bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TUBB4A is a Novel Prognostic Biomarker and Therapeutic Target For Melanoma
Authors: Zhang Jiaqi , Li Zhe , Wu Qi , Li Hongbo , Yu Jingping , Sun Zhiqiang , Jiang Ying , Gao Wei , Luo Judong , Liu Hui
Published: June 2021

Background: Melanoma is one of the most malignant skin carcinomas with high metastatic potential. Increasing evidences have demonstrated that β-tubulin 4A (TUBB4A) play key role in development and progression of several types of human cancer. However, the potential function of TUBB4A in cutaneous melanoma remains to be determined. Methods: We first performed differential expression analysis between skin melanoma tissues and normal tissues from GEO and TCGA datasets, and then ran survival analysis to identify prognostic-related key genes. We went further to conduct the verification of in vitro biochemical experiments to explore the functional roles of key gene TUBB4A. Two small molecule inhibitors of TUBB4A, Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and Nocodazole, were used to examined the effect on apoptosis and cell cycle progression of melanoma cells.Results: We found that TUBB4A is markedly correlated to the overall survival of cutaneous melanoma patients. The co-expressed genes with TUBB4A are enriched in the melanoma-related pathways and function. Then, the experimental results showed that knockdown of TUBB4A inhibit the proliferation and migration of A375 and B16-F10 melanoma cells. Moreover, two small molecular agents targeting TUBB4A, Dihydroartemisinin and Nonocodazole, dpromote the apoptosis of melanoma cells and made the tumor cells significantly blocked in G2/M stage. Conclusion: We suppose that TUBB4A may be a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target of melanoma.
Comparative Analysis in Drilling Performance of AA7075 in Different Temper Conditions
Authors: YARAR ESER , ERTURK Alpay Tamer , KOÇ Funda Gül , VATANSEVER Fahri
Published: June 2021

AA7075 is one of the most suitable materials for aerospace, aircraft, and defense applications with its high yield strength and low-density. In many other modern machining methods, conventional drilling remains the most extensive material removal process in industrial components. The main objective of this study is examining the machinability and surface quality conditions of the AA7075 material with different temper conditions. For this purpose, various temper treatments are implemented to evaluate the impact of microstructural properties on tool wear and surface quality of the drilled holes. The drilling operations have been done on O, F, T4, T6, and T7 temper conditions. Process parameters were three different spindle speeds (715, 1520, and 3030 rev/min) and three feed rates (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mm/rev) with HSS-G high-performance ground standard twist drill bit. The present work deals with the effects of temper conditions on thrust force, drilling temperature, tool wear, surface integrity, and chip morphology. Drilling performance is related to the intrinsic microstructural properties of temper conditions. Response surface methodology was used in the evaluation of experiment results. The optimization results showed that while thrust force and torque are not significantly affected by change in spindle speed, they are sensitive to increase in feed rate. Heat-generation on the drill bit is the lowest at low levels of both the feed rate and spindle speed parameters. Among different temper conditions, the AA7075-T6 condition sample is processed with continuous chip formation and resulted in the best hole surface quality. The 3D finite element modelling of the drilling process was carried out, and the drilling performance of AA7075-T6 was evaluated in terms of thrust force, heat generation, and chip formation.
A Novel SCA3 Knock-in Mouse Model Mimics the Human SCA3 Disease Phenotype Including Neuropathological, Behavioral, and Transcriptional Abnormalities Especially in Oligodendrocytes
Authors: Haas Eva , Incebacak Rana D. , Hentrich Thomas , Huridou Chrisovalantou , Schmidt Thorsten , Casadei Nicolas , Maringer Yacine , Bahl Carola , Zimmermann Frank , Mills James D. , Aronica Eleonora , Riess Olaf , Schulze-Hentrich Julia M. , Huebener-Schmid Jeannette
Published: June 2021

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 is the most common autosomal dominant inherited ataxia worldwide, caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Ataxin-3 gene resulting in a polyQ-expansion in the corresponding protein. The disease is characterized by neuropathological, phenotypical, and specific transcriptional changes in affected brain regions. So far, there is no mouse model available representing all the different aspects of the disease, yet highly needed for a better understanding of the disease pathomechanisms. Here, we characterized a novel Ataxin-3 knock-in mouse model, expressing a heterozygous or homozygous expansion of 304 CAACAGs in the murine Ataxin-3 locus using biochemical, behavioral, and transcriptomic approaches. We compared neuropathological, and behavioral features of the new knock-in model with the in SCA3 research mostly used YAC84Q mouse model. Further, we compared transcriptional changes found in cerebellar samples of SCA3 the knock-in mice and post-mortem human SCA3 patients. The novel knock-in mouse is characterized by the expression of a polyQ-expansion in the murine Ataxin-3 protein, leading to aggregate formation, especially in brain regions known to be vulnerable in SCA3 patients, and impairment of Purkinje cells. Along these neuropathological changes, the mice showed a reduction in body weight accompanied by gait and balance instability. Transcriptomic analysis of cerebellar tissue revealed age-dependent differential expression, enriched for genes attributed to myelinating oligodendrocytes. Comparing these changes with those found in cerebellar tissue of SCA3 patients, we discovered an overlap of differentially expressed genes pointing towards similar gene expression perturbances in several genes linked to myelin sheaths and myelinating oligodendrocytes.
Impact of Manipulating Quail Eggs with Betaine During Early Embryogenesis on Chick Development, Hatchability, Hematological Variables, and Some Physiological Estimates
Authors: Abuoghaba Ahmed Abdelkareem , Ali Fatma , Abdelwahab Amira Ahmed Mohamed
Published: June 2021

