bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occupational Exposure to Pesticides Applied Among Rice Growers in Malaysia
Authors: Wong Hie Ling , Garthwaite David G , Jais An Nurainee , Norman Nurul Najiah , Shobri Nurin Dalila Mohd , Brown Colin D
Published: August 2022

Occupational exposure of rice growers to pesticides can be assessed cost-effectively using mathematical exposure models. This study investigates rice growers’ exposure to pesticides due to the use of knapsack/backpack sprayers, a practice which is widespread in developing countries including Malaysia. Pesticide application information was collected from 23 rice growers during November 2020 – March 2021 using personal interviews and questionnaires. The information was used to predict total daily exposure to individual active substances via dermal and inhalation routes during mixing/loading and application activities using selected exposure models. The estimated exposures were assessed against the agricultural operator exposure levels (AOELs) for single active substances, where any exceedance indicates a potential risk to health. Across the rice growing season, the 23 rice growers had different application practices including total number of active substances applied on single spray days (1–8 compounds), total rice cultivation areas (0.6–3.8 ha), and total number of spraying days (3–13 days). Individuals had estimated average daily exposures to single active substances of 7.7x10− 2 – 1.2 mg kg-bw− 1 day− 1 (7.5x10− 2 – 1.1 and 1.7x10− 3 – 2.2x10− 1 mg kg-bw− 1 day− 1 during application and mixing/loading activities, respectively), where dermal exposure constituted 99.6–99.98% of the total exposure. Overall, 56% of all the applications reported by the 23 growers had exposure estimates that exceeded the AOEL, mainly due to the use of relatively toxic pesticides, products formulated as wettable powders, and growers neglecting to wear gloves whilst handling pesticides. All of these factors can be influenced by provision of training and information on selection of pesticide products and application practices. Study findings can be used to target efforts to minimise pesticide risks to health in developing countries.
Risk assessment of some heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn) caused by drilling mud cuttings of the Ahvaz Mansouri oil field
Authors: khalili Peyman , hoodaji Mehran , Nadoushan Mozhgan Ahmadi , chamani Atfeh
Published: August 2022

The most important wastes generated from oil and gas exploration are drilling mud and cuttings. Contamination of these wastes destroys the environment. Therefore, the purpose of the current research was to identify the hazards and health risks of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn) caused by drilling cuttings on the employees and residents of the study area and their reduction using phytoremediation. For this purpose, contaminated drilling cuttings were mixed with non-contaminated soil in proportions of 5, 10, 15%, and after laboratory analysis was utilized to cultivate barley, wheat, oats, and quinoa. After 70 days, plants were harvested and soil samples were analyzed. The concentration of metals (Cd, Pb, Zn) in soil samples was measured with an atomic absorption device and then the Average daily doses, Hazard quotient, Geo-accumulation index, Contamination factor, Pollution load index, Hazard index, and Risk index were computed to determine risk assessment. The highest value of the indices was in the pre-sowing soil samples and in the mixing percentages of 50 and 100% of contaminated soil, which were in a critical state. The geo-accumulation index of these metals was following the guidelines of the American Environmental Protection Agency in the polluted and severe pollution range. Meanwhile, with the plants' cultivation, these amounts were planted suitably in the rhizosphere soil and were at an acceptable level. Only in the sample of 5% contaminated soil and wheat plant, the pollution load index was in the medium range. For the age category of adults compared to children, these indices decreased. The high rate of skin absorption and the risk index through inhalation indicate an increase in the possibility of non-cancerous risk for the drilling workers and the adverse health effects for the residents of the area. The probability of carcinogenicity of the two metals lead and cadmium for adults was much higher than the standard level. The mean comparison of all pollution indices was significantly different between pre and post-sowing samples. Therefore, in oil regions, plant remediation technology can reduce the risks of the presence of heavy metals caused by the drilling mud and cuttings in agricultural lands to an acceptable level for human health.
Provenance investigation of material of Spring and Autumn Period Stone Chimes unearthed in the State of Chu in China
Authors: Li Liuliu , Qin Ying , Guo Jingxian , Huang Yali , Kan Xuhang , Huang Jianxun
Published: August 2022

To investigate the provenance of the Spring and Autumn Period stone chimes unearthed in the State of Chu in China and the relationship of ancient stone chime and Lingbi Qing stone, seven ancient stone chime samples that were collected from the Jiu Liandun tombs, Lei Gudun tombs and Shuangdun tomb were analysed by petrographic microscope and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The results from the chime samples were compared with the seven stone samples that were found nearby the ancient sample sites. The results indicate that the raw material of two samples unearthed from the Shuangdun tomb in Anhui province may have come from Lingbi city, the composition of stone chime samples JIdM1-27 and LgdM2:122 were similar to marble sample Xft2 from Suizhou City, and samples JldM2-34 and LgdM2-117 were distinctly different from the contrastive sample such that the provenance of the stone materials was unclear. This research is the first to study the provenance of Chinese ancient stone chime materials, and the results should provide insight into the study of Chinese ancient stone chime and Chu Music.
A novel overlapping community detection algorithm in smart city combining interest topic and local density
Authors: CHEN Yanyan , JIANG Yuanyuan , HOU Pengfei , Li Hui , GONG Rongrong , YANG Juan
Published: August 2022

