bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic and Preventive Effects of a New Type Healthy and Viable Food Supplement on Fatty Liver and Blood Lipids in Animal Model
Authors: Bayat Azam , Khalkhali Aref , Mahjoub Ali Reza
Published: June 2020

Background: Fatty liver disease is one of the most common liver complications worldwide. Also, blood lipids are elevated cholesterol or triglyceride levels from the normal amount in the blood that causes fatty liver disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of a new healthy and viable food supplement from wheat on fatty liver disease and blood lipids in animal model.Methods: The new NBS healthy and viable food supplement was prepared by a green route. The NBS healthy and live food powder had various vitamins, macro and micro molecules, and ingredients such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, K, A, E, D, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, omega-3 and etc. For therapeutic and preventive effects of the new healthy and viable dietary supplement on fatty liver and blood lipids, 25 Wistar rats weighing 180–220 g were used. The rats were divided into 5 groups and were treated with 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg of healthy and live medication.Results: Investigation of the interaction between the concentrations of the medication supplement showed that 100 mg/ kg has the most therapeutic effect against oasises in fatty liver disease. Also, it was found that the concentration of 1000 mg/ kg has the most reducing effect on the level of lipid profile.Conclusions: The new food supplement reduces the level of hepatic macrovesicles, microvesicles, and the steatosis symptoms without specific hepatic complications. Also, the healthy food causes reduction of lipid parameters.
Retroperitoneal Hemorrhage During Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in COVID-19 Patientss: Clinical Experience and Review of Literature
Authors: Zhang Jingchen , He Xujian , Hu Jia , Li Tong
Published: June 2020

Background: Retroperitoneal hemorrhage is a rare and severe complication in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Retroperitoneal hematoma after the operation of multiple ECMO in a single center at the same time is extremely rare. The causes and treatment options can provide clinical experience and bring some inspiration.Case presentation: Three cases of retroperitoneal hemorrhage patients with Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) are introduced; they had respiratory failure and were treated with veno-venous ECMO or veno-arterial-venous ECMO. Retroperitoneal hemorrhage occurred during ECMO treatment. Among the three cases, 2 cases were found due to abdominal pain, and 1 case was found because of a decrease in ECMO circuit flow rate and hemoglobin level. 2 cases were treated with transcatheter arterial embolization, and 1 case was treated conservatively. The hemorrhage in each of the 3 cases did not deteriorate. Through early diagnosis and treatment, satisfactory treatment results were achieved for these 3 patients.Conclusions: During the period of ECMO treatment, there is a low incidence of retroperitoneal hematoma, yet it comes with a high risk. This is due to anticoagulant use and some local mechanical injuries. If a decline in blood flow velocity and hemoglobin is detected, retroperitoneal hematoma should be taken into consideration, and early aggressive therapy should be started.
Genipin Suppresses Growth and Metastasis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Blocking Activation of STAT-3
Authors: Hong Ming , Lee Selena , Clayton Jacob , Yake Wildman , Li Jinke
Published: June 2020

Background Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3) can facilitate cancer progression and metastasis by being constitutively active via various signalling. Abundant evidence has indicated that STAT-3 may be a promising molecular target for cancer treatment. Methods In this study, a dual-luciferase assay-based screening of 537 compounds for STAT-3 inhibitors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells was conducted, leading to the identification of genipin. Effects of genipin on HCC were assessed in patient-derived xenograft mice model. Western blotting assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, molecular docking study, tube formation assay, three-dimensional top culture assay, histological examination and immunofluorescence were utilized to evaluate the regulatory signalling pathway. Results Our research have demonstrated that genipin suppresses STAT-3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation, which may attribute to the binding capacity of this compound to the Src homology-2 (SH2) domain of STAT-3. In addition, we also demonstrated the therapeutic effects of genipin in patient-derived HCC xenograft mice model.Conclusion In conclusion, genipin showed therapeutic potential for HCC treatment by interacting with SH2-STAT-3 domain and suppressing the activity of STAT-3. In future study, further research are expected for exploring the potential role of genipin in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy for HCC.
3D-Printed Screw-Rod Auxiliary System for Unstable Atlas Fractures: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Wu Chao , Deng Jiayan , Li Tao , Pan Jian , Hu Haigang , Tan Lun
Published: June 2020

