bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is The Disinfection Procedure of The Intensive Care Unit Able To Reduce the Bacterial Resistance and Risk of Contamination?
Authors: Abreu Paloma Ohana Sousa , Guzman Julio Lenin Diaz , Mata Camila P da Silveira Martins da , Apolônio Ana Carolina Morais , Santos Uener Ribeiro dos , Silva Aline , Conceição Aline Oliveira da , Filho Heitor Portella Póvoas , Lemos Ana Paula Motta Lavigne , Madureira Arliane Silva , Fontana Renato , Andrioli João Luciano , Alves Maria Silvana , Rezende Rachel Passos , Romano Carla Cristina , Dias Joao Carlos Texeira , Uetanabaro Ana Paula Trovatti , Queiroz Guilherme Rosemberg Guimarães , Carvalho Luciana Debortoli
Published: November 2021

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent one of the main causes for the morbidity and mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this study, we aimed to verify the presence, type, and antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria in ICU settings, before and after disinfection procedures, and analyze the risk of contamination related to these bacteria in each area of the ICU.Methods: The study was conducted in the ICU of a medium-sized hospital in Brazil from February 2019 to February 2020. Samples were obtained from the surfaces of beds, bathrooms, pantries, sinks, pharmacies, administrative areas, and floors, before and after the disinfection process, with 1% benzalkonium chloride and biguanide mixture (BCB). The samples were processed and inoculated in different culture media for the selective isolation of strains of clinical interest. In addition, phenotypic identification and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed using the VITEK® 2 system. We grouped different environmental, temporal, and microbial factors and characteristics to calculate the risk of contamination before disinfection (Rbd) and after disinfection (Rad), as well as the total risk (Rtt) and real risk observed (Foldrisk) in the ICU.Results: Gram-positive cocci and rods, gram-negative rods of the Enterobacteriaceae family, and non-fermenting gram-negative rods were recovered after disinfection and were found to be widely distributed. Higher bacterial diversity and frequency of resistance were observed, mainly the resistance of gram-positive bacteria to cephalosporin (p < 0.05) and lincosamides (p < 0.0001), and gram-negative bacteria to quinolones (p < 0.0001) and aminoglycosides (p < 0.05). The pantry, pharmacy, and beds showed major risks of contamination after disinfection (Rad), ranging from intermediate to very high-risk levels. Foldrisk for the pantry and beds presented a significant increase in two and three risk levels, respectively, after the disinfection process.Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the presence of bacterial pathogens with multidrug-resistant profiles after disinfection with a higher risk of contamination, indicating that challenges still exist in the deployed disinfection protocols in the ICU settings, which are associated with the increased critical risk of HAIs after the disinfection procedure.
Using Household Economic Survey Data to Assess Food Expenditure Patterns and Trends in a Country with Notable Health Inequities
Authors: Nghiem Nhung , Teng Andrea , Cleghorn Christine , McKerchar Christina , Wilson Nick
Published: November 2021

Background Dietary factors are one of the most important risk factors for health loss worldwide, however there is limited information on dietary trends in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) and whether inequities in dietary patterns are changing.Methods We extracted data from the Household Economic Survey (HES), which was designed to provide information on impacts of policy-making in NZ. Three HES waves in 2006/07, 2009/10 and 2012/13 (n=9030) were used to examine the trends in household expenditure for key food groups by income-level and ethnicity, including food group expenditure (absolute amounts and as a proportion of total food expenditure, inflation adjusted).Results Overall, total household food expenditure per capita (CPI-adjusted) increased by 0.38% annually over this period (albeit not statistically significant). In absolute terms, low-income households spent around three quarters of what high-income households spent on food per capita. High-income households experienced a greater increase in expenditure on nuts and seeds (increasing the gap) and a greater reduction in expenditure on processed meat (reducing the gap because expenditure remained higher than in low-income households). There was increased expenditure over time on fruit and vegetables (NZ$273 per capita per year), nuts and seeds, and healthy foods (NZ$507) in Māori (Indigenous) households with little variations in non-Māori households. As a result, the relative health-related gap in food expenditure between Māori and non-Māori households declined over time. But there was little change in processed meat expenditure for Māori households and expenditure on less healthy foods also increased over time. Conclusions HES data were useful for understanding trends in food expenditure patterns, in the absence of nutrition survey data. Potentially positive expenditure trends for Māori were identified, which could indicate a shift towards healthier diets. However, food expenditure inequities in processed meat and less healthy foods by ethnicity and income continue to be substantial. Public policies that aim to support healthy diets for all could involve changes to the food environment and government support for culturally appropriate Māori-led interventions.
Evaluating Diuretics in Normal Care (EVIDENCE): A feasibility report of a pilot cluster randomised trial of prescribing policy in primary care to compare the effectiveness of thiazide-type diuretics in hypertension
Authors: Flynn Angela , Rogers Amy , McConnachie Lewis , Barr Rebecca , Flynn Robert WV , Mackenzie Isla S , MacDonald Thomas M , Doney Alexander SF
Published: November 2021

