bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Persistent Clotting Protein Pathology in Long COVID/ Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) is Accompanied by Increased Levels of Antiplasmin
Authors: Pretorius Etheresia , Vlok Mare , Venter Chantelle , Bezuidenhout Jandre A , Laubscher Jaco , Steenkamp Janami , Kell Douglas B
Published: June 2021

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2)-induced infection, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is characterized by acute clinical pathologies, including various coagulopathies that may be accompanied by hypercoagulation and platelet hyperactivation. Recently, a new COVID-19 phenotype has been noted in patients after they have ostensibly recovered from acute COVID-19 symptoms. This new syndrome is commonly termed Long COVID/Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Here we refer to it as Long COVID/PASC. Lingering symptoms persist for as much as 6 months (or longer) after acute infection, where COVID-19 survivors complain of recurring fatigue or muscle weakness, being out of breath, sleep difficulties, and anxiety or depression. MethodsGiven that blood clots can block microcapillaries and thereby inhibit oxygen exchange, we here investigate if the lingering symptoms that individuals with Long COVID/PASC manifest might be due to the presence of persistent circulating plasma clots that are resistant to fibrinolysis. We use techniques including proteomics and fluorescence microscopy to study plasma samples from healthy individuals, individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), with acute COVID-19, and those with Long COVID/PASC symptoms. ResultsWe show that plasma samples from Long COVID/PASC still contain large anomalous (amyloid) deposits (microclots). We also show that these microclots in both acute COVID-19 and Long COVID/PASC plasma samples are resistant to fibrinolysis (compared to plasma from controls and T2DM), even after trypsinisation. After a second trypsinization, the persistent pellet deposits were solubilized. We detected various inflammatory molecules that are substantially increased in both the supernatant and trapped in the solubilized pellet deposits of acute COVID-19 and Long COVID/PASC, versus the equivalent volume of fully digested fluid of the control samples and T2DM. Of particular interest was a substantial increase in α(2)-antiplasmin (α2AP), various fibrinogen chains, as well as Serum Amyloid A (SAA) that were trapped in the solubilized fibrinolytic-resistant pellet deposits. ConclusionsClotting pathologies in both acute COVID-19 infection and in Long COVID/PASC might therefore benefit from following a regime of continued anticlotting therapy to support the fibrinolytic system function.
Efficacy of Bushen Huatan Decoction Combined with Baduanjin in the Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Insulin Resistance (IR-PCOS), Kidney Deficiency and Phlegm Dampness: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Qian Haiqing , Xu Wenting , Cui Lijuan , Wang Rong , Wang Jiahui , Tang Mengyu , Wei Minggang , Wang Lihong
Published: June 2021

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive endocrine disease in women. Insulin resistance (IR) has emerged as a central contributor to the pathogenesis of this disease. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) involving syndrome differentiation and treatment is widely used to adjust women's menstrual cycles. Our patented formula Bushen Huatan Decoction (BSHTD) has been proven to be effective in the clinical treatment of IR-PCOS. Baduanjin also plays an important role in improving metabolic syndrome through lifestyle intervention. This study investigates the clinical efficacy of Bushen Huatan Decoction combined with Baduanjin in IR-PCOS, to form a specific TCM-behaviour intervention plan in the treatment of IR-PCOS.Methods/design: This is a randomized controlled trial involving 190 participants diagnosed with IR-PCOS. All participants will be randomly allocated into 5 groups: group A will receive metformin; group B, BSHTD; group C, Baduanjin; group D, BSHTD combined with metformin; and group E, BSHTD combined with Baduanjin. One course of treatment lasts three months, a total of two courses. The primary outcomes are changes in the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and improvements in the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin-releasing test (INS). The secondary outcomes are improvements in the menstrual cycle, ovulation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, basic serum sex hormone levels, free androgen index (FAI), Ferriman-Gallwey scores, body mass index (BMI) and TCM syndrome scores. The related observation indexes will be collected at baseline, during the process of treatment and at the 6-months follow-up. Simultaneously, close monitoring of possible adverse events will be performed throughout the trial process.Discussion: This trial will investigate the efficacy of the comprehensive intervention program of Bushen Huatan Decoction combined with Baduanjin on the adjustment of menstrual cycle, improvement of insulin resistance and correction of glucose metabolism disorder in IR-PCOS patients. It is expected to form an alternative treatment of TCM-behavior intervention therapy for IR-PCOS and promote the Chinese fitness Qigong Baduanjin in the application of lifestyle diseases.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100043415. Registered on 15 February,2021.
Design a Robust Sliding Mode Controller Based on the State and Parameter Estimation for the Nonlinear Epidemiological Model of Covid-19
Authors: Badfar Ehsan , Zaferani Effat Jalaeian , Nikoofard Amirhossein
Published: June 2021

