bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimized Channel Decision & Secure Data Transmission for Health Monitoring Using Wireless Body Area Network Through Cognitive Controller
Authors: Rajaguru R. , Devi K. Vimala , Marichamy P.
Published: August 2021

Remote monitoring system has been applied in different applications such as agriculture, industrial automation, defence, telecommunication and health care. In health care applications, wireless networks get the impact with Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN). WBAN is helpful in monitoring patients’ health and it also possesses secure transmission and access control mechanism with different sensors. WBAN monitors the patient’s health and transfers the information to data pool without influencing patient’s daily routine activities. Further, the health report data are sent to the doctor over the network from the place of the patient without any data loss and delay. Due to increasing usage of wireless services, the available networks have been congested with heavy traffic which leads to miscommunication and delay. To overcome this scenario, solution has been proposed with help of Cognitive Radio Networks (CRN). Collected information are transferred to cognitive controller which acts as central node. Cognitive controller selects the channel to transfer the information with QoS as well as without any delay. Based on the input parameters, the channel selection process is optimized and it will also improve the system performance with secure transmissions. Using Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) optimizing, the channel selection process has been carried out and it also provides more accurate solution to choose the channel. For the optimization of the proposed approach Mamdani and Sugeno methods have been used. These methods yield the best results with minimum error probability of 0.9 compared to the existing methods and these methods have achieved efficiencies of 98% and 99%, respectively.
Occurrence and health risk assessment of perfluorinated substances from water in residential areas around fluorine chemical industry, China
Authors: Tang Jiaxi , Zhu Yongle , Li Yu , Xiang Biao , Tan Ting , Lv Linyou , Luo Qing
Published: August 2021

To identify the contamination status and assess the health risk of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in surface and ground water are of great significance recently. Eighteen individual PFASs were analyzed in thirty-three surface/ground water samples from fluorine industry in one period of park-A (park A) and two periods of park B. All the short chain PFASs (C < 8) and chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate acid (F-53B) in the park A and B were detected with 100%. The first three detected substances of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were the predominant substances. The contamination status in wet season (WS) is stronger than in dry season (DS) in park B. Total concentration of PFASs(∑PFASs) in park A presented the increasing tendency following the groundwater flow direction whereas this rule was limited to reflect in all periods of park B. Applying different relative source contribution (RSC) of 100% and 20% to assess this risk of different aged group bodies from PFASs, the result was that all PFASs (4 ≤ C ≤ 7 or 9 ≤ C ≤ 12) while perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and PFOA (C = 8) were identified to the low risk quotient (RQ) contribution. Mixed RQmix value mainly relies on the PFOA and PFOS with a larger contribution rate of 80–90%. All assessed cases (Case 1, Case2, Case3 and Case4) to all aged groups reveal the infants were to be vulnerable to PFASs influence, followed by the children, teenagers and adults, respectively.
Effect of Transdermal Microneedle Patch with NSAID in Osteoarthritic Knee: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Khuangsirikul Saradej , pisuttanawat Mongkon , Heebthamai Danai , Khanchaitit Paisan , Chotanaphuti Thanainit
Published: August 2021

Background: In early osteoarthritis (OA) knee without structural damage, synovial hypertrophy is a good biomarker to monitor disease progression and response to any treatments. NSAID has been proved to reduce inflammation or synovitis effectively. Transdermal microneedle is a non-invasive device to deliver medication by transdermal route. However, no recent study shows the effectiveness of transdermal NSAID via microneedle.Objective: To determine the effect of transdermal microneedle patch (TDM) with NSAID in synovial hypertrophy, knee pain and WOMAC score of osteoarthritic knees. Methods: Two-group, randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial was done. 100 participants, age 40-70 years, with painful knee OA and non-structural change on radiography will be randomly allocated to underwent either TDM (placebo) or TDM with NSAID (ketorolac 30 mg) at medial joint line of the knee once weekly for 2 times. Synovial thickness was measured by ultrasonography at pre-treatment, 1, 2, and 4 weeks. Pain score (VAS), WOMAC score and adverse events (AEs) were also recorded.Results: One hundred patients were enrolled into 2 groups. Comparing to TDM with NSAID and Placebo group demonstrated significant reduction of synovial thickness and VAS at 2, 4 weeks (P<0.05). Mean synovial thickness reduction were 1.12 and 0.27 mm. at 4 weeks and mean VAS reduction were 3.22 and 1.7 at 4 weeks (TDM with NSAID and placebo, respectively), but mean WOMAC score reduction statistically significant difference between groups at 4th weeks. Mean WOMAC score reductions were 5.71 and 0.96 at 4 weeks (TDM with NSAID and placebo, respectively). Treatment related adverse events in total 4 weeks, i.e. skin irritation, injection site pain, superficial skin infection were similar in all groups and no report of any complicationConclusion: Transdermal microneedle patch with NSAID significantly decreased synovitis and improved pain score in OA knee after 2 weeks and improve WOMAC score over 4th week without any adverse events. Trial registration: We enroll 100 the primary OA knee patients for their willingness to participate in this study. This research was enrolled on 22 April 2020, Research Ethic committee approved on 21 April 2020. During October, 22 2020 research were completed.
Pharmacokinetics of the Couple of Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata and Cinnamomum Cassia in Rats with Osteoporosis with Kidney-yang Deficiency by UPLC and Microdialysis Method
Authors: Meng Yuxiao , Guan Jiaqi , Yao Liping , Li Xiaojun , Qin Luping , Zhang Lu
Published: August 2021

