bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utilization of biosynthesized silica-supported iron oxide nanocomposites for the adsorptive removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions
Authors: Garg Rishav , Garg Rajni , Khan Md. Amir , Bansal Manjeet , Garg Vinod
Published: March 2022

The present study deals with heavy metal ion removal from synthetic contaminated water using biosynthesized silica-supported iron oxide nanocomposites (nano-IOS). Agricultural and garden waste has been utilized to prepare nano-IOS through a green synthesis process. Nano-IOS was characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, and zeta potential analysis. The nanocomposites were used to adsorb heavy metal ions viz. Pb2+, Cd2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ with optimization of reaction constraints including pH, the concentration of heavy metal ion, adsorbent dosage, and contact time in batch mode experiments. The optimized dose of nano-IOS was obtained as 0.75 g/L for adsorption of Pb2+, Cd2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ (10.0 mg/L) with a contact duration of 70 min. at pH 5.0 for Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+, and 6.0 for Ni2+ and Zn2+. The adsorption behavior of the nano adsorbent was well described by Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second order kinetic models indicating chemisorption on the surface of nano-IOS. The adsorption was also found spontaneous and endothermic. Thus, the environmentally benign and bio-synthesized nano-IOS can be utilized as an effective nano-adsorbent for the rapid sequestration of heavy metal ions.
Establishment and Function of Chromatin Architecture at Eukaryotic Chromosome Replication Origins
Authors: Kurat Christoph , Chacin Erika , Reusswig Karl-Uwe , Furtmeier Jessica , Bansal Priyanka , Karl Leonhard , Pfander Boris , Korber Philipp
Published: March 2022

The Origin Recognition Complex (ORC) is essential for the initiation of eukaryotic chromosome replication as it loads the replicative helicase, the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex, at replication origins1.
These origins display a stereotypic chromatin structure. They are nucleosome depleted at ORC binding sites and flanked by regularly spaced nucleosome arrays2,3. Although discovered over a decade ago, we still do not know how this chromatin struture is established and if it matters for replication.
Here we show that ORC has an essential role in generating the origin chromatin structure. By genome-wide biochemical reconstitution we screened ~ 400 individual origins and 17 purified chromatin factors from budding yeast and found that ORC establishes both nucleosome depletion over origins as well as flanking nucleosome arrays by orchestrating the four chromatin remodelers INO80, ISW1a, ISW2 and Chd1. The importance of ORC’s chromatin organizing activity was underscored by ORC mutations that maintained classical MCM loader but lost array generation activity. These mutations were lethal in vivo.
Our results demonstrate that ORC, besides its canonical role as MCM loader, has a second essential function as master regulator of chromatin structure at replication origins, which is critical for chromosome replication.
Development of Atom Search Optimization Algorithm in the Optimal Operation of Single and Multi-Reservoir Systems (Case study: Dez Dam)
Authors: Moslemzadeh Mohsen , Karami Hojat , Farzin Saeed , Ahmadianfar Iman
Published: March 2022

The optimal operation of reservoirs is regarded as one of the most vital issues in water resources management, which also plays an important role in environmental processes and control of ecosystem pollution, especially in river water. The present study seeks to develop a new algorithm on single and multi-reservoir water resources systems, namely Atom Search Optimization (ASO). For this purpose, the algorithm is analyzed on mathematical benchmark functions. In the following, the algorithm's performance on the hypothetical systems is evaluated by performing sensitivity analysis on the effective coefficients of the algorithm, the number of particles, and the number of logical iterations to be implemented on four reservoir systems. The results of the best coefficients showed the proximity of 95.33% to the absolute solution of the four-reservoir system, i.e. 308.29, which implies the good and high accuracy of the algorithm. Then, to supply water downstream of Dez dam while addressing the monthly flow of sediment in the reservoir, which is a very important environmental phenomenon, the atom search algorithm and four other common optimization algorithms are applied, the results of which were prioritized using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) process by TOPSIS ranking technique. The results indicated the superiority of the Atom Search Algorithm (ASO), Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA), Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, and Genetic Algorithm (GA), respectively. Therefore, the use of the ASO algorithm in solving optimization problems, especially in the field of reservoir operations concerning environmental factors such as sedimentation is recommended.
Remodelling of the tumour-lymph node immune microenvironment promotes T- and NK-cell comobilization for tumour immunotherapy
Authors: Fu Shunli , Chang Lili , Liu Shujun , Gao Tong , Xiao Sang , Zhang Zipeng , Mu Weiwei , Liu Xiaoqing , Liang Shuang , Yang Han , Yang Huizhen , Ma Qingping , Liu Yongjun , Zhang Na
Published: March 2022

