bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water Restriction Alters the Expression of Calcium Transporters in Eucalypt Roots
Authors: Barros Patricia , Valadares Samuel Vasconcelos , de Barros Nairam Félix , de Oliveira Hellen Oliveira , Araújo Wagner L. , Pita-Barbosa Alice
Published: March 2023

Background and Aims
Calcium (Ca) plays an important role to increase drought tolerance in plants. We evaluated the effect of water restriction and Ca supply on the expression of Ca transporters, on Ca acquisition, allocation and its effects in eucalypt responses to drought.
Methods
Drought-tolerant eucalyptus plants (Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus camaldulensis - clone VM01) were grown in a hydroponic system in the presence or absence of Ca and subjected or not to water restriction using polyethylene glycol. Ca concentration by plants, gas exchange, plant growth, and the expression of the ACA11 and MCA1 Ca transporters were evaluated.
Results
Water restriction increased the expression of ACA11 (vacuole Ca transporter) and decreased the expression of MCA1(endodermal Ca transporter), in eucalypt roots. Water restriction increased Ca content in plant roots and Ca supply ameliorated the negative effects of water stress.
Conclusion
Water restriction alters the expression of Ca transporters in eucalypt roots altering the Ca allocation pattern and improving root growth and water status. Although caution must be taken, our findings bring novel evidence of an important mechanism that favors survival of drought-tolerant woody plants under water deficit.
Perioperative and frailty outcomes after total knee arthroplasty, an observational study
Authors: Tan Boon Hian , Stacey Simon , Poon Kein Boon
Published: March 2023

Background
Total knee arthroplasty is a common procedure with an increasing demand and there is an increasing proportion of aged people who go through total knee arthroplasty. Frailty is associated with adverse perioperative outcomes in the aged. This report seeks to understand the associations of preoperative frailty status and comorbid conditions in relation to their clinical and healthcare outcomes after total knee arthroplasty. It also examines if frailty can be improved after surgical treatment of osteoarthritis.
Methods
Retrospective cohort study, outcomes assessed over 2 years. Frailty defined by the Clinical Frailty Score.
Results
96 patient records were assessed, of which 13 (13.5%) patients were robust and 83 (86.5%) patients were pre-frail or frail. 2 years after total knee replacement, the number of robust patients increased to 58 (61.1%) patients showing a reversal of frailty in 47.6% of patients.
Conclusions
We report that total knee arthroplasty in prefrail and frail patients is a safe procedure that leads to improvement with subsequent reversal of frailty in 47.6% of patients two years after operation.
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy or Combined Chemo-Radiation Therapy of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Differentially Shift Immune Activation, ECM Composition, Energy Metabolism, and Ribosomal Proteins of the Residual Tumor Mass
Authors: Stillger Maren Nicole , Bronsert Peter , Brombacher Eva , Kreutz Clemens , Werner Martin , Tang Laura , Timme-Bronsert Sylvia , Schilling Oliver
Published: March 2023

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) belongs to the deadliest malignancies worldwide. Curative therapeutic options are limited as the majority of patients are diagnosed at advanced stages that disqualify them for surgical resection. Currently, neoadjuvant therapy regimens are being discussed as they may offer improved tumor resectability. Although features of the tumor biology (e.g. molecular markers) may potentially guide adjuvant therapy, little is known about the biological tumor alterations after neoadjuvant therapy. Methods: We performed mass spectrometry-based proteomics to characterize the proteomes of 67 PDAC resection specimens of patients who received either neoadjuvant chemo or chemo-radiation therapy. We employed data-independent acquisition (DIA), yielding a proteome coverage in excess of 3,500 proteins. Further, we combined our dataset with the proteomic PDAC CPTAC dataset to compare treatment-naïve and neoadjuvant treated residual PDAC. Results: The two neoadjuvant therapies yielded highly distinguishable proteome profiles of the residual tumor mass. Components of the immune system (e.g., complement cascade and immunoglobulins) and the extracellular matrix are increased in the chemo-radiation group, ribosomal proteins, the protein biosynthesis, degradation via the proteasome, and metabolic turnover in the chemotherapy group. Further analyses on the correlation of protein expressions and patient overall survival identified several proteins of the immune system as potential prognostic candidate biomarkers in both groups. The comparison of treatment-naïve and neoadjuvant treated tumors revealed an increase of ribosomal translation and the aldehyde dehydrogenase family. Conclusion: We present the first proteomic characterization of the residual PDAC tumor mass after neoadjuvant chemo and combined chemo-radiation therapy as well as potential candidates of protein markers associated with survival. We conclude that residual PDAC exhibits fundamentally different proteome profiles between both neoadjuvant therapies with immune system components correlating with overall survival. Notably, ribosomal translation and aldehyde dehydrogenases are suggested to be activated upon neoadjuvant treatment.
Assessing efficiency of fine-mapping obesity associated variants through leveraging ancestry architecture and functional annotation using PAGE and UKBB Cohorts
Authors: Anwar Mohammad Yaser , Graff Mariaelisa , Highland Heather M. , Smit Roelof , Wang Zhe , Buchanan Victoria L. , Young Kristina L. , Kenny Eimear E. , Fernandez-Rhodes Lindsay , Liu Simin , Assimes Themistocles , Garcia David O. , Daeeun Kim , Gignoux Christopher R. , Justice Anne E. , Haiman Christopher A. , Buyske Steve , Peters Ulrike , Loos Ruth , Kooperberg Charles , North Kari E.
Published: March 2023

