bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Astragaloside-IV Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Cell Proliferation in Vitro and in Vivo by Inducing Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis
Authors: Chen Guodong , Ding Chengming , Tang Weiping , Qi Shuo , Zhou Pengyu , Wu Fan , Li Chuanfu , Zhang Nanxiang , Lei Xiaohua
Published: January 2022

Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) or 3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-6-O-β-D-glucopyranosylcyl-cloastragenol is a bioactive saponin extract from the root of Astragalus membranaceus. It has been proven to have an anti-tumor effect in a variety of tumors by inducing cell apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation. Its effects on pancreatic cancer have not been investigated. This study investigated the effects of AS-IV on proliferation, apoptosis and migration of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo and explored its underlying mechanism. Pancreatic cancer cell lines SW1990 and Panc-1were treated with different doses of AS-IV. Plate clonality, CCK-8, EDU and flow cytometry were used to explore the effect of AS-IV on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and cell cycle in vitro. Wound healing was used to investigate the effects of AS-IV on pancreatic cell migration. The protein expression levels of Bax/Bcl2, caspase3/7, cyclin D1, cyclin E and CDK4 were analyzed by western blotting. The results showed that AS-IV significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation and cell cycle, induced apoptosis both in vitro and vivo on a dose-dependent basis and significantly inhibited the growth of pancreatic cell xenograft tumor in nude mice. Wound healing assays indicated that AS-IV also inhibited the migration of pancreatic cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. This research confirmed that AS-IV inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation by blocking the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis. It was hypothesized from this experiment that the potential mechanism of AS-IV inducing apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells may be understood by activating the Bcl2/Bax/Caspase-3/Caspase-7 signaling pathway.
Impact of Maternal Lateral Tilt On Cardiac Output During Caesarean Section Under Spinal Anaesthesia: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Sonnino Chiara , Frassanito Luciano , Piersanti Alessandra , Giuri Pietro Paolo , Zanfini Bruno Antonio , Catarci Stefano , Draisci Gaetano
Published: January 2022

Background: Left uterine displacement (LUD) has been questioned as an effective strategy to prevent aortocaval compression after spinal anesthesia (SA) for cesarean delivery (CD). We tested if LUD has a significant impact on cardiac output (CO) in patients undergoing CD under SA during continuous non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring.Methods: Forty-six patients were included in the final analysis. We considered 4 timepoints of 5 minutes each: T1=baseline with LUD; T2=baseline without LUD; T3=after SA with LUD; T4=after SA without LUD. LUD was then repositioned for CD. Primary outcome was to test if CO decreased from T3 to T4. We also compared CO between T1 and T2 and other hemodynamic variables: mean, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (respectively MAP, SAP and DAP), heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), stroke volume variation (SVV), pulse pressure variation (PPV), contractility (dP/dt), dynamic arterial elastance (Eadyn) at the different timepoints. Data on fetal Apgar scores and umbilical arterial and venous pH were collected.Results: CO did not vary from T3 to T4 [CO mean difference -0.02 L/min [95% CI -0.88 to 0.82; p=1]. No significant variation was registered for any variable at any timepoint. Conclusions: LUD did not show a significant impact on CO during continuous hemodynamic monitoring after SA for CD.Trial registration: (retrospectively registered on 03/12/2021) NCT05143684.
Elucidation of The Effects and Underlying Mechanism of Aerobic Interval Training Combined With Liraglutide On Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Cai Huan , Zhou Linling , Liu Jingqin , Li Zelin , Chen Shuchun
Published: January 2022

objective: This study intended to explore the hypoglycemic and cardioprotective effects of 8-week aerobic interval training combined with liraglutide and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.Method: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups - normal control (CON), diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), high-dose liraglutide (DH), low-dose liraglutide DL , and aerobic interval training combined with liraglutide (DLE). The cardiac function of rats ,the FBG the levels of fasting insulin (FIN), HbA1c, the total collagen content , AGEs, the mRNA expression of myocardial remodeling genes BNP, GSK3β, α-MHC, and β-MHC ,the expression of GLP-1 and GLP-1R proteins, Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and beta-cell function (HOMA-β) was analyze. Results: During the intervention, the FBG in each intervention group significantly decreased compared to the DCM group. After 8 weeks,the DH, DL, and DLE groups showed improved blood glucose-related indices and cleared the accumulated AGEs in the DCM groups. The heart function in the DLE groups was significantly improved than that in the DH and DL groups. The relative expression of BNP mRNA in the DH, DL, and DLE groups significantly reduced compared to the CON and the DCM group .Compared to the DCM group,the relative expression of α-MHC mRNA increased significantly and β-MHC mRNA decreased notably in the myocardium of the DH, DL, and the DLE group.The expression of GLP-1 in the myocardial tissue of rats in the DH group was higher than that in the DL and DLE groups. GLP-1R expression in the myocardial tissue in the DLE group was higher than that in the DH , DL and the DCM groups .Conclusion: Liraglutide combined with AIT intervention significantly reduced FBG and the fluctuations in FBG, alleviated myocardial fibrosis, improved cardiac function in DCM rats, supporting the efficacy of the combined pharmaceutical and physical intervention, and reduced the cost of treatment.
Cumulative Live Birth Rates for Low-Prognosis Women Over 5 Years or 9 Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer Cycles
Authors: CHEN Di DI , Shen Xi , Wang Li , Kuang Yanping
Published: January 2022

