bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stabilizing nanocrystals via higher entropy interfaces
Authors: Lu Zhaoping , Yuan Yuan , Wu Yuan , Wu Honghui , Wang Hui , Liu Xiongjun , Jiang S. H. , Yang Zhi , Yuan Xiaoyuan , Zhu Huihui , Langdon Terence G. , Huang Yi , Gu Lin , Zhang Qinghua , Gault Baptiste , Raabe Dierk
Published: February 2022

Nanocrystalline (NC) metals are attractive due to their outstanding mechanical, physical and chemical properties. However, they are generally metastable and prone to undergo grain coarsening, which severely impedes their engineering application, particularly at elevated temperatures. A strategy to counteract this phenomenon lies in decreasing the energetic driving force for grain growth, through grain boundary segregation according to the Gibbs adsorption isotherm. The natural thought of ‘more segregation is better’, which was exercised over decades to solve this problem, however, does not work because interfaces themselves are thermodynamic entities, with only limited solute decoration tolerance. Herein, we propose to solve this long-standing problem via introducing multi-component co-segregated interfaces. This concept allows us to maximize the solute decoration of interfaces and minimize their energy, without triggering formation of new phases. This is enabled by extending the high entropy alloy (HEA) concept from the bulk to interfaces, a strategy we refer to as interfaces with higher entropy. This design concept is not transferred one-to-one but constrained by a few rules that reflect the nature of interfaces: use of several co-segregating elements with high mixing entropy; segregation remains in the dilute limit; and use of elements with high segregation coefficient. The latter criterion marks an important difference to the HEA concept as a high segregation coefficient guarantees that alloying elements are deposited only to those locations where they are needed, namely, to the interfaces, thus drastically reducing alloying costs. We applied this new design approach to NC-Nb and show that we can increase its stability from 873 to 1023 K with as little alloying as only 1 at.% of Ti, Ni, Co and Hf with equal fractions. The material maintains its nanocrystalline structure even after 2200 h at 973 K. This work thus offers a new paradigm for designing stable dilute NC materials for advanced engineering application.
Concentration levels and an assessment of human health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in honey and pollen
Authors: Sari Mehmet Ferhat , Esen Fatma
Published: February 2022

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) accumulate in the food chain due to their physical and chemical properties and adversely affect human health. For this reason, this study aimed to determine the PAH and PCB concentration levels in pollen and honey samples in urban and semi-urban areas and to evaluate the risk of cancer that may occur by ingestion in Bursa, Turkey. The average total concentrations of 14 PAH (∑14PAH) compounds in pollen and honey samples were found to be 304.3±192.3 ng/g (average±standard deviation) and 650.2±118.1 ng/g for the urban area, and 329.6±160.6 ng/g and 464.3±66.4 ng/g for the semi-urban area, respectively. Similarly, ∑14PCB concentrations in pollen and honey samples were found to be 8.7±3.6 ng/g and 13.0±4.8 ng/g for the urban area, and 7.7±2.2 ng/g and 17.4±4.0 ng/g for the semi-urban area, respectively. It was determined that the pollen and honey samples in both sampling areas were affected by local PCB sources. Finally, while there was no cancer risk for PCBs due to ingestion of honey and pollen in both sampling areas, acceptable cancer risk has been calculated for PAHs.
Inside Shan-Shui: A Case Study of Parametric Optimization Design based on Reception Aesthetics of Eastern Art
Authors: Zeng Shaoting
Published: February 2022

This paper explored the quantitative research methods of visual and aesthetic optimizing design through a parametric exhibition design case study, taking the eastern art (Chinese painting and Japanese Zen garden) as the source of aesthetic principles. It is difficult to optimize a visual problem because aesthetic qualities mostly involve subjective making decisions and intuitive judgments, in which there exist a huge design space with little restrictions. In our study, we firstly investigated the natural scientific essences behind the aesthetic problem, through literature review, to find out the principles of aesthetic quantitative computing: narrowing the scope of design space based on the figure-ground perception; constructing the optimization rule system through the medial axis transformation (MAT) model; defining the optimal objects by the dynamics analysis of Shannon information energy. And thus, we utilized the shape grammar exploring the figure design subspace and getting optimal seven foam sculptures, and in the ground design subspace exploration, applied the genetic algorithm conducting the multi-objective optimization and getting the optimal exhibition layout. Finally, we got the exhibition design with the essence of reception aesthetics of eastern art and implemented it.
Application of droplet digital PCR to detect human Alu DNA elements in biodistribution assays in pre-clinical studies using rodents
Authors: Kim Jin-Hee , Kim Jin-Hong , Jo Chris H. , Hwang Young-il
Published: February 2022

