bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ZJU-37 Promoted OPC Survival and Myelination in a Rat Neonatal White Matter Injury Model With hOPC Graft 
Authors: Zhang Chu , Guan Qian , Shi Hao , Cao Lingsheng , Liu Jing , Gao Zixuan , Zhu Wenxi , Yang Yinxiang , Luan Zuo , Yao Ruiqin
Published: April 2021

Background: Recent evidence suggests that ZJU-37 plays an important role in inhibiting inflammation and cell apoptosis. White matter injury (WMI), a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disabilities in preterm infants, which is characterized by extensive myelination disturbances and demyelination. Neuroinflammation, leads to the loss and differentiation-inhibition of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), represents a major barrier to myelin repair. Whether ZJU-37 can promote transplanted OPCs derived from human neural stem cells (hOPCs) survival, differentiation and myelination remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of ZJU-37 on myelination and neurobehavioral function in a neonatal rat WMI model induced by hypoxia and ischemia. Methods: In vivo, P3 rat pups were subjected to right common carotid artery ligation and hypoxia, and then treated with ZJU-37 or/and hOPCs, and OPCs apoptosis, myelination, glial cell and NLRP3 inflammasome activation together with cognitive outcome were evaluated at 12 weeks after transplantation. In vitro, the effect of ZJU-37 on NLRP3 inflammasome activation in astrocyte induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) were examined by western blot and immunofluorescence. The effect of ZJU-37 on OPCs apoptosis induced by the conditioned medium from OGD-astrocyte was analyzed by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. Results: ZJU-37 combined with hOPCs more effectively decreased OPC apoptosis, promoted myelination in the corpus callosum and improved behavioral function compared to ZJU-37 or OPCs treatment. In addition, the activation of glial cells and NLRP3 inflammasome was reduced by ZJU-37 or/and OPCs treatment in the neonatal rat WMI model. In vitro, it was also confirmed that ZJU-37 can suppress NLRP3 inflammasome activation in astrocytes induced by OGD. Not only that, the conditioned medium from OGD-injured astrocytes (OGD-astrocyte-CM) treated with ZJU-37 obviously attenuated OPC apoptosis and dysdifferentiation caused by the OGD-astrocyte-CM.Conclusions: ZJU-37 may promote OPC survival, differentiation and myelination by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in a neonatal rat model of WMI with hOPC graft.
SUMOylated Non-canonical Polycomb PRC1.6 Complex as a Prerequisite for Recruitment of Transcription Factor RBPJ
Authors: Sotomska Małgorzata , Liefke Robert , Ferrante Francesca , Schwederski Heiko , Oswald Franz , Borggrefe Tilman
Published: April 2021

BackgroundNotch signaling controls cell fate decisions in many contexts during development and adult stem cell homeostasis and, when dysregulated, leads to carcinogenesis. The central transcription factor RBPJ assembles the Notch coactivator complex in the presence of Notch signalling, and represses Notch target gene expression in its absence.ResultsWe identified L3MBTL2 and additional members of the non-canonical polycomb repressive PRC1.6 complex in DNA-bound RBPJ associated complexes and demonstrate that L3MBTL2 directly interacts with RBPJ. Depletion of RBPJ does not affect occupancy of PRC1.6 components at Notch target genes. Conversely, absence of L3MBTL2 reduces RBPJ occupancy at enhancers of Notch target genes. Since L3MBTL2 and additional members of the PRC1.6 are known to be SUMOylated, we investigated whether RBPJ uses SUMO-moieties as contact points. Indeed, we found that RBPJ binds to SUMO2/3 and that this interaction depends on a defined SUMO-interaction motif. Furthermore, we show that pharmacological inhibition of SUMOylation reduces RBPJ occupancy at Notch target genes.ConclusionsWe propose that the PRC1.6 complex and its conjugated SUMO-modifications provide a scaffold that is recognized by RBPJ and promotes its recruitment to Notch target genes.
Difference in Somatosensory Event-Related Potentials in the Blind Subjects Leads to Better Performance in Tactile P300 BCI
Authors: Grigoryan Rafael , Goranskaya Dariya , Demchinsky Andrey , Ryabova Ksenia , Kuleshov Denis , Kaplan Alexander
Published: April 2021

In this study, we created 8-command P300 tactile brain-computer interface, running on minimally modified consumer Braille display, and tested it on 10 blind subjects and 10 sighted controls with two stimuli types, differing in size. Larger stimuli provide better BCI performance both in blind and sighted participants than smaller stimuli. With large stimuli, median target selection accuracy in the blind group was 95%, which is 27% more than sighted controls (p < 0.05), suggesting that blind subjects are not only able to use tactile brain-computer interface but also can achieve superior results in comparison with sighted subjects. The difference in event-related potentials between groups is located in frontocentral sites around 300 ms post-stimulus and corresponds with early cognitive event-related potential components. Blind subjects have higher amplitude and shorter latency of ERPs. This effect was consistent across stimuli types. This is the first study to evaluate differences in event-related potentials between blind and sighted subjects in a BCI-specific task.
How Well Does Mpas-atmosphere Simulate the Characteristics of the Botswana High?
Authors: Maoyi Molulaqhooa Linda , Abiodun Babatunde Joseph
Published: April 2021

