bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Preoperative Biliary Drainage on Postoperative Outcomes of Patients with Malignant Obstructive Jaundice: A Retrospective Analysis of 290 Consecutive Cases at a Single Medical Center
Authors: Zhihui Gao , Jie Wang , Sheng Shen , Xiaobo Bo , Tao Suo , Xiaoling Ni , Han Liu , Lihong Huang , Liu Houbao
Published: October 2021

BackgroundThe efficacy of preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) has been debated for several decades, and indications for PBD are still a controversial topic. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of PBD among patients with malignant obstructive jaundice in current clinical settings.MethodsAll consecutive patients with malignant obstructive jaundice who underwent radical resection from June 2017 to December 2019 at Zhongshan Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. The study population was divided into two groups: a PBD group (PG) and direct surgery group (DG). Subgroups were chosen by site of obstruction. Perioperative indicators and postoperative complications were compared and analyzed.ResultsA total of 290 patients were analyzed. Postoperative complications occurred in 134 patients (overall rate: 46.4%). Patients in group PG had a lower overall rate of postoperative complications as compared to group DG, with perioperative total bilirubin (TB) identified as an independent risk factor in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio = 1.004; 95% confidence interval 1.001–1.007; P = 0.017). Subgroup analysis showed that PBD reduced the complication rate in patients with proximal obstruction. In the proximal-obstruction subgroup, a preoperative TB level >162 μmol/L predicted postoperative complications.ConclusionsPBD may reduce the overall rate of postoperative complications among patients with proximal malignant obstructive jaundice.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, 2018ZSLC 24. Registered May 17, 2018, https://clinicaltrials.gov/.
Determining Natural Pathway for Side-by-Side Robotic Wheelchair in Passing Pedestrian Flows Using Dynamic Density
Authors: Nguyen Vinh The , Tran Thang Duc , Kuo I-Han
Published: October 2021

Side-by-side is the preferred mode of walking for pairs compared to Leader-Follower mode in which one follows the other. Yet, in passing, this walking mode tends to occupy more space on the pathway and reduces the travel space of pedestrians in the opposite direction. Therefore, humans often intuitively consider solutions to optimize the balance between side-by-side walking mode and moving space for others in passing. This is also a problem that designers of side-by-side robotic wheelchairs often have to solve. This paper proposes a novel model to determine natural navigation pathways for side-by-side robotic wheelchairs to pass multiple pedestrians walking in the opposite directions, mimicking human passing behaviors by taking into account the habit of moving with the flow and density in moving (called dynamic density). Based on an experimental observation and data collection, the model was developed and then validated by comparing the pathways generated by the model and the natural moving plans of the pairs in the same situations in a corridor. The simulation results show that they are highly similar.
Prognostic Risk Model of Immune-Related Genes In Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Ding Bo , Yan Wenjing , Wang Shizhi , Shen Yang
Published: October 2021

Aim: The prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer (OC) is highly heterogeneous which hinders to make an appropriate clinical decision. The study aimed to stratify patients’ prognoses by establishing a risk assessment model in the context of mRNA levels of immune-related genes (IRGs). Methods: Comprehensive bioinformatics analyses were done using datasets from The UCSC Xena platform, ICGC Data Portal, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the Genotype‐Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. LASSO regression was done to determine the independence of associations of specific factors with overall survival (OS). Nomogram that combined the independent prognostic factors was constructed to predict the OS of OC patients. The tumor microenvironment and immune response were estimated by cell type identification via estimating the relative subset of known RNA transcripts (CIBERSORT) and immunophenoscore (IPS). Results: Overall ten IRGs were significantly associated with the OS probability and were used for the prognostic model construction of OC patients. According to the prognostic model, ovarian cancer samples were identified as high- or low-risk group. A nomogram containing risk score, stage, histological grade and age could significantly predict 1-year, 3-years, and 5-years OS probability of OC patients, as well as a higher IPS score and a higher immunoreactivity phenotype, which were probably correlated with better immunotherapy response and good prognosis. Conclusions: We established a reliable IRGs-based risk model with potential prognostic value for patients with ovarian cancer. Further studies are needed to confirm these prognosis-associated biomarkers.
Biliary Self-Expandable Metallic Stent Combined With Iodine-125 Seeds in The Treatment of Malignant Biliary Obstruction (Bismuth Type I or II)
Authors: Liu Kai-Cai , Lv Wei-Fu , Lu Dong , Zhou Chun-Ze , Cheng De-Lei , Xu Shao-Bao , Gao Zong-Gen , Shi Chang-Sheng , Su Ming-Xue
Published: October 2021

