bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Caution in Using Proteins Extracted from Exhaled Breath Condensate of Intubated Patients for Pediatric ARDS Studies
Authors: Ojha Mohit , Joshi Rashika , Varisco Brian Michael
Published: September 2020

Objective We sought to analyze the quality of proteins extracted from the humidified moisture exchange filter (HMEF) of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation.Results Proteins were extracted from ten filters from one control and six PARDS subjects. Between 0.69-1.69 mg of protein was extracted from each. Silver stain of these extracts identified only one discrete band compared to many discrete bands in mouse BALF. Liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry of this band and a corresponding band in mouse bronchoalveolar lavage fluid identified them as human and mouse albumin respectively. Multiple other non-degraded proteins were obvious in mouse bronchoalveolar lavage fluid but not proteins extracted from HMEFs.
Efficacy of Emergency Severity Index (ESI) in Early Identification of Patients with Sepsis and Septic Shock at Triage
Authors: Siddiqui Emad Uddin , Ali Noman , Baig Mirza Noor Ali , Raheem Ahmed , Najeeb Nazir , Perveen Feroza , Khalid Kazi
Published: September 2020

Objectives The objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of Emergency Severity Index (ESI) tool in early recognition of “sepsis” and “septic shock” at the triage of an emergency room at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.Results A total of 240 patients were included in this study. The area under the curve (AUC) for the ESI score I for septic shock was 0.943 [0.921–0.964] with the optimal cutoff value of 2.0 with sensitivity of 88.5% and specificity of 100%. Similarly, the sensitivity and specificity of ESI score II for the diagnosis of sepsis was found to be 100.00% (CI 97.63–100.00%) and 66.28% (CI 55.28% to76.12%) with accuracy of 87.92% (83.11–91.76%)
Social Representations and Anthropo-Cultural Aspects of Mental Health in French Polynesia in the Survey "Mental Health in the General Population: Images and Realities".
Authors: AMADEO Stéphane , BENRADIA Imane , DAVID Germaine , REREAO Moerani , TUHEIAVA Annie , FAVRO Patrick , VILHEM Steve , SY Aminata , FENNI Alban , NGUYEN Ngoc Lam , GOODFELLOW Benjamin , GRAND Simone , GOKALSING Erick , SPODENKIEWICZ Michel , JEHEL Louis , ROELANDT Jean-Luc
Published: September 2020

Purpose: Better know social representations and socio-cultural aspects of mental illness (FP) is critical to reduce stigma and improve care and prevention of psychiatric illness. Methods: The Mental Health in General Population Survey (MHGP) was carried out in French Polynesia (FP) in 2015 and 2017, with questionnaires on social representations of the "insane", the "mentally ill", the "depressive" and the various types of help and care. The representative sample of 968 people was built using the quota method. The data were collected in public spaces, anonymously. Results: The origin of mental health problems is considered mainly as physical, organic or hereditary. Addictive behaviours are the cause of mental illness for 1/4 of respondents. According to the Polynesian population, the “insane” or the “mentally ill” are perceived as excluded, irresponsible, unaware of their conditions and difficult to cure. Depressed people are seen as responsible for their actions, aware of their conditions and who can be treated. Conclusion: The results of this survey show stigmatizing representations of the “insane” and the mentally ill” and significant use of traditional care. They have been incorporated into the mental health plan for FP to improve the care and promotion of mental health.
Evaluation of Quantitative 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT Repeatability of Recurrent Prostate Cancer Lesions Using Both Standard and Bayesian Penalized Likelihood Reconstruction Algorithms
Authors: Roef Mark J , Rijnsdorp Sjoerd , Brouwer Christel , Wyndaele Dirk , Arends Albert J.
Published: September 2020

Purpose To formally determine the repeatability of 68Ga-PSMA lesion uptake in both relapsing and metastatic tumour. In addition, it was hypothesized that the Bayesian penalized likelihood algorithm Q.Clear has the ability to lower SUV signal variability in the small lesions typically encountered in PET images of early relapse or early metastatic disease of prostate cancer.Methods Patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer were prospectively enrolled in this pilot test-retest study and underwent two 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT scans within on average 7.9 days. Lesions were classified by two independent readers as suspected local recurrence, lymph node metastases or bone metastases. Two datasets were generated: one standard ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) reconstruction incorporating both time-of-flight (TOF) and point spread function (PSF) modelling, and one with the Bayesian penalized likelihood (BPL) reconstruction algorithm, called Q.Clear. For tumour lesions the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were determined. Repeatability was formally assessed using Bland-Altman analysis for both BPL and standard reconstruction. Results A total number of 65 PSMA-positive tumour lesions were found in 23 patients (range 1 to 12 lesions a patient). Another 7 patients had no detectable lesions and were therefore excluded. Overall repeatability in the 65 lesions was -1.5% ± 22.7% (SD) on standard reconstructions and -2.1% ± 29.1% (SD) on BPL reconstructions. The difference was not statistically significant. 68Ga-PSMA SUVmax had upper and lower limits of agreement of +42.9% and -45.9% for standard reconstructions and +55.0% and -59.1% for BPL reconstructions, respectively. Tumour SUVmax repeatability was dependent on lesion area, with smaller lesions exhibiting poorer repeatability on both standard and BPL reconstructions (F-test, p < 0.0001).Conclusion 68Ga-PSMA SUVmax has relatively high upper and lower limits of agreement for both standard and BPL reconstructions in the small lesions typical for early relapse or early metastatic disease of prostate cancer. BPL does not seem to lower signal variability in these cases.
The ups and downs of amino acid co-evolution: evolutionary Stokes and anti-Stokes shifts
Authors: Youssef Noor , Susko Edward , Roger Andrew , Bielawski Joseph
Published: September 2020

