bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Socio-Demographic Correlates of Hypertension Among Women (15-49years) in Lesotho: A Descriptive Analysis
Authors: Lebuso Mapitso , De Wet-Billings Nicole
Published: August 2021

Hypertensive disorders are among the leading conditions for severe maternal morbidity across all regions and has a major impact on health care costs. The aim of this study was to determine the sociodemographic correlates of hypertension in Lesotho. Methods: For analysis, women of women of childbearing age (15–49 years) who have ever given birth in the five years preceding the 2014 LDHS. The dependent variable of this study is hypertension. Univariate and bivariate analyses were done. The correlation was tested using Pearson correlation coefficient while binary logistic regression are used to determine sociodemographic correlates of hypertension Results: Results from this study revealed that one out of every five respondents of the study had hypertension and 79.3 % of the respondents were in prehypertension stage. The situation adds to overall future risk of hypertension. About 20% percent who were at stage 2 of hypertension (SBP ≥ 160 (mmHg) or DBP SBP ≥ 100 (mmHg) were either living with a partner or widowed. Higher ages (45–49 years) of women was found to be significantly associated with high blood pressure levels. Conclusion: Chances of being diagnosed with high blood pressure increased with an increase with age of the respondents. Age was found to be most significant sociodemographic correlate of hypertension. To control hypertension programs should also focus on the psychosocial hypertension interventions for Basotho women in the higher risk groups.
Quality-Adjusted Life Years in Macular Edema: The Benefit of Anti-VEGF Agents in a Tertiary Center in Greece
Authors: Voutsas Nikolaos Theodore , Papageorgiou Eleni , Tantou Alexandra , Tsironi Evangelia , Kotoula Maria
Published: August 2021

Introduction: Diabetic macular edema (DME), wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) are leading causes of vision loss, currently managed with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections (anti-VEGF). Aim of this study was to calculate QALYs in patients with DME, AMD and CRVO treated with anti-VEGF agents (QALYs+) in a Greek tertiary hospital setting and compare them to theoretical QALYs that the patients would have without treatment (QALYs-). Material and Methods: The study included 143 treatment-naive patients with macular edema due to DM (n=57), AMD (n=79) and CRVO (n=7), who received anti-VEGF injections as monotherapy according to the Treat-and-Extend (T&E) protocol. The anti-VEGF agents were ranibizumab and aflibercept in equivalent fractions. QALYs where calculated by the formula QALY = Utility Value * Time, where “time” refers to the follow-up period of the study. For QALYs-, we assumed that visual acuity remained unchanged during this period.Results: Mean follow-up time was 1+1.3 years in the DME group, 1.3 + 1.2 years in the AMD group and 0.5 +1 years in the CRVO group. For patients with DME, QALYs- were 0.75, and QALYs+ were 0.78 (QALY difference +0.033, p=0.439). For patients with AMD, QALYs- were 0.95 and QALYs+ were also 0.95 (QALY difference 0, p=0.45). QALYs- of patients with CRVO were 0.77, and QALYs+ were 0.80 (QALY difference +0.032, p=0.09).Discussion/Conclusion: QALYs+ were identical to QALYs- in patients with AMD and QALYs+ were minimally higher than QALYs- in patients with DME and CRVO in this specific Greek setting for a time horizon between 0.5 and 1.3 years. Possible explanations are the short time horizon used in this analysis and the inclusion of data from the better-seeing eye (BSE).
Women’s decision in family planning use and its determinants in Ethiopia. A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Anbesu Etsay Woldu , Aychiluhm Setognal Birara , Alemayehu Mussie
Published: August 2021

Background
Low uptake of contraceptive use have much consequence on maternal and child health. Despite this effect, less emphasis was given to women’s decision-making on family planning use in Ethiopia. Though there are studies conducted in different parts of the country on women’s decision-making in family planning use, there are inconsistent findings. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of women’s decision-making in family planning use and its determinants in Ethiopia.
Methods
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline will be followed to develop the review protocol. All observational studies will be retrieved using Medical Subject Heading (Mesh) terms or keywords from online databases PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and unpublished grey literature from May 10-11August/2021. The quality of the studies will be critically assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Heterogeneity among studies will be examined using I-squared statistics. Funnel plots and Egger’s test will be used to examine publication bias. The Meta-analysis will be performed using STATA version 14 software. Statistical significance will be determined at 95% CI.
Discussion
Improving women’s autonomy on decision-making on reproductive health services including contraceptive use has a substantial advantage. There are studies on women’s decision-making in family planning use and this systematic review and meta-analysis will help policymakers to develop appropriate interventions.
Network Analyses of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Symptoms in Children
Authors: Gomez Rapson , Stavropoulos Vasileios , Gomez Andre , Watson Shaun
Published: August 2021