Background
Biliary self-expandable metallic stent combined with iodine-125 seeds are increasingly used in patients with malignant biliary obstruction, rather than using percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage(PTCD) or biliary stents alone, because it has a good clinical effect.This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) combined with iodine-125 (125I) seeds in the treatment of Bismuth type I or II malignant biliary obstruction (MBO).
Methods
The clinical data of 74 cases of MBO treated with percutaneous SEMS combined with 125I seeds (combination group) and 81 cases of MBO treated with SEMS implantation alone (control group) in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.
Results
The surgical success rate of the two groups was 100%, and no surgery-related deaths occurred. The liver function of each group was significantly improved after 1 week and 1 month of follow-up. There was no significant difference in short-term efficacy or complications between the two groups (P> 0.05). The average biliary opening times of the combined group and control group were 9.01±4.38 months and 6.79±3.13 months, respectively (P <0.001). The average postoperative survival time was 12.08±5.38 months and 9.10±4.16 months, respectively (P <0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the type of biliary stent and liver metastasis were independent factors affecting survival.
Conclusion
SEMS combined with 125I seeds is a safe, effective and feasible palliative treatment for patients with Bismuth type I or II MBO, as it can delay the recurrence of jaundice and prolong the survival time of patients.
Stability Analysis of Multi-Serial-Link Mechanism Driven by Antagonistic Multiarticular Artificial Muscles
Authors: Ishikawa Yuta , Nabae Hiroyuki , Endo Gen , Suzumori Koichi
Published: October 2021

Artificial multi-joint musculoskeletal systems consisting of serially connected links driven by monoarticular and multiarticular muscles, which are often inspired by vertebrates, enable robots to elicit dynamic, elegant, and flexible movements. However, serial links driven by multiarticular muscles can cause unstable motion (e.g., buckling). The stability of musculoskeletal mechanisms driven by antagonistic multi-joint muscles depends on the muscle configuration, origin/insertion of muscles, spring constants of muscles, contracting force of muscles, and other factors. We analyze the stability of a multi-serial-link mechanism driven by antagonistic multi-joint muscles aiming to prevent buckling and other undesired motions. First, we theoretically derive the potential energy of the system and the stable condition at the target point. Then, we validate the method through dynamic simulations and experiments. We confirm that we can construct a stable multiarticulate musculoskeletal system using the proposed formulation and conditions.
Cost-Effectiveness of a Medication Event Monitoring System for Tuberculosis Management in Morocco
Authors: Yang Jangmi , Kim Hae-Young , Park Seup , Sentissi Ilham , Green Nathan , Oh ByungKwon , Kim Yujin , Oh Kyung Hyun , Paek Eunseong , Park Young Joon , Oh In-Hwan , Lee Seung Heon
Published: October 2021

Background Poor adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment can result in community transmission and drug resistance. Digital health technologies have been used to enhance adherence to TB medication for proper management, but the cost-effectiveness of this approach remains unclear.Methods We used the real data from the study conducted from April 2014 to December 2020 in Morocco to enhance the adherence to drug-susceptible TB treatment using a smart pillbox with a web-based medication monitoring system, called Medication Event Monitoring Systems (MEMS). We applied a Markov model adding Multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB to evaluate the costs and cost-effectiveness of MEMS, compared to the standard of care (modified directly observed treatment and intervention) from the health perspective. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per disability adjusted life-year (DALY) averted. We also performed two-way sensitive analysis between treatment success rate of MEMS and standard of care. Results The average total per-patient health system costs for treating a new TB patient under MEMS versus standard of care were $398.7 and $155.7, respectively. The MEMS strategy would reduce the number of drug-susceptible TB cases by 0.17 and MDR-TB cases by 0.01 per patient over five years. The ICER of MEMS was $434/DALY averted relative to standard of care, and was most susceptible to the TB treatment success rate of both strategies followed by the managing cost of MEMS.Conclusion MEMS is considered cost-effective for managing infectious active TB in Morocco.
Discovery Potential Therapeutic Drugs for Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Based on Text Mining and Data Analysis
Authors: Yang Liuqing , Wang Jue , Yu Jinling , Huang Handan , Gao Ying , Tao Lu , Yao Jingjing , Liu Zhihui
Published: October 2021

Background: Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the oral cavity. The aim of this study was to use text mining and data analysis to discover some existing drugs that target genes and to explore potential therapeutic drugs for OTSCC. Methods: We used the text mining tool pubmed2ensembl to extract genes associated with OTSCC, and two datasets (GSE30784, GSE23558) from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were used for the data analysis. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed for the intersection of the three gene sets. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by STRING, gene module analysis was performed using the Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE), a plug-in in Cytoscape. Lastly, a database of drug-gene interactions was used to identify significant genes to explore potential drugs for the treatment of OTSCC.Results: We produced 403 unique genes associated with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma through text mining. GSE23558 and GSE 30784 obtained 1637 and 1159 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through data analysis, respectively. A total of 28 genes were obtained from the intersection gene sets, including 20 up-regulated genes and 8 down-regulated genes. We screened the most significant modules by using MCODE, among which 8 genes were associated with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma as core genes. Eventually, nine drugs were found to target eight genes.Conclusions: In this study, PLAU, SERPINE1, MMP1, MMP3, MMP10, CXCL10, CXCL12, and SPP1 were potentially key genes involved in the treatment of OTSCC. Furthermore, 12 drugs were identified as potential therapeutic agents for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma treatment and management
A Multi-Modal Intervention To Improve Hand Hygiene in The Health Care Facility and Home Environment During The Peri-Natal Period in Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia: A Controlled Before-And-After Feasibility Study
Authors: Nalule Yolisa , Pors Ponnary , Samol Channa , Ret Senghort , Leang Supheap , Ir Por , Macintyre Alison , Dreibelbis Robert
Published: October 2021

