bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Association Between Autistic Traits and Serum Testosterone, Oxytocin and Androstenedione Levels in Prepubertal Male Drug Naive Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Artık Abdulbaki , Kültür Sadriye Ebru Çengel , Portakal Oytun , Karaboncuk Arda Yamaç
Published: September 2022

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) might have problems similar to autism spectrum disorders and show impairment in social behaviour. Also, there is a relationship between social relationship skills and ToM (Theory of Mind) skills in children with ADHD. Besides, ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is associated with prenatal exposure to high levels of androgens, and oxytocin plays a role in the modulation of emotions, coping with stress, and social behaviour such as ASD. In this study, the relationship between autistic traits and serum oxytocin, testosterone, and androstenedione levels in prepubertal male drug naive children with ADHD has been investigated. Prepubertal children with ADHD have been included in the study. For the children included in the study, intelligence levels were evaluated with WISC-4 (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-fourth edition) and autistic traits were measured with both social responsiveness scale and theory of mind tests. Serum levels of oxytocin, testosterone, and androstenedione were measured with ELISA (The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay). While serum testosterone of patients with lower autistic traits are significantly lower than those with and severe autistic traits, the serum oxytocin levels are significantly higher. Also, patients with severe autistic traits have significantly higher serum androstenedione levels than those with lower autistic traits and autistic traits. It has been suggested that oxytocin, testosterone, and androstenedione might play roles in impaired social functions such as autistic traits, and this might be related to social relationships and theory of mind skills in patients with ADHD.
IFITM2 is a prognostic in colorectal cancer and promotes progression by activating PI3K/AKT pathway
Authors: liu yonggang , Liang Jiyun , Li Xi , Huang Junyong , Huang Jiangyuan
Published: September 2022

Objective To investigate the expression of IFITM2 in colorectal cancer(CRC) and explore the effect of IFITM2 on proliferation, migration and invasion ability. Methods TCGA database was used to analysis the expression of IFITM2 in colorectal cancer, Western blot was chosen to detect the protein level of IFITM2 in colorectal cancer specimens and cell lines. Univariate and multivariate cox regression were used to analyze the association between IFITM2 and clinicopathological features. Kaplan-Meier Plotter tool was selected to evaluate the prognostic significance of IFITM2 gene expression in the TCGA database. A network comprising 50 most similar genes and IFITM2 was constructed with the STRING database. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using LinkedOmics database. Transient transfection of IFITM2 siRNA and negative control was selected to construct SW480, HCT116 IFITM2 silence cells and control cells. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were selected to observe the effect of IFITM2 on CRC proliferation ability, transwell assays and wound healing assays were used to detect the effect of IFITM2 on CRC cell migration and invasion ability. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used to analyze IFITM2-associated pathways and Western blot was used for further verification. Results IFITM2 was over-expressed in CRC tissues and cells, High IFITM2 expression in CRC was obviously related to N stage, M stage and Pathologic stage. IFITM2 was a significant risk factor influencing the survival of CRC patients. The proliferation ability of SW480 and HCT116 cells was suppressed when IFITM2 was silenced, transwell assays showed IFITM2 silence weaken the migration and invasion ability of CRC cells. GSEA analysis showed IFITM2 was positively related with PI3K/AKT pathway, Western blot results confirmed that IFITM2 could activate PI3K/AKT pathway. Conclusion IFITM2 was over-expressed in colorectal cancer and modulated PI3K/AKT pathway to promote CRC cells proliferation and metastasis.
Stable isotopes suggest a sustained diet shift among ants exposed to drought in a tropical rainforest
Authors: Gely Claire , Laurance Susan G.W. , Blüthgen Nico , Lach Lori , Burwell Chris J. , Liddell Michael J. , Stork Nigel E.
Published: September 2022

With higher frequency and intensity of droughts predicted for many tropical forests, understanding the responses of plants and animals to changed conditions will be increasingly important. Ants are considered ecosystem engineers in tropical rainforests due to their abundance and the diversity of functional roles they perform. Diets of rainforest ants can range from purely carnivorous, to mostly plant-based, with stable isotopes now being used to distinguish these differences. We sampled ant communities in a lowland rainforest in an insitu drought experiment and compared diets using stable isotope analyses. We found that 14 of the 18 species sampled had higher δ15N levels in the drought experiment. Importantly, the two most common species in the region showed a significant effect of the drought experiment on δ15N, which was similar to the dry season response in the control plot. There was no detectable difference of the experiment for ant δ13C values. The observed changes in ants δ15N in response to drought may be caused by ants shifting to a more predatory diet, or a drought-induced shift in δ15N in plants for which we did not test. Further analysis of changes in δ15N in plants with drought is required to determine if one or both factors are involved. Since ants are a dominant force in rainforests, trophic shifts may have broad implications for the impact of climate change on species interactions and food webs.
Assessing Alternatives to Locomotion Scoring for Detecting Lameness in Dairy Cattle in Tanzania: Infrared Thermography
Authors: Werema Chacha Wambura , Laven Linda J. , Mueller Kristina R. , Laven Richard A.
Published: September 2022

