bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rationally designed nanotrap structures for efficient separation of rare earth elements over a single step
Authors: Hu Qing-hua , Gao Xin , Shi Yu-zhen , Song An-Min , Jiang Wei , Liang Ru-Ping , Qiu Jian-Ding
Published: August 2022

Extracting rare earth elements (REEs) from wastewater is essential for the growth and an eco-friendly sustainable economy. However, it is a daunting challenge to separate individual rare earth elements by their subtle differences. To overcome this difficulty, we report a unique REE nanotrap that features dense uncoordinated carboxyl groups and triazole N atoms in a two-fold interpenetrated metal organic framework (named NCU-1). Notably, the synergistic effect of suitable pore sizes and REE nanotraps in NCU-1 is highly responsive to the size variation of rare-earth ions and shows high selectivity toward light REE. As a proof of concept, Pr/Lu and Nd/Er were used as binary models, which gave a high separation factor of SFPr/Lu = 579 and SFNd/Er = 273, demonstrating highly efficient separation over a single step. This ability achieves efficient and selective extraction and separation of REEs from mine tailings for the first time, establishing this platform as an important advance for sustainable obtaining high purity REEs.
Improved African buffalo optimization-based Energy Efficient Clustering Wireless Sensor Networks using Metaheuristic Routing Technique
Authors: BARNWAL SWETA KUMARI , Prakash Amit , Yadav Dilip Kumar
Published: August 2022

Wireless sensor network (WSN) plays a crucial role in the Internet of Things (IoT), which assist to produce seamless information that have a great impact on the network lifetime. Despite the substantial application of the WSN numerous challenges like energy, load balancing, security, and storage exist. Energy efficacy is regarded as an integral part of the design of WSN; this can be achieved by clustering and multi-hop routing technique using metaheuristic optimization algorithm. This paper concentrates on design of metaheuristics cluster-based routing technique for energy-efficient WSN (MHCRT-EEWSN). The presented MHCRT-EEWSN technique mainly concentrates on the improvements of energy efficiency and lifespan of the WSN via clustering and routing process. For effectual clustering process, the MHCRT-EEWSN model utilizes whale moth flame optimization (WMFO) technique can be utilized by the use of fitness function involving intra-cluster distance, inter-cluster distance, energy, and balancing factor. Besides, the MHCRT-EEWSN model employs improved African buffalo optimization (IABO) based routing technique. To select optimal routes in WSN, the IABO algorithm designs a fitness function comprising multiple parameters like residual energy and distance factor. The experimental validation of the MHCRT-EEWSN model can be tested by making use of a series of simulations. A wide-ranging comparative study shows the promising performances of the MHCRT-EEWSN model than other recent methods.
Temporal assessment of N-cycle microbial functions in a tropical agricultural soil using gene co-occurrence networks
Authors: Schaedel Marie , Ishii Satoshi , Wang Hao , Venterea Rodney , Paul Birthe , Mutimura Mupenzi , Grossman Julie
Published: August 2022

Microbial nitrogen (N) cycling pathways are largely responsible for producing forms of N that are available for plant uptake or lost from the system as gas or leachate. The temporal dynamics of microbial N pathways in tropical agroecosystems are not well defined, even though they are critical to understanding the potential impact of soil conservation strategies. We aimed to 1) characterize temporal changes in functional gene associations across a seasonal gradient, 2) identify keystone genes that play a central role in connecting N cycle functions, and 3) detect gene co-occurrences that remained stable over time. Soil samples (n=335) were collected from two replicated field trials in Rwanda between September 2020 and March 2021. We found high variability among N-cycle gene relationships and network properties that was driven more by sampling timepoint than by location. Two nitrification gene targets, hydroxylamine oxidoreductase and nitrite oxidoreductase, co-occurred across all timepoints, indicating that they may be ideal year-round targets to limit nitrification in rainfed agricultural soils. We also found that gene keystoneness varied across time, suggesting that management practices to enhance N-cycle functions such as the application of nitrification inhibitors could be adapted to seasonal conditions. Our results mark an important first step in employing gene networks to infer function in soil biogeochemical cycles, using a tropical seasonal gradient as a model system.
Inter-Row Cropping and Rootstock Genotype Selection as a Management Strategy for Apple Replant Disease in a UK Cider Orchard.
Authors: Cook Chris , Magan Naresh , Xu Xiangming
Published: August 2022

