bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visualization of Radiocesium Distribution in Surface Layer of Seafloor Around Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Sanada Yukihisa , Urabe Yoshimi , Misonou Toshiharu , Shiribiki Takehiko , Nakanishi Takahiro , Watanabe Yusuke , Tsuruta Tadahiko
Published: September 2021

Large quantities of volatile radionuclides were released into the atmosphere and the hydrosphere following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident on March 11, 2011. Monitoring of radiocesium in sediment is important for evaluating the behavior of radiocesium in the environment and its effect on aquatic organisms. In this study, the radiocesium distribution in the surface sediment around the FDNPP was visualized as a radiocesium map using periodical survey data from a towed gamma-ray detection system. The uncertainty of the radiocesium map was evaluated via comparison with a large amount of sediment core sample data. The characteristics of the radiocesium distribution were examined considering the seafloor topography and a geological map, which were obtained via acoustic wave survey. The characteristics of the formation of 137Cs anomaly at the estuaries were analyzed using a contour map of 137Cs concentration combined with water depth. Validation of the created map showed that it was comparable with actual sediment core samples. The map generated using the towed radiation survey depicted the 137Cs concentration distribution as the position resolution of a 1 km mesh. Finally, the 137Cs concentration decreased with time in consideration of such uncertainty.
The precision of gingival recession measurements is increased by an automated curvature analysis method
Authors: Kuralt Marko , Gašperšič Rok , Fidler Aleš
Published: September 2021

Background

The extent of gingival recession represents one of the most important measures determining outcome of periodontal plastic surgery. The accurate measurements are, thus, critical for optimal treatment planning and outcome evaluation. Present study aimed to introduce automated curvature-based digital gingival recession measurements, evaluate the agreement and reliability of manual measurements, and identify sources of manual variability.
Methods

Measurement of gingival recessions was performed manually by three examiners and automatically using curvature analysis on representative cross-sections (n = 60). Cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and gingival margin (GM) measurement points selection was the only variable. Agreement and reliability of measurements were analysed using intra- and inter-examiner correlations and Bland-Altman plots. Measurement point selection variability was evaluated with manual point distance deviation from an automatic point. The effect of curvature on manual point selection was evaluated with scatter plots.
Results

Bland-Altman plots revealed a high variability of examiner's recession measurements indicated by high 95% limits of agreement range of approximately 1mm and several outliers beyond the limits of agreement. CEJ point selection was the main source of examiner's variability due to smaller curvature values than GM, i.e., median values of -0.98mm− 1 and − 4.39mm− 1, respectively, indicating straighter profile for CEJ point. Scatter plots revealed inverse relationship between curvature and examiner deviation for CEJ point, indicating a threshold curvature value around 1mm− 1.
Conclusions

Automated curvature-based approach increases the precision of recession measurements by reproducible measurement point selection. Proposed approach allows evaluation of teeth with indistinguishable CEJ that could be not be included in the previous studies.
Climate Change Scenarios, Their Impacts And Implications On Indian Cardamom-Coffee Hot Spots, One of The Two In The World
Authors: Muthusamy Murugan , Alagupalamuthirsolai M , Ashokkumar K , Anandhi A , Ravi R , Rajangam R , Dhanya M.K , Krishnamurthy K.S
Published: September 2021

In this study, we investigated climatic parameters as well as predicted future change in precipitation and atmospheric temperature levels based on RCP4.5/8.5 scenarios in all cardamom-coffee hot spots of southern India. Our results showed that larger precipitation levels and pattern occurred in Cardamom hills (Kerala) followed by lower Puleny hills in Tamil Nadu. The least variation in precipitation levels has noticed for temperate upper Puleny hills and Kodagu hills in Karnataka. RCP4.5/8.5 scenario analysis showed greater variability in precipitation up to 180% increase and 90% decrease for all hot sports. The scenario analysis also predicted extreme variation in temperature levels ranging from 0.5–8.5ºC increase for the entire study region. A significant change in the coffee yield and quality has been recorded over the last 30 years. Increased yield trends in coffee were noticed for Cardamom hills (CH) and Kodagu hills, but significantly lower coffee production was observed for lower Pulney hills. The mixed response of yield variability in coffee has been primarily attributed to the ongoing changing climatic factors. Ecophysiological studies of coffee, cardamom and black pepper have proved that coffee would adapt well to a future challenging climatic condition, closely followed by cardamom and black pepper. Since all the coffee-cardamom hot spots in southern India undergoes considerable change in precipitation levels and pattern, necessary precautions, including water and irrigation management strategies, must be given utmost priority to increase the crop yield sustainability of these delicate cardamom-coffee hot spots in India.
The Protective Effect of Carvacrol on Acetaminophen-Induced Renal Damage in Male Rats
Authors: Najafizadeh Alireza , Kaeidi Ayat , Rahmani Mohammadreza , Hakimizadeh Elham , Hassanshahi jalal
Published: September 2021

