bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Timing of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is a prognostic factor in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a retrospective study
Authors: Qiu Juan , Zhang Baoxuan , Bu Bing , Fang Shu , Song Lihua
Published: March 2021

Background Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) has been shown to be associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with various solid tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the timing and degree of chemo-induced neutropenia (CIN) and short-term efficacy and survival in newly diagnosed patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 236 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients who received at least 6 cycles of R-CHOP (like) or CHOP (like) between January 2012 and December 2018. According to the occurrence time of CIN, subjects were divided into CIN-absent group, early-onset CIN group and late-onset CIN group. According to the degree of CIN, they were divided into CIN-absent group, mild (grade 1-2) CIN group, and severe (grade 3-4) CIN group. Short-term efficacy was evaluated after 4 cycles of treatment. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve, and the Cox proportional hazards model was applied to determine the correlation between the timing and extent of CIN and clinical features, short-term efficacy, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).Results After 4 treatment cycles, the objective response rate (ORR) of the early-onset group was higher than that of in the late-onset group and CIN absent group (95.7% VS 88.4% VS 81.0%). Multivariate analysis, Ann Arbor staging, choice of treatment plan and CIN timing were the independent prognostic factors for OS and PFS. OS and PFS in the early-onset group were longer than those of in the absent group [OS (HR:0.241; 95%CI: 0.110-0.530; P < 0.001), PFS (HR: 0.313; 95%CI: 0.169-0.579; P < 0.001)] and late-onset group [OS (HR: 0.332; 95%CI: 0.161- 0.685; P = 0.003), PFS (HR: 0.376; 95%CI: 0.204-0.693; P = 0.002)].Conclusions The timing of CIN is an independent predictor of prognosis in DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP (like) or CHOP (like) regimens, and patients with early-onset CIN have longer survival times. The degree of CIN is not an independent predictor of prognosis in patients with DLBCL.
Influence of Gas Pressure and RF Power on the Structural and Mechanical Properties of Germanium thin Films
Authors: Ariffin Nurul Assikin , Mustaffa Siti Nor Aliffah , Tamchek Nizam , Sagadevan Suresh , Paiman Suriati
Published: March 2021

Germanium thin film was deposited on a glass substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique toward nanowires growth for solar cell application. Germanium thin films were deposited at room temperature. The gas pressures and radiofrequency power were varied from 50 to 100 Watt and 5 to 15 mTorr, respectively, with constant deposition time. The thickness of the deposited thin film was investigated using a high surface profilometer. Meanwhile, its structural properties were characterized using atomic force microscopy technique. Results showed that the surface roughness of the Germanium thin film decreased with the increase of gas pressure and radio frequency power. All the thin films formed were amorphous which were confirmed with X-ray diffraction analysis. The experiment results indicated that thin films deposit at 15 mTorr produced 114.76 nm of thickness and 61.9 nm of surface roughness. Meanwhile, Ge thin film deposited at 100-Watt radio frequency power had 10.2 nm of surface roughness. Therefore, growth parameters must be optimized in order to obtain the desired surface roughness which then can be used for the growth of nanowires for solar cell application.
Microbial Fuel Cell: Study of Bioresource Potential of Dairy Effluent and Associated Process Limitations
Authors: Fazal Umair , Tabish AN , Akbar Samina , Farhat Iqra , Irshad Muneed , Kazmi Mohsin , Ali Haider , Irfan Muhammad
Published: March 2021

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are devices that exploit the electrochemically active microorganisms for the oxidative conversion of organic compounds into electricity. MFC technology is therefore expected to be a viable solution for domestic and industrial wastewater treatment as an alternative to the currently applied activated-sludge process. Despite its potential, the technology is facing application challenges because of high cost, low stability, and limited understanding of cell design and operation. In this experimental study, a double-chambered MFC with graphite electrodes and a proton-conducting membrane is used in a batch mode to study the potential of resource recovery from dairy effluent and identify the process limitations. Results showed a promising cell performance as the chemical oxygen demand of the wastewater reduced from 4520 mg/l to 850 mg/l in 10 days including the time required for biofilm development. The highest open-circuit voltage of 396 mV was recorded on the third day along with the highest power density of 36.39 mW/m 2 corresponding to a current density of 0.30 A/m 2 . Further, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the activation polarization of aerated cathode is the main contributor to cell internal resistance followed by the ohmic resistance.
Risk assessment in interstitial lung disease: the incremental prognostic value of cardiopulmonary ultrasound
Authors: Zhu Wei-wei , Li Hong , Li Yidan , Sun Lanlan , Kong Lingyun , Ye Xiaoguang , Cai Qizhe , Lv Xiu-zhang
Published: March 2021

