bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of clinically managed weight loss programs: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Cachero Katrina , Granger Matthew , Mollard Rebecca C. , Askin Nicole , Okoli George N. , Abou-Setta Ahmed M. , MacKay Dylan
Published: June 2021

Background: Obesity has become a major driver in the burden of chronic diseases. The Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines recommends a lifestyle intervention for the management and prevention of obesity. This includes behaviour modification, dietary counselling, and physical activity. With the market overwhelmed with weight loss programs, majority are focused on low-calorie diets and general recommendations for exercise. Most are not personalized and are not administered by health care professionals. An interdisciplinary team of highly trained health care professionals have the ability to provide medically sound and safe advice in all aspects of an individuals’ life, such as, lifestyle, sleep, mental health, and behaviours. A clinically-managed weight loss program is defined as a team including a dietitian, and/or exercise professional, and/or psychologist, and/or physician or nurse practitioner oversight. With limiting results in the literature regarding clinically-managed weight loss programs, it is difficult to conclude whether it may be effective. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review is to assess clinically-managed weight loss programs, with physician or nurse practitioner oversight in comparison to non-clinically-managed weight loss programs with no physician oversight or nurse practitioner oversight in adults who are living with overweight or obesity. Methods: A literature search will be executed by a knowledge synthesis librarian on MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. The data collected will be extracted, stored, and managed in MS Excel 2016. The extraction of the data will include study details, study population details, health team details, intervention details, and outcome details. Discussion: The prevalence of obesity has been increasing throughout the decades. Results from this systematic review may aid in recommending a more clinically safe weight loss program for those who struggle with overweight or obesity. PROSPERO ID: CRD42020170014
The Effects of rural income project on silk exports and livelihood of smallholder producers in Gatsibo District, Rwanda
Authors: Ogunlusi Abiola , Olaniyan Olanrewaju
Published: June 2021

Sericulture has been seen in Rwanda as an opportunity for increasing raw materials for the textile industry. Therefore, it has provided a new source of income, reduced unemployment and most likely to improve the livelihood status of poor sericulture smallholder producers by increasing their income earnings. The high yield in silk production has been pleasing due to the favourable climatic conditions for mulberry cultivation, sericulture has been seen as a potential tool to reduce poverty and also to generate foreign exchanges from exportation. The broad objective of this paper focuses on the impact of the livelihood status of smallholder producers in Rwanda. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were employed in selecting 286 sericulture households’ farmers in Gatsibo district. Data for this study were analysed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, paired-samples t-test, cross-tabulation and chi-square test of independence. The results of this study showed clearly a significant improvement in the livelihood of the farmers. It was gathered that 82% asserted there are organized markets available for silk exportation. 77% affirmed an improvement in their income status. The average level of income per year from cocoon production among the farmers was estimated to be $ 227.59. It is of topmost priority for this program to continue because its effect has a very positive impact on the livelihood status of the beneficiaries. Farmers should be provided with continuous training, access to credits. If sustained properly it will resolve future challenges and springs more opportunities for farmers and likewise to the country through exports.
Multi-class Multipath Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks, with Energy Balanced Optimal Rate Assignment
Authors: Farahbakhsh Maryam , Moghadam Meisam Nesary
Published: June 2021

The wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are special network which has purpose of gathering information in certain area. Multipath routing is the paramount path of addressing QoS and energy balancing concerns in low power and lossy networks (LLNs) especially in IoT technology. Most of the extant efforts bring the limited number of disjoint paths into play, and intersect the traffic among them pursuant to a compound metric or centralized optimization problem. This paper proposes a multi-class multipath routing protocol for LLNs (called M2RPL), that construct a braided multipath routing graph based on the standard RPL (IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks) protocol, and an energy balanced optimal rate assignment mechanism (EBORA) that solves a local multi class optimization problem for minimum cost traffic rate assignment. Moreover the algorithm tries to maximize network lifetime by equalizing the energy dissipation rates of equi-level nodes. The simulation results expose the efficiency of the proposed framework, leading to an average 15% increase in lifetime, and improved QoS performance in terms of delay and reliability, compared to some well-known algorithms.
Women’s Experiences of Labour And Birth: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Research Evidences
Authors: Tabaghdehi Monirolsadate Hosseini , Shahhosseini Zohreh , Keramat Afsaneh , Motaghi Zahra
Published: June 2021

Background: Childbirth and its experience have the potential physical and psychological impact in the short and long term on mothers’ lives. This study aimed to identify and synthesize the qualitative researches in this regard to obtain a deep understanding of this phenomenon.Methods: In this study, articles were searched in databases such as Scopus, Pubmed as well as search in google scholar, Science Direct, key journals, and relevant theses using a predefined search strategy. Searching and selecting the articles and extracting data were performed by two independent authors. After searching, screening, and evaluating the studies, the final synthesis was completed on fourteen articles.Results: The meta-synthesis showed that there were two themes, four categories, and nine sub-categories. The themes include “perception” and “perspective”. Perception theme was derived from the two levels of control and security. Perspective theme was derived from of self-efficacy and self-esteem.Conclusion: Childbirth experience is affected by different factors. Health care systems should consider these factors in their patients during pregnancy and childbirth on their policies and guidelines.
Deciphering The Molecular Mechanism of Long Non-Coding RNA HIFA-AS1 Regulating Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Authors: Zhang He , Wang Xinwei , Wu Yue , Li Xuehua , Sun Rui , Tian Jing
Published: June 2021