Objective To develop and validate a 3D-printed screw-rod auxiliary system for unstable atlas fractures.Methods Fourteen patients who underwent occipitocervical fusion with the 3D-printed screw-rod auxiliary system enrolled in our hospital from 2017 to 2019 were reviewed. The operation time, blood loss and radiation times during the operation were recorded. The maximum fracture displacement values pre- and post-operation were measured based on CT imaging. All screw grades were evaluated after surgery. The O-C2 angle and OCI angle pre-operation, post-operation and at the last follow-up were measured. The dysphagia scale 3 and 12 months after surgery and the NDI 3 and 12 months after surgery were assessed.Results The average surgery time, average blood loss and average radiation times for the 14 patients were 112.14 minutes, 171.43 ml and 5.07 times, respectively. There was a significant difference in maximum fracture displacement between pre- and post-operation values (P<0.05). A total of 56 screws were inserted; 3 screws were classified as grade 1, and the others were classified as grade 0. There was a significant difference in the O-C2 and OCI angles from pre-operation values to values 3 days after the operation (P=0.002, P<0.05); there was no significant difference in the O-C2 or OCI angle from 3 days after the operation to the last follow-up (P=0.079; P=0.201). The dysphagia scales of two patients were assessed as mild 3 months after surgery, and the others were assessed as normal. All patients’ dysphagia scores returned to normal 12 months after surgery. The average NDI and average neck VAS scores 12 months after surgery were 2.53 and 8.41, respectively.Conclusion It is clinically feasible with the assistance of a screw-rod auxiliary system to perform occipitocervical fusion for unstable atlas fractures. This novel technique can objectively restore the occipitocervical angle of patients, and there are few postoperative complications.
Predictive hazard markers for the ranking of pulmonary toxicity of nanomaterials
Authors: Nishida Chinatsu , Izumi Hiroto , Tomonaga Taisuke , Takeshita Jun-ichi , Yamasaki Kei , Yatera Kazuhiro , Morimoto Yasuo
Published: June 2020

Background

We analyzed the mRNA expression of chemokines in rat lungs following intratracheal instillation of nanomaterials in order to find useful predictive markers of the pulmonary toxicity of nanomaterials. Four nanomaterials, nickel oxide (NiO) and cerium dioxide (CeO2) as nanomaterials with high pulmonary toxicity, and titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) as nanomaterials with low pulmonary toxicity, were intratracheally administered into rat lungs at 0.8 mg/kg BW or 4 mg/kg BW as low and high doses, respectively. Five chemokine genes (C-X-C motif chemokine 5 (CXCL5), C-C motif chemokine 2 (CCL2), C-C motif chemokine 7 (CCL7), C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10), and C-X-C motif chemokine 11 (CXCL11) ) were selected using cDNA microarray analysis at 1 month after instillation of NiO in the high dose group. The mRNA expression of these 5 genes in the lung tissues were evaluated at 3 days, 1week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after instillation of the 4 nanomaterials, using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) during the observation periods.
Results

An increased expression of CXCL5 in the NiO and CeO2 groups was persistently higher than in the control group, and that in the TiO2 and ZnO groups was transiently higher than in the control group. CCL2 and CCL7 also showed an increasing tendency similar to CXCL5, although there was not a persistent significance. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) results of nanomaterial toxicity with the expression level of each gene showed a considerable relationship between the pulmonary toxicity ranking of nanomaterials and the expression of CXCL5, CCL2 and CCL7, with area under the curves (AUC) of 0.95 or higher at 1 week and 1 month. The expression levels of these 3 genes also moderately or strongly correlated with the degree of inflammatory cells in the lung tissues.
Conclusion

Our results suggest that 3 chemokine genes, especially CXCL5, followed by CCL2 and CCL7, can be useful as biomarkers for the ranking of the pulmonary toxicity of nanomaterials.
The diets of sows with fish oil might decrease the oxidative stress and inflammatory response in sows, but increase the susceptibility to inflammatory response in their offspring
Authors: Luo Wenli , Zhang Jing , Xu Weina , Xu Jianxiong
Published: June 2020

Backgroup: This aim of this study was to investigate that the effect of supplement maternal diet with fish oil on the oxidative stress and inflammatory response of sows and their offspring.Methods: Twelve sows were divided into two groups. Sows were fed soybean oil diet (SD) or soybean oil + fish oil diet (FD) from gestating to lactating period. The blood samples of lactating sows were collected. At the age of 14 days, one piglet was selected from each litter. After the blood was collected from the anterior vena cava, LPS was injected into the neck muscle. The blood was collected 5 hours after LPS injection. At 48h after LPS injection, blood and liver samples were collected.Results: Maternal fish oil supplementation improved the health of sows by increasing the level of HDL-C and decreasing the levels of AKP and TNF-α in the plasma of sow (P<0.05), and induced a positive effect on litter immune status associated with a modification of both IgG in the colostrum and IL-10 in the milk(P<0.05).In addition, antioxidant capacity in piglets increased by improving the level of GSH-Px and T-AOC (P<0.05) in the plasma of piglets 48h after LPS challenged. Meanwhile, the expression of GSH-Px mRNA and p-ERK protein in the livers of piglets was inhibited (P<0.05). However, in FD group, the level of IL-1β and IL-6 in the plasma of piglets were significantly higher before and after LPS challenged (P<0.05). The expression of NF-κB mRNA and p-IκB-α protein was increased in the liver of piglets (P<0.05). Conclusion: These results indicated that the diet of sow with fish oil might decrease the oxidative stress and inflammatory response in sows and enhance the antioxidative ability in their progenies, but might increase the susceptibility to inflammatory response in progenies.
Possible associations between callers’ degree-of-worry and their socioeconomic status when contacting out-of-hours services: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Gamst-Jensen Hejdi , Thilsted Sita LeBlanc , Folke Fredrik , Tolstrup Janne S. , Thygesen Lau Caspar
Published: June 2020

Background:

