bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT Salmonella sp. ISOLATED FROM SEVERAL CHICKEN FARMS IN WEST JAVA, INDONESIA
Authors: Hardiati Aprilia , Safika Safika , Pasaribu Fachriyan Hasmi , Wibawan I Wayan Teguh
Published: April 2022

This study was aimed at isolating and identifying Salmonella sp. and then conducting an antibiotics susceptibility test in order to detect resistant genes.  One hundred and five chicken cloaca swab samples were used in this study. 30 samples were taken from a layer farm in Bogor, 45 from a broiler farm in Sukabumi and 30 from a broiler farm in Cianjur. In order to  isolate and identify the bacteria, a tetrathionate broth was used, which was then cultured in a Salmonella-Shigella agar, and finally a Gram stain and biochemical test was conducted. To confirm the presence of Salmonella sp., a pair of primers were used for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to determine the presence of the invA gene.. An antibiotics susceptibility test was used with the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Nine antibiotics were used in this study. Each primer pair was used for the detection of tetA, blaTEM, aac(3)-IV, gyrA and ermB genes, and for genes encoding antibiotic resistance  a PCR test was used. Eight (7.6%) Salmonella sp. were  isolated in this study. All isolates showed positive results with PCR confirmation. The results of the antibiotics susceptibility test showed that Salmonella sp. isolates were resistant to tetracycline (75%), oxytetracycline (75%), amphicillin (75%), gentamycin (12.5%), nalidixic acid (100%), ciprofloxacin (12.5%), enrofloxacin (0%), erythromycin (100%), and chloramphenicol (0%). The distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella sp. were tetA (33.3%), blaTEM (100%), aac(3)-IV (0%), gyrA (100%) and ermB (0%) positive. In conclusion, Salmonella sp. was isolated. All isolates showed positive results in the PCR confirmation. Salmonella sp. isolates were resistant to tetracycline, oxytetracycline, amphicillin, gentamycin, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and erythromycin. Only the tetA, blaTEM, and gyrA genes were detected in Salmonella sp. isolates.
ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF ETHANOL EXTRACT OF YELLOW ROOT (Arcangelisia flava) ON HEPG2 HEPATOCELLULAR CANCER CELLS
Authors: Yusuf Hanifah , Fahriani Marhami , Murzalina Cut
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to evaluate anticancer activity and apoptosis induction of ethanolic extract of Arcalengisia flava (AF) roots on HepG2 cancer cell lines. The AF roots were extracted by maceration using ethanol 80%. MTT assay method was used to evaluate the anticancer activity and the proliferation of HepG2 cells. Flow cytometry method was used to assess the induction of HepG2 cells apoptosis. This study showed that the IC50 of AF ethanol extract against HepG2 cells was 109.14 μg/ml. With IC50 treatment, the apoptosis assay showed a significant decrease in intact cells (80.10±1.7%) and a significant increase in early apoptosis (7.9±0.7%) and late apoptosis cells of HepG2 cancer cells (4.9±0.35%) compared to control cells. Moreover, the proliferation of HepG2 cells was declined significantly in 48 and 72 hours after treatment with IC50 (77.5±5.76% and 64.3±5.37%, respectively) and 2xIC50 of the extract (75.9±1.79% and 70.5±4.27%, respectively). This research suggests that the ethanolic extract of AF roots can potentially be used for hepatocarcinoma treatment.
QT interval instability and variability in dogs with naturally-occurring hypercortisolism
Authors: Vila Beatriz de Carvalho Pato , Vanhoni Marcela Sigolo , Sousa Marlos Gonçalves
Published: April 2022

Hypercortisolism is one of the most common endocrine diseases in dogs. In humans, it is clearly associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events, but studies in dogs are scarce. To investigate the arrhythmogenic risk of dogs with naturally-occurring hypercortisolism (NOHC), indices of variability and instability of the QT interval were retrospectively studied in 38 dogs with NOHC and prospectively studied in 12 healthy dogs: variance (QTv), total instability (TI), short-term (STI) and long-term (LTI), and mean (QTm). Except for QTm, all parameters studied were higher in the NOHC group than in the control group. In addition, STI and QTv showed moderate positive correlation with left ventricle wall thickness. The NOHC group was subdivided according to cortisol suppression pattern in the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test. All electrocardiographic indices of partial and absent suppression patterns were numerically higher than healthy dogs. QTv and TI were lower in the control group than in both NOHC subgroups. LTI and STI were lower in the CG than in the group with the partial suppression pattern. There was no statistical difference between sex groups in any of the electrocardiographic parameters studied. This result might indicate that the etiology of NOHC, and its consequent influence on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis could interfere on the heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization parameters in different ways, especially in the short-term and the long-term stability; however further studies are necessary to understand the role of cortisol on electrical instability in dogs.
Modeling flip-flops based on molecular diode structures
Authors: SAFAPOUR SALEH , Sabbaghi Reza , RAZAGHIAN FARHAD , SHOKRI ALIASGHAR
Published: April 2022

