bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KERAGAMAN DAN POTENSI JAMUR DI HUTAN KOTA SEMARANG, JAWA TENGAH (Diversity and Potency of Macrofungi at City Forest Of Semarang, Central Java)
Authors:   Komunitas Pemburu Jamur Indonesia, Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Augustinus Ferry , Permana Putra Ivan ,   Divisi Mikologi, Departemen Biologi, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Jalan Agatis, Kampus IPB, Darmaga, Jawa Barat
Published: November 2021

Jamur merupakan organisme yang sering terabaikan pada saat pencatatan keragaman hayati di Indonesia. Hingga saat ini, data mengenai diversitas jamur di Indonesia masih sangat rendah. Padahal, organisme ini memilki berbagai manfaat dan mudah ditemukan pada berbagai relung ekologi di Indonesia. Kawasan hutan di sekitar pemukiman perkotaan merupakan tempat yang jarang memiliki catatan keragaman dan potensi pemanfaatan jamur. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menyediakan informasi awal mengenai keragaman jamur di di Kecamatan Gunungpati, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah. Sebanyak10 jamur berhasil diidentifikasi dan dipertelakan pada penelitian ini. Seluruh jamur tersebut merupakan bagian dari filum Basidiomycota yang terbagi ke dalam 6 ordo dan 9 famili. Jamur-jamur tersebut adalah: Auricularia cf. nigricans, Tremella cf. fuciformis, Gymnopus sp., Coprinellus sect. Domestici, Macrocybe sp., Lycoperdon cf. curtisii, Ganoderma sp., Lentinus cf. sajor-caju, Mutinus cf. elegans, dan Geastrum sp. Beberapa jamur diketahui memiliki potensi sebagai bahan pangan (Auricularia cf. nigricans, Coprinellus sect. Domestici, Macrocybe sp., Lycoperdon cf. curtisii, dan Lentinus cf. sajor-caju) dan obat (Auricularia cf. nigricans, Ganoderma sp. dan Tremella cf. fuciformis). Laporan ini merupakan catatan pertama mengenai keragaman jamur di lokasi penelitian dan diharapkan mampu untuk dijadikan sebagai bahan diseminasi ilmu mikologi oleh berbagai pihak terkait.
Pseudo-static Simplified Analysis Method of the Pile-liquefiable Soil Interaction Considering Rate-dependent Characteristics
Authors: Zhang Xinlei , Ji Zhanpeng , Gao Hongmei , Wang Zhihua , Li Wenwen
Published: November 2021

The lateral pressure generated by liquefied soil on pile is a critical parameter in the analysis of soil-pile interaction in liquefaction-susceptible sites. Previous studies have shown that liquefied sand behaves like a non-Newton fluid, and its effect on piles has rate-dependent properties. In this study, a simplified pseudo-static method for liquefiable soil-pile interaction analysis is proposed by treating the liquefied soil as a thixotropic fluid, which considers the rate-dependent behavior. The viscous shear force generated by the relative movement between the viscous fluid (whose viscosity coefficient varies with excess pore pressure and shear strain rate) and the pile was assumed to be the lateral load on the pile. The results from the simplified analysis show that the distribution of bending moment is in good agreement with experiments data. Besides, the effects of various parameters, including relative density, thickness ratio of non-liquefiable layer to liquefiable layer, and frequency of input ground motion, on the pile-soil rate-dependent interaction were discussed in detail.
Development of A Methodology For Predicting Landslide Hazards At A Regional Scale
Authors: Richer Blanche , Saeidi Ali , Boivin Maxime , Rouleau Alain
Published: November 2021

Landslide risk analysis is a common geotechnical evaluation and aims to protect life and infrastructure. In the case of sensitive clay zones, landslides can affect large areas and are difficult to predict. Here we propose a methodology to determine the landslide hazard across a large territory, and we apply our approach to the Saint-Jean-Vianney area, Quebec, Canada. The initial step consists of creating a 3D model of the surficial deposits of the target area. After creating a chart of the material electrical resistivity adapted for eastern Canada, we applied electric induction to interpret the regional soil. We collected samples from the main lithologies and estimated selected soil geotechnical parameters in laboratory tests. We transposed parameter values obtained from the samples to a larger scale that of a slope using the results of a back analysis undertaken on an earlier, smaller slide within the same area. The regional 3D model of deposits is then used to develop a zonation map of at-risk slopes and their respective constraint areas with the study region. This approach allowed us to target specific areas where a more precise stability analysis would be required. Our methodology offers an effective tool for stability analysis in territories characterized by the presence of sensitive clays.
B4/32Ga28/32Sb10/32As22/32 Three-Dimensional Semiconductor Superlattice
Authors: Elyukhin Viacheslav , Sierra Ramon Peña
Published: November 2021

Self-assembly of BD -rich A x B 1-x C y D 1-y was studied for a lot of semiconductor alloys. An occurrence of identical clustersshould be due to a decrease of the bond energy, internal strain energy or both of them. An arrangement of the clusters is disordered since the contents of minority atoms are in the dilute or ultra dilute limits in the considered alloys. B 4/32 Ga 28/32 Sb 10/32 As 22/32 semiconductor alloy with the three-dimensional superlattice is presented. This superlattice should be stable against disordering due to its minimal free energy. The superlattice forms by the identical cubic units consisting of 64 atoms and is the three-dimensional semiconductor soft X-ray diffraction grating.
Toll-Like Receptor 2 Promotes Breast Cancer Progression and Resistance to Chemotherapy
Authors: Lorenzo Antonino Di , Bolli Elisabetta , Ruiu Roberto , Ferrauto Giuseppe , Gregorio Enza Di , Avalle Lidia , Merighi Irene Fiore , Riccardo Federica , Quaglino Elena , Cavallo Federica , Conti Laura
Published: November 2021

