bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of probiotics for regulation of inflammatory response in radiation-induced enteritis
Authors: Lee Sung Uk , Jang Bum-Sup , Na Yi Rang , Lee Sun Hwa , Han Sunwoo , Chang Ji Hyun , Kim Hak Jae
Published: February 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of probiotics in radiation enteritis using in vivo mice.
Methods: A total of 40 mice were randomly assigned to four groups: control, probiotics, radiotherapy (RT), and RT + probiotics. For the group of probiotics, 0.2 mL of solution that contained 1.0 × 108 colony-forming units (CFU) of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) was used and orally administered daily until sacrifice. For RT, a single dose of 14 Gy was administered using a 6 mega-voltage photon beam to the abdominopelvic area. Mice were sacrifice at day 4 (S1) and day 7 (S2) after RT. Their jejunum, colon, and stool were collected. A multiplex cytokine assay and 16s ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing were then performed.
Results: Regarding cytokine concentrations in tissues, pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF, IL-6, and MCP-1 showed decreased protein levels in colon tissues of the RT + probiotics group than in the RT group. The abundance of microbes showed no significant difference between RT + probiotics and RT groups except increased alpha-diversity in the stool at S2 of the RT + probiotics group. Probiotics-related and anti-inflammation-related microbes were dominant in the jejunum, colon, and stool from early days after administration of probiotics (probiotics or RT + probiotics groups). Differentially predicted metabolic pathways associated with anti-inflammatory process were found in the RT + probiotics group compared to the RT alone group.
Conclusion: Protective effects of probiotics on radiation enteritis were potentially derived from dominant anti-inflammation-related microbes and metabolites.
Improving air pollutant prediction in Henan Province, China, by enhancing the concentration prediction accuracy using autocorrelation errors and an Informer deep learning model
Authors: Cai Kun , Zhang Xusheng , Zhang Ming , Ge Qiang , Li Shenshen , Qiao Baojun , Liu Yang
Published: February 2023

Air pollution is an important issue affecting sustainable development in China, and accurate air quality prediction has become an important means of air pollution control. At present, traditional methods, such as deterministic and statistical approaches, have large prediction errors and cannot provide effective information to prevent the negative effects of air pollution. Therefore, few existing methods obtain accurate air pollutant time series predictions. To this end, a deep learning-based air pollutant prediction method, namely, the autocorrelation error-Informer (AE-Informer) model, is proposed in this study. The model implements the autocorrelation error (AE) based on the Informer model. The AE-Informer model is used to predict the hourly concentrations of multiple air pollutants, including PM10, PM2.5, NO2, and O3. The experimental results show that the mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) values of AE-Informer in multivariate prediction are 3% less than those of the Informer model; thus, the prediction error is effectively reduced. In addition, a stacking ensemble model is proposed to supplement the missing air pollutant time series data. This study uses Henan Province in China as an example to test the validity of the proposed methodology.
Evidence for periodic influences on radon time series was obtained from the active Manisa Fault Zone, Western Anatolia Extensional Province, Turkey
Authors: İçhedef Mutlu , Taşköprü Caner , Sözbilir Hasan , Saç Müslim Murat
Published: February 2023

Soil gas radon anomalies have been used for predicting earthquakes since it was proved that radon is one of the most effective natural process tracers. Analysis of the radon time series is the crucial phase to demonstrate the relationship between an earthquake and radon anomaly. A major part of the analysis of a time series is the characterization of its periodic and non-periodic components. This study, it is aimed to reveal the periodic components in the soil gas radon time series obtained from the Manisa Fault Zone (MFZ), one of the active seismic sources of Western Anatolia. Periodic components of the short-term radon time series were tested with Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The obtained results show that atmospheric pressure component S1, which acts periodically, has been encountered in the radon time series. It is also found that soil gas radon activity concentrations were quite variable during the study period independently from the periodic components.
Is theoretical chemistry entering a new era of big data learning and reasoning: deep electron cloud-activity and field-activity relationships
Authors: Xu Lu , Yang Qin
Published: February 2023

Chemists have been pursuing the general mathematical laws to explain and predict molecular properties for a long time. However, most of the traditional quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models have limited application domains, e.g., they tend to have poor generalization performance when applied to molecules with parent structures different from those of the trained molecules. This paper attempts to develop a new QSAR method that could theoretically predict various properties of molecules with diverse structures. The proposed deep electron cloud-activity relationships (DECAR) and deep field-activity relationships (DFAR) methods consist of three essentials: (1) A large number of molecule entities with activity data as training objects and responses; (2) three-dimensional electron cloud density (ECD) or related field data by the accurate density functional theory methods as input descriptors; (3) a deep learning model that is sufficiently flexible and powerful to learn the large data described above. DECAR and DFAR are used to distinguish 977 sweet and 1965 non-sweet molecules (with 6-fold data augmentation) and the classification performance is demonstrated to be significantly better than the traditional least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) models using traditional descriptors. DECAR and DFAR would provide a feasible and promising way to establish a widely applicable, cumulative, and shareable artificial intelligence-driven QSAR system. They will promote the development of an interactive platform to collect and share the accurate ECD and field data of millions of molecules with annotated activities. With enough input data, we envision the appearance of hundreds of deep networks trained for various molecular activities. Finally, we could anticipate a single DECAR or DFAR network to learn and infer various properties of interest for chemical molecules, which will become an open and shared learning and inference tool for chemists.
Prognostic Value of LINC01600 and CASC15 as Competitive Endogenous RNAs in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhou Fangbin
Published: February 2023

