bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
1H, 13C and 15N resonance assignments of TbBDF5-bromo1 domain from Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Yang Li , Zhang Xiaole , Zhang Jiahai , Tu Xiaoming
Published: March 2022

1H, 13C and 15N resonance assignments are presented for the first bromo domain of TbBDF5 (TbBDF5-bromo1) from Trypanosoma brucei. TbBDF5 is localized in the nucleus and plays a potential role in transcription regulation. Bromo domain can recognize acetylated histone through a conserved binding pocket. Here we report the NMR resonance assignments of TbBDF5-bromo1 domain for further studies of the relationship between its structure and function.
Learning a confidence score and the latent space of a new Supervised Autoencoder for diagnosis and prognosis in clinical metabolomic studies
Authors: Barlaud Michel , Chardin David , Gille Cyprien , Pourcher Thierry
Published: March 2022

Background: Presently, there is a wide variety of classification methods and deep neural networks approaches in bioinformatics. Deep neural networks have proven their effectiveness for classification tasks, and have outperformed classical methods, but they suffer from a lack of interpretability. Therefore, these innovative methods are not appropriate for decision support systems in healthcare. The algorithm should provide the main pieces of information allowing computed diagnosis and prognosis for the final decision by the clinician. To address this lack of interpretability, we used a new supervised autoencoder (SAE). The main advantage of our supervised autoencoder is its ability to provide a diagnosis with a confidence score for each patient thanks to a softmax classifier, and a meaningful latent space visualization. This confidence score and visual evaluation are crucial for clinical interpretability. Moreover, we used a new efficient feature selection method with a structured constraint for biologically interpretable results. Experimental results on three metabolomics datasets of clinical samples illustrate the effectiveness of our confidence score diagnostic method: Results: The supervised autoencoder provides an accurate localization of the patients in the latent space, and an efficient confidence score. Experiments show that the SAE outperforms classical methods (PLS-DA, Random Forests, SVM, and neural networks (NN)). Furthermore, the metabolites selected by the SAE were found to be relevant. Conclusion: In this paper, we have proposed a new efficient method for diagnosis or prognosis support using clinical metabolomics analyses.
Comparative Investigation on the Effect of Fiber Additives with Different Characteristics on the Mechanical Strength of Heat-cured PMMA Denture Base Resins
Authors: Yerliyurt Kaan , Taşdelen Taha B. , Eğri Özlem , Eğri Sinan
Published: March 2022

Background:
To determine and compare effects on mechanical properties using glass, polypropylene and carbon fibers with 3, 6- and 12-mm lengths, and 0.25, 0.50 and 1.0% concentrations (v/v) as reinforcement of PMMA denture base resins.
Methods:
In order to enhance mechanical properties glass fibers, polypropylene fibers and carbon fibers with 3, 6 and 12mm lengths were added to the resin in different fiber volume to resin volume ratios (0.25, 0.50 and 1.0% v/v). Mechanical properties (flexural strength, modulus of elasticity and ultimate tensile strength) were comparatively investigated using three-way ANOVA tests on the results of three point bending and tensile tests. Morphologies of the fracture surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy.
Results:
All three fibers exhibited reinforcement in flexural strength (P < 0.05) regardless of their length (P > 0.05) but concentration had significant effect. Denture base resin reinforced by glass fibers or carbon fibers exhibited increase in modulus of elasticity, using polypropylene fibers for reinforcement decreased the modulus of elasticity. Carbon fiber reinforced resin at 0.25% concentrations showed greater ultimate tensile values.
Conclusions:
Reinforcement with glass fibers, polypropylene fibers and carbon fibers resulted with enhanced mechanical properties. Fiber type and fiber concentration had significant effect on both flexural and tensile properties, while fiber length did not exhibit significance on mechanical properties.
A New Dual-peak Fluorescent Probe for Water Content Detection Made from Taxus
Authors: Wang Gang , Wang Gang , Li Yaping , Chen Haipeng , Tang Shuqin , Cheng Yiyang , Yu Yuhong , Abdul Qayoom Majeedano , Pu Shangrao
Published: March 2022

In this paper, the leaves of Taxus were used as the sole carbon source, and two kinds of carbon dots blue and red, with different properties, were synthesized by hydrothermal method under different conditions. The red carbon dots were quenched in water, and the blue carbon dots had stable fluorescence properties in water environment. The bimodal fluorescence probe formed by mixing, could accurately and stably measure the water content in ethanol, which was the range of 82.5%-100%, is highly correlated with the fluorescence intensity ratio (I481/I678) of mixed carbon dots under 390 nm excitation light, with R2 = 0.995 and the detection limit as low as 0.31%. The experimental materials are environmentally friendly, low in cost, simple to operate, and the water content measured by proportional fluorescence has high accuracy, which is provides a new method for measuring moisture in ethanol.
Predictive model for the preoperative assessment and prognostic modeling of lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer
Authors: Asami Yuka , Hiranuma Kengo , Takayanagi Daisuke , Matsuda Maiko , Shimada Yoko , Kato Mayumi Kobayashi , Kuno Ikumi , Murakami Naoya , Komatsu Masaaki , Hamamoto Ryuji , Kohno Takashi , Sekizawa Akihiko , Matsumoto Koji , Kato Tomoyasu , Yoshida Hiroshi , Shiraishi Kouya
Published: March 2022

