bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Grandivittin from Ferulago trifida Boiss. on the proliferation and apoptosis of human lung cancer A549 cells
Authors: Anbaji Fatemeh Zomorodi , Zargar Seyed Jalal , Tavakoli Saeed
Published: November 2022

Lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the world. Introducing new promising agents can help the chemotherapeutic management of cancer. In the knowledge of oncology, plants are of special interest as a rich source of new antineoplastic and chemotherapeutic agents. Grandivittin (GRA) is one of the main constituents of Fenzl (Ferulago trifida Boiss.) with established medicinal, phytochemical, and pharmacological properties. This study aimed to evaluate the antineoplastic potential of GAR and its underlying mechanisms in human lung cancer A549 cells. The viability of the A549 cells after being treated with different concentrations of GRA for three following days was measured using the MTT method. The early and late apoptosis were assessed by fluorescence‐activated cell sorter analysis through annexin V/PI staining. The expression of apoptotic agents' genes (caspase3, caspase 9, Bcl2, Bax, and P53 ) was evaluated by the RT-PCR method. The GRA increased apoptotic cells and decreased cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner, in which only 50% of cells survived at a dose of 0.7 mM. The expression of Bax, P53, Caspase3, and caspase 9 genes in the A549 cells was significantly up-regulated after GRA treatment compared to control cells (P<0.05). On the other hand, the Bcl2 was significantly down-regulated after GRA treatment (P<0.05). The results indicated that the GRA can activate cell death in A549 lung carcinoma cells by ‎inducing both DNA toxicity p53 and cascade-dependent pathways. Therefore, the GRA may be a potential new therapeutic agent for the treatment of lung cancer.
WITHDRAWN: Using Ground Magnetic Data for Edge Basic Dykes Detection, Their Structures and Tectonics, in North Ras Millan Area, Southern Sinai, Egypt
Authors: Youssef Mohamed A. S. , Ata Ahmed S. A. Abu El
Published: November 2022

The main aim of this search is delineated the basaltic dykes edges, as a part of the structural-tectonic inferences of North Ras Millan (NRM) area, Southern Sinai, Egypt. A ground magnetic survey was conducted, to help edge delineation of the subsurface magnetized bodies. The magnetic data analysis is based on the filters of horizontal and vertical gradients, in which the edge detection is dependent on the tilt derivative (of the horizontal and vertical derivatives) and the tilt angle of the available ground magnetic data of the concerned area. This study applied a new edge-detection filter, called the enhanced total horizontal derivative of the tilt angle (ETHDR). ETHDR is the total horizontal derivative of the ratio of the first vertical derivative to the total horizontal derivative of the first order analytical signal amplitude. This paper compares the results of the analytical signal (AS), first vertical derivative (FVD), total horizontal derivative (THDR), tilt angle (TA), horizontal tilt angle and Enhanced total horizontal derivative of the tilt angle (ETHDR). The compared applied derivatives-based filters and the enhanced total horizontal derivative of the tilt angle produce more detailed results for the shallower and deeper magnetized structures, and gives sharp edges of the basic magnetized dykes, that surrounded by basement rocks of acidic nature. Structurally, the considered area is implicated by two sets of normal faults, older Pre-Miocene normal faults of NW-SE trend (Red Sea system) and younger Miocene oblique faults of NE-SW trend (Gulf of Aqaba system) as shown from Fig. (14), the younger NE-SW faults crossed the older NW-SE faults and displaced their step-like fault blocks in right and left lateral movements of strike sense. Also, the inferred basic dykes are generated generally through their intersections and particularly through the NE-SW younger set. Tectonically, these fault systems were created, due to the NNW-SSE Alpine stress of the early Mesozoic time, in the form of NW-SE (Gulf of Suez) and NE-SW (Gulf of Aqaba) fault systems of first order oblique faults of normal slip component during the pre-Miocene, followed by the shear slip component of the Miocene and Post-Miocene times, as expressed by the tectonic model of north Eastern Egypt during the Pre-Miocene, Miocene and Post-Miocene, Abu El-Ata and Helal, (1992)
Design Optimization of Coal Plant Construction Equipment Pipeline Based on BIM Technology
Authors: Chen Yu , Zhang Xiaohui
Published: November 2022

The coal plant is a project with large concrete volume and complex structure. There are various mechanical equipment inside it, and there are many conflicts in the pipeline.In order to improve the construction efficiency and quality of industrial buildings such as coal plant, and avoid technical problems such as collision between building structures and various equipment pipelines or omission of reserved holes, BIM technology is applied to the whole process design and construction of coal plant.The construction of actual projects is guided by such technical methods as model building, visual analysis of building interior space, collision detection and optimization in equipment pipeline design, which not only greatly improves the project quality, improves the construction efficiency, saves construction costs, but also better helps the rapid integration of industrialization and informatization of the coal industry.
Establishing an imaging prediction model to predict the remaining life of knee joint for varus knee osteoarthritis patients
Authors: Ma Wenru , Li Chunpu , Liu Guangzhen , Yu Tengbo , Zhang Yi
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to establish a prediction model basing on onset age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and imaging measurements to predict the remaining life of knee joint for varus knee osteoarthritis patients, and to aid in patient selection and decision-making efforts regarding knee joint preservation and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods

Using data collected from our retrospective TKA database, 132 patients with varus knee osteoarthritis (153 knees) were included in the study. We focused on patients with a diagnosis of Kellgren–Lawrence (K-L) grade II in the initial stage of knee osteoarthritis (OA) accompanied by mild symptoms and a diagnosis of K-L grade IV with severe symptoms and TKA records at the endpoint. The interval between baseline and endpoint was defined as the remaining life of knee joint. The following imaging indexes of knee joints were assessed using standard anteroposterior (AP) radiography, medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA) and joint line convergence angle (JLCA) at baseline (MPTA0 and JLCA0) and at TKA period (MPTAT and JLCAT); changes in MPTA and JLCA between baseline and TKA period (ΔMPTA and ΔJLCA); and rates of change in MPTA and JLCA between baseline and TKA period (kMPTA and kJLCA). Meanwhile, basic information of patients was collected, including onset age, gender, body mass index (BMI). Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed for the prediction model about the remaining life of knee joint using statistically significant indexes.

Results

Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that, onset age, BMI, JLCA0, kMPTA and kJLCA were significantly negatively correlated with the remaining life of knee joint, which showed effectiveness in prediction model for TKA. Prediction model: remaining life of knee joint = 195.3–0.6×Onset age-2.0×BMI-4.4×JLCA0-159.9×kMPTA-205.5×kJLCA.

Conclusions

Onset age, BMI, JLCA0 and rates of change in MPTA and JLCA robustly predict the risk of requiring TKA.
Level of Evidence: Retrospective Study Level III
Cr2O3 doping effect on silica glass cooling rate
Authors: Eronyan Mikhail A. , Parfenov Peter S. , Kulesh Alexey Yu. , Meshkovskiy Igor K. , Untilov Alexander A.
Published: November 2022

In this paper we present the results on the effect of the SiO2 melt cooling rate on the morphology of its surface. The method of atomic force microscopy explores a surface roughness of the silica glass cooled at different rates after its heating up to more than 2100 оС. The study compares three modes of cooling glass rods with a diameter of 14 mm: convective heat exchange with the surrounding air, quenching with dropping the sample into a vessel with water, and radiation of silica glass doped with 0.1 % Cr2O3. The surface roughness of silica glass in the second and third modes of cooling was significantly less than in the conditions of convective heat exchange. Doping the silica glass with Cr2O3 increases the heat exchange coefficient by 2 times and decreases the surface roughness. The results of the research can contribute to improving the mechanical and optical properties of silica glass light guides.
Prioritising and fitting preventive vision care into existing health service utilization among older adults: a qualitative study
Authors: Lau Wing Yan , Liao Qiuyan , Lian Jinxiao , Yap Maurice
Published: November 2022

Background
Visual decline is inevitable in older adults. Utilizing preventive vision care can mitigate major risk factors, yet the uptake rate remains suboptimal globally. Barriers to seek preventive eye care were identified in the literature. However, the understanding of these barriers was limited by the quantitative approach, hindering the opportunity to suggest specific strategies to improve service uptake. This qualitative aimed to identify the factors influencing the decision-making process of older adults to use preventive vision care.

Methods
This was a qualitative study guided by the grounded theory approach. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the subjects. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or above in Hong Kong. Data were transcribed and constant comparison techniques were used for data analysis.

Results
The core theme revealed a decision-making process of being difficult in “prioritising and fitting preventive vision care into the existing health service utilization” for older people when deciding the utilization of preventive vision care. Five sub-themes were identified to explain the low preventive vision care utilization. Specifically, in absence of past preventive vision care utilization experience, most rely on other “previous health service utilization” to guide their judgment. “Low perceived preventive vision care needs” were due to perceived low disruption of symptoms in daily practices and lack of social cues. “Low perceived self-efficacy of service utilization” was due to limited information on service availability, limited social support, limited health literacy, and financial concerns. Unfulfilled “service expectation” also lowered their motivation to use preventive vision care.

Discussion
This study found that multiple factors influenced the decision-making process and reduced the motivation of subjects to use preventive vision care. Future interventions could exploit the benefit of social influences on the identified factors so that preventive vision care can smoothly fit into the ongoing healthcare use. Adopting a longitudinal qualitative perspective would enrich understanding the reasons for not using preventive vision care.
Investigating the expression of LNCRNAs TMPO-AS1, DDX11-AS1, and POLE gene in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Mokhtarinejad Mahnoosh , Pirhoushiaran Maryam Pirhoushiaran , Hesami Sara , Mehrabi Saman , Shirkoohi Reza , Lotfi Maryam , Farahani Abbas Shakoori
Published: November 2022

