bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two Shades of Grey: Effect of Temperature on Seed Germination of the Escaping Ornamental Species Lychnis Coronaria and Stachys Byzantina
Authors: Vojík Martin , Kadlecová Martina , Kutlvašr Josef , Pergl Jan , Bímová Kateřina Berchová
Published: January 2022

This paper describes germination and cytological variability in two popular ornamental and potentially invasive species, lamb’s ear Stachys byzantina and rose campion Lychnis coronaria. Both xerophytic species have the potential to invade natural habitats across Europe and create viable naturalised populations, with subsequent impacts on native vegetation. To assess the species’ invasiveness, seeds were collected from naturalised populations and germination rate recorded under different temperature regimes. Flow cytometry, used to record cytological variability, indicated that all populations of both species were cytologically homogeneous. Germination success, a key spreading factor in both species, was significantly influenced by temperature, with final germination of L. coronaria being extremely high at temperatures > 15/10 °C (98.5%) and extremely low at temperatures < 10/5 °C (2.9%). In comparison, final germination in S. byzantina highest at 22/15 °C (55.6%), reducing to 40.3% at 15/10 °C and just 0.3% at temperatures < 10/5 °C. No significant differences in germination rate were observed between escaping and non-escaping populations, though there were differences between particular populations. Our results indicate germination temperature limits between species consistent with sizes of primary distribution and distance between primary and secondary distribution borders. However, the observed germination rates allow for successful generative reproduction of both species over their secondary distribution areas, suggesting that these species are likely to become invasive species of European grasslands soon.
Risk Analysis of Tunnel Water and Mud Inrush Using Interpretive Structural Modeling and Fault Tree
Authors: Han Min , Xia Teng , Su Maoxin , Xue Yiguo
Published: January 2022

Water and mud inrush is a common geological hazard in tunnel construction. Risk analysis of tunnel water and mud inrush has always been an important subject. In order to avoid the geological hazard, this paper presents a risk analysis model of tunnel water and mud inrush. The model combines the interpretive structural modeling method (ISM) and fault tree analysis (FTA). Relying on the Qinyu tunnel in the Weiwu expressway project, water and mud inrush risk factors are obtained by using ISM. Fundamental risk factors include formation lithology, attitude of stratum, strata combination, topography and geomorphology, geological structure and weather. ISM core risk factors are used as FTA basic events. Fuzzy importance of FTA basic events is obtained by using fuzzy interval calculation. The results show that geological structure is the primary risk factor causing Qinyu tunnel water and mud inrush. The model achieves qualitative and quantitative analysis of tunnel water and mud inrush. It accurately determines the main factors affecting the tunnel water and mud inrush, which is conducive to accident prevention.
Combination Therapy Versus Monotherapy In The Treatment Of Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia Infections: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis
Authors: Prawang Abhisit , Chanjamlong Naphatsawan , Rungwara Woranattha , Santimaleeworagun Wichai , Paiboonvong Taniya , Manapattanasatein Thidarat , Pitirattanaworranat Prompiriya , Kitseree Pongsakorn , Kanchanasurakit Sukrit
Published: January 2022

Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a multidrug-resistant bacteria that is difficult to treat in hospitals around the world. It has become a public health issue, as well as being linked to a high mortality rate. Several studies have shown a variety of treatment and clinical outcomes; however, the efficacy of combination therapy remains limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of monotherapy and combination therapy for S. maltophilia infections on mortality outcome.Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of combination therapy versus monotherapy in the treatment of S. maltophilia infections on mortality as a clinical outcome. Electronic databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, Scopus, and OpenGrey, were systematically searched from the inception of the database until September 3, 2021. Results: Of which 6,524 articles identified, a total of 13 studies and 2 cohort studies were included for systematic review of combination therapy and meta-analysis, respectively. The systematic review of combination antimicrobial therapy had been showed clinically desirable outcome on mortality in S. maltopholia infection, especially in complex or severe infection. In the fixed-effects meta-analysis of the cohort study, monotherapy was surprisingly shown to have statistically significant effects on the decreased risk of mortality (hazard ratio 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.94). Conclusions: Our results found that the combination antimicrobial therapy had been showed clinically desirable outcome on mortality in S. maltopholia infection and monotherapy has a trend toward improved better outcome than combination therapy on mortality for the treatment of S. maltophilia infections. A longitudinal study that further explores this association is warranted. Trial registration: This study was registered with the trial registration number ID: 210843 under the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO: www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO).
An Immunological Axis Involving Interleukin 1β and Leucine-Rich-α2-Glycoprotein Reflects Therapeutic Response of Children with Kawasaki Disease: Implications from the KAWAKINRA Trial
Authors: Kessel Christoph , Kone-Paut Isabelle , Tellier Stephanie , Belot Alexandre , Masjosthusmann Katja , Wittkowski Helmut , Fuehner Sabrina , Rossi-Semerano Linda , Dusser Perrine , Marie Isabelle , Boukhedouni Nadja , Agostini Helène , Piedvache Céline , Foell Dirk
Published: January 2022

Purpose

A recent phase II open-label study of the interleukin 1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) anakinra in treating IVIG-resistant Kawasaki Disease (KD) patients reported promising results. Here, we aimed to characterize the immunological impact of IL-1 blockade in this unique study population.
Methods

