bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and evaluation of M+1-way classification mechanism realized through identifying foreign patterns
Authors: Zhang Huimin , Zhu Xiu-bin
Published: August 2022

In this study, we are concerned with a new design methodology of M + 1-way classification mechanism. The intent is to reduce the cost of error prediction caused by insufficient evidence. The study is motivated by the notion of three-way decisions, which has been successfully used in various application areas to build human-centric systems. In contrast to traditional multiple classifications, one additional class is added into the proposed architecture to represent the reject decision made on foreign patterns, which exhibit significant differences compared to the patterns used for constructing the classification models. A collection of information granules is constructed on the basis of available experimental evidence to form a compact and interpretable representation of the feature space occupied by the native patterns. The patterns located outside the regions occupied by these information granules are identified and filtered out prior to classification while only the native patterns are subject to classification. The proposed methodology leads to a human-centric and human-interactive construct in which the rejected patterns need further processing. Different distance functions are utilized in the construction of information granules. The performance of the proposed architecture is evaluated involving one synthetic dataset and a collection of publicly available datasets.
Enterovirus D68 infection in children with acute lower respiratory tract infection in China
Authors: Li Qi , Chen Xiangpeng , Ai Junhong , Li Lei , Li Changchong , Zhu Yun , Wang Ran , Duan Yali , Zhang Meng , Xie Zhengde
Published: August 2022

Background
EV-D68 infection-related acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) has attracted much attention since the outbreak in the USA in 2014. Notably, EV–D68 was detected in a child with acute flaccid paralysis for the first time in China in 2018.
Methods
Based on a multicentre study monitoring viral pathogens of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) in children in China from May 2017 to December 2019, the infection of EV-D68 in children with ALRTI in China was analysed.
Results
In this study, 10 EV-D68 positive specimens were detected from 3,071 samples collected from patients with ALRTI. These 10 patients presented with mild diseases and no neurological symptoms and signs. The phylogenetic analysis of EV-D68 showed that all 10 EV-D68 sequences obtained in this study belonged to subclade B3 which circulates dominantly worldwide, and shared high identity with sequences of EV-D68 strains obtained from patients with AFP in the USA. Recombination analysis showed that no recombination event was found. Moreover, four EV-D68 strains were successfully isolated and the isolate in this study was able to infect "neuronal-like" cell line SH-SY5Y, which was used to identify the neurotropism of enteroviruses. Furthermore, potential amino acids and nucleotide sites related to EV-D68 neurovirulence were analysed, but according to genetic variation analysis, these reported sites in complete genome may not be enough to explain the neurovirulence of EV-D68.
Conclusions
EV-D68 infection was detected in a small number of children with ALRTI in China from 2017 to 2019. The genotype of EV-D68 in this study is subclade B3, which can infect the "neuronal-like" cell line SH-SY5Y.
Knowledge and Incidence of Gender-Based Violence among Young Adults in the South-South Region of Nigeria: A Comparative Study
Authors: Ndep Antor Odu , Obidile Valentine Chidi , Akwafuo Sampson , Ekwebene Onyeka Chukwudalu , Azubike Chidozie Precious , Umechinedu Ray-Desmond , Obidile-Ikwegbu Lois Ezinne
Published: August 2022

Background: Gender-Based Violence (GBV) entails fundamental violation of human rights and a violence that occurs due to normative role expectations attributable to one’s gender. It also includes all activities that facilitate an unbalanced power distribution between genders. These acts are likely to result in physical, sexual or emotional suffering which is usually meted out directly or indirectly through deceit, seduction, threat, coercion or any other means on the victim with the aim of intimidating, punishing or humiliating them.Methodology: The study was carried out in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, South-South Region of Nigeria. A community-based cross sectional and descriptive approach was used, incorporating qualitative and quantitative techniques. A total number of 426 copies of the questionnaire were administered to respondents by the research team. Analysis was performed on the received data from the questionnaires, using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS).Results and Discussion: Majority of the respondents 343(83.1%) have heard about gender-based violence, with Radio/TV 214(51.8%) being the highest source of information. A greater population, 325(78.7%) accepted that maltreatment to a person on the basis of gender which can cause harm to him or her describes gender-based violence. The study further showed that 72.9% young adults could identify the various forms of gender-based violence. Analysis of responses revealed that 198(47.9%) young adults in the study area have experienced at least, one form of gender-based violence in their lifetime. Further analysis showed that physical violence 140(33.9%) and sexual violence 108(26.2%) were the most reported forms of gender-based violence experienced by respondents.Conclusion: The study showed a moderate knowledge of gender-based violence among young adults, since 72.9% could clearly describe the subject matter. Despite this good knowledge, there was a high 47.9% occurrence of gender-based violence in the study area which showed no statistically significant relationship when tested.
Climate Change Mitigation for Ecosystems Processes
Authors: Ubani Solomon
Published: August 2022

