bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceptions, Intentions, and Actual Use of a Recreational Nicotine Gum
Authors: Olson Cheryl K. , Sherwood Neil , Berkane Maia , Gilligan Karin , McKinney Willie J.
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND
This is the first study of perceptions, intentions, actual use, and quitting behaviors among adult users and nonusers of LUCY® Chew and Park, a recreational nicotine gum product that is not a nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
METHODS
Data were collected from a Qualtrics online panel (N = 1,000) of non-users recruited based on smoking status, and from current and former LUCY users (N = 500). In addition to descriptive cross-sectional analyses, logistic regression was used to estimate the probability of intent to try and of product appeal among groups of different smoking status.
RESULTS
Among non-users, smokers with and without intentions to quit showed high intention to try LUCY (odds ratios 15.6 [95% CI 9.3, 27.6] and 9.8 [95% CI 5.8, 17.3] respectively compared to former smokers), and never-smokers showed low intention to try. Most former and never-smokers did not find any of the three LUCY flavors appealing; there was no evidence that flavors appealed more to young adults than to older adults. Never-smokers perceived far greater health risks from LUCY use compared to smokers. Among product users, two-thirds (61.6%) had vaped regularly, and half (49.8%) had smoked cigarettes regularly before initiating use; 43.4% of the latter indicated they began use “to help me quit smoking.” Only 0.6% of young adult users (aged 21–30) had not used tobacco products previously. Half of the user sample had previously used NRT gum; flavors and taste were the most-mentioned difference. One-third of current users who had smoked regularly prior to using LUCY said they would return to smoking if LUCY were not available.
CONCLUSIONS
LUCY does not appear to attract tobacco nonusers; results for young adults suggest minimal appeal to youth. LUCY was used primarily by male and female smokers and vapers wishing to quit or reduce use of those products; many found NRT gum an unappealing alternative due to taste and/or product image. LUCY flavors seem to enhance appeal to tobacco users, whereas never-smokers viewed LUCY as unappealing and a health risk. These results suggest that a non-NRT nicotine gum may help some users of higher-risk nicotine products reduce or quit use of those products.
The antimicrobial study of the prepared Cu-MOF incorporated with diatomite
Authors: abdelmoaty alaa , El-Beih Ahmed A. , Hanna Adli A.
Published: April 2022

This work is concerned with the studies of the bioactivities of the prepared Cu-MOF compound and its modification with diatomite. This work aims to preparation and characterization of Cu-MOF nano-particles and evaluation against some organisms. Otherwise, the structure of the Cu-MOF was modified and the effects of modification on the bioactivity were investigated. Cu-MOF/diatomite was prepared and their characterizations by using different methods were carried. The characterization by flourier transforms Infrared red (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD),transmission electron microscope (TEM)andthermal degradation analysis (TGA) indicate that Cu-MOF incorporated onto the diatomite unit. The thermogravimetric studies, also showed that as the diatomite particles coated with the organic fragments prevent their thermal decomposition at low temperature. The antimicrobial of Cu-MOF/diatomite was studied by using the agar diffusion technique; it is found that incorporated Cu-MOF onto diatomite increases the bioactivity of Cu-MOF.
4D Modeling of Precipitable Water Vapor to Assess Flood Forecasting by Using GPS Signals
Authors: Sorkhabi Omid Memarian , Djamour Yahya
Published: April 2022

Every year the government and people suffer from the cost of damages caused by natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods. Thanks to Global Positioning System (GPS) permanent station data, today it is possible to determine the amount of Water Vapor (WV) very accurately and reliably. GPS signals pass through different layers of the atmosphere, such as the ionosphere and troposphere, and therefore they are delayed. A significant part of the delay is due to the troposphere, which is one of the serious sources of error in GPS. In this research, by using 5 GPS permanent stations located in the Arasbaran region, in northwest of Iran, the Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) is evaluated in order to show the capacity of this method in forecasting the October 2012 flood over the region. The results showed that the amount of PWV in the atmosphere had increased by 2 mm a few hours before the flood, which could be used as a forecast indicator. The Tikhonov regularization for tropospheric tomography covering the GPS stations region was also performed for latitude and altitude components for 3 consecutive days: the day before the flood, the flood day, and the day after the flood. A high amount of PWV was observed in the troposphere on the day before the flood, and especially on the flood day. During the study period, the results from tomography and the radiosonde were in good agreement, with a significance correlation of around 0.95. Also, the values of PWV obtained from GPS and MODIS-NIR do not have an absolute error more than 4.4 mm over the 8 days from 8 October 2012 to 15 October 2012.
Mega-analysis of brain structural covariance, genetics, and clinical phenotypes
Authors: Wen Junhao , Nasrallah Ilya , Abdulkadir Ahmed , Satterthwaite Theodore , Erus Guray , Robert-Fitzgerald Timothy , Singh Ashish , Sotiras Aristeidis , Boquet-Pujadas Aleix , Yang Zhijian , Mamourian Elizabeth , Doshi Jimit , Cui Yuhan , Sriniva Dhivya , Bergman Mark , Bao Jingxuan , Veturi Yogasudha , Zhou Zhen , Yang Shu , Dazzan Paola , Kahn René , Schnack Hugo , Zanetti Marcus , Meisenzahl Eva , Busatto Geraldo , Crespo-Facorro Benedicto , Pantelis Christos , Wood Stephen , Zhuo Chuanjun , Shinohara Russell , Gur Ruben , Gur Raquel , Koutsouleris Nikolaos , Wolf Daniel H. , Saykin Andrew J. , Ritchie Marylyn , Shen Li , Thompson Paul , Colliot Olivier , Wittfeld Katharina , Grabe Hans , Tosun Duygu , Bilgel Murat , An Yang , Marcus Daniel , LaMontagne Pamela , Heckbert Susan , Austin Thomas , Launer Lenore , Espeland Mark , Masters Colin , Maruff Paul , Fripp Jurgen , Johnson Sterling , Morris John , Albert Marilyn , Bryan Nick , Resnick Susan , Fan Yong , Habes Mohamad , Wolk David , Shou Haochang , Davatzikos Christos
Published: April 2022

