bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La pérennité et la durabilité des élevages de ruminants dépendent des capacités adaptatives des femelles
Authors: BLANC F. , BOCQUIER F. , DEBUS N. , AGABRIEL J. , D’HOUR P. , CHILLIARD Y.
Published: June 2020

Dans une représentation systémique du système d’élevage, l’éleveur incarne la composante décisionnelle du système, tandis que l’animal constitue, avec la ressource, sa composante biotechnique. L’animal lui-même peut être considéré comme un système biologique soumis à un environnement contraignant, dont les aptitudes à survivre, croître, se reproduire et s’adapter jouent un rôle fondamental dans la pérennité du système d’élevage. Les femelles reproductrices tiennent une place particulière dans cette représentation car non seulement elles déterminent une large part de la productivité du système par leur propre niveau de production (production laitière, productivité numérique), mais elles en assurent également sa reproductibilité au cours du temps (investissement reproductif). A l’échelle de l’individu et de sa durée de vie, les modalités d’adaptation reposent sur des processus de régulations comportementales et physiologiques. De tels processus ont été particulièrement mis en avant par les études portant sur l’aptitude des femelles de ruminants à s’adapter à la contrainte nutritionnelle (comportement alimentaire au pâturage et aptitude à constituer et mobiliser les réserves adipeuses). L’adaptation à la sous-nutrition revêt un intérêt particulier pour la pérennité des systèmes d’élevage en milieux difficiles dans la mesure où les processus de régulation du métabolisme énergétique interviennent sur la fonction de reproduction et sont par ailleurs susceptibles d’informer la femelle, à des moments-clés de son cycle de production, du risque associé à l’enclenchement d’une nouvelle gestation. Si les mécanismes digestifs, métaboliques et hormonaux impliqués dans l’adaptation à la sous-nutrition sont identiques chez les ruminants, les seuils de réponse varient selon le génotype (espèce, race), révélant ainsi des différences de potentiel adaptatif. Par ailleurs, si certains échecs biotechniques peuvent être imputés à une moindre efficacité de la réponse adaptative, d’autres peuvent en revanche se révéler cohérents du point de vue du fonctionnement biologique de l’organisme et de la gestion de priorités telles que la survie de l’individu ou l’investissement maternel. Ainsi, lorsqu’il s’agit d’évaluer l’aptitude des systèmes d’élevage des zones difficiles à être pérennes, par leur capacité à assurer un certain niveau de production, et/ou durables, par leur aptitude à répondre à des enjeux d’entretien du milieu et de conservation de la ressource, il convient en particulier d’avoir une bonne connaissance des potentiels adaptatifs des animaux.
Contrôle des phénomènes oxydatifs pendant la gestation chez les monogastriques et les ruminants
Authors: AUROUSSEAU B. , DURAND D. , GRUFFAT D.
Published: June 2020

Chez les mammifères, les phénomènes radicalaires sont impliqués dans la multiplication, la différenciation, la croissance et le fonctionnement des différents types de cellules. Ils jouent un rôle très important pendant la gestation. L’intensité du métabolisme utéro-placentaire et embryonnaire, favorisée par la sécrétion des oestrogènes, stimule en effet la production de radicaux libres oxygénés à différents niveaux de la cellule (notamment dans les mitochondries). Ceux-ci interviennent dans la fusion des membranes, permettant la nidation de l’oeuf fécondé et le remodelage des tissus utérins, placentaires et embryonnaires, la mise en place des vaisseaux sanguins propres à la gestation, la mise en place des cotylédons et la perméabilisation des membranes qui autorise l’afflux intense de nutriments en direction du foetus. Un déséquilibre entre la production des radicaux libres oxygénés et leur élimination (stress oxydant) peut conduire à l’altération de l’organisme de la mère et de l’embryon. Pour éviter un tel cas de figure, la femelle reproductrice puise dans ses réserves de vitamines et de minéraux. Une partie des vitamines est détruite lorsqu’elles participent à l’élimination des radicaux libres et une partie des minéraux est perdue lorsque les enzymes auxquelles ils servent de cofacteur sont inactivées par les radicaux libres. Les besoins des femelles reproductrices sont donc accrus. L’adaptation des apports alimentaires doit tenir compte, en plus de cet accroissement des besoins propre à la gestation, des augmentations occasionnées par l’exposition des animaux à de nombreux stress, notamment ceux causés par les facteurs climatiques. Des séquences climatiques défavorables exercent, en particulier, des effets négatifs sur la teneur en cobalt des fourrages, et en conséquence, diminuent la synthèse dans le rumen des deux vitamines B12 et B9 (acide folique) qui jouent un rôle critique pour le fonctionnement de l’organisme maternel, pour le développement foetal et pour le déroulement de la gestation. L’élargissement des connaissances sur ces aspects peu explorés est nécessaire à la promotion d’une agriculture durable.
Les maladies émergentes : un défi pour le développement durable des productions animales
Authors: BARNOUIN J. , VOURC’H G.
Published: June 2020

