bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative study of Discharge Estimation using Non-Parametric and Parametric Methods
Authors: SHARMA ABHISHEK , Shankar Vijay , Thakur Praveen Kumar
Published: May 2023

Runoff estimation from a watershed is of utmost importance for various hydrologic and hydraulic purposes. The present study aims to evaluate various parametric and non-parametric methods of discharge estimation for the Gambhar watershed in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The study employed Artificial Neural Network (ANN) as a non-parametric and statistical modelling and the Green-Ampt (GA) infiltration model as parametric methods. The Meteorological data for the duration of twenty years was procured from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). By employing the GA infiltration model, the cumulative infiltration and subsequently the runoff was calculated for different intensities while lag time was assessed using ArcGIS. The collected field point data for various soil infiltration parameters was spatially interpolated. The cumulative distribution function (CDF) of discharge were generated with a confidence limit of 95% using statistical modelling. The root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R2) were employed to determine the best ANN architecture. On the basis of the qualitative and quantitative comparative evaluation, the study establishes the efficacy of ANN method over parametric methods i.e., GA and statistical modelling, in discharge estimation with values of average relative error (ARE) & Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) coefficient as 0.15 & 0.91 respectively.
Ecological and statistical models to configure flow regime for environment benefit in a regulated river
Authors: Atazadeh Ehsan , Gell Peter , Mills Keely , Barton Andrew , Newall Peter
Published: May 2023

Ecological and statistical models were developed using freshwater algal assemblages to assess water quality and ecological health of a regulated river. These models were used to inform configuration of flows to maintain or improve environmental conditions of the waterway whilst meeting consumptive water supply commitments. The flow regime of the MacKenzie River, western Victoria, Australia, has been substantially modified since the construction of a water supply reservoir on its upper reach in 1887. Water is withdrawn at several locations downstream of the reservoir, creating a substantially modified flow regime, impacting key environmental values of the river. To assess the impact of the different flow regimes on river health and ecosystem function, ten sites were repeatedly sampled along the river between February 2012 and April 2014. Physical and chemical characteristics of water, including pH, temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, cations and anions were measured. Biological properties of the algal periphyton communities, including dry mass, ash-free dry mass, chlorophyll-aconcentration and species composition were also measured. Exploration of the algal assemblage and water chemistry data using the computationally unconstrained ordination technique such as principal component analysis principal component analysis (PCA), correspondence analysis (CA), detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated two strong gradients in the data sets. Furthermore, the quantitative ecosystem response models have been developed as the prototype tool to assist in the future configuration of flows in this river. The empirical data and models showed the lower reaches of the river to be in poor condition under low flows, but this condition improved under flows of 35 ML/day, as indicated by the reduction in green algae and cyanobacteria and improvement. Finally, the results are presented to tailor discharge and duration of water volume by amalgamation of consumptive and environmental flows to improve the condition of the stream thereby supplementing the flows dedicated to environmental outcomes.
Diversity analysis of endophytic bacteria community in ramie
Authors: Xiang-ping Sun , Meng-ya Chen , Yong-qiang Tu , Liang-bing Zeng , Jian-jun Li , Li Yan , Chun-Wu Nie , Chuan-ru Wen
Published: May 2023

Ramie [Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaud], which are known as “China grass”, which is famous for its excellent fibrous properties, such as high tensile strength, excellent thermal conductivity, silky luster, ventilation, moisture absorption and antibacterial properties. Endophytes can also be beneficial to their host by producing a range of natural products that could be harnessed for potential use in medicine, agriculture or industry. In the study, more than 90% of all ramie plants are grown in China. Research on plant microbiomes has accumulated a large amount of sequencing data and abundant information, indicating the diversity and richness of different microbial communities in the rhizosphere, leaf boundary, seed, and germ layer of many plants. In our study, the population density of endophytic bacteria is the highest in the root tissue, taken together, plant endophyte types are very rich. In addition, they have a special way of survival. Therefore, plant endophyte is more important for the development of medicinal resources. However, on the whole, there are relatively few studies on plant endophytes, and the scope of research is relatively narrow, and plant endophytes have more important scientific significance. Therefore, attention should be paid to their research. This paper expects to provide support for the development of cash crop, especially ramie industry in the future through the sequencing of metagenome.
Uncovering Hidden Risk Profile Phenotypes of Substance Use Among Canadian Adolescents via Cluster Analysis of COMPASS Data
Authors: Yang Yang , Butt Zahid , Leatherdale Scott , Wong Alexander , Chen Helen
Published: May 2023