In this research, the vital problem of Covid-19 mitigation is looked
at from an engineering point of view. At first, the behavior of coronavirus
in society is expressed by a set of ordinary differential equations. In the proposed model, the control input signals are vaccination, social distance, and medical treatment. The unknown parameters of the system are estimated by
Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) algorithm. In the LSTM algorithm, the problem of long-term dependency is prevented. The uncertainty and measurement noise is an inherent characteristic of the epidemiological models. For this reason, an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is developed to estimate the state variables of the proposed model. In the rest of paper, a robust sliding mode controller is designed to control the spread of coronavirus under vaccination, social distance, and medical treatment. The stability of the closed-loop system is guaranteed by the Lyapunov theorem. The official confirmed data provided by the Iranian ministry of health authorities are employed to simulate the proposed algorithms. It is understood from simulation results that global vaccination has the potential to produce herd immunity in long-term. Under the proposed controller, daily Covid-19 infections and deaths become less than 500 and 10 people, respectively.
Inclusion of Double Helix Structural Oligonucleotide (STexS) Results in an Enhance of SNP Specificity in PCR
Authors: Park Byoung , Kim Jae Jong , Park Hyoung-Min , Kyoung AYoung , Park In Kyung , Lim Sikyu
Published: June 2021

Genetic mutations such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) are known as one of the most common forms which related to various genetic disorders and cancers. Among of the methods developed for efficient detection of such SNP, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods are widely used worldwide for its cost and viable advantages. However, the technique to discriminate small amounts of SNP mixed in abundant normal DNA is incomplete due to intrinsic technical problems of PCR such as amplification occurring even in 3’mismatched cases because of high enzyme activity of DNA polymerases. To overcome the issue, specifically designed PCR platform, STexS (SNP typing with excellent specificity) using double stranded oligonucleotides was implemented as a means to emphasize the amplification of mutated SNP templates by decreasing unwanted amplification of 3’mismatched DNA copies. In this study, the results indicate several EGFR mutations were easily detected specifically utilizing the STexS platform. Further trials show the novel method works effectively to discriminate mutations in not only general allele specific (AS)-PCRs, but also amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR. The STexS platform will give aid in PCRs targeting potential SNPs or genetically mutated biomarkers in human clinical samples.
Preliminary Study on The Relationship of BRAF Mutations to The Outcome of The First 131I Radiotherapy and Malignant Biological Characteristics in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Shangguan Linjue , Zhang Peipei , Fang Shengwei , Xiang Kaili , Geng Yawen , Luo Dingcun , Zhao Chunlei
Published: June 2021

Objective To investigate the relationship of BRAF mutation to the outcome of the first postoperative 131I treatment and malignant biological characteristics in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and the clinical value of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Methods Thirty-three patients with PTC underwent the first 131I treatment after total thyroidectomy were enrolled in this study. BRAF mutation based on postoperative tumor tissue and ctDNA in peripheral blood before 131I treatment were detected. According to the status of BRAF mutation, all patients were divided into 2 groups for the categories of tumor tissues and ctDNA respectively: i) BRAF mutated, ii) BRAF wild-type. The Fisher's exact test was performed to analyze the relationship of BRAF mutation in either tumor tissue or ctDNA to the outcome of the first 131I treatment and malignant characteristics of PTC. Results BRAF mutation was detected in 25 patients based on tumor tissue (25/33,75.8%), and all the patients had single mutation site. In ctDNA, BRAF mutation was detected in 5 patients (5/33, 15.2%), and all the patients had single mutation site. BRAF mutation showed no relationship with the outcome of the first 131I treatment and the malignant biological characteristics in both tumor tissues and ctDNA(P>0.05). Conclusion The value of BRAF mutation alone might be limited in predicting therapeutic outcome of the first 131I treatment in PTC. No certain relevance was found between BRAF mutation and malignant biological features in PTC.
A Hybrid Deep Collaborative Filtering Approach for Recommender Systems
Authors: R Kirubahari , S Miruna Joe Amali
Published: June 2021

Recommender Systems (RS) help the users by showing better products and relevant items efficiently based on their likings and historical interactions with other users and items. Collaborative filtering is one of the most powerful technique of recommender system and provides personalized recommendation for users by prediction rating approach. Many Recommender Systems generally model only based on user implicit feedback, though it is too challenging to build RS. Conventional Collaborative Filtering (CF) techniques such as matrix decomposition, which is a linear combination of user rating for an item with latent features of user preferences, but have limited learning capacity. Additionally, it has been suffering from data sparsity and cold start problem due to insufficient data. In order to overcome these problems, an integration of conventional collaborative filtering with deep neural networks is proposed. A Weighted Parallel Deep Hybrid Collaborative Filtering based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) is proposed for significant improvement. In this approach a user-item relationship matrix with explicit ratings is constructed. The user - item matrix is integrated to Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) that decomposes the matrix into the best lower rank approximation of the original matrix. Secondly the user-item matrix is embedded into deep neural network model called Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) for learning latent features of user- item matrix to predict user preferences. Thus, the Weighted Parallel Deep Hybrid RS uses additional attributes of user - item matrix to alleviate the cold start problem. The proposed method is verified using two different movie lens datasets namely, MovieLens 100K and MovieLens of 1M and evaluated using Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE). The results indicate better prediction compared to other techniques in terms of accuracy.
Role of Detrusor PDGFRα+ Cells in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Detrusor Overactivity
Authors: Lee Haeyeong , Koh Byoung H. , Peri Lauren E. , Woodward Holly J. , Perrino Brian A. , Sanders Kenton M. , Koh Sang Don
Published: June 2021

Cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced cystitis is a rodent model that shares many features common to the cystitis occurring in patients, including detrusor overactivity (DO). Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha positive (PDGFRα+) cells regulate muscle excitability in murine bladders during filling. PDGFRα+ cells express small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (predominantly SK3) that provide stabilization of membrane potential during filling. We hypothesized that down-regulation of the regulatory functions of PDGFRα+ cells and/or loss of PDGFRα+ cells generates the DO in CYP-treated mice. After CYP treatment, transcripts of Pdgfrα and Kcnn3 were reduced, and PDGFRα and SK3 protein was also reduced in detrusor muscle extracts. The distribution of PDGFRα+ cells was also reduced. Inflammatory markers were increased in CYP-treated detrusor muscles. An SK channel agonist, CyPPA, increased outward current and hyperpolarization in PDGFRα+ cells. This response was significantly depressed in PDGFRα+ cells from CYP-treated bladders. Ex vivo cystometry showed increased transient contractions in CYP-treated bladders, and the sensitivity of these bladders to apamin was reduced, reflecting the reduction in the SK conductance expressed by PDGFRα+ cells. In summary, PDGFRα+ cells were reduced and the SK3 conductance was downregulated in CYP-treated bladders. These changes are consistent with the development of DO after CYP treatment.
Evaluating Posterior Vitreous Detachment By Widefield 23-mm Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging In Healthy Subjects
Authors: Chiku Yoshiaki , Hirano Takao , Takahashi Yoshiaki , Tuchiya Ayako , Nakamura Marie , Murata Toshinori
Published: June 2021

Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is a separation between the posterior vitreous cortex and internal limiting membrane. Although PVD was historically considered an acute event, recent studies using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) revealed a gradual progression of PVD in healthy subjects. Although SD-OCT improved PVD studies, the narrow imaging angle and long examination time were problematic to allow wide angle capture. The Xephilio OCT-S1 (Canon), a swept source OCT (SS-OCT) device, can obtain up to 23-mm of widefield B-scan images in a single acquisition. We used this widefield SS-OCT to quantitatively evaluate the PVD stage in 214 healthy subjects aged 4–89 years and determine whether PVD stages differ between the bilateral eyes of each patient. Age was significantly positively correlated with overall PVD stage (ρ=0.7520, P<0.001). Interestingly, partial PVD occurred in children as young as 5 years old, indicating that initial PVD onset may occur much earlier than previously reported.Furthermore, PVD stages of the bilateral eyes were highly consistent in 183 subjects (85.5%). Widefield 23-mm SS-OCT thus revealed that PVD started earlier than anticipated, and age is correlated with the symmetry of PVD stage. Widefield 23-mm SS-OCT may also be clinically useful for the evaluation of diseased eyes.
Huatan Dingji Decoction Intervening in Atrial Fibrillation : Protocol for a Randomized Double-Blind Single-Simulated Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Ying Xiao , Yi Wang Xin , Nuo Tang , Wu Qiong , Jin Yang , Mian Li Mian , Lin Ma Zi , Bin Deng , Lin Shen , Hong Wei Yi , Shuai Zhang , Na Zhang , Ping Zhao , Chen Zhu , Jiao Mao Mei
Published: June 2021

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias and can lead to heart failure(HF), stroke, pulmonary embolism(PE) and other complications, seriously affecting people's quality of life and health.Western medicine is limited in the treatment of AF, while Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) has unique advantages, such as low side effects, low toxicity, long effect duration and high compliance.Huatan Dingji Decoction(HTDJ) is commonly used in the treatment of AF in our hospital, and its clinical efficacy is confirmed, but a comprehensive evaluation of the clinical efficacy is currently lacking. Method: This study adopts a randomized double-blind, single-simulated, placebo-controlled research method. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio through a centrally controlled, computer-generated, simple randomization schedule. Participants would take the medicine for one month and the curative effect would be evaluated. Subsequently, the participants would not take TCM and only receive western medicine treatment. They would be followed up for another 8 weeks, and a clinical evaluation would be conducted.The evaluation includes the frequency of palpitation, cumulative attack time, increase and decrease rate of western medicine, TCM symptoms, clinical quality of life, clinical endpoint events and safety. Cases are derived from outpatient and inpatient with AF in the Cardiology Department of Longhua Hospital. Evaluations would be conducted at baseline and at week 4 and 12 after randomization.Discussion:In this study, the efficacy and safety of HTDJ plus western medicine in the treatment of AF(palpitation of Qi deficiency-caused phlegm stagnation) were evaluated, so as to provide medicine evidence of short-term and medium-term clinical efficacy for the treatment of AF with integrated traditional and western medicine, and lay a foundation for further clinical development and application.Trial registration: The trial has been registered on March 5,2020 at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn; ID:ChiCTR2000030517).Trial registration: This study was registered on May 15,2019 at ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier number NCT03952676.
Optimal Robust Constraint-Following Control for Permanent Magnet Linear Motor: A Fuzzy Approach
Authors: Liu Xiaoli , Zhao Han , Zhen Shengchao , Li Chuanyang , Chen Ye-Hwa
Published: June 2021

