bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current nutritional strategies for preterm infants with very low and extremely low birth weight
Authors:   N.I.Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation, Sarkisyan E.A. , Shumilov P.V. ,   N.I.Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation, Nikogosyan K.V. ,   Odintsovo Regional Hospital, Moscow Region, Russian Federation, Khandamirova O.O. ,   N.I.Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation, Demyanova T.G. ,   N.I.Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation
Published: July 2022

The growth rate of infants born preterm should match the growth rate of healthy fetuses of the same gestational age. However, despite many existing clinical guidelines and dietary protocols, preterm infants almost invariably experience postnatal growth restriction. To ensure optimal growth and development of preterm infants, it has become essential to revise nutritional strategies. For preterm infants with extremely low and very low birth weight, it is recommended to initiate parenteral nutrition within the first hours of life, as well as to initiate early enteral nutrition directly in the delivery room with mother’s colostrum using buccal and cotton swabs. If possible, to increase the volume of enteral nutrition, to enrich breast milk, preferably with liquid fortifiers and/or human milk-based fortifiers, and to optimize supplementation with additional minerals. This review presents the scientific rationale for nutrient requirements, practical recommendations and strategies for parenteral and enteral nutrition in preterm infants, current recommendations for initial and maximum macro- and micronutrient gestational requirements. Key words: parenteral nutrition, enteral nutrition, preterm infant, nutrients, micronutrients, breast milk fortifiers
THE EFFECT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, CAREER DEVELOPMENT REMUNERATION AND JOB SATISFACTION ON NURSE PERFORMANCE IN REGIONAL GENERAL HOSPITAL IN BATAM EMBUNG FATIMAH CITY
Authors: Roza Nelli , Supriyati Yetty , Kadir
Published: July 2022

Hospitals are obliged to provide safe, quality, anti-discriminatory, and effective health services by prioritizing the interests of patients in accordance with hospital service standards. For this reason, hospitals are required to provide professional health workers, one of which is a nurse. Conditions in the field there are still many patient complaints about hospital services. To answer this problem, it is necessary to evaluate the performance of nurses in hospitals and see the factors that influence it.

The purpose of this study is to develop a model which states that nurse performance is mediated by job satisfaction which is supported by organizational culture, career development and remuneration which also pays attention to the relationship between career development variables and remuneration. This research was conducted at the Embung Fatimah Regional General Hospital, Batam City using a survey method and involving 200 clinical nurses as respondents. Data were collected using a Likert scale with Construct Reliability (CR) 0.70 and Variance Extrated (VE) 0.50. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with LISREL 8.8 and SPSS software.

The research findings for the measurement model reveal that all variables have SFL > 0.50 which indicates that all variables are valid. Likewise for the reliability of consistently measuring all indicators of research variables, it can be concluded that the reliability of the measurement model of all latent variables is good. Furthermore, the findings of the structural model reveal that organizational culture, career development, remuneration and job satisfaction have a direct positive effect on nurse performance. In addition, there was also a positive direct effect of career development and remuneration on job satisfaction, and the dominant direct influence of career development on remuneration (t-value = 12.01 > 1.96), but there was no direct positive effect of organizational culture on job satisfaction ( t-value = 1.47 < .96).

The conclusion of this study, is to improve the performance of nurses at the Embung Fatimah Regional General Hospital, Batam more effectively through improving remuneration management, and implementing career development in accordance with applicable regulations compared to organizational culture.
Validation of a Predictive Tool for Discharge to Rehabilitation or a Skilled Nursing Facility After TJA
Authors: Ortiz Dionisio , Sicat Chelsea Sue , Goltz Daniel E. , Seyler Thorsten M. , Schwarzkopf Ran
Published: July 2022

Background:

Cost excess in bundled payment models for total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is driven by discharge to rehabilitation or a skilled nursing facility (SNF). A recently published preoperative risk prediction tool showed very good internal accuracy in stratifying patients on the basis of likelihood of discharge to an SNF or rehabilitation. The purpose of the present study was to test the accuracy of this predictive tool through external validation with use of a large cohort from an outside institution.

Methods:

A total of 20,294 primary unilateral total hip (48%) and knee (52%) arthroplasty cases at a tertiary health system were extracted from the institutional electronic medical record. Discharge location and the 9 preoperative variables required by the predictive model were collected. All cases were run through the model to generate risk scores for those patients, which were compared with the actual discharge locations to evaluate the cutoff originally proposed in the derivation paper. The proportion of correct classifications at this threshold was evaluated, as well as the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, number needed to screen, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), in order to determine the predictive accuracy of the model.

Results:

A total of 3,147 (15.5%) of the patients who underwent primary, unilateral total hip or knee arthroplasty were discharged to rehabilitation or an SNF. Despite considerable differences between the present and original model derivation cohorts, predicted scores demonstrated very good accuracy (AUC, 0.734; 95% confidence interval, 0.725 to 0.744). The threshold simultaneously maximizing sensitivity and specificity was 0.1745 (sensitivity, 0.672; specificity, 0.679), essentially identical to the proposed cutoff of the original paper (0.178). The proportion of correct classifications was 0.679. Positive and negative predictive values (0.277 and 0.919, respectively) were substantially better than those of random selection based only on event prevalence (0.155 and 0.845), and the number needed to screen was 3.6 (random selection, 6.4).

