bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cloud Model Based on a Novel Analytic Hierarchy Process for Rockburst Liability Prediction
Authors: Liu Guoguo , Cheng Ping , Zhong Caiyin , Li Shaohong
Published: January 2022

Rockburst is a common geological hazard in underground mining and excavating, constituting a serious threat to the safety of workers and equipment. Rockburst liability prediction is of crucial significance to the prevention of rockburst hazards. Multi-criteria decision-making approach is an effective tool to predict rockbursts. In this paper, five empirical factors (strength-stress ratio, Russenes criterion, brittleness index, strain energy storage index, and integrity index) were used to construct the standard of rockburst liability. A novel analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was proposed to determine the weight of these factors, and then a cloud model was established for rockburst liability prediction on this basis. In the new AHP, the random errors induced by the pairwise comparison matrices of decision-makers were corrected according to the Bayesian theories. Nine cases from engineering projects in China were collected to validate the proposed model for rockburst liability prediction, and the prediction results were consistent with the field status. The quantitative index (Euclidean distance) indicates that the novel analytic hierarchy process has better performance than the original analytic hierarchy process in the weight calculation of factors; the new proposed cloud model is also superior to the original cloud model and the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution model in the prediction of rockburst liability.
Metformin combats high glucose-induced damage to the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells via inhibition of MAPK pathway mediated through NPR3
Authors: Zhang Yi-Lin , Liu Fen , Li Zhi-Bang , He Xiao-Tao , Li Xuan , Wu Rui-Xin , Sun Hai-Hua , Ge Shao-Hua , Chen Fa-Ming , An Ying
Published: January 2022

Background

High glucose-induced damage to the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) has long been a challenge to periodontal regeneration for diabetic individuals. Metformin is an anti-hyperglycemic drug that exhibiting abundant biological activities associated with cell metabolism and downstream tissue regeneration. However, how metformin combats damage to PDLSC osteogenic potential under high glucose and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.
Methods

Osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs was assessed by Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, ALP activity, Alizarin red staining and quantitative assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. RNA-seq analysis was performed to screen target genes of metformin, and the effects of target genes were confirmed using lentivirus transfection. Western blot analysis was also used to detect the protein level of underlying signaling pathways.
Results

Osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs under high glucose was decreased and metformin addition enhanced the capacity of differentiation. Furthermore, natriuretic peptide receptor 3 (NPR3) was upregulated in PDLSCs under high glucose and downregulated after metformin addition. Additionally, we demonstrated that upregulation of NPR3 compromised the metformin-enhanced PDLSC osteogenic differentiation through activating the MAPK pathway, and that inhibition of p38 MAPK or Erk1/2 pathway enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs with NPR3 upregulation.
Conclusions

The present study suggests that metformin may enhance the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs under high glucose via downregulation of NPR3 and inhibition of its downstream MAPK pathway. This is the first report identifying the involvement of NPR3-mediated MAPK pathway in the metformin-enhanced osteogenic differentiation, indicating that NPR3 antagonists, such as metformin, may be feasible therapeutics for periodontal tissue regeneration in diabetic individuals.
Cone Beam Computed Tomography References for Placement Site and Insertion Angle of a Palatal Orthodontic Miniscrew in the Posterior Maxillary Area
Authors: LI Xinghan , LIU Jiaojiao , XU Jialin , YANG Ying , WANG Jingfu , ZHANG Xiaodong
Published: January 2022

Background: To strengthen the safety and stability of palatal orthodontic miniscrew, the interradicular width, and the thickness of palatal mucosal and bone should be considered, providing a reference for placement site and insertion angle of palatal orthodontic miniscrew. Methods: The imaging data of 90 adult patients were selected for this study, and the jaw bone was reconstructed by scanning. On the maxillary palatal aspect, distances of 12, 14, 16 and 18 mm from the palatal apex of the first maxillary molar between the maxillary second premolar and first molar, and between the maxillary first and second molars were selected as measurement points. Linear measurements included the interradicular width of the palatal root between adjacent teeth, as well as the palatal mucosal thickness and bone thickness if the miniscrew was inserted at 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° relative to the long axis of the tooth. Data comparisons were performed via one-way analyses of variance and least significant difference tests.Results: The greater the insertion angle, the shorter the interradicular width and mucosal thickness, the difference among all these angles was statistically significant (P < 0.05)；an angle between 60–90° was safer for insertion. The higher the placement site, the greater the interradicular width and mucosal thickness, the difference among all placement sites was statistically significant (P < 0.05); placement sites between 14–16mm had greater interradicular widths.Conclusions: It is safer to insert a palatal orthodontic miniscrew at a 60–90° angle 14–16 mm away from the palatal apex of the first maxillary molar between the maxillary second premolar and first molar. Further, we found it is safer to insert a palatal orthodontic miniscrew at a 60° angle 14–16 mm away from the palatal apex of the first maxillary molar between the maxillary first and second molars.
Inducible secreting TLR5 agonist CBLB502 enhances antitumor activity of CAR133-NK92 cells for colorectal cancer
Authors: Xu Xiang
Published: January 2022

