bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Operations on Serum Asprosin Values
Authors: Kafadar Huseyin , Guven Cengiz
Published: January 2023

Introduction:
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of coronary artery bypass graft operations (CABGO) on serum asprosin levels.
Methods
Twenty-five patients who underwent CABGO with the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) were included in the study. The patients were divided into three groups according to the study time; preoperative (preop), postoperative 1st day (postop1), and postoperative 7th day (postop7). The effects of the operation on the asprosin levels were discussed in the light of the literature data by evaluating the fasting plasma asprosin levels for at least 8 hours from all three groups.
Results
There were 13 men and 12 women in the Study Group with a mean age of 64.4 ± 9.9. It was found that the asprosin levels that were measured in postop1 and postop7 groups were significantly higher than in the preop group (P < 0.001). When the factors that affected the asprosin hormone levels at different times were examined, it was found that only the gender factor was significant (P = 0.013). Although a significant increase was observed in postop7 and postop1 when compared to preop value in both genders, a decrease was detected in postop7 when compared to postop1; and although this decrease was statistically significant in women (P = 0.010), it was not significant in men (P = 0650).
Conclusion
In CABGO patients, increased serum asprosin levels are detected in the early postoperative period. This increase was more significant in women, which may be because of the protective effects of asprosin, which also has antioxidant features.
Nutrition, morbidity and mortality status in a cohort of children (0-14 years) exposed to maternal HIV in south India
Authors: Washington Reynold , Sinha Anju , Sethumadhavan Rajeev , Potty Rajaram Subramanian , Joy Melvin , Mathur Apoorva , khare smriti , Isac Shajy
Published: January 2023

Background: India has a substantial HIV disease burden in children. Karnataka state in south India has prevalence higher than the national average. About 6.3% of all people living with HIV (PLHIV) are children.
Methods: The present study is a prospective community-based open cohort study among children aged 0-14 years, exposed to maternal HIV in Belgaum district of Karnataka between the years 2014-2018. The study compares the nutrition (age 0-59 months) and morbidity patterns in HIV infected and non-infected children, while also estimating the risk of death and survival estimates in these cases during the follow-up period. Data was analysed using changes in Z scores for the indices, linear regression analysis; univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis for differences in the prevalence of morbidity between HIV-positive and HIV-negative children. Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the risk of death.
Results: Study results demonstrate that the nutrition status of HIV positive children deteriorated more severely than that among HIV negative children as is evident from statistically significant difference (p value 0.045 and 0.028) in Z scores for anthropometric indices of weight for height and weight for age.
HIV positive and HIV negative children indicate that HIV positive children had 3.27 (95% CI: 2.35-4.56) and 2.86 (95% CI:1.83, 4.45) times higher risk of having skin diseases. Mortality analysis indicated that the hazard of dying during the follow-up period is almost five times higher for HIV positive children than the HIV negative children.
Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of scaling up diagnosis, and treatment for children within families with an index person living with HIV to increase improve the provision of nutrition and social support to both HIV positive and negative children at a family level. In particular, the impact of tuberculosis (TB) among children living with HIV needs focused priority and attention. These measures can reduce the high rates of under-nutrition, mortality and morbidity and improve the overall survival of children impacted by HIV.
Examining gender and sexual orientation differences in physical intimate partner violence experienced and perpetrated by youth living in eThekwini district South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Closson Kalysha , Zulu Bongiwe , Jesson Julie , Dietrich Janan J. , Pakhomova Tatiana , Basham C. Andrew , Beksinska Mags , Kaida Angela
Published: January 2023

Background: Young women and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Non-binary/no gender, or Questioning (LGBTQ+) youth in South Africa face some of the highest global levels of intimate partner violence (IPV). Given limited evidence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has fuelled IPV globally, we aimed to describe and compare experiences and perpetration of IPV of youth aged 16-24 by sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).
Methods: December 2021-May 2022, youth aged 16-24 years from eThekwini district, South Africa completed an online survey to understand multilevel impacts of the pandemic on youth. Participants were asked about experiences and perpetration of physical IPV since the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics and adjusted logistic regressions compared the likelihood of experiencing and/or perpetrating physical IPV between heterosexual men; heterosexual women; gay, bisexual, or questioning men [GBQM; lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning women [LGBQW]; or gender/sexual non-conforming youth [non-conforming].
Results: Of 1,584 youth (mean age=21.7 [SD=2.3]; 71.7% Black) with non-missing SOGI and physical IPV data, 239 (15.1%) were LGBTQ+ (40.6% LGBQW and 36.0% non-conforming). The proportion of youth both experiencing and perpetrating physical IPV differed by SOGI (13.3% of heterosexual men, 14.1% of heterosexual women, 23.2% of GBQM, 20.8% of LGBQW, and 25.6% of non-conforming youth experienced and 10.9% of heterosexual men; 7.7% of heterosexual women; 10.7% of GBQM; 16.5% of LGBQW; and 16.3% of non-conforming youth perpetrated). In adjusted models, compared to heterosexual women, non-conforming youth had increased odds of experiencing (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=2.73; 95%CI, 1.57-5.06) physical IPV and non-conforming youth (aOR=3.02; 95%CI, 1.42-6.41), LGBQW (aOR=2.09; 95%CI, 1.06-4.09), and heterosexual men (aOR=1.55; 95%CI, 1.01-2.37) all had greater odds of perpetrating physical IPV during the pandemic.
Conclusion: In the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, over one in six youth in our study experienced and one in ten perpetrated physical IPV, with gender and sexual non-conforming youth experiencing and perpetrating IPV at significantly greater rates than cisgender/heterosexual peers. Our findings highlight the need for gender transformative efforts that move beyond the gender binary to support healthy relationships and IPV prevention for LGBTQ+ youth in South Africa and globally.
A loss-of-function variant in canine GLRA1 associates with a neurological disorder resembling human hyperekplexia
Authors: Heinonen Tiina J , Flegel Thomas , Müller Hanna , Kehl Alexandra , Hundi Sruthi , Matiasek Kaspar , Lohi Hannes , Hytönen Marjo
Published: January 2023

