bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rainfall Analysis by Using Mann-Kendall Trend, Sen’s Slope and Variability at Six Stations of Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Authors: Roy Sukumar , Chakravarty Nabajit
Published: March 2021

On analysis of thirty five years rainfall data ( 1980-2015 ) of six stations of Andaman & Nicobar islands it was found through Mann-Kendall trend , Sen’s slope and Regression slope , that annual and monsoon rainfall at Mayabandar, LongIsland, PortBlair and Carnicobar showed increasing trend while that of HutBay and Nuncowrie showed decreasing trend. The monsoon season ( summer monsoon ) rainfall variability of 49.78% in Mayabandar, 52.12% in Long Island, 24.09 % in Port Blair, 49.39% in HutBay , 47.26% in Carnicobar and 51.91% in Nuncowrie has been recorded in this time span. The high coefficient of variation ( CV) denoted that the variability of rainfall is not equally distributed. A low standard deviation indicates that the data points tend to be close to the mean of the set, while a high standard deviation indicates that the data points are spread out over a wide range of values. High SD was reported at all the five stations of study in comparison to Port Blair which also had a low coefficient of variation. The rainfall distribution of different season viz. pre monsoon , monsoon , post monsoon and winter , it was observed that the highest present contribution of rainfall was observed during monsoon season followed by post monsoon in all the six stations of Andaman & Nicobar islands . Rainfall contribution during May to November was most in all the six stations studied , while in remaining months it was 5.3% in Mayabandar , 6.4% LongIsland, 10.2% in Port Blair, 12.3% in HutBay , 16.9% in CarNicobar and 21.1 % in Nuncowrie.
Structure and magnetic properties of coprecipitated nickel-zinc ferrite doped rare earth elements of Sc, Dy, and Gd
Authors: Shiwen Li , Jiatong Pan , Feng Gao , Deqian Zeng , Qin Feng , Chunling He , Dodbiba Gjergj , Wei Yuezou , Fujita Toyohisa
Published: March 2021

This research is the basic study of temperature-sensitive ferrite characteristics prepared by coprecipitation with doping different typical sizes of rare earth elements. Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 Re x Fe 2-x O 4 (NZRF) (X = 0.02, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.09) nanoparticles (NPs) doped by Sc, Dy and Gd prepared by chemical coprecipitation method. The structure and properties of Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 Re x Fe 2-x O 4 were analyzed by various characterization methods. XRD results show that the grain size of Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 Re x Fe 2-x O 4 is from 10.6 to 12.4 nm, which is close to the average grain size of 13.9 nm observed on TEM images. It is also found that the ferrite particles are spherical and slightly agglomerated in TEM images. FTIR measurements between 400 and 4000 cm -1 have confirmed the intrinsic cation vibration of the spinel structure. The concentrations of nickel, zinc, iron, and rare earth elements have been determined by ICP-AES, and all ions have participated in the reaction. The magnetic properties of Sc, Dy, and Gd 3+ doped NZRF NPs at room temperature are recorded by a physical property measurement system (PPMS-9). It is found that the magnetization can be changed by adding rare-earth ions. When X = 0.07, Gd 3+ doped Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 (NZF) exhibits the highest saturation magnetization. The magnetic properties of NZGd 0.07 vary the most with temperature. The thermomagnetic coefficient of NZGd 0.07 nanoparticles stabilized to 0.18 emu/gK at 0-100℃. Hence, NZGd 0.07 with low Curie temperature and the high thermomagnetic coefficient can be used to prepare temperature-sensitive ferrofluid. All the samples exhibit very small coercivity and almost zero remanences, which indicates the superparamagnetism of the synthesized nanoparticles.
The Resident Voice: Identifying Qualities of Resident Leadership with a Focus Group of Second Year Residents
Authors: Chaiklin Charlotte , Hassneiah Dana , Issenberg Barry , Taldone Sabrina
Published: March 2021

Background The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Internal Medicine Residency Program Guidelines identifies leadership as a core competency. The definition of strong resident leadership is not clearly defined. Prior studies have identified characteristics of resident leadership from the perspective of residency program leaders with little emphasis on the resident point of view. Objective This study aims to identify qualities of effective resident leadership from the perspective of Internal Medicine (IM) residents. Methods Participants were recruited through email invitations. An online focus group with five IM residents was conducted in September 2020. The transcribed discussion was inductively analyzed using thematic data analysis.Results Analysis resulted in four main themes of strong resident leadership: mentorship, team ownership, communication, and emotional intelligence. All four themes were further characterized by subthemes. Being a mentor as a resident leader was described as having the ability to guide, motivate, and empower team members. Team ownership was defined as caring about team image, adaptability, and accountability for team performance. Communication skills included setting expectations, giving feedback, and utilizing closed-loop communication. Emotional intelligence was characterized as practicing empathy, psychological safety, and appreciation.Conclusions Strong resident leadership is crucial to providing effective residency training and the highest level of patient care. This study identifies from the perspective of residents, the principal characteristics of strong resident leadership: mentorship, communication, team ownership, and emotional intelligence. The identification of these characteristics provides an opportunity to create leadership curricula for residents that focus on developing these specific skills. Trial Registration The University of Miami institutional review board (IRB) approved this study: IRB number MOD0041899 on September 14, 2020.
Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of Cu3SbSe4 Compounds by Isovalent Bismuth Doping
Authors: Zhao Lijun , Wang Mingyuan , Yang Jian , Hu Jiabin , Zhu Yuan , Liu Guiwu , Hussain Shahid , Shao Haicheng , Lei Shuangying , Wan Neng , Shi Zhongqi , Qiao Guanjun
Published: March 2021