The Botswana High is a prominent mid-tropospheric system that modulates rainfall over subtropical southern Africa, but the capability of a Global Climate Model (GCM) to reproduce it remains unknown. This study examines the capability of a GCM with quasi-uniform resolution (Model Prediction Across Scales, hereafter MPAS) in simulating the characteristics of the Botswana High. The MPAS is applied to simulate the global climate at 240km quasi-uniform resolution over the globe for the period 1980-2010. The model results are validated against gridded observation dataset (Climate Research Unit, CRU), satellite dataset (Global Precipitation Climatology Project, GPCP), and reanalysis datasets (Climate Forecast System Reanalysis, CFSR; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA; and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts version 5, ERA5). In general, MPAS replicates all the essential features in the climatology of temperature, rainfall, 500 hPa geopotential height and vertical motion over southern Africa, reproduces the spatial and temporal variation of the Botswana High, and captures the influence of the Botswana High on droughts and deep convections over the sub-continent. In addition, the model reproduces well the anomalies in vertical motion over subtropical southern Africa during +ve and -ve phases of the Botswana High. However, the model struggles to reproduce the precipitation pattern associated with the positive and native modes of Botswana high. The results of this study have an application in understanding the characteristics of Botswana High and in improving MPAS for seasonal forecasting over southern Africa.
Intelligent System for Intrusion Detection in Internet of Things-Wireless Sensor Network (IoT-WSN) Smart Environment
Authors: Kalnoor Gauri , S Gowrishankar
Published: April 2021

Technology, as we know, has aided in the growth of humankind since its advent. Due to this advance, a new computation and communication surrounded such as the Internet of Things (IoT) has entered the scene. Much research work is being done in the area of IoT which aids the overall advancement of society and marks life simpler and more agreeable. Yet, in the asset restricted surrounding of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and IoT, it is practically incomprehensible to build up a totally safe framework. so we move quick, innovation turns out to be progressively powerless against security hazards. Later on, the quantity of individuals associated with the web will be not as much as that of powerful articles, so we need to set up a vigorous framework to keep the previously mentioned conditions safe and normalize it for smooth correspondence between IoT objects. In this audit archive, refinements of the relevant threat model for the safety of WSN and IoT- based correspondences are given. The security prerequisites and different potential attacks in WSN-based and IoT-based correspondence conditions are examined likewise. At that point refinements of various designs of correspondence conditions dependent on WSN and IoT are also given. Next, the ongoing concerns and moves related to WSN and IoT are discussed. A logical arrangement of security and assurance defending shows in WSN and IoT is moreover included. Lastly, some investigation incites that should be tended to soon is also presented in this article. The integrated IoT- WSN with performance metrics is tabulated to show the possibilities of securing the network systems.
The Effect of 3-(Glycidoloxy Propyl) Trimethoxy Silane Concentration on Surface modification of SiO2 nanoparticles
Authors: Bahramnia Hamed , Semnani Hamidreza Mohammadian , Habibolahzadeh Ali , Abdoos Hassan
Published: April 2021

AbstractCoupling agent concentration plays a key role in functionalization of SiO2 nanoparticles as reinforcing particles.PurposeIn this study, the influence of 3-(glycidoloxy propyl) trimethoxy silane (GPTMS) concentration on functionalization of SiO2 nanoparticles, is experimentally investigated.MethodsThe functionalization of nano-silica were performed by 30, 50, 80 and 110 wt.% of GPTMS in order to find the optimal GPTMS concentration to complete the process. Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) characterized the pure and modified samples; then, the results were compared to each other to achieve the aim of the research.ResultsFTIR results confirmed the silanization proceed due to the silane absorption peak disappearing and shifting of the hydroxyl group bonds in to the amide bonds. This test showed that 30 wt.% GPTMS has not been sufficient for full functionalization of the NPs. According to FESEM images, it seems that the NPs were better modified by 80 wt.% GPTMS due to the least NPs aggregation and lack of coupling agent deposition on the NPs. Also, TGA illustrates that this sample has higher thermal stability because of lower weight loss (11.2%) in coupling agent decomposition temperature range: 130-380°C. Furthermore, X-Ray Diffraction confirmed the FESEM and TGA results about the mentioned sample due to its highest crystallite size (increase 26.64% in crystallite size in comparison with the pure sample).ConclusionSo, the 80 wt.% of GPTMS introduced as the optimal concentration for surface modification of SiO2 nanoparticles.
Effects on oxygenation and tissue perfusion of preoperative administration of levosimendan in hip fractures and left ventricular dysfunction
Authors: Lorenzo Maria C Martín , Fariña Vanesa González , Giménez Nuría Montón , Marín Jorge Solera , Morales José A. Reboso
Published: April 2021

