bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tumor Cell Intrinsic And Extrinsic Features Predicts Prognosis In Estrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancer
Authors: Yao Kevin , Schaafsma Evelien , Zhang Baoyi , Cheng Chao
Published: August 2021

Background: Although estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer is generally associated with favorable prognosis, clinical outcome varies substantially among patients. Genomic assays have been developed and applied to predict patient prognosis for personalized treatment. Methods: We hypothesize that the recurrence risk of ER+ breast cancer patients is determined by both genomic mutations intrinsic to tumor cells and extrinsic immunological features in the tumor microenvironment. Based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer data, we identified the 72 most common genomic aberrations (including gene mutations and indels) in ER+ breast cancer and defined sample-specific scores that systematically characterized the deregulated pathways intrinsic to tumor cells. To further consider tumor cell extrinsic features, we calculated immune infiltration scores for six major immune cell types. Results: Many individual intrinsic features are predictive of patient prognosis in ER+ breast cancer, and some of them achieved comparable accuracy with the Oncotype DX assay. In addition, statistical learning models that integrated these features predicts the recurrence risk of patients with significantly better performance than the Oncotype DX assay.Conclusions: As a proof-of-concept, our study indicates the great potential of genomic and immunological features in prognostic prediction for improving breast cancer precision medicine. The framework introduced in this work can be readily applied to other cancers.
Stability Analysis and Experimental Research on Ultrasonic Cutting of Wave-absorbing Honeycomb Material With Disc Cutter
Authors: Guo Zongfu , Liu Xin , Yao Sufang , Yu Baohua , Hu Xiaoping , Ye Hongxian
Published: August 2021

To address the problem of the poor stability of ultrasonic machining of wave-absorbing honeycomb materials, this paper takes ultrasonic cutting of wave-absorbing honeycomb materials with a disc cutter as the research object and establishes a multi-degree-of-freedom mathematical model of the cutting system based on the relative positions of the tool and the honeycomb material and the motion characteristics of the tool. On this basis, modal analysis of the disc tool and the honeycomb cellular element wall plate is carried out to draw the Lobe diagram of ultrasonic cutting stability, the process experimental parameters are determined according to the solved stability Lobe diagram, and machining stability verification experiments are carried out. The experimental results show that the machining parameters in the stable region of the Lobe diagram result in a neat and clean surface, less fibre pullout, a complete outer substrate, and less tool wear than those in the critical and unstable regions, thus verifying the correctness of the theoretical model and the stability Lobe diagram.
Self-assembled Nanoparticles of Polycationic b Rush and p Hotosensitizer for Synergistic Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapies Against Periodontitis
Authors: Shi Enyu , Bai Liya , Mao Lujia , Wang Hanping , Yang Xiaoying , Wang Yinsong , Zhang Mingming , Li Changyi , Wang Yue
Published: August 2021

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease in oral cavity owing to bacterial infection. Photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) have many advantages for antibacterial treatment. As an excellent photosensitizer, indocyanine green (ICG) shows prominent photothermal and photodynamic performances. However, it is difficult to pass through the negatively charged bacterial cell membrane, thus limits its antibacterial efficacy for periodontitis treatment.Results: In this work, we developed a nanosystem from self-assembly of ICG and polycationic brush for synergistic PTT and PDT against periodontitis. A star-shaped polycationic brush, poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (sPDMA), was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of DMA monomer from bromo-substituted β-cyclodextrin initiator (CD-Br). ICG was then self-assembled with sPDMA to form ICG-loaded sPDMA (sPDMA@ICG) nanoparticles (NPs), and the physicochemical properties of these NPs were characterized in detail. In vitro antibacterial effects of sPDMA@ICG NPs were evaluated in porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), one of the recognized periodontitis pathogens, and in vivo anti-periodontitis effects of NPs were investigated in a rat periodontitis model. Benefiting from the unique brush-shaped architecture of sPDMA polycation, sPDMA@ICG NPs efficiently delivered ICG into the bacterial cells through promoting their adsorption and penetration abilities, and also exhibited effective antibacterial and anti-periodontitis actions via synergistic PTT and PDT both in vitro and in vivo.Conclusions: This work developed a promising nano-photosensitizer for synergistic PTT and PDT for antibacterial and periodontitis treatments in clinic.
Association between chemotherapy and prognostic factors of survival in hepatocellular carcinoma: a SEER population‑based cohort study
Authors: Liu Meiqi , Xu Mengying , Tang Tiantian
Published: August 2021