Reversing the suppressive tumour immune microenvironment has become a crucial strategy to enhance immunotherapy. Moreover, the immune lymph node (LN) microenvironment significantly influences the efficacy of immune cells. However, the critical role of the LN immune microenvironment on the regulation of antitumour effects is often ignored. Here, we developed the pH/MMP2/temperature triple-sensitive immunomodulatory nanoinducer NIL-IM-Lip, which can be precisely delivered to tumours and directed to the LNs. NIL-IM-Lip relieved the immunosuppressive effects of regulatory T cells (Treg) while coactivating cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells both in tumours and LNs to reshape the tumour-lymph node immune microenvironment (TLIME) and enhance antitumour immunotherapy. Furthermore, the combined application of NIL-IM-Lip and the PD-1 mAb significantly enhanced the antitumour effectiveness of CTLs and NK cells. Notably, combination treatment with NIL-IM-Lip and the PD-1 mAb greatly suppressed tumour growth in both hot tumours (B16F10 model) and cold tumours (CT26 model) with a 20% complete response in the B16F10 model. Our work highlights the critical role of the TLIME in immunotherapy, displaying encouraging prospects when combined with PD-1 mAb treatment to strengthen antitumour immune effects, offering a new strategy for clinical use.
The differential impact of air pollutants on acute urticaria and chronic urticaria: a time series analysis
Authors: Han Xiuping , Li Jiawei , Song Guoqiang , Mu Zhenzhen , Lan Xiaoou , Yang Fan , Li Lin
Published: March 2022

Several studies have revealed links between short-term exposure to air pollution and the exacerbation of certain skin conditions. The present study sought to expand on these findings by exploring the potential relationship between exposure to air pollutants including particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and ozone, and the incidence of acute and chronic urticaria in Shenyang, China, from 2016–2018. Exposure-response relationships between daily mean concentrations of these airborne pollutants and visits to outpatient dermatological clinics for acute urticaria and chronic urticaria were evaluated via a time series analysis approach using a generalized additive model. This analysis revealed that a 10 µg/m3 increase in daily mean O3_8h concentrations was associated with a 0.36% (95% CI, 0.31–0.41%), 0.35% (95% CI, 0.30–0.40%), and 0.34% (95% CI, 0.29–0.39%) increase in the number of outpatients for acute urticaria on the (lag0), lagging day 1 (lag1), and lagging day 2 (lag2), respectively. The increment in O3 levels remained statistically significant associated with outpatient for acute urticaria on cumulative lagging days. The increase in particulate matter levels had a similar cumulative effect on patients with chronic urticaria. In summary, these results indicated that short-term O3, PM2.5, and PM10 exposure can increase the risk of acute urticaria and chronic urticaria.
WITHDRAWN: Molecular Changes in Nucleus Accumbens of Accompanying with Companion Ameliorating CUMS-Induced Depressive-Like Behaviors
Authors: Li Bo , Zhang Hao , Cao Yi , Li Zhao , Xu Xinlei , Song Zhenhua , Wang Jin-hui
Published: March 2022

Social support are positively and causally related to mental health. Higher levels of perceived social support and group memberships are shown to be associated with lower depression symptomatology and recovery from depression, but the molecular biological mechanism behind it s remains largely unknown. Here, we report that accompanying with companion ameliorated CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors in mice. Accompanying with companion altered RNA expression profiles of nucleus accumbens (NAc) in CUMS-induced susceptible and resilience mice. 117 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found to be associated with depression-like behaviors, 17 DEGs associated with resilient behaviors, 43 DEGs associated with accompanying with companion. Importantly, 234 differentially expressed miRNAs that associated with accompanying with companion were obtained, and the miRNA-mRNA network associated with companion was established in NAc, based on the miRNA and mRNA profiles. Taken together, our findings revealed a potential new approach to improve depression-like behaviors, as well as many potential drug targets for the prevention or treatment of depression.
Expressional Variations of Kaiso: An Association with Pathological Characteristics and Field Cancerization of OSCC
Authors: Ahmed Shaheen , Khan Saeed , Qureshi Asif , Bukhari Uzma , Mughal Nouman , Anis Mehak
Published: March 2022

