bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum D-Lactate, a Novel Serological Biomarker, Is Promising for the Diagnosis of Periprosthetic Joint Infection
Authors: Chen Yanyang , Wang Huhu , Chen Xiyao , Ma Hairong , Zheng Jingjie , Cao Li
Published: January 2022

Background: Although many markers are used for diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), serological screening and diagnosis for PJI are still challenging. We evaluated the performance of serum D-lactate and compared it with ESR, coagulation-related biomarkers and synovial D-lactate for the diagnosis of PJI.Methods: Consecutive patients with preoperative blood and intraoperative joint aspiration of a prosthetic hip or knee joint before revision arthroplasty were prospectively included. The diagnosis of PJI was based on the criteria of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society, and the diagnostic values of markers were estimated based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves by maximizing sensitivity and specificity using optimal cutoff values.Results: Of 52 patients, 26 (50%) were diagnosed with PJI, and 26 (50%) were diagnosed with aseptic failure. ROC curves showed that serum D-lactate, fibrinogen (FIB) and ESR had equal areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.80, followed by D-dimer and fibrin degradation product, which had AUCs of 0.67 and 0.69, respectively. Serum D-lactate had the highest sensitivity of 88.46% at the optimal threshold of 1.14 mmol/L, followed by FIB and ESR, with sensitivities of 80.77% and 73.08%, respectively, while there were no significant differences in specificity (73.08%, 73.08% and 76.92%, respectively). Conclusion: Serum D-lactate showed similar performance to FIB and ESR for diagnosis of PJI. The advantages of serum D-lactate are pathogen-specific, highly sensitive, minimally invasive and rapidly available making serum D-lactate useful as a point-of-care screening test for PJI.
Synthesis, Antitumor Activities and Molecular Modelling of 4-Anilinoquinazoline Derivatives as EGFR-TK Inhibitors
Authors: Gomaa Rania M. , El-Sayed Magda A. , Selim Khalid Bashir
Published: January 2022

New compounds of 4-anilino-6-substituted quinazoline were designed, synthesized and tested for their EGFR-TK and tumor growth inhibitory activities. The synthesized compounds were appended with amides 6 and 7, dithiocarbamate ester 8a–f or urea/thiourea 9–12 moieties at C-6 of the quinazoline ring to work as extra hydrogen bond acceptors. All the synthesized compounds were effective against EGFR-TK activity, particularly, derivatives 8a, 8f and 9 with IC50 values of 0.14±0.003, 0.119±0.003, and 0.115±0.002 μM, respectively, showed the best activities. The three compounds were further assayed for their cytotoxicity against MCF-7, H-69, SKOV-3 and LS-174T cell lines. Multikinase enzymes inhibition activity of compound 9 was further screened including VEGFR-2, c-MER, c-MET and Her-2. Compounds 8a, 8f, and 9 were docked into the ATP binding site of EGFR-TK which also had resemblance binding pattern to erlotinib with extra binding mode with Cys-773 at the gatekeeper of the enzyme. Cell cycle analyses of MCF-7 cells treated with 8a and 9 was measured in addition to other related factors such as Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-9, and PARP-1.
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis/Stevens-Johnson Syndrome at A University Hospital in Saudi: Causative Factors and Outcomes
Authors: Kokandi Amal A
Published: January 2022

Introduction:Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) are rare, life-threatening conditions caused mainly by drugs. Their management relies on the withdrawal of the culprit medication and supportive measures. Different pharmacotherapies have varied effects. However, data related to TEN and SJS in Saudi is limited. This study aimed to identify the causative agents, associated factors, and outcomes of TEN/SJS cases admitted to a teaching hospital (King Abdulaziz University) in Jeddah during the last 10 years.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of TEN/SJS patients admitted to the hospital over the last 10 years.Results: We identified 12 patients with TEN/SJS. Of these, nine survived the condition and were discharged. The culprit medication was identified in eight of them, including antibiotics in six cases and Tegretol and allopurinol in one case each. Most of the patients received systemic steroids and intravenous immunoglobulins.Conclusion: TEN/SJS is mainly caused by medications of which antibiotics are the most implicated. Consistent with other studies, the mortality rate associated with TEN/SJS in Saudi is 25%. Limitations: restricted to a single center and small sample size.
Glaucoma Diagnostic Performance of Macular Ganglion Cell Complex Thickness Using Regular and Long Axial Length Normative Databases
Authors: Chen Henry , Ling Xiao Chun , Lu Da-Wen , Chuang Lan-Hsing , Su Wei-Wen , Lee Yung-Sung , Wu Wei-Chi , Yeh Po-Han
Published: January 2022

