bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Straw Return and Feed Addition on the Environment and Nitrogen use Efficiency in the Rice–Crayfish System
Authors: Yuan Pengli , Ni Mingli , Cao Cougui , Jiang Ligeng , Iqbal Anas , Wang Jinping
Published: December 2021

Purpose Understanding the direction of nitrogen flow in the rice-crayfish system (RC) and optimizing the rate of nitrogen fertilizer application (ORN) are of great significance for sustainable development of RC. Methods To this end, a field experiment involving straw and feed treatment was conducted to delineate the flow of the nitrogen present in the straw (straw-N) and feed (feed-N). Second, under different feed and straw treatments, we carried out a mesocosm experiment with different rates of 15N-labeled nitrogen fertilizer application to explore the optimal rate under the effects of feed-N and straw-N supply.Results The results showed that at 75 kg N ha-1(75N), 14% and 1.86% of feed-N and 4.3% and 8.78% of straw-N is absorbed by crayfish and rice, respectively. The percentage of feed-N and straw-N lost to the environment was the lowest at 75N, i.e., 84.48% and 86.92%, respectively. Using straw return to the field and feeding as the basic management measures for RC, we observed that the rice yield was the highest under 75N, and the highest nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) was 25%, and the highest the percentage of soil storing nitrogen by the fertilizer-derived was 34% (lost to the environment, at least 41%).Conclusions ORN could help in the effective utilization of feed-N and straw-N via a compensation effect, promote the absorption and transport of nitrogen, and ultimately lead to an improvement in NUE in RC.
The Relationship Between Shape Perception Accuracy and Drawing Ability.
Authors: Robles Kelly , Bies Alex , Lazarides Stefanos , Sereno Margaret
Published: December 2021

Accurate shape perception is critical for object perception, identification, manipulation, and recreation. Humans are capable of making judgements of both objective (physical) and projective (retinal) shape. Objective judgements benefit from a global approach by incorporating context to overcome the effects of viewing angle on an object’s shape, whereas projective judgements benefit from a local approach to filter out contextual information. Realistic drawing skill requires projective judgements of 3D targets to accurately depict 3D shape on a 2D surface, thus benefiting from a local approach. The current study used a shape perception task that comprehensively tests the effects of context on shape perception, in conjunction with a drawing task and several measures of local processing bias, to show that the perceptual basis of drawing skill in neurotypical adults is not due to a local processing bias but to perceptual flexibility, the ability to process local or global information as needed.
Antlion Algorithm Based on Immune Cloning and Its Truss Optimization
Authors: Li Liyancang , Wu Wuyue Yue
Published: December 2021

Antlion optimization algorithm has good search and development capabilities, but the influence weight of elite ant lions is reduced in the later stage of optimization, which leads to slower algorithm convergence and easy to fall into local optimization. For this purpose, an antlion optimization algorithm based on immune cloning was proposed. In the early stage, the reverse learning strategy was used to initialize the ant population. The Cauchy mutation operator was added to the elite antlion update to improve the later development ability of the algorithm; finally, the antlion was cloned and mutated with the immune clone selection algorithm to change the position and fitness value of the antlion, and further improve the algorithm's global optimization ability and convergence accuracy. 10 test functions and a 0~1 backpack were used to evaluate the optimization ability of the algorithm and applied to the size and layout optimization problems of the truss structure. The optimization effect was found to be good through the force effect diagram. It is verified that ICALO is applied to combinatorial optimization problems with faster convergence speed and higher accuracy. It provides a new method for structural optimization.This article is submitted as original content. The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
College Students’ Interest in Programming
Authors: Senior Isaac Ampofo Atta , Junior Isaac Ampofo Atta
Published: December 2021

In today’s world, tertiary institutions provide Computer Science and Information Technology courses to students for them to have the opportunity to improve the thinking computational skills they will need to function in today's computation-dependent society. Moreover, pupils who think they can finish programming tasks successfully are likely more to become interested. Additionally, effective approaches to impart computer programming frequently rise pupils' interest in programming. As a result, the study sought to examine college students’ interest in programming. The research design for the study was a survey method. The study’s population comprise of Computer Science and Information Technology students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. The sample size was 368 where we used a systematic sampling technique to select participants for the study. The study shows that majority of college students have interest in programming. The results revealed that the total number of males who have interest in programming are greater than females and that the total number of males who study programming far outweigh the total number of females. It is recommended that females should be encouraged to study programming at the various institutions that provide programming courses to students.
The Association Between Ventilatory Ratio and Mortality of Adult Patients with ARDS: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Jiang Lianlian , Chang Wei , Yuan Xueyan , Sun Qin , Hu Zihan , Xie Jianfeng , Yang Yi
Published: December 2021

