bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge Improvement After Dental Health Education for Elementary School Students in Surabaya, East Java
Authors: Sitalaksmi Ratri Maya , Kresnoadi Utari , Mundiratri Karina , Utami Farasty , Ashrin Meinar Nur
Published: May 2023

Background: During the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, many people were afraid to go to the dentist, which affected their dental and oral health conditions. Dental cavities may hamper children's growth and development; if this condition continues, it will affect the children's dietary intake, which may impact their quality of life and, if allowed to, cause stunting. Although in this condition, we still have to take preventive precautions with dental health education in school-age children. This required increasing dental health knowledge and understanding of dental disorders, particularly. Purpose: To describe oral and dental health knowledge improved following dental health education at Muhammadiyah 4 Elementary School, which is located in Pucang, Surabaya City, East Java. Methods: Two surveyors were responsible for data collecting. This study's sample size was 105 people ranging from third to fifth grade. The seminar covered dental and oral health via a hybrid method. The participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire form for the pre-and post-test to determine the improvement of oral and dental health knowledge for the dental health education evaluation. Results: Most oral and dental health participants understood the presentation on oral and dental health education. The post-test percentage was higher (89.14%) than the pre-test rate (60.29%). Conclusion: The program findings demonstrated that oral and dental health education with a hybrid method effectively increased elementary school children's understanding of dental and oral health status.
The Combination of Ultraviolet-B and Vitamin K2 Exposure Effect on Fibroblast-like cell Number in Wistar Rats
Authors: Nelwan Sindy Cornelia , Tedjosasongko Udijanto , Dharmawan Devi , Leo Leviena Merlynike , Ardiana Hana Ai , Rahmawati Siti
Published: May 2023

Background: Vitamin D deficiency in children is one of the problems most often discussed and received attention from around the world today, especially during the Corona virus disease-19 (Covid-19) pandemic. Vitamin D3 increases the production of vitamin K2 protein and activates a protein involved in bone metabolism. Vitamin K2 increases bone formation by stimulating osteoblast differentiation, regulating mineralization of the extracellular matrix, regulating bone marker gene expression, and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis. Purpose: to analyzed the effect of sun exposure, Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) and vitamin K2 supplementation on fibroblast-like cell as bone formation marker in Wistar rats (Rattus novergicus). Methods: twenty-four samples divided into 4 groups namely control group, UV-B group, vitamin K2 group, combination of UV-B and vitamin K2 group. After 21 days, extraction of lower incisors was done to examine fibroblast-like cell number ​​after treatment. After being decalcified, specimens underwent histological evaluation using Haemotoxylin and Eosin staining to observe the fibroblast-like cell number. Result: Data analysis of fibroblast like cells number expression using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test showed a significant difference between sample groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: The combination of UV-B exposure and vitamin K2 administration group increased of fibroblast-like cells in Wistar rats (R. novergicus).
Content Analysis on Urban Heritage Resilience in The Covid-19 Era
Authors: Ramandha Dino , Sholihah Arif Budi
Published: May 2023

Cities are currently facing many difficulties and challenges from the effects of climate change, population growth, infrastructure, cyber attacks, to disease outbreaks. The Malioboro area is a tourist, cultural, and economic center in Yogyakarta. The Malioboro area is also one of the cultural heritage areas in the Special Region of Yogyakarta based on the Governor's Decree No. 186/2011. The Covid-19 pandemic is a newly discovered type of coronavirus which is a new virus and disease that was previously unknown before the outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and did not take long to spread to all corners of the world (WH0,2020)., including in the cultural heritage area. This paper raises research on the resilience of cultural heritage to hazards in cultural heritage areas with the aim of research as an effort to preserve cultural heritage areas with the method used is Content Analysis by collecting literature studies related to the extent to which Urban Heritage Resilience has developed to date. especially in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Keywords: Content Analysis; Covid-19; Malioboro; Urban Heritage Resilience
On the implementation of the shallow water model based on the quasi-gasdynamic approach in the open-source software package OpenFOAM
Authors: Ivanov Aleksandr Vladimirovich
Published: May 2023

This paper presents RSWEFoam – a new solver for shallow water flow simulation, which is implemented based on the OpenFOAM v2012 open integrable platform using the finite volume method. The model of regularized shallow water equations underlying the solver is described, as well as the features of its implementation. RSWEFoam is integrated into an open-source framework QGDSolver for fluid and gas dynamics problems modeling within the QGD/QGD approach. The results of numerical simulation using a solver are presented.
Medicaid Patients Undergo Total Joint Arthroplasty at Lower-Volume Hospitals by Lower-Volume Surgeons and Have Poorer Outcomes
Authors: Cohen-Rosenblum Anna , Richardson Mary K. , Liu Kevin C. , Wang Jennifer C. , Piple Amit S. , Hansen Charles , Christ Alexander B. , Heckmann Nathanael D.
Published: May 2023

Background:

Medicaid insurance coverage among patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) or those undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been associated with worse postoperative outcomes compared with patients without Medicaid. Surgeons and hospitals with lower annual total joint arthroplasty (TJA) volume have also been associated with worse outcomes. This study sought to characterize the associations between Medicaid insurance status, surgeon case volume, and hospital case volume and to assess the rates of postoperative complications compared with other payer types.

