bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity investigation of open-ended coaxial probe in skin cancer detection
Authors: Xu Guofang , Liu Henghui , Huang Qiang , Yu Xuefei , Nan Xiang , Han Jijun
Published: August 2022

Dielectric properties (DPs), as a physical property, are widely used in real-time identification of normal or tumor tissue in vivo. Open-ended coaxial probe method is one of the most common modalities in measuring DPs. This technique secures its promising potential in early-stage skin cancer diagnosis for its non-invasive merit. Although various studies have been reported, systematic assessment is lacking to advance to clinical applications. Parameter interactions and detecting limitations remain unclear. In this study, we examine the minimum detectable size of tumor by using a three-layer skin model by simulation. DP changes under different tumor dimension, probe size, skin thickness, and cancer type were discussed. The smallest detecting size of BCC inside the skin is 0.5 mm radius × 0.1 mm; for SCC inside the skin is 1.4 mm × 1.3 mm in radius and height; the smallest distinguishing size of BCC is 0.6 mm × 0.7 mm in radius and height; for SCC is 1.0 mm × 1.0 mm in radius and height; for MM is 0.7 mm × 0.4 mm in radius and height. We also provide a detailed systematic evaluation of the parameters employed in the method for further applications.
Anti-GM-CSF neutralizing autoantibodies in Colombian patients with disseminated cryptococcosis
Authors: Arango-Franco Carlos A. , Migaud Mélanie , Ramírez-Sánchez Isabel Cristina , Arango Karen , Moncada-Vélez Marcela , Rojas Julián , Gervais Adrian , Giraldo Santiago Patiño , Perez-Zapata Lizeth J , Álvarez Jesús A. Álvarez , Orrego Julio César , Villamil Gustavo Roncancio , Boisson-Dupuis Stéphanie , Jouanguy Emmanuelle , Abel Laurent , Casanova Jean-Laurent , Bustamante Jacinta , Arias Andrés A. , Franco José Luis , Puel Anne
Published: August 2022

Background.
Cryptococcosis is a potentially life-threatening fungal disease caused by encapsulated yeasts of the genus Cryptococcus, mostly C. neoformans or C. gattii. Cryptococcal meningitis is the most frequent clinical manifestation in humans. Neutralizing autoantibodies (auto-Abs) against granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) have recently been discovered in otherwise healthy adult patients with cryptococcal meningitis, mostly caused by C. gattii. We hypothesized that three Colombian patients with cryptococcal meningitis caused by C. neoformans in two of them, would carry high plasma levels of neutralizing auto-Abs against GM-CSF.
Methods
. We reviewed medical and laboratory records, performed immunological evaluations, and tested for anti-cytokine auto-Abs three previously healthy HIV-negative healthy adults with disseminated cryptococcosis.
Results.
Peripheral blood leukocyte subset levels and serum immunoglobulin concentrations were within the normal range. We detected high levels of neutralizing auto-Abs against GM-CSF in the serum of all three patients.
Conclusions.
We report three Colombian patients with disseminated cryptococcosis associated with neutralizing auto-Abs against GM-CSF. This is, to our knowledge, the first report describing Colombian patients with such auto-Abs and disseminated cryptococcosis. Further studies should evaluate the genetic contribution to anti-GM-CSF autoantibody production and the role of the GM-CSF signaling pathway in the immune response to Cryptococcus spp.
Mediating Effect of BMI on the Relation of dietary patterns and glycemic control in T2DM: Results From China Community-based Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Wang Saiyi , Wen Jinbo , Miao Dandan , Sun Zhongming , Li Dianjiang , Pan Enchun
Published: August 2022

Objective
We aimed to analyze the effects of different dietary types on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and determine the mediating effects of Body Mass Index (BMI) on dietary type with Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG), Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HaB1c) on the associations in T2DM.
Methods
A community-based study with 9602 participants including 3623 men and 5979 women was performed. The data collected from the project “Comprehensive Research in prevention and Control of Diabetes mellitus (CRPCD)”, which conducted by Jiangsu Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2018. The dietary patterns were measured using Latent Class Analysis (LCA). Then, Logistics regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations of FPG, HaB1c with different dietary patterns. The BMI was used as a moderator to estimate the mediating effect .
Results
After completing Latent Class Analysis (LCA), the dietary patterns were divided into three categories: Type I, Type II, Type III. Type III-Balanecd diet were all significantly associated with HaB1c compared to those with Type I-Single diet (P < 0.05),And the research showed the patients with Type III had High glycemic control rate, the mediating effect analysis was performed to demonstrate that BMI was used as a moderator to estimate the moderation effect.
Conclusions
Our findings demonstrate that consuming Type III associates with glycemic control in T2DM and the BMI associations would be play a mediating effect between diet and FPG in Chinese population with T2DM.
WITHDRAWN: Isolation and characterization of vB_SenS_Ib_psk2 bacteriophage against drug resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky
Authors: Inbaraj Sophia , Agrawal Ravi Kant , Thomas Prasad , Chaudhuri Pallab , Verma Abhishek , Chaturvedi V.K
Published: August 2022

Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky is one of the food-borne zoonotic pathogens known for multidrug resistance. The current study was aimed at isolating and characterization of bacteriophages against the pathogen. The bacteriophage against S. enterica serovar Kentucky was isolated and was named vB_SenS_Ib_psk2, representing the virus family, place, source, and host. Electron microscopy revealed that the phage possesses an isometric nonenveloped head and a noncontractile tail, indicative of the Siphoviridae family. Molecular detection of the major capsid protein E gene yielded 511 bp and NCBI blast analysis revealed that the phage belonged to the genus chivirus. Temperature and pH were found to be optimal at 20 to 42° C and 6–10, respectively for phage survival and multiplication. A one-step growth curve experiment revealed a latent period of 20 min and a burst size of 253 phages/cell. 83% of MDR isolates of S. enterica were susceptible to vB_SenS_Ib_psk2. Studies in chicken skin revealed that an MOI of 106 is required for significant reduction of the bacteria.
Inflight calibration of the Optical Navigation Camera for the Extended Mission Phase of Hayabusa2
Authors: Yamada Manabu , Kouyama Toru , Yumoto Koki , Tatsumi Eri , Takaki Naofumi , Yokota Yasuhiro , Morota Tomokatsu , Sakatani Naoya , Hayakawa Masahiko , Matsuoka Moe , Honda Rie , Honda Chikatoshi , Kameda Shingo , Suzuki Hidehiko , Cho Yuichiro , Yoshioka Kazuo , Ogawa Kazunori , Shirai Kei , Sawada Hirotaka , Sugita Seiji
Published: August 2022

After delivering its sample capsule to Earth, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft started its extended mission to perform a flyby of asteroid 2001 CC21 in 2026 and rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031. During the extended mission, the optical navigation camera (ONC) of Hayabusa2 will play an important role in navigation and science observations, but it has suffered from optical deterioration after the spacecraft’s surface contact with and sampling of asteroid Ryugu. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the telescopic camera (ONC-T) has continued to decrease for more than a year, posing a serious problem for the extended mission. These are problems that could potentially be encountered by other sample-return missions involving surface contact. In this study, we evaluated the long-term variation of ONC performance over the 6.5 years following the launch in 2014 to predict how it will perform during observations of the two target asteroids in its extended mission (6 and 11 years from the Earth return, respectively). Our results showed several important long-term trends in ONC performance, such as transmission, dark noise level, and hot pixels. During the long cruising period of the extended mission, we plan to observe both zodiacal light and exoplanet transits as additional science targets. The accuracy of these observations is sensitive to background noise level and stray-light contamination, so we conducted new test observations to search for the lowest stray light, which has been found to depend on spacecraft attitude. The results of these analyses and new test observations suggest that the Hayabusa2 ONC will be able to conduct cruising, flyby, and rendezvous observations of asteroids with sufficient accuracy.
AlphaCluster: Coevolutionary driven residue-residue interaction models enable quantifiable clustering analysis of de novo variants to enhance predictions of pathogenicity
Authors: Obiajulu Joseph , Kuang Ranger , Zhong Guoije , Hagen Jake , Shu Chang , Chung Wendy , Shen Yufeng
Published: August 2022

Missense variants have highly variable effects and effect size, which often makes it challenging to distinguish pathogenic and non-pathogenic variants and subsequently implicate new genes for disease association in studies of de novo and inherited rare variants. Importantly, missense variants can be the sole molecular mechanism for some genetic disorders, and so statistical approaches tailored for the analysis of missense variants are critical. Analysis of the clustering of missense variants is a promising approach which leverages the fact that missense variants in protein domains often have similar effects on function. Here we describe a new clustering analysis approach, AlphaCluster, a statistical method which quantifiably analyzes the spatial clustering of de novo variants by mapping missense residues onto the protein tertiary structure. We show that our approach can quantify the evidence supporting pathogenic missense variants and increase the power to detect clustering when compared to available genomic clustering tools. Using AlphaCluster, we identified genes newly implicated in autism spectrum disorder and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). We also apply AlphaCluster to protein complexes and detect an association between the gamma aminobutyric acid receptor complex (GABA-A 𝛼1𝛽2𝛾2 receptor).
An artificial intelligence system for predicting body weight from chest radiographs
Authors: Ichikawa Shota , Itadani Hideki , Sugimori Hiroyuki
Published: August 2022

Background In the field of diagnostic radiology, radiation dose management, determination of the contrast-medium dose, or estimation of the specific absorption rate level require patients’ body weight. However, accurate body weight is not necessarily available in routine clinical practice. In this study, we investigated whether body weight can be predicted from chest radiographs using deep learning. Methods Our Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study, and a total of 85,849 chest radiographs obtained for medical checkups between July 2019 and July 2021 were included. A two-stage hierarchical approach composed of a sex-classification model and body-weight prediction model was used. The deep-learning models were trained with chest radiographs from 68,679 training cases and 8585 validation cases, and the remaining 8585 cases were used as test data. The sex-classification model was evaluated for accuracy. The body-weight prediction model was evaluated by calculating the mean absolute error (MAE) and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (ρ). Results The overall accuracy of the sex-classification model was 0.992. The MAEs of the body-weight prediction model were 2.62 kg and 3.34 kg for females and males, respectively. The predicted body weight was significantly correlated with the actual body weight (ρ = 0.917, p < 0.001 for females; ρ = 0.914, p < 0.001 for males). Conclusion Body weight was predicted from chest radiographs by applying deep learning. Our method is potentially useful for radiation dose management, determination of the contrast-medium dose, or estimation of the specific absorption rate level in patients with unknown body weights.
When does secondary bacteremia occur in COVID-19 patients?; A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Yogo Aoi , Tochitani Kentaro , Yamamoto Shungo
Published: August 2022

