bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk Assessment of Shanghai Extreme Flooding Under the Land Use Change Scenario
Authors: Shan Xinmeng , Yin Jie , Wang Jun
Published: June 2021

Environmental changes have led to non-stationary flood risks in coastal cities. How to quantitatively characterize the future change trend and effectively adapt is a frontier scientific problem that needs to be solved urgently. To this end, this study uses the 2010 Shanghai land use data as the base and uses the GeoSOS-FLUS model to simulate future land use change scenarios (2030, 2050, and 2100). Based on the results of storm and flood numerical simulations, probabilistic risk, and other multidisciplinary methods, extreme storm and flood risks of various land uses (residential land, commercial and public service land, industrial land, transportation land, agricultural land, and other land) in Shanghai are analyzed and 4 adaptation strategies to deal with extreme flooding have been developed. The research results show that: 1) Under the two emission scenarios, residential, commercial and public service, and industrial land have the highest exposure assets. Under the RCP8.5 scenario, the exposure of assets in 2100, 2050, and 2030 will be 1.7 times, 1.5 times, and 1.3 times that in 2010 for 1/1000-year, respectively; the losses will be 2.7 times, 2.0 times, and 1.8 times that in 2010, respectively. 2) The spatial pattern of loss, which forms the scattered distribution of 1/10-year, is mainly distributed on both sides of the Huangpu River. For 1/1000-year, which is mainly gradually showed a strip distribution, continuous distribution of the city center, and the Qingpu-Songjiang depression in the southwest are high-risk areas for storm floods. 3) The risks are mainly distributed in the city center, the lower reaches of the Huangpu River, the northern shore of Hangzhou Bay, the Qingpu-Songjiang depression in the southwest, and Chongming Island (southwest and northeast). Our work can provide decision-making basis for risk-sensitive based urban planning, flood risk adaptation, and resilience building in Shanghai. The methodology can also provide a reference for risk assessment in other coastal areas.
A traditional Chinese Medicine Proves the Treatment of Endometrial Hyperplasia Via Regulating the HPO Axis in Rats
Authors: Lv Bo , Peng Yuan-de , Fu Wen-hui , Li Wen-jing , Chen Li-jun , Wang Zhi
Published: June 2021

Background: Dysfunctional uterine bleeding, accompanied by endometrial hyperplasia, is a common gynecological disease regulated by multiple hormones, which seriously affects female physical and mental health. Some drugs have been prompted to cure the disease, but most drugs have certain side effects and limitations. Nonetheless, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) could provide a novel perspective for the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia and related complications. Methods: The active components from Saururus chinensis, Celosia cristata and Spatholobus suberectus (Referred to as SCS) were determined by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. An acute high-dose SCS test was performed to evaluate the toxicity of SCS. The serum samples were used to identify the alterations involved in the biochemical index and concentration of four key hormones related to the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary (HPO) axis. In addition, the expression of two essential genes regulated by the HPO axis was determined by the RT-qPCR method.Results: In the present study, we identified the active components (e.g., sauchinone and formononetin) from the Chinese herbs via TLC and HPLC methods. In addition, the results from the serum biochemical index and histologic section found that acute high-dose SCS exerted no adverse impacts on the rats. We then illustrated that SCS could shorten hemostatic, coagulation time and degree of swelling on rats. Furthermore, SCS decreased the value of erythrocyte, hemoglobin, and hematocrit in serum. Further studies were conducted to provide direct evidence that the recovery of endometrial hyperplasia was associated with the modulation of four hormones (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol and progesterone). Besides, SCS altered mRNA expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 on the uterine endometrium, thereby promoting the repair of proliferating endometrium in the rats. Conclusion: Collectively, we demonstrated that an unexploited Chinese traditional medicine, a combination of S. chinensis, C. cristata and S. suberectus, could be used for the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia and associated complications in the rats, and uncovers the mechanism at molecular and gene expression levels.
Chemical Profiles and Metabolite Study of Raw and Processed Cistanche Deserticola in rats by UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE
Authors: Li Zhe , Ryenchindorj Lkhaasuren , Liu Bonan , SHI Ji , Zhang Chao , Hua Yue , Liu Pengpeng , Shan Guoshun , Jia Tianzhu
Published: June 2021

Background: Chinese materia medica processing is a distinguished and unique pharmaceutical technique in traditional Chinese Medicien (TCM), which has played an important role in reducing side effects, increasing medical potencies, altering the properties and even changing the curative effects of raw herbs.The efficacy improvement in medicinal plants is mainly caused by changes in the key substances through an optimized processing procedure.The effect of invigorating the kidney-yang for rice wine-steamed Cistancha deserticola was more strengthened than raw C. deserticola (CD). Methods: To evaluate the effect of processing, a comparative analysis was conducted by utilizing the UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE with the UNIFI informatics platform. In vitro studies were performed for the characterization of constituents as well as metabolites in vivo , and chemical components were determined in CD and its processed products. The multivariate statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate variations between them. OPLS-DA was used for pairwise comparison which revealed their marked differences. Results: In this study, the obtained results revealed considerable variations in phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) and iridoids after processing. The detection of 97 compounds was carried out in the extracts of CD and its processed product. In an in-vivo study, 10 prototype components and 44 metabolites were evaluated in rat plasma, feces, and urine. The obtained results revealed that processing leads to the considerable variation in the chemical constituents of CD and affects the disposition of the compounds in-vivo, and phase II metabolic processes were the key cascades of each compound and most of the metabolites were associated with echinacoside or acteoside. Conclusions: According to our literature search, the existing study reveals a comparative study of raw and processed CD for the first time. The obtained data help us to understand the impact of CD processing for further studies.
Preliminary Study Mechanism of Ethylene Induced Abscission Zone Formation and Function of GhArfGAP in Upland Cotton Boll Stalk
Authors: Chen Long , Liu AnFeng , Guo ZiWen , Jiang Hui , Luo Ling , Gao JunShan , Li DaHui , Ye SiHong , Guo Ning
Published: June 2021