Inadequate representation of non-European ancestry populations in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has limited opportunities to isolate functional variants. Fine-mapping in multi-ancestry populations should improve the efficiency of prioritizing variants for functional interrogation. To evaluate this hypothesis, we leveraged ancestry architecture to perform comparative GWAS and fine-mapping of obesity related phenotypes in European ancestry populations from the UK Biobank (UKBB) and multi-ancestry samples from the Population Architecture for Genetic Epidemiology (PAGE) consortium with comparable sample sizes. In 10 of the investigated regions with genome wide significant associations for obesity related traits, fine-mapping in our ancestrally diverse sample led to 95% and 99% credible sets (CS) with fewer variants than in the European ancestry sample. Lead fine-mapped variants in PAGE regions had higher average coding scores, and higher average posterior probabilities for causality compared to UKBB. Importantly, 99% CS in PAGE loci contained strong expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) in adipose tissues or harbored more variants in tighter linkage disequilibrium (LD) with eQTLs. Results also suggested three novel candidates for functional effect on waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (WHRBMI-adj) (rs5781117 near gene RP11-392O17.1, rs10187501 in gene COBLL1, and rs1964599 near gene CCDC92), all within the 99% CS. Leveraging ancestrally diverse populations with heterogeneous ancestry architectures, coupled with functional annotation, increased fine mapping efficiency and performance, and reduced the set of candidate variants for consideration for future functional studies. Significant overlap in genetic causal variants across populations suggest generalizability of genetic mechanisms underpinning obesity related traits across populations.
Deep venous thrombosis and hyponatremia associated with citalopram use for behavioral symptoms in Parkinson’s disease: A case report
Authors: Albalawi Afaf
Published: March 2023

Background:
Evidence is limited regarding the optimal therapeutic approach for neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used for mood disorders and behavioral symptoms in older adults with cognitive impairment, but they have limited efficacy in patients with PDD. The effect of SSRIs on hemostasis is also unclear. This report describes a patient with PDD who developed deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and hyponatremia after initiating citalopram (an SSRI) treatment.
Case Presentation:
An 86-year-old woman with PDD presented to our emergency department with altered mental status, generalized weakness, and left lower leg swelling. Citalopram was begun 4 weeks previously for behavioral changes and was discontinued 2 days before presentation because of excessive fatigue. At presentation, her plasma sodium level was 123 mg/dL. Brain computed tomography showed age-related changes. Doppler ultrasound revealed a DVT in the left lower leg. The patient was treated with hypertonic saline and intravenous heparin. After normalization of her sodium, she was discharged on donepezil and apixaban. At follow-up, her sodium remained normal, and her cognition and behavior were noticeably improved.
Conclusion:
Older adults with Parkinson’s disease are sensitive to adverse effects of psychotropic agents, especially SSRIs, which are not recommended first-line agents for behavioral symptoms in PDD. Upon initiating SSRIs in older patients with functional decline and multiple comorbidities, physicians should consider VTE prophylaxis, tailored to the patient’s needs and risk factors of bleeding or thrombosis. Physical activities should also be maintained as much as possible.
The metazoan parasite communities of flounders as indicators of chemical pollution in the southern Gulf of Mexico: taxonomic and trait-based approaches
Authors: Martinez Victor , Ocaña Frank A , Soler-Jimenez Lilia C , May-Tec Ana L , Centeno-Chale Oscar A , Aguirre-Macedo M. Leopoldina
Published: March 2023

Metazoan parasite species composition changes with an increase in geographical distance, but not their functional traits. We compared the performance of the taxonomy and functional traits of metazoan parasites as bioindicators of chemical pollution along the continental shelf of the South Gulf of Mexico (sGOM). Parasites were obtained from Syacium gunteri and Syacium papillosum, together with hydrocarbons, heavy metals and physicochemical variables from water and sediments during 12 oceanographic cruises. We compared regions without oil extraction: Veracruz-Tamaulipas (VT) and Yucatan shelf (YS) and one with it, north-western end of YS to Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz (NYV). In addition to taxonomy, the trait-based approach community-weighted means (CWM) was performed. Species richness was compared between regions using rarefaction curves, and the taxonomic and trait composition between regions were compared using multivariate analyses. The relationships between taxonomy, traits and environmental variables were tested using BIOENV. We identified 57 species and body tegument, transmission, feeding mode, life stage and attachment organs as informative traits. By rarefaction, VT and YS had higher species richness than NYV for both hosts, but there were questionable values due to the small fish sample size. Except for YS, significant parasite community variability was detected by PERMANOVA using taxonomy and CWM for all regions, hosts and interactions. The same group of larval species was detected by SIMPER for regions and hosts, suggesting low functional turnover. BIOENV showed that polyaromatic hydrocarbons explained most of the variability. Taxonomy and functional traits produced similar explained variance, but the latter saved time analysis and financial resources.
Perception of affordable diet is associated with pre-school children’s diet diversity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: the EAT Addis survey
Authors: Abdelmenan Semira , Berhane Hanna Y. , Turner Christopher , Worku Alemayehu , Selling Katarina , Ekström Eva-Charlotte , Berhane Yemane
Published: March 2023

