bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The underlying mechanism of Guillain-Barré syndrome in a young patient suffered from Japanese encephalitis virus infection: a case report
Authors: Liu Sheng , Wang Jinyong , Yang Jun , Wen Ying
Published: May 2022

Background: The presentation of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) suffered from Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is uncommonthoughthe clusters of GBS cases were observed in Chinain 2018. The underlying mechanism was not clarified especially in individuals with JE vaccination in childhood. Case presentation: Here we reported a patient suffered from acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) involvement with four extremities and respiratory muscles, while showed normal images by brain and spine magnetic resonanceimaging (MRI). Electrophysiology examination displayed slowed conduction speed of motor nerves and declined amplitude of evoked velocity. GBS was finally considered related to JEV verified by both positive anti-JEV immunoglobulin M antibody and positive immunoglobulin G antibody in serum. Unfortunately, he died after declining mechanical ventilator and intravenous immunoglobulin at 36th day of illness onset. We also made a review of related cases reported previously and discussed the underlying mechanism.Conclusion: JEV infection-associated GBS was an unusual clinical appearance. We should pay attention to the atypical manifestations of JEV infection and explore possible pathogenesis behind particular individuals.
Hexokinase 2 Promoted Cell Motility and Proliferation by Activating Akt1/p- Akt1 in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells
Authors: Tian Xueye , Liu Dan , Zuo Xiaohang , Sun Xiaoli , Wu Mengmin , Li Xu , Teng Yue
Published: May 2022

Background: Recently, increasing evidence has indicated that elevation of Hexokinase 2 (HK2) plays an important role in several cancers on regulating cell motility and growth. However, its role on regulating cell EMT in human ovarian cancer still less to known.Methods: The transwell and wound-healing assay were used to detect the effective of HK2 on regulating motility of ovarian cancer cells. Real Time PCR and Western Blotting were used to explore the changing of EMT-related proteins in HK2-modified cells. The clonogenic formation, cell growth curves and MTT assays were used to evaluate the effective of HK2 on regulating cell proliferation in HK2-modified cells. The flow cytometry was used to detect the differences in the distribution of cells in the cell cycle between the HK2-modified cells and their control cells. The correlation of HK2 and Akt1/p-Akt1 was explored by using Western Blotting, Akt1 inhibitor (MK2206) and transient transfection of an Akt1 recombinant plasmid. The potential correlation between HK2 and EMT-related proteins in human ovarian cancer tissues and OV (ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma) was confirmed by using Pearson correlation analysis and TIMER 2.0.Results: In ovarian cancer cells, overexpressing of HK2 enhanced cell motility by inducing of EMT-related proteins, such as CDH2, fibronectin, MMP9, ZEB1, ZEB2 and vimentin. Moreover, overexpressing of HK2 promoted cell growth by reducing p21 and p27 expression in ovarian cancer cells. Further studies demonstrated that this promotion of cell motility and growth by HK2 was probably a result of it activating of Akt1 (p-Akt1) in ovarian cancer cells. Additionally, the positive correlation between HK2 and p-Akt1, fibronectin, MMP9 expression in human ovarian cancer samples was verified by using Pearson correlation analysis. The positive correlation between HK2 and CDH2, fibronectin, MMP9, ZEB1, ZEB2 and vimentin in OV (ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma) was confirmed by using TIMER 2.0.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that HK2 could induce EMT-related proteins and reduce cell cycle inhibitor by activating Akt1 in human ovarian cancer cells, subsequently enhancing cell motility and growth, suggesting that HK2 participate in the malignant process of ovarian cancer by interacting with Akt1.
Sjögren’s Syndrome with Bipolar Disorder, A Case Report
Authors: Khalayli Naram , Kudsi Maysoun
Published: May 2022

Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs manifesting as different symptoms and signs. Neuropsychiatric manifestations are one of the symptoms and are common at the onset of the disease and during its course. The most frequent symptoms are depression and anxiety (5). However, the association with bipolar disorder seems rare and not frequently documented. Our case report presents a Sjögren’s syndrome patient with bipolar disorder, suggesting that this could lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. If it is suspected, a better analysis should be done by psychiatrists to help early diagnosis and adapting prescription. Corticosteroid treatment used in Sjögren’s syndrome should be avoided and, if prescribed, used with caution in bipolar disorder.
Integrative Analysis of Transcriptome-Wide Association Study and Gene-Based Association Analysis Identifies Candidate Genes Associated With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors: Liu Shuai , Gong Weiming , Liu Lu , Yan Ran , Wang Shukang , Yuan Zhongshang
Published: May 2022