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can directly or indirectly regulate gene expression through interacting with microRNAs (miRNAs). Competitive Endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) render the roles of lncRNAs more complicated in the process of tumor occurrence and progression. However, the prognostic value of lncRNAs as potential biomarkers and their functional roles as ceRNAs have not been clearly described for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC). In the present study, the aberrant expression profiles of lncRNAs and miRNAs were analyzed at cBioPortal by interrogating LUAD dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database with 517 tissue samples. A total of 92 lncRNAs and 125 miRNAs with highly genetic alterations were identified. Further bioinformatics analysis was performed to construct a LUAD-related lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network, which included 24 highly altered lncRNAs, 21 miRNAs and 142 mRNAs. Some key lncRNAs in this network were subsequently identified as LUAD prognosis-related, and of those, LINC01600 and CASC15 both performed the potential prognostic characteristics with LUAD regarding OS and recurrence. Comprehensive analysis indicated that the expression of LINC01600 was significantly associated with KRAS mutation and lymph node metastasis, and CASC15 and LINC01600 were significantly tended towards co-occurrence, which may be due to the similarity of genes co-expressed by these two lncRNAs. Our findings provided novel insight into better understanding of ceRNA regulatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of LUAD and facilitated the identification of potential biomarkers for prognosis.
Clinical prediction rule for identifying older patients with toxigenic Clostridioides difficile at the time of hospital admission
Authors: Lee Ki-Byung , Lee Mina , Suh Jin Woong , Yang Kyung Sook , Chung Youseung , Kim Jeong Yeon , Kim Sun Bean , Sohn Jang Wook , Yoon Young Kyung
Published: February 2023

Background: This study aimed to develop and validate a clinical prediction rule to screen older patients at risk of being toxigenic Clostridioides difficile carriers at the time of hospital admission.
Methods: This retrospective case-control study was performed at a university-affiliated hospital. Active surveillance using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the toxin genes of C. difficilewas conducted among older patients (≥65 years) upon admission to the Division of Infectious Diseases of our institution. This rule was drawn from a derivative cohort between October 2019 and April 2021 using a multivariable logistic regression model. Clinical predictability was evaluated in the validation cohort between May 2021 and October 2021.
Results: Of 628 PCR screenings for toxigenic C. difficile carriage, 101 (16.1%) yielded positive findings. To establish clinical prediction rules in the derivation cohort, the formula was derived using significant predictors for toxigenic C. difficile carriage at admission, such as septic shock, connective tissue diseases, anemia, recent use of antibiotics, and recent use of proton-pump inhibitors. In the validation cohort, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the prediction rule, based on a cut-off value of ≥0.45, were 78.3%, 70.8%, 29.5%, and 95.4%, respectively.
Conclusions: This clinical prediction rule for identifying toxigenic C. difficile carriage at admission may facilitate the selective screening of high-risk groups. To implement it in a clinical setting, more patients from other medical institutions need to be prospectively examined.
Economic Diversity and Growth: Empirical Investigation on the Transmission Channels
Authors: Sukadi Emmanuel Sukadi A
Published: February 2023

This paper empirically assesses the total effect of economic diversity on growth and the contribution of some indirect transmission channels through which part of this effect is carried. Economic diversity, measured by the level of diversity in exports, is found to have a negative direct effect on growth in developing countries that is outweighed by the positive indirect effects through transmission channels, leading to a positive total effect. Overall, higher levels of diversity appear to have a greater positive influence on growth in developing countries in comparison to more advanced economies. For this latter group, although greater diversity tends to favor growth both directly and through some channels, it is also associated with lower openness to trade and contraction in physical capital accumulation, which are detrimental to growth. Human capital and foreign exchange reserve buildup are found to be the most influential transmission channels in the growth and diversity relationship.
Blocking of PI3-kinase beta protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by reducing platelet activation and downstream microvascular thrombosis in rats
Authors: Cheng qiong , wang min , jin rong , li guohong
Published: February 2023

