bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Myeloid Trem2 orchestrates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-associated inflammation and HCC progression by reprogramming recruited macrophages
Authors: Wang Xuehao , Wang Ziyi , Zhang Yu , Han Sheng , Li Xiangdong , Nie Huiling , Jiao Chenyu , Xia Nan , Yu Wenjie , Chen Minhao , Wang Hao , Chen Xuejiao , Chen Xiaoyuan , Pu Liyong
Published: September 2022

Several studies have initially explored the possible role of Trem2 in NASH progression, but the confounding of cellular targeting and differences and limitations in research methods have obscured the precise identity of Trem2. Based on Trem2Flox, Trem2△mye, Trem2creERT Rosa26Tdtomato mice feeding with AMLN/CDAHFD60-driven NASH-HCC progression, we clearly delineate the full-time dynamic landscape of NAFLD-NASH-HCC regulated by myeloid-derived trem2: the absence of myeloid Trem2 leads to the pro-resolution program reprogramming of Ly6Chi monocytes/infiltrating macrophages recruited by NAFLD was partially terminated, resulting in accumulation and proliferation of monocytes and infiltrating macrophages, thereby exacerbating hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Termination of the pro-resolution program resulted in increasing susceptibility to liver fibrosis while impairing Trem2-dependent exocytosis program, inhibiting TGFβ secretion and partially counteracting inflammation-driven activation of stellate cell. Furthermore, myeloid Trem2 deficiency blocks NASH-HCC occurence while reversing the infiltration of Eomes+PD1+CD8+ T cells, thus playing a key role in the progression of NAFLD-NASH-HCC. Our study broaden a new horizon for elucidating how myeloid Trem2 regulates chronic inflammatory liver disease and the corresponding tumor drivens.
Automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) for intraoperative margin control on surgical specimens in breast conserving surgery
Authors: Hatzipanagiotou Maria Eleni , Huber Deborah , Thede Elisa , Scheiter Alexander , Fernandez-Pacheco Miriam , Hetterich Madeleine , Ripoll Blanca Roca , Ortmann Olaf , Seitz Stephan
Published: September 2022

Purpose
As breast-conserving surgery (BCS) has become standard for treatment of early breast cancer, the need for new technologies to improve intraoperative margin assessment has become clear. Close or positive margins during BCS lead to additional surgeries, treatment delay, additional stress for patients and increasing healthcare cost. Automated three-dimensional breast ultrasound (ABUS) systems are meant to overcome the shortcomings of hand-held ultrasound (HHUS). In this study we investigate the feasibility of ABUS to conduct ultrasound on surgical specimens in breast conserving therapy.
Methods
In this monocentric, non-interventional study, specimens of 40 women were examined via ABUS. A construction with isotonic saline solution, gel pads and ABUS membranes was invented by our team to produce images of breast cancer specimens using ABUS. Evaluation of the ABUS images was carried out by two independent physicians trained on ABUS evaluation.
Results
ABUS was conducted on 40 specimens. 90% of the generated images were of high quality. Measured tumor sizes with ABUS were bigger than measured tumor size with HHUS (mean tumor size 22.9 vs. 18.1 mm, CI 2.38–7.35, p < 0.05). The mean difference between the ABUS tumor size and the pathological tumor size was 1.8 mm (CI -0.84-4.53, p = 0.17). The mean difference between the HHUS tumor size and the pathological tumor size was 3.2 mm (CI -5.35- -1.03, p = 0.005).
Conclusion
ABUS seems to be a suitable method to conduct specimen ultrasound. Further studies are required to evaluate the accuracy of ABUS for intraoperative margin assessment and possible implementation in clinical work routine.
Plasma chylous degree detection based on machine learning and hyperspectral techniques
Authors: Wei Siqi , Liu Yafei , Lian Suyun , Huang Haijun , Cheng Hao , Li Mengshan , Guan Lixin
Published: September 2022

Blood transfusion is a critical medical treatment, which is performed to save patients’ lives. Chylous blood had high fats. The transfusion of chylous blood into a patient can cause the blockage of micro-vessels. Most blood collection stations are not equipped with the equipment for the detection of chylous blood, and the detection is usually performed with direct observation through the human naked eye, which is prone to certain human errors. Only a few large blood collection stations use the equipment for the detection of chylous blood. In this study, plasma hyperspectral data were collected to detect and identify chylous plasma. The data were preprocessed using the multiple scattering correction (MSC) method and then classified using four classification algorithms, including random forest (RF), K-nearest neighbor KNN), Perceptron, and stochastic gradient descent (SGD) algorithms. First, the healthy and chylous plasma samples were classified into simple dichotomies. The best algorithm was identified by comparing the results of classification algorithms. The results showed that the random forest algorithm-based classification model had the best effect.Then, the chylous plasma was subdivided into different degrees of chylous plasma, which were less separable.A random forest algorithm-based plasma chylous degree detection model was established. Finally, 10 important spectral bands, including 1192.45 nm, 1182.9 nm, 946.98 nm, 1202.01 nm, 1080.93 nm, 1278.41 nm, 1237.03 nm, 991.65 nm, 1020.35 nm, and 1697.8 nm, were selected by band selection. After adjusting the parameters to optimize the model, the prediction accuracy of the whole band was 0.89. This study suggested that hyperspectral technology could identify chylous plasma and could be used to improve its detection efficiency in biomedicine, blood donation centers, human function tests, and other aspects. Filling the gap between machine learning and hyperspectral technology.To provide a new method for the diagnosis of chylous plasma.
Wangbi Tablet Regulates the Osteogenic Homeostasis by MiR335-5p through the Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway and the RANK/RANKL/OPG System: An in Vivo Animal Study
Authors: Zhang Xinyan , Sun Longji , Zheng Huilan , Tao Qingwen , Yan Zeran , Zhou Tongliang , Li Hong , Bian Yuting , Gan Chang , Wang Jianming
Published: September 2022