Hereditary hyperekplexia is a rare neuronal disorder characterized by an exaggerated startle response to sudden tactile or acoustic stimuli. In this study, we present a Miniature Australian Shepherd family showing clinical signs which have genetic and phenotypic similarities with human hereditary hyperekplexia: episodes of muscle stiffness that could occasionally be triggered by acoustic stimuli. Whole genome sequence data analysis of two affected dogs revealed a 36-bp deletion spanning the exon-intron boundary in the glycine receptor alpha 1 (GLRA1) gene. Further validation in pedigree samples and an additional cohort of 45 Miniature American Shepherds and 74 Australian Shepherds demonstrated complete segregation of the variant with the disease, according to an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. The protein encoded by GLRA1 is a subunit of the glycine receptor, which mediates postsynaptic inhibition in the brain stem and spinal cord. The canine GLRA1 deletion is located in the signal peptide and is predicted to cause exon skipping and subsequent premature stop codon resulting in a significant defect in glycine signaling. Variants in GLRA1 are known to cause hereditary hyperekplexia in humans; however, this is the first study to associate a variant in canine GLRA1 with the disorder, establishing a spontaneous large animal disease model for the human condition.
New-Onset Diabetes and COVID-19: Evidence from a Global Clinical Registry
Authors: Rubino Francesco , McIntyre Robert , Chai Zhonglin , Amiel Stephanie , Alberti George , Bornstein Stefan , Eckel Robert , Herman William , Khunti Kamlesh , Mingrone Geltrude , Mbanya Jean Claude , Mohan Viswanathan , Tan Meng , Zhang Lei , Al-Mulla Fahd , Al-Abdulrazzaq Dalia. , Naimi Tamara Al , Alessa Thamer , Chamseddine Ghassan , Chandrasekaran Sruti , Hinduja Anand , Rhee Sang Youl , Sathish Thirunavukkarasu , Zimmet Paul
Published: January 2023

Background

Mounting evidence shows association between COVID-19 and new diagnoses of diabetes. It is unclear, however, if COVID-19 increases detection of pre-existing diabetes or if it can induce new-onset of the disease.

Methods

We established a global online registry of COVID-19-related diabetes (CoviDIAB) using a web-enabled data capture system (Dendrite Clinical Systems). In this study we aimed to investigate whether COVID-19 can induce new-onset diabetes, its subtypes and clinical manifestations. To this end, we analyzed clinical and laboratory data from cases of newly-diagnosed diabetes occurring during or within four weeks from an episode of COVID-19. To exclude pre-existing hyperglycaemia, new-onset diabetes was defined as: blood sugar levels above diabetes thresholds (fasting glycaemia ≥ 126 mg/dL or non-fasting glycemia > 200 mg/dL), no prior history of the disease or use of glucose-lowering medications, and HbA1c < 6·5% at presentation.

Results

Between October 2020 and April 2022, 67 contributors from 61 hospitals in 25 countries entered data on 537 eligible cases of newly-diagnosed diabetes. New-onset diabetes was identified in 102 of 473 newly-diagnosed cases with recorded HbA1c (22%). Among adults, diabetes subtypes were type 2 (59%) and “not-yet known” (41%). There were two cases of new-onset type 1 diabetes among children. Hyperglycaemia persisted beyond resolution of the infection in 39 of 89 (45%) patients with new-onset diabetes who survived the episode of COVID-19. Further follow-up data beyond 3-months was available for 28 such cases, showing remission of diabetes in five and persistent diabetes in 23 cases (82%).

Conclusions

This study shows clinical plausibility for a diabetogenic effect of COVID-19, supporting screening for diabetes in people who contract the infection. Further investigation is warranted to confirm mechanisms of viral interference with glucose metabolism.
The CoviDIAB registry is accessible online at http://covidiab.e-dendrite.com.
Nutritional status and associated factors among the elderly in Guinea (first national cross-sectional study)
Authors: MILLIMONO Thierno , Camara Alioune , Mabiama Gustave , Daffé Mamady , Boumédiène Farid , Preux Pierre-Marie , Desport Jean-Claude , Fayemendy Philippe , Jésus Pierre
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly subjects in the general Guinean population and the associated factors. A general population, cross-sectional study was conducted among a representative sample from urban and rural areas. Socio-demographic clinical and anthropometric data were collected. Oral status was determined using the University of Nebraska Oral Status Scale. Visual acuity was assessed using the Monoyer scale. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using the Shapiro-Wilk test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test and Chi-squared test. The standardized prevalence ratio (SPR) of the nutritional status was calculated for each region. Sample included 1,698 subjects with a mean BMI 22.6±4.3 kg/m2. A total of 50.3% had an impaired oral status and 20.3% had moderately to severely impaired visual acuity. The prevalence of undernutrition was 14.4% and obesity was 5.7%. Differences were found in the prevalence of the nutritional status between regions (p≤0.0001) with an SPR >1 for undernutrition in the Labé region (SPR 1.9, 95% CI =1.5-2.5) and for obesity in the Conakry and Kindia regions (SPR of 2.90, 95% CI =2.0-4.05 and 2.32, 95% CI =1.5-3.3, respectively). In Guinea, the prevalence of nutritional disorders was approximately 20%.
Yiqi Huoxue decoction protects against intervertebral disc herniation through autophagy
Authors: DAI FENG , Yu Peng-fei , Ma Zhi-jia , Shen Xue-qiang , Jiang Hong , Liu Jintao
Published: January 2023

