bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical Fuzzy Systems Integrated with Particle Swarm Optimization for Daily Reference Evapotranspiration Prediction: A Novel Approach
Authors: Roy Dilip Kumar , Saha Kowshik Kumar , Kamruzzaman Mohammad , Biswas Sujit Kumar , Hossain Mohammad Anower
Published: July 2021

Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) is a crucial element for deriving a meaningful scheduling of irrigation for major crops. Thus, precise projection of future ET0 is essential for better management of scarce water resources in many parts of the globe. This study evaluates the potential of a Hierarchical Fuzzy System (HFS) optimized by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm (PSO-HFS) to predict daily ET0. The meteorological variables and estimated ET0 were employed as inputs and outputs, respectively, for the PSO-HFS model. The FAO 56 PM method to ET0 computation was implemented to obtain ET0 values using the climatic variables obtained from two weather stations located in Gazipur Sadar and Ishurdi, Bangladesh. Prediction accuracy of PSO-HFS was compared with that of a FIS, M5 Model Tree, and a Regression Tree (RT) model. Several statistical performance evaluation indices were used to evaluate the performances of the PSO-HFS, FIS, M5 Model Tree, and RT in estimating daily ET0. Ranking of the models was performed using the concept of Shannon’s Entropy that accounts for a set of performance evaluation indices. Results revealed that the PSO-HFS model performed better than the tree-based models. Generalization capabilities of the preposed models were evaluated using the dataset from a test station (Ishurdi station). Results revealed that the models performed equally well with the unseen test dataset, and that the PSO-HFS model provided superior performance over other tree based models. The overall results imply that PSO-HFS model could effectively be utilized to model ET0 values quite efficiently and accurately.
Production enhancement of the glycopeptide antibiotic A40926 produced by an engineered N. gerenzanensis lcu1
Authors: Yan Bingyu , Gao Wen , Tian Li , Wang Shuai , Dong Huijun
Published: July 2021

Objective

To enhance the production of A40926 by implementing a strategy of the combination of genetically engineered strain construction and medium optimization.
Results

The engineered strain of Nonomuraea gerenzanensis presented an increment of 30.6 percent in A40926 production compared with that of the parent strain. Subsequently, an assembling medium, which was defined as M9 medium and mainly comprised glucose, maltodextrin, soybean meal, peptone, L-valine, and other inorganic salts, was determined as the optimal medium among the tested nine media. The optimum concentration of medium components was glucose 10 g/l, maltodextrin 37.9 g/l, soybean meal 34.5 g/l, peptone 30.0 g/l, and L-valine 4.3 g/l, respectively. The optimized medium was verified experimentally, and A40926 yield increased significantly from 257 mg/l to 332 mg/l, as compared to the non-optimized medium. The strategy brought a significant increase of A40926 yield by 65.2 percent.
Conclusions

The engineered mutant with the genetic attributes of the co-expression of the dbv3 and dbv20 genes and the deletion of the dbv23 gene could obviously enhance the production of A40926. In addition, the optimization of medium was an effective and essential tool for the improvement of the secondary metabolites in Actinomyces.
Reproductive Outcomes of Artificial Oocyte Activation after ICSI Undergoing Blastocyst Transfer: A 6-year Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yan Xuehua , Liu Xitong , Chen Wennan , Yan Xueli , Zhu Yating , Xue Xia , Shi Juanzi
Published: July 2021

Research question: Is the pregnancy rate affected by artificial oocyte activation (AOA) with A23187 after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in infertile patients?Design: Our retrospective study included 308 patients who transferred blastocyst from routine intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and 82 patients who transferred blastocyst from routine ICSI combined with AOA (ICSI-AOA) from January 2014 to April 2020. Pregnancy outcomes of couples who received routine ICSI or ICSI-AOA were analyzed after the first blastocyst transfer, which covered frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer and fresh blastocyst transfer. AOA was performed with A237817. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine which variables could be independently associated with the pregnancy rate. Effect sizes were summarized as odds ratios (ORs), with precision evaluated by 95% CIs. Results: The clinical pregnancy rate was 71.95% in the AOA group and 57.47% in the routine ICSI group. The effect size of the AOA on clinical rate was evaluated in prespecified and exploratory subgroups in each subgroup. And multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the clinical rate. The AOA group had a higher chance of clinical pregnancy in all subgroups: female age at oocyte retrieval, female BMI, protocol in the fresh cycle, female infertility type, MII oocyte numbers, fresh or frozen blastocyst transfer, No. of blastocyst transfer and blastocyst quality. Multivariable analysis showed AOA to be associated with an increased likelihood of clinical pregnancy compared with routine ICSI (p=0.03; adjusted OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.09–3.27).Conclusions: This study suggested that AOA can increase the rate of clinical pregnancy obviously, which helps clinicians to advise patients on AOA risks.
Characterization, Phytopathogenicity and Host Range Studies of Neoscytalidium Dimidiatuml. (Botryosphaeraceae) Associated With Dieback of Lebbeck Trees (Albizia Lebbeck L. Benth) in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Hamed Khalid E. , Alsoim Abdullah , Rogaibah Ahmed
Published: July 2021