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated how the classic Chinese patent drug Wangbi tablet (WBT) for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) regulates the osteogenic homeostasis through miR335-5p through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and the RANK/RANKL/OPG system.
METHODS: The kidney deficiency pattern modeling rats were established by using castration operation. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) was performed on rats for joint modeling. WBT and methotrexate (MTX) gavage interventions were used according to the group situation and body weight. The ankles of the rats were reconstructed in three dimensions using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). The relative expressions of Wnt3a, Wnt10b, β-catenin, DKK1, RUNX2, DICER1, TRAP6 and NFATC1 in rat ankle bone tissues were measured using Western-Blot (WB).
RESULTS: In this study, we found that WBT promoted the expression of Wnt3a, Wnt10b, β-catenin and miR335-5p, decreased the expression of DKK1, promoted the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, increased the expression of osteogenic markers Runx2 and DICER1, and also regulated the RANKL/OPG balance in the affected joint bone tissue. The expression of osteogenic markers TRAP6 and NFATC1 was decreased, and the bone destruction of rats in CIA group and kidney deficiency pattern CIA group was improved.
Conclusion: WBT can promote the expression of miR335-5p, inhibit the expression of DKK1, regulate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and the RANK/RANKL/OPG system in the ankle bone tissue of CIA and kidney deficiency pattern CIA rats, and regulate the balance of osteoclasts to treat bone destruction in RA.
Eco-friendly fire-retardant finishing of Cotton fabric with mixture of Ammonium Sulfamate and Sodium Stannate
Authors: Pal Ayan , Samanta Ashis Kumar , Kar Tapas Ranjan
Published: September 2022

The present work describes application of mixture of Ammonium Sulfamate (AS) and Sodium Stannate (SS) on 100% cotton woven fabric for imparting eco-friendly Fire-Retardant (FR) finish without any harmful effect investigating fire retardant properties with respect to Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI), physical characteristics, inclined plan flammability test etc. The aim of the present work was to obtain LOI value around 30 or above with minimum char length and minimum loss of fabric tenacity. The treatment was carried out by impregnation of AS followed by SS in an aqueous solution and then drying at 1100C for 5 min and curing at 1500C for 4 min. After preliminary study with different concentrations (keeping total added chemical around 20%-24%) for AS and SS, final results indicated that 16% AS + 8% SS in combination renders LOI 38.30 and char length- 6.7 cm and around 30% loss of fabric tenacity. Preliminary investigation has also confirmed that 16% AS + 8% SS combination shows a synergistic effect as LOI value obtained by this chemical combination (16% AS + 8% SS) is higher than LOI value obtained by same % of application of AS or SS alone. Characterization of FR treated cotton was done by surface topography by SEM, functional groups by analysis of FTIR, element identification by XPS etc. Analysis of thermal behaviour by TGA confirms that after said FR treatment the residual char formation has increased by almost 25% and decomposition temperature of cellulose has been lowered considerably indicating a good fire-retardant property.
Synthesis of female sex pheromone of Red Hairy Caterpillar, Amsacta albistriga Walker (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) and its evaluation
Authors: MURALIKRISHNA T. , DEVAKI K. , JYOTHI K. N. , BAKTHAVATSALAM N. , VENKATESWARLU U. , KUMAR K. KIRAN
Published: September 2022

The present studies were done for identifying and evaluating the female sex pheromone of red hairy caterpillar; Amsacta albistriga. Four pheromone components were identified from female A. albistriga as Octa decanal, (Z, Z)-9,12-Octa decadienal, (Z, Z, Z)-9,12,15-Octa decatrienal and (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-Heneicosatriene and were synthesized at IICT, Hyderabad into 4 blends. These blends were tested in laboratory conditions against mated and unmated male A. albistriga. Studies revealed that slow olfactory receptor potentials could be recorded from an isolated antenna positioned between two glass capillary microelectrodes connected to an amplifier and a recording instrument. The mated and unmated male A. albistriga were responded differently for EAG studies and antennal response was observed at 10 milli volts for mated insects and > 20 milli volts for unmated one. Among all the four blends, blend 3 was effective in capturing the male A. albistriga in preliminary lab and field studies. These studies are useful for developing integrated management strategy with pheromone lures and traps in red hairy caterpillar management.
Prediction of phosphoric acid plus hydrogen peroxide (PHP) pretreatment efficiency using artificial neural network modeling
Authors: Wang Qing , Hu Jinguang , Zhao Li , Huang Mei , Tian Dong , Zeng Yongmei , Deng Shihuai , Shen Fei , Zhang Xinquan
Published: September 2022

Cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass is the most promising renewable feedstock which may become a substitute for petrochemical products. However, it is challenging to extract cellulose from biomass because of the structural resistance of lignocellulose. Phosphoric acid plus hydrogen peroxide (PHP) pretreatment is an efficient approach that might be applied to get the cellulose-enriched fraction (CEF) from biomass. This study employed the artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the PHP pretreatment efficiency. The critical conditions, including pretreatment time (t), temperature (T), H3PO4 concentration (Cp), and H2O2 concentration (Ch), were employed as input variables for the ANN model to predict the output variables: cellulose content (C-C), cellulose recovery (C-Ry), hemicellulose removal (H-Rl), and lignin removal (L-Rl). The key parameters of ANN models are selected depending on the root mean square errors (RMSE). ANN models' final optimal topological structure contains one hidden layer with 9, 10, 10, and 12 neurons for C-C, C-Ry, H-Rl, and L-Rl, respectively. The actual testing data fit the predicted data with an R2 of 0.8070–0.9989. Additionally, we computed the relative importance (RI) of input variables on output variables using the Garson equation with net weight matrixes. And the results revealed that Cp and Ch (RI 12.0–62.6%) impacted the effectiveness of PHP pretreatment primarily. T (RI 78.6%) dominates the removal efficacy of hemicellulose, and t (RI 9.5–24.6%) has less influence compared to the other conditions. The study provides insights into the optimization of biomass pretreatment.
Use of Power Burr X Distribution in the Analysis of Wind Speed for Certain Regions of Pakistan
Authors: Usman Rana Muhammad , Ilyas Maryam
Published: September 2022

A Country’s progress and development are mainly dependent on its indigenous energy supply capacity. For the past few decades, Pakistan is facing a severe energy crisis mainly due to political instability and a lack of renewable energy policies designed by the present as well as previous governments. According to Pakistan economic survey 2019-20, still, there is a shortfall of about 3000MW in the electrical sector for the summer of 2020. Wind speed models can be utilized for developing effective policies for the production of efficient renewable resources. In this study, power Burr X distribution was utilized as an alternative probabilistic model for the better evaluation of wind energy potential. The performance of the model is observed for wind speed data taken from different locations of Sindh province in Pakistan. The findings indicate that the power Burr X distribution is more preferable for the evaluation of wind speed potential as compared to Weibull and other wind speed distributions.
Medial meniscus extrusion is invariably observed and consistent with tibial osteophyte width in elderly populations: The Bunkyo Health Study
Authors: NEGISHI Yoshifumi , KANEKO Haruka , AOKI Takako , LIU Lizu , ADILI Arepati , ARITA Hitoshi , HADA Shinnosuke , MOMOEDA Masahiro , HUANG Hui , TOMURA Jun , WAKANA Suguru , SHIOZAWA Jun , KUBOTA Mitsuaki , SOMEYA Yuki , TAMURA Yoshifumi , AOKI Shigeki , WATADA Hirotaka , KAWAMORI Ryuzo , NEGISHI-KOGA Takako , OKADA Yasunori , ISHIJIMA Muneaki
Published: September 2022

We reported that full-length width of medial tibial osteophyte composed of cartilage and bone parts is directly correlated with medial meniscus extrusion (MME) in early-stage knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, no data are available for MME prevalence and its relationship to osteophyte in elderlies. 1,191 elderlies (females 57%; 72.9 years old on average) in the Bunkyo Health Study underwent standing plain radiograph and proton density-weighted MRI on knee joints. MRI-detected OA changes were evaluated according to the Whole Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score. A new method to assess cartilage and bone parts of osteophyte was developed by pseudo-coloring images of proton density-weighted fat-suppressed MRI. Most of the subjects showed the Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1 or 2 of radiographic medial knee OA (88.1%), MME (98.7%, 3.90 ± 2.01 mm) and medial tibial osteophyte (99.3%, 3.27 ± 1.50 mm). Among the OA changes, MME was most closely associated with full-length width of medial tibial osteophyte (β = 1.114; 95%CI, 1.069–1.159; p < 0.001) and consistent with osteophyte width (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.804; 95%CI, 0.783–0.823). Our data reveal that MME and medial tibial osteophyte are invariably observed in elderlies, and demonstrate that degree of MME is consistent with the full-length width of medial tibial osteophyte, suggesting that osteophyte might be implicated for MME.
A survey of electroencephalography open datasets and their applications in deep learning
Authors: Nogales Alberto , García-Tejedor Álvaro
Published: September 2022

Artificial intelligence is directly linked to data. Depending on the structure, we can classify data into different categories. The medical field encompasses them by considering various tests from other specialties. Medical data are complex to study and challenging to collect, so open datasets are golden for researchers. This paper aims to identify the primary open datasets of electroencephalography tests and their use with deep learning models. The process consisted of following the PRISMA methodology for systematic reviews. The databases included were Scopus, PubMed, Web Of Science, and Science Direct. In total, 37 datasets have been analyzed. The main conclusions said that convolutional neural networks are widely used alongside the 10-20 electrodes system.
Interaction of Genetics, Amyloid-beta and Inflammation as Mediators of Brain Structure Change in Cognitive Decline
Authors: Jin Yin , Drineas Petros , Rochet Chris , Paschou Peristera
Published: September 2022

