bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physicochemical Characterization of Sucrose And Formaldehyde Modified-Starches From Maize, Wheat And Rice For Pharmaceutical Use
Authors: Okeke Ifeanyi Justin , Oli Angus Nnamdi , Ojiako Chioma Miracle , Ibezim Emmanuel Chinedum , Okoyeh Jude N.
Published: September 2021

Background: Starches have been shown to be important across various disciplines such as the pharmaceutical industries, food industries and also paper industries. Starch is basically a mixture of polymers consisting of a-D-glucose as the monomeric unit. The goal of this study is to modify the native starches which are gotten from Zea mays, Triticum estivum, and Oriza sativa through cross-linking using sucrose and formaldehyde at different concentrations, and assessing the utilisabilty of the modified starches as potential excipients [binder] for tabletting of Paracetamol tablets. Method: Starch was extracted from Maize, Wheat and Rice grains and defatted. A confirmatory test was carried out on the extracted starch. The starches were treated with ethanol and crosslinked with varied concentrations of sucrose and formaldehyde. Further characterizations were carried out such as the determination of moisture content, bulk and tapped densities, effect of electrolyte on swelling behavior, viscosity and pH . Results: Maize and rice starches cross linked with 2.5 % sucrose gave the least percentage moisture content. The batches cross-linked with 40% formaldehyde showed the highest moisture content. The densities (bulk and tapped) of maize wheat and rice starches showed a reduction with the increasing concentration of the cross-linking agent for sucrose, which is the reverse case for formaldehyde. The different concentrations of sucrose and formaldehyde cross-maize, wheat and rice starches had pH values between 4.50 and 5.52. The onset and end set of the glass transition temperatures were varied for all the starches modified with formaldehyde. The melting peak temperatures obtained indicated that the formaldehyde-modified rice starch had significantly lower melting temperature than those of wheat and maize starches.Conclusion: The result of all the studies carried out shows that the different concentrations of sucrose and formaldehyde had effects on the various qualities of the native starches used and that the chemical agents used also had effects on the original molecular conformations of the native samples though the amorphous and crystalline structures were still present. Cross linking agents made the starch molecule more surfaces active by causing a change in conformation of the molecules at the interface hence an increase in viscosity. The starches were denatured by the cross-linking agents and this could improve their suitability for human consumption as food, cosmetic materials and even drug [as excipients].
Assessing the Blockage of Toxicity of Stereolithographically 3D-Printed Parts Coated with Parylene C
Authors: Huang Kaiyuan
Published: September 2021

Comparing to fused deposition modeling (FDM), the stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing method can provide higher fabrication speed and much better resolution, which is demanded by biomedical usage. However, the additives migrating from SLA printed plastic are toxic to creatures, and the method to reduce the toxicity by soaking and exposure to ultraviolet is inadequate, while current biocompatible photo-polymerizing resins are rare and expensive. Here, we provide a method to nearly block all toxicity by coating the fabrication with parylene C. We use early life zebrafish to assess the toxicity of the SLA printed petri dishes whether or not coated with parylene C. The result shows nearly no influence of the coated petri dishes cultured early life zebrafish development compared to control groups, while the fertilized embryos of uncoated groups get killed in 24 hours. The method provides a cheap and easy way to produce customized biocompatible fabrication, which contributes to the popularization of 3D printed products, either in daily life or in research.
Integrating WES and RNA-Seq Data For Short Variant Discovery
Authors: Barcelona-Cabeza Rosa , Sanseverino Walter , Cigliano Riccardo Aiese
Published: September 2021

The integration of omics has enormous potential that can be exploited for variant discovery. Several algorithms have been developed to detect somatic variants in an integrated fashion but, to our knowledge, there is still no strategy for germline variant calling. On this basis, we have developed a strategy to identify germline variants by integrating both WES and RNA-seq data. This integrated strategy identifies short variants (SNPs and indels) from raw sequence data, which are classified into six groups to improve variant interpretation: strong-evidence, DNA-only, RNA-only, allele-specific expression (ASE), RNA-editing and RNA-rescue variants. Four samples were analyzed and we show an increase in the number of identified variants without a great effect on performance compared to the exclusive use of WES data, allowing the validation of the variants identified by both types of data (strong-evidence variants), and the identification of RNA-editing and ASE. This integrated strategy provides a method to identify germline SNPs and indels from WES and RNA-seq data taking full advantage of both omics to broaden the range of identified variants and perform variant validation.
Clinical outcomes and survival analysis of Remdesivir as a treatment option for moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.
Authors: Aboelsaad Iman , Ashmawy Rasha , Mahrous Doaa , Sharaf Sandy , Aly Shahinda , Abdullatif Sara , Fakhry Ayat , Hassan Basma , Khamis Dalia , Aldakhs Alaa , Kamal Ehab
Published: September 2021