Background Hepatectomy and transplantation are the main surgical therapies for HCC patients, and radiotherapy or chemotherapy is often used as the adjuvant treatment. Researches have evaluated the independent predictors of HCC, but evidence for factors predicting the efficacy of chemotherapy is rare. Methods Patients diagnosed with HCC between 2010 and 2015 from the SEER database were included and randomly divided into non-chemotherapy and chemotherapy groups. The predictors of CSS and OS were analyzed with the Cox proportional-hazards regression model and Fine and Gray’s competing risk model. Results Although there was no significant difference in survival analysis between the chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy groups, the cumulative cancer-specific mortality of most HCC patients were decreased in chemotherapy group. AJCC stage, tumor size, grade, surgery and radiotherapy were predictors of OS and CSS in non-chemotherapy group, while AJCC stage, tumor size, AFP, grade and surgery in chemotherapy group. Surgery combined with chemotherapy was applicable to all AJCC stage patients. Surgery was the major treatment option for patients in AJCC Ⅰ and AJCC Ⅱ stage, and chemotherapy in AJCC Ⅲ and AJCC Ⅳ stage. Conclusions In conclusion, the study provided population-based estimates of the prognostic factors in HCC patients with or without chemotherapy.
Zinc Oxide and IGZO Bi-layer Synaptic Device with Highly Linear Long-term Potentiation and Depression Characteristics
Authors: Choi Hyun-Woong , Song Ki-Woo , Kim Seong-Hyun , Thanh Nguyen Kim , Eadi Sunil Babu , Kwon Hyuk-Min , Lee Hi-Deok
Published: August 2021

The electrical properties, resistive switching behavior, and long-term potentiation/depression (LTP/LTD) in a single indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) and bi-layer IGZO/ZnO memristors were investigated for synapse application. The use of oxide bi-layer memristor, in particular, improved electrical properties such as stability, reliability of memristors, and increase in the synaptic weight states. Bi-layer IGZO/ZnO memristors had a set voltage of 0.9 V, and reset voltage around -0.7 V, resulting in low-power consumption for neuromorphic systems. The oxygen vacancies in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis played a role in the modulation of the high-resistance state (HRS) (oxygen-deficient) and the low-resistance state (oxygen-rich) region. The VRESET of bi-layer IGZO/ZnO memristors was lower than that of a single IGZO, which implied that oxygen vacancy filaments could be easily ruptured due to the higher oxygen vacancy peak HRS layer. The nonlinearity of LTP and LTD characteristics in a bi-layer IGZO/ZnO memristor was 6.77% and 11.49%, respectively, compared to those of 20.03% and 51.1% in a single IGZO memristor, respectively. Therefore, the extra ZnO layer in the bi-layer memristor with IGZO was potentially significant and essential to achieve a small set voltage and a reset voltage, and the switching behavior to form the conductive path.
Finite Element Analysis Relating Shape, Material Properties, and Dimensions of Taenioglossan Radular Teeth with Trophic Specialisations in Paludomidae (Gastropoda)
Authors: Krings Wencke , Marcé-Nogué Jordi , Gorb Stanislav N.
Published: August 2021

The radula, a chitinous membrane with embedded tooth rows, is the molluscan autapomorphy for feeding. The morphologies, arrangements and mechanical properties of teeth can vary between taxa, which is usually interpreted as adaptation to food. In previous studies, we proposed about trophic and other functional specialisations in taenioglossan radulae from species of African paludomid gastropods. These were based on the analysis of shape, material properties, force-resistance, and the mechanical behaviour of teeth, when interacting with an obstacle, which was previously simulated for one species (Spekia) by the finite-element-analysis (FEA) and, for more species, observed in experiments. In the here presented work, we test the previous hypotheses by applying the FEA on 3D modelled radulae, with incorporated material properties, from three additional paludomid species. These species forage either on algae attached to rocks (Lavigeria), covering sand (Cleopatra), or attached to plant surface and covering sand (Bridouxia). Since the analysed radulae vary greatly in their size between species, we additionally aimed at relating the simulated stress and strain distributions with the tooth sizes by altering the force/volume. For this purpose, we also included Spekia again in the present study. Our FEA results show that smaller radulae are more affected by stress and strain than larger ones, when each tooth is loaded with the same force. However, the results are not fully in congruence with results from the previous breaking stress experiments, indicating that besides the parameter size, more mechanisms leading to reduced stress/strain must be present in radulae.
One-day outpatient health management prevents hazardous events during fetal childbirth of gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Zheng Dan , Luo Yan , Zheng Mou-meng , Liu jing , Lu Yang , Cai Yu-shu , Xuan yin , Chen min , Wang yi-fan , Huang Chun-hua , Lou Di-dong
Published: August 2021

Background: To analyze the effects of one-day outpatient health management on premature birth, macrosomia, and low-birth-weight infants in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Methods: Medical records of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus in our hospital during 2019 were retrospectively collected, including basic information, family history, and pregnancy complications. The outcomes, including preterm birth, macrosomia , and low-birth-weight infants, of patients receiving one-day outpatient health management or not were observed. Logistic regression analysis was used to detect the potential relationship between one-day outpatient health management and outcomes.Results: A total of 1393 patients with gestational diabetes mellitus presented to Guiyang Maternal and Child Health Hospital in 2019, including 104 premature births, 91 low-birth-weight infants, and 71 macrosomia infants. The mean age of the selected subjects was 33.06 ± 4.83 and the mean body mass index was 22.78 ± 3.18 kg/m2. A total of 535 (38.41%) patients with gestational diabetes mellitus volunteered to participate in the one-day outpatient health management program. This health management [odds ratio = 0.474 (95% confidence interval 0.272–0.826)] was a protective factor for macrosomia; however, it was not associated with premature birth and low-birth-weight.Conclusions: The degree of acceptance of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus to a one-day outpatient health management program is still low. This health management program reduced the risk of macrosomia in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus by 52.6%. In the future, regular follow-up should be introduced in clinical practice to further improve the effects of one-day programs.
Region-specific Brain Age Prediction Models for Children and Adolescents Derived by Machine Learning
Authors: Jeong Hyerin , Park Ukeob , Kang Seung Wan
Published: August 2021