Conclusions:

A previously published online predictive tool for discharge to rehabilitation or an SNF performed well under external validation, demonstrating a positive predictive value 79% higher and number needed to screen 56% lower than simple random selection. This tool consists of exclusively preoperative parameters that are easily collected. Based on a successful external validation, this tool merits consideration for clinical implementation because of its value for patient counseling, preoperative optimization, and discharge planning.

Level of Evidence:

Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Analyzing the Proliferation of Social Media Use Among Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Programs
Authors: Yong Taylor M. , Pappas Matthew A. , Ray Gabrielle S. , McManus Timothy G. , Coe Marcus P.
Published: July 2022

Background:

Social media can influence how students and residents learn about and select graduate medical education programs. COVID-19-related travel restrictions forced residencies to adapt their recruitment strategies. The objective of our investigation was to characterize the prevalence of social media use by orthopaedic surgery residency programs and to examine any change over time before the COVID-19 pandemic and leading up to the 2020 to 2021 virtual interview season.

Methods:

The Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database was queried for all orthopaedic surgery residency programs (N = 164). We performed a cross-sectional analysis on the use of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by orthopaedic surgery residency programs in May 2019, July 2020, and November 2020. Orthopaedic surgery residency programs were systematically identified on each of the social media platforms. Descriptive statistics were used to facilitate comparisons between the time points.

Results:

Seventy-six social media accounts were identified in May 2019 compared with 239 in November 2020—a greater than 300% increase in 19 months. The prevalence of residency programs using Facebook increased from 21.3% in May 2019 to 30.5% in July 2020 to 36.0% in November 2020. Similar increases in prevalence were identified for Twitter (15.2%-31.7% then 43.9%) and Instagram (9.1% to 37.2% to 65.9%). In May 2019, we identified 35 programs with Facebook accounts, 26 with Twitter accounts, and 15 with Instagram accounts. By November 2020, this increased to 59 Facebook accounts, 72 Twitter accounts, and 108 Instagram accounts. This corresponds to an expansion in the use of each platform by 69%, 177%, and 620% for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, respectively.

Conclusions:

The use of social media by academic orthopaedic surgery residency programs increased substantially over the study period. The adoption of Instagram seems to be occurring at the fastest rate. Social media may represent a useful tool in resident recruitment, but the platform must be carefully selected and planned to avoid unintended dilemmas.
Radial Polydactyly
Authors: Khabyeh-Hasbani Nathan , Tozzi Declan , Guerra Sara M. , Koehler Steven M.
Published: July 2022

» Radial polydactyly is one of the most common congenital anomalies of the hand, with an incidence of 0.08 to 1.40 per 1,000 live births; it requires surgical treatment early in life.

» Polydactyly occurs during weeks 5, 6, 7, and 8 of embryogenesis, principally due to misregulation of the sonic hedgehog protein within the developing limb bud.

» The Flatt classification system of preaxial polydactyly (types I to VII), as published by Wassel, categorizes preaxial polydactyly based on osseous abnormalities, but it has substantial limitations.

» For improved function and appearance, preaxial polydactyly ideally requires surgical intervention at an early age (between 1 and 2 years of age) before the development of fine motor skills.
Evaluation of Catboost method for predicting weekly pan evaporation: Case study of subtropical and subhumid regions of India
Authors: Kumar Pankaj , Vishwakarma Dinesh Kumar , Markuna Suman , Ali Rawshan , Kumar Devendra , Jadhav Nikhil , Chauhan Seema , Kuriqi Alban , Heddam Salim , Mirzania Ehsan , Srivast Aman , Elbeltagi Ahmed , Kumar Rohitashw
Published: July 2022

Pan evaporation modelling and forecasting is needed to provide timely, continuously, and valuable water information to support water management. In this study we predict weekly pan evaporation using six machine learning approaches.The proposed models were:the multiple linear regression (MLR), the multiple nonlinear least-squares regression (MNLSR), the multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), the random forest regression (RF), the CatBoostand the M5 Model Tree (M5Tree).The algorithms were developed using data collected at Crop Research Center (CRC), Pantnagar- Uttarakhand, India. Stepwise regression was used as input variable selection algorithm for selecting the best relevant input from several meteorological variables. For models development we split the data into two subsets: the first three years reserved for model calibration i.e., validation, and the fourth-year data was used validation purpose.The rootmean square error (RMSE), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), Willmott index of agreement (WI), Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC), coefficient of determination (R2), and mean absolute error (MAE) were used to assess the effectiveness of weekly pan evaporation estimation models. CatBoost model based on four predictors was the most accurate at Pantnagar station, with NSE, WI, MAE, RMSE, PCC and R2 ranging from 0.9838 to 0.9877, 0.9960 to 0.9968, 0.1991 to 0.2078, 0.3643 to 0.3650 to 0.9955, 0.9925 and 0.9851 to 0.9911, respectively. Random Forest model has scored the second rank in terms of accuracy and effectiveness for mapping weekly pan evaporation followed by MARS, MNLSR, MLR, and M5Tree.
Validation of the An Abbreviated Version of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire in Turkish Adults
Authors: Kaya Seda , Açık Murat , COŞKUN Ayfer BEYAZ , YILMAZ Feray ÇAĞIRAN
Published: July 2022