Background: Remdesivir is a broad-spectrum antiviral approved as promising medicine worldwide for deadly pandemic COVID-19 disease. The debate of its efficacy is interesting between different studies with consideration of several factors. We planned this study to evaluate a huge clinical outcome (primary composite outcome) of mortality rate, need for MV, and escalation of care among Remdesivir (RDV) and non-Remdesivir (NoRDV)groups.Methods: Patients with a PCR - confirmed diagnosis of moderate and severe COVID-19 were observed retrospectively as two comparative groups, before and after including remdesivir in the treatment protocol, from August 2020 to February 2021.Result: From 509 hospitalized patients; 35% received Remdesivir among them 64% were severe patients. Median age, 59 years, was equal in both groups, and there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding gender, baseline characteristics, and co-morbidities. Unlike, the median hospital length of stay was lower among the RDV group (8 days) than the NoRDV (9 days), P= 0.004.The composite outcome occurred in 17.7% in RDV and 22.2% in NoRDV but the difference was statistically insignificant (p-value 0.289). Adjusted logistic regression showed a non-significant lower association of the composite outcome with RDV use (OR 0.623, 95CI% 0.37-1.02), and a significant reduction occurred in patients <60 years old (OR 0.39, 95%CI 0.17 – 0.83). However, survival analysis for mortality, MV, and transfer to a higher level revealed insignificant differences in the median time between groups. Subgroup analyses showed that RDV utilization had a non-significant effect on the risk of all three outcomes across different groups. Conclusion: Despite controlling all patient characteristics, treatment with RDV did not show any improved impact on patient outcomes over other antivirals and standard care. There is a pressing need for further studies to explore and evaluate new therapeutic approaches or combinations.
Ellagic Acid (EA), a Tannin Was Isolated From Eucalyptus Citriodora Leaves and Its Anti-Inflammatory Activity
Authors: Yu Qiujian , Feng Zongcai , Huang Liping , He Jingwei , Zhou Zhongliu , Liu Fang
Published: September 2021

A tannin, EA ( 1 ), and other nine non-tannins compounds, gallic acid ( 2 ), quercetin ( 3 ), myricetin ( 4 ), 3-O-methylellagic acid 4'-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside ( 5 ), quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside ( 6 ), kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucoside ( 7 ), quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucuronide ( 8 ), quercetin-3-O-rutinoside ( 9 ), 3,3',4-tri-O-methylellagic acid-4'-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ( 10 ) were isolated from a valuable medicinal plant, Eucalyptus citriodora . Structural identification of these compounds was conducted using 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectroscopy and comparing their spectral data with those previously reported in literatures. The anti-inflammatory effects of EA were evaluated in ethanol-induced acute gastric ulcer mice models in our study. The result demonstrated that the intragastric administration of EA significantly prevented the gastric ulceration caused by ethanol treatments. Especially, the gastric tissue in the middle dose EA (100 mg/kg) showed few ulcerations with only slight focal congestion which indicated that it has a significant protective effect on gastric ulcer by increasing the IL-10 and PGE 2 levels, and reducing the IL-6, TNF-α, GAS and COX-2 levels. In addition, the middle-dose EA has no adverse effect on liver and kidney. These findings imply that EA exerts gastroprotective effects by means of its anti-inflammatory effects and may be a potential drug for anti-ulcer treatment.
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Differential Inflammatory Effects Between Propofol and Sevoflurane During Lung Cancer Resection: a Randomized Pilot Study
Authors: Zhang Wei , Wang Sufang , Cai Suna , Li Mengjiao
Published: September 2021

Background: Propofol and sevoflurane are two commonly used anesthetics perioperatively. It showed that anesthetic drugs may have an effect on tumorigenesis. Previous researches mostly focused on in vitro experiments, the specimens collected were mostly peripheral body fluid, lacking direct evidence of the impact of anesthetic drugs on human tissues. This study aims at elucidating the effects of propofol and sevoflurane on lung cancer using next-generation sequencing through an in vivo experiment. Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to a group either receiving propofol or sevoflurane during surgery. Then patients’ tumor and paired normal samples were collected and sequenced by next-generation sequencing. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) were analyzed by two statistical models, then cluster analysis, PCA, GO ontology and KEGG pathways analysis were done. Candidate genes were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Results: Two study groups demographic data were not statistically significant. Through single factor model analysis, 810 DEG in propofol group and 508 DEG in sevoflurane group were obtained. In order to better reflect the differential effects of propofol and sevoflurane, in the meanwhile reduce false positives of DEG, we used multi-factor model analysis, which resulted in 124 DEG. In PCA and cluster analysis, four groups (propofol cancer group, propofol normal group, sevoflurane cancer group, sevoflurane normal group) were separated adequately, indicating the accuracy of DEG. We chose seven significant pathways (Cellular response to interleukin-1, Chemokine-mediated signaling pathway, Chemokine signaling pathway, Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Inflammatory response, Immune response, TNF signaling pathway) for downstream analysis. From qRT-PCR results, three genes (CXCR1, CXCL8 and TNFAIP3) were confirmed. Conclusions: Through RNA-seq analysis, the effects of propofol and sevoflurane during lung cancer resection were different, and mainly differ in inflammatory related pathways which might be possibly by targeting CXCL8.Trial registration: Trial registry number was ChiCTR1900026213 (http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=43733).
Organic Mulching Can Suppress Litchi Downy Blight Through Modification of Soil Microbial Community Structure and Functional Potentials
Authors: Xu Dandan , Ling Jinfeng , Xi Pinggen , Zeng Yani , Zhang Jianfan , Lan Cuizhen , Jiang Zide , Peng Aitian , Qiao Fang
Published: September 2021