Research evaluated the ability of seven regional climate model simulations of 0.11° resolution from the CORDEX ensemble in reproducing 3-h and 24-h accumulated summer precipitation characteristics in Norway. The two-step evaluation includes modelled precipitation to gridded observation-based datasets and to station measurements in terms of the following indices: summer maxima, summer wet event frequency, and total summer precipitation. We believe the high spatial resolution improves the simulations of extreme precipitation in Norway, especially in areas of orographic enhancement. The application of an ensemble reduction technique to the open branch of the World Climate Research Program Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (O-CORDEX) ensemble at resolution “-11” (~ 12.5 km) under the RCP8.5 scenario presented. The implications of model uncertainty for decision-making discussed. An ensemble of 88 regional climate model (RCM) simulations at 0.11° and 0.44° spatial resolutions from the O-CORDEX project analysis for central United Kingdom to investigate the projected impact of climate change on precipitation intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) relationships and extreme precipitation quantiles typically used in water engineering designs. To assess the impact of climate change on drought characteristics, a set of eight regional climate models (RCMs) simulations were selected for further analysis driven by five different global circulation models (GCMs) performed in the frame of o-CORDEX.
Controllable synthesis of FeMn bimetallic ferrocene-based metal-organic frameworks to boost the catalytic efficiency for removal of organic pollutants
Authors: Qu Chengjie , Lv Xiaoyu , Wang Rongyao , Zhang Ruijuan , Guo Weilin
Published: August 2022

A series of FeMn bimetallic ferrocene-based metal-organic frameworks (FeMn-Fc-MOFs) with various molar ratios of Fe and Mn (1:9, 2:8, 4:6, 6:4) were successfully synthesized using a simple hydrothermal synthesis method and employed as an efficient activator on persulfate (PS) activation for water decontamination. Characterizations demonstrated that Fe and Mn were smoothly introduced into ferrocene-based MOFs and various molar ratios of Fe:Mn had some influence on crystallinity and surface structure of FeMn-Fc-MOFs. Within 120 min, Fe4Mn6-Fc-MOFs demonstrated the best catalytic activity among the different molar ratios, and acid orange 7(AO7) degradation rate was up to 92.0%. In addition, electrochemical experiments revealed that Fe4Mn6-Fc-MOFs possessed superior electron transfer capability than other FeMn-Fc-MOFs, leading to better catalytic performance. Moreover, quenching tests and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) detection indicated that hydroxyl radicals and sulfate radicals were both responsible for AO7 decomposition. Notably, the redox cycle of Fe(II)/Fe(III) and Mn(II)/Mn(IV) was discovered in the Fe4Mn6-Fc-MOFs/PS system, which was considered as the limiting process for the cleavage of the O-O bond in PS to generate active radicals. Ultimately, the Fe4Mn6-Fc-MOFs exhibits an excellent universality and good cycling stability for 5 continuous runs. This paper broadens the application of ferrocene-based MOFs on heterogeneous PS activation in environmental catalysis.
Chronic blue light-emitting diode exposure harvests gut dysbiosis related to cholesterol dysregulation
Authors: Huang Cheng-Hsieh , Yu Hsu-Sheng , Yu Sebastian , Tu Hung-Pin , Yeh Yao-Tsung , Yu Hsin-Su
Published: August 2022

Background
Night shift workers may be associated with circadian dysregulation and metabolic diseases. Mounting evidences illuminate that gut microbiota, circadian clock, and metabolic system are tightly co-evolved. In regarding with artificial light at night (ALAN) has been linking to circadian disruption and causal metabolic diseases, the present study therefore aims to explore the impact of chronic exposure of specific type and different exposing time of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the gut microbiota and associated physiological changes.
Results
Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to blue or white LED lighting at two exposure time (i.e., 3.6J/cm2 or 7.2J/cm2) from 11 to 44 weeks at ZT13.5-14. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to analyze related gut microbial compositions. Blue LED lighting specifically decreased alpha diversity at both 27 and 44 weeks (p = 0.007 and 0.013). Low dosage of both types of LED lighting did not cause significant changes of microbial compositions. Furthermore, the low irradiance of both blue and white LED illuminations significantly increased serum cholesterol, but not triglyceride. The ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria was significantly increased at a high irradiance of blue light. This ratio was negatively correlated with serum cholesterol but positively correlated with bile acid biosynthesis.
Conclusion
Our results revealed that chronic blue LED lighting would promote gut dysbiosis and dysregulate cholesterol metabolism without any additional confounding factors. In addition, the effects of chronic blue LED lighting on shaping gut microbiota in response to optic stress through the brain-gut axis shed a new insight into the link between the host and gut microorganisms to circadian clock and cholesterol metabolism.
Life events and depression among children and adolescents in southwest china: a two-stage moderated mediation model of social support and cognitive styles
Authors: Gao Bicheng , Feng Zhengzhi , Liu Xuan , He Yuhao , Xu Chen , Zhao Mengxue
Published: August 2022