The risks of misdiagnosing a healthy individual as glaucomatous or vice versa may be high in a population with a large majority of highly myopic individuals, due to considerable morphologic variability in high myopic fundus. This study aims to compare the diagnostic ability of the regular and long axial length databases in the RS-3000 Advance SD-OCT (Nidek) device to correctly diagnose glaucoma with high myopia. Patients with high myopia (axial length ≥ 26.0 mm) in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan between 2015 and 2020 were included. Glaucoma was diagnosed based on glaucomatous discs, visual field defects and corresponding retinal nerve fiber layer defects. The sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy and likelihood ratios of diagnosing glaucoma via mGCC thickness in both superior/inferior and GChart mapping using the regular and long axial length normative databases. The specificity and diagnostic accuracy of mGCC thickness for distinguishing glaucomatous eyes from nonglaucomatous eyes among highly myopic eyes were significantly improved using the long axial length database (p=0.046). There were also significant proportion changes in S/I mapping as well as GChart mapping (37.3% and 48.0%, respectively; p<0.01) from abnormal to normal in the myopic normal eye group when using the long axial length normative database. The study revealed that clinicians could utilize a long axial length database to effectively decrease the number of false-positive diagnoses or to correctly identify highly myopic normal eyes misdiagnosed as glaucomatous eyes.
Human peripheral monocytes capture elements of the state of microglial activation in the brain
Authors: Felsky Daniel , Klein Hans-Ulrich , Menon Vilas , Ma Yiyi , Wang Yanling , Milic Milos , Zhukovsky Peter , Schneider Julie , Bennett David , De Jager Philip
Published: January 2022

Despite a growing focus on neuroimmune mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the role of peripheral monocytes remains largely unknown. Circulating monocytes communicate with the brain’s resident myeloid cells, microglia, via chemical signaling and can directly infiltrate the brain parenchyma.1 Thus, molecular signatures of monocytes may serve as indicators of neuropathological events unfolding in the CNS.2–5 However, no studies have yet directly tested the association of monocyte gene expression on longitudinal cognitive decline or postmortem neuropathology and brain gene expression in aging. Here we present a resource of RNA sequencing of purified CD14+ human monocytes - including an eQTL map - from over 200 elderly individuals, most with accompanying bulk brain RNA sequencing profiles, longitudinal cognitive assessments, and detailed postmortem neuropathological examinations. We tested the direct correlation of gene expression between monocytes and bulk brain tissue, finding very few significant signals driven largely by genetic variation. However, we did identify sets of monocyte-expressed genes that were highly predictive of postmortem microglial activation, diffuse amyloid plaque deposition, and cerebrovascular disease. Our findings prioritize potential blood-based molecular biomarkers for AD; they also reveal the previously unknown architecture of shared gene expression between the CNS and peripheral immune system in aging.
Engineered hybrid insecticidal protein improves resistance to lepidopteran insects in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Liu Yang , Han Siping , Yang Shuo , Chen Ziqi , Yin Yuejia , Xi Jinghui , Liu Qing , Song Xinyuan , Zhao Fangfang , Guo Jia , Liu Xiangguo , Hao Dongyun
Published: January 2022

Though cry gene transformed crops have successfully revolutionized modern agriculture, it is still necessary to discover new Cry proteins to overcome potential threatens from the development of resistant insect populations. We swapped domain-IIIs with various Cry proteins and engineered seven chimeric proteins, aiming to produce new engineered hybrid insecticidal proteins. Seven recombinant proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli. Three proteins exhibited high toxicity against Asian corn borer in dietary exposure assays. Three hybrid proteins were further transformed to rice (cv. Jijing88) to determine their insecticidal activity. Cry1Ab/Gc hybrid proteins, Cry1Ab being replaced by the domain-III of Cry1Gc, showed significantly more toxic against rice stem borer than others. Furthermore, Cry1Ab/Gc gene was transformed into maize (cv. HiII), then backcrossed into commercial maize inbred lines (cv. Ji853 and Y822), and formulated into Xiangyu 998 hybrid to evaluate their commercial value. Transgenic maize performed significant resistance improvement to the Asian corn borer without affecting the yield, and this new protein did not have adverse effects on the environment. Our result proved domain-swapped could be used as an efficient method for exploring new cry genes and engineered hybrid insecticidal protein. Cry1Ab/Gc provides a new tool for Lepidopteran insects resistant management in rice and maize.
Preparation and Properties of Autocatalytic Biobased Waterborne Polyol from Rosin Based Epoxy Resin
Authors: Wu Guomin , Chen Jian , Yang Zhaozhe , Jin Can , Liu Guifeng , Huo Shuping , Kong Zhenwu
Published: January 2022

Due to the complex heterogeneous film forming process of two-component waterborne polyurethane (2K-WPU), the crosslinking reaction rate of 2K-WPU cannot meet the demand of efficient application in coatings. In order to improve the crosslinking reaction rate of 2K-WPU, a waterborne polyol containing tertiary amine groups was synthesized from rosin based epoxy resin and secondary amine compound, and then autocatalytic 2K-WPU was prepared by crosslinking the rosin based waterborne amino polyol with polyisocyanate. The structure of the polyol from rosin based epoxy resin was characterized with Fourier infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The crosslinking kinetics and the crosslinked product of the rosin based waterborne amino polyol were also compared with a commercial acrylic polyol. It was shown from the results that the crosslinking reaction rate of the rosin based waterborne amino polyol was faster than that of the commercial acrylic polyol, which indicated the tertiary amine groups chemically bonded in the rosin based polyols could autocatalyze the crosslinking reaction of 2K-WPUs with catalysts free. The film of the rosin based waterborne amino polyol had excellent impact strength, adhesion, flexibility, hardness, gloss, fullness and solvent resistance, showing a good application prospect in the field of waterborne coatings.
Prevalence of Anticoagulant Rodenticide Exposure in Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) in New York State and Diagnostic Utility of Russell Viper Venom Test for Detecting Associated Coagulopathies
Authors: Hopf-Dennis Cynthia , Kaye Sarrah , Hollingshead Nicholas , Brooks Marjory , Bunting Elizabeth , Abou-Madi Noha
Published: January 2022