Background: To confirm the metabolites of the Aconite and Cinnamon herb couple in rat, and characterize its pharmacokinetics.Methods: Microdialysis probes were inserted into the jugular vein and knee joint of Sprague Dawley rat, and dialysates of different administration groups were collected. Target analytes were separated on a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column (ACQUITY UPLC BEH C8 2.1×100 mm, 1.7 μm) and analyzed with an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) under multiple reaction monitoring modes.Results: The experiment shows that the concentrations of quality of the three metabolites in mixing extraction of the herb couple were 0.3701% for trans-cinnamic acid, 0.1249 % for mesaconitine, and 0.0469 % for hypoaconitine, and Cinnamon group was 0.1731 % for trans-cinnamic acid, Aconite group were 0.0017 % for mesaconitine, and 0.0300 % for hypoaconitine. The concentrations of quality of the metabolites in rat plasma of the herb couple group were 0.0028% for trans-cinnamic acid, 0.0947% for mesaconitine, and 0.1124% for hypoaconitine. And the concentrations of quality of Aconite group and Cinnamon group were 0.0019% for trans-cinnamic acid, 0.0307% for mesaconitine, and 0.0220% for hypoaconitine. Pharmacokinetic results showed that the mean half-lives of the microdialysis samples of blood of Cinnamon group was 492.18 min for trans-cinnamic acid, and Aconite group were 102.48 min for mesaconitine and 93.27 min for hypoaconitine, and the herb couple ware 181.36 min for trans-cinnamic acid, 103.9 min for mesaconitine and 116.01 min for hypoaconitine, and the microdialysis samples of joint of Cinnamon group was 190.85 min for trans-cinnamic acid, and Aconite group were 48.51 min for mesaconitine and 46.01 min for hypoaconitine, and the herb couple was 131.19 min for trans-cinnamic acid, 49.36 min for mesaconitine and 146.68 min for hypoaconitine.Conclusions: The mixed extraction of aconite and cinnamon can promote the dissolution of the active ingredients. The herb couple can promote the absorption of the active ingredients, improve the distribution of the active ingredients in the joint and blood, prolong the half-lives of the active ingredients. It shows that the compatibility of aconite and cinnamon can increase the bioavailability of the drug and improve the clinical efficacy.
Altered Spontaneous Brain Activity Patterns in Patients with Age-related Macular Degeneration: A Resting-State fMRI Study Running head: Functional Connectivity Density alterations in age-related macular degeneration patients
Authors: Huang Rong , Zhang Li-Juan , Chen Min-Jie , Ge Qian-Min , Shu Hui-Ye , Pan Yi-Cong , Liang Rong-Bin , Li Qiu-Yu , Shao Yi
Published: August 2021

Background

Many neuroimaging studies have confirmed that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is closely related to the changes of brain functional areas. However, the value of spontaneous brain activity changes induced by AMD in early diagnosis of diseases has not been confirmed.
Purpose

To explore potential functional network brain activity in patients with AMD using the voxel-wise degree centrality (DC) method and reveal the functional changes of specific brain regions in patients with AMD.
Material and Methods

Eighteen patients with AMD (10 males, 8 females) and eighteen healthy controls (HCs) (10 males, 8 females) matched by gender, age, and education level were enrolled. The resting-state fMRI scanning was applied to measure changes in initiative brain activities. We displayed the differences between the AMD group and the healthy group with the receiver operating characteristic curves. Using correlation analysis, the average DC values in specific cerebrum regions were analyzed to explore changes of behavioral performance in AMD patients. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and Anxiety (Ham-D/A) was used to evaluate the relationship between emotional states and DC values of the subcallosal gyrus in AMD patients.
Results

In AMD patients, DC values were significantly lower in the bilateral lingual gyrus but were higher in the bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, bilateral subcallosal gyrus, bilateral fusiform gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, and left orbital middle frontal gyrus/insular gyrus/inferior frontal gyrus. There was no direct relationship between the behavioral performance and the average DC values of some areas.
Conclusion

The DC values changed with the fluctuation of spontaneous brain activities in AMD patients, which may be beneficial for clinical diagnosis.
Ageing related thyroid deficiency increases brain-targeted transport of liver-derived ApoE4-laden exosomes leading to cognitive impairments
Authors: Zhang Manman , Gong Wenliang , Chen Beina , Ji Ming , Chen Binjie , Zhang Dianjun , Li Xinyu , Zhou Yuefei , Dong Chengyi , Wen Gehua , Zhan Xiaoni , Wu Xiafang , Xia Maosheng , Li Baoman , Verkhratsky Alexei
Published: August 2021

