bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep Succinylproteomics of Brain Tissues of Intracerebral Hemorrhage with Inhibition of Toll-like Receptor 4 Signaling
Authors: Liang Yan-Jing , Yang Yuan-Rui , Tao Chuan-Yuan , Yang Su-Hao , Zhang Xin-Xiao , Yuan Jing , Zhong Zhan-Qiong , Yu Shu-Guang , Xiong Xiao-Yi
Published: April 2021

The details of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 signaling affects protein succinylation in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) brains remains completely unclear. In this study, we constructed mice ICH models to investigate the changes in ICH-associated brain protein succinylation with the treatment of TLR4 antagonist, TAK242, using a high-resolution mass spectrometry-based, quantitative succinyllysine proteomics approach. We characterized a concentration of approximately 6700 succinylation events and quantified approximately 3500 sites, highlighting 139 succinyllysine site changes in 40 pathways. Further analysis showed that TAK242 treatment induced an increase in 29 succinyllysine sites of 28 succinylated proteins and reduction of 24 succinyllysine sites on 23 succinylated proteins in ICH brains. Both the TAK242 treatment induced hypersuccinylated and hyposuccinylated proteins in ICH brains were mainly located in mitochondria and cytoplasm. GO analysis showed that TAK242 treatment induced changes in ICH-associated succinylated proteins were mostly located in synapse, membrane, vesicle, etc., and enriched in many processes, such as metabolism, synapse, myeline, etc.. KEGG analysis showed that TAK242 induced downregulation of succinylation was significantly linked to fatty acid metabolism and lysosome. Moreover, a combination analysis of our succinylproteomic data with previously published transcriptome data identified that most of the differentially succinylated proteins induced by TAK242 treatment were mainly distributed into neurons, astrocytes and endothelial cells; and 7 and 3 of these succinylated proteins significantly high express in neurons and astrocytes, respectively. In conclusion, our analyses uncover a number of TLR4 signaling affected succinylation processes and pathways in mouse ICH brains and provide new insights for understanding ICH pathophysiological processes. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD025622.
Indo-Pak Comparison Of COVID-19 By ARIMA Model: A Secondary Analysis
Authors: Ajaz Osama , Irfan Muhammad , Amjad Muhammad , Siddiqa Ayesha
Published: April 2021

Background: Historically, the world has faced and recovered from many pandemics. The most recent global pandemic facing the entire world is Covid-19. India and Pakistan can be considered to be in the same phases of development and health spending relative to their GDP and also have similar climatic conditions. The main aim of the study is to forecast cumulative cases and deaths in Pakistan and India, which will be helpful for policy makers to plan accordingly.Methods: The data set was obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) website (https://covid19.who.int). The time period we have considered since the first corona related case and death were observed in both countries. The dataset for Pakistan covered the time period from 28th February 2020 to 28th February 2021 and for India 30th January to 28th February 2021. The Auto-Regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was applied for forecasting using R-package.Results: Our results forecasted that cumulative COVID-19 cases at the end of June 2021, at the end of September 2021 and at the end of December 2021 will be 13065792, 14704450, and 16481122 respectively in India while for Pakistan, we forecasted that at the end of June 2021, at the end of September 2021 and at the end of December 2021 will be 746963.5 873557.3and 999766.5 respectively. Cumulative deaths were also forecasted for Pakistan and India. We predicted cumulative deaths as at the end of June 2021 at the end of June 2021, at the end of September 2021 and at the end of December 2021 will be 170586.5, 181153.4 and 192017.5 respectively in India while for Pakistan, we forecasted that cumulative deaths at the end of June 2021, at the end of September 2021 and at the end of December 2021 will be 17890.98, 21825.26 and 25849.4 respectively.Conclusion: Corona related cumulative cases and deaths are on the rise in both countries. The pandemic situation in India is worse than in Pakistan nevertheless both countries are at high risk. There is a sudden increasing pattern in the number of corona related cases in both countries.
“The Balloon was Just the Kick Start I Had to do the Rest Myself”: Adolescents Living with Severe Obesity Experiences of an Intra-Gastric Balloon Alongside a Lifestyle Support Programme
Authors: Reece Lindsey J. , Bissell Paul , Sachdev Pooja , Wright Neil P. , Mihrshahi Seema , Copeland Robert J
Published: April 2021

Background: Few treatments exist for adolescents living with severe obesity. This qualitative study explored the experiences of severely obese adolescents and their families who participated in the BOB study.Methods: Twelve adolescents (5 males;7 females; mean age 15 years; BMI > 3.5 s.d; puberty stage 4 +) who were engaged with the research study BOB (a non-randomised, pilot novel obesity treatment programme that involved the insertion of an intra-gastric balloon coupled with a family lifestyle behavioural support programme). Adolescents attended weekly lifestyle sessions before, during and post balloon insertion. All participants were interviewed at 3 months, (halfway through intra-gastric balloon insertion) and at 12 months follow-up (6 months post intra-gastric balloon removal, 3 months post lifestyle intervention).Results: All BOB participants had exhausted all treatment options deeming this study their final option. Many alluded to feelings of desperation and referred to a sense of hope that this intervention would be effective. Family involvement and attendance within the structured sessions differed significantly. Adolescents and parents perceived support from the research study ceased when the intra-gastric balloon was removed at 6-months despite attendance post balloon removal being poor. All participants emphasised a need for further support longer term with the integration of the family a critical factor.Conclusions: Further research is needed to explore the specific role families play within treatment to optimise health and wellbeing outcomes. Adolescents perspectives should be integrated within treatment to inform and improve the effectiveness of future treatment programmes for severely obese adolescents and their families.
Chromosome and Ploidy Analysis of Winter Hardy Hibiscus Species by FISH and Flow Cytometry
Authors: Deepo Deen Mohammad , Mazha Islam MD , Hwang Yoon-Jung , Kim Hong-Yul , Kim Chang Kil , Lim Ki-Byung
Published: April 2021