Background. Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer death in women, due to the development of resistance to current therapies, including chemotherapy. Since breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) are the main drivers of therapy resistance and disease progression, chemoresistance might be prevented targeting the molecules that promote their self-renewal. We previously demonstrated that Toll-like Receptor (TLR)2 is overexpressed in CSCs, which exploit it to promote their self-renewal through an autocrine loop initiated by high mobility group box (HMGB)1. TLR2 expression in BC is associated with poor prognosis in patients, suggesting that it could be a good target for BC therapies.Methods. We generated and characterized TLR2WT and TLR2KO autochthonous mammary cancer mouse models. In-vitro and in-vivo studies were performed to assess the efficacy of TLR2 silencing and inhibition in combination with chemotherapy.Results. TLR2KO mice displayed delayed tumor onset, increased survival, and reductions in CSC and T regulatory cell frequency, compared to TLR2WT mice. Transplantation experiments using TLR2WT and TLR2KO cells injected subcutaneously into TLR2WT and TLR2KO mice showed that TLR2 mainly acts via cancer-cell-intrinsic mechanisms, such as increased cell survival and CSC self-renewal. Moreover, TLR2 promoted cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy following the doxorubicin-induced release of HMGB1. Thus, TLR2 inhibitors impaired the viability and induced the apoptosis of BC cells and exerted a synergistic effect when administered with chemotherapy both in-vitro and in-vivo. Conclusions. We have demonstrated that TLR2 inhibitors reinstate BC response to chemotherapy, opening new perspectives for the treatment of BC patients.
Rendering Bio-Inert Low Density Polyethylene Amenable For Biodegradation Via Fast High Throughput Reactive Extrusion Assisted Oxidation
Authors: Ferrero Pablo , Attallah Olivia A. , Valera Miguel Ángel , Aleksic Ivana , Azeem Muhammad , Nikodinovic-Runic Jasmina , Fournet Margaret Brennan
Published: November 2021

An energy efficient high throughput pre-treatment of low density polyethylene (LDPE) using a fast reactive extrusion (REX) assisted oxidation technique followed by bacterial attachment as an indicator for bio-amenability was studied. Silicon dioxide (SiO2) was selected as a model oxidizing and catalytic reagent with the REX process demonstrated to be effective both in the presence and absence of the catalyst. Optimized 5-minute duration pretreatment conditions were determined using Box-Behnken design (BBD) with respect to screws speed, operating temperature, and concentration of SiO2. The crystallinity index, carbonyl index and weight loss (%) of LDPE were used as the studied responses for BDD. FTIR and DSC spectra of the residual LDPE obtained after pretreatment with the REX assisted oxidation technique showed a significant increase in residual LDPE carbonyl index from 0 to 1.04 and a decrease of LDPE crystallinity index from 29% to 18%. Up to 5-fold molecular weight reductions were also demonstrated using GPC. Optimum LDPE pretreatment with a duration of 5 minutes was obtained at low screw speed (50 rpm), operating temperature of 380-390⁰C and variable concentration of SiO2 (0 and 2% (w/w)) indicating that effective pretreatment can occur under noncatalytic and catalysed conditions. Biofilms were successfully formed on pretreated LDPE samples after 14 days of incubation.Furthermore, the technique proposed in this study is expected to provide a high throughput approach for pretreatment of pervasive recalcitrant PE based plastics to reduce their bio inertness.
Enhanced Breakdown Voltage of Si-GaN Monolithic Heterogeneous Integrated Cascode FETs by the Device Structure Design
Authors: Zhang Jiaqi , Zhang Weihang , Wan Jing , Yang Guofang , Cheng Ya’nan , Zhang Yachao , Chen Dazheng , Zhao Shenglei , Zhang Jincheng , Zhang Chunfu , Hao Yue
Published: November 2021

In this work, the factors affecting the breakdown voltage of Si-GaN monolithic heterogeneous integrated Casccode FET fabricated by transfer printing were investigated. These two factors are the avalanche breakdown resistance of the Si device and the thickness of SiN electrical isolation layer. Two kinds of device structures, Si MOSFET and Si laterally-diffused MOSFET (LDMOSFET), were designed to study the effect of the avalanche breakdown resistance of the Si devices on the breakdown characteristics of Cascode FET. The effect of the thickness of SiN electrical isolation layer was analyzed. Finally, the breakdown voltage of monolithic integrated Cascode FET reached 770 V.
The Prognostic Significance of The Absolute Counts of Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets In Patients With Advanced Gastric Cancer
Authors: Zhang Guan , Xia Ying , Liu Aqing , Yang Yanjie , Li Wentao , Liu Yunhe , Zhang Jing , Cui Qian , Wang Dong , Liu Xu , Guo Yongtie , Chen Huayu , Yu Jianchun
Published: November 2021