This study utilized a longitudinal health survey to identify sub-phenotypes of behavioral risk profiles related to youth substance use. We analyzed 8824 Canadian secondary school students who completed COMPASS questionnaires in 2016/17 and were followed up until 2018/19. The fuzzy clustering algorithm was used to identify four sub-phenotypes of risk profiles, including low-risk, medium-low-risk, medium-high-risk, and high-risk subgroups. The study found that the mean scores of health risk behaviors within each subgroup increased across the three waves, indicating a rising risk of health behaviors over time. The results confirm heterogeneity in the prevalence and characteristics across the subgroups. These findings can help school program managers and policymakers develop targeted interventions to reduce substance use among at-risk individuals and improve youth health behaviors. By identifying at-risk groups, stakeholders can develop effective preventive measures against addictive behaviors in school settings. The study results offer evidence to support the development of risk reduction interventions for youth substance use and ultimately improve youth health behaviors.
MiR-326 mediated overexpression of NFIB offsets TGF-β induced Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and reverses lung fibrosis
Authors: Pattnaik Bijay , Negi Vinny , Chaudhuri Rituparna , Desiraju Koundinya , Gheware Atish , Prakash YS , Guleria Randeep , Ghosh Balaram , Agrawal Anurag , Ahmad Tanveer
Published: May 2023

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a progressively fatal and incurable disease characterized by the loss of alveolar structures, increased epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and aberrant tissue repair. In this study, we investigated the role of Nuclear Factor I-B (NFIB), a transcription factor critical for lung development and maturation, in IPF. Using both human lung tissue samples from patients with IPF, and a mouse model of lung fibrosis induced by bleomycin, we showed that there was a significant reduction of NFIB both in the lungs of patients and mice with IPF. Furthermore, our in vitro experiments using cultured human lung cells demonstrated that the loss of NFIB was associated with the induction of EMT by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). Knockdown of NFIB promoted EMT, while overexpression of NFIB suppressed EMT and attenuated the severity of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice. Mechanistically, we identified post-translational regulation of NFIB by miR-326, a miRNA with anti-fibrotic effects that is diminished in IPF. Specifically, we showed that miR-326 stabilized and increased the expression of NFIB through its 3'UTR target sites for Human antigen R (HuR). Moreover, treatment of mice with either NFIB plasmid or miR-326 reversed airway collagen deposition and fibrosis. In conclusion, our study emphasizes the critical role of NFIB in lung development and maturation, and its reduction in IPF leading to EMT and loss of alveolar structures. Our study highlights the potential of miR-326 as a therapeutic intervention for IPF.
Factors predicting different times for brushing teeth during the day: multilevel analyses
Authors: Lee Hwa-Young , Jeong Jin-Young , Shin Sun-Jung , Park Hee-Jung , Ichiro Kawachi , Kim Nam-Hee
Published: May 2023

Background
The most effective and simple intervention for preventing oral disease is toothbrushing. However, there is substantial variation in the timing of brushing teeth during the day. We aimed to identify a comprehensive set of predictors of toothbrushing after lunch and after dinner and estimated contextual (i.e., geographic) variation in brushing behavior at different times of the day.
Methods
We constructed a conceptual framework for toothbrushing by reviewing health behavior models. The main data source was the 2017 Community Health Survey. We performed a four-level random intercept logistic regression to predict toothbrushing behavior. (individual, household, Gi/Gun/Gu, and Si/Do).
Results
Individuals under 30 years of age had higher likelihood of brushing after lunch, while brushing after dinner was higher among those aged 40–79 years. People engaged in service/sales, agriculture/fishing/labor/mechanics, as well as student/housewife/unemployed were 0.60, 0.41, and 0.49 times less likely to brush their teeth after lunch, respectively, compared to those working in the office, but the gap narrowed to 0.97, 0.96, 0.94 for brushing after dinner. We also found significant area-level variations in the timing of brushing.
Conclusions
Different patterns in association with various factors at individual-, household- and Si/Gun/Gu-levels with toothbrushing after lunch versus toothbrushing after dinner suggests a need for tailored interventions to improve toothbrushing behavior depending on the time of day.
A case of fulminant myocarditis associated with a novel coronavirus infection
Authors: Yan Bixia , Liu Zhengjiang
Published: May 2023

Background
COVID-19 patients mainly have the high incidence and mortality of major cardiovascular diseases in the acute phase. However, fulminant myocarditis and cardiogenic shock are rare in the post-acute phase, and the prognosis is very poor.
Case presentation
Here, we report a case of a 43-year-old young man with fulminant myocarditis and cardiogenic shock in the acute phase after coronavirus infection, with timely extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and intra-aortic balloon application in respiratory failure, which improved the prognosis of fulminant myocarditis and saved the lives of COVID-19 patients. After active anti-shock, mechanical ventilation, anti-inflammation, and organ support and other treatments, the patient was discharged after a stable condition and stable vital signs. The patient was followed up weekly after discharge and showed good cardiopulmonary recovery.
Conclusions
In critically ill patients with severe myocarditis, cardiogenic shock, arrhythmia, respiratory and circulatory failure, ECMO and IABP in patients with explosive myocardial inflammatory cardiogenic shock have achieved better results.
X3DFast model for classifying dairy cow behaviours based on a two-pathway architecture
Authors: bai qiang , Gao Rong hua , Wang Rong , Li Qifeng , Yu Qinyang , Zhao Chunjiang , Li Shuqin
Published: May 2023

