bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
There are unique kinematics during locomotor transitions between level ground and stair ambulation that persist with increasing stair grade
Authors: Neuman Ross M. , Fey Nicholas P.
Published: September 2022

Human ambulation is typically characterized during steady-state isolated tasks (e.g., walking, running, stair ambulation). However, general human locomotion comprises continuous adaptation to the varied terrains encountered during activities of daily life. To fill an important gap in knowledge that may lead to improved therapeutic and device interventions for mobility-impaired individuals, it is vital to identify how the mechanics of individuals change as they transition between different ambulatory tasks, and as they encounter terrains of differing severity. In this work, we study lower-limb joint kinematics during the transitions between level walking and stair ascent and descent over a range of stair inclination angles. Using statistical parametric mapping, we identify where and when the kinematics of transitions are unique from the adjacent steady-state tasks. Results show unique transition kinematics primarily in the swing phase, which are sensitive to stair inclination. We also train Gaussian process regression models for each joint to predict joint angles given the gait phase, stair inclination, and ambulation context (transition type, ascent/descent), demonstrating a mathematical modeling approach that successfully incorporates terrain transitions and severity. The results of this work further our understanding of transitory human biomechanics and motivate the incorporation of transition-specific control models into mobility-assistive technology.
Exploring the intersectionality of race/ethnicity with rurality on breast cancer outcomes: SEER analysis, 2000 – 2016
Authors: Moore Justin Xavier , Andrzejak Sydney Elizabeth , Jones Samantha , Han Yunan
Published: September 2022

PURPOSE Disparities in breast cancer survival have been observed within marginalized racial/ethnic groups and within the rural-urban continuum for decades. We examined whether there were differences among the intersectionality of race/ethnicity and rural residence on breast cancer outcomes. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis among 739,448 breast cancer women using Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) 18 registries years 2000 through 2016. We conducted multilevel logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and hazard ratios (AHRs), respectively, for breast cancer outcomes including surgical treatment, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, late-stage disease, and risk of breast cancer death. Rural was defined as 2013 Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) of 4 or greater. RESULTS Compared with non-Hispanic white (NH-white) women, NH-black–urban (U), NH-black–rural (R), Hispanic–U, and Hispanic–R women, respectively, were at increased odds of no receipt of surgical treatment (NH-black–U, AOR = 1.98; NH-black–R, AOR = 1.72, Hispanic–U, AOR = 1.58; and Hispanic–R, AOR = 1.40; p values < 0.05), late-stage diagnosis (NH-black–U, AOR = 1.32; NH-black–R, AOR = 1.29; Hispanic–U, AOR = 1.25; and Hispanic–R, AOR = 1.17; p values < 0.05), and increased risks for breast cancer death (NH-black–U, AHR = 1.67; NH-black–R, AHR = 1.60; and Hispanic–U, AHR = 1.22; p values < 0.05). CONCLUSION Regardless of rurality, NH-black and Hispanic women had significantly increased odds of late-stage diagnosis, no receipt of treatment, and risk of breast cancer death.
Maintaining the long term stability of anaerobic digestion of maize straw in a continuous plug flow reactor by verifying the key role of trace elements
Authors: Ren Lijuan , Hou Zhen , Gao YanNing , Fu XianLi , Yu DunYao , Lin Min , Dong Renjie , Qiao Wei
Published: September 2022

A mesophilic anaerobic digestion bioreactor fed on maize straw was investigated in a plug flow reactor for 150 days. The process performance was evaluated through the stable, unstable, and recovery phases. Results showed that the system maintained stable performance within approximately two months but the following trace elements; Fe, Co, and Ni gradually declined and the volatile fatty acids accumulated to 8.07 g/L by the 120th day of operation. Pig manure containing higher trace elements, therefore, was mixed with maize straw at a ratio of 1:4 on a dry matter basis before feeding. The reactor recovery was observed with a significant downtrend of volatile fatty acids and an uptrend in biogas production. Upon recovery of the reactor and stable operation condition, a methane yield of 0.21 L/g-VSadded was obtained. Methane content stabilized at 54%. The quantitative utilization of the three elements on a unit mass of COD degraded was determined. Maintaining long-term stability was still a challenge without determining the minimum additional pig manure required. Conclusively, the co-digestion of trace elements-rich substrate or the addition of the trace elements into the substrate is required for the anaerobic digestion of straw.
BRD7 inhibits enhancer activity and expression of BIRC2 to suppress tumor growth and metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Zhou Ming , Li Mengna , Wei Yanmei , Liu Yukun , Wei Jianxia , Zhou Xiangting , Duan Yumei , Chen Shipeng , Xue Changning , Zhan Yuting , Zheng Lemei , Deng Hongyu , Tang Faqing , Fan Songqing , Xiong Wei , Li Guiyuan , Tan Ming
Published: September 2022