Acetaminophen overdose causes renal injury via oxidative stress and apoptosis induction. Carvacrol has antioxidant effect. The aim of this study was to determine the protective effect of carvacrol on acetaminophen-induced renal damage in male rats. In this experimental study, forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided to five groups (n = 8) including control, carvacrol 10 mg/kg, acetaminophen, acetaminophen + carvacrol 5 mg/kg, and acetaminophen + carvacrol 10 mg/kg. Animals initially received a single dose of acetaminophen (500 mg/kg), then were treated with carvacrol for one week (daily). Afterwards, renal blood flow (RBF), mean arterial pressure (MAP), renal perfusion pressure (RPP), renal vascular resistance (RVR), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum creatinine were measured. Also, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity levels were measured in the kidney tissue. Hematoxylin and eosin method was used for histological assessment. The western blotting analysis was used to determine the Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3 proteins expression level in the kidney tissue. Carvacrol (10 mg/kg) could significantly increase the RBF, GPx and SOD activities and also reduced the RVR, serum creatinine, BUN, and MDA in the acetaminophen + carvacrol 10 mg/kg group versus acetaminophen group (P < 0.05). Also, carvacrol significantly decreased the cleaved caspase-3, Bax proteins expression level, and also kidney tissue damage score in the acetaminophen + carvacrol 10 mg/kg group versus acetaminophen group (P < 0.05). This study showed that carvacrol can attenuate the acetaminophen induced acute kidney damage via suppressing oxidative stress, apoptosis and its antioxidant effects.
Bioaccumulation And Biotransformation of BDE-47 Using Zebrafish Eleutheroembryos (Danio Rerio)
Authors: De Oro-Carretero Paloma , Landaluze Jon Sanz
Published: September 2021

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) industrially used as flame retardants are nowadays considered emerging pollutants as they are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), persistent in the environment, bioaccumulative and in addition, its hydroxylated (OH-BDEs) and methoxylated (MeO-BDEs) metabolites have similar ecotoxic properties. The aim of this work was to develop an analytical method to be applied in the study of the bioconcentration and biotransformation of BDE-47 due to its bioavailability, toxicity and high persistence and abundance in environmental samples, including humans. So, a dependable ultrasonic extraction process followed to dispersive SPE clean-up step and GC-MS-μECD detection has worked out for the determination of BDE-47 and its main biotransformation products (MeO-BDEs and OH-BDEs), considering the polarity difference. In addition, an alternative method to bioconcentration official guideline OECD 305, developed previously with zebrafish (Danio rerio) eleutheroembryos (i.e., hatched but not yet free feeding embryos) is used, reducing dramatically the animal suffering but also time and reagents. Bioconcentration factors (BCF) were calculated using first order one-compartment toxicokinetic model. The profiles found show rapid absorption in the first hours of larval development and great bioaccumulative with capacity, finding bioconcentration factors (BCF) of 6631 and 44210 at nominal concentrations of 10 and 1 μg·L-1 (< 1% LC50), respectively. Metabolization studies show increasing concentrations of the metabolites BDE-28, 2'-OH-BDE-28 and 5-MeO-BDE-47 throughout the exposure time. The results obtained show the feasibility of the method for bioaccumulation and opens the possibility of metabolic studies with zebrafish eleutheroembryos, which is a very underdeveloped field without official testing or regulation.
A Survey of Residency Directors in Academic Trauma Centers for Policies on Airway Management in The Trauma Ward
Authors: Tewfik George , Gajewski Michal , Salem Jena , Borad Neil , Zales Michael , Govindraj Gopal
Published: September 2021

Background
Despite its presence as a critical procedure in the trauma setting, airway management is not performed uniformly, varying between institutions, particularly with personnel involved in decision-making. Past literature has noted a trend in which emergency medicine physicians assumed greater responsibility for primary management of airways in the trauma ward. In addition, many institutions have adopted tiered activation systems for traumas in order to improve patient care, deploying resources more effectively. In this study, a survey of residency directors was deployed to assess trends in airway management.
Methods
A validated survey was distributed to residency directors in anesthesiology, general surgery and emergency medicine in 190 Level I trauma centers in the United States. Questions assessed personnel management, complication tracking and difficult airway prediction factors, amongst other considerations for airway management in the trauma bay.
Results
Respondents completed the survey at a rate of 23.8% of those solicited. A majority of respondents indicated that emergency medicine physicians are primary airway managers in the trauma bay and that their institutions utilize tiered trauma activation systems at 77.4% and 95.6% respectively. Anesthesia providers were immediately available in 81% of respondent institutions with inconclusive data regarding protocols for delineating anesthesia involvement in difficult airways. More than a third of respondents indicated their institution either does not track airway complications or they did not know if complications were tracked. Finally, nine different criteria were used in varying degrees by respondents’ institutions to predict the presence of a difficult airway, including such factors as head/face trauma, airway fluid and obesity.
Conclusion
The trend towards airway management by emergency medicine physicians in the trauma bay continues, with anesthesia personnel available in many situations to assist in complicated patients. Complication tracking for airway management remains inconsistent, as does the criteria for prediction of the presence of difficult airways.
Correlation between the Accumulation of Skin Glycosylation End Products and the Development of type 2 Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Zhao Xing-Wang , Yue Wan-Xu , Zhang Sen-Wei , Qiu Chen
Published: September 2021