Determination of nuclear DNA content, genome sizes, and ploidy level and, information on cytogenetic characteristics are all prerequisite of modern plant breeding. However, cytogenetic study of Hibiscus species is often hampered by the similarity in morphology and by the small size of mitotic chromosomes. The goal of the study was to ascertain the chromosome number, karyomorphology, distribution of 5S and 18S rDNA loci, chromosome length, and centromere positions as well as the ploidy level, genome sizes, 2C-DNA content of winter-hardy Hibiscus: H. syriacus ‘Saejamyung’, H. sinosyriacus ‘Seobong’, H. moscheutos ‘Luna Red’ and, H. paramutabilis. 5S rDNA and 18S rDNA loci were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). According to the FISH results, there are two 5S rDNA loci in H. syriacus, H. sinosyriacus, and H. moscheutos, and four 5S rDNA loci in H. paramutabilis. The range in length of somatic chromosomes in H. syriacus, H. sinosyriacus, H. moscheutos, and H. paramutabilis is 2.66- 7.06, 3.18-7.31, 2.91-5.23, and 4.75-7.60 µm, respectively. The 2C-DNA content of H. syriacus, H. sinosyriacus, and H. moscheutos are very similar, the amount was 4.06, 4.11, and, 2.06 pg, respectively whereas, H. paramutabilis has nearly double and the amount was 4.18 pg. These findings will contribute to the detailed cytogenetic assessment of Hibiscus and thus benefit plant breeding in this genus.﻿
Process Performance and Microbial Community Variation in High-Rate Anaerobic Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor Treating Palm Oil Mill Effluent at Temperatures Between 55 °C and 70 °C
Authors: Khemkhao Maneerat , Domrongpokkaphan Vichai , Phalakornkule Chantaraporn
Published: April 2021

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is wastewater with a relatively high temperature (80 – 90 °C) that is generated from the extraction of oil from palm fruit and palm kernels. Owing to its high discharge temperatures, the thermophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) of POME could be advantageous as treatment at thermophilic temperatures can reduce loads for cooling the wastewater. In this study, the effects of stepwise temperature increments of 5 °C from 55 °C to 70 °C on the AD of POME were investigated in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) operated under high organic loading rates (OLRs). The process performance and microbial community structure at each temperature interval were evaluated. It was observed that the methane production rates of the CSTR increased with increasing OLRs up to values of 13.7 g/L d, 25.7 g/L d, and 26.5 g/L d at operating temperatures of 55 °C, 60 °C, and 65 °C, respectively. As a result of the increasing OLRs, the maximum rate of methane production increased from 3.8 L/L d at 55 °C to 4.4 L/L d at 60 °C and to 3.8 L/L d at 65 °C. The microbial community structure analysis showed that there were notable reductions in the gene copy number of the bacterial domain and the Methanosarcinales order with increasing temperatures from 55 °C to 60 °C and to 65 °C, whereas hydrogenotrophic methanogens, especially the genus Methanobacterium, in the order Methanobacteriales became dominant at 60 °C and 65 °C. Thus, the methanogenesis pathway was suggested to be a combination of acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis at 55 °C and 60 °C with an increased contribution of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis at 60 °C, whereas methane was mainly generated via hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis at 65 °C. The thermophilic AD of POME at 60 °C was found to be promising because the methane content in the biogas and the methane production rates were optimal, with an average methane content of approximately 73%.
Cellulose Nanocrystals from Native and Mercerized Cotton
Authors: Haouache Somia , Jimenez-Saelices Clara , cousin fabrice , Falourd Xavier , pontoire bruno , cahier karine , jerome francois , Capron Isabelle
Published: April 2021

Nanocelluloses occur under various crystalline forms that are being selectively used for a wide variety of high performance materials. In the present work, cellulose fibers (CF-I) were mercerized by alkaline treatment (CF-II) without molar mass variation (560 000 g/mol) and both were acid hydrolyzed, forming cellulose nanocrystals in native (CNC-I) and mercerized (CNC-II) forms. This work establishes detailed characterization of these two nanoparticles morphology (light and neutron scattering, TEM, AFM), surface chemistry (zetametry and surface charge), crystallinity (XRD, 13C NMR), and average molar mass coupled to chromatographic technics (SEC-MALLS-RI, A4F-MALLS-RI), evidencing variations in packing of the crystalline domains. The crystal size of CNC-II is reduced by half compared to CNC-I, with molar masses of individual chains of 41 000 g/mol and 22 000 g/mol for CNC-I and CNC-II respectively, whereas the same charged surface chemistry is measured. This fundamental analysis may give insight to new applicative development.
Comparison of biometry traits, chemical and fatty acid composition of wild and farmed sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)
Authors: Cagnetta Prospero , Jambrenghi Anna Caputi , Tarricone Simona , Ragni Marco
Published: April 2021

