bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the common bile duct associated with congenital bile duct dilatation: A case report
Authors: Kiya Yoshitaka , Nagakawa Yuichi , Takishita Chie , Osakabe Hiroaki , Nishino Hitoe , Akashi Masanori , Yamaguchi Hiroshi , Nagao Toshitaka , Oono Ryo , Katsumata Kenji , Tsuchida Akihiko
Published: January 2021

Background

Cholangiocarcinoma is frequently seen in patients with congenital bile duct dilatation (CBD). Most cholangiocarcinomas are adenocarcinomas. Other types, especially neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs), are rare. To the best of our knowledge, this is the third reported case of an NEC of the common bile duct associated with CBD and the first to receive adjuvant chemotherapy for advanced disease.
Case presentation

A 29-year-old woman presented with upper abdominal pain. Preoperative imaging indicated marked dilatation of the common bile duct and a tumor in the middle portion of the common bile duct. She was suspected of having distal cholangiocarcinoma associated with CBD and underwent pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Pathological and immunohistological findings led to a final diagnosis of large-cell NEC (pT3aN1M0 pStageIIB). The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was administered cisplatin and irinotecan every 4 weeks (four cycles) as adjuvant chemotherapy. She has remained recurrence-free for 14 months.
Conclusion

This presentation is rare, and further reports are necessary.
Exosomal miR-1246 is Involved in Tumorigenesis by Targeting THRB in Breast Cancer
Authors: Zhu Jie , Chen Xiaoying , Xi Fengxiang , Zhao Lei , Wang Yichao , Xie Jiaogui
Published: January 2021

Background: Exosomal miRNAs have drawn increasing attention as tumor biomarkers involving in tumorigenesis due to their stability. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of exosomal miR-1246 in breast cancer.Methods: The differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in exosomes from the serum of breast cancer patients and healthy controls were investigated using RNA-seq. The potential pathogenic target genes and functional enrichment of these miRNAs were explored using bioinformatics. Additionally, the role of miR-1246 in migration, invasion and proliferation were investigated in breast cancer cells. The expression of THRB were detected by QRT-PCR. Kaplan-Meier plotter was used to perform survival analysis.Results: The results showed that the level of exosomal miR-1246 was significantly higher in breast cancer than in the control. MiR-1246 mimic treatment promoted invasion and migration in MDA-MB-231 cells by targeting THRB. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients with high miR-1246 expression exhibited poor OS compared with patients with low miR-1246 expression, especially those with metastatic breast cancer.Conclusion: Our study provides a better understanding of exosomal miR-1246 in the process of breast cancer. Exosomal miR-1246 could be a potential prognostic biomarker for breast carcinoma.
Bilateral Chylothorax Following Left Neck Dissection and Literature Review
Authors: Kimizuka Sachiko , Yamada Hiroyuki , Kawaguchi Koji , Horiuchi Toshikatsu , Takeda Akira , Hamada Yoshiki
Published: January 2021

Background: Although chyle leakage may occur in the neck when the thoracic duct is damaged during cervical dissection, it is extremely rare for the chylothorax alone to leak chyle into the thoracic cavity. Case presentation: We report a case of bilateral chylothorax without chyle cervical leakage after left neck dissection, wherein partial left upper jaw resection and left radical neck dissection were performed in a 46-year-old woman who was diagnosed with left upper gingival cancer. The thoracic duct was ligated and cut during surgery and, although no obvious leakage of lymph was observed, dyspnea and cough reflex during deep inhalation were observed from the 3rd postoperative day. Approximately 600 mL of yellowish-white pleural effusion was aspirated during bilateral thoracentesis, and chylothorax was diagnosed based on clinical findings and biochemical analysis results. The patient was put on a low-fat diet on the 4th postoperative day, and a total of 3 neck drains were removed 8 days after the operation. Conclusions: Pleural effusion disappeared on imaging examination 16 days after thoracentesis and 5 years and 6 months have passed since the operation. At this time, there has been no evidence of tumor recurrence, metastasis, or pleural effusion.
“You Get Three Different Hats on and Try to Figure It Out:” Home-based Care Provision During a Disaster
Authors: Bell Sue Anne , Dickey Sarah , Rosemberg Marie-Anne
Published: January 2021

Background: Home-based care is a vital, and growing, part of the health care system that allows individuals to remain in their homes while still receiving health care. During a disaster, when normal health care systems are disrupted, home-based care remains a vital source of support for older adults. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of home-based care providers in providing care to older adults during a disaster in order to inform future disaster planning.Methods: Using qualitative inquiry informed by the social ecological model, five focus groups were conducted with home health nurses (n=25) in two settings affected by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey. An open-source database of home health agencies participating in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services programs was used to identify participants. Data were manually coded and larger themes were generated from recurring ideas and concepts using an abductive analysis approach. Results: Twenty five participants were included in one of five focus groups. Of the 22 who responded to the demographic survey, 65% were registered nurses, 20% were Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN), and 15% were other types of health care providers. 12% of the sample was male and 88% was female. Seven themes were identified in the analysis: the importance of the community in preparedness and response, government and corporations were viewed as unreliable, disasters exacerbate inequalities, the role of the family bond, the breakdown of preparedness is at implementation, the tension between caring for self and family and caring for patients, and the resilience and adaptability of home based care providers.Conclusions: While home-based care providers faced multiple challenges to providing care during and after a disaster, the importance of community supports and existing nursing models of care in the immediate period after the disaster were emphasized. This study informs the growing body of evidence on the value of home-based care in promoting safety and well-being for older adults during a disaster.
Bacterial Profile and Drug Susceptibility among Adult Patients with Community Acquired Lower Respiratory Tract Infection at Tertiary Hospital, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Gebre Alemitu Beyene , Begashaw Tsegaye Alemayehu , Ormago Moges Desta
Published: January 2021