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a well-established prognostic factor in endometrial cancer (EC). We aimed to construct a model that predicts LNM and prognosis using preoperative factors such as myometrial invasion (MI), enlarged lymph nodes (LNs), histological grade determined by endometrial biopsy, and serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125) level using two independent cohorts consisting of 254 EC patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the constructed model was 0.80 regardless of the machine learning techniques. Enlarged LNs and higher serum CA125 levels were more significant in patients with low-grade EC (LGEC) and LNM than patients without LNM, whereas deep MI and higher CA125 levels were more significant in patients with high-grade EC (HGEC) and LNM than patients without LNM. The predictive performance of LNM in the HGEC group was higher than that in the LGEC group (AUC = 0.84 and 0.75, respectively). Patients in the group without postoperative pathological LNM and positive LNM prediction had significantly worse relapse-free and overall survival than patients with negative LNM prediction (log-rank test, P < 0.01). This study showed that preoperative clinicopathological factors can predict LNM with high precision and detect patients with poor prognosis. Furthermore, clinicopathological factors associated with LNM were different between HGEC and LGEC patients.
WITHDRAWN: Salvianolic acid B alleviates the injury of HK-2 cells induced by iopromide through inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome
Authors: Pei Ming-Xin , Dong Shu-Jun , Gao Xin-Yue , Luo Ting , Fan Dong , Jin Jun-Feng , Zhao Xiao-Duo , Chen Yan-Ling
Published: March 2022

Purpose
In this study, we conducted to explore whether the protective effect of Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) on iopromide-induced human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) injury is related to the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome (TRN: NL8582, registration date: 2020-05-01).
Methods
HK-2 cells were treated with several concentrations of iopromide or Sal B for 3 h, the cell viability was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The levels of reactive oxygen species and the mitochondrial membrane potential were evaluated by DCFH-DA and rhodamine 123 staining, separately. The nucleus morphology of apoptotic cells was observed by DAPI staining. The expression levels of inflammation and apoptosis related proteins were detected by Western blot. In addition, after the introduction of TLR4 inhibitor (TAK-242) to pretreat the cells, the above indicators were detected. The free energy and the docking amino acid residues between Sal B and TLR4 or NLRP3 were analyzed.
Results
Sal B can stably bind to TLR4 or NLRP3, counteract the decrease of cell viability and MMP, the increase of ROS, the number of apoptotic cells, and the expression levels of the above proteins which induced by iopromide. The effect of TAK-242 is similar to that of 100 µmol/L Sal B. However, the pre-treatment group with TAK-242 and Sal B at the same time had no significant difference in cell viability and apoptosis rate compared with the pre-treatment group with TAK-242 or Sal B alone.
Conclusions
Sal B can reduce iopromide-induced HK-2 cells damage through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome.
Pharmacokinetic of new analgetic tridecapeptide with an octaarginine vector investigated after original analytical approach
Authors: Kosman Vera , Faustova Natalya , Karlina Marina , Makarov Valery , Makarova Marina
Published: March 2022

New analgetic tridecapeptide (TDP) with an octaarginine vector was proposed for clinical use in chronic pain syndrome. The aim of the work was to investigate pharmacokinetic properties of TDP in the form for oral administration. Special analytical approach was proposed because classical chromatographic methods are low powerful for peptides quantification in biological matrices. The study was carried out on male rats and rabbits with a single oral administration of the drug in three doses, a single intravenous administration in one dose and multiple administrations to rats in one dose. To determine TDP concentration in blood plasma, tissues, and excretes, enzyme immunoassay with commercially available reagent kit for similar target analyte (Elisa kit for 1-Deamino 8D-Arginine Vasopressin (DDAVP), Cloud Clone Corp., USA) have been developed and validated. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by noncompartment method of statistical moments.The pharmacokinetics of TDP was found to be linear after single administration in the dose range 10-50 mg/kg for rats and 5-25 mg/kg for rabbits. The absolute bioavailability of the TDP after oral (intragastrical) via intravenous administration for rats and rabbits was about 8-16%.The active substance was intensively distributed into muscles, liver, spleen, the lowest tissue distribution was detected for kidneys. TDP was excreted with urine in trace amounts (about 0.2%), with feces – about 1.2%; repeated administration did not lead to its cumulation. Pharmacokinetics parameters of new analgetic tridecapeptide with an octaarginine vector were evaluated after original analytical approach. Final study included all main areas necessary to characterize the original drug pharmacokinetic.
Healing of ROS-induced cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by sustainable drug “chiral gold nanoclusters”
Authors: Yu Yang , Zhuang Peng-fei , Shen Xiao-lei , Ge Ming-hao , Zou Zhi-ru , Li Dao-yong , Zhang Zhen-xing , Liu Chang , Mei Xi-fan , Li Dan
Published: March 2022

