bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rigidity dependent formation process of DNA supramolecular hydrogel
Authors: Liu Dongsheng , Pan Yufan , Yang Bo , Xu Rui , Li Xin , Dong Yuanchen
Published: September 2022

A DNA building block with tunable rigidity was constructed and the hydrogel formation process has been investigated accordingly. The high rigidity has been demonstrated to facilitate the fast gelation. Different pathways were revealed between the rigid and flexible building block and a cyclized dimer intermediate has been proposed. The energy barrier of the ring open process has also been proved to play a fundamental role in determining the gelation kinetics. Furthermore, the hydrogel molecular network rigidity was also tuned in situ through strand displacement, which also support the kinetic control mechanism in the formation process of DNA hydrogel.
Factors associated with the severity of premenstrual symptoms in women with central obesity: a cross sectional study
Authors: Sharifan Payam , Esfahani Ali Jafarzadeh , Zamiri Amir , Toosi Mansoureh Sadat Ekhteraee , Sedghdoost Fatemeh , Taghizadeh Niloufar , Mohammadi-Bajgiran Maryam , Ghazizadeh Hamideh , sahravard Toktam , Ferns Gordon , Ghayour-Mobarhan Majid
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common condition that affects social and psychological well-being of women. The risk of PMS is higher among obese women. The aim of this study was to identify the factors that influence the severity of PMS in women with central obesity.Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on women who were 30 to 50-year-old with abdominal obesity (waist circumference > 80cm). The following data were collected: demographic data, anthropometric measurements, premenstrual symptoms screening tools (PSST), semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), 42-item depression, anxiety, and stress questionnaire (DASS-42), as well as serum vitamin D, and renal function tests. Results: A total of 139 women (mean age of 41.40 ± 7.39 years old) participated in the study. The prevalence of mild, moderate and severe premenstrual symptom was 38.7% (55/142), 31.7% (45/142) and 27.5% (39/142), respectively. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of anthropometric measurements and energy-adjusted nutrient intakes (p>0.05). There was a significant relationship between moderate PMS and energy-adjusted SFA (p=.018, OR=.010 and 95% CI for OR: <.001 and .452), and energy-adjusted riboflavin (p=.042, OR=.005, 95% CI for OR: <.001 and .821) and between severe PMS and age (p=.034, OR=.906, 95% CI for OR: .826 and .993), and energy-adjusted monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) intake (p=.041, OR=23.789, 95% CI for OR: 1.138 and 497.294). Conclusions: High intakes of MUFA and younger age were associated with a greater severity of PMS, while riboflavin intake was associated with reduced PMS severity.
Study on the inactivation effect and damage on bacteria of ultraviolet light with multi irradiance by UV-LED
Authors: Mengmeng Li , Baiqin Zhao , Lei Han , Zhen Wang
Published: September 2022

It is acknowledged that the inactivation of ultraviolet has been widely used in various fields. In this article, the dose differences of various pathogenic bacteria were compared and the influence of bacterial survival state on the sterilization effect were sorting out. The effective sterilization methods and the UV sterilization mechanism of the DNA structure were explored.
In the experiment, the ultraviolet (UV-C) lamp device with multi irradiance and regular irradiation was designed and assembled to carry out the irradiation experiment of bacteria. A variety of pathogenic bacteria were used in the unified culture environment and irradiation conditions, and the sterilization rate was calculated through the proliferation of bacteria after UV irradiation. The irradiation dose and dose curve of each strain to achieve the bactericidal rate were obtained. The penetration of UV to bacteria was evaluated through the killing effect of UV on colonies. The difference between bacteria and UV energy was discussed, and the influence of irradiance on inactivation effect was demonstrated.
Irradiance and irradiation dose play a decisive role in the efficacy of UV sterilization. The UV dose was positively correlated with the bactericidal rate, and the bactericidal rate increased with the increase of the dose. High dose UV irradiation can kill multilayer bacteria. In the detection of bacterial damage, the UV energy in the experiment did not break the DNA fragment into small molecular bands. The ultra microstructure diagram showed that UV irradiation made the linear DNA condense, and the abnormal DNA structure could not replicate and inherit. The application of ultraviolet sterilization has a suitable energy range.
How I do It: Knot Placement Technique for Self-Gripping Mesh in Totally Extraperitoneal (TEP) Inguinal Hernia Repair
Authors: Nassar Ricardo , Girón Felipe , Núñez-Rocha Ricardo E. , Rey Carlos Eduardo , Rodríguez Lina Marcela , Pérez Agustín , Latiff Mario , Hernández Juan David
Published: September 2022

