bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing the Economic Development-Driven Ecological Deficit in the EU-15 Countries: New Evidence From PSTR Approach
Authors: Aydin Celil , ESEN Ömer , AYDIN Recai
Published: May 2021

This study empirically analyses the nonlinear impact of economic activities on ecological balance indicators that estimate the balance between economies' pressure on nature and the biologically productive resources areas affected by human activity and the earth's ecological carrying capacity. In measuring this balance, ecological balance sheet indicators are divided into four sub-components; cropland, forest area, fishing grounds and grazing land. The sample of the study consists of the EU-15 countries over the period 1995–2016. In order to render the study robust with respect to econometric issues like potential endogeneity bias, cross-country heterogeneity, time instability and nonlinearity, the study adopted panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) method. The empirical findings reveal that the economic activities carried out up to a certain threshold level do not force the ecological balance as nature can compensate for the resulting externalities, but beyond this threshold, waste accumulation and pollution exceed nature’s capacity to absorb. Consequently, the results of the study are not in line with the expectation of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis with inverted U-shaped curve, but indicate a need for implementation of active environmental policies for the improvement of the environment.
The Effects of Aerobic Training and Omega-3 Intake on Aβ42, Neprilysin, and γ- Secretase in the Hippocampus of Male Rats Alzheimer's model
Authors: Yaghoubi Ali
Published: May 2021

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by excessive deposition of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the central nervous system and reducing its level is the goal of many medications. Thus this study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic training and omega-3 intake on Aβ42, Neprilysin, and γ-secretase in the hippocampus of male rats Alzheimer's model. 50 male wistar rats (12weeks-old and weight 222.31 ± 11.91 g), divided into 5 groups including, control Alzheimer's (AC), Alzheimer's with the omega-3 intake (AO), Alzheimer training (AT), Alzheimer's with omega-3 intake, and Alzheimer training (AOT) and Healthy Control (HC). Alzheimer's disease induced by injection of homocysteine (60mM) into the rat brain ventricle. Training with a speed of 20 m/min (60 minutes and 5 days/week on the treadmill) was applied. The supplement group was received an Omega-3 supplement 800mg/kg of body weight, daily for eight weeks. Level of Aβ42, γ-secretase, and Neprilysin protein measured using ELISA method. In data analysis, a one-way ANOVA and Tukey test as a post hoc were used (P < 0.05). The obtained results showed that the level of Aβ42 in the hippocampus of AC was significantly higher than the HC group (P = 0.001). Also, the level of the Aβ42 in the hippocampus of AC was significantly higher than AO, AT, and AOT groups (P values 0.001, 0.007, and 0.003 respectively). Also the γ-Secretase level in the hippocampus of AC was significantly higher than the HC group (P = 0.001). Also, the γ-secretase levels in the hippocampus of the AC group were significantly higher than AO, AT, and AOT groups (P values, 0.002, 0.001, and 0.001 respectively). There was no significant difference between Neprilysin levels of the hippocampus of research groups (P = 0.534). It appears that exercise training and omega-3 consumption, can prevent amyloidogenic pathways by reducing the level of γ-secretase, and lead to reducing the level of Aβ hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease subjects. In total, aerobic exercise training and omega-3 intake can be studied as complementary therapy in Alzheimer's patients.
Concomitant Acute Limb Ischemia and Pulmonary Embolism in the Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Case Report
Authors: harras Mahassine El , ELOUARRADI AMAL , ABDELADIM SALMA , MERZOUK FATIMAZAHRA , KASSIMI MERYEM , BENSAHI ILHAM , OUALIM SARA , SABRY MOHAMED
Published: May 2021

Background: The new 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Thrombotic complications are increasingly recognized as an important part of this disease. Thromboprophylaxis with anti-platelet drugs and anticoagulants are recommended in the initial treatment of the disease.Case presentation: We report the case of a patient hospitalized for a mild form of COVID19 pneumonia, who was admitted, one month later, acute limb ischemia and pulmonary embolism despite antithrombotic prophylaxis. Conclusion: Most reported cases are either arterial or venous thrombosis. The concomitant combination of arterial and venous thrombosis is rarely reported. The prophylactic anticoagulation strategy in the SARS- Cov 2 infection is steel not well established.
Knowledge, Perception and Attitude in Relation to Climate Change: A Cross-sectional Survey
Authors: Rehman Tanzeela , Bandh Suhaib , Peerzada Mohazeb , Bashir Shahnaz , Hoang Anh
Published: May 2021