Based on parent and teacher ratings of their children, this study used regularized partial correlation network analysis (EBIC glasso) to examine the structure of DSM-5 Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) symptoms. Parent and teachers (N = 934) from the general community in Malaysia completed questionnaires covering DSM-5 ODD symptoms. The most central ODD symptom for parent ratings was anger, followed by argue. For teacher ratings, it was anger, followed by defy. For both parent and teacher ratings, the networks revealed at least medium effect size connections for temper and argue, defy and argue, blames others and annoy, and spiteful and angry. Overall, the findings were highly comparable across parent and teacher ratings, and they showed a novel understanding of the structure of the ODD symptoms. The clinical implications of the findings for assessment and treatment of ODD are discussed.
Examining the Influence of Social Media Education Through Mobile- Phone on the Change in Physical Activity Behavior of Pregnant Women: An Intervention Study
Authors: Talebi Erfaneh , Mohaddesi Hamideh , Vahabzadeh Davoud , Rasuli Javad
Published: August 2021

Background: Nowadays, a new model of health approach through mobile-phones is widely used to deal with improving physical activity and its beneficial effect on pregnancy. This study was aimed to determine the influence of social networking through mobile phones on changing the physical activity behavior in pregnant women.Methods: This randomized interventional study was conducted with parallel groups on 90 pregnant women referring to Urmia Health centers in 2018-2019. The participants from various social and economic backgrounds were randomly included. The participants were randomly assigned to a control and a treatment group. Demographic and Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) questionnaires were filled. In addition to routine care, the treatment group received educational intervention through social network within 16 training sessions related to physical activities and nutrition in 8 weeks.Results: The mean physical activity level and weight in both control and treatment groups differed significantly after intervention (P<0.001). At the beginning of the study, control and treatment groups were not different in terms of daily physical activity level (P=0.17), meanwhile, there was a statistically significant difference at the end of intervention in the level of daily physical activity (P<0.001). Comparison of both groups, based on different categories of activity level at the end of the treatment, showed a non-significant difference in sedentary activities (P=0.89), but the intervention led to a significant difference based on the other level of activities; light (P<0.001), medium (P<0.001), and intense (P=0.05).Conclusion: Educational intervention based on social networks through mobile phones had an effective role in behavior change in physical activity during pregnancy.Trial registration code: IRCT20151004024340N15, Registration date: 2020/06/05
Gene-Coexpression Network Analysis Identifies Specific Modules and Hub Genes Related to Cold Stress in Rice
Authors: Zeng Zhichi , Zhang Sichen , Li Wenyan , Chen Baoshan , Li Wenlan
Published: August 2021

Background: When plants are subjected to cold stress, they undergo a series of molecular and physiological changes to protect themselves from injury. Indica cultivars can usually withstand only mild cold stress in a relatively short period. Hormone-mediated defence response plays an important role in cold stress. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) is a very useful tool for studying the correlation between genes, identifying modules with high phenotype correlation, and identifying Hub genes in different modules. Many studies have elucidated the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in different plants, but little information about the recovery process after cold stress is available.Results: To understand the molecular mechanism of cold tolerance in rice, we performed comprehensive transcriptome analyses during cold treatment and recovery stage in two cultivars of near-isogenic lines (9311 and DC907). Twelve transcriptomes in two rice cultivars were determined. A total of 2509 new genes were predicted by fragment splicing and assembly, and 7506 differentially expressed genes were identified by pairwise comparison. A total of 26 modules were obtained by expression-network analysis, 12 of which were highly correlated with cold stress or recovery treatment. We further identified candidate Hub genes associated with specific modules and analysed their regulatory relationships based on coexpression data. Results showed that various plant-hormone regulatory genes acted together to protect plants from physiological damage under short-term low-temperature stress. We speculated that this may be common in rice. Under long-term cold stress, rice improved the tolerance to low-temperature stress by promoting autophagy, sugar synthesis, and metabolism.Conclusion: Through WGCNA analysis at the transcriptome level, we provided a potential regulatory mechanism for the cold stress and recovery of rice cultivars and identified candidate central genes. Our findings provided an important reference for the future cultivation of rice strains with good tolerance.
Uptake of HIV Testing and Counselling among the Youth in Kintampo South District, Ghana
Authors: Kabiri Mukasa , Akuffo Kwadwo Owusu , Nortey Priscillia , Eusebi Paolo , Danso-Appiah Anthony
Published: August 2021

Background

HIV/AIDS remains a threat to global development and human security. Sub-Saharan Africa is the worst affected, with an estimated 25.7 million people living with HIV as at 2018 and the youth accounting for 33% of new infections. Despite the high proportion, there is paucity of data on testing and counselling among the youth and which factors influence their decision are largely unknown. This study assessed factors influencing uptake of HIV testing and counselling among the youth aged 15 to 24 years in Kintampo South District in Ghana.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study involving the youth who have lived in the Kintampo South District for not less than 6 months. A total of 309 respondents aged 15 to 24 years were drawn from four sub-districts of the six administrative sub-districts by simple random sampling. Simple proportions and logistic regression analyses were performed to elucidate factors influencing uptake of HIV testing and counselling. The level of acceptable statistical significance used was p<0.05.

