bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Influence of 5-fluorouracil on the SMAD4 Gene Expression, Apoptosis induction and DNA Damage in the Human CACO-2 Cell Line
Authors: Wosiak Agnieszka , Michalska Katarzyna , Pietrzak Jacek , Mirowski Marek , Balcerczak Ewa
Published: May 2021

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world. There are two major distinct precursor lesion pathways: the traditional adenoma–carcinoma pathway leading to most cases CRC, and the serrated neoplasia pathway. SMAD4 gene is involved in adenoma–carcinoma pathway. The protein encoded by the SMAD4 gene is a key downstream signaling mediator in the TGFβ pathway. This pathway has tumor-suppressor functions, including cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Its activation in late-stage cancer can promote tumorigenesis, including metastasis and chemoresistance. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on viability of advanced colorectal cancer cells and establishing whether the test compound may have an effect on the expression level of the SMAD4 gene, DNA damage and apoptosis. Chemotherapy based on 5-FU is used as an adjuvant treatment in most colorectal cancer patients. The results obtained in the study showed that the use of 5-FU in low concentrations may not have a therapeutic effect, and may also influence drug resistance in cancer cells. Moreover, it has been shown that by using 5-FU at higher concentrations and prolonging the exposure time, SMAD4 gene expression is significantly increased which may have an impact on the effectiveness of the therapy.
Faster Evaluation of Contaminated Surfaces for Mould Inspections by Tape Sampling
Authors: Meider Judith , Messal Constanze
Published: May 2021

Taking a tape-lift sample is one of the main practices used by indoor environmental quality investigators for detecting whether mould structures (for example, spores and hyphae) have either settled onto or colonized the surface. Despite the popularity of the method, there can be significant inconsistency in how tape lifts are collected. The common ASTM standard D7910, Practice for the Collection of Fungal Material from Surfaces by Tape Lift, describes the correct way to collect a tape-lift sample. Using ASTM D7910 semi-quantitative results (scale 0 up to 5) are only available. In case histories or for mould removal control, the total cell count is needed. This cannot be realized by the ASTM method. Therefore, an innovative method is needed to combine the quickness of taping and the precision of total cell count. Our research team developed two methods to quickly and fully quantify the tape samples. Regarding the assessment criteria, the user can decide to operate with the 3-LINE method to achieve the highest precision or use the faster 3-STEP method for even better results.
A Novel Imprinted Gene (Sp-Pol) with Sex-specific SNP Locus and Sex-biased Expression Pattern Provides Insights into the Gonad Development of Mud Crab (Scylla Paramamosain)
Authors: Farhadi Ardavan , Xi Shi , Zhang Yin , Zheng Huaiping , Li Shengkang , Zhang Yueling , Ikhwanuddin Mhd , Ma Hongyu
Published: May 2021

Background: We previously discovered a potential sex-specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) locus named SNP1888 in mud crab (Scylla paramamosain). Methods: In this study, we first verified SNP1888 to be truly a female-specific locus and then we identified a novel imprinted gene (designated as Sp-Pol) at the upstream of SNP1888 (SNP1888 is located at the 3’-UTR of Sp-Pol). Moreover, SNP1888 together with Sp-Pol were mapped on LG32 of a high-density genetic map. Results: Phylogenetic analysis showed that Sp-Pol may need to be classified as a new gene family due to the very low sequence identity with other known genes. Sp-Pol was expressed at a higher level in gonads compared to other tissues and its expression level in the testis was much higher than in the ovary. Coincidentally, mono-allelic expression was observed in the ovary. Moreover, Sp-Pol exhibited sex-biased expression with approximately 3- to 4-fold higher in males than in females at fifth (C5) and sixth (C6) crablet stages. During the zoeae development, Sp-Pol had the highest expression at the zoea I stage. After unilateral eyestalk ablation, the expression level of Sp-Pol significantly increased in testis and hepatopancreas in males, while it was downregulated in the hepatopancreas of females. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay revealed that Sp-Pol transcripts were strongly localized in the epithelia of seminiferous tubules of the testis and in the ovary it was detected in the oogonium cells.Conclusion: These results demonstrated that Sp-Pol may play important roles in the sexual development of S. paramamosain.
Nasal Carriage of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Among Sympatric Free-ranging Domestic Pigs and Wild Chlorocebus Pygerythrus in a Rural African Setting
Authors: Kalule John Bosco , Nakintu Valeria , Ssendawula Simon Peter
Published: May 2021

Background Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage in domestic pigs and vervet monkeys is a risk factor for subsequent severe infections in domestic pigs and for dissemination to the human population. This study assessed nasal carriage of MRSA in domestic pigs and sympatric vervet monkeys in a rural African village during an outbreak of a virus hemorrhagic fever suspected to be contracted from wild primates. This study was conducted during the 2012 Ebola outbreak to determine nasal carriage of MRSA in free-ranging domestic pigs and sympatric freely roaming vervet monkeys using conventional methods. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolated from the anterior nares were tested for susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics and conventional PCR was used to confirm methicillin resistance. Results MRSA was significantly more in wild vervet monkeys compared to free ranging domestic pigs (p=0.003875). Overall, there was a high level of resistance to tetracycline [90% (63/70) in pigs and 67% (10/15) in vervet monkeys], trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole [90% (63/70) in pigs and 67% (10/15) in vervet monkeys], and penicillin [83% (58/70) in pigs and 67% (10/15) in vervet monkeys]. Conclusion The nasal carriage of drug resistant S. aureus in freely roaming domestic and wild animals presents a risk for widespread environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance thus presenting a risk for treatment failure in domestic animals, wild animals, and humans.
Metallographic Characterization of SiC-Ni-Ti Layer Reinforced on Austenitic Stainless Steel (AISI 316L) by Two-step Laser Fabrication
Authors: Kannan C. Ramesh , Manivannan S. , Stalin B. , Kailasanathan C.
Published: May 2021