Organic mulching is an important management practice in agricultural production to improve soil quality, control crop pests and diseases and increase the biodiversity of soil microecosystem. However, the information about soil microbial diversity and composition in litchi plantation response to organic mulching and its attribution to litchi downy blight severity was limited. This study aimed to investigate the effect of organic mulching on litchi downy blight, and evaluate the biodiversity and antimicrobial potential of soil microbial community of litchi plantation soils under organic mulching. Our results showed that organic mulching could decrease the disease incidence in the litchi plantation. As a result of high-throughput 16S rRNA and ITS rDNA gene illumine sequencing, higher bacterial and fungal community diversity indexes were found in organic mulching soils, the relative abundance of norank f norank o Vicinamibacterales, norank f Vicinamibacteraceae, norank f Xanthobacteraceae, Unclassified c sordariomycetes, Aspergillus and Thermomyces were significant more than that in control soils. Isolation and analysis of antagonistic microorganism showed that 29 antagonistic bacteria strains and 37 antagonistic fungi strains were unique for mulching soils. Thus, we believe that organic mulching has a positive regulatory effect on the litchi downy blight and the soil microbial communities, and so, is more suitable for litchi plantation.
Pak2 Depletion Induces a Failure of Early Embryonic Development in Mice
Authors: Zeng Juan , Liu Nengqing , Yang Yinghong , Cheng Yi , Li Yuanshuai , Guo Xiaoxia , Luo Qian , Zhu Lifen , Guan Hongmei , Song Bing , Sun Xiaofang
Published: September 2021

Background: The quality of the early embryo is vital to embryonic development and implantation. As a highly conserved serine/threonine kinase, p21-activated kinase 2 (Pak2) participates in diverse biologic processes, especially in cytoskeleton remodeling and cell apoptosis. However, the role of Pak2 in preimplantation embryos remains unelucidated. Methods: In the present work, Pak2 was depleted using a specific small interfering RNA in early mouse embryos, validating the unique roles of Pak2 in spindle assembly and DNA repair during mice early embryonic development. We also employed immunoblotting, immunostaining, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and image quantification analyses to test the Pak2 knockdown on the embryonic development progression, spindle assembly, chromosome alignment, oxidative stress, DNA lesions and blastocyst cell apoptosis.Results: We found that Pak2 deletion significantly reduced blastocyst formation of early embryos. In addition, Pak2 depletion led to dramatically increased abnormal spindle assembly and chromosomal aberrations in the embryos. We noted the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with Pak2 knockdown in embryos. Pak2 knockdown also resulted in the accumulation of phosphorylated γH2AX, indicative of increased embryonic DNA damage. Commensurate with this, a significantly augmented rate of blastocyst cell apoptosis was detected in Pak2-KD embryos compared to their controls. Conclusions: Collectively, our data suggest that Pak2 may serve as an important regulator of spindle assembly and DNA repair, and thus participate in the development of early mouse embryos.
Plasma levels of sPD-1 and PD-1 genetic variants are associated with hepatitis B infection and related liver disease progression
Authors: Huyen Pham Thi Minh , Dung Dang Thi Ngoc , Weiß Peter Johann , Giang Dao Phuong , Uyen Ngo Thi , Trung Ngo Tat , Velavan Thirumalaisamy P , Song Le Huu , Hoan Nghiem Xuan
Published: September 2021

Background

Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) variants and circulating levels of soluble PD-1 are associated with susceptibility to malignant and infectious disease. This study aimed to examine the association of PD-1.5 and PD-1.9 variants, and plasma sPD-1 levels with HBV infection and disease progression.
Methods

The study cohort consists of HBV-infected adults (n = 513) stratified by clinical course, including chronic hepatitis B (CHB, n = 173), liver cirrhosis (LC, n = 134), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 206), and matched healthy controls (HC, n = 196). The PD-1.5 (rs2227981 C/T) and PD-1.9 (rs2227982 C/T) genetic variants were genotyped by Sanger sequencing, and then sPD-1 levels were quantified by enzyme immunoassay.
Results

The plasma sPD-1 levels were significantly high among HBV patients. The highest plasma sPD-1 levels were observed in CHB patients, followed by the LC and HCC groups. In addition, the plasma sPD-1 levels correlated positively with liver inflammation (aspartate transaminase, AST: rho = 0.57, P < 0.0001 and alanine aminotransferase, ALT: rho = 0.57, P < 0.0001) and were positively correlated with liver fibrosis (AST to Platelet Ratio Index, APRI score: rho = 0.53, P < 0.0001). The PD-1.9 TT genotype was less frequent in CHB patients compared to LC, HCC and HCC + LC patients in both codominant and recessive models (P < 0.01) and was found to be a risk factor for HCC predisposition [HCC vs. non-HCC: OR = 2.0 (95% CI: 1.13–3.7), Padj=0.017]. The PD-1.5 CT genotype was associated with a reduced risk of acquiring HCC [OR = 0.6 (95%CI: 0.4–0.9), Padj=0.031].
Conclusion

Our study concludes that sPD-1 levels are associated with liver inflammation and progression of liver fibrosis and the PD-1.5 and PD-1.9 variants are associated with HBV infection and progression of liver disease.
A New Method to Evaluate the Combined Performance of Check Dams and Afforestation on Debris Flows Mitigation in a Dry-hot Valley
Authors: Lyu Liqun , Xu Mengzhen , Zhou Guanyu , Wang Zhaoyin
Published: September 2021

