bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcranial photobiomodulation improves insulin therapy in diabetic mice: modulation of microglia and the brain drainage system
Authors: Liu Shaojun , Li Dongyu , Yu Tingting , Zhu Jingtan , Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya Oxana , Zhu Dan
Published: February 2023

Background: The chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes mellitus (DM) leads to the dysfunction of microglia, which is associated with the occurrence of diabetic cerebrovascular injuries (DCIs) and various complications, the main reasons of death in patients with DM. Although long term insulin therapy can effectively control blood glucose levels, it is not sufficient to rapidly restore the function of microglia. Therefore, the search for new alternative methods of treating diabetes-related dysfunction of microglia is urgently needed to improve the survival and quality of life of patients with DM.
Methods: We evaluated the therapeutic effects of transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) at near infrared-Ⅱ wavelengths (1267 nm) with high tissue penetration depth on microglial function in diabetic mice. Afterwards, we investigated the mechanisms of tPBM in terms of changes in blood-brain barrier permeability and meningeal lymphatic vessels function.
Results: The treatment of tPBM significantly improved insulin therapy via modulation of microglial morphology and reactivity to cerebrovascular injury. We also demonstrated that tPBM stimulated the brain drainage system through activation of the meningeal lymphatics contributing the removal of inflammatory factor, such as the interferon gamma (IFN-γ) from the brain parenchyma. These therapeutic effects of tPBM contribute the repair of microglial reactivity to the cerebrovascular injury via an increase in the expression of microglial chemokine receptor P2RY12.
Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that tPBM can be an efficient innovative method for the treatment of microglial dysfunction caused by diabetes to prevent diabetic brain disorders and has the potential to be quickly introduced in clinical practice since tPBM is widely used for the therapy of brain diseases.
Screening for EGFR and AKT dual-target inhibitors
Authors: Yang Han-Yu , Zhang Zhi-Wei , Yu Jie , Liu Cong-Jin , Lu Wen-Cai
Published: February 2023

Epidermal growth factor EGFR is an important target for non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancer, and inhibitors of AKT protein has been used in many cancer treatments including NSCL cancer. Therefore, screening small molecular inhibitors targeting both EGFR and AKT can help for cancer treatment. In this study, we screened Traditional Chinese Medicine on Immune-Oncology (TCMIO) database for potential natural product inhibitors that can target both EGFR and AKT using ligand-based pharmacophore model, molecular docking, and MD simulations methods. The human endogenous database HMDB was also screened. It was found that TCMIO89212, TCMIO90156 and TCMIO98874 from the TCMIO database had large binding free energies with EGFR and AKT. In the HMDB database, kinetin-7-N-glucoside was found to have ability to bind to EGFR and AKT. These results may provide valuable information for further experimental studies.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Intervention Utilization and Need for Referral after NICU Discharge in VLBW Infants
Authors: David Jieun , Wambach Caroline , Kraemer Megan , Johnson Tricia , Greene Michelle , Lee Esther , Patra Kousiki
Published: February 2023

Objective:To examine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on early intervention (EI) services in VLBW infants.Study Design:208 VLBW infants seen in NICU FU pre-COVID-19 were compared to 132 infants seen during COVID-19 at 4, 8 and 20 months corrected age (CA) in terms of: enrollment in Child and Family Connections (CFC; intake agency for EI), EI therapies, need for CFC referral and Bayley scores.Results:Infants seen during COVID-19 at 4, 8 and 20 months CA were 3.4 (OR, 95% CI 1.64, 6.98), 4.0 (1.77, 8.95) and 4.8 (2.10, 11.08) times more likely to need CFC referral at FU based on severity of developmental delay. Infants followed during COVID-19 had significantly lower mean Bayley cognitive and language scores at 20 months CA.Conclusions:VLBW infants seen during COVID-19 had significantly higher odds of needing EI and significantly lower cognitive and language scores at 20 months CA.
Spatiotemporal monitoring demonstrates prebiotic treatment
responses in a periodontal multispecies biofilm model
Authors: Bernaerts Kristel , Ghesquiere Justien , Simoens Kenneth , Koos Erin , Boon Nico , Teughels Wim
Published: February 2023

In vitro periodontal model systems are required for further elucidating phenomena behind periodontal pathogenesis and treatment applications. However, most oral biofilm models apply static conditions and are restricted to end-point measurements. This study established a multispecies periodontal model in the drip flow biofilm reactor in order to mimic shear flow in the oral cavity. The design is re-engineered to enable real-time characterization. A community of five bacteria, Streptococcus gordonii-GFPmut3*, Streptococcus oralis-GFPmut3*, Streptococcus sanguinis-pVMCherry, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis-SNAP26 is visualized using two distinct fluorescent proteins and the SNAP-tag. The biofilm in the reactor develops into a spatially uniform, dense and metabolically active biofilm with relative cell abundances similar to those in a healthy individual. Metabolic activity, structural features and bacterial composition of the biofilm remain stable from 3 up to 6 days. As a proof of concept for our periodontal model, the 3-day developed biofilm is exposed to a prebiotic treatment with L-arginine. Multifaceted effects of L-arginine on the oral biofilm were validated by this model setup. L-arginine showed to inhibit growth and co-aggregations of the pathogenic species, and to reduce biofilm thickness and volume. Additionally, L-arginine is metabolized by Streptococcus gordonii-GFPmut3* and Streptococcus sanguinis-pVMCherry, producing high levels of ornithine in the biofilm. In conclusion, our drip flow reactor setup is promising in studying spatiotemporal behavior of a multispecies periodontal community.
Effect of small peptide chelated iron on growth performance, immunity and intestinal health in weaned pigs
Authors: Sun Limei , Yu Bing , Luo Yuheng , Zheng Ping , Huang Zhiqing , Yu Jie , Mao Xiangbing , Yan Hui , Luo Junqiu , He Jun
Published: February 2023

