bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Therapeutic Targets and Prognostic Biomarkers of CXC Chemokines in Cervical Cancer Microenvironment
Authors: Kong Wei na , Zhao Gang , Chen Hai xia , Wang Wei na , Shang Xiao qian , Sun Qian nan , Guo Fan , Ma Xiu min
Published: May 2021

Background: It is well known that the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been received an increasing number of attention. CXC chemokines could regulate immune cell transport and tumor cell activity, thus exerting anti-tumor immunity. However, studies on the expression and prognosis of CXC chemokines in cervical cancer (CC) are more limited. Methods: The study investigated the role of CXC chemokines in the TME and prognosis of CC using public databases. Moreover, quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) of CXC chemokines were performed to further verify. Results: The transcriptional levels of CXCL1/3/5/6/8/9/10/11/13/14/16/17 in CC tissues were significantly elevated while the transcriptional levels of CXCL2/4/7/12 were significantly reduced. We reached a consistent conclusion that the expression of CXCL9/10/11/13 was verified by Q-PCR and IHC. Moreover, CC patients with low transcriptional levels of CXCL1/2/3/4/5/8 were signifi-cantly associated with longer overall survival (OS). Our data suggest that RELA, NFKB1, and SP1 are key transcription factors for CXC chemokines, and the LCK, LYN and PAK are CXC chemokine kinases targets. We found significant correlations among the expression of CXC chemokines and the infiltration of six types of immune cells. Conclusions: We performed a comprehensive analysis of CXC chemokines via clinical data and some online tumor database. Our results may provide new idea for the selection of immunotherapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers for cervical cancer.
Higher NDUFS8 Serum Levels Correlate with Better Insulin Sensitivity in Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Flotyńska Justyna , Klause Daria , Kulecki Michał , Cieluch Aleksandra , Pakuła Martyna , Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz Dorota , Uruska Aleksandra
Published: May 2021

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the function of Complex I by measuring NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 8 serum level and the relationship with insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes. T1DM causes adverse changes in the mitochondria, which can influence the development of chronic complications. The NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 8 (NDUFS8 protein) is a subunit of NADH dehydrogenase and plays an important role in the mitochondrial function. NDUFS8 serum concentration probably reflects the function of mitochondria. Methods: All of 36 people suffer from T1DM. All participants were treated with functional intensive insulin therapy. NDUFS8 protein serum concentration was measured using the ELISA test. Insulin resistance was evaluated with indirect marker estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR). The group was divided on the base of median value of eGDR (higher eGDR – less IR). Results: The study group consisted of 12 women and 24 men, aged 39.5 (28.0-46.5) years with the duration of the disease 22 (15-26) years. Medians of eGDR and NDUFS8 protein concentration were 7.6 (5.58-8.99) mg/kg/min and 2.25 (0.72-3.81) ng/ml, respectively. The group with higher insulin sensitivity had higher NDUFS8 protein serum concentration, lower WHR, BMI and they were younger. A negative correlation was observed between NDUFS8 protein serum concentration and WHR (rs=-0.35,p=0.03), whereas a positive correlation was observed between NDUFS8 protein serum concentration and eGDR (rs=0.43,p=0.008). Multivariate linear regression confirmed a significant association between insulin sensitivity and better mitochondrial function (beta=0.54,p=0.003), independent of age, duration of diabetes and smoking. Conclusions: Higher NDUFS8 protein serum concentration is associated with higher insulin sensitivity among people with T1DM and might reflects better mitochondrial function.
Ab Initio Thermodynamics Reveals the Nanocomposite Structure of Ferrihydrite
Authors: Sassi Michel , Chaka Anne , Rosso Kevin
Published: May 2021

Ferrihydrite is a poorly crystalline iron oxyhydroxide nanomineral that serves a critical role as the most bioavailable form of ferric iron for living systems. However, its atomic structure and composition remain unclear due in part to ambiguities in interpretation of X-ray scattering results. Prevailing models so far have not considered the prospect that at the level of individual nanoparticles multiple X-ray indistinguishable phases could coexist. Using ab initio thermodynamics we show that ferrihydrite is likely a nanocomposite of distinct structure types whose distribution depends on particle size, temperature, and hydration. Nanoparticles of two contrasting single-phase ferrihydrite models of Michel and Manceau are here shown to be thermodynamically equivalent across a wide range of temperature and pressure conditions despite differences in their structural water content. Higher temperature and water pressure favor the formation of the former, while lower temperature and water pressure favor the latter. For aqueous suspensions at ambient conditions, their coexistence is maximal for particle sizes up to 12 nm. The predictions can be connected to and help resolve different observations in various experiments.
Self-Heating Hotspots in Superconducting Nanowires Cooled by Phonon Black-Body Radiation
Authors: Dane Andrew , Allmaras Jason , Zhu Di , Onen Murat , Colangelo Marco , Baghdadi Reza , Tambasco Jean-Luc , Morimoto Yukimi , Forno Ignacio Estay , Charaev Ilya , Zhao Qing-Yuan , Skvortsov Mikhail , Kozorezov Alexander , Berggren Karl
Published: May 2021