Debris flows in waterways can transport large amounts of sediment downstream, which can cause serious damage and economic losses. The vegetation cover in the valley of the Xiaojiang River in Yunnan Province, China—classified as a dry-hot valley—was significantly reduced by logging in the 1950s. Soil erosion intensified and 107 gullies developed, which led to debris flows along the 86 km length of the river. Jiangjia Gully is a tributary of the Xiaojiang River. Historically, debris flows have occurred frequently, blocking the Xiaojiang River seven times between 1957 and 2000. Since 2000, the construction of check dams and afforestation have decreased the volume of debris flows in the three tributaries of Jiangjia Gully. However, different combinations of check dams and afforestation were adopted in the three tributaries of Jiangjia Gully, which has led to the different trends in debris flows behaviour. A new method was established to evaluate the mitigative effect of check dams and afforestation on debris flows. We found that the debris flow volume was proportional to the gravity energy of soil and rock on the gully bank and inversely proportional to the vegetation coverage in a dry-hot valley setting. The method revealed that under different gravity energy conditions, the implementation order of check dam construction and afforestation is important for debris flow mitigation.
Synthesis, Molecular Docking and Pharmacological Investigation of Heterocyclic Amine Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents
Authors: Sheikh Ahmed Sadiq , Nadeem Humaira , Alam Mahboob , Khan Muhammad Tariq , Khusro Ameer , Syed Akash , Malik Nadia Shamshad , Aslam Asif Mahmood , Aman Akhtar , Sahibzada Muhammad Umar
Published: September 2021

Cancer is life threatening disease that causes great damage to health worldwide. Studies shown that hypoxia is the major contributor to tumor and cancer development due to overexpression of carbonic anhydrase. To encounter such cells abnormalities, demanding new drugs or novel analogs of currently in use. Therefore, the search for new pharmacoactive moieties with considerable effective activity against such tumors and cancers is needed. The implication of heterocyclic amine and acetamide derivatives well known as chemotherapeutic agents. Heterocyclic amine morpholine was taken as principal products and its new derivatives were synthesized after being designed computationally via molecular docking. A series of some of its new synthetic analogs i.e heterocyclic amine derivatives 1(a-o) were successfully synthesized and screened for their anticancer and carbonic anhydrase inhibitory potential. Most of the compounds showed good results possessing reasonable carbonic anhydrase inhibitory activity particularly compounds 1c, 1d, 1h and 1i showed very reasonable carbonic anhydrase inhibitory activity whereas compound 1h showed maximum inhibition comparable to acetazolamide. Similarly, four of the synthesized compounds showed good anticancer activity particularly compound 1b, 1c, 1h, and 1i showed reasonable, whereas compound 1h have better IC50 value comparable to cisplatin when evaluated via in vitro MTT assay.
Research on the Measurement of Patent-intensive Industry Technology Lock-in from the Perspective of TML
Authors: Yang Wu , Sun Shiqiang , Gao Tengfei
Published: September 2021

[Purpose/Significance] As the core industry of technological innovation capabilities, patent-intensive industries, cultivating their rapid development is conducive to breaking the "technological lock-in" and realizing my country's independent innovation in the core technology field. [Method/Process] Based on the INNOJOY patent database, the wireless communication network patent was selected as the research object, and the subjective and objective weighting method and the growth rate cycle index synthesis method were used to measure the technical lock-in from the perspective of TML.[Results/Conclusions] (1) The technology lock-in index of the United States, Japan, and South Korea generally shows an upward trend, while the technology lock-in index of China has a trend of declining volatility, and the United States has the highest degree of lock-in in the field of wireless communication network technology, ranking first. Japan is in the second position, South Korea is in the third position, and China is in the fourth position; (2) The six core technologies identified belong to American companies. The public years are concentrated in 2017 and 2019, and the technical field is concentrated in H04W72/04 ( The same data transmission method and user equipment), H04W72/08 (signaling for proximity service and D2D discovery in LTE networks), and H04L1/00 (method to support channel allocation information for uplink and downlink channels) And device) these three core patents show that the current three core technologies are cutting-edge technologies in the field of wireless communication networks. The formation mechanism of technology lock-in was clarified, and measurement research was carried out to provide a theoretical basis and analysis method for cracking my country's "technology lock-in", and then to achieve the goal of "patent power."
Ten-year Follow-up of Sitagliptin Treatment in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients
Authors: Hattori Sachiko
Published: September 2021