Normal and pathologic neurobiological processes influence brain morphology in coordinated ways that give rise to structural covariance patterns across brain regions and individuals. We present a mega-analysis of structural covariance with magnetic resonance imaging of 50,699 healthy and diseased individuals (12 studies, 130 sites, and 12 countries) over their lifespan (ages 5 through 97). Patterns of structural covariance (PSC) were highly heritable (0.05< h2 <0.78) and significantly associated with 1610 independent significant variants after Bonferroni correction (10.3 > -log10[p-value] > 8.8): 1245 previously unreported, and 69% of them independently replicated (-log10[p-value] = 4.5). Associations revealed an imaging phenotypic landscape between 2003 PSCs and 49 clinical and cognitive traits at multiple scales. We constructed machine learning-derived individualized imaging signatures for various disease diagnoses using PSC features at multiple scales, suggesting that disease effects on the brain were better manifested in a multi-scale continuum than on any single scale. Experimental results were integrated into the Multi-scale Structural Imaging Covariance (MuSIC) atlas and made publicly accessible through the BRIDGEPORT web portal (https://www.cbica.upenn.edu/bridgeport/). Our results reveal strong associations between brain structural covariance, genetics, and clinical phenotypes, supporting that PSCs can serve as an endophenotypic anatomic dictionary in future research.
NRF2 signaling is repressed in HPV-driven head and neck cancer and correlates with better prognosis: HPV-E6/E7 confers chemosensitivity by inhibiting NRF2
Authors: Ramesh Pushkal Sinduvadi , Bovilla Venugopal Reddy , Swamy Vikas , Manoli Nandini Nandish , Dasegowda Krishnappa , Siddegowda Siddegowda , Chandrashekarappa Shilpa , Somasundara Vishveshwara , Devegowda Devanand , Thimmulappa Rajesh
Published: April 2022

Background: To investigate the role of NRF2 signaling in conferring superior prognosis in patients with HPV positive (HPV+ve) head & neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) compared to HPV negative (HPV-ve) HNSCC and develop molecular markers for selection of HPV+ve HNSCC patients for treatment de-escalation trials. Methods: We compared NRF2 activity (NRF2, KEAP1, and NRF2-transcriptional targets), p16, and p53 levels between HPV+ve HNSCC and HPV-ve HNSCC in prospective and retrospective tumor samples. Cancer cells were transfected with HPV E6/E7 plasmid to elucidate if HPV infection repress NRF2 activity and sensitize to an anticancer drug. Results: Prospective analysis revealed a marked reduction in expression of NRF2, and its target antioxidant genes (NQO1, HMOX-1, GCLC, and GCLM) in HPV+ve tumors compared to HPV-ve tumors. A retrospective analysis by IHC revealed significantly lower NQO1 in p16high tumors compared to p16low tumors and the NQO1 expression correlated negatively with p16 and positively with p53. Analysis of the TCGA database confirmed low constitutive NRF2 activity in HPV+ve HNSCC compared to HPV-ve HNSCC and revealed that HPV+ve HNSCC patients with ‘low NQO1’ expression showed better overall survival compared to HPV+ve HNSCC patients with ‘high NQO1’ expression. Ectopic expression of HPV E6/E7 plasmid in cancer cells repressed constitutive NRF2 activity, increased KEAP1, reduced total GSH levels, and enhanced cytotoxic effects of cisplatin. Conclusions: Low constitutive NRF2 activity contributes to better prognosis in patients with HPV+ve HNSCC compared to HPV-ve HNSCC. Co-expression of p16high, NQO1low, and p53low could serve as a predictive biomarker for the selection of HPV+ve HNSCC patients for de-escalation trials.
Bioequivalence study of a new fixed-dose combination tablet containing irbesartan and hydrochlorothiazide in healthy volunteers
Authors: Uzunova Katya , Petrov Andrey , Gatchev Emil , Pavlova Velichka , Filipova Elena , Jiménez Cintia , Kalinov Krassimir , Vekov Toni
Published: April 2022

