bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Caveolin-1 mediates the utilization of extracellular proteins for survival in refractory gastric cancer
Authors: Hwang Nahee , Yoon Bo Kyung , Chun Kyu-Hye , Kim Hyeonhui , Lee Yoseob , Kim Jae-Won , Jeon Hyeonuk , Kim Tae-Hyun , Kim Mi-Young , Fang Sungsoon , Cheong Jae-Ho , Kim Jae-woo
Published: June 2023

Despite advances in cancer therapy, the clinical outcome of patients with gastric cancer remains poor largely due to tumor heterogeneity. Thus, finding a hidden vulnerability of clinically refractory subtypes of gastric cancer is crucial. Here, we report that chemo-resistant gastric cancer cells heavily rely on endocytosis, facilitated by caveolin-1, for survival. caveolin-1 was highly up-regulated in the most malignant SEM (stem-like, EMT, and mesenchymal)-type gastric cancer cells, allowing caveolin-1-mediated endocytosis and utilization of extracellular proteins via lysosomal degradation. Down-regulation of caveolin-1 alone was sufficient to induce cell death in SEM-type gastric cancer cells, emphasizing its importance as a survival mechanism. Consistently, chloroquine, the lysosomal inhibitor, successfully blocked caveolin-1-mediated endocytosis, leading to the marked suppression of tumor growth in chemo-refractory gastric cancer cells in vitro including patient-derived organoids, and in vivo. Together, our findings suggest that caveolin-1-mediated endocytosis is a key metabolic pathway for gastric cancer survival and a potential therapeutic target.
Association between anion gap and all-cause mortality of critically ill surgical patients: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Sun Xu , Lu Jianhong , Weng Wenqian , Yan Qiang
Published: June 2023

Background
There are few widely accepted and operationally feasible models for predicting the mortality risk of patients in surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Although serum anion gap (AG) is known to be correlated with severe metabolic acidosis, no investigations have been reported about the association between AG level and the outcome during hospitalization in SICU. This study aimed to explore the predictive power of AG for 90-day all-cause mortality in SICU.
Methords:
Data of the eligible patients in SICU from 2008 to 2019 was obtained from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV version 2.0 (MIMIC-IV v2.0) database. Baseline clinical data of the selected patients was compared in different groups stratified by the outcome during their addmission via univariate analysis. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) was drawn to confirm the relationship of AG and the short-term mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted in different AG level groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed, and Cox proportional-hazards models were built to investigate an independent role of AG to predict 90-day all-cause mortality risk in SICU.
Results
A total of 6395 patients were enrolled in this study and the 90-day all-cause mortality rate was 18.17%. Univariate analysis showed that elevated serum AG was associated with higher mortality (P < 0.001). RCS analysis indicated a positively linear relationship between serum AG and the risk of 90-day all-cause mortality in SICU (χ2 = 4.430, P = 0.218). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that low-AG group (with a cutoff value of 14.10 mmol/L) had a significantly higher cumulative survival rate than the counterpart of high-AG group (χ2 = 96.370, P < 0.001). Cox proportional-hazards models were constructed and confirmed the independent predictive role of AG in 90-day all-cause mortality risk in SICU after adjusting for 21 confounding factors gradually (HR 1.490, 1.305–1.701, P < 0.001). In the further subgroup analyses, a significant interaction was confirmed between AG and sepsis on the risk for the 90-day mortality.
Conclusions
Elevated AG (≥ 14.10 mmol/L) is an independent risk factor for predicting sever conditions and poor prognosis of critical ill surgical patients.
The association between 8-OHdG levels and diabetic neuropathy patients from sensory functioning and neurological symptoms
Authors: Shi Hong , Han Li , Fu Xu , He Jirui , Song Li
Published: June 2023

Objective
This clinical study aims to evaluate the association between the levels of urine 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and neuropathic symptoms and nervous sensory signs in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).
Methods
A total of 81 individuals with DPN participated in this clinical investigation. According to patients’ symptoms, the nerve conduction studies (NCS), the neuropathy symptom scores (NSS) and their neuropathy deficit scores (NDS) category, four symptom clusters were allocated: no symptoms, mild symptoms, moderate symptoms, and severe symptoms. The four neurological function categories were defined as no signs, mild signs, moderate signs and severe signs. We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit to measure the levels of urine 8-OHdG. All statistical tests were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 25.0 (IBM-SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA).
Results
Based on the results of the ordinary logistic regression, it can be concluded that neuropathic sensory function deficits were not related to neuropathic symptoms in patients with DPN; age was associated with neuropathic function deficits of the left and right feet in DPN patients; and the level of urine 8-OHdG was correlated with neuropathic symptoms in patients with DPN.
Conclusions
In this clinical study, it can be deduced that neuropathic sensory function was not linked with neuropathic symptoms in diabetic neuropathy patients. We identified that the clinical parameters of age were associated with the development of neuropathic function deficits and that the level of urine 8-OHdG was related to the development of neuropathic symptoms in patients with DPN.
Diversity and Assemblage of Mangroves Along the Carigara Bay in Leyte, Philippines
Authors: Decena Syrus Cesar , Avorque Carlo , Macasait Dionesio , Arribado Arwin
Published: June 2023

