bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RamaNet: Computational de novo helical protein backbone design using a long short-term memory generative neural network
Authors: Sabban Sari , Markovsky Mikhail
Published: October 2020

The ability to perform de novo protein design will allow researchers to expand the variety of available proteins. By designing synthetic structures computationally, they can utilise more structures than those available in the Protein Data Bank, design structures that are not found in nature, or direct the design of proteins to acquire a specific desired structure. While some researchers attempt to design proteins from first physical and thermodynamic principals, we decided to attempt to test whether it is possible to perform de novo helical protein design of just the backbone statistically using machine learning by building a model that uses a long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture. The LSTM model used only the φ and ψ angles of each residue from an augmented dataset of only helical protein structures. Though the network’s generated backbone structures were not perfect, they were idealised and evaluated post generation where the non-ideal structures were filtered out and the adequate structures kept. The results were successful in developing a logical, rigid, compact, helical protein backbone topology. This paper is a proof of concept that shows it is possible to generate a novel helical backbone topology using an LSTM neural network architecture using only the φ and ψ angles as features. The next step is to attempt to use these backbone topologies and sequence design them to form complete protein structures.
Competencies of Project Managers: the Impact of Creativity Competencies on Successful Completion of Projects
Authors: Saprykina Dar'ya
Published: October 2020

This article is devoted to the research of project managers ' competencies particularly the competence of creativity. Currently the skills approach is becoming more interesting and important. This is due to the fact that employees their knowledge and skills are the greatest value for many companies now. In conditions of instability and high speed of changes in external environment, the competencies that employees possess are the main point that determine the success of the company. This article examines the need of creativity competence in project management, depending on the final boundaries of the description of the final result. According to the results of the research, regardless of the boundaries of the final result of the project, project managers often use the competence of creativity in working on projects, and the vast majority consider that their work is creative. Based on the obtained research data and existing methods, this research presents recommendations for the development of creativity competence in project managers and ways to implement creative methods in project management.
The effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on hand trauma surgery utilization
Authors: Atia Fady , Pocnetz Sasa , Selby Anna , Russell Peter , Bainbridge Chris , Johnson Nick
Published: October 2020

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate the need for hand trauma services during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, specifically related to surgical requirements. This will provide useful information for planning and resource allocation in the event of any further lockdown.

Methods

A prospective analsysis of all patients attending our hand trauma unit throughout the UK COVID-19 lockdown period (24 March to 10 May 2020) was carried out. Prospectively collected departmental data from the same period in 2019 was obtained and reviewed for comparison. The number of patients attending clinic, undergoing surgery, the type of surgical procedure, and rate of surgery was compared.

Results

In all, 463 patients attended hand trauma services during the lockdown period compared to 793 in 2019 (32% reduction); 190 surgical procedures were carried out during lockdown compared to 236 in 2019 (20% reduction). Intervention rate was higher during the lockdown period (41% compared to 30%). There was no difference in the type of cases. In the first half of lockdown, 47% fewer procedures were performed than in 2019, but in the second half of lockdown 13% more procedures were carried out than the same period in 2019.

Conclusion

Requirements for hand trauma surgery remain high during a pandemic lockdown. Attendances and surgical requirements can be expected to steadily return to normal levels during a prolonged lockdown period. Throughout any future lockdown period adequate surgical provision must be maintained for patients with hand injuries. Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-10:639–643.
Tunable and asymmetric optical bistability of one-dimensional photonic crystals based on InSb and nonlinear materials
Authors: Xu Yi , Wan Baofei , Zhou Ziwei , Ma Yu , Zhang Haifeng , Zhang Dan
Published: October 2020

In this paper, one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystals (PCs) based on InSb and nonlinear materials are studied using the transmission matrix method. It is found that in the terahertz band, due to the magneto-optical characteristics of InSb, when the incident light propagates through such 1D PCs in two different directions (forward and backward propagation), an asymmetric optical bistable state can be obtained. Propagating from the forward direction, the bistable state is achieved. Spreading from the backward direction, the multistable state can be observed. Compared with the bistable threshold value for the case of forward incidence, the similar value that appeared in the multistable curve is significantly reduced. The polarization-sensitive features of the asymmetric optical bistability of the presented 1D PCs are also investigated under TM waves, which focuses on the tuning effects of incident angle, external magnetic field, temperature, and the thicknesses of the InSb and nonlinear dielectric layers on the asymmetric optical bistability. The results show that when the incident light enters from two different directions, the tailoring effects of the incident angle and thickness of the InSb layer on the bistable state are obviously different, but the tuning influences of the magnetic field, temperature, and the thickness of the nonlinear material layer on the bistable state are similar. The asymmetric optical bistability we made in this paper can be applied to multifunctional devices and nonreciprocal optical isolators.
Technoeconomic analysis of spatial channel networks (SCNs): benefits from spatial bypass and spectral grooming [Invited]
Authors: Jinno Masahiko , Asano Yu , Azuma Yoshiki , Kodama Takahiro , Nakai Riku
Published: October 2020