Purpose: To adapt and validate the an abbreviated version of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ-18) to the Turkish language for a Turkish adult population.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 709 participants aged between 18-65 years living in the province of Elazig. The data was collected through a voluntary face-to-face survey. The questionnaire was included their general characteristics and the MEQ-18 and Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the validity of the MEQ-18. Statistical analyzes were conducted using the R-Project program and IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows 26.0.Results: The overall content validity index was 0.93. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for the two sub-scales and reduced the abbreviated of MEQ to 18 items. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.718 for the MEQ-18 total factor scores and Cronbach alpha values for awareness, and disinhibition were found to be 0,843 and 0,789, respectively. The minimum discrepancy per degree of freedom = 4.914 and the model generally fit well to the structure (RMSEA = 0.074, CFI = 0.934, SRMR = 0.079, TLI = 0.925, GFI = 0.968, AGFI = 0.959).Conclusions: The findings of study showed that the psychometric properties of the abbreviated MEQ adapted into Turkish were acceptable through construct and internal consistency reliability.Level of evidence: Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.
Effect of different stages of lactation on erythrocyte osmotic fragility, blood leucocyte entities, and milk somatic cell of Badri cattle
Authors: Thakur Swati , Huozha R. , Dhara Souvik , Maiti Abhinaba , Verma Megha , Ramanarayanan Sivaraman , Rastogi Sunil Kumar , Shahi Bijendra Narayan , Batra Munish
Published: July 2022

The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of different stages of lactation on erythrocyte osmotic fragility, blood leucocyte indices and milk somatic cell count in indigenous Badri cattle. Badri is first registered indigenous, dual purpose cattle breed of the state Uttarakhand (India) mainly reared in hilly areas of the state. Osmotic fragility evaluates the stability of erythrocyte membrane to osmotic stress. Leucocytes form defence mechanism against invading micro-organisms. Somatic cell count is an indicator of udder health. The study was carried out in forty healthy Badri cows divided into five groups according to their lactation stages viz. group 1 (0–60 days), group 2 (61–120 days), group 3 (121–180 days), group 4 (181–240 days) and group 5 (to be dried off). Erythrocyte osmotic fragility, blood total leucocyte count (TLC), differential leucocyte count (DLC) and milk somatic cell count (SCC) were estimated. The percent hemolysis of erythrocytes among different groups was significant (p < 0.05) at 0.9% and 0.5% saline concentrations. A significant effect (p < 0.05) of lactation stages on blood lymphocytes, neutrophils and milk somatic cell count was observed.
Disability, Work Status, and Deprivation among working age-group: Shreds of evidence from NSS 76 TH round Data
Authors: Gupta Jagriti , Govil Dipti , Singh Angad
Published: July 2022

Background: In India, where most of the population is in the working-age group and as per census 2011, 2.1 % of the total population are disabled, the biggest concern is the onset of different types of disability among the working-age population as it directly affects the nation productivity and economy. This study aims to assess the consequences of disability in terms of loss and change of work experiences by the working-age population and to calculate the disability deprivation index of India and its states.Methods: Multinomial logistic regression has been used to find the impact of the onset of disability on the working-age population. The disability deprivation index has been calculated for Indian states. Results: The overall prevalence of disability is 2.2 %. Persons who worked before the onset of disability, maximum of them losses their work due to the onset of disability. The disability deprivation index shows which state is more deprived. Highest the ranking is the lowest deprivation, Kerala is the lowest deprived state, and Bihar is the highest. Conclusion: There are many facilities provided by government and NGOs for disabled, however the condition of disabled in India is severe since the availability of these facilities is limited to certain proportion of the population, there is requirement to upsurge these services and spread them. The disability deprivation index of majority of states of India lies in category of poor living conditions. The government and NGOs should work in specific direction so that quality of life of person with disability can improve.
Numerical Prediction of Impulse and Overpressure for a Green High Energy Metal Organic Framework (HE-MOF) Using CFD
Authors: Noorpoor Zeinab , Tavangar Saeed , Soury Hosein , Hoseini Ghorban
Published: July 2022

In this investigation, a geometry of three-block obstacles has been studied under the explosion of a green high-energy metal organic framework (HE-MOF) martial with the implementation of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) domain. Control volume generated mesh in SnappyHexMesh was utilized with boundary conditions and initial values to resolve the system of equations in explosiveSonicFoam (a modified module of OpenFoam technology). The numerical simulation method was validated using the experimental data obtained by Kingery-Bulmash trinitrotoluene (TNT). The large eddy simulation (LES) method as a turbulence model and the Beker-Kistiakowsky-Wilson (BKW) model as a real gas equation of state were employed to enhance the accuracy of simulations. [Cu(Htztr)2(H2O)2]n was selected as HE-MOF due to its appropriate explosive specifications, which come from its special chemical structure. Pressure history on the domain has been measured at various points. TNT equivalency validation had shown a deviation error of 3–14% and 20% for overpressure and impulse, respectively in comparison with Kingery-Bulmash empirical data. Further, it was shown that block structures reduced 26.4% of peak incident pressure. The results of the current study suggested that HE-MOF produced an impulse of 2.5 and 2.28 greater than TNT in the non-obstructed and the obstructed sides of the explosion, respectively. Supersonic flow visualization clearly showed positive reflected and incident pressure surface. The comparisons between TNT and selected HE-MOF demonstrated higher blast wave intensity and under-effected areas of HE-MOF.
Insights from observations and manipulative experiments into competition between mangroves and salt marsh vegetation
Authors: Hockaday Alyssa C , Armitage Anna R. , Pennings Steven C.
Published: July 2022