Conventional semiconductor components can be used for modeling and simulating molecular structures, so the progress in molecular electronics can be accelerated by creating a link between molecular electronics and semiconductor technology. Little work has been done so far on molecular electronic modeling. The present work attempts to focus on molecular electronic modeling by proposing a typical model and discussing its theory. Moreover, the circuit components used for modeling the molecules are introduced. An asymmetric oligo phenylene ethynylene (OPE) molecular diode and a four-benzene molecular diode are designed using the presented typical model. Furthermore, using LTspice software, the currents are obtained from the model and molecules for both OPE molecular diode and four-benzene molecular diode to confirm their appropriate performance. Then transmission spectrum, potential drop profile, and rectification ratio are obtained and analyzed for the four-benzene molecular diode using Atomistix ToolKit (ATK) software. Finally, various molecular gates and molecular memory logic circuits including NOT, NAND, NOR, SR Flip Flop, and D flip-flop are designed using the four-benzene molecular diode model.
Analog Neuromorphic Circuit for Spontaneous Ca2+ Oscillations
Authors: Câmara Beatriz Oliveira , Guimarães Janaina
Published: April 2022

This work proposes for the first time an analog neuromorphic circuit architecture of the spontaneous Ca 2+ oscillations in astrocytes. Spontaneous oscillatory behavior is not dependent on synaptic stimulation, thus suggesting that astrocytes can act as a primary source in generating neuronal activity. Transistor differential pairs are used to implement an approximation to the nonlinear sigmoidal biological functions. The circuit architecture is validated through simulation and its dynamical bevahior is compared against the mathematical model using a phase diagram analysis. Results show a satisfactory fit. Finally, the spontaneous oscillations generated by the proposed circuit are used to successfully simulate the release of glutamate and ATP. Keywords: Astrocyte, Neuromorphic, Spontaneous Oscillations, Analog, Circuit
What shapes the gut microbiome of lizards from different habitats?
Authors: Vasconcelos Diana , Harris D. J. , Damas-Moreira Isabel , Pereira Ana , xavier raquel
Published: April 2022

Host-gut microbiota interactions are complex and can have a profound impact on the ecology and evolution of both counterparts. Several host traits such as taxonomy, diet and social behavior, and external factors such as prey availability and local environment are known to influence the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota. In this study, we investigated the influence of taxonomy, sex, host size, locality/habitat on gut microbiota diversity in five lizard species from two different sites in Portugal. We also analyzed the potential levels of microbial transmission between species that live in sympatry and syntopy. We studied Podarcis bocagei and Podarcis lusitanicus from northern Portugal (Moledo); and two invasive species, Podarcis siculus and Teira dugesii, and the native Podarcis virescens from Lisbon. We used a metabarcoding approach to characterize the bacterial communities from the cloaca of lizards, sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA. Habitat/locality was found to be the main driver of the differences in composition and structure of gut bacterial communities of the studied lizards, with host effects more evident at finer taxonomic scales. Additionally, lizards from urbanized environments had higher microbiome diversity than lizards from rural areas. We detected a significant positive correlation between size and gut bacterial alpha-diversity in the invasive species P. siculus, which could be due to higher exploratory behaviours. Moreover, estimates of bacterial transmission indicate that P. siculus may have acquired a high proportion of local microbiota. These findings indicate that a diverse array of host and environmental factors can influence lizards gut microbiota.
Neurocognitive functioning and quality of life in patients receiving radiotherapy for intracranial meningiomas. Systematic review
Authors: González Noelia Sánchez , Gonçalves Jesús María , Perea María Victoria , García Ricardo , de Oca Juan Carlos Roa Montes , Ladera Valentina
Published: April 2022

This work is aimed at analyzing the neurocognitive functioning (NF) and the quality of life (QoL) of adult subjects with meningioma treated with primary and / or adjuvant radiotherapy.The following databases were searched: Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, Medline, Psychology Database, PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, from January 2020 to June 2021. 11 out of the 1992 articles initially identified met the inclusion criteria. An own registry protocol was applied to encode works features and quality of studies and journals where articles were published was evaluated via a self-made scale based on previously validated instruments. The results indicate that most of the studies that assessed NF did not show changes in various cognitive domains after the end of primary and / or adjuvant radiotherapy, nor in the follow-up period: 3, 6, and 12 months after the end of treatment. However, those that assessed QoL did observed a deterioration after the end of therapy, but an improvement during the follow-up: 3, 6, and 12 months after the end of treatment. In general, adult patients suffering from meningioma perform well in the long term (up to 12 months) after primary and / or adjuvant therapy, both in NF and QoL. Future research is necessary to study more deeply this scope of work since the results to date are heterogeneous.
Effects of a Moodle-based E-learning Management System on E-collaborative Learning, Perceived Satisfaction, and Study Achievement among Nursing Students: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Chen Yi-Chang , Chen Chen- Jung , Lee Mei-Yin
Published: April 2022