Background

Adequate hand hygiene practices throughout the continuum of care of maternal and newborn health are essential for infection prevention. However, the hand hygiene compliance of facility-based birth attendants, parents and other caregivers along this continuum is low and behavioural-science informed interventions targeting the range of caregivers in both the healthcare facility and home environments are scarce. We assessed the limited efficacy of a novel multimodal behaviour change intervention, delivered at the facility, to improve the hand hygiene practices among midwives and caregivers during childbirth through the return to the home environment.
Methods

The 6-month intervention was implemented in 4 of 8 purposively selected facilities and included environmental restructuring, hand hygiene infrastructure provision, cues and reminders, and participatory training. In this controlled before-and-after study, the hand hygiene practices of all caregivers present along the care continuum of 99 women and newborns were directly observed. Direct observations took place during three time periods; labour, delivery and immediate aftercare in the facility delivery room, postnatal care in the facility ward and in the home environment within the first 48hrs following discharge. Multilevel logistic regression models, adjusted for baseline measures, assessed differences in hand hygiene practices between intervention and control facilities.
Results

The intervention was associated with increased odds of improved practice of birth attendants during birth and newborn care in the delivery room (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.7, 7.7), and that of parental and non-parental caregivers prior to newborn care in the post-natal care ward (AOR = 9.2; CI = 1.3, 66.2); however, the absolute magnitude of improvements was limited. Intervention effects were not presented for the home environment due COVID-19 related restrictions on observation duration at endline which resulted in too low observation numbers to warrant testing.
Conclusion

Our results suggest the potential of a facility-based multimodal behaviour change intervention to improve hand hygiene practices that are critical to maternal and neonatal infection along the continuum of care.
Simple and Fast Detection of Homocysteine by cucurbit[7]uril Fluorescent Probe based on Competitive Strategy
Authors: Jiang Chenrui , Xiao Deli , Yang Ping , Tao Wenyao , Song Zhaorui , He Hua
Published: October 2021

This research put forward a simple and rapid fluorescence probe method based on competition strategy to detect homocysteine. The host-guest interaction behavior between cucurbit[7]uril and homocysteine was further studied via UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, molecular modeling, and 1H NMR spectroscopy in aqueous solution. The binding constant of cucurbit[7]uril-homocysteine measured by 1H NMR titration is 2.40 ´ 103 L mol-1. Under the optimal detection conditions, the fluorescence intensity of the cucurbit[7]uril-berberine complex declined linearly with increasing concentration of homocysteine in the range from 5 to 200 µM, and the limit of detection was 1.76 µM. This established fluorescent probe method exhibits high selectivity for coexisting interfering substances. Meanwhile, it was also successfully employed to detect homocysteine in serum samples with the recovery rate of 85.1% to 102.0%. This supramolecular fluorescent probe based on competitive strategy provides a simple and fast method for the determination of homocysteine in practical samples.
Transmutation of Long-Lived Fission Products in an Advanced Nuclear Energy System
Authors: Sun X. Y. , Luo W. , Lan H. Y. , Song Y. M. , Gao Q. Y. , Zhu Z. C. , Chen J. G. , Cai X. Z.
Published: October 2021

Disposal of long-lived fission products (LLFPs) produced in reactors has been paid a lot attention for sustainable and clean nuclear energy. Although a few transmutation means have been proposed to address this issue, there are still scientific and/or engineering challenges to achieve efficient transmutation of LLFPs. In this study, we propose a novel concept of advanced nuclear energy system (ANES) for transmuting LLFPs efficiently without isotopic separation. The ANES comprises intense photoneutron source (PNS) and subcritical reactor, which consist of lead-bismuth (Pb-Bi) layer, beryllium (Be) layer, and fuel, LLFPs and shield assemblies. The PNS is produced by bombarding radioactive cesium and iodine target with a laser-Compton scattering (LCS) γ-ray beam. We investigate the effect of the ANES system layout on transmutation efficiency by Monte Carlo simulations. It is found that a proper combination of the Pb-Bi layer and the Be layer can increase the utilization efficiency of the PNS by a factor of ~10, which helps to decrease by almost the same factor the LCS γ-beam intensity required for driving the ANES. Supposing that the ANES operates over 20 years at a normal thermal power of 500 MWt, five LLFPs including 99Tc, 129I, 107Pd, 137Cs and 79Se could be transmuted by more than 30%. Their effective half-lives thus decrease drastically from ~106 to less than 102 years. It is suggested that this successful implementation of the ANES paves the avenue towards practical transmutation of LLFPs without isotopic separation.
Reliable P Wave Detection in Pathological Ecg Signals
Authors: MARSANOVA Lucie , NEMCOVA Andrea , SMISEK Radovan , SMITAL Lukas , VITEK Martin , RONZHINA Marina
Published: October 2021

