bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of secondary sexual dimorphism traits under abiotic stress in dioecious species: The case of Amaranthus palmeri
Authors: Korres Nicholas E. , Norsworthy Jason K. , FitzSimons Toby , Roberts Trenton L. , Oosterhuis Derrick M. , Govindjee Govindjee
Published: May 2022

The evolution of secondary sex-specific traits of dioecious species under abiotic stress conditions has received limited research, especially in the case of Amaranthus palmeri, a fast adapting and highly competing plant. Here, we have examined the interactive effects of abiotic stress on mineral accumulation, chlorophyll a and b content, and the operating capacity of Photosystem II (PSII) in both male and female A. palmeri plants grown under three different intensities (150, 450 and 1300 μmol photons m−2 s−1) of white light, and under N, K or P deficiency. Mineral profiling of the leaves and stems (with inflorescence) highlighted intra- and intersexual differences in their accumulation pattern and mineral associations. Chlorophyll a and b content was different between the male and the female plants, being lower in the latter, at high light intensity, especially as the flowering progressed, or when they were under K or P deficient condition. Further, the chlorophyll a/b ratio was lower at the higher light intensity in the female, over that in the male, plants. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, i.e., steady state (F´S) and maximum (F´M) fluorescence increased under high light intensity, whereas the PSII operating efficiency (ΦPSII) decreased in the female plants, indicating reduced PSII capacity. Sex-specific differences in A. palmeri showed a differential response to stressful conditions because of differences in their ontogeny and physiology, and possibly due to the cost of reproduction. We suggest that the breeding system of dioecious species has weaknesses that can be used for the ecological management of dioecious weeds without relying on the use of herbicides.
Device for automatic measurement of light pollution of the night sky
Authors: Karpińska Dominika , Kunz Mieczysław
Published: May 2022

Research on light pollution of the night sky has been carried out in Toruń since 2017. Initially, the measurements were conducted within a network of 24 points using a handheld SQM-L photometer (Unihedron, Canada). Based on these measurements, the first accurate maps of night sky pollution by artificial light in Toruń have been developed, both in seasonal and annual terms. Using the experience gained and addressing the expectations, a decision was made to construct an automatic network of mobile devices measuring light intensity at night, covering the entire city. This paper presents the technical characteristics of the constructed automatic measurement devices that make up the distributed monitoring network and the process of testing and using the devices. The implementation of this project has started in 2020. To accommodate the evolving expectations of different user groups and the observed trends in the concept of Smart Cities, especially those related to the communication between devices of the Internet of Things (IoT), LoRaWAN was selected for data transmission. The first stage involved the construction of a prototype of an automatic, portable and cost-effective device, which was subjected to months of field testing under operational conditions. The device was built using off-the-shelf electronic components and a housing that met the requirements for outdoor use. The next stage was to calibrate the device by simultaneously comparing the obtained results with measurements taken using professional SQM devices. This was followed by the preparation of 35 identical devices, which are already operating in the measurement network in the city of Toruń.
High efficiency broadband (＞210 nm) in-band pumped Tm: LuGGG solid-state laser
Authors: Zhang Ning , Wang Peifu , Chen Bo , Wang Zhanxin , Liu Shande , Zhao Yongguang , Jia Zhitai , Zhang Baitao , Sun Zhipei
Published: May 2022

Here, we demonstrate a broadband tunable (Lu0.0541Tm0.0548Gd0.8911)3Ga3O12 (Tm:LuGGG) laser in-band pumped by a home-made 1645-nm Er:YAG laser. A maximum average output power of 0.7 W at 1997 nm is obtained with a slope efficiency of 46.3%. We also demonstrate a continuously tuning output ranging from1854 to 2066 nm with a tuning coverage of 212 nm. The results indicate that the Tm:LuGGG crystal is an excellent laser medium for high-efficient broadband light generation, which may help to explore potential applications in ultrafast lasers.
Microstructure analysis, tribological corrosion properties and strengthening mechanism of aluminum matrix composites
Authors: Wang Fei , Liu Heping , Liu Zesheng , Guo Zhiming , Sun Fenger
Published: May 2022

In this paper, graphene reinforced aluminum matrix composites are successfully prepared by high-energy ball milling. The results show that no graphene agglomeration is found in the mixed powder. The complex composites prepared by high energy ball milling and powder metallurgy have about 4–5 layers of graphene and the thickness of single-layer graphene is about 0.334 nm. The final experimental results confirm the formation of compound AlC3 in the microstructure, and its diffraction spots index is (\(\stackrel{-}{2}\)00), (\(\stackrel{-}{1}\)1\(\stackrel{-}{1}\)) and (11\(\stackrel{-}{1}\)). The maximum friction coefficient is 0.126 and the average friction coefficient is 0.027, suggesting good wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Also, the friction corrosion mechanism of the material is deeply analyzed. The results of strengthening mechanism analysis show that the main strengthening mechanism of the materials designed in this experiment is thermal mismatch strengthening. It can be concluded that the yield strength of the material calculated by the modified model is 227.75 MPa. This value is slightly lower than the calculated value of the general shear lag model (237.68 MPa). But it is closer to the yield strength value of actual material (211 MPa).
Improved skeletal muscle fatigue resistance in experimental autoimmune myositis mice following high-intensity interval training
Authors: Yamada Takashi , Ashida Yuki , Tamai Katsuyuki , Kimura Iori , Yamauchi Nao , Naito Azuma , Tokuda Nao , Westerblad Håkan , Andersson Daniel C. , Himori Koichi
Published: May 2022

