bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Let-7c on the Processing of Hepatitis B Virus Associated Liver Diseases
Authors: Zhang Like , Jiang Xia , Wang Guiqi , Kanda Tatsuo , Yokosuka Osamu , Zhai Congjie , Zhang Lei , Liu Peng , Zhao Zengren
Published: April 2022

Background
The most common type of cancer of the digestive system is hepatocellular carcinoma. In China, many patients harbour HBV. The lin28B/Let-7c/MYC axis is associated with the occurrence of many cancers. Therefore, we aimed to illuminate the function of the lin28B/Let-7c/MYC axis in hepatocellular carcinoma. We aimed to evaluate the critical involvement of lin28B and Let-7c in the carcinogenesis of human hepatocellular carcinoma (B-HCC).
Methods
Data from the GEO database were used to analyse differentially expressed genes and IRGs. A protein − protein interaction (PPI) network and Venn diagram were generated to analyse relationships. Real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting, and cell counting kit-8 assays were used to examine the association of lin28B, Let-7c, and MYC with cell proliferation.
Results
A total of 2552 functionally annotated differentially expressed RNAs were analysed in HBV patients from the GSE135860 database. In addition, 46 let-7c target genes were screened in HBV patients, and the interactions were analysed through PPI network analysis. The results confirmed that Let-7c and its target genes play a key role in HBV-related diseases. Next, we discovered a gradual decrease in Let-7c expression during the progression from HBV-associated chronic hepatitis (B-CH) and HBV-associated liver cirrhosis (B-LC) to B-HCC. We found evidence for a negative association between lin28B expression and Let-7c expression. The expression of MYC was obviously upregulated when Let-7c was inhibited.
Conclusion
Our results highlight that Let-7c and lin28B participate in the carcinogenesis of HBV-associated diseases through the lin28B/Let-7c/MYC axis.
Accurate Neural Network Classification Model for Schizophrenia Disease Based on Electroencephalogram Data
Authors: Luján Miguel Ángel , Sotos Jorge Mateo , Santos José L. , Borja Alejandro L.
Published: April 2022

Electroencephalogram is a useful interface system that translates the human electrical brain activity into voltage signals. By these means, the recorded brain waves can be employed to characterize, classify, or diagnose mental disorders. A novel neural network model to classify patients with schizophrenia based on electroencephalograms is presented. The proposed model decomposes the multichannel electroencephalogram records into a group of multivariate novel radial basis functions using a fuzzy means algorithm. The decomposition permits to extract different electroencephalogram channel information and distinguish between two sort of classes i.e., schizophrenic patients and healthy controls. Results show improved accuracy compared to classical algorithms reported in the literature i.e., Support Vector Machine, Bayesian Linear Discriminant Analysis, Gaussian Naive Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbour or Adaboost. As a result, the method presented in this paper achieves the highest balanced accuracy, recall, precision and F1 score values, close to 93 % in all cases. The model presented in this paper may be integrated in real time tools involved during the diagnostic of schizophrenia.
Electrochemical determination of 4-bromophenoxyacetic acid based on eGr/CeO2 composite
Authors: Du Haijun , Zhang Yan , Wang Xin , Hu Huali , Ai Jixing , Zhou Huanxi , Yang Yang
Published: April 2022

Plant growth regulators determination is of great importance for crops quality monitoring. In this work, 4-bromophenoxyacetic acid (4-BPA), one of the phenoxyacetic acid, is detected via electrochemical method for the first time. eGr/CeO2 composite was constructed for the sensing materials due to the synergistic effect of excellent catalytic active sites of CeO2 and good electron transference of electrochemical exfoliated graphene (eGr). The designed eGr/CeO2 sensor has the active surface area of 0.097cm2 and the roughness factor of 2.425. The eGr/CeO2 sensor displayed a good linearity in a wide range from 0.3 to 150 µmol/L and the lowest detection limit is 0.06 µmol/L for 4-BPA detection. Electrochemical determination for 4-BPA is following a diffusion-controlled process on eGr/CeO2 electrode, which involves 2e in the transference processes. This developed eGr/CeO2 sensor has excellent stability with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.35% in 10 continuous measurements, and good reproducibility with RSD of 3.6% in six replicated measurements. Moreover, the recoveries are in the range of 90% − 108% for detecting the 4-BPA in apple juice. The proposed eGr/CeO2 sensor shows a great potential for plant growth regulators detecting in corps.
Evaluation of the Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in the prediction of systemic infection in normal newborns in Lubumbashi: Cross-sectional study.
Authors: Assumani Amir Yuma N’Simbo , Nkodila Aliocha Natuhoyila , Gini Jean Lambert Ehungu , Wakamb Gray Kateng A , Mutoba Gauthier Kasansaika , Sangwa Kasim N’simbo , Ngongo Maguy Omoy , Wembonyama Stanislas Okitosho , Luboya Oscar Numbi
Published: April 2022