L’article présente d’abord le cadre global de l’étude des maladies émergentes à des fins de contrôle, d’évitement des crises sanitaires et de promotion d’une agriculture durable. Sont ensuite passées en revue les réalisations actuelles et les différentes étapes, méthodes et outils existants, en cours de mise au point ou qui nécessitent un travail de recherche (en matière de systèmes d’information, de méthodes biomathématiques, de stratégies épidémiologiques et de marqueurs de biologie moléculaire) afin d’être adaptés à l’étude des émergences. Au bout du compte, sont posés quelques principes d’organisation (synergies entre les acteurs du sanitaire : vétérinaires, éleveurs, chercheurs, gestionnaires de la santé, collectivités locales) à concrétiser pour aboutir à une vigilance efficace vis-à-vis des maladies potentiellement émergentes et pouvoir relever au mieux le défi qu’elles posent aux sociétés animales et humaines en voie de globalisation.
An Innovative Construction Technique for Curved Structures
Authors: Cascardi Alessio , Micelli Francesco , Aiello Maria Antonietta
Published: June 2020

The masonry building Heritage is appreciated for its aesthetic and historical value all around the world. The widespread presence of curved elements, such as arch, vault and dome express the relevant constructive abilities in the different historical epochs. These curved elements are characterized by architectural beauty, structural strength (especially against the gravity loads), thermal comfort and fire resistance. On the other hand, curved structures required scaffolding in order to be erected. The design, the construction and the dismantling of the scaffolds is typically time-consuming and expensive. In addition, the on-site working risk is related to time-interferences (e.g. in manpower working, at the same time, over and under scaffold). This technology dates back to the Era of the Roman Empire and it is currently still used, despite its limitations and disadvantages. In the present paper, an innovative technique (recently patented), aiming for the construction of a curved structural member without scaffolds, is proposed and illustrated. It consists in a Hinged Lifting Arch (HLA), using FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) bonded strips. In details, a series of blocks are cut following an arch geometry and then aligned on the ground-floor in order to bond a composite on their top surface. Moreover, the impregnation of the polymeric adhesive is not allowed at the extremities of each block. The fiber sheet is applied continuously along the entire extrados. In this sense, hinges are introduced, in fact, the FRP-connected blocks are able to easily rotate, in the opposite direction, around the contact ends (i.e. hinge). Finally, the middle block is lifted-up and the arch takes the desiderated shape. In the first experimental demonstration, the natural calcareous stone was used, even if the proposed technique is totally material-independent. Moreover, an analytical model is proposed and discussed for designing the proper aspect ratio of the blocks in order to ensure the full mutual contact when the HLA is totally lifted up. The advantages of the proposed technique are related to the absence of scaffolds and improved seismic strength against horizontal loads thanks to the presence of the FRP, which limits the occurrence of hinges at the extrados.
Educação e símbolos religiosos no Reino Unido e na Itália: uniformidade ou subsidiariedade?
Authors: Cranmer Frank , Oliva Javier García
Published: June 2020

A discussão sobre a exibição de símbolos religiosos em escolas questiona até que ponto eles podem ter algum efeito prejudicial sobre menores impressionáveis. Contudo, seu aspecto mais importante diz respeito ao debate sobre o lugar da religião na sociedade: tanto o grau em que preferências religiosas pessoais deveriam ser acomodadas quanto o grau em que democracias liberais podem legitimamente demonstrar qualquer caráter religioso – e ambos são fundamentais para a questão da coesão social.
La educación y la distribución del tiempo laboral como variables para la selección de personal y la eficiencia organizacional
Authors: Candelo-Viáfara Juan Manuel
Published: June 2020

Rev.esc.adm.neg

Este documento tiene como objetivo plantear un modelo analítico que permita mejorar la elección del recurso humano en las organizaciones a fin de aumentar la eficiencia organizacional. Para realizar dicho modelo se utilizan la hermenéutica, la estática comparativa y la narrativa como herramientas fundamentales de investigación; también se analizan factores importantes a tener en cuenta durante la selección de personal como la satisfacción laboral, la productividad y los salarios de eficiencia. El modelo planteado pretende aumentar la productividad y el bienestar de los colaboradores, así como reducir la incertidumbre al momento de tomar decisiones en las organizaciones; pues, teniendo en cuenta existen diversos cargos con dedicación temporal distinta, se basa en tres variables fundamentales: el tiempo extralaboral del individuo, el tiempo que el individuo está dispuesto a permanecer trabajando y el nivel de educación que tiene; siendo estas dos últimas las de mayor trascendencia y las que permiten  concluir que en el caso de la alta gerencia, las personas que ocupen estos cargos deben ser individuos con un alto nivel de conocimiento, dispuestos a sacrificar mucho de su tiempo trabajando, mientras que  servicios como el de vigilancia lo deben ocupar personas dispuestas a sacrificar mucho de su tiempo en el trabajo, que tengan bajos niveles de educación.
OTC 2020 Tech Papers Offer a Look Into the Future of Offshore
Authors: Jacobs Trent
Published: June 2020

The offshore oil and gas sector has over the decades come to be defined by megaprojects with 30-to-40-year project horizons. But the future of offshore development will depend on the industry’s ability to find innovative ways to cut costs and slim the capital requirements.

Many examples were to be shared with oil and gas professionals at the 2020 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year marked the first time that OTC was cancelled since its inauguration in 1969.

Despite the global disruption, the flow of ideas continues.