BackgroundThe current genome-wide association study (GWAS) of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) suffers from the low power due to limited sample size, as well as suffers from the interpretation issue due to most GWAS signals located in non-coding regions. Gene-level analysis is able to aggregate many SNPs with small effects to improve the association power, and further benefit the better understanding of genetic determinants underlying JIA. MethodsUsing the largest GWAS summary statistics of JIA to date (3305 cases and 9196 controls), we performed transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) using FUSION, parallelized with gene-based association analysis using the eMAGMA method, to identify the potential tissue-specific genes related with JIA. We then explore the novel JIA-associated genes through overlapping the genes significantly detected from these two typical gene-level analyses to avoid the risk of false discoveries from using single method, followed by enrichment analysis to identify the significant gene ontology terms as well as the pathways. ResultsA total of 33 unique genes had been significantly identified from both TWAS analysis and eMAGMA gene-based association analysis, of which 11 were previously reported, including TYK2 (PFUSION = 5.12 × 10-6, PeMAGMA = 1.94 × 10-7 for Whole Blood), IL(Interleukin)-6R (PFUSION = 8.63 × 10-7, PeMAGMA = 2.74 × 10-6 for Cells EBV-transformed lymphocytes) and Fas (PFUSION = 5.21 × 10-5, PeMAGMA = 1.08 × 10-6 for Muscle Skeletal). There are totally 22 newly reported genes indicating the power advantage of gene-level association analysis, of which some are more likely JIA-associated genes, including IL-27 (PFUSION = 2.10 × 10-7, PeMAGMA = 3.93 × 10-8 for Liver), LAT (PFUSION = 1.53 × 10-4, PeMAGMA = 4.62 × 10-7 for Artery Aorta) and MAGI3 (PFUSION = 1.30 × 10-5, PeMAGMA = 1.73 × 10-7 for Muscle Skeletal). Enrichment analysis of 33 common genes further implicated the significant roles of 10 GO terms as well as 4 KEGG pathways including Th17 cell differentiation (P=5.83×10-6) and Rap1 signaling pathway (P=1.55×10-3). ConclusionsOur findings provide novel insights into the genetic determinants of JIA, which could benefit the understanding of pathogenic mechanisms as well as potential therapeutic targets of JIA.
The Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Training Combined with Electrical Muscle Stimulation on Neuromuscular Adaptation: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Li Na , Yang Jingfeng , Jiang Ning , Liao Yuanpeng
Published: May 2022

Background: For postoperative rehabilitation patients, athletes with skeletal muscle injury, the elderly and other populations with special needs, high-load and high-intensity resistance training is not practical. Low-intensity resistance training (≤25% 1RM) combined with blood flow restriction training (BFRT) is beneficial to increasing muscle mass and muscle strength, but it cannot produce increased muscle activation and neuromuscular adaptation, as traditional high-intensity strength training does. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of independently applying BFRT and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), as well as combining the two methods, on muscle function. Methods: Forty healthy participants with irregular exercise experiences were randomly assigned to four groups: BFRT-alone group (BFRT, n=10), EMS-alone group (EMS, n=10), BFRT combined with EMS group (CMB, n=10), and the control group (CTR, n=10). All participants received low-intensity squat training at a load of 25% 1RM 5 times/week for 6 weeks. Cross-sectional area (CSA) and electromyographic root mean square (RMS) in the rectus femoris, as well as peak torque (PT) of the knee extensor were measured prior to and following a 6-week intervention. Results: Following the 6-week intervention, the increases in muscle activation in the CMB group were statistically higher than those in the BFRT group (p < 0.001), but not different from those in the EMS group (p = 0.986). The combined stimulation technique can induce muscle activation levels similar to that of the EMS-alone group, thus compensating for the lack of muscle activation when BFRT is used alone. Conclusion: The combination of BFRT and EMS for low-intensity squat training improved the muscle strength of the lower limbs by promoting muscle hypertrophy and improving the muscle activation, likely because such a combination compensates for the limitations and deficiencies of the two intervention methods when applied alone.
Changes in the Bacillus pumilus proteome during 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene degradation
Authors: Yakovleva Galina , Kurdy William , Gorbunova Anna , Khilyas Irina , Lochnit Guenter , Ilinskaya Olga
Published: May 2022

2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is the most widely used nitroaromatic compound and is highly resistant to degradation. Most aerobic microorganisms reduce TNT to amino derivatives via formation of nitroso- and hydroxylamine intermediates. Although pathways of TNT degradation are well studied, proteomic analysis of TNT-degrading bacteria was done only for some individual Gram-negative strains. Here, we isolated a Gram-positive strain from TNT-contaminated soil, identified it as Bacillus pumilus using 16S rRNA sequencing, analyzed its growth, the level of TNT transformation, ROS production, and revealed for the first time the bacillary proteome changes at toxic concentration of TNT. The transformation of TNT at all studied concentrations (20–200 mg/L) followed the path of nitro groups reduction with the formation of 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene. Hydrogen peroxide production was detected during TNT transformation. Comparative proteomic analysis of B. pumilus showed that TNT (200 mg/L) inhibited expression of 46 and induced expression of 24 proteins. Among TNT upregulated proteins are those which are responsible for the reductive pathway of xenobiotic transformation, removal of oxidative stress, DNA repair, degradation of RNA and cellular proteins. The production of ribosomal proteins, some important metabolic proteins and proteins involved in cell division are downregulated by this xenobiotic.
Cooperativity of IGF2BP1 and ETV6-RUNX1 in the pathogenesis of ETV6- RUNX1 positive B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Sharma Gunjan , Tran Tiffany M , Bassi Jaspal , Tan Yuande , Jaiswal Amit Kumar , Tso Christine , Jain Ayushi , Singh Jay , Chopra Anita , Singh Archna , Bakhshi Sameer , Chattopadhyay Parthaprasad , Casero David , Rao Dinesh Subba , Palanichamy Jayanth Kumar
Published: May 2022