Patients’ and control sera and supernatants of cells (whole blood, neutrophils, coronary artery endothelial cells) stimulated with recombinant IL-1β were analyzed for single or multiple marker (n=22) expression by ELISA or multiplexed bead array assay. Data were analyzed using unsupervised hierarchical clustering, multiple correlation and multi-comparison statistics and were compared to retrospective analyses of KD transcriptomics.
Results

Inflammation in IVIG-resistant KD (n=16) is hallmarked by over-expression of innate immune mediators (particularly IL-6>CXCL10>S100A12>IL-1Ra). Those as well as levels of immune or endothelial cell activation markers (sICAM-1, sVCAM-1) declined most significantly in course of anakinra treatment. Prior as well as following IL-1R blockade, over-expression of leucine-rich-α2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) associated best with remnant inflammatory activity and the necessity to escalate anakinra dosage and separated inflammatory KD patients from sJIA-MAS (n=13) and MIS-C (n=4). Protein as well as retrospective gene expression analyses indicated tight association of LRG1 with IL-1β signaling and neutrophilia, while particularly neutrophil stimulation with recombinant IL-1β resulted in concentration-dependent LRG1 release.
Conclusion

Our study identifies LRG1 as known trigger of endothelial activation and cardiac re-modelling to associate with IL-1β signaling in KD. Besides a potential patho-mechanistic implication of these findings, our data suggest blood leukocyte and neutrophil counts to best predict response to IL-1Ra treatment in IVIG-resistant KD.
The green, ultrafine cellulose-based porous nanofibrous membranes for efficient heavy metal ion removal through incorporation of chitosan by various electrospinning ways
Authors: Li Qiushi , Su Ganmao , Luo Ronggang , Du Guanben , Xie Linkun , Tang Zhengguan , Yan Jinsong , Zhou Juying , Wang Siqun , Xu Kaimeng
Published: January 2022

The rapid global industrialization worsens the contamination of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems on the earth. In this study, the green, ultrafine cellulose-based porous nanofibrous membranes for efficient heavy metal removal through incorporation of chitosan by the conventional and core-shell electrospinning ways were firstly obtained. The relations among parameters of electrospun solution, micro-morphology and porosity for nanofibers, the variation of chemical active sites and adsorption performance of biocomposite nanofibrous membranes for conventional and core-shell electrospinning as well as the adsorption effect factors of copper ions including initial concentration, pH of solution and interaction time were comprehensively investigated. The results show that the average diameter for conventional and core-shell ultrafine nanofibers at 50% chitosan and 30% chitosan loading can achieve 56.22 nm and 37.28 nm, respectively. The core-shell cellulose acetate/chitosan (CA/CS) biocomposite nanofibrous membranes induced the surface aggregation of copper ions to impede the further adsorption. The more uniform distribution for chemical adsorption sites can be obtained by the conventional single-nozzle electrospinning than by the core-shell one, which promotes the adsorption performance of copper ions and decreases the surface shrinkage of nanofibrous membranes during adsorption. The 30% CS conventional nanofibrous membranes at the pH=5 aqueous solution showed the optimum adsorption capacity of copper ions (86.4 mg/g). The smart combination of renewable biomass with effective chemical adsorptive sites, the electrospinning technology with interwoven porous structure and the adsorption method with low cost and facile operation shows a promising prospect for water treatment.
Genetic Diversity and Structure of Core Collection of Huangqi (Astragalus) Developed by Genomic Simple Sequence Repeat Markers
Authors: Gong Fanshu , Geng Yaping , Zhang Pengfei , Zhang Feng , Fan Xinfeng , Liu Yaling
Published: January 2022

Huangqi (Astragalus) is a versatile herb that possesses several therapeutic effects against a variety of diseases, especially lung diseases. The aim of this study was to establish a core collection of Astragalus germplasm resources based on molecular 10 SSR markers. Based on 380 samples of Astragalus collected from different areas, five different methods were utilized to construct the core collection of Astragalus, including PowerCore-based M strategy, CoreFinder-based M strategy, Core Hunter-based stepwise sampling, PowerMarker-based simulated annealing algorithm based on allele maximization, and PowerMarker-based simulated annealing algorithm based on maximizing genetic diversity. Of the constructed Astragalus core collections, the CoreFinder-based M strategy was found to be the most suitable approach as it reserved all the alleles and most of the genetic diversity parameters were higher than those of the initial collection. Additional analyses demonstrated that the genetic diversity of the core collection matched the properties of the initial collection. Further, the phylogenetic trees indicated that the population structure of the core collection was similar to that of the initial collection. In addition, our results showed that the optimal grouping value of K was 2. The construction of a core collection is beneficial for the understanding, management, and utilization of Astragalus. Moreover, this study will act as a valuable reference for constructing core collections for other plants or fungi.
­­Access to Health Insurance and Treatment Utilization for Opioid Use Disorder: Evidence From State Medicaid Expansions
Authors: Datta Anusua , Oglesby Willie , George Brandon
Published: January 2022

