bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differentiating novel coronavirus pneumonia from general pneumonia based on machine learning
Authors: Liu Chenglong , Wang Xiaoyang , Liu Chenbin , Sun Qingfeng , Peng Wenxian
Published: August 2020

Background: Chest CT screening as supplementary means is crucial in diagnosing novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) with high sensitivity and popularity. Machine learning was adept in discovering intricate structures from CT images and achieved expert-level performance in medical image analysis. Methods: An integrated machine learning framework on chest CT images for differentiating COVID-19 from general pneumonia (GP) was developed and validated. Seventy-three confirmed COVID-19 cases were consecutively enrolled together with twenty-seven confirmed general pneumonia patients from Ruian People’s Hospital, from January 2020 to March 2020. To accurately classify COVID-19, region of interest (ROI) delineation was implemented based on ground glass opacities (GGOs) before feature extraction. Then, 34 statistical texture features of COVID-19 and GP ROI images were extracted, including 13 gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features, 15 gray level-gradient co-occurrence matrix (GLGCM) features and 6 histogram features. High dimensional features impact the classification performance. Thus, ReliefF algorithm was leveraged to select features. The relevance of each features was the average weights calculated by ReliefF in n times. Features with relevance lager than the empirically set threshold T were selected. After feature selection, the optimal feature set along with 4 other selected feature combinations for comparison were applied to the ensemble of bagged tree (EBT) and four other machine learning classifiers including support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), and K-nearest neighbor with Minkowski distance equal weight (KNN) using 10-fold cross-validation. Results and Conclusions: The classification accuracy (ACC), sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE) of our proposed method yield 94.16%, 88.62% and 100.00%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.99. The experimental results indicate that the EBT algorithm with statistical textural features based on GGOs for differentiating COVID-19 from general pneumonia achieved high transferability, efficiency, specificity, sensitivity, and impressive accuracy, which is beneficial for inexperienced doctors to more accurately diagnose COVID-19 and essential for controlling the spread of the disease.
Ultrasound-targeted Microbubble Destruction Promotes Myocardial Angiogenesis and Functional Improventments in Rat Model of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Zhang Xijun , Zhu Haohui , Zhou Nanqian , Fang Zhixin , Yang Yuping , Jing Yun , Yuan Jianjun , Li Peng , Tian Xinqiao
Published: August 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Facilitating equal access to primary care for all: work experiences of health mediators in a primary health care model program in Hungary
Authors: Katona Cintia , Gutási Éva , Papp Magor , Varga Orsolya , Kósa Karolina
Published: August 2020

Background: A Primary Care Model Programme was implemented in Hungary between 2013 and 2017 in order to increase access of disadvantaged population groups to primary care and to offer new preventive services for all clients. In a country with single-handed practices, four group practices or GP clusters were created in the Programme. Six GPs comprised one cluster who together employed nonmedical health professionals and nonprofessional health mediators, the latter recruited from the serviced communities, many of them of Roma ethnicity. Health mediators were tasked by improving access of the local communities – including its vulnerable Roma members – to existing and new services. Health mediators were interviewed about their work experiences, motivation, and overall opinion as members of the clusters as part of the Programme evaluation. Methods: As part of the Programme evaluation, structured interviews were conducted with all 40 health mediators employed at the time in the Programme. Interviews were transcribed and content analysis was carried out. Results: Three themes emerged from the transcripts. The first centered on the health mediators’ personal characteristics such as motivation to join the Programme, the way their job increased their self-esteem, social status and health consciousness. Domains of the second theme of their work included importance of on-the-job training and of their insider knowledge of local communities, as well as their pride to have become members of the primary care team. The third theme covered overall functioning of the Programme of which they had mostly positive opinions, notwithstanding some criticism regarding procurement. Conclusions: Health mediators had earlier worked in various European countries specifically to improve access of Roma ethnic groups to health services but the Hungarian Model Programme was globally the first in which health mediators, non-professional workers became equal members of the primary care team as employees. Their contribution and overwhelmingly positive experiences, along with their useful insights for improvement call for the establishment and funding of health mediator positions in primary care especially in areas with large numbers of disadvantaged Roma populations.
Use of Spinal Anaesthesia in Neonates and Infants in Antananarivo, Madagascar: A Retrospective Descriptive Study
Authors: Randriamizao Harifetra Mamy Richard , Rakotondrainibe Aurelia , Razafindrabekoto Lova Dany Ella , Ravoaviarivelo Prisca Funken , Rajaonera Andriambelo Tovohery , Andriamanarivo Mamy Lalatiana
Published: August 2020