BRD7 functions as a crucial tumor suppressor in numerous malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, its function and exact mechanisms involved in tumor progression are not well understood. Here, we found that the B7BS is a potential enhancer region of BIRC2, and BRD7 negatively regulates the transcriptional activity and expression of BIRC2 by targeting the activation of the BIRC2 enhancer. Moreover, BIRC2 promotes cell proliferation, migration, invasion as well as xenograft tumor growth and metastasis in vivo, thus functioning as an oncogene in NPC. Furthermore, the recovery of BIRC2 expression can rescue the inhibitory effect of BRD7 on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and xenograft tumor growth and metastasis. In addition, BIRC2 is high-expressed in NPC biopsy tissues, and is positively correlated with TNM stage and negatively correlated with the expression of BRD7. Therefore, these results suggest that BRD7 suppresses tumor growth and metastasis thus functioning as a tumor suppressor at least partially via negatively regulating the enhancer activity and expression of BIRC2, and targeting the BRD7/BIRC2 regulation axis is a potential strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Motor difficulties during the first year of school among children who attended outdoor or conventional kindergartens
Authors: Specht Ina Olmer , Larsen Sofus C , Rohde Jeanett Friis , Østergaard Jane Nautrup , Heitmann Berit Lilienthal
Published: September 2022

Purpose
Kindergartens can potentially contribute substantially to the daily level of physical activity and development of motor skills and might be an ideal setting for improving these as a public health initiative. We aimed to examine whether children from outdoor kindergartens had a lower risk of motor difficulties than children from conventional kindergartens.
Methods
Motor test results were measured by school health nurses during the first school year. Register-based information was available on potential confounding factors.
Results
We included 901 children from outdoor kindergartens and 993 from conventional kindergartens. In the adjusted models we found no evidence of a differences in the risk of motor difficulties between children attending either type of kindergarten.
Conclusion
Although nature environments have been shown to promote motor skills as compared to indoor environments, we found no differences in the risk of motor difficulties among children from outdoor and conventional kindergartens.
A Proof of Concept for a Deep Learning System that Can Aid Embryologists in Predicting Blastocyst Survival After Thaw
Authors: Marsh Philip , Radif Dahlia , Rajpurkar Pranav , Wang Zihan , Hariton Eduardo , Ribeiro Salustiano , Simbulan Rhodel , Kaing Amy , Lin Wingka , Rajah Anthony , Rabara Fleurdeliza , Lungren Matthew , Demirci Utkan , Ng Andrew , Rosen Mitchell
Published: September 2022

The ability to understand whether embryos survive the thaw process is crucial to transferring competent embryos that can lead to pregnancy. The objective of this study was to develop a deep learning model capable of assisting embryologist assessment of survival of thawed blastocysts prior to embryo transfer. A deep learning model was developed using 652 labeled time-lapse videos of freeze-thaw blastocysts. The model was evaluated against and along embryologists on a test set of 99 freeze-thaw blastocysts, using images obtained at 0.5h increments from 0–3 hours post-thaw. The model achieved AUCs of 0.869 (95% CI: 0.789,0.934) and 0.807 (95% CI: 0.717,0.886) and the embryologists achieved average AUCs of 0.829 (95% CI: 0.747,0.896) and 0.850 (95% CI: 0.773,0.908) at 2h and 3h, respectively. Combining embryologist predictions with model predictions resulted in a significant increase in AUC of 0.051 (95% CI: 0.021,0.083) at 2h, and an equivalent increase in AUC of 0.010 (95% CI: -0.018,0.037) at 3h. This study suggests that a deep learning model can predict in vitro blastocyst survival after thaw. After correlation with clinical outcomes of transferred embryos, this model may help embryologists ascertain which embryos may have failed to survive the thaw process and increase the likelihood of pregnancy by preventing the transfer of non-viable embryos.
Low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields exposure alleviate the abnormal subchondral bone remodeling at the early stage of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis
Authors: Ma Yuanjun , Chen Xiaohua , He Feng , Li Shi , He Rui , Liu Qian , Dong Qingshan , Zhou Shuncheng , Miao Hui , Lu Qian , Li Feifei , Yang Hongxu , Zhang Mian , Lin Yuan , Yu Shibin
Published: September 2022

Background Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is characterized by abnormal subchondral bone remodeling and cartilage degeneration. As a non-invasive biophysical technology, pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) treatment has been proven to be efficient in promoting osteogenesis. However, the potential bone protective effect and mechanism of PEMF on abnormal subchondral bone remodeling in TMJOA are unknown. Methods Unilateral anterior crossbite (UAC) was used to create TMJOA model in rats, and 17β-estradiol (E2) were injected daily to mimic patients with high-physiological levels of estrogen. Mouse osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells treated with recombinant murine IL-1β was used to establish inflammatory environmentin vitro. The treatment group were subjected to PEMF (2.0mT, 15 Hz, 2h/d). Micro-CT scanning, histological staining, real-time PCR and western blotting assays were preformed to observe the changes in the subchondral bone. Results Abnormal resorption of subchondral bone induced by UAC, characterized by decreased bone mineral density, increased osteoclast activity and expression of osteoclast-related factors (RANKL) and down-regulated expression of osteogenesis-related factors (OPG, ALP, Runx2 and OCN) at the early stage, could be reversed by PEMF exposure, which was similar to the effect of estrogen. In addition, PEMF exposure and E2supplement may have a synergistic effect to some extent. Moreover, PEMF exposure could promote the ALP activity and osteogenic mineralization ability of MC3T3-E1 cells. PEMF promoted the expression of factors related to Wnt/β-Catenin signal pathway bothin vivoandin vitro. Conclusions Appropriate PEMF exposure have a protective effect on subchondral bone in TMJOA at early stage, in which canonical Wnt/β-Catenin pathway may be involved. PEMF may be a promising biophysical approach for early intervention of TMJOA in clinic.
Automatic quantitative measurement of left atrial pressure using mitral regurgitation spectrum：Clinical study on comparison with floating cathete
Authors: Jin Yan , Wen Chao-yang , Yue Fengjie , Wang Huishan , Yin Liancheng , Mao Keming , Xin Fangran
Published: September 2022

