bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Annexin A2 plays a key role in protecting against acute kidney injury through β-catenin/TFEB pathway
Authors: zhou Lili , Shen Kunyu , Miao Jinhua , Gao Qiongdan , Ling Xian , Liang Ye , Zhou Qin , Song Qirong , Luo Yuxin , Wu Qinyu , Shen Weiwei , Wang Xiaonan , Li Xiaolong , Liu Youhua , Zhou Shan , Tang Ying
Published: July 2022

Aim
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is becoming a heavy health burden worldwide. There are no effective therapeutic strategies nowadays. Recent studies showed that autophagy and lysosome stabilization could inhibit tubular cell apoptosis, and protect against AKI. Annexin A2 (ANXA2), a calcium-regulated phospholipid-binding protein, was found to be highly involved in autophagy. However, its role in AKI has not been elucidated.
Results
We found that ANXA2 is highly increased in renal tubular cells in cisplatin-treated mice, and in the urine and kidney samples from AKI patients. Ectopic expression of ANXA2 promoted lysosomal functions and autophagic flux, and protected against tubular cell apoptosis in AKI mice. Transcriptome analysis further identified that ANXA2 was intimately correlated with lysosome biogenesis, autophagy, and β-catenin signaling. Mechanistically, ANXA2 induced β-catenin activation through binding to and inhibiting on GSK3β, which further triggered T cell factor 4 (TCF4)-mediated transcription factor EB (TFEB) signaling pathway. As a result, TFEB activation regulated lysosomal proteostasis and effectively promoted autophagic flux. This greatly protected against renal tubular cell apoptosis and alleviated AKI.
Innovation:
These findings underline ANXA2 serves as a new therapeutic potential for AKI which lacks effective treatment.
Conclusion
We demonstrated that ANXA2 plays a key role in retarding AKI, which is associated with its inductive effects on β-catenin/TFEB-induced lysosmal pathway.
Hardware-Efficient and Accurately Frequency Offset Compensation based on Feedback Structure and Polar Coordinates Processing
Authors: Zhang Xuefeng , Ju Cheng , Wang Dongdong , Zhao Yuanfan , Xie Peng , Liu Na
Published: July 2022

Compared with off-line digital signal processing (DSP) verification, achieving the expected performance and hardware efficiency in application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is more critical for DSP to reduce power consumption and cost. The performance of traditional frequency offset compensation algorithms based on feedforward structure is strongly dependent on the accuracy of frequency offset estimation (FOE). Therefore, frequency offset calculation and loop filtering implemented in ASIC or field programmable gate array (FPGA) usually choose high word-width fixed-point operations or floating-point operations, which increase the consumption of logical resources and reduce the clock frequency that hardware logic can achieve. This work proposes a frequency offset compensation scheme based on polar coordinate processing and feedback structure, and a pre-decision-based angle differential estimator (PADE) is used to estimate the residual frequency offset. In the proposed feedback structure, the frequency offset estimator is realized by a simple accumulator, and the input of the accumulator is the residual frequency offset or its scaling, which will reduce the requirement for the accuracy of the residual frequency offset estimator. The offline verification results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm is close to that of the traditional algorithm, but the proposed algorithm has lower logic resource consumption and higher clock frequency in hardware implementation based on FPGA. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated in real-time through 10-Gbps data rate Polarization-multiplexed Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (PM-QPSK) modulation after 20-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) transmission. Compared with offline processing in MATLAB®, no hardware implementation penalty is observed.
Multiplexed DNA-functionalized graphene sensor with artificial intelligence discrimination performance of chemical vapor composition
Authors: Jun Seong Chan , Lee Gilho , Yu Heejin , Hwang Yun Ji , Seong Jin , Jung Youngmo , Choi Jongeun
Published: July 2022

This study presents a new technology that can detect and discriminate individual chemical vapors to determine the chemical vapor composition from mixed chemical composition in situ based on a multiplexed DNA-functionalized graphene (MDFG) nano-electrode without condensing the original vapor or target dilution. To the best of our knowledge, AI (Artificial Intelligence)-operated arrayed-electrodes identified the composition of mixed chemical gas with mixed ratio of it in early stage. This innovative technology comprises an optimized combination of nano-deposited arrayed electrodes and artificial intelligence techniques with advanced sensing capabilities that are comparable to the biological limit, resulting to verify mixed vapor chemical components. Highly selective sensors that are tolerant to high humidity levels provide a target for “breath chemo-vapor fingerprinting” for the early diagnosis of diseases. The feature selection analysis achieves recognition rates of 99% and above under low-humidity conditions and 98% and above in humid conditions for mixed chemical compositions. The 1D convolutional neural network analysis performed better with discriminates the compositional state of chemical vapor under low- and high-humidity conditions almost perfectly. This study provides a basis for the use of multiplexed DNA-functionalized graphene gas sensor array and artificial intelligence discrimination of chemical vapor compositions in breath analysis applications.
A comprehensive assessment of headache characteristics, management and burden of migraine in comparison with tension type headache in Turkey: Results of a cross-sectional survey of adult patients
Authors: Ertaş Mustafa , Saip Sabahattin , Karadaş Ömer , Öztürk Vesile , Uygunoğlu Uğur , Özge Aynur , Üçler Serap , Aydınlar Elif Ilgaz , Dikmen Pınar Yalınay , Uzuner Nevzat , Uzuner Gülnur Tekgöl , Bıçakçı Şebnem , Özbenli Taner , Orhan Elif Kocasoy , Baykan Betül , Turgut Esme Ekizoğlu , Gökçay Figen , Çelebisoy Neşe , Şirin Hadiye , Belen Hayrunnisa Bolay , Tunç Tuğba , Karlı Necdet , Zarifoğlu Mehmet , Dora Babür , İnan Levent Ertuğrul , Çevik Işın Ünal - , Neyal Ayşe Münife , Bozkurt Manal Mehtar , Siva Aksel
Published: July 2022

