bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of Some Stress Tolerance Genes Confers Enhanced Pesticide Tolerance in 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Treated Bean Seedlings
Authors: Aydin Murat , Arslan Esra , Agar Guleray , Taspinar Mahmut Sinan
Published: April 2021

Overdose of pesticides leads to a decrease in yield and quality of plants such as bean. The unconscious use of deltamethrin, one of the synthetic insecticides, increases the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by causing oxidative stress in plants. In this case, plants tolerate to stress by activating the antioxidant defense mechanism and many genes. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) improves tolerance to stress by external administration in low doses. There are many gene families that are effective in the regulation of this mechanism. In addition, one of the response mechanisms at the molecular level against environmental stressors in plants is retrotransposon movements. In this study, the expression levels of SOD, GPX, CAT and SAP genes were determined by Q-PCR in deltamethrin (0.5 ppm) and various doses (20, 40 and 80 mg/l) of ALA treated bean seedlings. It was determined that while deltamethrin increased the expression of these genes, 20 and 40 mg/l ALA gradually increased the expression of genes at levels close to control, but 80 mg/l ALA increased almost the same level as deltamethrin. In addition, REMAP was performed to determine the polymorphism caused by retrotransposon movements. While deltamethrin treatment has caused to decrease of genomic template stability (GTS), ALA treatments have prevented this decline. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that ALA gives the utility for alleviating pesticide stress effects on bean.
A New Discovery on Visual Information Dynamic Changes from Retina to V2
Authors: Zhong Haixin , Wang Rubin
Published: April 2021

The information processing mechanisms of the visual nervous system remain to be unsolved scientific issues in neuroscience field, owing to a lack of unified and widely accepted theory for explanation. It has been well documented that approximately 80% of the rich and complicated perceptual information from the real world is transmitted to the visual cortex, only a small fraction of visual information reaches the V1 area. This, nevertheless, does not affect our visual perception. Furthermore, how neurons in V2 encode such a small amount of visual information has yet to be addressed. To this end, the current paper establishes a visual network model for retina-LGN-V1-V2 and quantitatively accounts for that response to the scarcity of visual information and encoding rules, based on the principle of neural mapping from V1 to V2. The results demonstrate that the visual information has a small degree of dynamic degradation when it is mapped from V1 to V2, during which there is a convolution calculation occurring. Therefore, visual information dynamic degradation mainly manifests itself along the pathway of the retina to V1, rather than V1 to V2. The slight changes in the visual information are attributable to the fact that the receptive fields (RFs) of V2 cannot further extract the image features. Meanwhile, despite the scarcity of visual information mapped from the retina, the RFs of V2 can still accurately respond to and encode “corner” information, due to the effects of synaptic plasticity, of which function is not existed in V1. This is a new discovery that has never been noticed before. To sum up, the coding of the “contour” feature (edge and corner) is achieved in the pathway of retina-LGN-V1-V2.
Why Don’t Japanese Early Childhood Educators Intervene in Children’s Physical Fights? Some Characteristics of the Mimamoru Approach
Authors: Nakatsubo Fuminori , Ueda Harutomo , Kayama Misa
Published: April 2021

This study aims to examine pedagogical meanings of the Mimamoru approach frequently used by Japanese early childhood educators in children’s physical fights. Mimamoru is a strategy in which educators intentionally withhold an intervention, while carefully observing children, to foster children’s voluntary participation in their own learning, socially and cognitively. In this report, we examine why Japanese educators tend not to intervene, and how they determine whether their intervention is necessary. Using methods from Tobin’s video cued multi-vocal ethnography, we conducted focus groups at 9 early childhood education and care facilities (7 in Japan and 2 in the U.S.) with a total of 34 Japanese and 12 U.S. educators. They watched a short video clip in which a mid-career male teacher, one of the Japanese participants, used the Mimamoru approach with two children involved in a physical fight. Educators, then, discussed their interpretations of the teacher’s responses to children. The analyses of participants’ discussion suggest that educators’ non-intervention, an important feature of the Mimamoru approach, provides children with opportunities to autonomously learn interpersonal skills, for example, through the experiences of feeling guilty and solving problems by themselves. Yet educators do intervene when they determine that the risk of physical harm caused by fighting is greater than the benefit for children to learn. Implications of the Mimamoru approach, including in other cultural contexts, are discussed.
Fractional-Order Delayed Ross-Macdonald Model for Malaria Transmission
Authors: Cui Xinshu , Xue Dingyu , Li Tingxue
Published: April 2021

This paper proposes a novel fractional-order delayed Ross-Macdonald model for malaria transmission. This paper aims to systematically investigate the effect of both the incubation periods of Plasmodium and the order on the dynamic behavior of diseases. Utilizing inequality techniques, contraction mapping theory, fractional linear stability theorem and bifurcation theory, several sufficient conditions for the existence, uniqueness, local stability of the positive equilibrium point, and the existence of fractional-order Hopf bifurcation are obtained under different time delays cases. The results show that time delay can change the stability of the system. The system becomes unstable and generates a Hopf bifurcation when the delay increases to a certain value. Besides, the value of order influences the stability interval size. Thus, incubation periods and the order have a major effect on the dynamic behavior of the model. The effectiveness of the theoretical results is shown through numerical simulations.
Patellar Shape is Associated With Femoral Trochlear Morphology in Individuals with Mature Skeletal Development
Authors: Qiu Lanyu , Li Jia , Sheng Bo , Yang Haitao , Lv Fajin , Xiao Zhibo , Lv Furong
Published: April 2021

