bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bionic-inspired Construction of Zn(4,4'-dipy)(OAc)2/Bacterial Cellulose Composite Membrane for Efficient Separation Synergistically Adsorption of Nitrogen and Phosphorus
Authors: Zheng Xudong , Sun Wen , Wei Ning , Bian Tingting , Zhang Yi , Li Lingli , Zhang Yuzhe , Li Zhongyu , Ou Hongxiang
Published: March 2021

Phosphorus and nitrogen flow to water leads to eutrophication and depletion of reserves. Bionic-inspired tannin modification is proposed for preparing a tannin-modified La-Zn(4,4'-dipy)(OAc)2/bacterial cellulose composite membrane for simultaneous adsorption of total phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen in water. Its physical and chemical properties were characterized by XRD, SEM, FT-IR, TGA and other characterization. La-Zn(4,4'-dipy)(OAc)2 nanomaterial achieved effective adhesion on the tannin-modified bacterial cellulose membrane. Adsorption experiments showed that the composite membrane can both adsorb total phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen, and adsorption capacity of ammonia nitrogen is better than that of total phosphorus. The maximum adsorption capacities of ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus are 482.35 mg/g and 374.71 mg/g. In the binary solution, the adsorption capacity of the composite membrane to ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus decreased, but the adsorption capacity to phosphorus decreased slightly. Results of adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption process of nitrogen and phosphorus by the composite membrane belongs to single-layer adsorption, and the calculation results of the kinetic equation are in accordance with the quasi-second-order, and the adsorption equilibrium of the composite membrane was reached within 360 min. In short, the composite membrane has a better adsorption and separation effect both on ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus.
Nucleoside Transporter-guided Cytarabine Conjugated Liposomes for Intracellular Methotrexate Delivery and Cooperative Choriocarcinoma Therapy
Authors: Fei Weidong , Zhao Yunchun , Wu Xiaodong , Sun Dongli , Yao Yao , Wang Fengmei , Zhang Meng , Li Chaoqun , Qin Jiale , Zheng Caihong
Published: March 2021

The gestational trophoblastic tumor seriously endangers child productive needs and the health of women in childbearing age. Nanodrug-based therapy mediated by transporters provides novel strategy for the treatment of trophoblastic tumors. Focus on the overexpressed human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1) on the membrane of choriocarcinoma cells (JEG-3), the cytarabine (Cy, a substrate of ENT1) grafted liposome (Cy-Lipo) was introduced for targeted delivery of methotrexate (Cy-Lipo@MTX) for choriocarcinoma therapy in this study. The ENT1 has high affinity for Cy-Lipo and can mediate the endocytosis of the designed nanovehicles into JEG-3 cells. The ENT1 protein maintains its transporting function through circulation and regeneration during endocytosis. Therefore, Cy-Lipo-based formulations achieved high tumor accumulation and retention in pharmacokinetic and distribution studies. More importantly, the designed Cy-lipid conjugation exhibited a synergistic therapeutic effect on choriocarcinoma. Finally, Cy-Lipo@MTX exerts an extremely powerful anti-choriocarcinoma effect with fewer side effects. This study suggests that the overexpressed ENT1 on choriocarcinoma cells holds a great potential to be a high-efficiency target for the rational design of active targeting nanotherapeutics.
Computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation for the robust gating system design: Improved process for investment casting defects of 316L stainless steel valve housing
Authors: Ho Ming-Hsiu , Kao Yi Chen , Huang Cheng-Fu , Lee Sheng-Chan , Chan Chien-Wei , Fuh Yiin-Kuen
Published: March 2021

Defects in investment casting will inevitably reduce the lifetime and degrade the casting quality and increase manufacturing costs, accordingly. In particular, shrinkage porosity was numerically conducted, and a retained melt modulus model was implemented to analyze highly probable regions. The proposed casting schemes of gating designs are compared by quality of casting (shrinkage porosity) and practical feasibility in terms of small hole drilling machinability. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasible plan with the lowest PES (percentage of elements with shrinkage porosity) while promoting the near net shape casting with minimum machining cost and increase material usage. Virtual thermo-dynamical sensors were adopted in the simulations to indicate the impacts of different gating system of pattern assembly on the cooling gradient and direction of solidification. The best-case scenario of investment casting conditions was chosen to fabricate valve housing in an investment casting foundry. Experimental results of X-ray image differentiated nearly none of the pernicious defects that typically occurred with proposed casting, authenticating the proposed scheme's efficacy accordingly.
Cultural Adaptation of a Scalable Psychological Intervention for Burundian Refugee Adolescents in Tanzania: a Qualitative Study
Authors: Singh Aneeha , Nemiro Ashley , Malik Aiysha , Guimond Marie-France , Nduwimana Estella , Likindikoki Samuel , Annan Jeannie , Tol Wietse A.
Published: March 2021

