bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity Analysis of Factors Controlling Earth Fissures Due To Excessive Groundwater Pumping
Authors: Li Yueting , Friedman Noemi , Teatini Pietro , Benczur Andras , Ye Shujun , Zhu Lin , Zoccarato Claudia
Published: January 2022

Aseisimic earth fissures are complex consequences of groundwater withdrawal and natural hydrogeologic conditions. This paper aims to improve the understanding of the mechanism of earth fissuring and investigate the relative importance of various factors to fissure activity, including bedrock geometry, piezometric depletion, compressibility and thickness of the exploited aquifer. For these purposes, a test case characterized by an impermeable and incompressible rock ridge in a subsiding basin is developed, where stress/displacement analyses and fissure state are predicted using an interface finite element model. Three different methods for global sensitivity analysis are used to quantify the extent of the fissure opening to the aforementioned factors. The conventional sampling based Sobol' sensitivity analysis is compared to two surrogate based methods, the general polynomial chaos expansion based Sobol' analysis and a feature importance evaluation of a gradient boosting decision tree model. Numerical results indicate that earth fissure is forming in response to tensile stress accumulation above the ridge associated to pore pressure depletion, inducing the fissure opening at land surface with further downward propagation. Sensitivity analysis highlights that the geometry of bedrock ridge is the most influential feature. Specifically, the fissure grows more when the ridge is steeper and closer to the land surface. Pore pressure depletion is a secondary feature and required to reach a certain threshold to activate the fissure. As for this specific application, the gradient boosting tree is the most suitable method for its better performance in capturing fissure characteristics.
Political Endorsements by Scientific Organizations Reduce Trust in Scientific Expertise During COVID-19
Authors: Zhang Floyd
Published: January 2022

High-profile political endorsements by scientific organizations and publications have been common in recent years, which raises concerns about political backlash against the endorsing organization in particular and scientific expertise in general. In a pre-registered large-sample online controlled experiment, I randomly assign subjects to receive information about Nature’s endorsement of Joe Biden for the 2020 U.S. presidential election in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeing the endorsement message leads to large reductions in self-reported trust in Nature among Trump supporters. This distrust translates into lower demand for COVID-related information provided by Nature, as evidenced by substantially reduced requests for Nature articles on vaccine efficacy and emerging COVID variants when offered. The endorsement also reduces Trump supporters’ stated trust in scientists in general, suggesting “reputational externalities” on the scientific community. Treatment effect estimates for Biden supporters are positive but small and often statistically insignificant across outcomes. Finally, I find little evidence that the endorsement is successful at changing subjects’ views about Biden and Trump. These results show political endorsement by scientific organizations can undermine public confidence in the endorsing organization and in the scientific community.
A Multimodal Deep Learning Model for Predicting Future Visual Field in Glaucoma Patients
Authors: Pham Quang T.M. , Han Jong Chul , Shin Jitae
Published: January 2022

Glaucoma is one of the most common reasons for blindness worldwide, especially in elderly people. Glaucoma can be monitored and treated using visual field (VF) tests. Therefore, predicting the future VF to monitor progression of glaucoma is important. In this paper, we proposed a deep learning model to predict future VF based on previous VF and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images (including thickness map, vertical tomogram, and horizontal tomogram). The image data were analyzed using a ResNet-50 model. Image features and previous VFs were combined, and a long short-term memory (LSTM) network was used to predict future VF. A weighted method was used to detect noisy data. The proposed method was improved when applying weighted loss. The mean absolute error (MAE) was 3.31 ± 1.37, and the root mean square error (RMSE) was 4.58 ± 1.77. The model showed high performance when combining VF data and OCT image data. Furthermore, the model was useful for detecting and re-weighting noisy data.
Expert Opinion on Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy for People with Psychotic Symptoms
Authors: Torre Joseph T. La , Mahammadli Mehdi , Greenway Kyle , Williams Monnica
Published: January 2022

Background
Currently, personal or familial histories of psychotic symptoms are exclusionary criteria for most psychedelic clinical trials, studies, and treatment programs. This study sought to determine why such an exclusion exists, what the implications of the exclusion criteria are, and if there was agreement in expert opinion.
Methods
In-depth interviews with 12 experts in the fields of psychiatry, clinical psychology, medicine, and the effects of psychedelics and entheogens were conducted in an expert consultation format. Interviews were transcribed and themes were produced using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach.
Results
We found that while the exclusion criteria may be justified for psychedelic protocols that provide insufficient psychological support for participants, there was agreement that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is not necessarily contraindicated for all individuals with psychotic symptoms. Results suggest that highly supportive psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may be of benefit to individuals experiencing symptoms of psychosis. Potentially relevant factors for predicting treatment outcomes include specific symptom endorsement, illness duration, symptom severity, quality of the therapeutic alliance, role of trauma in symptom etiology and perpetuation, and the level of other supports in the life of the client.
Ecological Valuation of Mangrove Trees From Karimunjawa National Park as a Role in Carbon Sequestration to Maintain the Stability of Biodiversity
Authors: Halim M Arief Rahman , Soeprobowati Tri Retnaningsih , Hadiyanto Hadiyanto
Published: January 2022