Background: As several studies have detected correlations between patellar and femoral trochlear development, this raises the question of whether patellar shape is associated with trochlear developmental outcomes.Methods: Patellar shape and femoral trochlear morphology were retrospectively analyzed in 240 subjects, of whom 80 each were classified as having Wiberg type I, II, and III patellae (groups A, B, and C, respectively). The sulcus angle (SA), lateral trochlea inclination angle (LTA), medial trochlear inclination angle (MTA), lateral facet length (LFL), medial facet length (MFL), lateral trochlear height (LTH), medial trochlear height (MTH), trochlea sulcus height (TH), and lateral-medial trochlear facet distance (TD) were analyzed as a means of evaluating trochlear morphology. Trochlear depth, trochlear condyle asymmetry, and trochlear facet asymmetry were additionally calculated, and differences in trochlear morphology and correlations between trochlear morphology and patellar shape were evaluated.Results: The femoral trochlear parameters of patients in group A differed significantly from those of patients in groups B and C. No significant differences between groups B and C were evident. Patellar shape was positively correlated with LTA, MTA, MFL, trochlear index trochlear condyle asymmetry, and trochlear facet asymmetry, and was negatively correlated with SA.Conclusions: These data indicated that patellar shape and trochlear morphology are related to one another. Relative to patients with Wiberg type II and III patellae, those with Wiberg type I patellae exhibited an increased trochlear inclination angle and a greater trochlear facet and condyle asymmetry, as well as a decreased SA.Trial registration: Retrospectively registered
Community Perceptions and Experiences on the Events Leading to Facility Maternal Death; A Verbal Autopsy Qualitative Study
Authors: Said Ali , Malqvist Mats , Massawe Siriel , Hanson Claudia , Pembe Andrea B
Published: April 2021

BackgroundTanzania Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) system introduced in 2015 emphasizes review of facility maternal deaths with little community involvement. Involving the community in deaths enquiry can help to make better strategies to prevent future deaths. We aimed to explore family members (caregivers) perceptions and experiences on the events leading to facility maternal deaths to inform future community involvement in MDSRMethodsNarrative interviews were conducted with 20 caregivers who cared for women who died in childbirth to investigate into delays and health care seeking experience. The unstructured questions on perceptions and experiences of events leading to death were administered together with standard verbal autopsy questionnaire. Two regions, Lindi and Mtwara of Southern Tanzania were selected for the study in 2018. Narrative thematic analysis was used for data analysis.ResultsThree main themes evolved: ‘Prepared for birth but not ready for complications’, ‘Disconnect between caregivers and providers’ and ‘The bitter impact of maternal deaths’. Caregivers made efforts to prepare for birth but their preparation were severely inadequate when complications that necessitated referral occurred. Decision to seek care was made jointly between the pregnant woman, husband and other family members. Caregivers tried with little success in communicating with heath providers regarding their admitted patients. They also experienced emotions of grief such as denial, anger, depression, bargaining and acceptance once maternal deaths occurred. Caregivers (mostly old women) were left with the burden of caring for the newborns and other children left by the deceased mother. ConclusionCaregivers` perceptions and experiences of maternal deaths events provide valuable information for community interventions on birth preparedness, decision making, communication and providers` accountability. Maternal deaths bring far reaching mental, social and economic consequences to the family and society
Milling Inconel 718 Workpiece With Cryogenically Treated And Untreated Cutting Tools
Authors: Gürbüz Hüseyin , Baday Şehmus
Published: April 2021

Although Inconel 718 is an important material for modern aircraft and aerospace, it is a kind material, which is known to have low machinability. Especially, while these types of materials are machined, high cutting temperatures, BUE on cutting tool, high cutting forces and work hardening occur. Therefore, in recent years, instead of producing new cutting tools that can withstand these difficult conditions, cryogenic process, which is a heat treatment method to increase the wear resistance and hardness of the cutting tool, has been applied. In this experimental study, feed force, surface roughness, vibration, cutting tool wear, hardness and abrasive wear values that occurred as a result of milling of Inconel 718 material by means of cryogenically treated and untreated cutting tools were investigated. Three different cutting speeds (35-45-55 m/min) and three different feed rates (0.02-0.03-0.04 mm/tooth) at constant depth of cut (0.2 mm) were used as cutting parameters in the experiments. As a result of the experiments, lower feed forces, surface roughness, vibration and cutting tool wear were obtained with cryogenically treated cutting tools. As the feed rate and cutting speed were increased, it was seen that surface roughness, vibration and feed force values increased. At the end of the experiments, it was established that there was a significant relation between vibration and surface roughness. However, there appeared an inverse proportion between abrasive wear and hardness values. While BUE did not occur during cryogenically treated cutting tools, it was observed that BUE occurred in cutting tools which were not cryogenically treated.
Willingness of The COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: A Cross-Sectional Study of Community Residents in China
Authors: Wan Xiao , Jia Ruiying , Lu Guangli , Chen Chaoran
Published: April 2021

Background

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brought great disaster to the world. Vaccination for COVID-19 is one of the most important preventative measures to reduce the disease transmission. Our study aims to estimate residents’ willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccination and its influencing factors in the general adult population in Chinese community.
Methods