As proof, what follows is a curated summary of some of the papers that were to be presented at OTC. They were selected for their focus on emerging technologies and unique concepts that aim to reduce the cost burden long associated with offshore exploration and development. Their state of maturity ranges from proof of concept to fully deployed.

Offshore Adoption of Predictive Analytics

Among the most dominant technology arenas in the oil and gas industry’s digital transformation are fast-emerging machine-learning programs that enable predictive analytics. This paper (OTC 30782), produced by software developer Spark Cognition, offers two case studies that show how machine learning is being adopted in the offshore sector.
Neural differentiation of canine mesenchymal stem cells/multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells
Authors: Mihevc Sonja Prpar , Grgich Vesna Kokondoska , Kopitar Andreja Nataša , Mohorič Luka , Majdic Gregor
Published: June 2020

Background: Ability of adipose tissue-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells/mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) to differentiate in neural lineages promises progress in the field of regenerative medicine especially for replacing damaged neuronal tissue in different neurological disorders. Reprogramming of ASCs can be induced by supplying growth medium with chemical neurogenic inductors and/or specific growth factors. We investigated the neural differentiation potential of canine ASCs using several growth media (KEM, NIMa, NIMb, NIMc) containing various combinations of neurogenic inductors: B27 supplement, valproic acid, forskolin, N2-supplement and retinoic acid. First the cells were preconditioned in proliferation medium, followed by induction of neuronal differentiation. Six canine ASCs cell lines were assessed, half from female and half from male donors. The cell morphology, growth dynamics, viability were observed along with expression of neuron and astrocyte specific markers, which were assessed by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Results: After 3, 6 and 9 days, elongated neural-like cells with bipolar elongations were observed and some oval cells with light nuclei appeared. After three and nine days of neural induction, differentiation into neurons and glial cells was observed. Expression of neuronal markers tubulin beta III (TUBB3), neurofilament H (NF-H) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was observed by immunocytochemistry. High GFAP expression (between 70 and 90% of all cells) was detected after three days of growth in neural induction medium a (NIMa) by flow cytometry, and expression of adult neuronal markers NF-H and microtubule associated protein-2 (MAP2) was detected in around 25% of cells. After nine days of ASCs differentiation a drop in expression rates of all markers was detected. There were no differences between neural differentiation of ASCs isolated from female or male dogs. Conclusions: The differentiation repertoire of canine ASCs extends beyond mesodermal lineages. Using a defined neural induction medium the canine ASCs were able to transform to neural lineages, bearing markers of neuronal and glial cells and also displayed the typical neuronal morphology. Differentiated ASCs can be a source of neural cellular lineages for regenerative therapy of nerve damage and also could be applicable for modeling of neurodegenerative diseases.
Eutherian comparative genomic analysis protocol
Authors: Premzl Marko
Published: June 2020

The eutherian genomics momentum greatly advanced biology and medicine. Nevertheless, future revisions and updates of eutherian genomic sequence data sets were expected, due to potential genomic sequence errors and incompleteness of genomic sequences. The eutherian comparative genomic analysis protocol was established as guidance in protection against potential genomic sequence errors in public eutherian genomic sequence assemblies. The protocol revised, updated and published 12 major eutherian gene data sets, including 1853 complete coding sequences deposited in European Nucleotide Archive as curated third party data gene data sets under accession numbers: FR734011-FR734074, HF564658-HF564785, HF564786-HF564815, HG328835-HG329089, HG426065-HG426183, HG931734-HG931849, LM644135-LM644234, LN874312-LN874522, LT548096-LT548244, LT631550-LT631670, LT962964-LT963174 and LT990249-LT990597.
Diagnostic performance of clinic and home blood pressure measurements compared with ambulatory blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Karnjanapiboonwong Auttakiat , Anothaisintawee Thunyarat , Chaikledkaew Usa , Dejthevaporn Charungthai , Attia John , Thakkinstian Ammarin
Published: June 2020

Background: Clinic blood pressure measurement (CBPM) is currently the most commonly used form of screening for hypertension, however it might have a problem of white coat hypertension (WCHT) and masked hypertension (MHT). Home blood pressure measurement (HBPM) may be an alternative, but its diagnostic performance is inconclusive relative to CBPM. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to estimate the performance of CBPM and HBPM compared with ambulatory blood pressure measurement(ABPM) and to pool prevalence of WCHT and MHT. Methods: Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and WHO's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform databases were searched up to 23rd January 2020. Studies having diagnostic tests as CBPM or HBPM with reference standard as ABPM which reported sensitivity and specificity of both tests and/or proportion of WCHT or MHT were eligible. Diagnostic performance of CBPM and HBPM were pooled using bivariate mixed-effect regression model. Random effect model was applied to pool prevalence of WCHT and MHT. Results: Fifty-eight studies were eligible. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of CBPM, when using 24-hour ABPM as the reference standard, were 74%(95%CI:65%-82%), 79%(95%CI:61%-87%), and 11.11(95%CI:6.82-14.20), respectively. Pooled prevalence of WCHT and MHT were 0.24 (95% CI: 0.19, 0.29) and 0.29 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.38). Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and DOR of HBPM were 71%(95%CI:61%-80%), 82%(95%CI:77%-87%), and 11.60(95%CI:8.55.0-22.03), respectively. Conclusions: Diagnostic performances of HBPM were slightly higher than CBPM. However, the prevalence of MHT was high in negative CBPM and some persons with normal HBPM had elevated BP from 24-hour ABPM. Therefore, ABPM is still necessary for confirming the diagnosis of HT.
Zika outbreak, resilient health systems, and women’s sexual and reproductive health: a qualitative study in Colombia
Authors: Rivillas-García Juan Carlos , Forero-Martinez Luz Janeth , Calderon-Jaramillo Mariana , Vargas-Pinzón Victoria , Murad-Rivera Rocío , Perez Freddy
Published: June 2020

