bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamics Driving Phytochemical Self-assembly Morphological Change and Antibacterial Enhancement Originated from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Authors: Liu Xiaojing , Lin Xiaoyu , Huang Xuemei , Yuan Zhihua , Zhang Yaozhi , Wang Zhijia , Pi Wenmin , Zhao Haoqiang , Lei Haimin , Wang Penglong
Published: August 2022

Improving the clinical efficacy of the existing drugs by self-assembled strategy is the focus of current research. Herbal formula granule is a kind of modern dosage form of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) which has sprung up in recent decades. However, whether it is equivalent to the TCM decoction that has been used for thousands of years has always been a controversial issue. In this paper, taking the herb pair of Coptidis Rhizoma - Scutellariae Radix and its main component berberine - baicalin as examples, the differences and mechanisms of self-assemblies originated from the co-decoction and physical mixture were studied, respectively. Moreover, combining multi technologies, the relationship between the morphology and antibacterial effects of self-assemblies was illuminated. Our study revealed that the physical mixture’s morphology of both the herb pair and the phytochemicals was nanofibers (NFs), while their co-decoction’s morphology was nanospheres (NPs). And driven by thermal energy, the antibacterial activity also enhanced with the change of self-assemblies’ morphology. This might be attributed to that NPs could influence amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism in bacteria. Current study provides a basis that co-decoction maybe beneficial to enhance activity and reasonable use of herbal formula granule in clinic.
Exploring the acceptability and experience of receiving diabetes and pregnancy care via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study
Authors: Kozica-Olenski Samantha , Soldatos Georgia , Marlow Lindy , Cooray Shamil , Boyle Jacqueline
Published: August 2022

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the delivery of diabetes in pregnancy care and general maternity care. This study aimed to explore the experiences and acceptability of telehealth use in diabetes in pregnancy care during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the perspectives of pregnant women and their clinicians. The secondary aim was to assess differences in telehealth experiences for diabetes and general maternity care.
Methods
In-depth qualitative semi-structured interviews were undertaken and analysed via thematic inductive approaches. The Nonadoption, Abandonment, and Challenges to the Scale-Up, Spread, and Sustainability of Health and Care Technologies Framework (NASSS) was applied.
Results
18 interviews were conducted with culturally and linguistically diverse pregnant women and 4 clinicians (endocrinologists and dietitians). All interviewees were satisfied with telehealth as a positive alternative to face-to-face consultations for diabetes care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous benefits of delivering diabetes care via telehealth were discussed and themes centred around greater access to care, economic benefits and improved safety. Most barriers concerned the adopters (clinicians), yet, feasible and realistic suggestions to overcome barriers were voiced. The scope for technology adaptation and ongoing embedment into routine diabetes care was described. Overall, a hybrid flexible delivery model, predominantly consisting of telephone consultations, with some face-to-face consultations for initial diabetes appointments was recommended for future care. The use of telehealth in replacement of face-to-face appointments for general maternity care was perceived as reducing care quality.
Conclusion
In this study, telehealth was viewed as acceptable to women and clinicians for diabetes in pregnancy care, supporting the ongoing delivery of a hybrid service model of telehealth and face-to-face care. These findings provide valuable information to improve diabetes in pregnancy services to meet the needs of women during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Developing a New Monte Carlo Algorithm as an Alternative Tool to Simulate Virtual Source Model on an Elekta Versa Hd Linac
Authors: CAN Sümeyra , ŞAHİNER Eren , KARACETİN DİDEM , Meric Niyazi
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study is to develop in-house Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm as an alternative tool to simulate all mechanisms of interactions for dose calculation in radiation therapy. Additionally, evaluating the MC-SCAN algorithm with beam modeling of Elekta VersaHD Linac was aimed. Mohan 6 MV photon spectrum was used and the source was modeled as a point source. The absorbed dose is calculated via modeling all interaction mechanisms to gain energy deposition. TPR20/10, PDD, photon profile of different field sizes as well as point dose was calculated after that, a comparison of all the achieved results with experimental measurements went through. The difference between calculated mean energy and theoretical one was obtained < 1%. The calculated TPR20/10 value was (0.685 ± 0.03). The difference between experimental PDD and photon profile, and the calculated ones by new model was < 3% for all field sizes. A new MC algorithm can be used as an alternative tool to simulate virtual source model on an Elekta VersaHD Linac. All calculated values turned out to present the difference between experimental measurements to be < 3% for homogeneous mediums. Nonetheless, further research was needed to be done for the better improvement.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Gene Therapy Alleviates Disease Phenotypes in a Murine Model of Danon Disease
Authors: Chen Chao , Hashem Sherin I. , Sharma Jay , Manso Ana Maria , Bushway Paul , Duran Jason M. , Gault Emily C. , Gu Yusu , Nigenda Jose Roberto Cano , Soto-Hermida Angel , Peterson Kirk L. , Saftig Paul , Evans Sylvia M. , Cherqui Stephanie , Adler Eric D.
Published: August 2022

