bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of life in patients with Stiff-Person Syndrome: Evaluation congruent with patient values using the schedule-direct weighting method
Authors: Kobayashi Chiemi , Makihara Yukiko , Nishida Yusuke
Published: June 2023

The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with chronic progressive disease is low; however, various compensation mechanisms (medical, informal support, formal support, and environmental mechanisms) can improve and restore quality of life (QoL) even in cases of severe physical disability. In this study, we evaluate the QoL according to patient value by individual QoL assessment and identify the determinants of QoL of patients with Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS) to consider specific support measures. As of December 2020, 13 patients diagnosed with SPS participated in a mixed study that included questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The main positive factors cited by patients included ‘family support’ and ‘parental care’, whereas negative factors included ‘physical symptoms’ and ‘relationship with doctors’. Comparing SPS with other diseases revealed ‘parental care’ as a unique determinant of QoL in patients with SPS. ‘Parental care’ was identified as the most important area with the highest weight but low satisfaction; hence, in each case, support is needed to ensure that the patient’s caregiver was satisfactory. Additionally, ‘physical symptoms’ was the strongest negative area and can be alleviated by medical assistance. Furthermore, rehabilitation should address the relief of pain caused by muscle spasms and rigidity.
Calcified apoptotic bodies from PROCR+ fibroblasts initiate the tendon calcification at the early stages of heterotopic ossification
Authors: Yan Jian-fei , Gao Bo , Lu Weicheng , Qin Wenpin , Han Xiaoxiao , Wang Chen-yu , Liu Ying-Ying , Li Tao , Guo Zhenxin , Ye Tao , Wan Qian-qian , Xu Hao-qing , Kang Junjun , Lu Naining , Gao Chang-he , Qin Zi-xuan , Niu Li-na , Zou Weiguo , Jiao Kai
Published: June 2023

Heterotopic ossification (HO) comprises the abnormal formation of ectopic bone in extraskeletal soft tissue. The factors that initiate HO remain elusive. Herein, we found that calcified apoptotic bodies (CABs), which are secreted by PROCR+fibroblasts in the early stage of HO, lead to increased stiffness of the extracellular matrix. Specifically, single-cell transcriptome analyses of different stages of HO revealed a PROCR+fibroblast population that released CABs in the early stage of HO. CAB aggregation produced calcified nodules with high concentrations of calcium and phosphate, similar to those in calcified tendons. Annexin channels mediate calcium influx into CABs, which absorb to collagen I via electrostatic interaction. Functional inhibition of CABs significantly decreased the early stage microcalcification and inhibited HO of Achilles tendons. Thus, we revealed a pathological mechanism of HO initiation and identified CABs from PROCR+fibroblasts as the initiating factor of local microcalcification, creating an osteogenic microenvironment for HO.
Study on energy dissipation law of coal crushing under impact load and block size partitioning dimension
Authors: WANG XiaoHe , Wu Jing , Zhang WenBo , Wang JiangHao , Yun QingLong , Wang YiQing , Sui Yi
Published: June 2023

To study the energy dissipation law of coal crushing under impact load, this paper adopts the separated Hopkinson compression bar experimental system device to analyze the energy dissipation law of impact coal and non-impact coal during the destruction process of coal samples under impact load, and the dynamic compression mechanical properties of two coal samples during the destruction process are studied from the energy point of view and block size sub-dimension, the research results show that, with the increase of strain rate The results show that, with the increase of strain rate, the fragmentation work of the two coal samples has an obvious strain-rate-related effect, and the increase of impact coal is larger than that of non-impact coal; the incident energy, reflected energy and transmitted energy of the two coal samples increase approximately linearly with different magnitudes, and the energy of impact coal is more likely to be concentrated and grow faster than that of non-impact coal, and with the increase of strain rate, the fractional dimension of the fragmentation under impact load of the two coal samples increases continuously, and the fractional dimension The number of fractional dimensions increased with the incident energy and crushing work, and the fractional dimensions showed an obvious growth effect.
Sensor-based Fog-Cloud Integrated Human Fall Detection System using Regression-based Gait Pattern Recognition
Authors: Ganesan Rajkumar , Y BevishJinila
Published: June 2023

Human falls areidentified as the common problems among the elderly persons living lonely in home may lead to severe injuries, continuing disabilities, fear of falling and even death. The goal of this research study is to develop the wearable sensor-based system to assess the human fall risk and gait impairments of elderly persons in daily living conditions. So, a fog-cloud integrated human fall detection system (FCIHFDS) is proposed to collect the gait parameters for identifying the fall risk of remote patients. In order to support real-time learning and recognition of gait patterns, a multiple hidden Markov model-based regression learning (MHMMRL) classifier is introduced to deal with on-board human fall and other behavioral activities prediction. As a result, the proposed FCIHFDS provides better patient activities recognition against the existing fall prediction systems in terms of both prediction time and prediction accuracy. To minimize the latency and cost involved during the prediction and rehabilitation process, a novel cost aware offloading scheme is introduced for appropriate decision making in the peer-to-peer fog-cloud integrated platform.The proposed cost aware offloading scheme outperform the existing Energy and Time Efficient Offloading, and Cost and Energy Aware Offloading schemes in terms of cost(utility value). These findings may be more useful for supporting long-time monitoring of human fall risk at ambient assisted living environments and improve its clinical utility.
Academic performance in exercise physiology courses is higher among students who attended the human physiology course
Authors: Rodrigues Mila Alves Matos , Silva Rizia Rocha , Santos Douglas Assis Teles , de Freitas João Victor Rosa , Gentil Paulo , Vieira Carlos Alexandre , Rebelo Ana Cristina Silva , Andrade Marília Santos , Campos Mário Hebling , Costa Gustavo de Conti Teixeira , Knechte Beat , Vancini Rodrigo Luiz , de Lira Claudio Andre Barbosa
Published: June 2023