Background: According to data from the National Health Commission in 2018, more than 30 million children and adolescents in China suffer from mental health problems of varying degrees, with depression accounting for the largest proportion. Life events are experienced at every stage of child and adolescent development. Many studies have found a relationship between life events and depression in children and adolescents, but few studies have further explore the mediating and moderating variables that influence this relationship. Based on theoretical and empirical research on social support and cognitive styles, this study established a two-stage moderated mediating model to test whether social support mediates life events to depression, and cognitive style moderates the two mediating pathways.Methods: We recruited 3540 sparticipants from primary and secondary schools in Chongqing, and a total of 2814 subjects entered the data analysis stage. They all completed self-report measures of life events, depression, social support and cognitive styles. The moderated mediation model was examined using SPSS PROCESS model 58.Results:(1) There were significant positive correlations among life events and depression. (2) Social support mediates the relationship between life events and depression in children and adolescents. (3) Cognitive style moderates life events to social support and social support to depression.Limitations: This is a cross-sectional study and the questionnaire is self-reported.Conclusions: Social support could mediate the association between life events and depression among children and adolescents and the cognitive styles could moderate its two mediating pathways.
Cerebro-cerebellar Functional Neuroplasticity Mediates the Effect of Electric Field on Electroconvulsive Therapy Outcomes
Authors: Fu Zening , Abbott Christopher , Miller Jeremy , Deng Zhi-De , Mcclintock Shawn , Sendi Mohammad , Sui Jing , Calhoun Vince
Published: August 2022

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for severe depression and works by applying an electric current through the brain. The applied current generates an electric field (E-field) and seizure activity, changing the brain’s functional organization. The E-field, which is determined by electrode placement (right unilateral or bitemporal) and amplitude (600, 700, or 800 milliamperes), is associated with the ECT response. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the relationship between E-field, functional brain changes, and clinical outcomes of ECT are not well understood. Here, we investigated the relationships between whole-brain E-field (Ebrain, the 90th percentile of E-field magnitude in the brain), cerebro-cerebellar functional network connectivity (FNC), and clinical outcomes (cognitive performance and depression severity). A fully automated independent component analysis framework determined the FNC between the cerebro-cerebellar networks. We found a linear relationship between Ebrain and cognitive outcomes and identified several cerebro-cerebellar FNC altered with Ebrain. The mediation analysis showed that the cerebellum to middle occipital gyrus (MOG)/posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) FNC mediated the effects of Ebrain on cognitive performance. In addition, there is a mediation effect through the cerebellum to parietal lobule FNC between Ebrain and antidepressant outcomes. The pair-wise t-tests further demonstrated that a larger Ebrain was associated with increased FNC between cerebellum and MOG and decreased FNC between cerebellum and PCC, which were linked with decreased cognitive performance. This study implies that an optimal E-field balancing the antidepressant and cognitive outcomes should be considered in relation to cerebro-cerebellar functional neuroplasticity.
An investigation into the quasi-static and low-velocity impact behaviors of 3000 series aluminum alloy microcellular composite foam
Authors: Jafari Mehdi , Kalhori Mohammad-Reza , Yazdani Mojtaba
Published: August 2022

This study used low-speed impact and quasi-static compression loadings to see how a microcellular closed-cell aluminum composite foam from the 3000 series aluminum alloy responded. The parent material is the 3000 series aluminum alloy, which has moderate strength, good corrosion resistance, and good formability. In microcellular foams, most cavities are so small that they are considered microcavities. The relationship between density and foam's static and impact behaviors is examined for this type of aluminum alloy. The low-velocity impact tests involved three different falling heights, and the acceleration was recorded in the impact duration before the velocity and absorbed energy calculations. The outcomes reveal that all specimens' stress-strain curve area is sufficiently large to withstand high energy before failure. In this study's case of aluminum foam, the strain rate effect is very pronounced, and the amount of yield and plateau stress under low-velocity impact loading is more significant than quasi-static. Based on dynamic stress-strain results, these microcellular closed-cell aluminum foams exhibit excellent properties, making them a conventional material with a few unique characteristics.
Best-worst scaling preferences among patients with well-controlled epilepsy: novel questionnaire development
Authors: Terman Samuel W , Aschmann Hélène E , Hutton David , Burke James F
Published: August 2022

Background
Epilepsy is a common, serious condition characterized by an increased risk for seizures. Fortunately, seizure risk decreases with increasing seizure-free time on antiseizure medications (ASMs). Eventually, patients may consider whether to stop ASMs, which requires weighing treatment benefit versus burden. We developed a novel questionnaire to quantify patient preferences relevant to ASM decision-making.
Methods
Respondents rated items relevant to ASM decision-making (e.g., different seizure risks, various side effects, cost) on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, rated 0-100) how concerning they would find each item and then repeatedly chose the most and least concerning item from subsets (best-worst scaling, BWS). We pretested with five neurologists, then recruited adults with epilepsy who were seizure-free at least one year. Our primary outcomes were recruitment rate, and qualitative and Likert-based feedback. Secondary outcomes included VAS ratings and best-minus-worst scores (number of times an item was chosen as the most minus number of times an item was chosen as the least concerning).
Results
Thirty-one of 60 (52%) contacted patients completed the study. Most patients felt VAS questions were clear (28; 90%), easy to use (27; 87%), and assessed preferences well (25; 83%). Corresponding results for BWS questions were 27 (87%), 29 (97%), and 23 (77%). Physicians suggested adding a ‘warmup’ question showing a completed example and simplifying terminology. Patients suggested ways to clarify instructions. Cost, inconvenience of taking medication, and laboratory monitoring were the least concerning items. Cognitive side effects and a 50% seizure risk in the next year were the most concerning items. Twelve (39%) of patients made at least one ‘inconsistent choice’ for example ranking a higher seizure risk as lower concern compared with a lower seizure risk, though ‘inconsistent choices’ represented only 3% of all question blocks.
Conclusions
Our recruitment rate was favorable, most patients agreed the survey was clear, and we describe areas for survey improvement. ‘Inconsistent’ responses during this development phase may lead us to collapse seizure probability items into a single ‘seizure’ category. Evidence regarding how patients weigh benefits and harms is crucial inform clinical care and guideline development.
Establishment of longitudinal transcranial stimulation motor evoked potentials monitoring of the forelimbs and hindlimbs in an ischemic stroke rat model
Authors: Hosogai Masahiro , Takeda Masaaki , Maeda Yuyo , Okazaki Takahito , Mitsuhara Takafumi , Ishii Daizo , Shimizu Kiyoharu , Kuwabara Masashi , Yamasaki Fumiyuki , Yuge Louis , Horie Nobutaka
Published: August 2022

