bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Hybrid Technique Combining Intramedullary Pinning With Extramedullary Plate Fixation in Unstable and Comminuted Radial Head Fractures Following on-Table Reconstruction
Authors: Gao Xu , Li Fei , Sui Yong-Qiang , Huang Rui , Fan Hai-yu , Yin Hai-Lei
Published: November 2020

BackgroundManagement of comminuted radial fractures remains controversial. Currently, the emergence of on-table reconstruction technique has made fixation in comminuted radial head fractures more viable. However, since only a few previous studies have investigated small amounts of patients with conflicting complication rates, the treatment effects of on-table technique may be discrepant in different cases and its reliability needs to be evaluated cautiously in the practical surgical process. The present study reported an intro-operative unstable displacement from the reconstructed radial head to the neck during plate fixation, characterized by a poor radiocapitellar contact and incongruity between the radial head and neck. Subsequently, a hybrid technique combining with intramedullary pining was performed to restore the normal alignment and maintain the stability of fixation. Therefore, the purpose of this article aimed to prove the feasibility of unstable comminuted radial head fractures treated with the extramedullary plate and intramedullary pinning fixation using titanium elastic nails. MethodsFive patients with unstable comminuted radial head fractures (Mason type-III) were selected from January 2012 to May 2018 in this study. All patients were treated with open reduction and internal fixation using extramedullary plate and intramedullary pinning. During follow-up, the radiographic examination was conducted to evaluate the status of bone union, heterotopic ossification and post-traumatic arthritis. The functional assessment was performed to evaluate clinical effects, which included measurements of range of motion in the elbow, Visual Analog Scale score, Elbow Self-Assessment score, Mayo Elbow Performance score, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH)Outcome Measure score.ResultsAfter a mean follow-up of 44 months (range, 36 to 48), the average range of motion in elbow flexion-extension was 125° with supination of 84°and pronation of 74°. Based on the Elbow Self-Assessment score, there was one very good, two good, one satisfied, and one sufficient, respectively. The mean Visual Analog Scale score for pain was 1 (range, 0 to 3) and the mean Mayo Elbow Performance score was 83 (range, 70 to 95). The DASH score revealed good to excellent results with a mean score of 10 (range, 2.3 to 27). Two patients had mild signs of posttraumatic arthritis, and heterotopic ossifications rating as grade I were observed in three patients. However, none of them was affected in daily life. ConclusionCollectively, intramedullary pinning with extramedullary plate fixation is feasible in unstable comminuted radial head fractures, which can be considered as a remedial surgery for on-table reconstruction technique.
KLF15 Negatively Regulates Cardiac Fibrosis and SDF-1β Attenuates Cardiac Fibrosis Through KLF15 Pathway in Type 2 Diabetic Mice
Authors: Tian Yuanyuan , Wang Zhenyu , Zheng Xiangyu , Cheng Shihuan , Song Wenjing , Jing Zhe , Cai Lu , Rane Madhavi , Zhao Yuguang
Published: November 2020

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common complication in diabetic patients. Cardiac fibrosis is the major pathologic changes, for which the effective and safe approaches remain not available. Methods: Wild-type mice and conditional knockout of cardiac specific Klf15 gene (Klf15-cKO) mice were fed with either high fat diet (HFD, 60% kcal from fat) or normal diet (ND, 10% kcal from fat) for 3 months and then injected with streptozotocin or vehicle. Five days later mice with hyperglycemia (3 h fasting blood glucose level ≥ 250 mg/dL) were defined as type 2 diabetes (T2D). All T2D and age-matched control mice that were continually received their HFD or ND for 6 months were treated with or without SDF-1β at 5 mg/kg body-weight twice a week for 3 months. At the end of 9-month study, after cardiac functions measured, mice were euthanized, for collecting heart tissue. For the in vitro study, H9C2 cells were exposed to palmitate to mimic in vivo condition of T2D.Results: SDF-1β treatment attenuated T2D-induced cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis and down-regulated KLF15 expression in wild type diabetic mice. The inhibitory effect of SDF-1β on cardiac fibrosis was abolished in Klf15-cKO/T2D mice, demonstrating the KLF15-dependence for this protection. Pre-treatment of H9C2 cells with the relevant siRNAs, followed by treatment with palmitate or SDF-1b or palmitate/SDF-1b demonstrated that SDF-1β inhibited palmitate-induced myocardial fibrosis through its receptor CXCR7 mediated activation of p38β MAPK and subsequent blockade of KLF15 down-regulation. Conclusions: T2D-promoted cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction were prevented with SDF-1β treatment by up-regulating KLF15 expression. Conditional knockout of cardiac specific Klf15 gene abolishes SDF-1β prevention of cardiac fibrosis but not cardiac dysfunction. The SDF-1β’s anti-fibrosis effect in the heart of T2D is probably mediated through CXCR7-mediated p38β MAPK activation of KLF15 function.
The Gut Microbiome as a Promising Biomarker of Cancer Progression Among Female Never-smokers With Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Otoshi Takehiro , Nagano Tatsuya , Park Jonguk , Hosomi Koji , Yamashita Tomoya , Tachihara Motoko , Tabata Tokiko , Sekiya Reina , Tanaka Yugo , Kobayashi Kazuyuki , Mizuguchi Kenji , Itoh Tomoo , Maniwa Yoshimasa , Kunisawa Jun , Nishimura Yoshihiro
Published: November 2020