Purpose
Apple rootstock genotypes confer different levels of tolerance to apple replant disease (ARD) and vigour to a newly replanted apple tree. A hybrid management system of rotating the rootstock genotype planted between successive generations and inter-row planting in the alleyways of orchards may minimise the severity of ARD symptoms by altering the communities in the rhizosphere microbiome.
Methods
High-throughput sequencing of the fungal ITS and bacterial 16S regions was used to investigate the diversity, and differential taxa present in soils displaying symptoms of ARD. Candidate pathogens and beneficial microorganisms were correlated with the above-ground establishment of each rootstock genotype in a U.K. cider orchard.
Results
Our results suggest rootstocks that are more closely genetically related to the previous rootstock had more severe ARD. Planting in the alleyway appeared an effective strategy to minimise the severity of symptoms irrespective of rootstock genotype. The planting location effect had a higher contribution to the variation in rhizosphere microbiome than the rootstock genotype contribution. No causal agents for ARD could be identified to a taxonomic level to predict their function but two taxa associated with mycorrhizae, Pteridiospora spinosispora and Paraglomus laccatum were identified to be beneficial for the plant to minimise ARD severity.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest a hybrid management approach of rotating rootstock genotype to a rootstock dissimilar to those previously planted, planting rootstocks in the alleyway, and biological amendment with beneficial microorganisms could be an effective strategy to minimise severity of ARD.
Medical services for sports injuries and illnesses in the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games
Authors: Han pengda , Gao Ding , Liu Jie , Lou Jing , Tian Sijia , Lian Huixin , Niu Shengmei , Zhang Luxi , Wang Yong , Zhang Jinjun
Published: August 2022

Background：It is well recognized that the Beijing 2022 Olympics will be the second Games held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a condition that has impacted millions of lives from every nation, moreover, to a certain extent, it has altered the way sporting activities operate.And there is a lack of knowledge on injury risk and illness occurrence in elite winter sport athletes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Objective：To describe the incidence of injuries and illnesses sustained during the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, in Beijing held from February 4 to 20, 2022.Methods：We recorded the daily number of injuries and illnesses among athletes reported by Beijing 2022 medical staff in the polyclinic, medical venues, and ambulance.Results：In total, 2897 athletes from 91 nations experienced injury or illness. Beijing 2022 medical staff reported 326 injuries and 80 illnesses, equaling 11.3 injuries and 2.8 illnesses per 100 athletes over the 17-day period. Altogether, 11% of the athletes incurred at least one injury and nearly 3% at least one illness. The number of injured athletes was highest in the skating sports (n=104), followed by alpine skiing (n=53), ice track (n=37), freestyle skiing (n=36), and ice hockey (n=35) and was lowest in the Nordic skiing disciplines (n=20). Of the 326 injuries, 14 (4.3%) led to an estimated absence from training or competition of more than 1 week. A total of 52 injured athletes were transferred to hospitals for further care. The number of athletes with illness (n=80) was highest for skating (n=33) and Nordic skiing (n=22). A total of 50 illnesses (62.5%) were attributed to the department of dentistry/ophthalmology/otolaryngology, and the most common cause of illness was other causes, including preexisting illness and drugs (n=52, 65%).Conclusions: Overall, 11% of athletes incurred at least one injury during the Games, which is similar to the figures during the Olympic Winter Games in 2014 and 2018. Regarding illness, 2% of athletes were affected, which is approximately three-fold lower than the Olympic Winter Games in 2018.
A health promoting-lifestyle prediction model for dementia prevention among Chinese adults：based on the health belief model
Authors: li hua , Zhang Jinying , Wang Li , Yang Tiantian , Yang Yanni
Published: August 2022

Background: people’s health belief is an important factor affecting health behavior. However, there has been little use of health belief model (HBM) in determining the pathway effect of patients’ beliefs on health behavior in dementia prevention in China.Methods: A cross-section study was conducted on line From January to March 2020. A survey about dementia prevention knowledge, health belief of dementia prevention and health-promoting lifestyle was completed by 1201 adults in China. Data was analyzed using a structural equation model with the analysis of moment program.Results: The participants were aged 40.50±12.72 years. About 70.3% of participants were female. The purposed model fit the data from the study well. Perceived barriers (total effect-0.322, P<0.01) and perceived susceptibility (total effect -0.242, P<0.01) had negative effects on lifestyle. Self-efficacy had promoting effects on lifestyle (total effect 0.207, P<0.01). Perceived severity had positive effects both on perceived benefits (total effect 0.137, P<0.01) and perceived barriers (total effect 0.202, P＜0.01), which had a contradictory effect in the formation of health belief. Perceived benefits, cues to action and self-efficacy played a partial mediating role between knowledge and health behavior. The belief of changing lifestyle to reduce the risk of dementia could explain 24.5% of health behavior (P＜0.05).Conclusions: The findings indicated that in dementia prevention, dementia prevention health belief has important influences on health behavior. Community medical staff can develop targeted dementia prevention interventions based on health belief model in the future.
Mitigation Pilot Contamination Based on Matching Technique for Uplink Cell-Free Massive MIMO Systems
Authors: Ayidh Abdulrahman Al , Sambo Yusuf , Imran Muhammad
Published: August 2022

