bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Catatonia and Inter-Rater Reliability of Three Instruments: A Descriptive Study in an Acute Mental Health Unit in Urban South Africa
Authors: Zingela Zuksiwa , Stroud Louise , Cronje Johan , Fink Max , Wyk Stephan Van
Published: May 2021

BackgroundClinical assessment of catatonia includes the use of diagnostic systems, like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 (DSM-5) and International Classification of Disease Manual 10 (ICD-10), or screening tools such as the Bush Francis Screening Instrument (BFCSI)/Bush Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) and Braunig’s Catatonia Rating Scale. In this study, we describe the inter-rater reliability (IRR), utilizing the BFCSI, BFCRS and DSM-5 to screen for catatonia. MethodData from 10 participants recruited as part of a larger prevalence study were used to determine IRR by five assessors after they were trained in the application of the 14-item BFCSI, 23-item BFCRS and DSM-5 to assess catatonia in new admissions. Krippendorff α was used to compute the IRR, and Spearman’s correlation was used to determine concordance between screening tools. The study was performed at a 35-bed acute mental health unit in Dora Nginza Hospital, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. Participants were mostly involuntary admissions under the Mental Health Care Act of 2002 and between the ages of 13 and 65 years and older. ResultsThe majority (8, 80%) were 35 years or less and males (8, 80%). At least six (60%) of the ten participants were found to have catatonia based on the BFCSI/BFCRS and DSM-5 criteria. The BFCRS (complete 23-item scale) had the greatest level of inter-rater agreement with an α=0.798, while the DSM-5 had the lowest level of inter-rater agreement with an α=0.565. The highest correlation coefficients were observed between the BFCRS and BFCSI. ConclusionThe BFCSI and BFCRS were found to be sensitive tools for screening for catatonia with high IRR and high correlation coefficients, while the DSM 5 showed some deficiencies in screening for catatonia with low IRR and lowest correlation with the other two tools.
Social Compliance During High Stringency Periods Efficiently Reduces COVID-19 Incidence: Evidence from Google Mobility Reports
Authors: Hansen Lasse Hyldig , Rasmussen Thomas Lykke , Villesen Palle
Published: May 2021

It is crucial to understand and learn as much as possible from the current global Sars-CoV-2 pandemic for the sake of future precautions. Apart from strong government restrictions such as complete lockdowns, curfews, and mask mandates, other factors influence viral transmission. Since June 2020, Denmark has had an extensive test and surveillance program and made data publicly available at the municipality level. Here we use these data and integrate publicly available data on government restrictions, weather data, and mobility data to model COVID-19 incidence in 98 Danish municipalities from September 2020 to February 2021. The inclusion of municipality heterogeneity, weather and mobility data increases the amount of variance explained by ~29% compared to a simpler model taking only incidence and restrictions into account. We found a strong and significant effect from temperature which interacts with government restrictions. Our results indicate that higher temperatures limit viral transmission when government restrictions are low, but that the temperature effect diminishes under stronger restrictions. This is most likely due to a change in human behavior rather than a biological effect. Likewise, we found that changes in residential mobility were significant factors that also interacted with restrictions. When restrictions were strong, we found that increased residential mobility resulted in decreased COVID-19 incidence, suggesting residential mobility as a proxy for compliance. Our results show the increased explanatory power of integrating different variables when modeling COVID-19 incidence. The weather seems to predict human behavior in a quite predictable way and mobility data could be used to measure current compliance with government restrictions.
Analysis of Phylogenetic Relationships in The Walnut Family Based on Internal Transcribed Spacer Sequences and Secondary Structures(ITS2)
Authors: Guo Zhongzhong , Jin Qiang , Zhao Zhenkun , Yu Wenjun , Li Gen , Cheng Yunjiang , Wu Cuiyun , Zhang rui
Published: May 2021

This study aims to investigate the phylogenetic relationships within the Juglandaceae family based on the Internal Transcribed Spacer's primary sequence and secondary structures (ITS2). Comparative analysis of 51 Juglandaceae species was performed across most of the defined seven genera. The results showed that the ITS2 secondary structure's folding pattern was highly conserved and congruent with the eukaryote model. Firstly, Neighbor-joining (N.J.) analysis recognized two subfamilies: Platycaryoideae and Engelhardioideae. The Platycaryoideae included the Platycaryeae (Platycarya+(Carya+ Annamocarya)) and Juglandeae (Juglans-(Cyclocarya + Pterocarya)). The Engelhardioideae composed the (Engelhardia+（Oreomunnea+Alfaroa)). The Rhoiptelea genus was generally regarded as an outgroup when inferring the phylogeny of Juglandaceae. However, it is clustered into the Juglandaceae family and showed a close relationship with the Platycaryoideae subfamily. Secondly, the folded 3-helices and 4-helices secondary structure of ITS2 were founded in the Juglandaceae family. Therefore, these ITS2 structures could be used as formal evidence to analyze Juglandaceae's phylogeny relationship. The morphology based on the secondary structure nicely coincided with previous investigations. This study further confirms that ITS2 can serve as a valid basis for parsing evolutionary relationships in higher woody fruit trees.
Rejuveinix Mitigates Sepsis-Associated Oxidative Stress in the Brain: Clinical Impact Potential in COVID-19 and Nervous System Disorders
Authors: Uckun Fatih M , Tuzcu Mehmet , Gitterle Marcus , Volk Michael , Sahin Kazim
Published: May 2021

