bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between living alone and incident type 2 diabetes among middle-aged individuals in Korea: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Nam Ga Eun , Kim Wonsock , Han Kyungdo , Jung Jin-Hyung , Han Byoungduck , Kim Jinwook , Kim Nan Hee , Choi Kyung Mook , Cho Kyung Hwan , Park Yong Gyu , Kim Seon Mee
Published: February 2021

We studied the association between living alone and the risk of incident type 2 diabetes in middle-aged individuals using nationwide cohort data from the Korean population. 11,686, 677 middle-aged individuals aged 40–64 years who underwent health examinations by the Korean National Health Insurance System between 2009 and 2012 were followed up until December 31, 2015. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. During the median follow-up duration of 5.6 years, 393,438 individuals developed type 2 diabetes. Living alone was significantly associated with incident type 2 diabetes in all adjusted models (HR 1.08; 95% CI 1.07–1.09 in model 4). Individuals who lived alone for < 1 year and 1–7 years were associated with increased HRs of 1.07 (1.04–1.09) and 1.08 (1.07–1.09). Living alone was associated with incident type 2 diabetes in all subgroups. The association was stronger in men than in women and younger individuals than in older individuals. Living alone, even for a short duration, may be an important factor in type 2 diabetes development. Better household conditions and appropriate support to one-person households may be needed to prevent type 2 diabetes.
Dissociation of the respiratory syncytial virus F protein-specific human IgG, IgA and IgM response
Authors: Borochova Kristina , Niespodziana Katarzyna , Focke-Tejkl Margarete , Hofer Gerhard , Keller Walter , Valenta Rudolf
Published: February 2021

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most important causes of severe respiratory tract infections in early childhood. The only prophylactic protection is the neutralizing antibody, palivizumab, which targets a conformational epitope of the RSV fusion (F) protein. The F protein is generated as a F0 precursor containing two furin cleavage sites allowing excision of the P27 fragment and then gives rise to a fusion-competent version consisting of the N-terminal F2 subunit and the a C-terminal F1 subunits linked by two disulphide bonds. To investigate natural human F-specific antibody responses, F2 conferring the species-specificity of RSV, was expressed in Escherichia coli. Furthermore, the F0 protein, comprising both subunits F2 and F1, was expressed as palivizumab-reactive glycoprotein in baculovirus-infected insect cells. Six overlapping F2-derived peptides lacking secondary structure were synthesized. The analysis of IgG, IgA and IgM responses of adult subjects to native versions and denatured forms of F2 and F0 and to unfolded F2-derived peptides revealed that mainly non-conformational F epitopes, some of which represented cryptic epitopes which are not exposed on the proteins were recognized. Furthermore, we found a dissociation of IgG, IgA and IgM antibody responses to F epitopes with F2 being a major target for the F-specific IgM response. The scattered and dissociated immune response to F may explain why the natural RSV-specific antibody response is only partially protective underlining the need for vaccines focusing human antibody responses towards neutralizing RSV epitopes.
The effect of acute moderate-intensity exercise on the serum and fecal metabolomes and the gut microbiota of cross-country endurance athletes
Authors: Tabone Mariangela , Bressa Carlo , García-Merino Jose Angel , Moreno-Pérez Diego , Van Emeline Chu , Castelli Florence A. , Fenaille François , Larrosa Mar
Published: February 2021

Physical exercise can produce changes in the microbiota, conferring health benefits through mechanisms that are not fully understood. We sought to determine the changes driven by exercise on the gut microbiota and on the serum and fecal metabolome using 16S rRNA gene analysis and untargeted metabolomics. A total of 85 serum and 12 fecal metabolites and six bacterial taxa (Romboutsia, Escherichia coli TOP498, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, Blautia, Ruminiclostridium 9 and Clostridium phoceensis) were modified following a controlled acute exercise session. Among the bacterial taxa, Ruminiclostridium 9 was the most influenced by fecal and serum metabolites, as revealed by linear multivariate regression analysis. Exercise significantly increased the fecal ammonia content. Functional analysis revealed that alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism and the arginine and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathways were the most relevant modified pathways in serum, whereas the phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis pathway was the most relevant pathway modified in feces. Correlation analysis between fecal and serum metabolites suggested an exchange of metabolites between both compartments. Thus, the performance of a single exercise bout in cross-country non-professional athletes produces significant changes in the microbiota and in the serum and fecal metabolome, which may have health implications.
Insect reproductive behaviors are important mediators of carrion nutrient release into soil
Authors: Woelber-Kastner Brooke K. , Frey Serita D. , Howard Daniel R. , Hall Carrie L.
Published: February 2021

Current declines in terrestrial insect biomass and abundance have raised global concern for the fate of insects and the ecosystem services they provide. However, the ecological and economic contributions of many insects have yet to be quantified. Carrion-specializing invertebrates are important mediators of carrion decomposition; however, the role of their reproductive activities in facilitating this nutrient pulse into ecosystems is poorly understood. Here, we investigate whether insects that sequester carrion belowground for reproduction alter soil biotic and abiotic properties in North American temperate forests. We conducted a field experiment that measured soil conditions in control, surface carrion alone, and beetle-utilized carrion treatments. Our data demonstrate that Nicrophorus beetle reproduction and development results in changes in soil characteristics which are consistent with those observed in surface carrion decomposition alone. Carrion addition treatments increase soil labile C, DON and DOC, while soil pH and microbial C:N ratios decrease. This study demonstrates that the decomposition of carrion drives soil changes but suggests that the behaviors of insect scavengers play an important role in the release of carrion nutrients directly into the soil by sequestering carrion resources in the ecosystem where they were deposited.
Gene delivery corrects N-acetylglutamate synthase deficiency and enables insights in the physiological impact of L-arginine activation of N-acetylglutamate synthase
Authors: Sonaimuthu P. , Senkevitch E. , Haskins N. , Uapinyoying P. , McNutt M. , Morizono H. , Tuchman M. , Caldovic L.
Published: February 2021