Background
Muscle weakness and decreased fatigue resistance are key manifestations of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). We here examined whether high-intensity interval training (HIIT) improves fatigue resistance in skeletal muscle of experimental autoimmune myositis (EAM) mice, a widely used animal model for IIM.
Methods
Female BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to control (CNT) or EAM groups (n = 28 in each group). EAM was induced by immunization with three injections of myosin emulsified in complete Freund’s adjuvant. The plantar flexor (PF) muscles from mice with EAM were exposed to either an acute bout or 4 weeks of HIIT (a total of 14 sessions).
Results
The fatigue resistance of PF muscles was lower in the EAM than in the CNT group (P < 0.05). These changes were associated with decreased activities of citrate synthase and cytochrome c oxidase and increased expression levels of the endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins (glucose-regulated protein 78 and 94, and PKR-like ER kinase) (P < 0.05). HIIT restored all these alterations and increased the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and the mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes (I, III, and IV) in muscles from EAM mice (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
HIIT improves fatigue resistance in an IIM mouse model and this can be explained by restoration of mitochondria oxidative capacity via inhibition of the ER stress pathway and PGC-1α-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis.
Modeling malaria in southernmost provinces of Thailand: A two-step process for analysis of highly right-skewed data with a large proportion of zeros
Authors: Ammatawiyanon Lumpoo , Tongkumchum Phattrawan , Lim Apiradee , McNeil Don
Published: May 2022

Background
Malaria remains a serious health problem in the southern border provinces of Thailand. The issue areas can be identified using an appropriate statistical model. This study aimed to investigate malaria for its spatial occurrence and incidence rate in the southern provinces of Thailand.
Methods
The Thai Office of Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Public Health, provided total hospital admissions of malaria cases from 2008 to 2018, which were classified by age, gender, and sub-district of residence. Twenty-four sub-districts were excluded since they had no malaria cases. A logistic model was utilized to identify spatial occurrence patterns of malaria, and a log-linear regression model was employed to model the incidence rate after eliminating non-cases.
Results
The overall occurrence rate was 10.9% and the overall median incidence rate was 431 cases per 100,000 population. Malaria occurence peaked at young adults aged 20–29, and subsequently fell with age for both sexes, whereas incidence rate increased with age for both sexes. Malaria occurrence fluctuated, with the largest peak in 2008 and the lowest in 2018, while the incidence rate decreased. The area with the highest malaria occurrence and incidence rate was remarkably similar to the area with the highest number of malaria cases, which were mostly in Yala province's sub-districts bordering Malaysia.
Conclusions
Malaria is a serious problem in forest-covered border areas. The correct policies and strategies should be concentrated on in these areas, in order to address this condition.
Quality of health care services and performance in public hospitals in Africa: A protocol for systematic review
Authors: Njau Bernard , Mosha Neema , Jeremia Damian
Published: May 2022

Background: The delivery of high-quality health care services and performance is the main aim of all health care systems globally. This review objective is to determine the quality of health care services and performance in public hospitals in Africa through a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies.Methods: The search will be conducted in pre-determined databases (e.g., PubMed), for eligible studies between 2000 and 2020, to identify studies published in English, which applied the service quality gap (SERVIQUAL) model to determine the quality of health care services and performance in public hospitals in Africa. The search will also include a review of reference lists of included studies for other eligible studies. Eligible studies will include experimental and observational studies. Two authors will independently screen the search output, select studies and extract data, resolve discrepancies by consensus and discussions. Two authors will use Cochrane risk of bias tools for experimental studies, and Hoy for observational studies. The review will also assess study quality and risk of bias using standardized tools. The review aims to provide comprehensive information on the quality of health care services and performance in public hospitals in Africa.Discussion: Understanding patients' or clients' expectations and perceptions on the quality of health care services provided in the health care systems are very crucial in the improvement of the health status of the general population. The SERVIQUAL model is a standardized tool used to assess the quality gap of patients/clients perspectives on health care services in hospitals globally. The findings from this review will provide information on the quality gap of health care provided in public hospitals in SSA. Also, we anticipate that the findings will inform policymakers in health care systems on how to improve and maintain the quality of health care services in public hospitals in different African settings.Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO CRD 420212264100 dated 25/07/2021
Visual acuity biomarkers on OCTA in adults aged 50 and above: A prospective and cross-sectional community-based study
Authors: Li Yan Kiu , Fung Nicholas SK , Chan Jonathan CH , Choy Bonnie NK , Chow Loraine LW , Shih Kendrick C , Wong Jasper KW , Wong Ian YH
Published: May 2022

