bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
French-Canadian Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the SWAL-QOL and the SSQ and A Preliminary Psychometric Assessment for Their Use in an Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy (OPMD) Population
Authors: Côté Claudia , Fortin Julie , Brais Bernard , Youssof Sarah , Gagnon Cynthia
Published: February 2021

Purpose. Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) assessing dysphagia are considered an essential component of clinical trials to consider how patients feel and function in response to treatments. The selected PRO needs to be translated in several languages using a systematic process ensuring its validity and equivalence for use in multicenter clinical trials. The main objective was to conduct the French-Canadian cross-cultural adaptation of the SWAL-QOL (FC SWAL-QOL) and the SSQ (FC SSQ) among an oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) population. Methods. The principles of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Task Force method were followed for the FC SWAL-QOL and the FC SSQ. Cognitive interviews were conducted with 28 participants with OPMD. Known groups validity was assessed by comparison of the FC SWAL-QOL and the FC SSQ scores between groups of participants with OPMD known to differ in dysphagia severity, according to their drinking test score (n=21). Results. Equivalence issues were addressed during the cognitive interviews. Scores on the FC SSQ differed between the two groups divided by drinking test scores suggesting good known groups validity. Only two scales of the FC SWAL-QOL showed known group validity; the difference in the mean composite score was not significant, but this could be due to the small sample size. Conclusion: The SWAL-QOL and the SSQ were successfully translated into French-Canadian and adapted to an OPMD population. Additional validation should be considered depending on the intended population. The FC SSQ was better at discriminating dysphagia severity in a small sample size of OPMD participants.
NPF genes excavation and their expression response to vernalization and nitrogen deficiency in allotetraploid rapeseed
Authors: Chao Hongbo , He Jianjie , Zhao Weiguo , Fu Hong , Hua Yingpeng , Li Maoteng , Huang Jinyong
Published: February 2021

Background

The NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER FAMILY (NPF) genes, initially characterized as nitrate or peptide transporters in plants, involve in the transport of a large variety of substrates including amino acids, nitrate, auxin (IAA), jasmonates (JAs), abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellins (GAs) and glucosinolates. The evolution and expression diversification of genes determine their functional differentiation in polyploid species.
Results

Among 169 NPF genes excavated in Brassica napus, 97 B. napus NPF (BnaNPF) genes evolved from B. rapa, and 72 BnaNPF genes from B. olereaca. They unevenly distributed on B. napus genome and exhibited obvious synteny with NPF genes in Arabidopsis thaliana, B. rapa and B. olereaca. BnaNPF genes were identified to show diversified expression patterns in 90 different organs or tissues based on transcriptome profile data. Besides, they exhibited complex expression changes in the development process of leaves, silique wall and seeds, which indicated that the expression of BnaNPF genes maybe respond to altered phytohormone and secondary metabolite content through combining with promoter elements enrichment analysis. Furthermore, many BnaNPF genes were detected to response to vernalization with two different patterns and 20 BnaNPF genes responded to nitrate deficiency.
Conclusion

The evolution of BnaNPF genes and their expression pattern including response to vernalization and nitrogen deficiency were characterized and provide valuable information for further functional characterization in rapeseed.
The Diagnostic Value of Multi-Modal Ultrasound on the Ovarian Serous Surface Papillary Borderline Tumor
Authors: Xie Lijun , Liu Xinxiu , Chen Min , Li Haiying , Huang Liyan , Chen Fang , Wang Xing fu , Jiang Lei , Gan Ling
Published: February 2021

Background: Compared with epithelial ovarian cancer, borderline ovarian tumor has earlier onset age and better prognosis. Ovarian serous surface papillary borderline tumor (SSPBT) is a special subtype of ovarian serous borderline tumor, which is rare in clinic. It is easy to be misdiagnosed as malignant before operation. SSPBT usually occurs in women of childbearing age. The operation of preserving fertility can have a higher pregnancy rate. Therefore, preoperative ultrasound for qualitative diagnosis of SSPBT is of great significance in the selection of surgical methods and treatment. There are few reports on the imaging of SSPBT, and the multimodal ultrasound features of SSPBT combined with conventional ultrasound, two-dimensional and three-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound have not been reported. The purpose of this article is to explore the multimodal ultrasonic characteristics of ovarian SSPBT, combining its clinical and pathological features.Result: The conventional ultrasound of ovarian SSPBT was characterized by large patchy substantial masses wrapped around the ovary.Large flaky dense fine anechoic areas could be seen in the parenchyma,accompanied by speckle strong echo with different degrees.Peritoneal implants were observed in 3 cases(60%)and ascites were found in 4 cases(80%).On further contrast-enhanced ultrasonography,with reference to the myometrium,the tumor on 2D-CEUS showed synchronous or delayed eccentric and inhomogeneous enhancement,and subsided earlier than the uterine wall.The tortuously running tumor trophoblast vessels from the periovarian of the affected side could be further observed clearly and stereospecially on 3D-CEUS.Angiographic rising time(RT),time to peak(TTP),peak intensity(PI),area under the curve(AUC)and half time of descending peak intensity(HT)were significantly different from those of the myometrium(P<0.05).The speckled strong echo observed by conventional ultrasound was correlated with the sand body of the fiber stalk axis in the papillary structure under pathological microscope,while the tortuosity and dilation of microvessels in the fibrous connective tissue axis was the pathological basis of their CEUS perfusion.Conclusion: There are characteristic manifestations of ovarian SSPBT on multimodal ultrasound,which are closely related to the pathological structure.Multimodal ultrasound has important reference value in the diagnosis of ovarian SSPBT.
Cell/Colony Motion of Oral Keratinocytes Determined by Non-Invasive and Quantitative Measurement Using Optical Flow Predicts Epithelial Regenerative Capacity
Authors: Hoshikawa Emi , Sato Taisuke , Haga Kenta , Suzuki Ayako , Kobayashi Ryota , Tabeta Koichi , Izumi Kenji
Published: February 2021