BackgroundObtaining evidence on comparative effectiveness and safety of widely prescribed drugs in a timely and cost-effective way is a major challenge for healthcare systems. Here we describe the feasibility of the Evaluating Diuretics in Normal Care (EVIDENCE) study that compares a thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics for hypertension as an exemplar of a more general framework for efficient generation of such evidence. In 2011, the UK NICE hypertension guideline included a recommendation that thiazide-like diuretics (such as indapamide) be used in preference to thiazide diuretics (such as bendroflumethiazide) for hypertension. There is sparse evidence backing this recommendation, and bendroflumethiazide remains widely used in the UK. MethodsPatients prescribed indapamide or bendroflumethiazide regularly for hypertension were identified in participating General Practices. Allocation of a prescribing policy favouring one of these drugs was then randomly applied to the Practice and, where required to comply with the policy, repeat prescriptions switched by pharmacy staff. Patients were informed of the potential switch by letter and given the opportunity to opt-out. Practice adherence to the randomised policy was assessed by measuring the amount of policy drug prescribed as a proportion of total combined indapamide and bendroflumethiazide. Routinely collected hospitalization and death data in the NHS will be used to compare cardiovascular event rates between the two policies. ResultsThis pilot recruited 30 primary care practices in five Scottish National Health Service (NHS) Boards. Fifteen practices were randomised to indapamide (2682 patients), and 15 to bendroflumethiazide (3437 patients); a study population of 6119 patients. Prior to randomisation, bendroflumethiazide was prescribed to 78% of patients prescribed either of these drugs. Only 1.6% of patients opted out of the proposed medication switch. ConclusionThe pilot and subsequent recruitment confirms the methodology is scalable within NHS Scotland for a fully powered larger study, currently 102 GP practices (>12,700 patients) are participating in this study. It has the potential to efficiently produce externally valid comparative effectiveness data with minimal disruption to practice staff or patients. Streamlining this pragmatic trial approach, has demonstrated the feasibility of a random prescribing policy design framework that can be adapted to other therapeutic areas.
Identification on the potential mechanism of Radix pueraria on colon cancer based on network pharmacology
Authors: Li Yi , Zhang Chunli , Ma Xiaohan , Yang Liuqing , Ren Huijun
Published: November 2021

Radix Puerariae (RP), a dry root of the Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, is used to treat a variety of diseases, including cancer. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the efficacy of RP in the treatment of colon cancer (CC). However, the biological mechanism of RP in the treatment of colon cancer remains unclear. In this study, the active component of RP and its potential molecular mechanism against CC were studied by network pharmacology and enrichment analysis. The methods adopted included screening of active ingredients of Chinese medicine, prediction of target genes of Chinese medicine and disease, construction of protein interaction network, and GO and KEGG Enrichment Analysis. Finally, the results of network pharmacology were further validated by molecular docking experiments and cell experiments. 8 active constituents and 14 potential protein targets were screened from RP, including EGFR, JAK2 and SRC. The biological mechanism of RP against CC was analyzed by studying the relationship between active components, targets, and enrichment pathway. This provides a basis for understanding the clinical application of RP in CC.
Repurposing FDA-approved drugs against the “main protease” pivotal enzyme in COVID-19 virus using computer-aided drug design techniques
Authors: Al-Sha'er Mahmoud , Balas Qosay Al
Published: November 2021

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is considered an unprecedented global pandemic in the modern era, infecting millions of people with an approximately 2% death rate. It emerged in late 2019 and researchers worldwide race time to identify druggable targets where medicinal chemists can design potential inhibitors. Objective: Drug repurposing is one of the most convenient methods available now to find already approved drugs for human use with a potential tendency to cure COVID-19. Method: Within this work, the FDA-approved drug database containing 1281 drugs was employed to extract possible drugs that could have activity against the “main protease” enzyme in this virus. Various computer-aided drug design techniques, such as pharmacophore generation, ligand pharmacophore mapping, molecular docking and filtering techniques, were used to identify potential inhibitors. The cocrystallized ligand inside the main protease enzyme was utilized to generate two structure-based pharmacophores that were used as templates for deletion in the FDA database. To validate the selection of the active hits from pharmacophore mapping, molecular docking via “LibDock” was performed, while the highest scoring candidate was selected. Results: Interestingly, three antiviral drugs (lopinavir, saquinavir and remdesivir) were qualified to be potential main protease inhibitors. Conclusion: The researchers in this work recommend clinically investigating the possibility of these drugs as preliminary therapies until selective drugs for COVID-19 virus are approved.
Viral Causes of Acute Febrile Jaundice in Selected Provinces of Zambia
Authors: Kabungo Boniface , Takada AaroAyato , Kajihara Masahiro , Mori Akina , Changula Katendi , Mulemena John Amos , Kamvuma Kingsley , Hamooya Benson M.
Published: November 2021

Background

Following the yellow fever (YF) risk assessment conducted in 2013, Ministry of Health in collaboration with WHO successfully implemented YF case based surveillance among the YF suspects in the high risk areas of Zambia. To date, none of the patients has been confirmed as a case of YF and the epidemiology of flavi-viruses has not been comprehensively investigated in Zambia. As YF may be hardly distinguished clinically from other febrile diseases, because early in the clinical course YF may appear similar to other diseases but YF will diverge clinically as the disease course progresses. This study was designed to investigate the viral causes of febrile jaundice among YF suspects in selected provinces of Zambia.
Method