Industry X.0 is the new paradigm that is the driving phenomenon in the process of making things and the new method in which they are produced. In this work, we attempt to fabricate ceramic layer reinforced metal matrix composite (MMC) of AISI 316L by a two-step laser process. Coatings of metal-ceramic powders of 40% SiC-40%Ti-20% Ni and 60% SiC-30%Ti-10% Ni was preplaced on 316L specimens. High power laser was used to irradiate the preplaced coatings to form MMCs of metal-ceramic particles. The composition of the MMC layer was studied by using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and its microstructure of the MMC layers, phase analysis and its elemental analysis were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry, and image analyzing techniques, respectively. The results confirmed that due to the formation of non-uniformity of coating thickness, microporous and crack formation at layer of MMC, revealed that a higher percentage of ceramic particles present in the MMC layer entails a particular disadvantage.
Influence of Salinity on the Survival and Growth of Juvenile Coregonus Ussuriensis Berg
Authors: Huang Tianqing , Liu Enhui , Gu Wei , Wang Bingqian , Dong Fulin , Zou Zuoyu , Xu Gefeng
Published: May 2021

To explore the suitable salinity range of Coregonus ussuriensis Berg, we investigated the effect of induced salinity change in captivity on C. ussuriensis with an initial body weight of 35 ± 1.5 g. After 30 days of salinity acclimation, the survival, growth performance, blood biochemical profiles, antioxidative capacity, and tissue structure of juveniles under four salinity conditions (8‰, 16‰, 24‰, and 32‰) were investigated. Our results revealed that serum penetration, blood glucose, and serum Na+, Cl−, and Mg2+ gradually increased with increasing salinity until 32‰ salinity, when a significant difference was observed, whereas the K+ concentration showed a downward trend. The tissue sections showed that under high salinity (32‰), the liver and gill tissues of the fish were severely damaged and the vacuolation was serious. The levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and serum cortisol gradually increased with increasing salinity. A gene expression analysis showed that the increase in salinity induced higher expression of stress-, growth-, and inflammation-related genes (HSP70, Gh and Igf-1, and IL-1β, respectively). The downregulation of stress-related gene expression at 32‰ salinity may indicate that this level of salinity exceeded the regulatory capacity of C. ussuriensis. We concluded that C. ussuriensis may survive in an estuary under 0–24‰ salinity. Our findings provide insights into the physiological adaptation of C. ussuriensis to salinity change. These results could improve our knowledge of the stress response and resilience of estuarine fish to hyposalinity and hypersalinity stress.
Single Versus Multiple Doses of Tocilizumab in Critically Ill Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Two-center, Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sulaiman Khalid Al , Juhani Ohoud Al , Salah Khalid Bin , Koryem Ghazwa , Eljaaly Khalid , Essa Mohammed Al , Kharbosh Abdullah , Harbi Feras Al , Abuzaid Maram , Bilal Sarah Al , Magthali Alaa , Alsohemi Samia , Alshabasy Adel , Albossiry Hyatham , Abodeif Mohammed , Alshehri Asma , Vishwakarma Ramesh
Published: May 2021

Background: In COVID-19 patients, increased IL-6 levels have been associated with poor disease prognosis. The use of tocilizumab shown to be effective in treating COVID-19 with varying success. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of using a single dose of tocilizumab compared with multiple doses in critically ill COVID-19 patients.Methods:This study is a two-center, retrospective cohort, in which patients who received tocilizumab and were admitted to the ICU at two tertiary hospitals from March 1st, 2020, until January 31st, 2021were included. Patients were divided into two groups based on the number of doses of tocilizumab they received. Furthermore, we gathered additional data from the patients, such as but not limited to demographic data, vital signs, and laboratory markers. Multivariable logistic and generalized linear regression were used. We considered a P value of < 0.05 statistically significant. Results: Two hundred sixty-one patients were included in this study; 72.4% received a single dose of tocilizumab, while the rest (27.6%) had received multiple doses. Most of the patients were male, with an average age of 59.2. After adjusting for possible confounders, the 30-day mortality (HR 0.92; 95% CI, 0.48-1.75 p = 0.79) and in-hospital mortality (HR 0.69; 95% CI, 0.36-1.31 p = 0.25) were not significantly different between the two groups. On the flip side, patients who received multiple doses of tocilizumab have higher odds of secondary infection compared with a single dose (OR 3.06; 95% CI, 1.18-7.89 p = 0.02).Conclusion: Multiple doses of tocilizumab were not associated with a statistically significant difference in ICU and hospital mortality in critically ill patients infected with COVID-19. In contrast, it was associated with higher odds of secondary infections compared to a single dose.
Description of an Integrated and Dynamic System to Efficiently Deal with a Raging COVID-19 Pandemic Peak
Authors: Agnoletti Vanni , Gamberini Emiliano , Circelli Alessandro , Martino Costanza , Santonastaso Domenico Pietro , Bolondi Giuliano , Bastoni Giorgia , Spiga Martina , Ceccarelli Paola , Montaguti Luca , Catena Fausto , Lusenti Carlo , Altini Mattia , Russo Emanuele
Published: May 2021

