bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pirfenidone Modulates Macrophage Polarization and Ameliorates Radiation-induced Lung Fibrosis by Inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad3 Pathway
Authors: ying hangjie , Fang min , Hang Qing Qing , Chen Ya mei , Qian Xu , Chen Ming
Published: December 2020

Background：Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) mainly contributes to the complications of thoracic radiotherapy. RILI can be divided into early-stage radiation pneumonia (RP) and late-stage radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF). Once RILF occurs, patients will eventually develop irreversible respiratory failure; thus, a new treatment strategy to prevent RILI is urgently needed. This study explored the therapeutic effect of pirfenidone (PFD), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) treatment, and its mechanism in the treatment of RILF. Methods：A series of in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to explore the role and mechanism of PFD in the prevention and treatment of RILF. Results：Collagen deposition and fibrosis in the lung were reversed by PFD treatment, which was associated with reduced M2 macrophage infiltration and inhibition of the transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) /drosophila mothers against decapentaplegic 3 (Smad3) signaling pathway. Moreover, PFD treatment decreased the radiation-induced expression of TGF-β1 and phosphorylation of Smad3 in alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and vascular endothelial cells (VECs). Furthermore, IL-4- and IL13-induced M2 macrophage polarization was suppressed by PFD treatment in vitro, resulting in reductions in the release of arginase-1(ARG-1), chitinase 3-like 3 (YM-1) and TGF-β1. Notably, the PFD-induced inhibitory effects on M2 macrophage polarization were associated with downregulation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p50 activity. Additionally, PFD could significantly inhibit ionizing radiation-induced chemokine secretion in MLE-12 cells and consequently impair the migration of RAW264.7 cells. PFD could also eliminate TGF-β1 from M2 macrophages by attenuating the activation of TGF-β1/Smad3. Conclusion：PFD is a potential therapeutic agent to ameliorate fibrosis in RILF by reducing M2 macrophage infiltration and inhibiting the activation of TGF-β1/Smad3.
Impact of Albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score on the Prognostic Significance of Patients with Heart Failure:A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Han Su , Wang Chuanhe , Tong Fei , Li Ying , Li Zhichao , Sun Zhaoqing , Sun Zhijun
Published: December 2020

Objectives Liver dysfunction is prevalent in heart failure (HF) patients and it can bring a poor prognosis. Presently, albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score has been designed as an effective and convenient scoring system for assessing liver function, but the correlation linking ALBI and in-hospital mortality in HF patients remains unclear.Methods and Results A total of 9749 patients with HF (from January 2013 to December 2018) was enrolled and retrospectively analyzed. The main outcome is in-hospital death. We examined and analyzed ALBI as a continuous variable as well as according to 3 categories. Following adjustment for multivariable, patients which occurred in-hospital death was remarkably elevated in Tertile 3 group (ALBI>-2.27) (OR=1.670, 95% CI: 1.231~2.265, p=0.001), relative to the other two groups (Tertile 1: <-2.59; Tertile 2: -2.59~-2.27). When ALBI was inspected as a continuous variable, the incidence of HF patients with in-hospital death will increase by 8.2%. (For ALBI score per 0.1 score increasing, OR=1.082, 95% CI: 1.052~1.113, p<0.001). ALBI score for estimating in-hospital mortality under C-statistic was 0.650 (95% CI: 0.641~0.660, p<0.001) and the cut-off value of ALBI score was -2.32 with a specificity of 0.630 and a sensitivity of 0.632. Moreover, ALBI score can enhance the estimation potential of NT-proBNP (NT-proBNP+ALBI vs NT-proBNP: C-statistic: z=1.990, p=0.0467; net reclassification improvement=0.4012, p<0.001; integrated discrimination improvement= 0.0082, p<0.001). Conclusions In patients with HF, ALBI score was an independent prognosticator of in-hospital death. The predictive significance of NT-proBNP +ALBI was superior to NT-proBNP, and ALBI score can enhance the estimation potential of NT-proBNP.
Prediction of Recurrence Patterns in Glioblastoma Using DSC-MRI Radiomics-Based Deep Learning
Authors: Shim Ka Young , Chung Sung Won , Jeong Jae Hak , Hwang Inpyeong , Park Chul-Kee , Kim Tae Min , Park Sung-Hye , Won Jae Kyung , Lee Joo Ho , Lee Soon-Tae , Yoo Roh-Eul , Kang Koung Mi , Yun Tae Jin , Kim Ji-Hoon , Sohn Chul-Ho , Choi Kyu Sung , Choi Seung Hong
Published: December 2020