Background and objective:
The combination antihypertensive therapy has shown greater blood pressure lowering potential as well as better adherence to the treatment. Therefore, a new generic fixed-dose combination containing irbesartan and hydrochlorothiazide was developed and rate and extend of absorption were compared with reference formulation to prove its bioequivalence in healthy volunteers.
Methods
A single-center, open-label, randomized, two-period, crossover, single dose study under fasting conditions, including at least 7-days washout period, was performed in 30 healthy male and female volunteers. Twenty blood samples were collected in each study period: prior to dosing (0:00) and up to 72:00 hours after dosing and plasma concentrations of irbesartan and hydrochlorothiazide were analyzed using preliminary validated methods.
Results
The 90% CIs for the geometric mean ratios of test and reference of Cmax and AUC0 − t were 89.22–98.80% and 100.58–115.11%, respectively, for irbesartan and 91.80–122.96% and 94.88–117.56%, respectively. Thus, the corresponding ratios of Cmax and AUC0 − t for irbesartan and hydrochlorothiazide met the predetermined criteria for bioequivalence (90% confidence intervals of the geometric mean ratios of test and reference within the 80.00% − 125.00%). Both the test and reference products demonstrated good tolerability profile in this population, and no serious AEs were observed.
Conclusions
Therefore, the test product (Irbesartan/hydrochlorothiazide 300/25 mg film-coated tablets, manufactured by Tchaikapharma High Quality Medicines Inc., Bulgaria) and the reference product (CoAprovel 300/25 mg film-coated tablets, manufactured by Sanofi Clir SNC, France) are considered bioequivalent.
Impact of Land Use Land Cover Change using Remote Sensing with Integration of Socio-Economic Data on rural Livelihoods in case of Nashe Watershed, Ethiopia
Authors: Fikadu Gelana
Published: April 2022

Land use/land cover is an important component in understanding the interactions of human activities with the environment and is necessary to recognize the changes in order to monitor and maintain a sustainable environment. This study aimed to analyze changes in land use and land cover spatially and temporally in the Nashe Watershed. since the dam of the Nashe watershed was built in 2012 socio-economic characteristics of the area are used to interpret the causes of land use and land cover changes occurring changes on their life and environment. The socioeconomic data were analyzed with Excel and integrated with biophysical data. For the 2010–2020 ten-year period showed that Cropland and Woodland have been reduced from 73–62% and 18–14%, respectively, and Wetlands have been fully converted to Water Bodies, alternately increasing Water Bodies and Pasture Land from 43.9–54.5% and 0.04–18%. respectively the reason for this discussion of change was the construction of dams without considering the effect on livelihood and the environment. The government could not give these people adequate compensation for their lands conquered by water. These peoples were forced to expand their agricultural lands by cutting and logging trees in order to make a living to get basic needs. Therefore, Nashe watershed is identified as an area highly affected by land use and land cover change and it is necessary to closely monitor land use/land cover to maintain a sustainable environment for future
Temperature measurement point optimization and experimental research for Bi-rotary Milling Head of Five-axis CNC Machine Tool
Authors: Dai Ye , Li Yang , Li Zhaolong , Wen Wanjian , Zhan Shiqiang
Published: April 2022

Thermal deformation is the main factor affecting the machining accuracy of the Bi-rotary Milling Head. To accurately find out the temperature-sensitive points of the Bi-rotary Milling Head to suppress thermal deformation, this paper adopts the BP neural network sensitivity analysis method with improved connection weights to optimize the temperature measurement points, and the analysis results are subjected to randomized mean value processing to reduce the randomness of the initialization of the prediction model. The number of temperature measurement points is reduced from 15 to 4. Taking the 5AS01 Direct-drive Bi-rotary Milling Head as an example, a thermal-structural coupling model is established to analyze its thermal characteristics, and the capillary copper tube cooling suppression experiment is arranged according to the position of the temperature-sensitive points. The experimental results show that cooling the temperature-sensitive points can simultaneously reduce the thermal error in X and Z-directions by about 58%, providing a basis for the Bi-rotary Milling Head to improve machining accuracy.
Tomentosin induces apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells through increasing reactive oxygen species and decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential
Authors: Güçlü Ebru , Ayan İlknur Çınar , Dursun Hatice Gül , Vural Hasibe
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study was to determine possible anticancer effect of tomentosin, a natural sesquiterpene lactone, on pancreatic cancer cells. The cytotoxic effect of tomentosin on human pancreatic cancer cells was determined by XTT analysis. After treatment with tomentosin, apoptosis rate was determined and migration, invasion and colony formation analyzes were performed. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and the change in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were evaluated. The effect of tomentosin on expression levels of apoptosis-related genes was determined by qRT-PCR. The levels of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 were analyzed by western blot. The IC50 dose of tomentosin was found to be 31.11 µM in PANC-1 cells and 33.93 μM in MIA PaCa-2 cells for 48 hours. Treatment with tomentosin induced apoptosis and ROS production in pancreatic cancer cells. And, after tomentosin treatment, MMP decreased and migration, invasion and colony formation of pancreatic cancer cells were suppressed. While tomentosin affected expression level of apoptosis-related genes, an increase was observed in Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 protein levels. Considering all the data together, this study reveals that tomentosin has anticancer effects on pancreatic cancer cells, and therefore it predicts that tomentosin can be evaluated as an effective agent against pancreatic cancer.
Spatiotemporal inter-comparison of satellite precipitation products over India
Authors: Kumar Brijesh , Roy Dipankar , Lakshmi Venkataraman
Published: April 2022

