bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Alu elements promote the establishment and enhancement of piRNA-protein-coding gene targeting relationships
Authors: He Chong , Zhu Hao
Published: November 2022

Background: PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are the most diverse category of small RNAs in animals. Recent evidence suggests that transposable elements (TEs) incorporated into protein-coding genes (PCGs) can be targeted by piRNAs. Thus, TEs might have a piRNA-mediated influence on organisms. In human PCGs, the extent to which TEs contribute to the presence of piRNA target sites remains to be assessed. Moreover, related evolutionary forces remain to be explored.
Results: We found that the presence of Alu elements, a class of primate-specific TEs, in human PCGs almost always results in potential piRNA target sites. Additionally, we observed that Alu elements can exert a secondary influence on piRNAs and their potential target sites via interlocus gene conversion (IGC). This mutagenic process can homogenize piRNAs and their potential target sites, resulting in an excess of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) that increase piRNA-PCG targeting affinity in the genome. Although Aluelements facilitate the occurrence of SNVs that increase piRNA-PCG targeting affinity, these SNVs tend to show low allele frequencies in the human population. This footprint suggests that natural selection opposes the promotion effect of Alu elements on the formation of piRNA-PCG targeting relationships.
Conclusions: Human Alu elements promote both the establishment and enhancement of piRNA-PCG targeting relationships. In addition, piRNA-PCG targeting relationships impose a piRNA-related selective constraint on the evolution of human PCGs. Our work suggests that the interplay between Alu elements and piRNAs is an important factor that influences the evolutionary trajectory of human PCGs.
Association Between Built Environment on Transport and Recreational Walking in Japan: The Case of Kitakyushu
Authors: Zeng Qian , Bao Xin , Dewancker Bart Julien
Published: November 2022

Walking is a popular form of transportation with a wide range of health, economic, environmental and social benefits. Previous studies have shown that walking is easily influenced by the surrounding built environment. In order to explore the relationship between objective built environment and perceived built environment factors in Japan and transport walking and recreational walking, this study selected Kitakyushu as a sample through questionnaire survey and geographic information data, and evaluated walking activity level through IPAQ and perceive the built environment through ANEWS, and then measured the objective measurement characteristics of the built environment through GIS. Multivariate linear regression model and multivariate logistic model were also used to evaluate the relationship between different built environment factors and pedestrian walking behavior in Japan. The results show that: (1) Age and residential period promoted transport walking. (2) Land mix use, dense bus stops, accessible commercial facilities, and a safe environment can all promote transport walking. (3) High building density and intersection density, more transit stops, more accessible commercial facilities and public service facilities can also promote recreational walking. (4) Having excellent walking facilities increased the time spent on leisure walks.
Surface Water Survey and Localized Waterlogging Risk Assessment in Hanoi, Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Hong Ngoc , Fukuda Hiroatsu , Nguyen Xuan Hinh
Published: November 2022

This study aims to assess the risk of localized urban waterlogging based on the survey of surface water in the inner city of Hanoi, Vietnam. To achieve this task, the spatial analysis method integrated by ArcGIS, and the open Internet databases were used to generate the contained surface water survey network of Hanoi in 2020. The results show that the natural surface water area has decreased by 37.2% within five years due to urbanization. The area of the artificial lake built up is small and scattered. Achieving data from measurement surveys at 11 vulnerable points for inundation, the author found that there is a significant relationship between the distribution of water-bearing surfaces and the level of waterlogging risk. Congested urban areas that are not connected to surface water are more likely to be vulnerable to inundation. By charting the classification of survey groups according to similar and different characteristics, the analysis is based on indicators to assess the vulnerability of urban inundation to determine the risk of local flooding survey. Finally, this study shows the importance of surface water construction practices in urban inundation risk management and can be used as an example of the current state of the surface survey to contribute to the construction of the basis for urban planning.
Developing Expert International Consensus Statements for Opioid-Sparing Analgesia Using the Delphi Method
Authors: Der Daniel Sng Da , Uitenbosch Giulia , de Boer Hans D. , Carvalho Hugo Nogueira , Cata Juan P , Erdoes Gabor , Heytens Luc , Lois Fernande Jane , Pelosi Paolo , Rousseau Anne-Françoise , Forget Patrice , Nesvadba David
Published: November 2022

Introduction: The management of postoperative pain in anaesthesia is evolving with a deeper understanding of associating multiple modalities and analgesic medications. However, the motivations and barriers regarding the adoption of opioid-sparing analgesia are not well known.
Methods: We designed a modified Delphi survey to explore the perspectives and opinions of expert panellists with regard to opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia. 29 anaesthetists underwent an evolving three-round questionnaire to determine the level of agreement on certain aspects of multimodal analgesia, with the last round deciding if each statement was a priority.
Results: The results were aggregated and a consensus, defined as achievement of over 75% on the Likert scale, was reached for five out of eight statements. The panellists agreed there was a strong body of evidence supporting opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia. However, there existed multiple barriers to widespread adoption, foremost the lack of training and education, as well as the reluctance to change existing practices. Practical issues such as cost effectiveness, increased workload, or the lack of supply of anaesthetic agents were not perceived to be as critical in preventing adoption.
Conclusion: Thus, a focus on developing specific guidelines for multimodal analgesia and addressing gaps in education may improve the adoption of opioid-sparing analgesia.
Development of High-Performance Seismic Phase Picker Using Deep Learning in Hakone Volcanic Area
Authors: Kim Ahyi , Nakamura Yuji , Yukutake Yohei , Uematsu Hiroki , Abe Yuki
Published: November 2022

