bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ensino híbrido como ferramenta de incentivo à leitura dos clássicos da literatura no ensino médio
Authors: Furtado Arthur Vinícius Feitosa , Monteiro Dirce Charara
Published: June 2022

Considerando os baixos índices de letramento literário no Ensino Médio (FAILLA, 2016), o objetivo deste estudo foi investigar se as contribuições do ensino híbrido podem influenciar a formação de leitores nessa etapa escolar. O suporte teórico foi oferecido por autores que refletissem sobre a importância da leitura das obras clássicas e sobre o ensino híbrido. A opção metodológica foi por um estudo de caso, uma intervenção realizada em duas salas de uma escola pública do interior de São Paulo, com atividades de leitura sobre a obra Capitães da Areia, de Jorge Amado, desenvolvidas com o apoio do ensino híbrido. Essa metodologia híbrida resultou em um envolvimento elevado com a leitura, uma satisfação relevante do alunado com as atividades desenvolvidas e com as formas mais participativas de avaliação, e um intenso envolvimento nos jogos e debates.Palavras-chave: ensino de leitura; Ensino Médio; livros clássicos; ensino híbrido.
Análise semiótica das estratégias discursivas de planos de aula on-line
Authors: Noronha Ana Carolina Cortez
Published: June 2022

Nossa pesquisa de doutorado buscou, por meio de análises discursivas, apreender a concepção teórica e prática do professor sobre suas aulas por meio da análise de planos de aula disponíveis on-line, nos quais se encontram o planejamento das aulas, o fazer interpretativo do professor sobre documentos legais e seu fazer persuasivo sobre os alunos. Entendemos que, dessa maneira, seria possível apreender sobre a transmissão e a construção do conhecimento nas salas de aula brasileiras no início do século XXI, nosso objetivo mais amplo. As análises foram feitas utilizando-nos da teoria semiótica discursiva (FIORIN, 2002; BARROS, 2001) e tensiva (ZILBERBERG, 2011). Este artigo apresenta os resultados das análises das estratégias discursivas de pessoa, espaço e tempo e quais efeitos de sentido decorreram dessas escolhas e da relação enunciador – enunciatário constituída.Palavras-chave: semiótica discursiva; enunciação; estratégias discursivas; semiótica e educação; planos de aula.
Design of H-IoT Based Pregnancy Monitoring Device in Free-living Environment
Authors: manivannan jeevitha , K Preethi , A Bhagyaveni M
Published: June 2022

The revolution of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has paved the way for designing modern health care systems. Among the various applications of IoT, health care monitoring is need of the hour. This paper deals with the design of a Handheld Pregnancy Monitoring Device (HPMD) that comprises of a wearable abdominal patch and mobile application (Pregnancy Health Monitoring app) interfaced with the analytical Health-Internet of Things (H-IoT) platform. This aids in non invasive measurement of the pregnant woman’s uterine contractions, the Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) and the fetal presentation to detect true labor and to ensure fetal safety. Here, the abdominal patch includes the Electromyography (EMG) electrodes that capture the uterine contractile activity and the Fetal Electrocardiogram (FECG) electrodes that capture the fetal electrical activity for monitoring FHR and fetal presentation. Now, the data captured from these electrodes are analyzed using the H-IoT platform by using various methods. A Level crossing rate method is used in H-IoT to differentiate true labor from Braxton-Hicks (false labor). In addition, FHR is retrieved using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and fetal position is determined by cross correlating the obtained FECG with the existing FECG template. Further, decisions from the analyzed parameters are displayed in the Pregnancy Health Monitoring (PHM) mobile app which includes the live visualization plots of the EMG and FECG signals for monitoring the mother and fetus health condition in the free-living settings.
The Korean Undiagnosed Diseases Program Phase I: Expansion of the Nationwide Network and the Development of Long-term Infrastructures
Authors: Kim Soo Yeon , Lee Seungbok , Woo Hyewon , Ko Young Jun , Shim Youngkyu , Park Soojin , Jang Se Song , Lim Byung Chan , Ko Jung Min , Kim Ki Joong , Cho Anna , Kim Hunmin , Hwang Hee , Choi Ji Eun , Kim Man Jin , Moon Jangsup , Seong Moon-Woo , Park Sung Sup , Choi Sun Ah , Lee Ji Eun , Kwon Young Se , Sohn Young Bae , Kim Jon Soo , Kim Won Seop , Lee Yun Jeong , Kwon Soonhak , Kim Young Ok , Kook Hoon , Cho Yong Gon , Cheon Chong Kun , Kang Ki-Soo , Song Mi-Ryoung , Kim Young-Joon , Cha Hyuk-Jin , Choi Hee-Jung , Kee Yun , Park Sung-Gyoo , Baek Seung Tae , Choi Murim , Chae Jong-Hee , Ryu Dong-Sung
Published: June 2022