EEG biomarkers can reveal significant and actionable differences in brain development between normal children and those with developmental disorders. Frontal slow frequency EEG is one common differentiator between normal and abnormal brain function. The present study sought to establish models, based on machine learning, to predict brain age in children and adolescents. Four brain regions were studied: left anterior, right anterior, left posterior, and right posterior, based on the different functions characteristic of each region. Importantly, differences were also considered in the construction of the models. All models yielded promising r2 values for the prediction of brain age, with values of 0.80 or higher. Our technique employed a tree-based feature selection algorithm, allowing selection of a minimum number of features while still preserving predictive power. These prediction models can be used to quantify deviations between estimated and biological brain age, and so serve as valuable tools in efforts to assess and intervene early in several profound developmental disorders.
Network-Based Metric Space for Phenotypic Stratification of Samples Using Transcriptome Profiles
Authors: Sung Inyoung , Lee Dohoon , Lee Sangseon , Kim Sun
Published: August 2021

With the advancements of high-throughput sequencing technology, several recent studies addressed the clinical/phenotypic stratification of samples by utilizing transcriptome data. However, existing stratification methods lack efficient utilization of gene interaction information, and furthermore, handling more than 20,000 genes causes the curse of high dimensionality that hinders elucidating the linkage between genetic profiles and clinical/phenotypic differences. To overcome these challenges, we propose a network-based two-step computational framework. We first reduce dimensions of transcriptome to a few tens of dimensions by mapping transcriptome to protein interaction network followed by performing network propagation algorithm and clustering analysis. Then, each network is converted into a single numeric metric by utilizing information theoretic quantification of gene expression abnormality, which results in a single sample mapping to a metric space generated by each subnetwork in the form of vectors. The proposed network-based stratification method was used to analyses Pan-Caner dataset and Oryza sativa dataset. Extensive experiments showed that our method generates a metric space that captures data-specific biological functions and improves the stratification performance compared to existing methods. Therefore, the proposed method successfully stratified the samples, addressing the problem in the complex gene space. The proposed method is implemented in Python and available at https://github.com/Sunginyoung/net_stratification.
Erratic Asian Summer Monsoon 2020: COVID-19 Lockdown Initiatives Possible Cause for These Episodes?
Authors: Kripalani Ramesh , Ha Kyung-Ja , Ho Chang-Hoi , Oh Jai-Ho , Preethi B. , Mujumdar Milind , Prabhu Amita
Published: August 2021

The summer (June through September) monsoon 2020 has been very erratic with episodes of heavy and devastating rains, landslides and catastrophic winds over South Asia (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh), East Asia (China, Korea, and Japan), and Southeast Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia). The withdrawal of the summer monsoon over India was delayed by two weeks. The monsoon season over East Asia has been the longest. China recorded a Dam burst in the 20th century. Furthermore, the Korean Peninsula has experienced back-to-back severe tropical cyclones. Could the lockdown activities initiate to control the COVID-19 spread a possible cause for these major episodes?The strict enforcement of the lockdown regulations has led to a considerable reduction of air pollutants – dust and aerosols throughout the world. A recent study based on satellites and merged products has documented a statistically significant mean reduction of about 20%, 8% and 50% in nitrogen dioxide, Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and PM2.5 concentrations, respectively over the megacities across the globe. Our analysis reveals a considerable reduction of about 20% in AOD over South as well as over East Asia, more-over East Asia than over South Asia. The reduced aerosols have impacted the strength of the incoming solar radiation as evidenced by enhanced warming, more-over the land than the oceans. The differential warming over the land and the ocean has resulted in the amplification of the meridional ocean-land thermal contrast and strengthening of the monsoon flow. These intense features have supported the surplus transport of moisture from the oceans towards the main lands. Some similarity between the anomalous rainfall pattern and the anomalous AOD pattern is discernable. In particular, the enhancement of rainfall, the reduction in AOD and the surface temperature warming match very well over two regions one over west-central India and the other over the Yangzte River Valley. Results further reveal that the heavy rains over the Yangzte River Valley could be associated with the preceding reduced aerosols, while the heavy rains over west-central India could be associated with reduced aerosols and also due to the surface temperature warming
Temporal niche partitioning between carnivores differs depending on the analytical method: comparison between temporal overlap and co-occurrence, and time-to-encounter analyses
Authors: Watabe Ryoga , Tsunoda Hiroshi , Saito Masayuki U.
Published: August 2021