Aims
To determine whether the use of a Moodle-based learning management system (LMS) for educational purposes can significantly improve e-collaborative learning, perceived satisfaction, and study achievement among nursing students in a pediatric nursing course.
Background
Studies suggest that in nursing education, electronic Moodle-based LMSs may be more effective than traditional face-to-face teaching, as they lead to learning outcomes that equal or exceed those of face-to-face teaching. Therefore, nursing education methods and pedagogy should be modified accordingly.
Design:
Nonrandomized pretest–posttest quasiexperimental design.
Methods
Third-year nursing students in a medical college in northern Taiwan were recruited and nonrandomly assigned to non-Moodle and Moodle groups. Students in the former received traditional classroom teaching without the use of Moodle, while those in the latter completed the course through both Moodle and classroom lectures.
Results
Eighty-four students (52 in the non-Moodle group and 32 in the Moodle group) completed both the pretest and posttest. For perceived satisfaction, e-collaborative learning, and study achievement, the overall test results indicated a significant difference in the posttest between the two groups (F (1,82) = 10.62, P = 0.002), (F (1,82) = 9.48, P = 0.003), (F (1,82) = 59.30, P < 0.001, respectively). The explanatory power η2 reached 11.5%, 10.4%, and 42.0%, respectively.
Conclusion
The students who used Moodle showed significantly higher levels of perceived satisfaction, e-collaborative learning, and study achievement in the pediatric nursing course. Moodle-based LMSs for educational purposes can serve as effective complementary learning tools for pediatric nursing courses.
Associated Maternal and Fetal Factors of Fetal Congenital Heart Diseases Diagnosed by Fetal Echocardiography
Authors: Ruan Yanping , Xie Zan , Liu Xiaowei , He Yihua
Published: April 2022

Objective
Current studies have suggested that fetal congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are caused by various factors. However, few data is available with respect to the aspect in China. This study aimed to detect associated maternal and fetal factors of fetal CHD in a large sample in China.
Study Design:
Pregnant women who underwent fetal echocardiography (N = 5024) were recruited in our hospital between May 2018 and September 2019. Of these, 875 pregnant women had fetuses with CHD. The maternal sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics and some fetal factors were obtained. We used forward stepwise logistic regression analysis to assess the associations of fetal CHD with various factors.
Results
Among the fetal CHD group (N = 875), critical CHDs account for 27%, of which Tetralogy of Fallot is the most (7.1%), followed by coarctation of aorta (4.0%), Double-outlet right ventricle (2.9%). The forward stepwise logistic regression models revealed that gravidity (OR = 1.32, 95%CI 1.21–1.43, P = 0.000), upper respiratory tract infection during early pregnancy (OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.04–1.63, P = 0.021), mental stress during early pregnancy (OR = 2.87, 95%CI 1.35–5.92, P = 0.006), single umbilical artery (OR = 2.46, 95%CI 1.24–4.85, P = 0.010), and parental smoking (OR = 1.20, 95%CI 1.00-1.45, P = 0.048) are positively associated with an increased risk of fetal CHD.
Conclusion
We identified two maternal factors and two fetal factors positively associated with fetal CHD.. These findings suggest that it is important to strengthen healthcare and prenatal counseling for women with these factors.
A hybrid technology platform integrating 2D materials
and ferroelectric gate stacks: from steep
slope logic switches to neuromorphic applications
Authors: Kamaei Sadegh , Liu Xia , Saeidi Ali , Wei Yingfen , Gastaldi Carlotta , Brugger Juergen , Ionescu Adrian
Published: April 2022

The demand for low power, large-scale integration, and novel functionality has been increasing since the emergence of
the internet of things (IoT) and Edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications requiring real-time energy-efficient information processing. In this work, the integration of doped high-k ferroelectric and linear high-k dielectric gate stacks with 2D material systems is developed as a versatile technological solution for building robust energy-efficient electronic functions. In this context, we report the co-integration of three major types of devices, offering the first 2D hybrid platform supporting the co-design of energy-efficient Von-Neumann and neuromorphic circuits. The negative capacitance (NC) of the ferroelectric layer is used in our platform as a technology booster to achieve significantly improved subthermionic electronic switches. The performance of four types of logic switches on this platform: 2D MOSFET, 2D/2D TFET, NC 2D MOSFET, and NC 2D/2D TFET, are reported, showing superior performance of NC devices compared to their conventional baseline 2D MOSFET and 2D/2D TFET. Importantly, this work shows the first NC 2D/2D TFET integrated with NC 2D MOSFET that achieves an average swing of 50 mV/dec over 2.5 decades of current for TFET and 45 mV/dec over 3 decades of ID for MOSFET. Furthermore, we exploit the same ferroelectric gate stacks on 2D devices to build artificial synapses and our platform demonstrates a good capability to mimic various synapse behaviors including long-term potentiation, long-term depression, and spike-amplitude-dependent plasticity. This prototypical demonstration paves the way toward practical implementations of 2D platforms in emerging Edge AI technologies, enabling energy-efficient operation, high integration density, and excellent scalability while co-integrating for the first time logic switches and neuromorphic devices.
Prospective cohort study of the treatment of non-neoplastic epithelial disorders of the vulva with a fractional Carbon Dioxide laser
Authors: Wei Dongmei , Chen Yueyue , Yang Jie , Hu Yue , Niu Xiaoyu
Published: April 2022

