bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving Capacity For Phytoremediation Of Vetiver Grass And Indian Mustard In Heavy Metal (Al And Mn) Contaminated Water Through The Application Of Clay Minerals
Authors: Otunola Beatrice Omonike , Aghoghovwia Makhosazana P. , Thwala Melusi , Gómez-Arias Alba , Jordaan Rian , Hernandez Julio Castillo , Ololade Olusola Oluwayemisi
Published: February 2022

Phytoremediation of areas contaminated by heavy metals using Vetiver grass and Indian mustard is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. However, strategies to optimize the remediation capacity of these plants to be more sustainable in combatting environmental pollution is lacking. This study aimed at enhancing remediation of heavy metal contaminated water through the simultaneous hybrid application of clay minerals (attapulgite and bentonite) and Vetiver grass or Indian mustard. A 21-day greenhouse experiment was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of the clay minerals to improve heavy metal phytoremediation. Attapulgite successfully improved the growth and tolerance index of Vetiver grass in heavy metal contaminated water. The addition of clay minerals did not, however, increase the tolerance of Indian mustard for Al and Mn. The best efficiency was from a hybrid system of 2.5% (w/v) bentonite treatment with Vetiver grass. However, Indian mustard showed no significant uptake of heavy metals, but suffered heavy metal toxicity despite the addition of clay minerals. The current laboratory-scale findings provided a basis for field trials earmarked for remediation in a post-mining coal environment in South Africa.
Integrated high-efficiency and broadband electro-optic frequency comb generators
Authors: Lončar Marko , Hu Yaowen , Yu Mengjie , Buscaino Brandon , Sinclair Neil , Zhu Di , Cheng Rebecca , Shams-Ansari Amirhassan , Shao Linbo , Zhang Mian , Kahn Joseph
Published: February 2022

Developments in integrated photonics have led to stable, compact, and broadband comb generators that support a wide range of applications including communication, ranging, spectroscopy, frequency metrology, optical computing, and quantum information. Current on-chip comb generators, however, are still limited by low optical pump-to-comb conversion efficiencies. Here, we demonstrate an integrated electro-optic frequency comb with a conversion efficiency of 30% and an optical bandwidth of 132 nm, featuring a 100-times higher conversion efficiency and 2.2-times broader optical bandwidth compared with previous state-of-the-art integrated electro-optic combs. We further show that, enabled by the high efficiency, the device acts as an on-chip femtosecond pulse source (336 fs pulse duration), which is important for applications in nonlinear optics, sensing, and computing. As an example, in the ultra-fast and high-power regime, we demonstrate the observation of a combined EO-χ^((3)) nonlinear frequency comb. Our device paves the way for practical optical frequency comb generators enabling energy-efficient computing, communication, and metrology, and provides a platform to investigate new regimes of optical physics that simultaneously involve multiple nonlinearities.
A Retrospective Observational Analysis of Italian Reimbursed Healthcare for Patients on Hemodialysis and Treated for Chronic Kidney Disease-Associated Pruritus
Authors: Calabria Silvia , Ronconi Giulia , Piccinni Carlo , Dondi Letizia , Cinconze Enrico , Pedrini Antonella , Esposito Immacolata , Addesi Alice , Manenti Lucio , Aucella Filippo , Martini Nello
Published: February 2022

Background. Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) frequently affects patients on hemodialysis and still needs an effective treatment. This retrospective observational study characterized patients on hemodialysis potentially affected or not by CKD-aP and described the use of CKD-aP-related treatments and integrated healthcare costs, from the perspective of the Italian National Health Service (INHS). Methods. Through the cross-linkage of the Italian administrative healthcare data collected in the database of Fondazione ReS (Ricerca e Salute), patients undergoing in-hospital/outpatient hemodialysis from 01/01/2015 to 12/31/2017 and for at least years were selected. Subjects with pruritus due to other causes (i.e. chronic liver disease/cirrhosis/systemic lupus erythematosus/arterial vasculitis/skin-subcutaneous tissue disease-inflammation) were excluded. CKD-aP/non-CKD-aP cohorts were created based on the presence/absence of CKD-aP-related treatment (based on common clinical practice and guidelines) supplies, characterized (demographics, comorbidities) and assessed in terms of CKD-aP-related treatments reimbursed by the INHS and mean healthcare costs per capita paid by the INHS. Results. Of 1,239 patients on hemodialysis for ≥2 years (20.2% of all hemodialysis subjects), after having applied exclusion criteria, CKD-aP were 218 (17.6%), non-CKD-aP were 1,021. Both cohorts were mostly males and elderly, but CKD-aP one was older and affected by more comorbidities. One-year before and after the index hemodialysis, of CKD-aP patients: CKD-aP-related treatments were supplied to 58.1% and 65.1%, of which >50% received chronic antihistamines (mostly cetirizine), 10% gabapentin and 1.4% received the ultraviolet light therapy. Calculated by mean, the annual cost for the healthcare reimbursed by the INHS per CKD-aP and non-CKD-aP patient was €37,065 and €35,988, respectively. Hemodialysis accounted for >60% of hospitalization expenses and >77% of outpatient care costs. Conclusions. Due to the type of information collected in Italian administrative databases, the true prevalence of CKD-aP in the Italian hemodialysis population and the costs reimbursed by the INHS for the related healthcare resulted quite underestimated. Interestingly, high-efficiency dialytic therapies performed to CKD-aP patients seemed to largely weigh on the overall mean annual cost. These findings suggest that appropriate and effective treatments for this condition might offer cost offsets.
Influencing Factors And Prediction Methods Of Radiotherapy And Chemotherapy In Patients With Lung Cancer Based On Logistic Regression Analysis
Authors: Liu Yuxia , Xu Chang , Xing Chengyan , Chen Mingwei
Published: February 2022

