bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exogenous foliar spray of selenium (Se) alleviates cold stress by promoting photosynthesis and antioxidant defense in waxy maize
Authors: Cao Qingjun , Wang Wangtian , Akhtar Saqib Saleem , Yang Fentuan , Kong Fanli , Cui Zhengguo , Jiang Xiaoli , Zhang Enping , Li Gang
Published: June 2022

Exogenous application of selenium (Se) is an effective approach to improve abiotic stresses under climate change scenario. To investigate the effects of Se-induced improvement of cold tolerance, waxy maize seedlings sprayed with varied Se dose (0, 30, 60, 90 mg L -1 ) were exposed to low temperature (13 °C, LT) and ambient temperature (25 °C, NT) for ten days. The plant growth performances, such as net photosynthetic rate (A n ), oxidative damage, enzymes activities and related gene expression, and non-enzymatic levels of AsA and GSH were evaluated. The results showed that LT induced higher levels of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) , superoxide (O 2 •−), and decreased membrane stability index (MSI), An, leaf area (LA) and shoot dry weight (SDW) compared to NT, while Se-sprayed plants displayed higher antioxidant enzymes activities of SOD, CAT, APX and GR, and up-granulated genes encoding these four proteins, as well the increased contents of AsA, GSH and GSH+GSSG under LT, thereby decreased the accumulation of H 2 O 2 and O 2 •− content, which in turn maintained higher MSI, An and subsequent SDW. The results indicated that Se-induced low temperature tolerance might be associated the improved photosynthetic capacity, as well as enhanced antioxidant defense system.
Cardiac atrial metabolism quantitative assessment with analog and digital TOF-PET/CT
Authors: Hesse Michel , Marchandise Sébastien , Gerber Bernhard , Roelants Véronique
Published: June 2022

Background:Evaluation of left atrial (LA) remodeling is becoming increasingly relevant in understanding several pathological cardiac conditions. While 18F-FDG-PET/CT is currently the gold standard for metabolic evaluation of the left ventricle, it could be extended to LA metabolism evaluation using the latest PET technologies. We sought to perform a phantom study in order to determine the most appropriate advanced reconstruction algorithm in this context.Methods:The liver, heart cavity and walls of an anthropomorphic phantom were filled with typical patient 18F-FDG activity concentrations. Acquisitions were performed on an analog and on a digital TOF-PET/CT, and reconstructed with and without resolution recovery (RR). For the RR the Richardson-Lucy method was used, either as a post processing of the reconstructed images through a third-party plug-in software, or through the algorithm implemented by the PET/CT manufacturer. Activity recoveries in the atria and ventricles and signal-to-noise ratios were evaluated to rate the reconstructions and identify the best reconstruction and RR parameters. The same methodology was applied on a patient cardiac study to validate the phantom results.Results:Analog PET/CT with third-party RR cannot improve the activity recovery without markedly degrading the image quality. For the digital PET/CT, the manufacturer RR reconstruction improved LA activity recovery from about 58% to about 70% when using 4 iterations and 15 subsets combined with a 5 RR iterations, while preserving images of diagnostic quality. Similar results were obtained on the SUV values for the patient study.Conclusions:The digital TOF-PET/CT combined with the manufacturer reconstruction with 4 iterations and 15 subsets together with 5 RR iterations can be used to quantitatively analyze the LA uptake in patient 18F-FDG heart studies while still preserving image reading quality. This may lead to more precise cardiovascular disease status evaluation, especially when atria are concerned.
Prevalence and risk factors of delirium in psychiatric patients with critical illness
Authors: Ren Lina , Wang Yongjun
Published: June 2022

Purpose: Delirium is a serious neuropsychiatric syndrome, which can lead to poor outcomes, especially among patients with critical illness, but is easily missed among psychiatric patients. Some delirium-associated risks have been confirmed for critical patients and psychiatric patients. Nevertheless, the research about delirium in psychiatric patients with critical illness is rare.Methods: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of delirium in psychiatric patients with critical illness. We assessed 425 patients diagnosed with critical illness from Shenzhen Kangning hospital from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021, and registered their demographic information, medical history and comorbidities. Patients underwent a psychiatric examination using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM).Results: Among the 425 critical illness inpatients, 143 had delirium (prevalence of 33.6%). The most common associations were infectious disease (46.9%), electrolyte disturbance (48.3%), cerebrovascular disease (39.9%), and liver or kidney dysfunction (26.6%). The married status (OR = 3.450, p < 0.001), infectious diseases (OR = 2.862, p < 0.001), electrolyte disturbances (OR = 1.991, p = 0.009) and the organic mental disorder (OR = 5.611, p < 0.001) were independent non-modifiable factors associated with an increased risk of delirium. Conclusions: According to the study results, the delirium prevalence was about 33%. The organic mental disorder, infectious disease, electrolyte disturbance, cerebrovascular disease, and liver or kidney dysfunction were the risk factors for delirium in psychiatric patients with critical illness. Unexpectedly, the use of olanzapine or haloperidol showed no relevance to delirium.
Anaesthetic depth monitoring decreases the incidence of postoperative delirium in elective non-cardiac surgical patients receiving intravenous patient-controlled analgesia: A prospective observational study
Authors: Wang Kuei-Fen , Lin Yao-Tsung , Lan Kuo-Mao , Chen Jen-Yin , Wang Li-Kai , Chang Chia-Yu , Hung Kuo-Chuan
Published: June 2022