Glioblastoma remains the most devastating brain tumor despite optimal treatment, because of the high rate of recurrence. Distant recurrence has distinct genomic alterations compared to local recurrence, which requires different treatment planning both in clinical practice and trials. To date, perfusion-weighted MRI has revealed that perfusional characteristics of tumor are associated with prognosis. However, not much research has focused on recurrence patterns in glioblastoma: namely, local and distant recurrence. Here, we propose two different neural network models to predict the recurrence patterns in glioblastoma that utilizes high-dimensional radiomic profiles based on perfusion MRI: area under the curve (AUC) (95% confidence interval), 0.969 (0.903-1.000) for local recurrence; 0.864 (0.726-0.976) for distant recurrence for each patient in the validation set. This creates an opportunity to provide personalized medicine in contrast to studies investigating only group differences. Moreover, interpretable deep learning identified that salient radiomic features for each recurrence pattern are related to perfusional intratumoral heterogeneity. We also demonstrated that the combined salient radiomic features, or “radiomic risk score”, increased risk of recurrence/progression (hazard ratio, 1.61; p=0.03) in multivariate Cox regression on progression-free survival.
Dispersion Scan Frequency Resolved Optical Gating For Evaluation of Pulse Chirp Instability
Authors: Guesmi Mariem , Veselá Petra , Žídek Karel
Published: December 2020

The commonly used methods to characterize ultrafast laser pulses, such as frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) and dispersion scan (d-scan), face problems when they are used on pulses varying within the acquisition time or laser beam. Such chirp variation can be identified by a discrepancy between the measured FROG and d-scan traces and their reconstructed counterparts. Nevertheless, quantification of the instability from the experimental data is a more complex task. In this work, we evaluate the precision of chirp instability quantification based on three different pulse characterization techniques. Two commonly used techniques FROG and d-scan are compared to a new method dispersion scan FROG (D-FROG) that combines the idea of dispersion scanning with the FROG method. We demonstrate the characterization of pulses generated from NOPA together with pulses processed by a 4f-pulse shaper without and with SLM-adjusted phase. In this paper, we validate the performance of the new method to estimate the chirp instability and, therefore, to improve the reconstruction of the measured results. Furthermore, we discuss the instability origin of each measurement case by using fast-scan autocorrelation traces.
Maximizing Average Sum Rate of Small Cells in 5G Ultra-dense Networks with Deployment Optimization
Authors: Luo Yihao , Yang Yang , Zhang Long , He Dazhong , Yang Jie
Published: December 2020

As the evolution of trends of intelligent IoT in 5G era, ultra-dense networks (UDN) become a promising paradigm via densely deploying small cells in cellular networks, where the transmission rate of mobile users can be highly improved. In this paper, an investigative study was presented regarding optimizing deployment of small cell base stations (BS) to maximize the average sum rate (ASR) in 5G UDN. In particular on a stochastic geometrical perspective, a homogeneous-type Poisson point process (PPP) was used for depicting an arbitrary arrangement of both macro cell user equipment (UE) and small cell BSs. Moreover, the closed-form probabilities of successful transmission was derived regarding the uplink and downlink of small cells. Then, the ASR of small cells was obtained as well as the problem of maximizing ASR was analyzed with outage constraints. Further, the study also demonstrated that the maximum ASR located in a closed interval of small cell BS density, where the lower and higher bounds of the interval were obtained. Finally, for maximizing the ASR value, the optimal small cell BS density in a closed-form was derived out with convex optimization theory. Simulation analysis indicated that different constraints from the macro cell network led to different maximum ASRs, and interferences caused by small cells and macro cell UE had likewise influenced the performance of small cells.
Effects of normal or reversed proximodistal orientation of autologous nerve grafts on functional and histomorphological outcomes
Authors: Lee Duk Hee , You Jooyoung , Jung Ji Won , Lee Jung Il
Published: December 2020

Background: Autologous nerve grafting has been considered the gold standard for the treatment of irreparable nerve gaps. However, the choice of effective proximodistal orientation of autografts (normal or reversed) is controversial. Therefore, we compared functional and histological outcomes between normal and reversed orientations of autografts.Methods: A 10-mm section of the sciatic nerve was harvested from a donor mouse. Half the harvested nerve was grafted onto an irreparable gap in a recipient mouse using either a normal or reversed orientation. The sciatic functional index (SFI) was measured serially for up to 12 weeks postoperatively. Morphological analysis was performed using immunofluorescence staining for neurofilament (NF) and myelin protein zero (P0) in cross-sectional and whole-mount nerve preparations. Additionally, morphological analysis of the tibialis anterior muscle was performed using hematoxylin and eosin staining.Results: The SFI recovered gradually up to 12 weeks after autografting, but there were no significant differences in the SFI between the normal and reversed orientations. The number of NF-expressing axons was significantly higher in the normal orientation than in the reversed orientation. However, there were no significant differences in the number and mean intensity of P0-expressing axons between the orientations. The cross-sectional area of myofibers was significantly larger in the normal orientation than in the reversed orientation.Conclusions: Normally oriented autografts promote axonal regrowth and prevent neurogenic muscular atrophy compared with reverse-oriented autografts. However, despite these positive histomorphometric effects, the proximodistal orientation of the autograft does not affect functional outcomes.
Circular RNA circSIPA1L1 Contributes to Osteosarcoma Progression via the miR-411-5p/RAB9A Axis
Authors: Xu Yining , Yao Teng , Ni Haonan , Zheng Rujie , Huang Kangmao , Huang Yizhen , Gao Jun , Qiao Di , Shen Shuying , Ma Jianjun
Published: December 2020