Results

Overall, the proportion of the youth 15 to 24 years who ever tested for HIV was 50.2%. Lack of confidentiality and privacy, inconvenient facility opening hours, fear of positive results, and perceived poor attitude and mistrust of health service providers reportedly were the main barriers to uptake of HIV testing and counselling. Further logistic regression analyses showed that demographic factors including age, marital status and occupation as well as ever heard of HIV testing and counselling, convenience of test, willingness to test, importance of test and location of test, were key determinants of HIV testing and counselling.

Conclusion

Giving that about half of the respondents had never had a test and did not know their infection status, has serious implications for HIV control in the Kintampo South District. Even though a significant number of the youth showed interest in knowing their infection status, this did not reflect uptake of HIV testing. Public health effort targeted to the youth should be intensified to increase HIV testing and counselling among the youth in the Kintampo South District.
Peptide KRP Conjugated with Doxorubicin Exerts Anti-Tumor Activity by Regulating RPS6KA2 in Osteosarcoma
Authors: Yu Mei , Liu Jiameng , Lu Zhiyuan , Chen Yiyang , Zhang Dongjie , Liang Rui , Wang Hua
Published: August 2021

Objectives: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary solid malignant tumor of the bone in adolescents. Conventional treatment of OS by surgery and chemotherapy is not effective and the prognosis is poor. Our previous study demonstrated that a novel cell-penetrating peptide (KRP) that, coupled to doxorubicin (DOX), allowed specific tumor targeting. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of the KRP-DOX antitumor effect were not completely elucidated. Therefore, the present work aimed to identify key candidate genes by integrated bioinformatics analysis. Methods: Diﬀerentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the Network Analyst. The functions and pathway involvements of the DEGs were analyzed using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, respectively. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was used to identify hub genes. In addition, quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were performed to assess the expression level of candidate biomarkers in OS cells after KRP-DOX treatment. Results: A total of 790 DEGs were identiﬁed. GO functional analysis and KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated that the DEGs were mostly enriched in the ribosome. DEGs were visualized by PPI networks. After treatment of OS cells with KRP-DOX, the downregulated ribosomal protein S6 kinase A2 (RPS6KA2) was found to be closely related to inhibition of OS proliferation. In agreement with the bioinformatics analysis, qRT-PCR and western blot results showed low expression of RPS6KA2 in osteosarcoma cells in the KRP-DOX treatment group.Conclusions: RPS6KA2 is signiﬁcantly associated with the KRP-DOX anti-tumor effect and may serve as a candidate biomarker and therapeutic target for OS.
Electrolyte Concentrations and Blood Gas Values in Neonatal Calves With Diarrhea
Authors: Choi Kyoung-Seong , Park Kwang-Man , Kang Jin-Hee , Ku Ji-yeong , Cha Seung-Eon , Kim Suhee , Yu Do-Hyeon , Park Jinho
Published: August 2021

Portable blood analyzers, which recently have been introduced to veterinary medicine, can facilitate immediate identification of sick calves in livestock farms. However, no appropriate standard values exist for neonatal calves; therefore, reference values for adult cattle guide diagnosis and treatment of newborn calves. Our goal was to determine electrolyte, blood chemistry, and blood gas values from healthy calves and compare them to those for diarrheic calves, thus providing useful information for diagnosis and prognosis. We evaluated 193 calves (£1 month old), including those with (n = 88) and without diarrhea (n = 105), using two-tailed, independent t tests after determining normality (Shapiro−Wilk test). Electrolyte measurements in the diarrheic calves included significant decreases in sodium and significant increases in potassium, chloride, and blood urea nitrogen. Strong ion difference (SID), pH, bicarbonate, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and base excess (BE) were significantly lower in the diarrheic calves (p < 0.001); the anion gap (AG) was significantly higher among diarrheic calves aged 1-10 days (p < 0.001) compared to healthy calves. Our results demonstrate that SID, pH, bicarbonate, and BE correlated strongly with metabolic acidosis, suggesting that these indicators, including AG, can be important tools for evaluating calves’ health status and for providing useful information to diagnose diarrhea.
Shifting Roles of Predisposing Agents, Spatial Contagion, And Accessible Host Quality Drive Phase Transitions of An Irruptive Herbivore
Authors: Howe Michael , Raffa Kenneth F , Aukema Brian , Gratton Claudio , Carroll Allan
Published: August 2021