This study evaluated the effect of spraying incubated quail eggs with betaine on chick development, hatchability and some physiological estimates of Japanese quails during early embryogenesis. A total of 750 eggs were equally divided into two groups (2 groups × 5 treatments × 5 replicates × 15 eggs). Eggs in the 1st group were incubated at normal incubation temperature (37.5°C/NIT), while those in the 2nd group were incubated at chronic incubation temperature (39.5 °C/CIT) for 3 hours daily from the 4th up to and 6th day of incubation. Eggs in NIT and CIT groups were subjected to five treatments, T1 (negative control), T2 sprayed distilled water (positive control), while T3, T4, T5 groups sprayed distilled water supplemented with 500, 1000 and 2000mg betaine/L respectively. The chick weight at hatch and slaughter weight and first egg weight was significantly impaired by CIT treatment. CIT group revealed a significant increase in the H/L ratio and a significant decrease in T3 hormone and blood protein levels than the NIT group. Regarding betaine effects, the embryonic mortality rates, hatchability, hatched chick weight, and slaughter weight were significantly improved compared with the control. Also, betaine significantly increased blood protein and T3 hormone levels and significantly decrease the liver enzymes levels and total feed consumption compared with untreated group. The RV/TV ratio of quails in CIT group was significantly increased, while betaine treatment significantly decreased this ratio. Considering these results, it’s strongly suggested that spraying of betaine on eggs at 1000 or 2000 mg//L optimizes Japanese quails performance.
Serum IL-27 Predicts the Severity and Prognosis in Patients With Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Xu Zheng , Liu Hong-Yan , Feng Chun-Mei , Hua Dong-Xu , Cheng Jia-Yi , Fu Lin , Zhao Hui
Published: June 2021

Background: The previous studies have revealed that IL-27 was involved in the pathophysiology of pulmonary inflammatory diseases. However, the role of IL-27 in the community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was unclear. The goal of this research was to explore the associations of serum IL-27 with the severity and prognosis among CAP patients through a prospective cohort study.Methods: The whole of 239 healthy population and 239 CAP patients were enrolled. Fasting blood samples were collected. Inflammatory cytokines were detected using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Demographic characteristics and clinical information were analyzed. Results: Serum IL-27 was significantly risen in CAP patients compared with control subjects on admission. Besides, serum IL-27 was gradually increased in line with CAP severity scores among CAP patients. Analysis on relevance suggested that serum IL-27 was associated with blood routine indices, renal function, liver function, myocardial function and inflammatory cytokines. Linear regression and logistic regression revealed that serum IL-27 was positively correlated with CAP severity scores. Logistic regression demonstrated that serum IL-27 on admission was positively correlated with vasoactive agent usage and longer hospital stay during hospitalization among CAPO patients. Conclusions: Serum IL-27 is markedly and positively associated with the severity and poor prognosis among CAP patients, indicating that IL-27 may involve in the pathophysiological process of CAP. Serum IL-27 may be used as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CAP patients.
Expression Profile and Prognostic Values of SMC Family Members in HCC
Authors: Yan Wei , Wang Dan-dan , Zhang He-da , Huang Jinny , Hou Jun-Chen , Yang Sun-Jin , Zhang Jian , Lu Ling , Zhang Qian
Published: June 2021

Background: The structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) gene family, comprising 6 members, is involved in a wide spectrum of biological functions in many types of human cancers. However, there is little research on the expression profile and prognostic values of SMC genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Based on updated public resources and integrative bioinformatics analysis, we tried to determine the value of SMC gene expression in predicting the risk of developing HCC. Methods and materials: The expression data of SMC family members were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The prognostic values of SMC members and clinical features were identified. A gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to explore the mechanism underlying the involvement of SMC members in liver cancer. The associations between tumor immune infiltrating cells (TIICs) and the SMC family members were evaluated using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. Results: Our analysis demonstrated that mRNA downregulation of SMC genes was common alteration in HCC patients. SMC1A, SMC2, SMC3, SMC4, SMC6 were upregulated in HCC. Upregulation of SMC2, SMC3 and SMC4, along with clinical stage, were associated with a poor HCC prognosis based on the results of univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. SMC2, SMC3 and SMC4 are also related to tumor purity and immune infiltration levels of HCC. The GSEA results indicated that SMC members participate in multiple biological processes underlying tumorigenesis. Conclusion: This study comprehensively analyzed the expression of SMC gene family members in patients with HCC. This can provide insights for further investigation of the SMC family members as potential targets in HCC and suggest that the use of SMC inhibitor targeting SMC2, SMC3 and SMC4 may be an effective strategy for HCC therapy.
A numerical feasibility study on monitoring bone health using microwave tomography: towards a wearable design
Authors: Alkhodari Mohanad , Zakaria Amer , Qaddoumi Nasser
Published: June 2021