With the increasing prevalence, disability and mortality of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), convenient, effective and inexpensive examination methods remain lacking. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been shown to cause DPN independently or indirectly .Presently, the methods of detecting its concentration in serum are complicated and limited. AGE Pro developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences uses the principle of positive correlation between fluorescence intensity of specific excitation/emission band and AGEs accumulation amount in skin tissues to invert the AGE level of subjects in vivo based on the obtained optical signals, to realize the risk and disease assessment of diabetes complications. Through the detection of skin AGEs with different severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and retrospective analysis of relevant data, this study showed that the accumulation of skin AGEs could reflect the severity of DPN to some extent. Skin AGEs were proven to be a good reference for the diagnosis and severity evaluation of DPN.
Understanding Satisfaction with Health care Services among Congolese Refugees in Bujumbura, Burundi
Authors: Misago Nadine , Habonimana Desire , Roberts Ann Alero , Bitangumutwenzi Patrick
Published: September 2021

Background3502 Congolese refugees based in Bujumbura possess the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) health insurance covering primary health care needs offered by CMC SOLIS clinic. This study sought to assess the quality of health care services received by Congolese refugees and determine factors affecting satisfaction. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted on 400 refugees visiting CMC SOLIS for health care from June to August 2018. A questionnaire based on SERQUAL tool composed of five health quality dimensions was used to collect data on reliability, tangibility, assurance, responsiveness, and empathy. Logistic models were used to determine factors affecting satisfaction. ResultsOverall, 43% of refugees reported satisfaction with health care services. Age and gender significantly determined overall satisfaction. Other determinants such as education did not have significant effects. ConclusionsOverall, results from this study claim that CMC SOLIS does not offer quality health care services to Congolese refugees living in Bujumbura. Most importantly, the quality of health care services worsened with an increasing age as older ages were associated with less likelihood of satisfaction. Also, health care services offered to females seem to be deficient. Trial registration: N/A
Adaptive Coordinated Motion Constraint Control for Cooperative Multi-manipulator Systems
Authors: Su Chunjian , Zhang Min , Zhang Shuai , Guo Sumin , Wang Rui , Zhang Guosong , Yao Yanan , Zhang Qiang
Published: September 2021

A cooperative multi-manipulator system is a nonlinear, time-varying, strong coupling system with multiple inputs and outputs. Because of external disturbance, load change and other factors, a cooperative multi-manipulator system needs to address the problems of uncertain environment interaction, feasible control methods and coordinated planning. In this study, the coordinated motion of a multi-manipulator is divided into two types: coupling and superposition motions. An adaptive coordinated motion constraint scheme is proposed for the two different motion forms. The coupled and superposition motions were investigated by coordinating a carrying task and a circle drawing task, respectively, and the effectiveness of the adaptive coordinated motion scheme was verified. Based on the adaptive kinematics constraint algorithm of the multi-manipulator, co-simulation analysis of the multi-manipulator coordinated motion is conducted. Simulation results show that the multi-manipulator preserves the coordination relationship at all points of the trajectory planning path and has a good motion effect. Finally, an experimental platform for a cooperative multi-manipulator system was built to conduct experimental research on the coordinated motion of the multi-manipulator. Experimental results show that the proposed adaptive motion constraint control scheme for cooperative multi-manipulator systems has a good coordination effect, strong adaptivity and high-control precision.
Evaluating Effect of Metallic Ions on Aggregation Behavior of Amyloid Aβ42 by AFM Imaging and SERS
Authors: Xie Yang , Yu Lin , Fu Yuna , Sun Heng , Liu Chundong , Wang Jianhua
Published: September 2021

In this study, self-assembled monolayer (SAM) method was employed to fabricate monolayer of β-amyloid peptides Aβ42 on gold substrate with a bolaamphiphile named thiol (MHA). Firstly, the samples of gold substrate (blank control), the MHA-modified substrate and the Aβ42-modified substrate were detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to track the self-assembly process. The spectra of binding energy measured from these three sample surfaces could be well fitted with the corresponding monolayer’s composition, which means Aβ42 monolayer is well formed. Aggregation behaviors of Aβ42 in the absence and presence of metallic ions (Zn2+、Ca2+、Al3+) were then monitored by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), respectively. The recorded surface morphology of different experimental groups obtained by AFM showed markedly different nanostructures, indicating occurrence of aggregation behaviors of Aβ42. In solutions with added metal ions, the increased size of surface structures was observed, which suggest the presence of metal cations promotes aggregation behavior between Aβ42 molecules. Furtherly, the interaction between Aβ42 and metal cations was investigated by SERS. The results demonstrate that the Raman strength of Aβ42 changes after the metal cation treatment. Taken together, the combined AFM imaging and Raman analyses show that the three kinds of metallic ions promote the process of Aβ42 aggregation.
Bio-Clinical Parameters with a Predictive Role in Advanced Prostate Cancer
Authors: (Ionescu) Anita Mitu , Așchie Mariana , Deacu Mariana , Mazilu Laura , Baltatescu Gabriela Izabela , Nicolau Anca-Antoanela , Enciu Manuela , Matei Elena , Mitroi Anca Florentina , Ionescu Radu Mihai , Cozaru Georgeta Camelia
Published: September 2021