Background There is substantial evidence of the profound consequences of Zika on women's Sexual and Reproductive Health. Health system resilience begins by measuring critical capacities ahead of a crisis such as Zika outbreak. Even though Zika as vector-borne disease is well documented, there is dearth of studies linking Zika with women's Sexual and Reproductive Health. The main objective of this study was to analyze the national response to the Zika epidemic and its relation to women’s sexual and reproductive health matters through key implementation mechanisms in order to promote resilience of the health system in five cities in Colombia.Methods This study used a qualitative design to enable an in-depth exploration of the national response to the Zika epidemic and sexual and reproductive health matters through key implementation mechanisms (based on facilitators and gaps) within the health system. The overall data set was comprised of 31 semi-structured individual interviews (23 women and 8 men), 25 interviews with key informants responsible for the implementation of the Zika Virus Response Plan; six interviews with pregnant women diagnosed with Zika; and five focus groups discussions with communities (n=122 participants) in five cities in Colombia: Barranquilla, Cucuta, Los Patios, San Andres and Soledad. Results The findings revealed the three major facilitators that promoted the implementation of actions to address the Zika epidemic: i) the role of health care providers; ii) the development of technical equipment capabilities; and iii) inter-institutional coordination. The study also identified implementation gaps: i) absence of a human rights and sexual and reproductive health approach; ii) focus on territorial actions centered on mosquito management; and iii) limited attitudes, behaviors and knowledge at the community level.Conclusion This study provided a comprehensive insight of critical facilitating processes and gaps in the implementation of the government response during the Zika epidemic in Colombia. This study reveals that the lack of understanding of the intersection between gender, the Zika epidemic and Sexual and Reproductive Health limited the adoption, development and implementation of a more comprehensive responses to address the impact on women’s sexual and reproductive health.
Breast self-examination practice and associated factors among women of reproductive age in southeast Ethiopia
Authors: Mohammed Abduljewad Hussen , Ketaro Musa Kumbi , Wodera Abate Lette , Hajisso Shemsu Nuriye
Published: June 2020

Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent cause of cancer deaths among women especially in developing countries. It is a disease with a poor prognosis unless detected early. Breast self-examination may play a significant role in the prevention of breast cancer among women especially in low and middle-income countries.Objective: This study aims to evaluate breast self-examination practice and associated factors among women of reproductive age in southeast Ethiopia.Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted on 836 women of reproductive age. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used for the quantitative part of the study and supplemented by focus group discussions. A database was created using Epi-info version 3.5.3, and analysed using SPSS version 20. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were done to examine the effect of explanatory variables to the outcome variable. Variables with P value <0.05 during multivariable logistic regressions were considered as significantly associated with the dependent variable.Result: Out of eight hundred thirty-six total participants, only 20.7% had ever heard about breast self-examination practice. Also only 13.2% of the mothers had practiced breast self-examinations. Maternal age, mothers’ level of education, and previous history of breast examination by health professionals were significant factors for breast self-examination practices.Conclusion: This study reported a low prevalence of breast self-examination practice. Therefore, enhancing women’s education and encouraging breast examination by health professionals are essential to increase the proportion of women performing breast self-examination.
Microbial enhanced heavy oil recovery through biodegradation using fungal extracellular enzymes from Aspergillus spp.
Authors: Zhang Junhui , Gao Hui , Lai Hangxian , Hu Shibin , Xue Quanhong
Published: June 2020

Background: The progressive depletion of light crude oils has led to increased focus on efficient exploitation of heavy oil reserves to meet energy demand. Microbial enhanced oil recovery makes a substantial contribution to the recovery of heavy oils; however, most methods use bacteria, with less attention paid to the potential of fungi. In this study, we investigated the efficiency of fungal extracellular enzymes in biotransformation and biodegradation of heavy oil fractions into light compounds and the feasibility of the use of such enzyme preparations in enhanced oil recovery. Results: Two fungal strains of Aspergillus spp., isolated from bitumen samples, showed good growth on plates of mineral salts medium with heavy oil as the sole carbon source. The fungal extracellular enzymes, with dehydrogenase and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase activities, exhibited the ability to biodegrade heavy oil. The biodegradation process was coupled with abundant production of gases, mainly CO 2 and H 2 . Gas chromatography analysis revealed a significant redistribution of n -alkanes in the heavy oil after treatment with fungal enzyme preparations, which resulted in an increase in individual n -alkanes. The viscosity of the heavy oil was decreased 66.33% by fungal enzymatic degradation. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the potential of fungal extracellular enzymes from Aspergillus spp. for applications in enhanced heavy oil recovery, including biotransformation of heavy to lighter crude oil and byproduct biogas formation.
Fluorescent markers rhodamine B and uranine for Anopheles gambiae adults and matings
Authors: Aviles Erica i , Rotenberry Rachel D , Collins C Matilda , Dotson Ellen M , Benedict Mark Q
Published: June 2020

