bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Chitosan Paste as Intracanal Medication Against Enterococcus Faecalis and Candida Albicans Biofilm Compared with Calcium Hydroxide in an In Vitro Root Canal Infection Model
Authors: Thienngern Pasika , Panichuttra Anchana , Ratisoontorn Chootima , Aumnate Chuanchom , Matangkasombut Oranart
Published: January 2022

Background

Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans are frequently found in persistent endodontic infection and are resistant to calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), a commonly used intracanal medication. Thus, an effective and safe antimicrobial medication against such refractory infection is necessary in endodontic retreatment, so we aimed to test the efficacy of chitosan paste against these microorganisms compared with Ca(OH)2 in root canals of extracted human teeth.
Methods

Thirty-six sterilized human root samples prepared from extracted premolars and upper maxillary incisors were infected with E. faecalis for 14 days, while 32 were infected with C. albicans for 48 hours, for mature biofilm formation. The samples were assigned to 6 groups of intracanal medications: no medication (negative control), 20% Polyethylene glycol (PEG), 20% Propylene glycol (PG), Chitosan+PEG, Chitosan+PG, and Ca(OH)2. After 7 days, intracanal surface dentin was harvested using Protaper next, resuspended, serially diluted and spread on Brain-Heart-Infusion agar (for E. faecalis) and Yeast Extract-Peptone-Dextrose agar (for C. albicans) for colony count. Antimicrobial efficacy was determined as percentage of remaining colony forming unit (CFUs) relative to negative control and analyzed using One-way ANOVA and post-hoc Games-Howell test. The significance level was set at 0.05.
Results

For E. faecalis, chitosan+PEG and chitosan+PG medication significantly reduced viable bacteria compared with negative control, PEG and PG ( P = 0.001, 0.003, 0.024, respectively for chitosan+PEG; P = 0.002, 0.003, 0.014, respectively for chitosan+PG ). Chitosan+PG also had significantly higher antibacterial activity than Ca(OH)2 (P =0.039). For C.albicans, chitosan+PEG and chitosan+PG, but not Ca(OH)2, showed a significantly lower level of remaining CFUs compared with negative control (P = 0.013 and 0.005, respectively).
Conclusion

Chitosan paste showed good efficacy as intracanal medication in reducing viable E. faecalis and C. albicans biofilm during 7 days in root canals. In particular, Chitosan+PG was significantly more effective against E. faecalis than Ca(OH)2. Therefore, it could be developed as an effective alternative medication in endodontic retreatment.
Transcriptome Analysis of Sheep Embryos In vivo Based on Single Cell RNA-Seq
Authors: Fang Di , Tao Weikun , Wang Jie , Huang Fei , Gao Qinghua
Published: January 2022

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to explore the transcriptome differences of sheep embryos. Embryos were at different developmental stages in order to assess the differences of the function, classification and metabolic pathway of differentially expressed genes and to provide a theoretical basis for revealing the regulatory mechanism of sheep early embryo development.Methods: 8-cell, 16-cell, morula and blastocysts were collected and the sequencing library was constructed by the Smart-Seq2 amplification technology. The transcriber was sequenced by Illumina HiSeqXten high-throughput sequencing technology and the effective sequences were analyzed by functional annotation and related bioinformatic analysis.Results: The results indicated that the Clean reads of 8-cell, 16-cell, morula and early blastocysts embryos were 441698590-48957974, of which 93.71-95.29% reads were compared with the reference genome sequence of sheep; 10 were compared with alternative splicing types of transcription terminal site (TTS) and with the transcription start site (TSS), which accounted for the largest proportion in sheep embryo transcripts. There were 171170-211487 sites of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 6435-8023 transcripts of novel transcripts in sheep embryos respectively. We used FDR < 0.05 and Fold Change > 2 as the criteria to screen for differential genes by comparing pairwise differences at four stage during embryo development. A total of 8281 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified, including 840 in E16vsE8, 6631 in E32vsE16, 810 in BlavsE32. Using the GO enrichment analysis, we explored the function of the DEGs. No significant difference was found at E16 vs E8.At E32 vs E16,Cellular components contained 127 significance terms (P < 0.05), 92 terms were significant enriched in molecular function, And biological processes involved 338 significance terms; At Bla vs E32,Cellular components contained 7 significance terms (P < 0.05). A total of 40 significance KEGG pathway terms were enriched in E32 vs E16.Conclusions: In this study, individual embryonic transcriptome sequencing of sheep was established for high-throughput sequencing and analysis of the transcriptomes of sheep 8-cell, 16-cell, morula, and early blastocysts. The number of differentially expressed genes was identified at different stages of sheep embryo development and the function, classification and metabolic pathway of differentially expressed genes were obtained. The current study offers substantial information on the identification of the sheep embryo transcriptome, revealing the molecular regulatory mechanism of sheep embryo development. and selects 30 key genes, and its function needs further exploration and research.
Efficacy and Safety of Immuno-based Therapy Versus Standard of Care in Extensive-stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer: An Updated Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Authors: Liu Kun , Zhu Youwen , Zhou Xue , Zhu Xiaolu , Peng Libo , Dai Youyi , Zhu Hong
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Several clinical studies have shown the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) could break the standard of care and generate clinical benefits for Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer (ES-SCLC). We aim to assess the efficacy and safety of immuno-based therapy in patients with ES-SCLC.