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase beta (PI3Kβ) plays an important role in platelet activation and thrombosis, but its role in stroke pathology remains unknown. In this study, we investigated whether inhibition of PI3Kβ protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by preventing circulating platelet activation and downstream microvascular thrombosis. We used a rat intraluminal filament model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) because the rapid restoration of cerebral blood flow to the ischemic area in both tMCAO and endovascular thrombectomy provides clinical relevance for this model. The results showed that TGX221, a selective PI3Kβ inhibitor, treatment immediately before the onset of reperfusion dose-dependently reduced infarct volume and improved neurological function. The protective effects were associated with blocking platelet activation and thrombotic response, thereby reducing downstream microvascular thrombosis, and maintaining reperfusion efficiency. These results suggest that PI3Kβ might be a promising target for treating downstream microvascular thrombosis induced by cerebral I/R injury and offer a novel adjunctive treatment to improve reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke.
The best location for the application of static magnetic fields based on biokinetic coefficients in complete-mix activated sludge process
Authors: Asgari Ghorban , Seid-Mohammadi Abdolmotaleb , Shokoohi Reza , Samarghandi Mohammad Reza , Diger Glen T , Malekolkalami Behrooz , Khoshniyat Ramin
Published: February 2023

The use of the kinetic coefficients for the mathematical expression of the biochemical processes and the relationship between the effective parameters is importance. Change of the biokinetic coefficients in the complete-mix activated sludge processes were calculated for 1 month operation of the activated sludge model (ASM) in a Lab-scale in three series. 15 mT intensity of static magnetic fields (SMFs) applied on the aeration reactor (ASM 1), clarifier reactor (ASM 2) and, sludge returning systems (ASM 3) for 1 hour, daily. During the operation of the systems, five basic biokinetic coefficients such as maximum specific substrate utilization rate (k), heterotrophic half-saturation substrate concentration (Ks), decay coefficient (kd), yield coefficient (Y) and, maximum specific microbial growth rate (μmax) were determined. The rate of k (g COD/g Cells.d) in ASM 1 was 2.69% and, 22.79% higher than ASM 2 and, ASM 3. The value of Ks (mg COD/L) was 54.44 and, 71.13 (mg/L) lower than the ASM 2 and, ASM 3. The rate of kd ASM 1, ASM 2 and, ASM 3 was 0.070, 0.054 and, 0.516 (d-1). The value of Y (kg VSS/kg COD) in ASM 1 was 0.58% and, 0.48% lower than ASM 2 and, ASM 3. The rate of μmax (d−1) in ASM 1 was 0.197, this value for ASM 2 and ASM 3 were 0.324 and 0.309 (d-1). Related to the biokinetic coefficients analyses the best location for the application of 15 mT SMFs was the aeration reactor, where the present of oxygen, substrate and, SMFs have the greatest impact on the positive changes of these coefficients.
H2O2 - mediated SRPED1 Inactivation Contributes to Resisting Ischemia-reperfusion Induced Oxidative Injury to Microglia
Authors: Wei Li , Li Xin , Wei Qianfeng , Chen Lin , Xu Li , Zhou Peng
Published: February 2023

Oxidative stress induced by ischemia-reperfusion is an important reason for the loss of neurons in the brain. In addition to direct oxidative toxicity that causes apoptosis of neurons and glial cells, oxidative stress can also cause complex physiological effects of related cells, such as activation of microglia to promote their repair effects on damaged areas. Here, we found that SPRED1, sprouty-related protein with an EVH1 domain 1, was significantly inhibited after ischemia-reperfusion by MCAO in rats, while the inhibition of SPRED1 responded to the up-expressed p65 proteins with the stimulation of H2O2. What’s more, we further revealed that SPRED1 tended to exert a unique role in maintaining intracellular homeostasis, which can re-activate the instinct of microglia upon the induction of H2O2 to resist oxidative toxicity. However, SPRED1 did not show such ability when it is only over-expressed but without H2O2 induction. In a word, these data revealed a potential role of SPRED1 in preventing cerebral ischemia-induced oxidative stress injury to nerve cells.
Comparative detection of syndecan-2 (SDC2) methylation in preoperative and postoperative stool DNA in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Song Ji Hyeong , Oh Tae Jeong , An Sungwhan , Lee Kyung Ha , Kim Ji Yeon , Kim Jin Soo
Published: February 2023