A cell-free massive MIMO is a new wireless architecture that integrates user-centric network densification with distributed massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) operation. Cell-free massive MIMO networks can provide a high quality of service (QoS) in terms of low latency, ultra-high reliability and high speed. However, because this system is affected by the pilot contamination phenomenon when a large number of users and a small number of available pilots exists, the QoS will deteriorate due to the low accuracy of the channel estimation. In this paper, we address this problem by presenting two novel schemes of pilot assignment and pilot power control design based on the matching technique for the uplink of cell-free massive MIMO systems to maximize spectral efficiency. We first formulate an assignment optimization problem in order to find the best possible pilot sequence to be used by utilizing genetic algorithm (GA) and then propose a Hungarian matching algorithm to solve this formulated problem. Regarding the power control design, we formulate a minimum-weighted assignment problem to assign pilot power control coefficients to the estimated channel's minimum mean-squared error by considering the access point (AP) selection. Then, we also propose the Hungarian algorithm to solve this problem. Simulation results show that our proposed schemes outperform the state-of-the-art techniques concerning both the pilot assignment and the pilot power control design by achieving a 15% improvement in the spectral efficiency. Finally, the computational complexity analysis is provided for the proposed schemes compared with the state-of-the-art techniques.
A multidimensional ODE-based model of Alzheimer's disease progression
Authors: Bossa Matías Nicolás , Sahli Hichem
Published: August 2022

Data-driven Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression models are useful for clinical prediction, disease mechanism understanding and clinical trial design. Most dynamic models were inspired by the amyloid cascade hypothesis and described AD progression as a linear chain of pathological events. However, the heterogeneity observed in healthy and sporadic AD populations challenged the amyloid hypothesis and there is a need for more flexible dynamical models that accompany this conceptual shift. We present a statistical model of the temporal evolution of biomarkers and cognitive tests that allows diverse biomarker paths throughout the disease. The model consists of two elements: a multivariate dynamic model of the joint evolution of biomarkers and cognitive tests; and a clinical prediction model. The dynamic model uses a system of ordinary differential equations to jointly model the rate of change of an individual’s biomarkers and cognitive tests. The clinical prediction model is an ordinal logistic model of the diagnostic label. Prognosis and time-to-onset predictions are obtained by computing the clinical label probabilities throughout the forecasted biomarker trajectories. We developed the model using longitudinal data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. We illustrate the patterns of biomarker rate of change and the model performance to predict the time to conversion from MCI to dementia. The proposed dynamical model is interpretable, free of one-dimensional progression hypotheses or disease staging paradigms, and can account for the heterogeneous dynamics observed in sporadic AD.
Cardiovascular responses to orthostasis during a simulated 3-day heatwave
Authors: Fisher Jason T. , Ciuha Urša , Ioannou Leonidas G. , Simpson Lydia L. , Possnig Carmen , Lawley Justin , Mekjavic Igor B.
Published: August 2022

Global warming has caused an increase in the frequency, duration, and intensity of summer heatwaves (HW). Prolonged exposure to hot environments and orthostasis may cause conflicting demands of thermoregulation and blood pressure regulation on the vasomotor system, potentially contributing to cardiovascular complications and occupational heat strain. The study assessed cardiovascular and skin blood flow (SkBF) responses to orthostasis before, and during a 3-day simulated HW. Seven male participants maintained a standard work/rest schedule for nine consecutive days split into three 3-day parts; thermoneutral pre-HW (25.4°C), simulated HW (35.4°C), thermoneutral post-HW. Gastrointestinal (Tgi) and skin (Tsk) temperatures, cardiovascular responses and SkBF were monitored during 10-minute supine and 10-minute 60° head-up tilt (HUT). SkBF, indexed using proximal-distal skin temperature gradient (∆TskP−D), was validated using Laser-Doppler Flowmetry (LDF). The HW significantly increased heart rate, cardiac output and SkBF of the leg in supine; HUT increased SkBF of the arm and leg, and significantly affected all cardiovascular variables besides cardiac output. Significant regional differences in SkBF presented between the arm and leg in all conditions; the arm displaying vasodilation throughout, while the leg vasoconstricted in non-HW before shifting to vasodilation in the HW. Additionally, ∆TskP−D strongly correlated with LDF (r =-.78, p < 0.001). Prolonged HW exposure and orthostasis, individually, elicited significant changes in cardiovascular and SkBF variables. Additionally, varying regional blood flow responses were observed, suggesting the upper and lower vasculature receives differing vasomotor control. Combined cardiovascular alterations and shifts towards vasodilation indicate an increased challenge to industrial workers during HWs.
Psychosexual Health After Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) among women with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia in North Indian tertiary Centre: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Gaurav Amrita , Verma Pallavi , Heda Ayush , Kapur Dhriti , Arora Shivaani , Panda Shreya , Khoiwal Kavita , Chaturvedi Jaya
Published: August 2022

