bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of binocular therapy as a complementary treatment of part-time patching in older amblyopic children: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Zhu Qing , Zhao Qi , Liang Ran , He Xin , Gao Ming-Jun
Published: March 2022

PURPOSE To assess the effectiveness of combined use of stereoscopic 3D video movies and part-time patching in treating older amblyopic children with poor response or compliance to traditional patching treatments and comparing this combined treatment with patching alone.Methods Thirty-two children aged 5–12 years with amblyopia associated with anisometropia, strabismus, or both were recruited in a randomized clinical trial. Eligible participants were assigned randomly to the combined and patching groups. Here, binocular treatment refers to using the Bangerter filter to blur the fellow eye and subsequently watching a close-up 3D movie with large parallax. The primary outcome was amblyopic-eye (AE) best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improvement at six weeks. In addition, secondary outcomes included BCVA of AE improvement at three weeks and change of stereo acuity.Results Of 32 participants, mean (SD) age was 6.63 (1.46) years, and 19 (59%) were female. At 6-weeks, mean (SD) amblyopic-eye VA improved to 0.17 ±0.08 logMAR ( 2-sided 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.22; F = 57.2, p＜0.01) and 0.05 ±0.04 logMAR (2-sided 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.09; F = 8.73, p = 0.01) in the combined and patching groups, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (mean difference, 0.13 logMAR [1.3 line]; 95% CI, 0.08–0.17 logMAR [0.8–1.7 lines]; t25 = 5.65, p <0 .01). After treatment, only the combined group had significantly improved stereo acuity, such as binocular function score (median [interquartile range], 2.30 [2.23 to 2.68] vs. 1.69 [1.60 to 2.30] log arcsec; paired, z = –3.53, p ＜0.01), and mean stereo acuity gain was 0.47 log arcsec (±0.22). Changes in other types of stereo acuity were similar.Conclusion Our laboratory-based binocular treatment strategy engaged a high level of compliance that led to a substantial gain in visual function after a short period of treatment for older amblyopic children having poor response or compliance to traditional patching treatments. Notably, the improving stereo acuity showed a greater advantage.
Analysis of movement processes occurring under varying load cases for the optimization of wire race bearings
Authors: Bauer Manuel , Rappold Franziska , Kley Markus
Published: March 2022

Rolling bearing technology is used in many areas of mechanical engineering. In order to be able to use and optimize the rolling bearing technology in a meaningful way, a particularly good knowledge of the movement processes in the bearings is required. In this paper the processes in wire race bearings under different loads are considered. In this case the three most common bearing loads, preload, axial load and radial load, were considered. For this purpose, preliminary considerations, simulations and tests were carried out and evaluated. The results of the simulation provide information on how the rolling process, load distribution and contact angle change takes place in the bearing. In the tests, the contact angle change in the bearing was investigated. The results of the preliminary considerations, the simulation and the tests based on these results are used to explain speed changes that occur under different types and intensities of load.
Automated Wheat Disease Detection Using A ROS-Based Autonomous Guided UAV
Authors: Safarijalal Behzad , Alborzi Yousef , Najafi Esmaeil
Published: March 2022

With the increase in world population, food resources have to be modified to be more productive, resistive, and reliable. Wheat is one of the most important food resources in the world, mainly because of the variety of wheat-based products. Wheat crops are threatened by three main types of diseases which cause large amounts of annual damage in crop yield. These diseases can be eliminated by using pesticides at the right time. While the task of manually spraying pesticides is burdensome and expensive, agricultural robotics can aid farmers by increasing the speed and decreasing the amount of chemicals. In this work, a smart autonomous system has been implemented on an unmanned aerial vehicle to automate the task of monitoring wheat fields. First, an image-based deep learning approach is used to detect and classify disease-infected wheat plants. To find the most optimal method, different approaches have been studied. Because of the lack of a public wheat-disease dataset, a custom dataset has been created and labeled. Second, an efficient mapping and navigation system is presented using a simulation in the robot operating system and Gazebo environments. A 2D simultaneous localization and mapping algorithm is used for mapping the workspace autonomously with the help of a frontier-based exploration method.
Optimization of sampling structure on UAV for gas leakage monitoring in the atmosphere
Authors: Ma Denglong , SICHENG Guo , ZHOU Yuxiang , AO Zezhou , QIU Yuhang , GAO Jianmin
Published: March 2022

In order to make a fast and accurate response for gas leakage event, e.g. gas leakage in hydrogen storage station, it is very important to identify and locate the leakage source accurately and quickly. Due to the flexibility and the adaptability of robot to harsh environment, leakage source tracing based on mobile robot has attracted more and more attention. However, the existing ground robots are limited by the ground environment and thus it is difficult to trace and locate the leakage in the complex environment with ground robot. Although UAV (Unmanned aerial vehicle) can overcome the limitation of ground obstacles, there are still some problems in the accuracy and reliability of gas sampling due to the interference of flow field caused by UAV rotors to the surrounding gases. Based on CFD (Computational fluid dynamic) simulation, a simulation model of UAV with four rotors was established. Combined with test experiments, the influence of flow field around UAV on gas sampling under different UAV speeds, rotors assembly structures, leakage and sampling conditions was analyzed and investigated. The optimized UAV assembly structure and gas sensor installation position were determined and verified by the simulations and experiments. The results showed that the sensor was less affected by the rotor airflow when the UAV rotor was reversely assembled and the gases were sampled above the UAV. This research can provide a guidance of gas sampling for emission source tracing with UAV for process safety management of energy gas storage.
Association Between Prevalence of Anaemia and Malaria in Under-Five of Uganda: A Comparison of Ordered and Binary Logistic Multilevel Models
Authors: Natuhamya Charles , Nareeba Tryphena , Makumbi Fredrick , Ssenkusu John M. , Guwatudde David , Tumwesigye Nazarius Mbona , Nakafeero Mary
Published: March 2022