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the prevalent cause of dementia in the ageing world population. Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) allele is the key genetic risk factor for AD, although the mechanisms linking APOE4 with neurocognitive impairments and aberrant metabolism remains to be fully characterised. We discovered significantly increase in the ApoE4 contents of serum exosomes in old healthy subjects and AD patients carrying ApoE4 allele as compared with adult healthy subjects. Elevated exosomal ApoE4 demonstrated significant inverse correlation with serum thyroid hormones level and cognitive function. We analysed effects of ApoE4 in peripheral exosomes on the neurological disorders in aged or thyroidectomied young mice. Ageing-associated hypothyroidism as well as acute thyreoidectomy augmented transport of liver-derived ApoE4 reach exosomes into the brain, where ApoE4 activates NLRP3 inflammasome by increasing cholesterol level in neural cells. This, in turn, affects cognition, locomotion and mood. Our study reveals pathological potential of exosomes-mediated relocation of ApoE4 from the periphery to the brain, which process can represent potential therapeutic target.
Robust 3D modelling reveals spatiosyntenic properties of animal genomes
Authors: Clarence Tereza , Robert Nicolas , Sarigol Fatih , Fu Xiao , Bates Paul , Simakov Oleg
Published: August 2021

Animal genomes are organized into chromosomes that are remarkably conserved in their gene content, forming distinct evolutionary units (macrosynteny). We developed a novel three-dimensional chromosomal modelling approach to show that syntenic signals are reflected in conserved three-dimensional networks, encompassed within interaction spheres. We show evidence for evolutionary constraints that could not be surmised by genomic sequence alone, thereby underlining the importance of three-, rather than just two-, dimensional organization.
Trend analysis of seasonal rainfall and temperature pattern in Damota Gale districts of Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia
Authors: Bojago Elias , Yaya Dalga
Published: August 2021

Background: This paper investigated the recent trends of precipitation and temperature on Damota Gale districts of Wolaita Zone. This study used the observed historical meteorological data from 1987 to 2019 to analyze the trends. The magnitude of the variability or fluctuations of the factors varies according to locations. Hence, examining the spatiotemporal dynamics of meteorological variables in the context of changing climate, particularly in countries where rain fed agriculture is predominant, is vital to assess climate-induced changes and suggest feasible adaptation strategies. Results: Both rainfall and temperature data for period of 1987 to 2019 were analyzed in this study. Statistical trend analysis techniques namely Mann–Kendall test and Sen's slope estimator were used to examine and analyze the problems. The long-term trend of rainfall and temperature was evaluated by linear regression and Mann–Kendall test. The temperature was shown a positive trend for the both annual and seasonal periods and had a statistical significance at 95%.Conclusion: This study concluded that there were a declining rainfall in the three seasons; spring, summer and winter but in autumn it shows increasing trends and rapid warming, especially in the last 32 years. The detailed analysis of the data for 32 years indicate that the annual maximum temperature and annual minimum temperature have shown an increasing trend, whereas the Damota Gale seasonal maximum and minimum temperatures have shown an increasing trend. The findings of this study will serve as a reference for climate researchers, policy and decision makers.
ctDNA in Breast Milk for Early Detection of Pregnancy Associated Breast Cancer
Authors: Saura Cristina , Ortiz Carolina , Lahuerta Enrique Arenas , Matito Judit , Suñol Anna , Córdoba Octavi , Aliguer Alex Martínez-Sabadell , García-Ruiz Itziar , Miranda Ignacio , Morales-Comas Clara , Carrasco Estela , Viaplana Cristina , Peg Vicente , Nuciforo Paolo , Bayó-Puxan Neus , Miquel Josep , Gómez-Rey Marina , Villacampa Guillermo , Arévalo Silvia , Espinosa-Bravo Martin , Balmaña Judith , Dienstmann Rodrigo , Arribas Joaquín , Tabernero Josep , Sanso Miriam , Vivancos Ana
Published: August 2021

Pregnancy associated breast cancer (PABC) is an overall poor prognosis group compared to non-PABC breast cancer (BC), mainly due to late diagnosis. Effective screening approaches for early detection may improve its outcome. For the first time, we demonstrate the presence of cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the breast milk serum (sBM) of PABC in patients with early-stage disease and its ability to recapitulate somatic mutations present in the primary tumor. Moreover, our results demonstrate that sBM robustly surpasses plasma for tumor genetic profiling due to a prevalent shedding of ctDNA into the sBM in localized disease, as well as increased total cell-free DNA (cfDNA) abundance and integrity. Thus, we propose sBM as a potential new non-invasive liquid biopsy for a prompt detection of PABC.
Non-covalent interactions of Cysteine onto C60, C59Si, and C59Ge: A DFT study
Authors: Mohammadi Mohsen Doust , abdullah hewa Y
Published: August 2021