PURPOSE- Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) is a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic tool for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 2 or 3 (collectively referred to as CIN2+) lesions on outpatient visits. However, removing a part of the cervix during the procedure might affect a woman’s perception of sexual function This study was planned to assess the effect of LEEP on overall sexual satisfaction and other specific aspects of sexual function in women who are subjected to LEEP as a part of cervical dysplasia management. METHODS- All patients attending OPD at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, India, between October 2020 to March 2021, diagnosed with CIN 2 and CIN 3 lesions and planned for LEEP; were enrolled in our study after taking consent. Women were interviewed regarding their sexual function before the LEEP procedure and after six months while on follow-up with self- structured pre- and post-procedural sexual function questionnaire. RESULTS- 61 sexually active women who underwent LEEP for high-grade CIN2+ lesions were enrolled in the present study. There was significant improvement in pain during vaginal penetration, post coital bleeding, level of anxiety related to sexual life, and overall sexual satisfaction post LEEP procedure. CONCLUSION- The present study concluded that LEEP poses no long-term effect on women's sexuality, with a reduction in dyspareunia and postcoital bleeding, along with improvement in overall sexual function, although small but statistically significant.
Network Intrusion Detection : AReinforcement Learning Approach
Authors: Mondal Biswajit Mondal Biswajit , Banerjee Abhijit Banerjee Dr. Abhijit , Gupta Subir Gupta Dr Subir
Published: August 2022

We may expect a substantial influence on cyber security from AI. As cyberattacks get increasingly sophisticated, so do the solutions for protecting a computer system from them. Universities and security agencies are investigating a wide range of ways to put intelligent systems in place to protect systems and to research how AI can bring solutions to many problems that have yet to be solved. A few obstacles hinder AI from making a substantial impact in this field. For the machine learning component of AI, huge organisations are significantly reliant on data, which they are either hesitant to provide or uninformed that they are being targeted. Network intrusion is one of the most obvious ways for attackers to exploit a system’s vulnerabilities. Internet of Things (IoT) will soon be a common feature in our daily lives as it gets increasingly extensively used by businesses, communities, and individuals alike. These additional threats require that the systems and networks to which they are connected be secure and capable of detecting intrusions. Reinforcement learning in the Ensemble architecture, according to its creators, employs a variety of approaches to tackle this problem. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS) and web application firewalls (WAF) will benefit from this new technology.
Activation of autophagy inhibits the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and alleviates sevoflurane induced cognitive dysfunction in elderly rats
Authors: Zhou Junjie , Zhang Chao , Fang Xu , Zhang Naixin , Zhang Xiaoxi , Zhu Zhaoqiong
Published: August 2022

Aims/IntroductionAs a common complication in elderly patients after surgery / anesthesia, postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is mainly characterized by memory, attention, motor and intellectual retardation. Neuroinflammation is one of the most uncontroversial views in POCD. The neurotoxicity caadopted by sevoflurane has attracted wide attention in recent years. However, its mechanism has not been determined. The aim of this study was to observe the effects of sevoflurane on cognitive function and the changes of inflammatory indices and autophagy protein expression in prefrontal cortex in aged rats. MethodBefore the experiment, D-galactose was diluted into 125mg/kg of normal saline and injected subcutaneously into the neck and back of rats for 42 days to establish the aging rat model. On the basis of aging rats, Morris water maze experiments were performed, including positioning navigation (5days) and space exploration (1days). POCD model was established by 3.2% sevoflurane inhalation. Rats were treated with or without MCC950, a potent and selective NLRP3 inhibitor, followed by autophagy agonists and autophagy inhibitors. To test the behavior of rats with a water maze, the expressions of NLRP3 inflammasome related proteins and LC3B and P62 autophagy related proteins were detected. ResultsWe found that sevoflurane exposure affected learning and working memory ability in aged rats, and observed microglia activation in prefrontal cortex, NLRP3 protein expression was significantly up-regulated after sevoflurane inhalation. NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced increased expression and mRNA abundance of cleaved Caspase-1, inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18, and increased secretion of peripheral proinflammatory cytokines. Inhibitor MCC950 was used to improve the cognitive ability and the expression of inflammation in rats, and inhibit the secretion of cytokines. In addition, we demonstrated that significant inhibition of autophagy (decreased LC3-II/I and increased P62) was accompanied by increased activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and more severe neural cell damage. However, administration of the autophagy inhibitor rapamycin to activate autophagy resulted in inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasomes, which ultimately attenuated neuronal injury.ConclusionActivation of autophagy can suppress the formation of NLRP3 inflammasome, furthermore, it can alleviate cognitive impairment in aged rats.
Breast cancer risk stratification based on combined analysis of proliferation and apoptosis.
Authors: Ibrahim Asmaa , Toss Michael , Saleem Mansour Al , Atalla Nehal , Green Andrew , Rakha Emad
Published: August 2022