Background
Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) is produced by Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury that results in serious neurological disruption. Even though many antioxidant drugs can scavenge ROS, there has not been a sustainable drug for brain IR injury due to the limitation of blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration, insufficient drug efficiency, unexpected side effects. Nanomaterials can improve these problems by delivering organic drugs, but the release of environmental hazards is still a concern.
Results
We used a simple one-pot synthesis method for the fabrication of IR-targeted nanomedicine, i.e., D-glutathione stabilized gold nanoclusters (GSH-AuNCs) for the treatment of brain IR injury. Though no additional drug was delivered, GSH-AuNCs themselves were found to penetrate BBB, suppressing ROS and neuroinflammation. GSH-AuNCs also exhibited excellent renal clearance efficiency due to the ultra-small sizes. This drug neither remains in the body nor pollutes the environment.
Conclusion
With high clearance ability, insignificant environmental concerns, GSH-AuNCs are promising for treating IR injury and can be used as a sustainable drug for practical applications.
Advantages of Deep Learning with Convolutional Neural Network in Detecting Disc Displacement of the Temporomandibular Joint in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Lee Yeon-Hee , Won Jong Hyun , Kim Seunghyeon , Auh Q-Schick , Noh Yung-Kyun
Published: March 2022

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of deep-learning-based automatic detection of anterior disc displacement (ADD) in patients with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Sagittal MRI images of 2520 TMJs were collected from the study population (861 men, 399 women; average age 37.33±18.83 years). A deep learning algorithm with a convolutional neural network (CNN) was performed. Data augmentation and the Adam optimizer were applied to reduce the risk of overfitting the deep learning model. The prediction performance of the models and human experts was compared using area under the curve (AUC). Results: The prediction performance of the fine-tuning model was excellent with an AUC of 0.8775, with acceptable accuracy (0.83%). On comparing the AUC values of the from-scratch (0.8269) and freeze models (0.5858), the performances of the other models were lower than that of the fine-tuning model. Through Grad-CAM visualizations, the fine-tuning scheme focused more on the TMJ disc when judging ADD, and the sparsity was higher than that of the from-scratch scheme (84.69% vs. 55.61%, p-value <0.05). In the three fine-tuning ensembled models using different data augmentation techniques, the prediction accuracy was 0.8333. Moreover, the AUC values of ADD were higher when patients with TMD were divided by age group (0.8549–0.9275) and sex (male: 0.8483, female: 0.9276). The accuracy of the ensemble model was higher than that of the human experts; however, this difference was not significant (p-value: 0.1633–0.0519). Conclusion: Our CNN model had excellent and outstanding accuracy in detecting ADD and could potentially be used by clinicians to evaluate ADD on MR images of TMD patients and improve treatment outcomes.
Removal of arsenic contaminants from water using iron oxide nanoparticles by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometery
Authors: Hassan Syeda Sara , Zehra Syed Shane , Ahmed Zubair , TALPUR MOHAMMAD YOUNIS Younis , Panhwar Sallahuddin
Published: March 2022

⎫ The adsorption capacity of arsenic on the prepared novel iron oxide nanoparticles was 1.96 mg/g having higher surface area with excellent catalytic degradation property. ⎫ The adsorption dataset best fits in the Langmuir model (pseudo-second-order model). ⎫ To check the removal efficiency of arsenic by iron oxide magnetite nano catalyst (adsorbent) on real water samples was 81.09% and synthetic water prepared on laboratory was 99.8% tested by Inductively couple plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument.
Full-length chloroplast genome of Dongxiang wild rice reveals single-copy region switching in cpDNAs
Authors: Jianguang Liang , Rui Chen , Fantao Zhang , Qian Wang , Yingxia Yang , Mingjie Lv , Shuangyong Yan , Gao Shan
Published: March 2022

Background: Plant chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) typically has a circular structure, including a large single-copy region (LSC), a small single-copy region (SSC) and two inverted repeats (IR1 and IR2). The organization of these four elementary regions LSC-IR1-SSC-IR2 is highly conserved across all plant cpDNAs. Only very a few structural variations (SVs) occurring at the elementary-region level have been reported.
Results: In the present study, we assembled the full-length cpDNA of Dongxiang wild rice line 159 (DXWR159). Using the long PacBio subreads, we discovered a large inversion of SSC and a large duplication of IR in DXWR159 cpDNAs. The large inversion of SSC results in a reverse orientation of SSC. According to the orientation of SSC, the structures of rice cpDNAs can be classified into the forward SSC (SSC-F) and reverse SSC (SSC-R) types. As the most significant finding, both SSC-F and SSC-R type cpDNAs were detected in several seedlings of DXWR159. The inversion of SSC was named as SSC switching.
Conclusions: The frequencies of short tandem repeats (STRs) and large SVs were under-estimated in plant cpDNAs. STRs may not be useful as molecular markers in phylogenetic studies, particularly at low taxonomic levels. SSC switching is not a rarely occurring event and is active in cell growth. We propose that SSC switching ubiquitous occurs in plant cpDNAs and further investigation may reveal novel and important functions associated with SSC switching.
Four decades of experience with cluster headache: description of a series in a University Hospital of Spain
Authors: Pascual Julio , Madera Jorge , Pérez-Pereda Sara , González-Quintanilla Vicente , Suárez Andrea González , Benito Estíbaliz
Published: March 2022