Telephone triage within out-of-hours (OOH) services aims to ascertain the urgency of a caller’s medical condition in order to determine the correct type of health care needed, ensuring patient safety. To improve the triage process by increasing patient-centred communication, a triage tool has been developed, whereby callers are asked to rate their degree-of-worry (DOW) as a measure of self-evaluated urgency. Studies show that low socioeconomic status (SES), being single and non-Western ethnicity are associated to low self-rated health and morbidity and these factors may also be associated with high DOW. The aim of this paper was to examine if low SES, being single and non-Western ethnicity were associated to high DOW of callers contacting OOH services.
Methods:

A prospective cohort study design, at the OOH services for the Capital Region of Denmark. Over two weeks, 6,869 of 38,787 callers met the inclusion criteria: ≥18 years, patients themselves or close relative/friend, reported DOW, had a valid personal identification number and gave informed consent. Callers were asked to report their DOW (1 = minimal worry to 5 = maximal worry), which was dichotomized into low (1–3) and high (4–5) DOW and linked to data from electronical medical records and Statistics Denmark. Socioeconomic factors (education and annual household income), marital status and ethnicity were assessed in relation to DOW by logistic regression.
Results:

High DOW was reported by 38.2% of the participants. Low SES (low educational level; OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3–1.7 and low annual household income; 1.5, 1.3–1.6) was associated with high DOW and so too was being single; 1.2, 1.1–1.3 and of non-Western ethnicity; 2.9, 2.5–3.4.
Conclusions:

Knowledge of the association of low SES, marital status as single and non-Western ethnicity with high DOW among callers to OOH services may give call handlers a better understanding of callers’ DOW. If this does not correspond to the call handler’s perception of urgency, this knowledge may further encourage patient-centred communication, aid the triage process and increase patient safety. A better understanding of socioeconomic variables and their relation to callers’ DOW gives direction for future research to improve telephone triage of OOH services.
Low-dose warfarin combined with low-dose aspirin associated Spinal intramedullary hemorrhage: a case report
Authors: Zhou Pan , Liu Ren-li , Zhang Ke-bao , Liu De-hong , Deng Zhe
Published: June 2020

Background:Spinal intramedullary hemorrhage is a rare event, the disease still has not received enough attention and many characteristics of the disease have not been sufficiently explored. Due to its rarity, it can easily be forgotten or misdiagnosed. Case presentation:We report a case of 72-year-old male patient with a medical history of coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation (AF), hypertension, cervical spondylosis, carotid and vertebral artery stenosis with low-dose anticoagulation combined with low-dose antiplatelet therapy who suffered from sudden posterior neck and back pain for 3 hours visited our emergency department (ED). The International Normalization Ratio (INR) were controlled well, and other laboratory tests were within normal limits or only slightly abnormal. However, the patient was diagnosed with spinal intramedullary hemorrhage and died finally. Conclusion:Anticoagulation combined with antiplatelet-associated rare and life-threatening complications should be paid more attention.
Discontinuation of Hydroxychloroquine in Older Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Multicenter Retrospective Study
Authors: Ruiz Ruth Fernandez , Bornkamp Nicole , Kim Mimi Y. , Askanase Anca D. , Zezon Anna , Tseng Chung-E , Belmont H. Michael , Saxena Amit , Salmon Jane E. , Lockshin Michael , Buyon Jill P. , Izmirly Peter M.
Published: June 2020

Background: Although hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a mainstay of treatment for patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), ocular toxicity can result from accumulated exposure. As the longevity of patients with SLE improves, data are needed to balance the risk of ocular toxicity and the risk of disease flare, especially in older patients with quiescent disease. Accordingly, this study was initiated to examine the safety of HCQ withdrawal in older SLE patients.Methods: Data were obtained by retrospective chart review at three major lupus centers in New York City. Twenty-six patients who discontinued HCQ, and thirty-two patients matched for gender, race/ethnicity and age were included in this study. The primary outcome was the occurrence of a lupus flare classified by the revised version of the Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus: National Assessment version of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI) Flare composite index, within one year of HCQ withdrawal or matched time of continuation.Results: Five patients (19.2%) in the HCQ withdrawal group compared to five (15.6%) in the HCQ continuation group experienced a flare of any severity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.28; 95% CI: 0.31, 5.30; p = 0.73). There were no severe flares in either group. The results were similar after adjusting for length of SLE, number of American College of Rheumatology criteria, low complement levels, and SELENA-SLEDAI score, and in a propensity score analysis (OR = 1.18; 95% CI: 0.23, 6.16, p = 0.84). The analysis of time to any flare revealed a non-significant earlier time to flare in the HCQ withdrawal group (log rank p = 0.67). Most flares were in the cutaneous and musculoskeletal systems, but one patient in the continuation group developed pericarditis. The most common reason for HCQ withdrawal was maculopathy.Conclusions: In this retrospective study of older stable patients with SLE on long-term HCQ, withdrawal did not significantly increase the risk of flares.
Gelactin-9 Mediates the Therapeutic Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Experimental Endotoxemia
Authors: Zhao Yiming , Yu Dingding , Wang Hongda , Jin Wang , Li Xiang , Hu Yonghao , Qin Yafei , Kong Dejun , Li Guangming , Ellen Acheampong , Wang Hao
Published: June 2020