Methods

Our search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for clinical studies published in English between Jan 1, 2000, and Nov 30, 2021. We extracted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events (AEs), and we calculated the 95% CI together with the incidence. In addition, subgroup analysis was performed for patients with brain metastasis, smoking, and liver metastasis.

Results

We identified 200 records, of which 6 studies (2,905 patients) were included. The combined results showed that immuno-based therapy significantly prolonged OS (HR,0.78; 95%CI, 0.71 to 0.86; p < 0.00001), PFS (HR, 0.81,95%CI, 0.75 to 0.87; p < 0.00001) and ORR (HR, 1.06; 95%CI, 1.00 to 1.11; p = 0.03). Serious AEs (≥ 3 grade) were more frequent with immuno-based therapy [Risk Ratio (RR), 1.08; 95%CI, 1.02 to 1.14; p = 0.007]. Besides, the most common serious AEs were neutropenia (25.1%; 95%CI, 18.9% to 32.6%), anemia (12.2%; 95%CI,9.6% to 15.4%) and thrombocytopenia (8.3%; 95%CI 5.7% to 11.9%). Compared with standard of care, no obvious immuno-based therapy benefit was found for ES-SCLC patients with brain metastases at diagnosis (HR, 1.14; 0.87 to 1.46; p = 0.32) and smoking (HR, 0.88, 95%CI, 0.73 to 1.06; p = 0.19).

Conclusion

Our study reveals that immuno-based therapy better improves the OS and PFS than standard chemotherapy in ES-SCLC patients. Hence, our results provide new insights into the efficacy and safety of ICIs combination strategies for guiding clinical practice.
Vision-Based UAV Distribution Line Inspection Using Deep Learning
Authors: Chen Xuruoyan , Zhuang Jiedong , Wang Haijie , Xie Min , Zheng Enhui
Published: January 2022

Regular inspection of distribution line is an important link to maintain the normal operation of distribution network. Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) instead of manpower can save the cost of inspection. With the universal application of vision sensor in UAV and the rapid development of deep learning, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) is applied to the detection of power line in UAV visible images. In view of the lack of application environment inspection methods for distribution line, a vision-based UAV distribution line inspection method using deep learning and a dataset for the deep learning method of distribution line inspection task are proposed in this paper. The method proposed predicts distribution line area through the encoder-decoder structure network firstly. Image processing operation and sampling clustering are used to remove the interference. Finally, the UAV tracking direction of distribution power line is calculated according to the detected distribution line. The method can reach an inspection speed of nearly 77ms per frame, the range of heading deviation error can reach (-1.52°, 1.36°), the tracking rate nearly 100%. Through the test of network and inspection method on dataset, the results show that the method proposed in this paper can be effectively, quickly and accurately applied to UAV distribution line inspection.
Risk Factors That Affect the Degree of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Very Preterm Infants: A 5-year Retrospective Study
Authors: Yang Tingting , Shen Qianqian , Wang Siyu , Dong Tianfang , Liang Liang , Xu Fan , He Youfang , Li Chunlei , Luo Fang , Liang Jiahong , Tang Chunhui , Yang Jinghui
Published: January 2022

BackgroundBronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD) is one of the most common adverse consequence of premature delivery and the most common chronic lung disease in infants. BPD is related to long-term lung diseases and neurological development disorders, particularly respiratory and nervous system damage can be sustained to adulthood. The adverse effects caused by severe BPD are more prominent, but there were few studies on the risk factors of different degrees of BPD.MethodsThis is a retrospective study of preterm infants born before 32 gestational weeks(GA) with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.Results250 preterm infants with BPD GA< 32 weeks were enrolle(137 boys[54.8 %] and 113 girls[45.2 %]). The birth weight ranged from 700g to 2010g (average birth weight 1318.52g). The GA was 25~31+6 weeks (average GA 30.0 weeks). There were 39 (15.6 %), 185 (74.0 %) and 26 (10.4 %) cases of mild, severe and severe BPD respectively. There were significant differences in birth weight and in the rate of intrauterine asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS), circulatory failure, pulmonary hypertension, patent ductus arteriosus(PDA), pulmonary surfactant(PS), aminophylline, caffeine, glucocorticoids, tracheal intubation, diuretics, and parenteral nutrition length among the three groups(P<0.05). Birth weight(aOR=0.993,95%CI:0.989~0.997) and duration of parenteral nutrition(aOR=2.966,95%CI:1.992~4.415) are independent risk factors for the moderate BPD, and birth weight(aOR=0.997, 95%CI:0.995~0.999) , duration of parenteral nutrition(aOR=1.163, 95%CI:1.017~1.329), PDA (aOR=4.325, 95%CI:1.457~12.997) and aminophylline (aOR=4.882, 95%CI:1.661~14.350) are independent risk factors for the severe BPD, while caffeine (aOR=0.167, 95%CI: 0.052~0.538)was a protective factor for severe BPD.ConclusionLow birth weight and longer duration of parenteral nutrition were independent risk factors for moderate or severe BPD. PDA and aminophylline were independent risk factors of severe BPD, while caffeine was a protective factor for severe BPD.Trial registrationretrospectively registered.
Settlement and infrastructure patterns influence energy use and CO2 emissions almost as much as economic activity
Authors: Haberl Helmut , Löw Markus , Perez-Laborda Alejandro , Matej Sarah , Plank Barbara , Wiedenhofer Dominik , Creutzig Felix , Erb Karl-Heinz , Duro Juan
Published: January 2022