Background
To identify the impact of processed electroencephalogram (pEEG)-guided anesthesia on postoperative delirium (POD), postoperative analgesic requirements, and the incidence of postoperative nausea/vomiting (PONV) in the elective non-cardiac surgical patients with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IVPCA) in the wards.
Methods
In this prospective observational study, the anesthesiologists were free to use M-Entropy™, an pEEG device, to monitor the depth of anesthesia intraoperatively during the period (September 2015 ~ February 2018). Acute pain service team assessed the analgesic/side effects of IVPCA and POD at least twice daily for 3 days postoperatively. POD was screened by Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (NuDESC) (0–10). A psychiatrist or neurologist was consulted to confirm suspected POD if NuDESC ≧ 1. Pain severity was measured by an 11-point verbal numerical rating scale (0–10).
Results
A total of 1178 patients ( ≧ 60 years) were enrolled and divided to Entropy (749 patients) vs. non-Entropy group (429 patients). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that age ≧ 70, surgical types and the POD incidence were independent predictors for group differences (multiple odds ratio and 95% confidence interval: 9.49, 6.99–12.89; 0.47, 0.35–0.63; 0.11, 0.06–0.21). The POD incidence in Entropy group (2.2%, 17 patients) was significantly lower than that in non-Entropy group (6.7%, 29 patients) (p < 0.001). However, pEEG-guided anesthesia did not affect the duration and phenomenological characteristics of POD. In addition, intraoperative pEEG-guided anesthesia did not reduce total daily morphine dose of IVPCA, the incidence of PONV and inadequate postoperative pain management.
Conclusions
Processed EEG-guided anesthesia decreased POD incidence in IVPCA patients undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery returning to the ward. In addition, it did not reduce postoperative pain severity, postoperative analgesic requirements and postoperative nausea/vomiting. More research is needed to investigate the effects of pEEG-guided anesthesia on POD and the other postoperative conditions.
Test concordance of three serological assays for detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody: Result from a population-based sero-epidemiological study in Delhi
Authors: Misra Puneet , Kant Shashi , Guleria Randeep , Ahmad Mohammad , Mandal Suprakash , Chaturvedi P K , Medigeshi Guruprasad R , Meena Suneeta , Rai Sanjay K , Rahman Anisur , Sangral Meenu , Yadav Kapil , Bairwa Mohan , Haldar Partha
Published: June 2022

Background
Several methodological tests are available to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibody. Tests are mostly used in the aid of diagnosis or for serological assessment. No tests are fully confirmatory and have variable level of diagnostic ability. We aimed at assessing agreement with three serological tests: quantitative anti receptor binding domain ELISA (Q-RBD), qualitative ELISA (WANTAI SARS-CoV-2 Ab) and qualitative chemiluminiscence assays (CLIA).
Methods
This study was a part of a large population based sero-epidemiological cohort study. Participants aged 1 year or older were included from 25 randomly selected clusters each in Delhi urban (urban resettlement colony of South Delhi district) and Delhi rural (villages in Faridabad district, Haryana). Three type of tests were applied to all the baseline blood samples. Result of the three tests were evaluated by estimating the total agreement and kappa value.
Results
Total 3491 blood samples collected from March to September, 2021, out of which 1700 (48.7%) from urban and 1791 (51.3%) from rural. Overall 44.1% of participants were male. The proportion of sero-positivity were 78.1%, 74.1% and 31.8% by Wantai, QRBD and CLIA tests respectively. The total agreement between Wantai and QRBD was 94.2%, 53.1% between Wantai and CLIA, and 56.6% between QRBD and CLIA. The kappa value between these three tests were 0.84 (95% CI: 0.80–0.87), 0.22 (95% CI: 0.19–0.24) and 0.26 (95% CI: 0.23–0.28).
Conclusions
There was strong concordance between Wantai and QRBD test. Agreement between CLIA with other two tests was low. Wantai and QRBD may be used interchangeably.
Utilization of maternal perceptions of “person-centred maternal care” to plan better service delivery: a quality improvement study in a tertiary care center in Sri Lanka
Authors: Mohamed Rishard , Ziyad Fathima Aysha Mohamed , De Abrew Ashwini , Walpita Yasaswi , Senanayake Hemantha , Lazzerini Marzia
Published: June 2022