Controlling thermal transport is important for a range of devices and technologies, from phase change memories to next-generation electronics. This is especially true in nano-scale devices where thermal transport is altered by the influence of surfaces and changes in dimensionality. In superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, the thermal boundary conductance (TBC) between the nanowire and the substrate it is fabricated on influences most of the performance metrics that make these detectors attractive for applications. This includes the maximum count rate, latency, jitter, and quantum efficiency. Despite its importance, the study of TBC in superconducting nanowire devices has not been done systematically, primarily due to the lack of a straightforward characterization method. Here, we show that simple electrical measurements can be used to estimate the TBC between nanowires and substrates and that these measurements match acoustic mismatch theory across a variety of substrates. Numerical simulations allow us to refine our understanding, however, open questions remain. This work should enable thermal engineering in superconducting nanowire electronics and cryogenic detectors for improved device performance.
An Efficient Route Optimization Using Ticket-Id Based Routing Management System (T-ID BRM)
Authors: S Venkatasubramanian , A Suhasini , C Vennila
Published: May 2021

MANET – Mobile Ad Hoc Network is the connection of several remote mobile nodes. These networks are dynamic and independent to move anywhere. It does not contain any central controller, and hence it is stated as a structure less network. MANET is one of the most emerging technologies getting popular in recent days. It's significant features, and real-time issues grab the research community's attention towards it. The unstable data transmission will leverage the overall network performance, and designing an energy-efficient routing protocol is challenging. The main reason for this problem is the lack of a stable multipath routing system and resource constraints. Various research works have launched several efficient routing mechanisms, but the need for advancement still exists. In this paper, we propose a Ticket –ID Based Routing management system for enabling reliable routing for the entire network. The proposed system work under the TID principle, which executes according to the node properties and routing maintenance system. This system works under the supervision of TID- Routing manger. The TID routing manager is responsible for managing the ticketing pool and allocating unique ticket-ID based on the collected node factors such as energy, node location, speed, etc. The proposed routing system facilitates the shortest path for reliable communication. An experimental work using NS- simulator is done with the proposed method. The proposed work's efficiency is determined using a comparison work between T-ID BRM with TABRP, OGFSO, and PDMR. The observation states that the proposed Ticket-ID system achieves 94% better than other existing methods.
Sex Differences in Recovery of Motor Function in a Rhesus Monkey Model of Cortical Injury
Authors: Bottenfield Karen R. , Bowley Bethany , Pessina Monica , Medalla Maria , Rosene Douglas , Moore Tara
Published: May 2021

Background: Stroke disproportionately affects men and women, with women over 65 experiencing increased severity of impairment and higher mortality rates than men. Human studies have explored risk factors that contribute to these differences, but additional research is needed to investigate how sex differences affect functional recovery and hence the severity of impairment. In the present study, we used our non-human primate model of cortical injury and fine motor impairment to compare sex differences in the rate and degree of motor recovery following this injury. Methods: Aged male and female rhesus monkeys were trained on a task of fine motor function of the hand before undergoing surgery to produce a cortical lesion limited to the hand area representation of the primary motor cortex. Post-operative testing began two weeks after the damage and continued for 12 weeks. All trials were video recorded and latency to retrieve a reward was quantitatively measured to assess the trajectory of post-operative response latency and grasp pattern compared to pre-operative levels. Results: Postmortem analysis showed no differences in lesion volume between male and female. However, females returned to their pre-operative latency and grasp patterns significantly faster than males. To further investigate this finding, we also performed a correlation analyses comparing pre-operative estrogen levels in the females with all measures of recovery. No significant relationship was found. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the need for additional studies to further investigate the role of estrogen and other sex hormones that may differentially affect recovery outcomes in the primate brain.
Ability of The Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Y904 to Tolerate and Adapt to High Concentrations of Selenium
Authors: Mota Layna Amorim , Silva Ana Paula Maria da , Silva Eric Alberto da , Leite Gabriela Maria Ferreira Lima , Calegari Rubens Perez , Baptista Antonio Sampaio
Published: May 2021

