bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machine Learning-based Predictive Models for Equivalent Damping Ratio of Rc Shear Walls
Authors: YAGHOUBI Siamak TAHAEI , Deger Zeynep Tuna , Taskin Gulsen , Sutcu Fatih
Published: June 2022

Energy-based seismic design is being rapidly developed and suggests that the seismic demands are met by the energy dissipation capacity of the structural members. Equivalent damping ratio is a measure of energy dissipation in structural members that accounts for the post-elastic behavior of the member and provides insight regarding the dynamic response reduction during a seismic event. The present study implements a machine learning (ML) algorithm to estimate the equivalent damping ratio in reinforced concrete shear walls at displacements corresponding to a 1.0% lateral drift ratio. Five different machine learning models, namely, Robust Linear Regression (RLR), K-Nearest Neighbor Regression (KNNR), Kernel Ridge Regression (KRR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Gaussian process regression (GPR) were evaluated in order to choose the model with the highest accuracy. Among all models, Gaussian process regression, a machine learning method with successful implementation experiences in civil/structural engineering related problems, is selected to identify the equivalent damping ratio. The developed GPR based algorithm uses a database of 161 rectangular shear walls subjected to quasi-static reversed cyclic loading with geometry and mechanical properties commonly found in building stocks of many earthquake-prone countries. The proposed algorithm estimates the equivalent damping ratio for each specimen by predicting the cyclic dissipated energy and lateral force values as two dependent variables. The model validation results show a mean coefficient of determination (R2) of about 0.89; a relative root mean square error (RELRMSE) of about 0.14 and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 10.44%, which is considered a substantially accurate prediction for such a complex problem. An open-source model and entire database is provided which can be used by researchers and also design engineers. The proposed predictive model enables comparing the damping capacity of shear walls and the outcomes of this study are believed to contribute to the energy-based design or performance evaluation procedures in terms of predicting the energy capacity of shear walls.
Uncommon Disseminated Muscular Metastasis from Lung Adenocarcinoma in a 18F-FDG PET/CT Study
Authors: Pacella Sara
Published: June 2022

Skeletal Muscle Metastasis from lung cancer is a rare phenomenon. In this case report FDG PET/CT imaging detected unexpected metastatic spread in skeletal muscles from lung cancer.
The critical state characterization of east coast sand (ECS) and calibration for use with an advanced critical state soil constitutive model
Authors: Bolarinwa Ademola , Kalatehjari Roohollah , Safuan Ahmad Rashid
Published: June 2022

This paper outlines the findings of a laboratory-based study to investigate the properties and undrained flow failure behavior of East Coast Sand (ECS). ECS is a commonly encountered coastal deposit from the upper North Island of New Zealand. This work aims to derive soil parameters for an advanced constitutive soil model (NORSAND) to enable predictive analyses of flow failure potential using the critical state framework. The emphasis in the study is placed on the undrained strength behavior under static, triaxial compressive loading conditions at confining pressures in the range of typical engineering interest and for a range of soil densities considered in loosely deposited sands common to nearshore marine and estuarine environments. The research objective of establishing the basic soil properties and intrinsic advanced geomechanical properties of ECS from Auckland was achieved through laboratory experiments and matching simulations for five different aspects of its undrained behavior under static loads. It was shown that loosely deposited ECS within mean effective stresses ranging between 50kPa and 200kPa can be susceptible to expensive flow failures of structures built on or with them. Therefore, the re-engineering of ECS by adequate soil improvement is required when used in earthworks.
LncRNA PVT1 facilitated growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer by sponging with miR-3619-5p to regulate TRIM29 expression
Authors: Sun Zhenni , Li Xutong , Shi Yanyan , Yao Yasai
Published: June 2022

Background
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide, and one of the main causes of death is tumor metastasis. The tens of thousands of long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) currently identified have unique functions in a variety of malignant tumors, including in CRC. But the exact mechanism of lncRNAs as biomarker for CRC is still relatively lacking. This study clarified that the lncRNA PVT1 is involved in the growth and metastasis of CRC.
Methods
We analyzed the lncRNAs in CRC which is differentially expressed by using the TCGA. PVT1 expression and CRC prognosis were analyzed base on GEPIA and lnCAR databases. In order to reveal the function of PVT1 on CRC, CCK-8, Transwell, wound healing and IF assays were performed in vitro. The in vivo assays also used to further explore the effects of PVT1.
Results
Our results indicated that PVT1 was highly expressed in CRC and made the prognosis of CRC even worse, which showed good diagnostic value. Transfection of sh-PVT1 or pcDNA3.1-PVT1 reduced or increased proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of CRC cells. PVT1 and miR-3619-5p were co-expressed in CRC cytoplasm, and PVT1 acted as a ceRNA by sponging miR-3619-5p to up-regulate TRIM29 expression. Overexpressing miR-3619-5p and knockdown of TRIM29 reduced proliferation, migration, invasion and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) of CRC cells. However, simultaneous upregulation of PVT1 and miR-3619-5p or knockdown of miR-3619-5p and TRIM29 could rescue the malignant phenotype of CRC cells.
Conclusions
We first clarified the ceRNA mechanism of PVT1 in CRC, which formed a regulatory function by sponging with miR-3619-5p to regulate TRIM29.
Intensified cytarabine dose during consolidation in AML patients under 65 years is not associated with survival benefit: real-world data from the German SAL-AML registry
Authors: Hanoun Maher , Ruhnke Leo , Kramer Michael , Hanoun Christine , Schäfer-Eckart Kerstin , Steffen Björn , Sauer Tim , Krause Stefan , Schliemann Christoph , Mikesch Jan-Henrik , Kaufmann Martin , Haenel Mathias , Jost Edgar , Bruemmendorf Tim , Fransecky LArs , Kraus Sabrina , Einsele Hermann , Niemann Dirk , Neubauer Andreas , Kullmer Johannes , Seggewiss-Bernhard Ruth , Goerner Martin , Held Gerhard , Kaiser Ulrich , Scholl Sebastian , Hochhaus Andreas , Reinhardt Hans , Platzbecker Uwe , Baldus Claudia , Müller-Tidow Carsten , Bornhäuser Martin , Serve Hubert , Röllig Christoph
Published: June 2022

