bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Acne-treatment Potential of Cinnamomum Camphora Chvar. Borneol Essential Oil in Vitro and in Vivo
Authors: Xiao Shanshan , Yu Hang , Xie Yunfei , Guo Yahui , Fan Jiajia , Yao Weirong
Published: August 2021

Background: Acne is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin diseases, abnormal proliferation of keratinocytes can block the hair follicle sebaceous glands result in the formation of acne. Most drugs to treat acne can cause a variety of side effects, therefore, it is important to seek natural and safe complementary and alternative therapies.Methods: The inhibitory effects of BEO were determined on the proliferation of human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells induced by heat-inactivated Staphylococcus epidermidis and release of the inflammatory mediators. Further, a component-target-signal pathway for BEO’s effects on acne was constructed through network pharmacology and the mechanism of BEO action was studied in vivo through the rabbit ear acne model.Results: BEO inhibited both cell proliferation, induced by heat-inactivated Staphylococcus epidermidis (p < 0.0001), and release of the inflammatory mediators TNF-α (p < 0.0001) and IL-1β (p < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner (r = -0.9952, -0.9492), in a HaCaT cell-model of acne. A network pharmacology analysis of the chemical components of BEO characterized these effects as multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway. All targets were mainly associated with metabolic pathways, the toll-like receptor signaling pathway and the NF-κB signaling pathway. BEO also reduced the severity of acne lesions, induced by intracutaneous injection of S. epidermidis in a rabbit ear acne model. The expression of inflammatory mediators and key signaling pathway components, including TLR2, AKT, P13K, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β in rabbit ear, and TNF-α and IL-1 β in serum, were down-regulated (p < 0.05), indicating that BEO acts by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory TLR2/PI3K-AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.Conclusion: The current results showed that BEO has clear potential for development into a natural and safe anti-inflammatory skin preparation, which is an effective alternative to conventional treatments containing antibiotics and synthetic anti-inflammatory agents.
The Effect of Family-centered Care Model on Sleep Quality and Medication Compliance of Children With Simple Congenital Heart Disease After Transcatheter Intervention
Authors: Dai Wang-Sheng , Xie Wen-Peng , Liu Jian-Feng , Chen Qiang , Cao Hua
Published: August 2021

Objective: This study aimed to explore the effect of a family-centered care model on the sleep quality and medication compliance of children with simple congenital heart disease undergoing transcatheter interventional. Methods: 50 children with simple congenital heart disease who underwent transcatheter interventional in the cardiac surgery department of a provincial hospital in China from January 2020 to December 2020 were selected, and the children were randomly divided into the study group (n=25) and the control group (n=25) by a random number table method. The children in the control group were given routine care, and the children in the study group were given family-centered care on the basis of the control group. One month later, the sleep quality and medication compliance of all children were retrospectively studied. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess the children’s sleep quality, and the Chinese revised version of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was used to evaluate the children’s medication compliance. Results: The sleep quality score of the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group, and the medication compliance score of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusion: The family-centered care model was beneficial to improve the sleep quality and medication compliance of children with simple congenital heart disease after transcatheter intervention, and provided important reference information for the postoperative follow-up of such children.
Genomic variation and genetic structure profile of Iraqi barley accessions using ISSR and arbitrary functional gene-based molecular markers
Authors: Lateef Djshwar Dhahir , Mustafa Kamil Mahmud , Tahir Nawroz Abdul-razzak
Published: August 2021

Few attempts have been made in Iraq to investigate the genetic variation in barley accessions using molecular markers. In this context, the objective of this study was to investigate the diversity of 59 accessions of barley using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR), conserved DNA-derived polymorphism (CDDP), and start codon targeted (SCoT) markers. A total of 391 amplified polymorphic bands were generated using 45 ISSR, 9 CDDP, and 12 SCoT primers that produced 255, 35, and 101 polymorphic bands, respectively. The average values of gene diversity were 0.77, 0.67, and 0.81 for ISSR, CDDP, and SCoT markers, respectively. The mean values of polymorphism information content for ISSR, CDDP, and SCoT markers were 0.74, 0.63, and 0.80 respectively. The discrimination power of the three approaches for assessing allelic diversity in barley accessions was as follows: SCoT > ISSR > CDDP. The barley accessions were classified and clustered into two main groups. Molecular variance analysis revealed 15, 9, and 14% variability among populations with ISSR, CDDP, and SCoT markers, respectively. The mantel test results revealed that the three molecular marker matrices had significant positive relationships. The SCoT markers have the potential to be useful tools for selecting appropriate parents for breeding program.
JAM-A interacts in cis with α3β1 integrin through CD151 to regulate collective cell migration of polarized epithelial cells
Authors: Thölmann Sonja , Seebach Jochen , Otani Tetsuhisa , Florin Luise , Schnittler Hans , Gerke Volker , Furuse Mikio , Ebnet Klaus
Published: August 2021

