bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knockout of the neonatal Fc receptor alters immune complex trafficking and lysosomal function in cultured podocytes
Authors: Haddad George , Dylewski James , Evans River , Lewis Linda , Blaine Judith
Published: September 2022

Podocytes are key to preventing the filtration of serum proteins into the urine. Recent evidence also suggests that in immune mediated kidney diseases, podocytes are the targets of immune complexes (ICs). The mechanisms whereby podocytes handle and respond to ICs remain unknown. The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is involved in IgG handling in podocytes and is also required in dendritic cells to traffic ICs to the lysosome for proteolytic degradation of antigen and presentation on MHC II. Here we examine the role of FcRn in handling ICs in podocytes. We show that knockout of FcRn in podocytes results in decreased trafficking of ICs to the lysosome and increases IC trafficking to recycling endosomes. FcRn KO also alters lysosomal distribution, decreases lysosomal surface area and decreases cathepsin B expression and activity. We demonstrate that signaling pathways in cultured podocytes differ after treatment with IgG alone versus ICs and that podocyte proliferation in both WT and KO podocytes is suppressed by IC treatment. Our findings suggest that podocytes respond differentially to IgG versus ICs and that FcRn modifies the lysosomal response to ICs. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying podocyte handling of ICs may provide novel pathways to modulate immune mediated kidney disease progression.
Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients With Versus Without Prior Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sato Akira , Morishima Toshitaka , Takeuchi Masato , Nakata Kayo , Kawakami Koji , Miyashiro Isao
Published: September 2022

Clinical trials on cancer treatments frequently exclude patients with prior cancer, but more evidence is needed to understand their possible effects on outcomes. This study analyzed the prognostic impact of prior cancer in newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients while accounting for various patient and cancer characteristics. Using population-based cancer registry data linked with administrative claims data, this retrospective cohort study examined patients aged 15–84 years diagnosed with NSCLC between 2010 and 2015 in Japan. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause mortality in patients with versus without prior cancer. The analysis was stratified according to NSCLC stage and diagnostic time intervals between prior cancers and the index NSCLC. We analyzed 9,103 patients (prior cancer: 1,416 [15.6%]; no prior cancer: 7,687 [84.4%]). Overall, prior cancer had a non-significant mortality HR of 1.07 (95% CI: 0.97–1.17). Furthermore, prior cancer had a significantly higher mortality hazard for diagnostic time intervals of 3 years (HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.06–1.43) and 5 years (1.18, 1.04–1.33), but not for longer intervals. However, prior cancer in patients with more advanced NSCLC did not show a higher mortality risk for any diagnostic time interval. Smoking-related prior cancers and prior cancers with poorer prognosis were associated with poorer survival. NSCLC patients with prior cancer do not have an invariably higher risk of mortality, and should be considered for inclusion in clinical trials depending on their cancer stage.
Morphological, histological and molecular characteristics of Myxobolus spp. (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) infecting the kidney of silver carp in Lake Taihu
Authors: Zhou Qingjie , Cao Zeyi , Gao Zhipeng , Xi Bingwen , Liu Kai
Published: September 2022

Myxozoans are common microscopic endoparasites in fish, and some are highly pathogenic to their wild and farmed fish hosts. In the present study, myxosporeans infection in the kidney of silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes, 1844) from Lake Taihu, was investigated, and two dominate species, Myxobolus lieni (Nie & Li, 1973) and Myxobolus varius (Achmerov, 1960), with infection prevalence 60.2% and 35.2% respectively, were well characterized based on morphological, histopathological and DNA sequence data. M. lieni formed small roundish plasmodia in the epithelial cells of renal tubules. The mature myxospores appeared suborbicular, slightly flat in frontal view and fusiform shaped in sutural view. Dispersed myxospores of M. varius were found in the renal interstitium without forming plasmodia structures and enclosed within melano-macrophage centers. The spore appeared elliptical in frontal view, with wider anterior than posterior and shuttle shaped in sutural view. Interestingly, the occurrence of myxozoans in the kidney detected with SSU rDNA PCR and clone sequencing, revealed co-infection of five Myxobolus species. BLASTn search indicated SSU rDNA gene sequences obtained here were not identical to any sequence available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the five Myxobolus detected here were clustered together, forming a separate clade of cyprinid-infecting myxozoans.
Effect of Ni Concentration in Cu-Fe-Ni alloys Coating on mild steel substrate Prepared by Electrochemical Deposition
Authors: Ayoub Abbas , Ahmad Naseeb , Rehman M Haseeb u
Published: September 2022

Mild steel has applications in construction, automobiles, mechanical engineering and general purpose fabrication, fencing, cages, frames, furniture components for different shapes, pipelines and other in industries. Cu-Fe-Ni alloy coating with different concentration of Ni was produced on low carbon steel substrate by electrodeposition in this research. This technique is favorable to us because of its low cost and easy to approach. The electrolytic bath contained the 31.92g/l CuSO4, 54.2 g/l FeSO4, NiSO4.7H2O (0.00 g/l, 14.04 g/l, 28.08 g/l, 42.12 g/l) and 15.4 g/l H3BO3 as buffer to maintain pH at 3. The electrodeposition is done at suitable deposition parameters. The effect of Ni concentration on the surface morphology, structure and mechanical properties of coating were revealed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Vicker hardness tester respectively. Obtained results showed that with the increase in Ni content grain size increases and elongation decreases while the mechanical properties increases. The thickness of deposited Cu-Fe-Ni alloys has decreasing trend of thickness with increasing of Ni contents.
Generation and Detection of Terahertz Electrical Waveforms
Authors: Uzorka Afam , Makeri Yakubu Ajiji , David Kibirige , David Makumbi
Published: September 2022