Backgrounds: Deficiency of autophagy causes alterations in articular cartilage that lead to intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) and osteoarthritis. In China, conservative treatment with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a reasonably preferred choice for ruptured lumbar disc herniation (LDH). It has been reported that autophagy was activated by Yiqi Huoxue decoction (YHD) treatment. However, the role of YHD-induced autophagy in the prevention and treatment of IDH remains to be clarified.
Methods: The effect of YHD treatment on IDH rats was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Western blot and immunohistofluorescence (IHF) assay were used to detect the relative expressions of the autophagy-related proteins, and the changes of VPS34 mRNA were detected by quantitative real-time PCR.
Results: The YHD treatment significantly improved the resorption of interverbral disc along with the increased expression of autophagy related proteins, including VPS34, Beclin1 and LC3II/LC3I in IDH rats. Western blot and IHF analyses showed increased level of USP13 in YHD treatment groups. In contrast, inhibition of USP13 by autophagy inhibitor spautin-1 promoted the ubiquitination of Beclin1, decreased the expressions of VPS34, Beclin1 and LC3II/LC3I, which in turn blocked facilitative effect of YHD on discresorption.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that YHD activates autophagy by regulating the deubiquitination activity of USP13 to Beclin1, thereby promoting the resorption of interverbral disc.
Assessing the role of aerosol variability in governing the Indian Summer Monsoon
Authors: Saxena Harshita , Pandey Vivek Kumar
Published: January 2023

Aerosols from both natural and anthropogenic play a significant role in affecting the regional radiation budget over northern India, which has an impact on the whole hydrological cycle and the climate. Numerous factors, including surface and atmospheric heating, aerosol-induced changes to clouds, and atmospheric circulation, all have an impact on the Indian summer monsoon. Using satellite data and reanalysis data, we demonstrate that aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the Arabian Sea (AS), Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), and Central India (CI) region is correlated with the Indian summer monsoon. We have used long-term AOD which is derived by using MERRA2 reanalysis and Terra MODIS (Collection 6) for the domain 40°E-100°E and 0°N-40°N to investigate the aerosol variability and impact of aerosols on Indian summer monsoon. Northern India is a subtropical region with a high aerosol loading, is very inhabited. Over the entire domain, we found low AOD during monsoon season as compared to pre-monsoon season except over Arabian sea. Over IGP, the AOD ranges from 0.1 to 0.6 in MAM and 0.05 to 0.65 in JJAS and the precipitation varies from 2–27 mm/day. Over CI region, the AOD ranges from 0.35 to 0.6 in MAM and 0.25 to 0.5 in JJAS and precipitation varies from 3–15 mm/day. Over Arabian Sea, the AOD ranges from 0.05 to 0.65 in MAM and 0.1 to 0.8 in JJAS and precipitation varies from 0–25 mm/day. The near surface air temperature is decreased in monsoon season except over some parts of north western region. Here, we confirm that strong co-variability exists among aerosols, near surface air temperature and Indian summer monsoon rainfall. We find that aerosol loading affects warmer conditions and rainfall and conclude that the spatial pattern of AOD over IGP and AS is highly complex and require further investigations.
Multi-Descriptor Design of Ruthenium Catalysts for Durable Acidic Water Oxidation
Authors: Abed Jehad , Heras-Domingo Javier , Luo Mingchuan , Sanspeur Rohan , Alnoush Wajdi , Meira Debora , Wang Hsiao-Tsu , Wang Jian , Zhou Jigang , Zhou Daojin , Fatih Khalid , Higgins Drew , Ulissi Zachary , Sargent Edward
Published: January 2023

Further improvements in the performance and cost-effectiveness of water electrolyzers are urgently needed to accelerate decarbonization of hydrogen production. Iridium-free oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts are needed that are active and durable under acidic conditions. Here we report Ru0.6Cr0.2Ti0.2O2, identified from a machine-learning aided density functional theory (DFT) model using Pourbaix decomposition energy and metal-oxygen covalency as descriptors for electrochemical stability. To screen the entire space of bimetallic oxides for stability under harsh acidic conditions, we employ a graph convolution neural network to predict the Pourbaix decomposition energy accurately from unrelaxed structures. This was accomplished with an accuracy of 32 meV/atom. Notably, utilizing an optimized hyperbolic tangent activation function and dropout algorithm reduced the prediction error by 90%. Experimentally, the catalyst has an overpotential of 267 mV at 100 mA/cm2, accompanied by 200 hours of operation with an overpotential increase of less than 5 mV. DFT calculations show that adding Ti into the structure increases the metal-oxygen covalency of the system, improving the stability of the mixed-metal-oxide. At the same time, adding Cr lowers the energy barrier of the HOO* formation rate-determining step, thus improving activity compared to RuO2. We investigate structural and chemical changes during the reaction using in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and ptychography-scanning transmission X-ray microscopy. These evidence the evolution of a metastable structure compromised of a strong Ti-oxo network and a hydrous Cr-O passivation layer during the reaction – a structure that slows the dissolution of Ru by 20x while simultaneously suppressing lattice oxygen participation by > 60% compared to the case of RuO2.
Environmental-friendly regenerated lignocellulose functionalized cotton fabric to prepare multi-functional degradable membrane for efficient oil-water separation and solar seawater desalination
Authors: Li Jiangyi , Gao Junkai , Fang Jiangyu , Ling Tian , Xia Mengsheng , Cao Xue , Han Zhi , Chen Yan
Published: January 2023