A survey in 2016 showed that more than 80% lebbeck trees inside the main campus of Qassim University were wilted and dead. Symptoms of dieback, root rot, stem cankers and decline were observed in the trees. The trunks exhibited black masses of spores which soon spread to other, healthy trees. A fungus, having arthroconidial and asexual synanamorph characteristics, and was identified as Neoscytalidiumdimidiatum KSA of the class Coelomycetes within the family Botryosphaeraceae and was subsequently isolated from the infected lebbeck trees. Six-year-old lebbeck seedlings were inoculated with the N. dimidiatum KSA isolate. Symptoms of chloroses followed by dropping leaves appeared four weeks after inoculation. The fungus re-isolated from the infected seedlings expressed the same morphological characteristics on the culture media as the N. dimidiatum KSA isolate. A host range study involving six different tree species were inoculated under growth chamber conditions using the identified isolate of the N. dimidiatum KSA fungus. Four weeks after the inoculation, three of these species exhibited wilting and died. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report on N. dimidiatum in Saudi Arabia.
Soil-Water Characteristic Curves And Hydraulic Conductivity of Gaomiaozi Bentonite Pellet-Contained Materials
Authors: Zhu Jianghong , Su Zhenyan , Zhang Huyuan
Published: July 2021

The bentonite pellet-contained material (PCM) is a feasible material for the joint sealing of high-level radioactive waste repository. During the operation of the repository, the PCM will be unsaturated for a long time, and its water retention and permeability directly affect the buffer barrier seepage, nuclide migration, and joint healing. Moreover, the particle size of bentonite pellets and dry density are important factors affecting the performance of PCM. In this work, the pressure plate method and vapour equilibrium technique were utilized to test the soil-water characteristic curves (SWCCs) of the PCMs with different particle sizes and dry densities. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the PCMs was predicted by combining the SWCC model and saturated hydraulic conductivity. The results showed that in the low suction range (20–1150 kPa), the dry density and particle size had a negative correlation with the water content at the same suction. In the high suction range (4200–309000 kPa), the dry density and particle size had little effect on the SWCC. The Gardner model was appropriate for describing the SWCC of PCM. In addition, the hydraulic conductivity of the PCM decreased with the increase in dry density, while increased with the increase in particle size. The influence mechanism of the SWCC and hydraulic conductivity was further discussed based on the scanning electron microscopy images and pore size distribution curves.
Circulating Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and Risk of 25 Common Conditions: Outcome-Wide Analyses in The UK Biobank Study
Authors: Papier Keren , Knuppel Anika , Perez-Cornago Aurora , Watts Eleanor , Tong Tammy , Schmidt Julie , Allen Naomi , Key Timothy , Travis Ruth
Published: July 2021

While there is strong epidemiological evidence that circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is associated with a higher risk of several cancers, little is known about its association with non-cancer outcomes. We investigated associations of circulating IGF-I with risk of 25 common conditions, other than cancer, in a large British cohort. Study participants were 318 749 middle-aged adults enrolled in the UK Biobank Study. Serum IGF-I concentration was measured in samples collected at baseline (2006–2010), and re-measured in 12 334 participants after an average of 4.3 years. We followed-up participants over an average of 11.5 years by linking to hospital admissions and mortality registries. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regressions estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between circulating IGF-I and 25 common conditions, using the repeated IGF-I measurements to correct for regression dilution bias. After correction for multiple testing (P < 0.002), IGF-I was positively associated with carpal tunnel syndrome (HR per 5 nmol/l higher concentration = 1.12, 95% CI, 1.08–1.16), and inversely associated with varicose veins (0.90, 0.85–0.95), cataracts (0.97, 0.95–0.99), diabetes (0.92, 0.90–0.95), and iron deficiency anaemia (0.90, 0.86–0.93). The associations for cataracts and diabetes attenuated when restricted to cases diagnosed after five or more years of follow-up, suggesting that these associations were likely affected by reverse causality. Higher IGF-I concentration might be associated with the risk for several conditions, but genetic studies are needed to clarify which associations may be causal.
The Phenomenon of Internal Force Hedging After Two Trusses Overlapped With A Common Chord
Authors: Xie Xiaoli , Qin Xia , Xie Yuanzhong , Yang Chuangjie , Qiu Chen
Published: July 2021

Single truss structure is widely used in various fields of life, and has been very thorough researched. But for truss system, there are still many areas to be researched and developed. In this paper, through the mechanical test of two trusses overlapping, we find a mechanical phenomenon: the "internal force" hedging effect occurs when the two trusses share chord, but not when the chords are not shared.
Shape-aware Stochastic Neighbour Embedding for Robust Data Visualisations
Authors: Wängberg Tobias , Li Chun-Biu , Tyrcha Joanna
Published: July 2021

