bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Análise sobre a forma da escrita conclusiva em artigos científicos na área de Ciências Agrárias
Authors: Aquino Italo de Souza
Published: May 2021

Conclusão é o último elemento textual em um artigo científico; sua forma de apresentação, porém, ainda não é padronizada entre as publicações de revistas científicas. O objetivo desta investigação foi efetuar uma análise sobre a forma da escrita conclusiva em artigos científicos nacionais, com base em 40 periódicos da área de ciências agrárias, publicados no período 2003-2017. Os indicadores analisados foram: formas (sinônimos) da escrita de Conclusão; tipo de sinal usado antes de cada conclusão; número de conclusões; estilo da conclusão; tempo de verbo utilizado nos parágrafos conclusivos; presença de expressões personificadas; e presença do objeto de estudo nos parágrafos conclusivos. Os resultados demonstram que a expressão CONCLUSÕES (plural e em caixa alta) é a mais usada (32,507%) entre as revistas analisadas; o uso de parágrafo simples (sem número ou símbolo) é predominante (70%); 45% dos artigos apresentam 2 (duas) conclusões específicas; 70% dos artigos exibem apenas a Conclusão (sem informação adicional); o tempo de verbo no “presente” é a forma mais utilizada nos parágrafos conclusivos (40%); as conclusões são escritas de forma impessoal (100%); e a presença do objeto de estudo nos parágrafos conclusivos tem maior prevalência através da nomenclatura vulgar (62,50%). Conclui-se que a forma diversificada de apresentação dos parágrafos conclusivos em artigos científicos nacionais, na área de ciências agrárias, merece uma atenção especial na busca de um modelo que permita estreitar sua múltipla forma para uma escrita mais funcional.
Revisão sobre cromatografia líquida acoplada à espectrometria de massas aplicada à análise toxicológica de alimentos
Authors: Tolentino Júnior Dilceu Silveira , Santos Sandra Neres , Marques Arlanjo Bispo de Sousa , Farias Kleise Pinheiro , Souza André Barbosa , Lima Gracielly Nascimento , Rodrigues Jairo Lisboa
Published: May 2021

A cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (HPLC) acoplada à espectrometria de massas (EM) constitui-se como uma das mais importantes técnicas analíticas utilizadas na determinação de compostos não voláteis ou instáveis termicamente. A combinação de ambas une a excelência da separação do analito de interesse na matriz através da técnica da cromatografia líquida de alto desempenho, juntamente com a técnica da espectrometria de massas que confirma a identificação química. Dentre as alternativas disponíveis, a espectrometria de massas é a que melhor fornece as informações estruturais necessárias. O acoplamento entre estas duas técnicas dá origem a uma ferramenta analítica robusta, versátil e de grande potencial na análise qualitativa e quantitativa em toxicologia de alimentos. O presente artigo apresenta uma revisão de literatura que tem o objetivo de apresentar os fundamentos da aplicação do acoplamento da Cromatografia Líquida e Espectrometria de Massas na área de análise de alimentos.
Infometria nas Bases Web of Science e Scopus: Governança Corporativa, Informação e Tecnologia da Informação; Precificação de Ações e Riscos de Mercado
Authors: Peixe Adriana Maria Miguel , Pinto José Simão de Paula
Published: May 2021

O estudo teve como objetivo levantar o referencial teórico por meio de uma infometria para identificar o estado da arte sobre a “Governança Corporativa”, “Informação”, “Tecnologia da informação”, “Precificação de Ações” e “Riscos de mercado”, em português/inglês, a partir de palavras-chave/termos, pesquisadas nas bases Web of Science e Scopus no período de 2015 a 2020. Para este portfólio, fez-se então uma análise bibliométrica e uma revisão sistemática da literatura visando construir o conhecimento referente aos assuntos. Como os artigos na base Scopus também estavam presentes na base Web of Science e por ser um número menor de artigos encontrados na base Scopus, decidiu-se manter somente na continuidade da pesquisa os artigos da base Web of Science, total de 307 artigos, em inglês; por ser a base escolhida uma base bem completa, multidisciplinar e ser aceitável o acesso para o uso dos softwares VOSViewer e NVivo usados neste estudo. Os artigos analisados foram todos de 2020 por serem mais atuais possíveis.  Infere-se que neste estudo a maioria dos autores estuda de maneira isolada, sem conexões. Efetuou-se análise de   documentos no acoplamento bibliográfico de 30 artigos.  Sendo assim, destaca-se o ineditismo e o gap na pesquisa. Afirma-se que as palavras buscadas no estudo quando todas juntas aos operadores booleanos não são encontradas nos respectivos artigos. Embora em todos os artigos estudados jazer explicitado a presença do termo “Information” somente. Notória a importância deste termo para os autores, num contexto amplo entende-se que a “informação” é elemento essencial para a sobrevivência humana.
Percepções sobre a Covid-19 e seus impactos ambientais por meio de uma sequência didática
Authors: Sobrinho Antonio Carlos Nogueira , Ribeiro Soraya Marques , Abreu Môngolla Keyla Freitas de
Published: May 2021