Background: There is an urgent need for evidence-based, scalable, psychological interventions to improve the mental health of adolescents affected by adversity in low-resource settings. Early Adolescents Skills for Emotions (EASE) was developed by the WHO as a brief, transdiagnostic, group intervention for early adolescents exhibiting internalising problems, delivered by trained and supervised non-specialist providers. This study describes the cultural adaptation of EASE for Burundian adolescents living in Mtendeli refugee camps in Tanzania.Methods: A phased approach to adaptation of the EASE intervention and its implementation, was adopted and comprised of: (1) a desk review to synthesize existing research on mental health issues in conflict-affected Burundian communities, (2) a rapid qualitative assessment involving free listing and key informant interviews with multiple stakeholders, (3) cognitive interviews with end users, and (4) a two-part adaptation workshop involving the implementing partner staff, members of the refugee community and mental health experts. We applied the Bernal framework to systematically document and track adaptations across eight dimensions of the intervention.Results: Problems associated with worry, stress, sadness, shame and fear were identified as amongst the most critical mental health concerns, alongside a range of experiences of different forms of violence (such as gender-based violence, violence when fleeing from their homes) and associated problems. Problems associated with violence that included past experiences of fleeing as well as ongoing problems of gender-based violence in the camp. The most significant adaptations that were required included providing options for low literacy of participants, safety planning to address the high prevalence of sexual violence, simplification of strategies for the benefit of the end users and of non-specialist facilitators, and implementation changes to consider involvement of refugee incentive workers. A majority of changes were across dimensions of language, people, metaphors, content, methods and context, while there were fewer changes regarding the goals and concepts of EASE. Conclusions: The approach to adaptation of a psychological intervention suggested both minor and major required changes. Adaptations based on the findings of this study are anticipated to enhance relevance and acceptability of the EASE intervention and its delivery for camp-residing Burundian refugees in Tanzania.
Magnetic Thermoresponsive Nanocomposite for Targeted PARP-1 in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma, an Approach for Tumor Dual Therapy
Authors: Gamal Alaa , El-sayed El-Sayed , El-Hamoly Tarek , Kahil Heba
Published: March 2021

Background

The current study presents a bimodal therapeutic platform for cancer treatment. Bimodal implies that the presented drug loaded core-shell structure is capable of elevating the tumor tissue temperature (hyperthermia) through the superparamagnetic iron oxide core and simultaneously release a Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1(PARP-1)-modifying agent from the thermoresponsive shell. The capability of Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as successful hyperthermia agents is well established. Likewise, poly-n-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAAm) is a widely used thermoresponsive polymer. Together, they constitute the magnetic thermoresponsive nanocomposite (MTN). To the authors knowledge, the combination of magnetic nanocomposites with PARP-1 modifying agents has not been investigated. Therefore, in this work, 5-aminoisoquinoline (5-AIQ) is loaded on the thermoresponsive polymer to constitute MTN.5-AIQ.
Results

Structural characterization of the formed composite is studied via various experimental tools. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) is determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. The results confirm the formation of magnetic thermoresponstive nanocomposite (MTN) with excellent potential for hyperthermia. A high drug loading efficiency (85.72%) is obtained with convenient temperature dependent drug release kinetics. Biocompatibility and cytotoxic efficacy are tested on an in vivo and in vitro colorectal-adenocarcinoma models, respectively. MTN.5-AIQ administration exhibits normal hepatic and renal functions as well as lower toxic effect on normal tissue. In addition, the composite effectively inhibits Caco-2 cells viability upon incubation.
Conclusions

Based on the obtained results, the proposed therapeutic platform can be considered as a novel, promising candidate as dual therapy for colorectal adenocarcinoma exhibiting a PARP-1 overexpression.
A New Scheme To Enhance The Performance Of Permutation Index-Differential Chaos Shift Keying Communications System
Authors: Albassam Nizar , Al-Jerew Oday
Published: March 2021

In this paper, a new scheme based on permutation index-differential chaos shift keying is proposed, modeled, and evaluated in AWGN channel environment. Data is sent by frames, each frame is headed by a single reference signal and followed by some information bearing signals. Modulation is performed through permutations of a reference signal according to the mapped data. At the receiver, each incoming information bearing signal undergoes all inverse permutation possibilities to perform a correlation with the delayed and stored version of the received reference signal. To decode the information bits, the detector selects the highest correlator outputs.

The proposed scheme named Single Reference-Permutation Index-Differential Chaos Shift Keying (SR-PI-DCSK) is an enhanced version of PI-DCSK, and uses a single reference signal for multiple information bearing ones. Hence, the energy requirement is saved by almost a half. The bit error performance is studied using the baseband system model and analytically tested using Gaussian Approximation (GA) method. Results show the BER performance outperforms other standard and recently developed differentially coherent chaos systems, including Permutation Index-DCSK by an average of $2.25$~db. Moreover, the analytical form which is developed to predict the Bit Error Rate (BER) is validated by simulation. Results demonstrate the performance in AWGN is closely matching with the simulation results, particularly at high SNR.
Challenges, coping responses and supportive interventions for international and migrant students in academic nursing programs in major host countries: A scoping review with a gender lens
Authors: Merry Lisa , Vissandjée Bilkis , Verville-Provencher Kathryn
Published: March 2021