Higher doses of cytarabine appear to improve long-term outcome in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in particular for younger patients. To this end, the optimal dosage of single agent cytarabine in consolidation therapy remains elusive. Here, we assessed the impact of different dosages of cytarabine consolidation after 7 + 3 induction on outcome in a large real-world data set from the German Study Alliance Leukemia-Acute Myeloid Leukemia (SAL-AML) registry. Patients below 65 years of age, registered between April 2005 and September 2020, who attained complete remission after intensive induction and received at least one consolidation cycle with intermediate (IDAC) or high dose cytarabine (HiDAC) were selected. To account for differences in patient and disease characteristics between both groups, the average treatment effect was estimated by propensity score weighting. Six-hundred-forty-two patients received HiDAC consolidation with median dosage of median 17.6 (IQR, 16.5–18.0) g/m² for a median number of 3 cycles (IQR, 2–3), whereas 178 patients received IDAC consolidation with 5.9 (IQR, 5.7–8.6) g/m² for a median of 2 cycles (IQR, 1–3). Both groups differed significantly in some important characteristics (age, sex, cytogenetic risk group, ECOG performance status, disease status, HCT-CI, number of induction cycles). After propensity score weighting for differences in patient and disease characteristics, relapse-free survival after 2 years was comparable between HiDAC-treated (55.3%) and IDAC-treated (55.6%) patients. Moreover, no significant differences in overall survival were observed after 2 years (84.7 vs. 80.6%). Notably, more patients treated with IDAC received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in first remission (37.6 vs. 19.8%, p < 0.001). Censoring for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in first remission revealed no significant survival difference with regard to cytarabine dosage. This retrospective analysis suggests no significant benefit of high dose cytarabine compared to intermediate dosages in consolidation for AML patients under 65 years of age, independent of European LeukemiaNet (ELN) risk group.
Positive response of a recurrent clear cell sarcoma to neoadjuvant targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy: a case report
Authors: Tao Junyue , Liu Chang , Liu Sha , Bian Xiaokang , Yang Hao , Liang Chaozhao , Du Yingying , Zhang Chao , Yin Yu , Zhou Jun
Published: June 2022

BackgroundRenal clear cell sarcoma (CCSK) is a rare and highly invasive malignant renal tumor that easily relapses after treatment. Recurrent CCSK responds poorly to chemotherapy. Therefore, a combination of effective targeted drugs has become an urgent need for the treatment of recurrent CCSK.Case presentationHerein, we report on a patient with CCSK recurrence after surgery who responded well to neoadjuvant targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy. The patient received 6 courses of neoadjuvant targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy. After treatment, the tumor had significantly reduced in size and the recurrent tumor and part of the liver were resected. No tumor recurrence or metastasis was found during follow-up 3 months after the operation.ConclusionsWe believe that targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy can be a treatment option for patients with recurrent CCSK as it provides an opportunity for surgical resection of the tumor.
Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of human Echinococcosis in Baghdad-Iraq using GIS
Authors: Al-Obaidi Mohammed , Nayyef Hanan J. , Mohammed Sinai W. , Jabbar Faheema , Hanoon Ahmad Y. , Taqi Estabraq A.
Published: June 2022

Hydatid disease (HD) or cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a complex and neglected disease caused by the parasite Echinococcus granulosus that causes health and economic loss. The data of disease were obtained from the Center of Communicable Diseases/ Baghdad/Iraq, for the period 2013 to 2016. Global information system (GIS) was used to create the study area and cases distribution. Total recorded number of CE cases was 61 cases distributed among different genders, age groups, and sectors in Baghdad province. The results showed that the distribution of hydatid cyst infections according to year was higher in the year 2013 (36.1%) than in other years (2014, 2015, and 2016) respectively. Percent of female infection with CE was (57%), more susceptible than male (43%). It was observed that the Sadder City (31.1%) was at greater risk of hydatid cyst infections than other sectors of Baghdad. Also, the study was found that the most susceptible age group to this disease was the age between (15–45y (73.8%)) than other age groups. This study concluded a decrease in infection by cystic echinococcosis (CE) over the previous years. This indicated the increased public awareness of the disease's transmission. The aim of this study was to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of the disease in different locations in Baghdad city.
Sustainable supply chain system for defective products with different carbon emission strategies
Authors: Priyan S. , Mala P. , Palanivel M.
Published: June 2022

