bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insights into Molecular Mechanisms Underlying NAFLD by Protein-Protein Interaction Network Analysis of the Differentially Expressed Genes in NASH Patients.
Authors: Najari Aida , Masoud Aminiyanfar , Meysam Mobasheri , Sobati Tabassom
Published: February 2021

The efficient treatment of the disease such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as a global concern is impeded by the limited understanding of the disease complexity. We applied a systems-biology framework for a functional analysis of disease development using candidate genes. We identified, the keys dysregulation, pathways, and Hub-genes leading the disease. Moreover, we constructed a molecular disease network for the disease via integrating the pathways, providing an intuitional view to understand the development. In addition, the druggability of genes and their new application in terms of marker discovery or new drug discovery were examined. Our analyses identify a series of highly overexpressed genes, also featuring high centrality, yet being less underlined in the context of NAFLD development in the previous research. We also found several relatively low overexpressed genes, having a central place in the PPI network topology, whose potential involvement in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis might be undermined otherwise using network biology. Our results reveal that the biological processes related to disease progression are complex. Indeed, our pathway studies identified Hub genes, which may reinforce poly-pharmacological cross-talks followed by disease progression to irreversible stages holistic approaches via systems biology tools help us identify more reliable targets and disease-mediated genes integrated into translational studies and drug development in this area.
A Method of Pedestrian Flow Monitoring Based on Received Signal Strength
Authors: Yang Zhiyong , Wen Jing , Huang Kaide
Published: February 2021

In large public places such as scenic tourist areas, shopping malls, stations, squares, and so on, there is a wide demand for people counting and pedestrian flow monitoring. Based on the feedback from the pedestrian flow monitoring system, resources can be optimally allocated to maximize social and economic benefits. Moreover, trampling accidents can be avoided because pedestrian guidance is carried out in time. In order to meet these requirements, we propose a method of pedestrian flow monitoring based on the received signal strength (RSS) of wireless sensor networks. This method mainly utilizes the shadow attenuation effect of pedestrians on RF signals of effective links. In this paper, a deployment structure of a radio frequency wireless sensor network is firstly designed to monitor the pedestrians. Secondly, the features are extracted from the wavelet decomposition of RSS signal series with a short time. Lastly, the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm is trained by an experimental data set to distinguish the instantaneous number of pedestrians passing through the monitoring point. The experimental results show that the accuracy is about 92.9% in the context of real-time pedestrian flow monitoring.In large public places such as scenic tourist areas, shopping malls, stations, squares, and so on, there is a wide demand for people counting and pedestrian flow monitoring. Based on the feedback from the pedestrian flow monitoring system, resources can be optimally allocated to maximize social and economic benefits. Moreover, trampling accidents can be avoided because pedestrian guidance is carried out in time. In order to meet these requirements, we propose a method of pedestrian flow monitoring based on the received signal strength (RSS) of wireless sensor networks. This method mainly utilizes the shadow attenuation effect of pedestrians on RF signals of effective links. In this paper, a deployment structure of a radio frequency wireless sensor network is firstly designed to monitor the pedestrians. Secondly, the features are extracted from the wavelet decomposition of RSS signal series with a short time. Lastly, the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm is trained by an experimental data set to distinguish the instantaneous number of pedestrians passing through the monitoring point. The experimental results show that the accuracy is about 92.9% in the context of real-time pedestrian flow monitoring.
Environmental footprints of soybean production in China
Authors: Chen Wei , Zhang Tianzuo , Tian Xu , Zhai Yiji , Geng Yong , Hong Jinglan , Liu Wenjing , Zhang Qian , Shen Xiaoxu , Bai Yueyang
Published: February 2021

The agriculture sector is both a significant consumer of energy and water and a major source of environmental pollution and greenhouse gases. Soybean production (Glycine max) has experienced a fast growth and it is the fourth most widely cultivated crop, leading to serious environmental concerns. This study evaluates the energy, carbon, and water footprints of China’s soybean production so that key environmental impacts can be identified. To provide reliable results for decision-making, uncertainty analysis is conducted based on the Monte Carlo model. Results show that the impact on climate change, fossils depletion, ecosystem quality, human health, and resource was 3.33×103 kg CO2 eq (GSD2 = 1.87), 343.37 kg oil eq (GSD2 = 1.60), 6.18×10− 5 Species·yr (GSD2 = 1.81), 3.26×10− 3 DALY (GSD2 = 1.81), and 89.22 $ (GSD2 = 2.28), respectively. Freshwater ecotoxicity was the dominant contributor (77.69%) to the ecosystem quality category, while climate change (85.22%) was the dominant contributor to the human health category. Key factors analysis results show that diammonium phosphate and diesel, and on-site emissions from soybean production, were the major contributors to the overall environmental burden of soybean production. Several policy recommendations are proposed, focusing on trade structure optimization, technological improvements, and efficient resource use. Such policy recommendations provide valuable insights to those decision-makers so that they can prepare appropriate mitigation policies.
Convolutional Neural Network-Based Automatic Measurement of Joint Space Width to Predict Radiographic Severity and Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Cheung James Chung Wai , TAM Yiu Chow , CHAN Lok Chun , CHAN Ping Keung , WEN Chunyi
Published: February 2021

