bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Myeloperoxidase inhibition may protect against endothelial glycocalyx shedding induced by COVID-19 plasma
Authors: Teo Andrew , Chan Lousia , Cheung Christine , Chia Po Ying , Ong Sean , Fong Siew Wai , Ng Lisa , Renia Laurent , Lye David , Young Barnaby , Yeo Tsin Wen
Published: September 2022

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), significantly threatens public health. Accumulating evidence suggests increased neutrophil activation and endothelial glycocalyx (EG) damage to be independently associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes. However, pathways that are involved in EG breakdown in COVID-19 remains unclear. Here, we hypothesised that increased blood neutrophil myeloperoxidase (MPO) level is associated with soluble EG breakdown, and inhibiting MPO activities can reduce EG damage. MethodsFrom a subset of acute and convalescent COVID-19 plasma, 10 severe and 15 non-severe COVID-19 cases, and 9 pre-COVID-19 controls (single timepoint), we determined MPO, MPO activities and soluble EG proteins (syndecan-1 and glypican-1) levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In vitro primary human aortic endothelial cells were cultured in the presence of untreated or treated plasma with specific MPO inhibitors (MPO-IN-28, AZD-5904) to determine soluble EG shedding. We then investigated the association between MPO and soluble EG breakdown, and whether inhibiting MPO activities decrease EG disruption.ResultsIn COVID-19 plasma, MPO levels, MPO activity and soluble EG proteins levels were significantly raised compared to controls, and proteins levels increased in proportion to disease severity. Despite clinical recovery, proteins concentrations remained significantly elevated compared to controls. Interestingly, there is a trend of increasing MPO activity in convalescent plasma in both severe and non-severe groups. Importantly, MPO levels and MPO activity correlated significantly with soluble EG levels in plasma, and inhibiting MPO activity led to reduced syndecan-1 shedding, in vitro. ConclusionsOur work highlights the link between neutrophil MPO involvement and EG shedding in COVID-19, and inhibiting MPO activity may protect against EG disruption. Further research is needed to evaluate the utility of MPO inhibitors as potential therapeutics against severe COVID-19 outcomes.
The relationship between crying of premature infants with Monro-kellie hypothesis and increase of ventricular CSF Based on Doppler ultrasound findings
Authors: Ijabi Janat , Tehranian Najmeh , Afrisham Reza , Kaminsky Zachary A. , Roozehdar Parisa , Yahaya Ahmad Shuib , Ijabi Roghayeh , Hussain Faezahtul Arbaeyah Binti , Moradi-Sardareh Hemen , Sadeghi Adel , Oraibi Bha-Aldan Mundher , Navkhasi sasan
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Infant crying causes an increase in intracranial pressure which is equivalent to a decrease in CSF and also a decrease in CSF before ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes observed. The object of this study is to evaluate the effect of crying on premature infant brain pressure and the effect of crying on brain autoregulation. Method: In a case-control study, the participants were 53 premature infants with the ability to cry and 43 non-crying premature. Apgar score and after birth blood gases were estimated, and 200 µl capillary samples were collected from the heel for assessment of blood gases before,during and after crying. A transcranial Doppler device used to measure cerebral blood flow volume (CBFV) levels and compared in three sections during, before, and after crying. Results: The CO2 higher level was during crying in comparison with after and before crying (P<0.001). The brain volume was enlarger during crying than after and before crying, as well (P<0.001). The Doppler ultrasound results showed that the higher resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) occurred during crying than after and before crying (P<0.001). There was the lowest end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and Peak systolic velocity (PSV) during crying than after and before crying (P=0.001).Conclusion: The results suggest that the brain volume has increased during crying, which is associated with simultaneous entry of CSF. In intracranial hemorrhage (IH), there is a decrease in CSF which is accompanied by a decrease in brain activity. Therefore, crying with an increased CSF and brain magnetic activity can probably prevent IH.
Spatializing and temporalizing socioeconomic determinants of wildfires in Galicia (Spain).
Authors: de Diego Jaime , Fernández Mercedes , Rúa Antonio , Kline Jeffrey D.
Published: September 2022

Background: In the Spanish region of Galicia, one of the most fire-prone areas in Europe, most wildfires are directly or indirectly related to human activities, so socioeconomic conditions and population characteristics become determinant in wildfire management. Socioeconomic factors could also help explain the causes and distribution of wildfires spatially and temporally within the region. We sought to improve the temporal and spatial understanding of the causes of forest land wildfires in Galicia by analyzing the importance of socioeconomic and natural variables over the wildfire ignitions and hectares burned during 2001-2015. We established the municipality as the smallest geographical section with readily available information on socioeconomic factors and forest land wildfires.Results: We used clustering to analyze the spatial dimension and regression analysis of panel data to investigate the temporal dimension. Through the cluster analysis, we divided the region interterritorially according to its socio-economic behavior; nevertheless, our results suggest that the geographical distribution of the municipalities belonging to the four clusters has a similar pattern to that of the Galician provinces. Our regression models for each cluster indicate that several socioeconomic factors are at least correlated with and may tend to influence wildfire occurrence and burned area in Galicia. We also found discernable patterns related to our identified clusters, confirming that differences between territories exist regarding the likely influence of socioeconomic factors on the number of wildfire ignitions and hectares burned.Conclusions: Results suggest that explanatory socioeconomic variables are as crucial as meteorological variables in wildfire ignitions and burned area and that an accurate knowledge of inter-territorial socioeconomic differences could help to design wildfire prevention policies best suited to the socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental circumstances of each territory.
Nano-Encapsulation: Overcoming Conductivity Limitations by Growing MOF Nanoparticles in Meso-Porous Carbon Enables High Electrocatalytic Performance
Authors: Borenstein Arie , Sathiyan Krishnamoorthy , Dutta Asmita , Marks Vered , Fleker Ohad , Zidki Tomer , Webster Richard D.
Published: September 2022