Background: At present, the percentages of lymphocyte subsets (PL) which mainly include CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, B and NK cells are widely focused in tumor clinic, but the absolute counts of lymphocyte subsets (ACL) are seldom concerned yet. The clinical significance and value of ACL are not clear. It is still unclear whether the immune status of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients, especially the PL and ACL of peripheral blood, are closely related to the disease progression and prognosis.Methods: The research was a retrospective cohort study, which including 291 patients with untreated AGC and 63 normal controls (NCs). The PL and ACL of peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry based single-platform method. The end points were progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).Results: Compared to NCs, the percentages of CD3+, CD3+CD4+ and NK cells were no significantly different, but that of CD3+CD8+ and B cells were decrease in all AGC patients (AGCs) obviously (p = 0.022; p = 0.004, respectively). The AC of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, B and NK cells were significantly lower than those in the NCs (p﹤0.001). The percentages of CD3+CD8+ and B cells in AGCs with stage Ⅲ were lower than those in NCs (p = 0.032; p =0.036, respectively). But, the AC of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, B and NK cells in AGCs with stage Ⅲ were all significantly decrease than that of NCs (p < 0.001). Compared with normal controls, only the percentage of B cells in AGCs with stage IV was lower (p = 0.005), while the ACL in AGCs with stage IV were all significantly lower (p﹤0.001). There was no significant difference in the percentage between stage Ⅳ and Ⅲ, but the ACL in AGCs with stage Ⅳ were significantly lower than those in stage Ⅲ (p ≤ 0.001). The results showed that the ACL in AGCs were significantly impaired and were closely related to the progression of the disease. The Binary logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier showed that patients with high ACL had longer PFS and OS than those with low ACL (p < 0.0001, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that when the number of CD3+CD4+ cells were more than 405 cells/μL, the PFS and OS of AGCs were significantly prolonged (HR 0.192, 95% CI [0.092 to 0.398], p﹤0.001; HR 0.196, 95% CI [0.093 to 0.411], p﹤0.001, respectively), and the sensitivity and specificity were the most obvious.Conclusion: The ACL in AGCs were significantly impaired, and were closely related to PFS and OS. Thereinto, the AC of CD3+CD4+ cells was the most sensitive and specific parameter for the prognosis of AGCs and have more important clinical value.Chinese Clinic Trial Registry number: ChiCTR-IOR-17014139; Registry date: 2017/12/25.
Parity and gestational age are associated with vaginal microbiota composition in term and late term pregnancies
Authors: Kervinen Kaisa , Holster Tiina , Saqib Schahzad , Virtanen Seppo , Stefanovic Vedran , Rahkonen Leena , Nieminen Pekka , Salonen Anne , Kalliala Ilkka
Published: November 2021

Vaginal microbiota and its potential contribution to preterm birth has been under intense research in recent years. However, only few studies have studied vaginal microbiota in later stages of pregnancy or at the onset of labor. We analyzed vaginal swab samples collected between 37- and 42-weeks of gestation from 324 Finnish women before elective cesarean section, at the onset of spontaneous labor, and in pregnancies continuing beyond 41 weeks of gestation. Vaginal microbiota composition associated strongly with parity, i.e. previous deliveries, and advancing gestational age. Absence of previous deliveries was a strong predictor of L. crispatus dominated vaginal microbiota, and the relative abundance of L. crispatus was higher in late term pregnancies, especially among nulliparous women. The results underscore the importance of the vaginal microbiota for improving the currently limited understanding on how the duration of gestation and timing of birth is regulated, with potentially vast clinical utilities.
Examining the Views of Operating Room Nurses and Physicians on the Relationship between Professional Values and Professional Communication
Authors: yeganeh Sedigheh , Torabizadeh Camellia , Bahmani Tayebeh , molazem Zahra , Doust Hamed yeganeh , Dehnavi Samira Daneshvar
Published: November 2021

Purpose: Professional communication and professional values are two basic concepts in operating rooms and should be studied more closely in view of the nature of work, the high circulation of patients in operating rooms. Methods: The present work is a descriptive-analytic study with a cross-sectional design. The sample was 603 operating room doctors and personnel selected from the public hospitals of Shiraz. The data collection instruments were the 41-item professional communication questionnaire and the 26-item professional values scale.Result: Results shows the operating room nurses and doctors were found to perceive the status of professional communication and professional values to be satisfactory. About professional communications, the participants’ perception of the domains of mutual respect and trust (p≤0.001), teamwork (p≤0.001), ethical competence (p≤0.017), and workplace conflicts (p≤0.001) was significant. About professional values, only the dimension of care (p≤0.016) was perceived to be significant. Moreover, a significant positive relationship was found to exist between professional communication and professional values (p≤0.001). conclusion: Considering the significance of the concept of professional communication and its connection with professional values, it is recommended that operating room personnel and doctors receive systematic education about professional communication and the harms of destructive attitudes as part of their academic education and afterwards.
A Parallel Turbo Decoder Based on Recurrent Neural Network
Authors: Zhang Li , fu weihong , Shi Fan , Zhou Chunhua , Liu Yongyuan
Published: November 2021