Toward the forthcoming spatial division multiplexing (SDM) era, a spatial channel network (SCN) was recently proposed in which the optical layer is explicitly decoupled from the hierarchical SDM and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) layers, and an optical node evolves into a spatial cross-connect (SXC) and wavelength cross-connect (WXC) to achieve a hierarchical optical cross-connect (HOXC). In this paper, we perform a technoeconomic analysis of SCNs comprising different HOXC architectures employing different planning policies on how the degree of spectral grooming by WXCs and spatial bypassing by SXCs in an SCN affects the total required number of spatial lanes (SLs), whose physical entity is the core in parallel single-mode fibers or a multicore fiber and the total node cost in the SCN. Toward this end, we develop a routing and SDM/WDM multilayer resource assignment (RSWA) heuristic in which spatial bypassing and spectral grooming are performed such that the required number of SLs is minimized. Using RSWA with four planning policies, i.e., express-only, express/local-hybrid (spatial-bypass-oriented), express/local-hybrid (spectral-grooming-oriented), and local-only, we compare the performance levels of a high-port-count matrix-switch-based HOXC and core selective switch (CSS) based HOXC with those of the baseline-stacked conventional WXCs as the network traffic load increases. Here, a CSS is a new type of spatial switch, which is the counterpart to a wavelength selective switch in a current WDM network. We clearly show that hierarchical spatial bypassing and spectral grooming are beneficial in terms of the required number of SLs and network-total node cost when the required number of SLs between optical nodes in an SCN is equal to or greater than roughly 10.
Estimating and measurement of atmospheric optical turbulence according
to balloon-borne radiosonde for three sites in China
Authors: Bi Cuicui , Qian Xianmei , Liu Qing , Zhu Wenyue , Li Xuebin , Luo Tao , Wu Xiaoqing , Qing Chun
Published: October 2020

The distribution of optical turbulence (

C
n
2

profiles) is the fundamental
parameter closely related to the design and application of
optoelectronic systems. Since systematic direct measurements of
optical turbulence for many climates and seasons are not available, it
is useful to estimate

C
n
2

effectively from the routine
meteorological parameters. The

C
n
2

profiles are estimated by routine
meteorological parameters based on the Tatarskii model, and the
estimated results are compared with the corresponding radiosonde
measurements from the field campaigns at Rongcheng (

122.37
∘

E

,

37.15
∘

N

), Taizhou (

121.42
∘

E

,

28.62
∘

N

), and Dachaidan (

95.35
∘

E

,

37.74
∘

N

) in China. The agreement between the
estimation model and the measurement is very close, except for a
portion of the atmosphere where it showed considerable difference.
Additionally, statistical operators are used to quantify the
performance of the estimated model, and the statistical results also
show that the estimated and measured

C
n
2

profiles are consistent well.
Furthermore, the integrated parameters (such as the Fried parameter,

r
0

) from radiosonde measurement are
7.92 cm, 5.39 cm, and 3.68 cm at Rongcheng, Taizhou, and Dachaidan,
respectively. Therefore, the

C
n
2

profiles and their characteristics in
these typical climate sites provide useful information to assess the
effect of laser transmission in the atmosphere, which are usually used
in the design of optoelectronic systems and astronomical site
testing.
Characterization of quantum squeezing generated from the phase-sensitive and phase-insensitive amplifiers in the ultra-low average input photon number regime
Authors: He Huanrong , Liu Shengshuai , Lou Yanbo , Jing Jietai
Published: October 2020

We give the general expressions of intensity-difference squeezing (IDS) generated from two types of optical parametric amplifiers [i.e. phase-sensitive amplifier (PSA) and phase-insensitive amplifier (PIA)] based on the four-wave mixing process, which clearly shows the IDS transition between the ultra-low average input photon number regime and the ultra-high average input photon number regime. We find that both the IDS of the PSA and the IDS of the PIA get enhanced with the decrease of the average input photon number especially in the ultra-low average input photon number regime. This result is substantially different from the result in the ultra-high average input photon number regime where the IDS does not vary with the average input photon number. Moreover, under the same intensity gain, we find that the optimal IDS of the PSA is better than the IDS of the PIA in the ultra-low average input photon number regime. Our theoretical work predicts the presence of strong quantum correlation in the ultra-low average input photon number regime, which may have potential applications for probing photon-sensitive biological samples.
Laser-based underwater frequency transfer with sub-picosecond timing fluctuation using optical phase compensation
Authors: Hou Dong
Published: October 2020

We demonstrated a sub-picosecond laser-based underwater frequency transfer with an optical phase compensation. With this transfer technique, a highly-stable 500 MHz radio-frequency (RF) signal was disseminated over a 5-m underwater link for 5000 s, and the characteristic of the timing fluctuation and instability for the transfer was analyzed and measured. The experimental results show the total root-mean-square (RMS) timing fluctuation of the transferred RF signal with compensation is about 162 fs with a fractional frequency instability on the order of 2.8 × 10−13 at 1 s and 2.7 × 10−16 at 1000 s. The laser-based underwater frequency transfer proposed in this paper has a potential application of transferring atomic clock in water environment as its instability is less than the currently-used commercial Cs or H-master clocks.
Structured beams invariant to coherent diffusion
Authors: Smartsev Slava , Chriki Ronen , Eger David , Firstenberg Ofer , Davidson Nir
Published: October 2020