The rational use of by-products is essential for the development of a sustainable society. Worldwide, the alcoholic fermentation industry generates a large surplus of yeasts, on the scale of millions of tons. So there is a need for beneficial applications to humanity of this surplus. Yeasts, in turn, have the ability to bioaccumulate minerals and enable their bioavailability after cell autolysis. Among these minerals, we highlight selenium (Se), which participates in the formation of antioxidant enzymes. The objectives of the work were to define the minimum and maximum concentration of Se that yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae – Y904) support and the concentrations that they tolerate once adapted. To this end, a test of tolerance to Se was carried out, using treatments with different concentrations of Se. The adaptive process started at the maximum concentration obtained in the tolerance test of 60 µg mL− 1, with an increasing addition of 6 µg mL− 1, reaching up to 246 µg mL− 1 of Se. The macromorphological characteristics and number of colony forming units were evaluated. It was identified that yeasts without adaptation grew on substrate containing up to 60 µg mL− 1 of Se and those adapted, up to 246 µg mL− 1 of Se. In addition to the reduction in yeast growth speed, from the concentration of 84 µg mL− 1 of Se in the medium, morphological changes in colony color were observed. It is concluded that non-adapted yeasts support up to 60 µg mL− 1 of Se and, after the adaptive process, they support 246 µg mL− 1 of Se in the medium.
Turnover of Type I and III Collagen Predicts Progression of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Jessen Henrik , Hoyer Nils , Prior Thomas , Frederiksen Peder , Karsdal Morten , Leeming Diana , Bendstrup Elisabeth , Sand Jannie , Shaker Saher
Published: May 2021

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by the accumulation of fibrillar collagens in the alveolar space resulting in reduced pulmonary function and a high mortality rate. Biomarkers measuring the turnover of type I and III collagen could provide valuable information for prognosis and treatment decisions in IPF. Methods: Serological biomarkers reflecting the formation of type III collagen (PRO-C3) and degradation of type I (C1M) and III collagen (C3M) were evaluated in a real-world cohort of 178 newly diagnosed IPF patients. Blood samples and clinical data were collected at baseline, six, and 12 months. Baseline and longitudinal biomarker levels were related to disease progression of IPF (defined as >5% decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) and/or >10% decline in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco) and/or all-cause mortality at 12 months). Furthermore, we analysed differences in percentage change of biomarker levels from baseline between patients receiving antifibrotic treatment or not.Results: Increased baseline levels of type I and III collagen turnover biomarkers were associated with a greater risk of disease progression within 12 months compared to patients with a low baseline type I and III collagen turnover. Patients with progressive disease had higher serum levels of C1M (P=0.038) and PRO-C3 (P=0.0022) compared to those with stable disease over one year. There were no differences in biomarker levels between patients receiving pirfenidone, nintedanib, or no antifibrotics. Conclusion: Baseline levels of type I and III collagen turnover were associated with disease progression within 12 months in a real-world cohort of IPF patients. Longitudinal biomarker levels of type I and III collagen turnover were related to progressive disease. Moreover, antifibrotic therapy did not affect type I and III collagen turnover biomarkers in these patients. PRO-C3 and C1M may be potential biomarkers for a progressive disease behavior in IPF.
Validation of ZMYND8 as a New Treatment Target in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Choi Sangjoon , Lee Keun-Woo , Koh Hyun Hee , Park Sujin , Yeo So-Young , Joh Jae-Won , Choi Moon Seok , Kim Seok-Hyung , Park Cheol- Keun , Ha Sang Yun
Published: May 2021

Background: ZMYND8 (zinc ﬁnger MYND (Myeloid, Nervy and DEAF-1)-type containing 8) has been known to play an important role in tumor regulation in various types of cancer. However, the results of ZMYND8 expression and their clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not yet been published. In the present study, we investigate the expression of ZMYND8 protein and mRNA in HCC and elucidate its prognostic significance.Methods: ZMYND8 protein and mRNA expression in 283 and 234 HCCs were investigated using immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions. The relationships between ZMYND8 expression with clinicopathologic features and prognosis of HCC patients were evaluated. Furthermore, we performed the invasion, migration, apoptosis, soft agar formation assay and sphere formation assay in HCC cell lines, and evaluated tumorigenicity in a nude mouse model, after ZMYND8 knockdown. Results: Overexpression of ZMYND8 protein and mRNA was observed in 20.5% and 26.9% of HCC cases, respectively. High ZMYND8 expression showed significant correlations with microvascular invasion, high Edmondson grade, advanced American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), and increased alpha-fetoprotein level. ZMYND8 mRNA overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for predicting early recurrence as well as short recurrence-free survival (RFS). Downregulation of ZMYND8 reduced migration and invasion of HCC cells, and promoted apoptosis of HCC cells in an in vitro model. In a xenograft nude mouse model, knockdown of ZMYND8 significantly reduced tumor growth.Conclusions: ZMYND8 mRNA overexpression could be a prognostic marker of shorter RFS in HCC patients after curative resection. ZMYND8 might play an important role in the proliferation and progression of HCC and could be a promising candidate for targeted therapy.
Identifying Condition-action Statements in Medical Guidelines: Three Studies using Machine Learning and Domain Adaptation
Authors: Hematialam Hossein , Zadrozny Wlodek W.
Published: May 2021