Background: several analyses of anemia prevalence in multilevel settings have dichotomized anemia as the response variable, ignoring its distinct ordered levels, leading to loss of information that may produce biased estimates. This study aimed at examining estimates from two multilevel models and the association between anemia and malaria in under-five of Uganda. Methods: a sample of 7,632 children, aged 0-59 months from the 2018-19 malaria indicator survey was analyzed using multilevel mixed effects logistic regression models. In one model, anemia was modeled as an ordinal categorical variable (no anemia, mild, moderate and severe) while in another model as a binary variable (no anemia and anemia). The main explanatory variable was the result of malaria test. Five models were fitted using each method (Model-1: the null model, Model-2: with malaria test result as the only covariate, Model-3: with individual level factors, Model-4: with household level factors, Model-5: with cluster level factors). The final model from each method was selected using Akaike’s information criterion (AIC). The model with more reliable estimates was selected basing on standard error (SE) values. Random effects variables were region, cluster and household. Results: anemia prevalence was (overall=51.62%; severe=1.36%; moderate=25.00%; mild=25.26%). The likelihood of a child who tested positive for malaria being anemic was about 5 folds in both models (OR=5.005; 95%CI, 4.369 – 5.733; p<0.001) and (OR=4.697; 95%CI, 3.983 – 5.538; p<0.001) for the ordered and binary logistic model respectively. Generally; sex, age, and wealth index were associated with a lower likelihood of being anemic. Although AIC values were lower in the binary model compared to the ordered model, the former was considered as a better model as it yielded lower standard errors for all estimates hence more reliable values.Conclusion: analysts should use modeling techniques that account for the order aspect in categorical outcome variables and avoid dichotomization. Choice of the best model should be based on standard errors besides AIC. Large standard errors are associated with large confidence intervals that may lead to type II error. Malaria increases risk of anemia.
Molecular Dynamic Approach to Predict the Miscibility of Excipients for Lipid-based Formulations.
Authors: Babu Murugesan Anand , Nithya Radhakrishnan , Sankar Veintramuthu , Muniswamy Nithyananth
Published: March 2022

This research work sought to investigate the miscibility of various excipients with Nebivolol hydrochloride (NBV) to develop stable lipid-based nanoparticles. The miscibility of NBV with excipients such as Glyceryl Mono Oleate (GMO), VIT-E TPGS and Poloxamer 407 was predicted using molecular simulation. The miscibility predicted by in-silico approach was corroborated with a thermogram obtained from Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Desmond MD engine using OPLS-3e force field was used to perform molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. The cohesive energy density and the solubility parameters (δ) were determined for all the compounds. Solubility parameters computed from the simulation indicate that the mixture of NBV/GMO and NBV/VITE-TPGS are miscible with each other. The miscibility is determined by the difference in solubility parameter between drug and carrier. DSC thermogram observations have substantiated the miscibility of NBV /GMO, NBV/Poloxamer 407 and NBV/VITE-TPGS. This finding indicates that Nebivolol hydrochloride is soluble in GMO and this combination is further miscible with Poloxamer 407. NBV/POLOXAMER 407 is predicted as immiscible. With this study, we report that the molecular dynamic simulation can potentially be used to understand the molecular level insights to develop the thermodynamically stable formulation.
Establishment and characteristics of GWH04, a new primary human glioblastoma cell line
Authors: Guo Dongsheng , Cheng Fangling , Mao Feng , Wan Xueyan , Li Youwei , Peng Peng , Xu Sanpeng , Han Chao , wang Bofeng
Published: March 2022

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a common and fatal disease of the central nervous system. It has a worldwide occurrence and affects people from diverse backgrounds. GBM cell lines are fundamental tools used in GBM research. The establishment of novel continuous GBM cell lines with clear genetic backgrounds could facilitate the exploration of molecular mechanisms and the screening and evaluation of antitumor drugs in GBM studies. Here, we established a novel primary glioblastoma cell line, named GWH04, from a patient with glioblastoma, and examined its short-tandem repeat (STR) genotype and various tumor parameters. The STR information of GWH04 was identical to that of the original primary tumor tissue. Compared with existing cell lines, GWH04 had a similar in vitro proliferation rate as U87 cell line, but a faster rate than GL15 cell line, and a substantial soft agar clone formation capacity. GWH04 showed subcutaneous and intracranial tumorigenic capacity, with an aneuploid karyotype and median 84 chromosomes. Gene sequencing further revealed the mutational status of genes TP53, PTEN, PDGFRA, ERBB2, BRCA1, NF1, and MLH1 and the promoter region of TERT (C228T) in this cell line. Altogether, these results indicate that GWH04 can facilitate human GBM studies both in vitro and in vivo.
Genetic and Functional Identifying of Novel Autosomal Dominant STAT1 Loss-of-function Mutations in Patients with Diverse Clinical Phenotypes
Authors: Chen Xuemei , Chen Ran , Sun Gan , Yang Lu , Jia Yanjun , Zhao Qin , Wen Wen , Zhou Lina , Ding Yuan , Tang Xuemei , Yang Jun , An Yunfei , Zhao Xiaodong
Published: March 2022