Background
Phase I of the Korean Undiagnosed Diseases Program (KUDP), performed for 3 years, has been completed. The Phase I program aimed to solve the problem of undiagnosed patients throughout the country and develop infrastructures, including a data management system and functional core laboratory, for long-term translational research. Herein, we share the clinical experiences of the Phase I program and introduce the activities of the functional core laboratory and data management system.
Results
During the program (2018–2020), 458 patients were enrolled and classified into 3 groups according to the following criteria: I) those with a specific clinical diagnosis that required direct testing (32 patients); II) those with a clinical diagnosis with genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity (353 patients); and III) those with atypical presentations or diseases unknown to date (73 patients). All patients underwent individualized diagnostic processes based on the decision of an expert consortium. Confirmative diagnoses were obtained for 242 patients (52.8%). The diagnostic yield was different for each group: 81.3% for Group I, 53.3% for Group II, and 38.4% for Group III. Diagnoses were made by next-generation sequencing for 204 patients (84.3%) and other genetic testing for 35 patients (14.5%). Three patients (1.2%) were diagnosed with nongenetic disorders. The KUDP functional core laboratory, with a group of experts, organized a streamlined research pipeline covering various resources, including animal models, stem cells, structural modeling and metabolic and biochemical approaches. Regular data review was performed to screen for candidate genes among undiagnosed patients, and six different genes were identified for functional research. We also developed a web-based database system that supports clinical cohort management and provides a matchmaker exchange protocol based on a matchbox, likely to reinforce the nationwide clinical network and further international collaboration.
Conclusions
The KUDP evaluated the unmet needs of undiagnosed patients and established infrastructure for a data-sharing system and future functional research. The advancement of the KUDP may lead to sustainable bench-to-bedside research in Korea and contribute to ongoing international collaboration.
Characteristics of Treatment of Copper Mine Wastewater by Ozone Advanced Oxidation
Authors: lu miaoqiang , Wei Qihang , Zhang Ping , Chen Jincheng , Wu Renya , Feng Fei , Wei Linsheng
Published: June 2022

Copper mine wastewater is a rather tough environmental issue. An efficient and effective method is still expected. Ozone advanced oxidation technology is applied to treat copper mine wastewater in this paper. A systematical investigation is performed and the degradation mechanism is revealed. Experimental results show ozone can effectively degrade COD meanwhile all pollutants indexes can meet the strict emission requirement. There are two interesting discoveries in copper mine wastewater treatment process by ozone advanced oxidation. One is COD change with ozone aeration time. COD rapidly decreases initially, followed by a small recovery, but then decreases slightly. The dramatical decrease in the first several minutes results from the oxidation of residual flotation reagents, humic acid-like and soluble microbial product-like. The small recovery is because these substances of protein-like and humic acid-like are oxidized to small molecules. The last slight decrease is due to the further oxidation of these small molecules. Another is ammonia nitrogen change in fluctuations with ozone aeration time. The oxidation CwHxNyOz in residual flotation reagent Xanthate leads the first ammonia nitrogen increase and the following first decrease, respectively. It is followed by another increase and decrease. The second increase is owing to these relatively stable nitrogenous organic matters of protein-like and fulvic acid-like are oxidized to ammonia nitrogen. The last reduce results from the further oxidation of ammonia nitrogen. In a word, ozone advanced oxidation is a promising technology for copper mine wastewater treatment.
Teachers' perception of school functionality and participation of children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Tavares-Netto Afonso Rodrigues , Wiesiolek Carine Carolina , Dantas Diego de Sousa , de Melo Marianna de Fátima Araújo , de Mattos Rebeca Maranhão , Melo Renato S. , Ferraz Karla Mônica
Published: June 2022

Purpose: To analyze the perception of teachers about the functionality and school participation of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: Descriptive, exploratory, observational study with a mixed design of quantitative and qualitative approach, carried out with 14 teachers, who were interviewed in a questionnaire model, based on the International Classification of Functionality, Disability and Health (ICF). The reports were transcribed and quantified based on the domains and codes of the second level of the ICF, for better analysis. Results: The reports pointed out aspects that facilitate the participatory process of children through the attitudes of the people who make up the school support network. However, the challenges to school inclusion were highlighted, related to issues of recreation, leisure and mobility, restricting participation and environmental barriers, as for services, systems and policies related to construction, architecture, health, and education. Conclusion: Such aspects reinforce the importance of interventions focused on the individuality of the child, taking into account the entire context in which he lives, and not just the intervention limiting the modification of the affected body structures and function. Thus, the teachers interviewed focused on participation in mobility and recreation activities linked to interdisciplinary work, qualification of education professionals, and readjustments in school infrastructure as challenges for greater participation of children with CP.
Pilot Study for Posterior Quadratus Lumborum Block in Myomectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Little Christopher , Naim Natale , Grogan Tristan , Yu Steve , Chia Pamela
Published: June 2022

BackgroundUterine fibroids affect 20-40% reproductive age women in the United States. Gynecologic surgeons now perform roughly 65,000 myomectomies each year. The quadratus lumborum block (QLB) is an effective block for laparoscopic pelvic surgery, urologic surgery, hip hemiarthroplasty, femoral neck fracture repairs, and cesarean sections. No clinical trials have yet assessed the QLB in patients receiving laparoscopic myomectomies. We evaluated the effectiveness of the posterior QLB in reducing post-operative pain and morphine milligram equivalent (MME) consumption in patients undergoing laparoscopic myomectomies. MethodsThis was a single center, single-blinded, randomized, controlled study conducted from February 5, 2019 and June 6, 2020. Twenty-seven patients undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy were enrolled, and randomized to the QLB group or control group. Patients in the QLB group received bilateral posterior QLBs. Patients in the control group did not receive a block. MME use at 24 hours following surgery was our primary outcome. MME at other timepoints, as well as post-operative numeric rating scale (NRS) pain score and patient satisfaction were our secondary outcomes. Results are presented as mean ± SD.ResultsWe recruited 26 patients, 21 of whom were included in our analysis. Total mean MME consumption was similar between the QLB group and the control group (24.7 ± 8.5 mg, vs. 26.8 ± 12.1 mg respectively; p=0.653). MME consumption was also similar among both groups for intraoperative consumption, total PACU consumption, and at 6, 24, and 48 hours after the end of surgery. Mean NRS pain scores were reduced at 6 hours postoperatively in the QLB groups compared to the control groups (2.0 ± 2.0 vs. 4.6 ± 2.3 respectively; p = 0.007). There was no difference in NRS pain scores at any other time point. ConclusionThis pilot study provides evidence the QLB may be useful in patients receiving laparoscopic myomectomies. Further studies with a larger sample size will be valuable to determine the effectiveness of this block in laparoscopic myomectomy. Trial RegistrationOur trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on May 2, 2019 with the corresponding identifier NCT03935815
Recommended System Optimization in Social Networks based on Cooperative Filter with Deep MVR Algorithm
Authors: Gao Qiang
Published: June 2022

