Different Groups Of Samples Research Articles

Haptoglobin is an early indicator of survival after radiation-induced severe injury and bone marrow transplantation in mice

BackgroundHematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the main treatment for acute radiation sickness, especially after fatal radiation. The determination of HSCT for radiation patients is mainly based on radiation dose, hemogram and bone marrow injury severity. This study aims to explore a better biomarker of acute radiation injury from the perspective of systemic immune response.MethodsC57BL/6J female mice were exposed to total body irradiation (TBI) and partial body irradiation (PBI). Changes in haptoglobin (Hp) level in plasma were shown at different doses and time points after the exposure and treatment with amifostine or bone marrow transplantation. Student’s t-test/two tailed test were used in two groups. To decide the Hp levels as a predictor of the radiation dose in TBI and PBI, multiple linear regression analysis were performed. The ability of biomarkers to identify two groups of different samples was determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Significance was set at P value < 0.05, and P value < 0.01 was set as highly significant. Survival distribution was determined by log-rank test.ResultsIn this study, we found that Hp was elevated dose-dependently in plasma in the early post-irradiation period and decreased on the second day, which can be used as a molecular indicator for early dose assessment. Moreover, we detected the second increase of Hp on the 3rd and 5th days after the lethal irradiation at 10 Gy, which was eliminated by amifostine, a radiation protection drug, while protected mice from death. Most importantly, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) on the 3rd and 5th day after 10 Gy radiation improved the 30-days survival rate, and effectively accelerated the regression of secondary increased Hp level.ConclusionsOur study suggests that Hp can be used not only as an early molecule marker of radiation injury, but also as an important indicator of bone marrow transplantation therapy for radiation injury, bringing new scientific discoveries in the diagnosis and treatment of acute radiation injury from the perspective of systemic immunity.

IgIDivA: immunoglobulin intraclonal diversification analysis.

Intraclonal diversification (ID) within the immunoglobulin (IG) genes expressed by B cell clones arises due to ongoing somatic hypermutation (SHM) in a context of continuous interactions with antigen(s). Defining the nature and order of appearance of SHMs in the IG genes can assist in improved understanding of the ID process, shedding light into the ontogeny and evolution of B cell clones in health and disease. Such endeavor is empowered thanks to the introduction of high-throughput sequencing in the study of IG gene repertoires. However, few existing tools allow the identification, quantification and characterization of SHMs related to ID, all of which have limitations in their analysis, highlighting the need for developing a purpose-built tool for the comprehensive analysis of the ID process. In this work, we present the immunoglobulin intraclonal diversification analysis (IgIDivA) tool, a novel methodology for the in-depth qualitative and quantitative analysis of the ID process from high-throughput sequencing data. IgIDivA identifies and characterizes SHMs that occur within the variable domain of the rearranged IG genes and studies in detail the connections between identified SHMs, establishing mutational pathways. Moreover, it combines established and new graph-based metrics for the objective determination of ID level, combined with statistical analysis for the comparison of ID level features for different groups of samples. Of importance, IgIDivA also provides detailed visualizations of ID through the generation of purpose-built graph networks. Beyond the method design, IgIDivA has been also implemented as an R Shiny web application. IgIDivA is freely available at https://bio.tools/igidiva

Label distribution feature selection with feature weights fusion and local label correlations

Label distribution learning, where each sample is associated with a distribution of description degree, suffers from the curse of dimensionality like other traditional learning paradigms. Feature selection as a pre-processing technique is commonly used to reduce the dimension of data. Currently, label distribution feature selection focuses on exploiting label correlations under the assumption that all samples share the same label correlations. However, the corresponding label correlations for different groups of samples may tend to be different in real-world tasks. To tackle the issue, this paper presents a novel approach named label distribution feature selection with feature weights fusion and local label correlations. First, instances are separated into several clusters regarded as local samples. Then, a two-strategy approach is presented based on the local samples. For the first, the feature weights obtained from all local samples are fused into uniform feature significance, which can effectively improve the feature discrimination. For the second, to reflect the influence of label correlations locally, a local correlation matrix is encoded via the label space of local samples as additional features. Subsequently, the feature weights for this strategy are generated from a new feature space composed of additional and original features. Finally, a subset of optimal and relevant features is selected from the top-ranked features based on feature weights obtained from the above two strategies. Extensive experiments on fifteen benchmark datasets verify that the proposed algorithm is superior to five state-of-the-art approaches in terms of six evaluation metrics.

Analytical study of some biokinematic variables and their relationship to the strength and accuracy of performance of the front circular kick for Taekwondo players

The aim of the search is to: Codification of a skill test according to the electronic drip system for the front circular kick for Taekwondo players, as well as to identify the values of some biokinematic variables for the front circular kick for Taekwondo players and to identify the values of the two variables (strength and accuracy) of the front circular kick for Taekwondo players according to the electronic drip system, in addition to identifying the relationship between the values of Some biokinematic variables and the productive force for the performance of the front circular kick for taekwondo players according to the electronic drip system, as well as revealing the relationship between the values of some biokinematic variables and the accuracy of the front circular kick for taekwondo players according to the electronic drip system. The researchers hypothesized that there is a significant relationship between the values of some biokinematic variables and the producing force of the front circular kick of Taekwondo players according to the electronic drip system, and the existence of a significant relationship between the values of some biokinematic variables and the accuracy of the front circular kick of Taekwondo players according to the electronic drip system. The researchers used the descriptive approach using the two survey methods and the correlational relationships for its relevance and the nature of the study. The research community consisted of taekwondo players, the advanced category, which numbered (75) players representing the players of the teams (Baghdad, Nineveh, and Erbil). The research sample consisted of a sample of the two exploratory experiments, the number of its members (9) players were chosen from the research community, five of them from the Nineveh Governorate team, the tests for the front circular kick were applied, and four from the Erbil Governorate team to apply the biokinematic analysis tests. And the sample of the application of the tests consisting of (50) players representing the teams (Baghdad, Nineveh, and Erbil), and the stability sample consisting of (10) players, in addition to the analysis sample, they are (6) players who were chosen in a deliberate way who represent (3) from the Nineveh Governorate team and ( 3) From the Erbil governorate team. The researchers used measurement, testing, and technical scientific observation as means of data collection. The scientific observation was carried out using three video cameras at a speed of (100) images/sec. The researchers also used the electronic drip system device imported by them to record successful kicks and then obtain points. The best kick during which the player obtains the best strength and performance accuracy to be analyzed using kinetic analysis programs. The data were statistically processed using the SPSS program to obtain the data (arithmetic mean, standard deviation, simple correlation coefficient, t-test for independent samples) and equations that are related to biokinematic variables. The researchers concluded that the standardized tests of the front circular kick for strength, speed, and accuracy were It has a positive role in revealing the most important Biokinematic variables that achieve a touch recording according to the electronic drip system. The biokinematic variables of the front circular kick had an effective effect in applying the appropriate and effective force in scoring points according to the electronic scoring system during training or a fight. And in light of these conclusions, the researchers recommended the necessity of providing and using the electronic drip device during training and friendly fights between players for the category of applicants, due to the importance of this system in determining the player’s achievement. The necessity of using the electronic scoring device on other samples of different groups (juniors, youth) during the training.

CALCULATION OF OFFCENTRALLY COMPRESSED ELEMENTS

A large number of calculation formulas have been proposed to describe the deformation diagrams of masonry and concrete. The data indicate the possibility and expediency of using full masonry deformation diagrams to calculate the strength and deformations of stone and reinforced stone pillars. Experimental samples and stone pillars were tested. The samples were of five types and differed among themselves in the location of reinforcement and the reinforcement ratio, as well as in the method of loading – axial or off-center compression with different eccentricity. In the paper, experimental and calculated longitudinal deformations of masonry and reinforcement for samples of different groups. These data testify to the possibility and expediency of using full masonry deformation diagrams to calculate the strength and deformations of stone and reinforced stone pillars. As the amount of reinforcement in the stretched zone increases, most of the section works on the descending branch of the diagram. The size of the compressed zone increases, which is equivalent to a decrease in eccentricity. Reinforcement of the compressed zone with reinforcement increases the strength of sections with double reinforcement. The shapes of the stress profiles in the masonry practically do not depend on the presence of compressed reinforcement. The calculation establishes the expediency of the installation and the degree of saturation of the stretched and compressed cross-sectional areas with reinforcement. At small eccentricities, when the force is applied within the core of the section, saturation of the compressed zone with reinforcement leads to a noticeable increase in the strength of the section. At large eccentricities, saturation of the compressed zone with reinforcement is ineffective.

Spray-Dried Griseofulvin-Lactose Matrix for Enhanced Solubility Using a Spray-Drying Biochemical Process

Griseofulvin (GF) is a hydrophobic drug with a low solubility. In order to improve the solubility of GF, which has low water solubility, this report uses the spray-drying technique to prepare complexes with lactose to promote the solubility and oral bioavailability of GF. The solution samples were spray dried using different ratios of ethanol or acetone solutions as dissolution media. By characterization of the obtained spray-dried powders, we found that the solubility of the different groups of samples obtained by spray drying was increased, and similarly, their dissolution rates were also increased to different degrees. By comparison, the greatest increase in solubility was obtained in an aqueous acetone solution, showing the greatest ability and efficiency of acetone in promoting the solubility of GF during the spray-drying process.

PRES: a webserver for decoding the functional perturbations of RNA editing sites

Rapid progresses in RNA-Seq and computational methods have assisted in quantifying A-to-I RNA editing and altered RNA editing sites have been widely observed in various diseases. Nevertheless, functional characterization of the altered RNA editing sites still remains a challenge. Here, we developed perturbations of RNA editing sites (PRES; http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/PRES/) as the webserver for decoding functional perturbations of RNA editing sites based on editome profiling. After uploading an editome profile among samples of different groups, PRES will first annotate the editing sites to various genomic elements and detect differential editing sites under the user-selected method and thresholds. Next, the downstream functional perturbations of differential editing sites will be characterized from gain or loss miRNA/RNA binding protein regulation, RNA and protein structure changes, and the perturbed biological pathways. A prioritization module was developed to rank genes based on their functional consequences of RNA editing events. PRES provides user-friendly functionalities, ultra-efficient calculation, intuitive table and figure visualization interface to display the annotated RNA editing events, filtering options and elaborate application notebooks. We anticipate PRES will provide an opportunity for better understanding the regulatory mechanisms of RNA editing in human complex diseases.

Lattice thermal conduction in cadmium arsenide

Lattice thermal conductivity (LTC) of cadmium arsenide (Cd3As2) is studied over a wide temperature range (1–400 K) by employing the Callaway model. The acoustic phonons are considered to be the major carriers of heat and to be scattered by the sample boundaries, disorder, impurities, and other phonons via both Umklapp and normal phonon processes. Numerical calculations of LTC of Cd3As2 bring out the relative importance of the scattering mechanisms. Our systematic analysis of recent experimental data on thermal conductivity (TC) of Cd3As2 samples of different groups, presented in terms of LTC, κ L, using a nonlinear regression method, reveals good fits to the TC data of the samples considered for T < ∼ 50 K, and suggests a value of 0.2 for the Gruneisen parameter. It is, however, found that for T > 100 K the inclusion of the electronic component of TC, κ e, incorporating contributions from relevant electron scattering mechanisms, is needed to obtain good agreement with the TC data over the wide temperature range. More detailed investigations of TC of Cd3As2 are required to better understand its suitability in thermoelectric and thermal management devices.

Systematic investigation of immune-related lncRNA landscape reveals a potential long non-coding RNA signature for predicting prognosis in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma.

e16510 Background: Increasing evidence has revealed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in cancer immunity. However, the comprehensive landscape of immune infiltration-associated lncRNAs and their potential roles in the prognosis and diagnosis of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) remains largely unexplored. Methods: The transcriptomics data, expression profiles, and clinical information of KIRC patients were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Novel lncRNAs were identified by a custom pipeline. The infiltration of immune cells was calculated by ssGSEA. K-means consensus method was used to cluster KIRC samples in different groups. Immune-related lncRNAs were obtained by differential expression analysis based on these groups. Univariate Cox regression, LASSO regression, and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed on GEO datasets to construct an immune-related lncRNAs signature for predicting the prognosis of KIRC. And then, validated the prognostic signature in TCGA data. Results: Based on 261 samples from KIRC patients, tens of thousands of novel lncRNA genes were identified. KIRC samples were clustered into three immune clusters based on the infiltration of immune cells. Based on these groups, 241 immune-related lncRNAs were obtained. Moreover, a large part of immune-related lncRNAs could be detected in urinary samples of KIRC. Through a series of analyses, three immune-related lncRNAs were identified as a prognostic signature for KIRC. KIRC patients in the high-risk group had a shorter OS than those in the low-risk group both in the training set (P &lt; 0.001) and TCGA data (P &lt; 0.001), respectively. The AUC was 0.9 in the training set. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that the immune-related lncRNAs signature could be an independent prognostic factor both in the training set and TCGA data. Conclusions: All these findings provide a more comprehensive lncRNAs catalog for investigating the lncRNAs and provide a novel approach for the effective prediction of clinical outcomes in KIRC.

Isotopic signatures and patterns of volatile compounds for discrimination of genuine lemon, genuine lime and adulterated lime juices

Isotopic signatures and patterns of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a useful set of markers for the authenticity assessment of fruit juices. In the present study, the carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes and VOCs fingerprinting of 16 genuine lemon and 16 genuine lime juices as well as 28 citric acid-adulterated lime juices were investigated to discriminate them and reveal the underlying mechanism for their differences. Samples were subjected to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and proton transfer reaction time of flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS). Following δ 13 C and δ 15 N analysis, no significant difference between genuine lemon (δ 13 C: -24.50 ± 1.29; δ 15 N: 5.40 ± 2.06) and genuine lime juices (δ 13 C: -25.17 ± 0.7; δ 15 N: 5.30 ± 0.97) was observed due to the same photosynthetic pathway (C3 photosynthetic pathway) of lemon and lime trees. However, Adulterated lime juice samples had higher δ 13 C values (-14.99 ± 2.79) and lower δ 15 N (1.23 ± 2.36) values compared to the genuine lemon and genuine lime juices which could be related to the added exogenous commercially available citric acid manufactured by fermenting sugars that follow the C4 photosynthetic pathway. Besides, a positive correlation (r 2 = 0.941) between citric acid to iso-citric acid ratios and δ 13 C values was found in the adulterated samples. No significant difference was observed in the total concentration of VOCs among the analyzed samples. However, for all samples, ions m/z 81 and 137 had the highest concentrations. Exploratory VOC pattern analysis by principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) revealed the clustering of samples in different groups according to their nature. Besides, extremely adulterated samples were well distinguished from slightly adulterated samples following HCA analysis. The current study provided empirical evidence on the capability of IRMS and PTR-ToF-MS in the discrimination of lemon juice, lime juice, and adulterated lime juices. However, further investigation is required to confirm the promising results of this study. • IRMS and PTR-ToF-MS are able to detect citric acid-adulterated lime juices. • PTR-ToF-MS analysis allows discrimination of lemon juice from lime juice. • IRMS would not be a good choice for discrimination of lemon juice from lime juice. • Adulterated lime juices show higher δ 13 C values compared to the genuine ones. • There is a correlation between citric acid to iso-citric acid ratio and δ 13 C value.

Evidence of structural changes in ion-irradiated graphene independent of the incident ions mass

Raman spectra were measured in various adjacent groups of monolayer graphene samples: “supported” by a SiO2 substrate or suspended over pre-made pits (“free-standing” monolayer). Different groups of samples were irradiated with protons, or with helium ions (He+), with energies of 0.7 MeV and 2.8 MeV respectively, specially selected to provide the same velocity of incident ions. It is shown that in “free-standing” samples, the positions of all Raman lines are shifted towards low frequencies (“redshift”), which is the same for irradiation with protons or He+. This coincidence is considered as a manifestation of an electronic mechanism for changing the structure of graphene, which depends on the charge and velocity of the incident ion, but not on its mass. It was proposed that the redshift is due to tensile deformation that occurs in a free-standing film after accumulation of defects. Deformation of the irradiated film was observed in AFM measurements. In “supported” samples, the redshift is much weaker, and can be explained by the adhesion of the film to the substrate, which prevents its deformation.

Transcriptomic landscape of granulosa cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in women with PCOS compared to young poor responders and women with normal response.

STUDY QUESTIONAre transcriptomic profiles altered in ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared to young poor responders (YPR) and women with normal response to ovarian stimulation?SUMMARY ANSWERRNA expression profiles in ovarian GCs and PBMNCs were significantly altered in patients with PCOS compared with normoresponder controls (CONT) and YPR.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYPCOS is characterised by a higher number of follicles at all developmental stages. During controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, PCOS women develop a larger number of follicles as a result of an exacerbated response, with an increased risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Despite the number of developing follicles, they are often heterogeneous in both size and maturation stage, with compromised quality and retrieval of immature oocytes. Women with PCOS appear to have a longer reproductive lifespan, with a slightly higher menopausal age than the general population, in addition to having a higher antral follicular count. As a result, the ovarian follicular dynamics appear to differ significantly from those observed in women with poor ovarian response (POR) or diminished ovarian reserve.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONTranscriptomic profiling with RNA-sequencing and validation using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Women with PCOS (N = 20), YPR (N = 20) and CONT (N = 20). Five patients for each group were used for sequencing and 15 samples per group were used for validation.PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSPCOS was defined using the revised Rotterdam diagnostic criteria for PCOS. The YPR group included women <35 years old with <4 mature follicles (at least 15 mm) on the day of the trigger. According to internal data, this group represented the bottom 15th percentile of patients' responses in this age group. It was consistent with Patient-Oriented Strategies Encompassing Individualize D Oocyte Number (POSEIDON) criteria for POR (Group 3). The young CONT group included women <35 years without PCOS or anovulation, who developed >14 mature follicles (at least 15 mm on transvaginal ultrasound). According to internal data, a threshold of >14 mature follicles was established to represent the top 25% of patients in this age group in this clinic.Overall, n = 60 GCs and PBMNCs samples were collected and processed for total RNA extraction. To define the transcriptomic cargo of GCs and PBMNCs, RNA-seq libraries were successfully prepared from samples and analysed by RNA-seq analysis. Differential gene expression analysis was used to compare RNA-seq results between different groups of samples. Ingenuity pathway analysis was used to perform Gene Ontology and pathways analyses.MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCEIn PBMNCs of PCOS, there were 65 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) compared to CONT, and 16 compared to YPR. In GCs of PCOS, 4 genes showed decreased expression compared to CONT, while 58 genes were differentially expressed compared to YPR. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the findings of the RNA-seq. The functional enrichment analysis performed revealed that DEGs in GCs of PCOS compared to CONT and YPR were prevalently involved in protein ubiquitination, oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial dysfunction and sirtuin signaling pathways.LARGE SCALE DATAThe data used in this study is partially available at Gene Ontology database.LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTIONThe analysis in PBMNCs could be uninformative due to inter-individual variability among patients in the same study groups. Despite the fact that we considered this was the best approach for our study's novel, exploratory nature.WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGSRNA expression profiles in ovarian GCs and PBMNCs were altered in patients with PCOS compared with CONT and YPR. GCs of PCOS patients showed altered expression of several genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial function and sirtuin signaling pathways. This is the first study to show that the transcriptomic landscape in GCs is altered in PCOS compared to CONT and YPR.STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)This study was partially supported by grant PI18/00322 from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), ‘A way to make Europe’ awarded to S.H. M.C., S.H., S.T., L.R., M.R., I.R., A.P. and R.C. declare no conflict of interests concerning this research. E.S. is a consultant for and receives research funding from the Foundation for Embryonic Competence.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERN/A.

Solubilization and In Vitro Physical and Chemical Properties of the Amorphous Spray‐Dried Lactose‐Luteolin System

Luteolin is a hydrophobic drug with low solubility, which has many limitations in practical use. To improve solubility, a spray drying technique was used to prepare complexes with lactose to promote the solubility and bioavailability of luteolin. The solution samples were spray dried using different ratios of water and ethanol as different dissolution media. By characterizing the spray‐dried powders obtained, we found that the solubility of the different groups of samples obtained by spray drying was improved, and similarly, their dissolution rates were also increased to different degrees. By comparison, both luteolin and the cofactor lactose were able to achieve high dissolution rates at suitable solution ratios and formed amorphous eutectic crystals after the spray drying process, which contributed well to the increased solubility and altered dissolution efficiency of luteolin.

Sesquiterpene glycoside isolated from loquat leaf targets gut microbiota to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus in db/db mice.

According to ancient records, loquat leaf has been used as both a food and medicine in China for thousands of years. Sesquiterpene glycosides from loquat leaf have achieved remarkable effects on hyperglycemia. However, their specific activities and underlying mechanisms on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are not fully understood. In the present study, we found that SG1, a unique sesquiterpene glycoside isolated from loquat leaf, had the capability to prevent insulin resistance and inflammation. In db/db mice, SG1 administration (25 and 50 mg kg-1 day-1) inhibited hyperglycemia and the release of inflammatory cytokines. To further explore the possible role of gut microbiota in SG1 for treating T2DM, we applied 16S rRNA pyrosequencing based on the V3-V4 region to analyze the fecal samples of different groups. Alpha diversity analysis showed that SG1 administration could obviously increase diversity and richness in db/db mice. At the phylum level, due to SG1 treatment, the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria was lowered while that of Bacteroidetes was raised. Additionally, 7 key genera in the db/db mice with SG1 supplementation were enriched: Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, and Ruminococcus, Bacteroides, Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, Alistipes, and Roseburia. These findings proved that SG1 could prevent T2DM by relieving insulin resistance and inflammation and by remodeling the gut microbiota in db/db mice.

Comparative anatomy of selected bones of forelimb of local Mongrelian Dog (Canis lupus familiaris) in Sokoto, Nigeria

This research was conducted over period of 3 months with the aim of studying Age related changes of selected bones of forelimb (Scapula, Humerus, Radius and Ulna) in Local Mongrelian Dog (Canis lupus familiaris). The study entails biometrical and gross observations on the bones. The sample bones were acquired from the experimental animals of comparative anatomy in the department. The bones were categorized into various age groups for the research. The length, width, diameter and circumference of the samples (scapula, humerus, radius and ulna bones) were determined for all the groups. The shape, size, color, location, position and relation of each segment of the samples at various stages of development were determined. The differences across the age groups of different samples were observed and recorded. Based on the research result, it was concluded that, the biometric and morphometry data was found to be increasing with advancement of age. A baseline data was established with the view to enhance learning.

Study of microstructural and mechanical anisotropy of 7075 Al deposits fabricated by cold spray additive manufacturing

In this work, microstructural and mechanical anisotropy in cold spray additively manufactured (CSAMed) 7075 Al deposits were studied in detail. For clarity, spray gun traverse direction, pass interval direction and deposition direction were defined as the X, Y and Z, respectively. Tensile tests for two different groups of samples were carried out in different orientations to study the in-plane and three-dimensional anisotropy of CSAMed 7075 Al deposits. Fracture morphology of the specimens was studied by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed to examine particle–particle interface bonding. The results revealed that there exists a strong microstructural and mechanical anisotropy in the CSAMed deposits. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) gradually decreased as the tensile direction changed from X/Y to Z direction. Further, crack propagation behavior was uniform in XY plane but a strong anisotropy was resulted in the planes that were perpendicular to XY plane. The underlying reason and possible mechanism related to this anisotropy was discussed in detail.

EFFECT OF CORRECTIVE GYMNASTICS ON MUSCLE ASYMMETRY IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

The aim of the study is to determine the influence of developmental gymnastics intervention on muscle asymmetries along the spinal column in the sagittal plane in preschool children from Subotica. The sample consisted of 133 preschool children and was divided into three subsamples, the experimental group E1-45 (25.57%), the experimental group with additional exercise E2-45 (25.57%), and the control group K-86 (48.86%). A 10-week experimental exercise treatment was applied to two groups of participants, one of which had one additional exercise at home with their parents. Contemplas 3D Compact analysis was applied to assess muscle asymmetries (Professionalmotion analysis software) taking into account the variables related to the sagittal plane. By analyzing the results of the multivariate analysis of covariance it could be concluded that there are statistically significant differences (p = 0,03) between samples of different groups for the assessment of the parameters of the spinal column in the sagittal plane on the value of Pillai’s Trace PT= 2,52 at the final measurement compared to the initial one. It can be pointed out that there are positive and visible effects of treatment on children from the experimental group, and that the program of corrective gymnastics has an impact on reducing muscle asymmetries in the sagittal plane, while the greatest effects are visible in the lumbar spine.