Background: Early and effective intervention with a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor (DPP4i) before the development of advanced atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients without a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is reported to increase the chance of significant reductions in not only microvascular disease, but also CVD. Method: This study aimed to investigate whether sitagliptin is effective and tolerated for glycemic control and whether renoprotective effects and b-cell function are preserved for as long as ten years in Japanese patients with T2DM without a history of CVD. Results: The situation is equivalent to improving glycemic control as assessed by hemoglobin A1c both in a sitagliptin group (sitagliptin 50 mg as either monotherapy or combination therapy with other oral glucose-lowering drugs (n=17)) or a control group (placebo as either monotherapy or combination therapy with other glucose-lowering drugs (n=9)), while anti-inflammatory effects as assessed by high-sensitivity C-reactive peptide in the sitagliptin group were superior to those in the control group. In the sitagliptin group, the mean values of urinary albumin excretion measured as urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) were markedly decreased, but no changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were seen throughout the study. Beta-cell function as evaluated by homeostatic model assessment of b-cell function (HOMA-β) values was reduced at baseline in both groups, improved significantly in the sitagliptin group, and continued unchanged in the control group during the study. Conclusion: This observation suggests that early intervention with sitagliptin in patients with T2DM may have long-lasting renoprotective and islet-protective effects. Trial registration: UMIN Clinical Registry (UMIN000038459). Registered 01November (Retrospectively registered), https://upload.umin.ac.jp/UMIN000038459
Relation Between Height Loss and Cardiovascular Disease: Data From Large Korean Cohort
Authors: Moon Jeonggeun , Oh Pyung Chun , Lee Kyounghoon , Jang Ho-Jun , Kim Tae-Hoon , Park Sang-Don , Kwon Sung Woo , Kong Min Gyu , Suh Jon , Kang Woong Chol
Published: September 2021

Question: What is the association between height loss and cardio-/cerebrovascular disease (CVD) incidence?Method: The data we obtained is a sample cohort data provided by NHIS from 2002 to 2015. The chi-square test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to see the group differences in demographic characteristics. To compute the primary and secondary outcomes, we used the Cox proportional-hazard model, Kaplan-Meier survival curve, and logistic regression.Results: The cumulative MACCE incidence rate was 3.6 % for Group 1, 4.5 % for Group 2, and 5.2 % for Group 3. Group 3 had a significantly higher incidence of MACCE than Group 1 (Group 1: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.46, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.32-1.62; Group 2: HR = 1.27, 95 % CI = 1.17-1.37). In the model adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, income level, body mass index, smoking, and drinking status, the MACCE risk was 1.25 times higher in Group 3 than Group 1 (95 % CI = 1.13-1.40).Conclusion: The degree of height loss was independently associated with CVD occurrences in the Korean population.
Petrophysical Core-Based Zonation of An Oil Field In The Bredasdorp Basin South Africa
Authors: Opuwari Mimonitu , Afolanyan Blessing , Mohammed Saeed , Amaechi Paschal Ogechukwu , Bareja Y , Chatterjee Tapas
Published: September 2021

This study aims to generate rock units based on core permeability and porosity of an oil field in the Bredasdorp Basin offshore South Africa. In this study, we identified and classified lithofacies based on sedimentology reports in conjunction with well logs. Lucia's petrophysical classification method is used to classify rocks into three classes. Results revealed three lithofacies as A(sandstone, coarse to medium-grained), B (fine to medium-grained sandstone), and C (carbonaceous claystone, finely laminated with siltstone). Lithofacies A is the best reservoir quality and corresponds to class 1, while lithofacies B and C correspond to class 2 and 3, which are good and poor reservoir quality rock, respectively. An integrated reservoir zonation for the rocks is based on four different zonation methods (Flow Zone indicator (FZI), Winland r35, Hydraulic conductivity (HC), and Stratigraphy modified Lorenz plot (SMLP)). Four flow zones were identified as high(HFZ), moderate (MFZ), Low (LFZ), and tight (TFZ), respectively. The HFZ is the best reservoir quality composed of a megaporous rock unit, with an average FZI value between 5 to 10µm, and HC from 40 to 120 mD/v3, ranked as very good. The most prolific flow units (HFZ and MFZ zones) form more than 75 % of each well's flow capacities. The TFZ is the most reduced rock quality composed of impervious and nanoporous rock. There appears to be a slight increase of illite in the tight and low zones that block pore throats, thereby decreasing permeability. Therefore, illite has a dominant effect on flow zones. Quartz is the dominant framework grain, and siderite is the dominant cement that affects flow zones. This study has demonstrated a robust approach to delineate flow units in an oilfield. A novel sandstone reservoir zonation classification criteria developed from this study can be applied to other datasets of sandstone reservoirs with confidence.
Use of Sildenafil and l-arginine in Preventing Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis: An Experimental Model in Rats
Authors: Moreira Gabriela Araujo , Dias André Ivan Bradley dos Santos , Cadena Silvia Maria Suter Correia , Corrêa-Ferreira Marília Locatelli , Ioshii Sergio Ossamu , Fachin Camila Girardi
Published: September 2021

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) has a 45% mortality in neonatal intensive care units. This paper aimed to evaluate the isolated and combined effects of sildenafil and l-arginine in intestinal wall and survival rates. Neonatal rats were fed formula milk and submitted to hypoxia under a 100% N2 atmosphere for 70 seconds. Then, animals were subjected to hypothermia (4ºC for 10 minutes), twice a day for three days. Forty neonatal rats were divided into five groups: negative control – not submitted to the protocol (n = 5), sildenafil group - NEC protocol (n = 9), l-arginine group - NEC protocol (n = 9), l-arginine and sildenafil group - NEC protocol (n = 9) and positive control - NEC protocol and intraperitoneal saline solution (n = 8). Jejunum and terminal ileus were removed for histopathologic and immunohistochemical Ki-67 analysis. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze mortality, survival, body weight, intestinal injury score and Ki-67 proliferation index. All animals submitted to the protocol developed enterocolitis. Mortality rate was higher in group that received only l-arginine (p = 0.0293). The Ki-67 analysis showed a higher proliferative index in groups that received interventional drugs (p = 0.017). In conclusion, sildenafil and l-arginine were not effective to reduce intestinal injury.
Deep whole genome sequencing identifies recurrent genomic alterations in commonly-used breast cancer cell lines and patient derived xenograft models
Authors: Deng Niantao , Minoche Andre , Harvey Kate , Goga Andrei , Swarbrick Alex
Published: September 2021