Ecologists use multiple methods for studying interspecific competition, but different approaches may give different answers. We compared four methods to quantify the competitive interactions between Avicennia germinans (black mangroves) and salt marsh vegetation in Texas, USA: two different methods of sampling a large (24 x 42 m) mangrove removal experiment, a transplant experiment conducted within the large experiment, and an observational study comparing sites naturally dominated by marsh or mangrove vegetation. As expected, mangroves strongly suppressed the cover and biomass of salt marsh plants. But our understanding of the strength of these interactions varied depending on the study method used, the plant species studied, and the spatial scale considered; different processes influencing community assembly. The transplant experiment isolated the effects of competition driven only by the presence or absence of mangroves in the immediate (3x3 m plot) vicinity of the transplanted plants. In contrast, the observational study examined the combined effects of dispersal, abiotic suitability and competition as a function of the cover of mangroves at the larger plot scale. Combining the approaches in areas with levels of mangrove cover varying from 45% to 97% provided insight into how results from the local scale could be extrapolated to the landscape. Although mangroves may compete strongly with neighboring marsh plants growing in their immediate vicinity, marsh plants may not be totally eradicated from sites colonized by mangroves, but instead may persist on the landscape at low densities in stressful habitats that offer a refuge from competition.
E2F1-initiated transcription of PRSS22 promotes breast cancer metastasis by cleaving ANXA1 and activating the FPR2/ERK signaling pathways
Authors: Song Lin , Song Lin , Li Hui , Li Hui , Ma Ran-Ran , Ma Ran-Ran , Liu Sen , Liu Sen , Zhang Guo-hao , Zhang Guo-hao , Guo Xiangyu , Guo Xiangyu , Zhao Ruinan , Zhao Ruinan , Zhang Kai , Zhang Kai , Wu Xiaojuan , Wu Xiaojuan , Gao Peng , Gao Peng
Published: July 2022

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor in women worldwide. Metastasis is the main cause of BC-related death. The specific mechanism of BC metastasis remains obscure. Recently PRSS22 was discovered to be involved in tumor development. However, its detailed biological function and regulation mechanism in BC remain unclear. Here, we characterized that the PRSS22 expression level was upregulated in BC tissues compared with non-tumorous breast tissues. Dual Luciferase assays, bioinformatics analyses and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays indicated that the transcription factor E2F1 directly bounded to the PRSS22 promoter region and activated its transcription. Functionally, upregulation of PRSS22 promoted invasion and metastasis of BC cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas knockdown of PRSS22 elicited inhibition function. Mechanistically, the combination of PRSS22 and ANXA1 protein in BC cells was firstly screened by protein mass spectrometry analyses, and then confirmed by Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays and Western blot assays. Co-overexpression of PRSS22 and ANXA1 could promote migration and invasion in BC cells. We further demonstrated that PRSS22 could promote the cleavage of ANXA1 and produce a N-terminal peptide, which could initiate the FPR2/ERK signaling axis to increase the aggressiveness of BC.
Correlation Between Muscle Strength and Amount of Lean Mass in Pre- surgical Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Marchetti Beatriz Schirrmeister , Freitas Josiane de Paula , Miola Thais Manfrinato
Published: July 2022

Introduction: Nutritional status is one of the independent factors that most influence postoperative outcomes in elective colorectal surgeries. Adequate muscle mass and strength contribute to the reduction of complications and can be evaluated in the preoperative period as prognostic markers. Objective: To compare lean mass (LM) with muscle strength (MS) in patients with colorectal cancer in the preoperative period. Methods: A retrospective study carried out with 87 patients from the nutrition clinic of the A. C. Camargo Cancer Center Hospital. Dynamometry was used to assess MS and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was used to assess LM. Results: Most of the results were male (51.7%) with a mean age of 60.7 years. The most prevalent Body Mass Index (BMI) classification was normal weight (50.6%) and the sample showed a higher prevalence of resistant LM and MS (70.1% and 67.8%, respectively). Only 9.2% of the sample presented both MS and LM inadequate. LM was significantly associated with age (p=0.011), BMI (p<0.001), phase angle (PA) (p=0.016) and oncological diagnosis (p=0.042). MS was significantly associated only with age (p<0.001) and PA (p=0.036). LM showed no significant association with MS (p=1.00). Conclusion: This study did not notice an association between lean mass and muscle strength in patients with colorectal cancer. More prospective nutritional therapy is needed to understand this relationship, although both measures can be directed to clinical practice for the most appropriate therapy.
Epidemiology and economic impact of amphistomosis in sheep of north-western Himalayas, India
Authors: Sofi Omer Mohi U Din , godara Rajesh , Katoch R. , Yadav A. , Nazim Kaifa , Chakraborty D.
Published: July 2022

