bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Addition of hyaluronic acid to the FIB‐4 liver fibrosis score improves prediction of incident cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in type 2 diabetes: The Edinburgh Type 2 Diabetes Study
Authors: Grecian Sheila M. , McLachlan Stela , Fallowfield Jonathan A. , Hayes Peter C. , Guha Indra Neil , Morling Joanne R. , Glancy Stephen , Williamson Rachel M. , Reynolds Rebecca M. , Frier Brian M. , Zammitt Nicola N. , Price Jackie F. , Strachan Mark W. J.
Published: February 2021

Background

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with increased risk of progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in people with chronic liver diseases, particularly non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the absolute risk of progression is low. So, it is crucial to accurately identify patients who would benefit most from hepatology referral and intensified management. Current risk‐stratification tools are suboptimal and perform worse in people with diabetes.

Aims

To determine whether the addition of complementary biomarker(s) to current NAFLD risk‐stratification tools in people with T2D could improve the identification of people who are at increased risk of developing incident cirrhosis or HCC.

Methods

The Edinburgh Type 2 diabetes Study (ET2DS) is a cohort study of men and women with T2D (n = 1066, age 60–75 at baseline). Cases of cirrhosis and HCC were identified over 11 years of follow‐up. Biomarkers were measured at baseline and year 1 and association with incident disease was assessed using logistic regression.

Results

Of existing risk‐stratification scores tested, the Fibrosis‐4 (FIB‐4) index and the AST:platelet ratio index (APRI) performed best in this cohort. Addition of hyaluronic acid (cut‐point ≥ 50  g/L) to FIB‐4 (cut‐point ≥ 1.3) maintained a false negative rate of ≤25% and reduced the number of people incorrectly identified as “high risk” for incident disease by ∼50%.

Conclusions

The addition of hyaluronic acid to FIB‐4 reduced the proportion of people inappropriately identified as “high risk” for development of cirrhosis/HCC in a community population of otherwise asymptomatic people with T2D. These findings require a validation in independent cohorts.
A literature review of post‐treatment survivorship interventions for colorectal cancer survivors and/or their caregivers
Authors: Luo Xingjuan , Li Jieyu , Chen Meizhen , Gong Jiali , Xu Yongyong , Li Qiuping
Published: February 2021

Objective

Colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors have reported a number of concerns and unmet needs after treatment completion. This paper aims to explore existing survivorship interventions after CRC treatment according to the American Cancer Society CRC Survivorship Care Guidelines, to identify study gaps, and provide valuable evidence directing future research.

Methods

Five electronic databases, including CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases from 2005 to October 2020, were systematically searched to identify English or Chinese literature on CRC post‐treatment survivorship interventions. Manual searching through the articles' references lists was also conducted.

Results

Thirty studies met the criteria, and focused on addressing issues in four CRC Survivorship Care Guidelines domains. Several issues for CRC surveillance programmes remain to be explored. Regarding the long‐term physical and psychosocial effects of CRC treatment, we found mounting evidence for various interventions to solve ostomy issues and improve distress/depression/anxiety, strong evidence for exercise to improve fatigue, and limited evidence in addressing CRC patient sexual concerns. For health promotion, high‐quality evidence was found for exercises to improve cardiopulmonary fitness, metabolism, tumour‐related biomarkers, and short‐term improvement in physical fitness and QOL. Emerging evidence was found for a survivorship care plan to improve patient perceptions of care coordination.

Conclusions

Further refinements based on the existing evidence, and the development of comprehensive CRC survivorship care comprising multiple essential survivorship components, are required. Furthermore, considering both survivor and caregiver cancer survivorship needs, future research may optimise the care delivered, and help survivors and their families live better with cancer.
Positive and negative streamer propagation in volume dielectric barrier discharges with planar and porous electrodes
Authors: Zhang Quan‐Zhi , Zhang Li , Yang De‐Zheng , Schulze Julian , Wang You‐Nian , Bogaerts Annemie
Published: February 2021

The spatiotemporal dynamics of volume and surface positive and negative streamers in a pin‐to‐plate volume dielectric barrier discharge is investigated in this study. The discharge characteristics are found to be completely different for positive and negative streamers. First, the spatial propagation of a positive streamer is found to rely on electron avalanches caused by photoelectrons in front of the streamer head, whereas this is not the case for negative streamers. Second, our simulations reveal an interesting phenomenon of floating positive surface discharges, which develop when a positive streamer reaches a dielectric wall and which explain the experimentally observed branching characteristics. Third, we report for the first time, the interactions between a positive streamer and dielectric pores, in which both the pore diameter and depth affect the evolution of a positive streamer.
Nonstructural protein 7 and 8 complexes of SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Zhang Changhui , Li Li , He Jun , Chen Cheng , Su Dan
Published: February 2021