Lameness detection is a significant challenge. Locomotion scoring (LS), the most widely used system for detecting lameness, has several limitations, including its subjective nature and the existence of multiple systems, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate whether foot skin temperature (FST) of hind limbs, as measured using infrared thermography (IRT), could potentially be used as an alternative on Tanzanian dairy farms. Each of the three study farms were visited twice during the afternoon milking on consecutive days. DairyNZ LS (4-point scale (0–3) was undertaken on the first day as the cows exited the milking parlour after being milked, while on the following day, the plantar aspect of the hind limbs of the cows was thermally imaged while they were standing in the milking parlour, using a handheld T650sc forward-looking infrared camera. Mean FST was higher for cows with a locomotion score of 1 than those with a score of 0, higher for cows with a locomotion score of 2 than those with a score of 1, and higher for cows with a locomotion score of 3 than those with a score of 2, with each one-unit locomotion score increase being associated with a 0.57°C increase in mean temperature across all zones. The optimal cut-off point of 38.0°C for mean temperature across all zones was identified using a receiver operator characteristic curve. This cut-off point had a sensitivity of 73.2% and a specificity of 86.0% for distinguishing cows with a locomotion score ≥ 2 (clinical lameness). The prevalence of clinical lameness across all three farms was 33%, which meant that only 72% of cows with a mean FST across all zones ≥ 38.0°C had been identified as clinically lame using LS. This study confirmed that IRT has the potential to be used to detect lameness on Tanzanian dairy farms. However, before it can be widely used, improvements in accuracy, especially specificity, are needed, as are reductions in equipment (IR camera) costs.
Novel Rapid Method for Identifying and Quantifying Pathogenic Bacteria within Four Hours of Blood Collection
Authors: Miyakoshi Akio , Niimi Hideki , Ueno Tomohiro , Wakasugi Masahiro , Higashi Yoshitsugu , Miyajima Yuki , Mori Masashi , Tabata Homare , Minami Hiroshi , Takaoka Akinori , Hayashi Atsushi , Yamamoto Yoshihiro , Kitajima Isao
Published: September 2022

Sepsis is life-threatening organ dysfunction and is considered a major cause of health loss. However, since the current biomarkers of sepsis reflect the host's immune response to microorganisms, they would inevitably cause a time-lag. This means that there is still no truly reliable biomarker of sepsis. In the present study, we developed a novel method for identifying and quantifying unknown pathogenic bacteria within four hours of sample collection. The most important point of this study is that the novel method can be used to determine the number of bacteria in a sample as a novel biomarker of infectious diseases. Indeed, based on the number of bacteria, we were able to accurately estimate the severity of microbial infection. Furthermore, using the time-dependent changes in the number of bacteria, we were able to monitor the therapeutic effect accurately. The rapid identification and quantification of bacteria may change our approach to medical care.
A Two-way Comparison of Whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MRI for Distant Metastasis in Patients with Malignant Tumors: A Meta-analysis
Authors: zhang cici , liang zhishan , liu wei , zeng xuwen , mo yuzhen
Published: September 2022

Background
As an evolving imaging modality, whole-body fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) and 18F-FDG PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) had been preliminarily applied in clinical practice. However, PET/MRI may be superior to 18F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of distant metastasis. Therefore, it is timely and important to systematically determine the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG-PET/MRI compared with that of 18F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of distant metastasis.
Methods
The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of PET/CT and PET/MRI for the diagnosis of distant metastasis in patients with malignant tumors. Relevant studies using 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MRI for assessment of distant metastasis in the same patients with malignant tumors were systematically identified using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library until March 2021. Two reviewers independently selected studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A reviewer extracted relevant data and assessed the quality of the eligible studies. The pooled sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) for 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MRI were analyzed. Subgroup analysis was performed.
Results
Across 14 studies (919 patients), 18F-FDG PET/MRI had a higher Se (0.87 versus 0.83), Sp (0.96 versus 0.95), and SROC value (0.97 versus 0.974) than PET/CT for detecting distant metastasis. In the 3 studies of distant metastasis of breast cancer (182 patients), 18F-FDG PET/MRI had a higher Se (0.95 versus 0.87) and Sp (0.96 versus 0.94) than PET/CT. In the 4 studies of lung cancer (311 patients), 18F-FDG PET/MRI had a similar Se (0.92 versus 0.92) and Sp (0.95 versus 0.95) to PET/CT.
Conclusions
In general, PET/MRI had higher diagnostic accuracy than 18F-FDG PET/CT for assessing distant metastasis in patients with various tumors and breast cancer. 18F-FDG PET/MRI and PET/CT both performed well in the diagnosis of distant metastasis in patients with lung cancer.
CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutations in both a cAMP response element and an ETS-binding site suppress FLT1 gene expression
Authors: Sasagawa Tadashi , Nagamatsu Takeshi , Shibuya Masabumi
Published: September 2022

The Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (FLT1) gene is expressed in various types of cells, including vascular endothelial cells and placental trophoblasts, and regulates angiogenesis, inflammation, and pregnancy. However, the basal transcriptional machinery of FLT1 is still not well understood. In this study, we first examined FLT1 promoter activity in three different types of cells, that is, trophoblast-derived cells, vascular endothelial-related cells, and HEK293 cells, using plasmid-based luciferase reporter assays, and showed that a cAMP-response element (CRE) and an ETS-binding site (EBS) are important for FLT1 expression in all cell types. To further examine the importance of these sites at the chromosomal level using HEK293 cells, we introduced CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutations in these sites on the genomic DNA. HEK293 cells carrying these mutations clearly showed a significant decrease in endogenous FLT1 gene expression. These results strongly suggest that CRE and EBS transcription regulatory elements are crucial for FLT1 gene expression in human tissues.
Determination of heavy metals and human health risk assessment in bottled water in Morocco
Authors: Ghalit Mohammad , Gharibi El Khadir , Bouaissa Mohamed , Taupin Jean-Denis
Published: September 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Epidemiological profile of cancer breast and cervical cancer-related mortality from 2010 to 2020 in Brazil
Authors: de Morais Thiffany Nayara Bento , Costa Ketyllem Tayanne da Silva , Capistrano Gustavo Nepomuceno , Leal Maryanna Damasceno , de Andrade Fábia Barbosa
Published: September 2022

Background: There are several types of cancer that can affect different organs of the body, however, the one that most affects the female population worldwide and in Brazil is breast cancer. For this reason, it is necessary to conduct a study to evaluate the epidemiological behavior of breast and cervical cancer mortality for the years 2009-2021 in Brazil.
Methods: The study in question is an ecological research of time series, carried out through data obtained from secondary sources. It is a research of Brazilian origin and its main approach is the number of deaths from 2009 to 2021 due to breast and cervical cancer, this being the dependent variable of the research. In addition, independent variables were also collected from DataSUS. The data was analyzed using the Join Point open source software version.
Results: The results obtained indicate that cervical and breast cancers show a growth behavior in the period analyzed (2010-2020), although each region of Brazil has variations in certain periods. It is possible to observe that Brazil presents a linear growth curve, with a tendency to stabilize as of 2018 in both types of cancer. However, the Midwest region of Brazil shows a decreasing behavior between 2010 and 2012 in cervical cancer. The South region most closely resembles the graphical behavior of the country when looking at cervical cancer rates over the period studied (about 2.5 to 3.5 cases per 100,000 population). However, breast cancer rates are higher than those in Brazil (about 85 to 113 cases per 100,000 population) and have a perspective of gradual growth.
Conclusions: Therefore, the two types of cancer studied cover the entire Brazilian territory, with a tendency to increase each year in the mortality rate, indicating that investments are not enough to control these data, since it is known that both types of cancer have a high chance when they present an effective and early investigation.
The Impact of Comorbidities, Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio, and Adverse Events on Quality of Life in Lung Cancer Patients Receiving EGFR-TKI Therapy
Authors: Chen Jung-Yueh , Liang Sheng-Kai , Chuang Tzu-Yi , Chu Chia-Yu , Tu Chia-Hung , Yeh Yu-Jo , Wei Yu-Feng , Chen Kuan-Yu
Published: September 2022

Background
Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are used as the standard first-line treatment for patients with advanced EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the impact of clinical factors, including comorbidities and treatment-related adverse events (AEs), on quality of life (QoL) was seldom investigated.
Objective
We aimed to investigate the association of comorbidities, AEs, and QoL in treatment-naïve advanced NSCLC patients receiving EGFR-TKI treatments.
Methods
A multi-center prospective observational study was conducted to evaluate QoL and AEs at baseline, the 2nd, 4th, 12th, and 24th week. Clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and pre-treatment laboratory data were recorded. QoL was assessed by using the summary score of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the dermatology life quality index. The impact of comorbidities, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and AEs on QoL was analyzed by generalized estimating equations.
Results
A total of 121 patients were enrolled. Diarrhea (p = 0.033), anorexia (p < 0.001), and NLR ≥ 4 (p = 0.017) were significantly associated with a QoL impairment. Among skin toxicities, acneiform rash (p = 0.002), pruritus (p = 0.002), visual analogue scale for pruritus (≥ 3 and < 7, p = 0.006; ≥7, p = 0.001) and pain (1–3, p = 0.041) were associated with a QoL impairment. No significant association was found between comorbidities and QoL changes.
Conclusion
Diarrhea, anorexia, skin pain, and pruritus may cause a deterioration in QoL. NLR may be a potential predictive factor for QoL impairment. Aggressive management and close monitoring are crucial to improve QoL in patients receiving EGFR-TKI therapy.
Multi-level Manifestations of Sexual Stigma among Men with Same-Gender Sexual Experience in Ghana
Authors: Saalim Khalida , Adu Prince , Amoh-Otu Richard Panix , Akrong Ransford , Abu-Ba’are Gamji Rabiu , Stockton Melissa A. , Vormawor Richard , Torpey Kwasi , Nyblade Laura , Nelson LaRon E.
Published: September 2022