Background
Despite improvements in food access and nutrition security over the last few decades, malnutrition remains a major public health problem. One of the significant contributors to these problems is affordability of nutritious food. This study aimed to examine the association between perceived food affordability and pre-school children’s diet diversity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods
Cross-sectional data were used for the analysis. A 24 h dietary recall assessment was done to assess children’s dietary diversity (DD). We used a modified operational definition of affordability indicator called perceived affordability of dietary diversity (afford-DD) to evaluate the impact of the food environment in terms of affordability at the household level. A sample (n 4,898) of children aged 6–59 months representative of Addis Ababa was randomly selected using a multistage sampling procedure including all districts in the city. Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to assess the association between children’s DD and afford-DD.
Results
The survey revealed that the mean of children’s DD was 3.9 [± 1.4] while the mean of afford-DD was 4.6 [± 2.1]. Overall, 59.8% of children met the minimum dietary diversity (≥ 4 food groups). White roots and tubers were the most commonly consumed food groups regardless of their affordability. Considerable variations were observed between households that reported the food item affordable and not affordable in consumption of Vitamin A rich vegetables and fruits, meat and fish, egg, and dairy. The children’s DD was positively associated with afford-DD after adjusting for maternal education, household wealth status and other relevant confounding. Higher maternal education modified the association between affordability and children’s diet diversity.
Conclusions
This study suggests higher perceived food affordability was associated with better diet diversity in children. A higher level of maternal education had the potential to mitigate affordability challenges in meeting the children’s dietary diversity needs.
Detecting Structural changes in the retina of neurodegenerative patients through OCT supervised segmentation
Authors: Otin Sofia , Ávila Francisco J , Mallen Victor , Garcia-Martin Elena
Published: March 2023

Background
To evaluate alterations of the choroid in neurodegenerative disease patients versus healthy controls using a custom supervised algorithm based on superpixel segmentation.
Methods
The prospective study protocol and procedures were approved by the Aragon Research Ethics Committee (CEICA) according to Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study. Swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) B-scan images obtained using a Triton (Topcon, Japan) device were compiled. Images were included from three cohorts: multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and Parkinson disease (PD) patients diagnosed by a neurologist, and healthy subjects. 104 OCT B-scan images were processed using a custom supervised superpixel segmentation (SpS) algorithm to detect boundary limits in the choroidal layer. The algorithm groups pixels with similar structural image properties to generate clusters with similar meaningful properties. SpS automatically selects and groups the superpixels in a segmented choroidal area, computing the choroidal optical image density (COID), the total choroidal area (CA), and choroid density (CD).
Results
CA and CD were significantly reduced in the two neurodegenerative diseases (higher in PD than in MS) versus healthy subjects (p < 0.001). COID increased significantly in PD patients versus MS patients and in MS patients versus healthy controls (p < 0.001).
Conclusions
The SpS algorithm detects choroidal tissue and significant changes in choroidal images proprieties in MS and PD patients versus healthy controls. Application of the SpS algorithm to OCT images potentially acts as a non-invasive biomarker for early diagnosis of MS and PD.
Efficient low temperature Monte Carlo sampling using quantum annealing
Authors: Sandt Roland , Spatschek Robert
Published: March 2023

Quantum annealing is an efficient technology to determine ground state configurations of discrete binary optimization problems, described through Ising Hamiltonians. Here we show that-at very low computational cost-also finite temperature properties can be calculated. The approach is most efficient at low temperatures, where conventional approaches like Metropolis Monte Carlo sampling suffers from high rejection rates and therefore large statistical noise. To demonstrate the general approach, we apply it to spin glasses and Ising chains.
Synthesis and Characterization of Tadalafil Nanoparticles by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Patel Kisan , Chandankar Sachin , Mahajan Hitendra
Published: March 2023

Tadalafil (TDFL) nanocrystals, a weakly water-soluble medication, were effectively produced using a hydrothermal method to improve solubility and dissolving rate. Tween 80 was chosen as an effective surfactant for inhibiting aggregation during the stabilization of medication nanocrystals. Under ideal circumstances, nearly spherical nanocrystals with a mean particle size of 284 nm were produced. The FTIR study revealed that the precipitated nanoparticles had the same chemical structure as the raw TDFL, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the TDFL Nano agglomerates. When compared to the unprocessed medication, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis revealed no significant crystalline alteration in the nanocrystals. Furthermore, as compared to the raw material, the dissolution rate of the processed TDFL nanocrystals in 120 minutes was considerably higher. As a result, it was determined that hydrothermal might be a straightforward and effective approach for producing poorly water-soluble drug particles with reduced particle size, narrow particle size distribution, and increased dissolving characteristics. The current work presents a forthright technique for synthesizing and scheming nanosized TDFL for improved drug delivery applications that do not require the use of organic solvents, is green, and has a high yield as a single-step procedure.
Renal microdissection revisited: Lectin-aided sorting of intact tubular nephron segments as a new tool to study sex-related differences in kidney disease
Authors: Roskosch Jessica , Uldry Anne-Christine , Huynh-Do Uyen , Rudloff Stefan
Published: March 2023