BackgroundBreast cancer cell lines (BCCLs) and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) are the most frequently used models in breast cancer research. Despite their widespread usage, genome sequencing of these models is incomplete, with previous studies only focusing on targeted gene panels, whole exome or shallow whole genome sequencing. Deep whole genome sequencing is the most sensitive and accurate method to detect single nucleotide variants and indels, gene copy number and structural events such as gene fusions. ResultsHere we describe deep whole genome sequencing (WGS) of commonly used BCCL and PDX models using the Illumina X10 platform with an average ~ 60x coverage. We identify novel genomic alterations, including point mutations and genomic rearrangements at base-pair resolution, compared to previously available sequencing data. Through integrative analysis with publicly available functional screening data, we annotate new genomic features likely to be of biological significance. CSMD1 , previously identified as a tumor suppressor gene in various cancer types, including head and neck, lung and breast cancers, has been identified with deletion in 50% of our PDX models, suggesting an important role in aggressive breast cancers. ConclusionsOur WGS data provides a comprehensive genome sequencing resource of these models.
Association between diarrhea quantity and in-hospital mortality in intensive care unit patients: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Yamamoto Ryohei , Yamazaki Hajime , Yamamoto Shungo , Ueta Yuna , Ueno Ryo , Yamamoto Yosuke
Published: September 2021

Background

Previous studies have shown that diarrhea is associated with increased mortality of patients in intensive care units (ICUs). However, these studies used dichotomized cutoff values, even if diarrhea was a continuous condition. This study aimed to assess the association between diarrhea quantity and mortality in ICU patients with newly developed diarrhea.
Methods

We conducted this single-center retrospective cohort study at the Kameda Medical Center ICU. We consecutively included all adult ICU patients with newly developed diarrhea in the ICU between January 2017 and December 2018. Newly developed diarrhea was defined based on a Bristol stool chart scale ≥ 6 and frequency of diarrhea ≥ 3 times per day. We excluded patients who already had diarrhea on the day of ICU admission among other criteria. We collected data on the quantity of diarrhea on the day when patients newly developed diarrhea. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between the quantity of diarrhea and mortality were estimated using multivariable-modified Poisson regression models adjusted for the Charlson Comorbidity Index, sequential organ failure assessment score, and serum albumin levels.
Results

Among 231 participants, 68.4% (158/231) were men; the median age of the patients was 72 years. The median quantity of diarrhea was 401 g (interquartile range [IQR] 230‒645 g), and in-hospital mortality was 22.9% (53/231). More diarrhea at baseline was associated with higher in-hospital mortality; the unadjusted RR (95% CI) per 200-g increase was 1.10 (1.01‒1.19). This association remained in the multivariable-adjusted analysis; the adjusted RR (95% CI) per 200-g increase was 1.10 (1.01‒1.20).
Conclusions

A greater quantity of diarrhea was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality. The quantity of diarrhea may be an indicator of disease severity in ICU patients.
Identification of Adeno-Associated Virus Variants for Gene Transfer Into Human Neural Cell Types by Parallel Capsid Screening
Authors: Flitsch Lea Jessica , Börner Kathleen , Stüllein Christian , Ziegler Simon , Sonntag-Buck Vera , Semkova Vesselina , Yeung Si Wah Christina Au , Schlee Julia , Hajo Mohamad , Mathews Mona , Grimm Dirk , Brüstle Oliver
Published: September 2021

Human brain cells generated by in vitrocell programming provide exciting prospects for disease modeling, drug discovery and cell therapy. These applications frequently require efficient and clinically compliant tools for genetic modification of the cells. Recombinant Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) fulfill these prerequisites for a number of reasons, including the availability of a myriad of AAV capsid variants with distinct cell type specificity (also called tropism). Here, weharnessed a customizable parallel screening approach to assessa panel of natural or synthetic AAV capsid variants for their efficacy in lineage-related human neural cell types.We identified common lead candidates suited for the transduction of directly converted,early-stage induced neural stem cells (iNSCs), induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived later-stage, radial glia-like neuralprogenitors,as well as differentiated astrocytic and mixed neuroglial cultures.We then selected a subsetof these candidates for functional validation in iNSCs and iPSC-derived astrocytes, usingshRNA-induced downregulation of the citrate transporter SLC25A1 and overexpression of the transcription factor NGN2 for proofs-of-concept. Our study provides a comparative overview ofthe susceptibility of different human cell programming-derived brain cell types to AAV transduction and a critical discussionof the assets and limitations of the specific AAV capsidscreening approach.
Hospital variations during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in a referral hospital in a low-to-middle-income country: A large single-center cohort study
Authors: Dueñas-Castell Carmelo , Coronell Wilfrido , Borre-Naranjo Diana , Almanza Amilkar , Lora Leydis , Navarro Rafael , Rojas-Suarez Jose
Published: September 2021