Background: Small peptide chelated iron (SPCI), a novel iron supplementation in pig diets, owns growth-enhancing characteristics. Although a number of researches have been performed, there is no clear-cut evidence to show the exact relationship between the dose and effects of mall peptide chelated minerals.Therefore, we investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of SPCI at different doses in the growth performance, immunity, and intestinal health in weaned pigs.Methods:Twenty-four weaned pigs were randomly assigned into five groups and feed with basal diet containing different levels of SPCI (0, 50, 75, 100, and 125 mg/kg) .On day 22, D-xylose (0.1 g/kg body weight) was orally administrated to each pigs, and blood samples were collected 1 h later. The tissue and intestinal mucosa samples were collected following.Results:Our results showed that the feed to gain ratio (F/G) decreased andthe digestibility of crude protein increased with SPCI addition (P<0.05). Dietary SPCI supplementation at 100 mg/kg not only increased serum ferritin and transferrin, but also elevated the iron content in tibia and tissues (liver, gallbladder, and kidney)(P<0.05). Dietary SPCI (75-100 mg/kg) addition increased the serum immunoglobulins but decreased the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and D-lactic acid (P<0.05). The serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were also elevated by SPCI addition. Interestingly, SPCI supplementation at 75 mg/kg improved the intestinal morphology and barrier function, as suggested by enhanced villus height and villus height/crypt depth (V/C) in duodenum and ileum (P<0.05), as well asjejunum epithelium tight-junction protein ZO-1. Moreover, SPCI supplementation at 75 and 100 mg/kg increased the activity of duodenal lactase and jejunal sucrase (P<0.05). Importantly, SPCI supplementation at 75 mg/kg elevated the expression levels of critical functional genes such as peptide transporter-1(PePT1), sodium/glucose co-transporter-1 (SGLT1), and zinc transporter 1 (ZnT1) in the ileum mucosa (P<0.05). The expression levels of amino acid transporter-1 (CAT1) also elevated by SPCI added at 100 mg/kg.Conclusions:Dietary SPCI supplementation at 75-100 mg improved growth performance, immunity and intestinal health.
Dynamic Linear Models for analysing time series data in coastal environmental monitoring
Authors: Soudant Dominique , Hernández-Fariñas Tania
Published: February 2023

Global changes have led to a renewed interest in time series of environmental monitoring. In France, for example, the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) has been managing for 40 years several networks with hundreds of active sites, with annual to fortnightly sampling frequencies, measuring dozens of variables. These long-term datasets are difficult to analyse due to their characteristics (e.g. missing data, outliers, changes in sampling frequency, shifts).For this large number of time series, this paper proposes a semi-automatic procedure based on Dynamic Linear Models, detailed from data pre-processing (e.g. time unit definition, aggregations, transformations), through model specification, automatic and manual intervention, outlier and shift handling, to model hypothesis testing.When applied to three time series combining the above features, the results showed that missing data and changes in sampling frequency were adequately handled. Outliers and structural breaks were identified automatically, but also added manually. Highlighted shifts were identified as artefactual (e.g. probe drift), anthropogenic (e.g. ministerial decree) and ecological changes (e.g. storm impact).Finally, the presented treatment has been successfully applied routinely to more than 19,000 time series with a common and simple model structure. The broad theoretical framework offered by dynamic linear models opens up fruitful perspectives for improving and extending the results presented here, in particular for dealing with measurement quantification limits and time-varying observation variances.
Endophytic fungus from Handroanthus impetiginosus immobilized on electrospun nanofibrous membrane for bioremoval of bisphenol A
Authors: Conceição João Carlos Silva , Alvarega Augusto D. , Mercante Luiza A. , Correa Daniel S. , Silva Eliane Oliveira
Published: February 2023

The current industrial and human activities scenario has accelerated the widespread use of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), which can be found in everyday products, including plastic containers, bottles, toys, cosmetics, etc., but can pose a severe risk to human health and the environment. In this regard, fungal bioremediation appears as a green and cost-effective approach to removing pollutants from water resources. Besides, immobilizing fungal cells onto nanofibrous membranes appears as an innovative strategy to improve remediation performance by allowing the adsorption and degradation to occur simultaneously. Herein, we developed a novel nanostructured bioremediation platform based on polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous membrane (PAN NFM) as supporting material for immobilizing an endophytic fungus to remove bisphenol A (BPA), a typical EDC. The endophytic strain was isolated from Handroanthus impetiginosus leaves and identified as Phanerochaete sp. H2 by molecular methods. The successful assembly of fungus onto the PAN NFM surface was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Compared with free fungus cells, the PAN@H2 NFM displayed a high BPA removal efficiency (above 85%) at an initial concentration of 5 ppm, suggesting synergistic removal by simultaneous adsorption and biotransformation. Moreover, the biotransformation pathway was investigated, and the chemical structures of fungal metabolites of BPA were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography - high-resolution mass (UHPLC-HRMS) analysis. In general, our results suggest that by combining the advantages of enzymatic activity and nanofibrous structure, the novel platform has the potential to be applied in the bioremediation of varied EDCs or even other pollutants found in water resources.
Mechanically induced pyroptosis enhanced cardiosphere oxidative stress resistance and metabolism for myocardial infarction therapy
Authors: Li Qi , Wang Yingwei , Zhao Jupeng , Chen Jiamin , Wu Donexue , Zheng Youling , Wu Jiaxin , Liu Jie , Lu Jianlong , Zhang Jianhua , Wu Zheng
Published: February 2023