Background and Purpose: Despite progress in the surveillance of newborns in hospitals around the world in general and the country in particular, systemic infection remains a major concern. The purpose of this study to assess the ability of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to predict systemic infection in newborns in clinics in Lubumbashi.Methods: Cross-sectional and analytical study that included 430 normal newborns in 25 medical facilities in the city of Lubumbashi, chosen in a simple random manner during the period from November 2015 to December 2017. The clinical and biological characteristics of newborns were studied. Results: out of 430 children who performed a complete blood count, 106 had an NLR> 3, a frequency of systemic infection of 24.7%. The mean values ​​of neutrophils, lymphocytes, esosinophils, basophils monocytes were significantly higher in patients with an NLR> 3. Mean RNL values ​​were 2.5 ± 1.2, it was 1.9 ± 0.6 in children with NLR≤3, and 4.3 ± 1.2 in those with RNL> 3. The area under the curve (AUC) for NLR, Neutrophil, Lymphocyte and Platelet were 0.887, respectively; 0.738, 0.639 and 0.552. NLR is more sensitive and specific in predicting systemic infection compared to neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet count.Conclusion: The results show that NLR is an effective indicator in the diagnosis of systemic infection than neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet count.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Corn Cob Aqueous Extract for Colorimetric Cysteine Detection in Serum Simulated with Cysteine Samples
Authors: Thayumanavan Palvannan , Ragunathan Subash Chandra Bose , Chandrababu Rejeeth , Muthusamy Ganesan , Abdulhaniff Parveen
Published: April 2022

In this study described a green approach for synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with corncob acting as a reducing and stabilizing agent to rapidly detect of L-Cysteine (Cys). To obtain an appropriate condition of synthesizing AgNPs variations in the reactant condition such as concentration, pH, and processing speed were altered. The synthesized AgNPs, that have sizes of 50–100 nm were capped by corncob extract (CCB), became virtually hexagonal and re-dispersed well in aqueous solution. AgNPs were explored for their possible structural characterization. Significantly, the CCB/AgNPs combination demonstrated very high sensitivity for Cys detection with a 30 nM limit of detection (LOD) and selective detection of Cys among 12 amino acids. Furthermore, the CCB/AgNPs combination was applied to detect Cysteine human serum with an error rate of less than 5%. As a result of this work, a rapid approach for Cys detection employing green-synthesized AgNPs was developed.
The exploration of ultrasound-assisted modified paramedian technique for spinal anesthesia in elderly
Authors: Shi Yi-sa , Zeng Wei , Zheng Qi-hui , Du Sheng-fang
Published: April 2022

Background:At present, there are two techniques which are widely applied clinically, including midline technique and paramedian technique,both of them are difficultfor residents when faced with elderly.We aim to explore the feasibility of ultrasound-assisted modified paramedian technique for spinal anesthesia in elderly,in order to provide clinicians with a new and easy-to-operate technique.Methods:A total of 150 elderly patients who were scheduled for urology surgery under spinal anesthesia in our hospital were randomly divided into three groups (n=50) : midline technique group ( group M), paramedian technique group ( group P) and modified paramedian technique group ( group PM) with 50 patients in each group.All spinal anesthesia were performed by the same second-year resident.Results:Compared with groups M and P , group PM had a significantly higher first-attempt success rate (P<0.05,specially in patients aged 65-74 years)，fewer attempts（P<0.05）and higher patient satisfaction score（P<0.05）. Compared with group M,the time taken to perform spinal anesthesia and the number of needle redirections were significantly reduced in group PM (P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference between groups PM and P . There were no statistically significant differences in the cases of inconsistency between ultrasound-assisted and landmark-guided location of intervertebral space, the time taken to ultrasound-assisted location,the onset time to pain block at T10,the incidence of hypotension ,anesthesia effect and the incidence of headache, low back pain, nausea and vomiting within 24 hours after surgery.Conclusions: The modified paramedian technique in spinal anesthesia for elderly patients can significantly improve the first-attempt success rate, reduce the number of attempts and reduce procedure time and the damage to patients’ tissue during operation. Compared with the traditional midline and paramedian techniques, modified paramedian technique achieves complementary advantages of the others,easy to learn,which effectively solves the difficulty of spinal anesthesia during the procedure in elderly patients and provides a new operation path for lumbar puncture.It is worthy of further research and application.Trial registration:Prospectively registered at China Clinical Trial Registry, registration number ChiCTR2100047635, date of registration: 21/06/2021.
Characteristics for renal recovery after acute kidney injury in cohorts of elderly and non elderly: a multicenter retrospective cohort study
Authors: zhao xiujuan , li chengjian , lu yunwei , li shu , guo fuzheng , xue haiyan , wang zhenzhou , jiang yulan , liu shaoguang , chai mingming , du tonghai , zhu fengxue
Published: April 2022