Here, we demonstrate that our anti-sepsis drug candidate Rejuveinix (RJX), at a dose level that is >10-times lower than its maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for human subjects, improves the survival outcome in the LPS-GalN model of sepsis and multi-organ failure. One hundred (100) percent (%) of untreated control mice remained alive throughout the experiment. By comparison, 100% of LPS-GalN injected mice died at a median of 4.6 hours. In contrast to the invariably fatal treatment outcome of vehicle-treated control mice, 40% of mice treated with RJX (n=25) remained alive with a 2.4-fold longer median time survival time of 10.9 hours (Log-rank X2=20.60, P<0.0001). Notably, RJX increased the tissue levels of antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px, and it reduced oxidative stress in the brain. These findings demonstrate the clinical impact potential of RJX as a neuroprotective COVID-19 and sepsis drug candidate, which is currently being evaluated in a placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase II multi-institutional US study in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 associated viral sepsis.
Mediation of the SPHK1/S1P Pathway Following Vitamin D Treatment of MS/EAE
Authors: Wang Zhen , Wang Yudi , Chen Hanlin , Luo Yijie , Wei Xinming , Yang Duxiao
Published: May 2021

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid that distributed in a wide variety of body tissues, especially inflammatory tissues. We observed that S1P plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of Multiple sclerosis (MS). Additionally, Vitamin D is observed to be a key determinant in the regulation of S1P. We monitored the effects of Vitamin D on Sphingosine kinase type 1 (SPHK1), an important synthetase associated with S1P. The associated results suggest a reduction in SPHK1 in the spinal cords of EAE rats whose diets supplement with Vitamin D. Many of the biological functions that are traditionally associated with Vitamin D is mediated through the Vitamin D receptor (VDR). Indeed, these interactions play a major role in the regulation of transcription of many target genes. As part of this analysis, we revealed the relationship between VDR and SPHK1. This is performed using over-expression experiments and observations relating to the interference effects of VDR on SPHK1. Our results verify that expression of the factor S1P, which is associated with EAE, is caused by alterations in SPHK1 levels. This relationship is regulated by VDR. Consequently, immune regulatory mechanisms associate with Vitamin D adjuvant therapy, used for the treatment of MS, may be involved in the regulation of SPHK1. This regulatory role may ultimately modulate the levels of S1P in cells. This report focuses on the relationship between SPHK-S1P and Vitamin D and provides a potentially novel approach for the treatment of MS.
MiR-29c-3p and MiR-223-3p Regulate the Proliferation and Drug Resistance of OSCC by Targeting ANGPTL4
Authors: Bian Lijuan , rui xi , Huang Zixian , Wang Yan , Huang Zhiquan
Published: May 2021

BackgroundOral cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the head and neck. MicroRNA are reported to be involved in the regulation of posttranscriptional gene expression. The aim of this research is to determine the expression and function of ANGPTL4 in OSCC, and to explore whether miR-29C-3p and miR-223-3p targeting ANGPTL4 regulate the proliferation and cisplatin resistance of OSCC.MethodsA bioinformatics database was used to identify the expression of ANGPTL4 and miRNAs in tumors, and qPCR and WB were used to determine the protein and mRNA expression of ANGPTL4 and miRNA in tissues and cells. The proliferation of the cells was determined by the plate colony formation and CCK-8 assays, the drug resistance of the cells was determined by IC50 measurements, and a dual luciferase reporter assay was used to determine the regulation of miRNA on ANGPTL4. Independent sample t test was used for the parameters that followed a normal distribution, otherwise, non-parametric test was used. ResultsANGPTL4 expression was higher in the OSCC tissues than in the normal tissues. After knocking down ANGPTL4, the proliferation of OSCC cells decreased, and their sensitivity to cisplatin increased. A dual luciferase reporting assay showed that the fluorescence intensity of the WT group decreased after miR-29c-3p and miR-223-3p were overexpression, while that of the MUT group was almost unchanged. The overexpression of miR-29c-3p and miR-223-3p decreased the protein levels of ANGPTL4. In addition, the proliferation of OSCC cells decreased, and cell resistance to cisplatin was decreased.ConclusionmiR-29c-3p and miR-223-3p can regulate cell proliferation and cisplatin resistance in OSCC by targeting ANGPTL4.
Modulatory Effect of Peripheral Magnetic and Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Cortical Excitability: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study
Authors: Yu Fengyun , Wang Weining , Liang Sijie , Li Ce , Tian Shan , Hu Ruiping , Wu Yi , Zhu Yulian
Published: May 2021