Background: International and migrant students face specific challenges which may impact their mental health, well-being and academic outcomes, and these may be gendered experiences. The purpose of this scoping review was to map the literature on the challenges, coping responses and supportive interventions for international and migrant students in academic nursing programs in major host countries, with a gender lens.Methods: We searched 10 databases to identify literature reporting on the challenges, coping responses and/or supportive interventions for international and migrant nursing students in college or university programs in Canada, the United-States, Australia, New Zealand or a European country. We included peer-reviewed research (any design), discussion papers and literature reviews. English, French and Spanish publications were considered and no time restrictions were applied. Drawing from existing frameworks, we critically assessed each paper and extracted information related to gender.Results: 114 publications were included. Overall the literature mostly focused on international students, and migration history/status and length of time in country were not considered with regards to challenges, coping or interventions. Females and males, respectively, were included in 69% and 59% of studies with student participants, while those students who identify as other genders were not named or identified in any of the research. Several papers suggest that foreign-born nursing students face challenges associated with different cultural roles, norms and expectations for men and women. Other challenges included perceived discrimination due to wearing a hijab and being a ‘foreign-born male nurse’, and in general nursing being viewed as a feminine, low-status profession. Only two strategies, accessing support from family and other student mothers, used by female students to cope with challenges, were identified. Supportive interventions considering gender were also limited; these included matching students with support services personnel by sex, involving male family members in admission and orientation processes, and using patient simulation as a method to prepare students for care-provision of patients of the opposite-sex.Conclusion: Future research and discussion papers in nursing higher education, especially those regarding supportive interventions, need to address the intersections of gender/gender identity and migration/international status, and also consider the complexity of students’ migration contexts.
Sperm cryopreservation and in vitro fertilization techniques for the African turquoise killifish Nothobranchius furzeri
Authors: Dolfi Luca , Suen Tsz Kin , Ripa Roberto , Antebi Adam
Published: March 2021

Over the last decade, the African turquoise killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri, has emerged as an important model system for the study of vertebrate biology and ageing. N. furzeri propagation, however, can pose challenges due to the short window of fertility, the efforts and space requirements involved in continuous strain maintenance, and the risks of inbreeding. The current method for long term strain preservation relies on arrest of embryos in diapause. Though useful, it remains unclear how long embryos can survive in this state. To create an alternative for long term maintenance, we developed a robust protocol to cryopreserve and revive sperm for in vitro fertilization (IVF). We tested a variety of extender and activator buffers for sperm IVF, as well as cryoprotectants to achieve feasible long-term storage and fertilization conditions tailored to this species. Our protocol enabled sperm to be preserved in a cryogenic condition for months and to be revived an average of 40% viability upon thawing. Thawed sperm were able to fertilize nearly the same number of eggs as natural fertilization, with an average of ~25% and peaks of ~55% fertilization. This technical advance will greatly facilitate the use of N. furzeri as a model organism.
Research on Enterprise Business Model and Technology Innovation Based on Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Qu Sunping , Shi Hongwei , Zhao Huanhuan , Yu Lin , Yu Yunbo
Published: March 2021

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SEMs) are the important part of economic society whose innovation activities are of have great significance for building innovative country. In order to investigate how technological innovation (TI) and business model design (BMD) affect the business performance (BP) of SMEs, samples of 268 SMEs in the artificial intelligence industry and hierarchical regression models are used in the analysis. The results indicate that TI, BMD, and the matching of them have different effects on the innovation of SMEs of different sizes. These findings are helpful for enriching the theory of the fit between TI and BMD and providing theoretical guidance for the innovation activities in SEMs.
Nogo-A mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress during myocardial ischemic-reperfusion injury in diabetic rats
Authors: xiong yonghong , leng yan , li wei , li wenyuan , chen rong , xue rui , xia zhongyuan
Published: March 2021

Background: Diabetic myocardial ischemia reperfusion (MI/R) injury is aggravated after myocardial infarction, which leads to myocardial damage. Molecular mechanisms associated with the diabetic ischemia-related cardiac diseases are not yet fully understood. Nogo-A is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein ubiquitously expressed in tissues including in the heart. However, the mechanisms that account for the Nogo-A in MI/R injury remain unknown. Methods: SD (Sprague Dawley) rats were subjected to 45 min of ischemia, followed by 3 h reperfusion. Rats were injection with streptozotocin (60mg/kg), tauroursodeoxycholic acid injection (100mg/kg) or corresponding controls just prior to MI/R. Blood and heart samples were collected at 3 h post-reperfusion. Serum LDH and CK-MB, myocardial infarct size, histopathologic changes, apotosis and ER stress were analyzed to evaluate MI/R injury. Signaling pathways were also investigated in vitro using embryonic rat cardiomyocyte-derived H9c2 cells cultures to identify underlying mechanisms for Nogo-A in diabetic MI/R injury. Results: TUDCA treatment significantly reduced Nogo-A, GRP78 and CHOP levels, diminished myocardial infarct areas, attenuated ER stress and decreased myocardial apoptosis after MI/R. ER stress signaling was significantly decreased in the TUDCA-treated MI/R group compared with controls. The effect of Nogo-A was abrogated by pretreatment with knockdown CHOP. A positive feedback loop between Nogo-A and CHOP was found leading to an enhanced ER stress in diabetic MI/R injure. Conclusions: Our data suggest that Nogo-A mediated ER stress plays a major role in diabetic MI/R injury and Nogo-A might be a key regulator of ER stress.
The Impact of Tenderness on Prefrontal Cortical Hemodynamics: An Objective Measurement of Wrist-ankle Acupuncture Analgesic Bracelet
Authors: Du Jiahao , Liu Junwen , Fang Fanfu , Yu Hongliu , Shi Ping
Published: March 2021