We conducted a retrospective study on 93 archived serum samples previously collected from patients meeting a case definition of YF suspect from January 2014 to July 2015 presented in selected health facilities. Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, West Nile, pan Flavivirus, and Hepatitis A viruses were tested by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT_PCR) and Hepatitis B virus using PCR, while Hepatitis C and Hepatitis E viruses were tested by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). Samples were also tested for YF and dengue fever (DF) antibodies using in-house immunoglobulin M enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (Ig M ELISA) and immunoglobulin M rapid test respectively. STATA version 12 was used for data analysis.
Results

Fourteen percent (13/93) of the serum samples were identified as YF IgM positive. None of the samples tested positive for DF IgM ELISA. All 93 serum samples tested negative for the flaviviruses by RT-PCR. However, 8.6% (8/93) showed acute Hepatitis A and 2/20 (10%) of pooled sera tested positive for HBV. The median age of patients with Hepatitis A was 9.5 years old and for those without evidence of HAV infection was 19 years old. Approximately 85 (91.4%) of patients had acute diseases of unknown origin.
Conclusion

The study revealed that YF IgM was prevalent among study participants. However, the causes of fever and jaundice in Zambia may include viral hepatitis and needs to be considered if flaviviral diseases are suspected.
Spatial Ecology of Crested Porcupine in a Metropolitan Landscape
Authors: Mori Emiliano , Molteni Riccardo , Ancillotto Leonardo , Ficetola Gentile Francesco , Falaschi Mattia
Published: November 2021

Human settlements, including cities, may provide wildlife with new ecological niches, in terms of habitat types and food availability, thus requiring plasticity for adaptation. The crested porcupine Hystrix cristata is a habitat-generalist, large-sized rodent, also recorded in some suburban areas, but no information is available on its habitat use in metropolitan landscapes. Thus, we studied land-use factors influencing the presence of crested porcupines in a metropolitan area of Central Italy. We collected data on the occurrence of crested porcupines from the metropolitan area of Rome following an observer-oriented approach to record occurrences and estimate pseudo-absences. We then related the presence/absence of H. cristata to the landscape composition. Occupancy models showed that cultivations and scrubland were positively correlated with porcupine presence, most likely as providing this species with clumped food resources and shelter sites, respectively. Although the crested porcupine has been confirmed as a “generalist” species in terms of habitat selection, a strong preference for areas limiting the risk of being killed and providing enough food and shelter was observed. We therefore suggest that the crested porcupine may adapt to deeply modified landscapes such as large cities by selecting specific favourable land-use types.
Screening Programs for Common Maternal Mental Health Disorders Among Perinatal Women: Report of the Systematic Review of Evidence
Authors: Waqas Ahmed , Kokab Ahmreen , Meraj Hafsa , Dua Tarun , Chowdhary Neerja , Fatima Batool , Rahman Atif
Published: November 2021

Postpartum depression and anxiety are highly prevalent worldwide. Fisher et al., estimated the prevalence of depression and anxiety at 15.6% during the antenatal and 19.8% during the postpartum period. Their impact on maternal and child health is well-recognized among the public health community, accounting for high societal costs. The public health impact of these conditions has highlighted the need to focus on the development and provision of effective prevention and treatment strategies.In recent decades, some advances have been made in development of effective universal and targeted screening programmes for perinatal depression and anxiety disorders. Recent research has shown potential benefits of universal and targeted screening for perinatal depression, to identify and treat undiagnosed cases, and help thwart its deleterious consequences. Ethical implications, however, for these screening programmes, without the provision of treatment have often been emphasized.The present mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to collate evidence pertaining to screening programmes for perinatal depression and anxiety. It aims to answer following questions, in a global context: For women in the perinatal period, do screening programmes for perinatal depression and anxiety compared with no screening improve maternal mental health and infant outcomes?A series of meta-analyses reveal a reduction in perinatal depression and anxiety among perinatal women undergoing screening programmes. For the outcome of depressive disorder, meta-analysis indicates a positive impact in favour of the intervention group (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.66, n = 9,009), with a moderate quality of evidence. A significant improvement (high quality) was also observed in symptoms of anxiety among perinatal women (SMD= -0.18, 95% CI: -0.25 to -0.12, n = 3654).
Lithium Administered to Pregnant, Lactating and Neonatal Rats: Entry Into Developing Brain
Authors: Chiou Shene Yi-Shiuan , Kysenius Kai , Huang Yifan , Habgood Mark David , Koehn Liam , Qiu Fiona , Crouch Peter , Varshney Swati , Ganio Katherine , Dziegielewska Katarzyna Magdalena , Saunders Norman Ruthven
Published: November 2021