Bessel beams are renowned members of a wide family of non-diffracting (propagation-invariant) fields. We report on experiments showing that non-diffracting fields are also immune to diffusion. We map the phase and magnitude of structured laser fields onto the spatial coherence between two internal states of warm atoms undergoing diffusion. We measure the field after a controllable, effective, diffusion time by continuously generating light from the spatial coherence. The coherent diffusion of Bessel-Gaussian fields and more intricate, non-diffracting fields is quantitatively analyzed and directly compared to that of diffracting fields. To elucidate the origin of diffusion invariance, we show results for non-diffracting fields whose phase pattern we flatten.
Active mode-locking optoelectronic oscillator
Authors: Yang Bo , Zhao Hongyan , Cao Zizheng , Yang Shuna , Zhai Yanrong , Ou Jun , Chi Hao
Published: October 2020

The optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) has been widely investigated to generate ultra-pure single-frequency microwave signals. In this study, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an active mode-locking optoelectronic oscillator (AML-OEO), which can generate broadband microwave frequency comb (MFC) signals. An additional intensity modulator is inserted into the OEO as an active mode-locking device for loss modulation to realize phase-locking between adjacent oscillation modes. Through the active mode-locking technique, steady multi-mode oscillation is achieved, which is difficult to realize in a conventional OEO due to the mode-competition effect. By tuning the frequency of the active modulation signal (AMS), both fundamental and harmonic AML-OEOs can be established. In the experiments, MFC signals with a frequency spacing of 195 kHz and 50.115/100.035 MHz are generated with fundamental and harmonic AML-OEOs.
Silicon-integrated dual-mode fiber-to-chip edge coupler for 2 × 100 Gbps/lambda MDM optical interconnection
Authors: Shen Weihong , Du Jiangbing , Xiong Junjie , Ma Lin , He Zuyuan
Published: October 2020

In this work, a silicon-integrated edge coupler supporting dual-mode fiber-to-chip coupling was designed and fabricated on 220-nm-thick SOI wafer with standard CMOS-compatible fabrication process. The proposed low-complexity structure consists of a multimode interference and triple-tip inverse taper. Both LP01 and LP11 modes in the few mode fiber (FMF) can be stimulated simultaneously by the edge coupler from TE0 and TE1 modes in silicon waveguide. Such a design is compatible with broadband wavelength division multiplexing and can be scaled up to 4-polarization-mode coupling as well. Using the proposed edge coupler, 2×100-Gbps/lambda PAM4 multimode interface through dual-mode fiber was demonstrated successfully.
Remarkable temperature-dependent second-harmonic-generation performance of a YCOB crystal
Authors: Zhao Chuanrui , Wang Xinle , Wang Zhengping , Sun Yuxiang , Tian Shiwei , Ren Hongkai , Yu Fapeng , Zhao Xian , Xu Xinguang
Published: October 2020

For the first time, the temperature stability of second-harmonic-generation (SHG) is reported for the entire space of a YCa4O(BO3)3 (YCOB) crystal for a temperature range of -10 – 520 °C. Both theoretical calculations and experimental data indicate an optimum phase-matching (PM) direction of (θ = 149.2°, ϕ = 0°), which is located in the XZ principle plane (90° < θ < 180°). A special regression phenomenon of the PM angle was found in this direction, which further increased the SHG output at high temperature (> 200 °C). As a result, for SHG of the Nd:YAG laser, the measured temperature bandwidth of a YCOB crystal cut along the optimum PM direction is larger than 490 °C·cm. As demonstrated in this study, among all nonlinear optical crystals, this cut-type is currently the best choice when temperature-insensitive SHG is required.
Green-pumped continuous-wave parametric oscillator based on
fanout–grating MgO:PPLN
Authors: Sukeert  , Kumar S. Chaitanya , Ebrahim-Zadeh M.
Published: October 2020

We report the first green-pumped continuous-wave (cw) optical
parametric oscillator (OPO) based on MgO:PPLN in a fanout grating
design. Pumped by a single-frequency cw laser at 532 nm, the OPO
provides tunable radiation across 813–1032 nm in the signal and
1098–1539 nm in the idler by simple mechanical translation at a fixed
temperature of 55°C. By deploying a 25-mm-long crystal to minimize
thermal effects and using output coupling for the signal wave, we
generate a total output power of up to 714 mW at 30% extraction
efficiency in excellent Gaussian beam quality with

M
2

<

1.1

and high output stability.
Simultaneous measurements of signal and idler power result in passive
stability of 2.8% and 1.8% rms, respectively, over 1 h. Strong thermal
effects contribute to the high stability and excellent beam quality,
while linear and green-induced infrared absorption limit the power
scaling capabilities of the OPO. The output signal is single-mode with
an instantaneous linewidth of