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) continue to be used across the United States as a method for controlling unwanted rodent species. As a consequence, wild birds of prey are exposed to toxins by eating poisoned prey items. ARs prevent the hepatic recycling of vitamin K and thereby impede the post-translational processing of coagulation factors II, VII, IX, and X that is required for procoagulant complex assembly. Through this mechanism of action, ARs cause hemorrhage and death in their target species. Various studies have documented the persistence of these contaminants in birds of prey but few have attempted to use affordable and accessible diagnostic tests to diagnose exposure in free-ranging birds of prey. In our study free-ranging red-tailed hawks were found to be exposed to difethialone and brodifacoum. Eleven of sixteen (68%) livers tested for AR exposure were positive. Difethialone was found in 1/16 (6%) liver samples, and brodifacoum was detected in 15/16 (93%) liver samples. Difethialone was found at a concentration of 0.18 ppm and brodifacoum concentrations ranged from 0.003-0.234 ppm. Two out of 34 (6%) RTH assessed for blood rodenticide had brodifacoum in blood with measured concentrations of 0.003 and 0.006 ppm. The range of clotting times in the prothrombin time (PT) and Russell’s viper venom time assays for control RTH were 16.7 to 39.7 seconds and 11.5 to 91.8 seconds, respectively. No correlation was found between PT and RVVT in the control or free-range RTH, and there was no relationship found between the presence of liver anticoagulant residues and clotting times in the PT and RVVT.
Toward an Optimal Observational Array for Improving Two Flavors of El Niño Predictions in the Whole Pacific
Authors: Hou Meiyi , Tang Youmin , Duan Wansuo , Shen Zheqi
Published: January 2022

This paper investigates the optimal observational array for improving the prediction of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) by exploring sensitive areas for target observations of two types of El Niño events in the whole Pacific. A target observation method based on the particle filter and pre-industrial control runs from six coupled model outputs in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) experiments are used to quantify the relative importance of the initial accuracy of sea surface temperature (SST) in different Pacific areas. The initial accuracy of the tropical Pacific, subtropical Pacific, and extratropical Pacific can all exert influences on both types of El Niño predictions. The relative importance of different areas changes along with different lead times of predictions. Tropical Pacific observations are crucial in decreasing the root mean square error of predictions of all lead times. Subtropical and extratropical observations play an important role in decreasing the prediction uncertainty, especially when the prediction is made before and throughout boreal spring. To consider different El Niño types and different start months for predictions, a quantitative frequency method based on frequency distribution is applied to determine the optimal observations of ENSO predictions. The final optimal observational array contains 31 grid points, including 21 grid points in the equatorial Pacific and 10 grid points in the north Pacific, suggesting the importance of the initial SST conditions for ENSO predictions not only in the tropical Pacific but also in the area outside the tropics. Furthermore, the predictions made by assimilating SST in sensitive areas have better prediction skills in the verification experiment, which can indicate the validity of the optimal observational array designed in this study.
Promoting Cell Growth And Poly-Y-Glutamic Acid Production By Boosting The Synthesis of Alanine And D-Alanyl-D-Alanine In Bacillus Licheniformis
Authors: Zhang Zheng , He Penghui , Hu Shiying , Yu Yanqing , Wang Xiaoting , Chen Shouwen
Published: January 2022

Objective: The production of some bio-chemicals affected by the cell growth. This study aimed at promoting the cell growth by overexpressing the synthesis of peptidoglycans tetrapeptide tail components to improve poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) production. Results: L-alanine, D-alanine and D-alanyl-D-alanine are primary precursors for the synthesis of peptidoglycans. The addition of L-alanine and D-alanine significantly increased both the cell growth and production of γ-PGA. Then, several genes encoding key enzymes for L/D-alanine and D-alanyl-D-alanine biosynthesis were overexpressed respectively, including ald (encoding alanine dehydrogenase), dal (encoding alanine racemase) and ddl (encoding D-alanine ligase). The results showed that the overexpression of genes ald , dal and ddl increased the production of γ-PGA by 19.72%, 15.91% and 60.90%, and increased the microbial biomass by 15.58%, 18.34% and 49.85%, respectively. Moreover, we demonstrated that the overexpression of genes ald , dal and ddl increased γ-PGA production mainly by enhancing cell growth rather than providing more precursors. Conclusions: This work illustrated the importance of the L/D-alanine and D-alanyl-D-alanine synthesis to the cell growth and the high yield of γ-PGA, and provided an effective strategy for producing γ-PGA .
Interferon-Stimulated Exonuclease Gene 20 is A Prognosis and Predictive Biomarker and Correlated with Macrophages M2 Polarization in Glioblastoma: A Pan-Cancer Analysis
Authors: Jiang Haiping , Zhang Dongzhi , Liu Wenwu , Wang Lixiang , Aleksandrovich Karpov Denis , Chen Xin , Zhang Cheng , Wu Jianing , Yao Penglei , Sun Zhenying , Rong Xuan , Andrei Sokhatskii , Chen Xiaofeng , Zhao Shiguang
Published: January 2022