Water shortage has aggravated the world-wide water crisis. Waste water purification and seawater desalination have become important means to alleviate fresh water shortage. In this work, the regenerated lignocellulose functionalized cotton fabric was developed as a novel, multi-functional, green and degradable membrane (named LCPT@CF) for efficient oil-water separation and solar seawater desalination. The fabrication method of LCPT@CF has the merits of simple, environmentally friendly and cost effective. The regenerated lignocellulose was adhered on the surface of cotton fabric by tannic acid and polyvinyl alcohol complexes tightly, and the multilayered structures of the LCPT@CF can be formed, which endowed the membranes with underwater superoleophobic property and durability. The LCPT@CF can purify oil-in-water emulsions with an efficiency of 99.90%, and moreover, benefiting from the excellent photothermal conversion capacity of regenerated lignocellulose, the LCPT@CF can achieve high evaporation rate of 1.39 kg m− 2 h− 1 under 1 sun illumination. More importantly, the LCPT@CF can be naturally degraded in soil within 3 months. Hence, the LCPT@CF has great potential for practical application in oil-water separation and solar desalination.
The impact of pandemic-related stress on attentional bias and anxiety in alexithymia during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Lee Shu-Hui , Lee Kuan-Te
Published: January 2023

COVID-19 has introduced negative consequences for mental health. It is unknown whether the psychological outcomes of stressful events may be moderated by individual traits. Alexithymia was considered as a risk factor for psychopathology, and was thus likely to be the potential trait that determined individual differences in resilience or vulnerability to stressful events during the pandemic. This study explored the moderating role of alexithymia and the effect of pandemic-related stress on anxiety levels and attentional bias due to the pandemic. Participants were 103 Taiwanese individuals that completed a survey during the outbreak of the Omicron wave. Additionally, an emotional Stroop task preceded by pandemic-related or neutral pictures was used to measure attentional bias. Our results demonstrated that pandemic-related stress had a lesser impact on anxiety for individuals with a higher level of alexithymia. Moreover, we found that for individuals with higher exposure to pandemic-related stressors, a higher level of alexithymia indicated less attentional bias toward COVID-19-related information. It was plausible that alexithymics tended to avoid coping with pandemic-related information, which could temporarily relieve from stressors during the pandemic.
Function and wide distribution of DMSOP cleaving enzymes in marine organisms
Authors: Carrion Ornella , Li Chun-Yang , Peng Ming , Wang Jinyan , Pohnert Georg , Azizah Muhaiminatul , Zhu Xiao-Yu , Curson Andrew , Walsham Keanu , Zhang Xiaohua , Monaco Serena , Harvey James , Wang Qing , Chen Xiu-Lan , Gao Chao , Wang Ning , Wang Xiu-Juan , Wang Peng , Giovannoni Stephen , Lee Chih-Ping , Suffridge Christopher , Zhang Yu , Luo Ziqi , Wang Dazhi , Todd Jonathan , Zhang Yuzhong
Published: January 2023

Dimethylsulfoxonium propionate (DMSOP) is a recently identified and abundant marine organosulfur compound with purported roles in oxidative stress protection, global carbon and sulfur cycling1. Diverse algae and bacteria synthesise DMSOP from dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), which potentially limits the production of climate-active gases e.g., dimethylsulfide (DMS) generated from microbial DMSP cleavage1. Here, DMSOP was found at mM levels in saltmarsh sediment, >10-fold higher than DMSP, and orders of magnitude higher than DMSOP levels previously reported in seawater1. Moreover, we showed bacteria could utilise DMSOP as an osmoprotectant. Some bacteria also cleave DMSOP liberating dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), an ubiquitous marine metabolite and acrylate1, but the enzymes responsible and their environmental importance were unknown. Here, we elucidated the DMSOP cleavage mechanism/s in diverse heterotrophic bacteria, e.g., SAR11 clade and Roseobacters, and fungi and phototrophic algae, e.g., Emiliania huxleyi, not previously known to have this activity. All these diverse organisms utilised their DMSP lyase ‘Ddd’ or ‘Alma1’ enzymes, that span five protein families, to cleave DMSOP with similar specific activities to DMSP. Bacteria with DMSP lyases that used DMSP as a carbon source likewise used DMSOP. Furthermore, ddd gene transcription in these bacteria was induced by DMSOP, including dddK in SAR11 strain HTCC1062. We determined the structure of DddK bound to DMSOP and concluded that the catalytic mechanisms of DMSOP cleavage by Ddd enzymes were like those for DMSP. Given the predicted teragram DMSOP production budget1, its newly found abundance in marine sediments, and the abundance of microbial DMSP lyase genes and transcripts in marine environments, DMSOP cleavage is likely a globally significant process influencing global carbon and sulfur fluxes and marine ecological interactions.
Role of rotavirus vaccine in reducing diarrheal episodes in infants visiting private Primary health care clinics in Karachi, Pakistan: A mixed-methods study
Authors: Karim Sehrish , Siddiqui Amna Rehana , Karim Nurose , Pradhan Nousheen Akber , Azam Iqbal , Qazi Muhammad Farrukh
Published: January 2023