Methods:

The Premier Healthcare Database was queried for all adult patients who underwent primary TJA from 2016 to 2019. Patients were divided on the basis of their insurance status: Medicaid compared with non-Medicaid. The distribution of annual hospital and surgeon case volume was assessed for each cohort. Multivariable analyses were performed accounting for patient demographic characteristics, comorbidities, surgeon volume, and hospital volume to assess the 90-day risk of postoperative complications by insurance status.

Results:

Overall, 986,230 patients who underwent TJA were identified. Of these, 44,370 (4.5%) had Medicaid. Of the patients undergoing TJA, 46.4% of those with Medicaid were treated by surgeons performing ≤100 TJA cases annually compared with 34.3% of those without Medicaid. Furthermore, a higher percentage of patients with Medicaid underwent TJA at lower-volume hospitals performing ≤500 cases annually, 50.8% compared with 35.5% for patients without Medicaid. After accounting for differences among the 2 cohorts, patients with Medicaid remained at increased risk for postoperative deep vein thrombosis (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.16; p = 0.031), pulmonary embolism (adjusted OR, 1.39; p < 0.001), periprosthetic joint infection (adjusted OR, 1.35; p < 0.001), and 90-day readmission (adjusted OR, 1.25; p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Patients with Medicaid were more likely to undergo TJA performed by lower-volume surgeons at lower-volume hospitals and had higher rates of postoperative complications compared with patients without Medicaid. Future research should assess socioeconomic status, insurance, and postoperative outcomes in this vulnerable patient population seeking arthroplasty care.

Level of Evidence:

Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Gazetecilik 4.0: Yapay Zekâ Haberciliğinin Güncel Örneklerine Yönelik Bir İnceleme
Authors: AY Aysel
Published: May 2023

Teknoloji her meslek grubunda olduğu gibi gazetecilik alanına da yenilikler getirmiştir. Bu yenilikler yeni gazetecilik biçimlerine olanak sağlamaktadır. Görsel ve işitsel teknolojinin gelişimi, sosyal ağların varlığı, buralardaki veri akışının etik ve hukuksal sorunları, yurttaşların haber içeriklerinin oluşumuna katkısı ya da bilgi kirliliğinin git gide artışı ve habere güvenin yitimi gibi durumlardan ötürü gazetecilik mesleğinin icra ediliş şekli mercek altına alınmaktadır. Öte yandan bu gibi durumların tamamı insanın yer aldığı haber ya da veri aktarımı ile ilgilidir. Gelinen noktada bir sorun daha ortaya çıkmıştır; haberin ya da içeriğin kendisini üretebilen teknolojinin varlığı. Diğer bir deyişle yapay zekânın haber ya da içerik üretebilmesi. Bu bağlamda çalışmada, haber üretiminde bütünüyle yapay zekâ kullanıldığı iddia edilen ve halen çevrimiçi olan ilk yapay zekâ haberciliği örneklerinden olan ‘Knowherenews.com’ ve ‘TheBipartisanpress.com’adlı haber siteleri, haber üretim ve oluşturma süreçleri açısından incelenmiştir. Çalışmada kapsamında, önceden belirlenmiş kategorilere göre açıklamayı ve yorumlamayı içeren bir tür nitel veri çözümlemesi olan nitel araştırma türlerinden betimsel analiz kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın daha açıklayıcı ve açıklayıcı olması için her iki haber sitesi de beş farklı kategoride ele alınmıştır.
The Role of Women's Cooperatives in Local Development: Search of Yalvaç Pisidia Antiokheia Women Entrepreneurs Cooperative
Authors: ÖZYÜCEL Mustafa
Published: May 2023

Due to the limited resources in the world and the increasing global competition, countries are trying to use their production factors effectively. An effective resource management creates increases in the growth figures of countries. In Turkey, various supports are given to cooperatives in order to increase production and to eliminate the rural-urban discrimination. Recently, women's cooperatives have come to the fore among cooperative activities. Thanks to women's cooperatives, it is aimed to increase production and increase the place of women in economic life. Yalvaç Psidia Antiokheia Women Entrepreneurs Cooperative, which was established in 2019, can be given as an example to this situation. In the study, the evaluation of the economic supports provided by the state by the members of Yalvaç Psidia Antiokheia Women Entrepreneurs Cooperative and the reflections of the cooperatives on the financial status of the members are discussed. The findings obtained as a result of the study show that the incomes of the members in the middle age group increase more than the others, the satisfaction of being a member of the cooperative increases with a high education level, and the ideas of the members in this group about immigration emerge.
Sarc-F y sarc-calf como predictores de mortalidad en adultos mayores con cáncer: un estudio longitudinal de Perú
Authors:   , Ururi Cupi Kimi Guadalupe , Oliva Zapata Fiorella Mercedes
Published: May 2023