In volcanic regions, active earthquake swarms often occur associated with volcanic activity, and their rapid detection and measurement are crucial for volcano disaster prevention. Currently, however, these processes are ultimately left to human judgment and require much time and money, making detailed verification in real time impossible. To overcome this issue, we attempted to apply machine learning, which has been studied in many seismological fields in recent years. Several models have already been trained using a large amount of training data (mainly crustal earthquakes). Although there are some cases where these models can be applied without any problems, regional dependence on the learned models has also been reported. Since this study targets earthquakes in a volcanic region, existing learned models may be difficult to apply. Therefore, in this study, we created the above publicly available trained model (model0), a model trained with approximately 220,000 seismic waveform data recorded at Hakone volcano from 1999 to 2020 with initialized weights (model1) using the same architecture, and a model fine-tuned with the aforementioned Hakone data using the weight of model0 as initial values (model2), and evaluated their performance. As a result, the detection rates of model1 and 2 were much higher than model0. However, small amplitudes are often missed when multiple seismic waves are in a time window to determine the phase arrival. Therefore, we created training data with two waveforms in the one-time window, retrained the model using the data, and successfully detected waveforms that would have been missed previously. In addition, it was found that more events were detected by setting the threshold to a low value for detection, increasing the number of detections, and filtering by phase association and hypocenter location.
Surface glia predominantly contribute to the development of ALS/FTD in Drosophila model
Authors: Snow Brittany Anne , Stevenson Ciara Crowley , Kaur Jasdeep , Lee Seung Gee , Wei Yanan , Miao Hongyu , Kim Woo Jae
Published: November 2022

Backgrounds
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor neuron degeneration in the primary motor neurons. C9orf72 repeat expansion mutation is the most prevalent genetic causes of ALS/FTD. Due to the complexity of ALS, there has been no successful therapy for the condition. The traditional neurocentric concept of ALS derives in part from the assumption that the degradation of motor neuron (MN) cells in ALS is driven by cell-autonomous mechanisms, however, recent research has focused on the non-cell-autonomous pathogenic mechanisms such as glial, immune cells and blood-brain barriers participate in the degeneration of MNs in ALS. Drosophila melanogaster is widely used as a genetic model for ALS, giving essential mechanistic data on disease onset and development.
Methods
Using newly developed genetic tools to individually mark each subtype of the adult glial system in the fruit fly, we demonstrate that surface glia is the major and the only glial subtypes for the pathogenesis of C9orf72-mediated ALS/FTD.
Results
The surface glia of flies is the most critical of the six different subtypes of fly glia when it comes to developmental toxicity as well as anomalies in adult locomotion and lifespan. The fact that the expression of DPR in surface glia did not result in the death of neurons or glia in the CNS (Fig. 10) lends credence to the hypothesis that C9orf72-mediated defects in adult physiology are not caused by deficiencies only in the CNS.
Conclusion
Therefore, understanding the non-cell autonomous pathogenic pathways in ALS requires an understanding of surface glia.
The construction of patient quality management model in oral Post Anesthesia Care Unit in China：A grounded theory approach
Authors: Zhang Qi , Tang Heshu , Yao Zhiqing , Han Wei
Published: November 2022

Background
Nowadays, people have paid more and more attention to the health-related quality of life after oral surgery anesthesia. As a common feature of patient quality management, it can effectively reduce the risk of postoperative complications and death in oral Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Still, little is known about the management model in oral PACU, especially in China. The purpose of this study is to explore the management elements of patient quality management in the oral PACU, and to construct the management model.
Methods
Using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory method, medical staff(n = 12) from oral PACU of a tertiary stomatological hospital were interviewed by semi-structured interviews from March to June, 2022. With the help of QSR NVivo 12.0 qualitative analysis tool to collect and analyze data using a procedural grounded theory paradigm.
Results
In the end, the patient quality management model of oral PACU could be summarized into three themes: three of the core team members: stomatological anesthesiologists, stomatological anesthesia nurses and nursing administrators. Three of the main functions of the team: education and training, patient care and quality control. Four of the team operation processes: analysis, plan, do, check.
Conclusion
The patient quality management model of the oral PACU is helpful for the professional identity and career development of stomatological anesthesia staff in China, which can accelerate the professional development of oral anesthesia nursing quality. According to the model, the patient's pain and fear will decrease and safety and happiness will increase in oral PACU. It can make contributions to the theoretical research and clinical practice in the future.
Decreased serum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in patients with non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head after vascularized iliac bone grafting
Authors: Li Guopeng , Ji Fengxuan , Guo Wenchao , Wei Biaofang
Published: November 2022

