bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microfabrication of Sm2Co17 micromagnets for MEMS and micromotors using ultrashort pulsed hydro laser micromilling process
Authors: Villalba-Alumbreros Gabriel , Soler-Morala Jimena , Kanitz Alexander , Hoppius Jan , Valiente-Blanco Ignacio , Diez-Jimenez Efren
Published: May 2023

Micromagnets have wide applications in MEMS and micromotors but there are some limitations in current microfabrication processes for permanent magnets. A novel damage-free ultrashort pulsed laser machining process to manufacture complex shapes of Sm2Co17 micromagnets is proposed in this work. This process permits to cut the microparts submerged in a refrigerant fluid. This is especially beneficial for magnets, which are very sensitive to high temperature, as the heat effect of laser cutting on the hard magnetic materials is drastically reduced. The detailed description of the manufacturing process is here presented. Results of several machining processes like milling and cutting and the magnetic characterization of the resulting micromagnets are shown. Complex segment shapes, with 65 µm thickness are achieved, made in high quality Sm2Co17 material. It is demonstrated that no permanent degradation of the magnetic properties appears after laser machining.
Survival outcomes and prognostic factors of undifferentiated uterine sarcoma
Authors: Yao Hongwen , Li Ning , Yuan Hua
Published: May 2023

Purpose
Here, we aimed to describe the behavior of patients with undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (UUS) at our institution.
Methods
29 patients with UUS who were treated at our institution between 2001 and 2020 were analyzed.
Results
The median age at diagnosis was 52 years (range: 26-70 years). The FIGO 2009 distribution by stage was as follows: stage I, 17 patients (58.6%); stage II, 5 patients (17.2%); stage III, 4 patients (13.8%); and stage IV, 3 patients (10.3%).
For 28 patients who underwent surgical treatment, 27 patients (96.4%) underwent total/sub-radical/radical hysterectomy combined bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, 17 (58.6%) pelvic lymphadenectomy, 7 (24.1%) para-aortic lymphadenectomy and 8 (28.6%) patients underwent omentectomy.
The median follow-up was 23.4 months. 18 patients (62.1%) died during follow up, and 13 patients (72.2%, 13/18) died within 2 years after diagnosis. Median progression-free survival (mPFS) and overall survival (mOS) were 15.5 and 27.4 months, respectively. 2-year and 5-year PFS were 40.3% and 26.9%. 2-year and 5-year OS were 54.0% and 36.5%. Stage-specific mPFS and mOS were as follows: stage I-II—17.7 and 35.5 months, stage III-IV—6.0 and 6.7 months. Multivariate analysis showed that omentectomy was an independent predictor of decreased PFS (HR 0.059, 95% CI 0.006-0.587, P = 0.016) and OS (HR 0.042, 95% CI 0.004-0.488, P = 0.011).
Conclusion
UUS are a rare group of tumors with an aggressive behavior and poor outcomes. The current study shows that omentectomy seems to have benefited patients.
Greener synthesis and antimicrobial activity of some coumarin analogues
Authors: Abdelaziem Anhar , Baaiu Basma S.
Published: May 2023

Herein, a rapid, clean, less expensive and environmental friendly route to a novel series of coumarins bearing thiazoles or 1,3,4- H thiadiazoles was developed via grinding method. Thus, 6-bromo-3-(2-bromoacetyl)-2-chromen-2-one was treated with cyanothioacetamide to produce thiazole-2-acetonitrile derivative 2, which was then transformed to iminocoumarins by reacting with hydroxyaldehydes. Hydrolysis of iminocoumarins by Conc. HCl furnished coumarins. Furthermore, treatment of compound 2 with phenylisothiocyanate produced thioanilide. Reaction of the latter with hydrazonoyl halide and / or α-halocarbonyl compounds afforded 1, 3, 4-thiadiazole and thiophene derivative, consequently. All the newly prepared coumarins were screened against six pathogenic microorganisms. The results indicated that compounds 7 and 12 were the most effective against B. pumilis, while compound 4b was highly active against S. faecalis. Also, compound 5b was highly active against E. cloacae. Compounds 2 and 7 were higher active compared with reference drug ketoconazole against fungi S. cerevisiae.
Defect Passivation in Halide Perovskite Films by p-Methoxy Phenylacetonitrile for Improved Solar Cell Efficiency and Stability
Authors: Tang Jianyao , Wu Shenghan , AlMasoud Najla , Alomar Taghrid , Wasnik Priyanka , Li Handong , El-Bahy Zeinhom , Ren Junna , Li Xiaohui , Zhang Putao , Li Shengjun , Jiang Qinglong
Published: May 2023