Background: The present study was designed to investigate the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and peripheral magnetic stimulation (PMS) applied to the wrist extensor muscle on the cortical activity of healthy adults by using fNIRS. Methods: Fifteen healthy adult subjects (7 males, mean age: 27.13 ± 4.52 years) all received two different conditions of peripheral muscle stimulation in random order: (1) NMES and (2) PMS. The sessions were separated by at least 48 h as a washout period. During muscle stimulation, the motor evoked potential (MEP) of the left primary motor cortex (M1) was measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and the concentration of oxygenated (HbO) and deoxygenated (HbR) hemoglobin detected by fNIRS were used to evaluate the excitability and the activity of the cortex. Results: After the stimulation of the wrist extensor, the MEP amplitude in the left M1 area did not change in both conditions, and there was no difference between NMES and PMS condition. NMES reduced HbO values of several channels in the Prefrontal cortex (PFC), Somatosensory motor cortex (SMC) and Occipital cortex (OC), and HbR valus of several channels in the PFC and SMC. During the PMS stimulation period, the HbO value of all brain areas did not change significantly, while the HbR value of the SMC area decreased. The HbO and HbR value of the channels in the SMC did not differ between NMES and PMS. Inter-region of interest and inter-channel analysis between NMES and PMS showed no difference in functional connectivity. Conclusions: In the case of wrist extensor muscle stimulation, both NMES and PMS can induce cortical activation. PMS targeted to increases the activity of the contralateral SMC, while NMES increased contralateral SMC activity and negatively activated the PFC and OC.
Incidental Chylous Ascites Associated With Internal Hernial After Bariatric Surgery. Case Series
Authors: Azorín Mª Carmen , Segura María Jesús , Gómez Matías , Fernández Isabel , Rodríguez Rodolfo , Frangi Andrés , Checa Félix
Published: May 2021

Bariatric surgery is of great importance due to the high incidence of morbid obesity. Techniques such as gastric bypass laparoscopic, tubular gastrectomy laparoscopic and other bariatric techniques with gastrointestinal anastomosis are used for its treatment. The incidence of internal hernias in the late postoperative period after bariatric surgery ranges from 0.4 to 8.8%. As a consequence, there may be obstruction of the lymphatic vessels. Although chylous ascites is a rare pathology in bariatric surgery, several cases have been reported in the literature. We present two cases of patients who presented as a late complication an internal hernia associated with chyloperitoneum.
The ICD-11 Field Trial: Creating a Large Dually Coded Database
Authors: Eastwood Cathy A , Southern Danielle A , Khair Shahreen , Doktorchik Chelsea , Ghali William A , Quan Hude
Published: May 2021

ObjectiveNew codes developed in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (ICD-11) needed testing. Field-testing involves real-world application of the new codes to examine data quality. This paper describes the field trial methods to create a dually coded database to field test ICD-11 against ICD-10-CA (a Canadian modification of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision), and a reference standard data set of diagnoses. ResultsA random sample of discharge records previously coded using ICD-10-CA was selected. Nurses re-examined these entire charts for specific conditions and patient safety events. Clinical coders re-coded the same charts using ICD-11 codes. Inpatients discharged from hospitals in Calgary, Alberta, were identified and a dually coded database was created (n=2897). Inter-rater reliability and coding time improved with ICD-11 coding experience. Clinical coder comments enabled content to be improved in the ICD-11 browser, Coding Tool, and ICD-11 Reference Guide. This paper describes the field trial, database creation methods, and contributions for ICD-11 improvement. Crucial future research will use this database to test ICD-11 before implementation in Canada.
Feasibility of Engaging an Integrated Digital Network to Implement Guideline-Directed Exercise Recommendations and Patient Reported Outcomes for Adults With Heart Failure
Authors: Bosak Kelly , Abusalim Nadeen
Published: May 2021

ObjectiveHeart failure (HF) is a chronic condition affecting millions of people worldwide. Exercise is safe and effective for preventing or slowing HF progression. Despite the benefits, implementation of guideline-directed exercise recommendations for adults with HF is lacking. The objective of this investigation was to assess the feasibility of an established integrated digital network to support a future larger implementation study to improve uptake of guideline-directed exercise recommendations for HF patients. ResultsA distributive query in REDCap was sent from the lead institution, completed, and returned by the information managers at each health system in the network. Descriptive analysis found ten (83%) of 12 sites responded to the initial query. Findings included adults, age ≥18 years with HF (ICD10: I50) since January 1, 2019 n=171,715 (range 4,279-36,856). Two sites (17%) reported PROMIS measures accessible in the electronic health record (EHR). Six (50%) reported PROMIS measures accessible outside the EHR. Four (33%) sites participated in the GWTG-HF registry. This pre-implementation investigation indicated that a future larger study is feasible with this digital network with a large population of HF patients. Feasibility of including patient reported outcomes in a future study may be improved with access to these measures in the EHR.
T-2 Toxin Induces Oxidative Stress at Low Doses Via ATF3∆Zip2a/2b-Mediated Ubiquitination and Degradation of Nrf2
Authors: Chen Xiaoxuan , Mu Peiqiang , Zhu Lang , Mao Xiaoxiao , Chen Shuang , Zhong Huali , Deng Yiqun
Published: May 2021