A pandemia da Covid-19 como uma crise sanitária e humanitária tem alertado a sociedade para suas consequências a curto e longo prazo. Diante disso, o presente estudo apresenta e discute os dados obtidos a partir da aplicação de uma sequência didática a respeito da Covid-19 e seus impactos ambientais. Esta pesquisa é de natureza descritiva, abordagem qualitativa e interpretativa com análise a partir do discurso do sujeito coletivo. Desenvolvida com estudantes da disciplina de Princípios de Etnobiologia e Educação Ambiental de um curso de licenciatura em Ciências Biológicas, esta sequência consistiu em duas nuvens de palavras, seguidas de rodas de conversa para a discussão crítico-reflexiva, um questionário e por fim, a elaboração de desenhos sobre as percepções a respeito deste percurso pedagógico. As nuvens de palavras e as rodas de discussão trouxeram temas atrelados à saúde mental, como medo e ansiedade, além de termos alinhados a questão ambiental, como lixo e poluição. A maioria dos estudantes apontou a questão socioemocional como um dos maiores impactos da pandemia, inclusive sendo citada como a dimensão da sustentabilidade que mais foi impactada no contexto atual. Logo, o sujeito como parte integrante do ambiente, pode através do reconhecimento do cuidado e dos impactos ambientais, avançar em práticas educativas ambientais que promovam o desenvolvimento cada vez mais sustentável.
Transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo em tempos de pandemia de COVID-19
Authors: Silva Lúcia Gabriela Costa , Maia Juliana Leal Freitas
Published: May 2021

O presente estudo é uma pesquisa bibliográfica com o objetivo de analisar as mudanças sofridas nos pacientes com Transtorno Obsessivo-compulsivo (TOC) em tempos de pandemia de COVID-19, por meio da revisão de artigos científicos disponíveis na base de dados Pubmed utilizando os descritores “Obsessive-compulsive disorder” e “COVID-19” publicados no período de janeiro de 2020 a abril de 2021. A reflexão realizada com base na literatura revelou o aumento e alteração na gravidade dos sintomas dos pacientes com TOC, especialmente naqueles que sofrem obsessão de contaminação e compulsão de lavagem. Dos pacientes que apresentaram exacerbação dos sintomas, essa foi associada a uma piora nos sintomas de estresse, ansiedade e depressão. Além disso, foram constatadas, nesse período pandêmico, manifestações de sintomas obsessivos-compulsivos na população geral. Portanto, fazem-se necessárias pesquisas futuras pós Covid-19 para avaliar como evoluirá o quadro clínico dos pacientes que apresentaram exacerbação do TOC, bem como para determinar se os novos sintomas de TOC na população geral estão relacionados a um diagnóstico definitivo de TOC, a uma expressão de ansiedade proporcionada pela pandemia ou a uma combinação de ambos.
Fast Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy with SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Akduman Yigit , Anderson William , Saxena Sandeep
Published: May 2021

COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has been shown to affect a multitude of organ systems. It is often associated with vasculitis or thromboembolic disease with resultant tissue hypoxia. This report presents a case of fast progression diabetic retinopathy in the case of a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The findings conclude that patients with diabetes should be more frequently monitored for emergence or progression of diabetic retinopathy if they present with COVID-19.
Türk-Yunan Nüfus Mübadelesinde İstanbul'a Gelen Türk Göçmenlerin Uyum ve Entegrasyon Süreci
Authors: TARCAN Burçin Hafize
Published: May 2021

Çalışmanın amacı 30 Ocak 1923 tarihinde imzalanan Türk ve Yunan Halklarının Mübadelesine İlişkin Sözleşme ve Protokol’ün ardından İstanbul ilçelerine yerleştirilmiş olan mübadillerin burada yaşamış oldukları zorlukları ortaya koymaktır. Bu kapsamda öncelikle kavramsal bir çalışma yapılmış, ardından mübadele kararına giden süreçten bahsedilmiş, mübadiller için yapılan hazırlıklardan, mübadillere yapılan yardımlardan ve mübadillerin yerleştirildikleri bölgelerden bahsedilmiştir. Araştırma çerçevesinde İstanbul’da bulunan iki dernek ve bir vakıf ile görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Görüşmeler sonrası analiz yapılırken belirli temalar oluşturulmuştur. Sonuç olarak ise İstanbul’a yerleştirilen mübadillerin karşılaştıkları zorluklar, yaşadıkları sıkıntılar “Ekonomik Sorunlar”, “Dil Sorunu”, “Yerli Halk Tarafından Kabul Görülmeme” ve “Gelenek- Görenek” olmak üzere dört ana tema altında toplanmıştır.
Evolution of views on the role of central bank policy: conclusions for Ukraine
Authors: DANYLYSHYN Bohdan , BOHDAN Ivan
Published: May 2021

