bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Protected Areas on the Incidence of Infectious Diseases
Authors: Pizarro Maria Jose , Arriagada Rodrigo Antonio , Villaseñor Adrian , Pattanayak Subhrendu , Pozo Rocio
Published: November 2020

Background: The natural environment provides multiple ecosystem services, and thus welfare benefits. In particular, it is known that different ecosystems, such as forests, contribute to human health through different ecological interactions, and that degradation of these natural ecosystems have been linked to the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases. However, there is little evidence on how ecosystem conservation policies affect human health. In Chile, about 20% of national land is under protection by its national network of public protected areas. Methods: We use a database of mandatory reporting of diseases between 1999 and 2014, and considering socio-economic, demographic, climate and land-use factors to test for a causal relationship between protected areas and incidence of infectious diseases using negative binomial random effects models. Results: We find statistically significant effects of protected areas on a lower incidence of Paratyphoid and Typhoid Fever, Echinococcosis, Trichinosis and Anthrax. Conclusions: These results open the discussion about both causal mechanisms that link ecosystem protection with the ecology of these diseases and impacts of protected areas on further human health indicators. JEL Codes: Q58, Q57, Q56, Q01
A Study of the Influence of Atmospheric Aerosol Sources on the COVID-19 Contamination Cases Using Meteorological and Extinction Data
Authors: Piazzola Jacques , Desnues Christelle , Parent Philippe , Yohia Christophe , Canepa Elisa
Published: November 2020

Background: Even if the people density, habits and displacements probably represent the most important causes of the SARS-Cov-2 virus propagation, the role of the atmospheric aerosol needs to be investigated. Therefore, we aimed to study if the aerosol properties related to the different sources and meteorological conditions we can observe in urbanized areas can have an influence on in the atmospheric transport of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. This study focuses on the lockdown period to reduce the differences in the social behavior.Methods: We have investigated the contamination cases of four specific geographic areas, two in France and two in Italy, located in both continental and coastal areas with regard to the meteorological conditions and the corresponding air mass properties. To this end, we used a survey of meteorological conditions and aerosol properties via both the optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom exponent retrievals for these locations during March 2020. Results: The results show that the analysis of aerosol ground-based data can be of interest to assess a virus survey. In particular, our data show that moderate to strong onshore winds occurring in coastal regions, which allow large sea-spray production episodes deal with smaller COVID-19 contamination rates. One possible reason is the coagulation of SARS-Cov-2 particles with hygroscopic salty sea-spray aerosols that would tend to inhibit its viral infectivity in environments with high relative humidity via possible reaction with NaCl. Conclusions: In this paper, we hypothesize that marine atmosphere conditions tend to decrease virus infectivity. In contrast, the atmospheric transport of the SARS-Cov-2 can be favored by its coagulation with anthropogenic aerosols, which protects the virus particle from ambient humidity and preserves its infectivity.
The Role of S100A9 in the Interaction Between Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells and Stromal Cells
Authors: Kung Pin-Jui , Lai Ting-Yu , Cao Jerry , Hsu Li-Chung , Chiang Tsai-Chen , Ou-Yang Pu , Tsai Ching-Yi , Tsai Yi-Fen , Lin Chih-Wen , Chen Chien-Chia , Tsai Meng-Kun , Tien Yu-Wen , LEE CHIH-YUAN
Published: November 2020

Background: A major feature of the microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the signiﬁcant amount of extracellular matrix produced by pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), which have been reported to enhance the invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells and negatively impact the prognosis. Methods: We analyzed the data from two publicly available microarray datasets deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus and found that the expression of S100 calcium binding protein A9 (S100A9) was increased in PDAC cells with metastatic potential and PDAC cells cocultured with PSCs. We studied the interaction between PDAC cells and PSCs in vitro and veriﬁed our ﬁnding with the survival data of patients with PDAC from the website of The Human Protein Atlas.Results: We found that PSCs stimulated PDAC cells to secrete S100A9, which attracted circulatory monocytes into cancer tissue and enhanced the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on macrophages. When analyzing the correlation of S100A9 and PD-L1 expression with the clinical outcomes of patients with PDAC, we ascertained that high expression of S100A9 and PD-L1 was associated with poor survival in patients with PDAC. Conclusions: We found that PSCs stimulated PDAC cells to secrete S100A9, which attracted circulatory monocytes into cancer tissue and enhanced the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on macrophages. When analyzing the correlation of S100A9 and PD-L1 expression with the clinical outcomes of patients with PDAC, we ascertained that high expression of S100A9 and PD-L1 was associated with poor survival in patients with PDAC.
Adolescent Mothers Reproductive Health Status in an Iranian Setting: A Cross-Sectional study
Authors: zare Maryam , Mardi Afrouz , Gaffari-moggadam Mozhgan , Nezhad-dadgar Nazila , Abazari Malek , Shadman Atefeh
Published: November 2020