Cu3SbSe4, featuring its earth-abundant, cheap, nontoxic and environmentally-friendly constituent elements, can be considered as a promising intermediate temperature thermoelectric (TE) material. Herein, a series of p-type Bi-doped Cu3Sb1 − xBixSe4 (x = 0-0.04) samples were fabricated through melting and hot pressing (HP) process, and the effects of isovalent Bi-doping on their TE properties were comparatively investigated by experimental and computational methods. TEM analysis indicates that Bi-doped samples consist of Cu3SbSe4 and Cu2 − xSe impurity phases, which is in good agreement with the results of XRD, SEM and XPS. For Bi-doped samples, the reduced electrical resistivity (ρ) caused by the optimized carrier concentrations and enhanced Seebeck coefficient derived from the densities of states near the Fermi level give rise to a high power factor of ~ 1000 µWcm− 1K− 2 at 673 K for the Cu3Sb0.985Bi0.015Se4 sample. Additionally, the multiscale defects of Cu3SbSe4-based materials involving point defects, nanoprecipitates, amorphous phases and grain boundaries can strongly scatter phonons to depress lattice thermal conductivity (κlat), resulting in a low κlat of ~ 0.53 Wm− 1K− 1 and thermal conductivity (κtot) of ~ 0.62 Wm− 1K− 1 at 673 K for the Cu3Sb0.98Bi0.02Se4 sample. As a consequence, a maximum ZT value ~ 0.95 at 673 K is obtained for the Cu3Sb0.985Bi0.015Se4 sample, which is ~ 1.9 times more than that of pristine Cu3SbSe4. This work shows that isovalent heavy-element doping is an effective strategy to optimize thermoelectric properties of copper-based chalcogenides.
Aggregate suitability and Geo-chemical investigation of limestone for construction industries in Pakistan: An approach for economic development
Authors: Kamran Asad , Ali Liaqat , Ahmed Waqas , Zoreen Sobia , Jehan Shah
Published: March 2021

This study investigated the aggregate suitability and geo-chemical characteristics of limestone (LS) for construction industries. The results of aggregate parameters for different applications revealed that specific gravity (SG = 2.6), water absorption (WA = 0.47%), bulk density (BD = 1.58 g/cm3), flakiness index (FI = 16.8%), elongation index (EI = 16.39%), soundness (S = 1.6%), aggregate impact value (AIV = 14%), Los Angles Abrasion value (LAAV = 23.51%), clay lumps (CL = 0.35%), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS = 86.7 MPa), point load test (PLT = 5.18 MPa), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV = 5290 m/s) and Schmidt hammer rebound test (SHRT = 49 N) are in accordance with ASTM, ISRM and BSI. Petrographically, the LS is dominantly composed of ooids, peloids, bioclasts and calcite (CaCO3) with trace concentration of the dolomite. Geochemical results (n = 18) indicated that the LS is dominantly made up of calcite (95.81%); while on average it is composed of 52.08 wt.% CaO, 1.13 wt. % SiO2, 0.66 wt. %, MgO, 0.80 wt. % Al2O3, 0.76 wt. % Fe2O3 and LOI were recorded as 42.13 wt. %. Whereas, P2O5, TiO2, MnO, K2O and Na2O are found in trace amount. Regression analysis demonstrates that the empirical correlation equation for estimating uniaxial compressive strength with ultrasonic pulse velocity is more reliable than Schmidt hammer rebound test and point load test. The findings of this study strongly suggest LS of the area has a great potential as a raw material in construction industries.
Analysis and Estimation of Seepage Through Earth Dams with Internal Cut Off
Authors: Razek Mohamed Abdel , Salam Adel Abdel , Attia Michael
Published: March 2021

The study of seepage through earth-fill dams is very important for the constructed dams to ensure that the control of seepage is sufficient for the safe and sustainable operation of the dam. It is also important in the design and construction of new dams to ensure that the seepage through and under the dam will be well controlled. Construction horizontal, inclined, trapezoidal or pipe filters one of the dam protection methods. Cut off also can be constructed to minimize seepage discharge directed to the downstream face of the dam. Seepage through an earth dam with internal cut off is experimentally studied in the laboratory of Irrigation Engineering and Hydraulics Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Egypt on a Hele-Shaw model. Also, using computer program SEEP/W (which is a sub-program of Geo-Studio). The experimental and numerical analyses of seepage through earth-fill dam with internal cut off is conducted. Results from solutions are compared with each other.
Evaluation of hydrological response under future climate change by revising meteorological data in the source region of the Yangtze River, China
Authors: Chen Xiaohong , Jin Haoyu , Wu Pan , Xia Wenjun , Zhong Ruida , Song Chao
Published: March 2021