The urea cycle protects the central nervous system from ammonia toxicity by converting ammonia to urea. N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) catalyzes formation of N-acetylglutamate, an essential allosteric activator of carbamylphosphate synthetase 1. Enzymatic activity of mammalian NAGS doubles in the presence of L-arginine, but the physiological significance of NAGS activation by L-arginine has been unknown. The NAGS knockout (Nags−/−) mouse is an animal model of inducible hyperammonemia, which develops hyperammonemia without N-carbamylglutamate and L-citrulline supplementation (NCG + Cit). We used adeno associated virus (AAV) based gene transfer to correct NAGS deficiency in the Nags−/− mice, established the dose of the vector needed to rescue Nags−/− mice from hyperammonemia and measured expression levels of Nags mRNA and NAGS protein in the livers of rescued animals. This methodology was used to investigate the effect of L-arginine on ureagenesis in vivo by treating Nags−/− mice with AAV vectors encoding either wild-type or E354A mutant mouse NAGS (mNAGS), which is not activated by L-arginine. The Nags−/− mice expressing E354A mNAGS were viable but had elevated plasma ammonia concentration despite similar levels of the E354A and wild-type mNAGS proteins. The corresponding mutation in human NAGS (NP_694551.1:p.E360D) that abolishes binding and activation by L-arginine was identified in a patient with NAGS deficiency. Our results show that NAGS deficiency can be rescued by gene therapy, and suggest that L-arginine binding to the NAGS enzyme is essential for normal ureagenesis.
66Ga-PET-imaging of GRPR-expression in prostate cancer: production and characterization of [66Ga]Ga-NOTA-PEG2-RM26
Authors: Rinne Sara S. , Abouzayed Ayman , Gagnon Katherine , Tolmachev Vladimir , Orlova Anna
Published: February 2021

Molecular imaging of the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) could improve patient management in prostate cancer. This study aimed to produce gallium-66 (T½ = 9.5 h) suitable for radiolabeling, and investigate the imaging properties of gallium-66 labeled GRPR-antagonist NOTA-PEG2-RM26 for later-time point PET-imaging of GRPR expression. Gallium-66 was cyclotron-produced using a liquid target, and enriched [66Zn]Zn(NO3)2. In vitro, [66Ga]Ga-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 was characterized in GRPR-expressing PC-3 prostate cancer cells. In vivo, specificity test and biodistribution studies were performed 3 h and 22 h pi in PC-3 xenografted mice. microPET/MR was performed 3 h and 22 h pi. Biodistribution of [66Ga]Ga-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 was compared with [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 3 h pi. [66Ga]Ga-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 was successfully prepared with preserved binding specificity and high affinity towards GRPR. [66Ga]Ga-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 cleared rapidly from blood via kidneys. Tumor uptake was GRPR-specific and exceeded normal organ uptake. Normal tissue clearance was limited, resulting in no improvement of tumor-to-organ ratios with time. Tumors could be clearly visualized using microPET/MR. Gallium-66 was successfully produced and [66Ga]Ga-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 was able to clearly visualize GRPR-expression both shortly after injection and on the next day using PET. However, delayed imaging did not improve contrast for Ga-labeled NOTA-PEG2-RM26.
Lowering latency and processing burden in computational imaging through dimensionality reduction of the sensing matrix
Authors: Fromentèze Thomas , Yurduseven Okan , del Hougne Philipp , Smith David R.
Published: February 2021

Recent demonstrations have shown that frequency-diverse computational imaging systems can greatly simplify conventional architectures developed for imaging by transferring constraints into the digital layer. Here, in order to limit the latency and processing burden involved in image reconstruction, we propose to truncate insignificant principal components of the sensing matrix that links the measurements to the scene to be imaged. In contrast to recent work using principle component analysis to synthesize scene illuminations, our generic approach is fully unsupervised and is applied directly to the sensing matrix. We impose no restrictions on the type of imageable scene, no training data is required, and no actively reconfigurable radiating apertures are employed. This paper paves the way to the constitution of a new degree of freedom in image reconstructions, allowing one to place the performance emphasis either on image quality or latency and computational burden. The application of such relaxations will be essential for widespread deployment of computational microwave and millimeter wave imagers in scenarios such as security screening. We show in this specific context that it is possible to reduce both the processing time and memory consumption with a minor impact on the quality of the reconstructed images.
Imidazopyridine hydrazone derivatives exert antiproliferative effect on lung and pancreatic cancer cells and potentially inhibit receptor tyrosine kinases including c-Met
Authors: Damghani Tahereh , Moosavi Fatemeh , Khoshneviszadeh Mehdi , Mortazavi Motahareh , Pirhadi Somayeh , Kayani Zahra , Saso Luciano , Edraki Najmeh , Firuzi Omidreza
Published: February 2021