Background: Reproductive health of married adolescent mothers including family planning, sexual, psycho-social and maternal health is still a severe and persistent challenge, where millions of women give birth before the age of 18 in developing countries. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the reproductive health status in married adolescent mothers attending Ardabil health care centers in 2019. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 312 married adolescent mothers, which were selected through a convenient sampling method in 2019. A demographic information questionnaire and Adolescent Women's Reproductive Health Questionnaire were completed anonymously. Data were analyzed using Statisical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 20). Results: The mean age of the participants, the mean age of their husbands, and the mean age of marriage were 16.41±0.85, 24.18±2.29 and 15.06±1.15 years, respectively. The mean score of reproductive health for adolescent mothers in this study was 63.78 ±11.06. There was a significant relationship between age, education, parity, age and education of husband and contraceptive methods with reproductive health status in married adolescent mothers (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that to promote the reproductive health in adolescent mother, we need to improve the education level, and awareness of women, and their spouses and increasing their ability to use contraceptive methods. This study supports the evidence of the negative role of early marriage and motherhood on the reproductive health of adolescent mothers.
Respiratory viral co-infections among SARS-CoV-2 cases confirmed by virome capture sequencing
Authors: Kim Ki Wook , Deveson Ira W. , Pang Chi Nam I. , Yeang Malinna , Naing Zin , Adikari Thiruni , Hammond Jillian M. , Stevanovski Igor , Beukers Alicia G. , Verich Andrey , Yin Simon , McFarlane David , Wilkins Marc R. , Stelzer-Braid Sacha , Bull Rowena A. , Craig Maria E. , Hal Sebastiaan J. van , Rawlinson William D.
Published: November 2020

Accumulating evidence supports the high prevalence of co-infections among Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patients, and their potential to worsen the clinical outcome of COVID-19. However, there are few data on Southern Hemisphere populations, and most studies to date have investigated a narrow spectrum of viruses using targeted qRT-PCR. Here we assessed respiratory viral co-infections among SARS-CoV-2 patients in Australia, through respiratory virome characterization. Nasopharyngeal swabs of 92 SARS-CoV-2-positive cases were sequenced using pan-viral hybrid-capture and the Twist Respiratory Virus Panel. In total, 8% of cases were co-infected, with rhinovirus (6%) or influenzavirus (2%). Twist capture also achieved near-complete sequencing (>90% coverage, >10-fold depth) of the SARS-CoV-2 genome in 95% of specimens with Ct<30. Our results highlight the importance of assessing all pathogens in symptomatic patients, and the dual-functionality of Twist hybrid-capture, for SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequencing without amplicon generation and the simultaneous identification of viral co-infections with ease.
Polymerase Acidic Subunit of H9N2 Polymerase Complex Induces Cell Apoptosis by Binding to PDCD 7 in A549 Cells
Authors: Wang Shaohua , Li Na , Jin Shugang , Zhang Ruihua , Xu Tong
Published: November 2020

Background: H9N2 influenza virus, a subtype of influenza A virus, can spread across different species and induce the respiratory infectious disease in humans, leading to a severe public health risk and a huge economic loss to poultry production. Increasing studies have shown that polymerase acidic (PA) subunit of RNA polymerase in ribonucleoproteins complex of H9N2 involves in crossing the host species barriers, the replication and airborne transmission of H9N2.Methods: Here, to further investigate the role of PA subunit during the infection of H9N2 influenza virus, we employed mass spectrometry (MS) to search the potential binding proteins of PA subunit of H9N2. Our MS results showed that programmed cell death protein 7 (PDCD7) is a binding target of PA subunit. Co-immunoprecipitation and pull-down assays further confirmed the interaction between PDCD7 and PA subunit. Overexpression of PA subunit in A549 lung cells greatly increased the levels of PDCD7 in the nuclear and induced cell death assayed by MTT assay.Results: Flow cytometry analysis and Western blot results showed that PA subunit overexpression significantly increased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein, bax and caspase 3, and induced cell apoptosis. However, knockout of PDCD7 effectively attenuated the effects of PA overexpression in cell apoptosis.Conclusions: In conclusion, the PA subunit of H9N2 bind with PDCD7 and regulated cell apoptosis, which provide new insights in the role of PA subunit during H9N2 influenza virus infection.
Characteristics of Endoscopic and Pathological Findings of Amebic Colitis
Authors: Meng Ying , Yue Bing , Zhou Hua Yan , Zhao Ying Hai , Wu Dong Yong , zong ye
Published: November 2020