The source region of the Yangtze River (SRYR) is located in the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The natural environment is hash, and the hydrological and meteorological stations are less distributed, making the observed data are relatively scarce. In order to overcome the impact of lack of data, the China Meteorological Forcing Dataset (CMFD) was used to correct the meteorological data, to make the data more closer to the real distribution on the SRYR surface. This paper used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to verify interpolation effect. Since the SRYR is an important water resource protection area, have a great significance to study the hydrological response under future climate change. The Back Propagation (BP) neural network algorithm was used to integrate data extracted from the six Global Climate Models (GCMs), and then the SWAT model was used to predict runoff changes in the future status. The results show that the CMFD data set has a high precision in the SRYR, and can be used for meteorological data correction. After the meteorological data correction, the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency increased from 0.64 to 0.70. Under the future climate change, the runoff in the SRYR shows a decreasing trend, and the distribution of runoff during the year changes greatly. This reflects the amount of water resources in the SRYR will be decreased, which will brings challenges to water resources management in the SRYR.
A network regularized linear model to infer spatial expression pattern for single cells
Authors: Gu Chaohao , Liu Zhandong
Published: March 2021

Spatial gene-expression is a crucial determinant of cell fate and behavior. Recent imaging and sequencing-technology advancements have enabled scientists to develop new tools that use spatial information to measure gene-expression at close to single-cell levels. Yet, while Fluorescence In-situ Hybridization (FISH) can quantify transcript numbers at single-cell resolution, it is limited to a small number of genes. Similarly, slide-seq was designed to measure spatial-expression profiles at the single-cell level but has a relatively low gene-capture rate. And although single-cell RNA-seq enables deep cellular gene-expression profiling, it loses spatial information during sample-collection. These major limitations have stymied these methods’ broader application in the field. To overcome spatio-omics technology’s limitations and better understand spatial patterns at single-cell resolution, we designed a computation algorithm that uses glmSMA to predict cell locations by integrating scRNA-seq data with a spatial-omics reference atlas. We treated cell-mapping as a convex optimization problem by minimizing the differences between cellular-expression profiles and location-expression profiles with an L1 regularization and graph Laplacian based L2 regularization to ensure a sparse and smooth mapping. We validated the mapping results by reconstructing spatial- expression patterns of well-known marker genes in complex tissues, like the mouse cerebellum and hippocampus. We used the biological literature to verify that the reconstructed patterns can recapitulate cell-type and anatomy structures. Our work thus far shows that, together, we can use glmSMA to accurately assign single cells to their original reference-atlas locations.
Interfacial interactions between urea formaldehyde and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) of varying chemical composition and their impact on particle boards manufacture (PBs)
Authors: Iglesias Maria C. , McMichael Philip S. , Asafu-Adjaye Osei A. , Via Brian K. , Peresin Maria S.
Published: March 2021

Wood-based panels are commonly used as building materials for interior and exterior purposes. Their production and utilization have increased over the past decades due to the useful properties they present. Adhesive-bonded products make up to 80% of the wood alternatives on the global market, and of that, urea-formaldehyde (UF) makes up approximately 81% of the resins used. Formaldehyde-based resins are used due to their effectiveness and low cost, as well as their ease of application and lack of color. Nevertheless, their main disadvantages are the lack of tackiness and the emission of formaldehyde over time. To improve UF performance, the utilization of microfibrillated cellulose, has been demonstrated to be effective. However, more understanding on the mechanisms of the interactions is of relevant importance. In this work, we studied interfacial interactions between UF with bleached (BCNF) and unbleached (LCNF) cellulose nanofibrils using Quartz Crystal Microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) technique observing the superior performance of lignin-containing CNF. Additionally, the surface free energies were investigated using Contact Angle Measurements (CA) showing a decrease of the values mainly when utilizing LCNF, which was later correlated with the wettability properties of the particle boards (PBs). PBs with different adhesive/CNF formulations were produced showing larger improvements when adding LCNF in terms of modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), and internal bonding (IB). To gain a better understanding on the interactions between CNF and UF, CNF was fully characterized in terms of morphology, chemical composition, charge density, as well as thermal and colloidal stability.
Evaluation of the Combined Effect of Mobility and Seasonality on the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Lombardy-Based Study
Authors: Falzone Yuri , Bosco Luca , Sferruzza Giacomo , Russo Tommaso , Vabanesi Marco , Filippi Massimo
Published: March 2021