Aberrant activation of c-Met signalling plays a prominent role in cancer development and progression. A series of 12 imidazo [1,2-α] pyridine derivatives bearing 1,2,3-triazole moiety were designed, synthesized and evaluated for c-Met inhibitory potential and anticancer effect. The inhibitory activity of all synthesized compounds against c-Met kinase was evaluated by a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay at the concentration range of 5–25 µM. Derivatives 6d, 6e and 6f bearing methyl, tertiary butyl and dichloro-phenyl moieties on the triazole ring, respectively, were the compounds with the highest potential. They significantly inhibited c-Met by 55.3, 53.0 and 51.3%, respectively, at the concentration of 25 µM. Synthetic compounds showed antiproliferative effects against lung (EBC-1) and pancreatic cancer cells (AsPc-1, Suit-2 and Mia-PaCa-2) expressing different levels of c-Met, with IC50 values as low as 3.0 µM measured by sulforhodamine B assay. Active derivatives significantly blocked c-Met phosphorylation, inhibited cell growth in three-dimensional spheroid cultures and also induced apoptosis as revealed by Annexin V/propidium iodide flow cytometric assay in AsPc-1 cells. They also inhibited PDGFRA and FLT3 at 25 µM among a panel of 16 kinases. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation studies corroborated the experimental findings and revealed possible binding modes of the select derivatives with target receptor tyrosine kinases. The results of this study show that some imidazopyridine derivatives bearing 1,2,3-triazole moiety could be promising molecularly targeted anticancer agents against lung and pancreatic cancers.
Study of heart rate recovery and cardiovascular autonomic modulation in healthy participants after submaximal exercise
Authors: Facioli Tábata P. , Philbois Stella V. , Gastaldi Ada C. , Almeida Daniel S. , Maida Karina D. , Rodrigues Jhennyfer A. L. , Sánchez-Delgado Juan C. , Souza Hugo C. D.
Published: February 2021

Heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure variability (BPV), and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) provide important information on cardiovascular autonomic control. However, little is known about the reorganization of HRV, BPV, and BRS after aerobic exercise. While there is a positive relationship between heart rate (HR) recovery rate and cardiorespiratory fitness, it is unclear whether there is a relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and reorganization of cardiovascular autonomic modulation during recovery. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether cardiorespiratory fitness influences the cardiovascular autonomic modulation recovery, after a cardiopulmonary exercise test. Sixty men were assigned into groups according to their cardiorespiratory fitness: low cardiorespiratory fitness (LCF = VO2: 22–38 mL kg−1 min−1), moderate (MCF = VO2: 38–48 mL kg−1 min−1), and high (HCF = VO2 > 48 mL kg−1 min−1). HRV (linear and non-linear analysis) and BPV (spectral analysis), and BRS (sequence method) were performed before and after a cardiopulmonary exercise test. The groups with higher cardiorespiratory fitness had lower baseline HR values and HR recovery time after the cardiopulmonary exercise test. On comparing rest and recovery periods, the spectral analysis of HRV showed a decrease in low-frequency (LF) oscillations in absolute units and high frequency (HF) in absolute and normalized units. It also showed increases in LF oscillations of blood pressure. Nonlinear analysis showed a reduction in approximate entropy (ApEn) and in Poincare Plot parameters (SD1 and SD2), accompanied by increases in detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) parameters α1 and α2. However, we did not find differences in cardiovascular autonomic modulation parameters and BRS in relation to cardiorespiratory fitness neither before nor after the cardiopulmonary test. We concluded that cardiorespiratory fitness does not affect cardiovascular autonomic modulations after cardiopulmonary exercise test, unlike HR recovery.
Proton pump inhibitors associated acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease: data mining of US FDA adverse event reporting system
Authors: Wu Bin , Li Dan , Xu Ting , Luo Min , He Zhiyao , Li Yuwen
Published: February 2021

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were widely used. Observational studies suggested increasing risk of kidney injury in patients with PPIs treatment. We gathered six PPI regimens and adverse reports of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from 2004 to 2019. We employed reporting odds ratio (ROR) to detect signals. Finally, we identified 3187 PPIs-associated AKI cases and 3457 PPIs-associated CKD cases. We detected significant signals between PPIs and AKI as well as CKD. The signal strength was stronger for CKD (ROR = 8.80, 95% CI 8.49–9.13) than AKI (ROR = 3.95, 95% CI 3.81–4.10), while dexlansoprazole performed stronger association for CKD (ROR = 34.94, 95% CI 30.89–39.53) and AKI (ROR = 8.18, 95% CI 7.04–9.51) than the other five PPIs. The median time from PPIs use to event occurrence was 23 days for AKI and 177 days for CKD. PPIs-associated AKI resulted larger proportion of death, life-threatening, hospitalization and disability events than PPIs-associated CKD. By mining the FAERS big data, we provided more information between PPIs use and the AKI and CKD events. PPIs rational use should be repeatedly stressed.
Reduced angiovasculogenic and increased inflammatory profiles of cord blood cells in severe but not mild preeclampsia
Authors: Cho Seonggeon , Sohn Young-Doug , Kim Sangsung , Rajakumar Augustine , Badell Martina L. , Sidell Neil , Yoon Young-sup
Published: February 2021