Biodistribution and engraftment assays for administered human cells in animal organs must be performed to ensure the safety and efficacy of the human cells in preclinical studies. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is currently the standard method used to detect Alu DNA elements. The recently developed droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) method has been adopted in many biological fields, in which the small quantities of DNA must be detected. In this study, we evaluated whether ddPCR could replace qRT-PCR in biodistribution research. We applied ddPCR to detect human Alu DNA elements using various concentrations of genomic DNA (gDNA) extracted from human mesenchymal stem cells spiked with 100 ng of rat gDNA. We found that ddPCR could specifically detect human DNA and exhibited linearity within a concentration range of 10 ag–100 pg/20 µl. ddPCR was far more sensitive than qRT-PCR in measuring Alu elements, with a reliable lower limit of detection of 100 ag DNA/20 µl reaction. Additionally, the copy numbers of Alu elements were quantified using ddPCR in an ex vivo study examining DNA samples extracted from mouse spleen and lymph nodes that had been spiked with human natural killer cells; no human DNA was detected using qRT-PCR in this assay. Thus, we established a ddPCR method for detecting human gDNA in bio-distribution assays of human cells in rodents in preclinical studies.
Stimulation of dysregulated IFN-β responses by aberrant SARS-CoV-2 small viral RNAs acting as RIG-I agonists
Authors: Watanabe Yohei , Arai Yasuha , Yamanaka Itaru , Okamoto Toru , Isobe Ayana , Nakai Naomi , Kamimura Naoko , Daidoji Tomo , Ono Takao , Nakaya Takaaki , Matsumoto Kazuhiko , Okuzaki Daisuke
Published: February 2022

Patients with severe COVID-19 exhibit a cytokine storm characterized by greatly elevated levels of cytokines during worsening disease1-4. Despite this, the interferon (IFN) response is delayed, contributing to disease progression5. Here, we report that SARS-CoV-2 generates excessive amounts of small viral RNAs (svRNAs) encoding exact 5′ ends of positive sense genes in human cells, whereas significantly fewer similar svRNAs are produced by endemic human coronaviruses (OC43 and 229E). SARS-CoV-2 5′ end svRNAs are potent RIG-I agonists associated with IFN-β expression in later stages of infection. The first 60-nt ends bearing duplex structures and 5′-triphosphates are responsible for immune-stimulation. The 5′ end svRNAs were also produced during infection in vivo. The delta variant retains the robust 5’ end svRNA production of the parental strain, whereas omicron no longer produces these erroneous svRNAs. We propose that RIG-I activation by accumulated 5′ end svRNAs overcomes the initial IFN antagonistic ability of viral proteins and drives late over-exuberant IFN production leading to the development of severe COVID-19 and suggest that evolutionary modification of SARS-CoV-2 5’ end svRNA production may correlate with the reduced disease severity likely seen with omicron.
Holocene sea-level rise evidenced in Hells Bells 234U/238U ratio and geochemical composition
Authors: Schorndorf Nils , Frank Norbert , Ritter Simon , Warken Sophie , Scholz Christian , Keppler Frank , Scholz Denis , Weber Michael , Olguin Jeronimo Aviles , stinnesbeck wolfgang
Published: February 2022

Hells Bells are underwater secondary carbonates discovered in sinkholes (cenotes) southeast of Cancun on the north-eastern Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. These authigenic calcite precipitates, reaching a length of up to 4 m, most likely grow in the pelagic redoxcline. Here, we report on detailed 230Th/U-dating and in-depth geochemical and stable isotope analyses of specimens from cenotes El Zapote, Maravilla and Tortugas. Hells Bells developed during the end of MIS5b/c (~96–90 thousand years ago) and again since the early Holocene, with active growth until present day. The temporal evolution of the geochemistry and isotope composition of Hells Bells calcites appears closely linked to the mid to late Holocene sea-level rise, which reflects changing hydrological conditions of the aquifer. A stabilization of sea level combined with aquifer occlusion during the past ~8 thousand years probably led to a reduction in hydraulic conductivity and a desalinization of the freshwater layer as indicated by decreasing Sr/Ca values. In addition, initial (234U/238U) activity ratios (δ234U0) in the Bells calcite decrease from 55 to 15‰ as sea level converges toward its present state. We propose that the Holocene sea-level rise drives desalinization and subsequent deceleration of leaching of excess 234U from the previously unsaturated bedrock.
Implantable Polyacrylonitrile-Spermidine Electrospun Nanofibers with Sustainable ROS Scavening Capacity for Osteoarthritis (OA) Therapy
Authors: Gao Shangzhi , Long Bingcai , Lan Ying , Liang Yanling , Li Guanhua , Yang Xin , He Maolin , Zheng Li , Zhong Jingping
Published: February 2022

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of mobility impairment in the elderly. Scavenging excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) to inhibit oxidative stress damage is a theraupetic strategy for OA. However, low clearance efficiency, rapid clearance by the joint fliud, poor stability and lack of sustainability challenged most ROS scavengers. Herein, we innovatively synthesized a spermidine (SPD)-acrylonitrile (PAN) copolymer nanofiber membrane using electrostatic spinning technology for effective treatment of OA, wherin SPD that has potent antioxidant ability served as ROS scavenger and PAN as backbone for sustainable release of SPD. Compared with the PAN, the PAN-SPD nanofibers not only greatly improved the mechanical properties, but also exhibited the sustainability and high efficiency to scavenge ROS. Moreover, PAN-SPD nanofibers have good biocompatibility, and can effectively reduce oxidative stress damage in H2O2 induced chondrocytes by down-regulating the expression of pro-inflammatory factors like MMP-13, IL-6 and TNF-α while up-regulating the antioxidant factors such as (SOD, CAT, GSH). There was a dramatic reduction in OA severity after PAN-SPD nanofibrous membrane treatment in OA joints compared to the untreated group after a 8-week therapy. Overall, this study provides effective strategies and new ideas for the future clinical treatment of OA or oxidative stress-related diseases.
Seroprevalence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Cyprus
Authors: Papaneophytou Christos , Nicolaou Andria , Pieri Myrtani , Nicolaidou Vicky , Galatou Eleftheria , Sarigiannis Ioannis , Pantelidou Markella , Panayi Pavlos , Thoma Theklios , Stavraki Antonia , Argyrou Xenia , Kalogiannis Tasos , Yiannoukas Kyriacos , Petrou Christos C. , Felekkis Kyriacos
Published: February 2022