In the presence of AD pathologies, the genetic architecture of brain structure changes related to progressive cognitive deterioration is not well examined. Here, we seek to shed light in the interplay of inflammation, amyloid-beta, and genetic background influencing brain structure changes. We studied 12-month changes in neuroimaging, inflammation and Aβ42/Aβ40 in 1322 individuals (ADNI cohort) and ran GWAS as well as SNP effect concordance analysis to test for genetic pleiotropy of identified risk variants. We uncovered genome-wide significant hits for structural change in nine brain regions, as well as change in inflammatory and Aβ42/Aβ40 biomarkers. We also found significant evidence of pleiotropy and concordance for several of the implicated genetic variants. Conditioning on inflammatory and Aβ42/Aβ40 biomarkers, novel variants that underlie brain structure change were identified. Amyloid-beta could interact with inflammatory biomarkers to affect brain structures via SNP-SNP interaction. Our findings point to the Interaction of amyloid-beta and inflammation as mediators of brain structure change and associated cognitive decline in AD and shed light into the underlying genetic background.
Coherent Tunneling in Serially Coupled Double Quantum Dots: A Theoretical Treatment
Authors: Handhal Marwa H.
Published: September 2022

In this article, through serially (one level) coupled double quantum dots made of different semiconductor materials, a physical model for studying spin-polarized electrons current under coherent tunneling effect, and Rashba spin-orbit effect, RSO, is presented in this article. A magnetic field influences Zeeman splitting of the two dots for a different Zeeman splitting. The DQD system combines two energy levels with the same spin, resulting in a coherent tunneling effect. As a function of the detuning energy (ϵ), the tunneling spin-polarized current and polarization are calculated. Using coherent tunneling, Rashba spin-orbit effect, and external magnetic field, I see that the polarization can be controlled exhaustively. Lastly, we have calculated that this system can be used as a spin filter to generate a strong spin-polarized current.
Comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genomes of two fish species Channa striata and Channa punctata using codon usage bias and their evolutionary relationship
Authors: Das Joydeep Chandra , Chakraborty Supriyo
Published: September 2022

Codon usage bias (CUB) occurs when certain codons are utilized more repeatedly than the other synonymous codons for the same amino acid in the coding sequences of genes. The investigation of CUB aids in the understanding of optimal codons, gene expression, protein production and trends of evolution. In our study, CUB was explored for the mitochondrial protein coding genes of Channa striata and Channa punctata, estimating their base contents, identifying over-represented and under-represented codons, and determining the factors contributing to the codon usage bias. The base compositions of the two fishes showed the trend C>T>A>G and the GC composition was in the order GC1>GC3>GC2. The average ENC value in both sets of coding sequences was >35, indicating a lower CUB. The mitochondrial genomes of the two fishes are AT-rich. In Channa striata, 8 codons were found to be over-represented, and 14 codons were under-represented. On the other hand, Channa punctata showed 9 over-represented codons and 18 under-represented codons across the coding sequences in mt-genome. Among the over-represented codons, CTA, ACC, AAA and GAA were found in Channa striataand not in Channa punctata. Whereas, the over-represented codons CTC, CAA, GTC, GAC and GGC were found in Channa punctata and not in Channa striata. The results suggested that both the evolutionary processes viz. selective pressure and mutation governed the codon usage arrangement in the mitochondrial genes of the two freshwater fishes.
Analysis of volatile compounds of black bean, mung bean, and soybean extracts prepared with distillation under reduced pressure-continuous liquid–liquid extraction and hot water extraction
Authors: Han Eunji , Ahn Hyunwoo , Lee Seongho , Lee Kwang-Geun
Published: September 2022

Beans are cultivated world-widely and are well-known for being abundant in proteins (20–25%), carbohydrates (50–60%), minerals and vitamins. Several researchers studied the volatile aroma constituents of beans but have not researched the effect of particle size and extraction temperature of beans. Therefore, in our research, volatile compounds of various beans (black bean, mung bean, and soybean) were analyzed on the basis of particle sizes and extraction temperatures by two extraction methods, namely, distillation under reduced pressure-continuous liquid–liquid extraction (DRP-LLE) and hot water extraction. The experimental results confirmed the presence of 10 volatile components. The five major volatile compounds were hexanal, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 1-hexanol, 1-octen-3-ol and benzaldehyde. The highest total volatile compound concentrations in the extracts of black bean, mung bean, and soybean by using DRP-LLE were obtained at 60°C and 355–500 µm, 60°C and 500–710 µm, and 50°C and 355–500 µm, respectively. For the same particle size, the total volatile compound concentrations in the extracts of black bean, mung bean, and soybean obtained by HWE at 70°C were 2–3 times significantly higher than those obtained at 90°C. Moreover, the highest total volatile compound concentration was obtained in the black bean extract by HWE at 500–710 µm, while the lowest total volatile compound concentration in the soybean extract was obtained by HWE at 500–710 µm. The total concentrations of volatiles in the black bean and soybean extracts obtained by DRP-LLE were significantly higher than those obtained by HWE.
A Comparative Role of Competent Microbes for Value-added Composting of Agricultural Waste
Authors: Naeem Urooj , Afzaal Muhammad , Haq Irfan ul , Qazi Akram , Naeem Ammar , Mahfooz Yusra
Published: September 2022

The current study aimed to explore non-pathogenic, non-aflatoxigenic and competent microbial isolates accountable for producing hydrolytic enzymes and plant growth-stimulating hormones for proficient and augmented conversion of agricultural waste press mud (PM) into biofertilizer through composting. Four bacterial (B. altitudinis CD2E, P. aeruginosa CD6C, B. velezensis BS2, B. wiedmannii BTA) and one fungal isolate (A. niger PM-4) were selected for microbial inoculum formulation for composting of PM heaps in different treatments. The compatibility studies found that the bacterial isolates were compatible with each other, however, A. niger PM-4 was found non-compatible with P. aeruginosa CD6C and B. velezensis BS2. The heap containing bacterial consortium T3 (PM + consortium) found its maturity on the 21st day by reducing more C/N, total organic carbon (TOC), higher total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) 2.15+0.02%, total phosphorous (TP) (1.42+0.01%), and total potassium (TK) (1.0+0.03%) than any other treatments.
Is prone position [18F]FDG PET/CT useful in reducing respiratory motion artifacts in evaluating hepatic lesions?
Authors: Lee Chung won , Son Hye Joo , Woo Ji Young , Lee Suk Hyun
Published: September 2022