CAR-T/NK cells have been used with minimal success against solid malignancies such as colorectal cancer (CRC) in part because of the heterogeneous nature of tumour-associated antigens and the emergence of antigen loss variants that lead to negative antigen relapses after the initial response. Here, we firstly engineered a CAR133-NK92 cells with inducible secretion of TLR5 agonist CBLB502 at the tumour site, and demonstrated that CAR133-i502-NK92 cells in vitro exhibit enhanced proliferation, cytokines expression and antitumor activities compared with CAR133-NK92 cells. In addition, CAR133-i502-NK92 cells has more potent antitumor activities not only for hCD133+ but also hCD133+/hCD133- mixed colon cancer xenograft mouse models, and also has well tolerated in vivo. Notably, CBLB502 secreting from CAR133-i502-NK92 cells can effectively activate endogenous immune cells to eradicate tumor cells. Taken together, our study demonstrates that the CAR133-i502-NK92 cells not only specific directly eliminate CD133 positive colon cancer cells in a CAR133-dependent manner, but also can indirectly eradicate CD133 negative heterogeneous colon cancer cells in an CBLB502-elicted endogenous immune activation manner, which might offer a promising therapeutic new strategy for colorectal cancer.
Tolerability and Epidemiology of Nephrotoxicity Associated With Conventional Amphotericin B Therapy: A Retrospective Study in Tertiary Care Centers in Palestine
Authors: Abdel-Hafez Yusri , Siaj Hani , Janajri Mohammad , Abu-Baker Yazan , Nazzal Zaher , Hamdan Zakaria , Adwan Rabee , Aiesh Banan , Anaya Ahmad I.
Published: January 2022

Background: In the light of recent years, an increase in the number of life-threatening infections due to various fungi has been observed, especially in tertiary care centers. With Amphotericin B labelled as the first choice in treating these infections, one of its common side effects, nephrotoxicity, along with hypokalemia, were studied to determine the epidemiology, risk factors, and protective measures.Methodology: The study was a retrospective observational chart review study in which patients were receiving conventional Amphotericin B in two tertiary hospitals in Palestine from January 2018 to December 2020 were evaluated for the development of hypokalemia and nephrotoxicity; according to the KDIGO criteria. A total of 117 patients were included in the study. Patients who have received the drug intermittently, in fewer than two doses, through non-IV routes and patients under the age of 12 were excluded. The data collected included, but were not limited to, age, gender, comorbidities, Amphotericin B treatment details, medications, COVID-19 status, risk factors, and hypothesized protective measures.Results: The incidence of conventional Amphotericin B nephrotoxicity and hypokalemia was 46% and 33%, respectively. With a roughly equal representation of both genders and a median age of 52 years in a range of 13-89. No association between the variables and the development of nephrotoxicity was found.; However, a 3.4 increased risk (p-value=0.01) of developing hypokalemia in females compared to males was observed.Conclusion: Our research has shown a relatively lower, yet consistent, incidence of conventional amphotericin B nephrotoxicity and hypokalemia compared to literature with gender being a risk factor for developing hypokalemia.
FBXW2 inhibits prostate cancer proliferation and metastasis via promoting EGFR ubiquitylation and degradation
Authors: Zhou Tao , Chen Tingting , Lai Bin , Zhang Wenfeng , Luo Xi , Xia Ding , Fu Weihua , xu jie
Published: January 2022

FBXW2 is a poorly characterized F-box protein, as a tumor suppressor that inhibits growth and metastasis of lung cancer by promoting ubiquitylation and degradation of oncogenic proteins, including SKP2 and β-catenin. However, what the biological functions of FBXW2 in PCa cells and whether FBXW2 targets other substrates to involve in progression of PCa is still unclear. Here, we reported that overexpression of FBXW2 attenuated proliferation and metastasis of PCa models both in vitro and in vivo, while FBXW2 depletion exhibited the opposite effects. Intriguingly, FBXW2 was an E3 ligase for EGFR in PCa. EGFR protein level and its half-life were extended by FBXW2 depletion, while EGFR protein level was decreased, and its half-life was shortened upon overexpression of FBXW2, but not its dominant negative mutant. Importantly, FBXW2 bond to EGFR via its consensus degron motif (TSNNST), and ubiquitylated and degraded EGFR, resulting in repression of EGF function. Thus, our data uncovers a novel that FBXW2 as a tumor suppressor of PCa, inhibits EGFR downstreams by promoting EGFR ubiquitination and degradation, resulting in repression of cell proliferation and metastasis.
Tracking normal fluid flow in He II with unsupervised machine learning
Authors: Wen Xin , McDonald Landen , Pierce J. , Guo Wei , Fitzsimmons Michael
Published: January 2022