Junctional adhesion molecule (JAM)-A is a cell adhesion receptor localized at epithelial cellcell contacts with enrichment at the tight junctions. Its role during cell-cell contact formation and epithelial barrier formation has intensively been studied. In contrast, its role during collective cell migration is largely unexplored. Here we show that JAM-A regulates collective cell migration of polarized epithelial cells. Depletion of JAM-A in MDCK cells enhances the motility of singly migrating cells but reduces cell motility of cells embedded in a collective by impairing the dynamics of cryptic lamellipodia formation. This activity of JAM-A is observed in cells grown on laminin and collagen I but not on fibronectin or vitronectin. Accordingly, we find that JAM-A exists in a complex with the laminin- and collagen I-binding α3β1 integrin. We also find that JAM-A interacts with CD151, a tetraspanin that forms a stoichiometric complex with α3β1 integrin and that regulates α3β1 integrin activity in different contexts. Mapping experiments indicate that JAM-A associates with both α3β1 integrin and CD151 through its extracellular domain. Similar to depletion of JAM-A, depletion of either α3β1 integrin or CD151 in MDCK cells slows down collective cell migration. Our findings suggest that JAM-A, α3β1 integrin and CD151 exist as a functional complex to regulate collective cell migration of epithelial cells.
Evaluation of Deep Learning models on UV ink : a Fake Money detection scheme with RPN
Authors: Chowdhury Anjir Ahmed , Das Argho , Karmaker Debajyoti
Published: August 2021

As soon as coins or money was invented, there were people trying to make counterfeits. Counterfeit money is fake money that is produced without the permission of the state or government, usually to imitate the currency and deceive the intended recipient. In Bangladesh, this is a significant problem and the problem is becoming more and more phenomenon as the days are passing by. Today’s modern bank notes have several security features that makes easier to identify fake notes. One of the security features is the use of UV ink. Bank notes deliberately put random flecks of color scattered all over the surface of the money - which acts as a extra layer of protection against counterfeiters. We propose an automatic authentication model for identifying counterfeit money based on these random flecks of color which is visible under UV light. To obtain a benchmark result, existing object detection pre-trained models were used, followed by MobileNet, Inception, ResNet50, ResNet101, and Inception-ResNet architectures. After that, using the Region Proposal Network (RPN) method with Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based classification the optimal model was proposed. The proposed model had a 96.3 percent accuracy. It is critical to reduce the circulation of counterfeit money in a country’s economy to stop inflation. This study will aid in the detection of counterfeit money and, hopefully, reduce its spread.
Diffusion and Memory Effect in a Stochastic Processes and the Correspondence to an Information Propagation in a Social System
Authors: Wang Peng , Huo Jie , Wang Xu-Ming
Published: August 2021

A generalized Langevin equation is suggested to describe a diffusion particle system with memory. The equation can be transformed into the Fokker-Planck equation by using the Kramers-Moyal expansion. The solution of Fokker-Planck equation can describe not only the diffusion of particles but also that of opinion particles based on the similarities between the two. We find that the memory can restrain some non-equilibrium phenomena of velocity distribution in the system, without memory, induced by correlation between the noise and space[1]. However, the memory can enhance the effective collision among particles as shown by the variation of diffusion coefficients, and changes the diffusion mode between the dissipative and pumping region by comparing with that in the aforementioned system without memory. As the discussions in this physical system is paralleled to a social system, the random diffusion of social ideology, such as the information propagation, can be suppressed by the correlation between the noise and space.
Novel QTL For Lodging Resistance, PRL4, Improves Physical Properties With High Non-Structural Carbohydrate Accumulation of Basal Culms in Rice (Oryza Sativa L.)
Authors: Kashiwagi Takayuki
Published: August 2021

Resistance to lodging, an important problem in rice production, has three types: low plant height, strong culm, and high strength of the lower part of the plant. The determinants of strength of the lower part remains unclear, compared with plant height and culm strength. This study identified a new genetic factor involved in the strength of the lower part, as assessed by pushing resistance, using chromosomal segment substitution lines (CSSLs) to clarify the determinants of strength of the lower part by functional analysis of the CSSL and the near isogenic line (NIL) harboring the identified quantitative trait locus (QTL). QTL analysis identified the QTL for increasing pushing resistance on chromosome 4, PRL4, which was not related to days to heading. The CSSL with PRL4 showed increased pushing resistance and physical strength of the basal culm, but decreased filled grain ratio and grain weight. The NIL with PRL4, developed by backcrossing this CSSL, improved pushing resistance and the strain of culm until breaking under compression, and did not decrease yield traits. These lines with PRL4 increased the accumulation of non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) in the basal culm at the fully ripe stage. Thus, the genetic control of NSC accumulation in culms by PRL4 may improve the strength of the lower part by enhancing culm toughness with strength and ductility.
Sensitivity Experiments on the Role of Water Vapor in the Eastward Propagation of MJO
Authors: Zhu Xiaoyu , Zhong Zhong , Zhu Yimin , Hu Yijia , Ha Yao , Guo Tao
Published: August 2021