The diversity of species in the mangrove ecosystem can be threatened if there is no database on what and how much content is in it. The research conducted in the mangrove ecosystem of Karimunjawa National Park has the objective of assessing species diversity and calculating the estimated carbon sequestration from stands and sediments. Inventory of species using quadrant sampling method consisting of 3 stations, 9 transects and 27 plots (10m x 10m). Allometric equations, Shannon-Wiener index, and evenness index were used to calculate stand biomass and carbon, species diversity and distribution. The sediment samples were taken at a depth of 100 cm and divided into 3 depths, namely 0-33 cm, 34 - 67 cm, and 68 - 100 cm. The species diversity is moderate and the evenness of the species is in the stable category. The estimated standing carbon was in the range of 146.22 t C ha-1 and the estimated carbon stock in the sediment was around 360.61 t C ha-1. Although the diversity and even distribution of mangrove species in Karimunjawa National Park is still in a stable condition, it is necessary to monitor its changes due to the anthropogenic activities.
Help-Seeking and Challenges Faced by Transwomen Following Exposure to Gender- Based Violence; A Qualitative Study in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, Uganda
Authors: Ssekamatte Tonny , Nalugya Aisha , Isunju John Bosco , Naume Muyanga , Oputan Patience , Kiguli Juliet , Wafula Solomon Tsebeni , Kibira Simon Peter S. , Ssekamatte David , Orza Luisa , Mugambe Richard K. , Wanyenze Rhoda K.
Published: January 2022

BackgroundThe prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) towards transwomen remains high andis both a human rights and public health concern. Nonetheless, there is limited evidence of the referral pathways used by transwomen once exposed to GBV. The current study, therefore, aimed to explore the referral pathways and the challenges faced by transwomen in seeking GBV support services in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, Uganda.MethodsA qualitative study design was used. We conducted a total of 20 in-depth interviews, 6 focus group discussions, and 10 key informant interviews. Respondents were recruited using snowball sampling, and purposively selected for interviews. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed following a thematic framework. NVivo software was used to organise data into themes and subthemes.ResultsThe gender-based violence referral pathways used by transwomen included key population-friendly healthcare facilities, key population-friendly civil society organizations, and friends and family. Key population-friendly healthcare facilities provided medical and psychosocial support services; key population civil society organizations provided shelter, nutritional support, and legal services, whereas friends and family provided emotional support. Lack of recognition of transgender identity; long distances to healthcare facilities; discrimination in some healthcare facilities, civil society organizations, and at the hands of police officers and prison inmates; and the lack of trans-competent healthcare providers and limited scope of GBV services and related equipment made it difficult for transwomen to access GBV support services.Conclusion There were no formal channels for transwomen to access GBV support services. Available avenues such as key population healthcare facilities, key population-friendly civil society organizations, and the police also perpetrated violence against transwomen in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. Our findings suggest the need to formalize referral pathways for transwomen and to sensitize service providers at all points of care about the transgender identity. There is a need to break the structural barriers that limit access to and uptake of GBV support services among transwomen.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome: A Covid-19 Vaccine Reaction Case Report
Authors: AKU Thelma Alalbila , Dordoye Eugene Kobla , Yamoah Peter , Apraku Theodore , Gyamera Adwoa
Published: January 2022

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is associated with microthrombi ,mainly in the kidneys. It may be classified as typical HUS or atypical HUS (aHUS) .Majority of HUS occur in children (usually at 6 months of age), as a sequela of shigella infection. In aHUS, a genetic or sporadic insult causes dysfunction in the complement cascade, leading to complement deposition on endothelial cells, thickening of arterioles and capillaries, and endothelial swelling and detachment. Consequently, there is formation of obstructive thrombi in the vessel lumina and shearing of red blood cells, creating schistiocytes, that results in the triad of Coombs negative hemolytic anemia, renal impairment, and thrombocytopenia. We report a rare case of a 43-year-old black male who reacted to the 2nd booster dose (some 7 months after the 1st) of Astra Zeneca Covid-19 vaccine with aHUS. He had ophthalmoplegia, occipital headaches and suicidal ideation which all resolved on high dose oral prednisolone. The Astra Zeneca vaccine which uses a chimpanzee platform is the only one reported to have similar reactions and this is important to note and manage such potentially life threatening rare adverse event.
The Association Between the Serum Uric Acid to Creatinine Ratio and All-Cause Mortality in Elderly Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Ding Zhihui , Fan Yao , Yao Chunlei , Gu Liubao
Published: January 2022

Purpose: The present study investigated the association between the serum uric acid to creatinine ratio (SUA/Scr) and all-cause mortality among elderly hemodialysis patients.Methods: A total of 222 patients (≥ 60 years) who received hemodialysis more than 8 hours per week at Tai Zhou No. 2 People’s Hospital for at least 3 months were enrolled in the present study from January 2015 to December 2019. Clinical characteristics were obtained from the hemodialysis database, and survival information was recorded during the follow-up period. Multiple Cox regression was carried out to analyze the association between SUA/Scr and all-cause mortality. The survival rate of each group was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the ratio of survival curves was analyzed by the log-rank test.Results: During the 19-month observation period, 78 patients died. Individuals in the nonsurviving group had significantly older ages (P<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (P=0.004), serum creatinine (P=0.005) and prealbumin (P=0.006) than surviving patients. After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, prealbumin and serum creatinine, a higher ratio of SUA/Scr was independently associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.375; 95% CI: 1.023-1.848; P=0.035).Conclusion: The serum uric acid to creatinine ratio is strongly associated with all-cause mortality in elderly hemodialysis patients.
Mechanistic Insights Into Small-molecule Inhibitor MS-444 Arresting Embryonic Development Revealed by Low-input RNA-seq and STORM
Authors: Nie Yongqiang , Xu Wei , Tian Geng G. , Li Xiaowei , Guo Yan , Liu Xuefeng , He Lin , Shao Zhifeng , Li Xiaoyong , Wu Ji
Published: January 2022