Among methods employed for carbon capture, electroreduction of CO2 offers not only reducing CO2 levels but also the possibility of recycling it into commodity chemicals. However, the most efficient catalysts for this reaction are precious metals. In order to achieve cost-effective processes, other elements should be used. Transition-metal atoms coordinated in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit high performance as electrocatalysts. However, the isolating nature of MOFs limits their utilization as electrocatalysts. In this study, we have grown MOF nanoparticles inside hierarchically meso-porous carbon instead of mixing the MOFs with conducting carbons. The incorporated MOF nanoparticles show improved properties than MOFs mixed with carbon, proving the strong electronic interactions in the composites. The encapsulated MOF nanoparticles demonstrate high electric conductivity while preserving their original crystallinity. When used as electrodes in CO2 electroreduction, the MOFs provide high electroactive coverage of 155 nmol cm− 2. Moreover, in CO2 saturated electrolyte, the composites exhibit excellent electrochemical performance, including a small onset potential (-0.31 V vs. RHE) and large reduction currents (-18 mA· cm− 2 at -1.0 V), considerably higher than usually reported for MOF-based beyond CO electroreduction. Importantly, the composite is able to produce valuable hydrogenated chemical commodities, including formic acid.
In silico study on probing atomistic insight into structural stability and tensile properties of Fe-doped hydroxyapatite single crystals
Authors: Basu Subhadip , Nag Shubhadeep , Kottan Nihal B , Basu Bikramjit
Published: September 2022

Hydroxyapatite (HA, Ca10PO4(OH)2) is a widely explored material in the experimental domain of biomaterials science, because of its resemblance with natural bone minerals. Specifically, in the bioceramic community, HA doped with multivalent cations (e.g., Mg2+, Fe2+, Sr2+, etc.) has been extensively investigated in the last few decades. Experimental research largely established the critical role of dopant content on the changes in mechanical and biocompatibility properties. The plethora of experimental measurements of mechanical response on doped HA is based on compression or indentation testing of polycrystalline materials. Such measurements, as well as computational predictions of mechanical properties on single crystalline (doped) HA are scarce. On that premise, the present study aims to build atomistic models of Fe2+-doped HA, a model system, with varying Fe content (10, 20, 30, and 40 mol%) and to explore their uniaxial tensile response by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, together with the calculation of IR spectrum. In the equilibrated unit cell structures, Ca(1) sites were found to be energetically favourable for Fe2+substitution. The local distribution of Fe2+ions significantly affects the atomic partial charge distribution and chemical symmetry surrounding the functional groups. These signatures are reflected in the significant decrease in the intensity of IR peaks found in the Fe-doped HA, together with peak splitting because of the symmetry change in the crystal structure. Another important objective of this work is to computationally predict the mechanical response of doped HA in their single crystal format. An interesting observation is that the elastic anisotropy of undoped HA was not compromised with Fe-doping. Tensile strength (TS) is systematically reduced in doped HA with Fe2+dopant content and a decrease in TS with temperature can be attributed to the increased thermal agitation of atoms at elevated temperatures. The physics of the tensile response was rationalized in terms of the strain dependent changes in covalent/ionic framework (Ca-P distance, P-O bond strain, O-P-O angular strain, O-H bond distance). Further, the dynamic changes in covalent bond network were energetically analyzed by calculating the changes in O-H and P-O bond vibrational energy. Summarizing, the current work develops our foundational understanding of the atomistic phenomena involved in the phase stability and tensile response of Fe-doped HA single crystals.
Content Analysis Identifies Nuanced Steps in Hirschsprung Disease (HD) Surgery Which Prevent Disabling Incontinence
Authors: Doolin Edward J , Richards William O
Published: September 2022

Purpose: Recently, poor function after Hirschprung Surgery has become more common. We hypothesized that accurate construction of the anorectal cuff and inclusion of certain technical in the procedure elements would correlate with improved long-term function.Methods: Anoscopy was performed on dysfunctional patients to measure the Anorectal cuff assigning a cuff score (CS) to assess the distance from the dentate line to the suture line. Using content analysis, a blinded observer abstracted nine originally described technical elements from operative reports. Function was evaluated from 1-3 years post-operative and classified as a) normal bowel function (NBF), b) constipation or c) incontinence. The outcomes were recorded as a function of each technical element found in the operative report.Results: CS in 12 incontinent and 8 constipated patients measured 8.75[0-22) and 60.77 (32-160) respectively. 92 operative reports were reviewed resulting in 58 patients being included. Overall, NBF was found in 36 (62%), 11 (20%) had constipation and 11 (20%) had incontinence. The presence of 5 elements in the operative reports corelated with NBF. When all 5 were documented, 23/26 (89%) reported NBF while if none were recorded only 3/19 (16 %) had NBF. Conclusion: Low CS (<22mm) is associated with incontinence while high CS (>32mm) is associated with constipation. Procedural components identified by content analysis are key to preventing incontinence.
An efficient synthesis of some new pyrimidine derivatives bearing 1,3,5- triazine nucleus as potential anti-microbial agents
Authors: Dongtre Ramkumar
Published: September 2022

