bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial mismatch and evolution of new energy consumption, industrial structure upgrading , and carbon carrying capacity
Authors: Yang Zedong , Sun Hui , Yuan Weipeng , Xia Xuechao
Published: August 2022

Based on the spatial mismatch theory, the research analyzed the distribution pattern of new energy consumption, industrial structure upgrading, and carbon carrying capacity from 2010 to 2019 by using the ArcGIS10.8 visual expression tool, and the trajectories of the barycenter of the above three elements were analyzed by the model of the barycenter. And their spatial mismatch was analyzed using the spatial mismatch index. The findings of this study include mainly the following aspects. (1) the level of new energy consumption showed significant differences in spatial aggregation, with the barycenter shifting from south to north. The industrial structure upgrading decreased from southeast to northwest, and the barycenter presented a phased migration trajectory of first to northwest, then to the south, and then to the southwest. The carbon carrying state showed the gradual geographical evolution characteristics of the empty load, suitable basic load, suitable load, and overload from southeast to northwest, with the barycenter oscillating from southwest to northeast. (2) Provinces with the positive mismatch of new energy consumption and industrial structure upgrading and carbon carrying capacity were widely distributed, and provinces with the negative mismatch were sporadically distributed. The spatial mismatch degree of the three elements tended to expand on the whole, but the direction and magnitude of change were different. The high mismatch area showed a trend of agglomeration in eastern coastal economic circles such as the Bohai Rim, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta. More, the high mismatch area showed a trend of westward spread. (3) The contribution of province to the overall spatial mismatch decreased from eastern to western.
Potentials of Moringa stenopetala foliage as livestock feed, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Anno Guyo Demisse , Kebede Yisehak Kechero , Gebre Yoseph Mekasha , Asfaw Nebiyu Yemane
Published: August 2022

The study was carried out in three selected zones of Southern Ethiopia to assess seasonal availability, utilization practices, and livestock preferences as well as farmers' perceptions, and barriers to using M. stenopetala as livestock feed. Multi-stage sampling techniques were used to select zones, woredas, kebeles, and households. The primary data were collected using structured questionnaire, field observation, focus group discussion, and measurements. Statistical variations for categorical data were tested employing cross tabs, with significant differences at P ≤ 0.05; while the quantitative data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Mean comparisons were carried out using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. Indices were computed to provide ranking parameters. M. stenopetala tree is a major asset and considered as a milking cow and called as ‘‘a mother and dairy plant’’ that they breastfeed. The respondent farmers ranked food value (1st ) followed by income generation (2nd ) and feed value (3rd ) as major purposes of planting M. stenopetala. About 66.75% of the respondents' farmers were able to differentiate the species of M. stenopetala found in their vicinity. Accordingly, two types of M. stenopetala were identified. The production of M. stenopetala is available both in dry and wet seasons and its abundance was higher in backyard/homestead. About 48.07% and 44.75% of the respondents were supplied edible parts for cattle and goats in the form of fresh leaves and twigs, respectively. Overall, the current study demonstrated practical identification of M. stenopetala tree types and used a portion of it for ruminants to supplement nutrient scarcity in the areas. Working on the nutrition composition of edible parts of the various varieties of M. stenopetala is thus recommended in order to evaluate the variation.
Application of the game theory, on a suggested model of COVID-19 coronavirus transmission in the Kingdom of Bahrain
Authors: Al-Sayegh M. Al , Iqbal A. , Metwally N.
Published: August 2022

To control the spread of a pandemic, preventive measures such as vaccination and social distancing are used. In this contribution a suggested model is discussed by using the game theory, where a payoff function is constructed in terms of the players’ available strategies. The relative cost of each strategy determines the most appropriate strategy for people to implement. In the absence of social distancing, vaccination is chosen when its cost equals the risk of infection for non-vaccinated individuals compared to vaccinated individuals. In the absence of vaccination, social distancing is chosen when its cost equals the risk of infection when social distancing is not applied. In the case of both vaccination and social distancing, the optimal strategy is to apply vaccination regardless of its cost. Through vaccination, it is possible to create a societal immunity capable of confronting the spread of COVID-19 throughout Bahrain.
Assessment of awareness and knowledge of schistosomiasis among school-aged children (6-13 years) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Authors: Gabaake Kebabonye Priscillah , Phaladze Nthabiseng A , Lucero-Prisno Don Eliseo , Thakadu Olekae Tsompi
Published: August 2022