Danon disease is a fatal X-linked recessive disease caused by a lack of expression of the lysosomal associated membrane protein type 2 (LAMP2), leading to severe vacuolar cardiomyopathy. Most patients with Danon progress to end-stage heart failure or death without advanced therapies. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of systemic transplantation of ex vivo gene-modified Lamp2-/- (Lamp2 KO) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) using a lentiviral vector containing the human LAMP2B transgene, pCCL-LAMP2B, in the mouse model of Danon disease, Lamp2 KO mice. Transplanted pCCL-LAMP2B-HSPCs efficiently engrafted and differentiated into macrophages in heart. LAMP2B was found in cardiomyocytes and improved cardiac systolic as well as locomotor functions were observed in pCCL-LAMP2B-HSPCs recipient mice compared to non-treated or Lamp2 KO mice receiving Lamp2 KO HSPCs. In addition, we also demonstrated that pCCL-LAMP2B-HSPCs rescued autophagic flux and activity in the heart. In vitro, we cocultured WT macrophages with Lamp2 KO fibroblasts and observed transfer of LAMP2B and rescue of the autophagic flux in the diseased cells confirming cross-correction despite LAMP2B being a lysosomal transmembrane protein.
Artificial intelligence-based iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis detection using a clinical approach
Authors: Seo Jae Won , Park Suyoung , Kim Young Jae , Hwang Jung Han , Yu Sung Hyun , Kim Jeong Ho , Kim Kwang Gi
Published: August 2022

Early diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis is essential for reducing complications, such as recurrent pulmonary embolism and venous thromboembolism. There are numerous studies on enhancing efficiency of computer-aided diagnosis, but clinical diagnostic approaches have never been considered. In this study, we evaluated the performance of an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm in the detection of iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis on computed tomography angiography of the lower extremities to investigate the effectiveness of using the clinical approach during the feature extraction process of the AI algorithm. To investigate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we created synthesized images to consider practical diagnostic procedures and applied them to the convolutional neural network-based RetinaNet model. We compared and analyzed the performances based on the model’s backbone and data. The performance of the model was as follows: ResNet50: sensitivity = 0.843 (± 0.037), false positives per image = 0.608 (± 0.139); ResNet152 backbone: sensitivity = 0.839 (± 0.031), false positives per image = 0.503 (± 0.079). The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the suggested method in using computed tomography angiography of the lower extremities, and improving the reporting efficiency of the critical iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis cases.
Profiling human pathogenic repeat expansion regions by synergistic and multi-level impacts on molecular connections
Authors: Fan Cong , Chen Ken , Wang Yukai , Ball Edward V. , Stenson Peter D. , Mort Matthew , Bacolla Albino , Kehrer-Sawatzki Hildegard , Tainer John A. , Cooper David N. , Zhao Huiying
Published: August 2022

Background and Motivation: Whilst DNA repeat expansions cause numerous heritable human disorders, their origins and underlying pathological mechanisms are often unclear.Method: We collated a dataset comprising 224 human repeat expansions encompassing 203 different genes, and performed a systematic analysis with respect to key features at the DNA-, RNA- and protein-levels. Comparison with controls without known pathogenicity and genomic regions lacking repeats, allowed the construction of the first model to discriminate repeat regions harboring pathogenic repeat expansions (DPREx).Results: At the DNA level, pathogenic repeat expansions exhibited stronger signals for DNA regulatory factors (e.g. H3K4me3, transcription factor-binding sites) in exons, promoters, 5’UTRs, and 5’genes but not significantly different in introns, 3’UTRs and 3’genes than controls. At the RNA-level, pathogenic repeat expansions showed lower free energy for forming RNA secondary structure and were closer to splice sites in introns, exons, promoters and 5’genes than controls. At the protein level, pathogenic repeat expansions preferred to form coil than other types of secondary structures, and tended to encode surface-located protein domains. Additionally, pathogenic repeat expansions were also enriched in non-B DNA structures. Guided by these features, DPREx (http://biomed.nscc-gz.cn/zhaolab/geneprediction/#/) achieved an Area Under the Curve (AUC) value of 0.88 in an independent dataset test. Conclusion: Pathogenic repeat expansions are located so as to exert a synergistic, multi-level influence on stress responses and inter-molecular connections involving DNA, RNA and proteins, thereby impacting the relationship between genotype and clinical phenotype.
Knowing and working on care-seeking barriers are vital towards ending TB by 2035: Lessons from a qualitative study on stakeholders’ perceptions and experiences of the social and financial consequences of Tuberculosis Care-seeking in Mbeya and Songwe Regions, Tanzania
Authors: Kilima Stella , Mubyazi Godfrey , Moolla Aneesa , Ntinginya Nyanda , Sabi Issa , Mwanyonga Simeoni , Evans Denise
Published: August 2022