Background: In patients diagnosed with cancer it is considered that there is a field of tissue in the diagnosed organ containing cells with genetic aberration which pose a higher risk of transforming in to premalignant and malignant lesions. This field of altered cells is known as field of cancerization and is considered responsible for frequent recurrence of the cancer. Various molecules are being investigated for their significance in development of field cancerization and hence malignant diseases. Various members of POZ-ZF (poxvirus and zinc finger (POZ)-zinc finger) family of transcription factors are known to play a part in pathogenesis of neoplasm, one such protein of this family is Kaiso also known as ZBTB33 ( Zinc Finger and BTB Domain containing 33. Kaiso is a transcription factor known for having two modes of binding with DNA. The protein belongs to POZ-ZF family of transcription factors and may have functional tasks similar to its other siblings such as growth and development of vertebrates and pathogenesis of neoplastic diseases. Nevertheless, its role in field cancerization, pathogenesis and progression of oral cancer still needs exploration. Hence, this study was designed to explore the expressional differences between the mucosa of controls and those diagnosed with OSCC. Methods: Soft tissue samples were obtained from main tumor, tumor periphery and opposite buccal mucosa of 50 oral cancer patients, whereas normal mucosa was taken from 50 volunteers undergoing elective tooth removal. The acquired samples were then subjected to Immunohistochemical exploration for expression of Kaiso. The expression was measured using Image-J IHC profiler and summed as Optical density. The Optical density values were then subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Results revealed a significant differential expression of Kaiso between the mucosal tissues taken from oral cancer patients and controls (p-value: <0.0001) showing almost 50% down-regulation of Kaiso in all three tissue samples taken from oral cancer patients as compared to normal mucosa.Conclusion: Kaiso have significant difference of expression in the mucosa of oral cancer patients than the normal mucosa making it a probable contributor to disease pathogenesis and field cancerization.
Surgical management of flail chest with titanium plates: a French cohort series from a thoracic referral center
Authors: Féray Sarah , Blayau Clarisse , Masmoudi Hicham , Haddad Samuel , Quesnel Christophe , Assouad Jalal , Fartoukh Muriel
Published: March 2022

Background The development of titanium claw plates has made rib osteosynthesis easy to achieve and led to a renewed interest for this surgery. We report the management of patients referred to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a referral center for rib fracture fixation after chest trauma.MethodsA retrospective observational cohort study describing the patients’ characteristics and analyzing the determinants of postoperative complications. Results From November 2013 to December 2016, 42 patients were referred to our center: 12 patients (29%) suffered acute respiratory failure, 6 of whom were mechanically ventilated. The Thoracic Trauma Severity Score (TTSS) was 11.0 [9-12], with 7 [5-9] broken ribs and a flail chest in 92% of cases. A postoperative complication occurred in 18 patients (43%). Five patients developed ARDS (12%). Postoperative pneumonia occurred in 11 patients (26%). Two patients died in the ICU. In multivariable analysis, the TTSS (OR=1.89; CI95% 1.12-3.17; p=0.016) and the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II without age (OR=1.17; CI95% 1.02-1.34; p=0.024) were independently associated with the occurrence of a postoperative complication.ConclusionThe TTSS score appears more accurate than the Injury Severity Score for determining thoracic trauma severity. Rib fixation may be harmful, and short and long-term benefit should be assessed, particularly in non-mechanically ventilated patients.
Paracoccidioides sp infection impairs central nervous system cell junctional complexes
Authors: de Almeida Sergio Monteiro , Kulik Amanda , Malaquias Mineia Alessandra Scaranello , Nagashima Seigo , de Paula Caroline Busatta Vaz , Muro Marisol Dominguez , de Noronha Lucia
Published: March 2022

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a systemic mycosis caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides sp. is the most prevalent fungal infection among immunocompetent patients in Latin America. The estimated frequency of central nervous system (CNS) involvement among the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/PCM-positive population is 2.5%. We aimed to address the impact of neuroparacoccidioidomycosis (NPCM) and HIV/NPCM co-infection on the tight junctions (TJ) and adherens junction (AJ) proteins of the CNS. Four CNS formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens were studied: NPCM, NPCM/HIV co-infection, HIV-positive without opportunistic CNS infection, and normal brain autopsy (negative control). Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the endothelial cells and astrocytes expressions of TJ markers: claudins (CLDN)-1, -3, -5 and occludin; AJ markers: β-catenin and E-cadherin; and pericyte marker: alpha-smooth muscle actin in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded CNS tissue specimens were analyzed using the immunoperoxidase assay. CLDN-5 expression in the capillaries of the HIV/NPCM coinfected tissues (acute/subacute clinical form of PCM) was lower than that in the capillaries of the HIV or NPCM monoinfected (chronic clinical form of PCM) tissues. A marked decrease in CLDN-5 expression and a compensatory increase in CLDN-1 expression in the NPCM/HIV co-infection tissue samples was observed. The authors suggest that Paracoccidioides sp. crosses the blood–brain barrier through paracellular pathway, owing to the alteration in the CLDN expression, or inside the macrophages (Trojan horse).
Nurses’ satisfaction and experiences of redeployment during COVID-19- A cross-sectional survey
Authors: Chu Ginger , Connelly Kristy , Mexon Alexandra , Britton Ben , Tait Julie , Pitt Victoria , Inder Kerry
Published: March 2022

Background: Literature suggested that redeployment to an unfamiliar environment is a risk to nurses’ mental health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many health professionals, particularly nurses, were required to be redeployed to different units to meet the changing demands of health service. This study aimed to evaluate nurses’ satisfaction and experiences of redeployment during COVID-19 and identify factors influencing redeployment satisfaction. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was developed to explore level of satisfaction and understand redeployment experiences. A total of 600 nurses from a tertiary teaching hospital in Australia were invited to complete an online survey from July to August 2020 with an estimated 25% of these experiencing redeployment as result of COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression was used to identify what impacts redeployment satisfaction. Redeployment experiences were analysed using iterative thematic approach.Results: A total of 98 surveys were analysed, with an estimated response rate of 65%. Forty-four percent of redeployed nurses were dissatisfied with redeployment and 53% reported a negative redeployment experience. Nurses who had a negative redeployment experience were five times more likely to be dissatisfied with redeployment (OR: 5.17, 95% CI: 2.12-12.5). These results were reflected in the qualitative findings where nurses reported that a positive redeployment experience such as “feeling welcome” and being given “fair patient allocation” eased their anxiety of being redeployed and created a positive perception on redeployment. Conclusion: Redeployment of healthcare workers during a pandemic is inevitable. This study highlighted that a large proportion of redeployed nurses feel dissatisfied with redeployment. Creating a positive redeployment experience is an important consideration to improve nurses’ satisfaction. In order to reduce the negative impact of dissatisfaction, more research needs to investigate how the negative redeployment experienced by nurses impacts on quality care and patient safety.
L1-ATP8B1 Exacerbates High-Level Reduction-Oxidation Homeostasis to Promote Carcinogenesis via Affecting PHB1 Sumoylation in LUSC
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Zhang Rui , Sun Zeguo , Liu Pengpeng , Chen Guidong , Ren Xiubao , Yu Wenwen , Zhang Weijia , Yu Jinpu
Published: March 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Andrographolide Inhibits PMA-Induced EPCR Shedding through JNK and p38 MAPK
Authors: Changliang He , Zhenyu Wang , Xiaoxia Liang , Lizi Yin
Published: March 2022

Endothelial cell protein C (EPCR), one of the main members in the protein C (PC) pathway, plays an important role in the process of coagulation and inflammation. EPCR can shed from the cell membrane, which process is mediated by the tumor necrosis factor-α converting enzyme (TACE) and related to some diseases. Andrographolide is the major constituent of Andrographis paniculata, a kind of herbal medicine commonly used in clinical for its various pharmacological actions, especially anti-inflammation and anti-cancer. In this study, we investigated andrographolide protection for EPCR and its potential molecular mechanism. Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to be the model of EPCR shedding and the andrographolide pretreatment was tested in this model. The results showed that andrographolide could reduce PMA-induced EPCR shedding and inhibit the TACE function. Additionally, we found andrographolide also suppressed the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38, but had no effect on extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2. Given these results, andrographolide can inhibit the shedding of EPCR by the suppression of TACE, which may take JNK and p38 as the molecular target. These findings indicated a substantial anti-EPCR shedding efficacy of andrographolide in vitro.
Are Urban Mangroves Emerging Hotspots of Non-Indigenous Species? A Study on the Dynamics of Macrobenthic Fouling Communities in Fringing Red Mangrove Prop Roots
Authors: Mosquera Enis , Blanco-Libreros Juan , Riascos José M.
Published: March 2022

Urbanization represent a radical transformation of natural habitats that alters all the biotic and abiotic properties governing ecosystems. Urban expansion often results in oversimplified communities, where most specialists decline or disappear and a few generalist or exotic species become dominant. The consequences of urban expansion in mangrove forests are understudied, although these systems have been altered by humans through centuries and the growth of human population in tropical coasts is expected to be faster than in higher latitudes. To assess the importance of indigenous and non-indigenous species in driving temporal and spatial changes in community structure of red-mangrove prop-root macrobenthic communities, we studied heavily altered mangrove forests from two bays from the Caribbean coast of Colombia in 2005 and 2021. In all places/periods, the community richness was low, a few taxa were dominant (11 taxa, out of 40, comprised ~ 90% of the total abundance) and the majority of all taxa (65%) were non-indigenous species whose presence is related with known stressors in urbanized systems. Hence, we suggest that urban mangrove forests are emerging hotspots for non-indigenous biota. Community structure did not change within or between bays, there was a clear, significant turnover of core species between 2005 and 2021, with non-indigenous species playing a prominent role in this variability. This was puzzling –ecological theory asserts that the abundance of a species is related to their permanence: core species are relatively stable through time while rare species appear or disappear– but this may not apply for communities dominated by non-indigenous biota.
WITHDRAWN: The Determinants of Maternal Health Care Service Utilization in Sheka Zone South West Ethiopia.
Authors: Yemane Getahun Dejene , Korsa Birhanu Bededa , Bambo Meseret Mesfin
Published: March 2022