Background Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) are involved in the pathological mechanism of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum MMP-9, TIMP-1, and MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio and disease severity in patients with nontraumatic ONFH. Methods An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure Serum levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in 102 patients with ONFH and 96 healthy individuals and 16 FICAT stage 2 patients undergoing vascularized iliac grafting in the postoperative period (1 week ,1 month, 2 month, and 3 month) Results The serum MMP-9 levels and the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio were significantly increased in patients with ONFH compared to normal controls, and TIMP-1 levels did not differ between the two groups. Serum MMP-9 levels and MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio were positively correlated with FICAT stage and VAS, and negatively correlated with HHS score. Compared with the preoperative period, patients with vascularized iliac grafting had lower VAS scores, higher HHS scores, and significantly lower serum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios.ROC curve analysis indicated that decreased serum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio could be a decent biomarker with regard to monitoring improved condition in patients with ONFH after vascularized iliac grafting. Conclusions We hypothesize that increased MMP-9 expression and imbalance in the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio play a role in the development of ONFH and correlate with the severity of ONFH. measurement of MMP-9 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 can be a useful tool in order to evaluate the bone remodelling processes after vascularized iliac grafting in patients with ONFH.
Modeling daily suspended sediment load of rivers using artificial intelligence approaches
Authors: Mohammad Shabani
Published: November 2022

Knowing the amount of suspended sediment loda (SSL) carried by rivers is an important factor in watershed management. Hence, it is necessary to measure or estimate its amount accurately. In this paper, it was attempted to apply three artificial intelligence approaches including artificial neural network (ANN), artificial neural network combined with particle swarm optimization (ANN-PSO) and long short-term memory (LSTM) to predict the daily SSL, using the data of Jamal-Beig hydrometric station in Kharestan watershed, Fars province, Iran. To achieve this goal, the daily data of SSL (Qs) and flow (Qf) were collected during 30 years (1992-2020). Eighty percent of data was considered for the training phase and 20% for the validation phase. The performance of the models was evaluated using the RMSE, R, NSE and PBIAS criteria according to the estimated and measured SSL values. The results showed that the ANN-PSO model with lower values of PBIAS = -1.048% and RMSE = 26.494 ton/day and high values of NSE = 0.827 and R = 0.912 provides the best performance compared to ANN and LSTM models for estimating daily SSL in Kharestan watershed.
Ophthalmic artery Doppler in the complementary diagnosis of preeclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Melo Pollyanna , Roever Leonardo , Mendonça Tânia M. S. , Costa Fabrício Silva , Rolnik Daniel Lorber , Diniz Angélica L Debs
Published: November 2022

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of different parameters of the ophthalmic artery Doppler (OAD) in the complementary diagnosis of preeclampsia (PE).
Methods: This meta-analysis adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. To investigate the mean difference in OAD values, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), second systolic velocity peak (P2), resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), and peak ratio (PR), between PE cases (overall and according to severity) and controls, random-effects meta-analyses were conducted for each Doppler parameter, with overall PE and mild and severe PE subgroups. Diagnostic performance and heterogeneity were evaluated with summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curves and 95% confidence intervals obtained with bivariate models.
Results: Eight studies stratified the results into mild and severe or late and early PE, involving 1,425 pregnant women. PR and P2 had better diagnostic performance than the other indexes, with the PR of AUsROC at 0.885, the sensitivity of 84%, and specificity of 92%, with a low false-positive rate of 0.08 and the P2 with AUsROC of 0.926, the sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 88%. RI, PI, and EDV showed good performance and consistency across studies but lower AUsROC values of 0.833, 0.794, and 0.772, respectively.
Conclusion: Ophthalmic artery Doppler is a complementary tool with good performance for the diagnosis of overall and severe preeclampsia, with high and best sensitivity and specificity when using PR and P2 parameters.
Management of High Output Enterocutaneous Fistula Due to Richter’s Hernia After Gastric Bypass: Video Demonstration
Authors: Aguilar-Espin Francisco MD , Barba-Jaramillo Erika Diana , Patricia Sánchez-Muñoz Martha , Susana Camba-Gutiérrez Ileana
Published: November 2022

Introduction: The increase in laparoscopic surgery in patients with obesity increases the incidence of trocar site hernia (TSH). Therefore, TSH represents a risk for the development of Richter’s Hernia (RH).
Methods: We present the unusual case of a postoperative Gastric Bypass patient complicated with a high output enterocutaneous fistula through a trocar site wound.
Results: The Laparoscopic surgery consists of an RH reduction, enterotomy, and repair of the preperitoneal space.
Conclusion: RH complicated by high-output enterocutaneous fistula has not been previously reported. It is essential to close the preperitoneal space in bariatric surgery to avoid these complications.
New prebiotic index of foods based on gut microbiome health index (GMHI) using case studies of commercial prebiotics analyzed by in vitro fecal fermentation
Authors: Han Nam Soo , Lee Dong Hyeon , Seong Hyunbin , Chang Daniel , Gupta Vinod , Kim Jiseung , Cheon Seongwon , Kim Geonhee , Sung Jaeyun
Published: November 2022