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains among the top infectious and killer diseases both globally and in Tanzania. However, research on its social determinants and the consequences of the disease on patients, survivors and their families in Tanzania are limited. More studies are needed in order to narrow the evidence gap for policy and program benefits, both in Tanzania and beyond. Methods: A qualitative research study was undertaken in two regions of Tanzania: Mbeya and Songwe. In-depth interviews were undertaken with individual TB patients and survivors. An interview guide with open ended questions was used. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Field notes were also taken, and thematic analysis were performed to identify key themes and sub-themes.Results: A total of 18 TB patients and 12 TB survivors took part in the interviews. Most participants reported financial and social strains; being mutually reinforcing, these strains influenced their treatment-seeking behaviours. Financial difficulties related to transportation or for actual medical services contributed to late treatment initiation or deferred TB clinic attendance. Money spent for care at the referred facility, and lost income and/or lost food generation activity while seeking care, were found to result in family food insecurity and shortage of cash for other essential needs, including (but not limited to) non-TB-related illnesses. Many community members associated TB with HIV. As a result, TB patients often experienced social stigma and discrimination, which resulted in additional financial and psychological strain. Some individuals chose traditional and spiritual medicines for TB care. This approach was found to cost the respective clients, both financially and psychologically.Conclusion: This study suggests that it is essential to understand and address the social and financial challenges experienced by TB patients and TB survivors during treatment. TB is a manageable condition. Improved medical treatment needs to be coupled with improved and sustained public education about the disease, its negative outcomes, and the need to take preventive and curative measures. This study also confirms the need to consider access to food; free treatment of other co-morbidities, such as diabetes; and reducing the duration of TB treatment if at all possible.
Evaluation of the prognostic impact of SP263-evaluated PD-L1 expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stage III treated with radio-chemotherapy
Authors: Wagner Jan , Roeper Julia , Heukamp Lukas , Falk Markus , Willborn Kay , Griesinger Frank
Published: August 2022

Background
The PACIFIC study showed that patients with NSCLC after radio-chemotherapy derived a benefit in PFS and OS when treated with durvalumab, a PD-L1-inhibitor, vs placebo. In a post-hoc analysis this effect was limited to patients with a PD-L1 expression of > 1%, while patients < 1% did not benefit from durvalumab, partly because the outcome in the observational control arm was surprisingly favorable. Thus, it could be speculated that lack of PD-L1 expression confers a favorable outcome in stage III NSCLC.
Intention
We retrospectively analyzed PFS and OS in a group of 99 patients with stage III NSCLC homogeneously treated and not progressing after radio-chemotherapy. In all patients, PD-L1 expression was evaluated and outcome in the groups of PD-L1 < 1% and PD-L1 ≥ 1% was compared.
Methods
Clinical data, PD-L1 expression, predictive blood-markers and outcome were retrospectively captured from primary cases of the certified lung cancer center Oldenburg. Statistical analyses using log-rank test were performed.
Results
The median OS of the patients with an expression of PD-L1 < 1% was 20 months (CI 10.5–29.5) and with an expression ≥ 1% 28 months (CI 16.5–39.2), (p = 0.734). The median PFS of the patients with an expression of PD-L1 < 1% was 9 months (CI 6.3–11.6) and with an expression ≥ 1% 12 months (CI 9.8–14.2), not statistically significant (p = 0.112). The blood parameters had no significant impact on the OS.
Conclusion
In this retrospective cohort of stage III patients, the assumption that lack of PD-L1 expression represents a favorable prognostic factor after radio-chemotherapy vs. PD-L1 expression > 1% was not confirmed.
Genetic Disorders and Pregnancy Outcomes of non-immune Hydrops Fetalis in a Tertiary Referral Center
Authors: Guo Danhua , He Shuqiong , Lin Na , Dai Yifang , Li Ying , Xu Liangpu , Wu Xiaoqing
Published: August 2022

Background: Non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) is a nonspecific symptom with a wide variety of disorders, and the prognosis depends on the underlying etiology. The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities and α0/α0 thalassemia in non-immune hydrops fetalis NIHF pregnancies in South China.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed NIHF pregnancies referred to the Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital during 2014 and 2018. Pregnancies with maternal alloimmunization were excluded. Thalassemia genotyping and routine karyotyping were performed in all enrolled 129 cases, and chromosomal microarray analysis was performed in 35 cases with normal karyotype. Results: α0/α0 thalassemia was detected in 34.9% (45/129) of the cohort, while chromosomal abnormalities were detected in 29.5% (38/129), including 37 cases of aneuploidy and a single case of imbalanced structural abnormality. In 35 cases with normal karyotype, chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) revealed no additional pathogenic variations. The rates of chromosomal abnormalities subsided with the onset of trimester, with 65%, 30.1%, and 8.3% in the first, second, and third trimester, respectively (p＜0.05 ). Among 46 (35.6%) cases of unknown etiology, 23 cases accompanied with ultrasonic abnormalities resulted in poor outcome, while 7 cases presented only with multiple ascites that resolved or remitted prior to birth, normal development was observed during 3-4 years follow-up.Conclusion: α0/α0 thalassemia and chromosomal abnormalities are the most common genetic etiologies of NIHF in South China. Generalized skin edema and accompanying ultrasonic abnormalities are predictive of adverse outcomes, and intensive monitoring should be provided to NIHF for better pregnancy management.
Transcriptome analysis of critical genes related to flowering in Mikania micrantha at different altitudes provides insights for a potential control
Authors: Liang Chen , Liu Ling , Zhang Zhixiao , Ze Sangzi , Pei Ling , Feng Lichen , Ji Me , Yang Bin , Zhao Ning
Published: August 2022