Background: There have been few reports on secondary bacteremia in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. We aimed to analyze the onset time of secondary bacteremia after the onset of illness and hospital admission and determine the proportion of secondary bacteremia on blood cultures drawn from patients with COVID-19. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who took blood culture tests between January 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021 at Kyoto City Hospital, Japan. Results: Of 507 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, blood culture tests were performed in 169. Eleven of them had secondary bacteremia, and 158 had a negative blood culture test. The onset time with the highest proportion of secondary bacteremia in blood cultures drawn from the day of symptom onset and hospitalization was from 11th-15th day (12.8%) and 6th-10th day (18.2%), respectively. The median time in which patients were diagnosed with secondary bacteremia from the onset of COVID-19 symptoms and hospital admission was 12.5 [interquartile range (IQR) 12-19.5] days and 6 (IQR 5-9) days, respectively. Conclusions: The timing from symptom onset and hospital admission may be a valuable indicator for making a clinical decision of taking blood cultures in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
High-order analytical solutions of bounded relative motions for Coulomb formation flying
Authors: Lin Mingpei , Zhang Jinxiu , Xu Ming , Pan Xiao
Published: August 2022

Close-proximity Coulomb formation flying offers attractive prospects in multiple astronautical missions. An analytical method of constructing the series solution up to an arbitrary order for the relative motion near the equi-librium of Coulomb formation systems is proposed to facilitate the design of Coulomb formations based on a Lindstedt-Poincaré method. The details of the series expansion and coeﬀicient solution for Lissajous orbits and arbitrary m : n-period orbits are discussed. To verify the effectiveness of the Lindstedt-Poincaré method in constructing series solutions, the practical convergence domain of series solutions for various bounded orbits is computed by com-parison with the corresponding exact numerical solutions. Given the accuracy requirements of practical formation missions, the configuration design for the Coulomb formation can be carried out conveniently and quickly by employing the proposed series solutions.
From the perspective of genomics and metabolomics, revealing the effects of feeding methods on Jersey cattle on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Yuan Niuniu , Wang Yicui , Pan Qihao , Zhao Li , Qi Xiao , Sun Shihao , Suolang quji , Ciren luobu , danzeng luosang , Liu Yanxin , Zhang Liyang , Gao Tengyun , Basang zhuzha , lian hongxia , sun yu
Published: August 2022

Background:Grazing and house feeding methods have been studied on yak, but there is no relevant research on grazing and indoor feeding of Jersey cattle on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Results:In this study, the differences in metabolites in the serum and rumen of Tibet Plateau Jersey cattle in total mixed ration house feeding and grazing supplementary feeding were assessed. The rumen fermentation parameters, bacterial community, serum antioxidant indices, immune indices and metabolites of total mixed rations house-feeding Jersey cattle (Group B, n =6) and grazing supplementary-feeding Jersey cattle (Group G, n =6) were evaluated. The rumen fermentation parameters results showed that the acetic acid and propionic acid concentrations and the ammonia nitrogen concentration in Group B were significantly higher than those in Group G (P < 0.05). The rumen bacterial community 16S rDNA gene results showed that The Chao1 index was significantly higher in Group G than in Group B (P < 0.05), and the observed_species, Shannon and Simpson indices were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). The distance between the two groups by principal component analysis was not significant, and adnoism analysis showed that there was no significant difference in rumen flora between Group G and Group B (R=0.55, P=0.08). Antioxidant and immune indices analysis of serum results showed that there was no significant difference in total antioxidant capacity between Group G and Group B (P > 0.05), while IL-6, Ig-M and TNF-α were significantly higher in Group G than in Group B (P < 0.05). LC‒MS metabolomics analysis of serum results showed that, A total of 149 major serum differential metabolites were identified between Group G and Group B. The differential metabolites were mainly enriched in the metabolic pathways of biosynthesis of amino acids, protein digestion and absorption, ABC transporters, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, mineral absorption and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and other metabolic pathways.Conclusions: The results of this study revealed the differences in rumen fermentation and serum metabolism of Jersey cattle under different feeding methods, providing a theoretical basis for the scientific feeding of Tibetan Plateau Jersey cattle.
Non-invasive biomechanical assessment of the prolapsed vaginal wall – an explorative pilot study on cutometry and indentometry
Authors: Latul Yani P. , Kastelein Arnoud W. , de Graaf Boris C. , Guler Zeliha , Roovers Jan-Paul W.R.
Published: August 2022