Evaluation of motor function ischemic stroke rat models included qualitative assessments such as the modified neurological severity score (mNSS). However, mNSS cannot evaluate the function of forelimbs and hindlimbs separately. We quantitatively assessed motor function in a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model of ischemic stroke. We recorded transcranial stimulation motor evoked potentials (tcMEPs) from MCAO rats and measured the changes in latency and amplitude at the forelimbs and hindlimbs up to 28 days after stroke. All MCAO subjects showed hemiparesis. Their mNSS scores were highest on day 1 and then decreased over time. The score change curve of the tcMEPs amplitude in the hindlimbs was inversely associated with mNSS, while tcMEPs amplitude in the forelimbs was lowest on day 14 and then increased with time course. The latency of tcMEPs in the forelimbs and hindlimbs remained almost unchanged during the follow-up period. Our results showed the differences in tcMEPs amplitude recovery times between the forelimbs and hindlimbs after MCAO, which emphasizes the importance of separately evaluating forelimbs and hindlimbs in post-ischemic stroke models. This minimally invasive and longitudinal quantitative method could be useful for further research on diseases and neurogenesis.
Genome-wide association study identifies GhSAL1 conferring cold tolerance at the seeding stage in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
Authors: Shen Qian , Zhang Siping , Ge Changwei , Liu Shaodong , Chen Jing , Liu Ruihua , Ma Huijuan , Yang Guozheng , Song Meizhen , Pang Chaoyou
Published: August 2022

Gossypium hirsutum L. is a globally cultivated cotton species. The genetic mechanisms underlying cold resistance in cotton remain unclear. We analyzed the growth and physiological parameters in 200 unrelated accessions under constant chilling (CC) and diurnal variation of chilling (DVC) conditions at seeding stage. All accessions were clustered into four subgroups based on population structure analyses. Group IV, which contained most species from the northwest inland region (NW), had better phenotypes than the other three subgroups under the two chilling stresses. We concluded that the cold adaptability of cotton was associated with its subpopulation and geographical distribution. A total of 577 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated and 35 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were detected across multiple environments and traits. Gh_D09G0189 (GhSAL1) was obtained in the stable 6.17–6.15 Mb regions on chromosome D09, which were involved in the photomorphogenesis of seedlings under CC stress. GhSAL1HapB was the elite haplotype, which could increase seedling emergence, dry matter weight, and total length by 19.04%, 11.26%, and 7.69%, respectively, compared to that of GhSAL1HapA. The expression abundance of GhSAL1 in cold-tolerant plants was lower. The survival rate of GhSAL1 silenced lines was significantly higher than that of the negative control by 46.33% after CC treatment. It was speculated that GhSAL1 regulated cold tolerance through the GhSAL1-IP3 signaling pathway. The elite genotypes and candidate genes identified in this study can be used to improve low-temperature resistance at the seeding stage in future cotton breeding.
Boosting Algorithm for Optimizing Morphological Dental Age Estimation Method: A Southern China Population Study
Authors: Shan Weijie , Sun Yunshu , Hu Leyan , Qiu Jie , Huo Miao , Zhang Zikang , Lei Yuting , Chen Qianling , Zhang Yan , Yue Xia
Published: August 2022

Age estimation based on the mineralized morphology of teeth is one of the important elements of forensic anthropology. To explore the most suitable age assessment protocol for adolescents in the South China population, 1477 panoramic radiographs images of people aged 2–18 years in the South were collected and staged by the Demirjian mineralization staging method. The dental age were estimated using the parameters of the Demirjian and Willems. Mathematical optimization and machine learning optimization were also performed in the data processing process in an attempt to obtain a more accurate model. The results show that Willems' method is more accurate in estimating the dental age of the South China population, while the model can be further optimized by re-assigning the model through a non-intercept regression method. The machine learning model presented excellent results in terms of the efficacy comparison results with the traditional mathematical model, and the machine learning model under the Boosting framework such as Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) significantly reduced the error in dental age estimation compared to the traditional mathematical method. This machine learning processing method based on traditional assessment data can effectively reduce the error of assessment while saving arithmetic power. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the GBDT algorithm in optimizing forensic age estimation models and provides a reference for other regions to use this scheme for age assessment model architecture, also the lightweight nature of machine learning offers the possibility of widespread forensic anthropological age estimation.
Chronic heart failure health-related quality of life questionnaire (CHFQOLQ-20): Development and psychometric properties
Authors: Khajavi Abdoljavad , Moshki Mahdi , Minaee Shima , Vakilian Farveh , Montazeri Ali , Hashemizadeh Haydeh
Published: August 2022

