bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated Water Balance and Water Quality Management Under Future Climate Change and Population Growth: A Case Study of Upper Litani Basin, Lebanon
Authors: Slaymane Rana Salim Abou , Soliman M. Reda
Published: January 2022

The impacts of the growing population at Lebanon including Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian refugees, associated with the changing climate parameters such that the precipitation are putting the Bekaa Valley’s water resources in a stymie situation. The water resources are under significant stress limiting the water availability and deteriorating the water quality at the Upper Litani River Basin (ULRB) within the Bekaa Valley region. These impacts are assessed by Water Evaluation And Planning model to assure the water balance and quality at baseline scenario in 2013, and future scenarios reaching 2095, serving by the Watershed Modeling System to get the flow throughout the Litani River’s ungauged zones. Moreover, a General Circulation Model is used to predict the future climate up to 2100 under several emissions scenarios which shows a critical situation at the high emission scenario where the precipitation will be reduced about 87 mm from 2013 to 2095. The aim of this research is to reduce the water pollution that limits the availability of usable water, and to minimize the gap between the demand and supply of water within the ULRB in order to maintain water resources sustainability, and preserves its quality, even after 80 years. In particular, this may be achieved by removing encroachments on the river, by adding waste water treatment plants, by reducing the amount of lost water in damaged water network, and by avoiding the overconsumption of groundwater.
Expression of OLFM4 and Lysozyme During Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Volvulus in Newborns: a Comparative Observational Research Study
Authors: Diez Sonja , Renner Marcus , Bahlinger Veronika , Hartmann Arndt , Besendörfer Manuel , Müller Hanna
Published: January 2022

Background: In neonatal patients with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and volvulus the inflammatory response is mediated by a plurality of different proteins. The proteins olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) and lysozyme (LYZ) are part of the intestinal mucosal defense and especially OLFM4 has rarely been evaluated in neonatal gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the expression levels of OLFM4 and lysozyme during NEC and volvulus in neonates. Methods: Intestinal tissues of patients with NEC and patients with volvulus were examined using immunohistochemical staining of OLFM4 and lysozyme of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections of resected tissue. Staining-positive tissues were semi-quantitatively scored from 0 (no staining), 1 (weak staining), 2 (moderate staining) to 3 (highly intense staining) by two individual investigators.Results: Both applied antibodies against OLFM4 showed different staining patterns with higher staining intensity of the antibody OLFM4 (D1E4M). OLFM4 (median score of the antibody OLFM4 (D1E4M): 3.0) and lysozyme (median score: 3.0) are highly expressed in intestinal and immune cells during NEC. The expression of OLFM4 and lysozyme in tissue with intestinal volvulus was also observable (median score of the antibody OLFM4 (D1E4M): 1.25) and median score of the antibody against LYZ: 2.0), but lower levels could be seen in comparison to tissue with NEC (p=0.033 and p=0.037, respectively).Conclusions: Both proteins, OLFM4 and lysozyme, may play a role in the pathogenesis of NEC and volvulus in neonatal patients, but the exact mechanisms of OLFM4 and lysozyme function and their role in immunological responses have not yet been resolved. These observations add new insights as basis for further large-scale population research.
Association Between The Discharge Process And Post-Discharge Events In Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Lee Kyoung Suk , Lee Hyeongsuk , Min Na Eun , Park Jae-Hyeong
Published: January 2022

Background: HF is a burden on healthcare resources due to the high cost of frequent readmissions. Predictive models have been reported for the post-discharge prognosis of HF. However, these models mostly included non-modifiable factors and their predictive accuracy was limited. This implies that potentially modifiable factors are needed, which could be attributed to the discharge process. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the discharge process and post-discharge events in patients with HF.Methods: Medical records were reviewed to identify patients who were admitted for HF exacerbation. Information related to the discharge process included post-discharge clinic appointments, educational contents before discharge, and family participation during patient education. HF-related events were defined as a composite of events, including emergency department visits, readmissions, or death. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to explore the association between the discharge process and HF-related events.Results: Of 201 patients, 41 had at least one HF-related event. Post-discharge clinic appointments were scheduled 8 days after discharge. Patients received their discharge education on average of one topic, and approximately the families of 70% of the patients participated in this educational activity. In the Cox regression model, family participation during education was independently associated with a longer time to HF events (hazard ratio: 2.105). However, and post-discharge follow-up appointments and the number of educational contents received were not associated with the time to HF events. Conclusion: We found that family participation during education is a protective factor for adverse prognosis in patients with HF. Our results highlight the importance of family engagement in HF management.
GPX4 Plays a Crucial Role in Fuzheng Kang’ai Decoction-Induced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Ferroptosis
Authors: Zhao Yue-Yang , Yang Yu-Qi , Sheng Hong-Hao , Tang Qing , Han Ling , Wang Su-Mei , Wu Wan-Yin
Published: January 2022