Background: Schistosomiasis is a global health problem affecting 250 million people, with 90% in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Botswana, the burden is high in the Okavango delta because of the water channels. WHO recommends integrated measures, including access to clean water, sanitation, health education, and drugs to control and eliminate schistosomiasis. Gauging knowledge and awareness of schistosomiasis for School-Aged Children (SAC) is crucial. Our study aimed at assessing knowledge and awareness of schistosomiasis among SAC in the Okavango delta.Methods: A cross-sectional survey assessing awareness and knowledge of schistosomiasis in schools was conducted. 480 questionnaires were administered to gather demographic profiles, awareness, and knowledge of risky behaviors. Chi-square and descriptive analysis determined the differences in SAC`s awareness and knowledge levels based on localities, gender, age, and health education. Results: The results showed a low awareness level, with only (42%) of respondents having heard about the disease and (52%) knowing its local name. Younger children from Sekondomboro (83%) and Samchima lacked awareness, while children from Mohembo (77%) and those who had health education (70%) demonstrated significant awareness levels (p≤0.001). Seventy-two percent (72%) lacked knowledge of the cause and (95%) did not know the disease life-cycle. Children from Xakao (91%), (85%) Sepopa, and (75%) of younger children did not know haematuria is a symptom of the disease. Older and SAC with health education were more likely to know that swimming is a risk factor (p≤0.001) and (p≤0.05) respectively.Conclusions and recommendations: Although respondents from four schools demonstrated some level of awareness of the disease, and knowledge of risky behaviors, the study showed a lack of in-depth knowledge on the life-cycle and cause of the diseases. We, therefore, recommend the implementation of an integrated approach to health education and improvement in access to clean water and sanitation in all study areas.
FMR1 promotes the progression of colorectal cancer cell by stabilizing EGFR mRNA in an m6A-dependent manner
Authors: Hu Yuhan , Gao Qingzu , Ma Shuai , Yu Pei , Ding Shuang , Yao Xiaofei , Zhang Zheying , Lu Shuya , Lu Manman , Zhang Jing-hang , Wang Yanling , Qian Xinlai , Zhong Jiateng
Published: August 2022

FMR1, a new m6A reader, is known to be involved in the regulation of cancer progression. However, its role, regulatory mechanism, and clinical significance in colorectal cancer (CRC) are elusive. Here, we showed that FMR1 was up-regulated in CRC, and it promoted proliferation and metastasis of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, FMR1 recognized the m6A-modification site in EGFR mRNA, a key molecule in cancer occurrence and targeted therapy, sustained its stability and maintained its expression in an m6A dependent manner, thereby promoting the tumorigenesis and metastasis of CRC. And the effect of FMR1 knockdown in CRC cells could be abolished by METTL3. Furthermore, FMR1 shRNA plasmid carried by attenuated Salmonella has an effective anti-tumor effect in vivo. Collectively, we identified the METTL3/FMR1/EGFR axis in the progression of CRC. This novel mechanism indicated that the METTL3/FMR1/EGFR axis is a potential target for early therapeutic intervention in CRC progression.
A Spherical Self-reconfigurable Modular Robot Joint with Electromechanical Connector based on Vision-guided Docking
Authors: Song Jingzhou , Wang Yun , qin ziao , Kong Fanxu
Published: August 2022

With the development of robotics, more and more different types of robotic systems appear. Among them, the modular self-reconfigurable robot is a relatively cutting-edge robot with high research value. Modular self-reconfigurable robot is a robot system composed of several unit modules connected and capable of autonomous deformation and reconfiguration. Meta-module is the basic unit and the most important component of the modular self-reconfigurable robot. Each module has complete functions such as docking, perception, motion, and control. Compared with traditional robots, our modular robots have the characteristics of free docking, deformable reconfiguration, and can be changed into different configurations to adapt to different tasks in robot applications. In this paper, we propose a spherical self-reconfigurable robot modular joint with electromechanical connector. The robot joint has three degrees of freedom and can be used as a unit module of a self-reconfigurable robot system to form self-reconfigurable robots with different configurations. An electromechanical connector with a single degree of freedom is proposed for vision-guided docking and electromechanical connection. Finally, we manufacture a self-reconfigurable robot modular joint prototype, build an experimental platform, and conduct experimental testing and performance verification on the prototype. A series of experiments on dislocation tolerance, visual inspection positioning accuracy, and bearing capacity test were carried out on the prototype of the connector to verify the feasibility of the design. In addition, a vision-guided autonomous docking test was performed to verify the overall performance of the connector.
Identification of high-reliability regions of machine learning predictions in materials science using perovskite oxides as an example
Authors: askanazi evan , Grinberg Ilya , Lazar Emanuel
Published: August 2022

Progress in the application of machine learning (ML) methods to materials design is hindered by the lack of understanding of the reliability of ML predictions, in particular for the application of ML to small data sets often found in materials science. Using ML prediction of lattice parameter, formation energy and band gap of ABO3 perovskites as an example, we demonstrate that 1) similar to the composition-structure-property relationships, inclusion in the ML training data set of materials from classes with different chemical properties will not be beneficial and will decrease the accuracy of ML prediction; 2) Reliable results likely will be obtained by ML model for narrow classes of similar materials even in the case where the ML model will show large errors on the dataset consisting of several classes of materials, and 3) materials that satisfy all well-known chemical and physical principles that make a material physically reasonable are likely to be similar and show strong relationships between the properties of interest and the standard features used in ML. We also show that analysis of ML results by construction of a convex hull in features space that encloses accurately predicted systems can be used to identify high-reliability chemically similar regions and extract physical understanding. Our results indicate that the accuracy of ML prediction may be higher than previously appreciated for the regions in which the ML model interpolates the available data, and that inclusion of physically unreasonable systems is likely to decrease ML accuracy. Our work suggests that analysis of the error distributions of ML methods will be beneficial for the further development of the application of ML methods in material science.
Comparison of Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome temporarily-associated with SARS-CoV-2 and Kawasaki Disease: Results from a nationwide German registry 2020-2021
Authors: Hufnagel Markus , Armann Jakob , Jakob André , Doenhardt Maren , Diffloth Natalie , Hospach Anton , Schneider Dominik T , Trotter Andreas , Roessler Martin , Schmitt Jochen , Berner Reinhard , group PIMS-DGPI working
Published: August 2022

