bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of a Novel Nomogram for Preoperative Prediction of In-Hospital Mortality After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction
Authors: Yan Pengyun , Liu Taoshuai , Zhang Kui , Cao Jian , Dang Haiming , Song Yue , Zheng Jubing , Zhao Honglei , Wu Lisong , Liu Dong , Huang Qi , Dong Ran
Published: September 2021

Background and Aims: Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are among the most challenging patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG). Several surgical risk scores are commonly used to predict the risk in patients undergoing CABG. However, these risk scores do not specifically target HFrEF patients. We aim to develop and validate a new nomogram score to predict the risk of in-hospital mortality among HFrEF patients after CABG.

Methods: The study retrospectively enrolled 489 patients who had HFrEF and underwent CABG. The outcome was postoperative in-hospital death. About 70% (n = 342) of the patients were randomly constituted a training cohort and the rest (n = 147) made a validation cohort. A multivariable logistic regression model was derived from the training cohort and presented as a nomogram to predict postoperative mortality in patients with HFrEF. The model performance was assessed in terms of discrimination and calibration. Besides, we compared the model with EuroSCORE-2 in terms of discrimination and calibration.

Results: Postoperative death occurred in 26 (7.6%) out of 342 patients in the training cohort, and in 10 (6.8%) out of 147 patients in the validation cohort. Eight preoperative factors were associated with postoperative death, including age, critical state, recent myocardial infarction, stroke, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%, LV dilatation, increased serum creatinine, and combined surgery. The nomogram achieved good discrimination with C-indexes of 0.889 (95%CI, 0.839–0.938) and 0.899 (95%CI, 0.835–0.963) in predicting the risk of mortality after CABG in the training and validation cohorts, respectively, and showed well-fitted calibration curves in the patients whose predicted mortality probabilities were below 40%. Compared with EuroSCORE-2, the nomogram had significantly higher C-indexes in the training cohort (0.889 vs. 0.762, p = 0.005) as well as the validation cohort (0.899 vs. 0.816, p = 0.039). Besides, the nomogram had better calibration and reclassification than EuroSCORE-2 both in the training and validation cohort. The EuroSCORE-2 underestimated postoperative mortality risk, especially in high-risk patients.

Conclusions: The nomogram provides an optimal preoperative estimation of mortality risk after CABG in patients with HFrEF and has the potential to facilitate identifying HFrEF patients at high risk of in-hospital mortality.
Role of GTPase-Dependent Mitochondrial Dynamins in Heart Diseases
Authors: Liu Jiangen , Song Xianjing , Yan Youyou , Liu Bin
Published: September 2021

Heart function maintenance requires a large amount of energy, which is supplied by the mitochondria. In addition to providing energy to cardiomyocytes, mitochondria also play an important role in maintaining cell function and homeostasis. Although adult cardiomyocyte mitochondria appear as independent, low-static organelles, morphological changes have been observed in cardiomyocyte mitochondria under stress or pathological conditions. Indeed, cardiac mitochondrial fission and fusion are involved in the occurrence and development of heart diseases. As mitochondrial fission and fusion are primarily regulated by mitochondrial dynamins in a GTPase-dependent manner, GTPase-dependent mitochondrial fusion (MFN1, MFN2, and OPA1) and fission (DRP1) proteins, which are abundant in the adult heart, can also be regulated in heart diseases. In fact, these dynamic proteins have been shown to play important roles in specific diseases, including ischemia-reperfusion injury, heart failure, and metabolic cardiomyopathy. This article reviews the role of GTPase-dependent mitochondrial fusion and fission protein-mediated mitochondrial dynamics in the occurrence and development of heart diseases.
A Robustness Evaluation Method of Natural Gas Pipeline Network Based on Topological Structure Analysis
Authors: Li Xueyi , Su Huai , Zhang Jinjun , Yang Nan
Published: September 2021

As the total mileage of natural gas pipeline network continues to increase, the topological structure of natural gas pipeline network will become more and more complex. The complicated topological structure of natural gas pipeline network is likely to cause inherent structural defects, which have serious impacts on the safe operation of natural gas pipeline network. At present, related researches mainly focused on the safe and reliable operation of natural gas pipeline network, which has become a research hotspot, but few of them considered the complexity of natural gas pipeline network and its potential impacts. In order to understand the complexity of natural gas pipeline network and its behaviors when facing structural changes, this paper studied the robustness of natural gas pipeline network based on complex network theory. This paper drew on the methods and experience of robustness researches in other related fields, and proposed a robustness evaluation method for natural gas pipeline network which is combined with its operation characteristics. The robustness evaluation method of natural gas pipeline network is helpful to identify the key components of the pipeline network and understand the response of the pipeline network to structural changes. Furthermore, it can provide a theoretical reference for the safe and stable operation of natural gas pipeline network. The evaluation results show that natural gas pipeline network shows strong robustness when faced with random disturbances represented by pipeline accidents or component failures caused by natural disasters, and when faced with targeted disturbances represented by terrorist disturbances, the robustness of natural gas pipeline network is very weak. Natural gas pipeline network behaves differently in the face of different types of random disturbances. Natural gas pipeline network is more robust when faced with component failures than pipeline accidents caused by natural disasters.
Synergetic Effect of Combined CaO2 and Microwave Treatment on Waste Active Sludge Dewaterability and Organic Contaminants’ Removal
Authors: Wang Jie , Shang Kankan , Da Liangjun , Liu Xingguo , Zhao Yongjing , Zhang Ai
Published: September 2021