Background
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome indicator for chronic diseases. This study aimed to develop a new instrument for assessment of HRQoL in chronic heart failure (CHF) and evaluate its psychometric properties.
Methods
This study included two steps of conceptualization and item generation, and assessment of the psychometric properties of an instrument for measuring HRQoL in patients with CHF. Content validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, concurrent validity, convergent validity, known groups comparison were performed to assess construct validity. Internal consistency, and stability were estimated by the Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients.
Results
The content validity of the developed chronic heart failure quality of life questionnaire (CHFQOLQ-20) was assessed by 10 experts. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded and confirmed four factors with 20 items. The concurrent and convergent validity of the CHFQOLQ-20 were established using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the MacNew Heart Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire, respectively. The known-groups validity as assessed by using the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification., showed that the questionnaire discriminated well between patients who differed in functional classification. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the CHFQOLQ-20 were satisfactory, with a Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values of 0.93 and 0.84, respectively.
Conclusion
The results confirmed that CHFQOLQ-20 is a valid and reliable measure of quality of life (QoL) in patients with CHF. It is a short and easy-to-use instrument that is also capable of assessing the cognitive function, which has been overlooked in previous questionnaires.
NLRP3 deficiency decreases alcohol intake controlling anxiety-like behavior via modification of glutamatergic transmission in mPFC-striatal circuits
Authors: Li Ziyi , Vidjro Olivia Ewi , Guo Gengni , Du Yanfeng , Zhou Yao , Xie Qian , Li Jiaxin , Gao Keqiang , Zhou Li , Ma Tengfei
Published: August 2022

Background
Repeated binge alcohol drinking and chronic alcohol consumption with negative effects such as anxiety on cessation induces alcohol use disorders. This process is associated with activation of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated responses. However, whether and how inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome alters alcohol intake and anxiety behavior remains unclear.
Methods
A combination of drinking-in-the dark and Gavage model were established in NLRP3-knockout and their control mice. Behaviors were assessed by open-field and elevated plus maze tests. Binge alcohol drinking at 2h and 4h were measured and 24 voluntary drinking was determined by a two-bottle choice paradigm. Western blot and ELISA were applied to examine the levels of NLRP3 inflammasome and inflammatory factors such as IL-1β and TNF-α. Nissl’s staining was measured the neuronal injury. Electrophysiological method was determined the glutamatergic transmission in mPFC to striatum circuits. In vivo opotogenetic LTP and LTD were applied to control the function of mPFC-striatal circuits on behavior of mice. MCC950 was used to antagonize NLRP3 inflammasome.
Results
The binge alcohol intake was decreased in NLRP3 KO mice compared to their control drinking mice. During alcohol withdrawal, NLRP3 deficiency attenuated anxiety-like behaviors and neuronal injury in mPFC and striatum. Moreover, we discovered that the glutamatergic transmission from cortex to striatum was reduced in NLRP3 KO mice. Importantly, in vivo optogenetic induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) of mPFC-striatal circuits reversed the effects of NLRP3 deficiency on glutamatergic transmission and anxiety behaviors. We also demonstrated that optogenetic induction of LTD decreased anxiety-like behaviors with a reduction of glutamatergic transmission. Interestingly, NLRP3 deficiency or inhibition (MCC950 injection)-mediated the attenuation of anxiety behavior reduced binge alcohol intake, but did not decrease 24h-voluntary alcohol consumption and alcohol preference.
Conclusion
Our results demonstrate that NLRP3 deficiency decreases binge alcohol intake and anxiety-like behaviors through downregulation of glutamatergic transmission in mPFC-striatal circuits, which may provide an anti-inflammatory target to treat alcohol use disorders.
Effects of miR-629-5p on odontoblast differentiation and target gene TEAD4 expression of dental pulp stem cells
Authors: Han Jianpeng , Zhao Xin , Jiang Rongrong , Jiang Chengfeng , li lei , xu zhiliang , song yihua , feng xingmei
Published: August 2022

TEAD4 is a member of the TEA domain (TEAD) family of transcription factors. It plays a key regulatory role in embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and cancer progression. Its expression is related to the regulation of a variety of inflammations. MicroRNA can regulate the expression of target genes and play an important role in various physiological and pathological processes. In view of the important role of TEAD4 and microRNA-629-5p (miR-629-5p) in inflammation, and based on the findings of bioinformatics research, we selected miR-629-5p as the focus of our study. In inflammatory dental pulp, we found that the expression of miR-629-5p was increased, while the expression of TEAD4 was decreased. We used Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a stimulator of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) to simulate the inflammatory environment of dental pulp. The mineralization ability of LPS-stimulated DPSCs was significantly inhibited, while the level of miR-629-5p increased and the level of TEAD4 decreased. Inhibition of miR-629-5p can reverse the odontogenic defects of DPSCs treated with LPS. In addition, the expression of miR-629-5p in DPSCs was negatively correlated with the expression of TEAD4. In conclusion, miR-629-5p can inhibit the odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells and the mechanism may be related to its role in downregulation of TEAD4 expression.
Incremental Prognostic Value of Triglyceride Glucose Index Additional to Coronary Artery Calcium Score in Asymptomatic Low-Risk Population
Authors: Song Shinjeong , Choi Su‑Yeon , Park Hyo Eun , Han Hae‑Won , Park Sung Hak , Sung Jidong , Jung Hae Ok , Sung Ji Min , Chang Hyuk‑Jae
Published: August 2022