Background

COVID-19 infection is characterized by its heterogeneity in clinical presentation. Hospital admission, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality rates have shown wide variations throughout the months. Colombia experienced a high rate of COVID-19 infection, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. To date, there are only a few studies reporting peak variations. Therefore, we aimed to explore the potential reasons for epidemiological changes in COVID-19 with time.
Methods

This study was conducted at a tertiary referral center in Cartagena, Colombia, between March 7, 2020, and February 28, 2021. We included patients aged > 18 years with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. A diagnosis was made using the reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. We extracted information from the Colombian National Surveillance System (SIVIGILA). We collected demographic data, such as age, sex, RT-PCR test results, and information on close contacts (awareness of the disease). We categorized the study period into two according to the two peaks defined in Colombia: the first period included weeks 10–35 (March 7–August 30, 2020), and the second period included weeks 36–60 (September 1, 2020-February 28, 2021). We adjusted the weekly overall mortality by covariates to identify potential changes during the pandemic.
Results

In total, 2761 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at our institution. The most significant number of cases occurred in the first and second periods during week 21 (peak1: 121 patients) and week 50 (peak2: 128 patients), respectively.
Is day 5 blastocyst better than day 6 blastocyst? Evidence from NGS-based PGT-A results
Authors: Zhang Ting
Published: September 2021

Background

Aneuploidy is the principal genetic factor leading to the failure of embryo implantation. For most patients who accept the non-preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) cycle, non-invasive methods to select euploid embryos with the best pregnancy potential are desirable
Methods

This retrospective study recruited women undergoing PGT for aneuploidy (PGT-A) with trophectoderm biopsy from January 2019 to December 2020. The ploidy status of embryos was determined by next generation sequencing (NGS).
Results

Altogether 2531 blastocysts from 839 PGT-A cycles were evaluated. The euploid rate of day 5 blastocysts seemed to be significantly higher than that of day 6 blastocysts, either from the same ovarian stimulation (OS) cycles (49.9% vs 35.7%, P < 0.001) or from different OS cycles (48.2% vs 27.8%, P < 0.001). Both the younger maternal age (adjusted OR = 0.917, 95% CI: 0.892–0.944, P < 0.001) and day 5 stage (adjusted OR = 1.735, 95% CI: 1.415–2.127, P < 0.001) were independently associated with the greater euploid rate of blastocysts. However, after single euploid embryo transfer, the clinical outcomes of day 5 blastocysts were comparable to those of day 6 blastocysts, no matter whether they were from the same OS cycles or not.
Conclusions

Our results revealed that day 5 blastocysts possess a higher euploid rate than day 6 blastocysts independent of the OS cycles. Giving priority to a day 5 blastocyst over day 6 blastocyst will increase the likelihood to select single euploid embryo for transfer in non-PGT cycles.
Toxoplasma gondii infection in slaughtered domestic ruminants in Northwest Ethiopia: occurrence, bioassay and virulence assessment
Authors: Maru Moges , Damtie Debasu , Kenubih Ambaye , Maru Abiy , Adugna Biyansa , Dagnachew Shimelis , Tarekegn Zewdu Seyoum
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This study investigated the seropositivity, isolation and virulence of Toxoplasma gondii in slaughtered domestic ruminants in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods

Three hundred thirty-five blood samples (135 sheep, 50 goats and 150 cattle) were collected from slaughterhouses. Antibodies against T. gondii were assayed using a commercial Toxo-Latex agglutination test. Tissue digestion was also conducted on 39 heart muscles of seropositive animals using the pepsin enzyme, and isolation of viable T. gondii, from seropositive ruminants, was also performed in white albino mice.
Results

The overall occurrence of T. gondii infection was 55.8%. The occurrence of T. gondii antibodies in cattle, goats and sheep was 59.3%, 58%, and 51.1%, respectively. Toxoplasma gondii antibodies prevalence was significantly higher in females (χ2 = 4.55, p < 0.033) and adults of sheep (χ2 = 7.57, p < 0.006). Similarly, in cattle, old groups (χ2 = 7.81, p < 0.005) and cross-breeds (χ2 = 6.30, p < 0.012) have presented association with presence of T. gondii antibodies. However, in goats, no association was observed either with sex or age groups. In bioassayed mice, the overall viable T. gondii isolates were 38.5% and the parasites were isolated from samples of sheep (8/16), cattle (3/14) and goats (4/9), and most of these isolates (87.2%) were avirulent.
Conclusion

The high occurrence of T. gondii antibodies and a high proportion of viable T. gondii observed in this study indicated the prevalent nature of the parasite and its zoonotic importance in the study areas, where slaughtered domestic ruminants serve as an important human protein source. Education of the public about routes of T. gondii transmission and control methods is imperative to prevent T. gondii transmission.
HOBFLOPS for CNNs: Hardware Optimized Bitslice-Parallel Floating-Point Operations for Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Garland James , Gregg David
Published: September 2021