Background: Logistic regression analysis has widespread applications in clinical disease diagnosis, but it has not yet been applied to assess the acceptance of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. A prediction model was established to investigate the influencing factors of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in lung cancer patientsMethods: A sample was admitted of lung cancer patients to Binzhou Medical University Hospital stays from January 2020 to June 2021. After investigating doctors, nurses, patients, managers and conducting expert demonstration, the questionnaire was formed. The questionnaire was filled out by the patient or the patient's family members. The factors in the questionnaire data of patients accepting and not accepting radiotherapy and chemotherapy were compared for monofactor analysis, and the significantly different single factor were analyzed by multifactor logistic regression analysis, explored the influencing factors of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in lung cancer patients established a predictive model and drew the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve).Results: The factors of two groups had statistically significant differences or no statistically significant differences. After multifactor logistic regression analysis was conducted, own personality, self-care ability, disease course classification, own attitude towards disease treatment, and family attitude towards disease treatment were included in the influencing factors of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Then, a predictive model was established. The area under the ROC curve of the predicted model was 0.973, the 95% confidence interval was 0.952-0.995, the optimal critical value was 0.832, the sensitivity was 91.84%, the specificity was 89.09%, and the accuracy was 90.85%.Conclusions: Based on logistic regression analysis, the prediction model could predict the extent of accepting radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Understanding the factors related to patients with lung cancer accepting radiotherapy and chemotherapy could provide useful information for the targeted and effective treatment by clinicians.
Molecular evidence indicates the existence of multiple lineages of Sperata in Indian Rivers
Authors: Yadav Prabhaker , Kumar Ajit , Yadav Neha , Bisht Mansi , Mital Anuja , Johnson Jeyaraj Antony , Hussain Syed Ainul , Gupta Sandeep
Published: February 2022

Understanding the population genetic structure and species boundaries in the complex river system has been challenging. The genus Sperata, a commercially important and widely distributed freshwater catfishes of India, belongs to Bagridae. The taxonomy of the Sperata genus is complex and still under revision. Recently, five valid species of Sperata were described from the Indian subcontinent. To determine the species boundaries and presence of taxonomic units within the Spereta, we analyzed the sequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and control region (CR) from Ganga, Gomti, Brahmaputra and Mahanadi river. The analysis of species delimitation using the COI gene indicated the presence of multiple taxonomic units among Sperata. Similarly, CR suggested the high haplotype diversity in S. lamarrii with a signature of demographic expansion in the Ganga river. In this study, we identified S. cf. lamarrii, a new lineage from the lower stretch of Ganga, another Sperata sp. from the Brahmaputra, Surma (Bangladesh) river, and from an unknown locality. It also highlighted that the Brahmaputra river also holds a highly diverse lineage that genetically qualifies the status of distinct species. Our finding suggests that multiple lineages of Sperata existed in the Indian River system; therefore, these should be considered a different management unit to protect contamination of natural stock. This study can be further used as a reference database for proper lineage identification within Sperata to formulate appropriate conservation and management plans.
Analysis of optical and thermal properties of 940-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers
Authors: Wang Congcong , Li Chong , Wang Zhiyong
Published: February 2022

We achieve 13.5mW optical output power, 48% power conversion efficiency, 1.17 W/A slope efficiency and 17kW/cm2 laser power density with top-surface-emitting 940 nm oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The physical mechanism of minimum threshold current generation in oxide-confined VCSEL has been thoroughly studied theoretically and experimentally. Further, we also succeeded in 90.8mW optical output power, 40% power conversion efficiency with 2×4 VCSEL arrays. We find an increase in output power and PCE of 2×2 VCSEL arrays as we increase the array spacing which we attribute primarily to increased heat dissipation and reduced thermal crosstalk between the emitters. Thermal properties in oxide-confined 2×2 VCSEL arrays were analyzed numerically and experimentally. The simulated results are in good agreement with the measurement. It is proved that theoretical simulation is very useful for the future device optimization.
Daphnetin Ameliorates Neuropathic Pain in CCI Rats by Interfering With Microglia P2X4 - P38 MAPK (Daphnetin Improves Neuropathic Pain)
Authors: Zhang Tianrui , Zhang Mingqian , Ou Wenjing , Cui Shuang , Liang Wulin , Jia Zhanhong , Xue Fan , Wu Yonghong , Huang Xiyan , Ge Dongyu , Zhang Shuofeng , Dong Ruijuan
Published: February 2022

