bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Force of hamstring muscles is reduced in patients with knee osteoarthritis compared to asymptomatic controls
Authors: Schaefer Laura V , Dech Silas , Carnarius Friederike , Rönnert Florian , Bittmann Frank N , Becker Roland
Published: August 2023

Quadriceps strength deficits are known for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Hamstring muscles has been less often investigated and findings are not as clear as for knee extensors. In regard of OA, the neuromuscular function in the sense of Adaptive Force (AF) has never been examined before. The maximal isometric AF (AFisomax) was previously considered to be especially vulnerable to disruptive stimuli and, therefore, was assumed to show deficits in OA patients. The present study investigated AF parameters (AFisomax and maximal AF (AFmax)) as well as the maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of hamstring muscles bilaterally of 20 knee OA patients (ART) compared to 19 asymptomatic controls (CON). For each side, MVIC was captured before and after AF measurements. Five AF trials were performed using a pneumatically driven device. Participants should maintain an isometric position despite an increasing load of the device. After reaching AFisomax, the muscle merged into eccentric muscle action whereby the force increased further to AFmax. All torque parameters (normalized to body mass) were significantly lower in ART vs. CON for both sides with almost always very large effect sizes. MVIC deficits (difference between ART and CON) amounted −28% for the more and −30% for the less affected/asymptomatic side. AFmax showed deficits of −36% and −32% and AFisomax of −37% and −24%, respectively. The reduction of AFisomax was not as high as expected, especially related to MVIC or AFmax. The ratio AFmax to MVIC was significantly lower for the more affected side of ART (84 ± 17%) vs. CON (95 ± 7%). The force rise per degree of knee extension was significantly lower for ART vs. CON. The results suggest that in general hamstrings strength deficits are present in OA patients. The hypothesized stronger deficit in maximal holding capacity (AFisomax) in ART vs. CON was not confirmed. It is suggested this might presumably result from the seating measurement position. Knee strain relief might have been present thereby which could have reduced inhibitory nociceptive effects. Importantly, OA patients seem not to be able to generate as much of their possible maximal strength during eccentric action as controls and their force rise per degree of knee extension seems to be diminished. The role of force development especially under muscle lengthening should be considered in further studies to get more specific insights into this aspect of neuromuscular control.
Appropriate method of determination the sediment retained by check dams in arid region (south eastern Iran)
Authors: Jahantigh Mansour , Jahantigh Moien
Published: August 2023

Check dams are main structure to soil and water protection and source of data to calculated erosion and sediment trapping rates at a sub-basin. Because they retain the main part of the sediment product in their reservoirs. Aim of this research was compare three topographic methods to assess how the measures total sediment at location in southeastern Iran. For this aim, we measured the volume of sediment deposited by 25 check dams built during the two years back. We print out data of topographical survey applying a file work technical, with a nicety to calculate the dimensions of the sediment deposited behind of each check dam. The results were also compared with three streamlined methods that regard to the volume of trapped sediment as a unmixed geometric shape. Results shows that the total volume of sediment deposited behind the check dams are 10299.2, 8211.2 and 6903 m3 according to the method A, B and C, respectively. Correlation between method A and other is well and signification at the 0.0l level. There was no significantly influenced between contain sediment deposited volumes behind of check dam, TE, SY, TSY by two methods, at a assurance level of 95%, but there was significantly influenced between amounts of ES.
Ultrasound- Guided Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) Success Rates in Patients with Elevated Body Mass Index: A Comparative study
Authors: Perez Dolev , Neeman Binyamin B. , Dotan David , Raisin Galiya , Chertin Boris , Kafka Ilan
Published: August 2023

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is considered gold standard treatment of renal stones larger than 20mm. Several studies have shown that ultrasound guidance during this procedure is more effective and safer than fluoroscopy. A higher body mass index (BMI) can make ultrasound-guided renal access more difficult and unsuccessful. We present a prospective analysis and comparison of ultrasound-guided PCNL in patients with normal and increased body mass index. We performed a prospective comparison of patients who underwent ultrasound-guided PCNL to remove renal stones by a single surgeon between 2020 and 2022. Patients with BMIs greater than 30 (mean 33.87- Obese) were compared to those with BMIs less than 30 (mean 25.69- non-Obese). Demographic, perioperative, and follow-up data were collected, analyzed, and included in this study. Total of 98 consecutive patients, with 49 patients in each group. No statistically significant differences were observed in terms of stone volume (p = 0.085), stone density (P = 0.5590), location of renal access (P = 0.108), surgery duration (P = 0.38), blood loss (P = 0.54), or laboratory changes after surgery (P = 0.60). 87.76% of obese patients were stone-free per CT scan at follow-up, compared to 73.47% of normal-weight patients (P = 0.1238). According to Clavien Dindo classification, six patients in the non-obese group experienced grade II (10%) and grade III (2%) complications, as opposed to six patients in the obese group with grade I (2%), grade II (6%), and grade III (2%) complications. There was no significant correlation between body mass index and the success or safety of ultrasound-guided PCNL. Although more challenging, a higher BMI should not be an impediment to performing this approach. This method is safe, with no increased incidence of postoperative complications or compromise in stone-free status post-operatively and can diminish or avoid both patient’s and medical team’s exposure to ionizing radiation.
A genetic-based approach for vehicle routing problem with fuzzy alpha-cut constraints
Authors: Lee Amy Hsin-I , Kang He-YAU
Published: August 2023