In this study, we employed the nudging assimilation of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to conduct a set of sensitivity experiments on the role of water vapor in the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) eastward propagation, focusing on the eastward propagating 30-60d low-frequency component in the tropical atmosphere from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean during September-November 2004. Using 11 different cumulus parameterization schemes, the simulation results show that the ability of the regional climate model in simulating the MJO eastward propagation is sensitive to the cumulus scheme: A suitable scheme can well reproduce the MJO eastward propagation characteristics, while most schemes show no skill for the MJO eastward propagation. When the water vapor in the model domain was assimilated using reanalysis data with nudging technique, we found that the low-frequency evolution of the tropical zonal wind exhibits MJO features well, and the low-frequency phase of water vapor is ahead of the zonal wind by about 6-7 days, which suggests that the atmospheric water-vapor distribution is the key factor for the eastward propagation of the MJO, and the effect of water-vapor field via affecting the atmospheric stability. When the atmospheric temperature assimilation was conducted, there was almost no improvement in the skill of MJO simulation.
Intervention of resource allocation strategies on spatial spread of epidemic
Authors: Zhang Kebo , Han Yuexing , Gou Min , Wang Bing
Published: August 2021

Medical resources are crucial in mitigating the epidemic, especially during pandemics such as the ongoing COVID-19. Thereby, reasonable resource deployment inevitably plays a significant role in suppressing the epidemic under limited resources. When an epidemic breaks out, people can produce resources for self-protection, or donate resources to help others. That is, the exchange of resources also affects the transmission between individuals, thus, altering the epidemic dynamics. To understand factors on resource deployment and the interplay between resource and transmission we construct a metapopulation network model with resource allocation. Our results indicate actively or promptly donating resources is not helpful to suppress the epidemic under both homogeneous population distribution (HOD) and heterogeneous population distribution (HED). Besides, strengthening the speed of resource production can significantly increase the recovery rate so that reduce the final outbreak size. These results may provide policy guidance towards epidemic containment.
Identifies Immune-Related Gene Pair Signature Associated with Breast Cancer Prognosis
Authors: Sun Tianwei , Tan Qixing , Wei Changyuan
Published: August 2021

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the cancer with the largest number of deaths in women. There is growing evidence that immunity plays an important role in the prognosis of breast cancer. Methods: In this study, we developed and validated an immune-related gene pair signature (IRGPs) to predict the survival of breast cancer patients. Screening immune-related genes from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for the construction of IRGPs, and patients with breast cancer in these two cohorts were assigned to low- and high- risk subgroups. Additionally, we used Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox analysis to investigate IRGPs and their individualized prognostic characteristics, and analysis of immune cell infiltration in breast cancer. Results: A 47-IRGP signature was constructed from 2498 immune genes, which could significantly predict the overall survival (OS) of breast cancer patients in the TCGA and GEO cohorts. Immune infiltration analysis showed that a variety of immune cells are significantly related to the prognostic effects of IRGP characteristics in breast cancer patients, especially CD8+ T cells and macrophages. Conclusions: The IRGP signature constructed in this study can help determine the prognosis of breast cancer and provide new ideas and basis for future research on the role of immune-related genes in breast cancer patients.
TPP1 Regulates hTERT Expression and Predicts Early Malignant Event and Prognosis of Cervical Cancer
Authors: Wang Qiaoli , Gong Caifeng , Yang Hui , Zhou Fuxiang , Wu Qiuji , Zhou Yunfeng
Published: August 2021

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most common deadly cancer in women worldwide. However, identifying specific biomarkers is still needed. Telomere-binding protein 1 (TPP1) is vital to telomerase activity. However, the role of TPP1 in cervical cancer and its association with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is unclear.This study aimed at exploring the role of telomere-binding protein 1 (TPP1) in cervical cancer development and progression, and potential mechanisms.Methods: Tissue samples from a total of 274 participants were enrolled for the evaluation of protein expression,156 of whom diagnosed withcervical cancers, 102 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 16 with normal cervix. In addition, in vitro cellular models with cervical cancer cell lines Hela, Siha, and C33a were transfected by TPP1-siRNAand protein expression of TPP1 and hTERT were assessed. Results: Compared with normal cervix, TPP1 expression was significantly higher in CIN-III and cervical cancers (P<0.001 for both). High expression of TPP1alone (Plog-rank=0.047)andhigh co-expression of TPP1/hTERT (Plog-rank=0.005)weresignificantly associated with worse survival of cervical cancer patients.After adjusting for well-known prognosis factors, hazard ratio was 2.03(95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99-4.16)for high expression of TPP1 and 2.01(95% CI 1.10-3.67) for high co-expression of TPP1/hTERT. TPP1 and hTERT expressions were positively correlated atall levels of cervical lesions (r=0.524, P<0.001). Knockdown of TPP1 decreased hTERT mRNA and protein expression.Conclusions: High expression of TPP1 might be an early event during cervical cancer development and could be served as apotential prognosis biomarker, especially when used together with hTERT. TPP1 might regulate hTERT expression with detailed underlying mechanisms warrant further investigation.
Biochar from Oil Cakes: An Efficient Adsorbent for the Removal of Acid Dyes From Wool Dye House Effluent
Authors: jose seiko , Roy Reena , Phukan Ava , Shakyawar Dinesh , Sankaran Anuradha
Published: August 2021