Objectives

To develop a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) for the segmentation of femur and tibia on plain x-ray radiographs, hence enabling an automated measurement of joint space width (JSW) to predict the severity and progression of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).
Methods

A CNN with ResU-Net architecture was developed for knee X-ray imaging segmentation. The efficiency was evaluated by the Intersection over Union (IoU) score by comparing the outputs with the annotated contour of the distal femur and proximal tibia. By leveraging imaging segmentation, the minimal and multiple JSWs in the tibiofemoral joint were estimated and then validated by radiologists’ measurements in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) dataset using Pearson correlation and Bland–Altman plot. The estimated JSWs were deployed to predict the radiographic severity and progression of KOA defined by Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grades using the XGBoost model. The classification performance was assessed using F1 and area under receiver operating curve (AUC).
Results

The network has attained a segmentation efficiency of 98.9% IoU. Meanwhile, the agreement between the CNN-based estimation and radiologist’s measurement of minimal JSW reached 0.7801 (p < 0.0001). Moreover, the 32-point multiple JSW obtained the highest AUC score of 0.656 to classify KL-grade of KOA. Whereas the 64-point multiple JSWs achieved the best performance in predicting KOA progression defined by KL grade change within 48 months, with AUC of 0.621. The multiple JSWs outperform the commonly used minimum JSW with 0.587 AUC in KL-grade classification and 0.554 AUC in disease progression prediction.
Conclusion

Fine-grained characterization of joint space width of KOA yields comparable performance to the radiologist in assessing disease severity and progression. We provide a fully automated and efficient radiographic assessment tool for KOA.
Temperature and Magnetism Sensitivity of D-type Fiber Grating Filled with Magnetic Fluid in THz Band
Authors: Liu Shuo , Han Xinyu , Zhang Jiaxin , Li Yuanwei , Dong Xiaolong , Zhao Linwan
Published: February 2021

A terahertz band temperature and magnetic field sensor based on a magneto-fluid-filled D-type microstructure grating is designed. The high sensitivity measurement of temperature and magnetic field is realized by optimizing the structure. The highest temperature sensitivity is 233.88 pm/°C, and the highest magnetic field sensitivity is up to 214.802 pm/mT. When the overall structure size of the sensor was changed by ±0.1 %, the maximal absolute deviation of temperature or magnetic field sensor are 0.018 pm/℃ and 0.03 pm/Oe. At the same time, the dual-parameter demodulation matrix is used to effectively overcome the crosstalk problem.
Machine Learning Based Mathematical Modelling for Prediction of Social Media Consumer behaviour using Big Data Analytics
Authors: Chaudhary Kiran , Alam Mansaf , Al-Rakhami Mabrook S. , Gumaei Abdu
Published: February 2021

Almost many consumers are inclined by social media to purchase the product and spend more money on purchasing. We got the data from social media to analyse the consumer behaviour. We have considered the consumer data from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. There is diversity and high-speed, high volume data is coming from social media, so we used big data technology. Big Data Technology is the recent technology is used in various field of research. In this paper we have used the concept of big data technology to process data and analyse to predict the consumer behaviour on social media. We have analysed the consumer behaviour based on certain parameter and criteria. we have analysed the consumer perception, attitude towards the social media. For doing the prediction we have pre-process the data to make the quality data so that we can take the quality decision based on outcome of our model. We have used the predictive big data analytics technique to analyse the consumer behaviour prediction in this paper.
Exploring condom use decision-making of adolescents: The role of affective and rational processes
Authors: Davids Eugene Lee , Zembe Yanga , Vries Petrus J de , Mathews Catherine , Swartz Alison
Published: February 2021

Background

Condom use remains the most effective behavioural method for the prevention of HIV and unplanned pregnancies. However, condom use remains inconsistent among young people. Exploring the condom use decision-making processes that adolescent engage in might provide information that would assist in the prevention of many challenges related to poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the factors that influenced decision-making about condom use of adolescents from two schools in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Methods

A sample of 16 adolescents were selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured, individual interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data generated.
Results

The link between sexual debut and affective processes were frequently discussed in condom use decision-making. Decisions about sexual debut were influenced by the belief that sex was a perceived symbol of ‘true love’ on the one hand, and respect for perceived parental expectations of age-appropriate sex, on the other. Condom use decision-making was shaped by adolescents’ concerns about their future and lack of stability in their lives. Adolescents fears of pregnancy, parenthood and disease shaped their condom use decision-making. It became evident that rational and affective decision-making in condom use choice were not mutually exclusive, but that these processes could happen simultaneously.
Conclusions

The study highlights the role of affective states as part of the process of examining alternatives when deciding to use a condom or not. Interventions are needed that examine both the role of affective and rational processes as part of the decision-making process to inform adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
Effect of Negative Capacitance in Partially Ground Plane based SELBOX FET on Capacitance Matching and SCEs
Authors: Chaudhary Shalini , Dewan Basudha , Sahu Chitrakant , Yadav Menka
Published: February 2021