Objectives: The prone position is useful in reducing respiratory motion artifacts in lung nodules on 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). However, whether prone position PET/CT (pPET/CT) is useful in evaluating hepatic lesions is unknown.
Methods: Thirty-five hepatic lesions (size, 13.0 ± 5.8 mm) from 20 consecutive patients (age, 67.0 ± 9.7 years) were evaluated. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) of both pPET/CT and standard supine position PET/CT (sPET/CT) were evaluated.
Results: No significant difference in SUVmax (4.41 ± 2.0 vs. 4.23 ± 1.83; p = 0.240) and MTV (5.83 ± 6.69 vs. 5.95 ± 6.24; p = 0.672) was observed between sPET/CT and pPET/CT. However, SUVmax changes on pPET/CT varied compared with those on sPET/CT (median, −4%; range: −30%–71%). pPET/CT was helpful when the [18F]FDG uptake of the hepatic lesions was located outside the liver on sPET/CT (n = 4, SUVmax change: median 15%; range: 7%–71%) and more severe blurring on sPET/CT (n = 6, SUVmax change: median 11%; range: −3%–32%).
Conclusions:The SUVmax of hepatic lesions varies on pPET/CT compared with that on sPET/CT, and pPET/CT may be helpful in individual cases.
A Model of Competition between Mom-and-Pops and Supermarkets with Heterogeneous Goods
Authors: Kwak Juwon , Mossay Pascal
Published: September 2022

Consumers have access to a larger range of goods when shopping at large-scale supermarkets. One-stop shopping provides supermarkets with a competitive advantage over mom-and-pops as demand-side economies of scope allow consumers to save on traveling costs. The purchase frequency of goods, an often-neglected factor in the literature, affects the competition among stores as more frequently purchased goods involve more trips and, therefore, higher traveling costs. We set up a model of spatial competition between a large supermarket and mom-and-pop selling goods of different purchase frequencies by relaxing the one-stop shopping assumption. Mom-and-pops’ profit function is shown to be supermodular and expresses the complementarity between the purchase frequency of the good and access to consumers. Competition in the land market leads mom-and-pops to locate close to consumers and to sort across locations in descending order of the purchase frequency of the good they are selling, while the supermarket is located further away, where land is cheaper. Furthermore, we also show that mom-and-pops, selling seldomly-purchased goods, are more exposed to competition with the supermarket and are eventually driven out of the market.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) guided structural characterization of Anti-leukemic secondary metabolite isolation from the sponge derived fungus Penicillium verruculosum (XWSO1F60) and its perspective In-silico docking.
Authors: Kaliaperumal Kumaravel , Subramanian Aravind Kumar , Subramanian Kumaran , Sahu Sunil Kumar , Ju Zhiran , Sivasankar Palaniappan , Bhushan Tyagi Vaibhav , Liu Yonghong
Published: September 2022

Background: Marine sponges are sedentary invertebrates that are found in temperate, arctic, and tropical climates. They are well known for contributing significant bioactive substances with pharmacological values which are recovered from the marine environment. Sponge-associated symbiotic microbes like bacteria and fungi tend to produce secondary metabolites which act as a defensive compound to protect the sponges from their predators. Sponge-associated fungal secondary metabolites are a diverse group of natural chemical products with biomedical relevance. Henceforth this study is aimed to evaluate the bioactive secondary metabolites produced by a sponge (Spongia officinalis) derived fungus Penicillium verruculosum (XWSO1F60).
Results: An organic ethyl acetate extract of Penicillium verruculosum sponge-derived endophytic fungi from Spongia officinalis yielded ten different secondary metabolites as averufin (1), aspergilol-A (2), rac-butyrolactone (3), methyl emodin (4), tajixanthone hydrate (5), pseudaboydin A (6), rugluxanthone-B (7), cordyol-C (8), diorcinol (9), 2’-deoxythymidine (10), which are characterized by NMR spectral studies. All ten compounds were subjected were bioactivity screening of anticancer, antimicrobial, antituberculosis, and antiviral. Among those, averufin (1), shows strong anticancer activity towards human HL60 cell lines with the IC50 concentration of 1.005 (µm), as plausible to that of standard drug taxol. Consecutive molecular docking approach of averufin with HL60 antigens revealed that ligand target bindings of averufin with the HL60 antigens are very strong enough with good pharmacokinetic properties.
Conclusion: As a concluding remark of this present investigation, sponge-derived fungus Penicillium verruculosum leads to the isolation of an anticancer metabolite named Averufin against the HL60-lung cancer cell line. Aspergilol-A is the first time reported from the fungus Penicillium verruculosum.
SRSF9 overexpression inhibits HIV-1 production by upregulating the HIV-1 mRNA splicing
Authors: Kim GaNa , Yu KyungLee , Kim HaeIn , You JiChang
Published: September 2022