Objective: Evaluation of cutometry and indentometry for non-invasive biomechanical assessment of the vaginal wall in women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP).Methods: Both techniques were applied on the vaginal wall of 20 women indicated for surgical correction of POP stage 2 or higher. The primary outcome was the success rate. Measurements were considered successful if biomechanical parameters were generated after a maximum of 3 attempts. Secondary outcomes included acquisition time, number of attempts to obtain a successful measurement, and correlations between biomechanical parameters and patient characteristics.Results: Measurements were successfully performed on the vaginal wall of 12 women with anterior and 8 women with posterior compartment POP. The success rate was 100% for both techniques and acquisition time was under 1 minute for all 20 measurements. Fast elasticity of the posterior vaginal wall was significantly higher than of the anterior vaginal wall and negatively correlated with age (r = -0.57, p<0.05).Conclusions: In women with POP, measuring the biomechanical properties of the vaginal wall using cutometry and indentometry is technically feasible. Objective evaluation of biomechanical properties may help to understand the pathophysiology behind surgical outcomes, providing an opportunity for identification of patients at risk for (recurrent) prolapse, and individualized treatment decisions.
Hospital Admission and Hospital Course Predictors of Severity of Post-covid-19 Condition
Authors: TRAN KAREN C. , LEE TERRY , LEVIN ADEERA , RYERSON CHRISTOPHER J. , WONG ALYSON , SWEET DAVID , WALLEY KEITH R. , BOYD JOHN H. , SINGER JOEL , KOELWYN GRAEME J. , Sc PUNEET MANN M , Sc KATHRYN DONOHOE B , Russell James
Published: August 2022

BACKGROUND:Prediction of severity of Post-COVID-19 condition is not clear. We determined whether hospital course variables correlated with objective and subjective outcomes 3- and 6-months post-COVID-19 onset.METHODS:Adults admitted to hospital with acute COVID-19 were recruited (Feb 15, 2020-April 1, 2021) from two tertiary hospitals in Vancouver, Canada. We recorded baseline characteristics, COVID severity score, organ function, ICU and hospital length of stay. Survivors were evaluated at 3- and 6-months post- COVID-19 onset: subjective: University of California San Diego Shortness of Breath Score, EuroQol 5D Visual Analogue Scale, Frailty Index; Objective: functional capacity (6-minute walk test), pulmonary (pulmonary function tests), cardiac (echocardiography, BNP), renal (creatinine), hepatic (AST, ALT, bilirubin), and coagulation (aPTT, INR, D-dimers, fibrinogen).RESULTS:In 133 post-COVID-19 patients (age 62 ± 14 years, 65% male with frequent comorbidities [hypertension (42%), diabetes (29%), chronic cardiac (22%)), 42% were admitted to Intensive Care Unit: 23%, 23% and 2% required ventilation, vasopressors or renal support, respectively. One-third had restrictive lung function (<80% predicted FVC %, TLC%, or DLCO%) at 3 months. Novel findings were correlations of (1) acute hepatic dysfunction with restrictive lung function at 3 months post COVID-19 onset; (2) more severe acute COVID-19 with later pro-thrombotic phenotype and (3) greater acute organ dysfunction with later objective organ dysfunction at 3- and 6-months. No hospital course variables were associated with subjective outcomes at 3- and 6-months.CONCLUSIONS:Early organ dysfunction predicts later objective pathology especially restrictive lung disease and a pro-coagulant state. These hypothesis-generating findings require further validation in additional patients.
A Secure and Dependable Trust Assessment (SDTS) Scheme for Industrial Communication Networks: Analytical Approach
Authors: Khan Tayyab , Singh Karan , Ahmad Khaleel , Ahmad Khairol Amali Bin
Published: August 2022

Due to tamper-resistant sensor nodes and wireless media, Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are susceptible to various security threats that severely affect industrial/business applications. The survival of sensor networks is highly dependent on the flourishing collaboration of sensor nodes (SNs). Trust management schemes seem to be realistic and promising techniques to improve security as well as cooperation (dependability) among SNs by estimating the trust level (score) of individual sensor nodes. This research paper presents a well-organized and motivating secure, dependable trust assessment (SDTS) scheme for industrial WSNs to cope with unexpected behavior such as an on-off attack, bad-mouthing attack, garnished attack, etc., by employing robust trust evaluation components based on success ratio and node misbehaviour. SDTS incorporates an interesting trust evaluation function in which the trust range can be adjusted in accordance with the application requirement. SDTS include direct communication trust, indirect communication trust, data trust, and misbehavior-based trust to defend the multiple internal attacks. SDTS works according to the behavior of nodes, i.e., whether the sensor nodes are interacting frequently or not. Moreover, abnormal attenuation and dynamic slide lengths are incorporated in the proposed model (SDTS) to deal with various natural calamities and internal attacks. Investigational results exhibit the potency of the proposed scheme.
Targeting glutamine metabolism in hepatic stellate cells alleviates liver fibrosis
Authors: Yin Xiaochun , Peng Jin , Gu Lihong , liu Yan , Li Xihan , Wu Jinhui , Xu Bing , Zhuge Yuzheng , Zhang Feng
Published: August 2022