The gut microbiome plays an important role in the immune system and has attracted attention as a biomarker of diseases, including cancer. As such, in this study, we examined the relationship between the gut microbiome and lung cancer progression. Female never-smokers diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma were consecutively enrolled between May 2018 and August 2019, and fecal samples were collected. Principal coordinate analyses were retrospectively performed using Bray-Curtis distance matrices to investigate the effects of clinical variables (age, body mass index, Tumor-Node-Metastasis stage, T category, N category, M category, primary tumor size, performance status, and EGFR mutation status) on the gut microbial community. A total of 37 patients were enrolled. T category and primary tumor size were significantly correlated with the gut microbial community (p=0.018 and 0.041, respectively). At the genus level, the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium was positively correlated with both T category and primary tumor size, whereas the relative abundances of Fusicatenibacter and Bacteroides were negatively correlated with these variables. This is the first study identifying the gut microbiome as a promising biomarker of lung cancer progression. Further elucidation of the role of the gut microbiome in lung cancer progression could facilitate development of new treatments for lung cancer.
Untuned broadband spiral micro-coils achieve sensitive multi-nuclear NMR TX/RX from microfluidic samples
Authors: Davoodi Hossein , Nordin Nurdiana , Munakata Hirokazu , Korvink Jan , MacKinnon Neil , Badilita Vlad
Published: November 2020

The low frequency plateau in the frequency response of an untuned micro-resonator permits broadband radio-frequency reception, albeit at the expense of optimal signal-to-noise ratio for a particular nucleus. In this contribution we determine a useful figure-of-merit for broadband microcoils, and thereby explore the parametric design space towards acceptable simultaneous excitation and reception of a microfluidic sample over a wide frequency band ranging from 13C to 1H, i.e., from 125-500 MHz in an 11.74 T magnet. The detector achieves 37 % of the performance of a comparably sized, tuned & matched resonator, and a linewidth of 16.6 ppb using standard magnet shims. The use of broadband detectors circumvents numerous difficulties introduce by multi-tuned RF detector circuits, including sample loading effects in matching, channel isolation, and field distortion.
Modified IVC Clamping Technique in the Left Radical Nephrectomy and Mayo II-III IVC Thrombectomy: A Preliminary Experience
Authors: Chen Zhigang , Yang Bin , Ge Liyuan , Zhang Fan , Tian Xiaojun , Huang Yi , Wang Guoliang , Liu Cheng , Zhang Shudong , Ma Lulin
Published: November 2020

Background: To present our initial experiences on the left radical nephrectomy (RN) and Mayo II-III IVC thrombectomy (IVCTE) using modified inferior vena cava (IVC) clamping technique. Methods: From November 2016 to July 2018, eight left renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVCTT) underwent retroperitoneal laparoscopic RN and IVCTE using the modified IVC clamping technique. During the IVCTE, the infrarenal IVC, right renal artery, right renal vein were clamped sequentially, then the cephalic IVC of the tumor thrombus was clamped immediately after the thrombus was removed.Results: According to the preoperative plans, all 8 operations were completed successfully without perioperative mortality. Median operative time was 438 min (343-573 min). Median IVC blocking time was 18 min (12-28min), and median warm ischemia time (WIT) for the right kidney was 19min (14-28min). Median estimated intraoperative blood loss was 1107mL (50-6000 ml). Some 50% of patients required an intraoperative blood transfusion. Median length of hospital stay was 12.9 days (6-39). Early postoperative complications occurred in 2 cases, 1 was Clavien class II, another was Clavien class IVa. All 8 patients were followed up continually with a median follow-up period of 16 months (5-25 months). During the mean follow-up period, three patients developed metastatic disease.Conclusions: Modified IVC clamping technique, which is feasible and safe for experienced surgeons in selected patients, can simplify the procedures left RN and Mayo II-III IVCTE.
Healthcare Workers Preparedness for COVID-19 Pandemic in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: A Cross-sectional Survey
Authors: Alser Osaid , Alghoul Heba , Alkhateeb Zahra , Hamdan Ayah , Albarqouni Loai , Saini Kiran
Published: November 2020

Background: The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic threatens to overwhelm the capacity of a vulnerable healthcare system in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Sufficient training of healthcare workers (HCWs) in managing COVID-19 and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) are essential in allowing oPt to mount a credible response to the crisis.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated online questionnaire between March 30, 2020 and April 12, 2020. Primary outcomes were availability of PPE and HCWs preparedness in oPt for COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary outcome was regional and hospital differences in oPt in terms of availability of PPE and HCWs preparedness.Results: Of 138 respondents, only 38 HCWs (27.5%) always had access to facemasks and 15 (10.9%) for isolation gowns. Most HCWs did not find eye protection (n=128, 92.8%), N95 respirators (n=132, 95.7%), and face shields (n=127, 92%) always available. Compared to HCWs in West Bank, those in the Gaza Strip were significantly less likely to have access to alcohol sanitizers (p=0.03) and gloves (p <0.001). On average, governmental hospitals were significantly less likely to have all appropriate PPE than non-governmental institutions (p = 0.001). Only 16 (11.6%) surveyed felt confident in dealing with a potential COVID-19 case, 57 (41.3%) having received any COVID-19-related training, and 57 (41.3%) not having a local hospital protocol. Conclusion: HCWs in oPt are underprepared and severely lacking adequate PPE provision. The lack of PPE provision will exacerbate spread of COVID-19 and deepen the crisis, whilst putting HCWs at risk.
CagA sequence differences and proteome profiles between East Asian and Western H. pylori strains
Authors: Zhou Jianjiang , Zhao Yan , Xie Yang , Xiong Lin , Quan Xinying , Wang Qin-Rong , Wang Wen-Ling , Gin Feng , Zhang Qi-Fang , Liao De-Zhong , Zellmer Lucas
Published: November 2020