Measuring prebiotic activities of foods on human microbiome and providing dietary guidelines on one’s health status are an emerging research topic. However, it is difficult to directly compare different foods using the prebiotic index (PI) proposed in 2003 to determine their prebiotic activities. This ambiguity can be resolved with the gut microbiome health index (GMHI), newly built in 2020, using a consortium of 50 microbial species associated with human health. As a translational application of this index, we used this formula to predict the PI of five commercial prebiotics, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), xylooligosaccharides (XOS), inulin (IN), and 2`-fucosyllactose (2FL), using in vitro human fecal fermentation. To calculate the GMHI-based PI values, microbial community changes were analyzed at the species level using shotgun sequencing during the fermentation of the prebiotics. As a result, the five compounds exerted a prebiotic effect, increasing the abundance of health-prevalent species, such as Bifidobacterium adolescentis and decreasing health-scarce species. In this context, the GMHI of prebiotics increased after 24 h, but that of the control group without carbon sources decreased. GMHI was highest in the order of IN (0.48 ± 0.06), FOS (0.47 ± 0.03), XOS (0.33 ± 0.02), GOS (0.26 ± 0.02), and 2FL (0.16 ± 0.06), which more accurately reflects the prebiotic effect than PI. Additionally, GMHI stratified the prebiotics more effectively than ecological metrics analyses, such as Shannon diversity, species richness, species evenness, and the inverse Simpson diversity index. This study demonstrates that GMHI-based PI can be used to measure prebiotic activities of several bifidogenic oligosaccharides and perhaps predict the health-beneficial effects of diets after collecting substantial amounts of population-scale meta-datasets.
Model experiment research on HPTL anchoring technology for coal- rock composite roof in deep roadway
Authors: Xie Zhengzheng , Li Yongle , Zhang Nong , He Zhe , Cao Chuang , Li Wei
Published: November 2022

Since the western region of China, which is typical of extraordinary resource endowments, has gradually emerged as the major mining zone in China, the mining of thick coal seams and roadways with coal-rock composite roof have become more and more common in this region. However, it is extremely difficult to realize safe and effective maintenance and control of such roadways due to the differences in natural endowments of coal-rock masses. With the roadway with coal-rock composite roof of Hulusu Coal Mine in western China as the engineering background, experiment research on large-scale similarity model was conducted through comprehensive measures such as the pneumatic loading system, the surrounding rock stress monitoring system, the roadway deformation monitoring system, the bolt load monitoring system, and the displacement field monitoring system in this paper. According to the results of the experiment, the control effects of the three support systems on the roadway with coal-rock composite roof were significantly different. When the single support of short anchor bolts was applied, the comparatively low initial anchor-hold failed to constrain the initial micro deformation of the roof. Consequently, wide-range fractures of the roof were triggered at a loading pressure of 0.8 MPa. In the meanwhile, the deep surrounding rocks witnessed a downward inflection point in stress, accompanied by the possibility of the collapse of the thin-layer anchorage zone at any time. As for the support combining both short anchor bolts and long anchor cables, though a reinforced effect on the bolt anchorage zone could be achieved with the help of the cables, the active reinforcement capacity of the bolt was limited. The bolt anchorage zone was the first to be damaged at a loading pressure of 0.9 MPa, which would subsequently affect the effective bearing capacity of the deep surrounding rocks. In the application of the single support of high-strength long anchor bolts, the long bolts with high pre-tightening force were able to lock multiple groups of coal-rock strata to form a thick-layer anchorage bearing structure capable of withstanding a load as high as 1.0 MPa. The crash and collapse of the coal wall eventually caused the subsidence of the roof. Based on the intense dynamic load experiment and the feedbacks of engineering application outcomes in the field, it was concluded that the high-pretension thick-layer (HPTL) anchoring technology can effectively constrain the deformation of roadways with coal-rock composite roof with favorable application outcomes.
Isolation and identification of mercury-tolerant bacteria LBA119 from molybdenum-lead mining soils and their removal of Hg2+
Authors: Wang Hui , Yao Hanyue , Ji Jiangtao , Tan Aobo , Song Yang , Chen Zhi
Published: November 2022

Aims: To screen heavy metal-tolerant strains from heavy metal-contaminated soil in mining areas and determine the tolerance of the strains to different heavy metals and their removal rates through experiments.
Methods: Mercury-resistant strain LBA119 was isolated from mercury-contaminated soil samples in Luanchuan County, Henan Province, China.The strain was identified by Gram staining, physiological and biochemical tests, and 16S rDNA sequences.The LBA119 strain showed good resistance and removal rates to heavy metals such as Pb2+, Hg2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ by tolerance tests under optimal growth conditions. resistance and removal rate. The mercury-resistant strain LBA119 was applied to mercury-contaminated soil to determine the ability of the strain to remove mercury from the soil compared to mercury-contaminated soil without bacterial biomass.
Results: In Luanchuan County, Henan Province, soil samples contaminated with mercury were used to isolate the mercury-resistant strain LBA119. The strain was gram-negative with round bacilli but showed no spores after Gram staining, physiological and biochemical tests, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis.Under scanning electron microscopy, the size of a single bacillus was approximately 8 × 13 μm. The strain was identified as Bacillus (presumably the Bacillus megaterium strain). A study of heavy metal tolerance found that the strain was highly resistant to mercury, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of mercury reaching 32 mg/L. Under a 10 mg/L mercury environment, the optimal inoculation amount, pH, temperature, and salt concentration of the LBA119 strain were 2%, 7, 30 °C, and 20 g/L, respectively. In the 10 mg/L Hg2+ LB medium, the total removal rate, volatilization rate, and adsorption rate at 36 h were 97.32%, 89.08%, and 8.24%, respectively. According to tolerance tests, the strain showed good resistance to Pb2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, and other heavy metals. When the initial mercury concentration was 50 mg/L and 100 mg/L, compared with the mercury-contaminated soil that contained LB medium without bacterial biomass, LBA119 inoculation increased 15.54-37.67% after 30 days of culture.
Conclusion:This strain shows high bioremediation potential for mercury-contaminated soil.
Long non‑coding RNA LINC00460 contribute as a potential prognostic biomarker through oncogenic role with ANXA2 in colorectal polyps
Authors: Hosseini Farzaneh alsadat , Rejali Leili , Zabihi Mohammad Reza , Salehi Zahra , Abkenar Elahe Daskar , Taraz Tannaz , Fatemi Nayeralsadat , Hashemi Mehrdad , Aghdaei Hamid Asadzadeh , Mojarad Ehsan Nazemalhosseini
Published: November 2022