Irruptive forest insects such as bark beetles undergo intermittent outbreaks that cause landscape-scale tree mortality. Despite their enormous economic and ecological impacts we still have only limited understanding of the dynamics by which populations transition from normally stable endemic to irruptive densities. We investigated density-dependent changes in mountain pine beetle reliance on stressed hosts, host selection, spatial configuration of attacks, and the interaction of host selection and spatial configuration by performing a complete census of lodgepole pine across six stands and six years. Additionally, we compared the dynamics of mountain pine beetle with those of other bark beetles. We found that as population size increased, reliance on stressed trees decreased and new attacks shifted to larger trees with thicker phloem and higher growth rates that can support higher offspring production. Moreover, the spatial configuration of beetle-attacked trees shifted from random to spatially aggregated. Further, we found evidence that beetle utilization of larger trees was related to aggregation behavior as the size of tree attacked was positively correlated at 10-25 m, within the effective distance of pheromone-mediated signaling. In contrast, non-irruptive bark beetle species did not exhibit such density-dependent spatial aggregation at the stand scale or switches in host selection behavior. These results identify how density-dependent linkages between spatial configuration and host utilization can converge to drive population transitions from endemic to irruptive phases. Specifically, a combination of stand-level spatial aggregation, behavioral shifts, and higher quality of attainable hosts defines a critical threshold beyond which continual population growth becomes self-driving.
Identification of Potential miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network Contributing to Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Yin Xi , Wang Miao , Wang Wei , Chen Tong , Song Ge , Niu Yixuan , Jiang Ziying , Gao Zhongbao , Wang Zhenfu
Published: August 2021

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease and the mechanism underlying PD pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Increasing evidence indicates that microRNA (miRNA) plays critical regulatory role in the pathogenesis of PD. This study aimed to determine the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network for PD. The differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmis) and genes (DEGs) between PD patients and healthy donors were screened from miRNA dataset GSE16658 and mRNA dataset GSE100054 downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Target genes of the DEmis were selected when predicted by 3 or 4 online databases and overlapped with DEGs from GSE100054. Next, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was conducted by Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) and Metascape analytic tool. The correlation between the screened genes and PD was evaluated by the online tool Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). The protein-protein interactions (PPI) network was built by STRING platform. Finally, we testify the expression of members of the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in the blood samples collected from PD patients and healthy donors by using qRT-PCR. 1505 upregulated and 1302 downregulated DEGs, 77 upregulated DEmis and 112 downregulated DEmis were preliminarily screened from GEO database. Through further functional enrichment analysis, 10 PD-related hub genes were selected, including RAC1, IRS2, LEPR, PPARGC1A, CAMKK2, RAB10, RAB13, RAB27B, RAB11A and JAK2, which were mainly involved in Rab protein signaling transduction, AMPK signaling pathway and signaling by Leptin. The miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed with 10 hub genes and their interacting miRNAs overlapped with DEmis, including miR-30e-5p, miR-142-3p, miR-101-3p, miR-32-3p, miR-508-5p, miR-642a-5p, miR-19a-3p and miR-21-5p. Analysis on clinical samples verified significant upregulation of LEPR and downregulation of miR-101-3p in PD patients compared with healthy donors. In the study, the potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed in PD, which may provide novel insight into pathogenesis and treatment of PD.
Development of Website For Breastfeeding Women With Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Rasmussen Bodil , Wynter Karen , Nankervis Alison , McNamara Catharine , McCormick Margaret , Steele Cheryl , Carolan-Olah Mary , Holton Sara
Published: August 2021

Background: Breastfeeding is an important contributor to child survival, nutrition and development and maternal health. Evidence indicates that breastfeeding rates were suboptimal in women with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, and they also tend to breastfeed for a shorter duration than other childbearing women. This study aims to identify information and support needs of women with pre-pregnancy diabetes who wish to breastfeed, from the perspectives of women themselves and from health professionals, and to develop a resource informed by these data.Methods: Women with pre-pregnancy diabetes were recruited from a high-risk pregnancy clinic at a large metropolitan health service in Melbourne and from a major consumer organisation invited to participate in a brief, online survey about preferred information and support about breastfeeding. Health professionals were invited to participate in a focus group, about essential content for a resource on breastfeeding for women with pre-pregnancy diabetes. A website was developed informed by the data from the women and health professionals. Review of the website was conducted by women with pre-pregnancy diabetes, and an expert advisory group including clinicians and consumer representatives.Results: Six women participated in the online survey; most indicated that they would prefer a website rather than other formats. Four health professionals attended a focus group. Both groups of participants reported that, for women with pre-pregnancy diabetes, current sources of information on breastfeeding are either not relevant or based on data less applicable to Australian conditions. A mobile-friendly website was developed using plain language and carefully selected images, and links to further support including a dedicated, private, moderated Facebook support group. Preliminary review indicates that the website is informative, easy to read and appealing.Conclusions: The content and format of this breastfeeding website resource were developed based on women with pre-pregnancy diabetes and health professionals’ contributions. It is expected that the provision of tailored evidence-based breastfeeding information and support via resources such as this, during pregnancy and the early postpartum period, will assist women with pre-pregnancy diabetes to make informed decisions about breastfeeding, and enhance rates of breastfeeding intentions, initiation and duration.
The Toxic Effects of Lindane On Microcystis Aeruginosa And The Influence of pH And DOM Dependent Effects of Lindane On Microcystis Aeruginosa
Authors: Xiru Deng , Yingnan Jiang , Qiming Xian
Published: August 2021