Background: Hip fracture is common in elderly and has high morbidity and mortality. Many present left ventricular dysfunction, the use of inotropics may reduce perioperative cardiovascular complications. The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a perioperative hemodynamic optimization protocol based on goal-guided therapy with levosimendan in these patients.Methods: In this prospective study 19 patients with LVEF <45% were recruited forhip surgery. They received an infusion of levosimendan 24h (0.1μg/kg/min) before surgery. Hemodynamic, oxygenation, tissue perfusion and analytical parameters; and ultrasound measurements of cardiac function were obtained before and at 24, 48 hours and 7 days later.Results: Patients mean age was 86±7 years. Both cardiac index, from 2.9±0.6 L.min–1m–2 at baseline to 3.7±0.8 L.min–1m–2 (P <0.001) and stroke volume index, from 36 ± 10 to 44 ± 8 mL/ m–2 (P =0.003) increased significantly at 24 h after drug initiation and remained significantly increased for 48 h. Systemic vascular resistance index decreased significantly (from 2302 ± 726 dyn.s.cm–5 m–2 to 1676 ± 530 dyn.s.cm–5 m–2 , P <0.001). Ejection fraction and left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral also increased without reaching significance. A decrease in the NT-proBNP values was observed without statistical significance. Troponin I decreased non-significant until day 7, from 0.143 ± 0.42 pg/mL to 0.113 ± 0.15 pg/mL (P=0.17). DO2 increased significantly in parallel to CI from 751 ± 196 mL/min to 854 ± 340 mL/min (P =0.04) at 48 h, while O2 ER decreased significantly during infusion, 36 ± 7% to 32 ± 8% (P =0.04) ScvO2 significantly increased from 61 ± 7% to 69 ± 8% (P =<0.001) 48 h after infusion.Conclusions: The implementation of a preoperative optimization protocol based on goal-directed therapy with levosimendan in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and hip fractures did not present major complications. An improvement in perioperative haemodynamic parameters and also in the balance between oxygen delivery and consumption at tissue level was found. Levosimendan decreased mortality a year with respect to a retrospective case registry.
Purification Efficiency of Eight Aquatic Plant Species in an Artificial Floating Island System in Relation to Extracellular Enzyme Activity and Microbial Community
Authors: Chen Qingfeng , Feng You , Li Jinye , Li Qing , Liu Ting
Published: April 2021

An artificial floating island is an ecological restoration technology that aims to create sustainable ecosystems and improve biodiversity. Aquatic plants play an important role in wastewater purification. The floating island system exploits the combination of aquatic plants, microorganisms, and extracellular enzymes to purify wastewater. We investigated the purification efficiency of eight aquatic plant species (Ceratophyllum demersum, Elodea nuttallii, Eichhornia crassipes, lris pseudacorus, lris sibirica, Myriophyllum verticillatum, Thalia dealbata and Oenanthe javanica) cultured in wastewater. The relationships of plant purification capacity with extracellular enzyme activity and microbial community were analyzed to explore the crucial factors that affect the plant purification capacity and the mechanism of pollutants removal in different plant systems. Three plant species, namely Oenanthe javanica, Thalia dealbata, and lris pseudacorus, were the most effective for purification of ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-N), total phosphate (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) with maximum efficiencies of 76.09%, 85.87%, and 89.10%, respectively. Urease, alkaline phosphatase (AP), and β-glucosidase activities were significantly and positively correlated with root system development (P < 0.05). Activities of urease and AP were positively correlated with NH4+-N and TP removal, respectively. The magnitude of urease and AP activity was generally consistent with the plant’s capacity to remove NH4+-N and TP. β-Glucosidase activity and COD removal were not significantly correlated. The dominant microbial phylum in each species treatment was Proteobacteria. Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidia showed > 1% relative abundance and greater involvement in degradation of pollutants in the experimental system. The results provide a scientific and theoretical basis for improvement of the plant purification efficiency of artificial floating island systems.
Implementation of Efficient Reconfigurable FIR Filter With Control Logic for 5G Applications
Authors: Kalidindi SN Raju , Terlapu Sudheer Kumar , M Vamshi Krishna
Published: April 2021

Filters are used to achieve frequency selectivity on the spectrum of input signal. Due to the stability of FIR filters, they are used in most of the applications. In the conventional FIR filters the frequency band is fixed and can‟t be changed once it is designed. Hence there is a necessity of an FIR filter with auto adjustment of band width. The design of FIR filter requires more number of filter coefficients to get the desired bandwidth specification. This results in a large slice for FPGA implementation. Here it is proposed a state machine to select different FIR filters with the designated set of coefficients. Each FIR filter is having different set of coefficients and based on the frequency of the clock signal the FIR filter is selected. Therefore frequency selectivity can be achieved. The Proposed method is to implement Reconfigurable FIR Filter with control logic for auto adjustment of fre-quency selections to achieve better band width requirements. The filter order is initially selected as 4 and presented the simulation results. The order of the filter(n) increased to 24 for verifying the bandwidth selection. The proposed architecture is compared with the existing architecture with 16bits and 11taps. Simulation results presented are verified using Xilinx ISE design suite 14.7. Total number of 4 input LUTs utilized are 630 for n=24. Power consumed by the overall design is 195mW.
Application of Chemometrics Into Removal of Dyes by NaX Nanozeolites: Simultaneous Model
Authors: Shojaei Siroos , Shojaei Saeed , Band Shahab S.
Published: April 2021