Spatial patterns of settlements and transport infrastructures are known to influence per-capita energy use and CO2 emissions at the urban level1–4. At the national level, other potential determinants of energy use and CO2 emissions, primarily GDP, received much attention5–7, whereas the role of settlements and infrastructure patterns was disregarded due to lacking data. We present a set of novel national-level indicators derived from global satellite- and crowd-sourced maps to characterize extent and spatial patterns of settlements and infrastructures. We quantify these indicators for 113 countries and statistically analyze the results along with final energy use and territorial CO2 emissions, as well as factors usually considered in IPAT (impact = population x affluence x technology) approaches. We find that our indicators have similar explanatory power for energy use and CO2 emissions as GDP and IPAT factors. Covariates include built-up area, urban population density, the spatial clustering of built-up land, as well as transport networks, in addition to the effect of GDP. We conclude that the extent and spatial layout of settlements and infrastructures strongly affects resource use and emissions. Resource-sparing settlements and transport networks are under-appreciated options for reducing energy use and CO2 emissions.
Inhibitory Activity of Soy Cell Culture Extract on Tyrosinase Activity and Melanin Formation in ⍺ -MSH Induced B16-F10 Melanoma Cells
Authors: Bodurlar Yıldız , Caliskan Mahmut
Published: January 2022

Background Hyperpigmentation particularly in the cosmetic industry is one of the most important issue that causes excess production and accumulation of melanin. Nowadays, some materials such as kojic acid and its derivatives and arbutin as a skin whitening are used to overcome hyperpigmentation. Since they have side effects such as skin irritation and contact dermatitis, the new surveys focus on agents which are natural and have no side effect.Methods and Results In the present study, we investigated that effect of soy cell culture extract on α-MSH induced melanogenesis in B16-F10 melanoma cells. We found that the soy cell culture extract supressed melanin sythesis and showed anti tyrosinase activity on B16-F10 melanoma cells in a dose dependent manner without cytotoxicity. In addition, we determined that soy cell culture extract suppressed the expression of TYR, TRP1, TRP2 and MITF at both the gene expression and protein level. Conclusions In conclusion, according to the current results, soy cell culture extract has high potential for using as an ingredient in skin whitening products.
Qualitative Study on the Use and Maintenance of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) in Bouaké (Côte d'Ivoire), 17 Months After the Last Mass Distribution Campaign
Authors: N’GUESSAN Gnagoran Kouakou Daniel , COULIBALY Fangala Hamidou , BARREAUX Antoine Marc Gaby , YAPO Roseline Josée , ADOU Kouassi Arsène , TIA Emmanuel , FOURNET Florence
Published: January 2022

Background: The long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLIN) is one of the main malaria prevention tool promoted by the WHO in Côte d'Ivoire. LLIN-coverage has reached 95% since 2015 and nearly 16 million LLINs were distributed in 2017. Despite these efforts, malaria incidence at the national level remains high (120‰ in 2012 to 164‰ in 2017) although this could be partly explained by increased screening efforts. Our goal was to determine the means of protection against mosquitoes as well as the LLIN maintenance practices of the populations in the city Bouaké, capital city of the Gbêkê region with a malaria incidence of 257‰ in 2017.Methods: An exploratory-descriptive qualitative investigation took place in Bouaké, in four neighbourhoods that were selected through purposive sampling based on their social composition. Data were collected using a questionnaire based on convenience sampling.Results: The study revealed that LLINs are the most used means of protection (66.4%). Environmental hygiene was second (28.8%), smoke coils third (23.5%) and aerosol cans last (18.8%). The proportion of the respondent that slept with an LLIN the night before was of 53%. 57.7% of respondents washed their LLINs, 12.1% did not wash them, and 4% replaced dirty ones with new ones. The LLINs washing methods described by the respondents did not comply with the WHO recommend actions and there was no mention of LLINs repairs.Conclusion: Despite mass distributions of LLINs in Côte d'Ivoire, this key malaria control tool remains underused by the population. Regarding LLIN maintenance, more than half of the population did wash the nets but without following the recommendations or repairing them.
Thioredoxin-Glutathione and Lipoamide Systems Act as A Backup in Supporting Ribonucleotide Reductase Catalysis in Absence of Thioredoxin Reductase
Authors: Chatterji Ajanta , Sachin Kumar , SENGUPTA RAJIB
Published: January 2022

Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the conversion of ribonucleotides (NTPs) to deoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs) for the nucleotide biosynthesis. The thioredoxin system have been widely identified as hydrogen group donor for RNR catalysis. Herein, we report that glutathione (GSH) acts as a backup in supporting RNR catalysis via the Trx-GSH system in absence of TrxR. Our data also shows that the lipoamide system is capable of sustaining RNR activity in the complete absence of either Trx or glutaredoxin systems. Thus, our data corroborately supports the potential redundancy between the various antioxidant systems might seemingly emerge as a novel strategy utilized by cancer cells to sustain DNA synthesis and necessitate simultaneously targeting multiple antioxidant systems as a promising therapeutic strategy.
The Predictive Factors of Fracture in Patients with Fibrous Dysplasia of Proximal Femur
Authors: Liu Wenzheng , Yu Xiuchun , Xu Ming
Published: January 2022