BackgroundWith the improvement of the survival rate of cancer patients, fertility maintenance has become a major concern of cancer treatment for women of reproductive age. Thus, it is important to examine the impact on fertility of anticancer drugs that have been clinically used or are undergoing trials. The HuR small-molecule inhibitor MS-444 has been used in many cancer treatment studies, but its reproductive toxicity in females is unknown. ResultsCombining analysis of low-input RNA-seq for MS-444-treated 2-cell embryos and mapping binding sites of RNA binding protein, Agbl2 was predicted to be the target gene of MS-444. For further confirmation, RNAi experiment in wild-type zygotes showed that Agbl2 knockdown reduced the proportion of embryos successfully develop to the blastocyst stage: from 71% in controls to 23%. Furthermore, RNA-FISH and luciferase reporter analysis showed that MS-444 blocked the nucleocytoplasmic transport of Agbl2 mRNA and reduced its stability by inhibiting HuR dimerization. In addition, optimized stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) imaging showed that MS-444 significantly reduced the HuR dimerization, and HuR mainly existed in the form of clusters in 2-cell stage embryos.ConclusionThose results showed that MS-444 blocked the nucleocytoplasmic transport of Agbl2 mRNA by inhibiting HuR dimerization, resulting in the developmental arrest of 2-cell stage embryos in mouse. This study provides clinical guidance for maintaining fertility during the treatment of cancer with MS-444 in women of reproductive age. And also, our research provides guidance for the application of STORM in the nanometer scale study of embryonic cells.
Exploration of a Panel of Urine Biomarkers of Kidney Disease in Two Paediatric Cohorts With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus of Differing Duration
Authors: Zeni Letizia , Norden Anthony G.W. , Prandi Elena , Canepa Carolina , Burling Keith , Simpson Katherine , Felappi Barbara , Plebani Alessandro , Cancarini Giovanni , Ferraro Pietro Manuel , Fraser Donald , Unwin Robert J.
Published: January 2022

Background The pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is complex and involves both glomerular and tubular dysfunction. A global assessment of kidney function is necessary to stage DKD, a progressive kidney disease that is likely to begin in childhood. The present study evaluated whether kidney injury biomarkers identified as early DKD biomarkers in adults have any predictive value in the very early stages of childhood diabetes. Methods We measured urine free RBP4 (UfRBP4), albumin (UAlb), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and the microRNAs miR-155, miR-126 and miR-29b in two cohorts of paediatric T1DM patients without evidence of DKD, but with diabetes of short-duration, ≤ 2.5 years (SD, n=25) or of long-duration, ≥10 years (LD, n=29); non-diabetic siblings (H, n=26) were recruited as controls. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant for all results.Results UfRBP4 and UAlb were not significantly different across the three groups. No differences were found in KIM-1 excretion between any of the three groups. UfRBP4 was correlated with UAlb in all three groups (r 0.49; p<0.001), whereas KIM-1 showed no correlation with albumin excretion. Among microRNAs, miR-29b was higher in all diabetic children compared with the H control group (p=0.03), whereas miR-155 and miR-126 were not significantly different. No differences were found between the SD and LD groups for all three microRNAs. No associations were identified between these biomarkers with sex, age, BMI, eGFR, T1DM duration or glycaemic control. Conclusions UfRBP4, KIM-1, miR-155, and miR-126 were unaffected by the presence and duration of diabetes, whereas miR-29b showed a modest elevation in diabetics, regardless of duration. These data support the specificity of a panel of urine biomarkers as later DKD biomarkers, rather than any relationship to diabetes per se or its duration, and not as early DKD biomarkers in a paediatric setting.
Marital satisfaction among diabetic partners: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Radwan Nashwa , Alkattan Abdullah , Mahmoud Nagla , Alkalifah Ahmed , Alfaifi Amal , Alfaleh Amjad , Alabdulkareem Khaled
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to determine marital satisfaction among diabetic partners and associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted for six months among couples with diabetic partners in Saudi Arabia. An electronic predesigned couple satisfaction questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire aimed to measure marital satisfaction among couples with a wife/husband diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. A total of 140 participants were included in the final analysis. Most couples did not complain of diabetic complications (84%) or diseases other than diabetes (78%). The mean satisfaction score concerning all aspects of marital life was 4.0 ± 0.9 out of 5, as most of the studied couples (65%) reported high satisfaction scores (≥ 4) regarding all aspects. Most couples were highly satisfied with their romantic relationships (68%), sharing family issues (59%), and general marital life aspects (70%). It could be concluded that diabetes in one partner does not affect marital satisfaction.
Estimation And Fault Detection of Discrete Event Systems Modeled By Time Interval Petri Nets
Authors: khedher Atef , BenOthman Kamel
Published: January 2022