Accurate automated detection of P waves in ECG allows to provide fast correct diagnosis of various cardiac arrhythmias and select suitable strategy for patients’ treatment. However, P waves detection is a still challenging task, especially in long-term ECGs with manifested cardiac pathologies. Software tools used in medical practice usually fail to detect P waves under pathological conditions. Most of recently published approaches have not been tested on such the signals at all. Here we introduce a novel method for accurate and reliable P wave detection, which is success in both normal and pathological cases. Our method uses phasor transform of ECG and innovative decision rules in order to improve P waves detection in pathological signals. The rules are based on a deep knowledge of heart manifestation during various arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, premature ventricular contraction, etc. By involving the rules into the decision process, we are able to find the P wave in the correct location or, alternatively, not to search for it at all. In contrast to another studies, we use three, highly variable annotated ECG databases, which contain both normal and pathological records, to objectively validate our algorithm. The results for physiological records are Se = 98.56 % and PP = 99.82 % for MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database (MITDP, with MITDB P-Wave Annotations) and Se = 99.23 % and PP = 99.12 % for QT database. These results are comparable with other published methods. For pathological signals, the proposed method reaches Se = 96.40 % and PP = 91.56 % for MITDB and Se = 93.07 % and PP = 88.60 % for Brno University of Technology ECG Signal Database with Annotations of P wave (BUT PDB). In these signals, the proposed detector greatly outperforms other methods and, thus, represents a huge step towards effective use of fully automated ECG analysis in a real medical practice.
Ectopic Expression of a Combination of 5 Genes Detects High Risk Forms of Adult T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Peng Li-Jun , Geng Mei , Bourova-Flin Ekaterina , Chuffart Florent , Zhang Wei-Na , Wang Tao , Gao Meng-Qing , Xi Meng-Ping , Cheng Zhong-Yi , Zhang Jiao-Jiao , Liu Yuan-Fang , Chen Bing , Khochbin Saadi , Wang Jin , Rousseaux Sophie , Mi Jian-Qing
Published: October 2021

Objectives T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) defines a group of hematological malignancies with heterogeneous aggressiveness and highly variable outcome, making therapeutic decisions a challenging task. We tried to discover new predictive model for T-ALL before treatment.Methods A specific pipeline designed to discover aberrantly active genes was applied here on the RNA-sequencing data of 109 T-ALL patients from our multicenter clinical study. A prognostic classifying test, based on the detection of the combined expression of a subset of these genes was designed and further validated in an additional cohort of 32 adult T-ALL patients by using RT-qPCR. Results The expression of 18 genes was significantly associated with shorter survival, including ACTRT2, GOT1L1, SPATA45, TOPAZ1 and ZPBP (5-GEC), which were used as a basis to design a prognostic classifier for T-ALL patients. The molecular characterization of the 5-GEC positive T-ALL unveiled specific characteristics inherent to the most aggressive T leukemic cells, including a drastic shut-down of genes located on the mitochondrial genome and an upregulation of histone genes. These cases fail to respond to the induction treatment, since 5-GEC either predicted positive minimal residual disease (MRD) or a short-term relapse in MRD negative patients.Conclusion Overall, our investigations led to the discovery of a homogenous group of leukemic cells with profound alterations of their biology. It also resulted in an accurate predictive tool that could significantly improve the management of T-ALL patients.
Controllable Atom-Photon Entanglement Via Quantum Interference Near Plasmonic Nanostructure
Authors: Sangshekan Behzad , Sahrai Mostafa , Asadpour Seyyed Hossein , Bonab Jafar Poursamad
Published: October 2021

A five-level atomic system is proposed in vicinity of a two-dimensional (2D) plasmonic nanostructure with application in atom-photon entanglement. The behavior of the atom-photon entanglement is discussed with and without a control laser field. The amount of atom-photon entanglement is controlled by the quantum interference created by the plasmonic nanostructure. Thus, the degree of atom-photon entanglement is affected by the atomic distance from the plasmonic nanostructure. In the presence of a control field, maximum entanglement between the atom and its spontaneous emission field is observed.
Real Time Observation of Chaperone-modulated Talin Mechanics Under Single Molecule Resolution
Authors: Chakraborty Soham , Banerjee Souradeep , Chaudhuri Deep , Bhatt Madhu , Haldar Shubhasis
Published: October 2021

Recent single-molecule studies have recognized talin as a mechanosensitive hub in focal adhesion, where its function is strongly regulated by mechanical force. For instance, at low force (below 5 pN), folded talin binds RIAM for integrin activation; whereas at high force (above 5 pN), it unfolds to activate vinculin binding for focal adhesion stabilization. Being a cytoplasmic protein, talin might interact with several cytosolic chaperones: however, the role of chaperones in talin mechanics is unknown.To address this question, we investigated the force response of a mechanically stable talin domain with a set of well-known holdase (DnaJ, DnaK, Hsp70, and Hsp40) and foldase (DnaKJE, DsbA) chaperones, using single-molecule magnetic tweezers. Our findings demonstrate that chaperone could affect adhesion proteins stability by changing their folding mechanics; while holdase chaperones reduce their unfolding force to ~6 pN, foldase chaperones shift it up to ~15 pN. Since talin is mechanically synced within 2 pN force ranges, these changes are significant in cellular condition. Furthermore, we determined the fundamental mechanism of this altered mechanical stability, where chaperones directly reshape their energy landscape: unfoldase chaperone (DnaK) decreases the unfolding barrier height from 26.8 to 21.7 kBT, while foldase chaperone (DsbA) increases it to 33.5 kBT. We reconciled our observations with eukaryotic Hsp70 and Hsp40 chaperones and observed their similar function of decreasing the talin unfolding barrier to 23.1 kBT. The quantitative mapping of this chaperone-induced talin folding landscape directly illustrates that chaperones perturb the adhesion protein stability under physiological force, thereby influencing their force-dependent interactions and adhesion dynamics.
Preoperative Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio as a Predictor of Prognosis in Patients who Underwent Resection of Renal Cell Carcinoma with Inferior Vena Cava Tumor Thrombus
Authors: Lv Zheng , Feng Hua-Yi , Wang Tao , Li HongZhao , Ma Xin , Zhang Xu
Published: October 2021