Background Marking mosquitoes is vital for mark-release-recapture and many laboratory studies, but their small size precludes the use of methods that are available for larger animals such as unique identifier tags and radio devices. Fluorescent dust is the most commonly used method to distinguish released individuals from the wild population. Numerous colors and combinations can be used, however, dust sometimes affects longevity and behavior so alternatives that do not have these effects would contribute substantially. Rhodamine B has previously been demonstrated to be useful for marking adult Aedes aegypti males when added to the sugar meal. Unlike dust, this also marked the seminal fluid making it possible to detect matings by marked males in the spermatheca of females. Here we evaluate marking in Anopheles gambiae s. s. with rhodamine B and uranine to estimate their potential contribution. Methods Two fluorescent markers, rhodamine B and uranine, were dissolved in sugar water and fed to adult Anopheles gambiae. Concentrations that are useful for marking individuals and seminal fluid were determined. The effects on adult longevity, the durability of the marking and detection of the marker in mated females was determined. We also evaluated effects on mating competitiveness. Results Rhodamine B marking in adults is detectable for at least three weeks, however uranine marking declines with time and at low doses can be confused with auto-fluorescence. Both can be used for marking seminal fluid which can be detected in females mated by marked males, but, again, at low concentrations uranine-marking is more easily confused with the natural fluorescence of seminal fluid. Neither dye affected mating competitiveness. Conclusions Both markers tested could be useful for field and laboratory studies. Their use has substantial potential to contribute to a greater understanding of the bio-ecology of this important malaria vector. Rhodamine B has the advantage that it appears to be permanent and is less easily confused with auto-fluorescence. The primary limitation of both methods is that sugar feeding is necessary for marking and adults must be held for at least 2 nights to ensure all individuals are marked whereas dusts provide immediate and thorough marking.
Disability, Frailty and Depression in the Community-dwelling Elderly with Osteosarcopenia
Authors: Park Ki-Soo , Lee Gyeong-Ye , Seo Sung-Hyo , Seo Young-Mi , Yoo Jun-Il
Published: June 2020

Background
The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of osteosarcopenia in the over 60-year-old community and to evaluate whether osteosarcopenia is associated with disability, frailty and depression.
Methods
This study was performed using the baseline data of Namgaram-2, which was developed to study the relationship between the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and activity limitations in the elderly in rural areas. Among the 1010 surveyed subjects, 885 study subjects who were 60 years or older and had all necessary tests performed were selected. The Kaigo-Yobo checklist was completed for diagnosis of frailty and the degree of disability in everyday life was evaluated by WHODAS. To understand the symptoms of depression in the elderly, the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form-Korean (GDSSF-K) was used. The study subjects were divided into four groups: the normal group, in which both sarcopenia and osteopenia were undiagnosed, osteopenia only, sarcopenia only and the osteosarcopenia group, which was diagnosed with both sarcopenia and osteopenia.
Results
Of the 885 subjects over 60 years old evaluated, the normal group comprised 34.0%, the only osteopenia group 33.7%, the only sarcopenia group 13.1%, and the osteosarcopenia group 19.2%. WHODAS, Kaigo-Yobo, and GDSSF scores were statistically significantly higher in the osteosarcopenia group compared the other groups.
Conclusions
Osteosarcopenia is a relatively common disease group in the elderly community that may cause deterioration of health outcomes. Therefore, when evaluating osteopenia or sarcopenia in the elderly, management of those in both disease groups should occur together.
The symptom and frequency of the patients with multiple myeloma in osteoporotic vertebral body fracture in the elderly
Authors: HIGUCHI KENGO , Kumamoto Shinij , Honke Hidefumi , Mawatari Masaaki
Published: June 2020

Background: In an aging society, osteoporotic vertebral fracture will continue to rise. Multiple myeloma is mostly developed in elderly, so there is also a possibility to increase the number of multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma patients tend to have osteolysis lesion especially in the vertebral, so they are easy to injury vertebral fractures. In the medical care of osteoporotic vertebral fracture, it is not rare that we meet with undiagnosed multiple myeloma, but there are few reports of the symptom and frequency of the patients with multiple myeloma included in osteoporotic vertebral fracture. In multiple myeloma patients, early treatments improve consequence. So early medical examination by orthopaedist is clinically important. The purpose of this study is to investigate the symptom and frequency of the patients with multiple myeloma included in osteoporotic vertebral fracture. Methods: Between April 2016 and March 2017, 145 patients was diagnosed osteoporotic vertebral fracture, among these, the 108 patients was chosen with use of our criteria. Among these 108 patients, we examined blood examinations, Bence Jones proteins in urine, monoclonal protein on serum and numbers of vertebral fracture at the first visit to a doctor. Results: 6.5% (7/108) patients was diagnosed with symptomatic multiple myeloma. The rate between 75 to 84 years old patients was 5.1%, over the 85 years old was 8.2%. In the 7 patients, the mean age was 85, hemoglobin was 7.8g/dL and albumin-globulin ratio was 0.83, that was low value in all 7 patients. Existing vertebral lesion was 6.0 bodies. Conclusions: Multiple bone lesions or early refracture of vertebral is positively suspicious symptom of MM. The measurement of electrophoresis of protein, albumin-globulin ratio is recommended with vertebral lesion in elderly. The MM patients having bone lesion are likely to first visit orthopaedist, so it is necessary to positively considerate this pathophysiology.
Preloaded vs Manually-Loaded IOL Delivery Systems in Cataract Surgery in a Biggest Ambulatory Surgery Center of Northwestern China: An Efficiency Analysis
Authors: Wu Yazhen , Yan Hong , Yan Weijia
Published: June 2020