Background: Lower respiratory tract infection is a global problem accounting over 50 million deaths annually. Here, we determined the bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of lower respiratory tract infections among adult patients attending at Tertiary Hospital, Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among adult patients with lower respiratory infection at the medical outpatient department of the Hospital. A sputum sample was collected and processed for bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility test. Semi structured questionnaires were used to collect data. SPSS version 22 software was used for statistical analysis and a p value of < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Out of 406 sputum samples of participants 136(33.5%) were culture positive for 142 bacterial isolates. Klebsiella pneumoniae 36(25.4%) was the predominant isolate followed by Pseudomonas species 25(17.6%). Gram-negative bacteria were sensitive to cefepime (86.0%) and ciprofloxacin (77.8%) antibiotics while gram-positive (76.5%) to clindamycin. Conclusion: Community acquired lower respiratory tract Infection was highly prevalent in the study area and the isolates showed resistant to common antibiotics such as ampicillin, augmentin, ceftazidime and tetracycline. Therefore, culture and susceptibility test is vital for appropriate management of lower respiratory tract infection in the study area
A Comprehensive Analysis of COVID-19 Impact in Latin America
Authors: Ashktorab Hassan , Pizuomo Antonio , González Nora Alma Fierro , Villagrana Edgar Daniel Copado , Herrera-Solís María Evangelina , Cardenas Graciela , Zavala-Alvarez Daniela , Oskrochi Gholamreza , Awoyemi Eyitope , Adeleye Folake , Dalivand Maryam Mehdipour , Laiyemo Adeyinka O , Lee Edward E. , Aduli Farshad , Sherif Zaki A , Brim Hassan
Published: January 2021

Background: Latin America has now become the epicenter of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic, a profound burden of SARS-COV-2 infection has been reported in Latin America. In the present study, we aim to determine the profiles that are associated with this disease in Latin America. We analyzed symptoms, morbidities and gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations by country.Methods: We analyzed data from SARS-CoV-2 positive patients evaluated at healthcare centers and hospitals of 8 Latin American countries including Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia between March 1 and July 30, 2020. These countries consist of a total population that exceeds 519 million. Demographics, comorbidities and clinical symptoms were collected. Statistical descriptive analysis and correlation analyses of symptoms, comorbidities and lethality were performed.Results: A total of 728,282 patients tested positive for COVID-19 across all the 8 Latin American countries. Of these, 52.6% were female. The average age was 48.4 years. Peru had the oldest cohort with 56.8 years old and highest rate of females (56.8%) while Chile had the youngest cohort (39 years old). Venezuela had the highest male prevalence (56.7%). Most common symptoms were cough with 60.1% (Bolivia had the highest rate 78%), fatigue/tiredness with 52.0%, sore throat with 50.3%, and fever with 44.2%. Bolivia had fever as the top symptom (83.3%). GI symptoms including diarrhea (highest in Mexico with 22.9%), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain were not associated with higher mortality. Hypertension was among the top (12.1%) comorbidities followed by diabetes with 8.3% and obesity 4.5%. In multivariable analyses, the leading and significant comorbidities were hypertension (r=0.83, p=0.02), diabetes (r=0.91, p=0.01), and obesity (r=0.86, p=0.03). Asthma (r=0.37, p=0.54) and increasing age (0.13 p=0.81) were not independently associated with higher mortality. Lethality was highest in Mexico (16.6%) and lowest in Venezuela (0.9%) among the analyzed cohorts.Conclusion: Nearly, 10.5%–53% of patients with COVID-19 have GI manifestations. Differential clinical symptoms were associated with COVID-19 in Latin America countries. Metabolic syndrome components were the main comorbidities associated with poor outcome. Country-specific management and prevention plans are needed. Country-specific management and prevention plans can be established from this meta-analysis.
A Population-Based Seroprevalence Survey of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in Beijing, China
Authors: Wang Xiaoli , Gao Wenjing , Cui Shujuan , Zhang Yi , Zheng Ke , Ke Ji , Lv Jun , Yu Canqing , Sun Dianjianyi , Wang Quanyi , Li Liming
Published: January 2021