Objective : The aim of this study was to present the first cases of spinal anesthesia, in newborns and infants, preterms / ex-prematures, in order to determine its feasibility and its potential harmlessness, in Antananarivo – Madagascar. Indeed, spinal anesthesia is a low cost technique and can limit respiratory complications, postoperative apnea a contrario with pediatric general anesthesia which can lead to perioperative risks. Results : In a retrospective, descriptive, seven-year (2013 to 2019) period study, conducted in the University Hospital Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona, data files of 69 babies planned to have spinal anesthesia were recorded. These pediatric patients were predominantly male (sex ratio = 2.8) and 37 [28 - 52] days old. The smallest anesthetized child weighed 880g; the youngest was 4 days old. Twenty-seven (27) of them were premature and 20.3% presented respiratory diseases. They were mostly scheduled for hernia repair (90%). Spinal anesthesia was performed, with a Gauge 25 Quincke spinal needle, after 2 [1 - 2] attempts with hyperbaric bupivacaine of 4 [3.5 - 4] mg. Failure rate was 5.8%. The heart rate was stable throughout perioperative period and no complications were observed.
Associations between Age, Oral Health-Related Quality of Life, and Oral and Swallowing Function among Psychiatric Inpatients in Japan : a cross-sectional study
Authors: Haresaku Satoru , Nakashima Fuyuko , Hara Yayoi , Kuroki Madoka , Aoki Hisae , kubota Keiko , Naito Toru
Published: August 2020

BackgroundAlong with the ageing society, hospitalized psychiatric patients are also ageing in Japan. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between age, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and oral health, including oral and swallowing function, among psychiatric inpatients.MethodsThe subjects included 165 psychiatric inpatients in psychiatric hospitals in Japan. The General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) were included in the questionnaire survey for the measurement of OHRQoL and the screening of dysphagia. A score ≥3 on the EAT-10 was defined as suspected dysphagia. Oral examinations and oral diadochokinesis (ODK) measurements for the tongue-lip motor function evaluation were conducted. The inpatients with acute psychiatric symptoms, moderate and severe dementia, and cognitive impairment that affected their ability to communicate and relate their feelings were excluded. A chi-squared test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and linear regression analysis were used for the analysis.ResultsA total of 100 (64.5%) psychiatric inpatients (49 males and 51 females) participated in this study. The means±SDs for age, the decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) index, and GOHAI score were 67.3±14.5, 20.6±6, and 49.7±7.9, respectively. The mean ODK scores were less than 3 times/sec for all syllables. The percentage of the participants with suspected dysphagia was 45.0%. Tooth loss and suspected dysphagia were significantly associated with low GOHAI scores. The EAT-10 score was significantly correlated with the GOHAI score only after adjusting for age and sex (β=-0.725, 95% CI:-0.97, -0.64).ConclusionsIn hospitalized psychiatric patients, impaired oral health in the older subjects was more pronounced compared with that among general adults. Tooth loss and swallowing function were associated with OHRQoL. Therefore, oral care for the recovery of occlusal and swallowing functions may be needed to improve OHRQoL among psychiatric patients.
Application of sample balance-based multi-perspective feature ensemble learning for prediction of user purchasing behaviors on mobile wireless network platforms
Authors: Zhang Huibing , Dong Junchao
Published: August 2020

With the rapid development of wireless communication network, M-Commerce has achieved great success. Users leave a lot of historical behavior data when shopping on the M-Commerce platform. Using these data to predict future purchasing behaviors of the users will be of great significance for improving user experience and realizing mutual benefit and win-win result between merchant and user. Therefore, a sample balance-based multi-perspective feature ensemble learning was proposed in this study as the solution to predicting user purchasing behaviors, so as to acquire user’s historical purchasing behavioral data with sample balance. Influence feature of user purchasing behaviors were extracted from three perspectives—user, commodity and interaction, in order to further enrich the feature dimensions. Meanwhile, feature selection was carried out using XGBSFS algorithm. Large-scale real datasets were experimented on Alibaba M-Commerce platform. The experimental results show that the proposed method has achieved better prediction effect in various evaluation indexes such as precision and recall rate.
Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin values alone and combined with Prognostic Index predict septic AKI, DIC, and shock: a pilot study
Authors: Shimoyama Yuichiro , Umegaki Osamu , Kadono Noriko , Minami Toshiaki
Published: August 2020

Objective: Sepsis is a syndrome involving life-threatening organ dysfunction. The present study aimed to determine whether septic AKI, ARDS, DIC, and shock can be predicted more readily by combining uNGAL values and inflammation-based prognostic scores, over the use of uNGAL values alone. Results: ROC curve analyses yielded the following cut-off values: AKI: 438.5 (ng/ml) for uNGAL at Day 1 (AUC, 0.8), 476.9 (ng/ml) for uNGAL at Day 2 (AUC, 0.86), 123.8 (ng/ml) for uNGAL at Day 3 (AUC, 0.81), 133.6 (ng/ml) for uNGAL at Day 4 (AUC, 0.78), 1.0 for iNS NGAL-NLR (AUC, 0.75), 2.0 for iNS NGAL-PI (AUC, 0.77), DIC; 648.5 (ng/ml) for uNGAL at Day 1 (AUC, 0.77); shock; 123.8 (ng/ml) for uNGAL at Day 3 (AUC, 0.71) and 9 for SOFA (AUC, 0.71). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed iNS NGAL-PI to be a significant independent predictor of AKI (OR, 20.62; 95%CI, 1.03-412.3; p=0.048).
MCCMF: Collaborative matrix factorization based on matrix completion for predicting miRNA-disease associations
Authors: Wu Tian-Ru , Yin Meng-Meng , Jiao Cui-Na , Gao Ying-Lian , Kong Xiang-Zhen , Liu Jin-Xing
Published: August 2020