Textile dyeing industries are one of the major culprits for environmental pollution. The industries are adopting various processes for the removal of dyes and chemicals from the effluent before disposing to the land or water bodies. In the reported study, biochars were prepared from almond, coconut, and mustard oil cakes by chemical activation with phosphoric acid followed by low temperature pyrolysis. The ball milling technique was employed to reduce the particle size of the biochars below 300 nm. The synthesized biochars were used for the removal of color from the acid dye effluent from the wool dyeing unit. The results showed that very small quantities (2.0 %) of biochars are sufficient to remove around 92% color from the dye effluent. The batch adsorption and kinetic studies indicate the highest efficiency of color removal for the biochar derived from almond oil cake, followed by mustard and coconut. The adsorption properties of the synthesized biochars were found to be greatly depending on the type of oil cake used. It is concluded that the biochars produced from the oil cakes may be a partial replacement of petroleum based activated carbon for the color removal from wool textile dye effluent.
Reversal Flow in the Left Anterior Descending Artery After Internal Thoracic Artery Grafting
Authors: Nakajima Hiroyuki , Takazawa Akitoshi , Nakamura Yoshitsugu , Ishibashi-Ueda Hatsue , Yoshitake Akihiro , Iguchi Atsushi
Published: August 2021

Background: The flow capacity of the in situ internal thoracic artery (ITA) is not necessarily sufficient and can be a cause of hypoperfusion syndrome. We present a catastrophic case of in situ ITA grafting for an isolated left main trunk obstruction 13 years after modified Bentall operation. Case presentation: A 33-year-old woman had previously undergone a modified Bentall operation. Coronary angiography showed a critical stenosis in the left coronary artery. The patient underwent emergent off-pump CABG with the left internal thoracic artery (ITA) to the left anterior descending artery (LAD). On the seventh day, the patient had severe dyspnoea and hypotension. Catheter angiography showed that the ITA was patent, but blood flow from the in situ ITA was delayed, and reversal flow from the apex to the proximal LAD was found. The patient underwent implantation of a left ventricular assist device. Conclusions: In conclusion, concomitant aortocoronary bypass to the circumflex branch will minimise the risk of hypoperfusion, especially for a young patient without atherosclerotic disease.
Not a Coincidental Concurrence of Breast Carcinoma and Cardiac Myxoma: Case Report
Authors: Kong Ling-Yun , Xiang Wei , Chen Ling-Ling , Shen Dong-Yan , Liu Fang
Published: August 2021

Background: Myxoma has been considered to undergo a simple and benign process but not always so. Case presentation: A female patient was admitted for evaluation of left breast nodule. Physical examination showed facial pigmentation, left breast nodule and 3/6 diastolic murmur at the mitral valve area. Preoperative echocardiography revealed a massive mobile left atrial mass attaching to the interatrial septum causing obstruction to mitral orifice. Histopathologic investigation confirmed the left atrial mass to be myxoma and left breast nodule to be cancer. Carney complex was considered and lifelong follow-up was advised. Conclusion: Cardiac myxoma may present as a part of a systematic disease entity. In patients with a combination of breast nodule and facial pigmentation, transthoracic echocardiography examination is advised to guide decision-making.
Declined eGFR Associated with Poor Prognosis in COVID-19 Patients in Wuhan, China: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Wei-yun , Zhou Si-jing , Liu Ying-ying , Zhang Meng-lan , Wang Yu-ji , Jiang Jun-hong , Wang Ran , Zeng Da-xiong
Published: August 2021

Background: Increasing evidence revealed that kidney was one of the targets of SARS-CoV-2. However, the incidences of kidney abnormalities were significantly different, from 0.5 to 75.4% in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The association of kidney injury with prognosis remain controversial.Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, laboratory confirmedCOVID-19inpatients with severe type were enrolled. Demographic, clinicaland laboratory data were collected. Association of estimated glomerular fifiltration rate (eGFR)with 28-days mortality was analyzed.Results: The total 28-days mortality of hospitalizationwas 22.3% (79/354). Non-survivors had a significantly declined eGFR levels than survivors (75.95 [IQR: 47.22,92.84] ml/min/1.73m2 vs. 96.43 [IQR: 84.11,108.47] ml/min/1.73m2, P<0.001). The 28-days mortality in declined eGFR group (<90 ml/min/1.73m2) was significantly higher than that in normal eGFR group (38.5% vs. 10.7%, P <0.001). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the independent risk factors of 28-days outcome included lower eGFR (OR: 3.97, 95%CI: 1.42-11.11), elevated WBC (OR: 7.08, 95%CI: 3.15-15.90), lymphopenia (OR: 2.58, 95%CI: 1.21-5.49)andIL-6 (OR: 7.90, 95%CI: 2.19-28.49). Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated the survival disadvantage in patients with declined eGFR. ROC curve showed the eGFR cut-off value for predicting 28-days death was 82.2 μmol/L, with the sensitivity of 76.7% and speciality of 66.3%.Conclusion: Declined eGFR was associated with poor prognosis and could be used an independent risk factor of 28-days mortality in COVID-19 patients. Early detection and surveillance for eGFR may benefit to identify patients with high-risk ofprogression.
Activated TAZ Induces Liver Cancer in Collaboration with EGFR/HER2 Signaling Pathways
Authors: Moon Hyuk , Choi Hye Jin , Kim Do Young , Ro Simon Weonsang
Published: August 2021