Background: For heterogeneous populations of low-prognosis women, it remains unclear as to how long individuals should continue undergoing ART when attempting to have a baby, as there have been insufficient studies to date tracking the cumulative live birth rates (CLBRs) for these women over the entire course of their ART treatment, particularly over extended time periods. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 17,698 women at a tertiary care academic medical center who had begun undergoing IVI/ICSI cycles using a PPOS approach between January 2013 and January 2019. Low-prognosis patients were stratified into four groups based upon POSEIDON criteria, with patients exhibiting normal or high ovarian reserves and response to stimulation (defined as AFC ≥5, >9 oocytes retrieved) being included as controls (group 5). The CLBR within 5 years or 9 FET cycles from the OPU day of the first cycle was the primary endpoint for this study, including all repetitive oocyte retrieval cycles and subsequent FET cycles. Optimistic and conservative approaches were used for the analysis of CLBRs and the depiction of cumulative incidence curves.Results: Under both optimistic and conservative model analyses, patients in group 5 exhibited the highest CLBR within 5 years or 9 FET cycles, followed by POSEIDON group 1, group 3, group 2, and group 4. Upward trends in CLBRs were evident across the five groups with the prolongation of time or an increase in FET cycle counts. Within the first 2 years or 3 FET cycles, the CLBRs rose rapidly, followed by more moderate increases over the following 2-3.5 years or 4-6 cycles, with the patients in group 3 and group 4 exhibiting the most obvious improvements. Patients in all groups reached a CLBR plateau after 3.5 years or 6 FET cycles.Conclusions: All low-prognosis women should undergo ART treatment for a minimum of 2 years or 3 FET cycles, and exhibit better outcomes when extending ART treatment to 3.5 years or 6 FET cycles (particularly for POSEIDON groups 3 and 4), but should consider ceasing further treatment thereafter due to a lack of apparent benefit.
Rehin Mitigates Chronic Kidney Injury by Decreasing the Release of Perforin and IFN-γ from Immune Cells Via Inhibiting the STING/TBK1/IRF3 Pathway Activation
Authors: Wang Jingyu , Huang Xin , Liao Yong , Cai Xintian , Xu Jing , Hao Junfeng , Zhu Chao
Published: January 2022

Shenkang suppository (SKS), a Chinese medicinal preparation rich in various natural ingredients, has not been reported in any studies related to fibrosis. Our experiments validated the anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects of Rhein (Rh), which is a major component of SKS, and explored its potential immune mechanisms. Tissue and serum specimens from chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and normal subjects were collected in 30 cases each, and the expression differences of perforin and IFN-γ were analyzed by ELISA. Further, the CKD mice model constructed with folic acid (FA) was used to validate these differences by WB and qRT-PCR to explore the potential nephroprotective mechanism of Rh. Besides, in vitro experiments were conducted to identify the release sources of perforin and IFN-γ. ELISA showed that perforin and IFN-γ were upregulated in CKD patients, and this phenomenon was also corroborated in CKD mice. WB and qRT-PCR data showed that Rh reversed perforin and IFN-γ upregulation, inflammatory factor recruitment, and extracellular matrix (ECM) protein upregulation. Results from in vitro experiments demonstrate that the upregulation of perforin and IFN-γ originates from the stress response of CD4+ T lymphocytes (CD4+ cells), CD8+ T lymphocytes (CD8+ cells) and natural killer cells (NK cells), which can be suppressed by Rh. More importantly, the activated STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway in CKD was also inhibited by Rh. Our data suggest that Rh possesses anti-fibrotic and nephroprotective effects, which mechanistically are associated with decreased release of perforin and IFN-γ from immune cells, which may be achieved by suppressing the STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway.
Intraspecific Competitive Interactions Rapidly Evolve Via Spontaneous Mutations
Authors: Nottebrock Henning , Weng Mao-Lun , Rutter Matthew T. , Fenster Charles B.
Published: January 2022

Using a mechanistic eco-evolutionary trait-based neighborhood-model, we quantify the impact of mutations on intraspecific spatial interactions to better understand mechanisms underlying the maintenance of genetic variation and the potential effects of these evolved interactions on the population dynamics of Arabidopsis thaliana. We use 100 twenty-fifth generation mutation accumulation (MA) lines (genotypes) derived from one founder genotype to study mutational effects on neighbor responses in a field experiment. We created individual-based maps (15,000 individuals), including phenotypic variation, to quantify mutational effects within genotypes versus between genotypes on reproduction and survival. At small-scale (within 80 cm of the focal plant), survival is enhanced but seed-set is decreased when a genotype is surrounded by different genotypes. At large-scale (within 200 cm of the focal plant), seed set is facilitated by different genotypes while the same genotype has either no effect or negative effects. The direction of the interactions among MA lines suggests that at small scale these interactions may contribute to the maintenance of genetic variation and at large scale contribute to the survival of the population. This may suggest, that, mutations potentially have immediate effects on population and community dynamics by influencing the outcome of competitive and faciliatory interactions among conspecifics.
Wearing a KN95/FFP2 Facemask Has Subtle Effects on Functional Salience Network Interaction
Authors: HALLER Sven , MONTANDON Marie-Louise , RODRIGUEZ Cristelle , GIANNAKOPOULOS Panteleimon
Published: January 2022