Background: Medical guidelines provide the conceptual link between a diagnosis and a recommendation. They often disagree on their recommendations. There are over thirty five thousand guidelines indexed by PubMed, which creates a need for automated methods for analysis of recommendations, i.e., recommended actions, for similar conditions. Results: This article advances the state of the art in text understanding of medical guidelines by showing the applicability of transformer-based models and transfer learning (domain adaptation) to the problem of finding condition-action and other conditional sentences. We report results of three studies using syntactic, semantic and deep learning methods, with and without transformer-based models such as BioBERT and BERT. We perform in depth evaluation on a set of three annotated medical guidelines. Our experiments show that a combination of machine learning domain adaptation and transfer can improve the ability to automatically find conditional sentences in clinical guidelines. We show substantial improvements over prior art (up to 25%), and discuss several directions of extending this work, including addressing the problem of paucity of annotated data.Conclusion: Modern deep learning methods, when applied to the text of clinical guidelines, yield substantial improvements in our ability to find sentences expressing the relations of condition-consequence, condition-action and action.
Risk of Major Bleeding and Thromboembolism in Asian Atrial Fibrillation Patients Using Non-vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin
Authors: Huang Ya-Ling , Chen Ching-Yao , Chu Ching-Chi
Published: May 2021

Background: Bleeding or thromboembolism prevention is important in patients with atrial ﬁbrillation receiving anticoagulants, including non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants and warfarin. Asians have higher risks of bleeding complications when taking anticoagulants. However, evidence that considers laboratory parameters is lacking.Objective: We aimed to compare the safety and effectiveness between non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants and warfarin in Asian patients with atrial ﬁbrillation.Setting: Retrospective design using hospital-based data.Method: This propensity score-matched cohort study included data extracted from the electronic medical records of the En Chu Kong Hospital Research Database. Main outcome measure: Outcome measures were major bleeding and thromboembolism. Cox proportional hazard models were applied for evaluating hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals.Results: Among 1,075 patients with atrial ﬁbrillation, 687 and 388 were administered non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants and warfarin, respectively. After propensity score matching, 264 patient pairs were selected. Compared with warfarin use, non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant use was associated with similar risks for major bleeding and thromboembolism; however, the latter was associated with increased gastrointestinal bleeding risks (adjusted hazard ratio 3.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-11.39). Notably, an approximately 10-fold increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding was observed in 0-6-month non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant users (adjusted hazard ratio 10.13, 95% confidence interval 1.27-80.89). Conclusion: Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant use was not associated with major bleeding and thromboembolism occurrence in Asian patients with atrial ﬁbrillation. However, non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant use was associated with increased gastrointestinal bleeding risks, especially when used within 0-6 months.
Assessment of the Biological Response of the Scleractinian Coral Seriatopora Hystrix to Sunscreen Products
Authors: Canavez Andrezza D. P. M. , Renouf Eloïse , Mercy Marine , Lorencini Marcio , Schuck Desiree C.
Published: May 2021

Every second, 0.8 litres of sunscreen enters ocean waters, which corresponds to the release of 25.000 tons per year. UV filters may present substantial threats to marine fauna and flora and have an impact similar to that of other contaminants. Coral reefs play a major role in marine biodiversity, and some publications suggest that they are threatened by the release of sunscreen into the environment, which should cause bleaching. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of sunscreen products on hard corals. Laboratory experiments in which Seriatopora hystrix coral fragments were exposed to 9 sunscreens at concentrations up to 100 mg/L for 96 hours were conducted, and the biological responses of the fragments were assessed. The examined parameters were coral bleaching and polyp retraction. The results obtained revealed that the 9 tested sunscreens had no effects on S. hystrix, with a recorded NOEC (No Observed Effect Concentration) of 100 mg/L for both tested parameters. This concentration is much higher than those of chemicals in the natural environment, which are on the order of µg/L or ng/L. Under the conditions in this experiment, the absence of toxic effects from the tested sunscreens allows us to argue the absence of potential danger on corals.
Fabrication and Characterization of Friction Stir-Processed Mg-Zn-Ca Biomaterials Strengthened with MgO Particles
Authors: Liu Zhen , Cai Yangchuan , Chen Jie , Han Jian , Mao Zhiyong , Chen Minfang
Published: May 2021

Magnesium alloy composites play an important role in biomaterials field. In this study, a novel Mg-Zn-Ca matrix composite was reinforced by adding 1.0 wt.% MgO nanoparticles via the high shear casting process. Hereafter, friction stir processing (FSP) was used to achieve a good dispersion of MgO particles and improve the mechanical properties of the composites. After the preparation of the novel composite materials, varied characterization and performance test methods have been selected for comparison. The results illustrate that through FSP, the corresponding microstructure and properties of as-cast MgO/Mg-Zn-Ca composites were significantly modified, and the best combination of the key parameters is 1200 rpm and 60 mm/min for rotational velocity and traveling speed, respectively. After the optimized FSP treatment, the grains size in FSP-processed composites were refined by 42%, to reach 1.04 μm. Due to the grain refinement and the redistribution of MgO particles, the hardness of the FSP-processed MgO/Mg-Zn-Ca composites were increased by 40%, to reach 101.2 HV. Further, it displayed excellent corrosion resistance as well as strength. Compared to the strengthening through grain refinement, the particle strengthening is more dominant based on the study. And meanwhile, the modified grains and added MgO particles are beneficial to the properties of the nugget zones.
The Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome, Scoring and Comparison in People with and without COPD: Evidence From Shahrekord PERSIAN Cohort Study
Authors: Kiani Fatemeh Zeynab , Ahmadi Ali
Published: May 2021