Cellular oxidative stress resistance and bioactivities showed great significance for long-term survival and cardiac regeneration. Cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) are favorable cell sources for myocardial infarction (MI) therapy, but effective culture systems for CDC spheroids, cardiospheres (CSps), cultivation and cell function enhancement are not well established. Here, a liquid crystal substrate, octyl hydroxypropyl cellulose ester (OPC), was developed for CSps production and preconditioning. With unique surface properties and mechanical responsiveness, significantly more size-controllable CSps were acquired using OPC substrate, and the OPC-CSps showed improved cell bioactivities and oxidative stress resistance under the stimulation of mechanical-induced pyroptosis. RNA sequencing and metabolism analysis demonstrated the increased metabolic level and improved mitochondrial function of OPC-CSps. In a rat MI model, OPC-CSps significantly improved long-term cardiac function, promoted angiogenesis, and reduced cardiac remodeling in the 3-month observation. Collectively, this study provides a promising and effective system for preparing massive functional CSps for myocardial infarction therapy.
Understanding camouflaging, stigma, and mental health for autistic people in Japan
Authors: Tamura Masaki , Cage Eilidh , Perry Ella , Hongo Minako , Takahashi Toru , Seto Mikuko , Shimizu Eiji , Oshima Fumiyo
Published: February 2023

Background: Camouflaging refers to behaviors in which autistic individuals hide their autistic characteristics and “pass” as non-autistic people. It is postulated that camouflaging is a response to stigma, and preliminary evidence supports this hypothesis. However, there has been limited research on this topic outside of Western countries. This study sought to replicate and extend previous work examining the relationships between camouflaging, stigma, and mental health in Japanese autistic people.
Methods: Two hundred eighty seven autistic people living in Japan completed an online survey on camouflaging, perceived stigma, individualistic and collective strategies, mental wellbeing, anxiety, social anxiety, and depression. We used multiple regression analysis, mediation analyses, and two-sample t-tests to analyze the collected data.
Results: We found that higher camouflaging was predicted by higher perceived stigma and more individualistic and collective strategy use. Camouflaging mediates the association of stigma with depression, anxiety, and social anxiety (but not wellbeing). Furthermore, autistic people in Japan reported lower perceived stigma, camouflaging, wellbeing, and collective strategy use but more individualistic strategies than those in a Western sample.
Conclusion: Our findings support the hypothesis that camouflaging is a response to stigma and can influence the impact of stigma on mental health. There are also cross-cultural differences worth attending to, and more work around supporting positive autistic identity in Japan would be beneficial.
Spinocerebellar ataxia 38: structure-function analysis shows ELOVL5 G230V is proteotoxic, conformationally altered and a mutational hotspot
Authors: Ferrero Enza , Gregorio Eleonora Di , Ferrero Marta , Ortolan Erika , Moon Young-Ah , Campli Antonella Di , Pavinato Lisa , Mancini Cecilia , Tripathy Debasmita , Manes Marta , Hoxha Eriola , Costanzi Chiara , Pozzi Elisa , Sebastiano Matteo Rossi , Mitro Nico , Tempia Filippo , Caruso Donatella , Borroni Barbara , Basso Manuela , Sallese Michele , Brusco Alfredo
Published: February 2023

Fatty acid elongase ELOVL5 is part of a protein family of multipass transmembrane proteins that reside in the endoplasmic reticulum where they regulate long-chain fatty acid elongation. A missense variant (c.689G > T p.Gly230Val) in ELOVL5 causes Spinocerebellar Ataxia subtype 38 (SCA38), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by autosomal dominant inheritance, cerebellar Purkinje cell demise and adult-onset ataxia. Having previously showed aberrant accumulation of p.G230V in the Golgi complex, here we further investigated the pathogenic mechanisms triggered by p.G230V, integrating functional studies with bioinformatic analyses of protein sequence and structure. Biochemical analysis showed that p.G230V enzymatic activity was normal. In contrast, SCA38-derived fibroblasts showed reduced expression of ELOVL5, Golgi complex enlargement and increased proteasomal degradation with respect to controls. By heterologous overexpression, p.G230V was significantly more active than wild-type ELOVL5 in triggering the unfolded protein response and in decreasing viability in mouse cortical neurons. By homology modelling, we generated native and p.G230V protein structures whose superposition revealed a shift in Loop 6 in p.G230V that altered a highly conserved intramolecular disulfide bond. The conformation of this bond, connecting Loop 2 and Loop 6, appears to be elongase-specific. Alteration of this intramolecular interaction was also observed when comparing wild-type ELOVL4 and the p.W246G variant which causes SCA34. We demonstrate by sequence and structure analyses that ELOVL5 p.G230V and ELOVL4 p.W246G are position-equivalent missense variants. We conclude that SCA38 is a conformational disease and propose combined loss of function by mislocalization and gain of toxic function by ER/Golgi stress as early events in SCA38 pathogenesis.
A case of syphilis associated with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome and review of the literature
Authors: Pipitò Luca , Medaglia Alice Annalisa , Trizzino Marcello , Bonura Silvia , Gioè Claudia , Carlo Paola , Colomba Claudia , Cascio Antonio
Published: February 2023