Background
ETV6-RUNX1 is the most prevalent translocation in pediatric B-ALL (B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). However, the exact pathogenesis of this translocation leading to leukemogenesis remains unclear. Insulin like Growth Factor 2 Binding Protein 1 (IGF2BP1), an oncofetal RNA binding protein (RBP), is overexpressed in ETV6-RUNX1 positive B-ALL. We intended to investigate the role of IGF2BP1 in leukemogenesis in this study.
Methods
qRT-PCR was used to analyze IGF2BP1 overexpression in an Indian cohort of pediatric B-ALL (n = 167). IGF2BP1 and ETV6-RUNX1 were knocked out in Reh, an ETV6-RUNX1 positive B-ALL cell line, using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Cell proliferation assays were used to study cell survival after IGF2BP1/ETV6-RUNX1 KO and prednisolone response. RNA-Sequencing after IGF2BP1 knockout and RNA Immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-Seq) after IGF2BP1 pulldown were performed to find the putative targets of IGF2BP1. Luciferase reporter assays were used to study downstream mRNA target stability as well as pathways regulated by IGF2BP1. Finally, to study the in-vivo synergistic effect between ETV6-RUNX1 fusion protein and IGF2BP1, a murine bone marrow transplant model was utilized followed by flowcytometric analysis of hematopoietic tissues and histopathological examination.
Results
IGF2BP1 expression was found to be essential for tumor cell survival in Reh cell line. Knockout of IGF2BP1 or ETV6-RUNX1 led to reduced proliferation and increased sensitivity to prednisolone hinting at synergism between both the genes. Integrated analysis of transcriptome sequencing after IGF2BP1 knockout and RIP-Seq revealed that IGF2BP1 targets encompass multiple pro-oncogenic signalling pathways including TNFα/NFκB and PI3K-Akt pathways. Dysregulation of these pathways was also observed in patient samples. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that IGF2BP1 binds and stabilizes ETV6-RUNX1 fusion transcript and the presence of a positive feedback loop between them which maintains a constitutive dysregulation of several oncogenic pathways.
Study on safe usage of agricultural land in typical karst areas based on Cd in soil and maize: A case study of northwestern Guizhou, China
Authors: Yang Liyu , Wu Pan , Yang Wentao , Xu Mengqi , Chen Yonglin , Jing Haonan , Wang Ping
Published: May 2022

Cadmium (Cd) is vital dietary toxins that are harmful to human health. The Cd translocation in soil-crops system varies greatly depending on different soil matrices; therefore, a valuable method that could accurately evaluate soil Cd thresholds needs to be proposed immediately. In the southwestern part of China, a typical karst mountainous area of east Asia, the results of our survey of 492 soil-maize samples in the region showed high Cd accumulation in soil, with concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 31.95 mg kg − 1. The Cd concentrations in maize kernels planted in those fields, however, were quite low, and only 4 samples exceeded the national standard. A comparative study with non-karst areas revealed a low bioaccumulation factor for soil Cd. This may be interpreted as the weathering soil-forming process of mineral-bearing rock systems, leading to high accumulation as well as low bioavailability of Cd in karst soils. A total of 172 soil-maize samples were evaluated inaccurately by the national standard evaluation procedure, accounting for 34.96% of the total. Therefore, we proposed the species sensitivity distribution model to address this inaccurate assessment. The results show that the hazardous concentrations of 95% and 5% in maize fields were 2.2 and 85.1 mg/kg for soil pH ≤ 5.5, 2.5 and 108.5 mg/kg for 5.5 < pH ≤ 6.5, 3.0 and 161.8 mg/kg for 6.5 < pH ≤ 7.5, respectively. The total number of unsuitable samples according to the evaluation results decreased from 172 to 2 after modification. Therefore, this result could be considered as a more accurate assessment threshold.
Prerequisites for coexistence: human pressure and refuge habitat availability shape continental-scale habitat use patterns of a large carnivore
Authors: Oeser Julian , Heurich Marco , Kramer-Schadt Stephanie , Andrén Henrik , Bagrade Guna , Belotti Elisa , Bufka Luděk , Breitenmoser-Würsten Christine , Černe Rok , Duľa Martin , Fuxjäger Christian , Gomerčić Tomislav , Jędrzejewski Włodzimierz , Kont Raido , Koubek Petr , Kowalczyk Rafał , Krofel Miha , Krojerová-Prokešová Jarmila , Kubala Jakub , Kusak Josip , Kutal Miroslav , Linnell John D.C. , Mattisson Jenny , Molinari-Jobin Anja , Männil Peep , Odden John , Okarma Henryk , Oliveira Teresa , Pagon Nives , Persson Jens , Remm Jaanus , Schmidt Krzysztof , Signer Sven , Tám Branislav , Vogt Kristina , Zimmermann Fridolin , Kuemmerle Tobias
Published: May 2022