Background: Since the mutation of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 was confirmed to be different in the tumor microenvironment of multiple cancer types, several researchers have included it in the study of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Interferon-stimulated exonuclease gene 20 (ISG20) plays a role in the modulation of immunity and inflammation, and its abnormally high expression is conducive for the progression of tumor malignancy. However, whether ISG20 is associated with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 mutation during tumorigenesis and cancer progression remains unknown to date. Methods: TIMER2.0, ONCOMINE, GEPIA2, TCGA and CGGA were applied to assess the clinical significance of ISG20 and its correlation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells in glioma. cBioPortal and MethSurv databases were used to observe the genetic and DNA methylation changes of ISG20, respectively. Visualization of data was mostly achieved by R language. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to evaluate the mRNA and protein expression.Results: ISG20 expression was significantly different in most cancers. However, when we combined ISG20 with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 mutation, we found significant differences only in glioblastoma (GBM). The clinical values of ISG20 in glioblastoma showed that the ISG20 overexpression was strongly associated with a worse overall survival (OS). Additionally, ISG20 was altered in 9% of samples of patients with GBM, and ISG20 expression was negatively correlated with its DNA methylation level. More importantly, ISG20 expression was associated with macrophage alternatively activated (M2) polarization in glioblastoma. Conclusions: ISG20 overexpression is conducive to malignant phenotype but adverse to OS, suggesting that ISG20 is a potential therapeutic target and prognosis and predictive biomarker in patients with GBM.
Surveillance of Hemodialysis Related Infections: A Prospective Multicenter Study
Authors: Hasanoglu İmran , Guner Rahmet , Sahin Suzan , Karadag Fatma Yilmaz , Parmaksiz Ergun , Atalay Haci Veli , Ecder Sabahat Alisir , Gulen Tugba Arslan , Ucar Zuhal Atan , Karabay Oguz , Sipahi Savas , Kilic Esra Kaya , Duranay Murat , Yapar Derya , Dogan Ibrahim , Ersoz Gulden , Turkmen Gulcan , Kiykim Ahmet Alper
Published: January 2022

There is neither a surveillance system nor a study to reveal the HD related infection rates in Turkey. We aimed to investigate the infection rate among HD outpatients and implement CDC’s surveillance system. A multicenter prospective surveillance study is performed to investigate the infection rate among HD patients. CDC National Healthcare Safety Network dialysis event (DE) protocol is adopted for definitions and reporting. During April 2016–April 2018, 9 centers reported data. A total of 199 DEs reported in 10035 patient-months, and the overall DE rate was 1.98 per 100 patient-months. Risk of blood culture positivity is found to be 17.6 times higher when hemodialysis was through a tunneled catheter than through an arteriovenous fistula. DE rate was significantly lower in patients educated about the care of their vascular access site. Staphylococcus aureus was the most causative microorganism among mortal patients. Outcomes of DEs were hospitalization (73%), loss of vascular access (18.2%), and death (7.7%). This first surveillance study revealed the baseline status of HD related infections in Turkey and showed that NHSN DE surveillance system can be easily implemented even in a high workload dialysis unit and be adopted as a nationwide DE surveillance program.
Design of a High-performance Flat Reflector Antenna Based on Conformal Transformation Optics
Authors: Nazarzadeh Fateme , Heidari Abbas Ali
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we design an implementable high-performance flat reflector based on conformal transformation optics. In the proposed 2-dimensional device, the rescaling refractive index approach is applied to overcome the sub-unit refractive index issue, resulting in an all-dielectric isotropic graded-index medium that is physically implementable. Rotating the permeability profile around the antenna axis yields the 3-dimensional profile of the flat reflector construction. The dielectric with continuous refractive index profile is split into eleven layers with a constant refractive index. The proposed antenna requires only dielectric layers with the permittivity of 1.1 to 3.8, making it realizable. Simulation results show that the proposed flat reflector can operate in wide frequency bandwidth. The simulated antenna gain is about 25.27 to 29.55 dBi in the 13-30 GHz frequency range with the side-lobe level below -15 dB. Design and simulation of the proposed antenna are done using COMSOL Multiphysics, and simulation results are validated with CST Studio Suite.
High-efficient low-cost characterization of materials properties using domain-knowledge-guided self-supervised learning
Authors: Xie Binglin , Yao Xianhua , Mao Weining , Rafiei Mohammad , Hu Nan
Published: January 2022

Modern AI-assisted approaches have helped material scientists revolutionize their abilities to better understand the properties of materials. However, current machine learning (ML) models would perform awful for materials with a lengthy production window and a complex testing procedure because only a limited amount of data can be produced to feed the model. Here, we introduce self-supervised learning (SSL) to address the issue of lacking labeled data in material characterization. We propose a generalized SSL-based framework with domain knowledge and demonstrate its robustness to predict the properties of a candidate material with the fewest data. Our numerical results show that the performance of the proposed SSL model can match the commonly-used supervised learning (SL) model with only 5 % of data, and the SSL model is also proven with ease of implementation. Our study paves the way to expand further the usability of ML tools for a broader material science community.
Chemical control of water hyacinth by some herbicides and their effect on some aquatic invertebrate
Authors: Mirzajani Alireza , Nezamabadi Noshin , Salavatian Seyed , Bagheri Siamak , Salahi Morteza , Rufchaei Rudabeh
Published: January 2022

Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), regarded as one of worst aquatic weeds in the world, has been an invader in northern Iran, particularly in the Anzali Wetland. Herbicide application as a control method with respect to ecosystem health has been investigated. The effects of three herbicides, glyphosate (Roundup), Glufosinate-ammonium (Basta), and Bispyribac sodium (Nominee) were investigated on water hyacinth and on the survival of five aquatic invertebrates from the Anzali Wetland including Hemiptera, Amphipoda, Odonata, Ostracoda and Daphnia. The treatments consisted of 3 L/ha of glyphosate, 5 L/ha of Glufosinate-ammonium, and 0.3 L/ha of Bispyribac sodium. European Weed Research Council (EWRC) rating scale determining reduction of wet and dry weight of shoot was the basis of assessment to determine the effectiveness of the herbicides in the control of of water hyacinth. All herbicides were effective on water hyacinth while Roundup caused a significant reduction of shoot biomass and scored 98% on the EWRC scale. Bayesian mediation model was used to calculate total and decomposition effect of herbicides on animal groups. Based on the Bayesian mediation model, Basta showed the best performance with lowest probability of a negative effect (PEff<0=0.22). The accuracy of dosages and spraying of herbicides can be considered the most effective in inhibiting water hyacinth and the least destructive to living organisms.
Can Humidifier Reservoir Bacteria Colonize the Circuit During Mechanical Ventilation?
Authors: Li Tian-Ran. , Shi Lan-Ping. , Jia Yong-Gang. , Lau Ricky Wing Tong. , Pan Xia-Zhen.
Published: January 2022

Background:Although the circuit condensate, an ideal bacterial reservoir, may flow into the humidifier reservoir (HR), no study has investigated if HR-colonized bacteria colonize other circuit locations with airflow. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore if bacterial growth in the HR leads to bacterial colonization in the ventilator circuit. Methods: A randomized controlled experiment was performed in a public tertiary hospital in Guangdong Province, China. In vitro mechanical ventilation models (n = 60), divided into sterile water samples (n = 30) and broth samples (n = 30), were established. Sterile water was used for humidification in the ventilation models. The sterile water group contained either Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 15) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 15) in humidifier water. The broth group was similar to the sterile water group, but brain heart infusion broth was added to the HR. After 24, 72, and 168 h of continuous ventilation, bacteria in the humidifier water and at different circuit locations were sampled and cultured, and the results were analyzed by the Chi-square test. The difference in bacterial concentration at the HR outlet was analyzed by the F test, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:Bacterial culture results of the sterile water samples were negative. Bacteria in the humidifier water continued to proliferate in the broth group, and the bacterial concentration at different times was not significantly different (P > 0.05). With prolonged ventilation, the bacterial concentration at the HR outlet increased (P < 0.05). During continuous ventilation, no bacterial growth occurred at 10 cm from the HR outlet and the Y-piece of the ventilator circuit. The bacterial concentration at the HR outlet was higher in the P. aeruginosa group than in the A. baumannii group (P < 0.05).Conclusions:Sterile water in the HR was not conducive to bacterial growth. Although bacteria grew in the HR and could reach the HR outlet, colonization of other circuit locations was unlikely.
Quality Assessment and Content Analysis of Youtube Videos on Trabeculectomy
Authors: DAGDELEN KENAN
Published: January 2022

PurposeThe aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy, quality and reliability of the videos on trabeculectomy on YouTube which is an online video-sharing platform.Scope This paper aims to assess the quality and analyze the content of the videos on Trabeculectomy on YouTube. The material has been obtained by a video search carried out on the Youtube -online video platform- with the keyword “Trabeculectomy”. The material (videos) was examined and selected in accordance with the exclusion criteria (not being in English, duplicate videos, lack of title information of the video, being irrelevant to the subject, videos with only advertising content, videos with a pixel below 240, takes longer than 20 minutes). After the implementation of exclusion criteria, the first ten suitable videos were included in the evaluation.MethodologyRegarding the material, the parameters of the number of views, the number of likes, the number of dislikes, the number of comments, the video duration, the days since the video was uploaded were recorded. Thus, after carving out the secondary data, a number of statistical analyses were performed namely Shapiro-Wilks, Kruskall-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U and Backward Linear Regression. In this framework, statistical analyzes were made via using the Stata software. Statistical significance value (threshold) was accepted as %10 (p<0.1).ResultsAfter the videos were evaluated according to the upload source, it was found that 2 videos were downloaded by the individuals who is not a doctor, 6 videos from doctors and 2 videos from a commercial source. The number of subscribers of the YouTube channels on which these sources have been uploaded was significantly different from each other (p<0.1). When the videos were evaluated according to the information content they provided, it was found that 5 videos had low quality information content, 4 videos had medium quality information content, 1 video had good quality information content, and the video durations were also significantly different from each other (p<0.1). Moreover, it was statistically determined that the parameter affecting the number of views was the number of likes (p<0.1).ConclusionYouTube videos are essentially insufficient as an educational material and an English source of information for the Trabeculectomy. Health professionals need to pay more attention to online platforms so that patients can access accurate information.Categories:Medical Education, Medical Simulation, Surgery
Photocatalytic CO2 reduction with a quantum efficiency exceeding 60%: time-resolved spectroscopic and X-ray studies on Cu(I) photosensitizers in coordinative interaction with Co(II) phthalocyanine catalysts
Authors: Wang Jia-Wei , Zhang Xian , Karnahl Michael , Luo Zhi-Mei , Li Zizi , Huang Yanjun , Yu Jin , Hu Wenhui , Zhang Xiaoyi , Moonshiram Dooshaye , Ouyang Gangfeng
Published: January 2022

