized the resulting species distributions. Outputs from model ensembles and a model trained on all pooled data both proved effective for combining inferences across data types and provided more ecologically realistic predictions
than individual models. Our results provide valuable guidance for practitioners developing SDMs. With increasing access to diverse data sources, future work should further develop truly integrative modeling approaches that can explicitly leverage strengths of individual data types while statistically accounting for limitations, such as sampling biases.
Enantio- and Diastereoenriched Enzymatic Synthesis of 1,2,3-Polysubstituted Cyclopropanes from (Z/E)-Trisubstituted Enol Acetates
Authors: Mao Runze , Wackelin Daniel J. , Jamieson Cooper S. , Rogge Torben , Gao Shilong , Das Anuvab , Taylor Doris Mia , Houk K. N. , Arnold Frances H.
Published: April 2023

In nature and synthetic chemistry, stereoselective [2+1] cyclopropanation is the most prevalent strategy for the synthesis of chiral cyclopropanes, a class of key pharmacophores in pharmaceuticals and bioactive natural products. One of the most extensively studied reactions in the organic chemist’s arsenal, stereoselective [2+1] cyclopropanation, largely relies on the use of stereodefined olefins, which require elaborate laboratory synthesis or tedious separation to ensure high stereoselectivity. Here we report engineered hemoproteins derived from a bacterial cytochrome P450 that catalyze the synthesis of chiral 1,2,3-polysubstituted cyclopropanes, regardless of the stereopurity of the olefin substrates used. Cytochrome P450BM3 variant IC-G3 exclusively converts (Z)-enol acetates to enantio- and diastereoenriched cyclopropanes and in our model reaction delivers a leftover (E)-enol acetate with 98% stereopurity, using whole Escherichia coli cells. IC-G3 was further engineered with a single mutation to enable the biotransformation of (E)-enol acetates to α-branched ketones with high levels of enantioselectivity while simultaneously catalyzing the cyclopropanation of (Z)-enol acetates with excellent activities and selectivities. We conducted docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations to understand how active-site residues distinguish between the substrate isomers and enable the enzyme to perform these distinct transformations with such high selectivities. Computational studies suggest the observed enantio- and diastereoselectivities are achieved through a stepwise pathway. These biotransformations streamline the synthesis of chiral 1,2,3-polysubstituted cyclopropanes from readily available mixtures of (Z/E)-olefins, adding a new dimension to classical cyclopropanation methods.
Percepción de los estudiantes de ingeniería agronómica en relación con la reforma rural integral
Authors: González Santos Wilson , Gómez Medina Saul Ricardo
Published: April 2023

En 2016 y después de más de cincuenta años de conflicto armado y de múltiples intentos por realizar la reforma rural integral (RRI), el Gobierno de Colombia y la guerrilla de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) llegaron al acuerdo final para la terminación del conflicto y la construcción de una paz estable y duradera, donde el primer punto, titulado “Hacia un nuevo campo colombiano: reforma rural integral”, se proyecta como una posibilidad para solucionar los problemas del sector rural. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue analizar la percepción que tienen los estudiantes de ingeniería agronómica de la Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (UPTC) respecto a la RRI. Para ello, se empleó el método científico de la medición con la escala de actitudes tipo Likert y el análisis factorial. Las conclusiones indican que los estudiantes de ingeniería agronómica de la UPTC conciben el reconocimiento del campesinado como un componente fundamental de la RRI, además de admitir que su intervención en el desarrollo rural va más allá de la transferencia de tecnología.