ContextBehavioral adjustments by large carnivores can be a key factor facilitating their coexistence with people in shared landscapes. Landscape composition might be a key factor determining how large carnivores can adapt to occurring alongside humans, yet broad-scale analyses investigating adjustments of habitat use across large gradients of human pressure and landscape composition are lacking.ObjectivesHere, we investigate adjustments in habitat use by Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in response to varying availability of refuge habitats (i.e., forests and rugged terrain) and human landscape modification.MethodsWe used a large tracking dataset including 434 individuals from seven populations to analyze variation in lynx’ use of refuge habitats and landscape modification at a continental scale.ResultsWe found that lynx use refuge habitats more intensively with increasing landscape modification, selecting forests most strongly in otherwise open landscapes and rugged terrain in mountainous regions. Higher forest availability enabled lynx to place their home ranges in more human-modified landscapes. Human pressure and refuge habitat availability also shaped temporal patterns of lynx habitat use, affecting daytime-nighttime differences in refuge habitat use, as well as females’ association with human-modified habitats during the first months after kittens are born.ConclusionsOur findings suggest a remarkable adaptive capacity of lynx towards human pressure and underline the importance of refuge habitats for enabling coexistence between large carnivores and people. More broadly, we highlight that the composition of landscapes determines how large carnivores can adapt to human pressure, and that both factors interact in shaping large carnivore habitat use and distributions at broad scales.
Rumours, myths, and misperceptions as barriers to contraceptive use among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa
Authors: Jonas Kim , Duby Zoe , Maruping Kealeboga , Harries Jane , Mathews Catherine
Published: May 2022

Background: Rumours, myths and misperceptions about contraceptives are a barrier to contraceptive use in general but more so among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). As rumours and misinformation disseminate easily, it is important to explore how they affect uptake of contraceptives among AGYW at risk of unintended pregnancies. This study used qualitative methods to explore whether rumours, myths and misperceptions about contraceptives remain barriers to modern contraceptive use among AGYW who were beneficiaries of a combination HIV prevention intervention in South Africa. Methods: Four (4) once-of in-depth interviews (IDIs), 53 serial in-depth interviews (SIDIs) and 19 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 185 AGYW aged 15-24 years living in five of the ten intervention districts were conducted as part of the HERStory 1 Study. Interviews and FGDs were audio recorded and data were analyzed thematically, aided by Nvivo 12 software.Results: Rumours, myths and misperceptions about contraceptives, as well as socio-cultural norms regarding contraception significantly hinder AGYW’s use of modern contraceptives. Peer/friends’ disapproval, parents’ and boyfriend’s lack of support for AGYW’s use of contraceptives, based on rumours and perceived side effects also impede AGYW’s access and use of contraceptives. Conclusion: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programs could address social norms that disapprove of contraception, and target rumours, myths and misperceptions regarding modern contraceptive methods through educational campaigns and community engagements. Promoting contraception in the community, and men’s acceptance of contraceptive use, in particular, may increase their understanding of modern contraceptives and subsequently, their approval for their partners/girlfriends to use them.
Genome-wide association study identifying genetic variants associated with carcass backfat thickness, lean percentage and fat percentage in a four-way crossbred pig population using SLAF-seq technology
Authors: Wang Huiyu , Wang Xiaoyi , Yan Dawei , Sun Hao , Chen Qiang , Li Mingli , Dong Xinxing , Pan Yuchun , Lu Shaoxiong
Published: May 2022

Background Carcass backfat thickness (BFT), carcass lean percentage (CLP) and carcass fat percentage (CFP) are important to the commercial pig industry. Identification of the candidate SNPs and genes associated with these traits will be beneficial to pig breeding. We performed a GWAS based on SLAF-seq to analyze seven traits, including five BFTs, CLP, and CFP on 223 four-way intercross pigs.Results A total of 1,552,377 SLAFs from the pig reference genome (Sscrofa 11.1_102) were predicted using RsaI and HaeIII enzyme combination. With an average sequencing depth of 11.94-fold, a total of 10,784,484 SNPs were obtained. After SNPs’ filtering, 227, 921 SNPs were identified to perform GWAS. Using the mixed linear model (MLM) model, a total of 21 SNP loci significantly related to these traits were identified on ten chromosomes. Interestingly, nine shared traits SNPs were detected. Among these, SSC7:29503670 for average backfat thickness (ABFT, P=3.26E-08) and SSC7:29486003 for ABFT (P=2.12E-07) exceed 1% and 10% genome-wide significance, respectively. The two loci were located in the intron of COL21A1, which was highlighted as a strong candidate gene for porcine BFT traits. On SSC9, three adjacent significant SNPs were detected within a region of 0.19Mb (between 87.44Mb and 87.63Mb). PGM2L1 was considered a candidate gene for the region. Finally, a total of 13 genes, including ZNF184, ZNF391, COL21A1, OR4P4L, OR4C13L, OR5D14, OR5D13L, OR1J4L, HMGA1, PGM2L1, FAM171A1, PLBD2 and KIAA121 associated with carcass backfat thickness, and/or carcass lean percentage, and/or carcass fat percentage were considered potential candidate genes for further study.Conclusions The results of this GWAS will greatly advance our understanding of the genetic architecture of BFT, CLP, and CFP traits. The identified SNPs and candidate genes were beneficial to pig breeding.
An Ischemia-Homing Bioengineered Nano-Scavenger for Specifically Alleviating Multiple Pathogeneses in Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Duan Ranran , Sun Ke , Fang Fang , Wang Ning , He Ruya , Gao Yang , Jing Lijun , Li Yanfei , Gong Zhe , Yao Yaobing , Luan Tingting , Zhang Chaopeng , Zhang Jinwei , Zhao Yi , Xie Haojie , Zhou Yongyan , Teng Junfang , Zhang Jinfeng , Jia Yanjie
Published: May 2022

