bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climate vulnerability scenario of the agricultural sector in the Bicol River Basin, Philippines
Authors: Laureta Ricky P , Regalado Ric Ryan H , Cruz Ermar B De La
Published: August 2021

This paper investigated the vulnerability of the agriculture sector and rural agriculture livelihoods in the Bicol River Basin (BRB) of the Philippines to projected changes in climate. The geographical characteristics of the BRB feature eight major sub-basins or watersheds consisting of Libmanan-Pulantuna, Ragay Hills, Thiris, Naga-Yabo, Pawili River, Waras-Lalo, Naporog, and Quinali. The study applied the combination of the participatory tools and the Climate Risk Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) framework to gather information on local climate vulnerabilities and contexts. Briefly, the CRVA employed geospatial modeling and utilized several indicators which are presumed to affect vulnerability including exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity which were aggregated to provide an index of vulnerability. This enabled us to identify areas of exposure and vulnerability and pointed areas of greatest need for strengthened adaptive capacity and risk management. Our findings revealed that vulnerability in the BRB was perceived to be relatively prevalent and that typhoons, flooding, and drought were identified to contribute significant impacts to rural livelihood. Furthermore, our findings in the CRVA suggested significant regional differences in vulnerability in the BRB. The majority of the towns in the central and northwestern portions of the BRB will largely experience increased vulnerability, particularly, in the Thiris sub-basin including some parts of Ragay Hills, Waras-Lalo, and the northwestern Libmanan-Pulantuna sub-basins. On the contrary, the entire Quinali region on the south is revealed to have the lowest vulnerability index. The clear policy implication of these accounts will be on how to mobilize developmental thrusts in both areas of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation at the sub-national level to reinforce local-based climate priority setting in adaptation interventions and policies.
Short- and Long-Time Improvement of Graft Function Using Iron-Chelator Supplemented Bretschneider Solution in a Canine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation
Authors: Szabo Gabor , LOGANATHAN Sivakkanan , KORKMAZ-ICÖZ Sevil , BALOGH Ágnes , PAPP Zoltan , BRLECIC Paige , HEGEDÜS Péter , RADOVITS Tamás , KARCK Matthias , MERKELEY Béla , Veres Gabor
Published: August 2021

An increasing organ demand is facing a constant number of donors. Nevertheless, not all organs are utilized due to a limited time window for heart transplantation (HTX). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate, if iron chelator supplemented Bretschneider solution can protect the graft in a clinically relevant canine model of HTX with prolonged ischemic storage.HTX was performed in foxhounds. The ischemic time was standardized to 4h, 8h, 12h or 16h depending on the experimental group. Left ventricular (LV) and vascular function were measured. Additionally, myocardial high energy phosphate and iron content and in-vitro myocyte force were evaluated.Iron chelator supplementation proved superior at a routine preservation time of 4h as well as for prolonged times of 8h and longer. The supplementation groups recovered quickly compared to their controls. The LV function was preserved and coronary blood flow increased. This was also confirmed by in vitro myocyte force and vasorelaxation experiments. Additionally, the biochemical results showed significantly higher adenosine-triphosphate content in supplementation groups. The iron chelator LK614 played an important role in this mechanism by reducing the chelatable iron content.This study shows that iron chelator supplemented Bretschneider solution effectively prevents myocardial/endothelial damage during short as well as long term conservation.
The Backpropagation Algorithm Implemented on Spiking Neuromorphic Hardware
Authors: Renner Alpha , Sheldon Forrest , Zlotnik Anatoly , Tao Louis , Sornborger Andrew
Published: August 2021

The capabilities of natural neural systems have inspired new generations of machine learning algorithms as well as neuromorphic very large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuits capable of fast, low-power information processing. However, it has been argued that most modern machine learning algorithms are not neurophysiologically plausible. In particular, the workhorse of modern deep learning, the backpropagation algorithm, has proven difficult to translate to neuromorphic hardware. In this study, we present a neuromorphic, spiking backpropagation algorithm based on synfire-gated dynamical information coordination and processing, implemented on Intel's Loihi neuromorphic research processor. We demonstrate a proof-of-principle three-layer circuit that learns to classify digits from the MNIST dataset. To our knowledge, this is the first work to show a Spiking Neural Network (SNN) implementation of the backpropagation algorithm that is fully on-chip, without a computer in the loop. It is competitive in accuracy with off-chip trained SNNs and achieves an energy-delay product suitable for edge computing. This implementation shows a path for using in-memory, massively parallel neuromorphic processors for low-power, low-latency implementation of modern deep learning applications.
Development of Novel Coconut SSR Markers Derived From Genome-Wide Bioinformatics Prediction
Authors: Caro Reina Esther S. , Cagayan Jesmar , Gardoce Roanne R. , Manohar Anand Noel C. , Canama-Salinas Alma O. , Rivera Ramon L. , Lantican Darlon V. , Galvez Hayde F. , Reaño Consorcia E.
Published: August 2021