Background
There is a lack of studies documenting the utilization of mothers’ views on person centred maternal care (PCMC) for improving quality of care (QOC). We collected women’s perceptions on PCMC and used them to develop interventions for improving QOC in a tertiary maternity care center in Sri Lanka.
Methods
Focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out with 39 mothers in post-delivery. Transcripts were thematically analyzed and findings presented in two meetings with 25 healthcare providers.
Results
FGDs revealed five key topics: 1) Mothers complained a lack of supportive care such as pain management, and staff in insufficient number; 2) Nearly all mothers lacked a companion in labor; 3) Most had some experience of lack of respect, dignity, privacy, and poor communication; 4) Most lacked awareness on the concept of autonomy; 5) Unsatisfactory cleanliness and lack of an adequate number of washrooms. Stakeholder meetings generated 10 possible interventions to improve QOC, with the top priority being workshops to improve communication skills and empowering women on their rights.
Conclusions
This study revealed gaps in PCMC, but showed that in settings such as Sri Lanka, women’s views can be used to develop consensus among hospital staff regarding context-specific interventions for improving QOC.
Trial registration:
Not Applicable
Performance of the Rox index to predict High Flow Nasal Cannula failure in COVID-19 patients.
Authors: Tlili Badis , Trifi Ahlem , Mehdi Asma , Abdennebi Cyrine , Daly Foued , Abdellatif Sami , Touil Yosr , Lakhal Salah Ben
Published: June 2022

Background
While High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) use increased in COVID-19 hypoxic patients, the optimal timing of mechanical ventilation in COVID-19 is uncertain. We sought to evaluate the ROX index ([SpO2/FIO2]/breathing frequency) capacity to predict weaning from high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in COVID-19.
Methods
We performed a single-center, retrospective, observational study of subjects with respiratory failure from COVID-19 managed with HFNC. The ROX index was calculated at H 12 from HNFC and applied to predict HFNC failure. Subjects managed with HFNC were divided into two groups. And HFNC failure was defined as endotracheal intubation and invasive ventilation necessity in the first five days from admission. Standard statistical comparisons and regression analyses were used to evaluate the ROX index performance in prediction of HFNC failure.
Results
121 subjects with COVID-19 were managed with HFNC. 66 (55.5%) were successfully weaned from HFNC and 55 (45.5%) required intubation and mechanical ventilation. High mortality rates have been reported in the last group. Rox index < 2.8, a severe ARDS at admission and the occurrence of an acute cor pulmonale were independent risk factors of HFNC failure. The performance of a ROX index at H12 lower than 2,8 was significant (AUC = 0,621; 95% CI: 0,520-0,722) to predict a HFNC failure.:
Conclusion
In this retrospective review, HFNC success was associated to better clinical outcome. The ROX index was sensitive to predict HFNC failure and may allow better patient’s selection and earlier invasive mechanical ventilation initiation to optimize patient’s outcome.
Recovery of visual field after awake stimulation mapping of the optic pathway in glioma patients
Authors: Ichinose Toshiya , Kinoshita Masashi , Nakajima Riho , Tanaka Shingo , Nakada Mitsutoshi
Published: June 2022

Brain mapping during awake craniotomy for gliomas can help preserve neurological functions, including maintenance of central and peripheral vision. However, the consecutive changes in the visual field remain unknown. We retrospectively assessed 14 patients who underwent awake craniotomy for gliomas infiltrating into the optic radiation. Cortico-subcortical direct electrical stimulation (DES) was intraoperatively applied until transient visual symptoms were elicited and recorded. The visual fields were examined consecutively in the preoperative period and postoperative subacute and chronic periods. To evaluate the anatomo-functional validity of the recordings, all DES-elicited points were overlaid onto a three-dimensional template that included the optic radiation, using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) mapping. All patients experienced visual symptoms that were classified as phosphenes, blurred vision, or hallucinations during DES, and surgical resection was limited to within the functional boundaries. In VBM, almost all the subcortical positive mapping points overlapped with the surface of the optic radiation, and the distribution of sites that induced visual phenomena in the upper or lower visual fields could be differentiated in the anatomical space. We observed no postoperative visual deficit in four patients (29%), time-dependent improvements in five out of eight patients that presented transient quadrantanopia or partial visual defect (36% out of 57%), and permanent hemianopsia (14%) in two patients with occipital lesions. Intraoperative DES that identifies and preserves optic radiation in awake craniotomy for gliomas is a reliable and effective technique to avoid permanent deficit, but has a low success rate in patients with occipital involvement.
The Feasibility and Efficacy of Computer-assisted Screw Inserting Planning in the Surgical Treatment for Severe Spinal Deformity: a prospective study
Authors: Zhang Yiqi , Hai Yong , Yang Jincai , Yin Peng , Han Chaofan , Liu Jingwei , Zhou Lijin
Published: June 2022

Background: The objective of the study was to explore the feasibility and efficacy of computer-assisted screw inserting planning (CASIP) in the surgical treatment for severe spinal deformityMethods: A total of 50 patients participated in this prospective cohort study. 25 patients were allocated into CASIP group and 25 patients were in Non-CASIP group. The demographic data, radiological spinal parameters were documented and analyzed. Each pedicle screw insertion was classified as satisfactory insertion or unsatisfactory insertion based on Gertzbein-Robbins classification. The primary outcome was the accuracy of pedicle screw placement. The secondary outcomes were the rate of puncturing screws, estimated blood loss, surgical time, correction rate and other radiological parameters.Results: A total of 45 eligible patients completed the study, and 20 patients were in CASIP group and 25 patients were in Non- CASIP group. The accuracy of pedicle screws placement in CASIP Group and Non-CASIP Group were (92.0±5.5) % and (82.6±8.3) % (P<0.05), and the rate of puncturing screws were (0 (0-0)) % and (0 (0-6.25)) % (P<0.05). The median surgical time were 280.0 (IQR: 260.0-300.0) min and 310 (IQR: 267.5-390.0) min in two group and showed significant statistic difference (P<0.05). Conclusion: CASIP has good feasibility and can gain a more accurate and reliable instruments fixation, with which spine surgeons can make a detailed and personalized screw planning preoperatively to achieve satisfying screw placement.
Landslide mechanism and stability of an open-pit slope: The Manglai open-pit coal mine
Authors: Chen Tao , Shu Jisen , Han Liu , Li Baosheng
Published: June 2022