To explore how to measure LAPEp accurately and quantitatively, that is, the left atrial pressure (LAP) measured and calculated by equation method using mitral regurgitation spectrum. Methods The mitral regurgitation spectrum, pulmonary arteriolar wedge pressure (PAWP) and invasive arterial systolic pressure of radial artery of 28 patients were collected simultaneously, including 3 patients with rheumatic heart disease, 15 patients with mitral valve prolapse and 10 patients with coronary artery bypass grafting, patients with moderate or above aortic stenosis were excluded. LAPBp(Doppler sphygmomanometer method), LAPEq (Equation method) and LAPC (Catheter method) were measured synchronously, and the measurement results of the three methods were compared and analyzed. We designed a special intelligent Doppler spectrum analysis software to accurately measure LAPEq. Results Found that there was no significant statistical difference between the measurement results of LAPC and LAPEq (t = 0.954, P = 0.348),and significant correlation between the two methods [r = 0.908(0.844,0.964), P < 0.001]. Although the measurement results of LAPC and LAPBP are consistent in some patients, there are significant differences in the overall case and weak correlation between the two methods [r = 0.210, (−0.101, 0.510), P = 0.090]. In MVP patients with P1 or P3 prolapse, the peak pressure difference of MR was underestimated due to the serious eccentricity of MR, which affected the accuracy of LAPBP measurement. This study had been approved by the ethics committee of the northern theater general hospital ( K-2019-17), applied prospectively for clinical trial (No. Chictr 190023812) and invention patent application (No. 202210711862.X). Conclusions This study shows that there is a good correlation between LAPEq and LAPC, which verifies that the noninvasive and direct quantitative measurement of left atrial pressure based on mitral regurgitation spectrum is feasible and has a good application prospect.
Estimator-Based Adaptive Consensus Asymptotic Tracking Control for Constrained Nonlinear MASs Under DoS Attacks and Actuator Faults
Authors: Jiang Yuqiang , Niu Ben , Wang Li , Wang Xinjun , Wang Xiaomei
Published: September 2022

When the denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and the actuator faults exist simultaneously, this paper considers the problem of estimator-based adaptive consensus asymptotic tracking control for a class of constrained nonlinear multi-agent systems (MASs) with the state constraints. In light of the fact that the consensus tracking performance of the researched nonlinear MASs will be seriously impaired by the DoS attacks and actuator faults, a novel secure consensus asymptotic tracking control algorithm is developed. Due to only the output information of each agent can be obtained, the design difficulty of the security control algorithm is greatly increased. Following that, an estimator that approximates the unknown nonlinearities and observes the immeasurable system states is constructed for each agent. Furthermore, the barrier Lyapunov functions (BLFs) are introduced to solve the state constraint requirements of each agent, meanwhile the dynamic surface control (DSC) technology is used to overcome the difficulty of ``explosion of complexity'' in the backstepping process. The proposed event-triggered anti-attack controller guarantees that all closed-loop signals remain bounded, and the consensus tracking errors asymptotically converge to zero. At last, the proposed control algorithm is applied to a forced damped pendulums (FDPs) to verify the correctness of the theoretical result.
Contraceptive use: Does data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey indicate a shift from awareness to actual practice among sexually active childbearing women in South-south Nigeria?
Authors: Ukoji Vitalis U. , Anele Princewill O. , Imo Chukwuechefulam K.
Published: September 2022

Background
Nigeria has one of the highest fertility rates in the world, which is problematic for public health and a major obstacle to socioeconomic growth. Nigeria’s high fertility rate is caused in part because of low contraceptive use among sexually active childbearing women. However, the Nigerian government and other development partners are working to reduce fertility by increasing the use of contraceptives. Consequently, this research looked at sexually active childbearing women’s knowledge of and actual use of contraception in South-south Nigeria.
Methods
The study utilised cross-sectional data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Being the sixth in the series conducted in the country, the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey is a nationally representative survey of women of childbearing ages 15–49 years and men aged 15–59 years. One of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, the South-south, provided data on 4553 sexually active childbearing women, which were retrieved and analysed using descriptive and Chi-square statistics at P ≤ 0.05.
Results
Eighty-two percent of respondents knew about at least one form of contraception, and 63% and 32% agreed that using contraception prevents undesired pregnancies and spacing children, respectively. Regardless of the widespread awareness of contraceptives, approximately 82% of respondents reported they never use any form of contraception. In comparison to 4.2% who reported utilising traditional methods, 14.06% reported using modern methods. Compared to Bayelsa State (3.8%), Rivers State had the highest prevalence for ever using contraceptives (39.5%). The standard-days technique was shown to be the least frequent method of contraception, with the male condom being the most common at 36.4%. Significant influences on the usage of contraceptives included age (P = 0.00), education (P = 0.00), work status (P = 0.00), wealth index (P = 0.00), religion (P = 0.00), knowledge of contraceptive options (P = 0.00), and the desire to have more children (P = 0.00).
Conclusions
Among sexually active childbearing women in Nigeria’s South-south geopolitical zone, the high awareness of contraception has not translated into actual practice. To improve on Nigeria’s low contraceptive prevalence rate and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for maternal health, some issues that lie between contraceptive awareness and actual adoption must be unravelled and addressed head-on.
Fast Bayesian Optimization of Needle-in-a-Haystack Problems using Zooming Memory-Based Initialization
Authors: Siemenn Alexander , Ren Zekun , Li Qianxiao , Buonassisi Tonio
Published: September 2022