Background: Fuzheng Kang’ai decoction (FZKA) has been widely used to treat Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients in China for decades, showing definite curative effects in clinic. Recently, we found that FZKA could induce NSCLC cell ferroptosis, another type of programmed cell death (PCD), which is totally different from cell apoptosis. Therefore, in the present study, we aim to discover the exact mechanism by which FZKA induces NSCLC cell ferroptosis, which is rarely studied in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Methods: Cell counting kit-8 assay and EdU proliferation assay were performed to detect the cell viability. Cell ferroptosis triggered by FZKA was observed by performing lipid peroxidation assay, Fe2+ Ions assay, and mitochondrial ultrastructure by transmission electron microscopy. Ferroptosis inhibitors including liproxstatin-1 and UAMC 3203 were used to block ferroptosis. The ratio of GSH/GSSG was done to measure the alteration of oxidative stress. Western blot and qRT-PCR were carried out to detect the expression of SLC7A11, SLC3A2, and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) at protein and mRNA levels, respectively. Lentivirus transfection was performed to overexpress GPX4 stably. Animal model was done to verify the effect of FZKA-induced ferroptosis in NSCLC in vivo and immunohistochemistry was done to detect the expression of SLC7A11, SLC3A2 and GPX4 at protein level. Results: First of all, in vitro experiments confirmed the inhibition effect of FZKA on NSCLC cell growth. We then, for the first time, found that FZKA induced NSCLC cell ferroptosis evidently, by increasing lipid peroxidation and cellular Fe2+ Ions. Moreover, characteristic morphological changes of NSCLC cell ferroptosis was observed under transmission electron microscopy. Mechanistically, GPX4, as a key inhibitor of lipid peroxidation, was greatly suppressed by FZKA treatment both at protein and mRNA levels. Furthermore, system xc- (SLC7A11 and SLC3A2) were found to be suppressed and a decreased GSH/GSSG ratio was observed at the same time by treating with FZKA. Notably, overexpressing GPX4 reversed the effect of FZKA-induced NSCLC cell ferroptosis significantly. Finally, the above effect was validated using animal model in vivo. Conclusion: Our findings conclude that GPX4 plays a crucial role in FZKA-induced NSCLC cell ferroptosis, providing a novel molecular mechanism by which FZKA treats NSCLC.
Effects of Planted Pollinator Habitat On Bee Health And Interspecific Pathogen Detection
Authors: Levenson Hannah K. , Tarpy David R.
Published: January 2022

Shared resources can instigate pathogen spread due to large congregations of individuals in both natural and human modified resources. Of concern is the addition of pollinator habitat in conservation efforts as it attracts bees of various species, potentially instigating interspecific sharing of pathogens. Common pathogens have been documented across a wide variety of pollinators with shared floral resources instigating their spread in some, but not all, cases. To evaluate the impact of augmented pollinator habitat on bee health, we screened samples from eight bee species across three families against a panel of 9 pathogens using RT-qPCR. While we found that some habitat characteristics influenced pathogen detection, we found no evidence that pathogen detection in one bee species was correlated with pathogen detection in another. These findings suggest factors other than the habitat itself may be more critical in the dissemination of diseases among bee species. However, we found high levels of gut parasites in some bee species which may be of concern, such as Bombus pensylvanicus. Future monitoring of bee health at augmented pollinator habitat is needed to ensure pathogens do not build up over time to then spread within their communities.
Depressive Symptoms and Malnutrition are Associated with Other Geriatric Syndromes and Increase Risk for 30-Day Readmission in Hospitalized Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Tay Laura , Chua Melvin , Ding Yew Yoong
Published: January 2022

Background: Readmission in older adults is typically complex with multiple contributing factors. We aim to examine how two prevalent and potentially modifiable geriatric conditions – depressive symptoms and malnutrition – relate to other geriatric syndromes and 30-day readmission in hospitalized older adults. Methods: Consecutive admissions of patients >65 years to a general medical department were recruited over 15 months. Patients were screened for depression, malnutrition, delirium, cognitive impairment, and frailty at admission. Medical records were reviewed for intermediary events including poor oral intake and functional decline during hospitalization. Unplanned readmission within 30-days of discharge was tracked through the hospital’s electronic health records and follow-up telephone interviews. We use directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to depict the relationship of depressive symptoms and malnutrition with geriatric syndromes that constitute covariates of interest and 30-day readmission outcome. Multiple logistic regression was performed for the independent associations of depressive symptoms and malnutrition with 30-day readmission, adjusting for variables based on DAG-identified minimal adjustment set. Results: We recruited 1619 consecutive admissions, with mean age 76.4 (7.9) years and 51.3% females. 30-day readmission occurred in 331 (22.0%) patients. Depressive symptoms (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.15-2.07), malnutrition (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.14-2.23), higher comorbidity burden, hospitalization in the one-year preceding index admission, frailty, delirium, as well as functional decline and poor oral intake during the index admission, were more commonly observed among patients who were readmitted within 30 days of discharge (P<0.05). Patients with active depressive symptoms were significantly more likely to be frail (OR=1.62, 95% CI 1.22-2.16), had poor oral intake (OR=1.35, 95% CI 1.02-1.79) and functional decline during admission (OR=1.58, 95% CI 1.11-2.23). Malnutrition at admission was significantly associated with frailty, delirium, cognitive impairment and poor oral intake during hospitalization (P<0.05). In minimal adjustment set identified by DAG, depressive symptoms (OR=1.38, 95% CI 1.02-1.86) remained significantly associated with 30-day readmission. The association of malnutrition with 30-day readmission was attenuated after adjusting for age, ethnicity and depressive symptoms in the minimal adjustment set (OR=1.40, 95% CI 0.99-1.98, P=0.06). Conclusion: The observed causal associations support screening and targeted interventions for depressive symptoms and malnutrition during admission and in the post-acute period.
Emotional Prosody Recognition Enhances and Progressively Complexifies From Childhood to Adolescence
Authors: Filippa Manuela , Lima Doris , Grandjean Alicia , Labbé Carolina , Coll Selim , Gentaz Edouard , Grandjean Didier
Published: January 2022