BackgroundTo describe an innovative and functional method to deal with the increased COVID-19 pandemic-related intensive care unit bed requirements.MethodsWe describe the emergencial creation of integrated system of internistic ward, step-down unit and intensive care unit, physically located in reciprocal vicinity at the same floor. The run under the control of a single intensive care staff, sharing clinical protocols and informatic system, following a single director supervision. The intention was to create a dynamic and flexible system, allowing for rapid and fluid patient admission/discharge, depending on the requirements due to the third Italian peak of COVID-19 pandemic in March 2021.Results142 COVID-19 patients and 66 non-COVID-19 patients were admitted, no critical patient was left unadmitted and no COVID-19 severe patients referring to our centre had to be redirected to other hospitals due to bed saturation. This system allowed shorter hospital length-of-stay in general wards (5.9 ± 4 days) than in other internistic COVID-19 wards and an overall mortality in line with those reported in literature despite the peak raging.ConclusionThis case report shows the feasibility and the efficiency of this dynamic model of hospital rearrangement to deal with COVID-19 pandemic peaks.
Genomic Regions Controlling Yield-related Traits in Spring Wheat: A Mini Review and a Case Study for Rainfed Environments in Australia and China
Authors: Liu Hui , Mullan Daniel , Zhao Shancen , Zhang Yong , Ye Jun , Wang Yong , Zhang Aimin , Zhao Xiaoqing , Liu Guannan , Zhang Chi , Chan Kenneth , Lu Zhanyuan , Yan Guijun
Published: May 2021

Breeding high-yield wheat varieties performing well in target environment is economically important. This study conducted a mini review of genome-wide association study (GWAS) outcomes on wheat yield-related traits reported in recent years, and performed GWAS in six individual environments to identify major alleles and their candidate genes responsible for wheat yield-related traits in Australia and North China where rainfed farming system is adopted. A panel of 228 spring wheat varieties were used. A double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) protocol was performed to generate single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker data. A total of 223 significant marker-trait association (MTAs) for yield traits, and 46 candidate genes for the major or consistent MTAs were identified. A phenomenon seldom reported in previous studies was that MTA clustered chromosome segments and gene clusters responsible for the trait were found across the genome, which suggested that marker-assisted selection (MAS) or transgenic method targeting a single gene might not be as effective as MAS targeting a much larger genomic region (GR) where all the genes or gene clusters underlying the GR play important roles.
Drug-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria Detection with the Combination of Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Deep Learning Techniques
Authors: Ciloglu Fatma Uysal , Caliskan Abdullah , Saridag Ayse Mine , Kilic Ibrahim Halil , Tokmakci Mahmut , Kahraman Mehmet , Aydin Omer
Published: May 2021

Over the past year, the world's attention has focused on combating COVID-19 disease, but the other threat waiting at the door - antimicrobial resistance should not be forgotten. Although making the diagnosis rapidly and accurately is crucial in preventing antibiotic resistance development, bacterial identification techniques include some challenging processes. To address this challenge, we proposed a deep neural network (DNN) that can discriminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Stacked autoencoder (SAE)-based DNN was used for the rapid identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) bacteria using a label-free SERS technique. The performance of the DNN was compared with other traditional classifiers. Since the SERS technique provides high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) data, some subtle differences were found between MRSA and MSSA in relative band intensities. SAE-based DNN can learn features from raw data and classify them with an accuracy of 97.66%. Moreover, the model discriminates bacteria with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.99. Compared with other traditional classifiers, SAE-based DNN was found superior in accuracy and AUC values. The obtained results are also supported by statistical analysis. These results demonstrate that deep learning has great potential to characterize and detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria by using SERS spectral data. The proposed method is a label-free, easy implemented, and reliable technique with high sensitivity for clinical use.
Reversing sintering effect of Ni particles on γ-Mo2N via strong metal support interaction
Authors: Lin Lili , Liu Jinjia , Liu Xi , Gao Zirui , Rui Ning , Yao Siyu , Zhang Feng , Wang Maolin , Liu Chang , Han Lili , Yang Feng , Zhang Sen , Wen Xiaodong , Senanayake Sanjaya , Rodriguez Jose , Ma Ding
Published: May 2021