Here in, we investigated the impact of negative capacitance in PGP-SELBOX NCFET (partial ground plane on a selective buried oxide in negative capacitance FET) over FDSOI. The ferro-electric layer is placed in the gate stack of PGP-SELBOX NCFET to generate the negative capacitance phenomenon. Ferroelectric(FE) materials are similar to dielectric materials but differ in terms of their polarization properties. FE-HFO 2 is used as ferroelectric material due to its sufficient polarization rate with high dielectric capacitance and better reliability. The effect of ferro-electric material parameters like coercive field(E c ) and remnant polarization(P R ) on the capacitance matching of NCFET are analyzed. The simulation results reveal that the R PE factor, which is the ratio of P R to E c , is closely

related to better capacitance matching. In addition, the effect of variation in thickness of ferro-electric layer on the average sub-threshold swing(SS) is also explored. The relation between short channel effects ( V th rolloff and DIBL) and thickness of the ferro-electric (t fe ) for

PGP-SELBOX NCFET is also analyzed. The simulation results clearly show that PGP-SELBOX NCFET is having reduced SCEs and 10 3 times better II OFF ON ratio over FDSOI NCFET. For optimized value of ferroelectric parameters average SS for proposed device is

found as 50 mV/decade at t fe = 5nm which is lesser than FDSOI NCFET ( 56 mV/decade)
WITHDRAWN: Establishment and Validation of a Novel Metabolism-related Gene Signature for Predicting Overall Survival of Patients with Breast Cancer
Authors: Li Jian , Liu Yang , Liu Fei , Tian Qiang , Li Baojiang , Zhang Zongwang , Wei Guangwei
Published: February 2021

It is well known that Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease.Although the current recurrence and mortality rate have been greatly improved, many people still suffer relapse and metastasis.Metabolic reprograming is currently considered to be a new hallmark of cancer.Therefore,in this study, we comprehensively analyzed the prognostic effect of metabolic-related gene signatures in breast cancer and its relationship with the immune microenvironment.We constructed a novel metabolic-related gene signature containing 6 genes to distinguish between high and low risk groups by univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and validated its robustness and accuracy through multiple databases.The metabolic gene signature may be an independent risk factor for BC both in the training and the testing set,the nomogram has a moderately accurate performance,and the C index was 0.757 and 0.728 respectively.The signature can reveal metabolic characteristics based on gene set enrichment analysis and at the same time monitor the status of TME.This gene signature can be used as a promising independent prognostic marker for BC patients, and can indicate the current status of TME, providing more clues for exploring new diagnostic and treatment strategies.
Assessment and Development of Iranian EFL Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)
Authors: Najjari Rana , Abbasian Gholam reza , Yazdanimoghaddam Massood
Published: February 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Genetic Polymorphisms of FOXO3a Gene in Colorectal Cancer among North Indian Population
Authors: Uroog Laraib , Bhat Zafar Iqbal , Zeya Bushra , Imtiyaz Khalid , Wani Rauf AHMAD , Rizvi M.Moshahid A
Published: February 2021

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) heritability is determined by the composite relations between inherited variants and environmental factors. In developing countries like India CRC incidence rates have been increasing specially. In the present study, we focused on the distribution of FOXO3a gene polymorphisms in North Indian colorectal cancer patients. Methods A case–control study was conducted on 900 samples including 450 colorectal cancer patients and 450 age matched controls. We genotyped the SNPs rs2253310 and rs4946936 via Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and Polymerase Chain Reaction- single stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) procedure followed by sequence detection. Results A significantly increased risk of CRC was observed with rs4946936 genotype (P= 0.0393; OR= 1.405 CI=1.051-1.879). GT haplotype although not reaching statistical significance appeared to be at higher “risk” haplotype (OR- 1.164, 95%CI= 0.967~1.401), while as other haplotypes CC (OR- 0.893, 95% CI=0.665~1.200]), CT (OR- 0.806, 95%CI= 0.616~1.055) and GC (OR- 0.994, 95%CI= 0.809~1.221) were found to be “protective” for developing colorectal cancer. Conclusion This study lends support for an increased risk of CRC associated with the rs4946936 polymorphism. Nevertheless, statistically significant association between rs2253310 genotypes and CRC risk was not observed.
Adsorption of the Guanine Molecule Over the Pristine, Nb- and Au-doped Boron Nitride Nanosheets: A DFT Study
Authors: Derdare Meryem , BOUDJAHEM ABDELGHANI
Published: February 2021