Background: Emotional prosody is the result of the dynamic variation of acoustical non-verbal aspects of language that allow people to convey and recognize emotions. Understanding how this recognition develops during childhood to adolescence is the goal of the present paper. We also aim to test the maturation of the ability to perceive mixed emotions in voice. Methods: We tested 133 children and adolescents, aged between 6 and 17 years old, exposed to 4 kinds of emotional (anger, fear, happiness, and sadness) and neutral linguistic meaningless stimuli. Participants were asked to judge the type and degree of perceived emotion on continuous scales. Results: By means of a general linear mixed model analysis, as predicted, a significant interaction between age and emotion was found. The ability to recognize emotions significantly increased with age for all emotional and neutral vocalizations. Girls recognized anger better than boys, who instead confused fear with neutral prosody more than girls did. Across all ages, only marginally significant differences were found between anger, happiness, and neutral versus sadness, which was more difficult to recognize. Finally, as age increased, participants were significantly more likely to attribute mixed emotions to emotional prosody, showing the progressive complexification of the emotional content representation that young adults perceived in emotional prosody. Conclusions: The ability to identify basic emotions from linguistically meaningless stimuli develops from childhood to adolescence. Interestingly, this maturation was not only evidenced in the accuracy of emotion detection, but also in a complexification of emotion attribution in prosody.
Cooperative binding of TCR and CD4 to pMHC enhances TCR sensitivity
Authors: Rushdi Muaz , Pan Victor , Li Kaitao , Travaglino Stefano , Choi Hyun-Kyu , Hong Jinsung , Griffitts Fletcher , Agnihotri Pragati , Mariuzza Roy , Ke Yonggang , Zhu Cheng
Published: January 2022

Antigen recognition of CD4+ T cells by the T cell receptor (TCR) can be greatly enhanced by the coreceptor CD4. Yet, understanding of the molecular mechanism is hindered by the ultra-low affinity of CD4 binding to class-II peptide-major histocompatibility complexes (pMHC). Using two-dimensional (2D) mechanical-based assays, we determined a CD4–pMHC interaction to have 3-4 logs lower affinity than cognate TCR–pMHC interactions, and to be susceptible to increased dissociation by forces (slip bond). In contrast, CD4 binds TCR-prebound pMHC at 5-6 logs higher affinity, forming TCR–pMHC–CD4 trimolecular bonds that are prolonged by force (catch bond) and modulated by protein mobility on the cell membrane, indicating profound TCR–CD4 cooperativity. Consistent with a tri-crystal structure, using DNA origami as a molecular ruler to titrate spacing between TCR and CD4 indicates 7-nm proximity enables optimal trimolecular bond formation with pMHC. Our results reveal how CD4 augments TCR antigen recognition.
Neural Network Embedding of Functional Microconnectome.
Authors: Shirakami Arata , Hase Takeshi , Yamaguchi Yuki , Shimono Masanori
Published: January 2022

Our brain works as a vast and complex network system. We need to compress the networks to extract simple principles of network patterns and interpret these paradigms to better comprehend their complexities. This study treats this simplification process using a two-step analysis of topological patterns of functional connectivities that were produced from electrical activities of ~1000 neurons from acute slices of mouse brains [Kajiwara et al. 2021] As the first step, we trained an artificial neural network system called neural network embedding (NNE) and automatically compressed the functional connectivities. As the second step, we widely compared the compressed features with 15 representative network metrics, having clear interpretations, including not only common metrics, such as centralities clusters and modules but also newly developed network metrics. The result demonstrates not only the fact that the newly developed network metrics could complementarily explain the features of what was compressed by the NNE method but was previously relatively hard to explain using common metrics such as hubs, clusters and communities. This NNE method surpasses the limitations of commonly used human-made metrics but also provides the possibility that recognizing our own limitations drives us to extend interpretable targets by developing new network metrics.
mRNA Transcript Analysis of Hypothesis-driven Pathways as Known Responders to Organophosphate Exposure: Rhinella Arenarum Larvae Transcriptome Study
Authors: Pires Natalia , Lascano Cecilia , Ceschin Danilo , Venturino Andrés
Published: January 2022