The most fundamental form of epistasis occurs between residues within a protein. Epistatic interactions can have significant consequences for evolutionary dynamics. For example, a substitution to a deleterious amino acid may be compensated for by replacements at other sites which increase its propensity (a function of its average fitness) over time - this is the evolutionary Stokes shift. We discovered that an opposite trend -the decrease in amino acid propensity with time- can also occur via the same epistatic dynamics. We define this novel and pervasive phenomenon as the evolutionary anti-Stokes shift. Our extensive simulations of three natural proteins show that evolutionary Stokes and anti-Stokes shifts occur with similar frequencies and magnitudes across the protein. This highlights that decreasing amino acid propensities, on their own, are not conclusive evidence of adaptive responses to a changing environment. We find that stabilizing substitutions are often permissive (i.e., expand potential evolutionary paths) whereas destabilizing substitutions are restrictive. We show how these dynamics explain the variations in amino acid propensities associated with both evolutionary shifts in propensities.
Multi-Curie Production of Gallium-68 on a Biomedical Cyclotron and Automated Radiolabelling of PSMA-11 and DOTATATE
Authors: Thisgaard Helge , Kumlin Joel , Langkjær Niels , Chua Jansen , Hook Brian , Jensen Mikael , Kassaian Amir , Zeisler Stefan , Borjian Sogol , Cross Michael , Schaffer Paul , Dam Johan Hygum
Published: September 2020

Background: With increasing clinical demand for gallium-68, commercial germanium-68/gallium-68 ([68Ge]Ge/[68Ga]Ga) generators are incapable of supplying sufficient amounts of the short-lived daughter isotope. In this study, we demonstrate a high-yield, automated method for producing multi-Curie levels of [68Ga]GaCl3 from solid zinc-68 targets and subsequent labelling to produce clinical-grade [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 and [68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE.Results: Enriched zinc-68 targets were irradiated at up to 80 µA with 13 MeV protons for 120 min; repeatedly producing up to 194 GBq (5.24 Ci) of purified gallium-68 in the form of [68Ga]GaCl3 at the end of purification (EOP) from an expected >370 GBq (>10 Ci) at end of bombardment. A fully automated dissolution/separation process was completed in 35 min. Isolated product was analysed according to the draft Ph. Eur. monograph for accelerator produced [68Ga]GaCl3 and found to comply with all specifications. In every instance, the radiochemical purity exceeded 99.9% and importantly, the radionuclidic purity was sufficient to allow for a shelf-life of up to 7 h based on this metric alone. Fully automated production of up to 72.2 GBq [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 was performed, providing a product with high radiochemical purity (>98.2%) and very high apparent molar activities of up to 722 MBq/nmol. Further, manual radiolabelling of up to 3.2 GBq DOTATATE was performed in high yields (>95%) and with apparent molar activities (9-25 MBq/nmol) sufficient for clinical use.Conclusions: We have developed a high-yielding, automated method for the production of very high amounts of [68Ga]GaCl3, sufficient for supply proximal radiopharmacies. The reported method led to record-high purified gallium-68 activities (194 GBq at end of purification) and subsequent labelling of PSMA-11 and DOTATATE. The process was highly automated from irradiation through to formulation of the product, and as such comprised a high level of radiation protection. The quality control results obtained for both [68Ga]GaCl3 for radiolabelling and [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 are promising for clinical use.
Measurement and Prediction of Short-Range Path Loss between 27 and 40 GHz in University Campus Scenarios
Authors: Ramos Glaucio , Vargas Carlos , Mello Luiz , Pereira Paulo , Gonçalves Sandro , Vieira Robson , Rego Cássio
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we present the results of short-range path loss measurements in the microwave and millimetre wave bands, at frequencies between 27 and 40 GHz, obtained in a campaign inside a university campus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Existing empirical path loss prediction models, including the alpha-beta-gamma (ABG) model and the close-in free space reference distance with frequency dependent path loss exponent (CIF) model are tested against the measured data, and an improved prediction method that includes the path loss dependence on the height di erence between transmitter and receiver is proposed. A fuzzy technique is also applied to predict the path loss and the results are compared with those obtained with the empirical prediction models.
Characterization of Spacesuit Associated Microbial Communities and Their Implications for NASA Missions
Authors: Danko David , Mohan Ganesh Babu Malli , Sierra Maria A , Rucker Michelle , Singh Nitin , Regberg Aaron , Bell Mary Sue , O'Hara Niamh , Ounit Rachid , Mason Christopher E , Venkateswaran Kasthuri
Published: September 2020