The pandemic outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) across the world has led to millions of infection cases and caused a global public health crisis. Current research suggests that SARS‐CoV‐2 is a highly contagious coronavirus that spreads rapidly through communities. To understand the mechanisms of viral replication, it is imperative to investigate coronavirus viral replicase, a huge protein complex comprising up to 16 viral nonstructural and associated host proteins, which is the most promising antiviral target for inhibiting viral genome replication and transcription. Recently, several components of the viral replicase complex in SARS‐CoV‐2 have been solved to provide a basis for the design of new antiviral therapeutics. Here, we report the crystal structure of the SARS‐CoV‐2 nsp7+8 tetramer, which comprises two copies of each protein representing nsp7's full‐length and the C‐terminus of nsp8 owing to N‐terminus proteolysis during the process of crystallization. We also identified a long helical extension and highly flexible N‐terminal domain of nsp8, which is preferred for interacting with single‐stranded nucleic acids.
Anti‐disturbance adaptive sampled‐data observers for a class of nonlinear systems with unknown hysteresis
Authors: Li Pengpeng , Shen Yanjun
Published: February 2021

In this article, based on radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) and disturbance estimator (DE), an adaptive sampled‐data observer design scheme is proposed for a class of nonlinear systems with unknown Prandtl–Ishlinskii (PI) hysteresis and unknown multiple disturbances. To begin with, we investigate a class of sampled‐data nonlinear systems and present corresponding sufficient conditions ensuring ultimate uniform boundedness (UUB). Subsequently, a sampled‐data observer and a DE are designed to estimate the unknown states and compounded disturbances, respectively. Additionally, the unknown hysteresis and the unknown unmatched disturbances are approximated by RBFNNs. Meanwhile, we also give the learning laws of the weights of RBFNNs. The estimation errors of the states and the weights are verified to be UUB in the light of the obtained sufficient conditions and a special constructing Lyapunov–Krasovskii function. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed design method is verified by numerical simulations.
Sphagnum Inspired g‐C3N4 Nano/Microspheres with Smaller Bandgap in Heterojunction Membranes for Sunlight‐Driven Water Purification
Authors: Ji Lingtong , Yan Luke , Chao Min , Li Mengru , Gu Jincui , Lei Miao , Zhang Yanmei , Wang Xun , Xia Junyuan , Chen Tianyu , Nie Yujing , Chen Tao
Published: February 2021

Membrane separation is recognized as one of the most effective strategies to treat the complicated wastewater system for economic development. However, serious membrane fouling has restricted its further application. Inspired by sphagnum, a 0D/2D heterojunction composite membrane is engineered by depositing graphitic carbon nitride nano/microspheres (CNMS) with plentiful wrinkles onto the polyacrylic acid functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs‐PAA) membrane through hydrogen bond force. Through coupling unique structure and chemistry properties, the CNTs‐PAA/CNMS heterojunction membrane presents superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity. Furthermore, thanks to the J‐type aggregates during the solvothermal process, it is provided with a smaller bandgap (1.77 eV) than the traditional graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) sheets‐based membranes (2.4–2.8 eV). This feature endows the CNTs‐PAA/CNMS membrane with superior visible‐light‐driven self‐cleaning ability, which can maintain its excellent emulsion separation (with a maximum flux of 5557 ± 331 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 and an efficiency of 98.5 ± 0.6%), photocatalytic degradation (with an efficiency of 99.7 ± 0.2%), and antibacterial (with an efficiency of ≈100%) ability even after cyclic experimental processes. The excellent self‐cleaning performance of this all‐in‐one membrane represents its potential value for water purification.
Automated visual classification of DOM‐based presentation failure reports for responsive web pages
Authors: Althomali Ibrahim , Kapfhammer Gregory M. , McMinn Phil
Published: February 2021

Since it is common for the users of a web page to access it through a wide variety of devices—including desktops, laptops, tablets and phones—web developers rely on responsive web design (RWD) principles and frameworks to create sites that are useful on all devices. A correctly implemented responsive web page adjusts its layout according to the viewport width of the device in use, thereby ensuring that its design suitably features the content. Since the use of complex RWD frameworks often leads to web pages with hard‐to‐detect responsive layout failures (RLFs), developers employ testing tools that generate reports of potential RLFs. Since testing tools for responsive web pages, like ReDeCheck, analyse a web page representation called the Document Object Model (DOM), they may inadvertently flag concerns that are not human visible, thereby requiring developers to manually confirm and classify each potential RLF as a true positive (TP), false positive (FP), or non‐observable issue (NOI)—a process that is time consuming and error prone. The conference version of this paper presented Viser, a tool that automatically classified three types of RLFs reported by ReDeCheck. Since Viser was not designed to automatically confirm and classify two types of RLFs that ReDeCheck's DOM‐based analysis could surface, this paper introduces Verve, a tool that automatically classifies all RLF types reported by ReDeCheck. Along with manipulating the opacity of HTML elements in a web page, as does Viser, the Verve tool also uses histogram‐based image comparison to classify RLFs in web pages. Incorporating both the 25 web pages used in prior experiments and 20 new pages not previously considered, this paper's empirical study reveals that Verve's classification of all five types of RLFs frequently agrees with classifications produced manually by humans. The experiments also reveal that Verve took on average about 4 s to classify any of the RLFs among the 469 reported by ReDeCheck. Since this paper demonstrates that classifying an RLF as a TP, FP, or NOI with Verve, a publicly available tool, is less subjective and error prone than the same manual process done by a human web developer, we argue that it is well‐suited for supporting the testing of complex responsive web pages.
Management of Impacted Canines
Authors: Varghese George
Published: February 2021