BackgroundWide use of wearing a facemask is one of the many consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used resting-state fMRI to search for subtle changes in brain functional connectivity, expected notably related to the high-level salience (SN) and default mode networks (DMN).Materials and MethodsProspective crossover design resting fMRI study with/without wearing a tight FFP2/KN95 facemask, including 24 consecutive male participants (mean age ± SD = 29.9 ± 6.9 years) at 3T. As physiological parameters, respiration frequency and heart rate were monitored. Data analysis was performed using the CONN toolbox.ResultsWearing an FFP2/KN95 facemask did not impact respiration or heart rate but resulted in a significant reduction in functional connectivity between the SN as the seed region and the left middle frontal and precentral gyrus. No difference was found when the DMN, sensorimotor, visual, dorsal attention or language networks were used as seed regions.ConclusionsThe wearing of tight FFP2/KN95 facemasks in men decreases the functional connectivity of the SN, which is known to be involved in communication, social behavior and self-awareness. This phenomenon was confined to the left frontal and precentral gyrus. Our results imply that the wearing of a facemask could impact our ability to detect and react appropriately to salient stimuli by altering the functional connectivity of the SN.
A Qualitative Study Using Semi-Structured Interviews: Comparing the Views of Palliative Care Unit Patients and Clinicians on Corneal Donation Discussions
Authors: Patel Chirag , Crawford Gregory B
Published: January 2022

Background: Blindness from corneal opacity accounts for 12% of cases of blindness worldwide. There is a severe shortage of corneas for donation worldwide for transplantation and research purposes. One group of individuals who could potentially be donors are those who die within the inpatient palliative care unit. The aims of the study were to 1. determine the frequency of corneal donation discussion; 2. determine whether inpatient palliative care unit patients and clinicians were aware of the potential for corneal donation discussions and 3. explore the attitudes and beliefs of inpatient palliative care unit patients and clinicians about corneal donation. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was designed where inpatient palliative care unit patients and clinicians were invited to a semi-structured interview. A total of 46 face to face interviews were undertaken involving inpatient palliative care unit patients (20) and clinicians (26) in three major inpatient palliative care units in South Australia. Results: Very few patient participants were asked about corneal donations during their time in palliative care. Most inpatient palliative care unit clinicians did not bring up the topic as they felt other areas of care took precedence. Inpatient palliative care unit patients thought if inpatient palliative care unit clinicians did not raise the topic, then it was not important. Conclusions: Findings suggest that patients are receptive to discussing corneal donations, but few discussions are occurring. There were some differences between patient and clinician views, such as preference about who raises the possibility of donation and when the discussion might occur.
A Plasmonic Sensor Based on D-Shaped Dual-Core Microchannel Photonic Crystal Fiber
Authors: Bing Pibin , Liu Qing , Wu Guifang , Yuan Sheng , Li Zhongyang , Yao Jianquan
Published: January 2022

In this paper, a dual-core microchannel-based fiber sensor is studied by using finite element method in the visible and near-infrared bands. Plasmonic material gold (Au) is deposited in microchannel to generate the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, so that sensor can detect the change in RI of its surrounding analyte. Simulation results show that the maximum wavelength sensitivity and resolution are 33600nm/RIU and 2.97×10−6RIU for y polarization in the RI range of 1.33 to 1.44, respectively. The highest figure of merit (FOM) of the sensor is 961 for y polarization. In addition, we study the effects brought by the structural changes of the fiber sensor, and the results show that the design of “microchannel coating” dramatically improves the refractive index detection ability of the sensor. The D-shaped dual-core microchannel-based photonic crystal fiber sensor proposed in this paper has a simple structure, low manufacturing complexity, and high sensitivity. Combined with external sensing technology, this sensor has great application potential in the fields of biotechnology, medical diagnosis, and environmental protection.
Parent-Child Dyads with Greater Parenting Stress Exhibit Enhanced Inter-Brain Synchrony During Shared Play
Authors: Azhari Atiqah , Bizzego Andrea , Esposito Gianluca
Published: January 2022

