bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PAR1 and PAR4 exert opposite effects on tumor growth and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathways
Authors: Zhao Jia , Jin Guangyu , Liu Xudong , Wu Kai , Yang Yang , He Zhanfeng , Liu Donglei , Zhang Chunyang , Zhu Dengyan , Jiao Jia , Li Xiangnan , ZHAO SONG
Published: September 2021

BackgroundEsophageal carcinogenesis is a multifactorial process in which genetic and environmental factors interact to activate intracellular signals, leading to the uncontrolled survival and growth of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells. The intracellular pathways of ESCC cells could be regulated by proteinase activated-receptors (PARs), which are comprised of four receptors (i.e., PAR-1, PAR-2, PAR-3, and PAR-4). Therefore, the function and possible mechanism of PAR1 and PAR4 in the progression of ECSS were explored.MethodsFirst, we detected the expression levels of PAR1 and PAR4 in 27 cases of ESCC tissue specimens and cell lines by RT-qPCR, IHC and western blot. Meanwhile, the correlation between PAR1/PAR4 expression level, clinicopathological characteristics, and disease free survival were analyzed. Then, we constructed PAR1/PAR4 knockdown cell models and investigated the role of PAR1/PAR4 knockdown on the proliferation, apoptosis, changes of calcium flow, and metastasis of ESCC cell via MTT, flow cytometry, transwell and wound healing assays in vitro. Further, an experimental metastasis model in vivo was established to explore the role of stable PAR1/PAR4 knockdown on the growth and metastasis of ESCC cells. Finally, the role of nSMase2 in the activation of NF-κB induced by PAR4 and the role of NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathways in the PAR1/PAR4-mediated tumor promoting or suppressive functions were measured by immunoprecipitation, western blot and immunofluorescence.ResultsThe integrated results demonstrated the expression levels of PAR1 and PAR4 are inversely proportional in ESCC. PAR1 could potently enhance tumor growth and metastasis, while PAR4 had an inhibitory effect. Further, the co-activation of STAT3 and NF-κB is involved in the PAR1 activation-induced tumor promoting effect, while only NF-κB participates in the PAR4 activation-induced tumor inhibitory effect in ESCC. To be specific, FAK/PI3K/AKT/STAT3/NF-κB mediated PAR1 activation-induced tumor promoting effect and nSMase2/MAPK/NF-κB mediated PAR4 activation-induced tumor inhibitory effect. ConclusionsOverall, the study provided new insights into the potential implication of PAR1 and PAR4 in the pathogenesis of ESCC. Besides, FAK/PI3K/AKT/STAT3/NF-κB and nSMase2/MAPK/NF-κB pathways may be novel targets for regulating tumor growh and cancer matastasis in ESCC patients.
Aberrant upregulation of TNFRSF21 enhances tumor aggressiveness in lung cancer via activation of the ERK/FOXM1 signaling cascade
Authors: Zhou Chengwei , Chen Zixuan , Liu Jiayan , Fang Shuai
Published: September 2021

Background

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Identifying alterations in oncogenic drivers are known to be an effective strategy to explore potential druggable targets in the treatment of this disease.
Methods

Integrative analysis of the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets by R language identified TNFRSF21 is upregulated in lung cancers. Using overexpression or knockdown approach to demonstrate the gene effect and mechanisms on lung cancer cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of a commercial lung cancer tissue array showed clinic-pathological correlations.
Results

TNFRSF21 is frequently upregulated and associated with high-grade tumors and is highly correlated with advanced NSCLC. Biochemical studies confirmed that TNFRSF21 overexpression could markedly promote NSCLC cell growth and cell migration/invasion, while suppression of ERK and FOXM1 by U0126 and thiostrepton, respectively, could significantly counteract TNFRSF21-mediated NSCLC cell proliferation and aggressiveness. Mechanistic studies revealed that forced expression or ablation of TNFRSF21 could escalate or attenuate both the phosphorylation of ERK (p-ERK) and the expression of FOXM1, respectively, whereas the levels of TNFRSF21 and p-ERK were not altered when FOXM1 was inhibited by thiostrepton. On the contrary, inhibition of the intensity of p-ERK by U0126 could reduce FOXM1 expression in TNFRSF21-overexpressing NSCLC cells, which suggests that TNFRSF21 is the upstream effector of ERK signaling and that its downstream target is FOXM1.
Conclusions

This study highlights the significance of TNFRSF21 in promoting tumor aggressiveness in lung cancer by increasing ERK/FOXM1 signaling, which suggests that targeting TNFRSF21/MEK/ERK/FOXM1 may represent a potential therapy for lung cancer.
RNA Sequencing of Neuropathic Pain in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex after Nerve Injury
Authors: zhang yu , Jiang Shiwei , Liao Fei , Huang Zhifeng , Yang Xin , Zou Yu , He Xin , Guo Qulian , Huang Changsheng
Published: September 2021