The t-distributed Stochastic Neighbour Embedding (t-SNE) method has emerged as one of the leading methods for visualising High Dimensional (HD) data in a wide variety of fields, especially for revealing cluster structure in HD single cell transcriptomics data. However, several shortcomings of the algorithm have been identified. Specifically, t-SNE is often unable to correctly represent hierarchical relationships between clusters and spurious patterns may arise in the embedding due to incorrect parameter settings, which could lead to misinterpretations of the data. Here we incorporate t-SNE with shape-aware graph distances, a method termed shape-aware stochastic neighbour embedding (SASNE), to mitigate these limitations of the t-SNE. The merits of the SASNE are first demonstrated using synthetic data sets, where we see a significant improvement in embedding imbalanced and nonlinear clusters, as well as preservation of hierarchical structure, based on quantitative validation in clustering and dimensionality reductions. Moreover, we propose a data-driven parameter setting which we find consistently optimal in all test cases. Lastly, we demonstrate the superior performance of SASNE in embedding the MNIST image data and the single cell transcriptomics gene expression data.
Unraveling The Impacts of Meteorological and Anthropogenic Changes on Sediment Fluxes Along an Estuary-Sea Continuum
Authors: Grasso Florent , Bismuth Eliott , Verney Romaric
Published: July 2021

Sediment fluxes at the estuary-sea interface strongly impact particle matter exchanges between marine and continental sources along the land-sea continuum. However, human activities drive pressures on estuary physical functioning, hence threatening estuarine habitats and their ecosystem services. There is an increasing societal need to better predict the potential trajectories of estuarine sediment fluxes resulting from natural and anthropogenic pressures, but the concomitance of human-induced and meteorological-induced changes makes the responses ambiguous. Therefore, this study explores a 22-year numerical hindcast, experiencing contrasted meteorological conditions and human-induced morphological changes (i.e., estuary deepening and narrowing), in order to disentangle the relative contributions of meteorological and anthropogenic changes on net sediment fluxes between a macrotidal estuary and its adjacent coastal sea. Our results highlight that intense wave events induce fine sediment (≤100 µm) export to the sea but coarser sediment (≥210 µm) import within the estuary. Remarkably, moderate to large river flows support mud import within the estuary. Over 25 years, the reduction of intense wave and river flow events reduces fine sediment export to the sea. In addition, the estuary morphological changes due to human activities increase fine sediment import within the estuary, shifting the estuary from an exporting to importing system. We propose a conceptualization of mud flux response to river flow and wave forcing, as well as anthropogenic pressures. It provides valuable insights into particle transfers along the land-sea continuum, contributing to a better understanding of estuarine ecosystem trajectories under global changes.
Treatment of chest wall osteoradionecrosis with contralateral breast Y-V flap: case report
Authors: Kong Tae Hyun , Choi Manki , Lee Seok Soo , Kim Il-Kug
Published: July 2021

Introduction:Chest wall osteoradionecrosis(ORN) in breast cancer is one of the most serious complications of radiation therapy. Treatment requires wide debridement and coverage with a well-vascularized flap. However, the extensive radiation-induced injury, and a limit to performing wide resection of the injured bones are challaged to treatment. Herein, we present our experience with chest wall ORN treated with contralateral breast Y-V flap.Case presentationAn 81-year-old woman diagnosed with ORN of the chest wall had a severe ptotic breast. Reconstruction was planned to cover the open wound of the chest wall using redundant contralateral breast tissue. The flap was elevated in the subfascial plane after an inverted-T incision was made in the lower pole and inframammary fold of the contralateral breast while preserving the perforators of the left lateral thoracic artery. The flap was spread in a Y-V advancement fashion to cover the open wound. The patient was discharged 2 weeks after surgery following suture removal. At 19 months post-operation, there were no complications or recurrences of ulcers. The patient was satisfied with the short recovery time and the surgical results.ConclusionThe contralateral breast Y-V flap allows simple and quick reconstruction, and having more options for chest wall reconstruction will allow for a more flexible treatment plan for each patient.
Antibiotic resistance patterns in infections associated with health care in a Third Level Center with hospital reconversion in the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Almeida Jorge , Gutiérrez José Alfonso Gutiérrez , Quirino Silvia León , Calzonzin Patricia Albarrán , Ramírez Alejandro Acosta , Nava Carlos Alberto Rubén Castillo , Márquez María del Carmen Guzmán
Published: July 2021

Objective:Description of the different isolated microorganisms and their prevalence in infections associated with health care, in addition to determining their patterns of resistance to antibiotics in patients admitted with a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19 in the Intensive Care Unit, during a third-level medical center with hospital reconversion.Method:Patient demographic data was obtained from the clinical record, with defined criteria. Antibiotic resistance patterns were evaluated as well as the identification of isolated bacteria in cultures of expectoration, pleural fluid, catheter tips. For bacterial identification and resistance mechanisms, automated equipment and phenotypic tests were used, following the CLSI criteria.ResultsA total of 100 patients with bacterial infection added to the main COVID-19 picture were obtained, of which he represented pneumonia, urinary tract infection, catheter infections and bacteremia. A total of 100 strains were isolated, of which 84 are Extremely Drug Resistant, 12 Multidrug Resistant and only 4 variable sensitivity. The bacteria with the highest prevalence is Staphylococcus aureus with, followed by Peudonomas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. 100% of the patients admitted to the ICU had death.ConclusionThe increase in resistance to antibiotics in the COVID-19 pandemic has set off alarms due to the complication that this brings, and the improper use of drugs as prophylaxis or attempted treatment only generates selective pressure that leads to an increase in resistance as observed in the isolated strains in this study, where the vast majority present enzymes as well as other resistance mechanisms that confer them to be XDR
Clinicopathological Characteristics, Survival Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in Pleomorphic Carcinoma: A SEER Population-based Study
Authors: Chen Zhongzhong , Liu Jiachang , Min Lingfeng
Published: July 2021