Background: Ventilatory ratio is a simple bedside index of impaired efficiency of ventilation and correlates well with physiological dead space fraction in patients with ARDS. So it was regarded as a dead-space marker associated with mortality in mechanically ventilated adults with ARDS. However, the association between VR and outcome of patients with ARDS remains largely unknown. Methods: We searched articles in three electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. All the English publications up to 1 st Oct. 2021 will be searched without any restriction of countries. All the observational study that investigated the association between ventilatory ratio and the mortality of ARDS patients were identified in this meta-analysis. The main outcome was mortality. Summary estimates of effect using odds ratio (OR) for dichotomous outcomes with accompanying 95% confidence interval (CI) were expressed. Results: A total of 9 trials enrolling 5638 patients were finally included in this meta-analysis. The results revealed that the use of ventilatory ratio could be significantly related to the mortality in adult ARDS (OR=1.27; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.47; P=0.001). Ventilatory ratio may have the capability of predicting the mortality of NON- COVID-related patients (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.73 P = 0.003) while it has no predictable significance in patients with COVID (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.48 P = 0.16). Importantly, the dynamic changes of VR adds more predictable value (OR 1.21 vs 1.19). Conclusion: Our study suggests that ventilatory ratio can be regarded as a valuable marker to predict the mortality of adult patients with ARDS. Compared to patients with COVID, ventilatory ratio is more predictable in patients with NON-COVID. What’s more, the dynamic changes of VR may have the potential to improve the prognostic value.
The Relationship Between Systemic Immune Inflammation Index and Treatment Response in Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: Results from The Turkish Oncology Group Kidney Cancer Consortium Database
Authors: Yücel Kadriye Bir , Yekedüz Emre , Karakaya Serdar , Tural Deniz , Ertürk İsmail , Erol Cihan , Ercelep Özlem , Öztaş Nihan Şentürk , Arslan Çağatay , Uçar Gökhan , Küçükarda Ahmet , Sever Özlem Nuray , Kılıçkap Saadettin , Can Orçun , Yazgan Satı Coşkun , Öksüzoğlu Berna , Karadurmuş Nuri , Şendur Mehmet Ali , Ürün Yüksel
Published: December 2021

Aim: To investigate the prognostic value of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and its impact on survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).Methods: A total of 706 patients with mRCC treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) (i.e., sunitinib, pazopanib) were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were classified into either a high-SII group or a low-SII group based on the cut-off value of SII at 756, which was the median SII level of our study group. Results: The median age of patients was 60 (interquartile range (IQR):53-67) years. Three out of four patients were male. The majority of patients (85.7%) had clear cell histology, and sarcomatoid differentiation was observed in 16.9% of all patients. The rates of patients in favorable, intermediate, and poor “International mRCC Database Consortium (IMDC)” risk groups were 20.1%, 57.6%, and 22.2%, respectively. There were 311 and 310 patients in the SII-low and SII-high groups, respectively. At the median of 48.6 months follow-up, the median overall survival (OS) was 34.6 months and 14.5 months in the low- and high-SII groups, respectively (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, SII was an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio (HR):1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.05-1.85, p=0.01) and PFS (HR:1.60, 95% CI:1.24-2.05, p<0.001).Conclusion: Pre-treatment level of high SII might be considered as a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with mRCC treated with TKIs.
Comparison of Polysomnographic and Cephalometric Parameters Based on Positional and Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Dependency in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Jo Jung-Hwan , Kim Sung-Hun , Jang Ji-Hee , Park Ji-Woon , Chung Jin-Woo
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study is to investigate the differences in polysomnographic and cephalometric features according to positional and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep dependencies in obstructive sleep apnea patients. Standard polysomnography and cephalometric analyses were performed on 133 OSA patients. The subjects were categorized into positional and non-positional, and REM-related and not-REM-related OSA groups according to positional and REM sleep dependency on severity of sleep apnea. Polysomnographic and cephalometric parameters were compared between groups. Positional and REM-related OSA patients showed significantly lower non-supine apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), non-REM (NREM) AHI and overall AHI and higher NREM oxygen saturation (SpO2) and mean SpO2 compared to non-positional and not-REM-related OSA patients, respectively. Cephalometric features between positional and non-positional OSA patients did not show any significant differences. However, REM-related OSA patients showed significantly larger inferior oral airway space and shorter perpendicular distance between mandibular plane and anterior hyoid bone and the distance between uvula and posterior nasal spine, and narrower maximum width of soft palate than not-REM-related OSA patients. Positional and REM-related OSA patients have lower severity of sleep apnea, suggesting the possibility of lower collapsibility of the upper airway. Anatomical factors maybe more closely related to REM sleep than positional dependency.
Green Infrastructure Entities- A Study of Indian and International Cities
Authors: Shah Vishwa Munir , Suhane Shweta , Gajjar Devanshi
Published: December 2021