Objective
To explore the influencing factors of fracture in patients with fibrous dysplasia (FD) of proximal femur.
Methods
Retrospective clinical observational study. A total of 49 patients with fibrous dysplasia of proximal femur who were examined and diagnosed at Department of orthopaedics of the 960th Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force between January 2016 and January 2021 were included in the study. Among these patients, 27 were male and 22 were female. The average age was 30.8 years. There were 19 cases of monostatic fibrous dysplasia(MFD), as well as 35 cases of polystatic fibrous dysplasia(PFD) and McCune-Albright syndrome. All patients were examined by body mass index(BMI), bilateral hip X-ray film, femoral neck shaft angle measurement and bone metabolism, including N-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (PINP), type 1 collagen carboxyl terminal peptide(β-CTx) and osteocalcin(OST). We divided the clinical and anatomical classification of all patients, and they were divided into fracture group and non fracture group according to whether they were fractured or not. Clinical data and imaging characteristics were analyzed retrospectively.
Results
In univariate analysis, there were statistically significant in clinical classification, anatomical classification, femoral neck shaft angle and osteocalcin (P༜0.01). In multivariate logistic analysis, there were statistically significant in anatomical classification, femoral neck shaft angle and osteocalcin (P༜0.05).
Conclusions
Anatomical classification, femoral neck shaft angle and osteocalcin are the important predictive factors of fracture in patients with fibrous dysplasia of proximal femur. We may effectively predict and prevent the fracture of patients with fibrous dysplasia of proximal femur through the examination of anatomical classification, femoral neck shaft angle and osteocalcin. In order to improve the accuracy and robustness of the conclusions and provide better clinical guidance, we need to conduct more comprehensive research in the subsequent clinical work.
Preparation and Identification of a single domain antibody specific for the Adenovirus Vectors
Authors: Cheng Yi , Hao Yanxia , Zhang Huimin , Liu Yanlong , Ao Kexin , Fu Shan , Wu Qiyao , Wang Zhi , Bao Fuxiang
Published: January 2022

Adenovirus belongs to the family of Adenoviruses, as a vaccine carrier, it not only has high safety, but also can stimulate the body to produce cellular immunity and humoral immunity. In this study, We aimed to prepare the adenoviral vectors specific single domain antibody to use in adenovirus identification and purification. We successfully constructed a single domain antibody phage display library with the capacity of 1.8×109 by immunizing and cloning the VHH gene from the Bactrian camel. After second round of biopanning, the clones specific for adenovirus were screened by Phage ELISA. Twenty-two positive clones were obtained, and two clones with the highest binding affinity from ELISA were selected and named as sdAb 5 and sdAb 31 respectively for further application. The recombinant single domain antibody was soluble expressed in E. coli, and can specifically bind to adenovirus rAd26, ChAd63 and Had5 in ELISA assay and in live cell immunofluorescence. At last, we established an effective method for immunoaffinity purification of adenovirus by immobilizing the single domain antibody to Sepharose beads, and it can be used to selectively capture Adenoviruses from cell culture medium. The preparation of the adenovirus specific single domain antibody was laying a foundation for the one-step immunoaffinity purification and identification of Adenoviruses.
Thermal structure of the island arc crust, northeast Japan
Authors: Ishikawa Masahiro
Published: January 2022

The thermal structure of the Japan island arc, one of the most active parts of volcanism, occupying over 10 percent of the worldwide volcanoes, remains an enduring problem. The key to understanding geothermal development is estimating the temperature distribution in the deep crustal depth of island arcs. This study extracts the temperature component from deep crustal seismic tomography. The deep crustal temperature map shows that the deep crustal high-temperature zone along the volcanic front (the Ou Backbone Mountains) and the high-temperature parts extend towards the Quaternary volcanos in the west, which corresponds to the hot finger model. The deep crustal high-temperature part also exists around Iide mountain, where no Quaternary volcanoes exist. The high-temperature part without volcanic activity suggests heat transfer due to high-temperature fluid from the mantle. A deep crustal low-temperature zone develops along the Miocene rift around the eastern margin of the Japan Sea. The low temperature probably reflects the small heat generation due to the small amount of radioactive elements in the mafic crust.
The Socioeconomic Burden of Pneumonia Due to Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in Korea: A Prospective Case-Control Study
Authors: Kim Chung-Jong , Song Kyoung-Ho , Choi Nam-Kyong , Ahn Jeonghoon , Bae Ji Yun , Choi Hee Jung , Jung Younghee , Lee Seung Soon , Bang Ji-Hwan , Kim Eu Suk , Moon Song Mi , Song Je Eun , Kwak Yee Gyung , Chun Shin Hye , Kim Yeon-Sook , Park Kyung-Hwa , Kang Yu Min , Choe Pyoeng Gyun , Lee Shinwon , Kim Hong Bin , (KIND) Korea INfectious Diseases study Group
Published: January 2022