Background: microRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs with regulatory functions. Many studies have shown that miRNAs are closely associated with human diseases. Among the methods to explore the relationship between the miRNA and the disease, traditional methods are time-consuming and the accuracy needs to be improved. In view of the shortcoming of previous models, a collaborative matrix factorization based on matrix completion (MCCMF) is proposed to predict the unknown miRNA-disease associations.Results: The complete matrix of the miRNA and the disease is obtained by matrix completion. Moreover, Gaussian Interaction Profile (GIP) kernel is added to the miRNA functional similarity matrix and the disease semantic similarity matrix to form the GIP kernel similarity matrix. Then the Weight K Nearest Known Neighbors (WKNKN) method is used to pretreat the association matrix, so the model is close to the reality. Finally, collaborative matrix factorization (CMF) method is applied to obtain the prediction results. Therefore, the MCCMF obtains a satisfactory result in the five-fold cross-validation, with an AUC of 0.9569(0.0005).Conclusions: The AUC value of MCCMF is higher than other advanced methods in the 5-fold cross validation experiment. In order to comprehensively evaluate the performance of MCCMF, accuracy, precision, recall and f-measure are also added. The final experimental results demonstrate that MCCMF outperforms other methods in predicting miRNA-disease associations. In the end, the effectiveness and practicability of MCCMF are further verified by researching three specific diseases.
Dietary iron intake and anemia: Food frequency questionnaire in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.
Authors: Cavalcoli Federica , Gandini Alberto , Matelloni Irene Aglaia , Catalano Francesca , Alicante Saverio , Manfredi Guido , Brambilla Gianfranco , Menozzi Fernanda , Perolini Federica , Costi Egon , Bertè Roberto , Buscarini Elisabetta
Published: August 2020

Background: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a multisystemic inherited vascular disease characterized by a heterogeneous clinical presentation and prognosis. Dietary evaluation is relevant in HHT patients to provide adequate iron and nutrient intake. Additionally, different dietary items have been reported to precipitate epistaxis in this setting. Our primary aim was to investigate the dietary habits of HHT patients through a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to evaluate the presence of precipitants and/or protective factors for epistaxis and the occurrence of possible dietary modifications. The secondary aims were to evaluate the nutritional intake of iron in HHT patients and the self-reported effect of iron treatments on epistaxis.From April 2018 to October 2018, a 138-item FFQ was provided to HHT patients followed up at the HHT Referral Center of Crema Maggiore Hospital. The relationship between food items and epistaxis was ascertained on a separate form. Daily iron intake was calculated to establish the mean iron content of food items reported in the FFQ.Results: One hundred forty-nine questionnaires were evaluated [72 females, median age 54 years (12-76). Overall, 26 (18%) patients reported dietary items that improved epistaxis (mostly blueberries and red fruits, green vegetables and legumes), while 38 (26%) reported some dietary items that exacerbated epistaxis (spices, chocolate, alcohol, strawberries and ginger). Dietary modifications were reported in up to 58% of cases. In HHT patients, the mean daily iron intake was 8.46 ± 2.78 mg, and no differences were observed in the iron intake of patients reporting a diet modification and those who did not.Conclusions: In the comprehensive management of HHT a healthy and balanced diet, with increased consumption of dietary items with a high iron content, should be encouraged.
Isolation and Characterization of Coronavirus and Rotavirus Associated With Calves, in Central Part of Oromia, Ethiopia
Authors: Geletu Umer Seid , Bari Fufa Dawo , Usmael Munera Ahmednur , Tesfaye Asamino
Published: August 2020

Background: Coronavirus and Rotavirus are most commonly associated etiologies for calves’ diarrhea resulting in loss of productivity and economy of farmers. However, various facets of diarrheal disease caused by coronavirus and rotavirus in calves in Ethiopia are inadequately understood. A cross sectional study was conducted with the aim of isolation and molecular characterization of coronavirus and rotavirus from calves in central part of Oromia (Bishoftu, Sebata, Holeta and Addis Ababa), Ethiopia from November 2018 to May 2019. The four study areas were purposively selected and fecal samples were collected by simple random sampling for diagnosis of coronavirus and rotavirus infection by using antigen detection Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (Ag-ELISA) kit. In addition, this study was carried out to have insight in prevalence and associated risk factors of coronavirus and rotavirus infection in calves. Result: During the study 83 diarrheic and 162 non-diarrheic fecal samples collected from calves less than 4 weeks of age were screened for coronavirus and rotavirus. Of the 83 diarrheic samples, 1 sample (1.2%) was positive for coronavirus antigen (Ag) and 6 samples (7.2%) were found to be positive for rotavirus antigen (Ag) by Ag-ELISA. All the non-diarrheic samples were negative for both coronavirus and rotavirus Ag. The overall prevalence of coronavirus and rotavirus infection in calves were estimated as 0.4% (1/245) and 2.45% (6/245) respectively. All samples (7) of ELISA test positive of both coronavirus and rotavirus were propagated in Madin Darby bovine kidney cells (MDBK). After 3 subsequent passages, progressive cytopathic effect (CPE) i.e. rounding, detachment as well as destruction of mono-layer cell of five sample (1 sample of coronavirus and 4 sample of rotavirus) (71.4%) were observed. At the molecular stage, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was used to determine the presence of coronavirus and rotavirus nucleic acid by using specific primers. The 5 samples that were coronavirus and rotavirus antigen positive by ELISA and develop CPE on cell culture were also positive on RT-PCR technique. Infection prevalence peaked have been obtained at 1st and 2nd weeks of age in male calves. Conclusion: Diarrheal disease caused by coronavirus and rotavirus has a great health problem in calves that interrupts production benefits with reduced weight gain and increased mortality, and its potential for zoonotic spread. So the present findings show coronavirus and rotavirus infection in calves in Ethiopia that needs to be addressed by practicing early colostrums feeding in newborn calves, using vaccine, or improving livestock management.
Interaction analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis between host environment and highly mutated genes from population genetic structure comparison
Authors: Cui Zhezhe , Lin Dingwen , Chang Yue , Ou Jing , Huang Liwen
Published: August 2020