Sexual stigma and discrimination toward men who have same-gender sexual experiences are present across the globe. In Ghana, same-gender sexual desires and relationships are stigmatized, and the stigma is sanctioned through both social and legal processes. Such stigma negatively influences health and other material and social aspects of daily life for men who have sex with men (MSM). However, there is evidence that stigma at the interpersonal level can intersect with stigma that may be operating simultaneously at other levels. Few studies provide a comprehensive qualitative assessment of the multi-level sexual stigma derived from the direct narratives of men with same-gender sexual experience. To help fill this gap on sexual stigma, we qualitatively investigated (1) what was the range of sexual stigma manifestations, and (2) how sexual stigma manifestations were distributed across socioecological levels in a sample of Ghanaian MSM. From March to September 2020, we conducted eight focus group discussions (FGDs) with MSM about their experiences with stigma from Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. Data from the FGDs were subjected to qualitative content analysis. We identified a range of eight manifestations of sexual stigma: (1) gossiping and outing; (2) verbal abuse and intrusive questioning; (3) non-verbal judgmental gestures; (4) societal, cultural, and religious blaming and shaming; (5) physical abuse; (6) poor-quality services; (7) living in constant fear and stigma avoidance; and (8) internal ambivalence and guilt about sexual behavior. Sexual stigma manifestations were unevenly distributed across socioecological levels. Our findings are consistent with those of existing literature documenting that, across Africa, and particularly in Ghana, national laws and religious institutions continue to drive stigma against MSM. Fundamental anti-homosexual sentiments along with beliefs associating homosexuality with foreign cultures and immorality drive the stigmatization of MSM. Stigma experienced at all socioecological levels has been shown to impact both the mental and sexual health of MSM. Deeper analysis is needed to understand more of the lived stigma experiences of MSM to develop appropriate stigma-reduction interventions. Additionally, more community-level stigma research and interventions are needed that focus on the role of family and peers in stigma toward MSM in Ghana.
Propolis controlled delivery systems for oral therapeutics in dental medicine: A systematic review
Authors: Barboza Andressa da Silva , Ribeiro Juliana Silva , Ferreira Monika Lamas , Peña Carla Lucía David , Costa Juliê Silveira da , Fajardo André Ricardo , Lund Rafael Guerra
Published: September 2022

This systematic review covers the existing evidence in the literature regarding the association of propolis with controlled delivery systems (DDS) and its potential therapeutic action in dental medicine. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Two independent reviewers performed a literature search up to 15th January 2022 in five databases: PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Embase, to identify the eligible studies. Clinical,in situ, andin vitrostudies that investigated the incorporation of propolis as the main agent in DDS for dental medicine were included in this study. Conversly, review articles, clinical cases, theses, dissertations, abstracts at congresses, and studies that had no application in dentistry were excluded. After examining carefully 55 full-text articles, 11in vitrostudies, 1 animal model, and 1in vivoandin vitrostudy were included (n = 13). Relevant data were extracted from the included studies and analyzed qualitatively. The use of propolis has been reported in cariology, endodontics periodontics, and implantology. Propolis has shown non-cytotoxic, osteoinductive, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, propolis can readly be released from DDS for prolonged periods, having potential biocompatibility, safety, and potential advantage for applications in dental medicine.
Triterpenoids alleviate DSS-induced colitis by inhibiting Th17 cell differentiation
Authors: Bian Yong , Li Jin , Miao Rong , Wang Wei , Shi Jianxin , Shi Le , Liang Tao , Zhang Yifan , Yu Yun , Yuan Dongping
Published: September 2022

Demethylzeylasteral (Dem), the key component of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, has been considered to be a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of rheumatic diseases. In this study, a mouse colitis model induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was constructed to clarify the role of Dem in the inflammatory bowel model (IBD). Our results showed that Dem attenuates symptoms of IBD in mice, as evidenced by shortened colon length and weight loss, accompanied by a decrease in the proportion of Th17 cells. Moreover, Dem was shown to inhibit the activation of JAK2 and STAT3. In the IBD mouse model, we used siRNAs targeting either JAK2 or STAT3 to explain the anti-inflammatory effect of Dem. Knockdown of either JAK2 or STAT3 abolished the Th17 inhibition of Dem in vitro. Studies have found that Dem has a significant therapeutic effect on CIA by inhibiting the proliferation and activation of Th17 cells, which further verifies the anti-inflammatory mechanism of Dem. These results suggest that Dem exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the differentiation and activation of Th17 cells. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway. Our study will provide a theoretical basis for the application of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F.
10-year Trends in Diagnostic Stability and Distribution among Psychiatric Inpatients in a General Hospital in China: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Liu Furu , Gao Menghui , Wu Qiongqiong , Yan Meiqi , Wu Renrong
Published: September 2022

Background: Diagnoses of mental disorders are complex and their validity is realized by diagnostic stabilities. We aimed to evaluate the short-term and long-term stability of mental disorders diagnosed over the past decade in the psychiatry department of a general hospital, determine factors associated with consistency, and assess the distribution of diseases in the sample.
Methods: A total of 20,359 psychiatric inpatients were included in this retrospective study from June 2011 to December 2020. The short-term diagnostic consistency was evaluated by comparing their first admission and discharge diagnoses. Readmission patients' first and last discharge diagnoses were also compared to analyze the relatively long-term diagnostic stability. Demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed to identify predictors of diagnostic discrepancy during hospitalization.
Results: From 2011-2020, for all psychiatric inpatients, the average length of stay decreased from 22 days to 17 days. The hospitalization rate decreased from 42.4% to 20.7% for schizophrenia and grew from 13.8% to 25.5% for depression. Diagnoses were retained by 92.6% of patients at their first discharge diagnosis, ranging from 100% for disorders of psychological development to 16.3% for unspecified mental disorders. Above one-third of diagnostic conversions were to bipolar disorder in patients having inconsistent diagnoses. However, among rehospitalizations, the diagnostic stability notably dropped to 71.3%. For rehospitalizations, mood disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders were relatively stable diagnoses categories, with 72.7%-76.7% of patients receiving the same diagnosis, although results of specified diagnoses within these categories ranged from 5.9% to 91%. Except for mood disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, the diagnoses of all other categories were below 70%. Besides, long lengths of hospitalization and old age were associated with the diagnosis alterations.
Conclusion: For first hospitalizations, even though the diagnosis was stable in the short term, longitudinal follow-up and integration of multiple aspects of information are essential for accurate diagnosis.
Accurate prediction of RNA secondary structure including pseudoknots through solving minimum-cost flow with learned potentials
Authors: Gong Tiansu , Ju Fusong , Bu Dongbo
Published: September 2022