Background: Neuropathic pain is a troublesome pathological condition without suitable treatments. Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) is a core brain region to process pain emotion. In this study, we performed RNA sequencing analysis to reveal transcriptomic profiles of the ACC in a rat chronic constriction injury (CCI) model.Results: A total of 1628 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by comparing the sham-operated rats and rats of 12 hours, 1, 3, 7 and 14 days after surgery, respectively. Most of the DEGs were involved in inflammatory and immune process. Although these inflammatory-related DEGs were generally increased after CCI, they demonstrated different kinetics in time-series expression with the development of neuropathic pain affection. Specifically, the expression of Ccl5 , Cxcl9 and Cxcl13 were kept going up after CCI, indicating a potentially effect of these genes on initiation and maintenance of neuropathic pain affection. The expression of Ccl2 , Ccl3 , Ccl4 , Ccl6 and Ccl7 were initially upregulated at 12 hours after CCI and then they fell back after that. Similarly, the expression of Rac2 , Cd68 , Icam-1 , Ptprc , Itgb2 , Fcgr2b were rised at 12 hours and 1 day, but fell back at 3 days after CCI. However, the expression of all of the above two clusters of genes were increased again at 7 days after CCI, when the neuropathic pain affection was developed. The initial increase of these genes may indicate an early response of ACC to nerve injury, whereas the later increase of these genes may indicate their involvement in the developing of neuropathic pain affection. Gene Ontology analysis, KEGG pathway enrichment and interaction network analysis further showed a high connectivity degree among these chemokine targeting genes. Similar expressional changes of these genes were also found in the rat spinal dorsal taking charge of the processing of nociception.Conclusions: Our results indicate chemokines and their targeting genes in ACC may be differentially involved in the initiation and maintenance of neuropathic pain affection. These genes could be the target not only the nociception but also the pain affection subsequent to nerve injury.
Research on to Measure Patent-intensive Industry Technology Lock-in from the Perspective of TML
Authors: Yang Wu , Sun Shiqiang , Gao Tengfei
Published: September 2021

As the core industry of technological innovation abilities, patent-intensive industries, cultivating their rapid development is conducive to breaking the "technological lock-in" and realizing my country's independent innovation in the core technology field. Based on the INNOJOY patent database, the wireless communication network patent was selected as the research object, and the subjective and objective weighting method and the growth rate cycle index synthesis method were used to measure the technical lock-in from the perspective of TML. The study found: (1) The technology lock-in index of the United States, Japan, and South Korea generally shows an upward trend, while the technology lock-in index of China has a trend of declining volatility, and the United States has the highest degree of lock-in in wireless communication network technology, ranking first. Japan is in the second position, South Korea is in the third position, and China is in the fourth position; (2) The six core technologies identified belong to American companies. The public years are concentrated in 2017 and 2019, and the technical field is concentrated in H04W72/04 ( The same data transmission method and user equipment), H04W72/08 (signaling for nearness service and D2D discovery in LTE networks), and H04L1/00 (method to support channel division information for uplink and downlink channels) And) these three core patents show the three core technologies are technologies in wireless communication networks.
Air Quality Assessment and Pollution Forecasting using Recurrent Artificial Neural Networks in Metropolitan Lima-Peru
Authors: Cordova Chardin Hoyos , Portocarrero Manuel Niño Lopez , Salas Rodrigo , Torres Romina , Rodrigues Paulo Canas , López-Gonzales Javier Linkolk
Published: September 2021

The prediction of air pollution is of great importance in highly populated areas because it has a direct impact on both the management of the city's economic activity and the health of its inhabitants. In this work, the spatio-temporal behavior of air quality in Metropolitan Lima was evaluated and predicted using the recurrent artificial neural network known as Long-Short Term Memory networks (LSTM). The LSTM was implemented for the hourly prediction of PM10 based on the past values of this pollutant and three meteorological variables obtained from five monitoring stations. The model was evaluated under two validation schemes: the hold-out (HO) and the blocked-nested cross-validation (BNCV). The simulation results show that periods of low PM10 concentration are predicted with high precision. Whereas, for periods of high contamination, the LSTM network with BNCV has better predictability performance. In conclusion, recurrent artificial neural networks with BNCV adapt more precisely to critical pollution episodes and have better performance to forecast this type of environmental data, and can also be extrapolated to other pollutants.
A Pan-cancer Analysis of Molecular Characteristics and Oncogenic Role of Gasdermins
Authors: Mu mingchao , Yu Qiaoling , Zhang Qin , Guo Jing , Wang Xingjie , Sun Xuejun , Yu junhui
Published: September 2021

BackgroundThe gasdermins (GSDMs) family is proposed to be pore-forming effector proteins that cause cell membrane permeabilization and pyroptosis. Despite our increasing knowledge of GSDMD, GSDME and GSDMB, the biological functions and the regulation of GSDM expression and activation remain elusive for most GSDMs. In this study, we analyzed the molecular characteristics and oncogenic role of GSDM family genes systematically. MethodsTCGA, CCLE, cBioPortal, GEPIA, CellMiner and BioGRID databases were utilized in this study. Immunohistochemical analysis and a series of in vitro experiments were conducted.ResultsWe found that, in cancer, GSDM genes and their expressions extensively changed, which were associated with patient survival. The expression of GSDMs was widely associated with cancer-related pathways, drug resistance, immune subtypes, tumor microenvironment and cancer cell stemness. However, an intra- and inter-cancer heterogeneity was discovered regarding the corresponding GSDM gene. We found that GSDMA and GSDMB regulated drug resistance to the opposite direction of GSDME. In colorectal cancer, GSDME might be a positive regulator in cell invasion and metastasis through cell migration and angiogenesis, while GSDMA, GSDMB and GSDMD might be a negatively regulator of cell migration. ConclusionsGSDM family genes might play important roles in cancer other than pyroptosis. We suggest more efforts be made to investigate the GSDM family and each GSDM gene be studied as an entity in each type of cancer.
The promotion effect of π-π interactions in Pd NPs catalysed selective hydrogenation
Authors: Guo Miao , Jayakumar Sanjeevi , Kong Xiangtao , Li Chunzhi , Li He , Chen Jian , Luo Meng-Fei , Yang Qihua
Published: September 2021