We aimed to estimate the socioeconomic burden of pneumonia due to multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MRAB) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA).We prospectively searched for MRAB and MRPA pneumonia cases and matched them with controls with susceptible-organism pneumonia and non-infected cases from ten hospitals over a 6-month period. The matching criteria were: same principal diagnosis, same surgery or intervention during hospitalization, age (years ± 10), sex, and admission date within 60 days. The total additional direct medical cost was estimated by the multistate model. A total of 108 cases of MRAB pneumonia [MRAB-P] and 28 cases of MRPA pneumonia [MRPA-P] were identified. The 90-day mortality rate was 37.0% and 39.3% for MRAB-P and MRPA-P, respectively. The additional medical costs were $42,203 and $35,556 for MRAB-P and MRPA-P, respectively. The estimated number of MRAB-P and MRPA-P cases were 1,309–2,483 and 339–644, respectively with estimated deaths being 485–920 and 133–253 in a year, respectively. The annual socioeconomic burden was $12,053,593–$22,898,271 and $15,241,883–$28,994,008, respectively. We estimated that MRAB-P and MRPA-P occurred in 1,648–3,172 patients, with 618–1,173 deaths, and caused $27,295,476–$51,892,279 in socioeconomic burden nationwide. It is time to investigate and invest in prevention of multidrug-resistant bacterial pneumonia.
The Combinatory Effects of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and Thiamine on Skin of Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Mice; A Stereological and Biochemical Study
Authors: dehkordi Rahmat Allah Fatahian , Sekineh Pasalar , Dehkordi Saied Habibian , Karimi Bahnaz
Published: January 2022

Various studies have shown that ZnO NPs as an anti-diabetic agent can be effective in the experimental model of diabetes. This study aimed to investigate treatment effects of ZnO NPs plus thiamine on histo-stereological and biochemical parameters in the diabetic mouse skin. In total 49 BALB/C mice were used and divided into seven groups. Fourteen mice were equally considered as the control and thiamine groups (groups I and II). The rest of the mice were injected with alloxan (220 mg/kg) to induce diabetes; one untreated diabetes group (group III). Other diabetic mice were treated with ZnO NPs (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) alone (groups IV and V, respectively) and along with thiamine (groups VI and VII, respectively). Body weights of mice at days 0, 10, and 20 were calculated to appraise weight gain. Stereological and biochemical parameters were measured to evaluate diabetes effects in all groups. An increase in weight was observed in the diabetic group compared to the control group. Diabetic skin showed decreasing in volume density of collagen bundles and decreasing in the epidermis and dermis thickness, as well as an increase in the hypodermis's thickness. Administration of ZnO NPs (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) alone and along with thiamine in the diabetic animals resulted in anti-hyperglycemic activity, reducing GGT, BUN, Cr, MDA, and NO levels in treated diabetic mice. In conclusion, the concomitant use of ZnO NPs along with thiamine presents the potential as a combination therapy for the treatment of alloxan-induced diabetic mice skin changes.
NCAPH Is a Prognostic Biomarker and Associated With Immune Infiltrates in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Meng Jun , Li Chao , Zhang Tongtong
Published: January 2022

Non-SMC Condensin I Complex Subunit H (NCAPH) plays regulatory role in various cancers. However, its role on prognosis and immune infiltrates in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. This study try to explore expression of NCAPH in tumor tissues and its association with immune infiltrates and prognostic roles in LUAD patients. Patients characteristics were from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). Integrated analysis of TCGA showed NCAPH was over-expression across cancers including LUAD. NCAPH expression was verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting in 20 LUAD matched tissues. NCAPH-high expression was significantly related to T, N, M, pathologic stage, primary therapy outcome and smoke by using Wilcoxon rank sum test. Cox- and Kaplan–Meier analysis showed NCAPH-high group was associated with shorter OS. PFI and DSS in NCAPH-high group were significantly decrease. Multivariate analysis showed NCAPH was independent prognosis factor. Gene set enrichment analysis demonstrated G2M checkpoint, ncRNA metabolic, memory B cells, KRAS, E2F targets and MIER1 process were significantly associated with NCAPH expression. Single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis indicated NCAPH expression was associated with levels of Th2 and Mast cell. Impact of NCAPH on malignant phenotype were evaluated by MTT, transwell, cell-cycle and apoptosis assay in vitro. Malignant phenotype of LUAD cells was inhibited if NCAPH was knocked down. In conclusion, this research indicates that NCAPH could be a potential factor for predict prognosis and a new biomarker in LUAD.
Exploring key gene in Acute myeloid leukemia with weighted genes co-expression network analysis
Authors: Zhang Hang , Gao Yue , Jia Yinnong , Shen Yang , Zhang Qing , Han Lei , Zhang Hengdong , Zhu Baoli , Yu Tingting , Xu Ming
Published: January 2022