Background: Neuropathic pain is a common chronic pain caused by a lesion or diseases of somatosensory nervous system, which has a significant impact on the quality of life. It has been found that its underling pathological mechanism is related to inflammation. Daphnetin is a natural product with a variety of biological activities such as anti-inflammatory and analgesic. It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of chronic inflammatory pain, but its underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. We aimed to evaluate the effect and regulatory mechanism of daphnetin on neuropathic pain.Methods: The experimental animals were divided into 8 groups: control group, model group, sham group, positive group (0.0375mg/kg), DAPH group (0.0625mg/kg), DAPL group (0.025mg/kg), P2X4 blocker group (1mg/kg) and P38 blocker group (5mg/kg). After constructing the subdural drug delivery system in rats, the neuropathic pain model was established by chronic constrictive injury (CCI), and the pain sensitivity was evaluated by measuring mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal threshold (TWT). The protein expression of inflammatory factors and related pathways was measured by Western Blot. The activation of microglia and neurons and the expression of target protein in spinal dorsal horn were measured by immunofluorescence staining.Results: Compared with the sham group, MWT and TWT decreased significantly in model group, and the expression of IL-1 β, IL-6 and TNF-α increased. After intrathecal injection of daphnetin, the MWT and TWT of rats were significantly increased, and the protein expression of IL-1 β, IL-6 and TNF- α was significantly decreased compared with the model group. Compared with sham group, the expression of P2X4, IRF8, IRF5, BDNF, p-P38 / P38, p-JNK / JNK and p-ERK1/2 / ERK1/2 in model group increased significantly. After intrathecal injection of daphnetin, the expression of the above proteins was significantly down-regulated compared with model group. Compared with sham group, microglia and neurons in the spinal dorsal horn of model group were activated, and the expression of P2X4 and P38 in microglia increased. After intrathecal injection of daphnetin, compared with the model group, the activation of microglia and neurons in the spinal dorsal horn decreased significantly, and the expression of P2X4 and P38 in microglia decreased. Importantly, daphnetin could not improve neuropathic pain in CCI rats under the action of P2X4 and P38 blocker.Conclusion: daphnetin can alleviate neuropathic pain in CCI model rats by interfering with P2X4-P38 MAPK pathway of microglia, suggesting that daphnetin is a potential drug for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
Multi-locus genotype-based modeling reveals that rising temperatures can stabilize the flowering date of winter wheat
Authors: He Yong , Xiong Wei , Hu Pengcheng , Xu Yinlong , Hao Chenyang , DePauw Ron , Zheng Bangyou , Huang Daiqing , Hoogenboom Gerrit , Dixon Laura , Challinor Andy
Published: February 2022

Flowering-date stability is crucial for global adaptability of wheat to sustain a high grain yield within broad temperature ranges; however, the response mechanism of such stability to climate change remains unclear. Here, we developed a multi-locus genotype based (MLG-based) ecophysiological model to predict wheat-flowering date that allowed for the linkage of key photoperiod (Ppd) and vernalization (Vrn) genes to wheat flowering. The MLG-based model was then applied to reveal the responses of wheat-flowering-date stability to different allelic combinations under projected climatic conditions across the Northern China winter wheat Region. The results showed that the stability of the flowering date for wheat could be enhanced under projected RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 global warming scenarios with allelic combinations of major Vrn and Ppd genes. Our findings highlight the potential of introducing allelic combinations of the winter allele vrn-D1 and photoperiod-insensitive genes (Ppd-D1a) into currently-cultivated varieties in order to maintain a more stable flowering date, especially under future climate conditions.
Uncovering Potential Novel Biomarkers In Crohn's Disease Using Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Feng Jinggao
Published: February 2022

Background: Crohn's disease is a chronic nonspecific intestinal inflammatory disease with unknown etiology. This study aimed to predict potential novel biomarkers of Crohn's disease.Methods: Gene expression datasets of Crohn's disease and normal samples were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. First, differential gene expression analysis and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed. Common genes (CGs) were obtained by the intersection of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and optimal modal genes of WGCNA. Subsequently, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established to screen hub genes and then establish a Crohn's disease risk prediction model based on hub genes. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the prediction ability of the model. Finally, the mirTarBase database, starBase database, and TargetScan database were used to predict microRNAs (miRNAs) and transcription factors (TFs) that cause Crohn's disease.Results: A total of 74 DEGs were identified. WGCNA showed that the signature gene in the blue module was significantly associated with Crohn's disease (p=4e-6) and obtained 32 CGs. Five hub genes (CDH17, CSF1R, CXCL10, CXCL9, COL3A1) were identified and well predicted Crohn's disease risk (AUC=0.853). Meanwhile, in the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network and TF-mRNA regulatory network, we found that 3 miRNAs (hsa-miR-29a-3p, hsa-miR-29b-3p, hsa-miR-29c-3p) and 2 TFs (TCF4, HINFP) regulate multiple CGs.Conclusions: Five genes (CDH17, CSF1R, CXCL10, CXCL9 and COL3A1), three miRNAs (hsa-miR-29a-3p, hsa-miR-29b-3p, hsa-miR-29c-3p) and two TFs (TCF4, HINFP) may be involved in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease.
Gaming strategies within a green supply chain considering consumers' concern about the greenness and conformance quality of products
Authors: yi yongxi , Yang Min , Fu Chunyan , Li Yuqiong
Published: February 2022