The utilization of a fully noble-metal-free system for photocatalytic CO2 reduction remains a fundamental challenge, demanding the precise design of photosensitizers and catalysts, as well as the exploitation of their intermolecular interactions to facilitate electron delivery. Herein, we have implemented triple modulations on catalyst, photosensitizer and coordinative interaction between them for high-performance light-driven CO2 reduction. In this study, heteroleptic copper and cobalt phthalocyanine complexes were selected as photosensitizers and catalysts, respectively. An over ten-fold improvement in light-driven reduction of CO2 to CO is achieved for the catalysts with appending electron-withdrawing substituents for optimal CO-desorption ability. In addition, pyridine substituents were implanted at the backbone of the phenanthroline moiety of the Cu(I) photosensitizers and the effect of their axial coordinative interaction with the catalyst was tested. The combined results of 1H NMR titration experiment, steady-state/transient photoluminescence, and transient absorption spectroscopy confirm the coordinative interaction and reductive quenching pathway in photocatalysis corroboratively. It has been found that the catalytic performances of the coordinatively interacted systems are unexpectedly reverse to those with the pyridine-free Cu(I) photosensitizers. Moreover, the latter system enables a very high quantum efficiency up to 63.5% at 425 nm with a high selectivity exceeding 99% for CO2-to-CO conversion. As determined by time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy and DFT calculation, the replacement of phenyl by pyridyl groups in the Cu(I) photosensitizer favors a stronger flattening and larger torsional angle change of the overall excited state geometry upon photoexcitation, which explains the decreased lifetime of the triplet excited state. Our work promotes the systematic multi-pathway optimizations on the catalyst, photosensitizer and their interactions for advanced CO2 photoreduction.
Structure and succession dynamics of a Neotropical freshwater periphyton community, with emphasis on ciliates and their association with bacterial taxa
Authors: Giongo Adriana , Borges Luiz Gustavo dos Anjos , Simão Taiz L. Lopes , Eizirik Eduardo , Utz Laura
Published: January 2022

Periphyton communities in freshwater systems play an essential role in biogeochemical processes, but knowledge of their structure and dynamics lags far behind other environments. We used eDNA metabarcoding of 16S and 18S rRNA markers to investigate the formation and establishment of a periphytic community, in addition to morphology-based analyses of its most abundant group (peritrich ciliates). We sampled two nearby sites within a large Neotropical lake at four time points, aiming to assess whether periphyton establishment can be replicated on this local scale. Producers and denitrifiers were abundant in the community, illustrating the relevant role of biofilms in freshwater nutrient recycling. Among microeukaryotes, peritrich ciliates dominated the community, with genera Epistylis and Vorticella being the most abundant and showing a clear succession at both sites. Other ciliates were identified and, in some cases, their occurrence was strongly related to bacterial abundance. The structure and succession dynamics of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic components of periphyton differed between the two sites, in spite of their adjacent locations and similar abiotic properties, indicating that the establishment of these communities can vary even on a local scale within a lake ecosystem.
Effects of Lap Configuration on Mechanical Properties and Composition Distribution of Three-layer Overlapped Laser Weldments on Al/Cu Dissimilar Materials
Authors: Shin Joonghyeon , Kang Minjung
Published: January 2022

Battery cells are connected via bus-bars to meet performance requirements, such as power and capacity, and multiple layers of dissimilar materials functioning as anodes, cathodes, or bus-bars are overlapped and welded together. In laser welding, the formation of brittle intermetallic phases in the weld joint is inevitable and, in turn, deteriorates the mechanical properties. To obtain the desirable joint performance, appropriate welding parameters to avoid intermetallic phase formations and joint designs to release stress concentrations must be obtained. This study investigates the effects of lap configurations and process parameters on the tensile-shear load, T-peel load, and composition distribution when multi-layered joints of dissimilar materials are produced by laser welding. Two layers of 0.4 mm Al sheets were welded with a single 0.2 mm Cu sheet, which was emulated using electric vehicle battery interconnects. The results show that the penetration depth varied in accordance with the lap configuration even under the same heat input condition. The lap configuration and welding parameters influenced the composition distribution of the welds, as they altered the solidification rate, number of Cu/Al contact interfaces, and location of the high-density material. The failure load of the T-peel specimens was always lower than that of the tensile-shear specimens except for the Cu−Al−Al lap configuration. The T-peel load of the Cu−Al−Al lap configuration was similar to that of the tensile-shear load. When the stress-concentrated joint was homogeneous, it was more robust.
Optimization and Development of ITO-Free Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticles Assisted Inverted Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Gupta Vishal , Srivast Anju , Jain Reena , Sharma Vijay Kumar , Kumar Lalit
Published: January 2022