The paper presents a detailed ecological investigation of mangroves (trees and palm) along Carigara Bay in Leyte, Philippines by comparing the diversity, vegetation structure, species composition, and indicator species among forest types (riverine and fringe) and zones (landward, middleward, and seaward/along water) as well as by examining their relationships with environmental variables. A total of 22 mangrove species, belonging to 12 families were documented wherein the most abundant was Sonneratia alba, followed by Nypa fruticans, then by Avicennia rumphiana. It was found that the diversity (Shannon-Wiener) of riverine mangroves (0.94 ± 0.07; 1.20 ± 0.04) was significantly higher than the fringe for both in the middleward and seaward/along the water. In the fringe mangrove forests, the mangrove species Aegiceras corniculatum was associated with the middleward zone, and Camptostemon philippinensis, Aegiceras floridum, Rhizophora mucronata, Sonneratia alba, and Lumnitzera littorea were associated with the seaward zone, whereas landward zone of fringe and all the zones in riverine were generally associated by species with low to optimum salt tolerances such as Nypa fruticans, and Avicennia rumphiana as the most abundant. As well, a total of 14 mangroves have been identified as indicator species. Lastly, mangrove species can be generally classified as riverine and fringing based on the environmental factors explaining their distributions, and it has been found that soil porosity, water content, soil salinity, and distance from the sea or river’s edge were the most significant environmental factors that determine diversity patterns.
Understanding Non-Transport Decision Theories in the Pre-hospital Setting: A Comprehensive Narrative Review
Authors: Farhat Hassan , Laughton James , Aifa Kawther El , Nashwan Abdulqadir , Gangaram Padarath , Khadhraoui Moncef , Gargouri Imed , Alinier Guillaume
Published: June 2023

Background: Pre-hospital emergency calls do not always result in the patient being transported to the hospital. Such decisions can jeopardize healthcare outcomes and lead to wasting resources.
Objectives and Methods: The purpose of this review was to summarize the various theories reported in the literature regarding patient non-conveyance to healthcare facilities in the pre-hospital emergency setting. Studies published between January 2012 and August 2022 were identified from PubMed and Google Scholar. These studies were subsequently screened using the AL-Rayyan® software.
Results and Discussion: Twenty-nine articles that summarized patient non-transport theories were identified. Patient non-transport is a crucial health issue. The factors related to the non-transport were: patient-initiated refusals (PIR), clinical-initiated decisions (CID), and dispatcher-initiated decisions (DID).
Conclusions: Patient non-transport to hospitals remains a serious challenge for emergency care systems. Hence, it requires greater attention from different healthcare systems. Further analysis is necessary to understand pre-hospital non-transport events and identify improvement areas. This approach helps prevent the wastage of resources while ensuring that patients receive the appropriate and definitive care they require.
EEG Signal Based Multi Class Emotion Recognition using Hybrid 1D-CNN and GRU
Authors: Gupta Harshil , Sharma Ojesh , Bhardwaj Dhruv , Yadav Jyoti , Singh Inderjeet
Published: June 2023

In this study, a hybrid architecture combining a Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) is proposed for multi-class emotion recognition using EEG signals.Emotion recognition using EEG signals is a challenging task due to the ever-changing nature of EEG signals and the high dimensionality of the feature space. The proposed approach aims to address these challenges by utilizing a hybrid architecture that combines the strengths of both 1D-CNN and GRU. The 1D-CNN is used to retrieve relevant spatial features from the EEG signals, while the GRU is employed to capture the temporal dependencies in the signals. The models were used to classify multi-class emotions: four and sixteen emotions based on the valence-arousal and valence-arousal-liking-dominance planes, respectively, using the benchmark DEAP dataset. The experiment results showed that the proposed models achieved high accuracy in classifying emotions for both four and sixteen emotions as compared to state of art methods. The results of this research have significant implications for the development of affective computing systems in various fields, including healthcare, human-computer interaction, and education. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential of deep learning models in affective computing and provides a foundation for future research in this field. The use of reliable physiological signals and the combination of different architectures have shown to be effective in accurately classifying emotions.
Investigating the phenology and interactions of competitive plant species co-occurring with invasive Lantana camara in Indian Himalayan Region.
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Singh Sanjay , Kumar Dinesh , Singh Ram Kumar , Gupta Ajay Kumar , Premkumar Kangujam , Chand Harish Bahadur , Kewat Anil Kumar
Published: June 2023