BackgroundLittle is known about the extent of drug entry into developing brain, when administered to pregnant and lactating women. Lithium is commonly prescribed for bipolar disorder. Here we studied transfer of lithium given to dams, into blood, brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in embryonic and postnatal animals as well as adults.MethodsLithium chloride in a clinically relevant dose (3.2mg/kg body weight) was injected intraperitoneally into pregnant (E15-18) and lactating dams (birth-P16/17) or directly into postnatal pups (P0-P16/17). Acute treatment involved a single injection; long-term treatment involved twice daily injections for the duration of the experiment. Following terminal anaesthesia blood plasma, CSF and brains were collected. Lithium levels and brain distribution were measured using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry and total lithium levels were confirmed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Results Lithium was detected in blood, CSF and brain of all fetal and postnatal pups following lithium treatment of dams. Its concentration in pups’ blood was consistently below that in maternal blood (30-35%) indicating significant protection by the placenta and breast tissue. However, much of the lithium that reached the fetus entered its brain. Levels of lithium in plasma fluctuated in different treatment groups but its concentration in CSF was stable at all ages, in agreement with known stable levels of endogenous ions in CSF. There was no significant increase of lithium transfer into CSF following application of Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitor (Digoxin) in vivo, indicating that lithium transfer across choroid plexus epithelium is not likely to be via the Na+/K+ ATPase mechanism, at least early in development. Comparison with passive permeability markers suggested that in acute experiments lithium permeability was less than expected for diffusion but similar in long-term experiments at P2. ConclusionsInformation obtained on the distribution of lithium in developing brain provides a basis for studying possible deleterious effects on brain development and behaviour in offspring of mothers undergoing lithium therapy.
Automatic Identification of Harmful Algae Based On Multiple Convolutional Neural Networks and Transfer Learning
Authors: Yang Mengyu , Wang Wensi , Gao Qiang , Zhao Chen , Li Caole , Yang Xiangfei , Li Jiaxi , Li Xiaoguang , Cui Jianglong , Zhang Liting , Ji Yanping , Geng Shuqin
Published: November 2021

The monitoring of harmful algae is very important for the maintenance of the aquatic ecological environment. Traditional algae monitoring methods require professionals with substantial experience in algae species, which are time-consuming, expensive and limited in practice. The automatic classification of algae cell images and the identification of harmful algae images were realized by the combination of multiple Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and deep learning techniques based on transfer learning in this work. 11 common harmful and 31 harmless algae genera were collected as input samples, the five CNNs classification models of AlexNet, VGG16, GoogLeNet, ResNet50, and MobileNetV2 were fine-tuned to automatically classify algae images, and the average accuracy was improved 11.9% when compared to models without fine-tuning. In order to monitor harmful algae which can cause red tides or produce toxins severely polluting drinking water, a new identification method of harmful algae which combines the recognition results of five CNN models was proposed, and the recall rate reached 98.0%. The experimental results validate that the recognition performance of harmful algae could be significantly improved by transfer learning, and the proposed identification method is effective in the preliminary screening of harmful algae and greatly reduces the workload of professional personnel.
Comparison of PSMA PET/CT With Fluoride PET/CT for Detection of Bone Metastatic Disease in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Regula Naresh Kumar , Kostaras Vasileios , Johansson Silvia , Trampal Carlos , Lindström Elin , Lubberink Mark , Iyer Victor , Velikyan Irina , Sörensen Jens
Published: November 2021

18F-NaF positron emission tomography/computed tomography (fluoride PET/CT) is considered the most sensitive technique to detect bone metastasis in prostate cancer (PCa). 68Ga-PSMA-11 (PSMA) PET/CT is increasingly used for staging of PCa. This study primarily aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of fluoride PET/CT and Gallium based PSMA PET/CT in identifying bone metastasis followed by a comparison of PSMA PET/CT with contrast-enhanced CT (CE-CT) in identifying soft tissue lesions as a secondary objective. Methods: Twenty-eight PCa patients with high suspicion of disseminated disease following curative treatment were prospectively evaluated. PET/CT examinations using fluoride and PSMA were performed. All suspicious bone lesions were counted, and the tracer uptake was measured as standardized uptake values (SUV) for both tracers. In patients with multiple findings, ten bone lesions with highest SUVmax were selected from which identical lesions from both scans were considered for direct comparison of SUVmax. Soft tissue findings of local and lymph node lesions from CE-CT were compared with PSMA PET/CT. Results: Both scans were negative for bone lesions in 7 patients (25%). Of 699 lesions consistent with skeletal metastasis in 21 patients on fluoride PET/CT, PSMA PET/CT identified 579 lesions (83%). In 69 identical bone lesions fluoride PET/CT showed significantly higher uptake (mean SUVmax: 73.1±36.8) compared to PSMA PET/CT (34.5±31.4; p<0.001). Compared to CE-CT, PSMA PET/CT showed better diagnostic performance in locating local (96% vs 61%, p=0.004) and lymph node (94% vs 46%, p<0.001) metastasis. Conclusion: In this prospective comparative study PSMA PET/CT detected the majority of bone lesions that were positive on fluoride PET/CT. Further, this study indicates better diagnostic performance of PSMA PET/CT to locate soft tissue lesions compared to CE-CT.
Feasibility And Acceptability of Virtual Reality for Cancer Pain in People Receiving Palliative Care: A Randomised Cross-Over Study
Authors: Austin Philip , Siddall Philip , Lovell Melanie
Published: November 2021