Sea bass is a fish widely produced, consumed and appreciated in Italy. Its intensive rearing system provides the consumption of valuable fish to a wider population. Thanks to the use of an appropriate feed, it is possible to obtain reared sea bass which are richer in total lipid with a majority presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as n-3 and n-6 families. In this study, a total of 75 specimens of European sea bass coming from three different origins (two farmed and one wild) were considered, 25 fish from each origin. Biometry traits were valued as of the chemical and fatty acid composition of fillets. Biometric indices, chemical composition and fatty acid profile resulted significantly affected by the rearing system. Fishes from the Intensive rearing system (IRS) showed the highest value of relative profile and condition factor; higher content of lipid and total n-6 that influenced the n-3/n-6 ratio and the atherogenic indexes; values that make their meats very healthy and indicated for human consumption as the wild fishes.
Risk of primary lung cancer after breast cancer radiotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zareie Bushra , Rasouli Mohammad Aziz , Poorolajal Jalal
Published: April 2021

Background: Epidemiological studies have shown that the risk of secondary malignancies may increase by radiotherapy. Lung cancer is the most important long-term complication of breast cancer radiotherapy.Methods: Major electronic databases including Scopus, Web of Science, and MEDLINE were searched. All cohort studies that investigated the association between radiotherapy for breast cancer and risk of primary lung, bronchus and trachea cancers conducted until March 2021 were included. The study participants were evaluated regardless of their age and ethnicity. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the studies. The designated effects were risk ratio (RR). The random-effects model was used to estimate the average effects.Results: Fifteen studies including 1,640,247 women with primary breast cancer were identified of which 937,151 had not received radiotherapy and 703,096 subjects had received radiotherapy. In general, there was no significant association between breast cancer radiotherapy and lung cancer based on 10 studies (RR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.87-1.02, P=0.15), There was no association between breast cancer radiotherapy and lung, bronchus, and trachea cancers either based on 5 studies (RR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.93-1.02, P=0.32).Conclusion: Radiotherapy for breast cancer is not associated with an excess risk of lung cancer. Due to the limited number of studies, further research about lung doses from breast cancer radiotherapy varied substantially worldwide, is suggested to the risk of lung cancer after breast cancer radiotherapy.
How Long Does the mRNA Remains Stable in Untreated Whole Bovine Blood?
Authors: Giglioti Rodrigo , de Oliveira Henrique Nunes , Katiki Luciana Morita , Filho Anibal Eugenio Vercesi , Oliveira Márcia Cristina de Sena , Okino Cintia Hiromi
Published: April 2021

High quality and quantity of messenger RNA (mRNA) are required for accuracy of gene expression studies and other RNA-based downstream applications. Since RNA is considered a labile macromolecular prone to degradation, which may result in falsely altered gene expression patterns, several commercial stabilizing reagents have been developed aiming to keep RNA stable for long period. However, for studies involving large number of experimental samples, the high costs related to these specific reagents may constitute a barrier. In this context the present study was designed aiming to evaluate the stability of mRNA in whole bovine blood collected in K3EDTA tubes during storage at common fridge (4°C). Whole blood samples were collected from four Holstein cattle, and RNA extractions were performed immediately after blood sampling (< 2 h) and at 1-day post-sampling (dps) and at 2 dps, 3 dps, 7 dps and 14dps intervals. RT-qPCR assays were run using eight different genes (B2M, ACTB, PPIA, GAPDH, YWHAZ, CD4, TNF-α and IFN-γ) aiming to evaluate the presence of altered gene transcription during storage. All extracted RNA samples presented high purity and integrity, and there were no significant differences of gene expression values between 2hps to 2 dps intervals for all evaluated genes. Bovine blood RNA remained stable in K3EDTA tubes for 2 days stored at common fridge and can be successfully and accurately used for gene expression studies.
Specificity of UV-C LED Disinfection Efficacy for Three N95 Respirators
Authors: Ontiveros C. Carolina , Shoults David C. , MacIsaac Sean , Rauch Kyle D. , Sweeney Crystal L. , Stoddart Amina K. , Gagnon Graham A.
Published: April 2021

The recent surge in the use of UV technology for personal protective equipment (PPE) has created a unique learning opportunity for the UV industry to deepen surface disinfection knowledge, especially on surfaces with complex geometries, such as the N95 filter facepiece respirators (FFR). The work outlined in this study addresses the interconnectedness of independent variables (e.g., UV Fluence, respirator material) that require consideration when assessing UV light efficacy for disinfecting respirators. Through electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, we characterized respirator filter layers and revealed that polymer type affects disinfection efficacy. Specifically, FFR layers made from polypropylene (PP) (hydrophobic in nature) resulted in higher disinfection efficiency than layers composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET-P) (hygroscopic in nature). An analysis of elastic band materials on the respirators indicated that silicone rubber-based bands achieved higher disinfection efficiency than PET-P bands and have a woven, fabric-like texture. While there is a strong desire to repurpose respirators, through this work we demonstrated that the design of an appropriate UV system is essential and that only respirators meeting specific design criteria may be reasonable for repurposing via UV disinfection.
GRCircuit - Functional Macro Blocks Circuit Recovering Tool
Authors: Silva Leandro Maia Maia , Andrade Fabricio Vivas , Vieira Luiz Filipe Menezes
Published: April 2021