Background: Migraine (MIG) is a common cause of headache and a leading cause of morbidity in Turkey but comprehensive and comparative data evaluating its burden are scarce. The study aimed to describe clinical characteristics and management of MIG and compare MIG with tension type headache (TTH) regarding the burden of disease and healthcare resource utilization. Methods: A total of 1368 patients (aged 18-65 years) with MIG or TTH were surveyed regarding patients’ sociodemographics, headache characteristics, clinical management, burden of disease, quality of life and healthcare resource utilization within the previous 12 months. Data from 1053 patients with definite MIG (dMIG) (n: 924; 87.7%) or definite TTH (dTTH) (n: 129; 12.3%) criteria were analyzed.Results: The frequency and duration of attacks, the number of monthly headache days and of days with analgesic consumption and the severity of headaches were higher in dMIG than in dTTH (p:0.005 for the frequency of attacks and p<0.001 for the others). The benefits from acute medications decreased as the monthly headache days increased in dMIG: 70.9% (1-3 days); 35.9% (4-7 days); 22.1% (8-14 days) and 18.1% (>14 days). Only 222 (36.8%) of definite migraineurs who experienced ≥4 monthly headache days were on preventive treatment. Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) scores were higher in dMIG than in dTTH (24.7±40 vs 10.6±12; p<0.001). The negative impact on the quality of life and the economic loss were also higher with dMIG (p<0.001 for both). More patients with dTTH visited a physician in the previous year (86.8% vs 77.6%; p:0.016) but the number of physician visits were higher in dMIG (3.5 ±5 vs 1.7 ± 1; p < 0.001). The groups were comparable regarding the percentage of patients who had a radiological investigation due to headache but patients with dMIG had more brain magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans (p<0.020 and p<0.003, respectively). Conclusions: It is crucial to timely and correctly diagnosing and optimally managing MIG due to its significant burden. Educational programmes for patients and healthcare providers, adherence and persistence to preventive medications may improve clinical outcomes.
TWD-Net:Two-Way Detection Network for Active Stereo Matching
Authors: Wang Bin , Suo Lulu , Wang Feiyu , Zeng Haojie , Zhou Xiaoping , Zhu Sulei
Published: July 2022

We propose a two-way detection network(TWD-Net) for active stereo matching. We design a depth reconstruction model of binocular speckle structured light based on self-supervised learning. First, the network achieves a dual model and obtains left and right disparity respective. Then, we propose an image-guided filtering method to optimize the edge of rough disparity. Finally, we detect the consistency based on the disparity images and establish the two-way detection loss function.
PRECISE-Value: An interactive web application that estimates the value of implementing a clinical decision support system for a pharmacogenomic testing program
Authors: Mathias Patrick Cresencian , Jiang Shangqing , Hendrix Nathaniel , Shirts Brian H. , Tarczy-Hornoch Peter , Malone Daniel , Veenstra David , Devine Beth
Published: July 2022

Background
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) was one of the first genomics applications to hold promise in precision medicine. The cost-effectiveness of PGx has been estimated for many disease states, with the strongest evidence supporting the use of PGx-guided testing to inform prescribing for cardiovascular diseases. Most studies do not consider the presentation of test results in clinical workflow using a clinical decision support (CDS) system. We previously developed a cost model that found that implementation costs of a PGx-CDS system may constitute a non-trivial proportion of the cost of a PGx program. We recently extended that model to include clinical and cost-effectiveness outcomes, using clopidogrel and warfarin as prototypes. In contrast to CDS that occurs at the level of the individual patient, our approach delivers “administrative decision support”, which can help leaders make informed decisions about the programmatic costs of PGx-CDS implementation. In this manuscript, we describe our efforts to develop an interactive version of our model and host it on a publicly available, interactive web platform. We built the web application of the PhaRmacogEnomics ClInical Support Economic Value (PRECISE-Value) model using shiny/shinydashboard packages in the R software environment. We incorporated user defined, customizable input values expected to differ between health-systems: population size, age/race distribution, number of patients tested, and information technology costs. Dynamic, user manipulation of these values reveals the designated outcomes of adverse drug events and deaths averted, costs, and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. Summary and detail tabs, a data dictionary and a cost-effectiveness primer are provided. Six PGx decision makers tested and provided feedback on our web application.
Results
Users suggested the application is easy to use and accomplishes the stated goals of presenting useful information for decision-makers. Given the prevalence of PGx test panels, all panel members expressed the desire to add additional drug-gene pairs and further tailor inputs by health-system-specific parameters.
Conclusions
Our interactive, web-based application of our prototype model of the cost-effectiveness of implementing a PGx-CDS system for clopidogrel and warfarin was deemed useful by an expert panel for informing decision makers as they consider the value of implementing a CDS program based on PGx test results.
Early identification of bleeding in trauma patients: external validation of traumatic bleeding scores in the Swiss Trauma Registry
Authors: Costa Alan , Carron Pierre-Nicolas , Zingg Tobias , Roberts Ian , Ageron François Xavier , Registry Swiss Trauma
Published: July 2022