3000 questionnaires were posted from December,2020 to January,2021 to residents in Kaifeng with 89.60% response rate. Results of the 2688 respondents on their willingness to accept the COVID-19 vaccine were analyzed.
Results

89.06% of respondents were willing to accept a COVID-19 vaccine if vaccines were available. People who were 46–59 years old (OR = 0.311; 95% CI: 0.188–0.512), often live in the town (OR = 3.979; 95% CI: 2.473–6.402) and pay attention to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine (OR = 0.301; 95% CI: 0.203–0.447), and agreeing that the COVID-19 vaccine can prevent COVID-19 (OR = 0.106; 95% CI: 0.050–0.224) were significantly associated with their willingness to accept receive COVID-19 vaccination.
Conclusion

A high acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination had been shown among Chinese residents although it was not during the pandemic period, while concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness might hinder the promotion of vaccine uptake.
A LED Light for Photo-Inducible Cell Ablation by miniSOG
Authors: Li Xiao , Kuai Bo , Yu Bin , Tu Xikai
Published: April 2021

Photosensitizer MiniSOG (mini-singlet oxygen generator), a green fluorescent flavoprotein, can be used to kill cells in a spatially and temporally regulated manner according to a chosen promoter when it is fused with the target cells. However, it needs 470nm blue light excitation to release reactive oxygen species (ROS) to work. In the past, researchers usually used fluorescence microscope to generate light, which wasted the lab resources and influenced other experiments. Here, we developed a homemade light emitting diode (LED) light for photo-inducible cell ablation by photosensitizers. The LED light consisted of six groups of lamps, and it could illuminate a plurality of culture dish drawers simultaneously with different light intensities. In order to watch the efficacy of cell ablation, confocal imaging, behavioral, calcium imaging and electrophysiology experiments have been performed on C. elegans. Most of neurons related with forward movements have been ablated after dozens of minutes light irradiation. The worms can only move backward with wriggled body, and the calcium oscillation increases in reverse movement motor neurons. The whole frequency and amplitude of miniature postsynaptic currents (PSCs) in body wall muscle decrease because of death of some neurons. These experimental results verified that the LED light was useful and convenient. This study provides a method for high-throughput cell ablation experiments.
Berberine Modulates Lupus Syndrome via the Regulation of Gut Microbiota in MRL/Lpr Mice
Authors: Bao Yanfeng , Wu Yeqing , Chen Tian , Jin Yi , Sha Xiaoqi , Ge Xingyu , Meng Yan , Guo Genkai , Xia Yunfei , Yang Junling , Sun Chi , Dong Chen , Ji Juan , Xue Zhonghui , Gu Zhifeng
Published: April 2021

Background

Intestinal flora disorder and immune abnormalities have been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Few researches indicated the intestinal status in Chinese SLE patients. Berberine (BBR) showed significant effects on regulating the intestinal flora, repairing gut barriers and regulating immune cells. This study mainly explored intestinal flora and metabolites in local Chinese SLE patients and the influence of BBR to MRL/Lpr mice.
Methods

16S high-throughput sequence and gas chromatographic technique were used to analyzed the intestinal flora and metabolites in SLE patients. MRL/Lpr mice were oral treated with BBR in low, medium and high dosages for 6 weeks. Urine protein was monitored. After the procedure, gintestinal status of MRL/Lpr mice were analyzed like human. A wide range of autoantibodies were tested. Kidney tissue was analyzed for C3, IgG and IgM expressions and colon tissue was analyzed for gut barrier markers. Flow cytometry determined the immune cells.
Results

Dysbacteriosis and abnormal metabolism influenced the Chinese lupus pathogenesis. BBR treatment reduced the urine protein, inhibited the auto-antibodies and ameliorated lupus nephritis (LN) in MRL/Lpr mice. In addition, BBR altered the relative abundance of Bacteroides and Verrucomicrobia and the butyric acid content in colon of MRL/Lpr mice. The increase of tight junction protein also indicated that the gut barrier was repaired by BBR. Treg and Tfr cells in spleen and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) were increased.
Conclusions

These results revealed a therapeutic effect of berberine on SLE from gut microbiota to immune status.
HIF-1-Dependent Heme Synthesis Promotes Gemcitabine Resistance In Human Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers Via Enhanced ABCB6 Expression
Authors: Xiang Lisha , Li Xiaoyu , Wang Yongsheng , Lan Jie , Na Feifei , Wu Shuang , Gong Yuzhu , Shao Bin , Xie Ganfeng
Published: April 2021