A neural network-based decoder, based on a long short-term memory (LSTM) network, is proposed to solve the problem of high decoding delay caused by the poor parallelism of existing decoding algorithms for turbo codes. The powerful parallel computing and feature learning ability of neural networks can reduce the decoding delay of turbo codes and bit error rates simultaneously. The proposed decoder refers to a unique component coding concept of turbo codes. First, each component decoder is designed based on an LSTM network. Next, each layer of the component decoder is trained, and the trained weights are loaded into the turbo code decoding neural network as initialization parameters. Then, the turbo code decoding network is trained end-to-end. Finally, a complete turbo decoder is realized. Simulation results show that the performance of the proposed decoder is improved by 0.5–1.5 dB compared with the traditional serial decoding algorithm in Gaussian white noise and t-distribution noise. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the proposed decoder can be used in communication systems with various turbo codes and that it solves the problem of high delay in serial iterative decoding.
Reconstructing Herbivore Diets: A Multivariate Statistical Approach To Interpreting Compound-Specific Isotope Values
Authors: Chen Mickey Hong Yi , Kendall Iain P. , Evershed Richard P. , Bogaard Amy , Styring Amy K.
Published: November 2021

Stable nitrogen (N) isotope analysis of bulk tissues is a technique for reconstructing the diets of organisms. However, bulk nitrogen isotope (δ15N) values can be influenced by a variety of metabolic and environmental factors that can confound accurate dietary reconstruction. Compound-specific isotope analyses of amino acids (CSIA-AA) have demonstrated the power of the approach in understanding how the δ15N values of bulk collagen are assembled from the constituent AAs. Furthermore, by connecting these AA δ15N values within a robust biochemical framework interpretation of diet and environment are greatly enhanced. Several new proxies have emerged, built around selected AAs; however, the interconnectedness of AA biosynthetic pathways means that patterning of δ15N values across a wider suite of collagen AAs will occur under different environmental or dietary influences. This work seeks to test this idea by situating CSIA-AA within a robust statistical framework using principal component analysis (PCA) and Bayesian statistics to increase the interpretability of a wider range of AA δ15N values in terms of reconstructing herbivore diet. The model was tested using wild and domestic herbivores from the Neolithic settlements of Çatalhöyük (Turkey), Makriyalos (Greece), and Vaihingen (Germany) as case studies. It was found that at Makriyalos there was a sharp separation between domesticated and wild herbivores, which was present to a lesser extent at Çatalhöyük and not observed at Vaihingen. The case studies presented in this work demonstrate that multivariate statistical treatment of CSIA-AA data can deliver new insights into herbivore diet, exceeding those achievable with the Bayesian model.
Human Urine-Derived Stem Cells Improve Partial Bladder Outlet Obstruction in Rats: Preliminary Data And microRNA-mRNA Expression Profile
Authors: Tu Menjiang , Wang Rui , Zhu Pei , Wang Qingqing , Sun Bishao , Lu Keshi , Zhang Jiawei , Xie Weijie , Guo Huan , Li Shulin , Wu Yuqi , Wang Xiangwei
Published: November 2021

Partial bladder outlet obstruction (pBOO) often results in bladder tissue inflammation and remodeling. As human urine-derived stem cells (USCs) have demonstrated therapeutic benefits, we used a rat model to investigate the effect of USCs on bladder function and explore the miRNA and gene expression profiles in bladder tissue using RNA sequencing. Eighteen rats were assigned to a sham surgery group, pBOO group, and pBOO+USC group (six biweekly treatments). Routine urodynamic monitoring, analysis of detrusor muscle strips, and pathophysiology assessments were conducted. Finally, altered miRNA and mRNA expression profiles of bladder tissue were examined using RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. After USC treatment, elevated bladder compliance and maximal voiding pressure, declined end filling pressure and voided volume, and improved detrusor muscle contractility and carbachol sensitivity were found. Histology and TUNEL assay revealed reduced collagen deposition and muscle cell apoptosis in bladder tissue. The differential expression of eight miRNAs was reversed by USC treatment. Two large nodes (miR-142 and miR-9a) were identified in the miRNA‑gene interaction network in the USC-treated group. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed enrichment of multiple significant pathways, including those involved in necroptosis and cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions. This is the first study to demonstrate the protective effect of USCs on bladder function and remodeling in pBOO rats. The miRNA and mRNA expression levels differed in the bladder of pBOO rats with and without USC treatment. Although the mechanism underlying these effects has not been fully elucidated, necroptosis and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction-related pathways may be involved.
Taste and chemical composition as drives for utilitarian redundancy and equivalence: a case study in local medical systems in Northeastern Brazil
Authors: REINALDO RAFAEL CORRÊA PROTA DOS SANTOS , Santoro Flávia Rosa , ALBUQUERQUE ULYSSES PAULINO , MEDEIROS PATRÍCIA MUNIZ
Published: November 2021

Background
We aimed to verify whether the taste and chemical composition influence the selection of plants in each medicinal category, whether within a socio-ecological system or between different socio-ecological systems. To this end, we use the theoretical bases of the Utilitarian Redundancy Model and the Utilitarian Equivalence Model. We studied the local medical systems of four rural communities in northeastern Brazil, used as models to test our assumptions.
Methods
The data on medicinal plants and local therapeutic function were obtained from semi-structured interviews associated with the free-listing method, allowing to generate indexes of similarity of therapeutic use between the plants cited in each region. During the interviews, each informer was also asked to report the tastes of the plants cited. Subsequently, we classified each plant in each region according to the most cited taste. The data about the chemical composition of each plant were obtained from a systematic review, using Web of Knowledge and Scopus databases.
Results
Pairs of plants with similar tastes are 1.46 times more likely to have the same therapeutic function within a local medical system (redundancy), but not between medical systems (equivalence). We also find that chemical compounds are not primarily responsible for utilitarian redundancy and equivalence. However, there was a tendency for alkaloids to be doubly present with greater expressiveness in pairs of equivalent plants.
Conclusions
The results indicate that each social group can create its means of using the organoleptic characteristics as clues to select new species as medicinal. Furthermore, this study corroborates the main prediction of the Utilitarian Equivalence Model, that people in different environments choose plants with traits in common for the same functions.
Can Integrative Oncology Increase Adherence to Chemotherapy in Advanced Gynecologic Cancer?
Authors: Ben-Arye Eran , Nijk Naama , Lavie Ofer , Gressel Orit , Schiff Elad , Samuels Noah
Published: November 2021