Background
Comorbidities are common in patients with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS and its components in people with and without COPD.
Methods
This population-based study was performed on 6961 adult years in the Shahrekord Prospective epidemiological research studies in Iran. Data collection, spirometry indexes and COPD diagnosis were performed according to the cohort protocol from 2015 to 2019. The data were analyzed by two-independent sample t-tests, chi-square, and logistic regression models. P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. All analyses were conducted using stata statistical software: release 16 (stata Corp, College Station, Texas 77845 USA).
Result
The prevalence of MetS in patients with and without COPD was 28.4% and 31%, respectively. The most common component of MetS in people with COPD was low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (47.4%), waist circumference (WC) (43.9%), and High fasting blood sugar (FBS) (39.3%). There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of respiratory problems between people with and without MetS. The age above 60 years (OR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.72–2.80), woman gender (OR = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.49–1.97), obesity (OR = 11.17, 95%CI: 9.02–13.62), illiterate education (OR = 1.80, 95%CI: 1.49–2.17), and living in urban (OR = 1.96, 95%CI: 1.64–2.35) are stronger predictors of MetS in this population.
Conclusion
There was no significant difference in the prevalence of MetS between patients with and without COPD. spirometry parameters and respiratory problems in subjects with and without metabolic syndrome were significance.
Pulmonary Hamartoma Associated With Lung Cancer (PHALC Study): Results of a Multicenter Study
Authors: Fiorelli Alfonso , D’Andrilli Antonio , Carlucci Annalisa , Vicidomini Giovanni , Argento Giacomo , Marinucci Beatrice Trabalza , Ardissone Francesco , Rapanà Roberta , Sobrero Simona , Carbognani Paolo , Ventura Luigi , Bocchialini Giovanni , Ragusa Mark , Tassi Valentina , Sollitto Francesco , Loizzi Domenico , Ardò Nicoletta Pia , Anile Marco , Puma Francesco , Rendina Erino Angelo , Venuta Federico , Serra Nicola , Santini Mario
Published: May 2021