In the past, simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker development in coconut is achieved through microsatellite probing in bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones or using previously developed SSR markers from closely related genomes. These coconut SSR markers are publicly available in published literatures and online databases; however, the number is quite limited. Here, we used a locally established, coconut genome-wide SSR prediction bioinformatics pipeline to generate a vast amount of coconut SSR markers. A total of 7,139 novel SSR markers were derived from the genome assembly of coconut ‘Catigan Green Dwarf’ (CATD). A subset of the markers, amounting to 131, were selected for synthesis based on motif filtering, contig distribution, product size exclusion, and success of in silico PCR in the CATD genome assembly. OligoAnalyzer-tool was also employed using the following desired parameters: %GC: 40–60%; minimum ΔG value for hairpin loop: -0.3 kcal/mol; minimum ΔG value for self-dimer: -0.9 kcal/mol; and minimum ΔG value for hetero-dimer: -0.9 kcal/mol. We have successfully synthesized, optimized, and amplified 131 novel SSR markers in coconut using ‘Catigan Green Dwarf’ (CATD), ‘Laguna Tall’ (LAGT), ‘West African Tall’ (WAT), and SYNVAR (LAGT x WAT) genotypes. Of the 131 SSR markers, 113 were polymorphic among the analyzed coconut genotypes. The development of novel SSR markers for coconut will serve as a valuable resource for mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs), assessment of genetic diversity and population structure, hybridity testing, and other marker-assisted plant breeding applications.
Analysis of Factors Affecting the Technical Inefficiency on Indonesian Palm Oil Plantation
Authors: Abdul Irawati , Sari Dyah Wulan , Haryanto Tri
Published: August 2021

This study aims to analyze the factors affecting the technical inefficiency of palm oil plantations in Indonesia by using the stochastic frontier analysis based on the translog production function. The data used in this study are taken from the Central Statistics Agency (Agricultural Business Household Income Survey) in 2013. The number of samples used was 14367 farmers. The results revealed that there is still to increase in the efficiency of palm oil plantations in Indonesia. The production function suggests that increasing the number of trees can help to increase the number of outputs. Additionally, education, age, planting system, seed quality, extension service, and plasma farmer significantly influence the technical efficiency of palm oil plantation.
Intraplate depth-dependent lithospheric stretching imaged by seismic reflection data
Authors: Dong Shuwen , Li Jianhua , Gao Rui , Cawood Peter , Thybo Hans , Zhang Yueqiao , Johnston Stephen , Wang Jinming
Published: August 2021

Geological and geophysical data coupled with numerical simulations have shown that lithospheric extension at passive margins may be classified into three end-member scenarios of pure shear, simple shear, and depth-dependent deformation. However, how lithospheric extension evolves in an intraplate setting remains enigmatic due to lack of reliable constraints on the deep lithospheric architecture. Here we use a seismic reflection profile across the ~800-km-wide Cretaceous intraplate extensional system of South China to illustrate depth-dependent kinematic decoupling of extension in a mechanically stratified lithosphere. The extension was initially distributed in magma-poor conditions as expressed by normal faulting in the upper crust and lower-crustal flow toward the rift axis. Necking of the crust and Moho uplift led to mantle shear-zone formation, lower-crustal flow toward the rift flanks, and deep mantle flow. We demonstrate that the extensional modes vary with decreasing mantle strength from magma-poor to magma-rich domains, as reflected in decreasing crust-mantle decoupling with increased Moho temperatures (TM), and the replacement of a two-layer (brittle vs ductile) mantle by a fully ductile mantle. These findings reveal a first-order lithospheric configuration of intraplate depth-dependent extension driven by far-field stresses attributable to slab retreat.
Identification of Biomarkers for Prognosis and Immunotherapy in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Yu Zuhu , Lu Bin , Gao Hong , Xiang Wuxing , Liang Rongfang , Liang Tao , Chen Wenhui , Liu Jinping
Published: August 2021

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the dominating subtype of renal cancer with high malignancy and poor prognosis, accounts for the majority of kidney cancer deaths. We conducted this research to identify novel potential biomarkers for the prognosis and immunotherapy of ccRCC patients. We screened out differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ccRCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues with 4 microarray series from GEO database and took function analysis of DEGs with GO and KEGG pathway. Then, we constructed PPI network and identified target genes with prognostic value in ccRCC, performed immunological correlation analysis of the candidate genes to seek potential biomarkers of immunotherapy in ccRCC. Results: In total, 159 up-regulated genes and 223 down-regulated genes were screened out and 11 genes including TIMP1, PCK1, HMGCS2, G6PC, FBP1, ACAA1, HADH, HAO2, TGFBI, RRM2 and SUCLG1 were found to be associated with prognoses of ccRCC patients. After further screening and verification of the mRNA and protein expression, down-regulation of PCK1, HMGCS2, and up-regulation of RRM2 were significantly correlated with poorer prognoses both in overall survival and disease free survival in ccRCC. Further immunological correlation analysis showed RRM2 expression was correlated with immune infiltration and immunological checkpoint in ccRCC.Conclusion: We identified PCK1, HMGCS2 and RRM2 as potential markers for the prognosis of ccRCC patients with bioinformatic analyses. RRM2 may plays an important role in the oncogenicity of ccRCC and is a potential target for immunotherapy of ccRCC patients.
Sharp kinetic acceleration potentials during mediated redox catalysis of insulators
Authors: Cao Deqing , Shen Xiaoxiao , Wang Aiping , Yu Fengjiao , Wu Yuping , Shi Siqi , Freunberger Stefan , Chen Yuhui
Published: August 2021