The study of intermolecular interactions is of great importance. This study attempted to quantitatively examine the interactions between Cysteine (C3H7NO2S) and fullerene nanocages, C60, in a vacuum. As the frequent introduction of elements as impurities into the structure of nanomaterials can increase the intensity of intermolecular interactions, nanocages doped with silicon and germanium have also been studied as adsorbents C59Si and C59Ge. Quantum mechanical studies of such systems are possible in the density functional theory (DFT) framework. For this purpose, various functionals, such as B3LYP-D3, ωB97XD, and M062X, have been used. One of the most suitable basis functionals for the systems studied in this research is 6-311G (d), which has been used in both optimization calculations and calculations related to wave function analyses. The main part of this work is the study of various analyses that reveal the nature of the intermolecular interactions between the two components introduced above. The results of conceptual DFT, natural bond orbital, non-covalent interactions, and quantum theory of atoms in molecules were consistent and favored physical adsorption in all systems. Germanium had more adsorption energy than other dopants. The HOMO–LUMO energy gaps were as follows: C60: 5.996, C59Si: 5.309, and C59Ge: 5.188 eV at B3LYP-D3/6-311G (d) model chemistry. The adsorption sensitivity increased when an amino acid molecule interacted with doped C60, and this capability could be used to design a nanocarrier to detect Cysteine amino acids.
Combination therapy with Azithromycin, Pentoxifylline and Dexamethasone shows Complete Recovery in Severe COVID 19: Case Series of Patients in First and Second wave of Pandemic in India.
Authors: Kler Rupinder , Mukherjee Anirudh , Banerjee Ms Pratiti , Kaur Gurkeerat , Vaishnav Dilip
Published: August 2021

Background: COVID 19 infection caused by SARS-CoV2 virus is causing high mortality all over the world. This causes asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic , moderate, and severe illness. In severe illness, mortality is remarkably high as drugs are not effective enough to avert cytokine storm, stroke, myocarditis, or myocardial infarction. COVID-19 is a positive sense virus that directly enters the ACE2 cell and starts replication after encountering the host protein. Effective treatment has been limited to only mild and sometimes moderate cases but there is a high mortality in severe cases. Case Presentation: Severe COVID-19 cases with different comorbities were assessed and treated in the first wave as well as the second wave of the pandemic in North India.. A total number of 305 patients were assessed for severity with their symptoms and abnormal blood parameters , out of which 109 patients severe patients were given the drugs and their symptoms and vitals were monitored along with therapy. In both the single SARS CoV 2 and the double mutant virus strain in the second wave. We measured their severity through their blood parameters by calculating high Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, Platelet lymphocyte ratio after getting their complete blood count, diabetes, and other inflammatory markers like high LDH, CRP, Serum Ferritin, D Dimer, or IL 6 in critically ill patients as studied in previous studies. Hence, we designed this combination therapy drug protocol which was home based oral therapy with hundred percent recovery rate if initiated early. Wherever required oxygen therapy had also been recommended along with diet modification, low fatty acid diet and low carbohydrates for more effectivity. The combination of Azithromycin , Pentoxifylline and Dexamethasone had shown to be highly effective in controlling the inflammation and viral replication with dose modification. Intravenous Ceftriaxone was given as infusion in patients having viral Pnemonia .Conclusions: This combination therapy of drugs has shown to decrease TLR mediated cytokine production. This therapy has shown full success in all high-risk patients especially in the elderly having comorbidities like Diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, autoimmune diseases.
Treatment by Vitamin D Reversed the Adverse Effects of Hypothyroidism on Learning and Memory in Juvenile Rats: Protection Against Acetylcholinesterase Activity and Brain Tissue Oxidative Damage.
Authors: Rastegar-Moghaddam Hamid , Alipour Fatemeh , Rajabian Arezoo , Hosseini Mahmoud
Published: August 2021

Apart from a role as a key regulator of calcium/phosphate homeostasis, vitamin D (Vit D) is suggested to be a potential player in nervous system growth and function. This study aimed to assess the impacts of Vit D administration against memory impairment, oxidative damage and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) overactivity caused by hypothyroidism in juvenile rats. The animals were randomly grouped as: 1) Control; 2) Hypothyroid; 3) Hypothyroid-Vit D 100 and 4) Hypothyroid-Vit D 500. Propylthiouracil (PTU) was added to their drinking water (0.05%) for 6 weeks and Vit D (100 or 500 IU/kg) treatment was daily performed by gavage. Morris water maze (MWM) and passive avoidance (PA) tests were performed. The brains were removed under deep anesthesia, then the hippocampal and cortical tissues were separated to assess biochemical parameters. Hypothyroidism was significantly associated with learning and memory impairment in MWM and PA tests. Hypothyroidism also elevated acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, while it reduced thiol content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the brain. Treatment with Vit D recovered hypothyroidism-induced cognitive impairment and improved memory performance in MWM and PA tasks. On the other hand, Vit D alleviated AChE activity and MDA level, whereas increased SOD activity and thiol content in the hippocampal and cortical tissues. In conclusion, these outcomes suggest that oral consumption of Vit D may play a protective role against memory dysfunction caused by hypothyroidism by inhibiting AChE activity and oxidative stress in the brain.
Density Functional Theory Study of CL-20/Nitroimidazoles Energetic Cocrystal Compounds in an External Electric Field
Authors: Xu xiaosong , Zhang Renfa , Xia Wenxin , Ma Peng , Ma Congming , Pan Yong , Jiang Juncheng
Published: August 2021