Humans are gradually altering the atmosphere and the globe's temperature by burning fossil fuels and discarding items due to error. This amplifies the conservatory cause and global warming by adding huge amounts of greenhouse gases to those already existing in the ambience. One of the strategies to reduce emissions and costs is to amend our firm to perform in an eco-friendly manner. The advent of various green solutions to be addressed in the supply chain (SC) is to blame for environmental issues and increased government pressure. In this article, the consequences of green technology and human error on the vendor-buyer complex SC system are examined using two carbon emission strategies: carbon taxes and limited total carbon emissions. It comprises the buyer inspecting each shipping lot for faulty items that may have come from the vendor's production process. The categorization of faulty and perfect items makes the inspection procedure difficult for the customer. To reduce overall cost, a mathematical model is designed in two alternative scenarios. This entails creating a complicated method to arrive at optimal answers that can be demonstrated both analytically and numerically. Sensitivity analysis is used to explore the implications of changing the core parameter values on the optimal solution. According to the findings, rising the carbon tax eases emissions, and the company has further alternatives to minimize carbon emissions generated by industries activity using green technology.
Huaier effects on functional compensation with destructive ribosomal RNA structure after anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination.
Authors: Tanaka Manami , Tanaka Tomoo , Zhu Xiaolong , Fei Teng , Lin Hong , Luo Zhu , Sadahiro Sotaro , Suzuki Toshiyuki , Maeda Yuji , Wei Ding , Lu Zhengxin
Published: June 2022

Although striking effects of vaccination strategy against COVID-19 world-wide, a long-term influence by sequential viral mRNA injections are unknown. We analysed biological alterations by total RNA sequencing in Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinated normal healthy volunteers and cancer patients, with or without adjuvant Huaier therapy. A significant destruction in ribosomal RNA structures was identified, enhanced by serial shots. Unlike the destruction caused by chemotherapy with platinum (II) complex, progressive destruction in 18S ribosome was identified even at 6 months after vaccination. The influence resulted in massive inhibition of translation and transcription, significantly in intra/inter neural signaling transfer and in lipid metabolism, related to ageing process. Huaier compensated these dysfunctions by miRNA-mediated transcriptional control, by typical activation in PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Gene Ontology analysis revealed spontaneous virion production in number even after 3 months of the first vaccination. Present study indicated that the adjuvant therapy like Huaier compensates accelerated ageing process by mRNA vaccination.
Discovering short-range ordering in a medium entropy alloy via intelligent big data
Authors: Cao Cecilia , Guo Amy , Yang Haokun , Zhang Ayden , Li Wen Jung , Yang Jiong , Zhang Shouyang
Published: June 2022

Short-range orders (SROs) become more interesting in an intriguing new class of metallic materials – High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs) or Medium-Entropy Alloys (MEAs), that contain multi-principal elements. However, from the atomic level and the compositional viewpoint, observing the SRO in HEAs or MEAs is still very challenging, because it is difficult to distinguish the elements with very closed atomic numbers using electron microscopies. Here we directly observed the SRO in a medium-entropy alloy through deciphering the big data by atomic probe tomography (APT) via a new machine learning method. Using our matching learning method, the nearest neighbors of the detected elements, preferred bonds of each atom, in the APT data can be achieved. Our method offers a new pathway to observe SRO directly not only in those compositionally-complex alloys but also in the traditional dilute alloy systems, which can accelerate the design of advanced materials with favorable SROs for achieving desired properties.
Phosphorus and water supply independently control productivity and soil enzyme activity responses to elevated CO2 in an understorey community from a Eucalyptus woodland.
Authors: Piñeiro Juan , Ochoa-Hueso Raúl , Serrano-Grijalva Lilia , Power Sally A.
Published: June 2022

Aims: While it is well-established that nitrogen (N) availability regulates elevated [CO2] (eCO2) effects on plant growth and soil carbon (C) storage in N-limited environments, there are fewer studies investigating the role of phosphorus (P) supply on such responses in P-limited environments. In this study, we explored whether P fertilization influences plant growth, soil enzyme activity and C fluxes responses to eCO2, and determined how different levels of water availability regulate these processes.Methods: We used soil collected from a temperate, P-limited Eucalyptus woodland containing the native soil seed bank to grow a potted replica of local understory communities. We exposed the emerging communities to eCO2 under two contrasting water levels and two levels of P fertilization. We assessed plant biomass allocation, the rhizosphere activity of extracellular enzymes related to C, N and P cycles, as well as CO2 fluxes.Results: The positive effects of eCO2 on plant production and ecosystem C dynamics were strongly constrained by low levels of P availability. Our data also suggest that plant and microbial mechanisms that increase nutrient release from SOM may not be able to overcome this P limitation. Modest increases in water are unlikely to have a major impact on these responses.Conclusions: While current Earth System Models predict positive feedback responses of terrestrial ecosystems on C storage under eCO2, here we emphasize the importance of accounting for the widespread phenomenon of P-limitation in such responses.
New PS modified Epoxy-based Nanoclay and Hybrid Composites: Mechanical, Thermal, and Flammability Properties
Authors: Ozmeral Nimet , Soydal Ulku , Kocaman Suheyla , Ahmetli Gulnare
Published: June 2022