BackgroundRecently, various studies have identified circular RNAs (circRNAs) to play a significant role in tumorigenesis, thereby showing potential as novel tumor biomarkers. circSIPA1L1 is a new-found circular RNA formed by back-splicing of SIPA1L1 and is found increased in osteosarcoma (OS). Nevertheless, the specific functions of circSIPA1L1 in OS remain unknown. MethodsIn the present study, circSIPA1L1 was obtained from a previously reported circRNA microarray (GSE96964) in the GEO database. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to assess the mRNA level of circSIPA1L1 in OS cell lines and tissue samples. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assays, real-time PCR, RNA pull-down assays and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were employed to verify the binding of circSIPA1L1 with miR-411-5p. Xenograft tumor models were established to identify the role of circSIPA1L1 in vivo. A series of in-vitro experiments, such as western blotting , colony formation, transwell assays and anoikis assay were employed to confirm the relationship across circSIPA1L1, miR-411-5p, and RAB9A. ResultsOur study confirmed circSIPA1L1 to be upregulated in both human OS samples and OS cell lines. Mechanistically, circSIPA1L1 could serve as a miR-411-5p molecular sponge to increase RAB9A expression, which was confirmed to be a tumor promoter mediating carcinogenesis. Silencing of circSIPA1L1 attenuated the vitality, invasion, migration and proliferation of OS cell lines both in vivo and in vitro. miR-411-5p inhibition or RAB9A overexpression reversed the anti-tumor effects caused by circSIPA1L1 knockdown. ConclusionBriefly, circSIPA1L1 acts as a driver gene in OS and could initiate OS tumorigenesis via the miR-411-5p/RAB9A axis, which might become a potential therapeutic biomarker for OS treatment.
Watershed Prioritization Using Morphometric Analysis & RUSLE Model for Soil Conservation Planning, in Gilgel Abay Watershed, Ethiopia
Authors: Gela Agumassie Genet , Mengistu Daniel Ayalew , Maru Seniet
Published: December 2020

Background: Soil erosion is the predominant global land degradation process which leads to a decline in ecosystem services and functions. The Gilgel Abay watershed is one of the watersheds in Upper Blue Nile basin characterized by rapid population growth, deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, waterlogging and flooding. These contribute the land and water resources of the watershed and its ecosystem are under high risk. This study was aimed to prioritize high erosion risk areas of Gilgel Abay watershed for soil and water conservation planning using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model and morphometric analysis. Using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model, Sub watershed Prioritization was done by computing the annual soil loss rate by considering the five model parameters. The compound factor analysis technique was used for prioritize sub-watersheds through morphometric analysis. Results: The result of estimated annual soil loss rates in Gilgel Abay watershed ranges from 0 to 781 t ha-1year-1, which is higher as compared to the limits of soil loss tolerance rates of the northern highlands of Ethiopia. From RUSLE model results, Sub watershed 4 was experiencing high erosion risks while, Subwatershed2 followed by sub watershed 4 are high erosion risk areas of compound factor analysis. Conclusion: The results of prioritization through both approaches show a quite alike output that is both identifies sub-watershed 4 and 2 as high erosion prone area. Therefore, both the results display a good efficiency in the assessment of erosion risks and giving priority in sub-watershed scale. Hence, the two approaches can be used to identify and delineate erosion-prone areas, and prioritize the areas for effective planning of sustainable land management options.
Tumor-necrosis Factor Inhibitors Improve Aortic Stiffness in Patients With Longstanding Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Giollo Alessandro , Cioffi Giovanni , Ognibeni Federica , Orsolini Giovanni , Dalbeni Andrea , Bixio Riccardo , Adami Giovanni , Fassio Angelo , Idolazzi Luca , Gatti Davide , Rossini Maurizio , Viapiana Ombretta
Published: December 2020

Background. Major cardiovascular disease (CVD) benefits of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) therapy occur in early RA patients with treat-to-target strategy. However, it is unknown whether long-term DMARDs treatment in established RA could be useful to improve CVD risk profile.Methods. Ultrasound aortic stiffness index (AoSI) has to be considered a proxy outcome measure in established RA patients. We measured AoSI in a group of RA patients on long-term treatment with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) or conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs). Eligible participants were assessed at baseline and after 12 months; changes in serum lipids, glucose and arterial blood pressure were assessed. All patients were on stable medications during the entire follow-up. Results. We included 107 (64 TNFi and 43 csDMARDs) RA patients. Most patients (74%) were in remission or low disease activity and had some CVD risk factors (45.8% hypertension, 59.8% dyslipidemia, 45.3% smoking). The two groups did not differ significantly for baseline AoSI (5.95±3.73% vs 6.08±4.20%, p=0.867). Follow-up AoSI was significantly increased from baseline in the csDMARDs group (+1.00%; p<0.0001) but not in the TNFi group (+0.15%, p=0.477). Patients on TNFi had significantly lower follow-up AoSI from baseline than the csDMARD group (-1.02%, p<0.001; ANCOVA corrected for baseline AoSI, age and systolic blood pressure). Furthermore, follow-up AoSI was significantly lower in TNFi users with 1-2 or >2 CVD risk factors than in those without. Conclusion. Long-term treatment with TNFi was associated with reduced aortic stiffness in patients with established RA and several CVD risk factors.
Plasma Metabolomics Characteristic of Gout Patients With Regular Glucose, Blood Pressure, and Blood Lipid
Authors: Zhang Baoyu , Zhang Lijie , Wang Yuan , Wang Zongwei , Mo Caiyan , Cao Bin , Yin Ruili , Ke Jing , Yang Longyan , Zhao Dong
Published: December 2020