Transcriptional analysis of the network of transcription regulators and target pathways in exposed organisms may be a hard task when their genome remains unknown. We used a whole transcriptome study on Rhinella arenarum larvae exposed to the organophosphorus pesticides azinphos-methyl and chlorpyrifos to evaluate transcriptional effects on a priori selected groups of genes. This approach allowed us to evaluate the effects on hypothesis-selected pathways such as target esterases, detoxifying enzymes, polyamine metabolism and signaling and regulatory pathways modulating them. We could then compare the responses at the transcriptional level with previously described effects at the enzymatic or metabolic levels to obtain global insight into toxicity-response mechanisms. The effects of both pesticides on the transcript levels of these pathways could be considered moderate, while the responses elicited by chlorpyrifos were more potent and earlier than those elicited by azinphos-methyl. Finally, we infer a prevailing downregulation effect of pesticides on signaling pathways and transcription factor transcripts encoding products that modulate/control the polyamine and antioxidant response pathways. We additionally tested and selected potential housekeeping genes based on those reported for other species. These results allow us to go through future confirmatory studies on pesticide gene expression modulation in toad larvae.
Isotopic Evidence for Sources of Dissolved Carbon and the Role of Organic Matter Respiration in the Fraser River Basin, Canada
Authors: Voss Britta M. , Eglinton Timothy I. , Peucker-Ehrenbrink Bernhard , Galy Valier , Lang Susan Q. , McIntyre Cameron , Spencer Robert G. M. , Bulygina Ekaterina , Wang Zhaohui Aleck , Guay Katherine A.
Published: January 2022

Sources of dissolved and particulate carbon to the Fraser River system vary significantly in space and time. Tributaries in the northern interior of the basin consistently deliver higher concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to the main stem than other tributaries. Based on samples collected near the Fraser River mouth throughout 2013, the radiocarbon age of DOC exported from the Fraser River does not change significantly across seasons despite a spike in DOC concentration during the freshet, suggesting modulation of heterogeneous upstream signals during transit through the river basin. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations are highest in the Rocky Mountain headwater region where carbonate weathering is evident, but also in tributaries with high DOC concentrations, suggesting that DOC respiration may be responsible for a significant portion of DIC in this basin. Using an isotope and major ion mass balance approach to constrain the contributions of carbonate and silicate weathering and DOC respiration, we estimate that up to 29% of DIC is derived from DOC respiration in some parts of the Fraser River basin. Overall, these results indicate close coupling between the cycling of DOC and DIC, and that carbon is actively processed and transformed during transport through the river network.
Synergistic Excited State involved Catalytic Reduction of (NH3-trz)[Fe(dipic)2] Complex by SnO2/TiO2 Nanocomposite
Authors: D Venkatesh , S Pavalamalar , R Silambarasan , K Anbalagan
Published: January 2022

The photocatalytic activity of well-fabricated, economical SnO2/TiO2 nanocomposite synthesized via hydrothermal route was validated using the (NH3-trz)[Fe(dipic)2] complex under ultra-violet illumination. The structural features of (NH3-trz)[Fe(dipic)2] complex was explored in detail. The catalysts were systematically examined with XRD, SEM, FT-IR UV-vis, PL, micro-Raman, VSM, AFM, HRTEM. The photoreactivity of the model compound (NH3-trz)[Fe(dipic)2] in water/binary solvent systems was investigated. The rate of photoreaction (k) of nanocomposite (0.1432 sec-1) is higher than the SnO2 (0.0373 sec-1) and TiO2 (0.1422 sec-1) in H2O:PriOH (70:30%) than the rest of the solvents system. The pathways, mechanistic feature of accumulated reactive species on nanocomposite to induce adherent [Fe(dipic)2]- anion and photo-reductive products were studied. The generation of hydroxyl radical on the surface of each catalyst can be identified as 7-hydroxycoumarin and discussed.
Integration of Feature Vectors from Raw Laboratory, Medication and Procedure Names Improves the Precision and Recall of Models to Predict Postoperative Mortality and Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Hofer Ira S. , Kupina Marina , Laddaran Lori , Halperin Eran
Published: January 2022

Introduction:

Manuscripts that have successfully used machine learning (ML) to predict a variety of perioperative outcomes often use only a limited number of features selected by a clinician. We hypothesized that techniques leveraging a broad set of features for patient laboratory results, medications, and the surgical procedure name would improve performance as compared to a more limited set of features chosen by clinicians.
Methods

Feature vectors for laboratory results included 702 features total derived from 39 laboratory tests, medications consisted of a binary flag for 126 commonly used medications, procedure name used the Word2Vec package for create a vector of length 100. Nine models were trained: Baseline Features, one for each of the three types of data Baseline+Each data type (, all features, and then all features with feature reduction algorithm.
Results

Across both outcomes the models that contained all features (model 8) (Mortality ROC-AUC 94.42, PR-AUC 31.0; AKI ROC-AUC 92.47, PR-AUC 76.73) was superior to models with only subsets of features
Conclusion