A theoretical study has been performed onto the pristine, Nb- and Au-doped boron nitride (BN) nanosheets using DFT calculations with the B3LYP-D3 method in order to evaluate their stabilities and electronic properties. The interaction of the guanine molecule with these clusters was also examined in aim to determine their adsorption properties. The calculations show that the HOMO-LUMO energy gap (Eg) of the BN nanosheet was strongly decreased upon its doping with Nb and Au atoms, implying a strong enhancement in its surface reactivity. The interaction of the guanine with the BN sheet was found to be weak, which leads a slight variation in its energy gap, therefore a low sensitivity of this nanosheet toward the guanine was observed. The guanine adsorption over the NbBN cluster is very strong, and the calculated adsorptions energies are in the range of – 36.7 to – 60.2 kcal mol-1, suggesting a great chemical adsorption. For the AuBN cluster, the guanine molecule has been chemisorbed onto its surface with adsorption energies varying of – 24.2 to – 38.4 kcal mol-1, which are lower than those obtained for the NbBN cluster. Upon adsorption proceess, the energy gap of the NbBN cluster was greatly increased, which leads to a decrease in its electric conductivity, thereby it cannot be a suitable sensor for the guanine molecule. On the contrary, the energy gap of the AuBN cluster was reduced by the effect of the guanine adsorption on its surface, indicating an increase in its electrical conductivity, thus the AuBN cluster possess a great electronic sensitivity to the guanine molecule. Based on the transition state theory, the recovery time of the guanine from the AuBN cluster was estimated of 27.6 s, reflecting that the Au-doped BN nanosheet could be employed as an appropriate nanomaterial for the guanine molecule detection with a short recovery time.
Two-Stage Operations in Patients with Acute Right-sided Colonic Obstruction: A 15-year Single Institution Experience
Authors: Yu Chun-Wei , Tsai Nien-Ying , Hsiao Cheng-Wen , Jao Shu-Wen , Cheng Yi-Chiao
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND: Longer procedure times and bigger wounds can result in more mortality and complications in patients with acute RSCO with one stage surgery. OBJECTIVES:To review two-stage operations for acute right-sided colonic obstruction (RSCO) in a single institution. METHODS: The study reviewed the patients who underwent emergency surgery for acute RSCO in a tertiary center from 2004-2018. First-stage operations other than diverting loop ileostomy, incomplete obstructions that could be treated medically, or pathologies other than adenocarcinomas were excluded. Perioperative data such as operations, operative times, lengths of stay, harvested lymph nodes, and any complications were included. We assessed overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for the oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients were included. Seven patients had surgical complications related to ileostomy. Three of them died within 30 days of first admission. Thirty-one patients received a second-stage 4 operation by right hemicolectomy. None had anastomosis leakage or 30-day mortality. Only 9.7% of patients had fewer than 12 harvested lymph nodes. One-year OS was 34% vs. 89% between the two groups (P < 0.001). For 26 patients underwent curative resection of tumor, their 3-year DFS was 61.5%. CONCLUSIONS: A two-stage operation is associated with low mortality and morbidity rates in an emergency setting. The subsequent right hemicolectomy can harvest more lymph nodes than emergency resection. Long-term survival benefits can be expected.
Analysis of retinal detachment after post-operative endophthalmitis treated with 23G Pars Plana Vitrectomy
Authors: Zheng Ying , Casagrande Maria , Dimopoulos Spyridon , Bartz-Schmidt Ulrich , Spitzer Martin , Skevas Christos
Published: February 2021

Background

To evaluate the rate, risk factors, functional outcome and prognosis in eyes with retinal detachment after post-operative endophthalmitis treated with 23G pars plana vitrectomy.
Methods

Electronic patient files from 2009 until 2018 were screened for the presence of an endophthalmitis. Included were 116 eyes of 116 patients. This population was evaluated for the rate of retinal detachment after 23G Pars Plana Vitrectomy for endophthalmitis following cataract surgery or intravitreal injection. The main outcome measures are retinal detachment and visual acuity.
Results

Reason for endophthalmitis was previous cataract surgery in 78 patients and following intravitreal injection in 38 patients. First clinical evidence of endophthalmitis was present in median 5 days after the triggering surgery. Twenty-five eyes (21.55%) developed a retinal detachment in average 25 days after endophthalmitis. RD is significantly associated with preoperative visual acuity (p = 0.001).
Conclusions

Modern 23G vitrectomy technique seems not to lower the rate of retinal detachment after vitrectomy for endophthalmitis. And we also emphasize the prognostic role of preoperative visual acuity in RD development of the endophthalmitis treated with 23G pars plana vitrectomy.
Multiscale Friction Simulation of Dry Polymer Contacts: Reaching Experimental Length Scales by Coupling Molecular Dynamics and Contact Mechanics
Authors: Savio Daniele , Hamann Jannik , Romero Pedro A. , Klingshirn Christoph , Bactavatchalou Ravindrakumar , Dienwiebel Martin , Moseler Michael
Published: February 2021

This work elucidates friction in Poly-Ether-Ether-Ketone (PEEK) sliding contacts through multiscale simulations. At the nanoscale, non-reactive classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of dry and water-lubricated amorphous PEEK-PEEK interfaces are performed. During a short running-in phase, we observe structural transformations at the sliding interface that result in flattening of the initial nanotopographies accompanied by strong polymer chain alignment in the shearing direction. Our MD simulations reveal a linear pressure-dependence of the shear stress τMD (P,σH2o) [MPa]=0.18P + 50.5 - 1.25σH2o, where σH2o [nm-2] is the surface number density of adsorbed water molecules. This constitutive law is of central importance for our multiscale approach, since it forms a link between MD and elastoplastic contact mechanics calculations. An integration of τMD (P,σH2o) over the real area of contact yields a macroscopic friction coefficient μmacro (σH2o) that allows for a meaningful comparison with friction coefficients μexp≈0.5-0.7 which are in good agreement with the calculated dry friction coefficients μmacro(σH2o=0).For milder experimental loads, our multiscale model suggests that the lower friction states with μexp≈0.2 originate in the presence of physisorbed molecules (e.g. water), which significantly reduce interfacial adhesion.
Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma Found by Surgery for Acute Appendicitis is Associated with Older Age
Authors: Alemany Victor S. , Skendelas John P. , Au Vincent , Rao Devika , McNelis John , Kim Peter K.
Published: February 2021