Background: Ischemic stroke is one of the most serious global public health problems. However, the performance of current therapeutic regimens is limited due to their poor target specificity, narrow therapeutic time window, and compromised therapeutic effect. To overcome these barriers, we designed an ischemia-homing bioengineered nano-scavenger by camouflaging a catalase (CAT)-loaded self-assembled tannic acid (TA) nanoparticle with a M2-type microglia membrane (TPC@M2 NPs) for ischemic stroke treatment. Results: The TPC@M2 NPs can on-demand release TA molecules to chelate excessive Fe2+, while acid-responsively liberating CAT to synergistically scavenge multiple ROS (•OH, •O2-, and H2O2). Besides, the M2 microglia membrane not only can be served as bioinspired therapeutic agents to repolarize M1 microglia into M2 phenotype but also endows the nano-scavenger with ischemia-homing and BBB-crossing capabilities. Conclusions: The nano-scavenger for specific clearance of multiple pathogenic elements to alleviate inflammation and protect neurons holds great promise for combating ischemic stroke and other inflammation-related diseases.
Exploiting Consumption Diversity and neighbour Similarity Trade-offs in Recommender Systems: a User-Centric Offline Evaluation of Diversity Objectives
Authors: Zanitti Michele , Sørensen Jannick , Terolli Erisa , Kosta Sokol
Published: May 2022

Recommender systems (RS) have seen widespread adoption across the Internet. However, by emphasising personalisation through the optimisation of accuracy-focused metrics, \textit{over}-\textit{personalisation} may emerge, with negative effects on the user experience. A countermeasure to the problem is to diversify recommendations. In this paper, we present a solution that addresses the problem for three application domains: movies, books, and music. Our solution, which we call \textit{VarSeek}, models the consumption diversity vs. neighbour similarity trade-off to control diversity and observe its impact on four related dimensions, namely item diversity, local coverage, novelty, and redundancy. The proposed solution is designed to diversify user profiles built on categorical preferences in a collaborative filtering scenario. We perform offline evaluations against state-of-the-art methods on three widely used datasets and show that the proposed algorithm is able to control recommendation novelty and redundancy.
Influence of Race and High Laminar Shear Stress on TNFR1 Signaling in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Aldokhayyil Maitha , Gomez Dulce H. , Cook Marc , Kavazis Andreas N. , Roberts Michael D. , Geetha Thangiah , Brown Michael D.
Published: May 2022

Background: In the endothelium, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) binding to TNF receptor-I (TNFR-I) facilitates monocyte recruitment and consequently the development of atherosclerosis. The prevalence of inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and subclinical atherosclerosis is higher in the African American (AA) population. This is supported by in vitro evidence demonstrating heightened inflammatory response and atherogenic potential in endothelial cells (ECs) from AA donors. Evidence suggests that high unidirectional laminar shear stress (HSS), as an exercise mimetic, can mitigate some aspects of racial differences in endothelial function at the cellular level. Therefore, we hypothesized that TNF-induced monocyte adhesion as well as TNFR-I signaling complex expression/activity would be exacerbated in AA derived ECs. Further, we hypothesized that HSS would attenuate potential racial differences. Methods: THP-1 monocytes and human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) from Caucasian American (CA) and AA donors were used in a co-culture system to examine racial differences in monocyte adhesion. An in vitro exercise mimetic model was applied to investigate the potential modulatory effect of HSS. Results: THP-1 adherence appeared elevated in untreated and TNF-treated AA ECs compared to CA ECs, but not statistically significant. Additionally, we report no significant racial differences in the expression of TNFR-I signaling complex or TNF-induced activation of NF-κB. Application of HSS significantly increased the expression and shedding of TNFR-I in both racial groups. Conclusion: Our data do not support TNF-induced NF-κB activation as a potential mediator of racial disparity or HSS atheroprotective effect. Future research should investigate the role of other pathways activated by TNFR-I signaling complex.
Extensive Study of Multiple Deep Neural Networks for Complex Random Telegraph Signals
Authors: Robitaille Marcel , Yang HeeBong , Wang Lu , Kim Na Young
Published: May 2022

Time-fluctuating signals are ubiquitous and diverse in many physical, chemical, and biological systems, among which random telegraph signals (RTSs) refer to a series of instantaneous switching events between two discrete levels from single-particle movements. Reliable RTS analyses are crucial prerequisite to identify underlying mechanisms related to performance sensitivity. When numerous levels partake, complex patterns of multilevel RTSs occur, making their quantitative analysis exponentially difficult, hereby systematic approaches are found elusive. Here, we present a three-step analysis protocol via progressive knowledge-transfer, where the outputs of early step are passed onto a subsequent step. Especially, to quantify complex RTSs, we build three deep neural network architectures that can process temporal data well and demonstrate the model accuracy extensively with a large dataset of different RTS types affected by controlling background noise size. Our protocol offers structured schemes to quantify complex RTSs from which meaningful interpretation and inference can ensue.
Repair of exposure and fracture of the porous high-density polyethylene framework after ear reconstruction
Authors: Jiang Chenyan , Chen Bin , Lu Lixing , Yan xiaojun , Yi Bin , Shi Runjie
Published: May 2022