Background. Crewed NASA missions to other solar system bodies are currently being planned. One high-profile scientific focus during such expeditions would be life detection, specifically the discovery of past or present microbial life, if they exist. However, both humans and associated objects typically carry a high microbial burden. Thus, it is essential to distinguish between microbes brought with the expedition and those present on the exploring planets. Modern spacesuits are unique, customized spacecraft which provide protection, mobility and life support to crew during spacewalks, yet they vent continuously, and the mobility of microbes through spacesuits has not been studied. Results. To evaluate the microbial colonization of spacesuits, NASA used an Extravehicular Activity swab kit to examine viable microbial populations of 48 samples from spacesuits using both traditional microbiological methods and molecular sequencing methods. The cultivable microbial population ranged from below the detection limit to 9 x 102 colony forming units per 25 cm2 of sample and also significantly varied by the location. The cultivable microbial diversity was dominated by members of Bacillus, Arthrobcter, and Ascomycota. However, 16S rRNA-based viable bacterial burden ranged from 105 to 106 copies per 25 cm2 of sample. Shotgun metagenome sequencing revealed the presence of a diverse microbial population on the spacesuit surfaces, including Curtobacterium and Methylobacterium from across all sets of spacesuits in high abundance. Among bacterial species identified, higher abundance of Cutibacterium acnes, Methylobacterium oryzae, and M. phyllosphaerae reads were documented. Conclusion. The results of this study provide evidence that identical microbial strains may live on the wrist joint, inner gauntlet, and outer gauntlet of spacesuits. This raises the possibility, but does not confirm, that viable microbes are able to migrate between the interior and exterior of spacesuits. Overall, these data provide the first estimate of microbial dispersion from internal to external spacesuit surfaces, which will help future mission planners develop effective planetary protection strategies.
Wavelet Leader Based Multifractal Analysis of Sleep Electroencephalogram
Authors: Li Yan , Tang Chi , Liu Juan , Han Wei , Yang Siqi , Luo Erping , Yan Zheng , Huang Ruimin , Xie Kangning
Published: September 2020

Background: Conventional manual sleep stage classiﬁcation is time-consuming and relies on the knowledge and experience of the specialists. The emergence of automatic sleep stage classiﬁcation greatly improves the classiﬁcation eﬃciency. The feature extraction in automatic sleep stage classiﬁcation is particularly important, which usually uses the linear methods based on techniques in the time domain, frequency domain, or time-frequency domain. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) contain a wealth of physiological information, have been widely used for the classiﬁcation of sleep stage. Due to the nonlinear, non-stationary, and multifractal characteristics of EEGs, some nonlinear methods have been used to extract features of sleep stages in recent years, such as complexity, multifractal theory, and chaos theory. The Wavelet Leader Multifractal Formalism (WLMF) of the multifractal theory is widely applied to diﬀerent physiological signals. The current researches focus on discussing the mean H¨older exponent (h0) and the width of the multifractal singularity spectrum (WD(h)) estimated by the WLMF method. However, in the ﬁeld of sleep staging, a number of researches focused on h0, but few studies on WD(h). Results: This paper aims to assess the multifractal characteristic for sleep EEG time series from the Sleep-EDF Expanded Database by the WLMF method. In the young group, the mean h0 increased from the Wake stage to the S3 stage (p<0.01). So did the elderly group (p<0.001). WD(h) of the Wake stage was less than that of the S3 stage for the young group, and this relationship was reversed for the elderly group(χ2=13.769, df=1, p<0.001). Gender did not aﬀect, with statistical signiﬁcance, WD(h) of the Wake stage and the S3 stage (χ2=0.085, df=1, p=0.608), nor did the brain region (χ2=3.137, df=1, p=0.078). Conclusions: The result shows that WD(h) was inﬂuenced by aging. The gender and location of brain regions did not show signiﬁcant inﬂuence on the multifractal characteristics of wakefulness and sleeping. This ﬁnding extends the application of the multifractal singularity spectrum on sleep staging, and raises a fundamental question on what might be the underlying mechanisms of the WD(h) reversion.
Neonatal care practices in Buikwe District, Uganda: A qualitative study
Authors: Roed Marte Bodil , Engebretsen Ingunn Marie Stadkleiv , Mangeni Robert
Published: September 2020

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest neonatal mortality rate, with 27 deaths per 1000 live births. The Uganda Clinical Guidelines (UCG) from 2016 have detailed descriptions on care for mothers and their newborns during pregnancy, delivery and the post-partum period, both in cases of normal as well as complicated births.Methods: The study used a qualitative method with data collection from participant observations, interviews with key-informants and focus group discussions. Malterud’s Systematic Text Condensation (STC) was used for analysis.Results: The study found various discrepancies between performed hands-on-procedures and the UCG related to neonatal care practices, including uncertainty around timing for cord clamping, routine oronasopharyngeal suction of newborns and inadequate implementation of kangaroo care.Conclusions: Continued focus on systemic strategies for further implementation of the UCG is recommended
Bio-Sorption for Effective Removal of Chromium (VI) from Wastewater Using Moringa Stenopetala Seed Powder (MSSP) and Banana Peel Powder (BPP)
Authors: Badessa Tolera Seda , Wakuma Esaya , Mohammed Ali
Published: September 2020