Background: Accurate risk stratification of breast cancer (BC) patients is critical for predicting behaviour and guiding management decision making. Despite the well-established prognostic value of proliferation in BC, the interplay between proliferation and apoptosis remains to be defined. In this study we hypothesised that the combined proliferation and apoptosis index will provide a more accurate in vivo growth rate measure and a precise prognostic indicator in the era of digital pathology and artificial intelligence. Methods and Results: Apoptotic and mitotic figures were counted in whole slide images (WSI) generated from haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of 1545 early-stage BC cases derived from two well defined BC cohorts. Mitotic and apoptotic figures were counted in defined areas visually using the published criteria. This showed significant correlation between apoptotic and mitotic scores. The morphological scoring technique was shown to be reliable since there was a significant positive correlation between apoptosis score and cleaved caspase-3 expression. High apoptotic counts were associated with features of aggressive behaviour including high grade, high pleomorphism score, and hormonal receptor negativity. Although apoptotic index (AI) was an independent prognostic indicator in multivariate analysis, the prognostic value increased when combined with the mitotic index (MI). BC patients with high MI and high AI (HM/HA) had the shortest survival in terms of BC specific survival (BCSS), distant metastasis (DMFS) and recurrence (RFS) free survival. Differential gene expression analysis (DGE) of the cases in TCGA cohort showed several genes associated with HM/HA subgroup with transcription factor Dp-1 (TFDP1) was the top gene significantly up regulated in this subgroup.Conclusions: Apoptotic cells counted in histological BC sections provides additional prognostic value in BC when combined with mitotic counts. This can be considered when using artificial intelligence algorithms to assess proliferation in BC as a prognostic indicator.
In-vivo Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic and Anti-pyretic Activities of Synthetic Indole Derivatives in Mice
Authors: Siddique Saira , Ahmad Khawaja Raees , Nawaz Syed Kashif , Ali Rabiyah , Ahmad Syeda Nadia , Suleman Sadia
Published: August 2022

BackgroundVarious natural compounds have an aromatic heterocyclic compound “Indole” consists of bicyclic structure as a parent constituent in their composition that is used as an important precursor in many pharmaceutical industries and is widely accepted as a substance of fragrance to many novel compositions. In present study some synthetic indole derivatives are used to check their biological potential by performing anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-pyretic activity in albino mice.MethodsAlbino mice of either sex of reproductive age were used for each study and number of animals for each group in respective studies was kept 5. In anti-inflammatory activity, the Negative Control (NC) and Positive Control (PC) group animals were treated with normal saline and 10mg/kg of indomethacin respectively. The treated groups received the twenty four different synthetic chemicals, after 30 minutes of sub cutaneous injection of carrageenan. In analgesic activity, hot-plate method is used and for each group the latency period was recorded at zero moment of the provision of required dose and after 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes. In anti-pyretic activity, Pyrexia was induced by using Brewer's yeast method. Before any treatment and then after duration of 18 hours, the rectal temperatures were recorded. The animals, which showed the abnormally high rectal temperature, were selected for the further chemical investigation. SPSS.20 software is used for statistical analysis.ResultsThis study helped to screen out the most potent indole derivative 3a-II and 4a-II from the 24 synthetic indole derivatives which demonstrated the best anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-pyretic potential as compared to remaining ones. ConclusionThe above findings indicate that only two chemicals 3a-II (N-(4´-Chlorophenyl) (4,6-dimethoxy-2,3-diphenyl-1H-indol-7-yl)methanimine) and 4a-II (N-(4´-Methylphenyl) (4,6-dimethoxy-2,3-diphenyl-1H-indol-7-yl)methanimine) have given the desired effects like anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-pyretic.
Incidentally Diagnosed Extraluminal Leiomyosarcoma of Infra Renal Inferior Vena Cava: A Case Report and Literature Review From a Radiologist’s Perspective
Authors: A Ebinesh , Ashta Aanchal , Satyam Satyam , Pradhan Gaurav Shanker , Sharma Rohin , Das Prince
Published: August 2022

Vascular leiomyosarcoma is a rare but most common vascular tumor of the inferior vena cava. We present the case of an incidentally diagnosed extraluminal leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava in a 62 year old patient who presented with abdominal pain following blunt trauma. Ultrasonography showed a lobulated hypoechoic lesion in the upper abdomen. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a circumscribed lobulated near homogeneously enhancing retroperitoneal lesion in anterior relation to the infrarenal inferior vena cava, right paramedian in location with imperceptible vena caval lumen at the site of maximum contact. In, positron emission tomography (PET) CT the lesion showed mild fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake with no distant metastases. CT guided biopsy with immunohistochemical analysis showed leiomyosarcoma. Patient underwent surgical resection with inferior vena cava reconstruction. This article also provides a comprehensive literature review of the radiological features of inferior vena caval leiomyosarcoma that would aid in optimal preoperative characterization and evaluation.
Mannose-modified hyaluronic acid nanocapsules for the targeting of tumor associated macrophages
Authors: Fernández-Mariño Iago , Anfray Clement , Crecente-Campo Jose , Maeda Akihiro , Ummarino Aldo , Teijeiro-Valiño Carmen , Blanco-Martínez Dario , Mpambani Francis , Poul Laurence , Devalliere Julie , Germain Matthieu , Correa Juan , Fernandez-Villamarin Marcos , Allavena Paola , Fernandez-Megia Eduardo , Alonso María José , Andon Fernando Torres
Published: August 2022