In the first stage of this study, the epoxy resin-hardener system, which was used in modification with thermoplastic polystyrene (PS) waste, was determined. For this purpose, different epoxy resins: bisphenol-A type (ER) and phenolic novolac (EPN) epoxy resins and modified cycloaliphatic amine type different curing agents were tried, and the EPN-IPOX system was found suitable. The curing degrees of the neat ER, EPN, and modified EPN (EPN-PS) resins calculated from the FTIR spectra were found as 99.3%, 99.9%, and 86.5%, respectively. The increase in the degree of curing increased the density values. Pristine (NC) and chemically modified (MNC) montmorillonite nanoclays were used in the preparation of nano- and hybrid composites. Chemical modification was accomplished by treating NC particles with tetramethylammonium chloride (TMAC). Chemical structures of nanoclays were elucidated by FTIR. The appropriate ratio of PS and NC was accepted as 4% and 2% by weight, respectively. Hybrid composites were produced at a fixed NC or MNC ratio of 2% by weight, with red mud waste (RMW) released during the production of alumina from bauxite. The surface morphology of nano- and hybrid composites was characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A comparative study of the influence of 1–4 wt% pristine NC, and two-types binary systems; (a) 2 wt% NC-(15–35) wt% RMW; and (b) 2 wt% MNC-(15–35) wt% RMW on the mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and thermal properties of modified epoxy resin (EPN-PS) was investigated. Combustion of the EPN-PS matrix decreased with adding NC/MNC and RMW.
Machine Learning in Production: From Experimented ML Model to System
Authors: Bhowmik Pritom
Published: June 2022

Production ML pipeline refers to a complete end-to-end workflow of a machine learning product ready for deployment. In recent years, companies have vastly invested in Machine Learning research; developers are developing new tools and technologies to make ML more flexible. Now, we can experience AI in most devices around us, from home appliances to cars. When we want to develop an AI-powered product, it is vital to understand the crucial workflows of the ML. Academic research to develop an ML model and a production ML pipeline are entirely different scenarios. From business problems, data collection to deploying the model is an acutely iterative process. Most of the time, Data scientists and Machine Learning Engineers need to deal with issues like data shift, concept shift, model decay, etc. Sometimes, there are need to change the complete ML architecture or how the features are engineered in the dataset. It will become tedious if someone is working in such an environment and lacks an understanding of the entire workflow of the ML pipeline. Though every ML project is different, a data scientist/ ML engineer/ data engineer must understand the end-to-end workflow of the ML pipeline for the product they are developing. The challenge starts with a business problem. We may face different domain problem statements that need to be solved with Machine Learning. How the data will be collected is also a big concern. Data pre-processing, data validation, data monitoring, feature engineering, Model Selection, hyperparameter tuning, model optimization, model performance analysis, performance evaluation, detecting bias, model deployment, post-deployment analysis & monitoring are the crucial processes to make your model production-ready. The main contribution of this research paper is to present a complete picture of the end-to-end workflows of a production-ready ML pipeline. The process can apply to any production ML project though some workflow or steps may differ due to the domain or use-case's demand. A proper ML pipeline architecture should be easily maintainable, scalable, and reusable. Because as the machine learning project grows, it becomes more and more complex. So, performing regular updates and scaling will become easy for data scientists & ML engineers if the pipeline is well designed and automated.
Impact of different invasion methods of invasive species on omnivorous food webs
Authors: Jiabu Duojie , Li Weide
Published: June 2022

Habitat loss and habitat fragmentations are the two main characteristics of habitat destruction and one of the main drivers of biological extinction. So far, many studies have made progress in theoretical studies of spatial food webs, but research on the effects of invasive species in omnivorous food webs is still lacking. Therefore, studying the impact of invasive species on omnivorous food webs in landscapes characterized by habitat loss and fragmentation is necessary. We first developed a simple model of an omnivorous food web. An invasive species with different roles was introduced into this simple omnivorous food web to construct different food web structures. In this different food web that we consider the predation relationship between species, competition, and different dispersal types. Our model simulation results show that the structure of the omnivorous food web formed after the invasion becomes significantly more complex and forms more food chains than before the invasion. There is competition between invasive and native species in the different omnivorous food web structures formed after the invasion. The results of our simulations show that this competition can lead to invasive species that will exclude native species or native species that will defeat invasive species. Overall, our study of this theoretical biological invasion model provides new insight into the actual biological invasion phenomenon.
Predictive value of 6-hour lactate clearance rate for mortality rate of septic shock patients with age stratification
Authors: Jin Chunhua , Jiang Longlin , Wang Liquan
Published: June 2022