This paper presents theoretical and experimental work on development of Tetrahertz (THz) generation and detection schemes. Here, the PC THz generation processes are applied to the formation of transmission line coupled THz electrical waveforms. After a brief explanation of the experimental setup employed, the concept of PC self-switching is introduced through theoretical and experimental work on coplanar gallium arsenide (GaAs) PC self-switching. Here, it is shown that ultrashort THz electrical pulses can be formed on transmission lines through a time delayed multi switching process. The coplanar PC switch was presented to explain the operation of the device. By employing sufficiently short electrode spacings, it was found that the operation of the device could be extended into the THz frequency domain.
Reliability Evaluation of Radial Distribution Network for Educational purpose using Greedy Search Approach- Distribution Network Data and Results
Authors: Agarwal Umesh , Chhipa Abrar Ahmed , Chakrabarti Tulika , Gupta Amit , Praveen S Phani , Chakrabarti Prasun , Sharma Neha , Elngar Ahmed A.
Published: September 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Porous Metal Block Based on Topology Optimization to Treat Distal Femoral Bone Defect in Total Knee Revision
Authors: Zhang Jiangbo , Zhang Aobo , Han Qing , Liu Yang , Chen Hao , Ma Mingyue , Li Yongyue , Chen Bingpeng , Wang Jincheng
Published: September 2022

Metal block augmentations are common solutions in treating bone defects of total knee revision. However, the stress shielding and poor osteointegration resulted by metal block augmentation could not be neglected in restoration. In this study, a novel porous metal block was designed with topology optimization to improve biomechanical performance. The biomechanical difference of the topologically optimized block, solid Ti6Al4V block, and porous Ti6Al4V block in treating bone defects of total knee revision was compared by finite element analysis. The inhomogeneous femoral model was created according to the computed tomography data. Combined with porous structures, minimum compliance topology optimization subjected to the volume fraction constraint was utilized for the redesign of the metal block. The 10 mm area of the distal femur underneath the contacting surface was defined as the region of interest. The biomechanical performance of daily motions was investigated. The von Mises stress, the strain energy density of the region of interest, and the von Mises stress of metal blocks were recorded. The results were analyzed in SPSS. In terms of the region of interest, the maximum von Mises stress of the topological optimized group increased obviously, and the average stress of this group was significantly higher than other groups (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the maximum strain energy density of the topologically optimized block group was the highest among the three groups, and the lowest maximum stress of block was found in the topological optimized group. In this study, the stress shielding reduction and stress transfer capability was found obviously improved through topology optimization. Therefore, the topological optimized porous block is recommended in treating bone defects of total knee revision. Meanwhile, this study also provided a novel approach for the mechanical optimization in block designing.
Tandem Base-Metal Oxide Catalyst for Automotive Three-way Reaction: MnFe2O4 for Preferential Oxidation of Hydrocarbon
Authors: Maruichi Keisuke , Sakai Ryosuke , Ueda Kakuya , Oda Akira , Satsuma Atsushi
Published: September 2022

A combination of two base-metal oxides in tandem configuration can realize three-way reaction without platinum group metals. For this purpose, catalysts for hydrocarbon preferential oxidation (HC-PROX) and for NO reduction by CO are required. For the design of HC-PROX catalysts, competitive oxidation of propene and CO on spinel-type MFe2O4 (M= Co, Cu, Mg, Mn, Ni, Zn) was investigated. MnFe2O4 preferentially oxidized propene in the co-presence of CO showing the best propene oxidation activity. Among the series of MFe2O4, the activity controlling factor was correlated to the M-O bond energy of the second metal oxides, and the HC preferential oxidation property was dependent on the electronegativity of the second ion. A tandem catalyst using MnFe2O4 for HC-PROX and CuCo2O4 for NO-CO reaction showed TWC activity comparable to a Rh/CeO2.
The tip cross-sectional area (TCSA) method strengthened and constrained with ethno-historical material from sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Lombard Marlize , Lotter Matt G. , Caruana Matthew V.
Published: September 2022

