bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Respiratory Failure After Feeding Tube Placement in ALS: An Underrecognized Problem
Authors: Sahib Kim , Provost Karin
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Our objective was to identify parameters to identify Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients at risk of acute respiratory failure after enteral feeding tube (EFT) insertion.
Methods

Retrospective single-site, IRB-exempt review of 17 patients identified by procedure code 43246 (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) and ALS (ICD9-335, ICD10-G12.2) between 2015–2019. Spirometry, pre/post-procedure VC, use of non-invasive ventilation, procedure type and type of sedation were reviewed. Statistical significance determined at P ≤ .05. Cohen’s d effect size was done to address impact of the small sample size.
Results

Procedure selection followed the American Academy of Neurology recommendations using pre-procedure FVC; lowest risk (FVC > 50%) patients were referred for percutaneous enteral gastrostomy (PEG), whereas moderate risk (FVC 30–50%) and high risk (FVC < 30%) patients were referred for radiographically inserted gastrostomy or PEG with endotracheal intubation. Despite appropriate pre-operative risk stratification by FVC, post-procedure vital capacity (VC) acutely and significantly declined in 35% of patients, (mean decline 56%, SD 33), that impacted all procedure types.
Conclusion

In our case series, 35% of ALS patients developed acute respiratory failure with a marked acute drop in VC after enteral feeding tube placement. Pre-procedure FVC risk stratification into low, moderate or high risk did not identify patients who developed acute procedural respiratory failure, as this was not limited to those patients identified pre-operatively as moderate or high-risk. Post-procedure VC and change from pre-procedure measurements did identify patients who needed increased, inpatient post-procedure respiratory support. Implication of these observations drawn from a retrospective review support the need for additional research, to both confirm the initial findings in a larger sample size, difficult in single center trials with a low prevalence disease; further explore the impact of the type of sedation on post procedure respiratory failure, and determine if this is unique to ALS, or more broadly impacts patients with all forms of neuromuscular respiratory insufficiency.
Development of Disseminated Tuberculosis in A Non-Immunocompromised Patient After COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report
Authors: Rahimi Ensiyeh , Ghaderkhani Sara , Jamshidi Yousef
Published: July 2021

BackgroundCOVID-19 pandemic has had complications and has changed the pattern of disease incidence. COVID-19 affects the immune system. We present a case of disseminated tuberculosis (TB) in non-immunocompromised person with a history of COVID-19 infection.Case presentationA 25 year old woman had a history of mild COVID-19 infection 3 months ago. Then the complaint of back pain began and the headache was added 1 months later. Gradually, the patient’s headache intensified. Finally, the patient was admitted with decreased level of consciousness, delirium and focal neurological symptoms. The work up confirmed disseminated TB contain of miliary pulmonary TB, TB meningitis and TB spondylodiscitis. The patient gradually improved on anti-tuberculosis treatment. ConclusionsThere may be an association between disseminated TB infection following COVID-19 infection.
B- mode and Color Doppler sonographic appearance of pelvic tendon, ligament, and uterine blood flow in non-pregnant and heavy pregnant dairy cows
Authors: Sharshar Ahmed , Elweza Ahmed , Gadallah Shaaban , Rashed Reda , Hammad Amal , Elbaz Hamed
Published: July 2021

The present study was carried out to provide comparative B-mode and Doppler ultrasonographic description of pelvic tendon, ligaments, middle uterine artery and placentom in non-pregnant and heavy pregnant cows. It is also, monitors pregnancy associated changes including hemodynamic parameters of middle uterine artery along with, serum estrogen and progesterone levels. Forty healthy pluiparous dairy cows of native breeds were used in this study. The animals were divided into two groups each contain 20 cows. The first one was non-pregnant and the second one was heavy pregnant at 9th month of gestation. The examination was carried out with multiple imaging B-mode and color Doppler ultrasonography. Pelvic tendon and ligaments including dorsal branch of the dorsal sacroiliac ligament- thoracolumbar fascia combination (D-DSIL-TLF), lateral and ventral branches of the dorsal sacroiliac ligament (L-DSIL and V-DSIL respectively), and sacrosciatic ligament (SSL) as well as the middle uterine artery (MUA) and placentome were examined. Serum estrogen and progesterone levels were also evaluated and compared between both groups. The obtained results revealed that pregnancy greatly influence doppler indices and diameter of MUA as well as serum estrogen and progesterone concentration besides, measurements of pelvic ligaments except for the thickness and cross -sectional area of D-DSIL- TLF combination. The obtained results can be used as a guide for future studies dealing with monitoring normal and abnormal pregnancy in cows.
Mid-gap Trap State Mediated Dark Current in Organic Photodiodes
Authors: Kaiser Christina , Sandberg Oskar , Zeiske Stefan , Gielen Sam , Maes Wouter , Vandewal Koen , Meredith Paul , Armin Ardalan
Published: July 2021