The therapeutic efficacy of fractional Carbon Dioxide laser treatment on non-neoplastic epithelial disorders of the vulva was investigated and compared with that of electrostimulation of smooth muscle; This study prospectively included 80 patients with non-neoplastic epithelial disorders of the vulva, including 40 cases of lichen simplex chronicus and 40 cases of lichen sclerosus, Each group contained 20 cases of chronic lichen simplex chronicus and 20 cases of lichen sclerosus. One group was treated via fractional Carbon Dioxide laser (the laser treatment group) while the other group was treated via electrostimulation of smooth muscle (the electrostimulation group). The treatments were completed according to the routine clinical treatment cycle, and outpatient follow-up visits were performed 3, 6, and 12 months after the completion of treatment. The efficacies were scored according to the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGI-C) scale and the clinical efficacy rating scale.The PGI-C scores of the laser treatment group at 3, 6, and 12 months after the completion of the treatment were significantly superior to those of the electrostimulation group (P< 0.05 for all time points). The scores based on the clinical efficacy rating scale showed that the 2 groups had no statistically significant difference in overall efficacy, but the total effective rate in the laser treatment group was higher than that in the electrostimulation group 3 months (90.00% vs 77.50%), 6 months (87.50% vs 72.50%), and 12 months (87.50% vs 67.50%) after the completion of treatment. Comparison of pathological subtypes between these 2 groups found that in the laser treatment group, patients with lichen simplex chronicus had higher PGI-C scores and clinical efficacy scores than did patients with lichen sclerosus. Fractional Carbon Dioxide laser treatment can achieve a better therapeutic effect than can electrostimulation of smooth muscle for the treatment of non-neoplastic epithelial disorders of the vulva. In addition, fractional Carbon Dioxide laser treatment achieved superior subjective improvement and clinical efficacy for the treatment of lichen simplex chronicus.
The clinicopathological characteristics, MRI features, and radiation dose of radio-induced brain necrosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients
Authors: Dong Jun , Zhong Minggu , Peng Yinglin , Mao Siyue , Chen YuKun , Duan Hao , Wu Suwen , Wu Yi , Gu Jiyong , Li Zhibin , Cui Enming , Wen Jun , Liu Shulan , Liu YuJie , Wei Ronglue , Liu Junying , Luan Zhongqin , Feng Zize , Peng Yilong , Zhang Wenguang , Dong Jiajun
Published: April 2022

Background: Radio-induced brain necrosis is a late-onset radiotherapy complication, especially in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. We presented the clinicopathological characteristics, dynamic changes of MRI features, and radiation dose in the areas of radio-induced brain necrosis, which will shed light on preventing this severe radiotherapy complication. Methods: We retrospectively collecting and reanalyzing clinical, imaging, radiation plans and pathological data from 48 NPC patients diagnosed with radio-induced brain necrosis and underwent craniotomy. To calculate the radiation dose in the areas of radio-induced brain necrosis, we reviewed the radiation plan of each patient and delineated the volume of the radio-induced brain necrosis. We also mapped the dynamic changes of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and performed CD3, CD31, CD68, CD11b, Ki67, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and HE staining on radio-induced brain necrosis specimens to observe pathological changes. Results: The mean latency period for radio-induced brain necrosis was 9.23 years. According to the radiotherapy plans, the mean radiation dose for NPC was 7041±553 cGy. The mean dose to the radio-induced brain necrosis area was 5684.57±409.99 cGy. The necrotic areas exhibited high-intensity signals on T2-weighted images (WIs) and low-intensity signals on T1WIs over time. HE staining showed that the necrotic areas contained irregular fibers and inflammatory cells. The immunohistochemical results showed CD3(+), CD31(+), CD68(+), CD11b(+), Ki67(+), and TUNEL(+) cells in radio-induced brain necrosis specimens. Conclusions: NPC patients who underwent radiotherapy and survived more than 5 years with hyperintense signals in temporal lobes in the T2WI should be paid close attention to radio-induced brain necrosis. A radiation dose no more than 5684.57±409.99 cGy in temporal lobes of NPC patients is recommended.
Study of carbide inserts in the milling of Hadfield steels
Authors: Pyatykh Alexey , Savilov Andrey , Timofeev Sergey
Published: April 2022

Cutting of Hadfield steels has been a major problem and a real challenge for engineers due to its high toughness, ductility and capacity for work hardening. To solve this problem, it is important to choose an optimal cutting tool. Cutting force values should be compared in choosing the most effective tool. Different grades of carbide and protective coatings of indexable inserts have a different impact on the cutting dynamics and force due to different coefficients of friction between the insert surface and the chip. For a comparative analysis of inserts made of various hard materials, a variety of methods were applied. The Taguchi method was used to analyze the cutting process using the "less is more" quality and to determine the grade with the best properties. The variance analysis revealed the most important factor influencing the active cutting force - the tool feed. The regression analysis confirmed the results obtained at the previous stages and revealed avenues for further research.
PriPath: Identifying Dysregulated Pathways from Differential Gene Expression via Grouping, Scoring and Modeling with an Embedded Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Yousef Malik , Ozdemir Fatma , Jaaber Amhar , Allmer Jens , Bakir-Gungor Burcu
Published: April 2022