Purpose Mutations in Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) cause a broad spectrum of disease phenotypes. Heterozygous STAT1 loss-of-function (LOF) mutations cause Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMD) and Salmonella infection, both of which are attributable to impaired IFN-γ signaling. The identification of novel mutations may extend the phenotypes associated with autosomal dominant (AD) STAT1 deficiency.Methods Seven patients with heterozygous STAT1 variations were recruited and their clinical and immunologic phenotypes were analyzed, with particular reference to JAK-STAT1 signaling pathways.Results Five, heterozygous STAT1-deficiency mutations were identified, four of which were novel mutations. Two of the mutations were previously unreported mRNA splicing mutations in AD STAT1 deficient patients. Patients with heterozygous STAT1 deficiency suffered not only mycobacterial infection, but also Candida albicans infection and congenital multiple malformations. AD-LOF mutation impaired IFN-γ mediated STAT1 phosphorylation, gamma-activated sequence (GAS) and IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE) transcription activity and IFN-induced gene expression to different extents, which might account for the diverse clinical manifestations observed in these patients.Conclusion Aberrant splice of STAT1 RNA resulted in AD-LOF for STAT1 signaling. The infectious disease susceptibility and phenotypic spectrum of patients with AD STAT1-LOF are broader than simply MSMD and could overlap with AD STAT1-GOF mutation phenotypes. The susceptibility to infections and immunological deficiency phenotypes, observed in AD-LOF patients, confirms the importance of STAT1 in host-pathogen interaction and immunity. However, variability in the nature and extent of these phenotypes suggests that functional analysis is required to identify accurately novel, heterozygous STAT1 mutations, associated with pathogenicity.
Identifying Algeria's De Facto Exchange Rate Regime: A Wavelet-Based Approach
Authors: chibi abderrahim , Mohammed Chekouri Sidi , Mohamed Benbouziane
Published: March 2022

The Central Bank of Algeria has announced a managed float of the Algerian Dinar since 1994. Yet, there are some substantial differences between various de facto classifications for Algeria’s exchange rate regime. This study looks into the exchange rate regime of Algeria aiming to identify de facto regime. To identify the implicit basket weights for the Algerian dinar, first, the OLS rolling window methodology is used to estimate the celebrated Frankel -Wei regression. Then, the wavelet-based methods are applied to study the co-movement patterns of the exchange rates of the Algerian dinar, US dollar and Euro. In the main, the OLS rolling window results show that the US dollar and the euro are the currencies with the most influence over the Algerian dinar. Further, from the Wavelet Multiple Correlation (WMC) results, the US dollar is identified as the potential leader in the implicit basket for the Algerian dinar. Additionally, from the Wavelet Local Multiple Correlation (WLMC) results, it is found that the Algerian DZD, US dollar and euro are highly correlated, with a correlation value around 0.90 for most of the time scales. Based on the results obtained, we suggest that Algeria’s exchange rate regime could be a crawling peg and band around the US dollar and euro.
Online Detection System of Metal Wear Debris Based on Symmetrical Magnetic Excitation Balance Magnetic Field Model
Authors: Li Kai , Bai WenBin , Li Yuan , Dong HaoSen , Bian RuiQing , Gong QingQing , Ren YaJun
Published: March 2022

The metal wear debris generated by wear during the operation of the mechanical equipment can reflect the fault status of the equipment, and the online monitoring of the metal wear debris in the oil can timely understand the operation information of the equipment. Aiming at the effective response of metal wear debris under symmetrical magnetic excitation, an online monitoring system for metal wear debris with dual-coil balanced magnetic excitation was developed. Based on the spatial magnetic field distribution of the current-carrying element, an analytical model of the magnetic field intensity distribution of a single-turn current-carrying ring is designed, and it is optimized as a single set of coils made of a current-carrying ring, and the coupling of the magnetic excitation of the symmetrical double coil is deduced. The magnetic field distribution model is simulated and analyzed by numerical method. The flow channel of the system is 8 mm. After the semi-physical simulation test with the wear debris speed of 3.03-5.25 m/s, the sensor can realize the detection of 100 μm ferromagnetic metal and 1000 μm non-ferromagnetic metal. The experiment verifies the correctness of the simulation model of the coupled magnetic field distribution. This research provides technical support for the detection of hydraulic oil contaminants, which is of great significance for preventing hydraulic system failures and extending the working life of hydraulic equipment.
Weighted joint matching adaptive network for fault diagnosis of wind turbines in the new wind farm (PHM2021)
Authors: Zhang Guangyao , Li Yanting
Published: March 2022