Needle-in-a-Haystack problems exist across a wide range of applications including rare disease prediction, ecological resource management, fraud detection, and material property optimization. A Needle-in-a-Haystack problem arises when there is an extreme imbalance of optimum conditions relative to the size of the dataset. For example, only 0.82% out of 146k total materials in the open-access Materials Project database have a negative Poisson's ratio. However, current state-of-the-art optimization algorithms are not designed with the capabilities to find solutions to these challenging multidimensional Needle-in-a-Haystack problems, resulting in slow convergence to a global optimum or pigeonholing into a local minimum. In this paper, we present a Zooming Memory-Based Initialization algorithm, entitled ZoMBI, that builds on conventional Bayesian optimization principles to quickly and efficiently optimize Needle-in-a-Haystack problems in both less time and fewer experiments by addressing the common convergence and pigeonholing issues. ZoMBI actively extracts knowledge from the previously best-performing evaluated experiments to iteratively zoom in the sampling search bounds towards the global optimum "needle" and then prunes the memory of low-performing historical experiments to accelerate compute times by reducing the algorithm time complexity from O(n3) to O(1), as the number of experiments sampled increases. Additionally, ZoMBI implements two custom acquisition functions that use active learning to further guide the sampling of new experiments towards the global optimum. We validate the algorithm's performance on two real-world 5-dimensional Needle-in-a-Haystack material property optimization datasets: discovery of auxetic Poisson's ratio materials and discovery of high thermoelectric figure of merit materials. The ZoMBI algorithm demonstrates compute time speed-ups of 400x compared to traditional Bayesian optimization as well as efficiently discovering materials in under 100 experiments that are up to 3x more highly optimized than those discovered by current state-of-the-art algorithms.
Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Neospora caninum in cattle in the Khomas region of Namibia
Authors: Samkange Alaster , Chitanga Simbarashe , Tjipura-Zaire Georgina , Mutjavikua Vimanuka Gibs , Smith Jan Wilhelm , Neves Luis , Matjila Tshepo
Published: September 2022

Neospora caninumis a coccidian parasite which occurs worldwide and is one of the most important causes of abortion, especially in cattle. However, no studies have been done in Namibia to determine theN. caninumstatus in livestock. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the seroprevalence level ofN. caninumin cattle and the associated risk factors in the Khomas region of Namibia. Seven hundred thirty-six (736) serum samples were collected from female cattle in 32 farming establishments. These comprised 698 beef and 38 dairy cattle sera and were tested using a commercial IDEXXNeosporaX2® ELISA kit. Questionnaires were concurrently administered to determine possible risk factors associated withN. caninumseropositivity. A total of 42 sera were positive (all beef), giving an animal-level seroprevalence rate of 5.7%. Eight of the 32 establishments had at least one positive animal, giving a herd-level seroprevalence of 25%. There was no significant association between seropositivity and the presence of dogs, jackals, history of abortions, farm size, number of cattle or average annual rainfall. The establishments with moderate to high numbers of Feliformia were 9.8 times more likely to be seropositive toN. caninumthan those with none to low levels of the former (p = 0.0245). The authors concluded that the seroprevalence level ofN. caninumin the Khomas region was relatively low compared to other parts of the world and that the role of Feliformia in the epidemiology of bovine neosporosis needed to be further investigated.
Structural and Heat Treatment Analysis of 316l Elaborated by SLM Additive Manufacturing Process
Authors: Fri K. , Laazizi Abdellah , Bensada Mouad , Alami Mohammed El , Ouannou Abdelmalek , Akhrif Iatimad , Jai Mostapha El , FAJOUI Jamal
Published: September 2022

Metal additive manufacturing is an emerging advanced technology, it differs from conventional manufacturing methods as machining, casting and forging, which are either subtractive or forming. Firstly, the objective of this work is to elaborate a new 316L stainless steel material by Selective Laser Melting (SLM) from metallic powder according to specific operating parameters namely laser scanning speed and power. Secondly, the characterization of this developed material by 3D printing is carried out. For this purpose, metallographic observations and heat treatments at different temperatures 650, 800 and 1050°C were performed. Thus, the contribution of this study is to develop procedure and tools to enhance their mechanical properties at the level of parts obtained by conventional processes. Therefore, samples were examined by X-RF, SEM, EDS mapping, density, and hardness measurements as well. Results show that mechanical properties of additive manufactured samples can be improved in certain conditions linked to operating parameters and heat treatment. Also, this work has allowed us to confirm the resistance of the 316L stainless steel developed by SLM to high temperatures.
Depletion of BTAF1 inhibits Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition via the TGF-β Signal pathway in the osteosarcoma
Authors: Xia Tao , Yang Yuanqing , Ying Zhengran , Wang Zhizhou , Zhang Hailong
Published: September 2022