Background: Osteoporosis is the major cause of bone weakness and fragility in more than 10 million people in the United States. This disease causes bone fractures in the hip or spine, which result in increasing the risk of disabilities or even death. The current gold standard in osteoporosis diagnostics, X-ray, although reliable, it uses ionizing radiations that makes it unfeasible for early and continuous monitoring applications. Recently, microwave tomography (MWT) has been emerging as a biomedical imaging modality that utilizes non-ionizing electromagnetic signals to screen bones' electrical properties. These properties are highly correlated to bones' density, which makes MWT to be an effective and safe alternative for frequent testing in osteoporosis diagnostics. Results: Both of the conventional and wearable simulated systems were successful in localizing the tibia and fibula bones in the enhanced MWT images. Furthermore, structure extraction of the leg’s model from the blind MWT images had a minimal error compared to the original one (L2-norm: 15.60%). Under five sequentially-incremental bone volume fraction (BVF) scenarios simulating bones' treatment procedure, bones were detected successfully and their density were found to be inversely proportional to the real-part of the relative permittivity values. Conclusions: This study paves the way towards implementing a safe and user-friendly MWT system that can be wearable to monitor bone degradation or treatment for osteoporosis cases. Methods: An anatomically-realistic finite-element (FE) model representing the human leg was initially generated and filled with corresponding tissues' (skin, fat, muscles, and bones) dielectric properties. Then, numerically, the forward and inverse MWT problems were solved within the framework of the finite-element method contrast source inversion algorithm (FEM-CSI). Furthermore, image reconstruction enhancements were investigated by utilizing prior information about different tissues as an inhomogeneous background as well as by adjusting the imaging domain and antennas locations based on the prior structural information. In addition, the utilization of a medically-approved matching medium that can be used in wearable applications, namely an ultrasound gel, was suggested. Additionally, an approach based on k-means clustering was developed to extract the prior structural information from blind reconstructions. Lastly. the enhanced images were used to monitor variations in BVF.
Epinephrine Versus Placebo During Resuscitation After Neonatal Hypoxic Cardiac Arrest: The Effect on ROSC and Markers of CNS Outcome Investigated in a Piglet Model
Authors: Andersen Hannah Brogaard , Andersen Mads , Andelius Ted Carl , Pedersen Mette Vestergård , Løfgren Bo , Pedersen Michael , Ringgaard Steffen , Kyng Kasper Jacobsen , Henriksen Tine Brink
Published: June 2021

Background: Epinephrine is an integral component of neonatal resuscitation guidelines, despite sparse evidence. The association between advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and poor neurodevelopment is well known, and epinephrine may improve short-term survival but at the cost of poor neurologic outcome. Our objectives were to investigate the effect of epinephrine vs placebo in a piglet model of neonatal hypoxic cardiac arrest (CA) by: 1) return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), 2) time-to-ROSC, 3) markers of CNS outcome by magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging (MRS/MRI), and 4) composite endpoint of death or severe CNS outcome. Methods: Twenty-five newborn piglets under 12 hours of age underwent hypoxia. Hypoxia was induced by clamping the endotracheal tube until CA (mean arterial blood pressure <20 mmHg and heart rate <60 bpm). CPR was commenced five minutes after CA. The animals were randomized to either CPR + intravenous epinephrine or CPR + placebo (saline). MRS/MRI was performed six hours after resuscitation. Results: ROSC was more frequent in animals subjected to epinephrine than placebo; RR = 2.31 (95 % CI: 1.09 to 5.77). We found no difference between groups in time-to-ROSC. Among survivors, we found no difference between groups in brain lactate/N-acetyl-aspartate ratios (Lac/NAA), N-acetyl-aspartate/creatine ratios (NAA/Cr), diffusion-weighted-signal, or oxygenation-dependent-signal. We found a tendency towards reduced risk of the composite endpoint of death or severe CNS outcome in animals resuscitated with epinephrine compared to placebo, RR = 0.7 (95 % CI: 0.37 to 1.19).Conclusions: Resuscitation with epinephrine compared to placebo improved ROSC frequency after neonatal hypoxic CA. Surviving animals after resuscitation with epinephrine compared to placebo showed no difference in MRS/MRI markers of brain damage. These results support that epinephrine improves short-term survival without increasing brain injury measured by early imaging biomarkers.
Modeling of Critical Cutting Speed of White Layer Formation in Hard-Cutting Process
Authors: Fangyuan Zhang , Kai Li , Chunzheng Duan
Published: June 2021

White layer exists on the machined surface of the hard-cutting and affects the surface quality and mechanical properties of a workpiece. Accurate predicting the critical cutting speed of white layer formation is of great significance for controlling the surface quality and selecting appropriate cutting parameters. In this work, an austenite transformation driving force calculation model of the white layer formation was established based on phase transformation thermodynamics theory, in which the influence of cutting temperature, stress and strain on the austenite transformation driving force in the hard-cutting process was taken into account. Second, a finite element (FE) model of the hard-cutting process was built by using hardened AISI52100 steel as cutting material. Then, a prediction model of critical cutting speed of the white layer formation was developed in combination with the austenite transformation driving force model and the hard-cutting FE model. Finally, the critical cutting speeds of the white layer formation at different chip thicknesses, tool rake angles and different levels of flank wear were simulated by using the critical cutting speed prediction model.
The Medical Futility Experience of Nursing Professionals in Greece
Authors: Voultsos Polychronis , Tsompanian Anna , Tsaroucha Alexandra K.
Published: June 2021