Objective We aimed to investigate the genetic and demographic differences and interactions between areas where observed genomic variations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. Tb) are distributed uniformly in cold and hot spots. Methods The cold and hot spot areas were identified using the reported incidence of TB over the previous 5 years. Whole genome sequencing was performed on 291 M. tb isolates between January and June 2018. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and a multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) model was applied to test gene-gene-environment interactions. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed to test the extent to which genetic mutation affects the TB epidemic using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results The percentage of the Beijing family strain in hot spots was significantly higher than that in cold spots (64.63% vs 50.69%, p = 0.022), among elderly, people with a low BMI and those having a history of contact with a TB patient (all p < 0.05). Individuals from cold spot areas had a higher frequency of out-of-town travelling (p < 0.05). The mutation of Rv1186c, Rv3900c, Rv1508c, Rv0210 and a Intergenic Region (SNP site: 3847237) showed a significant difference between cold and hot spots. (p < 0.001). The MDR model displayed a clear negative interaction effect of age groups with BMI (interaction entropy: -3.55%) and mutation of Rv0210 (interaction entropy: -2.39%). Through the mutations of Rv0210 and BMI had a low independent effect (interaction entropy: -1.46%). Conclusion Our data suggests a statistical significant role of age, BMI and the polymorphisms of Rv0210 genes in the transmission and development of M. tb. The results provide clues for the study of susceptibility genes of M. tb in different population.
The properties of MOF-Zn2(EBNB)2(BPY)2·2H2O and its basic study of loading Methadone
Authors: Linxin Deng , Song Li , Sun Xuehua
Published: August 2020

The ligands of (E)-bis(p-3-nitrobenzoic acid) vinyl (C 16 H 10 N 2 O 8 ) were synthesized in three steps, and then the MOF-Zn 2 (EBNB) 2 (BPY) 2 ·2H 2 O was synthesized by solvothermal method. This structure was characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction, SEM and TG. The drug loading and in vitro release of Zn 2 (EBNB) 2 (BPY) 2 ·2H 2 O were also studied with Methadone as model drug. The result shows that the highest loading amount of Zn 2 (EBNB) 2 (BPY) 2 ·2H 2 O to Methadone was 0.256g/g, and the drug delivery system was a two-phase mode. The results of in vitro cytotoxicity test shows that Zn 2 (EBNB) 2 (BPY) 2 ·2H 2 O has good biocompatibility.
Characterization of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in Patients with Rosacea
Authors: Barbosa Eduardo Buzolin , Tavares Carla Melo , Silva Dimitri Felipe Luz da , Santos Lorraine Souza , França Andrea Fernandes Eloy da Costa , Alves Monica
Published: August 2020

Background: Rosacea frequently evolve the eyes with impact on life and vision quality. There are gaps in the understanding of ocular involvement, specially related to eyelid glands, which share common features to sebaceous glands.Purpose: Describe ocular surface disease related to Rosacea and its associations.Methods: Ninety-three individuals were selected to this cross-sectional, observational, non-interventionist study, divided into groups: rosacea (n=40) and controls (n=53). We investigated objective parameters of the ocular surface (conjunctival hyperemia, tear film stability and volume, meibomian gland dysfunction, dry eye disease, ocular surface staining) comparing healthy individuals with rosacea patients.Results: 69.23% of rosacea group were women, mean age of 47.34 ± 12.62 years old. Compared to matched controls there was no statistically significant differences regarding to visual acuity (p=0.987) and tear film parameters (tear meniscus height (p=0.338), non-invasive tear film rupture time (NIBUT) (p= 0.228), invasive rupture time (TBUT) (p=0.471) and Schirmer's test (p=0.244)) as well as conjunctival hyperemia (p = 0.106), and fluorescein staining (p = 0.489). Significant association was found in meibography evaluation (p = 0.026), mucous layer integrity (p = 0.015) and ocular surface symptoms (p <0.0001). Rosacea patients also showed important eyelid changes: glandular expressibility (p <0.001), glandular secretion pattern (p <0.001) and telangiectasia (p <0.001) compared to controls.Conclusion: Meibomian gland dysfunction is frequently associated to dermatologic conditions and is characterized by morphological findings in the meibography as well as lipid secretion impairment that lead to evaporative dry eye and ocular surface dysfunction and inflammation.
Influence psycho-sexual factors on the quality of life in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Path Analysis
Authors: Alijanpour Masoumeh , Sadatmahalleh Shahideh Jahanian , Samaneh Youseflu , Mahnaz Bahri Khomami , Majid Yousefi Afrashteh , Moini Ashraf , Kazemnejad Anoshiravan
Published: August 2020

Background

Coronavirus has spread rapidly around the world. This epidemic has created stress and anxiety for pregnant women in different parts of the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between quality of life (QoL) with anxiety, depression, corona disease anxiety, sexual function (SF), and marital satisfaction (MS) in pregnant women during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods

The present study is a cross-sectional study involving 260 pregnant women. The Short-Form Health Survey (SF_12), Marital Satisfaction Scale (MSS), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and coronary disease anxiety questionnaire, Padua Obsession Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) are used for data collection. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and path analysis.