Redox mediators could catalyse otherwise slow and energy-inefficient cycling of Li-S and Li-O2 batteries by shuttling electrons/holes between the electrode and the solid insulating storage materials. For mediators to work efficiently they need to oxidize the solid with fast kinetics yet the lowest possible overpotential. Here, we found that when the redox potentials of mediators are tuned via, e.g., Li+ concentration in the electrolyte, they exhibit distinct threshold potentials, where the kinetics accelerate several-fold within a range as small as 10 mV. This phenomenon is independent of types of mediators and electrolyte. The acceleration originates from the overpotentials required to activate fast Li+/e– extraction and the following chemical step at specific abundant surface facets. Efficient redox catalysis at insulating solids requires therefore carefully considering the surface conditions of the storage materials and electrolyte-dependent redox potentials, which may be tuned by salt concentrations or solvents.
Transcriptome Analysis of Lateral Roots Development in Aconitum Carmichaelii
Authors: Zhou Luojing , Zhong Sha , Fan Yuxin , Yin Yanpeng , Gao Jihai , Peng Cheng
Published: August 2021

Background: Fuzi is a processed product of the lateral root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx, a plant of the Ranunculaceae, and has been used to treat various diseases. This study used Illumina Hiseq High-throughput platform to sequence, assemble and annotate, screen development related genes, transcription pathways and functional enrichment in true root, lateral roots and “bridge”, and analyzed their correlations with the formation and development of lateral roots of A.carmichaelii, which can reveal the process and regulation mechanism of lateral roots growth and maturation of A. carmichaelii. Results: By sequencing, a total of 66.13Gb clean data and 28,982 unigenes with function annotation were finally obtained, with N50 of 1,627 bp, and 12,833 genes were assigned to 130 specific metabolic pathways by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), then 2,599 were significantly differentially expressed. The KEGG analysis of the DEGs revealed that it was mainly enriched in starch and sucrose metabolism, ribosome, carbon metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction which play an important role in the expansion of lateral roots. The DEGs and pathways indicated that there was little differences between true root and “bridge”, while a big difference between them and lateral roots. The DEGs of auxin, cytokinin and other pathways may be conducive to the formation of lateral roots, which explained the development mechanism of lateral roots from a molecular point of view. Conclusions: This study provides a reference for the study of cultivation and management of lateral roots of A. carmichaelii.
Unfavorable Effects of Fixatives on the Fluorescence Intensity and Biological Functions of Fluorescent Proteins in HEK293T Cells and Transgenic Mice
Authors: Tang Tao , Yuan Lan , Wang Kai , Zhao Mingwei
Published: August 2021

Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are commonly used probes for coding genes that enable specific protein or whole-cell labeling. Their fluorescence intensity is used for molecular quantitation and intermolecular interaction analysis. Since FPs are usually small soluble proteins, they easily cross the membranes if cell integrity is disrupted, resulting in FP signal attenuation/loss. Specimen prefixation to preserve FP localization within cells/tissues is therefore useful. However, specific fixatives can weaken or eliminate FP signals. We studied the effects of five common fixatives on FP fluorescence intensity and biological functions to determine their suitability for FP signal and FRET efficiency preservation in cells and tissues. FP (GFP, YFP, CFP and RFP)-expressing HEK293T cells with methanol, 95% ethanol, 4% PFA, acetone and glutaraldehyde, and brain tissue sections of EGFP- and tdTomato-labeled transgenic fluorescent mice was fixed with 4% PFA. The FP signals in HEK293T cells and brain tissue from transgenic fluorescent mice were weakened or even eliminated after fixation with these fixatives. The fixatives affected FP biological function, and the FP FRET efficiency significantly differed between prefixation and postfixation (all p<0.01). Thus, fixatives impair FP fluorescence to some extent, leading to attenuation/loss of signals or even biological functions. Fixatives should be applied carefully in FP-related experiments to avoid bias.
Using Text Mining Techniques to Extract Prostate Cancer Predictive Information (Gleason Score) from Semi-structured Narrative Laboratory Reports in the Gauteng Province, South Africa
Authors: Cassim Naseem , Mapundu Michael , Olago Victor , Celik Turgay , George Jaya Anna , Glencross Deborah Kim
Published: August 2021

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the leading male neoplasm in South Africa with an age-standardised incidence rate of 68.0 per 100,000 population in 2018. The Gleason score (GS) is the strongest predictive factor for PCa treatment and is embedded within semi-structured prostate biopsy narrative reports. The manual extraction of the GS is labour-intensive. The objective of our study was to explore the use of text mining techniques to automate the extraction of the GS from irregularly reported text-intensive patient reports.Methods: We used the associated Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine clinical terms morphology and topography codes to identify prostate biopsies with a PCa diagnosis for men aged >30 years between 2006 and 2016 in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. We developed a text mining algorithm to extract the GS from 1,000 biopsy reports with a PCa diagnosis from the National Health Laboratory Service database and validated the algorithm using 1,000 biopsies from the private sector. The logical steps for the algorithm were data acquisition, pre-processing, feature extraction, feature value representation, feature selection, information extraction, classification, and discovered knowledge. We evaluated the algorithm using precision, recall and F-score. The GS was manually coded by two experts for both datasets. The top five GS were reported, with the remaining scores categorised as “Other” for both datasets. The percentage of biopsies with a high-risk GS (≥8) was also reported. Results: The first output reported an F-score of 0.99 that improved to 1.00 after the algorithm was amended (the GS reported in clinical history was ignored). For the validation dataset, an F-score of 0.99 was reported. The most commonly reported GS were 5+4=9 (17.6%), 3+3= 6 (17.5%), 4+3=7 (16.4%), 3+4=7 (14.7%) and 4+4=8 (14.2%). For the validation dataset, the most commonly reported GS were: (i) 3+3=6 (37.7%), (ii) 3+4=7 (19.4%), (iii) 4+3=7 (14.9%), (iv) 4+4=8 (10.0%) and (v) 4+5=9 (7.4%). A high-risk GS was reported for 31.8% compared to 17.4% for the validation dataset. Conclusions: We demonstrated reliable extraction of information about GS from narrative text-based patient reports using an in-house developed text mining algorithm. A secondary outcome was that late presentation could be assessed.
DFT Calculation, Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study on Substituted Phenylacetamide and Benzohydrazide Derivatives
Authors: Yele Vidyasrilekha , Sigalapalli Dilep Kumar , Jupudi Srikanth , Azam Mohammed Afzal
Published: August 2021