Purpose: This study applied the WGCNA method to calculate the data of AML acquired from the TCGA database to discover the genes that are highly related to AML, and figure out key genes from these highly expressed genes, providing novel potential targets and biomarkers for therapy.Methods: The TCGA-AML was downloaded to construct gene co-expression module according to the correlation of genes, and the most significant module exhibiting the highest correlation coefficiency with clinical characteristics was selected. The Cox proportional hazards model was selected for gene survival analysis to screen risk factors related to AML death. Time-dependent ROC was analyzed to screen the genes with the largest ROC curve area and identified as the key genes, and Cox model forest and Nomogram method were constructed to verify the prognosis model.Results: According to the correlation of gene expression, 22 co-expression modules were found. The Grey60 module was significantly positively correlated with clinical characteristics (Cor=0.27, P<0.001). PTCRA, SLC4A3, SERPINF1, PPM1, and MB were screened by survival analysis. Furthermore, PPM1J with the largest AUC area was selected as the key gene. The death risk of the PPM1J high expression group was 2.83 times higher than that of the PPM1J low expression group. The survival rates of patients with different ages and cytogenetic risk types were statistically significantly different (P <0.05). Nomogram displayed that the expression of PPM1J in patients has a great impact on the survival time. The predicted 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates of patients in the low-expression group of PPM1J are >85%, >85%, and >70%, respectively, while the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates of patients in the high-expression group are significantly decreased to 65%, 35%, and 20%, respectively.Conclusion: In this study, the PPM1J gene was screened out by constructing a gene co-expression network, which may become a potential genetic biomarker, affecting the occurrence and prognosis of AML.
Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein and Stanniocalcin-2 High Affinity Interactions with Inflammatory Cells
Authors: Claesson-Welsh Lena , Skare Tor Persson , Kaito Hiroshi , Durall Claudia , Aastrup Teodor
Published: January 2022

The plasma protein Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG), is implicated in macrophage polarization to an M1 antitumoral phenotype. The broadly expressed, secreted protein Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2), also implicated in tumor inflammation, is an HRG interaction partner. With the aim to biochemically characterize the HRG and STC2 complex, binding of recombinant HRG and STC2 preparations to each other and to cells was explored using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) methodology. Protein functionality was tested in a phagocytosis assay, where HRG increased phagocytosis by monocytic U937 cells while STC2 suppressed HRG-induced phagocytosis. Binding of HRG to STC2 measured using QCM showed an affinity between the proteins in the nanomolar range, which occurred in a conformation-dependent manner. Both HRG and STC2 bound individually and in combination to vitamin D3-treated, differentiated U937 monocytes. HRG, but not STC2, also bound to formaldehyde-fixed U937 cells irrespective of their differentiation stage, involving both a high affinity interaction and binding to heparan sulfate. These data show that binding of HRG to STC2 occurs with high affinity and that HRG and STC2 bind to separate sites on U937 monocytes, suggesting that they exert their effects through distinct cell surface entities.
Classification of Intracranial Hemorrhage CT images for Stroke Analysis with Transformed and Image-based GLCM Features
Authors: Gudadhe Santwana , Thakare Anuradha
Published: January 2022

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the severe types of brain stroke. Artery burst results in bleeding inside the brain and its surrounding tissue. Depending upon brain bleed location, hemorrhage gets classified. This paper presents a hybrid feature selection approach to form joint feature vector sets using transformed image features and image-based gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) texture features. Feature extraction is performed by applying discrete wavelet transform, discrete cosine transform, and GLCM features. Feature vector selection model is built with the combination of Discrete wavelet transform, Discrete cosine transform, and GLCM features. A joint feature vector is formed with transformed image features and GLCM features. These joint feature vectors form an acute input for the further classification process. The machine learning algorithm i.e. Random Tree, Random Forest, and REPTree are used for the classification of Intracranial hemorrhage CT images. The classification results obtained are further analyzed for accuracy considering transformed features and GLCM features. It is observed that Random forest classifier results in the highest classification accuracy of 87.97% for discrete wavelet transform and GLCM (DWT+GLCM) feature set
Chitosan derivatives modified solid lipid nanoparticles prolonged Rhodojaponin-III active time and enhanced the safety and multimodal analgesic effects in vivo
Authors: Yang Qingyun , Yang Jian , Sun Shuigeng , Zhao Jingyi , Liang Shuang , Feng Yi , Liu Minchen , JiQuan Zhang
Published: January 2022

Background

Rhodojaponin III (RJ-III), a bioactive diterpene, is a characteristic component of Rhododendron molle G. Don (Ericaceae), a potent analgesia in traditional Chinese medicine with thousands of years of clinical applications. However, its clinical use is limited by its acute toxicity and poor pharmacokinetic profile. To reduce such limitations, we incorporated RJ-III into the colloidal drug delivery system of hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) modified solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) to improve its sustained release and analgesic properties in vivo for oral delivery.
Results

The optimized RJ-III@HACC-SLNs were close to spherical, approximately 134 nm in size, with a positive zeta potential. In vitro experiments showed that RJ-III@HACC-SLNs were stable in the simulated gastric fluid, and were prolonged release in PBS (pH = 6.8). Pharmacokinetics results showed that after intragastric administration in mice, the relative bioavailability of RJ-III@HACC-SLNs was 87.9%, the peak time, half-time, and mean retention time of RJ-III@HACC-SLNs were significantly improved. Pharmacodynamic studies revealed that RJ-III@HACC-SLNs markedly reduced the acetic acid, hot, and formalin-induced nociceptive responses in mice (P < 0.001), and significantly increased the analgesic time (P < 0.01). Moreover, RJ-III@HACC-SLNs not only showed good biocompatibility with Caco-2 cells in vitro, but its LD50 value was also increased by 1.8-fold compared to RJ-III in vivo.
Conclusions