Background: Advanced forms of prostate cancer include a heterogeneous group of patients with an uneven prognosis. The lack of consensus on a precise definition of this group of patients prevents clinical decision-making and adequate patient counseling. Methods:In this retrospective study, we investigated a series of preoperative bio-clinical parameters (age, patient comorbidities, tumor clinical stage, serum PSA, preoperative Gleason score, the neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio value and hormonal profile of patients), in relation to some postoperative parameters (histopathological type of tumor, tumor pathological stage, postoperative Gleason score, extra-prostatic extension, positive margins, seminal vesicle invasion, perineural invasion, positive lymphadenopathy), in a group of 96 patients with radical prostatectomy (RP) between 2016 and 2020, for a better understanding of the behavior of the disease and adequate counseling of patients proposed for RP.Results: Of all the clinical and biological parameters analyzed, only the clinical T stage ≥ cT3a was statistically associated with an unfavorable pathological prognosis (p = 0.03). In the multivariate logistic regression model, the presence of a clinical tumor stage at clinical examination ≥ cT3a was associated with a 4.73-fold increase in the risk of unfavorable pathological prognosis. Moreover, the presence of a clinical T stage ≥ cT3a identifies with a sensitivity of 68.74% and a specificity of 65.71% patients with an unfavorable pathological prognosis. At the same time, the neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio (NLR) value was statistically significantly correlated only with the presence of secondary lymph node determinations (p = 0.006), and the serum level of dehydroepiandrostenedione was statistically significantly correlated with the presence of extra-prostatic extension (p = 0.05).Conclusions: The results obtained can have a significant impact in improving the knowledge of the pathogenesis of advanced forms of prostate cancer and in making clinical decisions, with immediate positive clinical effect (survival, quality of life) and socio-economic.
Clinicopathological and Molecular Genomic Features of Monomorphic Epitheliotropic Intestinal T-Cell Lymphoma in The Chinese Population: A Study of 20 Cases
Authors: Chen Chunni , Gong Yuxi , Yang Yefan , Xia Qiuyuan , Rao Qiu , Shao Yang , Zhu Liuqing , Zhang Junli , Li Xiao , Ji Pan , Zhai Boya , Zhang Xiang , Zhang Zhihong
Published: September 2021

Background
Monomorphic epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma (MEITL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma with a high fatality rate. This study was aimed to explore the clinicopathological and molecular genetic features of MEITL in the Chinese population.
Methods
A retrospective analysis was performed based on the clinical manifestations and pathological features of 20 Chinese MEITL. 9 cases with paired diseased-normal tissues were also analyzed for molecular information by whole-genome sequencing.
Results
There were 14 men and 6 women with a median age of 62.5 (28–81) years. 17(17/20) lesions were located in the jejunum or ileum; 13(13/20) cases had ulcers or perforations. Microscopically, except for 1(1/20) case of pleomorphic cells, the monomorphic, middle-sized tumor cells infiltrating into the intestinal epithelial and peripheral intestinal mucosa recess could be seen in the other 19 cases. Immunohistochemistry showed that most of the tumor cells in MEITL were positive for CD3(20/20), CD8(17/20), CD43(19/20), and CD56(15/20), but negative for CD5(20/20). The most frequently mutated genes of these Chinese cases were STAT5B (4/9) and TP53 (4/9), not SETD2(2/9). ZDBF2 mutations (4/9) were also detected for the first time with a high mutated frequency. We demonstrated that mutations of JAK-STAT pathway-related genes and the amplification of Chromosome 9q appeared at the same time in most cases(5/9).
Conclusions
The clinicopathological features were consistent with that in previous western studies, but a novel mutated gene, ZDBF2, was found in this study. A combination of gene mutations involved in the JAK-STAT pathway and the amplification of Chr9q may be used as one of the molecular features of MEITL diagnosis, especially when morphological and immunohistochemical evidence is insufficient.
Diurnal and Seasonal Variation of Planetary Boundary Layer Height over East Asia and Its Climatic Change as Seen in the ERA-5 Reanalysis Data
Authors: Kim Kwang-Yul
Published: September 2021

The diurnal/seasonal structure of the boundary layer height (BLH) is investigated over East Asia by using the hourly synoptic monthly ERA5 reanalysis variables from 1979–2019. Sensible heat flux (SHF) is the major factor in the temporal and spatial variation of the BLH. Although BLH, in general, is positively correlated with SHF throughout the year, BLH-SHF relationship varies significantly based on the surface type, latitude and time of the year. Analysis also reveals that stability is an important parameter controlling the diurnal maximum BLH. The growth of BLH is strongly limited by the presence of a stable layer. On the other hand, BLH increases abruptly in the presence of a weakly stratified residual layer. In addition, regional warming tends to increase the BLH in the mid- to high-latitude continental area. In the low-latitude continental area, the sign of SHF differs seasonally and regionally. Stability plays only a minor role in the BLH change except over the Tibetan Plateau, where the increased stability at the top of boundary layer due to warming reduces BLH rather significantly.
Evaluating The Effectiveness of Gastroenterology e-Module for Undergraduate Medical Students, A Pilot Study From Syria
Authors: Almasri Bashar , Dashash Mayssoon
Published: September 2021

