bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Temperature Assessment of Junctionless Nano-Sheet FET for Nanoscale Applications
Authors: Vakkalak Bharath Sreenivasulu , Vadthiya Narendar
Published: April 2021

Nano-sheets are the revolutionary change to overcome the limitations of FinFET. In this paper, the temperature dependence of 10 nm junctionless (JL) nano-sheet FET performance on DC, analog and RF characteristics are investigated for the first time using extended source/drain and with high-k gate stack. The detailed DC performance analysis like transfer characteristics (ID-VGS), output characteristics (ID- VDS), DIBL, SS and ION/IOFF ratio are evaluated from 200 K to 350 K. We also analyzed the temperature effect on the ON-OFF performance metric (Q), dynamic power, and power consumption. Furthermore, to understand the device performance on various process parameters like doping, and work function variations are presented at 300 K. The proposed device exhibits good ION/IOFF switching behaviour with IOFF reaching less than nA for all temperatures. The cut-off frequency (ft) is determined to be in the THz range and the ON-OFF performance metric (Q) ranges between 1.5 to 2.2 μS-dec/mV at LG of 10 nm. Furthermore, the scaling effect of nano-sheet at various gate lengths (LG = 5 nm, 8 nm, 10 nm, 14 nm, and 20 nm) are also presented. From simulation analysis we notice that analog/RF performance parameters of a JL nano-sheet FET are less sensitive to temperature variations. At extremely scaled LG the nano-sheet FET exhibits lower power consumption and dynamic power and comparatively decreases with increase in temperature. The proposed nano-sheet FET demonstrates as a strong potential contender for low-power and high-frequency applications at nano-regime.
WITHDRAWN: Effects of SLC27A3 and β-Lactoglobulin Gene Polymorphisms on The Milk Composition in Hamdani Sheep
Authors: Bayraktar Mervan , Shoshin Omer
Published: April 2021

Background: SLC27A3 and β-Lactoglobulin gene are candidate genes that effects milk traits.Results: This study aimed to determine the effect of polymorphisms of the SLC27A3 gene on Hamdani sheep's milk components. The PCR-RFLP method was used to detect the SLC27A3 polymorphisms at exon 2, exon 3 and exon 4. The allele frequency of SNP1, SNP2 and SNP3 were 0.59(G), 0.41(T); 0.57(G), 0.43(C) and 0.58(A) and 0.42(C) respectively. β-lactoglobulin allele frequency was 0.56(A) and 0.44(B). The statistical analysis showed an association between SLC27A3 and β-lactoglobulin polymorphisms and milk composition. Conclusions: The SLC27A3 and β-lactoglobulin polymorphisms can be used as a genetic marker to select milk component traits in the sheep breeding programs.
Prediction of Lymph Node Metastasis in Penile Cancer: Evaluation of Clinicopathological Factors, Validation of an Existing Model, and Development of Novel Nomogram
Authors: Shao Yanxiang , Wu Kan , Lia Thongher , Hu Xu , Ren Shangqing , Yang Zhen , Liu Yang , Xiong Sanchao , Yang Weixiao , Feng Shuyang , Wang Yaohui , Li Xiang
Published: April 2021

Objective

To investigate the predictive factors of lymph node metastasis (LNM) and evaluate the usefulness of prediction nomograms.
Methods

This study analyzed data of 300 patients diagnosed with penile squamous cell carcinoma at West China Hospital (WCH) of Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) and 412 cases acquired from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Logistic regression analysis was performed on these cohorts to investigate the predictive factors of LNM. We evaluated a recently developed prediction nomogram for LNM, which was established based on the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Moreover, we developed a novel nomogram using cases from the WCH for the prediction of lymphatic metastasis.
Results

Logistic analysis identified that younger age at diagnosis, invasion of the penis body, poorer pT stage, cN stage, nuclear grade and the presence of lymph vascular invasion (LVI) were significantly correlated with LNM in WCH cases; however, only race, poorer T stage and cN stage were significantly associated with LNM among the cases from the SEER. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that younger age, poorer T stage, cN stage and nuclear grade were independent predictors of LNM. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of WCH cases showed that the tumor T stage 8th edition has better area under the curve than 7th stage (0.672 vs 0.636, respectively). Moreover, well AUC were seen in external validation of NCDB nomogram in WCH cohorts and SEER series (0.833 vs 0.795). The new nomogram included the aforementioned independent predictors and the bootstrap-corrected concordance was 0.876.
Conclusion

Younger diagnose age, poorer pT stage, cN stage, nuclear grade and LVI were the most important predictors of LNM in patients with penile cancer. 8th T stage performed better than 7th version in predicting LNM. NCDB nomogram have some application value in both WCH and SEER cases, and our novel model further improved the predictive accuracy.
Dynamic Analysis of 1-Dof and 2-Dof Nonlinear Energy Sink With Geometrically Nonlinear Damping and Combined Stiffness
Authors: Zhang Yunfa , Kong Xianren , Yue Chengfei , Xiong Huai
Published: April 2021