Background:
Globally rotavirus (RV) induced diarrhea was one of the major causes of childhood diarrhea, resulting in hospitalization and mortality prior to the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine (RVV). The estimated coverage of RVV in the year 2019 was 86% in children less than one year of age whereas the estimated diarrheal mortality was 67 deaths per 1,000 live births in Pakistan. This study aimed to determine the difference in the diarrheal episodes in children by RVV status and to identify barriers to RVV from the perspective of mothers visiting and physicians working in AKHS, P, primary healthcare (PHC) clinics in Karachi, located in the province of Sindh, Pakistan.
Methods:
A mixed-methods study design was conducted at three private PHC clinics located in three different districts of Karachi. Data for RVV status and diarrheal episodes were collected in June 2020 for children born between October 2019 to March 2020, from Health Management Information System (HMIS) and physician records respectively. In-depth Interviews (IDIs) with physicians and focus group discussions (FGDs) with mothers were conducted for information on awareness and approach towards diarrhea, knowledge, and acceptance of RVV, and barriers towards RV immunization.
Results:
Four hundred and thirty children more than one month and less than nine months of age visited the three private PHC clinics in Karachi for vaccination and clinical health care from October 2019 to June 2020. By June 2020, an overall of, 79.8% (343/430) eligible infants were fully vaccinated against RVV, and 24.2% (104/430) suffered diarrheal episodes. The mean age of infants at the time of the first dose of RVV was 2.6 ± 0.2 months. Among fully vaccinated, 8.2% (28/343) children had history of diarrheal episodes, while among non/partially vaccinated, 87.4% (76/87) children had history of diarrheal episodes and it found statistically significant with a p-value < 0.001. Qualitative study results (FGDs) showed that mothers showed a lack of awareness and knowledge on the prevention of diarrhea by RVV and the harmful effects of diarrhea. Physicians’ IDIs, pointed towards a lack of sufficient trainings on RVV.
Conclusion:
Diarrheal episodes were significantly greater in partially or unvaccinated children than in fully RVV vaccinated children. Low levels of awareness and knowledge in caretakers and lack of RVV training in PHC physicians are the obstacles in controlling diarrheal diseases.
Thermal history based prediction of interlayer bond strength in parts manufactured by material extrusion additive manufacturing
Authors: Mahmoud Youmna , Lyu Jiaqi , Akhavan Javid , Xu Ke , Manoochehri Souran
Published: January 2023

Material extrusion additive manufacturing, also known as fused filament fabrication (FFF), is currently one of the most widely used technologies. Although promising, the technology is prone to several defects including poor surface quality, low dimensional accuracy, and inadequate mechanical performance caused by weak bonds between successively deposited layers. Studies have shown that bonding between filaments forms above the material’s glass transition temperature which makes it essential to study the thermal history of the printing process. Since the interlayer bonding is thermally driven, this study has focused on the development of a regression model to predict the average interlayer bonding strength of a part using the thermal history of the printed layers and the process parameters settings. The process parameters studied are deposition temperature, print speed, and layer thickness. This study relies on using the finite element analysis (FEA) to obtain the part’s thermal history and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate the bond quality by performing microstructure analysis. The average interlayer bond strength was assessed by measuring the interlayer bond widths and average weld time of all layers in a printed part. The weld time is the time that the temperature of an extruded filament stays above glass transition temperature, when reheated by an adjacent layer. This study includes experimental validation of the developed predictive models to estimate the average weld time and average bonding strength of thin wall samples.
Tumor Mutation Burden and Tumor Microenvironment as Biomarkers of Glioma Treatment Outcome and Prognosis- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol
Authors: Kyaruzi Victor , Md Emmanuel , Takoutsing Berjo , Abdelhammed Ahmed , Sikakulya Franck , Wekesa Emmanuel , Ngamba Ramadhani , Sabas Deodatus , Rabiel Happines , Shabhay Zarina , Mchome Laurent , Esene Ignatius , Mwakigonja Amos
Published: January 2023

Background
Gliomas are the most common solid malignant tumors of the brain; diffuse gliomas pose a remarkable conundrum on treatment strategy. WHO Grade IV (Glioblastomas) delineate a refractory resistance to treatment even with standard combination regimen therapy of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy causing increased recurrence rate with a median survival of less than one year(1). Management of gliomas is precluded by several factors including intra and inter tumoral heterogeneity, genomic landscape and microenvironment immunosuppression ability, which spell the inflicted pathways that counteract the therapeutic interventions. This is systematic review aiming to evaluate the effect of tumor mutation burden (TMB) and Tumor microenvironment (TME) as biomarkers of treatment outcome and prognosis of gliomas.
Methods and Analysis
This systematic Review and Meta –analysis will consider the PRISMA 2020 guideline correspondence. For source of literature evidence several electronic databases including EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Semantic Scholar and Google scholar will be searched. All non-RCTs peer reviewed original research articles addressing the prognostic role of tumor mutation burden, tumor mutation pathways, microenvironment will be included, and data will be extracted using the Ms Excel Sheets. Studies with homogeneity and low risk of bias according to NOS 4–9 will constitute a Meta-analysis for evaluating the effect of TMB, Mutation pathways and Microenvironment for treatment outcome and prognosis of glioma.
Ethical Consideration and Dissemination
Ethical approval does not apply for there is no human participant involvement in this review study .The findings of this study will be disseminated at scientific conferences and the manuscript for publication will be submitted for publication to a reputable peer reviewed journal of Neurosurgery. This review was registered at PROSPERO CRD42022377829
Responses of cotton seed germination characteristics and storage substance metabolism to saline-alkali stress
Authors: Chen Ying , Liang Qi , Wu Ke , Wang XiaoYu , Zhang Hongxia , Bate Naren , Ma Yuanyuan , Tian Liwen , Luo Honghai
Published: January 2023