In the present study, the simultaneous removal of malachite green (MG) and auramine-O (AO) dyes from the aqueous solution by NaX nanozeolites in a batch system is investigated. Taguchi method and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize and model dye removal conditions. In order to do so, the effect of various factors (dyes concentration, sonication time, ionic strength, adsorbent dosage, temperature, and pH of the solution) on the amount of dye removal was evaluated by the Taguchi method. Then, the most important factors were chosen and modeled by the RSM method so as to reach the highest percentage of dye removal. The proposed quadratic models to remove both dyes were in good accordance with the actual experimental data. The maximum removal efficiencies of MG and AO dyes in optimal operating conditions were %99.07 and %99.61, respectively. Also, coefficients of determination (R2) for test data were 0.9983 and 0.9988 for MG and AO dyes, respectively. The reusability of NaX nanozeolites was evaluated during the adsorption process of MG and AO. The results showed that the adsorption efficiency decreases very little up to 5 cycles. Moreover, NaX nanozeolites were also applied as adsorbents to remove MG and AO from environmental water samples and more than %98.1 of both dyes were removed from the solution in optimal conditions.
The Effects of Taurine Supplementation on Inflammatory Cytokines and Physical Performance to Simulated Taekwondo-Specific Protocol in Elite Male Athletes: A Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study
Authors: Samandari Ahmad , Sanjideh Fatemeh , Faramarzi Mohammad , Banitalebi Ebrahim , Ghahfarrokhi Majid Mardaniyan
Published: April 2021

Background: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of taurine supplementation as a countermeasure against decrement in athletic performance to enhance metabolic inflammation status, circulating lactate levels, and functional capacity following a simulated taekwondo competition day with the same physiological pressure in elite male taekwondo athletes.Methods: A double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover design was utilized in the present trial. A total number of ten healthy, highly-trained, elite male taekwondo athletes (age=20.60±3.5 years) were accordingly recruited to receive taurine (a dose of 15 mg/ body weight, approximately three servings per day) or the same doses of a placebo for 10 days, separated by a 10-day washout period. The simulated taekwondo competition day included five exhaustive single competition sessions using a special time framework of taekwondo test with the same physiological pressure. Five competition taekwondo stations were also done with a time-course order. Results: The results showed significant time-placebo interaction effect for IL-15 levels (0.001). Using post-hoc comparisons, a significant increase was also found between supplemental and placebo occasions 24 h after the simulated taekwondo competition day (0.001). However, no significant changes were observed in IL-8 (0.19), IL-17 (0.808), hs-CRP (0.766), and TNF-α (p=0.970) levels. In addition, there were no significant changes in final heart rate (p=0.413), countermovement jump (p=0.884), and turning kick (p=0.790) following the simulated taekwondo competition day and taurine supplementation.Conclusions: The results of the present trial did not support the ergogenic effect of short-term (10-day) taurine supplementation on performance and inflammation status of elite male athletes.
Determinants of the Uptake of Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnancy with Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine in Sabatia Sub County, Western Kenya
Authors: Mutanyi Joshua Andala , Onguru Daniel O. , Ogolla Sidney O. , Adipo Lawrence B.
Published: April 2021

Background: Malaria in pregnancy remains a major public health problem. Annually, 125.2 million pregnant women worldwide are at risk of malaria infection including 30.3 million and 1 million pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa and Kenya respectively. The World Health Organization recommends that pregnant women in malaria endemic areas receive at least three doses of sulphadoxine pyrimethamine for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp-SP) for optimal benefit. However, IPTp-SP optimal uptake is undesirably low in Kenya. This study investigated the prevalence of and factors influencing IPTp-SP optimal uptake in Sabatia Sub County, Western Kenya. Understanding the epidemiology of malaria in pregnancy is core for making decisions and setting priorities towards IPTp-SP optimization.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Sabatia Sub County. Using a validated semi structured questionnaire, data were obtained from 372 randomly sampled post-delivery women aged 15 – 49 years who had a live birth within one year preceding the study. Women on cotrimoxazole prophylaxis during their pregnancy were excluded. Association between IPTp-SP uptake and independent variables was analysed using Pearson Chi-square and Fisher’s Exact test. Bivariate and multiple binary logistic regression analysed predictors of optimal IPTp-SP uptake.Results: Overall, 99.46 % of the respondents received at least one IPTp-SP dose. The prevalence of optimal IPTp-SP uptake was 79.57% (95% CI 75.47%, 83.67%). After multivariate analysis; gestational age at first antenatal care (ANC) visit (p = 0.04), frequency of ANC visits (p < 0.001), maternal knowledge of IPTp-SP benefits (p < 0.001), maternal knowledge of optimal SP dose (p = 0.03) and administration of sulphadoxine pyrimethamine at ANC clinic (p = 0.03) significantly predicted the optimal uptake of IPTp-SP.Conclusions: Optimal uptake of IPTp-SP is high in the study area. Efforts towards early and more frequent ANC attendance should be enhanced and sustained. Structured and targeted health education should be adopted and health workers should always administer SP drugs or explain to some pregnant women their ineligibility for initial IPTp-SP receipt. Future studies considering large sample drawn from the whole country and health workers’ perspective of the health system delivery factors are recommended.
Near Adult Heights and Predictions of Prospective Adult Heights using Automated and Conventional Greulich-Pyle Bone Age Determinations in children with chronic endocrine diseases
Authors: Choukair Daniela , Hückmann Annette , Mittnacht Janna , Breil Thomas , Schenk Jens Peter , Alrajab Abdulsattar , Uhlmann Lorenz , Bettendorf Markus
Published: April 2021