Photodiodes are ubiquitous in industry and consumer electronics. New applications for photodiodes are constantly emerging, such as the internet of things and wearable electronics that demand different mechanical and optoelectronic properties from those provided by conventional inorganic devices. This has stimulated considerable interest in the use of next generation semiconductors, particularly the organics, which provide a vast palette of available optoelectronic properties, can be incorporated into flexible form factor geometries, and promise extremely low cost, low embodied energy manufacturing from earth abundant materials. The sensitivity of a photodiode to low light intensities (typically important in these new applications) depends critically on the dark current. Organic photodiodes, however, are characterized by a much higher dark current than expected for thermally excited band-to-band transitions. Here, we show that the lower limit of the dark current is given by recombination via mid-gap trap states. This new insight is generated from temperature dependent dark current measurements of narrow-gap photodiodes for the near-infrared. Based on Shockley-Read-Hall statistics, a diode equation is derived which can be used to determine an upper limit for the specific detectivity and to explain the general trend observed for the light to dark current ratio as a function of the experimental open-circuit voltage for a series of organic photodiodes. A detailed understanding of the origins of noise in any detector is fundamental to defining performance limitations and thus is critical to materials and device selection, design and optimisation for all applications. Our work establishes these important principles for organic semiconductor photodiodes for the near-infrared.
Differential regulation of alternative promoters emerges from unified kinetics of enhancer-promoter interaction
Authors: Wang Jingyao , Zhang Shihe , Lu Hongfang , Xu Heng
Published: July 2021

Many eukaryotic genes contain alternative promoters with distinct expression patterns. How these promoters are differentially regulated remains elusive. Here, we apply single-molecule imaging to quantify the transcriptional regulation of two alternative promoters (P1 and P2) of the Bicoid (Bcd) target gene hunchback in syncytial blastoderm Drosophila embryos. Contrary to the previous notion that Bcd only activates P2, we find that Bcd activates both promoters via the same two enhancers. P1 activation is less frequent and requires binding of more Bcd molecules than P2 activation. Using a theoretical model to relate promoter activity to enhancer states, we show that the two promoters follow common transcription kinetics driven by sequential Bcd binding at the two enhancers. Bcd binding at either enhancer primarily activates P2, while P1 activation relies more on Bcd binding at both enhancers. These results provide a quantitative framework for understanding the dynamics of complex eukaryotic gene regulation.
Ubiquitin-binding domain in ABIN1 is critical for regulating cell death and inflammation during development
Authors: Zhang Haibing , Li Ming , Liu Yongbo , Xu Chengxian , Zhao Qun , Liu Jianling , Xing Mingyan , Li Xiaoming , Zhang Hai-Wei , Wu Xiaoxia , Wang Lingxia , Ou Yangjing , Wu Xuanhui , Zhao Xiaoming , Liu Han , Li Fang , Li Jin Bao , Rong Wuwei , Deng Jiangshan , Wang Xiuzhe , Wang Zhichao , Zhao Yuwu , Lv Ankang , Li Qingfeng
Published: July 2021

ABIN1 is a polyubiquitin-binding protein known to regulate NF-κB activation and cell death signaling. Mutations in Abin1 can cause severe immune diseases in human, such as psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis. Here, we generated mice that disrupted the ubiquitin-binding domain of ABIN1 (Abin1UBD/UBD) died during later embryogenesis owing to TNFR1-mediated cell death, similar to Abin1−/− mice. Abin1UBD/UBD cells were rendered sensitive to TNF-α-induced apoptosis and necroptosis as the inhibition of ABIN1UBD and A20 recruitment to the TNF-RSC complex leads to attenuated RIPK1 deubiquitination. Accordingly, the embryonic lethality of Abin1UBD/UBD mice was rescued via crossing with RIPK1 kinase-dead mice (Ripk1K45A/K45A) or the co-deletion of Ripk3 and one allele of Fadd, but not by the loss of Ripk3 or Mlkl alone. Unexpectedly, Abin1UBD/UBD mice with the co-deletion of Ripk3 and both Fadd alleles died at E14.5. This death was caused by spontaneous RIPK1 ubiquitination-dependent multiple inflammatory cytokines over production and could be rescued by the co-deletion of Ripk1 or Tnfr1 combined with Ifnar. Collectively, these data demonstrate the importance of the ABIN1 UBD domain, which mediates the ABIN1-A20 axis, at limiting RIPK1 activation-dependent cell death during embryonic development. Furthermore, our findings reveal a previously unappreciated ubiquitin pathway that regulates cleavage of ubiquitinated RIPK1 by FADD/Casp8 to suppress spontaneous IKK𝜀/TBK1 activation.
Effect of an Active Distraction Method for Pediatric Venipuncture Related Pain and Anxiety
Authors: Isiyel Emel , Yurttas Melehat , Perktas Ezgi , Ozmert Elif , Teksam Ozlem
Published: July 2021

Needle-associated fear and pain in children can lead to poor health consequences and lower uptake rates of medical services. Information and distraction are significant methods in reducing pain and anxiety in children. We aimed to evaluate the effects of giving information and an active distraction method for pediatric venipuncture -related pain and anxiety in 3-8 years old children. Children were randomized into three groups as the control, the informed, the informed and distracted. Fear and pain experience were found to be significantly lower in the informed and distracted group rather than the control and the informed group according to the parents/caregivers. Fear and pain experience were similarly found to be significantly lower in the informed and distracted group than the other groups according to the independent observer. Informing, preparing, coping, distracting methods should be used before, during, and after the invasive procedures to reduce children's pain and anxiety.
Development and Implementation of a Dynamic Force Measurement System for Automatic Tool Changer System and Drawbar Mechanism in Machining Center
Authors: Li Guofa , Huo Yongchao , He Jialong , Wang Yanbo , Wei Jingfeng
Published: July 2021