Background

The cytotoxin-associated gene A protein (CagA), an effector protein of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), was the first identified bacterium oncoprotein. Based on its sequence characteristics, H. pylori has been classified into East Asian and Western strains. We hypothesized that the differences in structure of CagA and proteomic profiles between East Asian and Western H. pylori strains are the primary cause of the differential clinical outcomes of H. pylori infection.
Results

In this study, we isolated 27 H. pylori strains from gastric mucosa of Chinese patients with gastric diseases and revealed that the Western CagA has more variation in its EPIYA motifs than East Asian CagA. This result was further confirmed via analyzing the CagA sequences of 150 H. pylori strains from GenBank. More importantly, we detected the deletion or partial deletion of 13 amino acids in CagA in all East Asian strains but not in Western strains. iTRAQ -based proteomic analysis showed that the CagA protein related to cytotoxicity was highly expressed in Western strains, while urease-associated proteins UreA and UreH, flagellin related proteins FlaA, FlgE and FlhA, and cell division proteins FtsZ and FtsI were highly expressed in East Asian strains. These proteins were associated with the colonization, motility, and viability potential of H. pylori in the human stomach and were clustered into an interaction network.
Conclusions

This study provides significant, unreported differential sequences of CagA and proteomic profiles between East Asian and Western H. pylori, which maybe serves as promising new targets to ascertain the pathogenesis of H. pylori.
HPP-induced transcriptome response during recovery of Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Duru Ilhan Cem , Bucur Florentina Ionela , Andreevskaya Margarita , Nikparvar Bahareh , Ylinen Anne , Grigore-Gurgu Leontina , Rode Tone Mari , Crauwels Peter , Laine Pia , Paulin Lars , Løvdal Trond , Riedel Christian U. , Bar Nadav , Borda Daniela , Nicolau Anca Ioana , Auvinen Petri
Published: November 2020

Background
High-pressure processing (HPP) is a commonly used technique in the food industry to inactivate pathogens, including L. monocytogenes. It has been shown that L. monocytogenes is able to recover from HPP injuries and can start to grow again during long-term cold storage. To date, the gene expression profiling of L. monocytogenes during HPP damage recovery at cooling temperature has not been studied. In order identify key genes that play a role in recovery of the damage caused by HPP treatment, we performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) for two L. monocytogenes strains (barotolerant RO15 and barosensitive ScottA) at nine selected time points (up to 48 h) after treatment with two pressure levels (200 and 400 MPa).
Results
The results showed that a general stress response was activated by SigB after HPP treatment. In addition, the phosphotransferase system (PTS), protein folding, and cobalamin biosynthesis were the most upregulated genes during HPP damage recovery. We observed that cell-division-related genes (divIC, dicIVA, ftsE, and ftsX) were downregulated. By contrast, peptidoglycan-synthesis genes (murG, murC, and pbp2A) were upregulated. This indicates that cell-wall repair occurs as a part of HPP damage recovery. We also observed that prophage genes, including anti-CRISPR genes, were induced by HPP. Interestingly, a large amount of RNA-seq data (up to 85%) was mapped to Rli47, which is a non-coding RNA that is upregulated after HPP. Thus, we predicted that Rli47 plays a role in HPP damage recovery in L. monocytogenes. Moreover, gene-deletion experiments showed that amongst peptidoglycan biosynthesis genes, pbp2A mutants are more sensitive to HPP.
Conclusions
We identified several genes and mechanisms that may play a role in recovery from HPP damage of L. monocytogenes. Our study contributes to new information on pathogen inactivation by HPP.
Evaluating Deep Learning EEG-Based Anxiety Classification in Adolescents with Autism for Breathing Entrainment BCI
Authors: Penchina Brian , Sundaresan Avirath , Cheong Sean , Grace Victoria , Valero-Cabré Antoni , Martel Adrien
Published: November 2020

Anxiety is one of the most common comorbidities in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), severely limiting academic opportunities and overall quality of life. In the present study, we compared several machine learning classifiers, namely support vector machine (SVM) and deep learning methods, in order to evaluate the feasibility of an EEG-based BCI for the real-time assessment and mitigation of anxiety through a closed-loop adaptation of respiration entrainment. We trained a total of eleven subject-dependent models—four with conventional BCI methods and seven with deep learning approaches—on the EEG of neurotypical (n=5) and ASD (n=8) participants performing alternating blocks of mental arithmetic stress induction, guided and unguided breathing. We propose a multiclass two-layer LSTM RNN deep learning classifier capable of identifying anxious states from ongoing EEG with an overall accuracy of 93.27%. Our study is the first to successfully apply an LSTM RNN classifier to identify anxious states from EEG in both neurotypical adolescents and adolescents with ASD.
Long Non-Coding RNA MPNCR is a Negative Regulator of Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cell Proliferation
Authors: Wang Lixian , Zhang Yuelang , Liu Lihua , Li Fang , Zhang Xiaolan , Zhang Weidong , Khatib Hasan , Wang Xin
Published: November 2020