Background: Mikania micrantha is a vine with strong invasion ability, and its strong sexual reproduction ability is not only the main factor of harm, but also a serious obstacle to control. Therefore, inhibiting the flowering and seed production of M. micrantha is an effective strategy to prevent M. micrantha from continuing to invade.Result: The flowering number of M. micrantha is different at different altitudes. A total of 67.01 Gb clean data were obtained from nine cDNA libraries, and more than 83.47% of the clean reads were mapped to the reference genome. In total, 5878 and 7686 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in E2-vs-E9 and E13-vs-E9, respectively. Based on the background annotation and gene expression, some candidate genes related to flowering pathway were initially screened, their expression levels in the three different altitudes in flower bud differentiation showed the same trend, that is, at an altitude of 1300 meters, the flower integration gene and flower meristem gene were down-regulated (such as SOC1 and AP1), and the flowering inhibition gene was up-regulated (such as FRI and SVP). Additional, the results show that there were many DEGs involved in hormone signal transduction pathway in the flower bud differentiation of M. micrantha at different altitudes.Conclusions: Our results provide abundant sequence resources for clarifying the underlying mechanisms of the flower bud differentiation and mining the key factors to inhibit the flowering and seed production of M. micrantha, so as to provide technical support for the discovery of an efficient control method.
The usefulness of the CASPRI and the GO-FAR scores for predicting the neurological prognoses of patients who recovered spontaneous circulation after in-hospital cardiac arrest.
Authors: Jung Jonghee , Lee Min Jee , Ryu Ji Ho , Shon Seungwoo , Min Munki , Hyun Tae Gyu , Chun Mose , Lee Daesup
Published: August 2022

Background The Cardiac Arrest Survival Post-Resuscitation In-hospital (CASPRI) and Good Outcome Following Attempted Resuscitation (GO-FAR) scores are used for predicting the outcomes of cardiac arrest. The CASPRI score was developed for the prediction of neurological outcomes after in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA), whereas the GO-FAR score is used to predict survival after cardiac arrest. The aim of this study was to confirm the usefulness of the CASPRI and GOFAR scores for predicting the neurological prognoses in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) patients immediately after the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Methods This was a retrospective analysis of patient data from a tertiary general hospital. A total of 488 adult patients who had IHCA and achieved sustained ROSC from September 2016 to August 2021 were analyzed to compare effectiveness of the CASPRI and GO-FAR scores related to neurologic prognoses. The primary outcome was Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) score at discharge. Results Of the 488 included patients, 85 (20.8%) were discharged with good prognoses (CPC score 1 or 2). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of CASPRI score for the prediction of a good neurological outcome was 0.748 (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.82-0.90), whereas that of GO-FAR score was 0.668 (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93-0.97). Conclusion The CASPRI and GO-FAR scores include factors related to a patient's clinical condition and situations when CPR occurred. These scoring systems can be used for timely and satisfactory prediction of the neurological prognoses of IHCA patients after ROSC.
The effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction program on metacognitive awareness, rumination, and self-compassion in menopausal women
Authors: Hassannejad Mona , Yekta Mehrnaz Azad , Sevini Sajad Naderi , Khani Abbas
Published: August 2022

Women spend more than a third of their lives during menopause and estrogen deficiency. In addition, these neuroendocrine changes affect a woman's physical and mental health by reducing her fertility and menstrual function. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on metacognitive awareness, rumination, and self-compassion in postmenopausal women. This research was applied in terms of purpose and semi-experimental in terms of implementation method. The statistical population of this study included all postmenopausal women referred to the Valiasr Hospital Health Center in Iran in the fall of 2021; 70 women were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental (35) and also control (35) groups to investigation. According to the findings of paper, data analysis results using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANOVA) showed that this research effectively helps to increase metacognitive awareness and also increase self-compassion, and also it can decrease rumination in postmenopausal women.
Pre-treatment metastatic growth rate predicts clinical outcome of metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab
Authors: Matsumura Soichi , Kato Taigo , Kujime Yuma , Kitakaze Hiroaki , Nakano Kosuke , Hongo Sachiko , Yoshioka Iwao , Okumi Masayoshi , Nonomura Norio , Takada Shingo
Published: August 2022

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been approved for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). However, the response rate is still limited, and it is urgent to pursue novel and concise markers of responses to ICIs that allow the determination of clinical benefits. It was reported that the metastatic growth rate (MGR) is an independent predictor of response for anticancer therapy in some types of cancer. Methods: We investigated pre-treatment MGR before starting nivolumab for mRCC patients between September 2016 to October 2019. We examined clinicopathological factors including MGR and analyzed the correlation between pre-treatment MGR and clinical efficacy of nivolumab.Results: Of all patients, the median age was 63 years (range, 42 - 81), and the median observation period was 13.6 months (range, 1.7 - 40.3). Twenty-three patients and sixteen patients were classified as the low and the high MGR group, respectively, with the cutoff value of 2.2 mm/month. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly better in patients in the low MGR group (p = 0.005 and p = 0.01). Importantly, in multivariate analysis, only the high MGR was significantly associated with a decreased of PFS (Hazard ratio (HR): 2.69, p = 0.03) and OS (HR: 5.27, p = 0.02).Conclusions: Pre-treatment MGR may serve as the simple surrogate marker using the imaging tests and predict clinical responses to anti-PD-1 monotherapy.
Morphological characterization, propagation strategy and identification of Boucerosia frerei accessions for their hanging basket exploitation- an attractive succulent with star-shaped flowers from the Northern Western Ghats of India
Authors: Bodhe M M , Patil A S , Bhosale V D , Dhurgude P N , Shelar P S , Ghanawat N A , Chavan Jaykumar J.
Published: August 2022