Automatic tool changer system (ATCS) and drawbar mechanism (DM) are two of key basic parts in machining centers for realizing automatic tool-changing cycle. In the condition monitoring, fault diagnosis and failure warning of the ATCS and DM, the dynamic force is an important characteristic signal. However, there is little research about the specific dynamic force measurement system in this regard. Thus, a novel dynamic force measurement system (DFMS) is developed and implemented. Based on the BT40 toolholder, a resistance strain gauge-based force senor is used to convert the dynamic force signal into electrical signal. The real-time dynamic force acquiring system is controlled via an 8-bit RISC microcontroller. Digital measurements are obtained from the 24-bit sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter with a programmable gain array, which then are transmitted to the upper computer software via a wireless transceiver for display and storage. Finally, a Teager energy operator based dual-threshold two sentences endpoint detection method is proposed to extract the maximum dynamic force and the duration time. Experimental results show that the DFMS is reliable and can be easily used to detect the dynamic force for the ATCS and DM.
Traditional and Complementary Medicine Use Among Cancer Patients in Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Choi Soojeung , Kunwor Sangita Karki , Im Hyea Bin , Hwang Jung Hye , Choi Dain , Han Dongwoon
Published: July 2021

Background
Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is commonly used in South Asian countries such as Nepal. There are various causes and contributing factors for patients with cancer to consider using T&CM. However, little is known about the use of T&CM among the cancer population in this region.
Methods
The study followed a cross-sectional design using a structured survey questionnaire. Survey participants were recruited from two National hospitals in Kathmandu, Nepal. The survey instrument comprised 30 questions, including variables on demographics, use of T&CM, and perceived level of disease severity, and cancer treatment. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used for data analysis using SPSS ver. 23.0.
Results
Of 908 participants, 31.6% used one or more modalities of T&CM after a cancer diagnosis. The most commonly used T&CM was Ayurveda, followed by Yoga. 46.1% of T&CM users discussed their use with their doctors. Education level, residential area, employment, cancer type and stage, and self-rated disease severity were strong predictors of T&CM use.
Conclusion
This study underlined that despite the widespread use of T&CM among cancer patients in Nepal, most patients obtained related information from informal sources and did not disclose their use to physicians. To ensure the safe use of T&CM modalities, physicians should integrate questions on T&CM use into routine patient assessments in order to facilitate active communication and improve the quality of care.
LncRNA TM4SF19-AS1 Promotes the Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Targeting miR-153-3p/ITGAV Axis
Authors: Liu Yudong , Feng Xiaojuan , Tian Yuexin , Zhang Yanzhuo , Cao Huan , Wang Baoshan
Published: July 2021

Background: LncRNA plays an important role in the gene regulatory network and can affect the progress of tumors. LncRNA TM4SF19-AS1 has been reported may associate with the occurrence and development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: LncRNA TM4SF19-AS1 expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) tissue samples was evaluated in TCGA database, and its expression in LSCC tissues and cells was further determined via qRT-PCR. CCK-8, EdU, wound healing and transwell assays were performed to access the cell biological behaviors of TM4SF19-AS1. The downstream regulatory mechanism of TM4SF19-AS1 regulating gene expression was further detected by WGCNA, subcellular location prediction, western blot and dual-luciferase reporter assay.Results: The expression of TM4SF19-AS1 was upregulated in LSCC tissues and positively correlated with tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and lymph node metastasis in LSCC patients. Knockdown of TM4SF19-AS1 suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of LSCC cells. Mechanistically, TM4SF19-AS1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that directly bound to miR-153-3p, and ITGAV was the direct target of miR-153-3p.Conclusions: LncRNA TM4SF19-AS1 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of laryngeal carcinoma by targeting miR-153-3p/ITGAV axis, suggesting that TM4SF19-AS1 could be a potential diagnostic biomarker and an effective target for the treatment for LSCC.
Oncometabolite R-2 hydroxyglutarate aids the inflammatory transformation of peritumoral astrocytes
Authors: Ravi Vidhya , Behringer Simon , Joseph Kevin , Haniball Luciana , Kueckelhaus Jan , Will Paulina , Neidert Nicolas , Goeldner Jonathan , Franco Pamela , Fung Christian , Beck Juergen , Sankowski Roman , Prinz Marco , Hofmann Ulrich , Schnell Oliver , Heiland Dieter Henrik
Published: July 2021

Reactive transformation of astrocytes in IDH wild-type glioma contribute to anti-tumor immunity and support pro-oncogenic signaling. The role of intra- and peritumoral astrocytes in IDH1/2 mutated glioma, a prognostically beneficial subgroup with oncogene-driven enrichment of R-2-hydroxygluterate (2-HG) remains sparsely explored. Here, we characterized the transcriptomic signature of IDH1/2-mutant glioma associated astrocytes and determined a unique inflammatory transformation, profoundly different to astrocytes in IDH wildtype glioma patients. IDH-mutated glioma inoculation into human neocortical sections or treatment with R-2-HG resulted in an oncometabolite-mediated transcriptional shift towards inflammation in astrocytes. This transcriptional shift was found to be mediated by myeloid cell polarization through R-2-HG in the tumor microenvironment, which was further confirmed by selective depletion of myeloid cells. Integrative analysis of bulk RNA-sequencing of purified microglia, single-cell transcriptomics and spatially resolved transcriptomics confirmed this microglia-mediated inflammatory activation of astrocytes. This inflammatory activation is accompanied by loss of neurotransmitter homeostasis. Further, treatment of cortical sections with RH2G results in increased neuronal activity and LFP activity, pointing to the excitotoxic nature of RH2G in the neural microenvironment, with a significant loss of neurons with chronic treatment. The presented findings provide insights into the role that R-2HG plays in the reactive transformation of astrocytes within the IDH-mutated tumor environment and is fundamentally different that seen in IDH wildtype glioma.
Coexist of Disseminated Superficial Actinic Porokeratosis and Porokeratosis Ptychotropica with A Novel MVK Gene Mutation: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Xu Hongjun , Li Linfeng
Published: July 2021