The certification efficiency of halide perovskite solar cell is as high as 25.7%, which is one of the most efficient solar cells at present. However, the defects in the halide perovskite including grain boundary, interface defects and ionic defects often act as nonradiative composite sites, which lead to rapid degradation of halide perovskite films, deteriorate the performance of perovskite devices and lead to instability. In this work, a suitable multifunctional molecule additive p-Methoxy Phenylacetonitrile (pMP) is selected to improve the film and device stability. Specifically, pMP delays the crystallization rate of halide perovskite and promotes the formation of high-quality large grain halide perovskite films, and C ≡ N in pMP forms a coordination bond with Pb2+ and passivates the uncoordinated Pb2+ defects. Moreover, the π bonds increase electrons transport. In addition, the methoxy group in pMP forms an effective barrier on halide perovskite to enhance its water stability. With influence of the comprehensive effect of these factors of pMP, the PSC with pMP additive achieved the highest efficiency of 21.26%, and significantly improved the stability of moisture resistance.
Rooting of Aegiphila Brachiata Cuttings: Anatomical, Biochemical and Metabolomic Characterization
Authors: Maggioni Renata de Almeida , Vieira Leandro Marcolino , de Aguiar Natália Saudade , de Sá Francielen Paola , Carpanezzi Antonio Aparecido , Helm Cristiane Vieira , Sant’Anna-Santos Bruno Francisco , Koehler Henrique Soares , Zuffellato-Ribas Katia Christina
Published: May 2023

To improve the production process of Aegiphila brachiata cuttings, the objective of this study was to evaluate the rhizogenic potential of cuttings from rejuvenated and adult mother plants collected in different seasons; we also characterized anatomically the cutting base, analyzed phenolic compounds and proteins contents, and identified polar metabolites. Two rooting experiments were carried out with cuttings from rejuvenated and adult mother plants, both collected in the four seasons of the year, submitted to treatments with indole butyric acid (0, 2000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 mg L− 1 IBA), and kept in a greenhouse for 45 days. The experimental design was completely randomized in a double factorial scheme for cutting experiments (5 [IBA] x 4 seasons), and for biochemical analyses (2 mother plants x 4 seasons, material collected in the moment of rooting experiment installation and after 45 days); for metabolomic characterization, the 2 mother plants were evaluated only at summer experiment installation. Propagules from rejuvenated mother plants collected in the spring are more viable and indicated to produce A. brachiata cuttings (25.25% rooting), not requiring the use of IBA. Despite the higher rooting rate of cuttings from rejuvenated mother plants, there are no anatomical differences from adult mother plants cuttings. The highest contents ​​of phenolic compounds were observed in propagules from rejuvenated mother plants in spring, indicating a positive effect of these compounds on the rhizogenic process. Maleic acid, 2-hydroxy-glutaric acid, mannose-6-phosphate, ribonic acid, glycine, and phosphoric acid were found in higher concentrations in cuttings from rejuvenated mother plants, with possible beneficial physiological effects on cuttings rooting.
Spatial and single-cell transcriptomics reveal the regional division of the spatial structure of NASH fibrosis
Authors: Li Minran , Li Jin-zhong , Ye Li-hong , Li Ni , Huang Xin , Liang Xu-jing , Zhang Hai-cong , Liu Zhi-quan , Zhang Xue-dong , Li Jun-qing , Liu Yun-yan , Li Tao-yuan , Yang Liu , Li Jie-ying , Cao Yang , Pan Yun , Lin Xun-ge , Pan Calvin Q. , Dai Er-hei , Li Min-ran
Published: May 2023

Objective: To reveal the regional division of the spatial structure of NASH fibrosis and the communication relationship between cells in different regions and to analyse specific marker genes as potential therapeutic targets for NASH fibrosis.
Methods: The liver sections of healthy controls, NAFL patients and NASH patients were measured by spatial transcriptomics, and integration analysis was performed with single-cell RNA-seq. Differential expression, functional pathway prediction, and deconvolution analysis revealed lineage-specific changes in gene expression, subpopulation composition and intercellular communication in NASH and identified key genes involved in HSC activation. The role of key genes in NASH fibrosis was verified in vitro and in vivo.
Result: Descending and clustering analysis of 4114 nuclei from liver tissues of healthy controls, NAFL, and NASH showed that the distribution of cluster5 (fibrotic region) is dominated by lobules, and a small amount of fibrosis can be seen in the sink area. Functional analysis suggested that differentially expressed genes of cluster5 were concentrated in ECM structural components and signalling molecules. Six cell types were obtained by integrating the single-cell sequencing dataset (GSE189175). Compared with the healthy control and NAFL groups, the NASH group had significantly increased proportions of HSCs and myofibroblasts, which were distributed in the lobule and the portal area around the fibrotic area. Simultaneously, the infiltration of Kupffer cells around the fibrotic area also increased. The cell communication analysis showed that diffusive cell communication was the main type, including endocrine, paracrine and autocrine communication, followed by ECM-receptor cell communication. According to the analysis of differentially expressed genes in the subsets, AEBP1 and DPT are relatively highly expressed in cluster5, as well as in HSCs and myofibroblasts. SCENIC analysis found that AEBP1+ and DPT+ myoblasts were involved in the activation of HSCs and fibrosis formation. Immunohistochemistry verified the high expression of AEBP1 and DPT in patients with NASH fibrosis. After transfection of AEBP1 and DPT interference fragments in LX2 cells in vitro, the mRNA level of Collagen Ⅰ in cells was significantly lower than that of the siRNA-NC group and blank control group.
Conclusion: Our study is the first to reveal lineage-specific changes in gene expression, subpopulation composition and cell communication in NASH fibrosis, providing new directions for potential therapeutic targets for NASH fibrosis.
Oral Candida Lesions and Candida tropicalis: Potential Prognostic Markers in End-of-Life Cancer Patients
Authors: Shimosato Maiko , Kada Shinpei , Yase Eriko , Sakane Naoki
Published: May 2023