Nonlinear energy sink (NES) refers to a typical passive vibration device connected to linear or weakly nonlinear structures for vibration absorption and mitigation. This study investigates the dynamics of 1-dof and 2-dof NES with nonlinear damping and combined stiffness connected to a linear oscillator. For the system of 1-dof NES, a truncation damping and failure frequency are revealed through bifurcation analysis using the complex variable averaging method. The frequency detuning interval for the existence of the strongly modulated response (SMR) is also reported . For the system of 2-dof NES, it is reported in a similar bifurcation analysis that the mass distribution between NES affects the maximum value of saddle-node bifurcation. To obtain the periodic solution of the 2-dof NES system with the consideration of frequency detuning, the incremental harmonic balance method (IHB) and Floquet theory are employed. The corresponding response regime is obtained by Poincare mapping, it shows that the responses of the linear oscillator and 2-dof NES are not always consistent, and 2-dof NES can generate extra SMR than 1-dof NES. Finally, the vibration suppression effect of the proposed NES with nonlinear damping and combined stiffness is analyzed and verified by the energy spectrum, and it also shows that the 2-dof NES system demonstrates better performance.
Early detection of emergency events from social media: A new text clustering approach
Authors: Huang Lida , Shi Panpan , Zhu Haichao , Chen Tao
Published: April 2021

Emergency events need early detection, quick response, and accuracy recover. In the era of big data, social media users can be seen as social sensors to monitor real time emergency events. This paper proposed an integrated approach to early detect all the four kinds of emergency events including natural disasters, man-made accidents, public health events and social security events. First, the BERT-Att-BiLSTM model is used to detect emergency related posts from the massive and irrelevant data. Then, the 3W attribute information (What, Where and When) of the emergency event is extracted. With the 3W attribute information, we create an unsupervised dynamical event clustering algorithm based on text-similarity and combine it with the supervised logistical regression model to cluster posts into different events. The experiments on Sina Weibo data demonstrate the superiority of the proposed framework. Case studies on some real emergency events show the proposed framework has good performance and high timeliness. Practical applications of the framework have also been discussed, following by some future directions for improvement.
Effect of Cold Exposure and Capsaicin on the Expression of Histone Acetylation and Toll-like Receptors in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced Colon Carcinogenesis
Authors: Qin Jingchun , Li Huixuan , Yu Weitao , Wei Li , Wen Bin
Published: April 2021

Previous studies have indicated that capsaicin-rich diet and cold weather have showed strong association with tumor incidence. Thus, we investigated the effects of capsaicin and cold exposure in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colorectal cancer as well as the mechanisms underlying capsaicin and cold induced CRC. Rats were randomly divided into four groups and received cold still water and capsaicin via intragastric gavage until the end of the experiment. The rat’s body weight, thymus weight, and food intakes were assessed. Global levels of histone H3K9, H3K18, H3K27, H4K16 acetylation and, histone deacetylase (HDACs) in colon mucosa were assessed by western blot. Expression levels of Toll-like receptors 2 (TLR2) and Toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4) were measured by western-blot and reverse-transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). We found that cold and low-does capsaicin increased tumor numbers and multiplicity, although there were no differences in tumor incidence. Additionally, rat exposure of cold water and capsaicin display further higher levels of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9AC), histone H3 lysine 18 (H3K18AC), histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27AC) and HDACs compared with the DMH and normal rats. In contrast, a considerable decrease of histone H4 lysine 16 (H4K16AC) was detected in the colon mucosa. Cold and low-dose capsaicin exposure group were also increased TLR2 and TLR4 proteins levels and mRNA levels. These results suggest that chronic cold exposure and capsaicin at a low-does intervention exacerbate ectopic expression of global histone acetylation and TLR level, which are crucial mechanisms responsible for the progression of colorectal cancer in rat.
Simultaneous Removal of Iron and Hexavalent Chromium Via Slow Sand Filter Inoculated With Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Waste management
Authors: Mian Abrar Hussain
Published: April 2021

Many places have common physical, biological, and chemical hazards and heavy metals contamination in drinking water is very important to study especially near industrial areas and mining sources. Application of microbes along with other physicochemical techniques can prove to be the suitable remediation technology for the removal of metals from water. This study aimed to remove iron and hexavalent chromium from water using slow sand filters inoculated with iron-oxidizing bacteria Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans. An experiment was performed for 37 days under controlled conditions, a water sample was prepared synthetically and another sample was collected from water filtration plant from Abbottabad city in KP Province- Pakistan and influents and effluents were tested for different parameters like pH, turbidity, hardness, total plate count, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity and analysis of iron and hexavalent chromium in water. Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans culture was isolated from soil using the differential iron media i.e. 9K medium and was inoculated into sand filters. At the end of the experiment, the removal efficiency of ferrous iron was about 52% and that of hexavalent chromium was 60.2%. In simultaneous treatment, it was observed that removal efficiency of iron was about 68% while that of hexavalent chromium was about 93% suggesting that slow sand filters were more effective for the removal of hexavalent chromium than iron. Hence, the designed slow sand filters were able to reduce the concentration of hexavalent chromium more efficiently than ferrous iron. And it was observed that slow sand filters can effectively remove ferrous iron and hexavalent chromium from water if they are inoculated with respective bacteria. Key,words,. Hexavalent Chromium, Iron Oxidizing, Sand Filters, Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, waste management.
Low-dose Exposure to Black Carbon and Cadmium Significantly Induce Lung Injury by Promoting Cellular Apoptosis
Authors: Wang Lingjuan , Bao Shanyu , Liu Xiaolong , Wang Fan , Zhang Jinwei , Dang Peng yu , Huang Wen , Li Bin , Lin Yi
Published: April 2021