Improving the greenness and conformance quality of a product is two fundamental and intertwined considerations in today's supply chain decision-making. However, the related literature rarely considers conformance quality improvement of products in green supply chain management. This paper incorporates both into a framework to analyze the optimal strategies of a manufacturer responsible for conformance quality of product and greenness improvement and a retailer responsible for product marketing in a supply chain under four contracts: full cooperation, price-only contract, two-part tariff, and marketing cost-sharing. The analysis shows that full cooperation and two-part tariffs lead to the same and highest product quality, greenness, overall profit, and social welfare, but full cooperation is difficult to achieve in the supply chain. For the profit-maximizing manufacturer and retailer, the manufacturer most prefers two-part tariff contracts while the retailer prefers marketing cost-sharing because both achieve the highest profit in the preferred contract. Under the price-only contract, conformance quality of product and greenness are lowest, and profit levels for manufacturers and retailers are lowest. In all four cases, increased environment and quality awareness contribute to improved product greenness and conformance quality, leading to higher profits for the manufacturer and retailer and higher social welfare.
Chronic Intermittent Hypobaric Hypoxia Prevents contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury by Modulating the HIF-1α Signaling Pathway
Authors: Yin Kai-min , Ni Yan-hui , Cao Guang-yun , Zhang Jia-yuan , Yi Bao-jun , Pang Zi-hao , Ma Hui-jie , Zhang Li
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study was to explore the role of CIHH in preventing contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) in rats and its mechanism. Rats mean arterial pressure ,heart rate, blood creatinine and urea nitrogen levels were measured. The kidney tissue pathological changes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA)levels, HIF-1α、Bcl-2 19-kDa interacting protein3 (BNIP3)、caspase3and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) expression levels were testing. The results showed that CIHH pretreatment CI-AKI group mean arterial pressure、heart rate、blood creatinine and urea nitrogen levels were reduced, kidney tissue SOD activity was increased, MDA levels was reduced, HIF-1α、 BNIP3、caspase3 and PARP levels were increased than the CI-AKI group. This study indicates that CIHH pretreatment may have a protective effect on contrast-induced early kidney injury by activating the HIF-1α/BNIP3 signaling pathway to regulate mitochondrial autophagy and enhance cellular anti-apoptotic and renal antioxidant capacity, for the first time.
Exploring communication of the HIV/AIDS health policy change to test-and-treat and its effect on policy implementation in selected public health facilities in Lusaka district, Zambia
Authors: Simooya Constance , Silumbwe Adam , Halwindi Hikabasa , Zulu Joseph Mumba , Nzala Selestine
Published: February 2022

Background
The World Health Organisation has promoted a shift towards the test and treat strategy to accelerate elimination of HIV/AIDS. Zambia adopted this policy change in 2017. However, communication of this policy change and its effect on policy implementation has not been documented. This study sought to explore the communication of the HIV/AIDS test and treat health policy change and how this affects practice in selected public health facilities in Lusaka district.
Methods
A qualitative case study was employed with purposeful sampling of policy makers, partners, National AIDS Council managers and frontline health providers in selected tertiary, secondary and primary-level health facilities in Lusaka District of Zambia. In total, 22 key informant interviews and 3 focus group discussion were conducted. Thematic inductive – deductive approach coding and data analysis were performed using NVivo pro 12 software.
Results
The results revealed that to communicate test and treat policy change; government relied on print media such as newspapers, IEC materials and electronic media through radios and television. The official channels of communication and feedback mechanisms for test and treat HIV health policy change were not clearly stipulated in the health facilities for reference. This created a lapse in communication which resulted in policy misinterpretation and resistance from both implementers and clients. The HIV policy changes reshaped health systems negatively as infrastructure was altered to accommodate increased service demand workload for HIV services and operational hours for HCWs. Further, policy makers seemed to be unprepared for the policy changes.
Conclusion
Effective health policy change communication with clear channels and open feedback mechanisms is vital for successful policy change implementation as it enhances understanding and subsequently adoption of the policy. Further, there is a need to enhance collaboration amongst policy makers, partners, implementers and the public in developing and applying communication strategies that facilitate quick adoption of health policy changes.
Pharmacokinetic and metabolomic studies with a BIO 300 Oral Powder formulation in nonhuman primates
Authors: Li Yaoxiang , Girgis Michael , Jayatilake Meth , Serebrenik Artur A. , Cheema Amrita K , Kaytor Michael D. , Singh Vijay K.
Published: February 2022