Restrictions to human mobility had a significant role in limiting SARS-CoV-2 spread. It has been suggested that seasonality might affect viral transmissibility. Our study retrospectively investigates the combined effect that seasonal environmental factors and human mobility played on transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 in Lombardy, Italy, in 2020.Environmental data were collected from accredited open-source web services. Aggregated mobility data for different points of interests were collected from Google Community Reports. The Reproduction number (Rt), based on the weekly counts of confirmed symptomatic COVID-19, non-imported cases, was used as a proxy for SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility. Assuming a non-linear correlation between selected variables, we used a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) to investigate with univariate and multivariate analyses the association between seasonal environmental factors (UV-index, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure), location-specific mobility indices, and Rt. UV-index was the most effective environmental variable in predicting Rt. An optimal two-week lag-effect between changes in explanatory variables and Rt was selected. The association between Rt variations and individually taken mobility indices differed: Grocery & Pharmacy, Transit Station and Workplaces displayed the best performances in predicting Rt when individually added to the multivariate model together with UV-index, accounting for 85.0%, 85.5% and 82.6% of Rt variance, respectively. According to our results, both seasonality and social interaction policies played a significant role in curbing the pandemic. Non-linear models including UV-index and location-specific mobility indices can predict a considerable amount of SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility in Lombardy during 2020, emphasizing the importance of social distancing policies to keep viral transmissibility under control, especially during colder months.
Saliva as a testing sample for SARS-CoV-2 detection by RT-PCR in low prevalence community settings
Authors: Gavars Didzis , Gavars Mikus , Perminov Dmitrij , Stasulans Janis , Stana Justine , Metla Zane , Pavare Jana , Tauckels Eriks , Gulbis Egils , Dumpis Uga
Published: March 2021

There is an urgency for the rapid and simple SARS-CoV-2 detection method. Our study aimed to demonstrate that saliva can be used as a specimen for SARS-CoV-2 detection notably for the screening of extensive population groups via pooling. We collected paired nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs (NPS) and saliva and performed 36 serial measurements of 8 SARS-CoV-2 positive saliva samples to confirm the stability of the specimen. We also completed 37 pools by adding one positive saliva specimen per pool. A field study including 3,660 participants was performed between September 29 and October 1, 2020. Saliva specimens were stable for testing for up to 24 hours. Overall, 1.2% of the saliva samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The results of saliva samples were consistent with those obtained from NPS with 90% sensitivity (95% CI 68.3%-98.7%) and 100% specificity during the first two weeks after the onset of symptoms. All pools showed 100% positivity in different pooling proportions. Our findings demonstrate that saliva is an appropriate specimen for pooling and SARS-CoV-2 screening with accurate diagnostic performance. Patient-performed specimen collection allows testing an extensive number of people rapidly, obtaining results of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and allowing authorities to take timely measures.
Salinity Sensor Based on 1-D Photonic Crystals by Tamm Resonance With Different Geometrical Shapes
Authors: Sayed Hassan , Aly Arafa hussien
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we demonstrate a novel Salinity sensor based on Tamm-Plasmon-polariton (TPP), comprising of different shapes of Bragg reflector (ordinary, texturing, and Sawtooth) and metallic layer, is proposed. The finite element method is used to study the considered structure and sensing performance by using the COMSOL multiphysics simulation procedure. Here, we study the effect of surface morphology on the sensitivity; firstly, in the case of one-dimensional photonic crystals centered defect, it has a negative effect on the sensitivity, secondly, texturing and sawtooth in the case of Tamm resonance is increase the sensitivity as For texturing the surface, the sensitivity (S) = 569nm/RIU, quality factor (Q) =236, and figure of merit (FOM)= 170 RIU-1. While, for Sawtooth surface, S = 612.29nm/RIU, Q = 272.4, and FOM = 199RIU-1. The consequences of structural parameters on the efficiency of sensing are studied and new procedures are proposed to enhance TPP-based sensors. A simple and functional alternative to conventional salinity sensors may be the proposed solution.
Fungal Sticky Porous Cell Wall Evolved for Efficient Uptake and Export
Authors: Ebrahimi Hoda , Siavoshi Farideh , Jazayeri Mir Hadi , Sarrafnejad Abdolfattah , Saniee Parastoo , Mobini Maryam
Published: March 2021

Observing release of large extracellular vesicles (EVs) from yeast cell raised the question about size and flexibility of cell wall pores. To estimate the approximate size of pores, internalization of nanoparticles (NPs) with different sizes, into the intact yeast cell was examined. Candida tropicalis was cultured in N-acetylglucoseamine-yeast extract broth (NYB) and examined every 12 hr by light microscopy for observing release of EVs. Yeast culture in NYB was treated with Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) -labelled NPs; gold (45, 70 and 100 nm), albumin (100 nm) and Fluospheres (1000 and 2000 nm). Fluorescence microscope was used for recording internalization of NPs with different concentrations (0.1-10%) after few seconds to 120 min of treatment. Release of EVs with different size and morphology from yeast mostly occurred at 36 hr. Best NPs’ concentration was 0.1% and internalization occurred within few seconds after treatment. Positively charged 45 nm gold NPs internalized into yeast cell and accumulated in the vacuole and 100 nm gold NPs destroyed the yeast cell. Gold NPs with 70 nm size and 100 nm negatively charged albumin NPs were internalized into the vacuole of a few yeast cells. Inert Fluospheres were first degraded outside the yeast’s cell and then absorbed into yeast’s cell and finally reached the vacuole. Release of large EVs from yeast indicated flexibility of cell wall pores and EVs for remodelling. Furthermore, physicochemical properties of internalizing NPs and those of cell wall determined uptake of NPs by yeast cell.
High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among the South Asian adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Siddiqee Mahbubul H. , Bhattacharjee Badhan , Siddiqi Umme Ruman , Rahman Mohammad Meshbahur
Published: March 2021

