bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Change In Platelet Count And MPV Levels Of Patients Who Received Hemodialysis For The First Time: Mogadishu Somalia Experience
Authors: Sarı Öznur , Bashir Ahmed Muhammad
Published: June 2022

IntroductionMean platelet volume (MPV) is a marker used to assess the platelet's size and is also an indicator of platelet reactivity and prothrombic status.ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between MPV and biochemical parameters in patients who had received hemodialysis (HD) for the first time and then in respect of those same patients after their fourth HD.Method151 HD patients were enrolled in this study. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they had received their first HD session during this study protocol. Pre-hemodialysis blood samples were taken. Most laboratory values, including mean platelet volume (MPV) level and Platelets (PLT) count, were measured before the first HD and after the fourth HD session for each patient.ResultsAmong the patients in our study, the mean age profile of the male patients (n= 103; 68.2%) was found to be higher than that of the female patients (n = 48; 31.8%) (53.62±18.19 vs. 46.17±17.9 years) (p = 0.019).In the patients' laboratory results after the fourth HD session, MPV, MPV/Plt, and Na values had ​​increased to those after the first HD session (p<0.001). When age and gender status were taken into account, the level of weak positive correlation with white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil, and red cell disturbution width (RDW) was found, while the weak negative correlation with platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was found (p<0.001). ConclusionsIn our study, we found that increase in MPV and MPV/PLT levels was significant in the fourth HD session of patients with CKD. It is also debatable that there are findings indicating an increase in platelet reactivity in the first weeks of the onset of HD. This could be an early indicator of the early prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Quality assurance in the clinical diagnosis of Marfan Syndrome based on new developed inheritance pattern.
Authors: Rios Santiago
Published: June 2022

Background: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a rare disease that induces a connective tissue disorder. The variability of its manifestations makes difficult an unequivocal diagnosis.Results: In this paper, we propose a method for the analysis of genetic aggregation and segregation based on Mendel’s Laws to identify the inheritance pattern for a single-gene disease. The probabilistic method is combined with a classical Uniformly Most Powerful (U.M.P.) test for comparing composite hypothesis against a composite hypothesis, in order to establish whether a disease is caused by a single autosomal dominant gene or by a recessive one. A random decision rule could be used for small samples.Conclusions: This methodology was tested to evaluate the quality assurance of the clinical diagnosis in Marfan Syndrome that enables a more reliable decision combining a clinical criteria and a mathematical model.
Does women’s literacy affect maternal health services utilization in Ethiopia? A stratified analysis of 2019 mini Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Handebo Simegnew , Demie Takele Gezahegn , Gessese Getachew Tilahun , Woldeamanuel Berhanu Teshome , Biratu Tolesa Diriba
Published: June 2022

Background
Maternal mortality remains unacceptably high in sub-Saharan Africa with 533 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, or 200,000 maternal deaths a year. This is over two-thirds (68%) of all maternal deaths per year worldwide. The lifetime risk of maternal death in low-income countries is 1 in 45. Most maternal deaths can be prevented if births are attended by skilled health personnel. Therefore, the current study examined the utilization of maternal health services among women in different sociodemographic statuses within different literacy strata in Ethiopia.
Methods
A total weighted sample of 3,839 women who gave birth within five years preceding the survey and whose literacy status was measured in the survey were included in this study. The dataset from the most recent Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Surveys (EMDHS) 2019 was used for this study. The EMDHS was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted in Ethiopia from March 21 to June 28, 2019. The survey used a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported and statistical significance was set at a p-value < 0.05.
Results
In this study, nearly two-thirds (63.8%) of reproductive-age women were illiterate. The overall prevalence of ANC 1, ANC 4, skilled birth attendance, and postnatal care utilization was 74.9%, 43.5%, 51.9%, and 32.0%, respectively. Our analysis also revealed that literate women are more likely to receive ANC 1 (literate vs illiterate, 87.9% vs 67.5%), ANC 4 (59.4% vs 34.5%), skilled birth attendance (73.3% vs 39.7%), and PNC (51.2% vs 21.1) as compared to their illiterate counterparts (p < 0.001). Regional variation, wealth status, age at first birth, birth order, and birth intervals were found significant factors associated with maternal health care service utilization among both literate and illiterate reproductive-age women in Ethiopia. Similar to this, ANC booking timing and utilization, age of household head, and religious affiliation were associated with institutional delivery and PNC utilization.
Conclusion
Women’s literacy is an important associate for utilizing appropriate maternal healthcare, with other sociodemographic and obstetric related factors as modifying factors. Hence, wholehearted efforts should be directed toward educating and empowering women. On the other hand, literacy levels and other modifying factors should be considered when designing interventions that enhance maternal health care service utilization. For instance, such programs need to stratify the interventions according to the literacy level of the women.
Translation of the 27-gene immuno-oncology test (IO Score) to predict outcomes in immune checkpoint inhibitor treated metastatic urothelial cancer patients
Authors: Seitz Robert , Hurwitz Michael E , Nielsen Tyler J , Bailey Daniel B , Varga Matthew G , Ring Brian Z , Metts Carrie F , Schweitzer Brock L , McGregor Kimberly , Ross Douglas T
Published: June 2022