Background: Long intergenic non-coding RNA 460 (LINC00460) as a potential oncogene and Annexin A2 (ANXA2) as a promoter in different cancer progression processes was considered. A significant relationship between the LINC00460 and ANXA2 has been recently discovered in colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, defining molecular biomarkers accompanied by lesion histopathologic features can be a suggestive prognostic biomarker in precancerous polyps. This study aimed to investigate the elusive expression pattern of ANXA2 and LINC00460 in polyps.
Materials and methods: The construction of the co-expression and correlation network of LINC00460 and ANXA2 was plotted. LINC00460 and ANXA2expression in 40 colon polyps was quantified by reverse transcription-real-time polymerase chain reaction. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was designed for distinguishing the high-risk precancerous lesion from low-risk. Further, bioinformatics analysis was applied to find the shared MicroRNA-Interaction-Targets (MITs) between ANXA2 and LINC00460, and the associated pathways.
Results: ANXA2 has a high co-expression rank with LINC00460 in the lncHUB database. Overexpression of ANXA2 and LINC00460 was distinguished in advanced adenoma polyps compared to the adjacent normal samples. The estimated AUC for ANXA2 and LINC00460 was 0.88-0.85 with 93%-90% sensitivity and 81%-70% specificity. In addition, eight MITs were shared between ANXA2 and LINC00460. Enrichment analysis detected several GO terms and pathways, including HIF-1α associated with cancer development.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the expression of the ANXA2 and LINC00460 were significantly elevated in pre-cancerous polyps, especially in high-risk adenomas. Collectively, ANXA2 and LINC00460 may be administered as potential prognostic biomarkers in patients with a precancerous large intestine lesion as an alarming issue.
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of esculetin derivatives as potential anti-HBV agents
Authors: Ye Zhen , Zhao Tong-Shi-Yao , Li Shan-Bin , Zhou Xian-Li , Luo Qin , Qin Jiang-Ke , Liang Cheng-Qin , Wang Ping , Ge Guang-Bo
Published: November 2022

A series of esculetin derivatives have been synthesized for the aim of exploring their anti-hepatitis B virus (anti-HBV) activity. In vitro anti-HBV activity was performed against HepG2.2.15 cells by using Elisa kit and cytotoxicity was determined by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay with lamivudine as the positive control. The results demonstrated that several compounds showed moderate anti-HBV activity, while introduction of morpholine groups could significantly inhibit the expression of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and introduction of 2-methylimidazole group could significantly inhibit the expression of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Among all tested compounds, compound 4a demonstrated the best anti-HBeAg activity (IC50 = 15.8 ± 4.2 µM), while compound 6d demonstrated the best anti-HBsAg activity (IC50 = 21.4 ± 2.8 µM). Compounds 6b and 6c showed moderate anti-HBV activity and HBsAg inhibition. Compounds 4b showed moderate anti-HBV activity and inhibitory effect on HBeAg. In addition, compounds 4a, 4c, 4d, 6b, 6c and 6d showed improved metabolic stability. This study provides useful guidance for the discovery of anti-hbv drugs, which merits further investigation.
The mechanism of Tubificidae in a sludge reduction system with Cr(Ⅵ) stress: an environmentally friendly scavenger
Authors: Lou Juqing , Xu Hui , Jin Hao , Cao Yongqing , Wang Ruyi
Published: November 2022

The treatment of heavy metals in sewage treatment systems has gained more attention with the increase in heavy metal hazards. Tubificidae in sludge reduction has been widely studied; however, little is known about the effect of Tubificidae in the treatment of Cr-containing wastewater. In this study, the mechanism of worms in the sludge reduction system with Cr stress was studied. Predation experiments by worms in a Cr-containing sludge reduction system were conducted to investigate the changes in enzyme activities in the worms under different concentrations of Cr, and the distribution of Cr in the worm sludge reduction reactor was analyzed. The kinetic model of uptake and elimination of Cr in worms was established. The results of SOD, POD and CAT activities indicated that worms had a certain detoxification effect on Cr(Ⅵ). After 28 days of worm predation experiments, the Cr concentrations in worms, sludge and worm feces increased first and then decreased with exposure time, and the proportion of total Cr and Cr(Ⅵ) in the sludge decreased from 71.98% and 42.7–29.18% and 6.82%, respectively. The detoxification mechanism of the worms could be activated with Cr stress, and 63.22% of the Cr(VI) was converted into Cr(III) by the worms. It can be seen that Tubificidae could be considered a good scavenger of environmental Cr(Ⅵ). The hyperbolic model fits the process of Cr uptake and elimination well and can be used as a predictive tool for worm accumulation.
Evaluation of Push-pull technology for pest and soil fertility management on maize in north western Ethiopia.
Authors: Abate Mesfin , Atnafu Getenet , Alemu Berhanu , Molla Abiyot , Gebremariam Gizaw , Alemneh Yentila , Taddese Messeret
Published: November 2022