Boucerosia frerei (G. D. Rowley) Mieve & Liede (formerly Frerea indica; family-Apocynaceae) is one of the little known, endemic and critically endangered succulent herbs with pretty flowers distributed sparsely in the Northern Western Ghats of India. Naturally, the plant shows phenotypic variation in numerous qualitative and quantitative characters especially stem, leaves and flowers. Consequently, this is challenging and stimulating taxa that merit considerable further attention of taxonomists, horticulturalist, gardeners, plant enthusiast etc. The present investigation describes the first report of collection, phenotypic characterization, commercially practicable propagation strategy development and identification of the accession for their usage in hanging baskets for B. frerei. The results highlighted some of the important and interesting features of this plant. A total of 32 morphological traits (9 qualitative and 23 quantitative) were noted for five accessions collected from Kate’s Point, Mahabaleshwar (KP), Meruling, Satara (MS), Sajjangad, Satara (SS), Purandar, Pune (PP) and YCIS, Satara (YCIS) and evaluated using ANOVA, PCA and cluster analysis. Ten morphological traits viz. plant height, stem color, number of nodes, number of roots, number of leaves, number of flowers, size, shape, architecture and seed weight contributed to the variation between the accessions. For succulents to be used for hanging baskets, plant height, number of leaves and floral and floral attributes (number, color, size, shape and architecture) are among the most important selection traits. Morphological characterization identified the Meruling, Satara (MS) as the potential accession for hanging baskets. A combination of soil, coconut coir and vermiculite (3:1:1) escalated the phenotypic traits in the aerial parts in hanging basket cultivation. Among the propagation techniques employed, vegetative propagation served superior over tissue-culture technique for large-scale propagation for its conservation and availing the stock material to floriculture industry.
Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of lncRNAs in sunflower endosperm
Authors: Yu Shuai , Zhang Zhichao , Li Jing , Zhu Yanbin , Yin Yanzhe , Zhang Xiaoyu , Dai Yuxin , Zhang Ao , Li Cong , Zhu Yanshu , Fan Jinjuan , Ruan Yanye , Dong Xiaomei
Published: August 2022

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), as important regulators, play important roles in plant growth and development. The expression and epigenetic regulation of lncRNAs remain uncharacterized generally in plant seeds, especially in the transient endosperm of the dicotyledons. Results: In this study, we identified 11,840 candidate lncRNAs in 12 day-after-pollination sunflower endosperm by analyzing RNA-seq data. These lncRNAs were evenly distributed in all chromosomes and had specific features that were distinct from mRNAs including tissue-specificity expression, shorter and fewer exons. By GO analysis of protein coding genes showing strong correlation with the lncRNAs, we revealed that these lncRNAs potential function in many biological processes of seed development. Additionally, genome-wide DNA methylation analyses revealed that the level of DNA methylation at the transcription start sites was negatively correlated with gene expression levels in lncRNAs. Finally, 36 imprinted lncRNAs were identified including 32 maternally expressed lncRNAs and four paternally expressed lncRNAs. In CG and CHG context, DNA methylation levels of imprinted lncRNAs in the upstream and gene body regions were slightly lower in the endosperm than that in embryo tissues, which indicated that the maternal demethylation potentially induce the paternally bias expression of imprinted lncRNAs in sunflower endosperm. Conclusion: Our findings not only identified and characterized lncRNAs on a genome-wide scale in the development of sunflower endosperm, but also provide novel insights into the parental effects and epigenetic regulation of lncRNAs in dicotyledonous seeds.
Study on Kinematic Structure Performance and Machining Characteristics of Machine Tools
Authors: Chan Tzu-Chi , Chang Chia-Chuan , Lin Han-Huei , Ullah Aman
Published: August 2022

The rigidity and natural frequency of machine tools considerably influence cutting and generate great forces when in contact with the workpiece. The poor static rigidity of these machines can cause deformations and destroy the workpiece. If the natural frequency of the machines is low or close to the commonly used cutting frequency, they vibrate considerably, resulting in poor workpiece surfaces and thus shortening the lifespan of the tool. In this study, the finite element method was mainly used to analyze the structure, static force, modal, frequency spectrum, and transient state of machine tools. The results of the state analysis were verified and compared to the experimental results. The analysis model and conditions were modified to ensure that the analysis results were consistent with the experimental results. Multi-body dynamics analyses were conducted by examining the force of each component and casting of the machine tools and the load of the motor during the cutting stroke. Moreover, an external force was applied to simulate the load condition of the motor when the machine tool is cutting to confirm the feed. In this study, we used topology optimization for effective structural optimization designs. The optimal conditions for topology optimization included lightweight structures, which resulted in reduced structural deformation and increased natural frequency.
Identification of A Six Immune-Related Genes Prognostic Signature and Exploration of Individual Therapies in Young Women with Cervical Cancer
Authors: Bao Huiqiong , Wang Mingbing , Mei Ping
Published: August 2022