Background: Early identification of bleeding at the scene of an injury is important for triage and timely treatment of injured patients and transport to an appropriate facility. The aim of the study is to compare the performance of different bleeding scores.Methods: We examined data from the Swiss Trauma Registry for the years 2015 to 2019. The Swiss Trauma Registry includes patients with major trauma (injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16 and/or abbreviated injury scale (AIS) head ≥ 3) admitted to any level one trauma center in Switzerland. We evaluated ABC, TASH, and Shock index (SI), used to predict massive transfusion (MT) and the BATT score, used to predict death from bleeding. We evaluated the scores when used prehospital and in-hospital in terms of discrimination (C-Statistic) and calibration (calibration slope). The outcomes were massive transfusion and death from bleeding.Results: We examined data from 13,222 major trauma patients. There were 1,533 (12%) deaths from any cause, 344 (3%) deaths from bleeding and 128 (1%) patients who received a MT. The BATT score had the highest discrimination for MT (C-statistic: 0.87, 95%CI 0.84-0.90) followed by SI (0.84, 95%CI 0.80-0.88) and ABC (0.82, 95%CI 0.77-0.86). At hospital admission, the BATT score had the highest discrimination for death from bleeding (0.89, 95%CI 0.87-0.90) but the TASH score had the highest discrimination for MT (C-statistic: 0.94, 95%CI 0.92-0.95). Conclusions: The BATT score can be used to estimate the risk of death from bleeding for prehospital treatment decision-making. Others scores predicting MT are not suitable to identify life-threatening bleeding.Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04561050. Registered 15 September 2020.
Light-driven sp3-sp3 cross-coupling of carboxylic acids and alkyl halides over a Ni single-atom catalyst
Authors: Vile Gianvito , Bajada Mark , Liberto Giovanni di , Tosoni Sergio , Ruta Vincenzo , Sivo Alessandra , Pacchioni Gianfranco
Published: July 2022

The coupling of two sp3 hybridized fragments remains a challenging protocol for organic synthesis. Although visible light-driven dual photoredox catalysis, a method that combines photoabsorbers and transition metals, has become a powerful tool to conduct such transformations, resource economical and scalability issues persist, due to the use of catalysts and light absorbers which exploit critical raw materials (e.g., iridium complexes) and are homogeneous in nature. Here we report the first synergistic merger of metallic single-atom and photoredox catalysis, in the form of a Ni atom-supported carbon nitride material, for decarboxylative sp3-sp3 cross-coupling between carboxylic acids and alkyl halides. This operationally straightforward system, comprised of only earth-abundant components, exhibits a wide functional group tolerance. Additionally, the reaction time is 83% shorter than the reported homogeneous procedure, making the method highly attractive for industrial application.
Placental Pathology Associated with Lenticulostriate Vasculopathy (LSV) in Preterm Infants
Authors: Sisman Julide , Leon Rachel , Payton Brooke , Brown Larry , Mir Imran
Published: July 2022

OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to examine the frequency and the type of placental abnormalities in neonates with LSV.
STUDY DESIGN:
We prospectively reviewed cranial ultrasounds (cUS) from neonates born at ≤ 32 weeks of gestation at Parkland Hospital between 2012 and 2014. Our cohort included neonates with LSV and gestational-age and sex matched controls with normal cUS. We retrieved placental pathology reports retrospectively and compared placental abnormalities in both groups.
RESULTS
We reviewed 1,351 cUS from a total of 407 neonates. Placental pathology evaluations were complete for 64/65 (98%) neonates with LSV and 68/70 (97%) matched controls. There were no significant differences for any type of placental abnormities between LSV and control groups. However, infants with highest stage LSV were more likely to have large for gestational age (LGA) placentas (P = 0.01).
CONCLUSION
The association between LSV and LGA placenta may indicate a shared vascular response to an adverse prenatal environment.
Finite element study on quantitative correlation between the displacement of osteotomy end and metatarsalgia during forefoot loading pattern in percutaneous minimal invasion surgery of hallux valgus
Authors: Cao Xuhan , Bai Zixing , Sun Chengyi , Wen Jianmin , Yang Yanjun , Sun Weidong
Published: July 2022