Chromium is an extremely toxic heavy metal that causes severe environmental and health problems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to remove chromium ions from wastewater by using cost effective and environmentally friendly bio-sorbents; (MSSP) and (BPP) and to evaluate adsorption capacities of the bio-sorbents. FT-IR characterization of the adsorbents showed that there was a change in the functional groups of the structure of both adsorbents before and after the adsorption processes confirming that there was effective adsorption of chromium on both adsorbents. Adsorption experiments were carried out as batch studies at different contact times, pH, adsorbent dose, initial metal concentration and temperature. Results showed maximum removal efficiency for Cr (VI) at 120 minutes contact time, adsorbent dose of 20 g/L and pH 2 by MSSP and pH 4 by BPP. Percentage removal of Cr(VI) increased with increasing adsorbent dose( from 5g/L to 20 g/L) and contact time (from 60 min to 120 min). Freundlich isotherm model showed a better fit to the equilibrium data than the Langmuir model.The result of thermodynamic parameters showed negative values of ΔGo and ΔHo confirming spontaneous and exothermic nature of the sorption of Cr(VI) ion onto both adsorbents. A positive value of ΔSo indicates the increase in randomness of Cr(VI) ion at the solid-liquid interface of the adsorbents during the sorption process.The kinetics of adsorption for chromium was well represented by pseudo-second order kinetic model and the calculated equilibrium sorption capacity of the model showed good agreement with the sorption capacity obtained from experimental results.
Examining the Effectiveness of Telemonitoring with Routinely Acquired Blood Pressure Data in Primary Care: Challenges in the Statistical Analysis
Authors: Parker Richard , Padfield Paul , Hanley Janet , Pinnock Hilary , Kennedy John , Stoddart Andrew , Hammersley Vicky , Sheikh Aziz , McKinstry Brian
Published: September 2020

BackgroundScale-up BP was a quasi-experimental implementation study, following a successful randomised controlled trial of the roll-out of telemonitoring in primary care across Lothian, Scotland. Our primary objective was to assess the effect of telemonitoring on blood pressure (BP) control using routinely collected data. Telemonitored systolic and diastolic BP were compared with surgery BP measurements from patients not using telemonitoring (comparator patients). The statistical analysis and interpretation of findings was challenging due to the broad range of biases potentially influencing the results, including differences in the frequency of readings, ‘white coat effect’, end digit preference, and missing data.MethodsThree different statistical methods were employed in order to minimise the impact of these biases on the comparison between telemonitoring and comparator groups. These methods were “standardisation with stratification”, “standardisation with matching”, and “random coefficient modelling”. The first two methods standardised the groups so that all participants provided exactly two measurements at baseline and 6-12 months follow-up before using stratification or matched cohort analysis to compare the groups. The third analysis used linear mixed modelling based on all available data. ResultsThe standardisation with stratification analysis showed a significantly lower systolic BP in telemonitoring patients at 6-12 months follow-up (-3.42, 95% CI -1.72 to -5.11, p<0.001). For the standardisation with matching analysis, systolic BP was also significantly lower (-5.96, 95% CI -3.55 to -8.36, p<0.001), even after assuming that -5 of the difference was due to ‘white coat effect’. For the random coefficient modelling, the improvement in systolic BP was estimated to be -4.68 (95% CI -3.12 to -6.24, p<0.001) after one year. ConclusionsThe three analyses provide additional evidence for the effectiveness of telemonitoring in controlling BP in routine primary care. However, adjusting for the complex array of biases was difficult. Researchers should appreciate the potential for bias in implementation studies and seek to acquire a detailed understanding of the study context in order to design appropriate analytical approaches.
The Rise of EPR in The UK: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining The Effect of The Transition to EPR on Adherence to VTE Prophylaxis Guidelines in General Surgical Patients
Authors: Almohtadi Ahmad , Subramaniam Malvika , Mattson Anja , Malhotra Bihu , Eriksson Frida Margaretha
Published: September 2020

Background: Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolisms (VTEs) account for 50-60% of all VTEs observed. Surgical patients are particularly at risk, and preventative measures such as thromboembolism deterrent stockings (TEDs) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) proves to be beneficial. The National Quality Requirement in the NHS Standard Contract 2017/19 mandates that 95% of patients undergo VTE risk assessments. Due to nationwide transitions into electronic patient records (EPR), it is important to observe the impact on the completion of vital assessments such as VTE risk. The aim of this study is to observe the effect of implementing EPR in a tertiary hospital on VTE assessments and prophylaxis administration in admitted surgical patients.Methods: Using consecutive sampling method, all acute surgical admissions at the St. George’s Surgical Admissions Unit from 26th February to 18th March (n=154) pre-EPR and 31st October to 25th November (n=151) post-EPR implementation were observed for VTE risk assessment, 24-hour re-assessment, prophylaxis (LMWH, TED stockings) prescription, administration, and patient compliance. These two sets of data were compared using a two-tailed Z test to evaluate the effect of EPR on assessment completion, and to observe if national targets were met.Results: Pre-EPR, 96% of patients had a completed VTE assessment, which increased after EPR implementation to 97% (p=0.39). LWMH prescription rates decreased from 82% to 77%, following EPR (p=0.14). Moreover, TEDs prescriptions decreased from 84% to 64% post-EPR (p<0.01). Administration rates of prophylaxis led to a general improvement post-EPR. The 24-hour re-assessment decreased from 62% to 54% of patients (p=0.08).Conclusions: This study demonstrated that current practice met national requirements of VTE assessment. EPR implementation is associated with improved rates in administration of thromboprophylaxis. However, there is still much room for improvement in adherence to risk assessment completion. Data collection post-EPR began immediately after EPR implementation. Thus, lack of confidence and familiarity of the new system could have influenced assessment rates. A multifactorial approach is required when making large transitions, including enhancing staff attitude, increasing EPR training and assessments in individual Trust’s technological needs to achieve a standard use capability.
Personalized Tourniquet Inflation Pressure or Conventional Uniform Tourniquet Inflation Pressure During Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Meta-analysis of Randomized- Controlled Trials.
Authors: Sun Changjiao , Zhang Xiaofei , Ma Qi , Li Huimin , Cai Xu , Yang Huadong
Published: September 2020