Impacted canines are one of the common problems encountered by the oral surgeon. Patients may present at different ages and many cases will be incidental findings. Close interaction with the paedodontist and orthodontist is required to get an optimal outcome. Surgical removal may not be the best treatment in all the cases and particular treatment plan will have to be tailored for the needs of the patient. Localizing the impacted canine seems not a challenge any more with the advent of CBCT, in indicated cases. This chapter elaborates on canine impaction, keeping in mind the basic principles mentioned in the chapter on third molar impactions. Premolars, incisors and other teeth may be impacted but most of the surgical principles and approaches mentioned for canine can be applied to them as well.
Odontogenic Infections: General Principles
Authors: Shukla Anand , Mehrotra Divya
Published: February 2021

When the host defense mechanism is low, a highly virulent pathogen from a decayed tooth, either through a periapical or periodontal route, may get an environment that favours it growth, leading to odontogenic infection that follows the path of least resistance. Such an infection may spread locally into various facial spaces or may present systemic involvement, leading to mild, moderate or severe infection. Management of such infection involves assessment of the cause, severity, hosts immune response, removal of the cause, surgical intervention including drainage along with pharmacotherapeutics and regular follow ups till it is completely resolved.
Fracture of the Mandibular Condyle
Authors: Dhupar Vikas
Published: February 2021

Condylar fractures of the mandible have intrigued surgeons for decades. This is because of many reasons which have ranged from difficulty in evaluating to managing condylar fractures which have always courted controversies. There has been an attempt to classify condylar fractures from the mid nineteenth century. During early times most of the classifications were focused on purpose of locating the fracture rather than on treatment. As radiological imagery evolved condylar fractures are better understood and have resulted in a different approach to their management. This resulted in a change of classification systems which are focused on management. At the same time a better understanding of the various approaches to the condylar region along with the improvement of armamentarium has resulted in the shift of management of condylar fractures which at one time was closed to open reduction and fixation. In this chapter the focus is on various classifications systems, evaluation of the patient, management and outcome with various modalities of treatment.
Temporomandibular Joint Ankylosis
Authors: Anchlia Sonal
Published: February 2021

The purpose of this chapter is to inculcate a newer, deeper understanding of TMJ Ankylosis– both from the pathological as well as the clinical view point. Newer classifications may now determine surgical procedures. Interpositional materials may not be just soft tissues interposed between the cut ends, but also hard tissues forming the new Ramus Condyle Unit (RCU). Facial deformity may be recognized to be as important as inability to open the mouth; more so, if accompanied by Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Multi-staged treatment plans of release first followed by asymmetry correction may be replaced by single staged joint replacement & total facial aesthetic as well as functional rehabilitation. Finally, the importance of unfavorable events in TMJ Ankylosis surgery may be recognized, which would lead to better results in terms of treatment goals, i.e. to restore joint function, improve facial appearance & airway issues, correct malocclusion & re-establish harmony between the TMJ, the face and the teeth.
Principles of Surgical Management of Oral Cancer
Authors: Mehta Sushma , Kuriakose Moni Abraham
Published: February 2021

Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC), is a heterogenous disease with respect to risk factors, geographic predelictions, treatment response and outcome. Although non-surgical treatment is employed in other head and neck sub-sites, surgery is the primary treatment modality to treat oral cancers followed by adjuvant treatment either in the form of radiation or chemoradiation based on the risk features on final histopathology. It is utmost importance that all the patients before undergo treatment are discussed and treatment plan is formulated in a multidisciplinary tumor board. This chapter intent to elaborate the basic surgical principles involved in management of different sub-sites of oral cavity as well as reconstruction of the defects.
Specificity of mRNA Folding and Its Association with Evolutionarily Adaptive mRNA Secondary Structures
Authors: Yu Gongwang , Zhu Hanbing , Chen Xiaoshu , Yang Jian-Rong
Published: February 2021