Temporal niche partitioning is one of the most important strategies for carnivore coexistence. Camera-trap data has been analyzed through several methods to assess the temporal niche partitioning. When different analytical approaches used to evaluate niche partitioning detect different results, the mechanisms of species coexistence may be misinterpreted. As such, it is important to evaluate the temporal niche partitioning from multiple analytical approaches. In this study, we compared three analytical methods–the temporal overlap, temporal co-occurrence, and time-to-encounter analysis–to evaluate the temporal niche partitioning among sympatric medium-sized carnivores: red foxes, raccoon dogs, and Japanese martens. From May to October 2019 and 2020, we obtained the activity of the target species using camera-traps in northeastern Japan. We analyzed the data with the coefficient of temporal overlap, probabilistic co-occurrence analysis, checkerboard score, and multi-response permutation procedures. The results of the assessment of the niche partitioning differed depending on the analytical methods. Therefore, we conclude that the choice of analytical approach is important for understanding the mechanisms of species coexistence through temporal niche partitioning.
Formaldehyde Exposure Induces Differentiation of Regulatory T Cells via the NFAT- mediated T Cell Receptor Signalling Pathway in Yucatan Minipigs
Authors: Park Jeongsik , Kang Goo-Hwa , Kim Youngkyu , Lee Ju Young , Hwang Jeong Ho
Published: August 2021

The use of minipigs (Sus scrofa) as a platform for toxicological and pharmacological research is well established. In the present study, we investigated the effect of formaldehyde (FA) exposure on helper T cell-mediated splenic immune responses in Yucatan minipigs. The minipigs were exposed to different concentrations of FA (0, 2.16, 4.62, or 10.48 mg/m3) for a period of 2 weeks. Immune responses elicited by exposure to FA were determined by assessing physiological parameters, mRNA expression, and cytokine production. Additionally, the distribution of helper T cells and regulatory T cells (Treg) and expression of NFAT families, which are well-known T cell receptor signalling proteins associated with regulatory T cell development, were evaluated. Exposure to FA suppressed the expression of genes associated with Th1 and Th2 cells in minipigs in a dose-dependent manner. Subsequent production of cytokines also declined post-FA exposure. Furthermore, exposure to FA induced the differentiation of CD4+ Foxp3+ Treg cells with divergent expression levels of NFAT1 and NFAT2. These results indicated that exposure to FA increased the Treg cell population via the NFAT-mediated T cell receptor signalling pathway, leading to suppression of the effector T cell activity with a decline in T cell-related cytokine production.
Characterization of culturable bacterial communities associated with cage cultured fish under different stocking densities in Setiu Wetlands, Terengganu, Malaysia.
Authors: M.Tawfeeq Mohammed Salah
Published: August 2021

The study objective was to evaluate the effects of fish stocking density on the prevalence of pathogens isolated from sixty clinically healthy fishes reared under different densities in floating net-cages in Setiu lagoon. The water temperature, pH, DO, TDS, salinity, water clarity, depth, and coliform concentration, were all determined within the fish cages. The healthy fish samples were randomly collected from 3 sites in cages with low and high stocking densities at each site. The bacteria were isolated from the skin, gills, kidneys, and liver of each fish sample, followed by identification to species level using the VITEK-2 system. The pathogens with beta-hemolysis characteristics were selected for antibiotic susceptibility against the following drugs: AM-10 µg, P-10 U, CL-30 µg, TC-30 µg, CP-5 µg, GM-10 µg, KM-30µg, and SM-10 µg. Water quality parameters showed no differences between the cages of low and high fish densities except for site C. The total number of isolates, microbial species, and the number of pathogens isolated from fish revealed no significant difference between the fish stocked in low and high densities. A total of 25 bacterial species were isolated, which included 14 gram-positive and 11 gram-negative. The (SM) drug application is suspected on this farm.
A Dynamic Relation Between Whole-Brain White Matter Microstructural Integrity and Anxiety Symptoms in Preadolescent Females with Pathological Anxiety
Authors: Aggarwal Nakul , Williams Lisa E. , Tromp Do P.M. , Pine Daniel S. , Kalin Ned H.
Published: August 2021