Background: Cell homeostasis relies on the concerted actions of several genes; and dysregulated genes lead to disease manifestations. In living organisms, genes or their products do not act alone, but instead act within a large network. Subsets of these networks can be viewed as modules which provide certain functionality in an organism. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) systematically analyzes gene functions, proteins, molecules, and provides a PATHWAY database. Measurements of gene expression (e.g., RNA-seq data) can be mapped into KEGG pathways in order to determine which modules are affected or dysregulated in a disease. However, genes acting in multiple pathways, and some other inherent issues complicate such analyses. To detect dysregulated pathways, current approaches may only employ gene expression data and neglect some of the existing knowledge stored in KEGG pathways. For a more holistic association between gene expression and pathways, new approaches which take into account more of the compiled information are required. Results: PriPath is a novel approach that transfers the generic approach of grouping, scoring followed by modeling for the analysis of gene expression with KEGG pathways. In PriPath, we utilize the KEGG pathway as the grouping information and insert this information into a machine learning algorithm for selecting the most significant KEGG pathways. Those groups are utilized to train a machine learning model for the classification task. We have tested PriPath on 13 gene expression datasets of various cancers and other diseases. Our proposed approach successfully assigned biologically and clinically relevant KEGG terms to the differentially expressed genes. We have comparatively evaluated the performance of PriPath against other tools, which are similar in their merit. For each dataset, we manually confirmed the top results of PriPath in literature, and we compared PriPath predictions to the predictions of Reactome and DAVID. Conclusions: PriPath can thus aid in determining dysregulated pathways, which is applicable to medical diagnostics. In the future, we aim to advance this approach in such a way that it will be possible to perform patient stratification based on gene expression and to identify druggable targets. Thereby, we cover two aspects of precision medicine.
ErgonAir: A quasi-experimental study on the effects of a job specific kinetic training on the musculoskeletal load of airport luggage handlers
Authors: Popp Johann , Choudhry Jamal , Keuchel Martin , Krämer Natalie , Schäfer Andreas , Serafin Patrick , Klussmann André
Published: April 2022

Background: Physical demands at work are a major source of work incapacity, resulting in significant expenditures. According to EU directive 90/269/EEC, occupational manual handling of loads needs to be avoided by technical and organisational measures. If this is not possible or sufficient, additional measures can be implemented, that focus on behavioural changes in the workers. This study evaluates how an educational training program developed for luggage handlers at Hamburg Airport effects their musculoskeletal load.Methods: This quasi-experimental open-label parallel group trial allocated workers into two groups, one involves the educational training program and the other group receiving no intervention. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the main follow-up observation had to be carried out 3-6 months after baseline instead of 7 months. The program consisted of 16 sessions in three simulated work scenarios. Transfer into practice was enhanced through visitations to the work place. The primary outcome was the weighted cumulative musculoskeletal load of the back, knee and shoulder. We assessed this by using a motion-capturing system and video recordings in order to calculate the cumulative weighted degree-seconds for each body region. Results: We recruited 52 male participants (mean age = 36, 39; sd = 10, 9.5) for the study and lost five during the follow-up period, resulting in total 33 participants in the intervention group and 14 in the control group. Observations were not complete for all participants, thereby resulting in sample sizes of 32, 43 and 25 in the different work scenarios. For the scenario of loading the luggage at the luggage wagon the adjusted difference between intervention and control group for the weighted cumulative musculoskeletal load of the back was -1,455 weighted degree-seconds (°s) (95%-CI -2,517 – -393), 2,227 °s (1,644 – 2,810) for the load of the knees and 813 °s (-523 – 2,150) for the load of the shoulders. After Bonferroni correction for nine tested hypotheses, only the results for the knees were statistically significant. There were no significant differences in the other two scenarios.Conclusions: The intervention induced behavioural changes in some working scenarios. Physical load decreases for the back and increases for the knees. Trial registration: DRKS00024583
RNA-Seq analysis of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. alkaloids (DNLA) protection against CUMS-induced anxiety and depression in Fawn-Hooded (FH/Wjd) rats
Authors: Xiong Ting-Wang , Liu Bo , Wu Qin , Xu Yun-Yan , Liu Jie , Shi Jing-Shan
Published: April 2022

Background: Dendrobium is the famous Chinese medicine. Dendrobium nobile Lindl. alkaloids (DNLA) is the active ingredient and has been shown to have anti-aging, anti-Alzheimer’s disease, and neuroprotective properties. This study examined effect of DNLA on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced anxiety and depression in Fawn-Hooded (FH/Wjd) rats, a depression model in comorbid of alcoholism. Methods: FH/Wjd rats were subjected to CUMS for 49 days, followed by the treatment with DNLA (20 mg/kg/day, po) for 35 days. The anxiety/depression behaviors, Nissl bodies, neurotransmitters and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis were examined. RNA-Seq analysis was performed to explore the protection mechanisms. Results: The CUMS-induced anxiety/depressive-like behaviors were ameliorated by DNLA in the elevated-plus-maze test, open-field test, and forced swimming test. DNLA alleviated. The CUMS reduced Nissl bodies in the hippocampal CA2 region and cortex was alleviated by DNLA. CUMS disrupted 5-hydroxytryptamine, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid in the brain, which were attenuated by DNLA. Increases in serum adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone levels were prevented by DNLA. RNA-Seq revealed CUMS-induced 1600 differentially expressed genes, which were ameliorated with DNLA treatment. KEGG showed the enrichment of Ribosome, Rap1 signaling, tight junction, and RNA transport pathways. Conclusions: FH/Wjd rats subjected to CUMS were an anxiety and depression model. DNLA protected against CUMS-induced anxiety/depression behaviors and neuronal damage. Multiple mechanisms were involved in DNLA protection, including neurotransmitters, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and hippocampal gene expressions.
OGT Protects Skeletal Muscle From Damage Through SIRT1 O-GlcNAcylation During Cold Stress
Authors: Cao yu , Zhang Meng , Li Ye , Lu Jing jing , Zhou Wanhui , Li Xiaoshuang , Shi Hao , Xu Bin , Li Shize
Published: April 2022