BIO 300, a nanosuspension of genistein, is a radiation countermeasure being developed to treat hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS) and the delayed effects of acute radiation exposure (DEARE). Several studies have affirmed its safety and efficacy in alleviating the damaging effects of ionizing radiation. However, dose optimization of any drug has always been an important area of research because unnecessarily high drug doses may result in serious complications. In this study, we assessed the pharmacokinetics (PK) and metabolic profiles of two different doses of BIO 300 Oral Powder (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) when administered orally to nonhuman primates (NHPs). While the Tmax values of both doses remained the same, the area under the curve at 48 h (AUC0−48) was tripled by doubling the dose. Additionally, we monitored serum samples for global metabolomic/lipidomic changes using high resolution mass spectrometry followed by functional pathway analysis prior to and at various time points up to 48 h post drug administration. Interestingly, the metabolomic profiles of sera from NHPs that received the lower dose demonstrated a transient perturbation in numerous metabolites between the 4 and 12 h time points. Eventually, the metabolite abundance reverted to near-normal by 48 h. These study results are consistent with our previous studies focused on the PK and metabolomic analysis for parenteral and oral suspension formulations of BIO 300. This study affirms that administration of a single dose of up to 200 mg/kg of BIO 300 Oral Powder conferred no metabolomic-mediated safety features, suggesting the drug can be safely used to combat radiation injury.
Udder, teat and milk vein morphology of Indian dromedary camel and its relationship with milkability traits
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Nehara Manju , Prakash ved , Pannu Urmila , Jyotsana Basanti
Published: February 2022

The economic viability of the camel in the current scenario can be ensured by improving its dairy potential. The study on the udder and teat characteristics of dromedary and its relationship with milk yield and milkability can be of great value in establishing camel as a dairy animal. The present study was conducted on 45 lactating she-camels of four Indian camel breeds viz. Bikaneri, Jaisalmeri,Kachchhi and Mewari stationed at ICAR-NRCC Bikaner, Rajasthan (India). Various udder and teat morphology, milk yield and milkability traits, factors affecting these traits and the relationship between these traits were studied in hand-milked Indian dromedary camel. The means ± S.E. of teat lengths of left fore, left rear, right fore and right rear teats were measured as 52.21 ± 1.66, 58.52 ± 2.11, 50.13 ± 1.74 and 54.37 ± 1.82 mm, respectively. The means ± S.E. of teat diameters for left fore, left rear, right fore and right rear teats were 42.44 ± 1.60, 46.01 ± 1.68, 39.29 ± 1.31 and 45.20 ± 1.56 mm, respectively. The means ± S.E for udder depth, udder length, udder height from the ground, milk vein diameter and milk vein length were observed as 25.44 ± 0.42, 37.29 ± 0.80, 114.80 ± 0.80, 2.02 ± 0.08 and 88.70 ± 0.96 cm, respectively. The effect of age at calving was significant (p≤0.05). Positive and highly significant (p≤0.01) correlations of milk yield were observed with the majority of udder and teat characteristics, milking time, milk flow rate while a negative correlation was found with udder height and milk let down time. It can be concluded that udder characteristics are influenced by various genetic and non-genetic factors and its relationship with milk yield and milkability can be used for selection and dairy management purposes.
Parental knowledge on prevention of caries in children and the efficacy of a leaflet intervention.
Authors: Elkarmi Rawan , AlJafari Ahmad , Haddad Sarah , AlSoud Dina
Published: February 2022

BackgroundParental education on child oral health has an important role in caries prevention. Leaflets are a means of delivering educational messages. The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of leaflets in improving parental knowledge on prevention of caries in children. MethodsA cross-sectional study. Parents attending with their children to a pediatric clinic at a large hospital were asked to complete a questionnaire that noted their sociodemographic characteristics, oral hygiene practices, and knowledge on prevention of caries in children. Their knowledge on caries prevention in children was given a score out of 20. After reading an educational leaflet covering the main aspects of caries prevention, a follow up phone interview was conducted one month later to evaluate any improvement in parental knowledge. ANOVA and McNemar’s tests were used for statistical analysis. Results391 parents participated in the study. The average knowledge score pre-intervention was 6.4 out of 20. There was no significant association between any of the sociodemographic variables and pre-intervention knowledge scores. 10.8% of parents were regular dental attenders. Around 12% of parents were aware of the age of the child at the first dental visit and the correct age to start toothbrushing; 20.5% knew about fluoride varnish; 7.2% understood that sugar containing snacks should be consumed at once; and less than 50% believed that regular dental visits prevent caries. After reading the leaflet there was a statistically significant improvement in almost all variables evaluating parents’ knowledge on caries prevention in children. ConclusionKnowledge on prevention of caries in children among this sample of parents is very poor. Leaflets were successful in improving parental knowledge. There is a need to implement such leaflets in healthcare centers and hospitals and to further evaluate their efficacy by comparison with other means.
Incidentally detected Castleman disease of the thorax and its surgical management- A Case Report
Authors: Khanna Sudhansoo , Singh Rana Sandip , Goyal Priyanka , Mohan Harsh , Bhaker Poonam , Rana Shaleen , Sanga Sunil
Published: February 2022