∼

3

M
H
z

and frequency stability of

∼

84

M
H
z

over 72 s.
Kilowatt-average-power compression of millijoule pulses in a gas-filled multi-pass cell
Authors: Grebing Christian , Müller Michael , Buldt Joachim , Stark Henning , Limpert Jens
Published: October 2020

We demonstrate the reliable generation of 1-mJ, 31-fs pulses with an average power of 1 kW by post-compression of 200-fs pulses from a coherently combined Yb:fiber laser system in an argon-filled Herriott-type multi-pass cell with an overall compression efficiency of 96%. We also analyze the output beam, revealing essentially no spatiospectral couplings or beam quality loss.
Lamp location optimization for achievable rate maximization in visible light communication
Authors: Wang Fubin , Yang Fang , Song Jian
Published: October 2020

Visible light communication has received great attention as the superior candidate for radio frequency communication in indoor scenarios, but research on how the location of light-emitting diode lamps affects the achievable rate is rare. In this Letter, the lamp location is optimized with the Adam algorithm for maximization of the average achievable rate, and the Monte Carlo method based on sub-sampling is proposed to reduce the computational complexity of both the achievable rate calculation and optimization process. Moreover, the relationship between room sizes and numbers of lamps is investigated, while the optimal distributions of lamp locations are also illustrated.
Doppler velocimeter based on dual-comb absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Gu Chenglin , Zou Xing , Zuo Zhong , Peng Daowang , Di Yuanfeng , Liu Yang , Luo Daping , Li Wenxue
Published: October 2020

The determination of airflow parameters is essential to the research of critical information on environment monitoring, chemical kinetics, and aerodynamic and propulsion applications. During the past few decades, tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy has become a common and efficient tool for the flow velocity measurement based on the Doppler shift of the absorption line. Dual-comb absorption spectroscopy (DCAS), as a state-of-the-art Fourier-transform broadband spectroscopic technique, not only can detect multiple trace molecules in parallel but also can extract Doppler shifts to derive the flow velocity through the analysis of dozens of molecular absorption lines simultaneously with high precision. Here, we report a proof-of-principle demonstration of the velocity measurements of acetylene at various flow velocities by means of a high-resolution and broadband DCAS. Mode-resolved Doppler-shifted rotational-vibrational lines in the P branch of acetylene molecules are obtained. A model for multiline Doppler frequency determination is investigated and experimentally verified. The flow velocity measurements with a measuring uncertainty down to the submeter per second over the range from 8.7 m/s to 44.8 m/s at an effective time resolution of 1 s and a measuring uncertainty of 1.97 m/s at 0.1 s are demonstrated. With broadband mid-infrared frequency combs covering atmospheric transmission windows, the open-path measurement for monitoring diffusion of the weak pollutant source would be realized.
Effects of oral desloratadine citrate disodium combined with physiological seawater nasal irrigation on IgE levels, IL-4, IL-6, IL-13 and IFN-Î³ expression and treatment of intermittent allergic rhinitis
Authors: Zhang Yuanyuan , Li Wei
Published: October 2020

This experiment was performed to explore the effect of oral desloratadine citrate disodium combined with physiological seawater nasal irrigation in the treatment of intermittent allergic rhinitis and its effect on serum inflammatory factors and peripheral blood Th1 and Th2. For this purpose, 100 patients of intermittent allergic rhinitis admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to January 2020. Randomly divided into a control group (n=50) and an observation group (n=50). The control group was given oral desloratadine citrate disodium. The observation group was given physiological seawater nasal irrigation based on the control group. Both groups were treated for one month. Compare the effect of treatment, symptom and sign scores pre and posttreatment, serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, serum interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-13 and interferon-gamma (IFN-Î³) levels, peripheral blood helper T cells 1 (Th1) and Th2 and the recurrence rate of patients after 1 year between two groups. Results showed that after one month of continuous treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P <0.05). The symptoms and signs scores and serum IgE levels of the two groups pretreatment (before treatment) were not significantly different (P > 0.05). The symptoms and signs scores and serum IgE levels of the two groups decreased significantly posttreatment (after treatment) (P <0.05), and the observation group was significantly lower than the control group (P <0.05). Pretreatment, the levels of serum inflammatory factors (IL-4, IL-6, IL-13, and IFN-Î³) and the ratio of peripheral blood Th1 and Th2 to CD4+T cells were not significantly different (P> 0.05). After one month of continuous treatment, the levels of serum IL-4, IL-6, IL-13, and the ratio of peripheral blood CD4+IL-4+/CD4+ in the observation group and the control group were significantly reduced and the ratio of CD4+IFN-Î³+/CD4+ was significantly increased (P <0.05). Compared with the control group, those changes were more obvious in the observation group (P <0.05). The one-year recurrence rate of the observation group was 4% (2/50), which was significantly lower than that of the control group, which was 20% (10/50). There was a statistical difference between the two groups (P <0.05). It was concluded that oral desloratadine citrate disodium combined with physiological seawater nasal irrigation can effectively improve the symptoms and signs of intermittent allergic rhinitis and reduce the recurrence rate. This may be related to balancing T cell responses, promoting systemic Th1 responses and inhibiting Th2 responses, and down-regulating inflammatory response.
Effects of resveratrol on bone metabolism and bone turnover related indexes in ovariectomized osteoporosis rats
Authors: Zhang Yujin , Deng Lin , Fan Jiubo , Zhang Yazhi
Published: October 2020