Background: To compare the efficiency of preloaded vs manually-loaded IOL (P-IOL vs M-IOL) delivery systems in cataract surgery in a biggest ambulatory surgery center of Northwestern China.Methods: A total number of 200 cases were included in this prospective observational study. Time and motion data were collected in one or two-operating rooms (1-OR or 2-ORs) scenario. An efficiency and revenue implications of introducing a preloaded delivery system for IOLs in cataract surgery model was used to estimate the change in cataract throughput and hospital revenue through translating from the M-IOL delivery system to the P-IOL system. Results: In the 1-OR scenario, the mean total case time was 16.9 minutes using P-IOL, which was 7.7% reduction compared with M-IOL (P < 0.01). In the 2-ORs scenario, the mean total surgeon time was 10.8 minutes using P-IOL, which was 7.8% reduction compared with M-IOL (P < 0.05). By switching from M-IOL to P-IOL, annual throughput will increase by 5.2% (960 cases) in the 1-OR scenario and 7.7% (1440 cases) in the 2-ORs scenario, which accompanying with an increase in revenue by approx. 284,352 USD in the 1-OR scenario and approx. 426,528 USD in the 2-ORs scenario. Conclusion: This is the first report of comparison with two IOL delivery systems in China by using different setting of scenario. IOL delivery with preloaded systems is time-saving in both 1-OR and 2-ORs scenario. Moreover, switching from the M-IOL delivery system to the P-IOL system holds potential to increase cataract throughput and hospital revenue.
Atherosclerosis is attenuated by acacetin via Sirt1-mediated activation of AMPK/Sirt3 signals in diabetic ApoE-/- mice
Authors: Han Wei-Min , Chen Xu-Chang , Wang Yan , Li Gui-Rong
Published: June 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Social Inequalities in Heat-attributable Mortality in the City of Turin, Northwest of Italy: A Time Series Analysis From 1982 to 2018
Authors: Ellena Marta , Ballester Joan , Mercogliano Paola , Ferracin Elisa , Barbato Giuliana , Costa Giuseppe , Ingole Vijendra
Published: June 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
A Fourth-Order Cumulants Orthonormal Propagator Rooting Method Based on Toeplitz Approximation
Authors: Shi Heping , Ma Ning , Guan Zhiwei , Zhang Lizhu , Jiang Shan
Published: June 2020

A novel Toeplitz fourth-order cumulants

(\operatorname{FOC} )
orthonormal propagator rooting method

{\text{(TFOC-OPRM)}}
to direction-of-arrival

(DOA)
estimation for uniform linear array

(ULA)
is addressed in this paper. Specifically, the modified (reduced-dimension)

FOC{\kern 1pt} {\kern 1pt} (MFOC)
matrix is achieved at first via removing the redundant information encompassed in the primary

FOC
matrix, and then the

TFOC
matrix which possesses Toepltiz structure can be recovered by utilizing the Toepltiz approximation method. To reduce computational complexity, we adopt an effective method which depends on the polynomial rooting technology. Finally, the DOAs of incident signals can be estimated by exploiting orthonormal propagator rooting method. The theoretical analysis coupled with simulation results show that the proposed resultant algorithm can reduce computational complexity significantly, as well as improve the estimation performance in both spatially-white noise and spatially-color noise environments.
Positive association between triglyceride glucose index and arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients: the China H-type Hypertension Registry Study
Authors: Li Minghui , Zhan Aihua , Huang Xiao , Hu Lihua , Zhou Wei , Wang Tao , Zhu Lingjuan , Bao Huihui , Cheng Xiaoshu
Published: June 2020

Background: Data are limited on whether TyG index is an independent predictor of arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between the TyG index and arterial stiffness, and examined whether there were effect modifiers, in hypertensive patients.Methods: This study included 4718 hypertensive adults, a subset of the China H-type Hypertension Registry Study. The TyG index was calculated as ln[fasting triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2]. Arterial stiffness was determined by measuring brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Results: The overall mean TyG index was 8.84. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that TyG index was independently and positively correlated with baPWV (β, 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78, 1.17). Consistently, Multiple logistic analyses showed a positive association between TyG index risk of elevated baPWV (> 75th percentile) (odds ratio [OR], 2.03; 95% CI 1.70, 2.41). Analyses using restricted cubic spline confirmed that the associations of TyG index with baPWV and elevated baPWV were linear. Subgroup analyses showed that stronger associations between TyG index and baPWV were detected in men (all P for interaction < 0.05).Conclusion: TyG index was independently and positively correlated with baPWV and elevated baPWV among hypertensive patients, especially in men. The data suggest that TyG index may serve as a simple and effective tool for arterial stiffness risk assessment in daily clinical practice.
Comparing environmental microbiota of different growth stages of fresh water turtle Chinemys reevesii in pond and greenhouse cultivation
Authors: Zhou Aiguo , Xie Shaolin , Sun Di , Zhang Pan , Pan Zhengkun , Zuo Zhiheng , Li Xiang , Zou Jixing
Published: June 2020

The microbial community structure is an important indicator for evaluating the water quality of the aquaculture environment. In this study, V4 regions of 16S rRNA gene of pond (PC) and greenhouse cultured (GC) C. reevesii were sequenced. Results showed that a total of 1,993,090 high quality counts and 105,159 observed OUTs were obtained; and the Chao1 richness estimator of PC was significantly higher than that of GC groups. Beta-diversity showed that the microbiota of two groups were isolated from each other. In addition, the correlation analysis of environmental factors showed that NO2-N, PH, PO4-P, and stocking density played significant roles in the bacterial community composition. The dominant phyla in PC groups were cyanobacteria, proteobacteria, actinobacteria, bacteroidetes, verrucomicrobia, planctomycetes; and in GC groups were proteobacteria, bacteroidetes, firmicutes, cyanobacteria, chloroﬂexi, actinobacteria. The functional prediction showed that the top5 Picrust prediction gene functions were protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, retinol metabolism, proteasome, glycan binding proteins, and stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid and gingerol biosynthesis. Meanwhile, the numbers and types of KEGG pathway annotations showed a significant difference between the two cultivation environments. The prediction of bacterial phenotype implied that the GC environment is more likely to deteriorate, and turtles are more susceptible to pathogens than those of PC environment. This is the first report to explore and understand the difference of microbiota characteristics between different cultivation environments in different growth stages of C. reevesii, which will provide basic data for water quality adjustment, disease prevention, and healthy breeding of turtle.
Early cervical cancer recurred with uterine fundus metastasis after laparoscopic fertility-sparing surgery: A case report
Authors: Shen Yuanming , Wan Xiaoyun , Liu Jihong , Xie Xing
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Recently, the safety of minimally invasive radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer caused widespread controversy.The value of minimally invasive fertility-sparing surgery for early stage cervical cancer is still lacking evidence of randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Methods

Here we present a case of stage IB3 (FIGO2018) cervical carcinoma undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus laparoscopic radical trachelectomy (A clinical trial NCT02624531) because of strongly desiring to preserve the fertility. Nine months after the initial treatment, the patient was presented with an uterine fundus mass and elevated serum squamous cell antigen (SCC Ag) and OC125 antigen (CA125).
Results

Cervical cancer uterine fundus involvement may occur with advanced tumor stage. Early stage cervical cancer relapsed with an uterine fundus metastasis after laparoscopic radical trachelectomy is exceptionally rare. The patient was treated and cured by a radical hysterectomy.Post-operative pathology confirmed an isolated implanted squamous cell carcinoma in uterine fundus and no previous surgerical margins and endometria were involved.
Conclusions

This firstly reported case indicates that the safety of laparoscopic radical trachelectomy is still uncertain for advanced stage cervical cancer even if neoadjuvant and post-surgery chemotherapy is given, and also suggests that it is needed to discuss carefully the benefit and risk of such a strategy with the patient when the fertility preservation is considered.
Distribution of cervical lesions in high-risk HPV (hr-HPV) positive women with ASC-US: A retrospective single-center study in China
Authors: Wang Zhiling , Gu Ying , Wang Hui , Chen Junyu , Zheng Yawen , Cui Baoxia , yang xingsheng
Published: June 2020

Background
To investigate distributions of cervical lesions and factors associated with the severity of the cervical lesions in high-risk HPV (hr-HPV) positive women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) cytology.
Methods
Clinical information of 250,000 women who underwent HPV and cytological test was collected from January 2012 to January 2019. The association between the severity of the cervical lesions and hr-HPV genotypes, hr-HPV viral load, and ages, were analyzed in hr-HPV-positive/ASC-US women.
Results
3459 hr-HPV-positive/ASC-US women were enrolled in this study. Overall, 43.51% of women with ASC-US had normal histological results, 34.35% had high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), and 1.30% had cervical cancer. The rate of HSIL or worse (HSIL+) in women with single HPV16 infection (63.09%) was the highest, followed by HPV33 (57.50%), HPV51 (36.11%), HPV58 (36.11%), HPV52 (28.28%), HPV18(26.37%), HPV66 (19.35%), HPV39 (18.92%), HPV53 (15.00%), and HPV56 (8.51%). Detection rate of HSIL + in low, intermediate and high viral-load groups were 15.87% (n = 30), 34.91% (n = 74) and 40.68% (n = 214) (Cochran-Armitage Trend test χ2 = 35.03, P < 0.0001). Compared with the 51-60-year-old group (21.65%), the women in ≤ 30 (40.52%), 31–40 (39.67%), and 41–50 (34.22%) year-old groups had significantly higher risk of HSIL+. The women in ≤ 51–60 (2.68%) and > 60 (3.41%) year-old groups were at increased risk for cervical cancer, compared with the ≤ 30-year-old group (0.61%).
Conclusions
ASC-US women with HPV 16/18/33/51/52/58 single infection and multiple infections, as well as high HPV viral loads, have high risk of HSIL+.
Contribution Value：A Indicator for Measuring the Contribution of ncRNAs to Transcriptome
Authors: Gu Xinyi , Jin Bo , Qi Zhidan , Yin Xiaofeng
Published: June 2020