Low-precision floating-point (FP) can be highly effective for convolutional neural network (CNN) inference. Custom low-precision FP can be implemented in field programmable gate array (FPGA) and application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) accelerators, but existing microprocessors do not generally support fast, custom precision FP. We propose hardware optimized bitslice-parallel floating-point operators (HOBFLOPS), a generator of efficient custom precision emulated bitslice-parallel software(C/C++) FP arithmetic. We generate custom-precision FP routines, optimized using a hardware synthesis design flow, to create circuits. We provide standard cell libraries matching the bitwise operations on the target microprocessor architecture and a code generator to translate the hardware circuits to bitslice software equivalents. We exploit bitslice parallelism to create a novel, very wide (32—512 element) vectorized CNN convolution for inference. On Arm and Intel processors, the multiply-accumulate (MAC) performance in CNN convolution of HOBFLOPS, Flexfloat, and Berkeley’s SoftFP are compared. HOBFLOPS outperforms Flexfloat by up to 10× on Intel AVX512. HOBFLOPS offers arbitrary-precision FP with custom range and precision, e . g ., HOBFLOPS9, which outperforms Flexfloat 9-bit on Arm Neon by 7×. HOBFLOPS allows researchers to prototype different levels of custom FP precision in the arithmetic of software CNN ac celerators. Furthermore, HOBFLOPS fast custom-precision FP CNNs may be valuable in cases where memory bandwidth is limited.
The driving force effect of trade embodied carbon emissions and embodied SO2 emissions transferred in resources-rich areas: A case study of Shanxi province
Authors: Wu Jinghui
Published: September 2021

SDA (Structural Decomposition Analysis) model was applied to analyze the driving factors of embodied carbon and SO2 emissions transferred in Shanxi during 2007–2012 based on the input-output model from the perspectives of region and industry. The results showed that the change of embodied carbon emissions and embodied SO2 emissions of Shanxi and other regions were hindered by the carbon (sulfur) emissions strength effect, but promoted by the intermediate (final) demand scale effect, the intermediate (final) structure effect and the input-output structure effect. The carbon emissions strength effect had a significant contribution to reducing the embodied carbon emissions transferred from industries in Shanxi to other regions. The intermediate (final) demand scale effect was the driving factor to increase the embodied carbon emissions transferred from industries in Shanxi to other regions. The sulfur emissions strength effect was the only factor that reduced the embodied SO2 emissions transferred from Shanxi to other industries. The change of embodied carbon emissions from industries in other regions to Shanxi was hindered by the carbon emissions strength effect, but the input-output structure effect and final demand scale effect both increased the embodied carbon emissions from industries in other regions to Shanxi. The change of the embodied SO2 emissions transferred from industries in other regions to Shanxi was inhibited by the sulfur emissions strength effect, but the input-output structure effect, the intermediate demand structure effect and the final demand scale effect were both the driving force effect of increasing the embodied SO2 emissions transferred from industries in other regions to Shanxi. The corresponding suggestions and measures were put forward.
Report of the Texas peanut root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne haplanaria (Tylenchida: Meloidogynidae) from American pitcher plants (Sarracenia sp.) in California
Authors: Subbotin Sergei A.
Published: September 2021

During the winter and spring of 2021, the root-knot nematodes were extracted from samples of galled roots of potted American pitcher plants (Sarracenia sp.). Samples were collected from a botanical garden nursery in Los Angeles County, California. The root-knot nematode was identified by molecular methods as Meloidogyne haplanaria. In the USA, M. haplanaria was initially found in Texas, and subsequently reported from Arkansas and Florida. Molecular characterization of the Californian M. haplanaria isolate was done using the analysis of the D2-D3 of 28S rRNA, ITS rRNA, mitochondrial l-rRNA, COI, and nad5 gene sequences. Some rRNA gene clusters of M. haplanaria were similar with those of M. arenaria. Possible hybridization events within mitotic parthenogenetic root-knot nematodes are discussed. This study confirmed that reliable diagnostics of M. haplanaria should be based on mtDNA sequence analysis. This is a first report of M. haplanaria from Sarracenia sp. and California. Consequently, this nematode was considered to be eradicated from this botanical garden nursery and the State of California.
DIFFUSE HEMANGIOMATOSIS OF THE SPLEEN - CASE REPORT
Authors:   Department of Radiology Diagnostic and Interventional Cheikh Zayed University Hospital in Rabat Morocco, Abulcasis International University of Health Sciences - UIASS., Ghizlene Laachir , Dounia Najioullah ,   Department of Radiology Diagnostic and Interventional Cheikh Zayed University Hospital in Rabat Morocco, Abulcasis International University of Health Sciences - UIASS., Fatima Zahra El Aoud ,   Department of Radiology Diagnostic and Interventional Cheikh Zayed University Hospital in Rabat Morocco, Abulcasis International University of Health Sciences - UIASS., Najat Kabbaj ,   Department of Radiology Diagnostic and Interventional Cheikh Zayed University Hospital in Rabat Morocco, Abulcasis International University of Health Sciences - UIASS., Malki Mohamed Cherkaoui ,   Department of Radiology Diagnostic and Interventional Cheikh Zayed University Hospital in Rabat Morocco, Abulcasis International University of Health Sciences - UIASS.
Published: September 2021

Diffuse spleen hemangiomatosis is a rare benign vascular condition that is often seen in systemic angiomatosis (associations with Turner, Beckwith-Wiedemanand Klippel Trenaunay syndromes) and very rarely unique splenic localization [1.4]. They often present a latent clinical picture of incidental discovery sometimes may be accompanied by severe hypersplenism and other complications, splenic hemangiomas exhibit imagingcharacteristics similar to hepatic hemangiomas. We present the case of a diffuse hemangiomatosis discovered accidentally in an asymptomatic patient.