Pathological anxiety typically emerges during preadolescence and has been linked to alterations in white matter (WM) pathways. Because myelination is critical for efficient neuronal communication, characterizing associations between WM microstructure and symptoms may provide insights into pathophysiological mechanisms associated with childhood pathological anxiety. This longitudinal study examined 182 girls enrolled between the ages of 9–11 that were treatment-naïve at study entry: healthy controls (n = 49), subthreshold-anxiety disorders (AD) (n = 82), or meeting DSM-5 criteria for generalized, social, and/or separation ADs (n = 51), as determined through structured clinical interview. Anxiety severity was assessed with the Clinical Global Impression Scale and Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Participants (n = 182) underwent clinical, behavioral, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) assessments at study entry, and those with pathological anxiety (subthreshold-AD and AD, n = 133) were followed longitudinally for up to 3 additional years. Cross-sectional ANCOVAs (182 scans) examining control, subthreshold-AD, and AD participants found no significant relations between anxiety and DTI measurements. However, in longitudinal analyses of girls with pathological anxiety (343 scans), linear mixed-effects models demonstrated that increases in anxiety symptoms (SCARED scores) were associated with reductions in whole-brain fractional anisotropy, independent of age (Std. β (95% CI)=-0.06 (-0.09 to -0.03), F(1,46.24) = 11.90, P = 0.001). Using a longitudinal approach, this study identified a dynamic, within-participant relation between whole-brain WM microstructural integrity and anxiety in girls with pathological anxiety. Given the importance of WM microstructure in modulating neural communication, this finding suggests the possibility that WM development could be a viable target in the treatment of anxiety-related psychopathology.
­Molecular insights into the benefits of regular exercise in combating immunological mayhem during SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Das Deepyaman
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 has caused devastation around the world with death tolls increasing every day. Case studies and hospital data suggest that immunocompromised individuals are at a greater risk of serious consequences caused by this disease. Regular exercise has been proven to combat multifarious diseases by improving overall health of the individual. A recent study has proven that regular exercise can reduce the serious illness associated with COVID-19. Circulating miRNAs released from the muscles during strenuous exercise has also been found to have anti-inflammatory effects. So, it was hypothesized that regular exercise might be releasing therapeutic miRNAs in the blood that might be reducing the immunological chaos in COVID-19 patients. Using network and systems biology approach, mRNA targets of 3 upregulated exomiRs (hsa-miR-486-5p, hsa-miR-215-5p, hsa-miR-941) in the blood of regularly exercising adults were mapped in the blood of COVID-19 patients. hsa-miR-215-5p, hsa-miR-486-5p and hsa-miR-941 were found to target 8, 93 and 99 upregulated mRNAs respectively. Functional enrichment analysis showed that hsa-miR-486-5p might be preventing thrombosis and aggravated inflammation in regularly exercising COVID-19 patients. Thus, hsa-miR-486-5p can be considered to have therapeutic roles against immunological damage caused by COVID-19.
Integrated analysis of the underlying immunomodulator and survival signature of STON1 gene in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Zheng Axiu , Bai Jianrong , Ha Yanping , Wang Bingshu , Zou Yuan , Wu Caixia , Xing Jingci , Zheng Shaojiang , Shen Zhihua , Luo Botao , Jie Wei
Published: August 2021

Background

Stonin 1 (STON1) is an endocytic protein but its role in cancer remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of STON1 in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC).

Methods

We undertook bioinformatics analyses of a series of public databases to determine the expression and clinical significance of STON1 in KIRC and focused on STON1-related immunomodulator and survival signatures. A nomogram model integrating clinicopathological characteristics and risk scores for KIRC was established and validated.

Results

Through TGCA and GEO databases, STON1 mRNA was found to be significantly downregulated in KIRC compared with normal controls, and decreased STON1 was related to grade, TNM stage, distant metastasis, and vital status of KIRC. Furthermore, OncoLnc, UALCAN, Kaplan–Meier, and GEPIA2 analyses supported that KIRC patients with high STON1 expression had better overall survival. STON1 was positively associated with mismatch proteins including MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, MSH6 and EpCAM, and was negatively correlated with tumor mutational burden. Interestingly, arm-level deletion of STON1 was clearly related to the abundance of immune cells and the infiltration abundance in the majority of 26 immune cell types that were positively related to STON1 mRNA level in the TIMER database. The TISIDB database revealed 21 immunostimulators and 10 immunoinhibitors that were obviously related to STON1 in KIRC. In univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, CTLA4 , KDR , LAG3 , PDCD1 , HHLA2 , TNFRSF25 , and TNFSF14 were screened to establish a risk score model, and the low-risk group had a better prognosis for KIRC. Furthermore, a nomogram integrating clinicopathological characteristics and risk score had better accuracy and practicability in predicating the survival of KIRC patients.

Conclusions

Decreased STON1 expression in KIRC leads to clinical progression and poor survival. Mechanically, loss of STON1 is associated with the aberrant immune microenvironment in KIRC. Integrated clinicopathological characteristics and risk score derived from STON1 -related immunomodulators can aid the prediction of KIRC survival.
Impact of light on anoxic/oxic reactors: performance, quorum sensing, and metagenomic characteristics
Authors: Fei Xuening , Li Songya , Wang Linpei , Wang Le , Chen Fuqiang
Published: August 2021

The effect of light has raised attention on wastewater treatment. However, little research has concentrated on the influences of light on activated sludge. In this study, the influences of light on the performance, quorum sensing (QS) and metagenomic characteristics of anoxic/oxic reactors were investigated. The reactor without light (AO1) showed higher total nitrogen (TN) removal (79.15 ± 1.69%) than the reactor with light (AO2) (74.54 ± 1.30%), and significant differences were observed. It was observed that light facilitated the production of protein-like and tryptophan-like substances by employing parallel factor analysis for extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), resulting in more EPS production in AO2, indicating light was beneficial to EPS production. The concentrations of N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) were various in the two reactors, so the AHLs-mediated QS behaviors in both reactors were also different. These results revealed that light significantly influenced nitrogen removal, EPS, and QS. Metagenomic analysis based on Tax4Fun demonstrated that light reduced the denitrification, stimulated the polysaccharide and protein biosynthesis pathways and down-regulated the AHLs synthesis pathway, resulting in lower TN removal, more EPS production, and lower AHLs concentrations. Based on the above, the likely mechanism was proposed for the influences of light on the reactor.
Removal of multiple metal ions from wastewater by a multifunctional metal-organic-framework based trap
Authors: Nie Rong , Yang Cailing , Zhang Jing , Dong Kun , Zhao Guohu
Published: August 2021