The utilization of weak interactions to improve the catalytic performance of supported metal catalysts is an important strategy for catalysts design, but still remains a big challenge. Herein, the weak interactions nearby the Pd nanoparticles (NPs) were finely tuned by using a series of imine-linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with different conjugation skeletons. The Pd NPs embedded in pyrene-COF were ca. 3 to 10-fold more active than those in COFs without pyrene in the hydrogenation of aromatic ketones/aldehydes, quinolines and nitrobenzene, though Pd have similar size and surface structure. With acetophenone (AP) hydrogenation as a model reaction, systematic studies imply that the π-π interaction of AP and pyrene rings in the vicinity of Pd NPs could significantly reduce the activation barrier in the rate-determining step. This work highlights the important role of non-covalent interactions beyond the active sites in modulating the catalytic performance of supported metal NPs.
Reconciling Anomalously Fast Heating Rate in Ion Tracks with Low Electron-Phonon Coupling
Authors: Medvedev Nikita , Volkov Alexander E.
Published: September 2021

Formation of swift heavy ion tracks requires extremely fast energy transfer between excited electrons and a lattice. However, electron-phonon energy exchange is too slow, as known from laser-irradiation experiments and calculations. We resolve this contradiction noticing that electron-phonon coupling is not the sole mechanism of energy exchange between electrons and ions: heating of electrons also alters potential energy surface of atoms, accelerating them and increasing their kinetic energy.
Higher Mucosal Antibody Concentrations in Women with Genital Tract Inflammation
Authors: Sobia Parveen , Pillay Thevani , Liebenberg Lenine J.P , Sivro Aida , Mansoor Leila E. , Osman Farzana , Passmore Jo-Ann S. , Karim Quarraisha Abdool , Karim Salim S. Abdool , Baxter Cheryl , McKinnon Lyle R. , Archary Derseree
Published: September 2021

Inflammatory cytokines augment humoral responses by stimulating antibody production and inducing class-switching. In women, genital inflammation (GI) significantly modifies HIV risk. However, the impact of GI on mucosal antibodies remains undefined. We investigated the impact of GI, pre-HIV infection, on antibody isotypes and IgG subclasses in the female genital tract. Immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes, IgG subclasses and 48 cytokines were measured prior to HIV infection in cervicovaginal lavages (CVL) from 66 HIV seroconverters (cases) and 66 matched HIV-uninfected women (controls) enrolled in the CAPRISA 004 and 008 tenofovir gel trials. Pre-HIV infection, cases had significantly higher genital IgM (4.13; IQR, 4.04-4.19) compared to controls (4.06; IQR, 3.90-4.20; p=0.042). More than one-quarter of cases (27%) had GI compared to just over one-tenth (12%) in controls. Significantly higher IgG1, IgG3, IgG4 and IgM (all p<0.05) were found in women stratified for GI compared to women without. Adjusted linear regression analyses showed several pro-inflammatory, chemotactic, growth factors, and adaptive cytokines significantly correlated with higher titers of IgM and IgG subclasses (p<0.05). The strong and significant positive correlations between mucosal antibodies and markers of GI suggest that GI may impact mucosal antibody profiles. These findings require further investigation to establish a plausible biological link between the local inflammatory milieu and its consequence on these genital antibodies.
Asymptomatic malaria remains high among seasonal migrant workers depart to home from malarious areas and may cause a resurgence of malaria transmission at high lands of northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Tilaye Tesfaye Tilaye , Tessema Belay Tessema , Gelaye Keshaun Alemu
Published: September 2021

Background

In Ethiopia, thousands of seasonal migrant workers used to travel from non-malaria or mild malaria transmission areas to malaria endemic areas for the purposes of seasonal farm activities. Most of these migrants are staying in the farm areas for land preparation, ploughing, planting, weeding and harvesting for specific period of time and back to their living areas. However, there is limited evidence how the seasonal migrant workers contribute in the transmission of malaria to new or less malaria transmission areas.
Methods

A cross sectional study was conducted at departure phase of seasonal migrant workers in Metema district from September 2018 to October 2019. A total of 1208 seasonal migrant workers were interviewed during their departure to home. Interviewed face to face interview was done using a pretested structured questionnaire. Moreover, blood samples were collected from each study participant for microscopic malaria parasite examination. The data was fitted with the logistic regression model to estimate the predictors’ of malaria transmissions.
Results

At the departure to home, the prevalence of malaria among seasonal migrant workers was 17.5% (15.6-19.45%). About 71.80 % (177/212) of the cases were Plasmodium falciparum, and 28.20% (35/212) Plasmodium vivax. The majority of seasonal migrant workers (77.4%) were from rural residence and highlanders (55%). Most (55.4%) of the migrants were visited two and more farm sites during their stay at development corridors for harvesting activities. About 116 (54.7%) asymptomatic malaria cases were returning to Dembiya(21.7%), Chilaga(19.8%) and Metema(13.2%) districts.
Conclusion

This study focuses on the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria among seasonal migrant workers during the departure phase to home. The role of seasonal migrant workers in carrying and spreading malaria parasites, as well as challenging the country's malaria prevention and elimination efforts, could be enormous. Age, occupation, origin, the number of farm sites visited, and the frequency with which LLINs used were all associated with an increased asymptomatic malaria prevalence in the study area. Tailored interventions for seasonal migrant workers could be in place by programers, partners and implementers to enhance malaria control and elimination.
Do German University Medical Centres promote robust and transparent research? – A cross-sectional study of institutional policies.
Authors: Holst Martin Reinhard , Faust Alice , Strech Daniel
Published: September 2021