Background The mortality risk of chronic interstitial lung disease (ILD) is currently assessed using the ILD-GAP score. The present study evaluates whether the addition of cardiopulmonary ultrasound parameters to the ILD-GAP score can further improve the predictive value of ILD-GAP.Methods Medical records from 91 patients with ILD hospitalized from June 2015 to March 2016 were retrospectively examined. The Lung ultrasound (LUS) score, right ventricular (RV) function, and mechanics were obtained from the cardiopulmonary ultrasound. The ILD-GAP score was calculated from demographic characteristics and pulmonary function parameters. Patients were followed up with until May 2020. The primary endpoint was all-cause death.Results After exclusions, 74 patients with ILD were included in the analysis. During the follow-up period, 36 patients with ILD survived (ILDs), and 38 patients died (ILDd). Compared to ILDs, the ILDd cases exhibited a higher number of B-lines, LUS score, and RV end-diastolic base dimension (RVD), but lower RV function. In multivariate analysis, the ILD-GAP score (hazard ratio, 2.88; 95%CI 1.38–5.99, P = 0.005), LUS score (hazard ratio 1.13; 95%CI 1.04–1.24, P = 0.006), and RVD (hazard ratio 1.09, 95%CI 1.03–1.16, P = 0.004) were significantly related to the risk of death. Adding the LUS score and RVD to the ILD-GAP score significantly improved the predictive value compared to the ILD-GAP score alone (C statistics 0.90 vs 0.76, P=0.018 ).Conclusion We investigated the utility of a new prognostic model for ILD that includes both cardiopulmonary ultrasound parameters (LUS score and RVD) and the ILD-GAP score. This model better reflects the severity of pulmonary fibrosis and cardiac involvement, and has incremental predictive value over the ILD-GAP score alone.
Omnidirectional 3D printing of metal micro-architectures via droplet sliding over curved surfaces
Authors: Luo Jun , Cheng Jingyuan , Dong Yacong , Qi Lehua , Li Ni , Visser Claas Willem
Published: March 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Combination of Ad-SGE-REIC and Bevacizumab Modulates Glioma Progression by Suppressing Invasion and Angiogenesis
Authors: Hattori Yasuhiko , Kurozumi Kazuhiko , Otani Yoshihiro , Uneda Atsuhito , Tsuboi Nobushige , Fujii Kentaro , Tomita Yusuke , Oka Tetsuo , Matsumoto Yuji , Shimazu Yosuke , Michiue Hiroyuki , Kumon Hiromi , Date Isao
Published: March 2021

Reduced expression in immortalized cells/Dickkopf-3 (REIC/Dkk-3) is a tumor suppressor and its overexpression has been shown to exert anti-tumor effects as a therapeutic target gene in many human cancers. Recently, we demonstrated the anti-glioma effects of an adenoviral vector carrying REIC/Dkk-3 with the super gene expression system (Ad-SGE-REIC). Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatments such as bevacizumab have demonstrated convincing therapeutic advantage in patients with glioblastoma. However, bevacizumab could not improve overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. In this study, we examined the effects of Ad-SGE-REIC on glioma treated with bevacizumab. Treatment of Ad-SGE-REIC resulted in significant reduced numbers of invasion cells treated with bevacizumab.. Western blot analyses revealed increased expression of several endoplasmic reticulum stress markers in cells treated with both bevacizumab and Ad-SGE-REIC and decreased β-catenin protein levels. Expressions of apoptosis markers were also increased in cells with combination therapy. In malignant glioma mouse models, overall survival was extended in the combination therapy group. These results suggest that the combination therapy of Ad-SGE-REIC and bevacizumab exerts anti-glioma effects by suppressing angiogenesis and invasion of tumors. Combined Ad-SGE-REIC and bevacizumab might indicate a promising strategy for the treatment of malignant glioma.
Emergence of mobilized colistin resistance-1 in multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates from the Henan province in China: a multicentre study
Authors: Li Yi , Yan Wenjuan , Zhang Qi , Jing Nan , Yuan Youhua , Zhang Yi , Ren Siying , Hu Dongmei , Zhao Wenmin , Shi Caiqin , Wang Meiyun , Zhang Xiaojuan
Published: March 2021

Background

The increased clinical use of polymyxin led to the emergence of polymyxin-resistant strains, especially those carrying plasmid-borne mobilized colistin resistance (mcr) gene variants. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of polymyxin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates from the Henan province, China.
Methods

A total of 16 polymyxin-resistant isolates among 2301 E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates collected in 6 local hospitals in the Henan province were studied. The isolates were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using the microbroth dilution technique. Polymyxin-resistant isolates were further analysed for mcr-1 and carbapenemase-mediated resistance using the modified carbapenem inactivation method, the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-modified carbapenem inactivation method, and polymerase chain reaction. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) were performed to disclose the phylogenetic relationships of the polymyxin-resistant isolates. The clinical characteristics of patients infected with the polymyxin-resistant isolates were also retrospectively analysed.
Results

5/1499 (0.3%) and 11/802 (1.4%) E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates, respectively, were polymyxin-resistant. The MICs of polymyxin were in the range of 4–64 µg/mL and all of the 16 polymyxin-resistant isolates were susceptible to tigecycline. Additionally, four of the five E. coli polymyxin-resistant isolates were mcr-1 positive; one of them was also carbapenem-resistant, carrying blaNDM−5. Conversely, only 1/11 K. pneumoniae isolates was mcr-1 positive, while 9 polymyxin-resistant isolates were also carbapenem-resistant (PRCRKP), carrying blaKPC−2 but not mcr-1. MLST results showed that the five E. coli isolates belonged to four sequence types (STs), including ST2, ST132, ST632, and ST983, while all PRCRKP isolates belonged to ST11. However, all 16 isolates showed different PFGE types using a genetic similarity of ≥ 95%. Furthermore, 33.3% (5/15) of the patients carrying polymyxin-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates showed a history of polymyxin use, and 10/15 (66.7%) patients displayed good clinical outcomes.
Conclusion

