bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating Hydropericardium Syndrome with Different Histopathological Techniques in Broiler Chickens
Authors: Alavizadeh Hossein , Moosavi Zahra , Tabar Gholamreza Hashemi
Published: August 2023

Hydropericardium syndrome (HPS) has caused significant financial losses to the Iranian poultry industry in the past few years. Thirty-two broiler chickens with gross lesions of HPS were inspected histologically and immunohistochemically. Sampling was performed in Sabzevar, and dead and sick birds from random farms were subjected to necropsy examinations. Only four broiler chickens had no hydropericardium, and the other gross findings were similar for birds. Basophilic and eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions, hemorrhages, and necrosis in different organs were the primary characteristic histologic lesions. Lymphoid depletion, goblet cell hyperplasia, and necrotizing enteritis were some of the findings reported in previous research. However, a low macrophage infiltration rate and brain lesions were novel discoveries in hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) examination. Therefore, Feulgen reaction and CD68 immunohistochemical staining were used for a comprehensive investigation, and these techniques revealed improved histopathologic details. Feulgen staining confirmed brain lesions and some other changes in different organs. Eventually, the CD68 method revealed low macrophage presence in most organs. This study suggests that HPS may cause brain damage, and the susceptibility of the Arian breed to the adenovirus needs further investigation.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and decitabine-containing conditioning improves survival in myelodysplastic syndrome patients with iron overload undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Zhao Wenshu , Pan Danqi , Zeng Xiangzong , Xuan Li , Fan Zhiping , Huang Fen , Xu Na , Sun Jing , Liu Qifa , Dai Min
Published: August 2023

Background:Iron overload is considered as an unfavorable prognosis in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) even in those undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Although iron chelation therapy has improved the prognosis of these patients to some extent, the effect has not yet been satisfactory. This study aimed to investigate whether granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and decitabine (G-DAC)-containing conditioning improve the prognosis of iron-overloaded MDS patients undergoing allo-HSCT.Methods:One hundred and ninety-seven patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Based on the level of serum ferritin (SF) and conditioning regimen, all patients enrolled were divided into 4 groups: SF﹤1000µg/L with G-DAC conditioning (cohort 1), SF﹤1000µg/L with non-G-DAC conditioning (cohort 2), SF ≥ 1000µg/L with G-DAC conditioning (cohort 3) and SF ≥ 1000µg/L with non-G-DAC conditioning (cohort 4). The clinical features and prognosis between cohorts were analyzed.Results:The 2-year overall survival (OS) was 77.0%, 72.1%, 73.8% and 38.7% (P= 0.001), and disease-free survival (DFS) was 75.7%, 62.8%, 71.7% and 35.5% (P= 0.001), and the cumulative incidence of non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 17.3%, 25.0%, 15.2% and 53.1% (P= 0.001), and the incidence of relapse was8%, 13.6%, 13.1% and 12.5% (P= 0.592), respectively, in the four groups. To be specific, cohort4 had worse OS and DFS and higher NRM than the other three groups (allP﹤0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that SF ≥ 1000µg/L was a risk factor for OS, DFS and NRM (P= 0.022,P= 0.025,P= 0.036), while G-DAC-containin g conditioning was a protective factor (P= 0.009,P= 0.003,P= 0.004). Intriguingly, when cohort 1 to cohort4 were included in the multivariate analysis, only cohort4 was a risk factor for OS, DFS and NRM (allP﹤0.05), but cohort3, namely iron-overloaded patients who received G-DAC-containing conditioning had no difference in prognosis compared with patients with SF﹤1000µg/L.Conclusions:The poor prognosis of patients with iron overload could be overcome byG-DAC-containing conditioning partly.
Chinese herbal compound Xinfeng capsule inhibits cartilage extracellular matrix degradation and inflammation in osteoarthritis by modulating circ_0032131 and the miR-502-5p/TRAF2 axis
Authors: zhouqiao Qiao , Liu Jian , Hu Yuedi , Qi Yajun
Published: August 2023

Objective
We intended to explore the anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects of Xinfeng capsule (XFC) in osteoarthritis (OA), perhaps through the regulation of hsa_circ_0032131 and miR-502-5p/TRAF2 axis.
Materials and methods
In total, 30 patients with OA and healthy subjects were recruited. To detect markers of cartilage metabolism and inflammation, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were taken out. Subsequently, network pharmacology was employed to forecast OA-related targets and pathways for XFC therapy. To investigate the function of upregulated hsa_circ_0032131 in model cells.A series of functional experiments revealed the relationship between hsa_circ_0032131 and miR-502-5p/TRAF2 axis. To further determine whether XFC potentially treats OA through the interaction between circ_0032131 and miR-502-5p/TRAF2 axis. CKK-8 assay and flow cytometry were performed to detect cell proliferation and apoptotic processes in XFC-treated cells. Some conventional experimental methods were used to detect the expression levels of inflammatory factors, extracellular matrix and others. In addition, rescue experiments verified that XFC blocked the effects of hsa_circ_0032131 overexpression on extracellular matrix, inflammation and cell viability.
Results
Clinical observations indicated that the expression of hsa_circ_0032131 in PBMCs of OA patients was significantly elevated, and there was a correlation with clinical immuno-inflammatory factors and inflammatory indicators. Network pharmacology verified that the chief active ingredients of XFC exerted their roles mainly in the regulation of inflammation (IL1A, IL1B, IL4), extracellular matrix metabolism (MMP13, COL2A1), and tumour necrosis factor (TNF, TRAF2). In vitro experiments revealed that knockdown of circ_0032131 inhibited apoptosis, inflammatory and ECM degradation in PBMCs-stimulated chondrocytes. Circ_0032131 was verified to be a sponge of miR-502-5p by targeting, and TRAF2 was a direct target of miR-502-5p. By regulating circ_0032131 and miR-502-5p/TRAF2 axis, XFC prevented PBMCs-stimulated chondrocytes from responding to inflammation and ECM degradation.
Conclusion
The XFC suppressed inflammatory response and extracellular matrix metabolism in OA by regulating circ_0032131 and miR-502-5p/TRAF2 axis.
SAS: Split Antibiotic Selection for identifying chaperones that improve protein solubility
Authors: McNutt Emily , Ke Na , Thurman Alexandre , Eaglesham James B. , Berkmen Mehmet
Published: August 2023