It is very important to use ontology user portraits to describe the semantic structure interests of users and to study the similarity relations among user portraits for discovering overlapping interest communities in the process of building smart cities. The user interest’s hierarchical characteristics can produce different similarity relationships, forming interest clusters. The current paper proposes an overlapping community identification method based on hierarchical characteristics of user interest and local density is proposed, which can effectively promote the construction of smart cities. Firstly, a user hierarchical interest model based on ontology knowledge base was constructed to determine the users’ multi-granularity topic similarity. Then, a heterogeneous hypergraph was constructed by using multi-granularity topic similarity and user following similarity to describe the interest network. Using the peak mechanism of interest density, the community detection method was applied to identify the communities of interest. The real performance of the algorithm on multiple networks was verified by experiments. Experimental results showed the superiority of the presented algorithm over the classical overlapping community identification approach in terms of precision and recall rate.
Influence of 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid as a surfactant on a graphite-based dielectric in powder mixed electric discharge machining
Authors: Pellegrini Giuseppe , Ravasio Chiara , Rosace Giuseppe , Trovato Valentina
Published: August 2022

A recent trend in micro EDM is the addition of powders into the dielectric. The presence of powders helps to lower the dielectric breakdown voltage and therefore the discharge occurs early. As a result, the discharge energy is better distributed, resulting in a greater number of discharges, each with less energy. The main advantage of using this method is the improvement of both the process performance and surface finishing of the workpiece. A critical aspect of the implementation of this technology is in general the management of the powder. In fact, to obtain advantages during the machining, the powders should be maintained dispersed into the dielectric to avoid their aggregation. This paper aims to study the concentration of the powder and the surfactant in the dielectric fluid on micro EDM drilling performance. Titanium alloy was used as workpiece material, hydrocarbon oil as dielectric, graphite as powder and 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid as surfactant. The performance was evaluated considering the Material Removal Rate, the Tool Wear Ratio and the geometrical characteristics of the holes (overcut and taper rate). Graphite content positively affected both Material Removal Rate and Tool Wear Ratio; a larger spark gap was observed as well. The use of surfactant is required for mix stability but increasing its percentage generally reduces the effects of graphite and increases data dispersion as well.
Reversion of the loss of breast epithelial polarity caused by obesity
Authors: Vidi Pierre-Alexandre , Holmes Julia , Gaber Mohamed , Jenks Monica , Wilson Adam , Loy Tucker , Lepetis Cassandra , Vitolins Mara , Herbert Brittney-Shea , Cook Katherine
Published: August 2022

Molecular links between breast cancer risk factors and pro-oncogenic tissue alterations are poorly understood. The goal of this study was to characterize the impact of overweight and obesity on tissue markers of risk, using normal breast biopsies, a mouse model of obesity, and cultured breast acini. Proliferation and disruption of epithelial polarity, both necessary for tumor initiation, were quantified by immunostaining. High BMI and elevated leptin were associated with compromised epithelial polarity whereas overweight was associated with proliferation in human and mice mammary glands. Human serum with unfavorable adipokine levels altered epithelial polarization of cultured acini, recapitulating the effect of leptin. Weight loss in mice led to metabolic improvements and restored epithelial polarity. In acini cultures, epithelial polarity loss was prevented by antioxidants and could be reverted by normalizing culture conditions. This study provides a framework to set target values for metabolic improvements and to assess the efficacy of interventional studies aimed at reducing breast cancer risk.
Microrobotics a new approach in ocular drug delivery system: a review
Authors: Kakde Ishwar , Dhondge purva , Bansode Deepali
Published: August 2022

The traditional drug delivery system (DDS),which includes needles and pills, somehow doesn't support the desired consistent medication level in the body. The distribution location, tissue barriers, and the type of pharmacological agents used all have a role in the success of therapeutic drug delivery. The human eye is a light sensitive and pressure sensitive organ. The reason for this is due to the eye's complicated structure and physiology, which restricts the effectiveness of some medical operations. The drug delivery medium must be compatible with the drug and bind to it easily. Microrobotics is possible method for minimally invasive targeted therapy which is a wireless manipulation, positioning of drug delivery magnetic millimeter and submillimeter platforms into the eye. Microrobots have shown that they can do microscale activities such as drug delivery, cell manipulation, micro assembly, and bio sensing with minimal human intervention. Much more futuristic devices, such as drug-delivery submarines, are also being researched (Microrobots). Microrobots operated by external magnetic fields are a viable method for delivering minimally invasive medicine (MIM). The article includes Ocular microrobots when posses the potential to revolutionize the treatment of a wide range of disorders affecting the front and posterior regions of the eye, its mechanics using magnet.
Safety and Immunogenicity of SARS-Cov-2 Vaccine MVC-COV1901– Do Elderly Need a Higher Dose?
Authors: Lien Chia-En , Waits Alexander , Chen Jau-Yuan , Cheng Wei-Hong , Yeh Jih-I , Hsieh Szu-Min , Chen Charles , Janssen Robert , Lin Tzou-Yien
Published: August 2022