Calculation of prospective adult heights (PAH) is associated with considerable bone age interrater variability. Therefore, the new PAH method based on automated bone age (BA) determination (BoneXpert™) was compared to the conventional PAH method by Bayley- Pinneau (BP) based on BA determination according to Greulich and Pyle (GP) and to observed near adult heights. Heights and near adult heights were measured in 82 patients (48 females) with chronic endocrinopathies at age of 10.45 ± 2.12 years and at time of transition to adult care (17.98 ± 3.02 years). Further, BA were assessed according to conventional GP - by three experts- and by BoneXpert™. PAH were calculated using conventional BP tables and BoneXpert™. The conventional and the automated BA determinations revealed a mean difference of 0.25 ± 0.72 years (p = 0.0027). The automated PAH by BoneXpert™ were 156.96 ± 0.86 cm in females and 171.75 ± 1.6 cm in males compared to 153.95 ± 1.12 cm in females and 169.31 ± 1.6 cm in males by conventional BP, respectively, and in comparison to near adult heights 156.38 ± 5.84 cm in females and 168.94 ± 8.18 cm in males, respectively. Conclusion: BA ratings and adult height predictions by BoneXpert™ in children with chronic endocrinopathies abolish rater dependent variability and enhance reproducibility of estimates thereby refining care in growth disorders. Conventional methods may outperform automated analyses in specific cases.
Single-cell ATAC and RNA sequencing reveal pre-existing and persistent subpopulations of cells associated with relapse of prostate cancer
Authors: Taavitsainen Sinja , Engedal Nikolai , Cao Shaolong , Handle Florian , Erickson Andrew , Prekovic Stefan , Wetterskog Daniel , Tolonen Teemu , Vuorinen Elisa , Kiviaho Antti , Nätkin Reetta , Häkkinen Tomi , Devlies Wout , Henttinen Sallamari , Kaarijärvi Roosa , Lahnalampi Mari , Kaljunen Heidi , Nowakowska Karolina , Syvälä Heimo , Bläuer Merja , Cremaschi Paolo , Claessens Frank , Visakorpi Tapio , Tammela Teuvo , Murtola Teemu , Granberg Kirsi , Lamb Alastair , Ketola Kirsi , Mills Ian , Attard Gerhardt , Wang Wenyi , Nykter Matti , Urbanucci Alfonso
Published: April 2021

Prostate cancer is heterogeneous and patients would benefit from methods that stratify those who are likely to respond to systemic therapy. We employed single-cell assays for transposase-accessible chromatin (ATAC) and RNA sequencing in models of early treatment response and resistance to enzalutamide. In doing so, we identified pre-existing and treatment-persistent cell subpopulations that possess transcriptional stem-like features and regenerative potential when subjected to treatment. We found distinct chromatin landscapes associated with enzalutamide treatment and resistance that were linked to alternative transcriptional programs. Transcriptional profiles characteristic of persistent stem-like cells were able to stratify the treatment response of patients. Ultimately, we show that defining changes in chromatin and gene expression in single-cell populations from pre-clinical models can reveal hitherto unrecognized molecular predictors of treatment response. This suggests that the high analytical resolution of pre-clinical models enabled by single-cell methods may powerfully inform clinical decision-making.
Up-Regulation of MiR-330-5p is Associated with the Advanced Clinical Stage of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Wei Hong-Yu , Huang He-Qing , Chen Gang , Huang Jie-Zhuang , Dang Yi-Wu , Huang Zhi-Guang , Liu Li-Min , hou wei
Published: April 2021

Purpose: A opposite expression levels and roles of miR-330-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been reported in previous studies, so the clinicopathological implications and the prospective molecular mechanism of miR-330-5p in HCC require elaboration.Materials and methods: To examine the mRNA expression profile of hsa-miR-330-5p in HCC, a in-house RT-qPCR was performed, and the expression data was extracted from sequencing data and gene microarrays from the datasets of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), ONCOMINE, ArrayExpress, and Sequence Read Archive (SRA). To have an overview of the clinical value of miR-330-5p, all possible data were integrated to calculate the standard mean difference (SMD) and area under the curve (AUC) from summary receiver operating characteristic curve (sROC). The target genes of miR-330-5p were also predicted and the relative signaling pathways were investigated by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses.Results: According to the integrative analysis, the expression value of miR-330-5p in HCC was higher than in non-tumor tissue (SMD=0.47, 95CI%=0.31-0.63), and high expression of miR-330-5p was related with advanced HCC stage (SMD=0.27, 95CI%=0.08-0.46), poor differentiation (SMD=0.39, 95CI%=0.21-0.58) and poor prognosis (HR=1.91, Log-rank P=0.014). GLUD1, GOT1 and GLS2 were highly likely to be targeted by miR-330-5p, and the progression and prognosis of HCC might be influenced via the miR-330-5p–GLUD1/GOT1/GLS2 axis.Conclusion: The result showed a high-expressed level of miR-330-5p was in the HCC tissue compared with non-tumor tissue, and the overexpression of miR-330-5p indicated poor progression and prognosis in HCC.
Hazardous Base Surges of Taal’s 2020 Eruption
Authors: Lagmay Alfredo Mahar Francisco , Balangue Maria Ines Rosana , Aurelio Mario , Ybanez Audrei Anne , Ybanez Richard , Sulapas Jolly Joyce , Baldago Criselda , Sarmiento Dana Marielle , Cabria Hillel , Rodolfo Raymond , Rafael Dwayne , Trinidad Jose Rainier , Obille Eligio , II Neon Tomas Rossel
Published: April 2021