More individuals are bringing up the welfare of breeding dairy cows. Breeders observe dairy cow behaviours to determine the health of the animals and act to enhance their welfare. In large dairy cow farms, human monitoring of behaviours is time-consuming. To conserve manpower, this study builds an automatic dairy cow behaviour recognition model using a deep learning methodology. The study focused on four common dairy cow behaviours: standing, walking, lying down, and mounting. To build a highly robust model, a video dataset of dairy cow behaviours with complex lighting and backgrounds was created. Based on the spatiotemporal features of dairy cow behaviours, we developed the two-pathway X3DFast dairy cow behaviour recognition model. To effectively transfer features and use the spatial and temporal features of dairy cow behaviours, the X3D pathway and the fast pathway were connected laterally. The X3D pathway is used to obtain the spatial features of dairy cow behaviours, and the fast pathway is used to obtain the temporal features of dairy cow behaviours. R(2 + 1)D convolution was introduced in the fast pathway to decompose the spatiotemporal features of dairy cow behaviours and transfer the effective spatial features to the X3D pathway to enhance the model performance. To enhance the X3D pathway's ability to model behaviour space features, the action model was added. The experimental verification demonstrates that X3DFast's top-1 is 0.9849, and model performance is superior to that of similar methods that can successfully identify the four dairy cow daily behaviours.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation instead of invasive ventilation in patients with COVID–19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pneumomediastinum: a cohort trial
Authors: Attou Rachid , Kefer Keitiane , Redant Sebastien , Velissaris Dimitrios , Iebdeh Mazen Abou , Waterplas Eric , Pierrakos Charalampos
Published: May 2023

Background
Patients with severe respiratory failure due to COVID–19 who are not invasively ventilated may develop severe hypoxemia due to spontaneous pneumomediastinum (PM). These patients might be harmed by invasive ventilation. Alternatively, veno − venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV–ECMO) may be utilised. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of VV–ECMO versus invasive ventilation as the initial advanced respiratory support in COVID–19 patients with acute respiratory failure due to spontaneous PM.
Methods
This is a retrospective cohort study performed between March 2020 and January 2022. Not invasively ventilated COVID–19 patients presented acute respiratory failure due to spontaneous PM needed invasive ventilation or VV–ECMO support were enrolled in this study. Mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) discharge at 90 days after ICU admission were the primary outcomes.
Results
Twenty-two patients included in this study. Thirteen patients (59%) were originally treated with invasive ventilation (Invasive ventilation group) and 9 (41%) with VV–ECMO (VV–ECMO group). VV–ECMO strategy was significantly associated with lower mortality 0.33 [95%−CI 0.12 − 0.97], P = 0.04]) (hazard ratio (HR), 0.33 [95%–confidence interval (CI) 0.12 − 0.97], P = 0.04). 5 patients of the VV–ECMO group were intubated and 8 of the invasive ventilation group were needed VV–ECMO support within 30 days. Three patients (33%) in the VV–ECMO group were discharged from ICU within 90 days compared to 1 patient (8%) in the invasive ventilation group (HR 4.71 [95%−CI 0.48 − 45.3], P = 0.18).
Conclusions
VV–ECMO without invasive ventilation is associated with a higher survival rate but not a reduced ICU length of stay in patients with COVID–19 acute respiratory failure due to spontaneous pneumomediastinum.
An Advanced Deep Learning model for Predicting Groundwater Level
Authors: Ehteram Mohammad , Ghanbari-Adivi elham
Published: May 2023

Groundwater level prediction is important for effective water management. Accurately predicting groundwater levels allows decision-makers to make informed decisions about water allocation, groundwater abstraction rates, and groundwater recharge strategies. Groundwater level prediction can also be used to develop more effective drought preparedness plans to mitigate the impact of water scarcity. In this study, we introduce a new model called self-attention (SA) temporal convolutional network (SATCN)-long short term memory neural network (SATCN-LSTM) model to predict groundwater level. The new model combines the advantages of the SATCN model and the LSTM model to overcome the limitations of the LSTM model. The SATCN model uses skip connections and self-attention mechanisms to overcome the vanishing gradient problem of the LSTM model, identify relevant and irrelevant data, and capture short-, and long-term dependencies of time series data. The new model was used to predict GWL in a large basin. Meteorological data were used to predict GWL. The SATCN-LSTM model outperformed the other models. The SATCN-LSTM model had the lowest mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.06, followed by the self-attention (SA) temporal convolutional network (SATCN) model with an MAE of 0.09. The SALSTM model had an MAE of 0.12, while the TCN-LSTM, TCN, and LSTM models had MAEs of 0.14, 0.15, and 0.17, respectively. The SATCN-LSTM model had the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.08, followed by SATCN with an RMSE of 0.11. The results of the SATCN-LSTM model provide valuable insights into the dynamics of groundwater systems. By accurately predicting groundwater levels, the SATCN-LSTM model can help ensure that groundwater resources are used sustainably and efficiently.
The Apoptotic Effects of NK-92 Cells Stimulated with an anti-CD226 Antibody on MDA-MB-231 Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Dastouri Mohammadreza , Kilic Nil , Yilmaz Humeyra
Published: May 2023