The polymyxin resistance rate of K. pneumoniae was slightly higher than that of E. coli in the Henan province; however, mcr-1 was only detected in one K. pneumoniae isolate. Thus, close monitoring is needed to prevent and control the spread of PRCRKP.
Degradation analysis with characteristics and simulations of 265 nm UVC-LED
Authors: Zhu Xinglin , Su Mengwei , Chen Zhiqiang , Deng Shaodong , Yao Huilu , Wang Yukun , Chen Ziqian , Deng Jianyu , Sun Wenhong
Published: March 2021

We report the degradation study on AlGaN-based 265 nm ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) under a series of constant current stress. The failure mechanisms were investigated systematically by measuring the optical and electrical characteristics of the LEDs before and after aging. The variation of carrier concentration in the active region was analyzed by capacitance-voltage. Combining the extracted apparent charge distribution profiles with the simulation results of the devices before and after the stress, we found that the change of carrier concentration in the multiple quantum wells was related to the donor diffusion on the n-side. On the p-side, both the acceptor concentration of electron blocking layer (EBL) and the defects in p-GaN contact layer were also found to be under constant change. The reduction of the EBL doping concentration has contributed to an increase of the diode depletion width during the stress. The changes in the LEDs before and after stressing indicate a compensating effect occurred in the p-type EBL close to the quantum wells, which leads to the degradation of the optical power of the 265 nm UV-LEDs.
Effect of early Trimetazidine on infarct size in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: QIAN GENG , Zhang Ying , A Xin , Jiang Xiaosi , Jiang Zichao , Li Tao , Dong Wei , Guo Jun , Chen Yundai
Published: March 2021

Purpose: Trimetazidine, a metabolic agent with anti-ischemic effects, was reported to reduce reperfusion injury in animal models. In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, we investigated the effects of trimetazidine on reducing infarction size in patients undergoing revascularization for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: Patients with STEMI randomly received trimetazidine (n=87) or placebo (n= 86) in a double-blind manner before primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and study treatment was maintained for 12 months after the procedure. The primary endpoint was infarction size measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) after primary PCI. Results: The clinical characteristics of patients (90% male, mean age 57±12 years) in both groups were well-matched on the baseline. Compared with patients in control group, the percentage and weight of infarction size of patients in trimetazidine group were both significantly lower (22.1±11.8% [n =74] vs. 26.9±11.9% [n=74], p=0.010; 28±18g [n =74] vs. 35±19g [n=74], p=0.022), the myocardial microvascular obstruction (MVO) rate measured by CMR was lower in trimetazidine group (29.7% [22/7] vs. 52.7% [39/74], p=0.007), while myocardial salvage index (MSI) was significantly higher in trimetazidine group (48±20% vs. 39±27%, p=0.008). The incidence of readmission due to aggravated heart failure in trimetazidine group was lower than that in the control group without significance (8.0% vs 14.0%, p=0.234). Conclusions: Our study provides suggests that trimetazidine initiated prior to primary PCI, improves myocardial infarct size, MVO and MSI, possibly by reducing reperfusion injury.
Combined effect of hyperhomocysteinemia and smoking on the severity of coronary artery disease in young adults ≤35 years of age：a hospital-based observational study
Authors: Sun Jiayin , Han Wei , Wu Sijing , Jia Shuo , Yan Zhenxian , Guo Yonghe , Zhao Yingxin , Zhou Yujie , Liu Xiaoli
Published: March 2021

Background: The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) continues to increase among young Chinese adults. Current smoking has been recognized as a major risk factor for premature CAD, and hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy) has also been suggested to be associated with CAD progression. However, the combined effect of current smoking and HHcy on the severity of coronary artery stenosis in young adults is still uncertain.Methods: We consecutively collected young patients (18-35 years of age), diagnosed with CAD and underwent coronary angiography (CAG) at Anzhen Hospital between January 2013 and May 2020. HHcy was defined as serum homocysteine (Hcy) level>15µmol/L. The severity of coronary artery stenosis was evaluated by Gensini Score. The co-effect of current smoking and HHcy on CAD severity as well as the relationship between plasma Hcy, pack-years of smoking and CAD severity were assessed by multivariate linear regression analysis.Results: A total of 989 participants (mean age, 33 years; 96.2% male) fulfilling the criteria were enrolled in this study. Patients with both HHcy and current smoking accounted for 39.1% of all the subjects. Multivariate liner analysis indicated both serum Hcy levels (β 0.320; 95% CI 0.159-0.481; P<0.001) and pack-years of smoking (β 0.448; 95% CI 0.193-0.704; P=0.001) were independently associated with the severity of coronary artery stenosis after adjusting for other traditional confounders. In addition, serum Hcy levels were correlated with pack-years of smoking in young CAD patients (r=0.116, P=0.001). Moreover, combination of HHcy and current smoking was suggested to have higher risk for CAD severity (β 18.491; 95% CI 12.011-24.971; P<0.001), compared with HHcy (β 7.894; 95% CI 0.506-15.282; P=0.036) or current smoking (β 7.849; 95% CI 1.075-14.623; P=0.023) alone. Conclusion: Combination of HHcy and smoking is independently associated with the severity of CAD in young patients ≤35 years of age.
Biomarkers and Heterogeneous Fibroblast Phenotype Associated with Incisional Hernia
Authors: Agrawal Devendra K. , Thankam Finosh G. , Larsen Nicholas K. , Verghese Ann , Bui Thao-Nguyen , Fitzgibbons Robert J
Published: March 2021