Objective
To investigate the quantitative correlation between the osteotomy end displacement and the occurrence of transfer metatarsalgia in percutaneous minimal invasion surgery of bunion during forefoot loading pattern.
Methods
The preoperative and postoperative finite element models of the foot were established during the forefoot loading pattern period of percutaneous minimal invasion surgery of hallux valgus, followed by simulation of the displacement of the osteotomy end of hallux valgus during percutaneous minimal invasion surgery. Thus, maximum pressure was obtained under the first and second metatarsal before and after the operation, and analyze the quantitative correlation between the displacement direction and displacement of the distal end of osteotomy and the occurrence of transfer metatarsalgia.
Results
The forefoot loading pattern of the gait cycle assessed in the finite element model before and after percutaneous minimal invasion surgery of hallux valgus showed that when the horizontal displacement is 4 mm, the correlation between the pressure x at the distal end of osteotomy (under the first metatarsal) and the corresponding pressure y under the second metatarsal is negative, the R value is -0.894, and the quantitative correlation is y=-0.6504x + 0.5232 with the increase of vertical displacement. When the vertical displacement is 4 mm, the stress under the first metatarsal increases with the increase in horizontal displacement. Conversely, the pressure under the second metatarsal decreases. Both have a high correlation with horizontal displacement, with R values of 0.981 and − 0.890. Also, in this interval, the pressure x at the distal end of osteotomy (under the first metatarsal) has the highest correlation with the corresponding pressure y under the second metatarsal head, the R value is -0.830, and the quantitative correlation equation is y=-0.4528x + 0.4159.
Conclusion
When the distal end of the first metatarsal osteotomy is shifted outwards by 4 mm and the metatarsal side is shifted by 4 mm through bone setting manipulation during operation, percutaneous minimal invasion surgery of hallux valgus can reduce or cure hallux valgus and complicated metatarsal pain during forefoot loading pattern and avoid the occurrence of transfer metatarsalgia after hallux valgus operation in traditional Chinese and Western medicine.
Rogue waves on the double-periodic background for a nonlinear Schrödinger equation with higher-order effects
Authors: Zhang Hai-Qiang , Liu Rui , Chen Fa
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we study the dynamics of rogue waves on the doubleperiodic background for a nonlinear Schrodinger equation with higher-order effects. First, we consider two types of double-periodic solutions in terms of the Jacobi elliptic functions. When the elliptic modulus approaches 1, such both double-periodic wave solutions can reduce to the Akhmediev breather solution. Second, with both double-periodic waves as seed solutions, we derive rogue wave solutions from the Darboux transformation method. Further, we demonstrate localized structures of rogue waves formed on double-periodic waves for two sets of different eigenvalues. In addition, we discuss how the higher-order effect affects double-periodic background waves and rogue waves. We expect that our obtained results may help understand rogue waves manifestations on the double-periodic background occurring in hydrodynamics and nonlinear optics with higher-order effects.PACS numbers: 05.45.Yv, 02.30.Ik
Hazards and Compatibility of Dental Materials
Authors: Sheth Amruta
Published: July 2022

Dental materials including noble and base metal alloys have evolved with time to evaluate biocompatibility. Materials and techniques employed in dentistry have been developed, revised, and improved with time to reduce toxic effects on biological functions. This study investigated the performance of 18 dental materials present on the market following explicit instructions of the manufacturer with a slight variance in the technique and time intervals to obtain an effective response. These findings were confirmed on human tissues, but in a modified form, to demonstrate traits in different age groups in vivo conditions. The study indicates that many such materials could have deleterious effects on human health and environment.
Towards circular plastics within planetary boundaries
Authors: Bardow André , Bachmann Marvin , Zibunas Christian , Hartmann Jan , Tulus Victor , Suh Sangwon , Guillén-Gosálbez Gonzalo
Published: July 2022

The rapid growth of plastics production exacerbated the triple planetary crisis of habitat loss, waste pollution, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Circular strategies have been proposed for plastics to achieve net-zero GHG emissions. However, the implications of such circular strategies on absolute sustainability at planetary scale have not been examined. This study links a bottom-up model for the life cycle of 90% of global plastics to the planetary boundary framework. Here, we show that a climate-optimal plastics industry combining current recycling technologies with biomass and CO2 transgresses sustainability thresholds by up to four times. However, improving chemical recycling would open a safe operating space for sustainable plastics in 2030, provided that recycling rates reach at least 75%. The analysis also shows that sustainable plastics require not only novel technologies but also a fundamental change in our perception of plastics as cheap and disposable products.
First report on the toxicity of copper and zinc on the Afrotropical whirligig beetle, Orectogyrus alluaudi (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae): Effect on survival and oxidative stress
Authors: Amusan Babatunde O. , Balogun Ibukunoluwa , Koleosho Ayorinde F. , FAJANA HAMZAT Oluseun , Owojori Olugbenga J.
Published: July 2022

Freshwater whirligig beetles are important macroinvertebrates that help maintain freshwater quality by removing dead insects from the surfaces of lakes, ponds, or streams. In this study, we investigated the response of the whirligig beetle, Orectogyrus alluaudi to copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) by assessing their survival and biochemical responses after 7 days of the whirligig beetle exposure to the metals. Copper significantly reduced the survival of the beetles with LC50 (median lethal concentration) of 223–100 mg L− 1 at 24 to 168 hours of exposure. However, the LC50 of Zn was only significant at 72 h (482 mg L− 1) to 168 h (150 mg L− 1). Copper, at the lowest exposure concentration of 15 mg L− 1, induced oxidative stress on the beetles by significantly increasing the level of malondialdehyde [MDA], a biomarker of lipid peroxidation. There was also significant glutathione [GSH] reduction at the low Cu concentration. However, Zn had no significant effect on the oxidative stress response of the beetles. This study showed that O. alluaudi is less sensitive to copper and zinc via dermal exposure routes than other aquatic invertebrates. Therefore, an alternative way of exposure via the ingestion of contaminated food might be an important exposure pathway to assess the toxicity of metals on the beetles.
Golden ratio in venation patterns of dragonfly wings
Authors: Lu Keene , Shen Samson , Miller Lisa , Huang Xiaojing
Published: July 2022