BackgroundGout is a metabolic disease and is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis affecting men. However, the pathogenesis of gout is still uncertain, and novel biomarkers are needed for early prediction and diagnosis of gout. The aim of this study is to reveal the metabolic alterations in plasma of gout patients and discover novel molecular biomarkers for early diagnosis. MethodsMetabonomics was employed to screen and identify novel biomarkers of gout based on human plasma. Ultra High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) and orthogonal signal correction partial least squares discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA) were also used for metabonomics study. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and MetaboAnalyst were used for pathway enrichment analysis.ResultsIn this study, 51 metabolites in positive ion mode and 39 metabolites in negative ion mode were selected as remarkable significant variables between gout and healthy control group. Four unique pathways were found, namely Citrate cycle (TCA cycle), cysteine and methionine metabolism and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. A total of 7 metabolites with AUC>0.75 were involved in the above three metabolic pathways, including L-Malic acid，Pyruvate，cis-Aconitate, Cysteine-S-sulfate, L-2-Aminobutyric acid, L-Methionine, Succinic semialdehyde.ConclusionThe present study identified the plasma metabolomics characteristic of gout through UHPLC-MS. The differential metabolites pathways of gout screened out were involved in Citrate cycle (TCA cycle), cysteine and methionine metabolism and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. The metabolomics characteristic of gout could provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of gout.
Vehicle Lateral Motion State Estimation Based on Adaptive Cubature Kalman Filter
Authors: HE Zhi-cheng , ZHANG Zhen-yu , ZHOU En-lin , WEI Bao-lv
Published: December 2020

Accurate and reliable vehicle state information is very significant to the vehicle lateral stability control, while it is hard to get information such as body sideslip angle and lateral tire forces due to lack the nonlinearity of the tire. This paper presents a new combined method (adaptive cubature Kalman filter(ACKF) and adaptive proportion integral observer(APIO)) to estimate body sideslip angle, yaw rate and lateral tire force for vehicle system. Firstly, based on a four-wheel vehicle dynamics model, (ACKF) is used to estimate body sideslip angle and yaw rate with considering the nonlinear lateral tire force stage. Due to system nonlinearities and un-modeled dynamics, APIO is used to improve the estimated body sideslip angle by utilizing the estimated yaw rate and vehicle lateral speed. Then, ACKF is used to estimate the front and rear lateral tire forces based on the one-order tire dynamics model. By utilizing the partition coefficient calculated by the vertical force model, the front and rear lateral tire forces are further distributed to left and right wheels. For comparison, estimation model based on extended Kalman filter(EKF) is built and investigated. Simulation using Matlab/Simulink-CarSim and car test verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Genomic identification, Characterization and Expression Analysis of Glyoxalase Gene Family in Brassica Napus L.
Authors: Yan Guixin , Zhang Meili , Guan Wenjie , Zhang Fugui , Yuan Lili , Gao Guizhen , Xu Kun , Chen Biyun , Li Lixia , Wu Xiaoming
Published: December 2020

Background Glyoxalase I (GLYI) and glyoxalase II (GLYII), two enzymes of the glyoxalase pathway, are responsible for the detoxification of a cytotoxic metabolite methylglyoxal (MG) into the nontoxic S-D-lactoylglutathione, which play crucial roles in stress tolerance in various plant species. Considering the roles of glyoxalases, the GLY gene families have been analyzed in higher plant, such as rice, soybean and Chinese cabbage; however, little is known about them in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). The B. napus glyoxalase pathway is worth an in-depth investigation about the presence, distribution, localizations, and expression of glyoxalase genes. Result In this study, a total of 35 BnaGLYI and 30 BnaGLYII genes were identified in the B. napus genome, and they were clustered into six and eight subfamilies, respectively. The classifications, chromosomal distributions, gene structures, and conserved motifs were predicted and analyzed. Importantly, these genes were mainly localized in chloroplast and cytoplasm. Moreover, their expression profiles varied among different tissues. For example, BnaGLY genes are expressed in most organs but tend to be highly expressed in a single organ, such as BnaGLYI27 and BnaGLYII19; while some members are only expressed in specific tissues, e.g., BnaGLYI32 only expressed in silique pericarps. Some genes were induced at different germination stages. Notably, a number of BnaGLY genes showed responses to Plasmodiophora brassicae infection. Conclusion This study systematically identifies BnaGLYI and BnaGLYII gene families in B. napus. The different sub-cellular organelles and expression analysis offer insight into their biological roles and function in plant development and stress resistance.
Altered Transcript Levels of Cytokines in COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Samsami Majid , Fatemi Alireza , Khoshnoud Reza Jalili , Kohansal Karim , Sayad Arezou , Soghala Shabnam , Arsang-Jang Shahram , Taheri Mohammad , Ghafouri-Fard Soudeh
Published: December 2020