The design and preparation of multifunctional adsorbent for practical wastewater treatment is still an enormous challenge. To remove multiple metal ions from wastewater, we developed a broad-spectrum metal ions trap named UIO-67-EDTA by incorporation of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid into robust UIO-67. The adsorption experiments for 15 kinds of heavy metal ions including hard acid (Mn2+, Ba2+, Al3+, Cr3+, Fe3+), borderline acid (Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+, Sn2+, Bi2+), soft acid (Ag+, Cd2+, Hg2+), and two kinds of dissolved minerals (Mg2+, Ca2+) show that the trap is very effective both in batch adsorption processes and breakthrough processes. At a pH value of 4.0, the removal efficiency for all metal ions was over 98% within 10 min, and the maximum static adsorption capacity for the representative metal ions Cr3+, Hg2+and Pb2+ was up to 416.67, 256.41, and 312.15 mg g−1, respectively. The adsorption kinetics fitted well with the pseudo-second-order model, indicating that the chemical adsorption was the rate-determining step in the adsorption process. Meanwhile, the material showed high stability and recyclability, the removal efficiency for the three representative metals was still maintained over 93% after five consecutive adsorption cycles.
Lipid Metabolism and Mitochondria: Cross Talk in Cancer
Authors: Srivastava Anubhav , Srivastava Pransu , Mathur Shashank , Abbas Sabiya , Rai Neeraj , Tiwari Swasti , Tiwari Meenakshi , Sharma Lokendra
Published: August 2021

:

Metabolic reprogramming is considered a major event in cancer initiation, progression
and metastasis. The metabolic signature of cancer cells includes alterations in glycolysis, mitochondrial
respiration, fatty acid/lipid and amino acid metabolism. Being at a junction of various
metabolic pathways, mitochondria play a key role in fueling cancer growth through regulating
bioenergetics, metabolism and cell death. Increasing evidence suggests that alteration in lipid
metabolism is a common feature of metastatic progression, including fatty acid synthesis as well as
fatty acid oxidation. However, the interplay between lipid metabolism and mitochondria in carcinogenesis
remains obscure. The present review focuses on key lipid metabolic pathways associated
with mitochondrial regulation that drive cancer phenotype and metastasis. We also review potential
targets of lipid metabolism and mitochondria to improve the therapeutic regime in cancer patients.
This review aims to improve our current understanding of the intricate relation of lipids with mitochondria
and provides insights into new therapeutic approaches.
Thromboprophylaxis in Patients with COVID-19: Systematic Review of National and International Clinical Guidance Reports
Authors: Kyriakoulis Konstantinos G. , Kollias Anastasios , Kyriakoulis Ioannis G . , Kyprianou Ioanna A. , Papachrysostomou Chrysso , Makaronis Panagiotis , Kotronias Rafail A. , Terentes-Printzios Dimitrios , Toskas Ioannis , Mikhailidis Dimitri P.
Published: August 2021

Background:

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common among patients with severe
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Anticoagulation in hospitalized COVID-19 patients has
been associated with survival benefit; however, the optimal thromboprophylaxis strategy has not
yet been defined.

Objective:

To identify published guidance reports by national and international societies regarding
thromboprophylaxis strategies in COVID-19 patients in different settings (outpatients, hospitalized,
post-discharge).

Methods:

A systematic review of the literature (Pubmed/EMBASE) was conducted independently
by two investigators.

Results:

Among 1942 initially identified articles, 33 guidance documents were included: 20 published
by national and 13 by international societies. These documents provide recommendations
mainly for hospitalized (97% of reports) and post-discharge (75%) COVID-19 patients, and less so
for outpatients (34%). Thrombotic and bleeding risk stratification prior to any treatment decision is
the cornerstone of all suggested thromboprophylaxis strategies; 81% of the documents recommend
thromboprophylaxis for all hospitalized patients with a prophylactic dosage of low molecular
weight heparin irrespective of VTE risk. Intermediate or therapeutic dose intensity is recommended
in high VTE risk patients by 56% and 28% of documents, respectively. Mechanical thromboprophylaxis
is suggested in case of high bleeding risk or contraindication to pharmacological thromboprophylaxis
(59% of documents). Extended pharmacological thromboprophylaxis is recommended
for patients with high VTE risk after hospital discharge (63% of documents). For non-hospitalized
outpatients, 28% of documents recommend pharmacological thromboprophylaxis for high VTE
risk.

