bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
microRNA-223-3p attenuates angiotensin II-dependent ROS effect on cell viability by targeting NLRP3 in H9c2 cells
Authors: Dai Weiran , Zhou Shuang , Zhong Guoqiang , Jiang Zhiyuan 
Published: March 2021

IntroductionRecently, enhanced activation of NLRP3 has been reported to be involved in atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to detect the correlation between oxidative stress and NLRP3 and explore the role of miR-223-3p in the injury of ROS induced by Ang II.Material and methodsSerum Ang II levels were examined by ELISA kit. Fibrosis levels of right atrial appendages were determined by Masson’s staining. H9c2 cells tansfected with miR-223-3p mimics were treated with Ang II with or without MCC950 (a potent selective NLRP3 inhibitor). Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. Protein abundance was detected by Western blot. MDA assay and DCFH-DA were used to measured oxidative stress. RT-qPCR was used to assay the expression of miR-223-3p and NLRP3.ResultsTotally, 43 patients enrolled in this study, including 20 patients with persistent (chronic) AF (cAF). Comparing with sinus rhythm (SR) group, we found an enhanced activation of NLRP3 inflammasome which were positively correlated with oxidative stress and serum Ang II level in cAF patients. Ang II induced ROS generation and inhibited the H9c2 cell viability. In addition, overexpression of miR-223-3p functioned as MCC950 which inhibited the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and partly attenuated the effects of ROS induced by Ang II on H9c2 cell viability. Lastly, we used luciferase assay to confirm NLRP3 as a direct target gene of miR-223-3p.ConclusionsmiR-223-3p has protective effects on oxidative stress induced by Ang II in AF by targeting NLRP3 and could provide a new potential intervention targets for treatment of AF.
mRNA expression profiling of mitochondrial subunits in subjects with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Salemi Michele , Cosentino Filomena , Lanza Giuseppe , Cantone Mariagiovanna , Salluzzo Maria Grazia , Giurato Giorgio , Borgione Eugenia , Marchese Giovanna , Santa Paola Sandro , Lanuzza Bartolo , Romano Corrado , Ferri Raffaele 
Published: March 2021

IntroductionParkinson's disease (PD) is a common adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons due to the accumulation of α-synuclein in the substantia nigra. Mitochondria are known to play a key role in cell respiratory function and bioenergetics. Indeed, mitochondrial dysfunction causes an insufficient energy production required to satisfy the needs of several organs, especially the nervous system. However, the profiling of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of mitochondrial subunits in PD has not been systematically investigated yet.Material and methodsWe explored the mRNA expression of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encoded respiratory chain (RC) subunits in 43 PD patients and 43 normal controls (NC). Next generation sequencing analysis (NGS) and quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) assay for the confirmation of the NGS results were used.ResultsAll tested mitochondrial RC subunits was significantly over-expressed in subjects with PD compared to NC. In qRT-PCR the mean expression of all mitochondrial subunits had an expression level of at least 7 times compared to NC.ConclusionsThe over-expression of mitochondrial subunits in PD subjects with respect to NC might be secondary to a degeneration-related alteration of the mitochondrial structure and/or dynamics, or to the occurrence of a compensatory mechanism. The study of specific mRNA by peripheral blood mononuclear cells may provide a further diagnostic frame to early detect PD patients.
Response and Clinical Outcome of Critically Ill Children with Guillain Barre Syndrome admitted to PICU of Children’s Hospital Lahore
Authors: Jamil Anila , Rashid Nighat , MUHAMMAD SARWAR  , FAREEHA KAUSAR  , GHAZALA SHAFFQAT  , UMER WAQAR AZEEM  
Published: March 2021

