bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Expression Discrepancy And Characteristics of Long Non-Coding RNAs In Peripheral Blood Leukocytes From Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients
Authors: Yu Yujiao , Pang Dejiang , Li Chunyu , Gu Xiaojing , Chen Yongping , Ou Ruwei , Wei Qianqian , Shang Huifang
Published: July 2021

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is known to be a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects upper and lower motor neurons. Less than 10% of ALS patients are defined as familial ALS, more than 90% are sporadic ALS (SALS). According to the genomic information described in existing databases, up to 98% of the human genome consists of non-coding sequences. Nearly 40% of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are specifically expressed in the brain. We believe that the discrepancy of lncRNAs expression plays a key role in neurodegenerative diseases. We screened 30 lncRNAs with altered expression from peripheral blood leukocytes of SALS patients by microarray and validated 13 of them in leukocytes of SALS, Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and healthy controls (HC). We followed the bioinformatics to perform a functional enrichment analysis of co-expressed mRNAs, transcription factors and lncRNAs for functional prediction. We identified lnc-DYRYK2-7:1, lnc-ABCA12-3:1 and lnc-POTEM-4:7 show decreased expression in SALS patients, whereas in PD patients they show increased expression or no change. In addition, expression of lnc-CNTN4-2:1 and lnc-NR3C2-8:1 were decreased in both SALS and PD patients. We found that XIST was only reduced in male patients with SALS and PD, and not in female patients with SALS but was elevated in PD by gender grouping. We also performed GO term enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis for lncRNAs showing differential expression in microarray. We discovered that a significant proportion of differential expressed lncRNAs were associated with various signaling pathways and transcription factors which are consistent with other clinical findings.
Bilateral Intracapsular Hip Fracture in a Patient With Low Functional Demand Treated With a One-stage Bilateral Hemiarthroplasties. A Case Report and Literature Review.
Authors: Latorre Marcos Raul , Buljubasich Martin , Mansilla Agustín María Garcia , Slullitel Pablo Ariel Isidoro , Zanotti Gerardo , Comba Fernando Martin , Piccaluga Francisco , Buttaro Martín Alejandro
Published: July 2021

Bilateral femoral neck fracture is a rare injury. While they may be of traumatic origin, they are generally associated with some underlying condition that predisposes to this pathology, such as neurological disorders or bone metabolism diseases. We present an 83-year-old woman with severe osteoporosis who had a simultaneous bilateral intracapsular hip fracture.
Tissue Accumulation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Mediates Muscle Hyperalgesia in a Mouse Model
Authors: Suzuki Kazuaki , Tsuchiya Masahiro , Yoshida Shinichiro , Ogawa Kazumi , Chen Weijian , Kanzaki Makoto , Takahashi Tadahisa , Fujita Ryo , Li Yuqing , Yabe Yutaka , Aizawa Toshimi , Hagiwara Yoshihiro
Published: July 2021

Accumulation of uric acid (UA) during muscular trauma is a causative factor involved in the development of muscle hyperalgesia. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), DNA-based reticular structures to capture UA, play a central role in the pain onset of gout attacks; however, the involvement of NETs via the elevation of local UA level in muscle hyperalgesia due to overuse injuries remains unknown. The triceps surae muscles (TSMs) in the unilateral hindlimb of mice were electrically stimulated to induce excessive muscle contraction. Mechanical withdrawal thresholds, tissue UA levels, neutrophil recruitment, protein amount of citrullinated histone 3 (citH3), a major marker of NETs, were investigated. Furthermore, whether neutrophil depletion, extracellular DNA cleavage, and administration of the urate-lowering agent febuxostat could improve muscle hyperalgesia due to NET formation was examined. CitH3 expression upon neutrophil recruitment significantly increased in the stimulated TSMs with an increase in tissue UA levels, whereas febuxostat administration improved muscle hyperalgesia with decreases in citH3 and tissue UA levels, as observed in neutrophil depletion and extracellular DNA digestion. The underlying mechanism of muscle hyperalgesia associated with locally recruited neutrophils forming NETs due to the increased tissue UA levels potentially plays a significant role in creating a vicious circle of muscle pain.
The Use of Highly Diverse Clades As A Surrogate For Habitat Integrity Analysis: A Practical Tool For Rapid Assessments
Authors: Gómez-Tolosa María de Lourdes , González-Soriano Enrique , Mendoza-Cuenca Luis Felipe , Pérez-Munguía Ricardo M. , Rioja-Paradela Tamara Mila , Espinoza-Medinilla Eduardo Estanislao , Ortega-Salas Héctor , Rivera-Velázquez Gustavo , García Fredi Eugenio Penagos- , López Sergio
Published: July 2021