Featurization techniques leveraging a broad away of clinical data can improve performance of perioperative prediction models.
Integrative Profiling of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Lymphoblasts Identifies Unique Metabolic and Mitochondrial Disease Fingerprints
Authors: Cunha-Oliveira Teresa , Carvalho Marcelo , Sardão Vilma , Ferreiro Elisabete , Mena Débora , Pereira Francisco B. , Borges Fernanda , Oliveira Paulo J. , Silva Filomena S.G.
Published: January 2022

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease with a rapid progression and no effective treatment. Metabolic and mitochondrial alterations in peripheral tissues of ALS patients may present diagnostic and therapeutic interest. We aimed to identify mitochondrial fingerprints in lymphoblast from ALS patients harboring SOD1 mutations (mutSOD1) or with unidentified mutations (undSOD1), compared with age/sex matched controls. Three groups of lymphoblasts, from mutSOD1 or undSOD1 ALS patients and age/sex-matched controls, were obtained from Coriell Biobank and divided into 3 age/sex-matched cohorts. Mitochondria-associated metabolic pathways were analyzed using Seahorse MitoStress and ATP Rate assays, complemented with metabolic phenotype microarrays, metabolite levels, gene expression, and protein expression and activity. Pooled (all cohorts) and paired (intra-cohort) analyses were performed by using bioinformatic tools, and the features with higher information gain values were selected and used for principal component analysis and Naïve Bayes classification. Pooled analysis revealed that undSOD1 patients had statistically higher glycolytic ATP production rate and lower Tfam protein content compared to controls, which were also the experimental features highlighted by multidimensional analysis. Metabolic phenotypic profiles in lymphoblasts from ALS patients with mutSOD1 and undSOD1 revealed unique age-dependent different substrate oxidation profiles. For most parameters, different patterns of variation were found between cohorts, which may be due to age or sex. In the present work, we investigated several metabolic and mitochondrial hallmarks in lymphoblasts from each donor and, although a high heterogeneity of results was found, we identified specific metabolic and mitochondrial fingerprints that may have a diagnostic and therapeutic interest.
Cannabinoid Receptor Modulation in the 3-Acetylpyridine Cerebellar Ataxia Mouse Model
Authors: Ranjbar Hoda , Soti Monavareh , janahmadi mahyar , Kohlmeier Kristi A. , sheibani vahid , Shabani Mohammad
Published: January 2022

Cerebellar ataxia is a neurodegenerative disorder leading to severe motor incoordination. Recently it has been suggested that cannabinoids play a role in modulation of ataxic symptoms. In order to understand the possible therapeutic effect of cannabinoids for management of cerebellar ataxia, we used cannabinoid agonist/antagonists to target the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R) in the 3 acetyl pyridine (3AP) mouse model of ataxia. The role of the CB1R was examined by using three different doses of the CB1R agonist, WIN55,212-2 (WIN; 0.1, 0.5, 1 mg/kg) administrated 30 min prior to 3AP (55 mg/kg, i.p.) which leads to motor impairment through destruction of the inferior olive. In some recordings, the CB1R antagonist AM251(1 mg/kg) was given in combination with WIN. Locomotor activity and motor coordination were impaired by 3AP, and the application of WIN did not ameliorate this effect. However, the abnormal gait, rearing and grooming caused by 3AP were prevented by co-administration of AM251 with WIN. While the addition of the CB1R antagonist inhibition improved some ataxic symptoms, there was no effect of AM251 on balance or locomotor activity when co-administrated with WIN. Behavioral testing indicated that not only did WIN fail to exert any protective effect on ataxic symptoms, it exacerbated ataxic symptoms, suggesting that CB1R agonists may not be the ideal therapeutic drug in this disorder. When taken together, the findings from the present study indicate that cannabinoid modulation of ataxia symptoms may not act solely through CB1Rs and other cannabinoid receptors should be consider in future studies.
Fission and Fusion Solutions in the (2+1)-Dimensional Generalized Calogero-Bogoyavlenskii-Schiff Equation
Authors: Li Yuhan , AN Hongli , Zhang Yiyuan
Published: January 2022

Fission and fusion are important phenomena, which have been observed experimentally in many physical areas. In this paper, we study the above two phenomena in the (2+1)-dimensional generalized Calogero-Bogoyavlenskii-Schiff equation. By introducing some new constraint conditions to its N-solitons, the fifission and fusion are obtained. Numerical figures show that the two types of solutions look like the capital letter Y in spacial structures. Then, by taking a long wave limit approach and complex conjugation restrictions, some hybrid resonance solutions are generated, such as the interaction solutions between the L-order lumps and Q-fifission (fusion) solitons, as well as hybrid solutions mixed by the T-order breathers and Q-fifission (fusion) solitons. Dynamical behaviors of these solutions are analyzed theoretically and numerically. The results obtained can be helpful for understanding the fusion and fifission phenomena in many physical models, such as the organic membrane, macromolecule material and even-clump DNA, plasmas physics and so on.
Are Older Adults’ Difficulties on Emotion Recognition and Theory of Mind Tasks Due to a Decline in General Cognitive Ability?
Authors: Kong Qiuyi , Currie Nicholas , Du Kangning , Ruffman Ted
Published: January 2022