Glutamine metabolism plays an essential role in cell growth. Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is a key enzyme in glutamine metabolism, promoting the metabolism of glutamate and glutamine and generating ATP, the level of which is profoundly increased in multiple human cancers. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, we verified that the small-molecule GDH inhibitor EGCG slows the progression of fibrosis by inhibiting GDH enzyme activity and glutamine metabolism. SIRT4 is a mitochondrial enzyme that with NAD promotes ADP-ribosylation and downregulates GDH activity. The role played by SIRT4 in liver fibrosis and the related mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we measured the expression of SIRT4 and found that it was downregulated in liver fibrosis. Modest overexpression of SIRT4 protected the liver from fibrosis by inhibiting the transformation of glutamate to 2-ketoglutaric acid (α-KG) in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycle, thereby reducing the proliferative activity of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and alleviating the development of liver fibrosis. Collectively, our study reveals that SIRT4 controls GDH enzyme activity and expression, regulating glutamine metabolism to activate HSCs growth.
Avian paramyxovirus serotype-1 isolation from migratory birds and environmental water in southern Japan: an epidemiological survey during the 2018/19–2021/2022 winter seasons
Authors: Matsunaga Nonoka , Ijiri Moe , Ishikawa Kemi , Ozawa Makoto , Okuya Kosuke , Khalil Ahmed Magdy , Kojima Isshu , Esaki Mana , Masatani Tatsunori , Matsui Tsutomu , Fujimoto Yoshikazu
Published: August 2022

An epidemiological survey of avian paramyxovirus serotype-1 (APMV-1) was conducted in the Izumi plain, Kagoshima, Japan from the winter of 2018–2022. A total of 15 APMV-1 were isolated from roosting water of migratory birds and duck fecal samples. The APMV-1 isolation rate from the water and duck feces were 2.51% and 0.10%, respectively, demonstrating that the viral recovery efficiency from the water was 25-fold higher than that from duck feces. Genetic analysis of the Fusion (F) gene showed that all of the APMV-1 isolates were closely related to virus strains circulating among waterfowl in Far East Asian countries. All isolates have avirulent motifs in their cleavage site of F genes, indicated that all of which were presumed to be low pathogenic viruses in poultry. However, pathogenicity test using embryonated chicken eggs demonstrated that some isolates killed all chicken embryos regardless of viral inoculated doses (102-106 50% egg infectious dose). These results indicated that these APMV-1 viruses which are potentially pathogenic to chickens are continuously brought into the Izumi plain by migrating of wild birds.
Congenital Pleuropulmonary Blastoma in a Newborn with a Variant of Uncertain Significance in DICER1 Evaluated by RNA-sequencing
Authors: Lyle Allison N. J. , Ohlsen Timothy J. D. , Miller Danny E. , Brown Gabrielle , Waligorski Natalie , Stark Rebecca , Taylor Mallory R. , Puia-Dumitrescu Mihai
Published: August 2022

BackgroundPleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare mesenchymal malignancy of the lung and is the most common pulmonary malignancy in infants and children. PPB is often mistaken for a congenital pulmonary airway malformation, as the two entities can be difficult to distinguish on imaging and pathology. Diagnosis of PPB should prompt workup for DICER1 syndrome, an autosomal dominant tumor predisposition syndrome. We report a newborn with a congenital PPB presenting with tachypnea and hypoxia, who was found to have variant of uncertain clinical significance (VUS) in DICER1.Case presentationA term female infant developed respiratory distress shortly after birth. Initial imaging was concerning for a congenital pulmonary airway malformation versus congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and she was transferred to a quaternary neonatal intensive care unit for management and workup. Chest CT angiography demonstrated a macrocytic multicystic lesion within the right lower lobe without systemic arterial supply. The pediatric surgery team was consulted, and the neonate underwent right lower lobectomy. Pathology revealed a type I PPB. Oncology and genetics consultants recommended observation without chemotherapy and single gene sequencing of DICER1, which identified a germline VUS in DICER1 predicted to alter splicing. RNA-sequencing from blood demonstrated that the variant resulted in an in-frame deletion of 29 amino acids in a minority of transcripts. Due to the patient’s young age at presentation and high clinical suspicion for DICER1 syndrome, tumor surveillance was initiated. Renal and pelvic ultrasonography were unremarkable. ConclusionWe present the case of a term neonate with respiratory distress and cystic lung mass, found to have a type I PPB with a germline VUS in DICER1 that likely increased her risk of DICER1-related tumors. Nearly 70% of patients with PPB demonstrate germline mutations in DICER1. Penetrance is low, and many patients with pathogenic DICER1 variants do not develop a malignancy. Best practice surgical and oncologic recommendations include an individualized approach and tumor board discussion. This case highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach and the utility of international registries for patients with rare diagnoses.
A prognostic model for bladder cancer based on cytoskeleton-related genes
Authors: Peng Chunting , Guo Sufan , Yang Zheng , Li Xiaohong , Su Qisheng , Mo Wuning
Published: August 2022