Older adults are subject to higher COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. Even though vaccination programs prioritize the elderly, they are under-represented in clinical trials. Safety and immunogenicity of MVC-COV1901, a protein subunit vaccine has been demonstrated in phase 2 clinical trial for the general population, and negative correlations have been observed between immune responses and age. To further assess safety and immunogenicity of MVC-COV1901 vaccine in participants of 65 years and older, a double-blind, randomized, multi-center study compared high-dose (25 mcg) to mid-dose (15 mcg) of MVC-COV1901 administered 2 times 28 days apart. The results have been stratified by the comorbidity status. Both high and mid-dose regimens elicited mostly mild adverse events and robust immune responses when measured as neutralizing and binding antibodies titers. High doses elicited better immune responses in the group without comorbidities. Given the general population-associated safety and immunogenicity of MVC-COV1901, we recommended high dose for the elderly.
Comparative effects of dietary methionine and cysteine supplementation on redox status and intestinal integrity in immunologically challenged-weaned pigs
Authors: Koo Bonjin , Choi Janghan , Holanda Debora Muratori , Yang Chengbo , Nyachoti Charles Martin
Published: August 2022

The study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary Met and Cys supplementation in immunologically challenged weaned pigs. Forty weaned piglets (6.5 ± 0.3 kg) were randomly allocated to five treatment groups. The treatment included: (1) sham-challenged control (SCC), (2) challenged control (CC), (3) MET (CC + 0.1% DL-Met), (4) CYS (CC + 0.1% L-Cys), and (5) MET+CYS (CC + 0.1% DL-Met + 0.1% L-Cys). On day 7, all pigs were intramuscularly injected with either Escherichia coli O55:B5 lipopolysaccharides or phosphate-buffered saline. Blood, liver, and jejunum samples were analyzed for immune response and redox status. The CC group had lower (P < 0.05) villus surface area and higher (P < 0.05) flux of 4-kDa fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FD4) than the SCC group. A lower (P < 0.05) glutathione (GSH) concentration was observed in the jejunum of pigs in the CC group than those in the SCC group. Dietary Cys supplementation increased (P < 0.05) villus surface area, GSH levels, and reduced (P < 0.05) the flux of FD4 in the jejunum. Dietary Met supplementation enhanced (P < 0.05) hepatic GSH content. Pigs in the MET group had lower serum IL-8 concentration than those in the CC group. There was a Met × Cys interaction (P < 0.05) in serum IL-4 and IL-8 concentrations, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity. Dietary L-Cys supplementation restored intestinal integrity and GSH levels that were damaged by lipopolysaccharides administration. Dietary DL-Met supplementation improved hepatic GSH and reduced systemic inflammatory response, but antagonistic interaction with dietary L-Cys supplementation was observed in the inflammatory response and redox status.
U.S. Medical Organizations and Climate Change Advocacy: A Review of Public Facing Websites
Authors: Bush Thomas , Jensen William A. , Katsumoto Tamiko R.
Published: August 2022

Background
Climate change poses a risk of health catastrophes and must be expeditiously addressed across the health care sector. Physicians are considered trustworthy and are well positioned to discuss climate change with patients. A unified strategy by all U.S. medical societies is essential to effectively mitigate their carbon footprint and address health concerns.
Methods
We conducted a review of the public facing websites of member organizations of the AMA House of Delegates and the AMA, which were scored based on inclusion of content related to climate change in position statements or policies, task forces or committees, patient education materials, practice recommendations and any official society publications. Membership in the Medical Consortium on Climate Change and Health or participation in the organization My Green Doctor were recorded as indicators of a commitment to providing educational resources about mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The availability of a virtual option for annual meetings, as a potential means to reduce the carbon footprint of attendees, was trended from 2021 to 2022.
Results
Fifty out of 111 U.S. medical organizations (45%) had at least one metric with a reference to climate change and sixty-one organizations (55%) had no evidence of such website content. Out of 111 websites, only 20% (N = 22) had position statements or policies pertaining to climate change, 11% (N = 12) had committees or task forces dealing with climate change, 8% (N = 9) provided patient education resources on climate change, 21% (N = 23) included green practice recommendations and 45% (N = 50) had an article in an official society publication addressing climate change. Only 14% (N = 15) were listed as member societies of the Medical Consortium on Climate Change and 2% (N = 2) were participating organizations with My Green Doctor.
Conclusions
Viewed through the lens of medical society websites, there was a wide variation in efforts to address climate change. The high performing organizations can serve as a guide for other societies to help mitigate and adapt to the climate emergency.
Nesfatin-1 stimulates CCL2-dependent monocyte migration and M1 macrophage polarization: implications for rheumatoid arthritis therapy
Authors: Chang Jun-Way , Liu Shan-Chi , Lin Yen-You , He Xiu-Yuan , Wu Yi-Syuan , Su Chen-Ming , Tsai Chun-Hao , Chen Hsien-Te , Fong Yi-Chin , Hu Sung-Lin , Huang Chien-Chung , Tang Chih-Hsin
Published: August 2022