This paper focuses on the fabrication of an ITO-free plasmonic assisted inverted organic solar cell (OSC) constituting aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) as front cathode and ultraviolet (UV) filtering layer. The gold nanoflowers are introduced in the device to increase the efficiency using localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) shown by plasmonic nanoparticles. We used GPVDM software to first optimize the cell, based on the geometry AZO/ZnO/PTB7:PC71BM/MoO3/Ag where AZO acts as the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) cathode and UV filter, zinc oxide (ZnO) behaves as the electron transport layer (ETL), Thieno[3,4 b]thiophene-alt-benzodithiophene: [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PTB7: PC71BM) mixture as the active layer, molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) as the hole transport layer (HTL) and silver (Ag) serves as the anode layer. By modelling, we find that the optimized device with maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) includes 10 nm thick HTL, 200 nm thick photoactive layer and ETL thickness of 30 nm. Using the optimized thicknesses, we have fabricated three structurally identical inverted OSCs: first having AZO as the front cathode (AZO based device); second with ITO as the front cathode (ITO based control device); third includes AZO as cathode and plasmonic gold nanoflowers embedded inside the active layer (plasmonic assisted AZO based device). The AZO based device exhibited the PCE value of 6.19%, slightly less than the efficiency of 6.83% for ITO based control device. However, a remarkable increase in the lifetime was achieved for AZO based device under UV assisted acceleration ageing test. The stability enhancement of AZO based device is because of the UV filtering properties of AZO which prevent degradation in the device due to UV exposure. Also, the PCE of AZO based device was further enhanced to 7.01% when plasmonic gold nanoparticles were included in the active layer. This work provides a feasible way to develop an ITO free plasmonic assisted inverted organic solar cell to achieve cost-effectiveness, high efficiency and stability.
Investigation of Posture/Balance Disorder and Pd-related Pain by Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Transcranial Doppler
Authors: Wang Xiaoying , Guo Wenhui , Zhang Yingying , Liu Dan , Gao Qing , Zhang Limei , Fu Kuang
Published: January 2022

Background: Posture/balance disorder and pain are both present in Parkinson's patients, but their neural basis remain unclear. To investigate the central mechanism of posture/balance disorder and PD-related pain in Parkinson's disease by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), combined with Transcranial Doppler (TCD). Results: It was found that the dose of levodopa, UPDRSⅡ and UPDRSⅢ were higher value in the group with higher score of posture/balance. In the more severe posture/balance disorder group, the fiber bundles of the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and basal ganglia were more likely to be affected. In addition, the DTI parameter values of the three brain regions had a significant correlation with the parameter values of the corresponding arteries. In the analysis of PD-related pain, the white matter fiber bundles from the midbrain to the basal ganglia increased in patients with PD-related pain. There were no statistic difference in prevalence of PD-related pain was found between different groups according to posture/balance. Conclusions: Posture and balance in PD were correlated with the severity of the disease and the dosage of compound levodopa. Posture and balance in PD were related to changes in the white matter integrity of the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and basal ganglia. The function of cerebral arteries had contributions to white matter integrity of these area and posture/balance. PD-related pain was positively correlated with sleep score. Patients with PD-related pain had an increase in the fiber projection from the midbrain to the basal ganglia. No relation was found between posture/balance disorder with PD-related pain.
Gardnerella Vaginalis Alters Cervicovaginal Epithelial Cell Function Through Epithelial Cell-type Specific Immune Responses
Authors: Anton Lauren , Ferguson Briana , Friedman Elliot S. , Gerson Kristin , Brown Amy G. , Elovitz Michal A.
Published: January 2022

Background: The cervicovaginal (CV) microbiome is highly associated with vaginal health and disease in both pregnant and non-pregnant individuals. An overabundance of Gardnerella vaginalis in the CV space is commonly associated with adverse reproductive outcomes including bacterial vaginosis (BV), sexually transmitted diseases and preterm birth while the presence of Lactobacillus spp is often associated with reproductive health. While host-microbial interactions are hypothesized to contribute to CV health and disease, the mechanisms by which these interactions regulate CV epithelial function remain largely unknown. Results: Using an in vitro co-culture model, we assessed the effects of Lactobacillus crispatus and G. vaginalis on the CV epithelial barrier, the immune mediators that could be contributing to decreased barrier integrity and the immune signaling pathways regulating the immune response. G. vaginalis, but not L. crispatus, significantly increased epithelial cell death and decreased epithelial barrier integrity in an epithelial cell-specific manner. A G. vaginalis-mediated epithelial immune response including NFkB activation and proinflammatory cytokine release was initiated partially through TLR2 dependent signaling pathways. Additionally, investigation of the cytokine immune profile in human CV fluid showed distinctive clustering of cytokines by G. vaginalis abundance and birth outcome. Conclusions: The results of this study show both microbe- and epithelial cell-type specific effects on CV epithelial function. Altered epithelial barrier function through cell death and immune mediated mechanisms by G. vaginalis, but not L. crispatus, indicates that host epithelial cells respond to bacteria-associated signals, resulting in altered epithelial function and ultimately CV disease. Additionally, distinct immune signatures associated with G. vaginalis or birth outcome provide further evidence that host-microbial interactions may contribute significantly to the biological mechanisms regulating reproductive outcomes.
Efficacy, safety and prognostic factors in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer treated with trifluridine/tipiracil plus bevacizumab in a real-world setting
Authors: Martínez-Lago Nieves , Chucla Teresa Calleja , de Castro Beatriz Alonso , Ponte Rafael Varela , Rendo Cristina Reboredo , Rodriguez Martin Igor Gomez-Randulfe , Diaz Sofia Silva , Suarez Begoña Graña , Gomez Juan de la Camara , López Fernando Busto , Salvador María Mateos , Lopez Margarita Reboredo
Published: January 2022