Background
The IO Score is a 27-gene immuno-oncology (IO) classifier that has previously predicted benefit to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It generates both a continuous score and a binary result using a defined threshold that is conserved between breast and lung. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the IO Score’s binary threshold in ICI-naïve TCGA bladder cancer patients (TCGA-BLCA) and assess its clinical utility in metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) using the IMvigor 210 clinical trial treated with the ICI, atezolizumab.
Methods
We identified a list of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) related genes expressed across the TCGA breast, lung squamous and lung adenocarcinoma cohorts (TCGA-BRCA, TCGA-LUSQ, and TCGA-LUAD, 939 genes total) and then examined the expression of these 939 genes in TCGA-BLCA, to identify patients as having high inflammatory gene expression. Using this as a test of classification, we assessed the previously established threshold of IO Score. We then evaluated the IO Score with this threshold in the IMvigor210 cohort for its association with overall survival (OS).
Results
In TCGA-BLCA, IO Score positive patients had a strong concordance with high inflammatory gene expression (p < 0.0001). Given this concordance, we applied the IO Score to the ICI treated IMvigor210 patients. IO Score positive patients (40%) had a significant Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) of 0.59 (95% CI 0.45–0.78 p < 0.001) for OS and improved median OS (15.6 versus 7.5 months) compared to IO Score negative patients. The IO Score remained significant in bivariate models combined with all other clinical factors and biomarkers, including PD-L1 protein expression and tumor mutational burden.
Conclusion
The IMvigor210 results demonstrate the potential for the IO Score as a clinically useful biomarker in mUC. As this is the third tumor type assessed using the same algorithm and threshold, the IO Score may be a promising candidate as a tissue agnostic marker of ICI clinical benefit. The concordance between IO Score and inflammatory gene expression suggests that the classifier is capturing common features of the TIME across cancer types.
Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships of Manufacturing Errors using Sequence-to-Sequence Learning
Authors: Reimer Jeff , Wang Yandong , Laridi Sofiane , Urdich Juergen , Wilmsmeier Soeren , Palmer Gregory
Published: June 2022

In car-body production the pre-formed sheet metal parts of the body are assembled on fully-automated production lines. The body passes through multiple stations in succession, and is processed according to the order requirements. The timely completion of orders depends on the individual station-based operations concluding within their scheduled cycle times. If an error occurs in one station, it can have a knock-on effect, resulting in delays on the downstream stations. To the best of our knowledge, there exist no methods for automatically distinguishing between source and knock-on errors in this setting, as well as establishing a causal relation between them. Utilizing real-time information about conditions collected by a production data acquisition system, we propose a novel vehicle manufacturing analysis system, which uses deep learning to establish a link between source and knock-on errors. We benchmark three sequence-to-sequence models, and introduce a novel composite time-weighted action metric for evaluating models in this context. We evaluate our framework on a real-world car production dataset recorded by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Surprisingly we find that 71.68% of sequences contain either a source or knock-on error. With respect to seq2seq model training, we find that the Transformer demonstrates a better performance compared to LSTM and GRU in this domain, in particular when the prediction range with respect to the durations of future actions is increased.
Association and Predictive Capability of Body Composition and Diabetes Mellitus Using Artificial Intelligence: A cohort study
Authors: Nematollahi Mohammad Ali , Askarinejad Amir , Asadollahi Arefeh , Salimi Maryam , Moghadami Mana , Sasannia Sarvin , Bazrafshan Mehdi , Farjam Mojtaba , Homayounfar Reza , Pezeshki Babak , Amini Mitra , Roshanzamir Mohamad , Alizadehsani Roohallah , Drissi Hamed Bazrafshan , Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam
Published: June 2022

This study aimed to investigate the association between regional body fat distribution and the prevalence of Diabetes mellitus (DM) in adult populations using machine learning. We applied machine learning methods to data from a cohort study to analyze the relationship between fat in different body areas and diabetes. All measurement was done by "Tanita Segmental Body Composition Analyzer BC-418 MA Tanita Corp, Japan". The correlation between the used parameters and DM was measured using some machine learning algorithms i.e. SVM, SGD, KNN, MLP, Adaboost and EDINet. A total of 4661 participants were included. The top features that reported higher importance in classification models were age, fat mass, and percentages in legs, arms, and trunk area. Fat-free mass in the legs, arm, and trunk area was reversely associated with diabetes. Our proposed method significantly outperformed the others. It has the best performances in Accuracy, Precision, Recall-0, Recall-1, and F1-score, which were 93.57, 93.67, 96.11, 74.55 and 93.62, respectively. Our machine learning models showed that regional body fat could have specific impacts on diabetes based on the location of the fat accumulation. The most predictor values of diabetes were age, fat mass, and percentages in arms, legs, and trunk area. Further studies on different ages, gender, ethnic groups, and races are recommended.
Early Cambrian microfossils from the cherts in carbonates of the Kuruktag area, the Tarim Block
Authors: Zhang Zhi-li , Ou Zhi-ji , Li Hui-li , Li Shuang-jian , Wu Jiang , Meng Fan-Wei
Published: June 2022