Background: With the continuous growth of population, the demand for fiber is also rising sharply. As one of the main fiber plants in the world, cotton fiber yield of upland cotton is affected by boll abscission, which is related to the formation of abscission zone. Therefore, we explored the formation of the abscission zone of upland cotton.﻿Result: The formation of abscission layer of cotton boll stalk was promoted by exogenous ethylene. It was found that both the number of Golgi apparatus and the number of stacking layers increased in the dissociated cells. The GhArfGAP gene family in upland cotton was screened by bioinformatics method, and the species and evolutionary relationship of GhArfGAP gene family were analyzed. qRT-PCR showed that the expression patterns of GhArfGAP13,GhArfGAP15, GhArfGAP25 and GhArfGAP34 in cotton were spatiotemporal specific. Subcellular localization suggested that GhArfGAP25 played a role in Golgi apparatus . The expression of GhArfGAP25 in transgenic Arabidopsis increased in the root, stem and leaf.Conclusions: Ethylene could induce the formation of abscission zone in upland cotton. GhArfGAP13,GhArfGAP15,GhArfGAP25,GhArfGAP34 might regulate the changes of Golgi apparatus in abscisson zone.Taken together the findings provide new ideas for the study of cotton abscission formation.
Ecosystem Services Provided By Urban Forests In The Southern Caucasus Region: A Modeling Study In Tbilisi, Georgia
Authors: Alpaidze Levan , Pace Rocco
Published: June 2021

BackgroundAll cities globally are growing considerably as they are experiencing an intensive urbanization process resulting in significant economic, social, and environmental challenges. One of the major risks is the deterioration of living environment in urban areas due to the high soil consumption and pollution of environmental components. For this reason, cities are required to adopt measures to reduce air pollution concentration and CO2 emissions, preserve biodiversity and mitigate the urban heat island effect. In this context, tree planting has been suggested as one cost-effective strategy because green infrastructures can provide important environmental and social functions which contribute to the quality of life and health of city dwellers.Tbilisi is the largest city in Georgia, with a population of over 1,100,000 inhabitants (about 30% of total population of Georgia). The green space availability in Tbilisi (5-6 m2 per inhabitant) is low compared to other European cities, and in recent years the need to increase the amount of urban vegetation has been underlined at planning level.ResultsIn our study, we implemented for the first time in an Eastern European city the i-Tree Eco model to quantify the main ecosystem services from common tree species in Southern Caucasus. Two parks, Expo Park (694 trees) and Red Park (1027 trees) in the city of Tbilisi have been measured and a model simulation was performed for the year 2018. These urban forests store large amounts of carbon in their woody tissues (198.4 t for Expo park and 126.5 t for Red park) and each year they remove 4.6 and 4.7 t of CO2 for Expo park and Red park. They also positively contribute to the air quality by removing 119.6 and 90.3 kg of pollutants (CO, NO2, O3, PM2.5, SO2), and reducing water runoff of 269.5 and 200.5 m3, respectively.Conclusions This analysis highlighted the key role of urban forests in improving the environmental sustainability of the city of Tbilisi and provides important decision support for the tree species selection in this geographic area with the aim of maximizing the benefits trees can supply to cities.
Daily-life Physical Activity of Young Healthy Adults Associates with Function and Structure of the Hippocampus
Authors: Seoane Sara , Ezama Laura , Janssen Niels
Published: June 2021

Research on the impact of physical activity (PA) has shown that PA produces changes in the structure and function of a brain structure called the hippocampus. There are three main limitations in this research. First, the majority of the work has been carried out in elderly populations and as such, there is a paucity of research on the impact of PA on the brains of healthy young individuals. Second, whereas PA is typically assessed through controlled interventions, changes in the brain due to PA as performed during daily-life activities has not been explored. Finally, the hippocampus has a complex internal structure and the impact of PA on this internal structure is unclear. Here we examined how structural and functional aspects of the hip-pocampus are associated with habitual PA performed during work, leisure time and sports in the daily lives of young healthy adults. We found that PA performed during work time correlated with increased subicular volumes and with changed functional connectivity between a location in middle/posterior hippocampus and regions of the default mode network and between a location in anterior hippocampus and regions of the somatomotor network. No effects of PA performed during leisure time and sports were found. The results generalize the impact of PA to younger populations and show how PA performed in daily-life situations correlates with the precise internal structure of the hippocampus.
The Seasonal Dynamics and Biting Behavior of Potential Anopheles Vectors of Plasmodium Knowlesi in Palawan, Philippines
Authors: Malijan Richard Paul , Mechan Frank , Braganza Jessie C , Valle Kristelle Mae R. , Salazar Ferdinand V. , Torno Majhalia M , Aure Wilfredo E , Bacay Brian A , Espino Fe Esperanza , Torr Stephen J , Fornace Kimberly M , Drakeley Chris , Ferguson Heather M
Published: June 2021