Background
The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index has been suggested as a reliable surrogate marker of insulin resistance which is a substantial risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Several recent studies have shown the relationship between the TyG index and cardiovascular disease; however, the role of the TyG index in coronary artery calcification (CAC) progression has not been extensively assessed especially in low-risk population.
Methods
We enrolled 5,775 Korean adults who had at least two CAC evaluations. We determined the TyG index using ln (fasting triglycerides [mg/dL] x fasting glucose [mg/dL]/2). The CAC progression was defined as either incident CAC in a CAC-free population at baseline or an increase of ≥ 2.5 units between the square roots of the baseline and follow-up coronary artery calcium scores (CACSs) of subjects with detectable CAC at baseline.
Results
CAC progression was seen in 1,382 subjects (23.9%) during mean 3.5 years follow-up. Based on the TyG index, subjects were stratified into four groups. Follow-up CACS and incidence of CAC progression were markedly elevated with rising TyG index quartiles. (group I [lowest]:17.6% vs. group II:22.2% vs. group III:24.6% vs. group IV [highest]: 31.3%, p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the TyG index was independent predictor of CAC progression (odds ratio: 1.57; 95% confidence interval: 1.33 to 1.81; p < 0.001) especially in baseline CACS ≤ 100 group.
Conclusions
The TyG index is an independent predictor of CAC progression in low-risk population. It adds incremental risk stratification over established factors including baseline CACS.
Comprehensive characterization of genetic influences on plasma metabolome in a pediatric cohort
Authors: Lee In-Hee , Smith Matthew Ryan , Yazdani Azam , Walker Douglas I. , Mandl Kenneth D. , Jones Dean P. , Kong Sek Won
Published: August 2022

BackgroundThe human exposome is composed of diverse metabolites and small chemical compounds originated from endogenous and exogenous sources, respectively. Genetic and environmental factors influence metabolite levels while the extent of genetic contributions across metabolic pathways is not yet known. Untargeted profiling of human metabolome using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) combined with genome-wide genotyping allows comprehensive identification of genetically influenced metabolites. As such previous studies of adults discovered and replicated genotype-phenotype associations. However, these associations have not been characterized in children. Results We conducted the largest genome by metabolome-wide association study to date of children (N=441) using 619,688 common genetic variants and 14,342 features measured by HRMS. Narrow-sense heritability (h2) estimates of plasma metabolite concentrations using genomic relatedness matrix restricted maximum likelihood (GREML) method showed a bimodal distribution with high h2 (>0.8) for 15.9% of features and low h2 (<0.2) for most of features (62.0%). The features with high h2 were enriched for amino acid and nucleic acid metabolism while carbohydrate and lipid concentrations showed low h2. For each feature, a metabolite quantitative trait loci (mQTL) analysis was performed to identify genetic variants associated with plasma levels. Fifty-four associations among 29 features and 43 genetic variants were identified at a genome-wide significance threshold p < 3.5x10-12 (= 5 x 10-8/14,342 features). Previously reported associations such as UGT1A1 and bilirubin; PYROXD2 and methyl lysine; ACADS and butyrylcarnitine were successfully replicated in our pediatric cohort. We found novel associations including CSMD1 and a monostearyl alcohol triglyceride; CALN1 and a triglyceride; RBFOX1 and dimethylarginine. A gene-level enrichment analysis using MAGMA revealed highly interconnected modules for ADP biosynthesis, sterol synthesis, and long-chain fatty acid transport in the gene-feature network. Conclusion Comprehensive profiling of plasma metabolome across age groups combined with genome-wide genotyping revealed a wide range of genetic influence on diverse chemical species and metabolic pathways. The developmental trajectory of a biological system is shaped by gene-environment interaction especially in early life. Therefore, continuous efforts on generating metabolomics data in diverse human tissue types across age groups are required to understand gene-environment interaction toward healthy aging trajectories.
18F-fluorocholine PET/CT semi-quantitative analysis in patients affected by primary hyperparathyroidism: a comparison between laboratory and functional data.
Authors: Rizzo Alessio , Racca Manuela , Cauda Simona , Balma Michele , dall'Armellina Sara , Dionisi Beatrice , Mossetti Claudio , Bruna Maria Cristina , Freddi Milena , Palestini Nicola
Published: August 2022