Background: Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma (PPC) is a rare tumor, and it usually has an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. We aim to analyze the clinicopathological features, management and prognostic factors of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma. Patients and methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we identified 310 patients of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma from 2004 to 2014 including clinicopathological characteristics, treatment modalities and outcome data.Results: The mean age of all PPC patients was 66 years and 59.4% of the patients were male. Most patients (79.4%) were white people, 51.6% were found in the right lung, and lesions were mostly observed in upper lobe (57.7%). The median overall survival was 12 months and overall 1-, 3- and 5- year survival rate was 42.5%, 28.6%, 24.1%. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, tumor primary site, lymph node metastases, distant metastases, summary stage, chemotherapy and surgery were associated with overall survival. Patients with surgery or chemotherapy have a better OS for patients with PPC. However, we found that radiotherapy did not significantly improve OS Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that SEER summary stage, distant metastases, surgery and chemotherapy were found to be independently associated with the OS.Conclusions: PPC mostly occurred in white people, with a median age of 66 years, and men were more susceptible to this disease. The SEER summary stage, distant metastases, surgery and chemotherapy were independently associated with prognosis.
Value of Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis of Pleural Effusion: Analysis of 582 Cases
Authors: Wang Ning , Liu Zishuang , Wang Ting , Bai Yang , Wang Man
Published: July 2021

Background: By comparing the different ultrasonographic manifestations in exudate and transudate, we intend to explore the value of ultrasound in auxiliary diagnosis of pleural effusion.Methods: The ultrasonic image features, including echo, separation, light spot, pleural thickness, of 275 exudative pleural effusion (EPE) cases and 307 transudate pleural effusion (TPE) cases confirmed by laboratory examination were retrospectively analyzed.Results: In 275 cases of EPE, the main primary diseases were pneumonia and tuberculous exudative pleurisy, the majority was unilateral (214 cases, 77.8%). Ultrasound showed 47.6% cases had septum, 58.5% cases had echo and those pleural thickness more than 3mm cases accounted for 39.6%. By contrast, in 307 patients with TPE, the major diseases were heart failure, cirrhosis and nephrotic syndrome. Most of the pleural effusions were bilateral, accounting for 97.1%. Ultrasound displayed echo in 3 cases (1.0%), separation in 8 cases (2.6%), light spot in 9 cases (2.9%), and pleural thickening (> 3mm) in 6 cases (2.0%). These positive findings in TPE were statistically less than its counterpart (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Ultrasound is valuable for auxiliary diagnosis of pleural effusion. Some sonographic features of pleural effusion, like echo, septum and pleural thickening, may indicate a high possibility of EPE.
Identification of Barrett's Esophagus in Endoscopic Images Using Deep Learning
Authors: Pan Wen , Li Xujia , Wang Weijia , Zhou Linjing , Wu Jiali , Ren Tao , Liu Chao , Lv Muhan , Su Song , Tang Yong
Published: July 2021

Background: Development of a deep learning method to identify Barrett's esophagus (BE) scopes in endoscopic images.Methods: 443 endoscopic images from 187 patients of BE were included in this study. The gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) and squamous-columnar junction (SCJ) of BE were manually annotated in endoscopic images by experts. Fully convolutional neural networks (FCN) were developed to automatically identify the BE scopes in endoscopic images. The networks were trained and evaluated in two separate image sets. The performance of segmentation was evaluated by intersection over union (IOU).Results: The deep learning method was proved to be satisfying in the automated identification of BE in endoscopic images. The values of the IOU were 0.56 (GEJ) and 0.82 (SCJ), respectively.Conclusions: Deep learning algorithm is promising with accuracies of concordance with manual human assessment in segmentation of the BE scope in endoscopic images. This automated recognition method helps clinicians to locate and recognize the scopes of BE in endoscopic examinations.
Integrative Clonal Evolution Analysis on SNV and CNV Levels in Multifocal Breast Cancer
Authors: Gao Yan , Wu Ning , Duan Qingke , Liu Hong , Xu Bo
Published: July 2021