The external electric field has a significant influence on the sensitivity of the energetic cocrystal materials. In order to find out the relationship between the external electric field and sensitivity of energetic cocrystal compounds 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane/1,4-dinitroimidazole (CL-20/1,4-DNI), 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane/1-methyl-2,4-dinitro-1H-imidazole (CL-20/2,4-MDNI) and 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane/1-methyl-4,5-dinitro-1H-imidazole (CL-20/4,5-MDNI). In this work, density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP-D3/6-311+G(d,p) and M062X-D3/ma-def2 TZVPP levels was employed to calculate the bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of selected N-NO2 trigger bonds, frontier molecular orbitals, electrostatic potentials (ESPs) and nitro group charges (QNO2) under different external electric field. The results show that as the positive electric field intensity increases, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy gap and BDEs become smaller, and the local positive ESPs becomes larger, so that the energetic cocrystals tends to have higher sensitivity. In addition, the linear fitting results show that the trigger bond length and nitro group charge changes are closely related to the external electric field strength.
High Density Polyethylenes Bearing Isolated In-Chain Carbonyls
Authors: NOZAKI Kyoko , Tang Shan , Seidel Falk William
Published: August 2021

Polyethylene materials are highly important polymers which are produced in the largest volume among all plastics. Due to the chemical inert property of saturated carbon-carbon bonds, the degradation of polyethylene is extremely challenging, which prevents them from efficient chemical recycling. Installing functional groups in the main chain of polyethylenes may facilitate the degradation and following chemical recycling of polyethylene materials. Here we report a highly selective approach for the synthesis of high-density polyethylenes bearing isolated in-chain carbonyls. Linear high-molecular weight polyethylene chains are synthesized via the palladium catalyzed copolymerization of ethylene with metal carbonyls. Different from traditional ethylene/CO copolymerization reactions, excellent non-alternating selectivity has been achieved. While the properties of polyethylene have been retained in the copolymer, faster degradation compared with that of polyethylene was observed upon UV light irradiation. The synthesized materials may therefore serve as more environmentally friendly alternative plastics than traditional polyethylene materials.
The Effects of Landscape Structure and Stand-Scale Factors on Dendroctonus Valens Damage Under Disturbance Conditions in North China
Authors: Zhan Zhongyi , Wang Lixia , Yu Linfeng , Ren Lili , Liu Yizhou , Luo Youqing
Published: August 2021

Background

In recent years, the red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens, RTB), an invasive pest species has spread northward along the distribution of pine forests, forming a potential threat to healthy pine forests in North China. Previous studies have shown that natural (e.g., fire) and human (e.g., felling) disturbances can significantly promote bark beetle damage. However, few studies have considered the effect of multi-scale factors on bark beetle damage under disturbance conditions. Here, we investigated RTB damage (entrance holes) in 98 forest stands with and without disturbance (fire or stolen felling) in the Heilihe National Nature Reserve, Inner Mongolia, which is considered to be in the early stage of RTB outbreak. We assessed the effects of forest landscape structure (forest proportion and host connectivity) and stand-scale characteristics on RTB damage under different disturbance conditions (presence or absence). In addition, we also explored the effects of fire and stolen felling disturbance on RTB damage and the significant differences between them.
Result

Disturbance (i.e., fire and stolen felling) could significantly promote the occurrence of RTB and there was no significant difference between the two types of disturbance. In the absence of disturbance, small stand-scale factors (i.e., aspect and canopy cover) played important roles in the prediction of RTB damage. In the presence of disturbance, forest proportion within a radius of 250 m was the main factor affecting RTB invasion. Higher forest coverage could reduce the migration of RTB from the surrounding environment to the disturbance area, thus reducing RTB damage. In addition, we observed a positive relationship between elevation and RTB invasion.
Conclusion

Landscape structure and stand-scale factors had different effects on RTB invasion under different disturbance conditions. This study not only provides new insights into understanding the roles played by multi-scale factors in RTB damage but also assists in the implementation of pest management programs.
The Effect of Body Mass Index on the Feasibility of Surgery and Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer Patients Over 80 Years Old
Authors: Zhou Sicheng , Jiang Yujuan , Wang Meng , Ru Guodong , Pei Wei , Liang Jianwei , Zhou Zhixiang
Published: August 2021