The inhibition of cotton seed germination by soil salinization is a key obstacle affecting cotton production in Xinjiang. The most economical and effective measures to alleviate soil salinization damage are to explore the mechanism of cotton salt tolerance and to cultivate and popularize salt-tolerant varieties. In this study, two highly saline-alkali-resistant varieties (Xinluzhong 82, Xinluzhong 68) and two sensitive varieties (Xinluzhong 42, Xinshi H12) were used as experimental materials and were exposed to CK (0 mmol·L-1), 219 mmol·L-1 and 365 mmol·L-1 mixed saline-alkali concentrations. The germination characteristics, root traits and changes in the storage material contents (crude fat, total protein, total sugar) during cotton seed germination were analyzed. The results showed that with increasing mixed saline-alkali concentrations, the relative water absorption, water absorption rate, germination rate, root length, diameter, area, and volume and total sugar content of cotton decreased by 22.7-90.1% on average, while the crude fat and protein concentrations increased by 7.6% on average. With increasing saline-alkali concentrations, the germination rate, germination index, root length, root diameter, crude fat, total protein and total sugar contents of highly saline-alkali-resistant varieties were 12.6-24.8% higher than those of sensitive varieties, but the relative water absorption of highly resistant varieties under 365 mmol·L-1 saline-alkali conditions was 9.4% lower than that of sensitive varieties. Principal component analysis showed that under the 219 mmol·L-1 treatment, there was a significant positive correlation between the germination potential, relative water absorption, total sugar content and MTG index of cotton seeds and the germination rate of the highly resistant varieties. Correlations were found between the relative salt damage and crude fat, protein and storage contents in highly resistant cotton varieties under 365 mmol·L-1 mixed saline-alkali conditions. Under saline-alkali stress, at the seed swelling stage, the highly resistant varieties exhibited reduced seed water absorption and a reduction in the hydrolysis rate of total sugar and protein in the germination process and also maintained the internal balance of seeds and improved saline-alkali resistance. In the stage in which young roots broke through the seed coat, external water absorption increased, and the root diameter changed to achieve saline-alkali resistance.
ATF4 drives the resistance of T-ALL against FGFR1 inhibitors through amino acid metabolic reprogramming
Authors: Zhang Zijian , Wu Qifang , Ren Anqi , Chen Qian , Shi Jiangzhou , Li Jiapeng , Liu Xiyu , Zhang Zhijie , Tang Yuzhe , Zhao Yuan , Yao Ningning , Zhang Xiaoyu , Liu Changpeng , Dong Ge , Zhao Jiaxuan , Xu Meijun , Yue Yunqiang , Hu Jia , Sun Fan , Liu Yu , Ao Qilin , Zhou Fuling , Wu Hong , Zhang Tongcun , Zhu Haichuan
Published: January 2023

Background
Abnormalities of FGFR1 have been reported in multiple malignancies, which proposes FGFR1 as a potential target for precision treatment, whereas drug resistance remains a formidable obstacle simultaneously.
Methods
RNA-seq analysis, mouse tumor models, and flow cytometry were performed to identify that the FGFR1 was a potential target in T-ALL. RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, targeted metabolomics analysis, surface sensing of translation (SUnSET) assay, western blot assays, and qRT-PCR were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms of FGFR1-targeting resistance. Drug screening was conducted to identify a drug combination strategy for overcoming this drug resistance.
Results
We identified that FGFR1 was observably upregulated in T-ALL and inversely correlated with the prognosis of patients. Functional studies showed that the knockdown of FGFR1 suppressed T-ALL cells growth and progression both in vitro and in vivo. Whereas the human T-ALL cells were resistant to FGFR1 inhibitors. Mechanistically, we identified that ATF4 was markedly upregulated and was a major initiator for T-ALL resistance to FGFR1 inhibitors. Expression of ATF4 was induced by FGFR1 inhibitors through enhancing chromatin accessibility transcriptionally combined with activating translation via the GCN2-eIF2α pathway. Then, ATF4 remodeled the amino acid metabolism by stimulating the expression of multiple metabolic genes, and further maintained the activation of mTORC1, which contributed to the drug resistance of malignancies. Moreover, targeting FGFR1 and mTOR exhibited synergistically antileukemic efficacy.
Conclusion
These findings revealed that FGFR1 was a potential therapeutic target in T-ALL, whereas ATF4-induced amino acid metabolic reprogramming mediated the FGFR1-targeted resistance. Synergistically targeting FGFR1 and mTOR could overcome this obstacle in T-ALL therapy.
Can contrast-enhanced ultrasound differentiate the subtype of hepatic echinococcosis: cystic echinococcosis or alveolar echinococcosis?
Authors: Zhang Xuhui , Suolang Lamu , Ren Yelei , Wang Yifei , Jiang Yong , Zhong Xiaofei , Gou Zehui , Zhou Wu , Chen Juan , Li Yongzhong , Cai Diming
Published: January 2023

Background

Hepatic echinococcosis (HE) is a zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus, and Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis are the most common, causing cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE) respectively. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a new imaging technique which has been recommended for identifying focal lesions in the liver. However, the effect of CEUS on the differentiation of hepatic echinococcosis subtype remains unclear.