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a prototypic inflammatory disease, characterized by the infiltration of proinflammatory cytokines into the joint synovium and the migration of mononuclear cells into inflammatory sites. The adipokine nesfatin-1 is linked to inflammatory events in various diseases, although its role in RA pathology is uncertain. Analysis of the Gene Expression Omnibus GSE55235 dataset revealed high levels of expression of the adipokine nesfatin-1 in human RA synovial tissue. Similarly, our human synovial tissue samples exhibited increasing levels of nesfatin-1 expression and Ccl2 mRNA expression. Nesfatin-1-induced stimulation of CCL2 expression and monocyte migration involved the MEK/ERK, p38 and NF-κB signaling pathways. Notably, nesfatin-1-induced increases in CCL2 expression favored M1 macrophage polarization, which increased the expression of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Finally, nesfatin-1 shRNA ameliorated the severity of inflammatory disease and reduced levels of M1 macrophage expression in CIA mice. Our studies confirms that nesfatin-1 appears to be worth targeting in RA treatment.
Joint effects of prenatal household air pollution exposure from multiple sources on preterm birth - A case-control study with propensity score matching
Authors: Liu Xin-Chen , Strodl Esben , Yang Wei-Kang , Huang Li-Hua , Yin Xiao-Na , Wen Guo-Min , Sun Deng-Li , Xian Dan-Xia , Hu Bing-Jie , Chen Weiqing
Published: August 2022

Prenatal exposure to household air pollution (HAP) has been suggested as a major risk factor for preterm birth (PTB). However, the effects of simultaneous prenatal exposure to multiple HAP sources on PTB have rarely been studied. We therefore conducted a case-control study on 21995 mother-child dyads after propensity score matching (PSM). After PSM, a series of logistic regression analysis on associations of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), cooking oil fumes (COFs), burning mosquito coil (BMC), indoor burning incense (IBI) and household renovation (HR) with PTB were conducted to evaluate their independent and joint effects on PTB. Compared to mothers without exposure, prenatal exposure to each individual HAP source increased the PTB risk. Moreover, the accumulative effects of prenatal exposure to five sources of HAP on the risk of PTB were observed. Finally, we found synergistic effects between prenatal exposure to COFs and IBI, as well as between BMC and IBI, on PTB on both multiplicative and additive scales. Our results suggest that prenatal exposure to different sources of HAP might increase the risk of PTB and that accumulative effects, as well as synergistic interactions, between different HAP sources on PTB might exist.
Association of healthcare fragmentation and the survival of patients with colorectal cancer in Colombia
Authors: Patiño Andrés Felipe , Buitrago Giancarlo , Agudelo Nicolás Rozo , Espinel Laura Saldaña , Gamboa Oscar , Eslava-Schmalbach Javier , Bonilla Carlos , Cruz Óscar Guevara , Caycedo Rubén , Burgos Edgar Junca , Sánchez Ricardo
Published: August 2022

Background
Healthcare fragmentation is a phenomenon in which patients experience a discontinuity in healthcare. Patients with colorectal cancer are more likely to experience fragmented care because they require specialized treatment by multidisciplinary teams. The objective of this study was to identify the association between healthcare fragmentation and 3-year survival for patients with colorectal cancer in Colombia.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study was performed using administrative databases, with an electronic algorithm to identify patients with colorectal cancer based on codes. The patients were recruited between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2016. The exposure variable was fragmentation, which was measured based on the number of different providers that treated a patient during the first year after diagnosis. Three-year mortality rates and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated for quartiles of fragmentation. A cut-off point was determined that divided the population between exposure to higher fragmentation versus lower fragmentation. Matching was performed using propensity scores to control for confounding, and the hazard ratio for exposure to higher fragmentation was calculated for the matched sample.
Results
A total of 5,036 patients with colorectal cancer was identified, 2,525 (49.88%) of whom were women. The mean number of network providers for the total sample was 5.71 (SD 1.98). The patients in the quartile with higher fragmentation had the highest mortality rate, 35.67 (95%CI; 33.63–38.06) per 100 patients. The comparison of higher and lower quartiles of fragmentation resulted in an IRR of 1.23 (95%CI; 1.04–1.45; p 0.02). Of the 5,036 patients, 422 (8.38%) were classified as the exposed cohort (higher fragmentation). The total matched sample consisted of 844 subjects, and an HR of 1.35 (95%CI; 1.14–1.61) was estimated.
Conclusions
Exposure to more highly fragmented healthcare networks decreases overall 3-year survival for patients with colorectal cancer in Colombia.
A Noval MPPT Design Based on the Seagull Օptimization Algοrithm for Phοtovοltaic Systems Operating Under Partial Shading
Authors: Chalh Abdelilah , chaibi Redouane , Hammoumi Aboubakr El , Motahhir Saad , Ghzizal Abdelaziz El
Published: August 2022