Background: Early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) is essential to reduce cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Stool DNA (sDNA) testing is an emerging method for early CRC detection. Syndecan-2 (SDC2) methylation is a potential biomarker for the sDNA testing. Aberrant DNA methylation is an early epigenetic event during tumorigenesis, and can occur in the normal colonic mucosa during aging, which can compromise the sDNA test results. This study aimed to determine whether methylated SDC2 in sDNA normalizes after surgical resection of CRC.
Methods: In this prospective study, we enrolled 151 patients with CRC who underwent curative surgical resection between September 2016 and May 2020. Preoperative stool samples were collected from 123 patients and postoperative samples were collected from 122 patients. A total of 104 samples were collected from both preoperative and postoperative patients. Aberrant promoter methylation of SDC2 in sDNA was assessed using linear target enrichment quantitative methylation-specific real-time PCR. Clinicopathological pararmeters were analyzed using the results of SDC2 methylation.
Results: Detection rates of SDC2 methylation in the preoperative and postoperative stool samples were 88.6% and 19.7%, respectively. Large tumor size (³ 3 cm, P = 0.019) and advanced T stage (T3–T4, P = 0.033) were positively associated with the detection rate of SDC2 methylation before surgery. Female sex was associated with false positives after surgery (P = 0.030). Cycle threshold (CT) values were significantly decreased postoperatively compared with preoperative values (P < 0.001). The postoperative negative conversion rate for preoperatively methylated SDC2 was 79.3% (73/92)
Conclusions: Our results suggested that the SDC2 methylation test for sDNA has acceptable sensitivity and specificity. However, small size and early T stage tumors are associated with a low detection rate of SDC2 methylation. As the CT values significantly decreased after surgery, SDC2 methylation test for sDNA had a high diagnostic value and may be used for surveillance after surgical resection of CRC.
Brainstem infarction in common variable immunodeficiency with adenosine deaminase 2 deficiency: case report
Authors: Oster Christoph , Stolte Benjamin , Asan Livia , Pul Refik , Klebe Stephan , Köhrmann Martin , Breuckmann Katharina , Rischpler Christoph , Deuschl Cornelius , Kleinschnitz Christoph , Hagenacker Tim
Published: February 2023

Purpose: We present the case of a 24-year-old male with CNS granulomatosis due to a common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) syndrome and deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2 (DADA2) as a cause of brainstem infarction.
Methods: Case report and review of literature.
Case: The patient’s medical history consisted of an unknown immunodeficiency syndrome. Based on former findings, CVID was diagnosed. The patient suffered from three consecutive brainstem strokes of unknown etiology within three years. An MRI scan detected gadolinium-enhancing, granulomatous-suspect lesions in the interpeduncular cistern, temporal lobe, and tegmentum. Laboratory analysis confirmed CVID, with leukopenia and immunoglobulin deficiency. Because granulomatous CNS inflammation was suspected, the patient received methylprednisolone immunosuppressive therapy, which led to partially-regressive MRI lesions. However, in contrast to imaging the patient showed a progressive cerebellar syndrome, indicating plasma exchange therapy and immunoglobulin treatment, which led to rapid symptom amelioration. After a relapse and a further stroke, expanded analysis confirmed DADA2 as the inflammatory cause, with concomitant CVID for recurrent stroke.
Conclusion: We present the case of a young adult with diagnosis of DADA2 as cause of CVID and recurrent stroke due to vasculitis. This stroke etiology is rare but should be considered as cause of recurrent stroke of unknown origin in young patients.
Non-volatile electrically programmable integrated photonics with a 5-bit operation
Authors: Chen Rui , Fang Zhuoran , Perez Christopher , Miller Forrest , Kumari Khushboo , Saxena Abhi , Zheng Jiajiu , Geiger Sarah , Goodson Kenneth , Majumdar Arka
Published: February 2023

Scalable programmable photonic integrated circuits (PICs) can potentially transform the current state of classical and quantum optical information processing. However, traditional means of programming, including thermo-optic, free carrier dispersion, and Pockels effect result in either large device footprints or high static energy consumptions, significantly limiting their scalability. While chalcogenide-based non-volatile phase-change materials (PCMs) could mitigate these problems thanks to their strong index modulation and zero static power consumption, they often suffer from large absorptive loss, low cyclability, and lack of multilevel operation. Here, we report a wide-bandgap PCM antimony sulfide (Sb2S3)-clad silicon photonic platform simultaneously achieving low loss (< 1.0 dB), high extinction ratio (> 10 dB), high cyclability (> 1,600 switching events), and 5-bit operation. These Sb2S3-based devices are programmed via on-chip silicon PIN diode heaters within sub-ms timescale, with a programming energy density of ∼10fJ/nm3. Remarkably, Sb2S3 is programmed into fine intermediate states by applying multiple identical pulses, providing controllable multilevel operations. Through dynamic pulse control, we achieve 5-bit (32 levels) operations, rendering 0.50 ± 0.16 dB per step. Using this multilevel behavior, we further trim random phase error in a balanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Our work opens an attractive pathway toward large-scale energy-efficient programmable PICs with low-loss and multi-bit operations.
Estimating the optimum exercise pattern in upper extremity using musculoskeletal modeling and genetic algorithm
Authors: Sharifi Mesbaholreza , Ghayour Mostafa , Behbahani Saeed
Published: February 2023