Background: Gemcitabine, a deoxycytidine analogue, is commonly used in the treatment of various types of tumors, including human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, even the initial responders rapidly develop acquired resistance which limits our ability to effectively treat advanced NSCLC. The present study reports a widely prevalent mechanism of resistance to gemcitabine in NSCLC, whereby induced expression of ABCB6 is associated with poor prognosis and gemcitabine resistance in human NSCLCs which is in a HIF-1-dependent manner.Methods: We established gemcitabine resistant LUSC and LUAD cells and examined ABCB6 expression as well as heme synthesis in these cells. Additionally, we analyzed catalase protein expression and activity in gemcitabine resistant NSCLC cell lines. To validate ABCB6 gene as an HRE, we performed ChIP-qPCR assay. We also investigated the effect of inhibition of HIF-α/ABCB6 axis in vitro and in vivo.Results: The activation of HIF-1α/ABCB6 signaling leading to intracellular heme metabolic reprogramming and a corresponding increase in heme biosynthesis to enhance the activation and accumulation of catalase. Increased levels of catalase diminish the effective levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) promoting gemcitabine-based resistance. Targeting HIF-1α or ABCB6, in combination with gemcitabine, strongly restrains tumor proliferation, increases tumor cell apoptosis and prolongs animal survival.Conclusion: In combination with gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, targeting HIF-1α/ABCB6 signaling could result in enhanced tumor sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agent and may improve outcome in NSCLCs.
The Corrosive Improvement with High Temperature Laser Surface Treatment of AA7075
Authors: Su Ruiming , Wang Lei , Wang Kaining , Li Guanglong , Qu Yingdong , Li Rongde
Published: April 2021

a recently developed AA7075 was subjected to solid solution, high temperature laser surface treatment and artificial aging. The microstructure evolution and precipitation behavior were examined, and their effects on corrosion behavior and corrosion cracking were analyzed. The results show that the coarse η phase disappears and a large number of smaller η phases are formed after high temperature laser surface treatment. Most of the phases dissolved into Al matrix during solution, a fine η phase precipitated in laser treatment. η′ appeared in the high temperature laser surface treatment samples. It was concluded that reasonable laser scanning power owned the best corrosion resistance, lower intergranular corrosion tendency. Both lower laser scan power and higher scan power samples were susceptible to the intergranular corrosion, and the intergranular cracking was observed. In contrary, the reasonable sample which the laser power is 1000W showed much better corrosion resistance due to the coarsening and separation of grain boundary precipitations.
Discontinuation of tuberculosis treatment among children in the Kampala Capital City Authority health facilities: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kibirige Leonard , Izudi Jonathan , Okoboi Stephen
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Discontinuation of tuberculosis treatment (DTT) among children in sub-Saharan Africa is a major obstacle to effective tuberculosis (TB) control and has the potential to worsen the emergence of multi-drug resistant TB and death. DTT in children is understudied in Uganda. We examined the level and factors associated with DTT among children at four large health facilities in Kampala Capital City Authority and documented the reasons for DTT from treatment supporters and healthcare provider perspectives. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of records for children <15 years diagnosed and treated for TB between January 2018 and December 2019. We held focus group discussions with treatment supporters and key informant interviews with healthcare providers. We defined DTT as the stoppage of TB treatment for 30 or more consecutive days. We used a stepwise generalized linear model to assess factors independently associated with DTT and content analysis for the qualitative data reported using sub-themes. Results: Of 312 participants enrolled, 35 (11.2%) had discontinued TB treatment. The reasons for DTT included lack of privacy at healthcare facilities for children with TB and their treatment supporters, the disappearance of TB symptoms following treatment initiation, poor implementation of the community-based directly observed therapy short-course (CB-DOTS) strategy, insufficient funding to the TB program, and frequent stock-outs of TB drugs. DTT was more likely during the continuation phase of TB treatment compared to the intensive phase (Adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 5.22; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.76-17.52) and when the treatment supporter was employed compared to when the treatment supporter was unemployed (aOR, 3.60; 95% CI, 1.34-11.38). Conclusion: Many children with TB discontinue TB treatment and this might exacerbate TB morbidity and mortality. Treatment supporters of children with TB should be provided with detailed and consistent health education messages about TB treatment duration, the benefits of treatment completion, and risks of treatment discontinuation. The district and national TB control programs should address gaps in funding to TB care and the supply of TB drugs.
Superiority of OxyMask™ with Less Carbon Dioxide Rebreathing in Children
Authors: Ogiwara Shigetoshi , Tamura Takuya , Sai Shuji , Nojima Masanori , Kawana Shin
Published: April 2021

Despite the growing importance of oxygen-delivery devices worldwide, there are only a few reports of physiological data on various oxygen masks in children. OxyMask KidTM (Southmedic Inc. Canada; hereafter OxyMask) is expected to reduce carbon dioxide rebreathing even at low oxygen flow rates because of its structural features. Biological data using OxyMask in children have not been well investigated. Measured respiratory parameters of OxyMask with those of a simple oxygen mask in healthy children were compared. Ten subjects were enrolled, with a median age of 5.4 years. All of them used both OxyMask and a simple oxygen mask. The fraction of inspiratory oxygen (FIO2), partial pressure of inspiratory carbon dioxide (PICO2), and partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide were measured using a side-stream gas-sampling monitor in all subjects. The oxygen-flow rate was set at 1, 3, 5, and 10 L/min. FIO2 levels were higher with OxyMask than with the simple oxygen mask at 3L/min of oxygen. PICO2 levels were significantly lower with OxyMask than with the simple oxygen mask (1.5 mmHg vs. 3.7 mmHg at 1 L/min, P = .005; 1.0 mmHg vs. 2.7 mmHg at 3 L/min, P = .005, respectively), whereas PICO2 levels were higher at low oxygen-flow rates with both masks. ConclusionOur results showed that higher FIO2 and less CO2 rebreathing were achieved with OxyMask than with a simple oxygen mask at low-flow rates of oxygen in healthy children.
Event-Triggered Compound Learning Tracking Control of Nonstrict-Feedback Nonlinear Systems in Sensor-to-Controller Channel
Authors: Deng Yingjie , Ni Tao , Wang Jiantao
Published: April 2021