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most malignant tumors of bone with a poor outcome in children and young adolescents and has a poor response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.At present, it is urgent to find effective biomarkers to prevent and treat osteosarcoma.The BTAF1 (formerly known as TAFII170/TAF-172 and the human ortholog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mot1p),are evolutionarily conserved members of the SNF2-like family of ATPase proteins, and it has never been studied in OS.In this study, we first revealed BTAF1 is significantly upregulated in OS, and its expression level is highly correlated with clinicopathological parameters of OS patients. Our Survival curve analysis demonstrated that BTAF1 is a candidate predictor for predicting patient prognosis.Functional experiment results showed BTAF1 promotes the proliferation of OS cells in vitro.Silencing of BTAF1 reduces the colony-forming ability of U2OS cells in vitro and reduces tumor growth in vivo. Mechanism studies have shown that inhibition of BTAF1 reduces the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through the TGF-β signaling pathway to inhibit OS progression.In summary, BTAF1 plays a regulatory role in the progression of OS,and it may be a new OS diagnostic marker and prognostic factor, providing new ideas for the treatment of OS.
Outcomes of endoscopic papillary large balloon dilatation combined with sphincterotomy for removing large common bile duct stones and risk factors for stone recurrence
Authors: Yu Sanyang , Fan Yan , Dong Shouquan , Zhao Qiu , Wang Hongling
Published: September 2022

Background To evaluate the outcomes of endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) combined with endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation (EPLBD) for removing stones from large common bile duct (CBD) and identify the risk factors for stone recurrence. Methods After reviewing 69 patients with large CBD stones, 44 were included in the group treated with EST combined with EPLBD (ESLBD) and 25 patients were in included in the EPLBD group. The clinical data of both groups, including success rates of removing large CBD stones, complications, hospital stay and total costs of hospitalization were compared. In addition, the risk factors for stone recurrence were explored. Results The ESLBD and EPLBD groups showed similar success rates of stone clearance (97.27% vs 96.00%). However, the use of lithotripsy and the incidence of post-endoscopy pancreatitis (PEP) were higher in the EPLBD group. The recovery time and total costs of hospitalization were also lower in the ESLBD group. No serious complications were identified in our study, such as hemorrhage, perforation and death; and no significant differences in infection, procedural time, hospital stay and procedural costs of groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that lithotripsy and maximum transverse diameter of the CBD stone were independent risk factors for stone recurrence. Conclusions ESLBD was superior to EPLBD alone for removing large CBD stones. In addition, the maximum transverse diameter of CBD stone and lithotripsy were independent risk factors for associated with stone recurrence.
Single-cell RNA-seq analysis uncovers hypoxia-induced changes in hematopoietic stem cells and fate decisions of progenitors
Authors: Wang Haijing , Cai Zhenyuan , Song Pengfei , Liu Daoxin , Jiang Feng , Xu Bo , Zhang Tongzuo
Published: September 2022

Hypoxia is a common phenomenon in about 5–10% of the world's population who maladapted to the high altitude environment. Hypoxia is associated with multiple pathophysiological processes, among which hematologic problems are the best-known. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear, especially in the early stage of hematopoiesis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) captures instantaneous transitions between different states of the cell population and can therefore be employed to enhance our understanding of cell fate choices in hematopoiesis. In this study, hematopoietic stem cells and their progeny were collected in homeostasis as the control group and after 13 days of exposure to hypoxia as the treatment group. scRNA-seq was employed to establish an atlas of hematopoietic stem progenitor cells and identify differences in the choice of cell fate. 4,909 and 3,482 cells were obtained in hypoxia and control groups, respectively. An atlas was established, and 14 cell types were identified. After hypoxic treatment, trajectory analysis found a bias toward erythroid and mononuclear lineages, and cell cycle genes are more likely to be involved in erythropoiesis. Cell communication in the niche was explored, and mesenchymal stem cells were found to be related to mononuclear differentiation and mobilization. In addition, stem cells were increased in the quiescent state. These findings highlight the influence of hematopoiesis in the bone marrow when the body overcomes hypoxia, and provide new clues on the molecular mechanism of maladaptation to high altitudes.
Fremanezumab Improved Migraine and Headache Attributed to Glioblastoma -Case Report-
Authors: Kawamura Shin , Katsuki Masahito , Kashiwagi Kenta , Koh Akihito
Published: September 2022

Fremanezumab, one of anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibodies, is widely used for migraine prophylaxis. However, its efficacy for headache attributed to glioblastoma has not been reported. We herein report a 66-year-old man who had right temporoparietal glioblastoma which recurred despite surgical and chemo-radiological treatment. He had migraine and headache attributed to glioblastoma, but fremanezumab improved them. Our case suggested that fremanezumab’s possible efficacy for not only migraine but also headache attributed to intracranial neoplasia.
A NIR Fluorescent Probe Benzopyrylium Perchlorate-based for Visual Sensing and Imaging of SO 2 Derivatives in Living Cells
Authors: Luo Xiao Ye , Xie Juan , Zhao Guang Lian , Li Gui Yong , Qu Hang Da , Yang Yu Zhu
Published: September 2022