Background: Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) associated with syphilis has rarely been described in HIV-infected patients. Diagnosis can be challenging because it is not always possible to discern it from a recent infection or a worsening of an undiagnosed one.
Case presentation: An HIV-positive 42-year-old man with a poor compliance history of antiretroviral therapy presented at our unit and complained of ocular symptoms. Ocular syphilis diagnosis was posed after initial misdiagnosing with cytomegalovirus infection, and antiretroviral therapy compliance improved after switching to a bictegravir-based regimen. Despite intravenous (IV) penicillin, we observed an initial worsening with the appearance of new skin lesions, and IRIS syphilis was suspected. In the literature, 14 cases of IRIS syphilis are described, all regarding male patients. Seven were HIV naïve to therapy, and 7 HIV-experienced with poor therapy compliance. Basal syphilis serology was negative in ten, with subsequent seroconversion after the development of IRIS. IRIS-syphilis development was observed after a median time of 28 days from ART initiation; 10 cases were considered "unmasking-IRIS" and 4 "paradoxical-IRIS". Skin and ocular involvement were the most often reported. In most cases, it was not necessary to use a systemic steroid. A good outcome was reported in 12.
Conclusions: Syphilis should be considered in differential diagnosis with other diseases associated with IRIS. A negative syphilis serology before beginning antiretroviral therapy could convey the impression that syphilis has been ruled out. Whereas a high index of suspicion should be maintained when symptoms suggestive of syphilis, such as ocular and skin manifestations, are noticed after therapy has begun.
One-year longitudinal study of the stratum corneum proteome of retinol and all trans retinoic acid-treated human skin: an orchestrated molecular event
Authors: Abed Kahina , Foucher Aude , Bernard Dominique , Tancrède-Bohin Emmanuelle , Cavusoglu Nukhet
Published: February 2023

Topically applied all trans retinoic acid (RA) is a gold-standard anti-aging molecule used in dermatology. As its cosmetic counterpart used in anti-aging, Retinol (RO) is also a known metabolic precursor of RA. Despite this metabolic link, they haven’t been compared exhaustively in vivo at a mechanistic level. Therefore, to highlight the effect of a topical application of both molecules on in vivoskin, we undertook a longitudinal 1-year study and performed an untargeted proteomic analysis to get a more holistic view on the underlying biological mechanisms of action. The generation of the temporal proteomics signatures of retinol and retinoic acid reveals the impact of these molecules on biological functions related to the aging of skin. New biological functions impacted by retinoids were discovered: glycan metabolism and protein biosynthesis. In addition, the temporal analysis reveals highest modulations at early time points while the physical measures, such as epidermal thickening, was only observed at the latest time point, demonstrating a strong time lapse between molecular and morphological impacts. Finally, these global temporal signatures could be used to identify new cosmetic compounds of interest.
Effect of Balloon Pulmonary Valvuloplasty on Growth of Pulmonary Annulus in Infants with Tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Waidee Khwaunrat , Lekchuensakul Sarin , Lertsapcharoen Pornthep , Numchaisiri Jule , Benjacholamas Vichai
Published: February 2023

Background
Percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (PBPV) is an alternative intervention in infants with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). It can not only improve hypoxia but also promote pulmonary annulus (PA) growth.
Materials and methods
In this study, we evaluated the effect of PBPV on PA growth in infants with TOF. To eliminate the effect of the systemic to pulmonary shunt (SPS) that may promote PA growth, we divided TOF infants into 2 groups; group A, patients who underwent PBPV with or without other SPS, and group B, patients who attempted SPS but without PBPV.
Results
Sixty patients were included, 28 patients in group A and 32 patients in group B. Age at the time of intervention in group A (range, 0.4–5.4; median 1.4 months) was lower than in group B (range, 2.3–7.7; median 4.8 months), p-value 0.02. The body weight in group A (range, 3-5.5; median 3.7 kg) was also lower than in group B (range 4.1–6.4; median 5.9 kg), p-value 0.02. Echocardiographic data at the mean follow-up period of 37.2 months (3–88 months) in group A and 39.6 months (6–95 months) in group B demonstrated an increase in mean PA diameter from 5.0±1.3 mm to 10.2±2.9 mm, p-value < 0.001 in group A; and from 6.2±2 mm to 9.5±2.9 mm, p-value < 0.001 in group B. The median PA z-score increased from − 3.4SD (-3.9 to -2.6SD) to -1.8SD (-2.5 to -0.8SD), with the p-value of 0.002 in group A; and increased from − 2.9SD (-4.5 to -1.3SD) to -2.7SD (-3.6 to -1.4SD), with the p-value of 0.73 in group B. By using the PA z-score as the absolute value, there was a statistically significant increase in the PA z-score during follow-up in group A, but not in group B.
Conclusion
Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty in infants with TOF can facilitate the growth of pulmonic annulus even after eliminating the effect of the systemic to pulmonary shunt.
Loss ratio of the Capitation Payment Unit of the Health-Promoting Entities in Colombia between 2017 and 2021: A financial–actuarial approach
Authors: Espinosa Oscar , Rodríguez Jhonathan , Urdinola B. Piedad , Nascimento Pedro-Luis Do , Sánchez Alejandra , Arias Martha-Liliana , Valdez Emiliano , Cheng Terence , Fisher Sara-Ellison
Published: February 2023