Serine-arginine-rich splicing factors (SRSFs) are members of RNA processing proteins in the serine-arginine-rich (SR) family that could regulate the alternative splicing of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). Whether SRSF9 has any effect on HIV-1 regulation requires elucidation. Here, we report for the first time the effects and mechanisms of SRSF9 on HIV-1 regulation. The overexpression of SRSF9 inhibits viral production and infectivity in both HEK293T and MT-4 cells. Deletion analysis of SRSF9 determined that the RNA regulation motif domain of SRSF9 is important for anti-HIV-1 effects. Furthermore, overexpression of SRSF9 increases multiple spliced forms of viral mRNA, such as Vpr mRNA. These data suggest that SRSF9 is another gene expression regulator of HIV-1 that could be exploited further for a novel HIV-1 therapeutic molecule.
WITHDRAWN: Development of a quantitative screening method for 100 pesticides in plant- derived foods using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Wang Kuan , Jiao Bin , Almvik Marit , Dong Fengshou , Pan Xinglu , Wu Xiaohu , Xu Jun , Liu Xingang , Zheng Yongquan
Published: September 2022

This study applied comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOF-MS) for the analysis of 100 pesticides (77 organophosphorus and 23 organochlorines) in six typical plant matrices with high protein, starch, acid, or oil content. Different sorbents were evaluated in the clean-up step of the QuEChERS method, and the optimized sorbent combinations were obtained for each individual matrix. Good linearity of the calibration curves of matrix-matched was obtained (R2 ≥ 0.9853). The mean recoveries and relative standard deviations at fortification levels of 10 and 50 μg/kg ranged from 72.6 to 117.5% and 0.1 to 19.9%, respectively. Phenolic antioxidants, glycosides, phosphorus esters, linoleic acid, unsaturated fatty acids, and other interferences in individual plant matrix were identified. The results demonstrated that GC×GC-TOF-MS is helpful in separation of the co-eluted pesticides and the identification of interferences in complex plant matrices.
A Note on Exponential Length Substrings in Pattern Matching
Authors: Ulmeanu Vlad-Adrian
Published: September 2022

This note describes a hash-based mass-searching algorithm, finding (count, location of first match) entries from a dictionary against a string \(s\) of length \(n\) . The presented implementation makes use of all substrings of $s$ whose lengths are powers of \(2\) to construct an offline algorithm that can, in some cases, reach a complexity of \(O(n \log^2n)\) even if there are \(O(n^2)\) possible matches. If there is a limit on the dictionary size \(m\) , then the precalculation complexity is \(O(m + n \log^2n)\) , and the search complexity is bounded by \(O(\min (n \sqrt m \log n, \, n^2 \log n))\) , even if it performs better in practice.
Aboveground biomass variation in working landscapes of southern Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Rocha¹ Janaine Isabela da Silva , Piotto Daniel
Published: September 2022

Native tropical forests have been increasingly modified in different land uses. Many of these lands have regrown into secondary forests and agroforestry systems. In this study, we investigate how different forest covers in a working landscape contribute to aboveground biomass in the southern region of Bahia, Brazil. We used Generalized Linear Models (GLM) to compare aboveground biomass in different forest covers, as follows: secondary forests of 10, 25 and 40 years old, mature forests and two different agroforestry systems (AFS): ‘cabruca’ and ‘conventional’. Our results showed that mature forests store the highest amount of biomass compared to other forest cover, followed by advanced stage secondary forests (40 years-old), AFS cabruca and AFS conventional. The lowest biomass was found in early-stage secondary forests (10 and 25 years-old). We emphasize here the importance of mature forests for carbon storage, in addition to maintaining various ecosystem services. Furthermore, we stress the importance of working landscapes that include agroforestry systems and secondary forests, as they provide timber and non-timber products, reduce the pressure on native forest resources, and contribute to the provision of ecosystem services such as carbon storage.
Combining pedological information with bioclimatic scenarios for evaluating the effect of climate change on the modelled distribution of forest species: case of study Apuleia leiocarpa
Authors: Bispo Diêgo Faustolo Alves , Beniaich Adnane , Freire Juliana Müller , Silva Ricardo Siqueira , Barroso Deborah Guerra
Published: September 2022

Sustainable wood production is one of the current challenges due to the increasing demand for wood worldwide. Despite, forest planting has proved to be a good solution; the high wood productivity can be achieved only under favorable bioclimatic conditions, which makes this study of great value for government policies. This study aimed to assess the impact of climate on the distribution of Apuleia leiocarpa in Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, Brazil. The Species Distribution Models (SDMs) were performed using the MaxEnt model-based on-field survey of A. leiocarpa (n = 54). Pedological and bioclimatic data were used to identify suitable areas and climate change effects on the distribution of this species. Ours results have shown that the MaxEnt presented a good performance in modelling the distribution of the A. leiocarpa. The temperature was the main controlling variable of the distribution of this species. The pedological models overestimated of the suitable area. Despite that, the results provide useful information to be considered in the future in order to refine the selection of variables for a better characterization of the ecological niche. Regarding the projection of the future A. leiocarpa distribution, there was found an alarming scenario, which it must be taken into the consideration for the local authorities in order to establish a successful species-replanting program.
Thermodynamic Evaluation of Coshine Yukawa Potential (Cyp) for Some Diatomic Molecule Systems
Authors: Ekong Sylvester A. , Okorie Uduakobong S. , Ikot Akpan N. , Okon Ituen B. , Obagboye Lewis F. , Abdullah Hewa Y. , Sever Ramazan , Qadir Karwan W.
Published: September 2022