This study investigated the synergetic effect of the combined calcium peroxide (CaO2) and microwave (MW) treatment on waste active sludge dewatering properties and organic contaminants’ removal. The optimal sludge dewaterability was obtained at CaO2 (20 mg/gVSS)/MW (70°C), and the capillary suction time decreased by 52% compared with raw sludge. Further investigation indicated that total extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), tightly bound EPS, total protein, and protein present in tightly bound EPS were closely correlated with sludge dewaterability. Tryptophan, aromatic protein–like substances and humic acid–like substances were the key compounds that affect sludge dewaterability. The charge neutralization and bridge effect of cation ions were strengthened when combined with MW irradiation. In addition, it was revealed that MW facilitated CaO2 to produce more hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals. This study confirmed CaO2/MW to be an effective way to improve sludge dewatering and remove organic pollutants from sludge.
Microclimatic Warming Leads to a Decrease in Species and Growth Form Diversity: Insights From a Tropical Alpine Grassland
Authors: Duchicela Sisimac A. , Cuesta Francisco , Tovar Carolina , Muriel Priscilla , Jaramillo Ricardo , Salazar Edison , Pinto Esteban
Published: September 2021

Due to warming, changes in microclimatic temperatures have shifted plant community structure and dynamics in tundra and alpine regions. The directionality and magnitude of these changes are less known for tropical alpine ecosystems. To understand the likely trajectory of these shifts in the Andes, we conducted a warming experiment in the northern Andes—using open-top chambers (OTC). In this study, we ask (1) how do OTCs affect air and soil temperatures in microclimates of tropical alpine regions, year-round and during the dry season? (2) What are the effects of 7 years of warming on (a) the aboveground biomass (AGB) and (b) the plant taxonomic and growth form diversity? We installed five monitoring blocks in 2012 at ca. 4,200 m asl with 20 OTCs and 50 control plots randomly distributed within each block. We measured AGB, plant community diversity, and growth form diversity between 2014 and 2019. After 7 years of warming, we found significant increases in mean monthly (+0.24°C), daily (+0.16°C), and night air temperatures (+0.33°C) inside the OTCs, and the OTCs intensified microclimatic conditions during the dry season. Additionally, OTCs attenuated extreme temperatures—particularly in the soil—and the number of freezing events. AGB significantly increased in OTCs, and by 2019, it was 27% higher in OTCs than in control. These changes were driven mainly by a progressive increment of tussock grasses such as Calamagrostis intermedia, typical of lower elevations. The increase of tussocks led to a significant decrease in species diversity and evenness inside OTCs, but not in species richness after accounting by sampling time. Furthermore, cushions and herbs decreased inside OTCs. Our results show that experimental warming using OTCs in equatorial regions leads to decreased daily thermal amplitude and night temperatures rather than the level of increase in mean temperatures observed in temperate regions. The increase of tussocks and decrease in diversity of species and growth forms due to prolonged modifications in microclimatic temperature might be a step toward shrub-dominated ecosystems. Further research on this topic would help understand shifts in growth form dominance and the direction and rate of change of the system.
Warm Mesoclimate Advances the Seasonal Dynamics of Harmonia axyridis in Urban Habitats
Authors: Honek Alois , Skuhrovec Jiří , Martinkova Zdenka , Kulfan Ján , Jauschova Terézia , Zach Peter
Published: September 2021

In 2016–2019, seasonal changes in the abundance of the harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were established in the city center of Prague, Central Europe, and in its outskirts. Adults were sampled from lime trees (Tilia spp.) at regular intervals throughout the growing season. The abundance of H. axyridis paralleled the course of abundance of its prey, the aphid Eucallipterus tiliae L., which peaks either early or late in the season. As a result, the seasonal dynamics of H. axyridis were unimodal, with a peak in the early (late June—early July of 2017 and 2019) or late (late July—mid-September of 2016 and 2018) period of the season. In the early period, there was a small (1–4 days) difference in the timing of the peak of H. axyridis between the city center and the outskirts. In the late period, the peak occurred significantly earlier (by 13–21 days) in the city center due to the warmer climate there than in the outskirts. The difference in the timing of the population peak between both locations disappeared after recalculating the calendar to thermal time (number of day degrees above 10.6°C thresholds elapsed from the end of H. axyridis hibernation). The warm mesoclimate of the city center advances the seasonal dynamics of H. axyridis, contributing to the success of this invasive species in urban habitats.
CircC6orf132 Facilitates Proliferation, Migration, Invasion, and Glycolysis of Gastric Cancer Cells Under Hypoxia by Acting on the miR-873-5p/PRKAA1 Axis
Authors: Chen Weizhi , Ji Yanhong
Published: September 2021

Background: Hypoxia is a crucial factor in the progression of various tumors, including gastric cancer (GC). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important regulators in GC, and this study focused on researching circC6orf132 in GC progression under hypoxia.