Objective: Early lactate clearance was associated with mortality in sepsis patients, but needs further clarification whether it should be adjusted according to the age. Our study aimed to investigate the predictive value of early 6-hour lactate clearance rate with the mortality rate of septic shock patients according to age stratification.Methods and Results: This was a prospective, single center and observational study. A total of 261 patients with mean age of 69.5 years were enrolled. Male patients accounted for 61.6%, with a total mortality rate of 47.5%. The blood lactate levels (LAC1) of patients showed no significnat differences between Survival Group and Death Group (P=0.767) during ICU admission. However, after 6-hour treatment, the blood lactate levels of patients in Survival Group were significantly lower compared to Death Group (P<0.001), and similar are the results of 6-hour lactate clearance rate (P<0.001).Multivariate Logistic regression indicated that age ( and lactate clearance rate were significantly associated with 28-day mortality rate. The AUC value of ROC curve for lactate clearance rate was 0.800. AUC value of ROC curve for patients >65 years and ≤65 years was 0.778 and 0.845. AUC value of ROC curve for patients >80 years and ≤80 year old was 0.751 and 0.818. However, the lactate clearance rate showed no significant differences between Survival Group patients of different age (P= 0.5413 and P=0.338), respectively.Conclusion: In clinical practice, The blood lactate levels (LAC1) of patients showed no significnat differences between Survival Group and Death Group,but early 6-hour lactate clearance rate could be used to predict the mortality rate of patients with age stratification, with optimal accuracy.
Elevated NT-ProBNP levels are associated with CTP ischemic volume and 90- day functional outcomes in acute ischemic stroke: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Shen Xiaozhu , Xu Yiwen , Liu Mengqian , Nan Dong , Fang Qi , Zhang Xianxian , Liao Juan , Jiang Yi , Yu Liqiang , Chen Qingmei
Published: June 2022

Objective: To investigate the impact of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) on CTP infarct core volume and poor 90-day functional outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: A total of 403 hospitalized patients with AIS in the Stroke Center of the First Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University were enrolled from March 2018 to January 2021. The association between NT-proBNP and clinical outcomes in acute ischemic patients was assessed by logistic regression and adjusted for confounding factors. Also, subgroup analyses were conducted based on treatment decisions. Results: NT-proBNP was positively correlated with CTP ischemic volume (p<0.001), infarct core volume (p<0.001), and ischemic penumbra volume (p<0.001). Univariate analysis showed that the influence of NT-proBNP and functional outcomes were statistically significant in model 1 (p=0.002). This phenomenon was persistent after adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index in model 2 (p=0.011), adjusted for SBP, current smoking, family history of stroke, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus in model 3 (p<0.001), and adjusted for TnI, D-dimer, PLT, Cr, TC, TG, HDL-C, treatment decisions, and NIHSS score in model 4 (p=0.027). A high NT-proBNP was associated with a high 90-days mRS score among the total population, IV rt-PA, and standardized treatment groups, but not in IV rt-PA+EVT, EVT, and EVT/IV rt-PA+EVT groups.Conclusion: Elevated NT-ProBNP levels reveal large CTP infarct core volume and poor 90-day functional outcome in AIS. NT-pro BNP is an independent risk factor for functional outcomes, while endovascular treatment could counteract the role of NT-proBNP as a biomarker for predicting poor outcomes.
Erosion Source Area Identification Using Rusle and Multi-criteria Decision Analysis, Acase of Andassa Watershed, Upper Blue Nile Basin
Authors: Tegegne Moges Animut , Wosenie Mekete Dessie , Kumlachew Yibeltal Zewudu , Melsse Dessie Wubetu , Hayi Solomon Kasaa
Published: June 2022

Soil erosion reduces the productive capacity of the land, which leads to global food insecurity, decline landscape beauty, decrease quality of water, loss of aquatic lives in water bodies, and Catchments. Generally, Soil erosion problems disturbs the whole ecological process. The results of the study show that mean annual soil loss of Andassa watershed was about 68 t ha1 year-1. From soil erosion factors, Topographic wetness index followed by land use land cover have been found to have significant effect on soil erosion in the watershed. The combined result of MCE and RUSLE result showed that 21.17% of Andassa watershed was highly sensitive, 23.17% moderately sensitive, 46.78% slightly sensitive, 8.31% currently not sensitive and 0.04% were constraint to soil erosion. Based on these results, the watershed has significantly at high to moderate risk of soil erosion (44.34%) from the hole watershed. Thus, the Upper part of the watershed is under high class of soil erosion source and needs immediate attention in terms of management as well as planning perspective and it should be managed for conservation and environmental protection activities. From the overall combined map of Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) and revised universal soil lose map showing the areas of increased risk erosion represented by highly sensitive (S1), moderately sensitive(S2), less sensitive(S3), and non-sensitive(S4) areas so the governmental or non-governmental organizations or any concerned organization should refer this important severity map of soil erosion for watershed management and priority of the watershed.
Post-operative outcome in emergency surgical interventions in patients with right sided colon cancer. A nation-wide population- based study Danish Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG) register
Authors: El-Hussuna Alaa , Knudsen Maria , Frasson Matteo , Poulsen Laurids Østergaard
Published: June 2022