Result

The overall goodness-of-fit statistics revealed that the predictors of QOL had perfectly good fitness indices (RMSEA=0.02; AGFI=0.99). The results show that corona related anxiety, marital satisfaction (MS), sexual function (SF), depression, and anxiety have a direct effect on women’s QOL. Among variables, GHQ has a more direct effect on women’s QOL. General health (GH) considered as a mediator variable; variables such as anxiety, depression, and Corona-related Anxiety with effect on GH can impress QOL. Anxiety as a main predictor of QOL, with direct, and indirect effects through GH, depression, SF, and MS can impress QOL.

Conclusion

Since the QoL in pregnant women is associated with coronavirus epidemics, these results can be used to plan to improve the health and QoL of these people.
Validation of the Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy Instrument to Assess Quality of Life in Maintenance Hemodialysis-Treated Patients with Cachexia
Authors: Zhen Yang , Yanlin Huang , Haizhen Lu , Ping Zhao , Han Wang , Li He
Published: August 2020

Background Cachexia is the ultimate state of many maintenance hemodialysis (MHD)-treated patients. Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT) is a tool used to evaluate the quality of life of patients with cachexia related to various diseases, but its effectiveness in MHD-treated patients has yet to be verified. This study aims to explore the applicability of FAACT in MHD-treated patients.Methods Qualified MHD-treated patients were selected for FAACT and The Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form 36 (KDQOL-36) questionnaire survey, and their demographic data and biochemical test results were collected from electronic medical records. Then, data were analyzed using statistical methods.Results This study enrolled 299 effective patients. The reliability of FAACT and its anorexia-cachexia subscale (ACS) were 0.904 and 0.842, respectively, and their retest exceeded 0.85. A reasonable correlation was found between FAACT and its items, and a reasonable calibration validity was identified between FAACT and KDQOL-36 subscale. FAACT and its subscale ACS showed good discriminant validity in the comparison of patients with different cachexia states and inflammatory states.Conclusions FAACT and ACS have good reliability and validity in MHD-treated patients and are suitable to measure the quality of life of MHD-treated patients with cachexia.
The relationship between consciousness and the ascending reticular activating system in patients with traumatic brain injury
Authors: Jang Sung Ho , Kwon Younghyeon
Published: August 2020

Background: We investigated the relationship between consciousness and the ascending reticular activating system(ARAS) by using diffusion tensor tractography(DTT) in patients with traumatic brain injury(TBI).Methods: Twenty-six patients with TBI and 13 healthy control subjects were recruited for this study. Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS) scores were used for evaluation of subject consciousness state at the chronic stage of TBI(at DTT scanning), According to the GCS score, the patient group was divided into two subgroups: A(14 patients;impaired consciousness:GCS score<15, and B(12 patients;intact consciousness;GCS score=15). Fractional anisotropy(FA) and tract volume(TV) values were assessed in the lower dorsal and upper ARAS.Results: The FA values of the lower dorsal ARAS and the upper ARAS in patient subgroup A were significantly lower than those in patient subgroup B and the control group(p<0.05). However, the FA and TV values for the lower dorsal ARAS and the upper ARAS were not significantly different between patient subgroup B and the control group(p>0.05). The FA value of the lower dorsal ARAS(r=0.473,p<0.05) and the TV of upper ARAS(r=0.484,p<0.05) had moderate positive correlations with the GCS score. The FA value of the upper ARAS had a strong positive correlation with the GCS score of the patient group(r=0.780,p<0.05).Conclusions: We detected a close relationship between consciousness at the chronic stage of TBI and injuries of the lower dorsal and upper ARAS(especially, the upper ARAS) in patients who showed impaired consciousness at the onset of TBI. We believe that our results can be useful during the development of therapeutic strategies for patients with impaired consciousness following TBI.Trial registration: YUMC 2019-06-032-003. retrospectively registered 06 Jun 2020.
Radiomics Signatures of Computed Tomography Imaging for Predicting Resection Margin Status in Pancreatic Head Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Liu Jinheng , Liu Xubao , Qiu Jiajun , Wang Yanting , Huang Wei , Ke Nengwen
Published: August 2020