The effects of COVID-19 pandemic resulted in modification of the goals and instruments of central banks activities in the context of strengthening their responsibility for supporting aggregate demand, more effective financial intermediation, smooth functioning of financial markets and creating conditions for inclusive economic growth. The purpose of the article is to elaborate proposals for changing the priorities of monetary policy in an economy with emerging markets in the post-crisis economic recovery. The article criticizes the concept of money supply neutrality from the standpoint of its simplified interpretation of the impact of the interest rate on activities with different duration and complexity of the technological process, as well as its detachment from the principles of inclusive economic growth. The authors reveal the factors that reduce the effectiveness of the application of the monetary regime of inflation targeting in countries with emerging markets, which consist in the dominance of non-monetary inflation factors, high import dependence of the economy etc. Based on empirical data for 1990-2019, they prove that low inflation is not a sufficient and necessary prerequisite for achieving economic success by a country. Authors suggest that the share of components of the inflation basket in Ukraine with high non-monetary effects is 62%, which indicates the presence of high risks of failures of the monetary policy transmission mechanisms. They argue that under the Ukrainian conditions at the beginning of 2021 an increase in the central bank’s key rate will appear to be counterproductive: the access to critically needed borrowed resources will go down, economic agents will spend more of their savings, and the pace of economic recovery will slow down. The recommendations for improving the NBU policy have been devised; they consist in ensuring the flexibility of the monetary inflation targeting regime, introducing targeted refinancing instruments to increase the efficiency of the financial intermediation, developing effective coordination of monetary and fiscal policy, and implementing measures aimed at creating conditions for inclusive economic growth.
Strategic coercion and international mediation of atrocity-related conflict
Authors: Ifediora Obinna
Published: May 2021

This article explains the role of coercion in international mediation of violent conflict involving atrocity crimes from the parties’ perspectives. It draws on coercion theory and expands the framework of atrocity mediation, examining the successful yet controversial African Union mediation in Kenya. Coercion theory aims to solve what this study reads as the agent-coercion problem in the international system: agents retain choice despite coercion by more powerful actors. The framework argues that conflict parties are rational, legitimate voluntary agents who always have choices. Strategy requires mediators to create ripeness using enticing mediation or settlement proposals. Then coercion’s role would be to build consensus on peace offers, persuading reluctant parties that compromise is the better choice than resistance. Coercion infuses a sense of urgency in the parties’ contemplation of the cost/benefit implications of their choices, accelerating decision-making. The study contributes to understanding the limits of power mediation in international relations.
Nicotine Dependence Levels of Individuals Applying a Family Health Center and Their Status of Being Affected by Warnings on Cigarette Packs
Authors: AKDENİZ Erdal , ÖNCEL Selma
Published: May 2021

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the status of being affected by the written and visual warnings on cigarette packs and the frequency of smoking in individuals who apply the family health center for any reason.
Methods: This study is descriptive. As a result of the sample calculation, 320 people were included in the study. A questionnaire prepared by the researchers upon the literature review and Fagerström test for nicotine dependence were used. In the study, SPSS 22.0 packaged software was used, and the significance was accepted as p<0.05.
Results: The average age of the participants was 38.53±14.21. 40.9% of the participants were smokers. 19.8% of the individuals included in the study were found to have high level of nicotine dependence. 35.9% of the participants were expressed to be affected by warnings on cigarette packs. In the study, the participants’ statuses of being affected by visual and written messages on cigarette packs in terms of gender were compared and it was found that the written expressions of “Smoking damages sperms and reduces fertility” and “Smoking during pregnancy harms the baby” were found to be more effective by men. The image showing the couple sitting side by side in bed among the images was found to be effective.
Conclusion: In smoking cessation interventions, more importance can be given to young people and those with low education level. In addition, warnings about baby/child and sexuality can be involved more on cigarette packs.
The Impact of Body Mass Index Values on the Quality of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: a Manikin Study
Authors: KÜÇÜKCERAN Kadir , AYRANCI Mustafa , ÖZER Muhammet
Published: May 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of body mass index (BMI) on the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by using a manikin.
Methods: 50 people composed of research assistants, intern doctors, emergency medical technicians and nurses who had previous cardiopulmonary resuscitation experience performed CPR on Laerdal Skillmeter Resusci-Anne® with SimPad manikin during the study. BMI data of participants were recorded and then the participanst were categorised as BMI <21 and BMI >21. Compression data obtained from the summary section of SimPAD QCPR were compared with the participants BMI values.
Results: 18 (36%) out of 50 participants were male, while 32 (64%) were female. 16 (32%) out of 50 participants were in the slim group, while 34 (68%) were in the normal group. Mean age of participants was calculated as 26.8±4.2, and mean BMI as 22.56±3.32. Mean compression depth in the slim group was significantly lower in comparison to the normal group (slim51.94±4.64, normal 55.79±4.35, p=0.006). Compression ratiowith sufficient depth in the slim group was statistically lower than the normal group (slim 66.19±25.79, normal 87.29±19.36, p=0.002). A statistically significant positive correlation was found in the lineer regression analysis conducted between mean compression depth and BMI (r2:0.179, p=0.002). Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed in the pearson correlation analysis of mean compression depth and BMI (r: 0.423, p= 0.002).
Conclusion: As a result, it was found out that low BMI values are associated with low mean compression depth.
Parameter Calibration of a Social Force Model for the Crowd-Induced Vibrations of Footbridges
Authors: Bassoli Elisa , Vincenzi Loris
Published: May 2021