Invasive plant species are considered one of the significant drivers of habitat loss for endangered plants by strangling and covering native flora in various biogeographical zones. They have also been observed to alter the local ecology, resulting in a decline in the frequency and abundance of native inhabitants that the invaded region supports. The settlement of aggressively spreading invasive species is widely recognized as one of the most severe challenges to biodiversity conservation. Lantana camara is an invasive that affects the local biodiversity and is considered one of the ten worst weeds by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Native and indigenous species may evolve to compete with invasive species, reducing invader fitness. It is observed that species competition fluctuates throughout environmental gradients, life phases, and abundances. Hence competition outcome is very context-dependent.In the present study, we conducted field surveys in Doon Valley of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) to screen the species growing and competing with Lantana camara. We identified the potential competitor species based on the Domin-Karajin scale and IVI. In our experiments, we observed phenological growth patterns (using the BBCH scale) for these species with Lantana and conducted experiments for intra and interspecific competition using RII (Relative Interaction Index). We suggest native species that can potentially reduce Lantana's invasiveness. The present study will be helpful for policymakers and park management authorities to adopt the use of competitive native species for dealing with invasives in the IHR.
Long-term outcome and quality of life of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted to intensive care unit: a single-center retrospective study
Authors: Bergamini Carlo , Brogi Etrusca , Salvigni Sara , Romoli Michele , Bini Giovanni , Venditto Alessandra , Lafe Elvis , D’Andrea Marcello , Tosatto Luigino , Ruggiero Maria , Agnoletti Vanni , Russo Emanuele
Published: June 2023

Patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) after non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) represent a group with distinctive characteristics and few data are available on long-term outcome in this population.
We conducted a retrospective study in an Italian intensive care unit. All patients with non-traumatic SAH (ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Code 430) admitted to ICU were included. Disability and quality of life were evaluated via telephone interview after 12-15 months after initial bleeding using GOSE and EuroQoL, respectively. Baseline and clinical course characteristics were analyzed to evaluate relation with poor outcome defined as GOSE ≤ 3. Final population consisted of thirty-eight patients.
Twenty-four patients (63.2%) had favourable outcome (GOSE ≥ 4).
Among 29 patients (76.3%) who survived at 1-year, median EQ-5D Index was 0.743 (IQR 0.287), while median EQ-VAS was 74.79 (IQR 18.5). Median EQ-5D Index and median EQ-VAS were higher among patients with favorable outcome (EQ-5D Index p=0.037, EQ-VAS p=0.003). Among baseline characteristics, only HH scale showed a significant relation with disability at one year (p=0.033). Between complications occurred during ICU-stay only early HICP was related with unfavourable outcome (p=0.028).
Higher HH scale and early HICP were related with unfavourable outcome. Among patients with unfavourable outcome, quality of life has a broad range of variability and this result should be taken into account when reporting patient-centred outcomes.
Optimizing the Extraction of Antioxidant Components from Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) Skin by Ultrasonic Pre-treatment in Response Surface Method
Authors: Azizi Saadat , Nazari Seyyed Moein , MoradiHaghgou Leila
Published: June 2023

Grapes are one of the most important agricultural products which could be used either as fresh fruit or processed food. In Iran, grapes are very crucial agricultural and commercial products. Every year, a massive volume of grapes waste is made by the units of grape Doshab producers, so the producers are engaging with many problems of waste disposal. Grapes waste is a valuable source of natural pigment and antioxidant compounds specifically polyphenols compounds. Extracting antioxidant compounds from cheap primary materials like grapes waste is a suitable method for various food and pharmaceutical industries. This research aims to find the optimum state of extracting phenolic compounds from Shani grapes skin with 3 independent variables (extraction time using ultrasonic bath, liquid to solid phase ratio and ethanol solvent concentration), by utilizing the response surface method (RSM), and central composite design (CCD). The optimum condition for extraction of this compound was 59.06% concentration of ethanol, 16.08 ml/g liquid to solid phase ratio and 24.12 min extraction time. The phenolic compounds concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The research results have shown that the extract of Shani grapes skin contains 8 different phenolic compounds, of which, epigallocatechin and catechin had the highest concentration. Consequently, by finding the optimum condition of phenolic compounds extraction, these compounds could be produced on a pilot scale for utilization in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Korean women’s experiences of traumatic childbirth: A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Yeo Jung Hee , Sagong Hae
Published: June 2023

Background
Previous studies have established that negative or traumatic childbirth can create childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD). Because of the negative implications of CB-PTSD for mothers, children, and families, global qualitative research on traumatic or negative childbirth experiences has risen in recent years. However, few studies have been conducted in South Korea. This study aims to explore women’s experiences of traumatic childbirth in South Korea.
Methods
This qualitative descriptive study examined nine women who were in the high-risk group of PTSD (IES-R-K > 24) at the time of the interview, between 1–11 years after childbirth. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Interview transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis.
Results
The analysis identified two themes with six subthemes, as follows: 1) person-centred factors (pain, guilt, and threatened dignity); 2) society-centred factors (damaged femininity, confusion in social relationships, and maternal identity conflict). These findings may be attributed to Korean culture (excessive motherhood and lookism), as well as unbearable pain, disrespectful childbirth environments, lack of spouse’s support, loss of their lifestyle, and unrealistic expectations.
Conclusions
This study demonstrates various negative consequences, ranging from psychological damage to conflict in women’s relationships with their spouses, colleagues, and children. This highlights the severity of the birth experience, which can be traumatic, and the need for clinical intervention. Therefore, healthcare professionals' greater understanding of women’s experiences and increased concern about childbirth and respectful birthing environments are required. In addition, based on our findings, there is a need to develop interventions that can alleviate CB-PTSD and further improve women’s mental health, particularly through women-centred interventions.
Sensitivity of Mesoscale Modeling to the
Resolution of Urban Morphological Feature
Inputs: Implications for Characterizing
Urban Sustainability
Authors: Sweet-Breu Levi , Brelsford Christa , Wang Linying , New Joshua , Bass Brett , Allen-Dumas Melissa
Published: June 2023