This work is interested in studying discrete event systems modeled by time interval Petri nets. Indeed, a new state model describing the time evolution of the system is proposed. The simulation of the proposed state model gives the upper and lower bounds of each element of the system state and the system outputs. After that, a new state estimator is proposed allowing estimating the whole system state and inputs. This estimator give, also, an upper and lower bounds for each elements of the state vector and the input. The state model and the estimator are both proposed along, successively, count and dater approaches. For count approach, the system state is the number of transition firing and for dater approach, it is the dates of transitions firing. The proposed state model and estimator are applied to a baking process described by a time interval Petri nets. This application show the robustness of the state and input estimation. The proposed state model and estimator are used also for fault detection, localization and estimation and it is shown that they give acceptable results.
The Importance of Anatomic Configuration and Cystic Changes in Macular Hole: Predicting Surgical Success with a Different Approach
Authors: Ozturk Yücel , Ağın Abdullah , Kockar Nadir , Ay Nevzat , Imamoglu Serhat , Kose Alev Ozcelik , Kugu Süleyman
Published: January 2022

PurposeThis study aimed to define novel metrics for the area of the macular hole (MH) and the cysts placed around the hole using an optical coherence tomography (OCT) device.MethodsThis retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted with 58 eyes of 56 patients. The patients were divided into two groups according to anatomic closure after surgery. The novel metrics including macular hole index (MHI), tractional hole index (THI), and (hole forming factor) HFF, macular hole area (HA), the cystoid space areas in the inner retinal layers (CA), and the cyst hole area index (CHAI) were calculated. Correlation of the CA, the HA, and the CHAI with other indexes was assessed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and cut-off values were derived for indexes predicting type 1 or type 2 closures.ResultsThe CA positively correlated with the base MH size and the maximum MH height (p <0.001, p <0.001, respectively). The HA showed a positive correlation with basal MH size, minimum MH size, and maximum MH height (p <0.001, p <0.001, p <0.001, respectively). CHAI was positively correlated with minimum MH size. (p = 0.02). CHAI and HA were negatively correlated with postoperative BCVA (p= 0.003, p=0.006, respectively). ROC curve analysis showed that MHI, THI, and HFF predicted type 1 closure; on the other hand, CHAI and HA predicted type 2 closures.ConclusionsMHI and our novel index CHAI, which can be calculated without any additional software, could successfully predict type 1 and type 2 closures, respectively.
Investigating Meteorological/Groundwater Droughts by Copula to Study Anthropogenic Impacts
Authors: Sadeghfam Sina , Mirahmadi Rasa , Khatibi Rahman , Mirabbasi Rasoul , Nadiri Ata Allah
Published: January 2022

A critical understanding of the water crisis of Lake Urmia is the key in this paper for a basin-wide investigation of its Meteorological (Met) droughts and Groundwater (GW) droughts through a data-driven modelling strategy using 21-years of data records. The challenge is to formulate a modelling strategy to discern anthropogenic impacts and resilience patterns. The strategy includes: (i) transforming the recorded timeseries into Met/GW drought indices; (ii) extracting their drought duration and severity; and (iii) deriving return periods of the maximum drought event through the copula method. Our strategy is heuristic and its novelty emerges from deriving return periods for both Met and GW droughts to discern anthropogenic impacts on GW droughts. The results underpin the need for a planning system yet to emerge for mitigating impacts and rectifying ongoing damages before they become irreparable. The collective outcomes of the results and our professional knowledge shed light: on the ways resilience in the basin is undermined in terms of subsidence problems, on impacting the environment by altering interconnectivities between the lake and watercourses, and on discerning the causes for aquifer depletions to be due to mismanagement but not of Met droughts. Already, migration from the basin area can be detected.
Hereditary Angioedema in a Patient With Various Clinical Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: a Case Report
Authors: Ushio Yusuke , Wakiya Risa , Kameda Tomohiro , Nakashima Shusaku , Shimada Hiromi , Mansour Mai Mahmoud Fahmy , Kato Mikiya , Miyagi Taichi , Sugihara Koichi , Mino Rina , Mizusaki Mao , Ibuki Emi , Kadowaki Norimitsu , Dobashi Hiroaki
Published: January 2022

Background: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is an inherited disease characterized by recurrent angioedema without urticaria or pruritus. The most common types of HAE are caused by deficiency or dysfunction in C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH-HAE), which has a reported association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, not much is known about the clinical manifestations, disease course, and treatment of SLE complicated with C1-INH-HAE.Case presentation: A 31-year-old Japanese woman with a history of swelling of the lips without any specific triggers presented to our institution. She began experiencing swelling of the lips at the age of 14 years. At the age of 20 years, she was diagnosed with C1-INH-HAE on the basis of blood test results showing low C4 and C1 esterase inhibitor activity. At the age of 30 years, she developed malar rash, alopecia, and arthralgia in her hands and elbows. In addition, fever, oral ulcers, and discoid rash on the anterior chest were noted at a follow-up examination 8 months later. Physical examination, laboratory tests, and thorough examination of the organ lesions revealed positive antinuclear antibody, fever, nonscarring alopecia, oral ulcers, malar rash, discoid rash, arthralgia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypocomplementemia, lupus retinopathy, and nephritis. Based on these findings, she was diagnosed with SLE according to the 2019 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology classification criteria. The patient was initially treated with 20 mg/day prednisolone, and then prednisolone was tapered with the concomitant use of 400 mg/day hydroxychloroquine and 1 mg/day tacrolimus. After the initiation of immunosuppressive therapy, the clinical symptoms associated with SLE improved. At a follow-up examination 7 months later, it was noted that the patient was able to maintain remission of SLE by continuing 7 mg/day prednisolone, 400 mg/day hydroxychloroquine, and 2 mg/day tacrolimus.Conclusions: Our patient presented with a variety of symptoms, including fever and cytopenia in addition to mucocutaneous, joint, ocular, and renal lesions. It is important for physicians to recognize that SLE complicated with C1-INH-HAE can present with various clinical manifestations and organ lesions.
[99Tc]Sestamibi Bioaccumulation Induces Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells: an in Vitro Study
Authors: Urbano Nicoletta , Scimeca Manuel , Bonanno Elena , Bonfiglio Rita , Mauriello Alessandro , Schillaci Orazio
Published: January 2022