A reliable prediction of the human-induced vibrations of footbridges relies on an accurate representation of the pedestrian excitation for different loading scenario. Particularly, the modeling of crowd-induced dynamic loading is a critical issue for the serviceability assessment of footbridges. At the design stage, the modeling of crowd loading is often derived from single pedestrian models, neglecting the effect of the structural vibrations as well as the interactions among pedestrians. A detailed description of the crowd behavior can be achieved employing a social force model that describes the different influences affecting individual pedestrian motion. These models are widely adopted to describe the crowd behavior especially in the field of evacuation of public buildings, public safety and transport station management while applications in the serviceability assessment of footbridges are less common. To simulate unidirectional pedestrian flows on footbridges, this paper proposes a parameter calibration of the Helbing’s social force model performed adopting the response surface methodology. Parameters of the social force model are calibrated so as to represent the fundamental relation between mean walking speed and density of the pedestrian crowd. The crowd-induced vibrations are then simulated by modeling each pedestrian in the crowd as a vertical load that crosses the footbridge with time varying trajectory and velocity estimated from the calibrated social force model. Finally, results are compared to those obtained from a multiplication factor approach proposed in literature. This considers the crowd as a uniform distribution of pedestrians with constant speed and given synchronization level and the footbridge response is evaluated as the response to a single pedestrian scaled by a proper enhancement factor.
Comprehensive Characterization of Cachexia-Inducing Factors in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Reveals a Molecular Subtype and a Prognosis-Related Signature
Authors: Kuang Zhixing , Li Xun , Liu Rongqiang , Chen Shaoxing , Tu Jiannan
Published: May 2021

Background

Cachexia is defined as an involuntary decrease in body weight, which can increase the risk of death in cancer patients and reduce the quality of life. Cachexia-inducing factors (CIFs) have been reported in colorectal cancer and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, but their value in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) requires further genetic research.

Methods

We used gene expression data from Gene Expression Omnibus to evaluate the expression landscape of 25 known CIFs in DLBCL patients and compared them with normal lymphoma tissues from two cohorts [GSE56315 (n = 88) and GSE12195 (n = 136)]. The mutational status of CIFs were also evaluated in The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Based on the expression profiles of 25 CIFs, a single exploratory dataset which was merged by the datasets of GSE10846 (n = 420) and GSE31312 (n = 498) were divided into two molecular subtypes by using the method of consensus clustering. Immune microenvironment between different subtypes were assessed via single-sample gene set enrichment analysis and the CIBERSORT algorithm. The treatment response of commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs was predicted and gene set variation analysis was utilized to reveal the divergence in activated pathways for distinct subtypes. A risk signature was derived by univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression in the merged dataset (n = 882), and two independent cohorts [GSE87371 (n = 221) and GSE32918 (n = 244)] were used for validation, respectively.

Results

Clustering analysis with CIFs further divided the cases into two molecular subtypes (cluster A and cluster B) associated with distinct prognosis, immunological landscape, chemosensitivity, and biological process. A risk-prognostic signature based on CCL2, CSF2, IL15, IL17A, IL4, TGFA, and TNFSF10 for DLBCL was developed, and significant differences in overall survival analysis were found between the low- and high-risk groups in the training dataset and another two independent validation datasets. Multivariate regression showed that the risk signature was an independently prognostic factor in contrast to other clinical characteristics.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that CIFs further contribute to the observed heterogeneity of DLBCL, and molecular classification and a risk signature based on CIFs are both promising tools for prognostic stratification, which may provide important clues for precision medicine and tumor-targeted therapy.
Roles of Lipid Peroxidation-Derived Electrophiles in Pathogenesis of Colonic Inflammation and Colon Cancer
Authors: Lei Lei , Zhang Jianan , Decker Eric A. , Zhang Guodong
Published: May 2021

Redox stress is a common feature of gut disorders such as colonic inflammation (inflammatory bowel disease or IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). This leads to increased colonic formation of lipid-derived electrophiles (LDEs) such as 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), malondialdehyde (MDA), trans, trans-2,4-decadienal (tt-DDE), and epoxyketooctadecenoic acid (EKODE). Recent research by us and others support that treatment with LDEs increases the severity of colitis and exacerbates the development of colon tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo, supporting a critical role of these compounds in the pathogenesis of IBD and CRC. In this review, we will discuss the effects and mechanisms of LDEs on development of IBD and CRC and lifestyle factors, which could potentially affect tissue levels of LDEs to regulate IBD and CRC development.
Uncovering Inherited Cardiomyopathy With Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Jiang Xue , Chen Yihuan , Liu Xiaofeng , Ye Lingqun , Yu Miao , Shen Zhenya , Lei Wei , Hu Shijun
Published: May 2021

In the past decades, researchers discovered the contribution of genetic defects to the pathogenesis of primary cardiomyopathy and tried to explain the pathogenesis of these diseases by establishing a variety of disease models. Although human heart tissues and primary cardiomyocytes have advantages in modeling human heart diseases, they are difficult to obtain and culture in vitro. Defects developed in genetically modified animal models are notably different from human diseases at the molecular level. The advent of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provides an unprecedented opportunity to further investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of inherited cardiomyopathies in vitro using patient-specific hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. In this review, we will make a summary of recent advances in in vitro inherited cardiomyopathy modeling using hiPSCs.
Pictorial Referents Facilitate Recognition and Retrieval Speeds of Associations Between Novel Words in a Second Language (L2) and Referents
Authors: Liu Xinyi , Horinouchi Hiroki , Yang Yutao , Yan Yan , Ando Misa , Obinna Ukwueze Jonah , Namba Shushi , Kambara Toshimune
Published: May 2021