In today’s business environment, logistics and supply chain management are especially important for the timely delivery of materials and goods. Delivery must not only be fast, it also needs to be performed within a specific time frame. Therefore, this study examines a vehicle routing problem (VRP) that considers multiple goals and allows vehicles to reach their destinations within a time window with a crashed traveling time. Two objectives are considered, the minimization of total cost and the maximization of customer satisfaction. Firstly, a fuzzy multi-objective linear programming (FMOLP) model with fuzzy alpha-cut constraints is proposed for multi-objective optimization, and then an improved genetic algorithm (IGA) is constructed to solve large-scale problems. The performances of the proposed methods are evaluated through several case studies. Design of experiments and sensitivity analysis are applied to evaluate the performance and robustness of IGA. The results show that both the FMOLP and IGA are effective, and the IGA can efficiently obtain a near-optimal solution.
Advances in Our Understanding of Locomotory Behavioural Response of Teratorhabditis Palmarum Nematode
Authors: jamal wajih
Published: August 2023

Locomotion is essential to most living organisms. The nematode Teratorhabditis palmarum (Gerber & Giblin-Davis, 1990), must be able to accommodate its locomotory gait to its physical environment. Particularly, when crawl on a solid surface, it shows forward movement as the contraction waves propagates from anterior to the posterior region. In the present study, we analyzed the locomotory behavior of T. palmarum on agar by using computational worm-tracking system and mathematical tools. Our tracking system was made to assist worms that travel a vast area with recurrent turns and reversals at high speeds. The locomotory parameters studied were velocity, wavelength, amplitude, angle of bending, curvature map, forward, reversal, omega and pause that was extracted from a two min video recording. Here, we examined the locomotory behaviour (movement and wave characteristic) of two, six and ten days old nematodes. In movement characteristic, except pause which increases; forward wave, backward wave and omega wave decrease significantly. In wave characteristic, wavelength and amplitude increase while average velocity and bending angle decrease significantly. Locomotion was observed between various age groups and it was concluded that as animals aged, mild locomotory deficits appeared that were enough to reduce behavioral activity. This study is important in controlling nematode, which causes the diseases especially Plant parasitic nematodes, which affects the agricultural crops and we easily manage to control the population.
Chemosensory gene signatures of ecological niche and behavioural specialisation in Sirex noctilio
Authors: Klynsmith Leandri , Postma Alisa , Duong Tuan Anh , Allison Jeremy Dean , Slippers Bernard
Published: August 2023

Background
The evolutionary and ecological success of insects may in part be due to their sophisticated and highly evolved chemosensation systems. Insect chemosensation genes form some of the largest multigene families known and are important targets for reverse genetics approaches to study the relationship between ecology, evolution and genomics. Here we use genomics, phylogenetics, transcriptomics and differential expression analyses to investigate the chemosensory gene repertoire of Sirex noctilio, one of the most economically important pests of Pinus plantations in many parts of the world.
Results
A total of 129 chemosensation genes, including 45 ORs, 12 GRs, 48 IRs, 1 SNMP, 14 OBPs and 9 CSPs, were identified and phylogenetically characterised in the genome of S. noctilio. RNA-sequencing of olfactory and non-olfactory adult and pupa S. noctilio tissues enabled expression profiling of the identified chemosensation genes. The identified antennae-, ovipositor- and leg-biased chemosensation genes are of particular interest due to their potential olfactory and oviposition function, and the sexual dimorphism of these tissues.
Conclusions
Tissue- and sex-biased chemosensation gene expression were observed throughout the 15 tissue transcriptomes investigated. This study broadens our understanding of the peri-receptive events of S. noctilio chemosensation and strengthens the foundation for chemical ecology studies and functional deorphanisation of S. noctilio chemosensation genes. The phylogenetically basal position of this woodwasp within the Hymenoptera also informs the evolution of the multigene families associated with chemosensation in this ecologically and economically important order.
Impact of perioperative decreased serum albumin level on anastomotic leakage in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by minimally invasive esophagectomy
Authors: Wang Ying-Jian , Xie Xian-Feng , He Yi-Qiu , Bao Tao , He Xian-Dong , Li Kun-Kun , Guo Wei
Published: August 2023