Human activities have impacted many different habitat types on Earth, and there is a requirement for tools with which to accurately assess the level of damage incurred by ecosystems. For environmental analyses and monitoring, rapid stream assessment techniques emphasize geomorphological characteristics, biological potential, and habitat integrity characteristics. Using the principles and concepts of aquatic biology and ecology, we determined whether the visual-based habitat evaluation score is related to Odonata species diversity at different taxonomic levels. We hypothesized that habitat assessment is correlated positively with the local diversity of one Odonata taxonomic group. We found that the abundance, species richness, and diversity of Argia, one of the most locally diverse genera in southeastern Mexico, are positively correlated with habitat integrity scores. High richness (of up to eight species per site) corresponds to high integrity scores. Simultaneously, habitat integrity scores increase 23.51 times when Argia diversity (surface area) increases. We discuss the possible advantages of using a diverse Odonata clade (Argia) as a surrogate for local habitat assessments. Long-term biomonitoring programs could be applied using this novel approach in this specific Neotropical area. This study is framed within the focus of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF), however, it must be tested with other indices and a reliable and consistent relationship must be verified between diverse clades and environmental assessment scores.
New Photobiomodulation Device for Prevention and Cure of Radiotherapy-induced Oral Mucositis and Dermatitis: Results of the Prospective Safe PBM Study
Authors: Bensadoun Rene-Jean , Bollet Marc A , Liem Xavier , Cao Kim , Magné Nicolas
Published: July 2021

PurposeTo assess the feasibility, safety and tolerability of CareMin650, a new photobiomodulation device, in patients treated by radiotherapy (RT). To collect preliminary data on efficacy for prevention and treatment of oral mucositis (OM) and radiation dermatitis (RD).MethodsFrench, multicentric, prospective, non-comparative study. Inclusion of patients with head and neck cancer (H&NC, cohort A) or breast cancer (BC, cohort B) treated in prophylactic (cohorts A1 and B1) or curative setting (cohort A2 and B2). Prophylactic treatment was administered from D1 to end of RT, at a dose of 3 J/cm2. Curative treatment started when a grade 1 to grade 3 lesion had occurred and was pursued until end of RT. Primary endpoint was incidence of device-related adverse events (AEs). OM and RD lesions were graded according to CTCAE V3.ResultsOverall, 72 patients were included (22, 9, 23 and 18 in cohorts A1, A2, B1 and B2 respectively). No device-related AE was reported after 1,312 CareMin650 sessions. In cohorts A1 and B1, median time to first OM or RD lesion was 20 days. One BC patient developed G3 RD after completion of RT and discontinuation of CareMin650. Four H&NC patients developed G3 OM. In cohorts A2 and B2, lesions improved or stabilized in 71% of patients. Rates of satisfaction were high among patients and users. ConclusionCareMin650 is feasible, safe and well tolerated for preventive or curative treatment of OM and RD in cancer patients treated with RT. Preliminary efficacy results are promising.
Structural Characterization of Iron Oxide Grown On 18% Ni-Co-Mo-Ti Ferrous Base Alloy Aged Under Superheated Steam Atmosphere
Authors: Cardoso Andréia de Souza Martins , Igreja Hugo Ribeiro da , Garcia Pedro Soucasaux Pires , Chales Rodrigo , Pardal Juan Manuel , Tavares Sergio Souto Maior , Silva Maria Margareth , Paesano Andrea , Pichon Luc
Published: July 2021

18% Ni-Co-Mo-Ti Ferrous base alloys are special materials, widely used in the industry of ​​isotopic enrichment after specific annealing and aging thermal treatment. The desirable high mechanical properties can then be attained by adequate aging heat treatment, answering the structural materials specifications required by defense applications in aerospace and nuclear engineering. For instance, the isotopic enrichment, in rocket engine envelope application, when associated with high temperature and chemical residues like acidic solutions, can induce corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement in martensite structures. To limit these corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement phenomena, an adherent and protective layer of iron oxides can be grown on the material surface by using adequate atmosphere during the aging treatment. Due to its application in strategic areas, the characterization of these oxide layers in maraging steels is of importance as well as the understanding of their growth kinetics. For this purpose, several techniques, such as Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES), Microabrasive wear testing, Hardness, Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), have been performed for chemical and structural characterization of the oxide films formed after vapor exposed thermal aging at 510°C . The oxide layer consists mostly in two sub-layers composed by magnetite (Fe3O4) and an external layer of hematite (Fe2O3). A thick interface between the oxide layer and the bulk is enriched in Ti and Mo, whereas the analyses of deep bulk material show an enriched area with Ni and Co.
The regulating effect of growth plasticity on the dynamics of structured populations
Authors: Croll Jasper , de Roos André M.
Published: July 2021

Plasticity is the extent to which life history processes such as growth and reproduction depend on the environment. Plasticity in individual growth varies widely between taxa. Nonetheless, little is known about the effect of plasticity in individual growth on the ecological dynamics of populations. In this article we analyse a physiologically structured population model of a consumer population in which the individual growth rate can be varied between entirely plastic to entirely non-plastic. We derive this population level model from a dynamic energy budget model to ensure an accurate energetic coupling between ingestion, somatic maintenance, growth, and reproduction within an individual. We show that the consumer population is either limited by adult fecundity or juvenile survival up to maturation, depending on the level of growth plasticity and the non-plastic individual growth rate. Under these two regimes we also find two different types of population cycles which again arise due to fluctuation in respectively juvenile growth rate or adult fecundity. In the end our model not only provides insight into the effects of growth plasticity on population dynamics, but also provides a link between the dynamics found in age- and size-structured models.
6-Ethoxy-4-N-(2-Morpholin-4-Ylethyl)-2-N-Propan-2-yl-1,3,5-Triazine-2,4-Diamine Endows Herbicidal Activity Against Phalaris Minor a Weed of Wheat Crop Field: An in-Silico and Experimental Approaches of Herbicide Discovery
Authors: Kumar Nandan , Rani Priyanka , Agarwal Shikha , Singh Durg Vijay
Published: July 2021

P. minor is a major weed of wheat crop which has evolved resistance against herbicides. Isoproturon is the most accepted herbicide developed in 1992. Later, introduced herbicides also developed resistance and cross-resistance to their respective binding sites. Isoproturon binds at the QB binding site of the D1 protein of photosystem-II (PS-II) which blocks the electron transfer in photosynthesis. In this work, a series of computational studies have been implemented to discover herbicides against the D1 protein of P. minor. Through computational study, twenty-four lead molecules are reported which have shown a higher binding affinity and inhibition constant compared to the reference ligand. The conformational stability of docked complexes was evaluated by molecular dynamics simulation and MM/PBSA method. Ala225, Ser226, Phe227, and Asn229 present in the binding site of protein play an important role in the stability of the protein-lead complex via hydrogen bond interaction and pi-pi interaction. Moreover, interactions and binding free energy between protein-lead complexes have been calculated using MM/PBSA methods. It has revealed that binding was energetically favourable and driven by electrostatic interactions. Among 24 leads, computational results have uncovered eight promising compounds as potential herbicides which have shown comparable physiochemical profile, better docking scores, system stability, H-bond occupancy, and binding free energy than terbutryn a reference molecule. Prioritized molecules were custom synthesized and evaluated for their herbicidal activity and specificity through whole plant assay under laboratory-controlled conditions. The prioritized lead molecule ELC5 (6-ethoxy-4-N-(2-morpholin-4-ylethyl)-2-N-propan-2-yl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) has shown comparable activity to the reference isoproturon herbicide against P. minor.
The Influence of SSO on the Optimization Result of Nasopharynx Carcinoma Plan
Authors: HUA Xiaolong , YU Jianhe , WANG Lu , CHEN Li , MU Yanshu , REN Qun , SONG Chuanjun , XU Wenjing , XU Hongxia , DAI Jiaqi
Published: July 2021

PurposeTo study the influence of Monaco 5.4 treatment planning system (TPS) on the dosimetry of radiotherapy for nasopharynx carcinoma (NPC) under the condition of different segment shape optimization (SSO) times.MethodsFifteen patients with T3-4N0-2M0 stage NPC were enrolled, and each case was designed with SSO of 3, 5, 7 and 10 times respectively. The dose results of the target area and the major organs at risk (OARs) were statistically analyzed by DVH statistics; moreover, the isodose lines of 70Gy, 60Gy and 54Gy were intercepted at the same plane in the transverse, coronal and sagittal views and the segment shapes were compared at the angle of 30°, 120°, 240° and 330° in beam eye view (BEV); In addition, optimization time (OT), delivery time (DT), segments# and monitor unit (MU#) were obtained and analyzed by optimization console; the plans were verified and analyzed by using ArcCheck phantom.ResultsFor target area D2, the results of the SSO7 group and the SSO10 group were similar and both better than those of SSO3 and SSO5 groups, and the D2 results of the SSO3 group were notable higher than those of the other three groups; for the major OARs, the results of the maximum dose of spinal cord, brain stem, and lens and the mean dose and V30 of parotid glands showed the same trend. It showed that SSO7 and SSO10 share similar dose results, too which are notable better than the similar dose results shared by SSO3 and SSO5; in the dose deprogram distribution of 70Gy, 60Gy and 54Gy, partial 70Gy dose spillover occurred in both groups SSO3 and SSO5 and it was more obvious in group SSO3. While there was a no significant dose spillover in group SSO7 and group SSO10; in the sub-field alignment comparison under the same angle, the alignment became more complicated and the sub-fields were smaller as the number of SSO increased; the results of segment#, MU# and plan delivery time between different SSO groups were slightly different, while the plan optimization time changed significantly. The difference between group SSO3 and group SSO10 was more than 500s; the results were compared in ArcCheck, there was no significant difference between the groups.ConclusionsThe user-defined SSO function of Monaco 5.4 TPS effectively balances the relationship between plan design efficiency and plan quality. When SSO is 7, it is better value for efficiency and quality in clinical radiotherapy for NPC.
IBRE-LEACH: Improving The Performance of The BRE-LEACH For Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: DAANOUNE Ikram , BAGHDAD Abdennaceur
Published: July 2021

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are extensively used in diferent areas and especially in severe and harsh environments such as battlegrounds, volcanic areas, healthcare, and so on. The major constraint in WSNs is the limited power supply, which impacts the lifeycle of the entire network. Clustering is a performing method used in WSN to optimize power consumption and extend the lifetime of WSNs. LEACH is considered as the first classical clustering protocol used in WSN to optimize energy consumption. Many protocols had been developed to enhance the conventional LEACH protocol. BRE-LEACH (Balanced Residual Energy LEACH) is one of them. It serves to enhance the performance of the LEACH protocol. In this paper, we suggest a new improved BRE-LEACH protocol called IBRE-LEACH (Improved Balanced Residual Energy LEACH), which ameliorates the performance of the BRE-LEACH approach. The IBRE-LEACH combines clustering and multi-hop techniques. It elects CHs according to the residual energy, limits the maximum number of nodes in each cluster to balance energy consumption. Thus, IBRE-LEACH gives the Abandoned Nodes (ANs) the chance to send their data to the BS. Furthermore, it routes the gathered data using the CHs, ANs, and a root node, which is a node with maximum residual energy and minimum distance to the BS. The simulation results in MATLAB exhibit that the IBRE-LEACH increases the throughput, optimizes energy consumption, extends the network lifetime, and ameliorates the stability up to 81.99%, 94.33%, and up to 91.47% compared with BRE-LEACH, LEACH-C, and LEACH, respectively.
Assessment of EnKF Data Assimilation of Satellite Derived Soil Moisture Over the Indian Domain with the Noah Land Surface Model
Authors: Jose Vibin , Chandrasekar Anantharaman
Published: July 2021

Land Surface Models (LSMs) are typically forced with observed precipitation and surface meteorology and hence the soil moisture estimates obtained from LSM do not reflect the contribution of irrigation to the soil moisture estimates. However, the satellite retrievals of soil moisture estimates do register the signature of the irrigation effects. It is suggested that the soil moisture estimates obtained from LSM may reflect the role of irrigation if they are assimilated with soil moisture estimated from satellites. The present study evaluates the improvement of soil moisture estimates obtained from Noah LSM by ingesting them with the satellite derived Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) soil moisture retrievals over the Indian domain for the year 2012. The above ingesting of soil moisture estimates is performed using the Land Information System (LIS). The improved soil moisture estimates are validated with the in-situ India Meteorological Department (IMD) soil moisture observations and also with the high-resolution Indian Monsoon Data Assimilation and Analysis (IMDAA) regional reanalysis data. The percentage of grid points over the Indian domain where the improvement parameter shows positive values are 59.14% (winter), 69.17% (pre-monsoon), 43.59% (monsoon), and 77.53% (post-monsoon).

Furthermore, the forecast impact parameter also indicates the positive impact of data assimilation. Also, 12 of the 22 stations show reduced RMSE soil moisture error after data assimilation is performed while only 6 of the 22 stations show higher correlation coefficient in soil moisture without data assimilation, when validated with the in-situ IMD soil moisture observations. The study has also evaluated the irrigation impact of ASCAT in the assimilated soil moisture using triple collocation (TC) method. For the TC analysis, the model based Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS)Catchment Land Surface Model (CLSM), and MERRA (Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications) Land data set together with soil moisture model outputs with and without ASCAT assimilation are used to calculate the error and correlation coefficient of each of the two set of triplets. The results of the TC analysis further conclusively shows the positive impact of irrigation effects in the ASCAT assimilated soil moisture model output.
Generative Information Hiding of Iris Feature Data Based on Gaussian Fuzzy Algorithm
Authors: ShuChen Zhou , Jadoon Waqas , Rehman Faisal , Khan Iftikhar Ahmed , Tianming Yang
Published: July 2021

The existing methods used for hiding the iris feature data were time-consuming for iris feature extraction. Meanwhile, the information security after hiding was also low, leading to low efficiency and security of information hiding. Therefore, a method of hiding iris features data generative information based on a Gaussian fuzzy algorithm was proposed. In the preprocessing stage of the image, the weighted average method was adopted for the gray-level transformation of the iris image, and the Gaussian fuzzy algorithm was used to smooth the image. In addition, the Laplacian convolution kernel was used to sharpen the image. The iris regions were normalized. The iris feature data was extracted by employing 2D Gabor wavelet. Moreover, the iris feature data was encrypted and decrypted using the AES algorithm, and hence, effectively enhancing the security of the generative information of iris feature data. Experimental results show that the proposed method can extract iris feature information within ten seconds, and the data security coefficient is high thus the proposed method efficiently realizes the information hiding.
Ameliorative Effects of Quercetin in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Vascular Toxicity in Rats
Authors: ŞENGÜL EMİN , GELEN VOLKAN , GEDİKLİ SEMİN , ERBAS ELİF , ATASEVER ASLIHAN
Published: July 2021

Cyclophosphamide (CYP) causes vascular toxicity and endothelial damage. In this study aimed the determination of the protective effects of Quercetin (Q) in the CYP-induced vascular toxicity in rats. The rats were randomly divided into the following five groups: Control, CYP, Q50+CYP, Q100+CYP and Q100. The control group was given intragastric (i.g.) corn oil for seven days. The CYP group received i.g. corn oil for seven days and a single dose (200 mg/kg) of CYP via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection on the seventh day. The rats in the three Q-treated groups received Q for seven days. On the seventh day after the Q treatment, the Q50+CYP, and Q100+CYP groups were injected to single dose (200 mg/kg, i.p.) of CYP. The CYP-treatment both worsen the Phenylephrine (PE)-induced contractions and acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation responses in isolated thoracic aorta of rats, and the application of Q corrected these responses. The malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly higher in the CYP-treated groups. The both dose of Q decreased the MDA level. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) activities were significantly decreased in the CYP group, whereas the high dose of Q increased SOD and GSH activities. Q treatment attenuated CYP-induced pathologies, and endothelial damage. According to results, Q has protective effects against CYP-induced vascular toxicity in rats.
Genome-Wide Analysis of Almond Skp1 Family Members And Identification of Self-Incompatibility-Related PsdSSK1
Authors: Yu Zhenfan , Zhang Dongdong , Zeng Bin , Yang Jiahui , Gao Wenwen , Tang Yilian , Abudukayoumu Ayimaiti , Ma Xintong
Published: July 2021

S-phase kinase-associated protein 1 ( Skp1 ) is a component of the SKP1-Cullin1-F-box (SCF) complex, which facilitates ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation in eukaryotes. SLF interacting Skp1-like 1 ( SSK1 ), which is located outside the S-site, is a newly discovered type of self-incompatibility-related pollen-specific gene whose product interacts with pollen determinants. In this study, we identified 18 members of the Prunus dulcis Skp1 (PsdSkp1) family that were unevenly distributed across six chromosomes of the almond genome. The phylogenetic tree revealed that the PsdSkp1 members could divided into four groups: I, II, III, and IV. The conserved motifs, conserved domains, and motif structures of the PsdSSK1 and PsdSkp1-12 proteins are similar. There were three pairs of fragment duplication genes and one pair of tandem repeat genes, and their functions were highly evolutionarily conserved. Transcriptome data showed that PsdSkp1 was expressed in almond flower tissues, that its expression was affected by freezing stress, and that its expression changed significantly in cross-pollination. Molecular experiments proved that PsdSSK1 and PsdSkp1-12 had the same protein sequence, and the genes were significantly highly expressed mainly in the pollen or throughout pollen cells, with subcellular localization in the cytoplasm. PsdSkp1-12 is an ssk1 gene in almond, and it may be involved in the SCF complex to regulate the almond pollen response via SI and cross-compatibility. In conclusion, our research lays a foundation for future functional research on PsdSkp1 members, especially for exploring the mechanism of almond SI.
Study And Investigation of Silicon Extended Source Vertical Double Gate Tunnel Transistor For Analog/RF Performance
Authors: singh omendra Kumar , Vaithiyanathan D , Kaur Baljit
Published: July 2021

In this paper, a Silicon Double Gate tunnel field effect transistor with Extended Source (ESVDG-TFET) is disclosed while addressing the need for dc/switching and analog/RF applications using Silvaco-Atlas simulator which is used to examine and explore the performance of the proposed device. The mechanics of band-to-band tunnelling and accompanying carrier injection are used to illustrate the operation of the proposed silicon ESVDG-TFET device. The gate is designed to overlap with extended source region along with N+ pockets and channel in order to facilitate both the lateral and vertical tunnelling . The silicon ESVDG-TFET provide lower subthreshold swing of 10.1 mV/decade that allow higher ratio of ION / IOFF of 1013 for optimized device structural parameters with threshold voltage of 0.35 V. Moreover, peak transconductance of 800 uS/ um, cutoff frequency of 82 GHz, gain bandwidth product of 16.8 GHz and transit time of 1p sec is obtained by proposed device.
Towards Conservation of Coastal Wetlands: An Assessment of The Ecological Health Status of A Neglected Lagoon In Ghana
Authors: Akwetey Margaret Fafa Awushie , Abrokwah Sika , Adade Richard , Dali Gertrude Lucky Aku , Akuoko Ivy Serwaa Gyimah
Published: July 2021

Coastal wetlands are important ecosystems that support biological communities and human populations. Anthropogenic activities have over the years affected these coastal wetlands globally leading to a loss of about 50% of these areas. There have therefore been calls to conserve these wetlands in order to sustain future generations. However, data to support conservation efforts on most of these ecosystems is lacking. The ecological health status of an aquatic system is one indicator that can form the basis of conservation or restoration actions. In Ghana, the Brenu Lagoon in the Central Region has been neglected in terms of ecological health research over the years. This study therefore aimed at assessing the ecological health of the Brenu lagoon using benthic macroinvertebrates. The study showed that the lagoon is hypersaline and moderately polluted with a dominance of two stress-tolerant species – Capitella Capitata and Ampithoe sp. The current state of pollution of the lagoon may be associated with waste disposal and agricultural activities within the catchment of the lagoon. Further studies are required to establish the linkage between these activities and the state of the lagoon on the basis of which remedial actions can be taken.
High-Throughput Screening of Higher Α-Amylase Producing Bacillus Licheniformis by Fluorescence-Activated Droplet Sorting
Authors: Yuan Huiling , Tu Ran , Tong Xinwei , Lin Yuping , Wang Qinhong
Published: July 2021

Backgroundα-Amylases is one of the most important starch degrading enzymes and has the widest range of industrial applications. Bacillus licheniformis has been widely used as a cell factory for industrial production of amylase. However, difficulties in genetic modification of B. licheniformis have limited its widespread use. Directed evolution, based on the combination of random mutagenesis and high throughput screening (HTS), has been proven an effective strategy in strain improvement for increasing the productivity, but it requires a suitable HTS system to screen the desired mutants. Droplet-based microfluidics has emerged as a powerful tool for single-cell screening with ultra-high throughput, however, the accessibility of a droplet microfluidic HTS platform to users having no background in microfluidics is still an issue. ResultsHere, we first developed a microfluidic HTS platform based on fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) technology. This platform allowed (i) encapsulation of single cells in monodisperse water-in-oil droplets; (ii) cell growth and protein production in droplets; (iii) sorting of droplets based on their fluorescence intensities. To validate the platform, a model selection experiment of a binary mixture of Bacillus strains was performed and a 45.6-fold enrichment was achieved at a sorting rate of 300 droplets per second. Furthermore, we used the platform for the selection of higher α-amylase-producing strains from a library of B. licheniformis strains (a strain already used at industrial-scale). The B. licheniformis mutant library was generated by atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) mutagenesis. The clones displaying over 50% improvement in α-amylases productivity compared to the wild-type were isolated.ConclusionsWe established an efficient droplet microfluidic platform which consisted of droplet generation, droplet incubation, and sorting of droplets with a throughput of up to 1 × 106 droplets per h. The screening platform was demonstrated by successfully identifying B. licheniformis clones with improved α-amylase production. We believe that the droplet platform could be extended to the development of other industrially valuable strains.
Bifurcation Functional Significance Score as Predictor of Mortality
Authors: Vassilev Dobrin , Mileva Niya , Collet Carlos , Nikolov Pavel , Sokolova Katerina , Karamfiloff Kiril , Naunov Vladimir , Sonck Jeroen , Rigatelli Gianluca , Kassab Ghassan S. , Gil Robert J.
Published: July 2021

Background: Considerable progress has been made in the treatment of coronary bifurcation stenosis. Anatomical characteristics of the vessel and lesion, however, fail to give information about the functional significance of the bifurcation stenosis. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study that systematically establishes the baseline functional significance of coronary stenosis and its effect on procedural and clinical outcomes.Methods: Patients with significant angiographic bifurcation lesions defined as diameter stenosis > 50% in main vessel and/or side branch were included. FFR was performed in main vessel (MV) and side branch (SB) before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). 169 patients from Fiesta study (derivation cohort) and 555 patients from prospective bifurcation registry (test cohort) were analyzed to validate angiographic prediction score (BFSS) used to determine the potentially functional significance of coronary bifurcation stenosis.Results: Bifurcation functional significance score (including the following parameters - SYNTAX ≥11, SB/MB BARI score, MV %DS ≥ 55%, MB %DS ≥ 65%, lesion length ≥25mm) with a maximum value of 11 was developed. A cut-off value of 8.5 was shown to give the best discriminatory ability – with accuracy 87% (sensitivity 77%, specificity 96%, p<.001). There was also a significant difference in all-cause mortality between patients with BFSS≥8.5 vs. BFSS<8.5 – 17.8% vs. 13.4%, log-rank p=.006, as well as cardiac mortality: BFSS≥8.5 vs. BFSS<8.5 – 14.6% vs. 12.5%, log-rank (p=.042). The cardiac mortality was significantly lower in patients with smaller absolute SB territory, p=0.023.Conclusion: An angiographic score (BFSS) with good discriminatory ability to determine the functional significance of coronary bifurcation stenosis was developed. The value for BFSS≥8.5 can be used as a discriminator to define groups with higher risk for all-cause and cardiac mortality. Also, we found that the smaller side branches pose greater mortality risk.
A Safety Response Mechanism for an Autonomous Moving Robot in a Small Manufacturing Environment using Q-learning Algorithm and Speech Recognition
Authors: KIANGALA Sonia , Wang Zenghui
Published: July 2021

The industrial manufacturing sector is currently undergoing a tremendous revolution moving from traditional production processes to intelligent techniques. Under this revolution, known as Industry 4.0 (I40), a robot is no longer a static equipment but an active workforce to the factory production alongside human operators. Safety becomes crucial for humans and robots to ensure a smooth production run in such environments. Operators are subject to frequent safety inductions to react in emergencies but very little is done for robots. Our research proposes a safety response mechanism for a small manufacturing plant, through which an autonomous robot learns the obstacle-free trajectory to the closest safety exit in emergencies. We implement a reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm, Q-learning, to enable the path learning abilities of the robot. After obtaining the robot optimal path selection options with Q-learning, we code the outcome as a rule-based system for the safety response. We also program a speech recognition system for operators to react timeously, with a voice command, to an emergency that requires stopping all plant activities even when they are far away from emergency stops (ESTOPs) button. The factory emergency signal can be given by an ESTOP or a voice command sent directly to the factory central controller: an S7-1200 Siemens programmable logic controller (PLC) in this experiment. We simulate a simple and small manufacturing environment overview to test our safety procedure. Our results show that the safety response mechanism successfully generates paths without obstacles to the closest safety exits from all the factory locations.
Bullatine a Exerted Anti-Inflammatory Effects by Inhibiting JNK/ROS/NF-κB Pathway and Attenuates Systemic Inflammatory Response in LPS-Challenged Mice
Authors: Liu Shuhan , Yan Meichen , Liao Yajin , Cheng Yong
Published: July 2021

Background: The genus Aconitum has rich pharmacological characteristics. Aconiti brachypodi Radix (Xue-shang-yi-zhi-hao) is a dried root of aconitum, which is considered to be analgesic and anti-inflammatory in modern medical and pharmaceutical clinical studies. Bullatine A (BA), a major active ingredient of this plant, has been reported for its significant anti-analgesic effect in previous studies. However, the role of BA in inflammation is unknown. In the current study, we aimed to explore the effect of BA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response both in vitro and in vivo and its potential anti-inflammatory mechanism.Materials and Methods: The anti-inflammatory effect of BA was evaluated in two different types of LPS-induced macrophages, including BV-2 microglial cells and immortalized murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (iBMDMs), and in acute inflammation mouse models induced by LPS. Immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, quantitative RT-PCR, western blot and Hematoxylin-Eosin staining were used to determine the anti-inflammatory properties of BA.Results: The results showed that BA significantly reduced the mRNA levels of several pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS both in BV-2 cells and iBMDMs. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in response to LPS were also decreased by BA. Further investigations indicated BA significantly blocked the phosphorylation of IκB kinase, degradation of the inhibitor IκBa and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65. BA also reduced c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) phosphorylation and ROS generation in iBMDMs activated with LPS, but had no effect on other mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) family proteins such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) or p38. Furthermore, BA treatment alleviate liver and lung tissue damage, reduce inflammatory cell infiltration, and inhibit the expression of inflammatory cytokines in LPS-challenged mice.Conclusions: This study illustrated that BA has obvious anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo, and its underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism may be via inactivating JNK/ROS/NF-κB pathway. Therefore, BA may have a certain therapeutic potential for inflammatory-related diseases.
Determination of Exosome Mitochondrial DNA as a Biomarker of Renal Cancer Aggressiveness
Authors: Arance Elena , Ramírez Viviana , Rubio-Roldan Alejandro , Ocaña-Peinado Francisco M. , Romero-Cachinero Catalina , Vazquez-Alonso Fernando , Martinez-Gonzalez Luis Javier , Alvarez-Cubero Maria Jesus
Published: July 2021

Background: Components of liquid biopsy are promising non-invasive biomarkers for monitoring the renal cell carcinoma (RCC) status. Present study tries to evaluate the role of exosomes and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) as promise, novel and stable biomarkers that could improve current ones in RCC. Methods: A total of 140 fractions obtained by ultracentrifugations of whole blood samples stored in EDTA anticoagulant from 28 (13 patients and 15 controls) were included in present study. An exosome collection protocol and exhaustive analysis of all phases obtained by ultracentrifugations (named from B to F) was performed. Subsequently, an analysis of dPCR (digital PCR) using the QuantStudio™ 3D Digital PCR platform and the quantification of mtDNA copy number using by QuantStudioTM 12K Flex Real-Time PCR System (qPCR) was developed. Moreover, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analyses were included using MiSeq system (Illumina, CA, USA). Results: F fraction, which contains all exosomes´ data and all mitochondrial markers (hypervariable region 1 (HV1) and apocytochrome b of complex III (MT-CYB)) were statistically identified in dPCR and qPCR (p values < 0.05) when a comparison between cases and controls was performed. Moreover, the studied mitochondrial genes shown a relevant significance in RCC aggressiveness analyses (metastasis and stages 4).Conclusions: To sum up, this is the first time a relation between mtDNA genetic markers in exosome and clinical management of RCC is suggested.
Decadal Variation of the Precipitation Relationship Between June and August over South China and Its Mechanism
Authors: li shuai , Gong Zhiqiang , zhang Shixuan , Yang Jie , Qiao Shaobo , Feng Guolin
Published: July 2021

This paper investigates the characteristics and causes for the interdecadal change in the relationships between early and late summer rainfall over South China (SC). This study finds that the correlations of the precipitation over SC between June and August shift from weakly positive in 1979 – 1995 to obviously negative in 1996-2019. Further analysis demonstrates that the interdecadal variations of monthly SST anomaly (SSTA) and associated air-sea interactions in June and August account for the decadal variations of the precipitation relationships. During the prior period 1979-1995, the tropical West Indian Ocean (WIO) shows a significant positive SSTA in June, which triggers Kevin waves and an anticyclone circulation over the tropical Northwest Pacific (NWP). The warm and wet air transported by the southwest airflow at the north of the anticyclone provides favorable environmental condition to produce more precipitation over SC region in June. In contrast, the SST dipole pattern with the negative SSTAs in the maritime continent (MC) and positive SSTAs in the tropical Central Pacific (CP) is dominant in August. The SST dipole pattern is inconducive to the formation of anticyclone over SC, causing a weak positive precipitation correlation between June and August. During the latter period 1996-2019, the precipitation over SC in June is the same as that in the prior period as there is no significant decadal change in tropical WIO SST and East Asian circulation. However, an opposite phase of the SST dipole anomaly pattern in MC and the tropical CP is dominant in August during the latter period. Accordingly, the positive feedback mechanism of air-sea interaction leads to the enhancement of local convection activities in MC and the meridional Hadley circulations and the NWP subtropical high, leading to a decrease of precipitation over SC in August. Overall, the decadal variation of the SST dipole anomaly pattern in MC and the tropical CP is the key factor affecting the adjustment of the correlations between June and August precipitation in the two periods.
The Rigorous Screening and Ethics of Donor for Faecal Microbiota Transplantation in China
Authors: He Jianquan , He Xingxiang , Ma Yonghui , Yang Luxi , Fang Haiming , Shang Shu , Xia Huping , Lian Guanghui , Tang Hailing , Wang Qizhi , Wang Junping , Lin Zhihui , Wen Jianbo , Liu Yuedong , Zhai Chunbao , Wang Wen , Jiang Xueliang , Xuan Ji , Liu Morong , Lu Shiyun , Li Xuejun , Wang Han , Ouyang Cong , Cao Man , Lin Aiqiang , Zhang Bangzhou , Wu Depei , Chen Ye , xiao chuanxing
Published: July 2021

Background: Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a safe and effective therapy for recurrent Clostridium difficile infections and some gastrointestinal and systemic diseases. However, the risks of FMT and the selection process of suitable donors remain insufficiently characterized. The eligibility rate for screening, underlying microbial basis, and core ethical issues of stool donors for FMT are yet to be elucidated in China. Results：The potential stool donors were screened from December 2017 to December 2019 with the help of an online survey, clinical assessments, and stool and blood testing. Bioinformatics analyses were performed, and the composition and stability of gut microbiota in stool obtained from eligible donors were dynamically observed using metagenomics. Meanwhile, we build a donor microbial evaluation index (DoMEI) for stool donor screening. In the screening process, we also focused on ethical principles and requirements. Of the 2071 participants, 66 donors were selected via the screening process (3.19% success rate). Although there were significant differences in gut microbiota among donors, we found that the changes in the gut microbiota of the same donor were typically more stable than those between donors over time. Conclusions: The DoMEI provides a potential reference index for stool donor re-evaluation. In this retrospective study, we summarised the donor recruitment and screening procedure for FMT in China. Based on the latest advances in this field, we carried out a rigorous faecal microbiota donor screening process.
Combined Hormone Receptor and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 Expression Reflects Inter-and Intra-tumor Heterogeneity in Hormone Receptor-Positive/Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2-Positive Breast Cancer
Authors: Ju Jie , Du Feng , Gao Song-Lin , Si Yi-Ran , Hu Nan-Lin , Liu Dong-Xu , Wang Xue , Yue Jian , Zheng Fang-Chao , Kang Yi-Kun , Yang Zi-Xuan , Ma Fei , Xu Bing-He , Yuan Peng
Published: July 2021

BackgroundHormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-positive (HR+/HER2+) breast cancer comprise approximately 5-10% of all invasive breast cancers. However, the lack of knowledge regarding the complexity of tumor heterogeneity in HR+/HER2+ disease remains a barrier to more accurate therapies. This study aimed to describe the tumor heterogeneity of HR+/HER2+ breast cancer and to establish a novel indicator to identify the HER2-enriched-like subtype in patients with HR+/HER2+ breast cancer.MethodsFirst, a comprehensive analysis was performed on HR+/HER2+ breast cancer samples from the TCGA (n=141) and METABRIC (n=104) databases. We determined the distribution of PAM50 intrinsic subtypes within the two cohorts and compared the somatic mutational profile and RNA expression features between HER2-enriched and non-HER2-enriched subtypes. We then performed multiplex immunofluorescence to evaluate HER2 and estrogen receptor (ER) expression simultaneously in the third cohort, enrolling 43 cases of early HR+/HER2+ breast cancer from Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS).ResultsAll four main intrinsic subtypes were identified in HR+/HER2+ breast cancer, of which the luminal-B subtype was the most common, followed by the HER2-enriched and luminal-A subtypes. Significantly increased TP53 and ERBB3 and decreased PIK3CA somatic mutation frequency were observed in the HER2-enriched subtype compared with the non-HER2-enriched subtype. In addition,the HER2-enriched subtype was characterized by significantly higher ERBB2 and lower ESR1 expression. We then constructed a marker termed rH/E to reflect the relative expression of ERBB2 to ESR1 in each patient.rH/E discriminates the HER2-enriched subtype from the non-HER2 subtypes better than the expression of ERBB2 or ESR1 alone. In the CAMS cohort, we observed four subtypes of tumor cells: ER+/HER2-,ER+/HER2+,ER-/HER2+, and ER-/HER2-. Tumor cell diversity was common, with 86% of patients having all four subtypes of tumor cells. Moreover, rH/E showed a significant prognostic association in the CAMS cohort.ConclusionsThis study furthers our understanding of the complexity of tumor heterogeneity in HR+/HER2+breast cancer, and suggests that the combined analysis of ERBB2 and ESR1 expression may contribute to identifying patients with specific subtypes in this population.
Assessment of the Relationship Between Labial Gingival Thickness and Underlying Bone Thickness in Maxillary Anterior Teeth by Two Digital Techniques
Authors: Wang Linhong , Chen Jianping , Ruan Yan , Luo Yunxiao , Yang Fan
Published: July 2021

The aim of this study is to noninvasively assess the relationship between the labial gingival thickness (GT) and the underlying bone thickness (BT) of the maxillary anterior teeth by two digital techniques. GT and BT were measured at 2、4 and 6 mm apical to the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) by two digital techniques: M1- cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and M2- digital intraoral scanning (DIS) combined with CBCT (30 healthy participants, 172 maxillary anterior teeth). Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation between GT and BT. A significant negative correlation was identified between GT and BT at 2、4 mm apical to the CEJ for central incisors (CI), lateral incisors (LI), and canines (CA) both by M1 and M2, but not at 4 mm apical to the CEJ for CA (M2) or at 6 mm apical to the CEJ for all (M1, M2). The labial BT was demonstrated < 1 mm in most cases (85% of the CI; 97% of the LI; and 90% of the CA). Within the limitation of this study, it is concluded that the GT and BT seems to be negatively correlated in most cases, which should be cautious clinically.