The toxic effects of Lindane (γ-BHC) on Microcystis aeruginosa were studied under lab culture conditions. Total protein levels, as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity, in algal cells, were determined after exposure to different concentrations of Lindane. The bioaccumulation of Lindane, as well as the influence of pH and dissolved organic matter (DOM), on the toxic effects was also evaluated in algal cells. The growth of M. aeruginosa was inhibited by Lindane treatment (96 h), resulting in 50% of maximal effect (EC50) concentration of 442 μg/L. In addition the lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) was found to be 120 μg/L, the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) 60 μg/L, and the maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) 85 μg/L. With increasing concentrations of Lindane and exposure time, M. aeruginosa growth was significantly inhibited; in addition, total protein levels and SOD activity significantly decreased. MDA concentration, however, showed an insignificant increase after 96 h. Lindane has the potential for bioaccumulation in algal cells with a bioconcentration factor (BCF) of 340. Furthermore, the toxic effects of Lindane on M. aeruginosa were influenced by environmental factors, such as pH and DOM. The toxic effects decreased with increasing pH and humic acid concentrations. Ultrastructure cell images were used to depict Lindane induced apoptosis.
IGF2BP2 Promotes Pancreatic Carcinoma Progression by Enhancing the Stability of B3GNT6 mRNA via m6A Methylation
Authors: Xue Xiaofeng , Cao Pei , Wu Yufan , Sun Ding , Zhang Weigang , Qiu Junyi , Tang Zuxiong , Qin Lei
Published: August 2021

BackgroundPancreatic carcinoma (PC) is a highly lethal cancer with an increasing mortality rate, its five-year survival rate is only approximately 4%. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is the most common posttranscriptional modification of RNA. However, its role in PC remains unclear.MethodsWe combined bioinformatic analysis with in vitro and in vivo experiments to investigate the expression profile of methylation modulators and identify key m6A regulators in the progression of PC. Further study focused on exploring the target genes binding to the regulators through RIP and double fluorescence staining.ResultsTCGA and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) analyses revealed an overall increasing trend in the expression of m6A regulators in PC, and consensus clustering analysis of m6A showed that the expression of regulators was negatively correlated with the survival rate. LASSO-Cox regression analysis revealed that IGF2BP2, METTL3, ALKBH5 and KIAA1429 were associated with hazard ratios (HR), but only IGF2BP2 was sufficiently appropriate for the m6A survival prognosis model. The IHC and WB results verified high protein expression of IGF2BP2 in PC, and IGF2BP2 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and migration of PC cells. We predicted nine possible target mRNAs of IGF2BP2, and B3GNT6, which regulates three-dimensional serine or threonine structures to affect biosynthesis and metabolism, was verified via RIP and dual luciferase reporter assays to be observably methylated by IGF2BP2. In addition, IF staining confirmed the co-expression of IGF2BP2 and B3GNT6. The tumour-promoting effect of IGF2BP2 and its co-expression with B3GNT6 were verified in an animal model.Conclusions:Elevated m6A levels promote PC progression. IGF2BP2 is a credible marker and modulates B3GNT6 mRNA stability, indicating that IGF2BP2 is a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target in PC progression.
Characterization and Genomic Analysis of an Efficient Dibutyl Phthalate-Degrading Bacterium Microbacterium sp. USTB-Y
Authors: Zhao ZhenZhen , Liu Chao , Xu Qianqian , Ahmad Shahbaz , Zhang Haiyang , Pang Yu , Aikemu Abudumukeyiti , Liu Yang , Yan Hai
Published: August 2021

A promising bacterial strain for biodegrading dibutyl phthalate (DBP) was successfully isolated from activated sludge and characterized as a potential novel Microbacterium sp. USTB-Y based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis and whole genome average nucleotide identity (ANI). Initial DBP of 50 mg/L could be completely removed by USTB-Y both in mineral salt medium and in DBP artificially contaminated soil within 12 h at the optimal culture conditions of pH 7.5 and 30℃, which indicates that USTB-Y has a strong ability in DBP biodegradation. Phthalic acid (PA) was identified as the end-product of DBP biodegraded by USTB-Y using GC/MS. The draft genome of USTB-Y was sequenced by Illumina NovaSeq, and 29 and 188 genes encoding for putative esterase/carboxylesterase and hydrolase/alpha/beta hydrolase were annotated based on NR (non redundant protein sequence database) analysis, respectively. Gene3781 and gene3780 from strain USTB-Y showed 100% identity with dpeH and mpeH from Microbacterium sp. PAE-1. But no phthalate catabolic gene (pht) cluster was found in the genome of strain USTB-Y. This information will be valuable for obtaining a more holistic understanding on diverse genetic mechanisms of PAEs-biodegrading Microbacterium sp. strains.
Estimation of The IMC Layer Thickness of Friction-Stir-Welded Aluminum/Copper Lap Joints By Using Temperature Simulation
Authors: Krutzlinger Markus , Kick Michael Karl , Kessler Manuel , Zaeh Michael Friedrich
Published: August 2021