Pseudoknots are key structure motifs of RNA and pseudoknotted RNAs play important roles in a variety of biological processes. Here, we present KnotFold, an accurate approach to the prediction of RNA secondary structure including pseudoknots. The key elements of KnotFold include a learned potential function and a minimum-cost flow algorithm to find the secondary structure with the lowest potential. KnotFold learns the potential from the RNAs with known structures using a self-attention-based neural network, thus avoiding the inaccuracy of hand-crafted energy functions.
The specially-designed minimum-cost flow algorithm used by KnotFold considers all possible combinations of base pairs and selects from them the optimal combination. The algorithm breaks the restriction of nested base pairs required by the widely-used dynamic programming algorithms, thus facilitating the identification of pseudoknots.
Using a total of 1605 RNAs as representatives, we demonstrate the successful application of KnotFold in predicting RNA secondary structures including pseudoknots with accuracy significantly higher than the state-of-the-art approaches.
We anticipate that KnotFold, with its superior accuracy, will greatly facilitate the understanding of RNA structures and functionalities.
A dynamical system based on projection operator for solving absolute value equations associated with second-order cone
Authors: Chen Cairong , Yu Dongmei , Han Deren , Ma Changfeng
Published: September 2022

A new equivalent reformulation of the absolute value equations associated with second-order cone (SOCAVEs) is emphasised, from which a dynamical system based on projection operator for solving SOCAVEs is constructed. Under mild conditions, it is proved that the equilibrium points of the dynamical system exist and could be (globally) asymptotically stable. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by some numerical simulations.
Evaluation of Groundwater Quality Using Water Quality Index and GIS, The Case of Debre Tabor Town, Ethiopia
Authors: Tasew Adugnaw Shega , Berihune Zigiybel Firiew
Published: September 2022

Assessing the quality of groundwater for better management of the water sources is essential. This study is aimed at evaluating the groundwater quality of Debre Tabor town. Twelve groundwater samples were collected at hand dung wells during the wet season (Mid July-Mid August 2020) and dry season (1st February –Mid-March 2021). Various Physico-chemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), Total dissolved solids (TDS), Temperature, Turbidity, Calcium (Ca2+), Magnesium (Mg2+), Chloride (Cl−), Nitrate (No3−), and microbiological parameters (Total coliform and Feacal coliform)) were analyzed and compared with the standard guidelines recommended by WHO. GIS was used to show the distribution of groundwater quality throughout the study area. WQI created by Canadian Council of Minster of the Environment (CCME) was applied to evaluate the suitability of the groundwater for drinking purposes. Also, the result shows that total coliform and faecal coliform at all groundwater wells were not suitable for drinking purpose. The result shows that Electrical conductivity, Temperature, Nitrate, Chloride and Magnesium at all groundwater wells were suitable for drinking purpose for both dry and wet season whereas Turbidity, pH, Calcium and Total Dissolved Solids are suitable for drinking purpose at some groundwater wells but not suitable at some wells. The water quality analysis result shows that spatial and seasonal variations of the parameters are significant throughout the study area(p < 0.05). According to CCMEWQI result seven groundwater samples show poor water quality status of 40.53-44 while, five groundwater samples show marginal water quality status of 44.19–55.82. Based on the information provided by the study, it is recommended to identify the source of contamination, provide properly designed sanitation systems and to monitor water quality at least once per year for effective and proper management of the groundwater quality.
Temporal trend of sediment accumulation in the Xuan Thuy Natural Wetland Reserve (Ba Lat coastal area of the Red River) and prediction on the future coastal wetland development
Authors: Dung Buidac , Thang Duongduc , Hau Doanthuy , Trang Nguyenhuyen , Cuong Ledinh , Khanh Nguyenvan , Thang Duongvan , Nam Phamtuan , Bac Vuongthu , Ha Nguyenthithu
Published: September 2022