This paper investigates the event-triggered tracking control of the nonstrict-feedback nonlinear system with the time-varying disturbances. While the fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) serve as the approximators to the unknown dynamics, the compound disturbance is comprised of the time-varying disturbance and the approximation error of the FLS. An event-triggered compound learning algorithm is originally developed to accurately estimate the total uncertainties. By referring to an event-triggered adaptive model, the control laws are derived without provoking the problem of "algebraic loop", seeing Remark 3. The command filters are employed to generate the continuous substitutes for both the virtual control laws and their derivatives, so as to solve the recently proposed problem of "jumps of virtual control laws" arising in the backstepping-based event-triggered control (ETC) that functions in the channel of sensor to controller. The triggering condition is constructed to guarantee the similarity between the adaptive model and the original system. While the satisfactory learning performance of the FLSs and the compound disturbances estimation are maintained, the proposed control scheme can guarantee the semi-globally uniformly ultimate boundedness (SGUUB) of all the tracking errors. Finally, a numerical experiment is carried out to exemplify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Control of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Urban Populations: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Prevalence Survey in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Ji Le-Cai , Yin Jin-Feng , Lu Chun-Rong , Guan Hong-Yun , Tan Wei-Guo , Wang Ling-Wei , Jiang Qi
Published: April 2021

Background
Lower is the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among urban populations, but still high is the total burden. Limited evidence on the patients’ characteristics has been offered to guide the control of the disease in city settings.
Methods
We conducted a prevalence cross-sectional survey of COPD among residents aged ≥ 40 years in an emerging city Shenzhen, China. The multi-stage stratified random sampling method was applied to enroll eligible participants from September, 2018 to June, 2019. Tested by spirometry, individuals were diagnosed with COPD if the post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio was less than 0.7. Patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as estimates of the exposure to air pollutants, were included in the univariable and multivariable logistic regression models to assess the risk factors for COPD.
Results
A total of 4157 individuals were invited to participate in this survey and 3591 who had available spirometry results and epidemiological data were enrolled in the final analysis. The estimated standardized prevalence of COPD among residents over 40 years old in Shenzhen was 5.92% (95% confidential intervals 4.05–8.34). Risk factors for COPD included elder age (adjusted odds ratio 1.206, 95% CI 1.120–1.299 per 10-year increase), smoking over 20 pack-years (1.968, 1.367–2.832), history of chronic bronchitis (1.733, 1.036-2.900) or asthma (4.920, 2.425–9.982), and exposure to higher annual minimum concentrations of ambient SO2 (1.156, 1.053–1.270 per 1-µg/m3 increase). Among 280 spirometry-diagnosed patients, most (221, 78.93%) patients were classified as mild COPD (GOLD stage I). The COPD assessment tests showed 24.7% (58/235) patients had severe symptoms with a total score ≥ 10, and 82.6% (194/235) were clinically symptomatic with a total score ≥ 2.
Conclusions
This survey found a low prevalence of COPD in Shenzhen and most patients had mild symptoms, thus recommended screening using spirometry in primary health care to detect early-stage COPD. Increased risk from the exposure to air pollutants also indicated the urgent need for environmental improvement in city settings.
Optimization of Sodium Hydroxide Pretreatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Wheat Straw Powder by Cellulases and Xylanases From Aspergillus Niger HQ-1 Using Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Zhang Hui , Wu Junhui
Published: April 2021

To maximize fermentable sugars production, response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted to optimize pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat straw powder (WSP) using the crude cellulases preparation containing xylanases from Aspergillus niger HQ-1. Factors of pretreatment including sodium hydroxide concentration, pretreatment time and temperature were found to have significant effects on sugars production. Results indicated that WSP with particle size 0.3 mm should be pretreated using 1.8% (w/v) sodium hydroxide solution with 25.0% (w/v) of solid loading at 94.0°C for 46.0 min and the optimized pretreatment conditions could result in 90.9% of cellulose recovery, 54.6% of hemicellulose recovery and 72.7% of lignin removal, respectively. Furthermore, variables of enzymatic hydrolysis including enzyme loading, biomass loading and reaction time were proved to have significant effects on sugars yields. After hydrolysis at 50°C for 44.8 h with 7.1% (w/v) of biomass loading, 8.1 FPU/g of enzyme loading and 0.2% (w/v) of Tween-80, maximum yields of reducing sugar (632.92 mg/g) and xylose (149.83 mg/g) could be obtained, respectively. In addition, holocellulose and hemicellulose conversion were 81.6% and 80.0%, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about systematic optimization of sodium hydroxide pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of WSP using RSM.
Clustering of patient comorbidities within electronic medical records enables high-precision COVID-19 mortality prediction
Authors: Faisal Aldo , Lannou Erwann Le , Post Benjamin , Haar Shlomi , Brett Stephen , Kadirvelu Balasundaram
Published: April 2021