Considering that the more information you can gather about a particular circuit, you can address problems more accurately in the Eletronic Design Automation (EDA) eld, therefore, many tools focus on obtaining the maximum amount of information about the input to which it is provided in order to determine which are the best algorithms to each instance. Some of these tools are the Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) problem solvers; which, for the most part, receive formulas described in Conjunctive Normal Form (CNF) as input. The circuits encoding process to the CNF format, unfortunately, destroy much of the information that could have been used to optimize SAT solvers, as part of this informations must be recovered to avoid applying generic algorithms in the solution of SAT problems. One of the difficult aspects of retrieving this information corresponds to the matching of clauses to its respective logic gates, as well as which sets of logic gates correlate to a functional block. The present work makes use of subgraph isomorphism algorithms to recover circuits encoded in CNF-DIMACS maximimizing the number of clauses handled, both at the level of logic gates as well as more complex structural blocks, which allow their identification at higher levels of abstraction. Our tool was able to successfully recover all circuits
Preparation of a new micro-mesoporous omega zeolite by hydrothermal route: Effect of crystallization time
Authors: Bouchiba Nabila , Toumi Nadia , Bengueddach Abdelkader
Published: April 2021

This work concerns the preparation of a new micro-mesoporous omega zeolite by hydrothermal route. This method consists of the self-assembly of the omega zeolite precursors with a cethyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide surfactant. Different stages of crystallization were studied in order to determine their impact on the textural and structural properties of the resulting materials. For this, several characterization methods were used such as X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption/desorption, scanning electron microscopy, and Energy-Dispersive X-ray. The results showed that the processing time significantly influences on the crystallinity, porosity and Si/Al ratio of the resulting materials. A specific surface area almost three times greater than the parent zeolite was obtained when using non-hydrothermally treated zeolite precursors. While the precursors prepared hydrothermally for 48 hours or 72 hours essentially lead to the formation of the microporous phase corresponding to the Omega zeolite. These new properties can open new applications of these solids notably in the catalysis for the conversion of bulky molecules and also in the adsorption of organic and organic pollutants.
6-Hydroxydopamine Induce Neurodegeneration In Terminally Differentiated SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells Via Enrichment Of The Nucleosomal Degradation Pathway: A Global Proteomic Approach
Authors: Magalingam Kasthuri Bai , Somanath Sushela Devi , Ramdas Premdass , Haleagrahara Nagaraja , Radhakrishnan Ammu Kutty
Published: April 2021

The SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells have been used for decades as an in vitro cell model of dopaminergic neurons to explore the underlying science of cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, data revealing the protein expression changes in 6-OHDA induced cytotoxicity in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells remain void. Therefore, we investigated the differentially regulated proteins expressed in terminally differentiated SH-SY5Y cells (differ-SH-SY5Y neural cells) exposed to 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) using the LC-MS/MS technology and interpreted the data using the online bioinformatics databases such as PANTHER, STRING, and KEGG. Our studies demonstrated the neuronal development in differ-SH-SY5Y neural cells was implicated by the overexpression of proteins responsible for neurite formations such as calnexin (CANX) and calreticulin (CALR) besides significant down-regulation of ribosomal proteins. The enrichment of the KEGG ribosome pathway was detected with significant down-regulation (p < 0.05) of all the 21 ribosomal proteins in differ-SH-SY5Y neural cells compared with undifferentiated cells. Whereas in the PD model, the pathological changes induced by 6-OHDA were indicated by the presence of unfolded and misfolded proteins, which triggered the response of 10 kDa heat shock proteins, namely HSPE1 and HSPA9. Moreover, the 6-OHDA induced neurodegeneration in differ-SH-SY5Y neural cells also upregulated the voltage-dependent anion-selective channel protein 1 (VDAC1) protein and enriched the KEGG systemic lupus erythematosus pathway that was regulated by all 17 histone proteins (p < 0.05) in differ-SH-SY5Y neural cells. These results suggest the central event in the neurodegenerative mechanism induced by 6-OHDA in the PD cell model was the nucleosomal degradation in the KEGG-SLE pathway indicated by the increased histone release in the apoptotic cells.
Comparative Oncological Outcomes Following Radical Prostatectomy or External Beam Radiation Therapy Plus Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Men with Clinical T3b Prostate Cancer
Authors: Lee Wonchul , Lim Bumjin , Kyung Yoon Soo , Kim Choung-Soo
Published: April 2021

Purpose To compare oncological outcomes in men with clinical T3b prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) or a combination of radiation therapy plus androgen deprivation therapy (HT + RT).Materials and Methods Men with clinical T3b prostate cancer who underwent RP or HT + RT between 2007 and 2014 were evaluated. All patients were relatively healthy, with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1 without nodal or distant metastasis. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) was analyzed. Age, biopsy Gleason score, and initial prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration were adjusted by propensity score matching. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess factors prognostic of CSS.Results Of the 152 patients with clinical T3b prostate cancer, 45 underwent RP and 107 underwent HT + RT between 2007 and 2014. Mean CSS was significantly longer in the RP than in the HT + RT group (p = 0.029). Age, biopsy Gleason score, and pretreatment PSA concentration were significantly higher in the HT + RT group. In the propensity score matched population of 34 patients each, CSS remained significantly longer in the RP than in the HT + RT group (125.21 ± 5.10 months vs. 107.73 ± 9.01 months, p = 0.041). Multivariate analysis showed that undergoing HT + RT was the only significant poor prognostic factor for CSS (hazard ratio = 2.849; 95% confidence interval, 1.086–7.473, p = 0.033).Conclusion CSS was significantly longer in men with clinical T3b prostate cancer who underwent RP than HT + RT, suggesting that RP should be the initial treatment of choice for these patients.
Conversion of microplastics to flocs during estuarine mixing the Aras River with the Caspian Sea
Authors: Heidari Mehdi , Karbassi Abdolreza , Namaghi Zahra Dorbeigi , Heidari Flora
Published: April 2021

Microplastics originated from various sources are carried by rivers into oceans, seas and lakes. In the last few years, the accumulation of microplastic particles in marine environments has been on the increase which causes irreversible damages to flora, fauna and human health. One of the most considerable processes in an estuary is the flocculation process. The flocculation process converts pollutants to flocs or greater particles. In the present study, the conversion of microplastics to flocs during estuarine mixing of the Aras River water and the Caspian Sea water is investigated for the first time. The results clearly show that a huge percentage of microplastics (99.95%) are converted to greater particles (> 5mm) due to the flocculation process. The maximum flocculation rate of microplastics (47.37%) is observed at the salinity of 0.25 ppt. Moreover, 35.71% of microplastics are flocculated at the salinity of 29 ppt. Salinity enhances the flocculation of microplastics.
Current status of comprehensive metabolic control and predictive model of blood glucose control in low-income patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Huang Fuhua , Su Jing , Weng Xiaoxu , Dong Lili , Chen Yanzhu , Lin Xinyi , Hong Lvrong , Chen Wenzhuan
Published: April 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate and explore the current situation of comprehensive metabolic control, the factors that influence glycemic control and the relationships among these factors in patients with type 2 diabetes in a low-income population. Method: A total of 462 outpatients and inpatients with type 2 diabetes who met the national standard of low income were selected by random sampling. The Diabetes General data questionnaire, the Chinese version of Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) and the Diabetes Knowledge and Self-Management Behavior Scale were administered, and HbA1c, blood pressure, blood lipid and BMI were examined to comprehensively evaluate the psychology, management knowledge, behavior and control status of diabetes mellitus. Then, multiple linear regression analysis was carried out. Results: The total score of the knowledge behavior was 89.57 ± 19.00, and 104 patients (22.5%) met the threshold for the Diabetes Knowledge and Self-Management Behavior Scale. Diabetes-related health knowledge and ability were negatively related to HBA1c. A total of 73.81% of patients reported diabetes-related psychological pain, and the most common dimension of which was psychological pain was the emotional burden. The total score of the DDS and scores on each dimension were positively related to HbA1c levels. Multiple linear regression showed that the main factors affecting blood glucose control were the total score of the knowledge and behavior scale, interpersonal-related pain, time of diabetes diagnosis, age, diabetic nephropathy, emotion-related pain, gender, and smoking status. Conclusion: The comprehensive metabolic control status of low-income type 2 diabetes patients is much lower than indicated by the results of 3B research. Because self-management behavior in the knowledge of diabetes is the most important factor affecting blood glucose control and there is a correlation between self-management behavior and diabetes psychology, according to the heterogeneity of diabetes, it is important to consider how to make full use of the Internet and other methods to carry out individual, accurate and effective care to promote comprehensive metabolic control among low-income patients with type 2 diabetes.
Development and pharmacokinetic evaluation of osmotically controlled drug delivery system of Valganciclovir HCl for potential application in treatment of CMV retinitis
Authors: Gundu Ramakanth , Pekamwar Sanjay , Shelke Santosh , Kulkarni Deepak , Gadade Dipak
Published: April 2021

Valganciclovir HCl (VGH) is the widely used drug for the treatment of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis infection with an induction dose of 900mg twice a day and a maintenance dose of 900mg. This required dose of the drug also leads to multiple side effects due to repeated administration. The research was highlighted to develop, formulate, optimize and evaluate Single-Core Osmotic Pump (SCOP) tablet of VGH with the dose of 450mg to reduce dosing frequency and associated side effects. . The decrease in dose also minimize the hepatic and nephrotic load. The optimized batch of formulation was subjected to comparative in vitro and in vivo evaluation. The tablet core composition is the primary influencer of the drug delivery fraction in a zero-order, whereas the membrane characteristics control the drug release rate. In-vivo pharmacokinetic studies revealed that the newly developed osmotic formulation has controlled zero-order release for 24 hours with a single dose of 450mg while the marketed formulation requires twice administration within 24 hours to maintain the plasma concentration in the therapeutic window. The developed formulation can be the promising option for the treatment of CMV retinitis with the minimum dose and dosing frequency.
Treatment of Breast and Colon Cancer Cell Lines with Anti-Helmintic Benzimidazoles Mebendazole or Albendazole Results in Selective Apoptotic Cell Death
Authors: Petersen Jakeb SSM , Baird Sarah
Published: April 2021