Objective: To analyze patients with Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission, their course, response to treatment and outcome.
Methods: A retrospective study conducted at ICU of The Children’s Hospital Lahore in 194 children with diagnosis of GBS from June 2018 to May 2020. Demographic profile, clinical features, treatment, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of ICU stay and outcome was noted.
Results:
Mean age of children was 5.95 ± 3.1 years with male predominance 136 (70 %). Major proportion were in range of 1-5 years 93(47.9%). Mean duration of ICU stay was 21.3±34.4 days. Out of 194 patients 125(64%) received IVIGs while 112 (57.7%) required mechanical ventilation because of rapidly progressive weakness within 24 hours of admission and those who remained on mechanical ventilation for longer period showed AMSAN (Acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy) type of GBS ( p value <0.001). Tracheostomy was performed in 22.7% of patients who were difficult to wean off from ventilator. Among nerve conduction studies AIDP (Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy) was predominant 48% associated with p value <0.001 in those who showed complete recovery, followed by AMSAN 24%, AMAN ( Acute motor axonal neuropathy) 13.4% and miscellaneous 13.9 %. Regarding outcome complete recovery was seen in 28%, minimal residual disability in 70% and 1.5% remained ventilator dependent.
Conclusion:
Patients of severe GBS often require prolong respiratory support and ICU care. The indicators of poor outcome are rapidly progressive course, severe weakness and axonal neuropathy leading to longer duration on mechanical ventilation.
KEYWORDS:
Guillain Barre Syndrome, Outcome, intensive care unit (ICU)
Homeopathy in the treatment of COVID-19
Authors: Holandino Carla , Kokornaczyk Maria Olga 
Published: March 2021

An Extraordinary GIRI Meeting took place on the 26 and 27 of November 2020. Due to the current situation, it was held on the ZOOM platform. It regarded the clinical and basic research on COVID-19 and the coronavirus exclusively. The meeting was organized in partnership with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the International Research Group on Very Low Dosis and High Dilution Effects (GIRI) as a pre-event to the V International Homeopathy Workshop of UFRJ, planned for 2-4 December 2021.
During a pandemic, when there is a general lack of workers, equipment, and medicines, any kind of treatment capable of maintaining or improving people’s health should be considered by all medical facilities. Therefore, the GIRI meeting aimed to collect, discuss, and disseminate knowledge and medical experience gathered by homeopathy researchers and doctors around the world regarding the possibility of treating COVID-19 with homeopathy. The meeting lasted two days and was visited by a large number of participants from Brazil, India, Russia, Belgium, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and England, gathering so researchers, professionals, and many students from different fields of expertise, e.g. pharmacology, medicine, biology, physics, veterinary, chemistry.
In total, 11 abstracts were approved by a Scientific Committee and presented in a 30-60 min oral contribution. The meeting was interactive, offering space for questions, answers, and for many discussions concerning the potential of homeopathy in the context of COVID-19. The conference provided the possibility to better understand the different homeopathic approaches in the treatment of COVID-19, such as the use of nosodes (prepared from virus particles), that showed a promising immunomodulatory and prophylactic potential. Further, the preliminary analysis of the Clificol COVID-19 support project was presented, revealing a vast international panorama concerning the use of homeopathy in different countries. There were other contributions regarding the use of homeopathy in adults and children for the treatment of COVID-19.
To disseminate even further the findings presented at the Extraordinary GIRI Meeting 2020 related to the role of homeopathy in the COVID-19 pandemic, we are launching this special issue of the International Journal of High Dilution Research (IJHDR).
Optimising the Performance of Roundabouts in Dar Es Salaam City
Authors: Mfinanga David A. 
Published: March 2021

Intersections are one of the major bottlenecks that aggravate congestion in road networks; effective control of which is an important strategy in improving traffic flow. While developing countries have found it hard to adopt sophisticated means of intersection control, they have also not optimised the performance of roundabouts. This paper reviews the erformance of roundabouts, which have become increasingly popular in recent years, as simple and low cost forms of intersection control. The performance of three major roundabouts in Dar es Salaam has been analysed and results show that roundabouts can accommodate high traffic volumes without causing excessive delays. The results also showthat low-cost improvements on roundabouts, involving minor adjustments in geometry and improved traffic management, can significantly improve their operational performance.
Restoration of Historic Buildings in Zanzibar
Authors: Makunza John K. 
Published: March 2021