Background: Determining an objective measure for pain is one of the most significant challenges in neuroscience and clinical medicine. The response of the cerebral cortex to noxious stimuli/pain can be detected by functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The study aimed to examine the law of pain relief and cerebral blood volume dynamics based on the wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA) analgesic bracelet, and determined the reliability of the cortical activation patterns as objective measurements of pain. Methods: Tenderness was performed on the left point Jianyu of volunteers (age, 23.9 ± 1.9 years, mean ± SD) suffering from the cervical-shoulder syndrome (CSS) as tasks. A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation analgesic bracelet based on WAA in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was used for treatment. A 24-channel fNIRS system was used for measuring cerebral oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) levels. Oxy-Hb concentration changes in each channel were determined by calculating the differences of Oxy-Hb levels between task and rest. Paired t-tests (p< 0.05) were used to assess the difference in data during tasks and rest. Results: A significant increase in Oxy-Hb was found in all 12 channels of the participants’ right hemisphere during the three tenderness tasks. The mean ± SD of Oxy-Hb levels changes in three tenderness were 0.50±1.22 mM mm, 0.28±1.36 mM mm, 0.09±0.81 mM mm, respectively, and the amount of the change gradually decreased with the participation of the analgesic bracelet. Group analysis of the three tenderness tasks showed that the main activation channels of the cerebral cortex for tenderness were CH6, CH11, CH12, and cortical regions response to tenderness were the frontopolar area, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and includes frontal eye fields. With the participation of the analgesic bracelet, the activation area of the cerebral cortex for tenderness gradually decreases. Conclusions: These findings describe the cerebral blood volume dynamics and cortical activation patterns during shoulder tenderness measured by fNIRS, which can not only be used to assess patients with CSS and other shoulder pain, but also to determine the reliability of the cerebral blood volume dynamics and cortical activation patterns pain assessment indicators. Further, this research explores the objective evaluation of the efficacy of an analgesic bracelet based on WAA in TCM for the first time, and provides a new research direction for further pain relief. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiECRCT20200243. Registered 12 May 2020.
Nanostructured Ag3PO4 from natural phosphate: High-efficient catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol and antibacterial studies.
Authors: DÄNOUN KARIM , Tabit Rida , Laghzizil Abdelaziz , Zahouily Mohamed
Published: March 2021

In this paper, a novel approach was successfully developed for preparing nanostructured Ag3PO4 using Moroccan phosphate as a source for phosphorus precursor. The as-synthetized nanomaterial was characterized using various techniques. A pure crystalline Ag3PO4 phase was obtained after drying, exhibiting a mesoporous structure with specific surface area of 35 m2 g− 1. The use of this simple, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive procedure can be useful for the development of nanostructured Ag3PO4 catalyst with excellent catalytic activity for reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in the presence of NaBH4 as reducing agent. Furthermore, the Ag3PO4 material was also used as an antibacterial agent against Escherichia-coli and Staphylococcus-aureus bacteria.
Bibliometric Analysis of Studies on Tumor Organoids
Authors: Chen Qiwei , Zhang Yu , Li Kun , Zhang Zhikai , Wang Ya , Mu Guoyu
Published: March 2021

Background: Organoid is an artificially grown mass of cells or tissues, which is similar to an organ. It can replicate the complexity of an organ and can be used for gaining a better understanding of diseases. In this study, the hot spots of “organoids” were classified into 6 categories and 10 aspects, and organoids used for studying genetic mechanisms, drug effect, and metabolism of tumors showed the greatest potential for future development.Methods: A total of 1550 articles relevant to organoid in tumor research field were recruited as research samples. High-frequency words and text/co-word matrix were constructed by BICOMB software. gCLUTO software was applied to analyze the matrix by double-clustering and visual analysis subsequently to identify the hotspot in this area.Results: We constructed a text and co-word matrix composed of 21 high-frequency words and 1550 articles and generated a hotspot “peak map” based on double-clustering analysis. The strategic coordinates approach was used to assess the research prospects of each hotspot and the connections between these hotspots.Conclusions: In this study, we classified the hot-spots of “organoid” into 6 categories and 10 aspects. Calculation and analysis revealed that the field of tumor organoid shows a slight trend of polarization, and organoid for studying the genetic mechanisms, drug effects and metabolism of tumor shows the greatest potential for future development.
Identification, Characterization and Site-Saturation Mutagenesis of a Thermostable ω-Transaminase From Chloroflexi Bacterium
Authors: Wang Chen , Tang Kexin , Dai Ya , Jia Honghua , Li Yan , Gao Zhen , Wu Bin
Published: March 2021