After 43 years of repose, Taal Volcano erupted on 12 January 2020 forming hazardous base surges. Using field, remote sensing (i.e. UAV and LiDAR), and numerical methods, we gathered primary data to generate well-constrained empirical information on dune bedform characteristics, impact dynamic pressures and velocities of base surges to advance our knowledge on this hazard to understand and evaluate its consequences and risks. The base surges traveled at 50-60 km/hr near the crater and decelerated before making impact on coastal communities with dynamic pressures of at least 1.7-2.1 kPa. The base surges killed more than a thousand livestock in the southeast of Taal Volcano Island, and then traveled another 600 meters offshore. This work is a rare document of a complete, fresh and practically undisturbed base surge deposit, important in the study of dune deposits formed by volcanic, and other processes on Earth and other planets.
Repositioning of a Novel GABA-B Receptor Agonist, AZD3355 (Lesogaberan), for the Treatment of Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis
Authors: Bhattacharya Dipankar , Becker Christine , Readhead Benjamin , Goossens Nicolas , Novik Jacqueline , Fiel Maria Isabel , Cousens Leslie P. , Magnusson Björn , Backmark Anna , Hicks Ryan , Dudley Joel T. , Friedman Scott L.
Published: April 2021

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a rising health challenge, with no approved drugs. We used a computational drug repositioning strategy to uncover a novel therapy for NASH, identifying a GABA-B receptor agonist, AZD3355 (lesogaberan) previously evaluated as a therapy for esophageal reflux. AZD3355’s potential efficacy in NASH was tested in human stellate cells, human precision cut liver slices (hPCLS), and in vivo in a well-validated murine model of NASH. In human stellate cells AZD3355 significantly downregulated profibrotic gene and protein expression. Transcriptomic analysis of these responses identified key regulatory nodes impacted by AZD3355, including Myc, as well as MAP and ERK kinases. In PCLS, AZD3355 down-regulated collagen1α1, aSMA and TNF-a mRNA as well as secreted collagen1a1. In vivo, the drug significantly improved histology, profibrogenic gene expression, and tumor development in a robust murine model of NASH, which was comparable to activity of obeticholic acid, an advanced investigational therapy for this disease. These data identify a well-tolerated clinical stage asset as a novel therapy for human NASH through its hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic mechanisms of action. The approach validates computational methods to identify novel therapies in NASH in uncovering new pathways of disease development that can be rapidly translated into clinical trials.
Co-Expression Network Revealed the Potential Regulatory Mechanism of Lncrnas in Relapse Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Authors: Fang Yuan , Yang Yang , Zhang XiaoLi , Li Na , Yuan Bo , Jin Li , Bao Sheng , Li MengGe , Zhao Dan , Li LingRui , Zeng Zhong , Huang HanFei
Published: April 2021

Background: The mechanistic basis for the relapse of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains poorly understood. Recent research has highlighted the important roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in HCC. However, there are only a few studies on lncRNAs associated with the relapse of HCC.Methods:We analyzed lncRNA and mRNA profiles in the GSE101432 dataset associated with HCC relapse. The differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs were used to construct an lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis followed by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were conducted on the database. Furthermore, correlation and survival analyses were performed using The Cancer Genome Atlas database, and the clinical samples were verified by qRT-PCR.Results:In this study, lncRNAs and mRNAs associated with HCC recurrence were identified. Two gene modules were found to be closely linked to HCC relapse. The functional enrichment analysis results of lncRNAs and co-expression mRNAs indicated that they were closely related to the recurrence of HCC. In addition, we verified that the overall survival and recurrence-free survival of these genes in HCC have survival prediction functions. In total, we identified and validated two lncRNAs (LINC00941 and LINC00668) and six mRNAs (LOX, MICB, OTX1, BAIAP2L2, KCTD17, NDUFA4L2) associated with HCC relapse.Conclusion: In summary, we identified the key gene modules and central genes associated with recurrent HCC, and constructed lncRNA-mRNA networks related to this cancer type. These results provide a foundation for future basic research on the mechanism of recurrent liver cancer.
Intraosseous Schwannoma of the Proximal Humarus With Pathologic Fracture
Authors: jiang huajun , Qu Wei , Wu Yuxuan , Yang Jingjing
Published: April 2021