Today, social networks have become very popular due to their high usage in communicating with each other. But this popularity requires the development of backend to communicate with each other. Hence, a topic called identifying users is created by making recommendations or propositional systems, and so on, link prediction. The most important issue is the new users' social networks, so that they can offer suggestions. In this research, we tried to provide a system of recommendations for introducing new users to previous users and vice versa based on the principles of machine learning. The proposed method is that the data is entered into the program and then the keywords are extracted from them. Then a sampling between the data is performed based on the Pearson and Cronbach method. In the process of extraction operations along with diminishing dimensions, selection and finally extraction of the best features is done using the cooperative filter which named here based on deep learning- Modified Vector Rotational (MVR) algorithm and its operators. In the following, due to the lack of probabilistic and statistical training of the Deep and Reinforcement Learning with random structure that is used to select users and also to offer users with respect to the tastes of the extracted, there is an optimization algorithm for MVR consider the best features with training. In the following, a series of evaluation criteria have been used to ensure the proposed approach, indicating the appropriate results of the proposed method.
Plant topping effects on the yield and active ingredient content of rhizome of Polygonatum cyrtonema, and analysis of functional composition, Antioxidant Activity its Waste
Authors: Tang Wenwen , Chen Yuan , Guo Fengxia , Li Qian
Published: June 2022

Polygonatum cyrtonema is a perennial plant, and it has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for food and medicine. The medicinal part of Polygonatum cyrtonema is the underground rhizome; however, the aerial part has not been studied so far for its medicinal activity. To promote the growth of underground rhizomes, the topping of aboveground plants of Polygonatum cyrtonema has been conducted. To understand the effect of the topping of aerial parts on the yield and medicinal components of rhizomes, the present study was conducted. Also, the chemical constituents, antioxidant, and in vitro hypoglycemic activities of the aerial stem, leave, and flower parts of Polygonatum cyrtonema were analyzed. The results showed that compared to the control (CK) treatment, the topping of the aerial part increased rhizome weight gain coefficient (3.43) significantly than the CK treatment (2.63). Moreover, the topping of the aerial part induces the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds. As such, the polysaccharide content in the rhizome (8.80%) and the total saponin content (37.60 mg/g) was significantly (P < 0.01) higher than CK treatment. The contents of total phenols and total flavonoids in PCL and PCF were significantly (P < 0.01) higher than those in rhizomes; however, the polysaccharide content (10.47%) in PCR (whole rhizome) was higher than that in PCS (3.65%), PCL (5.99%), and PCF (4.76%) content. The protein and amino acid contents in PCS, PCL, and PCF were higher than those in rhizomes. The protein and amino acid contents in PCS, PCL, and PCF were higher than those in rhizomes. PCS, PCL, and PCF showed strong antioxidant activities (DPPH, ·OH, ABTS, and FRAP), which were better than traditional medicinal parts ( the rhizome). To sum up, the topping measures can improve the rhizome yield of Polygonatum cyrtonema and the medicinal components of the rhizomes, which can be applied to improve production. The stems, leaves, and flowers had a much stronger antioxidant activity and higher the total polyphenols, flavonoids, proteins, and amino acid content. Therefore, stems, leaves, and flowers of Polygonatum can be fully developed according to different needs. they are typically used in animal feed, food storage and cosmetics.
Partial Otubain 1 deficiency compromises fetal well-being in allogeneic pregnancies despite no major changes in the Dendritic cell and T cell compartment
Authors: Stutz Annika , Nishanth Gopala , Zenclussen Ana Claudia , Schumacher Anne
Published: June 2022

Objective
Pregnancy is characterized by well-defined immunological adaptions within the maternal immune cell compartment allowing the survival of a genetically disparate individual in the maternal womb. Phenotype and function of immune cells is largely determined by intracellular processing of external stimuli. Ubiquitinating and deubiquitinating enzymes are known to critically regulate immune signaling either by modulating the stability or the interaction of the signaling molecules. Accordingly, if absent, critical physiological processes may be perturbed such as fetal tolerance induction. Based on previous findings that mice hemizygous for the deubiquitinating enzyme otubain 1 (OTUB1) do not give rise to homozygous progeny, here, we investigated whether partial OTUB1 deficiency influences fetal-wellbeing in a syngeneic or an allogeneic pregnancy context accompanied by changes in the dendritic cell (DC) and T cell compartment.
Results
We observed increased fetal rejection rates in allogeneic pregnant OTUB1 heterozygous dams but not syngeneic pregnant OTUB1 heterozygous dams when compared to OTUB1 wildtype dams. Fetal demise in allogeneic pregnancies was not associated with major changes in maternal peripheral and local DC and T cell frequencies. Thus, our results suggest that OTUB1 confers fetal protection, however, this phenotype is independent of immune responses involving DC and T cells.
Impact of Beverage Temperature on Consumer Preferences for Black Coffee
Authors: Ristenpart William , Cotter Andrew , Guinard Jean-Xavier
Published: June 2022