The reverse sintering effect of Ni particles under thermal treatment has been observed in the Ni/γ-Mo2N catalysts. The ab initio molecular dynamic simulation has demonstrated the redispersion of metallic Ni particles into under-coordinated two-dimensional Ni clusters over γ-Mo2N is a thermodynamically favorable process. Utilizing pre-synthesized 4 nm Ni nanoparticles as the loaded particles, a Ni-4nm/γ-Mo2N model catalyst was synthesized and used to study the reverse sintering effect by the combination of multiple in-situ characterization methods, including in-situ quick XANES and EXAFS, ambient pressure XPS and environmental SE/STEM etc. The theoretical and experimental studies both confirmed the reverse sintering effect in the Ni-γ-Mo2N system is driven by the strong metal-support interaction between Ni and γ-Mo2N. The potential application of the reverse sintering effect in heterogeneous catalysis has been realized using the high temperature favored CO2 hydrogenation reaction. The under-coordinated two-dimensional layered Ni clusters on molybdenum nitride support generated from the Ni-4nm/γ-Mo2N has been demonstrated to be a thermally stable catalyst in 50 h stability test, and exhibits a remarkable catalytic selectivity reverse compared with traditional Ni based catalyst, leading to a chemo-specific CO2 hydrogenation to CO.
Reconstruction of the Diaminopimelic Acid Pathway to Promote L-lysine Production in Corynebacterium Glutamicum
Authors: Liu Ning , Zhang Ting-Ting , Rao Zhi-Ming , Zhang Wei-Guo , Xu Jian-Zhong
Published: May 2021

Background: The dehydrogenase pathway and the succinylase pathway are involved in the synthesis of L-lysine in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Despite the low contribution rate to L-lysine production, the dehydrogenase pathway is favorable for its simple steps and great potentials to increase the production of L-lysine. Results: The aim of this work is to enhance the carbon flux in dehydrogenase pathway to promote L-lysine production. Firstly, the effect of ammonium (NH4+) concentration on L-lysine biosynthesis was investigated, and the results indicated that the biosynthesis of L-lysine can be promoted in high NH4+ environment. In order to reduce the requirement of NH4+, the nitrogen source regulatory protein AmtR was knocked out, resulting in an 8.5% increase in L-lysine production (i.e., 52.3±4.31 g/L). Subsequently, the dehydrogenase pathway was upregulated by blocking or weakening tetrahydrodipicolinate succinylase (DapD)-coding gene dapD and overexpressing the ddh gene to further enhance L-lysine biosynthesis. The final strain XQ-5-W4 could produce 189±8.7 g/L L-lysine with the maximum specific rate (qLys,max.) of 0.35±0.05 g/(g·h) in a 5-L jar fermenter. Conclusions: The L-lysine titer and qLys,max achieved in this study is about 25.2% and 59.1% higher than that of the original strain without enhancement of dehydrogenase pathway, respectively. The results indicated that the dehydrogenase pathway could serve as a breakthrough point to reconstruct the diaminopimelic acid (DAP) pathway and promote L-lysine production.
Gold nanoparticle fortified bamboo biochar Nanocomposite
Authors: Toppo Aditya lawerence , Jujjavarapu Satya Eswari
Published: May 2021

Gold nanoparticles due to their specific properties and function have found uses in the field of engineering to medical sciences. The Gold nanoparticles are always used in conjugation with other chemicals, metals, proteins, and other organic materials. The addition of other conjugates enhances the properties of Gold nanoparticles. As the insertion of metal nanoparticles into an organic matrix effectively increases the specific surface area of such materials, thereby enhancing the desired properties of the material. The term nanocomposite(NCs) is used for material containing an inorganic moiety, with at least one dimension in a nanometre range of 1–100 nm(nanoparticles ) and other materials like metal, ceramics, and polymers. The term “Bionanocomposite" (BNCs)has been assigned to nanocomposites containing a component of biological origin in the mixture. In this work, Bamboo (Bambusa bambos) was used as the organic matrix for the preparation of gold nanoparticle biochar (Au-NPs/BC) nanocomposite. The one-step synthesis approach was used for the treatment of Bamboo with Auric Chloride Salt at room temperature. In addition to the above process, the bamboo was also pyrolyzed at low temperature after treatment, which helped further to reduce the overall cost of the method. This made the method of preparation of the nanocomposite low cost and eco-friendly. Various analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), and UV–Vis spectroscopy methods were used for the characterization of the synthesized nanocomposite. This nanocomposite was used for the preparation of electrodes and its electrical conductivity was tested. In this method, the nanocomposite was prepared in a good amount via a very simple methodology. The characterization revealed the presence of gold in the nanocomposite, which confirms that this method can be used for the preparation of the (Au-NPs/BC) nanocomposite.
Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Study Based on Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation in Patients with Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma
Authors: Wang Yi , Han Wenhui , Yan Tingqin , Lu Weizhao , Zhou Jian , Xie Yuanzhong
Published: May 2021

Objective: To investigate the altered brain spontaneous activity in acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) using resting-state amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF).Methods: Eighteen AACG patients and eighteen age, gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were included in the rs-fMRI scans. Two sample t tests were performed to observe the ALFF changes between AACG and HC. The correlations between ALFF values and the ophthalmologic measurements were analyzed.Results： Compared with HC，AACG patients showed decreased ALFF in the right lingual gyrus, right supra marginal gyrus , left precuneus，left medial superior frontal gyrus, left inferior parietal gyrus , left middle frontal gyrus. Meanwhile AACG patients showed increased ALFF in the right lobule crus2 of cerebellar hemisphere , left V1, right cuneus. In this study, no correlation between brain regions with abnormal ALFF value and intraocular pressure was found.Conclusion: AACG patients have abnormal brain spontaneous activity in the visual, sensual, motional and emotional areas, which provides a new insight into the neuropathological mechanism and treatment of AACG.
Ranitidine Use and Risk of Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers
Authors: Adami Hans-Olov , Andersen Ina Trolle , Heide-Jørgensen Uffe , Chang Ellen , Nørgaard Mette , Sørensen Henrik Toft
Published: May 2021