Preeclampsia (PE) is a prevalent pregnancy disorder that leads to high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. While defective vascular development and angiogenesis in placenta are known as crucial pathological findings, its pathophysiological mechanism remains elusive. To better understand the effects of PE on angio-vasculogenesis and inflammatory networks in the fetus and to identify their biological signatures, we investigated the quantitative and functional characteristics of cord blood-derived mononuclear cells (CB-MNCs) and CD31-positive MNCs. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that the CB-MNCs from the severe PE group had significantly decreased number of cells expressing CD3, CD11b, CD14, CD19, KDR, and CD31 compared with the normal group. Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) shows down-regulation of the major angiogenic factor VEGFA in MNCs and CD31+ MNCs in severe PE. The major inflammatory cytokines IL1 was highly upregulated in CD31+ CB-MNCs in the severe PE patients. Mild PE patients, however, did not display any significant difference in expression of all measured angiogenic genes and most inflammatory genes. These findings show distinct angiogenic and inflammatory signatures from severe PE, and they may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of vascular defects in placenta of severe PE.
An exploratory assessment of stretch-induced transmural myocardial fiber kinematics in right ventricular pressure overload
Authors: Sharifi Kia Danial , Fortunato Ronald , Maiti Spandan , Simon Marc A. , Kim Kang
Published: February 2021

Right ventricular (RV) remodeling and longitudinal fiber reorientation in the setting of pulmonary hypertension (PH) affects ventricular structure and function, eventually leading to RV failure. Characterizing the kinematics of myocardial fibers helps better understanding the underlying mechanisms of fiber realignment in PH. In the current work, high-frequency ultrasound imaging and structurally-informed finite element (FE) models were employed for an exploratory evaluation of the stretch-induced kinematics of RV fibers. Image-based experimental evaluation of fiber kinematics in porcine myocardium revealed the capability of affine assumptions to effectively approximate myofiber realignment in the RV free wall. The developed imaging framework provides a noninvasive modality to quantify transmural RV myofiber kinematics in large animal models. FE modeling results demonstrated that chronic pressure overload, but not solely an acute rise in pressures, results in kinematic shift of RV fibers towards the longitudinal direction. Additionally, FE simulations suggest a potential protective role for concentric hypertrophy (increased wall thickness) against fiber reorientation, while eccentric hypertrophy (RV dilation) resulted in longitudinal fiber realignment. Our study improves the current understanding of the role of different remodeling events involved in transmural myofiber reorientation in PH. Future experimentations are warranted to test the model-generated hypotheses.
Radiomics signature on CECT as a predictive factor for invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma manifesting as subcentimeter ground glass nodules
Authors: Chen Wufei , Li Ming , Mao Dingbiao , Ge Xiaojun , Wang Jiaofeng , Tan Mingyu , Ma Weiling , Huang Xuemei , Lu Jinjuan , Li Cheng , Hua Yanqing , Wu Hao
Published: February 2021

Controversy and challenges remain regarding the cognition of lung adenocarcinomas presented as subcentimeter ground glass nodules (GGNs). Postoperative lymphatic involvement or intrapulmonary metastasis is found in approximately 15% to 20% of these cases. This study aimed to develop and validate a radiomics signature to identify the invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma appearing as subcentimeter ground glass nodules. We retrospectively enrolled 318 subcentimeter GGNs with histopathology-confirmed adenocarcinomas in situ (AIS), minimally invasive adenocarcinomas (MIA) and invasive adenocarcinomas (IAC). The radiomics features were extracted from manual segmentation based on contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) and non-contrast enhanced CT (NCECT) images after imaging preprocessing. The Lasso algorithm was applied to construct radiomics signatures. The predictive performance of radiomics models was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. A radiographic-radiomics combined nomogram was developed to evaluate its clinical utility. The radiomics signature on CECT (AUC: 0.896 [95% CI 0.815–0.977]) performed better than the radiomics signature on NCECT data (AUC: 0.851[95% CI 0.712–0.989]) in the validation set. An individualized prediction nomogram was developed using radiomics model on CECT and radiographic model including type, shape and vascular change. The C index of the nomogram was 0.915 in the training set and 0.881 in the validation set, demonstrating good discrimination. Decision curve analysis (DCA) revealed that the proposed model was clinically useful. The radiomics signature built on CECT could provide additional benefit to promote the preoperative prediction of invasiveness in patients with subcentimeter lung adenocarcinomas.
The multifunctional role of SPANX-A/D protein subfamily in the promotion of pro-tumoural processes in human melanoma
Authors: Urizar-Arenaza Itziar , Benedicto Aitor , Perez-Valle Arantza , Osinalde Nerea , Akimov Vyacheslav , Muñoa-Hoyos Iraia , Rodriguez Jose Antonio , Asumendi Aintzane , Boyano Maria Dolores , Blagoev Blagoy , Kratchmarova Irina , Subiran Nerea
Published: February 2021

Human sperm protein associated with the nucleus on the X chromosome (SPANX) genes encode a protein family (SPANX-A, -B, -C and -D), whose expression is limited to the testis and spermatozoa in normal tissues and various tumour cells. SPANX-A/D proteins have been detected in metastatic melanoma cells, but their contribution to cancer development and the underlying molecular mechanisms of skin tumourigenesis remain unknown. Combining functional and proteomic approaches, the present work describes the presence of SPANX-A/D in primary and metastatic human melanoma cells and how it promotes pro-tumoural processes such as cell proliferation, motility and migration. We provide insights into the molecular features of skin tumourigenesis, describing for the first time a multifunctional role of the SPANX-A/D protein family in nuclear function, energy metabolism and cell survival, considered key hallmarks of cancer. A better comprehension of the SPANX-A/D protein subfamily and its molecular mechanisms will help to describe new aspects of tumour cell biology and develop new therapeutic targets and tumour-directed pharmacological drugs for skin tumours.
Association between solid fuel use and cognitive decline among middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults: a longitudinal study
Authors: Ji Haoqiang , Du Liang , Sun Meng , Duan Yuxin , Xu Jia , Wu Ruiheng , Chen Xu , Pan Yuanping , Chen Yunting , Zhou Ling
Published: February 2021