PMs has adverse biological effects on major living organs in the body, including lungs. The complex composition of PM2.5, including carbon black and heavy metals, cause toxic effects to the lung. The synergistic effects of CB and Cd were less investigated in previous study. In our research, we deciphered the combination of CBs and Cd enhanced the cytotoxicity in BEAS-2B cells in vitro and in vivo. In the molecular level, the intracellular level of Cd increased, as a result of the cell membrane damage, causing high expression of MT-1 in BEAS-2B cells. Moreover, the expression of BAX increased, and the expression of BCL-2 decreased. Collectively, our data suggests the apoptosis effect of synergistic effects of CB and Cd exposure.
The MiR-193a-5p/NCX2/AKT Axis Promotes Invasion and Metastasis of Osteosarcoma
Authors: Chen Ruiqi , Ning Yichong , Zeng Guirong , Zhou Hao , Tu Chao , Li Shuangqing , Qi Lin , Li Zhihong , Zhou Jianlin
Published: April 2021

Background: MiR-193a-5p has been observed to have oncogenic or tumor-suppressive function in different kinds of cancers. Na+/Ca2+ exchangers (NCX1, NCX2 and NCX3) normally extrude Ca2+ from the cell, and deregulation of the intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis is related to several kinds of diseases, including cancer. However, their roles and molecular mechanism in osteosarcoma are elusive.Methods: The expression of miR-193a-5p and NCX2 in osteosarcoma and corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues was investigated by qRT-PCR. Colony formation assay, wound healing assay, transwell invasion assay and xenograft mouse model were used for in vitro and in vivo functional analyses. Tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics analysis was performed to identify the targets of miR-193a-5p.Results: This study showed that miR-193a-5p was upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues compared with the corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues, and promoted colony formation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro, as well as metastasis in vivo. Quantitative proteomics analysis identified NCX2 as a potential target of miR-193a-5p. Luciferase activity assay and Western blotting further confirmed that miR-193a-5p recognized the 3′-untranslated region of NCX2 mRNA, and negatively regulated NCX2 expression. NCX2 was downregulated in osteosarcoma tissues, and its expression was negatively correlated with miR-193a-5p levels. Ectopic expression of NCX2 in osteosarcoma cells could counteract the oncogenic effects of miR-193a-5p. These results indicate that miR-193a-5p exerts its effects by targeting NCX2. Further study demonstrated that NCX2 suppressed Ca2+-dependent Akt phosphorylation by decreasing intracellular Ca2+ efflux, then inhibited EMT process. Treatment with the antagomir against miR-193a-5p sensitized osteosarcoma to the Akt inhibitor afuresertib in a murine xenograft tumor model. Conclusion: This study revealed a miR-193a-5p/NCX2/AKT signaling axis in the progression of osteosarcoma, which may provide a new therapeutic target for osteosarcoma treatment.
Lubrication-Contact Boundary Conditions for Lubrication Problems
Authors: Liu Shuangbiao
Published: April 2021

Under sever conditions, asperity contacts take place, surrounded by fluid lubrication. Mathematical descriptions are needed to describe local connection between fluid lubrication and solid contacts. In order to differentiate them from conventional boundary conditions, these conditions are called lubrication-contact boundary conditions (LCBCs), which have not been sufficiently addressed by previous studies. In this work, a set of LCBCs formulations are constructed based on local flow continuity from the continuum mechanics point of view, together with pressure inequalities. Numerical implementations are developed and tested with problems involving simple geometries, and they are expected to be integrated with mixed/boundary EHL solvers, as well as be applied to deterministic sub-models of stochastic models in order to obtain flow factors that consider solid contacts.
MiR-182-5p Inhibits the Tumorigenesis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma by Repressing UBE2T
Authors: Wu Yucai , Zhang Cuijian , Peng Ding , He Shiming , Huang Cong , Qian Jinqin , Zhu Weijie , Gong Yanqing , Li Xuesong , Zhou Liqun
Published: April 2021