Today, numerous training techniques, involving various motion patterns, are used for developing musculoskeletal system abilities in sport activities and rehabilitation programs. The controversial question is that, which of these exercises, have more performance ability to lead to best results in each case. In this paper an optimized tool has been presented to compare different motion patterns in human arm. This tool, not only made it possible to compare different motion pattern but also it can be utilized for suggesting theoretical optimum exercises. These exercises can be generated base on different purposes such as, create more challenge in specific muscle group or decrease injury risk at special joins. The scripts have been developed to interact with the OpenSim software API from Matlab working environment. This is an optimization process based on genetic algorithm to obtain optimum pattern of exercise. The estimated results for muscle activities have been validated by measuring EMG signals during several different trajectories. Two degrees of freedom exoskeleton with haptic controller has been employed for tracing different trajectories and measuring kinematic and kinetic parameters. The results suggest that, small change in specific exercise may be leads to great change in activation pattern of musculotendon actuators. So, it's extremely important to select the good exercise and correct implementation of it. The good correlation between numerical and experimental results confirm that presented numerical procedure provides good way of predicting and understanding the effects of different exercises technique in rehabilitation process or sport activities.
Readiness for return to work model-based analysis of return-to-work perception of young and middle-aged colorectal cancer patients with stoma: A descriptive qualitative study
Authors: Ren Yulan , Zhou Ying , Yang Yao , Xia Rui , Yang Yuan , Zhang Lingling , Li Hui , Tian Di , Su Xi , Wang Qiao
Published: February 2023

Purpose: With an increase in the number of young and middle-aged colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with stoma, understanding their perception about return to work (RTW) can guide medical professionals to provide appropriate rehabilitation strategies, which can eventually improve patients’ readiness for RTW and enable them to achieve final rehabilitation. The present study aimed to investigate the RTW-related perceptions of young and middle-aged CRC patients with stoma after surgery.
Methods: From 2021 to 2022, we conducted a basic interpretive qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 17 CRC patients with stoma in two grade 3A hospitals in China. This study was based on the readiness for return to work (RRTW) model. Data collection was continued until data saturation was reached, and all data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by Colaizzi’s phenomenologicalmethod.
Results: The following three key themes were identified: (1) self-efficacy; (2) decision balance; and (3) change process. Eight subthemes were formulated that were included within the respective main themes.
Conclusion: In light of the current low self-efficacy and unsatisfactory willingness of patients with stoma about RTW, we suggest that medical staff should implement cognitive intervention and supportive intervention to improve self-efficacy and actively enhance the motivation of patients for RTW and simultaneously resolve the pertinent difficulties; this could help patients to accept the positive change process and enable their successful transition from a change process to RTW.
Plant-Inspired Adhesive and Injectable Natural Hydrogels: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies
Authors: Bohórquez-Moreno Cristian Daniel , ÖKSÜZ Kerim Emre , Dinçer Emine , Hepokur Ceylan , Şen İlker
Published: February 2023

The development of alternative therapeutic treatments based on the use of medicinal and aromatic plants (Juniper communis L.) has aroused interest in the medical field to find new alternatives to the conventional therapeutic treatments, which nowadays have shown problems related to bacterial resistance, high costs or sustainability in their production. The present work describes the use of hydrogels based on sodium alginate and carboxymethyl cellulose with combinations of juniperus leaves and berries extracts in order to characterize their chemical characteristics, antibacterial activity, tissue adhesion test, cytotoxicity in L929 cell line, and their effects on an in vivo model in mice in order to maximize the use of these materials in the healthcare field. It has been overall obtained an adequate antibacterial potential against S. aureus, E. coli, P. vulgaris with the use of doses above 100 mg. mL− 1 of hydrogels, likewise a low cytotoxicity in hydrogels combined with extracts has been identified according with IC50 value at 17.32 µg. mL− 1 in comparison with the higher cytotoxic activity expressed by the use of control hydrogels with a value at 11.05 µg. mL− 1. Besides, in general the observed adhesion was high to the different tissues, showing its adequate capacity to be used in different tissue typologies. Furthermore, the in-vivo results have not shown erythema and edema or other complications related with the use of the proposed hydrogels. These results suggest the feasibility of using these hydrogels in biomedical applications in reason of the observed safety.
Barriers and Enablers to Testing for Hepatitis C Infection in People Who Inject Drugs – A Scoping Review of the Qualitative Evidence
Authors: Balsom Cathy R. , Farrell Alison , Kelly Deborah V
Published: February 2023