Background
Providing futile medical care is an ever timely ethical problem in clinical practice. While nursing personnel are very closely involved in providing direct care to patients nearing the end of life, their role in end-of-life decision making remains unclear.
Methods
This is a prospective qualitative study conducted with experienced nursing professionals from December 2020 through May 2021. Individual in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with sixteen participants. We performed a thematic analysis of the data.
Results
Importantly, many participants were half-hearted in their attitude towards accepting or defining futile medical care. Furthermore, interestingly, emerged a list of well-described circumstances, under which the dying process is most likely to be a “bad and undignified” process. These circumstances reflected situations revolving around: a) pain and suffering, b) treating patients with respect, c) the appearance and image of the patient body, and d) the interaction between patients and their relatives. Fear of legal action, lack of regulatory framework, physicians pressured from (mostly uninformed) family members and physicians’ personal motives were reported as important reasons behind providing futile medical care. It is highlighted the nursing professional’s role as participant in decisions on futile care and as mediator between physicians and patients (and family members). Furthermore, it is prioritized the patient’s role in decisions on futile care. It is highlighted the impact of patient’s effort to keep themselves alive on nursing professionals’ willingness to provide care. Providing futile care is a major factor that negatively affects the nursing professionals’ inner attitude towards performing their duties. Finally, the psychological benefits of providing a futile medical care are highlighted, and the importance of the lack of adequately developed end-of-life care facilities in Greece is emphasized.
Conclusions
These findings enforce our opinion that futile medical care should be conceptualized in the strict sense of the term, namely, as caring for a brain-dead individual or a patient in a medical condition whose continuation would most likely go against the patient’s presumed preference (strictly understood). For a great part, our findings were consistent with prior literature. However, we identified some issues that are of clinical importance.
The 16-Year Periodicity In The Winter Surface Temperature Variations In The Antarctic Peninsula Region
Authors: Evtushevsky Oleksandr , Grytsai Asen , Agapitov Oleksiy , Kravchenko Volodymyr , Milinevsky Gennadi
Published: June 2021

The aim of this work is a comprehensive study of the 16-year periodicity of winter surface temperature in the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) region, described earlier, and its possible source based on weather station records over the 1952–2019 period making use of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Reference Antarctic Data for Environmental Research (READER) database, as well as Fourier and wavelet analysis methods. It is shown that interdecadal oscillation with a period of about 16 years dominates in the northern AP (Esperanza and Orcadas), which is consistent with previous results. The 16-year periodicity is found to closely correlate with the sea level pressure anomaly in the southwestern Atlantic associated with the zonal wave-3 and the Southern Annular Mode patterns. The correlation maximum in the southwestern Atlantic, having the characteristic features of the anticyclonic circulation, affects the surface temperature in the northern AP through the related structure of the zonal and meridional wind anomalies. This effect is weaker to the south, where the Vernadsky station data do not show a regular interdecadal periodicity. Due to the correlated variability in the wave-3 ridges, the pronounced 16-year periods exist also in the surface temperature of southern Australia–New Zealand region, as well as in the zonal mean sea level pressure at 30–50°S. The sea surface temperatures are much less involved in the 16-year oscillation suggesting that atmospheric rather than oceanic processes appear to be more important for its occurrence.
Virulence-Associated Genes and Genetic Diversity of Avian Pathogenic (APEC) and Fecal (AFEC) E. Coli Isolates from Chickens
Authors: Zhu Zhen , Cao Mingze , Wang Weiwei , Zhu Qiqi , Wang Chengye , Zhang Yongying , Shi Yuxiang , Zhou Xuzheng , Cui Guangbin , Zhang Jiyu
Published: June 2021

Background: Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) is the etiologic agent of serious colibacillosis and causes extensive economic losses. To examine the genetic background of APEC, we characterized the serotypes, virulence genes, phylogenetic classification and MLST of 392 APEC and 586 AFEC strains isolated from infected chickens. Results: The results showed that the most predominant serotypes were O78 (13.47%), O2 (9.16%), O18 (5.39%), O20 (4.42%) and O25 (4.09%). The major serotypes O78 (13.47%) and O2 (9.16%) were significantly higher in the APEC isolates than in the AFEC isolates. Among the 16 analyzed virulence-associated genes (VAGs), iroN (100%), ompT (100%), fimC (92.46%), iss (77.91%) and irp2 (71.98%) were the most frequently identified. Over half (54.85%) of the strains possessed > 8–13 VAGs, and 85.23% of the strains carried iroN-ompT-fimC-iss/irp2 VAG patterns. According to the phylogenetic analysis, phylogroups A (32.11%) and B2 (31.36%) proved to be the most prevalent phylogenetic groups in the AFEC and APEC isolates, respectively. The strains that belonged to phylogroup B2 were associated with more VAGs. Based on MLST, 46 STs belonging to 15 different clonal complexes were identified, and 4 were novel. ST88 (10.67%) was found to be the most dominant ST, and it possessed at least 9 VAGs and belonged to phylogroups B2 or D. Furthermore, the isolates belonging to B2-O78/O2-ST88 were the most likely APEC isolates to be associated with epidemics, and they carried more VAGs than the other strains. Conclusions: Our findings have enriched our knowledge of the molecular characteristics of APEC isolates from chickens, which will be important for the prevention and control of avian colibacillosis.
Design and Optimization of Variable Pitch End Mills Based on Dynamic Balance Accuracy
Authors: Nie Wanying , Zheng Minli , Xu Shicheng , Liu Yuexiu , Yu Haibin
Published: June 2021