Background and aim: Head and neck cancer includes all cancers located in the head and neck area, including larynx, oral cavity, nasal cavities, lips, myopic sinuses, tongue and salivary glands. This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the expression levels of LNCRNAs TMPO-AS1, DDX11-AS1 and POLE mRNA in tumor and normal tissues adjacent to the tumor of patients with HNSCC.
Methods and Materials: 50 fresh frozen samples were collected from patients with HNSCC. The expression levels of LNCRNAs TMPO-AS1, DDX11-AS1 and POLE mRNA were measured using real time PCR technique.
Results:Based on the findings of this study, an increase in the expression levels of DDX11-AS1 and POLE was observed in tumor tissues compared to the normal tissue adjacent to the tumor (P-value=0.947 and P-value= 0.997). From the point of view of examining the TMPO-AS1 gene, a decrease in expression (P-value=0.163) was observed in tumor samples compared to normal samples adjacent to the tumor. Also, a significant expression correlation (P-value=0.006) was observed between TMPO-AS1 and POLE in normal samples adjacent to the tumor. In addition, a significant expression correlation (P-value=0.001) was observed between DDX11-AS1 and POLE in normal samples adjacent to the tumor.
Conclusion:Therefore, DDX11-AS1 and POLE genes probably play a role as oncogenes in HNSCC, while TMPO-AS1 gene is considered as a tumor suppressor gene in this cancer.
Methyl ferulic acid alleviates neuropathic pain by inhibiting Nox4-induced ferroptosis in dorsal root ganglia neurons in rats
Authors: Liu Tielong , Wang Ruixue , Qi Wenqiang , Jia Lei , Ma Ketao , Si Junqiang , Yin Jieting , Zhao Yujia , Dai Zhigang , yin jiangwen
Published: November 2022

Neuropathic pain is a disease that has become one of the major public health problems and a global burden. Nox4-induced oxidative stress can lead to ferroptosis and neuropathic pain. Methyl ferulic acid (MFA) can inhibit the Nox4-induced oxidative stress. This study aimed to estimate whether methyl ferulic acid alleviates neuropathic pain by inhibiting the expression of Nox4 and its induction of ferroptosis. Adult male Sprague‒Dawley rats were subjected to spared nerve injury (SNI) model to induce neuropathic pain. After the establishment of the model, methyl ferulic acid was given 14 days by gavage. Nox4 overexpression was induced by microinjection of the AAV-Nox4 RNAi vector. All groups measured paw mechanical withdrawal threshold (PMWT), paw thermal withdrawal latency (PTWL), and paw withdrawal cold duration (PWCD). The expression of Nox4, ACSL4, GPX4, and ROS was investigated by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. The changes in iron content were detected by a tissue iron kit. The morphological changes in mitochondria were observed by transmission electron microscopy. In the SNI group, the paw mechanical withdrawal threshold, the paw withdrawal cold duration decreased, the paw thermal withdrawal latency did not change, the Nox4, ACSL4, ROS, and iron content increased, the GPX4 decreased, and the number of abnormal mitochondria increased. Methyl ferulic acid can increase PMWT and PWCD but does not affect PTWL. Methyl ferulic acid decreased Nox4, ACSL4, and ROS levels, and iron content increased GPX4 expression and decreased the number of abnormal mitochondria. By overexpressing Nox4, the PMWT, PWCD, and ferroptosis of rats were more severe than those of the SNI group, but they could be reversed after treatment with methyl ferulic acid. Methyl ferulic acid can alleviate neuropathic pain, which is related to Nox4-induced ferroptosis.
Accuracy of Invisalign Progress Assessment with clear aligners: a retrospective study
Authors: Li Bo , Xu Yi-Meng , Shi Rui-Ying , Hu Yi-Rong , Liu Si-Ying , Gu Ze-Xu
Published: November 2022

Objective The objective of this study was to detective the accuracy of model superimposition and automatic analysis for upper and lower dentition width in Invisalign Progress Assessment during the process of clear aligners.
Methods 19 cases were included in this study. Pre-treatment dental cast(T0) and post-treatment dental cast after staged treatment(T1) were available for three-dimensional model superimposition. Subsequently, movements of maxillary teeth in horizontal plane (cross section) after staged treatment, width of upper and lower dentition were measured by three-dimensional model superimposition in real world and Invisalign Progress Assessment separately. Consequently, the data collected from these two methods was compared.
Results In Invisalign Progress Assessment, movements of maxillary teeth in horizontal plane after staged treatment was 2.31（1.59,3.22）(median (upper quartile, lower quartile)) millimeter (mm), while in three-dimensional model superimposition, the result was 1.79（1.21,3.03）mm. The difference between two groups is significant(P＜0.05). Intercanine width upper, intermolar width upper, intercanine width lower, and intermolar width lower were 36.55±2.76mm, 56.98±2.62mm, 28.16±1.85mm, 53.21±2.72mm separately in Invisalign Progress Assessment and were 36.48±2.78mm, 56.89±2.58mm, 28.05±1.85mm, 53.16±2.64mm separately in three-dimensional model analysis, which were no significant difference among these groups (P＞0.05).
Conclusions The data from Invisalign Progress Assessment was not in parallel with what achieved from model superimposition with palate as reference completely. The accuracy of model superimposition in Invisalign Progress Assessment needs further investigation, whereas the accuracy of model analysis in Invisalign Progress Assessment was accurate. Thereby, results from Invisalign Progress Assessment should be interpreted with caution by the orthodontist in clinic.
The tight junction protein occludin modulates blood-brain barrier integrity and neurological function after ischemic stroke in mice
Authors: Sugiyama Shintaro , Sasaki Tsutomu , Tanaka Hiroo , Yan Haomin , Ikegami Takeshi , Kanki Hideaki , Nishiyama Kumiko , Beck Goichi , Gon Yasufumi , Okazaki Shuhei , Todo Kenichi , Tamura Atsushi , Tsukita Sachiko , Mochizuki Hideki
Published: November 2022