BackgroundE-learning is an aspect of the practical application of pedagogy. Most students find it an entertaining and effective learning method. Also, case-based learning is related to pedagogy and is an interactive and enjoyable experiment for students. In Syrian medical schools, Gastroenterology teaching is depending on traditional teacher-centered style, passively affecting learning outcomes and imposing the search for other up-to-date alternatives. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a case-based, E-Module of gastroenterology in fulfilling desired outcomes, and to evaluate students' satisfaction with the e-learning experiment, their self-confidence improvement, and their perception of the experiment's obstacles. Methods13 undergraduate medical students were enrolled. A pretest was conducted, then they participated in 6 synchronous online lectures, and 6 asynchronous lectures which were subjects to the discussion. Students then took a posttest and answered a questionnaire composed of 15 questions measuring their satisfaction with the experiment, self-confidence improvement, and obstacles they faced. ResultsThe mean students' degrees in the pretest was 41.5%, while it was 66.8% in the posttest with a statistically significant difference. There was no statistical difference in posttest between students' answers regarding synchronous lectures compared with asynchronous ones. The best results were related to students' perception of self-confidence improvement after the e-learning experiment.ConclusionsE-learning plays an important role regarding students' level of knowledge improvement. Most of the participants show satisfaction with their knowledge and self-confidence improvement after the E-learning experiment.
How Routinely Assessed Biomarkers Can Be Utilized To Identify Individuals With A High Disease Burden: A Bioinformatics Approach Towards Predictive, Preventive And Personalised (3P) Medicine
Authors: Bertele Nina , Karabatsiakis Alexander , Buss Claudia , Talmon Anat
Published: September 2021

Prevalences of non-communicable diseases such as depression and a range of somatic diseases are continuously increasing requiring simple and inexpensive ways to identify high-risk individuals to target with predictive and preventive approaches. Using k-mean cluster analytics, in study 1, we identified biochemical clusters (based on C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, fibrinogen, cortisol, and creatinine) and examined their link to diseases. Analyses were conducted in a U.S. American sample (from Midlife in the United States study, N = 1,234) and validated in a Japanese sample (from Midlife in Japan study, N = 378). In study 2, we investigated the link of clusters to childhood maltreatment (CM). The three identified biochemical clusters included one cluster (with high inflammatory signaling and low cortisol and creatinine concentrations) indicating the highest disease burden. This high-risk cluster also reported the highest CM exposure. The current study demonstrates how biomarkers can be utilized to identify individuals with a high disease burden and thus, may help to target these high-risk individuals with tailored prevention/intervention, towards personalized medicine. Furthermore, our findings raise the question whether the found biochemical clusters have predictive character; as a tool to identify high-risk individuals enabling targeted prevention. The finding that CM was mostly prevalent in the high-risk cluster provides first hints that the clusters could indeed have predictive character and highlight CM as a central disease susceptibility factor and possibly as a leverage point for disease prevention/intervention.
An Innovative Prosopis Cineraria Pod Aqueous Waste as Natural Inhibitor for Enhancing Unsaturated Lipids Production in Yeast Cell Using Banana Peel
Authors: Chaturvedi Shivani , Kumar Prashant , Kumar Deepak , Syed Naziya , Gupta Madhuri , Chanotiya Chandan Singh , Rout Prasant Kumar , Khare Sunil Kumar
Published: September 2021

Single cell oil (SCO) produced by yeast is an attractive alternative due to higher lipid yield in a limited space with naturally manipulating the quality. In the present study, the banana peel is used as a source of carbon for biotransformation by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa to lipid. Further, the quality and quantity of the lipid are enhanced using discarded aqueous Prosopis cinerareia pod extract as a natural inhibitor. P. cineraria aqueous extract was quantified using HPLC, and it was contained phenyl propenoids such as epicatechin (0.068%), gallic acid (0.29%), quercetin (0.34%), epigallocatechin (0.091%), rutin (0.141%), ellagic acid (0.141%), along with glucose (1.22%), and sucrose (2.36%). The sucrose and glucose were isolated from the aqueous extract, and further characterized through NMR and TGA. Hence, this natural inhibitor is found advantageous as compared to the chemical inhibitor (statin) in terms of lipid production with desirable quality. It is achieved by inhibitors blocking the yeast competitive mevalonate pathway to promote higher lipid accumulation in the microbial cells. The anti-chlostrolemic activity of this natural inhibitor might be influenced lipid accumulation by blocking the mevalonate pathway. Thus, the reducing sugars as well as phenylpropenoids were worked in synergy to enhance accumulation of unsaturated lipid in the microbial cells. Phenylpropenoids may inhibit the key enzyme HMG reductase, which controls the mevalonate pathway for ergosterol formation to induce lipid accumulation. This lipid isolation from yeast cell was improved using green solvent viz. liquid-CO2. This lquid-CO2extract was enriched with unsaturated lipid (46.96%) including w-fatty acids such as linoleic (17.61%) and linolenic (5.35%). Thus, the SCO is produced using food waste as the source of carbon as well as an inhibitor, and this lipid is treated as natural to find suitable for nutritional purposes.
Metabolomics Based Mechanism Exploration of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension pathogenesis: Novel Lessons from Explanted Lungs
Authors: Ding Jingjing , Chu Chunyan , Mao Zhengsheng , Yang Jiawen , Wang Jie , Hu Li , Chen Peng , Cao Yue , Li Yan , Wan Hua , Wei Dong , Chen Jingyu , Chen Feng , Yu Youjia
Published: September 2021

Background: Metabolic pathways have been shown to participate in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We investigated the metabolic profile shifts to reveal molecular mechanisms underlying PAH. Methods: Explanted human lung tissues from 18 PAH patients were collected. The lung tissues far from the tumor from 16 lung cancer patients were taken as controls. Lung tissues were analyzed by LC-MS/MS based non-target metabolomics method. Pathway analysis was performed with KEGG database and MetaboAnalyst 5.0. Statistical analysis including partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), Student’s t-test, Pearson’s correlation, Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact probability test were used. COX survival analysis model was applied to evaluate the predictive value of metabolites on prognosis. Protein expression levels were detected by Western blotting in human PAH lung tissues, rat monocrotaline-PAH lungs and hypoxia exposed human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) to study the molecular mechanisms.Results: Significant differences in metabolites and metabolic pathways were identified among PAH subgroups and control tissues. Spermine levels were positively correlated with the patients' cardiac outputs (COs). Levels of (2e)-2,5-dichloro-4-oxo-2-hexenedioic acid were positively correlated with the patient's serum creatinine (Scr) levels. Patients with higher levels of thymine had a better prognosis. Moreover, 7 differential metabolites were associated with AKT pathway. AKT pathway inactivation was confirmed in human and rat PAH lungs and hypoxia exposed HPASMCs.Conclusions: Our findings provide the first metabolomics evidence for PAH pathogenesis by human lungs and may contribute to the improvement of therapeutic strategy.
Evaluating the Impact of Urine Drug Screen Frequency on Retention in Opioid Agonist Treatment in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Morin Kristen A , Dabous John R , Vojtesek Frank , Marsh David C
Published: September 2021

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate how UDS frequency impacts treatment retention in OAT. MethodsData for this retrospective cohort study of 55,921 adults with OUD in Ontario, Canada, were derived from administrative data sources between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015. All patient information was linked anonymously across databases using encrypted ten-digit health card numbers. Descriptive statistics were calculated for comparing urine drug screening frequency groups (less than monthly, monthly, bi-weekly and, weekly) using standardized differences (d) where d less than 10% indicated a statistically significant difference. A logistic regression model was then used to calculate odds ratios for the association between UDS frequency and one-year treatment retention adjusting for baseline covariates, including sex, age, location of residence, income quintile, mental disorders, HIV status and deep tissue infections. ResultsOver 70 percent of the cohort had four or more UDS per month (weekly or more UDS). Significant associations were observed between UDS frequency and one-year treatment retention in OAT bi-weekly (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 3.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.75-3.75); weekly UDS (aOR = 6.86, 95% CI, 5.88-8.00) and; more than weekly (aOR = 8.03, 95% CI, 6.87-9.38) using the monthly or less groups as the reference.ConclusionThis study identified a significant association between weekly UDS and one-year treatment retention in OAT. Therefore, these findings put into question the recent changes in OAT guidelines recommending UDS only be conducted monthly. More research is needed to strengthen the evidence base for UDS frequency in OAT.
Sparse Representation Based Inverse Halftoning with Boosted Dictionary1
Authors: Yang Jun , Liu Zihao , Chen Li , Wu Ying , Cui Chen , Ke Gang
Published: September 2021

Halftoning image is widely used in printing and scanning equipment, which is of great significance for the preservation and processing of these images. However, because of the different resolution of the display devices, the processing and display of halftone image are confronted with great challenges, such as Moore pattern and image blurring. Therefore, the inverse halftone technique is required to remove the halftoning screen. In this paper, we propose a sparse representation based inverse halftone algorithm via learning the clean dictionary, which is realized by two steps: deconvolution and sparse optimization in the transform domain to remove the noise. The main contributions of this paper include three aspects: first, we analysis the denoising effects for different training sets and the redundancy of dictionary; Then we propose the improved a sparse representation based denoising algorithm through adaptively learning the dictionary, which iteratively remove the noise of the training set and upgrade the quality of the dictionary; Then the error diffusion halftone image inverse halftoning algorithm is proposed. Finally, we verify that the noise level in the error diffusion linear model is fixed, and the noise level is only related to the diffusion operator. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has better PSNR and visual performance than state-of-the-art methods.
Paludiculture Crops And Nitrogen Kick-Start Ecosystem Service Provisioning In Rewetted Peat Soils
Authors: Vroom Renske , Geurts Jeroen , Nouta Reinder , Borst Annieke , Lamers Leon , Fritz Christian
Published: September 2021

PurposePaludiculture (crop cultivation in wet peatlands) can prevent carbon and nutrient losses while enabling biomass production. As vegetation in rewetted peatlands is often nitrogen (N) limited, input of N rich water may promote biomass production and nutrient removal. However, it is unclear how N loading and soil characteristics affect biomass yield, nutrient dynamics, and ecosystem service provisioning in paludicultures. MethodsWe studied the influence of N loading (0, 50, 150, and 450 kg N ha-1 yr-1) on biomass production and nutrient sequestration of Typha latifolia (broadleaf cattail) and Phragmites australis (common reed) on a limed agricultural peat soil after rewetting. To assess the interaction with soil characteristics T. latifolia was also grown on a non-limed former agricultural soil.ResultsN loading stimulated biomass production and nutrient uptake of both T. latifolia and P. australis, with T. latifolia showing the most pronounced response. Biomass yield of T. latifolia was higher in the limed soil than in the non-limed soil due to a higher pH, despite lower nutrient availability. N was largely taken up by the vegetation, whereas bare soils showed N accumulation in pore and surface water, and 80% loss through denitrification. Phosphorus in the soil was efficiently taken up by T. latifolia, especially at high N loads.ConclusionN loading in paludicultures with T. latifolia and P. australis boosts biomass production while kick-starting peatland ecosystem services including nutrient removal. Nutrient availability and pH appear to be decisive soil characteristics when it comes to crop selection.
Somatic point mutations are enriched in long non-coding RNAs with possible regulatory function in breast cancer
Authors: Rezaie Narges , Bayati Masroor , Tahaei Maedeh Sadat , Hamidi Mehrab , Khorasani Sadegh , Lovell Nigel , Breen James , Rabiee Hamid , Rokny Hamid Alinejad
Published: September 2021

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) form a large portion of the mammalian genome however, their biological functions are poorly characterized in cancers. In this study, using a newly developed tool, SomaGene, we analyze de novo somatic point mutations from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) whole-genome sequencing data of 1,855 breast cancers. We identify 929 candidates of ncRNAs that are significantly and explicitly mutated in breast cancer samples. By integrating data from the ENCODE regulatory features and FANTOM5 expression atlas, we show that the candidate ncRNAs in breast cancer samples significantly enrich for active chromatin histone marks (1.9 times), CTCF binding sites (2.45 times), DNase accessibility (1.76 times), HMM predicted enhancers (2.26 times) and eQTL polymorphisms (1.77 times). Importantly, we show that the 929 ncRNAs contain a much higher level (3.64 times) of breast cancer-associated genome-wide association (GWAS) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) than genome-wide expectation. Such enrichment has not been seen with GWAS SNPs from other diseases. Using breast tissue related Hi-C data we then show that 82% of our candidate ncRNAs (1.9 times) significantly interact with the promoter of protein-coding genes, including previously known cancer-associated genes, suggesting the critical role for candidate ncRNA genes in activation of essential regulators of development and differentiation in breast cancer. We provide an extensive web-based resource (https://www.ihealthe.unsw.edu.au/research), to communicate our results with the research community. Our list of breast cancer-specific ncRNA genes has the potential to provide a better understanding of the underlying genetic causes of breast cancer. Lastly, the tool developed in this study can be used in the analysis of somatic mutations in all cancers.
Observation of the Ponderomotive Effect in Non-Valence Bound States of Polyatomic Molecular Anions
Authors: Kang Do Hyung , Kim Jinwoo , Noh Heung-Ryoul , kim Sang Kyu
Published: September 2021

The ponderomotive effect in the non-valence bound states has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time, giving the great promise for the manipulation of the polyatomic molecules by the dynamic Stark effect. Entire quantum levels of the dipole-bound state (DBS) and quadruple-bound state (QBS) of the phenoxide (or 4-bromophenoxide) and 4-cyanophenoxide anions, respectively, show the clear-cut ponderomotive blue-shifts in the presence of the spatiotemporally overlapped non-resonant picosecond control laser pulse. The quasi-free electron in the QBS is found to be more vulnerable to the external oscillating electromagnetic field compared to that in the DBS, suggesting that the non-valence orbital of the former is more diffusive and thus more polarizable compared to that of the latter.
Drone Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera) are Disproportionately Sensitive to Abiotic Stressors Despite Expressing High Levels of Stress Response Proteins
Authors: McAfee Alison , Metz Bradley , Milone Joseph , Foster Leonard , Tarpy David
Published: September 2021

Drone honey bees (haploid males) are the obligate sexual partners of queens, and the availability of healthy, high-quality drones directly affects a queen’s fecundity and productivity of her subsequent colony. Yet, our understanding of how stressors affect drone fecundity and physiology is presently limited. We investigated sex biases in susceptibility to abiotic stressors (cold stress, topical imidacloprid exposure, and topical exposure to a realistic cocktail of pesticides), and we found that drones were more sensitive to cold and imidacloprid exposure but the cocktail was not toxic at the concentrations tested. We corroborated this lack of apparent toxicity with in-hive cocktail exposures via pollen feeding. We then used quantitative proteomics to investigate protein expression profiles in the hemolymph of topically exposed workers and drones, and we show that drones express surprisingly high levels of putative stress response proteins relative to workers. Drones apparently invest in strong constitutive expression of damage-mitigating proteins for a wide range of stressors, yet they are still sensitive to stress when challenged. The robust expression of stress-response proteins suggests that drone stress tolerance systems are fundamentally rewired relative to workers, and their susceptibility to stress depends on more than simply gene dose or deleterious recessive alleles.
Fishing intensification as response to Late Holocene socio-ecological instability in southeastern South America
Authors: Toso Alice , Hallingstad Ellen , McGrath Krista , Fossile Thiago , Conlan Christine , Ferreira Jessica , Bandeira Dione da Rocha , Giannini Paulo César Fonseca , Gilson Simon-Pierre , Bueno Lucas de Melo Reis , Bastos Murilo Quintans Ribeiro , Borba Fernanda Mara , Santos Adriana M. P. , Colonese André Carlo
Published: September 2021

The emergence of plant-based economies have dominated evolutionary models of Middle and Late Holocene pre-Columbian societies. Comparatively, the use of aquatic resources and the circumstances for intensifying their exploitation, have received little attention. Here we reviewed the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of 390 human individuals from Middle and Late Holocene coastal sambaquis, a long-lasting shell mound culture that flourished for nearly 7000 years along the Atlantic Forest coast of Brazil. Using a newly generated faunal isotopic baseline and Bayesian Isotope Mixing Models we quantified the relative contribution of marine resources to the diet of some of these groups. Through the analysis of more than 400 radiocarbon dates we show that fishing sustained large and resilient populations during most of the Late Holocene. A sharp decline was observed in the chronology of non-ceramic sites from ca. 2200 years ago, possibly reflecting the dissolution of several nucleated groups into smaller social units, coinciding with substantial changes in coastal environments. The adoption of ceramics from ca. 1200 years ago is marked by innovation and intensification of fishing practices, in a context of increasing social and ecological instability in the Late Holocene.
The Predictive Utility of Functional Status at Discharge: A Population-level Cohort Analysis
Authors: Junek Mats L , Jones Aaron , Heckman George , Demers Catherine , Griffith Lauren E , Costa Andrew P
Published: September 2021

Background: Functional status is a patient-important, patient-centered measurement. The utility of functional status measures to inform post-discharge patient needs is unknown. We sought to examine the utility of routinely collected functional status measures gathered from older hospitalized patients to predict a panel of post-discharge outcomes.Methods: In this population-based retrospective cohort study, Adults 65+ who experienced an acute hospitalization between 4 November 2008 and 16 March 2016 in Ontario, Canada and received an assessment of functional status at discharge using the Health Outcomes for Better Information and Care (HOBIC) tool were included. Multivariable regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between functional status and emergency department (ED) presentation, hospital readmission, long term care facility (LTCF) admission or wait listing (‘LTCF readiness’), and death at 180 days from discharge.Results: A total of 80,020 patients were included. 38,928 (48.6%) re-presented to the ED, 24,222 (30.3%) were re-admitted, 5,037 (6.3%) were LTCF ready, and 9,047 (11.3%) died at 180 days. Beyond age, functional status at discharge was the factor most associated with LTCF readiness (Odds Ratio [OR] 4.11; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 3.70-4.57) and death (OR 3.99; 95% CI: 3.67-4.35). Functional status also had a graded relationship with each outcome and improved the discriminability of the models predicting death and LTCF readiness (p<0.01) but not ED re-presentation or hospital re-admission.Conclusion: Routinely collected functional status at discharge meaningfully improves models to predict long term care home readiness and death. The routine assessment of functional status can inform post-discharge care and service planning for older adults.
Dissection The Practical Soybean Breeding Pipeline By Developing High Throughput Functional Array ZDX1
Authors: Sun Rujian , Sun Bincheng , Tian Yu , Su Shanshan , Zhang Yong , Zhang Wanhai , Guo Bingfu , Li Huihui , Li Yanfei , Gao Huawei , Gu Yongzhe , Yu Lili , Ma Yansong , Wang Jingshun , Yu Ping , Su Erhu , Li Qiang , Hu Xingguo , Zhang Qi , Guo Rongqi , Chai Shen , Feng Lei , Wang Jun , Hong Huilong , Xu Jiangyuan , Wen Jing , Liu Jiqiang , Li Yinghui , Qiu Lijuan
Published: September 2021

Microarray technology facilitates rapid, accurate, and economical genotyping. Here, using resequencing data from 2,214 representative soybean accessions, we developed the ZDX1 high-throughput functional soybean array, containing 158,959 SNPs, covering 90.92% of soybean genes and sites related to agronomically important traits. We genotyped 817 soybean accessions using ZDX1, including parental lines, non-parental lines, and progeny from a practical breeding pipeline. It was clarified that non-parental lines had highest genetic diversity, and 235 SNPs were identified to be fixed in the progeny. The unknown soybean cyst nematode-resistant and early maturity accessions were identified by using allele combinations. Notably, we found that breeding index was a good indicator for progeny selection, in which the superior progeny were derived from the crossing more distantly related parents with at least one parent having a higher breeding index. Based on this rule, two varieties were directionally developed. Meanwhile, redundant parents were screened out and potential combinations were formulated. GBLUP analysis displayed that the markers in genic regions had priority to be higher accuracy on predicting four agronomic traits compared with either whole genome or intergenic markers. Then we used progeny to expand the training population to increase the prediction accuracy of breeding selection by 32.1%. Collectively, our work provided a versatile array for high accuracy selecting and predicting both parents and progeny that can greatly accelerate soybean breeding.