Background. Medicaid is a major payer of substance use disorder treatment, yet the impact of Medicaid expansion on the opioid epidemic has not been sufficiently quantified. This study exploits state-level differences in Medicaid expansion to assess the impact of access to health insurance on treatment utilization for opioid use disorder (OUD) for adults in need.Method. We use admissions data from Treatment Episode Data Sets (TEDS) to fit a multivariate difference-in-difference model, with non-expanding states as controls, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, and other state-level factors. Results. Medicaid expansion led to substantial gain in OUD treatment utilization. Admissions for substance use disorder among Medicaid beneficiaries increased by 20-33 percentage points in expansion states. Admissions were significantly higher for the newly eligible Medicaid beneficiaries in the 30-34 age group. We also see an increase in treatment admissions for opioid and heroin use among the elderly over the age of 55. Uninsurance rates show a commensurate decline in the expansion states. Finally, we do not find strong evidence of crowding-out of private insurance. Conclusions. Overall, our findings suggest that Medicaid expansions had a positive impact on the financing and utilization of opioid use treatment.
Multi-Block Data Integration Analysis for Identifying and Validating Targeted N-Glycans as Biomarkers for Type II Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Adua Eric , Yamoah Ebenezer Afrifa , Peprah-Yamoah Emmanuel , Anto Enoch Odame , Acheampong Emmanuel , Mensah Kwaafo Awuah , Wang Wei
Published: January 2022

Plasma N-glycan profiles have been shown to be defective in type II diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and holds a promise to discovering biomarkers. The study comprised 232 T2DM patients and 219 healthy individuals. N-glycans were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Principal component analysis (PCA), discriminatory analysis and agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were performed. N-glycan groups (GPs 34, 32, 26, 31, 36 and 30) were significantly expressed in T2DM in component 1 and GPs 38 and 20 were related to T2DM in component 2. Four clusters based on the correlation of the expressive signatures of the 39 N-glycans across T2DM and controls. Cluster A, B, C and D had 16, 16, 4 and 3 N-glycans respectively, of which 11, 8, 1 and 1 were found to express differently between controls and T2DM in a univariate analysis P. Multi-block analysis revealed that trigalactosylated (G3), triantennary (TRIA), high branching (HB) and trisialylated (S3) expressed significantly highly in T2DM than healthy controls. A bipartite relevance network revealed that HB, monogalactosylated (G1) and G3 were central in the network and observed more connections, highlighting their importance in discriminating between T2DM and healthy controls. Investigation of these N-glycans can enhance the understanding of T2DM.
lncRNA NEAT1-let 7b-P21 axis mediates the proliferation of neural stem cells cultured in vitro promoted by radial extracorporeal shock wave
Authors: Han Kun , Kang Nan , Yu Xiaotong , Lu Jie , Ma Yuewen
Published: January 2022

In previous studies, we found radial extracorporeal shock wave (rESW), can promote the proliferation of neural stem cells（NSCs）. Emerging evidence suggests that lncRNA NEAT1 can regulate NSCs proliferation. Whether lncRNA NEAT1 plays a role in the proliferation of NSC induced by shock waves is unclear. Cell Counting Kit-8（CCK 8） method was used to detect the proliferation of NSCs, and the relative protein and mRNA expression of related genes of Nestin, Cyclin D1 and P21 were detected by Western Blot and Quantitative real-time PCR（RT-qPCR）respectively. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the changes in the number of BrdU/nestin positive cells. Overexpression of NEAT1 and let 7b in cells were used to explore whether rESW can rescue the decreased number of NSCs.We found that the optimal dose of R15 transmitter promoting NSCs proliferation is 1.5 bar, 500 pulse, 2 Hz. 1.2-1.5bar showed a dose-dependent effect on the proliferation of NSCs, but it was negatively correlated with the proliferation effect of NSC when it was more than 1.5bar. We revealed that let 7b-P21 axis was involved in regulating the inhibition of NSC proliferation which was activated by NEAT1 in NSCs. In addition, we demonstrated that rESW treatment resulted in the decrease of NEAT1 expression, which was accompanied by the improved biological function including proliferation.Our results confirm that low-intensity rESW（1.5bar，500pulse，2Hz） can promote the proliferation of NSCs through NEAT1-let 7b-P21 axis.
Role of Magnetite, Rutile and H2S in C-O-H Fluids’ Speciation: Implications For Localized Reduction Zones in the Shallow Upper Mantle
Authors: Choudhary Shubham , Das Souvik , Sen Koushik , Kumar Santosh
Published: January 2022

Carbon (C) and sulfur (S) bearing volatiles in the mantle are important as they control processes like metasomatism and melting that ultimately influence Earth’s geochemical cycle. Here we report rare shallow mantle fluid inclusions in a pyroxenite, associated with the Kerguelen Plume, from Northeast India. Optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy reveal primary inclusions of hydrocarbon (CH) fluid and calcite in diopsidic clinopyroxene (Cpx) of this pyroxenite. Another Cpx from the same rock shows a rare occurrence of pseudo-secondary polyphase fluid inclusions of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbon monoxide (CO), rutile and calcite. We infer that metasomatic interaction between silicates and C-O-H volatiles generated these fluids, which are trapped as inclusions. We further suggest two factors controlling carbon speciation in these fluids 1) exsolution of magnetite and diffusion of Ti from the Cpx to form rutile and 2) oxidation buffering due to presence of H2S that prevented the formation of CH and formed CO instead. Our study explains the existence of significant reduction zones at localized scale in the oxidized shallow upper mantle.
Analysis of CircRNAs and CircRNA-Associated Competing Endogenous RNA Networks in β-Thalassemia
Authors: Yang Fang , Li Shuquan , Ruan Heyun , Hou Wei , Qiu Yuling , Deng Lingjie , Su Sha , Chen Ping , Pang Lihong , Lai Ketong
Published: January 2022