ContextCancer pain is common and frequently undertreated; the development of innovative therapeutic options is needed. Objectives To determine the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness for larger randomised controlled trials of 3D head-mounted (HMD) virtual reality (VR) compared with 2D screens for managing cancer pain in adults.MethodsThirteen people receiving palliative and supportive care participated in a single-session randomised cross-over trial, after which they completed a qualitative semi-structured interview. We also compared the effects of 3D HMD VR and 2D screen applications on cancer pain intensity and levels of perceived presence. Feasibility was assessed with recruitment, completion rates and time required to recruit target sample. ResultsAlthough recruitment was slow, completion rate was high (93%). Participants reported the intervention was acceptable and caused few side-effects. Although participants reported significantly reduced cancer pain intensity after 3D HMD VR (1.9 ± 1.8, P=.003) and 2D screen applications (1.5 ± 1.6, P = .007), no significant differences were found between interventions (-.38 ± 1.2, 95% CI: -1.1-.29, P=.23). Participants reported significantly higher levels of presence with the 3D HMD VR compared to 2D screen (60.7 ± SD 12.4 versus 34.3 ± SD 17.1, mean 95% CI: 16.4-40.7, P=.001). Increased presence was associated with significantly lower pain intensity (mean 95% CI: -.04- -0.01, P = 0.02). ConclusionsWe conclude that using HMD VR in palliative care pain settings is feasible and acceptable. In addition, virtual experiences provide relief of cancer pain. Further research is required to confirm the analgesic effects of VR in larger samples against appropriate control groups.
Artemisia-derived Actinobacteria Producing Inhibitors of Spodoptera Littoralis via Molecular Modeling Studies
Authors: Diab Mohamed K. , Mead Hala M. , Khedr Mohamad A. , Nafie Mohamed S. , Abu-Elsaoud Abdelghafar M. , El-Shatoury Sahar Ahmed
Published: November 2021

Insecticide resistance in agricultural pests has prompted the need to discover novel compounds with new modes of action. We investigated the potency of secondary metabolites from seventy endophytic actinobacteria against laboratory and field strains of Spodoptera littoralis (4th instar), comparable to spinetoram (Radiant® 12% SC). Endophytes from Artemisia herba-alba (syn. Seriphidium herba-alba) and Artemisia judaica were highly effective. Chemical profiling of the most potent metabolite was investigated using LC-QTOF-MS-MS technique, and the activity was validated through molecular docking studies. Metabolic extracts from seven actinobacteria (belonging to Streptomyces, Nocardioides, Kitasatospora and Pseudonocardia) have shown lethality to the 4th instar larvae. The metabolite ES2, from Kitasatospora sp., caused significant histopathological and inhibitory effects on 4th instar larvae. Additionally, ES2 caused lesions in the body wall cuticle, indicating a different mode of action than that of spinetoram. Chemical profiling of ES2 have shown presence of cyromazine (molt inhibitor), 4-nitrophenol and diazinon as key constituents. In conclusion, these findings suggest that, secondary metabolites from endophytic actinobacteria inhabiting wild medicinal plants are sustainable source for promising natural biocontrol agents. This is the first illustration of insecticidal activity of the Artemisia spp. microbiome, and the first report on a natural cyromazine synthesized by actinobacteria.
PELO Facilitates PLK1- Induced the Ubiquitination and Degradation of Smad4 and Promotes the Progression of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Gao Ping , Hao Jinglan , Xie Qianwen , Han Guiqin , Xu Binbing , Hu Hang , Sa Naer , Dong Xiaoming
Published: November 2021

PLK1 and Smad4 are two important factors in prostate cancer initiation and progression. They have been reported to play the opposite role in Pten-deleted mouse, one is an oncogene, the other is a tumor suppressor. Moreover, they could reversely regulate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and the activation of MYC. However, the connections between PLK1 and Smad4 have never been studied. Here, we showed that PLK1 could interact with Smad4 and promote the ubiquitination and degradation of Smad4 in PCa cells. PLK1 and PELO could bind to different domain of Smad4 and formed a protein complex. PELO facilitated the degradation of Smad4 through cooperating with PLK1, thereby resulting in proliferation and metastasis of prostate cancer cell. Changes in protein levels of Smad4 led to the alteration of biological function that caused by PLK1 in prostate cancer cells. Further studies showed that PELO upregulation was positively associated with high grade PCa and knockdown of PELO expression significantly decreased PCa cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and vivo. PELO knockdown in PCa cells could enhance the tumor suppressive role of PLK1 inhibitor. In addition, blocking the interaction between PELO and Smad4 by using specific peptide could effectively inhibit PCa cell metastasis ability in vitro and vivo. Overall, these findings identified a novel regulatory relationship among PLK1, Smad4 and PELO, and provided a potential therapeutic strategy for advanced PCa therapy by co-targeting PLK1 and PELO.
Chlorpyrifos and Dichlorvos in Combined Exposure Reveals Antagonistic Interaction to Freshwater Fish Mrigal, Cirrhinus Mrigala
Authors: Kunwar Prabesh Singh , Sapkota Bhawani , Badu Samikshya , Parajuli Kusum , Sinha Amit , De Boeck Gudrun , Sapkota Kumar
Published: November 2021