Research on immunotherapy in breast cancer treatment has recently gained importance. In this context, natural killer (NK) cells have been shown to kill cancer cells without affecting normal cells. Our study used the NK-92 cells that were stimulated with anti-CD226 antibodies (sNK-92) to increase their activity to target MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells. MCF-12A normal breast cells were used as the control in all experiments. The cytotoxic effects of NK-92 and sNK-92 cells on MDA-MB-231 cells were investigated using lactate dehydrogenase tests. The sNK-92 cells were more cytotoxic than NK-92 cells on MDA-MB-231 cells. In contrast, a significant cytotoxic change was not observed in MCF-12A cells cocultured with NK-92 and sNK-92 cells. An increase in granzyme B levels after coculturing with sNK-92 cells was investigated using the granzyme B enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The sNK-92 cells secreted more granzyme B than NK-92 cells against MDA-MB-231 cells. This increase was not observed in MCF-12A, indicating that sNK-92 cells specifically target cancer cells. In addition, immunostaining was used to investigate the synthesis level of BAX, CASP3, and CASP9 proteins to determine whether the observed cytotoxic effect was due to apoptosis. These proteins were synthesized more in MDA-MB-231 cells cocultured with sNK-92 than with NK-92 cells. However, no increase in their synthesis was observed in normal breast cells cocultured with NK-92 and sNK-92 cells. In conclusion, NK-92 cells stimulated with anti-CD226 antibodies secrete more granzyme B, resulting in a greater cytotoxic effect by inducing programmed cell death (apoptosis). The fact that the observed effects on breast cancer cells were not observed in normal breast cells indicates that sNK-92 cells specifically target breast cancer cells. These results indicate the potential use of CD226-stimulated NK-92 cells in immunotherapy.
The genomic epidemiology of shigellosis in South Africa
Authors: Stenhouse George , Keddy Karen , Bengtsson Rebecca , Hall Neil , Smith Anthony , Thomas Juno , Iturriza-Gómara Mirren , Baker Kate
Published: May 2023

Shigellosis, a leading cause of diarrhoeal mortality and morbidity globally, predominantly affects children under five years of age living in low- and middle-income countries. While whole genome sequence analysis (WGSA) has been effectively used to further our understanding of shigellosis epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and transmission, it has been under-utilised in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we applied WGSA to large sub-sample of surveillance isolates from South Africa, collected from 2011 to 2015, focussing on Shigella flexneri 2a and Shigella sonnei. We found each serotype was epidemiologically distinct. The four identified S. flexneri 2a clusters having distinct geographical distributions, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence profiles, while the four sub-Clades of S. sonnei varied in virulence plasmid retention. Our results support serotype specific ecology as a driver for epidemiological differences, show AMR is not required for epidemiological success in S. flexneri, and that the HIV epidemic may have promoted Shigella population expansion.
Tunable strain and bandgap in subcritical-sized
MoS2 nanobubbles
Authors: Gastaldo Michele , Varillas Javier , Rodriguez Alvaro , Velicky Matej , Frank Otakar , Martin Kalbáč
Published: May 2023

Nanobubbles naturally formed at the interface between 2D materials and their substrate are known to act as exciton recombination centers because of the reduced bandgap due to local strain, which, in turn, scales with the aspect ratio
of the bubbles. The common understanding suggests that the aspect ratio is a universal constant independent of the bubble size. Here, by combining scanning tunneling microscopy and molecular dynamics, we show that the universal aspect ratio breaks down in MoS2 nanobubbles below a critical radius (≈10 nm), where the aspect ratio increases with increasing size. Accordingly, additional atomic-level analyses indicate that the strain increases from 3% to 6% in the sub-critical size range. Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the bandgap decreases as a function of the size. Thus, tunable quantum emitters can be obtained in 2D semiconductors by controlling the radius of the nanobubbles.
On Q-rung orthopair Z-Numbers with an application in Multi-Criteria Decision Making
Authors: Kumar Manish , Gupta Shiv
Published: May 2023

A Q-rung orthopair Z-number ZQ = (CQ, RQ) defined on a non-empty finite set X is a pair of two Q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets, where CQ is Q-rung orthopair fuzzy set defined on X and RQ is the reliability of the CQ in the form of Q-rung orthopair fuzzy set. In this paper, we have proposed the notion of Q-rung orthopair fuzzy Z-numbers. Further, arithmetic operations on these Z-numbers have been introduced. Furthermore, a series of dice similarity measures have been defined for Q-rung orthopair fuzzy Z-numbers. To solve the multi-criteria decision-making problems, a TOPSIS method based on these distance measures has been discussed. Furthermore, the application of the proposed method has been studied to solve an industrial problem. A sensitivity analysis of the involved parameters has been done to illustrate the stability of the proposed approach. Finally, to demonstrate the rationality and superiority of the proposed approach, a comparison of the proposed method with current methods has been carried out.
The Role of the Six Factors Model of Athletic Mental Energy in Mediating Athletes’ Well- being in Competitive Sports
Authors: Singh Amisha , Arora Mandeep Kaur , Boruah Bahniman
Published: May 2023