Introduction: this retrospective study aims to establish 18F-fluorocholine (FCH) positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET/CT) performance in finding hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands, analyse a potential role for semi-quantitative PET parameters and assess factors that may influence PET/CT outcome.Methods: forty patients with suspect primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and negative/equivocal conventional imaging underwent FCH-PET/CT in our Institution.For every lesion, visual and semi-quantitative analyses were performed on PET/CT images. In qualitative analysis, a lesion was considered positive if a clear focus of uptake, significantly higher than normal thyroid tissue, was identifiable. Ectopic focal uptake was also regarded as positive PET result. Lesion SUVMax was measured by assigning a spheric VOI to the suspect area of uptake. Thyroid SUVMean was assessed by placing a spheric VOI inside the contralateral thyroid lobe, and SUVratio was calculated using this background region.All patients were subsequently submitted to surgery and histopathologic workup.Sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV) and accuracy were calculated based on histopathologic reports for every lesion.Pearson’s test was used to assess a correlation between laboratory and histopathologic features with SUVr.Results: four out of the 40 patients who underwent surgery for pHPT had more than one histologic proven unhealthy parathyroid and three had papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). A total of 48 lesions were analysed.We found 42/48 lesions (87.5%) to have true-positive uptake, whereas three lesions (6.7%) had false-positive uptake (PTC). Three histologic proven parathyroid adenomas showed no uptake (6.7%); the sensitivity/PPV were 93.3% and accuracy was 87,8%.Pearson’s test showed a significant correlation between PTH values and parathyroid size with SUVr values (r=0.56 and 0.55 respectively, p<0.01 for both features).Discussion: as stated in recent literature, we observed excellent diagnostic sensitivity of FCH-PET/CT in patients with pHPT, providing surgeons a fine tool to optimize treatment.More studies are needed to improve the evaluability of semi-quantitative parameters towards a further improvement of diagnostic accuracy.
A Neuromechanical Control Model For Rhythmic and Discrete Movements Based on Central Pattern Generator (CPG)
Authors: Nia Nafiseh Ghaffar , Bahrami Fariba , Kaplanoglu Erkan , Nasab Ahad
Published: August 2022

Undoubtedly, movement is one of the essential characteristics of living beings. Despite the diversity of animal species and the apparent differences, standard features exist between their movement systems that follow a particular pattern. The movements are mainly divided into rhythmic and discrete categories controlled by the central nervous system. Scientists usually consider these two types of motion separately in the control system and use different methods and resources to produce and model them. Proposing a unified and comprehensive model for generating and controlling rhythmic and discrete movement with the same techniques is more valuable albeit challenging. The present study provides a single neuromechanical control model for producing and managing both rhythmic and discrete movements. This model consists of a neural oscillator, the central pattern generator (CPG), coupled with inhibitory and excitatory paths to drive the flexor and extensor muscles. The computational model of this study follows the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) equations. In the nervous system, the effects of basal ganglia and cerebellum, having a critical role in motion, were also applied in this model. The structure of the model, the factors involved in creating the motion, and the oscillation were analyzed in great detail. It was found that supraspinal input and motor neuron feedback, as the motor control parameters, play an essential role in the activity and directly impact the production and control of rhythmic and discrete movements. According to these parameters, a neuromechanical model that can create both rhythmic and discrete movement is presented. The model also addresses the switching mechanism between rhythmic and discrete states.
Visualized radio-clinical biomarker for predicting neoadjuvant chemotherapy response and prognosis from pretreatment oversampled CT images of LAGC patients: A multicenter study
Authors: Xu Zhiyuan , Chen Wujie , Li Feng , Zhang Yanqiang , Yu Pengfei , Yang Litao , Huang Ling , Sun Jiancheng , Chen Shangqi , Shi Chengwei , Sun Yuanshui , Ye Zaisheng , Yuan Li , Chen Jiahui , Wei Qin , Xu Jingli , Xu Handong , Tong Yahan , Bao Zhehan , Huang Chencui , Li Yiming , Du Yian , Hu Can , Cheng Xiangdong
Published: August 2022

Background: The early noninvasive screening of patients suitable for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) is essential for personalized treatment in locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). The aim of this study was to develop and visualized a radio-clinical biomarker from pretreatment oversampled CT images to predict the response and prognosis to NCT in LAGC patients.Methods: 1060 LAGC patients were retrospectively recruited from six hospitals from January 2008 to December 2021. The training (TC) and internal validation cohort (IVC) were randomly selected from center I. The external validation cohort (EVC) comprised 265 patients from 5 other centers. An SE-ResNet50-based chemotherapy response predicting system (DL signature) was developed from pretreatment CT images preprocessed with imaging oversampling method (i.e. DeepSMOTE). Then, DL signature and clinic-based features were fed into the deep learning radio-clinical signature (DLCS). The predictive performance was evaluated according to discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness. Model for OS prediction were built to further explore the survival benefit of the proposed DL signatures and clinicopathological characteristic. Result: DLCS showed perfect performance in predicting the response to NCT in the IVC (AUC, 0.86) and EVC (AUC, 0.82), with good calibration in all cohorts (p > 0.05). In addition, the performance of DLCS was better than that of the clinical model (p＜0.05). Finally, we found that the DL signature could also serve as an independent factor for prognosis (HR, 0.828, p = 0.004). The C-index, iAUC, IBS for the OS model were 0.64, 1.24 and 0.71 in the test set.Conclusion: We proposed the DLCS that links the imaging features to clinical risk factors to generate high accuracy classification of tumor response and risk identification of OS in LAGC patients prior to NCT that then can be used for guiding personalized treatment plans with the help of the visualization of computerized tumor-level characterization.
Biting behaviour and the spatio-temporal dynamics of malaria vectors in different ecological zones in Ghana
Authors: Akuoko Osei Kwaku , Dhikrullahi Shittu Bunkumni , Hinne Isaac Amankona , Mohammed Abdul Rahim , Owusu-Asenso Christopher Mfum , Coleman Sylvester , Dadzie Samuel Kweku , Kyeremanteng Rosina , Boakye Daniel Adjei , Wilson Michael David , Afrane Yaw Asare
Published: August 2022