Toxicity imposed by organophosphate pesticides to the freshwater cultivable fish species mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala) was assessed under laboratory conditions. Healthy juveniles were exposed to chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, and their equitoxic mixture in geometric series. Median lethal concentrations of chlorpyrifos were found to be 0.906 (0.689–1.179), 0.527 (0.433–0.633), 0.435 (0.366–0.517) and 0.380 (0.319–0.450) mg/L and dichlorvos were found to be 38.432 (33.625–47.866), 22.477 (19.047–26.646), 12.442 (9.619–14.196) and 11.367 (9.496–13.536) mg/L after 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h of exposure respectively. Surprisingly, the joint toxicity of these organophosphates in the binary mixture was less than additive during most of the exposure periods. Behavioral changes exhibited by pesticide exposed fish were elevated opercular beatings, loss of equilibrium, loss of schooling behavior, aggregating at corners of the test chamber, slight color changes, surplus mucus secretion, and sudden and rapid body movements before death. Such behavioral studies can be applied as a non-invasive bio-monitoring tool for water quality assessment for fish growth and development. Despite the same mode of action of both pesticides, the antagonistic action in the binary mixture is an interesting outcome of this research that requires further investigation for a lucid understanding of the joint toxicity mechanism of such pesticides.
Improving Datacenter Utilization Through Containerized Service-Based Architecture
Authors: Mulahuwaish Aos , Korbel Shane , Qolomany Basheer
Published: November 2021

The modern datacenter's computing capabilities have far outstripped the applications running within and have become a hidden cost of doing business due to how software is architected and deployed. Resources are over-allocated to monolithic applications that sit idle for large parts of the day. If applications were architected and deployed differently, shared services could be used for multiple applications as needed. When combined with powerful orchestration software, containerized microservices can both deploy and dynamically scale applications from very small to very large within moments—scaling the application not only across a single datacenter but across all datacenters where the application(s) are deployed. In this paper, we analyze data from an application(s) deployed both as a single monolithic codebase and as a containerized application using microservice-based architecture to calculate the performance and computing resource waste are both architected and deployed. A modern approach is offered as a solution as a path from how to go from a monolithic codebase to a more efficient, reliable, scalable, and less costly deployment model.
Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) for Roll Stabilization of a Heavy Vehicle
Authors: Ünker Faruk
Published: November 2021

In this research, a moment propagated by a flywheel gyroscope is analysed as a control moment gyro (CMG) to prevent vehicle rollover. When the torque of the rotating flywheel is controlled, specific sinusoidal motion occurs. It is observed that the sinusoidal gimbal motion causes to be a smallish vibration amplitude in the upright position of the sprung mass. Therefore, CMG maintains the rollover stability of the sprung mass with a steady motion. Besides, there is a simulation model using a CAE software (RecurDyn), which is built to validate the equations of motion.
Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition Phenotype and Peritumoral Immune Cell Infiltration in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer
Authors: Oh Chung Ryul , Kim Hyung-Don , Ryu Yeon-Mi , Lee Seonmin , Kim Danbee , Lee Da Sol , Jeong Jae Ho , Chang Heung-Moon , Ryoo Baek-Yeol , Kim Kyu-pyo , Kim Miyeon , Kim Sang-Yeob , Yoo Changhoon
Published: November 2021

We evaluated the clinical implications of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and peritumoral immune cell infiltration in patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC) treated with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GemCis). Forty-five patients with advanced BTC who received GemCis were included as the study population. We conducted multiplex immunohistochemistry and examined EMT markers and their correlations with immune cell infiltrate at the invasive tumor margin. Study population was subdivided into two groups: twenty-four patients with short-term survival (SS) and 21 with long-term survival (LS). The density of tumor cells expressing epithelial marker E-cadherin (E-cadherin+ CK+) at the invasive tumor margin tended to be higher in the LS group than in the SS group (p = 0.065). The density of tumor cells expressing mesenchymal marker vimentin (vimentin+ CK+) was significantly higher in the SS group than in the LS group (p = 0.021). Accordingly, the density of E-cadherin− vimentin+ CK+ cells was also significantly higher in the SS group (p = 0.020). The density of vimentin+ CK+ cells was positively correlated with FoxP3+ CD4+ regulatory T-cells (r = 0.29, p = 0.047). EMT-related features were enriched in BTC patients with poor survival outcomes and were associated with the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
Climate-driven zooplankton shifts could cause global declines in food quality for fish
Authors: Heneghan Ryan , Everett Jason , Blanchard Julia , Sykes Patrick , Richardson Anthony
Published: November 2021

Although zooplankton are the primary energy pathway from phytoplankton to fish, we understand little about how climate change will modify zooplankton communities and their role in marine ecosystems. Using a trait-based marine ecosystem model resolving key zooplankton groups, we assess climate change impacts on zooplankton community composition and implications for marine food webs globally. We find that future oceans favour food webs increasingly dominated by carnivorous (chaetognaths, jellyfish and carnivorous copepods) and gelatinous filter-feeding zooplankton (larvaceans and salps). By providing a direct energetic pathway from small phytoplankton to fish, the rise of gelatinous filter-feeders largely offsets the increase in trophic steps between primary producers and fish from declining phytoplankton production and increasing carnivorous zooplankton. However, our results indicate that future fish communities face not only reduced carrying capacity from falling primary production, but also lower quality diets as environmental conditions increasingly favour gelatinous zooplankton.
The Effect of Iron Dextran on Vitamin D3 Metabolism in SD Rats
Authors: Qiu Fubin , Li Rui , Gu Siyu , Zhao Yimin , Yang Linxue
Published: November 2021