In present study, we have mined a ω-transaminase (ω-TA) from Chloroflexi bacterium from genome database by using an ω-TA sequence ATA117 Arrmut11 from Arthrobacter sp . KNK168 and an amine transaminase from Aspergillus terreus as templates in a BLASTP search and motif sequence alignment. The protein sequence of the ω-TA from C. bacterium shows 38% sequence identity to ATA117 Arrmut11. The gene sequence of the ω-TA was inserted into pRSF-Duet1 and functionally expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). Results showed that the recombinant ω-TA has a specific activity of 1.19 U/mg at pH 8.5, 40 °C. The substrate acceptability test showed that ω-TA has significant reactivity to aromatic amino donors and amino receptors. More importantly, the ω-TA also exhibited a good affinity towards some cyclic substrates such as 1-Boc-3-piperidone. The homology model of the ω-TA was built by Discovery Studio and docking was performed to describe the relative activity towards some substrates. The ω-TA was evolved by site-saturation mutagenesis and found that the Q192G mutant increased the activity to the (R)-α-methylbenzylamine (MBA) by around seven-fold. The Q192G mutant was then used to convert two cyclic ketones, N -Boc-3-pyrrolidinone and N -Boc-3-aminopiperidine, and the conversions were both improved compared to the parental ω-TA.
The Role of Maternal Ideations on Breastfeeding Practices in Northwestern Nigeria: a Cross-sectional Analysis
Authors: Anaba Udochisom , Johansson Emily White , Abegunde Dele , Adoyi Gloria , Umar-Farouk Olayinka , Abdu-Aguye Shittu , Hewett Paul C , Hutchinson Paul L
Published: March 2021

Background Early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) within the first hour of birth and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first six months of life are beneficial for child survival and long-term health. Yet breastfeeding rates remain sub-optimal in Northwestern Nigeria, and such practices are often influenced by complex psychosocial factors at cognitive, social and emotional levels. To understand these influences, we developed a set of breastfeeding-related ideational factors and quantitatively examined their relationship with EIBF and EBF practices. Methods A cross‐sectional population‐based survey was conducted in Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states from September through October 2019. A random sample of over 3000 women with at least one child under 2 years was obtained. Respondents were asked about their health behaviors including breastfeeding practices for their youngest child under 2 years. Breastfeeding-related ideations were developed using the Ideation Model of Strategic Communication and Behavior Change. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to derive predicted probabilities for EIBF and EBF while adjusting for ideations and socio-demographic variables. Results Among 3039 women with a child under 2 years of age, 42.1% (95% CI: 35.1% - 49.4%) practiced EIBF, while 37.5% (95% CI: 29.8% - 46.0%) out of 721 infants aged 0-5 months were exclusively breastfed. Women who knew that EIBF was protective on the health of the newborn had 7.9 and 7.0 percentage points (pp) higher likelihood of EIBF and EBF practices respectively. Women who believed colostrum was harmful both had 8.4 pp lower likelihood of EIBF and EBF practices. We found a higher likelihood of practicing EIBF (5.1 pp) and EBF (13.3 pp) among women who knew at least one benefit of breastfeeding. Knowledge of the appropriate time to introduce complementary feeding and having self-efficacy to practice EBF were positively associated with 11.2 pp and 13.1 pp increased likelihood of practicing EBF alone. Household wealth, maternal occupation and attending ANC4+ times were associated with EIBF, while health provider’s influence was associated with EBF. Conclusion Social and Behavior Change (SBC) programs should focus on improving women’s knowledge about breastfeeding and its benefits, dispelling myths around colostrum as bad milk, building women’s confidence to exclusively breastfeed, and improving antenatal care uptake to support breastfeeding promotion.
Infanticide, Neonaticide and Post-neonaticide: Racial/ethnic Disparities in the United States.
Authors: Salihu Hamisu M. , Gonzales Danielle N , Dongarwar Deepa
Published: March 2021