Methods:In vitro experiments were performed in GC cells under hypoxia (1% O2). CircC6orf132, microRNA-873-5p (miR-873-5p), and protein kinase AMP-activated alpha 1 catalytic subunit (PRKAA1) levels were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Colony formation assay and transwell assay were used for detecting cell proliferation and migration or invasion. Glycolytic metabolism was evaluated using lactate production, glucose uptake, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). Western blotting was performed for determining protein expression. The target interaction was analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. In vivo assay was conducted via mouse xenograft model.

Results: The expression of circC6orf132 was significantly high in GC cells under hypoxia. Hypoxia-induced GC proliferation, migration, invasion, and glycolysis were reversed by silencing circC6orf132. CircC6orf132 targeted miR-873-5p; and the inhibition of circC6orf132 knockdown for the effects of hypoxia on GC cells was abrogated by miR-873-5p inhibitor. PRKAA1 was validated as a downstream gene of miR-873-5p, and miR-873-5p functioned as an anticancer molecule in GC cells under hypoxia by downregulating PRKAA1 level. CircC6orf132 could regulate PRKAA1 by sponging miR-873-5p. CircC6orf132/miR-873-5p/PRKAA1 axis could regulate GC progression under the hypoxic condition. CircC6orf132 downregulation reduced tumorigenesis in vivo through affecting the miR-873-5p/PRKAA1 axis.

Conclusion: CircC6orf132 has been affirmed to promote proliferation, migration, invasion, and glycolysis in GC under hypoxia, partly by depending on the regulation of miR-873-5p/PRKAA1 axis.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Serum/Plasma Circular RNAs and the Combination of Circular RNAs and α-Fetoprotein for Detecting Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Nie Guilin , Peng Dingzhong , Li Bei , Lu Jiong , Cai Yulong , Xiong Xianze , Cheng Nansheng
Published: September 2021

The lack of an accurate biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has hindered early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), which can be used as novel biomarkers in liquid biopsies, have been brought to light as a result of the advances in research on molecular biomarkers and the progression of genomic medicine. We conducted a meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of serum/plasma circRNAs or the combination of circRNAs and α-fetoprotein (AFP) in HCC. We identified eight studies that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria from PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. The data were pooled, and the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), positive likelihood ratio (+LR), and negative likelihood ratio (-LR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The areas under the summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curves (AUCs) were also calculated. The sensitivity of circRNAs was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.78–0.85), and the specificity was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.78–0.86). The sensitivity of AFP was 0.65 (95% CI: 0.61–0.68), and the specificity was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85–0.93). The AUC was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.86–0.91) for circRNAs and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.74–0.81) for AFP. The sensitivity of the combination of circRNAs and AFP was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.84–0.92), specificity was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.80–0.91), and AUC was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91–0.96). Additionally, a subgroup analysis was conducted based on the control groups used; the diagnostic accuracy was particularly high in the comparison of HCC vs. healthy controls. In summary, serum/plasma circRNAs are accurate biomarkers suitable for clinical use for detecting HCC, and the combination of circRNAs and AFP improved the diagnostic accuracy.
Diagnostic Vaccination in Clinical Practice
Authors: Hansen Anette Tarp , Söderström Anna , Jørgensen Charlotte Sværke , Larsen Carsten Schade , Petersen Mikkel Steen , Bernth Jensen Jens Magnus
Published: September 2021