PURPOSEPulmonary hamartoma is the most common benign tumor of the lung. We analyzed a 20-year historical series of patients with pulmonary hamartoma undergoing surgical resection, aiming to evaluate the characteristics, the outcomes, and the association between hamartoma and lung cancer. METHODSIt was a retrospective multicenter study including the data of all consecutive patients with pulmonary hamartoma undergoing surgical resection. The end-points were to evaluate: i) the characteristics of hamartoma, ii) outcomes, iii) whether hamartoma was a predictive factor for lung cancer development RESULTSOur study population included 540 patients. Upfront surgical or endoscopic resection was performed in 385 (71%) cases while in the remaining 155 (29%) cases, the lesions were resected 20±3.5 months after diagnosis due to increase in size. In most cases, lung sparing resection was carried out including enucleation (n=259; 48%) and wedge resection (n=230; 43%) while 5 (1%) patients underwent endoscopic resection. Only two patients (0,2%) had major complications. One patient (0.23%) had recurrence after endoscopic resection, while no cases of malignant degeneration were seen (mean follow-up: 103.3±93 months). Seventy-six patients (14%) had associated lung cancer, synchronous in 9 (12%) and metachronous in 67 (88%). Only age > 70-year-old (p=0.0059) and smokers >20 cigarettes/day (p<0.0001) were the significant risk factors for cancer development on logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONSSurgical resection of hamartoma is a safe procedure; recurrence and malignant degeneration are very uncommon and the association between hamartoma and lung cancer seems to be a spurious phenomenon.
Rapid and stable mobilization of fully functional spike-specific CD8+ T cells preceding a mature humoral response after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination
Authors: Thimme Robert , Oberhardt Valerie , Luxenburger Hendrik , Kemming Janine , Schulien Isabel , Ciminski Kevin , Giese Sebastian , Janowska Iga , Staniek Julian , Wild Katharina , Lang-Meli Julia , Csernalabics Benedikt , Basho Kristi , Marinescu Mircea , Fuchs Jonas , Topfstedt Fernando , Janda Ales , Sogukpinar Oezlem , Hilger Hanna , Stete Katarina , Emmerich Florian , Bengsch Bertram , Sagar Sagar , Waller Cornelius , Rieg Siegbert , Zoldan Katharina , Boettler Tobias , Kochs Georg , Schwemmle Martin , Rizzi Marta , Neumann-Haefelin Christoph , Hofmann Maike
Published: May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccines mediate protection from severe disease as early as 10 days post prime vaccination, when specific antibodies are hardly detectable and still lack neutralizing activity. Vaccine-induced T cells, especially CD8+ T cells, may thus be the main mediators of protection at this early stage. The details of antigen-specific CD8+ T cell induction after prime/boost vaccination, their comparison to naturally induced CD8+ T cell responses and their association with other arms of vaccine-induced adaptive immunity remain, however, incompletely understood. Here, we show on a single epitope level that both, a stable memory precursor pool of spike-specific CD8+ T cells and fully functional spike-specific effector CD8+ T cell populations, are vigorously mobilized as early as one week after prime vaccination when CD4+ T cell and spike-specific antibody responses are still weak and neutralizing antibodies are lacking. Boost vaccination after 3 weeks induced a full-fledged recall expansion generating highly differentiated CD8+ effector T cells, however, neither the functional capacity nor the memory precursor T cell pool was affected. Compared to natural infection, vaccine-induced early memory T cells exhibited similar frequencies and functional capacities but a different subset distribution dominated by effector memory T cells at the expense of self-renewing and multipotent central memory T cells. Our results indicate that spike-specific CD8+ T cells may represent the major correlate of early protection after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA/bnt162b2 prime vaccination that precede other effector arms of vaccine-induced adaptive immunity and are stably maintained after boost vaccination.
ESCO2 Inhibits p53 Transcription and Promotes Proliferation and Migration of Lung Cancer Cells
Authors: Liu Ming , Ma Yinan , Wang Enhua
Published: May 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to reveal the expression of the Establishment of Sister Chromatid Cohesion N-acetyltransferase 2 (ESCO2) in non-small-cell lung carcinoma(NSCLC) and the relevant mechanisms. Methods: ESCO2 expression and its correlation with the clinicopathological factors of NSCLC were evaluated via GEO database analysis and immunohistochemical staining. Transwell, MTT, and colony-forming assays were used to discover the effects of ESCO2 on cancer cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, Gene-Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA) was employed to investigate the effects of ESCO2 on possible carcinogenic pathways. Results: ESCO2 expression was found to be significantly higher in lung cancer tissues (2+and3+,73. 3%, 96/131;If added 1+,90.1%,118/131) than the adjacent tissues (0. 7%, 1/131). Besides, down-regulating ESCO2 expression could significantly inhibit the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cell lines (A549 and H460). Furthermore,p53 and its downstream target p21 were activated judging from the results of GSEA. However, transfection of siRNA-ESCO2 into the H1299 cell line without p53 resulted in no significant variations in terms of cell proliferation, migration, and colony formation, as well as the expression of p21 in these cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays proved that ESCO2 inhibits p53 expression during transcription. Co-immunoprecipitation(Co-IP)analyses indicated that ESCO2 can interact with histone methyltransferase SETDB1 (SET domain bifurcated histone lysine methyltransferase 1) in lung cells. Conclusion: The amount of ESCO2 shows an abnormal increase in lung cancer cells compared to normal bronchial epithelial cells. Besides, ESCO2 can promote the malignancy of lung cancer cells by interfering with the p53/p21 pathway.
Investigation of microstructure changes in Al2O3-YSZ coatings and YSZ coatings and their effect on thermal cycle life
Authors: Dai Meiqi , Song Xuemei , Lin Chucheng , Liu Ziwei , Zheng Wei , Zeng Yi
Published: May 2021

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings and Al2O3-YSZ coatings were prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). Their microstructural changes during thermal cycling were investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the microstructure and microstructure changes of the two coatings were different, including crystallinity, grain orientation, phase, and phase transition. These differences are closely related to the thermal cycle life of the coating. There is a relationship between crystallinity and crack size. Changes in grain orientation are related to microscopic strain and cracks. Phase transition is the direct cause of coating failure. In this study, the relationship between the changes in the coating microstructure and the thermal cycle life is discussed in detail. The failure mechanism of the coating was comprehensively analyzed from a microscopic perspective.
Knowledge Attitude and Practice towards COVID-19 among the People of South Omo Zone Ethiopia
Authors: Jemal Ebrahim , Olbamo Tekle , Cherinet Getinet , Topo Moi
Published: May 2021