This study aimed to investigate the effects of resveratrol (RES) on bone metabolism and bone turnover related indexes in ovariectomized osteoporosis rats. 48 clean grade adult healthy unmated female SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, including normal control group (NCG), osteoporosis model group (OP MG), estrogen treatment group (17Î²-E2 group), RES low dose group (RES-L), RES medium-dose group (RES-M) and RES high dose group (RES-H). The rats in NCG and OP MG were given distilled water once a day and the rats in the other two groups were given 17Î²-E2 and resveratrol respectively. The levels of serum calcium (S-Ca), serum phosphorus (S-P), urinary calcium (U-Ca/Cr) and urinary phosphorus (U-P/Cr) were measured with an automatic biochemistry analyzer. The levels of serum osteocalcin (BGP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), type I amino front-end peptide (PINP), type I collagen strong carboxyl peptide (CTX-I), urine deoxypyridinoline (DPD) and serum estrogen were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the OP group, the serum estrogen levels, S-Ca and S-P decreased significantly and the expression of U-Ca/Cr and U-P/Cr increased significantly (P< 0.05). Compared with the OP group, the expression of S-Ca and S-P increased significantly and the expression of U-Ca/Cr and U-P/Cr decreased significantly (p< 0.05) after treatment. The levels of TRAP, BGP, DPD and CTX-I in the OP group increased significantly (P< 0.05). Compared with the OP group, the levels of TRAP decreased significantly (P< 0.05). The levels of PINP and ALP in OP MG increased significantly (P< 0.05). IP and ALP increased in the middle and lower levels (P< 0.05). The bone mineral density of the OP group decreased significantly (P< 0.05). Resveratrol can affect the changes in bone turnover in ovariectomized rats, promote bone formation in low estrogen state and inhibit bone resorption. Resveratrol may have a protective effect on the bone of ovariectomized rats.
Knockdown of Angiopoietin-like protein 4 suppresses the development of colorectal cancer
Authors: Wen Liqiang , Zhang Yuchao , Yang Bin , Han Fanghai , Ebadi Abdol Ghaffar , Toughani Mohsen
Published: October 2020

Colorectal cancer, is the growth of cancer cells in the part of the colon. Angiopeptin is one of the growth factors in the human body that is particularly effective in the regulatory process. In this research, the regulatory role and its mechanism of Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) in colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis, has been studied. Protein expression of ANGPLT4 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in tumor samples and adjacent normal specimens of 40 patients with CRC cancer of various phases. A gene knockout test was conducted, two effective siRNA of ANGPTL4, named siRNA1 and siRNA2, were constructed and transfected into two CRC cell lines SW480 and HT-29 to block the expression of ANGPTL4. QRT-PCR and western blotting were used to validate the knockdown efficiency of the mRNA and proteins. Based on the results, the protein expression of ANGPTL4 was increased in human CRC tissues with the development of CRC. Knockdown of ANGPTL4 by siRNA in SW480 and HT-29 cells in vitro inhibited cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, and suppressed the ability of cell migration and invasion. Besides, the sensitivity of CRC cells to Cisplatin was increased in the low ANGPTL4 expression group. ANGPTL4 might be a new potential therapeutic target for patients with CRC.
LncRNA MEG3 expression in sepsis and its effect on LPS-induced macrophage function
Authors: Pan Xinrong , He Lingling
Published: October 2020

Sepsis is a dangerous disease that is caused by an overreaction of the body's immune system to infection and gradually spreads throughout the body. This experiment was carried out to explore the expression of LncRNA MEG3 in sepsis and its effect on LPS-induced macrophage function. Methods 60 sepsis patients admitted to our hospital from February 2017 to September 2018 were selected as the sepsis group, and 50 non-septic patients diagnosed and treated in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression level of MEG3. ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of serum MEG3 in sepsis. The human macrophage cell line U937 was cultured in vitro and randomly divided into NC group, LPS group, LPS + pcDNA group, and LPS + pcDNA-MEG3 group. Flow cytometry was applied to detect the apoptosis rate. The levels of IL-1Î² and TNF-Î± were detected by ELISA. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and NF-ÎºB signaling pathway-related proteins p65 and p-p65. Results: The expression level of serum MEG3 in the sepsis group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P <0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC area was 0.856, the sensitivity was 0.700, and the specificity was 0.883. Compared with the NC group, the macrophage apoptosis rate in the LPS group was increased (P <0.05), the levels of Bax and p-p65 protein were significantly increased (P <0.05), and the level of Bcl-2 protein was decreased (P <0.05), the levels of IL-1Î² and TNF-Î± were increased (P <0.05). Compared with the LPS + pcDNA group, the apoptosis rate of the LPS + pcDNA-MEG3 group was significantly reduced (P <0.05), the levels of Bax and p-p65 protein were reduced (P <0.05), and the level of Bcl-2 protein was significantly increased (P <0.05), the levels of IL-1Î² and TNF-Î± were reduced (P <0.05). Conclusion: The low expression of LncRNA MEG3 in the serum of patients with sepsis can predict the occurrence of sepsis. Overexpression of MEG3 can inhibit LPS-induced macrophage apoptosis and secretion of inflammatory factors by inhibiting the activation of the NF-ÎºB signaling pathway.
The effect and clinical significance of FN1 expression on biological functions of gastric cancer cells
Authors: Zhou Yuan , Cao Guangxin , Cai Hongyu , Huang Haijing , Zhu Xinguo
Published: October 2020