This study indicated that RJ-III@HACC-SLNs could exhibit certain toxicity-attenuating and effectiveness-enhancing effects by improving pharmacokinetic characteristics of the RJ-III, which could be a new strategy for intragastric delivery and analgesic treatment of RJ-III and HACC-modified SLNs, and provide a dosage form reference for the further study of RJ-III.
Rhizosphere Microbiome of Forest Trees Determines Their Resistance to Soil-borne Pathogens
Authors: Yu Li , Zi Haiyun , Zhu Hongguang , Liao Yangwenke , Li Xiaogang
Published: January 2022

Background and aimsThe ability of plants to cope with environmental pressure and the interaction between rhizosphere microorganisms and host trees play an important role in the stability and function of forest ecosystems. Beneficial microbes recruited to the plant rhizosphere and stably association with tree roots can potentially reduce biotic stress, but the biochemical processes involved in coping with pathogen attack are not fully understood. Here, we aimed to investigate the ecology process of rhizosphere microbiota from four broad-leaved and three coniferous tree varieties involving in the suppression of soil-borne fungal pathogens. MethodsWe used separation cultivation and in vitro antagonistic experiments to investigate the inhibitory effects of rhizosphere microbiome on pathogenic fungi. Rhizosphere microbiome was then sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform, and root exudates of trees were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).ResultsRhizosphere microbes from seven tree varieties had strong inhibitory effects on fungal pathogens, nevertheless, there were significant differences in their capacity. The dissimilarities in rhizosphere bacterial communities that were significantly correlated with phylogenetic distance of trees had a greater influence on suppression of pathogens compared with microbial abundance and diversity. Combined analysis of a random forest model and co-occurrence networks, revealed a cooperative relationship between key groups that were positively associated with inhibition of fungal pathogens in the tree rhizosphere. This process was further strengthened by specific metabolites secreted by tree roots. ConclusionsIn general, the rhizosphere microbiota of seven tree species had different inhibitory effects on fungal pathogens, and the cooperative relationship within the rhizosphere microbial community plays an important role in maintaining trees resistance to soil pathogens stress.
Whole-Genome Sequencing of Strain Bacillus Altitudinis D30202 With Inhibitory Activity Against Weed
Authors: xiuhua ma , wei li , jian wang , shuo shen
Published: January 2022

Wild oat (Avena fatua L.) is among the most harmful of gramineous weeds infiltrating crops, resulting in reductions in crop quality and yield. The moderately halophilic bacterium Bacillus altitudinis D30202 has a good biological control effect on wild oat. In order to explore the biocontrol mechanism of B. altitudinis D30202, through whole-genome sequencing analysis, we explored the genome composition of B. altitudinis D30202, and conducted research on the prediction of herbicide secondary metabolite synthesis gene clusters to provide a reference for follow-up research on the mechanism of biological control of weeds.The whole gene sequencing results showed that the genome size of the B. altitudinis D30202 strain was 3,777,154 bp, the GC content was 41.32%, and there were a total of 3809 coding genes. In addition, The strain can also produce substances that may have herbicidal activity, including 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid and indole derivative. Online predictive analysis found that the strain has 10 secondary metabolite gene clusters. The results of whole-genome sequencing obtained in this study provide an information basis for the research and development of the molecular mechanism of weed inhibition. Genomic information reveals the interaction between several enzyme genes and wild oat, provides a reference for the study of metabolite synthesis and regulatory mechanisms, and lays the foundation for the development of new biological control agents.
Can Passive Leg Raise Predict the Response to Fluid Resuscitation in ED?
Authors: Elwan Mohammed H , Roshdy A , Elsharkawy EM , Eltahan SM , Coats TJ
Published: January 2022

ObjectivePassive leg raise (PLR) can be used as a reversible preload challenge to stratify patients according to preload response. We aim to evaluate the accuracy of PLR, monitored by a non-invasive cardiac output monitor in predicting to response to fluid resuscitation in the emergency department (ED) MethodsWe recruited adult patients planned to receive a resuscitation fluid bolus. Patients were monitored using a thoracic electrical bioimpedance (TEB) cardiac output monitor (Niccomo, Medis, Germany). A 3-minute PLR was carried out before and after fluid infusion. Stroke volume changes (ΔSV) were calculated and a positive response was defined as ≥15% increase.ResultsWe recruited 39 patients, of which 37 were included into the analysis. The median age was 63 (50-77) years and 19 patients were females. 17 patients (46%) were fluid responders compared to 11 (30%) with positive response to baseline PLR. ΔSV with baseline PLR and fluid bolus showed moderate correlation (r = 0.47, 95% confidence interval, CI 0.17-0.69) and 62% concordance rate. For the prediction of the response to a fluid bolus the PLR test had a sensitivity of 41% (95% CI 22-64) and specificity of 80% (95% CI 58-92) with an area under the curve of 0.59 (95% CI 0.41-0.78). None of the standard parameters showed a better predictive ability compared to PLR.ConclusionUsing TEB, ΔSV with PLR showed a moderate correlation with fluid bolus, with a limited accuracy to predict fluid responsiveness. The PLR test was a better predictor of fluid responsiveness than the parameters commonly used in emergency care (such as heart rate and blood pressure). These data suggest the potential for a clinical trial in sepsis comparing TEB monitored, PLR directed fluid management with standard care.
Interfacial interaction driven rheological properties of quartz nanofluids from molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations
Authors: Lou Zhaoyang , Cheng Chen , Cui Yingqi , Tian Hao
Published: January 2022