Background: Appendectomy for acute appendicitis is the most common procedure performed emergently by general surgeons in the United States. The current management of acute appendicitis is increasingly controversial as non-operative management gains favor. Although rare, appendiceal neoplasms are often found as an incidental finding in the setting of appendectomy. Criteria and screening for appendiceal neoplasms are not standardized among surgical societies. Methods: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was queried for all patients with who underwent appendectomy over a nine-year period (2010-2018). Over the same time, patients who underwent appendectomy in two municipal hospitals in The Bronx, New York City, USA were reviewed. Results: We found a 1.7% incidence of appendiceal neoplasms locally and a 0.53% incidence of appendiceal tumors in a national population sample. Both groups demonstrated an increased incidence of appendiceal carcinoma by age. This finding was most pronounced after the age of 40 in both local and national populations. In our study, the incidence of appendiceal tumors increased with each decade interval up to the age of 80 and peaked at 2.1% in patients between 70 and 79 years. Conclusions: Appendiceal adenocarcinomas were identified in patients with acute appendicitis that seem to be associated with increasing age. The presence of an appendiceal malignancy should be considered in the management of older patients with acute appendicitis before a decision to embark on non-operative therapy.
Research on Nonlinear Coupled Tracking Controller for Double Pendulum Gantry Cranes With Load Hoisting/lowering
Authors: Shi Huaitao , Yao Fuxing , Yuan Zhe , Tong Shenghao , Tang Yinghan , Han Gang
Published: February 2021

Gantry cranes, which have attracted extensive attention, are mostly simplified as nonlinear single pendulum systems without load hoisting/lowering. However, in fact, due to the existence of the hook, gantry cranes produce double pendulum swing. With an extra underactuated degree of freedom, the anti-swing control of the double pendulum gantry cranes becomes more difficult than that of single pendulum gantry cranes, especially when load hoisting/lowering is considered simultaneously. Moreover, large swings, which lead to problems such as inaccurate positioning and low transportation efficiency, may be caused by double pendulum gantry cranes with load hoisting/lowering. In this paper, a nonlinear coupled tracking anti-swing controller is proposed to solve these problems. In this controller, a smooth tracking trajectory is introduced to ensure the stable start and run of the trolley, and a coupled signal is constructed to eliminate the residual swing angles of gantry crane system. The system stability is analyzed by using Lyapunov method and Barbarat theorem. Theoretical derivation, simulation and experimental results show that the proposed controller has excellent control performance, specifically, not only does it ensure accurate positioning of the load, but also it suppresses and eliminates the hook/load swing angle effectively. The proposed controller can still achieve good control effects and has strong robustness under the condition of changing the load mass, trolley target displacement, system initial swing angles and adding external disturbance.
Regulation of IFN-Is by MEF2D Promotes Inflammatory Homeostasis in Microglia
Authors: Lu Fangfang , Wang Ronglin , Nie Tiejian , Gao Fei , Yang Shaosong , Huang Lu , Xia Li , Shao Kaifeng , Liu Jiankang , yang qian
Published: February 2021

Background

Microglia play an essential role in the host defense of central nervous system. Transcription factor MEF2D is known to participate in stress regulation of various cells and is tightly triggered in microglia in vivo and in vitro. MEF2D is shown to bind at the promoter region of several cytokine genes in immune cells, and directly regulates inflammatory response, suggesting that MEF2D may act as a key stimulus response regulator of microglia and is involved in the regulation of brain micro-homeostasis. In order to uncover the molecular mechanism of MEF2D in inflammatory system, in the present study, we investigated the global effect of MEF2D in activated microglia, and explored its potential regulatory network.
Methods

Experiments of recombinant lentivirus vector of shRNA and specific MEF2D over-expression were performed in BV2 cells. Transcriptome sequencing and the global gene expression patterns were analyzed in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated shMEF2D BV2 cells. The pro- and anti-inflammatory factors were assessed by western blot, qPCR or ELISA, and microglia activity by phagocytosis and morphologic analysis. The directly binding of MEF2D to the promoter regions of IRF7 were tested by ChIP-qPCR and PCR. The ISGs were tested by qPCR.
Results

MEF2D was shown to actively participate in the inflammatory response of BV2 microglial cells. RNAi induced stable silence of MEF2D broke the immune balance of microglia, in two ways: (1) promoted the expression of pro-inflammatory factors, such as NLRP3, IL-1β, iNOS; and (2) markedly inhibited the type-I interferon signaling pathway by directly modulating the transcription of IRF7. On the contrary, overexpression of MEF2D significantly reduced the expression of NLRP3 and iNOS under LPS stimulation, and alleviated the level of immune stress in microglia.
Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that MEF2D plays an important role in the regulation of inflammatory homeostasis partly through transcriptional regulation of the IFN-Is response signaling pathway.
Impact of ZrO2 Additive on Microstructure, Magnetic Properties, and Temperature Dependence of the Initial Permeability of LiTiZn Ferrite Ceramics
Authors: Malyshev Andrey , Petrova Anna B. , Surzhikov Anatoly P.
Published: February 2021