Background: Porokeratosis is a rare, acquired or inherited disorder of keratinization. There are numerous clinical types of porokeratosis and they could coexist in one patient and in multiple members of an affected family. However, coexist of disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis (DSAP) and porokeratosis ptychotropica (Ppt) is rare.Case presentation: A 45-year-old man presented with long-standing skin lesions. Physical examinations found numerous small, brown 2- to 4-mm patches on his face and several hyperkeratotic, verrucous plaques on his trunk and extremities. His father and one of his brothers also had similar lesions for years. Skin biopsies showed a cornoid lamella in the epidermis. And we identified c.155 G>A mutation of the mevalonate kinase (MVK) gene convertting a serine residue to asparagine (p.Ser52Asn) was the causative mutation for porokeratosis in this family. The clinicopathologic diagnosis of DSAP and Ppt with a novel MVK gene mutation was made. The hyperkeratotic plaques on the patient's scrotum were completely removed by microwave knife for more than 10 times. Conclusion: We report an unusual case of DSAP coexisting with Ppt and identified a novel MVK gene mutation in this patient's family. The microwave knife is an effective and safe therapy for porokeratosis.
A Novel Dynamic Data Driven Tire Model
Authors: Zhang Junning , YANG Shaopu , LU Yongjie
Published: July 2021

In the study of vehicle dynamics, the accurate description of tire mechanical characteristics is the basis and key of vehicle dynamics simulation. An innovative tire model is proposed based on fuzzy algorithm and a sinusoidal membership function is used to design fuzzy rules. In order to ensure the accuracy of tire behavior calculation, this model is driven by a small amount of experimental data of tire mechanical characteristics. This tire model consists of four layers of fuzzy systems, each of which has a knowledge base. The data in knowledge base I is obtained by experiments, and the data of knowledge base II is computed by the upper system, and so is the later system. Then, the input signal, the change rate of side slip angle and slip rate, is considered to improve the calculation accuracy of the model. The proposed fuzzy tire model can accurately predict the longitudinal force, lateral force and self-aligning torque of the tire under unknown conditions. Finally, by comparing the fuzzy tire model with the experimental data, it is found that the maximum RRMSE (Relative Root Mean Square Error) value is not more than 0.14. It is proved that the model can accurately describe the tire mechanical characteristics under combined conditions.
Comparison of The Blood, Bone Marrow, and Cerebrospinal Fluid Metabolomes In Children with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Schraw Jeremy M. , Woodhouse J. P. , Bernhardt Melanie B. , Taylor Olga A. , Horton Terzah M. , Scheurer Michael E. , Okcu M. Fatih , Rabin Karen R. , Lupo Philip J. , Brown Austin L.
Published: July 2021

Metabolomics may shed light on treatment response in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), however, most assessments have analyzed bone marrow or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which are not collected during all phases of therapy. Blood is collected frequently and with fewer risks, but it is unclear whether findings from marrow or CSF biomarker studies may translate. We profiled end-induction plasma, marrow, and CSF from N = 10 children with B-ALL using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We estimated correlations between plasma and marrow/CSF metabolite abundances detected in ≥ 3 patients using Spearman rank correlation coefficients (rs). Most marrow metabolites were detected in plasma (N = 661; 81%), and we observed moderate-to-strong correlations (median rs 0.62, interquartile range [IQR] 0.29–0.83). We detected 328 CSF metabolites in plasma (90%); plasma-CSF correlations were weaker (median rs 0.37, IQR 0.07–0.70). We observed plasma-marrow correlations for metabolites in pathways associated with end-induction residual disease (pyruvate, asparagine) and plasma-CSF correlations for a biomarker of fatigue (gamma-glutamylglutamine). There is considerable overlap between the plasma, marrow, and CSF metabolomes, and we observed strong correlations for biomarkers of clinically relevant phenotypes. Plasma may be suitable for biomarker studies in B-ALL.
Quantitative Parameter Mapping of Contrast Agent Concentration and Relaxivity and Brain Tumor Extracellular pH
Authors: Matsumoto Yuki , Harada Masafumi , Kanazawa Yuki , Taniguchi Yo , Ono Masaharu , Yoshitaka Bito
Published: July 2021

In clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), gadolinium-based contrast agents are most commonly used for evaluating brain tumors. However, contrast-enhanced MRI can only provide relative signal changes such as mixed information with longitudinal relaxivity (r1) and contrast agent concentration. Herein, we present a new method to evaluate r1 and contrast agent concentration separately in contrast-enhanced lesions using quantitative parameter mapping. We demonstrated that it is possible to evaluate pathophysiological tumor changes owing to therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, the r1 value can be used as an extracellular pH tumor marker. We believe that our method has an easy clinical application and demonstrates how acidic environments affect the T1 relaxation time of contrast agents. In conclusion, these indices can be useful for brain tumor management.
Milk Small Extracellular Vesicles-derived miRNAs Restrict Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Infectivity
Authors: Xie Mei-Ying , Hou Lianjie , Song Chang-Xu , Sun Jia-Jie , Xi Qian-Yun , Yu Linyang , Jiang Qing-Yan , Chen Ting , Zhang Yong-Liang
Published: July 2021