Background：The expression difference multiple log2 FC and P value are often the main basis for screening ncRNA after high-throughput sequencing. However, the above two indicators can’t well reflect the regulatory effect of nonprotein coding RNA (ncRNA) on mRNA. Therefore, we propose a new indicator, Contribution value (C value), to characterize the contribution of ncRNAs to transcriptome transformation.Results：In this study, we analyzed multiple data sets from mice and humans. We take all differential expression mRNAs as a parent set and the GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were performed on it. C value can be simply regarded as the sum of the product of the richfactor of each ncRNA target genes participating in each term/pathway and the P value of that term/pathway obtained from the parent set. We found that C value was superior to log2 FC and P value in all operation results.Conclusions：We show that the C value, which takes into accounts the the KEGG pathways and GO terms involved in the development of the disease, provides a measure of another dimension compared with the log2FC and P value. These hidden interactions between ncRNAs and their target genes may provide more comprehensive analysis.
Treatment of Covid-19 Patients With High Dose of Ulinastatin
Authors: Huang Hai , Hu Ping-Fang , Sun Liang-Liang , Guo Yi-Bin , Wang Qiong , Liu Zhi-Min , Yin Ji-Zhong , Shi Pei-Mei , Yuan Zong-Li , Tan Yu , Zhou Chao , Liu Ya-Long , Chen Cheng , Song Hui-Hui , Xie weifen
Published: June 2020

Background No specific therapeutic agents or vaccines are available for the treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) yet. In this study, we aimed to assess the efficacy of high dose ulinastatin for patients with Covid-19.Methods Twelve patients hospitalized with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were treated with high dose of ulinastatin beyond standard care. The changes of clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations and chest images were retrospectively analyzed. Results A total of 10 patients with severe Covid-19 and 2 patients with moderate Covid-19 received ulinastatin treatment. The average age of the patients was 68.0 ± 11.9 years, ranging from 48 to 87 years. Nine of 12 patients (75.0%) had one or more comorbidities. The most common symptoms on admission were fever (8/12, 66.7%), cough (5/12, 41.7%) and dyspnea (5/12, 41.7%). The percentage of lymphocytes was decreased in 41.7% of patients (5/12), and 58.3% of patients (7/12) had elevated hypersensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (mean, 49.70 ± 77.70 mg/L). The white blood cell levels and the percentage of lymphocytes returned to normal in all of the patients, and CRP decreased significantly and returned to normal in 83.3% of patients (10/12; mean, 6.87 ± 6.63 mg/L) on the seventh day after ulinastatin treatment. Clinical symptoms were relieved synchronously. The peripheral oxygen saturation improved and 66.7% of the patients (8/12) did not need further oxygen therapy seven days after ulinastatin treatment. No patients required intensive care unit admission or mechanical ventilation. All patients revealed different degrees of absorption of pulmonary lesions after treatment. No obvious adverse events were observed.Conclusions Our preliminary data revealed that high dose of ulinastatin treatment was safe and showed a potential beneficial effect for patients with Covid-19.
Severe Pantothenic Acid Deficiency Induces Alterations in the Intestinal Mucosal Proteome of Starter Pekin Ducks
Authors: Tang Jing , Feng Yulong , Zhang Bo , Wu Yongbao , Guo Zhanbao , Liang Suyun , Xie Ming , Zhou Zhengkui , Hou Shuisheng
Published: June 2020

Background: Pantothenic acid deficiency (PAD) results in growth depression and intestinal hypofunction of animals. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain to be established and an overview of molecular alterationsis still lacking.We investigated intestinal mucosalproteome changes induced by PADin ducks to explain its effects on growth and intestine.Methods:A total of128 one-day-oldPekinducks were divided into two groups,with 8 replicates and 8 birds per replicate. All the ducks were fed either a PAD or a pantothenic acid adequate (control, CON) dietfor 16 days.Results:High mortality, growthretardation,fasting hypoglycemia,reduced plasma insulin, and oxidative stresswere observed in the PAD group compared to the CON group. Furthermore, PAD induced morphological alterationsof the small intestine indicated by reduced villus height and villus surface area of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.The duodenum mucosal proteome of ducks showed that 198 proteins were upregulated and 223 proteins were downregulated (> 1.5-fold change) in the PAD group compared to those in the CON group. Pathway analysis of these proteins exhibited the suppression of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, fatty acid beta oxidation, tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, oxidative stress, and intestinal absorption in the PAD group, indicating impaired energy generation and abnormal intestinal absorption.Wealso show that nine out of eleven proteins involved in regulation of actin cytoskeleton were upregulated by PAD, probably indicates reduced intestinal integrity.Conclusion:PAD leads to growth depression and intestinal hypofunctionof ducks, which are associated with impaired in energy generation, abnormal intestinal absorption, and regulation of actin cytoskeletonprocesses. These findings contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of intestinal mucosa metabolic disorders due to PAD.