Background The clinical features of amoebic colitis resemble those of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and therefore the risk of misdiagnosis is very high.Methods We retrospectively reviewed data of all amebic colitis cases admitted to Beijing Friendship Hospital from January 2015 to January 2020. Cases were diagnosed by clinical presentation, laboratory examinations, and colonoscopy with biopsy and histological examination. Results 16 patients were diagnosed with amebic colitis by colonoscopies accompanied by biopsies and microscopic examinations. At first, 12 (75%) patients were misdiagnosed with IBD. The cecum was the most common site of amebic colitis (100%), and the caecum and rectum were also involved in many lesions (68.75%). Multiple lesions of erosion and/or ulcers were recognized in all patients (100%). The features of endoscopic findings included multiple irregularly shaped ulcers and erosions with surrounding erythema, and the ulcers and erosions were covered by the white or yellow exudates. The intervening mucosae between the ulcers or erosions were normal. The features of the rectums can be divided to 2 types: in 6 patients (54.5%), the irregular ulcers or erosions covered with white or yellow exudates were observed in the rectum and the cecum, and the bloody exudates in the rectum were more severe than those in the cecum; in the other 5 patients (45.5%), rectal lesions were much less severe than those in the cecum, and small superficial erosions or reddened mucosa were observed in the rectal ampulla. All patients were diagnosed as detection of amebic trophozoites from HE-stained biopsy specimens. The number of trophozoites ranged from 1 /HPF to ＞50/HPF. Among 16 cases, mild architectural alteration of colon crypt was observed in 10 cases (62.5%), and serious architectural alteration of colon crypt was found which had a crypt branch in 1 case (16.7%). Cryptitis was observed in 12 cases (75%) and its severity was mild or moderate. No crypts abscesses were observed in all cases. Conclusions Colonoscopies with histological examinations are very important to diagnose amebic colitis. Detecting the amoebic trophozoites in the exudates by histological examination is vital. Sometimes a negative biopsy does not rule out amebiasis, repeated biopsies may be needed to make the diagnosis.
Bioinformatic Identification and Validation of Key Genes and Biological Pathways Involved in Hepatitis B Virus-related Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Ren Guan-Hua , Mei Fan-Biao , Zhang Chao-Jun , Cai Dong-Mei , Long Long , Li Ke-Zhi , Huang Tian-Ren , Deng Wei
Published: November 2020

Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor severely scathing human health. As we all know, one of the main risk factors of HCC is chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which involved in the oncogenesis of HCC through direct and indirect mechanisms such as inflammatory injury, integration into the host genome and interaction with some special target genes. This study aimed to identify these key genes potentially associated with HBV-related HCC by bioinformatics analyses.Results: Total of 320 DEGs was identified between HBV-related HCC tissue samples and adjacent normal samples. These DGEs were strongly associated with several biological processes, such as retinol metabolism and steroid hormone biosynthesis. A PPI network was constructed and top six hub genes, including CDK1, CCNB1, CDC20, CDKN3, HMMR and MKI67, were determined. GEPIA online tool analysis validated the six key hub genes had the same expression trend as predicted in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets. The overall survival and disease-free survival reflected that high expression of CDK1, CDC20, HMMR, MKI67 and CCNB1 significantly predicted poor prognosis, whereas CDKN3 expression has no statistical differences in overall survival.Conclusion: The present study identified key genes and pathways involved in HBV-related HCC, which will improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development and recurrence of HCC. The six identified genes might be potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of HBV-related HCC.
Doula Support in Office Hysteroscopy: Results From A Pilot Study
Authors: Montejo Rocio , Hermansson Jonas , Wranker Lena Sandin , Danielsson Louise
Published: November 2020

Background This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of doula support in office hysteroscopy and the potential effectiveness of doula support during office hysteroscopy to reduce anxiety and pain. Methods This study was designed as a two-armed pilot study, with an intervention and a control group, with participants allocated to each group in a 1:1 ratio. 30 of 58 patients were initially excluded from due to not could read Swedish or declining to participate in the study. Twenty-eight women with indications for office hysteroscopy were randomized to receive doula support (intervention) during the procedure or to routine care (control group). The data collected included general and gynecological data, Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-S (STAI), and the Numeric Rate Scale (NRS) for pain intensity. Feasibility was measured in terms of successful office hysteroscopies, duration, and adverse events. Results Success rates, duration, and adverse events were similar between the groups, with no differences in reported pain intensity. Both groups had high, comparable levels of anxiety before the procedure, whereas after the procedure, the doula group showed slightly increased anxiety while the control group showed slightly decreased anxiety. There was a significant difference between groups favoring the control group when comparing STAI-S mean score post-procedure but not when analysing the mean change across groups. Conclusion Exploring a new take on doula support, this pilot study suggests that it may be feasible but not superior to routine care support in office hysteroscopy. Also, high anxiety levels may be more of an issue than pain during the procedure. Further investigation of the state and trait anxiety in different hysteroscopy populations and health care contexts is recommendedTrial Registration The study was registered in de Research Database Registry in Västra Götalandsregionen (Sweden) with number: 254161 on 10 November 2018.
Circulating Tumor Cells Predict Prognosis Following First-Generation EGFR-TKI Treatment in EGFR- and TP53-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: He Jing , Zhang Wei , Qian Huizhu , Liu Ping , Xu Jing , Gao Wen
Published: November 2020