Background: Maternal health has become a global public health issue as a result of the fact that maternal health care issuer utilization can save the lives of tens of thousands of women in the reproductive age group. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine how often Maternal Health Services were used in the Sheka zone of southwest Ethiopia. Study Design: Sheka Southwest was the site of the cross-sectional investigation. Method: A total of 1779 observed samples were selected from the Sheka area in southwest Ethiopia using a simple random selection method. In the version of binary logistic regression, the impact of objects on maternal fitness care carrier utilization is estimated using a variant of logistic regression. Results: From a total of 1779 Women in Fertility age responses, 917 (51.5%) of women had at least four ANC visits, while 862 (48.5%) had fewer than four ANC visits during their final pregnancy, and 841 (47.3%) of women had delivered their baby at a health facility. 938 (52.7%) of women gave birth at home, and 803 (45.1%) of women had missed at least one postnatal care appointment in the previous six weeks. Despite the fact that 976 women (54.9%) had received within the first six weeks, you should seek postnatal care at the very least. ANC, institutional delivery, and PNC were all used 51.5, 52.7, and 54.9% of the time, respectively. The use of the ANC Service has become inextricably linked to women's education. When compared to women with no training, high school and above-knowledgeable women (AOR = 1.672, 95% CI = 1.179-2.373) are substantially more likely to apply for ANC Service. PNC Service has been inextricably linked to women's education. When compared to women with no training, elementary women (AOR = 1.587, 95% CI = 1.205-2.091) are substantially more likely to apply to PNC Service. Conclusion: Within the studied area, the use of maternal health care services is much below the national goal. The most important predictors of maternal fitness care carrier use are maternal training status, wealth status, work status, number of children, parity, fertility risk, and marital status. Providing information and instruction to women about the ideal family, maternal health care provider use, and the use of various fitness training strategies should be addressed.
Accountable Survival Contrast-learning for Optimal Dynamic Treatment Regime
Authors: Choi Taehwa , Lee Hyunjun , Choi Sangbum
Published: March 2022

Dynamic treatment regime (DTR) is an emerging paradigm in recent medical studies that establishes data-driven treatment rules for future patients, based on clinical histories of individuals. Because each patient may have different genetic and clinical characteristics, this approach is more attractive than the standard method of allocating the same treatment to patients without taking into account individual status. There have been many methodologies on this subject, but most focus on complete data without censoring. However, when censorship is present, as in many longitudinal studies, standard methods are not directly applicable with censored responses. In this paper, we propose accountable survival contrast-learning algorithms for optimal dynamic treatment regime. To reflect the censorship, we adopt the pseudo-value approach that replaces survival quantities with pseudo-observations for time-to-event outcomes. Our estimating procedure is originated from weighted classification scheme, which is double-robust to model misspecification by taking more flexible contrast weight function. We further use SCAD-penalization to find informative clinical information in a sparse model setting and present potential possibilities for multiple treatment allocation by searching upper and lower bounds of the objective function. We demonstrate the utility of our proposal via extensive simulations and an application to AIDS data.
Recruitment and Retention of the Rural Podiatry Workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Podiatrist Perceptions
Authors: Beeler Erin , Carroll Matthew , Brenton-Rule Angela
Published: March 2022

Background Past research into the Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) podiatry workforce has indicated a shortage of podiatrists, particularly in rural NZ. However, there has been no research investigating the characteristics of the NZ rural podiatry workforce. This study aimed to explore the factors which contribute to recruitment and retention of primary care podiatrists in rural NZ. Methods A qualitative descriptive approach was implemented for data collection and analysis. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 podiatrists who currently, or previously, worked in a rural podiatry practice. Manifest content analysis was used to analyse participant’s responses. A deductive approach was used where data were identified and coded according to predetermined themes from the literature. Results Four themes that influenced recruitment and retention were derived from the interviews: (1) professional factors, (2) economic factors, (3) social factors, and (4) external factors. Interviews revealed that clinical inexperience, a sole practice environment, professional and social isolation, and workload pressures combined to affect recruitment and retention. Strong community bonds, family ties, and a rural background were crucial to thrive in the rural setting. Conclusion A sustainable rural podiatry workforce is required to reduce health disparities that exist in NZ rural communities. The study identified that most practitioners entered the rural workforce into self-employed positions, often shortly following graduation from university. They soon reported feelings of professional isolation due to limited support networks. Practitioners established in the rural workforce noted significant workload stresses. Stresses stemming from an inability to source locums, take time away from work, or recruit new staff to fill vacant positions. Research examining support mechanisms for inexperienced practitioners and targeted strategies to grow the rural workforce and reduce attrition is required.
Newly Identified Breast Luminal Progenitor and Gestational Stem Cell Populations Likely Give Rise to HER2-Overexpressing and Basal-Like Breast Cancers
Authors: McMullen James R. W. , Soto Ubaldo
Published: March 2022