BACKGOUND The spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) had been substantially controlled in China. As the capital of China, Beijing took a series of strict containment measures during the past several months. However, the seroprevalence of COVID-19 in Beijing has not been evaluated.METHODSDuring April 15-18, 2020, residents in Beijing were enrolled using a multi-stage cluster random sampling technique in four districts with top COVID-19 incidence and one district without case reported. Communities and households in each district were randomly selected based on probability proportional to size. Blood samples were collected and antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were tested by two kinds of colloidal gold kits. All colloidal gold positive serums and 20 randomly selected negative serums were then tested by Micro-neutralization assay. A likelihood ratio test was used to estimate 95% confidence intervals of seroprevalence with the Clopper-Pearson exact method.RESULTSA total of 2,184 residents participated in this survey, among which 13 were tested positive by colloidal gold tests. Of those who tested positive, 8 were IgM positive, 3 were IgG positive, 1 was total antibody positive, 1 was both IgM and total antibody positive. Among the 13 seropositive samples and 20 randomly selected seronegative samples, no positive sample was detected by micro-neutralization assay. The seroprevalence of COVID-19 in Beijing was estimated no higher than 0.17%.CONCLUSIONSThe seroprevalence of COVID-19 was low in April suggests that the comprehensive control measures to prevent and control further spread in Beijing was effective. However, the majority of the residents in Beijing were still susceptible to infection; the risk of rebound should be noted due to low population-level immunity.
HBV Infection Promotes The Occurrence and Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Impairing The Inhibitory Effect of PPP2R5A on MAPK/AKT/WNT Signaling Pathway
Authors: Lin Xuejing , Mao Ziming , Chen Lei , Qian Haihua , Liu Chunying , Su Changqing
Published: January 2021

Background: Reversible phosphorylation and dephosphorylation play important roles in cell function and cell signal transduction. PPP2R5A is responsible for specifically regulating the catalytic function, substrate specificity and intracellular localization of the tumor suppressor phosphatase PP2A. Therefore, the abnormal expression and function of PPP2R5A may be related to the occurrence and development of tumors.Results: This study showed that PPP2R5A inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, and acted as a tumor suppressor in HCC cells, but it had no significant effect on cell cycle. Further research found that PPP2R5A exerted tumor suppressor efficacy by inhibiting the MAPK/AKT/WNT signaling pathway. Combined with analysis of clinical tissue samples and TCGA database, it was found that the expression of PPP2R5A in tumor tissues of Chinese HCC patients was down-regulated and significantly correlated with the progression-free survival (PFS) of HCC patients. On the contrary, PPP2R5A showed an up-regulation trend in HCC cases in TCGA database although its effect on PFS was the same with that in Chinese HCC patients. HBV infection is the main pathogenic factor of HCC in China. It was found that hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection reduced the content of PPP2R5A in cells.Conclusions: It was concluded that HBV inhibited the initiation of the protective mechanism mediated by PPP2R5A, making the occurrence and progress of HCC more "unimpeded". This conclusion will further reveal the role of PPP2R5A in HBV-induced and HBV-unrelated HCC, therefore, providing clues for the prevention and treatment of the two types of HCC, respectively.
A New Minimally Invasive Technique for Correction of Pectus Carinatum
Authors: Ping Wei , Fu Shengling , Li Yangkai , Yu Jun , Zhang Ni , Fu Xiangning , Cai Yixin
Published: January 2021

BackgroundThe Abramson technique for the correction of pectus carinatum (PC) is commonly performed worldwide. However, the postoperative complications of this technique related to bar fixation, including wire breakage and bar displacement, are relatively high. In this study, a new minimally invasive technique for correction of PC is described, in which the pectus bar is secured by bilateral selected ribs, and for which no special fixation to the rib is needed.MethodsThe procedure was performed by placing the pectus bar subcutaneously over the sternum with both ends of the bar passing through the intercostal space of the selected rib at the anterior axillary line. The protruding sternum was depressed by the bar positioned in this 2 intra- and 2 extra-thorax manners. Between October 2011 and September 2019, 42 patients with PC underwent this procedure.ResultsSatisfactory cosmetic results were obtained in all the patients. The mean operation time was 87.14 min, and the mean postoperative stay was 4.05 days. Wound infection occurred in 3 patients, 2 were cured by antibiotics, and 1 received bar removal 4 months after the initial operation due to the exposure of the implant resulting from uncontrolled infection. Mild pneumothorax was found in 3 patients and cured by conservative treatment. One patient suffered from hydropneumothorax, which was treated with chest drainage. The bars were removed at a mean duration of 24.4 months since primary repair in 20 patients without recurrence. Conclusions﻿This new technique for minimally invasive correction of PC deformity is a safe and feasible procedure yielding good results and minimal complications.
Penetrating Thoracic Trauma Arising From Knife Injuries Into the Hemithorax: A Case Report
Authors: Liu Jian , Cheng Xinge , Zhang Xiaoyong , Wang Rongpin , Zeng Xianchun
Published: January 2021