The effect of the diamagnetic ZrO2 addition on the microstructure and magnetic properties of LiTiZn ferrite ceramics, including the shape and parameters of the temperature dependence of the initial permeability, has been investigated. The defect structure of ferrite ceramic samples is assessed according to our earlier proposed method based on mathematical treatment of the experimental temperature dependencies of the initial permeability. The method is recommended for defects monitoring of soft ferrite ceramics and ferrite products. It was found that the defect structure of ferrite ceramics increased by 350% with an increase in the concentration of the ZrO2 additive in the range of (0–0.5) wt.%. In this case, for the same samples, the increase in the true physical broadening of reflections is only 20%, and the coercive force by 50%. Simultaneously, the maximum of the experimental temperature dependence of the initial permeability dropped by 45%. The microstructure of all samples is characterized with a similar average grain size according to the SEM data. However, samples with the 0.5wt.% of ZrO2 are characterized by the formation of conglomerates. A linear relationship was obtained between the defect structure and the width of the reflections, which indicates that this parameter is related to the elastic stress of ferrite ceramics.
Transvaginal Ultrasound-indicated Cervical Cerclage Versus Vaginal Progesterone in Singleton Women with a Short Cervical Length: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Liu Yijun , Cao Tiantian , Zeng Shuai , Chen Ruixin , Liu Xinghui , He Lei
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Cervical cerclage and vaginal progesterone are two primary methods for preventing preterm birth. However, their effectiveness in preventing singleton pregnancies with a short cervical length is unclear. We compared the effects of cervical cerclage and vaginal progesterone on the mother and neonate in asymptomatic singleton pregnancies in women with a cervical length between 10–30 mm.Material and Methods: Asymptomatic singleton pregnant women with a cervical length of 10–30 mm, measured using transvaginal ultrasound at 12–26 weeks of gestation, who delivered at our hospital were enrolled. The primary outcome measure was preterm birth at <37, 34, 32, and 28 weeks of gestation. The secondary outcome measures were neonatal mortality, latency period from diagnosis to delivery, hemorrhage during delivery, birth weight, and cesarean delivery.Results: In the unadjusted analysis, the number of preterm births was significantly higher in the cerclage group than in the vaginal progesterone group. After multivariate adjustment for confounding factors, this relationship narrowed. The latency period from diagnosis to delivery was significantly prolonged.Conclusions: Cervical cerclage showed no benefit over vaginal progesterone in preventing preterm birth. However, it prolonged gestational age by 39 days compared to vaginal progesterone treatment.
Impacts of traverse speed and material thickness in abrasive waterjet contour cutting of Austenitic stainless steel AISI 304L
Authors: llanto Jennifer , Tolouei-Rad Majid , Vafadar Ana , Aamir Muhammad
Published: February 2021

Austenitic stainless steel 304L (AISI304L), of varied thickness, is widely used in the fabrication industry and in many cases, it requires contour machining for achieving intricate profiles. Abrasive water jet machine is a proficient alternative for machining difficult-to-cut, reflective, conductive, and heat-sensitive materials such as austenitic stainless steel with complex geometries. However, due to differences in machining responses for varied material conditions, the abrasive waterjet machine experiences challenges such as kerf geometric inaccuracy and low material removal rate. In this study, an abrasive waterjet machine is employed to perform contour cutting of different profiles to investigate the impacts of traverse speed and material thickness in achieving a lower kerf taper angle and higher material removal rate. Experimental results show that all profiles encountered a similar trend of obtaining higher kerf taper angle and material removal rate as traverse speed increased. Analysis of variance revealed that material thickness denotes a more significant impact to kerf taper angle and material removal rate with a contribution within the range of 69%-91% and 62-69% respectively; whereas traverse speed indicates the least contributing factor within the range of 5%-18% in kerf taper angle and 27%-36% for material removal rate.
Analysis of Influencing Factors of Community Management of Diabetes Based on Adaptive-Lasso Logistic Regression Model: A Community-based Study
Authors: Lin Wei , Tian Yang , Khoja Adeel , Zhao Xuan , Hu Peng , Zheng Mingyue
Published: February 2021