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption contributes to brain injury and neurological impairment. Tight junctions (TJs) and cell-cell adhesion complexes develop between endothelial cells in the brain to establish and maintain the BBB. Occludin, the first transmembrane protein identified in TJs, has received intense research interest because numerous in vitro studies have suggested its importance in maintaining BBB integrity. However, its role in maintaining BBB integrity after ischemic stroke is less clear owing to the lack of in vivo evidence. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics and function of occludin across the acute and chronic phases after stroke using occludin-deficient mice. By photochemically induced thrombosis model, the expression of occludin was decreased in brain endothelial cells from ischemic lesions. The neurological function of occludin-deficient mice was continuously impaired compared to that of wild-type mice. BBB integrity evaluated by Evans blue and 0.5-kDa fluorescein in the acute phase and by 10-kDa fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran in the chronic phase was decreased to a greater extent after stroke in occludin-deficient mice. Furthermore, occludin-deficient mice showed decreased Claudin-5 and neovascularization after stroke. Our study reveals how occludin influences BBB integrity after ischemic stroke. Decreased expression of occludin might be associated with the exacerbation of stroke.
Non-canonical Role for the Ataxia-telangiectasia-Rad3 pathway in STAT3 activation in human multiple myeloma cells
Authors: Li Lin , Hu Xiaoyan , Nkwocha Jewel , Sharma Kanika , Mann Hashim , Zhou Liang , Grant Steven
Published: November 2022

PURPOSE:
The goal of this study was to characterize the relationship between ATR and STAT3 interactions in human multiple myeloma (MM) cells
METHODS:
Various MM cell lines, including IL-6-dependent cells were exposed to ATR inhibitors and effects on STAT3 Tyr705 and Ser727 were monitored by WB analysis and ImageStream analysis. Parallel studies examined induction of cell death, STAT3 DNA binding activity, and expression of STAT3 downstream targets (BCL-XL, MCL-1, c-MYC). Validation was obtained in ATR shRNA knock-down cells, and in cells ectopically expressing BCL-XL, MCL-1, or c-MYC. Analogous studies were performed in primary MM cells and in a MM xenograft model.
RESULTS
ultiple pharmacologic ATR inhibitors inhibited STAT3 Tyr705 (but not Ser727) phosphorylation at low uM concentrations and down-regulated BCL-XL, MCL-1, c-MYC in association with cell death induction. Compatible results were observed in ATR shRNA knock-down cells. Cell death induced by ATR inhibitors was significantly attenuated in cells ectopically expressing constitutively active STAT3, BCL-XL, MCL-1, or c-MYC, and in cells in which Chk1 was knocked down by siRNA. Concordant results were observed in primary human MM cells and in an in vivo MM xenograft model.
CONCLUSIONS:
Collectively, these findings argue for a non-canonical role for the ATR kinase in STAT3 activation in MM cells, and suggest that STAT3 inactivation contributes to the lethal actions of ATR inhibitors in MM.
Kinetic and Equilibrium Function and Switchable Catalytic Activity of Some Thermo-Responsive Hydrogel Metal Absorbents Based on Modified PNIPAM
Authors: Ghasemi Soheila , Owrang Marzieh , Javaheri Farzad
Published: November 2022

Synthesis and identification of some thermo-responsive hydrogel metal absorbents based on Schiff base modified PNIPAM is described. PNIPAM hydrogel is produced through conventional free-radical polymerization method. The hydrogel is amino modified with different amines and then treated with various aldehydes to make polymeric Schiff-bases supposing to utilize as an absorbent for Cu salt. Characterization of the as-prepared hydrogels was performed properly and confirmed the corresponding structures. Kinetic and equilibrium function of the absorbents and the effect of distinct variables like pH, adsorbent amount and contact time in the absorption process are investigated in detail. Kinetic and adsorption isotherm data agreed with pseudo-second order model and Langmuir isotherm, respectively. The maximum value of adsorption capacity of the prepared adsorbent was around 8550 mg g-1. In addition, the corresponding switchable catalytic activity using one of the thermo-responsive hydrogel metal absorbents in the reduction of 4-nitro phenol to 4-amino phenol in the role of model reaction is examined.
Trace Elements and Security of Foods Produced in Urban Community Gardens, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
Authors: Barbato Marcello Locatelli , Maranho Leila Teresinha , Gomes Marcelo Pedrosa
Published: November 2022