Development of incisional hernia (IH) is multifactorial but inflammation and abdominal wall ECM (extracellular matrix) disorganization are key pathological events. We investigated if the differential expression of fibroblast biomarkers reflects the cellular milieu and the dysregulated ECM in IH tissues. Expression of fibroblast biomarkers, including connective tissue growth factor, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), CD34 (cluster of differentiation 34), cadherin-11 and fibroblast specific protein 1 (FSP1), was examined by histology and immunofluorescence in the hernial-fascial ring/neck tissue (HRT) and hernia sack tissue (HST) harvested from the patients undergoing hernia surgery and compared with normal fascia (FT) and peritoneum (PT) harvested from brain-dead healthy subjects undergoing organ procurement for transplantation. The H&E staining revealed alterations in tissue architecture, fibroblast morphology, and ECM organization in the IH tissues compared to control. The biomarker for undifferentiated fibroblasts, CD34, was significantly higher in HST and decreased in HRT than the respective FT and PT controls. Also, the findings revealed an increased level of CTGF (connective tissue growth factor) with decrease in α-SMA in both HRT and HST compared to the controls. In addition, an increased level of FSP1 (fibroblast specific protein 1) and cadherin-11 in HRT with decreased level in HST were observed relative to the respective controls (FT and PT). Hence, these findings support the heterogeneity of fibroblast population at the laparotomy site that could contribute to the development of IH. Understanding the mechanisms causing the phenotype switch of these fibroblasts would open novel strategies to prevent the development of IH following laparotomy.
High performances room temperature NO2 gas sensor based on ZnO nanoparticles with oxygen vacancies prepared by auto combustion method
Authors: Benamara Majdi , Dahman Hassen , Massoudi Jalel , Dhahri Essebti , Mir Lassaad El , Ly A. , Debliquy Marc , Lahem D.
Published: March 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Strong In Vitro And Vivo Cytotoxicity Of Two Platinum(II) Complexes With Cryptolepine Derivatives
Authors: Qin Li-Qin , Wei Zu-Zhuang , Yang Lin , Qin Qi-Pin , Zeng Jia-Jing , Tan Ming-Xiong , Liang Hong
Published: March 2021

Two mononuclear Pt(II) compounds, [Pt(BQL1)Cl]Cl (BQL1-Pt) and [Pt(BQL2)Cl]Cl (BQL2-Pt) with [5-(benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]quinolin-11-yloxy)-pentyl]-bis-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-amine (BQL1) and [9-(benzo[4,5]furo[3,2-b]quinolin-11-yloxy)-nonyl]-bis-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-amine (BQL2), were prepared as new chemotypes for potential antitumor agents. This study evaluated the influence of cryptolepine derivatives in BQL1-Pt, 2,2′-dipicolylamine Pt(II) complex, and BQL2-Pt on cellular Pt(II) accumulation, cytotoxicity, and in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities against T-24 cancer cells and normal HL-7702 cells. BQL1-Pt and BQL2-Pt displayed cytotoxic activities in the micromole range (1.3±0.1 and 0.2±0.2 μM, respectively) on T-24 cancer cells; however, they did not exhibit any toxicity against HL-7702 cells. They triggered T-24 cell apoptosis through a mitochondrial dysfunction pathway. Compared to 2,2′-dipicolylamine, the neutral BQL1 and BQL2 ligands with cryptolepine derivatives increased the planarity and branched chain resulting in BQL1-Pt and BQL2-Pt with favorable antitumor activities. Further, BQL2-Pt effectively inhibited the growth of bladder T-24 tumor in vivo. BQL2-Pt can act as a potential therapeutic candidate for cancer treatment.
Discussion on Structural, Optical, Thermal, Mechanical, Dielectric and Third-Order NLO Properties of 3-Nitroanilinium Chloride Single Crystals for Optoelectronic Applications
Authors: BRINTHA C. S. JULIET , JOEMA S.E
Published: March 2021

Preferable, third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) single crystal, 3-Nitroanilinium chloride (3NACL) was auspiciously synthesised by slow evaporation technique. The crystal system of synthesised 3NACL crystal is triclinic with centrosymmetric space group was identified by single crystal XRD studies. All the functional groups present in the sample and its respective vibrations are analysed through FTIR analysis. UV-Vis transmittance spectrum revealed that the synthesised material was 83% transmittance and it cut-off wavelength was 276nm. The mechanical stability and thermal property of grown 3NACL crystals were ascertained by Vickers micro hardness analysis and TG/DTA analysis. The intermolecular interaction of the 3NACL was scrutinized by Hirshfeld surface analysis. Dielectric studies revealed that dielectric constant and dielectric loss were high at lower frequency region due to the space charge polarization. Inclusion free 3NACL crystal was used to analyse the Laser damage threshold (LDT) studies and its calculated LDT value was 4.3 GW/cm2. The third-order NLO parameters (β = 7.5472x10− 12 m/W, η2 = 5.6931x10− 19 m2/W, χ3 = 2.9491x10− 13 esu) of the 3NACL material was statutory evaluated by Z-scan studied. Here, β and η2 are positive value due to the saturated absorption and self-focusing effect was observed in open and closed aperture z-scan curve. Above all these findings 3NACL was suitable material for NLO and optoelectronic applications.
Remote Ischemic Preconditioning Improves Tissue Oxygenation in a Porcine Model of Controlled Hemorrhage Without Fluid Resuscitation
Authors: Yaniv Gal , Eisenkraft Arik , Gavish Lilach , Wagnert-Avraham Linn , Nachman Dean , Megreli Jacob , Shimon Gil , Rimbrot Daniel , Simon Ben , Berman Asaf , Cohen Matan , Kushnir David , Shaylor Ruth , Batzofin Baruch , Firman Shimon , Shlaifer Amir , Hartal Michael , Heled Yuval , Glassberg Elon , Kreiss Yitshak , Gertz S. David
Published: March 2021