Background
Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a severe complication following esophagectomy with high mortality. Perioperative decreased serum albumin level is considered a predictive of AL, however, its impact on AL incidence in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) followed by minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is not well defined.
Methods
The data of 318 consecutive esophageal cancer patients who underwent MIE were collected retrospectively from January 2021 to December 2021. The perioperative level of albumin was detected and the baseline of altering levels for albumin was established. The incidence of postoperative complications and survival rate were analyzed between groups.
Results
After exclusion, 137 patients were enrolled and assigned to more decreased albumin (MA) and less decreased albumin (LA) groups. The levels of albumin descended significantly after MIE (p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the clinicopathologic characteristics or surgical outcomes between groups. The incidence of postoperative AL was 10.2% in MA group and 1.4% in LA group (p = 0.033). Three patients died due to AL in MA group, while no mortality was observed in LA group (p = 0.120). The rate of other postoperative complications was similar between groups. Progression-free survival (PFS) in LA group was a little higher than that in MA group, but it was no significant difference (p = 0.853). Similarly, no difference was observed in overall survival (OS) between groups (p = 0.277).
Conclusions
Severely deficient serum albumin after MIE was an indicator of AL in esophageal cancer patients treated with NCT.
Trial registration:
Chinese clinical trial registry: ChiCTR2200066694, registered December14th,2022. https://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=185067&htm=4
Clinicopathological features of cholangiolocarcinoma and impact of tumor heterogeneity on prognosis: A retrospective study in a single institution
Authors: Sugita Hiroaki , Nakanuma Shinichi , Gabata Ryosuke , Tokoro Tomokazu , Takei Ryohei , Okazaki Mitsuyoshi , Kato Kaichiro , Takada Satoshi , Makino Isamu , Kozaka Kazuto , Harada Kenichi , Yagi Shintaro
Published: August 2023

Background: Cholangiolocarcinoma (CLC) is an extremely rare tumor classified as a subtype of small duct-type intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). There are few detailed reports on CLC, and the prognostic impact of tumor heterogeneity is not clear.
Methods: Between April 2006 and June 2022, 14 patients were pathologically diagnosed with CLC through immunohistochemical analysis of their molecular and biological features. Clinicopathological features and prognoses were evaluated retrospectively. Additionally, we compared the tumor heterogeneity, classifying them into pure and partial types according to the CLC component proportion in a single tumor.
Results: Chronic liver disease was observed in nine patients (64.3%). All tumors were mass-forming, and pathological R0 resection was achieved in 11 patients (78.6%). Tumor heterogeneity was classified as pure in 11 (78.6%) and partial in three (21.4%) patients. The median follow-up was 59.5 months (12–114 months). There was no difference in the 5-year disease-specific survival rates between the pure and partial (90.0% vs. 100.0%; P = 0.2000) types, but they were significantly higher in the R0 resection group than in the R1 resection group (100.0% vs. 50.0%; P = 0.0253).
Conclusions: Our results suggest that CLC has a good prognosis after curative resection, regardless of the proportion of CLC components in a single tumor.
Outcomes Following Total Hip Arthroplasty for Hip Dysplasia in Older Adults. Are They Comparable to Those with Osteoarthritis?
Authors: Sevilla Cesar , Lopez Vanessa , Allala Ruthvik , Amado Isabella , Xi Yin , Chhabra Avneesh , Fey Nicholas , Wells Joel
Published: August 2023

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) for the treatment of hip dysplasia, which disproportionately impacts the younger population, has been shown to be an effective intervention to restore functionality and improve quality of life. However, it is unclear whether these outcomes can be just as beneficial in treating hip dysplasia when it presents in older patients. Therefore, we sought to investigate and compare the pre-and postoperative outcomes of THA for hip dysplasia in older adults to those with end-stage osteoarthritis (OA).
Methods: A prospectively collected database from a single institution was queried from September 1st, 2016 to October 31st, 2021 to identify 323 unilateral THA patients age 50 years or older and separated into 2 groups given a primary diagnosis of hip dysplasia (n = 90 patients) or osteoarthritis (n = 233 patients). Preoperative and minimum 1-year postoperative outcomes were then compared using the Hip Outcome Score (HOS), Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score, Pain Catastrophizing Score (PCS), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS).
Results: The outcomes between the groups showed no significant differences in their pre-and postoperative HOOS (P = 0.22 and P = 0.63 respectively), DASS Anxiety (P = 0.81 and P = 0.29 respectively), and the DASS Stress Score (P = 0.17 and P = 0.28 respectively). Patients with hip dysplasia reported significantly better preoperative (10.1 vs 12.9, P <0.001) and postoperative (5.7 vs 7.2, P = 0.01) DASS Depression Scores but scored significantly lower in the pre-operative HOS (35.4 vs 42.2, P <0.05). Outcomes for the UCLA activity score uncovered that patients with hip dysplasia scored significantly higher preoperatively (4.8 vs 4.2, P = 0.02), but no significant difference was seen postoperatively (4.6 vs 5.0, P = 0.11). The PCS noted no significant differences preoperatively (23.2 vs 21.0, P = 0.12). However, the hip dysplasia group has significantly better postoperative scores (6.6 vs 10.0, P = 0.02).
Conclusion: Our investigation demonstrates THA as an excellent surgical option for treating hip dysplasia when presenting in older adults and can yield comparable outcomes as those noted in THA performed for OA in older adults.
The larger patellar tilt angle and lower intercondylar notch angle might increase posterior cruciate ligament injury risk: a retrospective comparative study
Authors: Huo Zhenhui , Hao Kuo , Fan Chongyi , Li Kehan , Li Ming , Wang Fei , Niu Yingzhen
Published: August 2023