Background: Failure to recover renal function after acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with an increase in long-term mortality. The characteristics of renal recovery in elderly and nonelderly cohorts are not clear. The purpose of this study was to explore the risk factors for renal nonrecovery among elderly and nonelderly patients with acute kidney injury (AKI).Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort of 583 critically ill patients with AKI was examined. All patients were divided into two cohorts, age < 63 and age ≥ 63 years old; on the basis of renal recovery at 30 days after AKI, the two patient cohorts were further divided into a renal recovery group and a renal nonrecovery group. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors affecting renal recovery in the two cohorts.Results: The 30-day renal recovery rate of patients aged < 63 years was 67.5% (191/283), multivariate analysis showed that the independent risk factors affecting renal nonrecovery in age < 63 years old included AKI stage, blood lactate level and hemoglobin level, the AUC for predicting renal nonrecovery was 0.876 (95% CI, 0.835-0.917). The 30-day renal recovery rate of patients aged ≥ 63 years was 32.3% (97/300), multivariate analysis showed that the independent risk factors for renal nonrecovery in age ≥ 63 years old included diabetes mellitus, surgery with general anesthesia, AKI stage, APACHE II score and hemoglobin level. The AUC for predicting renal nonrecovery was 0.863 (95% CI, 0.816-0.909).Conclusions: The renal nonrecovery after AKI in patients aged ≥ 63 years was more strongly affected by multiple risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus, surgery with general anesthesia and APACHE II score, in addition to hemoglobin and AKI stage.
Theoretical study of metal-free catalytic for catalyzing CO-oxidation with a synergistic effect on P and N co-doped graphene
Authors: Hadsadee Sarinya , Jungsuttiwong Siriporn , Zhang Rui-Qin , Rungrotmongkol Thanyada
Published: April 2022

P and N co-doped graphene (PNxCy-G with x = 1, 2, 3 and y = 0, 1, 2) is designed to enhance graphene reactivity with a synergistic effect of the P and N atoms for the CO oxidation reaction, focusing on the influence of the N dopant concentration on graphene. The calculated results indicate that increasing two or three coordinated N to P can facilitate charge transfer from the surface onto O2 molecules. However, the adsorbed O2 molecule breaks apart on PN3-G surface, affecting CO oxidation performance. Furthermore, PN2C1-G exhibits excellent catalytic activity towards the oxidation of CO via the ER mechanism, which catalyzes CO oxidation with the rate-determining step of only 0.26 eV for the first and 0.25 eV for the second oxidation at 0 K. Additionally, the catalytic oxidation of PN2C1-G via Eley-Rideal mechanism prefers to occur at room temperature (298.15 K), with a rate-determining step of 0.77 eV. The reaction rates at 298.15K is calculated to be 5.36 x1016 mol s–1. The rate constants are obtained according to harmonic transition state theory, which could be supportive for catalytic oxidation of CO on the experiment.
An optimal control model for the transmission dynamics of Lassa fever
Authors: Madubueze Chinwendu E. , Chazuka Zviiteyi
Published: April 2022

In this paper, a mathematical model for Lassa fever transmission dynamics with rodent logistic growth is developed and analysed. The stability analysis of the autonomous system of the model is presented. The sensitivity analysis of the parameters is performed using the Partial Rank Correlation Coefficient (PRCC) technique. The non-autonomous model is further analysed for stability of disease-free periodic equilibrium(DFPE) in terms of reproduction number ratio, $R_{0t}.$ It shown that DFPE is locally asymptotically stable when $R_{0t}<1$ and unstable if $R_{0t}>1$. Additionally, the optimal control model is formulated with five control measures namely; personal protective equipment and avoiding hunting of rodents, proper handling of food, treatment and isolation, cleaning and disinfecting the environment, and rodent control. Simulations of the optimal control model show that the combined implementation of the five control measures reduce Lassa fever spread in the population. However, when there is limited resources to implement the five control measures, three or four combined control measures can be implemented provided that proper handle of food is among the combined control measures.
Characterization of the Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda: Ascarididae) from China
Authors: Deng Yuan-Ping , Li Rong , Wang Hui-Mei , Liu Guo-Hua , Tu Ya
Published: April 2022

Contracaecum spp. is a zooparasitic anisakid nematode and occurs in gastrointestinal tracts of vertebrate/invertebrate animals, humans included, causing gastrointestinal pain, diarrhea, and increasingly severe vomiting. To date, thousands of sequences have been published in GenBank, while complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenome) of Contracaecum spp. are still limited. Although the complete mitogenome of Contracaecum species isolated from night herons in Beijing has been reported, the detailed information about it is still puzzling. In the present study, we describe the detailed characteristics within the complete mt DNA Contracaecum sp.. The AT-content in the complete mitogenome of Contracaecum sp. was 72.2%. The nucleotide diversity (Pi) among genus Contracaecum ranged from 0.124 (cox1) to 0.181 (nad4). Based on the computational algorithms Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) within Ascaridoidea and Heterakoidea, the results supported Contracacum sp. Beijing isolate was a new species in the genus Contracaecum, and supported the family Ascaridiidae was paraphyletic.
NeuroMorpho Access Tool: A Simple GUI for Accessing NeuroMorpho.Org Database
Authors: Zaletel Ivan , Vidaković Marko , Nowakowski Richard S.
Published: April 2022