The vein pattern in insect wings allows this lightweight structure to carry multiple biological functions. An investigation of the angular distribution of the vein struts in dragonfly wings revealed that the golden angle or golden ratio dominates the venation patterns in two closely related ways. First, the golden angle dominates the intervein angles in regions where thin veins and membranes demand strength reinforcement. Second, a golden ratio partition method has been developed to explain a set of preferred intervein angles in distorted polygon-shaped venation cells throughout the venation pattern in dragonfly wings. These observations provide new evidence that the wing structure is spatially optimized, by the golden rule in nature, for supporting biomechanical functions of dragonfly wings.
Comparison of Injection and Home Physical Exercise with Physical Therapy in Elderly Patients with Temporomandibular Joint Degenerative Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Liu Shasha , Fan Shuai , Li Guiping , Cai Bin , Yao Yuan , Jin Lei , Zhang Yuxin , Zhang Xinjun , Xu Lili
Published: July 2022

Background
There are few reports on the treatment of elderly patients with temporomandibular joint degenerative disease (DJD) and on the effects of physical exercise in DJD. Herein, we aimed to study and compare the efficacy of injection and home physical exercise with physical therapy alone and to explore an optimal treatment strategy for elderly patients with DJD.
Methods
We included 213 elderly patients with DJD treated at our medical center from June 2020 to June 2021, 64 of whom were selected for analysis. Of these 64 patients, 32 received injection combined with home physical exercise, and the other 32 received physical therapy alone. Propensity score matching was used to ensure that there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with regard to both categorical and continuous variables. Measurements included pain intensity, maximum mouth opening, joint crepitus, jaw functional limitation scale (JFLS) scores, treatment times, and treatment durations. Improvement in each measurement was compared between the two groups at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after the start of treatment, as were the final treatment times and treatment durations.
Results
Pain intensity, maximum mouth opening, and JFLS scores in the two groups were improved at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after treatment (all p < 0.05). The crepitus ratio was significantly improved only in the combined treatment group at 12 weeks. Compared with the physical therapy group, improvement in mouth opening pain was improved at 2, 4, and 12 weeks in the combined treatment group; the improvement in maximal mouth opening in the physical therapy group was better than that in the injection group at 2 weeks after treatment. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of improvement in joint crepitus and JFLS scores at each observation point. The number of visits in the combined therapy group was statistically significantly lower than that in the physical therapy group, but the treatment duration was longer.
Conclusion
The combined therapy showed a stronger effect on elderly patients with DJD than physical therapy alone, specifically with regard to mouth opening pain control and the number of visits.
A New Early Warning Criterion for Assessing Landslide Risk
Authors: Du Yan , Ning Lize , Chicas Santos D , Xie Mowen
Published: July 2022

A large number of engineering examples show that the displacement speed ratio(DSR) warning criterion derived from displacement as a single base information can predict the occurrence of landslides, but cannot identify the future development direction of landslides, which leads to false alarms in the warning system. In order to solve this problem, a trend speed ratio(TSR) is proposed, taking five landslides as examples, and the research results show that when the TSR is greater than 2.0, the landslide is destroyed; when the TSR shows a decreasing trend, the landslide tends to be stabilized; and for the undamaged stepped landslide, the TSR is always less than 2.0 at the stepped acceleration inflection point of the landslide. Compared with the traditional method, the new method can identify the development direction of the landslide, and can perform a risk assessment of the stepped landslide, which provides new technical support for engineers engaged in landslide warning and prevention.
Wu’s seven steps for endoscopic central and lateral neck dissection via breast combined with oral approach for papillary thyroid cancer
Authors: Wang Yuanyuan , Luo Yezhe , Wu Guoyang , Lin Suqiong , Fu Yilong
Published: July 2022

Objective: We had previously reported endoscopic central and lateral neck dissection via breast combined with an oral approach for papillary thyroid cancer treatment. In this study, we optimized the procedure with Wu’s seven steps to make the procedure quicker and easier.Methods: Wu’s seven steps for endoscopic central and lateral neck dissection via breast combined with oral approach for papillary thyroid cancer are: (1) establish the working space; (2) isolate the sternocleidomastoid and internal jugular vein; (3) dissect the thyroid via breast approach; (4) dissect the central lymph nodes via oral approach; (5) dissect the inferior board of level IV via oral approach; (6) remove the tissues of levels IV, III, and II via breast approach; and (7) wash the working space and place drainage tubes. Twelve patients were assigned to the Wu’s seven steps group, and 13 patients were assigned to the contrast group. The operative procedure of the contrast group was the same as Wu’s seven steps except for a few key differences, such as that the central lymph nodes were dissected via breast approach first and the internal jugular vein（IJV）was dissected from the cricoid cartilage down to the venous angle.Results: The Wu’s seven steps group had a short operation time and few injuries of the internal jugular vein. There were no statistical differences in other clinicopathological features or surgical complications.Conclusion: It appears that Wu’s seven steps for endoscopic central and lateral neck dissection via breast combined with oral approach for papillary thyroid cancer are effective and safe.
Characterization of collapsible Gypsum Sand Soil with Presence of Matric Suction Using a Modified Odometer Apparatus
Authors: Almahmodi Rusul , Abdalhusein Mustafa M. , Ali Akhtarpour , Mahmood Mohammed Sh.
Published: July 2022