Purpose.
To evaluate the distribution of oral candidosis lesions and Candida species as prognostic indicators in palliative care patients with end-of-life cancer.
Methods.
We consecutively included palliative care patients and diagnosed oral candidosis in them using microbiological techniques. Samples were collected from the buccal mucosa using cotton swabs and inoculated onto CHROMagar culture plates. The extent of oral lesions was classified using Kodsi's grade, ranging from no extent (no pseudomembrane) to grade 1 and ≥ grade 2. We assessed the association between oral candidosis and overall survival using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for clinically relevant factors.
Results.
We included 142 patients (median age 77 years; 52.8% female), and the prevalence of oral candidosis was 76.1%. The most common Candida species identified was Candida albicans (C. albicans) (80.6%). Extensive oral candidosis lesions were classified as no extent, grade 1 (28.7%) or ≥ grade 2 (14.8%). During the observation period, multivariate Cox proportional hazards models revealed that the existence of oral lesions ≥ grade 2 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.18–3.54; p = 0.011) and the presence of Candida tropicalis (C. tropicalis) (aHR = 2.38; 95% CI:1.03–5.55; p = 0.044) were predictive factors.
Conclusion.
The severity of oral candidosis lesions and presence of Candida species, particularly C. tropicalis, might be prognostic indicators in patients with end-of-life cancer. These findings may help deliver prognosis-based oral care to such patients, improving their quality of life and mortality.
Optimized thermoelectric performance driven by A-site deficient in SrxLa0.1TiO3/Ti composites
Authors: Lou Zhihao , Zhang Ping , Chen Penghui , Wei Ziyao , Gou Jianjun , Xu Jie , Gong Chunlin , Gao Feng
Published: May 2023

For thermoelectric applications at high temperatures, perovskite SrTiO3 is a promising contender as an n-type oxide thermoelectric (TE) material. In this work, SrxLa0.1TiO3/Ti composite ceramics were successfully synthesized by solid state reaction with a combination of the A-site cation vacancy and fabricating composite. Through XRD and SEM analysis, a complex microstructure composed of two kinds of titanium oxides was formed after reductive sintering and annealing. In addition, controlling the content of Sr vacancies in the SrxLa0.1TiO3 matrix increased the thermoelectric power factor by optimizing the weighted mobility in the composite, resulting in the highest power factor PF of 425.8 µWm− 1K− 2 and the maximum ZT of 0.16 for the Sr0.875La0.1TiO3/Ti composite through the synergistic optimization of electrical and thermal transport properties. The strategy proposed in this study of design A-site-deficient composites with nano-sized metal paved a new way to fabricate high performance oxide thermoelectric materials.
A novel micro-CT analysis for evaluating the regenerative potential of bone filler xenografts in rabbit calvarias
Authors: Beitlitum Ilan , Rayyan Fatma , Pokhojaev Ariel , Tal Haim , Sarig Rachel
Published: May 2023

Guided Bone Regeneration is a common procedure, yet, as new grafting materials are being introduced into the market, a reliable evaluation method is required. Critical size defect in animal models provides a valid simulation, followed by histological sections to evaluate bone formation. However, histology is destructive, two dimensional and technique-sensitive. In this study we developed a novel volumetric Micro-CT analysis to quantify new bone formation characteristics. Eight adult female New Zealand white rabbits were subjected to calvarial critical size defects. Four circular defects, 8-mm in diameter were preformed in each animal, to allow random allocation of four treatment modalities. All calvarias were scanned using Micro-CT. Each defect was segmented into four equal parts: pristine bone, outer, middle, and inner. Amira software was used to calculate the percentage of new bone volume in each region and compare it to that of the pristine bone. All grafting materials demonstrated that new bone formation decreased as it moved inward. Only the inner region differed across grafting materials (p=0.001). The new Micro-CT analysis allowed us to divide each defect into 3D regions providing better understanding of the bone formation process. Amongst the various advantages of the Micro-CT, it enables us to independently quantify the filler materials and the newly formed bone, and to describe the defect morphology in 3D (bi- vs. uni-cortical defects). Micro-CT will probably become a standard tool for animal model research in the future, owing to the quantitative 3D data and accuracy that it provides. As new materials are introduced into dental practice, new quantitative methods are required to evaluate grafting material properties. Providing an insight into the inner region of the defect can better predict the regenerative potential of the bone replacement filler, therefore, the suggested Micro-CT analysis is beneficial for further development of clinical approaches.
Disrupted morphological brain network organization in subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Chen Yuxin , Liang Lingyan , Wei Yichen , Liu Ying , Li Xiaocheng , Zhang Zhiguo , Li Linling , Deng Demao
Published: May 2023