Work on large samples of southern African lithics, probably used to tip hunting weapons amongst other things, exposed limitations in the tip cross-sectional area method’s robustness for hypothesising about variation in Stone Age/Palaeolithic weapon-delivery systems. Here we list some of the limitations and discuss a few recently published improvements in tip cross-sectional area ranges and data presentation. Our main contribution is the meaningful enlargement of datasets obtained from hafted weapon tips and/or weapon tips of known use mostly from sub-Saharan Africa. We briefly discuss why this region is relevant for studying trends in the evolution and development of hunting weapons. Our new data are used to strengthen and constrain the different TCSA ranges used as proxies for poisoned arrow tips, un-poisoned arrow tips, javelin tips, stabbing-spear tips, and to suggest a working TCSA range for thrusting-spear tips. We demonstrate that the calibrated TCSA ranges have robust statistical integrity as proxies for the different weapon-delivery systems they represent. Apart from the dart-tip category, the TCSA method has now been improved to accommodate more nuanced and accurate interpretations, while further strengthening hypothesis building about ancient weapon systems.
Characteristics of water vapor sources and precipitation contributions to drought and wet events on the Chinese Loess Plateau
Authors: Liu Rong , Wang Xin , Wang Zuoliang , Quan Rui
Published: September 2022

In this paper, the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) at the monthly scale was calculated based on ground observations to obtain different drought and wet events at the surface of the Loess Plateau in summer from 2000-2017. Using the NECP FNL (National Centers for Environmental Prediction Final) data for the same period, backward simulations with the FLEXPART model were performed to obtain the water vapor transport characteristics and potential evaporative sources corresponding to different dry and wet events. Finally, the contribution of water vapor sources to precipitation on the Loess Plateau was obtained. The results show that the primary sources of water vapor on the Loess Plateau during dry and wet summer events are concentrated in the Loess Plateau and the Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau regions and sporadically distributed in the Altay region of Xinjiang, as well as at the junction of China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The evaporation extent and intensity in northern Xinjiang and Mongolia increase when the surface experiences wet-normal-dry events. The local internal circulation on the Loess Plateau contributes to 31.3% and 36.8% of the water vapor in drought and wet events, respectively. Influenced by the westerly wind belt and southwest monsoon, the precipitation contributions of the Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau are 11.2% and 13.1%, respectively, and those of Mongolia are 14.6% and 11.9%, respectively. The water vapor contributions from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal in the south are insignificant. The results aid in understanding the mechanisms of drought and wet events on the Loess Plateau.
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension presenting with migraine phenotype is associated with unfavorable headache outcome
Authors: Bsteh Gabriel , Macher Stefan , Krajnc Nik , Pruckner Philip , Marik Wolfgang , Mitsch Christoph , Novak Klaus , Pemp Berthold , Wöber Christian
Published: September 2022

Background: Migrainous headache is common in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). The aim of this study was to assess its prognostic impact.Methods: We investigated patients with IIH from the Vienna-IIH-database and differentiated migraine (IIH-MIG) from non-migrainous and absent headache (IIH-noMIG). Using multivariate models, we analyzed the impact of IIH-MIG on headache and visual outcomes 12 months after diagnosis. Results: Among 97 patients (88.7% female, mean age 32.9±11.1 years, median BMI 32.0, median CSF opening pressure 31cmH2O), 46.4% were assigned to IIH-MIG and 53.6% to IIH-noMIG (11.3% tension-type, 25.8% unclassifiable, 16.5% no headache). At baseline, IIH-MIG differed from IIH-noMIG with respect to headache frequency (22 vs. 15 days/month, p=0.003) and severity (6.5/10 vs. 4.5/10; p<0.001).At follow-up, the rates for improvement and freedom of headache were lower in IIH-MIG than in IIH-noMIG for all patients (66.7% vs. 88.5%, p=0.009; 11.1% vs. 42.3%, p=0.006) and for those with resolution of papilledema (n=60; 62.1% vs. 93.6%, p=0.003; 17.2% vs. 61.3%, p<0.001). In contrast, visual worsening was significantly less common in IIH-MIG (8.9% vs. 25.0%, p=0.037). Adjusting for covariates, IIH-MIG was independently associated with a significantly lower likelihood of headache improvement (odds ratio [OR] 0.57, p<0.001) and freedom of headache (OR 0.28, p<0.001), but also a lower risk for visual worsening (OR 0.39, p<0.001). Conclusions: In IIH, migrainous headache is associated with unfavorable outcomes for headache, even when papilledema has resolved, and possibly favorable visual outcome.
Effects of new-generation antiepileptic drug prophylaxis on delayed neurovascular events after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Suzuki Hidenori , Miura Yoichi , Yasuda Ryuta , Yago Tetsushi , Mizutani Hisashi , Ichikawa Tomonori , Miyazaki Takahiro , Kitano Yotaro , Nishikawa Hirofumi , Kawakita Fumihiro , Fujimoto Masashi , Toma Naoki
Published: September 2022