Time dependent observations of point-to-point correlations of the velocity vector field (structure functions) are necessary to fully understand and model fluid flow around complex objects. Using thermal gradients, we induced flow of the normal fluid component of liquid He II and observed the flow by recording fluorescence of He*2 excimers produced by neutron capture throughout a ~cm3 volume. We applied an unsupervised machine learning algorithm to identify individual excimer clouds and then track their motion with millimeter and millisecond precision using a purpose-built correlation metric. Owing to the fact excimers are produced over a large region, the data are sparse in comparison to other techniques used to produce excimers. Machine learning is crucially important to track flow represented by sparse data—a situation encountered in other fields of science—and its importance will increase as improvements are made to overcome the sparsity of data.
Single-cell RNA-sequencing of zebrafish hair cells reveals the novel genes potentially involved in hearing loss
Authors: Qian Fuping , Wei Guanyun , Wang Xin , Gong Jie , Guo Chao , Wang Xiaoning , Zhang Xu , Zhao Jinxiang , Wang Cheng , Xu Mengting , Hu Yuebo , Gao Yajing , Yin Guoli , Kang Jiahui , Chai Renjie , Xie Gangcai , Liu Dong
Published: January 2022

Hair cells play key roles in hearing and balance, and hair cell loss would result in hearing loss or vestibular dysfunction. Cellular and molecular research in hair cell biology provide us a better understanding of hearing and deafness. Zebrafish, owing to their hair cell-enriched organs, have been widely applied in hair cell-related research worldwide. Similar to mammals, zebrafish have inner ear hair cells. In addition, they also have lateral line neuromast hair cells. These different hair cells vary in morphology and function. However, systematic analysis of their molecular characteristics remains lacking. In this study, we analyzed the GFP+ cells isolated from Tg(Brn3c:mGFP) larvae using single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq). Three subtypes of hair cells, namely macula hair cell (MHC), crista hair cell (CHC) and neuromast hair cell (NHC) were characterized and validated by whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis of marker genes. Furthermore, we carried out the morphological comparison of these hair cells. Based on the hair cell scRNA-seq data, we obtained hair cell-enriched genes pool, including hearing loss genes that have been identified in humans and novel genes potentially involved in hair cell formation and function. Two novel genes were discovered to specifically function in NHCs and MHCs, corresponding to their specific expression in NHCs and MHCs. This study allows us to understand the specific genes in hair cell subpopulations of zebrafish, which will shed light on the genetics of both human vestibular and cochlear hair cell function.
Identification of Differentially Expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs in Uterine Leiomyomas with RNA Sequencing
Authors: Chen Xinyu , Meng Fanfei , Ji Yijing , Wang Yuan , Hua Maofang
Published: January 2022

Objective: To explore the functions of mRNAs and lncRNAs in the occurrence of uterine leiomyomas (UL) and further clarify the pathogenesis of UL by detecting the differential expression of mRNAs and lncRNA in 10 cases of UL tissues and surrounding normal myometrial tissues by high-throughput RNA sequencing. Methods: The tissue samples of 10 patients who underwent hysterectomy for UL in Lianyungang maternal and child health hospital from January 2016 to December 2021 were collected. The differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were identified, and further analyzed by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enrichment analysis. The protein–protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed in Cytoscape software. Functional annotation of the nearby target cis‐DEmRNAs of DElncRNAs was performed with DAVID. Meanwhile, the co-expression network of DElncRNA-DEmRNA was constructed in Cytoscape software. Results: A total of 553 DElncRNAs (283 up-regulated DElncRNAs and 270 down-regulated DElncRNAs) and 3,293 DEmRNAs (1,632 up-regulated DEmRNAs and 1,661 down-regulated DEmRNAs) were obtained. GO pathways enrichment analysis revealed that several important pathways were significantly enriched in UL such as blood vessel development, regulation of ion transport and external encapsulating structure organization. In addition, Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and complement and coagulation cascades were significantly enriched in KEGG pathways enrichment analysis. A total of 409 DElncRNAs-nearby-targeted DEmRNA pairs were detected, which included 118 DElncRNAs and 136 DEmRNAs. Finally, we found that top two DElncRNAs with most nearby DEmRNAs were BISPR and AC012531.1. Conclusions: These results suggested that 3293 DEmRNAs and 553 DElncRNAs were differentially expressed in UL tissue and normal myometrium tissue, which might be candidate identified therapeutic and prognostic targets for UL and be considered as offering several possible mechanisms and pathogenesis of UL in the future.
Thiazol-2-ylidenes: Versatile N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands with Enhanced Electrophilicity for Transition-Metal-Catalysis
Authors: Zhang Jin , Li Tao , Li Xiangyang , Lv Anqi , Li Xue , Wang Zheng , Wang Ruihong , Ma Yangmin , Fang Ran , Szostak Roman , Szostak Michal
Published: January 2022