This study aims to assess recent trends and characteristics for infanticide and the sub-groups: neonaticide and post-neonaticide during the time period 2003–2017. Multiple Cause-of-Death Mortality Data were used to identify infanticides in the United States based on ICD-10 codes. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to calculate trends in the rates of infanticide, neonaticide and post-neonaticide during the study period. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between the socio-demographic characteristics and each of the outcomes. During the study period, 4,545 (1.2%) infants were identified as being victims of infanticide. The rates of neonaticide declined by 4.2% over the study period, whereas that of infanticide and post-neonaticide remained statistically unchanged. Males and Non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks were more likely to be victims of infanticide and post-neonaticide, compared to females and NH-Whites respectively, but had similar likelihood of neonaticide. While foreign-born residents exhibited nearly a four-fold increased likelihood of neonaticide, they had about 70% lesser likelihood of post-neonaticide than US born residents. Conclusion: Reasons for the disparities found in this study are multifactorial. We believe that access to healthcare needs to be improved and community resources need to be made more available to address the proposed mechanisms that lead to infanticide.
What does engagement mean to participants in longitudinal cohort studies? A qualitative study
Authors: Ochieng Cynthia A. , Minion Joel T. , Turner Andrew , Blell Mwenza , Murtagh Madeleine
Published: March 2021

Background

Engagement is important within cohort studies for a number of reasons. It is argued that engaging participants within the studies their involved in may promote their recruitment and retention within the studies. It is also thought that participant input can improve study designs, make them more acceptable for uptake by participants and aid in contextualising research communication to participants. Ultimately it is also argued that engagement needs to provide an avenue for participants to feedback to the cohort study and that this is an ethical imperative. This study sought to explore the participants’ experiences and thoughts of their engagement with their birth cohort study.
Methods

Participants were recruited from the Children of the 90s (CO90s) study. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 participants. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and uploaded onto Nvivo software. They were then analysed via thematic analysis with a constant comparison technique.
Results

Participants’ experiences of their engagement with CO90s were broadly based on three aspects: communication they received from CO90s, experiences of ethical conduct from CO90s and receiving rewards from CO90s. The communication received from CO90s, ranged from newsletters explaining study findings and future studies, to more personal forms like annual greeting cards posted to each participant. Ethical conduct from CO90s mainly involved participants understanding that CO90s would keep their information confidential, that it was only involved in ‘good’ ethical research and their expectation that CO90s would always prioritise participant welfare. Some of the gifts participants said they received at CO90s included toys, shopping vouchers, results from clinical tests, and time off from school to attend data collection (Focus) days. Participants also described a temporality in their engagement with CO90s and the subsequent trust they had developed for the cohort study.
Conclusions

The experiences of engagement described by participants were theorized as being based on reciprocity which was sometimes overt -in receiving gifts from CO90s and other times more nuanced- for example through CO90s ethical conduct. This perceived reciprocity aligns well with Maussian conception of gifting and in this case espoused participants’ trust in the cohort resulting in a unique participant-cohort study relationship.
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Patients with Colorectal Peritoneal Metastasis: A Retrospective Study of its Safety and Efficacy
Authors: Zhou Sicheng , Jiang Yujuan , Liang Jianwei , Pei Wei , Zhou Zhixiang
Published: March 2021

Background Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are effective routine treatments for colorectal peritoneal metastases (PMs). However, the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) before CRS+HIPEC are poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the perioperative safety and long-term efficacy for patients with synchronous colorectal PM who received NAC prior to CRS+HIPEC.Method Patients with synchronous colorectal PM who received NAC prior to CRS+HIPEC were systematically reviewed at the China National Cancer Center and Huanxing Cancer Hospital from June 2017 to June 2019. Clinicopathologic characteristics, perioperative parameters, and survival were compared between patients who underwent CRS+HIPEC with NAC (NAC group) and those who underwent CRS+HIPEC without NAC (non-NAC group).Results The study enrolled 52 patients, with 20 patients in the NAC group and 32 in the non-NAC group. In the NAC group, the proportion of patients with a peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) score < 12 was significantly higher than that in the non-NAC group (80.0% vs 50.0%, P=0.031), and more patients received complete cyoreduction (80.0% vs 46.9%, P=0.018). The two groups had comparable grade III/IV complications and similar reoperation and mortality rates (P>0.05). However, patients who received NAC prior to CRS+HIPEC experienced lower platelet counts (151.9 vs 197.7 ×109/L, P=0.036) and neutrophil counts (4.7 vs 7.2×109/L, P=0.030) on postoperative day 1. Compared with the non-NAC group, more patients in the NAC group survived for two years (67.4% vs. 32.2%, respectively, P = 0.044). However, the CC score (HR, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.14-7.84; P=0.026), rather than NAC, was independently associated with OS in the multivariable analysis after controlling for confounding factors.Conclusion NAC administration before CRS+HIPEC can be regarded as a safe and feasible treatment for patients with colorectal PM with comparably low mortality and acceptable morbidity. Nevertheless, the administration of NAC before CRS+HIPEC conferred a greater survival benefit to patients, even though NAC was not identified as an independent factor for OS after controlling for confounding factors.
Digital Media Technology Application Research Based on 5g Internet of Things Virtual Reality Technology as the Carrier
Authors: Zhang Xingchen , pu zaiyi , Jiang Xinbo
Published: March 2021