BackgroundThe effect of cold stress on skeletal muscle metabolism is not clear, and skeletal muscle O-linked-N-acetylglucosaminylation(O-GlcNAcylation) is important for muscle energy homeostasis. So, we aimed to clarify the functional role of O-GlcNAcylation in skeletal muscle during cold stress.ResultsTo understand the functional role of O-GlcNAcylation in skeletal muscle, we ablated OGT and thus O-GlcNAcylation specifically in mouse skeletal muscle and subjected the mice to cold stress. Cold stress induced profound damages to skeletal muscle, reduced the content of mitochondria, and compromised mitochondrial functions. In response to cold stress, pathways involved in autophagy and mitophagy were upregulated, accompanied by an increase in OGT expression. Cold stress also enhanced protein acetylation and reduced the expression and activity of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). Using C2C12 cells as the in vitro model, we showed that OGT could physically interact with SIRT1 and increased SIRT1 stability through O-GlcNAcylation. During cold stress, SIRT1 partially mediated OGT effect as the overexpression of wild-type but not O-GlcNAcylation site-mutated SIRT1 ameliorated cold stress syndrome.ConclusionsOverall, this study reveals a protective role of OGT-SIRT1 axis in skeletal muscle’s adaptation to cold stress, and our findings provide new avenues to combating stress-induced diseases.
Exposure assessment for pesticide residues in consumed agricultural products in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Kim Tae-Hun , Park Su Chin , Kim Ji Eun , Yeon Hyun Jun , Kim Ju Ho , Park Young Soek , Kim Soo-Hwaun , Oh Yoon-Hee , Jo Gune-Hee
Published: April 2022

Pesticide residues in food are intentional pollutants such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, miticides, and plant activators. The insecticides diazinon and malathion are classified as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer under the World Health Organization, and the fungicides chlorothalonil and hexachlorobenzene are classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). In this study, gas chromatography and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analyses were used to identify the concentrations of pesticide residues in agricultural products and to assess the effects of chronic human exposure to pesticide residues via agricultural consumption. Food consumption data were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2018. Chronic exposures using mean consumption data for the whole population, with mean concentration of pesticide residues, were 5.15E-11 ~ 2.08E-05 (LB) and 2.41E-07 ~ 4.69E-05 mg/kg bw/day (UB), corresponding to 0.00012 ~ 2.16% of hazard index (HA). Exposures to pesticide residues using the 95th percentile of the consumption data were 0 ~ 8.76E-05 (LB) and 9.26E-07 ~ 1.56E-04 mg/kg bw/day (UB), corresponding to 0.00045 ~ 9.41% of HA.
Effects of acute or chronic administration gold nanospheres on testicular functions in male rats
Authors: Mansour Doaa , Orabi Sahar , Fathalla Said , Gadallah Shaaban , Din Amina Gamal el , Abdoon Ahmed
Published: April 2022

This study investigated the effect of gold nanospheres (AuNPs) administration on the rat male reproductive function. Experiment 1: Fifty-four rats were assigned into three groups (n = 18/group). Group І (control), Group ІІ (50 nm AuNPs) and Group ІІІ (10 nm AuNPs), in which rats were intramuscular (i.m) injected with a single dose of 75µg AuNPs/kg/bwt. Experiment 2: Eighteen rats were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 6/group). Group І (control), Group ІІ (50nm AuNPs) and Group ІІІ (10 nm AuNPs): rats were injected repeated doses of 75µg AuNPs /kg/bwt for 5 weeks followed by 3 weeks washout period. Blood, testes and epididymis samples were collected on Days-3, 7, and 60 in experiment 1 and on Day-60 in the 2nd experiment. Results indicated that acute or chronic administration of 10nm AuNPs caused significantly increased serum testosterone level on day-60. Chronic administration of 50nm AuNPs has an antioxidant effect. Acute or chronic study induced no histopathological changes and no changes in Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) and caspase-3 in testicular tissues. Acute or chronic administration of 10nm AuNPs significantly increased the spermatozoa in epididymal ducts and testicular tissue on Day-60 post-treatment. In conclusion, the administration of AuNPs (10nm and 50nm size) is safe on the male reproductive function.
The value of first trimester ultrasound screening for fetal structural abnormalities
Authors: Deng Xuedong , Sun Lingling , Yin Linliang , Sun Jian , Ji Chunya , Pan Qi , Zhang Jun , Yang Zhong , Ling Chen
Published: April 2022