Purpose: Anti-helmintic drugs mebendazole and albendazole are commonly used to treat a variety of parasitic infestations. They have recently shown some promising results in pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer studies. We compare their efficacy in breast and colon cancer cell lines as well as in non-cancerous cells and elucidate their mechanism of action. Methods: The drugs were screened for cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 (breast cancer), HT-29 (colorectal cancer) and mesenchymal stem cells, using the MTT assay. Their effects on the cell cycle, tubulin levels and cell death mechanisms were analysed using flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. Results: Mebendazole and albendazole were found to selectively kill cancer cells, being most potent in the colorectal cancer cell line HT-29, with both drugs having IC50 values of less than 1 µM at 48 hours. Both mebendazole and albendazole induced classical apoptosis characterised by caspase-3 activation, phosphatidylserine exposure, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane permeability and reactive oxygen species production. Cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase was found, and tubulin polymerisation was disrupted.Conclusion: Mebendazole and albendazole cause selective cancer cell death via a mechanism of classical apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, which involves the destabilisation of microtubules.
Remotely Sensed Estimation of Total Iron Content in Soil With Harmonic Analysis and BP Neural Network
Authors: jiang xueqin , Luo Shanjun , Fang Shenghui , Cai Bowen , Xiong Qiang , Wang Yanyan , Huang Xia , Liu Xiaojuan
Published: April 2021

Background: The estimation of total iron content at the regional scale is much of significance as iron deficiency has become a routine problem for many crops. Methods: In this study, a novel method for estimating total iron content in soil (TICS) was proposed using harmonic analysis (HA) and back propagation (BP) neural network model. Several data preprocessing methods of first derivative (FD), wavelet packet transform (WPT), and HA were conducted to improve the correlation between the soil spectra and TICS. The principal component analysis (PCA) was exploited to obtained three kinds of characteristic variables (FD-PCA, WPT-FD-PCA, and WPT-FD-HA-PCA) for TICS estimation. Furthermore, the estimated accuracy of three BP models based on these variables was compared. Results: The results showed that the BP models of different soil types based on WPT-FD-HA-PCA had better estimation accuracy, with the highest R2 value of 0.95, and the RMSE of 0.68 of the loessial soil. It was proved that the characteristic variable obtained by harmonic decomposition improved the validity of the input variables and the estimation accuracy of the TICS models. Meanwhile, it was identified that the WPT-FD-HA-PCA-BP model can not only estimate the total iron content of a single soil type with high accuracy but also demonstrate a good effect on the estimation of TICS of mixed soil.Conclusion: The HA method and BP neural network combined with WPT and FD have great potential in TICS estimation under the conditions of single soil and mixed soil. This method can be expected to be applied to the prediction of crop biochemical parameters.
Numerical-experimental analysis of a modified G-BOP test to evaluate cracks in weld beads in thin sheets
Authors: Duarte Saulo Moretti Araújo , Abdias Heitor Silva Pereira , Silva José Hilton Ferreira da , Gomes Kelly Cristiane
Published: April 2021

One of the most critical problems related to welding is the occurrence of Hydrogen-Induced Cracking (HIC), and despite all the efforts made to mitigate this defect, it remains present in modern welding industry. Although the Gapped Bead-on-Plate (G-BOP) test is one of the most practical methods for assessing susceptibility to HIC, its application is restricted by the fact that it employs a thick plate as the base metal. Considering that many materials, such as the High-Strength-Low-Alloy (HSLA) steels, are difficult to find commercially in the required thickness, and also the fundamental need to appropriately represent the relationship between base and weld metals, da Silva, Fals and Trevisan \cite{RefG} developed a modified G-BOP test that uses a thinner sheet as the base metal. Thus, the present paper aims to evaluate the ability of the Finite Element Method (FEM) to represent the thermomechanical aspects of the G-BOP test, and then to analyze the modified version proposed by \cite{RefG} using a numerical-experimental approach with the FEM as a support tool in the investigation of HIC phenomena. The results, in addition to consolidating the modified version of the test, corroborate the FEM as an important ally in HIC studies.
Associations of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution with blood pressure and hypertension defined by Chinese and ACC/AHA Guideline: The CHCN-BTH cohort study
Authors: Li Bingxiao , Cao Han , Liu Kuo , Pan Li , Cui Ze , Zhao Wei , Zhang Han , Niu Kaijun , Tang Naijun , Sun Jixin , Han Xiaoyan , Wang Zhengfang , Zhu Huiping , He Huijing , Cao Yajing , Xu Zhiyuan , Meng Ge , Shan Anqi , Sun Yanyan , Peng Wenjuan , Guo Chunyue , Liu Xiaohui , Xie Yunyi , Wen Fuyuan , Zhang Fengxu , Shan Guangliang , Zhang Ling
Published: April 2021

Background：The association between long-term air pollutants exposure with blood pressure and hypertension defined by 2017 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) Hypertension Guideline is still conflicting. This study was designed to investigate the associations between long-term exposure to air pollutants, blood pressure and hypertension defined by Chinese and ACC/AHA guideline in Chinese adults. Methods: Our study was based on the baseline survey of the Cohort Study on Chronic Disease of Communities Natural Population in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei (CHCN-BTH) from 2017 to 2019. A spatial statistical model was used to assessed three-year (2014-2016) average pollutant concentrations for PM2.5, and other pollutants concentration (PM10, SO2, NO2) was assessed by data of air monitoring stations. Results: A total of 32,135 adults aged 18-80 years were included, each interquartile range (IQR) increment of PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and NO2 was associated with increases of 0.66mmHg (95%CI: 0.29, 1.03), 040mmHg (0.00, 0.81), 1.38mmHg (0.92, 1.84) and 0.54mmHg (0.16, 0.91) in SBP, respectively. SO2 was associated with increases 0.42mmHg (0.11, 0.72) in DBP. PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and NO2 was associated with an 14% (Odds ratio [OR]:1.14, 95%CI:1.06-1.23), 6% (1.06, 1.00-1.13), 9% (1.09, 1.02-1.17) and 8% (1.08, 1.01-1.16) increase of hypertension defined by Chinese guideline. PM2.5 and SO2 was associated with 16% (1.166, 1.093-1.245) and 10% (1.10, 1.03-1.18) increase of hypertension defined by ACC/AHA guideline. Two-pollutants model, traffic-related pollution model and stratiﬁed analysis yielded similar results. Conclusions: We found that long-term exposure to PM2.5, NO2 and SO2 is associated with increase of blood pressure and hypertension defined by both Chinses and ACC/AHA guideline. PM10 is associated with higher SBP and risk of hypertension defined by Chinese guideline.
Anterior Segment Surgeries Performed During the Lockdown Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: bektaşoğlu damla , Çakmak Semih , Kırgız Ahmet , Beşek Nilay Kandemir , Yıldız Burçin Kepez , Yılmaz Fevziye Öndeş , Genç Selim , Yıldırım Yusuf , Demirok Ahmet , Taşkapılı Muhittin
Published: April 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the anterior segment surgeries performed in the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown period when prevention is at the forefront, in terms of etiology, referral region, demographic characteristics, and surgeries performed.Methods: A total of 144 cases who underwent anterior segment surgeries between 19 March 2020 and1 June 2020 were retrospectively reviewed from archive files. The demographic data and ophthalmological examinations of the patients, the region they were referred from, and the surgeries performed were noted.Results: A total of 144 patients, 49 women (34%) and 95 men (66%), were included in this study. The mean age of the patients was 31.30±25.88 (1-86) years. The presenting complaint was in the right eye in 43.7% of the cases, in the left eye in 52.8%, and in both eyes in 3.5% of the cases. While 94.4% of all cases applied from Istanbul, the remaining 5.6% applied from outside the province. Whereas 43.7% of the cases consisted of patients we had followed up previously, 56.3% presented to our hospital for the first time. Our hospital was the first referenced center in only 39.6% of the cases. When evaluated in terms of etiology, corneal perforation (18.1%) was the most common, followed by keratitis (13.2%). The most common surgical intervention was amnion membrane transplantation (19.4%), followed by perforation repair (16.7%).Conclusion: Ophthalmologic surgeries are continuing during the ongoing COVID-19 intervention process. Special algorithms are required to reduce the risk of transmission in terms of COVID-19 and to ensure continuity of health care for ophthalmology patients.
Quantitative Proteomics Analysis to Study the Protective Effects of Nerve Growth Factor on Hippocampal Mitochondria in VD Rats
Authors: Zhang Yanmei , yao yuan , Zhu Runxiu , Aida Niyang , Yuan Jun , Wu Wei
Published: April 2021

Background

Vascular dementia (VD) is a kind of clinical syndrome characterized with the impairment cognitive function caused by cerebrovascular disease. Genetics, biochemical, and morphological analyses of cell and animal models, reveal that mitochondria could have roles in this neurodegeneration.
Methods

We used Sprague-Dawley rats to establish VD model, and used the proteomics method based on relative quantification (iTRAQ) to identify the differentially expressed proteins in hippocampus mitochondria.
Results

A total of 33 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the VD rats and the VD rats treated with nerve growth factor groups. And five differentially expressed proteins (Rgs14, Slc7a14, Ppm1l, Kcnj10 and Syngr1) were identified after completing the sham-operate control, VD rats and VD rats treated with nerve growth factor groups, then successfully confirmed by western blot. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that the mitochondrial molecular mechanism of VD and the protective effect of nerve growth factor on mitochondrial function of VD rats may be due to different molecular mechanisms.
Conclusion

We estimated that mitochondrial dysfunction may be the onset of VD and key role in the pathological process of VD. This study not only has a deeper understanding of the mitochondrial molecular mechanism of VD, but also is helpful for the screening of drug targets.
The Effect of Different Surface Plasmon Polaritons Shapes on Thin Film Solar Cell Efficiency
Authors: ElKhamisy Khalil , Elagooz Salah , El-Rabaie El-Sayed , Abdelhamid Hamdy
Published: April 2021

Thin film Si solar cell and surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) effects on solar cell efficiency, series resistance and shunt resistance are studied and analyzed in this work. The different surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) shapes and their effects on the optical, electrical properties and therefore on the efficiency of thin film solar cell are studied in this work. This study is introduced using 3D numerical simulation results. The semiconductor and electromagnetic models are incorporated for studying the electrical and optical behaviors of the thin film solar cells, respectively. A 14.76% efficiency is obtained for triangle’ SPPs of about 1.07% of efficiency improvement compared to solar cell of SPPs free. The solar cell electrical parameters also are extracted in this work based on a single diode equivalent model. The series resistance is enhanced for solar cells of equilateral triangle SPP by 3% compared to the non-applied SPPs.
Aberrant salience relationship with first rank s ymptoms.
Authors: Ballerini Andrea , Tortorelli Marta , Marino Paolo , Appignanesi Cristina , Baschirotto Cinzia , Mallardo Luca , Tofani Tommaso , Pietrini Francesco , D'Anna Giulio , Rossi Andrea , Ricca Valdo , Santella Marina
Published: April 2021

Background

Aberrant salience is the incorrect assignment of salience, significance, or value to different innocuous stimuli that might precede the onset of psychotic symptoms. The present study study aimed to perform a preliminary evaluation of potentially different correlations between the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) score and dimensional or categorical diagnostic approaches.
Methods

168 adult outpatients with a current psychiatric diagnosis were consecutively enrolled. Patients were evaluated using different psychometric scales. ASI was used to evaluate aberrant salience, and to evaluate the association between ASI scores and First Rank Symptoms (FRS), and/or with a psychiatric diagnosis. Principal dichotomic clusters of ASI were identified using the Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) method.
Results

Current (16.76 ± 6.02 vs 13.37 ± 5.76; p = 0.001), lifetime (15.74 ± 6.08 vs 13.16 ± 5.74; p = 0.005) and past (15.75 ± 6.01 vs 13.33 ± 5.80; p = 0.009) FRS were the main clusters dichotomizing ASI. The average ASI score did not significantly differ among patients with different diagnoses.
Conclusions

ASI could be used as a tool to identify psychopathological dimensions, rather the categorical diagnoses, in the schizophrenic spectrum.
Gender and Regional Disparities in Incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Autoimmune Hepatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Yan Lun-Jie , Yao Sheng-Yu , Meng Guang-Xiao , Liu Kai-Xuan , Li Hai-Chao , Ding Zi-Niu , Dong Zhao-Ru , Hong Jian-Guo , Chen Zhi-Qiang , Li Tao
Published: April 2021

BackgroundRecent studies have identified an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Gender and regional disparities in incidence of HCC in AIH continue to be reported worldwide. Nevertheless, the magnitude of this gap remains unknown.MethodWe searched several databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wangfang Data, CNKI and Sinomed. Incidence rates of HCC in AIH were combined and analyzed following the EBayes method. Incidence rate ratios were pooled to assess the gender differences. The impact of population difference, gender, age, cirrhotic condition was further analyzed with subgroup analysis and linear regression analysis.Result39 studies meeting our eligibility criteria were chosen for the analysis. The pooled incidence rate of HCC in AIH was 3.54 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 2.76–4.55). Pooled IRR for the risk of HCC in male AIH patients compared to female was 2.16 (95%CI = 1.25–3.75), with mild heterogeneity among studies. The pooled HCC incidence rate in AIH by continents was as follows: Europe 2.37 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 1.45–3.88), Asia 6.18 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 5.51–6.93), North America 2.97 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 2.40–3.68), Oceania 2.60 (95%CI = 0.54–7.58). The pooled HCC incidence rate in AIH related cirrhosis by continent was as follows: Europe 6.35 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 3.94–10.22), Asia 17.02 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 11.18–25.91), North America 10.89 per 1,000 person-years (95%CI = 6.69–17.74).ConclusionA higher HCC incidence in AIH was observed among male and in Asian populations. Routine HCC surveillance is cost effective for patients with AIH cirrhosis, especially for those in Asian populations.
ecRESCUE: a novel ecDHFR-regulated RESCUE system with reduced RNA off-targeting activity
Authors: Gao Jianen , Wang Yihan , Li Guo , Li Xiangyang , Wang Yuzhe , Huang Xingxu , Hu Xiaoxiang
Published: April 2021

The currently available RESCUE RNA base editing system demonstrates considerable potential for the treatment of genetic diseases at the transcriptional level. However, the relatively high incidence of off-target events hampers the precise RNA editing, thereby limiting its use in the clinical setting. This study describes a new RNA base editing method, named ecRESCUE, which utilizes inducible stabilization of the protein ecDHFR DD fused at the C-terminal of the original RESCUE system. In vitro experiments in 293T cells showed that the ecRESCUE editor markedly reduced the incidence of off-target single nucleotide polymorphisms without affecting the RNA A-to-I and C-to-U base editing efficiency. Altogether, these results demonstrate that the inducible ecRESCUE system represents an attractive approach to regulate and improve the outcome of the available RNA base editor with reduced off-targeting activity.