Background
Surgical Inguinal hernia repair techniques are constantly evolving. Mesh fixation and placement remain cornerstones of the procedures. The use of self-gripping mesh has shown a significant reduction in postoperative pain and complications. However, technical difficulties arise, and multiple deployment methods have been described, with no consensus. Therefore, in this study, we present a novel preparation, deployment, and placement technique for self-gripping mesh during laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, with its consequent outcomes and follow-up.
Methods
The self-gripping mesh is folded in half, non-absorbable sutures are placed in each distal portion and in the middle of the mesh, making sure the knot lies in the non-adherent surface. Corners are rounded. Mesh is rolled using the “tobacco technique”. The mesh is then placed with the laparoscopic grasper inside the preperitoneal cavity and is unrolled from medial to lateral.
Results
142 patients underwent totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair. Self-gripping mesh (ProgripTM) was used in all cases. 48.6% had bilateral defects. 33 patients underwent additional procedures. Mean time for mesh deployment was 180 seconds. Mean in-hospital stay was 1.6 days. No conversion was necessary. 88.9%, 86% and 36.7% of patients completed one year, 2 years, and 5 years of follow-up respectively. Chronic pain was present in two patients.
Conclusion
We introduce a new technique for self-gripping mesh preparation, deployment and placement for inguinal hernia repair using the TEP approach. Our technique seems to have satisfactory results regarding long-term follow-up complications.
Polyvinylidene fluoride dopant as voltage stabilizer for improving high-voltage insulation properties of polypropylene
Authors: Lee Seong Hwan , Kim Do-Kyun , Kwon Tae Hoon , Kwon Ik-Su , Han Dong Hee , Park Hoyyul , Han Se Won , Lee Jin Hong , Lee Dae Ho , Yu Seunggun
Published: September 2022

Various additives ranging from inorganic nanoparticles to organic additives have been suggested to improve the insulation performance of polymeric materials for high-voltage engineering applications. Herein, we present a simple method for doping fluorine into a polypropylene (PP) matrix by melt-blending of isotactic PP (iPP) with a small amount of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a thermoplastic voltage stabilizer (TVS). During melt-mixing, the PVDF TVS, which is immiscible with PP, is gradually split into smaller domains within the iPP matrix and was finely distributed, especially at a low PVDF content. The well-distributed PVDF acted as a nucleating agent for the facile crystallization of PP molecules, thus increasing the crystallization temperature (Tc) and decreasing the spherulite size. We found that the direct current (DC) breakdown strength (BDS) values of the PVDF-doped iPP increased by 110% and 149% at 20 and 110°C, respectively, compared to those of the pristine PP. We hypothesize that the presence of fluorine sites as well as the increase in interfaces between spherulites with decreased size, without any significant degradation in the tensile strength and elongation at break below 1.0 phr of PVDF, were the reasons for our findings. Therefore, we anticipate that such PVDF-doped iPP is a potential candidate for high-voltage insulation systems.
Microbiome Analysis of Thai Traditional Fermented Soybeans Reveals Short-Chain Fatty Acid-Associated Bacterial Taxa
Authors: Wongsurawat Thidathip , Sutheeworapong Sawannee , Jenjaroenpun Piroon , Charoensiddhi Suvimol , Khoiri Ahmad Nuruddin , Topanurak Supachai , Sutthikornchai Chantira , Jintaridth Pornrutsami
Published: September 2022

Thua Nao is a Thai traditional fermented soybean food and low-cost protein supplement. Here, we aimed to differentiate the bacteria in Thua Nao from northern Thailand and assess potentially active SCFA-related bacteria. Sixty-six Thua Nao consisting of 30 wet and 35 dried samples were collected from six provinces: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Lampang, Lamphun, and Phayao. Natto, a soybean fermented with starting culture, was also analyzed. Bacterial diversity was significantly higher in the wet samples than in the dried samples. The dominant phyla were Firmicutes (92.7%), Proteobacteria (6.7%), Actinobacteriota (0.42%) and Bacteroidota (0.26%). The genus Bacillus (67%) was the most represented in all samples. Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Globicatella were enriched in the wet samples. Assessment of the SCFA-microbiota relationships revealed that high butyrate and propionate concentrations were associated with an increased Clostridiales abundance, and high acetate concentrations were associated with an increased Weissella abundance. Wet products contained more SCFAs, including acetic (P = 2.8e-08), propionic (P = 0.0044), butyric (P = 0.0021), and isovaleric (P = 0.017) acids, than did the dried products. These results provide insight into SCFA-microbiota associations in Thua Nao, which may enable development of starting cultures for SCFA-enriched Thua Nao production.
A Color Channel based Local Descriptor for Makeup Invariant Face Recognition
Authors: Tripathi Rajesh Kumar , Jalal Anand Singh
Published: September 2022

Face recognition under unconstrained environment has various applications such as person recognition, authentication, security sensitive passport or driving license verification, face recognition on social sites. In general, pose, illumination and expression variations are the prime focused unconstrained environment for face recognition. Makeup is also one of the most challenging unconstrained environment that changes the appearance of the face due to changes in texture, shape, contrast level of mouth and eye regions. This paper proposes a robust descriptor for face recognition under makeup. We presented a color channel based local ordered maxima-minima derivative descriptor which computes the difference between consecutive maximum and minimum intensity of a local region. In the first step, color channels are separated from the makeup and non-makeup colored images. In second step, proposed descriptor ccLOMMD computes maximum and minimum difference for all pairs. Again, half generated derivative values are further used for computing maxima-minima difference for all pairs. This process is repeated until a single value achieved. This descriptor creates a discriminative feature for face recognition. Finally, Support Vector Machine is used for classification of the face images of different subjects. This descriptor performed better than state-of-the-art descriptors. In order to improve the performance, we performed the empirical study of different descriptors and fused to the proposed descriptor with a best performer Gabor based descriptor. The proposed fusion of descriptors is proved effective in the accuracy improvement, and outperformed to the existing descriptors and approaches.
Pars Plana Vitrectomy for Tractional Diabetic Macular Edema with or without Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling
Authors: Khattab Abdelrahman Ahmed Ali , Ahmed Mahmoud Mohamed , Hammed Abdallah Hussain
Published: September 2022