Background: The status of iron and vitamin D (VD) is essential to health. Previous studies have shown that iron homeostasis has a potential effect on VD metabolism, but the mechanism is not fully understood. Objectives: To explore the relationship between VD metabolism and iron metabolism, as well as the regulatory mechanism of iron on VD metabolism. Methods: Methods: 40 male rats were fed adaptively for 7 days and randomly divided into control (C, n=6 normal diet) group and model (M, n=24 iron deficient diet) group according to body weight, the latter was used to establish iron deficiency anemia (IDA) model. After 6 weeks of feeding, the M group was randomly divided into: deficiency iron group (DFe), low iron group (LFe), medium iron group (MFe) and high iron group (HFe) according to the level of hemoglobin (Hb). Different doses of iron dextran (based on iron content (100g·bw·d)): 0, 1.1, 3.3 and 9.9mg were given respectively. After 4 weeks, the rats were anesthetized with 8% chloral hydrate, blood was collected from the abdominal aorta, liver and kidney tissues were collected. The serum and tissues were separately packed and frozen at -80℃ for testing. Results: The results showed that the levels of Hb, RBC, serum iron (SI), liver iron, and kidney iron DFe group were lower than those in the other four groups, while the levels of total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin (TF) and transferrin receptor (Tfr) in DFe group were higher than those in other groups; The serum levels of 25-(OH)D3 and 1,25-(OH)2D3 in DFe group were significantly lower than those in C group (P < 0.05). The correlation analysis showed that the levels of 25-(OH)D3 and 1,25-(OH)2D3 were negatively correlated with TIBC, TF and Tfr no correlation with SI. Western blot, immunofluorescence, and q-PCR results showed that compared with C group, the protein and gene expressions of CYP2R1, CYP27A1, and CYP24A1 in DFe group were down-regulated, and the expression of CYP27B1 protein and gene was up-regulated in DFe group. Conclusion: Therefore, iron may be involved in the metabolism of VD3 by regulating the expression of VD3 hydroxylase, suggesting that appropriate iron supplementation can promote the activation of VD3.
Phenomenology and genetic moderators of excessive checking after antipsychotic treatment
Authors: Fernandez-Egea Emilo , Chen Shanquan , Sanguesa Estela , Gasso Patricia , Biria Marjan , Plaistow James , Beckwith Helen , Jarratt-Barnham Isaac , Segarra Nuria , Mas Sergi , Ribate Maria-Pilar , Garcia Cristina , LAFUENTE Amalia , Fineberg Naomi , Worbe Yulia , Cardinal Rudolf , Robbins Trevor
Published: November 2021

A significant proportion of antipsychotic-treated schizophrenia patients develop de novo checking compulsions, a phenomenon that is yet to be understood. Informed by models of habit formation developed in the cognitive neurosciences, we hypothesised that excessive checking could be understood as the by-product of psychosis, promoted by clozapine’s strong anti-serotoninergic action. Using the anonymised electronic records of a cohort of 204 clozapine-treated patients, including longitudinal assessments of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and psychosis (n=724 face-to-face assessments), we performed longitudinal multi-level mediation and multi-level moderation analyses to explore OCS’ associations with psychosis and with patient genotype respectively. We found OCS to be common in clozapine-treated patients (54%), with checking being the most prevalent symptom. Mediation models showed psychosis severity to indirectly effect checking behaviour by inducing obsessions [0.08 (IC 0.05, 0.12); p<0.001). No direct effect of psychosis on checking was identified [-0.06 (IC -0.13, 0.02); p=0.145]. After psychosis remission, checking compulsion directly correlated with both clozapine plasma levels (r=0.33; p=0.005) and dose (r=0.30; p=0.010). The transition from psychosis to obsession and compulsion was moderated by glutamatergic genetic variants (GRIN2B). We also identified novel associations with the serotoninergic pathway (SLC6A4, HTR2A and HTR2C). Understanding the different phases of the complex transition from psychosis to compulsion may inform clinicians' therapeutic decisions.
Orthogonal Cutting of Wire and Arc Additive Manufactured Parts
Authors: Fonseca Pedro P. , Vidal Catarina , Ferreira Francisco , Duarte Valdemar R. , Rodrigues Tiago A. , Santos Telmo G. , Machado Carla M.
Published: November 2021

Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is increasingly being used to produce complex and non-traditional geometries that other technologies are not able to create. Finishing operations, as machining, are often required to accomplish the components functionality. However, recent studies suggest that several machining issues arise due to the lack of geometrical tolerances and complex shapes of the manufactured parts, like chattering effects, appropriate work holding selection and component alignment. This work aimed to evaluate if the established scientific knowledge for machining homogeneous and isotropic materials remains valid for machining WAAM parts. Two different variants of WAAM were analysed, namely, conventional MIG/MAG and hot forging (HF-WAAM). The cutting operations were carried out varying the undeformed chip thickness (UCT) and the cutting speed, using a tool rake angle of 25°. A systematic comparison was conducted between the existing theoretical principles and the obtained practical results of the orthogonal cutting process, where material properties (hardness, grain size, yield strength) and important machining outcomes (cutting forces, specific cutting energy, friction, shear stress, chip formation and surface roughness) are addressed. Additionally, high-speed camera records were used to evaluate the generated shear angle and chip formation process during the experimental tests. The machinability indicators shown that, through the appropriate cutting parameters, machining forces and energy consumption can be reduced up to 12%, when machining the mechanical improved HF-WAAM material, without compromising the surface quality requirements.
Diversity Among Mixed-ploidy Salamander Communities Reflects the Influence of Keystone Host Species
Authors: Bare Evan , Bogart Jim , Wilson Chris , Murray Dennis , Hossie Thomas
Published: November 2021