Cervical cancer (CC) is a great public health problem worldwide, half of CC patients were diagnosed younger than 50 years. However, there is a lack of special research to predict the prognosis of young CC patients and explore individualized treatment. Hence, it’s imperative to identify prognostic biomarkers and explore novel therapeutic strategies for this population. In view of the importance of tumor immunity, here, we screened differentially expressed immune-related genes (DEIRGs) of young CC patients. Functional analyses (GO and KEGG pathway analysis) were processed. Based on a 6-DEIRGs (namely ANGPTL5, CCL18, LCN6, OLR1, PTH2R and UMODL1) signature, we characterized two immune-related groups of young CC patients with distinct prognosis and immune infiltration features. This prognostic model showed excellent performance in internal and external validation. In terms of potential mechanisms and therapeutic strategies, we evaluated the differences in the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The differential immune landscape between the two groups was uncovered. Subsequently, the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and target therapy in the two groups were predicted. Intriguingly, we found that significantly higher expression of pivotal immune checkpoint molecules including costimulatory molecules in low-risk group of young CC patients, suggesting the complexity of tumor immune microenvironment in young patients with CC. In conclusion, we constructed a valuable and feasible signature to predict the prognosis of young CC patients, and risk score is also a useful indicator of individualized treatment for this population.
Novel reconstruction of low-dose DCP-CT images using a regularized least-squares method based on voxel-level TAC correction (RLS-VC)
Authors: Chen Zixiang , Huang Ying , Zhang Na , Zhang Qiyang , Liang Kaizhi , Quan Guotao , Li Xiang , Huang Zhenxing , Liang Dong , Hu Zhanli
Published: August 2022

Dynamic cerebral perfusion computed tomography (DCP-CT) is an advanced imaging technique that helps in the clinical diagnosis of cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs). However, radiation dose deposition during repeated CT scans seriously limits its clinical application. In this study, we propose a regularized least-squares method with high interpretability based on voxel-level time-attenuation curve (TAC) correction (RLS-VC) for DCP-CT image reconstruction with a dual low-dose imaging protocol that involves both sparse sampling and low-mAs X-ray emission. The theory of third-order Hermite interpolation (THI) is applied to voxel-level TAC correction during dynamic image reconstruction. The peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM) are used to quantitatively evaluate the proposed method in terms of imaging accuracy and noise reduction, while hemodynamic maps, including cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV), are calculated to validate its ability to restore hemodynamic parameters. It is proven that the proposed RLS-VC method for low-dose DCP-CT imaging has better performance than several state-of-the-art dynamic CT imaging methods, including PICCS, ndiNLM and PIDT, as well as the commercial FBP method. It can be expected that the RLS-VC method can play an important role in the promotion of the clinical application of DCP-CT for the diagnosis of CVD.
Participatory Evaluation and Demonstration of Onion Response to Deficit Irrigation at Gibe Woreda, Ethiopia
Authors: Kifle Tamirneh , Mengist Demeke , Gebre Temesgen
Published: August 2022

Water scarcity has become a challenge for agricultural production in the arid area of Ethiopia, particularly in areas characterized by high evaporative demand and low and irregular rainfall. One of the options that can help to save irrigation water under these conditions is the adoption of deficit irrigation by farmers. This study aims participatory evaluation of the deficit irrigation level on onion yield and water use efficiency. To achieve this objective, the experimental was arranged in a randomized complete design with three levels of irrigation treatments and five replications. The treatment was three deficit irrigation levels (70%, 80%, and 100% ETc). The results showed that, deficit irrigation level have a significant difference in plant height, bulb weight, bulb diameter and total yield of onion and water use efficiency. Onion yield has significant difference between 100%ETc and 70%ETc, but there is no significant difference between 100%ETc and 85%ETc. The highest water use efficiency was obtained under70%ETc with significant yield reduction. Therefore, in an area where a sufficient amount of water is available full irrigation is recommended to obtain maximum yield, but in water-scarce areas applying 85%ETc is recommended with non-significant yield reduction.
In-Silico Identification and Characterization of Universal Stress Protein (USP) Gene Family in Triticum aestivum
Authors: Imran Hajira , Aslam Roohi , Gul Alvina , Paracha Rehan Zafar , Munir Faiza , Amir Rabia , Bhatti Muhammad Faraz
Published: August 2022