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), a class of immune cells that play a key role in tumor immunosuppression, are recognized as important targets to improve cancer prognosis and treatment. Consequently, the engineering of drug delivery nanocarriers that can reach TAMs has acquired special relevance. This work describes the development and biological evaluation of a panel of hyaluronic acid (HA) nanocapsules (NCs), with different compositions and prepared by different techniques, designed to target macrophages. The results showed that plain HA NCs did not significantly influence the polarization of M0 and M2 macrophages towards an M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype, however, the chemical functionalization of HA with mannose (HA-Man) led to a significant increase of NCs uptake by M2 macrophages in vitro and to an improved biodistribution in a MN/MNCA1 fibrosarcoma mouse model with high infiltration of TAMs. These functionalized HA-Man NCs showed a higher accumulation in the tumor compared to non-modified HA NCs. Finally, the pre-administration of the liposomal liver occupying agent Nanoprimer TM further increased the accumulation of the HA-Man NCs in the tumor. This work highlights the promise shown by the HA-Man NCs to target TAMs, and thus, provides new options for the development of nanomedicine and immunotherapy-based cancer treatments.
The impact of secondhand smoke on the development of kidney stone disease is not inferior to that of smoking: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Chen Yi-Hsuan , Lee Jia-In , Shen Jung-Tsung , Wu Yi-Hsuan , Tsao Yao-Hsuan , Jhan Jhen-Hao , Wang Hsun-Shuan , Lee Yung-Chin , Huang Shu-Pin , Chen Szu-Chia , Geng Jiun-Hung
Published: August 2022

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) on the development of kidney stone disease (KSD). Materials and Methods: We analyzed a total of 25,256 volunteers with no history of KSD participated in the Taiwan Biobank. The presence of underlying and follow-up KSD was surveyed by a questionnaire asking. They were classified into three groups on the basis of smoking and SHS exposure, accessed with survey questionnaires; never-smokers with no SHS exposure, never-smokers with SHS exposure and ever-smokers groups.Results: KSD was noted in 352 (2.0%), 50 (3.3%) and 240 (4.1%) subjects in the never-smokers with no SHS exposure, never-smokers with SHS exposure and ever-smokers groups, respectively, with a mean follow-up of 4 years. The odds ratio (OR) of KSD was higher in the never-smokers with SHS exposure (OR, 1.622; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.225 to 2.255) and ever-smokers groups (OR, 1.282; 95% CI, 1.044 to 1.574) than in the never-smokers with no SHS exposure group after adjustment of confounders. In addition, never-smokers with SHS exposure had similar effects on the development of KSD than ever-smokers (OR, 1.223; 95% CI, 0.852 to 1.756). Conclusion: Our study suggests that both smoking and SHS are a risk factor for developing KSD and that the impact of SHS is not inferior to that of smoking. Trial registration: The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kaohsiung Medical Univer-sity Hospital (KMUHIRB-E(I)-20210058).
Normalization-based Residual Attention Network for Single Image Super-Resolution
Authors: Li Xiang , Zhang Juan
Published: August 2022

Deep convolution-based single image super-resolution networks has achieved good performance in single image super-resolution(SISR). However, we observe that deeper networks for image super-resolution will improve the complexity for training networks and computational cost. On the other hand, as the layers of neural networks improve, it’s easy to lose the long-term information from preceding layers and ignore the latent relationship of features.To address these issues,this paper proposes a normalization-based residual attention network(NRAN) for single image super-resolution, which can improve the representational ability of network. The input low-resolution(LR) features are extracted via shallow feature extraction part, then we propose an normalization-based residual attention block(NRAB) in deep feature extraction part to improve the feature obtaining ability and feature correlations. Furthermore, in order to obtain better reconstructed image, we design a multi-scale feature reconstruction module(MFRM) to fuse multi-scale features. The experimental results show that our method is superior to other methods in evaluation metrics and visual results.
p53-dependent DNA repair during the DNA damage response requires actin nucleation by JMY
Authors: Rodriguez-Pastrana Ignacio , Birli Eleni , Coutts Amanda
Published: August 2022

The tumour suppressor p53 is a nuclear transcription factor with key roles during DNA damage to enable a variety of cellular responses including cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and DNA repair. JMY is an actin nucleator and DNA damage-responsive protein whose subcellular localisation is responsive to stress and during DNA damage JMY undergoes nuclear accumulation. To gain an understanding of the wider role for nuclear JMY in transcriptional regulation, we performed transcriptomics to identify JMY-mediated changes in gene expression during the DNA damage response. We show that JMY is required for effective regulation of key p53 target genes involved in DNA repair, including XPC, XRCC5 (Ku80) and TP53I3 (PIG3). Moreover, JMY depletion or knockout leads to increased DNA damage and nuclear JMY requires its Arp2/3-dependent actin nucleation function to promote the clearance of DNA lesions. In human patient samples a lack of JMY is associated with increased tumour mutation count and in cells results in reduced cell survival and increased sensitivity to DNA damage response kinase inhibition. Collectively, we demonstrate that JMY enables p53-dependent DNA repair under genotoxic stress and suggest a role for actin in JMY nuclear activity during the DNA damage response.
Biological activity of new bioactive steroids deriving from biotransformation of cortisone
Authors: Costa Stefania , Tedeschi Paola , Ferraro Luca , Beggiato Sarah , Grandini Alessandro , Manfredini Stefano , Buzzi Raissa , Sacchetti Gianni , Valacchi Giuseppe
Published: August 2022