Objetivo: Estimar el rol del SARC-F y SARC-CalF como factores de riesgo para mortalidad en adultos mayores de 60 años con cáncer del Centro Médico Naval del Perú (CEMENA), 2012-2013. Métodos: Realizamos un análisis secundario de datos de una cohorte prospectiva llevada a cabo durante septiembre del 2012 a febrero del 2013 en el servicio de Geriatría del CEMENA. La variable de desenlace fue la mortalidad a los dos años de seguimiento, mientras que la variable de exposición fue el riesgo de sarcopenia evaluado mediante el SARC-F y SARC-CalF. Llevamos a cabo modelos de riesgos proporcionales de Cox para evaluar el rol del SARC-F y SARC-CalF como factores de riesgo para mortalidad. Estimamos Hazard Ratios (HR) crudos (HRc) y ajustados (HRa), con sus respectivos intervalos de confianza al 95% (IC95%). Asimismo, realizamos un análisis de curva ROC, y calculamos el área bajo la curva (AUC) de ambas variables de exposición con relación a la mortalidad. Resultados: Analizamos datos de 922 adultos mayores varones con cáncer, el 43,1% (n=397) tenía una edad entre 60 a 70 años. El 21.5% (n=198) y el 45.7% (n=421) tuvo riesgo de sarcopenia según SARC-F y SARC-CalF, respectivamente, mientras que la incidencia de mortalidad fue del 22.9% (n=211). En el modelo ajustado de regresión de Cox hallamos que el riesgo de sarcopenia medido mediante el SARC-F (HRa=1.33; IC95%: 1.21-2.88) y SARC-CalF (HRa=1.38; IC95%: 1.11-2.23) se asoció a un mayor hazard de morir en adultos mayores varones con cáncer. En el análisis de rendimiento diagnóstico, hallamos que el AUC para la predicción de mortalidad fue de 0.71 (IC95%: 0.68-0.75) para el SARC-F y de 0.80 (IC95%: 0.78-0.82) para el SARC-CalF. Conclusiones: El riesgo de sarcopenia evaluado mediante el SARC-F y el SARC-CalF se asoció a un aumento en el hazard de mortalidad en adultos mayores varones con cáncer. Ambas escalas representan instrumentos útiles y accesibles para la identificación de grupos en riesgo de mortalidad.
Air Pollution in Bangladesh and Its Consequences
Authors: Khandker Salamat , Mohiuddin ASM , Ahmad Sheikh Akhtar , McGushin Alice , Abelsohn Alan
Published: May 2023

This study aims to review the literature about air pollution, both outdoor and household, and its health consequences in Bangladesh. We searched articles in March 2021 using the PubMed/Scopus database. Peer-reviewed published documents with analytical data and results were retrieved. We also reviewed studies related to ambient and household air quality, the sources of air pollution, the health and economic implications, and the role of NGOs and Govt. of Bangladesh. The sources of ambient air pollution in Bangladesh include Anthropogenic origins like the burning of fossil fuel, coal, wood, open burning of waste or agricultural residues, emission from motor vehicles and industries, use of biomass fuel for cooking, and transboundary air pollution; and Natural sources like windblown dust, sea spray, forest fires, and methane gas emitted by animals. Brick kilns, surface dust, and vehicle emissions contribute about 85.0% of local air pollution in Dhaka, the largest urban area. The contribution from transportation is aggravated by traffic congestion, contaminated fuels, including leaded fuels, two-stroke auto-rickshaws, overloading, and the dust generated due to friction with the roadways. Industries inside cities and brick kilns surrounding the town are also significant contributors. In recent years, the air pollution of Dhaka city has worsened, causing adverse health effects and environmental degradation. The government response has included eliminating the leaded fuel, initiating the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), and phasing out the two-stroke auto-rickshaw, replacing them with CNG driven auto rickshaw. It also implemented and updated regulations, formulated policies and strategic plans.
Building a large affordable Optical-NIR telescope (I): An alternate way to handle segmented primary mirror
Authors: Dharmadhikari Radhika , Parihar Padmakar , Jacob Annu
Published: May 2023

The use of innovative ideas and the latest technology have undoubtedly brought down telescope costs substantially. However, there are still ways to further reduce the cost of optical ground-based telescopes and make them affordable to much larger and wide spread astronomical communities. In this and subsequent papers we are presenting our studies carried out towards building affordable mid-size telescopes of 4.0-6.0m in size. In the present era, segmented mirror technology has become the first choice for building moderate to large-size telescopes. In any Segmented Mirror Telescope (SMT) the most important part is its primary mirror control system (M1CS). The conventional M1CS is based on edge sensors and actuators, but such a system introduces many design and implementation complexities. In this paper, we propose to make use of an Off-axis Alignment and Phasing System (OAPS), which is an active mirror kind of control system working in real time to maintain the figure of a segmented primary mirror without the use of edge-sensors. The alignment and phasing system which is an integral part of any segmented telescope can be used in the real time at the off-axis. Through extensive simulations we have explored the feasibility of using an OAPS for co-alignment, co-focusing as well as co-phasing of segmented mirror telescopes. From our simulations we find that the co-alignment and co-focusing of the segments can be achieved with a guide star as faint as 16-18th magnitude. This implies that seeing limited performance for any segmented telescope can be easily accomplished without use of a complex edge sensor based control system. Whereas, to attain diffraction limited performance, mirror segments need to be co-phased with an accuracy of few tens of nanometers. In our simulations we have used a dispersed fringe sensor based phasing scheme, which can effectively work up to guide stars of 14th magnitude.
Surface triggered stabilization of metastable charge-ordered phase in SrTiO3
Authors: Eom Kitae , Chung Bongwook , Oh Sehoon , Zhou Hua , Seo Jinsol , Oh Sang Ho , Jang Jinhyuk , Choi Si-Young , Choi Minsu , Seo Ilwan , Lee Yun Sang , Rzchowski Mark , Eom Chang-Beom , Lee Jaichan
Published: May 2023