Older adults have both worse general cognition and worse social cognition. A frequent suggestion is that worse social cognition is due to worse general cognition. However, previous studies have often provided contradictory evidence. The current study examined this issue with a more extensive battery of tasks for both forms of cognition. We gave 47 young and 40 older adults three tasks to assess general cognition (processing speed, working memory, fluid intelligence) and three tasks to assess their social cognition (emotion and theory-of-mind). Older adults did worse on all tasks and there were correlations between general and social cognition. Although working memory and fluid intelligence were unique predictors of performance on the Emotion Photos task and the Eyes task, Age Group was a unique predictor on all three social cognitiaon tasks. Thus, there were relations between the two forms of cognition but older adults continued to do worse than young adults even after accounting for general cognition. We argue that this pattern of results is due to some overlap in brain areas mediating general and social cognition, but also independence, and with a differential rate of decline in brain areas dedicated to general cognition versus social cognition.
Characteristics and Outcome of Pediatric in a Referral Trauma Center in Iran; a Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Vasigh Mahtab , Yazd Seyed Mostafa Meshkati , Jahangiri Fariba , Seyedipour Sina , Yazdanifard Mina , Karoobi Mohammadreza
Published: January 2022

Background

Pediatric trauma is the leading cause of death from early childhood through adolescence.In this study, characteristics and associated factors of pediatric trauma cases are evaluated.
Methods

In this cross-sectional study, demographic and clinical characteristics of 622 patients admitted to a referral hospital in Tehran, Iran are evaluated. Reported clinical characteristics include mechanism of trauma, type of trauma, ultrasonographic (US) findings, chest and abdomino-pelvic and brain computed tomography (CT) scan findings, blood hemoglobin (Hb) level, urinalysis, type of surgery, and mortality rate.
Results

The average age was 7.46 ± 3.64 years and the majority (63.7%) were male and endured direct trauma (36.3%). Most of our patients (n=305; 49%) were admitted in the orthopedic ward, followed by the neurosurgery ward (n=235; 37.8%). The mortality rate was 23 cases (3.7%). the lowest mortality was in the patients 11 to 15 years old (n=3; 13%), and the highest in five years and younger group (n=14; 60.9%).
Conclusions

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading fatal trauma injuries in children, therefore implementation of preventive measures specific to children is quite important but long overdue.
Pudilan xiaoyan oral liquid (PDL) inhibit the replication of influenza A virus through regulating TLR3/MyD88 signaling pathway
Authors: Zhihui Zheng , Zhang Yuqian , Tian Gang , Wang Zehua , Wang Ronghua , Wei Hailin , Wang Wenlei , Su Qin , Min Rui , Wang Xiaoquan , Zhang Pinghu
Published: January 2022

Background

Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid (PDL) as a famous Chinese patent medicine has been widely used for treating upper respiratory tract infection. However, the antiviral effect of PDL remain unclear. Here, the antiviral effect of in vitro and in vivo of PDL against influenza A virus were for the first time investigated.
Methods

The in vitro inhibitory effect of PDL on influenza A virus was investigated using MDCK cell model. The in vivo inhibitory effect on influenza virus pneumonia was evaluated with the ICR female mice (14-16 g) model infected by influenza A virus (A/FM/1/47, H1N1, mouse-adapted). Moreover, expression levels of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IP10, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-γ in lung tissue were measured by qRT-PCR. The potential mechanism of PDL against acute lung injury caused by influenza A virus was investigated by RT-PCR and Western blot.
Results

Our results indicated that in vitro PDL has a broad-spectrum inhibitory effect on different subtypes of influenza A viruses and in vivo PDL could dose-dependently prevent weight loss of mice, increase food intake and reduce mortality caused by influenza A H1N1 virus. Furthermore, PDL could markedly improve the acute lung injury caused by influenza A virus and significantly reduce the mRNA levels of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IP10, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-6, and IFN-γ. Mechanistic research indicated that the protective effect of PDL on viral pneumonia might be achieved by inhibiting TLR3/MyD88/IRAK4/TRAF3 signaling pathway.
Conclusion

PDL not only showed a good inhibitory effect on influenza A virus in vitro, but also exhibited a significant protective effect against lethal influenza virus infection in vivo. These findings provide evidence for the clinical treatment of influenza A virus infection with PDL.
Wenyang-Huayin, a Chinese Medicine formulation, inhibits inflammation in OVA-Induced asthma rats
Authors: Yan Peizheng , Zhang Qingxiang , Qingjun Zhu , Chang Xing , Qingyan Meng , Liu Yan
Published: January 2022