We aim to investigate the underlying neuropathological mechanisms of alternations in gray matter for subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from the perspective of the human connectome. High-resolution T1-weighted images were acquired from 54 SCD patients, 95 MCI, and 65 healthy controls (HC). Morphological brain networks (MBN) were constructed using similarities in the distribution of grey matter volumes between regions. Structural connectivity strength and topographic metrics were compared, and the relationship to disease severity was assessed. We found significantly decreased structural connectivity strength of MBN between the SMN and VAN subnetworks was observed for SCD. The graph-theoretic analysis illustrated disruptions in the whole network organization, where the normalized shortest path increased and the global efficiency decreased in the MCI group compared to the SCD group. In addition, Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores of SCD patients had a significantly negative correlation with global efficiency. In summary, the SCD and MCI groups showed different patterns of disruptions in the morphological grey matter network. The present study could provide new sight into the mechanism of AD in terms of MBN.
Reduction in limb-movement complexity at term-equivalent age is associated with motor developmental delay in very preterm or very low birth weight infants
Authors: Park Myung Woo , Shin Hyung-Ik , Bang Moon Suk , Kim Don-Kyu , Shin Seung Han , Kim Ee-Kyung , Lee Eun Sun , Shin Hyun Iee , Lee Woo Hyung
Published: May 2023

Background: Reduced complexity during the writhing period can be a crucial characteristic of spontaneous movements in infants at high-risk for neurologic impairment. The aim of this study was to verify the association between quantified complexity of the upper- and lower-limb movements at term-equivalent age and motor development in very preterm or very low birth weight infants.
Methods: Video images of spontaneous movements at term-equivalent age and clinical data were collected prospectively from very preterm or very low birth weight infants in this study. A pretrained pose-estimation model and sample entropy (SE) were employed to extract positional coordinates and quantify the complexity of the upper- and lower-limb movements. The motor development of infants was evaluated at 9 months of corrected age using Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III). The SE measures of the upper and lower limbs were compared between infants with and without motor developmental delay (MDD).
Results: Among a total of 90 consecutive infants, there were 11 infants with MDD. SE values for most of the upper and lower limbs during spontaneous movement were significantly reduced in infants with MDD compared to those without MDD (p<0.05). The composite scores for the motor domain of BSID-III showed significant positive correlations with SE values in most upper and lower limbs during spontaneous movements (p<0.05).
Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the complexity of limb movements in very preterm or very low birth weight infants at term-equivalent age was reduced in infants with MDD at 9 months of corrected age. SE of limb movements can be a potentially useful kinematic parameter to detect high-risk infants for MDD.
Headache as a characteristic of biopsy-confirmed giant cell arteritis in Japanese patients and the relationship of transmural inflammation with superficial temporal artery tenderness and chordal thickening: a single-center retrospective observational study
Authors: Shimohama Sho , Imai Noboru , Tsubata Takuya , Shinohara Kei , Moriya Asami , Yagi Nobuyasu , Konishi Takashi , Serizawa Masahiro , Tashiro Kazuhiro
Published: May 2023

Background: Headache is an important clinical feature of giant cell arteritis (GCA), and biopsy is important for diagnosing GCA. However, no report has examined the clinical features of pathologically confirmed GCA, including headaches, in detail. Thus, we aimed to investigate detailed characteristics of GCA, including headache, and the relationship between pathological findings and clinical symptoms.
Methods: We retrospectively identified 26 patients (median age; 77.5 years, male; 38.4%) with GCA who underwent superficial temporal artery (STA) biopsy at the Japanese Red Cross Shizuoka Hospital between May 2001 and February 2022. All patients met the GCA diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism. We focused on the relationship between clinical features, such as headaches, and pathological findings.
Results: Twenty-four patients had a headache that tended to be unilateral, non-pulsatile, and intermittent. Transmural inflammation (TMI), a characteristic pathological finding of GCA, was observed in 14 patients. Bivariate analysis showed a significant association between TMI and STA tenderness (p=0.046) and between TMI and STA chordal thickening (p=0.021).
Conclusions: Headaches in patients with GCA were often unilateral, non-pulsatile, and intermittent. Furthermore, this study is the first to report that TMI is significantly associated with STA tenderness and ligamentous thickening. We showed that abnormal STA findings were significantly related to GCA pathological findings; thus, it is necessary to pay attention to abnormal STA findings when suspecting GCA.
Serum apolipoproteins (apoA-1, apoB and apoB/apoA-1 ratio) for early identification of dyslipidemia in children with CKD
Authors: Kumar Akshay , Mantan Mukta , Mahajan Bhawna
Published: May 2023

Background
Dyslipidemia in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is identified based on lipid profile parameters; however changes in lipoprotein quality precede quantitative changes.
Aims and Objectives
The primary objective of the study was to determine prevalence of dyslipidemia and estimate levels of apoB, apoA-1 and ratio of apoB/apoA-1 in children and adolescents (2-18 years) with CKD (all stages).
Methods
A cross-sectional study was done from January-October 2021; overweight, obese children, known cases of diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism or on steroid therapy or lipid lowering drugs were excluded. Clinical details were elicited and examination done. Besides hemogram, kidney function tests, liver function tests, Total cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (LDL), apolipoproteins A-1 and B were estimated to identify dyslipidemia. Relevant tests of significance were applied and ROC curves were drawn for apoA-1, apoB and apoB/apoA-1 ratios.
Results
76 (61M: 15 F) children with median (IQR) age 7 (3.25-11) years were enrolled; cause of CKD was CAKUT in 82.3% patients. Dyslipidemia was seen in 78.9% with a prevalence of 71.7% in early and 95.7% in later stages of CKD (P=0.02). The median (IQR) values of apoB, apoA-1, and apoB/apoA-1 ratio were 78(58-110) mg/dl, 80(63-96.75) mg/dl, 0.88 (0.68-1.41) respectively; apoB, apoA-1 and apoB/apoA-1 ratio had a sensitivity of 26.67%, 86.67% and 70% and specificity of 87.5%, 62.5%, 62.5% respectively for diagnosis of dyslipidemia. The ROC for apoB, apoA-1 and apoB/apoA-1 ratio showed AUC of 0.66, 0.68, 0.74 (P= 0.4, 0.02, <0.01) respectively.
Conclusions
The prevalence (78.9%) of dyslipidemia was high in patients with CKD especially in those with later stages. The ratio of apoB/apoA-1 was altered early and appears to be promising for early detection.
Recognizing the Risk Group:Level of Sexual/Reproductive Health Literacy Among Turkish Youth and Influencing Factors
Authors: Cetin Serpil Abali , Uzunal Aslı
Published: May 2023