This study was conducted to investigate (1) the association between solid fuel use for cooking and cognitive function; (2) the moderating effects of gender and residential area on cognitive scores among solid fuel users; and (3) the effects of solid fuel use on cognitive decline among different gender and age subgroups in 2011–2018. A total of 5140 Chinese middle-aged and elderly participants were successfully followed for 7 years (2011–2018). Solid fuel use was self-reported as using solid fuel for cooking at home, and cognitive function was assessed by 4 parts: episodic memory, time orientation, numerical ability and picture drawing. After adjusting for covariates, solid fuel users had lower cognitive scores, and the moderation effects of gender and residence on cognitive function were significant among the solid fuel users. In addition, compared with the group of clean fuel users, solid fuel users had a faster decline rate of cognitive function among the subgroups of female and elderly people.
The efficacy of single posterior debridement, bone grafting and instrumentation for the treatment of thoracic spinal tuberculosis
Authors: Yi Zhi , Song Qichun , Zhou Jiao , Zhou Yongchun
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of single posterior debridement, bone grafting and instrumentation for the treatment of thoracic spinal tuberculosis in adult patients. A retrospective analysis was conducted between June 2013 and September 2017of 88 adult patients with thoracic spinal tuberculosis. All patients were treated with single posterior debridement, bone grafting and instrumentation. The clinical manifestations and laboratory and imageological results were subsequently analysed. All patients were followed for 40.6 ± 4.1 months (range, 36–48 m). Bony fusion was achieved in all bone grafts of thoracic vertebrae. The visual analogue scale scores, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels 6 weeks after surgery and at the final follow up were significantly lower than the preoperative levels (P < 0.05). The postoperative and final follow up kyphosis angles were both significantly smaller than the preoperative kyphosis angles (P < 0.05). The postoperative angle correction rate reached 81.5% and the postoperative angle loss reached only 4.1%. At the last follow up, American Spinal Injury Association improvement was significant, compared with the preoperative levels (P < 0.05). The single posterior approach can achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes in the treatment of thoracic spinal tuberculosis.
New polyp image classification technique using transfer learning of network-in-network structure in endoscopic images
Authors: Kim Young Jae , Bae Jang Pyo , Chung Jun-Won , Park Dong Kyun , Kim Kwang Gi , Kim Yoon Jae
Published: February 2021

While colorectal cancer is known to occur in the gastrointestinal tract. It is the third most common form of cancer of 27 major types of cancer in South Korea and worldwide. Colorectal polyps are known to increase the potential of developing colorectal cancer. Detected polyps need to be resected to reduce the risk of developing cancer. This research improved the performance of polyp classification through the fine-tuning of Network-in-Network (NIN) after applying a pre-trained model of the ImageNet database. Random shuffling is performed 20 times on 1000 colonoscopy images. Each set of data are divided into 800 images of training data and 200 images of test data. An accuracy evaluation is performed on 200 images of test data in 20 experiments. Three compared methods were constructed from AlexNet by transferring the weights trained by three different state-of-the-art databases. A normal AlexNet based method without transfer learning was also compared. The accuracy of the proposed method was higher in statistical significance than the accuracy of four other state-of-the-art methods, and showed an 18.9% improvement over the normal AlexNet based method. The area under the curve was approximately 0.930 ± 0.020, and the recall rate was 0.929 ± 0.029. An automatic algorithm can assist endoscopists in identifying polyps that are adenomatous by considering a high recall rate and accuracy. This system can enable the timely resection of polyps at an early stage.
Legume-rhizobium specificity effect on nodulation, biomass production and partitioning of faba bean (Vicia faba L.)
Authors: Allito Bayou Bunkura , Ewusi-Mensah Nana , Logah Vincent , Hunegnaw Demelash Kefale
Published: February 2021

Greenhouse and multi-location experiments were conducted for two consecutive years to investigate the effects of rhizobium on nodulation, biomass production and partitioning of faba bean. Split-plot in randomized complete block design was used for field experiments. Treatments consisted of six rhizobium strains and three faba bean varieties. Peat carrier-based inoculant of each strain was applied at the rate of 10 g kg−1 seed. Non-inoculated plants without N fertilizer and with N fertilizer served as –N and + N controls, respectively. Data on nodulation, shoot dry weight and root dry weight were collected and analyzed. Inoculation of rhizobium significantly increased nodulation of faba bean under greenhouse and field conditions. Location x strain x variety interaction had significant effects on nodulation, dry matter production and partitioning. Rhizobium inoculation increased nodulation, shoot and root dry weights of faba bean across locations. For example, inoculation with rhizobium strains NSFBR-15 and NSFBR-12 to variety Moti resulted in 206.9 and 99.3% shoot dry weight increase at Abala Gase and Hankomolicha, respectively and 133.3 and 70.7% root dry weight increase on the same variety at the same sites, respectively. Nodulation and biomass production depend on the compatibility between faba bean genotype and rhizobium strain and its interaction with soil bio-physical conditions.
Sense-oriented AluYRa1 elements provide a lineage-specific transcription environment for polyadenylation
Authors: Cho Hyeon-Mu , Choe Se-Hee , Kim Young-Hyun , Park Hye-Ri , Lee Hee-Eun , Lee Ja-Rang , Park Sang-Je , Huh Jae-Won
Published: February 2021