Many studies demonstrated the suitability of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) for joining dissimilar materials. Especially the combination of aluminum and copper is of high interest for many applications. Intermetallic compounds (IMC) forming during FSW due to interdiffusion and the thickness of the IMC layers strongly influence the joint properties, e.g. the joint strength or the thermal and electrical conductivity. Therefore, it is important to predict the IMC layer thickness to tailor the joint properties to the individual application. For this purpose, a thermal-pseudo-mechanical model was built to simulate the temperature field during FSW of aluminum EN AW-1050 and copper CW008A in lap joint configuration. The simulated temperatures as well as the heat inputs corresponded well with experimental data for a wide range of parameter settings. In order to estimate the IMC layer thickness, the simulated temperatures close to the interface of the materials were used. Two approaches for calculating the layer thicknesses were compared. In the first approach, the thickness is calculated based on the peak temperature lasting for several seconds at the interfacial area. This approach was applied for constant feed rates, while the second approach also accounted for the cooling slope and could therefore be used for different feed rates.
Sweep Imaging with Fourier Transform as a Tool for Evaluating the Effect of Teriparatide on Cortical Bone Turnover in an Ovariectomized Rat Model
Authors: Yasutaka Sotozono , Ikoma Kazuya , Kido Masamitsu , Onishi Okihiro , Minami Masataka , Wada Hiroaki , Yamada Shunji , Matsuda Ken-ichi , Tanaka Masaki , Takahashi Kenji
Published: August 2021

Background: Teriparatide (TPTD) is a drug for osteoporosis that promotes bone formation and improves bone turnover. However, the specific effects of TPTD on cortical bone are not well understood. Sweep imaging with Fourier transform (SWIFT) has been reported as a useful tool for evaluating cortical bone, but it has yet to be used to investigate the effects of TPTD on cortical bone. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of TPTD on cortical bone turnover using SWIFT in rats. Methods: Twelve-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats (n=36) were reared for 12 weeks after ovariectomy to create a postmenopausal osteoporosis model. They were divided into two groups: the TPTD and non-TPTD groups. Rats were euthanized at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after initiating TPTD treatment. Tibial bones were extracted and evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and bone histomorphometry. In MRI, proton density-weighted imaging (PDWI) and SWIFT imaging were performed. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was calculated for each method. The same area evaluated by MRI was then used to calculate for the bone formation rate by bone histomorphometry . Measurements were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test, and a P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: PDWI-SNR was not significantly different between the two groups at any time point (P = 0.589, 0.394, and 0.394 at 4, 12, and 24 weeks, respectively). Contrarily, SWIFT-SNR was significantly higher in the TPTD group than in the non-TPTD group at 4 weeks after initiating treatment, but it was not significantly different at 12 and 24 weeks (P = 0.009, 0.937, and 0.818 at 4, 12, and 24 weeks, respectively). The bone formation rate was significantly higher in the TPTD group than in the non-TPTD group at all timepoints (P < 0.05, all weeks). In particular, at 4 weeks, the bone formation rate was markedly higher in the TPTD group than in the non-TPTD group (1.98±0.33 vs. 0.09±0.05 μm3/μm2/day).Conclusions: The marked increase of the bone formation rate in the cortical bone by TPTD could be measured using SWIFT. SWIFT could be an effective tool for evaluating the effects of TPTD on cortical bone turnover as images.
A Generalized Strain Approach to Anisotropic Elasticity
Authors: Shariff M.H.B.M.
Published: August 2021

This work proposes a generalized Lagrangian strain function fα (that depends on modified stretches) and a volumetric strain function gα (that depends on the determinant of the deformation tensor) to characterize isotropic/anisotropic strain energy functions. With the aid of a spectral approach, the single-variable strain functions enable the development of strain energy functions that are consistent with their infinitesimal counterparts, including the development of a strain energy function for the general anisotropic material that contains the general 4th order classical stiffness tensor. The generality of the single-variable strain functions sets a platform for future development of adequate specific forms of the isotropic/anisotropic strain energy function; future modellers only require to construct specific forms of the functions fα and gα to model their strain energy functions. The spectral invariants used in the constitutive equation have a clear physical interpretation, which is attractive, in aiding experiment design and the construction of specific forms of the strain energy. Some previous strain energy functions that appeared in the literature can be considered as special cases of the proposed generalized strain energy function. The resulting constitutive equations can be easily converted, to allow the mechanical influence of compressed fibres to be excluded or partial excluded and to model fibre dispersion in collagenous soft tissues. Implementation of the constitutive equations in Finite Element software is discussed. The suggested crude specific strain function forms are able to fit the theory well with experimental data and managed to predict several sets of experimental data.
Maternal Social Support and Determinants of Health Facility Delivery in Rural Ethiopia
Authors: Mamo Abebe , Abera Muluemebet , Abebe Lakew , Bergen Nicole , Asfaw Shifera , Bulcha Gebeyehu , Asefa Yisalemush , Erko Endale , Bedru Kunuz Haji , Lakew Mihiretu , Kurji Jaameeta , Kulkarni Manisha A. , Labonté Ronald , Birhanu Zewdie , Morankar Sudhakar
Published: August 2021