Background
To assess the efficacy of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in management of tractional diabetic macular edema (DME) and highlight the benefits of additional internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling.
Methods
This prospective study involved 50 eyes with tractional DME that underwent PPV were split into two groups: group (A) consisted of 25 eyes that did not have ILM peeling, and group (B) consisted of 25 eyes that did. One, three, and six months after surgery, a postoperative assessment was completed.
Results
Mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in group (A) has improved from (0.89 the logarithm of minimal angle of resolution [LogMAR]) preoperatively to (0.64 LogMAR, p < 0.001), and mean central macular thickness (CMT) declined from (471.28µm) to (228.20µm, p < 0.001) after six months of PPV. In group (B), mean BCVA has improved from (0.83 LogMAR) preoperatively to (0.58 LogMAR, p < 0.001), and mean CMT decreased from (496.84µm) to (226.20µm, p < 0.001) after six months of PPV. There were no significant differences between the two groups after 1, 3, and 6 months according to the delta change % of BCVA and CMT. A significant negative correlation was detected between preoperative glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and BCVA improvement.
Conclusions
PPV surgery is an effective treatment of tractional DME. Additional ILM peeling is not accompanied by extra benefits in a short period. Long-term glycemic control plays a role in vision gain after vitrectomy in diabetic patients.
Transport and retention of n-hexadecane in cadmium-/naphthalene-contaminated calcareous soil sampled in a karst area
Authors: Huang Yiting , Tang Yankui , Liang Yi , Xie Zhenze , Wu Jipeng , Huang Jiajie , Wei Shanxiong , Nie Shaojiang , Jiang Tao
Published: September 2022

Petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants in karst areas have aroused widespread concern due to their toxicity. It is crucial to gain knowledge on transport and retention of petroleum hydrocarbons in karst areas. Calcareous soils in karst areas were contaminated by cadmium/naphthalene due to the industrial and agricultural activities, however, the fates of petroleum hydrocarbons in these contaminated calcareous soils have been rarely studied. In this study, n-hexadecane was selected as a model petroleum hydrocarbon. Batch experiments were conducted to explore the adsorption behavior of n-hexadecane on cadmium-/naphthalene-contaminated calcareous soils at various pH, and column experiments were performed to investigate the transport and retention of n-hexadecane under various flow velocity. The results showed that Freundlich model can well describe the adsorption behavior of n-hexadecane on all samples (R2>0.9). According to the adsorption coefficient (Kf), the presence of cadmium/naphthalene dramatically increased the adsorption efficiency of n-hexadecane on calcareous soils, and the increasing pH value reduced the adsorption capacity in all groups. The transport of n-hexadecane in all samples were well described by two kinetic sites model of Hydrus-1D with R2>0.9. The higher effluent concentration of n-hexadecane indicates that n-hexadecane can more effectively break through the cadmium-/naphthalene-contaminated calcareous soil with high flow velocity, which means the lower n-hexadecane retention in this situation. The observation can be explained by the electrostatic repulsion between n-hexadecane and each soil sample. These findings have important implications for the government of groundwater in calcareous soils from karst areas.
An electrically and optically controllable memristor with synaptic plasticity based on scalable monolayer ReS2/WS2 heterostructure
Authors: Wu Yaping , Feihong Huang , Ke Congming , Chen Li , Yin Jun , Li Xu , Wu Zhiming , Zhang Chunmiao , Xu Feiya , Kang Junyong
Published: September 2022

Memristors with non-volatile storage performance and simulated synaptic functions are regarded as one of the critical devices to overcome the bottleneck in traditional von Neumann computer architecture. van der Waals heterostructures integrating excellent properties of two-dimensional semiconductor materials, possessing controllable optoelectronic properties and high compatibility with conventional microelectronic technology, have paved a new way for the development of advanced memristors. Herein, we demonstrate a two-dimensional planar memristor with both electrical and optical controllability based on ReS2/WS2 van der Waals heterostructure. The device shows a typical unipolar non-volatile behavior with a high Ron/Roff ratio, multiple tunable resistance states, and desirable endurance and retention. It also successfully realizes biological synaptic functions and plasticity, including spike rate-dependent plasticity and paired-pulse facilitation. Furthermore, the developed device shows a significant gate controllability and a remarkable optical tunability. The superior performance is attributed to the unique optoelectronic property and the interlayer interaction in the heterostructure. The research presented here demonstrates the potential of two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures for high-performance memristor applications and further developments in modelling biological synapses.
Incidence rate, risk factors and bacterial causes of clinical mastitis on dairy farms in Hawassa city, southern Ethiopia
Authors: Abebe Rahmeto , Markos Alemayehu , Abera Mesele , Mekbib Berhanu
Published: September 2022