Background: HIFA-AS1, an antisense transcript of HIF1α gene, is a 652 bp long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) which globally expressed in multiple tissues of animals. Recent evidence indicate d that the HIFA-AS1 was involved in tumorigenesis of several types of cancer, but there were no report s on pancreatic cancer (PC).Results: In order to investigate whether the HIFA-AS1 could mediate the PC or not, it was overexpressed in a PC cell line (PANC-1), and a series of experiments including cell viability detection, flow cytometry transwell migration, clone formation and wound healing were performed. Functionally, the results indicated that overexpression (OE) of HIFA-AS1 could inhibit proliferation and shift, and promote apoptosis of PC cells. Moreover, to explore underlying molecular mechanism of anti tumorigenic actions of HIFA-AS1 in PC cells, the iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification) quantitative proteomics analysis was implemented and the results indicated that OE of HIFA-AS1 globally affected the expression levels of multiple protein associated with metabolism of cancer. Moreover, the network analysis revealed that the most of these differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were integrated, and severed essential roles in regulatory function.Conclusions: In summary, HIFA-AS1 may exhibit a potential therapeutic effect on PC, and our study provided useful information in this filed.
Chromosomal Abnormalities Associated With Local Recurrence or Pulmonary Metastasis of Giant Cell Tumor of Bone in Thai Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study With 6 Years of Follow-Up
Authors: Ruangsomboon Pakpoom , Heepchantree Worapa , Reingrittha Pissanu , Waikakul Saranatra , Phimolsarnti Rapin
Published: June 2021

Background: Giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone demonstrates chromosomal abnormalities. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic role of chromosomal abnormalities of primary GCT of bone relative to local recurrence or pulmonary metastasis.Methods: This prospective longitudinal cohort study with 6 years of follow-up included consecutive patients with primary GCT of bone that were surgically treated during 2011 to 2013 at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. All patients underwent surgical resection with extended intralesional curettage and phenol local adjuvant therapy. Systematic cytogenetic analysis compared cytogenetic abnormalities between patients with and without local recurrence or pulmonary metastasis. Fifteen patients were eligible, enrolled, and had successful cytogenetic analysis.Results: The median follow-up time was 46 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 32-58). Five patients experienced local recurrence or pulmonary metastasis with a median time to recurrence of 6 months (IQR: 3.25-10.5). The mean number of abnormal cells in the primary culture compared between those with local recurrence or pulmonary metastasis and those without was 24.4 vs. 9.6 cells, respectively (p=0.04). A similar pattern was observed in the cultures of the subsequent four passages (all p<0.05). Forty-five patterns of clonal telomeric association (tas) were observed in passaged cultures. Six tas patterns were associated with local recurrence or pulmonary metastasis, including tas(11;19)(p15;q13.4), tas(15;19)(q26.3;q13.4), tas(15;22)(p13;p13), tas(16;19)(p13.3;q13.4), tas(17;19)(p13;q13.4), and tas(19;22)(q13.4;q13).Conclusions: The mean number of abnormal cells and the six identified TAS patterns may be valuable prognostic factors for local recurrence or pulmonary metastasis of GCT tumor of bone.
Circ-SMO-encoded 193 a.a. Confers Chemotherapy Resistance and Immune Escape to Glioma Stem Cells
Authors: yan sheng , wang shengyong , li xixi , yang yibing , wu xujia , zhong jian , chen junju , chen zhipeng , xu lin , zhou quan , gao xinya
Published: June 2021

Background: Emerging evidence indicates that circRNAs and their encoded proteins contribute to the tumorigenesis of glioma; however, the biological function and underlying mechanism of chemotherapy resistance and immune escape are largely known.Methods: We applied qRT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry to detect the expression level and correlation between Bax and PDL1. We next applied an apoptosis assay to detect chemotherapy resistance and immune escape.Results: Circ-SMO and 193 a.a. were upregulated in temozolomide-resistant tumours and tumour-associated immune escape tumours. Circ-SMO and 193 a.a. inhibited temozolomide-induced cell death and promoted PDL1 expression.Conclusion: Circ-SMO and 193 a.a. promote chemotherapy resistance and immune escape by modulating autophagy and PDL1 expression.
Relationship of Phase Angle, Echo Intensity, and Muscle Thickness with Isokinetic Knee Extensor Strength and Associated Motor Functions in Young Adults
Authors: Yamauchi Tomoyuki , Yamada Takumi
Published: June 2021