In this paper, robust constraint-following control (RCFC) with the optimal design is developed to handle the trajectory tracking control issues for permanent magnet linear motors, which control performance is deteriorated mainly by friction, ripple force, and external disturbance. Specifically, fuzzy description for the main nonlinearity of the PMLM system and its fuzzy dynamic model is formulated. Then, the tracking specification is modeled as a performance constraint, the RCFC algorithm following the Udwadia-Kalaba theory is designed to comply with this constraint, and possess strong robustness to uncertainties simultaneously. The resulting controller is demonstrated to be uniform bounded and uniform ultimate bounded with Lyapunov analysis. Furthermore, the optimal design issue via a fuzzy approach is investigated to achieve the optimal tradeoff between control effort and system performance. Finally, the rapid control prototype platform CSPACE is employed to implement the real-time control while avoiding the time-consuming repetitive programming and debugging. Simulation and experiment results illustrate the actual effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Synbiotic Supplementation Modulates Gut Microbiota, Regulates Beta-catenin Expression and Prevents Weight Gain in Ob/ob Mice
Authors: Duarte Sebastião Mauro Bezerra , Stefano José Tadeu , Franco Lucas A. M. , Martins Roberta C. , Moraes Bruna D. G. C. , Barbeiro Denise Frediani , Oliveira Nathalia , Neri Junia Marielle Teixeira Rodrigues , Vanni Denise Siqueira , Sabino Ester C. , Carrilho Flair José , Oliveira Claudia
Published: June 2021

Background: Obesity is one of the main health problems in the world today and dysbiosis seem to be one of the factors involved. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of synbiotic supplementation in obesity and microbiota in ob/ob mice. 20 animals were divided into four groups: Obese Treated (OT) and Control (OC), Lean Treated (LT) and Control (LC). All animals received standard diet for 8 weeks. Treated groups received a synbiotic in water while nontreated groups received water. After 8 weeks, all animals were sacrificed and gut tissue mRNA isolation and stool samples by microbiota analysis were collected. Beta-catenin, occludin, cadherin and zonulin were analyzed in gut tissue by RT-qPCR. Microbiome DNA was extracted from stool samples and sequenced using the Ion PGM Torrent platform. Results: The synbiotic supplementation reduced body weight gain in OT group comparing with OC (p=0.0398), increase of Enterobacteriaceae (p=0.005) and decrease of Cyanobacteria (p=0.047), Clostridiaceae (p=0.026), Turicibacterales (p=0.005) and Coprococcus (p=0.047). In the other hand, a significant reduction of Sutterella bacteria (p=0.009) and Turicibacter (p=0.005) was observed in LT group compared to LC. Alpha and beta diversities were differ between all treated groups. Beta-catenin gene expression was significantly decreased in the gut tissue of OT group (p≤0.0001) when compared to other groups. No changes were observed in occludin, cadherin and zonulin gene expression in the gut tissue. Conclusion: The synbiotics supplementation prevents excessive weight gain, modulates the gut microbiota, and reduces beta-catenin expression in ob/ob mice.
Feature-Tracking Strain Derived from Compressed Sensing Cine Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Myocardial Infarct Detection: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Morikawa Tomoro , Tanabe Yuki , Kido Tomoyuki , Ogawa Ryo , Nakamura Masashi , Akasaka Sho , Watanabe Kouki , Schmidt Michaela , Yamaguchi Osamu , Kido Teruhito
Published: June 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to use gadolinium-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) scanning to examine the clinical feasibility of feature-tracking strain (FT-strain) analysis on compressed sensing (CS) cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging for detecting myocardial infarction (MI).Methods: We enrolled 37 patients who underwent conventional cine CMR, CS cine CMR, and LGE-CMR scanning to assess cardiovascular disease. FT-strain analysis was used to assess peak circumferential strain (p-CS) based on an 18-segment model in both cine CMR imaging modalities. Based on LGE-CMR imaging findings, myocardial segments were classified as remote, adjacent, subendocardial infarcted, and transmural infarcted. The diagnostic performance of p-CS for detecting MI was compared between CS cine CMR imaging and conventional cine CMR imaging using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: A total of 440 remote, 85 adjacent, 76 subendocardial infarcted, and 65 transmural infarcted segments were diagnosed on LGE-CMR imaging. There were significant between-group differences in p-CS on both conventional and CS cine CMR (p <0.05 in each) imaging. The sensitivity and specificity of p-CS for identifying MI were 85% and 79% for conventional cine CMR imaging, and 82% and 77% for CS cine CMR imaging, respectively. There was no significant difference between conventional and CS cine CMR imaging in the area under the curve of p-CS (0.89 vs. 0.87, p = 0.15).Conclusion: FT-strain analysis of CS cine CMR imaging may help identify MI; it may be used alongside or instead of conventional CMR imaging.
Crop Prices and Deforestation in the Tropics
Authors: Berman Nicolas , Couttenier Mathieu , Leblois Antoine , Soubeyran Raphaël
Published: June 2021