An important task for future planning and management is predicting how the coastal wetland will develop. In order to calculate the rates of sediment accumulation, five sediment cores A, B, C, D, and E were taken from the Xuan Thuy National Park. Results show that the wetland experienced two to three sedimentation periods of different sedimentation rates in the last 100 years. At the core A site, the sedimentation rate has decreased over the past 40 years from1.70 ± 0.18 to 0.77 ± 0.11 cm year‑1. For the past 20 years, the average sedimentation rates at sites B, C, D, and E have been 1.53 ± 0.18, 1.80 ± 0.32, 2.02 ± 0.22, and 2.03 ± 0.25 cm year‑1, respectively. According to the recent temporal trend of sedimentation, it is predicted that in about 35 (±10) years from now, site A will be no longer receiving sediment from the tidal creeks and will be lying above the high tidal water level. Site B, D, and E will be lying above the high tidal water level in about 75 (± 10) years. In about 80 (± 15) years, the Tra tributary riverwill be filled up with sediment and become a swamp like today site B, D and E.
Single-Time-Point Dosimetry Using Model Selection and Non-Linear Mixed-Effects Modelling
Authors: Hardiansyah Deni , Riana Ade , Beer Ambros J. , Glatting Gerhard
Published: September 2022

Note: Please see pdf for full abstract with equations.
Purpose
This project aims to develop and evaluate a method for accurately determining time-integrated activities (TIAs) in single-time-point (STP) dosimetry for molecular radiotherapy (MRT). It performs a Model Selection (MS) within the framework of the Non-Linear Mixed-Effects (NLME) model (MS-NLME).
Methods
Biokinetic data of 111 In-DOTATATE in kidneys at T1=(2.9±0.6) h, T2=(4.6±0.4) h, T3=(22.8±1.6) h, T4=(46.7±1.7) h, and T5=(70.9±1.0) h post injection were obtained from eight patients using planar imaging. Eleven functions were derived from various parameterisations of mono-, bi-, and tri-exponential functions. The functions' fixed and random effects parameters were fitted simultaneously (in the NLME framework) to the biokinetic data of all patients. The Akaike weights were used to select the fit function most supported by the data. The relative deviations (RD) and the Root-Mean-Squared Error (RMSE) of the calculated TIAs for the STP dosimetry at T3=(22.8±1.6) h and T4=(46.7±1.7) h p.i. were determined using the best model of the MS-NLME (TIA MS-NLME ) and the bi-exponential function from the literature (TIA LIT ).
Results
The function [[EQUATION]] was selected as the function most supported by the data with an Akaike weight of (39±6) %. RD and RMSE values show that the MS-NLME method has a better performance than the bi-exponential function from the literature. The RMSEs of TIA NLME-PBMS and TIA LIT were 7.8% and 10.9% (for STP at T3), and 4.9% and 10.7% (for STP at T4), respectively.
Conclusion
An MS-NLME method was developed to determine the best fit function for calculating TIAs in STP dosimetry for a given radiopharmaceutical, organ and patient population. This STP dosimetry based on the MS-NLME method performs better than the STP dosimetry based on the NLME method using the bi-exponential function reported in the literature.
Identification of hub genes and pathways associated with abdominal subcutaneous fat deposition in pig using a comprehensive bioinformatics strategy
Authors: Yang Yongli , Wang Xiaoyi , Li Mingli , Wang Huiyu , Chen Qiang , Lu Shaoxiong
Published: September 2022

Background
Abdominal subcutaneous fat deposition (ASFD) is not only related to meat quality in pig industry, but also to human health in medicine. It is of great value to elucidate the potential molecular mechanisms of ASFD. However, the molecular mechanisms of ASFD are still unclear. The present study aims to identify hub genes and key pathways correlated with ASFD using porcine mature adipocytes (MAs).
Results
Totals of 565 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between three obese and three lean pigs, and these DEGs were mainly involved in p53 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway and fatty acid metabolism. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network including 540 nodes and 1065 edges was constructed, and top ten genes with the highest degree scores were identified as hub genes (ABL1, HDAC1, CDC42, HDAC2, MRPS5, MRPS10, MDM2, JUP, RPL7L1, and UQCRFS1) in the whole PPI network. A miRNA-hub gene network including 563 miRNAs and ten hub genes was established, and three genes with more links including MDM2, HDAC2 and CDC42 were identified as key genes in miRNA-gene regulatory network.
Conclusions
The present study identified some hub genes and key pathways associated with ASFD by a comprehensive analysis, which provided some novel insights into the molecular mechanism involved in ASFD.
Prolongation of seed viability and grain quality in rice by editing OsLOX1 using CRISPR/Cas9
Authors: Chen Yaping , Zhang Ping , Tong Qikai , Zhu Ziyan , Ma Tengfei , Wang Ping , Fu Kai , Chen Cheng , Mou Changling , Huang Yunshuai , Zhang Fulin , Hao Qixian , Zhang Min , Liu Shijia , Jiang Ling , Wan Jianmin
Published: September 2022

Storage tolerance is an important agronomic character in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Lipoxygenase (LOX) is a key enzyme in lipid metabolism, and its activity directly affects the rate of aging in rice. Here, lipoxygenase gene OsLOX1 was edited by CRISPR/Cas9 in Ningjing 4. We found that OsLOX1 knock-out can delay seed vigor loss, lipid metabolism and quality deterioration after aging. In addition, combining the transcriptome analysis, we could conclude that OsLOX1 affected the transcription of multiple genes during storage, and was involved in seed storage tolerance by regulating lipid metabolism and antioxidant pathways such as phosphatase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. By knocking out LOX1 gene, a new rice material with high vigor and no exogenous vector skeleton was bred to improve the storage tolerance of seeds and provide material support for rice breeding in China.
Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Sunscreen: Potential Impact on Cytokine Expression in Human Skin Pre- and Post-UVB Exposure
Authors: Ailawadi Shaina , Talreja Raghav , Panstingel Nicole , Sulentic Courtney
Published: September 2022