The involvement of circRNAs in β-thalassemia and their actions on fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is unclear. Here, the circRNAs in β-thalassemia carriers with high HbF levels were comprehensively analyzed in comparison with healthy individuals. Differential expression of 2183 circRNAs was observed and their correlations with hematological parameters were investigated. Down-regulated has-circRNA-100466 had a strong negative correlation with HbF and HbA2. Bioinformatics was employed to construct a has-circRNA-100466‑associated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network with the determination of hub genes and associated miRNAs. In combination with previous reports, the has-circRNA-100466▁miR-19b-3p▁SOX6 pathway was identified. The ceRNA network was verified by qRT-PCR on β-thalassemia samples and RNA immunoprecipitation of K562 cell lysates. Has-circRNA-100466, miR-19b-3p, and SOX6 were present together in anti-argonaute 2 immunoprecipitates, indicating involvement with HbF induction. Furthermore, spearman correlation coefficients revealed their significant correlations with HbF. In conclusion, a novel has-circRNA-100466▁miR-19b-3p▁SOX6 pathway was identified, providing insight into HbF induction and suggesting targets β-thalassemia treatment.
Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase is a Prognostic Biomarker and Correlated with Immune Infiltrates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Bu Yang , Liu Kejun , Niu Yiming , Hao Ji , Cui Lei , Li Cunquan , Chen Bendong
Published: January 2022

Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) plays an important role in the metabolic and immunological aspects of tumors. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the alteration of tumor microenvironment influences recurrence and metastasis. We extracted G6PD-related data from public databases of HCC tissues and used a bioinformatics approach to explore the correlation between G6PD expression and clinicopathological features and prognosis of immune cell infiltration in HCC.Methods: We extract G6PD expression information from TCGA and GEO databases in liver cancer tissues and normal tissues, validated by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between G6PD expression and clinical features is analyzed, and the clinical significance of G6PD in liver cancer is assessed by Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression and prognostic line graph models. Functional enrichment analysis is performed by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, GO/KEGG, GSEA and G6PD-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs). TIMER and ssGSEA packages are used to assess the correlation between expression and the level of immune cell infiltration.Results: Our results show that G6PD expression is significantly upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues (P < 0.001). G6PD expression is associated with histological grade, pathological stage, T-stage, vascular infiltration and AFP level (P < 0.05); HCC patients in the low G6PD expression group had longer overall survival and better prognosis compared with the high G6PD expression group (P < 0.05). The level of G6PD expression also affects the levels of macrophages, unactivated dendritic cells, B cells, and follicular helper T cells in the tumor microenvironment.Conclusion: High expression of G6PD is a potential biomarker for poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, and G6PD may be a target for immunotherapy of HCC.
TNFRSF9 Suppressed the Progression of Breast Cancer via the p38MAPK/PAX6 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhu Xun , Liu Xiaorong , Zhou Yehui , Qin Chenglin
Published: January 2022

Background Worldwide, Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females. Endocrine therapy can effectively treat 85% of breast cancer patients, but 15% of patients could only be treated with chemotherapy and surgery, and the prognosis is much worse. Immunotherapy is the novel treatment for breast cancer that PD-1 and CTLA-4 antibodies have shown evidence of immune modulation in breast cancer drug trials. Methods and Result In this study, we report that TNFRSF9 regulates the cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of breast cancer cells through regulating the phosphorylation of p38, thus further regulate the expression of PAX6. In both breast cancer tissues and cell lines, the levels of TNFRSF9 are significantly decreased, and breast cancer cell development will be promoted with knockdown of TNFRSF9. Moreover, we identify that downregulation of TNFRSF9 can upregulate the phosphorylated p38 (p-p38) and PAX6. We further elucidate that p-p38 is essential for PAX6 expression that p38 phosphorylation inhibitor can reverse the upregulation of PAX6 and suppress cell proliferation, invasion, and promote apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Conclusions In summary, this study proposed a novel TNFRSF9/p38/PAX6 axis that contributes to tumor suppression, which suggests a potential immunotherapy target for breast cancer.
New fossil assemblages from the Early Ordovician Fezouata Biota
Authors: Saleh Farid , Vaucher Romain , VIDAL Muriel , HARIRI Khadija EL , Laibl Lukáš , Daley Allison , Gutiérrez-Marco Juan Carlos , Candela Yves , Harper David , Ortega-Hernández Javier , Ma Xiaoya , Rida Ariba , Vizcaïno Daniel , Lefebvre Bertrand
Published: January 2022