Conclusion:

The current guidance identifies thromboprophylaxis in COVID-19 patients, especially
during hospitalization, as of major importance for the prevention of VTE. Recommendations are derived
from limited evidence from observational studies.
Wogonin Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Activating Hippo Signaling
Authors: Ding Yanbing , Shen Weigan , Wu Keyan , Teng Man , Zhou Wei , Lu Fanglin , Zhou Yang , Zeng Jing , Yang Jie , Liu Xinnong , Zhang Yu
Published: August 2021

Objective:

Wogonin has been reported to exhibit pharmacological effects against cancer by regulating
cell proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis, however, the role of wogonin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains
poorly elucidated.

Objective:

The current study aimed to illustrate whether wogonin influences HCC cell cycle progression and apoptosis
by regulating Hippo signaling.

Methods:

The effects of wogonin on HCC cell viability, cell cycle progression and apoptosis were analyzed by utilizing
CCK-8 and flow cytometry. RNA-seq was employed to analyze the expression profiles between wogonin-treated
and control HCC cells, and the selected RNA-seq transcripts were validated by Reverse Transcription-quantitative realtime
Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect the distribution of
YAP/TAZ in the nucleus and cytoplasm in HCC cells. Western blotting and human apoptosis array were performed to
examine the expression of the indicated genes.

Results:

We demonstrated that wogonin induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of HCC cell lines SMMC7721 and
HCCLM3. RNA-seq analysis showed enrichment in genes associated with cell cycle progression and apoptosis following
incubation with wogonin in HCC cells, and the pathways analysis further identified that Hippo signaling pathways
highly altered in wogonin-treated cells. Specifically, wogonin increased the phosphorylation of MOB1 and LATS1,
promoted translocation of endogenous YAP and TAZ from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, and facilitated phosphorylation
of YAP and TAZ. Notably, overexpression of YAP or TAZ partially abrogated the wogonin-mediated HCC cell
cycle arrest and apoptosis, and reversed wogonin-mediated suppression of Claspin.

Conclusion:

Wogonin induced HCC cell cycle arrest and apoptosis probably by activating MOB1-LATS1 signaling to
inhibit the activation of YAP and TAZ, and then decrease the expression of Claspin, suggesting that the understanding
of the molecular mechanisms underlying wogonin-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis may be useful in HCC therapeutics.
Corrigendum to: Association between ABCC8 Ala1369Ser Polymorphism (rs757110 T/G) and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in an Iranian Population: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Bakhtiyari Amin , Haghani Karimeh , Bakhtiyari Salar , Zaimy Mohammad A. , Zahed Nooriali , Gheysarzadeh Ali , Nahalkhani Seidali , Darabi Shahram , Amraei Mansour , Alipourfard Iraj
Published: August 2021

Due to oversight on the part of the authors, the names of two of the co-authors have been incorrectly published in the article
entitled, “Association between ABCC8 Ala1369Ser Polymorphism (rs757110 T/G) and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in an Iranian
Population: A Case-Control Study”, 2021, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 441-447 [1].

The original article can be found online at: https://doi.org/10.2174/1871530320666200713091827.

Original:

Amin Bakhtiyari, Karimeh Haghani, Salar Bakhtiyari*, Mohammad A. Zaimy, Nooriali Zahed, Ali Gheysarzadeh, Shahram
Darabi, Seidali Nahalkhani, Mansour Amraei and Iraj Alipourfard

Corrected:

Amin Bakhtiyari, Karimeh Haghani, Salar Bakhtiyari*, Mohammad A. Zaimy, Ali Noori-Zadeh, Ali Gheysarzadeh, Shahram
Darabi, Ali Seidkhani-Nahal, Mansour Amraei and Iraj Alipourfard
Risk Factors of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Global Epidemiological Study
Authors: Barletta William Alphonse
Published: August 2021

Background

Since the first recognition of the pandemic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and before substantial case fatality data were available worldwide, public health agencies warned the public about the increased dangers of SARS-CoV-2 to persons with a variety of underlying physical conditions, many of which are more commonly found in persons over 50 years of age or in certain ethnic groups.

Objective

To investigate the statistical rather than the physiological basis in support of the abovementioned warnings, this study examines correlations globally on a nation-by-nation basis between the statistical data concerning COVID-19 fatalities and the statistics of potential comorbidities that may influence the severity of infection.

Methods

This study considers the statistics describing the populations of the 99 countries with the greatest numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infections at the time of the data cutoff. As national compilations of direct measures of immune system strength are not publicly available, the frequency of fatalities in those countries due to a variety of serious diseases is used as a proxy for the susceptibility of those populations to those same diseases.

Results

The analysis produces plots and calculations of correlations and cross-correlations of COVID-19 case fatality rates and the risks of other potential cofactors. It exposes some reasons that may underlie the degree to which advanced age increases the risk of mortality of infection with SARS-CoV-2. In contrast with the strong influences of comorbidities on the seriousness of consequences of influenzas and their associated pneumonias, the correlations of the same set of risk factors with SARS-CoV-2 infection are considerably weaker. The general characteristics of the observed correlations strengthened through 3 cycles of analysis, starting in September 2020. The strongest correlations were with chronic kidney disease and coronary disease (approximately 0.28 and 0.20, respectively).