Fibronectin 1 (FN1) is a glycoprotein molecule widely distributed in cell structures such as smooth muscle cell layer, vascular cell membrane and nerve cell layer. It participates in cell adhesion, migration and movement of various cells. In recent years, FN1 has been shown to play an important role in the regulation of various malignant tumors such as lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and ovarian cancer. However, its regulation and mechanism of action in gastric cancer have been rarely reported, and these are also associated with some controversy. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of FN1 in gastric cancer, to study the effects of FN1 on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of GC cells, and the mechanisms involved. The expression of FN1 in gastric cancer tissues was determined using immunohistochemistry staining. The comparative expression levels of FN1 were assayed with RT-PCR and Western blotting. The correlation amongst FN1 expression, clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of gastric cancer patients was determined. Cell transfection was used to silenceFN1 expression in gastric cancer cells. Plate cloning and CCK-8 assays were used to determine cell proliferation, while apoptosis was assayed with flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion was measured with transwell assay. The expressions of EMT-related proteins were assayed using western blotting. The results showed that FN1 was upregulated in GC tissues and cell lines, and its expression level was closely related to tumor invasion, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and survival. Inhibition of FN1 expression significantly reduced proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT processes of GC cells, and enhanced cell apoptosis. These results confirm that FN1 is up-regulated in GC, thereby functioning as an oncogenic gene. The high expression of FN1 might affect the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of gastric cancer patients.
Protein C and Protein S Levels in Î²-Thalassemia Major Patients in Erbil, Kurdistan Region
Authors: Hadi Tareefa Kakakhan , Mohammad Nawsherwan Sadiq , Nooruldin Saran Abdulqadir
Published: October 2020

Oxygen is transported in the blood through red blood cells and a protein called hemoglobin. The protein consists of two alpha and two beta chains. The lack of any of these chains is caused by the malfunction of the genes that produce them, and can lead to a genetic disease called thalassemia. In Î²-thalassemia, hemoglobin does not produce enough beta protein. According to mild to severe effects on the body, Î²-thalassemia is divided into three types minor, interstitial and major thalassemia. There are increasing risks for thrombosis complications in thalassemia major. The purpose of this study was to evaluate protein C and protein S levels in Î²-thalassemia major and their association to the hypercoagulable state. Seventy patients with Î²–thalassemia major and 35 apparently healthy subjects as a control group were investigated for protein C and protein S. The mean of protein C (71.31%) and protein S (34.3%) levels were significantly reduced in Î²- thalassemia major patients in comparison with control subjects (p-value <0.001). Mean of fibrinogen level (2.42) g/l was significantly decreased in Î²-thalassemia major patients while the mean of D dimer level (0.43) Î¼g/ml was significantly increased in comparison to control subjects (p-value 0.001). This study demonstrates a chronic hypercoagulable state in B- thalassemia major patients.
Evaluation of IL-1Î² and TNF-Î± expression and periodontitis under the influence of orthodontic appliances with minocycline
Authors: Zhang Jingjing , Qi Suqing , Chen Weican , Liu Lin , Hui Hongwei
Published: October 2020

The current experiment was carried out to observe and analyze the effects of three orthodontic appliances combined with minocycline on periodontitis and inflammatory factors of gingival crevicular fluid. the patients included in this study were 180 patients with dental crowding treated in our hospital. They were divided into three groups, namely the invisible orthodontic appliance group (n=60), self-ligation orthodontic appliance group (n=60), traditional ligation bracket group (n=60), all of which were applied with minocycline therapy. The therapeutic effects of the three groups were observed. after three months of treatment, the periodontal index of each group showed an upward trend (p<0.05). At six months to one year, the periodontal index of the self-ligation orthodontic appliance group and conventional ligation bracket group was higher than that of the invisible orthodontic appliance group, p<0.05. After treatment, the expression of IL-1Î² and TNF-Î± increased for the three groups, p<0.05; the self-ligation orthodontic appliance group and the traditional ligation bracket group were the same as the invisible orthodontic appliance group in at 24 months, p>0.05. in the early stage of orthodontic treatment, the invisible orthodontic appliance can keep the oral cavity in a clean and hygienic state. However, after 18 months of orthodontic treatment, all three orthodontic treatments did not have a significant impact on oral hygiene.
Effect of glycosylated hemoglobin protein molecule in treating diabetes
Authors: Qian Kuo , Dong Haiying , Qian Jiayi , Gong Jian
Published: October 2020