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted using multiple online channels, where hundreds of responses were recorded from seven different countries, in order to provide a better understanding of the global public opinion about the awareness, perception and attitude about climate change. The results reflected that majority of people believe in the actual happening of Climate Change both by natural as well as anthropogenic causes. While most respondents believed in the anthropogenic causes of climate change, some people still displayed their confidence in the natural causation of climate change and thus affirmed their awareness of its natural causes. There was however, a difference of opinion regarding the mechanism behind the greenhouse effect. The respondents also provided their opinion on the impact of carbon aerosols on the atmospheric temperature. Further, the respondents were optimistic on the issue of climate change reversal and had also preferred some mitigation steps such as the use of geo-engineering over adjusting to the existing impacts of climate change. Although, people confirmed their belief in the human-induced nature of climate change, yet their agreement of having faced bizarre things about climate change like the lack of consensus among the scientists and climate change being a hoax shows their unawareness about the appropriate knowledge and the propaganda against this planetary emergency. Therefore, this study could prove helpful for policy makers and other stakeholders as it shows how much is done and how much more is pending.
Relationship of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress with the Etiopathogenesis of Chronic Tonsillitis and Tonsillar Hypertrophy in Pediatric Patients: A Prospective, Parallel-Group Study
Authors: Onal Merih , Kocak Nadir , Duymus Fahrettin , Bozkurt Mete Kaan , Elsurer Cagdas , Erdur Omer , Onal Ozkan
Published: May 2021

Objectives: Tonsil tissue is a very important component of the human immunity system, contributing to the functioning of the cellular and humoral defence system, especially in childhood. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle that has a very important function in the balanced functioning of cells, in which the accumulation of a cellular protein called ER stress occurs in case of dysfunction. ER stress influences the pathogenesis of many diseases and immune system functions. We aimed to investigate the relation between the diseases of tonsil tissue and ER stress response to elucidate the mechanisms of diseases related with the immune system.Methods: A prospective study was conducted in 46 children aged between 2 and 16 years who underwent tonsillectomy for chronic tonsillitis or tonsillar hypertrophy. Tonsil tissue was separated into two groups according to their size and evaluated in terms of ER stress markers and apoptosis markers by Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis.Results: The ΔCT levels of ER stress markers (ATF4, ATF6, CHOP, GRP78, EIF2AK3, ERN1, GRP94) were greater in children with chronic tonsillitis (p < 0.005). In contrast, the tonsillar hypertrophy group had greater ΔCT levels of apoptosis markers (BAX, BCL-2) according to the Real-time PCR method (p < 0.005). According to the Western blot analysis, the normalized levels of ATF4, ATF6, CHOP, GRP78, and ERN1 genes were found greater in the chronic tonsillitis group than the tonsillar hypertrophy group. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of normalized BCL-2 and BAX levels by Western blot analysis.Conclusion: This is the first study in the literature investigating the effect of the ER stress pathway on the etiopathogenesis of tonsil diseases. It was concluded that the ER stress pathway plays a role in the etiopathogenesis of chronic tonsillitis. Investigating the relationship between ER stress and structures such as the tonsil tissue that make up the immune system can help create new treatment strategies. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04653376
A Fully Automatic AI-based CT Image Analysis System for Accurate Detection, Diagnosis, and Quantitative Severity Evaluation of Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Yan Chenggong , Wang Lingfeng , Lin Jie , Xu Jun , Zhang Tianjing , Qi Jin , Li Xiangying , Ni Wei , Wu Guangyao , Huang Jianbin , Xu Yikai , Woodruff Henry C. , Lambin Philippe
Published: May 2021

Background: Accurate and rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) plays a crucial role in timely prevention and appropriate medical treatment to the disease. This study aims to develop and evaluate an artificial intelligence (AI)-based fully automated CT image analysis system for detection, diagnosis, and burden quantification of pulmonary TB.Methods: From December 2007 to September 2020, 892 chest CT scans from pathogen-confirmed TB patients were retrospectively included. A deep learning based cascading framework was connected to create a processing pipeline. To train and validate the model, 1921 lesions were manually labeled, classified by six categories of critical imaging features, and visually scored for the lesion involvement as the ground truth. “TB score” was calculated by the network-activation map to assess the disease burden quantitively. Independent test datasets from two additional hospitals and NIH TB Portal were used to validate externally the performance of the AI model.Results: CT scans from 526 participants (mean age, 48.5 years±16.5; 206 women) were analyzed. The lung lesion detection subsystem yielded a mean average precision of 0.68 on the validation cohort. In the independent datasets, the overall classification accuracy for six pulmonary critical imaging findings indicative of TB were 81.08%-91.05%. A moderate to strong correlation was demonstrated between the AI model quantified “TB score” and the radiologist-estimated CT score.Conclusion: This end-to-end AI system based on chest CT can achieve human-level diagnostic performance, and holds great potential for early management and medical resource optimization of patients with pulmonary TB in clinical practice.
Comprehensive Analysis of a ceRNA Network Reveals Potential Prognostic lncRNAs Involved in Progression of Bladder Cancer
Authors: Ou Dehua , Wu Zesong , Shen Peilin , Hong Yingkai , Chen Si , Huang Yichuan , Lin Ming-en
Published: May 2021

Background: The aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has attracted more and more attention in the biological field of bladder cancer(BC). We aim to construct a competing endogenous RNA(ceRNA) network reveals potential prognostic lncRNAs involved in progression of BC.Results: Expression profiles of messenger RNA(mRNA), micro RNA(miRNA) and lncRNA of 397 BC samples and 19 non-tumor tissues were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) database. Patients with BC were randomly divided into training group (n=198) and validation group (n=199). Then, 130 lncRNAs, 159 miRNAs and 2,048 mRNAs were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs, |logFC|>1, FDR<0.01) related to BC progression. Nextly, we constructed an BC associated deregulated competing endogenous RNA(ceRNA) network with 70 lncRNAs, 30 miRNAs, and 62 mRNAs involved in. Subsequently, a seven-lncRNA signature was constructed by establishing a LASSO Cox model with 13 lncRNAs associated with survival from the ceRNA network. This signature can well distinguish high-risk patients from low-risk patients in training group and verification group. Furthermore, we combined the risk score model with other clinical fictures to estimate the ability of survival prediction. The result suggested that the risk score can be selected as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival(OS) rate. Conclusion: In this study, we construct a ceRNA network related to progression of BC and established an seven-lncRNA signature, which was a candidate prognostic biomarker for prognostic prediction of BC patients .
Multisystem Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis With Hypothyroidism and Sclerosing Cholangitis: a Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Liu Xiaoyan , Xie Shuangshuang , Du Wenjun
Published: May 2021

Background: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease caused by a disorder of dendritic cells. LCH mainly occurs in children and the tissue damage is caused by proliferative dendritic cells. In most LCH patients, only a single organ is affected, whereas some cases may involve multiple organs, such as bone marrow, liver, lungs, and brain.Case presentation: Herein we present an LCH case, that involved a multisystem: the skin, lungs, thyroid, liver, nails, and spleen. Low appetite, fatigue, and jaundice were the main symptoms. The patient had extensive skin lesions, nail lesions, macular sclera, and bilateral goiter. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was higher than normal. Lymphocytic thyroiditis was diagnosed by fine needle biopsy and skin rash. A liver biopsy revealed sclerosing cholangitis (SC). Response to treatment with Etoposide（VP-16), Prednisone acetate tablets, cyclophosphamide, and vinblastine was excellent. With disease remission, the corresponding ESR levels decreased.Conclusions: LCH involved not only the skin and thyroid, but also liver, lungs, nails and possibly the spleen in this case. Currently there are no standard treatment options and the treatment needs to be individualized. It is rare that LCH with sclerosing cholangitis is the first presentation, and we should be vigilant to whether other organs are involved. An elevated ESR may be a valuable indicator of disease activity in patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis.
HMMR is a prognostic-related biomarker of p ancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and promotes the development of p ancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Tang Neng , Dou Xiaolin , You Xing , Ou Zhenglin , Zhao Yaxin , Liu Guodong
Published: May 2021

Background HMMR is an essential oncogene, which is highly expressed in most tumors and is related to the survival and prognosis of many tumors. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract. The five-years overall survival (OS) is less than 10%. This study aim to investigate the relationship between HMMR expression and survival prognosis in patients with different tumors, the function of HMMR in pancreatic ductal adenocarinoma (PDAC) cells and explore the possible mechanisms in tumorigensis and development. Methods The Oncomine, Tumor Immunoassay Resource (TIMER) and GEPIA databases were used for assessing the expression of HMMR, after which PrognoScan database and Kaplan-Meier plotter database was used to explore the relationship between HMMR and tumour outcomes including overall survival (OS), diseases free survival (DFS) and relapse free survival (RFS). Then, we investigated the function of HMMR in PDAC cells. Finally, we conduct HMMR-related gene enrichment analysis. Results We determined HMMR expression to be significantly correlated with outcome in multiple types of cancer in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), with the effect being particularly pronounced in pancreatic ductal adenocarinoma. Elevated HMMR expression was found to be significantly correlated with PDAC staging and grade. Furthermore, we found that HMMR promotes the proliferation, invasion and migration of PDAC cells. The KEGG data suggest that “Oocyte meiosis”, “Cell cycle”, “Progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation”, “FoxO signaling pathway” and “p53 signaling pathway” might be involved in the effect of HMMR on tumor pathogenesis. Conclusions HMMR is high expression and associated with patient outcome in multiple cancer types, in addition, HMMR is a key factor which governs invasion and migration to PDAC, potentially playing a vital role in governing tumor invasion and migration and thus representing a valuable prognostic biomarker in PDAC patients.
Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis in the Treatment of Acute Portomesenteric Vein Thrombosis After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
Authors: BARAH Ali , Al-Hashimi Israa , Kassamali Rahil , Aldebyani Qayed , Almokdad Omran , Elmagdoub Ayman , Khader Mohammed , Rehman Saad U , Omar Ahmed
Published: May 2021

Background: Portomesenteric vein thrombosis (PMVT) following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) is an uncommon but potentially debilitating complication. Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) has an evolving role in recanalizing the venous flow and preventing thrombus propagation. It can be used as an alternative or in combination with systemic anticoagulants in selected patients. We report two cases of trans-hepatic and trans-splenic CDT of acute PMVT developed in post LSG. The patient's clinical details, radiological findings, safety, and efficacy are reported.Cases presentation: Two patients presented to the emergency department (ED) within 14 days of surgery. The presenting complaints were generally nonspecific. The diagnosis of PMVT was established in both patients based on abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). The two patients received a combined therapy of intravenous (IV) heparinization and CDT using trans-hepatic approach in case 1 and trans-splenic approach in case 2, determined by the extent of thrombosis. Subsequent post-procedure venograms and CECT were performed and showed significant thrombus resolution. Both patients received long-term anticoagulant therapy upon discharge with a successful overall recovery. Conclusion: PMVT is an infrequent and severe post LSG complication. Various approaches for re-establishing the portal venous flow have been described according to the severity of venous thrombosis. This article describes CDT therapy as a safe and effective option for treating PMVT in symptomatic patients.
Integrative Analysis of Gene Expression Based on Multi-Omics Databases Identified CXC Chemokines as Immune Prognostic Biomarkers of Rectal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wang Xiaoshuai , Hu Zhiyang , Du Zefeng , Hong Dongchun , Huang Haoyang , Han Yueyin , Hou Yingdong , Feng Haoqian , Chen Tianyu , Xue Zhicheng
Published: May 2021

Background: Rectal adenocarcinoma (READ) is one of the most frequent malignancies with a high recurrence rate. CXC chemokines, as indispensable components of the immune system, are considered broadly involving in tumorigenesis by orchestrating the immune cell chemotaxis and thus affect the prognosis of READ patients. However, the values of CXC chemokines as prognostic biomarkers and potential regulatory mechanisms for READ remain unclear.Results: The expression levels of CXCL3, CXCL12, and CXCL13 were aberrant in both TCGA and ONCOMINE databases. Lower expression of CXCL3 and CXCL13 predicted poor survival of READ patients. Additionally, both CXCL3 and CXCL13 were associated with several clinicopathological features. CXCL3 and CXCL13 expressions were significantly correlated with the tumor infiltration levels of immune cells in READ tissue. CeRNA networks of mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA were constructed to reveal the potential mechanisms that regulated the expressions of CXCL3 and CXCL13. Furthermore, GSEA revealed the association between immune-related pathways and CXCL3 as well as CXCL13.Conclusions: CXCL3 and CXCL13 could be valuable prognostic biomarkers in READ. CXCL3/miR-425-5p/chr22-38_28785274–29006793.1 was identified as the most potential ceRNA network in READ. Our results might provide novel insights in READ immunotherapy.
Antiviral Bioactivity of Resveratrol Against Zika Virus Infection in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells
Authors: Russo Constanza Andrea , Torti Maria Florencia , Márquez Agostina Belén , Sepúlveda Claudia Soledad , Alaimo Agustina , García Cybele Carina
Published: May 2021

Resveratrol (RES) is a polyphenol with increasing interest for its inhibitory effects on a wide variety of viruses. Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus of the Flaviviridae family for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine, and which has become a major global health threat. Within the broad spectrum of ophthalmological manifestations after infection, retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) type is one of the most permissive and susceptible to the virus. This work explored the protective effects of RES on ZIKV-infected human RPE cells. RES treatment resulted in a significant reduction of infectious viral titer in infected male ARPE-19 and female hTERT-RPE1 cells. This protection was positively influenced by the action of RES on mitochondrial dynamics, restoring the ZIKV induced fragmentation of mitochondrial network to conditions similar to those of uninfected control cultures. Also, docking studies showed that RES has a high affinity for two enzymes of the rate-limiting steps of pyrimidine and purine biosynthesis and viral polymerase. In conclusion, our findings indicated that RES could be considered as an antiviral agent to treat ZIKV-induced ocular abnormalities.
Melatonin Contributes to The Hypertrophic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Chondrocytes Via Activation of The WNT/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wang Xuan , He Tianwei , He Lei , Yang Bu , Liu Zhongyu , Pang Mao , Xie Peigen , Zhang Liangming , Rong Limin
Published: May 2021

BackgroundHypertrophy is a critical process for chondrocyte differentiation and maturation during endochondral ossification, which is responsible for the formation of long bone and its postnatal longitudinal growth. Increasing evidence suggests that melatonin, an indole hormone, plays a pivotal role in chondrogenesis; however, little is known about its effects on the terminal differentiation of chondrocytes. MethodsMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived chondrocytes generated by a high-density micromass culture system were further induced to hypertrophic differentiation. The melatonin-mediated hypertrophic differentiation were examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis (RT-PCR) analysis and histological staining and immunohistochemistry. The expression of downstream factors of WNT signaling pathway was evaluated by RT-PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence. The WNT signaling pathway antagonist XAV-939 was used to further demonstrate melatonin-induced hypertrophic chondrocytes and WNT signaling pathway activation.ResultsHistological staining showed melatonin increased the chondrocytes cell volume and the expression of type X collagen, but decreased the expression of type II collagen compare to the control group. RT-PCR showed that melatonin signiﬁcantly up-regulated the expression of biomarkers of hypertrophic chondrocytes, including type X collagen (COL10A1), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), Indian hedgehog (IHH), and parathyroid hormone-related protein receptor (PTHrP-R) and down-regulated the hallmarks of chondrocytes, including parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP). The WNT signaling pathway PCR array showed that the effect of melatonin was accompanied by the up-regulation of multiple target genes of the canonical WNT signaling pathway and the melatonin-mediated effect can be blocked by XAV-939. ConclusionsThese ﬁndings demonstrate that melatonin can enhance the hypertrophic differentiation of MSCs-derived chondrocytes through the WNT signaling pathway. It adds evidence to the role of melatonin in promoting bone development and highlights its positive effects on chondrocytes terminal differentiation.
Risk Factors for Postoperative Recurrence of Ovarian Endometrioma in Young Women
Authors: Xin Xing , Song Xiaochen , Zhao Xinyang , WU Shanshan , Hao Xinyao , Song Aixin , Meng Zifan , Qi Jiarui , Tan Jichun
Published: May 2021

Background: Ovarian endometroma seriously affects women's health, and is susceptible to recurrence after surgery. However, only a few studies have been conducted to asses the risk factors for postoperative recurrence of ovarian endometrioma in young women, and no risk factors associated with recurrence have been found. The purpose of this study is to analyse the risk factors for postoperative recurrence of ovarian endometrioma in young women. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analysed 196 young women who underwent ovarian endometrioma resection in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Shengjing Hospital from January 2008 to January 2018 and were followed-up for at least 3 years postoperatively. The patients were divided into a recurrence group or a non-recurrence group. Their preoperative histories, laboratory indexes, intraoperative manifestations, and follow-up symptoms were analysed. Results: The cumulative recurrence rate of ovarian endometrioma in young women 3 and 5 years after surgery was 8.0%, and 20.3%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed significant differences in cancer antigen-125 levels (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.207, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.126–9.135, P = 0.029), the revised American Fertility Society (rAFS) disease stage (HR: 4.588, 95%CI: 1.422–14.805, P =0.011), postoperative pregnancy (HR: 0.28, 95%CI: 0.109–0.723, P = 0.008), and postoperative dysmenorrhoea (HR: 2.465, 95%CI :1.320–4.604, P = 0.005) between the two groups. Cox multivariate proportional risk analysis showed that rAFS disease stage (HR:3.783, 95%CI: 1.162–12.311, P=0.027) and postoperative dysmenorrhoea (HR: 2.291, 95%CI :1.222–4.296, P = 0.01) were risk factors for postoperative recurrence of ovarian endometrioma, whereas postoperative pregnancy (HR: 0.361, 95%CI: 0.138–0.944, P=0.038) was a protective factor for postoperative recurrence. There was no significant correlation between recurrence of ovarian endometrioma and age at surgery, age at the time of menarche, body mass index, duration of dysmenorrhoea, degree of dysmenorrhoea, genital malformation, surgical approach, maximum diameter of the cyst, and postoperative medication. Conclusion: rAFS disease stage and postoperative dysmenorrhoea are risk factors for the recurrence of ovarian endometrioma during long-term follow-up, whereas postoperative pregnancy is a protective factor.
The Glycemic Response to Infant Formulas: a Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Anafy Adi , Moran-Lev Hadar , Shapira Niva , Priel Meital , Oren Asaf , Mangel Laurence , Mandel Dror , Lubetzky Ronit
Published: May 2021

Objectives: Commercial infant formulas attempt to imitate the unique composition of human milk, which contributes to its distinctive influence on glycemic and insulinemic responses. However, lactose-free and milk protein-free formulas are often recommended due to medical reasons or chosen due to personal preferences (e.g., veganism). The aim of this study was to determine the glycemic and insulinemic indices of a variety of infant formulas.Methods: We conducted a three-arm, randomized, double-blind, crossover study. The participants were healthy adult volunteers aged 25-40 years. Each participant randomly drank three commercially available infant formulas (cow's milk protein-based ["standard"], soy protein-based, and lactose-free). Glycemic and insulinemic responses and glucose and insulin blood levels were determined and compared between the three formulas. Results: Twenty subjects were enrolled (11 females/9 males, mean age 32.8 ± 2.9 years). No significant difference was found in the glycemic index between the three formulas (21.5, 29.1, and 21.5 for the standard, soy protein-based, and lactose-free formulas, respectively, p = 0.21). However, maximal glucose levels were significantly higher for the soy protein-based formula compared to both the standard and lactose-free formulas (111.5 mg/dL compared to 101.8 mg/dL and 105.8 mg/dL, respectively, p = 0.001).Conclusion: A cow's milk protein-based formula, a lactose-free formula, and a soy protein-based formula elicited similar glycemic index. However, soy protein-based formula produced a significantly higher increase in postprandial glucose levels. The implication and the biological significance of these results has yet to be determined.
A Rare Case Report of Primary Ovarian Burkitt Lymphoma and Review of Literature
Authors: Xu Hongliang , Zhao Caixia , Wang Qing , Chen Yong , Zhang Weiqin , Zhang Heping
Published: May 2021

Background: Primary ovarian Burkitt lymphoma is rare, with only 26 reported cases，usually with high proliferative activity and MYC translocation. A case of primary ovarian Burkitt lymphoma that occurred in a 25-year-old woman was described in the present study.Case presentation: An ultrasound examination indicated that the right ovary was enlarged and abundant blood flow signals were observed. The right salpingo-oophorectomy was subsequently performed. Histology was characterized by diffuse sheets of monotonous medium-sized lymphoid cells with high mitotic activity and apoptosis. Numerous tangible-body macrophages were found in the ovarian tissue, presenting a starry sky pattern. The tumor cells expressed CD20, CD79-a, PAX5, CD10, BCL6, and MYC in the absence of BCL2, CD3, CD5, CD138, and TdT. A significant Ki-67 proliferation index was revealed at virtually 90%. FISH examination indicated positive MYC (8q24) rearrangement but negative, BCL2 (18q21) and BCL6 (3q37) rearrangement. Cumulative evidence indicated primary ovarian Burkitt lymphoma as the final histopathological diagnosis. The patient was treated with 8 courses of CODOX-M/IVAC combined with HyperCVAD chemotherapy after surgery.Conclusion: By reporting the histological patterns, immunophenotypes, FISH, and successful post-surgical combined chemotherapy of this rare case of primary ovarian Burkitt lymphoma, we expected to provide insights into the future treatment of this rare but lethal disease.
LPAR2 Is Correlated With Different Prognosis and Immune Infiltrates in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Sun Kai , Chen Rixin , Li Jingzhang , Luo Zhanxiong
Published: May 2021

Background: LPA and its receptors represent two key players in regulating cancer progression. Recent findings suggest that upregulation of lysophosphatidic acid receptor 2(LPAR2) may play a role in carcinogenesis. But there are few studies on the relationship between LPAR2 and tumor immune microenvironment.Methods: In this study, we analyzed LPAR2 expression in pan tumors via the Oncomine, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), and UALCAN. We investigated the influence of LPAR2 on clinical prognosis from Kaplan-Meier plotter (K-M plotter), Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), UALCAN and Human Protein Atlas (HPA). We also examined the relationship ofexpression levels of LPAR2 and clinical and molecular criteria in HNSC and KIRC by UALCAN. Then we explored the relationship between LPAR2 expression and prognosis in HNSC and KIRC patients with different clinical characteristics via K-M plotter. The correlations between LPAR2 and cancer immune infiltrates was examined via TIMER. In addition, correlations between the expression of LPAR2 and gene markers of immune infiltrates were analyzed by TIMER and GEPIA. We also used the cBioPortal to calculate mutations, methylations and altered neighbor genes of LPAR2.Results: We found that LPAR2 different expression was significantly related with the outcome of multiple types of cancer from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), particularly in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) and kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). Furthermore, high expression levels of LPAR2 were found to be significantly associated with a variety of immune markers in particular immune cell subsets in HNSC and KIRC.Conclusions: Our finding indicates that high LPAR2 expression playing significantly different prognostic roles in HNSC and KIRC, might be due to associate with different immune markers. And LPAR2 is correlated with tumor immune cell infiltration and is a valuable prognostic biomarker in HNSC and KIRC patients.
A Rare Subtype of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Report of 159 Resected Pathological Stage I-IIIA Pulmonary Lymphoepithelioma-like Carcinoma Cases
Authors: Liu Li , Jiang Rong-Rong , Feng Xiao-Li , Zhu Wen-Ting , Guo Man-Xia , Tan Xue-Li , Jiang Xiao-Juan , Dou Xiao-Meng
Published: May 2021

Background The current study analyzed resected stage I-IIIA pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) cases to define the clinical characteristics, prognosis and long-term outcomes of resected LELC, with the purpose of guiding clinical management for this rare tumor.Methods Resected stage I-IIIA LELC, adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cases from our center were enrolled. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to minimize the selection bias. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between groups. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors, and a nomogram was developed.Results A total of 159 LELCs, 2,757 ADCs and 1,331 SCCs were included. LELC, dominated among younger patients and nonsmokers. LELC was a poorly differentiated disease that lacked driver gene mutations and was positive for immunohistochemistry indicators of squamous cell lineage. Survival analyses revealed that OS was significantly better for LELC than for other common non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) both before PSM (all P < 0.001) and after PSM (all P < 0.05). Further analyses revealed that early pathological node stage and preoperative albumin level ≥35 were identified as independent prognostic factors favoring OS and DFS.Conclusions LELC, dominated among younger and nonsmoking populations, lacked driver gene mutations and was positive for immunohistochemistry indicators of squamous cell lineage. The survival outcome of PSC was better than other common NSCLCs.
Comparison of Tautomerization, Vibrational Spectra and UV-Vis Analysis of β-Ketoester With Acetylacetone. An Experimental and Theoretical Study
Authors: Aval Mozhgan Mahmoudi , Pour Ali Nakhaei , Vakili Mohammad , Mohammadi Ali
Published: May 2021

In this study, the equilibrium constants, keto-enol ratio, and hydrogen bond strength among keto and cis-enol forms of acetylacetone (AA), methyl acetoacetate (MAA), ethyl acetoacetate (EAA), ethyl 2-methyl acetoacetate (EMA), benzyl acetoacetate (BAA), and ethyl benzoyl acetone (EBA) have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT), compared with the experimental results. According to the obtained results, the relative energy of cis-enol and keto forms of β-ketoesters in gas phases is greater than that of acetylacetone, so the enol form of acetylacetone is more stable and it causes to increase its strength of intramolecular hydrogen bond. The electronic properties of these compounds were surveyed by NMR, FT-IR, and UV-Vis spectra. Besides, the obtained outcomes showed that the keto forms of β-ketoesters in the presence of acetonitrile and carbon tetrachloride as a solvent have a high absorption coefficient due to the polarity of the solvent.
Dexamethasone implant improves anatomic response to anti-VEGF therapy in treatment-resistant Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy
Authors: Narayanan Raja , Mallikarjun Kushanth , Raman Rajiv , Mohamed Ashik , Shanmugam Mahesh P. , Apte Rajendra S. , Padhy Srikant
Published: May 2021

Background: A significant proportion of eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) can be resistant to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections. We evaluated the efficacy of combination of Dexamethasone intravitreal implant (DXI) and anti-VEGF therapy in eyes resistant to anti-VEGF monotherapy.Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) resistant to anti-VEGF injections were additionally injected with a Dexamethasone implant along with an anti-VEGF agent. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit lamp examination, intraocular pressure, fundus evaluation and optical coherence tomography (OCT) data were analyzed. Anatomical response on OCT was the primary outcome measure. Gain in visual acuity, and injection-free interval after the Dexamethasone implant were evaluated as secondary outcome measures.Results: Twelve eyes of 11 patients were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 70.2 ± 11.8 years, and there were 8 females. The mean follow-up duration after DXI was 24.5 ±11 months. The mean number of anti-VEGF injections before DXI was 4.2 ± 1.9. The mean injection-free interval in these patients after DXI was 4.7± 0.6 months, which was significantly greater than the pre-injection mean of 1.6 ± 0.4 months (p<0.001). The median log MAR BCVA immediately prior to DXI was 0.41 (Interquartile Range IQR 0.30-1.02) and after injection was 0.60 (IQR 0.27-1.03), which was not significant (p=0.59). The median OCT thickness after DXI in was 305 microns (IQR 206-417), which was significantly less than the pre-injection OCT thickness of 547 microns (IQR 432-685) (p=0.005). The mean IOP before DXI was 14.7 ± 2.3 mm Hg, and after the injection was 14.3 ± 2.7 mm Hg (p=0.36). Conclusions: Dexamethasone implant combined with anti-VEGF treatment can prolong the treatment-free interval in eyes with PCV resistant to anti-VEGF injection, while maintaining visual acuity.
Characteristics of Erosion Development and Dynamics of Gravelly Debris Flow in The Houyenshan of Taiwan
Authors: Lai Yu-Sen , Lo Chia-Ming , Weng Meng-Chia , Chung Yen-Hsin
Published: May 2021

This study focused on the erosion development and dynamics of gravelly debris flow at the Houyenshan watershed through geomorphology interpretation, field investigation, and discrete element method. The study constructed a discrete element method to simulate the process of gravelly debris flow and determine the scope of influence with regard to deposition. And then, the study integration of the interpretation, field investigation, and simulation results to evaluate erosion and landslide hazard in study area. Finally, the results can serve as a reference for disaster prevention, mapping and zoning of the areas susceptible to geological hazards, and associated mitigation project planning.
The Effect of Quarantine During COVID-19 Pandemic on The Oral Health Habits of The Syrian Community
Authors: Kazwini Rudwan , Alawad Walaa , Alhaffar MHD Bahaa Aldin , Alomari Haya Doura , Ebrahim Abedulrahman , Othman Muhamad Abdulaziz
Published: May 2021

Introduction: Corona Virus has appeared in the end of 2019; it belongs to a large family of viruses that can cause respiratory infections. Due to its rapid and ease spread it has become a pandemic in almost the whole world, which necessitated the imposition of quarantine procedures in order to reduce the speed of spread and the number of deaths, but these procedures may cause many effects on people, one of the most important aspects that can be affected is oral health care. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of quarantine procedures on oral health habits of the Syrian community.Materials and methods: A survey was made with Google forums then published on Facebook from 4-16-2020 until 11-5-2020. The number of people corresponding to the study criteria reached 1033, the effect of quarantine procedures on changing oral health habits, number of times of brushing and the time of brushing were studied.Results: Quarantine led to a change in oral health habits in 57.4% of the sample, females were significantly more affected by changing habits during quarantine (P = 0.020), number of brushing times was not clearly affected and it was twice daily (49.4% Before quarantine, 42.1% after quarantine) as there was no statistically significant difference between the two stages in terms of the number of brushing times.Conclusion: This study was one of the first studies that showed the effect of home quarantine on the oral habits of members of the Syrian community. Home quarantine did not significantly affect the change in the oral health habits of Syrians.
Breast Cancer Associated Opsoclonus-Myoclonus Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Kostoglou Aikaterini , Vlastos Dimitrios , Bakalis Athanasios , Ghosh Debashis
Published: May 2021

BackgroundParaneoplastic neurological syndromes constitute rare neurological complications of malignant disease, manifesting in <1% of patients with cancer. Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) presents with chaotic ocular saccades (opsoclonus), spontaneous muscular jerking (myoclonus) that may be accompanied by ataxia, strabismus, aphasia, or mutism. Its paraneoplastic variant in the adult is most commonly associated with small-cell lung cancer, followed by breast cancer. Importantly, neurological symptoms usually precede the diagnosis of breast cancer and tend to recure after its treatment.Case presentationA 43-year-old premenopausal Caucasian woman with a medical history of hypertension was admitted following an episode of focal seizure. On the day of admission, the initial focal seizure progressed to generalised tonic-clonic seizures and she was subsequently loaded with phenytoin, valproate, and levetiracetam. Initial work up included whole body CT scan, viral and autoimmune serology. The CT scan revealed an enhancing right axillary lymph node, which in combination with Anti-Ri antibody positivity raised the spectre of paraneoplastic opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome. All other tested antibodies were found negative. MRI of the head revealed subtle nonspecific white matter signal change within the centrum semiovale without any mass lesions, while MRI of spine showed no cord lesions. A right mastectomy and axillary lymph node clearance was performed without any complications. Two months later she was admitted again due to near permanent vertigo, intermittent diplopia, facial weakness, and ataxia. She was clinically diagnosed with a recurrence of her anti-Ri syndrome. MDT recommended mammogram and ultrasound of left breast which was normal. Subsequently, four months after initial discharge, she suffered another neurological recurrence; due to concomitant abdominal pain, PET-CT was performed demonstrating a hypermetabolic right ovarian focus. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed as per gynaecology MDT and final histology showed normal tubes and ovaries. She has remained on remission since then, with negative annual mammogram follow-up. ConclusionsIn conclusion, we report a case of OMS associated with breast cancer anti anti-Ri onconeural antibody. Its manifestations preceded the diagnosis of malignancy and it persisted after cancer treatment, underlining the importance for high clinical suspicion in cases of classical paraneoplastic neurological syndromes as well as the need for long-term clinical follow-up.Trial registration:Not applicable
Thyroid-related Hormone Levels in Clinical Patients with Moderately Severe-to-Profound Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Prospective Study
Authors: Zheng Zhong , Shen Ying , Xia Liang , Xiao Lili , Sun Yuanyuan , Wang Hui , Chen Zhengnong , Wu Yaqin , Shi Haibo , He Jingchun , Feng Yanmei , Yin Shankai
Published: May 2021

Background and PurposeSSNHL is a common otology emergency, that may lead to hearing loss and impact quality of life. This study aims to investigate the association of thyroid-related hormone levels with moderately severe-to-profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) that may contribute to treatment optimization.MethodsThe study included 70 patients with moderately severe-to-profound SSNHL and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Peripheral venous blood samples were taken from the participants, and their thyroid-related hormone levels were measured at admission and one week after treatment.ResultsThyroid-related hormone levels of total triiodothyronine (TT3), total thyroxine (TT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (all P < 0.05) were found to be at significantly lower levels in moderately severe-to-profound SSNHL patients to that of the control group. The increases of TT3, TT4, FT3, and TSH levels were significantly higher in the effective group than that in the ineffective group (all P < 0.05). Through receiver operating characteristic curve analyses, areas under the curve were 0.737, 0.636, 0.837, 0.458, and 0.903 for TT3, TT4, FT3, FT4, and TSH, respectively. Linear correlation analysis revealed that TSH level (R = 0.707, P < 0.05) elevation after treatment successfully predicted a favorable outcome of hearing recovery. Logistic regression analyses suggest low FT3 and TSH levels to be independent occurrence predictors while the increase of TSH level may be an independent favorable outcome predictor.ConclusionsThe results suggest low FT3 and TSH levels are risk factors for moderately severe-to-profound SSNHL. By discovering the positive association between TSH elevation and hearing recovery, along with the potential novel predictors of FT3 and TSH, our study may contribute valuable insights to the study and treatment of moderately severe-to-profound SSNHL.Trial RegistrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry; ChiCTR1800017072. Registered 10 July 2017, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=29023
The effect of co-treatments of chemotherapeutic drugs and curcumin on cytotoxicity and FLT3 protein expression in leukemic stem cells
Authors: Chueahongthong Fah , Tima Singkome , Chiampanichayakul Sawitree , Berkland Cory , Anuchapreeda Songyot
Published: May 2021

This study aims to enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity of the combination treatment of a drug and curcumin (Cur) on leukemic stem cell and leukemic cell lines, including KG-1a and KG-1 (FLT3+ LSCs), EoL-1 (FLT3+ LCs), and U937 (FLT3− LCs). The cytotoxicity of co-treatments of Dox or Ida at concentrations of the IC10 – IC80 values and each concentration of Cur at the IC20, IC30, IC40, and IC50 values (conditions 1, 2, 3, and 4) was determined by MTT assays. Dox–Cur and Ida-Cur increased cytotoxicity in leukemic cells. Dox–Cur co-treatment showed additive effects in several conditions. The effect of this co-treatment on FLT3 expression in KG-1a, KG-1, and EoL-1 cells was examined by Western blotting. Dox–Cur decreased FLT3 protein levels and total cell numbers in all the cell lines. By contrast, the FLT3 protein levels and total cell number after Cur treatment did not show significant differences as a result of the co-treatments. Dox–Cur decreased FLT3 protein expression in a dose dependent manner. In summary, Cur was the effective compound in inhibiting FLT3 protein expression. Co-treatment with Dox–Cur could enhance the cytotoxicity of Dox by inhibiting the proliferation of AML leukemic stem cells.