PurposeThe main aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate both the uptake of [99Tc]Sestamibi into prostate cancer cells and the relationship among [99Tc]Sestamibi bioaccumulation, cancer cells proliferation and apoptosis.Procedures An in vitro study in which PC3 prostate cancer cell line was cultured with increasing doses of decayed sestamibi has been developed. Specifically, PC3 cells were incubated with three different concentrations of [99Tc]Sestamibi: 10 µg/mL, 1 µg/mL, and 0.1 µg/mL Expression of apototic markers such as caspase-3 and AIF, as well as the ultrastructure of PC3 cells, were evaluated at T0 and after 24, 48, 72, and 120 hours after [99Tc]Sestamibi incubation.ResultsData here reported for the first time showed the bioaccumulation of sestamibi in prostate cancer cells. As concern the cancer cell homeostasis, the treatment of PC3 cells with [99Tc]Sestamibi strongly influenced the cells proliferation. Indeed, a significant reduction in the mitosis was observed. Noteworthy, the accumulation of sestamibi in prostate cancer cells was associated with the appearance of morphological signs of apoptosis. The immunocytochemical analysis of apoptotic biomarkers, AIF and caspase 3, in prostate cancer cells treated with 10 µg/mL of [99Tc]Sestamibi for confirmed that this radiopharmaceutical can induce the canonical apoptosis.DiscussionTo the best of our knowledge, this study for the first time reported in vitro data about the uptake of sestamibi in prostate cancer cells. The evidence about the accumulation of sestamibi in prostate cancer cells and its role in the apoptosis process can open new clinical perspectives on the use of this radiopharmaceutical in both the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancers.
Phagophore formation by the autophagy conjugation machinery
Authors: Mohan Jagan , Blanc Christine Girard , Moparthi Satish , Nugues Charlotte , Rama Sowmya , Vassilopoulos Stéphane , Wollert Thomas
Published: January 2022

Autophagy is a fundamental cellular recycling pathway that captures cytoplasmic material by a phagophore membrane and delivers it to lysosomes for degradation. Nonselective phagophores are generated at specialized ER-domains termed omegasomes. Mechanistically, this process is not well understood. Here, we reconstituted the formation of phagophores from purified components on supported lipid bilayers and by ectopic induction of nonselective autophagy at the plasma membrane. We found that enzymatic conjugation of LC3B to model membranes induces the formation of phagophore-like membrane cups. LC3B functions as membrane anchor, ensuring a sustained interaction of the E3-like ligase complex ATG12¬–ATG5-ATG16L1 with membranes by forming extended membrane coats. ATG16L1 is the major membrane remodeling factor that induces positive membrane curvature, promotes cup formation and stabilizes the rim of membrane cups. Redirecting WIPI2 to the plasma membrane by expressing WIPI2-CAAX induced the formation of omegasome-like membrane cisternae to which LC3B was conjugated. Membrane cups, identical to those observed in vitro, emerged from these cisternae. ATG16L1 variants that did not induce the formation of cups in vitro also failed to promote cup formation in vivo and inhibited the biogenesis of nonselective autophagosomes in cells. We thus propose that ATG16L1 drives the formation of nonselective phagophores by shaping flat donor membranes into membrane cups.
Correlation of Somatostatin Receptor PET/CT Imaging Features and Immunohistochemistry in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of the Lung: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Rufini Vittoria , Lorusso Margherita , Inzani Frediano , Pasciuto Tina , Triumbari Elizabeth Katherine Anna , Grillo Lucia Rosalba , Lococo Filippo , Margaritora Stefano , Pescarmona Edoardo , Rindi Guido
Published: January 2022

Purpose

to correlate somatostatin receptor (SSTR) and proliferative activity profile (SSTR2, SSTR5, Ki-67) at immunohistochemistry (IHC) with SSTR-PET/CT imaging features in a retrospective series of lung neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN). Proliferative activity by Ki-67 and 18F-FDG-PET/CT parameters (when available) were also correlated.
Methods

Among all consecutive patients who underwent SSTR-PET/CT with 68Ga-DOTA-somatostatin analogs (SSA) between July 2011 and March 2020 for lung NEN, 35 patients with a confirmed diagnosis were included. For 16 of them, 18F-FDG-PET/CT studies were available. PET/CT images were reviewed by qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses. Immunohistochemistry for SSTR2, SSTR5, and Ki-67 was assessed. An inferential analysis was performed including kappa statistic and Spearman's rank correlation test.
Results