As the numerical weather prediction community seeks deeper understanding of multi-scale interactions among the atmosphere, human systems and the overall earth system, more explicit representation of surface terrain in these models has become necessary. While a great body of work has examined the differences in error and uncertainty of simulations at various horizontal grid resolutions, no studies have been performed that compare the results of running the models at the same horizontal grid resolution but with different resolutions of embedded urban neighborhood morphology. We examine the differences in meteorological output from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model run at 270m horizontal resolution using 10m, 100m and 1 km resolution neighborhood morphological inputs and with no morphological inputs. We find that horizontal resolution differences in urban morphological inputs to numerical weather models result in model output differences, especially in the spatial variability of meteorological parameters. We show that these results affect how we determine the heterogeneity of human vulnerability to a heat wave across an urban area.
Toxicological and histopathological alterations in the heart of young and adult albino rats exposed to mosquito coil smoke.
Authors: Abdrabouh Abeer El-Said
Published: June 2023

Mosquito coil repellents are well known indoor air pollutant with significant health concerns. The present study investigated the toxic effects of mosquito coil smoke on the heart of young and adult male rats. The animals were subjected to the smoke for 6 hours/day, 6 days/week, for 4 weeks. Within the first hour after lighting the coil, significant amounts of formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter (PM2.5 & PM10) were detected. Both exposed ages; particularly the young group, showed a significant increase in the activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase-MB, and the levels of troponin I, myoglobin, Na+levels, lipid profile, and inflammatory markers (interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein) as well as a significant decrease in K+levels and cardiac Na-K ATPase activity indicating development of cardiac inflammation and dysfunction. Furthermore, the toxic stress response was validated by significant downregulation at expression of the detoxifying enzyme cytochrome p450. Histopathological studies in both age groups, especially the young group, revealed cardiomyocytes degeneration, necrotic areas, and extensive collagen deposition in heart tissue. Myocardial dysfunction was furtherly confirmed by the histochemical findings of reduced glycogen and protein contents, and upregulation at the pro-apoptotic markers P53, cytochrome C and caspase-3 expressions as detected by immunohistochemical approach in heart sections of the exposed groups. Finally, the myocardial dysfunctional effects of the coil active ingredient, meperfluthrin, was confirmed by the docking results which indicated a high binding affinity of meperfluthrin, with Na-K ATPase and caspase-3. In conclusion, both the young and adult exposed groups experienced significant cardiac toxicity changes evidenced by cell apoptosis and histopathological alterations as well as, disruption of biochemical indicators.
Characteristics of Female genital mutilation and Sexual Function among Circumcised women in Sardasht (Iran) in 2023
Authors: Hassannejhad Kosar , Monir Firouzeh Asadzadeh , Iranpour Sohrab , Rabiepour Soheila , Akbari Pouran Akhavan
Published: June 2023

Background
Female genital mutilation (FGM/C) is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women, which has many sexual, physical, and psychological consequences. The present study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of Female genital mutilation and Sexual Function among circumcised women in Sardasht City in Iran.
Methods
In this present cross-sectional study a total of 197 mutilated women entered the study by simple random sampling from two healthcare centers in Sardasht, Iran. First, a genital examination was done by a gynecologist to determine the type of FGM/C/C in women, then the checklist of FGM/C characteristics and FSFI questionnaire were completed for them. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23 software.
Results
Type I and II of FGM/C/C were performed in 73.1 and 26.9 percent of the participants, respectively. The age range of performing FGM/C/C (68.5%) was 4–10 years old, and the most common reason for it in 69% was reported cultural tradition. All cases of FGM/C/C were performed by traditional local female circumcisers without the use of anesthesia. The average score of sexual function index (FSFI) in 99% of circumcised women was below 28 and they were screened as sexual dysfunction. The average score of FSFI in type I and II of FGM/C was 23.5 ± 2.0 and 17.4 ± 2.39, respectively, which indicates more severe sexual dysfunction in women with type II. In all domains of FSFI, women with type II of FGM/C/C obtained lower scores than women with type 1.
Conclusion
Sexual dysfunction is common in women who have been under genital mutilation, and its severity is related to the type of FGM/C/C. Considering the impact of female genital mutilation on sexual function, increasing awareness among people to prevent this practice is one of the health priorities in areas with a culture of FGM/C/C.
WITHDRAWN: Assessing Equity in Unmet Needs for Non-Communicable Diseases Services in Saudi Arabia Using a National Household Survey (2019)
Authors: Alattas Maha , Gordon Sarah , Sabin Lora L. , El-jardali Fadi , Wirtz Veronika J.
Published: June 2023