Purpose: First-generation EGFR-TKIs have become the first-line standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR mutations. This study isolates and quantifies circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and evaluates patient prognosis before and after first-line treatment with EGFR-TKIs in advanced NSCLC with EGFR and TP53 mutation.Methods: Patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR and TP53 mutation were treated with a first-generation EGFR-TKI using a standard daily dose. Continuous blood samples were collected at baseline (CTCs-d0) and 28 days (CTCs-d28), and the isolation by size of tumor cells (ISET) method was used to detect CTCs.Results: The CTC results were divided into favorable (< 5 CTCs) and unfavorable (≥ 5 CTCs) groups. The median progression-free survival (PFS) of patients in the favorable group was significantly longer at baseline compared to those in the unfavorable group (15 vs 7.5 months; p = 0.0055). After 28 days of treatment with first-generation EGFR-TKI, the PFS of patients in the favorable group was 12.5 months, which was significantly longer than the median PFS of 7 months in the unfavorable group (p = 0.0003). After treatment, the PFS of patients with reduced CTCs was significantly better than those with no significant change in CTCs (9 months vs 6 months, p = 0.014). In univariate and multivariate analysis, patients with CTCs-d0 ≥ 5 and CTCs-d28 ≥ 5 had significantly lower PFS when compared to those with CTCs-d0 < 5 and CTCs-d28 < 5, respectively.Conclusion: This study confirmed for the first time that CTC count is closely correlated with prognosis in EGFR- and TP53-mutant advanced NSCLC following first-line treatment with first-generation EGFR-TKIs.
Development of a Prognostic Gene Signature For Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Wu Cuiyun , Luo Yaosheng , Chen Yinghui , Qu Hongling , Zheng Lin , Yao Jie
Published: November 2020

Background: Accurate prediction of overall survival is important for prognosis and the assignment of appropriate personalized clinical treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The aim of the present study was to establish an optimal gene model for the independent prediction of prognosis associated with common clinical patterns.Methods: Gene expression profiles and the corresponding clinical information of the LIHC cohort were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Differentially expressed genes were found using the R package “limma”. Subsequently, a prognostic gene signature was developed using the LASSO Cox regression model. Kaplan–Meier, log-rank, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to verify the predictive accuracy of the prognostic model. Finally, a nomogram and calibration plot were created using the “rms” package.Results: Differentially expressed genes were screened with threshold criteria (FDR < 0.01 and |log FC|>3) and 563 differentially expressed genes were obtained, including 448 downregulated and 115 upregulated genes. Using the LASSO Cox regression model, a prognostic gene signature was developed based on nine genes,IQGAP3, BIRC5, PTTG1, STC2, CDKN3, PBK, EXO1, NEIL3, and HOXD9, the expression levels of which were quantitated using RT-qPCR. According to the risk scores, patients were separated into high-risk and low-risk groups. Patients with lower risk scores generally had a better survival rate than those with higher risk scores. The mortality rate in the high-risk group was 42.02%, while that in the low-risk group was 12.50%. Results of the log-rank test showed significant differences in mortality between the two groups (HR: 4.86; 95% CI: 2.72–8.69; P = 1.01E-08). Subsequently, we assessed the prognostic accuracy of the gene signature using an ROC curve and the results show good sensitivity and specificity, with an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81 at 5 years (P < 0.01). Following multivariate adjustment for conventional clinical patterns, the prognostic gene signature remained a powerful and independent factor (HR: 4.70; 95% CI: 2.61–8.38; P = 2.06E-07), confirming its robust predictive ability of overall survival in HCC patients. Finally, a nomogram was established based on the gene signature and four clinicopathological features, which demonstrated an advantageous discriminating ability with the potential to facilitate clinical decision-making in HCC.Conclusion: Our prognostic gene signature can be used as a combined biomarker for the independent prediction of overall survival in HCC patients. Moreover, we created a nomogram that can be used to infer prognosis and aid individualized decisions regarding treatment and surveillance.
Vaspin Alleviates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy By Regulating Autophagy-Dependent Myocardial Senescence
Authors: Rui Haiying , Li Ruochuan , Liu Lulu , Han Ziqi , Yu Huaxiang , Qin Dandan , Gong Xiaohui , Cao Shengchuan , Yuan Qiuhuan , Xu Feng , Xue Li , Chen Yuguo
Published: November 2020