Neuroelectric disruptions such as seizures and cortical spreading depolarization may contribute to the development of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, effects of antiepileptic drug prophylaxis on outcomes remain controversial in SAH. The authors investigated if prophylactic administration of new-generation antiepileptic drugs levetiracetam and perampanel was beneficial against delayed neurovascular events after SAH. This was a retrospective single-center cohort study of 121 consecutive SAH patients including 56 patients of admission World Federation of Neurological Surgeons grades IV−V who underwent aneurysmal obliteration within 72 hours post-SAH from 2013 to 2021. Prophylactic antiepileptic drugs differed depending on the study terms: none (2013−2015), levetiracetam for patients at high risks of seizures (2016−2019), and perampanel for all patients (2020−2021). The 3rd term had the lowest occurrence of delayed cerebral microinfarction on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and the tendency of reduced DCI. Other outcome measures were similar among the 3 terms including incidences of angiographic vasospasm, computed tomography-detectable delayed cerebral infarction, seizures, and 3-month good outcomes (modified Rankin Scale 0−2). The present study suggests that prophylactic administration of levetiracetam and perampanel at least does not worsen outcomes, and that perampanel may have the potential to reduce DCI by preventing microcirculatory disturbances after SAH. Further studies are warranted to investigate anti-DCI effects of a selective α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptor antagonist perampanel in SAH patients in a large-scale prospective study.
Identification of fruit fly (Tephritidae) pupae parasitized by Hymenoptera parasitoids
Authors: de Almeida Tiago Tognolli , Roel Antonia Railda , de Oliveira Carina Elisei , Rocha Bruno Fines , Dias Angélica Maria Penteado Martins
Published: September 2022

Introduction One of the major problems in orchards is the presence of Tephritidae fly maggots, especially in Mirtaceae species. Various biological control tools include the use of Hymenoptera parasitoids, which naturally control fly populations. However, identification of the host species of parasitoids is challenging, because only the puparium remains after the parasitoid hatches. Aims Therefore, the aim of this work was to determine the host species of Hymenoptera parasitoids, through the puparium. Methods Host species were identified by amplification and sequencing of cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) of mitochondrial DNA. Results The results of the present study show that COI DNA sequencing was able to reliably identify host pupae to the genus level, allowing the identification of the Anastrepha genus in this study. Discussion This suggests that this method can be used to identify agriculturally relevant host pupae, since this genus has already been described as a parasite of Campomanesia adamantium. Implications for insect conservation Knowledge of the species that cause damage to crop, and their parasitoids is extremely important to study the biological and ecological aspects of these pests and their control. In this way, our results can contribute to the development of alternatives to the use of insecticides, reducing the use of chemical agents in crop production and minimizing the harmful effects on other insect species.
Evaluation of the Safety and Potential Therapeutic Effects of Hydrogen-Rich Coral Calcium on Autoimmune Diseases
Authors: Shen Min-Chung , Chung Jia-Ru Chung , Wang Kuang-Yih , Chu Chao-Fang , Tsou Wen-Hsin , Chou Hsia-Yun , Wang Tian-Yu , Chang Tzu-Hao , Chen Wen-Wen , Liu Feng-Cheng , Douglas Frank L. , Hsieh Rong-Hong
Published: September 2022

Patients with autoimmune diseases (AD) are at increased risk of complications, which adversely affect the quality of life and prognosis. Recently, a large amount of literature suggested reduced oxidative stress by hydrogen supplements in reducing inflammation and improving prognosis. In this study, clinical trial NCT05196295, we randomly assigned different dosages (low, medium, and high) of hydrogen-rich coral calcium (HRCC) to patients with autoimmune diseases, including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients in Ming-Sheng Hospital in Taiwan (age 54 years, 80% females). Participants were measured with their baseline health biomarkers including inflammatory indicators, haematologic, urinary biomarkers, and health status prior to the trial. Clinical and follow-up assessments were collected after 1 month of the treatment. We performed analyses to compare the baseline with the changes after the HRCC treatment. Together with the groups treated with different dosages, the treatment demonstrated no adverse effects on participants’ responses to the HRCC. While the primary endpoint of the trial was met, the potential therapeutic effects of HRCC are addressed for future studies. This clinical trial of HRCC in safety response is the first-in-human study.
Spatio-Temporal adaptive correlation filter tracking based on multi- layer convolution feature fusion
Authors: Jiang Wentao , Meng Qingjiao
Published: September 2022

Aiming at the disadvantage that the term of regularization filter is defined in advance, but it can not suppress the learning of non target region in real time. A new method of multi-layer convolution feature fusion Spatio-Temporal adaptive correlation filter tracking is propose. Firstly, the spatial local response variation is introduced into the objective function to realize spatial regularization, so that the filter focuses on the trusted part of the learning object, so as to obtain the response model. Secondly, the update rate of the filter is determined according to the change of global response. Finally, the convolution neural network (CNN) is introduced for depth feature extraction. The feature level fusion is realized by cascading gray, color name (CN) and histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) features. Sobel operator is used to reduce the dimension combined with pooling layer, and ReLU activation function. function is used to retain the location information about main features and speed up the calculation speed. Two benchmark experimental sets showed that the algorithm basically meets the real-time requirements in complex background, object occlusion, fast motion and other scenes.
COMFORTneo scale: a reliable and valid instrument to measure prolonged pain in neonates?
Authors: Meesters Naomi , Diles Tinne , Rosmalen Joost van , Bosch Gerbrich van den , Simons Sinno , Dijk Monique van
Published: September 2022