Liver cancer is a major global health concern due to the steady increases in its incidence and mortality. Transcription factors, yes-associated protein (YAP) and WW domain-containing transcription regulator protein 1 (WWTR1, also known as TAZ)have emerged as critical regulators in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC), the two major types of primary liver cancer. However, our study as well as other previous reports have shown that activation of YAP and TAZ (YAP/TAZ) in adult murine livers is insufficient for the development of liver cancer, suggesting a requirement for an additional oncogenic collaborator for liver carcinogenesis in adulthood. Therefore,we sought to identifythe oncogenic partners of YAP/TAZ that promote hepatocarcinogenesis in adults. Through database analyses, we identified EGFR/HER2signaling to be essential in human cancerswith high TAZ activity.Furthermore,immunohistochemical analyses showedthat human HCC and CC tissues with high YAP/TAZ activities exhibited concomitant activation of EGFR/HER2downstream signaling pathways. To demonstrate that EGFR/HER2 signaling promotes YAP/TAZ-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis, a constitutively active form of TAZ was simultaneously expressed in murine adult livers with effector molecules downstream of EGFR/HER2 signaling pathways.Interestingly, activated TAZ and BRAFinduced HCC, whereas activated TAZ and PI3K led to the development of CC-like cancer, demonstrating that TAZ collaborates with EGFR/HER2 signaling pathways to induce both HCC and CC.
Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) Increases Lactate Clearance and Reduces Liver Injury by Inhibiting Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) in Hemorrhagic Shock (HS)
Authors: Wang Lu , Rui Xi , He Huai-Wu , Zhou Xiang , Long Yun
Published: August 2021

Background: Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Acute liver injury (ALI) is an important manifestation of HS. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) plays an important role in the liver protection of bile acids. Therefore, we designed this experiment to study the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on acute liver injury and its relationship with the FXR pathway in HS.Methods: In this study, eighteen adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups of six mice per group applying a table of random numbers: sham group; HS group and HS + UDCA group. Six FXR (-/-) adult male C57BL mice were classified as FXR (-/-) + HS + UDCA group. As to model of HS, MAP of 40 ± 5 mmHg was maintained for 1 hour. As to UDCA intervention, UDCA (300mg/kg) was given nasally fed. Plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were quantified with chromatographic quantitative kits according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Lactate concentration was determined by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The liver tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and scored histopathologically.Results: Plasma ALT, AST and lactate levels decreased significantly after treatment with UDCA under HS conditions. Pathological scores of liver tissues decreased significantly after treatment with UDCA under HS conditions. In the case of FXR (-/-), the influence of UDCA was inhibited.Conclusions: UDCA can reduce ALT, AST and lactate levels and alleviate liver injury during HS through the FXR pathway.
Wheat Posture Acquisition System Based on Infrared Tracer Robot Design and Experiment
Authors: fu xiuqing , He Jianbo , Sun Zhuangzhuang , Zhang Hongwen , Xian Jieyu
Published: August 2021

Background:To investigate the effect of drought stress on wheat posture.Methods:An image acquisition system based on an infrared tracing robot was developed and a graphical user interface (GUI) software was designed to simplify the operation control of the robot. In this experiment, three genotypes of wheat, Ruihuamai 523, Jimai 22 and Xumai 33, were grown in indoor pots, and the images of wheatposture from flowering stage to maturity were collected to extract morphological parameters such as plant height, stem width and leaf inclination angle. Results:The experimental results showed that the deviation of linear trajectory was less than 3 mm when the robot traveled in a straight line at 0.4 m/s in the greenhouse; the image acquisition efficiency was about 18 images/min;the collected pictures of drought-stressed and control potted wheat groups can be used for posture assessment; the accuracy of wheat plant height and stem width with manual acquisition was 84.6% and 79.2%, respectively. After statistical analysis, it was concluded that drought stress and genotype and other influencing factors had no significant effect on plant height and stem width, but had a greater effect on leaf inclination angle.Conclusions:Therefore, this system can be used for posture collection of wheat.
The Impact of Transplant Recipient and Donor Organ Type 2 Diabetes Polygenic Risk Scores on the Development of Early Post-Transplant Diabetes
Authors: Shaked Abraham , Loza Bao-Li , Loon Elisabet , Olthoff Kim , Guan Weihua , Jacobson Pamala , Oetting William , Israni Ajay , Fishman Claire , Testa Giuliano , Trotter James , Klintmalm Goran , Naesens Maarten , Asrani Sumeet , Keating Brendan
Published: August 2021

Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a complication which reduces allograft and recipient life-span. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) robustly show association with greater type 2 diabetes (T2D) development risk. We examined T2D-PRS in transplant recipients and donors using genome-wide genotyping in 1581 liver recipients, and 1555 donors and 2062 kidney recipients and 533 donors from four centers. Liver and kidney recipient T2D-PRS was associated with pre-transplant T2D and PTDM development. Liver donor, but not kidney donor, T2D-PRS was an independent risk factor for PTDM development. Inclusion of a combined liver recipient and donor T2D-PRS significantly improved PTDM prediction vs clinical characteristics-only models: AUC (95%CI): 67.6% (64.1% − 71.1%) vs. 62.3% (58.8% − 65.8%), p = 0.0001. Liver recipients in the highest quintile of recipient-donor combined T2D-PRS had the greatest PTDM risk: OR (95%CI) = 3.22 (2.07–5.00), p = 1.92E-07, compared to the lowest quintile. T2D-PRS allows identification of transplant candidates with high PTDM risk, for whom early preemptive diabetes management is warranted. Pre-transplant knowledge of donor T2D-PRS in the setting of living liver donation should optimized selection of donors to reduce PTDM.
MiR-664b-3p Inhibited Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Growth Via Targeting BRIP1
Authors: Jin Qiu , Lin Bo , Zhao Wenhui , Ji Runyuan
Published: August 2021

BackgroundMany studies indicate that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in modulating the development and progression of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, miR-664b-3p affections on the TNBC functions and mechanisms are still unknown. The purpose of our study was to clarify the effects of miR-664b-3p in cellular TNBC development and progression.MethodsIn our study, the expressions of miR-664b-3p in cell lines and tissueswere tested by real-time PCR (RT-PCR), immunofluorescence, H&E and immunohistochemistry staining. CCK-8 assay, colony formation, EdU, flow cytometry apoptosis, wound scratch, Transwell assays were applied to explore the cell functions. The targeted relationship between miR-664b-3p and its target BRIP1 was determined by dual-luciferase reporter assay and rescue experiments. ResultsWe observed that miR-664b-3p was significantly decreased in TNBC cell lines. Overexpression of miR-664b-3p could observably inhibit cell proliferation, migration, invasion and induced apoptosis in vitro. Meanwhile, miR-664-3p suppressed TNBC tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, luciferase reporter assays identified the interaction between 3’UTR of BRIP1 and miR-664b-3p. Moreover, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the effect of miR-664b-3p on cell functions, and the result showed that miR-664b-3p inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and accelerated apoptosis by targeting BRIP1.ConclusionFrom the above, our findings indicated that miR-664b-3p played a significant role in TNBC progression by targeting BRIP1, providing new therapeutic targets for diagnostic in TNBC.
Streamflow forecasting based on the hybrid decomposition-ensemble model
Authors: Sun Xiaomei , Zhang Haiou , Wang Jian , Shi Chendi , Hua Dongwen , Li Juan
Published: August 2021

Reliable and accurate streamflow forecasting plays a vital role in the optimal management of water resources. To improve the stability and accuracy of streamflow forecasting, a hybrid decomposition-ensemble model named VMD-LSTM-GBRT, which is sensitive to sampling, noise and long historical changes of streamflow, was established. The variational mode decomposition (VMD) algorithm was first applied to extract features, which were then learned by several long short-term memory (LSTM) networks. Simultaneously, an ensemble tree, a gradient boosting tree for regression (GBRT), was trained to model the relationships between the extracted features and the original streamflow. The outputs of these LSTMs were finally reconstructed by the GBRT model to obtain the forecasting streamflow results. A historical daily streamflow series (from 1/1/1997 to 31/12/2014) for Yangxian station, Han River, China, was investigated by the proposed model. VMD-LSTM-GBRT was compared with respect to three aspects: (1) Feature extraction algorithm; ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) was used. (2) Feature learning techniques; deep neural networks (DNNs) and support vector machines for regression (SVRs) were exploited. (3) Ensemble strategy; the summation strategy was used. The results indicate that the VMD-LSTM-GBRT model overwhelms all other peer models in terms of the root mean square error (RMSE=36.3692), determination coefficient (R 2 =0.9890), mean absolute error (MAE=9.5246) and peak percentage threshold statistics (PPTS(5)=0.0391%). The addressed approach based on the memory of long historical changes with deep feature representations had good stability and high prediction precision.
Price, Quality, and Market Dynamics of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests: Analysis of Global Fund 2009–2018 Data
Authors: Wittenauer Rachel , Nowak Spike , Luter Nick
Published: August 2021

Background: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria are a vital part of global malaria control. Over the past decade, RDT prices have declined, and quality has increased. However, the relationship between price and product quality and their larger implications on the market have yet to be characterized. We sought to use purchase data from the Global Fund together with product quality data from the World Health Organization and Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (WHO-FIND) Malaria RDT Product Testing Programme to understand three unanswered questions: 1) Has the market share by quality of RDTs in the Global Fund’s procurement orders changed over time? 2) What is the relationship between unit price and RDT quality? 3) Has the Global Fund procurement market become more concentrated over time?Methods: We merged data from 10,075 procurement transactions in the Global Fund’s database, which includes year, product, volume, and price, with product quality data from all eight rounds of the WHO-FIND program, which evaluated 227 unique RDT products. To describe trends in market share by quality level of RDT, we used descriptive statistics to analyze trends in market share from 2009–2018. We then applied a generalized linear regression model to characterize the relationship between price and panel detection score (PDS), adjusting for order volume, year purchased, product type, and manufacturer. Third, we calculated a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) score to characterize the degree of market concentration.Results: Lower-quality RDTs have lost market share between 2009-2018, as have higher-quality RDTs. We find no statistically significant relationship between price per test and PDS when adjusting for order volume, product type, and year of purchase. The HHI was 3,570, indicating a highly concentrated market.Conclusions: Advancements in RDT affordability, quality, and access over the past decade risk stagnation if health of the RDT market as a whole is neglected. Our results suggest that this market is highly concentrated and that quality is not a distinguishing feature between RDTs. This information adds to previous reports noting concerns about the long-term sustainability of this market. Further research is needed to understand the causes and implications of these trends.
Improvement to Gene Editing in Neospora Caninum: Knockout ku80 to Increase the Efficiency of Homologous Recombination
Authors: Wu Kaijian , Song Xingju , Wu Yayun , Yang Xu , Liu Jing , Liu Qun
Published: August 2021

Background: The CRISPR/Cas9 technology based on homologous recombination has been widely used for gene editing in organism. Gene deletion of ku80 complex can increase the efficiency of homologous recombination(HR), or gene editing by CRISPR/Cas9 in Arabidopsis thaliana and Toxoplasma gondii, which has remained elusive in Neospora caninum. Methods: Here, we knocked out the ku80 in Nc1 strain, named Δku80, using CRISPR/Cas9. In vitro, phenotype assays, including plaque formation, invasion, replication and egress were carried out to determination of the growth of Δku80. In vivo, we respectively injected BALB/c mice with different doses of NcKU80 and Nc1, and measured the survival curves and parasites burdens of mice infected. To test the efficiency of HR, Δku80 and Nc1 strains were transfected with the same HA-tagged plasmids, and the percentage of parasites with HA-tagged was investigated.Results: It is showed that the growth and virulence of Δku80 kept unaffected, while the efficiency of gene targeting via double-crossover at several genetic loci was increased 2 to 3 fold in Δku80. Conclusions: It is concluded that Δku80 can be used as an effective strain for rapid gene editing in N. caninum.
LDL-C/HDL-C and carotid plaques in patients with coronary heart disease: A Chinese cohort study
Authors: Li Zhu , Cheng Qi , Liu Yijia , Cheng Xufeng , Wang Shuo , He Yuanyuan , Wang Xu , Huang Mengnan , Li Yue , Xue Xiaoxue , Xu Yilan , Li Lin , Zheng Yanchao , Yang Rongrong , Gao Shan , Yu Chunquan
Published: August 2021

Background: Evidence of the association the low-/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (LDL-C/HDL-C) with the carotid plaques remains limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between LDL-C/HDL-C and carotid plaques of coronary heart disease (CHD), and to study what extent a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of carotid plaques.Methods: In this large-scale and multi-center retrospective study, a total of 9,426 participants to explore the association between LDL-C/HDL-C and carotid plaques. No smoking and no drinking were considered healthy lifestyle. Generalised estimating equation models and conditional logistic regressions were used in statistical analyses.Results: In all the 9,426 participants, there were 6,989 (74.15%) patients having identified carotid plaques. High levels of LDL-C/HDL-C had a higher risk of carotid plaques than other lipid variables (OR:1.63; 95%CI:1.43-1.86). In stratified analyses by LDL-C/HDL-C triplet, participants in the LDL-C/HDL-C (＞3mmol/L) group had a higher risk of carotid plaques compared to other two groups. Compared with the unfavourable lifestyle, intermediate lifestyle or favourable lifestyle was associated with a significant 30% or 67% decrease in carotid plaques risk among patients with the LDL-C/HDL-C(＞3mmol/L) respectively. There were significantly additive and multiplicative interactions between lifestyle and LDL-C/HDL-C on carotid plaques.Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence that a high level of LDL-C/HDL-C can increase the risk of carotid plaques in patients with CHD. And adhering to a healthy lifestyle has additive beneficial effects on reducing the risk of carotid plaques.
Research on Micro-EDM Discharge State Detection Technology Based on Inter Electrode Impedance Variation Characteristics
Authors: Chen Rui , Hu Bo , Zhang Yongbin , Liu Guangmin , Dai Yue , Shen Jie
Published: August 2021

Aiming at the problem that it is difficult to detect the discharge state of narrow pulse width and small duty cycle pulse, this paper studies the variation characteristics of inter electrode impedance in micro-EDM process, puts forward a detection method to distinguish different discharge states in micro-EDM based on the change of electrical signal caused by the change characteristics. The influence of pulse width and duty cycle on the quality of micro-EDM is analyzed. The surface machining quality of workpiece can be improved obviously by compressing the pulse width of pulse power supply. And designs a discharge state detection system based on inter electrode impedance variation characteristics. Experiments verify the detection method, and test the machining effect of the control strategy through the trial machining experiment, which ensures that the micro-EDM process is efficient and stable.
Effects of Processing Parameters on the Surface Quality of Wrought Ni-based Superalloy by Ultrasonic Assisted Electrochemical Grinding
Authors: Ma Yucai , Yin Yingyue , Zhang J H , Huo Jinxing
Published: August 2021