Background: T-2 toxin is mainly produced by Fusarium species, which is an extremely toxic mycotoxin to humans and animals. It is well known that T-2 toxin induces oxidative stress, but the molecular mechanism is still unknown. Results: In this study, we found that T-2 toxin significantly promoted ROS accumulation in MCF-7 cells at low doses which maintains cell viability at least 80%. Further analysis showed that T-2 toxin downregulated the expression of the master regulator of antioxidant defense gene, Nrf2, and its targeted antioxidant genes. Overexpression of Nrf2 or its target gene HO1 significantly blocked the ROS accumulation in MCF-7 cells under T-2 toxin treatment. Moreover, we found that T-2 toxin downregulated the antioxidant genes via inducing the expression of ATF3∆Zip2a/2b. Importantly, overexpression of ATF3∆Zip2a/2b promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of Nrf2. Conclusions: This work demonstrated that T-2 toxin induced ROS accumulation via ATF3∆Zip2a/2b mediated ubiquitination and degradation of Nrf2, which provided a new insight into the mechanism of T-2 toxin-induced oxidative stress.
Adaptive Neural Backstepping Control of Variable Stiffness Actuator
Authors: Xia Yu , Song Yankui , Wang Jiaxu , Li Junyang , Han Yanfeng , Ke Xiao
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we provide a novel adaptive neural network backstepping control scheme for a special variable stiffness actuator (VSA) based on lever mechanisms with saturation inputs, output constraints and disturbances is presented here. In the controller designing, the prescribed performance-tangent barrier Lyapunov function (PP-TBLF) is introduced to ensure that both the prescribed performance bound of tracking error and the output constraints are not violated. In specific steps of backstepping control scheme, the Chebyshev neural network and the Nussbaum-type function are used to solve the unknown nonlinearities and unknown gain sign. Meanwhile, the inverse hyperbolic sine function tracking differentiator is exploited to solve the “explosion of complexity” caused by the differentiation of virtual inputs and also approximate the complex partial derivative caused by the auxiliary control signals. Finally, the stability of the whole scheme is proved by Lyapunov criterion and the simulation results are presented to illustrate the feasibility of the raised control strategy.
Landslide Displacement Prediction Based on Variational Mode Decomposition and MIC-GWO-LSTM Model
Authors: Zeng Taorui , Jiang Hongwei , Liu Qingli , Yin Kunlong
Published: May 2021

Landslide displacement prediction is essential to establish the early warning system (EWS). According to the dynamic characteristics of landslide evolution and the shortcomings of the traditional static prediction model, a dynamic prediction model of landslide displacement based on long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks was proposed. Meanwhile, the Variational modal decomposition (VMD) theory was used to decompose the cumulative displacement and triggering factors, which not only give clear physical meaning to each displacement subsequence, but also closely connect the rock and soil conditions with the influence of external factors. Besides, the maximum information coefficient (MIC) was used to sort the redundant features. The LSTM is a dynamic model that can remember historical information and apply it to the current output. The hyperparameters of the LSTM model was optimized by the Grey wolf optimizer (GWO), and the dynamic one-step prediction was carried out for each displacement. All the predicted values were superimposed to complete the displacement prediction based on the time series model. The Tangjiao landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGRA), China, was taken as a case study. The displacement data of monitoring sites GPS06 had step-like characteristics. Measured data from March 2007 to December 2016 were selected for analysis. The results indicate that the root mean square error (RMSE) of the test set and validation set are 23.240 mm and 64.714 mm, respectively, and the coefficient of determination (R2) are 0.997 and 0.971, respectively. This model provides a new idea and exploration for the displacement prediction of step-like characteristics landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir area.
Identification of a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network for Exploring Novel Therapeutic Options for Glioma
Authors: He Yi , Chen Yihong , Tong Yuxin , Long Wenyong , Liu Qing
Published: May 2021

Background: Glioma is the most common brain neoplasm with a poor prognosis. Circular RNA (circRNA) and their associated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network play critical roles in the pathogenesis of glioma. However, the alteration of the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network and its correlation with glioma therapy haven’t been systematically analyzed.Methods: With GEO, GEPIA2, circBank, CSCD, CircInteractome, mirWalk 2.0, and mirDIP 4.1, we constructed a circRNA–miRNA–mRNA network in glioma. LASSO regression and multivariate Cox regression analysis established a hub mRNA signature to assess the prognosis. GSVA was used to estimate the immune infiltration level. Potential anti-glioma drugs were forecasted using the cMap database and evaluated with GSEA using GEO data.Results: A ceNRA network of 7 circRNAs (hsa_circ_0030788/0034182/0000227/0018086/0000229/0036592/0002765), 15 miRNAs(hsa-miR-1200/1205/1248/1303/3925-5p/5693/581/586/599/607/640/647/6867-5p/767-3p/935), and 46 mRNAs (including 11 hub genes of ARHGAP11A, DRP2, HNRNPA3, IGFBP5, IP6K2, KLF10, KPNA4, NRP2, PAIP1, RCN1, and SEMA5A) was constructed. Functional enrichment showed they influenced majority of the hallmarks of tumors. Eleven hub genes were proven to be decent prognostic signatures for glioma in both TCGA and CGGA datasets. 46 LASSO regression significant genes were closely related to immune infiltration. Finally, five compounds (fulvestrant, tanespimycin, mifepristone, tretinoin, and harman) were predicted as potential treatments for glioma. Among them, mifepristone and tretinoin were proven to inhibit the cell cycle and DNA repair in glioma.Conclusions: This study highlights the potential pathogenesis of the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network and identifies novel therapeutic options for glioma.
Multiplex immunofluorescence of spatial distribution of infiltrating T cells in different regions of hepatic lobules during liver transplantation rejection
Authors: Li Shipeng , Zhou Guangpeng , Sun Jie , Cui Bin , Zhang Haiming , Wei Lin , Sun Liying , Zhu Zhijun
Published: May 2021

