bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Predicting Role of the Safety Climate in the Professional Behavior of Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bagherzadeh Razieh , Salemipoor Yasmin , Hajinejad Fatemeh , Heidari Fatemeh , Vahedparast Hakimeh
Published: February 2021

Background: Safety climate which is a subset of organizational climate in the field of safety mirrors the attitude of people in care centers towards safety. In addition to being in connection with diverse parts of the organization’s function, safety climate can also affect the nurse’s performance. Aim: The present study aimed at determining the predicting role of the safety climate in the professional behavior of nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Bushehr University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this cross sectional study, which is of descriptive analytical type, 595 expert nurses currently working with more than 6 months of working experience in the medical wards of hospitals affiliated to Bushehr University of Medical Sciences entered the study. Data was gathered from the viewpoint of the nurse and professional behavior through a demographic information form and two safety climate questionnaires. Then the data were analyzed by V.19 SPSS which is statistical software. The data analysis was conducted using univariate regression and multivariate linear regression at the significance level of 0.05. Results: Among the diverse domains of the safety climate, the field of nursing education (P= 0.027, ß=0.104), communicating with other nurses (P= 0.027, ß=0.101) and error reporting (P= <0.001, ß= 0.191) were the direct prediction of professional nursing behavior. Also, apart from safety climate, satisfaction of the nursing job had a direct, statistic and significant relationship with professional behavior (P= <0.001, ß= 0.142). Conclusion: Attempts to create a ward, in which the nurses receive the necessary education in an appropriate time and ameliorate their expertise, as well as a climate in which nurses have such a good relationship with their collages that they can easily talk about the possible mistakes and errors, can upgrade nurse’s professional behavior.
Identification of cis-regulatory motifs in first introns and the prediction of intron-mediated enhancement of gene expression in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Back Georg , Walther Dirk
Published: February 2021

Background. Intron mediated enhancement (IME) is the potential of introns to enhance expression of its respective gene. This essential function of introns has been observed in a wide range of species, including fungi, plants, and animals. Studies in the plant ​ Arabidopsis thaliana have shown that enhancing introns exhibit a distinct base composition and are generally the first intron located close to the transcription start site. However, the mechanisms underlying the enhancement are as of yet poorly understood. The goal of the study was to identify potential IME-related sequence motifs and genomic features found in first introns of genes in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Results. Based on the rationale that functionale sequence motifs are evolutionarily conserved, we exploited the deep sequencing information available for Arabidopsis thaliana, covering more than one thousand Arabidopsis accessions, and identified 81 candidate hexamer motifs with increased conservation across all accessions, and which also exhibited positional occurrence preferences. Of those, 71 were found associated with increased correlation of gene expression of genes harboring them, suggesting a cis-regulatory role. Filtering further for effect on gene expression correlation yielded a set of 16 hexamer motifs, corresponding to five consensus motifs. While all five motifs represent new motif definitions, two are similar to the two previously reported IME-motifs, whereas three are altogether novel. To identify additional IME-related genomic features, Random Forest models were trained for classification of gene expression level based on an array of different sequence-related features. The results indicate that introns harbor information with regard to gene expression level and suggest sequence-compositional features as most informative, while position-related features, that were thought to be of central importance before, were found with lower than expected relevance. Conclusions. ​ Exploiting deep sequencing and broad gene expression information and on a genome-wide scale, this study confirmed the regulatory role on first-introns, characterized their intra-species conservation, and identified a set of novel sequence motifs located in first introns of genes in the genome of the plant ​ Arabidopsis thalian​ a that may play a role in inducing high and correlated gene expression of the genes harboring them.
 Time To Death Among HIV-Infected Under-Five Children After Initiation Of Anti-Retroviral Therapy And Its Predictors In Oromiya Liyu Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia: A Retrospective Chohort
Authors: Arega Weldemariam Sintayehu , Marie Bereka Tefera , Bazezew Bitewa Yibelu
Published: February 2021

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is infection which mainly attacks immune system of an individual. Its disease progress is rapid in children and if treatment is not initiated nearly half of infected children will die by the second year of infection. In Ethiopia, nearly twenty four percent of HIV related death is happen to under-five children; however studies done in this specific age group are limited are with poor evidence of predictors. Objectives: To determine time to death and identify predictors of death in HIV infected under-five children on antiretroviral therapy in Amhara regional state, Oromia ‘liyu’ zone, Northeast Ethiopia, from 2014 to 2019. Methods: Institution based retrospective follow up study was conducted in 376 under-five HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy from January 2014 to December 2019 in health institutions in Oromia Liyu Zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia. Multivariable Cox-proportional hazard regression model was used to identify independent predictors of Mortality in HIV-infected under-five children on antiretroviral therapy. Results: At the end of follow up, 285 (80.28%) of HIV-infected children were alive, 39 (10.99%) were lost to follow up, 11 (3.94%) were transferred out and 21 (5.59%) were reported dead due to HIV/AIDS. The cumulative survival probabilities of children after 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months were 0.99, 0.98, 0.97, 0.89 and 0.87 respectively. The overall mean time to death was 19.7 months (95%CI= 18.74-20.67) with incidence of 5.9 deaths per 100 child-months (95%CI: 3.89-9.09). Children with severe malnutrition at baseline (AHR=4.9; 95 CI: 1.04, 23.50), advanced WHO clinical stage at enrolment (AHR=3.9; CI: 1.37, 10.88), poor adherence to ART (AHR=6.56; CI: 3.33, 10.14) and with no history of Isoniazide prophylaxis were significantly associated to higher mortality events (AHR=3.6; CI: 1.24, 10.18). Conclusion: Death of HIV-infected under-five children on ART is high within the first one year after enrolment. The risk of death increased if the child was malnourished at begging of treatment, had poor ART adherence, with advanced WHO clinical stages and lack of Isoniazide prophylaxis during their age of infancy.
Geo-Spatially Based Analysis And Economic Feasiblity Evaluation Of Waste-To-Energy Facilities: A Case Study Of Local Government Areas Of Anambra State Of Nigeria
Authors: Chukwuma Emmanuel , Ojediran John , Anizoba Daniel Azikiwe , Ubah Joseph Azikiwe , Nwachukwu Pius
Published: February 2021

Access to affordable clean energy source as stipulated in UN SDG goal number 7 is important for the development and socio-economic well-being of people, the need for proper assessment of resources to achieve this goal is indisputable. The goal of this study is to assess the economic feasibility of utilizing organic fraction of Municipal Solid Wastes (MSWof) using a case study of 21 Local Government Areas (LGA) or Authority for Anambra State of Nigeria for waste to energy project. The quantity of organic fraction of MSW, energy recovery and optimum number of plants at the various LGAs was estimated. The result of the study indicates that about 198 tons maximum value of MSWof can be generated daily in Aguata LGA, with electric energy potential value of 545MW. The number of plants for the LGAs ranged from 10 to 50 and from 3 to 12 for small and medium scale plants. A large scale plant of about 50m3 can possibly be installed at all the LGAs, with a maximum of 4 plants in Idemili and Aguata LGA. The economic assessment based on Net Present Value (NPV) criteria shows poor economic feasibility for small scale plant, while NPV was positive for medium and large scale plants. The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) ranged from 0.32 to 0.94, with a general increase from small scale to large scale economic feasibility. It is suggested that the autonomy of the various LGAs in the country should serve as a major motivation in adopting bio-energy projects independently, and this study will serve as a decision toolkit in the appropriate scale to be adopted.
Phase IB Study of Sorafenib and Evofosfamide in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular and Renal Cell Carcinomas (NCCTG N1135, Alliance)
Authors: Tran Nguyen , Foster Nathan , Mahipal Amit , Byrne Thomas , Hubbard Joleen , Silva Alvin , Mody Kabir , Alberts Steven , Borad Mitesh
Published: February 2021

Background: Sorafenib (Sor) remains a first-line option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or refractory renal cell carcinomas (RCC). PLC/PRF/5 HCC model showed upregulation of hypoxia with enhanced efficacy when Sor is combined with hypoxia-activated prodrug evofosfamide (Evo). Methods: This phase IB 3 + 3 design investigated 3 Evo dose levels (240, 340, 480 mg/m2 on days 8, 15, 22), combined with Sor 200 mg orally twice daily (po bid) on days 1-28 of a 28-day cycle. Primary objectives included determining maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of Sor + Evo. Results: Eighteen patients were enrolled (median age 62.5 years; 17 male /1 female; 12 HCC/6 RCC) across three dose levels (DL0: Sor 200 mg bid/Evo 240 mg/m2 [n=6], DL1:Sor 200 mg bid/Evo 480 mg/m2 [n=5], DL1a: Sor 200 mg bid/Evo 340 mg/m2 [n=7]). Two dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were reported with Evo 480 mg/m2 (grade 3 mucositis, grade 4 hepatic failure). Grade 3 rash DLT was observed in one patient at Evo 240 mg/m2. No DLTs were observed at Evo 340 mg/m2. MTD and RP2D were established as Sor 200 mg/Evo 340 mg/m2 and Sor 200/Evo 240 mg/m2, respectively. The most common treatment-related adverse events included fatigue, hand-foot syndrome, hypertension, and nausea/vomiting. Two partial responses were observed, one each at DL0 and DL1a.; disease control rate was 55%.Conclusions: RP2D was established as sorafenib 200 mg bid + Evo 240 mg/m2. While preliminary anti-tumor activity was observed, future development must account for advances in immunotherapy in HCC/RCC. NCT01497444Date of registration December 20, 2011
A distance-based paper sensor for rapid detection of blood lactate concentration using gold nanoparticles synthesized by Satureja hortensis
Authors: Mirzaei Younes , Gholami Ali , Bordbar Mohammad Mahdi
Published: February 2021

Rapid detection of lactate as the major fuel source and material to support the level of blood sugar can open up a new class of analysis for nutritionists and sports medicine practitioners. Here, a rapid and user-friendly method for monitoring changes in the blood lactate concentration is reported, involving the use of a paper strip coated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The aqueous extract of Satureja hortensis is used as the reduction agent in a green synthesis of the AuNPs. Due to the interaction between the NPs and lactate flowing across the paper strip, they change color from red to purple, which can be detected by the naked eye. It is possible to create a distance-based paper sensor, representing these changes as a column of colored bars on the paper substrate whose length has a good linear relationship with the lactate concentration ranged between 1.0 and 30.0 mM. By recording the color changes with a scanner, the sensor response is also obtained using an image analysis method, leading to a linear calibration curve in the lactate concentration range of 0.5 to 30.0 mM. The resulting detection limits of the lactate measurements are found to be 0.6 and 0.4 using the distance measurement and image analysis methods, respectively. Interestingly, in the presence of interfering species, the sensor is selective for lactate, while also showing good performance in measuring the lactate concentration in the real blood samples.
Transferability and Characterization of Microsatellite Markers from Byrsonima Cydoniifolia A. Juss. (MALPIGHIACEAE) in Seven Related Taxa from Cerrado Biome Reveal Genetic Relationships
Authors: Bernardes Vanessa , Murakami Devanir M. , Bizão Nair , Souza Tamara N. , Silva Marcos J. da , Telles Mariana P.C.
Published: February 2021

Byrsonima Rich. is one of the largest genera of the Malpighiaceae family, with 97 species occurrence in Brazil. In this study, 17 microsatellite markers previously developed and characterized in Byrsonima cydoniifolia A. Juss. were tested for seven related taxa. All species tested here are native to Brazil, and of these species four are endemic. Cross-amplification as successfully optimized with high efficiency for all species. Microsatellite markers panels ranged from 11 (64,8%) transfered markers in B. viminifolia to 6 (35.2%) in B. umbellata. All loci were genotyped for 16 individuals of each species, except for B. viminifolia (14 individuals), then the polymorphic loci were characterized. The total number of alleles per locus across tested species ranged from 5 (B. linearifolia) to 8 (B. subterranea) alleles. B. umbellata showed lower values of observed and expected heterozygosity (Ho = 0.312; He = 0.436) and B. subterranea presented the highest values (Ho = 0.687; He = 0.778). A greater number of microsatellite markers should be developed for B. umbellata, once that the markers set transferred is reasonably informative, due to the greatest genetic divergence between species. The microsatellite marker panels transferred to the species B. intermedia, B. verbascifolia, B. laxiflora, B. subterranea, B. viminifolia and B. linearifolia are very informative, with a high combined probability of exclusion of paternity (Q ≥ 0.976) and the low combined probability of identity (I ≤ 9.91x10− 6), potentially suitable for future genetic-population studies, supporting strategies for maintaining the genetic diversity and for exploration of Byrsonima species as genetic resources.
Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis With Ascites During Pregnancy
Authors: Rhyou Hyo-In , Oh So Ra , Nam Young-Hee
Published: February 2021

Background: Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE), a rare disorder of unknown etiology, is characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract in the absence of secondary causes for eosinophilia. EGE has nonspecific symptoms, but abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting are the most common presenting symptoms. Eosinophilic ascites is a very unusual presentation. Case presentation: A 38-year-old women at 11 weeks of gestation presented with nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse bowel wall thickening and a small amount of ascites. Despite antibiotic treatment, her symptoms were persistent and she developed marked abdominal distension and weight gain despite antibiotic treatment. Her blood eosinophil count was high, and ultrasonography showed large ascites. Diagnostic paracentesis revealed significant eosinophilia. She completely recovered with steroid treatment and delivered a healthy baby without any complications.Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first case of EGE presenting with ascites during pregnancy. The serosal EGE is very rare type of EGE, but it can occur during pregnancy. The augmented Th2 immunity during pregnancy may be related with EGE.
High Light and High Temperature Reduce Photosynthesis
via Different Mechanisms in the C4 Model Setaria viridis
Authors: Anderson Cheyenne , Mattoon Erin , Zhang Ningning , Becker Eric , McHargue William , Yang Jiani , Patel Dhruv , Dautermann Oliver , McAdam Scott , Tarin Tonantzin , Pathak Sunita , Avenson Tom , Berry Jeffrey , Braud Maxwell , Niyogi Krishna , Wilson Margaret , Nusinow Dmitri , Vargas Rodrigo , Czymmek Kirk , Eveland Andrea , Zhang Ru
Published: February 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Antimicrobial-Associated Anaphylaxis Consequences on Infection Related Mortality and Prolonged Hospitalization
Authors: Esba Laila Carolina Abu , Sehli Faisal Aqeel
Published: February 2021

Background: Antimicrobial-associated anaphylaxis occurs at different rates and can lead to worsening infection-related outcomes, we sought to describe the incidence and complications of such episodes at a tertiary care hospital.Method: A retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 2016 and December 2019. Cases of antimicrobial-associated anaphylaxis were identified using the hospital’s electronic healthcare records. Outcomes included: mortality related to anaphylaxis, infection-related mortality, prolonged hospitalization and impact on antimicrobial prescribing. Results: The estimated rate of antimicrobial-associated anaphylaxis was 18.6 (95% CI: 11.8 –29.5) cases per 100,000 exposures. Prolonged hospitalization was seen in 52.4% of the cases, and major predictors for prolonged hospitalization were a switch to a more toxic antimicrobial (P 0.029) and switch to a broader spectrum antimicrobial (P 0.033). Conclusion: Implications from antimicrobial-associated anaphylaxis is beyond the episode itself, and can be associated with poor clinical outcomes such as infection-related mortality and prolonged hospitalization.
Identity and Chemical Composition of an Albino Mutant Chanterelle
Authors: Thorn R. Greg , Banwell Alicia , Pham Thu Hong (Nicole) , Vidal Natalia P. , Manful Charles F. , Nadeem Muhammad , Ivanov Alexander G. , Mroz Beth Szyszka , Bonneville Michael B. , Hüner Norman Peter Andrew , Piercey-Normore Michele D. , Thomas Raymond
Published: February 2021

White chanterelles (Basidiomycota), lacking the orange pigments and apricot-like odour of typical chanterelles, were found recently in the Canadian provinces of Québec (QC) and Newfoundland & Labrador (NL). Phylogenetic analyses confirmed all samples of white chanterelles from NL and QC as Cantharellus enelensis; we name these forma acolodorus. We characterized carotenoid pigments, lipids, phenolics, and volatile compounds in these and related chanterelles. White mutants of C. enelensis lacked detectable β-carotene, confirmed to be the primary pigment of wild-type, golden-orange individuals, and could also be distinguished by their profiles of fatty acids and phenolic acids, and by the ketone and terpene composition of their volatiles. We detected single base substitutions in the phytoene desaturase (Al-1) and phytoene synthase (Al-2) genes of the white mutant, which are predicted to result in altered amino acids in their gene products and may be responsible for the loss of β-carotene synthesis in that form.
GRP75-mediated upregulation of HMGA1 stimulates stage I lung adenocarcinoma progression by activating the JNK/c-JUN signaling
Authors: Qiao Guo-Bing , Wang Ren-Tao , Wang Shu-Nan , Tao Shao-Lin , Tan Qun-You , Jin Hua
Published: February 2021

Background

Recurrence is a major challenge in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) treatment. But the mechanism is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role and mechanism of high-mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) and glucose-regulated protein 75-kDa (GRP75) in stage I LUAD and evaluated their potential as biomarkers for predicting the recurrence and prognosis of stage I LUAD.

Methods

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset was used to investigate the clinical significance of HMGA1 and GRP75 in early-stage LUAD. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to measure protein expression levels. The biological functions of HMGA1 and GRP75 in LUAD were investigated both in vitro and in vivo through overexpression and knockdown experiments. The interaction and regulation between HMGA1 and GRP75 were evaluated with coimmunoprecipitation and ubiquitination assays. The downstream signaling pathway of the GRP75/HMGA1 axis was investigated by mRNA-sequencing analysis.

Results

Both HMGA1 expression levels and GRP75 expression levels were associated with recurrence in stage I LUAD patients. In particular, HMGA1 had potential as an independent prognostic factor in stage I LUAD patients. Overexpression of GRP75 or HMGA1 significantly stimulated LUAD cell growth and metastasis, while silencing GRP75 or HMGA1 inhibited LUAD cell growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, GRP75 inhibited ubiquitination-mediated HMGA1 degradation by directly binding to HMGA1, thereby causes HMGA1 upregulation in LUAD. In addition, the GRP75/HMGA1 axis played its role by activating JNK/c-JUN signaling in LUAD.

Conclusions

The activation of GRP75/HMGA1/JNK/c-JUN signaling is an important mechanism that promotes the progression of stage I LUAD, and a high level of HMGA1 is a novel biomarker for predicting recurrence and a poor prognosis in stage I LUAD patients.
Detection of Classic Serum Tumor Markers (CSTMs) Group Benefits to Differential Diagnosis and Disease Assessment of UTUC
Authors: PAN Jun-wei , LUO Fang-xiu / , JIN Xing-wei / , TU Wei-chao , WANG Xian-jin , ZHANG Xiang , LU Guo-liang , HUANG Bao-xing , ZHAO Yang , SHAO Yuan
Published: February 2021

Background: To explore the potential relationship of changes in classic serum tumor markers (CSTM) with differential diagnosis and disease assessment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).Methods: 60 UTUC (56 operated), 44 RCCC and 36 NTHN, were included into this retrospective analysis. The initial classic serum tumor markers (CSTMs), including CA242, CA199, CA125, CEA, AFP, SCC and CA724, were compared among the three groups. The preoperative, 1 month postoperative and 1 year postoperative/PD parameters (value and abnormal rate) of CSTMs were compared in UTUC group. A recommend test strategy was given and rechecked. The pathological manifestations of tumoral tissues and paracancerous tissues were analyzed.Results: The value of CA242, CA199 and CEA were higher in UTUC than in RCCC. The value of CEA was higher in UTUC than in NTHN. The value of CA199 and CEA were higher in UTUC than in RCCC+NTHN. The AR of CA199, CEA, SCC and CA724 were higher in UTUC than in RCCC. The AR of CEA and CA724 were higher in UTUC than in NTHN. The AR of CA199, CEA, SCC and CA724 were higher in UTUC than in RCCC+NTHN. The preoperative value of CA242 and CA199 were higher than 1 month postoperative ones in UTUC. The 1 year postop/PD value of CA242 and AFP were higher than 1 month postoperative ones in UTUC. For postop PD patients, the value during PD of CA242, CA199 and AFP were higher than 1 month postop ones. The preoperative AR of CA199 and CEA were higher than 1 month postoperative ones in UTUC. The recommended test strategy was given: CA242+CA199+CEA+AFP+SCC+CA724, and was rechecked. The P values were almost the lowest and the positive results covered all the comparisons. In 56 operated cases, the NAC in CSTMs by the recommended test strategy was statistically related with the tumor load. It appeared positive labelling by Ab of CA199, CA125, CEA, AFP and CA724 in UTUC tissues, while negative in paracancerous tissues.Conclusions: CSTMs may help to make differential diagnosis and disease assessment of UTUC. Group test (CA242+CA199+CEA+AFP+SCC+CA724) was recommended and more valuable.Trial registration: Not applicable
The efficacy of current-used risk factors for metastasis and the effectiveness of additional surgical resection in pT1b esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after endoscopic resection: A multi-institutional retrospective study in China
Authors: Xue Xuemin , Sun Qi , Jiang Dongxian , Wang Xinran , Liu Yong , Guo Changyuan , Liu Linxiu , Cheng Na , Wang Guiqi , Liu Yueping , Hou Yingyong , Fan Xiangshan , xue liyan
Published: February 2021

Purpose

ER-treated patients with pT1b ESCC were strongly recommended to receive additional treatments, mainly radical surgical resection (SR). In view of high morbidity and mortality of additional SR treatment, this recommendation remained open to debate. Herein, our research aimed to access the efficacy of current risk predictors for metastasis based on the histological findings in ER specimens, and the effectiveness of additional SR.
Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of ER-treated pT1b ESCC patients with (n = 42) and without (n = 124) additional SR from 2007 to 2018 in China. Lymph node metastasis & distant organ metastasis (LNM&DOM) reflecting the overall metastasis risk of ESCC after ER treatment were used. The relationships between clinicopathological parameters and metastasis were assessed. And Overall survival(OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were also analyzed.
Results

Patients with submucosal invasion depth (SMI) ≥ 200µm didn't demonstrate significant difference in LNM&DOM and survival, as compared with those with SMI < 200µm.In ER alone group, patients with vertical margin(VM) (+) showed worse PFS than those with VM(-) (p = 0.008).More strikingly, for patients in low-risk group who had LVI(-) and VM(-), ER + SR didn't significantly prolong their PFS(p = 0.120) but significantly shorter their OS (p < 0.010) as compared with ER alone treatment.
Conclusions

SMI ≥ 200µm isn’t a sensitive and predictive indicator for both LNM&DOM and survival for patients with ER treatment. More strikingly, additional SR is not an optimal therapeutic selection for ER-treated pT1b ESCC in low-risk group who had LVI(-) and VM(-).
Jiangzhi Ligan Decoction Alleviated Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Induced by High-Fat-Diet in Rats via GSDMD-mediated Canonical/Non-canonical Pyroptosis Pathway
Authors: ZHOU XIAO , Yin Kangkang , Jiang Wei , Dai Ziwei , Tang Biao
Published: February 2021

Background

Hepatoprotective effects of Chinese herbal formula Jiangzhi Ligan Decoction (JZLGD) against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have been demonstrated, but its mechanism is not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of against high-fat diet (HFD) induced NAFLD in rat, and to further explore the potential molecular mechanism.
Methods

SD rats were assigned to five different groups: normal control group, NAFLD model group and JZLGD-treated NAFLD group (3 doses of JZLGD: 2.3, 4.6, 9.2 g/kg of body weight, respectively). All the rats were fed a HFD for 18 weeks except the normal control group(a normal diet). After 12 weeks, rats in JZLGD-treated NAFLD group were administered different doses of JZLGD by oral gavage once daily for another period of 6 weeks, and the rest were given the same dosage of normal saline. After the intervention, blood and liver from each sample were carefully removed and analyzed accordingly.
Results

We found that JZLGD significantly reduced the liver index, levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum. Furthermore, pathological examinations showed that JZLGD markedly reduced liver lipid droplets and improved liver lipid accumulation, NAFLD activity score and ballooning pathology scoring were also decreased. The detection of cytokines showed that JZLGD could significantly reduced the levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and IL-6, protected HFD rats from inflammation. In addition, NAFLD treatment, exhibited significant reduction in serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and free fatty acid (FFA) when compared to NAFLD control rats. JZLGD intervention also reduced the level of serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the expression of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), caspase-1, caspase-11, GSDMD, GSDMD N-terminus (GSDMD-N), IL-1β, IL-18 in the liver.
Conclusion

These results demonstrate the hepatoprotective effects of JZLGD in NAFLD mice, the effects may be mediated via downregulation of NLRP3 /caspase-1/GSDMD mediated canonical pyroptosis pathway and LPS /caspase-11/GSDMD mediated non-canonical pyroptosis pathway.
Matched comparison of corneal higher order aberrations induced by SMILE to femtosecond assisted LASIK and to PRK in correcting moderate and high myopia: 3.00mm vs. 6.00mm
Authors: Miraftab Mohammad , Hashemi Hassan , Aghamirsalim Mohammadreza , Fayyaz Shiva , Asgari Soheila
Published: February 2021

Background

The refractive surgeries induce corneal higher order aberrations (C-HOAs). In this study, change of C-HOAs after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) compared to femtosecond assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (femto-LASIK), and to photorefractive keratectomy with mitomycin-C (PRK) under photopic and mesopic conditions.
Methods

In this prospective study, age, gender, and apical corneal thickness (ACT) matched cases with moderate myopia [spherical equivalent (SE) 3.00 to 6.00D) to high myopia (SE > 6.00D)] were enrolled. In addition to visual acuity and refraction, total C-HOA, coma, spherical aberration (SA), and trefoil in the 3- and 6-mm zones were measured before and 3 and 6 months after surgery.
Results

Overall, 372 moderate myopia cases (124 eyes of 124 individuals in each surgical group) and 171 high myopia cases (57 eyes of 57 individuals in each surgical group) were enrolled. At baseline, the differences in age, gender, ACT, uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, and SE were not statistically significant between subgroups of surgical methods within each myopia group (all P > 0.05). At 12 months, in the moderate myopia group, there was less increase in 6-mm zone total C-HOA, coma, and SA with SMILE compared to the other groups (all P < 0.05). In the high myopia group, there was greater increase in photopic total C-HOA and trefoil and less increase in mesopic SA with SMILE (all P < 0.05).
Conclusion

In correction of moderate myopia, SMILE is preferable to prevent dilated pupil visual problems. In high myopia correction, femto-LASIK and PRK is preferred for normal light activities and SMILE is recommended to avoid dilated pupil visual problems.
Changes in Species Abundances with Short-Term and Long-Term Nitrogen Addition are Mediated by Stoichiometric Homeostasis
Authors: Yang Tian , Long Min , Smith Melinda D. , Gu Qian , Yang Yadong , He Nianpeng , Xu Chong , Vilonen Leena , Zhao Jinling , Yu Qiang
Published: February 2021

Aims Increasing nitrogen (N) deposition altered plant communities globally, however the changes in species abundances with short-term vs. long-term N enrichment remains unclear. Stoichiometric homeostasis (H) is a key trait predictive of plant species dominance and species responses to short-term global changes. It is unknown whether N enrichment can alter H over time, thereby affecting species responses to long-term N addition. Methods Here we address these two knowledge gaps with three representative species in a long-term N addition experiment and a sand culture experiment. Results The abundance of Leymus chinensis decreased with short-term N addition, and increased with long-term N addition, while Chenopodium glaucum showed opposite pattern. Cleistogenes squarrosa was only favored by 1-year N addition, and depressed by two and more years of N addition. The H values of L. chinensis and C. glaucum decreased significantly with long-term N addition however did not change for C. squarrosa. Conclusion The decrease of H suggested the nutrients use strategy became more progressive, which mediated the responses of species abundances to short- and long-term N addition. We anticipate our research to be a starting point for explaining ecosystems function and process in response to global change from the perspective of species adaptability mediated by H.
EGFL6 Regulates the Interaction Between Angiogenesis and Osteogenesis via Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Distraction Osteogenesis
Authors: Shen Junjie , Sun Yi , Liu Xuanzhe , Zhu Yu , Bao Bingbo , Gao Tao , Chai Yimin , Xu Jia , Zheng Xianyou
Published: February 2021

Background: Osteogenesis is tightly coupled with angiogenesis during bone repair and regeneration. However, the underlying mechanisms linking these processes remain largely undefined. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that epidermal growth factor-like domain-containing protein 6 (EGFL6), an angiogenic factor, also functions in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and plays a key role in the interaction between osteogenesis angiogenesis.Methods: We evaluated how EGFL6 affects angiogenic activity of human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) via proliferation, transwell migration, wound healing, and tube-formation assays. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alizarin Red S (AR-S) were used to assay the osteogenic potential of BMSCs. qRT-PCR, western blotting, and immunocytochemistry were used to evaluate angio- and osteo-specific markers and pathway-related genes and proteins. In order to determine how EGFL6 affects angiogenesis and osteogenesis in vivo, EGFL6 was injected into fracture gaps in a rat tibia distraction osteogenesis (DO) model. Radiography, histology, and histomorphometry were used to quantitatively evaluate angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Results: EGFL6 stimulated both angiogenesis and osteogenic differentiation through Wnt/β-catenin signaling in vitro. Administration of EGFL6 in the rat DO model promoted CD31hiEMCNhi type H-positive capillary formation associated with enhanced bone formation. Type H vessels were the referred subtype involved during DO stimulated by EGFL6.Conclusion: EGFL6 enhanced osteogenic differentiation potential of BMSCs and accelerated bone regeneration by stimulating angiogenesis, thus exerting therapeutic benefit by increasing EGFL6 secretion to promote angiogenesis-coupled bone formation. These results imply that boosting local concentrations of EGFL6 may represent a new strategy for the treatment of compromised fracture healing and bone defect restoration.
A Phase I Study of a PARP1-targeted Topical Fluorophore for the Detection of Oral Cancer
Authors: Franca Paula Demetrio de Souza , Kossatz Susanne , Brand Christian , Zanoni Daniella Karassawa , Roberts Sheryl , Guru Navjot , Adilbay Dauren , Mauguen Audrey , Mayor Cristina Valero , Weber Wolfgang A. , Schöder Heiko , Ghossein Ronald A. , Ganly Ian , Patel Snehal G. , Reiner Thomas
Published: February 2021

Background. Visual inspection and biopsy is the current standard of care for oral cancer diagnosis, but is subject to misinterpretation and consequently to misdiagnosis. Topically applied PARPi-FL is a molecularly specific, fluorescent contrast-based approach that may fulfil the unmet need for a simple, in vivo, non-invasive, cost-effective, point-of-care method for the early diagnosis of oral cancer. Here, we present results from a phase I safety and feasibility study on fluorescent, topically applied PARPi-FL. Twelve patients with a histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (OSCC) gargled a PARPi-FL solution for 60 seconds (15 mL, 100 nM, 250 nM, 500 nM, or 1000 nM), followed by gargling a clearing solution for 60 seconds. Fluorescence measurements of the lesion and surrounding oral mucosa were taken before PARPi-FL application, after PARPi-FL application and after clearing. Blood pressure, oxygen levels, clinical chemistry and CBC were obtained before and after tracer administration. Results. PARPi-FL was well-tolerated by all patients without any safety concerns. When analyzing the fluorescence signal, all malignant lesions showed a significant differential in contrast after administration of PARPi-FL, with the highest increase occurring at the highest dose level (1000 nM), where all patients had a tumor-to-margin fluorescence signal ratio of > 3. A clearing step was essential to increase signal specificity, as it clears unbound PARPi-FL trapped in normal anatomical structures. PARPi-FL tumor cell specificity was confirmed by ex vivo tabletop confocal microscopy. We have demonstrated that the fluorescence signal arose from the nuclei of tumor cells, endorsing our macroscopic findings.Conclusions. A PARPi-FL swish & spit solution is a rapid and non-invasive diagnostic tool that preferentially localizes fluorescent contrast to OSCC. This technique holds promise for the early detection of OSCC based on in vivo optical evaluation and targeted biopsy of suspicious lesions in the oral cavity. Clinicaltrials.gov - NCT03085147, registered on March 21st, 2017.
Semi-quantification of Myocardial Uptake of Bone-seeking Agents in Suspected Cardiac Amyloidosis
Authors: Campi Cristina , Briani Chiara , Gusella Sara , Spimpolo Alessandro , Salvalaggio Alessandro , Cipriani Alberto , Artioli Paolo , Zucchetta Pietro , Vettor Roberto , Cecchin Diego
Published: February 2021

Introduction:In recent years, bone scintigraphy has emerged as a key tool for non-invasive etiologic diagnosis of transthyretin (ATTR) cardiac amyloidosis (CA). The qualitative Perugini scoring system is currently the most widely-used method to evaluate myocardial uptake of bone-seeking agents. A semi-quantitative approach may, however, be more useful in clinical practice for both diagnosis and therapeutic follow-up. In this study we focused on a new semi-quantification method with the aim of improving the diagnostic accuracy of CA. Material and Methods:We retrospectively evaluated 8674 consecutive 99mTc-biphosphonate (HMDP or DPD) scintigraphies performed at the Nuclear Medicine Unit of the Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova between January 2012 and December 2016. The qualitative Perugini scoring system was compared with three recently proposed semi-quantitative indices (ratio of heart to thighs: RHT; ratio of lungs to thighs: RLT; ratio of femur to thighs: RFT) in 68 individuals presenting significant myocardial uptake (mean age 79 ± 7 years, range 62-100 years; female/male ratio 16/52). We took 349 consecutive bone scintigraphies qualitatively absent of any cardiac/pulmonary uptake as healthy controls (HC).Results:The RHT and RLT indices (for both males and females) were significantly higher in patients (visual Perugini scores from 1 to 3) than in HCs (p £0.0001). There were also statistically significant differences for RHT (in both sexes) in HCs vs patients with qualitative scores of 1 or >1 (with p ranging from £0.001 to £0.0001). Analysis of the ROC curves showed that RHT outperformed the other two indices (RLT and RFT) and was more sensitive and specific in both male and female groups. Furthermore, in the male population, RHT very accurately distinguished HCs and patients with scores of 1 (known to be less likely affected by ATTR) from patients with qualitative scores >1 (known to be more likely affected by ATTR) with an AUC of 99% (sensitivity: 95%; specificity: 97%).Conclusion:The proposed semi-quantitative RHT index can accurately distinguish between HCs and subjects with CA (Perugini scores from 1 to 3) in both females and males. Furthermore, RHT is able to predict with very high accuracy subjects in the male population more likely to be affected by ATTR (qualitative scores >1).
Weakly Supervised Underwater Fish Segmentation Using Affinity LCFCN
Authors: Saleh Alzayat , Laradji Issam , Rodriguez Pau , Nowrouzezahrai Derek , Azghadi Mostafa Rahimi , Vazquez David
Published: February 2021

Estimating fish body measurements like length, width, and mass has received considerable research due to its potential in boosting productivity in marine and aquaculture applications. Some methods are based on manual collection of these measurements using tools like a ruler which is time consuming and labour intensive. Others rely on fully-supervised segmentation models to automatically acquire these measurements but require collecting per-pixel labels which are also time consuming. It can take up to 2 minutes per fish to acquire accurate segmentation labels. To address this problem, we propose a segmentation model that can efficiently train on images labeled with point-level supervision, where each fish is annotated with a single click. This labeling scheme takes an average of only 1 second per fish. Our model uses a fully convolutional neural network with one branch that outputs per-pixel scores and another that outputs an affinity matrix. These two outputs are aggregated using a random walk to get the final, refined per-pixel output. The whole model is trained end-to-end using the LCFCN loss and thus we call our method Affinity-LCFCN (A-LCFCN). We conduct experiments on the DeepFish dataset, which contains several fish habitats from north-eastern Australia. The results show that A-LCFCN outperforms a fully-supervised segmentation model when the annotation budget is fixed. They also show that A-LCFCN achieves better segmentation results than LCFCN and a standard baseline.
Surveillance and Care for Confirmed and Suspected Patients with COVID-19 in General Practice (CovidCare): Study Protocol for an Observational Trial
Authors: Hoffmann Mariell , Stengel Sandra , Forstner Johanna , Baldauf Annika , Laux Gunter , Aluttis Frank , Qreini Markus , Engeser Peter , Szecsenyi Joachim , Peters-Klimm Frank
Published: February 2021

BackgroundA SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead from asymptomatic through to critical disease in a dynamic and unpredictable course within a few days. The challenge in outpatient monitoring the highly contagious COVID-19 disease during the ongoing pandemic is to filter severe courses followed by admission to hospital with the aim of preventing an overburdening of clinics. However, little is known of the effect of risk factors on the course of the infection of outpatient patients. To support general practices in managing high risk patients, we designed a COVID-19 surveillance and care tool (CovidCare). It includes an initial assessment of yet known risk factors and symptoms and a continuous telephone monitoring of signs and symptoms. This study aims to investigate the effects of different risk factors on the course of the COVID-19 disease, utilisation of different health care services and to gain insights into the utilisation of CovidCare in general practices. MethodsWe will conduct a multi-centered prospective, longitudinal non-controlled observational trial of COVID-19 patients in general practices. Overall, 700 GPs who participate in general-practice centered care by the AOK Baden-Württemberg (large German sickness fund) are eligible and will be invited for study participation, including adult, outpatient COVID-19 patients (or urgent suspicion and ≥ 50 years) with at least one additional known risk factor, who participate in general-practice centered care. The primary outcome is hospitalisation due to COVID-19. Secondary outcomes are diagnosis of pneumonia, utilisation of palliative care, mortality rate, anxiety and identification of predictive risk factors. Quantitative data analysis will focus on valid descriptive figures and mixed regression models. The accompanying process evaluation is based on interviews and questionnaires from general practice staff and patients. The analysis of the process evaluation is descriptive and explorative. DiscussionThe use of the COVID-19 surveillance and care tool is expected to encourage the provision of structured quality of care during the ongoing pandemic. This trial will provide an understanding of the COVID-19-disease and the effect of several risk factors on the course of the disease and health care utilisation. The results can be used for a better management of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00022054; https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00022054
Usage of Energy Management System in Chemical Process Industry
Authors: MANIVASAGAM R.
Published: February 2021

Primarily based trendy account energy the board and cycle robotization for a industry with proportion controls is projected. The energy the board is finished by 2 calculations particularly Energy potency rule and cargo Sharing rule. Varied siphons run in no heap or faithfully low burden condition, simply to forestall over-burdening. Utilizing the energy productivity calculation, No heap running of siphons is determined and killed once a amount delay. Every machine has its own restricted running life. In business to possess high dependableness reserve machines area unit likewise introduced nevertheless not used adequately. The heap sharing calculation plans equivalent running hours to order and first siphons. The cycle management is accomplished by mistreatment the inputs of transducers like stream, weight and temperature sensors to the framework, the signs area unit shipped off regulator and therefore the regulator cycle the signs and impel the elemental transfers to figure the cycle. The entire framework is incorporated and controlled through a SCADA framework .
Learning to Cycle: from Training Wheels to Balance Bikes
Authors: Mercê Cristiana , Branco Marco , Catela David , Lopes Frederico , Cordovil Rita
Published: February 2021

Learning to ride a bicycle is an important milestone in children’s life, so it is important to allow them to explore cycling as soon as possible. The use of a bicycle with training wheels (BTW) for learning to cycling independently is an old approach practiced worldwide. Most recently, a new approach using the balance bike (BB) has increased, and several entities believe that this could be most efficient. Drawing on the work of Bronfenbrenner (1995) and Newel (1986), this study aimed to analyse the effect of BB’s use on the learning process of cycling independently. Data were collected in Portugal from an online structured survey between November 2019 and June 2020. A total of 2005 responses were obtained for adults and children (parental response). Results revealed that when the balance bike’s approach was used, learning age (LA) occurred earlier (M=4.16 ± 1.34 years) than with the bicycle with training wheels’ approach (M=5.97 ± 2.16 years) (p<0,001); or than when there was only the single use of the traditional bicycle (TB) (M=7.27 ± 3.74 years) (p<0,001). Children who used the BB as the first bike had a significant lower LA than children who didn´t use it (p<0.001). To maximize its effects, the BB should be used in the beginning of the learning process.