BackgroundNumerous studies have reported that many long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may play multiple essential roles during mammary gland development; however, little is known about their functions and regulatory mechanism.ResultsIn this study, we confirmed a novel lncRNA, MPNCR, that was highly expressed during lactation compared to the dry period in dairy cattle. The potential biological and regulatory functions of MPNCR were explored in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). The MTT and EdU assays revealed that lncRNA MPNCR significantly suppressed cell viability and proliferation of BMECs. The subcellular localization indicated that MPNCR had a potential function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to regulate the proliferation of BMECs. Bioinformatics analysis showed that lncRNA MPNCR had two binding sites for miR-31, further confirmed by the dual-luciferase report assay. The RT-qPCR result showed that the expression of miR-31 was downregulated following the overexpression of MPNCR in BMECs. Furthermore, the expression of MPNCR was significantly inhibited by miR-31 overexpression and upregulated by miR-31 inhibition. Cell viability and proliferation were significantly suppressed or promoted with the transfection of miR-31 inhibitor or miR-31 mimic into BMECs, respectively, whereas rescue with MPNCR reduced the proliferation of BMECs. The dual-luciferase report assay showed an interaction between miR-31 and the 3' UTR of the target gene CAMK2D. RT-qPCR and western blot further showed that the expression of CAMK2D was significantly increased with the overexpression of miR-31, while its expression was significantly suppressed with the inhibition of miR-31, indicating CAMK2D was a target of miR-31.ConclusionTaken together, these results demonstrate the function and regulatory mechanism of lncRNA MPNCR on the proliferation of BMECs, and that its regulation may contribute to bovine mammary cell population management.
PCAT-1 Expression is Associated With The Prognosis in Prostate Cancer.
Authors: Li Sheng , Ruan Xiaolan , Liu Tongzu
Published: November 2020

Purpose: In the study, we aimed to estimate the prognostic significance of PCAT-1 in patients with prostate cancer (PCa).Methods: The expression of PCAT-1 in paired PCa tissues and normal controls was examined via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The influence of PCAT-1 level on clinical features was assessed using Chi-square test. The survival curves were plotted to estimate the prognosis of patients. And the Cox analysis was carried out to find promising predictive factors for patients.Results: The expression level of PCAT-1 in PCa tissues was significantly elevated compared with the adjacent normal control (P<0.0001). The increased expression of PCAT-1 was affected by high Gleason score (P=0.017), positive serum PSA (P=0.011) and advanced TNM stage (P=0.003). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the overall survival rate of patients with high PCAT-1 expression was significantly lower than those with low PCAT-1 expression (P<0.001). Both univariate analysis (P=0.000, HR=10.623, 95%CI=5.798-19.464) and multivariate Cox regression analysis (P=0.000, HR=10.996, 95%CI=5.896-20.507) revealed that PCAT-1 could act as a prognostic biomarker for PCa patients.Conclusion: Taken together, overexpression of PCAT-1 is involved in PCa progression and could be a potential prognostic biomarker for PCa patients.
Reductions of Migrant Population Reduces the Number of COVID-19 Epidemic: A Case Study in China
Authors: Han Lizhen , Jia Jinzhu
Published: November 2020

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) broke out worldwide in 2020. The purpose of this paper was to find out the impact of migrant population on the epidemic, aiming to provide data support and suggestions for control measures in various epidemic areas. Methods: Generalized additive model was utilized to model the relationship between migrant population and the cumulative number of confirmed cases of COVID-19. The difference of spatial distribution was analyzed through spatial autocorrelation and hot spot analysis. Results: Generalized additive model demonstrated that the cumulative number of confirmed cases was positively correlated with migration index and population density. The predictive results showed that if no travel restrictions are imposed on the migrant population as usual, the total cumulative number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 would have reached 27 483 (95% CI: 16 074, 48 097; the actual number was 23 177). The increase in one city (Jian) would be 577.23% (95% CI: 322.73%, 972.73%) compared to the real confirmed cases of COVID-19. The average increase in 73 cities was 85.53% (95% CI: 19.53%, 189.81%). Among the migration destinations, the number of cases in cities of Hubei province, Chongqing and Beijing was relatively high, and there were large-scale high-prevalence clusters in eastern Hubei province. Meanwhile, without restrictions on migration, the high prevalence areas in Hubei province and its surrounding areas will be further expanded. Conclusions: The reduced population mobility and population density can greatly slow down the spread of the epidemic. All epidemic areas should suspend the transportation between cities, comprehensively and strictly control the population travel and decrease the population density, so as to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
An Efficient System for Intestinal On-site Butyrate Production Using Novel Microbiome-Derived Esterases
Authors: Jung Dah Hyun , Yong Ji Hyun , Hwang Wontae , Yoon Sang Sun
Published: November 2020