Background: Visceral adipose tissue derived serine protease inhibitor (vaspin), a secretory adipokine, was reported to play a protective role in insulin resistance. Recent studies have demonstrated that serum vaspin levels are downregulated in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and that vaspin has a protective effect on myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) and atherosclerosis. However, whether vaspin exerts specific effects on pathological cardiac hypertrophy remains unknown.Methods: Pathologic cardiac hypertrophy was induced in male C57BL/6J wild type (WT) and vaspin knockout (vaspin ko) mice. Buparlisib (PI3K inhibitor, 50 mg/kg), rapamycin (mTOR inhibitor, 20 mg/kg), or A 769662 (AMPK agonist, 30 mg/kg) wer e pre and co administered to vaspin ko mice daily for a period of 15 days. Induction of pathological cardiac hypertrophy was performed by the subcutaneous administration of isoproterenol (ISO) (5 mg/kg) into mice from the 7th to the 15th day. Cardiac hype rtrophy, fibrosis, and cardiac function were examined in these mice. Critical characteristics of senescence (senescence associated β galactosidase activity and expression of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors) were examined in the cardiac hypertrophy modelResults: We provide the first evidence that the serum level of vaspin decreased during pathological cardiac hypertrophy; further, knocking out of vaspin resulted in markedly exaggerated cardiac h ypertrophy and fibrosis, and increased cardiomyocyte senesc senescence in mice treated with ISO. Conversely, the administration of exogenous ence in mice treated with ISO. Conversely, the administration of exogenous recombinant human vaspin in vitro protected myocardial cells against hypertrophy recombinant human vaspin in vitro protected myocardial cells against hypertrophy and senescence caused by ISO. and senescence caused by ISO. MechanisticallyMechanistically, PI3K, PI3K--AKTAKT--mTOR mTOR pathwaypathway--dependent activation of autophadependent activation of autophagic flux was involved in the protective gic flux was involved in the protective effects of vaspin toward cardiac hypertrophy.effects of vaspin toward cardiac hypertrophy.Conclusion: Our results showed for the first time that vaspin functions as a critical Our results showed for the first time that vaspin functions as a critical regulator that alleviates pathological cardiac hypertrophy by regulating regulator that alleviates pathological cardiac hypertrophy by regulating autophagyautophagy--ddependent myocardial senescence, which provides potential preventive and ependent myocardial senescence, which provides potential preventive and therapeutic targets for pathological cardiac hypertrophy.therapeutic targets for pathological cardiac hypertrophy.
Microbiota Thrombus Colonization May Influence Athero-ThrombosIs in Hyperglycemic Patients With ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). MARIANELLA Study
Authors: Sardu Celestino , Trotta Maria Consiglia , Santella Biagio , Onofrio Nunzia D' , Barbieri Michelangela , Rizzo Maria Rosaria , Sasso Ferdinando Carlo , Scisciola Lucia , Turriziani Fabrizio , Torella Michele , Portoghese Michele , Loreni Francesco , Mureddu Simone , Lepore Maria Antonietta , Galdiero Massimiliano , Franci Gianluigi , Folliero Veronica , Petrillo Arianna , Boatti Lara , Minicucci Fabio , Mauro Ciro , Calabrò Paolo , Feo Marisa De , Balestrieri Maria Luisa , Ercolini Danilo , Amico Michele D' , Paolisso Giuseppe , Galdiero Marilena , Marfellla Raffaele
Published: November 2020

Objectives. We examined the association of the coronary thrombus microbiota and relative metabolites with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in hyperglycemic patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).Background. Hyperglycemia during STEMI may affect both development and progression of coronary thrombus via gut and thrombus microbiota modifications. Methods. We undertook an observational cohort study of 146 first STEMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and thrombus-aspiration (TA). Patients were clustered, based on admission blood glucose levels, in hyperglycemic (>140 mg/dl) and normoglycemic (<140 mg/dl). We analyzed gut and thrombus microbiota in all patients. Moreover, we assessed TMAO, CD40L and von Willebrand Factor (vWF) in coronary thrombi. Cox regressions were used for the association between Prevotellaspp and TMAO terziles and MACE. MACE endpoint at 1 year included death, re-infarction, unstable angina.Results. In fecal and thrombus samples, we observed a significantly different prevalence of both Prevotellaspp and Alistipesspp. between patients with hyperglycemia (n=56) and those with normal glucose levels (n=90). The abundance of Prevotella increased in hyperglycemic vs normoglycemic patients whereas the contrary was observed for Alistipes. Interestingly, in coronary thrombus, the content of Prevotella was associated with admission blood glucose levels (p<0.01), thrombus dimensions (p<0.01), TMAO, CDL40 (p<0.01) and vWF (p<0.01) coronary thrombus contents. Multivariate Cox-analysis disclosed a reduced survival in patients with high levels of Prevotella and TMAO in coronary thrombus as compared to patients with low levels of Prevotella and TMAO, after 1-year follow up.Conclusions. Hyperglycemia during STEMI may increase coronary thrombus burden via gut and thrombus microbiota dysbiosis characterized by an increase of Prevotella and TMAO content in thrombi.
Vitamin D Low-Levels and Silent Myocardial Ischemia in Type 2 Diabetes: Clinical Correlations and Prognostic Significance
Authors: Rossi Rosario , Talarico Marisa , Rolando Cristina , Minici Roberto , Boriani Giuseppe
Published: November 2020

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency has a pathogenetic and prognostic role in coronary artery disease. Moreover, Vitamin D has a key role in pain modulation and transmission. Diabetic patients have a high risk of silent myocardial ischemia (SMI), due to diabetic neuropathy. We aimed to evaluate the correlation between SMI and Vitamin D serum levels in a population of type 2 diabetic patients and to assess whether SMI patients had a worse survival than their symptomatic counterpart.METHODS: In this retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study, we enrolled 253 patients admitted in Policlinico of Modena Hospital and compared them with 50 healthy volunteers. We divided the 253 patients into three sub-groups: symptomatic MI group (125, 32.4%); SMI (78, 25.7%), and no-MI one (50, 41.9%). The entire population had a 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) measurement. RESULTS: 25(OH)D levels (nmol/l) were lower in SMI group (34.9 ± 5.8) respect to symptomatic MI (49.6 ± 6.1; p = 0.01); no MI (53.1 ± 6.2; p = 0.001) and control group (62.1 ± 6.7; p = 0.0001). 25(OH)D level was the only independent variable able to influence the development of SMI in diabetic patients, with an inverted odd-ratio of 1.11 (p = 0.01). Symptomatic MI group had better survival than SMI one (6-year survival rate: 83 vs. 69%; p = 0.01)CONCLUSIONS: Type 2 diabetic with SMI had a higher mortality risk and showed lower 25(OH)D levels than the symptomatic group. This suggests the crucial vitamin D role in the pathogenesis of SMI.
The Direct Effects of Different Irradiation Methods on The Survival of Laryngeal Squamous Carcinoma Hep2 Cells
Authors: Tian Suqing , Huang Li , Wang Junjie
Published: November 2020

Radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. However, radiation resistance is an important cause of radiotherapy failure. To determine the direct effects of different irradiation methods on the survival of Hep2 cells, three different irradiation methods were used in vitro to explore the effects on the colony formation, cycle and apoptosis, showing that different irradiation methods had inhibitory effects on the colony formation of Hep2 cells. Radioactive 125I continuous low dose rate radiation (CLDR) has a stronger inhibitory function, and single dose radiation (SDR) is also superior to fractionated dose radiation (FDR). The G1 phase decreased more significantly, while the G2/M phase ratio also increased significantly in CLDR group. The CLDR group was more significant increase in the early apoptosis and general apoptosis. During these process, the production of higher γ-H2AX, Cyclin D1, Cdc2, NF-κB p21, CyclinB1 and lower p-Cdc25c in CLDR group were observed. Taken together, the continuous low-dose rate irradiation of 125I seeds can significantly increase the apoptosis rate of Hep2 cells, resulting in continuous G2/M phase arrest and significantly inhibiting the proliferation ability of Hep2 cells
Shen-Qi-Wan Protects the Renal Peritubular Capillary From Adenine-mediated Damage by Upregulating Aquaporin 1
Authors: Bao Yuting , Zhang Yehui , Yang Yuanxiao , Chen Xueming , Lin Luning , Fu Yunbo , Ji Liting , Li Changyu
Published: November 2020

Background：Shen-Qi-Wan (SQW), a commonly used prescription against chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has a nephroprotective action in adenine-induced kidney injury. However, the mechanism of SQW in renal injury remains unclear.Methods: We evaluated the nephroprotective action of SQW in adenine-induced kidney injury and investigated its mechanism in vitro studies.Results: SQW supplementation could alleviate the pathological makers for CKD, ameliorate dysfunction of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and renal function loss caused by adenine. Alternatively, SQW administration showed an ameliorating effect from the toxicity and alleviated the injury of capillaries around renal tubules instigated by adenine through increasing AQP1 mRNA and protein level. In vitro experiments, SQW medicated serum enhanced the migration and lumen formation ability of HMEC-1 cells, and significantly increased AQP1 protein level. Moreover, AQP1 knockdown efficiently inhibited migration and lumen formation ability in HMEC-1 cells which could be reversed by SQW medicated serum.Trial registration : This is an animal and cell experiment, trial registration is not necessary.Conclusion: These results suggested that SQW attenuated peritubular capillary injury in adenine induced CKD model rats through boosting angiogenesis in endothelial cell and AQP1 may be a potential target of SQW for treating renal injury.
Integration Traditional Chinese Medicine and Nibble Debridement and Dressing Method Reduce Thrombosis and Inflammatory Response in the Treatment of Thromboangiitis Obliterans
Authors: Li Jianhua , Zhong Jingfeng , Huang Chunfa , Guo Jiewen , Li Arong
Published: November 2020

Background: Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), also known as Buerger's disease, is an occlusive arterial disease. However, the pathogenesis of TAO is still unclear. Research has shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has significant advantages in the treatment of TAO. Our purpose is to explore the underlying roles of TCM in combination with nibble debridement and dressing method (NDDM) in TAO rat model.Methods: 10 mg/ml sodium laurate was utilized to establish a TAO rat model, and then the TAO mode rats were treated with notoginseng powder (NP), maifusheng (MFS) or the combination of NP or MFS and NDDM. Ganrene’s classification and, blood rheology was evaluated; the pathological characteristics of rat limbs were examined by H&E staining and Masson staining; CD3+ and CD20+ levels were measured by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. In addition, inflammation-associated cytokines were analyzed by RT-qPCR, Western blot and ELISA assays. Results: ntegration NP or MFS and NDDM dramatically reduced the ganrene’s classification and affected blood rheology parameter of TAO model rats compared with NP and MFS alone. Meanwhile, NP or MFS in combination with NDDM decreased CD3+CD20+T cells, reduced thrombosis and inflammatory cell infiltration, and dramatically decreased the levels of inflammation-associated cytokines.Conclusion: Our results suggested that integration NP or MFS and NDDM could relieve the symptoms of TAO model rats induced by sodium laurate, which might provide new management strategy for TAO.
Optimized Hybrid Heuristic Based Dimensionality Reduction Methods for Malaria Vector Using KNN Classifier
Authors: Arowolo Micheal Olaolu , Adebiyi Marion Olubunmi , Adebiyi Ayodele Ariyo , Olugbara Oludayo
Published: November 2020