Castleman disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder, the etiology and pathogenesis of which is not clearly established. It presents more commonly as a localised disease or unicentric CD (UCD), and less often as generalised disease or multricentric CD (MCD). The most common site of UCD is in the thorax; however, UCD is rarely included in the differential diagnosis of an intrathoracic mass due to its rarity. The lesion is highly vascular and often has dense adhesions with adjacent organs, making the surgery a difficult task. We report a case of posterior mediastinal mass located in left paraspinal region which was detected incidentally in a 53-year old female and was subsequently resected successfully via left postero-lateral thoracotomy, and was diagnosed post-operatively on histopathological examination (HPE) as CD, hyaline vascular variant (HVV). This case report highlights the relevant clinical, pathological and radiological findings of CD, which may act as clinical pointers for establishing a preoperative diagnosis of CD. Suspecting CD preoperatively would guide the surgeon for appropriate surgical planning and may avoid facing such surprise on the operating table.
Bayesian Multivariate Genetic Analysis Boosts Translational Insights
Authors: Urbut Sarah , Koyama Satoshi , Selvaraj Sunitha , Neale Benjamin , O’Donnell Christopher , Peloso Gina , Natarajan Pradeep
Published: February 2022

Conventional genome-wide association studies interrogate individual variants against individual traits. We introduce a multivariate adaptive shrinkage (mash) model that allows each variant to be modeled as a mixture of multivariate normal distributions, boosting power when genetic effects across conditions are shared, using summary statistics. We show that controlling local false sign rates accurately and powerfully identifies replicable genetic associations, and that multivariate control furthers the ability to explain complex disease. We apply this framework to the genetic analyses of blood lipid levels, principal predictors and therapeutic targets for coronary artery disease. Our approach yields high concordance between independent datasets, more accurately prioritizes causal genes, and significantly improves polygenic prediction beyond state-of-the-art methods by up to 59% for lipid traits. Importantly, we describe a framework with important implications for genome-wide association studies and polygenic risk score construction.
Experimental Determination of Lamb Wave Dispersion Diagrams Using 2D Fourier Transform and Laser Vibrometry
Authors: Barth Tilmann , Rauter Natalie , Lammering Rolf
Published: February 2022

Background: Non-destructive structural health evaluation of thin-walled components on the basis of Lamb wave propagation is a widely used approach. However, most current methods to measure the dispersive behavior of Lamb waves are time based approaches and are not easily capable of high automation to measure influences on the wave propagation along a wide range of frequencies. Objective: Develop and validate a highly automatable method to measure Lamb wave dispersion diagrams with high accuracy. To be able to broadband examinate influences, which have only a small effect on the wave propagation.Methods: The use of frequency based approaches like the 2d Fourier transform is a known method to measure Lamb waves. This investigation tries to bring together the advantage of the high automation as well as the high accuracy this method offers, by taking into account a non-uniform distribution of the measurement points and using particularly suitable excitation signals for high accuracy. Results: The here stated method is capable of automatically creating dispersion diagrams for Lamb waves with high accuracy, automation and reproducibility. The experimental results are compared with analytical results and are in good agreement. Conclusions: This investigation shows 2d Fourier transform as a method to create dispersion diagrams of Lamb waves is an accurate and especially highly automatable approach with high accuracy.
Identification and Validation of a Novel Prognostic Model of Inflammation-related Gene Signature of Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Luo Dayuan , Feng Wei , Ma Yunqian , Jiang Zhibin
Published: February 2022

Previous literatures have suggested the importance of inflammatory response during lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) development. This study aimed at exploring the inflammation-related genes and developing a prognostic signature for predicting the prognosis of LUAD. Survival‑associated inflammation-related genes were identified by univariate Cox regression analysis in the dataset of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized COX regression model was used to derive a risk signature and divide samples into high-, medium- and low- risk group. Univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that the level of risk group was an independent prognostic factor of survival. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve indicated the AUC of 1-, 3- and 5- years of the risk signature was 0.715, 0.719, 0.699 respectively. A prognostic nomogram was constructed by integrating risk group and clinical features. The independent dataset GSE30129 of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was used for verification. Furthermore, we performed Gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA) and discussed the differences in tumor mutation, tumor microenvironment among risk groups. Single Sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) and CIBERSORT results suggested the status of immune cell infiltration was highly associated with risk groups. In a cohort of LUAD from The Cancer Immunome Atlas(TCIA) that predicted immune responses to CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, immunotherapy performed better in the low-risk group. Partial targeted drugs and chemotherapy drugs for lung cancer had higher drug sensitivity in the high-risk group. The level of risk group can provide some reference significance for the selection of immunotherapy and drug regimen for LUAD patients.
High antibody and reduced cellular response in children up to one year after SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Jacobsen Eva-Maria , Fabricius Dorit , Class Magdalena , Topfstedt Fernando , Lorenzetti Raquel , Janowska Iga , Schmidt Franziska , Staniek Julian , Zernickel Maria , Stamminger Thomas , Dietz Andrea , Zellmer Angela , Hecht Manuel , Rauch Peter , Blum Carmen , Ludwig Carolin , Jahrsdörfer Bernd , Schrezenmeier Hubert , Heeg Maximilian , Mayer Benjamin , Seidel Alina , Groß Rüdiger , Münch Jan , Bode Sebastian , Strauss Gudrun , Renk Hanna , Elling Roland , Stich Maximilian , Voll Reinhard , Tönshoff Burkhard , Franz Axel , Henneke Philipp , Debatin Klaus-Michael , Rizzi Marta , Janda Aleš
Published: February 2022