In recent years, intelligent fault diagnosis methods based on deep learning have been widely used in the wind power industry. These methods mostly rely on sufficient labeled data to support model training. However, new wind farms often face the challenge of insufficient labeled data, which will hinder the practical application of the deep learning methods. In addition, data distributions of different wind farms are usually different, so the model trained by other wind farm data cannot be directly used for fault diagnosis of new wind farms. In view of the lack of labeled data in new wind farms, a transfer learning method: weighted joint matching adaptive network (wJMAN) is proposed. This method realizes the alignment of the source domain (other existing wind farms) and the target domain (the new wind farm) through sub-domain matching and joint distribution adaptation. Therefore, the information of other wind farms can be more effectively used in the construction of the fault diagnosis model of the new wind farm. In addition, in view of the imbalance between classification loss and adaptive loss in existing domain adaptation methods, an adaptive loss weight method is proposed, which makes the classification loss and adaptive loss more balanced and converges faster in the optimization process. The proposed wJMAN method is tested with the operating data from 4 real wind farms. The results show that wJMAN has higher diagnostic accuracy than common transfer learning methods.
Efficacy and Safety of Scopolamine Compared to Placebo in Individuals with Bipolar Disorder Who are Experiencing a Depressive Episode (SCOPE-BD): Study Protocol for a Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Miravalles Cerena , Kane Ruán , McMahon Eimear , McDonald Colm , Cannon Dara M. , Hallahan Brian
Published: March 2022

Background: Current treatment options for the management of depressive episodes in bipolar disorder are often sub-optimal, with some treatments either noted to be only partially effective or to require long durations of treatment prior to a therapeutic response. Therefore, pharmaco-therapeutic options that reduce depressive symptoms in a more rapid manner, might provide a viable therapeutic option for some people. Intravenous (IV) Scopolamine, a pan muscarinic antagonist has been demonstrated in a number of studies to confer a rapid antidepressant effect, albeit no study to date has exclusively evaluated its potential therapeutic effect in a cohort consisting solely of individuals with bipolar disorder.Methods: Individuals with bipolar disorder who are currently experiencing a depressive episode of at least moderate severity will be included in this study. Eligible participants will undergo a screening and placebo-run in visit, and will be randomised at visit 3 to the treatment or placebo group. Participants will receive the three blinded infusions over the course of two weeks, with two subsequent follow-up visits, one and three weeks after the last infusion visit. The total duration of the study will be approximately six weeks. Patients will continue their regular treatment regime in addition to study medication. Objective and subjective mood questionnaires, cognitive assessments and other psychometric instruments will be administered and recorded.Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the antidepressant effects of IV scopolamine in an exclusively bipolar disorder cohort. Trial findings will contribute to the evidence base regarding the cholinergic hypothesis of mood disorders and specifically might result in an additional safe therapeutic option for the management of depressive episodes in bipolar disorder.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04211961EudraCT Number: 2017-003112-39
Precision of Principal Component Analysis in a Larger Phenotypic Data Sets of Maize
Authors: Filho Alberto Cargnelutti , Toebe Marcos
Published: March 2022

In maize, research with multiple variables has been carried out and the principal component analysis (PCA) has been used in order to reduce the data dimensionality. The objective of this work was to study the impact of observations number and correlation matrix coefficients (r) magnitude in the eigenvalue estimates precision of the PCA, with simulated and real larger phenotypic data sets of maize. Seven data files were simulated, formed by twelve variables and 6340 observations. The first data file was simulated with 66 r of the correlation matrix equal to 0.35. The remaining six files were simulated with 66 r equal to 0.45, 0.55, 0.65, 0.75, 0.85 and 0.95. Real data file with twelve variables of 6340 maize plants with r in the interval |0.01 ≤ r ≤ 0.99| was used. For the eight cases, PCA were performed in 3000 resamples with replacement, for sample sizes of 12 to 1000 observations. Insufficient sampling generates inaccurate and biased principal components (PC1 and PC2) eigenvalues estimates, and samples with a high observations number allow reliable PCA. The precision of the PC1 and PC2 eigenvalues estimates increases with the highest observations number. The precision of the PC1 eigenvalues estimates increases with larger r magnitudes, and the PC2 eigenvalues decreases.
Mothers Living With Contamination Of Perfluoroalkyl Substances: An Assessment Of The Perceived Health Risk And Self-Reported Diseases
Authors: Girardi Paolo , Lupo Alice , Mastromatteo Libera Ylenia , Scrimin Sara
Published: March 2022