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of radical surgery and explore prognostic factors affecting cancer-specific survival (CSS) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients over 80 years old.Methods From January 2010 to December 2020, a total of 372 elderly CRC patients who underwent curative resection at the National Cancer Center were enrolled and classified into a control group (BMI <24 kg/m2) and an overweight group (BMI ≥24 kg/m2). Preoperative clinical features, perioperative outcomes and postoperative pathological characteristics were collected and compared between the two groups.Results The control group and overweight group comprised 219 and 153 patients, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups of patients in terms of operative time (153.0 vs 142.3 min, P=0.226), intraoperative bleeding (67.8 vs 69.3 ml, P=0.873) or other surgical outcomes or grade 3-4 postoperative complications (11.1% vs 14.6%, P=0.326). The 5-year CCS of patients in the overweight group was significantly worse than that of the control group (63.3% vs 80.0%, P=0.046). The multivariate analysis showed that CCS was significantly affected by BMI (HR: 2.30; 95% CI, 1.27-4.17; P=0.046) and N stage (HR: 2.97; 95% CI, 1.48-5.97; P=0.002)Conclusion The results of this study demonstrated that radical resection for CRC is safe and feasible for patients over 80 years of age. The increase in BMI does not increase the difficulty of surgery or postoperative complications. BMI and N stage were independent prognostic factors for elderly CRC patients after radical resection.
Deep Sequencing of Guinea Pig (Cavia Porcellus) Lung Small RNAs Reveals Differential Expression of microRNAs between Non-infected and BCG-Infected Lungs
Authors: jing Xiaoqi , Jiang Biqiong , Cheng Long , Li Yong
Published: August 2021

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection remains a major public health burden worldwide. It has been well documented that a group of small noncoding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the development and pathogenesis many diseases, including the TB. Guinea pigs are considered as one of the best animal models for biomedical research in TB, the potential roles of miRNAs in the innate immune regulation of guinea pig lung against Mtb infection are not well understood. Methods: In this study, we investigated the differential expression of miRNA profiles between the un-infected lungs and Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-infected lungs of guinea pigs via deep sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Results: A total of 2508 miRNAs were identified, among them 1187 were conserved miRNAs and 56 were novel miRNAs in the uninfected lungs, and 1202 were identified as conserved miRNAs and 63 were novel miRNAs in the BCG-infected lungs. Interestingly, comparison analysis further identified 902 co-expressed miRNAs and 585 distinct miRNAs between these two groups. Of the 15 most abundantly conserved miRNAs in guinea pig lungs, which belong to 7 miRNA families, including miR23, miR29, miR145, miR320, miR378, miR451, and miR423. 13 of these 15 most abundant miRNAs were significantly downregulated and 2 of them were significantly upregulated in the BCG-infected lungs. Individually, miRNA Let-7f-5p, let-7f, let-7-5p and let-7b-5p were the most abundant in both profiles of the non-infected and BCG-infected guinea pig lungs. The predicted target genes of specific miRNAs found in guinea pig lungs were involved in regulation signaling pathways related to immune responses, including Toll-like receptors (TLRs), nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B, Wnt, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signaling, as well as related to autophagy signaling mTOR and apoptotic molecule p53. Conclusions: These data of comprehensive analysis of miRNA transcriptome demonstrated the differential expression profiles of miRNAs during M. tuberculosis infection of guinea pig lungs. These results could facilitate the future exploitation of the roles of miRNAs in regulation of immune responses to M. tuberculosis infection using the guinea pig model.
Modeling Reference Evapotranspiration in a Semiarid Area Using Data-driven Techniques: A Case Study in Lower Cheliff plain, Algeria
Authors: ACHITE Mohammed , Sattari Muhammad Taghi , Toubal Abderrezak Kamel , Wałęga Andrzej , Krakauer Nir , Sihag Parveen , Pham Quoc Bao
Published: August 2021

Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important part of the hydrologic cycle, especially when it comes to irrigated agriculture. For the estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ET0), direct methods either pose difficulties or call for many inputs that may not always be available from weather stations. This study compares Feed Forward Neural Network (FFNN), Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN). and Gene Expression Programming (GEP) approachs for the estimation of daily ET0 in a weather station in Lower Cheliff plain (northwest Algeria), over a 6-year period (2006–2011). Firstly, measured air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and global radiation was used to calculate ET0 using FAO-56 Penman-Monteith equation as the reference. Then, the calculated ET0 using FAO-56 Penman-Monteith was considered as output for data driven models, while the measured meteorological data were considered as input of the models. The coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and Nash Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (EF) were used to evaluate the developed models. The results of the developed models were compared with the Penman-Monteith evapotranspiration using these performance criteria. The FFNN model proved to yield the best performance compared to all the developed data-driven models, while the RBF-NN and GEP models also demonstrated potential for good performance.
Satellite Cells and Neuromuscular Spindles in Long Term Denervated Skeletal Muscles
Authors: Shinohara André Luis , Melo Carina , Ahmed Farooque , Sangalette Beatriz , Shindo João Vitor , Toledo Gustavo , bighetti Claudia , matsumoto Mariza , Buchaim Rogério , Andreo Jesus Carlos , Rodrigues Antonio
Published: August 2021