The basal Cambrian is characteristic for the appearance of small shelly fossils and acanthomorphic acritarchs with relatively small vesicles. In the Tarim Block (NW China) and South China, this microfossil assemblage is dominated by small acanthomorphs and was referred to as the ‘Micrhystridium-Paracymatiosphaera-Megathrix’ (MPM) association, based on microfossils from the early Cambrian Yurtus and Xishanblaq Formations of the Tarim Block. This study provides the new early Cambrian microfossil assemblage preserved in cherts of carbonates in Tikebuladahuang section of the Kruktag area, Tarim Block. These early Cambrian microfossil assemblages come from early Cambrian Upper Xishanblaq Formation in Tikebuladahuang section correlated with the Cambrian Stage 2, and the microfossil association is dominated by Heliosphaeridium irregulare n. sp., sponge spicules, Leiosphaeridia spp., and Siphonophycus sp. also occur.
Preparation and electrochemical properties of MXene/NiS2 nanocomposites
Authors: Tang Xing-Chang , Li Xi-Yan , Ren Zhong , Zhang Ming-Jian , Zhang Jian-Qiang
Published: June 2022

MXene/NiS2 composite was synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method with nickel nitrate and thiourea as raw materials and MXene as substrate. The nanosheets connected in the composite exhibit a void network structure, which favors ion and charge transfer. The results show that the electrochemical properties of the composite were optimized (maximum specific capacitance = 898.2 F·g− 1) at synthesis temperature of 180 ℃ and Ni/S ratio of 1:2. Compared with pure MXene (157.4 F·g− 1) and pure NiS2 (616 F·g− 1), the MXene/NiS2-1:2-180 composites exhibited superior properties. The asymmetric supercapacitor was assembled in 6 M KOH with MXene/NiS2 as anode and SC (biochar) as cathode. High energy density (32.08 Wh·kg− 1) and power density (749.92 W·kg− 1) can be obtained at an operating voltage window of 1.5 V. After 3000 charging/discharging cycles at 2 A·g− 1, the specific capacitance was 85.74% of the original specific capacitance.
Evaluation of the Factors Affecting Triage Decision-making among Emergency Department Nurses and Emergency Medical Technicians in Iran: A Study Based on Benner's Theory
Authors: Soola Aghil Habibi , Mehri Saeid , Azizpour Islam
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) nurses and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) find themselves performing triage under time pressure and with limited information. Identifying an effective triage decision-making process can play a significant role in promoting patient safety. Experts are able to make faster and more effective decisions in emergencies than novices.Objective: The current study aimed to identify the level of triage decision-making (TDM) and its' predictors in ED nurses and EMTs based on self-reported levels of nursing proficiency in Benner's theory from novice to expert.Materials and methods: Out of 821 ED nurses and EMTs who met the inclusion criteria, 320 ED nurses and 152 EMTs were included in this descriptive-analytical research. Data were collected by a demographic information form and triage decision-making inventory (TDMI) and analyzed by SPSSv.22 software using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression.Results: The total TDMI score was higher in EMTs than in ED nurses. The total score of TDMI in the ED nurses and EMTs was higher in the expert nurses than in the novices. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that self-reported levels of nursing proficiency, age, work experience, marital status and triage training course were predictors of TDM in ED nurses (P < 0.05), and self-reported levels of nursing proficiency, service location, work experience, marital status and triage training course were predictors of TDM in EMTs (P < 0.05).Conclusion: The findings indicate the need to strengthen TDM skills in ED nurses compared to EMTs. Training programs are recommended to strengthen TDM skills with special attention to its predictors (self-reported levels of nursing proficiency, age, work experience, marital status, triage training course, and service location).
Exaggerated levels of some specific TLRs, Cytokines and Chemokines in Japanese encephalitis infected BV2 and neuro2A cell lines associated with worst outcome
Authors: Shukla Mukti , Garg Atul , Dhole T. N , Chaturvedi Rachna
Published: June 2022

Japanese encephalitis (JE) disease, a viral brain fever is caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Despite the availability of effective vaccines against this deadly infection, JE is the leading cause of epidemic viral encephalitis in children in South-east Asia. There is no treatment available for the JE disease which might be due to incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of JE virus. The JEV infections lead to permanent neurological deficits even in those who survive from the infection. Activated microglia may play a potentially detrimental role by eliciting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) influencing the surrounding brain tissue. Microglial activation, proinflammatory cytokine release and leukocytes trafficking are associated following JEV infection in CNS. How the pattern recognition receptors sense the viral nucleic acid and how the microglial and neuronal cells behaves following JEV infection is still unelucidated. There is scarcity of data on the expression levels of TLRs, cytokines and chemokines in JEV infection in invitro model. To explore the molecular mechanisms of JEV infection of microglial cells and neuronal cells, we studied the expression profile of TLRs, cytokines and chemokines in JEV infected microglial cell line BV2 and Neuronal cell line Neuro2A. For the present study, we developed the mouse model of encephalitis by intracerebral (IC) injection of JE virus for virus propagation, disease progression and damage study. Our results demonstrate the exaggerated release of some specific TLRs, cytokines and chemokines in invitro cell culture of microglial and Neuro 2A cell line which are associated with bad outcome in invivo study.
Raman Micro-spectroscopic investigation of corrosion products on gilded bronze patina and conservation techniques
Authors: Atta Diaa , Ahmed Saleh , Abdelbar Mohamed
Published: June 2022