Background/AimsTo assess the normative values and parameters of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) influencing the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in adults aged 50 and above. MethodsThis was a prospective cross-sectional study from an eye screening programme in Hong Kong for citizens aged 50 and above. Images were analysed using a validated quantification software calculating vessel density (VD) and capillary perfusion density (CPD), along with other OCTA parameters, such as the fovea avascular zone area (FAZ) and circularity. OCTA data was collected from May 2019 to December 2020, including a total of 4188 healthy eyes from 4188 subjects. ResultsMean superficial vessel density (MSVD) was 14.48 ± 3.60mm-1, while the mean capillary perfusion density (MCPD) was 0.41 ± 0.06. Multivariate analysis revealed ageing (β= 0.321, p<0.001), being male (β=-0.089, p<0.001), having a high body mass index (BMI) (β=0.039, p=0.006), high FAZ area and low FAZ circularity (β=0.039 and -0.034, p=0.01 and 0.024 respectively), low MSVD in the outer ring (β=-0.513, p<0.001), specifically in the nasal and temporal outer quadrants (β = -0.226 and -0.259, p<0.001 for both), and low CPD in the outer superior quadrant (β= -0.123, p=0.016) being independently associated with BCVA.ConclusionHigh FAZ area and low FAZ circularity, low MSVD in the outer ring, specifically the nasal and temporal outer quadrants, and low CPD in the outer superior quadrant can be used as biomarkers in predicting a low visual acuity. Older women with a high BMI should also carefully monitor their visual acuity.
Design, synthesis, docking studies and biological evaluation of novel 2-(1- isonicotinoyl-3-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-3-phenylthiazolidin-4-one derivatives as novel anticancer agents with Aurora-A Kinase inhibition
Authors: Beniwal Meenu , Jain Neelam , Jain Sandeep , Aggarwal Navidha
Published: May 2022

Introduction Aurora-A kinase is associated with the Aurora kinase family which has been considered a striking anticancer target for the treatment of human cancers. Objective To design, synthesize, docking studies, and biological evaluation of novel 2-(1-isonicotinoyl-3-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-3-phenylthiazolidin-4-one derivatives as novel anticancer agents with Aurora-A Kinase inhibition.Method A total of 21 Pyrazole derivatives P (1-21) were synthesized by using the Vilsmeier Haack reagent which was characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and Mass spectroscopy. The synthesized derivatives were evaluated for their potential in vitro anticancer activity and Aurora A kinase inhibitory activity.Results The cytotoxicity assay (MTT assay) showed that compound P-6 exhibited potent cytotoxicity (IC50 = 0.37- 0.44 μM) against two cancer (HCT 116 and MCF-7) cell lines, which were comparable to the standard compound, VX-680. Compound P-6 also showed inhibition of Aurora-A kinase with an IC50 value of 0.11±0.03 µM. A Docking study was done to compound P-6 and P-20 into the active site of Aurora A kinase, in order to get the probable binding model for further study. Conclusion A series of 21 novel pyrazole derivatives P(1-21) were designed, synthesized, docking studies, and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity by MTT assay and Aurora A kinase inhibitory activity. The results established that P-6 is a prospective aspirant for the development of anticancer agents targeting Aurora-A kinase.
Comprehensive analysis of immune ferropotosis gene on renal clear cell carcinoma: Prognosis and influence of tumor microenvironment
Authors: Yang Lin-hui , Xu Li-zhen , Huang Zhi-jian , Pan Hong-hong , Wu Min , Wu Qiu-yan , Lu Tao , Zhang Yan-ping , Zhu Yao-bin , Wu Jia-bin , Luo Jie-wei , Ye lie-fu
Published: May 2022

In this study, immune-ferropotosis-related prognostic differentially expressed genes (IFR-DEGs) were selected from the TCGA database, and a total of 103 differentially expressed genes were found. Fifty-two differentially expressed genes related to immunity and ferropotosis were identified using univariate Cox analysis. Stepwise regression was used to establish a Lasso-Cox risk score prognostic model consisting of four immune ferropotosis genes, and overall survival (OS) was significantly better in low-risk patients than in high-risk patients (training set: P < 0.001).In multivariate Cox regression analysis, the risk score was an independent predictor of OS (HR > 1, P < 0.001). Time-dependent ROC curve analysis indicates that the model has good predictive ability. The prognostic model was also well validated in the validation set and the total TCGA cohort. Subcellular fluorescence localization of model genes showed that ACADSB, CHAC1, and PLA2G6 were distributed in the cytoplasm, while LURAP1L was distributed in the nucleus. The expression of mRNA and protein suggested that ACADSB and CHAC1 were lower in renal carcinoma than in normal renal tissue, LURAP1L and PLA2G6 were higher in renal carcinoma. RNA sequencing localization analysis of ACADSB single-cell indicated that ACADSB was enriched in the distal tubule cluster. After mutation correlation analysis of model genes, 1.56% (7/448) patients were found to have genetic changes, ACADSB was significantly positively correlated with LURAP1L, and negatively correlated with CHAC1 and PLA2G6. CHAC1 was negatively correlated with LURAP1L. We found that CD8+T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), macrophage M0, and macrophage M1 levels were significantly higher in high-risk than low-risk patients. Among immune-related functions, we also found that the high-risk group had higher immune function in terms of immune checkpoint, proinflammatory, T-cell co-inhibition, and type II interferon response. Compared with the low-risk group, the high-risk group had a higher immune score in the immune microenvironment, a stronger immune escape ability, and a higher abundance of immune checkpoints. A novel prognostic model of immune ferropotosis-related genes (ACADSB, CHAC1, LURAP1L, and PLA2G6) was constructed, which can effectively predict the survival of patients with KIRC and play an important role in immune infiltration, microenvironment, and immune escape.
Comparison of different effective parts of Panax Ginseng in enhancing immune function of mice
Authors: Yu Ping , Liu Juntong , Zhang Yuhan , Chen Yuqiu , Zhang Qinghe , Chen Changbao
Published: May 2022