Background: Saudi Arabia is implementing a comprehensive health system transformation in health services provision, governance, and financing that was announced in 2016. Given the high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a key objective of the transformation is to integrate NCD prevention and treatment into primary care. The study objectives are to assess primary care service use for treatment of NCDs, to quantify existing inequities in preventive services utilization, and to identify regional and socioeconomic factors associated with these inequities.
Methods:
Using the 2019 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia World Health Survey, multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to identify significant predictors of utilization of primary care services for prevention and treatment of NCDs, unmet health care needs among those who reported a diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia, and breast and cervical cancer screenings.
Results:
Among those who reported having an NCD diagnosis, living in a high-income household was associated with a lower probability of having an unmet need in comparison to those living in lower-income households. Furthermore, adults residing in rural areas were less likely to have an unmet need compared to residents in urban areas (OR 0.58, p=0.029). Not perceiving a need for healthcare within the last 12 months was associated with three times the probability of unmet need in comparison to those with a subjective need for healthcare (p<0.001). All regions had lower probability of ever having a mammogram when compared to the central regions around Riyadh. Women who had more than a secondary level of education had five times the odds of undergoing cervical cancer screening and three times the likelihood of ever having a mammogram (P=0.012, p=0.02). Middle (OR 1.99, P=0.026), upper middle (OR 3.47, p<0.001), and high-income households (OR 2.59, p<0.001) had increased probability of having a cervical cancer screening compared to lower-income households.
Conclusions: Inequities in NCD treatment and prevention services’ utilization in Saudi Arabia are strongly associated with region of living, population density, wealth, income, education and perceived need for health care. More research is needed to better understand the extent of unmet primary care needs for NCD and how to address the underlying contributing factors to access inequities.
Effect of symptomatic rate on spreading of COVID-19 evaluated by a flexible compartment model
Authors: Ohmori Hiroo
Published: June 2023

For COVID-19, many of the infected individuals become symptomatic after the latent period is ended and should be isolated from the community. After the isolation period is ended, they become recovered individuals who have immunity and return to the community. Thus, they are capable of infecting susceptible individuals only during the latent period. Some infected individuals, however, are asymptomatic through the recovery period, which includes the latent period. They are infectious but not isolated. They stay in the community and continue infecting susceptible individuals through the recovery period, inducing an increase in the number of infected individuals, though they become recovered individuals who also have immunity in the community after the recovery period is ended. The number of ‘symptomatic and isolated’ infected individuals and/or of ‘asymptomatic and staying’ infected individuals is controlled by the symptomatic rate. Thus, the symptomatic rate affects the number of infectious individuals continuing to infect susceptible individuals in the community. At the same time, the symptomatic rate affects the number of isolated individuals and, as a result, the number of recovered individuals and the population excluding the individuals kept in isolation. Since the contact rate between infected individuals and susceptible individuals is affected by both the number of recovered individuals having returned to the community and the population excluding the individuals kept in isolation, the symptomatic rate also affects the contact rate. Namely, the symptomatic rate affects not only the number of infectious individuals but also the contact rate. This symptomatic rate could change commonly depending on the characteristics of virus and/or on the health conditions of infected individuals. However, the symptomatic rate could be changed/decided in the middle of infection duration by political and/or medical interventions because the symptomatic rate practically means the isolation rate, and the isolation rate and/or the number of isolated individuals could be decided by some political and/or medical interventions induced by, for example, the capacity of hospital care. Therefore, the evaluation of the effect of the symptomatic rate could provide reference materials for political and/or medical measures. The effects of vaccination and isolation by PCR were also examined for cases with different symptomatic rates. The results of evaluation by a flexible compartment model, which is a model including the symptomatic rate as a term in the calculation equation and being able to evaluate the effect of isolated/recovered individuals on the spread of COVID-19, show that a small difference in the symptomatic rate causes a large difference in the number of infected individuals and in the infection duration. Vaccination and PCR tests were effective in reducing the number of infected individuals for cases with any symptomatic rates.
Etoposide plus cytarabine versus cyclophosphamide or melphalan in busulfan-based preparative regimens for autologous stem cell transplantation in adults with acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission: A study from the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the EBMT
Authors: Labopin Myriam , Pabst Thomas , Versluis Jurjen , Gorkom Gwendolyn Van , Meijer Ellen , d.y Tobias Gedde-Dahl , Arcese William , Montoro Juan , Pérez-Simón José A , Schaap Nicolaas , Maertens Johan , Vrhovac Radovan , Lanza Francesco , Gorin Norbert , Mohty Mohamad , Ciceri Fabio , Sanz Jaime
Published: June 2023