Background: Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries are common ligament injuries of the knee, and previous studies often focused on the associations between the morphology of the knee and PCL injuries. Studies on the correlation between PCL injuries and patellofemoral alignment are limited.
Methods: This retrospective study included 92 patients with PCL injured and 92 patients with PCL intact. Measurement parameters were compared between the two groups, including patellar tilt angle, congruence angle, patellar height, hip-knee-ankle angle, lateral trochlear inclination,femoral condyle ratio, bicondylar width, intercondylar notch width and index, notch angle, trochlear facet asymmetry, and trochlear sulcus depth and angle. Independent risk factors associated with PCL injuries were identified by logistic regression analyses.
Results: In the PCL injured group, the patellar tilt angle was significantly larger (13.19 ± 5.90° vs. 10.02 ± 4.95°, P = 0.04); the intercondylar notch angle was significantly lower (60.97 ± 7.83° vs. 67.01 ± 6.00°, P = 0.004); the medial and lateral femoral condyle ratio were significantly larger (0.63 ± 0.64 vs. 0.60 ± 0.56, P = 0.031; 0.65 ± 0.60 vs. 0.58 ± 0.53, P = 0.005) than in the PCL intact group. There were 11 patients with patellar dislocation in the PCL injured group, accounting for 12%. In these patients, the patellar height was higher (1.39 ± 0.17 vs. 1.09 ± 0.25, P = 0.009); the trochlear sulcus angle was larger (157.70 ± 8.7 vs. 141.80 ± 8.78, P < 0.001); and the trochlear sulcus depth was shallower (3.10 ± 1.20 vs. 5.11 ± 1.48, P = 0.003) than those in the patients without patellar dislocation. Multivariate analyses showed that patellar tilt angle (each increase 1 degree, OR = 1.14) and intercondylar notch angle (each increase 1 degree, OR = 0.90) were independent risk factors for PCL injuries.
Conclusion: The patients with PCL injuries had larger patellar tilt angles, lower intercondylar notch angles, and longer posterior femoral condyles than patients with PCL intact. The larger patellar tilt angle and lower intercondylar notch angle might be risk factors for PCL injuries.
Pro-re-nata regimen of autologous platelet-rich plasma injections for treatment of dry eyes: A pilot study
Authors: Agrawal Mohini , Tripathi Anchal , Mishra Avinash , Bhirud Atul , Dangwal Vidhu , Pathak Lav
Published: August 2023

Purpose To study the efficacy of autologous platelet-rich plasma injections (PRPi) in treatment of dry eyes.Methods This prospective, interventional study was conducted at a tertiary-eye care centre, India. 160 eyes of 80 patients with newly diagnosed dry eyes were included. One eye received PRPi (cases = 80 eyes) and the other eye of the patient received a lubricating drop (control = 80 eyes). Cases who did not improve at 1-month follow-up were reinjected with PRP. The outcomes were measured on the basis of ocular surface disease index (OSDI), Schirmer’s test (ST), non-invasive tear breakup time (NIBUT), tear meniscus height (TMH), and ocular surface staining score (OSS) done at baseline, 1-month, 2-months, 3-months and 6-months follow-up (FU).Results 60 cases showed significant improvement in all the outcome measures at 1-month (p < 0.001), when compared to controls; whereas 20 cases had to undergo repeat injections. On FU at 2-months, 16 cases (out of those 20 cases) showed a significant improvement (p < 0.05); while 4 cases still did not improve clinically at 3-months. All the outcome parameters (ST, NIBUT, TMH and OSS, OSDI scores) maintained a significant improvement at 6-months FU, including those 4 cases (p < 0.001). All the patients were highly satisfied with the intervention.Conclusion PRPi, as a monotherapy given on pro-re-nata (PRN) basis, is a simple and efficacious modality of treatment in dry eyes; verified by improvement in subjective and objective tear-film parameters.
Regulatory variants of APOBEC3 genes potentially associate with COVID-19 severity in populations with African ancestry
Authors: Zhang Ke , Chen Fang , Shen Hu-Yan , Zhang Ping-Ping , Gao Han , Peng Hong , Luo Yu-Si , Cheng Zhong-Shan
Published: August 2023

Since November 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused the worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the impact of which is huge to the lives of world populations. Many studies suggested that such situation will continue due to the endless mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genome that result in complexity of the efforts for the control of SARS-CoV-2, since the special enrichment of nucleotide substitution C > U in SARS-CoV-2 sequences were discovered mainly due to the editing by human host factors APOBEC3 genes. The observation of SARS-CoV-2 variants Beta (B.1.351) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) firstly spreading in South Africa promoted us to hypothesize that genetic variants of APOBEC3 special in African populations may be attributed to the higher mutation rate of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Africa. Current study was conducted to search for functional variants of APOBEC3 genes associate with COVID-19 hospitalization in African population. By integrating data from the 1000 Genomes Project, GTEx, and Host Genetics Initiative of COVID-19, we identified potential functional SNPs close to APOBEC3 genes that are associated with COVID-19 hospitalization in African but not with other populations. Our study provides new insights on the potential contribution of APOBEC3 genes on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 mutations in African population, but further replication is needed to confirm our results.
Dose-response relationship between sedentary time and anxiety and the moderating effect of a 10- minute walk: a cross-sectional study based on a large sample of Chinese population
Authors: TIAN Zheng , LI Yimiao , ZHANG Nan , LIU Yong , Wu Yibo , WANG Lan
Published: August 2023