Over the last 20 years, N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have emerged as a dominant direction in ligand development in transition-metal-catalysis. In particular, strong σ-donation in combination with tunable steric environment make NHCs to be among the most common ligands used for C–C and C–heteroatom bond formation. Thus far, NHC ligand development has been almost exclusively limited to N-aryl-imidazolylidenes, such as IPr, prepared by deprotonation of symmetrical imidazolium salts. However, the molecular structure of imidazolylidene systems is constrained by the substitution with two nitrogen atoms, a limitation that prohibits the development of more active carbene 2 analogues. Herein, we report the first study on steric and electronic properties of thiazol-2-ylidenes. We demonstrate that the ring dissymmetry and enhanced 𝝅-electrophilicity result in a class of highly active carbene ligands for electrophilic cyclization reactions to form valuable oxazoline heterocycles. The evaluation of steric, electron-donating and 𝝅-accepting properties as well as structural characterization and coordination chemistry is presented. This mode of catalysis can be applied to late-stage drug functionalization to furnish attractive building blocks for medicinal chemistry. Considering the key role of N-heterocyclic ligands, we anticipate that N-aryl thiazol-2-ylidenes will be of broad interest as ligands in modern chemical synthesis.
Ectopic Expression of a Bamboo SVP-Like Gene Alters Flowering Time and Floral Organs in Arabidopsis Thaliana
Authors: Liu Shinan , Vasupalli Naresh , Hou Dan , Lin Xinchun
Published: January 2022

The Short Vegetative Phase (SVP) gene is a key regulator for floral transition and development. Although SVP-like genes have been identified and characterized in many plant species, their orthologs in bamboo have not been characterized. In this study, one SVP homolog was isolated from lei bamboo based on the P. edulis transcriptome database and designated as PvSVP2. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PvSVP2 was closely related to rice OsMADS47. Expression analysis revealed that PvSVP2 was widely expressed in different tissues but significantly in vegetative tissues. Moreover, it has higher transcript levels in the late stages of flower development. Overexpression of PvSVP2 in Arabidopsis thaliana caused the early flowering and abnormal floral morphologies. Further, the qRT-PCR analysis showed that the genes regulating flowering time (FT and SOC1) and flower development (AP1, AP3 and PI) expressions were significantly increased in transgenic A. thaliana lines and correlated with PvSVP2 expression. The subcellular location of PvSVP2 in both onion epidermal cells and A. thaliana protoplast was localized in the nucleus and cytomembrane. Through yeast two-hybrid and BIFC assays, we identified that PvSVP2 interact with PvMADS56 (a SOC1 homolog) and PvVRN1 (an AP1 homolog). These results suggested that PvSVP2 may play an essential role in the flowering process of bamboo by regulating the PvMADS56 and PvVRN1. Besides, we purified and obtained the PvSVP2 recombinant protein by prokaryotic inducement. Our data will provide information to understand the characterization and function of PvSVP2 and be beneficial to illustration the molecular mechanism of bamboo flowering.
A Compact Model of Backscattering Coefficient and Mobility of Graphene FET for SiO2 and h-BN Substrates
Authors: Upadhyay Abhishek Kumar , Gupta Deepika , Mathew Ribu , Beohar Ankur
Published: January 2022

The field dependent compact model of backscattering coefficient and quasi-ballistic mobility of charge carriers in graphene have developed for two different substrates: silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). The formulation of the backscattering coefficient is performed using the Landauer and McKelvey Flux Theory (MFT) in quasi-ballistic regime. In graphene, acoustic phonon (AP), surface optical phonon (OP) and charged impurity (CI) scatterings are present among the charge carriers. That is carefully considered during the formulation of backscattering coefficient (R) and quasi-ballistic mobility ( µ eff ) . We find that the Graphene Field Effect Transistor (GFET) with h-BN substrate has the lower backscattering and higher quasi-ballistic mobility. The modeled expression of backscattering coefficient and quasi-ballistic mobility is substituted in drain current ( I DS ) of GFET devices having SiO 2 and h-BN substrate, have shown good agreement with the experimental results.
Triglyceride Glucose Index Is Independently Associated With Aorta Intima-Media Thickness In Patients Without Clinical Manifestations of Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: ÖZBİÇER Süleyman , Yüksel Gülhan , Urgun Örsan Deniz
Published: January 2022

Background and Aims: Subclinical atherosclerosis begins to develop in the thoracic aorta early in life. Insulin resistance is a well-established risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a reliable marker of insulin resistance regardless of glucose tolerance or obesity. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the TyG index and aortic intima-media thickness (IMT) in patients without diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease undergoing transesophageal echocardiography due to suspected structural heart disease.Methods: One hundred twenty-two patients enrolled in the study between January 2021 and June 2021. Triglyceride-glucose index was calculated using fasting laboratory parameters, major cardiovascular risk factors and IMT of the thoracic aorta were recorded. Patients were divided into two groups according to their median IMT; patients with an IMT equal to or less than 1.42 mm were low IMT group, and higher than 1.42 mm were high IMT group.Results: Triglyceride-glucose index were higher in the high IMT group (8.69 ± 0.59 vs. 8.37 ± 0.53, p= 0.003). Triglyceride-glucose index was correlated with IMT (r=0.259, p=0.005) and in binary logistic regression analysis age and TyG was independently associated with having high IMT (β = 0.091, exp(B)=1.095 95%CI = 1.041 – 1.152, p<0.001 and β=1.726, exp(B)= 5.621 95%CI= 1.139- 27.728, p=0.034, respectively)Conclusion: We found an independent relationship between TyG and IMT of the thoracic aorta, an early marker of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the TyG index can be used to identify high-risk subjects among healthy subjects.
Therapeutic Effects of Vasopressin in Cardiac Arrest: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Yan Wen-Qing , Song Xin , Dong Wei-Hua , Zhou Wen-Qiang , Chen Zhi
Published: January 2022