Short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate, play beneficial roles in sustaining gastrointestinal health. However, due to limitations associated with direct consumption of butyrate, there has been interest in using prodrugs of butyrate. Tributyrin (TB), a triglyceride composed of three butyrate molecules and a glycerol, is a well-studied precursor of butyrate. We screened a metagenome library consisting of 5,760 bacterial artificial chromosome clones, with DNA inserts originating from mouse microbiomes, and identified two clones that efficiently hydrolyse TB into butyrate. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicated that inserts in these two clones are derived from unknown microbes. BLASTp analysis, however, revealed that each insert contains a gene homologous to acetylesterase or esterase genes, from Clostridium spp. and Bacteroides spp., respectively. Predicted structures of these two proteins both contain serine-histidine-aspartate catalytic triad, highly conserved in the family of esterases. Escherichia coli host expressing each of the two candidate genes invariably produced greater amounts of butyrate in the presence of TB. Importantly, administration of TB together with cloned Escherichia coli cells alleviated inflammatory symptoms in a mouse model of acute colitis. Based on these results, we established an efficient on-site and real-time butyrate production system that releases butyrate in a controlled manner inside the intestine.
Effect of Xuezhikang Combined with Rosuvastatin on Lipid Regulation in Patients with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Real-World Study
Authors: Zhang Liyan , Chen Tong , Zhang Lifang , Xue Zhuyu , Guo Xiaozi , Ding Wei , Zhang Xuejuan
Published: November 2020

Background Lipid control in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease(ASCVD)patients has always been a focus, and the combination of lipid-regulating drugs has become a major trend. To evaluate the effects of Xuezhikang combined with rosuvastatin on the degree, time, rate and safety of lipid regulation in ASCVD patients.Methods ASCVD patients were randomly divided into Xuezhikang group(group A),rosuvastatin group(group B)and combination group(groupC). Plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density liptein cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured at various points of observation even the side effects were monitored. Compared carotid intima-media thickness (IMT),Crouse score,plaque stability before and after treatment and calculated the LDL-C success rate. Use appropriate statistical descriptions and analyses based on data characteristics.Results Except HDL-C,TC,TG and LDL-C decreased.There were differences in the regulation of TC and LDL-C among the three groups.The effect of group C on reducing TC was similar to group B and better than group A(PA:B＜0.001,PA：C＜0.001,PB:C=0.175).The effects of reducing LDL-C in group C, group B, and group A decreased successively (PA:B=0.001,PA：C＜0.001,PB:C=0.014).After treatment between groups IMT, Crouse score, plaque stability are improved. The time of reaching the standard of LDL-C in the group C was earlier than that in the group A and group B(PA:B=0.824,PA:C=0.030,PB:C=0.011) and all treatment groups were safe and reliable(p=0.799,p＞0.05).Conclusion Xuezhikang combined with rosuvastatin can significantly reduce plasma TC,TG and LDL-C in ASCVD patients which shorten the time for plasma LDL-C to reach the standard and improve the success rate with both medication safety and the ability to stabilize plaque. It provides a new choice for the combination of lipid-regulating drugs.
Metabolic profiling reveals interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody treatment ameliorate lipids metabolism with the potentiality to reduce cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients
Authors: Han Cao , Shengmin Su , Qi Yang , Yunchen Le , Lihong Chen , Mengyan Hu , Xiaoyu Guo , Jie Zheng , Xia Li , Yu Yunqiu
Published: November 2020

Background: Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with the overproduction of interleukin-17A. It has been reported that psoriasis patients had an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Ixekizumab is a humanized IgG4-κ monoclonal antibody which has shown efficacy in psoriasis patients. Although the pathogenesis in psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases have a remarkable resemblance, the underlying mechanism of two diseases and the possibility of IL-17A monoclonal antibody in the amelioration of cardiovascular comorbidities remains unclear.Methods: Serum samples of two study cohorts including 117 individuals were analyzed using high throughput UHPLC-MS platform. Non-target metabolic profiling analysis was firstly conducted between healthy people, psoriasis patients and Ixekizumab treated patients in study cohort 1. The second study cohort was additionally recruited to validate the correlation of the identified metabolites and cardiovascular diseases. Results: A total of 43 differential metabolites including lysophospholipids, acyl-carnitines and dicarboxylic acids were accurately identified in study cohort 1, which showed impaired lipids metabolism in psoriasis patients. Results of the study cohort 2 largely conform to the previous observations in study cohort 1. Moreover, all identified LPCs levels were higher in psoriasis patients with coronary heart diseases compared with psoriasis patients. It was worth noting that most of these lipidic changes were ameliorated after receiving Ixekizumab treatment.Conclusion: In this non-target metabolic analysis, we found the treatment of IL-17A monoclonal antibody not only can ameliorate the lesions of psoriasis, but also restore the dysregulated lipids metabolism to normal in psoriasis patients. Considering dysregulated lipids metabolism has been regarded as the critical factor in cardiovascular diseases, the recovery of lipidic metabolites in psoriasis patients indicated that IL-17A mAb might have the potential protective effect on cardiovascular comorbidities.
Estimating carbon fixation potential of fallow weeds in rice cropping systems
Authors: Huang Min , Chen Ge , Cao Fangbo , Chen Jiana
Published: November 2020