Combination of Tumor Mutational Burden and Specific Gene Mutations Stratifies Outcome to Immunotherapy Across Recurrent and Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic significance of tumor mutational burden (TMB) combined with specific prognosis-related gene mutations in immunotherapy for recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (r/m HNSCC). Methods: One hundred thirty-two r/m HNSCC patients from the Morris and Allen cohorts had undergone immunotherapy. We constructed the immunotherapy-related gene prognostic index TP-PR combining TMB and PIK3CA, TP53, or ROS1 mutation. And we analyzed the differences in overall survival (OS) and immune cell infiltration between samples in different groups. The association of each signature’s single-sample gene set enrichment analysis scores with TP-PR was tested using Spearman’s correlation test. Results: The median OS of the patients with high TMB (TMB ≥10 mut/Mb) who received immunotherapy for r/m HNSCC was 2.5 times as long as that of the patients with low TMB (25 vs. 10 months). More importantly, the high TP-PR (TP-PR >0) group had better median OS (25 vs. 8 months) than the low TP-PR (TP-PR ≤0) group. CD8+ T cells and activated memory CD4+ T cells in the tissues of the patients with high TP-PR were higher than those in the patients with low TP-PR. Results showed that TP-PR stratification had a higher area under the curve (AUC) value (0.77, 95% CI 0.86–0.68) compared with TMB stratification (0.56, 95% CI 0.68–0.44). The differential gene expression in the high and low TP-PR groups mainly influenced metabolism-related signaling pathways. Conclusion: TP-PR was an effective predictor of immunotherapy outcome for r/m HNSCC, which might be better than TMB alone. Patients with high TP-PR had a better survival benefit than had the patients with low TP-PR.

Optimization of the Sequence of Wastewater Treatment in the Cosmetic Industry

Wastewater treatment in the cosmetic industry, which operates in batch mode, is a complex task due to the highly variable composition of the water to be treated. Among other parameters, n-heksan extractable material (HEM) and surfactants must comply with the specified limits. From theory, the advanced oxidation process (AOP) with a Fenton-like process is more suitable for surfactant degradation, while the coagulation/flocculation process (CFP) is more efficient for HEM removal. Determining the appropriate sequence of AOP treatment and CFP affects the quality of released water, the efficiency of each process step, and the consumption of required chemicals.The objective of this research was to optimize the treatment sequence, the time required for each treatment, and the amount of sludge from wastewater treatment. For this purpose, AOP treatment and CFP laboratory tests were performed for different groups of samples and samples with high HEM and/or surfactant content. Based on the efficiency of the laboratory tests and the assessed wastewater composition (from mass and concentration balances), an optimization model was developed. The optimization model enables optimization of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) by feeding each of the streams to either i) AOP treatment, ii) CFP treatment, iii) AOP treatment followed by CFP treatment, iv) CFP pretreatment followed by AOP and CFP, v) bypass (i.e. the wastewater stream is not treated but mixed with treated streams). The optimal solution can be determined by minimizing the total annual cost of treatment or/and maximizing removal of pollutants. An additional analysis was performed considering the dilution of wastewater with freshwater after the treatment process. The results show that this last proposal is more economical but leads to questionable environmental impacts.

A Markov random field model for network-based differential expression analysis of single-cell RNA-seq data

BackgroundRecent development of single cell sequencing technologies has made it possible to identify genes with different expression (DE) levels at the cell type level between different groups of samples. In this article, we propose to borrow information through known biological networks to increase statistical power to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs).ResultsWe develop MRFscRNAseq, which is based on a Markov random field (MRF) model to appropriately accommodate gene network information as well as dependencies among cell types to identify cell-type specific DEGs. We implement an Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm with mean field-like approximation to estimate model parameters and a Gibbs sampler to infer DE status. Simulation study shows that our method has better power to detect cell-type specific DEGs than conventional methods while appropriately controlling type I error rate. The usefulness of our method is demonstrated through its application to study the pathogenesis and biological processes of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) using a single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data set, which contains 18,150 protein-coding genes across 38 cell types on lung tissues from 32 IPF patients and 28 normal controls.ConclusionsThe proposed MRF model is implemented in the R package MRFscRNAseq available on GitHub. By utilizing gene-gene and cell-cell networks, our method increases statistical power to detect differentially expressed genes from scRNA-seq data.