This study reveals associative processes for novel words in a second language (L2) and their referents. Thirty Japanese participants learned associative pairs for novel words in Chinese and pictorial referents (CP), as well as novel words in Chinese and words in Japanese (CJ), against a condition in which they learned only novel words in Chinese (C). After the learning phase, participants conducted two learning condition retrieval tasks for word recognition and three recognition tasks for the source-monitoring of the referents. The correct answers for each recognition task were provided to participants after each trial. Although the correct answers in all conditions increased in both the recognition and learning condition retrieval tasks, there was no significant difference among conditions. In contrast, the response times of the correct trials in all recognition tasks and the first learning condition retrieval tasks were faster for the CP condition than the CJ condition. Additionally, in the second learning condition retrieval task, missed items in associative conditions (CP and CJ conditions) were judged to be learned items more often than unlearned items, whereas missed items in the non-associative condition (C condition) were judged to be unlearned items more than learned items. These findings suggest that pictures contribute to the recognition and retrieval speeds of associations between novel words in L2 and referents, and that associative learning of L2 words and referents could enhance more familiarity effects than the learning of L2 words only.
Effect of 9.3 μm CO2 and 2.94 μm Er:YAG Laser vs. Bur Preparations on Marginal Adaptation in Enamel and Dentin of Mixed Class V Cavities Restored With Different Restorative Systems
Authors: Anton y Otero Clara Isabel , Di Bella Enrico , Krejci Ivo , Bortolotto Tissiana
Published: May 2021

This study aimed to compare marginal adaptation in enamel and dentin before and after aging of laser vs. bur-prepared mixed class V cavities restored by different restorative systems. Seventy two caries-free human molars were distributed to nine experimental groups; cavities were prepared using two different lasers: a handpiece -integrated 2.94 μm Er:YAG laser at 4.5 W, 300 mJ, and 0.75 W, 50 mJ with 15 Hz (LiteTouch, Light Instruments, Israel) and a novel CO2 laser at 12.95 W, 19.3 mJ, and 4.1 W, 6.11 mJ with 671 Hz (Solea 9.3 μm, Convergent Dental, USA). Cavities prepared with conventional diamond burs (Intensiv, Switzerland) in a red contra angle at high speed under maximal water cooling served as control. Cavities were prepared under simulation of dentinal fluid and restored using three different self-etching universal adhesives in combination with three nanohybrid composites, applied in two layers: Scotchbond Universal with Filtek Supreme XTE (3M, USA), G-Premio BOND with Essentia Universal (GC, Japan), and OptiBond Universal with Harmonize Universal (Kerr, USA). After restorations' polishing and simultaneous thermal (5–50°C, 2 min each) and mechanical loading (max. 49 N; 200,000 cycles), replicas of restoration margins were examined under SEM at × 200 magnification. Percentages of continuous margins (CMs) were quantified before and after the fatigue test and statistically compared (two-way ANOVA with Fisher's least significant difference [LSD] post hoc test). Significant differences were found in almost all groups between the results before and after the fatigue test, as well as between the different preparation tools and restorative materials (p < 0.05). Traditional bur preparations are confirmed as gold standard in enamel and dentin, as all three tested restorative systems provide results of marginal adaptation of more than 80% CM after loading. Er:YAG laser preparations can be equally effective in combination with SBU/Filtek Supreme XTE. CO2 laser ablation could not provide convincing results with the tested self-etching restorative systems. Marginal adaptation has been highly dependent on the substrate and showed impaired adhesion, especially in enamel. Scotchbond Universal/Filtek Supreme XTE showed the highest and most stable values of CM. The other two restorative systems were highly dependent on the preparation device of the substrate.
Effect of Endometrium Thickness on Clinical Outcomes in Luteal Phase Short-Acting GnRH-a Long Protocol and GnRH-Ant Protocol
Authors: Zhang Jie , Sun Yi-Fei , Xu Yue-Ming , Shi Bao-jun , Han Yan , Luo Zhuo-Ye , Zhao Zhi-Ming , Hao Gui-Min , Gao Bu-Lang
Published: May 2021

Objective

To investigate the factors that influence luteal phase short-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) long protocol and GnRH-antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol on pregnancy outcome and quantify the influence. About the statistical analysis, it is not correct for the number of gravidities.

Methods

Infertile patients (n = 4,631) with fresh in-vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) and embryo transfer were divided into GnRH-a long protocol (n =3,104) and GnRH-ant (n =1,527) protocol groups and subgroups G1 (EMT ≤7mm), G2 (7 mm 10 mm) according to EMT on the trigger day. The data were analyzed.

Results

The GnRH-ant and the GnRH-a long protocols had comparable clinical outcomes in the clinical pregnancy, live birth, and miscarriage rate after propensity score matching. In the medium endometrial thickness of 7–10 mm, the clinical pregnancy rate (61.81 vs 55.58%, P < 0.05) and miscarriage rate (19.43 vs 12.83%, P < 0.05) of the GnRH-ant regime were significantly higher than those of the GnRH-a regime. The EMT threshold for clinical pregnancy rate in the GnRH-ant group was 12 mm, with the maximal clinical pregnancy rate of less than 75% and the maximal live birth rate of 70%. In the GnRH-a long protocol, the optimal range of EMT was >10 mm for the clinical pregnancy rate and >9.5 mm for the live birth rate for favorable clinical outcomes, and the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates increased linearly with increase of EMT. In the GnRH-ant protocol, the EMT thresholds were 9–6 mm for the clinical pregnancy rate and 9.5–15.5 mm for the live birth rate.