The secondary structure is a fundamental feature of both non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs). However, our understanding of the secondary structures of mRNAs, especially those of the coding regions, remains elusive, likely due to translation and the lack of RNA-binding proteins that sustain the consensus structure like those binding to ncRNAs. Indeed, mRNAs have recently been found to adopt diverse alternative structures, but the overall functional significance remains untested. We hereby approach this problem by estimating the folding specificity, i.e., the probability that a fragment of an mRNA folds back to the same partner once refolded. We show that the folding specificity of mRNAs is lower than that of ncRNAs and exhibits moderate evolutionary conservation. Notably, we find that specific rather than alternative folding is likely evolutionarily adaptive since specific folding is frequently associated with functionally important genes or sites within a gene. Additional analysis in combination with ribosome density suggests the ability to modulate ribosome movement as one potential functional advantage provided by specific folding. Our findings reveal a novel facet of the RNA structurome with important functional and evolutionary implications and indicate a potential method for distinguishing the mRNA secondary structures maintained by natural selection from molecular noise.
Classification of the Gut Microbiota of Patients in Intensive Care Units During Development of Sepsis and Septic Shock
Authors: Liu Wanglin , Cheng Mingyue , Li Jinman , Zhang Peng , Fan Hang , Hu Qinghe , Han Maozhen , Su Longxiang , He Huaiwu , Tong Yigang , Ning Kang , Long Yun
Published: February 2021

The gut microbiota of intensive care unit (ICU) patients displays extreme dysbiosis associated with increased susceptibility to organ failure, sepsis, and septic shock. However, such dysbiosis is difficult to characterize owing to the high dimensional complexity of the gut microbiota. We tested whether the concept of enterotype can be applied to the gut microbiota of ICU patients to describe the dysbiosis. We collected 131 fecal samples from 64 ICU patients diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock and performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing to dissect their gut microbiota compositions. During the development of sepsis or septic shock and during various medical treatments, the ICU patients always exhibited two dysbiotic microbiota patterns, or ICU-enterotypes, which could not be explained by host properties such as age, sex, and body mass index, or external stressors such as infection site and antibiotic use. ICU-enterotype I (ICU E1) comprised predominantly Bacteroides and an unclassified genus of Enterobacteriaceae, while ICU-enterotype II (ICU E2) comprised predominantly Enterococcus. Among more critically ill patients with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores > 18, septic shock was more likely to occur with ICU E1 (P = 0.041). Additionally, ICU E1 was correlated with high serum lactate levels (P = 0.007). Therefore, different patterns of dysbiosis were correlated with different clinical outcomes, suggesting that ICU-enterotypes should be diagnosed as independent clinical indices. Thus, the microbial-based human index classifier we propose is precise and effective for timely monitoring of ICU-enterotypes of individual patients. This work is a first step toward precision medicine for septic patients based on their gut microbiota profiles.
Screening of Potential Biomarkers for Gastric Cancer with Diagnostic Value Using Label-Free Global Proteome Analysis
Authors: Song Yongxi , Wang Jun , Sun Jingxu , Chen Xiaowan , Shi Jinxin , Wu Zhonghua , Yu Dehao , Zhang Fei , Wang Zhenning
Published: February 2021

Gastric cancer (GC) is known as a top malignant type of tumors worldwide. Despite the recent decrease in mortality rates, the prognosis remains poor. Therefore, it is necessary to find novel biomarkers with early diagnostic value for GC. In this study, we present a large-scale proteomic analysis of 30 GC tissues and 30 matched healthy tissues using label-free global proteome profiling. Our results identified 537 differentially expressed proteins, including 280 upregulated and 257 downregulated proteins. The ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) results indicated that the sirtuin signaling pathway was the most activated pathway in GC tissues whereas oxidative phosphorylation was the most inhibited. Moreover, the most activated molecular function was cellular movement, including tissue invasion by tumor cell lines. Based on IPA results, 15 hub proteins were screened. Using the receiver operating characteristic curve, most of hub proteins showed a high diagnostic power in distinguishing between tumors and healthy controls. A four-protein (ATP5B-ATP5O-NDUFB4-NDUFB8) diagnostic signature was built using a random forest model. The area under the curve (AUC) values of this model were 0.996 and 0.886 for the training and testing sets, respectively, suggesting that the four-protein signature has a high diagnostic power. This signature was further tested with independent datasets using plasma enzyme-linked immune sorbent assays, resulting in an AUC value of 0.778 for distinguishing GC tissues from healthy controls, and using immunohistochemical tissue microarray analysis, resulting in an AUC value of 0.805. In conclusion, this study identifies potential biomarkers and improves our understanding of the pathogenesis, providing novel therapeutic targets for GC.
Phosphoproteomics Reveals the AMPK Substrate Network in Response to DNA Damage and Histone Acetylation
Authors: Jiang Yuejing , Cong Xiaoji , Jiang Shangwen , Dong Ying , Zhao Lei , Zang Yi , Tan Minjia , Li Jia
Published: February 2021