The use of open-access data has become increasingly prevalent in modern neuroscience research. These data are commonly used as a supplement to practical experimental research, but there is also an increasing body of literature which relies exclusively on the use of such publicly available data. Although freely available, these databases usually require an adequate level of training in bioinformatics and/or programming for a researcher to access them, which limits their usability. One of the oldest, most utilized and maintained databases of neuron and glia cell morphology is the NeuroMorpho.Org database, which can be access through the use of application programing interface (API). In the present paper we introduce the NeuroMorpho Access Tool (NMAT), a simple and user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) program, which allows easy and fast access to the NeuroMorpho.Org database to any neuroscientist, regardless of their previous bioinformatics knowledge. The core of NMAT was built in Python, utilizes the NeuroMorpho.Org API in order access the database, and has a GUI built in Qt environment. The program is lightweight, consists of only one executable file and does not require any extensive accompanying instructional or technical documentation. The current version of the program enables the users to obtain cell reconstruction data together with morphometry data and also acquire images of cell reconstructions. The main advantage of NMAT is its multithreading capability, which allows the users to gain access to a large amount of data in a very short time period. Thus, NMAT may prove as a usefully tool which would complement the highly utilized NeuroMorpho.Org database.
Facile development of multifunctional photoluminescent linen fabrics for high performance textile applications
Authors: Ahmed Esraa , Maamoun Dalia , Hassan Talaat M. , Khattab Tawfik
Published: April 2022

Linen fibers were coated with a luminous, flame-retardant, and hydrophobic smart nanocomposite utilizing the pad-dry-curing process. Ecologically-friendly ammonium polyphosphate and lanthanide-activated strontium aluminum oxide (LSAO) nanoparticles were immobilized into linen fabric using the eco-friendly RTV silicone rubber. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to examine the morphological characteristics and elemental compositions of LSAO nanoparticles and treated linen textiles. The self-extinguishing properties of the treated linen textiles were tested for their fire-resistance. After 24 washing cycles, the coated linen samples retained their flame-retardant properties. The treated linen's superhydrophobicity rose in direct proportion to the LSAO concentration. After being excited at 365 nm, the colorless luminescent film that was coated on linen surface gave out an emission wavelength of 519 nm. The photoluminescent linen was monitored to create a range of different colors, including off-white in daytime light and green under UV radiation, according to the CIE Lab colorimetric coordinates and photoluminescence spectra. Emission, excitation and lifetime spectral analysis of the treated linen revealed persistent phosphorescence. For mechanical and comfort evaluation, the coated linen textiles' bending length and air permeability were assessed. Excellent UV protection and enhanced antibacterial properties were found in the treated linens. Large-scale manufacturing of multipurpose technical fabrics, such as tents, might benefit from the current simple technique.
Identification of Plant-Based Drug-like Molecules as Potential Inhibitors against hACE2 and S-RBD of SARS-CoV-2 using Multi-step Molecular Docking and Dynamic Simulation Approach.
Authors: Parihar Arpana , Sonia Zannatul Ferdous , Choudhary Nishant kumar , Sharma Palak , Mahdi Iktedar , Hakim Fuad Taufiqul Hakim , Ali Md Ackas , Khan Raju , Alqahtan Mohammed S. , Abbas Mohamed
Published: April 2022

There has been considerable interest to develop effective antiviral drugs with substantial efficacy to the varying lineage of SARS-CoV-2. The plant-based bioactive molecules (phytochemicals) have proven to exhibit promising therapeutic efficacy and immune-modulatory effect due to their inherent broad-spectrum biological properties such as antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory with minimal or no side effects. The SARS-CoV-2 infection is initiated upon recognition and binding of the spike (S) Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD) to the host cell surface receptor, human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (hACE2). Therefore, the underlying mechanism of interaction between host cell receptors and blocking the virus-cell interaction is considered to be a promising approach for the management and treatment of COVID-19 disease. In the present study, In-silico screening of phytochemicals against two targets of SARS-CoV-2 using a multi-step molecular docking approach was investigated. Based on the Glide-XP docking score, the top 5 molecules were subjected to steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulation for calculation of binding force, and work done to get mechanistic insight has been carried out. Further, the op 3 ligands with the highest force and work were subjected to molecular dynamics simulation and binding free energy evaluations. The results revealed that the protein-ligand complexes showed stable trajectories throughout the 100 ns simulation. Moreover, the drug likeliness predicted by pKi, LE, ADMET analysis, and Pa & Pi values suggested that the best 3 lead molecules for both the targets (ACE2: Rosavin, Isoorientin, Palasitrin) & (RBD: Cinnamtannin B1, Isoskimmiwallin, Terflavin A) have good inhibitory efficiency, better pharmacokinetics, and are non-toxic under physiological conditions. Thus, these molecules can be used as potential therapeutic drugs against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
First trial of a prototype chain-flail delimber for the European short rotation poplar plantations
Authors: Spinelli Raffaele , Kovac Barnabas , Heger Patrik , Heilig David , Magagnotti Natascia
Published: April 2022

Small tree size represents a main challenge for single-tree handling techniques and caps harvesting productivity in short rotation poplar (SRP) plantations. That challenge is best met by a shift towards mass-handling. Chain flail delimbing is one of the best solutions for multi-tree processing, but commercially available equipment is often too heavy and expensive for European operations. Therefore, an Italian company developed a compact chain flail delimber-debarker (CFDD) specifically designed for small-scale SRP. The machine was tested in Western Slovakia in early March 2022. The test included a five-days endurance trial and a controlled experiment on 16 carefully measured wood piles representing “strong” and “weak” trees, i.e. trees with a mean diameter at breast height (DBH) of 12 and 10 cm, respectively. The endurance trial was quite successful since no mechanical problems were recorded during the five-days period. Delimbing and crosscutting quality were as good as those obtained with a standard processor head, while log yield was generally better, averaging 42% and 68% for the “weak” and the “strong” trees, respectively. Productivity was on a par with the alternative technology options and can be significantly increased once the prototype will be further developed. In general, the new compact CFDD may become the best option for handling the small trees offered by underdeveloped SRP plantations, which cannot be efficiently harvested with the cut-to-length system.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study on the Adsorption of Various Biopolymers on Iron Oxide Nanosurface
Authors: Pashmforoush Farzad , Ajori Shahram
Published: April 2022