Methods

Twenty-five patients with 46 HE lesions confirmed by histopathology in our Hospital from December 2019 to May 2022 were reviewed by conventional ultrasound (CUS) and CEUS examinations respectively. The images and clips of the lesions by CUS and CEUS were reviewed retrospectively. The lesions by CUS were evaluated including the location, size, morphology, margin, internal echogenicity and the internal Dopper’s signal. The lesions by CEUS were evaluated including the enhancement degree, enhancement pattern and enhancing boundary in different phases. The diagnoses of lesions by CUS or CEUS were recorded respectively. By taking the histopathology as the gold standard, the paired X2 test was performed with statistical software (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL) and the results of differentiation of the subtype of HE by CUS and CEUS were statistically analyzed.

Results

A total of 46 lesions were involved in 25 patients, including 10 males (40.0%) and 15 females (60.0%) with aged 15 to 55 (42.9 ± 10.3) years. By histopathology, 9 patients with 24 lesions were diagnosed as CE and 16 patients with 22 lesions were diagnosed as AE. Among the 46 lesions of HE, compared with histopathological examination, the accuracy rate was 65.2% and 91.3% in CUS and CEUS findings respectively. Among the 24 CE lesions, 13 lesions were correctly differentiated by CUS, while 23 by CEUS. The difference between CUS and CEUS was statistically significant (Chi-square test, X2 = 8.10, df = 23, P < 0.005). Among the total 46 HE lesions, 30 lesions were correctly differentiated by CUS, while 42 by CEUS. The difference between CUS and CEUS was statistically significant (Chi-square test, X2 = 10.08, df = 45, P < 0.005).

Conclusions

CEUS is a more valid technique that can differentiate the subtype of HE from CE or AE than CUS. It could be a reliable tool in the differentiation of HE.
FGF10 Protects aganist Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury through AMPK/mTOR/TFEB Pathway
Authors: Zhu Yu , Hu Zhicheng , Chen Gen , Hu Zhenyu , Zhu Junjie , Ma Hongfang , He Shengqu , Xu Xiejun , Huang Zhiyuan , Dong Yonggan , Guan Xueqiang , Wang Xu , Wang Yang
Published: January 2023

myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) is a common clinic scenario that occurs in the context of reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction. Recent studies indicated impaired autophagic flux contributes to MIRI-induced cardiomyocytes (CMs) apoptosis. Fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10), a multifunctional FGF family member, was reported to exert protective effect against renal and hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury. Whether FGF10 has similar beneficial effect, and if so whether autophagy is associated with the potential protective activity against MIRI has not been investigated. Herein, we investigated FGF10 was up-regulated in mice with MIRI and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury. During MIRI, FGF10 treatment decreased infarct size and improved cardiac function. Mechanically, FGF10 attenuated MIRI-induced apoptosis of CMs and impairment of autophagic flux was mainly through the AMPK/mTOR/TFEB pathway. Therefore, FGF10 may have the potential to be used for the prevention and treatment of MIRI.
A single motor-driven continuum robot that can be designed to deform into a complex shape with curvature distribution
Authors: Yoshikawa Daiki , Shimizu Masahiro , Umedachi Takuya
Published: January 2023

This paper proposes a method to deform a continuum robot into a complex shape with distributed curvature using a single motor drive. This continuum robot can be deformed to a desired shape by placing tendon guides at appropriate intervals. We used several target shapes, including clothoid and sin curves, as well as a circular curve of constant curvature and confirmed that the deformed shapes match them both in the simulation and prototype. This paper proposes two models of continuum robots. One is the Plain Model in which the tendons are parallel to the rod and the Penetration Model in which the tendon penetrates to the rod. By placing the penetrating position(s), this continuum robot can be deformed into a shape with inflection point(s). We designed a mathematical model to simulate the deformed shape of the prototype to obtain the proper placement of the guides and penetration point(s). Through the optimization, it was able to find the parameters that, in most cases, result in the error of less than 4% between the target and deformed shapes. We applied these conditions to the prototype and evaluated the errors, which were approximately 10%, the same as the related works that use a conventional constant curvature model. We think that the results of this paper can be applied to reduce the number of actuators required and the size and weight of continuum or biomimetic robots.
Bonding of PMMA to Silicon by Femtosecond Laser Pulses
Authors: Capodacqua Filippo Maria Conte , Volpe Annalisa , Gaudiuso Caterina , Ancona Antonio
Published: January 2023