COVID-19 course and immunity differ in children and adults. We analyzed immune response dynamics in 28 families up to 12 months after mild or asymptomatic infection. Unlike adults, the initial response is plasmablast-driven in children. Four months after infection, children showed an enhanced specific antibody response and a lower but detectable S1-specific B and T cell response compared to their parents. While specific antibodies declined, neutralizing antibody activity and breadth increased in both groups. Frequencies of S1-specific B and T cell responses remained stable. However, progressive maturation of the S1 specific immune response was observed in children one year after infection with IgA class switch and expression of CD27 on B cells and T cell maturation. Hence, the immune response in children persists over 12 months, but dynamically changes in quality, with progressive neutralizing, breadth, and memory maturation. This implies a benefit for booster vaccination in children to consolidate memory formation.
Geography and Elevation as Drivers of Cloacal Microbiome Assemblages of a Passerine Bird Distributed Across Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Joakim Rachael L. , Irham Mohammad , Haryoko Tri , Rowe Karen M. C. , Dalimunthe Yohanna , Anita Syahfitri , Achmadi Anang S. , McGuire Jimmy A. , Perkins Susan , Bowie Rauri C.K.
Published: February 2022

Background: Empirical field studies allow us to view how ecological and environmental processes shape the biodiversity of our planet, but collecting samples in situ creates inherent challenges. The majority of empirical vertebrate gut microbiome research compares multiple host species against abiotic and biotic factors, increasing the potential for confounding environmental variables. To minimize these confounding factors, we focus on a single species of passerine bird found throughout the geologically complex island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. We assessed the effects of two environmental factors, geographic Areas of Endemism (AOEs) and elevation, as well as host sex on the gut microbiota assemblages of the Sulawesi Babbler, Pellorneum celebense, from three different mountains across the island. Using cloacal swabs, high-throughput-amplicon sequencing, and multiple statistical models, we identified the core microbiome and determined the signal of these three factors on microbial composition. Results: The five most prevalent bacterial phyla within the gut microbiome of P. celebense were Proteobacteria (32.6%), Actinobacteria (25.2%), Firmicutes (22.1%), Bacteroidetes (8.7%), and Plantomycetes (2.6%). These results are similar to those identified in prior studies of passeriform microbiomes. Overall, microbiota diversity decreased as elevation increased, irrespective of sex or AOE. A single species of Clostridium was enriched in higher elevation samples, while lower elevation samples were enriched with the genera Perlucidibaca (Family Moraxellaceae), Lachnoclostridium (Family Lachnospiraceae), and an unidentified species in the Family Pseudonocardiaceae. Conclusions: While the core microbiota families recovered here are consistent with other passerine studies, the decreases in diversity as elevation increases has only been seen in non-avian hosts. Additionally, the increased abundance of Clostridium at high elevations suggests a potential microbial response to lower oxygen levels. This study emphasizes the importance of incorporating multiple statistical models and abiotic factors such as elevation in empirical microbiome research, and is the first to describe an avian gut microbiome from the island of Sulawesi.
Notch1 protectives against ischemic reperfusion injury via suppressing PTEN-Pink1 mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy
Authors: Xu Qi-rong , Liu Sheng , Gong Qiang , Zhu Rong-rong , Liu Ji-chun , Zhou Xue-liang
Published: February 2022

BackgroundMyocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes after acute myocardial infarction. However, the molecular mechanism of ischemia/reperfusion injury remains unclear. Mitochondria dysfunction have become important participants and regulators of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in this process are still not fully understood. We previously reported that Notch1 can reduce mitochondrial lysis, reduce myocardial infarct size and inhibit ventricular remodeling. Herein, we tried to explore the downstream target of Notch1 on the mitochondrial regulation. MethodsIschemic/reperfusion injury rat model and hypoxia/reoxygenation cell model were constructed in this study. The expression of PTEN was detected by real-time PCR, Western Blot and immunofluorescence staining. The cell viability was analyzed by CCK-8. The apoptosis level was detected by TUNEL assay. The mitochondrial fission/fusion were analyzed by Mito-Tracker Green staining. Measurement of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and CK levels creatine kinase-MB (CK) were detected by ELISA Kits.ResultsWe found that PETN-Pink1-Parkin signaling is inhibited by Notch1 I/R injured neonatal cardiomyocytes and hearts, thus via inhibiting the mitochondrial dysfunction and fragmentation. With the recure of PTEN or Pink1, the protective effect of Notch1 was largely diminished. ConclusionThese results suggest that N1ICD protective against ischemic reperfusion injury via suppressing PTEN-Pink1 mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and fragmentation.
Embryonic Stem Cell-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviate Skeletal Muscle Injury Induced by Acute Compartment Syndrome
Authors: Jiang Xiangkang , Yang Jingyuan , Liu Fei , Xu Jiefeng , Zhang Mao
Published: February 2022