The atomic and molecular properties of the title compounds were calculated by Jaguar using a basis set B3LYP/6-31G**++ with hybrid DFT in the gas phase, to determine the chemical reactivity. Analysis of Quantum chemical features such as HOMO and LUMO explained that the electronic charge transfer occurred within the system through conjugated paths of the selected compounds. The nucleophilic and electrophilic reactive sites are recognized from the molecular electrostatic potential plot. Electrophilic and nucleophilic attack-prone molecular sites were predicted by mapping ALIE and ALEA values to the molecular surface. The bond dissociation energy of the high active compound 15 (2-chloro-N-(2-(2-(2-(2-chlorobenzoyl)hydrazineyl)-2-oxoethoxy)phenyl)acetamide) was calculated to assess the probability of compounds autoxidation or degradation. Further, molecular docking, binding free energy calculations, and ADMET profile of the degradation products (DPs) of compound 15 was carried out to determine the binding affinity and toxicity profile of the formed DPs compared with the parent compound. A 150 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed to evaluate the binding stability of the compound 15/4URL complex using Desmond. Binding free energy and binding affinity of the complex were computed for 100 trajectory frames using the MM-GBSA approach.
Individual and Community-Level Factors of Perinatal Mortality in The High Mortality Regions of Ethiopia: A Multilevel Mixed-Effect Analysis
Authors: Girma Desalegn , Abita Zinie , Fetene Gossa , Birie Bamlaku
Published: August 2021

Background
Even though perinatal mortality has declined globally; it is still the major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa countries. Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan countries which contribute the highest-burden of perinatal mortality with devastating in some of the regions. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the determinant factors of perinatal mortality in the high mortality regions of Ethiopia.
Method:
A secondary data analysis was done by using the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data. A total of 4120 mothers who had been delivered at ≥ 7 months of gestational age were included. A multilevel mixed logistic regression model was fitted to identify the predictors of perinatal mortality. Finally, a statistically significant association was declared at a p-value of ≤ 0.05.
Result
The study found that birth interval < 2 years (AOR = 3.71, 95%CI:2.27, 6.07),having no antenatal care (AOR = 2.43,95%CI:1.15,5.38), Initiating breast feeding after 1hour(AOR = 4.01 ,95%CI:2.49,6.51), being distant from health institutions (AOR = 1.99, 95%CI: 1.24, 3.22), having previous terminated pregnancy (AOR = 4.68, 95%CI:2.76,7.86), being mothers not autonomous(AOR = 1.96, 95%CI:1.19,3.20),being no media exposure (AOR = 2.78, 95%CI:1.48,5.59),being households ≤ 4 family sizes (AOR = 4.12, 95%CI:2.19,7.79), having ≥ 6 parity (AOR = 2.48, 95%CI:1.21, 5.22) were associated with a high odds of perinatal mortality.
Conclusion
The study concludes that birth interval, antenatal care, time for breastfeeding initiation, distance from health institutions, previous history of a terminated pregnancy, maternal autonomy, media exposure, family size, and parity were predictors of prenatal mortality. Therefore, programmatic emphases to maternal waiting service utilization for mothers distant from health institutions and increasing media access could reduce perinatal mortality in high mortality regions of Ethiopia.
Size Effect of CeO2 Particle On Nanoscale Single-Asperity Sliding Friction
Authors: Xu Ning , Ma Jiahui , Liu Qi , Han Weizhong , Shan Zhiwei
Published: August 2021

The size of abrasive particle has a great impact on the fundamental friction behavior and mechanical properties of the abrasive during ultra-precision polishing performance. Here, the size effect of the tribological behavior and mechanical properties of CeO2 single abrasive were studied. Experimental results show that the size effect plays a role on coefficient of friction (COF) of each regime in single-asperity sliding friction, especially in ploughing and cutting regimes. The residual depth of the scratch and COF both decrease with the increase of the CeO2 tip radius. These results relate to the mechanical properties of CeO2 nanoparticles. We found that the effective modulus increases with the decrease of abrasive size, which corresponds to the size effect of the single-asperity sliding friction experiment.
Effects of Co-infection With Clonorchiasis Sinensis on T Cell Exhaustion Levels in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B
Authors: Dong Huimin , Luo Minqi , Shang Mei , Wang Yang , Fu Yuechun , Hu Bo
Published: August 2021

BackgroundTo investigate the effects of co-infection with C. sinensis on T cell exhaustion levels in patients with chronic hepatitis BMethodsInhibitory receptors and suppressive cytokines expression in circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was detected by flow cytometry. The correlations between PD-1 and TIM-3 expression and alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) levels, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and HBV DNA levels were analyzed using GraphPad Prism 7.0. ResultsPD-1 and TIM-3 expression levels were significantly higher on CD4+T and CD8+T cells from co-infected patients than on those from the HBV patients. In addition, CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells function was inhibited by C. sinensis and HBV coinfection, secreting low levels of IFN-γ, IL-2 and TNF-α. Then, a significant positive correlation was found between the PD-1 and TIM-3 expression levels on T cells and the AST ,ALT levels and HBV DNA levels.Conclusions﻿Our current results suggested that C. sinensis co-infection could exacerbate T cell exhaustion in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Furthermore, it maybe one possible reason for the weaker response to antiviral therapies and the chronicity of HBV infection in co-infected patients. We must realize that the importance of C.sinensis treatment for HBV infected patients. It might provide useful information for the clinical doctors to choose the right treatment plans.
The Reinforcement Mechanisms of Graphene Oxide in Laser Directed Energy Deposition Fabricated Metal and Ceramic Matrix Composites: A Comparison Study
Authors: Li Yunze , Zhang Dongzhe , Ye Zhipeng , Ye Gaihua , He Rui , Wang Hui , Cong Weilong
Published: August 2021

Carbon-based nanomaterials mainly including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and graphene oxide (GO) have superior properties of low density, outstanding strength, and high hardness. Compared with ceramic reinforcements, a small amount of carbon-based nanomaterials can significantly improve the mechanical properties of metal matrix composites (MMCs) and ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). However, CNTs and graphite always aggregate or degrade during the fabrication with a high temperature, especially in MMCs. GO has the advantages of easier to be dispersed in other materials and better high-temperature stability. Laser directed energy deposition (DED), has been used to fabricate GO-MMCs and GO-CMCs due to the unique capabilities of coating, remanufacturing, and producing functionally graded materials. Laser DED, as a fusion manufacturing process, could fully melt the material powders, which could refine the microstructure and increase the density and mechanical properties. However, GO could react with matrix materials at high temperatures. The survival, degradation, and reactions of GO in laser DED fabricated GO-MMCs and GO-CMCs are still unknown. There is also no investigation on the reinforcement mechanisms of GO in metal matrix materials and ceramic matrix materials in the laser DED process. In this study, GO reinforced Ti (GO-Ti) and GO reinforced zirconia toughened alumina (GO-ZTA) parts were fabricated by laser DED process. Raman spectrum, XRD analysis, and EDS analysis have been applied to investigate the forms of GO in both DED fabricated GO-MMCs and GO-CMCs. The reinforcement mechanisms of GO on microhardness and compressive properties of MMCs and CMCs have been analyzed.
Results of Streamlining TAVR Procedure Towards a Minimalist Approach： A Single Center Experience in Taiwan
Authors: Ko Tsung-Yu , Kao Hsien-Li , Chen Yi-Chang , Yeh Chih-Fan , Huang Ching-Chang , Chen Ying-Hsien , Chan Chih-Yang , Lin Lung-Chun , Wang Ming-Jiuh , Chen Yih-Sharng , Lin Mao-Shin
Published: August 2021

Background
Trans-femoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TF-TAVR) performed under conscious sedation (LACS) is not yet become routine practice in Taiwan. We aimed to compared the results between patients received general anesthesia (GA) versus LACS.
Methods
Our cohort was divided into 3 groups: initial 48 patients received TF-TAVR under routine GA (GA group), subsequent 50 patients under routine LACS (LACS group 1), and recent 125 patients under LACS (LACS group 2). The baseline, procedural characteristics and all outcomes were prospectively collected and retrospectively compared.
Results
From Sep 2010 to July 2019, a total of 223 patients were included for The procedure time (157.6 ± 39.4 mins vs 131.6 ± 30.3 vs 95.2 ± 40.0, < 0.0001), contrast medium consumption (245.6 ± 92.6 ml vs 207.8 ± 77.9 vs 175.1 ± 64.6, < 0.0001), length of intensive care unit (2[1–5] days vs 2[1–3] vs 1[1–1], P = 0.0001) and hospital stay (9[7–13] days vs 8[6–11] vs 6 [5–9], P = 0.0001) decreased significantly with LACS, combined with a trend of less hospital acquired pneumonia (12.5% vs 6.0% vs 5.6%, P = 0.427). One-year survival rate were also different among 3 groups (83.3% vs 90.0% vs 93.6%, P = 0.053).
Conclusion
In our single center experience, a “minimalist” approach of TF-TAVR procedure resulted in less medical resources usage, along with more favorable clinical outcomes.
Layer-By-Layer Assembled, Amphiphilic And Antibacterial Hybrid Electrospun Mat Made From Polypropylene And Chitosan Fibers
Authors: Acik Gokhan , Acik Burcu , Agel E.
Published: August 2021

In this study, hybrid fiber mat (HFPP-CS) consisting of both chlorinated polypropylene and chitosan fibers (FPP-Cl and FCS) is obtained by assembling layer-by-layer (LBL) for the first time using electrospinning process. Morphological, wettability, structural and thermal properties of HFPP-CS are investigated in detail by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle (WCA) measurement, fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses, respectively, comparing with FPP-Cl and FCS. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of all samples was evaluated against to gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and gram negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. SEM analysis proves to HFPP-CS has a circular and smooth morphology and also comprises of microscale FPP-Cl and nanoscale FCS layers. The incorporation of nano-FCS layer on micro-FPP-Cl layer leads to diminution in the hydrophobicity, but enhancement in the thermostability and glass transition temperature of the resulting fiber mat. The antibacterial activity results show that HFPP-CS has inhibition effect against to S. aureus and E. coli. In general, it is anticipated that the prepared amphiphilic and antibacterial HFPP-CS can be employed as potential biomaterial for a variety of bioengineering applications.
Alpha Mangostin Confers Neuroprotection Against Rotenone-induced Parkinson’s Disease via Modulating Autophagy and AMPK Signaling.
Authors: Parekh Pathik , Sharma Nishant , Gadepalli Anagha , Sharma Monika , Chatterjee Sayan , Kate Abhijeet , Khairnar Amit
Published: August 2021

Intending to uncover bioactive phytochemicals that may halt or slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD), we previously studied the neuroprotective property of alpha mangostin (AM), obtained from the Garcinia mangostana Linn. in the rat model of PD. Albeit, the intracellular regulatory mechanism behind the observed effects remained to be elucidated. Thus, this study aimed to investigate AM's autophagic potential behind its neuroprotective effect in the rotenone-induced mouse model of PD. Adult C57BL/6 mice received the chronic treatment of rotenone for 9-consecutive weeks. While AM was administered one hour before the rotenone administration. Behavioral assessment was carried out every 2nd week till 9 weeks. The treatment with the AM significantly restored locomotor and cognitive impairments induced by rotenone. Western blot analysis revealed that rotenone reduced the expression of autophagic markers like LC3II/I, TFEB, Beclin-1 in the cortex, and striatum. It might be due to rotenone-induced reduction in activation of AMPK, the primary regulator of the autophagy process. Interestingly, AM treatment restored the levels of autophagic markers in the cortex and striatum. AM significantly reduced the expression of α-Syn in the striatum but not in the cortex, while it significantly reduced the levels of p-α-Syn in the cortex and observed a strong trend in the striatum, suggests its anti-aggregatory potential against α-Syn. AM also protected rotenone-induced loss of dopaminergic fibres in the striatum and TH+-cells in the SNc. These results demonstrate that AM decreased α-Syn accumulation via autophagy activation by up-regulating the AMPK pathway, elicits neuroprotection against rotenone-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration.
Integrinβ3 Mediates the Protective Effect of Soluble Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-products During Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion
Authors: Han Xuejie , Guo Xinying , Chang Jing , Zhang Jie , Chen Lu , Wang Hongxia , Du Fenghe , Zeng Xiangjun , Guo Caixia
Published: August 2021

Soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-product (sRAGE) was reported to protect myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injuries via interacting with AGEs (the ligands of RAGE). Besides, sRAGE was also reported to interact with myocardial cell membranes to protect myocardial I/R injuries. However, the specific molecular of the interaction between sRAGE and myocardial cell membrane is not clearly defined. Integrins were the major adhesion receptors expressed on myocardial cells. The present study showed sRAGE affected the expression of integrinβ3 around integrinβ1 to β5 in I/R treated cardiomyocytes. Consequently, it was supposed that integrinβ3 might be related to the protective effects of sRAGE on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injuries. The results in this study showed that the protective effects of sRAGE on cardiac function, cardiac infracting size and apoptosis in mice were cancelled by cilengitide (the inhibitor of integrinβ3). Myocardial apoptosis and autophagy decreased by sRAGE in I/R treated cardiomyocytes were showed to be increased by the inhibition of integrinβ3. Mechanistically, the inhibition of integrinβ3 decreased the phosphorylation of Akt and STAT3 but did not affect the phosphorylation of FAK, PTEN, and MAPKs (P38 MAPK, JNK, Erk) in OGD/R and sRAGE treated cardiomyocytes. In addition, the phosphorylation of STAT3 was significantly downregulated by the inhibition of Akt (LY294002,10μM) in OGD/R and sRAGE treated cardiomyocytes. The present study demonstrated integrinβ3 mediated the protective effects of sRAGE on myocardial I/R injuries through Akt-induced STAT3 signaling pathway thus may provide a novel molecular therapy strategy for ameliorating I/R injury.
General Practitioner Time Availability Per Inhabitant Per Year: A New Indicator to Measure Access to Primary Care
Authors: Beer Laura , Cohidon Christine , Senn Nicolas
Published: August 2021

IntroductionThe number of general practitioners (GPs) per inhabitant, used commonly as an indicator of primary care (PC) access, reports only imprecisely on the true availability of GPs. The aim of this study is to develop a new PC access indicator that better reflects the availability of GPs to take care of patients at the population level, the average GP time availability per inhabitant per year.MethodsWe extracted the data from the Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians conducted in 2015. We built the indicator by combining two questions about weekly workload in hours and percentage of time spent on face-to-face contact with patients. The indicator was then adjusted regarding the number of GPs, the weeks worked per year and the country’s population size.ResultsThe mean time available of GPs for face-to-face contact was 69 minutes/inhabitant/year, ranging from 38 minutes in Sweden to 118 minutes in Australia. Including email and telephone contact, the mean contact time rose to 79 minutes/ inhabitant/year, ranging from 48 minutes in Sweden to 127 minutes in Australia.ConclusionThe new indicator provides an accurate and sensitive estimate of a GP’s true time availability at the population level. Results should be interpreted in the context of PC workforce organization, which may help guide GP workforce development.
Development of Learning Objectives for a Medical Assistance in Dying Curriculum for Family Medicine Residency
Authors: LeBlanc Sarah , MacDonald Susan , Martin Mary , Dalgarno Nancy , Schultz Karen
Published: August 2021