Definitive diagnosis consisted of 32 low-intermediate-grade NEN (26 typical carcinoids-G1 and six atypical carcinoids-G2) and 3 high-grade NEN. Positive SSTR2-IHC was found in 63% of samples while SSTR5-IHC positivity was 17.6%. A correlation between SSTR2-IHC and SSTR-PET/CT was found in 26/35 cases (74.3%, p=0.003): 22 were concordantly positive, 4 concordantly negative. For positive IHC, 100% concordance with SSTR-PET/CT (both positive) was observed, while for negative IHC concordance (both negative) was 30.8%. In 9 cases, IHC was negative while SSTR-PET/CT was positive, even though with low-grade uptake in all but one. A significant correlation between SUVmax values at SSTR-PET/CT and the SSTR2-IHC scores was found, with low SUVmax values corresponding to negative IHC and higher SUVmax values to positive IHC (p=0.0007). When correlating 68Ga-DOTA-SSA or 18F-FDG SUVmax values with Ki-67, a significant result was found for 18F-FDG only (p=0.015).
Conclusion

This retrospective study showed an overall good agreement between SSTR2-IHC and tumor uptake at SSTR-PET/CT in lung NENs. SSTR-PET/CT SUVmax values can be used as a parameter of SSTR2 density. SSTR2-IHC may be proposed as surrogate of SSTR-PET/CT in selected lung NEN patients for clinical decision making when SSTR-PET/CT is not available.
COVID-19, Vaccination Rates, Infection Rates, Death Rates, and Behavioral Interventions: It’s Time to Cut the Bull!
Authors: Sinclair Robert C. , Melton R. Jeffrey
Published: January 2022

Efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccines was assessed by comparing infection and death rates in the eight most- and eight least-fully-vaccinated German states. Infection and death rates were measured on three dates in fall 2021. Less-vaccinated states had substantially higher infection and death rates than more-vaccinated states. These effects occurred in the context of a time main effect and a vaccination rate x time interaction: Infection and death rates increased substantially over time, particularly in less-vaccinated states. These increased infection and death rates over time may be due to Germany having few measures other than vaccination in place for controlling the spread of COVID-19, despite the high community prevalence of the Delta variant. The results are discussed in the context of anti-vax rhetoric, policy, strategies for quelling the pandemic, the lack of a synergistic research relationship between the social and medical sciences, and issues related to vaccine equity.
Robot-Aided Assessment of Human Ankle Joint Position Sense and Motion Sense
Authors: Huang Qiyin , Zhong Bin , Elangovan Naveen , Zhang Mingming , Konczak Jürgen
Published: January 2022

Background-Numerous neurological and orthopedic conditions impair ankle proprioception resulting in gait and balance deficits. However, current clinical practice lacks accurate and reliable methods to assess proprioceptive function. To address this gap, we developed a robotic assessment system that provides accurate, objective, and reliable measures of human ankle position and motion sense acuitythat reflectproprioceptive function at this joint.Methods-Ankle position sense and motion sense acuity were assessed in twenty healthy adult participantsemploying a psychophysical two-alternative forced-choice paradigm.An ankle robot deliveredtightly controlled passive, open kinematic ankle dorsiflexion/plantarflexion positions or velocities. The robot passively rotated aparticipant’s ankle to two distinctplantarflexed positions for position sense testing, orthe ankle was plantarflexed at two distinct velocities for motion sense testing. After experiencing the two stimuli, participants verbally indicated which ankle position was more plantarflexedor which motionwas perceived as faster. Based on a participant’s verbal responses, a psychometric function was fitted and the respective discrimination thresholds and intervals of uncertainty were derived. Additionally, test-retest reliability of the threshold measures was determined across three different experimental sessions for a subset of five participants.Results-Analysis yielded a mean position discrimination threshold of 0.80° (SD: ± 0.10°), and a mean motion discrimination threshold of 0.73°/s (SD: ± 0.11°/s). Test-retest reliability of the threshold measures based on the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was moderate to excellent in position sense (range, ICC = 0.86 [0.50 - 0.98]) and motion sense (range, ICC = 0.86 [0.57 - 0.99]) testing.Conclusion -The results demonstrated the utility and reliability ofa robot-aided assessment of human ankle proprioceptive function paving the way to employ such systemsfor the fast and accurate diagnosisof proprioceptive dysfunction in clinical populations.
Semaphorin 3F Induces Colorectal Cancer Cell Chemosensitivity by Promoting P27 Nuclear Export
Authors: Tao Miaomiao , Ma Hongbo , Fu Xiaoyuan , Wang Cancan , Li Yanyan , Hu Xiaoqiao , Lv Renming , Zhou Gendou , Wang Jun , Liu Ruyan , Zhou Meiyu , Xu Guofa , Wang Zexin , Qin Xiurong , Long Yi , Huang Qunzhen , Chen Min , Zhou Qi
Published: January 2022