Purpose Remote Ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) involves deliberate, brief interruptions of blood flow to increase the tolerance of distant critical organs to ischemia. This study tests the effects of limb RIPC in a porcine model of controlled hemorrhage without replacement therapy simulating an extreme field situation of delayed evacuation to definitive care.Methods Twenty-eight pigs (47±6kg) were assigned to: (1) control, no procedure (n=7); (2) HS=hemorrhagic shock (n=13); and (3) RIPC+HS=remote ischemic preconditioning followed by hemorrhage (n=8). The animals were observed for 7 hours after bleeding without fluid replacement. Results Survival rate between animals that underwent RIPC before bleeding and those bled without prior RIPC were similar (HS, 6 of 13[46%]-vs-RIPC+HS, 4 of 8[50%], p=0.86 by Chi-square). Animals with prior RIPC had faster recovery of mean arterial pressure and developed higher heart rates without complications. Those with RIPC had less decrease in pH and bicarbonate, and the increase in lactate began later. Global oxygen delivery was higher, and tissue oxygen extraction ratio lower, in animals bled after RIPC. Conclusions These improvements after RIPC in hemodynamic and metabolic status provide essential substrates for improved cellular response after hemorrhage and reduction of the likelihood of potentially catastrophic consequences of the accompanying ischemia.
Towards Analysis and Optimization during Machining Hardened Steel AISI 4140 with Self-Propelled Rotary Tools
Authors: Ahmed Waleed , Hegab Hussien , Mohany Atef , Kishawy Hossam
Published: March 2021

It is necessary to improve the machinability of difficult-to-cut materials such as hardened steel, nickel-based alloys, and titanium alloys as these materials offer superior properties such as chemical stability, corrosion resistance, and high strength to weight ratio, making them indispensable for many applications. Machining with self-propelled rotary tools (SPRT) is considered as one of the promising techniques used to provide proper tool life even under dry conditions. In this work, an attempt has been performed to analyze, model, and optimize the machining process of AISI 4140 hardened steel using self-propelled rotary tools. Experimental analysis has been offered to (a) compare the fixed and rotary tools performance, and (b) study the effect of the inclination angle on the surface quality and tool wear. Moreover, the current study implemented some artificial intelligence-based approaches (i.e., genetic programming and NSGA-II) to model and optimize the machining process of AISI 4140 hardened steel with self-propelled rotary tools. The feed rate, cutting velocity, and inclination angle are selected to be the design variables, while the tool wear, surface roughness, and material removal rate (MRR) are the studied outputs. Moreover, different weights have been assigned for the three studied outputs to offer different optimized solutions based on the designer interest (equal-weighted, finishing, and productivity scenarios). It should be stated that the findings of the current work offer valuable recommendations to select the optimized cutting conditions when machining hardened steel AISI 4140.
A Deep Learning Approach For Dental Implant Planning On Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Images
Authors: Bayrakdar Sevda Kurt , Orhan Kaan , Bayrakdar Ibrahim Sevki , Bilgir Elif , Ezhov Matvey , Gusarev Maxim , Shumilov Eugene
Published: March 2021

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the success of the artificial intelligence (AI) system in implant planning using three-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images.Methods: Seventy-five CBCT images were included in this study. In these images, bone height and thickness in 508 regions where implants were required were measured by a human observer with manual segmentation method using InvivoDental 6.0 (Anatomage Inc. San Jose, CA, USA). Also, canals/sinuses/fossae associated with alveolar bones and missing tooth regions were detected. After all of this evaluations were repeated using the deep convolutional neural network (Diagnocat, Inc.) The jaws were separated as mandible/maxilla and each jaw was grouped as anterior/premolar/molar teeth region. The data obtained from manual segmentation and AI methods were compared using Bland-Altman analysis and Wilcoxon signed rank test.Results: In the bone height measurements, there were no statistically significant differences between AI and manual measurements in the premolar region of mandible and the premolar and molar regions of the maxilla (p>0.05). In the bone thickness measurements, there were statistically significant differences between AI and manual measurements in all regions of maxilla and mandible (p<0.001). Also, the percentage of right detection was 72.2% for canals, 66.4% for sinuses/fossae and 95.3% for missing tooth regions.Conclusions: Development of AI systems and their using in future for implant planning will both facilitate the work of physicians and will be a support mechanism in implantology practice to physicians.
Effect of Atomic Layer Deposited HfO2 thin Film Interfacial Layer on the Electrical Properties of Au/Ti/n-GaAs Schottky Diode
Authors: YILDIZ Dilber Esra , Karabulut A. , Orak I. , Türüt A.
Published: March 2021