Background: Because of a change of government, the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection is in the process of presenting a structural reform for the General System of Social Security in Health (GSSSH), in order to implement a ‘preventive and predictive health model’. However, it will always be relevant to review and analyze the fiscal implications of any proposed public policy program, to protect financial sustainability and to promote the better functioning of the system in question.
Methods: To contribute to this topic, we have calculated, using a financial–actuarial approach, the loss ratio for the years 2017 to 2021 for the Capitation Payment Unit (CPU) for all the Health-Promoting Entities (HPE) for both contributory and subsidized schemes. This information, derived from public reports available on the official website of the National Health Superintendency, allows us to estimate the financial burden of the institutions that guarantee access to and provision of health services and technologies in Colombia.
Results: The study shows that close to half of the HPEs in Colombia (which represent 11.6 million affiliates) have CPU loss ratios of more than 100% for the year 2021, evidencing insufficient resources for the operation of health insurance.
Conclusions: Finally, we propose some policy recommendations regarding the strengthening of informed decision-making to allow the healthy financial sustainability of the Colombian GSSSH.
A Role for P-selectin and Complement in the Pathological Sequelae of Germinal Matrix Hemorrhage
Authors: Hatchell Devin , Alshareef Mohammed , Vasas Tyler , Guglietta Silvia , Borucki Davis , Guo Chunfang , Mallah Khalil , Eskandari Ramin , Tomlinson Stephen
Published: February 2023

Background
Germinal Matrix Hemorrhage is a devastating disease of pre-term infancy commonly resulting in post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, periventricular leukomalacia, and subsequent neurocognitive deficits. We demonstrate vascular expression of the adhesion molecule P-selectin after GMH and investigate a strategy to specifically target complement inhibition to sites of P-selectin expression to mitigate the pathological sequelae of GMH.
Methods
We prepared two fusion proteins consisting of different anti-P-selectin single chain antibodies (scFv’s) linked to the complement inhibitor Crry. One scFv targeting vehicle (2.12scFv) blocked the binding of P-selectin to its PSGL-1 ligand expressed on leukocytes, whereas the other targeting vehicle (2.3scFv) bound P-selectin without blocking ligand binding. Post-natal mice on day 4 (P4) were subjected to collagenase induced-intraventricular hemorrhage and treated with 2.3Psel-Crry, 2.12Psel-Crry, or vehicle.
Results
Compared to vehicle treatment, 2.3Psel-Crry treatment after induction of GMH resulted in reduced lesion size and mortality, reduced hydrocephalus development, and improved neurological deficit measurements in adolescence. In contrast, 2.12Psel-Crry treatment resulted in worse outcomes compared to vehicle. Improved outcomes with 2.3Psel-Crry were accompanied by decreased P-selectin expression, and decreased complement activation and microgliosis. Microglia from 2.3Psel-Crry treated mice displayed a ramified morphology, similar to naïve mice, whereas microglia in vehicle treated animals displayed a more ameboid morphology that is associated with a more activated status. Consistent with these morphological characteristics, there was increased microglial internalization of complement deposits in vehicle compared to 2.3Psel-Crry treated animals, reminiscent of aberrant C3-dependent microglial phagocytosis that occurs in other (adult) types of brain injury. Also, following systemic injection, 2.3Psel-Crry specifically targeted to the post-GMH brain. Likely accounting for the unexpected finding that 2.12Psel-Crry worsens outcome following GMH was the finding that this construct interfered with coagulation in this hemorrhagic condition, and specifically with heterotypic platelet-leukocyte aggregation, which express P-selectin and PSGL-1, respectively.
Conclusion
GMH induces expression of P-selectin, the targeting of which with a complement inhibitor protects against pathogenic sequelae of GMH. A dual functioning construct with both P-selectin and complement blocking activity interferes with coagulation and worsens outcomes following GMH, but has potential for treatment of conditions that incorporate pathological thrombotic events, such as ischemic stroke.
A Holistic Study of the Beta Lyrae Systems V0487 Lac, V0566 Hya and V0666 Lac
Authors: Alenazi Moqbil S. , Elkhateeb Magdy. M.
Published: February 2023

A comprehensive photometric study and evolutionary state for the newly discovered Beta Lyr systems V0487 Lac, V0566 Hya and V0666 Lac were carried out by means of their first photometric observations. New times of minima were estimated from the observed light curves, and first (O-C) curves were established for all systems. The radiative treatment was carried out using a Windows interface version of the Wilson and Devinney programme (W-D), which was based on Kurucz's (1993) model atmospheres and a pass band prescription. The adopted models provide some absolute characteristics for the systems under study, which are used to determine the spectral type of the system's constituents and their evolutionary stage. Distances to each system were calculated, and physical properties were estimated. All system components, with the exception of the secondary component of the system V0487 Lac, showed good fit when the systems were positioned on the theoretical mass-luminosity and mass-radius relations.
Quantifying the spatial spillover effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on pandemic risk
Authors: Wang Keli , Han Xiaoyi , Dong Lei , Chen Xiao-Jian , Xiu Gezhi , Kwan Mei-po , Liu Yu
Published: February 2023