Background: Endotoxemia, mediated by uncontrolled immunocytes activation toward Lipopolysaccharide, could deteriorate into severe septic shock, but with limited treatment effect. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), with excellent immune regulatory capacities, have displayed potential in multiple inflammatory disease treatment. Gelactin-9 (Gal-9), a newly discovered immune checkpoint, has been demonstrated to mediate immunomodulatory effect of MSCs in vitro. However, its in vivo role in alleviating endotoxemia remains to be elucidated.Methods: MSCs (2.5×10⁵/ml) were obtained and stimulated with IFN-γ (20ng/ml) for 72 hours. Gal-9 expression on MSCs were measured by ELISA, RT-PCR, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence respectively. Then, experimental endotoxemia was induced by LPS injection (10mg/kg, i.p.), followed by the treatment with Gal-9-MSC (20ng/ml, 72 hours), MSCs and MSC+α-lactose (10.8mg/mL, 500ul, i.v.). Therapeutic effects of MSC-based treatments were assessed by monitoring murine sepsis score, survival rate, splenocyte proportion, phenotype polarization, inflammatory mediator levels and pathological manifestations. Furthermore, Gal-9 expression in multiple organs was also detected after administering the treatments.Results: It has been found that MSCs expressed Gal-9 and its level was increased in a dose-dependent manner after being stimulated by IFN-γ. Moreover, adoptive transferred of IFN-γ pre-stimulated MSCs into endotoxemia mice was found with relieved symptoms and increased survival rate. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that Gal-9-MSC could promote macrophage polarization to M2-subtype and increase Treg ratios in spleen. Further results also demonstrated that, Gal-9-mediated MSC therapy could assist in attenuating local and circulating pro-inflammatory mediators expression (TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ and iNOS), but increasing anti-inflammatory mediators expression (T-SOD and IL-35). Additionally, after administrating Gal-9-MSC, it was also found there was a significant relief in pathological manifestations, and with a higher expression of Gal-9 in liver, kidney and lung homogenate.Conclusions: This study revealed that Gal-9 mediated therapeutic effects of MSCs in alleviating endotoxemia injury, which provides a novel idea for supplementing the research of MSC immunoregulatory mechanism, and offers an excellent candidate to be used in treatment of endotoxemia in the clinical settings.
Effects of exosomes from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell on cardiac function in rats with dilated cardiomyopathy induced by Adriamycin
Authors: liu shuangshuang , Yi Shun , Wang Benzhen , Mao Chenggang , Chi Jingwei , Che Kui , Shen Jinmei , Lu Xiaoqiong , Li Zipu
Published: June 2020

Background

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common cardiomyopathies in children, but we have no effective method to treat it. In recent years,the application of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hucMSC) therapy in DCM has made a great progress, whileits mechanism remains unknown. The paracrine of hucMSCs has attracted attention as the main mechanism. In this study we explore the effect of the human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (hucMSC-Ex) on the cardiac function in rat models with DCM that is induced by Adriamycin.
Methods

Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with Adriamycin to establish aDCM model. HucMSC-Ex were injected through the tail vein in the DCM group and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was injected in theDCMcontrolgroup.The rats were monitored for 2 weeks and thecardiac function was evaluated using thecardiac ultrasound.The pathological changes of the myocardium were observed usingimmunohistochemistry. Western blot and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR were used to detect the expression of Smad3, alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and I type collagen (COLI)in the myocardial tissue amongthe groups of rats.Finally, the ultrastructure of the myocardium was observed using electron microscopy. High throughput sequencing was performed on the ventricular muscles in each group.
Result

High-throughput sequencing results show that after the treatment with hucMSC-Ex, the level of myocardial Scn5a in the myocardium significantly increased (P < 0.05). RT-PCR shows that the level of Lmod2 also significantly increased.The expression of Smad3,α-SMA and COL I was reduced(P < 0.05).The inflammation in the myocardial tissue decreased and the mitochondrial swelling was reduced.The left ventricular ejection function (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS)in the rats significantly increased (P < 0.05) and the cardiac function was significantly improved (P < 0.05).
Conclusion

The treatment with hucMSC-Ex through the tail vein can significantly improve thecardiac function and reduce the degree of myocardial fibrosis induced by Adriamycin.
Plasma Lipid Levels and Risk of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma: A Genetic Study Using Mendelian Randomization
Authors: Xu Mengqiao , Li Shengguo , Zhu Jundong , Luo Dawei , Song Weitao , Zhou Minwen
Published: June 2020

Background: The causal effects of plasma lipid concentrations and the risk of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) are still unclear. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify, applying a two-sample MR analysis, whether plasma lipid concentrations are causally associated with the risk of POAG.Methods Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis of data from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to investigate the causal role of plasma lipid levels and POAG. A total of 185 independent SNPs associated with plasma lipid levels were selected as instrumental variables (IVs). The SNPs were obtained from a meta-analysis of GWAS based on 188,577 European-ancestry individuals for MR analyses. Association with POAG for the SNPs was obtained from a GWAS conducted among the United Kingdom (UK) Biobank study participants with a total of 463,010 European-ancestry individuals. Four MR methods (inverse variance weighted [IVW], weighted mode, weighted median, and MR-Egger regression) were applied to obtain the overall causal estimate for multiple, instrumental SNPs.Results Using the IVW analysis method, no evidence was found to support a causal association between plasma LDL-C level and POAG risk (β=-0.00026; 95% CI=-0.00062, 0.00011; P=0.165) with no significant heterogeneity among SNPs. The overall causal estimate between plasma LDL-C level and POAG was consistent using the other three MR methods. Using the four MR methods, no evidence of an association between plasma HDL-C (β=0.00023; 95% CI=-0.00015, 0.00061; P=0.238; IVW method) or TG levels (β=-0.00028; 95% CI=-0.00071, 0.00015; P=0.206; IVW method) and POAG risk was found. Sensitivity analyses did not reveal any sign of directional pleiotropy.Conclusions The present study did not find any evidence for a causal association between plasma lipid levels and POAG risk. Further research is needed to elucidate the potential biological mechanisms to provide a reasonable interpretation for these results.
COVID-19 Infection Associated With Auto-immune Hemolytic Anemia
Authors: Capes Antoine , Bailly Sarah , Hantson Philippe , Gerard Ludovic , Laterre Pierre-François
Published: June 2020