Charge ordering (CO), periodic modulation of electron density and lattice distortion, has been the fundamental subject in condensed matter physics, as well as a potential platform to induce novel functional properties. The charge-ordered phase is known to occur in a doped system of high d-electron occupancy but not of low occupancy. Here, we report that the charge-ordered phase is realized in electron-doped (100) SrTiO3 epitaxial thin films that have the lowest d-electron occupancy i.e., d1-d0. Theoretical calculation predicts the presence of a metastable CO state at the bulk state of electron-doped SrTiO3. Atomic scale analysis reveals that (100) surface distortion prefers the electron-lattice coupling for the charge-ordered state and triggers the stabilization for the CO phase from correlated metal, which extends up to six unit cells from the top surface to the interior. Our approach will provide an insight on the way to stabilize a new phase of matter that extends CO phase to the lowest electron occupancy, covering a whole range of 3d transition metal oxide.
Using Principles of Motor Control to Analyze Performance of Human Machine Interfaces
Authors: Patwardhan Shriniwas , Gladhill Keri Anne , Joiner Wilsaan M. , Schofield Jonathon S. , Sikdar Siddhartha
Published: May 2023

There have been significant advances in biosignal extraction techniques to drive external biomechatronic devices or to use as inputs to sophisticated human machine interfaces. The control signals are typically derived from biological signals such as myoelectric measurements made either from the surface of the skin or subcutaneously. Other biosignal sensing modalities are emerging. With improvements in sensing modalities and control algorithms, it is becoming possible to robustly control the target position of a end effector. It remains largely unknown to what extent these improvements can lead to naturalistic human-like movement. In this paper, we sought to answer this question. We utilized a sensing paradigm called sonomyography based on continuous ultrasound imaging of forearm muscles. Unlike myoelectric control strategies which measure electrical activation and use the extracted signals to determine the velocity of an end-effector; sonomyography measures muscle deformation directly with ultrasound and uses the extracted signals to proportionally control the position of an end-effector. Previously, we showed that users were able to accurately and precisely perform a virtual target acquisition task using sonomyography. In this work, we investigate the time course of the control trajectories derived from sonomyography. We show that the time course of the sonomyography-derived trajectories that users take to reach virtual targets reflect the trajectories shown to be typical for kinematic characteristics observed in biological limbs. Specifically, during a target acquisition task, the velocity profiles followed a minimum jerk trajectory shown for point-to-point arm reaching movements, with similar time to target. In addition, the trajectories based on ultrasound imaging result in a systematic delay and scaling of peak movement velocity as the movement distance increased. We believe this is the first evaluation of similarities in control policies in coordinated movements in jointed limbs, and those based on position control signals extracted at the individual muscle level. These results have strong implications for the future development of control paradigms for assistive technologies.
Phosphorus occurrence and release potential at the sediment-water interface in lakes in cold-arid regions
Authors: Fei Qi , Li Wei , Wang Shuhang , Zhou Zhanqi , Wang Wenwen , Li Mengze
Published: May 2023

In recent years, climate change has led to frequent eutrophication of lakes in cold-arid regions. To explore the potential release of P in sediments in cold-arid regions and its impact on eutrophication, we investigated P in Hulun Lake and Ulanor Wetland, lakes typical of cold-arid regions of China. Using continuous extraction of P and gradient diffusion film technology (DGT), the characteristics of P in the overlying water and sediments of Hulun Lake and Ulanor Wetland were analyzed. Bioavailability and the potential for release of P in sediments were evaluated. Mean concentrations of total P (TP) in the overlying water of Hulun Lake and Ulanor Wetland were 0.21 and 0.27 mg/L, respectively, mainly in particulate form. These concentrations fall into Class V for surface water, indicating inferior quality. The sediments of Hulun Lake and Ulanor Wetland mainly contain calcium-bound P and residual P, which together accounted for 68.7% and 67.0% of total P, respectively. The mean concentrations of bioavailable P (CDGT-P) in the sediments of Hulun Lake and Ulanor Lake were 0.04 and 0.01 mg/L, respectively, lower than those of Taihu Lake and Dianchi Lake, indicating low bioavailability of P in sediments. The concentration of inorganic P in the interstitial water of the surface sediments in Hulun Lake and Ulanor Wetland was higher than that in overlying water, indicating that there was a risk of P release from sediments. However, the recharge capacity of P from sediments was limited.
Development of a Natural Product Optimization Strategy for inhibitors against the cell wall synthesis enzyme MraY, a promising antibacterial target
Authors: Yamamoto Kazuki , Sato Toyotaka , Hao Aili , Asao Kenta , Kaguchi Rintaro , Kusaka Shintaro , Raju Ruddarraju , Kazamori Daichi , Seo Kiki , Takahashi Satoshi , Horiuchi Motohiro , Yokota Shin-ichi , Lee Seok-Yong , ichikawa Satoshi
Published: May 2023