Background: There is no comprehensive report on quadriceps femoris muscle parameters’ association with isokinetic knee extensor strength, and no study has comprehensively clarified the relationship with motor function. To investigate the relation of isokinetic knee extensor strength and motor functions with phase angle, muscle echo intensity, and muscle thickness, to find alternative methods for knee extensor strength assessment. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated the associations between phase angle (PA) (measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis), muscle echo intensity (EI), and muscle thickness (MT) (measured using ultrasound) and isokinetic knee extensor strength (measured as maximum torque at 60 degree/s using an isokinetic dynamometer), and motor functions evaluated by gait speed (usual and maximum), five chair stands time, and stand up score.Results: The study comprised of 33 young healthy adults (12 males and 21 females; mean age, 22.2 years). Both sexes showed a significant correlation between isokinetic knee extensor strength and PA (males, r = 0.65, females, r = 0.54), muscle EI (males, r = -0.53, females, r = -0.54), and MT (males, r = 0.34, females, r = 0.38). In addition, a significant correlation was found between PA and maximum gait speed (males, r = 0.64, females, r = 0.44), five chair stands time (males, r = -0.69, females, r = -0.62), and stand up score (females, r = 0.45), and between muscle EI and maximum gait speed (males, r = -0.34, females, r = -0.42), five chair stands time (males, r = 0.37, females, r = 0.33), and stand up score (females, r = -0.30).Conclusions: The study suggests the potential of phase angle and muscle echo intensity as alternative assessment methods for isokinetic knee extensor strength.
Peripheral Blood Biomarkers Provide Prediction of Survival and Immune-Related Pneumonitis in Stage III/IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Authors: Wu Haishan , Wu Yahua , Zhang Mengyan , Yu Yilin , Lin Mingqiang , Wang Zhiping , Liu Tianxiu , Zheng Qunhao , Ma Jiayu , Liu Lingyun , Li Jiancheng
Published: June 2021

Backgroud: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been considered as a standard therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to explore associations between peripheral blood biomarkers with survival and immune-related pneumonitis (IRP) in patients with stage III/IV NSCLC treated with ICIs, and establish a novel risk stratification to predict outcomes.Methods: This study enrolled 95 patients with stage III/IV NSCLC receiving ICIs. Univariate and multivariate cox regression analyses were used to determine prognostic factors affecting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Logistic regression analysis was applied to explore the correlation between peripheral blood markers and IRP.Results: Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that pretreatment absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) (HR: 0.113, 95%CI: 0.113–0.863, P=0.025), and post-treatment systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) (HR: 4.199, 95%CI: 1.058–16.662, P=0.041) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Similarly, pretreatment ALC (HR: 0.333, 95%CI: 0.129–0.857, P=0.023) and post-treatment SIRI (HR: 3.160, 95%CI: 1.046–9.551, P=0.041) were also independent predictors of PFS. Based on these biomarkers, patients were classified into 3 categories: low-risk group: ALC >1.5 and SIRI ≤1.69 (n=28); medium-risk group: ALC >1.5 or SIRI ≤1.69 (n=35); high-risk group ALC ≤1.5 and SIRI >1.69 (n=32). The 1-year OS rate were 69.2%, 63.6%, 27.1%, respectively (P=0.001) and 1-year PFS rate were 51.8%, 44.8%, 21.1%, respectively (P=0.007). Furthermore, we found patients with post-treatment NLR >3 were associated with a significantly higher risk for occurring IRP than that NLR ≤3 (HR: 2.917, 95%CI: 1.037-8.206, P=0.043), and the time to IRP onset in post-treatment NLR>3 group was significantly shorter than that in NLR≤3 (P=0.018).Conclusions: Pretreatment ALC and post-treatment SIRI appeared to be biomarkers of outcome in stage III/IV NSCLC patients treated with ICIs. Furthermore, post-treatment NLR>3 was more likely to develop IRP.
Bone Apposition at the Mandibular Angles as a Radiological Sign of Bruxism: a Retrospective Study
Authors: Türp Jens Christoph , Simonek Michelle , Dagassan Dorothea
Published: June 2021

Background: The main objective of this investigation was to determine on panoramic radiographs the prevalence of macroscopically visible alterations (bone apposition in combination with directional change) in the mandibular angle region in bruxism patients. Another aim was to describe and detect different morphological characteristics of the jaw angles. Methods: Two hundred panoramic radiographs were studied: 100 images of adults with clinically diagnosed bruxism (73 women, 27 men, age range: 21 to 83 years), 100 images of a comparison group consisting of adolescents (66 girls, 34 boys, age range: 12 to 18 years). Results: The morphological changes of the 400 jaw angles could be classified into four degrees. In the adult group, almost half of mandibular angles showed bone apposition. Conversely, the prevalence in the control group was zero. The localization of the appositions corresponds to the insertions of the masseter and medial pterygoid muscles at the mandibular angle. Conclusions: The bone apposition at the mandibular angles should be interpreted as a functional adaptation to the long-term increased loads that occur during the contraction of the jaw closing muscles due to bruxism. Hence, radiologically diagnosed bone apposition may serve as an indication or confirmation of bruxism.
Effect of Metal (Cu, Mn) Doping on the Structural, Morphological, Optical, Photoluminescence, Electrical and Photocatalytic Properties of In2s3 Nanoparticles
Authors: Kennedy A. , Ganesan H. , Govindaraj T. , Maalmargan J. , Bagyalakshmi K.
Published: June 2021