Testing the antibody response to vaccination (diagnostic vaccination) is crucial in the clinical evaluation of primary immunodeficiency diseases. Guidelines from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) provide detailed recommendations for diagnostic vaccination with pure pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines (PPV). However, the degree of compliance with these guidelines and the utility of the guidelines in actual practice are undescribed. To address this, we systematically evaluated diagnostic vaccination in adult patients with suspected primary immunodeficiency diseases in a single tertiary center from 2011 to 2016 (n = 229). We found that full compliance with the AAAAI guidelines was achieved for only 39 patients (17%), suggesting that the guidelines are not easy to follow. Worse, interpretation according to the guidelines was heavily influenced by which serotype-specific antibodies that were used for the evaluation. We found that the arbitrary choices of serotype-specific antibodies could change the fraction of patients deemed to have ‘adequate immunity’ by a factor of four, exposing an inherent flaw in the guidelines. The flaw relates to dichotomous principles for data interpretation under the AAAAI guidelines. We therefore propose a revised protocol for diagnostic vaccination limited to PPV vaccination, subsequent antibody measurements, and data interpretation using Z-scores. The Z-score compiles multiple individual antibody levels, adjusted for different weighting, into one single continuous variable for each patient. In contrast to interpretation according to the AAAAI guidelines, the Z-scores were robust to variations in the choice of serotype-specific antibodies used for interpretation. Moreover, Z-scores revealed reduced immunity after vaccination in the patients with recurrent pneumonia (a typical symptom of antibody deficiency) compared with control patients. Assessment according to the AAAAI guidelines failed to detect this difference. We conclude that our simplified protocol and interpretation with Z-scores provides more robust clinical results and may enhance the value of diagnostic vaccination.
Apoptotic Cells for Therapeutic Use in Cytokine Storm Associated With Sepsis– A Phase Ib Clinical Trial
Authors: van Heerden Peter Vernon , Abutbul Avraham , Sviri Sigal , Zlotnick Eitan , Nama Ahmad , Zimro Sebastian , el-Amore Raja , Shabat Yehudit , Reicher Barak , Falah Batla , Mevorach Dror
Published: September 2021

Background

Sepsis has no proven specific pharmacologic treatment and reported mortality ranges from 30%–45%. The primary aim of this phase IB study was to determine the safety profile of Allocetra™-OTS (early apoptotic cell) infusion in subjects presenting to the emergency room with sepsis. The secondary aims were to measure organ dysfunction, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stays, and mortality. Exploratory endpoints included measuring immune modulator agents to elucidate the mechanism of action.

Methods

Ten patients presenting to the emergency room at the Hadassah Medical Center with sepsis were enrolled in this phase Ib clinical study. Enrolled patients were males and females aged 51–83 years, who had a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score ≥2 above baseline and were septic due to presumed infection. Allocetra™-OTS was administered as a single dose (day +1) or in two doses of 140×106 cells/kg on (day +1 and +3), following initiation of standard-of-care (SOC) treatment for septic patients. Safety was evaluated by serious adverse events (SAEs) and adverse events (AEs). Organ dysfunction, ICU and hospital stays, and mortality, were compared to historical controls. Immune modulator agents were measured using Luminex® multiplex analysis.

Results

All 10 patients had mild-to-moderate sepsis with SOFA scores ranging from 2–6 upon entering the study. No SAEs and no related AEs were reported. All 10 study subjects survived, while matched historical controls had a mortality rate of 27%. The study subjects exhibited rapid resolution of organ dysfunction and had significantly shorter ICU stays compared to matched historical controls (p<0.0001). All patients had both elevated pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and additional immune modulators that gradually decreased following treatment.

Conclusion

Administration of apoptotic cells to patients with mild-to-moderate sepsis was safe and had a significant immuno-modulating effect, leading to early resolution of the cytokine storm.

Clinical Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03925857. (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT03925857).
Hypoxia-Related lncRNA Correlates With Prognosis and Immune Microenvironment in Lower-Grade Glioma
Authors: Xu Shengchao , Tang Lu , Liu Zhixiong , Luo Chengke , Cheng Quan
Published: September 2021

Background

Hypoxia-related genes are demonstrated to correlate with the prognosis of various cancers. However, the role of hypoxia-related long non-coding RNAs (HRLs) in lower-grade glioma (LGG) remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 700 LGG samples were extracted from TCGA and CGGA databases. Pearson correlation analysis was used to identify HRLs. Lasso analysis was adopted to construct the HRL signature. TIDE algorithm was used to predict responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Cell proliferation was estimated by cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, and EdU assay.

Results

We identified 340 HRLs and constructed a novel risk signature composed of 19 HRLs. The risk score exhibited potent value in predicting the prognosis of LGG patients and was significantly associated with the prognosis of LGG patients. Moreover, HRL signature could distinguish patients with similar expression levels of immune checkpoints and might predict the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Additionally, hypoxia-related pathways and immune pathways were enriched in high-risk group, and high risk score indicated low tumor purity and high immune infiltration. Two major HRLs, LINC00941 and BASP1-AS1, could significantly affect the proliferation of glioma cells.

Conclusions

Our study constructed a novel HRL signature that could predict the prognosis and immunotherapy response of LGG patients. HRLs could be novel biomarkers to predict the prognosis of LGG patients and potential targets for LGG treatment.
Poor CD4+ T Cell Immunogenicity Limits Humoral Immunity to P. falciparum Transmission-Blocking Candidate Pfs25 in Humans
Authors: Zaric Marija , Marini Arianna , Nielsen Carolyn M. , Gupta Gaurav , Mekhaiel David , Pham Thao P. , Elias Sean C. , Taylor Iona J. , de Graaf Hans , Payne Ruth O. , Li Yuanyuan , Silk Sarah E. , Williams Chris , Hill Adrian V. S. , Long Carole A. , Miura Kazutoyo , Biswas Sumi
Published: September 2021

Plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) targeting the Pfs25 antigen have shown promise in mice but the same efficacy has never been achieved in humans. We have previously published pre-clinical data related to a TBV candidate Pfs25-IMX313 encoded in viral vectors which was very promising and hence progressed to human clinical trials. The results from the clinical trial of this vaccine were very modest. Here we unravel why, contrary to mice, this vaccine has failed to induce robust antibody (Ab) titres in humans to elicit transmission-blocking activity. We examined Pfs25-specific B cell and T follicular helper (Tfh) cell responses in mice and humans after vaccination with Pfs25-IMX313 encoded by replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus serotype 63 (ChAd63) and the attenuated orthopoxvirus modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) delivered in the heterologous prime-boost regimen via intramuscular route. We found that after vaccination, the Pfs25-IMX313 was immunologically suboptimal in humans compared to mice in terms of serum Ab production and antigen-specific B, CD4+ and Tfh cell responses. We identified that the key determinant for the poor anti-Pfs25 Ab formation in humans was the lack of CD4+ T cell recognition of Pfs25-IMX313 derived peptide epitopes. This is supported by correlations established between the ratio of proliferated antigen-specific CD4+/Tfh-like T cells, CXCL13 sera levels, and the corresponding numbers of circulating Pfs25-specific memory B cells, that consequently reflected on antigen-specific IgG sera levels. These correlations can inform the design of next-generation Pfs25-based vaccines for robust and durable blocking of malaria transmission.
Coastal Landfills and Rising Sea Levels: A Challenge for the 21st Century
Authors: Nicholls Robert J. , Beaven Richard P. , Stringfellow Anne , Monfort Daniel , Le Cozannet Gonéri , Wahl Thomas , Gebert Julia , Wadey Matthew , Arns Arne , Spencer Kate L. , Reinhart Debra , Heimovaara Timo , Santos Víctor M. , Enríquez Alejandra R. , Cope Samantha
Published: September 2021

Populated coastal areas worldwide have a legacy of numerous solid waste disposal sites. At the same time, mean sea level is rising and likely to accelerate, increasing flooding and/or erosion. There is therefore concern that landfill sites located at and near the coast pose a growing risk to the environment from the potential release of liquid and solid waste materials. This paper aims to assess our present understanding of this issue as well as research and practice needs by synthesizing the available evidence across a set of developed country cases, comprising England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States (Florida). Common insights gained here include: (1) a lack of data and limited appreciation of waste release from coastal landfill as a potential problem; (2) recognition of the scale and diversity of coastal landfill waste within a range of generic settings (or situations); and (3) a lack of robust protocols that allow the impact of different categories of waste release to the coast to be assessed in a consistent and evidence-based manner, most particularly for solid waste. Hence, a need for greater understanding of the following issues is identified: (1) the amount, character and impact of waste that could be released from landfill sites; (2) the acceptability and regulation of waste eroding from coastal landfills; (3) present and future erosion rates at landfill sites suggesting the need for more monitoring and relevant predictive tools; (4) the full range of possible management methods for dealing with waste release from landfills and the science to support them; and (5) relevant long-term funding mechanisms to address this issue. The main focus and experience of current management practice has been protection/retention, or removal of landfills, with limited consideration of other feasible solutions and how they might be facilitated. Approaches to assess and address solid waste release to the marine/coastal environment represent a particular gap. Lastly, as solid waste will persist indefinitely and sea levels will rise for many centuries, the long timescale of this issue needs wider appreciation and should be included in coastal and waste policy.
Material Function of Mycelium-Based Bio-Composite: A Review
Authors: Yang Libin , Park Daekwon , Qin Zhao
Published: September 2021

Mycelium-based bio-composite materials have been invented and widely applied to different areas, including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and biomedical. As the vegetative part of a fungus, mycelium has the unique capability to utilize agricultural crop waste (e.g., sugarcane bagasse, rice husks, cotton stalks, straw, and stover) as substrates for the growth of its network, which integrates the wastes from pieces to continuous composites without energy input or generating extra waste. Their low-cost and environmentally friendly features attract interest in their research and commercialization. For example, mycelium-based foam and sandwich composites have been actively developed for construction structures. It can be used as synthetic planar materials (e.g., plastic films and sheets), larger low-density objects (e.g., synthetic foams and plastics), and semi-structural materials (e.g., paneling, flooring, furniture, decking). It is shown that the material function of these composites can be further tuned by controlling the species of fungus, the growing conditions, and the post-growth processing method to meet a specific mechanical requirement in applications (e.g., structural support, acoustic and thermal insulation). Moreover, mycelium can be used to produce chitin and chitosan, which have been applied to clinical trials for wound healing, showing the potential for biomedical applications. Given the strong potential and multiple advantages of such a material, we are interested in studying it in-depth and reviewing the current progress of its related study in this review paper.
Numerical Investigation of Discrepancies Between Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Acoustic Metamaterials
Authors: Jin Wenchao , Guo Hui , Sun Pei , Wang Yansong , Yuan Tao
Published: September 2021