Ni-based GH625 superalloy has been widely employed in the aerospace industry due to its high strength, outstanding corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance. A novel hybrid processing method of ultrasonic-assisted electrochemical grinding (UAECG) can achieve the high-effective removal rate for difficult-to-process materials and thereby avoids the stray corrosion during the process. This study systematically investigated the electrochemical dissolution behaviors of GH625 alloy at low current density and effects of processing parameters on its surface roughness. A qualitative model was proposed to further reveal its removal mechanism for GH625 alloy during UAECG process. Polarization curves depicted that an efficient and stable electrochemical dissolution was achieved at an appropriate temperature (20°C) and concentration (10 wt.%) of NaNO 3 electrolyte. The findings also revealed that selective corrosion preferentially occurred on the grain boundary or near the NbC carbides under different current density corrosion circumstance. Compared with ECG process, the excellent surface quality ( R a = 0.37 μm) and taper of the small holes (taper = 0.04 ±0.005°) are obtained at the optimized condition of pulse voltage of 5.8V, feed rate of 0.6mm /min, cathode speed of 12kr /min and ultrasonic drive amplitude of 60 % by UAECG technology.
Sustainable Policies for Supply Chain During the Digital Economic Crisis Due to Epidemics
Authors: Su Yong , Fu Qinghua , Sharma Ashutosh , Jumani Awais Khan
Published: August 2021

One of the most exciting issues in the digital economy has been sustainability supply chain management. There are many articles on this area and several different viewpoints. This work focuses on assessing the sustainability of supply chain management based on two main measurements. Firstly, the value of ecological, environmental, and social measurement indicators and the extent of the challenge in collecting information. The objective of this article is to improve the precision of the assessment. A Sustainable Policies for Supply Chain Management (SP-SCM)is proposed in this article. The suggested framework is a synthesis of quality function deployment (QFD) with plithogenic set grouping processes.A summation function is applied: the perception of the decision-maker of criteria required to assess the viability of the supply chain, the measurement criteria dependent on the specifications, and the difficulties in collecting details. This research submitted a real-world test case on the sugar industry to test the proposed framework. In evaluating the sustainability of the supply chain policy, the findings revealed the performance efficiency of the proposed system.
Association of Anti-oxidative Capacity of HDL With Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Karami Sara , Poustchi Hossein , Sarmadi Negar , Radmard Amir Reza , Yari Fatemeh Ali , Pakdel Abbas , Shabani Parisa
Published: August 2021

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients are at the substantial risk for the for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is well known to have protective effects against the development of atherosclerotic CVD. One of the major antiatherogenic effect of HDL is its anti-oxidative function. Objectives: This study investigated the association of anti-oxidative function of HDL with NAFLD and CVD risk.Methods: A total of 143 subjects including 51 NAFLD and 92 control subjects were included in this cross-sectional study. HDL oxidative index (HOI) was determined spectrophotometrically using a cell-free method in the presence of a fluorescent substrate dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA). Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) plasma levels were assessed in both groups.Results: The subjects with impaired HDL anti-oxidative function (HOI≥1) had lower PON1 paraoxonase activity, lower SOD activity, higher MDA levels and higher carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) values compared to the controls. HDL oxidative index (HOI) was positively correlated with MDA levels and cIMT and negatively correlated with SOD activity. NAFLD patients with HOI≥1 had elevated serum levels of liver enzymes and higher LS values.Conclusions: Alteration in circulating oxidative stress markers may diminish the anti-oxidative function of HDL. Impaired anti-oxidative capacity of HDL might be related to NAFLD severity and subclinical atherosclerosis in NAFLD patients.
Simulation Study on the Effect of Coal Seam Hydraulic Fracturing to Increase Permeability
Authors: Wang Kai , Zhang Guodong , Wang Yanhai , Zhang Xiang , Li Kangnan , Guo Wei , Du Feng
Published: August 2021

Hydraulic fracturing is mainly used to improve coal seam permeability, extract coal seam gas and prevent coal-gas outburst. However, in the aspect of anti-reflection effect, it is judged by the method of field inspection, and there is no good prediction method before the engineering application. In this work, PFC2D software is used to simulate the process of coal seam hydraulic fracturing, and the results are introduced into the mathematical coupling model of the interaction between coal seam deformation and gas flow for analysis. The results show that the particles are moving towards the direction of the minimum principal stress, the moving speed of the particles at the crack tip increases, and the crack will finally expand towards the direction of the maximum principal stress. The gas pressure decline rate and permeability increase rate of the fractured model are both higher than that of the unfractured model. With the increase of extraction time, the decrease rate of gas pressure and the increase rate of permeability both decrease rapidly and gradually approach 0. The longer the hydraulic fracturing time is, the more complex the fracture network is, and the faster the gas pressure drops. However, the difference between the horizontal and vertical gas pressure drops will become larger and larger, and the impact of fracturing on gas drainage effect will gradually become smaller. With the increase of fracturing time, the difference of permeability increase at different monitoring points becomes larger and larger, but with the increase of gas drainage time, the difference will gradually decrease. The higher the initial void pressure is, the faster the gas pressure drops and the greater the permeability increase. However, the influence of the initial void pressure on the permeability increase will gradually become smaller. The research results could provide certain guidance for the prediction of anti-reflection effect of hydraulic fracturing in underground coal mines.