Mastitis is the most common disease of dairy cattle worldwide causing economic losses due to reduced yield and poor quality of milk. It is of particular concern in Ethiopia, where effective prevention and control practices are lacking. The objective of the present prospective longitudinal study was to estimate the incidence rate clinical mastitis (CM), identify the risk factors, isolate the bacterial agents and determine the risk of recurrence. For this purpose, a total of 217 lactating cows were followed-up every two weeks from calving to drying off or the end of the study period. Of these, 79 (36.41%) developed CM, of which 23% had recurrent infection in the same or a different quarter. The overall incidence rate of CM was found to be 83.72 (95% CI: 63.2 to 98.2) cases per 100 cow-years at risk. In the multivariable Cox regression model, the risk of CM was found to be significantly (p < 0.05) higher in multiparous cows (HR = 1.96), in cows with a history of mastitis (HR = 2.04), in cows that had severely keratinized teat end condition (HR = 7.72) and in cows kept in poorly cleaned barns (HR = 1.89). The pathogenic bacteria isolated from mastitis positive cows were Staphylococcus aureus (28.1%), E. coli (21.1%), Bacillus spp. (14%), Streptococcus spp. (14%), Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (12.3%), other coagulase positive Staphylococcus spp. (5.3%), Enterobacter spp. (3.5%), Klebsiella spp. (1.8%), Corynebacterium spp. (1.8%), Actinobacillus spp, (1.8%) and Proteus spp. (1.8%). The high incidence rate of CM in the present study shows that the disease spreads rapidly and can be responsible for a significant economic loss to milk producers in the study area. Therefore, raising awareness among dairy farmers, early detection and treatment of cases, post milking teat disinfection, improvement of the hygienic status of cows and barns, use of dry cow therapy, and culling of chronic cases are recommended as viable measures to prevent and control clinical mastitis in the study area.
WITHDRAWN: A new gold grade estimation approach by using support vector machine (SVM) and back propagation neural network (BPNN)- A Case study: Dalli deposit, Iran
Authors: Mostafaei Kamran , maleki Shahoo , Jodeiri Behshad
Published: September 2022

This paper uses a support vector machine (SVM) and back propagation neural network (BPNN) methods to predict the gold in the Dalli deposit in the central province of Iran. For this, the distribution of Au in the ore zone has been predicted after digging some trenches, taking the required samples, and analyzing them. After a building dataset and comprehensive statistical analyses, Au was chosen as an output element modeling, while Cu, Al, Ca, Fe, Ti, and Zn were considered input parameters. Then, the dataset was divided into two groups of training and testing datasets. For this purpose, seventy percent of the datasets were randomly entered into the training process, and the rest of the data were assigned to the test procedure. The correlation coefficients for SVM and BPNN were 94% and 75%, respectively. A comparison of the correlation coefficients revealed that both methods of SVM and BPNN could successfully predict the actual grade of Au. However, SVM was found more reliable and more accurate.
Decreased Th1 Cells and Increased Th2 Cells In Peripheral Blood Are Associated with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies Patients With Interstitial Lung Disease
Authors: Cheng Lu , Li Yanhong , Luo Yubin , Zhou Yu , Wen Ji , Wu Yinlan , Liang Xiuping , Wu Tong , Tan Chunyu , Liu Yi
Published: September 2022

Objective.
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common and highly fatal manifestation of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). T helper (Th) cells play important roles in the initiation of ILD. Here, we investigated the clinical significance of peripheral blood Th cells in IIMs-ILD patients.
Methods.
11 healthy controls (HC) and 57 patients diagnosed with IIMs were included, including 30 with ILD (IIMs-ILD) and 23 without ILD (IIMs-non-ILD). Circulating Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells were examined by flow cytometry, and their correlation with clinical and laboratory findings was analyzed by Spearman’s correlation and logistic regression.
Results.
The proportion of Th1 cells decreased and Th2 cells increased in IIMs-ILD compared with IIMs-non-ILD patients (median (quartile): 2.99 (1.59–5.39) vs. 6.91 (3.48–10.04), p < 0.001; 2.67 (1.79–4.67) vs. 1.62 (0.85–2.66), p = 0.006), and correlated with disease activity. Th1 cells proportion decreased in anti-MDA5 antibodies positive patients, while the Th2 cells proportion increased in patients with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, compared with IIMs-non-ILD patients(2.66(1.06–4.35) vs. 6.91 (3.48–10.04), p = 0.002; 3.09(2.03–5.72) vs. 1.62 (0.85–2.66), p = 0.016). Th1 proportion decreased, Th2 proportion increased, positivity for ARS or anti-Ro52 antibodies (OR = 0.7122; OR = 1.679; OR = 9.188 and OR = 6.161, respectively) were associated with the occurrence of ILD in IIMs patients.
Conclusion.
A decreased Th1 cell percentage and an elevated Th2 cells percentage in peripheral blood may be the pathogenesis of ILD in IIMs patients and have different effects on different serological and imaging subtypes.
Mechanical Properties and Damage Analysis of Steel Fiber-Desert Sand Concrete
Authors: Qu Changwei , Qin Yongjun , Luo Ling , Zhang Liangliang
Published: September 2022