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (abbreviated “COVID- 19”) is an emerging respiratory disease that is caused by a novel coronavirus and was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The main clinical symptoms of the virus include fever, dry cough, fatigue, myalgia, and dyspnea. Ethiopia is one of African countries that confirmed the virus and working on the condition. This study was aimed to investigate Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards COVID-19 among the people of South Omo Zone and specifically, the study was aimed to find out the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice score reported by respondents related to COVID-19. Methodology: this study used cross sectional survey method to identify factors that determine Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards COVID-19 and to compare Knowledge scores of different social and demographic groups. A total of 400 respondents were taken from two woreds of the Zone namely Hammer and Nyangatom woreda by using multi-stage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and econometric model were used to analyze data. Descriptive statistics include average, t-test and chi-square test were used end binary logit model was used to identify the factors that determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of respondents towards COVID-19. Result: It was found that majority of the respondent have no knowledge, have no optimistic attitude and have no safe practice towards COVID-19. From the total sampled respondents, 53.5% have good knowledge, 55.75% have optimistic attitude and 44.25% respondents have safe practice towards COVID-19. Demographic characteristics, socio-economic factors and infrastructure barriers were found determining knowledge, attitude and practice of the respondents.Conclusion: most of the respondents in the study area have no knowledge towards COVID-19, have no optimistic attitude towards the final success in controlling the virus and they have no safe practice concerning the prevention methods of COVID-19. Demographic characteristics of the respondents and socio-economic factors are the most common factors which determined the knowledge, attitude and practice of the respondents towards COVID-19. From the economic status and having access to information perspective, those respondents that have high income and access to information have knowledge, optimistic attitude and good practice towards COVID-19 than those respondents that have low income and have no access to information. Health education programs, by targeting the lower knowledge individuals regarding COVID19, are essential for creating awareness, building positive attitude and maintain safe practices, supporting the low income groups could help the respondents to practice the prevention methods.
Health seeking behaviours and treatments received by Australian women with vulvodynia: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Mitchell Alice , Armout Mike , Chalmers K Jane
Published: May 2021

Background: Vulvodynia is a condition characterised by pain in the vulva lasting more than three months and for which no obvious aetiology can be found. It affects around 8% of women and has significant negative impacts on quality of life. There is a paucity of research on healthcare management pathways and the use of evidence-based treatments in an Australian community setting. Aims: To explore which healthcare professionals Australian women with vulvodynia seek treatment from, and which treatments are recommended, provided, or prescribed by these healthcare professionals.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from May 2019 to August 2019. Women were eligible to participate if they had been diagnosed with vulvodynia by a healthcare professional, were currently living in Australia, and were over 18 years old.Results: Fifty respondents meet the inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 30.5 years. On average, respondents reported seeing four different types of healthcare professionals in the management of their vulvodynia, with general practitioners (GPs) (98%), medical specialists (96%), and physiotherapists (80%) being the three most commonly consulted. Most respondents reported seeing multiple GPs (>87%), multiple medical specialists (>77%), and multiple physiotherapists (50%). The most commonly prescribed interventions were pelvic floor down-training exercises (76%), topical (70%) and oral (70%) medication, and vulvodynia information (56%).Conclusions: Australian women with vulvodynia seek help from several professionals and receive a variety of treatments for their pain. Of concern is many treatments that are being offered clinically have very little peer-reviewed evidence of effectiveness in vulvodynia.
FEATURES OF STATE MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE INVESTMENT POTENTIAL OF THE STATE AND ECONOMIC SECURITY OF UKRAINE
Authors: Kasyanenko V. , Kasaeva Yu.
Published: May 2021

Digital transformation today is a priority area for the innovative development of production and economic systems at various levels of development and a tool for ensuring the long-term competitive advantage of the state. This requires a targeted and coordinated innovation and investment policy of executive and legislative agencies at all levels, as well as active public-private partnerships. The article presents a theoretical generalization and a new solution to a scientific problem, which is manifested in the development of available and the introduction of new theoretical and methodological approaches to the state management of information technology to increase the investment potential of the state and its economic security. It is noted that there is no universal approach or a single model for regulating information and the information sphere. Each region of the world and each country has its internal functions, which, in turn, determine the specifics of this process. According to modern IT developments in Ukraine, the state regulation of the IT industry needs reforming. It has been proved that the following areas of management were of particular relevance for Ukraine: activating projects for the digitization of information; launching powerful internal competitions for startups and innovation in education, medicine, transport, agriculture; introducing a step-by-step mechanism for supporting investment projects related to information technology through a public-private partnership model; identifying segments in the market of IT products and services that will be a priority for Ukraine in terms of attracting export revenue. The areas for improving the system of public and private management of information technology in Ukraine have been identified, which will be aimed not at the development of innovations, but at the formation of a basic infrastructure to improve the already existing world developments in the IT industry through the transformation of the taxation system, education and science, as well as the adaptation of the domestic regulatory framework. The role of state management of information technology in ensuring the economic security of the state has been determined.
FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE FUNCTIONING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR IN UKRAINE
Authors: Zherebylo I.
Published: May 2021