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is linked to a wide range of chronic and infectious diseases. Body of literature suggested that the prevalence of this deficiency can have geographical variation. Although, vitamin D deficiency is frequently reported in the South Asian population, the scarcity of systematic reviews and meta-analyses means the true extent of the disease and the underlying factors causing it are poorly characterized.Methods: A systematic search was performed using databases (PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar) for original studies on the South Asian population (published from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2019). Following the search, a random effect meta-analyses was performed to calculate population level weighted average, pooled prevalence of deficiency, and heterogeneity of vitamin D among different countries and genders; in addition to South Asia as a whole.Results: Our study, based on our selection criteria was narrowed down to a total of 44,717 participants; that spanned over 65 studies from five South Asian countries. Overall, the pooled prevalence of deficiency was 68% [95% CI: 64% to 72%] with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 98%; p = 0.00). Average level of vitamin D ranged from 4.7 to 32 ng/mL, with a weighted mean of 19.15 ng/mL (weighted standard deviation 11.59 ng/mL). The highest prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was found in Pakistan (73%; 95% CI: 63% to 83%) followed by Bangladesh (67%; 95% CI: 50% to 83%), India (67%; 95% CI: 61% to 73%), Nepal (57%; 95% CI: 53% to 60%) and Sri Lanka (48%; 95% CI: 41% to 55%), respectively. This finding indicated a high degree of heterogeneity among the population. (I2 = 98.76%), Furthermore, a gender wise analysis suggested that in South Asia, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was higher in females than males. Conclusion: Our findings reveal highly prevalent and variable vitamin D deficiency among the adults of different South Asian countries. Findings from this review would be helpful to generate hypotheses and explore the factors affecting the inter-country variability, alongside strengthening evidence for governments to prioritize mitigation strategies in this region.
Suppression of  lncRNA LINC00472 Prevents Amyloid-β-induced Neurotoxicity in PC12 Cells via Regulating miR-141-3p/Foxo3 Axis 
Authors: Guo Min , Li Jilai , Wang Peifu , Jin Di
Published: March 2021

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulations of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in brain, dysfunctions and loss of synaptic connections, exaggerated inflammation, and eventually neuronal death. Oxidative damage may explain the key features and suggest the therapeutic potential to prevent AD progression, yet it remains largely elusive the occurrence and thus the interventions of oxidative damage. Besides, miRNA dysregulation is tightly associated with AD progression. By recruiting 30 AD patients and 30 age-matched control, we demonstrated the upregulations of LINC00472, pro-inflammatory cytokines and ROS in the serum of AD subjects. Similar results were reproduced in Aβ treated SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, through luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays, we revealed direct interactions between LINC00472 and miR-141-3p, and between miR-141-3p and FOXO3 and the signalling loop LINC00472/miR-141-3p/FOXO3 loop is involved in Aβ administration induced oxidative stress. Moreover, we raised evidence that knocking down LINC00472 in SH-SY5Y cells ameliorated the Aβ administration induced oxidative stress. Thus, normalization of LINC00472 may be therapeutic to retard AD progression via ameliorating oxidative stress. Future works may further strengthen the pharmacological potentials of interventions for AD progression by targeting LINC00472/ miR-141-3p/ FOXO3 loop.
Profiles of ferroptosis-related genes and their prognostic values in patients with breast cancer brain metastasis
Authors: Zhu Lei , Chen Mu , Huang Bingsong , Liu Min , Zhong Chunlong , Li Qinchuan
Published: March 2021

Background Ferroptosis is involved in various cancers. The role of ferroptosis in breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) is unclear. This study aimed to explore the ferroptosis-related genes (FRG) expression profiles in BCBM, as well as evaluate the FRG prognostic values in breast cancer patients.Methods Genes expression and clinical data were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Functional enrichment analysis was used to investigate the FRG bioinformatics functions. Univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis were performed to explore the independent prognostic factors. The correlation between ferroptosis and immunity was also evaluated. Finally, the FRG and their prognostic values were validated in external cohorts.Results Fourteen significantly different FRG were screened between breast cancer and BCBM tissues. GO and KEGG results showed FRG were enriched in the ferroptosis-related activities. Protein‑protein interaction (PPI) network analysis showed the HMOX1 and TFRC were hub genes. Survival analysis demonstrated HMOX1 and PEBP1 were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (HR=2.100, P=0.035; HR=0.421, P=0.017 respectively). The KEAP1 and LPCAT3 had prognostic values for relapse-free survival (RFS) (HR=0.745, P=0.002; HR=2.536, P=0.008 respectively). Patients in high-risk group have worse OS and RFS compared with those in low-risk group (P=0.004, 0.021 respectively). Clinical correlation analysis revealed FRG were significantly associated with estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PgR) status, HER2 and pathological grade in breast cancer patients (all P<0.05). In addition, we also found that immune-related pathways and immune status were different between high and low-risk groups. External cohort results showed FRG were significantly different between breast cancer and BCBM tissues. Survival validation demonstrated ALOX5 and CS were associated with prognosis in breast cancer patients (P=0.044, 0.032 respectively). Conclusions Our study identified the ferroptosis-related genes that may be involved in biology of BCBM, and FRG could serve as prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer patients. New therapy targeting ferroptosis holds probabilities for effective treatment in BCBM patients.
Comparing Fertility Rates of Fresh Versus Frozen Embryo Transfer in Antagonist IVF Cycles
Authors: Seyedoshohadaei Fariba , Honarbakhsh Yasamin , Allahveisi Azra , Rezaei Masoumeh , Rezaie Mohammad Jafar , Zandvakili Farnaz , Soufizadeh Nasrin , Tahmasebi Fatemeh , Rahmani Khaled
Published: March 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Learn, Engage, Act, Dedicate (LEAD): Development and feasibility testing of a task-shifted intervention to improve alcohol use, depression and family engagement for fathers
Authors: Giusto Ali , Ayuku David , Puffer Eve
Published: March 2021

Men’s depression, alcohol use, and family problems commonly co-occur to create of cluster of mental health problems. Yet, few treatments exist to address these problems, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This paper describes the development and initial feasibility and acceptability of a novel task-shifted intervention to address this cluster of men’s mental health problems with a focus on engaging and retaining men in treatment. The intervention, Learn, Engage, Act, Dedicate (LEAD), is based in behavioral activation blended with motivational interviewing and was pilot tested in Kenya. To develop LEAD, we engaged in a community-engaged multi-step, collaborative process with local Kenyan stakeholders. LEAD was piloted with nine fathers reporting problem drinking. To assess initial feasibility and acceptability, recruitment and participation were tracked and descriptive statistics were generated given engagement of men was key for proof of concept. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The development process resulted in a weekly 5-session intervention rooted in behavioral activation, motivational interviewing, and masculinity discussion strategies. These approaches were combined and adapted to fit contextually salient constructs, such as the importance of the man as provider, and streamlined for lay providers. Feasibility and acceptability results were promising with high attendance, acceptability of delivery and intervention content, and perceived intervention helpfulness. Results describe an acceptable task-shifted treatment that may engage men in care and addresses a cluster of common mental health problems among men. Findings set the stage for a larger trial. Trial registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN130380278. Registered 7 October 2019 - Retrospectively registered, http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN13038027
Study on Mining Pressure Control of Deep Coal Seam——Based on Artificial Fault Technology
Authors: Xu Xiaoding , Gao Yubing , He Manchao , Fu Qiang , Wei Xingjian
Published: March 2021

Based on the pressure transfer principle and stress distribution characteristics around a fault, introducing artificial fault technology to control the propagation of abutment pressure, and a mechanical model of abutment pressure under the influence of artificial fault was established. This new mechanical model can well fit the distribution law of mining stress after roof cutting. The pressure transfer mechanism of prefabrication support of rock blasting was analyzed, and the transfer trend of pressure and the mining stress of rock top was determined. It is of great significance to guide the implementation of the pressure relief work at the top of the stope. The study shows that the total energy of the system is conserved, the integrity of rock layer is destroyed by blasting, and the deformation and damage of pressure relief zone absorb a large amount of energy. Thus, the accumulated strain energy of abutment pressure region is released, and the influencing range of abutment pressure is reduced. As the horizontal distance from the cutting surface is farther away from the working surface, the smaller the stress difference on both sides of the cutting top, the less obvious the blocking effect of mining pressure. When the cutting point is closer to the working surface, the higher the peak value of abutment pressure due to the superposition of peripheral stress concentration caused by the cutting and peak of abutment pressure caused by mining. Then, the numerical simulation analysis was carried out, the results show that the technology of forming artificial fault by cutting the top can cut off the influence range of the mining pressure. It can effectively control the deformation of dynamic pressure tunnl. Finally, a practice of rock blasting pressure relief engineering was carried out, and the influencing range of abutment pressure of working face before blasting pressure reduction was reduced by 1/3 compared with that before the pressure relief.
Reading on smartphone causes sigh inhibition with brain overactivity and comprehension decline
Authors: Honma Motoyasu , Masaoka Yuri , Iizuka Natsuko , Wada Sayaka , Kamimura Sawa , Yoshikawa Akira , Moriya Rika , Kamijo Shotaro , Izumizaki Masahiko
Published: March 2021

Electronic devices have become an indispensable part of our lives, while negative aspects have been reported. One downside is that reading comprehension is reduced when reading from electronic device, but the cause of this is unclear. In this study, we investigated a cause for the decline in comprehension by simultaneously measuring respiration and brain activity during reading from a smartphone medium, on thirty-four healthy individuals. Here we found that, compared to a paper medium, reading from the smartphone elicits a suppression of sigh, brain overactivity in prefrontal cortex, and decline in reading comprehension. Furthermore, a path analysis suggests that interactive relationship between sigh inhibition and overactivity in prefrontal cortex causes the comprehension decline. These findings provide new insight into a respiration-mediated mechanism of cognitive function.
A Hypoxia-related LncRNA Signature Predicts Survival of Primary Lower-grade glioma
Authors: Hu Yanjia , Zhang Jing , Chen Jing
Published: March 2021