Objective: To assess the repair method of exposure or fracture of the porous high-density polyethylene ear framework after total auricle reconstruction. Methods: From April 2018 to October 2021, 11 patients with framework exposure or fracture after total auricle reconstruction were admitted to the hospital for repair. In these 11 patients, the repair was performed using (1) a temporal muscle flap combined with free skin graft in 5 patients, (2) a mastoid fascia flap combined with free skin graft in 2 patients, (3) a simple local skin flap in 1 patient, (4) combination of a temporalis muscle flap and a mastoid fascia flap together with free skin graft in 2 patients, and (5) a Supor helix material combined with a temporal muscle flap and free skin graft in 1 patient. Results: After follow-up for 3–36 months, except for one patient in whom local exposure again occurred at the same site, the framework was in a good shape in the other patients, and all the skin graft survived. Conclusions: The defect of the upper part of the auricle can be repaired using a temporal muscle flap combined with temporal muscle fascia and skin graft. The defect of the middle and lower part of the auricle can be repaired using a mastoid fascia flap combined with skin graft. For framework fracture, the damaged site can be first strengthened with another ear material and then combined with the adjacent fascia flap and free skin graft.
How does Machine Learning Predict the Success of Bank Telemarketing?
Authors: Choi Youngkeun , Choi Jae
Published: May 2022

This paper intends to understand the antecedents in the success of bank telemarketing prediction modeling better and seeks to evaluate the predictive performance of machine learning. For this, we are using a machine learning technique on the dataset of direct marketing campaigns of a Portuguese banking institution which is obtained from the UC Irvine Machine Learning Repository. Based on these results, first, among all variables, age, balance, loan, day, duration, campaign, pdays, and poutcome influence the success of bank telemarketing, while job, martial, education, default, housing, contact, month, and previous have no significance. Second, for the full model, the accuracy rate is 0.784, which implies that the error rate is 0.216. Among the patients who predicted not to have the success of bank telemarketing, the accuracy that would not have the success of bank telemarketing was 75.63%, and the accuracy that had the success of bank telemarketing was 82.61% among the patients predicted to have the success of bank telemarketing. This study extends the existing literature by empirically examining the combined impact of the variables on the success of bank telemarketing modeling.
Stigma and access to health care: case of people living with HIV/AIDS in Cameroon
Authors: MAGNE Estelle KOUOKAM
Published: May 2022

Background One of the most common notions arising in studies of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection from the 1980s to the 2000s is that of stigma. A consequence of lack of access to antiviral therapy between the 1980’s and 1990’s was the death of many patients. At this stage, the patient’s bodies were desexualized, disfigured [1, 2]. MethodBased on the anthropological research carried out within the framework of the project EVOLCAM ANRS 12288 (Evolution of Cameroon's program of HIV care and co-infections) conducted in Cameroon from 2014 to 2015, in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala, this paper aims to analyze the notion of stigma as an issue of social justice with respect to the right to health. Result The study shows that body normalization, stigma continues to be a great challenge in access of people living with HIV to health care there is a culture of Secrecy. Kinship solidarity plays an important role in care expenditure. The informant still feel the need to hide their drugs in order to avoid stigma. The embodiment of self disentification is the result of three medical artefacts: « CD4-medicine-scale ». HIV/AIDS stills continue to be link to death. ConclusionThe ambivalence of the imagery about HIV positive status and AIDS disease contribute to the exclusion of people living with HIV/AIDS. This is a risk given the uncertainty of financing, as many informants rely on the financial support of their relatives who work in small businesses depending on the amount of their daily earnings. Therefore, access to health care for people living with HIV/AIDS continues to be a challenge not only for people living with HIV/AIDS but also for their relatives.
The best bevel shape for optimized daylighting and thermal performance
Authors: Krzemień Leszek
Published: May 2022

This paper discusses a costless method of improving daylighting in a building. It shows that the diagonal cuts in insulation around windows substantially increase the amount of light coming into the building without compromising the heat resistance of the barrier. The effect of various depth and angles of cuts on the daylighting as well as the thermal performance of the envelope is simulated. An optimal geometry is found as a function of insulation thickness. The results were obtained using the finite element method. A novel approach was used that allows the daylighting and thermal simulation to be performed in the same simulation environment using the same geometry. Additionally, a traditional daylighting analysis was performed. They show that for the thick insulation, bevels make difference between having and not having satisfactory levels of light in the room.
Low Ankle-Brachial Index Relates to Alzheimer-Signature Neurodegeneration in Cognitively Impaired Older Adults
Authors: Moon Seok Woo , Byun Min Soo , Yi Dahyun , Kim Min Jung , Jung Joon Hyung , Kong Nayeong , Jung Gijung , Ahn Hyejin , Lee Jun-Young , Kang Koung Mi , Sohn Chul-Ho , Kim Yu Kyeong , Lee Dong Young
Published: May 2022