RegionSatellite Precipitation Products (SPPs) were statistically evaluated for their usefulness at different spatial, temporal, seasonal, altitude, and rainfall intensities scales over India.Study FocusThe study evaluates the performance of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Space-based Weather and Climate Extremes Monitoring Demonstration Project (SEMDP) Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) Gauge Adjusted Near Real Time Product (GNRT), Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) and Climate Prediction Center morphing method (CMORPH) for three years (2015-2017) using daily gridded gauge data from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The statistics used are visual interpretation (histograms, CDF plots), yes/no dichotomous [(Bias score (B), probability of detection (POD), false alarm ratio (FAR), probability of false alarm detection (POFD), accuracy (ACC), threat score (TS) and skill score (SS)] and continuous variable verification statistics [correlation coefficient (CC), relative bias (RB), mean absolute difference (MAD) and root mean square error (RMSE)]. New Meteorological Insights for the RegionThe study found that GNRT is better than other SPPs at different temporal, spatial, altitudinal and rainfall frequency bands. The spatial variability of the metrics are similar but maximum CC >0.8 and least RMSE <10mm was recorded for GNRT over Central India. Additionally, all SPPs underestimate the precipitation amount in the Northeast and overestimate the same in Southern India. The precipitation detection score is good except in the Himalayan foothills and the Southern coast. All the SPPs are able to represent well the CDF for the precipitation intensities. Among all SPPs, the elevation has the least impact on GNRT, however significant elevation error has been found for CMROPH. At first glance, the gauge adjusted GNRT and IMERG_F perform better than the other SPPs. The results of the study can be utilized for the disaster risk and hydrological modelling and irrigation system analysis in the rain gauge data poor regions of the country.
GC-MS profiling of the phytochemical constituents of the whole plant of Brillantaisia owariensis (P. Beauv) and its anti-inflammatory prospects in the management of African Trypanosomiasis
Authors: Oniye Sonnie Joshua , Ayawa Nafisa Garba , Mazlan Mazlina , Ramon-Yusuf Suleiman Babatunde , Wada Yunusa Adamu , Shehu Dalhatu Mukhtari
Published: April 2022

Brillantaisia owariensis (Acanthaceae) is evident in its traditional use in the forest region of West Africa for the treatment of several ailments, including trypanosomiasis. Despite its widespread use, the plant has not been subjected to pharmacological investigations to ascertain its phytochemical profile and efficacy in folklore medicine. This study was designed to determine the phytochemical and GC-MS profile of the whole plant of B. owariensis and elucidate its pharmacological implications in managing trypanosomiasis. The plant was collected from Nigeria's South-western Forest vegetation zone. Thirty grams of the processed powder was extracted using the Soxhlet method using methanol as solvent. The phytochemical and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy analyses of the methanol extract were done. Thirty BALB/c mice were randomly allocated into six groups of five mice to test for anti-inflammatory activity. Each mouse in groups 2–6 were infected with 0.1 mL of 106 T. brucei /mL, while group 1 served as neutral non-infected control. Following the establishment of parasitaemia by 3 days post-infection, mice were either non-treated, treated with standard drug or treated at varying dosages of methanol extracts and sacrificed by day 9 for histopathologic evaluation. High levels of Phyto-constituents were detected, and the GC-MS profiling revealed the presence of twenty-four bioactive compounds. The extracts of B. owariensis revealed ameliorative and anti-inflammatory activities on the histology of the vital organs and tissues at varying dosages. The methanol extract of B. owariensis is rich in bioactive components with promising potential in managing inflammatory diseases such as African trypanosomosis.
A strangely light neutron star
Authors: Doroshenko Victor , Suleimanov Valery , Pühlhofer Gerd , Santangelo Andrea
Published: April 2022

To constrain the equation of state of cold dense matter, astrophysical measurements are essential. These are mostly based on observations of neutron stars in the X-ray band, and, more recently, also on gravitational wave observations. Of particular interest are observations of unusually heavy or light neutron stars which extend the range of central densities probed by observations and thus permit testing nuclear physics predictions over a wider parameter space. Here we report on the analysis of such a star, a central compact object within the supernova remnant HESS J1731-347. We estimate the mass and radius of the neutron star to be M = 0.77(20)Msun and R = 10.4(8) km, respectively, based on modeling of the X-ray spectrum and a robust distance estimate from Gaia observations. Our estimate implies that this object is either the lightest neutron star known, or a "strange star” with a more exotic equation of state. Adopting a standard neutron star matter hypothesis significantly constrains the corresponding equations of state.
Alkaline protease from Bacillus cereus was characterized and optimized for eco-friendly degradation of feathers
Authors: Masi Chandran , Gemechu Getachew , Tafesse Mesfin
Published: April 2022