Cities are places for humans and countless other species. With increasing city limits, urbanization has meddled with the life of several organisms; creating an unhealthy balance. A green city is planned by scrutiny of the impact of development on the environment and mankind. This not only assures a better future but also connects people to nature. This paper highlights approaches towards the creation of liveable cities, segregated into three categories – Greens, Water, and Sustainability. Further divisions of these categories are done based on green infrastructure techniques prevalent across the globe today. The purpose is to refurbish the underdeveloped regions into smart cities through sustainable infrastructure; which will provide a good quality of life, better environmental impact, etc. The paper aims to analyze and compare case examples for each parameter through the medium of national (Indian) and international case studies. The comparison stresses the fact that India, as a developing nation, can implement these methods in its cities. The paper also deduces that there are cases where Indian cities can be an inspiration to the world. Degeneration of nature knows no political boundaries. Thus, every country has a legitimate stake in environmental practices and must pledge to create greener cities.
Evaluation of Candidate Reference Genes Stability for Gene Expression Analysis by Reverse Transcription QPCR in Clostridium Perfringens
Authors: Williams Michele , Ghanem Mostafa
Published: December 2021

Identification of stable reference genes for normalization purposes is necessary for obtaining reliable and accurate results of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analyses. To our knowledge, no reference gene(s) have been validated for this purpose in Clostridium perfringens. In this study, the expression profile of ten candidate reference genes from three strains of C. perfringens were assessed for stability under various experimental conditions using geNorm in qbase+. These stability rankings were then compared to stability assessments evaluated by BestKeeper, NormFinder, delta Ct, and RefFinder algorithms. When comparing all the analyses; gyrA, ftsZ, and recA were identified within the most stable genes under the different experimental conditions and were further tested as a set of reference genes for normalization of alpha toxin gene expression over a 22-hour period. Depending on the condition, rpoA and rho might also be suitable to include as part of the reference set. Although commonly used for the purpose of normalizing RT-qPCR data, the 16S rRNA gene (rrs) was found to be an unsuitable gene to be used as a reference. This work provides a framework for the selection of a suitable stable reference gene set for data normalization of C. perfringens gene expression.
Histometric and Histological Analysis of Bone to Screw Contact Between Metallic and Absorbable 2.0 Fixation System: A Pilot Study in Dogs
Authors: Sehn Felipe Perraro , Kato Rogério , de Oliveira Paulo , Trivellato Alexandre , Sverzut Cássio
Published: December 2021

ObjectiveTo evaluate the bone/screw interface of a titanium IF system and an absorbable IF system.Materials and methodsTwelve male adult dogs were subjected to osteotomy performed between the third and fourth mandibular premolars, been divided into two groups (control or experimental side). Two miniplates were applied to fix mandible fragments. Histometric values for bone-to-screw contact (BSC), bone-to-screw distance (BSD) and histological findings were evaluated at 2 and 18 weeks.ResultsDifference in BSC were detected from absorbable and metallic monocortical group on the experimental side at 2 weeks (p = 0.0041). Larger BSDs were detected at buccal bicortical absorbable experimental sides (p = 0.0041), with larger distances detected from the vestibular side to the lingual cortical side (p < 0.0001) and on the control side at 18 weeks (p = 0.0143), having metallic group significant BSD results on the experimental side at 2 weeks (p = 0.047). Connective tissue was noted on vestibular cortical side in monocortical and bicortical absorbable screw groups. ConclusionsAbsorbable bicortical screws with splint had histometric and histological behaviors similar to metallic bicortical group at lingual cortical side.Clinical Relevance﻿Inion absorbable bicortical screws did not promote connective tissue formation at lingual cortical side.
Enhanced Corticospinal Excitability in the Tibialis Anterior During Static Stretching of the Soleus in Young Healthy Individuals
Authors: Budini Francesco , Monica Christova
Published: December 2021

Corticospinal excitability is known to be affected by afferent inflow arising from the proprioceptors during active or passive muscle movements. Also during static stretching (SS) afferent activity is enhanced, but its effect on corticospinal excitability received limited attention and has only been investigated as a single average value spread over the entire stretching period. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) the present study was conducted to explore the time course of corticospinal excitability during 30 seconds SS.Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) after TMS were recorded from soleus (SOL) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles in 14 participants during: a passive dynamic ankle dorsiflexion (DF), at six different time points during maximal individual SS (3, 6, 9, 18, 21 and 25 seconds into stretching), during a passive dynamic ankle plantar flexion (PF) and following SS.During passive DF, MEPs amplitude was greater than baseline in both TA and SOL (p=.001 and p=.005 respectively). During SS, MEPs amplitude was greater than baseline in TA (p=.006), but not in SOL. No differences between the investigated time points were found and no trend was detected throughout the stretching time. No effect in either muscle was observed during passive PF and after SS.These results could suggest that an increased activity of secondary afferents from SOL muscle spindles exert a corticomotor facilitation on TA. The muscle-unspecific response observed during passive DF could instead be attributed to an increased activation within the sensorimotor cortical areas as a result of the awareness of the foot passive displacements.
Importance of the Q/N-rich Segment for Protein Stability and Activity of Endogenous Mouse TDP-43
Authors: Sato Toshiya , Oda Kanako , Sakai Seiko , Kato Rika , Yamamori Saori , Itakura Makoto , Kodera Yoshio , Nishizawa Masatoyo , Sasaoka Toshikuni , Onodera Osamu , Yokoyama Minesuke
Published: December 2021