A 62-y-old man developed Covid-19 infection. Fourteen days after the first respiratory symptoms, he presented biological signs of hemolysis with cold agglutinins 1/16384. Other causes of auto-immune hemolytic anemia (infectious, hematological,…) were excluded.
Effectiveness and acceptability of a text message intervention (DTEXT) on diabetes control and self-management for people with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial.
Authors: Waller Karen , Furber Susan , Bauman Adrian , Allman-Farinelli Margaret , Dolder Paul van den , Hayes Alison , Facci Franca , Franco Lisa , Webb Alison , Moses Robert , Cook Rebecca , Gugusheff Jessica , Owen Katherine , Colagiuri Stephen
Published: June 2020

Background

Mobile phone text message interventions have the potential to improve the health of people with type 2 diabetes at a population level. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness and acceptability of a mobile phone text message intervention (DTEXT) on diabetes control and self-management behaviours for Australian adults with type 2 diabetes.

Methods
A two-armed parallel non-blinded randomised control trial was conducted with 395 community dwelling adults with type 2 diabetes and HbA1c ≥7.0% (53 mmol/mol). Block randomisation occurred after completion of baseline measures. The control group received usual care, the intervention group received usual care and the automated six month text message intervention (daily messages for months 1-3, four messages per week for months 4-6). Pathology measures and self-report telephone surveys were assessed using intention to treat analysis. Generalised estimating equations determined between group changes in HbA1c at 3 and 6 months. Secondary outcomes included change in nutrition, physical activity, blood lipid profile, body mass index, quality of life, self-efficacy, medication adherence and program acceptability.

Results
No significant difference was observed between the intervention (n=197) or control group (n=198) for HbA1c at 3 months (-0.11%; CI -0.28, 0.07; d= -0.05, p=0.23) or 6 months (-0.13%; CI -0.33, 0.08; d= -0.05, p=0.22). A significant improvement in nutrition was seen with consumption of vegetables at 3 months (0.74 serves/day; 95%CI 0.34, 1.12; d =0.31, p<0.01) and 6 months (0.42 serves/day; 95% CI 0.03, 0.82; d =0.18, p=0.04); fruit at 3 months (0.21 serves/day; 95% CI 0.00, 0.41; d =0.09, p<0.05) and discretionary sweet foods at 3 months (-1.10 times/week; 95% CI -2.03, -0.16; d =-0.47, p=0.02). No other significant effects were seen at 3 months and 6 months. The intervention demonstrated high rates of acceptability (94.0%) and minimal withdrawal (1.5%).

Conclusions
A mobile phone text message intervention can improve some nutritional behaviours in people with type 2 diabetes, but does not significantly improve HbA1c or other health outcomes. DTEXT provides a highly accepted and potentially scalable form of self-management support that can complement existing diabetes care.

Trial Registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, Trial ID: ACTRN12617000416392. Registered: 23 March 2017.
The Outcomes Between Acute and Delayed Repair After Achilles Tendon Rupture
Authors: Ma Jimin , Lu Hanli , Chen Xinxing , Wang Qiang
Published: June 2020

Background: To assess the outcomes of patients with delayed presentation, who had received no treatment until 14 days later following injury of Achilles tendon rupture repaired with open reconstruction surgery and were compared with a group of patients who received surgery within 14 days.Methods: A total of twenty-four patients with Achilles tendon rupture who were treated with uniform surgical techniques were retrospectively assessed. The cohort was divided into two groups according to the time from injury to surgery (TTS): acute repair (TTS≤14days) and delayed repair (TTS>14days).Function was evaluated by the Tegner activity level. Score evaluation included Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) and Visual analogue score (VAS).Results: At least 12 months following repair, patients with delayed repair (TTS: 14-28days) had mean (SD) ATRS score of 88.4(7.8) compared with 89.2(6.3) in patients treated acutely. There were no significant differences between groups: Tegner [mean (SD) delayed: 4.3(1.6), acute: 4.4(1.5)], VAS score [mean (SD) delayed: 1.8(0.7), acute: 1.6(0.9)]. There were also no significant differences in complications between the two groups.Conclusions: For those patients with delayed presentation of 14 to 28 days，even though the local medical departments don't have minimally invasive incision techniques or Achilles tendon repair equipment, open repair is also a better choice.
Evaluation of the Bone Morphology Around Four Types of Porous Metal Implants Placed in Distal Femur of Ovariectomized Rats
Authors: Bondarenko Stanislav , Ashukina Nataliya , Maltseva Valentyna , Ivanov Gennadiy , Badnaoui Ahmed Amine , Schwarzkopf Ran
Published: June 2020

Background

To compare structural features of femoral bone of ovariectomized and non-ovariectomized rats after implantation of porous materials (TANTALUM, CONCELOC, TTM, ATLANT).