BackgroundVirus-caused diseases are a huge challenge to both animals and human beings, especially coronaviruses. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), a coronavirus, causes acute diarrhea and up to 100% mortality in piglets less than three weeks of age. Maternal immunity provides protection for piglets in resisting PEDV infection. Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) contain bioactive molecules such as miRNAs to exchange genetic and epigenetic information between cells. Our previous study suggested that milk sEV facilitated intestinal tract development and prevented LPS-induced intestine damage. However, the effects of milk sEV on the inhibition of viral infections remain unclear. ResultsIn this study, through in vivo experiments, we found that porcine milk sEV protected piglets from PEDV-induced diarrhea and death. In vitro, we clarified that this protective effect was partly generated through the inhibition of the PEDV-N protein and HMGB1 by sEV miR-let-7e and miR-27b, respectively. ConclusionsIn conclusion, we report that porcine milk sEVs protected piglets from PEDV-induced diarrhea and death by inhibiting virus replication, and this protective effect was partly generated through the inhibition of the PEDV-N and HMGB1 pathways by exosomal miR-let-7e and miR-27b. This study reveals a new antiviral function of milk sEVs, and the results suggest that milk sEVs may act as a mother-offspring transmission pathway for protecting newborns against PEDV infection.
RV reducer Design Using Resnet-based model and integration of Discretized OPtimization
Authors: Miao Jiacheng , Li Chaoyang , Chen Bingkui
Published: July 2021

A new type of mechanical system structure design model is proposed, which uses a small number of system feature samples to generate a new structure model. In this model, (1) the theory of limited sample recommendation algorithm is used to study the external dimensions recommendation of the reducer, an SG-Resnet network suitable for the generation of reducer structure parameters is established, the main factors affecting the promotion ability and learning rate of the SG-Resnet network structure are analyzed through hyperparameters, and in-depth study of the mechanism of each influencing factor. (2) Establish an optimization design method for the internal dimensions of the reducer, and initially calculate the structural parameters according to the basic performance parameters of the reducer, combine the objective function and constraint conditions to establish the corresponding multi-objective optimization model, and establish the Kriging proxy model. The mixed population NSGA-II algorithm is proposed, the MP-NSGA-II algorithm is used to obtain multiple sets of Pareto optimal solutions, and the multi-objective evaluation method is used to select the optimal solution from the non-dominated solution set. Experiments were carried out to verify the positive enhancement effect of the structural design model on the stiffness of the reducer. The experiment showed the reliability and generalizability of the model. This research provides a new solution for reducer design and lays a solid foundation for the development of integrated RV reducer forward design software.
Hydroxytyrosol Effectively Improves The Quality of Pig Sperm at 17 ℃
Authors: Li Dong , Zhang Wenyu , Tian Xuekai , He Yulin , Xiao Zitong , Zhao Xin , Du Renrang , Yang Gongshe , Yu Taiyong
Published: July 2021

Background: Artificial insemination technology is the production technology used in more than 99% of the world's pig farms. As the frozen sperm damage is very serious, the preservation of pig sperm is mainly carried out at 17°C. However, the accumulation of a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the preservation process is the main reason for the deterioration of sperm quality. In our research, by adding different concentrations of hydroxytyrosol to the diluent during the storage of pig sperm at 17°C, we compared them with the traditional diluent to study the cumulative amount of ROS, the extent of membrane damage, the sperm acrosome integrity, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and other indicators to evaluate the effect of hydroxytyrosol on the changes of active oxygen species and sperm quality during storage. After we determined the optimal amount of hydroxytyrosol in the diluent, proteomics was used to monitor difference in sperm protein expression between the control group and the addition of 120 μmol/L hydroxytyrosol group (optimum concentration). Ultimately, we selected the control group and the 120 μmol/L hydroxytyrosol group to test the effect of artificial insemination.Results: The results of our research showed that during storage of pig sperm at 17 ℃, the sperm quality and antioxidant capacity of the hydroxytyrosol-treated group was significantly improved (P < 0.05). Proteomics sequencing analysis proved that the addition of hydroxytyrosol treatment group has potential value in improving sperm quality. Besides, the significant increase in sow pregnancy rate and piglet birth weight also confirmed that sperm quality during storage can be of vital importance in actual production (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Based on our results, we demonstrate that the addition of hydroxytyrosol to the diluent could improve the quality of pig sperm and the efficiency of artificial insemination.
Esophageal Carcinosarcoma Comprising of Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report
Authors: Fang Ziyao , Pan Shu , Xu Chun , Ju Sheng , Shen Ziqing , Zhao Jun
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Esophageal carcinosarcoma (ECS) is a rare malignant tumor that often presents as an intraluminal polypoid lesion in the esophageal lumen. Herein we present a case diagnosed as esophageal carcinosarcoma and treated with esophagectomy.Case presentation: A 68-year-old male patient was presented to the thoracic surgery department complaining of dysphagia for about three months. He was diagnosed with ECS and underwent uniport video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Based on the histopathological reports, the patient was finally diagnosed as ECS, clinical T1bN0M0, pathological stage I. 11 days after the surgery, the patient was discharged from the hospital without experiencing any complications.Conclusion: Carcinosarcoma was first described by Virchow in 1865 as a rare malignant neoplasm. The clinical manifestations of ECS includes dysphagia, chest pain and weight loss. IHC analysis indicates carcinoma and the sarcoma occurred independently. Complete resection of the esophagus with lymphadenectomy of locoregional nodes is still recommended as the best potentially curative treatment. For the prognosis of ECS compared to (ESCC), there is a controversy. Here, we reported a case of ECS comprising of squamous cell carcinoma in situ and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma underwent uniport VATS esophagectomy with no serious complications, which indicate that VATS esophagectomy could be applied to ECS patients.
Fabrication of Easy Separable and Reusable Adsorbent Composite based on MIL-125/MIL-53 Binary MOF/CNT/Alginate Microbeads for Aremoval of Tetracycline from Water Bodies
Authors: Omer Ahmed M. , El-Monaem Eman M. Abd , El-Subruiti Gehan M. , El-Latif Mona M. Abd , Eltaweil Abdelazeem S.
Published: July 2021