The electrical properties of Au/Ti/HfO2/n-GaAs metal/insulating layer/semiconductor (MIS) contact structures were analyzed in detail by the help of capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G-V) measurements in the temperature range of 60–320 K. The HfO2 thin film layer was obtained by atomic layer deposition technique (ALD). The main electrical parameters such as ideality factor (n) and barrier height (ΦB0) were determined for Au/Ti/n-GaAs and Au/Ti/HfO2/n-GaAs diodes using current-voltage (I-V) measurement at 300 K. The values of these parameters are 1.07 and 0.77 eV for the reference (Au/Ti/n-GaAs) diode, and 1.30 and 0.94 eV for the Au/Ti/HfO2/n-GaAs MIS diode, respectively. An interfacial charge density value of Qss= 4.14x1012 Ccm− 2 for the MIS diode was calculated from the barrier height difference of ΔΦ=0.94-0.77=0.17 V. Depending on these results, the temperature dependent C-V and G-V plots of the device were also investigated. The series resistance (Rs), phase angle, the interface state density (Dit), the real impedance (Z') and imaginary impedance (Z'') were evaluated using admittance measurements. The C and G values increased, whereas (Z'') and Z decreased with increasing voltage at each temperature. An intersection point being independent of temperature in the G–V curves appeared at forward bias side (≈1.4 V), after this intersection point of the G–V plot, the G values decreased with increasing temperature at a given voltage. The intersection points in total (Z) versus V curves appeared at forward bias side (≈1.7 V). The Nyquist spectra was recorded for the MIS structure showing single semicircular arcs with different diameters depending on temperature.
The prevalence, clinical relevance and origin of autoantibodies in patients with Common variable immunodeficiency on regular immunoglobulin replacement therapy – the results from a prospective observational study
Authors: Milota Tomas , Karel Kotaska , Petr Lastuvka , Jitka Smetanova , Marketa Bloomfield , Radana Zachova , Iveta Klojdova , Rudolf Horvath , Anna Sediva
Published: March 2021

Background: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is an inborn error of immunity characterized by disturbed immunoglobulin production. Despite of the terrain with severe antibody deficiency, autoantibody-mediated autoimmune phenomena belong to the most frequent autoimmune manifestation. However, many unresolved issues such as prevalence, clinical relevance and origin of autoantibodies detected in CVID patients receiving immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IRT) make the diagnostics of autoimmune complications difficult.Methods: A prospective observational study evaluating the spectrum of 23 different autoantibodies in 38 CVID patients receiving IRT, and in the immunoglobulin solutions used for IRT. Results: The study reveals a high prevalence of anti-GAD (55.3%) and anti-TPO (68.4%) autoantibodes in the cohort of 38 CVID patients on regular IRT. However, the titers of anti-GAD (3.22 vs. 22 kU/L, p≤0.0001) and anti-TPO (109.7 vs. 713 kU/L, p≤0.0001) were significantly lower compared to the newly diagnosed T1D and AIT patients. Moreover, none of the CVID patients with detectable antibodies manifested with T1D and only three patients became suspected of having AIT. A high quantity of anti-GAD (3.24-24.48 kU/L) and anti-TPO (123.6-156.55 kU/L) autoantibodies was found in immunoglobulin solutions for IRT. Conclusions: The study finds a very high prevalence of anti-GAD and anti-TPO autoantibodies in CVID patients receiving regular IRT. Nevertheless, the presence of anti-GAD and anti-TPO is not associated with the manifestation of the respective autoimmune disease. As the high titers of both anti-GAD and anti-TPO were also found in the therapeutics used for IRT, we suggest that the therapeutic immunoglobulins are the source of this false positivity.
Electro-physical properties of jute fabrics in a condition of high humidity - Effect of fabric chemical composition and coating with Cu-based nanoparticles
Authors: Ivanovska Aleksandra Mirce , Maletić Slavica , Djokić Veljko , Tadić Nenad , Kostić Mirjana
Published: March 2021

The electro-physical properties of raw and chemically modified jute fabrics were studied as complex phenomena of the interaction between the fabrics’ chemical composition, crystallinity, moisture sorption, COOH group content, structural characteristics, and frequency of the electric field. At 80% relative air humidity, all chemically modified jute fabrics have 38–179% and 1.7–5.4 times higher dielectric loss tangent and effective relative dielectric permeability compared to unmodified, respectively. To further improve these properties, fabrics were treated with CuSO4 and Cu-based nanoparticles were in situ synthesized on their surface by reduction. A few single Cu-based nanoparticles were observed across the alkali modified fabric’s surface, while single and agglomerated nanoparticles were distributed over the oxidatively modified fabric’s surface. No matter whether metallic Cu or copper oxide (Cu2O or CuO) nanostructures (or their mixtures) are synthesized (proven by XRD), excellent fabrics’ effective relative dielectric permeability is guaranteed. In other words, during the exploitation in specific conditions contributing to copper reduction, the jute fabrics will be able to store 21–163 times more energy from an external electric field than before the exploitation, which further extended their lifetime. On the other hand, with increasing the total content of Cu after the reduction and formation of single and agglomerated Cu-based nanoparticles, the movement of jute structural components’ molecules becomes difficult resulting in lower energy dissipation within the chemically modified than within unmodified fabric. Applied chemical modification and coating with Cu-based nanoparticles enables designing fabrics with predictable electro-physical properties, which is very important from the application point of view.
Chlamy-EnPhosSite: A deep learning-based approach for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii-specific phosphorylation site prediction
Authors: Thapa Niraj , Chaudhari Meenal , Iannetta Anthony A. , White Clarence , Roy Kaushik , Newman Robert , Hicks Leslie M. , KC Dukka
Published: March 2021