IntroductionHigh-dose myeloablative chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a valid treatment option for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission (CR1). However, information on specific conditioning regimens is scarce. The ALWP showed improved outcomes with busulfan and high-dose melphalan (BUMEL) conditioning compared to busulfan with cyclophosphamide (BUCY) in high-risk patients. The combination of more AML directed drugs using high-dose cytarabine, etoposide and busulfan (BEA) has been the recommended regimen in subsequent PETHEMA studies.MethodsIn order to analyse the impact of the conditioning regimen we retrospectively compared the outcome of adult patients with AML in CR1 that received an ASCT from 2010 to 2021 with either BEA, BUCY or BUMEL registered in the EBMT database.ResultsOverall 1560 patients underwent ASCT at a median age of 52 years (range, 18–75). Eight hundred and forty-three (54%) were male. Two hundred and sixty-seven (23%), 815 (70%) and 75 (7%) had favorable-, intermediate- and adverse-risk cytogenetics, respectively (data not reported for 403 patients). FLT3-ITD and NPM1 mutations were present in 177 (23%) and 481 (58%) patients, respectively. Regarding conditioning, 156, 1143 and 261 received BEA, BUCY and BUMEL, respectively. Compared to BUCY and BUMEL, BEA patients were younger (p < 0.001) and less frequently had NPM1 mutations (p = 0.03). Transplant outcomes at 5 years with BEA, BUCY and BUMEL were: cumulative incidence of relapse 41.8%, 46.6% and 51.6%; non-relapse mortality (NRM) 1.5%, 5.2% and 7.3%; probability of leukemia-free survival (LFS) 56.7%, 48.2% and 41.1%; and overall survival (OS) 71.3%, 62.3% and 56%, respectively. In multivariable analysis the BEA regimen showed significant improvement in OS compared to BUCY (hazard ratio [HR] 0.65; 95% CI, 0.42–0.83; p = 0.048) and BUMEL (HR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.37–0.94; p = 0.029). Favorable cytogenetics and younger age were also associated with improved OS.ConclusionsHigh-dose myeloablative combination chemotherapy with BEA offered improved outcomes compared to classical BUCY or BUMEL in patients with AML in CR1 undergoing ASCT.
Mapping of a novel recessive brown planthopper resistance gene bph46 from wild rice (Oryza nivara)
Authors: Kaur Pavneet , Neelam Kumari , Sarao Preetinder S. , saini navneet , Dhir Yashika Walia , Khnna Renu , vikal Yogesh , Singh Kuldeep
Published: June 2023

Rice production is severely threatened by frequent outbreaks of Brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stảl.) biotypes globally. On this account, host-plant resistance serves as an important strategy to reduce the damage caused by BPH. The wild species of rice Oryza nivara accession IRGC 93198 showed consistent resistance reaction against BPH biotype 4 for 5 consecutive years of screening under the greenhouse conditions. The mapping of the BPH resistance gene from Oryza nivara accession IRGC 93198 was conducted using BC2F2 and BC2F3 progenies. Out of 239 BC2F2 plants, 65 plants were resistant (1–3 score), and 174 plants (5, 7, and 9 score) were susceptible, thus fitting the segregation ratio of 3:1 (Susceptible: Resistant). The BC2F3 progenies segregated in 1:2:1 confirming that the resistance from O. nivara is governed by a single recessive gene. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA) identified genomic region on the short arm of chromosome 4 to be associated with BPH resistance. Molecular mapping performed on BC2F2 population identified QTL within the marker interval RM16285 and RM6314 explaining phenotypic variance of 27% at LOD 22.34. The linked marker RM6659 was found efficient in demarcating the susceptible from resistant lines when applied on the panel of rice cultivars, hence can be used for marker assisted selection in crop breeding. The previously identified BPH-resistant genes located on chromosome 4 were found susceptible to the BPH biotype 4 screening test. This specifies bph46 to be a novel gene that can be deployed as a valuable donor in BPH resistance breeding programs.
Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy of SARC-F, SARC-CalF and Ishii’s Test for Diagnosis of Sarcopenia in Hospitalized Older Patients
Authors: yalcin ahmet , Gokce Busra , Turhan Gorkem , Atmis Volkan , Varlı Murat
Published: June 2023

Objectives
Sarcopenia, a common geriatric syndrome observed in older individuals, is known to be associated with negative health consequences. Several screening tools have been developed to identify sarcopenia in this population. This study aims to assess the diagnostic efficacy of three screening methods, SARC-F, SARC-F combined with calf circumference (SARC-CalF), and Ishii's test, for detecting sarcopenia in older individuals who are hospitalized.
Design:
This diagnostic accuracy study
Setting:
204 hospitalized older people.
Measurements:
Sarcopenia was assessed based on the diagnostic criteria established by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2. Muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance were evaluated using bioimpedance analysis, handgrip strength, and usual gait speed, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were conducted for the SARC-F, SARC-CalF, and Ishii's test to determine their effectiveness. Receiver operating characteristics curves were generated, and the area under the curve was calculated to compare the overall diagnostic accuracy of the SARC-F, SARC-CalF, and Ishii's test.
Results
The prevalence of sarcopenia is 41.4%. The SARC-F, SARC-CalF, and Ishii's tests demostrated sensitivities of 72%, 88.6%, and 93.5%, respectively, and specificities of 41%, 78.5%, and 30.3%.
Conclusion
SARC-CalF demonstrates the highest performance in terms of sensitivity and specificity compared to the other two tests, making it a valuable tool for detecting sarcopenia in hospital settings. On the other hand, Ishii's test exhibits high sensitivity but low specificity within this particular population
Enhanced detection of viruses for improved water safety
Authors: Hayes Emalie , Gouthro Madison , Fuller Megan , Redden David , Gagnon Graham
Published: June 2023