Background: There are few published series of cluster headache. Our aim was to longitudinally describe the epidemiological and clinical features of cluster headache patients in our region since 1980.Methods: Retrospective analysis of the clinical charts of patients diagnosed as cluster headache in a Spanish tertiary hospital.Results: 153 patients were included. 137 (89,5%) were males. Mean age at the beginning of symptoms and diagnosis was 32.8 years (mean deviation 11.3) and 39.5 years (mean deviation 11.4) respectively. 128 had episodic cluster headache (92.2% males) and 25 chronic cluster headache (76% males). Mean age at the beginning was delayed in chronic cluster headache versus episodic cluster headache (37.6 vs 31.8 years; p= 0.023). Four patients (2.6%) had familial antecedents. 3 (2%) referred to visual aura. At diagnosis, 66% were smokers and 15% heavy alcohol drinkers. Median duration of cluster period and median frequency was 60 days every 2 years. 16 (10.5%) had only one cluster period during follow-up.Conclusion: Theoretical prevalence of cluster headache in our area was 0.05%. The diagnostic delay close to 7 years indicates an insufficient recognition of this entity. A late beginning and being a woman were associated with chronic cluster headache, while one out of ten patients only experienced one cluster period.
FIMICS: a panel of long noncoding RNAs for cardiovascular conditions
Authors: Firat Huseyin , Zhang Lu , Baksi Shounak , Leszek Przemyslaw , Schordan Eric , Ounzain Samir , Kottwitz Jan , Heidecker Bettina , Lüscher Thomas F , Pedrazzini Thierry , Devaux Yvan
Published: March 2022

Cardiovascular disorders such as heart failure are leading causes of mortality. Patient stratification via identification of novel biomarkers could improve management of cardiovascular diseases of complex etiologies. Long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are highly tissue-specific in nature and have emerged as important biomarkers in human diseases. In this study, we aimed to identify cardiac-enriched lncRNAs as potential biomarkers for cardiovascular conditions.
Deep RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR identified differentially expressed lncRNAs between failing and non-failing hearts. An independent dataset was used to evaluate the enrichment of lncRNAs in normal hearts.
We identified a panel of 3233 lncRNAs, named FIMICS, that were either cardiac-enriched or differentially expressed between failing and non-failing hearts. Expression of lncRNAs in blood samples differentiated patients with myocarditis and acute myocardial infarction.
We hereby present the FIMICS panel, a readily available tool to provide insights into cardiovascular pathologies and which could be helpful for diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis purposes.
Dry season prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum in asymptomatic Gambian children, with a comparative evaluation of diagnostic methods
Authors: Mooney Jason P. , DonVito Sophia M. , Jahateh Maimuna , Bittaye Haddy , Bottomley Christian , D'Alessandro Umberto , Riley Eleanor M.
Published: March 2022

Background
Subclinical infection with Plasmodium falciparum remains highly prevalent, yet diagnosing these often low density infections remains a challenge. Infections can be subpatent, falling below the limit of detection for conventional thick-film microscopy and rapid diagnostic testing (RDT). In this study, we characterised the prevalence of subclinical P. falciparum infections in school-aged children at the start of the dry season in the Upper River Region of The Gambia in 2017/2018, with a goal to also compare the utility of different diagnostic tools.
Methods
In a cross-sectional survey of children living in 29 villages on the south bank of the Gambia river (median age of 10 years), matched microscopy, RDT (detecting histidine-rich protein II) and polymerase chain reaction (targeting either 18S rRNA or var gene acidic terminal sequence and (varATS)) were used to determine the prevalence of patent and subpatent infections and to compare the performance of the different diagnostic methods.
Results
The prevalence of varATS qPCR-detectable infections was 10.2% (141/1381) with a median density of 3.12 parasites/µL. Malaria prevalence was highly heterogeneous across the region, ranging from < 1% to ~ 40% prevalence in different village clusters. Compared to varATS, 18S rRNA PCR detected fewer low density infections, with an assay sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 98.8%. Parasite prevalence in the cohort was 2.9% by microscopy and 1.5% by RDT. Compared to varATS qPCR, microscopy and RDT had sensitivities of 11.5% and 9.2%, respectively, although both methods were highly specific (> 98%). Samples that were positive by all three tests (varATS qPCR, RDT and microscopy) had significantly higher parasite densities (median = 1705 parasites/µL) than samples that were positive by varATS qPCR only (median = 2.4 parasites/µL).
Conclusions
The majority of subclinical malaria infections in school-aged children were of extremely low parasite density and detectable only by ultra-sensitive PCR analysis. Understanding the duration of these low density infections, their physiological impact and their contribution to sustained parasite transmission is necessary to inform malaria elimination strategies.
NMR Dipolar Cross-Relaxation Interaction Between Nanoconfined Fluids and Matrix Solids
Authors: Chen Jinhong , Liu Chao , Althaus Stacey , Boudjatit Mohammed
Published: March 2022

Many different methods have been developed to investigate fluid-solid interactions in nanoporous systems. These methods either only work in the liquid phase or provide an indirect measurement by probing the fluid-solid interaction based on a measured property change of the fluid or solid under different sample conditions. Here, we report a direct measurement technique using NMR dipolar cross-relaxation between the nanoconfined fluids and the matrix solids. The method was tested using a methyl functionalized mesostructured silica saturated with methanol as a model sample. A formal theory was established to describe the enhanced dipolar cross-relaxation interaction between the nanoconfined fluids and the matrix solids. Both the experiment and theory showed that nanoconfinement of the fluids enhances the dipolar cross-relaxation interaction between the fluid and the matrix solids, which can be applied to investigate the fluid-solid interaction for various materials of similar nanostructure.
The frontal and sagittal patterns of neuromuscular spine deformities depending on the nosological profile
Authors: - Egor Filatov , Sergeenko Olga , - Dmitry Savin , Ochirova Polina , Ryabykh Sergey
Published: March 2022