Background: Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented in one place can affect neighboring regions by influencing people’s behavior. However, existing epidemic models for NPIs evaluation rarely consider such spatial spillover effects, which may lead to a biased assessment of policy effects.
Methods: Using the US state-level mobility and policy data from January 6 to August 2, 2020, we develop a quantitative framework that includes both a panel spatial econometric model and an S-SEIR (Spillover-Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered) model to quantify the spatial spillover effects of NPIs on human mobility and COVID-19 transmission.
Results: We find that the spatial spillover effects of NPIs explain 61.2% [95% confidence interval: 52.8-84.4%] of national cumulative confirmed cases, suggesting that the presence of the spillover effect significantly enhances the NPI influence. Simulations based on our model further show that increasing interventions in only a few states with larger intrastate human mobility intensity significantly reduce the cases nationwide. These region-based interventions also can carry over to interstate lockdowns.
Conclusions: Our study provides a framework for evaluating and comparing the effectiveness of different intervention strategies conditional on NPI spillovers, and calls for collaboration from different regions.
Anomalous polarization enhancement in a vdW ferroelectric material under pressure
Authors: Zhu Jinlong , Yao Xiaodong , Bai Yinxin , Jin Cheng , Zhang Xinyu , Zheng QunFei , Xu Zedong , Chen Lang , Wang Shanmin , Liu Ying , Wang Junling
Published: February 2023

CuInP2S6 with robust room-temperature ferroelectricity has recently attracted much attention due to the spatial instability of its Cu cations and the van der Waals (vdW) layered structure. Herein, we report a significant enhancement of its remanent polarization by more than 50% from 4.06 to 6.36 µC cm− 2 under a small pressure between 0.26 to 1.40 GPa. Comprehensive analysis suggests that even though the hydrostatic pressure suppresses the crystal distortion, it initially forces Cu cations to largely occupy the interlayer site, causing the spontaneous polarization to increase. Under intermediate pressure, the condensation of Cu cations to the ground state and the polarization increase due cell volume reduction compensate each other, resulting in a constant polarization. Under high pressure, the migration of Cu cations to the center of the S octahedron dominates. These findings improve our understanding of this fascinating vdW ferroelectric material, and suggest new ways to improve its properties.
Biodegradable FePS 3 nanoplatform for efficient treatment of osteosarcoma by combination of gene and NIR-II photothermal therapy
Authors: Luo Tingting , Jiang Mingyang , Cheng Ziqiang , Lin Yuntao , Chen Yuling , Zhou Jian , Zhou Wenhua , Yu Xue-Feng , Li Shuchun , Geng Shengyong , Yang Hongyu
Published: February 2023

Background
As a common tumor with high incidence, osteosarcoma possesses extremely poor prognosis and high mortality. Improving the survival of osteosarcoma patients is still a great challenge due to the precipice of advancement in treatment. This study aims to develop a multifunctional nanoplatform based on the synergistic effect of NIR-II photothermal therapy (PTT) and gene therapy for efficient treatment of osteosarcoma.
Methods
In this study, a combination strategy of gene therapy and photothermal therapy (PTT) is developed for efficient treatment of osteosarcoma. Two-dimensional (2D) FePS3 nanosheets are synthesized and functionalized by poly-L-lysine-PEG-folic acid (PPF) to fabricate a multifunctional nanoplatform (FePS@PPF) for further loading microRNAs inhibitor, miR-19a inhibitor (anti-miR-19a).
Results
The photothermal conversion efficiency of FePS@PPF is up to 47.1% under irradiation by 1064 nm laser. In vitro study shows that anti-miR-19a can be efficiently internalized into osteosarcoma cells through the protection and delivery of FePS@PPF nanao carrier, which induces up-regulation of PTEN gene and down-regulation p-AKT gene. After intravenous injection, the FePS@PPF nanoplatform specifically accumulates to tumor site of osteosarcoma-bearing mice. The in vitro and in vivo investigations reveal that the combined PTT-gene therapy displays most significant tumor ablation compared with monotherapy. More importantly, the good biodegradability promotes FePS@PPF to be cleared from body avoiding potential toxicity of long-term retention.
Conclusion
Our work not only develops a combined strategy of NIR-II PTT and gene therapy mediated by anti-miR-19a/FePS@PPF but also provides insights into the design and applications of other nanotherapeutic platforms.
Comparison of Thin Film Sb 2 Se 3 Solar Cell Device Parameters: with Different Electron Transport Layer
Authors: Agrawal Reeya , Singh Sangeetha
Published: February 2023