This study looks into the influence of matric suction on the volume change of gypsum sand soil in unsaturated conditions. The specimens were collected from Al-Najaf, Iraq, and included 14-percent and 29-percent gypsum. Three series of initial stress of laboratory tests were utilized in a modified Oedometer device. For each gypsum content, twelve remolded specimens were examined in unsaturated circumstances with the initial stress and applied stress using four matric suctions (30 kPa, 18 kPa, 9 kPa and saturated state). Three tests were performed for each matric suction with initial stresses, no initial load, 56 kPa and 112 kPa, respectively. The findings of unsaturated tests along the wetting path in terms of final volumetric strain show a clear pattern of increasing in vertical strain as gypsum content rises and matric suction reduces under a variety of situations. The wetting process softens the gypsum components, resulting in an increase in vertical strains.
A survey of public debt effects in theory-based models
Authors: BENTOUR EL MOSTAFA , GUILLAUMIN CYRIAC
Published: July 2022

This paper is dedicated to the assessment of government debt effects in the theoretical models. We made an inventory of the most important contributions, modelling the effect of public debt on the behaviour of economic agents. We particularly discussed the public debt effects in (1) the infinitely lived agents (ILA) and the overlapping generations (OLG) models, (2) the endogenous growth models (3) the new political economy of fiscal policy, and, (4) the new Keynesian models. Finally, we conclude with two critiques of Mankiw (2000) for the ILA and OLG models and Chari et al. (2009) for the new Keynesian models.JEL Classification: B22, B23, C51, H54, H63.
Polypropylene microplastic exposure leads to lung inflammation through p38-mediated NF- κB pathway due to mitochondrial damage
Authors: Woo Jong-Hwan , Seo Hyeon Jin , Lee Jun-Young , Lee Iljung , Jeon Kisoo , Kim Bumseok , Lee Kyuhong
Published: July 2022

Background: Polypropylene (PP) is used in various products such as disposable containers, spoons, and automobile parts. The disposable masks used for COVID-19 prevention mainly comprise PP, and the disposal of such masks is concerning because of the potential environmental pollution. Recent reports have suggested that weathered PP microparticles can be inhaled, however, the inhalation toxicology of PP microparticles is poorly understood. Results: Inflammatory cell numbers, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and the levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in PP-instilled mice increased in a dose-dependent manner compared to the control. Histopathological analysis of the lung tissue of PP-stimulated mice revealed lung injuries, including the infiltration of inflammatory cells into the perivascular/parenchymal space, alveolar epithelial hyperplasia, and foamy macrophage aggregates. The in vitro study indicated that PP stimulation causes mitochondrial dysfunction including mitochondrial depolarization and decreased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. PP stimulation led to cytotoxicity, ROS production, increase of inflammatory cytokines, and cell deaths in A549 cells. The results showed that PP stimulation increased the p-p38 and p-NF-κB protein levels both in vivo and in vitro, while p-ERK and p-JNK remained unchanged. Interestingly, the cytotoxicity that was induced by PP exposure was regulated by p38 and ROS inhibition in A549 cells. Conclusions: These results suggest that PP stimulation may contribute to inflammation pathogenesis via the p38 phosphorylation-mediated NF-κB pathway as a result of mitochondrial damage.
Tracking Blobs in the Turbulent Edge Plasma of a Tokamak Fusion Device
Authors: Han Woonghee , Pietersen Randall A. , Villamor-Lora Rafael , Beveridge Matthew , Offeddu Nicola , Golfinopoulos Theodore , Theiler Christian , Terry James L. , Marmar Earl S. , Drori Iddo
Published: July 2022

The analysis of turbulence in plasmas is fundamental in fusion research. Despite extensive progress in theoretical modeling in the past 15 years, we still lack a complete and consistent understanding of turbulence in magnetic confinement devices, such as tokamaks. Experimental studies are challenging due to the diverse processes that drive the high-speed dynamics of turbulent phenomena. This work presents a novel application of motion tracking to identify and track turbulent filaments in fusion plasmas, called blobs, in a high-frequency video obtained from Gas Puff Imaging diagnostics. We compare four baseline methods (RAFT, GMA, Flow Walk, and Mask R-CNN) trained on synthetic data and then test on synthetic and real-world data obtained from plasmas in the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV). The blob regime identified from an analysis of blob trajectories agrees with state-of-the-art conditional averaging methods for each of the baseline methods employed, giving confidence in the accuracy of these techniques. High entry barriers traditionally limit tokamak plasma research to a small community of researchers in the field. By making a dataset and benchmark publicly available, we hope to open the field to a broad community in science and engineering.
The mood stabilizer lithium slows down synaptic vesicle cycling at glutamatergic synapses
Authors: Tang Willcyn , Cory Bradley , Lim Kah-Leong , Fivaz Marc
Published: July 2022