Background: Maternal mortality continues to decrease in the world but remains the most important health problems in low-income countries. Although evidence indicates that social support is important factor influencing health facility delivery, it has not been extensively studied in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess social support in influencing health facility childbirth in Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey data on 3304 women aged 15–49 years from an Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa project in three districts of Ethiopia, were analyzed, including data on social support and important factors. Using multivariate logistic regression, we examined the association between health facility birth, social support, and included variables. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to identify statistically significant associations at 5% alpha level.Result: Overall, 46.9% of women delivered at health facility in their last pregnancy. Average travel time from closest health facility (AOR: 1.51, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.90), mean perception score of health facility use (AOR: 1.83, 95% CI 1.44 to 2.33), involvement in final decision to identify their place of childbirth (AOR: 2.12, 95% CI 1.73 to 2.58) had significantly higher odds of health facility childbirth. From social support variables, women who perceived there were family members and husband to help them during childbirth (AOR: 3.62, 95% CI 2.74 to 4.79), women who received continuous support (AOR: 1.97, 95% CI 1.20 to 3.23), women with companions for facility visits (AOR: 1.63, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.00) and women who received support from friends (AOR: 1.62, 95% CI 1.16 to 3.23) had significantly higher odds of health facility childbirth.Conclusions: Social support was critical to enhance health facility delivery, especially if women’s close ties help facility delivery. An intervention to increase facility delivery uptake should target not only the women’s general social supports, but also continuous support during childbirth from close ties including family members and close friends as these are influential in place of childbirth and also actions that increase women's healthcare decision could be effective in improving health facility delivery.
The triglyceride-glucose index played an important role in prognosis in critically ill patients with heart disease
Authors: Zhai Guangyao , Zhang Biyang , Wang Jianlong , Liu Yuyang , Zhou Yujie
Published: August 2021

Background

As an alternative method to evaluate insulin resistance (IR), triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) was shown to be related to the severity and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. The main objective of this study was to explore the association between TyG and in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients with heart disease
Method:

TyG was calculated as previously reported: ln [fasting TGs (mg/dL) * FBG (mg/dL)/2]. All patients were divided into four different categories based on TyG quartiles. Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the independent effect of TyG.
Result

4839 critically ill patients with heart disease were included. In-hospital mortality increased as TyG quartiles increased (Quartile 4 vs Quartile 1: 12.1 vs 5.3, P < 0.001). Even after adjusting for confounding variables, TyG was still independently associated with the increased risk of in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients with heart disease (Quartile 4 vs Quartile 1: OR, 95% CI: 2,43, 1.79–3.31, P < 0.001, P for trend < 0.001). However, we did not observe the association between increased TyG and the risk of mortality in patients with diabetes. Furthermore, as TyG quartiles increased, the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay was prolonged (Quartile 4 vs Quartile 1: 2.3, 1.3–4.9 vs 2.1, 1.3–3.8, P = 0.007). And the significant interactions were not found in most subgroups.
Conclusion

TyG was independently correlated with in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients with heart disease.
Eating Behaviors Are Associated with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness among female adolescents
Authors: beigrezaei sara , Mazidi Mohsen , Ferns Gordon A , Ghayour-Mobarhan Majid , Shi Zumin , Khayyatzadeh Saeid
Published: August 2021

BackgroundExcessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common sleep abnormality among adolescents, and it’s associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. We aimed to explore the relationships between eating behaviors and EDS among female adolscents.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study 988 Iranian adolescent girls aged between 12-18 years old were recruited. Presence of EDS was determined by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and eating behaviors was assessed by a pre-validated questionnaire. To investigate the association between dietary behaviors and the prevalence of EDS, we applied logistic regression analysis in crude and adjusted models (adjustments for age, physical activity, menstruation and second hand smoke and general obesity).ResultsThe prevalence of esccesive daytime sleepiness was obtained 24.3. The participants who consumed a major meal three times daily had a 0.56 lower odds for EDS compared to those who consumed a single major meal (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.21- 0.91). Individuals with a ‘high-rate of food chewing’ were less likely to have EDS (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.29 -1.04) compared with low and moderate rate of food chewing. Compared with those who consumed fried or spicy foods daily, individuals who never consumed fried (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 0.55- 5.86) or spicy foods (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 0.55- 5.29) had a greater risk for EDS. In addition, there were direct associations between lower meal regularity (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29- 0.95) and intra-meal fluid intake (OR: 3.00, 95% CI: 1.2- 7.3) with EDS in adjusted models. Neither in the crude nor in the adjusted models, were there significant associations between breakfast intake and frequency of snack consumption with EDS.Conclusion﻿The lowest frequency of main meal frequency, irregular meal consumption, breakfast skipping, low rate of food chewing, intra-meal fluid intake, and consumption of spicy and fried foods were associated with increased odds of EDS. Further prospective studies are required to confirm this finding.
Molecular characteristic of rifampin-sensitive and resistant isolates and characteristics of rpoB gene mutations in MRSA
Authors: Guo Yinjuan , Wang Bingjie , Rao Lulin , Wang Xinyi , Zhao Huilin , Li Meilan , Yu Fangyou
Published: August 2021

BackgroundMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections have become a leading cause of bacterial infections in both healthcare and community settings. Mutations in the rpoB gene cause resistance to rifampin (RIF R ), a critical antibiotic for treatment of multidrug-resistant S. aureus . The aim of this study was to detect the molecular characteristics of RIF R MRSA and analysis the rpoB gene mutations involved in RIF resistance. MethodsA total of 49 RIF R MRSA and 38 RIF S MRSA isolates collected from seven cities in China were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing, staphylococcus chromosomal cassette mec (SCC mec ) typing, spa typing, and rpoB gene mutations. ResultsST239-III-t030 (35/49, 71.4%), the major clone in RIF R MRSA isolates; ST45-IV-t116 (16/38, 42.1%), the major clone in RIF S MRSA isolates with rpoB mutations. RIF R MRSA isolates were resistance to erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, gentamicin, and clindamycin. By contrast, RIF S MRSA isolates with rpoB mutation were more susceptible to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and gentamicin. Forty-three (87.8%) isolates present the mutational change H481N and L466S, conferring 128-512 μg/ml RIF resistance. The four isolates with RIF MIC > 1024 μg/ml had additional amino acid substitution: H481N, L466S, A473T (n=2); H481Y (n=2), associated with a high-level RIF resistance. Of 38 RIF S MRSA isolates, two mutations were observed, including H481N (n=37) and A477D (n=1). ConclusionThe predominant RIF R MRSA clones in China were ST239III-t030. Molecular character, antibiotic resistant profiles, and rpoB mutations between RIF R MRSA and RIFS MRSA were diverse. Antibiotics for treating patients with MRSA infections can be selected based on molecular characteristics.
Analysis of Potential Hub Genes and Related Transcription Factors in Rosacea Patients using Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Wang Xin , Dong Wenfang , Wang Huan , You Jianjun , Zheng Ruobing , Xu Yihao , Fan Fei
Published: August 2021

Objective The aim of this study is to discover the adipocyte genes and pathways involved in rosacea using bioinformatics analysis.Methods The GSE65914 gene expression profile was obtained. The GEO2R tool was used to screen out differentially expressed genes (DEGs). It was further analyzed with Gene Ontology (GO) to explore functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) to explore cell signaling pathways. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks among the DEGs were found by STRING databases and visualized in Cytoscape software. The related transcription factors regulatory network of the DEGs were also constructed.Results A total of 254 DEGs, including 72 up-regulated genes and 182 down-regulated genes, were obtained in rosacea samples. The biological functions of DEGs are mainly involved in the inflammatory response and chemokine activity. A PPI network consisting of 217 nodes and 710 edges was constructed using STRING, and ten hub genes were identified with Cytoscape software. Some transcriptional factors were also found to interact with these hub DEGs.Conclusion In this study, we obtained ten hub genes, including CXCL8, CCR5, CXCR4, CXCL10, MMP9, CD2, CCL19, CXCL9, CCL5, CD3D, which play an essential role in the pathology of rosacea, and these genes may provide a basis for the screening of treatment biomarkers for rosacea in the future.
Teaching Medical Students to Choose Wisely Through Simulation
Authors: Morato Thayza Marcelly Rodrigues , Mendes Pedro Henrique Magalhães , Ghosn Danielle Saad Nemer Bou , Couto Thomaz Bittencourt , Mai Paulo Victor Ferreira , Farhat Sylvia Costa Lima , Schvartsman Claudio , Cavalcanti Nara Vasconcelos
Published: August 2021

The Choosing Wisely (CW) campaign aims to encourage dialog among physicians and patients about the costs and benefits of medical care. The purpose of the present study was to describe the implementation of the CW campaign among medical students in the pediatrics clerkship using different teaching strategies and to evaluate the students’ perception and performance. A prospective, interventionist, open study with a control group was conducted. All sixth-year undergraduate medical students that were on their pediatric clerkship at the Emergency Department during the study period were invited to participate. The study consisted of two strategies: a remote video class about the CW initiative and in situ simulation training. By the end of the rotation, all participants were evaluated through an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). A total of 50 students were included, of which 24 watched only the online video (control group) and 26 were exposed to both the online video and the simulation scenarios (intervention group). Students in the intervention group had a statistically significant higher total score in the OSCE compared to students in the control group (median 90 vs 90; range 78-100 vs 50-100; p: 0.047). Median scores of behavioral items of the OSCE grouped together were statistically significant higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (median 60 vs 50; range 40-60 vs 20-60; p: 0.002).Conclusion: Simulation training about principles of the CW campaign had a greater impact on behavioral aspects of undergraduate students. This learning strategy was well accepted by participants.