Breast Cancer (BrC) is a common malignancy with genetically diverse subtypes. There is evidence that specific BrC subtypes originate from particular normal mammary cell populations. However, the cell populations that give rise to most BrC subtypes are unidentified. Several human breast scRNAseq datasets are available. In this research, we utilized a robust human scRNAseq dataset to identify population-specific marker genes and then identified the expression of these marker genes in specific BrC subtypes. In humans, several BrC subtypes, HER2-enriched, basal-like, and triple-negative (TN), are more common in women who have had children. This observation suggests that cell populations that originate during pregnancy give rise to these BrCs. The current human datasets have few normal parous samples, so we supplemented this research with mouse datasets, which contain mammary cells from various developmental stages. This research identified two novel normal breast cell populations that may be the origin of the basal-like and HER2-overexpressing subtypes, respectively. A stem cell-like population, SC, that expresses gestation-specific genes has similar gene expression patterns to basal-like BrCs. A novel luminal progenitor cell population and HER2-overexpressing BrCs are marked by S100A7, S100A8, and S100A9 expression. We bolstered our findings by examining SC gene expression in TN BrC scRNAseq datasets. We discovered that several potential cancer stem cell populations highly express most of the SC genes. In summary, normal SC and the novel luminal progenitor cell population likely give rise to basal-like and HER2-overexpressing BrCs, respectively. Characterizing these normal cell populations may facilitate a better understanding of specific BrCs subtypes.
A Call to Enhance Transparency Among Egyptian Medical Schools
Authors: Talaat Wagdy , Amin Mariam A. , Bassiouny Mohamed Reda , Hassan Nancy Husseiny , Hamed Omayma
Published: March 2022

Background: Transparency in providing information in higher education became a very important and basic matter especially after internationalization of medical education. The Egyptian Society for Medical Education (ESME) aspires that Egyptian medical schools would work more towards transparency and openness for greater effective feedback. Literature review revealed almost zero results related to the transparency situation in Egyptian medical schools. Methods: This study was carried out to estimate the transparency of medical schools’ websites information concerning their accreditation process through reviewing forty Egyptian medical schools’ official websites, as well as through the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education (NAQAAE) website searching for two major transparency criteria. Each criterion was further subdivided into several information elements. Data were registered and analyzed using the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). Authors excluded, from data analysis, the newly established schools that are less than five years which were not obliged to apply for accreditation yet. Results: Research results showed that only thirteen colleges recorded being accredited on their websites; however very limited amount of data was available about the process, dates, and documents. The accreditation information of these thirteen schools was confirmed by information on NAQAAE website. Other information concerning other important elements such as accountability and future plans were almost completely missing. Conclusion: Authors concluded that due to lack of essential information on the Egyptian medical schools' websites about their institutional accreditation situation, serious steps should be taken from both the medical schools and the national accrediting body to encourage the openness and to ensure the transparency towards the accreditation process and results in Egypt.
Influence of Kuroshio Extension Variability on the North Pacific Atmosphere and Pacific Decadal Precession
Authors: Silva E. Nishchitha S , Anderson Bruce T
Published: March 2022

Recent research has revealed links between a quasi decadal mode of climate variability over the North Pacific – the Pacific Decadal Precession (PDP) – and the North Pacific’s western boundary currents extension – the Kuroshio Extension (KE). It is suggested that on decadal time scales the PDP both responds to and influences the KE variability. A question yet to be answered is whether it is the large-scale or the mesoscale variations of the KE region that influence the overlying and downstream atmosphere and hence the PDP evolution. Using high-resolution sea surface temperature data (1981-2018) from the global ocean Operational Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Sea Ice Analysis, low resolution Extended Reconstructed SST (ERSST) version 3b data (1949-2018), geopotential height data from the European Centre for MediumRange Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction we find that it is the large-scale variations in the KE region that correlate best with the overlying and downstream atmosphere instead of the mesoscale variations. In particular, the second mode of the large-scale KE region, which is characterized by warming (cooling) of the ocean south (north) of the KE, sets up a PDP-like north-south atmospheric pressure dipole over the North Pacific Ocean by altering the large-scale baroclinicity of the atmosphere. In turn, this enhances the overlying storm track, resulting in a downstream response over the North American continent and the formation of a subsequent east-west pressure dipole. As a result, there is a strong correlation between large-scale variations in the KE region and the evolution of the PDP over the next three years.
Whole genome sequencing analysis to evaluate the influence of T2DM on polymorphisms associated with drug resistance in M. tuberculosis
Authors: Bermudez-Hernández Gustavo Adolfo , Pérez-Martínez Damián Eduardo , Madrazo-Moya Carlos Francisco , Cancino-Muñoz Irving , Comas Iñaki , Zenteno-Cuevas Roberto
Published: March 2022

BackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been associated with treatment failure, and the development of drug resistance in tuberculosis (TB). Also, whole-genome sequencing has provided a better understanding and allowed the growth of knowledge about polymorphisms in genes associated with drug resistance. Considering the above, this study analyzes genome sequences to evaluate the influence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the development of mutations related to tuberculosis drug resistance. M. tuberculosis isolates from individuals with (n=74), and without (n=74) type 2 diabetes mellitus was recovered from online repositories, and further analyzed. ResultsThe results showed the presence of 591 SNPs with similar proportions between diabetics, and non-diabetics individuals (48.2% vs. 51.7%), but with no significant relationship. A greater number of mutations associated with rifampicin resistance was observed in the T2DM-TB individuals (19.3% vs. 12.5%), and the exclusive presence of rpoBQ432L, rpoBQ432P, rpoBS441L, and rpoBH445L variants. While these variants are not private to T2DM-TB cases they are globally rare highlighting a potential role of T2DM. The phylogenetic analysis showed 12 sublineages, being 4.1.1.3, and 4.1.2.1 the most prevalent in T2DM-TB individuals but not differing from those most prevalent in their geographic location. Four clonal complexes were found, however, no significant relationship with T2DM was observed. Samples size and potential sampling biases prevented us to look for significant associations. ConclusionsThe occurrence of globally rare rifampicin variants identified only in isolates from individuals with T2DM could be due to the hyperglycemic environment within the host. Therefore, further studies about the dynamics of SNPs’ generation associated with antibiotic resistance in patients with diabetes mellitus are necessary.
Characteristics and Risk Factors of Febrile after Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Single-Center Retrospective Study
Authors: Lv ChengYu , Li MingYang , Liu Kun , Liu Ning , Fang Yuan , Shao ZhenShuai
Published: March 2022

Background: Postoperative febrile (POF) is a common complication after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The goal of this research is to analyze the characteristics and risk factors of febrile following TJA.Methods: We retrospectively investigated 2482 patients who had first-time total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgery at our institution between January 2020 and December 2020. Those patients were divided into TKA group and THA group. The patients' axillary temperatures were measured. POF was defined as a body temperature greater than 38°C. Then patients in the TKA and THA groups were respectively divided into non-febrile group and febrile group based on their body temperatures. Temperature changing characteristics of the patients in the febrile group were analyzed and recorded. A certain number of patients were chosen randomly from the non-febrile group. Gender, hypertension, diabetes, anesthesia, surgical time, and some laboratory data were analyzed between the febrile group and the non-febrile groupResults: Three percent of TKA patients (N=45) had febrile during hospitalization, and in the febrile group of TKA group, 38% (N=17) had febrile and maximum body temperature on postoperative day 2（POD2）. Six percent of THA patients (N=46) had febrile during hospitalization, and in the febrile group of THA group, 65% (N=30) of the patients had febrile and maximum body temperature on POD1. In TKA group, compared with non-febrile group, febrile group has higher C-reactive protein (mg/L) (CRP) after surgery. In THA group, compared with the non-febrile group, the patients in the febrile group had larger fall in hemoglobin (g/L), and higher C-reactive protein (mg/L) (CRP) after surgery, so there were statistically significant differences between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: The POF rate of TKA is 3%, and the first fever and maximum body temperature most commonly appear on the POD2. THA has a 6% POF rate, and the first fever and the maximum body temperature most commonly appear on the POD1. In both groups, high C-reactive protein is a risk factor for postoperative fever. In addition, the fall in hemoglobin is also related to postoperative fever in the THA group.
Influence of Extreme Flow Channeling on the Thermal Performance of Open-Loop Geothermal Systems at Commercial Scale
Authors: Fulton Patrick M. , Jurado Nicolas Rangel , Hawkins Adam J.
Published: March 2022

Adequate stewardship of geothermal resources requires accurate forecasting of long-term thermal performance. In enhanced geothermal systems and other fracture-dominated reservoirs, predictive models commonly assume constant-aperture fractures, although spatial variations in aperture can greatly affect reservoir permeability, fluid flow distribution, and heat transport. Whereas previous authors have investigated the effects of theoretical random aperture distributions on thermal performance, here we further explore the influence of permeability heterogeneity considering field-constrained aperture distributions from a meso-scale field site in northern New York, USA. Using numerical models of coupled fluid flow and heat transport, we conduct thermal-hydraulic simulations for a hypothetical reservoir consisting of a relatively impervious porous matrix and a single, horizontal fracture. Our results indicate that in highly channelized fields, most well design configurations and operating conditions result in extreme rates of thermal drawdown (e.g., 50% drop in production well temperatures in under two years). However, some other scenarios that account for the risks of short-circuiting can potentially enhance heat extraction when mass flow rate is not excessively high, and the direction of geothermal extraction is not aligned with the most permeable features in the reservoir. Through a parametric approach, we illustrate that well separation distance and relative positioning play a major role in the long-term performance of highly channelized fields, and both can be used to help mitigate premature thermal breakthrough.
The role of executive functions, social cognition and intelligence in predicting social adaptation of vulnerable populations
Authors: Schulte Michael , Trujillo Natalia , Rodriguez-Villagra Odir Antonio , Salas Natalia , Ibañez Agustin , Huepe David
Published: March 2022