Background: For multifocal or multicentric breast cancer with two or more separated malignant foci in ipsilateral breast, the origin of its multiple foci is still debatable: do they share a common origin or have they developed independently? Methods: By bulk exome sequencing combined with single cell whole genome sequencing using multiple annealing and looping-based amplification cycles (MALBAC), we obtained genomic information of two separated breast tumors and one metastatic lymph node in a multifocal breast cancer patient. We performed single nucleotide variation (SNV) and single cell copy number variation (CNV) analyses of the two breast tumors and lymph node. Results: On SNV level, we found common origin and single focus metastasis in this patient, concretely speaking that the two breast tumors were formed by the spread of one single tumor to another, instead of being developed independently. Furthermore, the lymph node was metastasized from one of the two tumors instead of co-metastasis by both of them. We also found that the SNV subclone architecture always kept stable between the two breast tumors as well as from the breast tumors to lymph node. On CNV level, in contrast, the frequency of CNV subclones changed dramatically from the breast tumors to lymph node. Among them, frequency of Clone 2 increased significantly, indicating metastatic advantages of it. By combining distinct clonal evolution patterns of SNVs and CNVs, we built an integrative evolutionary model for this patient. CNV subclones were determined at a relative early time and kept unchanged, and CNV Clone 2 with metastatic advantages was separated from the common ancestors during intramammary spread and metastasis. In the meantime, SNVs were accumulated gradually. Conclusions: In conclusion, we found distinct clonal evolution patterns on SNV and CNV levels in multifocal breast cancer and identified a CNV clone with metastatic advantages.
Human Cell Line Panel With Human/Mouse Artificial Chromosomes for Functional Analyses of Desired Genes
Authors: Uno Narumi , Takata Shuta , Komoto Shinya , Miyamoto Hitomaru , Nakayaka Yuji , Osaki Mitsuhiko , Mayuzumi Ryota , Miyazaki Natsumi , Hando Chiaki , Abe Satoshi , Sakuma Tetsushi , Yamamoto Takashi , Suzuki Teruhiko , Nakajima Yoshihiro , Oshimura Mitsuo , Tomizuka Kazuma , Kazuki Yasuhiro
Published: July 2021

Human artificial chromosomes (HACs) and mouse artificial chromosomes (MACs) are non-integrating chromosomal gene delivery vectors for molecular biology research. Recently, microcell-mediated chromosome transfer of HACs/MACs has been achieved into various human cells including human immortalised mesenchymal stem cells (hiMSCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). However, the conventional strategy of gene-introduction with HAC/MAC required laborious and time-consuming stepwise isolation of clones for gene loading into HACs/MACs in donor cell lines (CHO and A9) and then transferring the HAC/MAC into cells via microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT). To overcome these limitations and accelerate chromosome vector based functional assay in human cells, we established various human cell lines (HEK293, HT1080, hiMSCs, and hiPSCs) with HACs/MACs that harbour a gene-loading site via MMCT. Model genes, such as tdTomato, TagBFP2, and ELuc, were introduced into the premade HAC/MAC-introduced cell lines via the Cre-loxP system or simultaneous insertion of multiple gene-loading vectors (SIM system). The model genes on the HACs/MACs were stably expressed and the HACs/MACs were stably maintained in the cell lines. Thus, our strategy using the HAC/MAC-containing cell line panel has dramatically simplified and accelerated gene introduction via HACs/MACs, thereby facilitating functional analyses of introduced genes.
Comprehensive analysis of the association between human diseases and water pollutants
Authors: Zhang Xu , Zhou Xiang , Zhang Xiaolei , Ren Xiaohan , Chen Xinglin , Lu Zhongwen , Zhang Dong , Zhang Tongtong , Liu Yiyang , Qin Chao
Published: July 2021

Drinking water is an important natural resource. For many people around the world, especially in developing countries, access to safe drinking water is still a distant dream. An increasing number of human activities and industrialization have caused various physical, chemical and biological pollutants to enter water bodies, affecting human health. Efforts to figure out an effective method to predict water pollution poisons and human diseases have increased worldwide. Water pollutants contain a vast number of additives such as perfluorinated chemicals, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, phthalate, nanomaterials, insecticides, microcystins, heavy metal and pharmacologies. Here, we explored an integrative approach to identify genes, biological processes, molecular functions, and diseases linked to exposure to these water pollutants. These processes and functions affected by water pollutants are related to the many diseases, including colonic neoplasms, breast neoplasms hepatitis B, bladder cancer and human cytomegalovirus infection. Therefore, conducting an integrative toxicogenomic analysis of water pollutants are more appropriate for evaluating the potential effects of plastics in human health.
The Influences of Process Parameters on the Preparation of Closed-cell Aluminum foam by Friction Stir Processing
Authors: Pang Qiu , Wu Zhengjian , Hu Zhili
Published: July 2021

In the present investigation, the closed-cell Al foam was fabricated by friction stir processing (FSP) combined with heat treatment. The influences of process parameters on microstructures of closed-cell Al foam precursor were investigated by optical metallographic microscope and scanning electronic microscope (OM/SEM). Fluent CFD software was developed to simulate the temperature field and flow field in friction stir processing. The cupping test values were compared for base metal and different weld passes. The results show that the welding speeds have little effect on the mixing of powder in the stir zone because of the relatively small welding heat input. However, the pore size and pore morphology are highly sensitive to change in the rotating speeds. When the welding speed is 50mm/min and the rotating speed is 2000rpm, the powder ring is continuous and uniform due to sufficient plastic deformation and flow. When the foaming time is 110s, the expansion rate of the whole foam increases rapidly, and the diameter of the pore is uniform. Numerical simulation shows that the welding heat mainly comes from the shoulder of the stirring head and the welding temperature peak appears near the stirring pin. The maximum flow velocity appears at the outer edge of the shaft shoulder in which the aluminum matrix is softened preferentially. When the rotating speed increases to 2000r/min, the velocity of the outermost edge of the shaft shoulder increases by 59.96%, and the maximum temperature at the stirring pin reaches 491℃ which is consistent with the experimental results. The formability of the joint interface is improved. The cupping test values increase with the increase of deformation temperature. Especially the cupping test value of foamed preform is close to that of base metal at 450℃.
Bidirectional High-speed Chaotic Communication System based on an All-optical Time-delay Feedback Loop
Authors: liu Jingyang , zhou xuefang , hu miao , li qiliang
Published: July 2021