Background
Injection drug use is the primary mode of transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the developed world and guidelines recommend screening individuals with current or history of injection drug use for HCV; however, the majority of those living with HCV in Canada are not aware of their positive status. This low level of HCV status awareness suggests that screening is not effective with current testing strategies. The aim of this review is to determine what barriers and enablers people who inject drugs (PWID) experience surrounding testing for HCV to help inform the development of an appealing testing strategy.
Methods
Comprehensive literature searches were conducted using Medline, Embase and CINAHL. Included studies investigated the barriers and enablers to testing for HCV in PWID and the experiences of PWID in testing for HCV. Studies were included if they involved people with current injection drug use or those with a history of injecting drugs, were written in the English language and set in the community. Studies were compared and common themes were coded and analyzed
Results
Nine studies were included most studies focused on barriers instead of enablers. Common barriers included self-perception of low risk for HCV, fear of diagnosis, stigma associated with IV drug use and HCV, antipathy in relation to mainstream health care services, limited knowledge about HCV, lack of rapport with provider, lack of motivation or competing priority of drug use, and limited awareness of new treatment options. Common enablers to testing included increasing awareness of HCV testing and treatment and providing positive narratives around HCV care, positive rapport with provider, accessible testing options and personalized care.
Conclusion
This scoping review determined that there has been some research in this area over the past decade though it has not been focused to specifically address this research question. Nevertheless, some common barriers and enablers to testing for HCV were observed across the available research.
Autophagy and neuroprotection in astrocytes exposed to 6-hydroxydopamine is negatively regulated by NQO2: a potential novel target in Parkinson’s disease.
Authors: Janda Elzbieta , Parafati Maddalena , Martino Concetta , William Jonahunnatha Nesson George , Reybier Karine , Mollace Vincenzo , Boutin Jean
Published: February 2023

Dopaminergic degeneration is a central feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD), but glial dysfunction may accelerate or trigger neuronal death. In fact, astrocytes play a key role in maintenance of the blood-brain barrier and detoxification. 6-hydroxydopamine (6OHDA) is used to induce PD in rodent models due to its specific toxicity to dopaminergic neurons, but its effect on astrocytes has been poorly investigated. Here, we show that 6OHDA dose-dependently impairs autophagy in human U373 and primary murine astrocytes in the absence of cell death. LC3II downregulation was observed 6 to 48 hours after treatment. Interestingly, 6OHDA enhanced NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2) expression and activity in U373 cells, even if 6OHDA is not its substrate. The autophagic flux was restored by inhibition of NQO2 with S29434, which correlated with a partial reduction of oxidative stress in response to 6OHDA in human and murine astrocytes. NQO2 inhibition also increased neuroprotective capability of U373 cells, since S29434 protected dopaminergic SHSY5Y cells from 6OHDA-induced cell death when co-cultured with astrocytes. Silencing of NQO2 attenuated toxic effects of 6OHDA on autophagy. Finally, the analysis of Gene Expression Ominibus datasets showed elevated NQO2 gene expression in the blood cells of early-stage PD patients. These data support a toxifying function of NQO2 in dopaminergic degeneration via negative regulation of autophagy and neuroprotection in astrocytes, suggesting a novel pharmacological target in PD.
Profiling stress-triggered RNA condensation with photocatalytic proximity labeling
Authors: Zou Peng , Ren Ziqi , Tang Wei , Peng Luxin
Published: February 2023

Stress granules (SGs) are highly dynamic cytoplasmic membrane-less organelles that assemble when cells are challenged by stress. At different stages of assembly, various RNA molecules are sorted into SGs where they play important roles in maintaining the structural stability of SGs and regulating gene expression. Despite recent efforts of fluorescence microscopy and biochemical fractionation analysis, there still lacks a complete description of the dynamic changes in the molecular inventory of SG components during different stages of assembly and disassembly. In this study, we applied a proximity-dependent RNA labeling method, CAP-seq, to comprehensively investigate the content of local transcriptome in SGs, in the context of live mammalian cells. CAP-seq captures 457 and 822 RNAs in arsenite- and sorbitol-induced SGs in HEK293T cells, respectively, revealing that SG enrichment is positively correlated with RNA length and AU content, but negatively correlated with translation efficiency. The high spatial specificity of CAP-seq dataset is validated by single-molecule FISH imaging. We further applied CAP-seq profile RNA components in microscopically invisible SG cores, both before stress and after recovery from stress, thus mapping the dynamic changes in SG-proximal transcriptome along the time course of granule assembly/disassembly processes. Our data portray a model of AU-rich and translationally repressed SG nanostructure that are memorized long after the removal of stress.
Bioaccumulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Neotropical Fish Astyanax Altiparanae
Authors: Stremel Tatiana R. de O. , Silva Cleber Pinto da , Domingues Cinthia E. , Voigt Carmem Lucia , Pedroso Carlos Raphael , Vidal Carlos Magno de Sousa , Campos Sandro X.
Published: February 2023