The connection between Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS) and Kawasaki Disease (KD) is not yet fully understood. Using the same national registry, clinical features and outcome of children hospitalized in Germany, and Innsbruck (Austria) were compared. Reported to the registry were 395 PIMS and 69 KD hospitalized patients. Patient age in PIMS cases was higher than in KD cases (median 7 [IQR 4–11] vs. 3 [IQR 1–4] years). A majority of both PIMS and KD patients were male and without comorbidities. PIMS patients more frequently presented with organ dysfunction, with the gastrointestinal (80%), cardiovascular (74%), and respiratory (52%) systems being most commonly affected. By contrast, KD patients more often displayed dermatological (99% vs. 68%) and mucosal changes (94% vs. 64%), plus cervical lymph node swelling (51% vs. 34%). Intensive care admission (48% vs. 19%), pulmonary support (32% vs. 10%), and use of inotropes/vasodilators (28% vs. 3%) were higher among PIMS cases. No patients died. Upon patient discharge, potentially irreversible sequelae – mainly cardiovascular – were reported (7% PIMS vs. 12% KD). Despite differences in age distribution and disease severity, PIMS and KD cases shared many common clinical and prognostic characteristics. This supports the hypothesis that the two entities represent a syndrome continuum.
Prospects for public involvement in monitoring the post-2020 global biodiversity framework
Authors: Danielsen Finn , Ali Natasha , Andrianandrasana Herizo , Baquero Andrea , Basilius Umai , Constantino Pedro , Frederiksen Per Ole , Isaac Max , Jakobsen PâviâraK , Klimmek Helen , Mapendembe Abisha , Meng Han , Moul Katherine , Oliva Maria , Schmidt-Vogt Dietrich , Sophat Seak , Sulyandziga Rodion , Burgess Neil
Published: August 2022

The world’s countries are negotiating a post-2020 global biodiversity framework to guide biodiversity actions by governments and other actors. We assessed monitoring possibilities, ranging from scientist-driven to those undertaken by local people, for the current proposed indicators to measure progress towards goals and targets in this framework. Of the 291 indicators, 159 (55%) require monitoring by scientists, whereas 132 (45%) can involve citizens. Contrary to expectations, the potential for citizen participation is lower than for the Aichi Targets. Involving citizens and Indigenous Peoples in the collection and interpretation of environmental data can support monitoring of progress and improve conservation outcomes, as demonstrated by global community monitoring and citizen science.
Separation and identification of related substances in Candesartan cilexetil tablets by UHPLC-Q- TOF-MS
Authors: Yang Lishi , Gu Xiao , Yan Chenxiao , Tao Qiaofeng , Zhao Xinyu , Hong Liya , Zheng Jinqi
Published: August 2022

Related substances, such as process-related substances and degradation products, may affect the efficacy of drugs and cause adverse reactions. Therefore, identifying and controlling them is of the importance. A rapid ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) method has been developed for the separation and characterization of related substances in Candesartan cilexetil tablets. Chromatographic separation was achieved by using ZORBAX Eclipse XDB-C18 column (2.1 mm× 100 mm, 1.8 µm), with two mobile phases consisting of acetonitrile/water (57:43, v/v) (including 0.1% formic acid) as solvent A and acetonitrile/water (90:10, v/v) (including 0.1% formic acid) as solvent B in a gradient mode of elution. This method is applied to the separation of related substances in commercial tablets obtained from two companies. Moreover, accelerated stability studies (60℃, 90% RH and 4500lx for ten days) and forced degradation studies (acidic, alkaline, oxidative and photolytic degradation conditions) were conducted as described in ICH Q1. A total of eleven related substances (including one process-related impurity and ten degradation products) were detected. The related substances were characterized through Q-TOF fragmentation studies, and their fragmentation pathways were proposed. Among them, four related substances have not been reported in the literature yet, and one of them (RS7) was further confirmed by reference substance. In addition, plausible mechanisms for the formation of these related substances are discussed.
Effective re-vascularization of non-healing wounds by the Stromal Vascular Fraction relies on the formation of hybrid vessels between host and transplanted cells.
Authors: Zacchigna Serena , Vuerich Roman , Groppa Elena , Vodret Simone , Ring Nadja , Cauteruccio Matteo , Colliva Andrea , Simoncello Francesca , Benvenuti Federica , Stocco Chiara , Bossi Fleur , Agostinis Chiara , Agnelli Anna , Dore Franca , Palmisano Silvia , De Manzini Nicolo' , Bulla Roberta , Papa Giovanni , Mazzarol Flavia , Moretti Massimo , Paulitti Alice , Chiesa Mattia , Pompilio Giulio
Published: August 2022