Endogenous sulfur dioxide (SO2), as a gas signal molecule, has a certain physiological functions. Understanding the role of endogenous SO2 in human physiology and pathology is of great significance to the biological characteristics of SO2,which bring
challenges to develop fluorescent probes with excellent performance. Herein, we rationally designed and constructed a novel near-infrared bioprobe benzaldehyde-benzopyrylium (BBp) by employing the nucleophilic addition benzopyrylium perchlorate fluorophore and benzaldehyde moiety by means of C=C/C=O group that serves as both fluorescence reporting unit. Probe BBp exhibit excellent sensing performance with fluorescent “On−Off”rapid response (100 s ) and long-wavelength emission (670 nm). With the treatment of HSO3−, the color of BBp solution obviously varies from purple to colorless, and the fluorescent color varies from red to colorless. By the fluorescence and colorimetric changes, probe BBp was capable of sensitive determination HSO3-with low limits of detection (LOD) of 0.43 μM, realizing visual quantitative monitoring SO2 derivative levels. Due to the low phototoxicity and good biocompatibility, it was successfully applied to monitor SO2 derivatives and fluorescence imaging in HepG2 and HeLa living cells. Hopefully, this work supplies a new strategy for designing NIR fluorescent probes for quantitative determination SO2 derivatives in biological samples.
A Multicentre Study on the Prevalence of Respiratory Viruses in Children with Community Acquired Pneumonia Requiring Hospitalization in the Setting of the Zero-COVID Policy in China
Authors: Feng Ziheng , Xu Baoping , Zhong Lili , Chen Jing , Deng Jikui , Luo Zhengxiu , Cao Lingfeng , Tang Yu , Li Changchong , Jin Rong , Deng Li , Shang Yunxiao , Wu Ying , Zhao Hongwei , Feng Qianyu , Chen Xiangpeng , Xu Lili , Xie Zhengde
Published: September 2022

Stringent nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have been implemented worldwide to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and the circulation and seasonality of common respiratory viruses have subsequently changed. Multicentre studies and comparisons of the prevalence of respiratory viruses accounting for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in hospitalized children between the pre-COVID period and the period after community and school reopening in the setting of the zero-COVID policy are rare. In this study, we included 1543 children with CAP who required hospitalization from November 1st, 2020 to April 30th, 2021 (Period 1) and 629 children with the same conditions from November 1st, 2018 to April 30th, 2019 (Period 2) in our study. All respiratory samples from the included patients were screened for six respiratory viruses (respiratory syncytial virus [RSV], adenovirus [ADV], influenza A virus [Flu A], influenza B virus [Flu B], parainfluenza virus type 1 [PIV1], and parainfluenza virus type 3 [PIV3]) using a multiplex real-time PCR assay. The median ages of enrolled patients at the time of diagnosis were 1.5 years and 1.0 years for period 1 and period 2, respectively. In period 1, viral pathogens were detected in 50.3% (776/1543) of enrolled patients. The most frequently identified viral pathogen was RSV (35.9%, 554/1543), followed by PIV3 (9.6%, 148/1543), PIV1 (3.6%, 56/1543), ADV (3.4%, 52/1543), Flu A (1.0%, 16/1543) and Flu B (0.8%, 13/1543). The total detection rates of these six viruses in the peak season of CAP were at the pre-COVID level. The prevalence of Flu A decreased dramatically and circulation activity was low compared to pre-COVID levels, while the incidence of PIV3 increased significantly. There were no significant differences in the detection rates of RSV, ADV, Flu B and PIV1 between the two periods. Our results showed that respiratory viruses accounted for CAP in hospitalized children at pre-COVID levels as communities and schools reopened within the zero-COVID policy, although the prevalence aetiology spectrum varied.
One pot synthesis of two potent Ag(I) complexes with quinoxaline ligand: X- ray structure, Hirshfeld analysis, antimicrobial, and antitumor investigations
Authors: elnaggar mostafa ahmed , Sharaf Mona Mohammed , Albering Jörg H. , Abu-Youssef Morsy A. M. , Kassem Taher S. , Soliman Saied M. , Badr Ahmed M. A.
Published: September 2022

In one pot, the self-assembly of Ag(I) nitrate and 2-chloroquinoxaline (2Cl-quinox) in water-ethanol mixture afforded two novel crystalline Ag(I) complexes. The major product is the polymeric complex [Ag(2Cl-quinox)(NO3)]n; (1) while the minor product (2) comprised two complex molecules which are the monomeric [Ag(2Cl-quinox)2(NO3)]; (2a) and polymeric [Ag(2Cl-quinox)(NO3)]n; (2b) complexes. The single crystal X-ray structure revealed that 1 and 2b are made up of two-dimensional infinite sheets. In contrast, 2a is a monomeric complex which has a highly distorted tetrahedral geometry around Ag(I) center. In all cases, the 2Cl-quinox molecule acts as a terminal monodentate ligand. Using Hirshfeld surface analysis, it is found that the complex units 1 and 2b not only have very similar molecular structures but also have almost similar crystal packing. The O...H hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking interactions contributed significantly to the molecular packing. Both complexes have broad-spectrum action towards multi drug-resistance (MDR) bacteria. The most effective function of 2 is against Proteus morganii with a MIC value of 8 µg/mL. Complex 2 (IC50 = 5.93 ± 0.52 𝜇g/mL) has remarkably greater cytotoxic effect towards lung carcinoma (A-549) than cis-platin (IC50 = 7.5 ± 0.69 𝜇g/mL) and AgNO3 (IC50 = 14.7 ± 0.53 𝜇g/mL). The cytotoxicity of complex 2 towards lung (A-549) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines is greater than that of 1. This might be attributed to the higher content of silver in complex 2 than 1.
Correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and early left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in non-obese adults: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Cong Fangyuan , Zhu Luying , Deng Lihua , Xue Qian , Wang Jingtong
Published: September 2022