Cell/colony motion determined by non-invasive, quantitative measurements using the optical flow (OF) algorithm can indicate the oral keratinocyte proliferative capacity in early-phase primary cultures. This study aimed to determine a threshold for the cell/colony motion index to detect substandard cell populations in a subsequent subculture before manufacturing a tissue-engineered oral mucosa graft and to investigate the correlation with the epithelial regenerative capacity. The distinctive proliferating pattern of first-passage (passage 1 (p1)) cells reveals the motion of p1 cells/colonies, which can be measured in a non-invasive, quantitative manner using OF with fewer full-screen imaging analyses and cell segmentations. Our results demonstrate that the motion index lower than 40 μm/hour reflects cellular damages by experimental metabolic challenges and can be used as the threshold to determine the quality of cultured cells. Because the p1 cell/colony motion index is correlated with epithelial regenerative capacity, it is a reliable index for quality control of oral keratinocytes.
Google search behavior for meningitis and its vaccines: an infodemiological study
Authors: Perez John Angelo Luigi , Espiritu Adrian , Jamora Roland Dominic
Published: February 2021

Background The internet has made significant contributions towards health education. Analyzing the pattern of online behavior regarding meningitis and vaccinations may be worthwhile. It is hypothesized that the online search patterns in meningitis are correlated with its number of cases and the search patterns of its related vaccines.Methods This was an infodemiological study which determined the relationship among online search interest in meningitis, its worldwide number of cases and its associated vaccines. Using Google Trends Search Volume Indices (SVIs), we evaluated the search queries “meningitis,” “pneumococcal vaccine,” “BCG vaccine,” “meningococcal vaccine” and “influenza vaccine” in January 2021, covering January 2008 to December 2020. Spearman rank correlation was used to determine correlations between these queries.Results The worldwide search interest in meningitis from 2008 to 2020 showed an average SVI of 46 ± 8.8. The most searched topics were symptoms, vaccines, and infectious agents with SVIs of 100, 52, and 39, respectively. The top three countries with the highest search interest were Ghana, Kazakhstan, and Kenya. There were weak, but statistically significant correlations between meningitis and the BCG (ρ = 0.369, p < 0.001) and meningococcal (ρ = 0.183, p < 0.05) vaccines. There were no statistically significant association between number of cases, influenza vaccine, and pneumococcal vaccine.Conclusion The relationships among the Google SVIs for meningitis and its related vaccines and number of cases data were inconsistent and remained unclear. Future infodemiological studies may expand their scopes to social media, semantics and big data for more robust conclusions.
Title: A Comparison of Orthopaedic Surgery and Internal Medicine Perceptions of USMLE Step 1 Pass/Fail Scoring: A National Program Director Survey
Authors: Mun Frederick , Scott Alyssa R. , Cui David , Lehman Erik B. , Jeong Seong Ho , Chisty Alia , Juliano Paul J. , Hennrikus William L. , Hennrikus Eileen F.
Published: February 2021

Background

United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 will transition from numeric grading to pass/fail, sometime after January 2022. The aim of this study was to compare how program directors in orthopaedics and internal medicine perceive a pass/fail Step 1 will impact the residency application process.
Methods

A 27-item, validated survey was distributed through REDCap to 197 U.S. orthopaedic residency program directors and 554 U.S. internal medicine residency program directors. Program director emails were obtained from the American Medical Association’s Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database.
Results

We received 58 (36.0%) orthopaedic and 125 (22.8%) internal medicine program director responses. The majority of both groups disagree with the change to pass/fail, and felt that the decision was not transparent. Both groups believe that the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge exam and clerkship grades will take on more importance. Compared to internal medicine, orthopaedic PDs have greater odds of emphasizing research (OR 6.43, CI 3.18-13.00, p < 0.001), letters of recommendation from known faculty (OR 3.22, CI 1.77–5.87, p < 0.001)), Alpha Omega Alpha membership (OR 4.96, CI 2.65–9.25, p < 0.001), leadership/extracurricular activities (OR 3.69, CI 1.96–6.95, p < 0.001), audition elective rotations (OR 6.20, CI 3.21–11.97, p < 0.001) and personal knowledge of the applicant (OR 2.93, CI 1.61–5.34, p < 0.001). Both groups believe that allopathic students from less prestigious medical schools, osteopathic students, and international medical graduates will be disadvantaged. Orthopaedic and internal medicine program directors agree that medical schools should adopt a graded pre-clinical curriculum, and that there should be a cap on the number of residency applications a student can submit.
Conclusion