Background
The effectiveness and generalisability of conventional anxiety treatment programmes is low across the population, and it is important to establish physical activity-based intervention programmes to prevent and improve anxiety. This study analysed the impact of sedentary activity on anxiety, explore its dose-response relationship, and investigate the interactive effects of 10-minute walks and sedentary duration on anxiety.
Methods
Using the cross-sectional data from the Chinese Psychological and Behavioural Study of the Population (PBICR) 2022. Assessed the anxiety status of the study participants according to the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). In addition, binary logistic regression was used to determine the association between sedentary time and anxiety and to analyze the effect of the interaction between 10-minute walks per day and sedentary time on anxiety. Further, a restricted cubic spline model was used to analyze the dose-response relationship between sedentary time and anxiety risk.
Results
Participants who were sedentary for > 6 hours had a 25.1% increased risk of anxiety (OR = 1.251) compared to those who were sedentary for ≤ 6 hours. Among those sedentary for > 6 hours, each additional hour of sedentary time increased the risk of anxiety by 4.3%. However, for participants sedentary for ≤ 6 hours, sedentary time did not increase the risk of anxiety. We observed a non-linear J-shaped relationship between sedentary time and the risk of anxiety (non-linear trend p < 0.001). Among individuals who were sedentary for > 6 hours, those who walked more than 10 minutes on ≤ 5 days per week had a 67.1% increased risk of anxiety (OR = 1.671), whereas those who walked more than 10 minutes on > 5 days per week experienced a 19% decreased risk of anxiety (OR = 0.810). For individuals sedentary for ≤ 6 hours, each additional day of walking for > 10 minutes reduced the risk of anxiety by 9.8%. Among those sedentary for > 6 hours, each additional day of walking for > 10 minutes reduced the risk of anxiety by 10.3%.
Conclusion
Increased sedentary time is independently associated with a higher risk of anxiety, and a non-linear J-shaped relationship was observed between the two variables. Walking for more than 10 minutes mitigates the negative effects of sedentary activity on anxiety.
The mediating role of couple relationship between family power and depressive symptoms in patients undergoing assisted reproductive treatment：a cross-sectional study
Authors: Wang Jieyu , Jia Yuedi , Xu Qianhua , Luo Guiying , Chen Ren , Wang Danni
Published: August 2023

【Abstract】Background: To investigate the effect of family power on depressive symptoms in patients undergoing assisted reproduction therapy through the couple relationship.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on couple relationships, family power, and depressive symptoms in 332 patients (253 women, 79 men) treated with IVF/ICSI-ET in the Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University.
Results: (1) The total score for depressive symptoms was higher in women than in men, and the depressive symptoms scores were higher in patients with a lower economic income than their spouses and with a lower level of education than their spouses. (2) Family power was positively correlated with couple relationship, negatively correlated with depressive symptoms, and couple relationships were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms. (3) The results of the mediating effect test showed that the mediation effect between family power and depressive symptoms in patients undergoing assisted reproduction treatment had a significant mediating effect, and the mediation effect accounted for 11.62% of the total effect.
Conclusions: Family power plays a partial mediating role in the relationship and depressive symptoms, and the relationship can directly or indirectly reduce the depressive symptoms level of patients undergoing assisted reproduction therapy. Medical staff should pay attention to the family situation of the patient's family members in the process of diagnosis and treatment.
Genetic and pharmacological reduction of CDK14 mitigates synucleinopathy
Authors: Rousseaux Maxime W C , Parmasad Jean-Louis , Ricke Konrad , Stykel Morgan , Buchner-Duby Brodie , Nguyen Benjamin , Bruce Amanda , Geertsma Haley , Lian Eric , Lengacher Nathalie , Callaghan Steve , Joselin Alvin , Tomlinson Julianna , Schlossmacher Michael , Stanford William , Ma Jiyan , Brundin Patrik , Ryan Scott
Published: August 2023

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons (DaNs) and the abnormal accumulation of α-Synuclein (α-Syn) protein. Currently, no treatment can slow nor halt the progression of PD. Multiplications and mutations of the α-Syn gene (SNCA) cause PD-associated syndromes and animal models that overexpress α-Syn replicate several features of PD. Decreasing total α-Syn levels, therefore, is an attractive approach to slow down neurodegeneration in patients with synucleinopathy. We previously performed a genetic screen for modifiers of α-Syn levels and identified CDK14, a kinase of largely unknown function as a regulator of α-Syn. To test the potential therapeutic effects of CDK14 reduction in PD, we ablated Cdk14 in the α-Syn preformed fibrils (PFF)-induced PD mouse model. We found that loss of Cdk14 mitigates the grip strength deficit of PFF-treated mice and ameliorates PFF-induced cortical α-Syn pathology, indicated by reduced numbers of pS129 α-Syn-containing cells. In primary neurons, we found that Cdk14 depletion protects against the propagation of toxic α-Syn species. We further validated these findings on pS129 α-Syn levels in PD patient neurons. Finally, we leveraged the recent discovery of a covalent inhibitor of CDK14 to determine whether this target is pharmacologically tractable in vitro and in vivo. We found that CDK14 inhibition decreases total and pathologically aggregated α-Syn in human neurons, in PFF-challenged rat neurons and in the brains of α-Syn-humanized mice. In summary, we suggest that CDK14 represents a novel therapeutic target for PD-associated synucleinopathy.
Harnessing energy abundance - Sustainable expansion of ground mounted PV in Lower Saxony through harmonized spatial planning
Authors: Badelt Ole , Wiehe Julia , von Haaren Christina
Published: August 2023