The object of this study was to observe and analyze the effect of glycosylated hemoglobin in treating diabetes and provide valuable guidance for clinical treatment. For this purpose, 160 patients treated in our hospital who were definitely diagnosed with diabetes after relevant examinations were classified into the study group. 160 cases with healthy physical examinations for the same period were enrolled as a reference group. Fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels were measured in both groups, and inter-group comparisons were made. The detection results showed that the study group had significantly higher fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels than the healthy reference group. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Diabetic patients in the study group were also observed. The results showed that patients with complications had significantly higher fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels than those without complications. Statistical significance existed, p<0.05. For diabetic patients, glycosylated hemoglobin detection is of great significance in profoundly affecting diabetes diagnosis and treatment and providing positive guidance, which means great value for evaluating disease control effects.
Cisatracurium inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells by regulating the expression of miR-3174
Authors: Yang Xiaozhong , Ma Wenxia
Published: October 2020

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the breast tissue. Being a woman is the most important factor in the risk of breast cancer. Although men also get the cancer, women are much more likely to get it. This experiment was founded to investigate the effect and mechanism of Cisatracurium on breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 were cultured in vitro. MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with cisatracurium of different concentrations for 48 h. CCK-8method detected cell proliferation, Transwell detected cell migration and invasion, Western Blot method detected the expression levels of CyclinD1, p21, MMP-2andMMP-9protein in cells, RT-qPCR) detected the expression level of miR-3174in cells. After miR-3174 inhibitor was transfected into MDA-MB-231 in order to down-regulate the expression of miR-3174, the same methods as above were used to observe the effect of the down-regulating miR-3174 expression on MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation, migration and invasion as well as the expression levels of CyclinD1, p21, MMP -2 andMMP-9 protein. After different concentrations of Cisatracurium acted on MDA-MB-231 cells, the cell inhibition rate and p21 protein expression were significantly increased (p<0.05), the number of cell migration and invasion and the expression levels of CyclinD1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly reduced (p<0.05), and the expression of miR-3174 in cells was significantly reduced (p<0.05). After down-regulating the expression of miR-3174, the cell inhibition rate and p21 protein expression were significantly increased (p<0.05), the number of cell migration and invasion and the expression levels of CyclinD1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly reduced (p<0.05). Up-regulating miR-3174 expression could reverse the effect of Cisatracurium on the proliferation, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. Cisatracurium can inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells, and its mechanism is related to the down-regulation of miR-3174 expression in cells.
Effects of ethyl acetate extract of peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) seed coat on the proliferation and apoptosis of oral squamous carcinoma cells through miR-424-3p/STAT3/Survivin pathway
Authors: Ren Shipeng , Qing Song
Published: October 2020

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common high malignant tumors. This experiment aimed to investigate whether ethyl acetate extract of peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) seed coat could affect the proliferation and apoptosis of oral squamous carcinoma cells by regulating the miR-424-3p/STAT3/Survivin pathway. For this purpose, oral squamous cell carcinoma cell CAL27 was cultured in vitro, and cells were treated with ethyl acetate extract of peony seed coat at different concentrations. MTT was used to detect cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression level of miR-424-3p. The miR-424-3p mimics and anti-miR-424-3p were transfected into CAL27 cells respectively, and the cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by the above method. Western blot method was used to detect the expression of PCNA, Bcl-2, Bax, p-STAT3 and Survivin protein. Results showed that ethyl acetate extract of peony seed coat could reduce cell proliferation rate and the protein levels of PCNA, Bcl-2, p-STAT3, Survivin and the expression level of miR-424-3p (P<0.05), increase apoptosis rate and the protein level of Bax (P<0.05). After transfection with anti-miR-424-3p, the cell proliferation rate, the protein levels of PCNA and Bcl-2 were significantly reduced (P<0.05), the apoptosis rate and the protein level of Bax were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the effect of miR-424-3p mimics was the opposite. Transfection of miR-424-3p mimics could significantly reduce the regulatory effect of ethyl acetate extract of peony seed coat on CAL27 cell proliferation, apoptosis and STAT3/Survivin pathway. It concluded that ethyl acetate extract of peony seed coat could inhibit the activation of the STAT3/Survivin signaling pathway by down-regulating the expression of miR-424-3p, thereby inhibiting the proliferation of oral squamous carcinoma cells and inducing apoptosis.
Effects of Twist1 on drug resistance of chronic myeloid leukemia cells through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Yuan Ruilan , Chang Jin , He Jianxia
Published: October 2020