Objective
Integrative oncology (IO) has been shown to improve quality-of-life (QoL) and increase adherence to planned chemotherapy regimens. This study examined the impact of a patient-tailored IO program on adherence to chemotherapy among patients with advanced gynecological cancer.
Methods
This prospective pragmatic study examined patients with stage III/IV gynecological cancers undergoing 6 weeks of weekly IO treatments. Adherence to the planned chemotherapy regimen was assessed using the relative dose intensity (RDI) calculation. Patients consistently attending IO treatments (consistent-IO group) were compared to those who were not (non-consistent IO group).
Results
RDI was calculated for 73 patients in the consistent-IO group (99 chemotherapy cycles) and 61 in the non-consistent-IO group (96 cycles with IO care, 126 cycles without). Both groups had similar baseline demographic characteristics, with endometrial cancer more prevalent in the consistent-IO group. RDI was significantly less reduced in the consistent-IO chemotherapy group (p = 0.005). During taxane-based regimens RDI was better maintained in the consistent-IO group (0.93 vs. 0.87, p = 0.012), though not with platinum-based cycles. Linear regression model found a correlation between preserved RDI and consistent attendance at weekly IO treatments, and lower rates of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and pain.
Conclusion
Patient-tailored IO programs for patients with advanced gynecological cancer may help preserve adherence to chemotherapy at 6 weeks, especially with taxane-based regimens. Further research needs to explore whether this correlation is chemotherapy agent-specific.
Sustainment of Diverse Evidence-Based Practices Disseminated in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA): Development and Administration of a Pragmatic Instrument
Authors: Reardon Caitlin , Nevedal Andrea , Widerquist Marilla A. Opra , Arasim Maria , Jackson George L. , White Brandolyn , Cutrona Sarah L. , Fix Gemmae M. , Gifford Allen L. , DeLaughter Kathryn , King Heather A. , Henderson Blake , Vega Ryan , Damschroder Laura
Published: November 2021

Background There are challenges associated with measuring sustainment of evidence-based practices (EBPs). First, the terms sustainability and sustainment are often falsely conflated: sustainability assesses the likelihood of an EBP being in use in the future while sustainment assesses the extent to which an EBP is (or is not) in use. Second, grant funding often ends before sustainment can be assessed. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Diffusion of Excellence (DoE) is one of few large-scale models of diffusion; it seeks to identify and disseminate practices across the VHA system. The DoE sponsors “Shark Tank” competitions, in which leaders bid on the opportunity to implement a practice with 6 months of implementation support. As part of an ongoing evaluation of the DoE, we sought to develop and administer a pragmatic instrument to assess sustainment of DoE practices.Methods In June 2020, surveys were sent to 64 facilities that were part of the DoE evaluation. We began analysis by comparing alignment of quantitative and qualitative responses; some facility representatives reported in the open text box of the survey that their practice was on a temporary hold due to COVID-19 but answered the primary outcome question differently. As a result, the team reclassified the primary outcome of these facilities to Sustained: Temporary COVID-Hold. Following this reclassification, the number and percent of facilities in each category was calculated. We used directed content analysis, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), to analyze open text box responses. Results A representative from forty-one facilities (64%) completed the survey. Among responding facilities, 29/41 sustained their practice, 1/41 partially sustained their practice, 8/41 had not sustained their practice, and 3/41 had never implemented their practice. Sustainment rates increased between Cohorts 1 – 4. Conclusions The development and administration of our pragmatic survey allowed us to assess sustainment of DoE practices. Planned updates to the survey will enable flexibility in assessing sustainment and its determinants at any phase after adoption. This assessment approach can flex with the longitudinal and dynamic nature of sustainment, including capturing nuances in outcomes when practices are on a temporary hold.
A Web-based Prediction Model for Overall Survival of Elderly Patients With Malignant Bone Tumors: a Population-based Study
Authors: Tang Jie , Wang Jinkui , Pan Xiudan
Published: November 2021

Background: Malignant bone tumors(MBT) are one of the causes of death in elderly patients. The purpose of our study is to establish a nomogram to predict the overall survival(OS) of elderly patients with MBT.Methods: The clinicopathological data of all elderly patients with MBT from 2004 to 2018 were downloaded from the SEER database. They were randomly assigned to the training set (70%) and validation set (30%). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for elderly patients with MBT. A nomagram was built based on these risk factors to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS of elderly patients with MBT. Then, used the consistency index (C-index), calibration curve, and the area under the receiver operating curve(AUC) to evaluate the accuracy and discrimination of the prediction model. Decision curve analysis(DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical potential application value of nomogram. Based on the scores on the nomogram, patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curve was used to test the difference in survival between the two groups of patients.Results: A total of 1641 patients were included, and they were randomly assigned to the training set (N=1156) and the validation set (N=485). The univariate and multivariate analysis of the training set suggested that age, sex, race, primary site, histologic type, grade, stage, M stage, surgery, and tumor size were independent risk factors for elderly patients with MBT. The C-index of the training set and the validation set were 0.779[0.759-0.799] and 0.801[0.772-0.830], respectively. The AUC of the training set and the validation set also showed similar results. The calibration curves of the training set and the validation set both showed that the observed value and the predicted value were highly consistent. DCA suggested that the nomogram had potential clinical value compared with traditional TNM staging.Conclusion: We had established a new nomogram to predict the 1-, 3-, 5-year OS of elderly patients with MBT. This predictive model can help doctors and patients develop treatment plans and follow-up strategies.
Applied causal inference methods for sequential mediators
Authors: Zugna Daniela , Popovic Maja , Heude Barbara , Fasanelli Francesca , Scelo Ghislaine , Richiardi Lorenzo
Published: November 2021