Objective: Our review aimed to demonstrate the therapeutic effect of vasopressin as alternative treatment for cardiac arrest.Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched for randomized controlled trials from inception until November 2021. Vasopressin use during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) was compared to no vasopressin or placebo. The primary outcome was the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The secondary outcomes included mild-term survival and mild-term good neurological outcome.Results: Twelve studies (n=6718) were included, of which eight trials (n=5638) reported the data on patients with OHCA and four trials (n=1080) on patients with IHCA. There were no significant differences between intravenous vasopressin and placebo in the outcomes of ROSC (relative risk [RR]: 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99–1.26), mild-term survival (RR: 1.23; 95% CI: 0.90–1.66), and mild-term good neurological outcome (RR,1.20; 95% CI: 0.77–1.87). However, in the subgroup analysis, intravenous vasopressin as part of the vasopressin, steroids and epinephrine (VSE) protocol can significantly improve the rate of ROSC (RR, 1.32; 95% CI: 1.18–1.47) but not the rate of mild-term survival (RR, 2.15; 95% CI:0.75–6.16) and mild-term good neurological outcome (RR,1.80; 95% CI, 0.81–4.01) for patients with IHCA. For patients with OHCA, there was no significant difference between groups in terms of ROSC (RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.91–1.07), mild-term survival (RR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.86–1.72) and mild-term good neurological outcome (RR, 0.94; 95% CI: 0.55–1.61). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis found that intravenous vasopressin may not significantly improve the rate of ROSC, mild-term survival and good neurological outcome. In the subgroup analysis, vasopressin as a part of VSE protocol is associated with the improvement of ROSC in patients with IHCA. However, no mild‐term survival or mild-term good neurological outcome benefit has been demonstrated. Better-designed trials on a large group of patients should be conducted in the future to address the therapeutic effect of vasopressin or vasopressin-steroids-epinephrine in cardiac arrest.
Nutritional Treatment Combined with Concurrent Chemo-Radiotherapy in Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Liu Jie , Lu Hong , Wang Pei , Zhao Yuexin , Zuo Yaqin , Gu Xin , Yu Dahai
Published: January 2022

Background: The incidence of malnutrition is high in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer during concurrent chemo-radiotherapy. This study aimed to explore the effects of nutritional treatment on the nutritional status and the incidence of toxic side effects of chemo-radiotherapy in patients with advanced esophageal cancer.Methods: Clinical data of patients that underwent concurrent chemo-radiotherapy at our institution between February 2019 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 150 patients were included; 85 patients who underwent nutritional management were included in the intervention group and 65 without nutritional support in the control group. NRS-2002 and PG-SGA scores, serum nutritional parameters, toxic side effects, and treatment completion rate were analyzed before and during chemo-radiotherapy at 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Results: There was no statistical difference between the two groups before concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (P>0.05). After treatment, the NRS-2002 and PG-SGA scores were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (P=0.002 and 0.001, respectively). The body weight, BMI, Hgb, and lymphocyte count decreased in both groups, but the difference was not statistically significant in the intervention group (P>0.05). ALB and PALB were both increased in the intervention group, and the increase of PALB was statistically significant (P=0.001). ALB and PALB were decreased in the control group, and the decrease in ALB was statistically significant (P=0.000). Furthermore, a statistically significant decrease in grip strength was found in the control group compared to the intervention group (P=0.003). The incidence of complications were as follows: myelosuppression(35% vs. 46%, P=0.194), radiation esophagitis (33% vs. 53%, P=0.027), radiation pneumonitis (1.7% vs. 3.3%, P=0.298), hemorrhage or perforation (1.7% vs. 5%, P=0.309). In addition, only three patients in the intervention group did not complete their course of radiation treatment, while ten patients in the control group had interrupted or delayed radiotherapy (95% vs. 83.3%, P = 0.040).Conclusions: Nutritional treatment was beneficial for maintaining the nutritional status, reducing treatment toxicities, and improving the completion rates of chemo-radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.
miR-219a-5p Suppresses GSK-3β/β-catenin Signaling to Influence BMSC Osteogenesis
Authors: Zhou Renbang , Zhu Xunbing , Zhang ZhongChuan , Guo KeWei , Dai ZhanQiu , Hu TengFei
Published: January 2022