Amphistomosis in sheep (n=1210) was examined from November 2020 to October 2021 from north-western Himalayan region of India. This study took into consideration the seasonal prevalence, the intensity of infection and the economic impact of amphistomosis on production parameters of sheep. The overall prevalence was recorded to be 36.3%. Although infection encountered throughout the year, the significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence was found in monsoon (49.8%) and post-monsoon (42.7%) seasons than winter (31.4%) and summer (25.9%) seasons. Significantly (p<0.05) higher mean egg output (46.5±0.42) was observed in monsoon season followed by summer (27.6±0.41), post-monsoon (22.0 ± 0.17) and winter (12.7±0.42) seasons. Animals aged 6 months to 1 year had significantly higher (p<0.05) prevalence (40.4%) than animals above 1 year (31.6%) and below 6 months (16.9%) of age groups. The total annual economic loss due to amphistomosis in sheep for the study flock was estimated as rupees 462384.0 (US $6188.2) and may be concluded as loss of rupees 1235.0 per animal per annum. Among the various production parameters, reduced body weight contributed the highest in economic loss (95.5%) followed by reduced birth weight of lambs (3.9%) and the least by reduced wool yield (0.6%). Evaluation of the total annual economic recovery by sustainable control of amphistomosis in sheep for the study flock was estimated as rupees 107745.0 (US $1441.9) and may be concluded as recovery of rupees 981.0 per animal per annum. Among the various production parameters, increased body weight contributed the highest in economic recovery (90.1%) followed by increased birth weight of lambs (8.3%) and the least by increased wool yield (1.6%).
Laryngeal leiomyoma: a case report and literature review
Authors: Wu Yu , Yu Tingting , Gao Shengrui , Wang Xin
Published: July 2022

Leiomyomas (LMs) are mesenchymal tumors that derive from smooth muscle cells. Here, we report a rare case of laryngeal leiomyoma (LLM) admitted to our center. We also reviewed and summarized the clinical characteristics of reported LLMs to help clinicians gain a better understanding of this uncommon disease and improve the diagnosis, treatment, and patient postoperative recovery.
Altered regional homogeneity and homotopic connectivity in Chinese breast cancer survivors with fear of cancer recurrence: A Resting-State fMRI Study
Authors: Peng Li , Hu Xiaofei , Xu Chen , Yang Ying , Liu Ju , Chen Jiannan , Qi Aiping , Xue Yuan , Zhong Lin , Li Min
Published: July 2022

Background: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) has been one of the most distressing concerns for breast cancer survivors, but the neuroimaging mechanism underlying fear of cancer recurrence still remains unclear. Methods: We recruited 62 breast cancer survivors (31 in the high FCR group and 31 in the low FCR group) to explore the inter-group differences in neuroimaging findings. The data of 3 subjects with low FCR were eliminated because they had not completed all the experiments. All the participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scan. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) methods were applied to analyze the imaging data. Results: Breast cancer survivors with high and low FCR showed significantly different ReHo in the left caudate nucleus and precuneus, and significantly different VMHC in the posterior cerebellar lobe, the superior frontal gyrus, the orbital part, the inferior frontal gyrus, the occipital gyrus, the inferior parietal lobule and the frontal middle gyrus. FCR was negatively correlated with the mean ReHo of left caudate nucleus (r=-0.501, p=0.00004), and positively correlated with the mean ReHo of right precuneus lobe (r=0.505, p=0.000038). Besides, FCR was positively correlated with the mean VMHC value of bilateral superior occipital gyrus (r=0.438, p=0.00051).Conclusion: This study suggested that the left caudate nucleus, right precuneus lobe and bilateral superior occipital gyrus were involved in the neuropathology of FCR.
Effects of Gynostemma pentaphyllum on hypolipidemic and the mechanism of network pharmacology and molecular docking in treating hyperlipidaemia
Authors: Chen Qiuyi , Wu Faming , Zhao Yongxia , Zeng Hongju , Zhong Lin , Men Junpeng , Wu Tao , Liu Xiangpei , Tan Daopeng , He YuQi , Xie Jian
Published: July 2022