BackgroundAnkle-brachial index (ABI), an indicator of atherosclerosis or arterial stiffness, has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia and related cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, only limited information is yet available for its contribution to brain alterations related to cognitive decline in late-life. We aimed to investigate the relationship of ABI with in vivo AD pathologies and cerebrovascular injury in cognitively impaired older adults.MethodsTotal 127 cognitively impaired (70 mild cognitive impairment and 57 AD dementia) individuals, who participated in an ongoing prospective cohort study, were included. All participants underwent comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological assessment, ABI measurement, apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 genotyping, and multi-modal brain imaging including [11C] Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB)-positron emission tomography (PET) and [18F] fludeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET, and MRI.ResultsGeneral linear model analysis showed significant relationship between ABI strata (low ABI: < 1.00, normal ABI: 1.00–1.29, and high ABI: ≥ 1.30) and AD-signature region cerebral glucose metabolism (AD-CM), even after controlling age, sex, clinical dementia rating–sum of box (CDR-SOB), and APOE ε4 positivity (p = 0.029). Post hoc comparison revealed that low ABI had significantly lower AD-CM than middle and high ABI, while no difference of AD-CM was found between middle and high ABI. There was no significant difference of global Aβ deposition, AD-signature region cortical thickness, and white matter hyperintensity volume between the three ABI strata.ConclusionOur findings suggest that lower ABI, probably related to atherosclerosis, may contribute to the aggravation of AD-related regional neurodegeneration in cognitively impaired older adults.
Incidence of urachal remnants in children according to age and their anatomic variants
Authors: Zenitani Masahiro , Nose Satoko , Oue Takaharu
Published: May 2022

Purpose The aim of this study was to elucidate the incidence of urachal remnants in children in relation to patient age as well as to identify their anatomic variants, using a laparoscopic view.Methods The medical records of 394 pediatric patients who underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair were reviewed. Patients were divided into four groups based on their age at surgery. Using laparoscopic visualization, the presence and anatomic variants of urachal remnants were analyzed.Results A urachal remnant was confirmed in 140 children (35.5%). Although the incidence was significantly higher in the group of children aged < 1 year (63.2%) than in any other group, no significant difference in the incidence was observed between the groups aged ≥ 1 year. In 42 cases (10.7%), the urachal remnant merged into the lateral umbilical ligament.Conclusions Our results suggest a recommendation of nonoperative management of asymptomatic urachal remnants, especially in patients less than 1 year of age due to its probable spontaneous resolution. Knowledge of the anatomic variants could improve the accuracy of diagnosis of urachal remnants and the comprehension of its structure and localization for the achievement of accurate and complete excision.
A tract-based spatial statistics study of white matter integrity in epilepsy
Authors: Hou Xiaoxia , Li Zhisen , Lu Yanli , Zhao Huimin , Wang Meixia , Xu Bo , Shi Qianru , Gui Qian , Wu Guanhui , Shen Mingqiang , Zhu Wei , Xu Qinrong , Dong Xiaofeng , Cheng Qingzhang , Zhang Jibin , Feng Hongxuan
Published: May 2022

Objective To investigate the changes of cerebral white matter diffusion tensor in epilepsy patients based on the method of tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Methods Twenty-six patients with epilepsy and 42 healthy volunteers matched for sex, age and handedness were examined for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). TBSS was used to analyze the changes of each relevant parameter index of DTI in white matter of the brain in all subjects, including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD). Results Compared to healthy controls, patients with epilepsy had decreased FA and elevated MD, AD, and RD in the anterior thalamic radiation, corticospinal tract, forceps major, forceps minor, cingulum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus. (P < 0.05). Conclusion Widespread white matter integrity was found in epilepsy patients, which may be the structural basis for the development of affective disorders, impaired cognition, and motor abnormalities.
Estimated Incidence of Respiratory Hospitalizations Attributable to RSV Infections across Age and Socioeconomic Groups
Authors: Zheng Zhe , Warren Joshua L. , Shapiro Eugene D. , Pitzer Virginia E. , Weinberger Daniel M.
Published: May 2022

Background: Surveillance for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) likely captures just a fraction of the burden of disease. Understanding the burden of hospitalizations and disparities between populations can help to inform upcoming RSV vaccine programs and to improve surveillance.Methods: We obtained monthly age-, ZIP code- and cause-specific hospitalizations in New York, New Jersey, and Washington from the US State Inpatient Databases (2005-2014). We estimated the incidence of respiratory hospitalizations attributable to RSV by age and by socioeconomic status using regression models. We compared the estimated incidence and the recorded incidence (based on ICD9-CM) of RSV hospitalizations to estimate the under-recorded rate in the different sub-populations.Results: The estimated annual incidence of respiratory hospitalizations due to RSV was highest among infants <1 year of age with low socioeconomic status, (2700 per 100,000 people, 95% CrI [2600, 2900]) and were considerable in older adults that are ≥65 years of age across socioeconomic status, ranging from 130 to 970 per 100,000 people. The incidence of hospitalization recorded as being due to RSV represented a significant undercount, particularly in adults. Only <5% of the estimated RSV hospitalizations were captured for the older adults that are ≥65 years of age. Conclusions: RSV causes a considerable burden of hospitalization in young children and in older adults in the U.S, with variation by socioeconomic group. Estimates of the incidence of hospitalizations due to RSV in older adults based on the recorded diagnoses likely represent an underestimate.
Synergy of intermittent fasting and ferroptosis inhibition dampens ‘cytokine storm’
Authors: Wang Haiting , Chen Xuelian , Guo Li , Fan Chenyi , Ye Shuang , Chen Yi
Published: May 2022