Pure and metal (Cu, Mn) doped In2S3 nanoparticles were prepared by the standard co-precipitation technique. This work aims to study the influence of metal (Cu, Mn) on the synthesized nanoparticles' structural, morphological, optical, photoluminescence, and electrical properties (NPs). The XRD pattern reveals that the metal (Cu, Mn) doped In2S3 NPs were polycrystalline with a cubic phase whose particle size varies between 36.2 and 49 nm. A significant decrease in the crystallite size was observed after metal doping. It is noted from the EDS spectra the elements like In, Cu, Mn and S are present in the NPs. The optical studies reveal that the high transmittance (80%) was observed for pure In2S3 NPs makes them an efficient window layer for solar cell applications. Also, the calculated bandgap energy was found to increase ( 2.8 – 3.28 e V) for metal doping. Photoluminescence measurements reveal that the photoemission is mainly due to the donor-acceptor pair transitions. The electrical studies indicate that the electrical conductivity decreases significantly with doping, and maximum electrical conductivity of 1.28 x 10-6 (Ω m)-1 was obtained for pure In2S3 NPs. A photocatalytic study reveals that high photocatalytic activity is observed for Mn-doped NPs under Methylene blue (84%).
Acute Cardiotoxicity after Initiation of the Novel Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Gilteritinib for Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Kim Lisa , Fowler Brian , Campbell Courtney M. , Slivnick Jeremy , Nawaz Haseeb , Kaka Yaquta , Ruz Patrick , Vallakati Ajay , Baliga Ragavendra , Vasu Sumithira , Addison Daniel
Published: June 2021

Background: Gilteritinib is a novel FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 inhibitor recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2018 for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. However, gilteritinib may be associated with underrecognized cardiotoxicities.Case Presentation: This case describes a patient with a history significant for hyperlipidemia who was diagnosed with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia. After four doses of gilteritinib monotherapy, she abruptly developed acute systolic heart failure with global hypokinesis and septal wall motion abnormalities. Two days after discontinuation, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed partial recovery of her left ventricular ejection fraction as well as myocardial edema and non-ischemic fibrosis suggestive of inflammatory cardiomyopathy. She underwent intravenous diuresis and eventually started guideline-directed heart failure therapy. Follow-up cardiac magnetic resonance imaging five months later showed improved ejection fraction with mild non-ischemic fibrosis and resolution of myocardial edema and inflammation. She later received an allogeneic stem cell transplant from a matched unrelated donor. Conclusions: Gilteritinib may be associated with early cardiotoxicities, including non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and myocarditis. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging can be an important modality to help differentiate or diagnose early cardiotoxicities associated with novel targeted therapies.
A Comparison of PCR and ELISA Methods to Detect Different Stages of Plasmodium Vivax in Anopheles Arabiensis.
Authors: Hendershot Allison L , Esayas Endashaw , Sutcliffe Alice C. , Irish Seth R. , Gadisa Endalamaw , Tadesse Fitsum G. , Lobo Neil F.
Published: June 2021

Background: In characterizing malaria epidemiology, measuring mosquito infectiousness informs the entomological inoculation rate, an important metric of malaria transmission. PCR-based methods have been touted as more sensitive than the current “gold-standard” circumsporozoite (CSP) ELISA. Wider application of PCR-based methods has been limited by lack of specificity for the infectious sporozoite stage. We compared a PCR method for detecting the parasite’s cytochrome oxidase I (COX-I) gene with ELISA for detecting circumsporozoite protein for identification of different life stages of the parasite during development within a mosquito. Methods: A PCR-based method targeting the Plasmodium COX-I gene was compared with the CSP ELISA method to assess infectivity in Anopheles arabiensis colony mosquitoes fed on blood from patients infected with Plasmodium vivax. Mosquitoes were tested at six post-infection timepoints (days 0.5, 1, 6, 9, 12, 15). Head and thoraces, and abdomens for each specimen were tested separately with both methods. Agreement between methods at each infection stage was measured using Cohen’s Kappa measure of test association.Results: Infection status of mosquitoes was assessed in approximately 90 head and thoraces and 90 abdomens at each time point; in total 538 head and thoraces and 534 abdomens were tested. In mosquitoes bisected after 0.5, 1-, and 6-days post-infection, the COX-I PCR detected Plasmodium DNA in both the abdomens (88%, 78%, and 67%, respectively) and head and thoraces (69%, 60%, and 44%, respectively) whilst CSP-ELISA detect sporozoites in only 1 abdomen on day 6 post-infection. PCR was also more sensitive than ELISA for detection of Plasmodium in mosquitoes bisected after 9-, 12-, and 15-days post-infection in both the head and thoraces and abdomens. There was fair agreement between both methods for time points 9 -15 days post-infection (κ = 0.312, 95% CI: 0.230 – 0.394). Conclusion: The COX-I PCR is a highly sensitive, robust method for detecting Plasmodium DNA in mosquitoes, but its limited Plasmodium life-stage specificity cannot be overcome by bisection of the head and thorax from the abdomen prior to PCR. Thus, the COX-I PCR is a poor candidate for identifying infectious mosquitoes.
Trypanosoma Cruzi Affects The Sensory Biology of Triatoma Dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae).
Authors: May-Concha Irving J. , Talavera Maryrose J. Escalante , Dujardin Jean-Pierre , Waleckx Etienne
Published: June 2021

Background: Triatoma dimidiata is a vector of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. Phenotypic plasticity allows an organism to adjust its phenotype in response to stimuli or environmental conditions. Understanding the effect of T. cruzi on the phenotypic plasticity of its vectors, known as triatomines, has attracted great interest because of the implications of the parasite-triatomine interactions in the eco-epidemiology and transmission of the parasite. We investigated whether the infection of the vector with T. cruzi can change the antennal phenotype of sylvatic, domestic, and laboratory-reared populations of T. dimidiata. Methods: The abundance of each type of sensillum (bristles, basiconic, thick- and thin-walled trichoid) on the antennae of T. cruzi-infected and non-infected T. dimidiata reared in the laboratory or collected in sylvatic and domestic ecotopes were measured under light microscopy and compared using Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric tests and Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance. Results: We found significant differences between sensilla patterns of infected and non-infected insects within sylvatic and domestic populations. Conversely, we found no significant differences between sensilla patterns of infected and non-infected insects within the laboratory-reared population. Besides, our results show that the infection with T. cruzi affects the sexual dimorphism linked to antennal phenotype in sylvatic and domestic populations. Conclusion: These differences could be linked, for infected insects, to higher efficiency in the perception of odor molecules related to the search of distant mates and hosts and for flight dispersal in search of new habitats, and the possibility of a positive effect on population dynamics and on the vectorial transmission of T. cruzi.
Preparation of Nitrosulfonated Humic Acid-based Ion-imprinted Polymer and Study on Its Adsorption Properties
Authors: Wang An , Sun Xiaoran , Yan Yinuo , Bian Simeng , Fan Kaili , Zhao Zheng , Han Lihua , Shang Hongzhou
Published: June 2021

Ion imprinted polymer, a kind of high molecular organic polymer, which can separate and enrich various metal ions in water by changing the adsorption conditions. Used humic acid as raw materials, used HNO3 and H2SO4 as modifiers to synthesize nitrosulfonated humic acid, then used it as substrate, NIPAM as the functional monomer, Pb2+ as the template ion, MBA as the crosslinking agent, K2S2O8 and NaHSO3 as initiators to prepare lead ion imprinted polymers after cross-linking reaction. Used SEM, FT-IR, TG-DSC to characterize the obtained product, and explored the structure and performance of the product. The adsorption performance of IIPs (NSA/NIPAM) was studied by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis). The results show that the maximum adsorption capacity of IIPs (NSA/NIPAM) for Pb2+ is 81.33 mg/g, the optimal number of cycles of IIPs (NSA/NIPAM) is 10, In the presence of competing ions Cu2+ and Cd2+, selectivity coefficients are 18.04 (Pb2+/Cu2+) and 19.39 (Pb2+/Cd2+). The results of simulating the thermodynamic adsorption process of the polymers with Langmuir and Freundlich thermodynamic adsorption models show that the imprinted polymer conform to the second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir thermodynamic model, and belong to monolayer chemisorption.
Stability and Time-Delay Effect of Rainfall-induced Landslide Considering Air Entrapment
Authors: Zhang Shixin , Li Li , Zhao Dongsheng , Ni Bo , Qiang Yue , Zheng Zhou
Published: June 2021

Rainfall-induced landslide is a typical geological disaster in the Three Gorges reservoir area. The air entrapment in the pores of soils has a hindrance to the infiltration of the slope. It is mainly reflected in the hydraulic hysteresis after rainfall and the decrease of the slope anti-sliding force. A method considered the air entrapment of the closed gas in soil particles’ pores is developed to study the time-delay effect and slope stability under the rainfall process. The Green-Ampt infiltration model is used to obtain the explicit analytical solution of the slope infiltration considering air entrapment. Moreover, the relationship between the safety factor, the rainfall duration, and the depth of the wetting front under the three rainfall conditions (qrain=12, 26, 51 mm/h) is discussed. The results show that the air entrapment causes a significant time-delay effect of the landslide, and the hydraulic hysteresis is the strongest under the condition of heavy rainfall (qrain= 51mm/h). The time-delay effect lasts longer than low rainfall and heavy rainfall when the rainfall intensity (qrain= 26 mm/h) is slightly greater than saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks. Parameter analysis shows that when air entrapment is considered, the smaller the slope angle and the effective internal friction angle, the more significant the air entrapment has on the slope stability; the smaller the effective cohesion, the longer the air resistance lasts. Finally, the application of the Bay Area landslide is consistent with the actual state of the landslide.
Differential Expression of CD11c Defines Two Types of Tissue-Resident Macrophages with Different Origins in Steady-State Salivary Glands
Authors: Lu Lu , Kuroishi Toshinobu , Tanaka Yukinori , Sugawara Shunji
Published: June 2021

Gland macrophages are primed for gland development and functions through interactions within their niche. However, the phenotype, ontogeny, and function of steady-state salivary gland (SG) macrophages remain unclear. We herein identified CD11c+ and CD11c− subsets among CD64+ macrophages in steady-state murine SGs. CD11c− macrophages were predominant in the SGs of embryonic and newborn mice and decreased with advancing age. CD11c+ macrophages were rarely detected in the embryonic period, but rapidly expanded after birth. CD11c+, but not CD11c−, macrophage numbers decreased in mice treated with a CCR2 antagonist, suggesting that CD11c+ macrophages accumulate from bone marrow-derived progenitors in a CCR2-dependent manner, whereas CD11c− macrophages were derived from embryonic progenitors in SGs. CD11c+ and CD11c− macrophages strongly expressed colony-stimulating factor (CSF)-1 receptor, the injection of an anti-CSF-1 receptor blocking antibody markedly reduced both subsets, and SGs strongly expressed CSF-1, indicating the dependency of SG resident macrophage development on CSF-1. The phagocytic activity of SG macrophages was extremely weak; however, the gene expression profile of SG macrophages indicated that SG macrophages regulate gland development and functions in SGs. These results suggest that SG CD11c+ and CD11c− macrophages are developed and instructed to perform SG-specific functions in steady-state SGs.
Determination of the Level of Heavy Metals in Cow’s Milk Collected from Butajirra and Meskan Districts, South Central Ethiopia.
Authors: Asayehegn Amha Teklu , Hymete Ariaya , Hagos Seifu , Ashenef Ayenew
Published: June 2021