Fallow weeds are more and more common in Chinese rice cropping systems, but are always excluded in studies of vegetative carbon (C) sinks. This study aimed to evaluate the C fixation potential of fallow weeds in rice cropping systems. A six-region, two-year on-farm investigation and a three-year tillage experiment were conducted to estimate C fixation in fallow weeds in rice cropping systems. The on-farm investigation showed that the average mean C fixation in fallow weeds across six regions and two years reached 112 g m–2. The tillage experiment indicated that no-tillage practices increased C fixation in fallow weeds by 80% on average as compared with conventional tillage. The results of this study not only contribute to an understanding of C fixation potential of fallow weeds in rice cropping systems, but also provide a reference for including fallow weeds in the estimation of vegetative C sink. Further investigations are required to determine the effect of C input from fallow weeds on C balance of rice paddies in order to comprehensively evaluate the role of fallow weeds in C cycling in rice cropping systems.
Post-Crash Trauma Care: First-Responder Training for the Traffic Police in Makwanpur, Nepal; A Pre and Post-Intervention Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Smart Gary , Banstola Amrit , Raut Raju , Ghimire Krishna Prasad , Joshi Elisha , Joshi Sunil , Mytton Julie
Published: November 2020

BackgroundThe World Health Organisation has estimated Nepal's road traffic fatality rate as one of the highest in South-East Asia. Road-crashes are the 7th leading cause of mortality in Nepal, but there is currently a lack of nationwide emergency medical services. We developed, designed and evaluated the feasibility of a first responder training programme for the traffic police in Nepal.Methods39 traffic police officers in Makwanpur District participated in the study and 29 attended the 3-day first response course. A training needs assessment survey was conducted with participants prior to course design. A knowledge and confidence pre-test was followed-up by post-testing. Participants were supplied with a trauma-pack and asked to complete a report form when first-responder skills were used. Post-testing and follow-up survey were conducted at 6-months which explored experiences of applying first response skills.ResultsPre-course needs assessment showed that 97% of the participants believed that giving first-aid was their responsibility;95% had experience of transporting road-crash victims to hospital with a range of injuries. Low levels of first-aid training and a lack of standardisation were reported. Knowledge and confidence levels were low in pre-test. Post-test knowledge scores improved by 40% to 75%. Confidence levels improved post-course but were reduced at 6-months. In the 6-month study period, participants attended 303 road-crashes. 44% of the participants had used at least one first-response skill from the course; applying skills on 92 occasions, though incident report-forms were frequently not completed. ConclusionsDelivering a first-response programme for the traffic-police is feasible. Knowledge could be retained and used, and skills were in frequent demand. Barriers to providing treatment included; patient already en-route to hospital; resistance from relatives or bystanders and competing police duties. Further studies will need to reinforce the need to capture the use of incident report forms when first responder skills are applied. It is feasible practically and financially to extend the training to cover other districts/all of Nepal as a low-cost measure to combat road traffic injury in the absence of formal emergency medical services.
Finite Element Simulation Technique for Evaluation of Opening Stresses Under High Plasticity
Authors: Rashid Ans Al , Imran Ramsha , Khalid Muhammad Yasir
Published: November 2020

The mechanical behavior of materials plays a vital role in the structural performance of designed structures. Therefore, significant resources are devoted globally towards experimental characterization of material behavior, especially for the experiments requiring particular protocols. Contrary, finite element analysis tools have made a substantial contribution to the design of structural elements, which could conserve a significant amount of resources and material wastage. Evaluation of fatigue life of materials is necessary to predict the life expectancy of the structures precisely, and opening stress levels under fatigue loading contributes towards this evaluation. Railways serve as freight and passenger carrier transportation modes. The railway axles contribute as the primary load-carrying element; therefore, the design of railway axles and the study of their mechanical behavior under repeated loading is vital. In this study, the authors present a finite element simulation technique to evaluate the opening stress levels for two structural steels subjected to low cycle fatigue. The finite element analysis (FEA) model was designed and validated following the simulation of fatigue crack propagation under high plasticity conditions. Numerical simulation results were compared with the experimental results obtained earlier through the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. To conclude, FEA could be a useful tool to predict crack closure phenomena and, ultimately, the fatigue life of components. However, researchers need to establish more sophisticated numerical tools for more precise results in case of high plasticity conditions near the crack tip.
Investigation of mechanical and micro structural properties of ST14 steel sheet joints by friction stir welding process
Authors: Afshari Mahmoud , Foroushani Hossein Norozi , Rad Ehsan Salahshour , Far Iraj Sattari , Alavi Amirhossein
Published: November 2020