Within the framework of non-relativistic quantum mechanics, the bound state approximate solution of the SE is solved for the coshine Yukawa potential (CYP) using the Nikiforov–Uvarov (NU) method. By employing the Greene-Aldrich-type approximation scheme, we have obtained the explicit energy-eigenvalues and corresponding normalized eigen-functions in closed form for the newly proposed CYP for hydrogen-related diatomic molecules such as hydrogen dimer (H2), lithium hydride (LiH), scandium hydride (ScH) and hydrogen chloride (HCl). The thermodynamic properties are also evaluated including the vibrational partition function, vibrational mean energy, vibrational mean free energy, vibrational entropy and vibrational specific heat capacity. Presented also are some numerical results which show an indication of similar correlation of energies, owing to their ion-ion coupling with regards to similar atomic radii existing among the diatomic molecules.
The lesion responsible for the Alice in Wonderland syndrome with visual distortions is located in the right occipital lobe
Authors: Kobayashi Yuya , Tazawa Ko-ichi , Kondo Yasufumi , Yamamoto Kanji , Sekijima Yoshiki
Published: September 2022

Objective
Alice in Wonderland syndrome is extremely rare, occurring more often in young than elderly individuals. Symptoms typically include altered body image, size perception, and time perception. The pathophysiology and lesions responsible for Alice in Wonderland syndrome are unknown. In most cases, specific lesions cannot be identified with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.
Methods
This was a single-center (Nagano Municipal Hospital, Japan), retrospective study that selected consecutive patients who presented with symptoms of Alice in Wonderland syndrome.
Results
Among the 4724 patients who presented to the emergency room with neurological symptoms, two were enrolled in this study. These patients had isolated cortical venous thrombosis in the right occipital area. Both experienced transient visual symptoms. A literature search indicated that Alice in Wonderland syndrome with visual distortions is associated with right occipital lobe lesions, supporting the present findings.
Conclusion
Lesions of the right occipital area can be responsible for visual distortions in Alice in Wonderland syndrome.
Evaluating haplotype associations for brown planthopper resistance in rice using the HAPLOANNOTATOR bioinformatics tool
Authors: Sawangkaew Non , Jamboonsri Watchareewan , Arikit Siwaret , Wanchana Samart , Toojinda Theerayut , Darwell Clive T.
Published: September 2022

Arthropod pests are a major contributor to rice production losses at a global scale and are predicted to increase in severity due to anthropogenic activity. It is generally recognised that an urgent requirement is to understand the genomic basis of crop-insect resistance to develop successful selective crop breeding programs capable of sustainably supporting future generations of human civilization. We evaluated phenotypic assay of rice resistance against its predominant arthropod pest, Nilaparvata lugens (brown planthopper; BPH) in Thailand. Using four geographically distinct BPH populations against a 227 strong rice accession panel, we identified eight key functional gene haplotypes (FGHs) in rice that statistically associate with high BPH resistance. Three of these were shown to associate with high resistance against all populations of examined BPH which likely represents two BPH biotypes. Finally, correlation analyses failed to detect strong signals of FGH pyramiding indicating that identified FGHs may be capable of conferring resistance independently. Our work relies on a newly developed bioinformatics tool, haploAnnotator, that provides graphical and statistical annotation of FGHs and should prove valuable to breeding research among all crops (not only rice) that possess a published genome.
On the Dynamical Instability of Monatomic Fluid Spheres in (N+1)-dimensional Spacetime
Authors: Feng Wei-Xiang
Published: September 2022

In this note, I derive the Chandrasekhar instability of a fluid sphere in (N + 1)-dimensional Schwarzschild-Tangherlini spacetime and take the homogeneous (uniform energy density) solution for illustration. Qualitatively, the effect of positive (negative) cosmological constant tends to destabilize (stabilize) the sphere. In the absence of cosmological constant, the privileged position of (3+1)-dimensional spacetime is manifest in its own right. As it is the marginal dimensionality in which a monatomic ideal fluid sphere is stable but not too stable to trigger the onset of gravitational collapse. Furthermore, it is the unique dimensionality that can accommodate stable hydrostatic equilibrium with positive cosmological constant. However, given the current cosmological constant observed no stable configuration can be larger than 1021 M⦿. On the other hand, in (2+1) dimensions it is too stable to collapse either in the context of Newtonian Gravity (NG) or Einstein's General Relativity (GR). In GR, the role of negative cosmological constant is crucial not only to guarantee fluid equilibrium (decreasing monotonicity of pressure) but also to have the Bañados-Teitelboim-Zanelli (BTZ) solution. Owing to the negativeness of the cosmological constant, there is no unstable configuration for a homogeneous fluid disk with mass 0 < M ≤ 0.5 to collapse into a naked singularity, which supports the Cosmic Censorship Conjecture. However, the relativistic instability can be triggered for a homogeneous disk with mass 0.5 < M ≲ 0.518 under causal limit, which implies that BTZ holes of mass MBTZ > 0 could emerge from collapsing fluid disks under proper conditions. The implicit assumptions and implications are also discussed.
Novel classification of petro-clival meningiomas (PCMs) in intradural anterior trans-petrosal approach
Authors: Bai Jie , Cheng Ye , Yang Wei , Wang Leiming , Li Xiaoran , Xiao Xinru
Published: September 2022