A new series of some substituted N-(4-(2-amino-6-(phenyl)pyrimidin-4-yl)phenyl)-4,6-diethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine derivatives (7a-h) have been prepared by the condensation of substituted (E)-1-(4-(4,6-diethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-ylamino) phenyl)-3-(phenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (6a-h) with Guanidine hydrochloride and KOH in DMF. The structures of newly prepared compounds were confirmed by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and Mass Spectra. All novel compounds were screened for biological activity against selected pathogens by the disc diffusion and poison plate method. In the course of study, derivatives are containing particularly chloro, fluoro and methoxy groups showing potent activity against tested microorganisms.
LILRB2/PirB mediates macrophage recruitment in fibrogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Chen Yong , yu xue , Li Danpei , Huang Li , Meng Xiao-Yu , Wang Shu-Yun , Kan Ran-Ran , Zou Hua-Jie , Guo Ya-Ming , Pan Li-Meng , Luo Pei-Qiong , Xiang Yu-Xi , Mao Bei-Bei , Wang Zhi-Han , He Rui , Yang Yan , Liu Zhelong , Xie Jun-Hui , Ma Delin , Zhang Ben-Ping , Shao Shi-Ying , Chen Xi , Xu Simiao , He Wen-Tao , Li Wen-Jun
Published: September 2022

Inhibition of immunocyte infiltration and activation has been proven to effectively ameliorate hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B (PirB) and its human orthologue receptor, leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B (LILRB2), are immune-inhibitory receptors with unknown roles in NASH. Here, we demonstrate that PirB/LILRB2 regulates the migration of macrophages in NASH pathogenesis and fibrogenesis by binding to its NASH-associated ligand angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8). Mechanistically, PirB facilitates the ANGPTL8-induced infiltration of monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) into the liver by regulating the phosphorylation of P38, AKT, and P65. Hepatocyte-specific knockout of its ligand ANGPTL8 reduces MDM infiltration and resolves lipid accumulation and fibrosis progression in the livers of NASH mice. In addition, PirB−/− bone marrow (BM) chimaeras abrogated ANGPTL8-induced MDM migration to the liver. PirB ectodomain protein can ameliorate the lipid accumulation inflammatory response and fibrosis of NASH by sequestering ANGPTL8. Furthermore, LILRB2-ANGPTL8-axis-associated MDM migration and inflammatory activation are also observed in human peripheral blood monocytes. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel role of PirB/LILRB2 in NASH pathogenesis and identify PirB/LILRB2-ANGPTL8 signalling as a potential target for the management or treatment of NASH.
Convolutional neural network for detecting rib fractures on chest radiographs: A feasibility study
Authors: Wu Jiangfen , Liu Nijun , Li Xianjun , Shang Jin , Wang Fei , Chen Bowei , Shen Yuanwang , Cao Pan , Liu Zhe , Li Miaoling , Fan Qianrui , Qian Jiayao , Li Zhihao , Yang Jian , Sun Qinli
Published: September 2022

Background: The application of artificial intelligence for the detection of rib fractures on chest radiographs is limited by image quality control and multi-lesion screening. We aimed to create a model for multiple rib fracture detection using a convolutional neural network (CNN) based on quality-normalised chest radiographs.Methods: A total of 1,080 radiographs with rib fractures were obtained and randomly divided into training (918 graphs, 85%) and testing (162 graphs, 15%) sets. An object detection CNN, you only look once (YOLO) v3, was adopted to build the detection model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and free-response ROC (FROC) were used to evaluate model performance. A joint testing group of 162 radiographs with rib fractures and 233 radiographs without rib fractures was used as the internal testing set. Furthermore, additional 201 radiographs, 121 with rib fractures and 80 without rib fractures, were independently validated to compare the CNN model performance with the diagnostic efficiency of radiologists.Results: The sensitivity of the model in the training and testing sets was 92.0% and 91.1%, respectively, and the precision was 68.0% and 81.6%, respectively. FROC in the testing set showed that the sensitivity for whole-lesion detection reached 91.3% when the false-positive of each case was 0.56. In the joint testing group, the case-level accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve were 85.1%, 93.2%, 79.4%, and 0.92, respectively. In the independent validation set, at the fracture level, the sensitivity of the CNN model (87.3%) was higher than that of the senior (80.3%) and junior radiologists (73.4%), while the precision (80.3%) was slightly lower than that of the latter two (82.4% and 81.7%, respectively). At the case level, the accuracy and sensitivity of the CNN model (91.5% and 96.7%, respectively) were both higher than those of the junior radiologist (85.1% and 77.7%, respectively) and close to those of the senior radiologist (94.0% and 96.7%, respectively). Conclusions: The CNN model based on YOLOv3 is sensitive for detecting rib fractures on chest radiographs and shows great potential in the preliminary screening of rib fractures.
Joint Learning Sample Similarity and Correlation Representation for Cancer Survival prediction
Authors: Hao Yaru , Jing Xiaoyuan , Sun Qixing
Published: September 2022