Purpose: To investigate the detailed analysis of alkaline protease production, media optimization, protease assay, mass production, and application in feather degradation by isolates of Bacillus cereus strain isolated from leather industry effluent, Ethiopia.Methods: In this study, media optimization was subjected to nine different parameters like fermentation time, temperature, pH, Substrate concentration, carbon sources, nitrogen sources, metal ions, Inoculum size, and sodium chloride concentration to check the maximum alkaline protease production using Bacillus cereus. Ammonium sulfate and dialysis were used to partially purify the enzyme from Bacillus cereus. SDS-PAGE was used to test the activity and total protein content of the partially purified enzymes, and then extracellular alkaline protease from Bacillus cereus was used to examine hydrolyzed chicken feathers, and the findings were reported.Results: The maximum enzyme activity of crude alkaline protease from Bacillus cereus was achieved at optimized conditions. The specific enzyme activity of partially purified alkaline protease after dialysis (123.35U/mg) showed high activity compared to the crude protease (24.45U/mg). Finally, the partially purified enzyme was tested for its potential to degrade feather waste. Partially purified enzyme demonstrated significant feather degradation of 76.5% on the fifth day at optimized temperature and enzyme concentration.Conclusions: Bacillus cereus was found to cause considerable feather deterioration in this investigation. It's was also been discovered that enzyme activity gets enhanced at a specific optimized condition. Compared to the crude enzyme, partially purified and dialyzed enzymes showed considerable change in the enzyme activity, indicating that they have the potential to break down feathers.
Efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin for Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19: A meta and trial sequential analysis
Authors: Liu Yao , Wu Zongsheng , Zhang Qiuling , Liu Hengjun , Wang Wei , Tong Hanwen , Jiang Yunfei , He Fei , Xu Peng
Published: April 2022

Background: A substantial portion of patients infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can progress to critical illness which is associated with high mortality, and prolonged length of hospital stay. Currently, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy is reported widely in these specific population globally. However, the impact of IVIG treatment on clinically relevant outcomes in the critically ill patients with COVID-19 still remained controversial.Methods: The major databases including PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register were searched from January 1, 2019 through January 12, 2022. Studies were limited to severely ill patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who receiving IVIG with a comparative group. The primary outcome was the overall mortality. Length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital, utilization rate of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and ventilators free days were secondary outcomes. Meanwhile, sensitivity and subgroup analyses, as well as a trial sequential analysis (TSA), were performed.Results: 4 prospective randomized controlled trials (RCT) and 6 retrospective cohort studies (involving 2,054 participants) met the inclusion criteria and were included in our meta-analysis. Compare to standard of care (SOC), the use of IVIG was not associated with decreased odds of death significantly (OR 1.03; 95% CI 0.63–1.67; P = 0.92). No significant difference was detected in either hospital (MD 1.56; 95% CI -1.43–4.55; P = 0.31) or ICU LOS (MD 0.75; 95% CI -0.36–1.86; P = 0.18) between the two groups. A sensitivity analysis revealed that administering IVIG may harmful to patients with moderate to severe ARDS induced by SARS-CoV-2 (OR 2.24; 95% CI 1.09–4.63; P = 0.03). The high level of heterogeneity remained substantial after multiple sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed. The TSA indicated a lack of sufficient evidence to draw decisive conclusions from the current results since the required information size (RIS) of 8,373 still not reached yet.Conclusions: Current evidence do not support the use of IVIG in treatment for critically ill patients with COVID-19. Further prospective study with well design urgently needed for conclusive findings.
Waste thickness estimation at a large landfill in Brazil from a comparison of simultaneous inversion of different electrode arrays data set
Authors: Lima Victória basileu de oliveira , Guedes Victor Cavalcanti Bezerra , Lima Mirella basileu de oliveira , Borges Welitom Rodrigues , Cunha Luciano Soares da
Published: April 2022

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is particularly suitable for stratigraphic characterization of landfills given its sensitivity to the conductive response of leachate from solid waste. In this context, the simultaneous inversion of data from more than one electrode array can be more reliable than the single inversion of a single set of this data. In this way, resistivity lines were acquired in four electrode arrays at the Jockey Clube landfill in Brazil. We carried out the simultaneous inversion of all possible combinations of the Dipole-dipole (DD), Pole-dipole (PD), Wenner (WN) and Wenner-Shlumberger (WS) arrays and compared the results with direct information from 5 drill holes. The participation of the WN and WS electrode array data obtained similar results when grouped, and the WN and DD matrices, when inverted together, favored the horizontal resolution and the depth of investigation when compared with the inversion of the array separately. To estimate the depth of the waste layer, all available information was used to produce a geoelectric model based on the interpolation of approximate resistivity isovalues at the top and bottom of the waste landfill. The model points to a layer of waste that can vary from 30 to 65 meters in depth, and a total volume of 23,340,429 m³. Finally, the simultaneous inversion of arrays can be a useful tool for landfill investigation, especially if the geoelectric models of the matrices are quite different from each other, in which the subsurface structure is complicated with little a priori information.
How and why do people interact with lay consultants during illnesses? Qualitative study of lay consultation experiences for treatment decisions in slums of Nigeria
Authors: Onuegbu Chinwe , Harlock Jenny , Griffiths Frances
Published: April 2022