Background This study aimed to analyse which influencing factors may be more effective to achieve diabetes management targets in the community by the adaptive-lasso logistic regression model. Methods A cross-sectional study (N=1,127) was adopted to establish the adaptive-lasso logistic regression model of influencing factors for community management based on multi-stage cluster sampling data among patients with diabetes in China. Patient’s fasting blood glucose level, blood pressure, and triglycerides was collected. Results Overall, 90.6% of included people had a fasting glucose level higher than 6.1mol/L, and 9.4% of them were below 6.1mol/L. By cross-validation, after folding eight times, the variables involved in the adaptive lasso-logistic regression model include age, education level, main source of income, marital status, average monthly income, free medical service, basic medical insurance for residents, hospital history, number of follow-up evaluations by family doctor team, voluntary participation in community blood glucose measurement. The Akaike Information Criterion and Bayesian Information Criterion of adaptive lasso-logistic regression model were 1980 and 2021, which were lower than the full-variable logistic model (2041, 2245) and the ridge logistic model (2043, 2348). The adaptive-lasso logistic regression model was better than the other two models regarding time cost.Conclusions The adaptive-lasso logistic regression model can analyse the influencing factors of community management in patients with diabetes. Community intervention and intensive management measures can significantly improve the blood glucose status of patients with diabetes.
A Novel Automatic Platform Based on Nanostructured Microfluidic Chip for Isolating and Identification of Circulating Tumor Cells
Authors: Jou Hei-Jen , Chou Li-Yun , Chang Wen-Chun , Ho Hsin-Cheng , Zhang Wan-Ting , Ling Pei-Ying , Tsai Ko-Hsin , Chen Tze-Ho , Chen Szu-Hua , Lo Pei-Hsuan , Chen Ming , Hsu Heng-Tung
Published: February 2021

Circulating tumor cell (CTC) is commonly used as biomarker for early detection, prognostication, decision making, and evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy in cancer treatment. Unfortunately, the poor reproducibility and limited sensitivity with the CTC detection have limited its potential impact on clinical management. A reliable automated CTC detection system is therefore needed. We have designed an automated microfluidic chip-based CTC detection system consisting of three main parts: V-BioChip, Cell RevealTM enrichment and staining system, and an automatic scanning and locating system. We hypothesized this novel system can reliably detect CTC from clinical specimens. SKOV3 ovarian cancer cell line was used first to test the reliability of our system. Ten healthy volunteers, 5 patients with benign ovarian tumors, and 8 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) were recruited after obtaining written consents to validate the CTC capturing efficacy in the peripheral blood. The capture rates for spiking test in SKOV3 cells were as 48.3% and 89.6% using EpCAM antibody alone and a combined EpCAM antibody and N-cadherin antibody, respectively. The system was sensitive to detection of low cell count and showed a linear relationship with the cell counts in our test range. The sensitivity and specificity were 62.5% and 100% when CTC was used as a biomarker for EOC. Our results demonstrated that this automatic CTC platform has a high capture rate and is feasible for detection of CTCs in EOC.
A Substitutional Clinical Nomogram Model for Medical Thoracoscopy to Identify Tuberculous Pleural Effusion
Authors: Guo Jie-Ru , Zhang Jing , Wu Xian-Li , Huang Zan-Sheng , Zhang Ming-Zhou , Fu Wan-Lei , Wang Ping , Fan Ye
Published: February 2021

Background: Tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) is one of the most prevalent causes of exudative pleural effusion. As it is curable, early diagnosis is essential. Nevertheless, direct examination is not so sensitive while thoracoscopy is invasive and resource-demanding.Objective: To seek a less-invasive but also cost-effective substitute for medical thoracoscopy to identify TPE. Methods: We retrospectively collected 662 patients with pleural effusions who have undergone thoracoscopy as the training cohort, developed a predictive model and then validated it in another independent cohort. Independent predictor was screened by univariate analysis, feature selection and multivariate logistic regression. A predictive nomogram model was then established and evaluated by calibration, discrimination and clinical values. A standard model with a pleural adenosine deaminase (plADA) cut-off value at 40 IU/L was applied for comparison.Results: A lower plADA threshold at 24.5 IU/L was identified to discriminate TPE from other etiologies. Furthermore, serum tumor marker CA153 and Cyfra21.1, pleural lactic acid dehydrogenase and pleural interstitial cells were also identified as independent predictors (p<0.05) in multivariate logistic regression. The multivariate nomogram model presented good calibration, discrimination and clinical values, superior to the standard model. Excellent discrimination was demonstrated by the Harrell’s concordance index of 0.993 in the training cohort and 0.968 in the validation cohort. Furthermore, decision curve analysis demonstrated that the multivariate nomogram model added more benefit to patients with TPE.Conclusion: A multivariate nomogram model involved biochemical examinations and thoracentesis performed well in TPE clinical diagnosis among undetermined pleural effusions with approximate efficacy to medical thoracoscopy.
Triassic Low Temperature Hydrothermal Activities(LTHA) From the Ordos Basin of Northern China
Authors: You Jiyuan , Liu Yiqun , Zhou Dingwu , Yang Yiyao
Published: February 2021