Purpose
To evaluate academic performance in exercise physiology coursework among students who have previously attended or have not previously attended human physiology coursework.
Methods
This is a two aims research study. The first aim examined the school records of 311 undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor's degree in physical education. Participants were divided into two groups: students who had previously attended and were approved in human physiology coursework (group 1, n = 212, 68.2%) and students who have not previously attended or have attended but failed in human physiology coursework (group 2, n = 99, 31.8%). A Poisson regression model with a robust variance estimator was used to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The second aim involved 67 bachelor's degrees in physical education students who completed an electronic questionnaire about their perceptions of human physiology and exercise physiology coursework.
Results
The students who have not previously attended or have attended but failed in human physiology coursework human physiology coursework have a higher PR 2.37 (CI95% 1.68–3.34) to be not approved in exercise physiology, when compared to those who attended human physiology and was approved. Regarding the students' perceptions of human physiology and exercise physiology courseworks, most students reported that these courseworks are difficult (58.2% and 64.2%, respectively), but the students recognized the importance of these courseworks for professional practice (59.7% and 85.1%, respectively).
Conclusion
Students who have not participated in extracurricular academic activities are more likely to perform worse academically; thus, human physiology should be considered a prerequisite discipline in a bachelor's degree in physical education course.
Combination of Clinical Information and Radiomics Models for the Differentiation of Acute Simple Appendicitis and Non-simple Appendicitis on CT Images: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Zhao Yinming , Wang Xin , Zhang Yaofeng , Liu Tao , Zuo Shuai , Sun Lie , Zhang Junling , Wang Kexin , Liu Jing
Published: June 2023

Objective
To investigate the radiomics models for the differentiation of simple and non-simple acute appendicitis.
Methods
This study retrospectively included 334 appendectomy cases (76 simple and 258 non-simple cases) for acute appendicitis. These cases were randomly divided into training (n = 106) and test cohorts (n = 228). A radiomics model was developed using the radiomic features of the appendix area on CT images as the input variables. A CT model was developed using the clinical and CT features as the input variables. A combined model was developed by combining the radiomics model and the clinical information. These models were tested, and their performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curve analysis (DCA).
Results
The variables independently associated with non-simple appendicitis in the CT model were body temperature, age, percentage of neutrophils and the Rad-score. The AUC of the combined model was significantly higher than that of the CT model (P = 0.041). The AUC of the radiomics model was also higher than that of the CT model but did not reach a level of statistical significance (P = 0.053). DCA showed that all three models had a higher net benefit (NB) than the default strategies and the combined model presented the highest NB. A nomogram of the combined model was developed as the graphical representation of the final model.
Conclusion
It is feasible to use the combined information of clinical and CT radiomics models for the differentiation of simple and non-simple acute appendicitis.
Improving the Efficiency of Allometric Equations using Artificial Neural Networks in Coppicing Stands of Brant's Oak
Authors: Fallah Saman , soosani javad , naghavi hamed , yousofvandmofrad Mohsen
Published: June 2023

Estimation of forest trees biomass for various purposes is fundamental. One method of estimating biomass uses allometric equations that limit the normality of variables and the homogeneity of variances. In this study, artificial neural networks were used as an alternative method to increase biomass estimation accuracy. Fifty three sprout chumps of Brant's Oak (Quercus brantii Lindl) were randomly selected from the Melah¬Shabanan of Khorramabad in Iran. Diameter at knee height, diameter at breast height, crown diameter, number of sprouts, and height of trees were measured. To calculate the dry weight of the biomass, a disk 3–5 cm from the trunk and crown was separated and weighed, and with the ratio of dry weight to fresh weight, the dry weight of the crown, trunk, and aboveground biomass of the trees was calculated. Modeling the relationships between variables with regression equations and Multilayer Perceptron and Radial Basis Function neural networks showed that both neural networks could increase the coefficient of determination to R2 = 0.98 and R2 = 0.96 and reduce the error to RMSE% = 11.6 and RMSE% = 16.9 and thus the neural network models can increase the quality forest biomass estimates are compared with allometric equations.
Description of two new species of Tarsonemus (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from the Southern Plateau and Hill Region of India
Authors: Kayal Sandipan , Karmakar Krishna
Published: June 2023