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43), a nuclear protein, plays an important role in the molecular pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). TDP-43 aggregation and translocation out of the nucleus are crucial factors in ALS. TDP-43 aggregation results from its resistance to degradation, to which the long-disordered C-terminal region (CTR) is thought to contribute. The CTR has two Gly, aromatic, and Ser-rich (GaroS) segments and an amyloidogenic core divided into a hydrophobic patch and a Gln/Asn (Q/N)-rich segment. Although TDP-43 lacking the CTR is known to be unstable, as observed in knock-in mice, it is unclear which of these segments contributes to the stability of TDP-43. Here, we generated 12 mouse lines lacking the various sub-regions of CTR by genome editing and compared the protein stability, activity, and subcellular localization of TDP-43. We demonstrated the functional diversity of the four segments of CTR, finding that the presence of Q/N-rich segment greatly restored the protein stability and activity of TDP-43. In addition, we found that the second GaroS deletion did not affect protein stability and mouse development.
Effects of a Furrow-Bed Seeding System on Stand Establishment, Soil Bacterial Diversity, and the Yield and Quality of Alfalfa Grown in Saline Soils
Authors: Sun Juanjuan , Zhao Jinmei , Yu Linqing , Z Tengwei , Wang Yuntao , Jin Ke
Published: December 2021

Purpose: To compare the performance of alfalfa crops and soil properties between a furrow-bed seeding system (FU) and a flat-bed seeding system (FL) in saline soil. Methods: Alfalfa seeds were sown in early fall, 2019, in saline sandy loam soil using FU and FL systems. The soil temperature, moisture, root-zone salinity, bacterial diversity, seedling emergence number in 2019 and soil nutrient contents, alfalfa production characteristics in 2020 were determined for plants in FU and FL treatments.Results: Compared with FL, FU resulted in increased soil moisture content and seedling emergence, and reduced relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Choroflexi in soil at the seedling stage, but it did not affect root-zone salinity. In April 2020, the soil salinity was lower, and the soil available phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, and soil organic matter contents were higher, in FU than in FL. Compared with FL, FU resulted in increased yield (by 37.5%), protein content (by 3.6%), and potassium concentration (by 33.2%,), and decreased ash content (by 7.7%) and sodium concentration (by 19.0%) in alfalfa plants. The increased yield was positively correlated with seedling emergence, soil available potassium, total nitrogen, and organic matter contents, and shoot potassium content; and negatively correlated with shoot sodium content. The relative abundance of Actinobacteria was negatively correlated with alfalfa ash, calcium, and sodium concentrations, and positively correlated with shoot potassium content. Overall, FU increased alfalfa quality and alleviated salt stress.Conclusions: Furrow-bed seeding in early fall can enhance the yield and quality of alfalfa cultivated in saline soils.
Does the seed disperser matter? The influence of dispersal type on survival of Araucaria angustifolia seeds
Authors: Squinzani Larissa Inês , Piana Pitágoras Augusto , Brocardo Carlos Rodrigo
Published: December 2021

Zoochoric dispersion is fundamental for the colonization of habitats by plants with large and heavy seeds such as the Paraná pine (Araucaria angustifolia). This is an endangered conifer from South America whose recruitment is heavily impacted by animals, but the way that different zoochoric dispersal modes and deposition sites can affect its successful establishment is not known yet. Thus, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of dispersal mode (accordingly to the seed disperser), distance from adult conspecifics, and disposition site on long-term recruitment success. The experimental design included two environments (forest and open field) and each of them received 30 micro-habitat sampling stations (simulating deposition sites: 10 under conspecific; 10 far from conspecifics, next to a landmark; and 10 far from conspecifics, without a landmark), and each microhabitat had three levels of dispersal type simulating animal treatment (intact buried seed; intact seed over the ground; partially preyed seed over the ground), each with five seeds, totaling 900 seeds. In the forest environment, an experiment was also conducted to verify the fate of seeds using the spool and line technique. The environment and the micro-habitat alone did not explain seed survival, although the dispersal type given by the animal disperser was significant for survival and the buried seeds were the only ones that survived until the last survey. With the spool and line seed experiment, we attested that most of the Paraná pine seeds were preyed after removal (81.5%), and only buried seeds survived, reinforcing the role of scatter-hoarding animals as important agents in the Paraná pine dispersal. This way, our results showed that Paraná pine seeds suffer a very high predation rate, and that only a few seeds escape from predators and recruiting (only 1.1% of the all seeds used in the two experiments), indicating that the survival of seeds is a critical step in the life cycle of this plant, highlighting the role of dispersal mode in recruiting success.
Thermal Insulation Materials in Architecture: A Comparative Test Study with Aerogel and Rock Wool
Authors: DANACI Hacer MUTLU , AKIN Neslihan
Published: December 2021