RNA-Seq data are utilized for biological applications and decision making for the classification of genes. A lot of works in recent time are focused on reducing the dimension of RNA-Seq data. Dimensionality reduction approaches have been proposed in the transformation of these data. In this study, a novel optimized hybrid investigative approach is proposed. It combines an optimized genetic algorithm with Principal Component Analysis and Independent Component Analysis (GA-O-PCA and GAO-ICA), which are used to identify an optimum subset and latent correlated features, respectively. The classifier uses KNN on the reduced mosquito Anopheles gambiae dataset, to enhance the accuracy and scalability in the gene expression analysis. The proposed algorithm is used to fetch relevant features based on the high-dimensional input feature space. A fast algorithm for feature ranking is used to select relevant features. The performances of the model are evaluated and validated using the classification accuracy to compare existing approaches in the literature. The achieved experimental results prove to be promising for selecting relevant genes and classifying pertinent gene expression data analysis by indicating that the approach is a capable addition to prevailing machine learning methods.
Clinical Features and Laboratory Examination to Identify Severe Patients With COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Meng Yan , Wang Jinpeng , Wen Kaicheng , Da Wacili , Yang Keda , Zhou Siming , Tao Zhengbo , Liu Hang , Tao Lin
Published: November 2020

Background With the COVID-19 epidemic breakout in China, up to 25% of diagnosed cases are considered to be severe. To effectively predict the progression of COVID-19 via patients’ clinical features at an early stage, the prevalence of these clinical factors and their relationships with severe illness were assessed.Methods In this study, electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Chinese database) were searched to obtain relevant studies including information on severe patients. Publication bias analysis, sensitivity analysis, prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, diagnosis odds ratio calculation, and visualization graphics were achieved through software Review Manager 5.3, STATA 15, Meta-DiSc 1.4 and R.Results Data of 3.547 patients from 24 studies was included in this study. The results revealed that patients with chronic respiratory system diseases (pooled positive likelihood 6.07, 95% CI: 3.12-11.82), chronic renal disease (4.79, 2.04-11.25), cardiovascular disease (3.45, 2.19-5.44), and symptoms of the onset of chest tightness (3.8, 1.44-10.05), shortness of breath (3.18, 2.24-4.51), and diarrhea (2.04, 1.38-3.04) exhibited increased probability of progressing to severe illness. C-reactive protein, ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased a lot in severe patients compared to non-severe. Yet it was found that clinical features including fever, cough, headache, and so on, as well as some comorbidities have little warning value.Conclusions The clinical features, and laboratory examination could be used to estimate the process of infection in COVID-19 patients. The findings contribute to the more efficient prediction of serious illness for patients with COVID-19 to reduce mortality.Systematic Review registrations Not applicable.
Learning Chemistry: Exploring the Suitability of Machine Learning for the Task of Structure-based Chemical Ontology Classification
Authors: Hastings Janna , Glauer Martin , Memariani Adel , Neuhaus Fabian , Mossakowski Till
Published: November 2020

Chemical data is increasingly openly available in databases such as PubChem, which contains more than 110 million compound entries as of October 2020. With the availability of data at such scale, the burden has shifted to organisation, analysis and interpretation. Chemical ontologies provide structured classifications of chemical entities that can be used for navigation and filtering of the large chemical space. ChEBI is a prominent example of a chemical ontology, widely used in life science contexts. However, ChEBI is manually maintained and as such cannot easily scale to the full scope of public chemical data. There is a need for tools that are able to automatically classify chemical data into chemical ontologies, which can be framed as a hierarchical multi-class classification problem. In this paper we evaluate machine learning approaches for this task, comparing different learning frameworks including logistic regression, decision trees and long short-term memory articial neural networks, and different encoding approaches for the chemical structures, including cheminformatics fingerprints and character-based encoding from chemical line notation representations. We nd that classical learning approaches such as logistic regression perform well with sets of relatively specific, disjoint chemical classes, while the neural network is able to handle larger sets of overlapping classes but needs more examples per class to learn from, and is not able to make a class prediction for every molecule. Future work will explore hybrid and ensemble approaches, as well as alternative network architectures including neuro-symbolic approaches.
SMOC Approach for Total Knee Arthroplasty in Valgus Knees
Authors: Li Tao , Wang Yingzhen , Li Haiyan , Guo Pengcheng , Zhang Haining
Published: November 2020

Purpose The subvastus approach sometimes can not provide adequate exposure and lateral approach has disadvantages of closure of the soft tissues and patellar tracking. The hypothesis of this study was that SMOC approach could be used in valgus knees and would offer good function.Methods We retrospectively reviewed 25 patients (25 knees) with valgus deoformity undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with SMOC approach. Necessary soft tissue releases, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), straight leg raising (SLR), International Knee Society score (KSS), radiological alignment were assessed with average follow-up of 16 months.Results KSS improved significantly from 38.5 to 90.3. The mean range of motion increased from 89.5°to 121.8°.The mean tibiofemoral valgus was corrected from preoperative 17.1° to 6.3°. No instability, recurrent valgus deformity, or radiographic loosening was found during follow-up.Conclusions SMOC approach provides adequate exposure and excellent early recovery for TKA in valgus knees, without increase in incidence of complications.
Comparison of SDSG and CARDS classifications for L5/S1 lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis: An independent inter- and intra-observer agreement study
Authors: Xu Chongqing , Yin Mengchen , Mo Wen
Published: November 2020