Backgrounds: MicroRNAs play diverse roles in a range of biological processes, including osteoblastic differentiation. The tumor suppressor miR-219a-5p has been found to be functionally important in several tumor types, yet its expression and mechanistic relevance in the context of bone marrow stem cell (BMSC) osteogenic differentiation remain to be defined. Methods: Osteogenic induction medium was used to induce osteogenic differentiation in human BMSCs (hBMSCs), after which alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured and Alizarin red S staining was performed to gauge the efficiency of osteogenesis. Additionally, qPCR was used to assess miR-219a-5p, GSK-3β, and osteogenic gene expression, while levels of proteins associated with osteoblastic differentiation and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway were detected via Western blotting in order to assess how miR-219a-5p inhibitors and mimics influenced the processes of osteogenic differentiation. Mir-219a-5p and GSK-3β binding sites were predicted via a bioinformatics approach, with dual-luciferase reporter assays being performed to validate such binding. Results: A time-dependent increase in miR-219a-5p expression was observed over the course of hBMSC osteogenic differentiation. Transfection with miR-219a-5p mimics enhanced the expression of markers of osteoblast cells (RUNX2, ALP), whereas miR-219a-5p inhibitors yielded the opposite effect. The ability of miR-219a-5p to directly bind the 3’-UTR of GSK-3β was confirmed via luciferase reporter assay, highlighting GSK-3β as a target of this miRNA involved in promoting osteogenesis such that miR-219a-5p is able to regulate osteogenic differentiation in BMSCs via the GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway. Moreover, we found that overexpressing GSK-3β was sufficient to reverse the impact of miR-219a-5p on hBMSC osteogenesis. Conclusion: These data indicate that miR-219a-5p is capable of directly targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway gene GSK-3β, thereby regulating BMSC osteogenesis. As such, targeting this miRNA may represent a new approach to enhancing hBMSC osteogenesis.
Primary Healthcare Quality in Conflict and Fragility: A Subnational Analysis of Disparities Using Population Health Surveys
Authors: Ramadan Marwa , Tappis Hannah , Brieger William
Published: January 2022

Background : Recent global reports highlighted the importance of addressing the quality of care in all settings including fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS), as a central strategy for the attainment of sustainable development goals and universal health coverage. Increased mortality burden in FCS reflects the inability to provide routine services of good quality. There is also paucity of research documenting the impact of conflict on the quality of care within fragile states including disparities in service delivery. This study addresses this measurement gap by examining disparities in the quality of primary healthcare services in four conflict-affected fragile states using proxy indicators. Methods: A secondary analysis of publicly available data sources was performed in four conflict-affected fragile states: Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and Nigeria. Two main databases were utilized: the demographic health survey and the Uppsala conflict data program for information on components of care and conflict events, respectively. Three equity measures were computed for each country: absolute difference, concentration index, and coefficients of mixed-effects logistic regression. Each computed measure was then compared according to the intensity of organized violence events at the neighborhood level.Results: Overall, the four studied countries had poor quality of PHC services, with considerable subnational variation in the quality index. Poor quality of PHC services was not only limited to neighborhoods where medium or high intensity conflict was recorded but was also likely to be observed in neighborhoods with no or low intensity conflict. Both economic and educational disparities were observed in individual quality components in both categories of conflict intensity. Conclusion: Each of the four conflict-affected countries had an overall poor quality of PHC services with both economic and educational disparities in the individual components of the quality index, regardless of conflict intensity. Multi-sectoral efforts are needed to improve the quality of care and disparities in these settings, without a limited focus on sub-national areas where medium or high intensity conflict is recorded.
Glutamine and norepinephrine in follicular fluid synergistically affect the antioxidant capacity of human granulosa cells and the outcome of IVF-ET
Authors: Wang Lulu , Zhou Chengliang , Sun Junyan , Zhang Qiuwan , Lai Dongmei
Published: January 2022

Background: An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that changes in metabolic levels in follicular fluid are directly related to oocyte maturation, fertilization, the quality of embryo and pregnancy rates. However, whether the intra-follicular neurotransmitters affect the function of granulosa cells and the outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is not clear.Methods: Human follicular fluid and cumulus granulosa cells (GCs) were harvested from large follicles obtained from 27 patients undergoing IVF. Neurotransmitters and steroid hormones in follicular fluid were measured through liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Based on the content of Glutamine (Gln) in follicular fluid, the samples were divided into two groups: high Gln level group and low Gln level group. The expression of proliferation-, steroidogenesis- and antioxidant-related genes in GCs was detected by qRT-PCR. In vitro experiments, KGN cells were cultured with or without Gln and NE followed by western blotting to detect PCNA and IDH1 expression. EdU staining and ELISA were conducted to evaluate GCs proliferation and measure the contents of 17 b-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (Prog) in the conditioned medium. Primary and secondary outcomes were the number of mature and retrieved oocytes, and the ratio of high quality embryos, respectively.Results: Gln and norepinephrine (NE) were abundant neurotransmitters in follicular fluid. The contents of Gln and NE in follicular fluid exhibited a significantly positive correlation. The contents of Gln and NE in follicular fluid affected the function of granulosa cells, including their proliferative potential, E2 production and antioxidant capacity. Moreover, the concentrations of Gln and NE in follicular fluid showed significantly positive correlation with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) expression in GCs. Importantly, the increased Gln and NE in follicular fluid partially affected the quality of embryonic development by regulating IDH1 expression in GCs. In vitro studies further demonstrated that Gln and NE played synergistically function in improving GCs proliferation and increasing the E2 production by upregulating IDH1 expression.Conclusions: These data demonstrate that neurotransmitter metabolic levels in follicular fluid affect the function of cumulus GCs. As important neurotransmitter metabolites, Gln and NE play significant roles in promoting GCs proliferation and increasing E2 production in granulosa cells. In addition, intrafollicular Gln and NE could upregulate the expression of the antioxidative gene IDH1 in cumulus GCs, which could be a good predictor for selecting optimal quality oocytes and evaluating the quality of embryonic development.
Prevalence of several infectious diseases in the District Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Authors: Khan Muhammad Ashraf
Published: January 2022