Thermal insulation has great potential to reduce energy consumption in buildings. This study aims to provide a general perspective by addressing the thermal insulation materials used throughout the history of the construction industry and to understand the current situation with developing technology.
The literature review was used as a method in the study. The insulation values of current thermal insulation products were investigated and compared. An energy loss and gain analysis were carried out on the Revit model to understand the difference between the widely used rock wool and a nanotechnology product, aerogel-added thermal insulation material. The results of the study show that thermal insulation materials produced with nanotechnology examined have lower thermal conductivity coefficients compared to other thermal insulation materials. According to the analysis carried out on the Revit model, the thermal insulation material with aerogel provides 8% savings in cooling loads compared to the use of rock wool.
Developing competitive and sustainable materials is of the utmost importance. The literature review suggests that new composite insulators can be produced by combining suitable materials.
Mining the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Phytophthora Infection for Factors Beyond the Known PR Genes
Authors: Simo Claude , Hofmann Kay
Published: December 2021

Oomycetes of the genus Phytophthora are devastating plant pathogens that affect many commercially important plants. Considerable efforts have been made to investigate the transcriptional response of individual plant species to phytophthora infection, often showing a concerted upregulation of pathogen-response (PR) gene families, which are also induced upon infection by fungi and other biotic and even non-biotic stressors. By integrating four transcriptomics datasets derived from three different plants (arabidopsis, soybean, cocoa), a core set of upregulated sequence clusters was derived, which represents a conserved multi-species response to phytophthora infections. We annotated more than 300 common induced gene clusters and subjected them to bioinformatical analysis. Besides the expected PR genes, several novel gene families without known links to biotic stress were found to be strongly induced in all tested datasets. Among the most prominent response genes are two families of putatively secreted peptides and a family of predicted mitochondrial complex-IV associated proteins. Interestingly, the latter sequences are related to the mammalian NDUFA4 family, which also contains members with constitutive and pathogen-induced expression. This recurrent functional diversification points toward an important role of complex IV regulation within the biotic defense response in multiple kingdoms.
Inhibition of AMPK/PFKFB3 Mediated Glycolysis Synergizes with Penfluridol to Suppress Gallbladder Cancer Growth
Authors: Hu Jiahao , Cao Jiasheng , Zhang Bin , Topatana Win , Juengpanich Sarun , Li Shijie , Chen Tian'en , Lu Ziyi , Cai Xiujun , Chen Mingyu
Published: December 2021

Background

Penfluridol (PF) is an FDA approved antipsychotic drug, which shows anticancer activity recently. However, the anticancer effects and underlying mechanisms of PF on gallbladder cancers (GBCs) is not well-established.
Methods

Herein, cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, and cell metastasis assays were used to investigate the anticancer activity of PF on GBCs. Glucose consumption and lactic production assays were used to detect the glycolysis alteration. Western blotting was used to detect the corresponding signaling change after PF treatment. Nude mice were utilized to study the anticancer activity of PF in vivo.
Results

Here, we first observed that PF significantly suppress GBC cells proliferation and metastasis. After PF treatment, the glucose consumption and lactic production of GBCs were significantly increased. In addition, we found that inhibition of glycolysis enhanced the anticancer activity of PF. Further studies demonstrated that glycolysis was medicated by the activation of AMPK/PFKFB3 signaling pathway. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that AMPK/PFKFB3 signaling pathway mediated glycolysis was a resistant mechanism of PF in GBCs.
Conclusions

Inhibition of AMPK enhanced the anticancer effects of PF on GBCs. therefore, our studies provided a novel insight into repurposing PF as anticancer agent for GBCs, and AMPK inhibition in combination with PF could be a potential therapeutic approach for GBCs.
Cellular Genome-scale Metabolic Modeling Identifies New Potential Drug Targets Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Jamialahmadi Oveis , Salehabadi Ehsan , Hashemi-Najafabadi Sameereh , Motamedian Ehsan , Bagheri Fatemeh , Mancina Rosellina Margherita , Romeo Stefano
Published: December 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the third leading cause of cancer related mortality worldwide. Often this hepatic cancer is associated with fatty liver disease and insulin resistance with genetic predisposition are its major driver. Genome-scale metabolic modeling (GEM) is a promising approach to understand cancer metabolism and to identify new drug targets. Here, we used TRFBA-CORE, an algorithm generating a model using key growth-correlated reactions. Specifically, we generated a HepG2 cell-specific GEM by integrating this cell line transcriptomic data with a generic human metabolic model to predict potential drug targets for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 108 essential genes for growth were predicted by TRFBA-CORE. These genes were enriched for metabolic pathways involved in cholesterol, sterols and steroids biosynthesis. Furthermore, we silenced a predicted essential gene, 11-beta dehydrogenase hydroxysteroid type 2 (HSD11B2), in HepG2 cells resulting in a reduction in cell viability. To further identify novel potential drug targets in HCC, we examined the effect of 9 drugs targeting the essential genes, and observed that most drugs inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells. Interestingly, some of these drugs in this model performed better than Sorafenib, the first line therapeutic against HCC.
Microbial Differences Between Progressive and Stable Peri-Implantitis
Authors: Hashimoto Yuhei , Okada Shinsuke , Yasuda Keisuke , Kawagoe Maiko , Kajiya Mikihito , Tsuga Kazuhiro
Published: December 2021