Background
In light of replication and translational failures, biomedical research practices have recently come under scrutiny. Experts have pointed out that the current incentive structures at research institutions insufficiently incentivise researchers to invest in robustness and transparency and instead incentivise them to optimise their fitness in the struggle for publications and grants. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe whether and how relevant policies of university medical centres in Germany support the robust and transparent conduct of research and how prevalent traditional metrics are.
Methods
For 38 German university medical centres, we searched for institutional policies for academic degrees and academic appointments, as well as websites for their core facilities and research in general. We screened the documents for mentions of indicators of robust and transparent research and for mentions of more traditional metrics of career progression.
Results
While Open Access was mentioned in 16% of PhD regulations, other indicators of robust and transparent research (study registration; reporting of results; sharing of data, code, and protocols; and robustness) were mentioned in less than 10% of institutional policies for academic degrees and academic appointments. These indicators were more frequently mentioned on the core facility and general research websites. Regarding the traditional metrics, the institutional policies for academic degrees and academic appointments had frequent mentions of the number of publications, grant money, impact factors, and authorship order.
Conclusions
References to robust and transparent research practices are, with a few exceptions, generally uncommon in institutional policies at German university medical centres, while traditional criteria for academic promotion and tenure still prevail.
AngioJet Rheolytic Thrombectomy In Patients With Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction Thrombus Grade 5: An Observational Study
Authors: Huang Yi-xiong , Cao Yi , Chen Yu , Qiu Yi-gang , Zheng Jian-yong , Liu Ying-ming , He Jiang-chun , Li Tian-chang
Published: September 2021

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of AngioJet rheolytic thrombectomy among patients with high thrombus burden.BACKGROUND Routine manual thrombus aspiration in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) does not improve clinical outcomes and was associated with an increased rate of stroke. However, the safety of mechanical thrombus aspirationis still unknown.METHODS This was a single-center study involving 621 patients with Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction thrombus grade 5. The primary outcome was the composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)within 12 months. The safety outcome was stroke within 1-year. RESULTS AngioJet rheolytic thrombectomy was performed in 117 patients. After propensity-score matching, there was no significant difference both in the incidence of MACE(11.1% vs 17.9%, hazard ratio, 1.641; 95% confidence interval[CI], 0.822 to 3.277, p=.161) and the incidences of stroke (1.7% vs 2.6%, hazard ratio, 1.522; 95% confidence interval[CI], 0.254 to 9.107, p=.646)between two groups at 1-year follow-up.CONCLUSIONS In patients with Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction thrombus grade 5, AngioJet rheolytic thrombectomydid not improve clinical outcomesat 1 year. However, AngioJet rheolytic thrombectomy did not increase the risk of stroke in patients with high thrombus burden.
Factors Influencing Patients to Make the Decision to Discharge Themselves Against Medical Advice at Tertiary Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Sharif Malak AL , Alatawi Aeshah , Alqahtani Abdulhadi M. , Alufi Mohammed , Alghamdi Faisal
Published: September 2021

Background:DAMA is defined as any instance when a patient wants to leave the hospital against the managing physician's decision.This study aimed to identify the most common factors that influence patients to decide to choose DAMA.Results: Between March and April 2021, 510 responses were collected from participants and included in the analysis. Most of the study participants (31.4%) were over the age of 54. Our findings showed that 12.5% of our participants have had taken discharge against medical advice in the past.Conclusion: The long wait time to be seen by a physician was the major factor that forced patients to leave the emergency department against medical advice.
GSG2 Promotes Tumor Growth Through Regulating Cell Proliferation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Li Suxin , Wang Haohao , Li Luhao , Li Lin , Meng Qingbo , Wang Peiju , Shen Dongqi , Dang Xiaowei
Published: September 2021

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignant tumors in the world, and its recurrence and mortality rate are still in high level. In recent years, more and more inhibitors against gene targets have been found to be beneficial to survival. However, the function of homo-sapiens histone H3 associated protein kinase (GSG2) in HCC has not been completely understood. MethodsThe expression of GSG2 in HCC tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was used to knockdown GSG2 expression in HCC cell lines Hep3B2.1-7 and SK-HEP-1. Cell proliferation and colony formation were detected by MTT assay and colony formation assay, respectively, and flow cytometry assay was used to investigate the cell apoptosis in vitro. Mice xenograft model was constructed to detect the functions of GSG2 on tumor growth in vivo. Human Apoptosis Antibody Array was conducted to find the possible mechanism.ResultsGSG2 was overexpressed in HCC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues, which was positively related to the tumor pathological stage. The knockdown of GSG2 has the functions of inhibiting the progression of HCC, including inhibiting cell proliferation and colony formation and promoting cell apoptosis. Compared with shCtrl group, the shGSG2 group expressed higher apoptotic genes such as caspase 3, caspase 8, Fas and FasL, while lower IGF1, Bcl2 and Bcl-w. ConclusionsOur study showed that knockdown of GSG2 suppresses the tumor growth in vitro and vivo. Therefore, GSG2 might play an oncogenic role in HCC.
Comparing Clinical Impacts Between Valveless Trocar System and Standard Insufflation in Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Hsu Fang-Chin , Lin Chien-Hua , Feng Ting-Yuan , Feng An-Chieh , Chu Ting-Yi , Liao Guo-Shiou , Chen Teng-Wei , Chan De-Chuan , Hsu Kuo-Feng
Published: September 2021