During the turbulent period of COVID-19, the medical staff is exerting great efforts to preserve humanity. However, the tons of pharmaceutical residues especially antibiotics that is being disposing daily into water bodies may be the seed to an even more ferocious pandemic. Thence, it is inevitable to find out effective strategies for removing these noxious pharmaceutical residues from water. We aimed in this investigation to fabricate easy separable composite microbeads for efficient adsorption of tetracycline (TC) drug. Herein, MIL-125/MIL-53 binary metal organic framework (MOF) was synthetized and incorporated with carbon nanotube (CNT) into alginate (Alg) microbeads to form MIL-125/MIL-53/CNT@Alg composite microbeads. Various tools including FTIR, XRD, SEM, BET, Zeta potential and XPS were applied to characterize the composite microbeads. The results revealed that the adsorption of TC was augmented with rising TC proportion up to 15 wt% in the microbeads matrix. In addition, the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order and well-fitted to Freundlich and Langmuir models with a maximum adsorption capacity of 294.12 mg/g at 25 ◦C, while the adsorption process was endothermic, randomness and spontaneous. Besides, reusability test signified that MIL-125/MIL-53/CNT@Alg composite microbeads retained admirable adsorption properties for six consecutive cycles, emphasizing its potentiality for removing of pharmaceutical residues.
N-Fuzzy Sets and Their Applications
Authors: Ibrahim Hariwan Z.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this paper is to define n-Fuzzy sets and study their relationship with intuitionistic
fuzzy sets, Pythagorean fuzzy sets and Fermatean fuzzy sets. The n-Fuzzy sets can deal with more uncertain situations than intuitionistic fuzzy sets, Pythagorean fuzzy sets and Fermatean fuzzy sets because of its larger range of describing the membership grades. The set operations, score function, accuracy function and Euclidean distance of n-Fuzzy sets will study. Finally, we study the Sanchez$^{,}$s approach for medical diagnosis and extend this concept with the notion of n-Fuzzy set.
Differing Dietary Nutrients and Diet-associated Bacteria has Limited Impact on Spider Gut Microbiota Composition
Authors: Zhang Wang , Liu Fengjie , Zhu Yang , Han Runhua , Xu Letian , Liu Jie
Published: July 2021

Spiders are a key predator of insects across ecosystems and possess great potential as pest control agents. Unfortunately, it is difficult to artificially cultivate multiple generations of most spider species. Since gut bacterial flora has been shown to significantly alter nutrient availability, it is plausible that the spiders’ microbial community play a key role in their unsuccessful breeding. However, both the gut microbial composition and its influencing factors in many spiders remain a mystery. In this study, the gut microbiota of Campanicola campanulata, specialist prey on ants and are widely distributed across China, was characterized. After, the impact of diet and diet-associated bacteria on gut bacterial composition was evaluated. First, two species of prey ants (Lasius niger and Tetramorium caespitum) were collected from different locations and fed to C. campanulata. For each diet, we then profiled the nutritional content of the ants, as well as the bacterial communities of both the ants and spiders. Results showed that the protein and carbohydrate content varied between the two prey ant species, and that the bacterial communities of the ants were clearly delineated by collection site. However, no significant differences were found in the gut microbiota of spiders that were fed the differing ants. Together, these results indicate that nutritional variation and diet-associated bacterial differences have a limited impact on the microbial composition of spider guts, suggesting that spiders have a mechanism keeping their gut bacterial community stable to ensure normal physiological function and development.
Effects of carbidopa premedication on 18F-FDOPA PET imaging of brain tumors: a static, dynamic and radiomics analysis
Authors: Bros Marie , ZARAGORI Timothée , Rech Fabien , Blonski Marie , Hossu Gabriella , Taillandier Luc , Marie Pierre-Yves , VERGER Antoine
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This study aims to determine the impact of carbidopa premedication on static, dynamic and radiomics parameters of 18F-FDOPA PET imaging in brain tumors.
Material and Methods