Transposable elements cause alternative splicing (AS) in different ways, contributing to transcript diversification. Alternative polyadenylation (APA), one of the AS events, is related to the generation of mRNA isoforms in 70% of human genes. In this study, we tried to investigate AluYRa1s located at the terminal region of cynomolgus monkey genes, utilizing both computational analysis and molecular experimentation. We found that ten genes had AluYRa1 at their 3′ end, and nine of these AluYRa1s were sense-oriented. Furthermore, in seven genes, AluYRa1s were expected to have a similar consensus sequence for polyadenylation cleavage. Additional computational analysis using the annotation files from the UCSC database showed that AluYRa1 was more involved in polyadenylation than in open reading frame exon splicing. To examine the extent of AluYRa1 involvement in polyadenylation, RNA-seq data from 30 normal cynomolgus monkeys were analyzed using TAPAS, a recently devised software that detects all the promising polyadenylation sites including APA sites. We observed that approximately 74% of possible polyadenylation sites in the analyzed genes were provided by sense-oriented AluYRa1. In conclusion, AluYRa1 is an Old-World monkey-specific TE, and its sense-oriented insertion at the 3′UTR region tends to provide a favorable environment for polyadenylation, diversifying gene transcripts.
Investigation of Proteus vulgaris and Elizabethkingia meningoseptica invasion on muscle oxidative stress and autophagy in Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)
Authors: Li Hong-Hui , Bao Ling-Sheng , Deng Shi-Ming , Liu Li , Cheng Jia , Chen Xiao , Pan Ya-Xiong , Zhang Jian-She , Chu Wu-Ying
Published: February 2021

Muscle is an important structural tissue in aquatic animals and it is susceptible to bacterial and fungal infection, which could affect flesh quality and health. In this study, Chinese soft-shelled turtles were artificially infected with two pathogens, Proteus vulgaris and Elizabethkingia meningoseptica and the effects on muscle nutritional characteristics, oxidative stress and autophagy were assayed. Upon infection, the muscle nutritional composition and muscle fiber structure were notably influenced. Meanwhile, the mRNA expression of Nrf2 was down-regulated and Keap1 up-regulated, thus resulting in a decrease in antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress. However, with N-acetylcysteine treatment, the level of oxidative stress was decreased, accompanied by significant increases in antioxidant enzyme activities and the mRNA levels of SOD, CAT, GSTCD, and GSTO1. Interestingly, there was a significant increase in autophagy in the muscle tissue after the pathogen infection, but this increase could be reduced by N-acetylcysteine treatment. Our findings suggest that muscle nutritional characteristics were dramatically changed after pathogen infection, and oxidative stress and autophagy were induced by pathogen infection. However, N-acetylcysteine treatment could compromise the process perhaps by decreasing the ROS level and regulating Nrf2-antioxidant signaling pathways.
Vaccine advertising: preach to the converted or to the unaware?
Authors: Krupenkin Masha , Yom-Tov Elad , Rothschild David
Published: February 2021

Encouraging people to vaccinate is a challenging endeavor, but one which has tremendous public health benefits. Doing so requires overcoming barriers of awareness, availability, and (sometimes) vaccine hesitancy. Here we focus on nudging people to vaccinate through online advertising. We conducted a pre-registered online ads campaign encouraging people to vaccinate against three diseases: influenza, human papillomavirus, and herpes zoster. Ads were shown to ~69,000 people and were compared to similar ads shown to 8.6 million people. Outcome measures were clicks on ads and future searches for relevant terms. We find that ads have two main effects: First, a congruence effect whereby ads increase the likelihood of clicks and future searches by up to 116% in people who express an interest in the disease or the vaccine. Most commercial vaccine advertising is aimed entirely at this population. Second, we observed a priming effect, where ads shown to people who were searching for terms unrelated to the vaccine could be encouraged to click on them (odds ratios of 7.5–33.0) and, more often, search for the vaccine later (hazard ratios of 6.9–157.3). We provide analysis for optimizing vaccine advertising campaign budgets to balance the two populations. These findings demonstrate that digital advertising campaigns should consider not just advertising to direct keywords or to individuals that look exactly like existing customers, but consider tangential keywords that draw a wider target population who are likely earlier in their conversion funnel, thus increasing the number of people who vaccinate and maximizing vaccines uptake.
Internet search patterns reveal clinical course of COVID-19 disease progression and pandemic spread across 32 countries
Authors: Lu Tina , Reis Ben Y.
Published: February 2021