Aims
The aims of the study were (i) to evaluate the effectiveness of the push-pull technology against stemborer and striga infestation, (ii) to investigate the impact of the push-pull technology on improving grain yield, and (ii) to assess effect of the push-pull technology on soil fertility.
Methods
The study was conducted in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons in 3 districts in north western Ethiopia. Three farmers from each district were randomly selected for the study. Each farmer had a set of two treatments (plots): a push-pull and maize monocrop treatments. Data were collected on percentage of maize plants damaged by stemborers, number of emerged striga plants, plant height, grain yield, available phosphorus (P), available potassium (K), total nitrogen (TN), organic carbon (OC), organic matter (OM) and bulk density (BD).
Results
There were significant reduction in stemborer damage (2.8%) and striga count (4.1 Striga plants/m2) in the push-pull compared to maize monocrop plots (15.4% and 21.8 striga plants/m2, respectively). Maize plant height (2.34 m) and grain yield (5.3 t/ha) were significantly higher in the push-pull plots as compared to sole crop (1.9 m and 3.0 t/ha, respectively). Similarly, there were significantly higher P (20.06 mg/kg soil), K (406.86 mg/kg soil), TN (2.5 g/kg soil), OC (42.9 g/kg soil), OM (73.8 g/kg soil) and BD (0.92 g/cm3) levels rating from moderate to high fertility status in the push-pull as compared to monocrop plots ( 11.17 mg/kg soil, 347.93 mg/kg soil, 1.6 g/kg soil, 29.8 g/kg soil, 0.95 g/cm3 and 51.2 g/kg soil, respectively) which is rated from low to moderate soil fertility level. Moreover, BD was significantly lower in PPT (0.92 g/cm3) than in MC (0.95 g/cm3) plots.
Conclusions
Therefore it can be concluded that push pull technology is better in improving soil fertility status which results in better grain yield.
Continuing professional development opportunities for Australian endorsed for scheduled medicines podiatrists - what’s out there and is it accessible, relevant, and meaningful? A cross-sectional survey.
Authors: Martin Saraid E. , Graham Kristin , Banwell Helen A. , Johnson Jacinta L.
Published: November 2022

Background
Non-medical prescribing is a valuable strategy to enable equitable access to medications in the context of the increasing demands on health services globally. Australian podiatrists have been able to seek endorsement for scheduled medicines (ESM) for over a decade. This project investigates the perceptions and habits of these podiatrists in meeting the extra CPD requirements associated with their ESM status.
Methods
Australian ESM podiatrists completed an anonymous, online survey capturing demographics; CPD engagement; and self-reflections of CPD activities.
Results
Twenty percent (n = 33) of all Australian ESM registered podiatrists (N = 167) responded to the survey (18 female; mean ESM status 5 years, range 0–28 years). For the previous registration period, 88% (n = 29) completed the mandatory CPD hours, with 65% (n = 20) reporting they had not completed CPD learning goals prior, only retrospectively to this period. Over 80% identified their last ESM CPD activity as accessible, affordable, and could recommend to colleagues. Conversely, 50% or less agreed the activity increased confidence; changed their practice; improved communication skills; or enabled networking. Most respondents (81%, n = 27) indicated improvements should be made to the content, relevance, accessibility, and meaningfulness of CPD. These findings were supported by the open-ended responses.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest ESM podiatrists engage in CPD that is accessible rather than learning goal driven. Concerningly, CPD activities resulted in low translation of learnings to practice. This brings in to question the value of mandatory CPD systems based on minimum hours, rather than meaningfulness.
The Effect of Diurnal Light Cycles on Biohydrogen Production in a Thermosiphon Photobioreactor
Authors: Bosman Catharine Elizabeth , Wyk Petrie van , Pott Robert William McClelland , Bradshaw Steven Martin
Published: November 2022