The present study focused on comparing the effects of different active parts of five-year-old ginseng on the immunological activity of cyclo-phosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed mice. Preparation of ginseng water extract, total ginsenoside complex, ginseng glycoprotein complex, ginseng glycopeptide complex, by water extraction and alcohol precipitation method and enzymolysis method. The immunomodulatory effects of different effective parts of ginseng were determined by carbon clearance test, immune organ index, delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) response, leukocyte count in peripheral blood, spleen lymphocyte transformation experiment, splenic NK cell activity, serum hemolysin and Experiment on the determination of cytokines. The results showed that ginseng water extract, total ginsenoside complex, ginseng glycoprotein complex and ginseng glycopeptide complex improved immune organs indices, DTH response, leukocyte count, NK cell activity, cytokine content, hemolysin content and the phagocytosis of macrophages in immunosuppressive mice. Ginseng glycoprotein complex and ginseng glycopeptide complex had more effectiveness on cellular immunity. Total ginsenoside complex and ginseng glycoprotein complex can better enhance the humoral immune function of mice. Total ginsenoside complex, ginseng glycoprotein complex and ginseng glycopeptide complex had a better effect on improving the function of macrophages phagocytosis. The enhancing effect of ginseng glycoprotein on NK cell activity was better than other extracts. Total ginsenoside complex, ginseng glycoprotein complex and ginseng glycopeptide complex can significantly increase the content of TNF-α in mice, ginseng water extract can significantly in-crease the content of IL-2, ginseng water extract and total ginsenoside complex are more effective in enhancing IL-6 levels in mice. Different effective parts of ginseng can improve the immunity of mice, and the effect of ginseng glycoprotein is more obvious. It is speculated that ginseng glycoprotein is the main active site of ginseng against CTX immunosuppression. This study laid a theoretical foundation for further study on the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of ginseng to improve immunity.
The effect of immunomodulator thymosin α1 on the expression of TNBC PD-L1 through Wnt/β- catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Jian Zheng , Xiaoxi Li , Youhong Jiang , Cunwei Cai
Published: May 2022

Purpose: Explore whether thymosin affects the expression of PD-L1 on the surface of tumor cells, which in turn affects the immunotherapy of triple-negative breast cancer.Method: After treating human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells with different concentrations of thymosin α1, the PD-L1 expression of the cells was tested for protein and gene. Through bioinformatics analysis, the target gene was screened out, and the signal pathway that thymosin α1 might participate in was further verified.Result: After adding 130μM and 160μM of thymosin α1, the expression of PD-L1 in MDA-MB-231 cells was inhibited at 12h, 24h, 48h and 96h. The related pathways of genes down-regulated by Tα1 in KEGG are: cancer pathway, basal cell epithelioma, apoptosis, Hippo and Wnt signaling pathway; immune pathway, such as rheumatoid arthritis, bacterial infection. After MSAB treatment of the experimental group, the expression of AXIN2 was up-regulated, and the expression of β-catenin in the cells was up-regulated. Compared with the cells in the untreated experimental group, PD-L1 was up-regulated. However, we found that β-catenin in the nucleus was not significantly up-regulated, but the expression of C-myc was up-regulated.Conclusion: Thymosin α1 down-regulates the PD-L1 expression of TNBC through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which may affect PD-L1-dependent TNBC immunotherapy.
Financial Risk of Emergency Abdominal Surgery: Experience from Ethiopia
Authors: Genetu Abraham , Gezahegn Demmelash , Getachew Hana , Deneke Andualem , Bekele Abebe
Published: May 2022

BackgroundThe Lancet Commission on Global Surgery suggested six indicators every country should use to measure their surgical systems. One of these indicators, catastrophic expenditure (CE), is defined as money paid for service which amounts to more than 10% of the patient’s total annual expenditure, or more than 40% of annual non-food household expenditure. There is no study from Ethiopia that assessed financial risk of emergency abdominal surgery.MethodsUsing a cross sectional study design, financial risk assessment was carried out on 142 patients from Yekatit 12 and Zewditu Memorial hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from May 15 to September 15, 2021.ResultsAppendectomy (69.0%), emergency laparotomy (26.1%) and cholecystectomy (4.9%) resulted in mean direct medical expenditures of 111.7USD, 200.70USD and 224.60USD, respectively. Medications and imaging accounted for 60.8% and 13.9% of total treatment cost. By applying the two definitions of catastrophic expenditure, 67.6% and 62.7% of patients sustained CE, respectively. Laparotomy and cholecystectomy resulted in higher rate of CE than appendectomy. Thirty-five (24.6%) patients had some form of insurance, with Community Based Health Insurance being the most common form (57%). Noninsured patients were 10.9 and 9.9 times more likely to sustain CE (p = 0.002 and p = 0.006 respectively).Conclusion and RecommendationsSignificant financial burden because of emergency abdominal surgery in Addis Ababa is very high. Insurance based financial care is shown to decrease risk of CE significantly. Policy makers should work on expanding insurance and other forms of surgical care financing to a larger proportion of population.
Fourteen cases of acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis and a question: Is there a place for less aggressive surgical treatment?
Authors: Sideris Giorgos , Arvaniti Antonia , Giotakis Evaggelos , Maragoudakis Pavlos , Delides Alexander
Published: May 2022

Purpose: Acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFRS) is a rare, fulminant, angio-invasive infection with high mortality rate. Treatment of AIFRS include aggressive surgical debridement combined with antifungal agents and treatment of the underlying disease. The aim of this study is to estimate the long-term survival of AIFRS patients with more conservative surgery.Methods: A retrospective study was performed on immunocompromised adults with AIFRS from January 2011 to December 2020. The diagnosis was histological confirmed by tissue fungus invasion. We analyse epidimiological and microbiological findings, the underlying disease and discuss our patients' treatment plan and long term survival.Results: Fourteen patients were included in the study. Mean age was 53.8±18.9 years. The underlying disease was hematologic malignancy in nine patients, diabetes mellitus in three, aplastic anemia in one and renal/liver failure in one. Leukopenia was not significantly correlated with outcome or survival. Histological and culture findings revealed that Mucor/Rhizopus were the causative organisms in nine cases. All patients received systemic antifungal therapy. Surgery was performed in nine patients (endoscopic for all patients, combined in three with an external approach). Five patients survived, two that underwent surgery and three that were treated conservatively. Nine patients died, two from AIFRS after central nervous system involvement and seven from their primary disease, free of fungi. Older individuals and patients with hematologic malignancies had a worse outcome.Conclusion: Early surgical debridement, antifungal agents and treatment of the underlying disease remain the cornerstones of AIFRS management. Prognosis is overall defined by the underlying disease and in some selected cases medical treatment alone could be a reasonable option.
Inline holography of miniaturized objects with an intrinsic reference angle determined by the sagitta
Authors: Herran-Cuspinera Roxana , Olivares-Perez Arturo , Villa-Hernández Joan Manuel , Vallejo-Mendoza Rosaura
Published: May 2022

The twin image problem, well known in Gabor holography, greatly obstructs the output of high-quality holograms. Previous solutions include numerical and instrumental means to eliminate or mitigate the issue. The proposed method demonstrate the feasibility of using the sagitta angle in a spherical reference beam as an intrinsic reference angle within in-line holography. Along with a miniaturized version of the object, to allow for a wide range of object sizes, from millimeters to meters, with a small variation within the original optical system. The inherent reference angle allows for a separation of the twin images in the reconstruction of a Gabor hologram, while maintaining the system on axis. Under lens-less Fourier criteria, the peripheral information of the visual field interferes with a spherical wave to generate an interference pattern that results in a hologram with separated images.
Development of a qPCR to diagnose the genus Eimeria in sheep and goats
Authors: Li Shijie , Jian Yichen , Zhang Kaihui , Li Xiaoying , Wang Rongjun , Zhang Longxian , Jian Fuchun
Published: May 2022

Coccidiosis of sheep and goats is caused by protozoa in the genus Eimeria. These protozoa mainly affect young animals, causing a decrease in production and consequent economic losses. Routine diagnosis is made through morphological observation of the oocysts, which has several limitations. The objective of the present study was to develop a real-time PCR (qPCR) technique for the diagnosis of Eimeria spp. in sheep and goats. For this purpose, the 18S rRNA region of the DNA of these parasites was selected because it is a region with low variability among Eimeria spp. The qPCR technique was developed using SYBR Green, resulting in a PCR with high sensitivity, and the ability to amplify samples containing only one oocyst of an Eimeria spp. There was no cross-reaction with other intestinal protozoa, such as Blastocystis, Microsporidia, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia duodenum. The repeatability test showed that the coefficient of variation was less than 2%. This indicated that this method has good sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility. Thus, the feasibility of using qPCR in the diagnosis of the genus Eimeria was demonstrated in this study. This technique was less laborious and required less skill and diagnostic training compared with the micromorphometry technique conventionally used for this diagnosis.
Intervention mechanism of Traditional Chinese medicine on the expression of TGF - β 1, IL-10 and MAdCAM-1 in ulcerative colitis
Authors: Jing Shan , Zhu Li , Yang Xue , Qi Mengting , Chen Liang , Wang Xinyue , Ni Lulu
Published: May 2022

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic non-specific inflammatory bowel disease that invades the colonic mucosa and is characterized by ulceration. It has been listed as one of the modern refractory diseases by the World Health Organization, and has become a hot issue in the field of Gastroenterology of Traditional Chinese medicine. This study aimed to determine the intervention mechanism of Traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of UC.Methods: The pathological changes of intestines were observed. TGF - β1, IL-10 and MadCAM-1 in the intestinal tissue or in the serum of UC rats were detected in order to explore the intervention mechanism of the Chinese medicine (Sodium Houttuynia, Matrine and HQHLD) in an immune-TNBS-ethanol rat model. Results: Sodium Houttuynia, Matrine and HQHLD could alleviate intestinal inflammation reaction in the UC by lessening the pathological changes and fibrosis of the intestine, regulating the expression of TGF - β1, IL-10 and MadCAM-1 in the intestine or in the serum, and by reducing lymphocyte homing to intestinal tissues. Conclusions: This study revealed the intervention mechanism of Traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of UC, which provided further theoretical and scientific basis for the treatment of clinical ulcerative colitis. Our results will likely help expand clinical practice using HQHLD, Matrine and Sodium Houttuynia as effective Chinese medicines to treat ulcerative colitis.
Antibiogram profile prediction of selected bacterial strains by in-silico determination of acquired antimicrobial resistance genes from their whole-genome sequence
Authors: Babatunde Olamide Joshua , Okiti Ayomide Faith , Bayode Michael Tosin , Babatunde Samson Oloruntola , Olaniran Ayo Mercy
Published: May 2022

Background
The continuous increase in the resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antimicrobial agents elicits a source of concern for public health. Developing a method that allows for swift evaluation of the antibiotic sensitivity profile of bacteria is a major leap in antimicrobial research and could be one of the deciding factors in providing a lasting solution to antimicrobial resistance. The gradual and continuous reduction in the cost and turnaround time of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has enabled scientists to develop WGS-based antimicrobial susceptibility testing using computational methods. The genes present on the ResFinder database were blasted against the WGS of the bacterial isolates obtained from NCBI database, and the best-matching genes were automatically generated by the system.
Results
Antimicrobial resistance genes were detected from the strains tested though not innate, thereby suggesting that they must have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer. Additionally, it was revealed that specific genes confer resistance to specific group of antibiotics.
Conclusion
The in-silico method of antimicrobial resistance research provides for easy interpretation and reproducibility of results thereby reducing the cost and time utilized.
Effect of cumulative exposure to different lipid profiles on carotid intima-media thickness in an asymptomatic population
Authors: Zhang Qian , Wang Yu , Wu Jianwei , Wang Anxin , Zhang Xiaoli , Zhang Jia , Wu Shouling , Zhao Xingquan
Published: May 2022

Background
Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is considered as a marker for the early stage of atherosclerosis. The exploration focus has shifted from one single lipoprotein assessment to the cumulative exposure of lipoproteins, we thus aimed to investigate the relationship between cumulative exposure to different lipid parameters and CIMT.
Methods
2,348 participants with lipid parameters measured biennially since 2006 were enrolled from the Asymptomatic Polyvascular Abnormalities Community study. Cumulative lipid burden was calculated by adding the weighted sum of the difference between the measured value and the cutoff value of each parameter, including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), and non-HDLC. CIMT was detected by carotid ultrasound. Linear and logistic analyses were applied to evaluate the association between cumulative lipid burden and CIMT.
Results
The results of linear and logistic analyses were essentially the same, as TC and LDLC burden were significantly associated with thickening CIMT (p < 0.05). A 2.65-fold, 1.67-fold increased risk of abnormal CIMT was documented in the highest quartile of these two lipid burdens. For TG and HLDC burden, no consistent association was obtained. Notably, a dose-dependent relationship was observed in the overall population when taking non-HDLC burden as a continuous variable (fully-adjusted β coefficient = 0.0013, 95%CI 0.0004–0.0022).
Conclusions
Among the five lipid parameters, TC and LDLC burden were independently associated with abnormal CIMT. Achieving optimal lipid levels is of great importance for the prevention and management of subclinical atherosclerosis.
Burden and Distribution of MSU Deposition in Patients with Hyperuricemia and Gout: A Large Cohort Chinese Population Based DECT Study
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Tang Chun Xiang , Zhou Fan , Lin Pin Hua , Yin Chang Qing , Gao Qin Yue , Zhou Lei Lei , Zhou Chang Sheng , Lu Guang Ming , Zhang Long Jiang
Published: May 2022

Objectives
To investigate the distribution and burden of monosodium urate (MSU) deposition in hyperuricemia and gout patients with dual-energy CT (DECT) and to explore whether the MSU burden can be predictive of the renal insufficiency in these subjects.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed 4,954 DECT examinations in 642 consecutive patients (hyperuricemia group, n = 121; gout group, n = 521) with at least two anatomical locations and recorded the volume and number of MSU deposits. For each anatomical location, we recorded MSU deposition of bone cortex, soft tissue and joint cavity, respectively. MSU deposition were analyzed and compared between groups. Patients were followed up to explore whether there was a correlation between MSU deposition and renal function if appropriate.
Results
The MSU deposition in gout group was significantly higher in the foot and knee than those in the hyperuricemia group (all P < 0.05). In gout group, MSU deposition at the elbow soft tissue was significantly higher than those in bone cortex and joint cavity, while in the hyperuricemia group, MSU deposits in cortical cortex of the knee and foot/ankle were significantly higher than those in the soft tissue and joint cavity (all P ≤ 0.05). Fifty-two gout patients had a median 2 years follow up, however, MSU burden was not predictive of the renal insufficiency (P = 0.678).
Conclusions
The MSU deposition in the gout group was significantly higher than that in the hyperuricemia group, while MSU deposition was predominant in foot/ankle and knee. The MSU burden is not predictive of renal function decline in gout patients.
Predicting hemorrhagic transformation in posterior circulation stroke patients not treated with reperfusion therapies
Authors: Andrade Joao Brainer Clares , Mohr Jay P , Costa Felipe Fonseca Martins , Malheiros Julia Evaristo Figueiredo , Ikeda Raissa Kaori , Barros Levi M Coelho , Lima Fabricio Oliveira , Pontes-Neto Octavio Marques , Merida Kristel Larisa Back , Franciscato Luisa , Marques Mayara Silva , Silva Gisele Sampaio
Published: May 2022

Introduction Posterior Circulation (PC) stroke represents one-fifth of all ischemic strokes, with peculiar physiological characteristics. Hemorrhagic Transformation (HT) is a dreaded complication among stroke patients. Many predictive scores of this complication have been proposed, but none is designed specifically for PC stroke patients – therefore, patients who are not eligible to reperfusion therapies (RT) represent about 80% of hospitalized cases. We propose a scoring system to assess the HT risk in PC stroke patients not submitted to RT. Methods We retrospectively evaluated data of patients diagnosed with PC stroke not treated with RT from 5 Comprehensive Stroke Centers (four in Brazil, 1 in the US) from 2015 to 2018. All patients underwent CT scan or MRI at admission and a follow-up neuroimaging within seven days. Independent variables identified in a logistic regression analysis were used to produce a predictive grading score.Results We included 952 patients in the final analysis. The overall incidence of HT was 8.7%. Male gender (1 point), NIH Stroke Scale at admission ≥ 5 points (1), blood glucose at admission ≥ 160mg/dL (1), and cardioembolism (2) were independently associated with HT. The AUC of the grading score (0 to 5 points) was 0.713 (95% CI 0.65-0.78). Subjects with a score ≥ 3 points had an OR of 4.8 (95% CI 2.9-7.9, p<0.001) for HT.Conclusions Our score is accurate in identifying patients at higher risk of HT. This score may be useful for evaluating secondary prevention and stratifying patients in the context of even clinical trials.
SNHG12 promotes chondrocyte autophagy by blocking he mTOR-primary cilia-mTOR loop via activating the miR-181a-5p/miR-138-5p-INPP5E axis
Authors: Ding Jing , Sha Lin , Liu Lei , Wu Zhenkai , Feng Weijia
Published: May 2022

Chondrocytes are the only cell type found in normal cartilage. In this study, RT-PCR results showed that silencing INPP5E inhibited the mRNA expressions of IFT88, Beclin1, MAP1LC3A, MAP1LC3B, PI3K, Akt, mTOR, COL2A1 and CCND1 in chondrocytes. WB results showed that silencing INPP5E inhibited the protein expressions of IFT88, Beclin1, LC3 I, LC3 II, phosphorylated(p)-PI3K, p-Akt, p-mTOR, collagen II and cyclin D1 in chondrocytes. Immunofluorescence results showed that silencing INPP5E inhibited acetylated α-tubulin and LC3 II in chondrocytes. RT-PCR, WB and dual luciferase assay showed that SNHG12 promoted the expression of INPP5E by inhibiting hsa-miR-181a-5p or hsa-miR-138-5p. Functional recovery experiments show that SNHG12 regulated the expression of IFT88, Beclin1, LC3 I, LC3 II, p-PI3K, p-Akt, p-mTOR, collagen II and cyclin D1 via hsa-miR-181a-5p/hsa-miR-138-5p-INPP5E axis in chondrocytes. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of patients with cartilage abnormalities related diseases.
2-BFI enhances the proliferation of SH-SY5Y cells with fluorosis by stabilizing endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondria contact sites and inhibiting activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes
Authors: Chen Rui , Xu Wan , Sun Yifu , Zhi Rongrong , Xie Peng , Zhi Zhongwen , Tang Xiaohong , Zhang Caiyi
Published: May 2022

2-(2-benzofu-ranyl)-2-imidazoline (2-BFI) is a drug that has attracted much attention in recent years. It has a therapeutic effect on brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral infarction. However, whether 2-BFI affects the proliferation of cells exposed to fluoride is not known. We investigated the proliferation and apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells exposed to fluoride, and 2-BFI was used to protect SH-SY5Y cells against the effects of fluoride. We found that 2-BFI could enhance the proliferation of SH-SY5Y cells upon fluorosis by maintaining the stability of endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondria contact sites and inhibiting activation of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes. This study may provide a new method for protecting against the inhibition of cell proliferation induced by fluoride.
MSAA-Net:A Multi-Scale Attention-Aware U-Net is Used to Segment the Liver
Authors: Zhang Lijuan , Liu Jiajun , Li Dongming , Liu Jinyuan , Liu Xiangkun
Published: May 2022

Automatic segmentation of the liver from CT images is a very challenging task because the shape of the liver in the abdominal cavity varies from person to person and it also often fits closely with other organs.In recent years, with the continuous development of deep learning and the proposal of CNN, the neural network-based segmentation models have shown good performance in the field of image segmentation.Among the many network models, U-Net stands out in the task of medical image segmentation.In this paper, we propose a segmentation network MSAA-Net combining multi-scale features and an improved attention-aware U-Net.We extracted features of different scales on a single feature layer and performed attention perception in the channel dimension.We demonstrate that this architecture improves the performance of U-Net while significantly reducing computational costs.To address the problem that U-Net’s skip connection is difficult to optimize for merging objects of different sizes, we designed a multi-scale attention gate structure (MAG), which allows the model to automatically learn to focus on targets of different sizes. In addition, MAG can be extended to all structures which contain skip connections, such as U-Net and FCN variants.Our structure was evaluated on the 3Dircadb dataset, and the method obtained a 98.29% Dice coefficient for the liver segmentation task, with a model parametric number only equivalent to 38.4% of Attention U-Net. The experimental results show that MSAA-Net achieves the highest segmentation accuracy while saving arithmetic power.
First report of bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) infection of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) in Nigeria
Authors: Dada Adenike Oluwaseun , Oresanya Adedamola , Akinyosoye Solomon Tayo , Arogundade Olawale
Published: May 2022

African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is one of the underutilized crops that has the potential to help sustain food security in this era. In October 2021, more than 90% African Yam Bean (AYB) plants in the grain legumes field of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Nigeria showed typical virus symptoms of mosaic and necrosis. To identify the virus leaf sasmples were subjected to ELISA and PCR tests. The symptomatic leaves were positive for anti-BCMV and anti-potyvirus antiseraand PCR to amplify a partial coat protein gene of BCMV yeilded a product of 469bp. The generated sequence was deposited in the GenBank and assigned NCBI GenBank Acc. No OL763314. The nucleotide sequence of the coat protein gene had 99% identitywith BCMV isolate TN2 (KY044818). The identities of the nucleotide and amino acid sequence of the CP gene of the isolated virus relative to those of other potyviruses were 31.3–99.1% and 43.8–66.8%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses of the partial CP-nucleotide sequences grouped the Isolate from this study (BCMV-IART-AYB) and BCMV-TN2 in the same cluster with other BCMV strains of the peanut stripe (PSt) and the blackeye cowpea (BlC) strains. In this study, we charaterize Bean commom mosaic virus (BCMV) infecting AYB in Nigeria and show that it has low nucleotide and amino acid identity with an Isolate of cowpea-infecting BCMV in Nigeria.
Sex-specific associations of urinary metals with renal function: A cross-sectional study in China
Authors: Lin Yinxia , Cai Jiansheng , Liu Qiumei , Mo Xiaoting , Xu Min , Zhang Junling , Liu Shuzhen , Wei Chunmei , Wei Yanfei , Huang Shenxiang , Mai Tingyu , Tan Dechan , Lu Huaxiang , Luo Tingyu , Gou Ruoyu , Zhang Zhiyong , Qin Jian
Published: May 2022

Background: Extensive studies revealed the association between heavy metals and CKD. Compared with single meta, the mixtures metals reflect metals exposure scenarios in real life and deserves attention. While the mechanism of action of the metal mixture on renal function is still undefined.Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 2775 participants was conducted. Urinary concentrations of heavy metals were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) for renal function was calculated. The association of metals with eGFR was estimated by linear regression. Interaction of the metal mixture was used to evaluate by using a Bayesian nuclear machine regression model (BKMR).Results: In linear regression, urinary As (β = 2.723, P<0.05) and Pb (β = 3.081, P<0.05) were positively correlated with eGFR in total population. In BKMR model, the mixture of five metals had a positive joint effect on eGFR levels, and Pb (PIP = 0.996) contributed the most to the eGFR levels. Pb was significantly and positively associated with eGFR levels in total participants and women. As was significantly and positively associated with eGFR levels in women. Pb displayed a significant and positive effect when all the other metals were fixed at 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles.Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge All five metals mixed exposure was positively associated with eGFR, while Pb was demonstrated more important effects than the other four metals in the mixture, especially in women.
Adoption of newly FDA-approved Targeted Immunomodulatory Therapies by Dermatologists: a Cross-Sectional Analysis of Medicare Part D claims from 2013-2018
Authors: Dean Owen , Tausk Francisco , Singh Partik
Published: May 2022

Although targeted immunomodulatory medications are increasingly utilized for inflammatory skin conditions like plaque psoriasis, little is known of the trends in adoption of newly Federal Drug Administration (FDA)-approved immunomodulators by dermatologists. We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of Medicare Part D Prescriber datasets to identify dermatologists filing Medicare prescription claims for immunomodulatory drugs FDA-approved for plaque psoriasis between 2013-2018. Differences in dermatologist characteristics were determined between dermatologists prescribing a psoriasis treatment within two years of its FDA approval, “early adopters” and non-prescriber dermatologists over the same time period. Biologics approved for psoriasis from 2013-2018 included certolizumab pegol, secukinumab, brodalumab, ixekizumab, guselkumab, and apremilast. Early adopter dermatologists (n=783) accounted for 5% of all Medicare Part D prescribing dermatologists. Early adopters were more likely to be male, in practice longer, and had a greater number of average annual beneficiaries than dermatologists who did not. Only six (<1%) early adopters practiced in small town or rural areas. We believe these data show that the adoption of novel biologic treatments for psoriasis by dermatologists to Medicare beneficiaries may be associated with clinician experience and practice volume. Additionally, we identified low absolute numbers of dermatologists prescribing biologics overall in non-metropolitan areas, which may represent delayed access to novel psoriasis treatments for many Medicare beneficiaries.