Global food demand is rising, pushed by growing world population and dietary changes in developing countries. This encourages farmers to increase crop production which, in turn, increases worldwide demand for agricultural land and the pressure on tropical forests. With a possible doubling of world food demand by 2050, this pressure is not likely to decrease in the next decades. While the impact of food demand on deforestation has been pushed forward in the medias, rigorous evidence using large-N data estimating the causal impact of crop price variations on deforestation remains scarce. Here, we quantify this impact over the twenty first century using high resolution annual forest loss data across the tropics, combined with information about crop-specific agricultural suitability and annual international commodity prices. We find a sizeable impact of price variations on deforestation: crop price variations are estimated to have contributed to 35% of the total predicted deforestation in the tropics over the period 2001-2018. We also highlight that the degree of openness to international trade and level of economic development are first-order local characteristics to explain the magnitude of the impact of crop prices on deforestation.
Robust-LSTM: A Novel Approach to Short-Traffic Flow Prediction Based on Signal Decomposition
Authors: Doğan Erdem
Published: June 2021

Intelligent transport systems need accurate short-term traffic flow forecasts. However, developing a robust short-term traffic flow forecasting approach is a challenge due to the stochastic character of traffic flow. This study proposes a novel approach for short-term traffic flow prediction task namely Robust Long Short Term Memory (R-LSTM) based on Robust Empirical Mode Decomposing (REDM) algorithm and Long Short Term Memory (LSTM). Short-term traffic flow data provided from the Caltrans Performance Measurement System (PeMS) database were used in the training and testing of the model. The dataset was composed of traffic data collected by 25 traffic detectors on different freeways’ main lanes. The time resolution of the dataset was set to 15 minutes, and the Hampel preprocessing algorithm was applied for outlier elimination. The R-LSTM predictions were compared with the state-of-art models, utilizing RMSE, MSE, and MAPE as performance criteria. Performance analyzes for various periods show that R-LSTM is remarkably successful in all time periods. Moreover, developed model performance is significantly higher, especially during mid-day periods when traffic flow fluctuations are high. These results show that R-LSTM is a strong candidate for short-term traffic flow prediction, and can easily adapt to fluctuations in traffic flow. In addition, robust models for short-term predictions can be developed by applying the signal separation method to traffic flow data.
The Short Term Influence of RV Pacing Burden on Numerous Echocardiographic and Spiroergometric Parameter In Patients With Preserved LVEF - The Mechanism of The Worsened Clinical Outcome Due To High RV Pacing Burden Remains Unclear.
Authors: Youssef Akram , Ibrahim Karim , Günther Michael , Kolschmann Steffen , Richter Utz , Francke Alexander , Wunderlich Carsten , Christoph Marian
Published: June 2021

Background: The cause of worsened clinical outcome due to high RV pacing burden remains unclear.Objective: To investigate the impact of RV pacing on several echocardiographic and spiroergometric parameter Methods: In 60 pacemaker patients with preserved LVEF serial echocardiographies and spiroergometries were performed over a time course of 12 months. Additionally in 50 patients retrospective echocardiographic analyses of the LV- and RV function were carried out up to 24 months after pacemaker implantation.Results: The patients were divided into two groups: The high RV pacing burden group (hRVP: ≥ 40%) and the low RV pacing group (lRVP <40%) according to the definitions in previous randomized MOST and DAVID trials. After a period of 12 month pacemaker therapy there could not revealed any changes LVEDD, LVESD, LVEF, E/A-ratio; E/E’-ratio and TAPSE independently of the RV pacing burden. Additionally, after 24 month long term follow-up there were no changes in LVEF and TAPSE in both groups. Accordingly to these echo data no relevant changes of peak exercise capacity, ventilatory anaerobic threshold and maximal oxygen consumption could be revealed independently of the RV pacing. Conclusions: In pacemaker patients with preserved LVEF the burden of RV pacing has no adverse influence, neither to several echocardiographic parameters nor to the clinical exercise capacity after a follow-up of 12 to 24 month. Therefore, the mechanism of the worsened clinical outcome due to high RV pacing burden in patients without a relevant structural heart disease remains unclear.
Stability Analysis and Control Technology of Gob-Side Entry Retaining with Double Roadways by Filling with High-Water Material in Gently inclined Coal Seam
Authors: Xie Shengrong , Wang En , Chen Dongdong , Li Hui , Jiang Zaisheng , Yang Hongzeng
Published: June 2021

Roadside filling body in traditional gob-side entry retaining (GER) has several shortcomings such as the insufficient support resistance, the inability to adapt to the deformation of surrounding rock and isolate the goaf effectively. Taking the GER with double roadways by filling with 1.8-m-wide high-water material in gently inclined coal seam of Zuozegou mine as a project case, the mechanical model of GER with double roadways in the gently inclined coal seam is constructed, and the reasonable width of the filling body of GER is verified by combining with the peak strength of high-water material. The FLAC3D numerical simulation method is used to study the distribution characteristics of stress and plastic zone of GER after being affected by the mining disturbance, and the failure range of surrounding rock of GER with double roadways is obtained. Based on this, a coupling control technology named anchor cables and bolts in the roof and solid coal + single props in entry-in support and goaf side of the outer roadway + anchor bolts in roadside high-water material + short anchor cables below the filling body is proposed and conducted in industrial test. Through the coupling methods of arranging borehole peeping and observing the convergences of surrounding rock, the stability of GER with double roadways is analyzed. The results show that GER with double roadways by filling with 1.8-m-wide high-water material has good control effect. The above research has played an active role in promoting the application of high-water material in roadside filling of GER.
Prognostic Implication of Isolated Pulmonary Nodules in Patients with a History of Breast Cancer
Authors: Zhao Weigang , Zhu Shu , Song Zuodong
Published: June 2021