Background and aims
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and have adverse impacts on the cardiac structure and function. Little is known about the effect of non-obese NAFLD upon cardiac function and structure. We aimed to compare the echocardiographic parameters reflecting the structures and functions of left ventricle (LV) between non-obese NAFLD group and control group, and explore the correlation of non-obese NAFLD with early LV diastolic dysfunction.
Methods and results
In this cross-sectional study, 316 non-obese inpatients were enrolled, including 72 participants with NAFLD (non-obese NAFLD group) and 244 participants without NAFLD (control group). LV structural and functional indices of two groups were comparatively analyzed. Early LV diastolic dysfunction was defined as the ratio of the peak velocity of the early filling (E) wave to the atrial contraction (A) wave <1. Compared with control group, the non-obese NAFLD group had the lower E/A〔(0.80±0.22) vs (0.88±0.35), X2=2.528, p =0.012〕and the smaller LV end-diastolic diameter〔(4.51±0.42)cm vs (4.64±0.43)cm, X2=2.182, p=0.030〕. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that non-obese NAFLD was independently associated with an increased risk of early LV diastolic dysfunction〔OR=4.050，95%CI (1.452，11.296)，p=0.008〕.
Conclusions
Non-obese NAFLD was associated with an increased risk of early LV diastolic dysfunction, independent of well-identified cardiovascular risk factors.
Evaluation of urinary Binax Now for diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia in children
Authors: moustafa Sherif , Abdelhamid Nehal , Moustafa Nadia , Rifai Nihal El , Elkholy Amany , Kandil Manal
Published: September 2022

Purpose
Rapid diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia is challenging and current tools are limited by various factors. Comprehensive approach, which may increase accuracy of diagnosis and hence precise management is mandatory. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether the urinary antigin test (Binax NOW) can add information and improve diagnostic yields when combined to conventional methods (ie, blood cultures, sputum cultures, molecular techniques).
Methods
This cross sectional study included 60 infants and children with pneumonia recruited from the pediatrics emergency room, inpatient departments and pediatric ICU. Thirty matched healthy control were enrolled. Cases were evaluated for the severity of community acquired pneumonia by CAP Severity of illness in children and PRESS score. The urinary antigin test( Binax NOW) ,induced sputum culture, blood culture ,PCR,CBC, CRP are tested simultaneously.
Results
Binax NOW was found of significance when compared to severity indices, the CRP levels and PCR values of the studied children(p-value < 0.001). The BinaxNow has sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 100%.
Conclusion
The urinary Binax NOW antigen test is a useful adjunct for rapid diagnosis of pneumococcus pneumonia with the potential to impact patient care and improve antibiotic stewardship.
Proton therapy & oral mucositis in oral&oropharyngeal cancers: outcomes, dosimetric&NTCP benefit
Authors: Nangia Sapna , Gaikwad Utpal , MP Noufal , Sawant Mayur , Wakde Manoj , Mathew Ashwathy , Chilukuri Srinivas , Sharma Dayananda , Jalali Rakesh
Published: September 2022

Introduction – Radiation Induced oral mucositis (RIOM), is a common, debilitating, acute side effect of radiotherapy for oral cavity (OC) and oropharyngeal (OPx) cancers; technical innovations for reducing it are seldom discussed. Intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) has been reported extensively for treating OPx cancers,and less frequently for OC cancers. We aim to quantify the reduction in the likelihood of RIOM in treating these 2 subsites with IMPT compared to Helical Tomotherapy.
Material and methods – We report with acute toxicities and early outcomes of 22 consecutive patients of OC and OPx cancers treated with IMPT, and compare dosimetry and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) of ≥ grade 3 mucositis for IMPT and HT.
Results – Twenty two patients, 77% males, 41% elderly and 73% OC subsite, were reviewed. With comparable target coverage, IMPT reduced mean dose and D32, D39, D45, D50 significantly, for both oral mucosa (OM) and spared oral mucosa (sOM). With IMPT, there was a 7% absolute and 16.5% relative reduction in NTCP for grade 3 mucositis for OM, compared to HT. IMPT further reduced NTCP for sOM and the benefit was maintained in OC, OPx subsites and elderly subgroup.
Acute toxicities, grade III dermatitis and mucositis, were noted in 50% and 45.5% patients, respectively, while 22.7% patients had grade 3 dysphagia. Compared with published data, hospital admission rate, median weight loss, feeding tube insertion, unplanned treatment gaps are less with IMPT. At median follow-up of 15 months, 81.8% are alive; 72.7%, alive without disease and 9%, alive with disease.
Conclusion: The dosimetric benefit of IMPT translates into NTCP reduction for Grade 3 mucositis compared to Helical Tomotherapy, for OPx and OC cancers and encourages the use of IMPT in their management.
Asymmetric Wigner Molecules in Nanowire Y-junctions
Authors: Mendez-Camacho Reyna , Cruz-Hernandez Esteban
Published: September 2022