Effective public health response to novel pandemics relies on accurate and timely surveillance of pandemic spread, as well as characterization of the clinical course of the disease in affected individuals. We sought to determine whether Internet search patterns can be useful for tracking COVID-19 spread, and whether these data could also be useful in understanding the clinical progression of the disease in 32 countries across six continents. Temporal correlation analyses were conducted to characterize the relationships between a range of COVID-19 symptom-specific search terms and reported COVID-19 cases and deaths for each country from January 1 through April 20, 2020. Increases in COVID-19 symptom-related searches preceded increases in reported COVID-19 cases and deaths by an average of 18.53 days (95% CI 15.98–21.08) and 22.16 days (20.33–23.99), respectively. Cross-country ensemble averaging was used to derive average temporal profiles for each search term, which were combined to create a search-data-based view of the clinical course of disease progression. Internet search patterns revealed a clear temporal pattern of disease progression for COVID-19: Initial symptoms of fever, dry cough, sore throat and chills were followed by shortness of breath an average of 5.22 days (3.30–7.14) after initial symptom onset, matching the clinical course reported in the medical literature. This study shows that Internet search data can be useful for characterizing the detailed clinical course of a disease. These data are available in real-time at population scale, providing important benefits as a complementary resource for tracking pandemics, especially before widespread laboratory testing is available.
Simple sequence repeats drive genome plasticity and promote adaptive evolution in penaeid shrimp
Authors: Yuan Jianbo , Zhang Xiaojun , Wang Min , Sun Yamin , Liu Chengzhang , Li Shihao , Yu Yang , Gao Yi , Liu Fei , Zhang Xiaoxi , Kong Jie , Fan Guangyi , Zhang Chengsong , Feng Lu , Xiang Jianhai , Li Fuhua
Published: February 2021

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are rare (approximately 1%) in most genomes and are generally considered to have no function. However, penaeid shrimp genomes have a high proportion of SSRs (>23%), raising the question of whether these SSRs play important functional and evolutionary roles in these SSR-rich species. Here, we show that SSRs drive genome plasticity and adaptive evolution in two penaeid shrimp species, Fenneropenaeus chinensis and Litopenaeus vannamei. Assembly and comparison of genomes of these two shrimp species at the chromosome-level revealed that transposable elements serve as carriers for SSR expansion, which is still occurring. The remarkable genome plasticity identified herein might have been shaped by significant SSR expansions. SSRs were also found to regulate gene expression by multi-omics analyses, and be responsible for driving adaptive evolution, such as the variable osmoregulatory capacities of these shrimp under low-salinity stress. These data provide strong evidence that SSRs are an important driver of the adaptive evolution in penaeid shrimp.
Soft gold nanowire sponge antenna for battery-free wireless pressure sensors
Authors: Wang Kaixuan , Lin Fenge , Lai Daniel T. H. , Gong Shu , Kibret Behailu , Ali Muhammad Arslan , Yuce Mehmet Rasit , Cheng Wenlong
Published: February 2021

The past decade has witnessed growing interest in developing soft wearable pressure sensors with the ultimate goal of transforming today's hospital-centered diagnosis to tomorrow's patient-centered bio-diagnosis.
Anti-rheumatic effect of quercetin and recent developments in nano formulation
Authors: Guan Feng , Wang Qi , Bao Yongping , Chao Yimin
Published: February 2021

Quercetin is a potential anti-rheumatoid drug. Nano formulation strategies could improve its solubility and efficacy.
Adsorption of CO2on the ω-Fe (0001) surface: insights from density functional theory
Authors: Aravindh S. Assa , Cao Wei , Alatalo Matti , Huttula Marko , Kömi Jukka
Published: February 2021

Chemisorption of CO2on the ω-Fe (0001) surface for the most stable adsorption site.
Influence of low Bi contents on phase transformation properties of VO2 studied in a VO2:Bi thin film library
Authors: Wang Xiao , Rogalla Detlef , Kostka Aleksander , Ludwig Alfred
Published: February 2021

A VO2:Bi thin-film library was fabricated by reactive co-sputtering. The phase transformation temperature of VO2:Bi increases from 74.7 to 76.4 °C by 8 K/at% Bi in the range of 0.08–0.29 at% suggesting an effect of charge doping from Bi3+.
Tin-selenide as a futuristic material: properties and applications
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Rani Sanju , Singh Yogesh , Gour Kuldeep Singh , Singh Vidya Nand
Published: February 2021

SnSe/SnSe2 has diverse applications like solar cells, photodetectors, memory devices, Li and Na-ion batteries, gas sensors, photocatalysis, supercapacitors, topological insulators, resistive switching devices due to its optimal band gap.
Mechanism of N,N-dimethylformamide electrochemical oxidation using a Ti/RuO2–IrO2 electrode
Authors: Hu Xuyang , Dong Hao , Zhang Yinghao , Fang Baihui , Jiang Wenqiang
Published: February 2021

DEMS as an emerging technology was used to investigate the degradation mechanism of DMF.
Magnetic aerogel: an advanced material of high importance
Authors: Shah Nasrullah , Rehan Touseef , Li Xuemue , Tetik Halil , Yang Guang , Zhao Keren , Lin Dong
Published: February 2021

In this study, we overviewed the magnetic aerogel for the first time in terms of their major types and important applications, and have paved the way for the further research on this futuristic advanced material.
Determination of naphazoline HCl, pheniramine maleate and their official impurities in eye drops and biological fluid rabbit aqueous humor by a validated LC-DAD method
Authors: Kelani Khadiga M. , Hegazy Maha A. , Hassan Amal M. , Tantawy Mahmoud A.
Published: February 2021

Analysis of naphazoline HCl, pheniramine maleate and three selected impurities in their quinary mixture, eye drops and spiked rabbit aqueous humor.
Enabling superior hybrid capacitive deionization performance in NASICON-structured Na3MnTi(PO4)3/C by incorporating a two-species redox reaction
Authors: Wang Shiyong , Wang Gang , He Chi , Gao Ningbo , Lu Bing , Zhao Lin , Weng Jiaze , Zeng Shanshan , Li Changping
Published: February 2021