A typical cancerous growth in the urinary tract, bladder cancer (BLCA) has a dismal survival rate and a poor chance of being cured. The main cause of tumor death is tumor metastasis, cell migration is crucial in tumor metastasis, and cell-directed movement requires the involvement of the cytoskeleton, so it is said that the cytoskeleton is tightly related to tumor invasion and metastasis. Nevertheless, the expression of genes associated with the cytoskeleton and their prognostic significance in BLCA remain unknown. Differential expression of 546 genes involved in the cytoskeleton was analyzed in BLCA versus normal bladder tissues. According to the outcomes of this analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), all BLCA cases doing NMF clustering analysis could be classified into two molecular subtypes and were subjected to survival analysis. Using the TCGA dataset to screen out genes with drastically differing expression levels, a cytoskeleton-associated gene prediction model for bladder cancer was constructed, and 11 genes were assigned risk formulae using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression approach. We divided all TCGA cohort patients with BLCA into low-risk groups and high-risk groups categories based on the average risk score in the middle, then analyzed survival data and ROC curves separately for each risk category. An external validation dataset (GSM340668) was used to verify the accuracy of the model. Columnar line plots were created to predict the prognostic outcome of bladder cancer cases. Significant enrichment pathways for cytoskeleton-associated genes in bladder cancer samples were explored by GSEA enrichment analysis. In addition, immune infiltration studies were conducted to help us better understand and observe the degree of bladder cancer immune cell infiltration. An independent prognostic analysis of risk score (RS) was done and proven to be a significant predictor of outcome for bladder cancer. Following this, we looked at the connection between risk score, clinical characteristics, and immune cells, and found that they are all interconnected. In conclusion, cytoskeleton-related genes have an important predictive value for bladder cancer, and the prognostic model we constructed may enable personalized treatment of bladder cancer.
The protective effects of methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide against pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Xu Qingjie , Zhu Wen , Tang Ming , Zhang Manka , Liu Yin , Li Zhouping , Rao Zhiguo , He Xiaoxu , Ma Runlin , Xue Xiaoyan
Published: August 2022

Background:In clinical studies, the combination of methylprednisolone (MP) and cyclophosphamide (CTX) has great benefits for patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), but the mechanism of improving PF is not clear.Methods:PF rat models were induced by bleomycin and treated with MP or MP/CTX combination. Transmission electron microscope, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson staining were used to measure the morphology of PF. ELISA kits were used to test inflammatory factor levels. MDA, SOD, GSH-PX levels were determined using commercial kits. α-SMA and collagen I levels were examined by western blot and immunohistochemistry. T cells were analyzed with flow cytometry.Results:We found that the combined use of MP and CTX can reduce collagen deposition, α-SMA and collagen I levels in bleomycin induced PF. Moreover, combined treatment with MP and CTX decreased the levels of MDA and inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1 β and IL-6), while increased the activities of SOD and GSH-PX. Further, MP and CTX combination changed T cell types in lung tissues, such as increasing CD4+CD25+Foxp3+cells.Conclusions:The combination of MP and CTX improved the degree of PF by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress and improving T cell immunity. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms by which MP and CTX combination affects PF.
Integrated transcriptome analysis reveals roles of long non- coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in caprine skeletal muscle mass and meat quality
Authors: Shen Jiyuan , Luo Yuzhu , Wang Jiqing , Hu Jiang , Liu Xiu , Li Shaobin , Hao Zhiyun , Li Mingna , Zhao Zhidong , Zhang Yuting , Yang Shutong , Wang Longbin , Gu Yuanhua
Published: August 2022

Background Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in growth and development of skeletal muscle. However, there was limited information in goats. In this study, expression profiles of lncRNAs inLongissimus dorsimuscle from Liaoning cashmere (LC) goats and Ziwuling black (ZB) goats with divergent meat yield and meat quality were compared using RNA-sequencing. Based on our previous microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs profiles obtained from the same tissues, the target genes and binding miRNAs of differentially expressed lncRNAs were obtained. Subsequently, lncRNA-mRNA interaction networks and a ceRNA network of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA were constructed. Results A total of 136 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified between the two breeds. 15cistarget genes and 143transtarget genes were found for differentially expressed lncRNAs, and they were enriched in muscle contraction, muscle system process, muscle cell differentiation, and p53 signaling pathway. A total of 69 lncRNA-transtarget gene pairs were constructed, with close relationship with muscle development, intramuscular fat deposition and meat tenderness. A total of 16 lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA pairs were identified, of which some reportedly associated with skeletal muscle development and fat deposition were found. Conclusion The study identified some crucial lncRNAs related to muscle development, intramuscular fat deposition and meat tenderness, which will provide an improved understanding of the roles of lncRNAs in caprine meat yield and meat quality.
Dznep, a histone modification inhibitor, inhibits HIF1α binding to TIMP2 gene, by reducing open chromatin area
Authors: Yamazaki Tomotaka , Mimura Imari , Miura Rika , Sato Dai , Kurata Yu , Tanaka Tetsuhiro , Nangaku Masaomi
Published: August 2022

IntroductionEpidemiological studies have shown that patients who recovered from acute kidney injury (AKI) may subsequently develop chronic kidney disease (CKD). AKI is primarily caused by renal hypoxia, and it causes epigenetic alterations, known as hypoxic memory. 3-Deazaneplanocin A (Dznep), an inhibitor of histone modification, suppresses renal fibrosis and the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP2), a profibrotic factor, in mouse ischemia–reperfusion models. The current study investigated the epigenetic regulation of TIMP2 in tubular cells.Methods and ResultsThe expression of TIMP2 was upregulated in human kidney 2 cells under hypoxic conditions and was suppressed by Dznep. ChIP-qPCR showed that Dznep reduced the expression of H3K4me3 at the promoter region of the TIMP2 gene under hypoxic condition. Formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements-qPCR of the TIMP2 gene showed that Dznep reduced open chromatin area. In addition, based on ChIP-qPCR of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1α), Dznep inhibited the binding of HIF1α to the TIMP2 gene under hypoxic conditions.ConclusionDznep suppresses the expression of TIMP2 under hypoxic conditions by altering the histone methylations of the TIMP2 gene, decreasing open chromatin area, and inhibiting the binding of HIF1α to the TIMP2 gene.
Antibody and T cell responses against wild-type and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 after the third dose of BNT162b2 in healthy adolescents
Authors: Lau Yu Lung , Mu Xiaofeng , Cohen Carolyn A , Leung Daniel , Duque Jaime S Rosa , Cheng Samuel MS , Chung Yuet , Wong Howard HW , Lee Amos MT , Li Wing Yan , Tam Issan , Lam Jennifer HY , Lee Derek HL , Chan Sau Man , Tsang Leo CH , Chan Karl CK , Li John KC , Luk Leo LH , Chaothai Sara , Kwan Kelvin KH , Chu Nym Coco , Mori Masashi , Jeevan Trushar , Kandeil Ahmed , TU WENWEI , Valkenburg Sophie , Peiris Malik
Published: August 2022