Cortisone is a metabolite belonging to the corticosteroid class that is used pharmaceutically directly as a drug or prodrug. In addition to its large consumption, its use is linked to several side effects, so pharmaceutical research aims to develop effective drugs with low or no side effects, alternative compounds to cortisone are part of an active investment in ongoing research on drug discovery. The field of biotechnology, particularly biotransformation, can be considered a source of new molecules with potential therapeutic use.The present work focuses on a preliminary in vitro study aimed at evaluating the mutagenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective activity of SCA and SCB molecules obtained from the biotransformation of cortisone using Rh. Rhodnii strain DSM 43960. The results obtained are very encouraging, in fact the compounds studied can be considered as non-genotoxic for Ames test, presented a very high antioxidant capacity and regarding the anti-inflammatory activity both compounds inhibited the TNF alpha-stimulated expression and secretion of NFkB target cytokines, also inhibited COX activity and can activate the glucocorticoid receptor. Finally SCA and SCB display neuroprotective properties.
Dynamics of Cattaneo-Christov heat flux and chemical reaction in Walters’ B fluid through a porous medium with Newtonian heating and heat generation/absorption
Authors: Akinbo B. J. , Olajuwon B. I.
Published: August 2022

In this work, two-dimensional boundary layer of Walters’ B fluid is examined in a porous medium along an exponential stretching sheet. The Cattaneo-Christov flux model is considered in the heat equation which describes the thermal relaxation time in the presence of Viscous dissipation and heat generation/absorption with Newtonian heating. By the means of appropriate variables, dimensionless equations which are responsible for the analysis of the problem are obtained and tackled through Homotopy Analysis Method. The result pin-point among the major findings that variation in the values of Newtonian heating and heat generation opens the path for the thermal influence to infiltrate quiescent fluid which in application contribute to the drying of electronic panels and other materials while the presence of local Weissenberg number invokes viscoelasticity impact which are essentials for polymer processing in science and engineering disciplines.
Theoretical evaluation of boron carbide nanotubes as non-enzymatic glucose sensors
Authors: Abudnejad Nastern , Salehpour Mahboobeh , Saadati Zohreh
Published: August 2022

Potential applicability of boron carbide nanotube (BCN) and its Al doped analogue (Al-BCN) as glucose (GLU) sensor is investigated using density functional theory (DFT) method. Adsorption of GLU on top of pristine BCN leads to an Eads, enthalpy and Gibbs free energy changes (ΔH and ΔG) of -14.10, -14.00, and − 0.72 kcal.mol− 1, respectively. Frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) analysis reveals that the electronic properties of pristine nanotube are not sensitive to the presence the GLU molecule. To measure the effect of doping method on the sensitivity of BCN toward GLU, two boron atoms are replaced by Al ones. The adsorption energy, in this case, is about − 24.10 kcal.mol− 1. The ΔH and ΔG resulted by the GLU adsorption on the Al-BCN surface are calculated to be -23.89 and − 10.85 kcal.mol− 1, respectively. The Eg of Al-BCN decreases by about 19.11% upon adsorption process and electronic properties of Al-BCN are more sensitive to the presence of GLU molecule. Detection power of Al-BCN is about 1.8 higher than that of pristine BCN. The required time for desorption of GLU from pristine and doped BCN is calculated to be 2.12 × 10− 6 and 4.60 × 10− 1 s, respectively.
Core Components of Infection Prevention and Control Programs at the Facility Level in Kazakhstan: Key Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Deryabina Anna , Aypkhanova Ainur , Juvashev Almat , Alimbetov Kuanysh , Tekebayev Kanat , Kassa Getachew , Howard Andrea A.
Published: August 2022