In This study, to reduce the consumption of natural sand and improve the utilization rate of desert sand in western China, while preparing 14 groups of samples, desert sand is used to replace natural sand by the ratio of 20%, 40%, and 60%, and steel fiber is mixed with volume fraction 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%. The mechanical properties of the specimens, including compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and axial compressive strength was tested. Besides, the microstructures of the samples were analyzed by SEM, XRD, and acoustic emission detection technologies to identify the damage process. The results show that the desert sand can refine the microstructure and fill the pores, and it has good comprehensive properties at a 40% substitution rate. The compression properties of specimens are not apparently improved, but the tensile strength and deformation properties are significantly improved. The steel fiber with 1.5 vol% content behaves better, and the 28d compressive strength of the optimized group reaches 58.7 MPa. As a result, the polynomial fitting degree of total AE hits and stress level receives a greater goodness (R2) value than 0.96. The strength characteristics of steel fiber-desert sand concrete (SFDSC) can meet the demands of C40 concrete, and this research can provide a reference for engineers using desert sand in their designs.
Harnessing Immunotherapy to Enhance the Systemic Anti-Tumor Effects of Thermosensitive Liposomes
Authors: Regenold Maximilian , Wang Xuehan , Kaneko Kan , Bannigan Pauric , Allen Christine
Published: September 2022

Chemotherapy plays an important role in debulking tumors in advance of surgery and/or radiotherapy, tackling residual disease, and treating metastatic disease. In recent years many promising advanced drug delivery strategies have emerged that offer more targeted delivery approaches to chemotherapy treatment. For example, thermosensitive liposome mediated drug delivery in combination with localized mild hyperthermia can increase local drug concentrations resulting in a reduction in systemic toxicity and an improvement in local disease control. However, the majority of solid tumor associated deaths are due to metastatic spread. A therapeutic approach focused on a localized target area harbors the risk of overlooking and undertreating potential metastatic spread. Previous studies reported systemic, albeit limited, anti-tumor effects following treatment with thermosensitive liposomal chemotherapy and localized mild hyperthermia. This work explores the systemic treatment capabilities of a thermosensitive liposome formulation of the vinca alkaloid vinorelbine in combination with mild hyperthermia in an immunocompetent murine model of rhabdomyosarcoma. This treatment approach was found to be highly effective at heated, primary tumor sites. However, it demonstrated limited anti-tumor effects in secondary, distant tumors. As a result, the addition of immune checkpoint inhibition therapy was pursued to further enhance the systemic anti-tumor effect of this treatment approach. Once combined with immune checkpoint inhibition therapy, a significant improvement in systemic treatment capability was achieved. We believe this is one of the first studies to demonstrate that a triple combination of thermosensitive liposomes, localized mild hyperthermia, and immune checkpoint inhibition therapy can enhance the systemic treatment capabilities of thermosensitive liposomes.
Decomposition of Musculoskeletal Structures from Radiography using an Improved CycleGAN Framework
Authors: Nakanishi Naoki , Otake Yoshito , Hiasa Yuta , Gu Yi , Uemura Keisuke , Takao Masaki , Sugano Nobuhiko , Sato Yoshinobu
Published: September 2022

This paper presents methods of decomposition of radiography into multiple individual muscle and bone structures. While existing solutions require the dual-energy scan for the training dataset and are mainly applied to structures with high-intensity contrast such as bones, we focused on multiple superimposed muscles with subtle contrast, in addition to bones. The decomposition problem is formulated as an image translation problem between 1) a real x-ray image and 2) multiple digitally reconstructed radiographs, each of which contains a single muscle or bone structure, and solved by unpaired training based on the CycleGAN framework. The training dataset was created by automatic computed tomography (CT) segmentation of muscle/bone regions and virtually projecting them with geometric parameters similar to the real x-ray images. Two additional features were incorporated in the CycleGAN framework to achieve a high-resolution and accurate decomposition: hierarchical learning and reconstruction loss with the gradient correlation similarity metric. Further, we introduced a new diagnostic metric for muscle asymmetry directly measured from a plain x-ray image to validate the proposed method. Our simulation and real image experiments using real x-ray and CT images of 475 patients with hip disease suggested that each additional feature significantly enhanced the decomposition accuracy. The experiments also evaluated the accuracy of muscle volume ratio measurement, which suggested a potential application to muscle asymmetry assessment from an x-ray image for diagnostic and therapeutic assistance. The improved CycleGAN framework was able to apply for the decomposition of musculoskeletal structures from single radiography.
Levosimendan reverses the cardiac malfunction and cardiomyocyte ferroptosis under heart failure with preserved ejection via connexin43 signaling activation
Authors: Zhang Lili , Chen Guihao , Tang Ruijie , Xiong Yuyan , Pan Qi , Jiang Wenyang , Gong Zhaoting , Chen Cheng , Li Xiaosong , Yang Yuejin
Published: September 2022