Background: Four vaccines that have been authorized in the European Union offer different levels of protection against SARS-CoV-2 by generating immune responses against the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the virus. Monitoring the levels of IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 is important during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to plan an adequate and evidence-based public health response. Methods: We compared the levels of serum IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in three groups: i) individuals without evidence of prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 who received one or two doses of either an mRNA-based (Comirnaty BNT162b2/Pfizer-BioNTech or Spikevax mRNA-1273/Moderna) or an adenoviral-based vaccine (Vaxzervia ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 /Oxford-Astra Zeneca) (n=227), ii) unvaccinated individuals with evidence of prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 (n=109), and iii) individuals with evidence of prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 who received at least one dose of a vaccine (n=30). Unvaccinated individuals without evidence of prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 were used as a control group (n=211). Results: The levels of specific SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in all three groups were significantly higher (p<0.001) compared to the control group. The highest levels of virus-specific IgG antibodies were observed in individuals who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 and received at least one dose of a vaccine. Our analyses also revealed that the levels of specific anti- SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were higher in individuals who received two doses of a licensed vaccine, regardless of the vaccine technology (mRNA-based and adenoviral vector-based). Furthermore, anti- SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were higher in previously uninfected participants who received at least one dose of a vaccine compared to the unvaccinated individuals with evidence of prior infection. Conclusions: Our results indicate that vaccine-induced responses lead to higher levels of IgG antibodies compared to those produced following infection with the virus. In agreement with previous studies, our results suggest that among individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, even a single dose of a vaccine is adequate to elicit high levels of humoral immunity.
Environmental viromes reveal global virosphere of deep-sea RNA viruses
Authors: Zhang Xiaobo
Published: February 2022

On the earth, the most abundant and diverse life forms are viruses. Both DNA viruses and RNA viruses play important roles in marine ecosystems via regulating biogeochemical cycles. However, the virome of marine RNA viruses has not been explored so far. Here, we established the global virome dataset of deep-sea RNA viruses that were purified from 133 sediment samples collected from typical deep-sea ecosystems (hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, ocean basins and mid-ocean ridges) of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. A total of 85,059 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) were identified, of which only 1.72% were hitherto known, indicating that the deep-sea sediment is a repository of novel RNA viruses. The vOTUs were classified into 20 viral families, including prokaryotic (7.09%) and eukaryotic (65.81%) RNA viruses, of which Retroviridae was the most abundant. Furthermore, circular genome analysis revealed 1,463 deep-sea RNA viruses with complete genomes, the majority of which were unclassified. The distribution and differentiation of deep-sea RNA viruses were mainly influenced by the habitat. Taken together, the deep sea is a reservoir of novel RNA viruses, and our study is the first to analyze the composition and diversity of RNA viruses in deep-sea ecosystems.
Identification of a conserved drug binding pocket in TMEM16 proteins
Authors: Cheng Yifan , Feng Shengjie , Puchades Cristina , Ko Juyeon , Figueroa Eric , Chen Yifei , Wu Hao , Gu Shuo , Han Tina , Li Junrui , Ho Brandon , Shoichet Brian , Jan Yuh Nung , Jan Lily
Published: February 2022

The TMEM16 family of calcium-activated membrane proteins includes ten mammalian paralogs (TMEM16A-K) playing distinct physiological roles with some implicated in cancer and airway diseases. Their modulators with therapeutic potential include 1PBC, a potent inhibitor with anti-tumoral properties, and the FDA-approved drug niclosamide that targets TMEM16F to inhibit syncytia formation induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we report cryo-EM structures of TMEM16F associated with 1PBC and niclosamide, revealing that both molecules bind the same drug binding pocket. We functionally and computationally validate this binding pocket in TMEM16A as well as TMEM16F, thereby showing that drug modulation also involves residues that are not conserved between TMEM16A and TMEM16F. This study establishes a much-needed structural framework for the development of more potent and more specific drug molecules targeting TMEM16 proteins.
Not enough by half: NFAT5 haploinsufficiency in two patients with Epstein-Barr virus susceptibility
Authors: López-Rivera Daniela Olivia , Castano-Jaramillo Lina Maria , Yamazaki-Nakashimada Marco Antonio , Ramírez-Uribe Rosa María Nideshda , Delgado Celso Tomás Corcuera , Medina-Torres Edgar Alejandro , Berrón-Ruiz Laura , Espinosa-Padilla Sara Elva , Cruz-Munoz Mario Ernesto , Mendoza Selma Cecilia Scheffler , Reyes Saul Oswaldo Lugo
Published: February 2022