Objective: To explore the value of first trimester ultrasound screening (FTS) for fetal structural abnormalities.Method: This was a single-center retrospective study carried out at the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Total 7523 fetuses were enrolled in the study, including 6376 single pregnancies and 569 twin pregnancies, who underwent FTS during 11~13+6 weeks’ gestation, including nuchal translucency (NT) measurement and anatomy scans with a standard protocol. The fetuses were followed-up with pregnancy outcomes. Results: 147 fetuses (133 single pregnancies and 7 twin pregnancies) were lost to follow-up. A total of 119 fetuses with structural malformations were found by prenatal ultrasound, autopsy after induced abortion, or physical examination after birth, with a deformity incidence rate of 1.61% (119/7376). The highest defects were cardiac abnormalities (35/119, 29.4%), followed by genitourinary system abnormalities (14/119, 11.76%) and skeletal system abnormalities (13/119, 10.2%). Among 119 fetuses, 64 cases (64/119, 53.8%) with structural malformations were detected during the first trimester, while 24.4% (29/119) and 1.68% (2/119) were found during the second and third trimester, respectively. The other 24 cases with fetal structural malformation missed diagnosis prenatally. However, 4 cases with suspected ventricular septal defects (VSD) by FTS were proved to be normal. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) for first trimester ultrasound was 54.2%, 99.9%, 94.1%, and 99.3%, respectively. On the other hand, 48 fetuses (48/452, 10.6%) with thickened NT (above the 95th percentile) showed structural malformations. The prevalence of structural abnormalities was significantly higher in fetuses with increased NT (10.6%) than those with normal NT (71/6924, 1.0%) (P<0.01). Conclusion: FTS was a safe and useful approach for detecting fetal structural malformations early, with high specificity, PPV, and NPV. The increased NT could be a clue for detailed anatomy screening and much attention should be paid. However, it could not replace the second and third trimester ultrasound screening due to the mid-sensitivity.
Full-length chloroplast genome of Dongxiang wild rice reveals small single-copy region switching
Authors: Liang Jianguang , Chen Rui , Zhang Fantao , Wang Qian , Yang Yingxia , Lv Mingjie , Yan Shuangyong , Gao Shan
Published: April 2022

Background: Plant chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) typically has a circular structure, including a large single-copy region (LSC), a small single-copy region (SSC) and two inverted repeats (IR1 and IR2). The organization of these four elementary regions LSC-IR1-SSC-IR2 is highly conserved across all plant cpDNAs. Only very a few structural variations (SVs) occurring at the elementary-region level have been reported. Results: In the present study, we assembled the full-length cpDNA of Dongxiang wild rice line 159 (DXWR159). Using the long PacBio subreads, we discovered a large inversion of SSC and a large duplication of IR in DXWR159 cpDNAs. The large inversion of SSC results in a reverse orientation of SSC. According to the orientation of SSC, the structures of cpDNAs can be classified into the forward SSC (SSC-F) and reverse SSC (SSC-R) types. As the most significant finding, both SSC-R and SSC-F type cpDNAs were detected in several seedlings of DXWR159 with a ratio of 1.2. The frequent inversion of SSC was named as SSC switching.Conclusions: The frequencies of Short tandem repeats (STRs) and large SVs in plant cpDNAs need to be intensely investigated for rediscovery. STRs may not be useful as molecular markers in phylogenetic studies, particularly at low taxonomic levels. We propose that: (1) SSC switching ubiquitous occurs in plant cpDNAs and is not a rarely occurring event; (2) SSC switching may be active or inactive by regulation at the molecular level; and (3) further investigation of the underlying mechanism may reveal novel and important functions associated with SSC switching.
Preliminary Design for Establishing Compost Maturity by Using the Spectral Characteristics of Five Organic Fertilizers
Authors: Lin Yi-Hong , Lin Yong-Zhang , Lin Yong-Hong
Published: April 2022

The maturity of compost is involved in the availability of nutrients to crops and improvement of soil properties after fertilization. The determination of composts maturity mostly required analyses in the laboratory previously and it must consume a lot of time and cost. This studies were conducted to use Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and solid 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C NMR) spectroscopy to understand the mature characteristics of five type of common composts. The FTIR analysis showed that all composts contained aromatic groups. In addition, the surface of composts were enriched with the functional groups including hydroxyl group, carboxyl group, amino group etc. However, these functional groups changed along with maturity degree. It is preliminarily recognized that the aliphatic group located at 2,930 cm-1 and 2,850 cm-1 showed a decreasing peak, and amino acid at 1,385 cm-1 was disappearing gradually due to the decomposition by bacteria. There may be used to identify the maturity degree of composts. Productions of aromatic group at 1,650 cm-1, carboxy (-COOH) and phenolic OH groups at 1,385 cm-1 may prove the full maturity of composts. 13C NMR analysis showed that five type of matured composts are mainly consisted with aliphatic groups and aromatic groups. The surfaces of the composts contained C-O bounds (CO carbons-alcohols, ester, ethers, carbohydrates and other functional groups), COO- (carboxyl and ester carbons) and C = O bond (aldehydes and ketones). The strength of different absorptive characteristics of FTIR and 13C NMR may be a clue of the maturity of composts for future designing reference of detective instruments.
Predictive character of the foot’s structural variables aids assessing postural stability in school-aged children: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Szczepanowska-Wolowiec Beata , Sztandera Paulina , Kotela Ireneusz , Zak Marek
Published: April 2022