Protein phosphorylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications (PTMs) and involved in myriad cellular processes. Although many non-organism-specific computational phosphorylation site prediction tools and a few tools for organism-specific phosphorylation site prediction exist, none are currently available for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Herein, we present a novel deep learning (DL) based approach for organism-specific protein phosphorylation site prediction in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a model algal phototroph. Our novel approach called Chlamy-EnPhosSite (based on ensemble approach combining convolutional neural networks (CNN) and long short-term memory LSTM) produces AUC and MCC of 0.90 and 0.64 respectively for a combined dataset of serine (S) and threonine (T) in independent testing. When applied to the entire C. reinhardtii proteome (totaling 1,809,304 S and T sites), Chlamy-EnPhosSite yielded 499,411 phosphorylated sites with a cut-off value of 0.5 and 237,949 phosphorylated sites with a cut-off value of 0.7. These predictions were compared to an experimental dataset of phosphosites identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in a blinded study and approximately 90% of 2,663 C. reinhardtii S and T phosphorylation sites were successfully predicted by Chlamy-EnPhosSite at a probability cut-off of 0.5 and 77% of sites were successfully identified at a more stringent 0.7 cut-off. Interestingly, Chlamy-EnPhosSite also successfully predicted experimentally confirmed phosphorylation sites in a protein sequence (e.g., RPS6 S245) which did not appear in the training dataset, highlighting prediction accuracy and the power of leveraging predictions to identify biologically relevant PTM sites. These results demonstrate that our method represents a robust and complementary technique for high-throughput phosphorylation site prediction in C. reinhardtii. It has potential to serve as a useful tool to the community. Chlamy-EnPhosSite will contribute to the understanding of how protein phosphorylation influences various biological processes in this important model microalga.
Simulation Study and Comparative Evaluation of Viral Contiguous Sequence Identification Tools
Authors: Glickman Cody , Hendrix Jo , Strong Michael
Published: March 2021

Background:Viruses, including bacteriophage, are important components of environmental and human associated microbial communities. Viruses can act as extracellular reservoirs of bacterial genes, can mediate microbiome dynamics, and can influence the virulence of clinical pathogens. It is essential, therefore, to have robust sequence analysis methods in place to detect and annotate viral elements within microbial communities. Various targeted metagenomic analysis techniques detect viral sequences, but these methods often exclude large and genome integrated viruses. In this study, we evaluate and compare the ability of nine state-of-the-art bioinformatic tools, including Vibrant, VirSorter, VirSorter2, VirFinder, DeepVirFinder, MetaPhinder, JGI Earth Virome Pipeline, Kraken 2, and VirBrant, to identify viral contiguous sequences (contigs) across simulated metagenomes with different read distributions, taxonomic compositions, and complexities.Results:Of the tools tested in this study, VirSorter achieved the best F1 score while Vibrant had the highest average F1 score at predicting integrated prophages. Though less balanced in its precision and recall, Kraken2 had the highest average precision by a substantial margin. We introduced the machine learning tool, VirBrant, which demonstrated an improvement in average F1 score over tools such as MetaPhinder. The tool utilizes machine learning with both protein compositional and nucleotide features. The addition of nucleotide features improves the precision and recall compared to the protein compositional features alone. Viral identification by all tools was not impacted by underlying read distribution but did improve with contig length. Tool performance was inversely related to taxonomic complexity and varied by the phage host. Rhizobium and Enterococcus phage were identified consistently by the tools; whereas, Neisseria phage were commonly missed in this study.Conclusion:This study benchmarked the performance of nine state-of-the-art bioinformatic tools to identify viral contigs across different simulation conditions. This study explored the ability of the tools to identify integrated prophage elements traditionally excluded from targeted sequencing approaches. Our comprehensive analysis of viral identification tools to assess their performance in a variety of situations provides valuable insights to viral researchers looking to mine viral elements from publicly available metagenomic data.
SARS-CoV-2 And Other Human Coronavirus Show Genome Patterns Previously Associated to Reduced Viral Recognition and Altered Immune Response
Authors: Franzo Giovanni
Published: March 2021

A new pandemic caused by the betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2 originated in China in late 2019. Although often asymptomatic, a relevant percentage of affected people can develop severe pneumonia. Initial evidence suggests that dysregulation of the immune response could contribute to the pathogenesis, as previously demonstrated for SARS-CoV. The presence of genome composition features involved in delaying viral recognition is herein investigated for human coronaviruses (HCoVs), with a special emphasis on SARS-CoV-2. A broad collection of HCoVs polyprotein, envelope, matrix, nucleocapsid and spike coding sequences was downloaded and several statistics representative of genome composition and codon bias were investigated. A model able to evaluate and test the presence of a significant under- or over-representation of dinucleotide pairs while accounting for the underlying codon bias and protein sequence was also implemented. The study revealed the significant under-representation of CpG dinucleotide pair in all HcoV, but especially in SARS-CoV and even more in SARS-CoV-2. The presence of forces acting to minimize CpG content was confirmed by relative synonymous codon usage pattern. Codons containing the CpG pair were severely under-represented, primarily in the polyprotein and spike coding sequences of SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, a significant under-representation of the TpA pair was observed in the N and S region of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Increasing experimental evidence has proven that CpG and TpA are targeted by innate antiviral host defences, contributing both to RNA degradation and RIG-1 mediated interferon production. The low content of these dinucleotides could contribute to a delayed interferon production, dysregulated immune response, higher viral replication and poor outcome. Significantly, the RIG-1 signalling pathway was proven to be defective in elderlies, suggesting a likely interaction between limited viral recognition and lower responsiveness in interferon production that could justify the higher disease severity and mortality in older patients.
Design of CPW-fed Star-Shaped Monopole Antenna for UWB Applications using Transmission Line Model
Authors: MAITY BUDHADEB , NAYAK SISIR KUMAR
Published: March 2021