Background and ObjectivesAsthma is a severe public health issue since it causes a progressive decline of pulmonary function and a lot of unnecessary deaths. Traditional Chinese medicine has played a great role in the prevention and treatment of asthma, Wenyang-Huayin (WYHY) formulation is one of the useful prescriptions in clinical, which the pharmacological mechanism has not yet been revealed. In this study, we explored its anti-airway inflammation and pulmonary protection effects in the treatment of asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA), to provide support for its deeply clinical applications.MethodsAsthma model with the syndrome of accumulation of cold fluid in the lung in chronic bronchitis (a common type of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome) was induced in SPF male Wistar rats by sensitizing and challenging with OVA, followed by drink, body cold and fatigue stimulation. WYHY was orally administered at 9.82142857 g·(kg·d)−1 body weight for 21 days, Rapamycin and the other two traditional Chinese medicines (Xiaoqinglong decoction and Astragalus granules) were used as positive controls. After intervention, the pulmonary function was measured by AniRes 2005 Animal pulmonary function Analysis system, the pathological features of pulmonary alveolus and bronchus were observed after Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) staining, and serum interleukin-13 (IL-13), transforming growth factor -β1 (TGF-β1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay.ResultsThe model rats showed heavy signs of airway inflammation and remodeling like chronic asthma, evidenced by the damaged pulmonary alveolus structure, increased inflammatory cell infiltration, declined pulmonary function, and abnormal changes of cytokines. All treatment methods could slow down the damage caused by molding factors, and WYHY might have an advantage in pulmonary protection effects than the others.ConcludeWYHY has a good effect on anti-airway inflammation and protecting pulmonary function in the treatment of OVA-Induced asthma rats, and its mechanism is worth of in-depth study.
Association of Body Image and Body Mass Index with psychological outcomes in obese patients.
Authors: Campedelli Virginia , Ciacchella Chiara , Veneziani Giorgio , Meniconzi Irene , Paone Emanuela , Silecchia Gianfranco , Lai Carlo
Published: January 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to test whether higher dissatisfaction with one's own body image, majorly than the body mass index (BMI), may be associated with higher levels of psychopathological aspects, hopelessness feelings, and psychophysical health. MethodsFifty-nine patients undergoing bariatric surgery filled out the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, the Body Uneasiness Test, the 12-item Short Form Survey, the Beck Inventory Scale II, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. Correlations and multiple regressions between measures were performed.ResultsDissatisfaction with the perception of one's own body image was strongly correlated with a worse psychophysiological health. On the contrary, BMI showed no significant correlation with the previous variables. Furthermore, the perception of one's own body image significantly predicted the state of psychological health.ConclusionThe findings of the present study showed a more relevant role of body image compared to the BMI in the association with psychological outcomes suggesting the importance to consider body image in the assessment and treatment of obese patients. Level of evidence﻿level II, evidence obtained from well-designed controlled trials without randomization.
Development of smart cold forging die life cycle management system based on real-time forging load monitoring
Authors: Seo Young Ho
Published: January 2022

Cold forging dies are manufactured through the shrink fit process to withstand high pressure loads, but fatigue failure eventually occurs due to repeated compressive stresses. The life cycle until fatigue failure was defined as the limit life, and attempts were made to predict the die life based on finite element method (FEM). However, accurate prediction was impossible owing to uncontrollable environmental variables. Consequently, it is impossible to clearly determine the die replacement cycle, resulting in negative consequences such as poor quality, production delay, and cost increase. Various environmental factors affecting the prediction of die life cycle result in the increase or decrease of the forming load, which is an important variable that determines the die life cycle. In this study, a system for monitoring load data generated from forging facilities was developed based on a piezo sensor. In addition, the die life cycle was more accurately predicted by using the forming load data measured in real time, and a die life management system that can determine the die replacement cycle was applied to the automobile steering parts production line.
Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of Breast:A Rare Breast Tumor Worthy of Attention
Authors: Zhao Yan , Zhu Qing , Fan Shuyue , Nan Wenhui , Zhang Luyao , Zhu Jie , Du Wenqiang , Jin Xin
Published: January 2022

Background: Neuroendocrine neoplasms of breast(NENB) is a rare and underrecognized subtype of breast neoplasms.The clinical significance, prognostic risk factors and optimal treatment modalities are limited. This study was focused on clinical and pathological features of 27 NENB cases to improve the understanding of these diseases and to further investigate the behavior of these neoplasms and to provide more factual evidence.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological features and follow-up data of 27 patients diagnosed with NENB at the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College between February 2003 and February 2015.Results: The proportion of NENB from all invasive breast carcinomas(BC) in our hospital was 0.24% (27/11352). The expression of specific immunohistochemical markers was different: 48.1% cases showed the expression of chromogranin A (CgA)(13/27), CD56 was positive in 77.8%cases (21/27), the positive rate of INSM1 and synaptophysin (Syn) were 85.2%（23/27）and 100.0% (27/27). NENB occurred in older patients (median age,64 ).11cases (40.7%) were well-differentiated NETs and 16 cases (59.3%) were poorly differentiated NEC. In NETs, The positive rate of ER was 10/11 (90.9%) , while in NECs, The positive rate of ER was 9/16(56.3%) , On the basis of immunophenotypes, most of NENBs were of the luminal molecular subtype ,6 cases were luminal A and 15cases were luminal B ,6 cases were triple negative breast cancer(TNBC) and had no HER-2 overexpression subtypes. Conclusions: NENB more likely occures in elderly patients.Well-differentiated NETs are more often positive for hormone receptors than poorly differentiated NEC. NENBs are almost negative for HER-2. The combination of INSM1 is an effective supplement and improvement for traditional neuroendocrine markers.
Characterization of the Propagation Route of Light Passing Through Convex Lens
Authors: Mao Jiafa , Sheng Weiguo , Hu Yahong , Mao Kejie , Gao Hua , Liang Ronghua
Published: January 2022