Background: As a highly aggressive disease, cancer has been becoming the leading death cause around the world. Accurate prediction of the survival expectancy for cancer patients is significant, which can help clinicians make appropriate therapeutic schemes. With the high-throughput sequencing technology becoming more and more cost-effective, integrating multi-type genome-wide data has been a promising method in cancer survival prediction. Based on these genomic data, some data-integration methods for cancer survival prediction have been proposed. However, existing methods fail to simultaneously utilize feature information and structure information of multi-type genome-wide data. Results: We propose a Multi-type Data Joint Learning (MDJL) approach based on multi-type genome-wide data, which comprehensively exploits feature information and structure information. Specifically, MDJL exploits correlation representations between any two data types by cross-correlation calculation for learning discriminant features. Moreover, based on the learned multiple correlation representations, MDJL constructs sample similarity matrices for capturing global and local structures across different data types. With the learned discriminant representation matrix and fused similarity matrix, MDJL constructs graph convolutional network with Cox loss for survival prediction. Conclusions: Experimental results demonstrate that our approach substantially outperforms established integrative methods and is effective for cancer survival prediction.
On a General Class of Geometric Constants and Normal Structure in Banach Spaces
Authors: Dinarvand Mina
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we establish the lower bounds for the weakly convergent sequence coefficient WCS(X) of a Banach space X, in terms of the family of geometric constants Cλ,p(X), the coefficient of weak orthogonality µ(X) and the generalized García-Falset coefficient R(1, X). By mean of these bounds, we identify some geometrical properties implying normal structure. Moreover, some sufficient conditions which imply uniform normal structure are presented. Our results significantly generalize and improve many known results in the literature.Mathematics Subject Classification (2020): Primary 46B20; Secondary 47H09.
Fibroblast-selective smoothened governs the prognosis of acute kidney injury
Authors: Gui Yuan , Fu Haiyan , Palanza Zachary , Tao Jianling , Lin Yi-Han , Min Wenjian , Yi Qiao , Bonin Christopher , Hargis Geneva , Wang yuanyuan , Kreutzer Donald , Wang Yanlin , Liu Yansheng , Yu Yanbao , Liu Youhua , Zhou Dong
Published: September 2022

The smoothened (Smo) receptor facilitates hedgehog signaling between kidney fibroblasts and tubules during acute kidney injury (AKI). Tubule-derived hedgehog is protective in AKI, but the role of fibroblast-derived Smo is unclear. Here, we report that Smo ablation in fibroblasts mitigated tubular cell apoptosis and inflammation, enhanced perivascular mesenchymal activities, and preserved kidney function after AKI. Global proteomics of these kidneys identified extracellular matrix proteins, and nidogen-1 glycoprotein in particular, as key response markers; Intriguingly, Smo was bound to nidogen-1 in cells, suggesting that loss of Smo could impact nidogen-1 accessibility. Phosphoproteomics revealed that the ‘AKI protector’ Wnt pathway was activated in these kidneys, and in vitro and ex vivo, nidogen-1 was able to induce Wnts and repress tubular cell apoptosis. Altogether, our results support that fibroblast-derived Smo dictates AKI fate through cell-matrix interactions, including nidogen-1, and establish a robust resource and path to further dissect AKI pathogenesis.
Robust performance of the methylated NTMT1 and MAP3K14-AS1 dual-target test for colorectal cancer detection in plasma by using sense-antisense and dual-MGB probe technique
Authors: Zhao Yanteng , Wang Zhijie , Yu Qiuning , Liu Xin , Liu Xue , Dong Shuling , Lv Xianping , Bai Yu , Wang Shaochi
Published: September 2022

Background
Blood-based methylation tests showed higher patient compliance and convenience than colonoscopy and stool DNA tests for colorectal cancer (CRC) detection. This study aimed to enhance the performance of plasma markers to detect CRCs using sense-antisense and dual-MGB probe (SADMP) technique.
Method
The current study consisted of 3 phases. The first phase was identifying eligible methylation markers. The second phase was assay development that incorporated the SADMP technique into methylation-specific PCR to enhance the target sensitivities in detecting plasma methylation signals. The third phase was assessing the test performance for CRC detection in training and validation cohorts.
Results
Hypermethylated NTMT1 and MAP3K14-AS1 were found in multiple CRC cohorts. The SADMP technique showed an approximately 2-fold increase in detecting methylation signals than single-strand and single-MGB probe techniques. The established MethyDT test obtained an average sensitivity of 84.47% for CRC detection, higher than any single target alone without a significant attenuation of specificity (average specificities of 91.81% for NTMT1 and 96.93% for MAP3K14-AS1 vs. 89.76% for MethyDT). For early (I-II) and late- (III-IV) stage CRC, the test sensitivities were 82.61% and 88.64%, respectively, in validation cohort. Meanwhile, the test sensitivity was independent of patient age and gender.
Conclusion
The SADMP technique enhanced the detection of methylation signals, and the MethyDT test showed potential utility as a promising noninvasive tool for CRC detection.
Existence and stability analysis for a general non-linear singular delay fractional differential equation with p-Laplacian operator
Authors: Kaushik Kirti Kaushik Kirti , Kumar Anoop Kumar Anoop
Published: September 2022