In high performance sports there is a persistent need to succeed for sport players that prioritises performance even at the cost of the player’s well-being. Therefore, researchers in the field of sports psychology are now interested in developing athlete’s psychological profiles that can predict the player’s performance while maintaining the optimal level of their well-being. On the other hand, Athletic Mental Energy (AME) has been recently associated with success in sports and positive emotions. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the role of AME in athletes’ competitive performance and well-being relationships. Since underperformance in elite sports can lead to future performance related anxieties and other psychological disturbances in athletes, our study aimed to investigate if AME in athletes can mediate this directly observed relationship between performance and well-being. The practical implications of this research will enable the sport professionals to develop interventions specifically aimed at enhancing player’s mental energy post-competition to prevent any psychological disturbance that may be raised from the performance and promote players well-being. For stronger predictive validity these relationships were examined across two studies with two different set of participants (Study1 = 50; Study2 = 100), (Study 1 = Male 50%; team-sport 62%; Study 2 = Male 50%; team-sport 78%) from different sport branches (football, cricket, basketball, archery, etc). The self-report measures of sports performance (Arnold, Fletcher, Daniels, 2017), the Athletic Mental Energy Scale (AMES; Lu et al., 2018) [34], and the Psychological Well-Being (PWB) Scale (Ryff et al., 2007; Ryff, 1989) were administered post-competition on the local (study1 = 2%; study2 = 21%), regional (study1 = 4%; study2 = 16%), state (study1 = 28%; study2 = 18%), national (study 1 = 48%; study 2 = 40%), international (study1 = 10%; study2 = 2%), and professional level (study1 = 8%; study2 = 3%) sport-performers of age 18≥. The analysis for both descriptive and inferential statistics was made in the SPSS version 23 and the significance level (α) was set as p < 0.05. Our study found that both, the affective and cognitive components of AME mediated the athletes’ performance and psychological well–being relationship. Finally, the study found no significant gender differences in AME and PWB scores. Moreover, no statistical group differences in family structures were found in scores of AME but some descriptive differences in scores of PWB were found across different family structures. Our results provide preliminary evidence that AME can act as a facilitator in maintaining the players’ well-being after competitive encounters. Study implications and future directions are discussed.
Environmental and life-style risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Simba Hannah , Kuivaniemi Helena , Abnet Christian C. , Tromp Gerard , Sewram Vikash
Published: May 2023

Background The African Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) corridor, which spans from Ethiopia down to South Africa, is an esophageal cancer hotspot. Disproportionately high incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer have been reported from this region.Methods We systematically assessed the evidence on environmental and life-style risk factors associated with ESCC in African populations. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and carried out a comprehensive search of all African published studies up to March 2023 using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and African Index Medicus databases.Results We identified 45 studies with measures of association [odds ratio (OR), relative risk (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI)], which reported on several environmental and lifestyle risk factors for ESCC in Africa. We performed a meta-analysis on 38 studies investigating tobacco, alcohol use, combined tobacco and alcohol use, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure, hot food and beverages consumption, and poor oral health. We found significant associations between ESCC risk and all the risk factors. Analysis of fruit and vegetable consumption showed a protective effect. Using population attributable fraction (PAF) analysis, we calculated the proportion of ESCC attributable to tobacco (18%), alcohol use (12%), combined tobacco and alcohol use (18%), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure (12%), hot food and beverages consumption (16%), poor oral health (37%), and fruit and vegetable consumption (-12%).Conclusions Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption were the most studied risk factors overall. Areas where there is an emerging body of evidence include hot food and beverages, oral health and geophagia. Concurrently, new avenues of research are also emerging in PAH exposure, and diet as risk factors. Our results point to a multifactorial etiology of ESCC in African populations with further evidence on prevention potential.
DCAF1/VprBP triggers melanomagenic gene silencing through histone H2A phosphorylation
Authors: Shin Yonghwan , Kim Sungmin , Liang Gangning , Ulmer Tobias S , An Woojin
Published: May 2023

DCAF1, also known as VprBP, is a recently identified atypical kinase and plays an important role in downregulating the transcription of tumor suppressor genes as well as increasing the risk for colon and prostate cancers. Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer arising from pigment-producing melanocytes and is often associated with dysregulation of epigenetic factors targeting histones. Here we demonstrate that DCAF1 is highly expressed and phosphorylates threonine 120 (T120) on histone H2A to drive transcriptional inactivation of growth regulatory genes in melanoma cells. As is the case for its epigenetic function in other types of cancers, DCAF1 acts to induce gene silencing program dependently of H2AT120 phosphorylation (H2AT120p). The significance of DCAF1-mediated H2AT120p is further underscored by the fact that DCAF1 knockdown- or DCAF1 inhibitor-induced lockage of H2AT120p mitigates melanoma tumor growth in xenograft models. Collectively, our results establish DCAF1-mediated H2AT120p as a key epigenetic signal for melanomagenesis and suggest the therapeutic potential of targeting DCAF1 kinase activity for effective melanoma treatment.
Cerebral homeostasis and orthostatic responses in residents of the highest city in the world
Authors: Furian Michael , Ulliel-Roche Mathilde , Howe Connor A , Zerizer Fanny , Marillier Mathieu , Bernard Anne Catherine , Hancco Ivan , Champigneulle Benoit , Baillieul Sébastien , Stauffer Emeric , Pichon Aurelien P , Doutreleau Stephane , Verges Samuel , Brugniaux Julien
Published: May 2023

