A document by Minggang DU. Click on the document to view its contents.

In this study, the impact of spatio-temporal accuracy of four different sea surface temperature (SST) datasets on the accuracy of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-Hydro system to simulate hydrological response during two catastrophic flood events over Eastern Black Sea (EBS) and Mediterranean (MED) regions of Turkey is investigated. Three time-varying and high spatial resolution external SST products (GHRSST, Medspiration, and NCEP-SST) and one coarse-resolution and invariable SST product (ERA5- and GFS-SST for EBS and MED regions, respectively) already embedded in the initial and boundary condition dataset of WRF model are used in deriving near-surface weather variables through WRF. After the proper event-based calibration performed to the WRF-Hydro using hourly and daily streamflow data of small catchments in both regions, uncoupled model simulations for independent SST events are conducted to assess the impact of SST-triggered precipitation on simulated extreme runoff. Some localized and temporal differences in the occurrence of the flood events with respect to observations depending on the SST representation are noticeable. SST products represented with higher temporal and spatial correlation revealed significant improvement in flood hydrographs for both regions. The higher spatial and temporal correlations of GHRSST dataset show RMSE reduction up to 20% and increase in correlation from 0.3 to 0.8 with respect to the invariable SST (ERA5) in simulated runoffs over the EBS region. The error reduction with GHRSST reached 35% after the calibration of hydrological model parameters compared to not calibrated model. The use of both GHRSST and Medspiration SST data characterized with high spatiotemporal correlation resulted in runoff simulations exactly matching the observed runoff peak of 300 m3/s by reducing the overestimation seen in not calibrated runs over the MED region.

A bendable UHF RFID tag antenna using non-uniform meandered lines for retail garments in the textile industry is presented. Based on an earlier UHF RFID tag antenna using nonuniform meandered lines, the proposed tag is fully bendable and aimed to be embedded in retail garments for long-life cycles. As a result, a relatively low cost, wide band, compactness and good conjugate matching with good dipole-like read range is presented. Results showed an antenna with a wide bandwidth of 900MHz and a long read range of 10.1m making the UHF RFID tag antenna using non-uniform meandered lines a potential candidate for retail garments in bendable applications of the textile industry. Simulations are corroborated by measurements and are in fairly agreement.

Aims: We aimed to investigate fertilization rates, quality of embryo, pregnancy and live birth rates, endocrine, sexual function, psychological status and quality of life of cases diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome (KS). Methods: Clinical findings, hormone values and semen analyses in patients with nonmosaic KS (Group 1, n=121) and those with non-genetic nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) (Group 2, n=178) were retrospectively analyzed. Sperm retrieval outcomes with microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE), fertilization rates and embryo quality, pregnancy, abortion, and live birth rates were compared. Sexual functions were assessed using IIEF-15, quality of life was evaluated, and psychological status was assessed. Results: There was no difference in terms of age between groups. Sperm retrieval rates was 38% and 55.6% in Group 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.012). Sperm retrieval rates were higher in Group 1 before 31.5 years than in Group 2 (AUC=0.620, 0.578). Compared to Group 2, the fertilization rate was low in Group 1, whereas embryo quality was similar. Live birth rates were 12.5% and 23% in Group 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.392). The education level, libido, erectile functions, and general health satisfaction were lower in Group 1 than in Group 2 (buraya p değeri yaz). Depression and anxiety levels were higher in Group 2 than Group 1 (p değeri yaz). Conclusion: Higher sperm retrieval rate has been achieved in group 1 younger than 31.5 years. Similar embryo quality is provided between groups. Sexual dysfunction and psychiatric problems were higher in Group 1, with lower satisfaction and general health than Group 2. Patients with KS should be monitored not only with their reproductive functions but also with their general health status.