In this manuscript, the major objective is to investigate the existence and uniqueness (EU) of positive solutions for a general class of nonlinear fractional differential equation (FDE) with fractional differential and integral boundary conditions involving φp-Laplacian operator. To continue, we’ll utilize Green’s function to get the suggested FDE’s corresponding integral form. The existence findings are achieved by combining the Guo-Krasnosel’skii fixed point theorem with the features of the p-Laplacian operator. Additionally, Hyers-Ulam (HU) stability is also examined. Further, an example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness.
Lethal and sublethal effects of commonly used insecticides on South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta Meyrick and its parasitoid, Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko
Authors: Papari Salma , Dousti AbuFazel , Fallahzadeh Majid , Ullah Farman , Desneux Nicolas , Saghaei Nazila
Published: September 2022

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta Meyrick, which is native to South America, emerged as a major invasive insect pest of tomato plants worldwide. Tuta absoluta can cause up to near 100% crop loss if not effectively controlled. Initially, insecticides were used to control the larvae, but this pest has developed resistance to commonly used insecticide-active substances. Therefore, new biological and chemical control options have been adopted to limit severe crop damage caused by T. absoluta larvae. In this study, the lethal and sublethal effects of four insecticides (flubendiamide, emamectin benzoate+lufenuron, thiocyclam, and spinosad) were investigated on T. absoluta, and its parasitoid, Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko under controlled laboratory conditions. The results showed that spinosad with an LC50 value of 7.05 mg a.i/L was highly toxic against third instar larvae of T. absoluta in comparison to emamectin benzoate+lufenuron (14.24 mg a.i/l), flubendiamide (37.29 mg a.i/l) and thiocyclam (65.17 mg a.i/l). Spinosad with an LC50 of 0.73 mg a.i/l was also have higher toxicity against adult parasitoids compared to flubendiamide (4.09 mg a.i/l), emamectin benzoate+lufenuron (4.17 mg a.i/l) and thiocyclam (9.59 mg a.i/l). Furthermore, key demographic parameters such as ross net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (rm), finite rate of increase (λ), mean generation time (T) and doubling time (DT) were significantly decreased after exposure to the LC30 of spinosad followed by thiocyclam, flubendiamide, and emamectin benzoate+lufenuron. Similar trends were observed for the population parameters (R0, rm, λ, T, and DT) of T. brassicae flowing exposure to the LC30 of spinosad, thiocyclam, flubendiamide, and emamectin benzoate+lufenuron. Taken together, our results showed that thiocyclam and flubendiamide insecticides are highly toxic against T. absoluta while having low toxicity against their parasitoid, T. brassicae. These findings may be valuable in controlling T. absoluta using flubendiamide and thiocyclam along with T. brassicae in integrated management programs.
Synthesized Nano composites of nano silica and reduced graphene with urea for nitrogen fertilizer capsule production and their evaluation
Authors: Ram Shri , sadiq Mubasir Sadiq ,   Subhaum Anil Durgude3 durgude, Singh Virendra Singh
Published: September 2022

Finding the replacement of urea for nitrogen fertilization, mesoporous nano silica (mNs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based urea nanocomposites were synthesized. These composites were characterized by UV-spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM and HR-TEM to examine surface functional groups, morphology, and structural composition. XRD spectrum confirmation with SAED image of nano silica and graphene oxide nanocomposites confirms the polycrystalline and crystalline nature with 45–70 nm crystal size. The SEM revealed that the modified surface of mesoporous nano silica and reduced graphene oxide are well-distributed clusters and are composed of targeted nutrient. Synthesized composites were evaluated on seed germination, crop productivity and N use efficiency (NUE). The grain yields, NPK uptake and nitrogen use efficiency in rice and wheat was significantly higher with mNs and rGO-based composites applied to supply @ 60 N Kg ha− 1 as well as led to nutrients availability and microbial properties by increasing NPK content in soil over conventional use of urea. Application of mNs for 120 kg N ha− 1 showed maximum 64.44% increase in rice and 59% in wheat grain yields over conventional fertilization (120 kg ha− 1 through urea). Besides these, significant increment in grain yields, NPK content and uptake by crops was recorded Over control. Maximum 75.71 and 91.36% increase in NUE by rice and wheat crops, respectively by rice and wheat, respectively compared with conventional fertilization (120 kg ha− 1 through ordinary urea)
RETRACTED: Digital Phenotyping of Smartphone Data Successfully Predicts a Broad Range of Personality Constructs
Authors: Hocherman Maya , Mizrachi Yonathan , Ben-Gal Hila Chalutz
Published: September 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
The remaining parameters of patellar instability could be affected for osteoarthritic change after medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction with or without anteromedialization of the tibial tubercle osteotomy for patellar instability: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Hashimoto Yusuke , Nishino Kazuya , Tomihara Tomohiro , Tsumoto Shuko , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: September 2022