Permanent residence at high-altitude and chronic mountain sickness (CMS) may alter the cerebrovascular homeostasis and orthostatic responses. 15/13/17 healthy participants living at sea-level (LL), 3,800m (HL3800m) and 5,100m (HL5100m), respectively, and 31 additional highlanders with CMS living at 5,100m were recruited. Middle cerebral artery mean blood velocity (MCAv-transcranial Doppler ultrasound), cerebral oxygen delivery (CDO2), mean blood pressure (MAP-finger plethysmography), heart rate variability (low/high frequency – LF/HF, respectively) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were assessed during 3 phases of a tilt test; while sitting, during standing-up and while standing for 3min. Cerebral autoregulation index (ARI) was estimated (ΔMCAv%baseline)/ΔMAP%baseline) in response to standing-up. Altitude and CMS were associated with hypoxemia and elevated hemoglobin concentration. While sitting, MAP increased, MCAv and LFpower decreased with altitude but were not further affected by CMS and CDO2 was preserved. BRS was comparable across all altitudes, but reduced with CMS. With standing-up, altitude and CMS were associated with a lesser reduction in MAP; ARI was unaffected by either altitude or CMS. Compared to sitting in lowlanders, standing was associated with preserved MCAv, CDO2 and BRS across all altitudes. The LF/HF ratio increased in HL5100m compared to LL and HL3800m from sitting to standing. Likewise, in CMS while standing, MCAv was reduced but CDO2 remained unaffected; however, CMS showed blunted LFpower, HFpower and LF/HF ratio responses to standing compared to sitting. Despite altitude- and CMS-associated hypoxemia, erythrocytosis and impaired blood pressure regulation (CMS only), cerebral homeostasis while sitting, standing-up and standing was overall preserved. The origin of CMS-related neurological symptoms remains to be established.
Simulation of daily soft multifocal contact lenses using SimVis Gekko: from in-vitro and computational characterization to clinical validation
Authors: Esteban-Ibañez Eduardo , Montagud-Martínez Diego , Sawides Lucie , Zaytouny Amal , de Castro Alberto , Sisó-Fuertes Irene , Barcala Xoana , Piñero David P. , Furlan Walter D. , Dorronsoro Carlos , Gambra Enrique
Published: May 2023

Multifocal contact lenses (MCLs) are one of the solutions to correct presbyopia, but their adoption is not widespread due to factors such as discomfort, lack of awareness, a lengthy fitting process and/or unexpected visual performance. To address this situation, visual simulators can be used to aid in refining the adaptation process. This study aims to obtain accurate simulations for a novel visual simulator (SimVis Gekko; 2EyesVision, Spain) of various daily commercial soft MCL designs from four different manufacturers: Dailies Total1 (Alcon), MyDay (Coopervision), 1Day Acuvue Moist (Johnson & Johnson) and Biotrue ONEday (Bausch + Lomb). In-vitro characterization of these MCLSs -for several distance powers and additions- was obtained using a NIMO TR-1504 instrument (Lambda-X, Belgium). From the averaged relative power profiles across distance powers, phase maps were reconstructed and Through-Focus Visual Strehl (TFVS) metric was calculated for each MCL design considering different optical diameters. The SimVis Gekko simulation corresponding to each MCL design and pupil diameter was obtained computationally and validated on bench. Finally, the MCL simulations were clinically validated in a pilot study involving presbyopic patients with different refractive errors and additions. The results of the clinical validation show a good agreement between the SimVis Gekko simulations and the real MCLs (for all the designs) when measuring through-focus visual acuity (TFVA) curves and VA at three real distances. All MCL designs showed a partial correlation (rxy,z) higher than 0.90 and a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) below 0.07 logMAR between the TFVA of SimVis Gekko simulations and Real MCLs across subjects. The validity of the simulation approach using SimVis Gekko and using experimental measurements obtained with Nimo TR-1504 was therefore confirmed by the clinical results obtained in this study, what opens the possibility of using this visual simulator to assist and speed up the fitting process of MCLs.
Epidemiology of apical periodontitis in a representative rural population: Association with diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, and smoking - a cross-sectional study
Authors: Camponogara Jeanni Gonçalves , Ferreira Ticiane de Góes Mário , Pelissari Thayná Regina , Anversa Alessandro Meneghetti , Moreira Carlos Heitor Cunha , Bier Carlos Alexandre Souza
Published: May 2023

ObjectiveTo determine whether the systemic diseases diabetes mellitus (DM) and arterial hypertension (AH), and smoking are associated with apical periodontitis (AP) in a representative rural population.
Materials and methods Cross-sectional study using a representative sample of individuals obtained from a population-based epidemiological survey carried out in the rural area of the city of Rosário do Sul, RS, Brazil, from March 2015 to May 2016. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and clinical examination. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables independently associated with AP.
ResultsOf the 584 individuals included in the study, 353 (60.4%) had AP. The presence of AP was independently associated with age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.018, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.035, p = 0.041), active or former smoker (OR = 2.109, 95% CI: 1.256-3.540, p = 0.005) and DM or prediabetes (OR = 1.696, 95% CI: 1.164-2.471, p = 0.006)
ConclusionThe study identified significant associations between AP and clinical risk factors. However, it is essential to acknowledge the study's limitations and recommend conducting longitudinal studies to confirm these associations and explore other potential variables involved in the development of AP.
Clinical Relevance The study emphasized the significance of comprehending and managing risk factors in preventing and treating AP.
Adolescent mental health is affected by neighborhood mental health conditions at the beginning of adolescence
Authors: Ueno Yuki , Okumura Yasuko , Endo Kaori , Yamasaki Syudo , Ando Shuntaro , Kasai Kiyoto , Nishida Atsushi , Koike Shinsuke
Published: May 2023