Biopolymers are widely used in surface modification of magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications. To improve the functionality of nanoparticles, it is of great significance to study the interaction mechanisms between these nanoparticles and biopolymers at the atomic level. Hence, in this study, the adsorption process of three different biopolymers (Gum Tragacanth, pectin and carrageenan) on Fe3O4 nanosurface was investigated through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In this regard, the adsorption process was first simulated under NVT (constant number of molecules, volume and temperature) condition. Then, the details of the interaction mechanisms between the biopolymers and Fe3O4 were comprehensively studied based on the interaction energies, concentration profiles and radial distribution functions. The obtained results indicated that all of the biopolymers were well adsorbed on the Fe3O4 surface, as a result of the interaction between Fe3O4 and the active atoms of the polymer chains. These interactions were mainly caused by hydrogen bonds formation and van der Waals forces. According to the obtained results, the strongest binding belongs to Fe3O4/carrageenan, followed by Fe3O4/Gum Tragacanth and Fe3O4/pectin, respectively.
Interleukin-31 levels among Dialysis Patients and its relation with chronic kidney disease-associated Pruritus: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Nazzal Zaher , Akkawi Amna , Abdullah Ibtesam , Abdalkarim Mohammed , Tayem Leeda , Khazneh Emad , Taha Adham S. Abu , Basha Walid , Hamdan Zakariya
Published: April 2022

Background: Chronic kidney disease associated-pruritus (CKD-aP) is a common cutaneous complication and an important prognostic factor in patients with chronic kidney disease. The mechanism of Pruritus in those patients is poorly understood. This study aims to assess the burden of CKD-aP among patients receiving dialysis and the role of interleukin -31 in the development of Pruritus.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 183 patients, 172 on hemodialysis and 11 on peritoneal dialysis. Each patient underwent a physical examination and was assessed for Pruritus. The 12-item pruritus severity scale determined the severity of Pruritus. Interleukin -31 levels were measured by ELISA using a special kit. All patients had other lab tests, including hemoglobin, platelets, WBCs, BUN, creatinine, albumin, ALP, total bilirubin, phosphate, calcium, ferritin, iron, transferrin, total iron-binding capacity, parathyroid hormone. Calculation of Kt/V and corrected calcium with albumin were also doneResults: The mean level of interleukin -31 was higher in patients with CKD-aP than in those without Pruritus (4936.6 ±33611.5 vs 3919.2 ±15914.4), but it wasn't statistically significant (p value>0.05). About 52.1% of diabetic patients have CKD-aP (p value=0.01). Phosphate level was significantly higher in patients with CKD-aP compared to those without (4.8 ±1.3 vs 4.4 ±1.3) (p value= 0.002), whereas Albumin level was significantly lower in patients with CKD-aP compared to those without (3.6 ±0.4 vs 3.7±0.4) (p value=0.008). Conclusion: In this study, there was no statistically significant association between interleukin -31 and CKD-aP. We recommend that further research be conducted to determine the role of inflammation in the development of Pruritus in patients with chronic renal disease.
Abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau in canine immune-mediated meningoencephalitis
Authors: Son Mingyun , Chae Yeon , Kim Sanggu , Yun Taesik , Koo Yoonhoi , Lee Dohee , Kim Hakhyun , Yang Mhan-Pyo , Kang Byeong-Teck , Kim Soochong
Published: April 2022

Background: Tau is a microtubule-associated protein involved in the assembly and stabilization of microtubules. In human medicine, hyperphosphorylation of tau is associated with microtubule instability and is considered to play a role in the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune neurological disease that shares many characteristics, including pathological mechanisms, with canine meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology (MUE). With this background, this study investigated the presence of hyperphosphorylated tau in dogs with MUE and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Methods: Totally, eight brain samples of the dogs were examined that included two neurological normal dogs, three dogs with MUE, and three canine EAE models. Anti-tau (phospho-S396) antibody was used for immunohistochemistry (IHC), which stained hyperphosphorylated tau. Results: In normal brain tissues, the expression of hyperphosphorylated tau was not identified. In all the dogs with EAE and one of the dogs with MUE, immunoreactivity for S396+ p-tau was observed in the glial cell cytoplasm and background in the periphery of the inflammatory lesion.Conclusion: These results suggest for the first time that tau pathology may be involved in the progression of neuroinflammation in dogs, similar to human MS.
Recognition of American Sign Language Using Modified Deep Residual CNN with Modified Canny Edge Segmentation
Authors: Alleema N. Noor , Babeetha S. , Kumar P. Santhosh , chandrasekaran Saravanan , Pandiaraj S , Kumar A. Ranjith , Rajkumar K.
Published: April 2022