Background: As a prototypic cytokine storm syndrome (CSS), secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH), or macrophage activation syndrome in the context of rheumatic disease, is characterized by profound hyperinflammation and multisystem dysfunction. Caloric restriction and intermittent fasting (IF) are known to ameliorate inflammatory response. However, their in vivo roles and mechanistic importance in CSS remain largely elusive. Herein, by using a Poly I:C and lipopolysaccharide sequential challenging HLH mice model, we explore the anti-inflammatory effect of IF.Findings: Compared to mice feeding with regular diet, IF treated HLH model showed improved survival and less systemic inflammation, as evidenced by alleviatived splenomegaly and acute lung injury and downregulated serum pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mechanistically, IF down-modulated glycolysis, the fueling process in cytokine storm. In addition, we underscored the relevance of ferroptosis, a special form of programmed cell death, to the HLH-related acute lung injury. Notably, combination of IF and ferroptosis inhibition synergistically provided robust protection against lethal HLH in mice. Conclusions: Our study revealed the nexus between hyperinflammation and tissue injury in cytokine storm, and highlighted that non-immunosuppressive metabolic modulations might have translational values in relevant diseases.
Regulation of the bE and bW Genes in Sporisorium scitamineum using Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized with Carissa Spinarum Extract
Authors: Nkhabindze Bongani Z. , Ateka Elijah , Earnshaw Diana , Wanyika Harrison N.
Published: May 2022

Background: Sugarcane smut is a disease that is caused by the fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. This is a disease of economic importance in the sugarcane industry, because it can cause losses of up to 50%. Current management practices have shown to be ineffective in controlling the fungal disease and hence there is the need for the development of antifungal agents that are biocompatible, non-toxic, environmentally friendly and easy to develop. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles have been found to possess antimicrobial properties, and have not been explored on S. scitamineum. Results: The synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Carissa spinarum yielded particles that were spherical, smooth and they had a size range from 3nm to 33nm in size. Optimization of the mixtures using ultraviolet-visual spectroscopy (UV-Vis) showed peaks in the range of 340nm to 450nm. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis identified proteins to be essential capping agents and reducing sugars were responsible for the reduction of the silver nitrate to nanoparticles and stabilizing the nanoparticles. The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles had the highest antifungal activity at 5mg/ml, while the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungal concentration were 78µg/ml. The in-vivo assays showed a significant (at P=0.05) reduction of the pathogen biomass concentration on the plants that were treated with the nanoparticles when compared to the control plants. The application of 58.5µg/ml of the b-AgNPs to the S. scitamineum resulted to a significant (P=0.05) increase in expression of the bE and bW genes, while the treatment with 39 µg/ml significantly (P=0.05) increased the expression of the bE gene, but had no significant (P=0.05) change in the expression of the bW gene. Conclusion: Silver nanoparticles that were synthesized successfully using C. spinarum crude extract inhibited the growth of S. scitamineum both in-vitro and in-vivo. The silver nanoparticles had a regulatory effect on the expression of the bE and bW genes in the fungus.
Multimodal and hemispheric graph-theoretical brain network predictors of learning efficacy for frontal alpha asymmetry neurofeedback
Authors: Li Linling , Li Yutong , Li Zhaoxun , Huang Gan , Liang Zhen , Zhang Li , Wan Feng , Shen Manjun , Han Xue , Zhang Zhiguo
Published: May 2022

Background
EEG neurofeedback using frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) has been widely used for emotion regulation training, but its effectiveness is controversial because some participants failed to learn self-regulation of FAA signals. It is desired to reveal neuroimaging predictors of learning ability in FAA neurofeedback, which cannot only improve our knowledge of the mechanisms of neurofeedback but can also enable personalized neurofeedback scheme. Previous studies have indicated that individual differences in neurofeedback training can be traced to neuroanatomical and neurofunctional baseline features. However, these studies only focused on regional measures of brain structure or function, and overlooked possible neural correlates of brain network measures. Besides, no neuroimaging predictors for FAA neurofeedback protocol have been reported so far.
Methods
The present study designed a single-blind pseudo-controlled FAA neurofeedback experiment and collected multimodal neuroimaging data (structural magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging, and resting-state functional MRI) from healthy participants before neurofeedback training. We assessed the learning performance for evoked EEG modulations during training (performance index L1) and at rest (performance index L2), and investigated performance related predictors based on a combined analysis of multimodal brain networks and graph-theoretical features.
Results
Participants from both real and sham groups could increase their FAA during training blocks by maintaining a positive emotional state, but only the real group showed a significant increase in FAA at rest. The predictors of learning performance were different for evoked EEG modulations during training blocks and at rests: L1 was correlated with the graph-theoretical metrics (normalized clustering coefficient and local efficiency) of the right hemispheric gray matter network and functional brain network, while L2 was correlated with the graph-theoretical metrics (local and global efficiency) of the whole-brain and left hemispheric functional brain network.
Conclusions
The individual differences in FAA neurofeedback learning could be explained with individual variation in structural/functional architecture, and the correlated global topological metrics of different learning performance indices showed different laterality of hemispheric brain networks. These results provided an insight into the neural correlates of inter-individual differences in neurofeedback learning.