Selected four gilt-bronze statuettes have been studied after excavation from the burial environment. Soil deposits and corrosion forms were observed on the surface disfiguring the gold layer. Confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy and Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) were used to identify the molecular structure and elements distribution over the statuette’s surfaces. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) has been utilized to recognize the surface/interface state before the conservation treatment and takes the high-resolution imaging. Chemical analyses indicated that it was made of leaded bronze. A high lead content in the statuettes was reflected by lead corrosion products admixed with green chloride and carbonate salts of copper. Conservation treatment was accomplished using fine and appropriate mechanical tools to recover all the gilding remains and surface details. Finally, the protection process of statuettes was accomplished using two layers of Permalac.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Based on Laennec Approach via the Cystic Plate with Lymphadenectomy in Calot's Triangle for Gallbladder Neoplasms：initial experience and technical details
Authors: Ouyang Bin , Zhang Laizhu , Cao Yajuan , Xing Zhongjie , Peng Jin , Yue Yang , Yu Decai
Published: June 2022

Aim It is still challenging to define the exact stage of early gallbladder carcinoma with preoperative imaging. Generally subserous gallbladder is dissected for the potential early gallbladder carcinoma, which may cause incomplete tumor resection or tumor spread especially for the patients with T2 stage. Here, we reported our experience and safety of Laennec approach via the cystic plate to dissect the whole gallbladder with lymphadenectomy in Clot’s triangle for accurate diagnosis and staging in gallbladder neoplasms. Methods The anatomical gap between Laennec capsule and the cystic plate serves as the landmark to dissect the whole gallbladder through Laennec approach. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy based on Laennec approach via the cystic plate, together with lymphadenectomy in Calot’s triangular, was performed in 6 patients with gallbaldder neoplasms. Results All patients had less intraoperative bleeding, no gallbladder breakage, no bile leakage, and accurate intraoperative rapid pathological staging under the corresponding strategies. The duration of surgery was comparable to that of traditional laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Conclusion Laparoscopic cholecystectomy based on Laennec approach via the cystic plate, together with lymphadenectomy in Calot’s triangular is safe for gallblader neoplasms. In the future, the prospective clinical trial is going on to confirm the feasibility and effectiveness in the therapy of early gallbladder.
Clinical significance of dynamic variation of low cholesterol and its prognostic value in patients with pyogenic liver abscess: a retrospective study
Authors: Feng Tiantong , Zhang Wen , Hou Xiaoxue , Yuan Hui , Cai Jinyuan , Jiang Zhengyi , Hu Pingping , Yue Ming , Li Wenting , Zhu Chuanlong , Li Yuwen
Published: June 2022

Background: Variations of serum lipids are closely related to the progression of sepsis, but their value for patients with pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) has rarely been studied. We investigated the variations of serum lipid levels in patients with PLA and its predictive value to the disease.Methods: A total of 328 patients with PLA hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2017 to December 2021 were included in this study, 35 (10.67%) in the severe group (SG) and 293 (89.33%) in the non-severe group (nSG). Their clinical records were retrospectively analyzed, and dynamic curves were drawn to clarify the changes of different indicators during the course of disease.Results: HDL-C, LDL-C and Lp(a) in SG were significantly lower than those in nSG (P<0.001). TC at baseline (OR=0.184, P< 0.001) was an independent risk factor for severe patients and had the highest predictive value, with an AUC of 0.859 and a cut-off value of 2.70mmol/L (sensitivity = 94.3%, specificity = 63.5%). For patients who met the criteria for drainage surgery, TC, HDL-C and LDL-C levels continued to decrease with antibiotic therapy alone prior to drainage and began to increase after the surgery.Conclusions: Low TC level on admission is an independent risk factor for the progression of severe illness in PLA patients, with highest predictive value surpassing other clinical indexes routinely measured. Abscess drainage should be performed as soon as possible for patients whose TC continues to decline after medicine treatment.
Time-changed Fractional Convoluted Skellam Process
Authors: SENGAR AYUSHI S. , UPADHYE Neelesh S.
Published: June 2022

In this article, we introduce a convoluted version of Skellam process. We also give an alternate definition through its transition probabilities and discuss its distributional properties. Next, we consider the fractional version of convoluted Skellam process, which we call as fractional convoluted Skellam process (FCSP), and derive the probability generating function, mean, variance, covariance function, and establish its the long-range dependence property. Later, we introduce two time-changed variants of fractional convoluted Skellam process, in which we introduce time-change FCSP by Lévy subordinator and its first exit time, and call as TCFCSP-I and TCFCSP-II respectively. We also derive the law of iterated logarithm property for TCFCSP-I. Later we give the expression for the asymptotic behavior of moments of TCFCSP-II. MSC Classification: 60G22; 60G55
Whole Genome Amplification as an Innovative Approach for Genomic Studies in Lichenized Fungi
Authors: Ivanovich Cristóbal , Paule Juraj , Lagostina Elisa , LaGreca Scott , Leavitt Steve , Muggia Lucia , Palice Zdeněk , Pérez-Ortega Sergio , Printzen Christian
Published: June 2022