This article presents a structure of coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed star-shaped monopole antenna (SSMA) with a pair of quarter-circular-slit (QCS) and partly-hexagonal-ring-slit (PHRS) defected ground structure. By inserting a pair of QCS and PHRS on the rectangular ground plane, an excellent impedance bandwidth is achieved i.e., 139 % (from 2.2--12.21 GHz). The dimension of the SSMA is about 0.286λ l ×0.216λ l mm 2 , where λ l is the wavelength in free space at the lowest operating frequency i.e, 2.2 GHz. The transmission line model (TLM) of the SSMA is presented and it shows the antenna behavior based on the effect of each element. It is observed that the characteristics of the TLM model are close to the simulation result using the CST simulator. From the results, it is observed that the proposed ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna close to omnidirectional radiation patterns and suitable for UWB Applications.
Compliance-Based Estimation of Seismic Collapse Risk of an Existing Reinforced Concrete Frame Building
Authors: Tsiavos Anastasios , Amrein Pascal , Bender Nathan , Stojadinovic Bozidar
Published: March 2021

The seismic evaluation of existing structures is based on the determination of the damage likely to occur during the lifetime of these structures due to earthquake ground motion excitation. However, there is not a consensus about the acceptable level of seismic damage, the expected lifetime of these structures, and the seismic hazard level(s) to evaluate the structures at. This paper presents a methodology for the parametric determination of the seismic collapse risk of an existing Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame building based on its seismic code compliance, quantified by a dimensionless metric. This metric, defined as compliance factor, compares the seismic capacity of an existing structure with the seismic demand for a new structure at a predetermined hazard level. The inelastic seismic behavior of four models of the RC frame building of varying compliance was analytically investigated in this study to demonstrate the implementation of the novel methodology. The four models of the RC building were chosen to represent existing RC frame structures, designed and constructed before the introduction of the modern seismic code provisions. These four building models were excited by a group of earthquake ground motion excitations using Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA). The collapse probability of the four models of the RC building representing varying values of seismic code compliance was determined for two different locations corresponding to regions of moderate and high seismic hazard, thus laying the basis for the compliance-based estimation of the seismic collapse risk of existing structures.
Performance Evaluation, Comparison and Identification of Efficient Hypercube Interconnection Networks
Authors: K Karthik , Jena Sudarson , T Venu Gopal
Published: March 2021

A Multiprocessor is a system with at least two processing units sharing access to memory. The principle goal of utilizing a multiprocessor is to process the undertakings all the while and support the system’s performance. An Interconnection Network interfaces the various handling units and enormously impacts the exhibition of the whole framework. Interconnection Networks, also known as Multi-stage Interconnection Networks, are node-to-node links in which each node may be a single processor or a group of processors. These links transfer information from one processor to the next or from the processor to the memory, allowing the task to be isolated and measured equally. Hypercube systems are a kind of system geography used to interconnect various processors with memory modules and precisely course the information. Hypercube systems comprise of 2n nodes. Any Hypercube can be thought of as a graph with nodes and edges, where a node represents a processing unit and an edge represents a connection between the processors to transmit. Degree, Speed, Node coverage, Connectivity, Diameter, Reliability, Packet loss, Network cost, and so on are some of the different system scales that can be used to measure the performance of Interconnection Networks. A portion of the variations of Hypercube Interconnection Networks include Hypercube Network, Folded Hypercube Network, Multiple Reduced Hypercube Network, Multiply Twisted Cube, Recursive Circulant, Exchanged Crossed Cube Network, Half Hypercube Network, and so forth. This work assesses the performing capability of different variations of Hypercube Interconnection Networks. A group of properties is recognized and a weight metric is structured utilizing the distinguished properties to assess the performance exhibition. Utilizing this weight metric, the performance of considered variations of Hypercube Interconnection Networks is evaluated and summed up to recognize the effective variant. A compact survey of a portion of the variations of Hypercube systems, geographies, execution measurements, and assessment of the presentation are examined in this paper. Degree and Diameter are considered to ascertain the Network cost. On the off chance that Network Cost is considered as the measurement to assess the exhibition, Multiple Reduced Hypercube stands ideal with its lower cost. Notwithstanding it, on the off chance that we think about some other properties/ scales/metrics to assess the performance, any variant other than MRH may show considerably more ideal execution. The considered properties probably won't be ideally adequate to assess the effective performance of Hypercube variations in all respects. On the off chance that a sensibly decent number of properties are utilized to assess the presentation, a proficient variation of Hypercube Interconnection Network can be distinguished for a wide scope of uses. This is the inspiration to do this research work.