Background: Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2T (UBE2T), a member of the E2 family, has been reported to be overexpressed in certain tumor types and to have an important role in the Fanconi anemia pathway. However, the role of UBE2T in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has not already been clarified. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in tumorigenesis by binding to genes and proteins that regulate cell proliferation or cell apoptosis. The aim of this research was to determine the role of UBE2T and the relationship between miR-182-5p and UBE2T in ccRCC.Methods: UBE2T expression levels were assessed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot in ccRCC tissues and cells. Protein expression of UBE2T was assessed in a total of 93 ccRCC patients from Peking University First Hospital (PKU) by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The effects of UBE2T knockdown on ccRCC cells were assessed by MTS assays, wound healing assays, transwell invasion assays and ﬂow cytometry. The effects of in vivo treatment were evaluated through xenograft experiments. The relationship between miR-182-5p and UBE2T was verified by dual luciferase reporter gene assay.Results: UBE2T was highly expressed in ccRCC cells and tissues. High expression of UBE2T was positively correlated with advanced pathological stage, histological grade, maximum diameter and distant metastasis of the tumor. Multivariate analysis revealed that the UBE2T expression was an independent risk factor for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with ccRCC. Knockdown of UBE2T significantly suppressed proliferation, migration and invasion of RCC. Flow cytometry analysis showed that knocking down UBE2T could promote RCC cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and increase cell apoptosis. A xenograft model also confirmed that suppression of UBE2T significantly delayed tumor formation and growth in vivo. In addition, miR-182-5p inhibited the expression of UBE2T protein through targeting UBE2T mRNA, and then inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC.Conclusions: Our research reveals that UBE2T probably play a critical role in ccRCC progression, and it may be a potential therapeutic target for ccRCC treatment.
Dynamics and mechanisms of bioaccumulation and elimination of Nonylphenol in Zebrafish
Authors: Zhang Yinjie , Peng Cheng , Zhang Wei , Ling Siyuan , Hu Shuangqing
Published: April 2021

Nonylphenol (NP) has been widely concerned for its endocrine disrupting effects and bioconcentration in aquatic organisms. However, the knowledge on the dynamic uptake and depuration in model organisms - zebrafish (Danio rerio) were still limited. In this study, we investigated the accumulation and elimination of NP for the whole body and trunk of zebrafish by a modified pretreatment and analysis method with fewer samples. The results of acute toxicity test showed that the LC50 values of NP in zebrafish ranged from 474 µg·L− 1 for a 24-h exposure to lower than 238 µg·L− 1 for a 96-h exposure. Meanwhile, the NP concentrations in zebrafish during the depuration stage fitted the first-order kinetic model well, and the depuration rate constant (K2) was reduced with higher NP concentrations. Both the accumulation and elimination of NP in the trunk were faster than those in the whole fish, indicating the preferential transfer from viscera to muscle and rapidly diffusion in reverse. The bioconcentration factors at a steady state (BCFSS) of NP were 104–112 L·kg− 1 in the whole body and 76–104 L·kg− 1 in the trunk, respectively, suggesting that the muscle was a major position for NP storage. The BCFSS were increased within a certain concentration due to the decreasing depuration capacity inhibited by NP toxicity. To our knowledge, this study was the first to emphasize the correlation between NP exposure concentration and bioconcentration capacity.
BPA in Baby Feeding PET Bottle, Aluminium Can and Thermal Printed Paper: Application of Acridine Orange Oxidation Inhibition Method to Estimate BPA
Authors: Kapse Shruti S. , Prasad Kumar Suranjit , Prasad Bablu
Published: April 2021

The leaching of Bisphenol-A (BPA) from plastic baby feeding bottles, aluminium cans and thermal printed receipts was investigated under aquatic condition at high temperature. Leached BPA was analysed using UV-Visible Spectrophotometer based on inhibitory effect of BPA on acridine orange oxidation, as a function of change in temperature and time of contact of water with the samples. Proposed method of BPA estimation method does not require any extraction and/or derivatization. The detection limit of BPA under current experimental setup was 0.1 ng/ml. The results of BPA leached from baby feeding PET bottles, aluminium can with epoxy resin lining and thermal paper were 87 ± 10 ng/bottles, 68 ± 5 ng/bottle and 110 ± 15 ng/receipt under the current experimental conditions.
The Underlying Molecular Mechanisms and Prognostic Factors of Rna Binding Protein in Colorectal Cancer: A Study Based on Multiple Online Databases
Authors: He Qinglian , Li Ziqi , Lei Xue , Zou Qian , Yu Haibing , Ding Yuanlin , Zhu Wei
Published: April 2021

Background: RNA binding protein (RBP) is an active factor involved in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, the potential mechanism of RBP in CRC needs to be clarified by dry-lab analyses or wet-lab experiments.Methods: The differential RBP gene obtained from the GEPIA 2 (Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2) were performed functional enrichment analysis. Then, the alternative splicing (AS) events related to survival were acquired by univariate regression analysis, and the correlation between RBP and AS was analyzed by R software. The online databases were conducted to analyze the mutation and methylation of RBPs in CRC. Moreover, 5 key RBP signatures were obtained through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis and established as RBP prognosis model. Subsequently, the above model was verified through another randomized group of TCGA CRC cohorts. Finally, multiple online databases and qRT-PCR analysis were carried to further confirm the expression of the above 5 RBP signatures in CRC.Results: Through a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, it was revealed that RBPs had genetic and epigenetic changes in CRC. We obtained 300 differentially expressed RBPs in CRC samples. The functional analysis suggested that they mainly participated in spliceosome. Then, a regulatory network for RBP was established to participate in AS and DDX39B was detected to act as a potentially essential factor in the regulation of AS in CRC. Our analysis discovered that 11 differentially expressed RBPs with a mutation frequency higher than 5%. Furthermore, we found that 10 differentially expressed RBPs had methylation sites related to the prognosis of CRC, and a prognostic model was constructed by the 5 RBP signatures. In another randomized group of TCGA CRC cohorts, the prognostic performance of the 5 RBP signatures was verified. Conclusion: The potential mechanisms that regulate the aberrant expression of RBPs in the development of CRC was explored, a network that regulated AS was established, and the RBP-related prognosis model was constructed and verified, which could improve the individualized prognosis prediction of CRC.
The Effect Of Body Composition On Strenght An Power In Male And Female Students
Authors: Ghassen Ben Mansour , Asma Kacem , Mohamed Ishaq , Laurent Grélot , Foued Ftaiti
Published: April 2021