A clear understanding of landslide mechanisms and stability analyses is of great significance for landslide monitoring, prediction, and control. A large-scale end wall landslide occurred on August 7–20, 2020, in the Manglai open-pit coal mine, China. In this paper, the engineering geological survey, mechanical test, large-deformation finite element numerical method, limit equilibrium method and analytical formula are used to analyze how the groundwater level rise caused this end wall failure and landslide. First, the engineering geological conditions, hydrogeological conditions, landslide activity signs and physical and mechanical parameter calibration of the sliding mass are investigated in detail and tested, mainly including the rock distribution, lithologic characteristics, structure, fault, cumulative rainfall, groundwater level burial depth, water inflow, landslide process and testing of mechanical parameters such as cohesion and internal friction angle of the sliding mass. Second, three-dimensional and two-dimensional numerical models of slopes are established, and an analytical formula calculation method to calculate the factor of safety (FoS) is proposed when sliding cracks are located on the top and toe of a slope. Finally, the causes of the landslide, mechanism and stability are analyzed and discussed. The results indicate that the fault fracture zone, soft strata, continuous heavy rainfall, and groundwater were the main contributors to this landslide. The three-dimensional numerical calculation results are consistent with the deformation and failure process of the slope observed in the field, which shows a retrogressive progressive failure mode. The calculation results of SLOPE/W and the analytical formula are consistent; i.e., when the groundwater level rises to + 950, the stability of the end wall reaches the critical stability state. With the passage of time, the creep of the sliding surface accelerates until the entire end wall landslide.
Reduced Order Synchronization of Two Non-identical Special Class of Strict Feedback Systems via Back-stepping Control Technique
Authors: Bora Riddhi Mohan , Sharma Bharat Bhushan
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we have addressed a ROS (Reduced Order Synchronization) problem of two general classes of chaotic or hyperchaotic systems in master (drive) and slave (response) configuration. The master and the slave systems are considered to follow a very specific form of structure; so-called the strict-feedback form. Being a ROS problem, the order of the master system is naturally greater than that of the slave system. But we have taken a particular case where the order difference between both the systems is one. A systematic nonlinear back-stepping control design methodology is developed so to attain the reduced-order synchronization goal. In real practice, only [[EQUATION]] number of states of the response system get synchronized with [[EQUATION]] states of the drive system, incorporating [[EQUATION]] amount of controllers, having considered the order of the drive and response system to be [[EQUATION]] and [[EQUATION]] (and [[EQUATION]] ), respectively. It is shown that, unlike other existing conventional nonlinear control techniques, the back-stepping method requires only a single scalar controller [[EQUATION]] [[EQUATION]][[EQUATION]] to achieve the same task mentioned above. The question arises, what will happen to the [[EQUATION]] state of the master system. Being a chaotic system, it can be said that [[EQUATION]] state will be bounded in nature. But, its stability can not be guaranteed. By appending an extra [[EQUATION]] dynamics to the slave system and adding a suitable nonlinear active controller [[EQUATION]] [[EQUATION]] can tackle the stability challenge of the [[EQUATION]] state, as stated earlier. A sound generalization of the control function [[EQUATION]] and [[EQUATION]] have also been included in the discussion. To prove the asymptotic stability of the error dynamics of the system, the Lyapunov stability direct method has been utilized. Extensive MATLAB simulation results verify the theoretical findings.
Cannabidiol improves fish welfare
Authors: Camargo-dos-Santos Bruno , Bellot Marina Sanson , Guermandi Isabela Inforzato , Favero-Neto Jõao , Rodrigues Maira da Silva , Costa Daniel Fernandes da , Nóbrega Rafael Henrique , Filev Renato , Gonçalves-de-Freitas Eliane , Giaquinto Percília Cardoso
Published: June 2022