Climate has changed drastically over the last decade. It is crucial to understand the needs of the plants and their adaptive mechanism that help them survive during adverse environmental conditions. Abiotic stressors mainly salt concentration, osmotic stress, heat stress, drought, flooding, etc. affect plants significantly. In this research work, we identified and characterized wheat's Universal Stress Protein (USP) gene family. In-silico approaches such as identification, gene ontologies, chromosomal mapping, circos, and synteny analysis were used to analyze the reported sequences. The study revealed that the domain architecture plays the most significant role in this family's multi-functional features, which is present in all plants. Moreover, the syntenic relationship revealed the conservancy among the monocot genomes. The role of USP in host cells was explored through studies/tools such as subcellular localization and gene ontologies The presence of several regulatory elements also gave insight into stress-specific modulation and regulation. Furthermore, protein modeling of the TaUSP genes revealed the presence of binding pockets with functionally important amino acids This work led us to report a total of 107 protein sequences on the ABD genome grouped into 34 TaUSP genes. Further instigations such as expression profiling might help verify these genes' stress-specific transcriptional modulation. Hence, this work would be quite useful in developing economically stress-resilient varieties.
Being certain about uncertainties: A robust evaluation method for high-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy treatment plans including the combination of uncertainties
Authors: Kennedy Andrew Christopher , Douglass Michael J. J. , Santos Alexandre M. C.
Published: August 2022

In high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy the combined effect of uncertainties cause a range of possible dose distributions deviating from the nominal plan, and which are not considered during treatment plan evaluation. This could lead to dosimetric misses for critical structures and overdosing of organs at risk. A robust evaluation method to assess the combination of uncertainties during plan evaluation is presented and demonstrated on one HDR prostate ultrasound treatment plan retrospectively. A range of uncertainty scenarios are simulated by changing six parameters in the nominal plan and calculating the corresponding dose distribution. Two methods are employed to change the parameters, a probabilistic approach using random number sampling to evaluate the likelihood of variation in dose distributions, and a combination of the most extreme possible values to access the worst-case dosimetric outcomes. One thousand probabilistic scenarios were run on the single treatment plan with 19.0% of scenarios passing all eight clinical objectives. The prostate D90 had a standard deviation of 4.7%, with the worst case decreasing the dose by up to 27.6%. The urethra D10 was up to 38% higher than planned in the worst case. All DVH metrics in the probabilistic scenarios were found to be within acceptable clinical constraints for the plan under statistical tests for significance. The clinical significance of the results from the robust evaluation method presented on any individual treatment plan needs to be compared in the context of a historical data set that contains patient outcomes with robustness analysis data to ascertain a baseline acceptance.
Study on the effect of vertical control on the changes in the upper airway size and tongue and hyoid position in adult patients with hyperdivergent skeletal Class II
Authors: Liu Yining , Chen Wenyuanfeng , Zhang Guorui , Zhang Xinzhu , Zhang Kunwu , Li Duhong , Cao Baocheng
Published: August 2022

Background
To investigate the effect of vertical control therapy on the size of the upper airway and position of the tongue and hyoid bone in adult patients with hyperdivergent skeletal Class II.
Methods
Overall, 15 adults with hyperdivergent skeletal Class II and normal occlusion, respectively, were selected as the experimental and control groups. The angle and line of the craniofacial structure, upper airway, and hyoid bone position were measured using the Uceph 4.2.1 standard version software. The three-dimensional (3D) upper airway index was measured using Mimics 21.0. The paired t-test, Wilcoxon symbol rank test of two related samples, t-test of two independent samples, two independent sample nonparametric tests, Mann–Whitney U test, and Pearson correlation analysis were performed, and the statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05.
Results
After treatment, the S-Go/N-Me (%) and the MP-SN and XiPm-SN angles were significantly different (P༜0.01). The U-MPW and PAS significantly increased (P < 0.05), sagittal diameter L2 increased significantly, and transverse diameter L2 decreased significantly (P < 0.01). Although no significant correlation was observed between the vertical change in the jaw and that in U-MPW and PAS, the sagittal diameter L2 showed a significant correlation (P < 0.05). Furthermore, significant differences between the Hv and sagittal diameter L1 (P < 0.05) were observed before and after treatment.
Conclusions
After the vertical control therapy in patients with hyperdivergent skeletal Class II, the sagittal size in the two-dimensional region near the mandible increased significantly. However, the 3D indices of the upper airway and the positions of the tongue and hyoid bone did not change significantly, but the upper airway only underwent adaptive changes during treatment. Furthermore, compared with normal occlusion, the velopharyngeal segment airway of patients with hyperdivergent skeletal Class II remains narrow and long after treatment.
The Way Toward Growth: A Time-series Factor Decomposition of Socioeconomic Impulses and Urbanization Trends in a Pre-crisis European Region
Authors: Giacalone Massimiliano , Turco Rosario , Mosconi Enrico Maria , Salvati Luca
Published: August 2022