BackgroundTrauma is associated with a high morbidity and mortality, and thoracic trauma accounts for a quarter of these deaths. This is due to the penetrating thoracic trauma that often causes serious injury to the heart and great vessels. Most penetrating thoracic wounds are caused by stabbing, which is usually caused by knives. Here, we report a patient who had penetrating thoracic trauma who was caused by a knife.Case presentationA 16-year-old girl was stabbed by a knife due to an accidental fall, which caused a penetrating injury in her left chest. Despite a decreased blood pressure (100/90 mmHg), the patient was conscious. The unenhanced CT at emergency clearly showed that the knife penetrated between the pericardium and the left lung without heart injury. Exploratory thoracotomy was performed in the fourth intercostal space in combination with thoracoscopy, confirmed that the knife penetrated between the pericardium and the left lung without causing any injury to the heart.ConclusionsCT can not only clearly display foreign bodies of knives, but also accurately judge the damage of important structures such as lungs, heart and great vessels. Therefore, CT can provide information for further diagnosis and intervention.
Does Indoor Daylight Level Affect Hospital Costs and Length of Stay of Patients? A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Li Xiawei , Lou Jianyao , Shi Aiguang , Wang Ning , Zhou Lin , Yuan Zheping , Zhao Mingchen , Ye Fanghe , Pan Zikun , WU YULIAN
Published: January 2021

BackgroundIndoor daylight levels can directly affect people’s physical and psychological state. However, the effect of indoor daylight levels on patient’s clinical recovery process remains controversial. To evaluate the effect of indoor daylight levels on hospital costs and average length of stay (LOS) of a large patient population in general surgery wards.MethodsData were collected retrospectively and analysed of patients in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine between January 2015 and August 2020. We measured light levels in the patient rooms of general surgery and assessed their association with patients’ total hospital costs and LOS.ResultsA total of 2,998 patients were included in this study with 1,478 each assigned to two light level groups after matching. Overall comparison of hospital total costs and LOS among patients according to light levels did not show a significant difference. Subgroup analysis showed when exposed to higher intensity of indoor daylight, illiterate patients had lower total hospital costs and shorter LOS as compared to those exposed to lower intensity.ConclusionsIndoor daylight levels were not associated with the hospital costs and LOS of patients in the wards of general surgery, except for those who were illiterate. It might be essential to design guidelines for medical staff and healthcare facilities to enhance indoor environmental benefits of daylight for some specific population.
A New Inverse Method for Determining Uniaxial Flow Properties by Spherical Indentation Test
Authors: Chen Guoyao , Zhang Xiaocheng , Zhong Jiru , Guan Kaishu
Published: January 2021

This study presents a new inverse method to determine tensile flow properties from a single indentation force-depth curves. A database is established to replace the iterative FE calculations in conventional inverse methods and therefore can process the indentation data more quickly and easily. An axisymmetric FE model is constructed to simulate the elastic-plastic response of indention. Assuming the materials follow Ludwic constitutive model, by systematically changing the material parameters, numerous indentation force-depth curves are extracted from simulation results to establish the database. For a given experimental indentation curves, a mean square error (MSE) is designated to evaluate the deviations between the experimental curve and each curve in the database. Then, the relation of deviations versus stresses are investigated to acquire the true stresses at a series of plastic strain. To validate the new method, three different steels, i.e. A508, 316L and 2.25Cr1Mo are selected. Both simulated indentation curves and experimental indentation curves are used as inputs of the database to inversely acquire the flow properties. The result indicates that the proposed approach provides impressive accuracy when simulated indentation curves is used, but is less accurate when an experimental curve is used. This new method can quickly derive tensile properties without iterative calculations that yield a considerable computational costs and are therefore adaptive to engineering application.
Structure and function analysis of a potent human neutralizing antibody CA521LALA against SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Dou Changlin , Qin Cheng-Feng , Wang Lan , Song Deyong , Deng Yong-Qiang , Wang Wenbo , Dong Chuangchuang , Ning Zhenfei , Liu Xiu , Liu Chuan , Du Guangying , Sha Chunjie , Wang Kailin , Lu Jun , Sun Baiping , Zhao Yanyan , Wang Qiaoping , Xu Hongguang , Li Ying , Shen Zhenduo , Jiao Jie , Wang Ruiying , Tian Jingwei , Liu Wanhui
Published: January 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has resulted in ~1,119,431 deaths. There is currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for treating COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein promotes entry into host cells and is considered a key therapeutic target by many researchers. Here we describe the identification of several monoclonal antibodies that target the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. One human antibody, CA521LALA, demonstrated neutralization potential by immunizing human antibody transgenic mice. CA521LALA showed potent SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralization activity against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and authentic SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. The LALA mutation introduced to CA521 abrogates the binding with Fc receptors or complement receptors reducing antibody-dependent enhancement seen with anti-SARS-CoV antibodies. CA521LALA also demonstrated having a long half-life of 9.5 days in mice and 9.3 days in rhesus monkeys. CA521LALA inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in SARS-CoV-2 susceptible mice at a therapeutic setting with the virus titer of the lung reduced by 4.5 logs. Structural analysis by cryo-EM revealed that CA521LALA recognizes an epitope overlapping with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-binding sites in SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) in the Spike protein. CA521LALA blocks the interaction by binding all three RBDs of one SARS CoV-2 spike trimer simultaneously. These results demonstrate the importance for antibody-based therapeutic interventions in the treatment of COVID-19 and identifies CA521LALA a promising antibody that reacts with SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein to strongly neutralize its activity.
Bronze Age “pristinity”, Iron Age anthropization and Medieval intensification of human impact around Lake Montcortès (southern-central Pyrenees): a possible mid-elevation pattern and its significance for the definition of the Anthropocene
Authors: Rull Valentí , Vegas-Vilarrúbia Teresa , Corella Juan Pablo , Valero-Garcés Blas
Published: January 2021