Background
One of the most important determinants of recognizing risk groups in terms of sexual and reproductive health is to reveal sexual/reproductive health literacy. This research was conducted as a cross-sectional and descriptive study to determine the sexual and reproductive health literacy perception and views of Turkish young people and to identify the factors affecting their sexual and reproductive health literacy perception level.
Methods
The sample consisted of 880 young individual. Data were collected by simple random sampling method with an online questionnaire form consisting of Descriptive Characteristics and Self-Assessment sections.
Results
According to the results, while the sexual and reproductive health literacy level of the participants were high, their behavior scores were of found to be lower in regard to speaking about/ expressing themselves comfortably about sexuality.
Conclusion
The factors affecting this level were determined to be as SH knowledge level, status of starting sexual intercourse, and status of understanding SH knowledge, respectively, according to the influence coefficient.
Eradication of PRRS from Hungarian pig herds 2014–2022
Authors: Szabó István , Nemes Imre , Bognár Lajos , Terjék Zsolt , Molnár Tamás , Abonyi Tamás , Bálint Ádám , Horváth Dávid Géza , Balka Gyula
Published: May 2023

Background:Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is an infectious disease with widespread distribution and is currently a major cause of economic loss in pig production. In Hungary, a National PRRS Eradication Program was introduced in order to reach a more efficient, economic and competitive international market position. The EU also approved the program, but the resultant legal obligations placed a burden on Hungarian producers in order to comply with EU competition rules. The veterinary authorities carried out the implementation of the program with the consent, continuous support and monitoring by the organizations of the pig industry as well as a scientific committee. The PRRS eradication program in Hungary was based on a regional territorial principle and was obligatory for every swine farm within those regions. In Hungary large fattening farms operate as all-in/all-out or continuous flow system. The large-scale breeding herds are predominantly farrow-to-finish types. Although its significance has decreased in recent decades, 20% of the Hungarian pig population is still kept in small-scale (backyard) farms (< 100 animals). Each PRRS-infected large-scale farm had to develop a unit-adapted eradication plan, including external and internal biosecurity measures, vaccinations, etc. It was crucial to render each fattening unit free of the disease since fattening units play a significant role in spreading the virus across the country. Eradication efforts mainly implemented depopulation-repopulation methods, with some farms using the test and removal method instead.Results:As the eradication progressed over the years, the introduction of infected fattening pigs was restricted. Because of these measures, by the end of 2018, Hungarian large-scale fattening farms became free of PRRS. The PRRS-free status of the small-scale herds was achieved by the end of 2015, and this status was maintained from 2016–2021. By the 31stof December in 2021, all breeding pigs at large scale-farms in Hungary had become free of wild type PRRS virus. By the 31stof March in 2022, the total pig population of the country, including all backyard farms and fattening units, had achieved PRRS-free status.Conclusions:The future goal is to secure and maintain the PRRS free status of Hungary by strict import regulations of live animals combined with continuous and thorough screening of incoming and resident herds for the presence of the virus.
Neuroprotective Effects of CXCR2 Antagonist SB332235 on Traumatic Brain Injury Through Suppressing NLRP3 Inflammasome
Authors: zhao ke , Zhou Xinkui , Chen Mengyuan , Gou Lingshan , Mei Daoqi , Gao Chao , Zhao Shuai , Luo Shuying , Wang Xiaona , Tan Tao , Zhang Yaodong
Published: May 2023

The inflammatory process mediated by nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain comprising 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays a predominant role in the neurological dysfunction following traumatic brain injury (TBI). SB332235, a highly selective antagonist of chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2), has been demonstrated to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties and improve neurological outcomes in the central nervous system. We aimed to determine the neuroprotective effects of SB332235 in the acute phase after TBI in mice and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. Male C57BL/6J animals were exposed to a controlled cortical impact, then received 4 doses of SB332235, with the first dose administered 30 min after TBI, followed by additional doses at 6, 24, and 30 hours. Neurological defects were assessed by the modified neurological severity score, while the motor function was evaluated using the beam balance and open field tests. Cognitive performance was evaluated using the novel object recognition test. Brain tissues were collected for pathological, Western blot, and immunohistochemical analyses. The results showed that SB332235 significantly ameliorated TBI-induced deficits, including motor and cognitive impairments. Moreover, SB332235 substantially mitigated the augmented expression levels and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome within the peri-contusional cortex induced by TBI. This was accompanied by the blocking of subsequent production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, SB332235 hindered microglial activity induced by TBI. These findings confirmed the neuroprotective effects of SB332235 against TBI, and the involved mechanisms were in part due to the suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome activity. This study suggests that SB332235 may act as an anti-inflammatory agent to improve functional outcomes in brain injury when applied clinically.
Analysis of the Effects of Complex Electrode Geometries on the Energy Deposition and Electric Field Measurements of Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharges
Authors: Trosan Duncan , Walther Patrick , McLaughlin Stephen , Salvi Deepti , Mazzeo Aaron , Stapelmann Katharina
Published: May 2023

Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharges (SDBDs) have been gaining interest in recent years for numerous applications. One of the advantages of SDBDs is their scalability and flexibility of materials used, allowing larger electrodes than simple linear electrodes investigated in earlier works. This paper seeks to elucidate the properties of more complicated SDBD geometries utilizing differing repeated lattice structures. Voltage and current traces, optical emission spectroscopy, digital imaging, and numerical analysis are used to analyze the electrodes. Reduced electric fields obtained through optical emission spectroscopy and the total power deposited into the plasma are presented. The reduced electric field is not significantly affected by increasing applied voltage, but minor variations could be observed due to the geometry of the electrode lattice structures. Finally, it was observed that plasma power is not a simple linear relationship in these more complicated lattice structures. Smaller lattice structures were observed to have lower energy deposited per period.
Explaining the increase in “high-quality chert” in the Early Upper Paleolithic artifacts in southern Jordan: Quantitative examination of chert mechanical properties and fracture predictability
Authors: Suga Eiki , Tsukada Kazuhiro , Tarawneh Odai , Massadeh Sate , Kadowaki Seiji
Published: May 2023

In the studies of flaked stone tools, the “quality” of lithic raw material has often been assessed from a viewpoint of its suitability to lithic production, and several studies quantified such raw material qualities by measuring mechanical properties of several different rocks like obsidian, chert, and basalt. To advance this approach, this study aims to quantify variations in the quality of chert, which is usually based on the difference in grain-size, e.g., fine-grained chert as “high-quality”. For this purpose, we measured two types of hardness, i.e., the rebound hardness by Schmidt Hammer and the Rockwell Hardness (HRC), by using chert samples from southern Jordan, where the use of fine-grained chert increased in the Early Upper Paleolithic (Ahmarian) in association with the development of bladelet technology. The results indicate that fine-grained chert has greater fracture predictability and particularly suitable for the production of bladelets. However, fine-grained chert in southern Jordan suffer from abundant internal fractures and was not used as often as medium-grained chert for Levallois products and robust blades in the Late Middle and Initial Upper Paleolithic. Thus, explaining the prehistoric selectivity of lithic raw materials need to consider fracture predictability as well as other factors, such as actual conditions of occurrences and lithic production technology.
Bioinformatics Analysis of Gene Network of Thyroid Disorders and Coronary Artery Diseases
Authors: KAHOL RICHA , Kathait Atul
Published: May 2023

Background
Thyroid disorders (TD) and Coronary artery diseases (CAD) are among the highly prevalent diseases across the globe. Medical literature suggests a strong interconnection between the occurrences of the two diseases as well as the origin of the two organs. Patients with thyroid abnormalities are likely to develop cardiac dysfunctions and vice versa.
Aim
In this paper we attempt to explore similar biological and genetic features among thyroid disorder (TD) and Coronary Artery Diseases (CAD). Secondly, we also analyse the genetic networks to determine the most significant common genes.
Methods
genes related to the diseases were searched and retrieved from National Centre for Biotechnology Information. Initially 100 genes for thyroid disorders and1896 for coronary artery diseases were downloaded. After pre-processing, we had 94 and 980 exclusively homo-sapiens genes for thyroid disorders and coronary artery diseases, respectively. Also, 37 common genes were explored. Among them 14 significant genes were selected for further analysis. Thereafter, protein-protein interaction network, enrichment analysis, topological properties analysis, physical interaction network, co-expression network, gene regulatory network were constructed. Also, protein-drug interaction, protein-chemical interaction and drug-gene interaction analysis were conducted.
Results
TD and CAD are related to each other on the genetic level. TNF, SIRT1 and STAT3 are the most significant common genes amongst these two diseases.
Conclusion
This analysis establishes a biological and genetic link between the two diseases. Drug-gene analysis indicates some potential drug targets. This can be considered for further verification and validation chemical experiments.
In vitro delayed response to dihydroartemisinin of malaria parasites infecting sickle cell erythocytes
Authors: Gnondjui Albert A. , Toure Offianan A. , Ako Beranger A. , Koui Tossea S. , Assohoun Stanislas E. , Gbessi Eric A. , N’guessan Landry T. , Tuo Karim , Beourou Sylvain , Assi Serge-Brice , Yapo Francis A. , Sanogo Ibrahima , Jambou Ronan
Published: May 2023

BackgroundDecreased efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) duringPlasmodium falciparummalaria attack has been previously reported in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). The main purpose of this study was to investigate thein vitrosusceptibility of isolates to DHA to find out hypothesis backing up the reason of this treatment failure.MethodIsolates from patients attending health centers in Abidjan with uncomplicatedP.falciparummalaria were collected. Hemoglobin type has been identified and in vitro drug sensitivity tests were conducted with the Ring Stage Assay and maturation inhibition assay.Results134 isolates were selected. Parasitemia and hemoglobin level at inclusion were lower in patients with hemoglobin HbSS and HbSC than in patients with normal HbAA.
The addition of antibiotics to embryo culture media caused altered expression of genes in pathways governing DNA integrity in mouse blastocysts
Authors: Han Qianqian , Li Yan , Ji Xu , Chang Lu , Li Wenjuan , Shi Jianfeng , Liu Jing , Ni Wuhua , Huang Xuefeng , O'Neill Chris , Jin Xingliang
Published: May 2023

Background
Antibiotics are common components of embryo culture media and minimize the risk of microbial contamination and infection during assisted reproductive technology procedures (ART). This study aims to investigate of the effects of two aminoglycoside antibiotics (gentamicin, streptomycin) and penicillin on developmental viability during the embryo culture and the global profiles of gene expression (DE) by RNA-seq of individual mouse blastocysts.
Results
Zygotes were cultured in an optimized defined medium formulation (KSOM) to which a dose range of each antibiotic was added. A dose-dependent retardation of the rate of zygote development to morphologically normal blastocyst was observed and this was accompanied by a reduction in the number of cells present within the resulting blastocysts. These blastocysts exhibited the lower ability in further 96 hours outgrowth in vitro. The lowest dose of each antibiotic tested (similar to the concentrations used in clinical grade media) caused significant differential expression of approximately 1800 genes. In most cases antibiotic treatment caused a reduction in gene expression and gene ontology analysis showed that down regulated genes were enriched for several biological processes related to the maintenance of genomic integrity. All three antibiotics caused the downregulation of Brca2, Blm, Rad51c and Rad54l, genes involved DNA homologous recombination pathways and also several p53-dependent genes. Immunolocalization studies showed that each antibiotic also reduced level of BRCA2 and RAD51C detected within blastocysts.
Conclusions
The present study shows that the supplementing embryo culture media with antibiotics is associated with wide ranging alterations in gene expression in a manner that could potentially compromise the genomic integrity of the resulting embryos.
Knowledge mapping of cell therapy in rheumatoid arthritis disease: a bibliometric analysis (2003-2022)
Authors: He Xiaoyao , Mi Liangyu , Ji Yuli , Zhao Miaomiao , Hu Yuting , Gao Yanan , Qiu Lixia , Xu Ke
Published: May 2023

Background:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune joint disease characterized by persistent synovitis and systemic inflammation of the joints. Cell therapy, a cellular drug delivery therapy based on the control of immune dysregulation, inflammatory cytokine production, and overall systemic inflammation, is expected to reverse the process of joint destruction when applied to RA. Based on this, the field of cell therapy applied to RA treatment has been gaining attention in recent years and many results have been achieved. Bibliometric analysis can provide insight into the development of a field. This study aims to provide an overview of the knowledge structure and research hotspots of cell therapy in RA through bibliometrics.
Method:
The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was used to search the literature on cellular therapies related to RA between 2003 and 2022. VOSviewers, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrics" were used to perform the bibliometric analysis.
Results:
This article includes 8822 articles from 107 countries, mainly from China and the United States. Fluctuating growth in the number of articles published on cell therapy applied to RA. The University of Amsterdam, Harvard University, Karolinska Institutet, and Stanford University are the main research institutions. The journal Arthritis research & therapy is the most popular journal in the field, and the journal Annals of rheumatic diseases is the most frequently cited. 41982 authors have published in this field, including more collaborative publications; Tak, paul p, Emery, paul, Doerner, Thomas, Isaacs, john d, Tanaka, and Yoshida have published several papers, while Arnett Fc is the author of most frequently cited paper. The University of Amsterdam has been extensively involved in the publication of papers on this topic. Swedish and Korean scientists have published fewer relevant papers as corresponding authors, but have been extensively involved in the investigation of this topic. Studying the mechanisms of various factors (e.g. immune cells, immune molecules, cytokines, and inflammatory responses) in the occurrence and development of RA and studying the therapeutic strategies of cellular therapies for the future precision treatment of RA are the two main topics in this research area. "T cells", "bone marrow (BM) transplantation", "mesenchymal cells", and "monoclonal antibodies" are the emerging research top keywords of the hot spots.
Conclusion:
This article is the first bibliometric study that comprehensively summarizes the research trends and their developments in the application of cell therapy to the treatment of RA. The content includes recent research results and hot directions in the field, providing reference information for scholars studying cell therapy and RA.
Larvae to adult: Skin ontogeny of Physalaemus ephippifer (Anura: Leptodactylidae)
Authors: Santos Juliana , Oliveira-Bahia Verônica , Souza-Ferreira Maria Luiza , Reis Adrian , Maschio Gleomar
Published: May 2023