Human viruses pose a significant health risk in freshwater environments, but current monitoring methods are inadequate for detecting viral presence efficiently. We evaluated a novel passive in-situ concentration method using granular activated carbon (GAC). This study detected and quantified eight enteric and non-enteric pathogenic viruses in a freshwater recreational lake in paired grab and GAC passive samples. Results found that GAC passive sampling had a higher detection rate for all viruses compared to grab samples, with adenovirus found to be the most prevalent virus, followed by respiratory syncytial virus, norovirus, enterovirus, Influenza A, SARS-CoV-2, and rotavirus. GAC in-situ concentration allowed for the capture and recovery of viral gene copy targets that ranged from one to three orders of magnitude higher than conventional ex-situ concentration methods used in viral monitoring. This simple and affordable sampling method may have far-reaching implications for reducing barriers associated with viral monitoring across various environmental contexts.
Selective binding and induction of death in leukemia cells by Biodegradable magnetized iron nanodiscs
Authors: Kharat Kiran , Pottathil Raveendran
Published: June 2023

Leukemia is a blood malignancy with a rate of new cases of 14.1 per 100,000 adults per year. Leukemic cells seek a way to escape from the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy drugs, leading to treatment failure. In this paper, we demonstrated the separation of circulating leukaemia cells using an antibody-conjugated iron oxide nanodisc (MND-Ab) under a low magnetic field gradient. Biodegradable magnetic nanodiscs were prepared by using iron oxide, BSA and the antibody IPO-M6, which is an anti-HL-60 antibody. Atomic force microscope studies show that the nano-discs were sprayed uniformly with an average size of 22+/-2.1 nm. The efficiency of cell capture was monitored with Prussian blue staining and fluorescence microscopy. A bar magnet was placed near the plate at 2 mm distance from the centre of the plate. The labelled cells were gathered near the magnet after 2 minutes. When the MND-Ab-HL60 cells were exposed to magnetic oscillations (5 min) 10 htz, 90 Guass), 92–94% of the cells were found apoptotic or dead in treated HL60 cells compared to the untreated control.
Charge-4e superconductivity and chiral metal in the 45°-twisted bilayer cuprates and similar materials
Authors: Liu Yu-Bo , Zhou Jing , Wu Congjun , Yang Fan
Published: June 2023

The material realization of the charge-4e/6e superconductivity (SC) is a big challenge. Here we propose realization of the charge-4e SC and chiral metal in a class of materials made through stacking a homo-bilayer with the largest twist angle, dubbed as the twist-bilayer quasi-crystal (TB-QC), exampled by the 45\degree-twisted bilayer cuprates and 30\degree-twisted bilayer graphene. When each mononlayer hosts a pairing state with the largest pairing angular momentum, previous studies yield that the second-order interlayer Josephson coupling would drive chiral topological SC (TSC) in the TB-QC. Here we propose that, above the $T_c$ of the chiral TSC phase, either the total- or relative- pairing phase of the two layers can be unilateral quasi- ordered or ordered. In the form case, a Cooper pair from the top layer pairs with a Cooper pair from the bottom layer to form the charge-4e SC; in the latter case, a time-reversal symmetry breaking chiral metal phase is formed. Based on a thorough symmetry analysis, we arrive at the low-energy effective Hamiltonian describing the pairing- phase fluctuations. Our combined renormalization group and Monte-Carlo studies reveal the presence of the charge-4e SC and chiral metal phases in the phase diagram, characterized by various temperature-dependent quantities and spatial-dependent correlations.
Evaluation of the Mandibular Condyles Trabecular Structure in Patients with Severe Class III Pattern: A CT Fractal Analysis Study
Authors: Afzoon Saeed , Hasani Mahvash , Ghorbani Farhad
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to examine the morphological features of class III patients’ trabecular structure of the mandibular condyle in comparison with normal class I individuals. CT scans of 45 severe class III patients (age: 16–46) who were the candidates for orthogenetic surgery were selected and matched by age and sex with 45 normal class individuals. The trabecular bone structure of the left and right mandibular condyle in three CT planes (axial, sagittal, coronal) of the study group and control group were evaluated employing the fractal analysis. The result of the present study indicated that there were significant differences between the fractal dimensions (FD) values of class III patients and normal class I individuals in all three CT planes (axial, coronal, sagittal) (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in FD values of males and females. The intra-group evaluation revealed that there was no correlation between age and FD values. No significant differences between the FD values of the left and right condyle were detected. The FD values of class III patients’ mandibular condyle were lower than those of typical class I individuals which indicated that these patients were more prone to DJD and TMD.
The application of pelvic binders in the pre-hospital setting for people with suspected pelvic fracture: a systematic review
Authors: Napoletano Antonello , Coclite Daniela , Latina Roberto , Fauci Alice Josephine , Biffi Annalisa , Castellini Greta , D’Angelo Daniela , Gianola Silvia , Iacorossi Laura , Porcu Gloria , Facchinetti Gabriella , Nitto Marco Di , Ruggieri Maria Pia , Coniglio Carlo , Fabbri Andrea , Iannone Primiano , Chiara Osvaldo , WG Italian National Institute of Health guideline Working Group
Published: June 2023