Ranitidine was removed from several markets following discovery that the drug was contaminated with N-nitrosodimethylamine, a suspected human carcinogen. However, evidence of increased cancer risk following ranitidine use remains inconclusive. According to our a priori hypothesis, ranitidine increases the risk of esophageal, stomach, liver and pancreatic cancer. We used the nationwide Danish Prescription Registry, to create a cohort of incident ranitidine users with two active comparator cohorts comprising users of other histamine-2 receptor blockers (H2RBs) and users of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Record linkage allowed virtually complete follow-up through 2018. All Danish residents aged 18 years or older with a first prescription of ranitidine, other H2RBs or PPIs in 1996 through 2008. Incidence of esophageal, stomach, liver or pancreatic cancer. We used Cox analyses, with propensity-score weighting to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 10-year cumulative risk with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We ascertained 276 newly diagnosed esophageal, 342 stomach, 133 hepatocellular, and 517 pancreatic cancers among ranitidine users during follow-up (median 14 years). In comparison with use of other H2RBs or PPIs, we found no consistent evidence of increased HRs or excess 10-year cumulative risk of any upper gastrointestinal cancer following ranitidine use. We observed no association after restriction to subjects with at least 5 or 10 prescriptions or those with 10 prescriptions and at least 10 years of follow-up. Our large prospective study using high-quality prescription and cancer incidence data, with two active comparator groups, provided no compelling evidence that ranitidine increases the risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers.
An Extended Spring-mass Model of Single-lap Multi-bolt Composite Joints Considering Assembly Gap and Gap Shimming
Authors: yang yuxing , Bao Yongjie , Wang Jinlong , Du Fengming
Published: May 2021

To investigate the effect of assembly gap and shim on single-lap multi-bolt composite joint stiffness, an analytical model based on the spring-mass method was proposed, which converted the multi-bolt joints into individual single-bolt joint based on premise that there are no overlap regions of the highly stressed portions for adjacent holes. The proposed model considers the conical and spherical stress envelope and gradual elimination phenomenon of the bolt-hole clearances for multi-bolt joints. Meantime, an effective-to-equivalent gap area method was proposed to calculate the joint stiffness for situations with arbitrary assembly gap shape. Both experiment and finite element method for three-bolt joints were used to validate the proposed model with different situations of assembly gap and/or shim. The relative error of the shear stiffness between the analytical model and experiment is 0.31%, while that of the bolt stiffness is 19.8%. After that, four interested situations with different assembly gap and/or shims were discussed, and the maximum relative error of the shear stiffness between the analytical model and the finite element model is17.0%, while that of the bolt stiffness is 15.8%. Taking into account the complexity of composite material and that of assembly gap and gap shimming, the proposed analytical model is effective to predict the stiffness of the single-lap multi-bolt composite joints subjected to single-shear loading.
Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Potentials of Non-cytotoxic Extracts of Corticolous Lichens Sampled in Armenia
Authors: Sargsyan Razmik , Gasparyan Arsen , Tadevosyan Gohar , Panosyan Hovik
Published: May 2021

Due to wide range of secondary metabolites, lichens were used from antiquity as sources of colorants, perfumes and medicaments. This research focuses on exploring the antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of methanol, ethanol, acetone extracts and aqueous infusions of corticolous lichens sampled from Armenia. Methanol, ethanol and acetone extracts from all tested lichens were active against Gram-positive bacterial strains. The most effective solvent to retrieve antimicrobial compounds was methanol. Aqueous infusions of tested lichens didn’t show any significant antibacterial and antifungal activity. The highest antimicrobial activity was observed for methanol extract of Ramalina sinensis. The minimum inhibitory concentration of methanol extract of Ramalina sinensis were 0.9 to 1.8 mg mL-1. Pseudevernia furfuracea demonstrated antifungal activity (Ø 12 mm). Methanol extract of Parmelia sulcata demonstrated largest DPPH radical scavenging activity (71%). The cytotoxicity was measured on human HeLa (cervical carcinoma) cell lines using microculture tetrazolium test assay. The IC50 values estimated for methanol extracts of Peltigera praetextata, Evernia prunastri, R. sinensis and R. farinacea species in HeLa cell line were within 1.8-2.8 mg mL-1 and considered as non-cytotoxic. Obtained results suggest that studied lichens can be prospective in biotechnologies as alternative sources of antimicrobial and antioxidant substances.
The Utilization of IoT and Remote Sensor Organizations and Their Application in Agriculture for the Improvement of Yield Productivity in India
Authors: Ghutke Pratik C. , Agrawal Rahul
Published: May 2021