Neighborhood characteristics are thought to be associated with adolescent health and behavior. However, there have been very few population-based surveys using data from individual responses living in the same school district area. Tokyo TEEN Cohort data, collected from three Tokyo municipalities, were used to examine the association between psychological symptoms in school districts during early adolescence (age 10) and later psycho-behavioral conditions in adolescents (ages 12 and 14). Hierarchical linear models showed that school district-level depressive symptoms, psychological well-being, and prosocial behaviors at age 10 were associated with the corresponding individual-level indices at age 12, after controlling for demographic characteristics and baseline individual scores as covariates. Furthermore, School district-level behavioral problems at age 10 were associated with individual-level indices at ages 12 and 14. These results suggest that school district environments in which young adolescents grow up influence adolescents’ development and well-being.
Transcriptomics reveals a core transcriptional network of K-type cytoplasmic male sterility microspore abortion in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Wu Baolin , Xia Yu , Zhang Gaisheng , Wang Yongqing , Wang Junwei , Ma Shoucai , Song Yulong , Yang Zhiquan , Ma Lingjian , Niu Na
Published: May 2023

Background
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) plays a crucial role in hybrid production. K-type CMS, a cytoplasmic male sterile line of wheat with the ctyoplasms of Aegilops kotschyi, is widely used due to its excellent characteristics of agronomic performance, easy maintenance and easy restoration. However, the mechanism of its pollen abortion is not yet clear.
Results
In this study, wheat K-type CMS MS(KOTS)-90-110 (MS line) and it’s fertile near-isogenic line MR(KOTS)-90-110 (MR line) were investigated. Cytological analysis indicated that the anthers of MS line microspore nucleus failed to divide normally into two sperm nucleus and lacked starch in mature pollen grains, and the key abortive period was the uninucleate stage to dinuclear stage. Then, we compared the transcriptome of MS line and MR line anthers at these two stages. 11360 and 5182 DEGs were identified between the MS and MR lines in the early uninucleate and binucleate stages, respectively. Based on GO enrichment and KEGG pathways analysis, it was evident that significant transcriptomic differences were “plant hormone signal transduction”, “MAPK signaling pathway” and “spliceosome”. We identified 17 and 10 DEGs associated with the IAA and ABA signal transduction pathways, respectively. DEGs related to IAA signal transduction pathway were downregulated in the early uninucleate stage of MS line. The expression level of DEGs related to ABA pathway was significantly upregulated in MS line at the binucleate stage compared to MR line. The determination of plant hormone content and qRT-PCR further confirmed that hormone imbalance in MS lines. Meanwhile, 1 and 2 DEGs involved in ABA and Ethylene metabolism were also identified in the MAPK cascade pathway, respectively; the significant up regulation of spliceosome related genes in MS line may be another important factor leading to pollen abortion.
Conclusions
We proposed a transcriptome-mediated pollen abortion network for K-type CMS in wheat. The main idea is hormone imbalance may be the primary factor, MAPK cascade pathway and AS may also play important regulatory roles in this process. These findings provided intriguing insights for the molecular mechanism of microspore abortion in K-type CMS, and also give useful clues to identify the crucial genes of CMS in wheat.
Oral health behaviors for young low-income urban children during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods analysis
Authors: Martin Molly A , Sundararajan Vyshiali , Ochoa Nadia , Dziak John , Berbaum Michael , Lee Helen H , Avenetti David M , Zhang Tong , Sandoval Anna , Torres Javier , Wu Andy
Published: May 2023

This research assessed oral health behaviors changes in urban families with young children during the stay-at-home period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey data on oral health behaviors were collected in homes at three points over one year before COVID-19, and then via phone during COVID-19. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model tooth brushing frequency. A subset of parents completed in-depth interviews via video/phone that expanded on oral health and COVID-19. Key informant interviews via video/phone were also conducted with leadership from 20 clinics and social service agencies. Interview data were transcribed and coded, and themes were extracted. COVID-19 data collection went from Nov 2020 – August 2021. Of the 387 parents invited, 254 completed surveys in English or Spanish (65.6%) during COVID-19. Fifteen key informant (25 participants) and 21 parent interviews were conducted. The mean child age was approximately 4.3 years. Children identified as mainly Hispanic (57%) and Black race (38%). Parents reported increased child tooth brushing frequency during the pandemic. Parent interviews highlighted significant changes in family routines that impacted oral health behaviors and eating patterns, suggesting less optimal brushing and nutrition. This was linked to changed home routines and social presentability. Key informants described major disruptions in their oral health services and significant family fear and stress. In conclusion, the stay-at-home period of the COVID-19 pandemic was a time of extreme routine change and stress for families. Oral health interventions that target family routines and social presentability are important for families during times of extreme crisis.
Co-removing methane and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere: Process concepts and analysis
Authors: Nazir Shareq Mohd , Sirig Devesh Sathya Sri Sairam , Goel Aditya
Published: May 2023