Background
The application of non-invasive pelvic circumferential compression devices (PCCDs), including pelvic binders, has shown to improve the position and stability of some types of pelvic fractures. To date the clinical efficacy of PCCDs application is still scarce and of poor quality. We assessed the clinical efficacy of pelvic binder pre-hospital in the management of pelvic fracture.
Methods
We systematically searched MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE and Cochrane CENTRAL up to June 2022. Two authors independently extracted data and appraised risk of bias using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale for observational studies. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment (GRADE) approach.
Results
We included ten studies with a total of 2770 participants. None of the included studies showed a statistically significant difference in overall mortality, 48h or 30-day mortality in PCCD group compared to no PCCD, whereas a reduction of mortality was observed in favour of the group with early PCCD when compared to PCCD placement after diagnosis (adjusted OR 0.00326; p = 0.039). Adjusted estimates did not show a clear indication of the benefits of PCCDs application vs no-PCCDs on the need for massive transfusion. Patients who received early PCCD vs PCCD after diagnosis had significantly less blood transfusion requirements (p = 0.009). The main reported complication was skin necrosis related to the comparison early PCCD vs late PCCD placement.
Conclusions
Our results suggest a positive effect of the early application of PCCDs on overall mortality, however, randomized controlled trials are needed in order to confirm preliminary results observed in observational studies.
Hypermethylation suppresses microRNA-219a-2 to activate the ALDH1L2/GSH/PAI-1 pathway for fibronectin degradation in renal fibrosis
Authors: Xiao Xiao , Huo Emily , Guo Chunyuan , Zhou Xiangjun , Hu Xiaoru , Dong Charles , Shi Huidong , Dong Zheng , Wei Qingqing
Published: June 2023

Epigenetic regulations, such as DNA methylation and microRNAs, play an important role in renal fibrosis. Here, we report the regulation of microRNA-219a-2 (mir-219a-2) by DNA methylation in fibrotic kidneys, unveiling the crosstalk between these epigenetic mechanisms. Through genome-wide DNA methylation analysis and pyro-sequencing, we detected the hypermethylation of mir-219a-2 in renal fibrosis induced by unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO) or renal ischemia/reperfusion, which was accompanied by a significant decrease in mir-219a-5p expression. Functionally, overexpression of mir-219a-2 enhanced fibronectin induction during hypoxia or TGF-β1 treatment of cultured renal cells. In mice, inhibition of mir-219a-5p suppressed fibronectin accumulation in UUO kidneys. ALDH1L2 was identified to be the direct target gene of mir-219a-5p in renal fibrosis. Mir-219a-5p suppressed ALDH1L2 expression in cultured renal cells, while inhibition of mir-219a-5p prevented the decrease of ALDH1L2 in UUO kidneys. Knockdown of ALDH1L2 enhanced PAI-1 induction during TGF-β1 treatment of renal cells, which was associated with fibronectin expression. In conclusion, the hypermethylation of mir-219a-2 in response to fibrotic stress attenuates mir-219a-5p expression and induces the up-regulation of its target gene ALDH1L2, which may reduce fibronectin deposition by suppressing PAI-1.
Quantum Designated Verifier Signature Scheme with Semi-Trusted Third-Party
Authors: Ling Zhang , Jia-hao Zhang , Xiang-jun Xin , Chao-yang Li
Published: June 2023

Designated verifier signature (DVS) schemes can be applied in many scenes, such as E-voting and E-bidding use DVS attributes to protect the secret of participants. Most traditional DVS schemes are vulnerable to quantum computer attacks. Then, an identity-based semi-trusted third-party quantum DVS (STQDVS) scheme is proposed, which is safe for quantum means of attack. In new STQDVS scheme, the third participant prepares entangled Bell states and allocates them to the signer and the designated verifier (DV). The signer uses the identity information as her public key and the measurement results of corresponding quantum sequences as her private key to generate the signature. The DV applies the identity information as his public key and the measurement results of corresponding quantum sequences as her private key to verify the signature. Non-transferability and hidden origin are guaranteed by the fact that the DV can generate the same signature as the signatory by means of a simulated signature step. Security analysis has shown that attacks such as forgery, inter-resending, and impersonation are ineffective for the proposed scheme and that even third-party cannot forge signatures. On the other hand, the whole process of the scheme does not require any quantum key distribution protocols, quantum one-way functions, and quantum state exchange tests, which makes the STQDVS scheme relatively simple and more efficient than similar schemes.