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and the related disorder i.e. “coronavirus disease 2019” (COVID-19) have encouraged researchers to unravel the molecular mechanism of disease severity. Several lines of evidence support the impact of "cytokine storm" in the pathogenesis of severe forms of the disorder. We aimed to assess the expression levels of nine cytokine coding in COVID-19 patients admitted in a hospital. Expression levels of IFN-G, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17, TGF-B, IL-8 and IL-1B were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients compared with healthy controls and in both female and male patients compared with sex-matched controls. However, expression of none of these cytokines was different between ICU-admitted patients and other patients except for IL-6 whose expression was lower in the former group compared with the latter (ratio of means = 0.33, P value = 4.82E-02). Expression of TNF-A was not different between COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. Then, we assessed diagnostic power of cytokine coding genes in differentiating between COVID-19 patients and controls. The area under curve (AUC) values range from 0.94 for IFN-G to 1.0 for IL-2 and IL-1B. After combining the transcript levels of all cytokines, AUC, sensitivity and specificity values reached 1.0, 1.0 and 0.99, respectively. For differentiation between ICU-admitted patients and other patients, IL-4 with AUC value of 0.68, had the best diagnostic power among cytokine coding genes. Expression of none of cytokine coding genes was correlated with the assessed clinical/demographic data including age, gender, ICU admission, or CRP/ESR levels. Our study provides further evidence for contribution of “cytokine storm” in the pathobiology of moderate/severe forms of COVID-19.
Cardiac Dysfunction and Serum Ferritin Level as Early Prognostic Markers in Children with Sepsis.
Authors: Mahmoud Nagwa Mohamed Sabry Abdelsalam , Ismail Ahlam M. , Elela Moustafa Ahmed El Sayed Ahmed Abu , Ahmed Islam nashaat roshdy
Published: December 2020

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association of Cardiac dysfunction assessed by Echocardiogram study, ferritin, c-reactive protein, and leukocyte count with unfavorable outcomes in pediatric sepsis within the pediatric intensive care unit.Methods: A prospective cohort study was carried out from September 2019 to April 2020, with 40 patients admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit(PICU) at Minia University Children and Maternal hospital, aged between 28 days and 15 years. Inclusion criteria where patients diagnosed with sepsis, need for mechanical ventilation for quite 48h, and vasoactive drugs. Serum levels of C-reactive protein, ferritin, and leukocyte count were collected within 24 h of admission (D1), and 72 h (D3) after admission to PICU. Patients underwent echocardiography study to figure out the ejection fraction of the ventricle on D1 and D3. The outcomes measured through length of stay at hospital and at the pediatric intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation(MV) duration, free hours of VM, duration of use of inotropic agents, maximum inotropic score, and mortality.Results: Patients with elevated ferritin levels on D1 had less ventilator-free time and higher maximum inotropic score. Patients with cardiac dysfunction by echocardiogram on D1 had longer hospital stay pediatric intensive care unit, stay longer duration of mechanical ventilation higher maximum inotropic score, and fewer ventilator-free hoursConclusion: Cardiac dysfunction by echocardiography study and serum ferritin value was significantly related to unfavorable outcomes in pediatric patients requiring admission to PICU with sepsis.
Using the health belief model to analyse nurses’ perception towards their behaviours for keeping surgical instruments moist
Authors: Chen Yanhua , Hu Juan , Huang Yan , Yi Liangying , Hu Ruixue
Published: December 2020

Background

Because of conflicts with work schedule of central sterile supply department (CSSD), surgical instruments might not be immediately cleaned or sterilized by CSSD staff members after use. If surgical instruments are not kept appropriately moist, tarnish or rusting may occur on the instruments, which will not only affect cleaning quality, but also shorten the normal service life of the instruments. Nurses’ perception towards their behaviours for keeping surgical instruments moist has been rarely studied. We aimed to use the health belief model to analyse nurses’ perception towards their behaviours for keeping surgical instruments moist.
Methods

The survey which utilised a questionnaire regarding respondent’s general information and a self-designed nurses’ perception-behaviour scale for keeping surgical instruments moist was conducted with 360 nurses from the West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University. Data was gathered with cluster sampling, and analysed in SPSS20.0. T-test, variance analysis and multivariable linear regression analysis were performed.
Results

Total score of nurses’ perception-behaviour scale for keeping surgical instruments moist was 139.93 ± 15.145, among which mean score for perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy was 4.49 ± 0.57, 4.62 ± 0.48, 4.57 ± 0.52, 3.47 ± 0.94 and 4.16 ± 0.66, respectively. Single factor analysis showed that score of nurses’ perception-behaviour scale for keeping surgical instruments moist varied with age, length of service, and job title, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that length of service was the main factor affecting nurses’ perception towards their behaviours for keeping surgical instruments moist.
Conclusion