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) in patients with renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (RCC-IVCTT) after surgery. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical data of 144 consecutive patients who underwent RCC-IVCTT after surgery. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to calculate the optimal cutoff value for preoperative LMR. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess and compare survival. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to identify independent prognostic factors for survival. The Harrell concordance index was used to assess the predictive accuracy. Results: Decreased preoperative LMR was significantly correlated with clinicopathological features related to tumor progression. Patients in the high LMR group featured longer postoperative hospital stays and greater blood loss during surgery than those in the low LMR group. Decreased preoperative LMR was an independent risk factor for decreased overall survival (OS) (P < 0.05) and progression free survival (PFS) (P < 0.05). For PFS, integrating LMR into each model led to an increased predictive accuracy of 6.9% for the TNM staging model (P = 0.014), 6.8% for the UISS model (P = 0.006), and 3.4% for the SSIGN model (P = 0.017). Incorporating LMR into the SSIGN model led to an increased predictive accuracy of 6.5% for OS (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Preoperative LMR is an independent prognostic factor for patients with RCC-IVCTT after surgery. Adding preoperative LMR to prognostic models enhances their predictive accuracy.
Frequency of Carriers for Rare Metabolic Diseases in a Brazilian Cohort of 320 Patients
Authors: Quaio Caio Robledo , Moreira Caroline Monaco , Chung Christine Hsiaoyun , Perazzio Sandro Felix , Dutra Aurelio Pimenta , Kim Chong Ae
Published: October 2021

Several metabolic disorders follow an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. Epidemiological information on these disorders is usually limited in developing countries. Our objective is to assess carrier frequencies of rare autosomal recessive metabolic diseases in a cohort of Brazilian patients that underwent molecular investigation with exome sequencing and estimate the overall frequency of these diseases using the Hardy-Weinberg equation. We reviewed the molecular findings of 320 symptomatic patients who had carrier status for recessive diseases actively searched. A total of 205 rare variants were reported in 138 different genes associated with metabolic diseases from 156 patients, which represents that almost half (48.8%) of the patients were carriers of at least one heterozygous pathogenic/likely pathogenic variant for rare metabolic disorders. Most of these variants are harbored by genes associated with multisystemic involvement. We estimated the overall frequency for rare recessive metabolic diseases to be 10.96/10,000 people, while the frequency of metabolic diseases potentially identified by newborn screening was estimated to be 2.93/10,000. This study shows the potential research utility of exome sequencing to determine carrier status for rare metabolic diseases, which may be a possible strategy to evaluate the clinical and social burden of these conditions at the population level and guide the optimization of health policies and newborn screening programs.
Virtual Screening of PEBP1 Inhibitors By Combining 2D/3D-QSAR Analysis, Hologram QSAR, Homology Modeling, Molecular Docking Analysis and Molecular Dynamic Simulations
Authors: Stitou Mourad , TOUFIK Hamid , Akabli Taoufik , Lamchouri Fatima
Published: October 2021

Human Phosphatidylethanolamine Binding Protein 1 (hPEBP1) is a novel target affecting numerous cellular signaling pathways involving in the formation of metastases. It can be used in the treatment of many cases of cancer. For these reasons, the Pharmaceutical Companies use computational approaches, including Multi-QSAR (2D, 3D, and Hologram QSAR) analysis, Homology modeling and molecular docking analysis and molecular dynamic simulations to accelerate the drug discovery process. In this paper, QSAR modeling was conducted using two quantum chemistry optimization methods (AM1 and DFT levels). As per PLS results, we found that DFT (B3LYP(d, p)) method present high predictability according to 2D-QSAR, CoMFA, CoMSIA, and Hologram QSAR studies, with Q2 of 0.81, 0.67, 0.79 and 0.67 respectively, and external power with R2pred of 0.78, 0.58, 0.66 and 0.56, respectively. This results has been validated by CoMFA/CoMSIA graphics, which suggests that electrostatic fields combined with hydrogen bond donor/acceptor fields are beneficial to the antiproliferative activity. While the Hologram QSAR models show the contributions of each fragment in improving the activity. The results from QSAR analyses revealed that Ursolic Acids with heterocyclic ring could improve the activities. However, Ramachandran plot validated the modeled PEBP1 protein. Whereas, molecular docking and MDs simulations revealed that the hydrophobic and hydrogen bond interactions are dominant in the PEBP1's pocket. These results, were used to predict the structures of three new compounds with high anticancer activity In Silico, Similarly, molecular docking stability studies and molecular dynamics simulations were conducted.
Shaking Table Test and Numerical Simulation On Seismic Behavior of a Receiver Tower in Concentrated Solar Power Plant Under Vertical Earthquake
Authors: Li Jiarui , Bai Guoliang , Hao Bin , Peng Shengjie , Lang Yanyu , Xu Yazhou
Published: October 2021