In this paper, a bidirectional high-speed chaotic optical communication scheme with physical layer encryption is proposed and studied theoretically. The external cavity optical feedback method is analyzed, an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) is used to represent the all-optical delay feedback loop of the traditional external cavity, which can overcome the shortcomings of the traditional method such as lower precision and large equipment volume. And the bidirectional communication scheme is discussed, which just sets the encryption device at the transmitter, uses the correlation between the two encryption signals to decrypt, and cancels the decryption device at the receiver, which not only simplifies the experimental equipment, but also solves the problem that the receiver can’t decrypt synchronously due to the channel damage in remote communication, and is easy to be applied in production and life. Finally, the simulation results show that the bit error rate is less than 10− 5, the bidirectional transmission of 10Gb/s information over 85km single-mode fiber is successfully realized.
Active Targeting of Orthotopic Glioma Using Biomimetic Liposomes Co-loaded Elemene and Cabazitaxel Modified By Transferritin
Authors: LI JIE , Zeng Huamin , You Yu , Wang Rongrong , Tan Tiantian , Wang Weiming , Yin Liyan , Zeng Zhaowu , Zeng Yiying , Xie Tian
Published: July 2021

Efficient chemotherapy for glioma demands a nanocarrier that can overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and then target the tumor location. Elemene (ELE) and cabazitaxel (CTX) liposomes are prepared by conjugating liposomes with transferrin (Tf) and embedding the cell membrane proteins of RG2 glioma into liposomes (active-targeting biomimetic liposomes, Tf-ELE/CTX@BLIP), which are demonstrated resultful in infiltrating the BBB and targeting glioma, respectively. Tf-ELE/CTX@BLIP is highly stable, displaying a prominent peculiarity of homologous targeting and of immune evasion in vitro, and a 5.83-fold intake rate when versus classical liposome (ELE/CTX@LIP). The result of bioluminescence imaging revealed enhanced drugs accumulation in the brain and increased tumor penetration of Tf-ELE/CTX@BLIP in orthotopic glioma model nude mice. In vivo studies demonstrated that the anti-tumor effect of the Tf-ELE/CTX@BLIP include increased survival time and decreased tumor volume. Following intravenous administration of Tf-ELE/CTX@BLIP, the tumor averaged fluorescence intensity was 65.2, 12.5, 22.1, 6.6, 2.6, 1.5 times weaker than that of the control, CTX solution, ELE solution, ELE/CTX@LIP, ELE/CTX@BLIP, Tf-ELE/CTX@LIP groups, respectively. Moreover, histopathological analyses demonstrated that Tf-ELE/CTX@BLIP were less toxic than the CTX solution. These results suggest that the active-targeting biomimetic liposomes, Tf-ELE/CTX@BLIP, is a promising nanoplatform for glioma chemotherapy.
Correlation Analysis between NETosis Biomarkers and Peripheral Immune Cells in a Preclinical Model of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Yin Junxiang , Wu Michael , Mohseni Tasha , Kindelin Adam , Ahmad Saif , Ducruet Andrew , Ahmad Abdullah , Waters Michael
Published: July 2021

Neutrophil extracellular traps formation (NETosis) facilitates thrombosis and contributes to reperfusion resistance - a major challenge encountered during the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The effect of acute stroke on plasma NETosis biomarkers remains unclear. In this study, young adult C57BL/6 wildtype (WT) mice were subjected to acute brain ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. The IR-subjected mice exhibited a drastic increase in plasma citrullinated histone 3 (CitH3) and neutrophil elastase (NE) on day 1 (p < 0.05) while deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) reached their peak levels on day 3. IR-subjected mice also showed a significant increase in peripheral neutrophils and decline in peripheral leukocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes on day 1 and day 2 (p < 0.05). The ratios of neutrophil to lymphocyte, neutrophil to leukocyte, and lymphocyte to monocyte dramatically increased on day 1 (p < 0.05). Plasma NE, CitH3 and MPO were positively correlated with peripheral neutrophil and the ratio of neutrophil to lymphocyte, but inversely correlated with peripheral lymphocyte (p < 0.05). Our data suggest that there are time dependent changes in plasma NETosis biomarkers. Therefore, targeting these biomarkers before their peak may offer potential therapeutic options to reduce cerebral infarction and prevent functional deterioration after acute ischemic stroke.
A Novel Ferroptosis-Related Long Non-coding RNA Prognostic Risk Model for Gastric Cancer
Authors: Huang Shenglan , Li Dan , Zhuang Lingling , Sun Liying , Wu Jianbing
Published: July 2021