Methane is the second largest contributor to global warming after CO2, and it is hard to abate due to its low concentration in the emission sources and in the atmosphere. However, removing methane from the atmosphere will accelerate achieving net-zero targets, since its global warming potential is 28 over a 100-year period. This work presents first-of-its-kind process concepts for co-removal of methane and CO2 that combines the catalytic conversion of methane step (thermal/photo-catalytic) with CO2 capture. Proposed processes have been analyzed for streams with lean methane concentrations, which are non-fossil emissions originating in the agricultural sector or natural emissions from wetlands. If the proposed processes can overcome challenges in catalyst/material design to convert methane at low concentrations, they have the potential to remove more than 40% of anthropogenic and natural methane emissions from the atmosphere at a lower energy penalty than the state-of-the-art technologies for direct air capture of CO2.
Comparative analysis of reconstructed ancestral proteins with their extant counterparts suggests primitive life had an alkaline habitat
Authors: Fujikawa Takayuki , Sasamoto Takahiro , Zhao Fangzheng , Yamagishi Akihiko , Akanuma Satoshi
Published: May 2023

To understand the origin and early evolution of life it is crucial to establish characteristics of the primordial environment that facilitated the emergence and evolution of life. One importantenvironmental factor is the pH of the primordial environment. Here, we assessed the pH-dependent thermal stabilities of previously reconstructed ancestral nucleoside diphosphate kinases and ribosomal protein uS8s. The selected proteins were likely to be present in ancient organisms such as the last common ancestor of bacteria and that of archaea. We also assessed the thermal stability of homologous proteins from extant acidophilic, neutralophilic, and alkaliphilic microorganisms as a function of pH. Our results indicate that the reconstructed ancestral proteins are more akin to those of extant alkaliphilic bacteria, which display greater stability under alkaline conditions. These findings suggest that the common ancestors of bacterial and archaeal species thrived in an alkaline environment. Moreover, we demonstrate the reconstruction method employed in this study is a valuable technique for generating alkali-tolerant proteins that can be used in a variety of biotechnological and environmental applications.
A dynamic online nomogram for predicting death in hospital after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Li Tian , zhuang Dongzhou , Xiao Yong , Chen Xiaoxuan , Zhong Yuan , Ou Xurong , Peng Hui , Sheng Jiangtao , Chen Weiqiang , Wang Shousen
Published: May 2023

Background This study aimed to confirm the validity of the multiplication of neutrophils and monocytes (MNM) and a novel dynamic nomogram for predicting in-hospital death in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).Methods An analysis of 986 patients who underwent endovascular coiling for aSAH was conducted retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis identified independent risk factors associated with in-hospital death. A dynamic nomogram of in-hospital deaths was introduced in the development cohort and published online in the form of a simple calculator. Receiver operating characteristic analysis, calibration analysis, and decision curve analysis were performed to estimate the nomogram for predicting the in-hospital death from the external validation cohort.Results 72/687 patients (10.5%) in the development cohort and 31/299 (10.4%) in the validation cohort died. Based on univariate and multivariate regression analyses, MNM was associated with in-hospital death. A novel nomogram showed excellent predictive power for in-hospital death in the development cohort. The calibration curves indicated that the nomogram has reliable consistency and calibration degree. The net benefit of the nomogram was better than that of the basic model with threshold probabilities between 10% and 90%. In the validation cohort, the MNM and nomogram also exhibited good predictive values for in-hospital death.Conclusions MNM is a new indicator used to predict in-hospital death of patients with aSAH. A dynamic nomogram is an effective tool for predicting in-hospital death in aSAH patients.
CENPA and IQGAP3 Identified as Ideal Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Markers
Authors: shen junwei , Hu Jing , Zhuang Huaping , Deng Jiahe , Yang Xi , Xie Fandi , Liu Dingsheng , Li Yanfei
Published: May 2023

Backgrounds:
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a type of liver cancer that has a high mortality rate and there is an urgently need to improve the prognosis and survival rates for patients with this disease. However, reliable prognostic or therapeutic markers for HCC is limited.
Results
Here, we conducted a gene expression analysis to identify candidate biomarkers that are highly expressed in tumor tissues but barely detectable in normal tissues. Among the 33 candidate genes identified, 14 were found to be significantly associated with patient survival. Further analysis revealed two highly sensitive and specific biomarkers, CENPA and IQGAP3, which were virtually undetectable in normal liver tissue but highly detectable in liver tumor tissue at both the protein and mRNA levels. Notably, they were all regulated by DNA methylation. Based on these findings, we established a new clinical classification method for hepatocellular carcinoma, which accurately stratifies patients into early or advanced stage tumors.
Conclusions
Our study not only identifies novel molecular markers for hepatocellular carcinoma, but also provides a promising approach for improving the diagnosis and treatment of this devastating disease.