Purpose Intraosseous schwannomas are extremely rare in the humerus, and less than 5 cases have been reported previously in the literature. This is the first report of its origin in the proximal humerus with pathologic fracture. we herein present this case for discussing the reason for its rarity and sharing our experience of management.Case presentation A 55-year-old female patient who presented with pain in the right shoulder, which caused by tripping and falling over a board. Radiographs, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed considerable tumor in proximal humerus, which connected with a fracture. For this suspected tumor, we performed two operations. Pathological examination demonstrated typical picture of a schwannoma, showing whorls and interlacing fascicles of schwannoma spindle cells. Immunohistochemistry, The tumor cells were diffusely positive for S-100 protein, SOX-10 and CD68, while they were completely negative for desmin, DOG-1, AE1/AE3 and P63. The ki-67 index was about 10%. No mitoses or features of malignancy were identified. Finally, a diagnosis of benign schwannoma with focal of actively proliferated cells was made.Methods The treatment for intraosseous neurilemmomais with pathologic fracture include excisional biopsy, curettage, bone allograft, and fracture fixation. Results The patient recovered well. After the surgery, the patient gradually regained mobility and pain subsided. There was no recurrence after 6 months follow-up by X-ray.Conclusion In our case, the tumor with higher CD68 staining were likely to demonstrate that the tumor volume increase is not only based on cell proliferation, but also intratumoral hemorrhage, vascularization, and inflammation, which may be produce rarefaction of the bone and lead to bone fracture after a trivial trauma.
Utility of telemedicine in pediatric rheumatology during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Perdue Ashley , Mullett Charles , Umer Amna , Rosen Paul
Published: April 2021

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has provided an alternative to in-person visits for patients practicing social distancing and undergoing quarantine. During this time, there has been a rapid expansion of telemedicine and its implementation in various clinical specialties and settings. In this observational study we aim to examine the utility of telemedicine in a pediatric rheumatology clinic, for 3 months during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A review of outpatient pediatric rheumatology telemedicine encounters were conducted from April-June 2020. Telemedicine visits (n=75) were compared to patients seen in practice over the prior year in office-based visits (March 2019-March 2020) (n=415). Patient characteristics, information on no-show visits, completed visits, new patient or follow-up status, and if new patients had received a visit within 2 weeks of calling to schedule an appointment were analyzed by chart review. An independent sample t-test and Chi Square statistic was used to determine statical significance between the two groups. A two-proportion z-test was used to compare visit metrics.Results: The percentage of new patients utilizing telemedicine (60%) was lower and statistically significant compared to the percentage of new patient office visits (84%) the previous year (p<0.0001). There was no change in no-show rate between groups and patient characteristics were similar.Conclusions: This study demonstrates a statistically significant decrease in new patient visits during the pandemic with telemedicine-only appointments compared to in-office visits over the previous year. This suggests a possible hesitation to seek care during this time. However, there was no significant difference among patient characteristics between telemedicine visits during the pandemic and during in-office visits in the previous year. In our experience, patient visits were able to be conducted via telemedicine with a limited physical exam using caregiver’s help during the pandemic. However, further studies will need to ascertain patient satisfaction and preference for telemedicine in the future.
Diagnostic Impact of Immunonutritional Indices in Peripheral Arterial Disease Severity and Complexity
Authors: Bezgin Tahir , Çelik Aziz İnan , Çağdaş Metin , Kahraman Ferdi , Mağden Kemal , Karagöz Ali
Published: April 2021

Purpose

We aimed to evaluate the relationships between the severity of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and immune-nutritional status, as quantified by the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), controlling nutritional status score (CONUT), and modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS).
Methods and results

One hundred forty-eight patients with severe lower extremity PAD diagnosed by angiography constituted the study population. All patients had at least one severe superficial femoral arterial disease (SFA). According to the presence of a chronic total occlusion in SFA (SFA CTO), the study population was divided into two groups. Patients with SFA CTO (n: 84) had a significantly lower PNI(43.4 ± 4.8 vs. 49.1 ± 4.7, p < 0.001), worse mGPS and CONUT scores than those without SFA CTO(n:64). A comparison of the three groups, those classified according to PNI tertiles (PNI ≥ 48, n:49; 43.8 < PNI < 48, n:49; PNI < 43.8, n: 50), revealed that a lower PNI was associated with the presence of a TASC C-D lesion in the femoropopliteal segment, SFA CTO, long lesion, and long CTO. Furthermore, PNI was found to be an independent predictor of SFA CTO in the logistic regression analysis. Diagnostic performance of PNI was better than mGPS and CONUT scores in ROC curve comparison.
Conclusion

This is the first study demonstrating the relationship between PNI and PAD severity. Our results and the prognostic value of PNI should be validated in a larger prospective cohort.
A Novel MapReduce-based Algorithm for Association Rules Mining
Authors: Wu Bin , Mao Yimin , Mwakapesa Deborah Simon , Nanehkaran Yaser Ahangari , Deng Qianhu , Yi Jianbing , Huang Xueyu
Published: April 2021