Background
Medical assistance in dying (MAID) became legal across Canada when Bill C-14 was passed in 2016. Currently, little is known about the most effective strategies for providing MAID education, and the importance of integrating MAID into existing curricula. In this study, a set of learning objectives (LOs) was developed to inform a foundational MAID curriculum in Canadian Family Medicine (FM) residency training programs.
Methods
Mixed-methods were used to develop LOs based on a previously-published needs assessment from a large, four-site family medicine residency program in southeastern Ontario. Draft LOs were evaluated and modified using a modified Delphi process and focus group which included faculty and resident leaders. LOs were mapped to the existing family medicine residency curriculum, as well as the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Priority Topics and CanMEDS-Family Medicine roles.
Results
Nine LOs were developed to provide a foundational education regarding MAID. While all LOs could be mapped to the Domains of Clinical Care with the departmental curriculum, they mapped inconsistently to departmental Entrustable Professional Activities, the Priority Topics, and CanMEDS-FM roles. LOs focused on patient education and identification of patient goals were most readily mapped to existing curricular framework, while LOs with MAID-exclusive content revealed gaps in the current curriculum.
Conclusions
The developed LOs provide a guide to ensure family medicine residents obtain generalist-level knowledge to counsel their patients about MAID. These LOs can serve as a model for developing learning objectives for both family medicine and specialist residency programs in Canada, as well as globally in countries where assisted dying is legal.
Analysis of Average Glandular Dose (AGD) and Associated Parameters for Conventional and Digital X-Ray Mammography
Authors: Suliman Ibrahim Idris , Mohamed Sawsan , Mahadi Alaa , Bashier Einas , Farah A , Hassan Nada , Ahmed Nada , Eisa Mohamed , El-Khayatt Ahmed , Sassi Salem
Published: August 2021

In this study, we determined the average glandular dose (AGD) from the craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) views of 496 breasts (247 women) at eight clinics in Sudan. The incident air kerma from the X-ray tube output values and typical patient-specific breast exposure factors were measured. AGD values were inferred from the measured incident air kerma and breast-specific dose conversion coefficients. The AGD per CC and MLO projection and per woman ranged from 0.34–5.3 mGy (average: 2.46), 0.29–3.39 mGy (average: 1.50), and 0.6–7.4 mGy (average: 3.95). The proposed national diagnostic reference levels (mGy) are 3.48, 2.03, and 6.44 mGy for CC, MLO, and per woman, respectively. Establishing the proposed diagnostic reference levels is an essential step in ensuring patient protection from radiation and will help promote dose optimization for X-ray mammography at the national levels and beyond. The results provide important baseline data that can be used to formulate the national diagnostic reference levels.
Femtomolar And Locus-Specific Detection of N6-Methyladenine In DNA By Integrating Double-Hindered Replication And Nucleic Acid-Functionalized MB@Zr-MOF
Authors: Zheng Qingyuan , Wang Tong , Li Xinmin , Qian Husun , Bian Xintong , Li Xingrong , Bai Huijie , Ding Shijia , Yan Yurong
Published: August 2021

In this study, a novel electrochemical biosensor was constructed for ultrasensitive and locus-specific detection of N6-Methyladenine (m6A) in DNA using double-hindered replication and nucleic acid-coated methylene blue (MB)@Zr-MOF. Based on the combination of m6A-impeded replication and AgI-mediated mismatch replication, this mode could effectively stop the extension of the strand once DNA polymerase encountered m6A site, which specifically distinguish the m6A site from natural A site in DNA. Also, Zr-MOF with high porosity and negative surface potential features was carefully chose to load cationic MB, resulting a stable and robust MB@Zr-MOF electrochemical tag. As a result, the developed biosensor exhibited a wide linear range from 1 fM to 1 nM with detection limit down to 0.89 fM. Profiting from the high sensitivity and selectivity, the biosensing strategy revealed good applicability, which had been demonstrated by quantitating m6A DNA at specific site in biological matrix. Thus, the biosensor provides a promising platform for locus-specific m6A DNA analysis.
Full-thickness Macular Hole Formation in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: TSUI MEI-CHI , Hsieh Yi-Ting , Lai Tso-Ting , Lai Chun-Ting , Lin Hsuan-Chieh , Ho Tzyy-Chang , Yang Chang-Hao , Yang Chung-May , Wang Lu-Chun
Published: August 2021

BackgroundTo investigate the formation pathways of full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with fibrovascular proliferation (FVP).MethodsTwenty-one consecutive patients (21 eyes) having PDR and FVP with optical coherence tomography (OCT) available before and after FTMH formation were retrospectively reviewed. Fundus abnormalities and OCT features were studied.ResultsFour different types of FTMH formation pathways in PDR were observed. Type 1 was characterized by epiretinal membrane (ERM) and/or vitreomacular traction (VMT) inducing foveoschisis, intraretinal cysts or foveal detachment, followed by formation of a FTMH or macular hole retinal detachment (MHRD). In type 2, ERM and/or FVP induced lamellar macular hole (LMH) with foveoschisis, followed by the formation of FTMH or MHRD. Type 3 was characterized by the initial tractional retinal detachment (TRD) with foveal cysts and/or foveoschisis and the subsequent formation of MHRD. Type 4 was characterized by TRD associated with foveal thinning, ensued by the formation of MHRD. Severity and locations of FVP varied with different types. Eyes with MHRD had poorer best-corrected visual acuity, higher proportion of active FVP, and higher rate of TRD.ConclusionFour types of FTMH formation pathways in PDR were identified and were quite different from those in idiopathic conditions. Spontaneous closure of FTMHs in PDR might be observed. The activity, severity and locations of FVP varied in PDR eyes destined to develop FTMHs.
Charge Density Based Small Signal Modeling for InSb/AlInSb Asymmetric Double Gate Silicon Substrate HEMT for High Frequency Applications
Authors: KUMAR T. VENISH , Venkatesh M. , Muthupandian B. , Priya G. Lakshmi
Published: August 2021