Purpose
Recent decades have been witnessing that heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) outweighs heart failure with reduced ejection fraction by degrees, but few drugs were proven to improve long-term clinical outcomes in patients with HFpEF. Levosimendan, a calcium sensitizing cardiotonic agent, has been found to improve decompensated heart failure clinically. However, the protective activities and underlying molecular mechanisms of levosimendan on HFpEF have not been revealed.
Methods
The double-hit HFpEF C57BL/6N mouse model was established, and levosimendan (3 mg/kg/week) was administered to HFpEF mice aged from 13 to 17 weeks to verify its protective effects on HFpEF. The myocardium was biochemically evaluated by western blot, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, etc.
Results
After four-week administration, cardiac hypertrophy, pulmonary congestion, and exercise exhaustion were significantly alleviated. Meanwhile, junction proteins located in endothelial barrier and between cardiomyocytes were improved by levosimendan treatment. Among the gap junction channel proteins concerned, connexin 43, especially expressed on cardiomyocytes, could conduct mitochondrial protection. Furthermore, levosimendan indeed reversed mitochondrial malfunction in HFpEF mice, evidenced by increased mitofilin and decreased ROS, superoxide anion, NOX4 and cytochrome C levels. Interestingly, after levosimendan treatment, myocardium from HFpEF mice showed restricted ferroptosis, indicated by upregulated GSH/GSSG ratio, GPX4, xCT and FSP-1 expression with down-regulated intracellular ferrous ion, MDA and 4-HNE.
Conclusion
This study confirmed that regular long-term levosimendan administration could benefit HFpEF individuals, particularly those with metabolic syndrome, such as obesity and hypertension, by activating connexin 43-conducted mitochondrial protection and sequential ferroptosis inhibition in cardiomyocytes.
Continuous monitoring of instrumental clock errors at 50 volcanoes in Japan based on seismic interferometry
Authors: Hirose Takashi , Ueda Hideki
Published: September 2022

The correct absolute time of a seismogram is an important prerequisite for many seismological processing methods. Recently, seismic interferometry has been applied to continuously estimate instrumental clock errors in certain regions. However, previous studies have focused on estimating clock errors in only one target region for each study, and data processing methods that provide more stable results in different regions have not been explored. This study presents a new method to estimate clock errors that are more stable in various regions based on seismic interferometry with windowed cross-correlation and least absolute deviation regression. The applicability of this method was validated by its application to 50 active volcanoes in Japan. We found clock errors at six stations at five volcanoes between January 2020 and June 2021. The maximum clock errors ranged between 0.2 and 7 s. This value range is significantly larger than the amplitude of the background fluctuation in the estimated values of clock errors, which is less than 0.05 s for most volcanoes. A comparison of different approaches for the estimation of clock error shows that our proposed method that uses windowed cross-correlation and least absolute deviation regression can reduce the effect of waveform changes in seismic ambient noise cross-correlation functions, probably because of noise source fluctuations. Managing the time stamps of data using the method proposed in this study will contribute to data quality assurance and ensure the reliability of analysis using time information in various study regions.
Water quality characteristics of surface and groundwater sources in Lower reaches of Yellow River, Northern China
Authors: HOU WEI , Fang Hu , Zhenxing Yao , Angzhen Li , Shaohua Sun , Mingquan Wang , Ruibao Jia
Published: September 2022

Drinking water sources including reservoirs, rivers, springs and groundwater in lower reaches of Yellow River, have been seasonally investigated to assess the water quality characteristics of different types of water sources during 2019 and 2021, and to find their differences in water quality based on multivariate statistical analysis and hydrochemical types. The water quality varied greatly among different water bodies, and based on the water quality characteristics, the four types of water bodies were divided into surface (reservoirs and rivers) and groundwater (groundwater and springs). Five principal components were extracted by, together explaining 84% of all the variance information by log-transformed principal component analysis (PCA), which represented anions, formation potential of disinfection by-products precursors (DBPFP), nutrients and phytoplankton biomass effected the water quality of these waterbodies. The matter sources of surface water and groundwater were quite different, with dominant by organic compounds and inorganic matters in surface water and groundwater, respectively. However, the similar humus carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (HS-C/N) values indicated that the organic matter in groundwater is affected to a certain extent by the replenishing surface water. In the aspect of inorganic ions, these waterbodies were more affected by Na-Cl-SO4 in wet season, while Ca-HCO3-CO3 in dry season. Gibbs diagram suggested that anions and cations were mainly contributed by atmospheric precipitation for the surface water, while they were mainly derived from rock weathering for groundwater. It is hoped that this study will help to evaluate the pollution risk and the feasibility of long-term implementation of artificial source remediation projects.
Assessment of rare genetic variants to identify candidate modifier genes underlying neurological manifestations in neurofibromatosis 1 patients
Authors: Tang Jie , Li Niu , Li Guo qiang , Wang Jian , Yu Tingting , Yao Ru en
Published: September 2022

Neurological phenotypes such as intellectual disability occur in almost half of patients with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1). Current genotype-phenotype studies have failed to reveal the mechanism underlying this clinical variability. Despite the presence of pathogenic variants of NF1, modifier genes likely determine the occurrence and severity of neurological phenotypes. Exome sequencing data were used to identify genetic variants in 13 NF1 patients and 457 healthy controls, and this information was used to identify candidate modifier genes underlying neurological phenotypes based on the Optimal Sequence Kernel Association Test. Thirty-six genes were identified as significant modifying factors in patients with neurological phenotypes, 35 of which were highly expressed in the nervous system. A review of the literature confirmed that 19 genes including CUL7, DPH1 and PRND were clearly associated with the alteration of neurological functioning and development. Our study revealed the enrichment of rare variants of 19 genes closely related to neurological development and functioning in patients with NF1 with neurological phenotypes, indicating possible modifier genes and variants affecting neurodevelopment. Further studies on rare genetic variants of candidate modifier genes may help explain the clinical heterogeneity of NF1.
Analysis of blade damage detection of small wind turbine based on Fluid-Heat-Solid Coupling
Authors: Wang Chen , Gu Yongqiang
Published: September 2022