Methods

Experiments were carried out on 56 white laboratory female rats aged 6-months. Rats were randomly assigned into groups: Sham control group (SH) or ovariectomy group (OVX). Four different commercial implant materials (TTM, CONCELOC, TANTALUM, ATLANT) were placed into the defects (diameter 2.5mm, depth 3.0mm) in the distal metaphysis of femurs. Rats were sacrificed 45-days after surgery. Histological study was performed and the percentage of bone area (BA%) around the implant at a distance of 500μm in the cancellous area was measured.

Results

Formation of mature bone tissue of varying degrees around all of the implants was detected. In OVX rats cancellous bone defect zone was characterized by a high density of osteocytes on the surface. In the SH group, no differences in BA% among implant materials were found. In OVX rats the BA% around ATLANT implants was 1.5-time less (p=0.002) than around TANTALUM. The BA% around the rest of the materials was not statistically different.

Conclusions

Bone formation around the studied porous titanium and tantalum materials in the osteoporosis model was lower than in normal bone. There were differences in bone formation around the different materials in the osteoporosis model, while in the normal bone model these differences were absent.
Screening of Graves' Disease Susceptibility Genes by Whole Exome Sequencing in a Three-generation Family
Authors: Hu Zhuoqing , Li Wei , Li Miaosheng , Wei Hao , Hu Zhihui , Chen Yanting , Luo Ai , Li Wangen
Published: June 2020

Background: Graves’ disease(GD) has a tendency for familial aggregation, but it is uncommon to occur in more than two generations. Little is known about susceptibility genes for GD in the three-generation family.Methods: DNA were extracted from three-generation familial GD patient with a strong genetic background in a Chinese Han population. We utilize the Whole Exome Sequencing(WES) to screen and the Sanger sequencing confirmed potential disease-causing genes.Results:In this case study, there are five patients with Graves’ disease(GD) from a three-generation family. We firstly revealed the SNVs of MAP7D2(c. 452C>T: p. A151V), SLC1A7(c. 1204C>T: p. R402C), TRAF3IP3(c. 209A>T: p. N70I), PTPRB(c. 3472A>G: p. S1158G), PIK3R3(c. 121C>T: p. P41S), DISC1(c. 1591G>C: p. G531R) were associated with the familial GD. The Sanger sequencing confirmed these variations and more importantly is that the PolyPhen-2 score showed that the variants in TRAF3IP3, PTPRB, PIK3R3 are more likely to change protein functions.Conclusion: The MAP7D2, SLC1A7, TRAF3IP3, PTPRB, PIK3R3, DISC1 may be the candidate susceptibility genes for familial GD from a three generations family.
Ultrasound-targeted Microbubble Destruction Promotes Myocardial Angiogenesis and Functional Improventments in Rat Model of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Zhang Xijun , Zhu Haohui , Zhou Nanqian , Fang Zhixin , Yang Yuping , Jing Yun , Yuan Jianjun , Li Peng , Tian Xinqiao
Published: June 2020

Objective: Microvascular insufficiency takes a critical role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), therapeutic angiogenesis has been mainly used for the treatment of ischemic diseases. The present study sought to investigate the preclinical performance of SonoVue microbubbles(MBs) combined ultrasound(US) treatment on myocardial angiogenesis in a rat model of DCM and investigate the optimal ultrasonic parameters.Methods and Results: After the DCM model was established, the cardio protective effect of SonoVue MBs using US techniques was examined by histology, morphometry, and echocardiography evaluations. From morphologic observation and echocardiography, the DCM rats had a set of structural abnormalities in the heart compared to the normal rats. The US-MB groups exerted cardio protective effect in DCM rats, improved reparative neovascularization and increased cardiac perfusion, while the 26 cycle group showed significantly therapeutic effects on the cardiac functions in DCM rats.Conclusion: This strategy using SonoVue MB and US can significantly improve or even reverse cardiac dysfunction and pathological abnormalities, especially using the 26 cycle parameters. Under further study, this combined strategy might provide a novel approach for early intervention of DCM in diabetic patients.
A Generalised Approach for High-throughput Instance Segmentation of Stomata in Microscope Images
Authors: Jayakody Hiranya Samanga , Petrie Paul , de Boer Hugo , Whitty Mark
Published: June 2020