With the increased prevalence of chronic diseases, non-healing wounds place a significant burden on both the quality of life of affected patients and health systems. Skin substitutes are applied to promote the closure of non-healing wounds, although their efficacy is limited by inadequate vascularization. The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from the adipose tissue has emerged as a promising therapy to overcome this limitation. Despite a few successful clinical trials, its incorporation in the clinical routine has been hampered by their inconsistent results. All these studies concluded by warranting pre-clinical work aimed at both characterizing the cell types composing the SVF and shedding light on their mechanism of action.
Here, we established a new model of non-healing wound, in which we applied the SVF in combination with a clinical grade skin substitute. First, we purified the SVF cells from transgenic animals to trace their fate after transplantation and observed that it gave rise to a mature vascular network composed of arteries, capillaries, veins, as well as lymphatics, structurally and functionally connected with the host circulation. Then we moved to a human-in-mouse model and confirmed that SVF-derived endothelial cells formed hybrid human-mouse vessels, that were stabilized by perivascular cells of both species. Also in this case, these vessels were connected with the host circulatory system and determined a 2-fold increase in tissue perfusion. Mechanistically, SVF-derived endothelial cells engrafted and expanded, directly contributing to the formation of new vessels, while a population of fibro-adipogenic progenitors stimulated the expansion of the host vasculature in a paracrine manner.
These data have important clinical implications, as they provide a steppingstone toward the reproducible and effective adoption of the SVF as a standard care for non-healing wounds.
The construction efficiency study of China National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone with network SBM model: A city-based analysis
Authors: LIU Dan , LIU Tiange , ZHENG Yuting , ZHANG Qi
Published: August 2022

The Chinese government proposed the establishment of China National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone in 2016 to further explore the coordinated development of economy and environment, and Fujian, Jiangxi and Guizhou provinces were selected as the first batch of pilot zones. After years of exploration, it is necessary to discuss and summarize the construction progress of the three pilot zones from the perspective of the city. In this study, first, the ecological civilization pilot zone construction system was decomposed into an economic construction subsystem (ECS) and an environmental optimization subsystem (EOS). Then, a two-stage network SBM model was adopted to calculate the efficiencies of the subsystems, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to measure the efficiency difference. Finally, a panel data regression model was applied to explore the influencing factors of both subsystems. The results show that the ECS efficiency is higher than that of the EOS, and the ECS efficiency in Fujian is significantly better than that in Jiangxi and Guizhou, however, there is no significant difference in EOS efficiency in the three provinces. Furthermore, industrial structure and population agglomeration have a significant effect on ECS efficiency, environmental regulation has a significant impact on EOS, and the technology level has a significant impact on both subsystems. Based on the results, policy implications for improving the efficiency of the two subsystems were given respectively.
BAP1 loss induces mitotic defects in mesothelioma cells through BRCA1-dependent and independent mechanisms
Authors: Fry Andrew , Singh Anita , Busacca Sara , Gaba Aarti , Sheaff Michael , Poile Charlotte , Nakas Apostolos , Dzialo Joanna , Bzura Aleksandra , Dawson Alan , Fennell Dean
Published: August 2022

The tumour suppressor BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) is the most frequently mutated cancer gene in mesothelioma. Here we report novel functions for BAP1 in mitotic progression highlighting the relationship between BAP1 and control of genome stability in mesothelioma cells with therapeutic implications. Depletion of BAP1 protein induced proteasome-mediated degradation of BRCA1 in mesothelioma cells while loss of BAP1 correlated with BRCA1 loss in mesothelioma patient tumour samples. BAP1 loss also led to mitotic defects that phenocopied the loss of BRCA1 including spindle assembly checkpoint failure, centrosome amplification and chromosome segregation errors. However, loss of BAP1 also led to additional mitotic changes that were not observed upon BRCA1 loss, including an increase in spindle length and enhanced growth of astral microtubules. Intriguingly, these consequences could be explained by loss of expression of the KIF18A and KIF18B kinesin motors that occurred upon depletion of BAP1 but not BRCA1, as spindle and astral microtubule defects were rescued by re-expression of KIF18A and KIF18B, respectively. We therefore propose that BAP1 inactivation causes mitotic defects through BRCA1-dependent and independent mechanisms revealing novel routes by which mesothelioma cells lacking BAP1 may acquire genome instability and exhibit altered responses to microtubule-targeted agents.
Investigation of Sleep Quality and its influencing factors in Iranian Patients with Esophageal and Gastric Cancer
Authors: Maroufi Negin , Sohrabi Masoudreza , Mehrabadi Shima , Zamani Farhad , Ajdarkosh Hossein , Hatamian Sare , Bahavar Atefeh , Tameshkel Fahimeh Safarnezhad , Gholami Ali
Published: August 2022