The use of a maximum power point (MPP) tracking (MPPT) controller is required for photovoltaic (PV) systems to extract maximum power from PV panels. However, under partial shading conditions, the PV cells/panels do not receive uniform insolation due to several power maxima appear on the PV array's P-V characteristic, a global MPP (GMPP) and two or more local MPPs (LMPPs). In this scenerio, conventional MPPT methods, including pertub and observe (P&Օ) and incremental conductance (INC), fail to differentiate between a GMPP and a LMPP, as they converge on the MPP that makes contact first, which in most cases is one of the LMPPs. This results in considerable energy loss. To address this issue, this paper introduces a new MPPT method based on the Seagull Optimization Algorithm (SOA) to operate PV systems at GMPP with high efficiency. The SOA is a new member of the bio-inspired algorithms. When compared to other evolutionary techniques, it uses fewer operators and modification parameters, which is advantageous when considering the rapid design process. In this paper, the SOA-based MPPT scheme is first proposed and then implemented for an 80 W PV system using the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. The effectiveness of the SOA based MPPT method is verified by comparing its performance with P&Օ and PSO (particle swarm optimization) based MPPT methods under different shading scenarios. The results demonstrated that the SOA based MPPT method performs better in terms of tracking accuracy and efficiency.
Perioperative Outcomes in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis: Analysis of a Large Single- Center Case Series
Authors: Carr Zyad J. , Yan Luying , Yanez N. David , Schonberger Robert B. , Bohorquez Manuel , Hines Roberta L , Treggiari Miriam M.
Published: August 2022

Background
There are significant knowledge gaps regarding perioperative outcomes for patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a rare immune-mediated disease characterized by cutaneous and organ-based fibrosis. The primary aim of this study was to describe the incidence of various perioperative complications in a single-center population of SSc.
Methods
278 SSc patients with 605 unique surgical encounters were identified over a ten-year period (Jan 1, 2010, through Jan 1, 2020). Data collection included airway management, intraoperative adverse events (pulmonary aspiration, cardiac arrest, difficult airway designation), and 30-day postoperative complications (pneumonia, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure).
Results
Hypertension (57.9%), pulmonary hypertension (PH) or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (52.5%), interstitial lung disease (ILD) (32.4%), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (82.4%) were common in our study population. Difficult direct laryngoscopy occurred in 10.9% of cases, but the first attempt success rate was high at 93.2%. Video laryngoscopy was used in 24.1% of cases. The most common intraoperative complications were hypotension and bradycardia within 15 minutes of induction (24.3% and 17.5%, respectively), and vasopressor use (34.0%). The in-hospital complication rate was 14.7% while the 30-day postoperative complication rate was 27.6%, with ileus > 3 days (5.6%) and postoperative pneumonia (POP) (5.5%) occurring most often. Microstomia was an independent predictor of difficult airway designation [Adjusted Odds Ratio (ORadj): 3.42, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.13, 10.31, p = 0.029]. ILD was not associated with 30-day POP (ORadj: 1.41, 95% CI = 0.54, 3.71, p = 0.482). A composite of PH/PAH was an independent predictor for 30-day POP (ORadj: 2.61, 95% CI = 1.08, 6.29, p = 0.033), 30-day CHF diagnosis (ORadj: 4.15, 95% CI = 1.33, 12.94, p = 0.014), and 30-day mortality (ORadj: 3.57, 95% CI = 1.24, 10.28, p = 0.018).
Conclusions
This study identified perioperative characteristics of patients with SSc. Current knowledge on perioperative outcomes in SSc in the surgical population is predominately based on reports of single case reports or small case series. Our findings suggest that intraoperative and airway complications are similar but postoperative complications are high when compared to known incidences in surgical populations. Secondly, this study demonstrates that composite PAH/PH but not ILD was a strong predictor of POP, CHF and 30-day mortality in this patient population.
Associations of phthalates with prostate cancer among the US population
Authors: Guo Tao , Meng Xiangyu , Liu Xuekui , Yan Shi , Zhang Xiaomin , Ren Shancheng , Wang Mengjing , Huang Yuhua
Published: August 2022

Human exposure to harmful phthalates has raised global health concerns. According to cellular and molecular investigations, phthalates and their metabolites promoted prostate cancer (PCa). Despite being prevalent cancer afflicting the global male population, the epidemiological association between phthalates and prostate cancer remains understudied. This work aims to investigate whether phthalate metabolites are related with prostate cancer. Moreover, we sought to understand whether their elevated concentrations are associated with increased serum concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) among non-prostate cancer interviewees. According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2003 to 2010, we screened eligible men aged 20 years or older, then crude and multivariate regression models were created to measure the relationship. The phthalates significantly related to PCa were analyzed based on variables associated with both prostate cancer status and prostate-specific antigen. A molar sum ∑Di-2-Ethylhexyl Phthalate (∑DEHP) was found simultaneously associated with increased risk of prostate cancer and increasing PSA. Within them, high molecular weight phthalate metabolites comprised mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) and 3 metabolites of DEHP. In summary, phthalates are potentially associated with impairing prostate status causing tumorigenesis in the US population. However, additional in-depth prospective studies in different ethnic groups are required to validate the causality between both.
Novel millimeter-wave Balun Using Embedded Magnetic Closed Loops
Authors: Zhou Yedi , Song Kaijun , Aidoo Michael Wilson , Fan Yong
Published: August 2022