Background
During illness, people interact with personal network members and informal online sources of health information (known as lay consultants) to cope and decide on further treatments. In slum contexts, the interaction is shaped by poor neighbourhood conditions that threaten health, scarce formal healthcare services and complex social structures. We explored how and why people interacted with lay consultants during illness and how the lay consultants influence personal treatment decisions in slums in Nigeria.
Methods
We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 30 adults aged 18–64 years from two slums in Nigeria. Participants were purposively selected for diversity of age, gender, network size and use of online lay advice sources, from a previous survey that mapped lay consultation networks. We analysed the data using an inductive-deductive approach to identify themes across the interviews.
Results
There were multiple reasons for speaking to lay consultants, including casually mentioning an illness/health concern during normal daily conversions, talking about health as part of social norms, projecting self-identity, and directly or indirectly seeking advice and instrumental support. People interacted with small and closely-knit network members, mainly family members, partly due to personal choice, mistrust among neighbours, and low access to online networks or sources of lay advice. Lay consultants offered suggestions and advice about illnesses and treatments, empathy, and instrumental support. However, these were not always helpful. People expressed a strong sense of agency in choosing or engaging with advice from lay others.
Conclusion
Despite living in the extreme resource constraints that drive reliance on lay networks, people exercised agency in how they engaged with lay consultants. If formal, trusted sources of advice were available, slum dwellers are likely to deploy this same agency to seek and use this advice.
Von Hippel Lindau Disease May Compromise Outcomes in Pregnancy from VEGF Mediated Accelerated Growth of Intra-Cranial Hemangioblastomas
Authors: Gvazava Nanuli , Giri Meenakshi , Saqib Ahmed , Hasanein Hassan , Ghous Ghulam , Verghese Cherian
Published: April 2022

Background:Von Hippel-Lindau disease is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by development of variety of benign and malignant tumors and cysts including brain stem, cerebellum, spinal cord as well as pancreas, kidneys, and retina. The most common tumors associated with the disorder are hemangioblastomas. Symptomatic CNS hemangioblastomas may be the first presentation of Von Hippel-Lindau disease. Initial presentation during pregnancy is uncommon and presents unique challenges with regard to early diagnosis and management.Case presentation:We report a case of a young woman with cerebellar hemangioblastoma, complicated by obstructive hydrocephalus, who first presented with signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure during pregnancy and was eventually diagnosed with Von Hippel-Lindau disease. We propose accelerated growth of Von Hippel-Lindau disease related hemangioblastomas during pregnancy and explore the pathophysiology of this disorder. Specific diagnostic challenges imposed by pregnancy and approach to management of these complex patients are also reviewed. Conclusions: Increased levels of VEGF during pregnancy may promote growth of hemangioblastomas. Accelerated growth as well as rare but life-threatening complications such as tumor hemorrhage are most likely to happen during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Unfortunately, non-specific symptoms like nausea and vomiting, which are common obstetric complaints, can be confounding and pose challenges to early diagnosis. Careful neurological examination is critical in pregnant patients with new onset neurological symptoms. When a hemangioblastoma is suspected, pregnant patients should be screened for Von Hippel-Lindau disease to identify other potentially life-threatening tumors, and when near term, elective delivery should be considered to avoid both maternal and fetal complications. In complicated cases such as obstructive hydrocephalus, CSF diversion may be indicated and will result in rapid symptom improvement and prevention of severe neurologic sequelae. Unlike sporadic hemangioblastomas, surveillance may be the preferred approach in Von Hippel-Lindau in the absence of symptoms, as these patients have multiple tumors and a high risk of recurrence, making repeat surgeries of unclear benefit.
Does Pre-Existing Immunity Determine the Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Health-Care Workers? Single-Center Experience
Authors: Laura Luka , Dalmatin-Dragišić Monika , Martinović Katarina , Tutiš Borka , Herceg Ivana , Arapović Maja , Arapovic Jurica
Published: April 2022

Objectives: To assess the severity of symptoms, duration of infection and viral loads of health-care workers (HCWs) who tested positive for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during Omicron’s prevalence, in regard to vaccination and previous infection.Methods: During 2 weeks of highest rate of COVID-19 cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the positive nasopharyngeal swabs were analysed in 141 HCWs by reverse transcription quantitative PCR, targeting four different genes: RdRP, E, N and nsp14. Uniformed questionnaire was used to collect relevant sociodemographic and epidemiological data from HCWs divided into 4 groups: vaccinated/previously infected (group 1); vaccinated/not previously infected (group 2); unvaccinated/previously infected (group 3); and unvaccinated/not previously infected (group 4). Results: We observed that occurrence of fever and smell or taste loss were more frequent in group 2 (76.9% and 19.2%) and group 4 (86.4% and 25%) (p=0.023 and p=0.003). ﻿Although statistically not significant, group 1 (70.8%), group 2 (65.4%), and group 3 (61.9%) experienced negativization within 7 days of positive RT-qPCR test, whereas 51.2% of HCWs from group 4 tested negative later on. There is no significant difference between all 4 groups regarding Ct values of analysed genes. Conclusion: During Omicron’s prevalence the vaccination had no significant effect on symptomatic disease among HCWs, while fever and loss of smell or taste were considerably less likely to occur upon reinfection. Since viral loads and negativization periods do not seem to significantly vary, irrespective of pre-existing immunity, systemic vaccination and mask-wearing should still be considered among HCWs.
Risk factors associated with malaria infection along China-Myanmar border: a case-control study
Authors: Xu Jian-Wei , Deng Dao-Wei , Wei Chun , Zhou Xing-Wu , Li Jian-Xiong
Published: April 2022