With the development of the 5G era, digital media technology has been widely used in many fields and industries. Virtual reality is the product of the application of digital media technology in the development process. At the level of the continuous development and progress of social science and technology, virtual reality technology as a high-tech and high-tech tool has gradually entered people's vision, penetrated into all aspects of people's lives, and exerted good results. This article mainly studies the application of digital media technology based on 5G Internet of Things virtual reality technology as the carrier. This article introduces virtual reality technology, Quick Time VR technology that can be used in digital media, Tilt Brush VR technology, Oculus Quill technology, and digital media technology. It builds a virtual reality-based 3D model and digital media Internet of Things architecture, and implements 5G Comparison of technology and traditional technology, the proportion of applications of 5G Internet of Things virtual reality technology and digital media technology in education, construction, industry and medical fields. The analysis results show that the 5G Internet of Things has higher visual immersion, the original bandwidth can reach 5Tbit/s, and the calculation time of a single hologram is less than 3ms; 5G technology and virtual reality technology are both used in the medical field the most, with applications accounting for up to 40%; Digital media technology is the most widely used in the construction field, reaching 60%. It can be seen from the research in this article that the application of digital media technology based on the virtual reality technology of 5G Internet of Things as the carrier has high practical value in reality.
Analog/RF Performance Analysis of Heterojunction Tunnel FET with Temperatute
Authors: Pindoo Irfan , Sinha Sanjeet Kumar , Chander Sweta
Published: March 2021

In this paper, the analog/RF analysis of SiGe source-based heterojunction Tunnel FET is reported. The parameters like transconductance (gm), device efficiency (gm/ID), gate-source capacitance (CGS), gate-drain capacitance (CGD), cut-off frequency (fT) and gain-bandwidth product (GBP) are studied. DC, as well as AC simulations, have been performed on the proposed device. We have achieved an ON current of 0.537 µA/µm and OFF current of 13 fA/µm, thus achieving ION/IOFF ratio as 3.72×1010. We have also performed temperature analysis of the analog/RF parameters. We have also investigated the device for the temperature analysis concerning the drain current and the capacitance calculations. We have observed that the OFF currents are strongly dependent on the temperature. All the simulations have been performed on Visual TCAD (licensed version 1.9.2-3).
High performance InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode integrated with metal-insulator-metal microcavity
Authors: Han Hao , Zhu Yicheng , Guo Zilu , Li Zhifeng , Qu Huidan , Gao Wantian , Wang Ding , Wang Wenjuan
Published: March 2021

Reducing the dark current of InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes (APDs) is an important way to improve its performance. Decreasing the active size can reduce the dark current but sacrifice the quantum efficiency. In this paper, the Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) microcavity is integrated with an APD, which can converge light from tens of microns to several microns, to compensate for the loss of detection efficiency caused by the reduction of the size of the APD. Through photoelectric joint simulation, the optical response of the device can be obtained, and the coupling effect between the MIM structure and the APD can be analyzed directly. The simulation results show that the signal to noise ratio of the APD integrated with the MIM microcavity is twice of the MIM free traditional APD, and the 3dB bandwidth reaches 5.8 GHz. When the MIM microcavity is applied to an APD array, the optical crosstalk between pixels is found to be negligible.
Identification and Validation of Four Novel Biomarkers Involved in Docetaxel Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Liu Ruiji , Li Shuying , Liu Liquan , Xu Bin , Chen Ming
Published: March 2021

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies affecting men’s health. Docetaxel chemotherapy has been utilized in castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, docetaxel resistance further reduces the survival of PCa patients. Thus, it is necessary to explore effective biomarkers for docetaxel chemotherapy resistant PCa (DCRPC).Methods: A comprehensive bioinformatic analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between DCRPC and docetaxel chemotherapy sensitive PCa (DCSPC) cell. DEGs were selected between GSE33455 and GSE36135 obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were applied for functional enrichment and pathway analysis. The STRING database were used to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Diseases free survival (DFS) was used for prognostic analysis via GEPIA.Results: A total of 89 DEGs from GSE33455 and GSE36135 were screened. GO functional analysis showed that these DEGs are mainly enriched in the extracellular exosome, cell adhesion molecule binding, ATP binding and cellular response to tumor necrosis factor. KEGG pathway analysis showed that these DEGs are mainly involved in the TNF signaling pathway, chemokine pathway, and nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism. 30 closely related DEGs were used for PPI network construction. Finally, four prognostic relative genes (RHOF, ADCY7, DOCK2, LMO7) were identified. Conclusion: The present study identified prognostic hub genes and related signaling pathways, which may help improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms of DCRPC. These hub genes can potentially serve as therapeutic and prognostic biomarkers for DCRPC.
Promoter Methylation of the MGRN1 Gene Response to Chemotherapy of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients
Authors: Li Xiaofei , Sun Haiyan , Tian Hua , Zhang Haibo , Tian Yunjie , Li Yan , Kang Shan
Published: March 2021