Aims: Infectious disease is a health disorder and is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in humans globally. The present study determined the prevalence of several highly infectious diseases in the District Dera Ismail Khan. Subject and Methods: The retrospective study include the indoor data from December 2019 through November 2021 (two years) were collected from the admin office of District Head Quarter Teaching Hospital, Dera Ismail Khan. Results: Overall diarrhea/dysentery showed the highest (59.1%) while pulmonary tuberculosis demonstrated the lowest prevalence (1.8%) and May contributed the largest share (16%), while February lowest (3.9%). Diarrhea/dysentery has relative the highest prevalence for most of the months. Overall diarrhea/dysentery, enteric/typhoid, and pneumonia contribute to 91.4% share of the studied diseases. The overall prevalence of the diseases increased steadily from March through May. Diarrhea/dysentery and malaria resulted in the highest prevalence of 19.6% and 17.1%, respectively in May, while enteric/typhoid revealed the highest prevalence of 24.4% in August. Pneumonia (23.5%) in June, Pulmonary tuberculosis (26.2%) in November, Extra Pulmonary tuberculosis in March (65.4%). Conclusion: Monthly and seasonal variations occurred in the prevalence of the diseases which is associated with an increase in vector population and an increase in temperature.
Cloning and expression of class I chitinase gene from four mangrove species under heavy metal stress
Authors: Zhou Yue-Yue , Wang You-Shao , Sun Cui-Ci
Published: January 2022

AimsCu, Pb and Cd are common heavy metals in mangroves. Objective to clone chitinase I gene in mangrove plants and explore the role of chitinase I gene in plants under heavy metal stress. MethodsHomologous cloning and RACE cloning were used to clone chitinase type I gene in mangrove plants, and bioinformatics analysis software was used to analyze and predict gene structure and functional domain. The mRNA expression pattern of chitinase gene in mangrove plants under heavy metal stress was analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR analysis. ResultsAll Four cDNA with a full length of 1092 bp, and an ORF (open reading frame) 831 bp, coding with 276 amino acids, while are differences in the sequences among the four species. Four genes owned signal peptide and were located at vacuole inside the cell. Protein sequence domain analysis indicates that all have the same typical structural characteristics of GH19 chitinase family. The sequence of CHI had high similarity to the protein sequences of Camellia fraternal chitinases. Real-time PCR was used to analyze the expression of CHI under different concentration heavy metal with time of four mangrove species. The gene expression of CHI I was highly induced in the B.gymnorrhiza leaves than other mangrove species. With the increase of heavy metal stress time, the expression level of B.gymnorrhiza increased continuously.ConclusionChitinase was induced under heavy metal in mangrove plants, and chitinase plays an active part in heavy metal tolerance in mangrove plants which was located at vacuole inside the cell.
Perceived Barriers To Preventive Dental Care Among Practicing Dentists of Central India
Authors: Saxena Sudhanshu , Singh Mohit Pal , Shashikiran N. D.
Published: January 2022

Aim: The present research aimed to assess barriers to provide preventive dental care among practicing dentists of Central India.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among practicing dentists of Madhya Pradesh state, India. A Web-based questionnaire was designed to collect demographic information and responses on a Likert scale for 12 barriers. The barriers were subcategorized as patient-, dentist- and practice-related barriers. Data collected were statistically analysed using Pearson’s chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: The ignorance of patients for regular dental visits, considering preventive care as non-profitable, and the traditional curative nature of dentistry was considered as barriers by all the dentists. A significant difference was observed between dentists with different years of dental practice for patient’s unwilling to pay for preventive care, no respect in preventive care practice and scarcity of printed materials for dental health education. Low priority of preventive dentistry in the dental curriculum had 10.585 times higher odds among postgraduate than graduate dental professionals.Conclusion: The findings of the study revealed that dentists in central India consider patients’ attitude, respect in preventive care, monetary benefits, existing curriculum and curative nature of dental practice as potential barriers to providing preventive care.
Introducing Decentralized Decision To Our Institutional platforms: Algorand and Choice coin
Authors: Ezekiel Ayuba , Ismaila Muhammad Mungadi
Published: January 2022