Background: Mediation analysis aims at estimating to what extent the effect of an exposure on an outcome is explained by a set of mediators on the causal pathway between the exposure and the outcome. The total effect of the exposure on the outcome can be decomposed into an indirect effect, i.e. the effect explained by the mediators jointly, and a direct effect, i.e. the effect unexplained by the mediators. However finer decompositions are possible in presence of independent or sequential mediators. Methods: We review four statistical methods to analyse multiple sequential mediators , the inverse odds ratio weighting approach, the inverse probability weighting approach, the imputation approach and the extended imputation approach. These approaches are compared and implemented using a case-study with the aim to investigate the role of adverse reproductive outcomes and infant respiratory infections on infant wheezing in the Ninfea birth cohort. Results: Using the inverse odds ratio weighting approach, the direct effect of maternal depression or anxiety in pregnancy is equal to a 59% (95% CI: 27%-94%) increased prevalence of infant wheezing and the mediated effect through adverse reproductive outcomes is equal to a 3% (95% CI:-6%-12%) increased prevalence of infant wheezing. When including infant lower respiratory infections in the mediation pathway, the direct effect decreases to 57% (95% CI: 25%-92%) and the indirect effect increases to 5% (95% CI:-5%,15%). The estimates of the effects obtained using the weighting and the imputation approaches are similar. The extended imputation approach suggests that the small joint indirect effect through adverse reproductive outcomes and lower respiratory infections is due entirely to the contribution of infant lower respiratory infections, independently from the increased prevalence of adverse reproductive outcomes. Conclusions: The use of these methods allows the study of multiple mechanisms underlying the association between an exposure and an outcome and provides a solution for the problem of intermediate confounding by considering the intermediate confounder as a sequential mediator. The choice of the method may depend on what is the effect of main interest, the nature of the variables involved in the analysis and the truthfulness of the underlying assumptions.
Effects of intensive agriculture and hydrological changes on macrophyte and macroinvertebrate assemblages in lowland riverine wetlands
Authors: Altieri Paula , Ocon Carolina , Jensen Roberto , Capítulo Alberto Rodrigues
Published: November 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of agricultural land use and periods of hydrological variability on the environmental variables, as well as macrophyte and macroinvertebrate assemblages in lowland riverine wetlands. We compared two wetlands with intensive agricultural land use against two others with extensive livestock considered references for the region during a normal and a dry flow period. Nutrient concentrations were significantly higher in agricultural riverine wetlands. These wetlands exhibited higher relative coverage of floating anchored macrophytes and the absence of submerged vegetation. They showed significantly lower taxonomic richness and density of macroinvertebrates and a higher relative abundance of scrapers and predators. Wetlands of both land uses had a lower total density of macroinvertebrates and a higher proportion of tolerant desiccation taxa in the dry period. Particular differences between land uses, such as lower dissolved oxygen concentrations and lower macroinvertebrate diversity in agricultural wetlands, were found during the dry period. These findings indicate that the differences between land uses increased during the aforementioned period. This study provides evidence of the effects of the surrounding landscape and hydrologic periods in the environmental characteristics as well as the macrophyte and macroinvertebrate assemblages of the riverine wetlands studied.
A sense-antisense RNA interaction promotes breast cancer metastasis via regulation of NQO1 expression
Authors: Culbertson Bruce , Garcia Kristle , Markett Daniel , Asgharian Hosseinali , Chen Li , Fish Lisa , Navickas Albertas , Yu Johnny , Woo Brian , Nanda Arjun , Rabinowitz Joshua , Goodarzi Hani
Published: November 2021

Antisense RNAs are ubiquitous in human cells, yet the role that they play in healthy and diseased states remains largely unexplored. Here, we developed a computational framework to catalog and profile antisense RNAs and applied it to poorly and highly metastatic breast cancer cell lines. We identified one antisense RNA that plays a functional role in driving breast cancer progression by upregulating the redox enzyme NQO1, and hence named NQO1-antisense RNA or NQO1-AS. This upregulation occurs via a stabilizing interaction between NQO1-AS and its complementary region in the 3’UTR of NQO1 mRNA. By increasing expression of NQO1 protein, breast cancer cells are able to tolerate higher levels of oxidative stress, enabling them to colonize the lung. During this process the cancer cells become dependent on NQO1 to protect them from ferroptosis. We have shown that this dependence can be exploited therapeutically in xenograft models of metastasis. Together, our findings establish a previously unknown role for NQO1-AS in the progression of breast cancer by serving as a post-transcriptional regulator of RNA processing and decay for its sense mRNA.
Monitoring and Modelling of Butyltin Compounds in Finnish Inland Lake
Authors: Ahkola Heidi , Juntunen Janne , Krogerus Kirsti , Huttula Timo
Published: November 2021