In recent years, with the increase of wind power generation and the rapid growth of the number of wind turbines installed, the safety monitoring of wind turbine blades has also attracted wide attention. To further study the thermal effect of wind turbine damaged blades under natural excitation in summer in northern China, based on the outdoor infrared non-destructive testing of wind turbine blades, a numerical simulation of wind turbine blades with wear damage is carried out by using the fluid solid heat transfer theory in COMSOL multi-physical field coupling software. The best detection light condition is obtained, in which the detection effect of wear damage is the best when the light intensity reaches 1000W.m− 2 or above at noon. The simulation results are basically in agreement with the experimental results. And compared with the previous physical modeling method using natural convection heat transfer coefficient to replace wind speed, the physical modeling method considering wind speed and air humidity is more consistent with the experimental results, the maximum error value was decreased by 7.46%, which verifies the rationality of the model and the feasibility of the method. Then, the numerical model is used to carry out fluid-heat-solid coupling on the wear-damaged blades, with the increase of wind speed, the temperature on the blade surface gradually decreases and the wind pressure gradually increases. Because the influence of temperature on the stress is greater than that of wind pressure, the stress also shows a gradual downward trend.
The role of atypical MAP kinase 4 in the host interaction with Cryptosporidium parvum
Authors: Watanabe Nina , Bando Hironori , Murakoshi Fumi , Sakurai Riku , Kabir Mohammad Hazzaz Bin , Fukuda Yasuhiro , Kato Kentaro
Published: September 2022

Cryptosporidium parvum is an apicomplexan parasite that causes severe zoonotic diarrhea in humans and calves. Since there are no effective treatments or vaccines for infants or immunocompromised patients, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms of the parasite-host interaction for novel drug discovery. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) is a key host factor in interactions between host and various pathogens, including parasites. Although the function of conventional MAP kinases against parasite infection has been investigated, that of atypical MAP kinases remains largely unknown. Therefore, we focused on one of the atypical MAP kinases, MAPK4, and its effect on C. parvum infection in human intestinal cells. Here, we report that MAPK4-deficient intestinal cells showed a significant reduction in C. parvum infection. We also show that host MAPK4 has a role in host cell survival from C. parvum infection. In addition, we show that C. parvum requires host MAPK4 for its successful invasion and reproduction. Taken together, our data suggest that MAPK4 is an important host factor contributing to C. parvum infection in human intestinal cells.
Floods, Droughts, and Environmental Circumscription in Early State Development: The Case of Ancient Egypt
Authors: Mayoral Laura , Olsson Ola
Published: September 2022

What explains the origins and survival of the first states around five thousand years ago? In this research, we focus on the role of weather-related productivity shocks for early state development in ancient Egypt. We present a framework of extractive state consolidation predicting that political stability should be high whenever environmental circumscription is high, i.e., whenever there is a large gap between the productivity of the area under state control (core) and that of the surrounding areas (hinterland). In such periods, the elite can impose high levels of taxation that the population will be forced to accept as exit to the hinterland is not a feasible option. In order to test this hypothesis, we develop novel proxies for both the historical productivity of the Nile banks and of the Egyptian hinterland on the basis of high-resolution paleoclimate archives. Our empirical analysis then investigates the relationship between these proxies for environmental circumscription and political outcomes such as ruler and dynastic tenure durations and the area under state control during 2685 - 760 BCE. Our results show that while extreme Nile floods are associated with a greater degree of political instability, periods with a greater rainfall in the hinterland (i.e. a lower effective environmental circumscription) causes a decline in state capacity and a delayed increase in political instability.
Molecular genotyping of Blastocystis from alpaca (Vicugna pacos) in China
Authors: Wang Haidong , Sui Yuzhen , Du Haili , Li Xinmiao , Wang Bukang , Chen Minghui , Zhang Qiyuan , Li Zhiguo , Hou Minyu , Wang Siqi , Qi Meng , Li Junqiang , Dong Haiju
Published: September 2022

Background: Blastocystis sp. is a widespread anaerobic eukaryotic protist found in both human and animal gastrointestinal tracts, which can causes diarrhea in individuals with reduced immunity and endangers health. In China, however, there have been fewer studies of Blastocystis sp. infections in alpacas. This study aim at investigate the influence of Blastocystis sp. in alpacas in china.Methods: 484 fresh faecal samples were gathered from individual alpacas in nine different locations across China. Total genomic DNA was extracted, and Blastocystis sp. was identified using nested PCR amplification based on the SSU-rDNA gene. The phylogenetic tree was construct by MEGA7, which included one outgroup and 47 reference sequences downloaded from Genbank along with the 13 representative sequences found in the current study.Results: Blastocystis sp. was detected in 27.5% (133/484) of the alpaca’s fecal samples. In this study, however, no Blastocystis-positive was found in younger alpaca’s fecal samples. The SSU-rDNA sequence analysis revealed seven Blastocystis sp. subtypes in alpacas. The dominant subtype was ST10, which was found in 40.6% (54/133), followed by ST14 (30.8%, 41/133), and the remaining subtypes ST24, ST21, ST30, ST25, ST23, ST26, were detected in 11.3% (15/133), 7.5% (10/133), 3.8% (5/133), 3.0% (4/133), 2.3% (3/133) and 1.5% (2/133), respectively. The phylogenetic analysis clearly showed that the sequences of the eight subtypes (ST10, ST14, ST21, ST23, ST24, ST25, ST26, and ST30) clustered with the reference subtype sequences. Conclusion: This study revealed the geographic distribution and genetic diversity of Blastocystis from alpaca in China. Furthermore, ST21, ST23 to ST26 and ST30 were firstly reported in Chinese alpacas. It provides the fundamental molecular data for the study of Blastocystis sp. in Chinese animals.
Epigenetically inhibiting CYP3A5 modulates the migration and invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via ZEB2
Authors: Zheng Xiaoli , Yang Lingrong , Wang Yanhong , Wang Jiaqi , Ouyang Jun , Bai Yanfeng , Fang Min , Liu Zhou , Liu Lijian , Zeng Su , Yu Lushan , Wang Lvhua
Published: September 2022

Background: Aberrant suppression of cytochrome P450 3A5 (CYP3A5) is frequently observed in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC); however, its role and the epigenetic mechanism mediating transcriptional repression of CYP3A5 in ESCC remain poorly understood.Results: Herein, we examined the expression and prognostic role of CYP3A5 in tumor tissues obtained from patients with ESCC. CYP3A5 silencing correlated with poor survival in ESCC. Using the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA), RNA interference, reporter gene assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation, HDAC4 was found to be the key enzyme responsible for the absence of H3K18/K27Ac, mediated via P300/CBP at the CYP3A5 promoter. Finally, using CYP3A5 knockdown, re-expression, and xenograft experiments, we demonstrated that CYP3A5 downregulation, resulting in ZEB2 activation, promoted ESCC invasion and migration. Conclusions: our findings indicate that CYP3A5 activation reverses ZEB2-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inhibits migration and invasion of ESCC cells.
A Novel Model to evaluate Spatial Structure in Thinned Conifer- Broadleaved Mixed Natural Forests
Authors: Liu Hui , Dong Xibin , Meng Yuan , Gao Tong , Mao Liangliang , Gao Ran
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to establish a management strategy for forest structures in Xiaoxing'an Mountains, China. We investigated the non-spatial structure factors affecting the spatial structure units of conifer-broadleaved mixed natural secondary forests via thinning and further quantified the spatial structure characteristics. Six forest plots (100 m×100 m) of similar stand conditions located in the Xiaoxing'an Mountains were used for the study. The thinning intensities were 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35% for plots A-F respectively. The structure units were constructed using Voronoi diagrams in ArcGIS and constrained by non-spatial structure indexes. Seven stand spatial structure parameters were selected, and each was quantified by the optimal distance model (TOPSIS and combination weight methods), which was directly used to evaluate and compare the spatial structure disparity of the structural units and reflect the degree of the spatial structure of tending and thinning. The effects of crown width and crown length on the spatial structure unit of a stand were respectively higher than that of diameter at breast height and tree height. Nine possible values for the number of trees adjacent to a central tree in the spatial structure unit were obtained via weighted Voronoi diagrams, and the distribution frequency of 3–8 adjacent trees accounted for 90–96%. The spatial structure parameters derived from weighted Voronoi diagrams were analyzed using the optimal distance model. The mingling intensity and levels of competition in the tended and thinned plots differed from the control. The spatial structure evaluation index of natural mixed forests was B (0.488) > C (0.487) > E (0.480) > D (0.479) > A (0.475) > Control (0.442) > F (0.433). Plot B had a higher proportion of trees at the medium open level (41.18%), with medium and upper stand variation (72.94%), and higher levels of competition (55.29%) than plot F. This indicated that the 35% interval caused a less than ideal stand spatial structure. For the unique properties of mixed coniferous natural forests, crown length had a greater influence on structure units than tree height. Thus, the spatial structure evaluation index based on the optimal distance model offers a new way of identifying the ideal spatial structure and its quantitative expression on conifer-broadleaved mixed natural secondary forests. The findings presented herein provide a basis for optimizing spatial structure management measures.
Effects of high temperature growth of dislocation filter layers in GaAs-on-Si
Authors: Kim HoSung , Ko Young-Ho , Han Won-Seok
Published: September 2022

GaAs-on-Si templates with two different dislocation filter layers (DFLs) were grown at 550 °C low temperature (LT)-DFL and 660 °C high temperature (HT)-DFL using metal organic vapour-phase epitaxy and the effects of the growth temperature were studied. The threading dislocation density (TDD) values of LT-DFL and HT-DFL were 5.2 × 107 cm-2 and 1.5 × 107 cm-2, respectively. The annihilation process was mainly observed in the HT-DFL by a transmission electron microscope (TEM), resulting in a lower TDD. The 500 nm-thick GaAs bulk layer and InAs QDs were regrown on GaAs-on-Si templates and the optical properties were also evaluated by photoluminescence (PL). The highest PL peak intensity of the HT-DFL indicates that less non-radiative recombination in both the GaAs bulk and QDs occurred due to the reduced TDD.