Parent-child dyads who are mutually attuned to each other during social interactions display interpersonal synchrony that can be observed overtly, in the form of joint behaviours, and biologically, such as through the temporal coordination of brain signals called inter-brain synchrony. Joint play provides ample opportunities for parent-child dyads to engage in matching interactions which not just facilitate the formation of bonds but also alleviate parenting stress in caregivers. Despite the beneficial effects of play on parents and the parent-child relationship, no study has investigated the dyadic neural mechanism by which this occurs. The present functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) study aimed to examine the association between parenting stress and inter-brain synchrony in the prefrontal cortex of 31 mother-child and 29 father-child dyads while they engaged in shared play for 10 minutes. Shared play was miro-analytically coded into joint (i.e., in-phase matching of dyadic behaviours) and non-joint (i.e., no matching of dyadic behaviours) segments. Inter-brain synchrony was computed using cross-correlations over 15 s, 20 s, 25 s, 30 s and 35 s fixed-length windows of joint and non-joint play segments. Analyses of Covariance revealed that dyads with more parenting stress exhibited greater inter-brain synchrony in the frontal left cluster of the prefrontal cortex, but only for the 35 s fixed-length window. This finding suggests that continuous and positive instances of joint play may disproportionately benefit dyads who reported greater parenting stress, entraining underlying brain activation patterns involved in social cognition. Mother-child dyads also showed greater inter-brain synchrony than father-child dyads, alluding to possible gender differences in the effect of play on dyads. Findings present evidence of a potential dyadic neural pathway by which play benefits the parent-child relationship.
Racial Disparities in Neutrophil Counts Among Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer during Treatment with CDK4/6 Inhibitors
Authors: Weiner Ashley Brooke , Munoz-Arcos Laura , Alvarez Alvaro , Sparano Joseph A. , Anampa Jesus D.
Published: January 2022

Purpose: The three CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) approved for use in HR-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC), palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib, are generally well tolerated but their most common toxicity is neutropenia. Within the general population, neutropenia has been shown to be more common in individuals of African descent. The landmark CDK4/6i trials in MBC lacked racial diversity in their patient populations. We aimed to assess the toxicity profiles of CDK4/6i in a racially diverse population.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study at Montefiore Medical Center in patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative MBC prescribed CDK4/6i as first or subsequent lines of therapy between January 2015 and April 2020. Baseline characteristics and laboratory data at various treatment timepoints were collected. Results: A total of 182 patients were included in the final analysis. Baseline absolute neutrophil count (ANC) was lower in the Black vs. Non-Black cohort (p=0.001) but the change in ANC from baseline (Delta-ANC) was smaller in the Black vs. Non-Black cohort and the ANC at different treatment timepoints was similar between groups. There was no difference in the rate of infection or number of dose delays or reductions between Black and Non-Black cohorts. Conclusion: We analyzed toxicity profiles of 182 patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative MBC treated with CDK4/6i. Our population included 46% Black patients, who were found to have a lower baseline ANC but no increase in complications. Despite the lower baseline ANC seen in our Black cohort prior to starting CDK4/6i, treatment toxicities were similar between racial groups.
Examination of The Characteristics of Long-Term Survivors Among Patients With Gallbladder Cancer With Liver Metastasis Who Underwent Surgical Treatment: A Retrospective Multicenter Study (ACRoS1406)
Authors: Higuchi Ryota , Ono Hiroaki , Matsuyama Ryusei , Takemura Yusuke , Kobayashi Shinjiro , Otsubo Takehito , Abe Yuta , Endo Itaru , Tanabe Minoru , Yamamoto Masakazu
Published: January 2022

Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) with liver metastasis is considered unresectable. However, there have been infrequent reports of long-term survival in patients with GBC and liver metastases. Therefore, we examined the characteristics of long-term survivors of gallbladder cancer with liver metastasis.Methods: A retrospective multicenter study of 503 patients with GBC (mean age, 68.6 years; female, 52%) was performed. Although patients with pre-operatively diagnosed GBC and liver metastasis were generally excluded from resection, some cases identified during surgery were resected.Result: In patients with resected stage III/IV GBC (n = 228), the period 2007–2013 (vs. 2000–2006, hazard ratio 0.55), other type histology (vs. well/moderate histology, hazard ratio 2.34), ≥2 liver metastases (vs. one liver metastasis, hazard ratio 4.30), and positive margin resection (vs. complete resection with a negative margin, hazard ratio 1.57) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival, whereas one liver metastasis (vs. no liver metastasis) was not. The 5-year overall survival and median survival times in those with one liver metastasis with complete resection and a negative margin (40.9%, 28.3 months) were significantly better than those in patients with ≥2 liver metastases with complete resection and a negative margin (0%, 11.0 months, p = 0.025), and comparable to those in patients with liver metastasis with complete resection and a negative margin (37.0%, 33.0 months). According to the univariate analysis of resected patients with GBC and liver metastases (n=24), minor hepatectomy, less blood loss, less surgery time, papillary adenocarcinoma, T2, morbidity of Clavien–Dindo classification ≤ 2, and adjuvant chemotherapy were significantly associated with longer survival. Long-term survivors (n = 5) had a high frequency of T2 tumors (4/5), had small liver metastases near the gallbladder during or after surgery, underwent minor hepatectomy without post-operative complications, and received post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy.Conclusions: Although there is no surgical indication for GBC with liver metastasis diagnosed pre-operatively, minor hepatectomy and post-operative chemotherapy may be an option for selected patients with T2 GBC and liver metastasis identified during or after surgery who do not have other poor prognostic factors.
Anatomical Breast Imaging Derived Parameters Do Not Provide Incremental Information In Prediction of Nonvisualization of Sentinel Lymph Nodes On Lymphoscintigraphy
Authors: Chahid Youssef , Verberne Hein J. , Poel Edwin , Hendrikse N. Harry , Booij Jan
Published: January 2022