Correlations of the shear viscosity of quartz nanofluids with particle concentration, particle size, and temperature were investigated with molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A new understanding to the experimentally concluded correlations was addressed in terms of microscopic particle–water interfacial interaction in three aspects. First, the viscosity of quartz nanofluids at different particle concentrations, particle sizes and temperatures was simulated using the equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations method to reproduce the experimental observations. The important role of particle–water interaction in the viscosity determination of nanofluids was revealed. Second, DFT calculations confirm a stronger particle–water interaction than that among water molecules. Finally, a correlation was proposed to fit the simulated results and compared with earlier two-parameter correlations. One parameter in the correlation is indeed a constant, while the other is a function of SiO2–water interaction energy. Our study proposes a physical basis for the experimentally concluded correlations on the viscosity of nanofluids.
In vitro effects of 2-methyl-3-propylbutane-1,4-diol Purified From Alstonia Boonei on Erythrocyte Membrane Stabilization and Mitochondrial Membrane Permeabilisation
Authors: Olanlokun John Oludele , Popoola David , Bodede Olusola , Idowu Thomas , Moodley Roshila , Olorunsogo Olufunso , Oyebode Olubukola Titilope
Published: January 2022

A recent review on the ethnomedicinal, chemical, pharmacological, and toxicological properties of Alstonia boonei revealed that the plant’s potential in the treatment and management of a range of diseases. However, most of these pharmacological effects are only traceable to crude form of the plant extract and not specific natural products In this study, the membrane stabilizing activity, mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore opening, cytochrome c release, mitochondrial ATPase activity and prevention of mitochondrial lipid peroxidation activity of 2-methyl-3-propylbutane-1,4-diol (MPBD) isolated from A. boonei were determined. The results showed MPBD significantly (P<0.05) prevented peroxidation of mitochondrial membrane lipids and hemolysis using both the heat-induced and hypotonic solution-induced membrane stabilization assays. On the other hand, the compound caused large amplitude swelling of rat liver mitochondria in the absence of calcium, significant (P<0.05) cytochrome c release and enhancement of mitochondrial ATPase activity in vitro. Our findings suggest that MPBD showed characteristic biological properties useful in modulating cell death.
Novel Layered Double Hydroxides@Carboxymethyl Cellulose Composite Aerogel Towards Co(II) Absorption
Authors: Liao Wang , Long Xinlei , Wei Yuping , Xiao Yao
Published: January 2022

Cobalt (Co) ion is a common heavy metal ion and the main metal ion in nuclear wastewater. However, the study on the absorption for Co(II) is not sufficient. Herein, a novel ES-layered double hydroxide (LDH) is prepared by intercalated ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) in a magnesium, iron pristine LDH, which is subsequently used for ES-LDH@carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) composite aerogel. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectra and thermogravimetric analysis shows successfully preparation of intercalated LDH. The pore morphology, specific surface area and pore size distribution of the composite aerogels are characterized by scanning electron microscope and Nitrogen-BET curves. The significantly improved adsorption capacity, adsorption kinetics and isotherms the absorbents on Co(II) are systematically revealed. This study thus provides an important understanding and path for dealing with the threat of Co(II).
A Signature of Immune-related Gene Pairs (IRGPs) for Risk Stratification and Prognosis of Oral Cancer Patients
Authors: Yu Yanling , Tian Jing , Hou Yanni , Zhang Xinxin , Li Linhua , Cong Peifu , Ji Lei , Wang Xuri
Published: January 2022

Background:With low response to present immunotherapy, it is imperative to identify new immune-related biomarkers for more effective immunotherapies for oral cancer.Methods:RNA profile for 390 oral cancer patients and 32 normal samples were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed. Immune genesets from Immportrepository were overlapped with DEGs. After implementing univariate Cox analysisand the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis, key immune-related gene pairs (IRGPs) among the overlappedDEGs for predicting the survival riskwere obtained. Then, the cutoff of risk score was calculated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to stratify oral cancer patients into high and low-risk groups. Multivariate Cox analysis was used to analyze independent prognostic indicator fororal cancer.Besides, infiltration of immune cells, functional annotation and mutation analysis of IRGPs were conducted.Biological function correlated with IRGPs were enriched by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) method. Results: We identified698 differentially expressed genes (DEGs)in response to oral cancer. 17IRGPs among the DEGs were identified and integrated into a risk score model. Patients in high-risk group have significantly worse prognosis than those in low-risk group. Meanwhile, IRGPs model was identified as an independent prognostic factor for oral cancer. Different infiltration pattern of immune cells were found between high- and low-risk groups that more types of T and B cells were enriched in low-risk group. More immune-related signaling pathways were highly enriched in low-risk group. And Tenascin C (TNC) was the most frequently mutated genes. We have developed a novel 17-IRGPs signature for risk stratification and prognostic predication of oral cancer.Conclusion: Our study provides a foundation for improved immunotherapy and prognosis and is beneficial to the individualized management of oral cancer patients.