Background: Colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) is the third most common malignancy worldwide. Metastatic CRC (mCRC) has a poor prognosis and high mortality rate because of chemotherapy resistance, and the overall 5-year survival rate of mCRC is only 14%. Our previous study demonstrated that semaphorin 3F (SEMA3F) signaling may contribute to reversing chemotherapy resistance in CRC cells by reducing E-cadherin and integrin αvβ3 expression levels. Another study showed that three-dimensional (3D) spherical culture of breast cancer cells could upregulate p27 expression and significantly increase the expression of E-cadherin and integrin. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of SEMA3F on P27 and whether it can reverse resistance in CRC cells. Methods: We compared the chemosensitivity of human colorectal cancer cell lines with different SEMA3F expression levels to 5-Fu through cell experiment and animal experiment. Then the interaction between SEMA3F and p27 and its possible mechanism were explored by Western Blot, immunofluorescence and immunocoprecipitation. We also compared the disease-free survival of 118 CRC patients with high or low expression of SEMA3F. Results: Overexpresstion of SEMA3F enhanced the chemotherapy sensitivity and apoptosis of CRC cells in vitro. Similar results were also observed in in vivo experiments. Among 118 postoperative mCRC specimens, SEMA3F expression not only enhanced chemotherapy sensitivity but also decreased P27 and multidrug resistance gene expression levels. The disease-free survival of patients with positive SEMA3F expression was significantly longer than that of patients with negative SEMA3F expression after adjuvant treatment. Upregulation of SEMA3F in multicellular spheroid culture (MSC) could increase p27 phosphorylation at serine 10 (Ser10), subsequently promote the cytosolic translocation of P27. Conclusions: SEMA3F mediates the degradation of p27 and regulates its subcellular localization to enhance chemosensitivity to 5-Fu in CRC cells but does not inhibit p27 expression.
Impact of Phosphorous and Zinc Levels on the Productivity of Green Gram (Vigna radiate L.)
Authors: Khan Aman
Published: January 2022

Mung bean is one of the important Kharif pulses in Pakistan and is grown mainly for its edible seeds; therefore, fertilizers management is an important factor for improving mungbean growth and yield. A field experiment was conducted during the summer of 2013 at Palato Farm of the University of Agriculture Peshawar, Amir Muhammad Khan Campus Mardan, to determine the effect of phosphorus (P) and Zinc (Zn) on the yield and yield component of mungbean. The experiment consisted of four levels of P (0, 25, 50, and 75 kg ha−1) and four levels of Zn (0, 5, 10, and 15 kg ha−1). Data associated with the number of leaves and plant height illustrated that the higher number of leaves plant−1 (8.8) by an average was observed when P was applied at the rate of 75 kg ha−1 followed by 0 kg phosphorous (P) ha−1 (8.7) and Zn (Zn) application at the rate of 10 kg ha−1produced a maximum number of leaves plant−1 (9) followed by 15 kg ha−1(8.8) where 0 kg ZN ha−1 resulted in (7.7). Similarly, Zn significantly affected plant height, while P and interaction between P and Zn levels were non-significant. The higher plant height (95.1 cm) was observed when P was applied at the rate of 75 kg ha−1, followed by 50 kg P ha−1 (93.6 cm). Higher plant height (95.8cm) was recorded when ZN was applied at the 5 kg ha−1 followed by 10 kg ha−1(95.1cm). Higher numbers of nodules (13.1) were observed with the application of 50 kg P ha−1 followed by 75 kg P ha−1 (12.3), while the lowest (10.6) nodules were observed in the control plot. P application at the rate of 25 kg ha−1 produced a higher grain yield than 75 and 50 kg ha-1 and Zn application at the rate of 5 kg ha-1 produced a higher grain yield than 10 and 15 kg ha−1. Therefore, a lower rate of P 25 kg ha−1 and Zn 5 kg ha−1 is recommended for a higher yield of mungbean in the agro-ecological condition of Mardan.
FPGA Performance Analysis of LDPC and Turbo Codes for Communication System
Authors: Devrari Aakanksha , Kumar Adesh , Kumar Amit
Published: January 2022

The wireless communication system is based on several coding schemes such as turbo codes, LDPC codes, convolutional, polar, and systematic, etc. The coding techniques should satisfy the hardware system requirements while machine and device communication is taken place. The turbo codes provide a good coding gain close to Shannon’s limit, whereas LDPC codes have the ability to provide error corrected data over a noisy channel. The research article presents the comparative performance analysis of turbo and LDPC coding hardware architecture. The encoder and decoder hardware chip of turbo and LDPC is designed using Xilinix ISE 14.7 software, targeted Virtex- 5 FPGA. The performance of both coding methods is evaluated using iterative coding scheme. The FPGA hardware complexity is analyzed in terms of hardware and FPGA performance parameters such as slices, flip flops, LUTs and IoBs utilization. The performance the coding methods are also analyzed in terms of timing information related parameters such as path delay, minimum duration, minimum and maximum time of the clock signal, etc. The research work is very much helpful for 4G and 5G mobile communication requirements in device to device communication.
Blood Speckle Imaging Compared with Conventional Doppler Ultrasound for Transvalvular Pressure Drop Estimation in an Aortic Flow Phantom
Authors: Dockerill Cameron , Gill Harminder , Fernandes Joao F. , Nio Amanda Q. X. , Rajani Ronak , Lamata Pablo
Published: January 2022

Background

Transvalvular pressure drops are assessed using Doppler echocardiography for the diagnosis of heart valve disease. However, this method is highly user-dependent and may overestimate transvalvular pressure drops by up to 54%. This work aimed to assess transvalvular pressure drops using velocity fields derived from blood speckle imaging (BSI), as a potential alternative to Doppler.