Background: A small number of human cases of the zoonotic malaria Plasmodium knowlesi have been reported in Palawan Island, the Philippines. Identification of potential vector species and their bionomics is crucial for understanding of human exposure risk in this setting. Here, we combined longitudinal surveillance with a trap-evaluation study to address knowledge gaps about the ecology and potential for zoonotic spillover of this macaque malaria in Palawan Island.Methods: The abundance, diversity and biting behavior of human-biting Anopheles mosquitoes were assessed through monthly outdoor Human Landing Catches (HLC) in three ecotypes representing different land use (forest-edge, forest and agricultural area) across 8 months. Additionally, the host preference and biting activity of potential Anopheles vectors was assessed through comparison of their abundance and capture time in traps baited with humans (HLC, human-baited electrocuting net – HEN) or macaques (monkey-baited trap – MBT, monkey-baited electrocuting net – HEN). All female Anopheles mosquitoes were tested for presence of Plasmodium parasite by PCR.Results: Previously incriminated vectors Anopheles balabacensis and An. flavirostris accounted for >95% of Anophelines caught in longitudinal surveillance. However human biting densities were relatively low (An. balabacensis: 0.34 -1.20 per night, An. flavirostris: 0-2 bites per night). Biting densities of An. balabacensis were highest in the forest-edge while An. flavirostris was most abundant in the agricultural area. The abundance of An. balabacensis and An. flavirostris was significantly higher in HLC than MBT. None of the 357 female Anopheles mosquitoes tested for Plasmodium infection were positive.Conclusions: The relatively low density and lack of malaria infection in Anopheles mosquitoes sampled here indicates that exposure to P. knowlesi in this setting is considerably lower than neighbouring countries (Malaysia) where it is now the primary cause of malaria in humans. Although Anophelines had lower abundance in MBT than HLC, An. balabacensis and An. flavirostris were caught by both methods suggesting they could act as bridge vectors between humans and macaques. These species bite primarily outdoors and in early evening; confirming that Insecticide Treated Nets are unlikely to provide protection against P. knowlesi vectors.
The Miscarriage Circle of Care: Towards Leveraging eHealth for Social Support
Authors: Alqassim Mona Y. , Kresnye K. Cassie , Siek Katie A. , Lee John , Wolters Maria K.
Published: June 2021

Background: Lack of social support during and after miscarriage can greatly affect mental wellbeing. With miscarriages being a common experience, there remains a discrepancy in the social support received after a pregnancy is lost. Method: 42 people who had experienced at least one miscarriage took part in an Asynchronous Remote Community (ARC) study. The study involved 16 activities (discussions, creative tasks, and surveys) in two closed, secret Facebook groups over eight weeks. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data, and content analysis was used for qualitative data. Results: There were two main miscarriage care networks, formal (health care providers) and informal (friends, family, work colleagues). The formal care network was the most trusted informational support source, while the informal care network was the main source of tangible support. However, often, participants’ care networks were unable to provide sufficient informational, emotional, esteem, and network support. Peers who also had experienced miscarriage played a crucial role in addressing these gaps in social support. Technology use varied greatly, with smartphone use as the only common denominator. While there was a range of online support sources, participants tended to focus on only a few, and there was no single common preferred source.Discussion: We propose a Miscarriage Circle of Care Model (MCCM), with peer advisors playing a central role in improving communication channels and social support provision. We show how the MCCM can be used to identify gaps in service provision and opportunities where technology can be leveraged to fill those gaps.
Primary Intracranial Malignant Melanomas in Solitary Type: A Tertiary Center Experience
Authors: Huang Yen-Min , Yeh Kun-Yun , Chen Pin-Yuan , Hsieh Tsan-Yu , Hsu Li-Sung , Wu Chiao-En , Zheng Yun-Cong
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Solitary type primary intracranial malignant melanoma (PIMM) is extremely rare but fatal. The optimal treatment algorithm according to clinical relevance of symptoms and outcomes is unclear. This series emphasized the prognostic factors of solitary PIMM and established the treatment algorithm for this rare disease.
Methods

Patients with solitary PIMMs were pathologically verified and treated with neurosurgical tumor resection. All solitary PIMMs recruited at our institute received multidisciplinary team care. We analyzed the clinical findings and prognostic factors.
Results

The study cohort included 10 patients. PIMMs in solitary type impacted middle-aged populations with male predominance in Taiwan. Most patients (80%) presented a single tumor initially. Six patients had progressed to multiplicity after the initial treatment. Rates of tumor bleeding and leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) are high in solitary PIMMs. Patients who had gross-total resection (GTR) had better survival than those who had incomplete resection, with median overall survival (OS) rates of 170.4 months vs. 5.23 months (p = 0.004). Multiplicity, eloquent area involvement, initial tumor bleeding, LM, hydrocephalus, and Karnofsky Performance Score < 80 at diagnosis were associated with negative outcomes in progression-free survival and OS. Adjuvant radiotherapy for patients who had LM and for those who cannot undergo grossly total tumor removal resulted in a good outcome.
Conclusions