Background： Pneumatic tourniquets are widely used in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Some surgeons prefer a uniform tourniquet inflation pressure (UTIP)for all patients; others use personalized tourniquet inflation pressures (PTIP). However, no consensus exists regarding the optimal mode of inflation pressure during TKA. This review aimed to appraise if personalized tourniquet inflation pressures are better than uniform tourniquet inflation. Methods：The databases (Web of Science，Embase，PubMed，Cochrane Controlled Trials Register,、Cochrane Library、Highwire、CBM、CNKI、VIP、Wanfang) were searched on August 2020 to systematically identify and screen the literature for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving PTIP and UTIP during total knee arthroplasty.Results: Nine randomized controlled trials, involving 840 TKAs (837 patients) were included in the systematic review. The meta-analysis identified a trend toward less Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score at rest with PTIP group at one day（P＜0.00001），2-3day（P=0.01）, and less VAS score at activity 1day (P＜0.0001 ),2-3 days after the operation (P＜0.00001 )and discharge (P＜0.0001). No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of VAS score at rest when discharge (P=1.0), intraoperative blood loss（P=0.9）, total blood loss（P=0.3）, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score （P=0.05）, lower limb vein thrombosis （P=0.42）and thigh bullae（P=0.17）. However, in the PTIP group, we found a significant broader knee Range of motion(ROM)（P=0.02）and a reduction in the rate of thigh ecchymosis（P=0.0003）and thigh circumference at one day(P=0.006), 2-3day (P=0.0005), and discharge(P=0.02). Conclusion: PTIP provides a similar bloodless surgical field compared with the conventional UTIP. Furthermore, PTIP provides less pain intensity, thigh circumference, rate of thigh ecchymosis, and better initial recovery of knee flexion in total knee arthroplasty. Therefore, we recommend using a PTIP method during TKA. More adequately powered and better-designed randomized controlled trials （RCTs）studies with long-term follow-up are required to produce evidence-based guidelines regarding the PTIP method.
Conditioned Medium-preconditioned Epcs Enhanced the Ability in Oligovascular Repair in Cerebral Ischemia Neonatal Rats 
Authors: Zhou Ning , Wang Lei , Fu Ping , Cui Zihao , Ge Yuhang , Jiang Feiyu , Liu Jing , Ren Chao , Luan Zuo , Fan Hongbin , Yao Ruiqin
Published: September 2020

Background: Oligovascular niche mediates interactions between cerebral endothelial cells and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Disruption of OPC-endothelium trophic coupling may aggravate the progress of cerebral white matter injury (WMI) because endothelial cells could not provide sufficient support under diseased conditions. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been reported to ameliorate WMI in adult brain by boosting oligovascular remodeling. It is necessary to clarify the role of conditioned medium from hypoxic endothelial cells preconditioned EPCs (EC-pEPCs) in WMI since EPCs usually were recruited and play roles under blood-brain barrier disruption. Here, we investigated the effects of EC-pEPCs on oligovascular remodeling in a neonatal rat model of WMI.Methods: In vitro, OPCs apoptosis induced by the conditioned medium from oxygen-glucose deprivation-injured brain microvascular endothelial cells (OGD-EC-CM) was analyzed by TUNEL and FACS. The effects of EPCs on EC damage and the expression of cytomokine C-X-C motif ligand 12 (CXCL12) were examined by western blot and FACS. The effect of the CM from EC-pEPCs against OPCs apoptosis was also verified by western blot and silencing RNA. In vivo, P3 rat pups were subjected to right common carotid artery ligation and hypoxia, and then treated with EPCs or EC-pEPCs at P7, and angiogenesis and myelination together with cognitive outcome were evaluated at 6 weeks.Results: The number of EPCs and CXCL12 protein level markedly increased in the WMI rats. In vitro, EPCs enhanced endothelial function and decreased OPCs apoptosis. Meanwhile, it was confirmed that OGD-EC-CM induced an increase of CXCL12 in EPCs, and CXCL12-CXCR4 axis is a key signaling since CXCR4 knockdown alleviated the anti-apoptosis effect of EPCs on OPCs. In vivo, compared to the EPCs, EC-pEPCs significantly decreased OPCs apoptosis, increased vascular density and myelination in the corpus callosum, and improved learning and memory deficits in the neonatal rat WMI model.Conclusions: EC-pEPCs more effectively promote oligovascular remodeling and myelination via CXCL12-CXCR4 axis in the neonatal rat WMI model.
The Study of Iranian Teachers’ and Learners’ Perceptions Towards Implicit and Explicit form - Focused Instruction of Speech Acts
Authors: Shahi Melahat Amir Jahansouz , Gharagozloo Neda
Published: September 2020