Fully coupled atmospheric-hydrological models allow a more realistic representation of the land surface–boundary layer continuum, representing both high-resolution land-surface/subsurface water lateral redistribution and the related feedback towards the atmosphere. This study evaluates the potential contribution of the fully coupled approach in extended-range mesoscale hydrometeorological ensemble forecasts. Previous studies have shown, for deterministic simulations, that the effect of fully coupling for short-range forecasts is minor compared to other sources of uncertainty, however, it becomes not negligible when increasing the forecast period. Through a proof-of-concept consisting of an ensemble (50 members from the ECMWF Ensemble Prediction System) seven-days-in-advance forecast of a high impact event affecting the Calabrian peninsula (southern Italy, Mediterranean basin) on November 2019, the paper elucidates the extent to which the improved representation of the terrestrial water lateral transport in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) – Hydro modeling system affects the ensemble water balance, focusing on the precipitation and the hydrological response, in terms of both soil moisture dynamics and streamflow in 14 catchments spanning over 42% of the region. The fully coupled approach caused an increase of surface soil moisture and latent heat flux from land in the days preceding the event, partially affecting the lower Planetary Boundary Layer. However, when shoreward moisture transport from surrounding sea rapidly increased becoming the dominant process, only a weak signature of soil moisture contribution could be detected, resulting in only slightly higher precipitation forecast and not clear variation trend of peak flow, even though the latter variable increased up to 10% in some catchments. Overall, this study highlighted a remarkable performance of the medium-range ensemble forecasts, suggesting a profitable use of the fully coupled approach for forecasting purposes in circumstances in which soil moisture dynamics is more relevant and needs to be better addressed.

Primary distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) is a rare tubular disease associated with variants in SLC4A1, ATP6V0A4, ATP6V1B1, FOXⅠ1 or WDR72 genes. Currently, there is growing evidence that all types of exonic variants can alter splicing regulatory elements, affecting the pre-mRNA splicing process. This study was to determine the consequences of variants associated with dRTA on pre-mRNA splicing combined with predictive bioinformatics tools and minigene assay. As a result, among the 15 candidate variants, 8 variants distributed in SLC4A1 (c.1765C>T, p.Arg589Cys), ATP6V1B1( c.368G>T, p.Gly123Val; c.370C>T, p.Arg124Trp; c.484G>T, p.Glu162* and c.1102G>A, p.Glu368Lys) and ATP6V0A4 genes (c.322C>T, p.Gln108*; c.1571C>T, p.Pro524Leu and c.1572G>A, p.Pro524Pro) were identified to result in whole or part of exon skipping by either disruption of ESEs and generation of ESSs, or interference with the recognition of the classic splicing site, or both. To our knowledge, this is the first study on pre-mRNA splicing of exonic variants in the dRTA-related genes. These results highlight the importance of assessing the effects of exonic variants at the mRNA level and suggest that minigene analysis is an effective tool for evaluating the effects of splicing on variants in vitro

Porcine astroviruses (PoAstVs) have been reported globally and are divided into at least five distinct lineages (PoAstV1-PoAsV5). The primary objective of this study was to summarize the scientific literature about the frequency of detection, associated clinical presentations, and type of samples and diagnostic tools used for the detection of porcine astroviruses. The secondary objective was to summarize the body of knowledge about the causal role in disease of PoAstVs using the Bradford Hill framework. A search was conducted using Centre for Biosciences and Agriculture International (CABI), MEDLINE, American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Swine Information Library (SIL) abstracts, swine conferences including American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP), and American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD). From 168 studies identified by the search, 29 studies were eligible. Results indicated that 69% (20/29) of the literature on PoAstVs has been published between 2011 and 2018. Of 29 papers, 52% were detection studies (15 of 29) and 48% (14 of 29) were case-control studies. Seventy-two percent (21 of 29) reported differential diagnosis and 10% (3 of 29) reported histologic lesions, out of which 67% (2 of 3) associated the detection of PoAstV3 with development of polioencephalomyelitis. PCR-based assays were the most common diagnostic tools. Keywords: Swine, Astrovirus, Scoping review, Bradford Hill, PoAstV detection

Device insertion is a common cardiovascular procedure. Devices are implanted into the right heart; which is a safeguard against systemic thromboembolism. Lead insertion into the left ventricle is rare. This is a case of a defibrillator lead inadvertently inserted into the left cavity. This was discovered 6 years later.

Introduction: Disordered coagulation, clot formation and distal limb ischemia are complications of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) with significant morbidity and mortality. Medicinal leech therapy (hirudotherapy) has been attempted in plastic and orthopedic surgeries to improve venous congestion and salvage ischemic flaps. To our knowledge this has not been reported in pediatric cardiac surgery or during ECMO support. We present a complex neonate whose ECMO course was complicated by distal limb ischemia for whom leech therapy was attempted. Patient and Intervention: A 2 week-old 2.7 kg infant required ECMO support secondary to perioperative multiorgan system dysfunction following repair of critical coarctation and ventricular septal defect. Despite systemic anticoagulation, his clinical course was complicated by arterial thrombus, vasopressor-induced vascular spasm and bilateral distal limb ischemia. Medicinal leech therapy was tried after initially failing conventional measures. Result: Following the third leech application, this patient developed significant hemorrhage from the web space adjacent to the left great toe. An estimated 450 mL of blood loss occurred and more than 300 mL of blood product transfusions were required. He ultimately progressed to irreversible systemic end organ dysfunction and comfort care was provided. Conclusion: The use of medicinal leech therapy in pediatric cardiac surgery may be considered to minimize the consequences of advanced limb ischemia and venous congestion. However, this should be used with caution while patients are systemically anticoagulated during ECMO support. A directed review is presented here to assist in determining optimal application and potential course of therapy.

Given the potential applications of gas vesicles (GVs) in multiple fields including antigen-displaying and imaging, heterologous reconstitution of synthetic GVs is an attractive and interesting study that has translational potential. Here, we attempted to express and assemble GV proteins (GVPs) into GVs using the model eukaryotic organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We first selected and expressed two core structural proteins, GvpA and GvpC from cyanobacteria Anabaena flos-aquae and Planktothrix rubescens, respectively. We then optimized the protein expression conditions and validated GV assembly in the context of cell flotation and GV shapes. We found that when two copies of AnaA were integrated into the genome, it resulted in cell floatation and GV production regardless of GvpC expression. Next, we co-expressed chaperone-RFP with the GFP-AnaA to aid the AnaA aggregation. The co-expression of individual chaperones (Hsp42, Sis1, Hsp104, and GvpN) with AnaA led to the formation of larger inclusions and enhanced the sequestration of AnaA into the perivacuolar site. To our knowledge, this represents the first study on reconstitution of GVs in S. cerevisiae. Our results could provide insights into optimizing conditions for heterologous protein expressions as well as the reconstitution of other synthetic microcompartments in yeast.

Understanding the interactions among soil microbial species and how they respond to land reclamation is essential to evaluate the success of ecological restoration actions in disturbed mining soil. In this study, we strived to reveal the interactions among soil bacterial communities along the reclamation timeline of a coal mine in Zoucheng, China. To do so, we investigated changes in the composition of soil bacterial over time and constructed molecular ecological networks (i.e. microbial network) following mining soil reclamation into agricultural land. The relationships between microbial networks and selected soil attributes (i.e. soil pH, electric conductivity, organic matter, soil nutrients and enzymatic activities) were also analyzed. The results showed that the composition of soil bacteria changed significantly along the reclamation timeline. The microbial network profile revealed that Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes and Proteobacteria were the key microbial populations. Soil pH, soil organic matter content, soil dehydrogenase and urease activities were significantly correlated (0.001 ≤ P < 0.05) with the microbial network structure, suggesting that the microbial networks found influenced the provision of relevant soil ecological functions after reclamation. The variation in complexity of the microbial networks along the reclamation timeline revealed that microbial development was promoted by the shift in land use from mining into agriculture. Overall, our findings shed light on how soil microbial communities and networks change following mine reclamation into agricultural land. The results presented herein will undoubtedly aid in the establishment of success indicators of ecological restoration activities in disturbed mining soil.