Background：Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with a poor prognosis. Ferroptosis is a novel and distinct type of non-apoptotic cell death that is closely associated with metabolism, redox biology, and tumor prognosis. Recently, ferroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have received increasing attention in predicting cancer prognosis. Thus, we aimed to construct an ferroptosis-related lncRNAs signature for predicting the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.Methods：We built an ferroptosis-related lncRNA risk signature by using Cox regression based on TCGA database. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted to compare the overall survival (OS) in different risk groups. Cox regression was performed to explore whether the signature could be used as an independent factor. A nomogram was built involving the risk score and clinicopathological features. Furthermore, we explored the biological functions and immune states in two groups.Results：Eight ferroptosis-related lncRNAs were obtained for constructing the prognosis model in gastric cancer. Kaplan–Meier curve analysis revealed that patients in the high-risk group had worse survival than those in the low-risk group. The survival outcome was also appropriate for subgroup analysis, including age, sex, grade, and clinical stage. Multivariate Cox regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor and superior to traditional clinicopathological features in predicting GC prognosis. Next, we established a nomogram according to clinical parameters (age, sex, grade, and clinical stage) and risk score. All the verified results, including ROC curve analysis, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis, demonstrated that the nomogram could accurately predict the survival of patients with gastric cancer. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that these lncRNAs were mainly involved in cell adhesion, cancer pathways, and immune function regulation.Conclusion: We established a novel ferroptosis-related prognostic risk signature including eight lncRNAs and constructed a nomogram to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer patients, which may improve prognostic predictive accuracy and guide individualized treatment for patients with GC.
PET/CT Imaging of Head-and-Neck and Pancreatic Cancer in Humans by Targeting the "Cancer Integrin" αvβ6 with Ga-68-Trivehexin
Authors: Quigley Neil Gerard , Steiger Katja , Hoberück Sebastian , Czech Norbert , Zierke Maximilian Alexander , Kossatz Susanne , Pretze Marc , Richter Frauke , Weichert Wilko , Pox Christian , Kotzerke Jörg , Notni Johannes
Published: July 2021

PurposeTo develop a new probe for the αvβ6-integrin and assess its potential for PET imaging of carcinomas.MethodsGa-68-Trivehexin was synthesized by trimerization of an optimized αvβ6-integrin selective cyclicnonapeptide on the TRAP chelator core and automated labeling with Ga-68. The tracer wascharacterized by ELISA for activities towards integrin subtypes αvβ6, αvβ8, αvβ3, and α5β1, as well asby cell binding assays on H2009 (αvβ6-positive) and MDA-MB-231 (αvβ6-negative) cells. SCID micebearing subcutaneous xenografts of the same cell lines were used for dynamic (90 min) and static(75 min p.i.) μPET imaging, as well as for biodistribution (90 min p.i.). Structure-activity-relationshipswere established by comparison with the predecessor compound Ga-68-TRAP(AvB6)3. Ga-68-Trivehexin was tested for in-human PET/CT imaging of HNSCC, parotideal adenocarcinoma, andPDAC.ResultsGa-68-Trivehexin showed a high αvβ6-integrin affinity (IC50 = 0.033 nM), selectivity over othersubtypes (IC50-based factors: αvβ8, 188; αvβ3, 82; α5β1, 667), blockable uptake in H2009 cells, andnegligible uptake in MDA-MB-231 cells. Biodistribution and preclinical PET imaging confirmed a hightarget-specific uptake in tumor and a low non-specific uptake in other organs and tissues except theexcretory organs (kidneys and urinary bladder). Preclinical PET corresponded well to in-human results,showing high and persistent uptake in metastatic PDAC and HNSCC (SUVmax = 10–13) as well as inkidneys/urine. Ga-68-Trivehexin enabled PET/CT imaging of small PDAC metastases and showed highuptake in HNSCC but not in tumor-associated inflammation.ConclusionsGa-68-Trivehexin is a valuable probe for imaging of αvβ6-integrin expression in human cancers.
Measurement of Rectal Diameter and Anterior Wall Thickness by Ultrasonography in Children With Chronic Constipation
Authors: Doğan Güzide , KEÇELİ Merter , Yavuz Sibel , Topçu Adem , Kasırga Erhun
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Measurement of rectal diameter by ultrasonograpy helps the clinician in the diagnosis of chronic constipation in children for whom rectal examination cannot be performed. The aim of the study is to determine the rectal diameter and anterior wall thickness values with constipated and healthy subjects, and to evaluate the usability of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of functional constipation in children for whom refuse digital rectal examination Materials and Methods: The constipated group included 140 children, while the control group included 164 children. All patients were divided into four subgroups according to their ages and were referred to the radiology department for rectal measurements. Results: At the symphysis pubis plane the rectal diameter measurement of the constipated patients with fecal retention positive group was statistically greater than the control group. At the ischial spine plane, rectum diameter of constipated children with fecal retention positive or negative was found to be statistically greater than the control group. At the bladder neck plane rectum diameter of constipated patients with fecal retention positive was statistically greater than the control group. Rectum anterior wall thickness measurement was found to be higher in constipated patients with fecal retention positive compared to the control (p = 0.000). It’s measurements of constipated patients in group II, group III, and group IV with empty rectum were found to be statistically higher than the control group. Conclusion: Measurement of rectal diameter and anterior wall thickness by ultrasonograpy as a noninvasive method in children who do not want the digital rectal examination and may be useful in the diagnosis of constipation.
Optimization and Characterization of Bioactive Biocomposite Film Based on Orange Peel Incorporated With Gum Arabic Reinforced by Cr2O3 Nanoparticles
Authors: Ghasemizad Saba , Pirsa Sajad , Amiri Saber , Abdosatri Parisa
Published: July 2021