Orthopaedic and internal medicine program directors disagree with the change of Step 1 to pass/fail. They also believe that this transition will make the match process more difficult, and disadvantage students from less highly-regarded medical schools. Both groups will rely more heavily on the Step 2 clinical knowledge exam score, but orthopaedics will place more importance on research, letters of recommendation, Alpha Omega Alpha membership, leadership/extracurricular activities, personal knowledge of the applicant, and audition electives.
Parental Drinking, Mental Health, and Education; The Association with Offspring’s Recurring contact with Healthcare Services for Anxiety/Depression. A longitudinal Combined HUNT Survey and Health Registry Study
Authors: Lund Ingunn , Andersen Njål , Handal Marte , Ask Helga , Skurtveit Svetlana , Ystrom Eivind , Andreas Jasmina Burdzovic
Published: February 2021

Background and aims: Previous research have shown that certain risk constellations of parental drinking, mental health, and years of education were prospectively associated with increased risk of offspring receiving a diagnosis and/or treatment for anxiety/depression. We know less about how such constellations may relate to other aspects of offspring’s mental health -- including recurring healthcare utilization. We examined offspring's recurring utilization of healthcare services for these disorders, as measured both by the duration of and the number of contacts with services during a 7-year study period, as a function of parental risk constellations.Design: Longitudinal cohort design combining health survey and registry data. Participants and setting: The sample included 8773 offspring from 6696 two-parent families who participated in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study in Norway. Measurements: The exposures were five constellations of parental risks, derived previously from latent profile analysis, characterized by drinking frequencies and quantities, years of education, and mental health. The outcomes were the number of years in contact with, and the total number of contacts with the healthcare services for anxiety/depression in offspring as recorded in healthcare registries during 2008-2014. Associations were examined using zero-inflated negative binomial regression models while accounting for demographics and offspring’s early mental health.Results: Parental risk constellations were not significantly associated with offspring’s’ recurring use of healthcare services for anxiety and depression during the study period, neither in terms of the number of utilization years or the number of contacts. These were primarily a function of offspring’s own characteristics, such as male gender and early mental health problems. Conclusions: Parental risk constellations were not prospectively associated with recurring utilization of healthcare services for anxiety and depression disorders among the offspring during the 7-year study period; offspring from 4 risky constellations were no more likely to use such services for longer period of time or to use them on more occasions than offspring from the low-risk constellation. Seen in conjunction with previous research, parental risk constellations may be thus more informative for understanding the etiology of offspring’s anxiety/depression, than for understanding of other aspects, including recurrence of healthcare utilization in offspring.
Ex Vivo Immune Profiling in Patient Blood Enables Quantification of Innate Immune Effector Functions
Authors: Lehnert Teresa , Leonhardt Ines , Timme Sandra , Thomas-Rüddel Daniel , Bloos Frank , Sponholz Christoph , Kurzai Oliver , Figge Marc Thilo , Hünniger Kerstin
Published: February 2021

Assessment of a patient’s immune function is critical in many clinical situations. One prominent example is sepsis, which results from a loss of immune homeostasis due to microbial infection and is characterized by a plethora of pro- and anti-inflammatory stimuli that may occur consecutively or simultaneously. Thus, any immunomodulatory therapy would require in depth knowledge of an individual patient’s immune status at a given time. Whereas lab-test based immune profiling often relies solely on quantification of cell numbers, we have used an ex vivo whole-blood infection model in combination with biomathematical modeling to quantify functional parameters of innate immune cells in blood from patients undergoing cardiac surgery. These patients experience a well characterized inflammatory insult, which results in mitigation of pathogen-specific response patterns towards Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans that are characteristic for healthy people and baseline results in our patients. This does not only interfere with pathogen elimination from blood but also selectively augments the escape of C. albicans from phagocytosis. In summary, our model gives insight into immune functionality and might serve as a functional immune assay to record and evaluate innate response patterns towards infection.
Performance of Postural Balance in Children and Adolescents Living With and Without HIV
Authors: de Medeiros Rafaela Catherine da Silva Cunha , Silva Racquel Guimarães da , Medeiros Radamés Maciel Vitor , de Goes Carlos Jean Damasceno , de Medeiros Jason Azevedo , Barela José Angelo , Cabral Breno Guilherme de Araújo Tinoco , Dantas Paulo Moreira Silva
Published: February 2021