Lithium is a mood stabilizer broadly used to prevent and treat symptoms of mania and depression in people with bipolar disorder (BD). Little is known, however, about its mode of action. Here, we analyzed the impact of lithium on synaptic vesicle (SV) cycling at presynaptic terminals releasing glutamate, a neurotransmitter previously implicated in BD and other neuropsychiatric conditions. We used the pHluorin-based synaptic tracer vGpH and a fully automated image processing pipeline to quantify the effect of lithium on both SV exocytosis and endocytosis in hippocampal neurons. We found that lithium selectively reduces SV exocytic rates during electrical stimulation, and markedly slows down SV recycling post-stimulation. Analysis of single bouton responses revealed the existence of functionally distinct excitatory synapses with varying sensitivity to lithium ― some terminals show responses similar to untreated cells, while others are markedly impaired in their ability to recycle SVs. While the cause of this heterogeneity is unclear, these data indicate that lithium interacts with the SV machinery and influences glutamate release in a large fraction of excitatory synapses. Together, our findings show that lithium down modulates SV cycling, an effect consistent with clinical reports indicating hyperactivation of glutamate neurotransmission in BD.
3D kinematic characteristics of lumbar facet joints in sitting position
Authors: Han Ye , Li Kepeng , Wang Xiaodong , Wang Jianzhong , Sun Shaosong , Xia Xi , Wang Jing , Miao Jun
Published: July 2022

Background: Recognizing the kinematic characteristics of lumbar facet joints is important for the prevention and treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases. Previous studies have been conducted in either the supine or standing position, and there are no measurements regarding the kinematic characteristics of the lumbar facet joints while sitting. The aim of this study was to measure and analyze lumbar facet joint motion characteristics while sitting.Methods: Ten subjects (5 males and 5 females) performed the movements of flexion-extension, left bending-right bending, and left rotation-right rotation in a sitting position. Dual Fluoroscopic Image System and computed tomography technique were used to measure the displacement and rotation angle of the lumbar facet joints of the subjects for analysis. The movement characteristics of L3-S1 were measured. Results: When the subjects were in sitting position, the lumbar vertebra mainly changed in Z axis and α, β angle when they performed flexion-extension activities. The displacement of the left facet joint was 4.65 ± 1.99 mm at L3-4, 1.89 ± 2.99 mm at L4-5, and 0.80 ± 2.27 mm at L5-S1 in the Z axis, and the displacement of the right facet joint was 3.20 ± 2.61 mm at L3-4, 1.71 ± 3.00 mm at L4-5, and 0.31 ± 1.69 mm at L5-S1 in the Z axis. The rotation in the α angle was 6.00 ± 4.49 ° at L3-4, 3.51 ± 5.24 ° at L4-5, and 0.97 ± 4.13 ° at L5-S1, which was significant different. The rotation in the β angle was 2.30 ± 2.94 °at L3-4, 0.16 ± 2.06 ° at L4-5, and 0.35 ± 1.74 °at L5-S1, which was significant different. When the lumbar spine performed the activity of left bending-right bending, there were changes in rotation mainly in the Z axis and β angle. The displacement of left facet joint in the Z axis was 1.34 ± 2.84 mm at L3-4, 2.11 ± 0.88 mm at L4-5 , and 0.72 ± 0.81 mm at L5-S1; the rotation in the β angle was 5.66 ± 2.70°at L3-4, 7.89 ± 2.59 ° at L4-5, and 1.28 ± 2.07 ° at L5-S1; when the lumbar spine performed the activity of left rotation-right rotation, there were changes in the β angle. The rotation of β angle was 4.09 ± 2.86 ° at L3-4, 2.14 ± 3.38 ° at L4-5, and 0.63 ± 1.85 ° at L5-S1.Conclusion: The lumbar facet joint motion in sitting position is different in each mode of motion. The horizontal displacement and rotation are predominant during flexion and extension activities, while there are different rotation in bending and rotation. The study shows the coupled motion of the lumbar facet joints while sitting, providing a new perspective on the kinematics of the lumbar spine and the etiology of lumbar degenerative diseases.
Deep learning model for predicting the presence of stromal invasion of breast cancer on digital breast tomosynthesis
Authors: Shimokawa Daiki , Takahashi Kengo , Oba Ken , Takaya Eichi , Usuzaki Takuma , Kadowaki Mizuki , Kawaguchi Kurara , Adachi Maki , Kaneno Tomofumi , Fukuda Toshinori , Yagishita Kazuyo , Tsunoda Hiroko , Ueda Takuya
Published: July 2022

Purpose:To develop a deep learning (DL)-based algorithm to predict the presence of stromal invasion of breast cancer on digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT).Materials and Methods:The institutional review board approved this retrospective study and waived the requisite to obtain the informed consent from the patients. Initially, 499 patients (mean age of 50.5 years, ranging from 29 to 90 years) who were referred to our hospital suggestive of breast cancer and performed DBT between March 1, 2019 and August 31, 2019, were enrolled in this study. Out of the 499 patients, 140 patients who were performed surgery with diagnosed breast cancer were finally selected. Based on the pathological reports, 140 patients were divided to be categorized as 20 patients with non-invasive cancer and 120 patients with invasive cancer. Xception architecture was used for the DL model to differentiate non-invasive cancer and invasive cancer. Diagnostic performance of the DL model was assessed by accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).Results:The average accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 0.897, 0.909, 0.758, and 0.749, respectively.Conclusion:The proposed DL model trained on DBT images is useful to predict the presence of stromal invasion of breast cancer.Secondary abstractThe proposed deep learning (DL) model trained on digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) images is useful to predict the presence of stromal invasion of breast cancer.
Seismic site-effects assessment in a fluvial sedimentary environment: case of Oued Martil floodplain, Northern Morocco
Authors: HILALI Mohamed EL , BOUNAB Ali , TIMOULALI Youssef , MESSARi Jamal STITOU , AHNICHE Mohamed
Published: July 2022