Two new species of the genus Tarsonemus Canestrini and Fanzago, 1877 (Acari: Heterostigmatina: Tarsonemidae) named as Tarsonemus dakshinbharaticus Karmakar and Kayal sp. n. and Tarsonemus sertum Karmakar and Kayal sp. n. are described based on the specimens collected on the leaves of Mimusops elengi L. (Sapotaceae), Syzygium cumini (L.) (Myrtaceae) and Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) and from Bengaluru, Karnataka situated in the Southern Plateau and Hill Region, India. A key to the Indian Tarsonemus spp. is also provided.
Ultracold Field-Linked Tetratomic Molecules
Authors: Chen Xing-Yan , Biswas Shrestha , Eppelt Sebastian , Schindewolf Andreas , Deng Fulin , Shi Tao , Yi Su , Hilker Timon , Bloch Immanuel , Luo Xin-Yu
Published: June 2023

Ultracold polyatomic molecules offer intriguing new opportunities [1] in cold chemistry [2, 3], precision measurements [4], and quantum information processing [5, 6], thanks to their rich internal structure. However, their increased complexity compared to diatomic molecules presents a formidable challenge to employ conventional cooling techniques. Here, we demonstrate a new approach to create ultracold polyatomic molecules by electroassociation [7, 8] in a degenerate Fermi gas of microwave-dressed polar molecules through a field-linked resonance [9–11]. Starting from ground state NaK molecules, we create around 1.1×103 tetratomic (NaK)2 molecules, with a phase space density of 0.040(3) at a temperature of 134(3)nK, more than 3,000 times colder than previously realized tetratomic molecules [12]. We observe a maximum tetramer lifetime of 8(2)ms in free space without a notable change in the presence of an optical dipole trap, indicating these tetramers are collisionally stable. The measured binding energy and lifetime agree well with parameter-free calculations, which outlines pathways to further increase the lifetime of the tetramers. Moreover, we directly image the dissociated tetramers through microwave-field modulation to probe the anisotropy of their wave function in momentum space. Our result demonstrates a universal tool for assembling ultracold polyatomic molecules from smaller polar molecules, which is a crucial step towards Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC) of polyatomic molecules and towards a new crossover from a dipolar Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) superfluid [13–15] to a BEC of tetramers. Additionally, the long- lived FL state provides an ideal starting point for deterministic optical transfer to deeply bound tetramer states [16–18].
Biochemical and heavy metals composition of the invasive seaweed Sargassum muticum (Yendo) according to season and sites along Moroccan Atlantic Coast
Authors: Aamiri Abderrahmane , Rezzoum Nor-Eddine , Touhamia Yasmine , Zidane Hakima , Benhassan Lhoucine , Pascal Pierre-Yves. , Bellahcen Touria Ould
Published: June 2023

Since 2012 Moroccan Atlantic coast have witnessed the introduction of the brown alien seaweedSargassum muticumwith a high invasive potential presenting environmental and economic risks. This study evaluates, for the first time, the effect of seasons and location on biochemical composition ofS. muticum. Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, pigments, minerals, and heavy metals were studied during four seasons from spring 2019 to autumn 2020 in four different sites along the Moroccan Atlantic coast (El Jadida, Saada (SA), Sidi Bouzid (SB), Moulay Abdallah (MA) and Jorf Lasfar (JL)). MA present highest proteins content (12.5% dw) during spring and highest levels of lipids and carbohydrates content during summer (1.8% dw and 41.5% dw respectively). Highest chlorophyll a content was found in JL and MA site with (21.6 and 21.45 mg ml− 1respectively) during winter. Maximum chlorophyll c and carotenoids was found at SA with (2.27 and 9.71 mg ml− 1respectively) during winter. In all locations and during all seasons, the mineral profile was rich in essential minerals such as Mg, Mn, Zn, Fe, Se and Li. Levels of toxic metals Al and Pb were lower than in previous studies whereas Cd and As turn to be slightly higher than the legislations limits for dry seaweeds. Therefore, in this context, some strategies ofS. muticumvalorisation should be favoured such as bioenergy, bioplastic or biostimulant over others such as human food and animal feed.
A Fast-Response, Phenanthroimidazole-Based Fluorescent Chemosensor for Selective Detection of HClO
Authors: Dai Enhui , Sheng Yumiao , Gao Yunling
Published: June 2023

A new phenanthroimidazole-based fluorescence probe for selective detection of HClO was synthesized and characterized using 1HNMR, 13CNMR, IR, and HRMS. With benzenesulfonohydrazide as the identification group, the probe demonstrated a fast fluorescence response from yellow-green to blue when the HC = N double bond was oxidized and broken into an aldehyde group. The probe showed high selectivity and sensitivity towards HClO with approximately 4.5-fold fluorescence enhancement and has been successfully applied in the molecular logic gates, determination of HClO in environmental water samples, and portable HClO detection.
The Impact of Female Secondary Education on Economic Growth in Bangladesh: An ARDL Approach
Authors: Dhar Soma , Sarker Tapan
Published: June 2023