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a conserved energy sensor that plays roles in diverse biological processes via phosphorylating various substrates. Emerging studies have demonstrated the regulatory roles of AMPK in DNA repair, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully understood. Herein, using mass spectrometry-based proteomic technologies, we systematically investigate the regulatory network of AMPK in DNA damage response (DDR). Our system-wide phosphoproteome study uncovers a variety of newly-identified potential substrates involved in diverse biological processes, whereas our system-wide histone modification analysis reveals a link between AMPK and histone acetylation. Together with these findings, we discover that AMPK promotes apoptosis by phosphorylating apoptosis-stimulating of p53 protein 2 (ASPP2) in an irradiation (IR)-dependent manner and regulates histone acetylation by phosphorylating histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) in an IR-independent manner. Besides, we reveal that disrupting the histone acetylation by the bromodomain BRD4 inhibitor JQ-1 enhances the sensitivity of AMPK-deficient cells to IR. Therefore, our study has provided a resource to investigate the interplay between phosphorylation and histone acetylation underlying the regulatory network of AMPK, which could be beneficial to understand the exact role of AMPK in DDR.
The long-term bio-behavioural effects of juvenile sildenafil treatment in Sprague-Dawley versus flinders sensitive line rats
Authors: Saayman Juandré Lambertus Bernardus , Steyn Stephanus Frederik , Brink Christiaan Beyers
Published: February 2021

Objective:

To investigate the long-term effects of juvenile sub-chronic sildenafil (SIL) treatment on the depressive-like behaviour and hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels of adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) versus Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats.

Methods:

SD and FSL rats were divided into pre-pubertal and pubertal groups, whereafter 14-day saline or SIL treatment was initiated. Pre-pubertal and pubertal rats were treated from postnatal day 21 (PND21) and PND35, respectively. The open field and forced swim tests (FST) were performed on PND60, followed by hippocampal BDNF level analysis 1 day later.

Results:

FSL rats displayed greater immobility in the FST compared to SD rats (p < 0.0001), which was reduced by SIL (p < 0.0001), regardless of treatment period. Hippocampal BDNF levels were unaltered by SIL in all treatment groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Juvenile sub-chronic SIL treatment reduces the risk of depressive-like behaviour manifesting during young adulthood in genetically susceptible rats.
The British Academy Brian Barry Prize EssayWhy Is There No Just Riot Theory?
Authors: Havercroft Jonathan
Published: February 2021

Given the prevalence of riots throughout human history, the lack of normative theorizing about them compared to other forms of political violence is striking. The author hypothesizes that this is due to riots' extra-institutionality. Riots areextra-publicbecause they involve the participation of crowds, rather than institutionalized groups such as parties or social movements. They areextra-statebecause they violate the state's monopoly on violence. Riots areextra-legalbecause they constitute a form of unlawful assembly. They are alsoextra-parliamentarybecause they operate outside the normal legislative process. This article considers justifiable reasons to resist each of these foundational institutions, and proposes provisional criteria for a justifiable riot. The author concludes by urging political theorists to further examine the normative dimension of riots.
Yield gap in milk production is considerable in Indian Himalayan state of Meghalaya
Authors: Kemboi Evans , Feroze S. M. , Singh Ram , Ahmed Jabir , Tyngkan Hehlangki
Published: February 2021

Yield gaps in milk production are here defined as the differentials between the actual yield obtained by the dairy farmer and the potential farm yield (production achieved by the top 10% of farmers: Gap 2) as well as the differential between this potential farm yield and the yield registered in the research stations (Gap 1). Assessment of yield gaps provides valuable information on potential production enhancement and drivers behind yield gaps. Milk production can be increased by narrowing the predominant large yield gaps in resource-poor smallholder farming system. Hence, this study assessed the milk yield gap and factors affecting the yield gap in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya, a state located in the north-eastern Himalayan region of India. This research paper provides a scope for exploring the possibilities for improving dairy production in the state as well as contributing to literature through incorporating crucial determinants responsible for milk yield gap. A sample of 81 respondents was drawn purposely from two blocks of the district. The results indicated that the average number of cattle per household was 9.38 in standard animal units. The total yield gap was estimated at 6.20 l (91.06%) per day, composed of 0.80 l (11.76%) per day of yield gap I and 5.40 l (79.30%) per day of yield gap II. This demonstrates that the top performing farms were achieving a production level not dissimilar to that obtained on the research stations, but many were doing far less well. The size of cattle shed, dairy farming experience, concentrate price and human labour were the important determinants of the yield gap. Hence, encouraging the right stocking density of cattle, training on the preparations of home-made concentrates, access to cheap and quality concentrates, incorporating training and experience sharing on proper dairy management practices and use of technology could benefit the dairy farmers of the region.
Reversibility of mucociliary clearance and olfaction impairment following endoscopic sinus surgery: a prospective observational study
Authors: Hema V , Rebekah G , Kurien R
Published: February 2021

Objective

Chronic rhinosinusitis is associated with altered mucociliary clearance and olfaction. The study aimed to analyse the reversibility of impairment and endoscopic factors predicting changes in mucociliary clearance and olfactory parameters.