Background: Significant decrease in malaria morbidity and mortality have been attained using long-lasting insecticide treated nets and indoor residual spraying. Selective pressure from these control methods influences change in vector bionomics and behavioural pattern. There is a need to understand how insecticide resistance drives behavioural changes within vector species. This study aimed to determine the spatio-temporal dynamics and biting behaviour of malaria vectors in different ecological zones in Ghana in an era of high insecticide use for public health vector control.Methods: Adult mosquitoes were collected during the dry and the rainy seasons in 2017 and 2018 from five study sites in Ghana in different ecological zones. Indoor and outdoor biting mosquitoes were collected per hour from 18:00 to 06:00 hours employing the human landing catches (HLC) technique. Morphological and molecular species identification of vectors were done using identification keys and PCR respectively. Genotyping of insecticide resistant markers was done using the TaqMan SNP genotyping probe-based assays. Detection of P. falciparum sporozoites was determined using PCR.Results: A total of 50,322 mosquitoes belonging to four different genera were collected from all the study sites during the sampling seasons in 2017 and 2018. Among the Anophelines were Anopheles gambiae s.l. 93.16%, (31055/33,334), An. funestus 2.07%, (690/33,334), An. pharoensis 4.63%, (1545/33,334), and An. rufipes 0.13% (44/33,334). Overall, 76.40%, (25,468/33,334) of Anopheles were collected in the rainy season and 23.60%, (7,866/33,334) in the dry season. There was a significant difference (z = 2.410; p = 0.0160) between indoor biting (51.09%; 15,866/31,055) and outdoor biting An. gambiae s.l. (48.91%; 15,189/31,055). The frequency of the Vgsc-1014F mutation was slightly higher in indoor biting mosquitoes (54.90%) than outdoors (45.10%). Overall, forty-four pools (44) of samples were positive for P. falciparum CSP giving an overall sporozoite rate of 0.07%.Conclusion: Anopheles gambiae s.l. were more abundant indoors across all ecological zones of Ghana. The frequency of G119S was higher in indoor than outdoor from all the study sites, but higher sporozoite rates in outdoor mosquitoes in Dodowa and Kpalsogu. There is thus, an urgent need for a supplementary malaria control intervention to control outdoor biting mosquitoes.
Identification of TMPRSS2 and ERG as androgen receptor targeted putative highly significant genes in PC3-AR cells from AR ChIP-Seq and ChIP-chip data
Authors: Hong Xu
Published: August 2022

Background:The TMPRSS2 and ERG which could form the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion are two important genes in prostate cancer cells.Previous works by others have found that the ERG could interrupt androgen receptor (AR) signal transducting pathway and the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion acts in a pivotal role in prostate cancer progression.Results: In this study, through transfecting with wild-type androgen receptor with an androgen receptor negative prostate cancer cell line(PC3), both the androgen receptor(AR) ChIP-Seq and ChIP-chip data are generated for the androgen receoptor in the advanced PC3-AR cells. After a series of bioinformatics data analysis, it is found that TMPRSS2 and ERG genes are androgen receptor targeted putative highly significant genes in androgen receptor ChIP-Seq and ChIP-chip datasets in PC3-AR cells.Conclusions: Identifying of TMPRSS2 and ERG as androgen receptor targeted putative highly significant genes in advanced PC3-AR cells could serve the international scientific community for biomarker identifications and developing novel prostate cancer therapeutic strategies.
Cardioprotective effect of aescin on antioxidant and lipid profile in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats
Authors: Kaliyamoorthi Kanimozhi , Loordhurani Asaikumar , Subashchandrabose Olikkavi , Lakshmanan Vennila , Ganapathi Sindhu , Sathiavakoo Vigil Anbiah
Published: August 2022

The efficacy of aescin on the liver and cardiac markers, lipid profile, and antioxidant status in rats with myocardial infarction (MI) induced by isoproterenol (ISO) was investigated in this study. Three doses of aescin (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg of b.w) were administered to rats for the first 21 days. After the treatment period, ISO (60 mg/kg of b.w) was given subcutaneously to the rats on the 22nd and 23rdday. Cardiovascular and hepatic markers (CK, ALT, CK-MB, AST, cTnI, and cTnT) have been analyzed to investigate the cardiac and liver damage. The activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GST, SOD, and GPx) were decreased in both cardiac tissue and erythrocytes of ISO rats. The levels of phospholipids (PLs), total cholesterol (TC), free fatty acids (FFA), and triglycerides (TG) were increased significantly in the serum of the rats administrated with ISO. The results of the present study implies that aescin pretreatment reduces oxidative stress and exhibits cardioprotective action by scavenging the free radicals and maintaining the levels of circulatory and cardiac lipids. Hematoxylin and eosin staining method was used to examine the cardiac histological changes in the experimental rats and the results showed that ISO-administered rats pretreated with aescin reduced cardiac tissue damage when compared with ISO alone injected rats.