It is still unclear whether there are differences in the types and functional status of immune cells in different areas of the liver lobules after liver transplantation rejection. The composition of infiltrating T cells in liver allografts during liver transplantation rejection is unclear and difficult to visualize on the same biopsy slide. We used multiplex immunofluorescence assays to study the spatial distribution of various types of infiltrating T cells in different areas of the liver lobules after liver transplantation. In the same area of the hepatic lobules, the percentage of CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the acute rejection group was higher than that in the nonacute rejection and normal groups. Within all three groups, the percentage of CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells and Tregs from the periportal to perivenous zones was increased first and then decreased. The percentage of CD8 + T cells increased gradually from the periportal to perivenous zones, the percentage of CD8 + T cells in perivenous zone was higher than in the transitional and periportal zones in the rejection group. In conclusion, the percentage of CD8 + T cells in different regions of liver lobules is closely related to rejection level after liver transplantation. Acute liver transplantation rejection may occur when the percentage of CD8 + T cells in the perivenous zone increases. Although the percentage of regional CD4 + T could not reflect the rejection level, but the number of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in different regions was closely related to the rejection level.
Metal Biological Enrichment Capacities, Distribution Patterns and Health Risk Implications in a Major Aquacultured Fish Species Worldwide
Authors: Gu Yang-Guang , Wang Xu-Nuo , Wang Zeng-Huan , Huang Hong-Hui , Gong Xiu-Yu
Published: May 2021

Seabass (Lateolabrax japonicas) is a major aquacultured fish species worldwide. The bioconcentration, bioaccumulation and biomagnification of metals present in water, sediments and commercial feed were investigated in L. japonicas from an aquaculture pond in the Pearl River Delta (south China). Aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) were determined in the dorsal muscle, viscera, backbone, gill and stomach contents of L. japonicas. The gill and stomach contents were found to have higher levels of bioconcentration of most metals than other parts. Based on the bioaccumulation factor, the gill and backbone exhibited the highest accumulation of Zn, while the viscera had the highest capacity to accumulate Cu. The mean biomagnification factor values exceeded for As in dorsal muscle, for Cu in the viscera, for Cr and Pb in the gill, and for Al, Cr, Fe, Cu and Pb in the stomach contents, indicating efficient bioaccumulation from commercial feed and their habitat. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis revealed two groups that primarily resulted from the accumulation of metals in various parts of L. japonicas. Moreover, health risk assessment indicated that no notable adverse health effects are likely to occur from the ingestion of L. japonicas as an aquacultured food source.
RNA-Seq and Network Analysis Reveal Unique Chemokine Activity Gene Expression Signatures in Synovial Tissue From Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Zhang Runrun , Jin Yehua , Chang Cen , Zhou Xinpeng , Bian Yanqin , Shen Yu , Sun Yang , Schrodi Steven J. , Sun Songtao , Guo Shicheng , He dongyi
Published: May 2021

Objective: This study identified to provide a comprehensive understanding of genome-wide expression patterns of synovial tissue from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to investigate the potential mechanism RA occurrence and development. Methods: The transcription profiles of 9 RA and 15 control (osteoarthritis OA) synovial tissue were generated by RNA-Seq. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to analyze all detected genes and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by DESeq. To further analyze the DEGs, Gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs were constructed by STRING and the hub genes were identified by topology clustering with MCODE-Cytoscape. The most important hub genes were validated by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: A total of 17736 genes were detected and 651 DEGs were identified. For the GSEA, significantly enriched gene sets positively correlated with the RA group were CD40 signaling over-activation, Th1 cytotoxic module in C2, over-activation of immune response, adaptive immune response in C5, In C7, the up-regulation of the gene set of effective versus memory CD8 T cell is related to RA group. The down-regulation of gene set of naïve versus effective CD8 T cell is related to RA group.in C7. Biology process enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were significantly enriched for signal transduction (P=1.52×10-08), immune response (P=1.94×10-22) and inflammatory response (P=1.11×10-11). Molecule function enrichment analysis revealed over-represented calcium ion binding (P=8.61×10-03), receptor binding (P=7.03×10-05) and chemokine activity (P=4.15×10-15). The DEGs were significantly enriched for plasma membrane (P=2.26×10-20), integral component of membrane (P=7.79×10-07), extracellular region (P=3.43×10-16) in cellular component. The KEGG pathway analysis showed that the DEGs were enriched in the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction (P=6.86×10-21), chemokine signaling pathway (P=2.03×10-11), systemic lupus erythematosus(P=9.23×10-07), T cell receptor signaling pathway (P=6.59×10-06) and rheumatoid arthritis (P=3.24×10-05). We confirmed RA over-expressed PPI network hub genes included CXCL13, CXCL6, CCR5, CXCR5, CCR2, CXCL3, CXCL10 and RA down-regulated hub genes included SSTR1. Conclusions: The study identified and verified the DEGs between RA and OA synovial tissue which highlighted the activity of a subset of chemokine genes, thereby providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of RA pathogenesis and identified potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for RA.
Degeneration of lumbar paravertebral muscles in lumbar degenerative kyphosis with dynamic sagittal imbalance: A case-control study.
Authors: Ru Nan , Wang Guodong , Li Yang , Sun Jianmin , Cui Xingang
Published: May 2021