Objective We studied the reliability and validity of the COMFORTneo scale, designed to measure neonatal prolonged pain. Study designThis prospective observational study evaluated four clinimetric properties of the COMFORTneo scale from NICU nurses’ assessments of neonates’ pain. Intra-rater reliability was determined from three video fragments at two time points. Inter-rater reliability and construct validity were determined in five neonates per nurse with the COMFORTneo and numeric rating scales (NRS) for pain and distress. Pain scores using N-PASS were correlated with COMFORTneo scores to further evaluate construct validity.ResultIntra-rater reliability: Twenty-two nurses assessed pain twice with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.70. Inter-rater reliability: The ICC for 310 COMFORTneo scores together with 62 nurses was 0.93. Construct validity: Correlation between COMFORTneo and NRS pain, distress and N-PASS was 0.34, 0.72 and 0.70, respectively. ConclusionThe COMFORTneo can be used to reliably and validly assess pain in NICU patients.
68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging in elderly patients with newly-diagnosed prostate cancer, with and without pre-imaging biopsy
Authors: Kesler Mikhail , Cohen Dan , Levine Charles , Sarid David , Keizman Daniel , Yossepowitch Ofer , Even-Sapir Einat
Published: September 2022

Purpose
to assess the value of staging 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in elderly patients with biopsy-proven or high clinical suspicion of prostate cancer (PCa).
Methods
100 consecutive patients 80 years of age and older referred for 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT with biopsy proven high-risk PCa (n = 66 pts) or high clinical suspicion of clinically relevant PCa without biopsy (n = 34 pts) were enrolled. Clinical parameters, biopsy results (when performed), 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT findings and treatment approach wererecorded. Patients were categorized to those that had a pre-imaging biopsy B(+) and those that did not B(-).
Results
All patients had a PSMA-avid disease including the 34 B(-) patients in whom a focal "hot" lesion was identified in the prostate suggestive of the primary tumor lesion. Based on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT, 36 patients had a localized disease 25 patients had a locally advanced disease and 39 had an advanced disease. Lesions requiring a special clinical attention were identified. B(-) patients were older (median age 87 vs. 82, Pv < 0.01), with worse performance status (Pv < 0.01), and higher PSA levels (median 57 vs. 15.4 ng/ml, Pv < 0.01). Staging was not different in B(+) and B (-) patients, but the latter showed a trend for higher rates of bone metastases (47.1% vs. 28.8%) and overall advanced disease (50% vs. 33.3%). All Patients with advanced disease but one (38/39), received hormonal therapy, whether they had a pre-imaging biopsy or not. Focusing on the 16 B (-) patients showing advanced disease on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and receiving hormonal therapy, in 92.3% patients decrease in PSA levels was achieved (mean ∆PSA, 95.6%, IQR, 95.0-98.2%) and in 88.9% follow-up 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT showed improvement or stable disease.
Conclusion
Elderly patients often referred for 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT when diagnosis of high-risk PCa is biopsy-proven or without a pre-imaging biopsy, when presenting with clinically suspected PCa. 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT findings allow for accurate staging and assist in guiding treatment. Many elderly patients may benefit same treatment applied in younger patients. If did not undergo biopsy, treatment may be chosen based on imaging findings alone.
Functional improvements in β-conglycinin by edible bioconjugation with carboxymethyl dextran
Authors: Yoshida Tadashi , Tomono Misato , Takahashi Ryohei , Hattori Makoto
Published: September 2022

β-Conglycinin was conjugated with carboxymethyl dextran (CMD) by the Maillard reaction to improve its function. The β-conglycinin-CMD conjugate was purified by dialysis. Conjugation was confirmed by SDS-PAGE with CBB and PAS staining. Composition of the β-conglycinin-CMD was β-conglycinin:CMD = 1:2.7 (molar ratio) which was confirmed by BCA method and phenol sulfuric acid method. Solubility of β-conglycinin in the range of pH 2.0–7.0 was much improved by conjugation with CMD. Emulsifying property of β-conglycinin at pH 7 and in presence of salt was improved by conjugation with CMD. Immunogenicity of β-conglycinin was reduced by conjugation with CMD. Conjugation method performed in this study was considered to be valuable in that it can be used in food processing.
Evaluation of ROS1 expression and rearrangements in a large cohort of early- stage lung cancer
Authors: Dyrbekk Anne Pernille Harlem , Warsame Abdirashid Ali , Suhrke Pål , Ludahl Marianne Odnakk , Moe Joakim Oliu , Eide Inger Johanne Zwicky , Lund-Iversen Marius , Brustugun Odd Terje
Published: September 2022