Sleep quality is one of the noteworthy clinical constructs, which affect physical and mental health. The main approach of this study was to investigate sleep quality and its influencing factors among patients suffering from esophageal and gastric cancer. Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was completed by 312 cancer patients aged from 18 to 93. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression was applied. The Results demonstrated that about 66% of cancer patients had poor sleep quality regardless of their cancer type and stage. Furthermore, Wealth Index (WI), chronic diseases, and marital status seemed to influence cancer patients' sleep quality. In conclusion, it may seem that paying more attention to these influencing factors will improve the sleep quality of cancer patients.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) perturbs trophoblast differentiation and invasion program through a ROS mediated pathway
Authors: Mukherjee Indrani , Singh Sunil , Biswas Subhrajit , Talukdar Joyeeta , Alqahtani Mohammed S. , Abbas Mohamed , Nag Tapas Chandra , Mridha Asit , Gupta Surabhi , Sharma Jai Bhagwan , Kumari Supriya , Dhar Ruby , Karmakar Subhradip
Published: August 2022

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor-enhancing food additive widely used in Asian cuisine. It is one of the common ingredients used in curry and other tinned food that is believed to bring out the "umami" meat flavor and enhance the savory taste of the food. It is the sodium salt of the naturally occurring amino acid Glutamate. Due to its massive consumption as part of fast-food culture along with concerns about its possible effect on health in general and pregnancy in particular, we undertook this study to address its impact on placental trophoblast cells. We investigated the effect of MSG on placental trophoblast cells. Our studies confirmed that short and long-term exposure to MSG has a profound influence on trophoblast invasion and differentiation, two of the most critical and dispensable functions during placentation. Our results showed an acute short-term MSG-treatment enhanced trophoblast invasion and cell motility along with an increased expression in trophoblast cell differentiation markers. However, a long-term chronic MSG stimulation in these cell types showed an opposite effect with both reduced invasion and differentiation. Further, MSG-treated placental explants displayed signs of an elevated oxidative stress. These effect of MSG on trophoblast cells along with an increased ROS production indicates that short and long-term usage of MSG as part of food additive might have adverse health consequences on the fetus by compromising the trophoblast and placental function.
“I realised that, if I am dead, I cannot finish my PhD!”: A narrative ethnography of psychological capital in academia
Authors: Pretorius Lynette
Published: August 2022

Despite the increasing quantitative evidence that there is a mental health crisis in doctoral education, there is a lack of qualitative research that highlights the voices of individuals experiencing mental illness. This study highlights the experiences of a second-year PhD student as she discovers that she is mentally unwell. The participant’s experiences are interwoven with the reflections and experiences of the researcher, a doctoral educator. Through the use of narrative ethnography, this study highlights the need for doctoral educators to build an environment that fosters students’ psychological capital by helping them develop efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience. In this way, doctoral education environments can become more welcoming, compassionate, inclusive, and growth-focused. This study also demonstrates the benefits for educators of employing narrative ethnography as a methodology to improve their own pedagogical practices by better understanding their own lived experiences as well as those of their students.
Modeling the Antidepressant Treatment Response to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation using an Exponential Decay Function
Authors: Berlow Yosef A. , Zandvakili Amin , Brennan McKenna C. , Williams Leanne M. , Price Lawrence H. , Philip Noah S.
Published: August 2022

Recovery from depression often demonstrates a nonlinear pattern of treatment response, where the largest reduction in symptoms is observed early followed by smaller improvements. This study investigated whether this exponential pattern could model the antidepressant response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Symptom ratings from 97 patients treated with TMS for depression were collected at baseline and after every five sessions. A nonlinear mixed-effects model was constructed using an exponential decay function. This model was also applied to group-level data from several published clinical trials of TMS for treatment-resistant depression. These nonlinear models were compared to corresponding linear models. In our clinical sample, response to TMS was well modeled with the exponential decay function, yielding significant estimates for all parameters and demonstrating superior fit compared to a linear model. Similarly, when applied to multiple studies comparing TMS modalities as well as to previously identified treatment response trajectories, the exponential decay models yielded consistently better fits compared to linear models. These results demonstrate that the antidepressant response to TMS follows a nonlinear pattern of improvement that is well modeled with an exponential decay function. This modeling offers a simple and useful framework to inform clinical decisions and future studies.
Response of Canopy Photosynthesis, Grain Quality and Harvest Index of Wheat to Different Nitrogen Application Methods
Authors: Zhang Xiangqian , Du Shizhou , Xu Yunji , Qiao Yuqiang , Cao Chengfu , Li Wei
Published: August 2022