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a substance derived from Cannabis sativa, widely studied in medicine for controlling neural diseases in humans. Besides the positive effects on humans, it also presents anxiolytic proprieties and decreases aggressiveness and stress in mammals. Therefore, CBD has the potential to increase welfare in reared animals, as it seems to reduce negative states commonly experienced in artificial environments. Here, we tested the effect of different CBD doses (0,1,10, and 20 mg/kg) on aggressiveness, stress, and reproductive development of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) a worldwide fish reared for farming and research purposes. CBD mixed with fish food was offered to isolated fish for 5 weeks. The 10 mg/kg dose decreased fish’s aggressiveness over time, whereas 20 mg/kg attenuated non-social stress. Both doses decreased the baseline cortisol level of fish and increased the gonadosomatic index. However, CBD 1 and 10 mg/kg doses decreased the spermatozoa number. All CBD doses did not affect feeding ingestion and growth variables, showing that it is not harmful to meat production amount. Despite the effect on spermatozoa, CBD supplementation exhibits high potential to benefit animals’ lives on an integrative-based welfare approach. Therefore, we showed for the first time that CBD could be used as a tool to increase non-mammal welfare, presenting a great potential to be explored in other husbandry and captivity species.
WITHDRAWN: Risk factors of cardiovascular diseases of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus, knowledge levels and affecting factors
Authors: Gök Fadime
Published: June 2022

Background
The aim of this study was to determine the cardiovascular disease risk factors knowledge levels of individuals with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and the affecting factors.
Methods
Data were collected from 207 patients (101 men; 106 women) diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, who came to the Endocrinology outpatient clinic for control purposes between September 2021 and February 2022.
Results
The mean age of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus is 60.99 ± 13.74 years, and they have been diabetic for an average of 12.22 ± 9.86 years. The mean total score of the cardiovascular diseases risk factors knowledge scale was found to be 17.90 ± 3.33. It was determined that there was a statistically significant relationship between the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients and some of the variables related to heart health-protective behaviors and the level of knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
The cardiovascular disease risk factors knowledge level of the patients included in the study was higher than the limit. The level of knowledge of the patients who exercise, have a balanced diet, and have cardiovascular health checks is higher than the others.
Prediction of Intraductal Carcinomas of the Breast That Will Not Evolve to Invasive Carcinomas.
Authors: Vilardell Felip , Iglesias Edelmiro , Canosa Carles , Urdanibia Izaskun , Martínez Montserrat
Published: June 2022

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast is a malignant neoplastic proliferation of cells with a ductal phenotype, which is confined to the epithelial compartment of ducts and acini. DCIS is regarded as a nonobligate precursor of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast. Currently it is not possible to predict which DCIS will progress to IDC, and so the vast majority of patients with DCIS undergo surgical resection and radiation therapy. DCIS and IDC share most of the genetic alterations, including somatic mutations, genetic expression profiles and genetic copy number alterations. Our aim was to find a genetic mutational profile that could help to predict which DCIS will progress to IDC and which will not. Individuals with a predicted probability of DCIS synchronous with IDC of 0.5 or lower were found to be those with a mutation in 38138689 (POSTN), and no mutation in either 151851109 (KMT2C), 187524525 (FAT1) or 55139771 (PDGFRA).
Long-term Outcomes in Patients with Adult-Onset Craniopharyngioma
Authors: Dogra Prerna , Bedatsova Lucia , Gompel Jamie J. Van , Giannini Caterina , Donegan Diane M. , Erickson Dana
Published: June 2022

Purpose
Craniopharyngiomas are nonmalignant sellar and parasellar tumors exhibiting a bimodal age distribution. While the outcomes following treatment in patients with childhood-onset craniopharyngiomas are well characterized, similar information in adult-onset craniopharyngiomas is limited. We aimed to describe the long-term outcomes (weight and metabolic parameters, mortality) in patients with adult-onset craniopharyngioma following treatment.
Methods:
Patients with adult-onset craniopharyngioma with initial treatment (1993–2017) and > 6 months of follow-up at our institution were retrospectively identified. Body mass index (BMI) categories included obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2), and normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2).
Results
For the 91 patients with adult-onset craniopharyngioma (44% women, mean diagnosis age 48.2 ± 18 years) over a mean follow-up of 100.3 ± 69.5 months, weight at last follow-up was significantly higher than before surgery (mean difference 9.5 ± 14.8 kg, P < 0.001) with a higher percentage increase in weight seen in those with lower preoperative BMI [normal weight (20.7 ± 18%) vs. overweight (13.3 ± 18.0%) vs. obese (6.4 ± 15%), P = 0.012. At last follow-up, the prevalence of obesity (62 vs. 40.5%, P = 0.0042) and impaired glucose metabolism (17.4% vs. 34%, P = 0.017) increased significantly. All-cause mortality was 12%, with the average age of death 71.9 ± 19.7 years (average U.S. life expectancy 77.7 years, CDC 2020).
Conclusion
Patients with adult-onset craniopharyngioma following treatment may experience weight gain, increased prevalence of obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, and early mortality. Lower preoperative BMI is associated with a greater percentage increase in postoperative weight.
The metabolic regulator USF1 is involved in the control of affective behaviour in mice
Authors: Pollak Daniela , Sideromenos Spyros , Nikou Maria , Czuczu Barbara Czuczu , Thalheimer Nikolas , Gundacker Anna , Horvath Orsolya , Rico Laura Cuenca , Stöhrman Peter , Niello Marco , Partonen Timo
Published: June 2022