GTR demonstrated better outcomes for solitary PIMM. For recurrent tumors, aggressively repeated surgical resection remained beneficial for selected cases. Adjuvant radiotherapy was a treatment option for LM following operation. We proposed a possible treatment algorithm for solitary PIMM.
TP53 Mutants and Non-HPV16/18 Genotypes are Poor Prognostic Factors for Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer
Authors: Kuno Ikumi , Takayanagi Daisuke , Asami Yuka , Murakami Naoya , Matsuda Maiko , Shimada Yoko , Hirose Sou , Kato Mayumi Kobayashi , Komatsu Masaaki , Hamamoto Ryuji , Okuma Kae , Kohno Takashi , Itami Jun , Yoshida Hiroshi , Shiraishi Kouya , Kato Tomoyasu
Published: June 2021

Targeted sequencing for somatic mutations across the hotspots of 50 cancer-related genes was performed using biopsy specimens to investigate whether clinicopathological factors and genomic alterations correlated with prognosis in locally advanced cervical cancer. Seventy patients diagnosed with International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) stage III to IVA cervical cancer underwent radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy at the National Cancer Center Hospital between January 2008 and December 2017. Mutations were detected in 47 of 70 (67% of cases; frequency of genetic alterations was as follows: PIK3CA (51%), FBXW7 (10%), PTEN (7.1%), and TP53 (5.7%). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets showed a similar distribution of somatic mutations, but PIK3CA mutation frequency was significantly higher in our cohort than in TCGA datasets (P = 0.028). Patients with TP53 mutation were significantly related to poor progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.53, P = 0.042). Patients with tumor diameters >70 mm were associated with poor prognosis (HR = 2.96, P = 0.0048). Patients with non-HPV16/18 genotypes had worse prognosis than those with HPV16/18 genotypes (HR = 2.15, P = 0.030). Hence, patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, TP53 mutation, large tumor diameter, and non-HPV16/18 genotype were independently correlated with poor PFS, despite concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
Synchronous Silicon Removal and Viscosity Reduction in the Soda-Oxygen Pulping of Wheat Straw
Authors: Xu Hengyu , Chen Keli , Zhang Lilong , Wu Yulong
Published: June 2021

The black liquor (BL) obtained by straw pulping can hardly be applied to conventional alkali recovery systems because of its high concentration of silicon and viscosity. Soda-oxygen pulping can synchronously deposit silica on the surface of the cellulose to reduce the silicon content and viscosity of BL remarkably. In this paper, the BLs of wheat straw soda-oxygen puling obtained at different end points (pH < 10, 11.5 < pH < 12) and conventional soda-anthraquinone (soda-AQ) were obtained. The extent of silicon removal and viscosity reduction before and after centrifugation or membrane filtration as well as the thermodynamic properties of the BLs were investigated. Compared with that achieved by soda-AQ, over 45% silicon was removed from BL after soda-oxygen cooking at a similar delignification level. The total solid (TS) concentration of the soda-oxygen BL was easily concentrated by up to approximately 50%. SiO 2 can be further removed by simple centrifugation and membrane filtration, and its TS could be increased to 60% at 300 mp∙s. With cooking end point further decreased pH <10, the filtered BL had the lowest silica content, the highest volumetric isothermal expansivity (VIE) value, and the lowest pyrolysis temperature.
Density Functional Study on Formic Acid Decomposition On Pd(111) Surface: A Revisit and Comparison with Other Density Functional Methods
Authors: Wang Ni , Li Kai , Wang Ying , Wu Zhijian
Published: June 2021

The mechanism of formic acid decomposition on Pd(111) surface has been investigated by several theoretical methods in previous studies, including PBE and PW91. These results indicated that the mechanism is different from different methods, and even by using the same method (i.e., PBE), the mechanism is also different. In this study, we have revisited the formic acid decomposition on Pd(111) surface by using another density functional RPBE and by including van der Waals interaction which is neglected in the previous studies. Our results showed that the formic acid is decomposed via O-H bond cleavage to form bi-HCOO*, and the most favorable pathway is HCOOH* → bi-HCOO*+H* → CO2+2H*. The energy barrier is 0.55 eV at the rate-determining step. This conclusion is consistent with one of the PBE study. This demonstrated that computational methods have great influence on the reaction mechanism, and care should be taken in selecting the appropriate computational methods.
A Low Aromatic Amino-Acid Diet Improves Renal Function and Prevent Kidney Fibrosis in Mice with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Barba Christophe , Benoit Bérengère , Emilie Bres , Chanon Stéphanie , Vieille-Marchiset Aurélie , Pinteur Claudie , Pesenti Sandra , Glorieux Griet , Picard Cécile , Fouque Denis , Soulage Christophe O. , Koppe Laetitia
Published: June 2021

Despite decades of use of low protein diets (LPD) in the management of chronic kidney disease (CKD), their mechanisms of action are unclear. A reduced production of uremic toxins could contribute to the benefits of LPDs. Aromatic amino-acids (AA) are precursors of major uremic toxins such as p-cresyl sulfate (PCS) and indoxyl sulfate (IS). We hypothesize that a low aromatic amino acid diet (LA-AAD, namely a low intake of tyrosine, tryptophan and phenylalanine) while being normoproteic, could be as effective as a LPD, through the decreased production of uremic toxins. Kidney failure was chemically induced in mice with a diet containing 0.25% (w/w) of adenine. Mice received three different diets for six weeks: normoproteic diet (NPD: 14.7% proteins, aromatic AAs 0.019%), LPD (5% proteins, aromatic AAs 0.007%) and LA-AAD (14% proteins, aromatic AAs 0.007%). Both LPD and LA-AAD significantly reduced proteinuria, kidney fibrosis and inflammation. While LPD only slightly decreased plasma free PCS and free IS compared to NPD; free fractions of both compounds were significantly decreased by LA-AAD. These results suggest that a LA-AAD confers similar benefits of a LPD in delaying the progression of CKD through a reduction in uremic toxins production, with a lower risk of malnutrition.
Clinical Outcomes Associated with Degree of Hypernatremia in Neurocritically Ill Patients
Authors: Lee Yun Im , Ahn Joonghyun , Ryu Jeong-Am
Published: June 2021

Background: Hypernatremia is a common complication encountered during the treatment of neurocritically ill patients. However, it is unclear whether clinical outcomes correlate with the severity of hypernatremia in such patients. Therefore, we investigated the impact of hypernatremia on mortality of these patients, depending on the degree of hypernatremia.Methods: Among neurosurgical patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary hospital from January 2013 to December 2019, patients who were hospitalized in the ICU for more than 5 days and whose serum sodium levels were obtained during ICU admission were included. Hypernatremia was defined as the highest serum sodium level exceeding 150 mEq/L observed. We classified the patients into four subgroups according to the severity of hypernatremia and performed propensity score matching analysis.Results: Among 1,146 patients, 353 patients (30.8%) showed hypernatremia. Based on propensity score matching, 290 pairs were included in the analysis. The hypernatremia group had higher rates of in-hospital mortality and 28-day mortality in both overall and matched population (both p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). In multivariable analysis of propensity score-matched population, moderate and severe hypernatremia were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 4.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.15 – 9.75 and adjusted OR: 6.93, 95% CI: 3.46 – 13.90, respectively) and 28-day mortality (adjusted OR: 3.51, 95% CI: 1.54 – 7.98 and adjusted OR: 10.60, 95% CI: 5.10 – 21.90, respectively) compared with the absence of hypernatremia. However, clinical outcomes, including in-hospital mortality and 28-day mortality, were not significantly different between the group without hypernatremia and the group with mild hypernatremia (p = 0.720 and p = 0.690, respectively). The mortality rates of patients with moderate and severe hypernatremia were significantly higher in both overall and matched population. Interestingly, the mild hypernatremia group of matched population showed the best survival rate.Conclusions: Moderate and severe hypernatremia were associated with poor clinical outcomes in neurocritically ill patients. However, the prognosis of patients with mild hypernatremia was similar with that of patients without hypernatremia. Therefore, mild hypernatremia may be allowed during treatment of intracranial hypertension using hyperosmolar therapy.
The asteroid 162173 Ryugu: a cometary origin
Authors: Miura Hitoshi , Nakamura Eizo , Kunihiro Tak
Published: June 2021

The Japanese Hayabusa2 mission has revealed in detail the physical characteristics of the C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu, in particular, its spinning top-shaped rubble pile structure [1] and the potentially extremely high organic content [2,3]. A widely-accepted formation scenario for Ryugu is catastrophic collision between larger asteroids and the subsequent slow gravitational accumulation of collisional debris [4,5]. However, the collisional re-accumulation scenario does not explain the origin of the abundant organic matter. An alternative scenario is that Ryugu is an extinct comet, which lost its icy components [2,6,3]. Here, the sublimation of water ice from a uniform porous cometary nucleus was numerically simulated until the refractory components, such as silicate rocks and organic matter were left behind as evaporative residues. Such a process represents the transformation from a comet to an asteroid. The spin-up related to the shrinking nucleus, associated with the water ice sublimation, was also calculated. The result of the calculation indicates that the cometary origin scenario can quantitatively account for all the features of Ryugu discussed above. We conclude that organic-rich spinning top-shaped rubble pile asteroids, such as Ryugu, are comet-asteroid transition objects or extinct comets.
Altered regulation of mesenchymal cell senescence promotes pathological changes associated with diabetic wound healing
Authors: Kita Arisa , Saito Yuki , Norihiro Miura , Miyajima Maki , Yotsuyanagi Takatoshi , Fujimiya Mineko , Chikenji Takako
Published: June 2021

Pathologic diabetic wound healing is caused by sequential and progressive deterioration of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and resolution/remodeling. Cellular senescence promotes physiological wound process; however, diabetic wounds exhibit low levels of senescent factors and accumulate senescent cells, which impair the healing process. In this study, we demonstrate that the number of p15INK4B + senescent PDGFR-α + mesenchymal cells in adipose tissue transiently increases in early phases of wound healing in non-diabetic mice and humans. Transplantation of adipose tissue from diabetic mice into non-diabetic mice results in wound healing impairment and an alteration in the cellular senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), suggesting that insufficient induction of adipose tissue senescence after injury is a pathological mechanism of diabetic wound healing. These results give novel insight into how regulation of senescence in adipose tissue contributes to the wound healing process and provide the basis for the development of therapeutic approaches for wound healing impairment in diabetes.
Air Particulate Concentration in Dental Surgery During Orthodontic Procedures: A Pilot Study
Authors: Martín-Quintero Inmaculada , Cervera-Sabater Alberto , Tapias-Perero Víctor , Nieto-Sánchez Iván , Cruz-Pérez Javier de la
Published: June 2021

Background: This study evaluates the particle dispersion involved in dental procedures carried out during orthodontic treatments. Variants such as temperature and relative humidity in the dental cabinet were considered. Methods: Using a particle counter, a pilot study was conducted, in which 98 consecutive recordings were made during appointments of patients undergoing orthodontic treatments. Temperature, relative humidity and particles present at the beginning (AR) and during the appointment (BR) were recorded. A control record (CR) of temperature, relative humidity and particles present was made before the start of the clinical activity. In addition to conventional statistics, differential descriptive procedures were used to analyse results, and the influence of relative humidity on particle concentration was analysed by statistical modelling with regression equations. Results: The number of particles present, regardless of their size, was much higher in AR than in CR (p<.001). The same was true for relative humidity and ambient temperature. The relationship between relative humidity and particle number was determined to be exponential. Limitations of the study: The limitations are associated with sample size, environmental conditions of the room and lack of discrimination among the procedures performed. Conclusions: This pilot study shows that from the moment a patient enters a dental office, a large number of additional particles are generated. During treatment, the number of particles of 0.3 microns – which have a high capacity to penetrate the respiratory tract – increases. Moreover, a relationship between relative humidity and particle formation is observed. Further studies are needed.
Multi-Regression Fusion Based Blood Pressure Estimation
Authors: Ye Qi , Ling Bingo Wing-Kuen , Chen Danni , Xu Nuo , Lin Yuxin
Published: June 2021

Using the traditional cuff based instruments to estimate the blood pressure (BP) values is inconvenient and difficult to have a continuous measurement. On the other hand, using the intelligent watch based instruments to perform the continuous BP estimation for monitoring the human health conditions is convenient and easy. This paper proposes a method for estimating the BP values continuously only using the photoplethysmogram (PPG). First, the PPGs are denoised by the discrete cosine transform (DCT). It is worth noting that the conventional DCT denoising approach only takes the low frequency DCT coefficients. On the other hand, this paper proposes a training based method for selecting the DCT AC coefficients. Here, the DCT AC coefficients refer to those non-DC DCT coefficients. Then, the features based on some specific points in the PPGs are extracted and the feature vectors are categriozed into two classes of the BP values using the random forest (RF) classifier. Third, for each class and each type of the BP values, three popular regressions including the support vector regression (SVR), the RF regression and the L1 norm criterion based linear regression are used to estimate the BP values. These three estimated BP values are fused together via an L2 norm based regression. It is worth noting that different classes and different types of the BP values are considered separately. Hence, each class and each type of the BP values can be estimated more accurately. Moreover, since the multi-model fusion is employed for combining these three regressions, the overall estimation results are more accurate. The computer numerical simulation results show that the average root mean squares errors (RMSEs) of the SBP and the DBP estimated by our proposed method are 9.12 and 8.19, respectively. In fact, our proposed multi-model fusion based BP estimation approach achieves a higher accuracy compared to the individual regressions.
Mars Methane Sources in Northwestern Gale Crater Inferred from Back-Trajectory Modeling
Authors: Luo Yangcheng , Mischna Michael , Lin John , Fasoli Benjamin , Cai Xiang , Yung Yuk
Published: June 2021

During its five years of operation, the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) on board the Curiosity rover has detected six methane spikes above a low background abundance in Gale crater. The methane spikes are likely the consequence of nearby surface emission. Here we use inverse Lagrangian modeling techniques to identify probable upstream emission regions for these methane spikes at an unprecedented spatial resolution. Inside Gale crater, the northwestern crater floor casts the strongest influence on the detections. Outside Gale crater, the emission region with the strongest influence extends towards the north. The contrasting results from two consecutive methane measurements point to an active emission region to the west and the southwest of the Curiosity rover on the northwestern crater floor. The observed spike magnitude and frequency also favor emission sites on the northwestern crater floor, unless fast methane removal mechanisms that are unknown to date are at work.
Intraoperative Frozen Section Performance for Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis
Authors: Goemann Iuri Martin , Paixão Francisco , Migliavaca Alceu , Guimarães José Ricardo , Scheffel Rafael Selbach , Maia Ana Luiza
Published: June 2021

Purpose: A primary medical relevance of thyroid nodules consists of excluding thyroid cancer, present in approximately 5% of all thyroid nodules. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) has a paramount role in distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules due to its availability and diagnostic performance. Nevertheless, intraoperative frozen section (iFS) is still advocated as a valuable tool for surgery planning, especially for indeterminate nodules. Methods: To compare the FNAB and iFS performances in thyroid cancer diagnosis among nodules in Bethesda Categories (BC) I to VI. The performance of FNAB and iFS tests were calculated using final histopathology results as the gold standard.Results: In total, 316 patients were included in the analysis. Both FNAB and iFS data were available for 272 patients (86.1%). The overall malignancy rate was 30.4%% (n=96). The FNAB sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for benign (BC II) and malignant (BC V and VI) were 89.5%, 97.1%, and 94.1%, respectively. For all nodules evaluated, the iFS sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 80.9%, 100%, and 94.9%, respectively. For indeterminate nodules and follicular lesions (BC III and IV), the iFS sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 25%, 100%, and 88.7%, respectively. For BC I nodules, iFS had 95.2% of accuracy.Conclusion: Our results do not support routine iFS for indeterminate nodules or follicular neoplasms (BC III and IV) due to its low sensitivity. In these categories, iFS is not sufficiently accurate to guide the intraoperative management of thyroidectomies. iFS for BC I nodules could be a reasonable option and should be specifically investigated.
The Use of Traditional Medicine in the Implementation of Quaternary Prevention From the Perspective of Experts in Traditional Medicine
Authors: GhorbaniNia Rahil , Mehrolhassani Mohammad Hossain , Vali Leila , Shaabani Yuosef
Published: June 2021

Background: Traditional medicine includes a variety of disease treatments or prevention methods based on knowledge, skills, and practice that are rooted in indigenous beliefs and experiences. It also has a health-oriented and holistic view and considers measures following the characteristics of each individual. Patient harm can be prevented by using Traditional medicine and limiting the use of ineffective and harmful methods. Methods: This qualitative study with the phenomenological approach was carried out with the participation of 12 individuals who were selected using purposeful sampling and snowball sampling methods among the faculty members of the Faculty of Traditional Medicine of Kerman University of Medical Sciences between May and June 2019. The data collected through semi‑structured interviews based on the research objectives, review of texts. Data analysis performed using the content analysis method in MaxQDA software.Results: Data analysis provided six main categories of the necessity of services, patient benefit, complications, prevention, rules and regulations, the financial burden.Conclusion: Quaternary prevention is a concept derived from Traditional medicine. Health care providers must protect their clients from the harms and costs of unnecessary diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive measures. By employing Traditional Medicine specialists and integrating the Traditional Medicine specialist program in the family doctor program, attending general and specialized hospitals, integrated medicine could use, and the harm to the patient could minimize.Trial registration: IR.KMU.REC.1400.032 date: 1400/1/17 (6 April 2021)
Pre-Fibrillation of Pulps to Manufacture Cellulose Nanofiber Reinforced High-Density Polyethylene using the Dry-Pulp Direct Kneading Method
Authors: Igarashi Yuko , Sato Akihiro , Okumura Hiroaki , Nakatsubo Fumiaki , Kuboki Takashi , Yano Hiroyuki
Published: June 2021

The dry-pulp direct-kneading method is an industrially viable, low-energy process to manufacture cellulose nanofiber (CNF) reinforced polymer composites, where chemically modified pulps can be nanofibrillated and dispersed uniformly in the polymer matrix during melt-compounding. In this study, cellulose fibers with different sizes, ranging from surface-fibrillated pulps with 20 µm in width to fine CNFs with 20 nm in width were prepared from softwood bleached kraft pulps (NBKPs) using a refiner and high-pressure homogenizer (HPH). These cellulose fibers were modified with alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), and then dried. The dried ASA-treated cellulose fibers were used as a feed material for melt-compounding in the dry-pulp direct kneading method to fabricate CNF reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE). When surface-fibrillated pulps were employed as a feed material, the pulps were nanofibrillated and dispersed uniformly in the HDPE matrix during the melt-compounding, and the composites had much better properties (i.e., much higher tensile modulus and strength and much lower coefficient of thermal expansion) than the composites produced using the pulps without pre-fibrillation. However, when CNFs were used as a feed material, the CNFs were shortened and agglomerated during the melt-compounding, thus deteriorating the properties of the composites. The study concludes that the pre-fibrillation of pulps had a significant impact on the morphology and properties of the composites. Unexpectedly, the surface-fibrillated pulp, which can be produced cost-effectively using a refiner at an industry scale, was a more suitable form than the CNF as a feed material for melt-compounding in the dry-pulp direct kneading method.
Validation Study of 6 Dye-Based SF25TM PCR Amplification Kit
Authors: Shrivastava Pankaj , Kumawat R. K. , Kushwaha Pushpesh , Kumar Akshay , Rana Manisha , Bhasney Varsha , Srivast Ankit , Rao Shivangi , Dixit Shivani , Dash Hirak Ranjan , Kaitholia Kamlesh , Shankar Hari , Srivas Kunwar Veer Vikram , Chaubey Gyaneshwer
Published: June 2021