The solar receiver tower is a new type of high-rise power generation structure, which has been constructed and applied in a small amount around the world in recent years. To understand its seismic behavior under vertical earthquakes, a 1/18 reduced scale model structure was designed and investigated by shaking table test. The El-Centro wave, Taft wave and Artificial wave were input as the earthquake excitation. This paper summarized the results of the experimental work, which could provide an important theoretical basis for evaluating the seismic behavior of receiver tower under vertical earthquakes. The damage distribution, dynamic characteristics, acceleration responses, displacement responses and vertical seismic force were analyzed quantitatively. In addition, a numerical simulation model of the receiver tower was established, and nonlinear time-history analysis was then conducted by using the software ABAQUS. The results between the experimental test and the numerical simulation were compared and they were in good agreement. Both of experimental and numerical simulation results showed that the model structure was subjected to huge vertical seismic force in the middle part of concrete cylinder under vertical earthquakes with high PGA, which caused severe damage and should be paid more attention in seismic design. Despite the serious damage and complex earthquake responses, combined with experimental test and simulation results, the seismic behavior of structure under vertical earthquake is good and generally satisfactory.
Sugarcane Mosaic Virus Resistance in the Wisconsin Sweet Corn Diversity Panel
Authors: Hislop Lillian , Stephanie Elizabeth , Flannery Patrick , Baseggio Matheus , Gore Michael A. , Tracy William F.
Published: October 2021

Sugarcane mosaic virus [SCMV (Potyvirus sugarcane mosaic virus)] is an ssRNA virus that negatively affects yield in maize (Zea mays) worldwide. Resistance to SCMV is controlled primarily by a single dominant gene (Scm1). The goal of this study was to identify sweet corn (Z. mays) inbreds that demonstrate resistance to SCMV, confirm the presence of genomic regions previously identified in maize associated with resistance, and identify other resistant loci in sweet corn. Eight plants from each of 563 primarily sweet corn inbred lines were tested for SCMV resistance. Plants were inoculated 14 d after planting and observed for signs of infection 24 d after planting. A subset of 420 inbred lines were genotyped using 7504 high-quality genotyping-by-sequencing single-nucleotide polymorphism markers. Population structure of the panel was observed, and a genome-wide association study was conducted to identify loci associated with SCMV resistance. Forty-six of the inbreds were found to be resistant to SCMV 10 d after inoculation. The Scm1 locus was confirmed with the presence of two significant loci on chromosome 6 (P = 2.5 × 10−8 and 1.6 × 10−8), 5 Mb downstream of the Scm1 gene previously located at Chr6: 14194429.14198587 and the surrounding 2.7-Mb presence–absence variation. We did not identify other loci associated with resistance. This research has increased information on publicly available SCMV-resistant germplasm useful to future breeding projects and demonstrated that SCMV resistance in this sweet corn panel is driven by the Scm1 gene.
Gestión pública territorial y urbana en Colombia
Authors: Gómez López Daniel Alberto
Published: October 2021

Los distintos aspectos tratados en el libro cuentan con un hilo conductor que es el territorio, que se asume como el espacio que ocupan los habitantes, humanos o no humanos. A través de su interacción, ellos lo convierten en su medio de vida, escenario y contenedor de sus propias dinámicas que implementan con los demás actores. Es allí en donde se establecen las relaciones más primarias, como la ocupación y el asentamiento en un lugar para constituir una familia y proveerse el sustento, hasta las relaciones más complejas: las de vecindad con las comunidades, la localidad, las congregaciones religiosas, los organismos prestadores de servicios; en general, aquellas que representan las reglas de juego para la convivencia. Al final, estas relaciones escalan al Estado con sus expresiones más concretas como el Gobierno y la administración pública. El texto está estructurado en cinco capítulos, incluyendo, a manera de colofón, los lineamientos de una propuesta de programa de posgrado denominada Gobierno Territorial y Políticas Públicas, ya que se considera que esta es una manera de continuar los asuntos tratados. El primer capítulo se refiere al concepto del desarrollo como orientador de las dinámicas sociales y las dinámicas estatales. El segundo presenta las dinámicas sociales en el espacio; el tercero trata sobre las dinámicas estatales, las cuales se constituyen en la manera como el Estado y sus distintas expresiones, el Gobierno y la administración pública, responden a las dinámicas sociales, convertidas en demandas y necesidades colectivas, a través de las políticas públicas. Estas se sintetizan en cinco procesos: la descentralización; la participación social; el ordenamiento territorial; la privatización y el ordenamiento institucional. El cuarto capítulo aborda la modernización de la administración pública como correlato de la modernización del Estado; y el quinto capítulo se refiere a los lineamientos de un programa de estudio sobre estas temáticas, para darle continuidad al asunto.
Efficacy of Pulegone Pre-treatment in Mitigating the Oxidative Damage
by NaCl Applied to Allium cepa L. Seeds
Authors: de Lima Silva Jailson Renato , dos Santos Larisse Bernardino , Silva de Oliveira Elayne Eally , Oliveira Carlos Vinícius Barros , Costa Adrielle Rodrigues , Pereira Pedro Silvino , Barros Luiz Marivando , Pinho Antonio Ivanildo , Kamdem Jean Paul , Duarte Antonia Eliene
Published: October 2021

Background:

Saline stress is an important environmental factor that limits the productivity
of numerous agricultural crops, such as onion (Allium cepa L.), a vegetable present in gardens
and used in various ways. Pulegone has been identified as a component that has a large number of
biological functions.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pulegone (100 and 500 μg/mL) on
the morphological and biochemical changes to onions induced by stressing seeds with NaCl.