Purpose

In laparoscopic surgery, higher intra-abdominal pressure is needed to achieve a well-exposed surgical field in obese patients, which may results in undesirable effects on cardiopulmonary systems. The AirSeal Intelligent Flow System™ provides stable pneumoperitoneum and constant smoke evacuation. However, studies regarding VTS in bariatric surgery are rare. This study aimed to investigate the effects of VTS on laparoscopic bariatric surgery.
Methods

We conducted a retrospective study using our prospective database. Sixty patients were enrolled equally to the VTS group and standard insufflation device group. Patient characteristics, intraoperative and postoperative data were analyzed. The Visual Analog Scale (scores: 0–10) was applied to measure the intensity of shoulder pain at 1, 12, 24, and 48 h after surgery, and surgeon’s satisfaction on the surgical field visualization was assessed using a numerical rating scale of 0 (not adequate) to 10 (optimal).
Results

There was no significant difference in bradycardia during insufflation, operative time, blood loss, shoulder pain, and complications as well as shoulder pain between groups. VTS group showed a significant higher scores of surgical field visualization.
Conclusions

There was no significant difference in most perioperative and postoperative outcomes; however, VTS group achieved a better surgical field visualization for surgeons.
High Efficient gasification in a Low-tar biomass (LTB) gasifier by Coupling with Inclined Nozzle and Combustor for Tar Reduction
Authors: Rahman Md Mashiur
Published: September 2021

A novel design of low-tar biomass (LTB) gasifier with an inclined nozzle in the pyrolysis zone and a separate combustor installed inside the partial oxidation zone has been designed, developed and tested, while maintaining an extremely low tar in the producer gas. The design process was focused on a swirling flow created by an inclined nozzle which allows a good mixing between gasifying air and pyrolysis gases in the pyrolysis zone. A separate combustor which has large annular and reverse flow zones with the help of swirl flow. The resulted mixing gases has sucked inside in to the combustor and burning the mixture with the help of induced thermal cracking in the partial oxidation zone. At an equivalence ratio of 0.35, the gasifier had a thermal capacity at 23.8 kW and a maximum cold gas efficiency of 93.1%. Using wood chips with a moisture content of 9–34%, the LTB gasifier had generated a producer gas at 7.4-27.14 mg/Nm3 with a lower heating value of 4.57–5.11 MJ/Nm3. The resulted producer gas can be piped directly to the internal combustion engine or a gas turbine at small to medium scale power plant in remote rural off-grid areas.
Attitudes Among Dermatologists Regarding Actinic Keratosis Treatment Options
Authors: Moretta Gaia , Samela Tonia , Sampogna Francesca , Ricci Francesco , Carlesimo Fabio , Panebianco Annarita , D’Erme Angelo Massimiliano , Lella Giovanni Di , Pallotta Sabatino , Dellambra Elena , Abeni Damiano , Fania Luca
Published: September 2021

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a carcinoma in situ that may progress into an invasive squamous cell carcinoma and, previously, it has been considered as a pre-cancerous lesion. Its prevalence is increasing, and it has been estimated worldwide to range between 1% and 44% of the adult population. The main risk factors for AK are advanced age, fair skin phototype and cumulative sun exposure. Treatment of AK consists of lesion-directed treatment to target single lesions (i.e., cryotherapy, curettage, electrocoagulation, and laser therapy) or field therapy to treat multiple AKs (i.e., photodynamic therapy (PDT), 5- Fluorouracil (5-FU), diclofenac sodium (DIC), imiquimod (IMQ), ingenol mebutate (Ing Meb)). The choice of therapy depends on the number and localization of AKs, patient’s condition, and the patient's tolerability and compliance. In this survey we provided data from one hundred and ten Italian dermatologists regarding knowledge and attitude towards different therapeutic approaches specific for AK. In our study, we observed that the most frequent treatments for AK are cryotherapy and PDT while surgery and laser therapy are the less frequently utilized. The most frequent topical therapies utilized are DIC and IMQ 3.75% cream compared to IMQ 5% cream, Ing Meb, and 5-FU. Choice the correct treatment for AK can be challenging but the adherence to therapy plays a key role to obtain good results. Considering the high and progressive increase in incidence of AK, it is crucial to improve the knowledge of different therapeutic approaches among dermatologists.
Degeneration of pyramidal cells of CA1, CA2, and CA3 are of the hippocampus in male rats under the influence of simvastatin
Authors: Ranaiy Mohammad Saleh , Farokhi Farah , Babaei-Balderlou Farrin
Published: September 2021