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of trifluridine/tipiracil (TAS-102) plus bevacizumab in treating refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in a retrospective, observational study. Patients refractory or intolerant to standard therapies received TAS-102 (30–35 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1–5 and days 8–12 every 28 days) plus bevacizumab 5 mg/kg on days 1 and 15. Clinical and pathological characteristics, overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) data were collected and analysed. Thirty-five patients were treated from July 2019 to October 2021 (median age 64 years). The majority of patients (68.6%) were receiving TAS-102 plus bevacizumab as third-line treatment. Patients received a median of 4 (range 2–15) cycles of treatment. Among 31 patients evaluable for response (88.6%), ORR and DCR were 3.2% and 51.6%, respectively. After a median 11.6 months’ follow-up, median PFS was 4.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.4–5.1) months and median OS was 9.3 (95% CI 6.6–12.1) months. The most common grade 3–4 toxicities were neutropenia, asthenia and nausea/vomiting, and there were no treatment-related deaths. This real-world study confirms the efficacy and safety of TAS-102 plus bevacizumab in patients with refractory mCRC.
Anchoring silver nanoparticles on imidazolium-based poly(ionic liquid)s with engineered nanopores as an efficient carrier for anticancer drug controlled delivery with antimicrobial effect
Authors: Aliakbari Ehsan , Zamiri Reza Eghdam , Mahdavi Mehri , Yousefi Vahid
Published: January 2022

Due to the significance of drug delivery, the design of novel progressive nanomaterials for targeting drug delivery is a significant role in pharmacotherapy, as this method is supposed to reach a more exact target. One of the most distinguished materials by researchers is the poly ionic liquid (PIL), which have been used as anticancer drugs carriers and notably improve the antitumor effect and half-life. In this work, an efficient and stable nanocarrier containing silver nanoparticle, which were well distributed throughout the ionic liquid-based copolymer network (PILP-Ag), was reported for the drug delivery with antimicrobial effect. PILP was synthesized by radical silver nanoparticles was anchored into PIL voids by in-situ reduction, which enrich the adsorption capability of drug and antimicrobial effect of the nanocarrier. The synthesized nanomaterials were characterized by various techniques such as BET, TGA, SEM, TEM, AAS and FT-IR spectroscopy. The antibacterial activities of the silver-containing PIL against both S. aureus and E. coli were studied by determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration.
Prevalence of Hearing Loss in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Association with Severity of Diabetic Neuropathy
Authors: Abraham Abin M , Varghese Ashish , Jacob Jubbin Jagan
Published: January 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Spatiotemporal Cluster Patterns of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease at the Province level in Mainland China, 2009-2018
Authors: Wu Yuanzhe , Wang Tingwei , Zhao Mingyi , Dong Shumin , Wang Shiwen , Shi Jingcheng
Published: January 2022

BackgroundAlthough three monovalent EV-A71 vaccines have been launched in mainland China since 2016, hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) still causes a considerable disease burden in China. Vaccines’ use may change the epidemiological characters of HFMD. This study aims to analyze the spatiotemporal cluster of HFMD at the province level in mainland China from 2009 to 2018 and compare the difference before and after the vaccines were launched. MethodsAll HFMD cases’ data from January 2009 to December 2018 were obtained from the public health science data center given by the Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and space-time scan statistics analysis were used to explore the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of this disease at the provincial level in mainland China. ResultsThe median annual incidence of HFMD was 143.22 per 100,000 (ranging from 87.01 to 205.06) in mainland China from 2009 to 2018. Two peaks of infections were observed per year. Children 5 years and under were the main morbid population. The global autocorrelation analysis showed that the spatial distribution of HFMD was presented a significant clustering pattern in each year (P<0.001), and the local autocorrelation analysis indicated that the high incidence areas were clustered in the southern and southeastern coastal provinces. The distribution of HFMD cases was clustered in time and space. The range of cluster time was between April and October. The most likely cluster appeared in the southern coastal provinces (Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan) from 2010 to 2017 and in the southeastern coastal provinces (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang) in 2018. ConclusionChanges in the spatiotemporal cluster of HFMD after the launch of EV-A71 vaccines were observed at the province level in mainland China in 2018. It is necessary to advance the EV-A71 vaccination plan, analyze the spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of different enterovirus pathogens of HFMD, and promote HFMD multivalent vaccines.