Method:

Soil composition, emergence percentage and its inhibition, emergence speed index (ESI),
leaf and root parameters, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, free iron content and chelation/oxidation
capacity (Fe2+) were measured following 120 days of treatment.

Results:

Pulegone was able to significantly improve the changes in ESI caused by saline stress, not restoring other emergence parameters. The leaf size was also improved by the pulegone, which did not affect the morphological changes of the roots.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that the use of pulegone is a viable treatment to mitigate the effects
of salt stress on A. cepa seeds.
Egészséget nem veszélyeztető, biztonságos egészségügyi munkavégzés a pandémia árnyékában
Authors: Riczu Zsófia
Published: October 2021

Absztrakt

Az egészséget nem veszélyeztető biztonságos munkavégzés egy komplex kategória, amelynek biztosítása mind az állam, mind a munkáltató, mind pedig a munkavállaló oldalán  kötelezettséget keletkeztet. Az állam feladata az egészséget nem veszélyeztető és biztonságos munkavégzés alapvető követelményeinek, valamint az ehhez kapcsolódó jogoknak és kötelezettségeknek meghatározása, a munkavédelem nemzeti politikájának kialakítása.  A 2020 elején megjelenő koronavírus járvány következményeként a munkahelyi balesetek és foglalkozási megbetegedések az eddigiektől eltérő, egészen új formájával szembesültünk. Tanulmányomban a pandémia alatt végbemenő, az egészségügyben, munkavégzés alatt történő fertőzés kivizsgálásának menetét és a betegállomány idejére járó díjazás lehetőségeit kívánom vizsgálni.
Enhancing the estimation of throughfall amounts in primeval forests along an elevation gradient on Mountain Gongga, Southwest China
Authors: Yang Ruxin , Guo Li , Cui Junfang , Wang Genxu , Wang Fei , Tang Xiang-Yu
Published: October 2021

Differences in rainfall partition into throughfall among different
primeval forests distributed along an altitude gradient are inadequately
investigated and understood. Through continuous and automatic monitoring
of natural rainfall and throughfall along an elevation gradient on
Mountain Gongga, we examined the response of throughfall to various
rainfall patterns in the broadleaved forest (BF), broadleaved-coniferous
mixed forest (MF) and coniferous forest (CF) across individual rain
events from May to October in 2019. A series of linear models that
estimate throughfall amount were obtained and compared. Results showed
that throughfall was jointly controlled by rainfall characteristics
(including amount, duration, average and peak intensity) and leaf area
index (LAI). Rainfall amount was the primary control for throughfall
amount. The models with all rainfall parameters and LAI as variables did
not markedly outperform (R2 enhancement by 0-0.02) than the simple
linear models with rainfall amount as the only variable; therefore, the
latter are recommended due to simplicity and easiness of use. Although
the correlation of throughfall with LAI was less prominent compared to
rainfall parameters, LAI showed a significant positive linear
correlation (p < 0.05) with the estimated rainfall amount
threshold (the rainfall required to saturate the canopy) by the
single-variable linear models at the monthly scale. Over the study
period, penetration proportions of rainfall in BF, MF and CF were 83%,
75% and 80%, respectively. The rainfall amount threshold in CF (0.70
mm) was less than those in BF (0.80 mm) and MF (0.92 mm). Rain events of
higher intensity exhibited a higher mean penetration proportion than
lower intensity rain events. The use of single-variable linear models
developed here, despite some overestimations of throughfall amount,
could lead to an overall satisfactory estimation of rainfall
redistribution in mountainous areas.
Photosynthetic heat tolerance in wheat: Evidence for genotype-by-environment interactions
Authors: Coast Onoriode , Posch Bradley , Rognoni Bethany , Bramley Helen , Gaju Oorbessy , MacKenzie John , Pickles Claire , Kelly Alison , Lu Meiqin , Ruan Yong-Ling , Trethowan Richard , Atkin Owen
Published: October 2021

High temperature stress inhibits wheat photosynthetic processes and
threatens wheat production. Photosynthetic heat tolerance (commonly
measured as T – the critical temperature at
which incipient damage to photosystem II occurs) in wheat genotypes
could be improved by exploiting genetic variation and
genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) for this trait. Flag leaf
T of a total of 54 wheat genotypes were
evaluated in 12 thermal environments over three years in Australia using
linear mixed models for assessing GEI effects. Nine of the 12
environments had significant genotypic effect and highly variable
broad-sense heritability (H ranged from 0.15 to
0.75). T GEI was variable, with 55.6% of the
genetic variance across environments accounted for by the factor
analytic model. Mean daily growth temperature preceding anthesis was the
most influential environmental driver of T
GEI, suggesting varied scales of biochemical, physiological, and
structural adaptations to temperature requiring different durations to
manifest at the thylakoid membrane and leaf levels. These changes help
protect or repair photosystem II upon exposure to heat stress. To
support current wheat breeding, we identified genotypes superior to
commercial cultivars commonly grown by farmers, and showed that there is
potential for developing genotypes with greater photosynthetic heat
tolerance.
PARTICLE TRAJECTORIES AND THE PERCEPTION OF CLASSICAL MOTION IN THE FREE PROPAGATION OF WAVE PACKETS.
Authors: Briggs John
Published: October 2021