Molecular sequence data has transformed the field of lichen taxonomy and provided crucial insight into evolutionary relationships. However, DNA obtained from standard extraction methodologies may not yield sufficient high-quality DNA to successfully perform high-throughput sequencing. Furthermore, standard DNA extraction protocols often, require the destructive use of large portions of lichen thalli and apothecia. For crustose lichens, in particular, obtaining enough high-quality DNA for subsequent genomic sequencing becomes challenging considering the small amount of source material. A further problem arises by the presence of non-target microorganisms, often co-symbionts within the lichen thalli, which can decrease the coverage of sequence reads from the mycobiont and photobiont of interest. In this paper, we present Whole Genome Amplification (WGA) as a suitable technique to recover large quantities of high-quality DNA from limited amounts of lichen thallus material or fractions of a single apothecium and minimize the quantity of non-target reads. Two WGA kits were tested: Qiagen Repli-G Single-Cell Kit and Jena Bioscience Direct WGA kit, and results were compared to CTAB-extracted DNA. DNA obtained from the three methods, was used to assemble and annotate a total of 18 mitochondrial genomes from the order Lecanorales. Of these, ten mitogenomes were fully and eight mitogenomes were partially assembled. The resulting mitogenomes showed consistent gene position patterns and phylogenetic placement was largely concordant with data previously published. We demonstrate that this alternative method can be reliably used for obtaining enough high-quality DNA material for genomic research on lichens.
Discovery and characterization of sgRNA-independent DNA cleavage from CRISPR/Cas9 in mouse embryos
Authors: Yang Liyun , Chen Lijiao , Zheng Yang , Deng Li , Bai Raoxian , Zhang Ting , Wang Zhengbo , Li Shangang
Published: June 2022

Background
The CRISPR/Cas9 system can induce off-target effects in programmed gene editing, but there have been few reports on cleavage detection and characterization in early embryos. To study these events, sgRNAs with different off-target rates were designed by off-target prediction software and injected into mouse zygotes with Cas9. The development of the injected embryos was analyzed, and γH2AX, which can bind sequences at double-strand breaks (DSBs), was used for DNA cleavage analysis by immunostaining and CUT&Tag.
Results
The results showed that the sgRNAs with a higher off-target rate were associated with significantly reduced blastocyst rate and birth rate in injected mouse embryos. γH2AX immunofluorescence indicated that there was a relative DSB peak at 15 h after Cas9 system injection, and the number of γH2AX foci at the peak was significantly higher in the low off-target sgRNA-injected group (101.3 ± 16.6) than in the control group (42.2 ± 9.9). No predicted off-target mutations with a difference of 4 bases from the sgRNA were found in the Cas9-edited mice or fetuses. At 15 h after CRISPR/Cas9 and low off-target sgRNA injection, many sgRNA-independent DSBs were detected by CUT&Tag sequencing. The distribution of sgRNA-independent DSBs had no chromosome specificity. Gene Ontology (GO) annotation analysis of the sgRNA-independent DSB sites showed that the sgRNA-independent DSBs were mainly concentrated at genes associated with biological processes such as neuron projection morphogenesis and steroid hormone-mediated signaling; molecular functions such as PDZ domain binding and actin binding; and cell components such as postsynaptic membrane and intracellular vessel.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the many sgRNA-independent cleavages induced when the Cas9 system is used for gene editing in mouse embryos were visually detected and characterized in the genome for the first time. These results should also be considered when using or optimizing the Cas9 system.
Observation of interband Berry phase in laser driven crystals
Authors: Uzan-Narovlansky Ayelet , Faeyrman Lior , Shames Sergei , Narovlansky Vladimir , Xiao Jiewen , Arusi-Parpar Talya , Kneller Omer , Bruner Barry , Smirnova Olga , Silva Rui , Yan Binghai , Jimenez-Galan Alvaro , Ivanov Misha (Mikhail) , Dudovich Nirit
Published: June 2022

Ever since its discovery, the notion of Berry phase has permeated through all branches of physics, being at the heart of a large variety of quantum phenomena. However, so far all its realizations were based on a continuous evolution of the quantum state, following a cyclic path. Here, we introduce and demonstrate a conceptually new manifestation of the Berry phase in light driven crystals, where the electronic wavefunction accumulates a geometric phase during discrete evolution between different bands, while preserving the coherence of the process. We experimentally demonstrate this phase by using a strong laser field to engineer an internal interferometer, induced during less than one cycle of the driving field, which maps the phase onto the emission of high order harmonics. Our work opens a new branch in the study of geometric phases, leading to a variety of new observations in light driven topological phenomena and attosecond solid state physics.
Acute and Sub-chronic Toxicity Evaluations of Mallotus repandus Stem Methanol Extract in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats
Authors: Hasan Md. Rakib , Mondal Milon , Sweilam Sherouk Hossein , Hossain Md. Monir , Hanif Md. Abu , I Sheik Md. Saiful , Roy Amit Kumar , Hasan Mohammad Mehedi , Sarkar Chandan , Mondal Kakoli Rani , Mondal Banani , Ramproshad Sarker , Panthi Sandesh , Rahman Md. Habibur
Published: June 2022