In order to get insight information of the band structure of acoustic metamaterials (AMMs) in condensed matter, periodic lattice structures are analyzed using Bloch’s theorem. Typical approaches of the band structure computation methods, topology optimization, and tunable abilities cannot overcome the gap between the two-dimensional (2D) AMMs theoretical and three-dimensional (3D) specimens’ experimental data yet. In this work, the variation in the results of the band structure obtained from the 2D mathematical model computed with respect to the 3D experimental models, and related cause of the variation is explored. The band structures and mode shapes of the 2D AMMs, quasi-2D models, and 3D specimen models are followed to reveal the boundary conditions and source for the observed differences in band structures. The cause for the discrepancies is verified by using the finite element method (FEM) with corresponding boundary conditions. It is found that outcomes from computational data of the 2D AMMs model are diverted significantly by means of bandgap, band structure, and stress distribution in counterparts of the 3D specimen model. This approach can provide assistance for computing the band structure of 2D AMMs for practical applications.
Ultra-Thin Metasurface-Based Absorber of Low-Frequency Sound With Bandwidth Optimization
Authors: Guan Yi-jun , Ge Yong , Sun Hong-xiang , Yuan Shou-qi , Lai Yun , Liu Xiao-jun
Published: September 2021

We report, both theoretically and experimentally, a type of ultra-thin metasurface-based low-frequency sound absorber with bandwidth optimization. Such a metasurface unit consists of an ultrathin resonator (thickness∼1/90 wavelength) with a circular hole on the upper panel and four narrow slits inside a multiple-cavity structure. Eigenmode simulations of the unit show rich artificial Mie resonances, in which a type of monopolar Mie resonance mode can be obtained at 238.4 Hz. Based on the excitation of the monopolar mode, we can realize the near-perfect low-frequency sound absorption with the maximum absorption coefficient and fractional bandwidth of 0.97 and 12.9%, respectively, which mainly arises from the high thermal-viscous loss around the circular hole and four narrow slits of the unit. More interestingly, by combining 4 units with different diameters of the circular hole, we further enhance the fractional bandwidth of the compound unit to 18.7%. Our work provides a route to design ultra-thin broadband sound absorbers by artificial Mie resonances, showing great potential in practical applications of low-frequency noise control and architectural acoustics.
Ab-Initio Predictions of the Energy Harvesting Performance of L-Arginine and L-Valine Single Crystals
Authors: Guerin Sarah
Published: September 2021

Biological piezoelectric materials are beginning to gain attention for their huge potential as eco-friendly energy harvesting materials. In particular, simple amino acid and peptide crystal assemblies are demonstrating large voltage outputs under applied force, and high sensitivity when detecting vibrations. Here we utilise Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to quantitatively predict the energy harvesting properties of two understudied proteinogenic amino acid crystals: L-Arginine and L-Valine. The work highlights the ability of quantum mechanical calculations to screen crystals as high-performance energy harvesters, and demonstrates the capability of small biological crystals as eco-friendly piezoelectric materials. L-Arginine is predicted to have a maximum piezoelectric voltage constant of gij= 274 mV m/N, with a Young’s Modulus of E = 17.1 GPa. L-Valine has a maximum predicted piezoelectric voltage constant of gij= 62 mV m/N, with a calculated Young’s Modulus of E = 19.8 GPa.
Positive Synergistic Effects of Quercetin and Rice Bran on Human Gut Microbiota Reduces Enterobacteriaceae Family Abundance and Elevates Propionate in a Bioreactor Model
Authors: Ghimire Sudeep , Wongkuna Supapit , Sankaranarayanan Ranjini , Ryan Elizabeth P. , Bhat G. Jayarama , Scaria Joy
Published: September 2021

Dietary fiber and flavonoids have substantial influence on the human gut microbiota composition that significantly impact health. Recent studies with dietary supplements such as quercetin and rice bran have shown beneficial impacts on the host alongside a positive influence of the gut microbiota. The specific bacterial species impacted by quercetin or rice bran in the diet is not well understood. In this study, we used a minibioreactor array system as a model to determine the effect of quercetin and rice bran individually, as well as in combination, on gut microbiota without the confounding host factors. We found that rice bran exerts higher shift in gut microbiome composition when compared to quercetin. At the species level, Acidaminococcus intestini was the only significantly enriched taxa when quercetin was supplemented, while 15 species were enriched in rice bran supplementation and 13 were enriched when quercetin and rice bran were supplemented in combination. When comparing the short chain fatty acid production, quercetin supplementation increased isobutyrate production while propionate dominated the quercetin and rice bran combined group. Higher levels of propionate were highly correlated to the lower abundance of the potentially pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae family. These findings suggest that the combination of quercetin and rice bran serve to enrich beneficial bacteria and reduce potential opportunistic pathogens. In vivo studies are necessary to determine how this synergy of quercetin and rice bran on microbiota impact host health.
Genomic Analysis of the 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylate Deaminase-Producing Pseudomonas thivervalensis SC5 Reveals Its Multifaceted Roles in Soil and in Beneficial Interactions With Plants
Authors: Nascimento Francisco X. , Urón Paola , Glick Bernard R. , Giachini Admir , Rossi Márcio J.
Published: September 2021