This study sought to evaluate the roles of and interactions between cognitive processes that have been shown to exhibit impact from socioeconomic status (SES) and living conditions in predicting social adaptation (SA) in a population of adults living in socially vulnerable conditions. Participants included 226 people between the ages of 18 and 60 who have been living in vulnerable contexts throughout life in Santiago, Chile. Data was collected through a battery of psychological assessments. A structural equation model (SEM) was implemented to examine the interrelationships among cognitive and social variables. Results indicate a significant relationship between executive function (EF) and SA through both social cognition (SC) and intelligence. Theory of Mind (ToM), a component of SC, was shown to exhibit a significant relationship with affective empathy; interestingly, this was negatively related to SA. Moreover, fluid intelligence (FI) was found to exhibit a positive, indirect relationship with SA through vocabulary. Evaluation of these results in the context of research on the impacts of SES and vulnerable living conditions on psychological function may allow for the development of more effective clinical, political, and social interventions to support psychosocial health among socially vulnerable populations.
Association mapping of major economic traits and exploration of elite alleles in Prunus sibirica
Authors: Wen Jiaxing , Chen Jianhau , Sun Yongqiang , Liu Quangang , Jin Ling , Dong Shengjun
Published: March 2022

Exploring elite alleles based on association analysis of economic traits will promote the breeding, development, and utilization of Prunus sibirica resources. This study used 113 P. sibirica clones with diverse provenances to perform association mapping of 20 economic traits based on 149 pairs of highly polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Population structure analysis split the clones into three subgroups. General linear model (GLM) and mixed linear model (MLM) identified 117 SSR loci associated with 20 P. sibirica economic traits, specifically fruit (62 loci), nuclear (69), and kernel (46) traits. Phenotypic variation in these three sets of traits ranged 8.93–82.12% (GLM) or 0.23–84.82% (MLM), 10.96–56.65% (GLM) or 0.17–52.54% (MLM), and 5.17–59.41% (GLM) or 4.86–59.89% (MLM), respectively. Of the 117 marker SSR loci, 35 were simultaneously associated with two or more economic traits. In addition, phenotypic effects analysis identified 1842 elite alleles and seven typical materials related to key economic traits. We then designed elite parental combinations through crossing the typical materials. In conclusion, our study detected alleles and plant materials that allowed the identification of clones expressing desired traits of interest. These findings can be used for improved, targeted breeding of P. sibirica through marker-assisted selection.
Are You Tripping Comfortably? Investigating the Relationship Between Harm Reduction and the Psychedelic experience
Authors: Palmer Maddie , Maynard Olivia M
Published: March 2022

Background.
Alongside a recent revival in the use of psychedelics in clinical settings, there have been increases in the prevalence of recreational use, with many using psychedelics to deal with difficult emotions or to improve wellbeing. While clinical research is conducted in carefully controlled settings, this is not necessarily the case for recreational use. In this mixed-methods study, we aimed to develop an understanding of frequently used psychedelic harm reduction practices in recreational settings and how their use relates to the psychedelic experience. We also aimed to characterise users’ first and most recent psychedelic trips to understand how harm reduction changes with experience.
Methods.
Participants (n = 163) recounted their first and most recent psychedelic experience by providing details about the harm reduction practices they employed and completing the Challenging Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and Emotional Breakthrough Inventory (EBI). We also asked open ended questions for a more in-depth qualitative understanding of their views on psychedelic harm reduction.
Results.
Using ANOVA, we observe greater use of harm reduction practices for participants’ most recent versus first psychedelic experience and that use of these practices is positively associated with EBI scores and negatively associated with CEQ scores (particularly for the first experience). Participants engaged in a wide range of harm reduction practices and we provide details of those which are most commonly used and those which are deemed most important by experienced users. Our qualitative analysis indicated that participants were largely positive about psychedelics and many recounted profound positive experiences. While specifics of the drug they were taking was important for aspects of harm reduction, participants largely focused on the importance of ensuring a good ‘set and setting’ for enhancing positive effects.
Conclusions.
Our research helps us understand how engagement in harm reduction may increase with experience. Our mixed methods data sheds light on the perceived importance of different harm reduction practices and examines their association with the psychedelic experience itself. Together, our research has important implications for the development of psychedelic harm reduction advice and provides opportunities for future research to explore the importance of these different practices in more detail.
Social Network Analysis for Food and Feed security: the European Union case
Authors: Nogales Alberto , Cantallops Marçal Mora , Morón Rodrigo Díaz , García-Tejedor Álvaro
Published: March 2022

This paper reports a quantitative and structural analysis of data gathered from the food and feed issues reported by the European Union during the last forty years. This study includes the use of statistical measures and social network analysis techniques. For that purpose, a graph has been constructed considering how the different contaminated products have been distributed alongside countries. This work aims to leverage insights into the structure formed by the involvement of the European countries in the exchange of goods that can cause problems to the population. Results obtained show the roles of the different countries in the detection of sensitive routes. In particular, the analysis shows that there are problematic origin countries, like China or Turkey, whereas European countries, in general, do have good border control policies for the import/export of food and feed.