Background

Lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) has been a common disease that make increasing patients suffer from different degrees of low back pain and radicular symptoms. SDSG and CARDS systems are commonly used to classify the disease, and help to make a more detailed treatment plan. The objective of this study is to evaluate the reliability and reproducibility of SDSG and CARDS classifications, and to explore their clinical application value.
Methods/Design:

All 117 patients with L5/S1 lumbar DS were enrolled. 5 spine surgeons who have certain clinical experience were selected. They determined the classification according to S SDSG and CARDS systems, we used kappa (K) value to check the coefficient consistency for multi-factor and assess the inter- and intra-observer agreement. After 12 weeks, we repeated the analysis.
Results

The inter-observer reliability and intra-observer reproducibility of SDSG system were substantial with K values of 0.704 and 0.861, while those of CARDS system were substantial with values of 0.620 and 0.878.
Conclusion

SDSG system has better inter-observer reliability in comparison with CARDS system, and though CARDS system is more intuitive and simpler, it is more likely to produce deviations when using it. Since both SDSG and CARDS systems show substantial agreement and have great significance in surgical strategy of L5/S1 lumbar DS, they can be widely used in clinical practice.
Alterations in intermuscular coordination underlying isokinetic exercise after a stroke and their implications on neurorehabilitation
Authors: Park Jeong-Ho , Shin Joon-Ho , Lee Hangil , Roh Jinsook , Park Hyung-Soon
Published: November 2020

Background: Abnormal intermuscular coordination limits the motor capability of stroke-affected upper limbs. By evaluating the intermuscular coordination in the affected limb under various biomechanical task constraints, the impact of a stroke on motor control can be analyzed and intermuscular coordination-based rehabilitation strategies can be developed. In this study, we investigated upper limb intermuscular coordination after a stroke during isokinetic movements. Methods: Sixteen chronic stroke survivors and eight neurologically intact individuals were recruited. End-point forces and electromyographic activities of the shoulder and elbow muscles were measured while the participants performed isokinetic upper limb movements in a three-dimensional space. Intermuscular coordination of the stroke survivors and the control participants was quantified in the form of muscle synergies. Then, we compared the number, composition, and activation coefficients of muscle synergies and the end-point force between the groups. The correlation between the alteration of muscle synergies and the level of motor impairment was investigated. Results: Four and five muscle synergies in the stroke and control groups were observed, respectively. The composition of muscle synergies was comparable between the groups, except that the three heads of the deltoid muscle were co-activated and formed one synergy in the stroke group, whereas those muscles formed two synergies in the control group. When the number of muscle synergies between the groups matched, the comparable composition of muscle synergies was observed in both groups. Alternatively, the modulation of synergy activation coefficients was altered after a stroke. The severity of motor impairments was negatively correlated with the similarity of the post-stroke synergies with respect to the mean control synergies. Conclusions: Stroke-affected upper limbs seemed to modularize the activation of the shoulder and elbow muscles in a fairly similar way to that of neurologically intact individuals during isokinetic movements. Compared with free (i.e., unconstrained) movement, exercise under biomechanical constraints including the isokinetic constraint might promote the activation of muscle synergies independently in stroke survivors. We postulated the effect of biomechanical constraints on the intermuscular coordination and suggested a possible intermuscular coordination-based rehabilitation protocol that provides the biomechanical constraint appropriate to a trainee throughout the progress of rehabilitation.
Difference Metabolites Induced By Deoxynivalenol in Serum and Urine of Weaned Rabbits Detected Using LC-MS Based Metabolomics
Authors: Li Fuchang , Huang Libo , Liu Quancheng , Wang Pengwei , Chen Hongju , Wang Chunyang
Published: November 2020

Background: The main toxin effects of Deoxynivalenol (DON), which known as one of the mycotoxins with the highest pollution rate, is the result of long-term accumulation, and there are no obvious clinical signs at the early stage. Specific metabolites in blood and urine can be used as biomarkers and become an important diagnostic indicator for DON poisoning monitoring. At present, studies on the metabolic pathways and characteristics of DON mainly focus on humans, pigs and poultry, but few study on rabbits. This study aims to reveal the difference in DON-induced metabolites in the serum and urine of weaned rabbits, so as to help find potential biomarkers and understand the mechanism of DON in rabbits.Methods: A total of 32 weaned rex rabbits were divided evenly into two groups, namely the control group and DON group. Both groups of rabbits were fed with the basic diet. Rabbits in DON group were intraperitoneally injected with DON at 1.5 mg/kg b.w. every two days before feeding, while rabbits in control group were injected with saline at 1.5 mg/kg b.w. in the same way. After the 25-day trial, the serum and urine samples at different experimental period were collected for LC/MS analysis.Results: The results based on the LC-MS/MS method showed that DON can be metabolized rapidly in blood, and urine is the main metabolism pathway for DON. The data based on metabolomics illustrated that underlying biomarkers in serum were mainly involved in Glycerophospholipid metabolism, Tryptophan metabolism and Pentose and glucuronate interconversions, while those in urine samples involved in Caffeine metabolism, Glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, and Terpenoid backbone biosynthesis. Correlation analysis suggested that DON can induce 61 the changes in certain disease-related metabolites in serum and urine.Conclusions: The pathogenic mechanism of DON includes multiple levels, indicating that DON poisoning is caused by multiple factors acting on multiple links.