Widespread contamination of the superficial, drinking, and groundwater by perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was discovered in the Veneto Region (northeast of Italy) in 2013. Mothers from the contaminated area were concerned about the effects of PFAS on their own and their children’s health. We determined the factors that influenced the perceived risk of PFAS and the presence of self-reported diseases by conducting a study with 384 mothers of children aged 1–13 years living in the contaminated area (Red Zone, Veneto, Italy). Information on demography, the sources of exposure, and the health condition of the mothers was collected through an online survey. The serum PFAS concentration was recorded for some of the participants. We determined the factors influencing the perceived risk, risk of health outcomes, and serum PFAS levels through regression analyses. The PFAS perceived risk of the mothers increased with an increase in the trust in scientific institutions and social media, and when many friends were present, trust in politics and full-time employment had a protective effect. The PFAS perceived risk increased the occurrences of self-reported and autoimmune diseases. Longer residence (>20 years) in the most exposed area (Red Zone A) increased the frequency of some health outcomes. Serum PFAS concentrations decreased with breastfeeding, but increased with tap water consumption, residence in Red Zone A, and residence time. The PFAS perceived risk of the mothers was associated with many factors that influenced reporting of health issues. The association between PFAS exposure and health outcomes needs further investigation.
The effects PROSTATE care model in the perioperative management of patients underwent radical prostatectomy: An initial experience
Authors: yuan xiuqun , Wu Xiaorong , You Sijie , yang yan , Meng Xiaohong , Pan Jiahua , dong baijun , Zhu Yinjie , yuan xia
Published: March 2022

Purpose：To evaluate the effectiveness after implementing the PROSTATE care model which aims to prepare and support patients for radical prostatectomy. Methods: The PROSTATE care model was raised and developed based on literature review and available clinical practice guidelines. A total of 673 patients with prostate cancer were enrolled, including 295 patients who received conventional nursing pathway after radical prostatectomy between January 2015 and December 2017, and 378 patients after initiation of PROSTATE care model between January 2018 and December 2020. Length of hospital stay, postoperative outcomes, continence of patients, patient satisfaction and other related patient outcomes were compared between the two groups.Results: After implementation, the average length of stay decreased from 9.19±1.03 to 7.64±0.98 days (p<.01) without compromising quality of care. Time to remove pelvic drainage tubes dropped from 9.66±9.12 to 7.88±.44 days (p=.014), and urinary catheter shortened from 13.08±2.13 days to 9.79±2.40 days (p<.01). Moreover, patients ambulated earlier (p=.028), and recovered faster from incontinence at 3-month pad test (2.69±2.26 vs 3.98±2.74, p=.01) with a raised patient (p=.010). Conclusion: The PROSTATE care model is focused on the patient-orientated care with efforts from multi-disciplinary team. This model ensures the perioperative safety, promotes faster recovery and improves quality of life without increasing complication rates.
Failure to consider landscape complexity underestimates terrestrial animal home range size
Authors: Ortiz-Calo Waldemar , Heit David R. , Montgomery Robert A.
Published: March 2022

Context: The measurement of home range size and configuration has been a powerful and enduring method of quantifying animal-habitat relationships. Traditionally, home range estimators have been built using bivariate location data (e.g., x-y coordinates) which inherently assumes that animal movement is two-dimensional (2D). However, this is not representative of real-world systems. Objectives: Home range estimators that make these assumptions may underestimate animal home range size where 2D+ movement is probable. Our objective is to evaluate if landscape complexity impacts the accuracy of traditional home range estimators. Methods: We randomly sampled 50,000 animal home range extents at four different spatial scales (5, 10, 100, and 250 km2). We then quantified 2D and 2D+ home range estimates for each home range extent and quantified landscape complexity within. Results: When landscape complexity was low (i.e., global terrain ruggedness index [TRI] < 5.23) 2D and 2D+ home ranges were not statistically (α < 0.05) different. However, when landscapes were complex (i.e., TRI ≥ 5.23), 2D home ranges significantly underestimated home range area (range 5% to 83.66%). Importantly, 18% of the world’s terrestrial surface exceeds TRI level of 5.23. Conclusions: We found that as landscape complexity increased, so did the percent difference between 2D and 2D+ home range estimates across all spatial scales. We recommend that landscape complexity should be considered when modeling animal home ranges. By doing so, quantitative biases may be mitigated.
Circular RNA hsa-circ-0005283 enhances trophoblast cell migration and invasion and suppresses trophoblast apoptosis by regulating miR‑370-3p/CDC25B axis
Authors: Yao Jilong , Huang Zhuomin , Zhu Litong , Zhao Depeng , Zhang Quanfu
Published: March 2022

Background: A large body of evidence shows that insufficient trophoblast invasion and proliferation contributes to the pathogenesis of fetal growth restriction (FGR). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) were recently recognized to have a part in regulating the trophoblast function. We aim to elucidate the role of circRNAs underlying the development of FGR. Methods: The expression of circRNAs in placenta tissues with and without FGR were identified using next generation sequencing (NGS). In vitro experiments including transfection, qRT-PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, dual-luciferase assays, cell invasion and migration assays were performed. Results: We found that 18 circRNAs were differentially expressed between the FGR placentas and uncomplicated pregnancies, while the expression of hsa-circ-0005238 was significantly lower in the FGR placentas. Our in vitro experiments further showed that hsa-circ-0005238 inhibited apoptosis and promoted migration, invasion of trophoblast cell lines. The hsa-miR-370-3p was identified as a direct target of hsa-circ-0005238. Mechanistically, hsa-miR-370-3p inhibits invasion and migration of trophoblast cells by suppressing the expression of CDC25B. Conclusions: The findings of the present study suggest that hsa-circ-0005238 play an important role in the pathogenesis of FGR by suppressing trophoblast cell invasion and migration through sponging hsa-miR-370-3p, which may provide new insight into therapeutic target for FGR.
Positive and Negative Consequences of COVID-19 Based on Perspectives of Recovered Women from COVID-19: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Moghaddam Hamed Rezakhani , Aghamohammadi Vahideh , Nasiri Khadijeh , Soola Aghil Habibi , Mousazadeh Yalda
Published: March 2022