Nurses should be offered intensive training on keeping surgical instruments moist due to their inadequate perception on it. However, an increase in knowledge does not necessarily bring behavior change. The nurses’ change in health beliefs and behaviours must be based upon developing the right attitude. As a result, they could realise the benefits of keeping surgical instruments moist, identify the barriers, and finally obtain the solutions.
Social network distribution of syphilis self-testing among men who have sex with men in China: study protocol for a cluster randomized control trial
Authors: Wang Yajie , Zhang Wei , Bao Dongping , Ong Jason J. , Tucker Joseph D. , Ye Rouxuan , Wang Cheng
Published: December 2020

Background

Syphilis is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) among men who have sex with men (MSM). Increasing syphilis testing is important to syphilis control. However, in low- and middle-income countries like China, syphilis testing rates remain low among MSM. We describe a randomized controlled trial protocol to examine the effectiveness of social network distribution approaches of syphilis self-testing among MSM in China.
Methods

We will recruit index and alter MSM. Indexes will be eligible if they: are born biologically male; aged 18 years or above; ever had sex with another man; are willing to distribute syphilis testing packages or referral links to their alters; and willing to provide personal contact information for future follow-up. Three hundred MSM will be recruited and randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio into three arms: standard of care (control arm); standard syphilis self-testing (SST) delivery arm; and referral link SST delivery arm. Indexes will distribute SST packages or referral links to encourage alters to receive syphilis testing. All indexes will complete a baseline survey and a 3-month follow-up survey. Syphilis self-test results will be determined by photo verification via a digital platform. The primary outcome is the mean number of alters who returned verified syphilis testing results per index in each arm.
Discussion

The trial findings will provide practical implications in strengthening syphilis self-testing distribution and increasing syphilis testing uptake among MSM in China. This study also empowers MSM community in expanding syphilis testing by using their own social network.
Trial registration:

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000036988. Registered on 26 August 2020
Risk effects of low temperature and high humidity on the spread of COVID-19 in California: Time series study
Authors: Fang Lanlan , Wang Dingjian , Pan Guixia
Published: December 2020

Background

Previous researches inferred that ‘summer’ might weaken COVID-19 transmission. However, with the warming weather coming, the COVID-19 pandemic was still intensifying.
Methods

This study aimed to investigate the associations between temperature, relative humidity, and COVID-19 cases using the Distributed Lag Non-linear Model (DLNM) from Jan 27th to July 15th, 2020, in California, US.
Results

It showed that as of July 15, 2020, there were 355 285 reported cases in California, where the temperature was between 6.33 °C and 30.72 °C and the relative humidity was between 23% and 100%. Temperature from 6.33 °C to 9 °C, relative humidity from 80–98% were the risky factors of COVID-19 transmission. It increased the risk of 95.4% at 6.33 °C (RR:1.954; CI: 1.032–3.701). It increased the risk of 70.3% when the humidity was 98% (RR: 1.703, CI: 1.049–2.765). When the temperature > 9 °C and the relative humidity < 80%, there was no statistical association.
Conclusions

This suggested that in winter with low temperature and high humidity, the spread of the COVID-19 would be severe due to weather factors. However, temperature and humidity were not related to the COVID-19 pandemic in summer. It did not mean that ‘summer’ would weaken the spread of COVID-19 in California. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in the winter. And it cannot be ignored in summer, otherwise, it will also cause a counterattack against the epidemic.
Exposure-history Type and Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients in Wuhan（Epicenter） Neighboring Shaanxi Province of China
Authors: Chen Zhangqian , Xu Xiaoming , Pu Zhongshu , Yan Rui , Li Jingwei , Zhang Wei , Wang Jiuping
Published: December 2020

Background

Since December 2019, an increasing number of SARS-CoV-2 infected pneumonia cases have been identified in Wuhan and its surrounding areas. As of March 2020 more than 150 countries, areas or territories have reported the infected cases of SARS-CoV-2 and still the infected number is rapidly increasing globally.
Methods

The whole outbreak period in Shaanxi Province (from Jan 23, 2020 to Feb 20, 2020) was split into two consecutive stages. Epidemiological feature like exposure-history type and characteristics of the confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in Shaanxi Province were analyzed.
Results

A total of 245 patients were confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Shaanxi Province, among whom 133 (54.29%) were male and 112 (45.71%) were female. The percentage of the imported cases dropped from 53.94% in earlier stage (Jan 23-Feb 5, 2020) to 16.25% in second stage (Feb 6-Feb 20, 2020) while that of cases with no definite exposure history and other types increased from 27.88–70.00%.
Conclusions

As control measures were taken in earlier stage much less cases were confirmed in second stage. Our study contributes to the understanding of SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology and helps evaluate the effectiveness of control measures on local transmission.
The Rate of Asymptomatic COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Including 12,713 Infections from 136 Studies
Authors: C hen Xiao , Huang Ziyue , Wang Jingxuan , Zhao Shi , Wong Martin CS , Chong Marc KC , He Daihai , Li Jinhui
Published: December 2020