We recently performed a systematic investigation of consumer preferences for black coffee versus key brewing parameters, including total dissolved solids, extraction yield, and brewing temperature (Cotter et al., Journal of Food Science, 2021). An experimental goal in that work was for participants to taste the coffee at a beverage temperature of 65°C, but the large sample size of more than 3,000 individual tastings, combined with natural variations in the brewing and cooling processes, meant that coffees were assessed over a normally distributed range of temperatures between 56 and 71°C. Here we use those data to provide a more detailed analysis of the impact of beverage temperature on consumer acceptance of the coffee. Using a 5-point just-about-right (JAR) scale, we find that a majority of consumers (>50%) assessed the temperature as JAR at all temperatures tested up to 70°C. A substantial fraction of consumers, approximately 6 to 12%, assessed the coffee as too cold over the range 56 to 68°C. Only above 70°C did a majority of consumers assess the coffee as too hot and none assessed it as too cold, albeit with 40% still assessing it as JAR. Complementary analyses indicate that beverage temperature over this range had little impact on assessments of the adequacy of flavor intensity, acidity, and mouthfeel, but did correlate slightly with overall liking and purchase intent. Overall, the results suggest that temperatures over the range of 58 to 66°C maximize consumer acceptance, and that 68 to 70°C is the minimum temperature range at which no consumers will assess black coffee as too cold.
Determination of 20 neonicotinoid insecticides and their metabolites in infant foods by a modified QuEChERS method combined with HPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Guo Liqiang , Li Kai , Zhang Jinling , Tian Guoning , Ke Wang , Li Yajing
Published: June 2022

A rapid, effective, and reliable method for the simultaneous detection of 20 neonicotinoids and their metabolites in infant foods has been developed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). To improve the accuracy and precision of the method, different extraction solvents, extraction methods, and adsorbents were evaluated to achieve a better recovery and clean-up effect. Under optimized conditions, the samples were extracted with acetic acid acidified acetonitrile/ethyl acetate by ultrasonication, and then were cleaned with reduced graphene oxide@Fe3O4 (rGO@Fe3O4) and primary and secondary amine (PSA) through a QuEChERS step. A matrix-matched calibration method was applied for quantification. In three different food matrixes (vegetable & fruit cookies, grain rice cereals, and vegetable purees), all the target compounds showed good linearity, both with values of r2 > 0.99. The average recovery of all neonicotinoids ranges from 68.0%~106.5% (vegetable & fruit cookies), 70.4%~105.4% (grain rice cereals), and 71.9%~107.4% (vegetable purees). Relative standard deviations were all < 15% for intraday and interday precision. The values of limit of detection and limit of quantification were, respectively, ranging from 0.02-0.35 μg kg-1 and 0.1-1.0 μg kg-1. The presented method was applied to the analysis of real samples.
E2F1 induced miR-652-3p promotes malignancy and metastasis of cancer cells via inhibiting TNRC6A in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Chen Wei , Ru Junnan , Wu Tong , Man Da , Wu Jingbang , Wu Lijuan , Sun Yujing , Yu Hanxi , Li Min , Zhang Gangwei , Zhu Xingxin , Tong Rongliang , Xiao Heng , Li Yanhua , Yang Beng
Published: June 2022

Background
Metastasis serves as the leading cause of treatment failure and cancer-related death in HCC. The role of metastasis-associated miRNAs in HCC was elusive.
Methods
Combined analysis of TCGA data and exosomal miRNA sequencing data was performed. Expression of miR-652-3p in HCC was assessed. Function experiments of miR-652-3p and TNRC6A were performed both in vitro and in vivo. MRNA sequencing, PCR and western blot were performed to verify target genes and pathway of miR-652-3p. The lung metastasis and xenograft cancer model in nude mice was established to investigate the effects of miR-652-3p/TRNC6A axis on tumor metastasis in vivo. The potential transcription regulator of miR-652-3p was verified. The relationship of the expression of miR-652-3p/TNRC6A axis and prognosis of HCC patients was analyzed.
Results
Upregulated miR-652-3p was found in the tumor tissues of HCC, especially in metastatic HCC patients. Overexpression of miR-652-3p promoted and knockdown of miR-652-3p suppressed HCC metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. What’s more, miR-652-3p promoted HCC metastasis via regulating EMT pathway. Trinucleotide repeat-containing gene 6A protein (TNRC6A) was identified as a direct target of miR-652-3p, whose expression is negatively related with AFP level in HCC, and knockdown of TNRC6A promoted HCC metastasis. And knockdown of TNRC6A restored repressed EMT and HCC metastasis caused by inhibition of miR-652-3p. E2F1 transcriptionally promoted the expression of miR-652-3p through binding in the specific site in its DNA sequence. Besides, clinical results revealed that high expression of miR-652-3p and low expression of TNRC6A was positively correlated to shortened overall survival and disease-free survival in HCC patients.
Conclusions
The present study showed that E2F1 increases the expression of miR-652-3p, and miR-652-3p promotes EMT and HCC metastasis by directly inhibiting the expression of TNRC6A in HCC.
Assessment of ecosystem health status using benthic diversity as tools in coastal sediment off the southwest coast, India
Authors: Arya DB , Godson PS , Selvaraj P , Krishnakumar S , Magesh NS , Vincent Salom Gnana Thanga
Published: June 2022