Variable pitch end mills are widely used in the high-speed milling process due to having better vibration reduction properties. However, because of the unequal pitch angles and the asymmetrical structure of end mills, there are principle error, poor dynamic balance accuracy, and serious tool vibration problems in the milling process. In order to improve the dynamic balance accuracy of variable pitch end mills, the structure of the end mill is designed and optimized based on the minimum eccentricity criterion in this paper. Firstly, by analyzing the dynamic balance of variable pitch end mills, the relationship between it and eccentricity is defined, and the end section model and the centroid equation are developed through the structure design of end mills. Then, the optimization method of variable pitch end mills is analyzed, the eccentricity decreases from e0= 150um to e'0 = 3um based on this method. the structure of the end mill is optimized to meet the design criteria, which improves the balance accuracy level of end mills. Finally, through the modal analysis for the optimized structure of the variable pitch end mill, the maximum relative displacement in the mode is reduced by about 17%, it is verified that the optimized end mills have better dynamic performances, which is of great significance for alleviating the cutting vibration and improving the cutting stability.
Haematological Profiles of Pigs on Different Farms Reflect Their Health Status
Authors: Oven Irena Golinar , Svete Alenka Nemec , Hajdinjak Melita , Plut Jan , Stukelj Marina
Published: June 2021

BackgroundHaematological examination is an important diagnostic tool in the assessment of pig health status. The present study aimed to assess haematological parameters in pigs of different age categories from six farrow-to-finish farms differing in herd health status. The following pig categories were included: 5 age groups of growers (5, 7, 9–10, 11 and 12–13 weeks-old), fatteners and breeding pregnant sows. Individual blood samples for determining complete blood count and white blood cell differential count were taken and group samples of oral fluid and faeces were collected from each animal category in each of the six farms and tested for the detection of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2), Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Virus (PRRSV), and Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) using PCR, RT-PCR, and qRT-PCR protocols. Individual blood samples were analysed using an automated laser-based haematology analyser. The following haematological parameters were reported: white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin concentration (Hb), haematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), platelet count (PLT), and percentage and number of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils, and "large unstained cells" - LUCs. ResultsOn farms free of PRRSV, PCV2 and HEV, age had significant effect on the following parameters: WBC, Hb, MCH, MCHC, PLT, percentage of neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophils and absolute numbers of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils and LUCs. On farms with PRRS, PCV2 and/or HEV, age significantly affected all observed blood parameters except the percentage of LUCs. The percentages of lymphocytes, MCV and Hct were significantly lower by PRRSV while WBC, PLT, percentage and absolute number of neutrophils, basophils and LUCs increased. Significantly lower percentages of lymphocytes and increased percentages and absolute numbers of neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils were caused by PCV2 presence. Significantly lower percentage of lymphocytes and MCV and increased RBC, Hb, percentage and number of basophils and percentage of neutrophils were caused by HEV. Conclusions Alterations of haematological parameters reflected the health status of pigs of different categories on infected and on non-infected farms. Age-related changes in haematological parameters occurred in clinically healthy and in infected pigs.
An Efficient and Stable Magnetic Nano-Biocatalyst for Biodiesel Synthesis in Recyclable Ionic Liquids
Authors: Xing Xiu , Zhou Zi Wen , Wei Yun Jie , Liu Yan Hong , Li Kun , Yu Xiao Qi , Wang Na
Published: June 2021

Transesterification of jatropha oil obtaining process was studied for biodiesel production. Rhizomucor miehei lipase (RML) immobilized on 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane functionalized magnetic Fe3O4 was employed as a biocatalyst. The immobilized lipase was confirmed by scanning electron microcopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) techniques. The efficient biodiesel synthesis in ionic liquids using immobilized RML was demonstrated. Fifteen kinds of ionic liquids based on different alkyl chain lengths of the methyl imidazolium cation ([C2MIM], [C4MIM], [C8MIM], [C12MIM] and [C16MIM]) combined with [NTf2], [N(CN)2], [PF6] or [BF4] anions were assayed as reaction media for RML producing biodiesel. The highest synthetic activity of immobilized RML appeared in [BMIM][PF6], which is more than five times higher than the free enzyme. The enzyme catalytic activity remained 60% even after the magnetic nano-biocatalyst and ionic liquid had been reused 5 times in a 48-hour reaction cycle. In addition, the immobilized enzyme exhibited excellent storage stability with almost no decrease in catalytic activity after storing at -20°C for 98 days.
Evaluation of qPCR Reference Genes For Taimen (Hucho Taimen)
Authors: Yang Xiaoxing , Tong Guangxiang , Dong Le , Tang Guopan , Zhang Yongquan , Yan Ting , Ma Kai , Yin Jiasheng , Kuang Youyi
Published: June 2021