Peri-implantitis has a polymicrobial etiology and is a major cause of dental implant loss. Various clinical protocols for its prevention and treatment have been proposed; however, some cases show a rapid progression with non-resolving clinical symptoms. To clear a means of differentiating between such cases, the implants with peri-implantitis in this study were categorized as the progressive group and the stable group and that two kinds of samples were obtained from the same subjects (n= 20). The microbiome was analyzed through pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The stable group was found to have a diverse bacterial flora when compared to the progressive group. Porphyomonas, Fusobacterium, Treponema, Tannerella, and other periodontal pathogens were abundant in the progressive group, while Lactobacillales and Bifidobacterium were abundant in the stable group. These findings suggest that the bacterial flora dominated by these periodontal pathogens caused disease progression, while the bacterial flora dominated by Lactobacillales and Bifidobacterium stabilized the disease. Thus, the disease progression and stability of peri-implantitis may be influenced by the bacterial flora of the peri-implant pocket.
Comprehensive Analysis of Prognostic Value and Immune Infiltration of ATⅡ-associated Genes in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Wen Xiaoxia , Xiao Yao , Leng Ping , Luo Huaichao
Published: December 2021

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. ATⅡ（alveolar type II cells, ATⅡ ）are a key structure of the distal lung epithelium and have a secretory function that is essential to maintain normal lung homeostasis. ATⅡ cells dedifferentiate into a cell stem-like state, which can continuous differentiation, proliferation, repair and damage, and helps initiate and maintain tumor progression. However, the potential mechanistic value of ATⅡ-associated genes as a clinical biomarker and therapeutic target of NSCLC has not been fully elucidated.Methods: We used the Gene Expression Profile Interaction Analysis (GEPIA) and Oncomine database to explore the expression of ATⅡ-associated genes (AQP4, SFTPB, SFTPC, SFTPD, CLDN18, FOXA2, NKX2-1 and PGC) in NSCLCpatients. Then we euse the Kaplan Meierplotter and the GEPIA website to evaluate the prognosis of survival impact of differential expression of these genes. Finally, we analyzed the correlation between eight ATⅡ-associated genes and infiltration of immune cells using the TIMER website.Results: The expression levels of AQP4, SFTPB, SFTPC, SFTPD, CLDN18, FOXA2, NKX2-1 and PGC were remarkably reduced in lung cancer tissues, and also observably related to clinical cancer stages. Low mRNA expression of AQP4, SFTPB, SFTPC, SFTPD, CLDN18, FOXA2, NKX2-1 and PGC were associated with short overall survival (OS) in NSCLS patients and the low expression of CLDN18, FOXA2, NKX2-1, PGC, SFTPB, SFTPC, SFTPD were significantly related to a reduced progression-free survival (FP), and low CLDN18, FOXA2 and SFTPD mRNA expression led to a short post-progression survival (PPS). Moreover, the functions of the differentially expressed eight ATⅡ-associated genes were primarily related to lung development, regulation of epithelial to mesenchymal transition, late endosome, antibacterial humoral response. Finally, the expression of AQP4, SFTPB, SFTPC, SFTPD, CLDN18, FOXA2, NKX2-1 and PGC in LUAD and LUSC patients were significantly correlated with the infiltration of diverse immune cells, including six types of CD4+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, B cells, CD8+ T cells, and dendritic cells.Conclusion: Our study provided strong evidence of the values of ATⅡ-associated genes (AQP4, SFTPB, SFTPC, SFTPD, CLDN18, FOXA2, NKX2-1 and PGC) as clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets in NSCLC and might provide some new inspirations to assist in the design of new immunotherapies.
One-Channel Simple Frontal Electroencephalography Detection of Tinnitus and Related Distress
Authors: Kanzaki Sho , MITSUKURA Yasue , MIMURA Masaru
Published: December 2021

Background: No simple objective test is available so far for diagnosing tinnitus. Thus, diagnosis is typically based on the patients’ medical history. Herein, we propose the usefulness of a simple one-channel electroencephalography (EEG) with a newly developed analysis technique to objectively detect tinnitus.Methods: We developed a portable EEG device to measure frontal Fp1 activities. The recorded data of 31 patients with chronic tinnitus and 29 healthy controls were analyzed with a support vector machine.Results: We identified tinnitus by analyzing the frequency obtained by frontal Fp EEG. We discovered that 9- and 13-Hz changes were critical for identifying tinnitus.Conclusions: One-channel Fp1 measurement reliably detected tinnitus (sensitivity, 72%; specificity, 96%). EEG measurement may also be related with tinnitus-related distress in patients. Further EEG studies are warranted to determine more accurately the pathophysiology of tinnitus.
Removal of the Cervical Spine Collar from Alpine Extrication and Evacuation Skiing Rescue Spinal Motion Restriction Protocols: A Biomechanical Controlled Study in Real-Life Mountain Conditions with a High-Fidelity Mannequin
Authors: Grenier Guillaume , Despatis Marc-Antoine , Lebel Karina , Hamel Mathieu , Martin Camille , Boissy Patrick
Published: December 2021