The study included 54 patients that underwent 18F-FDOPA PET imaging for newly diagnosed gliomas. Among these, 18 patients received 100 mg of carbidopa. SUV parameters and 105 radiomics features were extracted from the static images. Dynamic data were available for 41 patients. Time to Peak (TTP) values were extracted from dynamic acquisitions. These parameters were obtained from volumes of interest in healthy brain as well as tumors. Simulation of the effects of carbidopa premedication on TTP values were also generated.
Results

All static and TTP dynamic parameters were significantly increased in healthy brain regions of premedicated patients (ΔSUVmean = + 53%, ΔTTP = + 48%, p < 0.001). Furthermore, carbidopa impacted 81% of radiomics features, of which 92% correlated with SUVmean (absolute correlation coefficient ≥ 0.4). In tumors, premedication with carbidopa was an independent predictor of SUVmean (ΔSUVmean = + 52%, p < 0.001) and TTP (ΔTTP = + 24%, p = 0.025). Interestingly, all parameters were no longer significantly modified by carbidopa premedication when using tumor-to-healthy-brain image and TAC ratios. Simulated data confirmed that carbidopa leads to an increase in tumor TTP values which is corrected by using these ratios.
Conclusion

In 18F-FDOPA PET brain imaging, carbidopa induces an increase of similar magnitude in SUV, SUV-dependent radiomics and TTP dynamic parameters in healthy brain and tumor regions which are compensated for after using the tumor-to-healthy-brain image and TAC ratios which is an important point for multicentric studies harmonization.
Sarcoidosis following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: clinical characteristics and HLA associations
Authors: Wurm-Kuczera Rebecca Isabell , Büntzel Judith , König Julia Felicitas Leni , Legler Tobias , Valk Jan-Jakob , Hasenkamp Justin , Jung Wolfram , Rademacher Jan-Gerd , Korsten Peter , Wulf Gerald Georg
Published: July 2021

Purpose:

Extrinsic factors and genetic predisposition contribute to the etiology of sarcoidosis, converging in a phenotype of altered immune response associated with multisystemic inflammatory granulomatous tissue infiltration. Immunological reconstitution after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may represent a unique window for the pathogenesis of the disease. We describe the incidence, clinicopathological features, and HLA associations of sarcoidosis after HSCT in a single-center cohort of patients, together with data from previously published cases.
Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed clinical characteristics and HLA haplotypes from allogeneic (allo) or autologous (auto) HSCT patients from January 2001 through May 2021 at the University Medicine Goettingen (UMG), and data from 15 previously published cases.
Results:

13 patients had received an allo HSCT, and six patients an auto HSCT, including four at our center (three allo HSCT, one auto HSCT). Sarcoidosis occurred after a median interval of 20 and 7 months, respectively. The predominant HLA allele associated with sarcoidosis was HLA DRB1*03:01. Sarcoidosis involved the respiratory tract in 15 patients (three unknown, one without pulmonary involvement), and it was associated with graft-versus-host disease in seven of 13 patients receiving allo HSCT. None of the donors or patients had a history of sarcoidosis before transplantation. Disease manifestations resolved by standard glucocorticoid treatment without long-term sequelae.
Conclusion:

Sarcoidosis may occur at low frequency during reconstitution of the immune system after HSCT. HLA allele associations reflect the associations observed in the general population, particularly with DRB1*03:01. Further insights into the interplay between T cell reconstitution and the development of sarcoidosis could also provide novel approaches to an improved understanding of the pathogenesis in sarcoidosis.
Discovery of BRCA1/BRCA2 Founder Variants by Haplotype Analysis
Authors: Kwon Won Kyung , Jang Hyeok-Jae , Lee Jeong Eon , Park Yeon Hee , Ryu Jai Min , Yu Jonghan , Jang Ja-Hyun , Kim Jong-Won
Published: July 2021

A significant number of hereditary breast or ovarian cancers are caused by germline variants, mostly BRCA1/BRCA2 genes. Because genetic predispositions vary by ethnicity, several studies have reported founder variants of BRCA1/BRCA2 genes. Such founder variants were reported primarily based on their relevant population frequencies. We reviewed the variant data relating to BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes from January, 2012 to March 2019 at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Among the cases with pathogenic variants (PVs) or likely pathogenic variants (LPVs), we defined recurrent variants as those found in more than five unrelated patients. Using single nucleotide polymorphisms, we analyzed patient haplotypes. There were 14 recurrent variants in the BRCA1 gene and seven variants in the BRCA2 gene. Of note, three variants in each gene were primarily detected in Korean populations. Among them, the c.5339T > C BRCA1 variant had a long block sized 74.5 kb. In BRCA2, the c.1399A > T variant had a long block sized 35.5 kb. We suggest that BRCA1 c.5339T > C and BRCA2 c.1399A > T are founder variants of the Korean population. These two recurrent variants were ethnicity-prevalent, primarily found in Korean populations, and the sizes of the linkage disequilibrium blocks are longer than others.
Integrated PET/MR for Resting State Functional and Metabolic Imaging in Human Brain: What is Correlated and What is Impacted
Authors: Shan Yi , Wang Zhe , Song Shuangshuang , Xue Qiaoyi , Yang Hongwei , Cui Bixiao , Zhang Miao , Zhou Yun , Lu Jie
Published: July 2021

Purpose

We aimed to, for the first time, investigate the interplay of simultaneous functional MRI (fMRI) and FDG PET using a randomized self-control protocol on an integrated PET/MR.
Materials and methods