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Twist1 on the drug resistance of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. K562 and KCL-22 cells were modeled for imatinib resistance, so as to analyze the effects of inhibiting Twist1 and the pathway on the therapeutic effect of imatinib on imatinib-resistant CML cells, and to find the mechanism of action of Twist1 on affecting the resistance. After the CML cells were successfully resistant to imatinib, Twist1 expression increased again in the cells and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was further activated. After the silence of the Twist1 expression, the imatinib-resistant CML cells were more sensitive to imatinib, and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was inhibited, and the expression level of p-AKT protein significantly reduced. According to further experiments, imatinib enhanced its inhibitory effect on the growth of the imatinib-resistant CML cells after the activation of the pathway was inhibited by an LY3023414 inhibitor. In conclusion, Twist1 and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway are over-activated during the formation of the CML cells resistant to imatinib. The silence of Twist1 can reverse the resistance through the pathway.
Diversity and distribution of bacteria and archaea in Tuosu Lake in Qaidam Basin
Authors: Song Weijun , Sun Chunyan
Published: October 2020

Microbes in plateau lakes are important participants of material circulation and energy flow in plateau ecosystems. Knowledge of the microbiota, such as bacteria and archaea, community distribution and diversity in plateau lakes is the basis to understand the species succession, adaptation, maintenance and metabolic mechanisms of specific environmental microbial ecosystems. This work aimed to reveal the diversity and# succession of the microbiota in Tuosu Lake to provide a biological basis for the exploration and development of microbial resources in the plateau lakes. The distribution and diversity of microflora in Tuosu Lake, hypoxia, high altitude, alkaline, closed plateau lake with fresh water supply, was investigated. The total DNA was extracted from six samples with different salinity from different geographical locations of Tuosu Lake. The 16S rRNA gene of bacteria and archaea were determined by using high-throughput sequencing-based on an Illumina Miseq sequencing platform. The microbiota in Tuosu Lake has a high diversity and complexity and there are a large number of unclassified microbial species. The bacterial communities in Tuosu Lake are dominated by Proteobacteria (44.3%) and Actbacteria (17.2%). Among them, Î²-Proteobacteria is the dominant genus in the low-salt sample, while Î³-Proteobacteria is more advantageous in the samples with higher salinity. The archaeal communities are dominated by Euryarchaeota (50%) and Woesearchaeota__DHVEG-6 (42.6%). The vast majority of the methanogenic archaea in Tuosu Lake samples belong to Methanomicrobia, and the methanogens in low-salinity samples are significantly more abundant than those in high-salt samples. Diversity and distribution appear to be highly influenced by water salinity and pH.
Diagnostic and methodological evaluation of studies on the urinary shedding of SARS-CoV-2, compared to stool and serum: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Roshandel Mohammad Reza , Nateqi Masoud , Lak Ramin , Aavani Pooya , Sari Motlagh Reza , F. Shariat Shahrokh , Aghaei Badr Tannaz , Sfakianos John , Kaplan Steven A , Tewari Ashutosh K
Published: October 2020

Investigating the infectivity of body fluid can be useful for preventative measures in the community and ensuring safety in the operating rooms and on the laboratory practices. We performed a literature search of clinical trials, cohorts, and case series using PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane library, and downloadable database of CDC. We excluded case reports and searched all-language articles for review and repeated until the final drafting. The search protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database. Thirty studies with urinary sampling for viral shedding were included. A total number of 1,271 patients were enrolled initially, among which 569 patients had undergone urinary testing. Nine studies observed urinary viral shedding in urine from 41 patients. The total incidence of urinary SARS-CoV-2 shedding was 8%, compared to 21.3% and 39.5 % for blood and stool, respectively. The summarized risk ratio (RR) estimates for urine positive rates compared to the pharyngeal rate was 0.08. The pertaining RR urine compared to blood and stool positive rates were 0.20 and 0.33, respectively. Our review concludes that not only the SARS-CoV-2 can be excreted in the urine in eight percent of patients but also its incidence may have associations with the severity of the systemic disease, ICU admission, and fatality rates. Moreover, the findings in our review suggest that a larger population size may reveal more positive urinary cases possibly by minimizing biases.
Wogonin suppresses proliferation and invasion of skin epithelioid carcinoma cells through Notch1
Authors: Xin Nai-Jun , Han Mei , Gao Cong , Fan Tao-Tao , Shi Wen
Published: October 2020

The current study was carried out to investigate the role of wogonin in proliferation and invasion of skin epithelioid carcinoma cells as well as its underlying mechanisms. For this purpose, skin epithelioid carcinoma cells were treated with 0, 5, 10 and 20Î¼mol/L wogonin for 24, 48, 72 hours. Cell proliferation was evaluated by an MTT assay. Cell invasion was assessed by the Transwell invasion assay. The Notch1 level was analyzed by RT-qPCR for mRNA and by Western blot for protein. Results showed that wogonin inhibited the proliferation and invasion of skin epithelioid carcinoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. Wogonin treatment significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of Notch1. Moreover, the inhibition of cell proliferation and invasion ability by wogonin treatment was dramatically attenuated after co-treatment with 20 ng/mL doxycycline, a specific Notch1 activator. In conclusion, wogonin may inhibit skin epithelioid carcinoma cell proliferation and invasion at least partially by repressing the Notch1 gene expression.