The WHO Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (2018) on the health status of adolescents in Europe highlights an escalation of factors instrumental in the development of postural defects, which may consequently deteriorate into serious postural complaints in adulthood. The study aimed to investigate the correlations between morphological structure of the foot and postural stability in children and adolescents. The study sample comprised 627 children (aged 10-15 years), who had the plantar part of their feet assessed in static conditions with a 2D podoscan. Individual foot loading paradigm variables were assessed with a baropodometric platform. Postural assessment was completed with a 2D Videography, facilitating morphological measurements of body asymmetry. Valgus of the knees, Clarke's angle, and Wejsflog index values also doubled as strong predictors of COP length. A negative correlation was established between the COP length and obesity, hallux valgus of the left foot, flat-footedness, and the lowered longitudinal foot arches. Higher COP surface area values were observed in the children affected by valgus of the knees, higher angle of the hallux valgus in the left foot, and those boasting longer feet. Clarke's L-foot angle, Wejsflog index, and valgus of the knees proved strong predictors affecting key postural stability variables.
Development of a metastasis-related genes prognostic model for colorectal cancer
Authors: Li Tong , Yu Qian , Liu Te , Yang Wenjing , Chen Wei , Jin Anli , Wang Hao , Ding Lin , Zhang Chunyan , Pan Baishen , Wang Beili , Guo Wei
Published: April 2022

BackgroundThe colorectal tumor is a malignant tumor, the most important cause of death from colorectal cancer is metastasis. The primary objective of this study was to build a prognosis model by analyzing the differential genes between metastatic and non-metastatic CRC; Create a corresponding nomogram for clinical risk assessment of prognostic indicators to facilitate interpretation.MethodsIn this study, the main data on colorectal tumors are obtained from TCGA data set. Then, we used univariate COX regression analysis & Lasso regression analysis to find and filter characteristic variables. We construct the Cox proportional hazards regression model and verified the stability of the model by GEO external data set, the nomograms based on MR-risk score were obtained for clinical use. Finally, we explored the underlying mechanism of MR-risk score and colorectal cancer prognosis by using immune infiltration and immune checkpoint analysis.ResultsIn this study, the prognostic model of colorectal cancer patients was constructed based on the colorectal metastasis-related genes, and the correlation between MR-risk core and the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients was obtained. In TCGA database, AUC of training set was 0.72, and the AUC of the testing set was 0.76, at the same time, AUC of GEO external data set was 0.68, which proved that treatment and prognosis of patients could be effectively determined. Finally, we found that the immune cells infiltrated in the tissues of patients with high MR-risk score were mostly in immune static or inactivated state compared with those of patients with low MR-risk score. ConclusionsIn summary, MR-risk score has a direct correlation with the prognosis of colorectal cancer, It is useful for predicting prognosis and immunotherapy of colorectal cancer.
Development and application of intelligent traceability system for vehicle shock absorber assembly line
Authors: Huang Yiding , Zhuo Wang
Published: April 2022

In view of the existing problems in the vehicle shock absorber industry, such as time-consuming to trace the product quality problems, there is no data information of vehicle shock absorber, and the product quality problems are unpredictable in the production process. Based on the existing equipment, an intelligent traceability system is designed to collect manufacturing process information in real time, monitor the operation status of production line and equipment in real time, reduce fault response and equipment downtime, improve production efficiency, and provide data basis for equipment improvement. Through this system, recall cost can be reduced, and product reliability and safety can be improved.
METTL3-Mediated lncSNHG7 m6A Modification in the Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Dental Stem Cells
Authors: Yang Yeqing , Zeng Junkai , Jiang Chong , Chen Jiawen , Chen Ming , Wu Buling
Published: April 2022

Background: Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) play an important role in endodontic regeneration, with self-renewal and pluripotency capacity. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common RNA modification, and noncoding RNAs have also been demonstrated to have regulatory roles in the expression of m6A regulatory proteins. This study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of methyltransferase 3 (METTL3)-mediated long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) m6A modification in the osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs.Methods: Single base site PCR (MazF) was used to detect the m6A modification site of lncSNHG7 before and after mineralization of hDPSCs, combined with the prediction information from the StarBase database and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR) to screen the target m6A modification protein, and bioinformatics analysis was used to analyse the related pathways rich in lncSNHG7. After knockdown of lncSNHG7 and METTL3, osteogenic ability was detected by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining, qRT–PCR and Western blotting. After METTL3 knockdown, the m6A modification level and its expression of lncSNHG7 were detected by MazF, and their binding was confirmed by RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) analysis. Finally, Western blot analysis was used to detect the effects of lncSNHG7 and METTL3 on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.Results: MazF experiments revealed that lncSNHG7 had a m6A modification before and after mineralization of hDPSCs, and the occurrence site was 2081. The m6A-modified protein METTL3 was most significantly upregulated after mineralization of hDPSCs. Knockdown of lncSNHG7 and METTL3 inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs. The m6A modification and expression of lncSNHG7 were both regulated by METTL3. Subsequently, lncSNHG7 and METTL3 were found to regulate the key proteins in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, β-catenin and GSK-3β.Conclusion: These results revealed that METTL3 can activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by regulating the m6A modification and expression of lncSNHG7 in hDPSCs to enhance the osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs. Our study provides new insight into stem cell-based tissue engineering.