The present study aimed to compare the postural control of children and adolescents with and without HIV. A total of 32 children and adolescents (18 with HIV and 14 without) of both sexes, aged 6–18 years, were included in the present study. Participants in the HIV+ group were infected through vertical transmission and received antiretroviral therapy. Participants maintained an erect, bipedal posture in the following conditions: with vision, without vision, and on a foam base. Concerning the evaluation of time variables, higher values ​​were observed in the HIV+ group for mean anteroposterior (AP) speed, mean mediolateral (ML) speed, AP perimeter (p = 0.001), and ML perimeter (p = 0.001). Concerning the evaluation of conditions, a difference was observed in the mean AP oscillation amplitude (MAO; p = 0.039), as the AP MAO was lower with vision than without vision or with foam. Concerning the evaluation of spectral domain variables, higher values ​​were observed in the HIV+ group for the predominant ML frequency (p = 0.04) and mean AP (p = 0.001) and ML frequencies (p = 0.001). Regarding the evaluation of conditions, a difference was found only in the predominant AP frequency (p = 0.001). Higher values ​​were found in the closed eye condition than in with foam (Δ = +103%). The results of the present study indicated that children and adolescents living with HIV have poorer postural control performance than those without HIV.
Memory for Spatio-temporal Contextual Details During the Retrieval of Naturalistic Episodes
Authors: Foudil Samy-Adrien , Pleche Claire , Macaluso Emiliano
Published: February 2021

Episodic memory entails the storage of events together with their spatio-temporal context and retrieval comprises the subjective experience of a link between the person who remembers and the episode itself. We used an encoding procedure with mobile-phones to generate experimentally-controlled episodes in the real world: object-images were sent to the participants' phone, with encoding durations up to 3 weeks. In other groups of participants, the same objects were encoded during the exploration of a virtual town (45 min) or using a standard laboratory paradigm, with pairs of object/place-images presented in a sequence of unrelated trials (15 min). At retrieval, we tested subjective memory for the objects (remember/familiar) and memory for the context (place and time). We found that accurate and confident context-memory increased the likelihood of "remember" responses, in all encoding contexts. We also tested the participants' ability to judge the temporal-order of the encoded episodes. Using a model of temporal similarity, we demonstrate scale-invariant properties of order-retrieval, but also highlight the contribution of non-chronological factors. We conclude that the mechanisms governing episodic memory retrieval can operate across a wide range of spatio-temporal contexts and that the multi-dimensional nature of the episodic traces contributes to the subjective experience of retrieval.
The severity and risk factors for mortality in immunocompromised adult patients hospitalized with influenza-related pneumonia
Authors: Chen Liang , Han Xiudi , Li YanLi , Zhang Chunxiao , Xing Xiqian
Published: February 2021

Objective To explore disease severity and risk factors for 30-day mortality of adult immunocompromised (IC) patients hospitalized with influenza-related pneumonia (Flu-p).Method A total of 122 IC and 1,191 immunocompetent patients hospitalized with Flu-p from January 2012 to December 2018 were recruited retrospectively from five teaching hospitals in China. Results After controlling for confounders, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that immunosuppression was associated with increased risks for invasive ventilation [odds ratio: (OR) 2.475, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.511-4.053, p < 0.001], admittance to the intensive care unit (OR: 3.247, 95% CI: 2.064-5.106, p < 0.001), and 30-day mortality (OR: 3.206, 95% CI: 1.926-5.335, p < 0.001) in patients with Flu-p. Another multivariate logistic regression model revealed that baseline lymphocyte counts (OR: 0.993, 95% CI: 0.990-0.996, p < 0.001), coinfection (OR: 5.450, 95% C:I 1.638-18.167, p = 0.006), early neuraminidase inhibitor therapy (OR 0.401, 95% CI 0.127-0.878, p = 0.001), and systemic corticosteroid use at admission (OR: 6.414, 95% C:I 1.348-30.512, p = 0.020) were independently related to 30-day mortality in IC patients with Flu-p. Based on receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, the optimal cutoff for lymphocyte counts was 0.6×109/L [area under the ROC (AUROC) = 0.824, 95% CI: 0.744 - 0.887], sensitivity: 97.8%, specificity: 73.7%].Conclusions IC conditions are associated with more severe outcomes in patients with Flu-p. The predictors for mortality that we identified may be valuable for the management of Flu-p among IC patients.
Distribution of organic carbon and nutrients in soil aggregates under different Cunninghamia lanceolata stand types in southern Guangxi of China
Authors: Huang Yongzhen , Wang Shengqiang , Ye Shaoming
Published: February 2021

Background: By microscopically characterizing soil organic carbon (Corg) and nutrients pertaining to different Cunninghamia lanceolata stands at aggregate scale. A theoretical foundation can be laid to more sustainably employ soil resources in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations, thus improving soil health and fertility.Methods: Soil Corg, total nitrogen (Ntot), available phosphorus (Pava) and exchangeable cations (including calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+)) received the analysis within aggregate fractions acquired from 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm depth in three different stands, mixed stand of Cunninghamia lanceolata and Michelia macclurei (stand A), Cunninghamia lanceolata and Mytilaria laosensis (stand B) and pure stand of Cunninghamia lanceolata (stand C), respectively. The soil aggregates were classified into macro-aggregates (>2 mm), meso-aggregates (2-0.25 mm) and micro-aggregates (<0.25 mm) fractions by one dry-sieving process.Results: The two mixed stands displayed a relationship with the higher stable characteristic pertaining to soil aggregates than the pure stand, especially stand A. Meanwhile, micro-aggregates acted as the main fractions that carried soil Corg, Ntot, and Pava, and both micro- and macro-aggregates referred to the main fractions that carried exchangeable cations. As for the soil nutrient stocks, only the exchangeable K+ cation stock of the pure stand dominated among the Corg and nutrients stocks, in addition, the rest of the other nutrients stocks of the mixed forests (stand A and B) took an advantage over the pure stand. Moreover, the Corg and nutrients stocks in stand A and B were reflected in the macro-aggregates, differently, those of stand C were mainly reflected in the micro-aggregates.Conclusions: Thus, selecting suitable broadleaf tree species mixed with Cunninghamia lanceolata can alleviate the problems of pure stand soil aggregate stability reduction and soil Corg and nutrient loss for promoting soil resources to be sustainably utilized and protecting the health and quality of soil in the hilly area in southern Guangxi, China.
Hypermethylated miR-424 in Colorectal Cancer Subsequently Upregulates VEGF
Authors: Ghonbalani Zahra Nouri , Shahmohamadnejad Shiva , Pasalar Parvin , Khalili Ehsan
Published: February 2021

PurposeColorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of death from cancer in adults. Recent advances have shown that cancer cells can have some epigenetic changes involved in all stages of cancer. It has also been shown that miR-424 acts as gene expression regulators in many biological processes, including angiogenesis with mediators such as VEGF. In the current study, to identify the potential role of miR-424 in colorectal cancer progression, methylation status of miR-424 promoter region and its expression level have been evaluated. Besides, the correlation between VEGF level and miR-424 expression level has been assessed.MethodsMethylation status miR-424 promoter was assessed using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). The expression level of miR-424 in human colorectal cancer tissue was analyzed by quantitative PCR. HCT116 cell line was selected to evaluate the correlation between the miR-424 expression level and the promoter's methylation status. VEGF expression, one out of mir-424 targets involved in angiogenesis and cancer progression, was measured by western blot analysis in the pairs of cancer tissues and their adjacent tissues.ResultsOur results have revealed that the promoter region of miR-424 is methylated in cancer cells compared to normal cells, leading to down-regulation of miR-424 in the colorectal cancer tissues compared to the normal tissues. Also, we found that the expression protein's level of VEGF in the tumor cells increased compared with normal tissues.ConclusionThe present study suggests that hypermethylation downregulates miR-424. VEGF expression is upregulated with decreased miR-424 in colorectal cancer, which results in cancer progression.
Is the Primary Helper Always a Key Group for the Sustainability of Cooperative Birds? A Mathematical Study on Cooperative Breeding Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater.
Authors: Ghosh Sinchan , Basir Fahad Al , Chowdhury Ganesh , Ray Santanu , Bhattacharya Sabyasachi
Published: February 2021

Cooperation is a fundamental requirement for the sustainability of group-living organisms. Despite the substantial research work in cooperative breeding birds, the dependence of the populations' sustainability young or adult helpers in migratory populations is unidentified. The mathematical models for predicting the birds' cooperative dynamics so far mostly ignore the migratory property. The cooperative breeding birds have three groups in their population, viz, immature or primary helpers, mature or secondary helpers, and breeders. We ask three questions to study migratory cooperative birds' sustainability through mathematical modeling under changing environments. Which group is the key to the sustainability of cooperative migratory birds? Does the maturate helper compensate young helpers' helping? Does the hierarchical structure of the population vary for variable migratory rates? We explore the answers based on the mathematical model's simulation experiment, a potential alternative to the game theory approach. This study estimates the parameters associated with the proposed model through the field survey and obtains the rest from existing literature. Although the study uses blue-tailed bee-eater as the test-bed species, the model is useful for analyzing other avian species' behavioral property. The model as a tool can determine whether the primary helpers of blue-tailed bee-eater are the key to sustainability. The model can also classify the adults' help as an addition or compensate to primary helpers' help. The model can predict any alteration in the cooperative breeding birds' hierarchy sizes for variable migration rates under changing climate.
An electrochemical detection of cadmium (II) and lead (II) ions using a polymer-modified electrode with a Schiff base by square wave voltammetry
Authors: Mohammed Mohammed Qasim , Ismail Hani Khalil , Alesary Hasan Fisal , Barton Stephen
Published: February 2021

The work herein concentrates on the electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions, specifically cadmium and lead
ions. The introduction and modification of functional groups such as Schiff bases had led to an enhanced sensitivity
of the electrode to analytes. In this study, a platinum electrode has for the first time been modified with poly(3,4-
ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT/Schiff base) in CH2Cl2 containing Bu4NPF6 for use to detection cadmium (II) and
lead (II) ions. The structure and morphology of the polymer coatings were characterised by Fourier transform
infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The electrochemical synthesis
and redox state response in monomer-free synthesised films have been studied by cyclic voltammetry. Moreover, the
effect of scan rate on the electrochemical behaviour of the modified electrodes was also studied. The voltammetric
findings have been used to calculate the surface coverage required for the polymer films and the stability of polymer
electrodes in the monomer-free solutions. Square wave voltammetry (SWV) was applied for the determination of
cadmium (II) and lead (II) ion concentrations and to assess the effects of pH on aqueous samples. The limits of
detection for the modified electrode for cadmium (II) and lead (II) were found to be 0.95 μg L-1 and 1.84 μg L-1,
respectively. These findings revealed that modified films can be considered good candidates for application in
electrochemical detection devices
High-Performance Materials Based on Organic Light-Emitting Transistor (OLET)
Authors: OJHA SANDEEP KUMAR , Kumar Brijesh
Published: February 2021