The Asymmetric Double Gate Silicon Substrate HEMT(ADG-Si-HEMT) is proposed in this article to analyse the carrier concentration and intrinsic small signal parameters for the heterostructure of the InSb/AlInSb silicon wafer DG-HEMT device. When the top and bottom gates are biased with different gate voltages, the HEMTs act as a three-port system and the device called Asymmetric Double Gate HEMT. The modulation of back-channel charge density due to the front gate voltage is analyzed with the position of quasi-Fermi energy levels(Ef). Also, the small signal model is obtained for various parameters like cut off frequency, gate to source capacitance and transconductance. The effects of the following parameters like delta doping, width of Silicon doping layer and various top and bottom gate voltages are analyzed to get enhanced device operation. The transconductance 2390 Sm/mm for Vfg=0.2V and cut off frequency around 197 GHz for Vbg=0.3 are obtained. All the analytical results are compared with Sentaurus 3-D TCAD simulation results. The asymmetric biasing technique offers various mixed application due to modulation in threshold voltage and modulating carrier density in dual channels.
Investigating The Mechanism Underlying Urinary Continence Using Dynamic-MRI After Retzius-sparing Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Kadono Yoshifumi , Nohara Takahiro , Kawaguchi Shohei , Kadomoto Suguru , Iwamoto Hiroaki , Iijima Masashi , Shigehara Kazuyoshi , Izumi Kouji , Yoshida Kotaro , Gabata Toshifumi , Mizokami Atsushi
Published: August 2021

Retzius-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RS-RARP) has been reported to exhibit better postoperative urinary continence compared to conventional RARP (C-RARP) via the anterior approach, but the reasons behind this are unknown. The early postoperative urinary incontinence and anatomical differences were compared between 51 cases each of C-RARP and RS-RARP, which were selected via propensity score matching. Dynamic-MRI was performed before and after surgery to investigate the pelvic anatomical changes under abdominal pressure. The median urine loss ratio in the early postoperative period was 11.0% and 1.0% for C-RARP and RS-RARP, respectively. Postoperative MRI revealed the anterior bladder wall after RS-RARP was fixed in a high position compared to C-RARP. Dynamic-MRI after C-RARP showed cephalocaudal compression of the bladder during abdominal pressure caused expansion of the membranous urethra and the urine flowed out. In RS-RARP cases, the rectum moved forward during abdominal pressure to compress the membranous urethra by closing it from behind, as was observed preoperatively. This was the first study using dynamic-MRI which revealed the importance of a high attachment of the anterior bladder wall for the urethral closure mechanism during abdominal pressure. RS-RARP, which can completely preserve this mechanism, was the least likely to cause stress urinary incontinence.
A New Model For Predicting Boiling Points of Alkanes
Authors: Mukwembi Simon , Nyabadza Farai
Published: August 2021

A general perception among researchers is that boiling points, which is a key property in the optimization of lubricant performance, are difficult to predict successfully using a single-parameter model [5, 6]. In this contribution, we propose a new graph parameter which we call, for lack of better terminology , the conduction of a graph. We exploit the conduction of a graph to develop a single-parameter model for predicting the boiling point of any given alkane. The accuracy of our model compares favourably to the accuracy of experimental data in literature. Our results have significant implications on the estimation of boiling points of chemical compounds in the absence of experimental data.
Background factors affecting visual acuity at initial visit in eyes with central retinal vein occlusion: multicenter study in Japan
Authors: Kondo Mineo , Noma Hidetaka , Shimura Masahiko , Sugimoto Masahiko , Matsui Yoshitsugu , Saishin Yoshitsugu , Ohji Masahito , Ishikawa Hiroto , Gomi Fumi , Iwata Kensaku , Yoshida Shigeo , Kusuhara Sentaro , Hirai Hiromasa , Ogata Nahoko , Hirano Takao , Murata Toshinori , Tsuboi Kotaro , Kamei Motohiro , Kinoshita Takamasa , Kuwayama Soichiro , Hirano Yoshio , Ohta Manami , Kimura Kazuhiro , Takayama Kei , Takeuchi Masaru , Takamura Yoshihiro , Okamoto Fumiki , Mitamura Yoshinori , Terasaki Hiroto , Sakamoto Taiji
Published: August 2021

This retrospective multicenter study was designed to determine the baseline characteristics of patients in Japan with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) that were significantly associated with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at the initial examination. The patients’ baseline factors that were significantly associated with the BCVA at the initial examination were determined by univariate, multivariate, and logistic regression analyses. Data from 517 eyes of 517 patients (mean age, 69.9 ± 12.2 years; men, 57.3%) were analyzed. Univariate analyses showed that an older age (r=0.194, P<0.001) and the right eye (r=-0.103, P<0.019) were significantly associated with poorer BCVA at the initial visit. Multivariate analyses showed that an older age (β=0.191, P<0.001) and the right eye (β=-0.089, P=0.041) were also significantly associated with poorer BCVA at the initial visit. In addition, logistic regression analyses showed that these two factors were also significantly related to the BCVAs poorer than 1.0 logMAR units (0.1 decimal BCVA) at the initial visit. Results indicate that an older age, a known strong factor, and the right eye were significantly associated with poorer BCVA at the initial visit. These results suggest that functional and/or anatomical differences between the right and left eyes may be involved in these results.