AR (Association rule) is considered to be one of the models for data mining. With the growth of datasets, conventional association rules are not suitable for big data mining, which has aroused a large number of scholars' interest in algorithm innovation. This study aims to design an optimization parallel association rules mining algorithm based on MapReduce, named as PMRARIM-IEG algorithm, to deal with problems such as the excessive space occupied by the CanTree (CanTreeCanonical order Tree), the inability to dynamically set the support threshold, and the time-consuming data transmission in the Map and Reduce phases. Firstly, a structure called SIM-IE (similar items merging based on information entropy) strategy is adopted for reducing the space occupation of the CanTree effectively. Then, a DST-GA (dynamic support threshold obtaining using genetic algorithm) is proposed to obtain the relatively optimal dynamic support threshold in the big data environment. Finally, in the process of MapReduce parallel, a LZO (Lempel-Ziv-Oberhumer) data compression strategy is used to compress the output data of the Map stage, which improves the speed of the data transmission. We compared the PMRARIM-IEG algorithm with other algorithms on five datasets, including Wikipedia , LiveJournal, com-amazon, kosarak, and webdocs. The experimental results obtained demonstrate that the proposed algorithm, PMRARIM-IEG, not only reduces the space and time complexity, but also obtains a well-performing speed-up ratio in a big data environment.
Comprehensive biological information analysis of PTEN gene in pan-cancer
Authors: Zhang Hang , Zhou Wenhan , Yang Xiaoyi , Wen Shuzhan , Zhao Baicheng , Feng Jiale , Chen Shuying
Published: April 2021

Background

PTEN is a multifunctional tumor suppressor gene mutating at high frequency in a variety of cancers. However, its expression in pan-cancer, correlated genes, survival prognosis, and regulatory pathways are not completely described. Here, we aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis from the above perspectives in order to provide reference for clinical application.
Methods

we studied the expression levels in cancers by using data from TCGA and GTEx database. Obtain expression box plot from UALCAN database. Perform mutation analysis on the cBioportal website. Obtain correlation genes on the GEPIA website. Construct protein network and perform KEGG and GO enrichment analysis on the STRING database. Perform prognostic analysis on the Kaplan-Meier Plotter website. We also performed transcription factor prediction on the PROMO database and performed RNA-RNA association and RNA-protein interaction on the RNAup Web server and RPISEq. The gene 3D structure, protein sequence and conserved domain were obtained in NCBI respectively.
Results

PTEN was underexpressed in all cancers we studied. It was closely related to the clinical stage of tumors, suggesting PTEN may involved in cancer development and progression. The mutations of PTEN were present in a variety of cancers, most of which were truncation mutations and missense mutations. Among cancers (KIRC, LUAD, THYM, UCEC, Gastric Cancer, Liver Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer), patients with low expression of PTEN had a shorter OS time and poorer OS prognosis. The low expression of PTEN can cause the deterioration of RFS in certain cancers (TGCT, UCEC, LIHC, LUAD, THCA), suggesting that the expression of PTEN was related to the clinical prognosis. Our study identified genes correlated with PTEN and performed GO enrichment analysis on 100 PTEN-related genes obtained from the GEPIA website.
Conclusions

The understanding of PTEN gene and the in-depth exploration of its related regulatory pathways may provide insight for the discovery of tumor-specific biomarkers and clinical potential therapeutic targets.
Two Types of Anesthesia and Hemodynamic Changes in Patients Over 60 Years of Age Who Need Artificial Femoral Head Replacement: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Ke Weiqi , WANG Yuting , GUO Xukeng , HUANG Ronghua , ZHANG Xiangdong , WANG Weikai , JI Xuan , ZHUANG Shaohui
Published: April 2021

Background:Artificial femoral head replacement is one of the most effective methods for treatment of severe diseases of femoral joint in the elderly. The ideal anesthetic effect is one of the key elements for the success of the operation because it brings fast recovery. However, the multiple comorbidities of the elder patients make them too weak to tolerate the hemodynamic changes after anesthesia. In this case, the most suitable anesthesia method for patients undergoing femoral head replacement surgery is of great significance.Objective:To compare the post-anesthetic hemodynamic changes between combined lumbar plexus and sciatic nerve block(CLPSB) and combined spinal and epidural anesthesia(CSEA) in elderly patients undergoing unilateral artificial femoral head replacement.Methods:We reviewed records of the patients who aged over 60 years old (age 62-103 years) and received unilateral artificial femoral head replacement between January 2015 and December 2020 in the first affiliated hospital of Shantou University Medical College. After adjustment according to the inclusion criteria, 477 patients were included and divided into CLPSB group (n=90) and CSEA group (n=387). The primary outcome was comparison of the hemodynamic changes after anesthesia, including the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). The second outcome was the comparison of the vasopressor used during the surgery.Results:We established three models to compare the two anesthesia methods on hemodynamic changes. Crude model included all variates for analysis, while model I adjusted age and gender. Model II adjusted other comorbidities in addition to model I. All three models exhibit that changes of MAP (∆MAP) after CSEA were higher than that after CLPSB(β= 6.88, 95% CI: 4.33 - 9.42, P < 0.0001), with significant difference, which indicated that CSEA causes higher fluctuation of MAP. Concurrently, the use of vasopressors increased by 137% (OR=2.37, 95%CI: 1.24-4.53, P=0.0091) in the CSEA group, which is statistically significant. However, the changes of HR (∆HR) between the CLPSB and CSEA was not significant(β= 0.50, 95% CI: 1.62 - 2.62, P = 0.6427). Conclusions:Both CLPSB and CSEA are ideal anesthesia methods for patients receiving femoral head eplacement, though CLPSB is more suitable for elderly patients with advanced hemodynamic stability.