The diversity of macro and meiobenthos was documented in order to assess the ecosystem health of an anthropogenically impacted coastal ecosystem for the first time along the southwest coast of Tamil Nadu. Offshore sediment and water samples (n = 63) were collected from 14 sampling stations using the grid sampling method. Water and sediment samples were analysed for environmental variables such as pH, temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, sulphate, dissolved oxygen (DO), carbohydrate (CHO), protein, lipid, labile organic matter (LOM), total organic carbon (Corg), total organic matter (TOM) and sediment texture using standard methods. Benthic macro and meiobenthos were isolated and identified using standard identification keys. A total of 5 phyla of macrobenthos with 29 species and 5 phyla of benthos with 60 species were identified in the study area. Relative abundance analysis showed that the largest numbers of species belonged to Polychaeta for macrobenthos and foraminifera for meiobenthos. Redundancy analysis indicated that sediment carbohydrate content was the highest determining factor for explaining variation in the diversity of benthos. AMBI & M-AMBI results revealed that among the 14 stations, 2 were categorized as “poor” and 9 as “bad”. Multiple anthropogenic activities in the coastal environment leading to increased organic matter input have resulted in a decline in the ecosystem health of this region, which warrants site-specific management to control organic pollution.
Secure Channel for Financial Transactions in Cloud Environment Using Blockchain Technology
Authors: D Prabakaran , Ramachandran Shyamala
Published: June 2022

The progression of digital technology impacts the users to migrate from traditional financial transactions to the online transaction system for performing their financial transactions. The existence of cloud computing and its major benefit of access from anywhere promotes financial transactions. The cloud infrastructure supporting performing financial transactions deals with the huge volume of data and it is quintessential to sustain a high level of security to those sensitive credentials in the cloud storage. The conventional cryptographic algorithms hold good in providing a better level of security to the sensitive data in cloud computing but still fall back to advanced attacks against the cloud data storage. Furthermore, the employment of conventional encryption algorithms in securing the cloud data consumes huge execution time, as it has to perform the authentication check for all types of user access including legitimate and non-legitimate accesses. This research article proposes a novel methodology of incorporating blockchain technology to perform online financial transactions in cloud computing with a high level of security, availability, and reduced execution time. This research work employs Blockchain technology integrated with Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC) and Chaotic Map Confusion and Diffusion algorithm to perform secured transactions over a cloud network. The interpretation of the proposed method contributes to better performance in the aforementioned parameters than the existing methodologies. The proposed framework is compared with the conventional method of online transactions using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) encompassing the Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC). The performance analysis proves that the proposed framework exhibits a high level of security along with reduced computational time, encryption, and decryption cost. The proposed work is interpreted with sample dataset and the computational time is reduced.
Temporal trends in staging and grading affecting risk of prostate cancer death in men with favourable-risk prostate cancer
Authors: Thomsen Frederik B. , Garmo Hans , Egevad Lars , Stattin Pär , Brasso Klaus
Published: June 2022

The survival benefit radical prostatectomy compared to observation in men with localised prostate cancer has been shown in two randomised trials primarily including men diagnosed in the 1990s. In more recent years, changes in work-up and histopathological assessments of prostate biopsies have changed, which has led to stage and grade migration. The aim of this study was to assess temporal trends in survival for men diagnosed with favourable-risk prostate cancer managed with radical prostatectomy or observation. We included men aged 75 or younger with Charlson Comorbidity index 0-1 diagnosed with favourable-risk prostate cancer (T1-T2, PSA <20 ng/mL and Gleason score 6 or 7 [3+4]) in the period 2000-2016 who underwent radical prostatectomy (n = 18 765) or observation (n = 21 149). Following propensity score matching, 9 664 men were selected in each treatment strategy. In more recent calendar periods, the absolute risk of prostate cancer death declined for both treatments. The absolute survival benefit of immediate radical prostatectomy compared to initial observation decreased: in men with low-risk prostate cancer the absolute difference was 1% in 2000-2005, 0.2% in 2006-2010, and 0.4% in 2011-2016 and for men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer 1.1% in 2000-2005, 0.6% in 2005-2010, and 0.7% in 2011-2016.
Green synthesis of Ag2O nanoparticles using Punica granatum leaf extract for sulfamethoxazole antibiotic adsorption: characterization, experimental study, modeling, and DFT calculation
Authors: Messaoudi Noureddine El , Mouden Abdelaziz El , Fernine Yasmine , Khomri Mohammed El , Bouich Amal , Faska Nadia , Ciğeroğlu Zeynep , Américo-Pinheiro Juliana Heloisa Pinê , Jada Amane , Lacherai Abdellah
Published: June 2022