Objective: To explore the material basis and potential molecular mechanism of Gynostemma pentaphyllum’s hypolipidaemic effects. Methods: A hyperlipidaemic rat model was established to evaluate the hypolipidaemic effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum. Next, we verified the bioactive components (BCI) and potential targets of Gynostemma pentaphyllum in the treatment of hyperlipidaemia using network pharmacology and molecular docking, and constructed the pharmacological network and PPI network. Then the core genes were enriched by GO and KEGG. Finally, the bioactive components were docked with the key targets to verify the binding ability between them.Results: The results showed that the serum TC, LDL-C and HDL-C levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05), the number of liver vacuoles was also significantly reduced and the relative expression of PPARγ and SOD mRNA increased (P>0.05) after gynostemma administration. What’s more, a total of 24 active ingredients and 125 common targets of the drug and the disease. PPI network and functional analysis showed that AKT1, TNF, IL6, VEGFA, EGFR, PPARG are very important which were mainly involved in the cancer pathway, the chemo-carcinogenesis-receptor activation pathway, the lipid and atherosclerosis pathway, proteoglycans in cancer, the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway. Molecular docking results showed that the core active components of gibberellin, gibberellin saponin XXVIII, 3'-methylrhodopsin and gibberellin showed good affinity with the Hub gene.Conclusion: Gynostemma has a significant hypolipidaemic effect and may affect lipid metabolism by acting on multiple targets through multiple components.
PIK3CA is recurrently mutated in canine mammary tumors, similarly to in human mammary neoplasia
Authors: Arendt Maja Louise , Sakthikumar Sharadha , Melin Malin , Elvers Ingegerd , Rivera Patricio , Larsen Majbritt , Sällström Sara , Lingaas Frode , Rönnberg Henrik , Lindblad-Toh Kerstin
Published: July 2022

Biological features of neoplastic disease affecting mammary gland tissue are shared between canines and humans. Research performed in either species has translational value and early phase clinical trials performed in canines with spontaneous disease could be informative for human trials. The purpose of this study was to investigate the somatic genetic aberrations occurring in canine mammary neoplasia by exome capture and next generation sequencing. Based on 57 tumor-normal pairs we identified the PIK3CA gene as the most commonly mutated gene in canine mammary tumors, with 25% of samples carrying mutations in this gene. A recurrent missense mutation was identified p.H1047R, which is homologous to the human PIK3CA hotspot mutation found in different types of breast neoplasia. Mutations homologous to other known human mutation hotspots such as the PIK3CA p.E545K and the KRAS p.G12V/D were also identified. We identified copy number aberrations affecting important tumor suppressor and oncogenic pathways including deletions affecting the PTEN tumor suppressor gene. We show evidence that activation of the KRAS or PIK3CA oncogenes or loss of the PTEN suppressor gene are important for mammary tumor development in dogs. This data endorses the conservation of cancer across species and the validity of studying cancer in other species.
Changes in sexual behavior among men who have sex with men during the spread of COVID-19 in China: results of an online survey
Authors: Lyu Hang , Zhen Shihan , Feng Yunlong , Huang Shanzi , Li Jiarun , Zhou Yi , Tang Weiming
Published: July 2022

Background: Sexual behavior drives the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). This study aims to evaluate the sexual behavior changed among MSM during the outbreak of COVID-19.Material and Methods: An online survey was conducted to collect sociodemographic, sexual behavioral, and HIV testing information before and during the COVID-19 epidemic. Chi-square was used to determine the behavior differences before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified the factors associated with casual sexual behavior among MSM using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression.Results: A total of 506 MSM participated in the online survey. The 506 MSM were individuals born biologically as a male, self-identified as a male, aged 18 or over, and ever engaged in sex with a man (in the past three month). Compared with participants who didn't reduce the number of sexual partners (n = 193, 38.1%), participants who reduced sexual partners (n = 313, 61.9%) had higher values of multiple sexual partners, causal sexual partners, used a condom with causal sexual partners, and sought sexual partners using apps (all p< 0.05). Participants who reduced the number of sexual partners than before COVID-19, reported having a higher proportion of causal sexual behavior (66.77% vs 46.11%, c2 = 21.047, p< 0.001), which means engaged in casual sex in the last three months. But at-risk sexual behavior, which means unprotected anal sex with a casual partner without using condom protection, did not change significantly between the two groups during COVID-19 (p>0.05). Multiple factors are related to casual sexual behavior and at-risk sexual behavior.Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown measures significantly impacted the sexual behavior of Chinese MSM. Sustain behavior interventions are still needed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effects of ash composition and combustion temperature on reduced particulate matter emission by biomass carbonization
Authors: Dalkhsuren Davaajav , Iwabuchi Kazunori , Itoh Takanori , Takumi Narita , Piash Mahmudul Islam , Nachin Baatarbileg , Sukhbaatar Gerelbaatar
Published: July 2022

Biomass is a potential substitute for fossil fuels but has some drawbacks, such as low energy density, high moisture content, and particulate matter (PM) emissions during combustion, that need to be addressed. Thermochemical pretreatment, including carbonization, has been suggested to address these issues. However, the efficiency of carbonization is not equal for all types of biomass due to composition heterogeneity. Therefore, this study involved the carbonization of seven types of biomass (larch, poplar, miscanthus, bamboo grass, rice straw, rice husk, and dairy manure) at 400°C to evaluate efficiency in enhancing fuel properties and reducing PM emissions. All raw and carbonized samples were combusted at 650, 750, and 850°C to assess the effect of combustion temperature on PM emission. Results showed that PM emission was greatly reduced up to 95.45% after carbonization via volatile matter removal. The efficiency of PM reduction was greatest at low burning temperatures for all feedstocks. Although combustion temperatures had no major impact on PM emissions from low-ash (≤ 6.6%) biomass, higher heating temperatures (750°C or above) stimulated PM emissions from ash-rich rice straw and dairy manure biochar. The transformation of minerals in rice straw, rice husk, and dairy manure also was investigated at different combustion temperatures (650, 750, and 850°C). Data revealed that enhanced PM emission from ash-rich biochar samples was due to a greater concentration of Na and K, likely through Na and K melting at higher temperatures. Therefore, to limit PM emissions from the chars produced by high-alkali-metal biomass, a lower combustion temperature is preferable.
Impact of the 2008 Minimum Wage Review on Labor Supply in Cameroon
Authors: BIN JOACHEM MEH , Baye Francis Menjo , Njong Aloysius mom , Tangwa Mark Wiykiynyuy , Wirba Ebenezer Lemven
Published: July 2022

This paper investigates the implications of the 2008 minimum wage review for labor supply using the 2005 and 2010 Cameroon labor force surveys. Specifically, it assesses the extent, depth, and severity of minimum wage violations in the Cameroon labor market, and evaluates the impact of the 2008 minimum wage review on labor supply in Cameroon between 2005 and 2010. To achieve these objectives, use is made of the violation class of indices, bivariate probit, and the control function. Empirical results show that minimum wage violation is more prevalent, deeper, and severer among rural (female) workers than their urban (male) counterparts. Results also confirm a direct relationship between engaging in the formal sector and labor supply over the period 2005–2010 and participating in the formal sectoincreasesse the hours of work. These findings are in tandem with the wisdom that the Cameroon government could adopt a compliance-enhancing strategy that needs to be comprehensive, addressing issues throughout the design, adjusting, and implementing the minimum wage policies especially in the informal sector, rural areas, and deprived female groups.
Effect of low level laser therapy on orthodontic miniscrew displacement (A randomized controlled clinical trial)
Authors: Elzoheiry Mohamed A. , El-Harouni Nadia M. , Haffiez Sherief H. Abdel
Published: July 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Complex functional phenotypes of NMDA receptor disease variants
Authors: Iacobucci Gary , Liu Beiying , Wen Han , Sincox Brittany , Zheng Wenjun , Popescu Gabriela
Published: July 2022

NMDA receptors have essential roles in the physiology of central excitatory synapses and their dysfunction causes severe neuropsychiatric symptoms. Recently, a series of genetic variants have been identified in patients, however, functional information about these variants is sparse and their role in pathogenesis insufficiently known. Here we investigate the mechanism by which two GluN2A variants may be pathogenic. We use molecular dynamics simulation and single-molecule electrophysiology to examine the contribution of GluN2A subunit-residues, P552 and F652, and their pathogenic substitutions, P552R and F652V, affect receptor functions. We found that P552 and F652 interact during the receptors’ normal activity cycle; the interaction stabilizes receptors in open conformations and is required for a normal electrical response. Engineering shorter side-chains at these positions (P552A and/or F652V) caused a loss of interaction energy and produced receptors with severe gating, conductance, and permeability deficits. In contrast, the P552R sidechain resulted in stronger interaction and produced a distinct, yet still drastically abnormal electrical response. These results identify the dynamic contact between P552 and F652 as a critical step in the NMDA receptor activation, and show that both increased and reduced communication through this interaction cause dysfunction. Results show that subtle differences in NMDA receptor primary structure can generate complex phenotypic alterations whose binary classification is too simplistic to serve as a therapeutic guide.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 is associated with widening QRS complex and prolonged corrected QT interval in patients with stable angina
Authors: Hung Wei-Chin , Yu Teng-Hung , Wang Chao-Ping , Hsu Chia-Chang , Lu Yung-Chuan , Wei Ching-Ting , Chung Fu-Mei , Lee Yau-Jiunn , Wu Cheng-Ching , Tang Wei-Hua
Published: July 2022

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is produced by cardiac cells, may acts in an autocrine manner, and was suggested to has a cardioprotective role in atherosclerosis. Wide QRS complex and heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc interval) prolongation are associated to dangerous ventricular arrhythmias and cardiovascular disease mortality. Yet, the role of FGF21 in cardiac arrhythmia has never been studied. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between plasma FGF21 and the QRS duration and QTc interval in patients with stable angina.Methods: Three hundred twenty-one consecutive stable angina patients were investigated. Plasma FGF21 was measured through ELISA, and each subject underwent 12-lead electrocardiography.Results: FGF21 plasma levels were positively associated with the QRS duration (β = 0.190, P = 0.001) and QTc interval (β = 0.277, P < 0.0001). With increasing FGF21 tertiles, the patients had higher frequencies of wide QRS complex and prolonged QTc interval. After adjusting for patients’ anthropometric parameters, the corresponding odd ratios (ORs) for wide QRS complex of the medium and high of FGF21 versus the low of FGF21 were 1.39 (95% CI 0.51-3.90) and 4.41 (95% CI 1.84-11.59), respectively, and p for trend was 0.001. Furthermore, multiple logistic regression analysis also showed the corresponding odd ratios (ORs) for prolonged QTc interval of the medium and high of FGF21 versus the low of FGF21 were 1.02 (95% CI 0.53-1.78) and 1.93 (95% CI 1.04-3.60) respectively with the p for trend of 0.037. In addition, age- and sex-adjusted FGF21 levels were positively associated with fasting glucose, HbA1c, creatinine, and adiponectin, but negatively associated with albumin, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate. Conclusions: This study indicates that plasma FGF21 is associated with wide QRS complex and prolonged corrected QT interval in stable angina patients, further study is required to investigate the role of plasma FGF21 for the underlying pathogenesis.
Methods and tools for handling, transportation, weighing, and pelletization applied to the initial analysis of volatile components in the Hayabusa2 return samples
Authors: Okazaki Ryuji , Yamanouchi Shinji , Shimada Kazuhiko , Baba Atsushi , Kitajima Fumio , Yada Toru
Published: July 2022

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft succeeded in sampling and returning asteroidal materials from the C-type near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu. As part of the Hayabusa2 Initial Analyses, chemical compositions and isotopic ratios of volatile species were measured. The samples analyzed were grains about 1mm in diameter and were individually treated without exposure to Earth’s atmosphere through the entire processes to minimize alteration and contamination effects by adsorption of Earth’s atmosphere and chemical reactions with reactive species such as oxygen and water contained in the atmosphere. In order to perform spectroscopic and electron-microscopic observations in advance of a series of the isotope measurements, the sample surface must be smoothed. We employed a pelletization method to obtain the flatness for the valuable return samples because the pelletization is a less sample-consuming method compared to mechanical/electron polishing, microtome, and ion milling. The pelletization does not only provided a smooth surface, but also contributed to easier handling of small (less than about 1 mm in diameter) samples. In order to perform the subsequent analyses, the samples must be minimally contaminated during the pelletization procedure and be easy to remove from the pelletization tools. Therefore, embedding in resins or low-melting-point metals cannot be used. Under these constraints, the tools and methods for sample pelletization, handling, and transportation were developed. We describe the methods and the tools that enable to treat pristine asteroidal samples under non-atmospheric exposure condition throughout transportation, weighing, pelletization, and installation to the instruments for chemical and isotope measurements. Our methods and tools can be applied to other small samples including meteorites, cosmic dust, and the future return samples.
Orthokeratology delays myopia progression, especially in 9-14 years old boys: a big data screening from Northeast China among children and adolescents
Authors: Yu Fei , Sun Shihong , Yong Xue , Chen Xi , Yu Liangliang , Yin Zhengqin
Published: July 2022

Purpose: To describe myopia trends in children and adolescents in Liaoning, China and investigate the association between different correction types and myopia progression among different age groups.Methods: We collected refraction and demographic data from 1 004 889 participants aged 3-22 years by two vision screenings (2019, 2020), and correction types among 5 200 individuals with “myopia and refractive error” aged 6-17 years, who were participated in these two screenings.Results: Myopia progression (D) was faster in individuals aged 9-11 years compared to 6-8, 12-14, and 15-17years (-0.93 ± 0.02 Vs. -0.74 ± 0.08 Vs. -0.75 ± 0.02 Vs. -0.36 ± 0.04, p < 0.05), and was faster in moderate myopia compared to mild or severe myopia (-0.96 ± 0.01 Vs. -0.65 ± 0.03 Vs. -0.54 ± 0.11, p < 0.05). Myopia progression was slower in individuals with orthokeratology compared to that of other corrections, including no correction, frame glasses and contact lens (-0.21 ± 0.10 Vs. -0.92 ± 0.03 Vs. -0.78 ± 0.03 Vs. -0.25 ± 0.14, p < 0.05). Orthokeratology significantly slowed down myopia progression in girls 9-11 years (adjusted β = -0.312; 95%CI: -0.420, -0.175), and 12-14 years old (adjusted β = -0.411; 95%CI: -0.782, -0.230), compared to uncorrected. Especially for boys aged 9-11 years (adjusted β = -0.368; 95%CI: -0.431, -0.346), and aged 12-14 years (adjusted β = -0.577; 95%CI: -0.800, -0.252), compared to uncorrected.Conclusions: Orthokeratology could slow down myopia progression, especially in 9-14 year-old boys.
Functional characterization of glycine oxidase from Bacillus licheniformis in Escherichia coli and transgenic plants
Authors: Han Hong-juan , Zhang FU-jian , Liang Guo-hua , Yao Quan-hong , Liu Qiao-quan
Published: July 2022

ObjectivesTo find glycine oxidase genes that can be applied to the breeding of glyphosate resistant crops.ResultsThe GO gene was chemically synthesized and transformed into glyphosate-sensitive Escherichia. coli (E.coli). The GO gene was transformed into Arabidopsis and Rice through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The test results confirmed that transgenic plants containing GO genes are more resistant to glyphosate than wild-type plants. On solid MS medium containing 200µM glyphosate, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana grew normally, while wild-type plants were stunted and root growth was restricted. In a solution containing 500 µM glyphosate, wild-type Rice showed severe yellowing, while transgenic Rice grew normally. In addition, when sprayed with 10mM glyphosate solution, wild-type rice withered and died, while transgenic rice grew well. The function of GO gene to glyphosate resistance and the application value of GO gene in the cultivation of glyphosate resistant crops are proved.Conclusions The glycine oxidase gene from Bacillus licheniformis enhances the resistance of E. coli, Arabidopsis and Rice to glyphosate.