Background: Accurate sentinel lymph node (SLN) staging is essential for both prognosis and treatment in patients with breast cancer. However, the preoperative lymphoscintigraphy may fail to visualize the SLN. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate whether parameters derived from anatomical breast imaging can predict SLN nonvisualization on lymphoscintigraphy. For this single-center retrospective study all data of mammography, breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and lymphoscintigraphy of SLN procedures from January 2016 to April 2021 were collected and reviewed from the Amsterdam UMC electronic health records database.Results: A total of 758 breast cancer patients were included in this study. The SLN nonvisualization rate was 29.7% on lymphoscintigraphy. Multivariable analysis showed that age ≥ 70 years (P = 0.019; OR: 1.82; 95% CI: 1.10–3.01), BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (P = 0.031; OR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.04–2.43), and nonpalpable tumors (P = 0.034; OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.03–2.04) were independent predictors of SLN nonvisualization. Differences in tumor size, Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) classification, or breast density were not significantly associated with SLN nonvisualization.Conclusions: This study shows that, by using a multivariable analysis, risk factors for SLN nonvisualization in breast cancer patients during preoperative lymphoscintigraphy are age ≥70 years, BMI ≥30 kg/m2, and nonpalpable tumors. Parameters derived from mammography or breast MRI, however, are not useful to predict SLN nonvisualization on lymphoscintigraphy.
The Effect of Covid-19 Infection in Early Pregnancy on Hematological Parameters and Miscarriage Rate
Authors: Atak Zeliha , Ocakoglu Sakine Rahimli , Uyaniklar Ozlem Ozgun , Ustunyurt Emin
Published: January 2022

Purpose Based on the fact that Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) is assosiated with many hemocytometric changes, in this clinical trial we aimed to investigate the effect of this underlying inflammatory process on the frequency of miscarriage.Methods This is a retrospective cohort study. Patients with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 infection before the 20th gestational week were determined as the study group. Healthy pregnant women in their early pregnancy were determined as the control group. Hematological parameters of all patients included in the analysis were evaluated.ResultsA total of 176 pregnant women with confirmed Covid-19 infections were evaluated, of which 117 were included in the analysis. 117 healthy pregnant women were determined as the control group. There was no difference between the groups according to demographic characteristics. The median white blood cell (WBC) and lymphocyte levels were lower in patients with Covid-19 infection (p<0.001, p<0.001). The value of platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was higher in the group with Covid-19 infection (160.95 vs 132.42, p<0.001). It was also determined that the median plateletcrit level was lower in the group with Covid-19 infection (p<0.001). The miscarriage rate in the Covid -19 infection group and control group was 14.2% and 9.4%, respectively. (p=0.220).ConclusionCovid-19 infection presents with low lymphocyte count and plateletcrit values ​​in pregnant women, and an increase in PLR rates in relation to the severity of the disease is observed. Although not statistically significant, Covid-19 infection was associated with increased miscarriage rates in our study.
The Lateral Tarsal Strip Procedure: Reflections by a Specialist With 20 Years of Experience in a Tertiary Medical Center (Cross-sectional Study)
Authors: Kim Jonghyun , Kim Joohyun , Baek Sehyun
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Lateral tarsal strip (LTS) is a simple surgical technique that can correct eyelid malposition. Clinical indications vary from involutional entropion and ectropion, lower lid laxity, and lower lid retraction to punctal and paralytic ectropion. LTS mainly treats eyelid malposition by correcting horizontal laxity. Herein, we report the clinical indications for and effects of LTS.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who underwent LTS by a single oculoplastic surgeon with eight years of experience performing the procedure at Korea University Guro Hospital.Results: We included 247 patients with 325 treated eyelids in the study. Involutional entropion was the most common indication, accounting for 69 patients (27.94%) and 88 eyelids (27.08%). The second most common indication was lower lid laxity (n=44 patients (17.81%) and 68 eyelids (20.92%)). Simultaneous surgery in addition to LTS was performed in 167 patients (67.6%) and 219 eyelids (67.4%); the most common was endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR), which was performed in 50 patients (29.94%) and 80 eyelids (36.53%). Conclusion: LTS can be performed alone or simultaneously with oculoplastic procedures for various indications. Overcorrection with fixation above the canthal angle is useful to reduce recurrence. This study aims to explain the clinical importance of the LTS procedure.
Bacterial Communities Along Environmental Gradients in Tropical Soda Lakes
Authors: Pellegrinetti Thierry A. , Cotta Simone R. , Sarmento Hugo , Costa Juliana S. , Delbaje Endrews , Montes Celia R , Camargo Plinio B , Barbiero Laurent , Rezende-Filho Ary T , Fiore Marli Fatima
Published: January 2022

Soda lakes environment is known to be variable and can have distinct differences according to geographical location. In this study, we investigated the effect of different environmental conditions of six adjacent soda lakes on bacterial communities and their functioning using a metagenomic approach combined with flow cytometry and chemical analyses. Ordination analysis using flow cytometry and water chemistry data from two sampling periods (wet and dry) clustered soda lakes in three different profiles: eutrophic turbid (ET), oligotrophic turbid (OT), and clear vegetated oligotrophic (CVO). Analysis of bacterial community composition and functioning corroborated this ordination; the exception was one ET lake, that was similar to one OT lake during the wet season, indicating drastic shifts between seasons. Microbial abundance and diversity increased during the dry period, along with a considerable number of limnological variables, all indicative of a strong effect of the precipitation-evaporation balance in these systems. Cyanobacteria were linked to high electric conductivity, pH, and nutrient availability, whereas Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Betaproteobacteria were correlated with landscape morphology variability (surface water, surface perimeter, and lake volume) and less stressed lake conditions. Stress response metabolism was overrepresented in ET and OT lakes and underrepresented in CVO lakes. Altogether, this study illustrated the sensitivity of tropical soda lakes to climate change, as slight changes in hydrological regimes might produce drastic shifts in community diversity.
Impact Forces and Energy of Flow-like Landslides Against Protection Barriers: a New MPM-validated Empirical Formulation
Authors: Perna Angela Di , Cuomo Sabatino , Martinelli Mario
Published: January 2022

Full understanding the interaction mechanisms between flow-like landslides and the impacted protection structures is an open issue. In fact, while researchers have used several approaches, from experimental to numerical, it is true that the adequate assessment of the hydromechanical behaviour of the landslide body requires both a multiphase and large deformation approach.This paper firstly proposes a conceptual framework for a specific type of protection structure, namely a rigid barrier fixed to the base ground. Two different approaches are proposed: i) an advanced hydro-mechanical numerical model based on Material Point Method is tested in simulating the whole complex landslide-structure-interaction mechanism(s), ii) a more simplified empirical model is casted to estimate the impact force and the time evolution of kinetic energy. The calibration and validation of the empirical formulation are pursued, respectively, based on the MPM numerical results, and referring to a large dataset of field evidence for the peak impact pressure. Finally, the performance of the newly proposed empirical method is compared to the methods available in the literature and its advantages are outlined.
An Anthranilate Derivative Inhibits Glutamate Release and Glutamate Excitotoxicity in Rats
Authors: Lu Cheng-Wei , Lin Chen-Yung , Hsieh Pei-Wen , Chiu Kuan-Ming , Lee Ming-Yi , Lin Tzu-Yu , Wang Su-Jane
Published: January 2022

The neurotransmitter glutamate plays an essential role in excitatory neurotransmission; however, excessive amounts of glutamate lead to excitotoxicity, which is the most common pathogenic feature of numerous brain disorders. This study aimed to investigate the role of butyl 2-[2-(2-fluorophenyl)acetamido]benzoate (HFP034), a synthesized anthranilate derivative, in the central glutamatergic system. We used rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes to examine the effect of HFP034 on glutamate release. In addition, we used a rat model of kainic acid (KA)-induced glutamate excitotoxicity to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of HFP034. We showed that HFP034 inhibits 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-induced glutamate release from synaptosomes, and this inhibition was absent in the absence of extracellular calcium. HFP034-mediated inhibition of glutamate release was associated with decreased 4-AP-evoked Ca2+ level elevation and had no effect on synaptosomal membrane potential. The inhibitory effect of HFP034 on evoked glutamate release was suppressed by blocking P/Q-type Ca2+ channels and protein kinase C (PKC). Furthermore, HFP034 inhibited the phosphorylation of PKC and its substrate, myristoylated alanine‐rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS), in synaptosomes. We also observed that HFP034 pretreatment reduced neuronal death, glutamate concentration, glial activation, and the levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins, calpains, glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP 78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and caspase-12 in the hippocampus of KA-injected rats. We conclude that HFP034 is a neuroprotective agent that prevents glutamate excitotoxicity, and we suggest that this effect involves inhibition of presynaptic glutamate release through the suppression of P/Q‐type Ca2+ channels and PKC/MARCKS pathways.
DIRAS2 Contributes to Radiation Resistance of Renal Cell Carcinoma Via Autophagy Induction and MKK4-JNK1 Pathway Activation
Authors: Cai Chengfeng , He Ying , Yue Dong , Tian Jun , Guo Ning
Published: January 2022

Radiation resistance has been regarded as a main obstacle to improve the definitive treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), of which clear cell RCC (ccRCC) is the most common histological type. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the radiation resistance remains largely unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of DIRAS2 on the response to ionizing radiation (IR) in human ccRCC cells. Here, we found the expression level of DIRAS2 was significantly upregulated in human ccRCC tissues using the Oncomine platform and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, which was further validated by immunohistochemistry. Overexpression of DIRAS2 promoted radiation resistance of ccRCC cells based on clonogenic survival assay and enhanced the levels of radiation induced-autophagy. Moreover, inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine (CQ) pre-treatment largely eliminated the effect of DIRAS2 overexpression on radiation-resistance. Finally, molecular mechanism investigation showed that overexpression of DIRAS2 upregulated the activity of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase 4 (MKK4)- c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1)-Bcl-2 pathway in response to IR. Taken together, these results indicate that DIRAS2 may confer radiation resistance on human RCC via autophagy induction through MKK4-JNK1-Bcl-2 signaling pathway.
Physical-chemical and Biological Properties of Novel Resin-based Composites for Dental Applications
Authors: Buchwald Zuzanna , Sandomierski Mariusz , Smułek Wojciech , Ratajczak Maria , Patalas Adam , Kaczorek Ewa , Voelkel Adam
Published: January 2022

Insufficient mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite -based composites prompted the search for new and effective solutions for dental applications. To improve the mechanical properties without losing the remineralization potential, the use of hybrid fillers was proposed. The first of them was based on the formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) layer on the surface of SYLOID®244 silica. The second of the investigated fillers was created by simultaneous synthesis of nanoparticles from precursors of HA and silica. The obtained fillers were extensively characterized by spectral methods including X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), as well as by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). Tests using probiotic microorganisms were an important part of the analysis, indicating that there was no potential interaction of the materials with microflora. The tests of degree of conversion, depth of cure, opacity, sorption, solubility, flexural and compressive strength, and the remineralizing potential also showed that the composites with nano-sized silica/HA showed better mechanical properties than the composites with HA alone or commercial silica and at the same time the remineralization remained at the desired level. Thus, the proposed composite has a high application potential in the creation of implants and dental materials.
Anticancer, Antioxidant Activities and Molecular Docking Study of Thiazolidine -4-one and Thiadiazol Derivatives
Authors: Alsalim Tahseen Abdul qader , Nasir Noor M. , El-Arabey Amr Ahmed , Abdalla Mohnad
Published: January 2022

Liver cancer accounts for a major portion of the global cancer burden. In many nations, the prevalence of this condition has risen in recent decades. New series of thaiazolidinones and thaiadiazolidine have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated for potential antioxidant and antihepatocarcinogenic activity. The antioxidant activity of synthesized compounds was evaluated using a DPPH assay. Furthermore, we examined the compounds against HepG2 cells using MTT assay, flow cytometry analysis through the cell cycle, reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis. The result showed that compound 6b has the highest antioxidant activity with IC50 =60.614±0.739 µM. The anticancer activity showed that compounds 5 and 6b have significant toxicity against liver cancer cells HepG2, IC50 values (9.082 and 4.712) µM, respectively. Flow cytometry experiments revealed that compound 5 arrested HepG2 cells in the S process, while compound 6b arrested HepG2 cells in the G1. Compound 6b had a greater reduction in reactive oxygen species and late apoptosis than compound 5. Substantially, compound 5 had affinity energies of -7.6 and -8.5 for Akt and CDK4 proteins, respectively, but compound 6b had affinity energies of -7.8 and -10.1 for Akt1 and CDK4 proteins, respectively. Consequently, compound 6b had lower binding energies than compound 5. In this work, we used multiple bioinformatics methods to shed light on the prospective therapeutic use of these series as novel candidates to target immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinomas such as CD8+ T cells, endothelial cells, and hematopoietic stem cells. The results of antioxidant, anticancer, molecular docking studies, and bioinformatic analysis showed that compound 6b has a potential impact and could be developed for drug discovery with further research.
Sensitive Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Using a Novel Plasmonic Fiber Optic Biosensor Design
Authors: Saad Yosra , Gazzah Mohamed Hichem , Mougin Karine , Selmi Marwa , Belmabrouk Hafedh
Published: January 2022

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has put the entire world at risk and caused an economic downturn in most countries. This work provided theoretical insight into a novel fiber optic based plasmonic biosensor that can be used for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2. The aim was always to achieve reliable, sensitive and reproducible detection. The proposed configuration is based on Ag–Au alloy nanoparticles films covered with a layer of graphene which promotes the molecular adsorption and a thiol-tethered DNA layer as a ligand. Here the combination of two recent approaches in a single configuration is very promising and can only lead to considerable improvement. We have theoretically analyzed the sensor performance in terms of sensitivity and resolution. To highlight the importance of the new configuration, a comparison was made with two other sensors. One is based on gold nanoparticles incorporated into a host medium, the other is composed of a bimetallic Ag-Au layer in the massive state. The numerical results obtained has been validated and show that the proposed configuration offers better sensitivity (7100 nm\RIU) and good resolution (figure of merit; FOM=38.88Tand signal-to-noise ratio; SNR=0.388). In addition, a parametric study was performed such as the graphene layers number and the size of the nanoparticles.
A Scalable Big Data Framework for Real-Time Traffic Monitoring System
Authors: Adoni Wilfried Yves Hamilton , Nahhal Tarik , Aoun Najib Ben , Krichen Moez , Alzahrani Mohammed
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we present a scalable and real-time intelligent transportation system based on a big data framework. The proposed system allows for the use of existing data from road sensors to better understand traffic flow, traveler behavior, and increase road network performance. Our transportation system is designed to process large-scale stream data to analyze traffic events such as incidents, crashes and congestion. The experiments performed on the public transportation modes of the city of Casablanca in Morocco reveal that the proposed system achieves a significant gain of time, gathers large-scale data from many road sensors and is not expensive in terms of hardware resource consumption.
Estimation of the Seismic Damage Potential of RC Frames Using Seismic Parameters
Authors: Massumi Ali , Selkisari Maryam Rahmati
Published: January 2022

Variation of the fundamental period is regarded as one of the methods to assess the damage of the structures under earthquakes. The inter-relationship among seismic parameters and variation of the fundamental period can identify the potential structural damage of an earthquake. For this purpose, the present paper aimed to study the relations among main seismic parameters, incorporating a variety of information about ground motion and variation of fundamental period. Three RC frames were analyzed under far-fault earthquake records by nonlinear dynamic analyses and mathematical methods applied to assay the correlation between seismic parameters and variation of fundamental period. Based on the results, high correlations were observed between some seismic parameters and variation of fundamental period. Further, based on regression equations, new parameters with a very strong correlation with variations of fundamental periods were achieved, which can be regarded as appropriate indices to estimate the potential structural damage of an earthquake.
Diagnostic Value of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid for the Diagnosis of Suspected Pneumonia in Immunocompromised Patients
Authors: Lin Pengcheng , Chen Yi , Su Shanshan , Nan Wengang , Zhou Lingping , Zhou Ying , Li Yuping
Published: January 2022

Background: To evaluate the diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in immunocompromised patients for the diagnosis of suspected pneumonia in comparation to that of conventional microbiological tests (CMTs).Methods: Sixty-nine immunocompromised patients with suspected pneumonia received both CMTs and mNGS of BALF were analyzed retrospectively. The diagnostic value was compared between CMTs and mNGS, using the clinical composite diagnosis as the reference standard. Results: Sixty patients were diagnosed of pneumonia including fifty-two patients with identified pathogens and eight patients with probable pathogens. The overall detection rate of mNGS for pathogens were higher than that of CMTs. However, a comparable diagnostic accuracy of mNGS and CMTs were found for bacterial and viral infections. mNGS exhibited a higher diagnostic accuracy for fungal detection than CMTs (78% vs. 54%, P＜0.05), which mainly because of the high sensitivity of mNGS in patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) (100% vs. 28%, P＜0.05). Among fifty-two patients with definite pathogens, nineteen patients (37%) were identified as pulmonary mixed infection, mNGS test showed a higher detection rate and broader spectrum for pathogen detection than that of CMTs in mixed infection. Moreover, Pneumocystis jirovecii was the most common pathogen in mix infection and mNGS have identified much more co-pathogens of PJP than CMTs.Conclusions: mNGS of BALF improved the microbial detection rate of pathogens and exhibited remarkable advantages in detecting PJP and identifying mixed infections in immunocompromised patients.
A Necroptosis-Related Gene Signature for Predicting Prognosis, Immune Landscape, and Therapy Sensitivity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Chen Junliang , Wang Huaitao , Zhou Lei , Liu Zhihao , Chen Hui , Tan Xiaodong
Published: January 2022

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a growing threat to global health. Necroptosis is a newly discovered regulated cell necrosis that plays a vital role in cancer development. Thus, we conducted this study to develop a predictive signature based on necroptosis-related genes.Methods: The tumor samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (LIHC) cohort were subtyped using the consensus clustering algorithm. Univariate Cox regression and LASSO-Cox analysis were performed to construct a gene signature model from differentially expressed genes between tumor clusters. Then we integrated TNM stage and the prognostic model to build a nomogram. The gene signature and the nomogram were externally validated in the GSE14520 cohort from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) and LIRP-JP cohort from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC). Predictive performance evaluation was conducted using Kaplan-Meier plot, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve, principal components analysis, concordance index, and decision curve analysis. The tumor microenvironment was estimated using seven published methods. Finally, we also predicted the drug responses to immunotherapy, conventional chemotherapy and molecular-targeted therapy using two algorithms and two datasets. Results: We identified two necroptosis-related clusters and a ten-gene signature (MTMR2, CDCA8, S100A9, ANXA10, G6PD, SLC1A5, SLC2A1, SPP1, PLOD2, and MMP1). The gene signature and the nomogram had good predictive ability in TCGA, ICGC, and GEO cohorts. The risk score was positively associated with the degree of necroptosis and immune infiltration (especially immunosuppressive cells). The high-risk group could benefit more from immunotherapy. Chemotherapy and molecular-targeted therapy should be adapted to the molecular profiles of each patient.Conclusion: The necroptosis-related gene signature provides reliable evidence for prognosis prediction, comprehensive treatment, and new therapeutic targets for HCC patients. The nomogram can further improve predictive accuracy.
Development of Scalable Coding of Encrypted Images Using Modified Absolute Moment Block Truncation Code
Authors: Bright Pankiraj Jeya , Govindaraj Vishnuvarthanan , Zhang Yu-Dong , Rajasekaran Pallikonda , Milton Anisha , Thiagarajan Arunprasath
Published: January 2022

Many researchers worked on scalable coding for unencrypted images, and there is more space for research in scalable coding for encrypted images. This paper proposes a novel method of scalable coding for encrypted images, especially for lossy compression images using the Modified Absolute Moment Block Truncation Code (MAMBTC) technique. The given input image is compressed using MAMBTC and then encrypted using a Pseudo-Random Number (PRNG) at the encryption phase. The PRNG is shared between the encoder and the decoder. At the decryption phase, the compressed pixel value is obtained by decryption using the PRNG and then reconstructed using MAMBTC, scaled by scaling factor 2 and Bilinear Interpolation Technique to obtain the original image. MAMBTC gives better image quality than Block Truncation Code (BTC), a higher PSNR of 36.32 dB, and a Compression ratio of 1.09, which makes the proposed system ready for the signal processing community/applications.