A novel balun with magnetic closed loops has been developed. A conventional rectangular waveguide (RWG) directly mounts on a printed circuit board (PCB) that actualize the energy transition. Using a pair of centrosymmetric magnetic closed loop, the TE10 mode converts to TEM mode, and balanced ports of balun are obtained. Based on the structural characteristics investigation, the balun is fabricated and measured. The bandwidth is wider than 27% for insertion loss no more than 0.6 dB and return loss more than 15 dB. Between the two imbalanced ports, the magnitude imbalance is less than 0.4 dB, and the phase difference is less than 3°. Integration within the vertical transition makes the balun a promising candidate for minimization system.
Characterization and complete genome analysis of a novel Escherichia phage, vB_EcoM-RPN187
Authors: Imklin Napakhwan , Sripras Pattaraporn , Thanantong Narut , Lekcharoensuk Porntippa , Nasanit Rujikan
Published: August 2022

vB_EcoM-RPN187, a novel Escherichia phage, was isolated from drained water using Escherichia coli M187 as host. It has a prolate icosahedral head and a contractile tail. The phage produced clear plaques and was highly effective at 20–37°C. It was stable at 4–70°C and pH 3–10 for at least 1 h. The genetic analysis revealed that vB_EcoM-RPN187 has a 167,158 bp linear double-stranded DNA consisting of 265 protein-encoding genes and 10 tRNAs without undesirable genes. The overall nucleotide identity result suggested that the vB_EcoM-RPN187 may be classified as a new phage species in the genus Mosigvirus.
Quantitative evaluation of the sheared edge of woven glass epoxy laminate after mechanical punching
Authors: Choi Hyun Seok , Jeon Yong Jun , Choi Woo Chun , Kim Dong Earn
Published: August 2022

Fiber-reinforced composites have a wide range of industrial applications owing to their light weight, high modulus, and good specific strength. Trimming using a mechanical punching tool is the fastest way to post process fiber-reinforced composites. However, quantitative analyses of the defects and process parameters are required to analyze the damage mechanisms and achieve high-quality cut surfaces. In this study, we quantitively investigated the defects on the sheared edge of woven glass epoxy laminates subjected to mechanical punching and explored the correlations between these defects and key process parameters, including punch-die clearance, weave alignment angle, and laminate thickness. The results demonstrate the necessity of considering glass fiber burr length and the dimensions of the cracked area simultaneously to evaluate the quality of the sheared surface. This study provides qualitative data on the interfacial damage mechanisms that occur during mechanical punching, which will help to tailor the process parameters of mechanical punching for fiber-reinforced polymers to obtain smooth cut surfaces.
Microwave Ablation and Synchronous Transarterial Chemoembolization Combined with PD-1 Inhibitor in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Following Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Intolerance
Authors: Shi Qin , Zhou Xin , Yang Minjie , Zhang Wen , Zhang Zihan , Yu Jiaze , Ma Jingqin , Liu Qingxin , Qu Xudong , Luo Jianjun , Liu Lingxiao , Yan Zhiping
Published: August 2022

Purpose: To determine the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) and synchronous transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with or without PD-1 inhibitor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) intolerance.Materials and Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled TKI-intolerant HCC patients who underwent MWA-TACE combined with PD-1 inhibitor (MTP) or MWA-TACE (MT) from January 2019 to June 2021. MWA and TACE were performed simultaneously, and PD-1 inhibitor was administered intravenously at a dose of 200 mg once every three weeks after MWA-TACE. Adverse events (AEs) related to treatment were recorded during the follow-up. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between the two groups.Results: A total of 87 patients were included and classified into the MTP group (n =42) and MT group (n=45). Complications related to MWA-TACE in the MTP group were similar to that in the MT group (21.4% vs. 24.4%, P = 0.738). Moreover, 35 (83.3%) patients had eighty-four AEs related to PD-1 inhibitor in the MTP group, and 8 (19.0%) patients developed grade 3. Patients who underwent MWA-TACE combined with PD-1 inhibitor had better PFS (median, 10.0 vs. 4.7 months, P < 0.001) and OS (median, 17.0 vs. 8.5 months, P < 0.001) than those who underwent MWA-TACE alone. Treatment method and Child-Pugh class were independent prognostic factors for survival in the univariate and multivariate analysis.Conclusion: MWA and synchronous TACE combined with PD-1 inhibitor might be a favorable treatment option in TKI-intolerant HCC patients.
High expression of ELAVL1 predicts poor prognosis of Esophageal Carcinoma
Authors: Si Fuchun , Du Haiyang , Si Gao , Si Jiqing
Published: August 2022

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent RNA epigenetic regulation in eukaryotic cells. However, understanding of m6A in Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is very limited. We designed this study to investigate the role of m6A in ESCA. Expression pattern of m6A regulatory genes were extracted from gene array of 21cases of ESCA and public datasets to investigate the clinical relevance of m6A regulatory genes in ESCA. Next, we used public datasets to evaluate the relationship between m6A regulatory genes change and survival rates by the Kaplan-Meier analysis method. KEGG Pathway Enrichment Analysis and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis to identify the signaling pathways. The differences of immune cell subtypes were evaluated based on CIBERSORT algorithm. High expression level of ELAVL1 was significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS) of ESCA (P < 0.05). The levels of ELAVL1 were positively associated with macrophages M0(R=0.34, P=0.025), T follicular helper cells (R=0.44, P=0.0035), while Plasma cells (R=0.59, P=0.000041), and CD8 T cells (R=0.44, P=0.0038) exhibited an opposite result. ELAVL was in positive association with PSMC3IP. Our findings highlight the function and prognostic value of ELAVL1 in ESCA and extend the understanding of the importance of RNA epigenetics in cancer biology.
DDCM ： A Decentralized Density Clustering and Its Results Gathering Approach
Authors: Zou Lida
Published: August 2022