Conclusions

This study confirms early clinical observations that infection with SARS-CoV-2 presents an increased risk to persons over the age of 65 years. It does not support the suggestions presented by government agencies early in the pandemic that the risks are much greater for persons with certain common potential comorbidities.
Distant Supervision for Mental Health Management in Social Media: Suicide Risk Classification System Development Study (Preprint)
Authors: Fu Guanghui , Song Changwei , Li Jianqiang , Ma Yue , Chen Pan , Wang Ruiqian , Yang Bing Xiang , Huang Zhisheng
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Web-based social media provides common people with a platform to express their emotions conveniently and anonymously. There have been nearly 2 million messages in a particular Chinese social media data source, and several thousands more are generated each day. Therefore, it has become impossible to analyze these messages manually. However, these messages have been identified as an important data source for the prevention of suicide related to depression disorder.

OBJECTIVE

We proposed in this paper a distant supervision approach to developing a system that can automatically identify textual comments that are indicative of a high suicide risk.

METHODS

To avoid expensive manual data annotations, we used a knowledge graph method to produce approximate annotations for distant supervision, which provided a basis for a deep learning architecture that was built and refined by interactions with psychology experts. There were three annotation levels, as follows: free annotations (zero cost), easy annotations (by psychology students), and hard annotations (by psychology experts).

RESULTS

Our system was evaluated accordingly and showed that its performance at each level was promising. By combining our system with several important psychology features from user blogs, we obtained a precision of 80.75%, a recall of 75.41%, and an F1 score of 77.98% for the hardest test data.

CONCLUSIONS

In this paper, we proposed a distant supervision approach to develop an automatic system that can classify high and low suicide risk based on social media comments. The model can therefore provide volunteers with early warnings to prevent social media users from committing suicide.
Patient Perceptions on Data Sharing and Applying Artificial Intelligence to Health Care Data: Cross-sectional Survey (Preprint)
Authors: Aggarwal Ravi , Farag Soma , Martin Guy , Ashrafian Hutan , Darzi Ara
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Considerable research is being conducted as to how artificial intelligence (AI) can be effectively applied to health care. However, for the successful implementation of AI, large amounts of health data are required for training and testing algorithms. As such, there is a need to understand the perspectives and viewpoints of patients regarding the use of their health data in AI research.

OBJECTIVE

We surveyed a large sample of patients for identifying current awareness regarding health data research, and for obtaining their opinions and views on data sharing for AI research purposes, and on the use of AI technology on health care data.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey with patients was conducted at a large multisite teaching hospital in the United Kingdom. Data were collected on patient and public views about sharing health data for research and the use of AI on health data.

RESULTS

A total of 408 participants completed the survey. The respondents had generally low levels of prior knowledge about AI. Most were comfortable with sharing health data with the National Health Service (NHS) (318/408, 77.9%) or universities (268/408, 65.7%), but far fewer with commercial organizations such as technology companies (108/408, 26.4%). The majority endorsed AI research on health care data (357/408, 87.4%) and health care imaging (353/408, 86.4%) in a university setting, provided that concerns about privacy, reidentification of anonymized health care data, and consent processes were addressed.

CONCLUSIONS

There were significant variations in the patient perceptions, levels of support, and understanding of health data research and AI. Greater public engagement levels and debates are necessary to ensure the acceptability of AI research and its successful integration into clinical practice in future.
Risk Factors of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Global Epidemiological Study (Preprint)
Authors: Barletta William Alphonse
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Since the first recognition of the pandemic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and before substantial case fatality data were available worldwide, public health agencies warned the public about the increased dangers of SARS-CoV-2 to persons with a variety of underlying physical conditions, many of which are more commonly found in persons over 50 years of age or in certain ethnic groups.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the statistical rather than the physiological basis in support of the abovementioned warnings, this study examines correlations globally on a nation-by-nation basis between the statistical data concerning COVID-19 fatalities and the statistics of potential comorbidities that may influence the severity of infection.

METHODS

This study considers the statistics describing the populations of the 99 countries with the greatest numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infections at the time of the data cutoff. As national compilations of direct measures of immune system strength are not publicly available, the frequency of fatalities in those countries due to a variety of serious diseases is used as a proxy for the susceptibility of those populations to those same diseases.

RESULTS

The analysis produces plots and calculations of correlations and cross-correlations of COVID-19 case fatality rates and the risks of other potential cofactors. It exposes some reasons that may underlie the degree to which advanced age increases the risk of mortality of infection with SARS-CoV-2. In contrast with the strong influences of comorbidities on the seriousness of consequences of influenzas and their associated pneumonias, the correlations of the same set of risk factors with SARS-CoV-2 infection are considerably weaker. The general characteristics of the observed correlations strengthened through 3 cycles of analysis, starting in September 2020. The strongest correlations were with chronic kidney disease and coronary disease (approximately 0.28 and 0.20, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms early clinical observations that infection with SARS-CoV-2 presents an increased risk to persons over the age of 65 years. It does not support the suggestions presented by government agencies early in the pandemic that the risks are much greater for persons with certain common potential comorbidities.