The present study was conducted to evaluate the consequences of this disease on various health dimensions of recovered women. This qualitative study was carried out using the content analysis approach in Iran. Data analysis implemented a six-stage analysis framework, using MAXQDA. Negative consequences of COVID-19 were generally categorized into five main themes including increasing self-conscious excitement, perceived social stigma, depression, changes in behavioral patterns, and reducing the level of quality of life. The positive consequences were also appeared in five categories including the development of the spiritual attitude, increasing the importance of personal health, the rise of perceived support, increasing the sense of altruism, and increasing financial savings. Based on the findings, effective supports by the government, society, and the medical staff could help to relieve the people’s psychological and social stress through providing financial aid, the right information, and training.
Novel Oxicam Nonsteroidal Compound XK01 Attenuates Inflammation by Suppressing the NF-κB and MAPK Pathway in RAW264.7 Macrophages
Authors: Mao Siyu , Song Yujiao , Hu Qianmei , Wang Jixiang , Feng Xing
Published: March 2022

Traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) show server adverse effects during clinical use, which limits their usage. Oxicams (e.g., piroxicam, meloxicam) are widely used as NSAIDs. However, selectivity to cyclooxygenase (COX) 2 may cause cardiovascular problems considering the long-term use of the drugs. Therefore, it is important to develop new non-steroidal compounds as anti-inflammatory drugs. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of a newly developed nonsteroidal drug XK01 in vitro. Our data showed that XK01 reduced the contents of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), and inhibited the transcription levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β in a dose-dependent manner in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse RAW264.7 macrophages. XK01 showed no significant inhibitory effect on COX-1, but inhibited the expression of COX-2. At molecular level, XK01 prevented the translocation of p65 protein from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, and inhibited the phosphorylation of p65, IκB, and MAPKs proteins. In addition, high concentration of XK01 also inhibited the phosphorylation of JNK, p38 and ERK, showing stronger effect than that of meloxicam. Our data indicate that XK01 inhibits the expression of inflammatory mediators and COX-2, and exhibits potential anti-inflammatory effects in vitro via suppressing the NF-κB and MAPK pathway in RAW264.7 macrophages.
The characteristics and functions analysis of a GASA6 in Jatropha curcas L.
Authors: li xue , Zhang Ming-sheng , Zhao Liang-qing , Ling-hu Qian-qian , Gang Xu
Published: March 2022

GASA encodes a class of cysteine-rich functional proteins and widely exists in plants. Most GASA proteins are involved in the signal transmission of plant hormones and regulate plant growth and development, but their function in Jatropha curcas is still unknown. In our study, we cloned a member of GASA family from J. curcas-JcGASA6. JcGASA6 protein has a GASA conserved domain and is located in tonoplast. The three-dimensional structure of JcGASA6 protein is highly consistent with antibacterial protein Snakin-1. Moreover, JcGASA6 was activated by JcERF1, JcPYL9 and JcFLX. Both JcCNR8 and JcSIZ1 can interact with JcGASA6 in the nucleus. The expression of JcGASA6 increased continuously during male flower development, and overexpression of JcGASA6 cause filament elongation of stamen in tobacco. All our results reveal the function of JcGASA6 from the protein and gene levels, and enriched signal network of GASA Protein in hormone crosstalk.
Mutations in Homologous Recombination Repair Genes in Colorectal Cancer Are Associated With Favorable Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Authors: Lin Yan , Luo Shanshan , Luo Min , Lu Xuerou , Li Qian , Xie Mingzhi , Huang Yu , Liao Xiaoli , Zhang Yumei , Li Yongqiang , Liang Rong
Published: March 2022

Background: A small proportion of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) who might respond well to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can be identified based on the biomarker of high microsatellite instability. Genes involved in homologous recombination repair (HRR) have been linked to response to such therapy. Methods: HRR mutations in CRC were explored by analyzing genomic data from patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (n=377), from a Chinese cohort (n=6106) and from our hospital in China (n=50). The impact of HRR mutations on prognosis of CRC patients was explored in the cohort from TCGA. A cohort of patients treated with ICIs from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) (n=110), and two patients from our hospital were studied to characterize the impact of the HRR mutation in prognosis of CRC treated with ICIs.Results: HRR genes were mutated in all the cohorts examined, with frequencies ranging from 22.44% in our hospital to 52.78% in TCGA. Frequencies of HRR mutations were 43.69-50.47% among patients showing microsatellite stability. HRR mutations were associated with higher tumor mutational burden and high microsatellite instability. HRR mutations correlated with higher neoantigen and increased CD8+ T cell infiltration in the cohort from TCGA. HRR mutations were associated with significantly better overall survival in patients treated with ICIs of MSKCC cohort, particularly among patients with microsatellite stability. Conclusion: HRR mutations may be associated with stronger response to ICIs in CRC patients with microsatellite-stable, and may be useful for identifying CRC patients likely to benefit from immunotherapy.
A novel surgical technique for prevention of self-sucking in cattle and buffaloes: Tongue piercing
Authors: Al-Lethie Al-Lethie , salman Yasser , Semieka Mohamed , Karmi Mohamed
Published: March 2022