The Fezouata Biota (Morocco) is an exceptionally well-preserved fossil community of Early Ordovician age and although its oldest units are comparable with Burgess Shale-type localities of the Cambrian Explosion, little attention has been paid to the younger units despite potential to reveal the conditions of the Ordovician Radiation. Herein, we describe a new middle to upper Floian Fezouata locality (Taichoute) encompassing an assemblage dominated by large bivalved euarthropods and giant filter-feeding radiodonts, which were transported and preserved in concretions associated with density-flow deposits. Taichoute captures the closing of the taphonomic window that characterizes exceptional fossil preservation during the Cambrian Explosion (i.e., carbonaceous compressions) as well as the faunal transition to assemblages dominated by typical Palaeozoic taxa.
Efficacy and Safety of the Combination of Nano-Liposomal Irinotecan and 5-Fluorouracil/L-Leucovorin in Unresectable Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Real-World Study
Authors: Yasuoka Hidetoshi , Naganuma Atsushi , Kurihara Eishin , Kobatake Tsutomu , Ijima Masashi , Tamura Yuki , Suzuki Yuhei , Hoshino Takashi , Hosaka Hisashi , Hatanaka Takeshi , Yoshida Sachiko , Aihara Ryusuke , Hosouchi Yasuo , Ishii Norihiro , Araki Kenichiro , Shirabe Ken , Kakizaki Satoru
Published: January 2022

Aim: This retrospective study investigated the efficacy and safety of nano-liposomal irinotecan (nal-IRI) plus 5-fluorouracil/l-leucovorin (5-FU/l-LV) treatment in the second-line or later setting for advanced pancreatic cancer under real-world conditions.Methods: Between June 2020 and September 2021, a total of 44 patients with unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer treated with nal-IRI + 5-FU/l-LV in our affiliated hospitals were included. The prognosis, predictive factors (including systemic inflammation-based prognostic indicators), and adverse events were investigated.Results: The median age was 68 (interquartile range [IQR] 62-73) years old, and 22 patients (50.0%) were male. Concerning tumor factors, 9 patients (20.5%) had local advanced disease, and 35 patients (79.5%) had metastases. Twenty-five of the 44 patients were receiving second-line treatment, and 19 were receiving third-line or later treatment. The median overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were 9.0 (range, 0.7-15.4) months and 4.4 (range, 0.6-15.4) months, respectively. The overall response rate (ORR) was 5.3%. The disease control rate (DCR) was 44.7%. Patients with a neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) of >2.7 had a significant risk of a poor OS (HR=0.275, P=0.017). Adverse events were manageable, although gastrointestinal symptoms and neutropenia were observed. The most common grade ≥3 adverse event was neutropenia, which was reported in 20% of patients.Conclusions: Nal-IRI + 5-FU/l-LV therapy was considered to be a useful regimen as second-line or later treatment for unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer, even in clinical practice.
Design, Synthesis of Amide Derivatives of Scutellarin And Their Anti-Leukemia And Neuroprotective Activities
Authors: Han Tong , Jiang Chunyu , Wei Xing , Sheng Meilin , Xie Qin , Zhang Jiqiang , Zhang Yongyi , Jin Chenghao
Published: January 2022

A unique series of amide-scutellarin derivatives were designed and synthesized in order to develop the function of scutellarin further. The antiproliferative activity of all target compounds against two human leukaemia cell lines were evaluated. Among them, compounds 6g and 7c displayed the most antitumor activities against HL-60 and THP-1. Moreover, all compounds were also assayed for their neuroprotective activity against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced PC-12 cell injury, and the majority of the compounds had moderate to good neuroprotective properties. These findings confirmed that these target compounds could be used as anti-leukaemia and neuroprotective candicates in the future.
Energy-aware and Carbon-efficient VM Placement Optimization in Cloud Datacenters Using Evolutionary Computing Methods
Authors: Abbasi-khazaei Tahereh , Rezvani Mohammad Hossein
Published: January 2022

One of the most important concerns of cloud service providers is balancing renewable and fossil energy consumption. On the other hand, the policy of organizations and governments is to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in cloud data centers. Recently, a lot of research has been conducted to optimize the Virtual Machine (VM) placement on physical machines to minimize energy consumption. Many previous studies have not considered the deadline and scheduling of IoT tasks. Therefore, the previous modelings are mainly not well-suited to the IoT environments where requests are time-constraint. Unfortunately, both the sub-problems of energy consumption minimization and scheduling fall into the category of NP-hard issues. In this study, we propose a multi-objective VM placement to joint minimizing energy costs and scheduling. After presenting a modified memetic algorithm, we compare its performance with baseline methods as well as state-of-the-art ones. The simulation results on the CloudSim platform show that the proposed method can reduce energy costs, carbon footprints, SLA violations, and the total response time of IoT requests.
Effects of Transcranial Magneto-acoustic Electrical Stimulation on Discharge propagation in feed-forward neural network
Authors: Wu Jiankang , Zhang Shuai , Xu Jiayue , Dang Junwu , Zhao Qingyang , Zhao Mingkang , Xu Guizhi , Zhang Xueying , Wang Hongbin , Du Wenjing
Published: January 2022