In this paper, the effect of adding gum Arabic at levels of 0-5%, and chromium oxide nanoparticles (Cr2O3 NPs) at levels of 0-3%, are investigated on orange peel-based films. The obtained results reveal a significant increase (p<0.05) in water vapor permeability, weight loss, tensile strength, and Young's modulus of film samples by increasing the percentage of both gum and nanoparticles. Moreover, the addition of gum Arabic and Cr2O3 NPs decreases the thickness, water-solubility, L*, a*, b* indexes while increasing the elongation to the breaking point. Furthermore, the moisture content of the film samples was decreased by the addition of nanoparticles, however, the addition of gum Arabic increased this parameter. The obtained results from the morphology of the samples indicated an increase in both roughness and cracks by increasing the percentage of nanoparticles as well as creating a smooth surface with the addition of gum Arabic. Besides, the results of FTIR revealed no new peak in the prepared samples, as compared to the control sample. The results of XRD indicated that the addition of gum Arabic and nanoparticles simultaneously caused the formation of new crystals and increasing the crystallinity of the films. Based on TGA results, the thermal stability of films containing the nanoparticles increased, as compared to the control sample. In the meantime, the addition of gum and nanoparticles increased the antimicrobial properties of the film samples, as compared to the control. Overall, those films created by the orange peel including gum Arabic and Cr2O3 NPs could enhance the mechanical properties and water vapor permeability of the samples.
TyG Index Distributions and Relationship to Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Children and Adolescents: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Yoon Jong Seo , Shim Young Suk , Lee Hae Sang , Hwang Il Tae , Hwang Jin Soon
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study was to present age- and sex-specific distributions of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and to evaluate their relationship with cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents. A total of 7,404 participants aged 10–18 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey were included as the reference population. The TyG index was calculated as ln(fasting triglyceride [mg/dL] × fasting glucose [mg/dL]/2). The percentile of the TyG index exhibited a steady linear relationship with age for both sexes. TyG index significantly correlated with waist circumference (WC) standard deviation score (SDS; r = 0.110, p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (SBP; r = 0.104, p < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (DBP; r = 0.083, p < 0.001), glucose (r = 0.220, p < 0.001), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; r=-0.325, p < 0.001), and triglycerides (TG; r = 0.926, p < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the TyG index was significantly associated with WC SDS (β = 0.116, p < 0.001), SBP (β = 2.009, p < 0.001), DBP (β = 1.464, p < 0.001), glucose (β = 3.376, p < 0.001), HDL-C (β=−6.431, p < 0.001), and TG (β = 85.518, p < 0.001). Our results suggest that the TyG index has a steady linear distribution for sex and age in children and adolescents and constitutes an indicator for predicting metabolic disorders that could lead to cardiovascular disease later in life.
IGF-1/GLP-1 Signaling Activator 4-hydroxyisoleucine (4-HI) Prevent Neurobehavioral and Neurochemical Defects in Methylmercury-induced Experimental Model of ALS: Insights From CSF, Blood Plasma and Brain Homogenate Samples in Rats
Authors: Shandilya Ambika , Mehan Sidharth
Published: July 2021

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most prevalent adult motor neuron disease, characterized by progressive neuromuscular atrophy, heterogeneous muscle wasting, weakness, and behavioural despair-like symptoms, which are frequently associated with cognitive impairments. The neuropathological hallmarks of MeHg-induced ALS include oligodendrocyte destruction, myelin basic protein (MBP) depletion, and white matter degeneration, which ultimately leads to demyelination and motor neuron death. Numerous research studies have demonstrated that IGF-1/GLP-1 signaling dysregulation plays a significant role in ALS progression as it triggers programmed neuronal cell death, myelin sheath destruction, demyelination, glutamate excitotoxicity, pro-inflammatory cytokine release, and neuroinflammation. 4-hydroxyisoleucine (4-HI) is a unique bioactive amino acid derived from Trigonella foenum graecum, with insulin-mimetic and insulin-sensitizing properties in animal models. The objective of this study was to explore the neuroprotective potential of 4-HI on behavioural, molecular, neurochemical, and gross pathological alterations in MeHg-treated ALS-like rats, with a particular focus on its influence on IGF-1/GLP-1 upregulation in the brain. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of 4-HI on the concentration of myelin basic protein (MBP) in rat brain homogenate and CSF, and specific cell death markers such as caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 in rat brain homogenate and blood plasma samples. In order to investigate the neurobehavioral abnormalities, rats were evaluated for muscular strength via the grip strength test (GST), locomotor deficits using open-field task (OFT), depressive behaviour with forced swim test (FST), and spatial learning in the Morris water maze (MWM) task. Chronic oral treatment with 4-HI at doses of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg was given from days 22nd to 42nd of the experimental protocol to alleviate ALS-like symptoms in the MeHg model of rats. In addition to cellular, molecular, apoptotic, and neuroinflammatory assessments, neurotransmitter levels and oxidative stress indicators were examined in rat brain homogenates. The results of this study consistently show that 4-HI increases the level of neurotrophic growth factors such as IGF-1 and GLP-1 restores the altered neurochemical levels, and potentially prevents ALS-like gross pathological anomalies, including demyelination volume in the rat brain in a dose-dependent manner.