Methods

This prospective study included patients undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery for medically refractory chronic rhinosinusitis. Pre- and post-operative measurements of mucociliary clearance, olfactory thresholds, and identification scores were recorded.

Results

Of the 96 patients, 65.6 per cent had polyposis and 80.2 per cent underwent primary surgery. Improvements in mucociliary clearance and olfaction scores were seen in all patients, with greater reversibility of impairment in patients with polyposis and in those who underwent revision surgery. The presence of polyps correlated significantly with changes in mucociliary clearance and olfaction.

Conclusion

The study highlights improvements in mucociliary clearance, olfactory thresholds and identification scores after functional endoscopic sinus surgery in chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyposis, as well as for primary and revision surgeries. Adequate post-operative care and prevention of polyps recurrence help to improve mucociliary clearance and olfaction scores.
Development of a low-cost copro-LAMP assay for simultaneous copro-detection of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati
Authors: Avila Héctor Gabriel , Risso Marikena Guadalupe , Ruybal Paula , Repetto Silvia Analía , Butti Marcos Javier , Trangoni Marcos David , Grune Löffler Sylvia , Pérez Verónica Mirtha , Periago María Victoria
Published: February 2021

Toxocariasis is a zoonotic disease caused mainly by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati and diagnosis in dogs and cats is an important tool for its control. For this reason, a new coprological loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for the simultaneous detection of these species. The primer set was designed on a region of the mitochondrial cox-1 gene. Amplification conditions were evaluated using a temperature gradient (52°C to 68°C), different incubation times (15–120 min), and different concentrations of malachite green dye (0.004–0.4% w/v). The analytical sensitivity was evaluated with serial dilutions of genomic DNA from T. canis and T. cati adult worms, and with serial dilutions of DNA extracted from feces using a low-cost in-house method. The specificity was evaluated using genomic DNA from Canis lupus familiaris, Felis catus, Escherichia coli, Toxascaris leonina, Ancylostoma caninum, Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto and Taenia hydatigena. The LAMP assay applied to environmental fecal samples from an endemic area showed an analytical sensitivity of 10–100 fg of genomic DNA and 10−5 serial dilutions of DNA extracted from feces using the low-cost in-house method; with a specificity of 100%. Additionally, the total development of the assay was carried out in a basic laboratory and per-reaction reagent cost decreased by ~80%. This new, low-cost tool can help identify the most common agents of toxocariasis in endemic areas in order to manage prevention strategies without having to rely on a laboratory with sophisticated equipment.
Zoroastrian law and the spread of Islam in Iranian society (ninth–tenth century)
Authors: Sahner Christian C.
Published: February 2021

This article explores three important Zoroastrian legal texts from the ʿAbbasid period, consisting of questions and answers to high-ranking priests. The texts contain a wellspring of information about the social history of Zoroastrianism under Islamic rule, especially the formative encounter between Zoroastrians and Muslims. These include matters such as conversion, apostasy, sexual relations with outsiders, inheritance, commerce, and the economic status of priests. The article argues that the elite clergy responsible for writing these texts used law to refashion the Zoroastrian community from the rulers of Iran, as they had been in Late Antiquity, into one of a variety ofdhimmīgroups living under Islamic rule. It also argues that, far from being brittle or inflexible, the priests responded to the challenges of the day with creativity and pragmatism. On both counts, there are strong parallels between the experiences of Zoroastrians and those of Christians and Jews, who also turned to law as an instrument for rethinking their place in the new Islamic cosmos. Finally, the article makes a methodological point, namely to show the importance of integrating Pahlavi sources into wider histories of Iran and the Middle East during the early Islamic period.
Socio-demographic and behavioural factors associated with status change of sleep quality and duration among Chinese older adults
Authors: Lee Yen-Han , Chang Yen-Chang , Chang Po-Ju , Shelley Mack
Published: February 2021

China has faced challenges related to the rapid growth of its ageing population, and sleep is one of the public health challenges to this demographic group. This study examines the socio-demographic and behavioural factors associated with status change of sleeping patterns among Chinese older adults, using longitudinal data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Socio-demographic factors were selected from the 2012 wave of the CLHLS to examine the sleep status change in the 2014 wave. Multivariable logistic and multinomial regressions were used to study older adults’ changes of sleep quality and daily sleep duration. Older adults, 65 years old or above, were selected as study participants. A higher level of education was negatively associated with poor sleep quality and longer sleep duration (>8 hours). Increasing age was positively associated with both shorter and longer sleep duration. Being female was negatively associated with longer sleep duration. However, exercise status, smoking behaviour and alcohol use all were neither positively nor negatively associated with status change of sleeping patterns. Participants’ education, age and gender might be important factors associated with sleep status change. However, the effects of behavioural factors should be studied further. Policy implications and further research directions are discussed based on empirical results.
Ecological Adaptation in Montana: Timon of Athens to Timon of Anaconda
Authors: Minton Gretchen E.
Published: February 2021

In this article Gretchen E. Minton describes her adaptation of William Shakespeare and Thomas Middleton’s 1606 play Timon of Athens. This adaptation, called Timon of Anaconda, focuses on the environmental legacy of Butte, Montana, a mining city that grew quickly, flourished, fell into recession, and then found itself labelled the largest Superfund clean-up site in the United States. Timon of Anaconda envisions Timon as a wealthy mining mogul whose loss of fortunes and friends echoes the boom-and-bust economy of Butte. The original play’s language about the poisoning of nature and the troubled relationship between the human and more-than-human worlds is amplified and adjusted in Timon of Anaconda in order to reflect upon ongoing environmental concerns in Montana. Minton explains the ecodramaturgical aims, site-specific locations, and directorial decisions of this adaptation’s performances, which took place in September 2019. Gretchen E. Minton is Professor of English at Montana State University, Bozeman. She has edited several early modern plays, including Timon of Athens, Troilus and Cressida, Twelfth Night, and The Revenger’s Tragedy. She is the dramaturg for Montana Shakespeare in the Parks and Bozeman Actors Theatre, and her directorial projects include A Doll’s House (2019), Timon of Anaconda (2019–20), and Shakespeare’s Walking Story (2020).
Crystal structure of tezacaftor Form A, C26H27F3N2O6
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Gindhart Amy M. , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: February 2021

The crystal structure of tezacaftor Form A has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional techniques. Tezacaftor Form A crystallizes in space group C2 (#5) with a = 21.05142(6), b = 6.60851(2), c = 17.76032(5) Å, β = 95.8255(2)°, V = 2458.027(7) Å3, and Z = 4. The crystal structure is dominated by van der Waals interactions. O–H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the molecules in chains along the b-axis, and there are a variety of C–H⋯O hydrogen bonds, both intra- and intermolecular. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD® for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).
Diagnostic value of using a combination of nucleic acid and specific antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2 in coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Zhao Kaochang , Ai Li , Zhao Yang , Wang Tao , Zheng Zhishui , Zeng Shaolin , Ding Xuhong , Hu Suping , Nie Hanxiang
Published: February 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerged disease with various clinical manifestations and imaging features. The diagnosis of COVID-19 depends on a positive nucleic acid amplification test by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, the clinical manifestations and imaging features of COVID-19 are non-specific, and nucleic acid test for SARS-CoV-2 can have false-negative results. It is presently believed that detection of specific antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 is an effective screening and diagnostic indicator for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, a combination of nucleic acid and specific antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2 will be more effective to diagnose COVID-19, especially to exclude suspected cases.
User fees removal and community-based management of undernutrition in Burkina Faso: what effects on children’s nutritional status?
Authors: Zombré David Y , De Allegri Manuela , Ridde Valéry , Zinszer Kate
Published: February 2021

Objective:

To examine the effect of an intervention combining user fees removal with community-based management of undernutrition on the nutrition status in children under 5 years of age in Burkina Faso.

Design:

The study was a non-equivalent control group post-test-only design based on household survey data collected 4 years after the intervention onset in the intervention and comparison districts. Additionally, we used propensity score weighting to achieve balance on covariates between the two districts, followed by logistic multilevel modelling.

Setting:

Two health districts in the Sahel region.

Participants:

Totally, 1116 children under 5 years of age residing in 41 intervention communities and 1305 from 51 control communities.

Results:

When comparing children living in the intervention district to children living in a non-intervention district, we determined no differences in terms of stunting (OR = 1·13; 95 % CI 0·83, 1·54) and wasting (OR = 1·21; 95 % CI 0·90, 1·64), nor in severely wasted (OR = 1·27; 95 % CI 0·79, 2·04) and severely stunted (OR = 0·99; 95 % CI 0·76, 1·26). However, we determined that 3 % of the variance of wasting (95 % CI 1·25, 10·42) and 9·4 % of the variance of stunting (95 % CI 6·45, 13·38) were due to systematic differences between communities of residence. The presence of the intervention in the communities explained 2 % of the community-level variance of stunting and 3 % of the community-level variance of wasting.

Conclusions:

With the scaling-up of the national free health policy in Africa, we stress the need for rigorous evaluations and the means to measure expected changes in order to better inform health interventions.
Assessment of diversity in tropical soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) varieties and elite breeding lines using single nucleotide polymorphism markers
Authors: Abebe Abush Tesfaye , Kolawole Adesike Oladoyin , Unachukwu Nnanna , Chigeza Godfree , Tefera Hailu , Gedil Melaku
Published: February 2021