Background: Simvastatin is a lipophilic statin and can cross the blood-brain barrier. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of simvastatin on pyramidal cells in CA1, CA2, and CA3 regions of the hippocampus in healthy male rats. Method: For the experiment, 36 male Wistar rats with an average weight of 300-250 g were divided into six groups of six (each group comprised six heads). Groups: 1): Control group, 2): Vitamin D dose 5 µg / kg, 3): Simvastatin group dose 1 mg / kg, 4): Simvastatin group dose 10 mg / kg, 5): Simvastatin group dose 1 mg / kg + vitamin D dose 5 µg / kg, 6): Simvastatin group dose 10 mg / kg + vitamin D dose 5 µg / kg. The duration of drug use was 28 days. At the end of the drug administration period, the animals were slaughtered, then blood samples were taken from the animals (to check TC[1] and LDL-C[2]) and finally the brain tissue of the animals was extracted to prepare microscopic sections. Results: Statistical results of total cholesterol and LDL-C in rat serum showed that the groups receiving simvastatin 10 mg / kg and simvastatin 10 mg / kg with vitamin D supplement 5 µg / kg were significantly different compared to the control group (P <0.05).Statistical results showed a significant increase (P <0.05) in degenerated cells in the groups receiving simvastatin 10 mg / kg and simvastatin 10 mg / kg with vitamin D supplementation compared with the control group in CA1 and CA2 regions. The statistical results of the study of the percentage of The statistical results of the study of the percentage of degenerative cells in CA3 region CA3 of the hippocampus showed that all groups except vitamin D group had a significant difference (P <0.50) in the percentage of degenerative cells in this region compared to the control group.Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that simvastatin, due to its lipophilic nature, easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and reduces cholesterol in the brain, thus causing the degeneration of pyramidal cells in the hippocampus.
Preparation And Properties of Electroless Cu/Ni Composite Materials Based On Wood
Authors: Pan Yanfei , GUO Qiang , YIN Dingwen , DAI Mayin , YU Xiaofang , HAO Yinan , HUANG Jintian
Published: September 2021

The changes of properties of wood-based Cu-Ni composites were studied via electroless Cu and Ni on wood surface to obtain Cu-Ni multilayer composites with excellent properties. The surface and interface morphology of the composite coatings were investigated via laser confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The crystal structure was characterized by XRD. The hydrophobic properties of the composite coatings were tested via contact angle meter. The surface conductivity of composites was tested via four-probe. The results showed that the electrical conductivity of wood-based Cu-Ni composites was 2370.76 S/cm. The surface roughness was 9.99 μm and the thickness of uniform coating reached 157 μm via one time electroless Ni deposition and two times electroless Cu deposition. XRD analysis showed that the wood surface was uniformly covered with metal coating. The metal Cu and Ni were closely nested together to form a dense composite layer, and the composite material was light in weight. When the electroless Ni was 55 min, the contact angle could reach 123°, indicating that had best hydrophobicity. The average electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE) of Cu and Ni wood-based composites can reach 93.8 dB at L band ranging from 0.3×103 to 3.0×103 MHz) with a low thickness (157 μm), verified the multilayer composite materials can block over 99.99% of incident EM waves.
Effects of methylphenidate on height, weight and blood biochemistry parameters in prepubertal boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an open label prospective study
Authors: Çevikaslan Ahmet , Parlak Mesut , Ellidağ Hamit Yaşar , Kulaksızoğlu Sibel Çilingiroğlu , Yılmaz Necat
Published: September 2021

Background: Adverse effects of stimulants on growth in children have long been studied, but the results remain to be clarified, because metabolic changes or predictors accompanying the growth deviations were not sufficiently studied.

Objective: This open label-prospective study investigated the effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on weight, height, blood biochemistry in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Method: Prepubertal boys treated with MPH in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic at Antalya Training and Research Hospital in Health Sciences University, Turkey were recruited. Height and weight z-scores and fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and 6th month. Changes were compared by paired-samples t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Any association between the changes in growth and biochemical values was analyzed by Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation. The statistical significance threshold was p<0.01.

Results: 31 boys aged 74 to 104 months were enrolled in the study sample (mean=87.6, Standard Deviation (SD)=9.2). Osmotic release oral system-MPH (18 mg/day) was used in 77.4% (N=24) and immediate release-MPH (5 mg three times a day) in 22.5% (N=7). Average daily drug dose was 0.66 mg/kg (SD=0.12). Baseline weight z-score was 0.63 (SD=1.12), decreased significantly at 6 months (0.24 [SD=1.04]) (Z=-4.44, p=0.000, r=0.5) (median z-score was 0.53 at baseline, -0.11 at 6 months). Baseline height z-score (0.23[SD=0.87]) was not suppressed significantly at 6 months (0.28[SD=0.85])(t(30) = ‒1.50, p=0.14).

Glucose (t(30) = -4.33, p=0.000, r=0.6), creatinine (t(30)=-3.28, p=0.003, r=0.5) and 25OH-VitD (N=29, Z=-3.98, p=0.000, r=0.5) increased but alkaline phosphatase (ALP) decreased (t(28)=3.63, p=0.001, r=0.5). The differences in W-SDS and ALP were positively correlated (r=0.47, p=0.009).

Conclusions: Our results indicate the importance of monitoring blood variables that may accompany growth changes early in MPH treatment and should be further assessed in larger samples.
EKONOMİK FAKTÖRLERİN EVLİLİK KALİTESİNE ETKİSİ: BİR DYADİC MODEL TESTİ
Authors: GÜREL Betül , ÇOPUR Zeynep
Published: September 2021