Background: Alpine skiing rescues are unique because of the mountainous environment and risks of cervical spine motion (CSM) induced during victims’ extrication (EX) and downhill evacuation (DE). Current pre-hospital guidelines recommend the application of full spinal immobilization using various orthotic devices such as cervical collars (CC) when mobilizing and transfer+ring a victim with a suspected spine injury. The biomechanical benefits of applying CC in terms of spinal motion restriction during simulated alpine rescue are undocumented. Methods: Observational design of CSM measurement on a high-fidelity simulation mannequin with a motion sensors-instrumented cervical spine during simulated alpine skiing EX and DE. A total of 32 EXs and 4 DEs on different slope conditions were performed by six experienced active ski patrollers at a Canadian ski resort. The primary outcome was the 3D excursion vector (PeakΔθ) of the mannequin’s head. The secondary objectives were the time to extrication completion (tEX) depending on CC use and to identify which EX event is more likely to induce CSM. Results: PeakΔθ recorded during flat terrain EX using CC was 11.71° +/- 3.61° compared to 16.00° +/- 7.93° using MILS, and 18.29° +/- 9.78° for CC versus 17.90° +/- 4.16° using MILS on a steep slope. PeakΔθ with CC or using MILS during EXs were equivalent according to a 10 degrees non-inferiority hypothesis testing. Time to extrication completion (tEX) was significantly higher using CC as opposed to MILS for both flat and steep terrain conditions (100.6s vs. 219.2s and 106.2s vs. 268.8s longer respectively, 95% confidence interval). During DEs, CSM with and without CC across all terrain conditions were negligible (<5°). Task analysis during EX showed that when CC is used, its installation induces the highest CSM. When EXs are done using MILS without CC, the logroll initiation is the manipulation inducing the highest risk of CSM. Conclusion: For experienced ski patrollers, the biomechanical benefits of motion restriction provided by CC over MILS during alpine skiing rescues were found to be at best marginal and CC use negatively affected rescue time. Systematic use of CC during alpine rescue should be reconsidered.
Superconductivity coexisting with ferromagnetism in a quasi-one dimensional non-centrosymmetric (TaSe4)3I
Authors: Pal Atindra , Bera Arnab , Gayen Sirshendu , Mondal Suchanda , Pal Riju , Pal Buddhadeb , Vasdev Aastha , Howlader Sandeep , Jana Manish , Maiti Tanmay , Saha Rafikul , Das Biswajit , Satpati Biswarup , Mandal Prabhat , Sheet Goutam , Mondal Mintu
Published: December 2021

Low-dimensional materials with broken inversion symmetry and strong spin-orbit coupling can give rise to fascinating quantum phases and phase transitions. Here we report coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism below 2.5 K in the quasione dimensional crystals of non-centrosymmetric (TaSe4)3I (space group: P¯421c). The unique phase is a direct consequence of inversion symmetry breaking as the same material also stabilizes in a centro-symmetric structure (space group: P4/mnc) where it behaves like a non-magnetic insulator[1–4]. The coexistence here upfront contradicts the popular belief that superconductivity and ferromagnetism are two apparently antagonistic phenomena. Notably, here, for the first time, we have clearly detected Meissner effect in the superconducting state despite the coexisting ferromagnetic order. The coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism projects non-centrosymmetric (TaSe4)3I as a host for complex ground states of quantum matter including possible unconventional superconductivity with elusive spin-triplet pairing[5–8].
Diversity of Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Repertoire in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Tsai Hung-Cheng , Choy Chik-On , Wu Tsai-Hung , Liu Chih-Wei , Pan Yu-Jen , Chen Wei-Sheng , Pai Chia-Sheng , Hsu Ning , Tsai Shih-Feng , Tsai Shih-Tzu , Su Kuei-Ying , Tsai Chang-Youh , Liao Hsien-Tzung
Published: December 2021

Objectives Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is associated with polymorphism in major histocompatibility complex class II genes and dysregulations of CD4+ T cells which cause abnormalities in immune repertoire (iR) expression and intracellular signaling. We monitored nucleotide sequence changes in iR of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH), particularly complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) during the course of treatments in RA patients using massively parallel sequencing technology.Methods CDR3 sequencing was carried out on clinical blood samples from RA patients for disease progress monitoring. The iR of each sample was measured using next generation sequencing (NGS) pipeline. Data analysis was done with a web-based iRweb server. Principal components analysis (PCA) was completed with commercial statistical pipeline. Results Datasets from 14 patients covered VDJ regions of IGH gene. D50 stayed low for all cases (mean D50 = 6.5). A pattern of shared CDR3 sequences was confirmed by a clustering pattern using PCA. Shared profile of 608 CDR3 sequences unique to the disease baseline was identified. D50 analyses revealed clonal diversity would remain low throughout the disease course even after treatment (mean D50 = 11.7 & 8.2 for csDMARD & bDMARD groups respectively) regardless of fluctuated disease activity. PCA has provided a correlation of change in immune diversity along the whole course of RA. Conclusion We have successfully constructed the experimental design, data acquisition, processing, and analysis pipeline of a high throughput massively parallel CDR3 sequences detection to be used to correlate RA disease activity and IGH CDR3 iR during disease progression with or without treatments.
Investigation of the Need for Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography in the Decision to Discontinue Treatment for Pulmonary Thromboembolism
Authors: Çelik Eda , Araz Ömer , Kerget Buğra , Uçar Elif Yılmazel , Akgün Metin , Sağlam Leyla
Published: December 2021