American Sign Language (ASL) recognition system aims to recognise hand gestures’ meaningful motions, and it is a crucial solution to communicate between the deaf community and hearing people. However, existing sign language recognising algorithms still have some drawbacks, such as the difficulty of recognising hand movements low recognition accuracy for most of the sign language recognition. To address this problem, a Modified Convolutional Neural Network (MCNN) deep residual 101 classifier-based American Sign Language identification system is developed. There are three main parts present in the method. The first part is preprocessing the images to remove the noise, enhance the contrast of the picture, adjust the contrast level and smoothen the picture using various filters. The second part is the segmentation, and it’s used to partition the image using a modified canny edge detection method by removing all weak edges present in the image. Finally, classification will be done using the Modified CNN deep residual 101 classifiers. By classifying the image, the American Sign Language is accurately identified. This process is conducted through images. The outcome shows that the suggested approach has a 0.95 per cent accuracy and a 0.05 per cent False Positive Rate. Other CNN such as resNet 50 and resNet 18 reached 0.90% and 0.80% accuracy, respectively, which is lower than our proposed method. In addition, the resNet 101 classifier effectively recognises the difficult hand gestures through the image data and obtain high recognition accuracy for 36 signs is 0 to 9 numbers and a to z alphabets from American Sign Language.
Predicting Maize (Zea mays) Productivity under Projected Climate Change with Management Options in Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Mohammed Adem , Yimer Endris , - Birhan Gessese , Feleke Estifanos
Published: April 2022

Maize is an important cereal crop in Ethiopia. Yield of maize has been declined in Ethiopia mainly due to water scarcity, low soil fertility and heat stress. Currently, limited technologies are available in the study region that increases maize productivity. If crop models are properly calibrated, they are effective tools to study crops responses to environmental factors. Assessing impact of future climate on maize crop may help to develop adaptation strategies. The objectives of this study were (1) to calibrate and evaluate the CERES maize model in DSSAT technology for simulating phenology and yield of maize (2) to assess impact of projected climate change on maize productivity (3) to develop promising management practices for maize. The impact of projected climate change was assessed using the 17 GCMs (CMIP5) run under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios. Two water regimes treatments (rainfed and irrigated) and four rates of nitrogen (0, 46, 92 and 138 kg ha-1) were evaluated individually and in combinations for their effectiveness to increase maize productivity under the projected climate conditions. The model evaluation result revealed that the RMSE values were 2.5 days for anthesis, 4.4 days for physiological maturity, 258.3 kg ha-1 for grain yield and 1034 kg ha-1for above ground biomass yield with nRMSE values of 3%, 4%, 4.7% and 10%, respectively. The d-index values were 0.87, 0.80, 0.88 and 0.71 for the respective parameters. The good agreement between the simulated and the measured values indicated the maize genetic coefficients in the model were properly calibrated. The simulation results at Tehuledere site showed that maize grain yield may decrease by 11% and 20% in 2030s and by 26% and 29% in 2050s under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively whereas in Kallu site yield may decrease by 13% and 15% in 2030s and by 17% and 19% in 2050s for the respective RCP scenarios. However, the management scenarios have shown that maize yield may substantially increase by the use of optimum nitrogen fertilizer and supplemental irrigation. Thus, it can be generalized that climate change may adversely affect maize production in the Semi-arid regions of Ethiopia but the impact could be reversed by using sound crop management practices.
The use of environmental heterogeneity as an indicator of protected area effectiveness in conserving biodiversity
Authors: Purdon Andrew , Mole Michael A. , -South Jeanetta Selier , Kruger Johan , Mafumo Humbu , Olivier Pieter
Published: April 2022

Developing innovative monitoring systems for biodiversity outcomes in protected areas (PAs) are important to enable effective adaptive management. Here we show how to quantitatively detect and monitor temporal and spatial patterns in environmental heterogeneity, an important indicator of ecological integrity and biodiversity patterns. We used a 28-year time series (1991 – 2018) generated from freely available Landsat satellite imagery and Roa’s quadratic index to calculate trends in heterogeneity for 41 PAs across South Africa. We selected PAS where mega-herbivore assemblages were similar and where management objectives were broadly aligned with South African legislation to protect biodiversity. Heterogeneity decreased in 11 (32%), increased in three (7%), and remained stable in 26 (63%) PAs. In PAs where heterogeneity was decreasing, factors such as fire, precipitation, woody encroachment, and elephants may be contributing to a possible park effect where small, fenced areas are becoming more homogenized. However, our results also indicated that factors such as fire and herbivory as well as the location of roads, waterholes, and camps can be manipulated to increase PA heterogeneity. The framework presented here can be extended to include every PA nationally, or even globally, and the data product fully automated. This presents an opportunity for conservation management to incorporate this important biodiversity indicator in PA monitoring programs as well as other large-scale environmental monitoring initiatives.
Defending Against Adversarial Attack in ECG Classification With Adversarial Distillation Training
Authors: Shao Jiahao , Geng Shijia , Fu Zhaoji , Xu Weilun , Liu Tong , Hong Shenda
Published: April 2022