Butyltin compounds (BTCs) in surface waters is seldom studied due to their low concentrations and limitations of analytical techniques. In this study we measured total concentration of BTCs with grab water sampling, dissolved concentration with passive samplers and particle bound fraction with sedimentation traps in Finnish inland lake. The sampling was conducted from May to September during two study years. The differences between sampling techniques and the concentrations were obvious. E.g. tributyltin (TBT) was detected only in 4-24 % of the grab samples when the detection with passive samplers was 93% and with sedimentation traps 50%. The dissolved BTC concentrations measured with grab and passive sampling suggested hydrological differences between the study years. This was confirmed with flow velocity measurements. However, the annual difference was not observed in BTC concentrations of settled particle.The extreme value analysis suggested that grab sampling and sedimentation trap sampling results contain more extreme peak values than passive sampling. This indicates that BTCs are present in surface water in trace concentrations despite they are not detected with all the sampling techniques. The assumption that WWTP, located in the study area, was the source of BTCs was not valid as elevated BTC concentrations were detected also at the reference site, located upstream of WWTP. Computational modelling and back tracking simulations also supported the concept that WWTP cannot be the only source but BTCs can come even from upstream of the sampling area where there is e.g. wood processing industry.
Enhancer Promoter Interactome and Mendelian Randomization Identify Network of Druggable Vascular Genes in Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Chignon Arnaud , Mathieu Samuel , Rufiange Anne , Argaud Deborah , Voisine Pierre , Bossé Yohan , Arsenault Benoit , Thériault Sébastien , Mathieu Patrick
Published: November 2021

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a multifactorial disorder, which is partly heritable. Herein, we implemented a mapping of CAD-associated candidate genes by using genome-wide enhancer-promoter conformation (H3K27ac-HiChIP) and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). Enhancer-promoter anchor loops from human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMC) explained 22% of the heritability for CAD. 3D enhancer-promoter genome mapping of CAD-genes in HCASMC was enriched in vascular eQTL genes. By using colocalization and Mendelian randomization analyses, we identified 58 causal candidate vascular genes including some druggable targets (MAP3K11, CAMK1D, PDGFD, IPO9 and CETP). A network analysis of causal candidate genes was enriched in TGF beta and MAPK pathways. The pharmacologic inhibition of causal candidate gene MAP3K11 in vascular SMC reduced the expression of athero-relevant genes and lowered cell migration, a cardinal process in CAD. Genes connected to enhancers are enriched in vascular eQTL and druggable genes causally associated with CAD.
Comparison of Different Pupil Dilatation Methods For Phacoemulsification In Eyes With A Small Pupil
Authors: Wang Jin-Da , Zhang Jing Shang , Li Meng , Mao Ying Yan , Mayinuer Yusufu , Wan Xiu Hua
Published: November 2021

Purpose: To compare 6 methods for intraoperative pupil dilatation in eyes with insufficient pupil size during phacoemulsification.Methods: This was a prospective case-control study. 99 microcoria cataract patients (120 eyes) were collected and were divided into 6 groups（20 eyes each group）, and their pupils were dilated by bimanual stretching pupil (group I), pupil radial cut open(group II), mechanical pupil dilatation with iris-retractor hooks (group III), OASIS iris expander (group IV), and Malyguin-ring (Microsurgical company, America) (group V) , B-HEX Pupil Expander (Med Invent Devics, India )(group VI) ,respectively. 3.0 mm clear corneal incision were used in phacoemulsification. All cases were followed up at 1 week and 1, 3, 6 months after the surgery. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), intraocular pressure(IOP), corneal endothelium cell density(ECD), pupil diameter(PD) of before and after surgery were compared. Independent sample t test was used for the analysis.Results: One same doctor finished all cataract surgeries successfully. The eyes’ condition before surgery and at 6 months after surgery were compared. There were no significant statistical differences for the conditions of the eyes before surgery among six groups. There were also no significant statistical differences for BCVA and IOP at 6 months postoperatively among six groups. The ECDs were better at 6 months postoperatively in group III and V: 2021±521/mm2, 2089±729/mm2. There were statistically significant differences (P=0.000). PD was largest in group II:5.58±0.74mm, but there were no statistically significant differences (P>0.05)Conclusions: All 6 methods used in this study were effective for the mechanical dilatation of small pupils and didn’t affect the postoperative visual acuity and intraocular pressure in microcoria cataract phacoemulsification. Iris-retractor hooks and the Malyugin Ring can reduce intraoperative corneal endothelium cell loss. Postoperative PD is larger when the iris was cut open radially.
Does financial development reinforce ecological footprint in singapore? Evidence from ardl and bayesian analysis
Authors: Ngoc Bui Hoang , awan ashar
Published: November 2021