The mammalian brain has an extremely complex, diversified and highly modular structure, and information dissemination in the modular brain network affects various brain diseases. Although a variety of neuromodulation techniques have been used to study the discharge characteristics of neural networks, the effects of transcranial magneto-acoustic electrical stimulation(TMAES) have rarely been mentioned. Based on the excitatory and inhibitory Izhikevich neuron model, we constructs a feed-forward neural network connected by electrical synapses and chemical synapses, and analyzes the firing frequency of the neural network under TMAES and magnetic stimulation and the differences in each layer types of firing patterns of neurons. The results showed that the discharge patterns of neurons in each layer were different, the discharge frequency of inhibitory neurons was higher than that of excited neurons, and the stimulation signal could be transmitted to the whole network layer.The maximum discharge frequency of neural network connected by electrical coupling can reach 0.94kHz, and the discharge frequency of neural network connected by chemical coupling is less than 0.5 kHz.With the increase of coupling degree, the discharge frequency of neurons in each network layer under TMAES is much greater than that under magnetic stimulation.When the induced current is less than 26.5μA/cm 2 , magnetic stimulation can promote the inhibitory neurons, and TMAES has a variety of regulatory effects on the inhibitory neurons in the neural network. The results show that TMAES has better regulation effect than magnetic stimulation, and the regulation effect is affected by neural network structure and stimulation parameters.
A Retrospective Analysis of Serous Effusions Based on the Newly Proposed International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology: A Report of 3633 Cases in an Oncological Center
Authors: Zhu Yan-li , Ren Wen-hao , Wang Qian , Jin Hai-zhu , Guo Yi-yi , Lin Dong-mei
Published: January 2022

Background: The International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology (TIS) was recently proposed. We retrospectively applied TIS recommendations for reporting the cytological diagnosis of serous effusions and reported our experience.Methods: All the serous effusions from January 2018 to September 2021 were retrieved from the database. Recategorization was performed using the TIS classification, the risk of malignancy (ROM) was calculated for each TIS category, and the performance evaluation was carried out among different samples (pleural, peritoneal and pericardial effusions) and preparation methods (conventional smears, liquid-based preparations and cell-blocks). Results: A total of 3633 cases were studied, 17 (0.5%) were diagnosed as ND, 1100 (30.3%) as NFM, 101 (2.8%) as AUS, 677 (18.6%) as SFM, and 1738 (47.8%) as MAL. The ROM for the categories were found to be 38.5%, 28.6%, 52.1%, 99.4% and 100%, respectively. The ROM for SFM was significantly higher than that for AUS (P < 0.001), while the difference between the ROMs for the IVa and IVb was insignificant. The sensitivity, negative predictive value(NPV) and diagnostic accuracy of liquid-based preparations were all superior to conventional smears and cell-blocks in detecting abnormalities. Using three preparation methods simultaneously had the highest sensitivity, NPV and diagnostic accuracy.Conclusion: Serous effusion cytology has a high specificity and positive predictive value(PPV), and the TIS is a user-friendly reporting system. Liquid-based preparations could improve the sensitivity of diagnosis, and it is best to use three different preparation methods simultaneously for serous effusion cytologic examination.
Detection of Suspended SARS-CoV-2 in Indoor Air Using an Electrostatic Sampler
Authors: Fukuda Kyohei , Yoshida Mie , Noto Kensuke , Kitabayashi Kouichi , Katsushima Shinjirou , Sonehara Hiroki , Mizuno Kazue , Mizuno Akira
Published: January 2022

A prototype virus sampler using electrostatic precipitation has been developed to investigate aerosol infection by SARS-CoV-2. The sampler consists of a discharge electrode placed inside a vial, and a thin layer of viral lysis buffer at the bottom, working as a collection electrode. The sampler was operated with the sampling air flow rate of 40 L/min. Collection efficiency of the sampler is about 80% for 25nm to 5.0µm diameter particles. We sampled the air of a food court of a commercial facility, a connecting corridor of a clouded train station, and two office rooms (A and B) in September 2021, just after the 5th peak of COVID-19 in Japan. The analysis using a RT-qPCR detected the virus RNA in the air of the office A, B and the food court. Estimated concentration of the virus in the air determined by calibration curve was 2.0 x 102, 7.8 x 102, and 0.6 - 2.4 x 102 copies/m3, in the office A, B, and the food court, respectively. These results indicate that the sampler using electrostatic precipitation can detect SARS-CoV-2 in indoor air. It could be developed as a risk assessment method for aerosol infection.
Economics of wheat as influenced by natural farming, organic farming and recommended package of practices
Authors: Behera Alok , P Chandrashekara C
Published: January 2022

A field experiment was laid out on split-plot design with two uneven controls viz. four foliar concentrations of cow urine and jeevamrutha under natural farming which were compared with Organic farming (OF) and Recommended package of practices (RPP) given by UAS, Dharwad. The treatments were replicated thrice. The study revealed that RPP recorded significantly higher grain yield, straw yield, gross return, net return and B:C ratio than OF and natural farming practices. The grain yield reduction in the best treatment (cow urine @ 50 % + jeevamrutha @ 100 %) was 16 % lesser than RPP and 2 % higher than OF. However, the cost of cultivation in natural farming with cow urine @ 50 % + jeevamrutha @ 100 % was lesser to the extent of 6.91 and 30.42 % than RPP and OF. Our study indicates that the irrigated wheat can be grown under natural farming conditions profitably.
Does a One Health Approach to Human African Trypanosomiasis Control Hasten Elimination? A Stochastic Compartmental Modeling Approach
Authors: Meisner Julianne , Kato Agapitus , Lemerani Marshall , Miaka Erick Mwamba , Taban Acaga Ismail , Wakefield Jonathan , Rowhani-Rahbar Ali , Pigott David , Mayer Jonathan , Lorton Christopher , Rabinowitz Peter
Published: January 2022

Background: In response to large strides in the control of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), in the early 2000s the WHO set targets for elimination of both the gambiense (gHAT) and rhodesiense (rHAT) forms as a public health (EPHP) problem by 2020, and elimination of gHAT transmisson (EOT) by 2030. While global EPHP targets have been met, and EOT appears within reach, there is ample evidence that current control strategies will not achieve gHAT EOT in the presence of animal reservoirs, the role of which is currently uncertain. Furthermore, rHAT is not targeted for EOT due to the known importance of animal reservoirs for this form. Methods: To evaluate the utility of a One Health approach to gHAT and rHAT EOT, we built and parameterized a compartmental stochastic model, using the Institute for Disease Modeling's Compartmental Modeling Software, to six HAT epidemics: the national rHAT epidemics in Uganda and Malawi, the national gHAT epidemics in Uganda and South Sudan, and two separate gHAT epidemics in Democratic Republic of Congo distinguished by dominant vector species. In rHAT foci the reservoir animal sub-model was stratified on four species groups, while in gHAT foci domestic swine were assumed to be the only competent reservoir. The modeled time horizon was 2005-2045, with calibration performed using HAT surveillance data from 2000-2004 and Optuna. Interventions included insecticide and trypanocide treatment of domestic animal reservoirs at varying coverage levels. Results: Validation against HAT surveillance data indicates favorable performance overall, with the possible exception of DRC. EOT was not observed in any modeled scenarios for rHAT, however insecticide treatment consistently performed better than trypanocide treatment in terms of rHAT control. EOT was not observed for gHAT at 0% coverage of domestic reservoirs with trypanocides or insecticides, but was observed by 2030 in all test scenarios; again, insecticides demonstrated superior performance to trypanocides. Conclusions: EOT cannot be achieved for rHAT without control of wildlife reservoirs, however insecticide treatment of domestic animals holds promise for improved control. In the presence of domestic animal reservoirs, gHAT EOT will not be achieved under current control strategies.
The Effect of Economic Crises on Japan’s Bilateral Trade Distribution: Examination of the Tohoku Earthquake Impact on African Markets
Authors: BIYIK Onur
Published: January 2022

This paper examines the Japanese International Bilateral Trade Flow (JIBTF) in relation to economic crises, such as the Tohoku earthquake, and focuses on changes in the Distribution Networks of JIBTF (DNoJ) concerning African countries and Japanese Major Trade Partners (JMTP). The Harmonized System 6-digit level (“total” and product level) panel data from 2001 to 2019 are analyzed by employing the (structural) gravity method. First, the results of the study find that the Tohoku earthquake, compared to the 2008 crisis, has a stronger negative impact on the JIBTF and affects the DNoJ among Japanese trade partners. Second, the results prove that Japanese trade intention with African markets decreases relatively. In other words, exporting to African countries has a negative interaction effect after 2015. On the contrary, this interaction effect on JMTP comparatively increases; thus, Japan relocates its export to other markets such as JMTP. The Tohoku earthquake shaped the JIBTF to be more integrated with the Asia-Pacific and the EU regions, instead of African markets.JEL Classification Codes: F10, F14, C23, C24
PINK1 Kinase Enhances the Repair Effects of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Mice
Authors: Lin Chenyu , Chen Wen , Han Yong , Sun Yujie , Zhao Xiaoqiong , Yue Yuan , Li Binyu , Fan Wenmei , Zhang Tao , Xiao Li
Published: January 2022

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common severe acute syndrome caused by multiple causes, which is characterized by a rapid decline of renal function in a short period. Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are effective in the treatment of AKI. However, it remains unclear about the mechanism of their beneficial effects. PENT-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) may play an important role in the kidney tissue repair. In this study, an endeavor would be made to explore the enhancing effect of PINK1 overexpression on the repair of AKI through BMSCs. Methods: In this study, the ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury (IRI-AKI) in mice and the hypoxia-reoxygenation model of cells were established, and the indexes were detected by pathology and immunology experimental.Results: After ischemia/reperfusion, compared with the BMSCs group, the OE PINK1 group had a decreased expression of BUN, the mitigated renal fibrosis , the reduced tissue damage degree. Overexpressed PINK1 could decrease the inflammatory reaction of injured kidney tissues in IRI-AKI mice, the decreased expression of IL-10 in peripheral blood serum; and regulate the distribution of immune cells in the kidney during IRI, the decreased infiltration of lymphocytes, the increased infiltration of macrophages; and reduce the stress response of BMSCs under hypoxia and inflammation; and enhance the stress response of BMSCs to renal tubular epithelial cells(RTECs) under hypoxia and inflammation, the decreased apoptosis rate of RTECs, the decreased release of TNF-α in the cell supernatant, and the decreased proliferation of PBMCs in peripheral blood after hypoxia and reoxygenation; and regulate the autophagy of BMSCs in kidney tissues with IRI-AKI to better repair the injured kidney tissues, the increased expression of LC3-B related to autophagy and the decreased expression of mTOR.Conclusions: In this study, PINK1 overexpression enhances the repair effect of BMSCs on IRI-AKI, and the distribution of injured renal immune cells during IRI regulation by BMSCs. Besides, PINK1 enhances BMSCs and their resistance to the stress response of RTECs under hypoxia and inflammation. In addition, it regulates mitophagy during IRI-AKI. The findings of this study provide a new direction and target for the repair of IRI-AKI through BMSCs.
Long-term Pannexin 1 Ablation Produces an Imbalance Between Small Rho-GTPases Activity and Actin Polymerization Leading to Structural and Functional Modifications in Hippocampal Neurons
Authors: Flores-Muñoz Carolina , García-Rojas Francisca , Perez Miguel A. , Santander Odra , Mery Elena , Lopez-Espíndola Daniela , Gonzalez-Jamett Arlek M. , Fuenzalida Marco , Martinez Agustín D. , Ardiles Alvaro Oscar
Published: January 2022

Enhanced activity and overexpression of Pannexin 1 (PANX1) channels contribute to neuronal pathologies, such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the hippocampus, the PANX1 channel ablation alters glutamatergic neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity, and memory flexibility. Nevertheless, PANX1-knockout (PANX1-KO) mice still preserve the ability to learn, suggesting that compensatory mechanisms work to stabilize neuronal activity. Here, we show that the absence of PANX1 in the adult brain promotes a series of structural and functional modifications in PANX1-KO CA1 hippocampal synapses, preserving spontaneous activity. Adult CA1 neurons of PANX1-KO mice exhibit enhanced excitability, a more complex dendritic branching, enhanced spine maturation, and multiple synaptic contacts compared to the WT condition. These modifications seem to rely on the actin-cytoskeleton dynamics as an increase in actin polymerization and an imbalance between Rac1 and RhoA GTPase activity is observed in the absence of PANX1. Our findings highlight a novel interaction between PANX1, actin, and small Rho GTPases, which appear to be relevant for synapse stability.
Smallholders Beef Cattle Commercialization in Southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Kassa Getahun , Fantahun Tegegn , Anshiso Desalegn
Published: January 2022

In this study, the beef cattle markets in Southwest Ethiopia are analyzed based on a survey of 172 producers. The first part emphasized the characterization and commercialization of the beef cattle market in the study area. The second part is dedicated to identifying the factors affecting households’ participation in the beef cattle market using the Heckman two-step selection model. In the findings, the beef cattle market is characterized by the dominance of few traders, asymmetric information, lack of contract enforcement, lack of transparency among market actors, and poorly developed market infrastructure. There is very low net commercial off-take rate of cattle for smallholder farmers in the study area. The result from the Heckman two-step selection model revealed that having positive stock of cattle, better access to extension service & feed, and a better level of literacy enhanced market participation and sales volume. On the contrary, market participation and sales volume were negatively affected by cattle keeper’s age, non-livestock income, and poor road and health infrastructure. The study suggested that improving the market and health infrastructure, providing capacity building for producers, and improving access to feed could enhance the intensity of smallholder beef cattle market participation.
Soil Bacterial and Fungal Communities Response Differently to Bombax Ceiba (Malvaceae) in a Traditional Agroforestry System
Authors: Wang Wen-Juan , Wen Jing , Malabrigo Pastor L. , Ren Ming-Xun
Published: January 2022

Background Agroforestry system is one of promising directions for developing sustainable agriculture because the intercropping of crops and trees may facilitate resource cycling and avoid soil degradation. Bombax ceiba (Malvaceae), a tall tree with red flowers blooming in Spring, is traditionally planted in rice paddies in tropical Asia, while the roles of B. ceiba in the agroecosystem remain unexplored.Methods In this paper, we investigated and assessed spatiotemporal variations of soil nutrient contents and soil bacterial and fungal communities along the distance gradients to B. ceiba during three reproductive stages of rice, i.e. booting, heading, mature, in a typical Bombax-dominated rice paddy on Hainan Island, South China.Results B. ceiba in rice paddy could improve the soil nutrient conditions, particularly available K and soil organic carbons. The relative abundance of Chloroflexi and Ascomycota increased while Actinobacteria decreased along the distance gradient to B. ceiba. In addition, the relative abundance of Firmicutes was highest at harvesting stage of rice, while Acidobacteria was richer in the early reproductive stage of rice. Soil potassium content was the principal driver in shaping soil bacterial diversity and composition, while fungal community was mainly affected by soil nitrogen.Conclusions Our results provide evidences for positive influences of B. ceiba on biotic and abiotic traits of rice paddy soils and thus lend supports to the ecological basis of this tropical Asian endemic traditional Agroforestry system, which could increase resource cycling and paddy stability and have the potential to reduce carbon emission.