High effectiveness of the third dose of BNT162b2 in healthy adolescents against Omicron BA.1 has been reported, but immune responses conferring this protection are not yet elucidated. In this analysis, our study (NCT04800133) aims to evaluate the humoral and cellular responses against wild-type and Omicron (BA.1, BA.2 and/or BA.5) SARS-CoV-2 before and after a third dose of BNT162b2 in healthy adolescents. At 6 months after 2 doses, S IgG, S IgG Fc receptor-binding, S-RBD IgG and neutralizing antibody responses waned significantly, yet neutralizing antibodies remained detectable in all tested adolescents and S IgG avidity increased from 1 month after 2 doses. The antibody responses and S-specific IFN-γ+ and IL-2+ CD8+ T cell responses were significantly boosted in healthy adolescents after a homologous third dose of BNT162b2. Compared to adults, humoral responses for the third dose were non-inferior or superior in adolescents. The S-specific IFN-γ+ and IL-2+ CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in adolescents and adults were comparable. Interestingly, after 3 doses, adolescents had preserved S IgG, S IgG avidity, S IgG FcγRIIIa-binding, and PRNT50 against Omicron BA.2, as well as preserved cellular responses against BA.1 S. Sera from 100% and 96% of adolescents tested at 1 and 6 months after 2 doses could also neutralize BA.1. Based on PRNT50, we predict 92%, 89% and 68% effectiveness against COVID-19 with WT, BA.2 and BA.5 1 month after 3 doses. Our study found high antibody and T cell responses, including potent cross-variant reactivity, after 3 doses of BNT162b2 vaccine in adolescents in its current formulation, suggesting that current vaccines can be protective against symptomatic Omicron disease.
Profiling of N6-methyladenosine methylation in porcine longissimus dorsi muscle and unravelling the hub gene ADIPOQ promotes adipogenesis in an m6A-YTHDF1–dependent manner
Authors: Gong Huanfa , Gong Tao , Liu Youhua , Wang Yizhen , Wang Xinxia
Published: August 2022

BackgroundIntramuscular fat (IMF) content is critical indicator of pork quality, and abnormal IMF is also relevant to human disease as well as aging. Although N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification was recently found to regulate adipogenesis in porcine intramuscular fat, however, the understanding of underlying molecular mechanism was still limited. ResultsIn this work, we collected 20 longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) samples with high and low IMF content from a unique heterogenous swine population for m6A sequencing (m6A-seq). We discovered 70 genes show both differential RNA expression and m6A modification, including ADIPOQ and SFRP1, two hub genes inferred through gene co-expression analysis. Particularly, we observed ADIPOQ, contains 3 m6A modification sites within 3’ untranslated and protein coding region, could promote porcine intramuscular preadipocyte differentiation in an m6A-dependent manner. Furthermore, we found the YTH domain family protein 1 (YTHDF1) could target and promote ADIPOQ mRNA translation. ConclusionOur study provided a comprehensive profiling of m6A methylation in porcine LDM, and characterized the involvement of m6A epigenetic modification on ADIPOQ mRNA in regulation of IMF deposition through an m6A-YTHDF1-dependent manner.
Study the evaluation model of closed-loop DBS strategies based on the optimal stimulation level
Authors: Huan Chen , Dechun Zhao , Zixin Luo , Lihao Shen , Yang Shu , Ling Li
Published: August 2022

Closed-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS) is currently a research hotspot in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, but a variety of stimulation strategies will increase the selection time and cost in animal experiments and clinical studies. And there is no obvious difference in the stimulation effect between similar strategies, which makes the selection process more redundant. A comprehensive evaluation model based on the optimal level was proposed to select the best strategy in similar strategies. Two similar threshold stimulation strategies were used to demonstrate the screening process. Firstly, the Analytic Hierarchy Process was used to assign the weights of the three indexes of Similar to UPDRS Estimates, β power and energy consumption. Then the values of all indexes were calculated, and the stimulus threshold with the optimal improvement effect was selected according to Similar to UPDRS Estimates. Finally, combined with weights and indexes values, the comprehensive scores were calculated according to the comprehensive evaluation model under the optimal stimulus conditions. By comparing the scores, the optimal stimulus threshold of one strategy was 52%, while the other was 72%. And the stimulus effect of the strategy with the optimal stimulus threshold 72% was better than that of 52%. The results show that the evaluation model based on the optimal stimulus condition can get a unique conclusion, and meet the selection of the optimal strategy between two similar strategies.
Integrated perceptual decisions rely on parallel evidence accumulation
Authors: Rangelov Dragan , Fellrath Julia , Mattingley Jason
Published: August 2022