Study Design: A prospective single-center study. Level of Evidence IVPurpose: To reveal frontal and sagittal patterns of spinal deformity depends on neuromuscular nosology for surgery and outcomes planning.Methods: The evaluation criteria were: age, gender of patients, volume of blood loss, duration of hospital stay, measurement of the deformity curve, thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis (Cobb angle), pelvic obliquity relative to the horizontal line, the percentage of the curve correction. The Cobb angle was measured preoperatively, prior to discharge from the hospital (up to 21 postoperative days) and one year after surgery.Results: The cohort of 71 patients with spinal deformities due to neuromuscular diseases included four groups: muscular dystrophy (MD), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and cerebral palsy (CP). The most characteristic deformity in the frontal plane was C-shaped thoracolumbar scoliosis with the pelvis rotation, rotation of the vertebrae increased according to the magnitude of scoliosis. Lumbar hyperlordosis were common for CP patients, whereas decreased thoracic kyphosis or even thoracic lordosis occurs more frequently in DMD patients. Moderate scoliosis correction was noted in all groups. There was no significant improvement in functional status according to FIM.Conclusion: The findings showed that rigid hyperlordosis the key problem of spinal deformities in neuromuscular patients. Scoliosis and pelvic obliquity can be well corrected in NMS by pedicle screw construction with standard maneuvers and pelvic screw fixation.
Choice of health providers and health seeking behavior among forest goer population in Myanmar: Findings from a cross-sectional household survey
Authors: Khaing Myat Noe Thiri , Zin Su Su , Thein Si Thu , Director Kemi Tesfazghi , Thet May Me
Published: March 2022

BackgroundIn Myanmar, malaria still poses a significant burden for vulnerable populations particularly forest goers even though impressive progress has been made over the past decade. Limited evidence existed related to forest goers’ health seeking behavior and factors that drive decision making for providers’ choice to support national malaria programs towards elimination. In response to that, this research is conducted to identify who they prefer and what are the factors associated with providers’ choice in malaria febrile illness and Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDT).MethodsA cross-sectional study applying quantitative household survey was completed with 479 forest goer households in 20 malaria endemic townships across Myanmar. The study collected household data together with the types of providers that they consulted for recent and previous febrile episodes. To identify the factors associated with providers’ choices, univariate and multivariate multinomial logistic regressions were done using Stata version 14.1. Statistical significance was set as p= 0.05.ResultsA total of 307 individuals experienced fever within one month and 72.3% sought a care from providers. And a total of 509 forest goers reported that they had a previous febrile episodes and 62.6% received care from a provider. Furthermore, 56.2% said that they had RDT testing during these previous febrile illnesses. They consulted public facilities and public health staff, private facilities, private and semi-private providers, community health volunteers or workers in their residing village and those located outside their village but majority prefer those within their village. On multivariate analyses, second richest quintile (Public, RRR=12.9) (semi-private, RRR=17.9), (outside, RRR=8.4) and, access to 4 and above nearby providers (Public, RRR=30.3) (semi-private, RRR=1.5) (outside, RRR=0.5) were found to be significantly associated with provider choice for recent fever episode. Similar findings were also found for previous febrile illness and RDT testing among forest goers. ConclusionThe study highlighted that in forest goer households, they preferred nearby providers and the decision to choose providers seemed to be influenced by their access to number of nearby providers and socio-economic status when they sought care from a provider regardless of fever occurrence location. It is important that the national programs consider involving these nearby providers in elimination efforts.
Utilization of Long – Acting Contraceptive Methods and Associated Factor among Female Health Care Providers in South Wollo Zone Hospitals, North East, Ethiopia. A cross sectional multicenter study
Authors: Yimer Aragaw Hamza , Walelign Fasil , Damtie Yitayish , Seid Ahmed Muhye , Seid Mehdi Shumiye
Published: March 2022

Background: - Long-acting contraception method utilization was found low (22.7%) among female health care providers. However, as far as my literature search no study was done on long-acting contraception methods utilization among female health providers in the study area. These studies failed to include important variable like socio demography and individual factor which might affect the use of long-acting contraceptive methods female health providers and limited studies in Ethiopia. Objective: - To assessing utilization of long -acting contraceptive methods and associated factors among health care providers in south wollo zone public hospitals, Amhara region, Ethiopia 2021.Methods: -An Institutional-based cross- sectional was conducted among 354 female health care workers in south wollo zone hospitals, from March to April 22, 2021. The participants were selected using Systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected by using self-administered questionnaire. The data were entered Epi-data version 4.1 and export to SPSS versions 25 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed. The Adjusted odd Ratio (AOR) along with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated to measure the association and level of significance was declared at a P- value of less than 0.05.Result: -The current utilization of long-acting contraceptive methods among female health care providers was found to be 33.6% [95%, CI 29-39)], discuss with partner [AOR= 2.277,95% CI, (1.026-5.055)], method shift/switched [AOR=4.302,95% CI, (2.285-8.102)], knowledge of respondent [AOR= 1.887,95% CI, (1.020-3.491)], ever birth [AOR=15.670,95% CI, (5.065-48.49)] were significant factors towards the utilization of long-acting contraceptive methods.Conclusion and recommendation: -The current utilization of long-acting contraceptive methods was found low. Discus with partner, methods shift/switching, ever birth and knowledge of respondents were identified as significant factor. Therefore, encouraging partner discussion targeted Information Education Communication Intervention should be intensified to improve long-acting contraceptive methods utilization.
MWCNT/CuO/Fe3O4/Polyaniline Nanocomposites with Remarkable Microwave Attenuation and Broad Frequency Band by Tuned Composition
Authors: Afzali Saeedeh-Sadat , Hekmatara Seyedeh Hoda , Seyed-Yazdi Jamileh
Published: March 2022

Novel quaternary MWCNT/CuO/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposites were synthesized with three different weight ratios of CuO/Fe3O4/PANI to MWCNT (1:3), (1:4), and (1:5), in a way, all its components were synthesized separately and then combined with certain weight ratios. TEM image of CuO/Fe3O4/PANI proved that most of the nanoparticles were in a form of CuO/Fe3O4 hybrids with narrow size distribution which were uniformly dispersed in a polymer background. TEM and SEM of MWCNT/CuO/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposite indicated that MWCNT was covered with a uniform thickness of CuO/Fe3O4/PANI. All three samples of nanocomposites exhibited excellent microwave attenuation performance via both aspects of reflection loss and absorption bandwidth. Minimum reflection losses were 45.7, 58.7 and 85.4, 87.4 dB for MWCNT/CuO/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposites (1:3), (1:4) and (1:5), respectively. Absorption bandwidths (RL ≤ -10 dB) were 6, 7.6 and 6 GHz, for MWCNT/CuO/Fe3O4/PANI nanocomposites (1:3), (1:4) and (1:5), respectively.
Primary melanoma of the bladder: case report and review of the literature
Authors: Dai Jindong , He Ben , Liu Zhi-Hong , Shen Peng-Fei , Shi Ming
Published: March 2022

Background: Primary melanoma of the urinary bladder is extremely rare and has been sporadically reported in case reports. Its incidence, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes are still unclear. Case presentation: We report a case of 67 years-old female patient who presented with hematuria and was diagnosed with primary melanoma of the urinary bladder by transurethral resection of bladder tumor. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) revealed no lymph node nor distant metastasis. After multidisciplinary discussion, the patient received laparoscopic radical resection of bladder tumor. There was no tumor recurrence or distant metastasis after 10 months of follow-up. Conclusion: Primary melanoma of the urinary bladder is easily confused with urothelium carcinoma in morphology. The immunohistochemical is crucial in diagnosis. Because of lack of in-depth understanding of primary melanoma of bladder, "Gold standard" treatment has not been set. We would like to provide some rare information about primary melanoma of the urinary bladder and discuss the best strategy for the treatment of rare disease.
DNA barcodes revealed population dependent cryptic diversity and various sympatry of Korean leptonetid spider (Araneae: Leptonetidae)
Authors: Oh Jong-Hwa , Kim Sora , Lee Seunghwan
Published: March 2022

Leptonetidae are tiny and rarely encountered spiders, mainly inhabiting moist environments such as caves, leaf litter, and rock piles. Because they are microhabitat specialists, most species are known to have short range endemism, rarely occurring in sympatry. Due to their small size, relatively simple features of habitus and structure of reproductive organs made it challenging on sufficient identification. Not only leptonetids, but also identification in other spiders having sexual dimorphism, polymorphism, and lack of diagnosable keys in juvenile made it even more time consuming. To overcome these obstacles, DNA barcoding has been used as an effective tool for species identification. Herein, we conducted a test of DNA barcoding with Korean Leptonetidae based on 422 specimens representing 76 morphospecies. A threshold of 4.2% genetic divergence was estimated to differentiate the morphological species efficiently. The species assignments tested by five species delimitation methods (ABGD, ASAP, GMYC, PTP, and bPTP) were consistent with morphological identifications for 49 species (64.5%), indicating many cases of cryptic diversity. Further, sympatry in leptonetids was revealed to be common in South Korea, especially in epigean species. Our results showed sympatries no matter within family, congeners, and interclade potentially occurring throughout the entire region of the Korea.
Progressive right ventricular dysfunction and exercise impairment in patients with heart failure and diabetes mellitus: insights from the T.O.S.CA. Registry
Authors: Salzano Andrea , D’Assante Roberta , Iacoviello Massimo , Triggiani Vincenzo , Rengo Giuseppe , Cacciatore Francesco , Maiello Ciro , Limongelli Giuseppe , Masarone Daniele , Sciacqua Angela , Filardi Pasquale Perrone , Mancini Antonio , Volterrani Maurizio , Vriz Olga , Castello Roberto , Passantino Andrea , Campo Michela , Modesti Pietro A , De Giorgi Alfredo , Arcopinto Michele , Gargiulo Paola , Perticone Maria , Colao Annamaria , Milano Salvatore , Garavaglia Agnese , Napoli Raffaele , Suzuki Toru , Bossone Eduardo , Marra Alberto M , Cittadini Antonio
Published: March 2022