The varved sediments of Lake Montcortès (central Pyrenees) have provided a continuous and well-dated high-resolution record of the last ca. 3000 years. Previous chronological and sedimentological studies of this record have furnished detailed paleoenvironmental reconstructions. However, palynological studies are only available for the last millennium, and the vegetation and the landscape around the lake had already been transformed by humans by this time. Therefore, the primeval vegetation of Montcortès and the history of its anthropogenic transformations remains unknown. This paper presents a palynological analysis of the interval between the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1100 BCE) and the Early Medieval period (820 CE), aimed at recording the preanthropic conditions, the anthropization onset and the further landscape transformations. During the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1100 BCE to 770 BCE), the vegetation did not show any evidence of human impact. The decisive anthropogenic transformation of the Montcortès catchment vegetation and landscape started at the beginning of the Iron Age (770 BCE) and continued during Roman and Medieval times in the form of recurrent burning, grazing, cultivation, silviculture, hemp retting and other human activities. Some intervals of lower human pressure were recorded, but the original vegetation never returned. The anthropization that took place during the Iron Age did not cause relevant changes in the sediment yield to the lake, but a significant limnological shift occurred, as manifested in the initiation of varve formation, a process that has been continuous until today. Climatic shifts seem to have played a secondary role in influencing catchment vegetation and landscape changes from the Iron Age onwards. These results contrast with previous inferences of low anthropogenic impact until the Medieval Period, at a regional level (central Pyrenees). The intensification of human pressure in Early Medieval times (580 CE onwards) has also been observed in Lake Montcortès, but the overall anthropization of its watershed had already commenced a couple of millennia before, at the beginning of the Iron Age. It could be interesting to verify whether the same pattern – i.e., Late Bronze “pristinity”, Iron Age anthropization and Early Medieval intensification of human pressure – may be a recurrent pattern for mid-elevation Pyrenean landscapes below the tree line. This pattern complicates the definition of the “Anthropocene”, as it adds a new dimension, i.e., elevational diachronism, to the anthropization of mountain ranges, in general.
LncRNAs and their regulatory networks in breast muscle tissue of Chinese Gushi chickens during late postnatal development
Authors: Li Yuanfang , Jin Wenjiao , Zhai Bin , Chen Yi , Li Guoxi , Zhang Yanhua , Guo Yujie , Sun Guirong , Han Ruili , Li Zhuanjian , Li Hong , Tian Yadong , Liu Xiaojun , Kang Xiangtao
Published: January 2021

Background: Chicken skeletal muscle is an important economic product. The late stages of chicken development constitute the main period that affects meat production. LncRNAs play important roles in controlling the epigenetic process of growth and development. However, studies on the role of lncRNAs in the late stages of chicken breast muscle development are still lacking. In this study, to investigate the expression characteristics of lncRNAs during chicken muscle development, 12 cDNA libraries were constructed from Gushi chicken breast muscle samples from 6-, 14-, 22-, and 30-week-old chickens.Results: A total of 1,252 new lncRNAs and 1,376 annotated lncRNAs were identified. Furthermore, 53, 61, 50, 153, 117, and 78 DE-lncRNAs were found in the W14 vs. W6, W22 vs. W14, W22 vs. W6, W30 vs. W6, W30 vs. W14, and W30 vs. W22 comparison groups, respectively. After GO enrichment analysis of the DE-lncRNAs, several muscle development-related GO terms were found in the W22 vs. W14 comparison group. Moreover, it was found that the MAPK signaling pathway was one of the most frequently enriched pathways in the different comparison groups. In addition, 12 common target DE-miRNAs of DE-lncRNAs were found in different comparison groups, some of which were muscle-specific miRNAs, such as gga-miR-206, gga-miR-1a-3p, and miR-133a-3p. Interestingly, the precursors of four newly identified miRNAs were found to be homologous to lncRNAs. Additionally, we found some ceRNA networks associated with muscle development-related GO terms. For example, the ceRNA networks contained the DYNLL2 gene with 12 lncRNAs that targeted 2 miRNAs. We also constructed PPI networks, such as IGF-I-EGF and FZD6-WNT11.Conclusions: This study revealed, for the first time, the dynamic changes in lncRNA expression in Gushi chicken breast muscle at different periods and revealed that the MAPK signaling pathway plays a vital role in muscle development. Furthermore, MEF2C and its target lncRNA may be involved in muscle regulation through the MAPK signaling pathway. This research provided valuable resources for elucidating posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms to promote the development of chicken breast muscles after hatching.
Lotus leaf extract inhibits ER- breast cancer cell migration and metastasis
Authors: Tong Yuelin , Li Zhongwei , Wu Yikuan , Zhu Shenglong , Lu Keke , He Zhao
Published: January 2021