Background: ROS1 fusion is an infrequent, but attractive target for therapy in patients with metastatic non- small-cell lung cancer. In studies on mainly late-stage disease, the prevalence of ROS1 fusions is about 1-3%. Less is known about the prevalence of ROS1 fusions in early-stage, resectable lung cancer, where it might provide a fruitful target for neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of ROS1 fusion in early-stage lung cancer. We also explored whether positive ROS1 immunohistochemical (IHC) stain was associated with certain mutations, clinical characteristics and outcomes. Methods: The study was performed using biobank material from 972 lung cancer patients including 542 patients with adenocarcinoma surgically resected during 2006-2018. Initially, we screened the samples with two different IHC clones (D4D6 and SP384) targeting ROS1. All samples that showed more than weak or focal staining, as well as a subgroup of negative samples, were analyzed with ROS1 fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) with a comprehensive NGS DNA and RNA panel. Positive ROS1-fusion was defined as those samples positive in at least two of the three methods (IHC, FISH, NGS). Results: Fifty cases were IHC positive. Of these, three samples were both NGS and FISH-positive and considered positive for ROS1 fusion. Two more samples were FISH positive only, and whilst IHC and NGS were negative. The prevalence of ROS1 fusion in adenocarcinomas was 0.6%. All cases with ROS1 fusion had TP53 mutations. IHC-positivity was associated with adenocarcinoma. Among SP384-IHC positive cases we also found an association with never smoking status. There was no association between positive IHC and overall survival, age, stage, sex or pack-year of smoking. Conclusions: ROS1 seems to be less frequent in early-stage disease than in advanced stages. IHC is a sensitive, but less specific method and the results need to be confirmed with another method like FISH or NGS.
Proposal for a tiered approach to evaluate the risk of transformation products formed from pesticides residues during drinking water treatment
Authors: Michel Amandine , Armbruster Dominic , Benz-Birck Angelika , Deppermann Nina , Doetzer Reinhard , Flörs Markus , Frericks Markus , Li Shanghua , Gebler Sebastian , Schröder Tom , Seitz Wolfram
Published: September 2022

Oxidative treatment methods are valuable tools for the microbial safety of drinking water. However, the reaction of oxidants with natural substances or anthropogenic contaminants present in the raw water can potentially lead to the formation of harmful transformation products (TPs). The present paper proposes a tiered approach for the risk evaluation of TPs formed from pesticides residues during drinking water treatment. First, the concentrations of pesticides residues in raw water used for drinking water production are evaluated (step 1). Substances with a predicted concentration in raw water above 0.1 µg/L proceed further to a reactivity assessment, examining the behaviour in water treatment plants (step 2). Using information available in the scientific literature, prediction of structural elements in the TPs can be made and allow a worst-case assessment based on the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) (step 3). If concerns remain, experiments may be conducted to simulate water treatment (step 4). Because of their complexity and variability, experiments for the simulation of water treatment should focus on prioritized substances of potential concern. The test conditions should be realistic (i.e., close to EU-representative conditions in waterworks) and ozonation and chlorination should be combined with pre- and post-treatment steps, as is normally the case in European waterworks. As a first screening option, we propose to test the toxicity of the reaction mixture. If the treated water shows an enhanced toxicity, further experiments can be conducted to identify and quantify the major TPs (step 5). We propose to define major TPs as substances present at more than 10% of the initially applied test substance. For major TPs a tiered dietary risk assessment is conducted, starting with the TTC concept, and continuing with toxicity testing of the TP, according to EFSA and ECHA and internationally agreed guidance.
Diffusion-induced stresses due to an impulsive mass source under non-Fickian mass transfer models
Authors: Fayik Mohsen , Dhaba Amr El , Awad Emad
Published: September 2022

The description of the mass transfer mechanisms in various physical and engineering fields, e.g., Li-ion battery, is of a significant importance for optimizing their performance. The present work introduces a comparative study describing the different responses of a perfectly elastic material when different non-Fickian diffusion situations are considered. The uncoupled theory of elastic diffusion, in which the diffusion process is described by non-Fickian laws, such as Cattaneo, Jeffreys-type and Burgers-type constitutive laws, is employed in this modeling. Diffusion of lithium ions inside the silicon anode is one of the physical situations in which diffusion-induced stresses may be significant. An impulsive initial value problem, consisting of an initial lithium ions amount starts impulsively to diffuse over the entire space of a silicon material, is considered. Direct approach together with Laplace and exponential Fourier transforms techniques are employed to obtain the solution in the Laplace transformed domain. Inverse Laplace transform is computed numerically to obtain the solution in the physical domain. Comparisons among the material responses to different diffusion regimes are presented.
Machine Learning for Control Systems Security of Industrial Robots: a Post-covid-19 Overview
Authors: Gueye Thierno , Wang Yanen , Rehman Mudassar , Mushtaq Ray Tahir , Hassan Abual
Published: September 2022