The goal of this research is to investigate the impact of female secondary education on long-term economic growth in Bangladesh. For this purpose, following a quantitative methodology, the impacts of Female Secondary Education, Female Labor Force Participation Rate, and Fertility Rate on the real GDP growth of Bangladesh are examined for the period 1995–2021. The findings of the Auto Regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) cointegration model reveal that the female secondary education and the female labor force participation rate have a positive significant impact on economic growth whereas the fertility rate has a negative significance on economic growth in Bangladesh. In addition, the Error Correction Model has been used to capture the speed of adjustment. The coefficient of Error Correction Term (ECT) holds a theoretically correct sign and is also statistically significant, meaning that there exists short-run adjustment in the whole system. The study offers some recommendations for the betterment of female secondary education which can contribute to the economic growth in Bangladesh and other developing economies.
MXRFCS: Design of an augmented Multidomain XRay Feature representation model for identification of CoVID Severity levels
Authors: Thombre Supriya , Malik Latesh , Kumar Sanjay
Published: June 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an enormous strain on healthcare systems worldwide, leading to a need for more efficient methods of identifying the severity of COVID-19 patients to efficiently allocate resources. Existing Xray processing models for identification of COVID-19 are either highly complicated or showcase lower efficiency when applied for real-time scenarios. To overcome these issues, this paper presents a novel approach for identifying the severity of COVID-19 patients using an augmented multimodal X-ray feature representation model. The proposed model combines X-ray images, clinical data, and demographic information to create a robust representation of individual patient condition. The collected information is converted into multidomain feature sets, including frequency, Gabor, Wavelet and entropy components. A customized deep neural network is trained on this representation to predict the severity level of COVID-19 patients. To evaluate the performance of the proposed model, we used a dataset of X-ray images and clinical data from COVID-19 patients. Our results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms existing methods for identifying COVID-19 severity levels, achieving an accuracy of 98.5% on multiple dataset samples. The proposed model's performance was observed to be promising in terms of precision, recall and delay, thus has the potential to aid in the early identification and effective management of severe COVID-19 cases, thus contributing to the global effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic under clinical use cases.
Upscaling biomass production of rosmarinic acid-rich hairy root cultures of Agastache rugosa
Authors: Kozłowska Weronika , Piątczak Ewelina , Kolniak-Ostek Joanna , Kochan Ewa , Pencakowski Bartosz , Stafiniak Marta , Bielecka Monika , Płachno Bartosz J. , Strzemski Maciej , Matkowski Adam , Zielinska Sylwia
Published: June 2023

Agastache rugosa (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Kuntze known as Korean Mint is a medicinal and aromatic plant containing rosmarinic acid as a major bioactive polyphenol but its content in this herbal drug is variable. Plant in vitro culture is one of the approaches used to overcome the complexity of environmental factors influencing phytochemical profiles in medicinal plants.
In this study, hairy root cultures of A. rugosa were established through the infection of Rhizobium rhizogenes. Four hairy roots lines were selected on the basis of biomass production in liquid media. Transformation was confirmed by PCR using rolC specific primers. The hairy roots were successfully cultured in 300 mL conical flasks and scaled-up using three bioreactor types (nutrient sprinkle bioreactor – NSB and two modular temporary immersion systems – RITA® and Plantform®). The UPLC analysis of A. rugosa transformed roots methanol extracts showed the presence of 24 polyphenolic compounds with the predominance of rosmarinic acid (RA), which level ranged between 3.82 and 9.16 mg/g of dry weight. Nineteen compounds were identified in hairy roots growing in NSB system, 9 of them were identified in roots cultured in RITA® or Plantform® and 7 compounds were identified in roots from Erlenmeyer flasks. The A. rhizogenes infection (strain A4) was found to be an effective method of hairy root culture establishment of A. rugosa.
Tetraspanin CD81 is expressed in human parotid cancer tissue and mediates cell proliferation
Authors: Hamada Wataru , Kato-Kogoe Nahoko , Yamanegi Koji , Kanetake Hirofumi , Hirata Azumi , Terada Tetsuya , Kurisu Yoshitaka , Une Hidenori , Hirose Yoshinobu , Nakanishi Tohru , Kawata Ryo , Ueno Takaaki
Published: June 2023

Objectives
CD81, a transmembrane protein belonging to the tetraspanin family, has recently attracted attention as a therapeutic target for cancer owing to its important role in human cancer biology; however, there is no previous knowledge regarding CD81 expression in parotid cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate CD81 expression in human parotid cancer and its involvement in cell proliferation.
Materials and Methods
Tissue samples were collected from 36 patients with parotid cancer, including 10 with salivary duct carcinoma (SDC), 16 with mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), 5 with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), and 5 with carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (Ca ex PA). CD81 expressions in parotid cancer tissues were evaluated using western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Parotid cancer cell lines were established and the effect of suppressing CD81 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and the effect of our anti-CD81 monoclonal antibody on the growth of parotid cancer cells were evaluated.
Results
The immunohistochemical expressions of CD81 on tumor cell membranes were observed in SDC and MEC tissues but not in ACC and Ca ex PA tissues. Furthermore, inhibition of CD81 expression by siRNA suppresses the growth of parotid cancer cells, and the mouse monoclonal antibody against CD81 inhibited parotid cancer cell growth in a concentration-dependent manner.
Conclusions
We confirmed the expressions of CD81 in SDC and MEC tissues and showed that its inhibition suppressed the growth of parotid cancer cells.
Clinical Relevance
These findings provide primary data for the therapeutic targeting of CD81 in parotid cancer.
Residual varus alignment after posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty limits medial soft tissue remodeling
Authors: Jia Yanfeng , Qin Shiqi , Xu Juncai , Gao Wei , Zhang Boxuan , Wang Xiaofeng , Zhou Kezhen , Sun Zhiwen , Niu Yingzhen , Sun Ran
Published: June 2023