Background
The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources brings substantial changes in space and land use. Germany, with limited land availability, needs a spatial framework to allocate renewable energy while safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. Respective models have been developed for decision support on wind turbine allocation. However, methods are missing for ground mounted photovoltaics. This paper aims at identifying the safe operating space for human and nature compatible energy supply. On the basis of a literature review, we propose criteria for Germany with different classes of legal legitimization. In the exemplary case of the federal state of Lower Saxony the criteria are applied and the human and nature compatible solar energy potential is calculated.
Results
Results show that in Lower Saxony, 13 percent of the state's area (618,000 ha) belongs to the category of low spatial resistance to ground mounted PV. State-of-the-art ground mounted PV t has a power density of 1.01 MW/ha and can potentially produce 673 TWh/a on the state territory. This is much more than needed which gives room for allocation decisions on regional and local level. Citizens and decision makers can design their energy landscape and energy mix in the limits of a down scaled national climate protection target and the spatial limits of a human and nature compatible development. Furthermore, synergies with other objectives of extensive land use can be realized on the sites (e.g. groundwater protection).
Conclusion
Our findings provide valuable guidance for regional planning boards and encourage public participation in the decision-making process by providing transparent information about the spatial limits of sustainable solar development. The proposed model would improve planning, as different planning levels could access the scalable data. Equal criteria at all levels would increase the objectivity and comprehensibility of approval decisions. By evaluating local plans against the proposed criteria, citizens and decision makers can effectively contribute to the achievement of national climate protection goals while maintaining balance between human needs and the natural environment.
Recurrent Kawasaki disease with polyserositis and pulmonary lesions in a 5-year-old boy: a case report
Authors: Wen Yang , Weng Jiahui , Jin Li , Zhao Chunmei , Guo Qin , Jia Fenglin
Published: August 2023

Kawasaki disease leads to coronary artery changes, and the recurrence of Kawasaki disease is uncommon. Herein we describe the case of a boy with a recurrence of Kawasaki disease with polyserositis and pulmonary lesions associated with Shigella bogdii infection. Those complications occurred simultaneously, which is rare. Early diagnosis was made, and systemic immunosuppressive treatment was initiated. The treatment was effective, and he was ultimately cured.
Calibrated prediction intervals for polygenic scores across diverse contexts
Authors: Hou Kangcheng , Xu Ziqi , Ding Yi , Harpak Arbel , Pasaniuc Bogdan
Published: August 2023

Polygenic scores (PGS) have emerged as the tool of choice for genomic prediction in a wide range of fields from agriculture to personalized medicine. We analyze data from two large biobanks in the US (All of Us) and the UK (UK Biobank) to find widespread variability in PGS performance across contexts. Many contexts, including age, sex, and income, impact PGS accuracies with similar magnitudes as genetic ancestry. PGSs trained in single versus multi-ancestry cohorts show similar context-specificity in their accuracies. We introduce trait prediction intervals that are allowed to vary across contexts as a principled approach to account for context-specific PGS accuracy in genomic prediction. We model the impact of all contexts in a joint framework to enable PGS-based trait predictions that are well-calibrated (contain the trait value with 90% probability in all contexts), whereas methods that ignore context are mis-calibrated. We show that prediction intervals need to be adjusted for all considered traits ranging from 10% for diastolic blood pressure to 80% for waist circumference. Adjustment of prediction intervals depends on the dataset; for example, prediction intervals for education years need to be adjusted by 90% in All of Us versus 8% in UK Biobank. Our results provide a path forward towards utilization of PGS as a prediction tool across all individuals regardless of their contexts while highlighting the importance of comprehensive profile of context information in study design and data collection.
The rise and fall of excess winter mortality over a century in a high-income country: New Zealand from 1876 to 2020
Authors: Telfar-Barnard Lucy , Baker Michael G , Wilson Nick , Howden-Chapman Philippa
Published: August 2023