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has certificated China malaria free, but imported malaria is a continuous challenge in preventing reintroduction of malaria in the border area of China. Understanding risk factors of malaria along China-Myanmar border is benefit for preventing reintroduction of malaria in China and achieving the WHO’s malaria elimination goal in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).Methods: This is a case-control study with one malaria case matched to two controls, in which cases were microscopy-confirmed malaria patients and controls were feverish people with microscopy-excluded malaria. A matched logistic regression analysis (LRA) was used to identify risk factors associated with malaria infection.Results: From May 2016 through October 2017, the study recruited 223 malaria cases (152 in China and 71 in Myanmar) and 446 controls (304 in China and 142 in Myanmar). All the 152 cases recruited in China were imported malaria. Independent factors associated with malaria infection were overnight out of home in one month prior to attendance of health facilities (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] 13.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.32-28.28, P<0.0001), staying overnight in rural lowland and foothill (AOR2.73, 95% CI 1.45-5.14, P=0.0019), staying overnight at altitude <500m (AOR5.66, 95% CI 3.01-10.71, P<0.0001) and streamlets≤100m (AOR9.98, 95% CI 4.96-20.09, P<0.0001) in the border areas of Myanmar; and people lacking of knowledge of malaria transmission (AOR2.17, 95% CI 1.42-3.32, P=0.0004).Conclusions: Malaria transmission is highly focalized in lowland and foothill in the border areas of Myanmar. The risk factors associated with malaria infection are overnight staying out of home, at low altitude areas, proximity to streamlets and lack of knowledge of malaria transmission. To prevent reintroduction of malaria transmission in China and achieve the WHO’s malaria elimination goal in the GMS Subregion, cross-border collaboration is continuously necessary, and health education is sorely needed for people in China to maintain their malaria knowledge and vigilance, and in Myanmar to improve their ability to apply personal protection.
RNA sequencing revealed the multi-stage transcriptome transformations during the development of gallbladder cancer associated with chronic inflammation
Authors: Yang Sen , Qin Litao , Wu Pan , Liu Yanbing , Zhang Yanling , Mao Bing , Yan Yiyang , Yan Shuai , Tan Feilong , Yue Xueliang , Liu Hongshan , Xue Huanzhou
Published: April 2022

Purpose
Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a highly malignant tumor with extremely poor prognosis. Previous studies have suggested that the carcinogenesis and progression of GBC is a multi-stage and multi-step process, but most of them focused on the genome changes. The transcriptome changes, relating to every stage of GBC evolution, have rarely been studied.
Methods
We selected three cases of normal gallbladder, four cases of gallbladder with chronic inflammation induced by gallstones, five cases of early GBC, and five cases of advanced GBC, using next-generation RNA sequencing to reveal the changes in mRNAs and lncRNAs expression during the evolution of GBC.
Results
In-depth analysis of the sequencing data indicated that transcriptome changes from normal gallbladder to gallbladder with chronic inflammation were distinctly related to inflammation, lipid metabolism, and sex hormone metabolism; transcriptome changes from gallbladder with chronic inflammation to early GBC were distinctly related to immune activities and connection between cells; and the transcriptome changes from early GBC to advanced GBC were distinctly related to transmembrane transport of substances and migration of cells.
Conclusion
Expression profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs change significantly during the evolution of GBC, in which lipid-based metabolic abnormalities play an important promotive role, inflammation and immune activities play a key role, and changes in membrane proteins are the most highlighted molecular changes.
Developing a geographic strategy for equal rapid response first aid
Authors: Narikawa Kenji , Kitano Shinnosuke , Fujimoto Kenji , Ogawa Satoo , Yokota Hiroyuki
Published: April 2022

Background: All people have rights to take first aids equally because they have risk for sudden cardiac arrest at any time. Japan employs mainly two inclusive strategies for rapid response first aid. The first is public services such as fire trucks and ambulance response. The second is increasing the number of first responders. However, many residents are geographically unaware whether public services in their areas provide quick responses during emergencies, such as cardiac arrest. For this reason, they lack knowledge the necessity of mutual aid, which enables nearby neighbors who have undergone proper training to respond and provide first aid. Thus, the study aims to identify geographically specific areas where mutual aid is essential for rapid response first aid.Methods: The study targeted 20 cities in Japan designated by government ordinance and to simulate response areas reachable by public service. The driving conditions with 3 min were simulated with the speed limits, which are obeyed by the Japanese Road Traffic Act. Also, the populations covered in the areas was calculated in each targeted city.Results: The simulated map appears to render easy recognition of weak areas that may benefit from rapid response and may necessitate mutual aid. The maximum, minimum, and median population coverage rates are 65%, 22%, and 38.5%, respectively.Conclusion: The study indicates that mutual aid for rapid response is essential to most of the targeted areas in the case of sudden cardiac arrest. Moreover, mutual aid can be implemented strategically by geographic visualization and numerical values for equal rapid response first aid.
Targeted Chimera Delivery to Ovarian Cancer Cells by Multifunctional Ruthenium Polypyridine Nanoparticles
Authors: Li Xia , Mei Wenjie , Wu Qiong , Wang Jianjun , Qi Lifeng
Published: April 2022