The present study investigates long-term urbanization and suburbanization trends - and the consequent impact on economic expansion and social change - in a divided region of Mediterranean Europe (Attica, Greece) by performing a time series (1965–2008) dynamic factor analysis of 14 socioeconomic indicators that reflect different aspects of metropolitan growth. Attica was partitioned in two spatial domains, the ‘Greater Athens’ area (hereafter the ‘core’ district) and the rest of the region (hereafter the ‘ring’ district) with the aim at quantifying the (possible bi-directional) spatio-temporal propagation of socioeconomic impulses to metropolitan growth. The exploratory scheme, integrating Multi-way Factor Analysis (MFA) with Continuous Wavelength Transform (CWT) and rapidity-of-change metrics grounded on complex thinking, delineates latent mechanisms of urban expansion, indicating substantial divergences in the development path of the two districts. While the ‘core’ district experienced population increase and settlement densification, the ‘ring’ district underwent a suburbanization process resulting in a moderate – and slower – concentration of economic functions. Reflecting – at least in part – growth impulses’ propagation from urban to rural areas, the economic interplay between ‘core’ and ‘ring’ areas delineates a complex development path accelerating spatial polarization in central and peripheral locations. Our results definitely highlight the importance of ‘system thinking’ in regional studies and applied economics.
Therapeutic Role and Potential Mechanism of Astragalus Membranaceus (Huangqi) and Radix Paeoniae Rubra (Chishao) in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis – Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation
Authors: Jiang Huanyu , Zhou Rui , An Liping , Guo Junfeng , Hou Xinhui , Tang Jiao , Wang Fei , Du Quanyu
Published: August 2022

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive fibrotic disease with unclear etiology and no effective treatment. This study aims to reveal the pathogenetic mechanism networks of multiple targets and pathways of IPF. Extract and metabolites of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) and Radix paeoniae rubra (RPR), two well-known traditional Chinese medicine have been proven to be effective in IPF. However, the underlying mechanisms of AM and RPR in remain unclear. Based on network pharmacology analysis, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of IPF were obtained from the GEO database. Targets of Astragalus membranaceus and Radix paeoniae rubra were identified using TCM Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and SwissTargetPrediction. Subsequently, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built and analyzed using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed using Metascape. Further, a component-target-pathway network and a Sankey diagram were used to obtain main active components and molecular docking was performed between the key active components and proteins encoded by key targets. Finally, in vivo studies were carried out based on network pharmacology. 117 common targets between DEGs of IPF and targets of drugs were screened out and included in the PPI network, in which AKT1, MAPK3, HSP90AA1, VEGFA, CASP3, JUN, HIF1A, CCND1,PTSG2 and MDM2 were predicted as the key targets. 117 targets were enriched in PI3K-AKT pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, apoptosis and MicroRNAs in cancer. Astragaloside III, (R)-Isomucronulatol, Astragaloside I, Paeoniflorin and β-sitosterol were selected as the main active components. The docking scores ranged from − 4.7 kcal/mol to -10.7 kcal/mol, showing a good binding affinity between main active compounds and key targets. In vivo studies indicated that AM and RPR ameliorated pathological lung fibrotic damage caused by bleomycin and reduced mRNA level of AKT1, HSP90AA1, CASP3, MAPK3 and VEGFA. In conclusion, this study identified AM and RPR as potential therapeutic agents for IPF via regulating AKT1, HSP90AA1, CASP3, MAPK3 and VEGFA.
Inner filter effect mediated fluorescence properties as a tool to monitor the quantity of grape-must caramel in balsamic vinegar
Authors: Shamsi Ehsan , Khalilabadi Fatemeh
Published: August 2022

E-150d caramel, known as grape-must caramel in the vinegar industry, may be added legally and without restriction to balsamic vinegar to improve the final color. Although its quantification in vinegar was studied with other techniques, a straightforward and quick method is lacking. Hence, the inner filter effect (IFE) was proposed to be mediated by concentration-dependent Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) intensity and could be used to quantify caramel in balsamic vinegar.
A novel azo compound derived from ethyl-4-amino benzoate: synthesis, nonlinear optical properties and DFT investigations
Authors: Hassan Qusay M.A. , Al-Asadi Rafid H. , Sultan H. A. , Abdullmajed Hasanain A. , Ali Asaad A. , Emshary C. A.
Published: August 2022

A novel azo dye compound, Ethyl (E)-4-((5-hydroxy-3,4-bis(hydroxyl methyl)-6-methylpyridin-2-yl)diazenyl)benzoate (EAB), have been synthesized by the coupling reaction and characterized by FT-IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR, Mass, and UV-visible spectroscopies. The nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the EAB compound via the finding of the nonlinear refractive index (NRI) using continuous wave (cw), low power 473 nm, TEM00 mode laser beam have been studied via the diffraction patterns (DPs) and the Z-scan. Effect of power input of the laser beam, types of beam wavefront and temporal variation of the DPs are discussed. The all-optical switching (AOS) using two laser beams is proved to occur in this compound.
Transfer Learning Application of Self-supervised Learning in ARPES
Authors: Ekahana Sandy Adhitia , Winata Genta Indra , Soh Yona , Aeppli Gabriel , Radovic Milan , Shi Ming
Published: August 2022

Recent development in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) technique involves spatially resolving samples while maintaining the high-resolution feature of momentum space. This development easily expands the data size and its complexity for data analysis, where one of it is to label similar dispersion cuts and map them spatially. In this work, we demonstrate that the recent development in representational learning (self-supervised learning) model combined with k-means clustering can help automate that part of data analysis and save precious time, albeit with low performance. Finally, we introduce a few-shot learning (k-nearest neighbour or kNN) in representational space where we selectively choose one (k=1) image reference for each known label and subsequently label the rest of the data with respect to the nearest reference image. This last approach demonstrates the strength of the self-supervised learning to automate the image analysis in ARPES in particular and can be generalized into any science data analysis that heavily involves image data.