Pragmatic competence is an essential component in communicative competence (Bachman & Palmer, 2010; Canale, 1983). Therefore, teaching pragmatic knowledge plays an important role in a foreign language curriculum, particularly in teaching English as a ForeignLanguage (EFL). However, there exists a lack of literature about the teaching of pragmatics with little empirical research on teachers’ and learners’ perceptions in Iran. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of focus-on-form instruction (FFI) speech acts on Iranian EFL learners’ pragmatic competence. Cooperative grouping, role plays, and other pragmatically oriented tasks were used to promote the learning of the intended speech acts. To come up with conclusive and persuasive findings, 132 Iranian male and female learners, intermediate- above, served as the subjects. The Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was used to evaluate the participants’ language proficiency level. Teachers’ and students’ questionnaires about the instructions and teachers’ interview were used as the instruments in this study. Data collected by different instruments were analyzed and compared by way of a mixed method and. then was triangulated to enhance its validity and reliability. The finding of the study showed that explicitness leads to better pragmatic knowledge development than the implicit knowledge. This study showed that consciousness-raising at the metapragmatic level improved EFL learners’ pragmatic performance and variety of form-strategy use substantially; thus, it should be taken more seriously in L2 instruction and material development.
Classroom Student Posture Recognition Based on an Improved High-Resolution Network
Authors: Zhang Yiwen , Zhu Tao , Ning Huansheng , Liu Zhenyu
Published: September 2020

Due to the large number of students in a university classroom and crowded seating, most features are obscured, making it difficult to balance accuracy in identifying students' postures with computational speed. Aiming at the above problems, a classroom student postures recognizes method is proposed. First of all, because we need to recognize multi-person poses in the classroom, we use you only look once (YOLOv3) as the object detection algorithm, and retrain the YOLOv3 to detect human object that groveling to the table. Then to improve the accuracy of pose estimation network, we use the Squeeze-and-Excitation Networks (SENet) structure embedded in the residual structure of High-Resolution Networks (HRNet). Finally, using the improved HRNet algorithm output of human body key points, we designed a pose classification algorithm based on Support vector machine (SVM), which is used to classify human poses in the classroom. Experiments show that the improved HRNet multi-person poses estimation algorithm result can reach the best AP performance of 73.76 points in the common objects in context (COCO) validation dataset. We tested our designed posture classification algorithm using our own dataset collected in the classroom and were able to achieve a high recognition rate (90.1%) and robustness. and it could effectively solve the difficulty of student postures recognition.
Can a Complex Vocational Rehabilitation Intervention Be Delivered With Fidelity? Fidelity Assessment in the Fresh Feasibility Trial
Authors: Holmes Jain Anne , Fletcher-Smith Joanna Clare , Merchán-Baeza Jose Antionio , Phillips Julie , Radford Kathryn
Published: September 2020

Background:Determining whether complex rehabilitation interventions are delivered with fidelity is important as differences can occur between sites, therapists delivering the intervention and over time; threatening trial outcomes and increasing the risk of Type II and Type III errors. Aims: to (1) evaluate implementation fidelity of vocational rehabilitation delivered in FRESH, a multi-centre feasibility randomised controlled trial; and (2) understand factors affecting delivery. Methods:Mixed methods evaluation. Fidelity was measured quantitatively using intervention case report forms, fidelity checklists and clinical records. Qualitative data from mentoring records, interviews with the intervention therapists, participants and their employers and NHS staff at each site explored moderators of implementation fidelity. The quantitative and qualitative data informed data collection tools and analysis. Data were examined against a logic model and benchmarked against an earlier cohort study. Results:Analysis of 38 clinical records (one per participant), 699 content CRFs (42-248 per therapist) and 12 fidelity checklists suggest intervention was delivered as intended. The core intervention process was followed in each case despite therapist variation. Qualitative data from clinical records, fidelity checklists, 183 mentoring records and 38 interviews (4 therapists, 15 trial participants, 6 employers and 13 NHS staff) explained factors affecting intervention fidelity. Fidelity moderators were similar across sites. Facilitators included therapists’ community rehabilitation experience, expert mentoring, and ability to individually tailor intervention. Barriers involved a lack of access to NHS systems no backfill and limited line-manager support. Factors that both helped or hindered intervention delivery were effective communication with participants, intervention acceptability, participants’ changing needs and interagency working. Different fidelity measures answered different questions. Fidelity checklists determined whether intervention processes were followed and explained moderators. Interviews provided insights into acceptability. Adherence was determined by content forms. Mentoring records described implementation barriers and how they were overcome.Conclusions:Mixed methods fidelity assessments enable trialists to identify factors likely to affect intervention fidelity in a definitive trial and longer-term clinical implementation. Mentoring provided insight into engagement and fidelity deviations that could be addressed in real-time, facilitating fidelity and offering a window on trial processesTrial registration: ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN38581822 (Registered: 02/01/2014) (https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN38581822)
Research of Magnetic Particle Imaging Reconstruction based on the Elastic Net Regularization
Authors: Chen Xiaojun , Han Xiao , Wang Xiaolin , Tang Xiaoying
Published: September 2020