Optimization of natural products is often required to improve their drug-like properties for therapeutic use. However, chemical modifications of natural products are painstaking tasks due to complex synthetic processes, which is a bottleneck in advancing natural products to clinic. Here, we developed a strategy for a comprehensive in situ evaluation of the build-up library, which enables us to streamline the preparation of the analogue library and directly assess its biological activities. We applied this approach to a series of natural product inhibitors for MraY, an important target for the antibacterial development. Through construction and evaluation of the 686-compound library, we identified promising analogues that exhibit potent and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against highly drug-resistant strains in vitro as well as in vivo in an acute thigh infection model Structures of the MraY-analogue complexes reveal distinct interaction patterns, suggesting that these analogues represent new types of MraY inhibitors with unique pharmacological profiles.
Assay of procalcitonin in umbilical cord blood: a way of reducing exposure of extremely premature newborns to antibiotic therapy
Authors: Hue-Bigé Amandine , François Bérengère , Casagrande Florence , Oertel Julie , Mathilde Mayerus , Trolli Sergio Eleni Dit
Published: May 2023

Objective The diagnosis of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EOS) remains difficult. The early administration of antibiotic therapy though not without risk is still the most common practice. The main aim was to study the effect of a new algorithm for EOS, which includes the level of procalcitonin (PCT) in umbilical cord blood, on the exposure to antibiotic therapy of premature neonates of gestational age below 33 weeks of gestation who show signs of a risk of EOS.Materials and methods This is a monocentric, observational and retrospective study “before and after” of the evaluation of daily professional practices. The study was performed over two periods from the 1st of May to the 30th of November 2015, for the group of neonates not receiving PCT “no PCT” and from the 1st of November 2016 to the 30th of May 2017 for the group of neonates receiving PCT “PCT”. The duration and dose of antibiotic therapy provided as well as the morbidity and mortality were compared.Results Sixty neonates were included in the “no PCT” group and 54 in the “PCT” group. Antibiotic therapy was stopped after 24 hours for 18 neonates in the “PCT” group and 4 in the “no PCT” group (p = 0.001), and after 48 hours for 26 neonates in the “PCT” group and 10 in “no PCT” group (p = 0.0009). The average number of days of antibiotics was 3 for the “no PCT” group and one for the “PCT” group.Conclusion The implementation of a new decision making algorithm including PCT in the umbilical cord blood of preterm neonates at less than 33 weeks of gestation significantly reduced exposure to antibiotics without modifying mortality or morbidity.
Research on fault diagnosis of rolling bearings with variable working conditions based on improved residual neural network
Authors: Hu Chunsheng , Wei Xin , Cheng Fangjuan , Zhao Yong , Ma Teng , Tang Jiaze
Published: May 2023

In response to the problem that the complex conditions of rolling bearing vibration signal and serious noise interference lead to poor fault diagnosis, an improved residual neural network fault diagnosis method is proposed. Firstly, the continuous wavelet transform is used to transform the collected rolling bearing time-domain signal into time-frequency mapping to improve the data quality; secondly, for the characteristics of the strong time-variability of rolling bearing time-domain signal, three 3×3 small convolutional layers and the addition of residual connections are used to improve the data pooling layer, which aims to effectively extract the fault feature information in the vibration signal and reduce the parameters in the residual neural network. Then, the residual neural network is improved by using swelling convolution to expand the perceptual field of the convolution kernel and to solve the problem of grid effect caused by the use of swelling convolution. The results show that the accuracy of the proposed method in variable noise experiments and variable load experiments is above 99%, which is higher than the comparison methods. The proposed method can effectively improve the accuracy of bearing fault diagnosis under variable working conditions, with strong noise immunity and generalization ability.
Pulmonary embolism risk in critically ill patients with COVID-19: an instrumental variable analysis using differential application of thromboprophylaxis guidelines
Authors: Nab Linda , Visser Chantal , Bussel van Bas , Beishuizen Albertus , Bemelmans Remy , Cate Hugo ten , Croles F. , Guldener van Coen , Jager de C. , Huisman Menno , Nijziel Marten , Kamphuisen Pieter , Klok Frederikus , Koster Stephanie , Kuşadasi Nuray , Meijer Karina , Uil Corstiaan , Schutgens Roger , Stam Frank , Vlaar Alexander , Vlot Eline , Linschoten Marijke , Asselbergs Folkert , Kruip Marieke , Cessie le Saskia , Cannegieter Suzanne
Published: May 2023

Thrombotic complications are common in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, with pulmonary embolism (PE) being the most frequent. Randomised trials have provided inconclusive results on the optimal dosage of thromboprophylaxis in critically ill COVID-19 patients. We utilized data from the multicentre CAPACITY-COVID patient registry to assess the effect of differential application of Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) dose protocols on PE and in-hospital mortality risk in critically ill COVID-19 patients. An instrumental variable analysis was performed to estimate the intention-to-treat effect, utilizing differences in thromboprophylaxis prescribing behaviour between hospitals. We included 939 patients with PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from 34 hospitals. Two-hundred-and-one patients (21%) developed a PE. The adjusted cause-specific HR of PE was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.73–1.16) per doubling of LMWH dose. The adjusted cause-specific HR for in-hospital mortality was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.65–1.02) per doubling of LMWH dose. This dose-response relationship was shown to be non-linear. To conclude, this study did not find evidence for an effect of LMWH dose on the risk of PE, but suggested a non-linear decreased risk of in-hospital mortality for higher doses of LMWH. However, uncertainty remains, and the dose-response relationship between LMWH dose and in-hospital mortality needs further investigation in well-designed studies.
CXCL2 promoted lymphatic metastasis in endometrial cancer by regulating STMN1 related ferroptosis
Authors: Mao Yiwen , Liu Guangtao , Fu Haonan , Li Jiaxin , Tang Qionglan , Jiang Xuefeng
Published: May 2023