High strength and ductility are considered as the superior features of ST14 steel, which have resulted in the extensive usage of this material in the automotive and aerospace industries. Friction stir welding (FSW) is one of the new methods of solid-state welding with preferable mechanical properties for joining steel components. In this study, the mechanical and microstructural properties of 1.5 mm thick ST14 steel sheets in FSW process are investigated. The results revealed the highest tensile strength of 305 MPa for the welded specimen at the rotational speed of 800 rpm and linear speed of 80 mm/min. In addition, higher separation rate of the tungsten carbide particles from the tool as a result of higher heat input to the piece was realized from the metallographic test with the use of sample with rotational speed of 1000 rpm and linear speed of 50 mm/min. Moreover, regarding the results of micro hardness test, an increased hardness to 115\(\pm\)1 HV in the stirred zone (SZ) was acquired in this sample. Furthermore, the presence of the tungsten carbide particles were observed in this area.
WITHDRAWN: A Comparison of International and National References to the Prevalence of Stunting in Pakistani School-age Girls
Authors: Karim Asima , Qaisar Rizwan
Published: November 2020

Background: Epidemiology of stunting in <5 years old is well characterized, however its prevalence in adolescence is inconsistent in different geographical locations. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of stunting in schoolgirls of Punjab, Pakistan according to international and national references, to standardize references and devise strategies to combat stunting in adolescent girls of Punjab, Pakistan.Methods: In this population wide cross-sectional study, 10,050 schoolgirls aged 8-16 years from 12 different districts of northern, central and southern Punjab were analysed. Prevalence of stunting was calculated by applying Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organisation (WHO) height-for-age references and the national reference for study population. We used Cohen’s kappa statistics to analyse agreement of our data with reference values and chi square test was used as the test of trend.Results: Marked overestimation of prevalence of stunting was observed (22.72% and 17.49% according to CDC and WHO respectively) in comparison to local reference (4.94%). There was an increasing trend of prevalence of stunting with higher age according to CDC and WHO references; however, data was comparable across all the age groups when local references were applied.Conclusion: We recommend that prevalence of stunting in school-age girls should be determined by applying local height reference rather than international ones to plan health strategies and treatments in local population.
Detection of Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Plasma from Patients with Solid Cancer
Authors: Vitale Silvia R. , Helmijr Jean A. , Gerritsen Marjolein , Coban Hicret , Dessel Lisanne F. van , Beije Nick , Vlugt-Daane Michelle van der , Vigneri Paolo , Sieuwerts Anieta , Dits Natasja , Royen Martin E. van , Jenster Guido , Sleijfer Stefan , Lolkema Martijn , Martens John W.M. , jansen maurice
Published: November 2020

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are actively secreted by cells into body fluids and contain nucleic acids of the cells they originate from. The goal of this study was to detect circulating tumor-derived EVs (ctEVs) by mutant mRNA transcripts (EV-RNA) in plasma of patients with solid cancers and compare the occurrence of ctEVs with circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Methods: For this purpose, blood from 20 patients and 15 healthy blood donors (HBDs) was collected in different preservation tubes (EDTA, BCT, CellSave) and processed into plasma within 24 hours from venipuncture. EVs were isolated with the ExoEasy protocol from this plasma and from conditioned medium of 6 cancer cell lines and characterized according to MISEV2018-guidelines. RNA from EVs was isolated with the ExoRNeasy protocol and evaluated for transcript expression levels of 96 genes by RT-qPCR and genotyped by digital PCR. Results: Our workflow applied on cell lines revealed a high concordance between cellular mRNA and EV-RNA in expression levels as well as variant allele frequencies for PIK3CA, KRAS and BRAF. Plasma CD9-positive EV and GAPDH EV-RNA levels were significantly different between the preservation tubes. The workflow detected only ctEVs with mutant transcripts in plasma of patients with high amounts (>20%) of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Expression profiling showed that the EVs from patients resemble more healthy donors than tumor cell lines supporting that EVs are mostly derived from healthy tissue. Conclusions: We provide a workflow for ctEV detection by spin column-based generic isolation of EVs and PCR-based measurement of gene expression and mutant transcripts in EV-RNA derived from cancer patients’ blood plasma. This workflow, however, detected tumor-specific mutations in blood less often in EV-RNA than in cfDNA.
GNA14 Stimulation of KLF7 Promotes Malignant Growth of Endometrial Cancer Through Upregulation of HAS2
Authors: Wang Jing , Teng Fei , Chai Hongxia , Zhang Caixia , Liang Xiaolei , Yang Yongxiu
Published: November 2020

Background: Endometrial cancer (UCEC) is one of the most common gynecological malignancies. We previously found that G protein α subunit 14 (GNA14) was highly expressed in UCEC tissues and functioned as oncogene. Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are transcription factors and play important roles in cancer development. However, the connection between GNA14 and KLF7 in UCEC are unclear. We herein explored the role of GNA14/KLF7 in UCEC development.Methods: Clinical relevance of GNA14, KLF7 and HAS2 in UCEC was analyzed from TCGA. siRNAs were used to knock down indicated genes. Lentivirus was used to perform overexpression. mRNA and protein expression was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. CCK8, colony formation, cell cycle, apoptosis, transwell and wound healing were performed to check cell biology function in vitro. Tumor growth in nude mice was conducted to check in vivo function. RNA sequencing was used to determined dys-regulated genes.Results: We demonstrated that GNA14 upregulation of KLF7 promoted UCEC carcinogenesis through activation of hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2). Firstly, GNA14 promoted the expression KLF7 in UCEC cells. GNA14 was positively correlated with KLF7 in normal and UCEC tissues based on TCGA database. Then, loss-of-function and gain-of-function assays showed that KLF7 promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle progression, and migration of UCEC cells. Apoptosis was inhibited by KLF7. KLF7 knockdown also reduced xenografted tumor growth of UCEC cells. Furthermore, RNA sequence results showed that KLF7 regulated thousands of genes, among which HAS2 was downregulated in KLF7 knockdown cells. Based on TCGA database and immunoblotting assays, KLF7 positively regulated HAS2 in UCEC cells and tissues. Lastly, knockdown of HAS2 reversed the oncogenic role of KLF7 on UCEC cell proliferation and migration.Conclusion: Taken together, we reveal that GNA14/KLF7/HAS2 signaling cascade is a novel contributor to UCEC development.
Prediction of Fatigue Crack Growth Rate in Aircraft Aluminum Alloys Using Optimized Neural Networks
Authors: Younis Hassan Bin , Kamal Khurram , Sheikh Muhammad Fahad , Hamza Amir
Published: November 2020