Background
Nanoparticles have been widely used in sunscreen products to prevent UVB-mediated skin damage. Research has shown that ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles effectively scatter, reflect, and absorb light in the UV range. However, little is known regarding the impact of nanoparticle and UVB exposure on cytokine expression. This study investigates the influence of ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles on the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in human skin exposed to UVB radiation.
Methods
De-identified, discarded skin from three abdominoplasty surgeries were exposed to UVB with or without the application of ZnO or TiO2 nanoparticles. Samples were analyzed using a BioRad Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine 27-plex Assay to determine cytokine levels of various pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Results
UVB exposure or application of ZnO or TiO2 nanoparticles had very little effect on cytokine levels compared to the no treatment control when evaluated 24 hrs after exposure. However, application of TiO2 following UVB exposure resulted in increased cytokine levels for nearly all the cytokines evaluated. This effect was absent when a combination of ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles were applied. Interestingly, pre-, and post-UVB application of ZnO or a combination of ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles decreased IL-6 levels or IL-6 and IL-8 levels, respectively.
Discussion
These results suggest a potential for nanoparticle sunscreen to enhance or reduce the inflammatory response in skin depending on conditions of UVB exposure and the nanoparticle composition and how it is applied. Further studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of using nanoparticle sunscreens are warranted.
Electrochemical Monitoring of Trace-level Mercury in water sample using ZnO/GCE Modified Electrode
Authors: Bakhsh Hadi , Batool Madeeha , Mallah Arfana , Hassan Syeda Sara , Buledi Jamil A. , Solangi Amber R. , Sherazi Syed Tufail.H
Published: September 2022

Modification of glassy carbon electrode to electrochemically determine metal ions in water samples is of great interest these days. In this research, modified ZnO/GCE has been used to electrochemically sense mercury, which is toxic and harmful to human and aquatic life. ZnO NPs were synthesized by chemical aqueous growth procedure. Characteristic size and shape of ZnO NPs were determined by XRD and TEM whereas their elemental composition and functional group study were measured by EDX and FTIR, respectively. ZnO NPs were fabricated over GCE and electrochemical performance of modified ZnO/GCE was checked by employing cyclic voltammetry. The GCE fabricated with ZnO NPs was used to determine Hg (II) ions as a pollutant in real samples of water collected from Larkana district, Sindh, Pakistan. The linear dynamic range for mercury was found to be 1–80 µM with LOD and LOQ calculated as 0.001 µM .003 µM, respectively. The recovery percentage was obtained as; lowest 95% and highest 99% for canal water sample, while it was 92.5 to 100.2% for the samples ground water. The obtained results showed that the modified electrochemical sensor was stable for the selective detection of mercury ions even at low concentration.
Solvothermal synthesis, crystal structure and properties of selenidostannate containing zero-dimensional cluster structure
Authors: Jia Guo-Xin , Jiang Qi-Qi , Baiyin Menghe , Teri Gele
Published: September 2022

New selenidostannate compound [Ni(tren)(en)]SnSe3∙H2O (1) have been solvothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 1 consists of a transition metal complex [Ni(tren)(en)]2+, dimer [Sn2Se6]4−, and water molecules. The compound 1 is combination of metal complex and dimer that form unique zero-dimensional (0-D) structure. In this work, the photocurrent response was studied, and the results showed that compound 1 have good photocurrent response performance that higher photoelectron transfer efficiency and photoelectron hole pair separation efficiency. In addition, the optical properties, thermal stability and infrared spectra of the compound 1 was also studied.
A Janus Textile Capable of Radiative Subambient Cooling and Warming for Personal Thermal Management in Harsh Climates
Authors: Li Keqiao , Li Meng , Lin Chongjia , Liu Gongze , Li Yang , Huang Baoling
Published: September 2022

Textiles with radiative cooling/warming capabilities provide a green and effective solution to personal thermal comfort in different climate scenarios. However, developing multiple-mode textiles for wearing in harsh climates with large temperature variation remains a challenge. Here we report a Janus textile comprising a polyethersulfone (PES)-Al2O3cooling layer optically coupled with a Ti3C2Txwarming layer, which can realize sub-ambient radiative cooling, solar warming and active Joule heating. Owing to the intrinsically high refractive index of PES and the rational design of the fiber topology, the nanocomposite PES textile features a record high solar reflectance of 0.97. Accompanied by an infrared emittance of 0.91 in the atmospheric window, sub-ambient cooling of 0.5-2.5 °C was achieved near noontime in humid summer under ~1000 W m-2solar irradiation in Hong Kong. The simulated skin covered with the textile was ~10 °C cooler than that with white cotton. The Ti3C2Txlayer provides a high solar-thermal efficiency of ~80% and a Joule heating flux of 66 W m-2at 2V due to its excellent spectral selectivity and electrical conductivity. The switchable multiple working modes enable effective and adaptive personal thermal management in different harsh environments.
Preoperative psychological competitive ability is associated with emotional states six months after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with hamstring autograft
Authors: Sengoku Takuya , Nakase Junsuke , Yoshimizu Rikuto , Kimura Mitsuhiro , Kanayama Tomoyuki , Kitaoka Katsuhiko , Tsuchiya Hiroyuki
Published: September 2022