Background

Hypoxia-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proven to play a role in multiple cancers and can serve as prognostic markers. Lower-grade gliomas (LGGs) are characterized by large heterogeneity.
Methods

This study aimed to construct a hypoxia-related lncRNA signature for predicting the prognosis of LGG patients. Transcriptome and clinical data of LGG patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). LGG cohort in TCGA was chosen as training set and LGG cohorts in CGGA served as validation sets. A prognostic signature consisting of fourteen hypoxia-related lncRNAs was constructed using univariate and LASSO Cox regression. A risk score formula involving the fourteen lncRNAs was developed to calculate the risk score and patients were classified into high- and low-risk groups based on cutoff. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the survival between two groups. Cox regression analysis was used to determine whether risk score was an independent prognostic factor. A nomogram was then constructed based on independent prognostic factors and assessed by C-index and calibration plot. Gene set enrichment analysis and immune cell infiltration analysis were performed to uncover further mechanisms of this lncRNA signature.
Results

LGG patients with high risk had poorer prognosis than those with low risk in both training and validation sets. Recipient operating characteristic curves showed good performance of the prognostic signature. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression confirmed that the established lncRNA signature was an independent prognostic factor. C-index and calibration plots showed good predictive performance of nomogram. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that genes in the high-risk group were enriched in apoptosis, cell adhesion, pathways in cancer, hypoxia etc. Immune cells were higher in high-risk group.
Conclusion

The present study showed the value of the 14-lncRNA signature in predicting survival of LGGs and these 14 lncRNAs could be further investigated to reveal more mechanisms involved in gliomas.
Gender differences in perception of the appropriate maturity age for men and women: Age norms of reproduction-related life events between the social context and evolutionary foundations
Authors: Todosijević Bojan , Pavlović Zoran , Komar Olivera
Published: March 2021

The paper explores gender differences in the perception of appropriate age for reproduction-related life events. Evolutionary theory suggests that age norms are shaped by gender-specific evolutionary challenges. We tested two hypotheses based on the evolutionary rationale. Hypothesis 1 suggests that both men and women believe that women should reach maturity and experience reproduction-related life events earlier than men. Hypothesis 2 claims that men and women demonstrate this tendency asymmetrically. When women estimate the appropriate/ideal age for men, they suggest a higher appropriate age for men than men themselves. When men estimate the appropriate/ideal age for women, they suggest a younger age for women compared to women themselves. In the second part of the paper, we explored the background of these claims by testing the alternative explanations based on ‘social forces’ (culture, socio-economic status, education, age, values). The hypotheses were tested using the 9th wave of the ESS data, totaling around 47 thousand respondents and the sample of Balkan countries was analyzed in more detail. The appropriate age was measured using ‘ideal age’ as the concept which reflects the optimal timing expectations for reproduction-related events: living with a partner, marriage, and parenthood. Respondents were also asked to make judgments about the appropriate age of becoming an adult for men and women. The overall results supported the outlined expectations based on the evolutionary approach. The results did not provide convincing evidence for the alternative, non-evolutionary interpretation of the identified patterns.
Thrombospondin1 Enhanced Neuronal Wnt7a and CNTF Expressions by TNFα Signaling Pathway
Authors: wang xuebao , Yu He , Chen Baihui , liu leping , Feng Shuya , ding saidan
Published: March 2021

Background: Thrombospondin (TSP) is an astrocyte-secreted protein, well-known for its function as a modulator of synaptogenesis and neurogenesis. The mechanism underlying the effects of TSP1 on synaptic activity and formation involved in MHE pathogenesis remains unclear. Methods: The present study explored the effect of TSP1 on neurodegeneration, inflammatory response and the activation of Wnt7a/CNTF signaling in the primary rat neurons and an MHE rat model. Results: When we treated neurons with TSP1, p38MAPK phosphorylation and TNFα expression was increased significantly. Also, the exposure of TSP1 increased the expression and release of Wnt7a and CNTF, upregulated spinophilin, enhanced the interaction of Wnt7a/CNTF with spinophilin, and triggered synaptic activity through p38/TNFα signaling in PC12 cells and primary neurons. The hippocampal injection of TSP1 siRNA in mice decreased the interaction of Wnt7a/CNTF with spinophilin, while injection of Wnt7a and CNTF improved learning and memory dysfunctions. MHE brains showed decreased TSP1 expression. The overexpression of TSP1 in the hippocampus of MHE rats ameliorated the disrupted synaptogenesis, learning, and memory. Conclusions: Taken together, these results indicated that TSP1 is a potential synaptic factor related to the inflammatory response and the activation of Wnt7a/CNTF signaling in MHE pathogenesis.
Effect of Residue Type on Extractable Organic and Microbial Biomass Carbon Fractions Under Long-Term Soil Fertilization
Authors: Xie Ninghui , Schaeffer Sean Michael , An Tingting , Xu Yingde , Li Shuangyi , Sun Liangjie , Wang Jingkuan
Published: March 2021