Singapore has been ranked in the most dynamic financial market and the highest ecological deficit country, indicating that the trade-off hypothesis may exist. The main goal of the present study is to probe the impact of financial development, economic growth, and human capital on ecological footprint in Singapore from 1980 to 2016. The outcomes obtained from the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method have failed to provide a clear impact of financial sector development on ecological footprint. However, the Bayesian analysis reveals that both financial development and economic growth have a harmful influence on EF, while the impact of human capital is beneficial. A theoretical conclusion derived is that monetary expansion policies should be associated with improving human capital to achieve the United Nations SDGs in the context of Singapore. The findings of the study are of particular interest to policymakers for developing sound policy decisions for sustainable economic progress which is not at the cost of environment.
Identification of a Conserved Neutralizing Epitope in Seneca Valley Virus VP2 Protein: New Insight for Epitope Vaccine Designment
Authors: Wen Wei , Chen Xinghua , Lv Qiang , Chen Huanchun , Qian Ping , Li Xiangmin
Published: November 2021

Background
Seneca Valley virus (SVV) is a picornavirus that causes vesicular disease in swine. Clinical characteristics of the disease is similar to common viral diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease virus, porcine vesicular disease virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus, which can cause vesicles in the nose or hoof of pigs. Therefore, developing tools for detecting SVV infection is critical and urgent.
Methods
The neutralizing antibodies were produced to detect the neutralizing epitope.
Results
Five SVV neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAb), named 2C8, 3E4, 4C3, 6D7, and 7C11, were generated by immunizing mouses with ultra-purified SVV-LNSY01-2017. All five monoclonal antibodies exhibited high neutralizing titers to SVV. The epitopes targeted by these mAbs were further identified by peptide scanning using GST fusion peptides. The 153QELNEE158 peptide is defined as the smallest linear neutralizing epitope. The antibodies showed no reactivity to VP2 single mutants E157A. Furthermore, the antibodies showed no neutralizing activity with the recombinant virus (SVV-E157A).
Conclusion
The five monoclonal antibodies and identified epitopes may contribute to further research on the structure and function of VP2 and the development of diagnostic methods for detecting different SVV strains. Additionally, the epitope recognized by monoclonal antibodies against VP2 protein may provide insights for novel SVV vaccines and oncolytic viruses development.
Evaluation the Progesterone and Estrogen Receptor (PR & ESR) Level and Their Role in Medical Treatment of Patients with Endometriosis
Authors: Poordast Tahereh , Alborzi Saeed , Kiani Ziba , Askary Elham , Chamanara Kefayat , Omidfar Navid , Shokripour Mansoureh , Abadi Alimohammad Keshtvarz Hesam
Published: November 2021

Background

As the endometriosis is a hormone dependent disease, this study designed to determine a cut-off point for selecting the appropriate treatment based on the hormone receptors of endometriosis lesions.
Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, all symptomatic endometriotic patients, between March 2017 to March 2019, was divided into two groups: responding and non-responding to hormone therapy following endometriosis surgery. Pathological slides of 72 patients were immunohistologically evaluated for progesterone (PR) and estrogen receptor (ESR) levels.
Results

Based on the rock curve, the presence of 70% of estrogen (P value: 0.001) and 80% of progesterone receptors (P value = 0.005), as well as 60% estrogen (P value: 0.1065) and 40% of progesterone receptors (P value: 0.1699) in the pathology sample based on H score can predict the appropriate response to hormonal treatment of dyspareunia and dysmenorrhea respectively. Dysmenorrhea in the presence of endometrioma showed the best response to OCP compared to the progesterone treatment (69.4% versus 27.8%), while the response of dyspareunia in the presence of the DIE lesions showed the best response to progesterone treatment (75% versus 27.8%).
Conclusion

Response to treatment of dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia is directly related to the increase of H score. Gynecologist can make the right hormonal treatment based on the specific pattern of IHC staining obtained from patients 'surgical specimens, which leads to improved quality of life and also effective pain reduction after operation as well as recurrent rate.
H2O2-responsive VEGF/NGF gene co-delivery nano-system achieves stable vascularization in ischemic hindlimbs
Authors: Chen Youlu , Chen Zuoguan , Duan Jianwei , Gui Liang , Li Huiyang , Liang Xiaoyu , Tian Xinxin , Liu Kaijing , Li Yongjun , Yang Jing
Published: November 2021

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a common clinical manifestation of atherosclerosis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene therapy is a promising approach for PVD treatment. However, due to single-gene therapy limitations and high H 2 O 2 pathological microenvironment, VEGF gene therapy are not as expectations and its clinical application are limited. Synergistic effects of Nerve factors and vascular factors in angiogenesis have attracted attention in recent years. In this study, VEGF and nerve growth factor (NGF) genes co-delivery nanoparticles (VEGF/NGF-NPs) were prepared by using H 2 O 2 responsive 6s-PLGA-Po-PEG as a carrier. 6s-PLGA-Po-PEG could react with H 2 O 2 specifically due to the internal peroxalate bond. Angiogenic effects of VEGF/NGF-NPs has been evaluated in cells and hindlimb ischemia mice model. Results showed that VEGF/NGF-NPs promoted VEGF and NGF co-expression simultaneously, eliminated excessive H 2 O 2 , strengthened reactions between SH-SY5Ys and HUVECs, and finally enhanced migration, tube formation, proliferation and H 2 O 2 damage resistance of HUVECs. VEGF/NGF-NPs also recovered blood perfusion, promoted the expression of VEGF, NGF, eNOS and NO, and enhanced vascular coverage of pericytes. Treatment effects of VEGF/NGF-NPs may related to VEGF/eNOS/NO pathway. Altogether, VEGF/NGF-NPs eliminated excessive H 2 O 2 while achieving gene co-delivery, and promoted stable angiogenesis. It’s a promising way for PVD treatment by using VEGF/NGF-NPs.