In this study, silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag2O NPs) were generated by synthesizing green leaf extract of Punica granatum and used as adsorbent and used as adsorbent to remove the antibiotic additive sulfamethoxazole (SMX) from an aqueous solution. The chemical composition, surface morphology, and textural properties of the Ag2O NPs were identified using XRD, FTIR, BET/BJH, SEM-EDX, and TEM analyses. For 100 mg L− 1 SMX antibiotic concentration, Ag2O NPs achieved almost complete removal of 98.93% within 90 min by using 0.8 g L− 1 of adsorbent dose and initial solution pH of 4 at a temperature of 308 K. Langmuir model efficiently elucidates the experimental data, which amounts to homogeneous nature of antibiotic adsorption onto the Ag2O NPs. The maximum uptake capacity was 277.85 mg g− 1. Kinetic studies promise a PSO model. The ΔGº and ΔHº values confirm the spontaneity and endothermicity of the adsorption process. The regeneration study shows that the Ag2O NPs can be efficiently reused for up to five cycles. The geometric structures have been optimized and quantum chemical parameters were calculated for the SMX unprotonated (SMX+/−) and protonated (SMX+) using density functional theory (DFT) calculation, indicating that the SMX+/− is reacting more favorably on the surface of Ag2O NPs compared to the SMX+. According to this study, the Ag2O NPs as an excellent potential the adsorbent will be able to have remarkable effects in the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater.
The application of apoptosis-related LncRNA markers in survival prediction, immunity and gene mutation analysis of advanced ovarian cancer was analyzed based on bioinformatics
Authors: fan weisen , qi yinghua , yuan zheng , zhang yingjie
Published: June 2022

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the potential prognostic value of necroptosis-associated lncRNAs (NALncRNAs)in patients with ovarian cancer.METHODS: Gene expression data from ovarian cancer patients with clinical data were downloaded from TCGA database. This is the base data for screening NALncRNAs that represent different survival times.lncRNA risk models were constructed by Cox regression analysis and evaluated for their prognostic value. The link between lncRNA signatures and related pathways, immune cell activity, immunological checkpoints, m6A-related genes, and gene mutations was also investigated. RESULTS: In this study, eight NALncRNAs including USP30-AS1, MINCR, LINC01096, DNM3OS, LINC02574, DTNB-AS1, ACAP2-IT1, and ILVBL-AS1, all of which were well represented for the outcome of ovarian cancer patients. Noemogram after calibration curve validation has good clinical utility. Risk signatures were shown to be abundant in various pathways related to immunology and cell proliferation, according to gene set enrichment analysis. Patients' late survival outcome corresponds to differences in immune cells, immune checkpoints, immune function, etc.A better immune microenvironment would facilitate late survival, but inexplicably patients with long survival times have a higher immune escape. Patients with high mutations in genes appear to have better survival outcomes.CONCLUSION: This study identified eight NALncRNAs markers for the first time, providing a valuable basis for more accurate prediction of ovarian cancer prognosis.
Biochemical control of DNA condensation
Authors: Agarwal Siddharth , Osmanovic Dino , Klocke Melissa , Franco Elisa
Published: June 2022

Phase separation of molecular condensates is emerging as a key mechanism in biology and biomaterials science. A major advantage of condensates is their capacity to form and reconfigure dynamically, generating responsive compartments that organize molecular targets and reactions in both space and time, in the absence of membranes. While condensation is known to depend on environmental conditions such as temperature and ionic strength, biological condensates in nature are likely influenced by fluctuating biochemical signals with high specificity. Here we ask whether the behavior of artificial condensates can be controlled via chemical reactions by design. Through theory and experiments we examine a model problem in which a phase separating component participates in chemical reactions that activate and deactivate its ability to self-attract. Our theoretical model indicates that such reactions have effects comparable to temperature, and illustrates the dependence of condensate kinetics on reaction parameters. We experimentally realize our model problem through a platform that combines DNA nanostar motifs to generate condensate droplets, and strand displacement reactions to kinetically control the nanostar valency. Our results show that DNA condensate dissolution and growth can be controlled reversibly via toehold-mediated strand displacement, and we characterize the influence of toehold and invasion domains, nanostar size, and nanostar valency. In some cases, the reduction of nanostar valency through invasion stabilizes the droplet size. Our results provide foundational methods for the development of dynamic nucleic acid condensates with potential applications in biomaterials science, nanofabrication, and drug delivery.
Usefulness of critical flicker fusion frequency measurement and its laterality for evaluating compressive optic neuropathy due to pituitary neuroendocrine tumors
Authors: Taguchi Akira , Kinoshita Yasuyuki , Tokumo Kana , Tominaga Atsushi , Kiuchi Yoshiaki , Yamasaki Fumiyuki , Horie Nobutaka
Published: June 2022

Objective
Critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF) is a short but sensitive method for evaluating optic nerve function. We measured CFF in patients with pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (Pit-NETs) to assess its usefulness.
Methods
Data from 184 patients with nonfunctioning Pit-NETs, who had been treated with transsphenoidal surgery and had no medical history of eye diseases, was used in this retrospective study. Visual acuity decline (VAD) was defined as > 0.10 reduction in logMAR visual acuity and CFF decline (CFD) was defined as CFF value < 35 Hz. Visual field defect (VFD) was evaluated by automated perimetry on a Humphrey visual field analyzer. Potential association between abnormal test results and tumor height from the suprasellar were analyzed.
Results
Contact between the optic nerve or chiasma and the tumor was present and absent in 161 and 23 patients, respectively. In patients showing contact, the difference in CFF between the left and right eyes was larger (p = 0.0008), and the optimal cut-off value using the receiver operating characteristic curve was 3 Hz. Therefore, ≥ 3 Hz was considered positive for CFF laterality (CFL), the most prevalent condition. Tumor height was lower in patients with CFL positivity compared to those with VAD or VFD (p < 0.01). The prevalence of test abnormalities was the highest for small tumors compared to those of other tests.
Conclusion
Changes in CFL permit early detection of Pit-NETs. Our results indicate that CFF laterality can be seen in the early stages of compressive optic neuropathy due to Pit-NET.
Development of enhanced primer sets for detection of norovirus and hepatitis A in food samples from Guayaquil (Ecuador) by reverse transcriptase-heminested PCR
Authors: SALAZAR E. J. , MIRABA M. J. , VILLAQUIRAN J. A. , AGUIRRE B. A. , SUÁREZ K. S. , CEVALLOS J. M.
Published: June 2022