Na3MnTi(PO4)3/C with two-species redox reactions was evaluated as an HCDI electrode for the first time that showed a high CDI performance.
Nanopharmaceutical-based regenerative medicine: a promising therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury
Authors: Zhao Chen , Xing Zheng , Zhang Chunchen , Fan Yubo , Liu Haifeng
Published: February 2021

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe neurological disease with unclear pathological mechanisms. This review summarizes and elaborates on the research progress as well as the challenges and future of nanopharmaceuticals in the treatment of SCI.
Application of nanomaterials in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Zheng Miaomiao , Jia Huiju , Wang Huangwei , Liu Linhong , He Zhesheng , Zhang Zhiyong , Yang Wenzhi , Gao Liang , Gao Xueyun , Gao Fuping
Published: February 2021

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease, which mainly causes inflammation of the synovial joints and destruction of cartilage and bone tissue.
Correction: Iridium-catalyzed enantioselective olefinic C(sp2)–H allylic alkylation
Authors: Sarkar Rahul , Mukherjee Santanu
Published: February 2021

Correction for ‘Iridium-catalyzed enantioselective olefinic C(sp2)–H allylic alkylation’ by Rahul Sarkar et al., Chem. Sci., 2021, DOI: 10.1039/d0sc06208a.
Phototunable memories and reconfigurable logic applications based on natural melanin
Authors: Chen Meng , Lv Ziyu , Qian Fangsheng , Wang Yan , Xing Xuechao , Zhou Kui , Wang Junjie , Huang Shenming , Han Su-Ting , Zhou Ye
Published: February 2021

An optoelectronic memristive device based on a natural melanin thin film is demonstrated.
Event‐based control tuning of propofol and remifentanil coadministration for general anaesthesia
Authors: Merigo Luca , Padula Fabrizio , Latronico Nicola , Paltenghi Massimiliano , Visioli Antonio
Published: February 2021

In this study, the authors present robust tuning rules for an event‐based control architecture for the automatic regulation of the depth of hypnosis in anaesthesia. The authors' control system uses propofol and remifentanil coadministration as control variables and the bispectral index as controlled variable. The control system is based on a PIDPlus controller combined with an event generator that detects significant variations of the BIS signal, thus providing strong filtering of the noise. A fixed ratio between the drug infusions allows the anaesthesiologist to explicitly regulate the opioid–hypnotic balance of the anaesthesia. The tuning rules are developed by solving a min–max optimisation problem that optimises the worst‐case scenario over a given data set of patient models. A gain scheduling strategy yields optimal performance in both the induction and the maintenance phases of anaesthesia. Finally, through the Monte Carlo method, they validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach on a general population, and the robustness to the intra‐ and inter‐patient variability for different infusion balances.
Optimised approach of feature selection based on genetic and binary state transition algorithm in the classification of bearing fault in BLDC motor
Authors: Lee Chun‐Yao , Le Truong‐An
Published: February 2021

This study represents an effective approach for detection and classification of bearing faults in brushless DC (BLDC) motors based on hall‐sensor signal analysis. The envelope analysis and Hilbert–Huang transform are used to extract features from the time and frequency domains of each signal. A new feature selection technique is proposed based on the combination of the genetic algorithm strength and the advantage of the binary state transition algorithm. The genetic algorithm explores search space through cross‐over operator while the binary state transition algorithm is based on four special transformation operators in the local exploitation capabilities. The artificial neural network and support vector machine are used as the classifier. Each model is separately analysed and compared, leading to a high possibility to distinguish the bearing faults.
Optimal allocation of STATCOM for enhancing LVRT capability of wind farms using Taguchi method
Authors: Hong Ying‐Yi , Nguyen Manh‐Tuan
Published: February 2021

As a result of the increasing penetration of renewables in power systems, wind farms (WFs) have to satisfy the low‐voltage ride‐through (LVRT) requirement to stay connected to the power grid under fault conditions. This study proposes a novel method that uses the static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) to improve the LVRT capability of WFs during grid faults. The proposed method is based on the Taguchi method which involves orthogonal experiments. The allocation (locations and sizes) and fuzzy control gains of STATCOM are determined by the analysis of mean (ANOM) technique as part of the Taguchi method to achieve a robust design that is insensitive to variations of operating conditions and faults. The optimal STATCOM that is obtained by the proposed method is validated in both a single WF‐infinite bus power system and the IEEE 39‐bus power system. The simulation results show that the proposed method can enhance the LVRT capability of WFs.
High‐step‐up enhanced super‐lift converter
Authors: Shirzadi Mahdi , Dehghan Seyed Mohammad , Najafi Ehsan
Published: February 2021

This study proposes a new high step‐up DC–DC converter based on a novel super‐lift structure and coupled inductor. The energy stored in the leakage inductance of the coupled inductor is recovered to the converter output, which leads to a snubber‐less operation and consequently a fewer‐component, lower‐cost and more‐efficient converter. This feature also reduces voltage stress and the current peak of the active switch without using a snubber circuit. Analysis of continuous current mode of the proposed converter considering the leakage inductance has been demonstrated. Moreover, a comparison between several converters has been done for further information about similar research works. Experimental results such as voltage and current waveforms and efficiency curve have been presented to show the practical characteristics of the proposed converter.