Background: Asymptomatic infection of SARS-CoV-2 may lead to silent community transmission and compromise pandemic control measures of COVID-19. We aimed to estimate the rate of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection from published studies, and compare this rate among different patient groups. Methods: The electronic databases including Medline, Embase, PubMed, and three Chinese electronic databases (The Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang Data, and VIP) were searched. Studies with sample size (or number of subjects) not less than 5 were included. The STATA command ‘Metaprop’ was implemented to conduct meta-analysis for the pooled rate estimates of asymptomatic infections with exact binomial and score test-based 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 12,713 COVID-19 patients in 136 studies were included in the meta-analysis, including 2,785 asymptomatic infections. The overall rate of asymptomatic infection was 15.1% (95% CI: 12.0%-18.4%). Subgroup analysis showed that the rate was significantly higher in pregnant women (36.3%, 95% CI: 15.7%-59.6%), children (29.4%, 17.4%-42.9%), and studies for screening settings (25.3%, 15.4%-36.5%) conducted on or after 01 March 2020 (27.8%, 15.7%-41.7%). In terms of geographical regions, the rate was the highest in Asia (excluding China) (27.4%, 14.3%-42.6%), followed by Europe (22.7%, 6.3%-44.9%), the US (15.9%, 8.9%-24.3%), and China (13.1%, 10.2%-16.3%). Conclusions: High proportion of asymptomatic infection were observed in pregnant women, children, European residents, screening programmes, and in studies conducted in and after March 2020. Our findings help inform the true burden of COVID-19 among different groups of cases, and provide information on cost-effective strategies of identifying and tracing asymptomatic infections.
Ultra-low-voltage-triggered Silicon Controlled Rectifier (ULVTSCR) ESD Protection Device for 1.2V/1.8V Application
Authors: Chen Ruibo , Liu Hongxia , Hou Fei , Du Feibo , Liu Zixu , Fan Xiaoyang , Liu Zhiwei
Published: December 2020

High trigger voltage (Vt1) characteristic of silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) device has limited its application in electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of low voltage circuit, especially in advanced CMOS technologies. In this letter, an ultra-low-voltage-triggered SCR (ULVTSCR) is proposed to decrease the trigger voltage of the conventional SCR. The proposed device consists of an external NMOSs-string (ENMOSs-string), an internal NMOS (INMOS) with its gate controlled by the ENMOSs-string, and a main SCR triggered with the INMOS assistance. The ESD current-voltage characteristics of ULVTSCR has been measured with the transmission line pulsing (TLP) tester. The test results indicate that the proposed ULVTSCR possesses much lower Vt1 of ~ 5.03V as well as reduced area consumption compared to the existing optimization methods, making it highly suitable for the ESD protection for 1.2V/1.8V IO ports in CMOS technology. In addition, the impact of various critical dimensions of ULVTSCR have also been evaluated to further improve the ESD characteristics.
Phenotypic Differences Among and Within Extant Populations of Chrysanthemum Arcticum L. and C. a. Subsp. Arcticum
Authors: Liu Yunjia , Anderson Neil O
Published: December 2020

Background. Chrysanthemum arcticum, Arctic daisy and its two subspecies (C. arcticum subsp. arcticum, C. arcticum subsp. polaré) are the only chrysanthemum species native to North America. A study on species’ variation in morphological and diagnostic traits is important to link morphological traits with previously described single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, particularly when the genomes are sequenced. The purpose of this study was to establish phenotypic differences and soil conditions among wild C. arcticum and C. a. subsp. arcticum populations, when grown in a uniform environment, for potential linkages with our SNP library. Sixteen quantitative morphological traits and five qualitative morphological traits were investigated for 255 individuals from nine C. arcticum populations and 326 individuals from 21 C. a. subsp. arcticum populations.Results. While 100% of the C. a. subsp. arcticum individuals flowered under long days, 0% of the C. arcticum individuals flowered in 2018 while only 2.7% flowered in 2019. Two distinct clusters, distributed by taxonomic classification, were detected by Principal component analysis (PCoA) for 551 individuals from C. arcticum and C. a. subsp. arcticum. Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis indicated a positive and significant correlation between plant height, flower fresh and dry weights. Flower fresh weights were correlated with Δflower weight, while inflorescence length had showed a negative correlation with leaf number. Soil samples had high Na levels along with heavy metals. Thus, the species are salt-tolerant.Conclusion. A high level of salt tolerance (Na) is tolerated by these maritime species which is a unique trait in Chrysanthemum. A new diagnostic trait of inflorescence length was discovered to distinguish among C. arcticum and C. a. subsp. arcticum. Significant flowering differences occurred among the species wherein C. a. subsp. arcticum had 100% flowering in long days whereas C. arcticum had 0% to 3.1%. The mean number of weeks to visible bud date in C. a. subsp. arcticum is the fastest (2.2 wks.) ever reported in Chrysanthemum, in contrast with C. arcticum which is the longest (65.3-69.4 wks.). This study on the species’ variation in morphological and diagnostic traits is of importance to link morphological traits with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers.
LINC02085 Regulates Cell Growth and Inflammatory Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis by Regulating PI3K/ AKT Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wen Jianting , Liu Jian , Wang Xin , Wang Jie
Published: December 2020