As a powerful and attractive method for detecting gene expression, qRT-PCR has been broadly used in aquacultural research. Understanding the biology of taimen (Hucho taimen) has attracted increased interest because of its ecological and economic values. Stable reference genes are required for the reliable quantification of gene expression, but such genes have not yet been optimised for taimen. In this study, the stability levels of 10 commonly used candidate reference genes were evaluated using four methods, geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and RefFinder. The expression levels of the 10 genes were detected using samples from 48 experimental groups that consisted of six tissues (blood, heart, brain, gill, skin and liver) collected under five heat-stress conditions (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26°C) and four heat-stress processing times (4, 24, 48 and 96 h). RPS29 and RPL19 were the most stable genes among all the samples, whereas 28S rRNA, ARBPR and 18S rRNA were the least stable. These results were verified by an expression analysis of the heat-stress genes (hsp60 and hsp70) of taimen. In conclusion, RPS29 and RPL19 are the optimal reference genes for qRT-PCR analyses of taimen, irrespective of the tissue and experimental conditions, and these results allow the reliable study of gene expression in taimen.
Expression of The Fab Enzymes (Fab I And Fab Z) From Plasmodium Falciparum After Exposure To Artemisia Afra Plant Extracts And Drugs Screening
Authors: Kane Ndeye Fatou , Kyama Mutinda Cleophas , Nganga Joseph Kangethe , Hassanali Ahmed , Diallo Mouhamadou , Kimani Francis
Published: June 2021

Background:The emergence and spread of drug resistance of the malaria parasite to the main treatment emphasis the need to develop new antimalarial drugs. In this context, the fatty acid biosynthesis (FAS_II) pathway of the malaria parasite is one of the ideal target due to its crucial role in parasite survival.Method:We report in this study the expression and the affinity binding of two Fab enzymes (FabI and FabZ) after exposure of the parasite using different extracts of the Artemisia afra and after a virtual screening with the different plant compounds. Two differents strains of Plasmodium falciparum was used: W2 (CQ_resistant) and D6 (CQ_sensitive) with a parasiteamia of 4%. The parasites were exposed during 2 days to different Artemisia afra extracts . Gene expression was done to determine the level of expression of the fab enzymes after treatments. A GCMS was run to determine the different compounds of the plant extracts following by a virtual screening between the fab enzymes and the active compounds using Pyrex. Result:The results showed different expression patterns of the Fab enzymes. FabI was downregulated in the W2 and D6 strains by the ethanolic extract in a higher rate for W2. Hexane and DCM extracts increased the production of FabI respectively in W2 and D6 strains. A different expression pattern was observed for Fab Z. The expression of FabZ in the W2 strain were all upregulated. The enzyme was downregulated only in the D6 strain when exposed to the ethanolic and hexane extracts of the plant. After virtual screening, a lot of compounds were found to interact with the two fab enzymes. Hits compounds for FabI and FabZ with high biding energy were detected. 11alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone and Aspidospermidin-17-ol were found to have high binding energy with FabI respectively (-10.7 kcal/mol; -10.2kcal/mol). Fab Z was having also a high affinity with the two following hits compounds: 11alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone (-10 kcal/mol) and Thiourea (-8.4 Kcal/mol). Conclusion:The study showed that Artemisia afra is a big source of antimalarial drugs, and could act not only as a curative but also as prophylactic due to its effects on the Fab enzymes.
Suicidality in Individuals With Prader-Willi Syndrome: A Review of Registry Survey Data
Authors: Peleggi Analise , Bohonowych Jessica , Strong Theresa , Schwartz Lauren , Kim Soo-Jeong
Published: June 2021

BACKGROUND: Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare, genetic, neurodevelopmental syndrome associated with hyperphagia and early onset obesity, growth and sex hormone insufficiencies, mild-to-moderate intellectual disability, and behavioral challenges such as compulsivity, anxiety, skin picking, social skills deficits and temper outbursts. Given high rates of psychiatric comorbidity and potential risk factors for suicide in PWS, this study sought a first estimate of the prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI) and attempts (SA) in the PWS population and any characteristics associated with suicidality in this population. METHODS: Using the Global Prader-Willi Syndrome Registry, we included all participants who had answered a question about SI. We examined the most recent data from the surveys about social, economic, and demographic factors, genetic subtype, and psychiatric symptoms and treatments. A chi-square analysis was used to compare registry participants who reported SI to those without reported SI. RESULTS: From 750 included survey respondents, 94 (12.5%) endorsed some history of SI. Of these, 25 (26.6%) also reported a history of SA, with an average age of 16.25 years at their first attempt. Those with a history of SI were predominantly male and adult age, and had higher rates of aggression and psychiatric comorbidities, therapies, and medications. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the rate of SI and SA in PWS is comparable to the general population, and that suicide attempts in PWS typically begin in middle-teenage years. Despite unique challenges, individuals with PWS and their caregivers should be included in screens and psychoeducation for suicide and mental health concerns.
Optical and Electrical Properties of Ion Beam Effects in Ge10Se70Bi20 Thin Films
Authors: Abdelhamid M , Reheem A Abdel , Kassem N , Ashour A
Published: June 2021