The labile organic carbon (C) pool plays a vital role in soil biogeochemical transformation and can be used as a sensitive indicator of the response of soil quality to agricultural practice. However, little is known about how residue type and soil fertilization affect the incorporation of residue C into labile organic C pools. A 360-day laboratory incubation was conducted with the addition of 13C-labeled maize residues (root, stem and leaf) to unfertilized and organic-fertilized soils. A greater contribution of residue C to extractable organic C (EOC, 7.2%) was observed in the unfertilized soil than that in the organic-fertilized soil (6.0%). The contribution of residue C to microbial biomass C (MBC) was 20%-50% in the organic-fertilized soil, but only 10%-30% in the unfertilized soil. This suggests that, in organic-fertilized soil, there is accelerated transformation of residue C into microbial biomass and a higher capacity for residue C stabilization through greater, or more efficient anabolism. Moreover, the distribution of leaf C into MBC was higher than that from root and stem in the unfertilized soil, whereas more root C entered to EOC and MBC than from stem and leaf in the organic-fertilized soil. This shows that maize root can also be involved in microbial assimilation, but it depends on the initial soil nutrition. Overall, these findings deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of microbe-mediated C transformation processes, and provide relevant insights into the capture and incorporation of plant residue C into labile organic C pools driven by residue type and soil fertilization.
Cancer Derived Exosomes Induce Macrophages Immunosuppressive Polarization to Promote Bladder Cancer Progression
Authors: Jiang Ziming , Zhang Yiming , Zhang Yu , Jia Zhankui , Zhang Zhengguo , Yang Jinjian
Published: March 2021

Background: Exosomes mediated crosstalk between tumor cells and other stromal cells including tumor associated macrophages (TAM) plays an essential role in reprogramming tumor microenvironment (TME) to facilitate tumor progression. However, the mechanism of tumor derived exosomes promotes bladder cancer progression have not been defined.Methods: Exosomes were extracted from bladder cancer cells MB49 conditioned medium by ultracentrifugation. The effects of MB49-derived exosomes on macrophages polarization were analyzed by qPCR, flow cytometry, and Western blot. The immunosuppressive phenotype and function of MB49-derived exosomes stimulated macrophages were verified by tumor xenograft assays and T cell co-culture experiments. Exosomal miRNAs were analyzed by microarray to identify potential targets regulating macrophage polarization.Results: MB49-derived exosomes could be ingested by macrophages, consequently promoting macrophages immunosuppressive polarization. Mechanically, the MB49-derived exosomes induced macrophage M2 polarization was mediated by down-regulation of PTEN and activation of AKT/STAT3/6 signaling. Moreover, hindrance of the generation or secretion of exosomes by GW4869 inhibited macrophages differentiation into immunosuppressive phenotype and function, thereby suppressed tumor growth in a mouse subcutaneous tumor model.Conclusion: Our study confirmed the contribution of bladder cancer derived exosomes on the establishment of immunosuppressive TME and provided a potential therapeutic target for bladder cancer treatment.
Rolling bearings fault diagnosis and classification based on optimal wavelet subband selection and deep neural network
Authors: Jha Rakesh Kumar , Swami Preety D
Published: March 2021

Time-frequency analysis plays a vital role in fault diagnosis of nonstationary vibration signals acquired from mechanical systems. However, the practical applications face the challenges of continuous variation in speed and load. Apart from this, the disturbances introduced by noise are inevitable. This paper aims to develop a robust method for fault identification in bearings under varying speed, load and noisy conditions. An Optimal Wavelet Subband Deep Neural Network (OWS-DNN) technique is proposed that automatically extracts features from an optimal wavelet subband selected on the basis of Shannon entropy. After denoising the optimal subband, the optimal subbands are dimensionally reduced by the encoder section of an autoencoder. The output of the encoder can be considered as data features. Finally, softmax classifier is employed to classify the encoder output. The vibration signals were recorded on a machinery fault simulator setup for various combinations of speed and load for healthy and faulty bearings. The signals were subjected to various noise levels and the deep neural network was trained. The achieved experimental results reveal high accuracy in fault classification as compared to other techniques under comparison.
Modeling and Simulation of Cancer Treatment Using Cold Atmospheric Plasma
Authors: Xu Minghao
Published: March 2021

The cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) becomes a promising technology for the cancer cell treatment. There are many aspects affecting the effect of the treatment including plasma discharge voltages, CAP exposure time, cancer cell type and so on. In order to have a further understanding the cancer treatment using CAP jet, we proposed a mathematical model by using the least square method for the response of cancer cell line of U-87 MG with CAP jets treatment based on experimental data from reference. The comparison demonstrates that the mathematical model can capture the characteristics of the cancer cell viability in the experimental data. It means that we can use the same method to predict cancer cell response to CAP under a nominal condition. We also proposed the mathematic model using the Taylor expansion method according to the processed data to study the correlation between the cell viability, the treatment and the CAP exposure time.