Background: To identify preoperative computed tomography radiomics texture features which correlate with resection margin status and prognosis in resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. Methods: Improved prognostication methods utilizing novel non-invasive radiomic techniques may accurately predict resection margin status preoperatively. In an ongoing concerning pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, the venous enhanced CT images of 86 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy were selected, and the resection margin (>1 mm or ≤1 mm) was identified by pathological examination. Three regions of interests (ROIs) were then taken from superior to inferior facing the superior mesenteric vein and artery. Subsequent Laplacian-Dirichlet based texture analysis methods extracting algorithm flows of texture features within ROIs were analyzed and assessed in relation to patient prognosis.Results: Patients with >1 mm resection margin had an overall improved survival compared to ≤1 mm (P < 0.05). Distance 1 and 2 of Gray level co-occurrence matrix, high Gray-level run emphasis of run-length matrix and average filter of wavelet transform (all P < 0.05) were correlated with resection margin status (Area under the curve was 0.784, sensitivity was 75% and specificity was 79%). The energy of wavelet transform, the measure of smoothness of histogram and the variance in 2 direction of Gabor transform are independent predictors of overall survival prognosis, independent of resection margin.Conclusions: Resection margin status (>1 mm vs ≤1 mm) is a key prognostic factor in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and CT radiomic analysis have the potential to predict resection margin status preoperatively, and the radiomic labels may improve selection neoadjucant therapy. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02928081.
CircRNA Expression Profile in Lung Cancer Complicated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients
Authors: Wen Fuqiang , Li Xiaoou , Shen Yongchun , Cheng Jiahan , Chen Jun , Yuan Zhicheng , Wang Tao , Chen Lei , Liu Lunxu
Published: August 2020

Background: Lung cancer complicated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are major causes of mortality worldwide, and the incidence of lung cancer and COPD increasing significantly. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), have been reported to participate in various biological processes, whereas the role of circRNAs in lung cancer complicated with COPD remains unclear. We aims to identify differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) between lung cancer complicated with COPD and lung cancer without COPD. Method: The circRNAs expression profiles were identified using a high-throughput circRNA microarray in cancer adjacent tissues from 6 lung cancer without COPD patients and 8 lung cancer complicated with COPD patients. Bioinformatic analyses were conducted to identify the functions of DEcircRNAs. Result: A total of 115 up- and 128 down-regulated circRNAs were screened in lung cancer complicated with COPD patients compared with lung cancer without COPD patients. The myD88-dependent toll-like receptor signaling pathway and positive regulation of nitric oxide biosynthetic process ranked the top 2 enriched biological processes in Gene Ontology analysis. Signaling transduction and infectious diseases were the most significantly enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways in both up- and down-regulated circRNAs. Compared with lung cancer without COPD, circRNAs are dysregulated in the adjacent tissues of lung cancer with COPD. Conclusion: The DEcircRNAs might act as potential targets for the diagnosis of lung cancer with COPD.
Enriching the Nutritive Value of Marigold (Tagetes Erecta L) Crop Residues as a Ruminant​ Feed by Lactic Acid​ During Ensilage
Authors: Hou Zhijiang , Liu Jianyong , Cai Ming , Liu Yanpei , Mu Lan , Gao Yuee , Wanapat Metha , Huang Bizhi
Published: August 2020

Background: Marigold (Tagetes erecta L) accounts for over half of the world's loose flower production, and marigold crop residues (MCR) are abundantly available and should be used as a forage. In this study, MCR from the last commercial flower pickings was ensilaged with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and the shift in their volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profiles was monitored. Samples were collected at 6 different times during ensilage (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 30 days) to determine and quantify the VOCs changes using a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technique and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: After 30 days, the caryophyllene and piprocyone, which account for 14.67% and 12.17% of total VOCs, decreased by 32.86% and 9.62% respectively, alcohols increased from 2.8% to 8.13%, and the acetic acid content increased by 560%. Conclusion: The results reported in this study show that during ensilage, LAB influences type and levels of VOCs. These results have shed light on our understanding of how to improve marigold residue odor and to enhance terpene degradation by lactic acid bacteria fermentation.
A high throughput screen for TMPRSS2 expression identifies FDA-approved and clinically advanced compounds that can limit SARS-CoV-2 entry
Authors: Chen Yanwen , Lear Travis , Evankovich John , Larsen Mads , Lin Bo , Alfaras Irene , Kennerdell Jason , Salminen Laura , Camarco Daniel , Lockwood Karina , Liu Jie , Myerburg Michael , McDyer John , Liu Yuan , Finkel Toren , Chen Bill
Published: August 2020

SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV) is the pathogenic coronavirus responsible for the global pandemic of COVID-19 disease. The Spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 attaches to host lung epithelial cells through the cell surface receptor ACE2, a process dependent on host proteases including TMPRSS2. Here, we identified small molecules that can reduce surface expression of TMPRSS2 using a 2,700 FDA-approved or current clinical trial compounds. Among these, homoharringtonine and halofuginone appear the most potent agents, reducing endogenous TMPRSS2 expression at sub-micromolar concentrations. These effects appear to be mediated by a drug-induced alteration in TMPRSS2 protein stability. We further demonstrate that halofuginone modulates TMPRSS2 levels through proteasomal-mediated degradation that involves the E3 ubiquitin ligase component DDB1- and CUL4-associated factor 1 (DCAF1). Finally, cells exposed to homoharringtonine and halofuginone, at concentrations of drug known to be achievable in human plasma, demonstrated marked resistance to SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviral infection. Given the safety and pharmacokinetic data already available for the compounds identified in our screen, these results should help expedite the rational design of human clinical trials designed to combat COVID-19 infection.
Trachoma in Sudan: Case series from Two Eye Care Hospitals and a Review of the Literature
Authors: Hassan Rawan Sharaf Eldein Elamein , Aabdeen Mohamed Abdulmonem Salih , Hassan Razan Sharaf Eldein Elamein , Mohamed Sagad Omer Obeid , Saad Fadwa Mohammed , Mohamed Haidar AbuAhmed
Published: August 2020