In the growth of mortal civilization, agriculture plays a key role. People are trying giving additional attempt also special approaches to multiply food exhibition because of the increased demand for food. One such initiative is the use of various technologies for agriculture. As IoT sensors are capable of providing agricultural field information and then acting on the basis of freak input, smart farming is an emerging term. The rising necessity of nourishment, in regards with aggregate and excellence, has increased the demand for the agricultural sector to intensify and industrialize. The IoT is a extremely encouraging household of automations having competent in providing numerous solutions for agricultural modernization. In this work, the evolution of a intelligent plantation structure using the trump card of revolutionary mechanization including Arduino Uno, Internet of Things and Wireless Sensor Network is proposed. The feature of this paper is the development of a system is used to control temperature, humidity, humidity and also the intervention of animals through sensors to kill crops in the agricultural sector using the Arduino board In the event of any difference, following environmental conditions making use of using 3G/4G/5G/Wi-Fi modules are considered as major ingredient in achieving the yield of productive crops, and sending the SMS notification and an application notification designed similar towards producer's smart phone making use of 3G/4G/5G/Wi-Fi modules. There are several research problems related to sensors and their networks because of the significance of sensor technology. Some of the major sensor network issues for which several solutions have been suggested by researchers are energy constraints, limited processing power, small memory and data security. The work mainly focuses in exploring the need for wireless sensors in different fields of agriculture also tells the recent advancement in the IoT market, need of automation in agriculture sector also what all challenges farmers are facing using IoT.
Serum magnesium levels in relation to metabolic syndrome: A national population-based cross-sectional study from Jordan
Authors: Addin Nuha Shugaa
Published: May 2021

Background/Aims:

Individuals with metabolic syndrome are at higher risk to develop cardiovascular disease, diabetes type 2, and certain types of cancers such as pancreatic, liver, and colorectal cancers. Studies suggest a potential association between hypomagnesemia and metabolic syndrome with conflicting results. The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in Jordan and to further explore the association between low magnesium levels and metabolic syndrome and its components.
Methods

Data were derived from the national population-based household survey conducted in Jordan in 2009. The study was multipurpose and collected a wide array of data including interview data, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory data. The present report deals, exclusively, with subjects aged ≥ 20 years. There was a total of 4,520 subjects (1113 men and 3407 women).
Results

We found alarmingly high prevalence rates of metabolic syndrome and its components defined by IDF (international diabetic federation) criteria (39.8%) with the highest burden being among women (40.7% in women and 37.4% in men). Among metabolic syndrome components, central obesity and low HDL were the most commonly occurring components of metabolic syndrome (62.6% and 65.5%, respectively). We observed a significant inverse association between serum magnesium levels and metabolic syndrome after adjusting for age (OR = 1.57, p value = 0.048). Among metabolic syndrome components, low serum magnesium levels were significantly associated with low serum HDL levels (OR = 2.15, p value = 0.001).
Conclusion

Metabolic syndrome prevalence in Jordan is considerably high. Our findings suggest that serum magnesium levels are inversely associated with metabolic syndrome.
Identifying gait quality metrics sensitive to changes in lower limb constraint
Authors: Herrin Kinsey , Kwak Samuel , Chang Young-Hui
Published: May 2021

Background

Manual tuning of robotic lower limb prostheses can be time consuming for both the patient and the clinician and requires in-person visits to a clinic. An automated process for the tuning parameters of a robotic lower limb prosthesis could result in a substantial savings in healthcare resources. A critical challenge to an automated parameter tuning algorithm is the quantification of a person’s gait quality. There is not good agreement in the literature of an objective outcome measure that can rapidly assess gait quality in lower limb amputees. As a first step, we investigated the ability of four common gait quality metrics to detect differences in gait quality: Prosthetic Observational Gait Score (POGS), Gait Deviation Index (GDI), Lateral Sway, and Impulse Asymmetry.
Methods

We systematically applied four unilateral lower limb joint constraint conditions (baseline/no constraint, ankle constraint, knee constraint, and knee + ankle constraint) to nine able-bodied participants walking at three different speeds (0.7, 0.85 and 1.0 m/s). We calculated and compared the resulting GDI, POGS, Lateral Sway and Impulse Asymmetry scores across all conditions. We performed a 2-way ANOVA statistical analysis to compare sensitivity of the metrics to the various conditions with significance defined by an alpha-level = 0.05.
Results

The Lateral Sway metric distinguished three joint constraint conditions and two of the speed conditions. Both GDI and POGS were able to distinguish four out of six possible constraint-speed conditions, while Impulse Asymmetry was only able to detect differences between three of the six constraint-speed conditions.
Conclusions

No single gait quality metric could distinguish every condition. Accordingly, a single metric of gait quality may be inadequate for tuning a prosthesis and therefore multiple metrics and sensors may provide the best results for tuning a prosthesis to the most natural gait pattern for an individual. Compared to the more complex gait measures, Lateral Sway performed well as a simple metric that might easily be operationalized into a real-time parameter tuning controller.
Systematic investigation of skill opportunities in decadal prediction of air temperature over Europe
Authors: Sgubin Giovanni , Swingedouw Didier , Borchert Leonard F. , Menary Matthew B. , Noël Thomas , Loukos Harilaos , Mignot Juliette
Published: May 2021