We present an explainable AI framework to predict mortality after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis based solely on data routinely collected in electronic healthcare records (EHRs) obtained prior to diagnosis. We grounded our analysis on the ½ Million people UK Biobank and linked NHS COVID-19 records. We developed a method to capture the complexities and large variety of clinical codes present in EHRs and we show that these have a larger impact on risk than all other patient data but age. We use a form of clustering for natural language processing of the clinical codes, specifically, topic modelling by Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), to generate a succinct digital fingerprint of a patient’s full secondary care clinical history, i.e. their comorbidities and past interventions. These digital comorbidity fingerprints offer immediately interpretable clinical descriptions that are meaningful, e.g. grouping cardiovascular disorders with common risk factors but also novel groupings that are not obvious. The comorbidity fingerprints differ in both their breadth and depth from existing observational disease associations in the COVID-19 literature. Taking this data-driven approach allows us to avoid human-induction bias and confirmation bias during selection of what are important potential predictors of COVID-19 mortality. Together with age these digital fingerprints are the single most important factor in our predictor. This holds the potential for improving individual risk profiling for clinical decisions and the identification of groups for public health interventions such as vaccine programmes. Combining our digital precondition fingerprints with demographic characteristics allow us to match or exceed the performance of existing state-of-the-art COVID-19 mortality predictors (EHCF) which have been developed through expert consensus. Our precondition fingerprinting and entire mortality prediction analytics pipeline are designed so as to be rapidly redeployable, e.g. for COVID-19 variants or other pre-existing diseases.
Type 1 Diabetes in Pregnancy Is Associated With Distinct Changes in the Composition and Function of the Gut Microbiome
Authors: Roth-Schulze Alexandra J. , Penno Megan A. S. , Ngui Katrina M. , Oakey Helena , Bandala-Sanchez Esther , Smith Alannah D. , Allnutt Theo R. , Thomson Rebecca L. , Vuillermin Peter J. , Craig Maria E , Rawlinson William D , Davis Elizabeth A , Harris Mark , Soldatos Georgia , Colman Peter G , Wentworth John M , Haynes Aveni , Morahan Grant , Bediaga Naiara G. , Smyth Gordon K , Papenfuss Anthony T. , Couper Jennifer J. , Harrison Leonard
Published: April 2021

BackgroundThe gut microbiome changes in response to a range of environmental conditions, life events and disease states. Pregnancy is a natural life event that involves major physiological adaptation yet studies of the microbiome in pregnancy are limited and their findings inconsistent. Pregnancy with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is associated with increased maternal and fetal risks but the gut microbiome in this context has not been characterized. By whole metagenome sequencing (WMS) we defined the taxonomic composition and function of the gut bacterial microbiome across 70 pregnancies, 36 in women with T1D. ResultsWomen with and without T1D exhibited compositional and functional changes in the gut microbiome across pregnancy. Profiles in women with T1D were distinct, with an increase in bacteria that produce lipopolysaccharides and a decrease in those that produce short chain fatty acids, especially in the third trimester. In addition, women with T1D had elevated concentrations of fecal calprotectin, a marker of intestinal inflammation, and serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), a marker of intestinal epithelial damage.Conclusions﻿Women with T1D exhibit a shift towards a more pro-inflammatory gut microbiome during pregnancy, associated with evidence of intestinal inflammation. These changes could contribute to the increased risk of pregnancy complications in women with T1D and are potentially modifiable by dietary means.
Association of Elevated Serum Soluble Cd226 Levels With the Disease Activity and Flares of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Nakano Miki , Ayano Masahiro , Kushimoto Kazuo , Kawano Shotaro , Higashioka Kazuhiko , Inokuchi Shoichiro , Mitoma Hiroki , Kimoto Yasutaka , Akahoshi Mitsuteru , Ono Nobuyuki , Arinobu Yojiro , Akashi Koichi , Horiuchi Takahiko , Niiro Hiroaki
Published: April 2021

Background: CD226 is an activating receptor expressed on the cell surface of natural killer cells and T cells. A soluble form of CD226 (sCD226) is known to be shed from the membrane type of CD226 (mCD226). Although CD226 polymorphism and mCD226 are known to be involved in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the involvement of sCD226 in SLE is still unknown. Therefore, we aimed to reveal the association of sCD226 with SLE.Methods: We measured serum sCD226 levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 58 SLE patients and 33 healthy controls (HCs) and evaluated their associations with SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), clinical manifestations, and laboratory data. We defined the maximum values of sCD226 in HCs as a cut-off level and compared the cumulative probability of flare for patients with high and low sCD226 levels. Results: Serum sCD226 levels showed no significant differences between SLE patients and HCs. However, sCD226 levels were significantly elevated in active SLE patients with a SLEDAI-2K score of ≥20 compared with HCs. In SLE patients, sCD226 levels were significantly correlated with SLEDAI-2K scores and anti-dsDNA antibody titers. Moreover, the cumulative probability of flare was markedly higher in patients with high sCD226 than in those with low sCD226. In patients with neuropsychiatric involvement, sCD226 levels were elevated and reflected neuropsychiatric disease activity. Conclusion: Serum sCD226 levels were associated with disease activity and flares of SLE. Thus, it may be a useful biomarker for SLE, and its monitoring allows for more precise SLE management.
Virulence Factors and Azole-Resistant Mechanism of Candida Tropicalis Isolated From Candidemia
Authors: Sasani Elahe , Khodavaisy Sadegh , Rezaie Sassan , Salehi Mohammadreza , Getso Muhammad , Yadegari Mohammad Hossein
Published: April 2021

Background
Virulence factors intensify the pathogenicity of Candida species in candidemia. Limited knowledge exists regarding the azole-resistant mechanism and virulence factors of Candida tropicalis. Consequently, we aimed to evaluate the virulence factors and the molecular mechanisms of azole resistance among C. tropicalis isolated from bloodstream infection.
Materials and methods
Forty-five C. tropicalis isolates recovered from candidemia patients were evaluated for virulence factors, including extracellular enzymatic activities, cell surface hydrophobicity (CHS), and biofilm formation. Antifungal susceptibility pattern and expression level of ERG11, UPC2, MDR1, and CDR1 genes of eight azole resistance C. tropicalis isolates were assessed.
Results
The isolates expressed different frequencies of virulence determinants as follows: coagulase 4 (8.9%), phospholipase 4 (8.9 %), proteinase 31 (68.9 %), CSH 43 (95.6 %), esterase 43 (95.6 %), hemolysin 44 (97.8%), and biofilm formation 45 (100%). All the isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B and showed the highest resistance to voriconazole. The high expression of ERG11 and UPC2 genes in fluconazole-resistant C. tropicalis isolates were observed.
Conclusion
C. tropicalis isolated from candidemia patients extensively displayed capacities for biofilm formation, hemolysis, esterase activity, and hydrophobicity. In addition, the overexpression of ERG11 and UPC2 genes can be considered as one of the possible mechanisms of azole resistance.
The mechanics of sawing granite with diamond wire
Authors: Konstanty Janusz Stefan
Published: April 2021

A theoretical model of sawing granite by means of a diamond wire saw, composed of a multitude of diamond-impregnated beads mounted onto a steel rope, is presented. The wire sawing process has been contrasted with circular sawing with respect to diamond loading conditions. The analytical treatments have been supported by industrial quantitative assessments and qualitative observations. The evaluation of cutting forces as well as identification of system characteristics affecting wire vibration and wire rotation are instrumental in both machine design and tool formulation. This knowledge is also useful to diagnose and prevent problems inherent in diamond wire sawing of granite, such as the high incidence of wire breakage, unsatisfactory tool life and cutting capability, eccentric bead wear, etc.
Impact on Awake Mapping on Overall Survival and Extent of Resection in Patients With Adult Diffuse Gliomas Within or Near Eloquent Areas: A Retrospective Propensity Score-matched Analysis of Awake Craniotomy Vs. General Anesthesia
Authors: Fukui Atsushi , Muragaki Yoshihiro , Saito Taiichi , Nitta Masayuki , Tsuzuki Shunsuke , Asano Hidetsugu , Kwamata Takakazu
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Awake craniotomy (AC) with intraoperative mapping is the best approach to preserve neurological function for glioma surgery in eloquent or near eloquent areas, but whether AC improves the extent of resection (EOR) is controversial. Furthermore, there is less evidence of improved overall survival (OS) in glioma patients. This study aimed to compare the long-term clinical outcomes of glioma resection under AC with those under general anesthesia (GA).Methods: Data of 335 patients who underwent surgery with intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging for newly diagnosed gliomas of World Health Organization (WHO) grades II-IV between 2000 and 2013 were reviewed. EOR and OS were quantitatively compared between the AC and GA groups after 1:1 propensity score matching. The two groups were matched for age, preoperative Karnofsky performance status, tumor location, and pathology based on the WHO 2007 classification.Results: After propensity score matching, 91 pairs were obtained. The median EOR were 96.1% (interquartile range [IQR] 7.3) and 97.4% (IQR 14.4) in the AC and GA groups, respectively (p=0.31). The median survival times were 163.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 77.9-248.7) and 143.5 months (95% CI 94.4-192.7) in the AC and GA groups, respectively (p=0.585).Conclusions: Even if the glioma was within or close to the eloquent area, AC was comparable with GA in terms of EOR and OS. In case of difficulties in randomizing patients with eloquent or near eloquent glioma, our propensity score-matched analysis provides retrospective evidence that AC can obtain EOR and OS equivalent to removing glioma under GA.
A New Approach To Produce [18F]MC225 Via One-Step Synthesis, A PET Radiotracer For Measuring P-gp Function.
Authors: Varela Lara Garcia , Attia Khaled , Sembrano John Carlo , Jacquet Olivier , antunes Inês farinha , Kwizera Chantal , Visser Ton J. , Dierckx Rudi A.J.O. , Elsinga Philip H. , Luurtsema Gert
Published: April 2021