BackgroundMilk is a complete food useful to promote growth and development of the infant mammals as it contains vital nutrients including proteins, essential fats, vitamins, and minerals, in a balanced proportion. Milk can also contain chemical hazards and contaminants, such as heavy metals which can be a risk for health. This study was aimed at determining the level of the heavy metals in cow’s milk collected from Butajirra and Meskan districts, south Ethiopia. Cows’ milk was collected from 193 healthy and lactating cows. Samples were digested by optimized microwave digestion method using HNO 3 and H 2 O 2 . Analysis was done using ICP-OES for Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. MP-AES was used for Ca, Mg, K and Na. ResultsNi was not detected in all the milk samples. The concentrations of metals in the studied milk samples were, Cd (0.0 – 0.03), Cr (0.0 – 0.4), Cu (0.03 – 1.1), Fe (0.0– 1.9), Mn (0.0– 0.7), Pb (0.0– 12.3), Zn (0.0–8.2), Ca (380.1– 532.4), Mg (159.6– 397.9), K (1114.2–1685.8) and Na (495.9–1298.3) ppm. These values were compared with guide lines of different international organizations for food and other available literatures. Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn and Mg were found over the permissible limits. ConclusionSpecial attention should be given to the level of heavy metals in cows’ milk, since they are difficult to remove from the body and are dangerous to health once they accumulate to a level greater than their limit.
Upper Crustal Shear-wave Velocity Structure Beneath Western Java, Indonesia from Seismic Ambient Noise Tomography
Authors: rosalia shindy , Widiyantoro Sri , Cummins Phil R. , Yudistira Tedi , Nugraha Andri Dian , Zulfakriza Zulfakriza , Setiawan Ahmad
Published: June 2021

This paper presents the depth inversion of Rayleigh wave group velocity to obtain an S-wave velocity model from seismic ambient noise cross-correlation in the western part of Java, Indonesia. This study utilizes the vertical component data of a temporary seismograph network deployed in 2016, which was used in a previous study to estimate fundamental mode Rayleigh wave group velocity maps. In this study, the Neighbourhood Algorithm was applied to invert the Rayleigh wave group velocities into 1D shear-wave velocity (Vs) profiles, which were then interpolated to produce a high-resolution, pseudo-3D Vs model. These tomographic images of Vs extend to ~20 km depth and show a pronounced NE-SW contrast of low and high Vs in the depth range 1-5 km that correlates well with the Bouguer anomaly map. We interpret the low Vs in the northeastern part of the study area as associated with alluvial and volcanic products from the Sunda Shelf and modern volcanic arc, whereas the high Vs in the southwestern part is associated with volcanic arc products from earlier episodes of subduction. We also obtained the depth of the northern Java basin, which is in the range of 5-7 km, and the Garut Basin, which extends to 5 km depth. For greater depths, Vs gradually increases throughout western Java, which reflects the crystalline basement.
A Comprehensive Evaluation of Single-end Sequencing Data Analyses for Environmental Microbiome Research
Authors: Ramakodi Meganathan
Published: June 2021

Illumina sequencing platforms have been widely used for amplicon-based environmental microbiome research. Analyses of amplicon data of environmental samples, generated from Illumina MiSeq platform illustrate the reverse (R2) reads in the PE datasets to have low quality towards the 3’ end of the reads which affect the sequencing depth of samples and ultimately impact the sample size which may possibly lead to an altered outcome. This study evaluates the usefulness of single-end (SE) sequencing data in microbiome research when the Illumina MiSeq PE dataset shows significantly high number of low quality reverse reads. In this study, the amplicon data (V1V3, V3V4, V4V5 and V6V8) from 128 environmental (soil) samples, downloaded from SRA, demonstrate the efficiency of single-end (SE) sequencing data analyses in microbiome research. The SE datasets were found to infer the core microbiome structure as comparable to the PE dataset. Conspicuously, the forward (R1) datasets inferred a higher number of taxa as compared to PE datasets for most of the amplicon regions, except V3V4. Thus, analyses of SE sequencing data, especially R1 reads, in environmental microbiome studies could ameliorate the problems arising on sample size of the study due to low quality reverse reads in the dataset. However, care must be taken while interpreting the microbiome structure as few taxa observed in the PE datasets were absent in the SE datasets. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the availability of choices in analyzing the amplicon data without having the need to remove samples with low quality reverse reads.
Silicate/zinc-substituted strontium apatite coating improves the osteoinductive properties of β-tricalcium phosphate bone graft substitute
Authors: Sugimoto Hironori , Inagaki Yusuke , Furukawa Akira , Kira Tsutomu , Kawasaki Sachiko , Uchihara Yoshinobu , Akahane Manabu , Tanaka Yasuhito
Published: June 2021

Background: β-Tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) is a popular synthetic bone graft substitute with excellent osteoconductive properties and bioabsorbability. However, its osteoinductive properties are inferior to those of autologous or allogeneic bone. Trace elements such as strontium (Sr), silica (Si), and zinc (Zn) have been reported to promote osteogenesis in materials. In this study, we aimed to determine whether a Si/Zn-substituted Sr apatite coating of β-TCP could enhance osteoinductive properties.Methods: The apatite-coated β-TCP disks were prepared using nanoparticle suspensions of silicate-substituted Sr apatite (SrSiP) or silicate- and Zn-co-substituted Sr apatite (SrZnSiP).Bone marrow mesenchymal cells (BMSCs) from rat femur were cultured and subsequently seeded at a density of 1.0 × 106/cm2 onto apatite-coated and non-coated β-TCP disks.In vitro, the β-TCP disks were then placed in osteogenic medium, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was measured from supernatants after culture for 2 days. Additionally, after culture for 14 days, the mRNA expression of genes encoding osteocalcin (OC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was evaluated by qRT-PCR. In vivo, the β-TCP disks were transplanted subcutaneously into rats that were sacrificed after 4 weeks. Then, the harvested disks were evaluated biochemically (ALP activity, OC content, mRNA expression of OC, ALP, BMP-2, and VEGF measured by qRT-PCR), radiologically, and histologically.Results: Significantly higher mRNA expression of almost all evaluated osteogenic and angiogenic genes was observed in the SrZnSiP and SrSiP groups than in the non-coated group, with no significant cytotoxicity elicited by the apatite coating in vitro. Moreover, in vivo, the SrZnSiP and SrSiP groups showed significantly higher osteogenic and angiogenic gene expression and higher ALP activity and OC content than the non-coated group (P < 0.05). Radiological and histopathological findings revealed abundant bone formation in the apatite-coated group.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that apatite coating of β-TCP improves osteoinductive properties without inducing significant cytotoxicity.
LncRNA HOXC-AS3 Promotes Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition through Decreasing the Expression of FBXL17 in Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Weng Chengyin , Liu Xia , Mao Haibo , Fang Xisheng , Li Baoxiu , Wang Lina , Liu Guolong , Lv Lin
Published: June 2021

Background:The expression and biological roles of a novel lncRNA HOXC-AS3 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC) are largely unknown.Methods:LncRNA HOXC-AS3 was identified from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Real time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate the expression of HOXC-AS3 in 68 pairs of CESC tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the significance of HOXC-AS3 in predicting overall survival (OS). Correlations between HOXC-AS3 expression and clinicopathological parameters were assessed using Chi-square test. The biological functions of HOXC-AS3 in CESC were investigated using loss-of and gain-of function assays, which including cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism was revealed using bioinformatics prediction, qRT-PCR and western blot.Results:HOXC-AS3 expression was significantly up-regulated in CESC tumor tissues. Up-regulated HOXC-AS3 expression was correlated with advanced stage and poor OS. Over-expression of HOXC-AS3 promoted tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Conversely, HOXC-AS3 knockdown significantly inhibited these effects. Subcellular fractionation analysis revealed that HOXC-AS3 was mainly localized in cell nuclei. Further mechanistic analyses demonstrated that HOXC-AS3 down-regulated the expression of FBXL17. The promotive effects of HOXC-AS3 on cell proliferation, migration and invasion could be repressed by FBXL17. Moreover, HOXC-AS3 activated the EMT process to promote the progression of CESC. Conclusion:In conclusion, our study indicated that HOXC-AS3 acted as an oncogenic lncRNA in CESC through downregulating FBXL17 expression and activating EMT process.
SmileGNN: Drug-Drug Interaction Prediction Based on SMILES and Graph Neural Network
Authors: Han Xueting , Li Xutao , Li Junyi
Published: June 2021

Background: The use of multiple drugs at the same time can lead to unexpected adverse drug reactions. The interaction between drugs can be confirmed by routine in vitro and clinical trials. But it is difficult to test the drug-drug interaction widely and effectively before the drug is put into market. Therefore, the prediction of drug-drug interaction has become an important research in biomedical field.Results: In recent years, researchers have used deep learning to predict drug-drug interaction by using drug structural features and graph theory, and they have achieved a series of achievements. A drug-drug interaction prediction model SmileGNN is proposed in this paper. The structural features of drugs are constructed by using SMILES data. The topological features of drugs in knowledge graph are obtained by graph neural network. The structural and topological features of drugs are aggregated to predict the interaction of new drug pairs. Conclusions: The experimental results show that the model proposed in this paper combines a variety of data sources, and has better prediction performance compared with the existing prediction model of drug-drug interaction prediction. The most striking result is that five out of top ten predicted new interaction of drugs are verified from the latest database, which proves the credibility of SmileGNN.
Fast Acquisition Protocol for X-ray Scattering Tensor Tomography
Authors: Kim Jisoo , Kagias Matias , Marone Federica , Shi Zhitian , Stampanoni Marco
Published: June 2021