The Alagados Reservoir is located within two conservation units: the Devonian Escarpment Environmental Protection Area (DEEPA) and the Campos Gerais National Park (CGNP), forming part of the Pitangui River Dam. Additionally, it is situated beneath the Guarani Aquifer, one of the largest aquifers in the world, which is an important source of groundwater for several countries in South America. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) residues were detected in roe, viscera, and muscle of Astyanax altiparanae from the Alagados reservoir (Paraná State, Brazil). The presence of POPs may be related to the excessive use of regulated pesticides or even contrabanded products, which have a higher concentration than that allowed by law in Paraná State. Was observed a pattern of accumulation of p, pꞌ-DDT in Astyanax altiparanae: roe > muscle > viscera; regarding the other POPs, the accumulation pattern observed was: viscera > roe > muscle. Principal component analysis showed a proportional relationship between the highest concentrations of POPs and the width of the fish abdomen. The levels of POPs detected in Astyanax altiparanae samples did not exceed the maximum residue limits imposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), but risk quotient calculations indicated possible health risks associated with the consumption of these fish. In addition, of the POPs analyzed in regularly commercialized samples, the only pesticide detected in concentrations above the stipulated Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) by the FAO and WHO were α-Endosulfan and β-Endosulfan. As POPs may act as endocrine disruptors, low concentrations may be more effective than those of toxicological levels, concluding that the consumption of these fish can pose risks to the health of their consumers.
Leveraging community health workers as vaccinators: a case study exploring the role of Malawi’s Health Surveillance Assistants in delivering routine immunization services
Authors: Alban Rebecca , Gibson Emily , Payne Jenny , Chihana Tafwirapo
Published: February 2023

Background:Global chronic health worker shortages and stagnating routine immunization rates require new strategies to increase vaccination coverage and equity. As trained, trusted members of their local communities, community health workers (CHWs)are in a prime position to expand the immunization workforce and increase vaccination coverage in under-reached communities. Malawi is one of only a few countries that relies on CHWs - called Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) in Malawi - to administer routine immunizations, and as such offers a unique example of how this can be done.
Case Presentation: We sought to describe the operational and programmatic characteristics of a functional CHW-led routine immunization program by conducting interviews with HSAs, HSA supervisors, ministry of health officials, and community members in Malawi. This case study describes how and where HSAs provide vaccinations, their vaccination-related responsibilities, training and supervision processes, vaccine safety considerations, and the community-level vaccine supply chain. Interview participants consistently described HSAs as a high-functioning vaccination cadre, skilled and dedicated to increasing vaccine access for children. They also noted a need to strengthen some aspects of professional support for HSAs, particularly related to training, supervision, and supply chain processes. Interviewees agreed that other countries should consider following Malawi’s example and use CHWs to administer vaccines, provided they can be sufficiently trained and supported.
Conclusions: This account from Malawi provides an example of how a CHW-led vaccination program operates. Leveraging CHWs as vaccinators is a promising yet under-explored task-shifting approach that shows potential to help countries maximize their health workforce, increase vaccination coverage and reach more zero-dose children. However more research is needed to produce evidence on the impact of leveraging CHWs as vaccinators on patient safety, immunization coverage/vaccine equity, and cost-effectiveness as compared to use of other cadres for routine immunization.
Addressing Dementia Through Analysis of Population Traits and Risk Factors (ADAPTOR) using Australia’s largest cohort study: a study protocol
Authors: McNamara Martin , Dolja-Gore Xenia , Cavenagh Dominic , D'Este Catherine , Melo Luciano , Jackson Kirsten , Nepal Smriti , Cresswell Adam , Anstey Kaarin , Brodaty Henry , Welberry Heidi , Goh Anita
Published: February 2023

BackgroundDementia is a leading cause of disease burden in Australia, with almost half a million people living with dementia and a steady increase over time in dementia-related deaths. Strengthening the evidence base for dementia risk factors is critical for an effective and efficient public health and policy response. However, the number of Australians with dementia remains unknown, and there are significant gaps in the knowledge on risk factors in the Australian context. In this study we aim to develop reliable data on dementia incidence in Australia and investigate the associated risk factors, using a large population cohort. Specifically, we will assess the relative contribution of risk factors to dementia incidence as a basis for strengthening dementia prevention efforts.MethodsWe will use data from the 45 and Up Study that includes 267,358 residents of New South Wales, Australia, aged over 45 years, recruited between 2006-2009. To identify dementia cases we will link data from the 45 and Up Study with multiple health datasets containing information relevant to dementia case identification. We will estimate age- and sex-specific dementia incidence and model the association between dementia and risk factors related to socio-demographic characteristics, health conditions and health behaviours. We will also estimate the impact of various modifiable exposures on dementia incidence. Based on the results, we will produce a series of knowledge translation products providing advice on the contribution of identified risk factors to dementia incidence in Australia.DiscussionLinking the 45 and Up Study data to multiple health datasets provides a unique opportunity to explore the role of risk factors on dementia incidence, including modelling the effect of modifiable risk factors on dementia incidence in the Australian population. We anticipate the results from this study to guide targeted and gradated strategies for population-level dementia prevention.
Essential Features and Level of Inquiry of the Activities in the Grade 9 Science Learner’s Material
Authors: Meneses Jethromel
Published: February 2023