Background
Heterologous expression of active, native-folded protein in Escherichia coli is critical in both academic research and biotechnology settings. When expressing non-native recombinant proteins in E. coli, obtaining soluble and active protein can be challenging. Numerous techniques can be used to enhance a proteins solubility, and largely focus on either altering the expression strain, plasmid vector features, growth conditions, or the protein coding sequence itself. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for addressing issues with protein solubility, and it can be both time and labor intensive to find a solution. An alternative approach is to use the co-expression of chaperones to assist with increasing protein solubility. By designing a genetic system where protein solubility is linked to viability, the appropriate protein folding factor can be selected for any given protein of interest. To this end, we developed a Split Antibiotic Selection (SAS) whereby an insoluble protein is inserted in-frame within the coding sequence of the hygromycin B resistance protein, aminoglycoside 7″-phosphotransferase-Ia (APH(7″)), to generate a tripartite fusion. By creating this tripartite fusion with APH(7″), the solubility of the inserted protein can be assessed by measuring the level of hygromycin B resistance of the cells.
Results
We demonstrate the functionality of this system using a known protein and co-chaperone pair, the human mitochondrial Hsp70 ATPase domain (ATPase70) and its co-chaperone human escort protein (Hep). Insertion of the insoluble ATPase70 within APH(7ʹʹ) renders the tripartite fusion insoluble and results in sensitivity to hygromycin B. Antibiotic resistance can be rescued by expression of the co-chaperone Hep which assists in the folding of the APH(7ʹʹ)-ATPase70-APH(7ʹʹ) tripartite fusion and find that cellular hygromycin B resistance correlates with the total soluble fusion protein. Finally, using a diverse chaperone library, we find that SAS can be used in a pooled genetic selection to identify chaperones capable of improving client protein solubility.
Conclusions
The tripartite APH(7ʹʹ) fusion links the in vivo solubility of the inserted protein of interest to hygromycin B resistance. This construct can be used in conjunction with a chaperone library to select for chaperones that increase the solubility of the inserted protein. This selection system can be applied to a variety of client proteins and eliminates the need to individually test chaperone-protein pairs to identify those that increase solubility.
MiR-1a-3p inhibits apoptosis in fluoride-exposed LS8 cells by targeting Map3k1
Authors: Chen Ting , Gu Yu , Bai Guo-Hui , Liu Xia , Chen Bin , Fan Qin , Liu Jian-Guo , Tian Yuan
Published: August 2023

Dental fluorosis is a chemical disease that is common.At present, it is not clear how fluorosis happens at the molecula level.We have used miRNA-seq to look at the differences between miRNAs in the cell line of ameloblasts LS8 cells that had been treated with 3.2 mmol/L NaF. and did GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis .We found that the levels of miR-1a-3p were significantly lower in mouse LS8 cells treated with 3.2 mmol/L NaF, and the genes that miR-1a-3p targets were significantly enriched in the MAPK pathway. The LS8 cells were divided into four groups: the control, NaF, NaF + miR-1a-3p mimics and NaF + miR-1a-3p mimics NC groups. The morphology of the cells were observed by an inverted microscope.We detected the proliferation activity of LS8 cells by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), we detected the transcription levels of miR-1a-3p and Map3k1. The expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, Map3k1, p38MAPK, ERK1/2, p-p38MAPK and p-ERK1/2 were measured by Western Blot. After doing a bioinformatics analysis, we used a luciferase reporter assay (LRA) to validate the target of miR-1a-3p.Our results indicated that miR-1a-3p could inhibit the apoptosis while increasing proliferation in fluoride-exposed LS8 cells.In general, miR-1a-3p may directly inhibit Map3k1, reduce MAPK signal pathway activation, and promote phosphorylation.Thus, Our findings revealed that miR-1a-3p's interaction with its target gene Map3k1 and MAPK signal pathway might decrease LS8 cells' apoptosis treated with 3.2 mmol/L NaF.
LncRNA USP2-AS1 facilitates colorectal cancer development via upregulating PHLDA2 through recruiting IGF2BP2 and absorbing miR-134-5p
Authors: Zhu Jing , Liu Zichun , Chang Lisha , Gu Qiou , Lin Shuhui , Luo Qian , Qian Mengseng , Ding Jie , Wei Qiong , Pu Juan , Wang Keming
Published: August 2023

Background
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors and a challenging public health issue worldwide, seriously threatening human health. It is essential to explore further the molecular mechanisms involved in the occurrence and development of CRC and identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CRC. Researchers have revealed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in multiple cancers development, including CRC. USP2-AS1 is a newly discovered lncRNA whose function in CRC has yet to be fully elucidated, prompting us to study further the roles and potential mechanisms of USP2-AS1 in CRC.
Methods
The expression of USP2-AS1 in CRC tissues and cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The biological function of USP2-AS1 in CRC was studied through Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, colony formation assays, 5-Ethynyl‐2ʹ‐deoxyuridine (EdU) assays, migration assays, apoptosis assays, and animal experiments. The interaction between USP2-AS1, PHLDA2, IGF2BP2, and miR-134-5p was revealed through bioinformatics analysis, RNA sequencing, RNA stability assays, RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays, and dual-luciferase reporter assays.
Results
We discovered that USP2-AS1 was overexpressed in CRC tissues and cell lines, and USP2-AS1 overexpression was relevant to poor prognosis in CRC patients. Functional experiments clarified that USP2-AS1 facilitated CRC cell growth and metastasis and reduced apoptosis. Additionally, animal experiments demonstrated that USP2-AS1 could promote tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, on the one hand, we verified that USP2-AS1 could bind to IGF2BP2 and thus stabilize PHLDA2 mRNA. On the other hand, USP2-AS1 could absorb miR-134-5p to regulate PHLDA2 expression.
Conclusions
USP2-AS1 could upregulate PHLDA2 expression by recruiting IGF2BP2 and competitively binding miR-134-5p, thus facilitating CRC malignant progression. Our
The complete mitochondrial genome of Octopus vulgaris
Authors: Fee Gareth N. , Roura Alvaro , Emami-Khoyi Arsalan , Teske Peter R.
Published: August 2023

Background
The Octopus vulgaris species complex consists of numerous morphologically similar but genetically distinct species. The current publicly available mitogenome of this species has been generated from a specimen collected from Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan. Octopus from the northwestern Pacific Ocean are now considered to be a separate species, Octopus sinensis. For this reason, we hypothesised that the current record of O. vulgaris was sequenced from a specimen of O. sinensis. Here, we sequenced the first complete mitogenome of a specimen of Octopus vulgaris sensu stricto that was collected from the species’ confirmed distribution areas in northeastern Atlantic.
Methods and results
The complete mitogenome was assembled de novo and annotated using 250 bp paired-end sequences. A single circular contig 15655 bp in length with a mean read coverage of 1089 reads was reconstructed. The annotation pipeline identified 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNA) and two ribosomal RNAs (rRNA). A Bayesian phylogenetic reconstruction recovered the assembled mitogenome as the sister taxon of a monophyletic group comprising O. sinensis and the previously published mitogenome of “O. vulgaris” from Japan. This confirms that the latter was a Japanese specimen of O. sinensis.
Conclusion
The mitogenome sequenced here is the first to be published for Octopus vulgaris sensu stricto. It represents an important first step in genetics-informed research on the evolution, conservation, and management of this commercially important species.
Importance of Swamp Forest Fragments for the Habitat and Conservation of Vertebrates
Authors: Arriagada Aldo , Fuentes Norka
Published: August 2023

The Temu-Pitra swamp forests in Chile support great biodiversity, however, they are highly threatened by anthropic disturbances that increase the dragging of sediments. Between 2020 and 2021 we recorded vertebrates in a swamp forest fragment in southern Chile, and identified 41 species of birds and eight mammals. Nine species of birds and two species of mammals are strictly aquatic and have greater dependence for their survival on the remnant of swamp forest studied. This swamp forest fragment provides critical habitat for strictly aquatic birds and mammals, but also for terrestrial species (birds and carnivores) with extensive home ranges. The swamp forest is inserted in a sub-basin forest matrix that threatens its conservation, through the dragging and deposition of sediment in the bodies of water. Although the swamp forest fragment studied presented a less diverse vertebrate community compared to other local wetlands, we suggest that it plays an important role in the conservation of these vertebrates in southern Chile, where the development of forestry activity continues to produce fragmentation and loss of habitat, in addition to the deterioration of water resources.
A Hybrid CNN-Transformer Architecture with Frequency Domain Contrastive Learning for Image Deraining
Authors: Wang Cheng , Li Wei
Published: August 2023

Image deraining is a challenging task that involves restoring degraded images affected by rain streaks. While Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have been commonly used for this task, existing approaches often rely on stacked convolutional basic blocks with limited performance and compromised spatial detail. Furthermore, the limited receptive field of convolutional layers leads to incomplete processing of non-uniform rain streaks. To address these concerns, we propose a novel image deraining network that combines CNNs and trans- formers. Our network comprises two stages: an encoder-decoder architecture with a triple attention mechanism to capture valuable features and residual dual branch transformer blocks that enhance local information modeling. To address the transformer’s lack of local information modeling capability, we intro- duce convolution in the self-attentive mechanism of the transformer block and feed-forward network. Additionally, we employ a frequency domain contrastive learning method to enhance contrastive sample information, ensuring that the restored image closely resembles the clear image in the frequency domain space, while still retaining a distinction from the rainy image. Extensive quantitative and qualitative experiments demonstrate that our proposed deraining network outperforms existing methods on public datasets.
ZnO nanoparticles induced biofilm formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus at sub-inhibitory concentrations
Authors: K Sreekanth , N Safa , Theresa Mary , E.K. Radhakrishnan
Published: August 2023

Biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria generates a serious threat to the public health as it can increase the virulence potential, resistance to drugs and escape from host immune response mechanisms. Among the environmental factors that influence the biofilm formation, there are only limited reports available on the role of antimicrobial agents. During the antimicrobial drug administration or application for any purpose, the microbial population can certainly be exposed to sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (sub-MIC) which will have diverse impact on microbial responses. Hence, the study was conducted to investigate the effects of sub-MIC levels of new-generation antimicrobial agents, the nanoparticles on the biofilm formation of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus by taking zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) as the candidate nanomaterial. Here, the selected bacteria were screened for their ability to form biofilm using the Congo Red Agar method and the antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs was also evaluated. The direct quantification of biofilm formed by selected organisms in the presence of sub-MIC levels of ZnO NPs was further carried out by using the microtiter plate-crystal violet assay. Further, the samples were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) to evaluate the properties and pattern of biofilm modulation under different conditions. From these, the organisms treated with sub-MIC levels of ZnO NPs were found to have enhanced biofilm formation when compared with the untreated sample and no growth could be observed for samples treated with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ZnO NPs. The results observed in the study provide key insights into the diverse impact of nanomaterials on clinically important microorganisms which demands critical thinking on the antimicrobial use of nanomaterials.
Outcomes in Randomized Controlled Trials on Slowing Myopia: A Systematic Review
Authors: Chen Nan , Zeng Xuanling , Wang Tianlin , Xia Wanying , Yang Xingyue
Published: August 2023

Introduction: This review aims to analyse the application of the measure methods and measure contents of the outcomes reported in studies on slowing myopia, and the associations between outcomes and study characteristics.
Methods: Publications were identified by a search of seven electronic databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure and PubMed, for relevant terms like myopia and randomized controlled trial from construction to September 15th, 2021. The basic information of studies was extracted, including publishing time, region, intervention duration, sample size, intervention and outcome. Additionally, the measurements of outcomes were explored. The risk of bias of all studies included were assessed.
Results: Altogether, 437 randomized controlled trials were included, including visual acuity (51.95%), refraction (46.91%), eye axial length (42.33%) and response rate (44.85%). Since 360 studies (82.38%) were published in Chinese, the included studies were divided into subgroups according to the study language. The number of research published in Chinese has surged since 2005. The rate of refraction has gradually increased from 27.27% before 2005 to 71.08% in the past 2 years. Half of the studies published in English were published in the past 5 years. The usage frequency of refraction was ≥ 75% in each period and that of eye axial length kept at more than half. In the studies lasting > 6 months, the usage frequencies of refraction and axial length were > 90%. They accounted for 91.30% and 82.61% in the studies using contact lenses, and both 94.12% in the studies using spectacles.
Conclusion: More and more attention is paid in slowing myopia, and the reported outcomes are diverse. Based on the analysis of the outcomes, there is a lack of an agreed-upon standardised set of outcomes in clinical trials for slowing myopia.
Insight into the Binding Interaction Mechanism of the ligand M1069 with Human Serum Albumin and A2A Adenosine Receptor – A Biophysical Approach
Authors: Azees Shajith Ahamed , Manoharan Rupavarshini , Govindan Navaneeth Alanthata , Leon Bernet Shano , Subramani Karthikeyan
Published: August 2023

Adenosine, a nucleotide essential for human energy metabolism, can also increase the development and metastasis of cancer. Through its interaction to G protein-coupled adenosine receptors (GPCRs), adenosine can stimulate the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Recent research suggests that drug M1069, which is developed as a treatment for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a hereditary condition that can cause lung and liver damage, can also be useful in cancer treatment as an antagonist. It prevents adenosine from binding to the protein A2A adenosine receptor on G-coupled receptors. This study examines the fundamentals of the drug M1069 and its interactions with the A2AAR (target) and HSA (transport) proteins. In this investigation, we are endeavoring to determine the electronic characteristics of the M1069 when it interacts with the HSA and A2AAR protein. Molecular Docking simulation is carried out in order to gain an understanding of the mechanism underlying the binding interaction. Molecular dynamics simulations were applied to the optimal docked pose determined from docking investigations. In addition, the optimization of the ligand and single point energy calculations were performed using density functional theory (DFT) before and after docking to gain insight into the intermolecular interaction and investigate the electronic characteristics of the docked molecules.
Association between survivin gene Polymorphism -31G/C and Risk of Lung and Gastrointestinal cancers : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Neha Malviya , Anam Khan , Ananyan Sampath , Singh Ahirwar Sonu , Rakesh Kanwar Jagat , Ashwin Kotnis
Published: August 2023

Survivin (BIRC5) is an anti-apoptosis protein overexpressed in most of the cancers and associated with poor clinical outcome. We haveprovided an updated meta-analysis of -31G/C (rs9904341) gene polymorphism which is highly associated with cancer risk. Methodology: A comprehensive literature search in PubMed and Google scholar database was conducted. A total of 10472 cases and 12193 controls from 51 studies were included in this meta-analysis. This study was prospectively registered in PROSPERO andsensitivity analysis, risk of bias analysis and statistical analysis were performed, and pooled odds ratio (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs) was calculated to assess the strength of association. All analyzed were achieved using RevMan 5.4 software and Excel 2013 version. Results: The overall meta-analysis indicates that survivin gene polymorphism − 31G/C is highly associated with overall cancer risk in allelic (C vs G, OR = 1.25,95% CI = 1.15 to 1.37, P < 0.00001), homozygous co-dominant (CC vs GG, OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.23 to 1.90, P = 0.0001), heterozygous co-dominant (CC vs CG, OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.18 to 1.52, P < 0.00001), dominant model(CC + CG vs GG, OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.14 to 1.46, P = < 0.0001) and recessive model (CG + GG vs CC, OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.61 to 0.81, P < 0.00001). Stratified analysis revealed that the variant significantly increase the risk in Asian population. For which cancers was the SNP conferring risk, protection and no change , Conclusion:-31G/C polymorphism of BIRC5 gene is associated with the risk of cancer in the Asian population. However, further large scale clinical studies are required to re-evaluate this result in future.
CovMedCare: Confluence of Internet of Things, Blockchain and Machine Learning for Remote Monitoring System of Pandemic Patients
Authors: Krishna Charu , Kumar Divya , Kushwaha Dharmender Singh
Published: August 2023

Pandemics like Covid-19 necessitate the need for continuous remote monitoring of patients. The scarcity of an efficient and secure remote monitoring system for patients led to surge in work pressure for medical staff in hospitals globally. In this paper, we propose a secure and robust decentralized patient monitoring model called CovMedCare for monitoring the Covid-19 in-patients utilizing the confluence the Machine Learning, Internet of Things and Blockchain technologies. In the proposed model, sensor data from WBAN is integrated with previous health records of the patients to predict deteriorating health condition of the patient over a blockchain network. The accuracy of the proposed model is assessed on a dataset with five medical sensor attributes and twelve previous health records attributes. The experimental results exhibit that CovMedCare achieves an accuracy of 99% in identifying the patient whose health condition is deteriorating, which is higher than that of other traditional machine learning models.
Short- and Long-term survival prediction in patients with acute type A aortic dissection undergoing open surgery
Authors: Matniyaz Yusanjan , Luo Yuan-Xi , Jiang Yi , Zhang Ke-Yin , Wang Wen-Zhe , Pan Tuo , Wang Dong-Jin , Xue Yun-Xing
Published: August 2023

Background: Acute Type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease associated with high mortality rates, where surgical intervention remains the primary life-saving treatment. However, the mortality rate for ATAAD operations continues to be alarmingly high. To address this critical issue, our study aimed to assess the correlation between preoperative laboratory examination, clinical imaging data, and postoperative mortality in ATAAD patients. Additionally, we sought to establish a reliable prediction model for evaluating the risk of postoperative death.
Methods: In this study, a total of 384 patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) who were admitted to the emergency department for surgical treatment were included. Based on preoperative laboratory examination and clinical imaging data of ATAAD patients, logistic analysis was used to obtain independent risk factors for postoperative in-hospital death. The survival prediction model was based on cox regression analysis and displayed as a nomogram.
Results: Logistic analysis identified several independent risk factors for postoperative in-hospital death, including Marfan syndrome, previous cardiac surgery history, previous renal dialysis history, direct bilirubin, serum phosphorus, D-dimer, white blood cell, multiple aortic ruptures and age. A survival prediction model based on cox regression analysis was established and presented as a nomogram. The model exhibited good discrimination and significantly improved the prediction of death risk in ATAAD patients.
Conclusions: In this study, we developed a novel survival prediction model for acute type A aortic dissection based on preoperative clinical features. The model demonstrated good discriminatory power and improved accuracy in predicting the risk of death in ATAAD patients undergoing open surgery.
Developmental programming of Kupffer cells by maternal obesity causes fatty liver disease in the offspring
Authors: Mass Elvira , Huang Hao , Splichalova Iva , Balzer Nora , Seep Lea , Taveras Eliana Franco , Radwaniak Carolin , Acil Kerim , Mauel Katharina , Blank-Stein Nelli , Makdissi Nikola , Zurkovic Jelena , Kayvanjoo Amir , Wunderling Klaus , Jessen Malin , Yaghmour Mohammed , Ulas Thomas , Grein Stephan , Schultze Joachim , Liu Zhaoyun , Ginhoux Florent , Beyer Marc , Thiele Christoph , Hasenauer Jan , Wachten Dagmar
Published: August 2023