CAFs infiltration increased and ferroptosis decreased in metastatic tissues and lymph nodes compared with non-metastatic endometrial cancer tissues and negative lymph nodes. The ferroptosis-related gene STMN1 was identified by bioinformatics analysis and was closely related to CAFs infiltration. Three STMN1 knockdown endometrial cancer cell lines were constructed to verify the attenuated malignant phenotype and increased ferroptosis. Supernatants of CAFs derived from non-metastatic tissues and metastatic lymphoid tissues were collected for cytokine chip detection. CXCL2 was identified to be closely related to the ferroptosis process of endometrial cancer. Detection of CXCL2 levels in clinical samples showed that CXCL2 levels were increased in tissues, serum and lymphoid tissues of patients with metastatic endometrial cancer. CXCL2 can partially rescue cancer cells from ferroptosis caused by STMN1 knockdown, restore the malignant phenotype, and enhance the tube formation ability of HLEC cells. In vivo experiments showed that CXCL2 promoted cancer cell tumorigenesis and metastasis, while knockdown of STMN1 attenuated this property. In summary, we demonstrated that CXCL2 secreted by CAFs from metastatic tissues regulated STMN1 to inhibit ferroptosis in cancer cells and promote tube formation in HLEC cells. These two synergetic effects promote lymphatic metastasis in endometrial cancer.
Single-cell analysis reveals Cxcl14+ progenitor fibroblast accumulation in regenerating diabetic wound treated by hydrogel-delivering carbon monoxide
Authors: Li Ya , Lu Sun , Chen Ranxi , Liang Yuyun , Zhang Hexu , He Chaoyong , Shi Bi , Petropoulos Sophie , Zhao Cheng , SHI LIYANG
Published: May 2023

Non-healing skin wound is a problematic complication associated with diabetes. Therapeutic gases delivered by biomaterials have demonstrated powerful wound healing capabilities, but the mechanisms by which they promote skin regeneration remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated the benefit of a carbon monoxide-releasing hyaluronan hydrogel (CO@HAG) in promoting diabetic wound healing and investigated the regeneration mechanism through single-cell transcriptomic analysis. The presented CO@HAG demonstrated wound microenvironment responsive gas releasing properties and significantly accelerated diabetic wound healing process. In CO@HAG-treated regenerating wound, a new cluster of Cxcl14+ fibroblast with progenitor properties was found to be accumulated and wound macrophages of pro-inflammatory feature decreased while their anti-inflammatory property increased. Moreover, TGF-β signal between pro-inflammatory (M1) macrophage and Cxcl14+ fibroblast was attenuated, which may result in Cxcl14+ fibroblast enrichment. Our study provides a novel hydrogel-mediated gas therapy method for diabetic wound and new insights into the underlying mechanisms by which gas-releasing biomaterials facilitate skin regeneration.
Recent expansion of Penelope-like retrotransposons in the leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea
Authors: Carrasco-Valenzuela Tomas , Marins Luísa , Ramos Elisa K. S. , Suh Alexander , Mazzoni Camila J.
Published: May 2023

Transposable elements are known to induce variation in vertebrate genomes through their diversity and number, with related species usually presenting consistency in the proportion and abundance of TE families. Despite their ancient divergence times, sea turtles Chelonia mydas and Dermochelys coriacea show high levels of overall genomic synteny and gene collinearity, but there is still a lot to explore regarding their TE panorama. In light of this, we analysed high-quality reference genomes of these species, which represent the two different extant superfamilies of sea turtles - Dermochelyidae and Cheloniidae - to explore their mobilomes and compared them with the 13 available Testudines draft genomes. In line with previous genome-wide comparisons between the two distantly related sea turtle superfamilies, our analyses showcased that turtle genomes generally share similar mobilomes. Nonetheless, we identified that the main difference between these mobilomes is a much higher proportion of Penelope-like Elements (PLEs) and Long Interspersed Elements (LINEs) in D. coriacea. Finally, we identified a new PLE subfamily of Neptune-1 present in D. coriacea’s genome, with evidence for a substantial amount of recent insertions. These results show that despite the overall slow evolutionary pace of turtle genomes, at least D. coriacea exhibits an active mobilome.
Kidney involvement in children during SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant pandemic
Authors: Jung Jiwon , Lee Jina , Lee Joo Hoon
Published: May 2023