In aerospace industry, Fatigue Crack Propagation pose a serious threat in designing mechanical assembly of the aircraft structures. In these structures crack growth is a problem to be handled seriously, as human life risk is concerned in addition to economic loss. Fatigue Crack Growth (FCG) Rate is the rate at which crack grows with number of cycles subjected to constant amplitude loading. Upon analyzing the curve it becomes obvious that the correlation between Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) range “DK ” with FCG rate “da/dN ” is deviating linear relationship considering region II of the curve that is also called Paris Region. Empirical formulation methods cannot deal with linearity factor satisfactorily. In contrast to the prior methods, machine learning algorithms are capable to deal with the non-linearity issue in a much better way owing to their admirable learning ability and flexible nature. In this research work Genetic Algorithm, Hill Climbing Algorithm and Simulated Annealing Algorithm based Optimized Neural Networks were utilized for prediction of FCG rate. Proposed technique was validated by testing on different aerospace aluminum alloys including 2324-T39, 7055-T7511 and 6013-T651. The least predicted MSE was 1.0559 x 10-9 achieved for aluminum alloy 6013-T651 by Simulated Annealing based optimized Neural Network. Moreover, the results demonstrate an exceptional conformity to the data conceived during experimentation process.
Insights on anaerobic digestion foaming via association between bacterial metabolism and variations in microbiota
Authors: Duan Jian-Lu , Feng Yue , Feng Li-Juan , Ma Jing-Ya , Sun Xiao-Dong , Wang Qian , Li Xiang-Yu , Xiao Fu , Xu Peng-Cheng , Tian Ru-Kang , Sun Wen-Lin , Yuan Xian-Zheng
Published: November 2020

Background: Foaming in anaerobic digesters is considered a global concern due to significant impacts on process efficiency and operational costs. Although the importance of the organic loading rate on anaerobic foaming is now widely recognized, little is known about the key bacteria among the hundreds of species inducing foaming, especially the metabolite-microbiota correlation that influences foaming in anaerobic digesters.Results: Here, we show that the organic loading rate promotes foaming and decreases the performances of bench-scale batch digesters. Metabolomics analysis revealed distinct changes in the metabolic phenotype, including mainly short-chain fatty acids and amino acids, decreasing the surface tension and inducing foaming. Furthermore, the correlation analysis revealed that Clostridium clusters were the main microbes contributing to these metabolite foaming incidents.Conclusions: We provide the foaming microbes and metabolites in anaerobic digestion. Our findings elucidate the complex formation of foaming in anaerobic digestion and provide an effective early-warning for the control of foaming in full-scale digesters.
Soil Phosphorus Availability Determines the Invasion of Rhizospheric Microbial Networks and Peanut Infection by Ralstonia
Authors: Li Pengfa , Liu Ming , Li Guilong , Liu Kai , Liu Tianshun , Wu Meng , Saleem Muhammad , Li Zhongpei
Published: November 2020

Background The soil disease-suppressiveness may depend on complex interactions between pathogens and microbiome in response to limiting nutrients. However, these interactions remain poorly understood. Thus, we investigated the significance of soil available phosphorus (AP) in modulating pathogen-microbiome interactions for the emergence or suppression of peanut wilt using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) approaches. Results We observed significant differences in the relative abundance of pathogenic and beneficial microbes, alpha- and beta-diversity indices between disease-conducive and -suppressive soils. The pathogenic ( Ralstonia) and beneficial ( Burkholderia and Bacillus ) taxa dominated the rhizosphere of wilted and healthy peanut plants. The rhizosphere of healthy rather than wilted plants showed significantly higher microbial biodiversity. Moreover, co-occurrences between Ralstonia and microbiome species were highly positive and negative in the disease-conducive and -suppressive soil, respectively, thus predicting facilitative ( Rudaea ) and suppressive ( Burkholderia , Enterobacter , Bacillus ) role of indigenous microbes in Ralstonia invasion in soil. Moreover, both ROC and SEM analyses revealed that Ralstonia invaded rhizospheric microbial networks and caused peanut wilt, very likely by competently utilizing soil phosphorus under copiotrophic (high AP) than oligotrophic (low AP) conditions. Conclusion Our results suggest the importance of soil phosphorus availability in altering the interactions between pathobiome and beneficial microbiome. Our study concludes that feeding soil with labile nutrients could deplete microbial biodiversity and interactions while paving the way for pathogen invasion.