Distributed clustering is an important way to solve large-scale data mining problem. At present, there still exist some problems for distributed clustering, such as performance bottleneck of master node and network congestion caused by global broadcast. In the paper, we propose a decentralized clustering method based on density clustering and content-addressable network technique. It could generate a cluster just depending on the surrounding several nodes, which realizes load balancing and has excellent scalability. An optimization way of gathering clustering results in different application scenarios is addressed as well. Our extensive experiments show that the proposed approach performs 3 times better than benchmark algorithm in time efficiency and has a stable expansion ratio at about 0.6 for large-scale data.
Contribution of Stables Isotopes to the Study of the Groundwater Recharge in the Southern Foothills of the Saharan Atlas: The case of Tolga Region, North Eastern Algeria
Authors: Zouaoui Siham , Menani Mohamed Redha , Gaagai Aissam , Bouabid Abdennasser , Bencedira Selma , Zekker Ivar , Aouissi Hani Amir
Published: August 2022

Tolga groundwater is one of Biskra's most important water supplies for both drinking and agriculture. The purpose of this study is to assess the hydrochemical and isotope (2H and 18O) signature of water in the Tolga area. To evaluate the hydrogeology of groundwater in the Tolga region, a chemical, piezometric, and isotopic research was employed. The results of the Piper diagram revealed that there is just one major hydrochemical facies in the research region, which corresponds to Ca–Mg–Cl–SO4. The piezometry of limestone sheets shows that as one goes westward, the turns become less substantial, with turns about 20 meters and a piezometric level of 140 m. For the first time, the local meteoric water line (LMWL) was drawn for Complexe Teminal (CT) and Continental Intercalaire (CI) on Tolga groundwater. The Tolga area LMWL refers to the equation δ2H= 7,18 δ18O + 4.17 with R2 about 0.85. CI and CT measurement locations indicate deuterium excess values ranging from 8.35 to 12.57. Indeed, the majority of values were more than 10‰ (mean of 10.36 ± 2.01‰). Furthermore, waters from Eocene have an isotopic composition of -7.57 ± 0.68‰ in δ18O and − 49.04 ± 4.69‰ In δ2H. The results of the sample characterisation analysis show that the majority of the groundwater samples analysed are of the Ca-Mg-SO4 water type. In addition, the intense exploitation aquifer water and the region's arid climatic conditions resulted in a large decrease in the piezometric limestone level. Finely, the signature of 2H and 18O data indicate that water comes from local precipitation and recent water, and groundwater recharge is influenced by quick infiltration.
Climate, environment and the fortunes of Buddhism during the Tibetan Empire 618-842 CE
Authors: Zou Yi , Cheng Jianquan , Cresswell Mark P. , Lageard Jonathan Guido Andre
Published: August 2022

The official adoption of Buddhism by the Tibetan state in the mid-8th Century (761-762 CE) was relatively late compared to its permeation from northern India to elsewhere in south and east Asia, due to the country’s geographical isolation. Whilst reasons for its adoption remain uncertain, it is thought that the religion provided a strong unifying influence permitting both the consolidation and subsequent expansion of the Tibetan Empire. Early historical records suggest that the religion was prohibited in 739-741 CE and 841-842 CE, the latter coinciding with the fall of the Tibetan Empire. This research presents an examination of Tibetan and Chinese historical records and fine-resolution palaeoclimatic reconstructions to demonstrate that the ‘oscillating fate’ of Buddhism during the Tibetan Empire (618-842 CE), was inextricably linked to regional climate change and to a series of natural disasters. Extreme meteorological events have significant present-day impacts on the geographically vulnerable Tibetan Plateau, and we propose that long-term climatic deterioration between mid-770s to the late 830s CE was likely to have been the most significant factor underpinning environmental deterioration and the eventual collapse of the rural economy, which undermined the Buddhist state in the 9th century CE and lead to the prohibition of the religion in both Tibet, and by the neighbouring Tang Dynasty.
GBP Serves as a Novel Prognostic Biomarker in Human Glioblastoma
Authors: A Naer , Lyu Pengfei , Cheng Shaohua , Yu Yue , Chen Meiyan , Liu Yunhong , Cao Xuchen
Published: August 2022