Ever since the inception of STR-based forensic DNA analysis for human Identification and DNA profiling, the approach developed continuously. Most of these developments are pertaining to achieve the best polymorphic loci set for analysis, high inhibitor tolerance capability, increase in sensitivity, reduction in turnaround time, and cost-effectiveness. On the similar line, the SF25TM PCR amplification kit, a 6 fluorescent dye-chemistry based autosomal STR kit was developed, which analyses 25 STR loci viz., FAM fluorescent dye-labelled D3S1358, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, D1S1656, and Penta E; HEX fluorescent dye-labelled TPOX, TH01, D2S1338, CSF1PO, and Penta D; SUM fluorescent dye-labeled D19S433, vWA, D21S11, D18S51, and D6S1043; LYN fluorescent dye-labelled Amelogenin, D8S1179, D5S818, D12S391, and FGA; PUR fluorescent dye-labelled D22S1045, Y indel; D2S441 and D10S1248, The developmental validation of the SF25 PCR Amplification reagents were carried out in this study to analyze its specificity, sensitivity, and concordance. This multiplex kit showed higher sensitivity with 125pg of DNA template generating a complete profile (with 100% allele call). Out of 83 samples, 10 samples showed aberrant triallelic pattern/aberrant heterozygous pattern at D16S539 locus. The possible discrepant homozygous condition at locus D1S1656 might be due to the invasion of alleles at D1S1656 locus present adjacent to D16S539 locus. Such invasion resulted due to the shortening of the allelic bin at the D1S1656 locus. The allelic ladder of the SF25TM PCR amplification kit reveals the allelic range of D1S1656 from 11 to 19.3 which can be interpreted according to the casework as deemed by the end-users for their samples.
Is It AIDS? Or Is It Kaliondeonde? Preliminary Assessment of an Indigenous AIDS-like Illness in Zambia
Authors: Feldman Douglas A. , Ketonen-Keating Irene , Chitalu Ndashi W.
Published: June 2021

Background: Kaliondeonde is an AIDS-like immunosuppressive illness of unknown etiology common in Zambia and Malawi. It has similar, but not identical, symptoms to HIV/AIDS, and appears to have been in south central Africa longer. It is often viewed by both the public and academics as being the same as HIV/AIDS. Method: Research was conducted in Zambia among seven kaliondeonde patients to determine the perceptions of the sickness, and the symptoms of the disease, in comparison with HIV/AIDS. A subset of four of the patients were examined by both a traditional healer and a physician, and tested for HIV. Results: Two of the four kaliondeonde patients were found to be HIV negative, suggesting the possibility that kaliondeonde is different from HIV/AIDS. Conclusions: If future research confirms that many kaliondeonde patients are in fact HIV-negative, it will become vitally urgent to clarify the distinctiveness of the two illnesses and alter perceptions and knowledge of kaliondeonde prevention, epidemiology, etiology, and clinical practices.
Delineating Neural Responses and Functional Connectivity Changes During Vestibular and Nociceptive Stimulation Reveal the Uniqueness of Cortical Vestibular Processing
Authors: Huber Judita , Rühl Ria Maxine , Flanagin Virginia , zu Eulenburg Peter
Published: June 2021

Vestibular information is ubiquitous and often processed jointly with visual, somatosensory and proprioceptive information. Among the cortical brain regions associated with human vestibular processing, area OP2 in the parietal operculum has been proposed as vestibular core region. However, delineating responses uniquely to vestibular stimulation in this region using neuroimaging is challenging for several reasons: Firstly, the parietal operculum is a cytoarchitectonically heterogeneous region responding to multisensory stimulation. Secondly, artificial vestibular stimulation evokes confounding somatosensory and nociceptive responses blurring responses contributing to vestibular perception. Furthermore, immediate effects of vestibular stimulation on the organization of functional networks have not been investigated in detail yet.Here, we compared two equally salient stimuli - galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) and galvanic nociceptive stimulation (GNS)- to disentangle the processing of both modalities in the parietal operculum and characterize their effects on functional network architecture. GNS and GVS gave joint responses in area OP1,3,4, and the anterior and middle insula, but not in area OP2. Contrasting both stimulation modalities resulted in stronger responses in parts of the parietal operculum adjacent to OP3 and OP4 during GVS, whereas GNS evoked stronger responses in area OP1,3 and 4. Our results underline the importance of considering this common multisensory trunk when interpreting vestibular neuroimaging experiments and further underpin the role of area OP2 in central vestibular processing. Global network changes were found during GNS, but not during GVS. This lack of network reconfiguration despite the saliency of GVS may reflect the continuous processing of vestibular information in the awake human.
TMS entrains occipital alpha activity: Individual alpha frequency predicts the strength of entrained phase-locking
Authors: Lin Yong-Jun , Shukla Lavanya , Dugué Laura , Valero-Cabré Antoni , Carrasco Marisa
Published: June 2021

Parieto-occipital alpha rhythms (8–12 Hz) underlie cortical excitability and influence visual performance. Whether the synchrony of intrinsic alpha rhythms in the occipital cortex can be entrained by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an open question. We applied 4-pulse, 10-Hz rhythmic TMS to entrain intrinsic alpha oscillators targeting right V1/V2, and tested four predictions with concurrent electroencephalogram (EEG): (1) progressive enhancement of entrainment across time windows, (2) output frequency specificity, (3) dependence on the intrinsic oscillation phase, and (4) input frequency specificity to individual alpha frequency (IAF) in the neural signatures. Two control conditions with an equal number of pulses and duration were arrhythmic-active and rhythmic-sham stimulation. The results confirmed the first three predictions. Rhythmic TMS bursts significantly entrained local neural activity. Near the stimulation site, evoked oscillation amplitude and inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) were increased for 2 and 3 cycles, respectively, after the last TMS pulse. Critically, ITPC following entrainment positively correlated with IAF rather than with the degree of similarity between IAF and the input frequency (10 Hz). Thus, we entrained alpha-band activity in occipital cortex for ~ 3 cycles (~ 300 ms), and IAF predicts the strength of entrained occipital alpha phase synchrony indexed by ITPC.