As per industrial environment the devices which made by the organic molecule based materials most preferred current time. Its behavior and OLET characteristics which are bi-functional in nature are fully related to the concerned materials which are utilizes for electrode, OSC, gate, as well as source and drain. These parameters are also defined how its cost should be minimize and made more and more flexible in nature. It will generate more commercialized devices that are too much demanding in current scenario. The OLET behavior are of bi-functional in nature, because its operations on two principles, the first one working as a transistor and the second one emission of light also. This paper also tells us that, the analysis of different types of high performing materials, their performances with the threshold voltages which are utilizing for designing of OLET layers. Our major concerned towards the material selections for designing of layer rather than structure of OLET. The reliability of materials which perform better in response and to improve the potentials of OLET is our main indication in this analysis.
C-MYC inducible onco-lncRNA LINC00036 acting as EGFR mRNA stabilizer via RNA-protein and RNA-RNA interactions decreases the sensitivity of gefitinib in human cancer
Authors: Xu Shouping , Wan Lin , Wang Qin , Yin Huizi , Qiao Kun , Li Siwei , Zhang Jinfeng , Wu Hao , Shen Meiying , Ning Shipeng , Pang Da
Published: February 2021

Background: The oncogenic lncRNA based strategies for combating cancer may usher in a new and promising paradigm in cancer therapy. However, few studies have been performed to solve such a critical issue. The complex traits and molecular mechanism of such lncRNAs in tumorigenesis and their relationship with sensitivity of gefitinib in human cancer have not been investigated.Methods: We aimed to identify and validate such a novel oncogenic LINC00036 using transcriptome sequencing approach and a large number of tissue samples of different types of cancer from the our cancer center cohort and public data cohorts from the Cancer Genome Atlas，Gene Expression Omnibus and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia. Moreover, series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to examine its roles in tumorigenesis and the sensitivity of gefitinib in different types of cancer cells. Special nanoparticle via a more potent delivery system was developed to investigate the feasibility of targeting LINC00036 in vivo. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-sequencing, ChIP, actinomycin D assay, dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation were performed were developed to uncover the molecular mechanism.Results: LINC00036 that associated with poor prognosis is significantly upregulated in human cancer tissues. Series of in vitro and in vivo experiments reveal that LINC00036 promotes tumorigenesis and decreases the sensitivity of gefitinib in different types of cancer cells. LINC00036 targeting nanoparticle markedly reduced the growth of human cancer xenografts. Mechanistically, LINC00036 is a direct transcriptional target of c-MYC and a positive feedback loop of the c-MYC-LINC00036-EGFR axis exists in human cancer. LINC00036 acts as an EGFR mRNA stabilizer via RNA-protein and RNA-RNA interactions, inducing the hyper-activation of the downstream AKT and MAPK signaling pathways, which in turn decreases the sensitivity of gefitinib in human cancer.Conclusions: LINC00036, a c-MYC inducible onco-lncRNA, acts an oncogene in human cancer and decreases the sensitivity of gefitinib through positive feedback loop of the c-MYC-LINC00036-EGFR axis. Overall, this study broadens knowledge regarding novel onco-lncRNAs and will assist in developing feasible onco-lncRNAs based-targeted therapeutic strategies to improve the sensitivity of gefitinib in human cancer.
Influence of Preparation Method on the Structural, Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of TiN Nanoparticles
Authors: Safa Mahdi , Rajabi Yasser , Ardyanian Mahdi
Published: February 2021

In this paper, titanium nitride nanoparticles were prepared in three methods, In the first method, titanium nitride nanoparticles were prepared by the Ball-mill method; in the second and third methods, the nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol-gel, and the co-precipitation methods. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), for the study of structural, linear optical properties, and surface morphology study, respectively. The Z-scan technique was utilized to study the TiN nanoparticles nonlinearity. A change in nonlinear optical behavior with an increase in input pump power and concentration of the TiN nanoparticles was observed. Results showed that the TiN nanoparticles give new potentials in nonlinear optical applications. The nonlinear optical behavior of the TiN nanoparticles shifts from inverse saturation absorption to saturation absorption with increase of intensity.
Tumor-Associated Epilepsy in Patients With Brain Metastases: Necrosis-to-Tumor Ratio Forecasts Postoperative Seizure Freedom
Authors: Bahna Majd , Heimann Muriel , Bode Christian , Borger Valeri , Eichhorn Lars , Güresir Erdem , Hamed Motaz , Herrlinger Ulrich , Ko Yon-Dschun , Lehmann Felix , Potthoff Anna-Laura , Radbruch Alexander , Schaub Christina , Surges Rainer , Weller Johannes , Vatter Hartmut , Schäfer Niklas , Schneider Matthias , Schuss Patrick
Published: February 2021

Surgical resection is highly effective in the treatment of tumor-related epilepsy (TRE) in patients with brain metastases (BM). Nevertheless, some patients suffer from postoperative persistent epilepsy which negatively impacts health-related quality of life. Therefore, early identification of patients with potentially unfavorable seizure outcome after BM resection is important. Patients with TRE that had undergone surgery for BM at the authors’ institution between 2013 and 2018 and were analyzed with regard to preoperatively identifiable risk factors for unfavorable seizure outcome. Tumor tissue and tumor necrosis ratios were assessed volumetrically. According to the classification of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), seizure outcome was categorized as favorable (ILAE 1) and unfavorable (ILAE 2 - 6) after 3 months in order to avoid potential interference with adjuvant cancer treatment.Among all 38 patients undergoing neurosurgical treatment for BM with concomitant TRE, 34 patients achieved a favorable seizure outcome (90%). Unfavorable seizure outcome was significantly associated with larger tumor volumes (p=0.012), a midline shift > 7 mm (p=0.025), and a necrosis/tumor volume ratio > 0.2 (p=0.047).The present study identifies preoperatively collectable risk factors for unfavorable seizure outcome in patients with BM and TRE. This might enable to preselect for highly vulnerable patients with postoperative persistent epilepsy who might benefit from accompanying neuro-oncological expertise during further systemical treatment regimes.
Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Cervical Open-Door Laminoplasty Withmodified Centerpiece Mini-Plate Fixation and Extensor Attachment Point Reconstruction in Treating Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy
Authors: Liu Fa-jing , Liu Yan-cheng , Zhang Ze-pei , Miao Jun
Published: February 2021

ObjectiveThis retrospective study aimed to investigate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of open-door laminoplasty with modified centerpiece mini-plate fixation and extensor attachment point reconstruction for treating cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).MethodSixty-nine patients with CSM, who underwent C3-7 open-door laminoplasty in our hospital from January 2016 to May 2017, were divided into two groups: group A underwent surgery with a modified centerpiece titanium plate and group B underwent surgery with a conventional centerpiece titanium plate. Changes in cervical spinal angle (CSA), cervical range of motion (ROM), atrophy of posterior cervical muscles, and neurological function (Japanese Orthopaedic Association [JOA] score) and the occurrence of axial symptoms (AS) were compared between the groups.ResultThere were no significant differences in operative time, intra-operative blood loss, lamina open angle, and spinal cord drift distance between the groups. After the surgery, JOA score significantly increased (P < 0.05), neurological recovery rates were similar (62.7% vs. 63.4%), cervical ROM did not significantly change when compared with the preoperative level (P > 0.05) in both groups; CSA and cross-sectional area of the posterior cervical muscles decreased significantly in group B (P < 0.05) but not in group A (P > 0.05), and postoperative AS were significantly more severe in group B than in group A (P < 0.05).Conclusion﻿Open-door laminoplasty is an effective surgical procedure for CSM. The application of modified centerpiece mini-plate fixation effectively reconstructs the posterior extensor attachment points, which reduces posterior cervical muscle atrophy, maintains cervical curvature, and reduces the occurrence of axial symptoms.
Femtosecond Laser Micromachining of an Optofluidics-based Monolithic Whispering-Gallery Mode Resonator Coupled to a Suspended Waveguide
Authors: Maia João M. , Amorim Vítor A. , Viveiros Duarte , Marques P. V. S.
Published: February 2021

A monolithic lab-on-a-chip fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining capable of label-free biosensing is reported. The device is entirely made of fused silica, and consists of a microdisk resonator integrated inside a microfluidic channel. Whispering gallery modes are excited by the evanescent field of a circular suspended waveguide, also incorporated within the channel. Thermal annealing is performed to decrease the surface roughness of the microstructures to a nanometric scale, thereby reducing intrinsic losses and maximizing the Q-factor. Further, it is used to position, with submicrometric precision, the waveguide tangent to the resonator and within the critical coupling regime. With this fabrication method and geometry, the alignment between the waveguide and the resonator is robust and guaranteed at all instances. A maximum sensitivity of 121.5 nm/RIU was obtained at a refractive index of 1.363, whereas near the refractive index range of water-based solutions the sensitivity is 40 nm/RIU. A high Q-factor of 105 is kept throughout the entire measurement range.
Computed Tomography Findings as Determinants of Local and Systemic Inflammation Biomarkers in Interstitial Lung Diseases: A Retrospective Registry-based Descriptive Study
Authors: Lang David , Akbari Kaveh , Horner Andreas , Hepp Magdalena , Kaiser Bernhard , Pieringer Herwig , Lamprecht Bernd
Published: February 2021