Psychological state has been reported as one of the factors strongly related to return to sports after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. However, its relationship with the emotional state remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether the preoperative psychological competitive ability is related to emotional states preoperatively and six months after ACL reconstruction. Patients who regularly performed sports activities and who underwent ACL reconstruction were divided into two groups according to the Diagnostic Inventory of Psychological Competitive Ability for Athletes (DIPCA.3) score. The emotional states preoperatively and at six months postoperatively were assessed using the Profile of Mood States, 2nd Edition (POMS2) and compared between the groups. Eighty-four patients were included and divided into high (DIPCA.3 score of 4 or higher, n = 23) and low (DIPCA.3 less than 4, n = 61) groups. Vigour-activity and friendliness were significantly higher in the high group than in the low group preoperatively. The difference was even greater at six months after ACL reconstruction. In addition, the high group showed statistically better results postoperatively for fatigue-inertia and total mood disturbance. Athletes with higher psychological competitive ability were in a positive emotional state preoperatively and six months after ACL reconstruction.
Current Control of EAST Fast Control Power Supply Based on BP Neuron Network Predictive PI
Authors: Chen Zhao , Huang Haihong , Wang Haixin
Published: September 2022

The dynamic response speed of output current is one of the most important performance indexes of EAST fast control power supply. To further improve the response speed of output current, a predictive PI control algorithm of BP neural network is proposed to overcome the shortcomings of large computation and slow convergence in traditional BP neural network. A branch current prediction model of EAST fast control power supply is established. Based on linear PI control, the BP neural network structure is combined, and the current prediction model is used as the adaptive objective function. To simplify the calculation process of the processor and speed up the convergence rate, a piecewise linear activation function is adopted. The learning rate of BP neural network structure and the activation function factor of the output layer are adjusted in real time according to the error between the predicted current and the reference signal. The online predictive adaptive setting of PI control parameters is realized by the steepest gradient descent method. Simulation and experiments results show that the proposed control algorithm has faster dynamic response speed than the traditional PI control.
Integrating untargeted and targeted metabolomics coupled with pathway analysis reveals muscle disorder in osteoporosis on orchiectomized mice
Authors: Ge Fei , Che Yanting , Wei Ziheng , Zheng Xiangtai , Sun Xiaodong , Qian Qingqing , Song Jinfei , Chen Junjie , Ding Gangyi , Zhao Hongxia , Wu Si , Dong Xin
Published: September 2022

Most osteoporosis (OP) fracture accidents in men are not only due to low BMD but also because of unhealthy muscle support. However, it has been a limited number of reports about how muscle metabolism is disturbed by OP in male patients. In this work, pathway analysis based on metabolomic research was carried out to fill this gap. Classical orchiectomy procedure was adapted to create OP animal model. Micro-CT and pathological section were applied for bone and muscle phenotype assessment and pathology analysis. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS were applied to measure metabolites in skeletal muscle samples among groups. In total, 31 significantly differential metabolites were detected by comparing between healthy model and OP animals, and 7 representative metabolites among the 31 significantly differential metabolites were identified and validated experimentally by UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS (xanthine, L-phenylalanine, choline, hypoxanthine, L-tryptophan, succinic acid, and L-tyrosine). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis analysis revealed significantly enriched pathways involved in inflammatory, oxidative stress, and necrosis. To our best knowledge, this is the first study that investigated early muscle disorder processes in OP cases at metabolic level, which facilitate early intervention and protection from OP fracture for aged men.
Endophenotype-based polygenic risk scores: Prediction of biomarker and clinical progression and dementia
Authors: Chasioti Danai , Jacobson Tanner , Nho Kwangsik , Risacher Shannon L. , Gao Sujuan , Yan Jingwen , Saykin Andrew J.
Published: September 2022

BACKGROUND: Biomarkers provide a framework for a biological diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) whereas polygenic risk scores (PRS) provide method to estimate genetic risk. We derive biomarker-based PRS by incorporating endophenotype genetic risk relevant to amyloid, tau, neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular (A/T/N/V) pathology. METHODS: Endophenotype-PRSs (PRSA, PRST, PRSN, PRSV) and combined-PRSs (PRSAT, PRSATNV) were generated using the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data. Prediction performance of the PRSs was assessed in terms of dementia risk, age at onset (AAO) and longitudinal change of 14 important AD biomarkers. RESULTS: PRSAand PRSTexplained more amyloid and tau variability than combined PRSs (CSF-amyloid: R2PRSA= 9.22%; CSF-tau: R2PRST= 6.37%; CSF-ptau: R2PRST= 7.10%). Combined-PRSs explained more neurodegeneration-related variability (R2PRSATNVrange: 1.22%-4.20%) and were strong predictors of dementia risk (HR and OR p-value<8.3e-03) and AAO (AAO(predicted_vs_observed): rAT=0.76). CONCLUSIONS: PRSAand PRSTare AD-specific, while combined-PRSs are linked to neurodegeneration in general. Biomarker-derived PRSs provide mechanistic insights beyond aggregate disease susceptibility, supporting development of precision medicine for dementia.