Background: The aim of this study was to probe the degeneration of lumbar paravertebral muscles in lumbar degenerative kyphosis (LDK) with dynamic sagittal imbalance (DSI).Method: A total of 132 patients with LDK were enrolled in the study. According to the ΔSVA of the full-spine lateral radiographs before and after walking, enrolled patients were divided into two groups: DSI group (31 cases) and control group (42 case). Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging examination was taken for each subject. Fat infiltration area (FIA)and muscle muscularity of multifidus (MF) and erector spinae (ES) were quantitatively measured though Image J software. Independent-sample t test were performed for comparison of quantitative variables between two groups. P value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Result: DSI group had lower muscle muscularity both in ES and MF than control group. ES muscularity at L2 level was 0.42±0.08 in DSI group and 0.82±0.17 in control group. (p=0.016). ES muscularity at L4 level was 0.36±0.11in DSI group and 0.76± 0.22 in control group. (p＜0.001).MF muscularity at L2 level was 0.17±0.08 in DSI group and 0.36±0.07in control group. (p＜0.001). MF muscularity at L4 level was 0.34±0.18 in DSI group and 0.48±0.14 in control group. (p＜0.001).DSI group had higher FIA both in ES and MF than control group.ES FIA at L2 level was 0.50±0.17 in DSI group and 0.31±0.10 in control group. (p=0.023). ES FIA at L4 level was 0.55±0.27 in DSI group and 0.34±0.07 in control group. (p＜0.001).MF FIA at L2 level was 0.63±0.22 in DSI group and 0.36±0.12 in control group. (p＜0.001). MF FIA at L4 level was 0.76±0.31 in DSI group and 0.40±0.19 in control group. (p＜0.001). Conclusions: LDK patients with DSI suffered lower muscle muscularity and higher FIA both in ES and MF compared to control group. Our study revealed that the weakness of the paravertebral muscles plays an important role in DSI process, targeted paravertebral muscle strengthening training may be a potentially effective treatment for this disease.
Development of High-growth African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) in MA-104 Cells
Authors: Do Duy Tien , Nguyen Toan Tat
Published: May 2021

The goal of this study was to identify a candidate commercial cell line for the replication of African swine fever virus (ASFV) by comparing several available cell lines with various medium factors. In the sensitivity test of cells, MA104 and MARC-145 had strong potential for ASFV replication. Next, MA104 cells were used to compare the adaptation of ASFV obtained from tissue homogenates and blood samples in various infectious media. At the 10th passage, the ASFV obtained from the blood sample had a significantly higher viral load than that obtained from the tissue sample (P = 0.00), exhibiting a mean Ct value = 20.39 ± 1.99 compared with 25.36 ± 2.11. For blood samples, ASFV grew on infectious medium B more robustly than on infectious medium A (P = 0.006), corresponding to a Ct value = 19.58 ± 2.10 versus 21.20 ± 1.47. ASFV originating from blood specimens continued to multiply gradually and peaked in the 15th passage, exhibiting a Ct value = 14.36 ± 0.22 in infectious medium B and a Ct value = 15.42 ± 0.14 in infectious medium A. However, there was no difference (P = 0.062) in ASFV growth between infectious media A and B when ASFV was cultured from tissue homogenates. In this study, a model was developed to enhance ASFV replication through adaptation to MA104 cells and the lack of mutation in serial culture passages may serve to maintain the immunogenicity of ASFV isolates when they are developed as vaccine candidates.
The Bimodal Neutron And Photon Imaging Driven By A Single Electron Linear Accelerator
Authors: Yu Yangyi , Zhang Ruiqin , Lu Lu , Yang Yigang
Published: May 2021

Both X-ray imaging and neutron imaging are essential methods in non-destructive testing. In this work, a bimodal imaging method combining neutron and X-ray imaging is introduced. The experiment is based on a compact electron accelerator that can simultaneously generate two kinds of radiation: X-ray and neutron. This identification method utilizes the attenuation difference of the two rays’ incidence on the same material to determine the material’s properties based on dual-imaging fusion. It can enhance the identification of the materials from single ray imaging and has the potential for widespread use in on-site, non-destructive testing where metallic materials and non-metallic materials are mixed.
Characterization of porous microaggregates and soil organic matter sequestered in allophanic paleosols on Holocene tephras using synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy and spectroscopy
Authors: Huang Doreen Yu-Tuan , Lowe David J. , Churchman G. Jock , Schipper Louis A. , Cooper Alan , Chen Tsan-Yao , Rawlence Nicolas J.
Published: May 2021