Hydrogen production via microbial photofermentation shows great promise as a method for sustainable hydrogen production; however, operating costs associated with photofermentative hydrogen production need to be reduced. Costs can be reduced using a passive circulation system like the thermosiphon photobioreactor, and by operating it under natural sunlight. In this study, an automated system was implemented to investigate the effect of diurnal light cycles on the hydrogen productivity and growth of Rhodospeudomonas palustris and on the operation of a thermosiphon photobioreactor, under controlled conditions. Diurnal light cycles, simulating daylight times, were found to reduce hydrogen production in the thermosiphon photobioreactor demonstrating a low production rate of 0.007 mol·m−3·h−1 (± 0.0002 mol·m−3·h−1) as compared to 0.087 mol·m−3·h−1 (± 0.014 mol·m−3·h−1) under continuous illumination. Glycerol consumption as well as hydrogen yield also decreased under diurnal light cycles. Nonetheless, hydrogen production in a thermosiphon photobioreactor under outdoor conditions was demonstrated as possible avenue for further investigation.
Differential expression of Tet family genes and their potential role in regulating skeletal muscle development of Siniperca chuatsi
Authors: Cheng Jia , Zhu Xin , Meng Yangyang , Chen Congyi , Zeng Wei , Pan Yaxiong , Chu Wuying , Zhang Jianshe
Published: November 2022

DNA methylation and demethylation are crucial epigenetic modification and regulation for animal development, and their dynamic changes may affect skeletal muscle development. The ten-eleven translocation (Tet) family proteins are demethylases which are involved in the dynamic changes of DNA methylation. However, the expression pattern of Tet family genes and their role in myogenesis in fish remains unclear. In this study, the temporal and spatial expression profiles of Tet1, Tet2 and Tet3 were assayed with RT-qPCR techniques in Chinese perch, Siniperca chuatsi. The obtained data showed that the expressions of three Tet family genes were differentially expressed at different development stages. Tet1 was expressed low at blastula stage, but highly expressed at gastrula stage, then remained low until hatching. The expressions of Tet2 and Tet3 were significantly increased at late gastrula and kept high expression before hatching stage. At the spatial level, the Tet1 expression was highest in gill tissue, moderate level in brain and slow muscle. Tet2 was similar to that of Tet1 except that it was expressed at a lower level in slow muscle, and Tet3 exhibited a higher expression level in gill and brain, a moderate level in fast muscle. Cosinor analysis turned out that the expression of Tet1 and Tet2 displayed a significant daily rhythm in fast muscle, but Tet3 did not show daily rhythmicity. Inhibiting the activity of Tet1/2 proteins by injecting Bobcat339 significantly reduced the expression of MyoD and MRF4, but not MyoG and Myf5, by which leads to the increase of the number of satellite cells and proliferating myoblasts. Together, the results suggest that Tet1/2 may target to MyoD and MRF4 resulted in DNA demethylation and promote their expression, and therefore stimulate myoblast differentiation.
Physical exercises for premenstrual syndrome in senior high school students: A prospective study
Authors: Chen Zhuo , Imai Kazuhiro , Zhou Xiao
Published: November 2022

Background
Reproductive-aged women experience somatic and affective symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) which affect their daily life and work, but there are limited tracking data on senior high school-age female students.
Purpose
To investigate the characteristics and incidence of PMS, and to detect the relationship between physical exercise participation and PMS in female students of senior high school.
Method
A prospective study was conducted among senior high school female students aged 14–16 years. The participant was asked to finish two questionnaires. One questionnaire collected information about demographic data and PMS symptoms. PMS was recorded on a daily calendar named Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) per day. Another questionnaire was the physical exercises participation questionnaire, collecting times of physical education (PE) class participation, exercise times, exercise type participation in morning exercise and recess exercise, times of morning exercise, times of recess exercise per week, recess exercise time, and autonomous exercise participation of students. The data were prospectively recorded for three consecutive months. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was performed for results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis model.
Result
233 participants completed the prospective study. 78 (33.5%) participants of all the participants experienced PMS. The incidence of the participants with mild PMS was 20.2% while moderate PMS was 11.6% and severe PMS was 1.7%. The most common somatic symptom was fatigue while the most common affective symptom was can't concentrate. Participants with PE classes less than 2 times per week were 4.43 times (OR: 4.43, 95% CI: 1.18–16.6, p < 0.05) more possible to experience PMS than those with 2 times PE classes per week.
Conclusions
PMS is a frequent phenomenon in senior high school female students. Female students with 2 times PE classes per week show a lower incidence of PMS. This study encouraged senior high school-age females to take more physical exercises per week and could be helpful to create a no-pharmacology coping strategy.
A Multicenter Study Using a Smartwatch, Smartphone, and Wearable Sensors to Assess Early Parkinson’s Disease: Baseline Results of the WATCH-PD Study
Authors: Adams Jamie , Kangarloo Tairmae , Tracey Brian , O'Donnell Patricio , Volfson Dmitri , Latzman Robert , Zach Neta , Alexander Robert , Bergethon Peter , Cosman Joshua , Anderson David , Best Allen , Kostrzebski Melissa , Auinger Peggy , Wilmot Peter , Pohlson Yvonne , Waddell Emma , Jensen-Roberts Stella , Gong Yishu , Kilambi Krishna Praneeth , Herrero Teresa Ruiz , Dorsey E.
Published: November 2022