Background: MPI is an emerging medical imaging modality which is based on the non-linear response of magnetic nanoparticles. The reconstruction task is an inverse problem and ill-posed in nature. Methods: To overcome the problem, we propose to use the EN regularization model. In order to reach a good result with a short reconstruction time, we use the truncated system matrix and the truncated measurement for reconstruction research. Results: In this paper, we study the reconstruction quality of different threshold values and different regularization parameter values. We compare the reconstruction performance of the proposed model with the Tikhonov model and the LASSO model from visualization and performance indicators. Compared with the Tikhonov model and LASSO model, the MPI reconstruction results based on EN were with smaller MSE, higher PSNR/SSIM, and the reconstruction time was much shorter than the Tikhonov model and LASSO model. EN-based reconstruction with almost no artifacts. Discussion: The traditional Tikhonov regularization smooth out the edges with the limited noise suppression ability. The LASSO algorithm overcomes these drawbacks through a prior based on the l 1 norm with stronger noise suppression capabilities and better edges retention ability. Although the LASSO has shown success in many situations, it has some limitations. The EN method is an extension method of LASSO model, which overcomes the limitations of the LASSO in scenarios above. Compared with LASSO, the EN adds the l 2 norm constraint on the basis of the l 1 norm, which is a relatively gentle learning model Conclusion: The conducted study illustrated that the proposed method yields significantly higher reconstruction quality than the state-of-the-art reconstruction method based on Tikhonov model and LASSO model.
Up-regulated RFC2 Predicts Unfavorably Progression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Ji Zaixiong , Li Jiaqi , Wang Jianbo
Published: September 2020

Background: Replication factor C (RFC) is closely related to tumor progression and metastasis. However, the functional significance of RFC2 in hepatocellular carcinoma remains unclear.Materials and methods: In order to solve this problem, the expression of RFC2 in liver cancer patients was analyzed through ONCOMINE, UALCAN, human protein atlas. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier plotter and GEPIA. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were carried out. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was performed through Metascape.Result: The transcription and protein level of RFC2 in HCC were overexpressed, which was significantly related to the clinical individual cancer stage and pathological tumor grade of HCC patients. In addition, in patients with liver cancer, higher RFC2 expression was found to be significantly correlated with shorter OS and DFS. Furthermore, the function of RFC2 in liver cancer was DNA replication, and its main mechanism was the phase transition of the cell cycle.Conclusion: RFC2 might promote the development of liver cancer. It could also be used as a novel biomarker for the prognosis of liver cancer.
The Vaginal Microbiota and Innate Immunity After Local Excisional Treatment for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia
Authors: Mitra Anita , MacIntyre David A , Paraskevaidi Maria , Moscicki Anna-Barbara , Mahajan Vishakha , Smith Ann , Lee Yun S , Lyons Deirdre , Paraskevaidis Evangelos , Marchesi Julian R , Bennett Phillip R , Kyrgiou Maria
Published: September 2020

Background: Vaginal microbiota (VMB) are altered in women with cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) and associate with disease progression. However, the impact of CIN excision on the VMB and innate immunity is not known. This interventional study aims to explore the impact of CIN excision on the VMB, antimicrobial peptides (AMP) and proinflammatory cytokines. We sampled 103 non-pregnant, premenopausal women at the time of excisional treatment for CIN and at their 6-month follow-up visit. A further 39 untreated controls with normal cytology were also sampled. We used metataxonomics to group vaginal swab samples into community state types (CSTs) and ELISA to quantify cytokine and AMPs levels in matched vaginal secretions. Analyses were performed to compare bacterial composition and immune analyte levels before and after CIN excision and in healthy controls.Results: Women with CIN had significantly higher rates of Lactobacillus species depletion pre-treatment compared to healthy controls (CST IV: 21/103, 20% vs 1/39, 3%, p=0.0081). Excision did not change the VMB composition, with CST IV remaining significantly more prevalent after excision compared to untreated, healthy controls (CST IV: 19/103, 20% vs 1/39, 3%, p=0.0142). Prevotella bivia and Sneathia amnii were significantly higher in samples before treatment compared to untreated controls and Prevotella bivia remained significantly higher amongst the treated, with less Lactobacillus crispatus compared to untreated controls. IL-1 and IL-8 remained significantly elevated pre- (p<0.0001 and p=0.0014 respectively) and post-treatment compared to untreated controls (p<0.0001 and p=0.0035 respectively). Levels of human beta-defensin-1 and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor were both significantly reduced following CIN excision (p<0.0001), however their levels remained lower than controls post-treatment.Conclusions: Women with CIN have increased prevalence of Lactobacillus spp. depleted, high-diversity VMB, proinflammatory cytokines and AMPs than normal controls. Surgical excision of the disease reduces levels of vaginal AMPs but does not alter VMB composition or cytokine levels. These findings suggest that women with CIN have an inherent predisposition to a high-diversity proinflammatory environment that is not corrected by disease excision. The failure to re-establish a Lactobacillus enriched CST may explain why women remain at high risk of pre-invasive and invasive disease recurrence.
Effect of Berbamine Hydrochloride on Absorption Parameters of Berberine Hydrochloride Based on in Situ Single-Pass Intestinal Perfusion System in the Rat
Authors: Gao Jie , Feng Hui , Bi Ruohong , Pan Lin , Shi Yi , Han Yunfeng , Tang Xi , Lai Xianrong
Published: September 2020