Background
In literature, studies evaluating the factors associated the postoperative progression of patellofemoral (PF) osteoarthritis (OA) following patellar stabilization surgery are limited. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes after medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR) as an isolated procedure (iMPFLR) and in combination with anteromedialization (AMZ) of the tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO) and investigate the factors related to the postoperative progression of PFOA after patellar stabilization surgery.
Methods
Between 2009 and 2020, 30 consecutive patients underwent MPFLR with or without AMZ, using an autologous semitendinosus tendon graft; they were followed up for more than 2 years. iMPFLR was performed in cases of recurrent patellar dislocation with normal tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance and no PFOA, and MPFLR + AMZ was performed for cases of excessive TT-TG distance, preoperative PFOA of recurrent patellar dislocation, or habitual patellar dislocation. Clinical findings and radiographs of the PF joint were evaluated pre- and postoperatively with PF alignment parameters and PFOA and were compared between surgical procedures. Factors for the postoperative progression of PFOA were compared between the OA progression and non-progression groups.
Results
Postoperative clinical score, radiographic parameters except for sulcus angle, TT-TG distance, and progression of PFOA were not significantly different between the iMPFLR and MPFLR + AMZ groups. Postoperative lateral patellar displacement (p = 0.001) and congruence angle (p = 0.017) were significantly different between the OA progression and non-progression groups.
Conclusion
Similar to MPFLR for recurrent cases, MPFLR with AMZ can improve the clinical and radiographic outcomes in severe cases. The remaining parameters of patellar instability could be affected in the postoperative progression of PFOA after MPFL reconstruction with or without AMZ of TTO for patellar instability.
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 2- (indole arylamide) benzoic acid analogs as dual COX-2 / 5-LOX inhibitors
Authors: Du Le , Du Shuaishuai , li jiaming , Wang Hongwei
Published: September 2022

Recently, the drug discovery paradigm has evolved from single-target inhibition to a multi-target design concept. This study designed, synthesized, and evaluated a series of novel 2-(indole arylamide) benzoic acid analogs for their in vivo anti-inflammatory properties. Compounds 7f and 7n showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in a xylene-induced mouse model of auricular edema. Furthermore, 7f and 7n exhibited moderate COX-2 inhibitory activity (IC50 = 537 and 321.5 nM) than celecoxib (IC50 = 10.04 nM) in vitro, among which 7n had higher COX-2 selectivity activity (selectivity index (COX-1/COX-2) = 7.89) and moderate 5-LOX inhibitory activity (IC50 = 222.1 nM). Compared to zileuton (IC50 = 36.46 nM), compound 7f was identified as the most potent 5-LOX inhibitor (IC50 = 77.37 nM). According to the biological results, compounds 7f and 7n have better inhibitory activities on the production of NO and PGE2 in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cell macrophages than celecoxib and indomethacin. As demonstrated by docking studies, 7f and 7n have stronger interactions with key residues in the active pocket of COX-1 or COX-2, which is consistent with the activity results. Based on these results, further research into safer and more effective anti-inflammatory drugs might be possible using 2-(indole arylamide) benzoic acid analogs.
Predicting adsorption behavior of 6-mercaptopurine anticancer drug upon polyaxazoline nanocarrier: A theoretical study
Authors: Rahmanifar Leila , Azarakhshi Fatemeh , Moniri Elham
Published: September 2022

Predicting adsorption behavior of the 6-Mercaptopurine (MCP) anticancer drug upon the polyaxazoline nano-carrier was investigated using DFT and TD-DFT methods by B3LYP/6-31G* level in the gas phase and water solution. Based on the thermochemical parameters, the MCP/polymer complex in the solvent water is more stable rather than the gas phase. The adsorption energies of the MCP/polymer complex displayed that the adsorption process is exothermic. The UV/Vis absorption and IR spectra analysis were calculated to investigate the changes happening in the interaction of the MCP with polymer. FMO analysis indicated that the energy gap (Eg) of the polymer decreased after the adsorption process. Electronic properties and MEP analysis were also studied. Based on NBO analysis and charge difference (ΔN), the charge transfer in MCP/polymer occurs essentially from the polymer to the MCP drug, which is consistent with the results of NBO analysis. It is predicted that the POZ polymer can be used as a drug delivery system for MCP drug.
Yeast hydrolysate attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses and intestinal barrier damage in weaned piglet
Authors: Fu Runqi , Liang Chan , Chen Daiwen , Tian Gang , Zheng Ping , He Jun , Yu Jie , Mao Xiangbing , Luo Yuheng , Luo Junqiu , Yu Bing
Published: September 2022