Objective
Surgical resection of petro-clival meningiomas (PCMs) is challenging. This study aimed to establish a novel classification of PCMs based on tumor extension during intradural anterior transpetrosal approach (ATPA) and establish optimal surgical strategies for PCMs based on the classification and review the clinical outcomes.
Methods
Between January 2013 and December 2019, 128 patients of with PCMs underwent surgery by the senior author (Xr.X.). According to tumour extension, we classified the 128 patients into five types (I-V) and introduced key technologies of intradural anterior transpetrosal approach (ATPA) in different types for the first time and achieve a supreme surgical technology. The clinical data, radiological findings, surgical treatment, complications, and outcomes of patients were then retrospectively analysed.
Results
There are 22 cases (17.2%) belonged to type I, 44 patients (34.4%) of type II, 25 patients (19.5%) of III, 29 patients (22.7%) of IV, 8 patients (6.3%) in type V. Tumours were gross totally removed (GTR, Simpson I and II) in 100 patients (78.1%), sub-totally (STR, Simpson III) in 20 patients (15.6%), partially (PR, Simpson IV) in 8 patients (6.3%). Progression or recurrence rates were 5% (5/100) in GTR, 22.3% (6/20) in STR ,62.5% (5/8, 1 died) in PR. According to Karnofsky Performance Scale and Glasgow Outcome Scale, 108 patients had good recovery (84.4%,108/128) and 115 had independent (89.8%,115/128) at the end of follow-up.
Conclusions
Totally resection of PCMs is challenging, with the help of our new classification with related key technologies. Increased tumour exposure, greater resection of tumour and nerve function protection can be achieved.
Effect of B7-H4 downregulation induced by Toxoplasma gondii infection on dysfunction of decidual macrophages contributes to adverse pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Cui Lijun , Wang Yu , Ren Liqin , Li Zhidan , Jiang Yuzhu , Wang Chao , Liu Xianbing , Ren Yushan , Hu Xuemei
Published: September 2022

Background: Toxoplasma gondii（T. gondii） infection during pregnancy can lead to fetal defect or congenital complications. The inhibitory molecule B7-H4 expressed on decidual macrophage (dMφ) exerted important role in maternal-fetal tolerance. However, the effect of B7-H4 on the function of dMφ during T. gondii infection remains unclear.
Methods: In the present study, the change of B7-H4 expression on dMφ after T. gondii infection were explored in vivo and in vitro. B7-H4-/- pregnant mice and purified primary human dMφ treated by B7-H4 neutralizing antibody were used to explore the role of B7-H4 signaling on regulating the membrane molecules, arginine metabolic enzymes synthesis, and cytokines production of dMφ with T. gondii infection. Also adoptive transfer of dMφ from WT pregnant mice or B7-H4-/- pregnant mice to infected B7-H4-/- pregnant mice were used to examine the effect of B7-H4 on adverse pregnancy outcomes induced by T. gondii infection.
Results: Our results illustrated that B7-H4-/- pregnant mice infected by T. gondii displayed poorer pregnancy outcomes than those of the wild-type counterparts. B7-H4 expression on dMφ significantly decreased after T. gondii infection, which further resulted in the polarization of dMφ from M2 toward M1 phenotype by changing the expression of membrane molecules (CD80, CD86, CD163, CD206), arginine metabolic enzymes (Arg-1, iNOS) synthesis, and cytokines (IL-10, TNF-α) production. Also, we found that the B7-H4 down-regulation after T. gondii infection increased iNOS and TNF-α expression through JAK2/STAT1 signaling pathway. Besides, adoptive transfer of dMφ from WT pregnant mice donor rather than B7-H4-/- pregnant mice donor could improve adverse pregnancy outcomes induced by T. gondii infection.
Conclusions: The results demonstrated that the downregulation of B7-H4 induced by T. gondii infection leaded to the dysfunction of decidual macrophages and contributed to abnormal pregnancy outcomes. Moreover, adoptive transfer of B7-H4+dMφ could improve adverse pregnancy outcomes induced by T. gondii infection.
Using Multi-index Model to Assess the Risk From Flash Flood: a Geospatial Approach on Sunamganj Haor (Wetland) Region, Bangladesh
Authors: Saha Gourab , Kabir Md. Najmul , Khandaker Afrin
Published: September 2022

Heavy downpours in Meghalaya and Assam regions are causing flash floods in Bangladesh's northeastern Haor region at regular intervals. As high volume of water enters into the Surma river through the downstream river network, the Haor region faces heavy damage almost every year. The major focus of the study was to assess the risk of flash floods in the greater Sylhet region. Literature review of past flood scenarios have shown that Sunamganj District directly faces the wrath of flash floods each year and witnesses tremendous damage. A geospatial multi-index model was developed which considered four major indices (hazard, exposure, sensitivity, and resilience) for this risk assessment. The model systematically accounted for various flood risk indicators related to the economic, social, and physical environment of the Sunamganj District. Geostatistical methods were used to calculate the risk from the indicators and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used for composite analysis. The result showed that the high- and very high-risk zones occupied almost 40% (~ 1452.51 Km2), while the very low- and low-risk zones covered about 45% (~ 1554.66 Km2) of the Sunamganj District. Based on the risk rank, Dharampasha upazila had high percentage (~ 60%) which followed by Sulla, Derai, Jamalganj, Daksin Sunamganj, and Tahirpur upazilas respectively. The proposed methods will help the researchers to identify the causes of flash floods and the results will be helpful for policymakers and developers to take steps for flash flood risks reduction.