Background: In vivo efficient delivery of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to the targeted tumor cells has remained a significant challenge in clinical applications. Ruthenium (II) polypyridyl complexes have emerged both as anticancer agents and imaging theranostic agents because of unique photophysical and cytotoxic properties. However, a major limitation in their clinical implementation is effective cancer cell selectivity. In the present study, we present a novel targeted siRNA delivery platform obtained by ruthenium polypyridine complex nanoparticles (RPN).Results: The chimera molecules constructed by EGFR RNA aptamer and Notch3 siRNA, the chimera loaded RPN exhibited much higher silencing efficiency against Notch3 gene compared with chimera alone and lipofectamine-siRNA complex, and improved the antitumor effects of chimera in vitro and in vivo against ovarian cancer, indicating its potential capability for future targeted cancer therapy via RPN mediated chimera delivery. ﻿Conclusions: Overall, this work describes, to the best of our knowledge, the first in vivo study demonstrating the targeted chimera delivery into tumor cells by multifunctional ruthenium polypyridine nanoparticles.
Food-derived bioactive peptides with antihypertensive activity: A review
Authors: Daza-Rodríguez Belén , Rodríguez-Martínez Angie , Marrugo-Padilla Albeiro , Márquez-Lazaro Johana
Published: April 2022

Arterial hypertension is a public health problem and one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide, with a considerable impact on the cardiovascular and renal systems, constituting the leading preventable risk factor for premature death and disability worldwide. Modern pharmacological regimens for the treatment of hypertension include the use of Thiazide diuretic, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, β-blocker, or calcium channel blockers; Despite the vast therapeutic arsenal that exists, therapeutic failures occur due to a lack of medication adherence, due to the plethora of adverse effects derived from these substances, giving rise to a focus on finding new therapeutic approaches such as bioactive peptides from food. This review aimed to identify the main peptides from foods with antihypertensive activity described in studies published in the last five years (between 2017 to 2021). The review of 23 studies allowed us to identify the peptides with the best antihypertensive potential; these included: RDGGYCC, LRLESF, FHAPWK, and LVLPG from foods of plant origin; LSGYGP, ITT, VISDEDGVTH, ATT, and LWHTH of animal origin; and ALGRV and SPQW derived from fungi.
Constraining the post-emissions temperature change
Authors: Tarshish Nathaniel , Jeevanjee Nadir , Fung Inez
Published: April 2022

Climate models predict that if CO2 emissions ceased today, the current temperature anomaly of ~ 1° C would likely persist for thousands of years. Extending a widely-used energy balance model of Earth’s climate to the case of emissions cessation reveals how this post-emissions response is governed by the equilibrium climate sensitivity, transient climate response, and CO2 airborne fraction. Temperature invariance after emissions cessation is found to be particular to the historical rate of emissions, and is therefore not a fundamental property of climate.
Accuracy Analysis of Earth Rotation Parameters Combining with VLBI Observations in CONT17 and GNSS Observations
Authors: Yu Kehao , Sun Mengqi , Li Lihua
Published: April 2022

The Earth rotation parameters (ERP) mainly including the displacement and rate of the earth's poles, UT1-UTC, length of day are estimated by processing the thirty-one IGS stations data from November 28, 2017 to December 12, 2017 with GAMIT. The ERP are obtained with VieVS3.2 by processing VLBI data observed on CONT17 campaign. The ERP results of GNSS and VLBI are combined in a weighted way, based on the Helemert variance component estimation and weighting method is proposed. The results show that the Root Mean Square(RMS) of the polar shift component in the X-direction is 0.000985 mas, the RMS of the polar shift component in the Y-direction is 0.000286 mas, and the RMS of UT1-UTC is 0.000690 ms, and the weighted accuracy is significantly better than that of the separate solutions of GNSS and VLBI, which can make up for the shortcoming of the single technique as GNSS and VLBI.
Investigation of, and strategies to control the final cluster of the 2018-2020 Ebola virus disease outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Keita Mory , Polonsky Jonathan A. , Finci Iris , Mbala-Kingebeni Placide , Ilumbulumbu Michel Kalongo , Dakissaga Adama , Ngwama John Kombe , Tosalisana Michel Kasereka , Mundeke Steve Ahuka , Gueye Abdou Salam , Dagron Stephanie , Keiser Olivia , Fall Ibrahima Socé
Published: April 2022

BackgroundOn April 10, 2020, while the independent committee of the International Health Regulation (IHR) was meeting to decide whether the 10th Ebola outbreak in the DRC still constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, a new confirmed case was notified in the city of Beni, the last epicentre of the epidemic. This study aimed to understand the source of this cluster and learn from the implemented control strategies for improved EVD outbreak response in future. MethodsWe conducted a combined epidemiological and genomic investigation to understand the origins and dynamics of transmission within this cluster and describe the strategy that successfully controlled the outbreak. ResultsEight cases were identified as belonging to the last cluster of Beni; two males and six females, with a median age of 22 years (range 7 - 68 years). Five cases were likely nosocomially infected. A total of 1,028 contacts were identified. Whole Genome Sequencing revealed that all cases belonged to the same cluster, the closest sequence to which was identified as a case from Beni area with symptom onset in July 2019 and a difference of just 31 nucleotides. Outbreak control measures included community confinement of high-risk contacts, undertaken in accordance with key guiding principles agreed with the affected community. ConclusionThe study illustrates the high risk of additional flare-ups in the period leading to the end-of-outbreak declaration and the importance of maintaining enhanced surveillance and confinement activities to rapidly control Ebola outbreaks.