INTRODUCTION: The transcription factor Nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5), pivotal in immune regulation and function, can be induced by osmotic stress and tonicity-independent signals. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate and characterize two unrelated patients with Epstein-Barr virus susceptibility and no known genetic etiology. METHODS: After informed consent, we reviewed their electronic charts, extracted genomic DNA, performed whole-exome sequencing, filtered, and prioritized their variants, and confirmed through Sanger sequencing, family segregation analysis, and functional assays, including lymphoproliferation, cytotoxicity, and natural killer cells characterization. RESULTS: We describe 2 cases of pediatric Mexican patients with rare heterozygous missense variants in NFAT5 and EBV susceptibility, a school-age girl with chronic-active infection of liver and bowel, and a teenage boy who died of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. DISCUSSION: NFAT5 is an important regulator of the immune response. Haploinsufficiency has been described as an immunodeficiency syndrome affecting both innate and adaptive immunity. EBV susceptibility is another manifestation in the spectrum of this disease.
Microvascular invasion Risk Scores affect the estimation of early Recurrence after Resection in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Wang Sheng , Zheng Weizhi , Zhang Zhencheng , Zhang Guohua , Huang Danjiang
Published: February 2022

Background: Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a histological factor that is closely related to the early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after resection. To investigate whether the preoperative risk factors based on MVI status can be used to estimate early recurrence of HCC after resection.Methods: Between January 2018 to March 2021, a total of 108 patients with surgically treated single HCC was retrospectively included in our study. Fifty-one patients were pathologically confirmed with MVI and 57 patients were absent of MVI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of preoperative laboratory and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features were used to screen noninvasive risk factors in association with MVI in HCC. A risk score based on the odds ratio (OR) values of MVI-related risk factors was calculated to estimate the early recurrence after resection of HCC. Results: In multivariate logistic regression analysis, tumor size>2cm (P=0.024, OR=3.05, 95% CI:1.19-11.13), PIVKA-Ⅱ >32 mAU/ml (P=0.001, OR=4.13, 95% CI:1.23-11.38), irregular tumor margin (P=0.018, OR=3.10, 95% CI:1.16-8.31) and ADC <1007 ×10-3mm2/s (P=0.035, OR=2.27, 95% CI:1.14-7.71) were independent risk factors correlated to MVI in HCC. Risk scores of patients were calculated and were then categorized into high, moderate and low risk levels. In multivariate cox survival analysis, only high risk score of MVI was an independent risk factor of early recurrence (P=0.026, OR=1.86, 95% CI:1.08-3.22), with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.52, 0.88, respectively.Conclusions: A risk score based on MVI status can help stratify patients in high risk of early recurrence after resection of HCC.
Incorporating Social Determinants of Health into the Mathematical Modelling of HIV/AIDS
Authors: de Oliveira Robson Bruniera , Rubio Felipe Alves , Anderle Rodrigo , Sanchez Mauro , de Souza Luis Eugenio , Macinko James , Dourado Ines , Rasella Davide
Published: February 2022

Background
Currently, it is estimated that 37.6 million people are living with the HIV/AIDS virus worldwide, placing HIV/AIDS among the 10 leading causes of death, mostly among low- and lower-middle-income countries. Despite the effective intervention in the prevention and treatment, this reduction did not occur equally among populations, subpopulations and geographic regions. This difference in the occurrence of the disease is associated with the social determinants of health (SDH), which could affect the transmission and maintenance of HIV. With the recognition of the importance of SDH in HIV transmission, the development of mathematical models that incorporate these determinants could increase the accuracy and robustness of the modeling. This article aims to propose a theoretical and conceptual way of including SDH in the mathematical modeling of HIV/AIDS.
Methods
The theoretical mathematical model with the Social Determinants of Health has been developed in stages. For the selection of SDH that were incorporated into the model, a narrative literature review was conducted. Secondly, we proposed an extended model in which the population (N) is divided into Susceptible (S), HIV-positive (I), Individual with AIDS (A) and individual under treatment (T). Each SDH had a different approach to embedding in the model.
Results
A total of 31 SDH were obtained in the review, divided into 4 groups: Individual Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Social Participation, and Health Services. In the end, 4 determinants were selected for incorporation into the model: Education, Poverty, Use of Drugs and Alcohol abuse, and Condoms Use.
Conclusions
The equations presented with the chosen SDH exemplify some approaches that we can adopt when thinking about modeling social effects on the occurrence of HIV. The recognition of the importance of including the SDH in the modeling and studies on HIV/AIDS is evident, due to its complexity and multicausality. Models that do not take into account in their structure, will probably miss a great part of the real trends, especially in periods, as the current on, of economic crisis and strong socioeconomic changes.
Circular RNA hsa_circ_0023404 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion in endometrial cancer cells through regulating miR-217/MAPK1 axis
Authors: Chen Zhuoying , Huang Meixiu , You Jiaying , Lin Yanhua , Huang Qiaoyun , He Caiping
Published: February 2022

Aim: Studies indicated that Circular RNA hsa_circ_0023404 play a critical role in cancer progression. The aim of our research is to investigate the functions of hsa_circ_0023404 in endometrial cancer （EC） and the potential molecular mechanism.Methods: We used RT-qPCR and Western blot approach to detect the expressed levels of related genes in EC cell lines. Transfected siRNAs were applied to knockdown the level of related mRNA in cells. Cell proliferation by CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay were applied to detect cell proliferation. Transwell migration and invasion assay was for detecting the migration and invasion of the cells. Results: RT-qPCR showed that the level of hsa_circ_0023404 and MARK1 mRNA were upregulated but mirR-217 was decreased in three endometrial cancer cell lines. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0023404 by siRNA markedly increased the level of miR-217 and reduced the proliferation of the Ishikawa cells。 It also inhibited the cell migration and invasion. Anti-miR-217 can reverse the promoted proliferation, migrations and invasion of Ishikawa cells mediated by si-circ_0023404. si-MARK1 restored the inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion of the co-transfected Ishikawa cells with si- circ_0023404 and anti-miR-217.Conclusion: hsa_circ_0023404 exerts a tumor-promoting role in endometrial cancer by regulating miR-217/MARK1 axis. hsa_circ_0023404 inhibit miR-217 as sponge which inhibit endometrial cancer cell growth and metastasis. MARK1 is downstream target of miR217 and upregulated by hsa_circ_0023404/miR-217 axis and involved in the endometrial cancer progression.
Optimal flood susceptibility model based on performance comparisons of LR, EGB, and RF algorithms
Authors: Youssef Ahmed M. , Mahdi Ali M. , Pourghasemi Hamid Reza
Published: February 2022

The Wadi El-Matulla, located in the eastern desert of Egypt, is the most important water basin. The Qift - Qusayr highway (west-east direction) and the Cairo - Aswan eastern desert highway (north-south) pass through the basin. Many urban areas (villages and industrial areas) and agricultural lands are located at the outlet of these basins. In addition, the basin has a promising potential for future economic and urban development as it is located within the Golden Triangle (governmental megaproject). The current study investigates flood hazard modeling and its impact on the area. To determine the optimal algorithm for flood susceptibility mapping, performance comparisons of three techniques were conducted: logistic regression (LR), extreme gradient boosting (EGB), and random forest (RF). Remote sensing, topographic, geologic, and meteorological data were used with the help of field visits to provide spatial database and inventory datasets required by the models. The models’ performances were assessed using five statistical indices, ROC, overall accuracy (OAC), kappa index (Ka), RMSE, and mean absolute error (MAE). Our findings indicate that RF is the optimal algorithm for flood susceptibility mapping, followed by EGB and LR. RF provides high performance with high values of ROC (93%), OAC (88%), and Kappa index (0.85) and the lowest values of RMSE (0.34) and MAE (0.12). Finally, the RF model was verified using sentinel-1 images for real floods in 2016 and 2021, and it provides good agreement. The optimal model could help the decision makers and planners to protect the existing facilities and plan the future projects in non-flood prone areas.
Study on kinetics, thermodynamics and co-pyrolysis studies of sugarcane bagasse and expanded polystyrene
Authors: Mohapatra Sowhm Swain , Gouda Narayan , Mohapatra Soumya Sanjeeb , Singh Raghubansh Kumar
Published: February 2022

The kinetic studies on co-pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse, and expanded polystyrene (waste thermocol) was performed using a thermogravimetric analyzer to decipher the mechanism of co-pyrolysis at 5, 10, 15, and 20°C min−1 and to estimate the kinetic triplet and thermodynamics of the co-pyrolysis process. The kinetic parameter values were estimated using Maples first order fitting process.. The co-pyrolysis experiments was performed in a semi-batch reactor at 10°C min−1 in an inert nitrogen atmosphere, from ambient temperatures upto 700°C. The outcome revealed that the optimum temperature and blending ratio was 550°C and 1:3 blending ratio of (sugarcane bagasse:thermocol waste) for the optimum bio-oil yield of 66.75 wt. %. The characterization of the co-pyrolysis bio-oil using FT-IR revealed the presence of more amount of aromatic compounds and hydrocarbons. The increase in aromatic compounds was mostly due to the addition of thermocol waste, which is an aromatic polymer.
Creation and Evaluation of a Participatory Child Abuse and Neglect Workshop for Medical Students
Authors: Giannakas Christos , Manta Aspasia , Livanou Maria Effrosyni , Daniil Vasiliki , Paraskeva Angeliki , Georgiadou Maria-Konstantina , Griva Nefeli , Papaevangelou Vassiliki , Tsolia Maria , Leventhal John M. , Soldatou Alexandra
Published: February 2022

Background
Since child abuse and neglect (CAN) is prevalent worldwide, medical students should acquire basic knowledge, skills, and confidence in identifying and addressing CAN. Significant educational efforts have been previously described, but none has focused on participatory methods to teach medical students CAN.
Purpose
To: 1) develop a participatory educational workshop in CAN for medical students, 2) gather, train, and establish a peer-to-peer teaching group, and 3) assess the effectiveness of the workshop in gain of knowledge and improvement of self-confidence for participants.
Methods
A two-hour workshop was created with role-playing, the use of dolls and peer-to-peer teaching. A 15-item knowledge and a 9-item self-confidence questionnaire were used before, right after, and six months after the workshops.
Results
Nine workshops in two academic pediatric departments with a total attendance of 300 6th year medical students were conducted. For the 69 students who completed the questionnaires at all three times, there were statistically significant gains in knowledge right after (p<.001) and six months after (p<.0001) the workshops. Similarly, self-confidence increased right after (p<.0001) and six months after (p<.001) the workshops. Self-selection bias testing indicated that these 69 students who completed all three questionnaires were representative of those who completed the pre-testing and the testing right after.
Conclusions
We successfully established a thriving peer-to-peer teaching group to conduct nine participatory workshops that improved the participants’ knowledge and self-confidence in CAN. This feasible and novel active learning approach may help address inadequacies in medical curricula.
Quantum algorithm for band structures with local tight-binding orbitals
Authors: Sherbert Kyle , Jayaraj Anooja , Nardelli Marco Buongiorno
Published: February 2022

While the main thrust of quantum computing research in materials science is to accurately measure the classically intractable electron correlation effects due to Coulomb repulsion, designing optimal quantum algorithms for simpler problems with well-understood solutions is a useful tactic to advance our quantum ``toolbox''. With this in mind, we consider the quantum calculation of a periodic system's single-electron band structure over a path through reciprocal space. Previous efforts have used the Variational Quantum Eigensolver algorithm to solve the energy of each band, which involves numerically optimizing the parameters of a variational quantum circuit to minimize a cost function, constructed as the expectation value of a Hamiltonian operator. Traditionally, a unique Hamiltonian operator is constructed for each k-point, so that many cost functions, each with their own parameter space, must be optimized to generate a single band. Similarly, calculating higher bands than the first has traditionally involved modifying the cost function with additional overlap terms to ensure higher-energy eigenstates are orthogonal to those of lower bands. In this paper, we adopt a direct space approach, using a novel hybrid first/second-quantized qubit mapping which allows us to construct a single Hamiltonian, and a single cost-function, suitable for solving the entire band-structure. In contrast to previous approaches, the k-point and the band index are selected by additional parameters in our quantum circuit, rather than through modifications to the cost function. The result is a technically and conceptually simpler approach to band structure calculations on a quantum computer. Moreover, we expect that the tools developed herein will motivate new strategies for tackling highly-correlated materials beyond the grasp of classical computing.
High D-glucose levels induce ACE2 expression via GLUT1 in human airway epithelial cell line Calu-3
Authors: Wakabayashi Yoshitaka , Nakayama Shin , Yamamoto Ai , Kitazawa Takatoshi
Published: February 2022

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) enters the host cell by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors. ACE2 is expressed on human airway epithelial cells. Increased ACE2 expression may be associated with potentially high risk of COVID-19. However, the factors responsible for the regulation of ACE2 expression in human airway epithelial cells are unknown. Furthermore, hyperglycemia is a risk factor for poor disease prognosis. In this study, we investigated the effects of D-glucose on ACE2 mRNA and protein expressions in Calu-3 bronchial submucosal cells. The cells were cultured in minimal essential medium containing different D-glucose concentrations.Results: After 48 and 72 h of high D-glucose (1000 mg/dL) treatment, ACE2 mRNA and protein expressions were significantly increased. ACE2 mRNA expression was enhanced by a D-glucose concentration of 550 mg/dL or more after 72 h of treatment. In addition, we investigated the role of glucose transporters (GLUTs) in Calu-3 cells. ACE2 mRNA and protein expressions were suppressed by the GLUT1 inhibitor BAY-876 in high D-glucose-treated Calu-3 cells.Conclusions: This is the first report indicating that high D-glucose levels induced ACE2 expression via GLUT1 in bronchial submucosal cells in vitro. As hyperglycemia can be treated appropriately, these findings could help reduce the risk of worsening of coronavirus disease 2019.
Understanding Sexual Reproductive Health from the perspective of Older Adolescents in Northern Thailand: A Phenomenological study
Authors: Leekuan Panitsara , Kane Ros , Sukwong Panpimol , Kulnitichai Waratya
Published: February 2022

Background: Worldwide, Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) issues comprise a third of health problems for women aged 15-44. SRH education equips people with knowledge of concepts around sexuality and reproduction, and the attitudes and skills help to make informed decisions to prevent sexual and reproductive ill-health problems, including unplanned pregnancy and HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of older adolescents relating to SRH, examining their attitudes toward sex and contraception, and to identify the gaps in decision-making to prevent risk-taking behaviour.Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study was undertaken with 30 adolescents aged 18-19, purposively and snowball sampled from a university in Northern Thailand from July 2020 to January 2021. In-depth individual interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached. Data were recorded, transcribed, and analysed in ATLAS.ti version 9, using Modified Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to identify related themes.Results: Participants revealed five key experiences of SRH related to sex and contraception: Keeping a secret; Seeking Freedom and Love; Having SRH education; Self-protection; Parental acceptance. All findings reflected the value and impact of SRH on the experiences of older adolescents.Conclusions: This study provides detailed knowledge about adolescents’ perspectives of SRH and rights in terms of accessing sexual and reproductive health care and information as well as autonomy in sexual and reproductive decision-making. Gaining SRH education can assist decision-making concerning contraceptive methods for family planning and STI prevention. The study recommends that SRH and rights should be designed responsively and appropriately for female and male adolescents, their families, and society. The inclusion of SRH issues should be informed and advocated healthcare providers, educators, policy makers, and systems to empower adolescents in order to achieve effective SRH education.
Knowledge And Attitude And Associated Factors To Ward Mental Illness Among Health Professionals Working In Government & Private Health Facilities At Dilla Town, South Ethiopia
Authors: Wolde Yetayale Berhanu , AlemboTsebe Awash , Ayenalem Alem Eskeziya
Published: February 2022

Background: - Mental illness is an important determinant of the quality of life of individuals. The negative attitude and negative beliefs toward mental illness even among health professionals is still persisting and lead to widespread stigma and poor help seeking behavior among people with mental illness. In Ethiopia, there is little research done on assessing the knowledge and attitudes of health professionals and this study will narrow this great gap.Objective: -To assess the knowledge and attitude of health professionals toward mental illness at governmental and private health facilities at Dilla town.Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study design was employed. The data were collected by using self-administered questionnaire with a total of 126 health professionals. Study participants were drawn using a simple random sampling method. Statistics investigation was done by using SPSS version 21. Descriptive statistics & logistic regression was done and the result was discussed and presented by frequency tables, graphs, and charts. Variables with p-value < 0.05 were declared as having substantial association between factors and the outcome variables. THE Result: The level of knowledge on mental illness among health professionals was 43.8%. Regarding Attitude of Health professionals toward mental illness, 59.6% were holding an unfavorable attitude. Respondents who have had high awareness have 0.025 times better attitude than those who have no control group. However, this association is not significant. (AOR=0.025, 95% C.I: 0.035, 0.085). In this study the level of literacy, contact with a mental ill, individual level of qualification, psychiatric training experience, and long duration of working experience have a strong positive impact on the attitude of health professionals to the psychiatric ills.Conclusion and Recommendation: The outcome of the study revealed the studied participants had an apparently unfavorable attitudes regarding psychiatric illness associated with lower levels of literacy. This finding was used as the screening attitude by empowering health professionals regarding their knowledge toward mental illness. Over half of the health professionals held an unfavorable attitude toward mental illness. This gives a direction to do more on emphasizing of developing awareness creation and expanding psychiatric training to empower attitude of health professionals toward mental illness.
Non-vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: A Single Center Study
Authors: Brás Pedro , Mano Tânia Branco , Rito Tiago , Castelo Alexandra , Ferreira Vera , Agapito Ana , Ferreira Rui Cruz , Pinto Fátima , Sousa Lídia
Published: February 2022

Purpose: Non-vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants (NOACs) prescription is increasing in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD), however data on efficacy and safety in ACHD is unclear, particularly in patients (P) with complex CHD. The aim of the study was to review the safety and efficacy of in various types of ACHD.Methods: Evaluation of ACHD P started on NOAC therapy from 2014 to 2020, followed-up for bleeding or thromboembolic events (TE) and mortality. CHA2DS2-VASc and HASBLED scores were calculated and risk factors for bleeding were identified.Results: 93 ACHD P, mean age 52±15 years, 58% female, 55.9% moderate CHD and 23.7% with severe CHD (3.2% Fontan). 66% of P had a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2 and 82% HASBLED score ≤2.In a mean follow-up of 41±21 months (400.4 patient-years), there were TE in 2P (1 splenic infarction and 1 pulmonary embolism). The annual risk for TE was 0.49%/patient/year. The cardiovascular mortality was 2% and all-cause mortality 5%, however with no relation to TE or bleeding events.6 P (6.5%) suffered a minor and 3 P (3.2%) suffered a major bleeding, a median time of 12 (IQR 15) months after starting NOAC therapy. The annual risk for bleeding was 2.2%/patient/year.Renal disease (HR 14.6 [95% CI 1.23-73.6], p=0.033 and the HAS-BLED score were predictors of major (adjusted HR 6.97 [95% CI 1.69-28.78], p=0.007) and minor (adjusted HR 3.80 [95% CI 1.48-9.78], p=0.006) bleeding complications.Conclusion: NOACs are a safe and effective option for selected ACHD P, although bleeding complications were not negligible
Tumor Microenvironment-Responsive BSA Nanocarriers For Combined Chemo/Chemodynamic Cancer Therapy
Authors: Zhang Ruiyi , Liu Teng , Li Wanzhen , Ma Zhiyuan , Pei Pei , Zhang Weiwei , Yang Kai , Tao Yugui
Published: February 2022

