bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reinforcement effect and permeability assessment of gravel-tire chips mixture (GTCM) used in marine landfill
Authors: Hao Chunrui , Hazarika Hemanta , Isobe Yusaku
Published: February 2022

The number of marine landfills in Japan has increased over the past decade due to the lack of suitable land for coastal metropolis landfills. For marine landfills, protection of the alluvium clay layer and improvement of the drainage performance in waste inflow are important aspects. In this paper, an economical construction method for these problems is proposed using gravel-tire chips mixture (GTCM) as the horizontal reinforcement and drainage medium beneath the waste. The content and particle size of tire chips mixed with gravel are essential factors that affect the bearing capacity and permeability of the reinforcement layer. Therefore, a series of permeability tests are conducted using newly developed large-scale triaxial compression and permeability test apparatus to investigate the effect of tire chips particle size, the mass proportion of tire chips (MPTC), and triaxial stress on the permeability of GTCM. In addition, the effectiveness of this technique is evaluated by numerical simulations. The experimental results confirm that the shear strength of GTCM is influenced by tire chips content. In addition, GTCM shows excellent permeability even on higher compression. Moreover, the Non-Darcy flow properties of GTCM (non-linear) are introduced in this study, and a relationship between the permeability coefficient and the Non-Darcy flow coefficient is developed. The numerical results confirm that GTCM performs better than the sand reinforcing material.
Role of Zinc metalloprotease (ZMPSTE24) on Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) replication in vitro
Authors: Wang Xiuqing , Katwal Pratik , Nelson Eric , Hildreth Michael , Li Shitao
Published: February 2022

The transmembrane zinc metalloprotease, ZMPSTE24, works in cooperation with interferon induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) to restrict entry of several enveloped viruses. We investigated the role of ZMPSTE24 in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) replication. ZMPSTE24 overexpression significantly reduced PRRSV replication in MARC-145 cells. Interestingly, knockdown of endogenous ZMPSTE24 did not significantly impact virus replication. There was no significant difference in the percentage of PRRSV positive cells and viral RNA copies at 3 hours post infection (hpi) between cells transfected with ZMPSTE24-FLAG and vector control. Our results suggest that ZMPSTE24 overexpression may restrict PRRSV replication at a post-entry step.
Suspected chorioamnionitis with peak intrapartum temperature <380C : The prevalence of confirmed chorioamnionitis and short term neonatal outcome
Authors: PVellamgot Anvar , Salameh Khalil , Habboub Lina Hussain , Pattuvalappil Rajesh , Elkabir Naser Abulgasim , Siam Yousra Shehada , Khatib Hakam
Published: February 2022

Background
Chorioamnionitis(CA) affects up to 3.9% of all deliveries worldwide, and is one of the leading causes of early onset neonatal sepsis. Fever ≥ 380C is an essential criterion for the clinical diagnosis of CA. Obstetricians frequently take the maternal risk factors into consideration, and many mothers are treated as CA even with peak intrapartum temperature(PIT) between 37.60C to 37.90Cif they have other clinical signs and risk factors.
Aim
to estimate the prevalence of confirmed chorioamnionitis and adverseneonatal outcomes among those mothers with PIT below380C.
Materials and methods
Retrospective chart review among mothers delivered at Al-Wakra Hospital, Qatar, between1st January2016 to 31st December 2019 with a clinical diagnosis of CA.
Results
Among 21,471 mothers, 442 were suspected of having CA(2.06%, 95% CI 1.88 to 2.26%). After exclusions, 415 were included in the study, 203(48.9%) mothers had PIT between 37.6-37.90C. There was no significant difference in the rate of confirmed CA between the low(< 380C) andhigher(≥ 380C ) temperature groups(25.4%Vs.31.3%,OR0.75, 95%CI0.46-1.25,p.262). More patients in the low-temperature group received paracetamol for PIT between 37.6 to 37.9 0C, while it was less frequently used for such milder elevation in higher temperature group(88.2%Vs.38.9%, OR11.69, 95% CI 6.46–2.15, p < .001)
Conclusion
The incidence of CA in our institution waswithin the international rates. Although nearly half of the mothers with suspected CA had peak temperature below the recommended diagnostic criteria, the rate of confirmed CA and neonatal outcome was not significantly different from those with PIT ≥ 380C. Early antipyretic use might have affected further elevation of temperature.
Identification of ISG15 and ZFP36 as Novel Hypoxia- and Immune-Related Gene Signatures Contributing to A New Perspective for The Treatment of Prostate Cancer by Bioinformatics and Experimental Verification
Authors: Lyu Fang , Li Yunxue , Yan Zhecheng , He Qingliu , Cheng Lulin , Chen Liang , Zhang Pu , Liu Bing , Liu Chunyu , Song Yarong , Xing Yifei
Published: February 2022