This paper introduces decentralized decisions and governance with the use of Artificial Intelligence to our institutions with the aid of the Algorand blockchain using choice coin as a case study. Since the emergence of bitcoin which uses the proof-of-work consensus mechanism and the technology behind it known as blockchain in 2008, the thoughts of how secure transactions can be conducted has been greatly reshaped with this technology gathering interests from finance, governance, and down to academia. With eLearning becoming widely accepted all over the world, institutions are left with various choices of implementing secure transaction formats. A lot researches with respect to blockchain integration with eLearning platforms ongoing , this paper offers a solution by proposing the use of the algorand blockchain which uses the pure-proof-of-stake consensus mechanism to felicitate eLearning processes for transactions using for example choice coin in this case.
Genome-wide Association Analysis Reveals a Novel QTL CsFS1 for Fruit Skin Color in Cucumber
Authors: Geng Xiaolin , Huang Hongyu , Yang Qinqin , Zhang Lidong , Kong Weiliang , Wang Huizhe , Wei Aimin , Du Shengli , Yang Ruihuan , Li Jiawang , Lin Tao , Li Yuhe
Published: January 2022

Background: Cucumber is an important melon crop in the world, with different skin colors. However, the candidate genes and the underlying genetic mechanism for such an important trait in cucumber are unknown. In this study, a locus controlling fruit skin color was found on chromosome 3 of cucumber genome.Results: In this study, the light green inbred line G35 and the dark green inbred line Q51 were used as parents to construct an F2 population. On chromosome 3, we identified a major QTL CsFS1 (Fruit skin 1). We further narrowed down the CsFS1 locus to a 94-kb interval containing 15 candidate genes. Among these genes, Csa3G912920, which encodes a GATA transcription factor, was expressed at a higher level in the pericarp of the NIL-1334 line (with light-green fruit skin) than in that of the NIL-1325 line (with dark-green fruit skin). This study provides a new allele for the improvement of cucumber fruit skin color.Conclusion: A major QTL that controls fruit skin color in cucumber, CsFS1, was identified in a 94-kb region that harbors the strong candidate gene CsGATA1.
Using Machine Learning Techniques in Multi -Hazards Assessment of Golestan National Park, Iran
Authors: Faramarzi Hassan , Hosseini Seyed Mohsen , Pourghasemi Hamid Reza , Farnaghi Mahdi
Published: January 2022

Golestan National Park is one of the oldest biosphere reserves exposed to environmental hazards due to growing demand, geographical location of the park, mountainous conditions, and developments in the last five decades. The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential environmental hazards using machine-learning techniques. In this study, maximum entropy, random forest, boosted regression tree, generalized additive model, and support vector machine methods were applied to model environmental hazards and evaluate the impact of affecting agents, their area of influence, and interactions. After data collection and preprocessing, the models were implemented, tuned, and trained, and their accuracies were determined using the receiver operating characteristic curve. The results indicate the high importance of climatic and human variables, including rainfall, temperature, presence of shepherds, and villagers for fire hazards, elevation, transit roads, temperature, and rainfall for the formation of floodplains, and elevation, transit roads, rainfall, and topographic wetness index in the occurrence of landslides in the national park. The boosted regression tree model with a ROC value of 0.98 for flooding, 0.97 for fire, and 0.93 for landslide hazards, had the best performance. The modeling estimated that, on average, 16.2% of the area of Golestan National Park has a high potential for landslides, 14% has a high potential for fire, and 7.2% has a high potential for flooding.
Anomalous mobility edges in one-dimensional quasiperiodic models
Authors: Liu Tong , Xia Xu , Longhi Stefano , Sanchez-Palencia Laurent
Published: January 2022

Mobility edges, separating localized from extended states, are known to arise in the single-particle energy spectrum of disordered systems in dimension strictly higher than two and certain quasiperiodic models in one dimension.
Here we unveil a different class of mobility edges, dubbed anomalous mobility edges, that separate energy intervals where all states are localized from energy intervals where all states are critical in diagonal and off-diagonal quasiperiodic models.
We first introduce an exactly solvable quasi-periodic diagonal model and analytically demonstrate the existence of anomalous mobility edges.
Moreover, numerical multifractal analysis of the corresponding wave functions confirms the emergence of a finite energy interval where all states are critical.
We then extend the sudy to a quasiperiodic off-diagonal Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model and show numerical evidence of anomalous mobility edges.
We finally discuss possible experimental realizations of quasi-periodic models hosting anomalous mobility edges.
These results shed new light on the localization and critical properties of low-dimensional systems with aperiodic order.
Real-time evolution in the Hubbard model with infinite repulsion
Authors: Tartaglia Elena , Calabrese Pasquale , Bertini Bruno
Published: January 2022

We consider the real-time evolution of the Hubbard model in the limit of infinite coupling. In this limit the Hamiltonian of the system is mapped into a number-conserving quadratic form of spinless fermions, i.e. the tight binding model. The relevant local observables, however, do not transform well under this mapping and take very complicated expressions in terms of the spinless fermions. Here we show that for two classes of interesting observables the quench dynamics from product states in the occupation basis can be determined exactly in terms of correlations in the tight-binding model. In particular, we show that the time evolution of any function of the total density of particles is mapped directly into that of the same function of the density of spinless fermions in the tight-binding model. Moreover, we express the two-point functions of the spin-full fermions at any time after the quench in terms of correlations of the tight binding model. This sum is generically very complicated but we show that it leads to simple explicit expressions for the time evolution of the densities of the two separate species and the correlations between a point at the boundary and one in the bulk when evolving from the so called generalised nested Néel states.