In our aging society an increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) meets a general shortage of organ donors. As the economic burden of CKD is increasing, kidney research made significant progress in the early detection, repair, or replacement of damaged renal tissue, taking in consideration sex-related differences, and precision medicine principles. Despite recent advancements in renal organoid research, the generation of fully functional nephrons in-vitro is so far not achievable. Here we describe a novel lectin-guided protocol to sort renal tissue into four pure, functionally diverse nephron segments with high yield and intact 3D tubular morphology. We validated tissue-sorted fragments with proximal or distal convoluted tubular identity using bottom-up proteomics and assessed sex-related differences. Compared to males, females showed higher abundance of proteins involved in metabolism and excretion of xenobiotics, as well as in cell cycle progression or proliferation, which together might enhance their ability to better cope with renal injury. The major advantage of our protocol – high yield of sorted nephron segments with preserved 3D structure – will allow us to reconstruct miniature kidneys ex-vivo, by combining it with cutting-edge bio-printing techniques. Besides large-scale drug screening or the identification of segment specific biomarkers in renal disease, they could pave the way to generate functional renal replacement units for regenerative medicine. Furthermore, if applied to human biopsies, our method could improve patient-specific renal disease assessment. In conclusion, our method represents a cost-efficient and broadly applicable tool with the potential to propel personalized regenerative kidney research.
Cerebrovascular disease case identification in inpatient electronic medical record data using natural language processing
Authors: Pan Jie , Zhang Zilong , Peters Steven Ray , Vatanpour Shabnam , Walker Robin L. , Lee Seungwon , Martin Elliot A. , Quan Hude
Published: March 2023

Background

Abstracting cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) from inpatient electronic medical records (EMRs) through natural language processing (NLP) is pivotal for automated disease surveillance and improving patient outcomes. Existing methods rely on coders’ abstraction, which has time delays and under-coding issues. This study sought to develop an NLP-based method to detect CeVD using EMR clinical notes.

Methods

CeVD status was confirmed through a chart review on randomly selected hospitalized patients who were 18 years or older and discharged from 3 hospitals in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, between January 1 and June 30, 2015. These patients’ chart data were linked to administrative discharge abstract database (DAD) and SunriseTM Clinical Manager (SCM) EMR database records by Personal Health Number (a unique lifetime identifier) and admission date. We trained multiple natural language processing (NLP) predictive models by combining two clinical concept extraction methods and two supervised machine learning (ML) methods: random forest and XGBoost. Using chart review as the reference standard, we compared the model performances with those of the commonly applied International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10-CA) codes, on the metrics of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).

Result

Of the study sample (n=3036), the prevalence of CeVD was 11.8% (n=360); the median patient age was 63; and females accounted for 50.3% (n=1528) based on chart data. Among 49 extracted clinical documents from the EMR, four document types were identified as the most influential text sources for identifying CeVD disease (“nursing transfer report,” “discharge summary,” “nursing notes,” and “inpatient consultation.”). The best performing NLP model was XGBoost, combining the Unified Medical Language System concepts extracted by cTAKES (e.g., top-ranked concepts, “Cerebrovascular accident” and “Transient ischemic attack”), and the term frequency-inverse document frequency vectorizer. Compared with ICD codes, the model achieved higher validity overall, such as sensitivity (25.0% vs 70.0%), specificity (99.3% vs 99.1%), PPV (82.6 vs. 87.8%), and NPV (90.8% vs 97.1%).

Conclusion

The NLP algorithm developed in this study performed better than the ICD code algorithm in detecting CeVD. The NLP models could result in an automated EMR tool for identifying CeVD cases and be applied for future studies such as surveillance, and longitudinal studies.
Potential Effect Of Green Tea Extract For Adjuvant Treatment Of Acute Ischemic Stroke by S100ß Upregulation In Non Thrombolysis Patient
Authors: Machin Abdulloh , Suprapto Djoko Agus , Hanifah Anny , Suharjanti Isti , Shodiq Jakfar , Fatihuddin M Fata , Kim Beom Joon , Firdha Azizah Amimathul
Published: March 2023

Purpose
To determine the efficacy of green tea extract for adjuvant treatment of acute ischemic stroke in non-thrombolysis patients.
Methods
A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted in January-November 2021. The subjects were all acute ischemic stroke patients who presented to the ER during recruitment. Patients were then randomized into control or intervention groups and followed up to 30 days of treatment. On days 0,7,14, and 30 of the treatment, NIHSS, mRS and MoCAIna scores were measured. IL-10 and S100ß were measured on the first and seventh days of admission.
Results
All the delta-NIHSS (day 7 − 0, day 14 − 0, day 30 − 0) were found to be statistically significant in the intervention group (p = 0.019, p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively), especially the NIHSS improvement on day 30 − 0 (RR 4,333 (1,162–16,157); CI 95%; p = 0.014). On day 30, the mRS score was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (1.00 (0.00–4.00) vs 2.00 (1.00–4.00); p = 0.046). The delta-mRS day 14 − 0 and 30 − 0 were statistically significant for the intervention group (p = 0.042 and p = 0.001). There is no significant difference between the two groups in the MoCAIna score and IL-10 level. On days 0 and 7, the S100ß were found to be statistically significant in the intervention group (p = 0.041 and p = 0.013). The delta- S100β day 7 − 0 was found to be significantly lower in the intervention groups compared to the control group (-1.388 (-4.420–5.010) 0.900 (-1.800–5.660); p-value < 0.001).
Conclusions
The green tea extract with EGCG through up-regulation S100ß can improve the clinical outcomes of acute cerebral infarction patients.
Prognostic value of immune biomarkers in renal clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Tong , Duan Mingguang , Xin Yinghui , Liu Zhiling , Li Kaiguo , Liu Yuanwei , Lv Yonghui , Jing Haiyan , Zhang Jie , Huang Zhaoqin
Published: March 2023

Objective: To analyze the expression of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and immune biomarkers to investigate their prognostic value in patients with Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).
Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 152 patients who were pathologically diagnosed with ccRCC between March 2010 and December 2018 at our institute. All tumor tissue sections were collected, and immunohistochemical staining was performed to calculate the expression of CD4, CD8, PD-1 and PD-L1. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic value of biomarkers on survival. The association of clinicopathological variables and biomarkers were tested by Chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test or Student’s t-test.
Results: In univariable analysis, increased tumor-infiltrating of CD8+ T cells and PD-L1 positive cells were associated with poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). In multiple analysis, increased CD8+T cells was an independent prognostic factor for poor DFS (p=0.009) and increased PD-L1 was independent prognostic factors for poor OS (p=0.030).
Conclusion: This study showed some TILs and biomarkers can provide some prognostic data for clinical subsequent therapy for patients with ccRCC.
Cardiac MRI of Characteristic Motion Findings in Right Bundle Branch Block
Authors: Axel Leon , Kanski Mikael , Gomez Geraldine Villasana , Gozansky Elliott , Babb James S.
Published: March 2023

Purpose
While there have been many descriptions of characteristic motion findings in left bundle branch block (LBBB), there are few published descriptions of such findings in right bundle branch block (RBBB).
The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of particular regional motion findings in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) studies of patients with RBBB, compared with normal subjects.
Methods
We focused on three distinctive motion patterns that can be seen in RBBB during early systole: delayed apex-ward motion of the RV base, “reverse septal flash”, and “basal bulge”. The presence and relative magnitude of these findings were independently scored by four experienced observers, in 3-chamber and 4-chamber CMR cines, for both normal subjects and patients with RBBB.
Results
These motion patterns were found to be strongly associated with the presence of RBBB. While only moderately sensitive, they were quite specific for RBBB, when present. In particular, with ROC analysis, a combined feature set of the findings in the 4-chamber view had an area under the curve of 0.81.
Conclusion
This previously undescribed set of RBBB-associated early-systolic regional motion features (delayed apex-ward motion of the RV base, “reverse septal flash”, and “basal bulge”) is strongly suggestive of RBBB when present, particularly in the 4-chamber view. Although here evaluated with CMR, it is also likely to be associated with RBBB when seen with other cardiac imaging modalities.
Mapping single-cell transcriptomes of endometrium reveals potential biomarkers in cancer
Authors: Xu Gang , Pan Tao , Li Si , Guo Jing , Zhang Ya , Xu Qi , Chen Renwei , Ma Yanlin , Li Yongsheng
Published: March 2023

Background
Deconvolution of immune microenvironment that drive transcriptional programs throughout the menstrual cycle is key to understanding regulatory biology of endometrium.
Methods
We comprehensively analyzed single cell transcriptome of 59,397 cells across ten human endometrium samples. Cell specific expression of genes were revealed and transcription factors that potentially regulated these genes were identified by SCENIC. CellChat was used to analyze the cell-cell communications. The RNA-based molecular subtypes of human endometrial cancers were revealed by nonnegative matrix factorization analysis.
Results
Single cell transcriptome analyses revealed the dynamic cellular heterogeneity throughout the menstrual cycle. In particular, we identified two perivascular cell subtypes, four epithelial subtypes and four fibroblast cell types in endometrium. Moreover, we inferred the cell type-specific transcription factor (TF) activities and linked critical TFs to transcriptional output of diverse immune cell types, highlighting the importance of transcriptional regulation in endometrium. Dynamic interactions between various types of cells in endometrium contribute to a range of biological pathways regulating differentiation of secretory. Integration of the molecular biomarkers identified in endometrium and bulk transcriptome of 535 endometrial cancers (EC), we revealed five RNA-based molecular subtypes of EC with highly intratumoral heterogeneity and different clinical manifestations. Mechanism analysis uncovered clinically relevant pathways for pathogenesis of EC.
Conclusions
In summary, dynamic immune microenvironment analyses provide novel insights into future development of RNA-based treatments for endometriosis and endometrial carcinoma.
Metamaterial Inspired Quad-port Multi-Antenna System for Millimeter Wave 5G Applications
Authors: Krishnamoorthy R. , Kumar Ushus. S. , . GundalaSwathi , M Amina Begum , Nancharaiah B. , DayaSagar K.V.
Published: March 2023

This work presents a symmetrical quad-element Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna that uses a feasible band for 5G millimetre waves at 38 GHz. The main radiator is a patch antenna with a rectangular shape, and the frequency it operates at is 38 GHz. Etching a three-element split-ring resonator (SRR) metamaterial unit cell onto the normal patch radiator allows for widening the resonance over the desired operating band. The suggested MIMO antenna is built on a Rogers RT5880 substrate material that measures 15 x 15 mm2, has a thickness of 0.8 mm, and has a dielectric constant of 2.2. The results of the measurements show that the antenna is capable of covering a frequency range from 37.3 to 39.3 GHz and can also achieve an inter-port isolation of greater than 20 dB between the antenna elements across both bands without the use of a complex decoupling structure. These are the results that were obtained when the antenna was tested. An equivalent circuit diagram of the electrical responses of the antenna is also presented to get insight into the proposed antenna. This schematic makes use of lumped components. The diversity performance parameters that were analysed provide an envelope correlation coefficient that is less than 0.005, and a channel capacity loss that is less than 0.35 bits/s/Hz. All of these results fall well within the parameters that are considered acceptable norms. The findings provide evidence that the design is workable for the transmission of millimetre waves at 5G speeds.
New Genomic Insights into the Conformation of Lipizzan Horses
Authors: Gmel Annik , Brem Gottfried , Neuditschko Markus
Published: March 2023

Conformation traits are important selection criteria in equine breeding, as they describe the exterior aspects of the horse (height, joint angles, shape). However, the genetic architecture of conformation is not well understood, as data of these traits mainly consist of subjective evaluation scores. Here, we performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on two-dimensional (2D) shape data of Lipizzan horses. Based on this data, we identified two significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to a heavy or light type of horse on equine chromosome (ECA) 16 within the MAGI1 gene and on ECA5 within the POU2F1 gene. Both genes were previously described to affect growth and muscling in sheep, cattle and pigs. Furthermore, we pin-pointed another suggestive QTL on ECA 21, near the PTGER4 gene, associated with human ankylosing spondylitis, for shape differences in the back and pelvis (roach back vs sway back). Further differences in the shape of the back and abdomen were suggestively associated with the RYR1 gene, involved in core muscle weakness in humans. Therefore, we demonstrated, that horse shape space data enhance the genomic investigations of horse conformation.
A Babesia microti conserved membrane-associated protein Bm8 elicits partial protection against Babesia and Plasmodium infection
Authors: Wang Yao , Zhang Qianqian , Zhang Wanruo , Chen Junhu , Dai Jianfeng , Zhou Xia
Published: March 2023

The protozoan parasite Babesia microti that causes the zoonoses, babesiosis interacts with the host erythrocytes during its life cycle. So far, no effective vaccines are available to prevent Babesia infections. In this study, we identified a B. microti conserved erythrocyte membrane-associated antigen, Bm8, as a high seroreactivity antigen. Bioinformatic and phylogenetic analysis showed that this membrane-associated protein is conserved among apicomplexan hemoprotozoa, such as Babesia, Plasmodium, and Theileria. The recombinant protein Bm8 (rBm8) was obtained by prokaryotic expression and purification. Immunofluorescence assays (IFA) confirmed that Bm8 and its plasmodium homolog is localized principally in the cytoplasm of the parasites. rBm8 protein can be specifically recognized by the sera of mice infected with B. microti or P. berghei. Further, mice immunized with Bm8 polypeptide had a decreased parasite burdenafter B. microti or P. berghei infection. Accordingly, passive immunization withBm8 antisera also partially protected mice against B. microti or P. berghei infection. Thus, wepropose that the B. microticonserved erythrocyte membrane-associated protein Bm8 might serve as a novel broad-spectrum parasite vaccine candidate having a protective immune response against Babesiosis and Plasmodium infection.
Synthesis, structural characterization and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 3-acetylpyridinium and 4-acetylpyridinium picrate crystals
Authors: Guganathan Loganathan , Balakrishnan Chellakarungu , Suppuraj Palusamy , Balasubramanian Venkataraman
Published: March 2023

Single crystals of 3-acetylpyridinium picrate (I) and 4-acetylpyridinium picrate (II) were grown in slow evaporation environments. Harvested crystals were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared spectrum, diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence spectrum, thermal and Hirshfeld surface analysis. Crystal (I) crystallizes a triclinic crystal system with a centric (Pī) space group and (II) crystallizes in a monoclinic system with a centric (P21/c) space group. The molecule is associated with accommodating C-H•••O, N-H•••O and π•••π stacking interactions, very much responsible for the formation and strengthening of the supramolecular network. TG/DTA analysis reveals the thermal pattern of the complexes. Intermolecular interactions are quantified by Hirshfeld surface analysis.
Experience with Intraoperative Radiation Therapy in an Urban Cancer Center
Authors: Andraos Therese Youssef , Skalina Karin A. , Feldman Sheldon , Mehta Keyur , Tome Wolfgang A. , McEvoy Maureen P. , Gupta Anjuli , Fox Jana L.
Published: March 2023