Background As the COVID-19 pandemic persists with the Omicron variants, infection rates in children have rapidly increased compared to previous years. We aimed to investigate the presentation of kidney involvement in children after COVID-19 Omicron variant infection.Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of pediatric patients who presented with kidney involvement between January and August 2022 with a temporal relationship with COVID-19 infection from a Korean single tertiary center.Results Fifteen children presented with kidney involvement after Omicron infection, with a median age of 10.6 (6.8–18.3) years. Aside from fever, cough, sore throat, and diarrhea, none of the patients had severe respiratory symptoms. The median time from infection to renal symptom onset was 3 (0–49) days. Among 10 patients with underlying kidney disease, 6 had previously been diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome (NS) that relapsed after COVID-19 infection, 2 with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) showed transient gross hematuria (GHU) with or without acute kidney injury (AKI), and 2 with kidney transplantation presented with AKI. Of the 5 patients without underlying kidney disease, one patient had NS, and the other 4 patients had GHU and proteinuria (PU), of whom one was eventually diagnosed with Henoch-Shönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN). Seven NS patients (1 new-onset, 6 relapsed) showed uneventful remission with corticosteroids. Other than one patient with new-onset HSPN, patients with GHU and PU resolved spontaneously, and patients with AKI also resolved with supportive care.Conclusions Kidney involvement can occur in various, but mostly non-fatal manifestations in children after COVID-19 Omicron variant infection.
Brazilian spice has anti-diabetic and cardiovascular risk-reducing effects in rats
Authors: Miranda Vinicius Carvalho , Pereira Yago Luis Gonçalves , Paz Allane Patrícia Santos da , Souza Keyla Rodrigues , Silva Márcia Cristina Freitas da , Muto Nilton Akio , Monteiro Patrick Romano , Santos Agenor Valadares , Hamoy Moises , Medeiros Maria das Graças Freire , Carmo Iolanda Souza , Silva Maria Eduarda Moraes , Neto José de Sousa Lima , Mello Vanessa Jóia
Published: May 2023

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia and whose prevalence has been increasing over the years. Diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis appear to be connected. Natural herbal remedies have proven to be safe and effective alternatives in the treatment of this disease. In Northern Brazil, the species Lippia origanoides Kunth (Verbenaceae), used as a spice, is associated with therapeutic activities, however, its antidiabetic potential lacks studies. This work aimed to evaluate the hypoglycemic and cardiovascular risk-reducing effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of Lippia origanoides Kunth (ELo) in rats with alloxan-induced diabetes (120 mg/kg). The animals received ELo at doses of 75, 150, and 250 mg/kg p.o. for 28 days, and positive control was performed in comparison with Glibenclamide (5 mg/kg). Treatment with ELo at all studied doses showed hypoglycemic and cardiovascular risk-reducing effects. Flavonoids that are directly related to these pharmacological activities were identified in ELo by LC-MS, coupled to a liquid chromatography system. The extract obtained from this spice has a promising action on diabetes with cardioprotection establishing a basis for the development of toxicological studies to validate the plant in traditional medicine and further investigations in humans.
Up-regulation of NGEF by ERK/AP1 signaling pathway in BRAFV600E-mutant thyroid cancer promotes cancer metastasis
Authors: Fu Zhao , Wang Ye , Wang Congjun , Yu Zhu , Huang Weijia , Zheng Kaitian , Wang Shengyu , Yang Jian , Chen JunQiang
Published: May 2023

Background The BRAFV600E mutation is the most frequent genetic mutation in thyroid tumors, and is therefore a key therapeutic target. However, intrinsic feedback mechanisms impact the clinical use of BRAFV600E-specific inhibitors. Further investigations into the specific roles and molecular mechanisms underlying BRAFV600E in thyroid cancer progression are required.Methods In the present study, Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets were used to identify NGEF (Neuronal Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor ) gene expression patterns and the corresponding clinical relevance. NGEF expression levels were determined in tissues and cells using reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q) PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses. Moreover, potential associations between the BRAFV600E mutation and NGEF were verified using bioinformatics, RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. In vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the cytological role of NGEF. Results of the present study demonstrated that the transcription factor AP-1 (c-fos/c-jun) was upstream of NGEF by the bioinformatics, qRT-PCR, WB, and dual luciferase reporter assays.Results NGEF mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly elevated in thyroid malignant specimens, compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues. In addition, increased NGEF expression was associated with TNM stage in patients with thyroid cancer. Results of the present study also demonstrated that NGEF expression was significantly enhanced in BRAFV600E-mutant thyroid cancer, and NGEF knockdown in BRAFV600E-mutant thyroid cancer cells inhibited migration and invasion, through impacting epithelial-mesenchymal transition. On the other hand, the reverse effects were observed following NGEF overexpression. Results of the present study further demonstrated that the BRAFV600E-mediated MAPK/ERK cascade upregulated NGEF expression, and NGEF was subsequently identified as a target of AP-1.Conclusions NGEF is expressed by the ERK/AP-1 pathway in BRAFV600E-mutant thyroid cancer, and is associated with tumor metastasis. These results indicated that NGEF may exhibit potential as a therapeutic target in BRAFV600E-mutant thyroid cancer.
Hospitalization Spending for Inpatients Affected by Sleep Disorders: Results from Hunan, China
Authors: Xiao Yanni , Zhou Ziqi , Huang Jinrui , Tang Chuwen , Xiao Pengfei , Wen Shi Wu , Zeng Xianxiang , Luo Zhihong , Deng Yihui , Shen Minxue
Published: May 2023