Epidemiological studies indicate a bidirectional association between metabolic disturbances, including obesity and related pathological states, and mood disorders, most prominently major depression. However, the biological mechanisms mediating the comorbid relationship between the deranged metabolic and mood states remain incompletely understood.Here we tested the hypothesis that the enhanced activation of brown fat tissue (BAT), known to beneficially regulate obesity and accompanying dysfunctional metabolic states, is also paralleled by an alteration of affective behaviour. We used upstream stimulatory factor 1 (USF1) knock-out mice as a genetic model of constitutively activated BAT and positive cardiometabolic traits, and we found a reduction of depression-like and anxiety-like behaviours associated with USF1 deficiency. Surgical removal of interscapular BAT did not impact the behavioural phenotype of USF1 KO mice. Further, the absence of USF1 did not lead to alterations of adult hippocampal neural progenitor cell proliferation, differentiation, or survival. RNAseq analysis characterized the molecular signature of USF1 deficiency in the hippocampus and revealed a significant increase in the expression of several members of the X-linked lymphocyte-regulated (xlr) genes, including xlr3b and xlr4b. Xlr genes are the mouse orthologues of the human FAM9 gene family and are implicated in the regulation of dendritic branching, dendritic spine number and morphology. These molecular changes were associated with morphological alterations in hippocampal neurons, manifested in reduced dendritic length and complexity.Collectively these data suggest that the metabolic regulator USF1 is involved in the control of affective behaviour in mice and that this modulation of mood states is unrelated to USF1-dependent BAT activation, but instead reflected in structural changes in the brain.
Intramuscular Mitochondrial Adaptation and Lipid Metabolic Alteration in Rats after Chronic High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) of Different Training Periods
Authors: Shangguan Ruonan , Hu Zhiqiang , Luo Yuzhen , Chen Min , Sun Jingquan , Chen Siyu
Published: June 2022

Background : High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a time-efficient form of exercise and has gained popularity in recent years. However, at molecular level, the understanding about the effects of HIIT is not comprehensive, and even less is elucidated about HIIT of different training duration cycles, although different durations always lead to different post-training consequences. Method: In this study, by training SD rats using HIIT protocols lasting for different training duration cycles, we investigated the adaptive response of intramuscular triglyceride abundance and mitochondria enhancement after HIIT training (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks). We selected 72h after the last session of training as the time point of sacrifice. Results: The suppressed activation of the cAMP-PKA pathway indicates that skeletal muscle was in the recovery phase at this time point. Intramuscular triglyceride abundance was significantly elevated after 2, 4, and 10 weeks of HIIT. However, the lipid metabolism-related proteins inconsistently changed in a chaotic trend (see Table. 1). The expression levels of PGC1-α and COX IV decreased after 2 and 4 weeks of training and began to rise when the training duration reached 6 weeks. Interestingly, the variation tendency of PGC1-α and COX IV is very similar to that of CPT-1B. Conclusion: Given the fact that CPT-1B is responsible for the transfer of free fatty acids into the mitochondria to facilitate muscular lipid oxidation, there is a great possibility that: A) the IMTG accumulation observed within 0-4 weeks [defined as phase 1 here] of HIIT might be primarily attributed to damaged mitochondria oxidation capacity. B) when the training duration reached 6 weeks [defined as phase 2], mitochondria function and biogenesis began to be improved by training stimulus and might result in the disappearance of IMTG increase. We believe the phase 2 is rather similar to the condition of athletes` paradox, which should be a healthy adaptation induced by exercise training. Also, for HIIT Rat Modelling, intervention duration cycles longer than 4 weeks are recommended if similar HIIT frame of this study is used.
Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Buildings Having Nonlinear Fluid Viscous Dampers
Authors: Mokhtari Mehdi , Naderpour Hosein
Published: June 2022

Seismic resilience is the residual capacity of a damaged system for recovering and sustaining an acceptable level of performance as a consequence of a seismic event. Firstly, this paper summarizes the current calculation framework of seismic resilience using fragility analyses. After that, a new metric based on vulnerability analyses is developed to calculate seismic resilience. Finally, a typical hospital building is adopted as a single building and then retrofitted with supplemental Energy Dissipation Systems (EDS) to show the applicability of the new metric and compare it with the current calculation model of the seismic resilience. The considered supplemental EDS is the Nonlinear Fluid Viscous Damper (NFVD) located as the diagonal damper-brace system. The seismic performance of the supplemental EDSs is to enhance structural performance by reducing induced lateral displacements and as a result the level of physical damages and losses. To this end, Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) is implemented to achieve the damage fragility and vulnerability curves. A comparison of the fragility, vulnerability, and functionality curves indicates that NFVDs are potentially useful for attenuating seismic damages to structural and non-structural components.
Spatial Heterogeneity of Greenhouse Gas Emission from Cereal Crop Production Driven by Energy-Land-Water Nexus in China
Authors: Zhuang Minghao , Caro Dario , Qin Wei , Wang Chun , Yang Xiaolin , Liu Rui , Zhang Lin
Published: June 2022