Excess winter mortality (EWM) has been used as a measure of how well populations and policy moderate the health effects of cold weather. We aimed to investigate long-term changes in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) EWM, and potential drivers of change, and test for structural breaks in trends. We calculated NZ EWM indices from 1876 (4,698 deaths) to 2020 (33,310 deaths), total and by age-group and sex, comparing deaths June to September (the coldest months) to deaths February to May and October to January. The mean age and sex-standardised EWM Index (EWMI) for the full study period, excluding 1918, was 1.22. However, mean EWMI increased from 1.20 for 1886 to 1917, to 1.34 for the 1920s, then reduced over time to 1.14 in the 2010s, with excess winter deaths averaging 4.5% of annual deaths (1,450 deaths per year) in the 2010s, compared to 7.9% in the 1920s. Children under 5 years transitioned from a summer to winter excess between 1886 and 1911. Otherwise, the EWMI age-distribution was J-shaped in all time periods. Structural break testing showed the 1918 influenza strain had a significant impact on trends in winter and non-winter mortality and winter excess for subsequent decades. It was not possible to attribute the post-1918 reduction in EWM to any single factor among improved living standards, reduced severe respiratory infections, or climate change.
Image based feature extraction for inline quality assurance and wear classification in high speed blanking processes
Authors: Kubik Christian , Molitor Dirk Alexander , Varchmin Sven , Leininger Dominik , Ohrenberg Joost , Groche Peter
Published: August 2023

Wear is one of the key factors that determine the efficiency of multi-stage processes that include blanking operations. Since wear in these processes not only causes unplanned downtime, but also directly affects product quality, inline detection of wear and its effect on product quality is of major importance. However, current quality assurance (QA) methods are limited to manual offline inspection by operators at predefined intervals, so that 100% inspection of the product and description of the state of wear is not found in industrial practice. The aim of this work is therefore to develop an optical system that enables in-line acquisition of product images and the associated control of blanking-specific quality features up to stroke rates of 300 strokes per minute (spm). In order to make the system attractive to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), the system is designed to minimize integration and investment costs using commercially available components. By combining the system with a methodology for extracting blanking-specific features, so-called Key Performance Parameters (KPPs), the condition of the blanked surface as a relevant quality parameter is derived directly from the workpiece image. To demonstrate the transferability of the methodology to industrial applications, two use cases are investigated. In the first case, the KPPs are used directly to determine the quality of the blanked workpiece and are compared with reference measurements. Here, the KPPs are quantified with a mean absolute error of 18 µm compared to a ground truth. In the second case, the KPPs are used to build a machine learning (ML) model to estimate the wear of the blanking tool. Here, an accuracy of 92% is achieved in classifying the actual wear state.
Geothermal power generation and positive impact in the greater bay area: A case study of Huizhou city, Guangdong province
Authors: Cai Wenquan , Li Jianying , Xiao Chuantao
Published: August 2023

Geothermal resources, as abundant renewable and clean natural resources on Earth, have been utilized for geothermal power generation in 29 countries. Guangdong Province, as one of the most developed, economically vibrant, and attractive investment regions in China, has experienced rapid economic growth. However, further development is constrained by resource limitations and severe ecological environmental pressures. The issue of energy consumption and economic growth imbalance needs to be urgently addressed. Geothermal energy, as a clean and stable form of energy, can reduce reliance on fossil fuels, decrease dependence on imported energy, and enhance national energy security. This study conducts geological investigations, geophysical surveys, geochemical surveys, remote sensing detection, and drilling exploration in the Shiba-Huangshadong Cave area of Huizhou. It preliminarily identifies the available geothermal energy and its potential in the study area. A comparative analysis is conducted with Huizhou's annual electricity consumption to evaluate the impact of geothermal resources on the sustainability and societal benefits of Guangdong Province. The study highlights the urgent need, positive role, and significant importance of researching the extraction and utilization of geothermal resources.
Effects of Nitrogen Reduction on Wheat Yield and Quality in Different Ecological Environments
Authors: Cheng Jiasheng , Qiao Xiangmei , Abbas Sakina , He Jinbao , Sha Yun , Feng Shiyao , Wang Zhilong , Wang Zhiwei , Wu Yu , Yu Yaxiong
Published: August 2023

The effects of different nitrogen applications on wheat yield and quality under different ecological conditions were investigated to provide a reference for the synergistic objectives of green cultivation and high yield to improve the quality and efficiency of wheat in Yunnan Province, China. Three wheat cultivars and a total of four fertilizer gradients of 450kg/ha, 360kg/ha, 270kg/ha, and 0kg/ha urea application rate divided by two times, 50% of the base fertilizer and 50% of the jointing stage fertilizer, are as treatments. Our results indicated the yield was lowest when no fertilizer (0 kg/ha) was applied. However, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer required for the highest yield varies for different varieties and environments. Yunmai76 and Yunmai77 had the highest yield at urea application of 360 kg/ha, and Yun122-329 had the highest yield at urea application of 270 kg/ha. The yield difference between locations was highly significant, with the highest yield in Linxiang, followed by Ning'er County and the lowest yield in Yanshan County. Ning'er, with the south subtropical mountain monsoon climate, had the highest yield at urea application of 360Kg/ha, and Linxiang, with the subtropical mountain monsoon climate, had the highest yield at urea application of 450 kg/ha. With the low-latitude north subtropical highland monsoon climate, Yanshan County had the highest yield at urea application of 270 kg/ha. The quality indexes of the same variety varied greatly in different ecological environments, and there were large differences in the quality of different varieties at the same ecological site; the protein content, flour yield, hardness index, dough development time, dough stable time, wet gluten content, sedimentation value and water absorption of each variety were low when no nitrogen fertilizer was applied and was highest or second highest when 360 kg of urea was applied. The peak of each quality index required different amounts of nitrogen fertilizer in different ecological zones. In summary, to archive high yield, wheat varieties require no more than 360 kg urea per hectare but vary among different ecological environments.
DNA methylation and lipid metabolism in maize PCD DNA methylation and lipid metabolism are involved in maize aleurone PCD as revealed by transcriptome analysis
Authors: Wu Yequn , Hou Jiaqi , Ren Ruifei , Chen Zhenfei , Yue Mengxia , Li Le , Hou Haoli , Zheng Xueke , Li Lijia
Published: August 2023