Background:Berberine is a kind of chemical that has obvious effects of lowering blood sugar, lowering blood lipid. The high toxicity of intravenous administration of berberine hydrochloride(BBH), it is only used for oral administration in clinic,but it only about 10% bioavailability. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux function affects drug bioavailability，BBH is the substrate of P-gp, furthermore the recognized inhibitor of P-gp (such as verapamil) can promote the absorption of BBH. Berbamine hydrochloride(BAH) had a significant inhibitory effect on calcium influx after activation of receptor regulated calcium channels, and the calcium antagonistic effect of BAH is similar to that of verapamil. Methods: Based on the in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion method, this article compares the absorption of the BAH ratio group and the BBH control group in different intestinal segments,and investigates their absorption parameters. Results:The results of in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion showed that the absorption rate constant (Ka), effective permeability coefficient (Papp) , and cumulative absorption per unit area per hour (Q) in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum of the BAH ratio group were greater than those of the BBH control group, which means that the absorption of BBH in the ratio group increased in various intestinal segments, and the absorption of BBH in the small intestine was promoted by BAH.In addition,the mass concentration ratio of BBH and BAH group is B40:A50, B30:A20，where BBH is better absorbed than other groups. Conclusions:BAH can indeed promote the absorption of BBH,and improve the biological utilization of BBH degree.The mass concentration ratio of BBH and BAH group is B40:A50, B30:A20，where BBH is better absorbed than other groups, providing a basis for the development and research of the subsequent preparation of BBH.
Global Prevalence of Perioperative Outcomes of Surgical Patients with COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Abate Semagn Mekonnen , Mantefardo Bahiru , Basu Bivash
Published: September 2020

Background: Surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic is too challenging globally especially for low and middle-income countries in which the limping health care system is broken with low testing capacity, sub-optimal postoperative care, lack of anesthesia machine filters, and limited personal protective equipment. Body of evidence is lacking on the prevalence of perioperative outcomes of patients with COVID-19. Therefore, this study is aimed to provide the global prevalence of perioperative outcomes of patients with COVID-19.Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed/Medline; Science direct and LILACS from December 2019 to August 2020 without language restriction. The Heterogeneity among the included studies was checked with forest plot, χ2 test, I2 test, and the p-values. All observational studies reporting the prevalence of mortality were included.Results: A total of 515 articles were identified from different databases and 50 articles were selected for evaluation after the successive screening. Twenty-three articles with 2947 participants were included. The Meta-Analysis revealed that the global prevalence of perioperative mortality among COVID-19 patients was 20% (95% CI: 15 to 26). The Meta-Analysis also revealed that the rate of postoperative ICU admission was 15% (95% confidence interval (CI):10 to 21).Conclusion: There is one death for every five COVID-19 patients undergoing surgical procedures which entails mitigating strategies to decrease perioperative mortality, provide less risky anesthetic techniques, and alternative management other than surgical procedures.Registration: This systematic review and meta-analysis was registered in Prospero's international prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42020203362) on August 10, 2020.
VDR inhibits NLRP3 signal in lupus nephritis by competitively binding with importin 4 to suppress NF-κB nuclear translocation
Authors: Huang Jing , Ju Bomiao , An Qi , Zhang Jing , Fan Ping , Hao Zhiming , He Lan , Wang Lei
Published: September 2020

Rationale: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus patients, and lupus nephritis treatment is limited to immunosuppressive therapy with many problems. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) can regulate NLRP3 inflammasome which plays critical roles in LN pathogenesis. Objectives: This study was designed to explore the therapeutic effect of VDR agonist on LN and its potential mechanisms, aiming to elucidatethe optimal therapy for LN.Findings: In vivo, treatment of MRL/lpr mice since 8 weeks of age with VDR agonist paricalcitol for 8 weeks decreased disease pathogenesis of LN with markedly improved renal pathological changes, decreased urine protein and serum anti-ds-DNA antibody level in a time-depended manner. In MRL/lpr mice of 16 weeks of age with LN, the expression of NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β/IL-18 axis was upregulated detecteded by ELISA, RT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry, while when treated with VDR agonist paricalcitol, expression of this axis was decreased significantly. Further, it is proved that VDR agonist paricalcitol modulated NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β/IL-18 axis via inhibiting NF-κB, in addition, co-immunoprecipitation results showed that VDR agonist suppressed NF-κB nuclear translocation by competitively binding with importin 4. In vitro, anti-dsDNA antibody induced apoptosis and upregulation of NF-κB/NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β/IL-18 axis in mRTECs, which could be reversed by VDR agonist paricalcitol.Conclusions: Vitamin D receptor agonist may be a promising novel therapeutic strategy for patients with lupus nephritis, which paves the way for future preclinical/clinical studies.