In this study, chalcogenide material Ge 10 Se 70 Bi 20 thin films have been fabricated utilizing the thermal evaporation technique of bulk samples on glass substrates. After that, the original Ge 10 Se 70 Bi 20 thin films irradiated by different types of an ion beam. The compositions of the original film was determined by the Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX). X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were performed to characterize and examine the induced variations in the structure of Ge 10 Se 70 Bi 20 films after irradiation. From the optical measurements, the absorption edge, bandgap, Urbach energy, Tauc parameter, and extinction coefficient of the unirradiated and irradiated films were determined. In particular, the DC electrical conductivity increased by two orders after the pure film was exposed to an oxygen ion beam. Besides, the activation energy and Mott’s parameters for the original and irradiated Ge 10 Se 70 Bi 20 films were deduced. The reported variations in absorption coefficient, optical bandgap, dc electrical conductivity, and Mott’s parameters propose that the irradiated Ge 10 Se 70 B 20 thin films can be used in important applications, e.g., optical data storage and optoelectronic devices.
High-resolution Late-holocene Biomarkers Records in Southern Continental Shelf of the Korean Peninsula: Implications for Climate Variations Over the Last 4 Kyr
Authors: Hyun Sangmin , Kang Jeongwon , Cho Jin Hyung , Kim Gil Young
Published: June 2021

High-resolution records for carbon isotopes of organic matter and n-alkane compounds were investigated in two gravity cores (SJP15-2 and SJP15-4) taken from the southern continental shelf of the Korean peninsula to evaluate the influxes of terrestrial biomarkers and their linkage to paleoclimate and marine environmental changes since the last 4 kyr. The total organic carbon contents were < 1%, and the carbon isotope ratio of organic matters (d13Corg) ranged from approximately −21‰ to -22‰ and, they did not highly fluctuate throughout the two cores. However, the vertical distributions of total terrestrial biomarkers, long-chain n-alkanes (nC25-35), and individual n-alkane compounds exhibited distinctive fluctuations. There are two switching points that discriminate patterns of excursion and distribution at ca. 2.5 ka, and 0.5 ka. Several n-alkane combined indices such as average chain length (ACL), carbon preference index (CPI), and paleovegetation index (Paq) were coincident with these switching points, implying that the supply of terrestrial biomarkers was strongly associated with environmental changes at the source area. In particular, variations of compound-specific n-alkanes isotope and the ratios of nC31/nC27 and nC31/nC29 follow those of n-alkanes indices, implying that this millennium records were associated with wetter climate conditions, and thus paleovegetation and paleoclimate variation. Comparison with previous data of the detrital quartz from the East China Sea and aeolian dust in the Cheju (Jeju) Island, South Korea, and Dongge cave oxygen isotope records indicates strong synchronicity with gradual paleoclimate degradation between 2.5 ka and 0.5 ka. Therefore, our high-resolution n-alkane data are very useful for reconstructing past climatic variability, suggesting that paleoclimate system of the East Asian region may have influenced the sediment records of study area since the last 4 kyr.
Effects of Electroporation on Anticancer Activity of 5-FU and Newly Synthesized zinc(II) Complex in Chemotherapy-resistance Human Brain Tumor Cells
Authors: Alkış Mehmet Eşref , Turan Nevin , Alan Yusuf , Kandemir Sevgi Irtegun , Buldurun Kenan
Published: June 2021

Zn(II) complex of Schiff base derived from the condensation of 4-aminopyrimidine-2(1H)-one with salicylaldehyde was prepared and characterized by various physico‐chemical and spectral methods for structure determination. The cytotoxic activity of the Zn(II) complex was investigated in comparison with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) against two different human brain tumor cell lines (T98G and U118), while primer human dermal fibroblast cells (HDF) was used as control for biocompatibility. Then, the effectiveness of electroporation (EP) on cytotoxic activities of these compounds has been examined. The cytotoxicities of the 5-FU and new Zn(II) complex, alone or in combination with electroporation, were determined by MTT assay. The Zn(II) complex showed good cytotoxicity against T98G and U118 brain tumor cell lines with IC50 = 282.47 and 297.91 μM respectively, while it was safe on HDF healthy cells with IC50 = 826.72 μM. The 5-FU exhibited less cytotoxicity compared to the Zn(II) complex against T98G (IC50 = 382.35 μM) and U118 (IC50 = 396.56 μM) tumor cell lines. The combined application of Zn (II) + EP decreased the IC50 value by 5.96-fold in T98G cells and 4.76-fold in U118 cells. EP showed a similar effect in its combined application with 5-FU, resulting in a decrease of the IC50 value of 4.22-fold in the T98G cells and 3.84-fold in the U118 cells. In a conclusion, the Zn(II) complex exhibited an anticancer potential against both brain tumor cell lines (T98G and U118) and EP greatly increased the cytotoxicity of Zn(II) complex and 5-FU on these chemotherapy-resistant cells.
Novel Ensemble-Based Machine Learning Models Based on The Bagging, Boosting and Random Subspace Methods for Landslide Susceptibility Mapping
Authors: Mabdeh Ali Nouh , Al-Fugara Akif , Ahmadlou Mohammad , Pradhan Biswajeet
Published: June 2021