Looking at current state of most repaired historic buildings in Stone Town of Zanzibar, it is quite clear that the repair attempts made have not been very successful. Modern materials and techniques introduced in the repair works have often proven to be incompatible with the original materials causing accelerated deterioration of buildings fabric. This shows that, there is no comprehensive study undertaken so far on identifying the appropriate materials and restoration techniques. To solve this problem, a study has been made with the main objective of developing the means of restoring historic buildings by using materials existing in Stone Town of Zanzibar. The study was conducted through visual investigation and laboratory testing of materials taken from existing historical buildings and those that are currently being used for repair. Laboratory test conducted includes chemical analysis, grading, compressive strength and water absorption. The results showed some similarities in both materials, however, the combination ratios are not the same resulting into different properties. It has therefore been established that sand of the same grading pattern as the one found in the historic building mortar must be sought and utilized in making repair mortar at a ratio of 1 part lime to 3 parts sand.
A metáfora, o Enem e a democracia
Authors: Velasco Diego Bruno , Rocha Ana Angelita Costa Neves da 
Published: March 2021

O presente trabalho buscou problematizar os sentidos de “democracia” nas edições do Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (Enem). O objetivo deste trabalho se insere no atual contexto educacional e político do país, em que as garantias dos direitos civis estão ameaçadas e em que consideramos necessário, na posição de docentes da Educação Básica e do Ensino Superior, discutir as disputas pela significação/validação da categoria “democracia” dentro de uma política curricular nacional avaliativa de acesso aos cursos de graduação. A fundamentação teórica se construiu no intenso debate entre a teoria do discurso e a teoria política, a partir de Ernesto Laclau e seus interlocutores. O procedimento metodológico de análise dos itens do Enem observou a estrutura e a proposta de gabarito da questão, indicando como as significações de “democracia” possibilitaram ou não produções de subjetividades ativas. Em linhas gerais, nossas reflexões foram construídas a partir dos discursos produzidos sobre a categoria “democracia” dentro das questões referentes ao tema da Ditadura Civil-Militar (1964-1985) nas edições de 2009 até 2017. A hipótese inicial deste trabalho observou que a democracia é uma potente metáfora para conjugar conteúdos voltados para formação cidadã, ainda pouco explorada pelo exame. Em termos de conclusão, destacamos que o conceito de “democracia” ficou mais restrito a uma concepção tradicional de direito ao voto, mobilizando poucos outros sentidos. Ao mesmo tempo, constatamos que o Enem reforçou a produção de discursos que tenderam a antagonizar o período da Ditadura Civil-Militar com o período da história política do país que se inicia em 1985, apresentando poucos eixos conectivos entre tais momentos históricos.
De economische realiteit in de SNS Reaal-beschikkingen
Authors: Eikelboom F. , Krekels M. 
Published: March 2021

De economische realiteit in de SNS Reaal-beschikkingen. Noot bij HR 3 april 2020, ECLI:NL:HR:2020:478 en ECLI:NL:HR:2020:479 (Concernenquête SNS Reaal en dochtervennootschap SNS Bank)
In een tweetal beschikkingen van 3 april 2020 liet de Hoge Raad zich voor de tweede maal uit over de maatstaf voor het toewijzen van een concernenquête. Zoals uit deze bijdrage blijkt, gebruikte de Hoge Raad deze gelegenheid om de maatstaf uit de Landis-beschikking te herformuleren en versimpelen. Deze beschikkingen worden nader geduid.
Synthesis and Characteristics of Microencapsulated Decanol with TiO2 Shell as Composites for Cold Energy Storage
Authors: LIU Yuan , LIU Yang , CHEN Yanghua 
Published: March 2021

A novel microencapsulated phase change materials for cold energy storage was synthesised through sol-gel means using decanol as phase change material and titanium dioxide (TiO2) as encapsulated material. The micromorphology and composition of microcapsules were observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), Fourier transformation infrared spectrometer (FT-IR).Using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) thermal properties of microcapsules were characterized. Results of FE-SEM and FT-IR indicated that micro sized decanol droplets were encapsulated with TiO2 to form the well-developed core-shell structure, which was only physical coating between them. Furthermore, the chemical and thermal stability of the microcapsules were improved and the inflammability of the microcapsules was lowered using TiO2 as shell material. The DSC result of the desirable ones melt at 3.87 ℃ with a latent melting enthalpy of 61.12 J·g-1 and solidified at – 1.32 ℃ with a latent solidification enthalpy of 59.54 J·g-1. In general, the prepared microcapsules have potential for cold energy storage.
COL1A1 is a prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in lung cancer
Authors: Geng Qishun , Shen Zhibo , Li Lifeng , Zhao Jie 
Published: March 2021

Objective
Lung cancer (LC) is one of the top ten malignant tumors and the first leading cause of cancer-related death among both men and women worldwide. It is imperative to identify immune-related biomarkers for early LC diagnosis and treatment.

Methods
Three Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were selected to acquire the differentially expressed genes(DEGs) between LC and normal lung samples through GEO2R tools of NCBI. To identify hub genes, the DEGs were performed functional enrichment analysis, the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network construction, and Lasso regression. Then, a nomogram was constructed to predict the prognosis of patients with carcinoma based on hub genes. We further evaluated the influence of COL1A1 on clinical prognosis using GSE3141, GSE31210, and TCGA database. Also, the correlations between COL1A1 and cancer immune infiltrates and the B7-CD28 family was investigated via TIMER and GEPIA. Further analysis of immunohistochemistry shown that the COL1A1 expression level is positively correlated with CD276 expression level.

Results
By difference analysis, there were 340 DEGs between LC and normal lung samples. Then, we picked out seven hub genes, which were identified as components of the risk signature to divide LC into low and high-risk groups. Among them, the expression of COL1A1 is highly correlated with overall survival(OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p < 0.05). Importantly, there is a moderate to strong positive relationships between COL1A1 expression level and infiltration level of CD4+ T cells, Macrophage, Neutrophil, and Dendritic cell, as well as CD276 expression level.

Conclusion
These findings suggest that COL1A1 is correlated with prognosis and immune infiltrating levels, including CD4+ T cells, Macrophage, Neutrophil, and Dendritic cell, as well as CD276 expression level, indicating COL1A1 can be a potential immunity-related biomarker and therapeutic target in LC.
A Flexible Mott Synaptic Transistor for Nociceptor Simulation and Neuromorphic Computing
Authors: Deng Xing , Wang Si‐Qi , Liu Yu‐Xiang , Zhong Ni , He Yu‐Hui , Peng Hui , Xiang Ping‐Hua , Duan Chun‐Gang 
Published: March 2021

AbstractDesigning transparent flexible electronics with multi‐biological neuronal functions and superior flexibility is a key step to establish wearable artificial intelligence equipment. Here, a flexible ionic gel‐gated VO2 Mott transistor is developed to simulate the functions of the biological synapse. Short‐term and long‐term plasticity of the synapse are realized by the volatile electrostatic carrier accumulation and nonvolatile proton‐doping modulation, respectively. With the achievement of multi‐essential synaptic functions, an important sensory neuron, nociceptor, is perfectly simulated in our synaptic transistors with all key characteristics of threshold, relaxation, and sensitization. More importantly, this synaptic transistor exhibits high tolerance to the bending deformation, and the cycle‐to‐cycle variations of multi‐conductance states in potentiation and depression properties are maintained within 4%. This superior stability further indicates that our flexible device is suitable for neuromorphic computing. Simulation results demonstrate that high recognition accuracy of handwritten digits (>95%) can be achieved in a convolution neural network built from these synaptic transistors. The transparent and flexible Mott transistor based on electrically‐controlled VO2 metal‐insulator transition is believed to open up alternative approaches to developing highly stable synapses for future flexible neuromorphic systems.
Scalable 3D Self‐Assembly of MXene Films for Flexible Sandwich and Microsized Supercapacitors
Authors: Zhao Zifang , Wang Shuai , Wan Fang , Tie Zhiwei , Niu Zhiqiang 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe self‐assembly of large‐area MXene films is the main step to realize their applications in various energy storage devices. However, the scalable self‐assembly of flexible thin MXene films with high conductivity as well as excellent mechanical and electrochemical properties is still a challenge. Herein, a synchronous reduction and self‐assembly strategy to fabricate flexible MXene films is developed, where MXene films are synchronously reduced and self‐assembled on the Zn foil surface. Furthermore, the self‐assembly of MXene films can be scaled up by controlling the area of Zn substrates. By adjusting the patterns of Zn substrates, the interdigital MXene patterns can also be obtained via a selectively reducing/assembling process. The resultant MXene films demonstrate high electrical conductivity, large specific surface area, and excellent mechanical properties. Thus they can serve as the electrodes of flexible supercapacitor devices directly. As a proof of concept, flexible sandwich and microsized supercapacitors are designed based on the above MXene film electrodes. Both sandwich and microsized supercapacitors display stable electrochemical performance under various bending states. This study provides a route to achieve large‐area MXene‐based films or microsized structures for applications in the field of energy storage.
Recent Advances in Organocatalytic Asymmetric Cycloaddition Reactions Through Ortho‐Quinone Methide Scaffolds
Authors: Ma Yu‐Hong , He Xiao‐Yu , Yang Qing‐Qing , Boucherif Amina , Xuan Jun 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis review summarizes the very recent advances in organocatalytic asymmetric cycloaddition reactions involving ortho‐quinone methides (o‐QMs), a family of versatile species that have proven useful in a broad range of reactions to afford diverse chiral molecules. In the past years, different kinds of organocatalysts have been developed into a privileged class of catalytic systems in asymmetric synthesis. A number of remarkable achievements have been made by many groups around the world. Due to length limitation, this review only summarizes those works published from January 2016 to December 2020. Meanwhile, catalytic systems which combine metal catalysts and organocatalysts will not be discussed in this review.
Adapting in the Arctic: Habitual activity and landscape interaction in Late Holocene hunter‐gatherers from Alaska
Authors: Temple Daniel H. , Rosa Emily R. , Hunt David R. , Ruff Christopher B. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjectivesThis study compares lower limb diaphyseal robusticity between Native Alaskan hunter‐gatherers to reconstruct patterns of mobility and engagement with terrain.Materials and methodsAncestral remains included in this study date between 600 and 1800 C.E. and were divided into three regions: Coastal Bay, Far North Coastal, and Inland/Riverine. Cross‐sectional properties were determined at femoral and tibial midshafts and standardized by powers of body mass and bone length.ResultsConsistently elaevated areas and second moments of area were found in ancestral remains from the Far North Coastal, while the Coastal Bay remains had reduced diaphyseal robusticity. Individuals from the Inland/Riverine region were intermediate in robusticity for male femora, but similar to the Coastal Bay group for females. Sexual dimorphism was greatest in the Inland/Riverine ancestral remains and comparable between Coastal Bay and Far North Coastal regions.ConclusionsAncestral remains from the Far North Coastal region have the greatest diaphyseal robusticity in response to intensive hunting and travel over rugged terrain. Reduced sexual dimorphism in the Far North Coastal region suggest female participation in hunting activities. Intermediate diaphyseal robusticity among Inland/Riverine males and increased sexual dimorphism reflects diverse patterns of mobility in relation to the hunting cycle between males and females. Reduced diaphyseal robusticity and sexual dimorphism among the Coastal Bay group is associated with sedentary villages established around net fishing in regions with low relief. Such findings argue against technocentric views of sedentism in hunter‐gatherer lifeways and generally reflect diverse adaptive strategies and interaction with local terrain among Indigenous Late Holocene hunter‐gatherers of Alaska.
Dynamical Quantum Phase Transitions in the 1D Nonintegrable Spin‐1/2 Transverse Field XZZ Model
Authors: Cheraghi Hadi , Mahdavifar Saeed 
Published: March 2021

AbstractUsing the Jordan–Wigner mean‐field (JW‐MF) approach, the dynamical quantum phase transition (DQPT) in the 1D spin‐1/2 XZZ model is studied, where the presence of the transverse magnetic field breaks the U(1) symmetry of the Hamiltonian and leads to loss of integrability. In the time evolution of the rate function, three kinds of behaviors will emerge: regular and irregular nonanalytic, and also regular analytic. Examples are given where the rate function shows the regular analytic can appear albeit a quench is crossed from a quantum critical point (QCP) and examples where the irregular nonanalyticity behaviors can arise in both quenching into the same phase and exceeded from a QCP. All the regular nonanalyticity behaviors at periodic instants happen when quenches cross from a QCP. In order to achieve a confirmation on our results, the long‐time average of the rate function is determined and show the occurrence of the nonequilibrium quantum phase transitions exactly at the QCPs and hence disclose the JW‐MF approach qualitatively works very well.