Beneficial 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase-producing bacteria promote plant growth and stress resistance, constituting a sustainable alternative to the excessive use of chemicals in agriculture. In this work, the increased plant growth promotion activity of the ACC deaminase-producing Pseudomonas thivervalensis SC5, its ability to limit the growth of phytopathogens, and the genomics behind these important properties are described in detail. P. thivervalensis SC5 displayed several active plant growth promotion traits and significantly increased cucumber plant growth and resistance against salt stress (100mmol/L NaCl) under greenhouse conditions. Strain SC5 also limited the in vitro growth of the pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 indicating active biological control activities. Comprehensive analysis revealed that P. thivervalensis SC5 genome is rich in genetic elements involved in nutrient acquisition (N, P, S, and Fe); osmotic stress tolerance (e.g., glycine-betaine, trehalose, and ectoine biosynthesis); motility, chemotaxis and attachment to plant tissues; root exudate metabolism including the modulation of plant phenolics (e.g., hydroxycinnamic acids), lignin, and flavonoids (e.g., quercetin); resistance against plant defenses (e.g., reactive oxygens species-ROS); plant hormone modulation (e.g., ethylene, auxins, cytokinins, and salicylic acid), and bacterial and fungal phytopathogen antagonistic traits (e.g., 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol, HCN, a fragin-like non ribosomal peptide, bacteriocins, a lantipeptide, and quorum-quenching activities), bringing detailed insights into the action of this versatile plant-growth-promoting bacterium. Ultimately, the combination of both increased plant growth promotion/protection and biological control abilities makes P. thivervalensis SC5 a prime candidate for its development as a biofertilizer/biostimulant/biocontrol product. The genomic analysis of this bacterium brings new insights into the functioning of Pseudomonas and their role in beneficial plant-microbe interactions.
Astrocyte Role in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Development of Mossy Fiber Sprouting
Authors: Twible Carolyn , Abdo Rober , Zhang Qi
Published: September 2021

Epilepsy affects approximately 50 million people worldwide, with 60% of adult epilepsies presenting an onset of focal origin. The most common focal epilepsy is temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The role of astrocytes in the presentation and development of TLE has been increasingly studied and discussed within the literature. The most common histopathological diagnosis of TLE is hippocampal sclerosis. Hippocampal sclerosis is characterized by neuronal cell loss within the Cornu ammonis and reactive astrogliosis. In some cases, mossy fiber sprouting may be observed. Mossy fiber sprouting has been controversial in its contribution to epileptogenesis in TLE patients, and the mechanisms surrounding the phenomenon have yet to be elucidated. Several studies have reported that mossy fiber sprouting has an almost certain co-existence with reactive astrogliosis within the hippocampus under epileptic conditions. Astrocytes are known to play an important role in the survival and axonal outgrowth of central and peripheral nervous system neurons, pointing to a potential role of astrocytes in TLE and associated cellular alterations. Herein, we review the recent developments surrounding the role of astrocytes in the pathogenic process of TLE and mossy fiber sprouting, with a focus on proposed signaling pathways and cellular mechanisms, histological observations, and clinical correlations in human patients.
Depression Speech Recognition With a Three-Dimensional Convolutional Network
Authors: Wang Hongbo , Liu Yu , Zhen Xiaoxiao , Tu Xuyan
Published: September 2021

Depression has become one of the main afflictions that threaten people's mental health. However, the current traditional diagnosis methods have certain limitations, so it is necessary to find a method of objective evaluation of depression based on intelligent technology to assist in the early diagnosis and treatment of patients. Because the abnormal speech features of patients with depression are related to their mental state to some extent, it is valuable to use speech acoustic features as objective indicators for the diagnosis of depression. In order to solve the problem of the complexity of speech in depression and the limited performance of traditional feature extraction methods for speech signals, this article suggests a Three-Dimensional Convolutional filter bank with Highway Networks and Bidirectional GRU (Gated Recurrent Unit) with an Attention mechanism (in short 3D-CBHGA), which includes two key strategies. (1) The three-dimensional feature extraction of the speech signal can timely realize the expression ability of those depression signals. (2) Based on the attention mechanism in the GRU network, the frame-level vector is weighted to get the hidden emotion vector by self-learning. Experiments show that the proposed 3D-CBHGA can well establish mapping from speech signals to depression-related features and improve the accuracy of depression detection in speech signals.
The Performance Index Identifies Changes Across the Dual Task Timed Up and Go Test Phases and Impacts Task-Cost Estimation in the Oldest-Old
Authors: Brauner Fabiane Oliveira , Balbinot Gustavo , Figueiredo Anelise Ineu , Hausen Daiane Oliveira , Schiavo Aniuska , Mestriner Régis Gemerasca
Published: September 2021

Introduction: Dual tasking is common in activities of daily living (ADLs) and the ability to perform them usually declines with age. While cognitive aspects influence dual task (DT) performance, most DT-cost (DT-C) related metrics include only time- or speed- delta without weighting the accuracy of cognitive replies involved in the task.

Objectives: The primary study goal was to weight the accuracy of cognitive replies as a contributing factor when estimating DT-C using a new index of DT-C that considers the accuracy of cognitive replies (P-index) in the instrumented timed up and go test (iTUG). Secondarily, to correlate the novel P-index with domains of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).

Methods: Sixty-three participants (≥85 years old) took part in this study. The single task (ST) and DT iTUG tests were performed in a semi-random order. Both the time taken to complete the task measured utilizing an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and the accuracy of the cognitive replies were used to create the novel P-index. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected.

Results: The accuracy of the cognitive replies changed across the iTUG phases, particularly between the walk 1 and walk 2 phases. Moreover, weighting 0.6 for delta-time (W1) and 0.4 for cognitive replies (W2) into the P-index enhanced the prediction of the MMSE score. The novel P-index was able to explain 37% of the scores obtained by the fallers in the “spatial orientation” and “attention” domains of the MMSE. The ability of the P-index to predict MMSE scores was not significantly influenced by age, schooling, and number of medicines in use. The Bland-Altman analysis indicated a substantial difference between the time-delta-based DT-C and P-index methods, which was within the limits of agreement.

Conclusions: The P-index incorporates the accuracy of cognitive replies when calculating the DT-C and better reflects the variance of the MMSE in comparison with the traditional time- or speed-delta approaches, thus providing an improved method to estimate the DT-C.
Lipid Oxidation Products on Inflammation-Mediated Hypertension and Atherosclerosis: A Mini Review
Authors: Leong Xin-Fang
Published: September 2021

Cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis are the common causes of mortality in developed and developing countries. Repeated heating of the dietary oil is a common practice to reduce cost during food preparation. When the cooking oil is heated at high temperatures, production of free radicals augments the oxidative degradation of lipids and depletes the natural antioxidant contents of the cooking oil. Chronic intake of foods prepared using reheated oil could impair antioxidant capacity, leading to oxidative stress and inflammation. This review aims to summarize the current evidence of lipid oxidation products on hypertension and atherosclerosis via inflammatory pathway. In particular, toxic lipid oxidation products such as malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal are taken into account. Understanding the signaling pathways underlying the pathology associated with the lipid oxidation-derived aldehydes may be useful to develop therapeutic strategies for the prevention of inflammatory-related cardiovascular complications.
Targeting Cardiovascular Risk Factors Through Dietary Adaptations and Caloric Restriction Mimetics
Authors: Voglhuber Julia , Ljubojevic-Holzer Senka , Abdellatif Mahmoud , Sedej Simon
Published: September 2021

The average human life expectancy continues to rise globally and so does the prevalence and absolute burden of cardiovascular disease. Dietary restriction promotes longevity and improves various cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. However, low adherence to caloric restriction renders this stringent dietary intervention challenging to adopt as a standard practice for cardiovascular disease prevention. Hence, alternative eating patterns and strategies that recapitulate the salutary benefits of caloric restriction are under intense investigation. Here, we first provide an overview of alternative interventions, including intermittent fasting, alternate-day fasting and the Mediterranean diet, along with their cardiometabolic effects in animal models and humans. We then present emerging pharmacological alternatives, including spermidine, NAD+ precursors, resveratrol, and metformin, as promising caloric restriction mimetics, and briefly touch on the mechanisms underpinning their cardiometabolic and health-promoting effects. We conclude that implementation of feasible dietary approaches holds the promise to attenuate the burden of cardiovascular disease and facilitate healthy aging in humans.
Biliary Strictures and Cholangiocarcinoma – Untangling a Diagnostic Conundrum
Authors: Ney Alexander , Garcia-Sampedro Andres , Goodchild George , Acedo Pilar , Fusai Giuseppe , Pereira Stephen P.
Published: September 2021

Cholangiocarcinoma is an uncommon and highly aggressive biliary tract malignancy with few manifestations until late disease stages. Diagnosis is currently achieved through a combination of clinical, biochemical, radiological and histological techniques. A number of reported cancer biomarkers have the potential to be incorporated into diagnostic pathways, but all lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity limiting their possible use in screening and early diagnosis. The limitations of standard serum markers such as CA19-9, CA125 and CEA have driven researchers to identify multiple novel biomarkers, yet their clinical translation has been slow with a general requirement for further validation in larger patient cohorts. We review recent advances in the diagnostic pathway for suspected CCA as well as emerging diagnostic biomarkers for early detection, with a particular focus on non-invasive approaches.