Allophanic tephra-derived soils can sequester sizable quantities of soil organic matter (SOM). However, no studies have visualized the fine internal porous structure of allophanic soil microaggregates, nor studied the carbon structure preserved in such soils or paleosols. We used synchrotron radiation-based transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) to perform 3D-tomography of the internal porous structure of allophanic soil microaggregates, and carbon near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure (C NEXAFS) spectroscopy to characterize SOM in ≤12,000-yr-old tephra-derived allophanic paleosols. The TXM tomography showed a vast network of internal, tortuous nano-pores within an allophanic microaggregate comprising nanoaggregates. SOM in the allophanic paleosols at four sites was dominated by carboxylic/carbonyl functional groups with subordinate quinonic, aromatic, and aliphatic groups. All samples exhibited similar compositions despite differences between the sites. That the SOM does not comprise specific types of functional groups through time implies that the functional groups are relict. The SOM originated at the land/soil surface: ongoing tephra deposition (intermittently or abruptly) then caused the land-surface to rise so that the once-surface horizons were buried more deeply and hence became increasingly isolated from inputs by the surficial/modern organic cycle. The presence of quinonic carbon, from biological processes but vulnerable to oxygen and light, indicates the exceptional protection of SOM and bio-signals in allophanic paleosols, attributable both to the porous allophane aggregates that occlude the relict SOM from degradation, and to rapid burial by successive tephra-fallout, as well as strong Al-organic chemical bonding. TXM and C NEXAFS spectroscopy unravel the fine structure of soils and SOM and are of great potential for soil science studies.
Potential role of mycorrhizae combined with Pinus tabuliformis in repairing soil contaminated by lanthanum and cerium
Authors: Xiaoyan Yu , Guangpu Wei , Yuchen Song , Yu Kang
Published: May 2021

In order to repair light rare earth soil effectively, plant and mycorrhizae technology were applied together. It will provide theoretical basis for ecological restoration of light rare earth contaminated soil. The method of greenhouse pot experiment was used in this study. The concentrations of lanthanum (La) in tested soil samples were 107.15, 329.41, and 2,031.71 mg/kg and cerium (Ce) were 362.11, 741.81, 4,162.03 mg/kg. The ectomycorrhiza (Boletus luridus Schaeff.(BLS),Inocybe lilacina(Boud.)Kauffm.(ILK)༌Russula foetens(Pers.)Pers.(RFP)༌Lactarius sanguifluus (Paul.) Fr.(LSF)) was inoculated on Pinus tabuliformis. The inoculation rate and biomass of mycorrhiza, as well as the absorption, transfer and root retention of La and Ce, light rare earth elements (LREE) by plants were determined to provide the theoretical basis for the treatment of La and Ce contaminated soil. The results showed that a symbiotic relationship was established between ectomycorrhiza and Pinus tabuliformis. The mycorrhizal infection rate of Pinus tabulaeformis ranged from 0.51–64.81%, The biomass results showed that the dry weight of aboveground organs and roots increased by 1.46, 1.67 and 1.88 times, 1.73, 1.98 and 2.08 times, respectively. With the increase of the concentration of La and Ce in the soil, the increase of one LREE in the host plants inoculated with mycorrhizae was greater than that in the blank control group. Following mycorrhizal inoculation, La and Ce transfer coefficients in P. and root retention coefficients increased, which may lead to the decrease of absorption and transfer capacity of hyperaccumulators. This study showed that mycorrhizae can improve the absorption of La and Ce by host plants, demonstrating potential value in the environmental remediation of LREE contaminated soil.
An Adiabatic Method to Train Binarized Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Xiao Jiang , Zhao Yuansheng
Published: May 2021

An artificial neural network consists of neurons and synapses. Neuron gives output based on its input according to non-linear activation functions such as the Sigmoid, Hyperbolic Tangent (Tanh), or Rectified Linear Unit (reLU) functions, etc. Synapses connect the neuron outputs to their inputs with tunable real-valued weights. The most resource-demanding operations in realizing such neural networks are the multiplication and accumulate (MAC) operations that compute the dot product be- tween real-valued outputs from neurons and the synapses weights. The efficiency of neural networks can be drastically enhanced if the neuron outputs and/or the weights can be trained to take binary values ±1 only, for which the MAC can be replaced by the simple XOR operations. In this paper, we demonstrate an adiabatic training method that can successfully binarize the dense neural networks and the convolutional neural networks without modification in terms network structure and with very minimal change in training algorithms. This adiabatic training method is tested in the following four tasks: the recognition of hand-writing numbers using a usual dense network, the cat-dog recog- nition and the audio recognition using a convolutional neural networks, the image recognition with 10 classes (CIFAR-10) using ResNet20 and VGG-Small networks. In all tasks, the performance of the binary neural networks trained by the adiabatic method are almost identical to the networks trained using the conventional reLU or Sigmoid activations with real-valued activations and weights. This adiabatic method can be easily applied to binarize different types of networks, and will increase the computational efficiency considerably and greatly simplify the deployment of neural networks.
The Use of the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) for Characterization and Differentiation of Focal Hepatic Lesions in Noncirrhotic Patients.
Authors: Justo Jonatan William Rodrigues , Watte Guilherme , Hochhegger Bruno
Published: May 2021

PURPOSE Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a MRI technique that, although relatively recent, has shown promise for the evaluation of focal hepatic lesions, providing information both on qualitative and quantitative parameters. The present study was designed to analyze the role of DWI, particularly the ADC (apparent diffusion coefficient), in differentiating benign solid liver lesions from malignant ones in a sample of noncirrhotic patients. METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of MRI scans performed at a tertiary hospital in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from 2015 to 2018. The distribution of lesions into benign vs. malignant groups was determined by imaging criteria and/or histological analysis. ADC were obtained for each lesion.RESULTS Overall, 118 focal liver lesions were evaluated, with 78 benign and 40 malignant. The mean ADC value was 1.420×10−3 mm2/s for benign lesions versus 1.130×10−3 mm2/s for malignant lesions (p<0.001). ROC curve analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.79, optimal cutoff point of 1.19×10−3 mm2/s for discriminating between malignant and benign lesions, sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 73.1%.CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate the appropriateness of ADC for characterization of benign solid lesions of the liver and to distinguish these masses from malignant metastatic lesions.
Delayed-onset Fulminant type 1 Diabetes Mellitus after the Discontinuation of Pembrolizumab Immunotherapy: A Case Report
Authors: Kitayama Shohei , Nakata Naokatsu , Iwata Minoru
Published: May 2021