Decadal Climate Predictions (DCP) have gained considerable attention for their potential utility in promoting optimised plans of adaptation to climate change and variability. Their effective applicability to a targeted problem is nevertheless conditional on a detailed evaluation of their ability to simulate the near-term climate evolution under specific conditions. Here we explore the performance of the IPSL-CM5A-LR DCP system in predicting air temperature over Europe, by proposing a systematic assessessment of the prediction skill for different time windows (periods of the calendar time, forecast years and months/seasons). In this framework, we also compare raw and de-biased hindcasts, in which the temperature outputs have been corrected using a quantile matching method. The systematic analysis allows to discern certain conditions conferring larger predictability, which we find to be intermittent in time. The predictions appear more skilful around the 1960s and after the 1980s, in coincidence with large shifts of the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability, which are well reproduced in the hindcasts. Averages on longer forecast periods also generally imply better prediction skill, while the best predicted months appear to be mainly those between late spring and early autumn. Moreover, we find an overall added value due to initialisation, while de-biased predictions significantly outperform raw predictions only for a few specific time windows. Finally, we discuss the potential implications of the proposed systematic exploration of skill opportunities in DCPs for integrated applications in climate sensitive sectors.
Neck Circumference Is a Reliable Predictor for Hyperuricemia in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a Case Control Study
Authors: Yang Haiyan , Liu Chang , Jin Congcong , Yu Rong , Ding Lin , Mu Liangshan
Published: May 2021

Background: The prevalence of hyperuricemia in the women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is almost threefold higher than that in women without PCOS. Both PCOS and hyperuricemia are considered risk factors of metabolic disorders, including hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Previous study has indicated that neck circumference (NC) is a good predictor for insulin resistance in women with PCOS. The present analysis thus aims to assess the predictive value of NC for hyperuricemia in women with PCOS.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that recruited one hundred ninety women with PCOS from January 2018 to December 2019. PCOS was diagnosed according to the Rotterdam definition. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid level of at least 357 μmol/L.Results: PCOS females with hyperuricemia had significantly greater values of NC, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC). NC was positively associated with serum uric acid levels, with a standardized regression coefficient of 0.34 after adjusting for confounding factors. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed that NC was significantly associated with an increased risk of hyperuricemia, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.58. The associations between NC and serum uric acid levels were more evident in those with medium BMI (22.02 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 25.08 kg/m2), low WC (WC < 85 cm) or medium HC (90 cm ≤ HC < 96 cm). The optimal cutoff point of NC in predicting hyperuricemia was 32.0 cm (Youden index = 0.48), with the sensitivity and negative predictive value of 87.23% and 93.68%, respectively.Conclusions: Neck circumference is positively correlated with hyperuricemia and has a high negative predictive value for hyperuricemia in women with PCOS. Therefore, we suggest NC as a simple, novel, and reliable anthropometric measure to be used in the routine clinical assessment of women with PCOS to screen those at high risk of hyperuricemia.
A Roadmap of The Human Body Resistome
Authors: Maestre-Carballa Lucia , Navarro Vicente , Martinez-Garcia Manuel
Published: May 2021

BackgroundIn response to the global antibiotic resistance crisis, efforts have been focused on gaining a better understanding of resistomes (sets of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)) and the dispersion of ARGs in nature. A comprehensive metagenomic characterization of the human body resistome is paramount for laying the foundation to develop a better strategy to address this health concern. Here, we study the resistomes of 771 samples from five major body parts of healthy subjects from the Human Microbiome Project (HMP). In line with the One Health concept (WHO), we also investigated the presence of ARGs from the HMP in 272 pristine environments. ResultsOf all the detected HMP genes/proteins (9.17E+07), 40,816 were ARGs showing high interindividual and inter-body-site abundance variability. Nares had the highest ARG abundance (2.18±2.64 ARGs/Mb; ≈5.5 ARG per bacterial genome), while the gut (0.34±0.34 ARGs/Mb; ≈1.3 ARG per bacterial genome), which also showed the highest richness of different ARG types, had the lowest abundance. Fluroquinolone resistance genes were the most abundant antibiotic resistance gene family, followed by MLS or tetracycline resistance genes, depending on the body site. From all the detected ARGs, we found 366 different ARG types, with parC R (fluoroquinolone resistance) being the most abundant in the oral cavity, mprF (peptide antibiotic resistance) in the skin and nares, and tetQ (tetracycline resistance) in the gut and vagina. Most of the ARGs belonged to common bacterial commensals, and many of them were also multidrug resistance genes and were more abundant in the nares and vagina. The total number of ARGs from the HMP data (n=34) detected in pristine environments (266 samples) was negligible, and most of them (73%) were classified as housekeeping genes in autochthonous bacteria having known mutations conferring antibiotic resistance (natural reservoirs). A significant fraction of ARGs (24%) in pristine environments were actually from exogenous contaminants. The detection of identical HMP ARGs in autochthonous bacteria was extremely infrequent (3%). Conclusions Our results comprehensively reveal the resistomes from all body parts and HMP samples that can serve as a baseline for comparison for long-term survey and monitoring of human resistome variations. Finally, our data provide hope, since the spread of common ARGs from the HMP data to pristine environments thus far remains very unlikely.
Is Elevated First Trimester Mean Arterial Blood Pressure Associated With Increased Risk of Placenta Accreta?
Authors: Wang Fengge , Lin Peng , Zhu Liangxi , Qu Miaomiao , Dong Fangxiang , Shu Hua , Feng Xueqin , Liu Miao , Su Chunlong , Yu Tiantian , Zhang Bin , Man Dongmei
Published: May 2021