Background Proper lower limb alignment and soft tissue balance are significant indicators to measure the success of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Previous studies have confirmed that soft tissue relaxation around the knee after TKA will change over time; however, the relationship between lower limb alignment and soft tissue balance after TKA is still unclear. We studied (1) whether the change of soft tissue balance around the knee with time after PS TKA would affect the alignment of the lower limbs; (2) Whether the accuracy of lower limb alignment during PS TKA affects postoperative soft tissue remodeling.
Methods In this study, 100 patients were recruited after PS TKA. Among them, 50 patients with a hip knee ankle (HKA) angle of ≤ ± 3 ° were set as the neutral group, and 50 patients with HKA angle of ＞± 3 ° were set as the deviation group. The imaging results measured the hip knee ankle (HKA) angle before the operation as well as the HKA, varus, and valgus angles at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after TKA. Clinical assessment included range of motion (ROM), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Knee Society Score (KSS).
Results Eight people were excluded in the experiment. The study enrolled 47 patients in the neutral group and 45 patients in the deviant group follow up for 2 years . During the follow-up, the HKA angles were 1.64 °, 1.66 °, 1.69 °, 1.67 °, and 1.64 ° in the neutral group and 4.35 °, 4.38 °, 4.40 °, 4.42 °, and 4.42 ° in the deviation group. There was no statistical significance in the changes of HKA angle in the follow-up of the two groups (P > 0.05). The mean varus angles of the patients in the neutral group were 5.77 °, 4.17 °, 4.06 °, 4.06 °, and 4.09 °, while the mean varus angles of the patients in the deviation group were 5.68 °, 4.20 °, 4.18 °, 4.09 ° and 4.05 °, with no significant difference between the groups (P > 0.05). The mean valgus angles of the patients in the neutral group and deviation group were 2.47 ° and 2.45 ° (P = 0.841), 3.45 ° and 2.88 ° (P < 0.001), 3.63 ° and 3.07 ° (P < 0.001), 3.60 ° and 3.06 ° (P < 0.001), 3.63 ° and 3.10 ° (P < 0.001). ROM, WOMAC and KSS of the two groups were significantly improved after operation, and there was no difference between the two groups.
Conclusion This study shows that whether the alignment is accurate or not in the early stage after TKA, the relaxation of the medial and lateral soft tissues of the knee joint change; however, this change will not significantly affect the alignment of the lower limbs. Postoperative residual varus deformity will limit medial soft tissue remodeling.
Level of evidence III.
A multi-source heterogeneous data-driven method for the site selection of elderly care facilities
Authors: Wang Hao , Wang Zongshui
Published: June 2023

In the site selection of elderly care facilities era, the traditional methods of site selection for elderly care facilities are subjective, the data sources of methods are single, and the research objects of the methods are not realistic, this paper presents a multi-source heterogeneous data-driven method for the site selection of elderly care facilities. This method takes the Xicheng and Dongcheng districts of Beijing as the research objects. On the grid scale of 500m*500m, six features of population factors, economic level, traffic accessibility, medical conditions, the convenience of life, and natural factors are constructed through multi-source data. Using an integrated algorithm, the location of elderly care facilities is predicted quantitatively, and the priority of features is sorted. The research found that: (1) The model in this paper predicts more accurately than traditional models (2) the number of education facilities, proportion of green areas, medical conditions, traffic accessibility, and the number of shopping facilities are the main features for the site selection of elderly care facilities in Xicheng and Dongcheng districts. This method can also provide references for the site selection of other facilities.
GLS1 mediates SREBP-1 to promote lipid metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma through PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway
Authors: Sun Yaocheng , Shen Ying , Yan Yongmin , Xi Jianbo , Luo Wei , Liu Chuanlei , Tang Jianjun
Published: June 2023

Cancer cells are characterized by altered metabolism. As the key enzyme in cancer cells that promotes glutamine catabolism to glutamate and ammonia, glutaminase 1 (GLS1) is highly associated with a variety of human malignancies. However, its role in lipid metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be revealed. Our findings show that GLS1 is not only significantly highly expressed in HCC, but also negatively correlates with clinical prognosis. Further studies showed that GLS1 promotes lipid accumulation and new fatty acid synthesis in HCC. In addition, GLS1 promotes lipid accumulation and cell growth by upregulating the increased expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) and SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP). Mechanistically, GLS1 promotes lipid metabolism in HCC cells through PI3K/AKT/mTOR activation. Taken together, our study suggests that GLS1 mediates SREBP-1 to promote lipid metabolism in HCC through the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway, which may be a novel idea that GLS1 has the potential to be a biomarker for HCC as well as a target for drug therapy.
Ferroptosis Inhibitor Ferrostatin-1 Attenuates Morphine Tolerance Development in Rats by Inhibiting Dorsal Root Ganglion Neuronal Ferroptosis
Authors: Dirik Hasan , Taşkıran Ahmet Şevki , Joha Ziad
Published: June 2023

OBJECTIVES: This investigation aimed to assess the impact of ferrostatin-1 on the progression of morphine tolerance and elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved.
METHODS: The rats in this experiment were categorized into six groups: Control, pantoprazole, morphine, pantoprazole + morphine, morphine tolerance, and pantoprazole + morphine tolerance. The antinociceptive action was evaluated using both the hot plate and tail-flick tests. Subsequent to the completion of the analgesic tests, tissue samples were gathered from the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) for subsequent analysis. The levels of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), along with the measurements of total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS), were assessed in the tissues of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG).
RESULTS: Following tolerance development, the administration of ferrostatin resulted in a notable decrease in morphine tolerance. Additionally, ferrostatin treatment resulted in elevated levels of glutathione, GPX4, Nrf2, and TOS, while concurrently causing a decrease in TAS levels.
CONCLUSION: The outcomes of our study establish that ferrostatin-1 has the capability to mitigate the progression of morphine tolerance by suppressing ferroptosis and decreasing oxidative stress in neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). These results suggest that Ferrostatin-1 holds promise as a potential therapeutic intervention to prevent or attenuate the formation of morphine tolerance.
Evaluating the ability of agroforestry systems to mimic forests with remote sensing data in the Amazon
Authors: Fiel Luciane Gomes , Aviz Matheus Dias , Sousa Marina Costa , Rayol Breno Pinto , Lima Aline Meiguins , Souza Everaldo Barreiros , Anjos Luciano J S
Published: June 2023

Agroforestry systems (AFSs) are a form of land use capable of sequestering and storing carbon in their perennial structure, while ensuring income distribution and food security in biodiversity-friendly landscapes. Given this, such a productive activity has great potential as an adaptive measure in the face of the ongoing climate change. The logic of this activity is supported by the theoretical framework of biomimetics, even if in an intuitive and non-declared way, where there is a deliberate intention that agroecosystems should imitate natural ecosystems in their structure and functioning. Based on this premise, the objective of this study is to evaluate whether the AFS in the municipality of Tomé-Açu, inserted in the Amazon biome, are capable of mimicking primary forests in terms of their structure and functioning over two decades of observation in a spatially explicit. To achieve this objective, we used the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) calculated on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform for primary forests and agroecosystems in the municipality of Tomé-Açu between 2000 and 2020 annually. In addition, we used aboveground biomass (AGB) estimates derived from remote sensors to assess whether there were functional differences in carbon storage between the two evaluated treatments. We observed that using the EVI, there is no statistically significant difference between AFS and primary forests, although there are relevant differences in terms of biomass. Our results indicate that AFS can be structurally similar to mature forests, corroborating studies that point to a similarity in the ability to store carbon. From the results of our methodological approach, we conclude that agroforestry systems can represent a relevant opportunity for mitigating the socio-environmental effects of climate change.
Phylogenomic Analysis of Dichrocephala benthamii and Comparative Analysis within Tribe Astereae (Asteraceae)
Authors: Chen Hui , Luo Junjia , Liu Xiaofeng , Li Tingyu , Qu Tianmeng , Li Bo , Fu Zhixi
Published: June 2023

Dichrocephala benthamii C. B. Clarke has long been used as traditional Chinese medicine. However, the chloroplast (cp) genome of D. benthamii is poorly understood so far. In this study, we have sequenced and analyzed the cp genome of D. benthamii. The results show that the cp genome is 152,350 bp in length, with a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb, each 24,982 bp), a large single-copy (LSC) region comprising 84,136 bp, and a small single-copy (SSC) region comprising 18,250 bp. The GC content of the cp genome was 37.3%. A total of 134 genes were identified, including 87 protein-coding genes (CDS), 38 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 1 pseudogene (ycf1). The plastome includes 87 simple repeats and 48 long repeats. The phylogenetic analysis reveals D. benthamii is the basal group of Astereae. Therefore, we confirm that the taxa of Astereae emerges from southern Africa and dispersed to other big continents. The results of this study are a significant contribution to the field of genetics and species identification related to D. benthamii.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis resides in lysosome-poor monocyte-derived lung cells during chronic infection
Authors: Zheng Weihao , Chang I-Chang , Limberis Jason , Budzik Jonathan , Zha Beth Shoshana , Howard Zachary , Chen Lucas , Ernst Joel
Published: June 2023

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) persists in lung myeloid cells during chronic infection. However, the mechanisms allowing Mtb to evade elimination are not fully understood. Here, we determined that in chronic phase, CD11clo monocyte-derived lung cells termed MNC1 (mononuclear cell subset 1), harbor more live Mtb than alveolar macrophages (AM), neutrophils, and less permissive CD11chi MNC2. Transcriptomic and functional studies of sorted cells revealed that the lysosome biogenesis pathway is underexpressed in MNC1, which have less lysosome content, acidification, and proteolytic activity than AM, and less nuclear TFEB, a master regulator of lysosome biogenesis. Mtb infection does not drive lysosome deficiency in MNC1. Instead, Mtb recruits MNC1 and MNC2 to the lungs for its spread from AM to these cells via its ESX-1 secretion system. The c-Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor nilotinib activates TFEB and enhances lysosome function of primary macrophages and MNC1 and MNC2 in vivo, improving control of Mtb infection. Our results indicate that Mtb exploits lysosome-poor monocyte-derived cells for in vivo persistence, suggesting a potential target for host-directed tuberculosis therapy.
The simulation of nonlinear magneto-heat coupling model approached by finite element method
Authors: Xu Tianliang , Fan Xiaomin , Yao Changhui
Published: June 2023

This article is devoted to the exploration of finite element methodfor magneto-heat coupling model, where the eddy current problem and the heat equation are coupled together with the heat convection and the radiation effects. The main contribution is consist of three parts. Firstly, the decoupled scheme is established by applying backward Euler discretization in time and Nédélec-Lagrange finite element in magnetic-temperature field, respectively. Secondly, the existence uniqueness and stability of the numerical solutions are proved by applying the theory of monotoneoperators. Thirdly, the error estimate with the convergent order $O(\tau+h^{\min\{ r,1\}}), \frac{1}{2} < r ≤ 1 under a lower regular assumption. Eventually, two numerical examples are provided.
2008 MSC: 65M60, 65M15, 35Q60, 35B45.
Corrosion Behaviour of Fe-based and Ni-based Alloys in Wet CO2 Gas with and without Chloride Deposits at 750°C
Authors: Cai Yuchen , Zhang Zhe , Zhang Jianqiang , Gleeson Brian , Young David J.
Published: June 2023

Corrosion behaviours of Fe-25Cr, Fe-25Cr-2Mn-1Si, Fe-25Cr-20Ni, 310SS, Ni-25Cr, and Ni-25Cr-2Mn-1Si (all in wt. %) with and without NaCl-KCl deposits in Ar-60%CO2-20%H2O gas at 750oC were studied. Without salt deposits, Fe-25Cr performed protectively, while Fe-25Cr-20Ni and Ni-25Cr underwent breakaway oxidation with multi-layered scales formed. Adding alloy elements Si + Mn increased the corrosion resistance of all alloys by forming additional Mn-rich oxides and silica. Surface deposits of NaCl-KCl accelerated corrosion, forming porous Fe-rich oxide nodules for Fe-25Cr and thick, porous scales and internal oxidation zones for all other alloys. The protective effect of Si + Mn alloying disappeared in the presence of chlorides. Limited intergranular carbides were observed for all alloys in the gas-only condition. The extent of carburisation increased with the presence of chloride deposits for all Fe-based alloys, but remained unchanged for Ni-based alloys. Corrosion of these alloys at 750oC is compared with that at 650oC. The effect of chlorides in volatilising metals at 750oC is discussed.
First report of Anopheles stephensi in Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Hawaria Dawit , Kibret Solomon , Zhong Daibin , Lee Ming-Chieh , Lelisa Kidane , Bekele Belayneh , Birhanu Muntasha , Mengesha Mathe , Solomon Hiwot , Yewhalaw Delenesaw , Yan Guiyun
Published: June 2023

Background
Anopheles stephensi is an emerging exotic invasive urban vector of malaria in East Africa. The World Health Organization recently announced an initiative to take concerted actions to limit this vector's expansion by strengthening surveillance and control in invaded and potentially receptive territories in Africa. This study sought to determine the geographic distribution of An. stephensi in southern Ethiopia.
Methods
A targeted entomological survey, both larvae and adult, was conducted in Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia between November 2022 and February 2023. Anopheles Larvae were reared to adults for species identification. CDC light traps and BG Pro traps were used overnight both indoor and outdoor at selected houses to collect adult mosquitoes in the study area. Prokopack Aspirator was employed to sample indoor resting mosquitoes in the morning. Adults of An. stephensi was identified using morphological keys, and then confirmed by PCR.
Results
Larvae of An. stephensi were found in 28 (16.6%) of the 169 potential mosquito breeding sites surveyed. Out of 548 adult female Anopheles mosquitoes reared from larvae, 234 (42.7%) were identified to be An. stephensi morphologically. A total of 449 female anophelines were caught, of which 53 (12.0%) were An. stephensi. Other anopheline species collected in the study area included An. gambiae (s.l.), An. pharoensis, An. coustani, and An. demeilloni.
Conclusion
The study, for the first time, confirmed the presence of An. stephensi in southern Ethiopia. The presence of both larval and adult stages of this mosquito attest that this species established a sympatric colonization with native vector species such as An. gambiae (s.l.) in Southern Ethiopia. The findings warrant further investigation on the ecology, behavior, population genetics, and role of An. stephensi in malaria transmission in Ethiopia.
Reduction by symmetries of contact mechanical systems on Lie groups
Authors: Simoes Alexandre Anahory , Colombo Leonardo , de León Manuel , Marrero Juan Carlos , de Diego David Martín , Padrón Edith
Published: June 2023

We study the dynamics of contact mechanical systems on Lie groups that are invariant under a Lie group action. Analogously to standard mechanical systems on Lie groups, existing symmetries allow for reducing the number of equations. Thus, we obtain Euler-Poincaré-Herglotz equations on the extended reduced phase space g × ℝ associated with the extended phase space TG × ℝ, where the configuration manifold G is a Lie group and g its Lie algebra. Furthermore, we obtain the Hamiltonian counterpart of these equations by studying the underlying Jacobi structure. Finally, we extend the reduction process to the case of symmetry-breaking systems which are invariant under a Lie subgroup of symmetries.
AMS Mathematics Subject Classification (2020). Primary 70G45, 70G65, 70G75; Secondary 53D05, 53D10, 53D17.
Developing prognostic nomograms to predict overall survival and cancer-specific survival in synchronous multiple primary colorectal cancer based on the SEER database
Authors: Zhang Xiangyu , Hu Yanpeng , Deng Kai , Ren Wanbo , Zhang Jie , Liu Cuicui , Ma Baoqing
Published: June 2023