Understanding processes governing and sustaining biological diversity is a central goal of community ecology. Unisexual community complexes, where successful reproduction relies on sperm transfer from males of one or more bisexual host species, are relatively rare and poorly understood in terms of the drivers of community diversity and structure. Unisexual salamanders of the genus Ambystoma produce mostly clonal offspring but can also produce distinct biotypes (‘genomotypes’), each with their own ecological niche. Within unisexual communities, individual hosts are often relatively rare, however, the number, identity, and relative abundances of distinct host species may govern community structure. We studied Ambystoma communities on Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada, to determine if the bisexual hosts (A. texanum, A. laterale) determine community structure of unisexual Ambystoma. From 2015-2018, we genomotyped 2027 Ambystoma tissue samples (1184 adults, 843 larvae) from 11 different sites. The relative abundance of bisexual hosts ranged from 0-18% across sites. Composition and diversity of ecological communities was highly variable and could be largely ascribed to variation in the presence and/or relative abundance of keystone host species. Additionally, the site where both hosts were present had the greatest unisexual diversity, with genomotypes reflecting contributions from both hosts, suggesting that multi-host communities generate enhanced diversity. Our results indicate that keystone hosts are pivotal in determining structure and composition of unisexual community complexes. Unisexual complexes clearly offer unique opportunities to examine the factors impacting community structure and provide a useful model for studying the role of keystone species in ecological communities.
The impact of epistasis in the heterosis and combining ability analyses
Authors: Viana José Marcelo Soriano
Published: November 2021

The current theoretical knowledge concerning the influence of epistasis on heterosis is based on simplified multiplicative model. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of epistasis in the heterosis and combining ability analyses, assuming additive model, hundreds of genes, linkage disequilibrium (LD), dominance, and seven types of digenic epistasis. We developed the quantitative genetics theory for supporting the simulation of the individual genotypic values in nine populations, the selfed populations, the 36 interpopulation crosses, 180 doubled haploids (DHs) and their 16,110 crosses, assuming 400 genes in 10 chromosomes of 200 cM. Epistasis only affects population heterosis if there is LD. Only additive x additive and dominance x dominance epistasis can affect the components of the heterosis and combining ability analyses of populations. Both analyses can lead to completely wrong inferences regarding the identification of the superior populations, the populations with greater differences of gene frequencies, and the populations with maximum variability, when the number of interacting genes and the magnitude of the epistatic effects are high. There was a decrease in the average heterosis by increasing the number of epistatic genes and the magnitude of their epistatic effects. The same results are generally true for the combining ability analysis of DHs. Surprisingly, the combining ability analyses of subsets of 20 DHs showed no significant average impact of epistasis on the identification of the most divergent ones, even assuming a high number of epistatic genes and great magnitude of their effects. However, a significant negative effect can occur.
Spontaneous Self-propulsion and Nonequillibrium Shape Fluctuations of a Droplet Enclosing Active Particles
Authors: Kokot Gasper , Faizi Hammad , Pradillo Gerardo , Snezhko Alexey , Vlahovska Petia
Published: November 2021

Active particles, such as swimming bacteria or self-propelled colloids, spontaneously assemble into large-scale dynamic structures. Geometric boundaries often enforce different spatio-temporal patterns compared to unconfined environment and thus provide a platform to control the behavior of active matter. Here, we report collective dynamics of active particles enclosed by soft, deformable boundaries, that is responsive to the particles' activity. We reveal that a fluid droplet enclosing motile colloids powered by the Quincke effect (Quincke rollers) exhibits strong shape fluctuations, and while the rollers do self-organize into a single vortex, it fills the droplet interior. We demonstrate that the shape fluctuations have a power spectrum consistent with active fluctuations driven by particle-interface collisions, and a broken detailed balance confirms the nonequilibrium nature of the shape dynamics. We further find that the rollers activity coupled to soft boundary fluctuations can result in a spontaneous symmetry breaking and vortex splitting. The droplet acquires motility while the vortex doublet exists. Our findings provide insights into the complex collective behavior of active colloidal suspensions in soft confinement.
A Bireporter Vector System for Assaying Translational Activity of Regulatory Elements
Authors: Suhorukova Aleksandra V. , Tyurin Alexander , Pavlenko Olga S. , Mustafayev Orkhan N. , Gra Olga A. , Sinelnikov Igor G. , Goldenkova-Pavlova Irina V.
Published: November 2021

BackgroundMolecular biology has always shown some similarities with computer science. So, considering transient expression, one can see an analogy with a DDoS attack on a computing system. Like the DDoS attack, transient expression can carry a payload. In particular, analysis of the structure of cell mechanisms and signal amplification in the study of very subtle mechanisms of regulation.ResultsA new vector system for transient expression in plants is described; this system is intended for quantitative analysis of the contribution of regulatory elements to transcription and translation efficiencies. The proposed vector comprises two expression cassettes carrying reporter genes (of the Clostridium thermocellum thermostable lichenase and E. coli