Background/Objective:
Intra-operative radiation therapy (IORT) is a newer partial breast irradiation technique that has been well studied in 2 large, randomized trials, the TARGIT-A and ELIOT trials. We initiated our IORT program in 2018 in the context of a registry trial and aim to report our early results thus far.
Methods:
We instituted an IORT practice using Intrabeam® low energy 50kVp x-rays for selected breast cancer cases in 2018. Patients were enrolled on our institutional registry protocol which allowed for IORT in ER+ patients with grade 1-2 DCIS ≤ 2.5cm or invasive disease ≤ 3.5cm in patients of at least 45 years of age.
Results:
Between January 2018 and December 2021, 181 patients with clinical stage 0-IIA ER+ breast cancer were evaluated. One hundred sixty-seven patients ultimately received IORT to 172 sites.
The majority of patients received IORT at the time of initial diagnosis and surgery (160/167; 95.8%).
Re-excision post IORT occurred in 16/167 patients (9.6%) due to positive margins. Adjuvant RT to the whole breast +/- LN was ultimately given to 23/167 (13.8%) patients mainly due to positive sentinel LN found on final pathology (12/23; 52%); other reasons were close margins for DCIS (3/23; 13%), tumor size (3/23; 4.3%), and multifactorial (5/23; 17.4%).
Five patients (3%) had post-operative complications of wound dehiscence. There were 3 local recurrences (1.6%) at a median follow-up of 27.9 months (range: 0.7– 54.8 months).
Conclusions:
IORT has been proven to be a safe and patient-centered form of local adjuvant RT for our population, in whom compliance with a longer course of external beam radiation can be an issue. Long term efficacy remains to be evaluated through continued follow up. In the era of COVID-19 and beyond, IORT has been an increasingly attractive option, as it greatly minimizes toxicities and patient visits to the clinic.
Trial Registration: All patients were prospectively enrolled on an institutional review board-approved registry trial (IRB number: 2018-9409).
Mg Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH)-assisted multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) grafting on poly-2-aminothiazole (PAT) /chitosan (CS)-blend matrix for Cd2+ removal and 4-nitrophenol reduction
Authors: Rostami Mohammad Saeid , Khodaei Mohammad Mehdi
Published: March 2023

The present study evaluated the performance of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)@MgAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles loaded on poly-2 aminothiazole (PAT)/chitosan (CS) matrix to remove Cd2+ ions from aqueous solution. We created a new PAT-based adsorbent by mixing PAT and CS nanoparticles, and surface modification by MWCNT@LDHs. For preparing the adsorbent, first, the PAT surface was modified by CS as an excellent candidate with a large number of –OH functional groups for interfacial adhesion improvement of the composite and enhancing the adsorption of the polymer. Then, to the homogeneous distribution of MWCNT in the matrix (CS/PAT), the surface of the functionalized MWCNT (MWCNT-COOH) was covalently modified by LDHs. Finally, the nanocomposite (NC) films were fabricated by ultrasonication using various loadings (30–70 wt %) of MWCNT@LDH. The prepared films were labelled CP-30%, CP-50%, and CP-70%. By adding MWCNT@LDH to the matrix network, the removal efficiency was increased significantly compared to CS/PAT. The influence of heavy metal ion concentration, pH, temperature, adsorbent dosage, and contact time on the adsorption. The maximum absorption capacity of 1106.19 mg/g was measured for Cd2+. The pseudo-first-order kinetics (PFO) and the Langmuir model were selected as the best models for the adsorption process. Also, the NC was successfully tested for p-nitrophenol (p-NP) reduction in the presence of NaBH4. The reaction was nearly completed in 6 min. Studies showed that the fabricated NC could be reused for three consecutive cycles.
Lifetime of Sunspots and Pores
Authors: Tlatov Andrey
Published: March 2023

The lifetime of individual sunspots and pores is analyzed according to the data of the processing of observations of the HMI/SDO space Observatory in the period 2010-2022. It is found that the lifetime of individual sunspots and pores differs from the Gnevyshev–Waldmeier rule formulated for groups of sunspots. The dependence of the lifetime has a different pattern for different types of spots. For pores, the lifetime does not depend on the polarity of the magnetic field and has a logarithmic form from the area: Tpr = 0.24(±0.01)+0.55(±0.14)·log(Smx). For regular sunspots with a developed penumbra, the dependence on the area has a linear form, but depends on the polarity of the magnetic field. For sunspots with a magnetic field of the leading polarity: Tldsp = −0.62 (±0, 2)+0.036 (±0.002)·Smx. For sunspots of trailing polarity: Ttrsp = 0.95(±0, 1) + 0.01(±0.001) · Smx.The decay time and the total lifetime of sunspots is related to the rate of matter flow in sunspots. The average vertical speed of matter in sunspots decreases with their increasing area. Moreover, the flow rate of matter in the sunspots of the trailing polarity is higher than in the sunspots of the leading polarity. This difference in the velocity of matter explains the difference in the lifetime of the sunspots of the leading and trailing magnetic polarity.
Different splice isoforms of peripheral TREM2 mRNA expressions are associated with cognitive decline in mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease and reflect central microglia activation
Authors: Chiang Yi-Kuan , Lin Yung-Shuan , Chen Chun-Yu , Lirng Jiing-Feng , Yang Yu-Hsiu , Lee Wei-Ju , Fuh Jong-Ling
Published: March 2023