Purpose - The Aim of this study is to determine and to compare the impact of fat excess on neuromuscular performances during short maximal exercise in male and female students. Methods - 72 male and 64 female students aged 20 to 23 years were enrolled in this study. After assessing their morphological characteristics (body mass, height and percentage of fat mass), a squat jump test (SJ), a 5 successive jump test (5JT), a hand gripping (HG) and back strength (BS) tests have been conducted for each subject. Male students were re-tested after being weighed down with a weight equivalent to the mean differences in body fat recorded between the two sexes in the form of a loaded worn vest. Results – Male are 15.7% heavier and 7.4% taller and presented a percentage of fat mass (17.2 ± 1.8%) significantly (p<0.001) lower than that of women subject (25.0 ± 2.5%) (difference male vs female for fat mass: -45.5%). HG, BS, 5JT and SJ performances were significantly higher in males (44±5 kg, 141±2 kg, 11±1 m and 32.4 ± 2,7 cm, respectively) than in females (31.0±4 kg, 81.6±13 kg, 8.7 ± 0.7 m and 21.1 ± 1.9 cm, respectively. In the control (unloaded) condition, the relative difference between males and females represented 23.5% and 34.7% of the male performances for 5JT and SJ, respectively. In the weighted condition, the relative difference between weighted males and females still represented 11.7% and 23.8% of the weighted male performances for 5JT and SJ, respectively. Cancelling the sex difference in fat mass by adding weight in males reduced by 50.1% the sex difference during 5JT and 31.4% and 71.7% for hight and power results, respectively during SJ test. Conclusion – During short and maximal exercise, male performed better with their hands, back and legs than female students. Excess fat for female students have a disadvantageous effect on vertical and horizontal jumps performances. The persistence of sex differences after weighting of male students indicates that body fat is responsible for 30 to 70 % of the observed differences between sexes performances and power outcome during jump tests.
Atrazine induced toxic impacts on the survival, behavior, and biochemical aspects of Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
Authors: Nayab Naireen , Shah Syed Ata Ur Rahman , Ullah Sana , Rauf Muhammad , Ali Shandana , Khan Shahid Niaz , Azizullah Azizullah , Dawar Farman Ullah
Published: April 2021

The current research work was conducted to evaluate the acute toxicity of the widely used herbicide, Atrazine on the behavioral responses and biochemical changes in different tissues of Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix). Adult fish were exposed to different concentrations of Atrazine for different time periods. Mortality of fish was observed with increase in the concentration of Atrazine and time of exposure. The LC50 of Atrazine for 96 hours was calculated as 13.7µl/L. Fish exposed to Atrazine showed fast swimming, loss of equilibrium and balance, gulping, pale body coloration, and an excess amount of mucous secretion covered the buccal cavity and gills. Total protein contents, antioxidant enzymes including catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and glutathione reductase (GR) and lipid peroxidation (LPO), were measured in the brain, gills, liver, and muscle tissues for biochemical analysis. Atrazine exposure resulted in a significant time-dependent decrease in total protein content in the liver, gills, brain, and muscle tissue of fish compared to the control group. A slight increase was observed in the activities of CAT and POD in the control group, while a significant decrease was observed in the ATZ-treated groups from 24 to 96 h. The glutathione reductase activity was significantly increased in the ATZ treated groups compared to control group. Likely, LPO level also increased in the liver, gills, brain, and muscle tissue in a time-dependent and concentration-dependent manner in ATZ treated groups compared to control group. Concludingly, our results revealed that Atrazine is toxic to fish, alter enzymes and total protein level, and lipid peroxidation level in fish. This harmful effect of Atrazine maybe generalized into environment and reduce the Silver carp population in the natural freshwater bodies.
Epigenome-wide association study of left-handedness for different tissues and ages
Authors: Odintsova Veronika , Sudermann Matthew , Hagenbeek Fiona , Caramaschi Doretta , Hottenga Jouke-Jan , Pool René , Dolan Conor , Ligthart Lannie , Beijsterveldt Catharina van , Willemsen Gonneke , de Geus Eco , Beck Jeffrey , Ehli Erik , Cuellar-Partida Gabriel , Evans David , Medland Sarah , Relton Caroline , Boomsma Dorret , Dongen Jenny van
Published: April 2021