Urban gardens have emerged as a new global tendency for supporting food security, and has therefore become the focus of diverse studies and attracted the attention of public administrations as an option for sustainable food production. Vegetable crops cultivated under conditions of high exposure to contaminants found in large urban centers, however, tend to accumulate toxic compounds, such as, trace elements, and insert them into human foods and the trophic chain. We therefore evaluated the food security of vegetables (lettuce and collard greens) produced in urban gardens in the Metropolitan region of Curitiba City (Brazil) in terms of the presence of trace elements. Assays were performed in plants harvested from four urban gardens as well as an agroecology site (control). We also assayed for trace elements in the garden soils and the irrigation water used for their production. Both the soils and the irrigation waters had trace element concentrations within the maximum recommended limits, and were therefore not vehicles of contamination. Similarly, trace element concentrations identified in the biomasses of lettuce and collard greens plants grown in the control area, as well as the four urban gardens, were below the maximum limits recommended for leafy vegetables. The vegetables produced in the urban gardens and the agroecology area are considered safe for human consumption.
Screening and prioritising Persistent, Mobile and Toxic chemicals: development and application of a robust scoring system
Authors: Hartmann Julia , Rorije Emiel , Wassenaar Pim N.H. , Verbruggen Eric
Published: November 2022

Background

Lately scientific and societal concern has emerged about persistent (P), mobile (M) and toxic (T) chemicals. Such chemicals, like some polyfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), are of concern due to their high mobility and persistence in aquatic compartments which relates to long-term biotic exposure and difficult removal from drinking water. In this study a screening approach for identification of PMT chemicals was developed and applied to 6,158 diverse chemicals.

Results

Chemicals are given a continuous score for P, M and T potential based on modelled indicators (low potential is a score of 0 to 0.33, high potential is a score of 0.33 to 0.5 and very high potential a score of 0.5 to 1). The P-score was based on the estimated aquatic environmental half-life and the M-score on the chemical’s organic carbon/water partition coefficient (Koc) using respectively the BIOWIN3 and KocWIN QSAR models of EPISuite™. The T-score was based on indicators for five human health endpoints: carcinogenicity (c), mutaganicity (m), reprotoxicity (r), endocrine disruption (ED) and general repeated dose systemic toxicity. Structural alerts for these endpoints taken from the OECD QSAR Toolbox™ and Toxtree™ were used as indicators of potential (human) toxicity. Chemical similarity values to Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) with c, m and/or r properties were also included. Value functions were developed to translate the presence of alerts and similarity to existing SVHCs to values between 0 to 1. Subsequently, all values were also aggregated to an overall PMT-score, again ranging from 0 to 1. Applying the approach to chemicals from the Inventory of Existing Commercial chemical Substances, which are also REACH registered, resulted in 15% of the chemicals receiving high scores (≥0.33) for all three (P-, M- and T-) indicators, and 4% getting very high scores (≥0.5) for both the P- and M-indicators.

Conclusions

The approach confirmed the properties of chemicals classified as SVHC due to PMT properties (e.g. 1,4-dioxane), illustrating the ability of the approach to identify PMT chemicals of concern. Water regulators, drinking water suppliers and others can use this approach to identify potential PMT/vPvM chemicals that need further investigation.
A study on the effects of thermal pain stimulation at the oral mucosa in EEG
Authors: Hu Shengjing , Zhang Hao , Chen Gang , He Yixing , Wang Suogang
Published: November 2022

Objectives
The aim of this study was to investigate how thermal pain stimulation on the oral mucosa affects the brain’s pain perception and brain network connectivity using electroencephalograms (EEGs) and to reveal the central systemic mechanisms of oral chronic pain such as burning mouth syndrome (BMS).
Materials and methods
EEG data were collected from 40 healthy volunteers (24 males and 16 females) at rest and during thermal stimulation of the oral mucosa at 45°C, 48°C, 51°C, and 54°C. The power of six frequency bands was calculated for the acquired EEG data. A directed transform function (DTF) was used to construct the network and calculate the network connection parameters.
Results
The results showed that subjective pain scores increased significantly with increasing temperature (p < 0.001). Compared with the resting baseline state, the average power of both theta and alpha bands decreased with increasing temperature (p < 0.001), while the average power of the gamma band increased (p < 0.001). Moreover, the mean values decreased, as did the clustering coefficients and global efficiency in the low and middle frequency bands.
Conclusions
The thermal stimulation of the oral mucosa mainly affects the alpha power decreasing in the contralateral somatosensory area.
Clinical Relevance
This experiment provides a theoretical basis and technical support for studying the mechanism of transmission and perception of oral thermal pain through the trigeminal pathway to the central nervous system in human subjects and provides a theoretical basis for the central system mechanism of chronic pain syndromes such as BMS.
Evaluating bridges across hemispheres: DCM reveals an interhemispheric interplay between the bilateral premotor cortex during grasping
Authors: Bencivenga Federica , Tullo Maria Giulia , Sulpizio Valentina , Galati Gaspare
Published: November 2022

Research on the contribution of the ipsilateral hemisphere to unilateral movements, and how it is mediated by transcallosal connections, has so far provided contradictory findings. By using Dynamic Causal Modelling (DCM) and Parametric Empirical Bayes (PEB) analyses applied to fMRI data, we sought to describe effective connectivity during executed and imagined right-hand grasping within the grasping network, namely the anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPs), ventral (PMv) and dorsal (PMd) premotor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA) and primary motor cortex (M1). The two-fold aim of the present work was to explore a) whether right and left parieto-frontal areas show similar connectivity couplings, and b) the interhemispheric dynamics between these regions across the two hemispheres.
We detected a network architecture comparable across hemispheres during executed but not imagined grasping. Furthermore, during motor execution the interhemispheric crosstalk was mainly driven by premotor areas: we found an inhibitory influence from the right PMd toward the left premotor and motor areas and excitatory couplings between homologous ventral premotor and supplementary motor regions.
Overall, our results support the view that dissociable components of unilateral grasping execution are encoded by a non-lateralized set of brain areas complexly intertwined by interhemispheric dynamics, whereas motor imagery obeys different principles.
Development of an inhibiting antibody against equine interleukin 5 to treat insect bite hypersensitivity of horses
Authors: Langreder Nora , Schäckermann Dorina , Meier Doris , Becker Marlies , Schubert Maren , Dübel Stefan , Reinard Thomas , Figge-Wegener Stefanie , Roßbach Kristine , Bäumer Wolfgang , Ladel Simone , Hust Michael
Published: November 2022

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is the most common allergic skin disease of horses. It is caused by insect bites of the Culicoides spp. which mediate a type I/IVb allergy with strong involvement of eosinophil cells. No specific treatment option is available so far. One concept could be the use of a therapeutic antibody targeting equine interleukin 5, the main activator and regulator of eosinophils. Therefore, antibodies were selected by phage display using the naïve human antibody gene libraries HAL9/10, tested in a cellular in vitro inhibition assay and subjected to an in vitro affinity maturation. In total, 28 antibodies were selected by phage display out of which eleven have been found to be inhibiting in the final format as chimeric immunoglobulin G with equine constant domains. The two most promising candidates were further improved by in vitro affinity maturation up to factor 2.5 regarding their binding activity and up to factor 2.0 regarding their inhibition effect. The final antibody named NOL2262D10 showed a strong inhibition of the interleukin 5 binding to its receptor (IC50 = 4 nM). Furthermore, a nanomolar binding activity (EC50 = 8.8 nM), stable behavior and satisfactory producibility were demonstrated. This antibody is an excellent candidate for in vivo studies for the treatment of equine IBH.
Prognostic Value of Immunoscore in Colorectal Carcinomas
Authors: Imen Helal , Amira Hmidi , Fatma Khanchel , Raja Jouini , Mariem Sabbah , Haithem Zaafouri , Ehsene Ben Brahim , aschraf Chadlidebbiche
Published: November 2022

Background
Immunoscore (IS), based on the evaluation of CD3 + and CD8 + densities in the center of the tumor (CT) and its invasive margin (IM), is currently considered as a potential prognostic factor, particularly in colorectal carcinomas (CRC). In the current study, we aimed to assess the prognostic value of IS in CRC stage I to IV, through a survival study.
Methods
It was a descriptive and retrospective study involving 104 cases of CRC. Data were collected over three years (2014–2016). An immunohistochemical study (anti-CD3, anti-CD8) by the Tissue Microarray (TMA) technique was carried out in the areas of "Hot Spot" in CT and IM. A percentage was assigned to each marker and within each region. Then, the density was classified as "Low" or "High", according to a cut-off fixed at the median of percentages. IS was calculated by the method described by Galon et al. The prognostic value of the IS was assessed through a survival study.
Results
The mean age of patients was 61.63 years. IS was low in 60.6% (n = 63). Our study had shown that low IS significantly deteriorates survival and a high IS enhances survival significantly (p < 0.001). We found a correlation between IS and T stage (p = 0.026). A multivariate showed that the predictive factors for survival were IS (p = 0.001) and age (p = 0.035).
Conclusion
IS is a potential prognostic factor. Its reproducibility and reliability allow its introduction into daily practice for better therapeutic management.
Mechanism of YAP1 in the senescence and degeneration of endplate chondrocytes induced by intermittent cyclic mechanical tension
Authors: Kong Lei , Xie Yong- Sheng , Ma Xu-Dong , Huang Yan , Shang Xi-Fu
Published: November 2022

The present study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of YAP1 in the senescence and degeneration of endplate chondrocytes induced by intermittent cyclic mechanical tension. According to Pfirrmann grade evaluationclassification, 30 human endplate cartilage tissues were divided into LVF and LDH two groups. We found that the distribution of chondrocytes in LDH group endplate cartilage was disordered and hypertrophy were observed compare with LVF group. Through a series of functional experiments showed that with the deterioration of endplate cartilage, expression of collagenⅡand Sox-9 was decreased, p53 and p21 was increased, expression of YAP1 was decreased and a series of manifestations of senescence occurred in degenerative endplate cartilage. Toluidine blue staining showed that with the increase of loading force the morphology of endplate chondrocytes gradually changed after ICMT stimulation, ICMT 16% group the cell arrangement became sparse. RT-PCR and Western blot showed reductions in the expression of COL-2A, Sox9,YAP1,CTGF in the endplate cartilage after ICMT loading. ICMT not only caused degeneration of endplate chondrocytes, but also reduced cell proliferation and stimulated cell senescence. The degree of endplate cartilage degeneration was correlated with senescence level and YAP1 expression. Through a series of experiments suggested that over-expression of YAP1 alleviated ICMT-induced endplate chondrocyte degeneration and senescence in vitro. MRI examination and Pfirrmann grade evaluation suggested that YAP1 interference therapy could alleviate IDD in rats tail in vivo.
Re-defining Wearable Robots: A Multidisciplinary Approach Towards a Unified Terminology
Authors: massardi stefano , Briem Kristín , Veneman Jan F. , Torricelli Diego , Moreno Juan C.
Published: November 2022

Effective communication is especially important in the wearable robots (WRs) community since it encloses a great variety of devices with applications in several different fields such as healthcare, medical, industrial and military. In this paper we present a Vocabulary of terms that are relevant for diverse stakeholders in the field of WRs. This Vocabulary has been developed in the context of the European COST action on Wearable Robots for Augmentation, Assistance or Substitution of Human Motor Functions. The aim of this project is to work towards the creation of a common understanding of terms and concepts among fields of expertise involved in this field. The ultimate goal is to develop a shared documentation that could serve as a reference to facilitate the use of accepted definitions in the field. The presented vocabulary was first created by including definitions discussed in different working groups composed of several experts in the field. The resulting document was then validated by presenting the definitions to the WR community through an online survey. The survey underlined the usefulness of such a tool to prevent misunderstanding when using terminology and facilitate the inclusion of terms in the documentation. The results of the survey highlight a strong agreement in terms of acceptance of the vocabulary, its usefulness, and applicability of the proposed definitions as well as an overall appreciation for its purpose and target. This work represents a pilot study providing unique material for the WR community encouraging the use of shared agreed definitions.
Evaluation of Computationally optimized Design Variants for Additive Manufacturing Using a Fuzzy MCDM Approach
Authors: Jayapal Jayakrishnan , Kumaraguru Senthilkumaran , Varadarajan Sudhir
Published: November 2022

The industry needs generic methods for selecting design variants obtained from the computational tools of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM). Therefore, a decision support system based on quantitative metrics for selecting a design variant is needed to overcome the current industry's barriers to using the unique capabilities of the additive manufacturing process. This study attempts to define multiple criteria for evaluating the design variations under opportunistic and constraint-based design for additive manufacturing. The Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) aggregates four different metrics representing the geometric complexity, cost-benefit, and additional cost due to support structure. A fuzzy power Maclaurin symmetric mean operator is employed for the aggregation of metrics for evaluating the design variant for manufacturing in Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM) using Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process (L-PBF). The efficacy of the proposed approach is exemplified by evaluating the topologically optimized design variants of an airplane bearing bracket and an engine bracket. Ranking and selection of the design variants using the proposed approach resulted in a 50% cost reduction in the case of an airplane bracket and a 75% cost reduction in the case of an engine bracket compared with the original design manufactured in AM.
Coping strategies of the farming communities in the Indian Sundarbans region to adapt with frequent extreme weather events
Authors: Mohammad Asif , Ahmad Mokbul Morshed , Feroze Sheikh Mohammad , Dutta Tapas Kumar , Bhakat Champak , Chatterjee Anupam
Published: November 2022

Frequent extreme weather events result in huge economic losses for farming communities in Sundarbans region, which threatens the livelihood security of smallholder farming communities. Different agricultural enterprises in the region are facing continuous threats due to saline water intrusion, crop losses due to heavy rain, and flooding. To overcome these problems, the farming community have adopted several coping mechanisms to sustain their livelihood against the continuous threat of extreme weather events. This paper focuses on the coping mechanism followed by the farming community in the Sundarbans region of India. Primary data were collected from randomly selected 1200 farmers from six blocks of Sundarbans. Farm households who were engaged in different agricultural enterprise like cultivating field crops, livestock rearing, fish farming were selected as respondents for the study. Analytical Hierarchy Process was applied to prioritize the coping mechanism as followed by the farming communities. The coping mechanisms were assessed on the basis of ease of implementation, cost involved, effectiveness as well as durability of the strategy for long-term application. Effectiveness and durability of the coping strategy got the highest weights of 0.492 and 0.309, respectively. Coping mechanisms pertaining to managing soil health against soil salinity, raising livestock and fish species as well as cultivating field crops were identified and prioritized according to the perceived benefit of the mechanism against extreme weather events. These coping mechanisms after proper fine-tuning can help in formulating strong and sustainable development policies for agricultural and allied sectors in the Sundarbans region of India.
U.S. Infrastructure: 1929-2019
Authors: Fair Ray C
Published: November 2022

This paper examines the history of U.S. infrastructure since 1929 and in the process reports an interesting fact about the U.S. economy.Infrastructure as a percent of GDP began a steady decline around 1970, and thegovernment budget deficit became positive and large at roughly the same time. The infrastructure pattern in other countries does not mirror that in the United States, so the United States appears to be a special case. The overallresults suggest that the United States became less future oriented beginning around 1970. This change has persisted. This is the interesting fact. Whether it can be explained is doubtful.
Machine learning survival models trained on clinical data to identify high risk patients with hormone responsive HER2 negative breast cancer
Authors: Fanizzi Annarita , Pomarico Domenico , Rizzo Alessandro , Bove Samantha , Comes Maria Colomba , Didonna Vittorio , Giotta Francesco , Forgia Daniele La , Latorre Agnese , Pastena Maria Irene , Petruzzellis Nicole , Rinaldi Lucia , Tamborra Pasquale , Zito Alfredo , Lorusso Vito , Massafra Raffaella
Published: November 2022