Background
The aleurone layer is an integral part of many plant seeds, and during seed germination, aleurone cells undergo PCD, which is promoted by GA from the embryo. However, the numerous components of the GA signaling pathway that mediate PCD of the aleurone proteins remain to be identified. Few genes and transcriptomes have been studied thus far in aleurone layers to improve our understanding of how PCD occurs and how the regulatory mechanism functions during PCD. Our previous studies have shown that histone deacetylase (HDAC) is required in GA-induced PCD of aleurone layer. To further explore the molecular mechanisms by which epigenetic modifications regulate aleurone PCD, we performed a global comparative transcriptome analysis of embryoless aleurones treated with GA or histone acetylase (HAT) inhibitors.
Results
In this study, 7,919 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) had been analyzed, 2,554 DEGs of which were found to be common under two treatments. These DEGs were involved in various biological processes, including DNA methylation, lipid metabolism and ROS signaling. Further investigations revealed that inhibition of DNA methyltransferases prevented aleurone PCD, suggesting that active DNA methylation plays a role in regulating aleurone PCD. GA or HAT inhibitor induced lipoxygenase gene expression, leading to lipid degradation, but this process was not affected by DNA methylation. However, DNA methylation inhibitor could regulate ROS-related gene expression and inhibit GA-induced production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).
Conclusion
The linking of lipoxygenase, DNA methylation, and H2O2 may indicate that GA-induced higher HDAC activity in aleurones caused breakdown of lipids via regulating lipoxygenase gene expression, and increased DNA methylation positively mediated H2O2 production; thus, DNA methylation and lipid metabolism pathways may represent an important and complex signaling network in maize aleurone PCD.
Ionic Liquid Treated Bacterial Cellulose Sheets as Prospective Biodegradable Implant Materials
Authors: Munir Muniba , Nosheen Sadaf , Muhammad Nawshad , Uroos Maliha , Mustafa Waleed , Khan Rawaiz , Wang Rong , Sharif Faiza
Published: August 2023

The purpose of this research was to create BC membranes / sheets which can be degraded by the enzymes in body fluids on implantation for soft and hard tissue regeneration. Bacterial Cellulose has been explored for its use in hard and soft tissue regeneration such as bone, dental, wound, hernia, dura mater, skin, nerve, cornea, and blood vessels. The limiting factor in the use of BC as biomedical implant material is that it is practically non-biodegradable in vitro and in vivo. However, reactive hydroxyl groups on BC allow a variety of chemical modifications which can be beneficial for the development of smart degradable biomedical materials. The use of Ionic Liquids (ILs) is the greener and non-toxic alternative to the chemical treatment for the degradation of BC. The ILs affect the degradability of BC by interacting with the functional groups and decreasing its crystallinity.
Two non-toxic and biocompatible ILs i.e Pyridinium hydrogen sulfate (Py-HSO4) and 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium hydrogen sulfate (BMIM-HSO4) were used in the current study. The biodegradation of BC using these ILs has not been studied previously for biomedical implants. The characterizations of the IL treated BC were done using XRD, FTIR analysis, SEM, contact angle studies, degradation assay, drug delivery, and in vitro biocompatibility. SEM results suggest a clear change in the morphology of the BC nano fibers after treatment with ionic liquids. Furthermore, significant degradation was observed over 28 days where BC (Py-HSO4) degraded by 36% and BC (BMIM-HSO4) treated had degraded by 56%. Additionally, the IL treated BC could carry antibacterial drugs and showed potential for their sustained release. The modified membranes supported cell attachment and proliferation and were non-toxic and highly biocompatible. These results suggest that BC pellicles / sheets treated with ILs can be used as a degradable implant material for tissue engineering, regeneration, and drug delivery for various regenerative biomedical applications.
Reflections on the optimization of energy consumption of underground mine cars based on brake energy recovery
Authors: Hao Jian , Liu PengCheng , Hu Hui , Luan XueKun
Published: August 2023

Aiming at the problem that underground mine cars need to brake frequently in the mine and cause a large amount of energy waste, we analyzed the working characteristics of underground mine cars and put forward the idea of energy consumption optimization based on braking energy recovery; we designed a braking energy recovery device suitable for underground mine cars; we calculated the comparison of energy consumption before and after installing the energy recovery system in mine car locomotives through mathematical modeling, and estimated the energy recovery benefit in the operating conditions of the underground mines. The results show that in the operation process, the energy recovery system can be used to recover energy from the brakes. The results show that the braking energy recovery system can successfully recover more than 50% of the braking energy during operation, increase the range of the mine car motorcar by about 20%, significantly improve the energy utilization efficiency of the coal mine tram, and reduce the system energy consumption and CO2 emissions.