Conclusions

The GnRH-ant protocol has better clinical pregnancy outcomes when the endometrial thickness is in the medium thickness range of 7–10 mm. The optimal threshold interval for better clinical pregnancy outcomes of the GnRH-ant protocol is significantly narrower than that of the GnRH-a protocol. When the endometrial thickness exceeds 12 mm, the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate of the GnRH-ant protocol show a significant downward trend, probably indicating some negative effects of GnRH-ant on the endometrial receptivity to cause a decrease of the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate if the endometrial thickness exceeds 12 mm.
Construction of a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network Reveals Potential Mechanism and Treatment Options for Osteosarcoma
Authors: He Yi , Zhou Haiting , Wang Wei , Xu Haoran , Cheng Hao
Published: May 2021

Background

Osteosarcoma is a common malignant primary bone tumor in adolescents and children. Numerous studies have shown that circRNAs were involved in the proliferation and invasion of various tumors. However, the role of circRNAs in osteosarcoma remains unclear. Here, we aimed to explore the regulatory network among circRNA-miRNA-mRNA in osteosarcoma.

Methods

The circRNA (GSE140256), microRNA (GSE28423), and mRNA (GSE99671) expression profiles of osteosarcoma were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were identified. CircRNA-miRNA interactions and miRNA-mRNA interactions were determined by Circular RNA Interactome (CircInteractome) database and microRNA Data Integration Portal (mirDIP) database, respectively. Then, we constructed a regulatory network. Function enrichment analysis of miRNA and mRNA was performed by DIANA-miRPath v3.0 and Metascape database, respectively. mRNAs with significant prognostic value were identified based on expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and we constructed a subnetwork for them. To make the most of the network, we used the CLUE database to predict potential drugs for the treatment of osteosarcoma based on mRNA expression in the network. And we used the STITCH database to analyze and validate the interactions among these drugs and mRNAs, and to further screen for potential drugs.

Results

A total of 9 circRNAs, 19 miRNAs, 67 mRNAs, 54 pairs of circRNA-miRNA interactions and 110 pairs of miRNA-mRNA interactions were identified. A circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed. Function enrichment analysis indicated that these miRNAs and mRNAs in the network were involved in the process of tumorigenesis and immune response. Among these mRNAs, STC2 and RASGRP2 with significantly prognostic value were identified, and we constructed a subnetwork for them. Based on mRNA expression in the network, three potential drugs, quinacridine, thalidomide and zonisamide, were screened for the treatment of osteosarcoma. Among them, quinacridine and thalidomide have been proved to have anti-tumor effects in previous studies, while zonisamide has not been reported. And a corresponding drug-protein interaction network was constructed.

Conclusion

Overall, we constructed a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network to investigate the possible mechanism in osteosarcoma, and predicted that quinacridine, thalidomide and zonisamide could be potential drugs for the treatment of osteosarcoma.
Challenges Posed by Immune Responses to AAV Vectors: Addressing Root Causes
Authors: Hamilton Bradley A. , Wright J. Fraser
Published: May 2021

Host immune responses that limit durable therapeutic gene expression and cause clinically significant inflammation remain a major barrier to broadly successful development of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based human gene therapies. In this article, mechanisms of humoral and cellular immune responses to the viral vector are discussed. A perspective is provided that removal of pathogen-associated molecular patterns in AAV vector genomes to prevent the generation of innate immune danger signals following administration is a key strategy to overcome immunological barriers.
Association Between Alkaline Phosphatase and Muscle Mass, Strength, or Physical Performance in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis
Authors: Kang Seok Hui , Do Jun Young , Kim Jun Chul
Published: May 2021

Introduction: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an indicator for checking liver or bone disorders, but recent studies have shown the possibility of an additive indicator beyond the simple mineral-bone status in dialysis patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the ALP level and various indicators for malnutrition, physical performance, or hospitalization in patients on hemodialysis (HD).

Methods: This study was an observational study (n = 84). We included all patients undergoing HD with the following criteria: age ≥ 20 years, duration of dialysis ≥ 6 months, ability to ambulate without an assistive device, ability to communicate with the interviewer, and no hospitalization within the last 3 months before enrollment. Furthermore, none of the patients had liver disease. We recommended abstinence of alcohol for ≥ 1 month for the duration of the study. The patients were divided into tertiles based on the ALP level. Muscle mass [appendicular muscle mass index using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (ASM/Ht2), thigh muscle area index using computed tomography (TMA/Ht2)], strength [handgrip strength (HGS)], and physical performance [gait speed (GS), sit-to-stand for 30-s test (STS30), 6-min walk test (6-MWT), or Short Physical Performance Battery test (SPPB)] were evaluated. The number of hospitalizations was also evaluated.