Purpose:
To evaluate the association of peripheral blood (PBL) and broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) biomarkers with inflammatory versus fibrotic high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in interstitial lung diseases (ILD).
Methods:
HRCT of 127 subsequent ILD-board patients were semi-quantitatively evaluated in a standardized way: Reticulation/honeycombing (RET), traction bronchiectasis (TBR) and emphysema (EMP) were classified as non-inflammatory/fibrotic; consolidations (CON), ground glass opacities (GGO), noduli (NDL) and mosaic attenuation (MOS) as active inflammatory findings. Presence or absence of each HRCT finding was counted in 6 distinct lung regions, resulting scores were graded as minimal (0–1 regions involved), medium (2–4) or extensive (5–6). Associations of routinely assessed PBL/BAL biomarkers with these radiological scores were evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficients and graphical presentation; significance of the graded HRCT scores was tested by applying Kruskal-Wallis tests.
Results:
Blood neutrophil, lymphocyte and eosinophil fraction, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and BAL lymphocyte fraction consistently showed opposite correlations for inflammatory versus non-inflammatory/fibrotic HRCT finding scores. Blood lymphocyte fraction significantly differed by graded GGO (p = 0.032) and CON (p = 0.027) extent, eosinophil fraction by TBR (p = 0.006) and NLR by CON (p = 0.009). C-reactive protein was significantly related to GGO (p = 0.023) and CON (p = 0.004), BAL lymphocyte fraction to GGO (p = 0.017).
Conclusion:
Blood lymphocyte and eosinophil fraction, NLR, CRP and BAL lymphocyte fraction may aid to differentiate inflammatory from non-inflammatory/fibrotic ILD patterns.
Trial registration:
This evaluation was based on data from the ILD registry of Kepler University Hospital Linz, as approved by the ethics committee of the federal state of Upper-Austria (EK Nr. I-26-17).
Investigating Unique Genes of Five Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer Using Penalized Logistic Regression
Authors: raoufi sadegh , Farsangi Saeideh Jafarinejad , Dehesh Tania , Hadizadeh Morteza
Published: February 2021

Background: Breast cancer is the first cancer and fifth cause of death in women around the world. Exploring unique genes for cancers has become interesting. The aim of this study was to explore unique gens of five molecular subtypes of breast cancer in women using penalized logistic regression models.Methods: In this study, microarray data of five independent GEO datasets was combined. This combination includes genetic information of 324 women with breast cancer and 12 healthy women. Lasso logistic regression and adaptive lasso logistic regression were used to extract unique genes. Biological process of extracted gens was evaluated in open-source GOnet web-application. R software version 3.6.0 with glmnet package was used for fitting the models. Results: Totally, 119 genes were extracted among fifteen pairwise comparisons. 17 genes (%14) had overlap between comparative groups. Among 27 genes contributed in positive regulation of cell processes, one gene belonged exclusively to this biological process. Among 46 genes contributed in negative regulation of cell processes, 6 genes belonged exclusively. Among 50 genes that were significant in regulation of metabolism, 4 genes belonged exclusively. Among 32 genes that related to response of stress, 4 genes belonged exclusively. Conclusions: The most genes selected by lasso logistic regression and adaptive Lasso logistic regression, were diagnosed in negative regulation of cell processes.
The Need for Early Management in Patients With COVID-19
Authors: Giraud-Gatineau Audrey , Cortaredona Sébastien , Lagier Jean-Christophe , Million Matthieu , Brouqui Philippe , Obadia Yolande , Peretti-Watel Patrick , Raoult Didier , Gentile Stéphanie
Published: February 2021

In March 2020, the IHU Méditerranée Infection set up a screening and treatment center for patients with COVID-19, a system that has been ultimately recommended by French public health authorities. The recent publication of the profiles of patients hospitalized in France published by the Directorate for Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics gives us the opportunity to measure the impact of this multidisciplinary early management system coupled with screening on mortality at 90 days. Analysis of the data shows that the system established at IHU-MI was associated with lower mortality, taking age and sex into account. Regarding the age-standardized mortality rate, mortality rates were lower than national data regardless of the period of the epidemic. Early management seems to have significantly decreased the mortality rate in the under-60 age group, suggesting the importance of early management, regardless of age. In addition, these patients had pejorative clinical criteria (high NEWS-2 score, ICU visits, oxygen saturation below 95%) requiring hospitalization, and co-morbidities that are now known to be aggravating factors [7]. This reinforces the need to care for all individuals, regardless of age. Early medical care, as part of a system integrating a screening center and a day hospital, may explain the lower mortality rates.
Factors Affecting Resolution of Subretinal Fluid After Selective Retina Therapy for Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Authors: Yamamoto Manabu , Kyo Akika , Hirayama Kumiko , Kohno Takeya , Theisen-Kunde Dirk , Brinkmann Ralf , Miura Yoko , Honda Shigeru
Published: February 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors of clinical outcome of selective retina therapy (SRT) for central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). This retrospective study included 77 eyes of 77 patients, who were treated with SRT for CSC and observed at least 6 months after the treatment. SRT laser (527 nm, 1.7 µs, 100 Hz) was used for treatment. The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (logMAR), central macular thickness (CMT) and central choroidal thickness were changed from baseline to at 6-months follow-up with significant difference. The multivariate analyses found that the rate of change (reduction) in CMT was associated with focal leakage type on fluorescein angiography (FA) (p = 0.03, coefficient 15.26, 95% confidence interval 1.72 – 28.79) and larger baseline CMT (p < 0.01, coefficient -0.13, 95% confidence interval -0.13 – -0.05). Complete resolution of subretinal fluid was associated with nonsmoking history (p = 0.03, odds ratio 0.276, 95% confidence interval 0.086 – 0.887) and focal leakage type on FA (p < 0.01, odds ratio 0.136, 95% confidence interval 0.042 – 0.437). This result may be useful for predicting the therapeutic effectiveness of SRT.