Background

Trachoma is a common infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Although it has largely now disappeared from developed countries, it is still endemic in many developing countries. We aimed to highlight clinical stages and common related socio-demographic and household characteristics among patients with trachoma in Sudan.
Methods

A hospital-based case series descriptive study was conducted at Makah Eye Complex and Abdalfadeel-Almaz hospital in Khartoum, Sudan. We included all Trachoma patients from all age groups attending the two eye care hospitals in the period from 1st to 31st March 2015. Data was collected through clinical examination, hospital records, and face to face interview using a structured questionnaire, Also, we conducted a review of the literature to highlights the epidemiological aspect of trachoma in Sudan, using the databases of MEDLINE (PubMed) and Google Scholar.
Results

In this case series, we identified 125 patients with trachoma in the study period. Most of them were aged more than 50 years old (78.4%). Half of the participants (56%) were positive for active trachoma, 40.8% of them were having Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT), and 56% of them have Trachoma Follicles (TF). Majority of the patients have low socioeconomic status and poor personal and environmental hygiene (88%), (44%) and (74.4%), respectively.
Conclusion

Low socioeconomic status and poor personal and environmental hygiene are common socio-demographic and household characteristics among patients with trachoma. Despite the progress that has been made towards disease elimination, trachoma is still a public health problem in Sudan. Our review highlights the magnitude of trachoma and the progress towards its elimination in Sudan.
WITHDRAWN: Treatment of Noninfectious Corneal Disorders With Plasma Rich in Growth Factors and ReGenerating Agent Matrix
Authors: Sanchez-Avila Ronald Mauricio , Uribe-Badillo Edmar , Gonzalez Carlos Fernandez-Vega , Muruzabal Francisco , Corcuera Borja De la Sen , Baamonde Begoña , Quiros Luis Manuel , Anitua Eduardo , Merayo-Lloves Jesús
Published: August 2020

Background: To provide the efficacy and safety of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) associated with tissue ReGeneraTing Agent (RGTA) drops for the treatment of noninfectious corneal ulcers.Methods: This retrospective study included patients from Fernandez-Vega University Institute between 2010 and 2019, with noninfectious corneal ulcers and no response to standard treatments. RGTA treatment was firstly applied (1 drop every two days), but if ulcer closure was not achieved, PRGF eye drops treatment was added (4 times/day). The time to reach the ulcer closure; the Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), Visual Analog Scale (VAS, in frequency and severity of symptoms), and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) were evaluated. The presence of adverse events along the follow-up period was also reported. Results: Seventy-four patients (79 eyes) were included in the study, forty-six eyes (62.2%) were women, and the mean age was 56.8 ± 17.3 years. The neurotrophic corneal ulcer was the most frequent disorder found in the patients of the study (n = 27, 34.2%), mainly due to the herpes virus (n = 15, 19.0%). The mean time of PRGF eye drops treatment associated with RGTA matrix was 4.2 ± 2.2 (1.5 -9.0) months, and the follow-up period was 44.9 ± 31.5 months. The ulcer closure was achieved in 76 eyes (96.2%). BCVA, VAS and OSDI improved significantly from the baseline (p<0.001), while IOP remained unchanged (p=0.665). No adverse events were recorded. Conclusions: The use of RGTA and PRGF in noninfectious ulcers was effective and safe, and it could be a therapeutic alternative for this type of corneal diseases.
Chronotype and its association with lifestyle, health-related quality of life and academic performance among Japanese nursing students: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Kayaba Momoko , Matsushita Toshiko , Katayama Noriko , Inoue Yuichi , Sasai-Sakuma Taeko
Published: August 2020

Background: Generally, nursing university students struggle with academic work, that consequently bring about delayed bed time, insufficient sleep and worsened daytime functioning. The purpose of the present study is to clarify chronotype and its association with lifestyle, health-related quality of life and academic performance among nursing students.Methods: Self-reported questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate nursing students at six universities. Chronotype was assessed using the morningness-eveningness questionnaire. The generalized linear mixed effect model was utilized to identify the related factors with evening type among female nursing students (n = 447).Results: About 18% of Japanese female nursing students were identified as evening type. Evening type was associated with living alone, part-time job and club activity. Sleep duration on weekdays was shorter, meal time duration was the shortest, and the percentages of students who skipped meals and those who gained body weight were higher in the evening type than in the morning type and intermediate type. Mental health-related quality of life was lower in the intermediate type and evening type than in the morning type, while there was no difference in physical health-related quality of life among chronotype groups. The percentages of the nursing students who have experienced absence, tardiness, falling asleep during class and/or interference with academic achievement were higher in the evening type than in other chronotypes.Conclusions: Education of sleep hygiene and a healthy lifestyle to prevent late sleep-wake rhythm would contribute to improve nursing students’ health-related quality of life / academic performance.
Latency Optimization for D2D-Enabled Parallel Mobile Edge Computing in Cellular Networks
Authors: Ran Liang , Cai Yan , Zhang Jun , Zhu Hongbo
Published: August 2020