Introduction:Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have become an essential component of several cancer therapies, but the increasing use of such drugs has led to an increasing number of reports on immune-related adverse events (IRAEs). Although type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and its subtype, fulminant T1DM, have been reported as potential IRAEs, the development of these diseases with a delayed onset after the cessation of ICI administration is uncommon. We present the first case of delayed-onset fulminant T1DM precipitated by pembrolizumab, an ICI.Case Presentation:A 75-year-old Japanese man, who received 10 cycles of pembrolizumab as adjuvant chemotherapy for urothelial carcinoma, presented in our emergency department with polyuria and worsening dyspnea nine weeks after the discontinuation of pembrolizumab. The laboratory data showed hyperglycemia (1349 mg/dL), metabolic acidosis, HbA1c 8.1%, and serum β-hydroxybutyrate 13.9 mmol/L. The patient was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). His symptoms improved by intravenous hydration and an insulin drip. Additional workup showed his absence of insulin-secreting capacity and negative for anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody.Conclusions:Fulminant T1DM as an IRAE is an oncologic emergency characterized by abrupt-onset ketoacidosis with severe hyperglycemia. In addition to the potential onset of fulminant T1DM during the course of pembrolizumab treatment, clinicians should consider the possibility of delayed-onset fulminant T1DM with DKA, even after the discontinuation of pembrolizumab.
mapMECFS: a portal to enhance data discovery across biological disciplines and collaborative sites
Authors: Mathur Ravi , Carnes Megan U. , Harding Alexander , Moore Amy , Thomas Ian , Giarrocco Alex , Long Michael , Underwood Marcia , Townsend Christopher , Ruiz-Esparza Roman , Barnette Quinn , Brown Linda Morris , Schu Matthew
Published: May 2021

Background

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease which involves multiple body systems (e.g., immune, nervous, digestive, circulatory) and research domains (e.g., immunology, metabolomics, the gut microbiome, genomics, neurology). Despite several decades of research, there are no established ME/CFS biomarkers available to diagnose and treat ME/CFS. Sharing data and integrating findings across these domains is essential to advance understanding of this complex disease by revealing diagnostic biomarkers and facilitating discovery of novel effective therapies.
Methods

The National Institutes of Health funded the development of a data sharing portal to support collaborative efforts among an initial group of three funded research centers. This was subsequently expanded to include the global ME/CFS research community. Using the open-source comprehensive knowledge archive network (CKAN) framework as the base, the ME/CFS Data Management and Coordinating Center developed targeted metadata collection, smart search capabilities, and domain-agnostic data integration to support data findability and reusability while reducing the barriers to sustainable data sharing.
Results

We designed the mapMECFS data portal to facilitate data sharing and integration by allowing ME/CFS researchers to browse, share, compare, and download molecular datasets from within one data repository. At the time of publication, mapMECFS contains data curated from public data repositories, peer-reviewed publications, and current ME/CFS network researchers.
Conclusions

mapMECFS is a disease-specific data portal to improve data sharing and collaboration among ME/CFS researchers around the world. mapMECFS is accessible to the broader research community with registration. Further development is ongoing to include novel systems biology and data integration methods.
Overlap of functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome by revised Rome IV criteria: meta-analysis
Authors: Maev I. V. , Umyarova R. M. , Andreev D. N. , Vyuchnova E. S. , Lebedeva E. G. , Dicheva D. T. , Borzova D. V.
Published: May 2021

Introduction. Functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) overlap is an adverse clinical situation, as patients with this syndrome have more severe clinical manifestations resulting in significant reductions in quality of life. For now, there are no meta-analytical papers that would summarize the frequency of FD – IBS overlap using the revised Rome IV criteria. Objective. To organize data on the prevalence of FD – IBS overlap using the revised Rome IV criteria.

Materials and methods. A search for studies was conducted in MEDLINE / PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane electronic databases. The search depth was 6 years (from January 2016 to February 2021). The final analysis included original publications from peerreviewed periodicals that used the revised Rome IV criteria as a method for diagnosing FD and IBS in the adult population with detailed descriptive statistics allowing to include resulting data in the meta-analysis.

Results and discussion. The final analysis included 6 studies involving 1,180 patients with PD and 600 patients with IBS. The generalized prevalence of IBS in patients with PD was 41.511% (95% CI: 22.203–62.288). The analysis was undertaken by using a random-effects model, as there was significant heterogeneity among results (p < 0.0001; I2 = 94.28%). The generalized prevalence of PD in patients with IBS was 38.791% (95% CI: 9.438–73.710). The analysis was undertaken by using a random-effects model, as there was significant heterogeneity among results (p < 0.0001; I2 = 99.25%).

Сonclusion. The complete meta-analysis showed that the frequency of FD - IBS overlap using the revised Rome IV criteria is quite high and accounts for about 40%. At the same time, further large studies of more homogeneous structure are needed to verify these results and study the potential pathogenetic relationship between PD and IBS.