Background: The present study explored the possible functions and the underlying mechanism of long Non-coding RNA LINC02085 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Primary fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) were separated from synovial tissues and was established cell lines, then cultured for subsequent cell experiments by transfecting different vectors. Rat with AA were injected with sh-LINC02085. The progression of AA was explored by measuring arthritis score and histologic analysis. ELISA analysis was employed to detect the levels of inflammatory cytokines. CCK8 assay, migration and invasion assays were used to evaluate the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of cells, respectively. Besides, the levels of the the PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins were measured by WB and IF. Results: The expression level of LINC02085 was significant high in patients with RA, and positively associated with clinical indexes. We found that LINC02085 was upregulated in RA -FLS and TNF-αstimulated. And overexpression of LINC02085 could promote proliferation, migration and invasion induced by TNF-α, through upregulating the levels of TNF-αand TNFAIP2 and promoting the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway. Whereas downexpression of LINC02085 received the opposite results. Knockdown of LINC02085 significantly ameliorated the progression of AA reflected by decreased arthritis score and cartilage destruction. Conclusion: The present study revealed that LINC02085 could regulate cell growth and inflammatory response of RA-FLS by activating the PI3K/ AKT signaling pathway, subsequently playing important roles in promoting the occurrence and development of RA.
An Analysis of the Risk Factors for the Failure of Respiratory Support With High-flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy in Children with Acute Respiratory Dysfunction:a case-control study
Authors: liu jie , QIAO Li-na , LI De-yuan , LUO Li-li , LIU Zhong-qiang , LI Xiao-qing
Published: December 2020

Background:Different causes of acute respiratory insufficiency threaten the lives of pediatric patients, while High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) is a new type of non-invasive respiratory support technique that widely used in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs);however, improper use of HFNC is likely to bring adverse consequences to critically ill children.Our objective in this study was to identify the risk factors for the failure of HFNC, that can guide clinicians during managing of HFNC treatment correctly.Methods: Divided the patients into different categories: HFNC success group (237 patients), a 48 h failure group (112 patients), a 24 h failure group (84 patients), and a 2 h failure group (24 patients). The clinical indexes and the change trend in HFNC before and after treatment were dynamically observed in 67 pediatric patients. Risk factors for HFNC failure were determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:PRISM III score >4 points and PaCO2 >43 mmHg were risk factors for 48 h failure (OR were 4.064, 4.516, P<0.05); PaCO2 >43 mmHg was risk factors for 24 h failure (OR was 3.152, P<0.05); PRISM III score >6.5 points and PaCO2/PaO2 ratio >0.67 were risk factors for 2 h failure (OR were 27.977, 64.366, P<0.05) and the risk of HFNC failure increased more than 5 times when the oxygenation index decreased by >28% after 2 h of HFNC treatment, and the invasive mechanical ventilation time was statistically longer in the patients that upgraded from HFNC to invasive respiratory support than that of patients who received invasive respiratory support directly(P<0.05).Conclusions: The PRISM III score, PaCO2 and PaCO2/PaO2 ratio were risk factors for HFNC failure. Totally the shorter the failure time, the higher the values of the risk factors were, and the higher the failure risk of HFNC was. The change trend in oxygenation index before and after HFNC is a warning factor for early HFNC failure. And early HFNC failure might lead to prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation.
Effectiveness of a Single Dose of Oral Vs Rectal Paracetamol in Reducing Fever in Children Aged Between 2 to 6 years – A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Imbulana Nalaka , Fernando LakKumar
Published: December 2020

Background: Rectal route of paracetamol is preferred to the commonly used oral route in some instances. Yet there is no previous documented study comparing the two routes in the local setting.Methods: Single-centre, balanced randomized [1:1], two arms, parallel-group clinical trial was conducted in single Paediatric ward at the Gampaha District General Hospital, Sri Lanka. Children aged between 2-6 years with documented axillary temperature > 100° F were enrolled. Children were randomly divided into two arms with 135 participants in each arm. The first arm received single doses of 15 mg/kg oral paracetamol and second group received single doses of 30 mg/kg rectal paracetamol. A data extraction sheet was to record temperature at baseline and at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 and1/2 hours, 2 hours, 2 and ½ hours and 3 hours after administration of the drug. The rate of temperature (time taken fever reduction by at least 1 F) reduction was calculated in 270 sample. In addition, the potential adverse events of the both groups were recorded. Results: In the oral group, mean temperature reductions at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 and1/2 hours, 2 hours, 2 and ½ hours and 3 hours after administration of the drug were 0.11, 0.44, 1.06, 1.68, 2.10, 3.18 and 2.75 0F respectively. The respective temperature reductions in rectal group were 0.26, 0.67, 1.31, 3.52, 2.81, 3.33 and 4.45 0F. When compared the means of both groups there was statistically significant difference between two groups in all the time periods (P<0.05) except at 1 hour after administration of paracetamol (P = 0.06). There was no statistical significant difference in side effects when comparing two arms as well. Conclusion: A single dose of 30 mg/kg rectal paracetamol is more effective than single dose of 15 mg/kg oral paracetamol in reducing fever. There is no difference in relation to the safety of the two routes.Trial registration: SLCTR, SLCTR/2017/025. Registered 17 August 2017-Retrospectively registered,