Microstructural information over an entire sample is important to understand the macroscopic behavior of materials. X-ray scattering tensor tomography facilitates the investigation of the microstructural organisation in statistically large sample volumes. However, established acquisition protocols based on scanning small-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray grating interferometry inherently require long scan times even with highly brilliant X-ray sources. Recent developments in X-ray diffractive optics towards circular pattern arrays enable fast single-shot acquisition of the sample scattering properties with 2D omnidirectional sensitivity. Leveraging on these new optical elements, we propose here simple yet inherently rapid acquisition protocols forX-ray scattering tensor tomography. Results from both simulation and experimental data, supported by a null space analysis, suggest that the proposed acquisition protocols are not only rapid but also corroborate that sufficient information for the accurate volumetric reconstruction of the scattering properties is provided. The proposed acquisition protocols will build the basis for rapid inspection and/or time-resolved tensor tomography of the microstructural organisation over an extended field of view.
Junior Medical Officers’ Knowledge of Advance Care Planning and Substitute Decision Making For People With Dementia: A Cross Sectional Survey
Authors: Bryant Jamie , Waller Amy , Bowman Alison , Pickles Rob , Hullick Carolyn , Price Emma , White Ben , Willmott Lindy , Knight Anne , Ryall Mary-Ann , Sanson-Fisher Robert
Published: June 2021

Background

For the benefits of advance care planning (ACP) to be realised during a hospital admission, the treating team must have accurate knowledge of the law pertaining to ACP.
Aims

To determine in a sample of Junior Medical Officers (JMOs): (1) knowledge of the correct order to approach people as substitute decision makers if a patient does not have capacity to consent to treatment; (2) knowledge of the legal validity of advance care directives (ACDs) when making healthcare decisions for persons with dementia, including the characteristics associated with higher knowledge; and (3) barriers to enacting ACDs.
Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted at five public hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Interns, residents, registrars, and trainees on clinical rotation during the recruitment period were eligible to participate. Consenting participants completed an anonymous pen-and-paper survey.
Results

A total of 118 JMOs completed a survey (36% return rate). Fifty-five percent of participants were female and 56.8% were aged 20–29 years. Seventy-five percent of JMOs correctly identified a Guardian as the first person to approach if a patient did not have decision-making capacity, and 74% correctly identified a person’s spouse or partner as the next person to approach. Only 16.5% identified all four persons in the correct order, and 13.5% did not identify any in the correct order. The mean number of correct responses to the questions assessing knowledge of the legal validity of ACDs was 2.6 (SD = 1.1) out of a possible score of 6. Only 28 participants (23.7%) correctly answered four or more knowledge statements correctly. None of the explored variables were significantly associated with higher knowledge of the legal validity of ACDs. Uncertainty about the currency of ACDs and uncertainty about the legal implications of relying on an ACD when a patient’s family or substitute decision maker disagree with it were the main barriers to enacting ACDs.
Conclusion

JMOs knowledge of the legal validity of ACDs for persons with dementia without capacity and the substitute decision-making hierarchy is limited. There is a clear need for targeted education and training to improve knowledge in this area for this cohort.
Modelisation of Thermally Induced Jitter in a Slender Structure
Authors: THANGAVEL KATHIRAVAN , Parisse Maurizio
Published: June 2021

The thermomechanical interactions of onboard space vehicles is an interesting field of research and study. Since the pioneering paper by Bruno Boley, published in 1954, many authors have given their relevant contribution to the comprehension of phenomena not otherwise investigable if not with a cross-sectoral approach and a multidisciplinary methodology. The anomaly that occurred to the spacecraft Alouette 1, in 1962, marked the beginning of a long series of unexpected events due to unconceivable coupling between the mechanical and thermal behaviour of the system. This work aims to emphasise, by means of a simple model, the basic mechanism responsible for elastic vibrations induced by a thermal shock. This is a widespread event experienced by a spacecraft during the transitions shadow-sun and vice-versa or when a flexible appendage, previously shadowed by the spacecraft's main body, comes to the light as a consequence of an attitude manoeuvre [Ulysses, 1990]. For the investigation, a very slender structure has been considered in order to make the thermal and mechanical characteristic times comparable and realise the conditions of strong coupling. The accurate thermal analysis provides an equivalent thermal bending moment, depending on time, which appears as a boundary condition in the subsequent modal analysis of the structural element, where it plays the role of a trigger of elastic transverse vibrations.
Achievements in Genetic Engineering of Amaranthus L. Representatives
Authors: YAROSHKO Olha
Published: June 2021

Despite the fact that in the modern world more than a thousand edible plants are used for food, only 3 staple cereal crops are grown worldwide: wheat, rice, and maize. Growing a limited number of crops often causes many problems: ranging from the loss of biodiversity, due to the constant cultivation of the same monocultures in the same areas, to the deterioration of soil quality. A way out of this situation is the selection of new untraditional and neglected plants that could grow in a wide range of temperatures, produce high yields and at the same time have a balanced amino acid composition. Pseudocereals of the genus Amaranthus L. meet these criteria. Amaranth grain and plant raw materials are used in many industries: food, medicine, cosmetics.Modern technologies do not stand still. Along with traditional methods of plant breeding, the rapid pace of development involves genetic engineering of plants, which allows the process of creating improved plants to be speeded up several times.The purpose of this study is to analyze and systematize the achievements in the field of regeneration and genetic transformation of representatives of the Amaranthus genus. The results can be used for a practical application: the genetic transformation of species of the genus Amaranthus and other close genera of plants.