Background: Stomata analysis using microscope imagery provides important insight into plant physiology, health and the surrounding environmental conditions. Plant scientists are now able to conduct automated high-throughput analysis of stomata in microscope data, however, existing detection methods are sensitive to the appearance of stomata in the training images, thereby limiting general applicability. In addition, existing methods only generate bounding-boxes around detected stomata, which require users to implement additional image processing steps to study stomata morphology. In this paper, we develop a fully automated, robust stomata detection algorithm which can also identify individual stomata boundaries regardless of the plant species, sample collection method, imaging technique and magnification level. Results: The proposed solution consists of three stages. Firstly, the input image is pre-processed to remove any colour-space biases occurring from different sample collection and imaging techniques. Secondly, a Mask R-CNN is applied to estimate individual stomata boundaries and the feature pyramid network embedded in the Mask R-CNN allows the network to identify stomata at different scales. Finally, a statistical filter is implemented at the Mask R-CNN output to reduce the number of false positive generated by the network. The algorithm was tested using 16 datasets from 12 sources, containing over 60,000 stomata. For the first time in this domain, the proposed solution was tested against 7 microscope datasets never seen by the algorithm to show the generalisability of the solution. Results indicated that the proposed approach can detect stomata with a precision, recall, and F-score of 95.10%, 83.34%, and 88.61%, respectively. A separate test conducted by comparing estimated stomata boundary values with manually measured data showed that the proposed method has an IoU score of 0.70; a 7% improvement over the bounding-box approach. Conclusion: The proposed method shows robust performance across multiple microscope image datasets of different quality and scale. This generalised stomata detection algorithm allows plant scientists to conduct stomata analysis whilst eliminating the need to re-label and re-train for each new dataset. The open-source code for the project can be directly deployed in Google Colab or any other Tensorflow environment.
Development and validation of a clinical score to estimate progression to severe or critical state in Covid-19 pneumonia hospitalized patients
Authors: Gude Francisco , Valdés Luis , Ferreiro Lucía
Published: June 2020

The prognosis of a patient with Covid-19 pneumonia is uncertain. Our objective was to establish a predictive model of disease progression to facilitate early decision-making.A retrospective study was performed of patients admitted with Covid-19 pneumonia, classified as severe (admission to the intensive care unit, mechanic invasive ventilation, or death) or non-severe. A predictive model based on clinical, analytical, and radiological parameters was built. The probability of progression to severe disease was estimated by logistic regression analysis. Calibration and discrimination (receiver operating characteristics curves and AUC) were assessed to determine model performance.During the study period 1,152 patients presented with Covid-19 infection, of whom 229 (19.9%) were admitted for pneumonia. During hospitalization, 51 (22.3%) progressed to severe disease, of whom 26 required ICU care (11.4); 17 (7.4%) underwent invasive mechanical ventilation, and 32 (14%) died of any cause. Five predictors determined within 24 hours of admission were identified: Diabetes, Age, Lymphocyte count, SaO2, and pH (DALSH score). The prediction model showed a good clinical performance, including discrimination (AUC 0.87 CI 0.81, 0.92) and calibration (Brier score = 0.11). In total, 0%, 12%, and 50% of patients with severity risk scores ≤5%, 6-25%, and >25% exhibited disease progression, respectively.A simple risk score based on five factors predicts disease progression and facilitates early decision-making according to prognosis.
Chronic Kidney Disease in Cameroon: A scoping review
Authors: Aseneh Jerry Brown , Kemah Ben-Lawrence A. , Mabouna Stephane , Emmanuel Njang Mbeng , Ekane Domin Sone Majunda , Agbor Valirie Ndip
Published: June 2020

Objectives﻿This scoping review sought to summarize available data on the prevalence, associated factors, etiology, comorbidities, treatment, cost, and mortality of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Cameroon.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Scopus and African Journals Online from database inception to 31 March, 2020 to identify all studies published on the prevalence, associated factors, etiology, comorbidities, treatment, cost and mortality of CKD in Cameroon.ResultsThirty studies were included. The population prevalence of CKD varied from 3-14.1% and 10.0%-14.2% in rural and urban areas, respectively. The prevalence of CKD in patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and human immunodeficiency virus was 12.4-50.0%, 18.5%, and 3.0-47.2%, respectively. Hypertension (22.3-59.1%), chronic glomerulonephritis (15.8-56.2%), and diabetes mellitus (15.8-56.2%) were the most common causes of CKD. The cause was unknown in 13.5-17.0% of the cases. Advanced age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity were frequent associated factors. Hemodialysis was the main treatment modality in patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The monthly cost of management of non-dialyzed CKD was 163 US dollars. The one-year mortality rate of ESRD was 26.8-38.6%.ConclusionChronic kidney disease in affects about one in ten adults in the general population in Cameroon Patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and human immunodeficiency virus bear the greatest burden of CKD in Cameroon. Advanced age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity are major factors associated with CKD. Chronic kidney disease in Cameroon is associated with high morbidity and mortality and huge economic cost on the patient.
The relationship between measures of religiosity and the prevalence and outcome of COVID-19: a population-level pilot study
Authors: Rajkumar Ravi Philip
Published: June 2020

Religious belief and practice are associated with better mental and physical health as well as prosocial behaviour, both of which may influence the wide variations in prevalence and mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic observed to date. This study examined the association between measures of religious affiliation and practice and indices of the prevalence and mortality of COVID-19 across nations, and found evidence for a possible protective effect of religious belief and practice on the spread of COVID-19 as well as on mortality rates. This requires further investigation at a local and individual level.
The dynamics of COVID-19 in the UAE based on fractional derivative modeling using Riesz wavelets simulation
Authors: Mohammad Mutaz , Trounev Alex , Cattani Carlo
Published: June 2020