Aim: to identify modifiable risk factors associated with short term post-operative complications in this group of patients. in patients with right sided colon cancer (RCC) who undergo emergency surgical interventions.Methods: This was a retrospective nation-wide study based on a prospectively maintained Danish Colorectal Cancer Group database. Results: A total of 2740 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria of which 2464 had definitive surgical procedure in form of segmental colon resection (89.9%). Older patients (OR 1.032 CI 95 % [1.009-1.055] p= 0.005) and patients with high ASA score (OR 1.61 CI 95% [1.422-1.830] p<0.001) had higher rates of sever post-operative complications (grade 3b and above as classified by Clavian-Demartines-Dindo classification). De-functioning procedures i.e., stoma construction or colonic stent (without oncological resection) did not reduce the risk of complications compared to definitive surgery. The 30-day and 90 days post-operative mortality rates were significantly reduced over the time of the study (OR 0.943 CI 95% [0.922-0.965] p<0.01) and OR 0.953 CI 95% [0.934- 0.972] p<0.01) respectively. Compared with European Society Colo-Proctology snapshot audit in 2015 showed less occurrence of intra-abdominal septic complications 29/212 (13.7%), wound infection 43/253 (17%) and unplanned intra-operative adverse events 26/235 (10.3%) in the Danish cohort compared to the international cohort.Conclusion: Age and ASA score were risk factors for sever post-operative complications. De-functioning procedure did not protect these patients from the high risk of post-operative complications nor post-operative 90-day mortality. This study can be a baseline to evaluate the effect of pre-operative optimization in this group of patients.
Chalcone Derivative B8HA as A Novel Histone Deacetylase and Tubulin Dual-targeting Inhibitors, Inhibits Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells Proliferation
Authors: Li Kangkang , Zheng Qiuling , Qi Shulei , Xie Yi , Chen Xuehong
Published: June 2022

Purpose Designing and synthesizing dual- and multi-target drugs have raised considerable interests due to their advantages in improving potencies as antitumor agents. In previous studies, our group designed and synthesized a series of novel chalcone based tubulin and histone deacetylase (HDAC) dual-targeting inhibitors. Among them, compound B8HA exhibited promising potency for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. In this work, we highlighted its biological evaluations in MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells.Methods The in vitro antiproliferative efficacies of compound B8HA against MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, MCF-7, 4T1, A549, HCT-116, HT-29 and K562 were evaluated with MTT assay. Moreover, the potencies of B8HA as inhibitors of HDAC and tubulin polymerase were also evaluated in vitro and vivo.Results Comparing to the classical HDACi SAHA, B8HA has higher potency to induce apoptosis and inhibits the migratory and invasive abilities of tumor cells under the same dose in vitro and vivo. B8HA as tubulin inhibition is also able to inhibit the formation of capillary-like structures as well as to disrupt existing tubules.Conclusion These results indicated that compound B8HA is a potent inhibitor of both HDAC and tubulin, leading to excellent in vitro and in vivo antiproliferative activities.
Spectroscopic Characterization of Subsurface Thermal Degradation of Eu:Y(acac)3(DPEPO) in an Opaque Medium Using Wavefront-shaping Assisted Bidirectional Focusing
Authors: Anderson Benjamin R. , Gese Natalie , Eilers Hergen
Published: June 2022

We characterize the subsurface thermal degradation of an inert analogue of energetic molecular crystals (Eu:Y(acac)3(DPEPO)) using a wavefront-shaping assisted bidirectional focusing microscope. This microscope provides the capability to focus inside of a heterogeneous material and measure both Raman and fluorescence spectra during thermal degradation. From these measurements we find that embedding the molecular crystal in the polymer results in improved thermal stability as the polymer acts to constrict the effects of melting, which is the primary mechanism for spectroscopic changes for this material in the temperature range explored. Additionally, we identify a significant challenge in the microscope with regards to signal arising from out of focus guidestar particles and scattering particles. To address this issue we propose the use of spatial filtering of the output signal to remove unwanted signal while keeping the in-focus signal.
Sphingosine 1-phosphate Receptor 2 Mediated Early Stages of Pancreatic and Systemic Inflammatory Response via NF-kappa B Activation in Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Yang Jing , Tang Xujiao , Li Baiqiang , Shi Jinsong
Published: June 2022

In acute pancreatitis (AP), activation of inflammatory signaling including nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway within acinar cells is known to be an early intracellular event occurring in parallel with pathologic trypsinogen activation. Sphingosine 1-phosphate Receptor 2 (S1PR2) plays a critical role in endothelial inflammation and our previous studies reported that S1PR2 deficiency significantly reduced inflammatory response in liver injury under cholestasis conditions. However, the role of S1PR2 in inflammatory signaling activation within acinar cells and inflammatory responses during acute pancreatitis has not been elucidated. Here we report that S1PR2 was upregulated in whole pancreas during acute pancreatitis conditions. Blockade of S1PR2 by pharmacologic inhibition of S1PR2 by JTE-013 or AAV-mediated knockdown of S1PR2 improved the severity of pancreatic injury as indicated by significant reduction of inflammation and acinar cells death in acute pancreatitis mice. Moreover, S1PR2 is the predominant S1PRs expressed in pancreatic acinar cells and mediates NF-κB activation and early inflammatory response within acinar cell under acute pancreatitis conditions via ROCK signaling pathways, not extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. In addition, S1PR2 mediated macrophages NF-κB activation, migration and polarization toward M1 phenotype. Therefore, this results demonstrated that S1PR2-mediated early inflammatory response in acinar cell promote the progression of acute pancreatitis, successfully linking the local events to the systematic inflammatory response and leading a novel therapeutic target for acute pancreatitis aimed at halting the progression of inflammatory response.
Long-term profound investigation of Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl and indirect pesticide pollution in jute cropped-environmental ecosystem for dietary and ecological risk assessment
Authors: Bhattacharyya Sudip , Poi Rajlakshmi , Sen Moni Baskey , Hazra Dipak Kumar , Mandal Swagata , Karmakar Rajib
Published: June 2022