Because few well-preserved hydrothermal channels have been found in terrestrial sedimentary rocks, research on LTHA in geological history is relatively sparse. In this study, we present our original discovery of “hydrothermal channels” from the Chang 7 source rocks of the Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin, China, and provide the best evidence for deciphering LTHA preserved in the geological record (i.e., sedimentary rocks). Three possible LTHA samples (i.e., samples 1551.6, 1551.6-2 and 1574.4) were collected for this study; they were interbedded with mudstones and oil shales, indicative of a deep-lake sedimentary environment. All three samples consist mainly of anhydrite, pyrite, and dolomite with the formation of mineral zoning across the walls of these structures, suggesting a sulfate-dominated stage and a carbonate-sulfide replacement stage. Moreover, their in situ geochemistry is characterized by high Eu, U, Th, Sr, Mn and U/Th ratios, which are typical indicators of hydrothermal vents. In addition, their S isotopes range from 7.89% to 10.88%, the magmatic sulfur accounted for approximately 94.3%, implying a possible magmatic trigger for these hydrothermal channels. All this evidence shows that the Triassic sedimentary rocks of the Ordos Basin probably contain LTHA. Comparing ancient LTHA to modern hydrothermal chimneys, we should note the important implications of LTHA; their formation mechanism may have been related to oil production, and they are possible indicators for future oil investigations. Further, they have great significance for studying the hydrothermal properties of primary dolomite.
Developing a Novel Parameter-free Optimization Algorithm for Flood Routing
Authors: Bozorg-Haddad Omid , Sarzaeim Parisa , Loáiciga Hugo A.
Published: February 2021

The Muskingum model is a popular hydrologic flood routing method; however, the accurate estimation of Muskingum model parameters is a critical task in the successful and precise implementation of flood routing. Evolutionary and metaheuristic optimization algorithms (EMOAs) are well suited for parameter estimation associated with various complex models including the nonlinear Muskingum model. Among EMOAs, teaching-learning-based optimization (TLBO) is a relatively new parameterless metaheuristic optimization algorithm, inspired by the relationship between teacher and students in a classroom to improve the overall knowledge of a topic in a class. This paper presents an application of TLBO to estimate Muskingum model parameters by minimizing the prediction error of outflow measurements. Several examples evaluate and confirm the successful performance of TLBO for the estimation of Muskingum-routing parameters precisely. The results show TLBO-Muskingum’s high accuracy for estimating accurately Muskingum’s parameters based on the Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) to evaluate the TLBO’s predictive skill with benchmark problems.
Serum Midkine: Emerging Biomarker for Detection and Prognosis of Non-small Lung Cancer
Authors: Stern Louisa , Mueller Erik , Bellon Eugen , Reeh Matthias , Grotelueschen Rainer , Guengor Cenap , Melling Nathaniel , Goetz Mara , Perez Daniel , Izbicki Jakob , Rawnaq-Möllers Tamina , Ghadban Tarik
Published: February 2021

Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause for cancer-related deaths in men and women worldwide. Sufficient screening tools enabling early diagnosis are essential to improve patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum midkine (S-MK) both as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This single-center analysis included 59 NSCLC patients counting 30 squamous cell cancers and 29 adenocarcinomas. Preoperative S-MK concentration was determined using ELISA. Patients were followed up to five years. S-MK was found to be significantly overexpressed in patients with NSCLC compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001). The discriminative power of S-MK to differentiate NSCLC subjects from controls was fairly high with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.83 (p < 0.001). Optimal sensitivity of 92 % and reasonable specificity of 68% was reached at a threshold of 416 pg/ml S-MK. Patients with high S-MK concentration showed a significantly shorter overall survival compared to patients with low S-MK expression (p < 0.05). In conclusion, S-MK is overexpressed in patients with NSCLC and serves as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. S-MK may thus be considered as an additional non-invasive biomarker not only for NSCLC screening but also for outcome prediction.
Auditory Exostosis in Australian Warm Water Surfers: a Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Simas Vini , Hing Wayne , Rathbone Evelyne , Pope Rodney , Climstein Mike
Published: February 2021

BackgroundSurfing is a popular sport in Australia, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the population. External auditory exostosis (EAE), also referred to as surfer’s ear, is recognized as a potentially serious complication of surfing. Cold water (water temperature below 19⁰C) is a commonly cited risk factor, with prevalence of EAE in cold water surfers ranging from 61 to 80 percent.However, there is a paucity of studies reporting the prevalence of EAE in surfers exposed to water temperatures above 19⁰C. With mean water temperature ranging from 19°C to 28°C, the Gold Coast region of Australia provides the ideal environment to assess the main goal of this study: to assess the prevalence and severity of EAE in warm water surfers.MethodsEligible participants were surfers living and surfing on the Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia). Currently active surfers over 18 years of age, surfing year-round, with a minimum of five consecutive years of surfing experience were recruited to participate. Included individuals were asked to complete a questionnaire and underwent bilateral otoscopy.ResultsA total of 85 surfers were included, with mean age 52.1 years (standard deviation [SD] ±12.6 years) and mean surfing experience of 35.5 years (SD ±14.7 years). Nearly two-thirds of participants (65.9%) had regular otological symptoms, most commonly water trapping (66%), hearing loss (48.2%), and cerumen impaction (35.7%). Less than one-fifth of the surfers (17.7%) reported regular use of protective equipment for EAE. The overall prevalence of exostosis was 71.8%, with most of the individuals having bilateral lesions (59%) and a mild grade (grade 1, 47.5%). There was insufficient evidence for any significant associations between the main outcomes (presence and severity of EAE) and factors related to age, surfing experience, winter exposure, surfing ability, symptoms, and use of protective equipment.ConclusionTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study assessing EAE in surfers exposed to warm waters (above 19oC). The prevalence of 71.8% highlights the high prevalence of the condition in the surfing population, regardless of water temperature. Future research should focus on ways to prevent EAE.