Background: Isolated malignant pulmonary nodules were frequently seen in patients with breast cancer. These were metastasis from the breast cancer or new primary lung cancer. The role of surgery for such pulmonary nodules remains unclear.Methods: A total of 90 patients who underwent surgery for solitary malignant pulmonary nodules between January 2010 and April 2018 after curative operation for breast cancer were reviewed.Results: The pathologic diagnoses revealed 63 patients with primary lung cancer (PLC) and 27 patients with pulmonary metastatic breast cancer (MBC), which were divided into two groups. All patients were female with a mean age of 55.08±9.84 years (range 31-75). Age differences between the two groups were insignificant. Of the 63 patients with PLC, 55(87%) had a lobectomy with lymphadenctomy and 8(13%) had a limited resection, while the majority of patients (78%) with MBC had a limited resection. All nodules were adenocarcinomas and their mean diameter was 1.63±0.57cm. 7/55 of patients with PLC had N1 disease while 3/6 of those with MBC had involvement of N1 nodes. For all patients, the overall survival (OS) was 86.1% at 5 years and the disease free survival (DFS) was 86.0% at 5 years. Patients with PLC had the better surgical outcomes including OS and DFS than those with MBC did (94.2% versus 72.8%, p=0.017; 93.6% versus 63.9%, p=0.002).Conclusions: Surgical outcomes of isolated malignant pulmonary nodules in breast cancer patients were favorable. Surgery should be considered as an option for breast cancer patients with isolated pulmonary nodules.
A Case Report of Prolongation of Neuromuscular Blockade by Clindamycin in a Vegetarian
Authors: Liu Xiaojie , Yin Jihui , Hua Zhen , Chu Haichen
Published: June 2021

BackgroundPrevious study has illustrated that the factors can affect the duration of neuromuscular blockade. Vegetarian habits may affect osteoporosis and respiratory muscle tone.Case PresentationThe purpose of this report is to record the first unusual prolonged neuromuscular block by concomitant clindamycin in a vegetarian. ConclusionClinical doses of clindamycin may significantly prolong the neuromuscular blockade of “short-acting” no depolarizing muscle relaxants when the patient is so weak and vegetarian. This requires vigilance and routine monitoring of the neuromuscular junction by the anesthesiologist.
Breast Epithelial-myoepithelial Carcinoma With HER2 Gene Amplification: a Rare Case and Review of Literature
Authors: Hu Min , Yue Junqiu , Guo Fang , Jin Su , Wang Mingwei , Fang Na
Published: June 2021

Background: Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma is a very rare carcinoma that both luminal and myoepithelial components are malignant. What’s more, HER2 gene amplification has not been detected in the literature up to now. Herein, we report a rare case of breast epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma with HER2 gene amplification.Case presentation: An 80-year-old woman presented with a mass in the upper outside region of her left breast. The core needle biopsy of the left breast mass revealed invasive breast carcinoma, and then modified radical mastectomy of left breast was performed. Macroscopically, the tumor was measured 6cm in diameter, and it was a solid and lobulated mass with areas of cystic and hemorrhagic lesions. Microscopically, the histological findings of tumor were consisted of 3 components. One component showed biphasic proliferation of both eosinophilic luminal epithelial and pale abluminal myoepithelial cells, arranging predominantly in dilated tubular architecture, which accounted for most of the lesion. Papillary architecture and eosinophilic secretions could be seen in some dilated ducts. The second component was proliferation of myoepithelial cells with pale cytoplasm around the glandular epithelium forming casing-like structures. The third component was few solid-appearing areas which was displayed a predominance of monophasic proliferation of myoepithelial cells. Both cell types exhibited enlarged and markedly atypical nuclei, with obvious nucleoli and prominent mitoses (up to 10-15/10 high power fields). Foci of infiltration were identified at the periphery of the lobules and the surrounding adipose tissue. Areas of central necrosis and stromal hyalinization could be seen. A diagnosis of EMC was made by morphology and immunohistochemistry. It's worth noting that HER2 gene amplification has not been detected in malignant adenomyoepitheIioma in the literature up to now; While in our present report, HER2 was 2+ membranous immunoreactivity, and then HER2 gene amplification was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Conclusion: Accurate diagnosis of malignant adenomyoepitheIioma is challenging but of great importance, and the management of malignant adenomyoepitheIioma would be made according to histologic features.
Risk Factor Stratification of Lung Metastasis in Children and Adolescent Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Wang Liying , Liu Feng , Zhang Lingyun , Rui Shu , Liu Yang , Liu Wanting , Shen Feiyang , Huang Rui , Wei Tao , Gong Rixiang , Zhu Jingqiang , Luo Han , Li Zhihui
Published: June 2021