￼￼￼￼￼￼￼The free propagation in time of a normalisable wave packet is the
oldest problem of continuum quantum mechanics. Its motion from
microscopic to macroscopic distance is the way in which most quantum
systems are detected experimentally. Although much studied and analysed
since 1927 and presented in many text books, here the problem is
re-appraised from the standpoint of semi-classical mechanics. Particular
aspects are the emergence of deterministic trajectories of particles
emanating from a region of atomic dimensions and the interpretation of
the wave function as describing a single particle or an ensemble of
identical particles. Of possible wave packets, that of gaussian form is
most studied due to the simple exact form of the time-dependent solution
in real and in momentum space. Furthermore, this form is important in
laser optics. Here the equivalence of the time-dependent Schroedinger
equation to the paraxial equation for the propagation of light is
demonstrated explicitly. This parallel helps to understand the relevance
of trajectory concepts and the conditions necessary for the perception
of motion as classical.
The molecular mechanisms linking metabolic syndrome to endometrial and breast cancers
Authors: Lazar Andrada-Luciana , Vulturar Romana , Fodor Adriana , Orasan Olga , Crișan Camil-Horia , Login Cezar , Para Ioana , Negrean Vasile , Tiperciuc Brandusa , Cozma Angela
Published: October 2021

The metabolic syndrome represents a plethora of cardio-metabolic risk factors including obesity, arterial hypertension, atherogenic dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, accompanied by pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic state. The metabolic syndrome is one of the key risk factors for certain types of cancer. Among these malignancies, breast cancer and endometrial neoplasms require special attention. Incriminated major causes for the development of breast and endometrial cancer in metabolic syndrome patients are: the proinflammatory status and related cytokines, adipokine imbalances, hyperestrogenism, growth factors, disturbances in cancer microenvironment, insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. The metabolic syndrome consists of molecular dysregulations that create a pro-oncogenic status. Our review aims at providing a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the link between the metabolic syndrome and endometrial and breast cancer.
Mental Health or Cardiac Health. Is there a reason to choose? Cardiac arrhythmias induced by Atomoxetine and Methylphenidate
Authors: Cismaru Gabriel , Lupu Viorel
Published: October 2021

The current treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity consists mainly in the administration of Straterra (Atomoxetine) Concerta and Ritalin (Methylphenidate). The FDA warned that the products might increase systolic, diastolic blood pressure, and lead to ventricular arrhythmias. Arrhythmic events and sudden cardiac death were described in adults with preexistent heart disease. However, studies on children have failed to demonstrate a clear association between the arrhythmic events and these drugs, as demonstrated in adults. What should the attitude of the pediatric psychiatrist be towards the administration of these products? What examination should be made by the psychiatrist before referring the child to a pediatric cardiologist? Which patients need a cardiology consultation before the administration of these products? What is the follow-up after drug initiation? These are some questions that this paper aims to answer.
Stress and anxiety among physicians and nurses in Romania during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Sima Romina-Marina , Olaru Octavian-Gabriel , Cazaceanu Anca , Scheau Cristian , Dimitriu Mihai-Traian , Popescu Mihai , Ples Liana
Published: October 2021

Objective. This study aimed at identifying the stress and anxiety levels among physicians and nurses working in Romanian hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and Results. We conducted an online survey with a questionnaire completed by 169 healthcare providers aged between 25 and 69 years from COVID and non-COVID hospitals. There were 87.6% physicians and 12.4% nurses, with 61.5% women and 38.5% men. Clinicians experienced high levels of stress in 2.7% of the cases, medium stress in 68.9% of the cases, and low stress in 28.4% of the cases. Women experienced more stress (2.9% high level, 66.3% medium level) than men (1.5% high level, 64.6% medium level), while men are more anxious (73.8% high level, 26.2% medium level) than women (63.6% high level, 33.7% medium level). In both COVID and non-COVID healthcare providers, the stress score directly correlates with the anxiety score. Overall, during this period, the responders felt stressed and anxious (p=0.001). Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic is a strong reason for increased stress and anxiety among physicians and nurses. Men are more anxious and women more stressed. The stress and anxiety scores are different according to the hospital type.
CHARACTERIZING VALUE ORIENTATIONS OF YOUNGER ADOLESCENTS INVOLVED IN SPORTS (BY THE EXAMPLE OF SAMBO)
Authors: BERESNEVA MARIIA L. , VARFOLOMEEVA ZOYA S.
Published: October 2021

The authors consider the problem of harnessing the educational potential of sports in the process of spiritual and moral education of an adolescent personality. The article describes the course and results of an empirical study aimed at identifying the characteristics of the value orientations among younger adolescents engaged in sambo. As a result of the survey, it has been found out that adolescents of the same age with different sports experience have slight differences in value orientations and moral education. The authors conclude that it is necessary to establish special conditions for the adolescents’ spiritual and moral education in the process of sports activities.