The well-known novel virus (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus which considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a dangerous epidemic. More than 3.5 million positive cases and 250 thousand deaths (up to May 5, 2020) caused by COVID-19 and has affected more than 280 countries over the world. Therefore, studying the prediction of this virus spreading in further attracts a major public attention. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), up to same date, there are 14730 positive cases and 137 deaths according to national authorities. In this work, we study a dynamical model based on fractional derivative of nonlinear equations that describe the outbreak of COVID-19 according to the available infection data announced and approved by the national committee in the press. We simulate the available total cases reported based on Riesz wavelets generated by some refinable functions, namely the smoothed pseudo-splines of type I and II with high vanishing moments. Based on these data, we also consider the formulation of the pandemic model using Caputo fractional derivative definition. We then solve numerically the nonlinear system that describe the dynamics of COVID-19 with the given resources based on the collocation Riesz wavelet system constructed. We present graphical illustrations of the numerical solutions of all parameter of the model being handled under different situations. It is anticipated that these results will contribute to the ongoing research to reduce the spreading of the virus and infection cases.
MATEMATIKA DALAM ARSITEKTUR: KONSEP SUSUNAN BILANGAN REAL DALAM KONSTRUKSI ATAP LOPO DI BENTENG NONE
Authors: Lapenangga Apridus , Rowa Yohana , Lakapu Meryani
Published: June 2020

Title: Mathematics in Architecture: The Concept of Numbers in Roof Structure Construction of Fort None Lopo

Fort None is a traditional fortress in which there are traditional buildings of the Dawan people, namely Lopo and Ume Kbubu. One of the Lopo in this area was once burned and has not been rebuilt. This is one of the reasons this study was conducted, to find out the mathematical elements in Lopo construction which can be useful as a design guidelines for other Lopo building construction. This study aims to analyze in depth the concept of configuration of real numbers on the Lopo roof construction in Benteng None, so the method used is qualitative research with ethnographic design. This discussion is carried out by analyzing three construction elements on the Lopo roof, namely: 5 inner circles, 26 outer circles and rectangles on the Lopo roof. So, it can be concluded that some construction elements on the Lopo roof which are mathematically analyzed show the existence of the concept of real number configuration. From this discussion, the results show that there are types of real number configuration, including: Monotonic real numbers descending, finite real numbers, fixed real numbers with fixed differences and real numbers with non-fixed differences.
A Survey of Quantitative Descriptions of Molecular Structure
Authors: Guha Rajarshi , Willighagen Egon
Published: June 2020

Numerical characterization of molecular structure is a first step in many computational analysis of chemical structure data. These numerical representations, termed descriptors, come in many forms, ranging from simple atom counts and invariants of the molecular graph to distribution of properties, such as charge, across a molecular surface. In this article we first present a broad categorization of descriptors and then describe applications and toolkits that can be employed to evaluate them. We highlight a number of issues surrounding molecular descriptor calculations such as versioning and reproducibility and describe how some toolkits have attempted to address these problems.
The Use of the R Language for Medicinal Chemistry Applications
Authors: Mente Scot , Kuhn Max
Published: June 2020

This manuscript serves as a review of how the R language has been used in the last decade to address problems related to medicinal chemistry design. This includes the use of the R language for chemoinformatics applications and interfaces, as well as statistical modeling for ADMET and potency endpoints. Additionally, a few examples of R code are provided to demonstrate the ability of this language to make available cutting-edge statistical analysis to the medicinal chemistry design community.
Drug Discovery Applications for KNIME: An Open Source Data Mining Platform
Authors: Mazanetz Michael P. , Reisser Catherine B. T. , Marmon Robert J. , Morao Inaki
Published: June 2020

Technological advances in high-throughput screening methods, combinatorial chemistry and the design of virtual libraries have evolved in the pursuit of challenging drug targets. Over the last two decades a vast amount of data has been generated within these fields and as a consequence data mining methods have been developed to extract key pieces of information from these large data pools. Much of this data is now available in the public domain. This has been helpful in the arena of drug discovery for both academic groups and for small to medium sized enterprises which previously would not have had access to such data resources. Commercial data mining software is sometimes prohibitively expensive and the alternate open source data mining software is gaining momentum in both academia and in industrial applications as the costs of research and development continue to rise. KNIME, the Konstanz Information Miner, has emerged as a leader in open source data mining tools. KNIME provides an integrated solution for the data mining requirements across the drug discovery pipeline through a visual assembly of data workflows drawing from an extensive repository of tools. This review will examine KNIME as an open source data mining tool and its applications in drug discovery.
Open Source Drug Discovery with Bioclipse
Authors: Spjuth Ola , Alvarsson Jonathan , Willighagen Egon , Carlsson Lars , Georgiev Valentin , Eklund Martin
Published: June 2020

We present the open source components for drug discovery that has been developed and integrated into the graphical workbench Bioclipse. Building on a solid open source cheminformatics core, Bioclipse has advanced functionality for managing and visualizing chemical structures and related information. The features presented here include QSAR/QSPR modeling, various predictive solutions such as decision support for chemical liability assessment, site-ofmetabolism prediction, virtual screening, and knowledge discovery and integration. We demonstrate the utility of the described tools with examples from computational pharmacology, toxicology, and ADME. Bioclipse is used in both academia and industry, and is a good example of open source leading to new solutions for drug discovery.