Methods

A silicone 3D-printed aortic valve model, segmented from a healthy CT scan, was placed within a silicone tube. A CardioFlow 5000MR flow pump was used to circulate blood mimicking fluid to create eight different stenotic conditions (transvalvular flow velocities between 1.6 and 2.4 m/s and pressure drops between 9.7 and 22.7 mmHg). Eight PendoTech pressure sensors were embedded along the tube wall to record ground-truth pressures (10 KHz). The Bernoulli equation with measured probe angle correction was used to estimate pressure drop from maximum velocity values acquired across the valve using Doppler and BSI with a GE Vivid E95 ultrasound machine and 6S-D cardiac phased array transducer.

Results

There were no significant differences between pressure drops estimated by Doppler, BSI and ground-truth at the lowest stenotic condition (10.4 ± 1.76, 10.3 ± 1.63 vs. 10.7 ± 1.12 mmHg, respectively; p>0.05). Significant differences were observed between the pressure drops estimated by the three methods at the greatest stenotic condition (26.4 ± 1.52, 14.5 ± 2.14 vs. 20.1 ± 1.78 mmHg for Doppler, BSI and ground-truth, respectively; p<0.05). Across all conditions, Doppler overestimated pressure drop (Bias = 3.54 mmHg), while BSI underestimated pressure drop (Bias = -3.68 mmHg).

Conclusions

BSI accurately estimated pressure drops only up to 10.7 mmHg in controlled phantom conditions of low stenotic burden. Although BSI offers a number of theoretical advantages to conventional Doppler echocardiography, further refinements and clinical studies are required with BSI before it can be used to improve transvalvular pressure drop estimation in the clinical evaluation of aortic stenosis.
Genomic analyses identify signaling pathways and biological processes in Human papillomavirus (HPV) infected oral cancer patients
Authors: Wang Fang , Chang Tingxiang , Guo Hongmei , Gu Hanming , Liu James
Published: January 2022

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a critical cause of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. However, the molecular mechanism and biological function of HPV in oral cancer remains unknown. In this study, our aim is to identify the significant molecules and pathways by analyzing the RNA-seq data. The GSE184616 was produced by the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 (Homo sapiens). The KEGG and GO analyses showed PI3K−Akt signaling pathway and Extracellular matrix are the main processes during oral cancer with HPV infection. Moreover, we identified the top ten key molecules including FN1, ACTB, COL3A1, COL5A1, COL4A1], COL4A2, COL5A2, MMP9, COL6A2, BGN. Therefore, our study may provide new insights into the treatment of oral cancer.
Shortest Distance On-demand Stable Election Protocol
Authors: KUMAR SHEKHAR , Chaudhary Kamika
Published: January 2022

In current era Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) play a vital part in every field of day to day life. This is one of the most popular network technologies for the Internet of Things (IoT). Power efficiency and stability constraint is considered as impediment in the further development of the IoT. One of the efficient solutions is effective routing techniques. This paper proposes an effective cluster based, threshold sensitive routing technique Shortest Distance On-demand Stable Election Protocol (SDOSEP) for IoT based heterogeneous wireless sensor networks. As data transmission between nodes with different routes is one of the most costly operation that affect the performance of the network. This technique chooses cluster head on the basis of total energy of network and selects shortest weighted path for data transmission. The proposed approach exceeds the network lifetime, stability, instability and throughput of the network with existing baseline techniques.
BILATERAL EXTERNAL ILIAC PSEUDOANEURYSMS CAUSING URINARY OBSTRUCTION AND ACUTE RENAL FAILURE
Authors: Bigarella Marcelo Puppo , Lopes Roberto Iglesias , Gentile Guilherme , Faustino Carolina Brito , Gamba Lais da Cunha , Lima Guilherme Baumgardt Barbosa , Melo Henry Augusto Hoffman , Mulatti Grace Carvajal
Published: January 2022

Background: Pseudoaneurysms are usually caused by trauma, infections, vasculitis, atherosclerosis or iatrogenic complications [1,2]. Frequently, these pseudoaneurysms remain clinically silent, but few can become symptomatic and might present with limb ischemia, leg edema, as well as subacute or acute hemorrhage. An unusual presentation of a bilateral external iliac artery (EIA) pseudoaneurysm is here reported.Case presentation: We report an exceedingly rare case of a young man presenting an acute severe bilateral testicular pain radiating to the back. Clinical and radiological work-up demonstrated bilateral EIA pseudoaneurysms that caused bilateral ureterohydronephrosis due to the urinary obstruction with subsequent renal failure. Management included immediate bilateral external iliac endovascular repair and bilateral ureterolysis through a retroperitoneal approach, with resolution of the obstruction and successful endovascular treatment of both pseudoaneurysms. The only identifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease was cocaine addiction.Conclusion: Uncommon and severe clinical presentation of bilateral EIA pseudoaneurysms caused bilateral ureterohydronephrosis and acute renal failure. Although the presenting symptoms were deceiving at first, fast diagnosis might have been crucial in this case, in which there was a overlapping among Urology and Vascular Surgery - both specialties involved in treating the patient. Awareness of this condition might prevent misdiagnosis and delays in management that are of utmost importance for a good outcome.