To fully explore the effects of N on enhancing photosynthesis, grain quality and yield of wheat, experiments with four nitrogen levels 0 (N0), 120 (N1), 180 (N2) and 240 (N3) kg N ha− 1 and four ratios of basal to topdressing R0 (0:0), R1 (7:3), R2 (6:4) and R3 (5:5) were conducted. The effect of N topdressing ratio on improving leaf area of photosynthetic efficiency was insignificant under the same N level. The effect of N fertilization level on increasing chlorophyll content was more significant than that of N topdressing ratio. Within the same N level, the canopy photosynthetically active radiation in R2 was higher than that in R1 and R3, and increasing 60 kg N ha− 1 significantly enhanced canopy photosynthetically active radiation. The effect of N topdressing ratio on photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were consistently R2 > R3 > R1, compared to N1, N3 could significantly increase photosynthetic rate. Increasing 120 kg N ha− 1 significantly enhanced grain protein content, wet gluten and sedimentation value, while the effect of N topdressing ratio was insignificant. Increasing N application amount from 120 kg ha− 1 to 180 kg ha− 1 significantly enhanced yield, and the yields and harvest indexes in 2019, 2020 and 2021 were consistently R2 > R3 > R1. The findings suggested that the effect of increasing N application amount (60 kg ha− 1) was more obviously than that of N topdressing ratio, and R2 was more conducive to improving canopy photosynthesis, grain quality, yield and harvest index.
Safety and efficacy of Pucotenlimab (HX008) - a Humanized Immunoglobulin G4 Monoclonal Antibody in patients with locally advanced or metastatic melanoma: a single-arm, multicenter, phase II study
Authors: Cui Chuanliang , Chen Yu , Luo Zhiguo , Zou Zhengyun , Jiang Yu , Pan Hongming , Fan Qingxia , Zhao Jianfu , Xu Qing , Jiang Renbing , Wang Xuan , Ma Taiyang , Guo Zhen , Si Lu , Chi Zhihong , Sheng Xinan , Dou Yiwei , Tan Qian , Wu Di , Guo Jun
Published: August 2022

Background: Pucotenlimab is a novel recombinant humanized anti-PD-1 (Programmed death-1) monoclonal antibody, which belongs to the human IgG4/kappa subtype, and can selectively block the binding of PD-1 with its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2.Methods: In this phase 2 trial, patients with locally advanced or metastatic melanoma who had failed conventional treatment were recruited. The patients were administrated with Pucotenlimab of 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or treatment discontinuation for any other reasons. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR). The secondary endpoints were disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity.Results: One-hundred and nineteen patients were enrolled and followed up for 19.32 (ranging from 15.901 to 24.608) months by the cutoff date of July 30th, 2021. The ORR was 20.17% (24/119, 95% CI, 13.370%-28.506%) based on both independent review committee (IRC) and the investigator’s assessment per RECIST v1.1. The median PFS were 2.89 (95% CI, 2.037-4.074) months and 2.46 (95% CI, 2.004-4.008) months based on IRC and investigator’s assessment, respectively, per RECIST v1.1. The median OS was 16.59 (95% CI, 13.963-26.973) months. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 77.3% (92/119) of the patients. The incidence of Grade ≥3 TRAEs was 15.1% (18/119). In addition, none of the patients died because of TRAEs. As for biomarker analysis, Eotaxin (CCL11) and MCP-1 (CCL2) were related to treatment response, while TNF-α and VEGF were related to treatment failure.Conclusions: Pucotenlimab as a ≥2nd line therapy showed promising efficacy and tolerable toxicity for patients with locally advanced or metastatic melanoma.Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT04749485 (registered retrospectively on 11/02/2021)
College Competitiveness and Medical School Exam Performance
Authors: Levy Joshua , Kausar Hiba , Patel Deepal , Andersen Shaun , Simanton Edward
Published: August 2022

Background: In medical school, students are tested through periodic USMLE Step 1 and 2 examinations before obtaining a medical license. Traditional predictors of medical school performance include MCAT scores, undergraduate grades, and undergraduate institutional selectivity. Prior studies indicate that admissions committees might unfairly discriminate against applicants who graduated from less competitive universities. However, there is limited literature to determine whether those who attended competitive colleges perform better on USMLE Step 1 and 2 examinations. Objective: The purpose of our study is to determine if students who attended competitive undergraduate colleges outperform those who did not on medical school benchmarks. Methods: We defined a Competitive College as having greater than 10% of its student body scoring 1400 or higher (on a 1600 scale) on the SAT. If this criterion was not met, colleges would be categorized as Non-Competitive. Descriptive statistics and unpaired t-tests were calculated to analyze average test scores on the MCAT, Phase 1 NBME, USMLE Step 1, Phase 2 NBME, and USMLE Step 2. Results: Our findings suggest there are no statistically significant differences between students who do or do not attend competitive undergraduate colleges on these medical school benchmark examinations following the MCAT. Additionally, students who do not attend competitive undergraduate colleges may outperform their counterparts on USMLE Step 2. Conclusions: Admissions committees should use this data to aid in their student selection as our research indicates that institutional selectivity accurately predicts MCAT scores, but not performance on standardized medical school examinations once admitted.
Prevalence and Pattern of Mask Use and Its Relation to Morbidity and Mortality of Covid-19 in Tabriz City
Authors: Daraee Neda , Sarbakhsh Parvin , Akbari Hossein , Dorosti Abbasali , Mohammadpoorasl Asghar
Published: August 2022