The ability to make accurate and timely decisions, such as judging when it is safe to cross the road, is the foundation of adaptive behaviour. While the computational and neural processes supporting simple decisions on isolated stimuli have been well characterised, in the real world decision-making often requires integration of discrete sensory events over time and space. When crossing the road, for example, the locations and speeds of several cars must be considered. It remains unclear how such integrative perceptual decisions are regulated computationally. Here we used psychophysics, electroencephalography and computational modelling to understand how the human brain combines visual motion signals across space. We directly tested competing predictions arising from influential serial and parallel accounts of visual processing. Using a biologically plausible model of motion filtering, we find evidence in favour of parallel integration as the fundamental computational mechanism regulating integrated perceptual decisions.
The correlation between preoperative serum thyroglobulin and pathological features of thyroid follicular carcinoma
Authors: Lin Yinghe , Wang Peiqing , Chen Zhijiang , Peng Rong , Lai Shuiqing , Li Jinlian , Kuang Jian , Wang Long
Published: August 2022

Purpose:To explore more meaningful information for making individualized medical decisions for patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), we investigated the correlations between pathological features of FTC and preoperative serum markers, including thyroglobulin (Tg), anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), and fT3/fT4 ratio.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 82 patients with FTC. Data collected included demographics (sex and age), pathological features (infiltration extent, tumor stage, presence of multifocal FTC, and presence of concomitant PTC), and preoperative serum markers (Tg, TgAb, TPOAb, TSH, fT3, fT4, and fT3/fT4 ratio). The correlations between preoperative serum markers and pathological features were analyzed.Results:72.0% patients were female. Mean age was 46.4±16.5 years. In univariate analysis, older age (≥55 years) was associated with non-minimally invasive (P=0.016), larger (>T2 category, P=0.006), and multifocal (P=0.034) FTC; elevated preoperative serum Tg level (≥500.00 ng/mL) was associated with non-minimally invasive (P=0.015) and larger (>T2 category, P=0.001) FTC; higher fT3/fT4 ratio (≥0.541) was associated with multifocal FTC (P=0.031). In multivariable analysis, Tg ≥500.00 ng/mL was an independent risk factor for non-minimally invasive FTC [P=0.015, OR=3.289 (1.260-8.583)] and for >T2 category FTC [P=0.001, OR=5.397 (1.963-14.840)]; older age [≥55 years, P=0.045, OR=4.756 (1.037-21.818)] and higher fT3\fT4 ratio [≥0.541, P=0.044, OR=4.626 (1.043-20.525)] was an independent risk factor multifocal FTC, respectively.Conclusions:Preoperative serum Tg was correlated with the local tumor extent and primary tumor diameter of FTC. Further research regarding the utility of preoperative serum Tg in FTC is still needed.
Active site recovery and N-N bond breakage during hydrazine oxidation boosting the electrochemical hydrogen production
Authors: Zhu Libo , Huang Jian , Meng Ge , Wu Tiantian , Chen Chang , Tian Han , Chen Yafeng , Kong Fantao , Chang Ziwei , Cui Xiangzhi , Shi Jianlin
Published: August 2022

Using hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) substituting for oxygen evolution reaction can realize hydrogen production at largely reduced energy consumption. While the HzOR mechanism and the electrochemical utilization rate of hydrazine are still ambiguous. Herein, a bimetallic phosphide heterostructure nanoarrays (Ni-Co-P/NF) fabricated by an interface engineering strategy was used to catalyze both HzOR and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and more intensively, probe the HzOR mechanism. The extra-high HzOR performance is attributed to the instantaneous recovery of metal phosphide active site by hydrazine and the extremely low energy barrier with even a new HzOR pathway of N-N bond breakage, which enables the electrolyzer catalyzed by Ni-Co-P/NF to reach 500 mA cm-2 for H2 production at as low as 0.498 V, and offers a high hydrazine electrochemical utilization rate of 93%. The constructed electrolyzer can be powered by the direct hydrazine fuel cell with Ni-Co-P/NF as anodic catalyst, achieving self-powered hydrogen production at the rate up to 19.6 mol h-1 m-2.
A greedy algorithm for assignment and transportation problems
Authors: Ngoie Ruffin-Benoît M. , Sakulu Jean-Aimé B. , Yamba Lebeau , Nsuadi Glodi , Bonkile Fabrice , Linguma Damos , Ulungu Berthold
Published: August 2022

The transportation and the assignment problems have both been frequently investigated in the field of operations research. For a couple of decades, it has been proven that no greedy algorithm can yield an optimal solution to these problems since their respective underlying structures are not matroids. It is shown in this paper that, even though seeking a greedy algorithm to solve one of the aforesaid problems is fanciful, a heuristic method capable of providing good approximations to the optimal solution can be found. The so-called “hybrid greedy algorithm” is a hybridization of the Balas-Hammer and the Hungarian methods. It can be used to solve both the transportation and the assignment problems. It often provides an optimal solution to small assignment problems and it outperforms the Balas-Hammer (Vogel’s approximation method) and other heuristic methods for solving the transportation problem.JEL Classification: C02 , C61 , C63 MSC Classification: 00A72 , 03D15 , 68Q25 , 68U20 , 68W40 , 90C27