Throughout metamorphic development until adulthood, amphibians have important integumentary adaptations that maintain their physiological needs and protection against predation. The evolution of these strategies in the subfamily Leiuperinae has been elucidated in recent years. Therefore, the knowledge aboutPhysalaemus ephippifer’sskin attributes can corroborate the changes of these characteristics in the clade. The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics ofP. ephippiferregarding the morphological development the skin during their lifespan. We collected foam nests in temporary ponds as well as adult individuals in a forest fragment. In the laboratory, the animals were classified by stage development, euthanized, and fixed. Sections of the dorsolateral, lumbar, and femoral portions were dissected from the adult individuals. Samples were submitted to histological processing for light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In premetamorphosis phase, gland development is absent and secretory cells are present. In prometamorphosis, development of first glandular rudiments without secretion production begins, also xanthophores. During metamorphosis, mucous glands differentiated before serous glands. Until late metamorphosis ciliated cells persist and epidermis changes to an adultlike. In adults, serous glands show polymorphism with different distributions in the body, despite not having macroglandular structures. In addition,P. ephippiferindividuals have few epidermal projections and cryptic coloration. Our results show that despite sharing few morphological structures with other specimens of Leiuperinae subfamily, the characteristics present in individuals ofP. ephippiferare appropriate to the niche occupied and consistent with the changes that occur throughout their lineage.
Scrapping teacher trainee allowance is an issue for equitable access to teacher education in Ghana.
Authors: Amoah Adongo Awinaba
Published: May 2023

The most recent policy on the abolition of the student allowance has generated mixed reactions from students and stakeholders. The study examined the effects of the removal of allowance for trainees in colleges of education on access to colleges of education. The study adopted the mixed methods approach utilising sequential explanatory design to collect both quantitative and qualitative. The investigation in which a quantitative phase of data collection and analysis was followed by a qualitative phase. Descriptive statistics were employed in the analysis. The abolition of the allowance for trainees has led to an increase in enrolment and improved infrastructure in the colleges. With regard to the standard of education, the lack of financial assistance for trainee teachers has led to a low level of attendance and learning outcomes as some trainees miss classes to engage in economic activities to support themselves financial whiles they are in the teacher colleges of education. It is also clear from the finding that the removal of the teacher trainee allowance puts additional costs on parents and trainees The reforms have increased access to colleges of education as compared to the quota system. The Government of Ghana should consider abolishing the quota system for student participation in colleges of education. This is because the quota system component of the teacher education allowance scheme is a rather inhibiting factor. Government should also consider decentralizing financing and encouraging distance learning models as an alternative.
The world’s first 1Hz-refresh-rate liquid crystal display for low power consumption
Authors: Lee DaYeon , Park HanByeol , Jung Ha Young , Jung Junho , Baek Seung-Hwa , Jung Jong-Wook , Park Sun-Mi , Kwon Ki-Sun , Jin Heui-Seok , Lee Dong-Jin , Kim GwangTae , Park JeongKi , Lee Seung Hee , Kim MinSu
Published: May 2023

Global energy policies urge us to reduce the power consumption of electronic devices, but it is inconsistent with the user’s needs of enhancing device performances, which discourages the global energy consumption requirement. In this work, the converse flexoelectricity is tailored to dramatically reduce power consumption while superior display image qualities are maintained in fringe-field switching (FFS) liquid crystal displays (LCDs). We report the first 1Hz-refresh-rate flicker-free FFS LCD in a 13.4-inch laptop display. It is inevitable having noticeable brightness deviation when the polarity of driving voltage alters at such low frequency driving, caused by flexoelectric effect and failure of voltage holding. Here, we thoroughly investigated nature of the converse flexoelectric contribution of mesogenic systems with optimum flexoelectric coefficients and molecular polarity, and we developed materials in accordance with the findings. The oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors in the backplane and LC alignment layers with optimum resistivity are adopted to promote voltage-holding characteristic and fully fill the duty cycle. The result shows that the quality of static images and videos at 1Hz- and 10Hz-refresh-rate respectively is as well maintained as that at 60Hz, and the measured power consumption is reduced by 83%, compared to that in a 60Hz-refresh-rate. It is believed that this work will open a new paradigm towards energy consumption in electronic devices, which satisfies the superior display performances in LCDs.
Measurement-based quantum simulation of Abelian lattice gauge theories
Authors: Sukeno Hiroki , Okuda Takuya
Published: May 2023

Numerical simulation of lattice gauge theories is an indispensable tool in high energy physics, and their quantum simulation is expected to become a major application of quantum computers in the future. In this work, for an Abelian lattice gauge theory in dd spacetime dimensions, we define an entangled resource state (generalized cluster state) that reflects the spacetime structure of the gauge theory. We show that sequential single-qubit measurements with the bases adapted according to the former measurement outcomes induce a deterministic Hamiltonian quantum simulation of the gauge theory on the boundary. Our construction includes the (2+1)(2+1)-dimensional Abelian lattice gauge theory simulated on three-dimensional cluster state as an example, and generalizes to the simulation of Wegner’s lattice models M_{(d,n)}M(d,n) that involve higher-form Abelian gauge fields. We demonstrate that the generalized cluster state has a symmetry-protected topological order with respect to generalized global symmetries that are related to the symmetries of the simulated gauge theories on the boundary.Our procedure can be generalized to the simulation of Kitaev’s Majorana chain on a fermionic resource state. We also study the imaginary-time quantum simulation with two-qubit measurements and post-selections, and a classical-quantum correspondence, where the statistical partition function of the model M_{(d,n)}M(d,n) is written as the overlap between the product of two-qubit measurement bases and the wave function of the generalized cluster state.