Background: Kazakhstan is developing a National Roadmap to strengthen its Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), but until recently has lacked a country-wide facility-level assessment of IPC performance gaps. Methods: In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO)’s IPC Core Components and Minimal Requirements were assessed at 78 randomly selected hospitals across 17 administrative regions using adapted WHO tools. The study included site assessments, followed by structured interviews with 320 hospital staff, validation observations of IPC practices, and document reviews.Results: All hospitals had at least one dedicated IPC staff member, 76% had IPC staff with any formal IPC training; 95% established an IPC committee and 54% had an annual IPC workplan; 92% had any IPC guidelines; 55% conducted any IPC monitoring in the past 12 months and shared the results with facility staff, but only 9% used monitoring data for improvements; 93% had access to a microbiological laboratory for HAI surveillance, but HAI surveillance with standardized definitions and systematic data collection was conducted in only one hospital. Adequate bed spacing of at least 1m in all wards was maintained in 35% of hospitals; soap and paper towels were available at the hand hygiene stations in 62% and 38% of hospitals, respectively.Conclusions: Among the recommended WHO IPC core components, existing programs, infrastructure, IPC staffing, workload and supplies present within hospitals in Kazakhstan allow for implementation of effective IPC. Development and dissemination of IPC guidelines, implementation of an effective IPC training system and systematic monitoring of IPC practices will be important first steps towards implementing targeted IPC improvement plans in facilities.
Temperature spatial variability analysis in the aim of enhancing the use or implementation of wind machines park
Authors: Cap Clara Le , Carlier Johan , Quénol Hervé , Heitz Dominique , Buisson Emmanuel
Published: August 2022

Spring frosts after budburst are responsible for crop losses and threaten local economies. As global warming tends to advance the phenological stages of plants, these become more and more subject to facing a long period of freezing temperatures. For a given meteorologic situation, the topography of the studied site and the nature of the soil of the plots constituting it, a temperature spatial variability expands within the same territory. Considering a radiative frost, the temperature can thus differ by several degrees, creating areas of cold and warm air that it is necessary to know to fight wisely against the frost. Nowadays, many solutions exist to fight against frost, including the wind machines that dot the Quincy vineyard in France. Weather variables, topographic parameters, and daily minimum temperatures from a network of connected sensors scattered throughout the vineyard are retrieved for the last three spring seasons of 2020,2021, and 2022. Then, thanks to a hierarchical clustering algorithm, it is possible to link the spatial variability of temperatures to the synoptic situation and the topography of the domain. The outcome is the assessment of the frost risk areas to propose a judicious implantation of wind machines in the vineyard of Quincy.
Mycobacteriophages Exhibit Antibiofilm Activity at High Multiplicities of Infection
Authors: Ssengooba Willy , Kamya Deus , Nakavuma Jesca , Achan Beatrice , Semanda Joseph
Published: August 2022

Biofilm formation has been shown to be a very effective survival mechanism used by many bacteria pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). However, unlike other bacteria, mycobacterial biofilms tend to be very rich in lipids, and this accords them much more resilience than their carbohydrate-based counterparts’. Mycobacteriophage therapy, as an up-and-coming technology, is envisaged to revolutionize the treatment of tuberculosis (TB), particularly involving antibiotic-resistant Mtb. Antibiofilm activity, therefore, is a highly sought-after characteristic of mycobacteriophages intended for therapeutic use. Here we investigated the in-vitro activity of a three-phage cocktail against biofilms of forty-six clinically isolated Mtb using the MBEC biofilm device. We demonstrate that multiplicity of infection and the age of the biofilms are significant determinants of phage antibiofilm activity.
Furthermore, based on our host range data, we hypothesize that mycobacteriophages might have a preference for Mtb hosts from pulmonary infection sites compared to those from extrapulmonary sites. If accurate, this finding could have profound implications for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications of mycobacteriophages. Overall, our findings demonstrate the antibiofilm potential of mycobacteriophages and continue to endorse mycobacteriophage therapy as a treatment alternative to our failing antibiotic arsenal. We recommend further investigations to; understand the basis of the observed host preference in mycobacteriophages, evaluate combinatorial therapy of phages and antibiotics, and screen the phages for undesirable genes.
Evaluating the effects of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) on rat's brain cerebral cortex
Authors: Bana Mohamed H. El , Abdelgawad Mahmoud H. , Eltahawy N.A. , Algeda Fatma R. , Elsayed Tamer M.
Published: August 2022

The technologically advanced activities of the gas and oil sectors produce a considerable amount of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) as industrial by-products or waste products. The goal of the current study is to estimate the danger of long-term liability to Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TE-NORM) on the cerebral cortex of rats’ brains. A high purity germanium ɣ-ray spectrometer was used to assess the radioactivity of samples. 20 Adult male Albino rats were used in the current experiment. The animals were divided into two groups: a control group and an irradiated group. Each rat in the irradiated group received a total dose of 0.016 Gy of TE-NORM as a chronic radiation exposure over a whole two months. Rats were then sacrificed. Some hematological and neurotransmitter parameters, as well as oxidative stress and β-amyloid, were evaluated. The disturbance was found in all parameters due to chronic ionizing radiation exposure. The results showed that two months of whole-body exposure to chronic ionizing radiation with a total dose of 0.016 Gy of TE-NORM induced significant changes in hematological, neurotransmitter, and oxidative stress parameters and increased the β-amyloid concentration in the cerebral cortex of rats' brains. The findings of the present study showed that chronic radiation liability has some harmful effects.