Satellite cells (SC) are quiescent cell located between the sarcolemma and basal lamina of the skeletal muscle fibers. The SC can get activated contributing to regeneration and/or growth of muscle. The neuromuscular spindles are mechanoreceptors located within the skeletal muscle and are considered as contractile regulatory unit. It is composed of intrafusal muscle fibers (IF), surrounded by a sheath and is parallel to extrafusal fibers. Denervation cause changes in skeletal muscles both in the SC and neuromuscular spindles. This study analyzed quantitatively the IF and SC in Wistar rats denervated for long period. The animals were divided into normal and denervated groups. The soleus and extensor longus digitorum longus were denervated experimentally during periods of 0, 12, 16, 19, 30 and 38 weeks. The percentage of SC immediately after denervation increases when compared to normal group and later decreases in both the groups. During the process of denervation, there was an increase in IF when compared with normal group. The percentage of SC reduces significantly between the periods of denervation in both the groups. The smaller percentage of SC corresponds to higher number of IF. Besides that the number of SC decreases after denervation. As for IF, with the increase in time in normal group, the number of fibers was unaltered. However, in the experimental group, with increase in the time of denervation, the percentage of SC decreases while there is increase in the number of IF significantly. In denervated muscles for long period, there is decrease in the percentage of SC and increase in IF. Our results suggest that the period between 16th and 19th week post denervation is the best time for reinnervation of denervated muscle.
Regularities of the Growth of Pedunculate Oak (QUERCUS ROBUR L., 1753) in the Protective Plantings of the Steppe and Forest-steppe of the Volga Upland
Authors: Proezdov Pyotr Nikolaevich , Еskov Dmitry Vladimirovich , Mashtakov Dmitry Anatolyevich , Avtonomov Alexei Nikolaevich , Rozanov Alexander Vladimirovich
Published: August 2021

The purpose of the study is to establish the regularities of the growth of pedunculate Oak in protective forest stands on erosion-prone slopes in the conditions of the steppe and forest-steppe of the Volga Upland. Studies have established a regular decrease in the height of the petiolate oak on the southern chernozem and gray forest soil by 6.9-11.3% with an increase in the slope of the slope by 2 times, which is associated with a drop in soil fertility as a result of increased erosion. The index of oak growth intensity with an increase in the slope slope increases on both types of soils by 21.4-38.5%, and the productivity of cambium decreases by 14.1-23.6%. The same trends in the dynamics of taxation indicators are characteristic of the accompanying species of petiolate oak-holly maple and small-leaved linden. The coefficients of determination of the relationship of growth in the height of the pedunculate oak from the indicator of growth intensity and productivity of cambium are 0.95-0.98, which indicates a close interdependence.
A Rarefaction-Without-Resampling Extension of PERMANOVA for Testing Presence-Absence Associations in The Microbiome
Authors: Hu Yi-Juan , Satten Glen A.
Published: August 2021

Background PERMANOVA [1] is currently the most commonly used method for testing community-level hypotheses about microbiome associations with covariates of interest. PERMANOVA can test for associations that result from changes in which taxa are present or absent by using the Jaccard or unweighted UniFrac distance. However, such presence-absence analyses face a unique challenge: confounding by library size (total sample read count), which occurs when library size is associated with covariates in the analysis. It is known that rarefaction (subsampling to a common library size) controls this bias, but at the potential costs of information loss and the introduction of a stochastic component into the analysis.Methods Here we develop a non-stochastic approach to PERMANOVA presence-absence analyses that aggregates information over all potential rarefaction replicates without actual resampling, when the Jaccard or unweighted UniFrac distance is used. We compare this new approach to three possible ways of aggregating PERMANOVA over multiple rarefactions obtained from resampling: averaging the distance matrix, averaging the (element-wise) squared distance matrix, and averaging the F-statistic.Results Our simulations indicate that our non-stochastic approach is robust to confounding by library size and outperforms each of the stochastic resampling approaches. We also show that, when overdispersion is low, averaging the (element-wise) squared distance outperforms averaging the unsquared distance, currently implemented in the R package vegan. We illustrate our methods using an analysis of data on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in which samples from case participants have systematically smaller library sizes than samples from control participants.Conclusions Our extension of PERMANOVA for presence-absence analyses using a non-stochastic approach that aggregates information over all potential rarefaction replicates without actual resampling is robust to confounding by library size and outperforms stochastic resampling approaches.
The Temporal Dedifferentiation of Global Brain Signal Fluctuations During Human Brain Aging
Authors: Wang Yifeng , Ao Yujia , Yang Chengxiao , Kou Juan , Huang Lihui , Jing Xiujuan , Cui Qian , Cai Xueli , Chen Jing
Published: August 2021