Digital health technologies can provide continuous monitoring and objective, real world measures of Parkinson’s disease (PD), but have primarily been evaluated in small, single-site studies. In this 12-month, multicenter observational study, we evaluated whether a smartwatch and smartphone application could measure features of early PD. 82 individuals with early, untreated PD and 50 age-matched controls wore research-grade sensors, a smartwatch, and a smartphone while performing standardized assessments in clinic. At home, participants wore the smartwatch for seven days after each clinic visit and completed motor, speech and cognitive tasks on the smartphone every other week. Features derived from the devices, particularly arm swing, proportion of time with tremor, and finger tapping, differed significantly between individuals with early PD and age-matched controls and had variable correlation with traditional assessments. Longitudinal assessments will inform the value of these digital measures for use in future clinical trials.
Copper (II) complex of salicylate phenanthroline induces apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells including oxaliplatin-resistant cells
Authors: Liu Zixin , Fan Limei , Niu Dongqin , Chen Ming , Zhang Weiran , Xu Jinhua , Wang Dong
Published: November 2022

Background: Oxaliplatin is one of the most effective chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of CRC. However, Oxaliplatin resistance still eventually develops, and the drug is associated with serious side effects. In this study, we examined anti-tumor activity and related molecular mechanism of copper (Ⅱ) complex of salicylate phenanthroline [Cu(sal)(phen)] in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells.
Methods: Cell viability was determined by MTS assay and cell proliferation was analyzed by colony formation assay. Cell apoptosis was measured by flowcytometry with Annexin V/PI staining. Reactive Oxygen Species and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential were measured with ROS kit and JC-1 kit, respectively. The anti-tumor effect of Cu(sal)(phen) in vivo was investigated using the HCT116 cell xenograft model.
Results: Cu(sal)(phen) inhibited the growth of colorectal cancer cell lines HCT116 and SW480. Compared to the chemotherapy drug oxaliplatin, Cu(sal)(phen) was more effective at inducing apoptosis, ROS production, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in two CRC cell lines HCT116 and SW480. Our western blot showed that the expression of the apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and Survivin as well as upstream regulators p-JAK2 and p-STAT5 were significantly reduced in HCT116 and SW480 after treatment with Cu(sal)(phen). This suggests that Cu(sal)(phen) induces apoptosis of CRC cells via suppressing the JAK2/STAT5 signaling pathway. In vivo, Cu(sal)(phen) inhibited the growth of HCT116 xenografted tumor as compared with the control group. Immunohistochemical results showed that the expression levels of Bcl-2, Survivin, and Ki-67 in tumor tissues were decreased after Cu(sal)(phen) treatment.
Conclusions: Cu(sal)(phen) inhibits CRC cells effectively and may have the potential to be developed as a therapeutic drug for CRC
Experimental Investigation of soiling impact on PV Module Performance in Yanbu Al Sinaiyah, Saudi Arabia
Authors: AlZahrani Khaled S.
Published: November 2022

An area of growing attention is the justification of the environmental effects of clean energy technologies. For many years, photovoltaic modules have been employed extensively in both small- and large-scale applications. They are still not cost-effective compared to other power generation technologies, particularly in an industrial city and the harsh environmental conditions of the coastal desert areas. This study is directed to examine the effects of dust, sand grains, and soiling characterization on the efficiency of PV modules under different environmental conditions. PV modules of two technologies (Mono-Si and poly-Si), two different inclination angles (10° and 24°), and two different surface conditions (clean and soiled) are experimentally tested for concluding and comparing the performance change of PV modules. The main findings imply that, the overall losses of generated power due to soiling effect reached 24%. Mono-Si PV modules were found better than the Poly-Si PV modules under normal conditions, but Poly-Si PV modules were found better in handling the soiling impact. The 10° Inclination angle allows higher performance and better resistance to environmental conditions. Dust characterization study confirmed the effect of the geographical area on the quality and adhesion strength of the accumulated dust particles on the PV modules' surfaces.
Assessment of Comprehensiveness of Medicare Part B Provider-Level Datasets within Dermatology
Authors: Gronbeck Christian , Feng Hao
Published: November 2022

Publicly-available provider-level Medicare Part B datasets have been increasingly utilized for health services research in dermatology. Despite offering detailed insights, an important limitation of these datasets is suppression of services performed for < 11 Medicare beneficiaries at the level of each provider. This longitudinal review assesses the magnitude of this limitation by comparing service counts in provider-level Medicare datasets to those in aggregate datasets, ultimately identifying a concordance rate of 94.3% for dermatology services. However, facility-based visits (52.5%), inpatient evaluation & management visits (59.7%), phototherapy (62.9%), incision & drainage (61.1%), and nail procedures (38.0%) were less well represented in the provider-level datasets. Provider-level datasets are most suitable for assessing dermatology services in aggregate and among specific high-volume procedure groups but alternative datasets should be considered when investigating inpatient services, facility-based services (more common in certain states), or rarely-performed procedures.
Generation of V-point polarization singularity using single phase encoding with a spatial light modulator
Authors: Kumar Praveen , Srinivasa A , Omatsu Takashige
Published: November 2022

A liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM) can be used in various ways to produce vector vortices. Superposition of scalar vortices with orthogonal polarization is a common approach, while a more recent technique is to use dual-phase modulation. These approaches require modulation of at least two phase patterns with a SLM or multiple SLMs. In this paper, we propose a novel technique to produce vector-vortices by modulating orthogonal light components through a single phase pattern with a SLM. It does not require interferometric setups, and simplifies the generation of light beams with V-point polarization singularities. Because of compact and robustness of our experimental setup, it can be easily integrated to any device for applications of vector vortices.