Background
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is upregulated in activated microglia and may be related to cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There is conflicting evidence regarding the association of peripheral levels of TREM2 mRNA expression and soluble TREM2 (the extracellular domain of TREM2) with cognitive function in patients with AD. The correlation between peripheral TREM2 mRNA expression and neuroinflammation is unclear.
Methods
We recruited subjects with mild dementia due to AD (clinical dementia rating = 0.5 or 1) and healthy controls. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed using two types of primers. One detects all peripheral TREM2 mRNA isoforms, and the other is specific for TREM2alt. In a subgroup of patients with AD, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to measure the myo-inositol (mI) level in the posterior cingulate cortex, which is considered a marker for microglial activation. We analyzed the difference in mRNA expression between the two groups and the association between mRNA expression and cognition and mI levels.
Results
We recruited 61 patients with AD and 51 healthy controls. A one-way analysis of covariance adjusted for covariates showed higher TREM2 and TREM2alt mRNA expression levels in the AD group than in the control group (p = 0.013 and p = 0.001, respectively). Correlation analysis and linear regression examining the association between the mRNA expression levels and mini-mental state examination score showed a positive correlation in patients with AD (TREM2, rs = 0.305, p = 0.017, adjusted p = 0.001; TREM2alt, rs = 0.302, p = 0.018, adjusted p = 0.009) but not in the control group. Subgroup analysis of 25 AD patients with MRS showed a negative correlation between mRNA expression and mI levels (TREM2, rs = -0.426, p = 0.034, adjusted p = 0.032; TREM2alt, rs = -0.447, p = 0.025, adjusted p = 0.028).
Conclusions
Increased TREM2 and TREM2alt mRNA expression is associated with AD pathogenesis at the mild dementia stage, thereby serving as a potential biomarker for the early symptomatic stage of AD. TREM2 may exert protective effects on both cognition and microglia-mediated neuroinflammation.
An Algebraic Approach to Some Results on Interpolated Multiple Zeta Values
Authors: TAMANG NITA , TAMANG BISHAL
Published: March 2023

A decomposition of interpolated multiple zeta values has been obtained. Further,the Ohno-Zagier type of relation for interpolated multiple zeta values with full height has been deduced from regularized double shuffle relation.
Use of geochemical attributes to evaluate the authogenetic characteristics of Eocene coals from Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India
Authors: Srivast Manish Kumar , Kishor Kaushal , Kumar Manish , Nath Manabendra , Singh Alok K.
Published: March 2023

In Meghalaya, coal is present in the Lakadong sandstone formation (25 to 250 meters thick) of the Eocene epoch. The three major clusters of coalfields in Meghalaya are the Garo Hills, Khasi Hills, and Jaintia Hills. Based on petrographic studies, tectonics, and sulphur content, done by many scientists, it has been suggested that the coal-bearing strata of Jaintia Hills were formed from swamp forest on the platform areas and repeatedly subjected to marine transgression and regression. The present investigation is based upon geochemical attributes extracted from the inorganic component of coal to supplement the previous findings and also to develop a detailed understanding of the paleo deposition condition of these coals. Coal samples from two coal seams at nine locations of the Sampar coalfield of Jaintia Hills were collected and studied. The samples are subjected to X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction Analyses, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and ash analysis to study geochemical and mineralogical composition and ash yield. Mineralogical and geochemical data generated during the study were used to predict the autogenetic character of these coals. The study reveals that coals of Jaintia Hills deposited in coastal swamps and lagoons on stable platform areas with a minuscule grade of tectonic activity, which is influenced by the seawater incursion. These coals were deposited in reducing to significantly reducing conditions and warm and humid to semi-arid climatic conditions. No signature of geothermally active fluid has been found.
Low Temperature Probing of On-Surface Dynamical Fluctuations with Johnson-Nyquist and Delta-T Noises
Authors: Zhitlukhina Elena , Belogolovskii Mikhail , Seidel Paul
Published: March 2023

As microelectronics evolves into nanoelectronics with faster switching speeds and the associated energy dissipation, determining local temperature and temperature gradients becomes an increasingly important challenge for solving design and manufacturing problems as well as improving reliability. Recently, experimental studies of low-temperature quantum thermal phenomena, in which heat is ruled by quantum physics, have been developing at an ever-increasing pace. A fundamental issue posed by finite temperatures is spontaneous fluctuations of electric currents occurring inside electrical conductors even in equilibrium, regardless of any applied voltage (the Johnson-Nyquist noise). Recently, a new (previously overlooked) non-equilibrium contribution to noise in a temperature-biased nanoscale conductive structure was discovered and called delta-T noise. In this paper, we argue that, along with stationary characteristics, both techniques can be successfully used to reveal on-surface dynamic processes in a cryogenic environment when other thermodynamic techniques lose sensitivity or cease to operate. Our calculations based on the scattering theory of nonlinear ac electron quantum transport show that related frequency-dependent noise spectra and their derivatives over frequency directly reflect the amplitude and the frequency of periodic current fluctuations. For practical implementations, it is proposed to use a multi-tip scanning tunneling microscope technique, which in our case needs only two tips, in contrast to the four-contact probing currently being implemented. Such nanoscale measurements, which are most effective at cryogenic temperatures, can provide important information about local thermally induced nanoscale processes useful for such applications as nanoelectronics and sensing technologies.