Results: The ALP level in the low, middle, and high tertiles was 50.5 ± 7.5, 69.8 ± 5.4, and 113.3 ± 47.3 IU/l, respectively. The high tertile group showed the poorest trends in ASM/Ht2, TMA/Ht2, HGS, GS, STS30, and 6-MWT compared to the other tertile groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that the high tertile group for low HGS, low GS, or low SPPB had a higher odds ratio compared to the other tertiles. Subgroup analyses according to age, sex and diabetes mellitus showed similar trends as in the total cohort. Hospitalization-free survival rates after 300 days in the high tertile and the other tertiles were 53.8 and 77.2%, respectively (P = 0.105).

Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that ALP is associated with muscle mass, strength, and physical performance in patients on maintenance HD. In addition, the trend showed better hospitalization-free survival in the low or middle tertiles than in the high tertile. ALP can be considered as a simple and useful indicator to detect malnutrition, physical performance, or hospitalization in patients on HD.
Compositional Data Analysis of Periodontal Disease Microbial Communities
Authors: Sisk-Hackworth Laura , Ortiz-Velez Adrian , Reed Micheal B. , Kelley Scott T.
Published: May 2021

Periodontal disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive polymicrobial disease that induces a strong host immune response. Culture-independent methods, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) of bacteria 16S amplicon and shotgun metagenomic libraries, have greatly expanded our understanding of PD biodiversity, identified novel PD microbial associations, and shown that PD biodiversity increases with pocket depth. NGS studies have also found PD communities to be highly host-specific in terms of both biodiversity and the response of microbial communities to periodontal treatment. As with most microbiome work, the majority of PD microbiome studies use standard data normalization procedures that do not account for the compositional nature of NGS microbiome data. Here, we apply recently developed compositional data analysis (CoDA) approaches and software tools to reanalyze multiomics (16S, metagenomics, and metabolomics) data generated from previously published periodontal disease studies. CoDA methods, such as centered log-ratio (clr) transformation, compensate for the compositional nature of these data, which can not only remove spurious correlations but also allows for the identification of novel associations between microbial features and disease conditions. We validated many of the studies’ original findings, but also identified new features associated with periodontal disease, including the generaSchwartziaandAerococcusand the cytokine C-reactive protein (CRP). Furthermore, our network analysis revealed a lower connectivity among taxa in deeper periodontal pockets, potentially indicative of a more “random” microbiome. Our findings illustrate the utility of CoDA techniques in multiomics compositional data analysis of the oral microbiome.
Association Between Polymorphisms in Gastric Cancer Related Genes and Risk of Gastric Cancer: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Pu Yan , Wen Xu , Jia Zhangjun , Xie Yu , Luan Changxing , Yu Youjia , Chen Feng , Chen Peng , Li Ding , Sun Yan , Zhao Jian , Lv Haiqin
Published: May 2021

Gastric cancer has the second highest incidence among all the malignancies in China, just below lung cancer. Gastric cancer is likewise one of the main sources of cancer related passings. Gastric cancer therefore remains a huge threat to human health. The primary reason is absence of high sensitivity and specificity for early detection while the pathogenesis of GC is stayed muddled. During the last few decades, a lot of GC related genes have been identified. To find candidate GC related variant in these GC related genes, we conducted this case-control study. 29 tagSNPs located in 7 GC related genes were included. 228 gastric cancer patients and 299 healthy controls were enrolled. Significant differences were found between the genotype frequencies of EFNA1 rs4971066 polymorphism between gastric cancer patients and healthy controls. The result indicated that ephrin-A1 tagSNP rs4971066 GT/TT genotypes was significantly associated with reduced susceptibility of gastric cancer development.
Control of Toxin-Antitoxin Systems by Proteases in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Authors: Bordes Patricia , Genevaux Pierre
Published: May 2021

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are small genetic elements composed of a noxious toxin and a counteracting cognate antitoxin. Although they are widespread in bacterial chromosomes and in mobile genetic elements, their cellular functions and activation mechanisms remain largely unknown. It has been proposed that toxin activation or expression of the TA operon could rely on the degradation of generally less stable antitoxins by cellular proteases. The resulting active toxin would then target essential cellular processes and inhibit bacterial growth. Although interplay between proteases and TA systems has been observed, evidences for such activation cycle are very limited. Herein, we present an overview of the current knowledge on TA recognition by proteases with a main focus on the major human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which harbours multiple TA systems (over 80), the essential AAA + stress proteases, ClpC1P1P2 and ClpXP1P2, and the Pup-proteasome system.
The Paraventricular Thalamus: A Potential Sensor and Integrator of Emotionally Salient Early-Life Experiences
Authors: Kooiker Cassandra L. , Birnie Matthew T. , Baram Tallie Z.
Published: May 2021

Early-life experiences influence a broad spectrum of behaviors throughout the lifespan that contribute to resilience or vulnerability to mental health disorders. Yet, how emotionally salient experiences early in life are encoded, stored, and processed and the mechanisms by which they influence future behaviors remain poorly understood. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is a key structure in modulating positive and negative experiences and behaviors in adults. However, little is known of the PVT’s role in encoding and integrating emotionally salient experiences that occur during neonatal, infancy, and childhood periods. In this review, we (1) describe the functions and connections of the PVT and its regulation of behavior, (2) introduce novel technical approaches to elucidating the role of the PVT in mediating enduring changes in adult behaviors resulting from early-life experiences, and (3) conclude that PVT neurons of neonatal rodents are engaged by both positive and negative emotionally salient experiences, and their activation may enduringly govern future behavior-modulating PVT activity during emotionally salient contexts.
Function and Regulation of ALDH1A1-Positive Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Neurons in Motor Control and Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Carmichael Kathleen , Evans Rebekah C. , Lopez Elena , Sun Lixin , Kumar Mantosh , Ding Jinhui , Khaliq Zayd M. , Cai Huaibin
Published: May 2021

Dopamine is an important chemical messenger in the brain, which modulates movement, reward, motivation, and memory. Different populations of neurons can produce and release dopamine in the brain and regulate different behaviors. Here we focus our discussion on a small but distinct group of dopamine-producing neurons, which display the most profound loss in the ventral substantia nigra pas compacta of patients with Parkinson’s disease. This group of dopaminergic neurons can be readily identified by a selective expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1) and accounts for 70% of total nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in both human and mouse brains. Recently, we presented the first whole-brain circuit map of these ALDH1A1-positive dopaminergic neurons and reveal an essential physiological function of these neurons in regulating the vigor of movement during the acquisition of motor skills. In this review, we first summarize previous findings of ALDH1A1-positive nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons and their connectivity and functionality, and then provide perspectives on how the activity of ALDH1A1-positive nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons is regulated through integrating diverse presynaptic inputs and its implications for potential Parkinson’s disease treatment.
Multi-Modal Analysis of Resting-State fMRI Data in mTBI Patients and Association With Neuropsychological Outcomes
Authors: Shi Jian , Teng Jing , Du Xianping , Li Na
Published: May 2021

Various cognitive disorders have been reported for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients during the acute stage. This acute stage provides an opportunity for clinicians to optimize treatment protocols, which are based on the evaluation of brain structural connectivity. So far, most brain functional magnetic resonance imaging studies are focused on moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). In this study, we prospectively collected resting state data on 50 mTBI within 3 days of injury and 50 healthy volunteers and analyzed them using Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), Regional Homogeneity (ReHo), graph theory methods and behavior measure, to explore the dysfunctional brain regions in acute mTBI. In our study, a total of 50 patients suffering <3 days mTBI and 50 healthy subjects were tested in rs-fMRI, as well as under neuropsychological examinations including the Wechsler Intelligence Scale and Stroop Color and Word Test. The correlation analysis was conducted between graph theoretic parameters and neuropsychological results. For the mTBI group, the ReHo of the inferior temporal gyrus and the cerebellum superior are significantly lower than in the control group, and the ALFF of the left insula, the cerebellum inferior, and the middle occipital gyrus were significantly higher than in the control group, which implies the dysfunctionality usually observed in Parkinson's disease. Executive function disorder was significantly correlated with the global efficiencies of the dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus and the anterior cingulate cortex, which is consistent with the literature: the acute mTBI patients demonstrate abnormality in terms of motor speed, association, information processing speed, attention, and short-term memory function. Correlation analysis between the neuropsychological outcomes and the network efficiency for the mTBI group indicates that executive dysfunction might be caused by local brain changes. Our data support the idea that the cerebral internal network has compensatory reactions in response to sudden pathological and neurophysiological changes. In the future, multimode rs-fMRI analysis could be a valuable tool for evaluating dysfunctional brain regions after mTBI.
Cognitive and Emotional Disturbances Due to COVID-19: An Exploratory Study in the Rehabilitation Setting
Authors: Pistarini Caterina , Fiabane Elena , Houdayer Elise , Vassallo Claudio , Manera Marina Rita , Alemanno Federica
Published: May 2021

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) can cause neurological, psychiatric, psychological, and psychosocial impairments. Literature regarding cognitive impact of COVID-19 is still limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate cognitive deficits and emotional distress among COVID-19 and post–COVID-19 patients who required functional rehabilitation. Specifically, this study explored and compared cognitive and psychological status of patients in the subacute phase of the disease (COVID-19 group) and patients in the postillness period (post–COVID-19 group). Forty patients admitted to rehabilitation units were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups according to the phase of the disease: (a) COVID-19 group (n= 20) and (b) post–COVID-19 group (n= 20). All patients underwent a neuropsychological assessment including Mini-Mental State Evaluation (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES-R). A larger part of the COVID group showed neuropsychological deficits in the total MMSE (35%) compared to the post-COVID group (5%), whereas the majority of both groups (75–70%) reported cognitive impairments in the total MoCA. The post-COVID group reported significantly higher score in MMSE subtests of language (p= 0.02) and in MoCA subtests of executive functions (p= 0.05), language (p= 0.01), and abstraction (p= 0.02) compared to the COVID group. Regarding emotional disturbances, ~40% of patients presented with mild to moderate depression (57.9–60%). The post–COVID-19 group reported significantly higher levels of distress at the IES-R compared to the COVID group (p= 0.02). These findings highlight the gravity of neuropsychological and psychological symptoms that can be induced by COVID-19 infection and the need for tailored rehabilitation, including cognitive training and psychological support.