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an important legume crop with high commercial value widely cultivated globally. Thus, the genetic characterization of the existing soybean germplasm will provide useful information for enhanced conservation, improvement and future utilization. This study aimed to assess the extent of genetic diversity of soybean elite breeding lines and varieties developed by the soybean breeding programme of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria. The genetic diversity of 65 soybean genotypes was studied using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The result revealed that 2446 alleles were detected, and the indicators for allelic richness and diversity had good differentiating power in assessing the diversity of the genotypes. The three complementary approaches used in the study grouped the germplasm into three major clusters based on genetic relatedness. The analysis of molecular variance revealed that 71% (P < 0.001) variation was due to among individual genotypes, while 11% (P < 0.001) was ascribed to differences among the three clusters, and the fixation index (FST) was 0.11 for the SNP loci, signifying moderate genetic differentiation among the genotypes. The identified private alleles indicate that the soybean germplasm contains diverse variability that is yet to be exploited. The SNP markers revealed high diversity in the studied germplasm and found to be efficient for assessing genetic diversity in the crop. These results provide valuable information that might be utilized for assessing the genetic variability of soybean and other legume crops germplasm by breeding programmes.
The use of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in addressing family accommodation (FA) for child anxiety
Authors: Byrne Gary
Published: February 2021

Many parents of children with anxiety tend to engage in varying levels of family accommodation (FA) in order to alleviate anxiety symptoms. This can exacerbate anxiety symptoms and have adverse effects for psychological treatments. A small number of general and specific interventions have been developed for FA but treatment research is at a nascent stage. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) may be an effective treatment for FA. This article reviews the potential advantages and uses of ACT and how ACT’s six core processes can help target particular features of FA. The theoretical support for ACT is reviewed relevant to FA. The article concludes by conjecturing how ACT may be a useful and adaptive treatment in targeting FA.

Key learning aims

(1)

To understand how FA impacts on child anxiety.

(2)

To help provide an overview of how ACT may be a relevant treatment in addressing FA.

(3)

To look at how each of the six core processes may address specific components of FA.
Muslim Fashion: Challenging Transregional Connectivities between Malaysia and the Arabian Peninsula
Authors: Thimm Viola
Published: February 2021

In Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country in Southeast Asia, a dynamic market for Muslim fashion has evolved over the past decade, especially concerning theabaya, a female Muslim dress. Malay Malaysian designers, producers and consumers focus on this garment because it represents a style of female Islamic clothing that is perceived as ‘authentic’. Theabayaoriginates from the Arabian Peninsula and is generally worn by Arabic Muslim women with asyariah-compliant design that is commonly simple, loose and opaque. Embedded into the broader marketising processes of ahalalindustry in Malaysia, Malay women started to adopt this material object and transformed it into a distinct expression of Malaysian Muslim style. The originalabayathat follows Islamic rules became a colourful and decorated dress. This transformative process is not only an expression of variation in fashion and style but profoundly transcends powerful social, placial and spatial orders within the Muslim world. The Malaysian fashion market forabayas is embedded in wider dynamics of sacred landscaping in which the Arabian Peninsula is considered to be the ‘centre of Islam’ while Malaysia is positioned and positions itself at the margins. However, Malay Malaysian social actors have shifted this constellation towards a Malaysia that has pushed itself to the forefront of a commercialising Islam through the development of the related Muslim fashion market, among other things. Thus, within a Muslim world order, transregional connections lead to an entangled web of meaning-making regarding power structures, Islamic principles and social practices.
Green tea and green tea extract in oncological treatment: A systematic review
Authors: Wiese Fanny , Kutschan Sabine , Doerfler Jennifer , Mathies Viktoria , Buentzel Jens , Buentzel Judith , Huebner Jutta
Published: February 2021

Abstract. Purpose: Teas are an essential part of traditional phytotherapy. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the clinical evidence using green tea catechins in cancer care. Methods: A systematic search was conducted searching five electronic databases concerning the effectiveness and risks of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on cancer patients. Results: Seven studies with 371 patients were included. Patients were mainly suffering from breast and prostate cancer. Dosing ranged from 28 mg to 1600 mg EGCG, intervention time from 7 days to 6 months with different applications (topical 2 studies; oral 5 studies). The studies showed heterogeneous methodological quality and results leading not to conduct a meta-analysis. There was a small decrease in prostate-specific-antigen levels in one study (N=60; T0:(mean±SD) 9.6±5.2 ng/ml, T1: 8.4±4.3 ng/ml vs. T0: 9.9±8.5 ng/ml, T1: 10.0±9.0 ng/ml; p=0.04), whereas in a second study only a trend was seen. Topical green tea was as effective as metronidazole powder in reducing the odor of fungating malignant wounds (1 study; N=30) with a consequent increase in quality of life (QoL) (p<0.001), improvement of appetite (p<0.001), malodorous control (p<0.001), social activities (p<0.001). Radiotherapy-induced diarrhea was lower in the green tea intervention group compared to placebo (1 study; N=42; week 4+5: without diarrhea p=0.002). Conclusions: The studies suggest that EGCG is as effective as a local antibiotic in malodorous control and improvement of QoL of fungating malignant wounds. Green tea could be a possible complementary method for treating acute radiation-induced diarrhea. Due to limitations, further studies with higher methodological quality and larger sample sizes are needed.