Jute is a healthy vegetable due to its high content of carotenoids, vitamins, and minerals, in addition to its industrial utility. The purpose of this study was to look into the dissipation of fenoxaprop-p-ethyl and to track indirect sources of pesticide accumulation in jute ecosystems for three years in a row during tropical monsoon seasons. To avoid the intake of residues over approved limits, a rapid extraction technique was developed to evaluate the residues of this herbicide (Whip-Super 9% EC) in jute leaves, fiber, cropped soil, and water. A modified QuEChERS approach based on liquid chromatography and UV-VIS detection was developed and successfully validated in accordance with SANCO requirements. GC-MS was used to examine fish and water samples from jute fields and retting pond for twenty widely used multi-class pesticide contaminations from indirect sources. Acceptable value of recoveries (100-115%) and relative standard deviations (RSD) (≤20) are observed. In edible jute leaves, independent of season, first-order kinetics of dissipation was recorded, with half-lives ranging from 0.61 to 0.68 days. Based on the findings of the risk assessment, it is feasible to conclude that the consumer health risks of ingesting jute leaves are insignificant, even on day zero, when used at the recommended amount, and that using jute bags for food packaging and storage is safe. But jute field water was found to be less polluted with indirect pesticides than water from a nearby jute retted pond. Fish samples from this jute retted pond water were also analysed and found to be 26% contaminated. The presence of quinalphos and chlorpyriphos in jute retting water and fish might pose a concern to consumer health and environmental eco-systems.
The Impact and Sustainability Of Hand Hygiene on Health Facilities in the Context of Covid-19 Pandemic. A case of Busia County, Kenya.
Authors: Okedi William , Wakoli Caroline Atieno , Emojong Irene
Published: June 2022

Introduction Health care associated infections including Covid-19 are drawing attention from patients, insurers and Governments worldwide because of the magnitude of the problem i.e. morbidity, mortality and treatment, although these are preventable. Literature review shows there is very little published information on hand washing practices of health care workers in Kenya. This study provides important inputs for planning, policy making and informs future research areas and methods. Methods A cross sectional study design was conducted in Matayos, Teso South and Teso North sub-counties of Busia County. The study covered 33 consenting health workers in 7 health facilities. An interview guide and observation checklist were used to collect data and to ascertain availability of hygiene and sanitation facilities. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data while quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results That there was no policy on hand hygiene in 6 (86%) health facilities; awareness about hand hygiene was high; knowledge on critical moments for hand hygiene was unsatisfactory but nurses scored better. Only 44% respondents knew effectiveness of alcohol based sanitizer; on disposal of waste, maternity wards ranked highest 6(87.7%) complying. Laxity in enforcing obligatory use of hand hygiene was high only 2(28.6%.) of facilities complying. Respondents attributed reduction in diarrheal infections and improvements in sanitation during covid-19 pandemic to rigorous hand hygiene practices. Found that hand hygiene compliance by health care workers can reduce infections in health facilities. That lack of piped water, erratic supply of soap, sanitizers and dependency on external partners were perceived to be important barriers for the sustainability of hand washing practices. Conclusion 1. The hand hygiene initiative has occupied a new and important place in the minds of health workers, policy makers and communities due to its contribution in the prevention and control of one of the most serious diseases of the 21st century. 2. The initiative has presented a compelling case for investment in preventive and promotive health and demonstrated the power of the old adage “prevention is better than cure”. 3. Purposeful partnerships and collaborations are powerful tools to achieve common goals. The study also exposed various systemic weaknesses within the public health sector and the political leadership that needs to be addressed to ensure sustainability of hand hygiene.
Metadichol, A natural ligand for expression of Yamanaka reprogramming factors in somatic and primary cancer cell lines
Authors: Raghavan P.R.
Published: June 2022