This care report presents a 51-year-old woman patient with a cyst-like mass in the liver. The proliferated histiocytes, with the eosinophilic nucleolus, occasionally showing lymphophagocytosis (emperipolesis) positively for CD68 protein S-100 were reported in the pathological study, and the plasma cells were positive for CD138, consistent with Rosai-Dorfman disease.

Pathologic amyloid β and tau protein accumulation in the cerebral cortex does not necessarily lead to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Our current report presents a patient with Alzheimer’s disease pathology who presented general cognitive impairment we considered derived from the lung cancer itself, without metastasis.

First principles studies combined with the microkinetic analysis were performed to study the reliability and reaction mechanisms of single-atom doped graphene (SADGr) materials in catalyzing NOx reduction with CO. By screening the 3d transition metals (Sc-Zn) and group-IV elements (Si and Ge), it was found that the Ti and Co doped graphene sheets (TiGr and CoGr) respectively own excellent catalytic activities in the NO/NO2-to-N2O and the N2O-to-N2 processes at low temperatures. Therefore, the TiGr/CoGr composite can be a promising catalyst in NOx reduction with CO. It was further revealed the combination of adsorption energy and electronegativity was a good descriptor to predict the activation energies. The obtained results can provide useful information for rational design of carbon-based single-atom catalysts for NOx reduction by CO at low temperatures.

An 80 year old man with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer was treated with multiple systemic agents but after carboplatin/paclitaxel, developed a morbilliform rash conforming precisely to a skin site of previous palliative radiotherapy, a so-called radiation recall reaction.

Proteus syndrome (PS) is a complex disorder characterized by variable clinical findings of overgrowth and tumor susceptibility. This report presents the first known association between PS and an ovarian germ cell tumor in an adolescent with immature teratoma. A review of the diagnosis of PS and associated tumors is included.

Aim: Alemtuzumab is a lymphodepleting monoclonal antibody utilized in conditioning regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). A therapeutic range of 0.15-0.6 µg/mL on the day of transplantation is associated with better HCT outcomes. The purpose of this study was to characterize alemtuzumab population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) and to propose individualized subcutaneous dosing schemes to achieve this optimal level for pediatric patients. Methods: Alemtuzumab concentration and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) profiles were obtained from 29 patients with non-malignant disorders undergoing HCT. PK/ PD analyses were performed using non-linear mixed effects modeling. Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to evaluate different improved dosing approaches. Results: A one-compartment model with sequential zero- and first-order absorption adequately described subcutaneously administered alemtuzumab PK. Model fit was significantly improved by including allometrically scaled body weight on clearance (0.080 L/h/70kg) and volume of distribution (17.4 L/70kg). ALC reduction following subcutaneous alemtuzumab was swift. An inhibitory Emax model best characterized the relationship between alemtuzumab concentration and ALC. Emax and EC50 were estimated as 1.18*103/µL and 0.045µg/mL, respectively. The currently used per kg dosing was found to cause uneven alemtuzumab exposure across different age and weight cohorts. Simulations indicated target achieving dose as allometry-based of 18 mg*(weight/70)0.75 or body surface area (BSA)-based of 10 mg/m2, divided over 3 days, with a potential individualized top-up dose; both of which yielded similar results. Conclusion: An allometry- or BSA-based starting dosing regimen in combination with individualized Bayesian PK estimation using concentration feedback is proposed for alemtuzumab precision dosing in children undergoing allogeneic HCT.

The intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is used to prevent complications after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery; although some results are controversial nowadays even contradictory. A new article on this field is published in this edition and shows that the risk factors for in-hospital mortality are the preoperative plasma creatinine level and cardiopulmonary bypass time in 177 patients. About the prophylactic use of the IABP regarding mortality the results reflected so far in meta-analyses have been highly contradictory between them, and the risk factors associated with it have been several and different. This lack of evidence has resulted in the continued variation of IABP use in these procedures. A large, multicenter RCT is certainly required to take the next step towards more definitive evidence, either for or against, the use of IABP in high-risk CABG. Until then, the unanswered questions regarding this topic will remain.