Background
Mallotus repandus (M. repandus), a well-known medicinal plant, is traditionally used around the globe to treat or prevent numerous diseases and/or disorders such as inflammation, hepatic disorder, cirrhosis, rheumatic arthritis, tumor, and snake-bite. Some common names for it include Bon natai, Jhante, or Gunti. Some potential bioactive compounds from this plant have been identified, and hepatoprotective activities of the stem part have been also investigated by standard methods. However, there is no strong evidence about its toxicity profile that was performed in a systematic study using substantial animal models. We designed our current study with Swiss albino mice and Sprague-Dawley rat model using biochemical parameters, histological, and hematological evaluation to assess the toxic effects of M. repandus methanol stem extract (MMSE).
Methods
In response to determining the acute toxicity of M. repandus extract, we assigned Swiss albino mice to treat with M. repandus extract at the administration concentrations of 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 mg/kg for 3 successive days. Within these 3 days, we checked out the behavioral changes, any responses to the acute toxicity, and the mortality of the selected mice at every moment. Conversely, to evaluate its sub-chronic toxicity of it, rats were allocated into four different groups to receive weight-based oral doses of MMSE (500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg; once daily) for 28 days. Biochemical, hematological, and histological investigations were conducted after the treatment period.
Results
Findings disclosed that there were no substantial alterations in comparative organ weight, the water content percentage, and body weight. Moreover, results indicated that the MMSE provides no tenacious effects on hematological parameters, serum renal markers, and electrolytes in experimental rats. However, a reduction in triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, atherogenic indices, and total cholesterol was observed. Similarly, a higher dose (2000 mg/kg) considerably decreased the hepatic marker enzymes such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), glycated hemoglobin, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and serum glucose level than the control group. Interestingly, in the histological investigation, necrotic and inflammatory features were also not found in normal cellular structures.
Conclusion
Taken all together, results suggest that MMSE is non-toxic, and bears cardio-protective, glucose-lowering capacity, and hepato-protective characteristics.
An LO Phase Shifter with Frequency Tripling and Phase Detection in 28nm FD-SOI CMOS for mm-Wave 5G Transceivers
Authors: Gannedahl Rikard , Sjöland Henrik
Published: June 2022

This paper presents an LO generation circuit for 28-GHz 5G transceivers. It features phase shifting and frequency tripling using an injection-locked oscillator and injection-locked frequency tripler, respectively. A phase detector based on third harmonic mixing is also implemented and is used to detect the applied phase shift, supporting automatic calibration of the phase shifter. Additionally, an algorithm to automatically tune the oscillators to their respective locking frequency is presented. To test the LO circuitry, a 24-30-GHz sliding-IF receiver is implemented. Simulations show that a >360o tuning range over the full 24-30 GHz span is achieved, with a gain variation of 0.11 dB or less, and that the phase detector has an rms phase error of <2.5o. The circuit is implemented in a 28nm FD-SOI CMOS process and the entire chip measures 1080µm x 1080µm, including pads, and consumes 27-29 mW from a 1 V supply.
Epoxidation of Vinyl Cyanides by Lithium Hypochlorite in the presence of Fe3O4@Ag-CTAB as a new ecofriendly catalyst in aqueous medium
Authors: Shirali Mahdi , Mirhashemi Fatemeh
Published: June 2022

To cater for the requirement of environmental protection, CTAB-coated Fe3O4@Ag Nanoparticles as a new hybrid magnetic catalyst was prepared for the one-pot multicomponent epoxidation of a wide range of alkenes by lithium hypochlorite (LiOCl) in aqueous medium. FT-IR, TEM, XRD, EDS and VSM techniques were employed to characterize the structure of the magnetic catalyst. The results obtained revealed that the cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) modification effectively decreased the particle size and enhanced the dispersion of the particles in solution. Application of this catalyst was studied efficiently in one-pot multicomponent synthesis of epoxide derivatives. The structure of the synthesized epoxides was confirmed by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and elemental analysis. The main advantages of our work are reusability of the catalyst, easy work up, Short reaction times and use of water as a green solvent.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Ischyja manlia (incertae sedis) and Rusicada privata (Noctuoidea, Erebidae) with implications for their phylogeny
Authors: Riyaz Muzafar , Shah Rauf Ahmad , Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu , Kuppusamy Sivasankaran
Published: June 2022

For the phylogenetic inference among members of the family Erebidae, we sequenced the mitogenomes of two species namely, Ischyja manlia and Rusicada privata. The two circular genomes of Ischyja manlia and Rusicada privata were 15,879 bp and 15,563 bp long respectively. The gene order was identical containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes and an A + T-rich region. The nucleotide composition of the R. privata mitogenome A + T rich region was 80.65% but it was lower than that of I. manlia (81.09%). The AT skew and GC skew were slightly positive in I. manlia and negative in R. privata. In I. manlia and R. privata, except for cox1, which started with CGA and TTG codons, all other 12 PCGs started with ATN codons. The A + T-rich regions of I. manlia and R. privata were 433 bp and 476 bp long, respectively and contained common Noctuoidea moths’ characteristics. The phylogenetic analysis based on the PCGs and two rRNAs showed that the relationships within Erebidae were reconstructed as (Notodontidae+ ((Erebidae+ (Nolidae + Euteliidae + Noctuidae)))) using both Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference approaches. The Ischyja was placed earlier in subfamily Catocalinae and miscellaneous genera, however, the present study reveals that the genus Ischyja can be placed in subfamily Erebinae. However, more mitogenomes should be sequenced in order to provide a more comprehensive view of the whole family.
Anatomical Examinations of Selected Wood Species of Nigerian Genera in Anacardiaceae Family
Authors: Adeniyi Ifedayo , Areo Olusola , Alao Oluwaseyi , Olayiwola Yetunde
Published: June 2022

Nigerian Anacarddiacea family was investigated in this study on the account of their inherent structures with a view to bringing to the fore those features that could facilitate identification towards proper utilization based on wood quality. Mature wood species of Lannea grandis, Lannea welwitchii, Mangifera indica, Nothospondis staudtia, Pseudospondias microcarpa, Sclerocarya burrea, Sorindeia trimeris, Spondias mangifera, Spondias mombin and Trichoscypha acuminate were got from the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria herbaratum, in Ibadan. Wood samples from the wood species were sectioned into cross sectional, tangential and radial sections of about 20µm thick using a Reichert sliding microtome. Photomicrographs were taken using a digital camera mounted on a Reichert light microscope at 40 ×. The results showed that vessels were large in all the wood species except in Lannea species, Sclerocarya burrea, Nothospondis staudtia and Trichoscypha acuminata. Body ray cells were procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells in all the wood species, but could be up to four rows in Sorindeia trimeris. Generally, septate fibres, silica,crystals and gum were observed in almost all the wood species, yet, fibre pits in Mangifera indica, Nothospondis staudtia, Pseudospondias microcarpa, Sclerocarya burrea, Spondias mombin, and L. grandis were not as bordered as they were in L. acida, L. welwitchii, Sorindeia trimeris, Spondias mangifera, and Trichoscypha acuminata. S..mombin and S. mangifera can be separated on this account. It also appears that rays were storied only in Sorindeia trimeris and L. grandis. In the aspect of wood utilization, some were expected to possess fine texture, lustrous patterns and also regions of failures as a result of high rays.
Impact of glycemic gap on 30-day adverse outcomes in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
Authors: Wu Shuang , Yang Yan-min , Zhu Jun , Xu Wei , Wang Lu-lu , Lyu Si-qi , Wang Juan , Shao Xing-hui , Zhang Han
Published: June 2022

Background: Stress-induced hyperglycemia (SIH) generally occurs in critical illness. Recently, glycemic gap (GAP) has been considered to be a superior indicator of SIH. However, data on the association between GAP and prognosis in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is limited. This observational study aimed to estimate the prognostic value of GAPmean, defined as the difference between mean blood glucose level within 24 hours after admission and A1c-derived average glucose (ADAG), in patients with acute STEMI. Methods: A total of 4952 patients with acute STEMI were included in the final analysis, and they were divided into four groups according to GAPmean quartiles and diabetes mellitus (DM). The primary outcomes were defined as all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and net reclassification improvement (NRI) analysis were performed.Results: At 30 days of follow-up, 324 (6.5%) deaths and 569 (11.5%) MACEs occurred. With the elevation of GAPmean, the incidence of all-cause mortality (4.0%, 5.6%, 6.5%, and 10.1%) and MACEs (7.3%, 9.6%, 11.4%, and 17.7%) significantly increased. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that GAPmean was superior to admission blood glucose (ABG) and GAPadm (defined as the difference between ABG and ADAG) to detect adverse outcomes. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that elevated GAPmean was independently associated with all-cause death and MACEs, with the hazards ratio (HR) for all-cause death in the second, third, and fourth quartiles with the first quartile as reference were 1.50 (95% CI 1.04-2.18), 1.62 (95% CI 1.13-2.32), and 2.18 (95% CI 1.55-3.08), and for MACEs were 1.37 (95% CI 1.04-1.81), 1.56 (95% CI 1.20-2.04), and 2.13 (95% CI 1.65-2.76), respectively, which was independent of the status of DM. Continuous NRI analysis revealed that GAPmean significantly improved risk stratification for all-cause mortality and CEEs by 21.6% and 19.8%, respectively.Conclusion: Glycemic gap between the mean level of blood glucose within 24 hours after admission and ADAG was independently associated with 30-day all-cause death and MACEs in patients with acute STEMI, which was consistent in both DM patients and non-DM patients, and it can provide incremental accuracy in the risk stratification of STEMI.
The changes of xerostomia and caries risk induced by radiotherapy under the protection of the personalized PMMA oral stents in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients: a preliminary prospective study
Authors: Zhu Hualing , Li Yanyao , Hua Chengge , Zhong Yisi , Zou Ling , Jiang Li
Published: June 2022

Purpose：The aim of this study was to compare and analyze the change of xerostomia and caries risk under the protection of the personalized PMMA oral stents before, during and after radiotherapy, and to determine its effectiveness in prevention of xerostomia.Methods：A total of 15 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients, who were receiving Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) were included. Each patient was given a personalized polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) oral stent. Assessment of xerostomia and caries risk was done before, during and after radiotherapy, at 1-month and 3-month intervals. Xerostomia was estimated by measurement of unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rates (objective evaluation) and xerostomia questionnaire (subjective evaluation). Cariostat was used to assess Caries risk. The significance level was set at 0.05.Results：The average unstimulated saliva flow rate of patients in this study decreased gradually from Pre-RT (0.48ml/min) to Post-RT-3m (0.12ml/min). And the average stimulated saliva flow rate decreased gradually from Pre-RT (0.78ml/min) to Post-RT-1m (0.18ml/min) and followed by minimal recovery trend at Post-RT-3m (0.23ml/min). As for the percentage change of stimulated saliva, it dropped to 53.9% at Mid-RT and 41.7% at Post-RT-1m, but recovered to 44.6% at Post-RT-3m compared to the baseline. The average values of Cariostat scores are 1.292 at Pre-RT, 1.417 at Mid-RT, 1.583 at Post-RT-1m and 1.708 at Post-RT-3m. The score of Xerostomia questionnaire was negatively correlated with the percentage of unstimulated and stimulated saliva change(P<0.05).Conclusion：After radiotherapy, all NPC patients were troubled by xerostomia, and caries risk of most patients have increased. Stimulated salivary flow rate can be used as an objective indicator to evaluate xerostomia induced by radiotherapy. The patient-rated xerostomia may be an acceptable indicator of reduced saliva flow. The personalized PMMA oral stents can decrease the severity of xerostomia and improve the quality of life of NPC patients after radiotherapy.
Effect of cepharanthine on the stemness of lung squamous cell carcinoma based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics
Authors: Liu Bo , Deng Jian-xiong
Published: June 2022

Background. Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) has poor survival prognosis and few clinical treatment options. We urgently need to explore new therapeutic drugs in clinical practice. Cepharanthine (CEP), which has been shown to have anticancer effects in several tumors, but the mechanism of CEP in treating LUSC has not been reported. Methods. SwissTargetPrediction, PharmMapper and GeneCards were used to identify targets of CEP and LUSC. Further topological analysis was used to obtain hub genes via Cytoscape. Molecular docking was carried out to verify the combination of CEP with hub targets. Based on bioinformatics, we first analyzed the expression and survival of hub targets in LUSC, and further analyzed the correlation between hub targets and cancer stemness, immune cell infiltration and tumor mutation burden (TMB). Results. A total of 41 targets were identified. Further topological analysis identified 6 hub genes: AURKA, CCNA2, CCNE1, CDK1, CHEK1 and PLK1. Molecular docking analysis showed that CEP had stable binding to all these 6 target proteins. In-depth bioinformatics analysis of these 6 targets showed that high expression of these targets were positively correlated with cancer stemness index, and negatively correlated with tumor infiltrating immune cells. In immune subtype analysis, the expressions of these targets were significantly decreased in inflammatory tumors. In addition, we also found that the expressions of these targets were positively correlated with TMB. Conclusion. Based on multidisciplinary analysis, we preliminarily identified potential targets of CEP for LUSC treatment and suggested that CEP may play a role in regulating LUSC stemness.
Cadmium-induced oviductal magnum injury in laying hens via impairing Nrf2-mediated antioxidant defense and promoting endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation
Authors: Zhu Mingkun , Zou Xiaoting , Li Muwang
Published: June 2022

This study aims to evaluate the toxic impacts of Cd on the oviductal magnum, which is the main site for the egg-white protein synthesis and secretion. Three hundred and eighty four healthy 38-week-old hens were randomly divided into four treatments. Layers in 4 groups were fed a basal diet (control) and a basal diet with Cd at the level of 15, 30 and 60 mg/kg for 9 weeks. Results showed that Cd could dose-dependently deposited in the magnum tissue and a positive correlation occurred between the accumulation of Cd in the magnum and Cd content in egg whites. When compared with the control group, 60 mg/kg Cd exposure decreased the gene expression of ovomucin (OVM), ovalbumin (OVAL), lysozyme (LYZ) and orosomucoid (ORM1), but increased the gene expression of avidin (AVD) obviously (P < 0.05). The level of GSH and the activities of T-SOD and CAT were decreased significantly, while the MDA level was increased obviously in layers treated with 60 mg/kg Cd (P < 0.05). The gene and protein levels of Nrf2 and its downstream target molecules, including HO-1, SOD1, SOD2 and SOD3 were significantly down-regulated in 60 mg/kg Cd group (P < 0.05). While, the protein level of Keap1 was up-regulated obviously (P < 0.05). Besides, Cd exposure induced endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, disruption of mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs), and inflammation accompanied by a significant up-regulation of the gene expressions of Grp78, CHOP, ATF4, ATF6 IRE1α, Grp94, PINK1, Parkin, FUNDC1, GRP75, VDAC1, MCU, MFF, autophagy-related proteins Bnip3, LC3I and LC3II, NF-κB and inflammatory factors IL1β and TNFα, and a significant down-regulation of the gene expressions of MFN1, MFN2 and PGC1α (P < 0.05). These results suggested that Cd-induced chicken’s magnum toxicity is closely related to inhibition of Nrf2 signaling, ER stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disruption of MAMs coupling.