Background: Lung metastasis (LM) in pediatric papillary thyroid cancer (pPTC) is significantly higher than in adults. While spare information about pPTC and LM hampers to formulate specific guideline. Hence, we retrospectively analyzed the whole pPTCs in our center to investigate factors associated with LM and therapy outcomes.Materials and Methods: PTCs with age＜20 years who received initial operations in ourcenterfrom December 2008 to December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicopathological information, treatment pipelineand outcomes were analyzed retrospectively.Results:Totally, 114 pPTC patients were enrolled in our study, LM was observed in 17 (14.9 %) cases. Significant risk factors associated with LM were age, sex, tumor size, multifocality, extrathyroidal extension, lymph node metastasis, number of metastatic lymph nodes (NMLNs)and postoperative stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg). NMLNs ＞14 was identified as an independent risk factor for LM by multivariate analysis (OR 25.166, 95% CI 2.814 - 225.009, p = 0.004) with a sensitivity of 86.7% and specificity of 81.1% for LM, which was verified by integrated meta-analysis. In terms ofresponse to radioiodine treatment in LM, 2 cases reached ‘‘excellent’’ response. ‘‘Biochemically incomplete’’, ‘‘structurally incomplete’’ and “indeterminate” were in 3,12, 2 of 17 patients respectively. Postoperative sTg was correlated with the response to therapy of LM in pPTCs(p = 0.003).Conclusion: LM was frequently observed in pPTCs. NMLNs ＞14 was an independent risk factor for LM in our study and other cohorts, and postoperative sTg was a potential predictor for the therapy outcome of LM in pPTCs.
Topic duplication and research waste at the ‘Overviews of systematic reviews’ level: Survey of overlapping overviews
Authors: Lunny Carole , Zhang Jia He , Chen Alyssa , Neelakant Trish , Shinger Gavindeep , Stevens Adrienne , Tasnim Sara , Sadeghipouya Shadi , Adams Stephen , Zheng Yi Wen , Lin Lester , Yang Pei Hsuan , Dosanjh Manpreet , Ngsee Peter , Ellis Ursula , Shea Beverley J. , Reid Emma K. , Wright James M.
Published: June 2021

Background
Multiple overviews of systematic reviews conducted on the same topic (“overlapping overviews”) represent a waste of research resources and can confuse or mislead clinicians and policymakers. We aimed to assess the frequency and characteristics of published overviews addressing the same clinical question or topic.
Methods
We used MEDLINE, Epistemonikos and Cochrane databases to locate overviews that: focused on synthesising reviews; conducted systematic searches; had a methods section; and examined a health intervention or clinical treatment. We then determined which overviews addressed the same or overlapping populations/settings, interventions, and outcomes [PIO]). Overlap in topic was defined as: duplication of PIO elements, not representing an update of a previous overview, and not a replication for quality purposes.
Results
Of 541 overviews located (2000–2018), 178 (33%) overlapped with another overview addressing a similar PIO. The topics of overlapping overviews fell within 13 WHO ICD-10 medical classifications, and there were 65 overlapping topics in total. The most prevalent topic with overlap across 7 overviews was smoking cessation (pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions). Five overlapping overviews related to acupuncture for pain, 5 addressed cannabinoids for pain and symptoms, and 5 addressed exercise for bone and muscle health. For 15/65 (22%) of these topics, one author was involved in at least two of the overlapping overviews.
Conclusions
We found significant duplication and unnecessary overlap across overviews. To avoid waste and redundancy, protocols of overviews should be registered in a targeted database, and overviews should cite other studies on similar topic with a rationale.
Involvement of Ethylene in Reversal of Salt Stress by Salicylic acid in Presence of Sulfur in Mustard (Brassica juncea L.)
Authors: Rasheed Faisal , Sehar Zebus , Fatma Mehar , Iqbal Noushina , Masood Asim , Anjum Naser , Khan Nafees
Published: June 2021

The involvement of ethylene in reversal of salt stress inhibited photosynthetic activity and growth by salicylic acid (SA) together with sulfur (S) was studied in mustard (Brassica juncea L.) plants. Application of SA (0.5 mM) plus SO42- (2.0 mM) improved photosynthetic activity through markedly increased S-assimilation, antioxidant enzymes activity and optimized ethylene and glutathione (GSH) production for reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants under 50 mM NaCl stress. As SA acts as an inhibitor of ethylene, and S-assimilation is associated with ethylene synthesis, we tried to figure out the interaction of ethylene in SA and SO42- mediated salt tolerance. The involvement of ethylene was studied by supplementing salt treated plants with 200 µL L-1 ethephon (an ethylene-releasing compound) or 100 µM norbornadiene (NBD, ethylene action inhibitor) to SA and SO42- treatments. The ethephon application to salt treated plants suppressed stress ethylene and optimized ethylene formation and increased ethylene sensitivity to enhance photosynthesis of plants by affecting antioxidative capacity of plants. Application of NBD to plants receiving SA plus SO42- in presence of salt showed inhibited photosynthetic characteristics, stomatal behavior and growth. These plants exhibited minimal capacity of S-assimilation and antioxidant enzymes activity and GSH content. This explained that ethylene was involved in the reversal of salt stress by SA plus SO42-. Thus, the study showed that ethylene intervenes the effect of SA in the presence of SO42- to upregulate the antioxidants that lead to increased S-assimilation, and imparted tolerance to salt in mustard plants.
Onsite versus remote working: the impact on satisfaction, productivity, and performance of medical call center workers
Authors: Alfaleh Amjad , Alkattan Abdullah , Alageel Alaa , Salah Mohammed , Almutairi Mona , Sagor Khlood , Alabdulkareem Khaled
Published: June 2021