Background: Using personal protective equipment, including masks, is one of the most important ways to prevent coronavirus. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and pattern of mask use and its relation to morbidity and mortality of Covid-19 in different area of Tabriz city.Methods: In this population-based study 6,600 pedestrians were selected by multi-stage proportional sampling method in 9 areas of Tabriz in 2021 in Tabriz. The data was collected using the observation method. For each subject, gender, approximate age, mask usage, type of mask and correct or incorrect use were recorded. The data of morbidity and mortality of Covid-19 for six months (from 21 March 2021 to 22 September 2021) were obtained from Integrated Syndromic Surveillance System (ISSS). Results: The overall prevalence rate of facial mask use was 56.8% (95% CI: 55.56 – 57.95). Out of 3421 men, 1599 (46.7%; 95%CI: 45.1-48.4) and out of 3179 women, 2147 (67.5%; 95%CI: 65.9-69.2) were use face mask (P<0.001). The correlation of prevalence of mask use and morbidity(r=0.375, P=0.320) and mortality (r=0.219, P=0.571) were not statistically significant. Conclusion: We conclude that the use of face masks in Tabriz is relatively low, especially among males and young people. There was no significant relationship was observed between the use of the mask in pedestrians, morbidity and mortality due to covid-19.
Impact of Health Financing on Maternal Mortality in Zimbabwe (2010-2019)
Authors: Nyabani Prosper
Published: August 2022

Background
Maternal mortality Ratio (MMR) is an important sentinel indicator of health of a nation and a proxy for women’s health in any nation. MMR remains high in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), Zimbabwe included and various factors has been postulated to explain this phenomenon. Research on the effect of health care financing on MMR in Africa shows varied results across nations. As such it is imperative to conduct robust empirical analysis of the determinants of MMR in Zimbabwe.
Methods
This paper attempts to ascertain the effects of health care financing on MMR in Zimbabwe using the ordinary least square (OLS) regression model, utilising data from the World Bank, for the period 2010 to 2019.
Discussion
This study found that government health expenditure and out of pocket expenditure were significant predictors of MMR, whereas external health expenditure was not found to be statistically significant in influencing MMR. The model had high explanatory power, with R-squared of 0.972 and high predictive power, with R-squared adjusted 0.958 at 5% significance level. This study found that 97, 2% of variation in maternal mortality is explained by government expenditure on health per capita, out of pocket expenditure and external health expenditure. Further, government health expenditure had a positive effect on MMR whereas out of pocket expenditure was found to have a negative impact on MMR at 5% level of significance. As such this study shows that a unit change in maternal mortality is explained by a 0.02 unit drop in government health per capita expenditure, ceteris paribus. Additionally, a unit change in maternal mortality corresponds to a 3.1 unit change in out of pocket per capita expenditure, holding other things constant. However, external health funding was not found to be significant in affecting MMR.
Conclusions
To ensure attainment of SGD3 of good health and wellbeing, this study infers that increased governemnt health financing and reduced out of pocket expenditure reduces MMR. As such it is imperative for Government of Zimbabwe to explore innovative domestic health financing, such as sin tax could expand the fiscal space and scale up financial risk protection efforts such as mandatory health insurance could be explored. This will address the challenge posed by user fees at the point of accessing health care, which are fuelling out of pocket expenditure (OOP), and increase access to institutional delivery attended by skilled and trained health workers, thus contribute to the significant reduction of MMR.
Factors associated with overall survival, progression-free survival and toxicity in patients with small cell lung cancer and thoracic irradiation in a clinical real-world setting
Authors: Kassik Marie-Theres , Vordermark Dirk , Medenwald Daniel
Published: August 2022

BackgroundSmall-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a malignant tumor known for its poor prognosis. In addition to chemotherapy and immunotherapy irradiation plays a big role especially in inoperability. This study evaluated prognostic factors in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), receiving chemotherapy and thoracic irradiation, that may affect overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicity.MethodsPatients with limited disease (LD) SCLC (n = 57) and extensive disease (ED) SCLC (n = 69) who received thoracic radiotherapy were analyzed retrospectively. The prognostic factors sex, age, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), tumor-, nodal-stage and timepoint of start of irradiation in relation to the first cycle of chemotherapy were evaluated. Start of irradiation was stratified as early (≤ 2 cycles of chemotherapy), late (3 or 4 cycles) and very late (≥ 5 cycles). Results were analyzed by Cox univariate and multivariate as well as logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe median OS of LD-SCLC patients was 23.7 months in early, and 22.0 months in late start of irradiation. In very late start, median OS was not reached. PFS was 11.8, 15.2 and 47.9 months, respectively. In patients with ED-SCLC OS was 4.3 months in early, 13.0 months in late and 12.2 months in very late start of irradiation. PFS was 6.7, 13.0 and 12.2 months, respectively. Prognosis of patients with LD- or ED-SCLC receiving late or very late start of irradiation was significantly prolonged in OS and PFS compared to an early start (p < 0.05). KPS ≥ 80 shows a significant increase of OS and PFS in ED-SCLC. Female sex and smaller mean lung dose were associated with lower risk of toxicity.ConclusionLate or very late start of irradiation is a prognosis-enhancing factor in LD-SCLC and ED-SCLC for OS and PFS. KPS ≥ 80 increases prognosis of OS and PFS in ED-SCLC as well. Toxicity is less common in female sex and patients with low mean lung dose in LD-SCLC.
Diagnostic model of Kawasaki disease constructed by a novel feature selection strategy from comprehensive sets of transcriptomic data
Authors: Yujiao Ye , Xuehong Ji , Guixia Li , Yuanli Wang , Xianmin Wang
Published: August 2022