Agricultural cereal production plays a crucial role feeding the world’s growing population, particularly pertaining to rice, wheat, and maize. Cereal production requires vast amounts of land and enormous energy and water resources, potentially leading to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, very little information exists on GHG emissions resulting from interactions among the land, energy, and water nexus during cereal production. To address this knowledge gap, we introduce a state-of-the-art polyphasic approach that combines national-scale survey data with statistics and emission factor data. We also investigate spatial GHG distributions of the land, energy, and water nexus involved in Chinese cereal production including rice, wheat and maize, while recommending a potential, comprehensive mitigation strategy. Results showed that total GHG emissions from these three cereal crops reached 505.5 Tg CO2eq. (i.e., land=247.5 Tg CO2eq., energy=222.1 Tg CO2eq., and water=35.9 Tg CO2eq.). The main GHG sources derived from land (through CH4 and N2O emissions) and energy consumption during N fertilizer production (i.e., GHG emissions), accounting for 55.8% and 30.5% of total GHG emissions, respectively. Additionally, GHG emissions from cereal production in Jiangxi, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces showed large-scale spatial heterogeneity at a provincial scale due to differences in crop type, natural resources, and managerial practices. Furthermore, we found that provincial GHG emission intensity (i.e., the GHG emission per kg of crop nitrogen (N) content) varied for both different crop types and the same crop type, mainly pertaining to southern and southeastern provinces. This could be associated with the higher GHG emission and the lower N content of these regions compared to wheat and maize production regions. Finally, we propose that the collective adoption of green technologies (e.g., comprehensive mitigation and optimal crop pattern practices) and reasonable food trading practices could potentially reduce GHG emissions from the cereal production supply chain, further promoting low-carbon agricultural development and achieving the carbon neutrality of agriculture.
Number of children, Parental Longevity and Health in later life
Authors: Yang Hualei , Wu Yuanyang , Pang Jiahui , Zhang Shuo , Zhang Siqing
Published: June 2022

Background
The trade-off between fertility and longevity stands or falls in China, concerning the realization of the welfare of the parents in later life. With healthy ageing and the implementation of the three-child policy, the policies will always aim to safeguard the welfare of the elderly and increase the level of fertility. Based on Chinese households, whether this trade-off relationship is established or not is of great significance to family fertility orientation and the welfare in later life.
Methods
Based on data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 2008 to 2018, a Cox proportional risk model and an accelerated failure time model were used to examine the impact of the number of children, the number of sons and the number of daughters on longevity.
Results
The study found that the trade-off between childbearing and longevity only existed for those with five or more children, and that for those with fewer than five children, their longevity was not associated with having more children. We further found that having five or more children significantly increased the risk of death for both rural male older adults and urban older adults; and that having a son had a greater negative impact on parental longevity than having a daughter. The timing of childbearing, both too early and late childbearing, adversely affects the longevity of older people.
Conclusions
Based on current policy fertility levels and desire of fertility in family, the negative impact of current fertility patterns on older people's longevity is not present, and promoting fertility and ensuring well-being in later life can be achieved simultaneously. The implications are as follows, firstly, for families, having three children does not affect later life welfare under the three-child policy. Secondly, in terms of fertility support policies, improving fertility services for women while increasing attention to the role of men and fertility services for urban residents; and promoting scientific fertility to avoid the negative effects of unreasonable childbearing behavior.
Silencing FBXO7 suppresses cell growth of H epatocellular c arcinoma through autophagy
Authors: Yi Hong , Li Zhongxun , Xue Wuya , Wang Shaohua , Huang Conggai , Long Hanan , Wang Jianmei
Published: June 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor. However, the mechanisms of the growth, invasion and metastasis of HCC were still unclear. FBXO7 belongs to F-box protein family, which is closely related to tumorigenesis and progression, however, the role of FBXO7 in HCC is still elusive. In this study, we explored the role of FBXO7 in the progression HCC. The expression of FBXO7 in HCC cells was higher than that of normal liver cells. After FBXO7 was silenced by siRNA, the cell proliferation, colony-forming ability, migration and invasion of HCC cells were inhibited. Moreover, the cell cycle of HCC cells was also affected after FBXO7 was silenced, the proportion of cells at G1 phase was increased and the proportion of cells at S phase was decreased. In addition, autophagy of HCC cells was increased after FBXO7 was silenced. In conclusion, FBXO7 may play an oncogenic role in HCC development and progression through autophagy.
A Bat Social call inspired Algorithm for Multi-Agent Foraging
Authors: Jamshidpour Mustafa , Sadeghzadeh Mehdi
Published: June 2022