The paper describes the solar cell's design, ITO/CdS/Sb2Se3/CZTSe/Au. Experimental evidence that supports the model's predictions regarding output performance and current-voltage characteristics comes from CdS/Sb2Se3 solar cells with a hole transport layer (HTL). Sb2Se3 could be used in solar cells because it is non-toxic, affordable, and performs well. Because Sb2Se3 has a high-power conversion efficiency (6.5%), it is utilized as the absorber in thin-film solar cells. By simulating a best-practice solar cell configuration, including device optimization and band offset engineering, the SCAPS-1D simulator increased solar cell efficiency. The J-V characteristics of the simulated systems were simulated using SCAPS-1D to confirm the accuracy of the results. Current research focuses on the absorber for antimony selenide photovoltaic solar cells. The solar capacitance simulator was used to evaluate thin Sb2Se3 solar cells using SCAPS-1D software. From all the simulations, the conclusion arises that CZTSe as HTL gave the highest values of open-circuit voltage (VOC), i.e., 311mV, short circuit current (JSC), i.e., 28.246%, Fill Factor (FF), i.e., 45.48%, and Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE), i.e., 4%, was obtained through proposed solar cell architecture ITO/CdS/Sb2Se3/CZTSe/Au.
Efficient Integer Retrieving from Unordered Compressed Sequences
Authors: Zavadskyi Igor
Published: February 2023

We investigate the problem of fast direct access to elements of an integer sequence given in a compressed form. If integers are sorted in ascending order, it can be reduced to performing the 'select' operation on a bitmap, which is very well investigated. We focus on more general and more complicated case of unordered integer sequence and propose to represent it with the help of variable-length Reverse Multi-Delimiter (RMD) codes. When applied to data compression, these codes combine a good compression ratio with fast decoding. In this paper, another property of RMD-codes is researched - the ability of direct access to codewords in the encoded bitstream. We present the method allowing us to extract and decode a codeword from an RMD-bitstream in almost constant time and make experiments on its application to natural language text compression. Due to properties of RMD-codes and compactness of auxiliary direct access structures our method appears to be very space efficient requiring only a few percent excess over the entropy.
Instantaneous Fundamental Frequency and Model Order Estimation of Non-Stationary Harmonic Signals
Authors: Rehman Ansar , Khan Nabeel Ali , Butt Naveed R.
Published: February 2023

Estimation of the time-varying fundamental frequency is an important problem in many real-life applications, e.g. analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) seizure signals. The instantaneous fundamental frequency (IF) of such signals is usually estimated by first windowing a signal and then applying methods such as non-linear least squares. However, this approach is based on an assumption that a given signal is stationary within an observation time and that the model order (number of harmonics) is known. We propose a novel instantaneous fundamental frequency estimator that uses fractional Fourier windows to stationarize a signal within an observation window followed by MAP criteria for estimating model order and the nonlinear least squares method for fundamental frequency estimation. Application to simulated and real data indicates that the use of fractional Fourier windows improves the estimation accuracy as compared to both commonly used fundamental frequency estimators and state of art instantaneous frequency estimators. The proposed method provides good IF estimates without requiring any prior knowledge of the model order and is more computationally efficient compared to recent semi-parametric methods. For the case of quadratic chirp, we also derive a parametric CRLB to show that the proposed approach, while being biased, achieves better mean-square error (MSE) than any unbiased parametric estimator.
A fractal LTB model cannot explain Dark Energy
Authors: Pastén Erick , Cardenas Victor
Published: February 2023

We revisited the problem of describing, on average, a fractal distribution of matter using a Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) solution. Here we study the fractal structure of our local universe having a fractal dimension and a scale transition, ensuring an homogeneous bang-time function. We test our model with the latest type Ia supernova data, the Pantheon compilation, and discuss problems and possible improvements for it, concluding that a fractal transition in LTB cosmology cannot be used to explain the effects of dark energy without requiring an inhomogeneous big-bang, but it can be useful to study structures at low scales.
A method for distinguishing tetracycline and its isomer doxycycline using a Briggs-Rauscher chemical oscillation system
Authors: Ziping Liu , Zhang Lanlan
Published: February 2023

In this paper, a novel chemical oscillation system was designed to distinguish two different classes of antibiotics, tetracycline and its isomer doxycycline. The oscillating system is a chemical oscillating system composed of five components (H2SO4-KIO3-MA-[NiL](ClO4)2-H2O2)under the action of macroring nickel [NiL](ClO4)2(where L is 5, 7, 7, 12, 14, 14-hexamethyl-1, 4, 8, 11-teazazote14-4, 11-diene) to distinguish tetracycline and its isomer doxycycline. In the concentration range of 6.1875×10-5-2.0813×10-4mol/L, both of them can be distinguished by their different disturbance phenomenaon the chemical oscillation system of B-R. Finally, the disturbance and the mechanism of system inhibition are explained by FCA model.
Long-term exposure to particulate matter and risk of dementia in Korea: A national population-based cohort study
Authors: Shim Jung-Im I. , Byun Garam , Lee Jong-Tae T.
Published: February 2023

Background
The prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative diseases has risen in conjunction with an increase in life expectancy. Although there is emerging evidence that air pollution might accelerate or worsen dementia progression, studies on Asian regions remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between long-term exposure to PM10 and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in the elderly population in South Korea.
Methods
Insurance claims data from 2.4 million people aged 65 years and above who participated in at least one national health checkup program from 2008 to 2009 were obtained from the National Health Insurance Service. A nationwide retrospective cohort study was designed, and patients were followed from the date of cohort entry to the date of dementia occurrence, death, moving residence, or the end of the study period (December 31, 2019), whichever came first. Long-term average PM10 exposure variable was constructed from national monitoring data considering time-dependent exposure. Extended Cox proportional hazard models with time-varying exposure were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
Results
A total of 1,436,361 participants were selected, of whom 167,988 were newly diagnosed with dementia (134,811 with Alzheimer’s disease and 12,215 with vascular dementia). The results show that for every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10, the HR was 0.99 (95% CI 0.98-1.00) for Alzheimer’s disease and 1.05 (95% CI 1.02–1.08) for vascular dementia. Stratified analysis according to sex and age group showed that the risk of vascular dementia was higher in men and in those under 75 years of age.
Conclusion
The results found that long-term PM10 exposure was significantly associated with the risk of developing vascular dementia but not with Alzheimer’s disease. These findings suggest that the mechanism behind the PM10-dementia relationship could be linked to vascular damage.
BicA and related proteins of the SulP family diverged from a common ancestor with archaeal NCS-2 proteins
Authors: Nayak Namitha , Mehrotra Rajesh , Mehrotra Sandhya
Published: February 2023

BicA is a cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporter that belongs to the widespread Sulfate Permease (SulP) family of proteins. To understand the evolutionary trajectory of BicA, its distant homologs were identified by using the Position-Specific Iterative Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (PSI BLAST) against all organisms excluding cyanobacteria and manually screened to include homologs performing different functions. A total of 43 proteins were short-listed for the phylogenetic tree construction and conserved domain analysis. The results show a distant homology between BicA and archaeal proteins of the Nucleobase Cation Symporter (NCS-2) family. The archaeal NCS-2 family members dominate in the lower clades of the phylogenetic tree, while the upper clades consist mostly of bacterial sulphate and anion transporters of the SulP family. Analysis of BicA for conserved domains shows pbuX, UraA and AzgA domains in common with NCS-2 family proteins, which supports their homologous relationship. We propose that cyanobacterial BicA and related proteins of the SulP family potentially diverged from or shared a common ancestor with archaeal NCS-2 proteins.
Detection of infection degree of Botrytis disease in apple by fusing spectra and image features from hyperspectral imaging
Authors: Xin Zhenghua , Wang Liusong , Liu Cunchuan , Xu Haifeng , Pan Zhenggao , Cui Lin , Li Mingdong , Wang Chao , Hu Liangyi
Published: February 2023

Apples are vulnerable to fungal infection for the duration of storage, transportation and processing. In this study, we explore hyperspectral imaging and deep learning networks to detect the degree of apple infection caused by Botrytis disease. Savitzky-Golay smoothing and multiplicative scatter correction are used to preprocess the raw spectra from HSI images, and principal component analysis is used to screen effective variables through correlation analysis. Then, the textural features are extracted from images of important wavelengths selected by competitive adaptive reweighted sampling using a gray-level gradient co-occurrence matrix. With the above features, a random forest, K-nearest neighbor, support vector machines, convolutional neural network (CNN) and input-preprocessed CNN (IPCNN) are used to develop identification models of the apple fungal infection degree. Classification results of the fusion of efficient spectra and textural features are much better than those using a single feature, and IPCNN has the best accuracy of the training and prediction sets, at 100% and 92.8%, respectively. Hence, the proposed method provides a technical basis for the investigation of fruit qualities.
The Effects of Video Display Terminals on Eye Surfaces
Authors: Zeng Lingdi , Sun Xufang , Sun Lixin , Sun Jinfu
Published: February 2023

Objective: To investigate the effects of computer use on the ocular surface of healthy people using Keratograph D.
Design: Use a prospective cohort study method, select subjects that meet the standards, use experimental group and control group based on whether or not used video display terminals (computers), and set the time point of observation at 60 min and 120 min use of computers.
Subjects: In total 80 eyes from 40 nurses have been selected for this study. The experimental group includes 46 eyes from 23 nurses who used computer at work and the control group includes 34 eyes from 17 nurses who did not use computer or other video terminals at work. All nurses were working at the First People’s Hospital of Changde City at Hunan Province in China.
Methods: Let subjects using computer for 60 min and 120 min. Record data for every subject (both eyes) before and after computer uses. The data was recorded by experienced ophthalmologists using Keratograph D.
Main Outcome Measures: This study investigated the tear film breakup time (BUT) and tear meniscus height (TMH) using Keratograph D for both groups before work, at 60 min and 120 min of work.
Results: We found the tear meniscus height of the experimental group at 60 min and 120 min were both significantly lower than the control group. The average tear film breakup time of the experimental group at 120min was significantly lower than the control group.
Conclusions: This study found that the use of computer over 60 min has adverse effects on ocular surface of healthy people.
The Way to picture Reality: A Review, Evaluation and Recipe of Image Harmonization
Authors: Tian Yingjie , Hou Junjie , Zhang Yuqi
Published: February 2023

Image harmonization is an interesting but challenging task in image processing. The task is to adjust the visual information between the foreground and background in the picture, so that the overall picture becomes a harmonious and unified process. Compared to traditional unsupervised methods for image processing, recent developments in deep learning have brought new opportunities to the field. Since 2019, related image harmonization papers have begun to appear on a large scale. In order to better sort out the development of this field, we summarize the field from two aspects of supervised learning and unsupervised learning, and also deeply integrate the existing image harmonization dataset and related index evaluation. We then conduct a detailed comparison and analysis of the existing models. Finally, the current challenges and future research directions of deep learning in image harmonization are discussed.