With Ukraine taking a course to implement systemic sectoral reforms to improve the quality of services provided to the population, decentralize resources and powers, and form an effective system of public governance, health care reform, among others, plays an important role. Their effective implementation requires scientific discussion and analysis of causal relationships. The purpose of the article is to identify and analyze the financial and economic problems of the health care system in Ukraine. The article identifies and analyzes the negative aspects of the functioning and development of the health care sector. Among the key ones are: Ukraine lags behind European countries in terms of life expectancy, mortality and health; low level of financial support for the healthcare sector; high level of attraction of private funds of patients with unsatisfactory quality of received services; excessive centralization of health care management, which has led to a lack of a transparent state-guaranteed package of health services and an increase in corruption in the procurement, education, certification and employment of health workers. Emphasis is placed on the shortcomings of the mechanism of financing disease prevention, primary health care, provision of outpatient and inpatient medical services. Among them are: duplication of services and inefficient use of financial resources at the subnational level; low efficiency of use of medical subvention funds; constant change in the mechanism of providing transfers in the field of health care, etc. Possible areas for improving health care funding are outlined. Emphasis is placed on the expediency of reforming the health care sector in terms of income mobilization in the context of coverage of the population with basic medical guarantees and the effectiveness of the organization of the process of such funding.
The multi-harmonic excitation characteristic of airflow piezoelectric generator
Authors: Zou Huajie , Shi Qiongyan , Cai Huhai , Liu Jiang
Published: May 2021

In order to improve the adaptive range of airflow velocity, an airflow piezoelectric generator based on multi-harmonic excitation is proposed. The flow field characteristics are obtained by CFD method, the acoustic vibration characteristics and variation with velocity of the excitation frequency are studied. The result shows that periodic compression and expansion of air are presented and a standing wave is formed inside the resonator, which can provide stable excitation source. The excitation frequencies are distributed on the acoustic modes of the resonator and captured. With different velocity segment, the excitation frequencies are different, and frequency conversion is presented from the first-order to the third-order and from the third-order to the first-order. The conclusions verify the feasibility of the multi-harmonic excitation energy exchange scheme, which is helpful to improve the flow velocity adaptive range of the airflow-induced vibration piezoelectric generator.
Asymptotic properties and stabilization of a neutral type system with constant delay
Authors:   Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Grebenshchikov Boris G.
Published: May 2021

The problem of obtaining sufficient conditions for the asymptotic stability for a certain class of linear systems of a neutral type with constant delay is analyzed in the article. Some coefficients of these systems in the right side have an exponential factor. As a consequence, the study of the stability of such systems with the help of the Lyapunov—Krasovskii functionals is not possible; methods of receiving asymptotic appreciations lead to extremely rough results. By applying the apparatus of difference systems and the properties of simpler systems, which the author examined previous, sufficient conditions for the exponential stability of such systems are obtained. As an example, a second-order system is considered. The graphs of the solutions of the corresponding system, both without neutral members and with the original system where the right-hand side contains neutral terms, are provided. On the basis of theory difference systems, the author proposes an algorithm of stabilization for some systems of a similar type.
A GEODIVERSIDADE DO SÍTIO GEOMORFOLÓGICO CACHOEIRA DO RIO TAMANDUÁ, CARAMBEÍ, CAMPOS GERAIS DO PARANÁ
Authors: Meneguzzo Isonel Sandino , Pontes Henrique Simão , Crist Pedro
Published: May 2021

Este artigo mostra a caracterização da geodiversidade do sítio geomorfológico Cachoeira do Rio Tamanduá (SGCRT), município de Carambeí (Paraná). Os procedimentos metodológicos envolveram pesquisa bibliográfica, análise de carta topográfica e geológica, trabalhos de campo e de laboratório. Na área do sítio foi identificado um conjunto de feições da geodiversidade regional, mostrando potencial para o desenvolvimento de atividades de educação ambiental, observação da paisagem, geoturismo, pesquisas científicas e práticas de campo para atividades didáticas. No entanto, é necessária a elaboração de trabalhos de gestão territorial, visando disciplinar os usos do solo existentes no local, adequando com os preceitos da legislação vigente e com as características ambientais do geossítio, a fim de harmonizar as ações e necessidades da sociedade com os princípios da geoconservação.
ÍNDICE TOPOGRÁFICO DE UMIDADE COMO MÉTODO PARA IDENTIFICAÇÃO DE PONTOS DE ALAGAMENTO EM ÁREAS URBANAS
Authors: Esteves Naves Fernando , Tyrone Silva Almeida Rherison
Published: May 2021

Objetiva-se avaliar o método do Índice Topográfico de Umidade (TWI) para identificação de pontos de alagamentos em áreas urbanas, utilizando como estudo de caso o município de Goiânia (GO). Foram utilizados registros de alagamentos e vítimas fatais da Defesa Civil, dados de geologia e declividade e um Modelo Digital de Elevação de 4,6 metros de resolução espacial. Para obtenção do TWI, aplicou-se o MDE em um software para Sistema de Informações Geográficas. Os pontos de alagamento e de vítimas fatais registrados pela Defesa Civil de Goiânia demonstram conformidade com os valores identificados no mapeamento do TWI. Foi observado vítimas fatais em locais com valores de TWI acima de 9,4. A ocorrência de vítimas fatais está associada também com a proximidade de corpos hídricos e ausência do cumprimento da legislação ambiental referente às Áreas de Preservação Permanente. Recomenda-se o TWI para identificação de áreas de risco como método para adoção de medidas estratégicas.