The Internet of Things has provided people with a seamless, automated home and industrial experience. The concept is now integrated into more domains like Internet of robotic things (IoRT), Internet of medicine Things (IoMT), etc., to improve domain-specific outcomes. For IoRT, which is the robotics implementation of Internet of Things (IoT), poor network security could cause economic and physical damage to both the networked devices and human users of the network. Also, the tendency for data and privacy breaches becomes more prevalent with an increase in the number of devices in the network. Hence, these identified vulnerabilities are the limiting elements for proper IoRT implementation. Various works have proposed security schemes for ensuring the realization of a secure and efficient IoRT network, but with computational time and complexity limitations. However, machine learning methodologies have shown the best promise for identifying malicious traffic in an IoRT network. This work proposes a security architecture using a Deep Neural Network and an ensemble of Decision Trees. This architecture can be implemented online or offline with minimal trade-offs between resources and efficiency. Also, the proposed machine learning models are compared with other commonly implemented schemes using the IoT-23 Dataset. Experimentation and comparison show that the proposed model and architecture are optimal for the malware detection task and security of a typical IoRT network. These contributions are significant for realizing secure and efficient IoRT networks for the future of industrial automation in this post-COVID era.
Optimal recovery of potentials for Sturm-Liouville eigenvalue problems with separated boundary conditions
Authors: Yifei Jia , Jiangang Qi , Jing Li
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we consider the optimal recovery of potentials for a Sturm-Liouville problem -y''+qy= λy, y(0) = 0 = y(1)-hy'(1), 0<h<1, q in L1[0,1] with only one given eigenvalue. Denote by λn(q) the n-th eigenvalue of this problem. For λ ∈ R, denote by Ωn(λ) = {q: q ∈ L1[0,1], λn(q)= λ}, n ≥ 1 and En(λ) = inf {||q||: q ∈ Ωn(λ)}. The optimal recovery of potential function in this paper refers to finding the infimum of the L1-norm for potential function in the set Ωn(λ). We will obtain a formula for En(λ) and specify where the infimum can be attained. Our results are closely related to the discontinuity of the eigenvalues with respect to the boundary conditions. Since the optimal recovery problem with only one fixed eigenvalue is just the duality problem to the extremum problem of eigenvalues, we also give the extremum of the n-th eigenvalue of a problem for potentials on a sphere in L1[0, 1].
Reversal of flurazepam dependence by several drugs involving neuropeptide Y in rats
Authors: Cao Ke , Bian Fengzhi
Published: September 2022

Objective
Although benzodiazepines (BDZ) are widely used for treating anxiety, insomnia and seizures, drug dependence usually develops after long-term BDZ therapy. The purposes of this research are to find drugs capable of reversing the flurazepam (FZP) dependence, and to clarify the role of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in this adverse event.
Methods
Through 2-week treatment with FZP, we induced a rat model of anticonvulsant FZP dependence. These FZP-dependent rats were randomized into 4 groups, namely the FZP dependence group, the nifedipine group, the levetiracetam group and the topiramate group. For assessment of dependence on FZP, the murine tail veins were infused with pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). The latency before clonic seizure onset was recorded, as well as the PTZ threshold. Competitive RT-PCR was used to examine the hippocampal mRNA levels of NPY receptors Y2, while immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was performed to determine the hippocampal NPY distribution.
Results
Compared to the control group, the average latency to the onset of clonic seizure shortened in the FZP-dependence group, and the PTZ threshold decreased. IHC indicated markedly declined neuronal expressions of NPY-immunoreactive substances in the dentate gyrus (DG), CA1 and CA3 zones. The nifedipine, levetiracetam and topiramate groups exhibited prolongation of average incubation period and doubling of average PTZ threshold as compared to the model group. Increases in the NPY-immunoreactive substances and the Y2 mRNAs were found in the reversal rats.
Conclusion
In rat model, nifedipine, levetiracetam and topiramate can reverse the dependence on anticonvulsant FZP. During the reversal process, NPY may act as a vital mediator.
Pulse-Driven Self-Reconfigurable Meta-Antennas
Authors: Ushikoshi Daiju , Higashiura Riku , Tachi Kaito , Fathnan Ashif Aminulloh , Mahmood Suhair , Takeshita Hiroki , Homma Haruki , Akram Muhammad Rizwan , Vellucci Stefano , Lee Jiyeon , Toscano Alessandro , Bilotti Filiberto , Christopoulos Christos , Wakatsuchi Hiroki
Published: September 2022

Wireless communications and sensing have notably advanced thanks to the recent developments in both software and hardware. Although various modulation schemes have been proposed to efficiently use the limited frequency resources by exploiting several degrees of freedom, antenna performance is essentially governed by frequency only. Here, we present a new antenna design concept based on metasurfaces to manipulate antenna performances in response to the time width of electromagnetic pulses. We numerically and experimentally show that by using a proper set of spatially arranged metasurfaces loaded with lumped circuits, ordinary omnidirectional antennas can be reconfigured by the incident pulse width to exhibit directional characteristics varying over hundreds of milliseconds or billions of cycles, far beyond conventional performance. We demonstrate that the proposed concept can be applied for sensing, selective reception under simultaneous incidence and mutual communications as the first step to expand existing frequency resources based on pulse width.
Preoperative Blood Urea Nitrogen-to-Serum Albumin Ratio for the Prediction of In-hospital Mortality in Patients who Underwent Emergency Surgery for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection
Authors: Wu Qingsong , Lin Jianling , Qiu Zhihuang , Tang Mirong , Xie Linfeng , Chen Liangwan
Published: September 2022