Existing optical theory states that the light directed to the optical center of the convex lens will travel in a straight line. Does the theory hold? If this is true, then why the images formed by the camera lens tends to be distorted? To answer the question, this paper studied the propagation mode of light passing through convex lens. Specifically, assuming the propagation medium on both sides of convex lens is homogeneous, we propose an angular affine transformation (AAT) theory. Based on the proposed theory, we first derive the refractive index of convex lens as well as the method of calculating the normal direction of each point within the radius of convex lens radius and then derive the refraction direction of each point within the radius of convex lens, thus completely characterizing the path diagram of light directed to the optical center. The correctness of the proposed theory has been verified using two sets of experiments: characterization of the route of light passing through the convex lens as well as camera imaging experiment. From the results, it can be concluded that the light directed to the optical center of convex lens does not travel in a straight line, but in a refraction line.
Tool-Path Planning Method For Kinematics Optimization of Blade Machining On Five-Axis Machine Tool
Authors: Lu Zhongyang , Yang Xu , Zhao Ji
Published: January 2022

Planning tool-paths on free-form surfaces is a widely discussed issue. However, traditional methods of generating paths capable of meeting all the requirements of blade machining remain challenging. In this study, a new iso-parametric path-planning strategy based on a novel parameterization method combined with the conformal transformation theory was proposed. The proposed method could adapt to the curvature characteristics of the blade surface, improving the kinematic performance of the machining process, reducing multi-axis coordinated motion control complexity, and improving machining quality. The proposed method was then compared with three traditional methods. The influence of the tool-path on the kinematic performance of the machine tool was quantitatively examined based on the kinematics models of two different machine tools. A large cutting depth milling experiment was conducted to verify that kinematics optimization could improve machining quality. The proposed method provides a more reasonable path-planning approach for blade machining on a five-axis machine tool, which is of great significance in reducing the cost of blade machining and the risks of blade failure. Moreover, it is of great significance for the large-scale automated production of blades.
Baseline composition and microbial quality assessment of raw milk from endemic small ruminants and Maghrebi camels in the oasis area of Tunisia
Authors: Khaldi Zahran , Nafti Mounir , Jilani Mohamed Tabarek
Published: January 2022

Characteristics and quality aspects of milk from native ovine queue fine de l’Ouest (QFO) and the local goat population were investigated and compared with those of the local Maghrebi camel. A total of 378 individual milk samples were collected from lactating animals reared in the continental oasis region of Tunisia. Samples were analyzed for physical parameters (pH, density, and acidity), chemical composition (dry matter, fat, protein, lactose, casein, ash, and casein-protein ratio), mineral concentrations (Ca, P, Na, and K) and microbiological features (total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB), total coliform count (TCC), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), sulphite-reducing Clostridium (CSR), yeast and molds (Y/M), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Salmonella) according to standard methods. The results obtained for milk characteristics revealed noticeable disparities between the three species. The mean values of pH, density, and acidity in milk collected from sheep appeared higher than those in milk collected from goat species. Compared to the camel populations, sheep species produced milk with similar pH but higher density and acidity. Between camel and goat species, pH and acidity were higher in Negga, while the density was similar. For milk composition, the results showed a remarkable variation among all studied species and an obvious superiority of the ovine species over the caprine and camel populations in all the chemical contents being studied, except for the casein-protein ratio, which is in favor of goat species. The milk of QFO sheep, the richest in casein and protein, was expressed with significantly higher levels of calcium and phosphorus than goat and camel milk. Compared to small ruminants, milk from camels is the richest in Na and K. Additionally, more Ca is present in milk from camels than goats. Goat milk, the poorest type of milk in Ca and Na, contains on average more P than camel milk and more K than sheep's milk. The poor bacteriological quality was that of camel milk for all microbial counts. The microbial quality of goat milk was higher than that of ewe milk based on TMAB, TCC, and E. coli counts, while ovine milk was of better quality, referring to LAB, Y/M, and S. aureus values. No significant differences were found for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli between the examined species. The obtained results highlighted the complete absence of the two dangerous pathogens Salmonella and CSR in all investigated milk samples. The microbiological examination evidenced that the milk of small ruminant species complies with standard criteria required by Tunisian legislation on the hygiene of milk and dairy products. Regarding camel milk, the microbial analysis revealed poor quality that exceeds standard criteria.