We report the first epigenome-wide association study of left-handedness, a trait with low heritability for which epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed as an underlying etiological mechanism. A region-based meta-analysis of whole blood genome-wide DNA methylation data from two cohorts (3,914 adults) identified differentially methylated regions annotated to BLCAP (20q11.23), a negative regulator of cell growth involved in apoptosis, NNAT (20q11.23), involved in brain development, and IAH1 (2p25.1), which encodes an acyl esterase. CpGs located in proximity to the SNPs from the largest GWAS of handedness were more strongly associated with left-handedness than other differentially methylated positions. In longitudinal whole blood samples, cord blood, and buccal cells from children (N = 1,967), the association with handedness displayed moderate stability across age, but little consistency across cell types. These findings suggest new candidate loci associated with handedness.
Valeric acid-5-HT-dependent macrophage activation drives intestinal stem cell self-renewal
Authors: Fan Zusen , Zhu Pingping , Lu Tiankun , Wu Jiayi , Zhu Xiaoxiao , Liu Benyu , Wang Yanying , Xiong Zhen , Fan Dongdong , Guo Hui , Du Ying , Liu Feng , Tian Yong
Published: April 2021

Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells reside within specialized niches at the crypt base and harbor self-renewal and differentiation capacities. ISCs in the crypt base are sustained by their surrounding niche for precise modulation of self-renewal and differentiation. However, how intestinal cells in the crypt niche and microbiota in enteric cavity regulates ISC stemness remains unclear. Here we show that ISCs are regulated by intestinal nerve cells and macrophage cells in the crypt niche, which are further modulated by microbiota. Enteric serotonergic neurons, along with their secreted neurotransmitter 5-HT, are required for ISC self-renewal. 5-HT activates PGE2 production in macrophages through engagement with its receptors Htr2a/3a, and PGE2 activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling of ISCs via engagement with its receptors Ep1/Ep4. Gut bacterial metabolite valeric acid promotes Tph2 expression through blocking enrichment of NuRD complex onto Tph2 promoter. Our findings reveal the complicated crosstalk between microbiota, intestinal nerve cells, intestinal immune cells and intestinal stem cells, adding a new layer for ISC regulation by niche cells and microbiota.
Ethanol susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 and other enveloped viruses
Authors: Nomura Toshihito , Nazmul Tanuza , Yoshimoto Reiko , Higashiura Akifumi , Oda Kosuke , Sakaguchi Takemasa
Published: April 2021

Ethanol is an effective disinfectant against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. However, its effective concentration has not been shown, and we therefore analyzed the effects of different concentrations of ethanol on SARS-CoV-2. When SARS-CoV-2 was treated with varying ethanol concentrations and examined for changes in infectivity, the ethanol concentration at which 99% of the infectious titers were reduced was 24.1%(w/w) [29.3%(v/v)]. For reference, ethanol susceptibility was also examined with other envelope viruses, including influenza virus, vesicular stomatitis virus in the family Rhabdoviridae, and Newcastle disease virus in the family Paramyxoviridae, and the 99% inhibitory concentrations were found to be 28.8%(w/w) [34.8%(v/v)], 24.0%(w/w) [29.2%(v/v)], and 13.3%(w/w) [16.4%(v/v)], respectively. Some differences from SARS-CoV-2 were observed, but the differences were not significant. It was concluded that ethanol at a concentration of 30%(w/w) [36.2%(v/v)] almost completely inactivates SARS-CoV-2.
Adjustment of Original DRASTIC model by means of Lineament Density to Map Groundwater Vulnerability: Case Study in Rania Basin, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Authors: Salih Ata Omer , Al-Manmi Diary Ali
Published: April 2021

Groundwater has never been heavily relied on as a water source in Northern Iraq as it has been in the last two decades due to the rapid and often unplanned urbanization, industrial and agricultural projects. This paper attempts to present a concise groundwater vulnerability assessment of Rania basin to the local and regional planning authorities to ensure a more sustainable development in the area. The focus of the study is the Rania basin, which is a part of Dokan sub-basin in North East Iraq. The initial groundwater vulnerability assessment is mapped with standard DRASTIC model. It is then modified by adding “Lineament Density Index” to the original seven DRASTIC parameters due to the previously established close relationship between flow and yield of groundwater with lineament. The area is categorized into five vulnerability index zones of; very low (26%), low (32%), medium (31%), high (11%) and very high (0.012%). The modified model offeres a slightly different vulnerability classification of; very low (16.61%), low (35.45%), medium (30.32), high (17.57) and very high (0.05%). Measured Nitrate concentration is used to validate the assessment results. A progressive increase in nitrate concentration somehow reflects the different vulnerability zones identified by the DRASTIC models in the area. Samples of wet season show 15.96 mg/l, 17.68 mg/l and 20.1 mg/l for very low vulnerability, low vulnerability and medium vulnerability zones when classified by modified DRASTIC model.
Short Health Scale: a Valid and Reliable Quality of Life Scale for Chinese Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Hou Jiang-tao , Peng Bin , Zhang Shi-jing , Luo Yong-xin , Chen Yi-ming , Cai Jia-zhong , Wen Yi , Mi Hong , Luo Jian-feng , Zheng Xiao-mei , Pan Si-min , Liu Shi-ying , Chen Xin-lin , Chen Bin
Published: April 2021