Background: Self-sucking is an abnormal behavior lead to important economic losses for dairy farms. The objective of this study was to evaluate tongue piercing as a novel technique to prevent self-sucking in cattle and buffaloes. The study was carried out on 26 cows and 4 buffaloes suffered from self-sucking. Tongue piercing was achieved by the application of an implant in the midline of the tongue and anterior to the frenulum linguae. With a follow up period of six months.Results: This implant produced mechanical disruption of the affected animals ability to curl their tongues, in a U- shape manner, subsequently it was impossible for these animals to cup their tongues and suck its own teats. Slight swelling around the piercing site of the tongue was observed among all animals on the first three days after surgery. No other complications have been reported.Conclusion: Tongue piercing is an effective, rapid, easy, minimally invasive technique to prevent self-sucking among cattle and buffaloes, moreover, the technique was more widely acceptable by the owners than other traditional and surgical methods.
Bimodal Distribution Pattern Associated With The PCR Cycle Threshold (Ct) And Implications In COVID-19 Infections
Authors: Yang Doris , Hansel Donna E. , Curlin Marcel E. , Townes John M. , Messer William B. , Fan Guang , Qin Xuan
Published: March 2022

SARS-CoV-2 is notable for its extremely high level of viral replication in respiratory epithelial cells, relative to other cell types. This may partially explain the high transmissibility and rapid global dissemination observed during the COVID–19 pandemic. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle threshold (Ct) number has been widely used as a proxy for viral load based on the inverse relationship between Ct number and amplifiable genome copies present in a sample. We examined two PCR platforms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019-nCoV Real-time RT-PCR, Integrated DNA Technologies; and TaqPath COVID-19 multi-plex combination kit, ThermoFisher Scientific) for their performance characteristics and Ct distribution patterns based on results generated from 208,947 clinical samples obtained between October 2020 and September 2021. From 14,231 positive tests, Ct values ranged from 8 to 39 and displayed a pronounced bimodal distribution. The bimodal distribution persisted when stratified by gender, age, and time period of sample collection during which different viral variants circulated. This finding may be a result of heterogeneity in disease progression or host response to infection irrespective of age, gender, or viral variants. Quantification of respiratory mucosal viral load may provide additional insight into transmission and clinical indicators helpful for infection control.
The reversible and modulation role of water-soluble gallic acid-carboxymethyl chitosan conjugates against the induced nephrotoxicity with cisplatin
Authors: Hafez Hani S. , El-Khayat Zakaria , Kotb Ebtsam S. , Elshaarawy Reda F.M. , Serag Waleed M.
Published: March 2022

The toxicity of cisplatin (CDDP) toward the renal tubules and its severe effects on the proximal tubules limits its futher use for cancer therapy. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effects of gallic acid-grafted O-carboxymethyl chitosan (GA@CMLMWC) against nephrotoxicity induced by CDDP in rats. Renal injury was assessed in the GA@CMLMWC/CDDP-treated rats using kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1). Moreover, the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide (NO) were measured. The comet assay was performed to measure the DNA damage. The renoprotective activity of GA@CMLMWC was supported by histo- and immuno-pathological studies of the kidney. GA@CMLMWC significantly normalized the increases in kidney homogenate of KIM-1, MDA, and NO-induced by CDDP and significantly increased GSH as compared with the CDDP group. GA@CMLMWC also significantly protects rat kidneys from CDDP-induced histo- and immuno-pathological changes. Both biochemical findings and histo- and immuno-pathological evidence showed the renoprotective potential of GA@CMLMWC against CDDP-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and renal dysfunction in rats. In conclusion, GA@CMLMWC has been shown to mitigate the nephrotoxicity impact of CDDP in cancer therapy.
Effect of combined hip and knee exercises on rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty: A prospective randomized trial
Authors: Gan Wenyi , She Guorong , Chen Junyuan , Dong Qiu , Wang Huajun , Li Hua , Zha Zhengang , Zheng Xiaofei
Published: March 2022

Background: To explore the clinical effect of combined hip–knee joint exercise compared with traditional postoperative rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods: In a prospective, single-blind randomized controlled trial, 60 female patients with osteoarthritis who underwent unilateral TKA were randomly divided into three groups: a resistive intervention group, a nonresistive intervention group and a control group. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) values, Forgotten Joint Score (FJS)-12 values, isokinetic muscle strength, and gait test results were measured and recorded preoperatively, two weeks postoperatively and three months postoperatively.Results: With the preoperative evaluation as baseline, the resistive hip–knee joint exercise group had lower functional scores and stronger quadriceps femoris and hip abductor muscles than the nonresistive group (p<0.05 for both). Both hip–knee exercise groups had stronger quadriceps femoris, hip abductor and hip rotator muscles than the control group (p<0.05). Two weeks postoperatively, both hip–knee strength training groups had lower functional scores than the control group (p<0.05) but stronger quadriceps femoris and external hip rotator muscles (p<0.05). Preoperative and 2-week postoperative gait analysis revealed that combined hip–knee strengthening could increase step length (p<0.05) and the ability to stand on the affected limb (p<0.05).Conclusion: A 12-week regimen of combined hip–knee exercises could improve the function of the affected limb after TKA, the movement patterns of the knee joint during gait, and the therapeutic effect of TKA and accelerate patients’ rehabilitation. The effect of combined hip–knee exercises positively correlated with increases in exercise load.
Predictive Factors of Severe Abdominal Injuries Due to Seatbelt Compression in Motor Vehicle Passengers
Authors: Ikegami Kiyoshi , Hitosugi Masahito , Takashima Kohei , Sugitani Yuki , Ida Hitoshi , Aoki Masashi , Asaoka Michihisa
Published: March 2022