Background
Job satisfaction is determined as the measure to know the individuals’ feelings toward their work. The working conditions that can affect the call center agents’ satisfaction, and performance have received particular concern.
Methods
This study included 124 agents working in a governmental medical call center in Saudi Arabia. Each agent was receiving a questionnaire that investigates their satisfaction, productivity and performance during working in the medical call center.
Results
Seventy-seven physicians working onsite were compared to 47 physicians working in the medical call center remotely. Onsite agents were more satisfied concerning job nature, supervisor support, productivity and performance compared to remote agents. Overall, general satisfaction was more seen in physicians working onsite as opposed to remote workers in the medical call center in Saudi Arabia (64.90% vs. 54.25%, [p-value < 0.01]).
Conclusion
It was found that onsite agents were significantly more satisfied in most investigated aspects compared with remote agents.
Bi-modular fusion proteins, a versatile therapeutic tool for re-directing a pre-existing Epstein-Barr virus antibody response towards defined target cells
Authors: Gamain Benoît , Brousse Carine , Rainey Nathan , Diallo Béré , Paquereau Clara-Eva , Desrames Alexandra , Ceputyte Jolita , Semblat Jean-Philippe , Bertrand Olivier , Gangnard Stéphane , Teillaud Jean-Luc , CHENE Arnaud
Published: June 2021

Industrial production of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies is mostly performed in eukaryotic-based systems, allowing post-translational modifications mandatory for their functional activity. Nevertheless, the resulting elevated product cost limits therapy access to some patients, thus increasing medical inequality. To address this limitation, we conceptualized a novel immunotherapeutic approach aiming at redirecting a pre-existing polyclonal antibody response against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) towards defined target cells. We engineered bi-modular fusion proteins (BMFPs), notably expressible in bacteria-based systems, comprising a Fc-deficient binding moiety (Nanobody, scFv) specifically targeting an antigen expressed at the surface of a target cell, fused to the P18 EBV antigen, which would recruit circulating endogenous anti-P18 IgG in individuals chronically infected by EBV. Opsonization of BMFP-coated target cells efficiently triggered antibody-mediated clearing effector mechanisms in vitro, such as the complement cascade, erythrophagocytosis by macrophages and FcγRIII-mediated activation of cellular pathways leading to antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). When assessed in a mouse tumour model, therapy performed with an anti-huCD20 BMFP significantly led to increased mice survival and total cancer remission in some animals. These results indicate that BMFPs are versatile tools for redirecting an Epstein-Barr virus pre-existing immune antibody response towards pre-defined target cells and could represent potent and useful therapeutic molecules to treat a broad range of diseases.
The British press in Ukrainian media researches’ studies
Authors: Hren Zoryana
Published: June 2021

The article outlines the main trends in the studies of British press presented by Ukrainian media researches since Ukraine gained its independence in 1991. The author describes the objects of their greatest interest and analyses the subject area of the works. The paper also concentrates on the perspectives of such researches. Particular attention is paid to the entire discourse of studies on the whole press system functioning and its certain aspects. Extensive coverage is given to the main tendencies of its development as well as the experience of applying the special practical tools.
Ternopil press of 1941–1944: Local History aspect
Authors: Peleshok Olga
Published: June 2021

The article is devoted to the study of materials of Ukrainian periodicals during the Nazi occupation as important components of coverage of local lore life of the population of Ternopil region during the war. The purpose of the study is а general review of the press during the German occupation of the region and a study of the problem-thematic component of the materials of the local history spectrum on the pages of these publications. The relevance of the study is that this press has recently become available to scholars, so this group of periodicals to this day remains poorly studied in journalism. It is shown that in the materials of local lore the geographical, economic, historical and literary-artistic themes are singled out as dominant. The conducted study showed that local lore in the periodicals of Ternopil region in 1941–1944 was one of the leading, through which the achievements of national thought were spread.
Entomopathogenic nematode-gastropod interactions
Authors: Schurkman Jacob , Dillman Adler R.
Published: June 2021

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) infect and kill insects and have been successfully used in the biological control of some insect pests. Slugs and snails are known to be significant pests of agriculture and serve as vectors for disease-causing microbes that can affect crops and humans. The potential of EPNs to be used in the biological control of gastropods has not been well-studied. The few studies that have been performed on the efficacy of EPNs in controlling gastropod pests and vectors were reviewed. Suggested criteria for further assessments of EPN-gastropod interactions are: Dose of EPNs used, length of infection assays, host biology, nematode biology and development, and Koch’s postulates. There are provocative data suggesting that EPNs may be useful biological control agents against gastropod pests of agriculture and vectors of disease, though additional studies using the suggested criteria are needed, including the publication of negative data or studies where EPNs were not efficacious or successful in controlling gastropods.