Background: The aim of our study was to translate and validate the Chinese version of the Short Health Scale (SHS), a disease-specific quality of life (QoL) scale for the patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Methods: The SHS was translated and validated according to the standard process: a translation and back-translation procedure, culture adaptation and a validation study. Patients with IBD were enrolled, and their QoL were assessed using the SHS and the short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (SIBDQ). Reliability (internal consistency reliability, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability) and validity (content validity, construct validity, criterion validity and discriminant validity) analysis were performed to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the SHS.Results: A total of 95 patients with IBD (62 ulcerative colitis and 33 Crohn’s disease) completed the Chinese version of the SHS, and 40 patients completed the SHS within 1-4 weeks once again. Cronbach's alpha value of the SHS was 0.91, and its split-half coefficient was 0.83. Intraclass correlation coefficients of four items ranged from 0.55 to 0.75. All four items of the SHS were significantly associated with the corresponding domains of the SIBDQ, with correlation coefficients ranging from -0.47 to -0.63 (P < 0.001). Exploratory factor analysis showed that the cumulative contribution rate of variance reached 68%, and the factor loading of all the items were greater than 0.8. The scores of four items were significantly different for the patients of different Bristol stool form scale (P < 0.001). The scores of function, worry and general well-being were significantly different among the patients with different smoking status (P < 0.05).Conclusions: The SHS is a simple and quick scale. The SHS had good validity and reliability, and was suitable to evaluate the QoL of patients with IBD in Chinese.
Efficacy of Transcutaneous Bilirubinometry as Compared to Serum Bilirubin in Preterm Newborn During Phototherapy
Authors: Gothwal Sunil , Singh Neelam , Sitaraman Sadasivam , Choudhary Ramesh , Meena Kailash Kumar , Bairwa Ghan Shyam , Bairwa Mohan , Jeevan Amrit
Published: April 2021

Transcutaneous measurement of bilirubin is being used for neonatal jaundice. Its utility during phototherapy in preterm babies is not established. Objective of our study was to assess the efficacy of transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurement in comparison to total serum bilirubin in preterm newborns at admission and during phototherapy at covered skin area (glabella). It was a prospective observational study and conducted at neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital from January 2017 to January 2019. One hundred eligible preterm neonates were enrolled. Babies who were very sick, with poor peripheral circulation, edematous, having conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, with major congenital malformations, already received phototherapy or exchange transfusion were excluded. Paired total serum bilirubin and transcutaneous bilirubin were measured at admission, at 6 hours and 24 hours during phototherapy. TcB was measured from area (glabella) covered by eye protector during phototherapy. Sample for TsB was taken within 10 minutes of TcB measurement. The mean difference between TsB and TcB values at admission, 6 hours and 24 hours of phototherapy were -0.005 (0.353), --0.350 (0.611), and -0.592 (0.353) respectively. At admission or before starting of phototherapy the difference (TsB-TcB) was statistically not significant (p=.125), while the difference in these values were statistically significant at 6 hours and 24 hours of phototherapy. Conclusion: TcB measurements from covered skin area in jaundiced preterm infants during phototherapy were not correlated with TsB and cannot be used as an alternate of serum bilirubin levels.
Output-Feedback Control for Path Following of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles via Singular Perturbation Technique
Authors: Lei Ming , Li Ye , Pang Shuo
Published: April 2021

Autonomous underwater vehicles are needed in many applications such as underwater monitoring and surveillance, marine biology, rescue and search, undersea oil detection. In reality, the unknown external disturbances, and model uncertainties make the motion control of autonomous underwater vehicles a challenging task. With these issues, this paper presents an output-feedback singular perturbation control scheme for the path following of autonomous underwater vehicles, in term of the time scale decomposition method. As illustration, an extended state observer is first devised based on the singular perturbation theory. Then the stabilizing controller is developed by using the time scale decomposition method, in order to obtain a simple, easy-to-implement control law. And the stability analysis of stabilizing control system is conducted by constructing a composite Lyapunov function, which allows to provide mathematical bounds on the design parameters. Finally, simulation results are presented to prove the efficacy of the proposed controller for path following of autonomous underwater vehicles subject to internal and external disturbances.
Comparison Studies Between Machine Learning Optimisation Technique on Predicting Concrete Compressive Strength
Authors: Rathakrishnan Vimal , Beddu Salmia , Ahmed Ali Najah
Published: April 2021