Objective: Aberrant DNA methylation is considered to play a critical role in the chemoresistance of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In this study, we explored the relationship between hypermethylation of the Mahogunin Ring Finger 1 (MGRN1) gene promoter and primary chemoresistance in EOC patients.Methods: Hypermethylation of the MGRN1 promoter region in the cancer tissues of platinum-resistant EOC patients was observed by genome-wide methylation level analysis. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry was used to analyze the methylation level of the MGRN1 promoter region. MGRN1 mRNA and protein expression were examined using RT-qPCR and IHC assays, respectively. The effect of MGRN1 methylation on the cellular response to cisplatin was detected by knockdown assays in SKOV3 cells. Additionally, we performed transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq and explored the possible mechanism by which MGRN1 expression affects the resistance of ovarian cancer cells to platinum. Results: The RRBS assay showed that the upstream region of MGRN1 from -1148 to -1064 was significantly hypermethylated in chemoresistant EOC patients (P=1.78×10−7). The MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry assays revealed a strong association between hypermethylation of the MGRN1 upstream region and platinum resistance in patients with EOC. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed a significantly negative connection between the methylation level of MGRN1 and its expression in EOC. In vitro analysis demonstrated that knockdown of MGRN1 reduced the sensitivity of cells to cisplatin and that expression of EGR1 was significantly decreased in SKOV3 cells with low levels of MGRN1 expression. Similarly, EGR1 mRNA expression was lower in platinum-resistant EOC patients and was positively correlated with MGRN1 mRNA expression. Conclusion: The hypermethylation of the MGRN1 promoter region and low expression of MGRN1 were associated with platinum resistance in EOC patients.
Great Barrier Reef Degradation, Sea Surface Temperatures, and Atmospheric CO2 Levels Collectively Exhibit a Stochastic Process with Memory
Authors: Elnar Allan , Cena Christianlly , Bernido Christopher Casenas , Carpio-Bernido M. Victoria
Published: March 2021

Quantifying ecological memory could be done at several levels from the rate of physiological changes in an ecosystem all the way down to responses at the genetic level. One way of unlocking the information encoded in a collective environmental memory is to examine the recorded time-series data generated by different components of an ecosystem. In this paper, we probe into the case of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) which is threatened by elevated sea surface temperatures (SST) and ocean acidification attributed to rising atmospheric CO 2 levels. Specifically, we investigate the interrelated dynamics between the degradation of the GBR, SST, and rising atmospheric CO 2 levels, by considering three datasets: (a) the mean percentage hard coral cover of the GBR from the archives of the Australian Institute of Marine Science; (b) SST close to the GBR from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and (c) the Keeling curve for atmospheric CO 2 levels measured by the Mauna Loa Observatory. We show that fluctuating observables in these datasets have the same memory behavior described by a non-Markovian stochastic process. All three datasets show a good match between empirical and analytical mean square deviation. An explicit analytical form for the corresponding probability density function is obtained which obeys a modified diffusion equation with a time dependent diffusion coefficient. This study provides a new perspective on the similarities of and interaction between the GBR’s declining hard coral cover, SST, and rising atmospheric CO2 levels by putting all three systems into one unified framework indexed by a memory parameter μ and a characteristic frequency ν . The short-time dynamics of CO2 levels and SST fall in the superdiffusive regime, while the GBR exhibits hyperballistic fluctuation in percent coral cover with the highest values for μ and ν .
Adrenergic receptors in osteoarthritic and rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts: Identification of β3 as novel player to modulate IL-6 and p38 activation
Authors: Liang Ding , Lowin Torsten , Cheng Xinkun , Classen Tim , Pongratz Georg
Published: March 2021

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is influenced by the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). In animal models of RA, the SNS promotes severity of the disease and its manipulation modulates experimental arthritis depending on timing of the intervention. Synovial fibroblasts (SF) are major contributors to RA pathology but their modulation by the SNS has been rarely investigated. In this study we assessed the expression and function of adrenergic receptors in RA and osteoarthritis (OA) synovial fibroblasts and investigated their downstream signaling. Methods: We used western blot and quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine protein and mRNA of adrenergic receptors in OASF/RASF. Furthermore we determined α1a and β2 protein in synovial tissue by immunofluorescence. ELISA was employed to determine IL-6 production. p38 kinase activation and translocation was analyzed by cell-based ELISA and immunofluorescence.Results: We detected α1a, α2b, β1, β2 and β3 protein in OASF/RASF and α1a and β2 protein in synovial tissue of OA and RA patients. The pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and TNF downregulated β3 adrenergic receptor. Activation of α1a, α2b, β2 and β3 increased production of TNF-induced IL-6 which was inhibited by specific antagonists. Furthermore, β3 agonism enhanced p38 phosphorylation and translocation to the nucleus.Conclusion: Among a comprehensive characterization of the adrenergic system of OASF/ RASF, we report for the first time β3 expression and demonstrated that this adrenergic receptor participates in the inflammatory response of synovial fibroblasts. Therefore, modulation of β3 might pose a new therapeutic opportunity to modulate synovial fibroblast function in patients with RA.