Bu çalışma, ekonomik faktörlerin evlilik kalitesine etkisini incelemek amacıyla Ankara’da farklı sosyo-ekonomik düzeydeki üç ilçede yürütülmüştür. Bunun için öncelikle 211 evli çiftten (422 evli birey) veri toplanarak Evlilik Kalitesi Ölçeği (EKÖ) geliştirilmiş ve Aile Ekonomik Güçlük Ölçeğinin (AEGÖ) uyarlama çalışması yapılmıştır. Daha sonra 278 evli çift (556 evli birey) ile görüşülerek elde edilen verilerle Evlilik Kalitesi Model Testi kurulmuştur. Son formu ile EKÖ’nün 5 faktörlü ve 42 maddeden oluşan geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçek olduğu belirlenmiştir. Yapılan dyadic model testi ile kadın ve erkeklerin “aile ekonomik güçlüğü” ile “evlilik kalitesi” arasındaki ilişkide “eş tükenmişliği”nin rolü incelenmiştir. Eş tükenmişliğinin aracı rolü, Heteroseksüel Çift Dayanışması Aracı Modeli (APIMeM) ile; etkileşim rolü ise Heteroseksüel Çift Dayanışması Etkileşim Modeli (APIMoM) ile analiz edilmiştir. Model testinden elde edilen sonuçlar, ekonomik güçlükle evlilik kalitesi arasındaki ilişkinin eş tükenmişliğine bağlı olarak değişmediğini, ancak çiftlerin eş tükenmişliği arttıkça, eşlerin her ikisinin de evlilik kalitesinin anlamlı olarak düştüğünü göstermiştir. Bunun yanı sıra, eşlerin yaşadıkları ekonomik güçlük, kendilerinin ve/veya eşlerinin yaşadıkları eş tükenmişliği aracılığıyla evlilik kalitelerini düşürmektedir. Eşin evlilik kalitesinin düşük olması ise büyük ölçüde kendi eş tükenmişliği, nispeten de eşinin yaşadığı eş tükenmişliği nedeniyle gerçekleşmektedir. Çalışmadan elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda araştırmacılara, akademisyenlere, kişilere ve kurumlara yönelik çeşitli öneriler sunulmuştur.
ETHNIC IDENTITY AND OTHER FEATURES OF MODERN SINOPHONE… TIBETAN LITERATURE
Authors:   National Tsing Hua University, Zavidovskaya Ekaterina
Published: September 2021

This paper focuses on a scope of short stories starting from 1980s produced by writers, who are ethnic Tibetans or come from mixed Sino-Tibetan families, but write in Chinese, which is either their native language, or have been acquired in childhood. I am interested in discerning specific features of this literature, which make it stand apart from modern sinophone literature produced by ethnic Hans and represent ethnic identity by means of a medium unfamiliar to many of these writers.
A DEDICATED INITIATOR OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE…: THARCHIN’S INNOVATIVE COMMUNICATION OF KNOWLEDGE BETWEEN THE TIBETAN AND WESTERN WORLDS
Authors: Engelhardt Isrun
Published: September 2021

Gergan Dorje Tharchin (1890–1976), was an exceptional personality. As an intermediary between the two worlds Tharchin developed a variety of methods and means, most important of which was his primary medium, The Tibet Mirror: Its aim was to familiarize Tibetans with the world outside Tibet and to provide information on Buddhist topics. After China’s invasion in Tibet, however, Tharchin shifted the focus of his reporting and strove to supply both Tibet and the Western world with information on current events in Tibet and to open their eyes to the situation there; A further key area of focus for Tharchin was the preservation and dissemination of the Tibetan culture and language. In addition to publishing many secular Tibetan books at his Kalimpong Tibet Mirror Press, he thus also wrote textbooks and grammar books on the Tibetan language. In 1950 Tharchin even issued a Tibetan language course on the new medium of gramophone record. To meet the needs of Tibetan refugees, Tharchin published Hindi-Tibetan Self-Taught and The English-Tibetan-Hindi Pocket Dictionary. For decades he worked on what is probably the most comprehensive monolingual Tibetan dictionary. In public life in Kalimpong, Tharchin was frequently sought after as a translator for various occasions and as a mediator in conflicts and had a wide-ranging correspondence with Tibetologists and scholars from all over the world. Tharchin’s multi-faceted and innovative activities, thus, played an important role in transforming Kalimpong into a center of transcultural encounters.
MEDIA AND PRINTING IN TIBET SINCE 1950 A PRELIMINARY SURVEY… OF TIBETAN LANGUAGE JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES
Authors:   Leipzig University, Erhard Franz Xaver
Published: September 2021

Journals and magazines are a relatively new phenomenon in Tibet. Leaving aside the developments in Tibetan communities outside the PR China, Tibetan media and printing have only emerged after the integration of Tibet in the PRC. Over the past decades over 100 periodicals appeared across the Tibetan plateau. While initially introduced as mouthpieces of the Communist Party, today a broad variety of publications exist — from the official Party journals to independently funded poetry magazines. The present article summarizes the history and development of Tibetan publishing and printing and presents a list of Tibetan language journals and magazines published since the early 1980s, classifying them into three categories regarding their status: official, internal, unofficial or samizdat.
THE ROUND WORLD IN EARLY TIBETAN-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS
Authors:   Staff Editor Foreign Desk, “Der Standard”, Sawerthal Anna
Published: September 2021