For endocrine-positive Her2 negative breast cancer patients at an early stage, the benefit of adding chemotherapy to adjuvant endocrine therapy is controversial. Several genomic tests are available on the market but are very expensive. Therefore, there is the urgent need to explore novel reliable and less expensive prognostic tools in this setting. In this paper, we shown a machine learning survival model to estimate Invasive Disease-Free Events trained on clinical and histological data commonly collected in clinical practice. We collected clinical and cytohistological outcomes of 145 patients referred to Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”. Three machine learning survival models are compared with the Cox proportional hazards regression according to time-dependent performance metrics evaluated in cross-validation. The c-index at 10 years obtained by random survival forest, gradient boosting, and component-wise gradient boosting is stabled with or without feature selection at approximately 0.68 in average respect to 0.57 obtained to Cox model. Moreover, machine learning survival models have accurately discriminated low- and high-risk patients, and so a large group which can be spared additional chemotherapy to hormone therapy. The preliminary results obtained by including only clinical determinants are encouraging. The integrated use of data already collected in clinical practice for routine diagnostic investigations, if properly analyzed, can reduce time and costs of the genomic tests.
Probabilistic Approach to Investigate the Impact of Distributed Generation on Voltage Deviation in Distribution System
Authors: Kumar Digamber , Padhy Bibhu Prasad
Published: November 2022

The stochastic nature of integrated renewable-based distributed generation (DG) and changing the conduct of power consumption adds randomness to the bus voltage. Consequently, the distribution system faces voltage limit violations on a few buses. In this scenario, the traditional voltage control methods are unable to handle the fast voltage deviation. The voltage control using the voltage controlling capability of available DGs gives a fast and dynamic solution. In this regard, the information about the impact of power perturbation at the DG-integrated buses on the voltage deviation gives insightful information for maintaining the voltage profile within its permissible limits. Evaluating this information using the traditional probabilistic load flow method is computationally inefficient for real-time applications. Therefore, a principal component analysis (PCA) based novel probabilistic voltage sensitivity index (PVSI) is proposed.It ranks the impact of power perturbation at DG-integrated buses on the voltage deviation at any bus. The PVSI is analytically obtained to reduce the computation time for ranking. Due to the advantage in computation time, the proposed method enables the distribution system operator (DSO) to use this information for fast and dynamic voltage control in a real-time scenario. Further, the proposed PVSI is validated on the 69-bus and the 141-bus distribution systems by comparing it with the traditional Monte-Carlo simulation (MCS) and Joint Differential Entropy (JDE) methods.
Microstructural stages of Intermetallic fracture during sheared deformation of AA6082 sheet
Authors: Sonkamble Vijayalaxmi , Narasimhan K. , Tewari Asim
Published: November 2022

Detailed high-resolution quantitative microstructural investigations were performed on AA6082(T6) sheets. The progressive deformations of a shear band formation were studied to understand the fracture mechanism in blanking process. The fracture characteristics of the alloys can be dictated by the intermetallic particles. Damage evolution of this alloy is quantitatively characterized as a function of strain. Intermetallic particles trigger the fracture in the blanking process. Larger, elongated and favorably oriented particles fracture first (with initial deformation) and with progressive deformation (blanking), smaller and rounded particles start breaking. These broken particles become the crack nucleus for matrix cracking and coalescences. Particle fracture increases with increase in imposed strain. For initial deformation stages, fragmentation of particles is taking place without significant void growth. But with subsequent deformation stages, fragmentation process has been enhanced with multi-fragmentation and re-fracturing of previously broken particles. Most probably, larger particles nucleate voids at much lower strains than smaller particles, and void growth takes place more rapidly at larger particles and they are the major contributors in the initiation of fracture throughout the deformation process. Crack has initiated in the shear band preferably from the punch side (punch side is sharper than the die side) and the cracks are found almost parallel to the loading axis.
Graph-Based Active Machine Learning Method for Diverse and Novel Antimicrobial Peptides Generation and Selection
Authors: Dossou Bonaventure F. P. , Liu Dianbo , Ji Xu , Jain Moksh , Sloot Almer M. van der , Palou Roger , Tyers Michael , Bengio Yoshua
Published: November 2022

As antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains are rapidly spreading worldwide, infections caused by these strains are emerging as a global crisis causing the death of millions of people every year. Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) are one of the candidates to tackle this problem because of their potential diversity, and ability to favorably modulate the host immune response. However, large-scale screening of new AMP candidates is expensive, time-consuming, and now affordable in developing countries, which need the treatments the most. In this work, we propose a novel active machine learning-based framework that statistically minimizes the number of wet-lab experiments needed to design new AMPs, while ensuring a high diversity and novelty of generated AMPs sequences, in multi-rounds of wet-lab AMP screening settings. Combining recurrent neural network models and a graph-based filter (GraphCC), our proposed approach delivers novel and diverse candidates and demonstrates better performances according to our defined metrics.