In this research, a comparison study of the machine learning (ML) optimisation technique to predict the compressive strength of concrete is discussed. In previous studies, researchers focused on identifying the machine learning model by comparing, ensemble, bagging, and fusion methods in predicting the concrete strength. In this research, an ML model hyper-parameter optimisation is used to improve the prediction accuracy and performance of the model. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) is used as the base model to perform the prediction, as the XGBoost has a built-in model ensemble, bagging, and boosting algorithms. Grid Search, Random Search, and Bayesian Optimisation are selected and used to optimise the hyperparameters of the XGBoost model. For this particular prediction study, the optimised models based on Random Search performed better than other optimisation methods. The Random Search optimisation method showed substantial improvements in prediction accuracy, modelling error and computation time.
Comparison of Manipulative Indicators of Students and Therapists Using a Robotic Arm
Authors: Yuji KOIKE , Akihisa OKINO , Kazuhisa TAKEDA , Yasuhiro TAKANAMI , Hamaguchi Toyohiro
Published: April 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was to clarify the motion therapy elements necessary for the education of students through comparison of the therapeutic motion techniques of therapists and students using an educational arm robot (Samothrace: SAMO) set with varying degrees of muscle tone pathology.Methods: The participants included eight therapists with more than five years of clinical experience and 25 fourth-year students from occupational therapy training schools who had completed their clinical practice. The therapeutic motion therapy task was a reciprocating exercise in which the elbow joint of SAMO was flexed from an extended position and then re-extended. This was performed three times for each of the three types of muscle tone intensities (mild, moderate, and severe), for a total of nine repetitions. The peak velocity, peak angle ratio, peak velocity time, and movement time were recorded using SAMO while the subjects performed the therapeutic motion therapy task. These data were compared using analysis of covariance. Results: The SAMO elbow joint kinematic data generated by therapists were significantly different than those of students for different muscle tones. It was clear from multiple comparisons that the therapeutic motion techniques of students were associated with higher peak velocity, smaller peak angle ratio, and shorter peak velocity time and movement time than those of therapists. Conclusion: The therapeutic motion techniques applied by the students in response to the muscle tone condition of the arm robot were different from those applied by therapists, suggesting that the students were not able to perform the therapeutic motion techniques in response to the degree of the muscle tone intensity in the same way that an expert could. Based on the results, when students learn therapeutic motion techniques, they should be taught to 1) deal with multiple muscle tone intensities and 2) reduce the speed of joint movement applied to the patient, extend the exercise time, and ensure maximum range of joint movement. These were the suggested guiding factors.
YWHAE Influences the Malignant Behaviour of Ovarian Cancer by Regulating the PI3K/AKT and MAPK Pathways Via HE4
Authors: Li Xiao , Wang Caixia , Wang Shuang , Hu Yuexin , Jin Shan , Liu Ouxuan , Gou Rui , Nie Xin , Liu Juanjuan , Lin Bei
Published: April 2021

Background: Malignant tumours of the female reproductive system threaten the lives and health of women worldwide, with ovarian cancer having the highest mortality rate among all malignant tumours. Based on previous work, this study analysed the expression and role of YWHAE in ovarian epithelial tumours. Methods: The interaction between YWHAE and HE4 was evaluated by immunoprecipitation, western blot analysis, and cellular immunofluorescence. Immunohistochemistry was used to address the relationship between YWHAE expression and clinicopathological parameters and patient prognosis. Changes in cell invasion, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, migration, proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis before and after differential expression of YWHAE were also explored in ovarian cancer cell lines and in vivo experiments. Results: YWHAE was found to directly interact with HE4, and its expression was positively correlated with HE4 expression. Moreover, YWHAE higher levels were associated with advanced ovarian cancer cases and with poorer patient outcome. YWHAE was found to enhance the invasion, migration, proliferation, and inhibition of apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. These biological effects were found to be meditated by the activity of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK signalling pathways.Conclusions: Altogether, this study demonstrates that YWHAE is significantly increased in ovarian cancer tissues, representing a risk factor for the prognosis of ovarian cancer that is positively correlated with HE4 expression. Furthermore, YWHAE and its downstream signals may represent new therapeutic targets to tackle ovarian cancer.
Glut10 is a Novel Immune Regulator Involved in Lung Cancer Immune Cell Infiltration and Predicts Worse Survival When Transcriptionally Down-Regulated
Authors: Jian Lijuan , Zhang Min , Wu Qi , Min Xinping , Li Bowen , Wu Zhiyong , Hu Xiaoping , Ren Zongli , Wang Zhiwei , Hu Zhipeng
Published: April 2021

Background: GLUT10 is encoded by SLC2A10 gene. Recent investigations have shown that GLUT10 is not only involved in glucose metabolism, but also involved in the body's immune response to cancer cells. However, the correlations between GLUT10 expression and prognosis, immune cells infiltrating of different cancers remain unclear.Methods: We Knocked down SLC2A10 and performed transcriptome sequencing to analyze the biological function of GLUT10. The SLC2A10 expression level was analyzed by the Oncomine databases and Tumor immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) site. We evaluated the prognostic potential of SLC2A10 in different cancers using the Kaplan-Meier plotter database and the PrognoScan online software. The correlations between SLC2A10 expression and immune infiltrates were analyzed by TIMER. In addition, correlations between SLC2A10 expression and gene marker sets of immune infiltrates were analyzed by TIMER and GEPIA.Results: Knocking down of SLC2A10 widely activated immune and inflammatory signaling. SLC2A10 was abnormally expressed in several tumors. The expression level of SLC2A10 was closely correlated with cancer prognosis. Low SLC2A10 expression was related to poorer prognosis and increased malignancy of lung cancer. Lung cancer patients with low expression of SLC2A10 have a much shorter median survival time than patients with high expression of SLC2A10. SLC2A10 expression is closely related to different types of immune cell infiltration, particularly with macrophages.Conclusions: By using various databases and analysis software, we found that GLUT10 is involved in tumor immunity and is expected to serve as a therapeutic target in the future. Down-regulation of SLC2A10 expression predicts poor prognosis of lung cancer. GLUT10 may be a new important immune regulating molecular thus worth further focusing.