Background
Yeast hydrolysate (YH) has attracted much attention as a nutritional additive, and it is generally considered to be non-toxic, effective and safe. However, there is still inconclusive on the effects of dietary YH supplementation on immunity function and intestinal barrier of piglets. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of YH supplementation on inflammatory responses and intestinal barrier in piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide.
Methods
Twenty-four piglets (with an average body weight of 7.42 ± 0.34 kg) weaned at 21 days of age were randomly fed a diet containing 0 or 0.5% yeast hydrolysate for 21 days. On the 22nd day, half of piglets were intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharide at 150 µg/kg BW, and the other half were injected with an equal volume of sterile normal saline. Four hours later, blood samples of each piglet were collected and then piglets were slaughtered.
Results
LPS injection increased serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, haptoglobin (HP), serum amyloid A protein (SAA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and diamine oxidase (DAO) (P < 0.05), decreased the jejunal villus height, the protein and mRNA abundances of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin (OCLN) (P < 0.05), enhanced the protein and mRNA abundances of TNF-α, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4) and phosphor-Nuclear factor-κB-p65 (p-NFκB-p65) (P < 0.01). Dietary YH supplementation attenuated the impaired effects of ACTH, cortisol, HP, IL-1β, and DAO in serum (P < 0.05). Furthermore, YH supplementation up-regulated the villus height, protein and mRNA abundances of ZO-1 and OCC (P < 0.05), downregulated TNF-α, IL-1β, TLR4 and p-NFκB-p65 mRNA expressions and the corresponding protein abundances in the jejunum in LPS-challenged pigs (P < 0.01).
Conclusion
YH could alleviate inflammatory response and intestinal barrier injury in weaned piglets challenged with LPS, which was associated with inhibited the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Impact of a Clinical Pathway for Pediatric Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis
Authors: Celo Gwyn , Guzman Johann Paulo , Sombong Esteban Wilfredo , Granada Jose Nemesio , Binayas Noel
Published: September 2022

PurposeClinical Pathway (CP) for Pediatric Acute appendicitis (AP) was implemented in our institution to improve healthcare delivery, lessen hospital costs and decrease complications. AP remains to be one of the most common surgical procedure throughout the world. We present our results comparing outcomes before pathway and after pathway implementation.Methods.This is a time-series study in which data of all patients who underwent appendectomies done one year before the pathway implementation (prepathway) and a year after (pathway) were collected.Results.Eighty-seven (87) cases were included (47 prepathway vs 40 pathway). The pathway group had a decreased average length of stay (4.13 vs 2.95 days, p = 0.000) with improved antibiotic timing (80 vs 53 minutes, p = 0.000). There was a decreasing trend in monthly cost per procedure but not statistical significant (Philippine peso 1977 vs 620.91, p = 0.323) after pathway implementation. Other outcomes were SSI rate (12.7 vs 2.5%, p = 0.081), negative appendectomy rate (14.9 vs 7.5%, p = 0.284), readmission (0 vs 2.5%, p = 0.278), time-to-appendectomy (5 hours, 8 minutes vs 4 hours, 25 minutes, p = 0.180).Conclusion.Since CP implementation, we have improved our healthcare delivery indicators for pediatric AP. We recommend CP use by other institution tailored to specific needs in their patients.
Influence of Hofmeister cations and composition on carboxymethyl cellulose stabilized o/w Pickering emulsions and application in the encapsulation of vitamin E
Authors: Olusanya S.O , Sodeinde K.O , Fapojuwo DP , Nishinari K. , Koschella A , Lindemann H , Heinze T , Lawal O. S
Published: September 2022

Pickering emulsions have gained considerable interest due to their applications in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, we investigated the roles of pH, oil/water volume ratio, Hofmeister cations (Na+, NH4+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) as well as chitosan concentrations on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) stabilized Pickering emulsions and their application in the encapsulation of vitamin E. Morphology, crystallinity and functional groups were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Optical Microscopic Techniques, X-ray Diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. SEM images revealed a thread-like morphology for CMC, while sponge-like morphology was observed in the images of chitosan and CMC-chitosan complex (CMC-CH). The combination of CMC and chitosan resulted in a complex structure with remarkable improvement in the stability of the emulsions to both creaming and coalescence compared to systems stabilized by either CMC or chitosan alone. At fixed oil:water ratio, the transitional phase inversion of emulsions stabilized by CMC occurred upon increasing the concentration of NH4+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ Hofmeister cations, whereas emulsions containing Na+ ions are o/w at all concentrations. An increase in contact angle upon increasing the salt concentration was observed, which might be responsible for the observed phase inversion. Emulsion stability to coalescence is more favoured at lower pH for chitosan particles, while CMC is more favoured at higher pH. A CMC-Chitosan stabilised Pickering emulsion system was successfully applied in the encapsulation of Vitamin E.
High Incidence and Predictors of Loss to follow-up among children and adolescents on Life Long Antiretroviral therapy in the conflict-affected Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon: A Retrospective cohort study
Authors: Tih Pius Muffih , Ayima Charlotte Wenze , Boeyeo Forsi Nwebim , Atanga Pascal Nji , Khan Eveline Mboh
Published: September 2022