This research employed a document analysis-descriptive method to investigate the presence and level of scientific inquiry within the Grade 9 Science learner's material across four domains: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics. A panel of experts evaluated the material using a five-phase data analysis and a researcher-made rubric. The findings indicate that most of the analyzed science activities encompass the five essential features of inquiry, but with a higher frequency of Feature 1 (engaging learners in scientifically oriented questions) and Feature 2 (making learners prioritize evidence in responding to questions) across all activities and domains. Furthermore, the mean level of the essential inquiry features in the material falls under Category 2, indicating a slight level of student self-direction. The study suggests that the activities in the Grade 9 Science learner's material are limited in providing learners with opportunities to develop their inquiry skills. This study thus provides important implications for educational administrators and policy-makers in developing and implementing science education content.
Regional Collaborative Prediction of Air Pollutants Based on CNN-BiLSTM Model
Authors: Lu Yanan , Li Kun
Published: February 2023

The development of industry has brought serious air pollution problems. It is very important to establish a high-precision and high-performance air quality prediction model and take corresponding control measures. In this paper, based on four years of air quality and meteorological data in Tianjin, China, the relationship between various meteorological factors and air pollutant concentrations are analyzed, the abnormal data are detected and preprocessed. A hybrid deep learning model consisting of convolutional neural network (CNN) and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) is proposed to predict pollutant concentrations, and the effects of three different database input modes are compared. In addition, the Bayesian optimization algorithm is applied to obtain the optimal combination of hyper-parameters for the proposed deep learning model, which makes the model have higher generalization ability. Furthermore, based on the air quality data of multi stations in the region, a regional collaborative prediction method is designed, the concept of strongly-correlated station (SCS) is defined, and the results of collaborative prediction are modified using the idea of SCS, effectively improving the accuracy of prediction.
Facile fabrication of CuFe2O4 coated with Carbon Quantum Dots nanocomposite as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst toward the reduction of nitroaniline compounds for management of aquatic resources
Authors: Naghash-Hamed Samin , Arsalani Nasser , Mousavi Seyed Borhan
Published: February 2023

The main objective of the current study is to scrutinize the fabrication of facile carbon quantum dots (CQDs) of glucose along with CuFe2O4-CQD nanocomposite and its catalytic reduction towards 2-Nitroaniline (2-NA) and 4-Nitroaniline (4-NA). Considering this, glucose-CQDs and nanocomposite of CuFe2O4-CQD were synthesized via hydrothermal and co-precipitation methods, respectively. Afterward, the fabricated nanocomposite as a promising nanocatalyst was employed to catalyze the 2-NA and 4-NA as a model of toxic organic pollutants into the 1,2-diaminobenzene (1,2-DAB) and 1,4-diaminobenzene (1,4-DAB) with a reducing agent of sodium borohydride (NaBH4), sequentially. The developed CQDs and magnetic nanocomposite were analyzed using FT-IR, XRD, VSM, SEM, TEM, BET surface area, BJH pore volume, and UV-Vis techniques. The results explicated that the magnetically recyclable CuFe2O4-CQD catalyst demonstrated high activity (∼ 96.7% conversion within 45 s, for 2-NA and ∼ 96.5% conversion within 18 s, for 4-NA) and efficient recyclability (up to 5 Cycles). The pseudo-second-order apparent reaction constant rate (k2) of 2-NA and 4-NA reduction were 7.12×10− 2 and 1.77×10− 1, respectively. These findings reveal that the fabricated catalyst offers a new method for the simultaneous reduction of 2-nitroaniline as well as 4-nitroaniline simply for environmental safety purposes.
Combination of olaparib and savolitinib overcomes olaparib-resistance in epithelial ovarian cancer models
Authors: Kim Min-Je , Lee Shin-Wha , Park Su-Bin , Lee Young-Jae , Kim Yong-Man
Published: February 2023

Background
Resistance to PARP inhibitor occurs frequently and diversely in spite of germline/somatic BRCA mutations. Receptor tyrosine kinase cMET, which is frequently overexpressed in EOC associates with PARP1 activity and cell survival pathway. We investigated whether the combination of PARP inhibitor and cMET inhibitor could overcome PARP inhibitor resistance in resistant patient-derived xenografts (PDXs).
Methods
We established acquired resistant and innate resistant PDXs, which have BRCA mutation and cMET overexpression. These resistant models were used for evaluation of combined treatment of PARP inhibitor and cMET inhibitor. Resistant PDXs were treated with Vehicle, Olapairb, Savolitinib, Combination treatment.
Results
In acquired resistant PDXs, tumor growth rate were highly increased in vehicle group than the sensitive PDXs. Contrary to sensitive group, combination treatment was more efficient to inhibit tumor growth rather than olaparib single treatment. In the innate resistant PDXs were more tolerated to olapairb than the acquired resistant PDXs. As the acquired resistant PDXs, combination treatment was most efficient to inhibited tumor growth.
Conclusion
In this study, cMET inhibition sensitized the tumor with PARP inbihitor resistance to PARP inhibitor. These results indicated that savolitinib could have synerge with the combined treatment of PARP inhibitors for EOC patients with PARP inhibitor resistant.