The possibility of crystalline states of interacting electrons, known as Wigner crystals, has been intensively studied in each of the three dimensions. One-dimensional (1D) systems, however, can be interconnected forming two-dimensional (2D) lattices, being a three-terminal Y-junction (Y-J) the simplest one. Then, even when electrons in the individual branches of the Y are confined in 1D, as the Y-J is in 2D, one could expect significant differences in the crystalline state of the electron gas in a Y-J. With the recent report of fabrication of defect-free GaAs/AlGaAs Y-Js by epitaxial methods, the study of semiconductor Y-Js acquires a special relevance due to its eventual direct exploration. Here, by considering the collective electron interactions using a Yukawa-like effective potential, we explore a two-electron distribution in nanowire Y-Js by modulating its electron density via a screening parameter. We find that the electrons changes from a quasi-continuous to a Wigner molecule-like distribution when the electron density decreases in the Y-J. In bold contrast to the strict 1D case, where equidistant distributions of equal density are obtained in the Wigner regime, in the Y-J equidistant distributions of asymmetric density are induced. We also explore the effect of an external electric field acting along the Y-axis on the asymmetric distributions.
Racial disparities in overall survival after the introduction of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors for patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Alvarez Alvaro , Bernal Ana M. , Anampa Jesus
Published: September 2022

Purpose: CDK4/6i combined with endocrine therapy have improved HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer (MBC) outcomes. However, it is still unclear whether the response to CDK4/6i is similar for all races. Therefore, we aimed to assess overall survival (OS) trends stratified by race in patients with HR+/HER2- MBC after the approval of CDK4/6i, as part of the standard of care, in 2015.
Methods: We performed a population-based study using the SEER database. Patients with HR+/HER2- MBC were divided into two time-based cohorts: 1) 2011-2013, corresponding to the pre-CDK4/6i era, and 2) 2015-2017 to the post-CDK4/6i era. We used propensity score matching and identified 2,684 patients in each cohort that matched in several characteristics. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate 2-year OS. Additionally, we compared survival between groups with a stratified log-rank test. Lastly, we compared OS and breast cancer death risk between cohorts (stratified by race) using Fine and Gray model.
Results: The 2-year OS rate was 65% for the post-CDK4/6i group and 62% for the pre-CDK4/6i cohort (stratified log-rank p=0.025). The 2-year OS for NHW patients improved in the post-CDK4/6i era compared to the pre-CDK4/6i era (67% vs. 63%, p=0.033). However, OS did not improve for NHB (54% vs. 54%, p=0.876) or Hispanic (67% vs 65%, p=0.617) groups.
Conclusions: Our study confirms that outcomes for HR+/HER2- MBC have improved after CDK4/6i were introduced in 2015. However, this effect is primarily driven by the improved OS in NHW patients, without significant improvement in OS in NHB or Hispanics.
Mathematical Analysis of Convective Heat Exchanger from Renewable Sun’s Radiation through Nano-fluid in Direct Absorption Solar Collectors with the Procreation of Entropy.
Authors: Tafesse Girma , Daba Mitiku , G Naidu V
Published: September 2022

Now a days the high demand of energy cause the climate change which affect the living style of the people in the world. To mitigate this cases, the usage of renewable energy like solar energy plays a key role. In the application of thermal radiation, the work done is not 100% efficient due to the procreation of entropy. In this investigation, the researchers examined the heat and mass transfer from sun’s radiation through direct absorption into nanofluid with the creation of entropy. The mathematical governed partial differential equations are simplified by the use of similarity transformation variable which yields system of ordinary differential equations. To provide the solution for this problem, the wellknown analytic method called Homotopy Analysis Method implemented on Mathematica 12.1 based on the BVPh2.0 package. The validity of thisresult can be justified by comparing the solutions with different publishedarticles for specific values. From this study, we perceived that the transfer of heat from sun’s radiation is proliferated with multiple production of entropy. Thus, to gain the fruitful usage of renewable solar energy, weneed to maximize the heat transfer and minimize the creation of entropy. Keywords: Convective, Renewable Energy, DASC, Nanofluid, Entropy
Preparation of hydrogel based on poplar cellulose and its removal of Cd(II) from aqueous solution
Authors: Zhang Fengrong , Teng Jia , Han Dandan , Wu Lishun , Hou Wanguo
Published: September 2022

In this paper, poly aspartic acid/carboxymethyl poplar sawdust hydrogels (PASP/CMPP) and ascorbic acid/carboxymethyl poplar sawdust hydrogels (VC/CMPP) were prepared by aqueous polymerization using alkalized poplar sawdust (CMPP) as substrate and poly aspartic acid (PASP) and ascorbic acid (VC) as modifiers. PASP/CMPP and VC/CMPP samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) and surface area tester. The treatment effects of the two hydrogels on simulated wastewater containing cadmium were investigated by batch experiment. The results showed that PASP/CMPP had better adsorption effect than VC/CMPP under the same adsorption conditions. Interestingly, the solid concentration effect was found in the process of sorption kinetics and sorption isotherms. The sorption kinetics curves of Cd(II) on PASP/CMPP were well fitted by the quasi-second-order kinetic under different adsorbent concentrations. Langmuir and Freundlich sorption isotherm models were used to analyze the adsorption. The results showed that the adsorption conforms to Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models. More importantly, PASP/CMPP composites are expected to be used as a new kind of environmental adsorbent for wastewater treatment.