Background: Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum albumin (SA) are related to mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases, such as acute aortic dissection. However, there are no data on the relationship between BUN-to-albumin ratio (BA-R) and mortality in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of BA-R for the prediction of in-hospital mortality in patients who underwent emergency surgery for ATAAD.Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with ATAAD and underwent emergency surgery within 48 h of onset at our hospital between January 2015 and December 2021 were included in this study. The primary endpoint of this study was postoperative in-hospital mortality (POIM). The data of the survivors and non-survivors were retrospectively compared. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between BA-R and POIM.Results: A total of 557 patients with ATAAD were enrolled in this study. Of these, 505 survived and 52 did not. The preoperative BA-R of the non-survivor group was significantly higher than that of the survivor group (0.27 [0.18, 0.46] vs. 0.12 [0.10, 0.16] mmol/g; P < 0.001). Univariate regression analysis showed that preoperative BA-R ≥0.155 mmol/g, serum creatinine level ≥96.3 µmol/mL, SA level <37.05 g/L, D-dimer level ≥8.21 µg/mL, age ≥56 years, myocardial ischemia, cerebral ischemia, and aortic clamp time ≥49.6 min were risk factors for POIM. In addition, multivariable regression analysis showed that preoperative BA-R ≥0.155 mmol/g was a risk factor for POIM (odds ratio, 6.815 [3.582–12.964]; P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the cut-off point for preoperative BA-R was ≥0.155 mmol/g (area under the curve = 0.874). The sensitivity and specificity of preoperative BA-R in predicting the POIM of patients who underwent emergency surgery for ATAAD were 84.6% and 71.3%, respectively (95% confidence interval, 0.829–0.919; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Preoperative BA-R is a simple, rapid, and potentially useful prognostic indicator of POIM in patients with ATAAD.
Mathematics in Early Childhood Education: Awareness, Perspectives, Knowledge
Authors: DEMIR MEHMET , DEMIR Mehmet
Published: September 2022

This qualitative study investigates the awareness of preschool teachers regarding the importance of mathematics education. The study also examines their knowledge and perspectives on an effective early years math curriculum and pedagogy using a qualitative case study approach. The study sample included 27 teachers at preschools located in the southeast region of Turkey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain the required data. The interviews were audio-recorded and subsequently transcribed into full text in Turkish, with selected quotes being translated into English. The collated data were analyzed using an emergent coding approach. The teachers believed that providing a solid mathematical foundation in early childhood increases students’ engagement in future mathematics courses. However, in the absence of a formal early years mathematics curriculum, the findings indicate that early years teachers require pedagogical knowledge and a relevant curriculum to teach young children mathematics. This is necessary for the development of children's mathematical thinking and to broaden children’s understanding as to how they can improve their strategies for using math knowledge to solve problems.
Use of mesenchymal stem cells in Experimental Ovarian Damage
Authors: Fouad Hanan , Albahlol Ibrahim A , Wahab Hazim A. , Nadwa Iman H , Galal Heba M. , Abouelkheir Mohamed , Kamel Abdelkarim G. , Abdelmawlla Hassan Abdelraheem
Published: September 2022

The study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in Bisphenol A (BPA) -induced ovarian damage. The study was conducted on 50 mature female rats divided into: Group 1; control group, Group IIa, IIb: BPA group received oral gavage of BPA with two doses of 25, 50 mg/Kg body weight daily for 15 days, Group IIIa, IIIb; MSCs group intravenously injected with a single dose of MSCs (106 cells) after the last dose of BPA. Blood and ovarian tissue levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and gonadal axis hormones were assessed. Apoptosis was evaluated by TUNNEL assay and by apoptosis markers (FAS, FASL, Caspase 3, SLTM). Histological examination of ovarian tissue was assessed. Histological examination of ovarian tissues revealed that at high dose of BPA, there was significant increase in the number of atretic follicles whereas the numbers of primordial, primary, secondar, graafian follicles were significantly decreased. Moreover, all genetic and protein markers of apoptosis were significantly elevated in BPA treated rat groups with decreased estrogen receptor expression in the ovarian tissue. Results also showed significant elevation in plasma levels of LH and FSH, ovarian tissue levels of MDA, significant decrease in estradiol (E2), progesterone. Increased apoptotic cells were confirmed by TUNEL assay. All histological and laboratory abnormalities were significantly ameliorated after treatment with MSCs. In conclusion, follicles atresia is caused by BPA through upregulated expression of apoptosis related genes. MSCs induced significant amelioration of BPA induced-ovarian damage as regards apoptosis markers, biochemical and gonadal axis hormones.
The Soviet Past on the Post-Soviet Screen
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Bugaeva Lyubov D.
Published: September 2022

A popular and widespread theme in contemporary Russian cinema and television is the Soviet past reconstructed with various degrees of accuracy. This “documentary desire” aspires not only to access historical reality through visual representations of Soviet life in the 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s, but to use Soviet images as an instrument for emotional manipulation of the viewer by evoking or creating “memories” for those who do not have the Soviet experience. The article focuses on strategies, from the “visual document” to the “factory of memories,” that are used to present the Soviet past on the small and large screens. It is interesting to consider the purpose of recycling the Soviet theme. Addressing the past does not necessarily constitute nostalgia; it could be a glimpse into the future, or rather, a construction of the future through the past. The viewer, involved in the “make-believe” strategy, not only begins to believe that the events shown on screen took place in reality, but also that the source of information about those events is reliable. The cinematic “picture” either creates an image of the Soviet past or replaces the existing conception in the viewer’s mind. Interestingly though, the study of TV series about the Soviet past demonstrates that the rejection of the inevitability of the traumatic experience of tragic moments in Soviet history may paradoxically contribute to finding alternative solutions for social conflicts in the present and in the future, and this is what these TV series aspire to do.