The etiology of Kawasaki disease is unknown, and the lack of specific markers and diagnostic models makes the diagnosis of some cases difficult. In this study, we use bioinformatics methods with better stability and discrimination ability to identify Kawasaki disease-related characteristic genes, mine potential pathogenic and diagnostic markers of Kawasaki disease, and build a Kawasaki disease diagnostic model. A bioinformatics analysis based on publicly accessible microarray data was performed. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between patients with KD and healthy controls were identified firstly. Functional enrichment analysis of biological process and signaling pathway for the DEGs was then carried out, followed by construction of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Then, a KD diagnosis model based on recursive feature elimination of support vector machines (RFE-SVM) and general gradient boosting model (GBM) was constructed, and its diagnostic effect was verified. The diagnostic model constructed by this method has a very high diagnostic performance (99.6%), and the single-gene diagnostic performance of the 9 candidate diagnosis-related genes screened out shows high AUC values (the lowest 89%) in both the training set and the test set. This method has high stability and accuracy in screening specific diagnosis-related genes.
Cognitive aging and categorical representations in visual working memory
Authors: Zhou Cherie , Lorist Monicque M.
Published: August 2022

A traditional view on cognitive aging is that visual working memory (VWM) capacity declines in older adults. Recent work has shown that visual information can be stored in VWM in different forms of representations. Specifically, VWM becomes more reliant on categorical representations as compared to continuous representations as memory load increases. Here, we replicated these findings and tested whether this holds for older adults. Participants memorized one to four colors; after a delay, an arrow pointed at the location of the color that needed to be reported. We used an extended mixture model to examine the extent to which memory responses were biased in the direction of the category prototypes. Our results showed that for both younger and older adults, VWM became more biased towards category prototypes with increasing memory load. Importantly, we found no difference in the extent to which VWM was biased towards category prototypes between younger and older adults. However, older adults showed an overall lower precision as compared to younger adults. Taken together, our results demonstrated that both younger and older adults became more reliant on categorical representations with increasing memory load; importantly, the extent to which categorical representations were involved in maintaining VWM information was insensitive to age.
Identification of key genes associated with cell cycle in ER+ breast cancer by bioinformatic analysis
Authors: Wang Zi , Zhao Meng , Yan Ran , Ren Li
Published: August 2022

This study aims to screen crucial genes associated with cell cycle in ER+ breast cancer through analyzing TCGA-BRCA, GSE45827 and GSE42568 datasets. Based on the screening of the differentially expressed genes, pathway enrichment was performed by pathfindR. Then we found five shared enriched pathways existing across all datasets, including Cell cycle, Fanconi anemia pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway and Ras signaling pathway. Up-regulated genes associated with cell-cycle control system are more likely to be therapeutic targets for breast cancer treatment. We overlapped the up-regulated genes involved in cell-cycle regulation in each dataset, resulting in identification of the 16 key genes strongly connected to cell cycle. PPI was constructed and then hub genes were predicted, including BUB1B, BUB3, MCM4, MAD2L1, ESPL1, CDC7, PTTG1, TTK, CCND1 and CCNB2. Expressions of the hub genes were associated with short relapse-free survival for ER+ breast cancer. Taken together, we identified the hub genes associated with cell cycle in ER+ breast cancer and they may be effective biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Comparison of IDA and multicomponent IDA-based fragility analysis
Authors: Soltani Mohsen , Amirabadi Rouhollah , Sharifi Mahdi
Published: August 2022

The results of the fragility analysis of important structures depend on the accuracy of structural analysis. Incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) and multicomponent IDA (MIDA) are commonly-used structural analysis methods for the seismic assessment of structures. The present paper aims to evaluate the seismic performance of a structure with high seismic vulnerability using IDA and MIDA-based fragility analysis. A numerical model was used to model a typical wharf. Next, Pushover analysis, IDA, and MIDA along randomly-selected incident angles were performed. The results of each analysis were converted to a response surface by extrapolation. The response surface presented the zones, which included the critical responses. The difference between the response surface of MIDA and IDA at the global instability was approximately 38%. Further, the fragility surfaces of IDA and MIDA results were developed. The critical zones presented by MIDA and IDA fragility surfaces were not identical, particularly at the serviceability limit state. There was a difference of 11% and 20% between MIDA and IDA fragility surfaces, where the responses exceeded the reparability and near collapse limit state, respectively. The results showed that implementing the developed form of IDA (MIDA) could optimize the input data of fragility analysis for structures with high seismic vulnerability.