Background：Prostatic cancer (PCa)is the most common malignant tumour in men worldwide. Emerging evidence indicates significance of hypoxia and immunity in PCa invasion and metastasis. This study aimed to develop a hypoxia- and immune-related gene risk signature and explore the molecular mechanisms to formulate a better prognostic tool for PCa patients.Methods：The hypoxia and immune scores of all PCa patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset were calculated via the maximally selected rank statistics method and the ESTIMATE algorithm. From common genes identified overlapping hypoxia- and immune-related differentially expressed genes (DE-HRGs and DE-IRGs), a hypoxia- and immune-related gene risk signature was developed utilizing univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, and validated in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (MSKCC) database. The immune cell infiltration level of PCa samples were evaluated with ssGSEA algorithm. Differential expression of prognostic genes was evidenced by immunohistochemistry in paired PCa samples. Expression levels of these genes and their variations under regular and hypoxic conditions were examined in cell lines. The functional effects of the prognostic gene on PCa cells were examined by wound healing and transwell assays.Results: A hypoxia- and immune-related gene risk signature constructed by ISG15 and ZFP36 displays significant predictive potency, with higher risk score representing worse survival. A nomogram based on independent prognostic factors including the risk score and Gleason score exhibited excellent clinical value in the survival prediction of PCa. Infiltration levels of eosinophils, neutrophils, Tcm, Tem, TFH, Th1 cells, and Th17 cells were significantly lower in the high-risk group. Conversely, aDC, pDC, T helper cells, and Tregs were significantly higher. Additionally, the two prognostic genes were closely correlated with the tumour-infiltrating immune cell subset in PCa progression. RT-qPCR and WB presented higher and lower expression of ISG15 and ZFP36 in PCa cells, respectively. They were correspondingly increased and decreased in PCa cells under hypoxic conditions. Wound healing and transwell assays showed that over-expression of ISG15 promoted the migration and invasion of PCa cells.Conclusion: Our study identified a novel hypoxia- and immune-related gene signature, contributing a new perspective to the treatment of PCa.
How Education and Racial Segregation Intersect in Neighborhoods with Persistently Low COVID-19 Vaccination Rates in Philadelphia
Authors: Rich John , Miech Edward , Bilal Usama , Corbin Theodore
Published: February 2022

Background: COVID-19 infection has disproportionately affected socially disadvantaged neighborhoods. Despite this disproportionate burden of infection, these neighborhoods have also lagged in COVID-19 vaccinations. To date, we have little understanding of the ways that various types of social conditions intersect to explain the complex causes of lower COVID-19 vaccination rates in neighborhoods.Methods: We used configurational comparative methods (CCMs) to study COVID-19 vaccination rates in Philadelphia by neighborhood (proxied by zip code tabulation areas). Specifically, we identified neighborhoods where COVID-19 vaccination rates (per 10,000) were persistently low from March 2021 – May 2021. We then assessed how different combinations of social conditions (pathways) uniquely distinguished neighborhoods with persistently low vaccination rates from the other neighborhoods in the city. Social conditions included measures of economic inequities, racial segregation, education, overcrowding, service employment, public transit use, health insurance and limited English proficiency. Results: Two factors consistently distinguished neighborhoods with persistently low COVID-19 vaccination rates from the others: college education and concentrated racial privilege. Two factor values together – low college education AND low/medium concentrated racial privilege – identified persistently low COVID-19 vaccination rates in neighborhoods, with high consistency (0.92) and high coverage (0.86). Different values for education and concentrated racial privilege – medium/high college education OR high concentrated racial privilege – were each sufficient by themselves to explain neighborhoods where COVID-19 vaccination rates were not persistently low, likewise with high consistency (0.93) and high coverage (0.97).Conclusions: Pairing CCMs with geospatial mapping can help identify complex relationships between social conditions linked to low COVID-19 vaccination rates. Understanding how neighborhood conditions combine to create inequities in communities could inform the design of interventions tailored to address COVID-19 vaccination disparities.
Difference Between Perceptions Of Preceptors And Newly Graduated Nurses Regarding Delay In Professional Growth: A Thematic Analysis
Authors: Kawakami Chihiro , Imafuku Rintaro , Saiki Takuya
Published: February 2022

Background: Smooth reciprocal relationships enable the preceptee’s growth, and it has been suggested that without such relationships, the preceptee may not be able to grow successfully. This study explored the differences in perceptions by matching the perspectives of both the preceptee and the preceptor who did not make progress in workplace adjustment. Identifying the differences in perceptions between the two groups is important for improving nurse education and the relationship between preceptees and preceptors.Methods: A pair of nurses who had been with the company for less than three years, of which, those who had previously been transferred or had resigned due to poor workplace adjustment were designated as preceptees, and those who had directly supervised the preceptee during their first year of employment were included as preceptors in the study. A 50-minute semi-structured interview was conducted separately to examine the perceptions of the preceptee and preceptor. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data.Results: This study explored the differences in perceptions regarding the clinical practice of nursing between preceptors and their preceptees, who did not make progress in workplace adjustment during nurse education; six themes were identified. After interviewing both sides, it became clear that the same event was interpreted differently depending on their positions, perspectives, and contexts. As the preceptees were nurses who had left or had been transferred, the existence of these differences in perceptions suggests that these factors may have an impact on their departure or transfer. However, we do not aim to place blame on one side or the other for the preceptee’s turnover or transfer and would like to consider effective support not only for the preceptee but also for the preceptor.Conclusions: It is necessary to examine nurse education on the premise that such differences may occur depending on the position and role of nurses in the workplace, and to look at curricular framework changes to bring in a systemic influence towards the training of young nurses.
De novo biosynthesis of aromatic compounds from carboxymethyl-cellulose by microbial co-culture strategy
Authors: Cai Miao , Liu Jiayu , Song Xiaofei , Qi Hang , Li Yuanzi , Wu Zhenzhou , Xu Haijin , Qiao Mingqiang
Published: February 2022

Background: Many aromatic compounds have attracted much interest as value-added chemicals and are widely used as additives in foods and cosmetics. Although there are many reports on heterogeneous synthesis of aromatic compounds in microorganisms, most of these studies used glucose as the sole carbon source. Lignocellulose is the most abundant renewable resource in the world. It is an economical and environmentally friendly alternative when using cellulose as a carbon source to produce high value-added products.Results: In the present study, carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC) was utilized as the sole carbon source, and a metabolically engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain SK10-3, which can degrade CMC, was co-cultured with other metabolically engineered S. cerevisiae strains to achieve the de novo biosynthesis of multiple aromatic compounds from CMC. After a series of optimization, 71.71 mg/L p-coumaric acid (p-CA) and 16.91 mg/L caffeic acid were obtained from 30 g/L CMC medium.Conclusion: De novo biosynthesis of multi aromatic compounds from lignocellulose, a renewable and inedible carbon source, via a co-cultivation strategy provides favorable support for the biosynthesis of more high value-added products from more economical substrates. Furthermore, the multi-strain co-culture strategy could be an alternative solution to improve the final titer of target products and apply it to industrial production.
Short-term clinical outcomes of Kyocera Modular Limb Salvage System designed cementless stems for the endoprosthetic reconstruction of lower extremities: A Japanese Musculoskeletal Oncology Group multiinstitutional Study
Authors: Tsukushi Satoshi , Nishida Yoshihiro , Hirose Takeshi , Nakata Eiji , Nakagawa Rumi , Imanishi Jungo , Nakamura Tomoki , Nagano Akihito , Tamiya Hironari , Ueda Takafumi , Group Japanese Musculoskeletal Oncology
Published: February 2022

Background
The high rate of aseptic loosening of cemented stems has led to their frequent use in endoprosthetic reconstruction. However, problems, such as stem breakage and stress shielding at the insertion site, remain. The Japanese Musculoskeletal Oncology Group (JMOG) has developed Kyocera Modular Limb Salvage System (KMLS) cementless stems with a unique tapered press-fit and short fixation design. This study aimed to clarify the short-term postoperative outcomes of this prosthesis and validate the stem design.
Methods
One hundred cases of KMLS cementless stems (51 male patients; median age, 49 years; mean follow-up period, 35 months), with a minimum follow-up of 2 years, for the proximal femur (PF), distal femur (DF), and proximal tibia were prospectively registered for use. Prosthesis survival, complication rates, postoperative functional, and radiographical evaluation were analyzed. Complications or failures after insertion of the KMLS endoprostheses were classified into five types and functional results were analyzed according to the MSTS scoring system at postoperative 1 year. The diaphyseal interface and anchorage were graded by the ISOLS system at postoperative 2 years.
Results
The overall prosthesis survival rates at 2 and 4 years were 88.2% and 79.6%, respectively. The prosthesis-specific survival rate excluding infection and tumor recurrence was 90.2% and 87.9%, respectively. Younger age (p = 0.045) and primary tumor (p = 0.057) were associated with poor prognosis of prosthesis-specific survival excluding infection and tumor recurrence. Complications were observed in 31 patients, 13 patients underwent revision surgery. The mean MSTS functional score at 1 year postoperatively was 68%. Early implant loosening was significantly more common in the DF (p = 0.006) and PF/DF straight stem (p = 0.038). The ISOLS radiographic evaluation at 2 years after surgery revealed good bone remodeling and anchorage in most cases (bone remodeling: 90% / excellent and good, anchorage: 97% / excellent and good).
Conclusions
Tumor endoprosthesis long-term fixation to the diaphysis of the lower extremity remains challenging. The KMLS cementless stem with a unique tapered press fit design showed good short-term results in maintaining bone stock. To prevent early loosening, a curved stem should be used in PF and DF but long-term follow-up is necessary.
End-User Research in Support of Long-Acting Systemic Antiretroviral Delivery Systems: Insights from Qualitative Research with Providers and Target Users in South Africa
Authors: Brown Morgan S. , Hanif Homaira , Little Kristen , Clark Meredith R. , Thurman Andrea , Flomen Lola , Doncel Gustavo F.
Published: February 2022

Background
While oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV, challenges such as adhering to a daily-dosing regimen and persistence have emerged as barriers for at-risks populations in South Africa. This qualitative research sought to investigate perceptions of and preferences for a long-acting, biodegradable implantable PrEP product designed to address these barriers.
Methods
To identify and understand motivators, barriers, and preferences for the PrEP implant, we conducted qualitative in-depth interviews (IDIs) among health care providers (HCP) and target end-users (young women, adolescent girls, and female sex workers) in urban and rural regions of Gauteng Province, South Africa. The IDIs focused on defining values, beliefs, habits, lifestyles, influencers, and information channels for potential PrEP implant end-users.
Results
We conducted 36 IDIs across health care providers and target end-user respondent segments. Respondents had generally positive reactions to the PrEP implant. Most end-users felt that some undesirable aspects of the implant (e.g., side effects, pain during insertion, potential scarring, and dissolvability) would be offset by having a highly effective, and long-lasting HIV prevention product. Although some HCPs believed the implantable PrEP would lead to increases in promiscuity and risky sexual behavior, most HCPs saw value in the PrEP implant’s long duration of protection and the likelihood of higher adherence relative to oral PrEP.
Conclusions
While further research is necessary, this qualitative study demonstrates demand for a biodegradable, long-acting implantable PrEP and suggests such a product would be accepted by end-users and HCPs in South Africa. This study indicates the need to develop more convenient, discreet, long-acting, and highly effective biomedical HIV prevention options for at-risk populations.
Cognitive decline is associated with frequency-specific resting state functional changes in normal aging
Authors: Fan Dongqiong , Liu Tao , Jiang Jiyang , Kochan Nicole A. , Wang Yilong , Brodaty Henry , Sachdev Perminder S. , Wen Wei
Published: February 2022

Resting state low-frequency brain activity may aid in our understanding of the mechanisms of aging-related cognitive decline. Our purpose was to explore the characteristics of the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) in different frequency bands of fMRI to better understand cognitive aging. Thirty-seven cognitively normal older individuals underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests and MRI scans at baseline and four years later. ALFF from five different frequency bands (0.01 - 0.25 Hz; slow-6 to slow-2 band) were calculated and analyzed. A two-way ANOVA was used to explore the interaction effects in voxel-wise whole brain ALFF of the time and frequency bands. Paired-sample t-test was used to explore within-group changes over four years. Partial correlation analysis was performed to assess associations between the altered ALFF and cognitive function. Significant interaction effects of time × frequency were distributed over inferior frontal lobe, superior frontal lobe, right rolandic operculum, left thalamus, and right putamen. Significant ALFF reductions in all five frequency bands were mainly found in the right hemisphere and the posterior cerebellum; whereas localization of the significantly increased ALFF were mainly found in the cerebellum at slow-6, slow-5 and slow-4 bands, and left hemisphere and the cerebellum at slow-3, slow-2 bands. In addition, ALFF changes showed frequency-specific correlations with changes in cognition. These results suggest that changes of local brain activity in cognitively normal aging should be investigated in multiple frequency bands. The association between ALFF changes and cognitive function can potentially aid better understanding of the mechanisms underlying normal cognitive aging.
Characterization of a New Potyvirus Infecting Thevetia Ahouai
Authors: Cañada-Bautista Maria G. , Reyes-Proaño Edison G. , Cornejo-Franco Juan F. , Alvarez-Quinto Robert A. , Mollov Dimitre , quito-avila diego fernando
Published: February 2022

A new potyvirus was found in Thevetia ahouai L. (Fam. Apocynaceae) plants exhibiting leaf white spots and fruit discoloration. The complete genome of two isolates of the virus, tentatively named thevetia white spot virus (ThWSV), was determined. The genome of ThWSV comprises 9,912 (isolate 1) and 9,904 (isolate 2) nucleotides (nt), encoding a polyprotein of 363 kDa. Sequence comparisons between the two isolates showed 80 and 87% identities at the nt and amino acid (aa) levels, respectively, whereas the overall identity between ThWSV and its closest relative is 69% and 71% at the nt and aa levels, respectively.
An Interpretable Semi-Supervised Framework for Patch-Based Classification of Breast Cancer
Authors: Shawi Radwa El , Kilanava Khatia , Sakr Sherif
Published: February 2022

Developing effective methods for Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) detection remains a challenging problem for breast cancer diagnosis. Recently, there have been notable success of utilizing deep neural networks in various application domains, however, it is well-known that training deep neural networks requires a huge amount of labeled training data in order to achieve high accuracy. Such amounts of manually labeled data are time-consuming and very expensive to obtain especially when domain expertise is required. In order to take advantage of cheap available unlabeled data, we present a novel semi-supervised learning framework for IDC detection using small amounts of labeled training examples. In order to gain trust in the prediction of the proposed framework, we explain the prediction globally. Our proposed framework consists of five main stages including data augmentation, feature selection, dividing co-training data labeling, deep neural network modeling and interpretability of the neural network prediction. The data cohort used in this study contains digitized BCa histopathology slides from 162 women with IDC at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The experimental evaluation shows that our framework is able to detect IDC with a balanced accuracy of 0.865 and F-measure of 0.773 using only 10% labeled instances from the training dataset while the rest of the training dataset is treated as unlabeled.
Identification of Novel Mutant (R132H) Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1 Inhibitors for Glioma Therapy
Authors: Murali Poornimaa , Karuppasamy Ramanathan
Published: February 2022

Neomorphic transformation in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) are the key mutations prevalently found in various cancers including glioma. Recently identified mIDH1 specific inhibitors such as ivosidenib and Vorasidenib were restricted for use due to its modest brain penetrating potential and dose limiting toxicity respectively. Herein, we elucidate integrated virtual screening strategies to discover persuasive mIDH1 inhibitors from the approved subset of the DrugBank database consisting of 2715 molecules. Initially, structural similarity search identified a total of 1432 lead molecules. The resultant compounds were inspected by molecular docking along with MM-GBSA and ADMET analyses. Altogether, the analyses identified DB12001 (Abemaciclib) as the hit against mIDH1. Notably, Abemaciclib was able to form hydrogen bond interaction with active site residues of mIDH1 protein. In the end, the dynamic behavior of the hit complex was also examined using molecular dynamic (MD) simulation studies. The outcome of the study culminates that the hit complex was stable throughout the simulation period of 100ns. It is worth noting that benzimidazole moiety of Abemaciclib was reported to show inhibitory activity against glioma cells. Overall, these findings highlight that DB12001 has the potential as lead molecule against glioma. Indeed the screened hit compound could be further explored for the development of mIDH1 inhibitor with great brain penetrating ability and low toxicity.
MLM-based Typographical Error Correction of Unstructured Medical Texts for Named Entity Recognition
Authors: Lee Eun Byul , Heo Go Eun , Choi Chang Min , Song Min
Published: February 2022

BackgroundUnstructured texts in the medical fields such as Electronic Health Records contain an enormous amount of valuable information for research, but it is difficult to extract and structure important information because of frequent typos. For text analysis, improving the quality of data with errors is an essential task, but just a few prior studies have been conducted so far. Therefore, we propose a new methodology for extracting important information from unstructured medical texts by overcoming the typographical problem in the surgical pathology records related to lung cancer in the medical field.MethodsIn order to solve the problem of typographical errors occurring in real-world medical data, we propose a typo correction model considering context based on the Masked Language Model. In addition, a word dictionary to be used for typo correction model was constructed based on PubMed abstracts. After refining the data through typo correction, fine tuning was performed on the pre-trained BERT, and deep learning based Named Entity Recognition was performed. By solving the quality problem of medical data, we strive to improve the accuracy of information extraction in unstructured text data. ResultsWe compared the performance of the proposed typo correction model based on contextual information with the existing SymSpell, and confirmed the proposed one outperformed the existing model in the typographical correction task. The F1-score of the model improved about 5% and 9% than without the contextual information in the NCBI-disease and Surgical pathology record datasets, respectively. In addition, for the evaluation of the NER task, the F1-score of NER after typo correction increased by 2% in the NCBI-disease dataset. There was a significant performance difference about 25% between before and after typo correction in the Surgical pathology record dataset. It was confirmed that typos had a great influence on information extraction in the unstructured text. ConclusionWe verified typos in text negatively affect the performance of natural language processing tasks and the proposed method outperforms the existing one. This study has implications proposed robust model can be applied to the real-world environment by focusing on the typo problem causes difficulties in analyzing unstructured medical text.
Investigation of past earthquakes in the Kopili Fault zone, NE India: New evidence of paleoliquefaction
Authors: Lakshmi B.V. , Baba Mujahed , Gawali Pravin B.
Published: February 2022

The Kopili Fault (KF) zone, one of the active faults in Northeastern region (NER), has experienced large earthquakes in 1869 (Mw 7.5) and 1943 (Mw 7.2). In order to mitigate future occurrences of earthquakes in the KF zone it is essential to understand its long term seismic history and seismic hazard implications. Seismogenic liquefaction features were identified at three trench sites in the floodplain deposits of Kolong River, near KF zone. The liquefaction features include multiple sand dykes, sand blows and flame like intrusion. These structures are direct response to a fluid escape during liquefaction mechanism and past seismic activity. The earthquake induced liquefaction features were dated at AD 1848-1915, AD 1782-1826, AD 1640-1770, AD 1540-1626, and AD 1057-1211. The liquefaction event dated at AD 1640-1770 may correlate with the 250±50 yr BP earthquake, recognized in an earlier study in the KF Zone, Assam. The late medieval liquefaction episodes were also identified in the study sites. The study sections also revealed sand dykes and sand blows that can be ascribed to the 1869 earthquake. The data generated in the present study deciphers five temporally close intervals of earthquakes of large types in the KF Zone during the last ~1000 years with a return period of ~200 years. Additional excavations and dating of earthquake induced liquefaction features is required to precisely evaluate the frequency of major earthquakes in the KF zone.
Distributed Attitude Synchronization Control of Switched Networked Satellite Formation Flying
Authors: Kada Belkacem
Published: February 2022

This paper addresses the leader-follower finite-time attitude synchronization and stabilization for satellite formation flying (SFF) under directed switching communication topologies. Specifically, a distributed attitude synchronization control scheme is proposed to guarantee finite-time convergence to leader’s attitude and desired angular velocity for SFF under time-varying but jointly connected switching communication topologies. First, finite-time consensus protocols are designed for leader’s attitude tracking. The protocols are developed based on non-smooth control techniques such as homogeneity with dilatation and LaSalle invariance principle. Then, a distributed finite-time angular velocity estimator is designed using super-twisting sliding-mode control. The estimator helps solving communication loss issues, reducing communication burden, and canceling chattering effect due to high-rate convergence. Simulations are shown to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained theoretical results.
Improving the Efficiency of the Assembly of Cellulosomes Derived from Clostridium Thermocellum by in Silico Design of Docking Protein
Authors: Wang Zirui , Yang Cuiping , Xue Le , Lu Jie , Du Peng , Li Nan , Li Piwu , Wang Junqing , Wang Ruiming
Published: February 2022

ObjectiveThe docking and adhesion proteins present in cellulosomes are critical for the efficiency of their assembly. In this study, a in silico design method was used to directionally modify the calcium ion-binding site of a key component, namely, the type I docking protein DocA, of the cellulosomes of Clostridium thermocellum.ResultsThe results indicated that a mutated DocA-D41 exhibited a highest binding capacity for the type I adhesion protein Coh at a calcium ion concentration of 5 × 10−4 mol/L, which was 4.11 times the capacity of the original DocA. A molecular dynamics simulation showed that the high-frequency RMSD values for DocA-D40 and DocA-D41 were 0.232 and 0.228, lower than that of the original DocA, which implies that the mutants DocA-D40 and DocA-D41 were more stable than that of DocA.ConclusionThe results of this study provide an efficient method for constructing efficient C. thermocellum-derived cellulosomes, and will lay the foundation for the design of other types of cellulosomes.
The Interface between Unitary Hypothesis and Componential Approach to Testing Reading Skills: Do Subjects Show Similar Levels of Performance with Respect to Specific Reading Sub-Skills in Tests Representing both Theories? Descriptive Correlational Study
Authors: Wanna Wendiyfraw
Published: February 2022

In order to have a better understanding of the nature of reading behavior, it is quite essential to scrutinize the underlying assumptions of the two competing theories: the componential approach and unitary hypothesis and see how this is reflected on testing the reading skills. As a result, the current study was aimed at broadening the existing knowledge horizon by trying to identify if there was relationship in the overall scores of learners at different ability groups in Reading Sub-skills Test and reading levels in Cloze Test and showing how they differed in their performance with respect to specific reading sub-skills. So as to address the specific research objectives, tests were used to collect the required data. More specifically, these included: a cloze test to determine the subjects’ reading levels; and a reading sub-skills test to find out their performance in terms of the sub-skills at word, sentence, and discourse level. Descriptive statistics (i.e. frequencies and percentages) and correlations were used to analyze the data collected. Besides, the SPSS was used to carry out the computations and normality tests which showed that the test scores were not normally distributed. Hence, Kendall’s tau, a non-parametric test, was used to carry out correlation coefficients. In addition, the data analysis revealed that average-scorers, low-scorers, test-takers at instructional reading level, and those at frustration level had much difficulty with most of the reading sub-skills with varying degrees. Eventually, recommendations were suggested so that learners could improve their difficulties with the reading sub-skills.
Purification and characterization of NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase from skeletal muscle of Urocitellus richardsonii.
Authors: MacLean Isabelle A. , Varma Anchal , Storey Kenneth B
Published: February 2022

NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-IDH, EC 1.1.1.42) catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate with the concomitant production of NADPH. NADPH plays important roles in many biosynthesis pathways, maintenance of proper oxidation-reduction balance, and protection against oxidative damage. This present study investigated the dynamic nature of NADP-IDH during hibernation by purifying it from the skeletal muscle of Richardson's ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii) and analyzing its structural and functional changes in response to hibernation. Kinetic parameters of purified NADP-IDH from euthermic and hibernating ground squirrel skeletal muscle were characterized at 22°C and 5°C. Relative to euthermic muscle, NADP-IDH in hibernating muscle had a higher affinity for its substrate, isocitrate at 22°C, whereas at 5°C, there was a significant decrease in isocitrate affinity. Western blot analysis revealed greater serine and threonine phosphorylation in hibernator NADP-IDH as compared to euthermic NADP-IDH. In addition, Bioinformatic analysis predicted the presence of 18 threonine and 21 serine phosphorylation sites on squirrel NADP-IDH. The structural and functional changes in NADP-IDH indicate the ability of the organism to reduce energy consumption during hibernation, while emphasizing increased NADPH production, and thus antioxidant activity, during torpor arousal cycles.
What’s in a resource gradient ? Comparing alternative cues for foraging in dynamic environments via movement, perception, and memory
Authors: Fagan William F. , Saborio Cole , Hoffman Tyler , Gurarie Eliezer , Cantrell Robert Stephen , Cosner Chris
Published: February 2022

Consumers must track and acquire resources in complex landscapes. Much discussion has focused on the concept of a ‘resource gradient’ and the mechanisms by which consumers can take advantage of such gradients as they navigate their landscapes in search of resources. However, the concept of tracking resource gradients means different things in different contexts. Here we take a synthetic approach and consider six different definitions of what it means to search for resources based on density or gradients in density. These include scenarios where consumers change their movement behavior based on the density of conspecifics, on the density of resources, and on spatial or temporal gradients in resources. We also consider scenarios involving non-local perception and a form of memory. Using a continuous space, continuous time model that allows consumers to switch between resource-tracking and random motion, we investigate the relative performance of these six different strategies. Consumers’ success in matching the spatiotemporal distributions of their resources differs starkly across the six scenarios. Movement strategies based on perception and response to temporal (rather than spatial) resource gradients afforded consumers with the best opportunities to match resource distributions. All scenarios would allow for optimization of resource matching in terms of the underlying parameters, providing opportunities for evolutionary adaptation, and links back to classical studies of foraging ecology.
Top-Down Regulation of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges Tsugae) in Its Native Range in the Pacific Northwest of North America
Authors: Crandall Ryan S , Lombardo Jeffrey A. , Elkinton Joseph S.
Published: February 2022

The density of insect herbivores is regulated by top-down factors (e.g., natural enemies), bottom-up effects (e.g., plant defenses against herbivory), or a combination of both. As such, understanding the relative importance of these factors can have important implications for the establishment of effective management options for invasive species. Here, we compared the relative importance of top-down and bottom-up factors on the abundance of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae. HWA is invasive in eastern North America, but its native range includes the Pacific Northwest of North America where it has co-evolved with western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla. Eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, can also be found planted in city and park settings in the Pacific Northwest and the presence of both host species allowed us to directly compare the importance of predators (top-down) and host plant resistance (bottom-up) on HWA abundance by placing mesh exclusion bags on branches of both species and monitoring HWA abundance over two years. We found no evidence for bottom-up control of HWA on western hemlock (a native host). HWA established more readily on that species than on eastern hemlock on which it is a major pest in eastern North America. We found strong evidence for top-down control in that both summer and winter-active predators significantly reduced HWA densities on the branches of both tree species where predators were allowed access. These findings support the validity of the biological control program for HWA, the goal of which is to reduce outbreak populations of HWA in eastern North America.
Deefgea salmonis sp. nov., isolated from gills of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Chen Mei Qun , Tian Yun , Zhang Chi , Zhou Jian She , Zhaxi La Mu , Wang Wan Liang , pan hu
Published: February 2022

A novel gram-negative, milky-white, facultative anaerobic, immobile, rod-shaped bacterium named strain H3-26T was isolated from gills of Oncorhynchus mykiss in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, PR China. Strain H3-26T grew at 4–30℃ and pH 5.0–11.0 (optimum, 25℃ and pH 7.0) with 0–1% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0%). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain H3-26T showed the highest similarity to Deefgea rivuli WB 3.4-79T (98.42%), followed by Deefgea chitinilytica Nsw-4T (96.91%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA genes indicated that strain H3-26T was a new member of the genus Deefgea. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between the genome sequence of strain H3-26T and related strains were 21.20-21.90% and 76.29-77.43%, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain H3-26T was 48.29%. The predominant fatty acids of strain H3-26T (＞5.0% of the total amounts) were comprised of C16:1 ω7c (40.77%), C16:0 (23.07%), C12:0 (5.89%) and C14:0 (5.88%). Based on phenotypic, phylogenetic, and genotypic datas, strain H3-26T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Deefgea, for which the name Deefgea salmonis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is H3-26T (=JCM 35050T=CICC 25103T).
The risk factors of trigeminocardiac reflex caused by Onyx embolization during cerebrovascular intervention operation
Authors: Sun Zhaochu , Bhuiyan Piplu , Lu Hua , Qian Yanning , Xiao Hang
Published: February 2022

Background
Trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) is a brainstem reflexive response of hemodynamic instability during surgery. However, few risk factor analysis and management strategies of TCR have been highlighted in the literature. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the risk factors for Onyx embolization during cerebrovascular intervention operation so as to optimize perioperative management and reduce the incidence of TCR.
Methods
We performed a retrospective study on consecutive patients with Onyx embolization over a 4-years period. According to whether TCR episode, they were divided into TCR group and control group. Cases and controls were compared regarding patient characteristics, comorbidities, hemodynamics and complications. We also constructed several multivariable regression models to analyze the risk factors.
Results
Among 195 identified patients, 27 patients (13.8%) occurred TCR. During DMSO/Onyx injection, HR and MAP were much lower in the TCR group than control group (P < 0.01). Notably, on univariable analysis, the patients with dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) and middle meningeal artery being affected was associated with a higher incidence of TCR (P < 0.01). On multivariable analysis, we also found that significant predictors of TCR were DAVF (OR = 12.78; 95%CI [3.57–45.68]), CCF (OR = 7.65; 95%CI [1.64–35.65]), the lesion which supplied by the middle meningeal artery (OR = 4.24; 95%CI [1.67–10.73]), and bradycardia before embolization (OR = 2.55; 95%CI [1.08–5.99]).
Conclusion
This study demonstrated that DAVF, CCF, and middle meningeal artery embolism may the risk factors for intraoperative TCR episode during Onyx endovascular embolization. Therefore, it is worth further study to take appropriate measures to block TCR-related risk factors during endovascular embolization.
Trial registration:
ChiCTR, ChiCTR2000038839; Registered 5 October 2020.
Women’s Perception of and Readiness to Adopt A Healthy and Sustainable Diet: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Enugu City, Nigeria
Authors: Ogbuabor Daniel Chukwuemeka , Ogbuabor Alphonsus Ogbonna
Published: February 2022

Background: Perceived benefit of and readiness to adopt healthy and sustainable diets (HSDs) is under-investigated in low-resource countries. We assessed women’s perceived benefit of and readiness to adopt HSDs and their associated factors in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria.Methods: A household cross-sectional survey of childbearing age women (n = 450) was conducted in January and February 2021 using a questionnaire assessing food choice motives, perceived benefit, and readiness to adopt HSDs. Readiness to adopt HSDs was grouped into pre-contemplation and contemplation (PC/C), preparation and relapse (P/R), and action and maintenance (A/M). Data were analysed using univariate and bivariate statistics and multinominal logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at alpha 0.05 level. Results: About 79% and 60% of women have high perception and adopted HSDs respectively. Perceived benefit of HSD was associated with younger age (β = -0.20, ρ < 0.05), low education (β = -0.19, ρ < 0.05), and poor wealth quintile (β = -0.57, ρ < 0.001). PC/C was predicted by low perceived benefit (OR = 10.07, 95% CI: 4.78-21.22, ρ < 0.001), low education (OR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.25-5.04, ρ = 0.010), and prioritising taste as a food choice motive (OR = 3.96, 95% CI: 1.61-9.75, ρ = 0.003). PR was predicted by low perceived benefit (OR = 3.92, 95% CI: 1.99-7.73, ρ < 0.001), low education (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.00-3.29, ρ = 0.049). A/M was related to younger age (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.27-0.84, ρ = 0.010, PR), and stating health as a food choice motive (OR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.06-0.36, ρ < 0.001, PC/C) and (OR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.08-0.35, ρ < 0.001, P/R). The foregoing findings notwithstanding, significant differences exist in the predictive factors associated with perceived benefits of and readiness to adopt individual healthy and sustainable dietary behaviours.Conclusions: Readiness to adopt HSDs need to improve in Enugu, Nigeria. We identified the factors that should inform dietary guidelines and campaigns to increase women's readiness to adopt HSDs.
Importance of MUC17 in the Bile-Induced Pancreatic Cancer Progression
Authors: Gál Eleonóra , Menyhárt István , Veréb Zoltán , Tiszlavicz László , Takács Tamás , Czakó László , Hegyi Péter , Venglovecz Viktoria
Published: February 2022

We have previously shown that bile acids (BAs) accelerate carcinogenic processes in pancreatic cancer (PC) in which mucin 4 (MUC4) expression has a central role. However, the roles of other mucin isoforms in PC are less clear, especially in bile-induced cancer progression. The study aim was to investigate expression of MUC17 in a BAs- or human serum-treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell line and use different assays with RNA silencing to study the role of MUC17 in cancer progression. Protein expression of MUC17 was evaluated in 52 human pancreatic samples by immunohistochemistry, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to compare survival curves. Expression of MUC17 increased in PDAC patients, especially in obstructive jaundice (OJ). A significant association was found between elevated MUC17 expression and poorer overall survival in the PDAC + OJ group. Treatment of PDAC cells with BAs or with human serum obtained from PDAC + OJ patients enhanced the expression of MUC17, whereas knockdown of MUC17 alone or in combination with MUC4 decreased BAs-induced carcinogenic processes. Our results demonstrated that MUC17 has a central role in bile-induced PC progression, and in addition to MUC4, this isoform also can be used as a novel prognostic biomarker.
A Prognostic Nomogram via Competing Risk Model with Patterns of Extracranial Metastasis in Elderly NSCLC Patients with Synchronous Brain-metastasis: A Large Population-based Study
Authors: Zhang Mingwei , Zhu Zijing , Jiang Wenying , Peng Shaoli , Zhou Weitong , Zhuang Jinfu , Hong Jinsheng , Chen Xiaoping
Published: February 2022

Introduction: To determine whether the patterns of extracranial metastasis (ECMs) provide supplementary prognositc information to DS-GPA in elderly NSCLC patients with synchronous BM. Methods: This study included 4974 NSCLC patients with initial BM diagnosed from 2010 to 2015 using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. Patients were divided randomly into training and hold-out test sets. Patterns of ECMs were established based on the difference of survival via competing risk analysis in the training set. A nomogram prediction of 6-month, 12-month, and 18-month disease-specific survival (DSS) was built using independent prognostic factors. Results: Three patterns of ECM were recognized: MA (neither liver, bone, nor lung involvement), MB (without liver involvement), and MC (with liver involvement). Comparing MA, MB and MC showed significant correlation to survival (SHR, 1.126, 95% CI, 1.053-1.205, P<0.001; SHR, 1.46, 95% CI, 1.339-1.592, P<0.001, respectively). In the hold-out test set, the AUC of the ROC curve for the 6-month DSS prediction reached 0.778, whereas reaching 0.757 in the training set. The calibration curves did not deviate from the reference line. Decision curve analyses revealed the net benefit of the nomogram for clinical utility. Conclusions: These results help clinicians make decisions for brain-metastatic NSCLC in the era of precision therapy. The risk stratification of extracranial involvements indicates differential treatment for elderly NSCLC patients with synchronous brain-metastasis.