Norovirus (NV) is a major viral pathogen that causes nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis and outbreaks of food-borne diseases. The genotype of NV responsible for the most frequent NV disease outbreaks is GII, accounting for 60–80% of the cases. Moreover, original, and new NV variants are continuously emerging, concomitant with the recent global increase in NV infections. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is another foodborne pathogen frequently implicated in acute gastroenteritis cases around the world. The virus is transmitted among humans via the fecal-oral route, and infection by HAV causes the most serious form of viral illness acquired from foods. In this study, we implemented primer sets for the detection of NV genotypes I and II. We also developed primer sets for the detection of HAV. The primers were used in a heminested reverse transcriptase PCR (hnRT-PCR) protocol that was rapid and sensitive for the detection of NVG1, NVGII and HAV virus in food. The hnRT-PCR was applied successfully to strawberry and spinach obtained from a local fresh-food market, where we could detect NVGI, NVGII and HAV.
Study on the airway microecology of pulmonary tuberculosis based on 16S rRNA sequencing
Authors: Cai Xingshan , Luo Yang , Zhang Yuanliang , Lin Yuan , Wu Bitong , Cao Zhizhong , Hu Zuqiong , Wu Xingyi , Tan Shouyong
Published: June 2022

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease of the respiratory system. It is still one of the causes of death from a single infectious disease, but it has been stuck in the study of a single pathogen. Recent studies have shown that many diseases are related to the microbiota. We clarified the occurrence of tuberculosis and the correlation between drug resistance and respiratory flora. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to characterize the respiratory microbiota composition of 30 tuberculosis (TB) patients and compared with 30 health (H) controls. According to their Gene Xpert results, 30 pulmonary tuberculosis patients were divided into 12 persons in the sensitive group (DS0) and 18 persons in the drug-resistant group (DR0). The flora of the two were compared with the H group. Results: The data generated by sequencing showed that Firmicutes, Proteus, Bacteroides, Actinomyces and Fusobacterium were the five main bacterial phyla detected, and they constituted more than 96% of the microbial community. The relative abundance of Fusobacterium, Haemophilus, Porphyromonas, Neisseria, TM7, Spirochetes, SR1, and tunica in the TB group was lower than that of the H group, and Granulicatella was higher than the H group. The PcoA diagrams of the two groups had obvious clustering differences. The Alpha diversity of the TB group is lower than that of the H group, and the Beta diversity is higher than that of the H group (P<0.05). The relative abundance of Streptococcus in the DS0 group was much higher than that in the DR0 group (P<0.005).Conclusion: Pulmonary tuberculosis can cause disorders of the respiratory tract flora, in which the relative abundance of Streptococcus was significantly different between rifampicin-sensitive and drug-resistant patients.
Mechanistic insight into the tautomerization of histidine initiated by water-catalyzed N‒H and C‒H cleavages
Authors: xueying zhu , zijiao Chen , hongqi Ai
Published: June 2022

The N‒H and C‒H activation is of great significance in organic chemistry and chemical industry fields, especially, in the utilization of petroleum raw materials. High NδH (tautomer of natural histidine) content would increase Alzheimer’s disease risk. To inhibit this and improve the activation of N‒H and C‒H bonds, isomerization mechanism from NδH to NεH of histidine-containing dipeptide catalyzed by water cluster was explored. The results discovered that water cluster assists this reaction by reducing the activation energies from 68.20 to 9.60 kcal mol-1, and its size not only affects the reaction rate but also determines reaction pathway in a degree. Moreover, water cluster, taken as potential green catalyst, is more effective on the reactions involving N‒H and C‒H bond cleavages than reported common toxic organometallic compounds and have different catalytic mechanisms. This work also provide some theoretical guidance for the modulation of Alzheimer’s disease induced by histidine isomerization.
The green energy calculation of thirty-six square meters vane in different shape
Authors: Huang Junqiang
Published: June 2022

We design a new tidal power station as Fig. 1, including one impeller with the vane length 6 meters and the vane width 6 meters,and the impeller shaft above the sea water surface 1 meter. When the sea water flow speed is 2(m/s),and the impeller speed is 1.3 (rpm),we can get the green energy of this power station 225.1(KW).When the sea water flow speed is 3(m/s),and the impeller speed is 2(rpm),we can get the green energy 766(KW).When the sea water flow speed is 4(m/s),and the impeller speed is 3 (rpm),we can get the green energy 1818(KW).We build a table as the following Table 1. We design a new tidal power station as Fig. 1, including one impeller with the vane length 12 meters and the vane width 3 meters,and the impeller shaft above the sea water surface 1 meter.When the sea water flow speed is 2(m/s),and the impeller speed is 1.3 (rpm),we can get the green energy 32.9(KW).When the sea water flow speed is 3(m/s),and the impeller speed is 2(rpm),we can get the green energy 339(KW).When the sea water flow speed is 4(m/s),and we presume the impeller speed is 3 (rpm),we can get the green energy 853(KW).We are happy to see the value is considerable,and we can build a table as the following Table 2.
Fluid shear stress facilitates prostate cancer metastasis through Piezo1-Src-YAP axis
Authors: Kim Ok-Hyeon , Choi Young Wook , Hong Soon Auck , Hong Mineui , Chang In Ho , Lee Hyun Jung
Published: June 2022