Background
Acute compartment syndrome (ACS), a well-known complication of musculoskeletal injury, results in muscle necrosis and cell death. Embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ES-MSCs) have been shown to be a promising therapy for ACS. However, their effectiveness and potentially protective mechanism remain unknown. The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy and underlying mechanism of ES-MSCs in ACS-induced skeletal muscle injury.
Method
A total of 120 male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats underwent 2 hours of intracompartmental pressure elevation by saline infusion into the anterior compartment of the left hindlimb to establish the ACS model. ES-MSCs were differentiated from the human embryonic stem cell (ES) line H9. A dose of 1.2×106 of ES-MSCs was intravenously injected during fasciotomy. Post-ACS assessments included skeletal edema index, serum indicators, histological analysis, apoptosis, fibrosis, regeneration, and functional recovery of skeletal muscle. Then, fluorescence microscopy was used to observe the distribution of labeled ES-MSCs in vivo, and western blotting and immunofluorescence analyses were performed to examine M2 macrophage infiltration in skeletal muscle. Finally, we used liposomal clodronate to deplete macrophages and reassess skeletal muscle injury in response to ES-MSC therapy.
Result
ES-MSCs significantly reduced systemic inflammatory responses, ACS-induced skeletal muscle edema and cell apoptosis. In addition, ES-MSCs inhibited skeletal muscle fibrosis and increased regeneration and functional recovery of skeletal muscle after ACS. The beneficial effects of ES-MSCs on ACS-induced skeletal muscle injury were accompanied by an increase in CD206-positive M2 macrophage polarization. After depleting macrophages with liposomal clodronate, the beneficial effects of ES-MSCs were abolished.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells infusion could effectively alleviate ACS-induced skeletal muscle injury, in which the protective effects were related to M2 macrophage polarization.
Emotional impact on children during home confinement in Spain
Authors: Sánchez-Ferrer Francisco , Cervantes-García Evelyn , Gavilán-Martín César , Quesada José Antonio , Cortes-Castell Ernesto , Nso-Roca Ana Pilar
Published: February 2022

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about important changes. On March 14, 2020, a strict home confinement was decreed in Spain. Children did not attend school and were not allowed to leave their homes. The aim of this study was to determine the emotional state of these children, as well as associated factors.Material and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using an online questionnaire sent by cell phone. This survey includes sociodemographic items and questions concerning the emotional impact of the lockdown. With the questions on emotions, two categories of emotional state were established with the variables fear, irritability, sadness and somatization: those who were less or more emotionally affected. A multivariate logistic model was used to estimate the associations between the variables.Results: A total of 3890 responses were obtained. The mean age of the children was 6.47 years (range 0 to 17). A score indicating poor emotional state was reported by 40.12%. The multivariate logistic model for poor emotional state was directly associated with having less appetite, sleep disturbances, and with parents’ beliefs that their child will have difficulties returning to normal life after lockdown. A better emotional state was associated with being an only child, access to outdoor spaces at home, having pets, and parents informing their children about the pandemic using creative explanations.Conclusions: During strict home confinement, a considerable emotional impact was observed in children as described by their parents. Specific elements were associated with a better or poorer emotional state.
Antenna movements as a function of odorants’ biological value in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.)
Authors: Cholé Hanna , Merlin Alice , Henderson Nicholas , Paupy Estelle , Mahé Prisca , Arnold Gérard , Sandoz Jean-Christophe
Published: February 2022

In honeybees, the antennae are highly mobile sensory organs that express scanning movements in various behavioral contexts and toward many stimuli, especially odorants. The rules underlying these movements are still unclear. Using a motion-capture system, we analyzed bees’ antennal responses to a panel of pheromonal and other biologically relevant odorants. We observed clear differences in bees’ antennal responses, with opposite movements to stimuli related to opposite contexts: slow backward movements were expressed in response to alarm pheromones, while fast forward movements were elicited by food related cues as well as brood and queen related pheromones. These responses are reproducible, as a similar pattern of odor-specific responses was observed in bees from different colonies, on different years. We then tested whether odorants’ attractiveness for bees, measured using an original olfactory orientation setup, may predict antenna movements. This simple measure of odorants’ valence did however not correlate with either antennal position or velocity measures, showing that more complex rules than simple hedonics underlie bees’ antennal responses to odorants. Lastly, we show that newly-emerged bees express only limited antennal responses compared to older bees, suggesting that a significant part of the observed responses are acquired during bees’ behavioral development.