In clinics, doctors rely on electrocardiograms (ECGs) to assess severe cardiac disorders. Owing to the development of technology and the increase in health awareness, ECG signals are currently obtained by using medical and commercial devices. Deep neural networks (DNNs) can be used to analyze these signals because of their high accuracy rate. However, researchers have found that adversarial attacks can significantly reduce the accuracy of DNNs. Studies have been conducted to defend ECG- based DNNs against traditional adversarial attacks, such as projected gradient descent (PGD), and smooth adversarial perturbation (SAP) which targets ECG classification; however, to the best of our knowledge, no study has completely explored the defense against adversarial attacks targeting ECG classification. Thus, we did different experiments to explore the effects of defense methods against white-box adversarial attack and black-box adversarial attack targeting ECG classification, and we found that some common defense methods performed well against these attacks. Besides, we proposed a new defense method based on adversarial distillation training (named CardioDefense) which comes from defensive distillation and can effectively improve the generalization performance of DNNs. The results show that our method performed more effectively against adversarial attacks targeting on ECG classification than the other baseline methods, namely, adversarial training, defensive distillation, Jacob regularization, and noise-to-signal ratio regularization. Furthermore, we found that our method performed better against PGD attacks with low noise levels, which means that our method has stronger robustness.
Breastfeeding in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Casablanca Teaching Hospital Ibn Rochd
Authors: sylla Abdu El Karim , Lehlimi Mouna , Badre Aamal , Hajjaji Salima , Lyazidi Soukaina , Ameayou Sanaa , Chemsi Mounir , Habzi Abdourahman , Benomar Said , Nani Samira , Hassoune Samira
Published: April 2022

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and identify the associated factors of breastfeeding (BF) practice in the NICU of Casablanca Ibn Rochd teaching hospital.Method: A cross-sectional study was performed between 04 January and 26 June 2021 in NICU. Moroccan couples' mother/newborn were consecutively recruited after meeting the study inclusion criteria. We used face-to-face interviews using a pretested questionnaire. Our income variable was the proportion of mothers who exclusively or partially breastfed at least one time after admission, categorized by yes and no. Multiple binary logistic regression was used to test the association of income variable with predictors. Findings: We included 170 couple mother/newborn. Around 74% of mothers practiced partial breastfeeding. The mother factors associated with BF practice were: education level (OR=0,10; 95%CI : 0,01-0,87; p=0,037781), family monthly income (OR=4,3 ; 95%CI: 1,12-16 ,56 ; p=0,033606) and marital status (OR=14,3 ; 95%CI:1,37-148,43 ; p=0,025853). The newborns' factors associated to BF practice were: hospital stay length (OR= 1,12 95%CI: 1,00-1,25 ; p=0,047726) and Hospitalization motif (OR=0,27 ; 95%CI: 0,076-0,95 ; p=0,042085). And healthcare facility factors associated to BF practice was: healthcare staff support: (OR=6,7 ; 95%CI:2,2-20,54 ; p=0,000891).Conclusion: The newborns hospitalized for respiratory distress from single mothers with lower education levels and social standards who did not have enough (or any) support from healthcare staff were the ones who received less breast milk in the NICU of Casablanca Ibn Rochd teaching hospital.
Diagnostic Value of Laboratory Parameters for Complicated Appendicitis: A Two-center Study
Authors: Zhang Qian , Zhao Hongwei , Wang Fangli , Li Wenqiang , Zhang Peng
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND
The present study aimed to examine the efficacy of the laboratory parameters with respect to complicated appendicitis.
METHODS
A total of 1514 cases with acute appendicitis at the Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital and Aerospace Center Hospital from January 2016 to September 2021 were reviewed in this retrospective study. All cases were divided into uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis groups according to the appendix pathology. The efficacy of the laboratory parameters was evaluated in recognition of complicated appendicitis. Independent variables were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the significant parameters in multivariate analysis. Cutoff values, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy with the area under the curve (AUC) > 0.600 were considered significant parameters.”
RESULTS
Significant difference were detected in age (p < 0.001), temperature (p < 0.001), white blood cell count (WBC, p < 0.001), C-reactive protein (CRP, p < 0.001), neutrophil (p < 0.001), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR, p = 0.019), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR, p < 0.001), platelet count (p < 0.001), coefficient of variation of erythrocyte distribution width (RDW-CV, p < 0.001), standard deviation of erythrocyte distribution width (RDW-SD, p < 0.001), mean platelet volume (MPV, p < 0.001), T-bilirubin (p < 0.001), and direct bilirubin (p < 0.001) between the two groups. CRP, neutrophil, NLR, PLR, platelet count, RDW-CV, RDW-SD, MPV, and direct bilirubin were independent variables for diagnosing complicated appendicitis.
CONCLUSIONS
In patients with acute appendicitis, CRP > 22.95 mg/L, NLR > 5.7, serum D-bilirubin > 6.1 mmol/L, or RDW-SD > 17.7 fl are significantly associated with the presence of complicated appendicitis.
Oblique lateral interbody fusion combined with Wiltse approach pedicle screw fixation for the treatment of single-level Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: A retrospective study
Authors: Du Weibin , Wang Zhenwei , Dong Yi , Quan Renfu , Qi Jiwei
Published: April 2022

Background: The study aimed to explore the efficacy of oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) combined with Wiltse approach pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of single-level degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis（DLS）.Methods: This is a retrospective study. The study enrolled 54 patients with single-level DLS who were treated at the Affiliated Jiangnan Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University from May 2018 to June 2020. (OLIF group) 24 cases operated using OLIF combined with Wiltse approach pedicle screw fixation, and (PLIF group) 30 cases operated by PLIF. The primary outcome measures were visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI), and the lower lumbar spine anterior convexity angle. The secondary outcome measures were operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, hospitalized days, intervertebral space height, and postoperative complications. Results: All patients were followed up for 12-20 months, with a mean of 16.2 months. There were significant differences in VAS (2.63±0.58 vs 3.57±0.63, P<0.001) and ODI (9.67±0.92 vs 10.63±1.40, P<0.05) between the OLIF group and PLIF group on postoperative days (PODs) 1–3. However, the differences in VAS and ODI between the two groups were not significant at 6 months postoperatively. And there was a significant decrease in VAS (2.63±0.58 vs 1.08±0.28, P<0.05) and ODI (3.57±0.63 vs 1.10±0.31, P<0.05) in both groups in the PODs 1–3 and 6-month postoperative comparisons. OLIF group showed better intervertebral space height and the lower lumbar spine anterior convexity angle scores on PODs1–3 and at 6 months postoperatively.Conclusion: OLIF combined with the Wiltse approach pedicle screw fixation can achieve good short-term clinical results in the treatment of single-level DLS. This surgical approach is less invasive, promotes early functional recovery, shortens hospitalization time, and improves the quality of life.
Concomitant septic arthritis of the hip joint and femoral head avascular necrosis in patients with recent covid-19 infection: A cautionary report
Authors: Ardakani Mohammad vahedian , parviz Sara , ghadimi Ehsan , zamani Zahra , salehi Mohammadreza , Ayati Mohammad , Mortazavi Javad SM
Published: April 2022

Purpose
At present, concomitant avascular necrosis (AVN) of femoral head and septic arthritis (SA) as a sequel of COVID-19 infection has yet not been documented. By large-scale use of life-saving corticosteroids (CS) in COVID-19 cases, our aim is to warn of the occurrence of hip joint infection in these patients.
Methods
We report a series of five cases in which patients developed septic arthritis concomitant with AVN after being treated for COVID-19 infection. The mean dose of prednisolone used in these cases was 1695.2 mg. The time period of onset of hip symptoms in our cases from the beginning of the COVID-19 infection was 56 days in the first case, 43 days in the second case, 30 days in the third case, 29 days in the forth case and 50 days in the last case, with an average time of 41.6 days. All patients underwent surgery depending on the extent of articular cartilage damage by direct anterior approach.
Results
Clinical and laboratory symptoms improved significantly in all patients. The mean visual analogue pain score of the patients decreased from 9.4 (9–10) before surgery to 2.8 (1–4) after one week of operation.
Conclusion
In any patient with the history of COVID-19 infection specially those who have been treated with corticosteroid as one of the medications prescribed during the disease, any joint symptom specially in the hips should draw our attention to the joint infection and with timely diagnosis and surgery, their hip joint can be saved.
A COVID-19 Data Set Design, Modeling,and Analysis on Selected Thirty Counties from Six States of the United States
Authors: Ji Raissa
Published: April 2022

In this four-month-long study (from April 1, 2020 to August 1, 2020), we have collected, modeled, and analyzed COVID-19 data from the top five most infected counties per top six most infected states in the United States (30 counties total). More specifically, we collected data on each state’s total COVID-19 cases, deaths, tests conducted, and their counties’ population, density, percentage of seniors, number of hospitals, total COVID-19 cases, and total COVID-19 related deaths. In this study, we have models illustrating the growth of COVID-19 cases and deaths per county, growth of COVID-19 cases and deaths per state (which is really the sum of our chosen five counties), and growth of COVID-19 tests conducted per state. In addition, our study also contains models illustrating the statistics of several variables that might have affected a county’s COVID-19 data, which has been mentioned above: population, density, percentage of seniors, and number of hospitals. An interesting finding we have noticed upon modeling the 30 counties’ density and total COVID-19 cases as an xy scatter plot is that there is a considerably strong relationship between the two variables. Los Angeles County (which was an extreme outlier), in particular, supports the idea that a county’s most populous city can greatly affect its entire county’s COVID-19 cases; if the largest city is extremely dense, it appears that the entire county has a greater total COVID-19 case count.
Identification of key molecules and significant signaling pathways in LINC00958 mediated endometrial cancer cells
Authors: Wang Xiu-ying , Chang Tingxiang , Wang Mengshan
Published: April 2022

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States. Since the cancers of the same stage and histology have very distinct molecular and genomic profiles, the therapy is quite limited. Current Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) LINC00958 showed some benefit to this cancer, but the mechanism is unknown. In this study, we aim to identify the key molecules and signaling pathways by analyzing the RNA-seq data. The GSE198619 was created by the DNBSEQ-T7 (Homo sapiens). The KEGG and GO analyses indicated "Human T − cell leukemia virus 1 infection" and "Hippo signaling pathway" were the main affected biological processes. Moreover, we further figured out several interactive genes including CDK1, CDC42, JUN, FOS, CCNA2, KIF11, CCND1, KAT2B, MAD2L1, and NRAS. Our study may benefit the study of endometrial cancer treatment.