Background: Patients with estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer have poor prognosis due to high rates of metastasis. However, there is no effective treatment and drugs for ER- breast cancer metastasis. Our purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of lotus leaf alcohol extract (LAE) on the cell migration and metastasis of ER- breast cancer.Methods: The anti-migratory effect of LAE were analyzed in ER- breast cancer cells including SK-BR-3, MDA-MB-231 and HCC1806 cell lines. Cell viability assay, wound-healing assay, RNA-sequence analysis and immunoblotting assay were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity and anti-migratory effect of LAE. To further investigate the inhibitory effect of LAE on metastasis in vivo, subcutaneous xenograft and intravenous injection nude mice models were established. Lung and liver tissues were analyzed by the Hematoxylin & eosin staining and immunoblotting assay. Results: We found that lotus leaf alcohol extract (LAE), not nuciferine, inhibited cell migration significantly in SK-BR-3, MDA-MB-231 and HCC1806 breast cancer cells, and did not affect viability of breast cancer cells. The anti-migratory effect of LAE was dependent on TGF-β1 signaling, while independent of Wnt signaling and autophagy influx. Intracellular H2O2 was involved in the TGF-β1-related inhibition of cell migration. LAE inhibited significantly the breast cancer cells metastasis in mice models. RNA-sequence analysis showed that extracellular matrix signaling pathways are associated with LAE-suppressed cell migration. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that lotus leaf alcohol extract inhibits the cell migration and metastasis of ER- breast cancer, at least in part, via TGF-β1/Erk1/2 and TGF-β1/SMAD3 signaling pathways, which provides a potential therapeutic strategy for ER- breast cancer.
Detection of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes, Herpes Simplex, Varicella Zoster and Cytomegalovirus in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Mofrad Morvarid Golrokh , Sadigh Zohreh Azita , Ainechi Sanaz , Faghihloo Ebrahim
Published: January 2021

Background: The role of viruses as a cause of breast cancer (BC) has been significantly investigated in recent years. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been detected in invasive breast carcinomas, while most studies have only focused on the detection of viral DNA, we aimed to examine the prevalence and genotypes of HPV among Iranian BC patients. We also examined the presence of herpes simplex-1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex-2 (HSV-2), varicella zoster virus (VZV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) in these samples.Methods: We collected and analyzed 70 Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) blocks including 59 BC samples, and 11 benign breast lesions as control from Iranian patients using nested PCR. Real-time PCR utilized as a confirming test to nested PCR findings. Genotyping of HPV positive samples was performed, the samples were also subjected to a multiplex PCR to detect HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, and CMV in BC.Results: Papillomavirus DNA was present in 7 of 59 BC samples (11.8%); while none was detected in control samples. The most prevalent type was HPV18, followed by HPV 6. All HPV positive patients had high tumor grades (II/ III) with a histologic diagnosis of ductal carcinoma. The patient age range was 33 to 73 years with a median of 51 years. Most of HPV positive patients had low levels of education. HPV16 was not detected. Also, 5 of 59 BC specimens (8.47%), were positive for HSV-1. But none of the samples were positive for HSV-2, VZV, and CMV.Conclusions: Our results suggest a carcinogenesis role for High-risk HPV (HPV18) in breast tumors. Our findings of HSV-1 and low-risk HPV (HPV6) in BCs may propose a cancer-causing role for them. Further large-scale studies are warranted to assess the significance of our findings.
WITHDRAWN: An integrated process of methanol coagulation and side-stream membrane bioreactor for the treatment of rice gruel wastewater
Authors: Nazia Shaik , Mishra Karishma , Jegatheesan Veeriah , Bhargava Suresh K , Sundergopal Sridhar
Published: January 2021

The demand for water supply is increasing rapidly across the world due to the exponential growth of population, swift urbanization, and industrialization. Methods for recovery of reusable water from domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewater should be cost-effective, and environmentally safe for the sustainability of water resources. Domestic wastewater is one of the contaminated water sources which need efficient treatment before discharge into water bodies. The novelty of the present study is to treat domestic rice gruel wastewater by coagulation integrated aerobic membrane bioreactor (AMBR) for the generation of reusable water. A hydrophilized ultrafiltration (HF-UF) spiral wound membrane of 5 kDa molecular weight cut off was used for the treatment of rice gruel wastewater at a feed temperature of 30 °C and 80 °C to study separation performance. Further, a comparison study was carried using various coagulants such as methanol, ethanol, and HCl for integration with HF-UF membrane to determine overall process efficiency at 30 °C. Methanol coagulation + HF-UF membrane based integrated process was able to achieve 93.77%, 95.4%, 91%, and 78.6 %, respectively of total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, conductivity, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Further, this process was integrated with a bioreactor operated under aerobic conditions to improve the process efficiency and purified water quality. From the overall experimental results, the integrated coagulation + AMBR process attained a maximum removal of 93.9, 96, 91, and 94.6 percent of TDS, turbidity, conductivity and COD, correspondingly. Finally, an economic estimation of a 1000 Lh-1 capacity pilot plant is described in detail. The study depicts unique advantages of economy, process safety, small footprint, and eco-friendly for rice gruel wastewater by a combination of chemical coagulation with AMBR.
A Visual Framework of Meta Genomic Analysis on Variations of Whole SARS-CoV-2 Sequences
Authors: Zheng Jeffrey , Liu Jianzhong
Published: January 2021

The worldwide outbreak of the COVID-19 has become a global pandemic resulting in millions of confirmed cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths. To face such a global crisis, bioinformatics has played a key role in the diagnosis, follow-up, prognosis and treatment of COVID-19-infected patients.A novel bioinformatic tool for metagenomic analysis of whole genomes is proposed in this paper that is composed of three projections: global, clustering and genomic index. For each projection, key modules are described. Global projection provides various combinatorial distributions for a whole genome of N length, and the m-mer scheme partitions this sequence as M segments on 1D, 2D and 3D density matrices for multiple projections. Clustering projections based on distributions from global projections make special filters extract specific parts as probability eigenvalues. Genomic index projection provides comprehensive technologies under the theory of information entropy, and a list of measuring entropies are included, such as combinatorial entropy CE, integrated entropy IE, mean entropy ME and topological entropy TE. Three projections provide unified information to describe complicated functions, internal structures and refined variations for multiple groups of SARS-CoV-2 on variations and other genomes in comparisons.The outputs of three projections are illustrated on variant maps to support category, clustering, classification and establishing root activities for refined quantitative operations from bottom to top strategy.
Similarity Comparisons of SARS-CoV-2 Samples between Wuhan and G20
Authors: Wang Zhenhui , Qiao Mu , Zheng Jeffrey
Published: January 2021

To analyze SARS CoV-2 genomes, this paper uses a viral genome collected in Wuhan as a basic sequence to select a set of genomes from G20 countries/regions for comparison. Two methods are applied in visualization followed in the A1 and C1 modules of the MAS to provide 1D similarity projection and information entropy approaches. For a pair of two genomes segmented as M segments to calculate base differences corresponding to each segment, a measuring vector can be generated to be projected as a visual map. Refined information will be provided to calculate the information entropy corresponding to base differences. This provides quantitative measures to organize these genomes arranged into a linear order. The first method uses a line chart representation to illustrate relevant differences among genomes 1 by 1 between Wuhan and other regions. The second method uses a histogram representation to observe the information entropy projection results. Significant similarities are observed among the differences with approximately equal entropies with higher similarity. Based on the comparison of gene sequence diagrams between Wuhan and various regions, a difference analysis was carried out.
Observing Variations of Differences on COVID-19 in Varous Regions Extracting Type and Mutation Information
Authors: Liu Jianzhong , Zheng Jeffrey
Published: January 2021

Covid-19 genomes were collected from three regions: Shanghai-China, Tbilisi-Georgia and Sydney-Australia. Five similar genomes were selected from each region for research in this paper. Applying the “datum gene sequence” method proposed, our results show that variation is immense in the Sydney-Australia region, followed by variation in the Tbilisi-Georgia region, which has a minimal value in the Shanghai-China region.
Dealing with alternatives
Authors: Tovena Lucia M.
Published: January 2021

Traditionally, pure additive particles and scalar additive particles are both characterized by an existential presupposition. They differ insofar as the set of alternatives that is built is unordered for the former, and ordered for the latter, which carry the so-called scalar presupposition. As a result, the two characterisations cannot be cumulated, an impossibility that is at odds with the fact that several languages exhibit this combination of readings for a single item. The discussion of Italian neanche '(n)either/(not) even', an item that can both be additive and scalar, allows us to expose the connection between the oppositions non-ordered vs ordered set of alternatives and verified vs accommodated existential presupposition by adding content to the traditional view that the set of alternatives is made up of 'relevant' items in the context. The question of how to characterise this item is set against the backdrop of a more general discussion of the network of additive particles found in Italian.
The Spanish adaptation of MAIN
Authors: Ezeizabarrena Maria José , García del Real Isabel
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we present some features of the European Spanish adaptation of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (LITMUS-MAIN), most of them related to specificities of the Spanish grammar as compared to English, the source language of the original MAIN (Gagarina et al., 2012). These two languages differ in e.g. 1) the use of 3rd grammatical person to address the hearer; 2) the ways of maintaining nominal cohesion: English (non-pro drop) vs. Spanish (pro-drop); 3) the verbal paradigm with regard to morphological tense and aspect morphology. Finally, preliminary results for micro- and macrostructure measures in the narratives of children with Spanish as L1 and L2 confirm their consistency across MAIN stories and procedures.
Biological control of Meloidogyne spp. in glasshouse-grown chrysanthemum
Authors: De Long J. R. , Streminska M. A. , Persijn A. , Huisman H. M. I. , van der Salm C.
Published: January 2021

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are a major problem in soil-based glasshouse-grown chrysanthemums. To combat root-knot nematodes in the glasshouse, the soil is typically steamed every 5–6 production cycles. However, this method is expensive, environmentally unfriendly and reduces resistance and resilience of the soil against pathogens and pests. Here, we added biological pesticides/a basic substance and biostimulants both individually and in combination to determine individual or interactive effects against damage by root-knot nematodes in chrysanthemums. We found that the application of biological nematicides derived from garlic extract, the basic substance chitosan HCl and biostimulants comprised of sea minerals and plant oils correlated with reduced root-knot nematode damage. These effects may have been due to direct effects against the nematodes or through indirect effects such as increased resistance and resilience of the plants. Overall, the biostimulants increased the total number of free-living nematodes in the soil, which could lead to a beneficial increase in nutrient cycling in the soils. Our results demonstrate that biological reagents show promise in reducing root-knot nematode damage in glasshouse-grown chrysanthemum and may lead to more resistance and resilient soils.
Kirkpatrick Model: Its Limitations as Used in Higher Education Evaluation
Authors: CAHAPAY Michael
Published: January 2021

One of the widely known evaluation models adapted to education is the Kirkpatrick model. However, this model has limitations when used by evaluators especially in the complex environment of higher education. Addressing the scarcity of a collective effort on discussing these limitations, this review paper aims to present a descriptive analysis of the limitations of the Kirkpatrick evaluation model in the higher education ﬁeld. Three themes of limitations were found out: propensity towards the use of the lower levels of the model; rigidity wich leaves out other essential aspects of the evaluand; and paucity of evidence on the causal chains among the levels. It is suggested that, when employing the Kirkpatrick model in higher education, evaluators should address these limitations by considering more appropriate methods, integrating contextual inputs in the evaluation framework, and establishing causal relationships among the levels. These suggestions to address the limitations of the model are discussed at the end of the study.
A REVIEW ON MICROBIAL ECOLOGY OF MUTANS STREPTOCOCCI IN HUMAN MOUTH
Authors:   Assistant Professor, Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Career Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Lucknow, India., Mehrotra Apoorva , Iqbal Mohammad ,   Associate Professor and Head, Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry- Al Baha University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia., Khalil Al Dahlawi Waleed ,   Dentist, Al Hijra Dental Complex, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia., Al Raddadi WalaSaad ,   Dentist, Sydalshuhada Primary Health Care Centre, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Published: January 2021

The streptococci constitute a large and complex group of bacteria that have widely varying characteristics and that under certain conditions are capable of independent pathogenicity. In human mouth, the viridians streptococci are one of the main groups of bacteria and they are the most commonly occurring microorganisms in oral infections including dental caries.
STUDY OF ASSOCIATION OF RESISTIN AND LEPTIN WITH THYROID HORMONES IN HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS
Authors:   Senior Demonstrator, Department of Biochemistry, J.L.N Medical College, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India., Yadav Peeyush , Kaushik G.G. ,   Senior Professor, Department of Biochemistry, J.L.N Medical College, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India.
Published: January 2021

Objective:The present study was aimed to evaluate the levels of resistin and leptin in hypothyroid patients and to find a possible association of thyroid hormones with resistin and leptin. Material and Methods:The present study was conducted on 100 previously diagnosed hypothyroid (PDH) patients (38 Males & 62 Females) and 100 newly diagnosed hypothyroid (NDH) patients (44 Males & 56 Females) attending the outpatient clinics or admitted in wards of J.L.N. Hospitals, Ajmer. 100 healthy control subjects of same age group of either gender were selected for the study. Blood samples were drawn from patients and controls, after overnight fast of at least 8 hours. Estimation of Serum Leptin, Resistin, free T3, free T4, and TSH was done by using Enzyme- Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) technique. Differences in the parameters among the groups were analyzed by ANOVA test followed by its Tukey HSD post hoc analysis. Correlations between variables were tested using the Pearson rho (r: Correlation coefficient) correlation test. Results:Findings of the present study shows that the levels of serum fT3 (1.79 Â± 0.29 pg/mL) and serum fT4 (0.34 Â± 0.11 ng/dL) were significantly lower in NDH group compared to PDH group (fT3 = 3.00 Â± 0.32 pg/mL & fT4 = 0.81 Â± 0.15 ng/dL) and control group (fT3 = 3.12 Â± 0.31 pg/mL & fT4 = 0.85 Â± 0.11ng/dL) whereas serum TSH levels were significantly higher in NDH group (40.59 Â± 13.55 Î¼IU/mL) compared to PDH group (5.34 Â± 1.47 Î¼IU/mL) and control group (3.23 Â± 1.04 Î¼IU/mL) [Table 1 Figure 1]. Serum leptin levels were significantly higher in NDH group (21.37 Â± 6.44 ng/mL) compared to PDH group (16.51 Â± 4.47 ng/mL) and control group (11.15 Â± 5.29 ng/mL) [Table 2]. A highly significant variation (p<0.0001) in the levels of serum leptin was found between the groups. Serum resistin levels were significantly higher in NDH group (14.50 Â± 2.72 ng/mL) compared to PDH group (11.33 Â± 1.59 ng/mL) and control group (7.78 Â± 1.19 ng/mL) [Table 2]. Highly Significant difference (p<0.0001) in resistin levels was found between the groups. Conclusion: It was suggested that thyroid dysfunction does not affect the leptin levels and also thyroid hormones were not involved in the synthesis and secretion of leptin. Further studies are required to gain more insight into the relationship between leptin and thyroid dysfunction. Resistin shows a significant correlation with thyroid hormones which indicate that serum resistin might be considered as a confirmation extra test for the early detection of atherosclerosis and atherosclerosis induced conditions in hypothyroid patients.