Background: [18F]MC225 is a radiotracer for imaging P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function at the blood-brain barrier. The P-gp function can be altered due to different factors, for instance, decreased P-gp function has been described in patients with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's Disease. The current applied radiosynthesis of [18F]MC225 involves 2 steps, including the distillation of [18F]fluoroethylbromide intermediate. To develop a more robust synthetic procedure, it is of interest to produce the radiotracer via 1-step synthesis. The present study describes a new synthetic approach to produce [18F]MC225 via direct 18F-fluorination. Moreover, we also provide the appropriate conditions for the automation of the synthesis. A mesylate precursor was developed via a multi-step synthetic route and used for the radiolabeling. The nucleophilic substitution of the mesylate group by [18F]Fluoride was automated in two different synthesis modules: IBA Synthera and Eckert and Ziegler (E&Z).Results: The mesylate precursor was synthesized in 7 steps starting with 5-hydroxy-1-tetralone (commercially available) in practical yields. The stability of the precursor was improved via mesylate salt formation method. The radiolabeling was done by adding the mesylate precursor dissolved in DMF to the dried [18F]KF/Kryptofix222 complex and heating at 140°C for 30 min. Quality control by UPLC confirmed the production of [18F]MC225 with a molar activity (Am) higher than 20000 GBq/mmol. The synthesis time in Synthera was 106 min and the product was obtained with a radiochemical purity higher than 95% and RCY of 6.5%, while the production in E&Z lasted 120 min and the product had a lower radiochemical purity (91%) and RCY (3.8%).Conclusions: [18F]MC225 was successfully produced via a 1-step reaction. The procedure is suitable for automation using commercially available synthesis modules. The automation of the radiosynthesis in the Synthera module allows the production of the [18F]MC225 by a reliable and simple method.
Maternal IgA2 Association with Colostrum Microbiota Contributes to Bacteria Establishment During Intestinal Colonization in the Neonate.
Authors: Argumedo Leopoldo Santos , Sánchez-Salguero Erick , Guzmán-Aquino Héctor , Borbolla-Cruz María Fernanda de la , Contreras-Vargas Víctor , Corona-Cervantes Karina , Piña-Escobedo Alberto , García-Mena Jaime
Published: April 2021

Background: Microbiota colonization during labor and through the first meals contributes to immune maturation and development of the newborn. Mother provides probiotics and prebiotics factors through colostrum and maternal milk to shape the first neonatal microbiota. Previous works have reported that immunoglobulin A (IgA) secreted in colostrum is coating a fraction of maternal microbiota. Methods: Thus, to better characterize the IgA-associated microbiota, we used flow cytometry coupled with 16S rDNA gene sequencing (IgA-Seq) in human colostrum and neonatal feces. We identified IgA-bound bacteria (IgA+) and characterized its diversity to elucidate possible role of IgA subclasses during neonatal bacterial colonization of the colon.Results: We found that IgA2 in the colostrum has an active role during microbiota colonization. Colostrum IgA2 is mainly associated with Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Bacteroidetes genera. This association seems to give these bacteria an advantage during their establishment since metabolic pathways related to epithelial adhesion and carbohydrate consumption are enriched within fecal IgA2+ microbiota. Association with specific bacteria could be explained since IgA2 recognizes common antigens expressed on surfaces among bacteria genera.Conclusions: Our data suggest a specific targeting of commensal bacteria by IgA2 revealing a specialized function of IgA microbiota association during neonatal intestinal colonization during the first days of life.
Risk Factors for Adverse One-year Prognosis in Patients With Low Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction After Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Lebedeva Nataliya B. , Chesnokova L. Yu.
Published: April 2021

BackgroundRecent studies have reported the correlation between left ventricular dysfunction and asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis So, we aimed to determine the predictors of poor long-term survival in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction after MI and chronic cerebral ischemia. Methods182 patients with left ventricular failure and chronic cerebral ischemia presented with Q-wave MI were recruited in a observational study. Of them, 149 (81.9%) were men and 33 (18.1%) were women. Their median age was 60.4 (53; 69) years. All patients underwent echocardiography, coronary angiography, carotid color duplex scanning, and were consulted by an interventional neurologist at the acute phase of MI. One year after MI, the hard endpoints were collected. Univariate and multivariate regression analyzes were performed.ResultsCerebral arteriopathy was confirmed in all patients from the study group. The thickness of the intima-media was over 1.0 mm. The mean carotid intima-media thickness was 1.8±06 mm. The majority of patients had mild to moderate encephalopathy. Carotid atherosclerotic plaques were found in 37.4% of patients. The degree of stenosis did not exceed 50% in all cases. One-year after MI, 77 (46.1%) patients reached hard endpoints. The multivariate regression model showed that previous stroke (RR 7.33 [95% CI 1.97-27.32], p = 0.003) was the most unfavorable predictor of mortality, whereas the most unfavorable predictors of endpoints were prior stroke (RR = 1.92 [95% CI 1.09-3.38], p = 0.025) and the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaque (RR = 2.12 [95% CI 1.34-3.37], p = 0.001). ConclusionThe presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques and previous stroke affect the one-year prognosis in patients with myocardial infarction, complicated by heart failure and chronic cerebral ischemia.
A Method of Welding Path Planning of Steel Mesh Based on Point Cloud for Welding Robot
Authors: Geng Yusen , Zhang Yuankai , Tian Xincheng , Shi Xiaorui , Wang Xiujing , Cui Yigang
Published: April 2021

At present, the operators needs to carry out complicated teaching and programming work on the welding path planning for the welding robot before welding the steel mesh. In this work, an automatic welding path planning method of steel mesh based on point cloud is proposed to simplify the complicated teaching and programming work in welding path planning. The point cloud model of steel mesh is obtained by three-dimensional vision structured light camera. Then we use the relevant point cloud processing algorithm to calculate the welding path of the steel mesh, and obtainthe 3D information of the welding path for the welding localization of the robot welding process. Experimental results show that the method can accurately realize the welding path planning of the steel mesh and accomplish the welding task without teaching and programming before welding, which improves the production efficiency.