In the first half of the twentieth century, most Tibetans believed the world to be flat. Yet, a debate had started to develop amongst an intellectual elite on whether the world might be round. At that time, a scholastic paradigm trending in Europe was entering the Tibetan plateau, which focused on a measurable, visible and tangible reality. In 1938 the Tibetan intellectual enfant terrible Dge ‘dun chos ‘phel published the famous article “The Round and Spherical World” in one of the first Tibetan-language newspapers, the Yul phyogs so so’i gsar ‘gyur me long (The Tibet Mirror, 1925–1963). For the said piece, Dge ‘dun chos ‘phel is often remembered as being the first Tibetan scholar publishing on the “round world” for Tibetans. Mostly overlooked has been the fact that his article is embedded in a media discourse which had started much earlier. Studying early Tibetan-language newspapers reveals that his article was only one contribution on the “round world” amongst many. The following study shows how early Tibetan-language newspapers were at the forefront of disseminating this knowledge into the Tibetan world. Studying articles on the shape of the world in the La dwags kyi ag bar (“Ladakh Newspaper”, 1904–1910, Kye lang ag bar (“Kyelang Newspaper”, 1926–1935), La dwags pho nya (“Ladakh Messenger”, 1937–1950s), and The Tibet Mirror, allows us to trace how modern knowledge entered the Tibetan cultural sphere. It further presents an opportunity to sketch out an early Tibetan-language public, as particular flows of information between these newspapers can be observed.
MODERN TIBETAN GRAMMARS
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Smirnova Maria , Lebedeva Julia ,   St. Petersburg State University, Grokhovskiy Pavel ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: September 2021

The article presents an experience of studying contemporary Tibetan grammar works, most of which were published in China and India between 1962 and 2010. The Tibetan grammatical tradition dates back to the first grammatical treatises of Sum cu pa and Rtags kyi ‘jug pa. These grammars founded the tradition of the Tibetan grammatical description, which was developed by authors of numerous commentaries until the 20th century. The article describes the history of the creation the first two grammatical treatises, their content and structure. The article also gives a description of the development of linguistic thought by later commentators. Modern grammars are classified on different principles — according to the methods of describing the Tibetan language, main subjects, strength of connection with the grammatical tradition of the first treatises etc.
Future climate change impacts on runoff of scarcely gauged Jhelum river basin using SDSM and RCPs
Authors: Munawar Saira , Tahir Muhammad Naveed , Baig Muhammad Hassan Ali
Published: September 2021

Climate change is a global issue and causes great uncertainties in runoff and streamflow projections, especially in high-altitude basins. The quantification of climatic indicators remains a tedious job for the scarcely gauged mountainous basin. This study investigated climate change by incorporating GCM (CCSM4) using the SDSM method for RCPs in the Jhelum river basin. Historical climatic data were coupled with Aphrodite data to cope with the scarcity of weather stations. SDSM was calibrated for the period 1976–2005 and validated for the period 2006–2015 using R2 and RMSE. Future climatic indicators were downscaled and debiased using the MB-BC method. The de-biased downscaled data and MODIS data were used to simulate discharge of Jhelum river basin using SRM. Simulated discharge was compared with measured discharge by using Dv% and NSE. The R2 and RMSE for SDSM range between 0.89–0.95 and 0.8–1.02 for temperature and 0.86–0.96 and 0.57–1.02 for precipitation. Projections depicted a rising trend of 1.5 °C to 3.8 °C in temperature, 2–7% in mean annual precipitation and 3.3–7.4% in discharge for 2100 as compared to the baseline period. Results depicted an increasing trend for climatic indicators and discharge due to climate change for the basin.
The impacts of increasing water scarcity and the potential for water-related conflict in Lamu, Kenya
Authors: Maingey Yvonne , Opondo Maggie , Olago Daniel , Ouma Gilbert
Published: September 2021

In the age of climate change, the efficient allocation, distribution and use of water raises complex issues for water management, with far-reaching and often contentious consequences. As water becomes scarcer, water-related tensions are imminent on different scales. It is the interplay of these tensions with a number of socioeconomic, political, environmental and cultural factors that determine the probability of conflict. Lamu, found in the coastal part of Kenya, is a unique location in that access to water is already a major challenge. Combined with the negative impacts of climate change, and the ongoing large infrastructural development in the region, Lamu is on the verge of a water crisis. As such, there is a need for research into the context-specific factors that play a part in heightening the potential for water-related conflict amidst increasing water scarcity. The focus of this study was to identify and evaluate the context-specific factors that will amplify the potential for water-related conflict in Lamu. The findings suggest religion, migration, and poverty are factors that would heighten the potential for water-related conflict in the region amidst increasing water scarcity. The study recommends that these factors need to be addressed urgently and should be part of any water management mechanism in Lamu, in order to avoid water-related conflicts. Additionally, the findings imply that anticipating the stressors for water-related conflict in Lamu will play a significant role in managing conflict and facilitating negotiations over the region's water resources.
Synthesis of hydrochar supported zero-valent iron composites through hydrothermal carbonization of granatum and zero-valent iron: potential applications for Pb2+ removal
Authors: Jia Guangyin , Tang Xiangchao , Xu Jie
Published: September 2021

In the present investigation, a one-step synthesis of hydrochar (HC) supported zero-valent iron (ZVI) was performed through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of granatum and ZVI. According to XRD, XPS, and FTIR data, ZVI was evenly distributed on the surface of the hydrochar. In addition, the external ZVI oxide layer and the functional groups present in the hydrochar remained on the surface of the HC/ZVI composites after HTC treatment. The surface area of the HC/ZVI composites was between 31.11 and 44.16 m2/g. These numbers were higher than those obtained for hydrochar (20.36 m2/g) and ZVI (12.14 m2/g) separately. The Pb2+ adsorption capacity of hydrochar and ZVI was 28.64 and 192.44 mg/g, respectively (25 °C, pH = 6.05, Pb2+ concentration of 200 mg/L with 0.05 g HC and 0.01 g ZVI). In addition, the adsorption capacity of the composites was between 49.63 and 88.09 mg/g. The data obtained for Pb2+ removal by the samples used in this experiments fitted well the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models. Therefore, hydrochar may represent a promising supporting material for the synthesis of ZVI composites.