Purpose: The present study investigated whether first trimester mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) differed among pregnancies with placenta accreta and healthy pregnancies.Methods: We recruited 176 pregnant females totally from 1 January 2016 to 30 September 2018 in this study, as follows: 65 cases of placenta accreta and 111 cases of BMI and age matched, healthy pregnant controls. First trimester mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were acquired from laboratory data files. Multiple logistic regression analysis were used to study analyzed the probable risk predictor of placenta accreta. Results: The performance of MAP was lower in healthy pregnancies. The MAP of the placenta accreta group was significantly higher than that of the cont rol group (p=0.001<0.05). Our results also showed that MAP was significantly positively associated with placenta accreta after adjusting for age, BMI, fertilization type, gestational week at time of blood pressure measurement, and previous cesarean section history (odds ratio [β]: 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–1.69; p=0.0013<0.05). In addition, smoking during pregnancy (β: 7.57; 95% CI: 1.41–40.72; p=0.018<0.05) and previous cesarean section history (β: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.19–5.54; p=0.016<0.05) were significantly positively associated with placenta accreta.Conclusions: Increased first trimester MAP was significantly positively associated with placenta accreta, suggesting the potential role of MAP in identifying high-risk pregnancies for placenta accreta. Smoking during pregnancy and previous cesarean section history may be risk factors for placenta accreta.
Comparison of Chemical Compounds and Their Influence on The Taste of Coffee Depending on Green Beans Storage Conditions
Authors: Zarebska Magdalena , Stanek Natalia , Barabosz Krzysztof , Jaszkiewicz Anna , Kulesza Renata , Matejuk Rafał , Andrzejewski Dariusz , Biłos Łukasz , Porada Artur
Published: May 2021

Currently, there is no technology for storing green coffee (GC), which results in obtaining high-quality roasted coffee (RC). The aim of this study was evaluating the effects of storage temperature (-10, 5, 10, 18, 20ºC, uncontrolled), post-harvest treatment method (natural (N), washed (W)) and type of packaging material (GrainPro (G), jute (J) bags) on content of chlorogenic acids, caffeine and trigonelline as also on sensory profile of GC from “specialty’ sector after 12 months of measured storage. HPLC results showed that GrainPro bags preserve considered compounds better than jute. Exception was 10oC chamber, where in the samples from jute have been reported higher contents of all analyzed compounds. Also natural way of grain processing retains more assayed compounds. The best results were obtained in 10oC for jute both, natural and washed, where the highest level of all considered compounds were noted. The tendency was supported by the sensory analysis.
Spatial coding defects of hippocampal neural ensemble calcium activities in the 3xTg-AD Alzheimer’s disease mouse model
Authors: Lin Xiaoxiao , Chen Lujia , Baglietto-Vargas David , Ye Qiao , LaFerla Frank M , Nitz Douglas A. , Holmes Todd C. , Xu Xiangmin
Published: May 2021

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes progressive age-related defects in memory and cognitive function, and has emerged as a major health and socio-economic concern in the US and worldwide. To develop effective therapeutic treatments for AD, we need to better understand the neural mechanisms by which AD causes memory loss and cognitive deficits.
Methods

Here we examine large scale hippocampal neural population calcium activities imaged at single cell resolution in a triple-transgenic Alzheimer’s disease mouse model (3xTg-AD) that presents both amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary pathological features along with age-related behavioral defects. To measure encoding of environmental location in hippocampal neural ensembles in the 3xTg-AD mice in vivo, we performed GCaMP6-based calcium imaging using head-mounted, miniature fluorescent microscopes (“miniscopes”) on freely moving animals. We compared hippocampal CA1 excitatory neural ensemble activities during open-field exploration and track-based route-running behaviors in age-matched AD and control mice at young (3–6.5 months old) and old (18–21 months old) animals.
Results

3xTg-AD CA1 excitatory cells display significantly higher calcium activity rates compared with Non-Tg controls for both the young and old age groups during spatial exploration, suggesting that in vivo enhanced neuronal calcium ensemble activity is a disease feature. Increased ages are correlated with decreased neural calcium activity rates across genotypes. CA1 neuronal populations of 3xTg-AD mice show lower spatial information scores compared with control mice. Spatial firing of CA1 neurons of old 3xTg-AD mice also displays higher sparsity and spatial coherence, indicating less place specificity for spatial representation. We find locomotion significantly modulates the amplitude of hippocampal neural calcium ensemble activities in 3xTg-AD mice, but not in non-transgenic controls during open field ambulatory movements.
Conclusions

Our data offers new and comprehensive information about age-dependent neural circuit activity changes in this important AD mouse model, and provides strong evidence that spatial coding defects in the neuronal population activities are associated with AD pathology and AD-related memory behavioral deficits.