The most frequent primary intracranial tumors are gliomas. The malignancy of various tumor grades varies, and tumor heterogeneity is common. Despite the variety of therapeutic options available, most glioma patients still have a dismal prognosis, causing considerable pain to glioma sufferers throughout the world. The research of glioma's intrinsic disease processes and the development of new treatment targets are critical. The family's big GTPases, which are engaged in a variety of activities including cell inflammation, proliferation, and apoptosis, play a significant role in cancer. The goal of this work is to determine the mechanism of action of the GBPs family in glioblastoma and to provide a novel approach to glioma mechanistic research and therapy. We analyzed the mRNA expression, protein level expression, prognostic value, genetic changes, and immunological infiltration of the GBPs family in glioma patient tissues employing GEPIA2, Human Protein Atlas (HPA), cBio Portal, and TIMER databases. The effects of the essential gene GBP2 on tumor cell proliferation and invasion were also confirmed. Differential expression of the GBPs family was detected in GBM, with differential expression of GBP1 and GBP2 correlated with GBM patient prognosis. Besides this, we discovered that the GBPs family and associated genes are engaged in a variety of activities, including the cellular response to interferon−γ, GTP binding, endoplasmic reticulum architecture, and protein complex oligomerization. GBPs family gene expression is linked to tumor immune cell infiltration, and genetic variations in the gene can affect immune cell infiltration in GBM patients. GBP2 gene expression enhances tumor cell proliferation and invasion, according to further experimental confirmation. We investigated the role of GBPs in GBM and discovered that GBP1/2 are possible biomarkers for predicting prognosis and tumor immune infiltration in GBM patients, with GBP2 expression potentially contributing to the impact of tumor invasion and proliferative capability.
Policy Responses to COVID-19: Lessons for the Global Trade and Investment Regime
Authors: Thrasher Rachel , Kaplan Warren , Wirtz Veronika J. , Clear Louise , Bodduluri Shiva Priya , Polaski Sandra
Published: August 2022

Background
During the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has cost millions of lives around the globe, caused major morbidity and provoked widespread economic and social disruption. In response, governments have enacted policies to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. This research focuses on policies aimed at increasing access to essential health products and services by comparing them to the global rules governing trade, investment and intellectual property. We have assessed whether these rules have- or could have- constrained countries in responding to this and future crises. The study identifies the nature and scope of the trade-related health sector policies implemented by a sample group of countries, selected because of their systemic significance: the United States, Germany, France, China, South Africa and India. Each policy is placed into one of five broad categories covered by trade and investment rules so that we could assess their consistency with those rules.
Results
We found that the types of trade-related health measures were quite diverse. The high-income countries in our study were the most active in the policy space and tended to rely on subsidies-based measures while the middle-income countries relied more heavily on export and import measures. Policies directly relevant to intellectual property protection were virtually non-existent. When evaluating the implemented policies against the global trade and investment rules, we found potential inconsistencies with five different types of rules: those governing subsidies, import and export trade barriers, investment measures, government procurement and trade-related intellectual property.
Conclusions
Given the tension between the global rules and the practices of policy making during the pandemic, we conclude that this tension must be resolved in favor of governments making policy rather than relying on existing exceptions or pushing national governments to comply more exactly with the rules. Although the pandemic itself does not respect national borders, governance still generally occurs at the national level because national governments are often the only entities with both the legal authority and the practical ability to respond.
Doping-dependent superconducting physical quantities of K-doped BaFe2As2 obtained through infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Hwang Jungseek , Lee Seokbae , Seo Yu-Seong , Roh Seulki , Song Dongjoon , Eisaki Hiroshi
Published: August 2022

We investigated four single crystals of K-doped BaFe2As2 (Ba-122), Ba1-xKxFe2As2 with x = 0.29, 0.36, 0.40, and 0.51, using infrared spectroscopy. We explored a wide variety of doping levels, from under- to overdoped. We obtained the superfluid plasma frequencies ($\Omega_{\mathrm{sp}}$) and corresponding London penetration depths ($\lambda_{\mathrm{L}}$) from the measured optical conductivity spectra. We also extracted the electron-boson spectral density (EBSD) functions using a two-parallel charge transport channel approach in the superconducting (SC) state. From the extracted EBSD functions, the maximum SC transition temperatures ($T_c^{\mathrm{Max}}$) were determined using a generalized McMillan formula and the SC coherence lengths ($\xi_{\mathrm{SC}}$) were calculated using the timescales encoded in the EBSD functions and reported Fermi velocities. We identified some similarities and differences in the doping-dependent SC quantities between the K-doped Ba-122 and the hole-doped cuprates. We expect that the various SC quantities obtained across the wide doping range will provide helpful information for establishing the microscopic pairing mechanism in Fe-pnictide superconductors.
UBE2J1 inhibits colorectal cancer progression by promoting ubiquitination and degradation of RPS3
Authors: Sun Yueming , Wang Tuo , Jin Chi , Yang Peng , Chen Zhihao , Ji Jiangzhou , Sun Qingyang , Yang Sheng , Feng Yifei , Tang Junwei
Published: August 2022

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 J1 (UBE2J1) has been proved to participate in the ubiquitination of multiple substrate proteins. However, the underlying mechanisms of UBE2J1 as a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme participating in cancer development and progression remain largely unknown. Here, we identified that UBE2J1 was downregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues and cell lines which were mediated by DNA hypermethylation of its promoter, and decreased UBE2J1 was associated with poor prognosis. Functionally, UBE2J1 serving as a suppressor gene inhibited proliferation and metastasis of CRC cells. Mechanistically, UBE2J1-TRIM25, forming an E2-E3 complex, physically interacted and targeted RPS3 for ubiquitination and degradation at the K214 residue. The downregulated RPS3 caused by UBE2J1 overexpression restrained NF-κB translocation into the nucleus and therefore inactivates the NF-κB signaling pathway. Our study revealed a novel role of UBE2J1 mediated RPS3 poly-ubiquitination and degradation in disrupting the NF-κB signaling pathway, which may serve as a novel and promising biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC.