Replication and Meta-analysis of the Association between BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Cognitive Impairment in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) adversely affects cancer patients. We had previously demonstrated that the BDNF Val66Met genetic polymorphism is associated with lower odds of subjective CRCI in the multitasking and verbal ability domains among breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. To further assess our previous findings, we evaluated the association of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism with subjective and objective CRCI in a temporally separate cohort of patients and pooled findings from both the original (n = 145) and current (n = 193) cohorts in a meta-analysis. Subjective CRCI was assessed using FACT-Cog. Objective CRCI was evaluated using computerized neuropsychological tests. Genotyping was carried out using Sanger sequencing. The association of BDNF Val66Met genotypes and CRCI was examined with logistic regression. A fixed-effect meta-analysis was conducted using the inverse variance method. In the meta-analysis (n = 338), significantly lower odds of CRCI were associated with Met allele carriers based on the global FACT-Cog score (OR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.29-0.94). Furthermore, Met allele carriers were at lower odds of developing impairment in the domains of memory (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17-0.70), multitasking (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.18-0.59), and verbal ability (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24-0.88). Consistent with the previous study, lower odds of subjective CRCI among patients with the BDNF Met allele was observed after adjusting for potential confounders in the multitasking (OR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.14-0.67) domain. In conclusion, carriers of the BDNF Met allele were protected against global subjective CRCI, particularly in the domains of memory, multitasking, and verbal ability. Our findings further contribute to the understanding of CRCI pathophysiology

Entropy of the Schwarzschild black hole to all orders in the Planck length

Considering corrections to all orders in the Planck length on the quantum state density from a generalized uncertainty principle (GUP), we calculate the statistical entropy of the scalar field on the background of the Schwarzschild black hole without any cutoff. We obtain the entropy of the massive scalar field proportional to the horizon area.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure; Minor typos corrected, one reference added; Accepted for publication in Phys. Lett.

Perovskite quantum dot solar cells fabricated from recycled lead-acid battery waste

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Materials Letters, copyright © 2021 American Chemical Societ, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialslett.1c00592.A cost-effective and environmentally friendly Pb source is a prerequisite for achieving large-scale, low-cost perovskite photovoltaic devices. Currently, the commonly used method to prepare the lead source is based on a fire smelting process, requiring a high temperature of more than 1000 °C, which results in environmental pollution. Spent car lead acid batteries are an environmentally hazardous waste; however, they can alternatively serve as an abundant and inexpensive Pb source. Due to “self-purification”, quantum dots feature a high tolerance of impurities in the precursor since the impurities tend to be expelled from the small crystalline cores during colloidal nucleation. Herein, PbI2 recycled from spent lead acid batteries via a facile low-temperature solution process is used to synthesize CsPbI3 quantum dots, which simultaneously brings multiple benefits including (1) avoiding pollution originating from the fire smelting process; (2) recycling the Pb waste from batteries; and (3) synthesizing high-quality quantum dots. The resulting CsPbI3 quantum dots have photophysical properties such as PLQY and carrier lifetimes on par with those synthesized from the commercial PbI2 due to expelling of the impurity Na atoms. The resulting solar cells deliver comparable power conversion efficiencies: 14.0% for the cells fabricated using recycled PbI2 and 14.7% for the cells constructed using commercial PbI2. This work paves a new and feasible path to applying recycled Pb sources in perovskite photovoltaics.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Downregulation of SIRT1 and GADD45G genes and left atrial fibrosis induced by right ventricular dependent pacing in a complete atrioventricular block pig model

The molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying left atrial (LA) enlargement and atrial fibrosis following right ventricular (RV) dependent pacing remain unclear. Our objective was to investigate genetic expressions in the LA of pigs subjected to RV pacing for atrioventricular block (AVB), as well as to identify the differential gene expressions affected by biventricular (BiV) pacing. We established an AVB pig model and divided the subjects into three groups: a sham control group, an RV pacing group, and a BiV pacing group. Differential expression genes (DEGs) analyses conducted through next-generation sequencing (NGS) and enrichment analyses were employed to identify genes with altered expression in the LA myocardium. The RV pacing group showed a significant increase in extracellular fibrosis in the LA myocardium compared to the control group. NGS analysis revealed suppressed expression of the sirtuin signaling pathway in the RV pacing group. Among the DEGs within this pathway, GADD45G was found to be downregulated in the RV pacing group and upregulated in the BiV pacing group. Remarkably, the BiV pacing group exhibited elevated levels of GADD45G protein. In our study, we observed significant downregulation of SIRT1 and GADD45G genes, which are associated with the sirtuin signaling pathway, in the LA myocardium of the RV pacing group when compared to the control group. Moreover, these genes, which were downregulated in the RV pacing group, displayed a noteworthy upregulation in the BiV pacing group when compared to the RV pacing group

Higher dimensional flat embeddings of (2+1) dimensional black holes

We obtain the higher dimensional global flat embeddings of static, rotating, and charged BTZ black holes. On the other hand, we also study the similar higher dimensional flat embeddings of the (2+1) de Sitter black holes which are the counterparts of the anti-de Sitter BTZ black holes. As a result, the charged dS black hole is shown to be embedded in (3+2) GEMS, contrast to the charged BTZ one having (3+3) GEMS structure.Comment: 16pages, revtex, no figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Diversidade e Estrutura Genéticas de Bryconamericus aff. Iheringii (Characiformes: Characidae) na Área de Influência do Reservatório da Itaipu

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso apresentado ao Instituto Latino-Americano de Ciências da Vida e Natureza da Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana, como requisito parcial à obtenção do título de Bacharel em Ciências Biológicas – Ecologia e Biodiversidade.A diversidade genética é necessária para que as populações evoluam e se adaptem às mudanças ambientais, e comumente, está distribuída em um padrão dentro e entre populações que é referido como estrutura genética. O isolamento e a existência de poucos caminhos migratórios entre águas doces implicam na estruturação genética, principalmente, para peixes que possuem baixa mobilidade. Peixes de pequeno porte (≤ 15 cm de comprimento), que habitam riachos, representam, no mínimo 50% de toda a ictiofauna sul-americana e apresentam um alto grau de endemismo, devido, em parte, à sua baixa capacidade de deslocamento. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho objetivou avaliar a diversidade e a estrutura genéticas do caracídeo Bryconamericus aff. iheringii na área de influência do reservatório da Itaipu Binacional. Para isto, foram analisados 47 espécimes, 23 coletados em riachos da margem direita (Paraguai) e 24 coletados em riachos da margem esquerda (Brasil) do reservatório da Itaipu. Para acessar sua diversidade genética, foi empregado o marcador molecular D-loop, sendo estimado o número de haplótipos, os índices de diversidade haplotípica e nucleotídica e o nível de estruturação entre as diferentes amostras. B. aff. iheringii apresentou níveis de diversidade genética dentro do padrão relatado para a espécie, com moderados (amostras do Paraguai) a altos (amostras do Brasil) níveis de diversidade, o que se deve, sobretudo, ao fato de que quase todos os riachos paraguaios analisados são de uma única microbacia, enquanto os riachos brasileiros são de quatro microbacias diferentes. As populações não parecem ter respondido a eventos drásticos recentes, pois mesmo as presentes em regiões sob a pressão de atividades agrícolas, mostram variações no DNA mitocondrial. Foram encontrados altos níveis de estruturação genética entre o conjunto de amostras paraguaio e brasileiro e entre as microbacias dentro de cada país, o que se deve, principalmente, aos processos de colonização destas drenagens, os quais possivelmente envolvem fundadores com diferentes linhagens haplotípicas. Além disso, parece plausível que o rio Paraná (reservatório da Itaipu) funciona como uma barreira ao fluxo gênico entre as diferentes margens e entre suas microbacias. Deste modo, a identificação de linhagens é de grande importância, pois a manutenção da diversidade genética de uma espécie depende de sua preservação. Considerando a importância de estudos genético-populacionais para a conservação de espécies, espera-se que este trabalho possa servir como base para futuros estudos mais amplos com peixes de riachos

Contributions of mean and shape of blood pressure distribution to worldwide trends and variations in raised blood pressure: A pooled analysis of 1018 population-based measurement studies with 88.6 million participants

© The Author(s) 2018. Background: Change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure could be due to both shifts in the entire distribution of blood pressure (representing the combined effects of public health interventions and secular trends) and changes in its high-blood-pressure tail (representing successful clinical interventions to control blood pressure in the hypertensive population). Our aim was to quantify the contributions of these two phenomena to the worldwide trends in the prevalence of raised blood pressure. Methods: We pooled 1018 population-based studies with blood pressure measurements on 88.6 million participants from 1985 to 2016. We first calculated mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and prevalence of raised blood pressure by sex and 10-year age group from 20-29 years to 70-79 years in each study, taking into account complex survey design and survey sample weights, where relevant. We used a linear mixed effect model to quantify the association between (probittransformed) prevalence of raised blood pressure and age-group- and sex-specific mean blood pressure. We calculated the contributions of change in mean SBP and DBP, and of change in the prevalence-mean association, to the change in prevalence of raised blood pressure. Results: In 2005-16, at the same level of population mean SBP and DBP, men and women in South Asia and in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa would have the highest prevalence of raised blood pressure, and men and women in the highincome Asia Pacific and high-income Western regions would have the lowest. In most region-sex-age groups where the prevalence of raised blood pressure declined, one half or more of the decline was due to the decline in mean blood pressure. Where prevalence of raised blood pressure has increased, the change was entirely driven by increasing mean blood pressure, offset partly by the change in the prevalence-mean association. Conclusions: Change in mean blood pressure is the main driver of the worldwide change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure, but change in the high-blood-pressure tail of the distribution has also contributed to the change in prevalence, especially in older age groups