Background Sleep disorders are conditions that result in alters in normal sleeping. There are many sleep disorders and the most frequently discussed major sleep disorders include insomnia, in which the patients have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night; sleep apnea, in which the patients experience abnormal patterns in breathing while sleeping; and narcolepsy, a condition characterized by extreme sleepiness during the day and falling asleep suddenly during the day.Methods Population health data were extracted from Chinese National Health Statistics Network Reporting System (CNHSNRS) for the province of Hunan in China. Patients affected by sleep disorders (ICD-10 codes F51.0 and G47.0) as the principal diagnosis and hospitalized between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2019 were included. Information on age, gender, number of comorbidities, type of sleep disorders, level of hospital, location of hospital, hospital costs, length of stay, admission year, and method of payment were retrieved from CNHSNRS. Median with interquartile range (IQR) was used to describe the hospital costs and Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted to examine significant differences among different groups. Quantile regression was applied to investigate how the hospital costs at low and high quantile of the distribution vary across groups.Results Hospital costs for patients suffering from sleep disorders were substantial: $1229.31 per patient, nearly a quarter and almost all per capita disposable yearly household income of urban ($5,024.30) and rural ($1,914.53) residents in Hunan in 2017, respectively. The study also identified several significant independent variables associated with hospital costs, including age, gender, type of sleep disorder, and hospital characteristics. In-hospital care for sleep apnea accounted for almost 80% of the total spending, and about half of the spending was from the patient’s pocket money.Conclusion Hospital costs for patients suffering from sleep disorders were substantial: nearly a quarter and almost all per capita disposable yearly household income of urban and rural residents in Hunan in 2017, respectively. Age, gender, type of sleep disorder, and hospital characteristics were significant independent variables associated with hospital costs.
Early Neoarchean alternation of plate subduction
and deep mantle upwelling
Authors: Liu Shuwen , Cawood Peter , Yao Jiachen , Gao Lei , Guo Rongrong , Hu Fangyang , Lu Denggang , He Xin , Wang Wei
Published: May 2023

How Earth switched from any earlier regimes such as plume-lid tectonics to plate tectonics remains an unresolved issue in Earth sciences. We report early Neoarchean (~ 2.77–2.68 Ga) metavolcanic rocks, including older calc-alkaline basaltic-andesitic rocks in the southwest but younger tholeiitic rocks in the northeast, from Jiaobei terrane, North China Craton. Genetic studies and thermodynamic and trace element modeling demonstrate that the tholeiitic magmas originated from deeper and unmodified mantle sources (~ 1600 ℃ and ~ 3.5 GPa), relative to the shallower and metasomatized mantle sources (~ 1450 ℃ and ~ 2.2 GPa) of calc-alkaline magmas. Geochemical changes indicate that the mantle sources became isotopically enriched but less metasomatized from southwest to northeast. These data suggest an early Neoarchean plate subduction-induced deep mantle upwelling regime. We further depict a potential geodynamic framework for the early Neoarchean Earth involving active interaction of plate subduction and deep mantle upwelling, which possibly changed the thermal evolutionary trajectory of the Earth and accelerated the arrival of global plate tectonics.
The intersection of stigma, quality of care, and structural barriers: a qualitative study of interactions between abortion seekers and healthcare workers in Australia
Authors: Makleff Shelly , Belfrage Madeleine , Wickramasinghe Sethini , Fisher Jane , Bateson Deborah , Black Kirsten I.
Published: May 2023

Background Abortion is common, safe, and necessary but remains stigmatized. Abortion stigma inhibits quality of care, but stigma and care quality are often examined separately. The aim was to identify the types of enacted stigma in the interactions between abortion seekers and healthcare workers, as well as the characteristics of high-quality non-stigmatizing interactions.Methods This phenomenological qualitative study comprised in-depth interviews with people who sought abortion in Australia between March 2020 and November 2022. We recruited through social media and flyers placed in clinics. We examined the interactions between abortion seekers and healthcare workers, and structural barriers influencing interactions, from the perspective of abortion seekers. We conducted thematic analysis and developed typologies by analytically grouping together negative and positive experiences. Negative typologies show categories of stigmatizing interactions. Each positive typology aligns with a negative typology and represents a category of non-stigmatizing and high-quality interactions.Results We interviewed 24 abortion seekers and developed five typologies of stigmatizing abortion care: creating barriers to access; judging abortion seekers; ignoring emotional and information needs; making assumptions; and minimizing interactions. The five positive typologies were: overcoming barriers; validating the abortion decision; responding to emotional and information needs; aligning care with preferences and intentions; and providing holistic services that ensure safety. Abortion experiences were influenced by structural factors including abortion regulations, rural health system constraints, and health system adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic – all of which may influence interpersonal interactions in care.Conclusions This study elucidates the interrelationship between stigma, quality of care, and structural barriers, and how these interact to impact abortion experiences. The negative typologies identify stigmatizing healthcare worker behaviors to be avoided, and the positive typologies model high-quality care. These can inform development of stigma-reduction training and approaches for quality improvement, with relevance for other maternal and reproductive health services. Stigma-reduction can incorporate a structural lens through engaging whole-of-service approaches, a focus on power and positionality, and illustrating how providers can reinforce, or overcome, structural stigma. Interventions should address the individual, service-level, and structural forms of stigma that shape the behavior of healthcare workers and contribute to poor experiences for abortion seekers.