Tumor microenvironment (TME), characterized by high glutathione (GSH), high hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and low acidic levels, is favorable for the growth, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Taking advantage of the specific characteristics of tumors, TME-responsive GCBD NPs are designed to deliver nanoscale coordination polymers (NCPs, GA-Cu) and chemotherapy drugs (doxorubicin, DOX) based on bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanocarriers into cancer cells for combined chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and chemotherapy. In an acidic environment, GCBD NPs could release approximately 90% copper ions, which can not only consume overexpressed GSH to modulate the TME but can also react with endogenous H2O2 in a Fenton-like reaction to achieve the CDT effect. Meanwhile, the released DOX could enter the nucleus of tumor cells and affect their proliferation to achieve efficient chemotherapy. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that GCBD NPs had good biosafety and could effectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells. GCBD NPs are promising as a biocompatible nanoplatform to exploit TME characteristics for combined chemo and chemodynamic therapy, providing a novel strategy to eradicate tumors with high efficiency and specificity.
Dimensions of Women’s Empowerment in Prevention of Domestic Violence: A Qualitative Study in Iran
Authors: Amirroud Maryam Mataji , Ramazankhani Ali , Ghafari Mohtasham , Soori Hamid
Published: February 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
High-Efficiency Dual-Polarized Broadband Reflecting Metasurface Using Continuous Polarization Conversion Technique and Element with Multi Degree of Freedom
Authors: Karimipour Majid , Aryanian Iman
Published: February 2022

In this study, two effective approaches are combined which are implemented at the element design level and system design level to simultaneously improve the frequency bandwidth and aperture efficiency of a dual-polarized single-layer reflecting metasurface. At the element design level, a broadband behavior is realized by using the polarization conversion technique (PCT) which is a novel technique to enhance the bandwidth of the element. To this end, an anisotropic metasurface with I-shaped metal patch is proposed for rotating the polarization of the wave emitted from a point source by 90 • and making a continuous phase shift in a full range of 360 • within 8-18 GHz.Therefore, a completely equiphase aperture is achieved leading to enhancing the metasurface performance such as directivity and aperture efficiency and reducing the sidelobe level compared to reflecting metasurface developed by 1-bit phase quantization technique. At the system design level, the three-frequency phase synthesis (TFPS) method, which is based on determining the best constant reference phase for the aperture, is used and the corresponding constant reference phases are optimized to minimize the phase error in the whole band. The combination of TFPS and PCT enhances the effectiveness of the TFPS method considerably. An 841 element reflecting metasurface with aperture dimensions of 290 cm × 290 cm is designed, simulated, and fabricated in Ku-band to verify the concept. The measurement results show that the 1-dB gain bandwidth before and after combining PCT and TFPS techniques are 17.47% (14.1 GHz to 16.8 GHz) and 30.3% (14 GHz to 19 GHz), respectively. In addition, the maximum aperture efficiency of the proposed metasurface is 63.62% which occurs at 14.5 GHz.
Interspecific interaction mediated crosstalk in the co-culture of Aspergillus sydowii and Bacillus subtilis produces novel benzoic acid derivates
Authors: Sun Yu , Shi Xuan , He Liang-Yu , Xing Yan , Guo Qin-Feng , Xiu Zhi-Long , dong yuesheng
Published: February 2022

Interspecific interaction mediated crosstalk was regarded as an important feature among the microorganisms under natural conditions and also the key mechanism for the biosynthesis of newly induced compounds in the co-culture. However, there is still a lack of direct experimental evidence for this mechanism. In this study, the interaction between A. sydowii and B. subtilis in the co-culture was firstly verified by the morphological observation. Subsequently, through the strategy combining substrate feeding, stable isotope labeling and gene expression analysis, the crosstalk in the co-culture for the production of five benzoic acid derivatives (N1-N4 and N7) were demonstrated: the secondary metabolites 10-deoxygerfelin of A. sydowii acted as an inducer to induce B. subtilis to produce benzoic acid, which was further converted into 3-OH-benzoic acid by A. sydowii. Subsequently, A. sydowii used 3-OH-benzoic acid as the substrate to synthesize the new compound N2, and then N1, N3, N4 and N7 were biosynthesized upon the up-regulation of hydrolase, hydroxylase, and acyltransferase during co-culture. The plate zone analysis suggested that the biosynthesis of the newly induced compounds N1-N4 was mainly attributed to A. sydowii, and both A. sydowii and B. subtilis were indispensable for the biosynthesis of N7. The current study provides an important basis for a better understanding of the metabolites transfer and the biosynthetic pathways of the newly induced compounds in the co-culture, providing a new insight into the interaction-mediated crosstalk among microorganisms.
A new adsorbent for Pd (II) ions from aqueous solutions using diphenylphosphine with magnetic properties
Authors: Naini Nasim , Kalal Hossein Sid , Almasian Mohammad Reza , Niknafs Danial , Taghiof Mohammad , Hoveidi Hassan
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study was to remove palladium ions from aqueous media in a batch operating system. A newly synthesized magnetic Fe3O4/SiO2/OPPh2 (diphenylphosphinite) nanocomposite was used as the adsorbent. This nanocomposite was examined by Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray spectroscopy methods. The factors that influence the adsorption equilibrium were examined, such as pH value, adsorbent dosage, metal concentration, adsorption time, temperature, influence of desorption solutions, concentration of the desorption solution and the influence of the ions present at the same time, namely Cd2 +, Ni2 +, Ca2 +, Co2 +, Fe3 +, Ba2 + and Pt4 + were determined based on the adsorbent used (Fe3O4 / SiO2 / OPPh2). Under optimal conditions and at the same concentrations, the interfering ions have only a very slight influence on the Pd (II) uptake. It was found that the fit isotherm is the Fritz-Schlunder model. The best possible model was determined in advance on the basis of seven error functions. Thermodynamic parameters indicate the endothermic, irreversible and non-spontaneous nature of the adsorption.