The variation of brain organization as healthy aging has been discussed widely using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Previous conclusions may be misinterpreted without considering the effects of global signal (GS) on local activities and the variation of GS as age is still unknown. To fill this gap, we systematically examined the correlation between GS fluctuations and age. Correlations were evaluated between age and parameters of GS fluctuations including power at each frequency point, spectral centroids, and trends of power spectra. Data with hemodynamic response function (HRF) de-convolution and head motion parameter were further analyzed to test whether the age effect of GS fluctuations has neural origins. GS fluctuations varied as age in three ways. First, general GS power reductions were found in both time and frequency dimensions. Second, the GS power at lower frequencies transferring to higher frequencies was observed. Third, more evenly distributed power across frequencies was showed in aging brain. These trends were partly impacted by HRF de-convolution, but not by head motion. These results suggest that GS fluctuations are weaker and more evenly distributed across frequencies in elderly brain. It may indicate the temporal dedifferentiation hypothesis of brain aging from the global signal level.
Silver Nanoparticles Can Relieve Progressive Necrosis by Regulating Macrophage Activation in Burn Wounds
Authors: You Chuangang , Wang Shuangshuang , Li Qiong , Guo Songxue , Khan Abidullah , Han Chunmao , Wang Xingang
Published: August 2021

Purpose: To investigat the positive influence of AgNP on preventing early burn-wound progression.Patients and methods: After a deep burn, progression of burns may occur in the initial or surrounding area，even after thermal factors have been removed. Due to the influence of many factors such as residual heat, the risk of burn stagnant area deterioration is very high which is considered to be salvable. Silver nanoparticles (AgNP), which has been wide used in burns, is a strong antibacterial agent that has been reported to regulate inflammation. Hence, to investigat the positive influence of AgNP on avoid early burn wound progressive deterioration, a isomorphic “comb” burn animal model was made in this study which were treated with silver nanoparticles. The wound tissues were taken for molecular biological and histological evaluation, which revealed that AgNP alleviated histological deterioration in burn stagnant area. Results: Furthermore, AgNP can alleviate the early progressive necrosis and inflammatory response of burn wound, which was accociated with excitation in M2 macrophage and a suppression of M1 macrophage.Conclusion: In conclusion, we demonstrate that AgNP has a protective effect on acute burn wound deterioration in a rat model. It might be regulated by the macrophage activation-induced inﬂammation and apoptosis.
The Evolutions in Time of Probability Density Functions of Polydispersed Fuel Spray-The Continuous Mathematical
Authors: Hareli Shlomo , Nave OPhir , Gol'dshtein Vladimir
Published: August 2021

The dynamics of the particle-size distribution of the polydispersed fuel spray are important for the evaluation of the combustion process. In this paper, we presented the particle-size distribution change in time which gives a new insight into the behavior of the droplets during the self-ignition process. Semenov was the first to shows that self-ignition in the homogeneous case can be qualitatively and even quantitatively described by simplified models \cite{first_Math_Semenov_1928}. A simplified model of the polydisperse spray is used for a study of combustion processes near the initial region. This model involves a time-dependent function of the particle-size distribution. Such simplified models are particularly helpful in understanding qualitatively the effect of various sub-processes. Our main results show that during the self-ignition process, the droplets' radii decrease as expected, and the number of smaller droplets increases in inverse proportion to the radius. An important novel result (visualized by graphs) demonstrates that the mean radius of the droplets, at first increases for a relatively short period of time, and that is then followed by the expected decrease. It means that the maximum of the mean radius is not located at the beginning of the process as expected. We only have a heuristic explanation of this phenomenon, but an analytic study is planned for the future. Our modified algorithm is superior to the well known `parcel' approach because it is much more compact, it permits an analytical study since the right-hand sides are smooth, and thus eliminates the need for a numerical algorithm transitioning from one parcel to another, The method explain herein can be applied to any approximation of the particle-size distribution, and it involves comparatively negligible computation time.
Enhanced Photothermal Therapy of Breast Cancer via Co-Loading With Autophagy Inhibitor
Authors: Liu Yawen , Ni Chen , Huang Jie , Lu Jiahui , Zuo Fengmei , Hu Pengcheng , Liu Zhenbao , shi meilin
Published: August 2021

Photothermal therapy (PTT) usually causes hyperthermia and damages healthy tissues. Developing a PTT platform using mild irradiation, while enhance the theraputical effects attracts increasing attention. Here, this study developed a theranostic poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoplatform loaded with a near-infrared (NIR) dye (new indocyanine Green IR820), autophagy inhibitor (chloroquine, CQ) and a fluorescence imaging agent (ZnCdSe/ZnS quantum dot, QD) by the double emulsion solvent evaporation technique (W1/O/W2). The resulting hybrid PLGA nanoparticles with IR820/ZnCdSe/ZnS/CQ co-loading (termed PIFC NPs) approximated 240 nm in diameter and had excellent monodispersity, fluorescence and size stability, and biocompatibility. PIFC NPs displayed photothermal effects, and the released CQ remarkably decreased autolysosome degeneration by lysosomes in cancer cells, thereby enhancing the suppressive effect on autophagy as well as resistance to photothermia. Anticancer effects were enhanced both in cellular and animal experiments attributed to the combined effects exerted by PIFC NPs and mild NIR irradiation. Moreover, PIFC NPs significantly accumulated in tumors because of enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, enabling high-spatial resolution, real-time fluorescence imaging of solid tumors. The present study developed a novel PTT platform showing potentially enhanced therapeutic efficacy.