Background: Retention in care and transition to adulthood are critical for children and adolescents living with HIV on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in HIV treatment programs. This study aimed to determine the incidence and predictors of loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) in the context of ongoing crisis caused by an armed conflict in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon, where staff in HIV treatment programs may face unique challenges of retention of children/adolescents. Methods: We employed a multi-stage mixed method design in which we conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine incidence and risk factors for LTFU through data abstraction from medical records of children and adolescents from five (5) ART treatment centers, followed by seventeen (17) key informant interviews conducted with healthcare workers to gain further insights into the reasons for LTFU among children and adolescents enrolled between January 2018 to December 2021. Kaplan–Meier plots were used to determine the probability of LTFU as a function of time.Cox regression model was used to measure predictors of LTFU.Endpoint recorded interviews were transcribed, translated, and then analyzed using Atlas-ti Version 9.Results: A total of 1,030 children and adolescents (p-y) were enrolled for follow-up,138 (13.4%) were LTFU with an overall incidence rate of 33.0 LTFU per 1000 person years. Receiving care in a rural health facility, lower age category, non-biological caregivers, short duration on ART, and long distances to health facility were significant predictors of LTFU. Multiple Caregivers (94.1%), long distances/cost of transportation (88.2%), socio-political crises (75.5%), peer pressure, refusal, dating and marriage among adolescents(70.5%), stigma(64.7%), competitive life activities (58.8%), lack of timely disclosure (53%), poverty/lack of partner/family support (48.2%), lack of understanding on the disease process(47.0%), alternative forms of health care(29.4%) and shortage of ARVs (13.8%) were reasons for poor retention from the interviews.Conclusions: The overall incidence rate of LTFU was 33.0 per 1000 persons years for children and adolescents initiated on lifelong ART over a period of four (4) years in the conflict-affected areas. The study portrays the need of innovative multifaceted strategies to mitigate the predictors of this high risk LTFU in displaced populations in the context of a sociopolitical crisis.
Cross-cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Geriatric 8 Screening Tool in Chinese Older Inpatients with Cancer
Authors: Zhang Qianqian , Wang Li , Zhang Shuping , Hu Biyue , Li Qingfeng , Yang Yuling , Wang Wanxia , Yin Tongtong , Yu Shihui , Zhou Qilian , Tang Yuxia
Published: September 2022

Background:Frailty is emerging as an important determinant of human health. The Geriatric 8 (G8) questionnaire, originally produced in English, is a common frailty screening tool designed specifically for older cancer patients. However, this tool has not yet been applied in China, partly due to a lack of a Chinese version. Therefore, this study aimed to translate the original G8 questionnaire into Chinese and validate its psychometric properties in Chinese older inpatients with cancer.Methods:The Chinese version of the G8 (C-G8) questionnaire was generated using Brislin’s model of translation. The psychometric properties of the C-G8, including content validity, known-group divergent validity, convergent validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and inter-rater reliability, were all examined.Results:A total of 296 eligible subjects were consecutively enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The content validity index of the C-G8 were 0.8~1 at the item level and 0.975 at the scale level, respectively. The C-G8 identified more frail individuals among these older participants (>75 years) compared to their younger counterparts (65~75 years) (frailty prevalence: 87.1%vs.70.9%,P=0.010). In addition, the convergent validity of the C-G8 was tested by correlating it with the FRAIL scale (r=-0.592,P<0.001), indicating a moderate correlation between these two instruments in screening frailty. Nevertheless, the C-G8 had a lower internal consistency (Cronbach’s α coefficient=0.501) but higher test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.913 and 0.993, respectively,P<0.001).Conclusion:The C-G8 questionnaire was demonstrated to have acceptable validity and reliability and hence could be applied to Chinese older cancer patients.
Counterfeit Pepper Spray: a Case Report
Authors: Logrado Lúcio Paulo Lima , de Figueiredo Alberthmeiry Teixeira , Barbosa Amanda das Graças
Published: September 2022

Pepper spray is one of the less lethal instruments used by law enforcement agencies around the world. Basically, pepper spray is composed of the active ingredient, a carrier solvent and a propellant. The purpose of pepper spray, a non-lethal weapon, is to briefly incapacitate and restrain an individual, without causing permanent damage. Therefore, the presence of hazardous substances is undesirable. Pepper sprays confiscated by the Brazilian federal police were analyzed to identify their ingredients. This analysis indicated several discrepancies between the findings and product labels, flammable gases (used as propellant), and of greatest concern, methanol (flammable and highly toxic) as a carrier solvent. Therefore, this investigation revealed the serious risk of low quality pepper spray causing damage to both users and other people subjected to its effects.
FeRM Model for Time Series Forecasting
Authors: Vijayakumar Vibinkumar , Domanic Gifty , Ummar Shaik , Afsal Muhammed
Published: September 2022

Time series forecasting is a way of analyzing the data points indexed in time order and fitting a model to predict future values. Time series data can be hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or sometimes annual. Time series analysis is used to understand the underlying trends and patterns over time to accurately predict future outcomes. Traditional models such as ARIMA, and deep learning models such as RNNs, Transformers are used for long-term forecasting of time series because they effectively utilize historical information. However, there is still great room for improvement when it comes to the situation where historical data for training is limited. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel time series model with better predictions where the traditional models failed to exploit in view of the fact that not all time series problems can be solved by the traditional models. To this end, our model incorporates the sum of Fourier extrapolation, Rate of change approximation and arithmetic Mean of data points that elicit better predictions and reduced errors which importantly outweighed the state-of-the-art models with little computational overhead.