This paper proposes a new method to solve the problem of foraging in swarm robotics. This research approach is inspired by the collective behaviours of some species of bats that communicate the location of food or nests to other group using sound signals. A mechanism has been established a mechanism for more effective communication between agents. Within the framework of a self-organizing system without a central controller and through coordination mechanisms in individuals, we propose a way to prevent overcrowding at the point of exploitation and continue exploration. In this research, homogeneous agents, independently , with limited perception and processing ability, can determine and change their role in the group, and according to their role, they perform various tasks and cooperate and interact with other agents, and change and determine the roles of the agents according to rules, social or threshold time is done according to a probabilistic model. We tested the proposed method in a simulation environment and showed the performance of a group of individual agents with minimal cognitive and processing abilities.
Misdiagnosis of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor as primary pulmonary myxoid sarcoma: A case report
Authors: Huang Xiang , Luo Shuai , Li Yao , Wang Jinjing
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are intermediate biologic neoplasms, whereas primary pulmonary myxoid sarcoma (PPMS) is a rare mesotogenic tumor. However, when pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastoma occurs with multiple complex pathological histologies, the two diseases can be easily misdiagnosed because of the similarity in the pathological features of both conditions. This phenomenon is a potential diagnostic trap.Case presentation: IMTs with a mass in the left upper lung were reported in a 12-year-old patient. The patient did not exhibit fever, cough, hemoptysis, or chest pain. Surgical excision revealed that the tumors exhibited complex histological morphology. In the abundant myxoid matrix, spindle, ovoid and stellate tumor cells were closely arranged and exhibited negative immunohistochemistry desmin. Second-generation genetic sequencing revealed ALK–TPM3 gene fusion and absence of EWSR1–CREB1 gene fusion. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed positive ALK rearrangement and negative EWSR1 rearrangement. At the five-month follow-up after the operation, the patient exhibited recurrence of pathological conditions. The patient died a month after the follow-up.Conclusion: IMT occurrence in the lungs and with pathological histology of more than two forms can result in misdiagnoses as PPMS. Furthermore, the tumor size, ALK–TPM3 gene fusion, and histological morphology difference may be related to poor prognosis.
CandiHap: a haplotype analysis toolkit for natural variation study
Authors: Li Xukai , Shi Zhiyong , Gao Jianhua , Wang Xingchun , Guo Kai
Published: June 2022

Haplotype blocks greatly assist association-based mapping of casual candidate genes by significantly reducing the genotyping effort. The gene haplotype, which could be adopted to evaluate the variants of the affected traits captured from the gene region. While there is a rising interest in gene haplotypes, much of the corresponding analyses were carried out manually. CandiHap allows fast and robust haplotype analyses and candidate identification preselection of candidate causal SNPs and InDels from Sanger or next-generation sequencing data. Investigators can use CandiHap to specify a gene or linkage sites based on GWAS and explore favourable haplotypes of candidate genes for target traits. CandiHap can be run on computers with Windows, Mac, or UNIX platforms in graphical user interface or command lines, and applied to any species of plant, animal and microbial. The CandiHap software, user manual, and example datasets are freely available at GitHub: https://github.com/xukaili/CandiHap.
A meta-upscale based end-to-end depth framework for infrared and visible image fusion
Authors: Niu Wemrui , Tang Mingwei
Published: June 2022

In the recent years, infrared and visible image fusion has been actively explored due to its advantages in various vision-based applications. However,the existing fusion methods only use the output of the last layer in the coded network. The results of fusion are not good as most of the important information in the intermediate layers is lost. In this paper, a meta upscale based end-to-end depth framework for infrared and visible image fusion is proposed. The meta-upscale module can increase the resolution of the multi-scale features without repeatedly training the whole model. Firstly, in the proposed Multi-scale Feature Extraction Module (MFEM), the multi-scale deep features of each source image are extracted and up-scaled by a meta upscale module. Secondly, in the Multi-scale Feature fusion Module (MFM), the L1-Norm strategy-based feature fusion method is developed to fuse the features based on the scaling. Thirdly, the Multi-scale Feature Compensation Module (MFCM), it has dense skip connections, which can preserve signifificant amounts of information from the input data in a multi-scale perspective. In addition, a new content retention loss is proposed to further improve the contrast enhancement approach. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve signifificant results compared tothe state-of-the-art algorithms.
Structural characterization and physicochemical properties of exopolysaccharide from moderate halophile Chromohalobacter salexigens, strain 3EQS1
Authors: Ibrahim Ibrahim M. , Fedonenko Yuliya P. , Sigida Elena N. , Kokoulin Maxim S. , Grinev Vyacheslav S. , Mokrushin Ivan G. , Burygin Gennady L. , Zakharevich Andrey M. , Shirokov Alexander A. , Konnova Svetlana A.
Published: June 2022

A strain, 3EQS1, was isolated from a salt sample taken from Lake Qarun (Fayoum Province, Egypt). On the basis of physiological, biochemical, and phylogenetic analyses, the strain was classified as Chromohalobacter salexigens. By 72 h of growth at 25 °С, strain 3EQS1 produced large amounts (15.1 g L− 1) of exopolysaccharide (EPS) in a liquid mineral medium (initial рН 8.0) containing 10% sucrose and 10% NaCl. The EPS was precipitated from the cell-free culture medium with chilled ethanol and was purified by gel-permeation and anion-exchange chromatography. The molecular mass of the EPS was 0.9×106 Da. Chemical analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the EPS was a linear β-d-(2→6)-linked fructan (levan). In aqueous solution, the EPS tended to form supramolecular aggregates with a critical aggregation concentration of 240 µg mL-1. The EPS had high emulsifying activity (E24, %) against kerosene (31.2 ± 0.4%), sunflower oil (76.9 ± 1.3%), and crude oil (98.9 ± 0.8%), and it also had surfactant properties. A 0.1% (w/v) aqueous EPS solution reduced the surface tension of water by 11.9%. The levan of C. salexigens 3EQS1 may be useful in various biotechnological processes.