Purpose: Acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality that can reduce quality of life due to long-term complications during and after treatment discontinuation. The aim of this study was to evaluate patients for these complications before discontinuing treatment and determine the necessity of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) imaging.Methods: This retrospective study included 116 patients over the age of 18 who received anticoagulant treatment for at least 3 months and presented for treatment discontinuation to the Atatürk University Research Hospital Chest Diseases Outpatient Clinic between January 2015 and September 2019. Results: CTPA performed at treatment discontinuation showed complete thrombus resolution with treatment in 73 patients (62.9%). High pulmonary artery obstruction index (PAOI) at diagnosis was statistically associated with findings of residual or chronic thrombus on CTPA at treatment discontinuation (p=0.001). In the differentiation of patients with residual/chronic thrombus and those with thrombus resolution, D-dimer at a cut-off value of 474 µg/L had 60% sensitivity and 70% specificity. At a cut-off value of 35.5 mmHg, mean pulmonary artery pressure on echocardiography had sensitivity and specificity of 72% and 77%, respectively. At a cut-off of 23.75, PAOI had sensitivity and specificity of 93% and 69%, respectively.Discussion: In addition to physical examination findings, D-dimer and echocardiography were guiding parameters in the evaluation of treatment discontinuation and thrombus resolution in patients presenting to the outpatient clinic for discontinuation of treatment for acute PTE. PAOI at diagnosis may be another important guiding parameter in addition to these examinations.
Hunger and Its Associated Factors in the Western Brazilian Amazon: a Population-based Study
Authors: Mata Mayline Menezes Da , Neves José Anael , de Medeiros Maria Angélica Tavares
Published: December 2021

Background

Hunger affects millions of people worldwide. In the current pandemic scenario of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Brazil experienced an epidemic peak of hunger, amplifying existing prepandemic vulnerabilities, mainly in the North Region of the country. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of food insecurity and its associated factors in homes with children under five years of age in an urban area of a municipality of the Western Brazilian Amazon.
Methods

A household survey was conducted with a probabilistic sample of 557 children and their families. Food insecurity (FI) was determined using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Associations between variables were analysed based on the prevalence ratio (PR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated through multiple Poisson regression analysis. Variables with a P value <0.05 after adjustments were considered significantly associated with the outcome.
Results

A prevalence of 76.5% (CI: 1.36-2.67) food insecurity was found among the families in the study; 42.9% had moderate (CI: 1.31-2.83) and severe (CI: 1.10-1.83) food insecurity. Moderate and severe FI were associated with low family income (P=0.00), participation in governmental income transfer programs (P=0.01), and heads of household with less than seven years of schooling (P=0.02). Moreover, substantial frequencies of height deficit and being overweight were found among the children.
Conclusions

The high prevalence of hunger and food insecurity and its associated factors reflects the context of geographic isolation and social exclusion in which these families live, suggesting that a substantial portion of the population under five years of age had experienced episodes of hunger in the 90 days prior to the survey. The prevalence of height deficit and being overweight among the children reveals a scenario of epidemiological/nutritional polarization, requiring the formulation of specific public policies for this population.
Cone Beam CT Analysis of Haller Cells: Prevalence and Relationship with Orbital Floor Dehiscence
Authors: Moshfeghi Mahkameh , dehini hamidreza , Ahsaie Mitra Ghazizadeh
Published: December 2021

Background and aim:

Haller cells arise from anterior ethmoid air cells and are located in the medial orbital floor, lateral to the maxillary infundibulum. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of the Haller cells and its relationship with orbital floor dehiscence on cone beam CT images.
Materials and Methods

CBCT images of 120 patients were interpreted in coronal plane for the presence of Haller cells and orbital floor dehiscence. The prevalence of Haller cell, presence of dehiscence, unilateral or bilateral frequency were assessed. In addition, the size were categorized in three groups of small, medium and large. Chi-square and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel tests were used for statistical analysis of the data and p<0.05 was considered to be significant.
Results

A total of 51 male and 69 female with Mean±SD age of 38.84±68.14 were assessed. The overall prevalence of Haller cells was 56.7%, of which 44 (64.7%) were unilateral and 24 were bilateral (35.3%). The majority of the cells (70.7%) were seen in medium (2-4mm) sized. There was a significant association between Haller cells and orbital floor dehiscence (p=0.002).
Conclusion

The prevalence of Haller cells was remarkably high and presence of Haller cells was strongly associated with ipsilateral orbital floor dehiscence. Based on the findings of this study, CBCT can be useful in delineation of the bony anatomy of sinonasal complex.