Edge offloading, including offloading to edge base stations (BS) via cellular links and to idle mobile users (MUs) via device-to-device (D2D) links, has played a vital role in achieving ultra-low latency characteristics in 5G wireless networks. This paper studies an offloading method of parallel communication and computation to minimize the delay in multi-user systems. Three different scenarios are explored, i.e., full offloading, partial offloading, and D2D-enabled partial offloading. In the full offloading scenario, we find a serving order for the MUs. Then, we jointly optimize the serving order and task segment in the partial offloading scenario. For the D2D-enabled partial offloading scenario, we decompose the problem into two subproblems and then find the optimal solution based on the results of the two subproblems. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate that the offloading method of parallel communication and computing can significantly reduce the system delay, and the D2D-enabled partial offloading can further reduce the latency.
miR-335-5p Suppresses Gastric Cancer Progression by Targeting MAPK10
Authors: Gao Yi , Wang Yanfeng , Wang Xiaofei , Zhao Changan , Wang Fenghui , Du Juan , Zhang Huahua , Shi Haiyan , Feng Yun , Li Dan , Yan Jing , Yao Yan , Hu Weihong , Ding Ruxin , Zhang Mengjie , Wang Lumin , Huang Chen , Zhang Jing
Published: August 2020

Background: In recent years, many microRNAs(miRNAs) involved in cancer progression. The aberrant expression of miR-335-5p in tumorigenesis has been demonstrated. The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying miR-335-5p- regulated MAPK10 expression in human gastric cancer（GC）.Methods: The quantitative real-time PCR was used to study the level of miR-335-5p expression in gastric cancer cell lines and tissues. Subsequently, the MTT and cloning formation assays were used to detect cell proliferation, while transwell and wound-healing assays were used to identify invasion and migration of the gastric cancer cells. The correlation between the miR-335-5p and the cell cycle-related target gene mitogen‑activated protein kinase 10 (MAPK10) in gastric cancer was analyzed based on the website. In addition, the target gene of miR-335-5p was detected by luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, and western blotting.Results: The miR-335-5p level was down-regulated in GC tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, miR-335-5p inhibited proliferation, migration of gastric cancer cells, and induced apoptosis. During the G1/S phase, miR-335-5p arrested the cycle of gastric cancer cells in vitro. The correlation between the miR-335-5p and the cell cycle-related target gene MAPK10 in GC was analyzed, MAPK10 was directly targeted by the miR-335-5p.Conclusion: These data suggested that miR-335-5p acts as a tumor suppressor, and go through the MAPK10 to inhibit the GC progression.
The human hippocampus and its subfield volume across age, sex and APOE e4 status
Authors: Veldsman Michele , Nobis Lisa , Almagro Fidel Alfaro , Smith Stephen , Manohar Sanjay , Husain Masud
Published: August 2020

Female sex, age and carriage of the APOE e4 allele are the greatest risk factors for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). The hippocampus has a selective vulnerability to atrophy in ageing that may be accelerated in AD, including in those with increased genetic risk of AD. Within the hippocampal complex, subfields represent cytoarchitectonic and connectivity based divisions. The change in global hippocampal and subfield volume associated with sex, age and APOE e4 status in healthy ageing have not yet been established despite their potential to provide a sensitive biomarker of future vulnerability to AD. Here, we examined non-linear age, sex and APOE effects, and their interactions, on hippocampal and subfield volumes across several decades spanning mid-life to old age in 36 653 healthy ageing individuals. Hippocampal volume showed a marked reduction in APOE e4/e4 female carriers after age 65. Volume was lower in homozygous e4 individuals in specific subfields including the presubiculum, subiculum head, CA1 body, CA3 head and CA4. The findings demonstrate that in healthy ageing, two factors - female sex and APOE e4 status - confer selective vulnerability of specific hippocampal subfields to volume loss.
Salvage Surgery for Stage IVa Thymic Carcinoma Combined with Aortic Arch Resection, A Case Report
Authors: Yamato Hiroyuki , Funaki Soichiro , Shimamura Kazuo , Kin Keiwa , Kuratani Toru , Sawa Yoshiki , Shintani Yasushi
Published: August 2020

BackgroundAlthough complete surgical resection of thymic carcinoma is a prognostic factor, extended surgery combined with a major blood vessel procedure remains controversial because of the increased risk of mortality. We report a case of Stage IVa thymic carcinoma successfully resected with a pneumonectomy along with aortic arch replacement after chemotherapy. Case presentationA 45-year-old male was diagnosed with thymic carcinoma invasion to the aortic arch and left pulmonary artery. Malignant pericardial effusion was also noted, though disappeared after chemotherapy, thus surgical options were considered. A radical resection procedure including left pneumonectomy, aortic arch replacement with total rerouting of the supra-arch vessels, and right pulmonary artery plication was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient has been disease-free for 3 years.ConclusionExtended salvage surgery might be a valuable option for advanced thymic carcinoma.