Background:
Synchronous multiple primary colorectal cancer (SMPCC) is a rare subtype of CRC, characterized by the presence of two or more primary CRC lesionssimultaneously or within 6 months from the detection of the first lesion. We aim to develope a novel nomogram to predict OS and CSS for SMPCC patients using data from the SEER database.
Methods:
The clinical variables and survival data of SMPCC patients between 2004 and 2018 were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to screen the enrolled patients. Univariate and multivariate cox regression analyses were used to identify the independent risk factors for OS and CSS. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated using the concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, and the area under the curve (AUC) of a receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC). A decision curve analysis (DCA) was generated to compare the net benefits of the nomogram with those of the TNM staging system.
Results:
A total of 6772 SMPCC patients were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to the training (n = 4670) and validation (n = 2002) cohorts. Multivariate cox analysis confirmed that race, marital status, age, histology, tumor position, T stage, N stage, M stage, chemotherapy, and the number of dissected LNs were independent prognostic factors.The C-index values for OS and CSS prediction were 0.716 (95%CI: 0.705–0.727) and 0.718 (95%CI: 0.702–0.734) in the training cohort, and 0.760 (95%CI: 0.747–0.773) and 0.749 (95%CI: 0.728–0.769) in the validation cohort. The ROC and calibration curves indicated that the model had good stability and reliability. Decision curve analysis revealed that the nomograms provided more significant clinical net benefit than the TNM staging system.
Conclusion:
We developed a novel nomogram for clinicians to predict OS and CSS and could be used to optimize the treatment in SMPCC patients.
The Fundamental Plane of FSRQs with the Black HoleSpin-Mass Energy
Authors: Zhang Xu , Gao Quan-Gui
Published: June 2023

Abstract The Fundamental Plane(FP) for the Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) is found by previous worksin recent years. However the mass of Black Hole (MBH)for this previous works is the total black hole mass also known as the dynamical mass, Mdyn. The result offundamental plane may be influenced by BH spin. Itmotivated us for a new variable considering the effectof black hole spin. In this work, we add the black holespin-mass energy(Mspin) as a new variable which has aclose relation to the jet for the supermassive black hole.We collected a sample of 62 flat-spectrum radio quasars(FSRQs) to build a new fundamental plane of blazarswith gamma ray luminosity(Lγ), X-ray luminosity(Lx)and the BH spin-mass energy. The fundamental plane (logLγ=0.662−0.193+0.193logLX+0.495−0.154+0.154logMspin+14.579−7.140+7.140 with R-Square=0.783) show that thespin-mass energy has a better relation comparing tothe mass of black hole. The result indicates that Mspinshould be considered as a important variable for thefundamental plane of Blazars. It might help us to get abetter understanding on the Blandford-Znajek processin FSRQs.
A quasi-experimental study to estimate effectiveness of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention in Aweil South County in Northern Bahr El Ghazal, South Sudan.
Authors: Khan Jamshed , Sans Maria Suau , Okot Francis , Ayuiel Abubaker Rom , Magoola Jonathan , Rassi Christian , Huang Sikai , Mubiru Denis , Bonnington Craig , Baker Kevin , Ahmed Julla , Nnaji Chuks , Richardson Sol
Published: June 2023

Background Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is an effective intervention to prevent malaria in children in locations where the burden of malaria is high and transmission is seasonal. There is growing evidence suggesting that SMC with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine can retain its high level of effectiveness in East and Southern Africa despite resistance concerns. This study aims to generate evidence on the effectiveness of SMC when delivered under programmatic conditions in an area with an unknown antimalarial drug resistance profile in the Northern Bahr el-Ghazal region of South Sudan.Methods We conducted a non-randomised quasi experimental study comparing an intervention county with a control county. Five monthly SMC cycles were delivered between July and November 2022, targeting about 19,000 children 3–59 months old. Data were obtained from repeated cross-sectional household surveys of caregivers of children aged 3–59 months using cluster sampling. Wave 1 survey took place in both counties before SMC implementation; Waves 2 and 3 took place after the second and fourth monthly SMC cycles. We performed difference-in-differences analysis by fitting logistic regression models with interactions between county and wave.Results A total of 2,760 children were sampled in the study across the three survey waves in both study counties. Children in the intervention arm had 70% lower odds of caregiver-reported fever relative to those in the control arm during the one-month period prior to Wave 2 (OR: 0.30, 95%CI: 0.12–0.70, p = 0.003), and 47% lower odds in Wave 3 (OR: 0.63, 95%CI: 0.22–1.59, p = 0.306) after controlling for baseline difference between counties in Wave 1. Odds of caregiver-reported RDT-confirmed malaria were 82% lower in the previous one-month period prior to Wave 2 (OR: 0.18, 95%CI: 0.07–0.49, p = 0.001) and Wave 3 (OR: 0.18, 95%CI: 0.06–0.54, p = 0.003).Conclusion These results show high effectiveness of SMC using SPAQ in terms of reducing malaria disease during the high transmission season in children 3–59 month. Despite the promising results, we require the results from the chemoprevention efficacy cohort studies, and analysis of relevant resistance markers, to assess the suitability of SMC for this specific context.