The data set of the National Automotive Sampling System/Crashworthiness Data System was retrospectively analyzed to clarify the pattern and severity of seatbelt-induced abdominal injuries and determine the predictive factors of severe abdominal injuries. Among data of collisions that occurred from 1995 to 2011, we chose front-seat passengers with a height of >140 cm who developed seatbelt-induced abdominal injuries with an Abbreviated Injury Scale score of ≥2 during a frontal collision. The study population comprised 79 persons (24 male, 55 female; mean age, 37.5 years) with 136 abdominal injuries. Spleen, kidney, and liver injuries were the three most common seatbelt-induced injuries. The spleen was the most commonly injured site in both the moderate and severe injury groups. The liver was the second most commonly injured site in the moderate injury group, but no liver injuries occurred in the severe injury group (p = 0.001). The multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that force to the lower abdomen positively influenced the occurrence of severe injuries and that airbag deployment negatively influenced the occurrence of severe injuries. Correct seatbelt use and airbag deployment can prevent severe seatbelt-induced abdominal injuries. Physicians should still suspect moderate abdominal injuries even in correctly restrained vehicle passengers.
Substantial increase of heat requirement for maturity of early rice due to extension of reproductive rather vegetative growth period in China
Authors: Zhang Yaru , Guo Yahui , Wang Shuxin , Wu Wenxiang , Fu Yongshuo H.
Published: March 2022

Climate change has affects crop phenology, leading to changes in agriculture productivity. Previous studies usually take phenology and agriculture as two parallel aspects that climate change would exert influence on, rarely taking the impacts of phenology on agriculture productivity into account. In this study, trial data on early rice phenology and in situ meteorological data at 48 national agro-meteorological experiment stations during 1981 to 2010 were used to investigate the variability of heat accumulation and its driving factors. Using linear function, piecewise function, and sigmoidal function three methods, shifts in heat accumulation during vegetative growth period, reproductive growth period, and the whole growth period were calculated. Then, the correlations between changes in Growing Degree Days (GDD) and (i) three growth durations and (ii) climatic variables were assessed. Our findings indicated that the heat accumulation for early rice was significantly increased by 20% during the whole growth period (WGP), which was mainly attributed to the increase of GDD during the reproductive growth period (RGP), while GDD during the vegetative growth period (VGP) showed no significant changes. Changes of early rice GDD were closely related to the variations of the RGP duration, which was prolonged by 6.08 day/decade, while VGP duration did not change significantly. Both simple correlation and partial correlation analyses indicated that the positive impacts of growth duration played a dominant role in determining GDD variability, with the average coefficients of 0.91 during VGP, 0.97 during RGP, and 0.93 during WGP, respectively, while temperature played a secondary role. Our studies revealed the dynamics of individual-specific heat accumulation over the past three decades, and emphasized the importance of phenology to agriculture productivity. Therefore, changes in crop phenology should be sufficiently taken into consideration for the better understanding of agriculture dynamics under climate change, and for improving the accuracy of crop model simulation.
Risk factors for nasal polyps, a case-control study
Authors: Yaghi Ameer
Published: March 2022

Background : Nasal polyposis is considered one of the most common diseases that cause obstruction of the respiratory tract and impede the patient's quality of life.Aims : The aim is to determine if smoking and body mass index are risk factors for hyperplastic nasal polyps in patients with chronic obstructive rhinitis and allergic rhinitis, and thus conducting early diagnostic investigations to detect the disease early and limit its development.Methods : A cross-sectional case control study was conducted that includes patients who came to Damascus Hospital with complaints of chronic obstruction of the nose and chronic allergies that doesn’t respond to conventional treatments and who met the entry criteria and patients from ENT Division without symptoms of obstructive respiratory tracts .Results : 120 patients were included in the study and were distributed as follows: 60 patients with nasal polyps and 60 patients without nasal polyps. The arithmetic mean of age in the group of cases was 31 ± 16.7 years, while in the controls 32.2 ± 18.3, the BMI value was expressed as the arithmetic mean and it was 30.5 ± 4.16 years, while in the controls 23.6 ± 4.30, and the sex ratio was equal between cases and controls with A statistically non-significant value p = 1.000, while the proportion of smokers in cases was 70%, while in controls 37%, with a statistically significant value p = 0.0003.Conclusion : Smoking and body mass index had a statistically significant relation with the development of nasal polyposis.