Many devices and objects, from microelectronics to microfluidics, consist of parts made from dissimilar materials, such as different polymers, metals or semiconductors. Techniques for joining such hybrid micro-devices, generally, are based on gluing or thermal processes, which all present some drawbacks. For example, these methods are unable to control the size and shape of the bonded area, and present risks of deterioration and contamination of the substrates. Ultrashort laser bonding is a non-contact and flexible technique to precisely join similar and dissimilar materials, used both for joining polymers, and polymers to metallic substrates, but not yet for joining polymers to silicon. We report on direct transmission femtosecond laser bonding of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and silicon. The laser process was performed by focusing ultrashort laser pulses at high repetition rate at the interface between the two materials through the PMMA upper layer. The PMMA-Si bond strength was evaluated as a function of different laser processing parameters. A simple, analytical, model was set up and used to determine the temperature of the PMMA during the bonding process. As a proof of concept, the fs-laser bonding of a simple hybrid PMMA-Si microfluidic device has been successfully demonstrated through dynamic leakage tests.
Brazilian Amazon Indigenous Territories under deforestation pressure
Authors: Silva-Junior Celso , Silva Fabrício , Arisi Barbara , Mataveli Guilherme , Pessôa Ana , Carvalho Nathália , Reis João , Júnior Admo Silva , Motta Nathalia , Silva Paulo , Ribeiro Francarlos , Siqueira-Gay Juliana , Alencar Ane , Saatchi Sassan , Aragão Luiz , Anderson Liana , Melo Maycon
Published: January 2023

Studies showed that Brazilian Amazon indigenous territories (Its) are efficient models for preserving forests by reducing deforestation, fires, and related carbon emissions. Here, we used official remote sensing datasets to analyze deforestation inside and outside indigenous territories within Brazil's Amazon biome in the 2013-2021 period. We found that deforestation has increased by 129% inside ITs since 2013, followed by an increase in illegal mining areas. In the 2019-2021 period, deforestation was 195% higher and 30% further from the borders towards the interior of indigenous territories than in previous years (2013-2018). Furthermore, about 59% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions within ITs in the 2013-2021 period (96 million tons) occurred in the last three years of analyzed years, revealing the magnitude of increasing deforestation to climate impacts. Therefore, curbing deforestation in indigenous territories must be a priority for the Brazilian government to secure these peoples' land rights, ensure the forests' protection and regulate the global climate.
Thermodynamic Response Functions and Stokes-Einstein Breakdown in Superheated Water under Gigapascal Pressure
Authors: Dueby Shivam , Maiti Archita , Dubey Vikas , Galamba Nuno , Daschakraborty Snehasis
Published: January 2023

Liquid water is the most intriguing liquid in nature, both because of its importance to every known form of life, and its numerous anomalous properties, largely magnified under supercooled conditions. Among the anomalous properties of water is the seeming divergence of the thermodynamic response functions and dynamic properties below the homogenous nucleation temperature (~232 K). Furthermore, water exhibits an increasingly decoupling of the viscosity and diffusion, upon cooling, resulting in the breakdown of the Stokes-Einstein relationship (SER). At high temperatures and pressures, however, water behaves more like a “simple” liquid. Nonetheless, experiments at 400 K and GPa pressures (Bove et al. (2011) Phys. Rev. Lett., 111:185901) showed that although the diffusion decreases monotonically with the pressure, opposite to pressurized supercooled water, a decoupling of the viscosity and diffusion, larger than that found in supercooled water at normal pressure, is observed. Here, we studied the thermodynamic response functions and breakdown of the SER along the 400 K isotherm up to 3 GPa, through molecular dynamics. Seven water models were investigated. A monotonic increase of the density (~50 %) and decrease of the isothermal compressibility (~90 %) and thermal expansion (~65 %) is found. Our results also show that compressed hot water has various resemblances to cool water at normal pressure, with pressure inducing the formation of a new second coordination sphere and a monotonic decrease of the diffusion and viscosity coefficients. Whereas all water models provide a good account of the viscosity, the magnitude of the violation of the SER at high pressures (> ~1 GPa) is significantly smaller than that found through experiments. Thus, violation of the SER in simulations is comparable to that observed for liquid supercooled water, indicating possible limitations of the water models to account for the local structure and self-diffusion of superheated water above ~1 GPa.
A Simple and Rapid DNA Extraction Protocol for Molecular Identification of Fungi
Authors: AL-MAQTOOFI MARWAN Y. , AL-RIFAIE ALAA A.
Published: January 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Pcz1 regulates growth, conidiation, conidial germination, and production of penicillin in the filamentous fungus Penicillium rubens (formerly Penicillium chrysogenum)
Authors: Gil-Durán Carlos , Palma Diego , Marcano Yudethzi , Levicán Gloria , Vaca Inmaculada , Chávez Renato
Published: January 2023

Penicillium rubens, formerly Pencillium chrysogenum, is a filamentous fungus of biotechnological importance because it is one of the main producers of the antibiotic penicillin. However, despite its importance, the regulation of biological processes in this fungus is far from being understood. In fungi, one of the most interesting regulators are zinc finger proteins containing a Zn(II)2Cys6 domain. The genes that encode for these kinds of proteins are found almost exclusively in fungi. The P. rubens genome contains many genes encoding proteins with Zn(II)2Cys6 domains, but only two of them have been studied so far. In this work, we have used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to inactivate the pcz1 gene in P. rubens, which encodes a Zn(II)2Cys6 protein. Inactivation of pcz1 decreases the production of penicillin in P. rubens. In addition, the inactivation of pcz1 decreased growth and conidiation in the fungus but increased conidial germination. Overall, our results suggest that pcz1 would be a positive regulator of penicillin production, growth and conidiation, but it would act as repressor of conidial germination in P. rubens.