Kupffer cells (KCs) are tissue-resident macrophages which colonize the developing liver early during embryogenesis1. Throughout development and adulthood, KCs have distinct core functions that are essential for liver and organismal homeostasis, such as supporting fetal erythropoiesis as well as postnatal erythrocyte recycling and liver metabolism2. KCs start to acquire their tissue-specific transcriptional signature immediately after colonizing the liver, mature together with the tissue, and adapt to the tissue’s function1,3,4. However, whether perturbations of macrophage core functions during development contribute to or cause disease at postnatal stages is poorly understood. Here, we utilize a maternal obesity model to perturb KC functions during gestation. We show that mice experiencing maternal obesity during gestation develop fatty liver disease that is accompanied by a local inflammatory response. Transcriptional analyses reveal that KCs undergo developmental programming through maternal obesity, which persists in adulthood. The offspring’s KC developmental programming is irreversible and leads to increased lipid uptake in hepatocytes mediated via KCs. The transcriptional programming of KCs and the fatty liver disease phenotype are rescued by genetic depletion of hypoxia-inducible factor alpha (Hif1α) in macrophages during gestation. These results establish developmental perturbation of KC functions as a cause for the development of fatty liver disease in adult life and, thereby, place fetal-derived macrophages as intergenerational messengers within the concept of developmental origins of health and diseases5.
Bayesian Inference on the Burr type-XII Model Parameters Based on Progressive type-II Fuzzy Order Statistics
Authors: Maswadah M.
Published: August 2023

In statistical inference, the experimental results are usually considered precise information. However, these results cannot always be recorded or measured precisely, which is called Fuzzy data, which can be considered an imprecise type of data with a source of uncertainty. This paper presents a Fuzzy Bayesian estimation for Burr type-XII distribution parameters based on progressive type-II fuzzy order statistics. The Bayesian estimators have been derived by Tierney-Kadane and Monte Carlo integration approximations and compared with the exact Bayesian estimators, via Monte Carlo simulations. The simulation results indicated that the exact Bayes results provide better estimators and outperform the other approximation methods. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed methods.
Magnetic resonance imaging-based machine learning radiomics predicts CCND1 expression level and survival in low-grade gliomas
Authors: Zhao Kun , Zhang Hui , Lin Jianyang , Liu Jianzhi , Xu Shoucheng , Gu Yongbing , Ren Guoqiang , Lu Xinyu , Chen Baomin , Chen Deng , Yan Jun , Ma Jichun , Wei Wenxiang , Wang Yuanwei
Published: August 2023

Low-grade glioma (LGG) is associated with increased mortality owing to the recrudescence and tendency for malignant transformation. Therefore, novel prognostic biomarkers must be identified as the current traditional prognostic biomarkers of glioma, including clinicopathological features and imaging examinations, are unable to meet the clinical demand for precision medicine. Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of cyclin D1 (CCND1) expression levels and construct radiomic models to predict these levels in patients with LGG. A total of 412 LGG cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used for gene-based prognostic analysis. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images stored in The Cancer Imaging Archive with genomic data from TCGA, 149 cases were selected for radiomics feature extraction and model construction. After feature extraction, the radiomic signature was constructed using logistic regression (LR) and support vector machine (SVM) analyses. Involved in the regulation of the cell cycle and immune response, CCND1 was identified as a differentially expressed prognosis-related gene in tumor and normal samples. Landmark analysis revealed that high expression levels of CCND1 were beneficial for survival (P < 0.05) in advanced LGG. Four optimal radiomics features were selected to construct radiomics models. The performance of LR and SVM achieved areas under the curve of 0.703, 0.705, as well as 0.724 and 0.726 in the training and validation sets, respectively. CCND1 expression levels could affect the prognosis of patients with LGG. MRI-based radiomics can serve as a novel tool for predicting the prognosis.
Faecal microbiota in the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) shows stability across gestation
Authors: Buthgamuwa Isini , Fenelon Jane C. , Roser Alice , Meer Haley , Johnston Stephen D. , Dungan Ashley M.
Published: August 2023

Background Indigenous microbial communities (microbiota) play critical roles in health and may be especially important for mother and fetus during pregnancy. Having diverged from Eutherian mammals roughly 184 million years ago, monotremes, such as the short-beaked echidna, have evolved to lay and incubate an egg, which hatches in their pouch where the young feeds. Since both faeces and eggs pass through the cloaca, the faecal microbiota of female echidnas provides an opportunity for vertical transmission of microbes to their offspring as well as maintaining fetus health. Little is known about the composition of the echidna microbiome; hence, this study aims to characterize the gut/faecal microbiome of female short-beaked echidnas and gain a better understanding of the changes that may occur in their microbiome as they go through pregnancy. Results Faecal samples from four female and five male echidnas were obtained from the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland and sequenced to evaluate bacterial community structure. We identified 25 core bacteria, most of which were present in male and female samples. Genera such asFusobacterium,Bacteroides,Escherichia-ShigellaandLactobacilluswere consistently abundant, regardless of sex or gestation stage, accounting for 58.00% and 56.14% of reads in male and female samples, respectively. The echidna microbiome remained stable across the different gestation stages, though there was a significant difference in microbiota composition between male and female echidnas. Conclusions This study is the first to describe the microbiome composition of short-beaked echidnas across reproductive phases and allows the opportunity for this novel information to be used as a metric of health to aid in the detection of diseases triggered by microbiota dysbiosis.
The extended research for constructing three-dimensional nonlocally related partial differential equation systems
Authors: Wang Huanjin , Zhao Qiulan , Li Xinyue
Published: August 2023

The coordinate-independent analysis (qualitative, numerical, perturbation, etc.) on a given partial differential equation (PDE) may be effectively facilitated if its nonlocally related PDE systems can be constructed. The present research extendes their construction in three-dimensional situations, including the reduced potential system (RPS) based on the divergence-type conservation law (CL) and the inverse potential system (IPS) based on the differential invariant (DI). For the RPS, the breakthrough is to prove that the potential system with the algebraic gauge constraint can further reduce the potential without weakening the solution space. The RPS with a more compact structure not only simplifies the computation of symmetric properties (equivalent transformations, nonlocal symmetries), but also promotes to produce more valuable results (nonlocal CLs and the expansion of the nonlocal CLs based-RPS). For the IPS, the more critical breakthrough is to generalize the previous theorems from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. It consists of nonlocal symmetries’ identification by the IPS, and the IPS’s expansion by the solvable Lie algebra. As the application, this research is demonstrated with a typical three-dimensional PDE with the power law nonlinearity and multiple parameters. Once the parameters are determined, our analysis corresponds to several equations describing turbulence, shock waves, and weakly diffracted waves. Concretely, its RPSs, IPSs, their expansions and associatied symmetric properties are derived. Consequently, these generated systems are nonlocally related to the demonstrated equation, constituting an expanded tree of nonlocally related PDE systems. Moreover, this research can aslo be applied to other three-dimensional PDEs that admit CLs or DIs.
WITHDRAWN: The Anticancer Mechanisms of Exopolysaccharide from Weissella cibaria D-2 on Colorectal Cancer via Apoptosis Induction
Authors: Du Yurong , Liu Lei , Yan Weiliang , Li Yang , Li Yuanzhe , Cui Kang , Yu Pu , Gu Zhuoyu , Zhang WanCun , Feng Jianguo , Li Zhen , Tang Hao , Du Yabing , Zhao Huan
Published: August 2023

Exopolysaccharide (EPS) from Weissella cibaria has been devoted to the study of food industry. However, the anticancer activity of W. cibaria derived EPS has not yet been investigated. In this study, we obtained the EPS from W. cibaria D-2 isolated from the feces of healthy infants and found that D-2-EPS, a homopolysaccharide with sheet structure, could effectively inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion and induce cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. In HT-29 tumor xenografts, D-2-EPS significantly retarded tumor growth without obvious cytotoxicity to normal organs. Furthermore, we revealed that D-2-EPS promoted the apoptosis of CRC cells by increasing the levels of Fas, FasL and activating Caspase-8/Caspase-3, indicating that D-2-EPS might induce apoptosis through the extrinsic Fas/FasL pathway. Taken together, the D-2-EPS has the potential to be developed as a nutraceutical or drug to prevent and treat colorectal cancer.
Nurses’ Job Satisfaction in Public Hospitals in Addis Ababa
Authors: Haile Elias Sebsibe
Published: August 2023

Job satisfaction largely determines the productivity and efficiency of human resource for health. It literally depicts the extent to which professionals like or dislike their jobs. Job satisfaction is said to be linked with different personal and organizational factors affect employee’s organizational commitment and consequently the quality of services. The objective of the study is to determine the level of and factors influencing job satisfaction among nurses’ in public hospitals in Addis Ababa city administration. Cross-sectional descriptive survey research design will be used to gather information from the targeted population without creating contradiction. To determine the size of sample the researchers will use single population proportion formula with the assumption of 95% confidence level. The sample size is 333. Self-administrated survey questionnaires will be used to collect data from respondents. The study revealed that the level of job satisfaction of nurses in public hospitals of Addis Ababa were very low. The factors that related with low job satisfaction are mainly related to salary and benefited, lack of growth and development and training. Low involvement in decision making process and lack of administrative support were other strong factors of low job satisfaction.
Manipulating Moiré Excitons in Two-Dimensional Quantum Systems via Optical Microcavities
Authors: LIU Yanping , Zheng Haihong , Wu Biao , Li Shaofei , Ding Junnan , He Jun , Liu Zongwen , Zhang Shunping , Duan Xidong , Pan Anlian , Wang Jian-Tao
Published: August 2023

Moiré-trapped interlayer excitons within two-dimensional (2D) moiré superlattices offer a remarkably versatile and adaptable platform, enabling an extensive exploration of dipole interactions and many-body correlations in the realm of 2D quantum systems. Conversely, optical microcavities, capable of confining photons within a confined space, profoundly amplify the interplay between light and matter, ushering in a new era of possibilities for photonics research. However, the intricate synergy between moiré potential and optical microcavities remains shrouded in uncertainty. Here, we present a precise integration of a twisted WSe2/WSe2 homobilayer with an optical microcavity, forging a cooperative alliance between moiré excitons and microcavity photons. Our investigation unveils highly localized moiré-enhanced emission in the suspended WSe2/WSe2 homobilayer, distinguished by remarkably sharp emission lines with peak widths reduced by a factor of three, alongside distinctive valleytronic attributes. Notably, our pioneering work uncovers a profound transformation in the nature of moiré exciton-dipole interactions within the suspended twist-angle WSe2/WSe2 homobilayer. This transformation triggers an unprecedented shift from repulsive to attractive interactions, culminating in the emergence of a robust moiré biexciton phase—an occurrence previously confined to theoretical predictions. Our findings provide essential insights into the cooperative interplay between moiré excitons and optical microcavities, illuminating the underlying physics and charting a course for future research and technological advancements in this captivating realm.
Fiber Reinforced White Topping as a Rehabilitation Alternative over Flexible Pavement: An Experimental Study on Awash-Mille Road
Authors: Tsahay Urji , Garoma Shiferaw
Published: August 2023

White topping is a rehabilitation treatment on asphalt concrete. This is one of the rehabilitation method believed by many researchers to lower maintenance cost of the pavement with very good performance result. It is increasing both in developed and developing countries; but the concept is new and have not been applicable in Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, asphalt overlay is the dominant type of rehabilitation measure to restore bituminous pavement distresses. Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) is currently maintaining the road from Awash to Mille which had experienced rutting, fatigue and thermal cracking. The road was designed for critical period of 5 years for rehabilitation with overlay thickness ranging from 50 mm to 120 mm. Some of the section experienced rutting and fatigue cracking within 1 to 2 years after it had been constructed. The research study utilized experimental evaluation to achieve the objectives on 1 km length of the selected segment. Field testing was carried out using Benkelman Beam Deflection equipment to assess the structural situation of existing asphalt. The deflection & modulus of sub grade reaction result indicates that the severity of the rutting would not be associated to the overall strength of the roadway as indicated by its very low deflection. Laboratory testing was accomplished to determine the optimum plastic percentage mixed in the concrete as fiber reinforcement. The result indicates that adding of shredded plastic with plastic fiber of 0.25% weight of cement improves both compressive and tensile strength of concrete. The 28th day for compressive strength and split tensile strength was increased by 1.08% and 5.53% respectively. Therefore, adding amount of 1.063 kg per m3 in white topping improved shrinkage and cracking which is the drawback of normal concrete. Using input from field and laboratory test result white topping thickness had been designed using Bonded Concrete Overlay of asphalt Mechanistic-Empirical design tool as rehabilitation alternative for the deteriorated flexible pavements. Finally, an attempt was made to compare initial construction cost of Fiber reinforced white topping with that of conventional flexible overlay designed by ERA. From the assessment of the study, early construction cost of white topping with 127 mm thickness was greater in 872368.8 ETB than 55 mm thickness of asphalt overlay designed by ERA. Therefore, it is necessary to construct a few trial section using local materials, traffic and climatic conditions to check its performances.
Similar but different: characterization of dddD gene mediated dimethylsulfoniopropionatemetabolism among Coral-Associated Endozoicomonas
Authors: Chiou Yu Jing , Chan Ya-Fan , Yu Sheng-Ping , Lu Chih-Ying , Sung-Yun Silver , Chiang Pei-Wen , Hsu Ting-Chang , Liu Po-Yu , Wada Naohisa , Lee Yu , Jane Wann-Nng , Lee Der-Chuen , Huang Yu-Wen , Tang Sen-Lin
Published: August 2023

Endozoicomonas, the predominant bacterium associated with corals, is believed to play crucial roles in maintaining coral health. Its role in dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) degradation has been a subject of discussion for over a decade. A previous study found Endozoicomonas degraded DMSP through dddD pathway. This process releases dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which is vital for corals coping with thermal stress. However, little is known about the related gene regulation and metabolic abilities of DMSP metabolism in Endozoicomonadaceae. In this study, we observed a distinct DMSP metabolic trend in two phylogenetically close dddD -harboring Endozoicomonas species confirming genetically by the comparative transcriptomic profiling and visualizing the change of DMSP stable isotopes in bacterial cell using NanoSIMS. Furthermore, we found that DMSP cleavage enzymes are ubiquitous in coral Endozoicomonas with a preference for possessing DddD lyase. We speculate harboring DMSP degrading genes enables Endozoicomonas to successfully colonize various coral species across the globe.
Teaser: Coral-associated Endozoicomonas are widespread DMSP degraders monopolized by the dddD gene, employing various degradation mechanisms.
Analysis of Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance for Yield and Yield Associated Traits in Rice (Oryza Sativa L.)
Authors: Kumar Rajneesh , Ram Mukh , Heera Prashanth Kumar , Murali S. , kumar Arun Sai
Published: August 2023

The present investigation was conducted using 27-rice germplasm for the thirteen traits studied at the agriculture research farm, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Punjab during the kharif season 2022. A Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications were used to study genotypic and phenotypic variances, heritability, GCV, PCV, genetic advance, and genetic advance as a percentage of the mean (GAM %) for all the yield contributing traits. Harvest index recorded highest GCV (23.56) and PCV (25.06) respectively while Single plant yield had highest heritability h2 (92.11 %). However, Number of spikelets per panicle (45.60), number of filled grains per panicle (32.65), plant height (20.81) had high genetic advance. Moreover, Harvest index (45.64) had highest genetic advance as percent mean (GAM).