24 healthy volunteers underwent PET/MR scan 30 to 40 minutes after the injection of FDG. A 22-minute brain scan was separated into MRI-off (without fMRI pulsing) and MRI-on modes (with fMRI pulsing) with each one lasting for 11 minutes. We calculated the voxel-wise fMRI metric (ReHo, ALFF, fALFF and DC), resting networks, relative standardized uptake value ratios (SUVr), Patlak Ki and regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRGlu) maps. Paired two-sample t-tests were applied to assess the statistical differences between SUVr, Ki, correlation coefficients of fMRI metrics and rCMRGlu between MRI-off and MRI-on mode, respectively.
Results

Voxel-wise whole brain SUVr in MRI-off mode and MRI-on mode revealed no statistical difference, while Ki was significantly elevated in the whole brain (P༜0.05) during fMRI scan. Task-based group ICA revealed that the most active network components derived from combined MRI-off and MRI-on static PET images were frontal pole, superior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus and occipital pole. High correlation coefficients were found among the four-fMRI metrics with rCMRGlu in MRI-off and MRI-on mode (P༜0.05). The highest correlation coefficients between rCMRGlu and all fMRI metrics were found in the visual network (R, 0.523 ± 0.057) and default network (R, 0.461 ± 0.099).
Conclusions

Static PET quantitation SUVr as an indicator of the accumulative effect of FDG update post-injection does not exhibit immediate change between MRI-on and MRI-off modes. Dynamic PET quantitation Ki is instantly elevated during MRI-on mode due to the additional impact of MRI sequence on imaging subjects. Network connectivity analysis also demonstrated intermediate modulation of brain function in MRI-on mode as compared to MRI-off mode.
Differential Cardiovascular and Renal Benefits of SGLT2 Inhibitors and GLP1 Receptor Agonists in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Kim Chee Hae , Hwang In-Chang , Ahn Chang Ho , Yoon Yeonyee E. , Cho Goo-Yeong
Published: July 2021

Background: The differential benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) in cardiovascular or renal outcomes have not been fully investigated. This study sought to compare the real-world cardiovascular and renal outcomes between SGLT2i and GLP1RA in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods: Patients with diabetes prescribed SGLT2i or GLP1RA were retrospectively identified. Patients treated with antihyperglycemic medications other than SGLT2i or GLP1RA were used as a control group. After 2:1:3 propensity score matching among 24,752 eligible patients, 614 patients treated with SGLT2i, 307 patients treated with GLP1RA, and 921 control patients were analyzed. Primary outcomes were composite ischemic events (acute coronary syndrome, coronary revascularization, and stroke) and a composite of heart failure and renal events (hospitalization for heart failure, renal death, initiation of renal replacement therapy, and renal admission). Serial changes in laboratory findings according to medication use were compared.Results: During a median 38.7 months of follow-up, the incidence of composite ischemic events tended to be lower in the GLP1RA group (annualized rate 0.82% per person-year) than in the other groups (1.68% per person-year in the SGLT2i group and 1.36% per person-year in the control group). The risk of a composite of heart failure and renal outcomes was significantly lower in the SGLT2i group than in the GLP1RA and control groups (0.86% per person-year, 2.33% per person-year, and 1.48% per person-year, respectively; SGLT2i vs. GLP1RA, hazard ratio [HR] 0.384, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.194-0.763, p=0.006; SGLT2i vs. control, HR 0.426, 95% CI 0.242-0.751, p=0.003). The SGLT2i group had a slower decline in renal function over time compared to that in other groups.Conclusions: SGLT2i showed more benefits in heart failure and renal outcomes, whereas GLP1RA tended to have more favorable ischemic outcomes. The observed differential benefit profiles of SGLT2i and GLP1RA may be applied to the selection of antidiabetic medication in clinical practice.
Association Between Serum miR-221-3p and Intravenous Immunoglobulin Resistance in Children With Kawasaki Disease
Authors: Jing Fengchuan , Weng Haobo , Zhang Jing , Pei Qiongfei , Liu Ruixi , Yi Qijian
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesIntravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance was a major cause of coronary artery lesions in children with Kawasaki disease (KD). However, the cause of IVIG resistance in KD remains unknown. miR-221-3p has been confirmed involved in cardiovascular diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between miR-221-3p and IVIG resistance in children with KD.Methods55 KD patients and 29 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. KD patients were divided into group of sensitive to IVIG (IVIG-response, n=42) and group of resistant to IVIG (IVIG-resistance, n=13). Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to detect the levels of miR-221-3p.ResultsCompared with the HCs group, miR-221-3p were significantly increased in the KD group (p < 0.05), and the IVIG-resistance group had higher levels of miR-221-3p than those in the IVIG-response group (p < 0.05). CRP (C-reactive protein), PCT (procalcitonin), NLR (neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio) were positively correlated with miR-221-3p in KD patients. In addition, the group of IVIG resistance had a higher level of Kobayashi Score (p <0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that miR-221-3p had a better value for diagnosis IVIG resistance in children with KD than Kobayashi Score and the combination of both with the AUC of 0.811 (95% CI, 0.672-0.951), 0.793 (95% CI, 0.618-0.968) and 0.797 (95% CI, 0.619-0.974), respectively.ConclusionsmiR-221-3p might be involved in the pathogenesis of KD and IVIG resistance and miR-221-3p can be used as a new potential biomarker to predict of IVIG resistance in children with KD.