Contributions of mean and shape of blood pressure distribution to worldwide trends and variations in raised blood pressure: A pooled analysis of 1018 population-based measurement studies with 88.6 million participants

Background: Change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure could be due to both shifts in the entire distribution of blood pressure (representing the combined effects of public health interventions and secular trends) and changes in its high-blood-pressure tail (representing successful clinical interventions to control blood pressure in the hypertensive population). Our aim was to quantify the contributions of these two phenomena to the worldwide trends in the prevalence of raised blood pressure. Methods: We pooled 1018 population-based studies with blood pressure measurements on 88.6 million participants from 1985 to 2016. We first calculated mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and prevalence of raised blood pressure by sex and 10-year age group from 20-29 years to 70-79 years in each study, taking into account complex survey design and survey sample weights, where relevant. We used a linear mixed effect model to quantify the association between (probittransformed) prevalence of raised blood pressure and age-group- and sex-specific mean blood pressure. We calculated the contributions of change in mean SBP and DBP, and of change in the prevalence-mean association, to the change in prevalence of raised blood pressure. Results: In 2005-16, at the same level of population mean SBP and DBP, men and women in South Asia and in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa would have the highest prevalence of raised blood pressure, and men and women in the highincome Asia Pacific and high-income Western regions would have the lowest. In most region-sex-age groups where the prevalence of raised blood pressure declined, one half or more of the decline was due to the decline in mean blood pressure. Where prevalence of raised blood pressure has increased, the change was entirely driven by increasing mean blood pressure, offset partly by the change in the prevalence-mean association. Conclusions: Change in mean blood pressure is the main driver of the worldwide change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure, but change in the high-blood-pressure tail of the distribution has also contributed to the change in prevalence, especially in older age groups

Ciprofloxacin-resistant Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and Choleraesuis from Pigs to Humans, Taiwan

We evaluated the disk susceptibility data of 671 nontyphoid Salmonella isolates collected from different parts of Taiwan from March 2001 to August 2001 and 1,261 nontyphoid Salmonella isolates from the National Taiwan University Hospital from 1996 to 2001. Overall, ciprofloxacn resistance was found in 2.7% (18/671) of all nontyphoid Salmonella isolates, in 1.4% (5/347) of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium and in 7.5% (8/107) in S. enterica serotype Choleraesuis nationwide. MICs of six newer fluoroquinolones were determined for the following isolates: 37 isolates of ciprofloxacin-resistant (human) S. enterica Typhimurium (N = 26) and Choleraesuis (N = 11), 10 isolates of ciprofloxacin-susceptible (MIC <1 μg/mL) (human) isolates of these two serotypes, and 15 swine isolates from S. enterica Choleraesuis (N = 13) and Typhmurium (N = 2) with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (MIC >0.12 μg/mL). Sequence analysis of the gryA, gyrB, parC, parE, and acrR genes, ciprofloxacin accumulation; and genotypes generated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis with three restriction enzymes (SpeI, XbaI, and BlnI) were performed. All 26 S. enterica Typhimurium isolates from humans and pigs belonged to genotype I. For S. enterica Choleraesuis isolates, 91% (10/11) of human isolates and 54% (7/13) of swine isolates belonged to genotype B. These two genotypes isolates from humans all exhibited a high-level of resistance to ciprofloxacin (MIC 16–64 μg/mL). They had two-base substitutions in the gyrA gene at codons 83 (Ser83Phe) and 87 (Asp87Gly or Asp87Asn) and in the parC gene at codon 80 (Ser80Arg, Ser80Ile, or Ser84Lys). Our investigation documented that not only did these two S. enterica isolates have a high prevalence of ciprofloxacin resistance nationwide but also that some closely related ciprofloxacin-resistant strains are disseminated from pigs to humans

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin