bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pengaruh Rasio Keuangan dan Pertumbuhan Perusahaan Terhadap Peringkat Obligasi Syariah
Authors: Fitriani Pradini Rifki , Andriyanto Irsad , Ridwan Murtadho
Published: August 2020

The purpose of this research is to test the influence of profitability, solvability, liquidity, and growth to the Sharia bond’s rating which are listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange and rated by PT Pefindo. The population of this research is non-financial companies that are listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The sampling of this research selected by purposive sampling. The method is a quantitative method. The data analysis technique is ordinal logistic regression using SPSS 23. The result shows that the profitability ratio has a significant positive influence on the rate of Sharia bond’s rating and liquidity ratio has a significant negative influence. While solvability and growth ratio don’t have any influence on the Sharia bond rating.
Gene Expression Profile Associated With Neural Tube Defects Among Infants Attending Muhimbili National Hospital And Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute In Tanzania
Authors: Sadallah Mariam , Assenga Evelyne Neema , Pallangyo Charles , Manji Karim
Published: August 2020

Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are severe congenital anomalies of the central nervous system. The specific cause is not known, though several factors including gene variants involving the folate metabolism have been implicated in the etiology. This study aimed at identifying the gene expression profile of selected genes known to be associated with NTDs among infants attending Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) and Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI).Methods: We conducted a matched case control study involving infants who were attending MNH and MOI during 6 months of the study period. Each case was matched with two controls by gestational age, sex and birth weight. Whole blood samples were collected from all study participants for genetic analysis. Total RNA was isolated using Qiagen RNA blood mini kit, and reversed transcribed into complementary DNA (cDNA) using Super Script II Reverse Transcriptase cDNA Synthesis kit. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed on extracted cDNA by a Light Thermal Cycler 480 machine using specific primers for studied genes to determine their expression levels. Results were analysed by GraphPad Prism 5Software, using Student t-test, and Bonferroni post hoc statistical tests. A p value of < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: The study recruited 50 cases and 100 controls. Among eight studied genes, we found significantly low expression of Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase [MTHFR] gene among cases than controls (p=0.006). Expression of others genes were having variations and expressed at very low levels in both cases and controls.Conclusions: A low expression level of MTHFR gene was a significant risk factor for the occurrence of NTDs amongst infants attending MNH and MOI. We recommend gene expression analysis to be done on mothers of infants with NTDs to identify those at risk; and further mutational analysis to be done to enhance genetic counseling and therefore to prevent recurrence of NTDs.
The First Documented Detection in Taiwan of The Hepatitis E Virus in Rats
Authors: Chiang Pai-Shan , Huang Wei-Lun , Chung Han-Hsuan , Yang Jyh-Yuan , Teng Hwa-Jen
Published: August 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Community outreach with families of children 0 to 5 years of age: Perceived practices and impacts in Eastern Townships, Quebec, Canada
Authors: Roy Mathieu , Lavoie-Trudeau Étienne , Roy Marie-Andrée , Clapperton Irma , Couturier Yves , Lane Julie , Bibeau Linda , Ouellette Myrthô , Camden Chantal
Published: August 2020

Backgound: Community outreach workers support individuals accessing healthcare and other services useful to respond to their needs. Even though community outreach workers have been working in the province of Quebec (Canada) for the past 40 years, their practice is poorly documented (especially for families having children aged 0 to 5 years). Methods: To document community outreach practice and its perceived impacts for children and families, a content analysis was performed on 55 scientific and grey literature documents, 24 individual interviews, and 3 focus groups including parents, community outreach workers, healthcare employees, and inter-sectoral partners. Results: Three main themes were highlighted: 1) characteristics of the population served, 2) concrete actions performed by community outreach workers, and 3) perceived impacts of community outreach on families and children. Community outreach workers were perceived to be essential for reaching out families with vulnerable circumstances and children with special needs. With respect to actions, community outreach workers were reported to tailor their interventions to respond in different but complementary ways to the healthcare system. Perceived impacts included increased access for children and families to services, decreased social isolation, increased parental abilities, increased social capital of families, and confidence towards the healthcare system. Conclusions: Results also showed that community outreach workers helped to reduce social inequalities in health. This social practice helped to augment the capacity of the healthcare system to fulfill its legal mandate to protect citizen and increase health and well-being. It is crucial that community outreach practices and proximity approaches be encouraged and sustained.
Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus Associated Chronic Kidney Disease in Ethnically Diverse Backgrounds in Western Sydney
Authors: Prasad Sathvik , Hng Tien-Ming , Maberly Glen , Wong Germaine , Meyerwitz-Katz Gideon
Published: August 2020

Background: Past research has demonstrated that ethnically diverse backgrounds have a greater risk of Diabetes Mellitus and/or Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), which both contribute significantly to the disease burden placed on the Australian Healthcare system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in DM associated CKD between ethnicities in Western Sydney, NSW Australia, which is known to be an ethnically diverse geographical region.Method: Using data from Blacktown and Mt Druitt Hospitals and a retrospective approach, individuals with diabetes and CKD were identified based on HbA1c and eGFR results. Using univariate analysis and past research, a logistic regression modelling was carried out on the data to identify relationships between ethnicity and DM associated CKD.Results: Out of 73,001 observations, 24,009 individuals were included in the analysis with 3,934 individuals with HbA1c consistent with diabetes and kidney function at eGFR at Stage 2 and above. 47% were female and 53% were males and the median age was 76 ± 12 years. Using a forward-method model building process, ethnicity was compared to a reference of Caucasian. The model showed that Pacific Islanders have the most risk (OR: 5.63, p < 0.001, CI: 4.78–6.65) compared to other ethnicities. Age has an 11% increased risk per year (OR: 1.11, p < 0.001, CI: 1.1–1.11), men were at a 53% greater risk (OR: 1.53, p < 0.001, CI: 1.14–1.67) and Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islanders were 76% more likely to have DM associated CKD (OR: 1.76, p < 0.001, CI: 1.33–2.32). Increased socioeconomic status resulted in a 11% decreased risk in DM associated CKD (OR: 0.82, p < 0.001, CI: 0.79–0.86) and smoking status, interestingly, also has an 18% lower risk of DM associated CKD (OR: 0.81, p = 0.005, CI: 0.71–0.92)Conclusion: The results show a clear difference in risk between ethnicities in DM associated CKD and its associated risk factors. These differences should be accounted for when considering interventions for at risk communities.
Clinical and Endoscopic Characteristics of Chinese Cronkhite-Canada Syndrome Patients: A Retrospective Study of 103 cases
Authors: Lu Yuanyuan , Huang Fengxing , Wang Youwei , Zhou Juan , Zhao Qiu , Liu Lan
Published: August 2020

Background: Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) is a rare non-inherited disease characterized by extensive gastrointestinal polyposis and ectodermal dysplasia. Its etiology still remains indefinite to us. Currently, the diagnosis is mainly based on typical clinical manifestations and endoscopic features. However, there is a lack of these information from Chinese CCS patients. Our study was to investigate the clinical and endoscopic characteristics of Chinese CCS patients. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in 103 Chinese CCS patients (102 cases from literature and 1 case from our department). Their clinical and endoscopic data were collected, and statistical analyses were performed. Results: 1) In Chinese population, people aged 50-70 years (62.62%) had a high incidence of CCS, and the ratio of male-to-female was 2.68:1. 2) The diverse range of gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations were observed in all the patients, and the most common symptoms were weight loss (98.80%) and loss of appetite (93.94%). Almost all the patients had at least one symptom of ectodermal dysplasias. 3) All CCS patients presented multiple polyps in the GI tract except esophagus. The size of polyps varied from 0.5 cm (88.64%) to 0.6-1.0 cm (81.82%) . The polyps were various in shapes, the most of them were nodular polyps (58.14%) ,what’s more,the sessile polyps were the most common(90.24%). Congestion, edema and erosion were very common on the surface of polyps (96.83%) and the surrounding mucosa (85.71%) . 4) The common pathological features of polyps were hyperplastic polyps (49.25%) and tubular adenomatous polyps (44.78%). There is only 5.97% cancer reported. Conclusions: middle-aged and elderly people are the high-risk group; various gastrointestinal symptoms are observed in Chinese patients; the typical endoscopic finding is multiple small sessile polyps; these gastrointestinal polyps has a chance of malignant potential. Long-term endoscopic surveillance and follow-up are recommended for the CCS patients in China.
Genetic Risk Score for Ovarian Cancer Based on Chromosomal-scale Length Variation
Authors: Toh Chris , Brody James
Published: August 2020

Introduction.Twin studies indicate thata substantial fraction of ovarian cancers should be predictable from genetic testing. Genetic risk scores can stratify women into different classes of risk. Higher risk women can be treated or screened for ovarian cancer, which should reduce overall death rates due to ovarian cancer. However, current ovarian cancer genetic risk scores, based on SNPs, do not work that well. We developed a genetic risk score based on structural variation, quantified by variations in the length of chromosomes.Methods. We evaluated this genetic risk score using data collected by The Cancer Genome Atlas. From this dataset, we synthesized a dataset of 414 women who had ovarian serous carcinoma and 4225 women who had no form of ovarian cancer. We characterized each woman by 22 numbers, representing the length of each chromosome in their germ line DNA. We used a gradient boosting machine, a machine learning algorithm, to build a classifier that can predict whether a woman had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer in this dataset.Results. The genetic risk score based on chromosomal-scale length variation could stratify women such that the highest 20% had a 160x risk (95% confidence interval 50x-450x) compared to the lowest 20%. The genetic risk score we developed had an area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.88 (estimated 95% confidence interval 0.86-0.91).Conclusion. A genetic risk score based on chromosomal-scale length variation of germ line DNA provides an effective means of predicting whether or not a woman will develop ovarian cancer.
Influence of IL-6 and TNF-α on clinical manifestations, activity and comorbidity in a group of patients with psoriatic arthritis
Authors: Montilla Carlos , Luis Gómez-Lechón , Toledano Esther , Acosta Elisa , Compán Olga , Pastor Sonia , Hidalgo Cristina , Manzano Guadalupe , Queiró Rubén
Published: August 2020

Objectives

To relate the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) with the clinical variants, the disease activity and the presence of comorbidities.
Methods

Cross-sectional observational study that included 184 patients with PsA according to CASPAR criteria. IL-6 and TNF-α levels were determined. As clinical variables, the clinical form (peripheral, axial or mixed), the presence of dactylitis, the severity of psoriasis measured by PASI and HLA-B27 were determined. Disease activity was measured by the tender joint count, swollen joint count, entheses affected, the severity of psoriasis measured by PASI, ESR, and CRP. The minimum disease activity (MDA) was also measured. Cardiovascular risk markers such as waist /hip ratio (w/ h) and analytical variables: apolipoprotein A, apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein a, insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-R) and microalbuminuria in urine 24 hours (MA) were included in comorbidity. The presence of fatty liver was measured by ultrasound and fatigue by the FACIT-F questionnaire.
Results

The mean age of the patients was 55.12 years (SD: 11.29). One hundred and one were men (54.89%). 14.67% of the patients were on treatment with biologic DMARD (bDMARD). One hundred and two patients had peripheral involvement (55.43%), 69 mixed (37.5%) and 13 (7.07%) exclusively axial. 17.93% of the patients had a positive HLA-B27. 53.26% of the patients achieved a MDA. In the analysis of IL-6, we found a correlation with CRP (R: 0.32; P = 0.001), in addition, in patients with positive HLA-B27 we found lower concentrations of IL-6 (3.25 + 2, 26 Vs 5.81 + 7.23) -p < 0.001). We found no association with other variables related to inflammatory activity and / or comorbidity. TNF-α concentrations were higher in patients receiving TNF-α inhibitors ((178.89 SD: 181.31 vs 10.42 SD: 11.15; P < 0.001). Excluding these patients, we only found a correlation with the MA (R: 0.39; p < 0.001).
Conclusions

In our patients, the presence of HLA-B27 influenced IL-6 concentrations. TNF-α could be considered as a marker of subclinical renal damage.
“I have SMA, SMA doesn’t have me”- A Qualitative Snapshot Into the Challenges, Successes, and Quality of Life of Sma Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Mazzella Allison Joy , Curry Mary , Belter Lisa , Cruz Rosangel , Jarecki Jill
Published: August 2020

Background: With the approval of two treatments for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and several promising therapies on the horizon, the SMA adolescent and young adult populations are expected to evolve in the coming years. It is imperative to understand this cohort as it exists today to provide optimal care and resources, as well as to assess possible treatment effects over time. In 2018, Cure SMA launched two initiatives geared towards understanding adolescents and young adults with SMA, ages 12-25. First, Cure SMA launched a clinical meaningfulness survey to capture information, quantitatively and qualitatively, on the quality-of-life of this population. Concurrently, Cure SMA invited SMA-affected individuals, ages 12-25, to create a three-minute video on their everyday experiences living with SMA. An inductive thematic analysis of the open-ended section in the survey along with the video contest findings are reported here.Results: Eighty-five individuals — 6 type Is, 58 type IIs, and 21 type IIIs — completed the open-ended section of the survey, while six individuals, mostly type II, participated in the SMA awareness video contest. In both settings, individuals detailed a wide variety of challenges, including but not limited to forming or maintaining close relationships, feelings of isolation, challenges with accessibility, independence, and dealing with the stigma of being perceived as mentally disabled. Individuals also discussed their successes, including but not limited to higher education enrollment and attendance, development of quality friendships, and perseverance through obstacles. Additionally, in the survey, an overwhelming number of respondents (39%) requested the creation of an SMA peer support group in efforts to connect with each other as well as collectively navigate the aforementioned challenges they face. Conclusion: Together, these findings provide a rare glimpse into the unique mindsets, challenges and motivations of SMA adolescents and young adults, via patient-reported measures instead of caregiver proxy. The adolescent and young adult age demographics assessed represent a critical transition period in life and in SMA care. No one understands the needs of an adolescent or young adult with SMA better than the individuals themselves, and it is critical to capture their insights in order to affect change.
Association of Diabetes Status With Survival After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment for Advanced Lung Cancer: a Retrospective Study in Japan
Authors: Hisanaga Kaori , uchino hiroshi , Kakisu Naoko , Miyagi Masahiko , Yoshikawa Fukumi , Sato Genki , Isobe Kazutoshi , Kishi Kazuma , Homma Sakae , Hirose Takahisa
Published: August 2020

Introduction: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are promising in the treatment of advanced cancer, they may lead to immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which can affect endocrine organ systems. However, development of the irAEs was associated with improved cancer-specific survival, the risk for years have not been elucidated. We investigated the association of pre-ICI comorbidities—including diabetes—with years and overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced lung cancer. Research design and methods: Patients with lung cancer who were treated with ICIs at the period from September 1, 2015 through July 31, 2018 were retrospectively enrolled. All data were collected from the university patient NEPTUNE database. Hazard ratios were estimated by using Cox regression weighted for propensity scores. Odds ratios were calculated by logistic regression and adjusted for unbalanced variables. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to compare OS, and the generalized Wilcoxon test was used to compare median survival. The results: Among the 88 patients identified, 22 (25.0%) had diabetes (DM) before ICI treatment and 57 (75.0%) did not (non-DM). Iris developed in 12.2% of patients with DM and in 9.1% of patients in non-DM (p=0.87). Diabetes status was not associated with auras risk in relation to baseline characteristics (age, sex, TNM staging, thyroid and renal function) or after propensity score matching analysis (age, TNM staging). During a mean follow-up of 30 months, OS and cancer-specific PFS were significantly higher in patients who developed iris (Kaplan–Meier estimates, p=0·04 and 0·03, respectively). In propensity score–matched analysis, diabetes was significantly associated with lower OS (multivariate hazard ratio, 0·36; 95% CI, 0·13–0·98). Irrespective of eras, PFS was lower among patients with DM than among non-DM (Kaplan–Meier estimate, p=0·04). Conclusions: Pre-existing diabetes was associated with higher mortality in advanced lung cancer, regardless of irAEs development after treatment with ICIs.
The Socio-Spatial Determinants of COVID-19 Diffusion: The Impact of Globalisation, Settlement Characteristics and Population
Authors: Sigler Thomas , Mahmuda Sirat , Kimpton Anthony , Loginova Julia , Wohland-Jakhar Pia , Charles-Edwards Elin , Corcoran Jonathan
Published: August 2020

Background: COVID-19 is an emergent infectious disease that has spread geographically to become a global pandemic. While much research focuses on the epidemiological and virological aspects of the COVID-19 transmission, there remains a gap in knowledge regarding the drivers of geographical diffusion between places. Here, we use quantile regression to model the roles of globalisation, human settlement and population characteristics as socio-spatial determinants of COVID-19 diffusion over a six-week period in March and April 2020. Results: The quantile regression model suggest that globalisation and settlement population characteristics related to high human mobility predict disease diffusion. Human development level (HDI) and total population predict COVID-19 diffusion in countries with a high number of total confirmed cases per million whereas larger household size, older populations, and globalisation tied to human interaction predict COVID-19 diffusion in countries with a low number of total confirmed cases per million. Conclusions: The analysis confirms that globalisation, settlement and population characteristics lead to greater disease diffusion, and primarily variables tied to high human mobility. These outcomes serve to inform policies around ‘flattening the curve’, particularly as they related to anticipated relocation diffusion from more- to less-developed countries and regions, and hierarchical diffusion from countries with higher population and density. Epidemiological strategies must be tailored to suit the range of human mobility patterns, as well as the variety of settlement and population characteristics.
Brain tumor segmentation from multimodal magnetic resonance imaging data based on gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) and an ensemble Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier
Authors: Li Na , Yang Zheng
Published: August 2020

Background

Brain tumors, abnormal cells growing in the human brain,are common neurological diseases that are extremely harmful to human health. Malignant brain tumors can lead to high mortality. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)༌a typical noninvasive imaging technology, can produce high-quality brain images without damage and skull artifacts, as well as provide comprehensive information to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors. Additionally༌the segmentation of MRI brain tumors utilizes computer technology to segment and label tumors and normal tissues automatically on multimodal brain images, which plays an important role in disease diagnosis, treatment planning, and surgical navigation.
Methods

We propose a solution using gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) texture and an ensemble Support Vector Machine (SVM) structure. We focus on the effects of GLCM texture on brain tumor segmentation. First, 112 GLCM features for each voxel were extracted. Next, these features were ranked using the SVM-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) method. Based on the sorting results, we found that when the number of features was 60, the value of the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) tended to be flat. The GLCM texture features maximal correlation coefficient, information measure of correlation, Angular Second Moment, sum of squares, difference variance, contrast, and inverse difference moment were important for segmentation. Finally, we selected the top 60 grayscale features and constructed an ensemble SVM classifier to separate the abnormal mass of tissue from normal brain tissues.
Results

The experimental material was a dataset called BraTs2015. The proposed model was verified with the Dice coefficient. For low-grade tumors, we obtained a 91.2% average Dice coefficient for segmenting the complete tumor region. For high-grade tumors, the average was slightly higher at 92.4%.
Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that this method has a better capacity and higher segmentation accuracy with a low computation cost.
Kidney Organoids Generated from iPS Cells Obtained from the Erythroid Progenitors of Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
Authors: Facioli Roberta , Lojudice Fernando , Anauate Ana , Maquigussa Edgar , Nishiura José Luiz , Heilberg Ita , Sogayar Maricleide , Boim Mirian
Published: August 2020

Background. Kidney organoids have been broadly obtained from commercially available induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); however, it has been a great challenge to efficiently produce renal organoid models from patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) that recapitulate both embryogenesis and the mechanisms of cystogenesis.Methods. Blood erythroid progenitors (EPs) from two ADPKD patients and one healthy control (HC) donor were reprogrammed by an episomal vector into iPSCs, which were differentiated into renal tubular organoids and then stimulated by forskolin to induce cysts formation. Results. iPSCs derived from EPs exhibited all characteristics of pluripotency and were able to differentiate into all three germ layers. 3D tubular organoids were generated from single cells after 28 days in Matrigel. HC and ADPKD organoids did not spontaneously form cysts, but upon forskolin stimulation, cysts-like structures were observed in the ADPKD organoids but not in the HC-derived organoids. Conclusion. The findings of this study showed that kidney organoids were successfully generated from the blood EP cells of ADPKD patients and a healthy control donor. This approach should contribute as a powerful tool for embryonic kidney developing model which is able to recapitulate the very early pathophysiological mechanisms involved in cytogenesis.
Improved thermostability of creatinase from Alcaligenes Faecalis through non-biased phylogenetic consensus-guided mutagenesis
Authors: Bai Xue , Li Daixi , Ma Fuqiang , Deng Xi , Luo Manjie , Feng Yan , Yang Guangyu
Published: August 2020

Enzymatic quantification of creatinine has become an essential method for clinical evaluation of renal function. Although creatinase (CR) is frequently used for this purpose, its poor thermostability severely limits industrial applications. Herein, we report a novel creatinase from Alcaligenes faecalis (afCR) with higher catalytic activity and lower KM value, than currently used creatinases. We applied a non-biased phylogenetic consensus method to identify 59 candidate consensus residues from 24 creatinase family homologs for screening afCR mutants with improved thermostability. Twenty-one amino acids of afCR were selected to mutagenesis and 11 of them exhibited improved thermostability compared to the parent enzyme (afCR-M0). Combination of single-site mutations in sequential screens resulted in a quadruple mutant D17V/T199S/L6P/T251C (M4-2) which showed ~ 1700-fold enhanced half-life at 57 ºC and a 4.2 ºC higher T5015 than that of afCR-M0. The mutant retained catalytic activity equivalent to afCR-M0, and thus showed strong promise for application in creatinine detection. Structural homology modeling revealed a wide range of potential molecular interactions associated with individual mutations that contributed to improving afCR thermostability.
Heat Shock Drives Genomic Instability and Phenotypic Variations in Yeast
Authors: Shen Li , Wang Yu-Ting , Tang Xing-Xing , Zhang Ke , Wang Pin-Mei , Sui Yang , Zheng Dao-Qiong
Published: August 2020

High temperature causes ubiquitous environmental stress to microorganisms, but studies have not fully explained whether and to what extent heat shock would affect genome stability. Hence, this study explored heat-shock-induced genomic alterations in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Using genetic screening systems and customized single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarrays, we found that heat shock (52°C) for several minutes could heighten mitotic recombination by at least one order of magnitude. More than half of heat-shock-induced mitotic recombinations were likely to be initiated by DNA breaks in the S/G 2 phase of the cell cycle. Chromosomal aberration, mainly trisomy, was elevated hundreds of times in heat-shock-treated cells than in untreated cells. Distinct chromosomal instability patterns were also observed between heat-treated and carbendazim-treated yeast cells. Finally, we demonstrated that heat shock stimulates fast phenotypic evolutions (such as tolerance to ethanol, vanillin, fluconazole, and tunicamycin) in the yeast population. This study not only provided novel insights into the effect of temperature fluctuations on genomic integrity but also developed a simple protocol to generate an aneuploidy mutant of yeast.
CircRNA UBAP2 Serves as a Sponge of miR-1294 to Increase Tumorigenesis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma through Regulating c-Myc Expression
Authors: Yu Min-Cheng , Ding Guang-Yu , Fu Pei-Yao , Ma Peng , Zhu Xiao-Dong , Cai Jia-Bin , Shen Ying-Hao , Zhou Jian , Fan Jia , Sun Hui-Chuan , Kuang Ming , Huang Cheng
Published: August 2020

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of regulatory RNAs with complex roles in healthy and diseased tissues. However, the oncogenic role of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains poorly understood, including the mechanisms by which the circRNA UBAP2 contributes to tumorigenesis. Methods: We analyzed the expression of circUBAP2 in 20 paired samples of HCC and healthy tissue as well as in seven HCC cell lines via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Functional experiments, such as CCK8 viability assays, colony formation assays, wound healing, transwell assays, and flow cytometry, were conducted to assess the effects of circUBAP2 in vitro. To further elucidate the mechanisms by which circUBAP2 acts, we conducted dual-luciferase assays, western blots, RNA pull-down assays, and rescue experiments. Results: circUBAP2 was highly upregulated in most HCC tissues and was associated with poor prognosis. HCC patients with high circUBAP2 expression had greater vascular invasion and worse differentiation. Functionally, circUBAP2 overexpression enhanced HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibited apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that circUBAP2 upregulated c-Myc expression by sponging miR-1294, thus contributing to hepatocarcinogenesis. Inhibiting circUBAP2 expression in HCC attenuated the oncogenic effects of c-Myc. Conclusions: These findings suggest that circUBAP2 promotes HCC growth and metastasis. circUBAP2 may have value as an independent prognostic biomarker or as a new target for the treatment of HCC.
Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio on Admission Predicts In-hospital Mortality in Patients with COVID-19
Authors: Hu Jin , Zhou Jun , Dong Fang , Tan Jie , Wang Shuntao , Li Zhi , Zhang Ximeng , Zhang Huiqiong , Ming Jie , Huang Tao
Published: August 2020

Background: A novel coronavirus caused an outbreak of acute infectious pneumonia are spreading over the globe. However, studies predicting prognosis are limited. We predicted outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on admission.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics of COVID-19 patients diagnosed from February 6 to March 1. The outcomes, including the occurrence of in-hospital mortality, acute kidney injury (AKI), and endotracheal intubation (ETI), were recorded. The relationships of neutrophils, lymphocytes, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and NLR with outcomes were assessed using multivariate regression model. P-values for trends across quartiles of NLR was examined.Results: A total of 182 patients were included. 37 (20.3%) patients died during the hospitalization, 41 (22.5%) developed AKI, and 36 (19.8%) received ETI. The NLR had a superior predictive performance than others. Using an NLR cutoff of 11.4, the area under the curves (AUC) were 0.766 for in-hospital mortality, 0.755 for AKI, and 0.733 for ETI. In multivariate analysis, NLR >11.4 was further identified as an independent prognostic factor. Following stratification with quartiles of NLR, a positive trend between the increasing quartiles of NLR and the three outcomes were observed (p-values for trends across quartiles were 0.043, <0.001, and 0.041, respectively). The multivariate adjusted odds ratio (OR) in the highest quartile vs. the lowest quartile were 5.738 for mortality, 25.307 for AKI, and 5.136 for ETI.Conclusions: Increasing NLR obtained on admission is a powerful predictor for inpatient mortality, AKI, and ETI in COVID-19 patients.
Beneficial impact of education on cognition in amyloid-positive individuals with subjective cognitive decline: The SILCODE study
Authors: Chen Guanqun , Liu Chunhua , Yang Kun , Jiang Jiehui , Han Ying
Published: August 2020

Background: Previous studies suggest that education is associated with a decreased risk of dementia in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). However, the influence of education on cognition in amyloid-positive SCD subjects is not clear.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study that involved 43 amyloid-negative and 29 amyloid-positive SCD subjects from the Sino Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Decline (SILCODE) project. Cognitive assessment included episodic memory, executive function, language, and general cognitive function. Multiple linear regression model was used to assess the association of education on cognitive performance.Results: Multiple linear regression analysis suggested that education has a protective effect on executive function, language for the amyloid-negative SCD group and language, global cognition for the amyloid-positive SCD group.Conclusions: The present study indicated that education has the potential to delay disease progression in amyloid-positive SCD subjects.
Synthesis, Characterisation and Cytotoxicity of Gold Nanowires for Ultra-Sensitive Biosensor Development
Authors: Lah Nurul Akmal Che , Gray Robert , Trigueros Sonia
Published: August 2020

With the long-term goal of developing an ultra-sensitive microcantilever-based nanobiosensor for versatile biomarker detection, new controlled bioreceptor-analytes systems are being explored to overcome the disadvantages of conventional ones. Gold nanowires (AuNWs) have been used as a probe to overcome the tolerance problem that occurs in response to changes in environmental conditions. However, the cytotoxicity of AuNWs is still unclear. Here, we examined the cytotoxicity of AuNWs systems using both commercial and as-synthesised AuNWs. In vitro experiments show that commercial AuNWs with an average quoted length of 6 µm are highly toxic against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) at 50 µg/ml. However, this toxicity is due to the presence of CTAB surfactant no by the nanostructure. Conversely, the as-synthesised AuNWs with an average length of 9.5 µm show non-cytotoxicity even at the maximum viable concentration (330 µg/ml). These findings may lead to the development of potentially life-saving cytotoxicity -free nanobiosensors for an early diagnostic of potential diseases.
Household Cooking Fuel Type and Child Anaemia in Sub-saharan Africa: Insights From Demographic and Health Surveys
Authors: Amadu Iddrisu , Seidu Abdul-Aziz , Afitiri Abdul-Rahaman , Ahinkorah Bright Opoku
Published: August 2020

Background

Childhood anaemia is one of the major public health concerns in low and middle-income countries, contributing substantially to childhood mortality and morbidity. This study, therefore, sought to investigate the association between household cooking fuel type, and the joint impact of household cooking fuel type and urbanicity on anaemia among children under the age of 5 in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods

We analysed cross-sectional data of 95,056 children under the age of 5 from 29 sub-Saharan African countries. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using chi-square test of independence and negative log-log regression respectively at p < 0.05. Results were presented as Adjusted Odds Ratios for the negative log-log regression analysis.
Results

The percentage of children who had anaemia was 57%. Children from rural households that depend on unclean cooking fuels were more likely to be anaemic [AOR = 1.042; 95% CI = 1.010–1.074] compared to children from urban households using unclean cooking fuel. We also found that children in female headed households [AOR = 1.047; CI = 1.019–1.076], children in large households [AOR = 1.066; CI = 1.021–1.113]; those in households with improved source of drinking water [AOR = 1.035; CI = 1.006–1.065] had higher odds of suffering from anaemia. However, children with normal weight [AOR = 0.946;CI = 0.916–0.976], children aged 4 [AOR = 0.900; CI = 0.868–0.934], children whose mothers are aged 45–49 [AOR = 0.866; CI = 0.778–0.963] and those aged 30–34 [AOR = 0.868; CI = 0.815–0.925], children whose mothers had tertiary level of education [AOR = 0.865; CI = 0.809–0.925], children in rich households [AOR = 0.935; CI = 0.904–0.968] and those in households with improved type of toilet facility [AOR = 0.955; CI = 0.929–0.981] had lower odds of being anaemic.
Conclusion

Our study established an association between the joint effect of type of household cooking fuel and urbanicity and anaemia among children under the age of 5 in SSA. Childs’ birthweight, current age, maternal age, sex of household head, age of household head, maternal education, wealth status, size of household, type of source of drinking water and country of residence are associated with childhood anaemia. It is therefore critical to promote the usage of clean cooking fuels among households and women in rural areas. This could be done by governments in various countries subsidising the cost of liquefied petroleum gases and cylinders. Stakeholders that seek to improve maternal and child health should also take these associated factors into consideration.
High serum uric acid concentration is a risk factor for radiographic spondyloarthritis: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lai Yupeng , Zhang Yanpeng , Lei Zhihao , Huang Yihong , Ni Tongxin , He Pin , Li Xiaoling , Xu Chiduo , Xia Jun
Published: August 2020

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a kind of comorbidity of spondyloarthritis (SpA). Hyperuricaemia is a risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Previous SpA study concerning cardiovascular disease and hyperuricaemia found that hyperuricaemia is more prevalent in radiographic SpA. Thus, we evaluated the association of serum uric acid (SUA) concentration and radiographic SpA. Methods: We made use of data from a cross-sectional study in Chinese Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital from 2016 to 2018, which included 202 SpA patients diagnosed by rheumatologists. This study detected the prevalence of comorbidities and risk factors of SpA patients. Using data from this study, we evaluated the association between radiographic images of SpA and SUA concentration. We compared the SUA concentration between radiographic SpA group and non-radiographic SpA group, with logistic regression models. Stratified and interaction analyses were also performed to further confirm the consistence of the relationship. Multiple imputation was used to deal with missing data.Results: This research studied 202 SpA patients’ data including their SUA, sacroiliac images, and other relevant laboratory data. Elevated SUA concentration was found to be associated independently with the increased risk of radiographic SpA after adjusted for confounders. The risk for developing radiographic SpA increased 13% [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1·13, 95% confidence interval (CI):(1·05, 1·22), p=0·0014] for per 10umol/L SUA increased. Stratified analyses, interaction analyses and multiple imputation analyses also confirmed the consistence of the association.Conclusions: Based on this Chinese population cross-sectional study, we identify that elevated SUA concentration is a risk factor for developing radiographic SpA.
Surgical Technique and Outcome of Joint Sparing Limb Salvage Surgery by Three-Dimensional-Printed Prothesis for Children with Osteosarcoma in Distal Femur
Authors: Cai Tao , Zhang Chunlin , Zhang Lei , Zhu Kunpeng , Hu Jianping , Zhang Taichen
Published: August 2020

Purpose The purpose of this study was to introduce the surgical technique and functional outcome of joint-sparing limb salvage surgery with metaphyseal osteotomy by dependent design of three-dimensional printed prothesis for children with osteosarcoma in distal femur.Methods Between 2012 to 2019, we performed twelve joint sparing limb salvage surgeries (JSLSS) with metaphyseal osteotomy for the children of osteosarcoma in the distal femur with our dependent design of 3D-printed guided plate and prothesis. The clinical assessment including resection margin, limb-length discrepancy, orthopaedic complications and functional outcome would be analyzed.Results The mean operation time for JSLSS was 107.6 minutes and the average blood loss was 194.5ml with the dependent design of 3D-printed prosthesis. With the assistance of guide plate, the mean margin of the osteosarcoma from the epiphyseal plate was 1.6 cm and the mean limb-length discrepancy was 2.2 cm with maximum follow-up period of seven years (mean 45.3 months, range 12-84 months). All the patients could bend their knee through >90° flexion, achieved similar results for ROMs in 6DOF during gait compared with normal data of Chinese knees, and the mean MSTS score was 94.7 for the patients with JSLSS. One patient had a superficial infection and there was one patient of local recurrence happened during the follow-up with the necrosis rate less than 90% by preoperative chemotherapy. None aseptic loosening happened in distal femur for the patients in this group with dependent design of 3D-printed prosthesis.Conclusion Joint-sparing limb salvage surgery by metaphyseal osteotomy with the dependent design of 3D-printed prosthesis and guide plate would be a good choice for the children with osteosarcoma in distal femur.
The volume of general surgery emergency cases in a government hospital during the COVID -19 pandemic and two other periods: A comparative study
Authors: shakra Ibrahim abu , Bez Maxim , Ganam Samer , Francis Rula , Muati Amir , Bickel Amitai , Merei Fahed , Talmi Ziv , Kamal Khatib , Kakiashvili Eli
Published: August 2020

Objective

We compared characteristics of patients admitted to a northern Israeli hospital with common surgical complaints during three periods: the lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and a regular period.
Background

During March and April 2020, reductions in non-COVID-19 hospital admissions were observed around the world. Elective surgeries, visits with general practitioners, and diagnoses of medical emergencies were consequently delayed.
Methods

Demographic, medical, laboratory, imaging, intraoperative, and pathological data were collected from electronic medical files of patients who received emergency treatment at the surgery department of a single hospital in northern Israel. We compared characteristics of patients who were admitted with various conditions during three periods.
Results

Patients’ mean age and most of the clinical parameters assessed were similar between the periods. However, pain was reportedly higher during the COVID-19 than the control period (8.7 vs. 6.4 on a 10-point visual analog scale, P < 0.0001). During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Second Lebanon War, and the regular period, the mean numbers of patients admitted daily were 1.4, 4.4, and 3.0, respectively. The respective mean times from the onset of symptoms until admission were 3, 1, and 1.5 days, P < 0.001. The respective proportions of surgical interventions for appendiceal disease were 95%, 96%, and 69%; P = 0.03.
Conclusion

Compared to a routine period, patients during the COVID-19 outbreak waited longer before turning to hospitalization, and reported more pain at arrival. Patients during both emergency periods were more often treated surgically than non-operatively.
Regional trends and associated factors of childhood visual impairment: a case study in Shandong province, China
Authors: HAN Lizhen , Jia Jinzhu , Wang Lu
Published: August 2020

Background
Visual impairment is a common child health problem. We hopes to analyze the regional trend, related factors and spatial distribution of children's visual impairment in Shandong province, to explore the spatial changes brought by time and their influencing factors, so as to provide scientific basis for prevention of childhood visual impairment.
Methods
This study covers 5 complete cross-sectional surveys (Physical examination data in Shandong province) from 2013 to 2017, involving about 29.24 million students. The 11th International Classification of Diseases was selected as the diagnostic standard. Spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analysis methods in ArcGIS software were used to analyze spatial features. The associated factors were analyzed by multinomial logistic regression.
Results
The visual impairment prevalence showed a trend of decreasing first and then increasing from 2013–2017, with slight changes. In terms of regional spatial differences, Weihai and Yantai have the highest VI rates in all years, and there was a large-scale spatial aggregation phenomenon. The southern low-value clusters, however, showed a weakening year by year. Further exploration revealed that the per capita disposable income of rural households, the growth rate of gross domestic product, total retail sales of consumer goods and number of full-time teachers were verified as risk factors for regional visual impairment levels.
Conclusions
The slight rebound of the prevalence of visual impairment and the high rate in the eastern and northern regions of Shandong province need more attention. It is suggested that relevant departments should focus on the influence of regional economic and educational factors when formulating relevant strategies.
Using Doppler sonography resistive index for the diagnosis of perinatal asphyxia: a multi-centered study
Authors: Pishdad Parisa , Yarmahmoodi Fatemeh , Eghbali Tannaz , Arasteh Peyman , Razavi Seyyed Mostajab
Published: August 2020

Background and objectiveInhere we evaluated the efficacy of Doppler sonography (DS) of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA) and the basilar arteries (BA) based on resistive index (RI) for the diagnosis of asphyxia.MethodsIn this multi-centered cross-sectional study, neonates with clinical diagnosis of asphyxia, were considered for study. During the first 24 hours, neonates underwent DS. MRI was done for each neonate during the first month, after discharge or during hospital admission, after obtaining clinical stability. Staging based on DS was compared with staging based on MRI.ResultsOverall, 34 patients entered the study. DS of the ACA, MCA, BA all had significant correlation with MRI findings (regarding severity of asphyxia) (r>0.8 and p<0.001).In the receiver-operating-characteristic analysis, ideal cut-off point for diagnoses of asphyxia based on ACA and BA was RI≤0.62 [area under the curve (AUC) =0.957 and 95% CI: 0.819-0.997; sensitivity=95.65; specificity=100; positive predictive value (PPV) =100; negative predictive value (NPV) =90.9 and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) =0.043]. Regarding MCA, similarly, a RI≤0.62 was ideal for differentiating between normal and asphyxiated neonates (AUC=0.990 and 95% CI: 0.873-1; sensitivity=91.30; specificity=100; PPV=91.2; NPV=100 and NLR=0.087).ConclusionFor evaluating neonates clinically suspected of asphyxia, DS can be used as a first line diagnostic modality and RI of ≤0.62 is an appropriate cut-off for the diagnosis of perinatal asphyxia.
Level Scaling and Pulse Regulating Methods to Mitigate Cycle-to-cycle Variation in Memristor Based Learning System
Authors: Liao Zhiheng , Fu Jingyan , Wang Jinhui
Published: August 2020

As a novel non-volatile device, the memristive crossbar array has already delivered many of its promises including low computation complexity, high energy efficiency, and high density for the neuromorphic computing. However, the intrinsic variability of switching behavior has been a major obstacle to their implementation. Here we report a model that experimentally demonstrates the natural stochasticity of cycle-to-cycle variations and quantifies it. In addition, we propose level scaling and pulse regulating methods to mitigate the adverse impact of cycle-to-cycle variations. The relationship of the level of conductance and cycle-to-cycle variation is studied, and experiment results show an optimal number of the levels to mitigate cycle-to-cycle variations in the system. Additionally, the system compresses the number of pulses when the conductance is updated by the pulse stimulus to reduce cycle-to-cycle variations, resulting in the great energy and latency reduction. This work paves the way for the adoption of memristors for more efficient applications for the era of the edge computing and Internet of Things (IoT).