Background
Findings from the T.O.S.CA. Registry recently reported that patients with concomitant chronic heart failure (CHF) and impairment of insulin axis (either insulin resistance- IR or diabetes mellitus- T2D) display increased morbidity and mortality. However, little information is available on the relative impact of IR and T2D on cardiac structure and function, cardiopulmonary performance, and their longitudinal changes in CHF.
Methods
Patients enrolled in the T.O.S.CA. Registry performed echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise test at baseline and at a patient-average follow-up of 36 months. Patients were divided into three groups based on the degree of insulin impairment: euglycemic without IR (EU), euglycemic with IR (IR), and T2D.
Results
Compared with EU and IR, T2D was associated with increased filling pressures ( E/e’ ratio : 15.9 ± 8.9, 12.0 ± 6.5, and 14.5 ± 8.1 respectively, p < 0.01) and worse right ventricular(RV)-arterial uncoupling (RVAUC) (TAPSE/PASP ratio 0.52 ± 0.2, 0.6 ± 0.3, and 0.6 ± 0.3 in T2D, EU and IR, respectively, p < 0.05). Likewise, impairment in peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2) in TD2 vs EU and IR patients was recorded (respectively, 15.8 ± 3.8 mL/Kg/min, 18.4 ± 4.3 mL/Kg/min and 16.5 ± 4.3 mL/Kg/min, p < 0.003). Longitudinal data demonstrated higher deterioration of RVAUC, RV dimension, and peak VO2 in the T2D group (+ 13% increase in RV dimension, -21% decline in TAPSE/PAPS ratio and − 20% decrease in peak VO2).
Conclusion
The higher risk of death and CV hospitalizations exhibited by HF-T2D patients in the T.O.S.CA. Registry is associated with progressive RV ventricular dysfunction and exercise impairment when compared to euglycemic CHF patients, supporting the pivotal importance of hyperglycaemia and right chambers in HF prognosis.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT023358017
A Perfect Model Study on the Reliability of the Added Small-Scale Information in Regional Climate Change Projections
Authors: Lenderink Geert , de Vries Hylke , Meijgaard Erik van , Wiel Karin van der , Selten Frank
Published: March 2022

The issue of the added value (AV) of high resolution regional climate models is complex and still strongly debated. Here, we approach AV in a perfect model framework within a 16-member single model initial condition large ensemble with the regional climate model RACMO2 embedded in the global climate model EC-Earth2.3. In addition, we also used an ensemble produced by a pseudo global warming (PGW) approach. Results for winter temperature and precipitation are investigated from two different perspectives: i) a signal-to-noise perspective analysing the systematic response to changing emission forcings versus internal variability, and ii) a prediction perspective aimed at predicting a 30-year future climate state. Systematic changes in winter temperature and precipitation contain fine-scale response patterns, but in particular for precipitation these patterns are small compared to internal variability and single members of the ensemble therefore only provide limited information on these systematic patterns. However, they can be estimated more reliably from PGW members because of the stronger constraints on internal variability. From the prediction perspective, we analysed AV of fine-scale information by comparing three set of prediction pairs. This analysis shows that there is added value in the fine-scale information for temperature, yet for precipitation adding fine-scale changes generally deteriorates the predictions. Using only the large-scale change (without fine scales) from a single ensemble member as a delta change on top of the present-day climate state, already provides a robust estimate of the future climate state and therefore can be used as a simple benchmark to measure added value.
Apportionment of Average Annual Flood Loss between Homeowner and Insurer
Authors: Rahim Md Adilur , Friedland Carol , Mostafiz Rubayet Bin , Rohli Robert , Bushra Nazla
Published: March 2022

Accurate economic loss assessment for natural hazards is vital for planning, mitigation, and actuarial purposes. The widespread and costly nature of flood, with the economically disadvantaged disproportionately victimized, makes flood loss assessment particularly important. A shortcoming in existing flood loss models is absence of partitioning the building economic value of average annual loss (AAL) into that borne by the homeowner and by flood insurance. This research models the flood AAL incurred by the homeowner vs. by the insurer, focusing on the National Flood Insurance Program in the U.S., using Monte Carlo simulation at the individual homeowner scale. A hypothetical case study reveals that a $1500 or $3000 deductible is associated with a homeowner portion of 13 or 24 percent of the AAL, respectively, with homeowner proportion relatively insensitive to the combinations of coverage, AAL, and increase in first-floor height evaluated. In general, results inform the proactive decision-making process that allows homeowners to self-assess their degree of preparation and vulnerability to the devastating economic impacts of flood. By upscaling the results to the community level, results also assist planners and leaders in understanding the degree of community-level flood vulnerability and resilience, thereby affording possibilities for improved preparation.
Preclinical effects of melatonin on the development of Ehrlich's tumor: a biochemical, cognitive, and molecular approach
Authors: Lopes Ivan Pereira , Bagatela Bianca Souza , Lopes Andrey Pereira , Silveira Elaine Ferreira , Petri Giuliana , Santos José Francisco Ramos , Perez Matheus Moreira , Veiga Glaucia Luciano , Alves Beatriz , Perazzo Fabio Ferreira , Feder David , Fonseca Fernando Luiz Affonso
Published: March 2022

It has already been shown that the melatonin is an antitumoral molecule that affects malignant cells via some mechanisms. The benefits played by this hormone on cancer apparently is due to its antioxidant effects. This study aimed to evaluate the preclinical effects of melatonin on the Ehrlich ascites tumor. Twenty Balb/ c male mice with Ehrlich tumor were treated with different melatonin doses. Their inflammatory and oxidative stress were accessed by gene expression. Hepatotoxicity and hematological parameters were also evaluated through biochemical analyzes. Animal welfare was analyzed weekly from the categories guided by the NC3Rs. All groups treated with melatonin showed decreased SOD expression compared to the control; TNF-α expression, however, was higher in M-3 group. In the hepatic and hematological analyzes, the use of melatonin did not present significant changes in its results, that is, no hepatotoxicity could be identified. Melatonin played an important role in maintaining the parameters evaluated when referring to the well-being of the treated groups when compared to the control group. In the cognitive evaluation, the group that was treated with melatonin at the dosage of 3mg, presented better performance when compared to the others.
Pseudolaric acid B induces apoptosis in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells through Bcl-2 degradation and caspase-dependent pathway
Authors: Zhu Jin
Published: March 2022

Pseudolaric acid B (PAB) is the primary bioactive compound isolated from traditional Chinese herb Tu-Jin-Pi, and exerts anti-tumor effects in various types of human cancer cells. However, so far, there has been no any study concerning the effect of PAB on human osteosarcoma (OS) cells. In the present study, we for the first time reported the anti-tumor effects of PAB on MG-63 OS cells. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay and clone formation assay showed that PAB significantly inhibited MG-63 cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The typical morphology changes and results of Annexin V-FITC/PI staining indicated that PAB induced apoptosis occurred in MG-63 cells. Furthermore, we also proved that PAB had the ability to suppress the migration and invasion of MG-63 cells. The western blotting data suggested that PAB induced apoptosis may be attributable to the increased Bax and Bcl-2 degradation through caspase-3 dependent singaling pathways. In conclusion, these findings revealed that PAB possessed significant antitumor effects on MG-63 cells and might serve as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of human OS.
Evolutionary Analysis of the Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein-Related Lipid Transfer Domain and Its Response to Salt Stress In Vitis Vinifera
Authors: Lu Shixiong , He Honghong , Gou Huiming , Zhou Qi , Cao Xuejing , Wang Ping , Liang Guoping , Ma Zonghuan , Chen Baihong , Mao Juan
Published: March 2022

This study aimed to enhance the understanding of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid transfer (START) domain in Vitis vinifera. A total of 23 members of the VvSTARD gene family were found, which could be divided into five groups. The analyses of the gene codon preference, selective pressure, and tandem replication events of the VvSTARD, AtSTARD, and OsSTARD genomes indicated that tandem replication events occured in grapes, Arabidopsis, and rice genomes. Eight lipid transporter proteins were found in the tertiary structure of the STARD gene family in grapes. The analysis of the expression profiles of the three species microarrays showed that the expression sites of the STARD gene and the response to abiotic stress in the same subgroup had similar characteristics. In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression of the STARD gene family in grape leaves in response to different hormones and abiotic stresses, and the obtained results were the same as those predicted by the cis-elements and the expression profiles. Furthermore, 35S:STARD5:EGFP was successfully constructed to verify the subcellular prediction results, and the results showed that STARD5 was located in the nucleus. Through the identification of salt tolerance of transgenic tomato, STARD5 was found to regulate the salt stress of plants. Collectively, these data indicated that the VvSTARD gene family plays an important role in response to salt stress.
Effects of Postpartum Family Planning Counselling on Contraceptives’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Intention among Women Attending a General Hospital in The Gambia: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Sey-Sawo Jainaba , Adeyemo Florence O. , Okojie Obehi H.
Published: March 2022

Background Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP) counselling is a critical component of maternal health care that has the potential of meeting women’s desire for contraception. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PPFP counselling on contraceptives’ knowledge, attitudes and intention among women attending a general hospital in The Gambia. Methods The study used a quasi-experimental design with two groups; the intervention and the comparison groups. A sample size of 674 participants was determined by a formula for comparison between two groups. The questionnaire was developed based on a literature review and was pre-tested on 10% of the total study sample size (68). A reliability of 0.731 was obtained. A systematic random sampling method was employed to select those who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected on face-to-face interviews in Mandinka, Fula and Wolof with a 100% response rate at baseline and 96% at post-test. The intervention strategy was family planning counselling using the GATHER approach. Data were analysed using the SPSS version 21.00 and the statistical analysis included both descriptive and inferential methods. An ethical approval was obtained from the Research and Ethics Committee, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Benin (CMS/REC/2017/017) and the Gambia Government/Medical Research Council Laboratories Joint Ethics Committee (R017016Av1.1). Results Baseline respondents' socio-demographic characteristics revealed that the two groups had similar characteristics and were therefore comparable (P>0.05). A statistically significant difference existed on knowledge, attitude, and intention between the intervention and comparison groups at post- intervention (p<0.05) while no significant difference was observed at baseline. Significant gains were achieved in the intervention group in terms of knowledge, attitude, and intention post -intervention. ConclusionThe present study therefore highlights the need to conduct family planning counselling during the immediate postpartum period, particularly before the discharge of women from the hospital so as to ensure improved contraceptive uptake, prevent unwanted pregnancy and closely spaced pregnancy and thus improve maternal health outcomes.