In Northern Morocco, seismic site effects in general and liquefaction hazard in particular can occur in the event of a major earthquake due to the thick sedimentary cover characterizing the peripheral Neogene basins of the Alboran Sea. An example is Martil Plain which was the subject of important economic development during the last two decades. In this regard, we present in this study as assessment of seismic site-effect hazard through the HVSR method and the Kg index. MASW and coredrilling data are also used to complete our analysis and interpret the spatial distribution of Kg maps. Our findings suggest more vulnerability to liquefaction in the Southern segment of the basin, which can be explained by the asymmetrical geometry of Quaternary sedimentation, due to tectonic uplift that influences also the surface and subsurface hydrology processes. As a result, some districts, especially those classified as economically disadvantaged, are found to be the most exposed to this hazard, which must be taken into consideration in future risk reduction and mitigation plans. We conclude the existence of significant seismic effects potential despite the moderate seismicity of the area. Therefore, our research needs to be completed by scenario based seismic hazard modelling to investigate the capacity of seismic events at the region to produce the above suggested amplifications.
Fluctuation of gut microbiome in Cirrhinus mrigala is associated with changes in dissolved oxygen of water
Authors: Basak Chandana , Mondal Nibendu , Chatterjee Sumit , Ghosh Wriddhiman , Chakraborty Ranadhir
Published: July 2022

Oxygen depletion, or hypoxia, a common consequence of eutrophication, has an adverse effect on aquatic flora and fauna. Bacteria living within or around aquatic macroorganisms struggle to thrive in low dissolved oxygen (DO2) conditions. The goal of our study was to see how the bacterial population in the intestine of a bottom-feeding fish, Cirrhinus mrigala, fluctuated when the DO2 level in the water decreased from 7±0.5 ppm to 0.35± 0.05 ppm. The V3 regions of 16S rRNA genes derived out of metagenome extracted from the intestines of control and experimental fishes were sequenced and analysed. The findings revealed that during DO2 stress (0.35±0.05 ppm), the aerobic bacterial population in the gut (existing when fish lived in 7±0.5 ppm DO2) changed significantly, transforming the microbial community into a facultative and/or obligate anaerobic community with the dominance of microaerophilic bacterial populations; density of Cetobacterium increased in intestinal samples, which is linked to the prevention of paradoxical anaerobicity in fish tissues. The current research advances our understanding of the changes in gut microbiome ecology of intestinal bacterial flora under DO2 stress.
Subsampling under distributional constraints
Authors: COMBES Florian , FRAIMAN Ricardo , GHATTAS Badih
Published: July 2022

Some complex models are frequently employed to describe physical and mechanical phenomena. In this setting we have an input X in a general space, and an output Y = f(X) where f is a very complicated function, whose computational cost for every new input is very high. We are given two sets of observations of X, S1 and S2 of different sizes such that only f(S1) is available. We tackle the problem of selecting a subset S3 ⊂ S2 of smaller size on which to run the complex mode f, and such that the empirical distribution of f(S3) is close to that of f(S1). We suggest three algorithms to solve this problem and show their efficiency using simulated datasets and the Airfoil self-noise data set.
Monkeypox infection in a developed country: A Case Report
Authors: Patalon Tal , Perez Galit , Melamed Guy , Wolf Tamar , Gazit Sivan
Published: July 2022

Describing patient journeys of monkeypox in a developed country, as it is manifested in the current outbreak, as well as rapidly sharing information as a lesson from the early days of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Melt-blown Fabric/SWCNTs Composites via the Dry and Binder-free Coating Process for Thermal Regulation and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding
Authors: Cao Jun , Zhang Zhao , Dong Haohao , Ding Yuanlong , Chen Ruihao , Liao Yongping
Published: July 2022

Conductive textiles with good flexibility and durability are highly demanded for wearable electronics. However, the common approaches of making conductive textiles requires multi-steps solvent processes, which is tedious and environment unfriendly. Herein, the high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), synthesized by the floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) method, were direct and dry coated on the melt-blown fabrics (MBFs) recycled from the waste masks with chemical binder-free. The obtained MBF/SWCNTs composites displayed excellent conductivity and flexibility and thus, can be further used as wearable and heatable textiles. The sheet resistance of MBF/SWCNTs composites can be further reduced by gold chloride (AuCl3) doping from 57 to 26 Ω/sq. The electrical-thermal measurement turned out the pristine MBF/SWCNTs composites can reach the surface temperature of ~ 48°C at a low voltage (5 V), while it increased to ~ 110°C after AuCl3 doping at the same voltage. In addition, the AuCl3 doped MBF/SWCNTs film with thickness of ~ 150 µm displays a high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding efficiency of 27.1 dB at X-band. Also, the MBF/SWCNTs composites displayed good stability after long-term heating, bending and washing. Our multi-functional MBF/SWCNTs textiles not only demonstrated the reusability of waste masks but also showed great potential applications in EMI and heat management, such as thermotherapy pads and fast water evaporators.