Background
Mechanical forces surrounding solid tumors are pervasive in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and abnormally altered as solid tumors progress. Although it has been reported that biomechanical forces, including wall shear stress (WSS), enhance the metastatic features of cancer cells, the mechanism by which cancer cells sense mechanical stress and propagate signals in the TME remains unknown.
Methods
Using a microfluidic device, interstitial fluid-mimicking flow (0.05 dyne cm− 2) was applied to the human prostate cancer cell line PC3. Piezo1 expression was detected using immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR. Piezo1 siRNA and shRNA lentivirus were applied to PC3 cells to ablate Piezo1 expression. PC3-Luc2 cells expressing control shRNA or shPiezo1 lentivirus were administered into the prostate of BALB/c mice for orthotopic injection, and metastatic prostate cancer cells were tracked by in vivo imaging for 6 weeks.
Results
Here, we show that Piezo1, a mechanosensitive ion channel, is activated by WSS in microfluidic channels. Moreover, Yoda1, a Piezo1 agonist, synergistically potentiates cancer cell motility via WSS. Yoda1 further increased WSS-mediated translocation of YAP/TAZ from the cytosol to the nucleus compared to WSS alone. Conversely, depleting Piezo1 with siRNA significantly reduced cell motility induced by WSS and inhibited nuclear retention of YAP/TAZ. Moreover, activation of Piezo1 increased phosphorylation of Src on Y416, which regulates phosphorylation of YAP on Y357, whereas ablation of Piezo1 with siRNA failed to induce Src phosphorylation and YAP activation. Furthermore, mice bearing control PC3-Luc2 showed rapid tumor growth and metastasis throughout the body, while this gradually decreased with the injection of shPiezo1 lentivirus into control PC3-Luc2-bearing BALB/c mice.
Conclusions
Taken together, these results demonstrate that Piezo1 allows cancer cells to sense mechanical stimuli by altering the microenvironment during tumor progression and is a critical player in modulating cancer metastasis through the Piezo1-Src-YAP axis.
Establishment of a lipid metabolism disorder model in ApoEb mutant zebrafish
Authors: Hu Yang-Xi , You Hong-Min , Zhu Rong-Fang , Liang Yu-Lai , Li Fang-Fang , Qin Yong-Wen , Zhao Xian-Xian , Liang Chun , Jing Qing
Published: June 2022

Background and aims: ApoEb is a zebrafish homologous to mammalian ApoE, whose deficiency would lead to lipid metabolism disorders (LMDs) like atherosclerosis. We attempted to knock out the zebrafish ApoEb, then establish a zebrafish model with LMD.Methods: ApoEb was knocked out using CRISPR/Cas9 system, and the accumulation of lipids were confirmed by Oil Red O staining, confocal imaging, and lipid measurements. The lipid-lowering effects of simvastatin (SIM), ezetimibe (EZE) and Xuezhikang (XZK), an extract derived from red yeast rice, were evaluated through in vivo imaging in zebrafish larvae.Results: In ApoEb mutant, significant vascular lipid deposition occurred, and lipid measurement performed in whole-body homogenate of larvae and adult plasma showed significantly increased lipid levels. SIM, EZE and XZK apparently relieved the hyperlipidemia in ApoEb mutants, and XZK had a significant inhibitory effect on the recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages.Conclusions: In this study, a LMD model has been established in ApoEb mutant zebrafish. We suggest that this versatile model could be applied in studying hypercholesterolemia and related vascular pathology in the context of early atherosclerosis as well as the physiological function of ApoE.
Scalable and CMOS compatible hardware authentication using silicon photonic physical unclonable functions
Authors: Tarik Farhan Bin , Famili Azadeh , Lao Yingjie , Ryckman Judson D.
Published: June 2022

We demonstrate the uniqueness, unclonability and secure authentication of N = 56 physical unclonable functions (PUFs) realized from silicon photonic moiré quasicrystal interferometers (QCIs). Compared to prior photonic-PUF demonstrations typically limited in scale to only a handful of unique devices and on the order of 10 false authentication attempts, this work examines > 103 inter-device comparisons and false authentication attempts. Device fabrication is divided across two separate fabrication facilities, allowing for cross-fab analysis and emulation of a malicious foundry with exact knowledge of the PUF photonic circuit design and process. Our analysis also compares cross-correlation based authentication to the traditional Hamming distance method and experimentally demonstrates an authentication error rate AER = 0%, false authentication rate FAR = 0%, and an estimated probability of cloning (POC) below 10− 30. This work validates the potential scalability of integrated photonic-PUFs which can attractively leverage mature wafer-scale manufacturing and automated contact-free optical probing. Such structures show promise for authenticating hardware in the untrusted supply chain or augmenting conventional electronic-PUFs to enhance system security.