Indivisual machine learning models show different limitations such as low generalization power for modeling nonlinear phenomena with complex behavior. In recent years, one of the best approaches to this issue is to use ensemble models. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the predictive power and modeling of three novel ensemble models constructed with four machine learning models: Decision Tree (DT), Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Naive Bayes (NB) models based on three approaches of Bagging, boosting and Random Subspace (RS) in landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) in the Province of Ajloun in Jordan. A total number of 91 landslide locations along with 16 conditioning factors in LSM were identified and used. Also, before modeling, the selection of effective conditioning factors in LSM was done using genetic algorithm and four single models including DT, KNN, NB and SVM. The selected factors were used in modeling with individual and ensemble models. The results show that the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for ensemble models is significantly higher than the individual models and the AUC for ensemble models was on average 14% higher than individual models. Based on the results, the most accurate models were RS ensemble model (AUROC = 0.850), Boosting (AUROC = 0.848) and Bagging (AUROC = 0.814), respectively. This study showed that by combining the results of simple machine learning models and making ensemble models, models with the desired accuracy can be achieved.
Association Between Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (GTD) History and Clinical Outcomes in in Vitro Fertilization/intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (IVF/ICSI) Cycles
Authors: Cai Xinyu , Zhang Mei , Huang Chenyang , Jiang Yue , Zhou Jidong , Xu Manlin , Sun Haixiang , Kong Na
Published: June 2021

Background: Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) usually affects young women of childbearing age. After treatment for GTD, 86% of women wish to achieve pregnancy. On account of the impacts of GTD and treatments as well as patient anxiety, large numbers of couples turn to assisted reproductive technology (ART), especially in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). But few studies have investigated whether a history of GTD affects the outcomes of IVF/ICSI in secondary infertile patients and how it occurs. We investigate whether a history of GTD affects the IVF/ICSI outcomes and the live birth rates in women with secondary infertility.Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 176 women with secondary infertility who underwent IVF/ICSI treatment at the reproductive medical center of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020. Participants were divided into the GTD group (44 women with GTD history) and control group (132 women without GTD history matched from 8318 secondary infertile women ). The control group and the study group were matched at a ratio of 3:1 according to patient age, infertility duration, number of cycles and body mass index (BMI). We assessed retrieved oocytes and high-grade embryos, biochemical pregnancy, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, gestational age at delivery, delivery mode and live birth rates.Result(s): We found a significantly reduced live-birth rate (34.1% vs 66.7%) associated with IVF/ICSI cycles in patients with a GTD history compared to those without a GTD history. The biochemical pregnancy and miscarriage rates of the GTD group were slightly higher than those of the control group. In addition, there was a difference in gestational age at delivery between the GTD and control groups (p<0.001) but no differences in the mode of delivery (p=0.267). Furthermore, the number of abandoned embryos in the GTD group was greater than that in the control group (p=0.018), and the number of good-quality embryos was less than that in the control group (p=0.019). The endometrial thickness was thinner (p<0.001) in the GTD group. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed abnormal endometrial receptivity in the GTD group.Conclusion(s): The GTD history of patients undergoing IVF/ICSI cycles had an impact on the live-birth rate and gestational age at delivery, which might result from the thinner endometrium and abnormal endometrial receptivity before embryo transfer.
High Throughput Phenotyping of Cross-sectional Morphology to Assess Stalk Lodging Resistance
Authors: Oduntan Yusuf A , Stubbs Christopher J , Robertson Daniel J
Published: June 2021

Background Stalk lodging (mechanical failure of plant stems during windstorms) leads to global yield losses in cereal crops estimated to range from 5% - 25% annually. The cross-sectional morphology of plant stalks is a key determinant of stalk lodging resistance. However, previously developed techniques for quantifying cross-sectional morphology of plant stalks are relatively low-throughput, expensive and often require specialized equipment and expertise. There is need for a simple and cost-effective technique to quantify plant traits related to stalk lodging resistance in a high-throughput manner.Results A new phenotyping methodology was developed and applied to a range of plant samples including, maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), wheat (Triticum aestivum), poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), and Arabidopsis (Arabis thaliana). The major diameter, minor diameter, rind thickness and number of vascular bundles were quantified for each of these plant types. Linear correlation analyses demonstrated strong agreement between the newly developed method and more time-consuming manual techniques (R2>0.9). In addition, the new method was used to generate several specimen-specific finite element models of plant stalks. All the models compiled without issue and were successfully imported into finite element software for analysis. All the models demonstrated reasonable and stable solutions when subjected to realistic applied loads.Conclusions A rapid, low-cost, and user-friendly phenotyping methodology was developed to quantify two-dimensional plant cross-sections. The methodology offers reduced sample preparation time and cost as compared to previously developed techniques. The new methodology employs a stereoscope and a semi-automated image processing algorithm. The algorithm can be used to produce specimen-specific, dimensionally accurate computational models (including finite element models) of plant stalks.