The conversion of somatic cells back into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or embryonic-like stem cells involves the introduction of four genes commonly called Yamanaka factors, i.e., Sox2, Oct4, Klf4, and c-Myc, into the cells. Because these genes and the viral vectors used to introduce them into cells have the potential to cause cancer, iPSC lines are not clinically useful. Most instances of direct reprogramming have achieved have been by the forced expression of defined factors using viral vectors. Here, we show that Metadichol® has the potential to generate iPSCs non-virally and may be helpful in clinical applications. Metadichol is a nanoformulation of long-chain alcohols derived from food. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting showed that OCT4, SOX2, and Nanog are expressed when fibroblasts were treated with Metadichol at one picogram to 100 nanograms. Reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) also revealed that OCT4, KLF4, Nanog, and Sox2 levels increased compared to controls by 4.01, 3.51 and 1.26, and 2.5-fold, respectively, in A549 cancer cells. In Colo-205 cells, OCT4, KLF4, and Sox2 were increased by 1.79, 13.17, and 2.25folds, respectively. Metadichol treatment with triple-negative primary breast cancer (HCAF-TNPBC) primary cancer cells led to multifold increases of OKSM factors by 19, 6, 8.07, 2.45, and 6.91folds in concentration ranges one picogram to 100 nano grams. Metadichol is a natural product that induces the expression of Yamanaka factors needed for reprogramming and Klotho, an anti-aging gene, and curbs the expression of the TP53 gene, which is critical for reprogramming somatic cells into IPSCs.Metadichol increases endogenous vitamin C levels, leading to the efficient reprogramming of somatic cells into iPSCs. Metadichol is nontoxic and commercially available as a nutritional supplement. Thus, it can be directly tested in vivo in human subjects to confirm that cells can indeed be programmed into a state of induced pluripotency and cause the mitigation of disease conditions.
Hydrogeological characterization of Terminal Complex aquifers using geoelectrical investigation to enhance groundwater prospecting in the arid environment of Chetma-Biskra, South-East of Algeria.
Authors: KESSASRA Farès , Mezerreg Nour-Houda , DEHIBI Djamel Eddine , DJARET Lamine , BOUHCHICHA Asma , MESBAH Mohamed
Published: June 2022

Due to occurrence of groundwater in deeply buried aquifers with low recharge, water scarcity in Saharan and arid environments in Algeria was diagnosed in many populated regions such as Biskra. Constituting a transition hydrogeological area between the folded Atlasic domains in the North and the Saharan flat in the South, Biskra contains large groundwater resources in the terminal complex aquifers. 93% of water needs provides from groundwater and only 7% from surface water. But this region is facing to an acute shortage of water supply for domestic and irrigation demands because of the unappreciated groundwater prospecting and potentiality. Using an integrated approach which enclose geophysical investigation combined to geological and hydrogeological contexts at Chetma area, a deep structural form with significant hydrogeological features was highlighted and confirmed the accumulation of groundwater. Two resistant limestone anticlines called Droh anticlines corresponding to a piezometric dome and a syncline filled with conductive deposit materials were identified. Maastrichtian limestone consists of cracked and thick aquifer formation about 200 to 350 m, together with marl limestone and limestone of the lower Eocene forms a complex aquifer. Pumped boreholes, deep about 400 m, present a mixture of water giving large flow rate ranged from 25 to 90 l/s and constitutes a pattern produce zones of water accumulation. Nevertheless, at 300 m of depth, flow rate offers an average of 40 l/s and capturing mainly Maastrichtian limestone aquifer. However, synform geometries involving clay and marl formations have no hydrogeological interest. Occurrence of potential aquifers mostly identified in fractured zones was confirmed. This study gives insight to enhance groundwater prospecting and mobilization for 2030.
Mechanism of Icariin regulation of the effect of miR-122-5p in osteoblast-derived exosomes on osteogenesis and migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Yang Aofei , 刘 lxz , Yang Lu , Xu Haijia , Hu Jing , Cai Hantao , Ning Yu , Li Zhanghua
Published: June 2022

Background
Avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) is a common orthopaedic disease due to bone defects. However, few clear methods to treat ANFH in clinical practice are known. Many findings suggest that promoting the osteogenic differentiation and directional migration of stem cells may be a key method for bone regeneration. Over time, an increasing number of researchers have begun to focus on Chinese medicine and Chinese medicinal extracts; Epimedium is the Chinese herbal medicine studied in the most detail in the field of bone regeneration, and Icariin (ICA) is one of the main active ingredients in Epimedium.
Objective
This study aimed to explore the effects of ICA on the osteogenic differentiation and migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and reveal its mechanism to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of ANFH.
Methods
After primary BMSCs were freshly isolated from a normal rabbit and treated with various concentrations of ICA, the activity and proliferation of BMSCs were detected by CCK-8 assay, and the mineralized nodules was detected by Alizarin Red staining, to determine the optimal concentration of ICA. qPCR and western blot were used to demostrate the effects of ICA on the osteogenic differentiation and migration of BMSCs. Osteoblasts-derived exosomes (OB-exos) were extracted and analysed by high-throughput sequencing. Effect of ICA combined with OB-exos were analysed. And miRNA mimic and an miRNA inhibitor were synthetised to verify the osteogenic differentiation and migration of BMSCs alone or co-cultured with ICA.
Results
The CCK-8 assay and Alizarin Red staining showed that the optimal concentration of ICA is 1×10− 7 M. ICA could effectively promote the osteogenic differentiation and migration of BMSCs, and this could be enhanced after co-culturing with OB-exos. The four miRNAs with the greatest concentrations in the OB-exos were let-7a-5p, miR-100-5p, miR-21-5p and miR-122-5p. qPCR and western blot showed that miR-122-5p mimic has positive effects on the osteogensis and migration, and its inhitiotr has negative effects. Simliarly, they could enhance or inhitor the effects of ICA, which means miR-122-5p may be the target of ICA.
Conclusion
Like the OB-exos, ICA could obviously promote the osteogenic differentiation and migration of BMSCs. The combination of ICA and OB-exos enhanced these effects, in which miR-122-5p plays a pivotal role.