bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
WITHDRAWN: Influence of Genetic Polymorphisms on the Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Nifedipine Controlled-release Tablets in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Li Zhen , Wang Siyang , Ren Jian , Zhi Tingting , Wang Hongxia , Zhu Yuanyuan , Yao Zhiqing , Wang Yanhui , zhang huizi , zhang ruiqin
Published: May 2022

Background
Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker, which is used to treat hypertension and angina pectoris. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of gene polymorphisms on pharmacokinetics of relevant metabolic genes with inconsistent or incomplete research conclusions and of others that exhibited an impact on pharmacodynamics, so as to provide a scientific basis for the inter-individual variation in nifedipine controlled-release tablet disposition.
Methods
A total of 33 healthy volunteers were administered a single 30 mg oral dose of nifedipine controlled-release tablets, and were genotyped for 17 SNPs within 12 genes, by StepOne Real-Time PCR System and the Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight. The plasma concentration levels were quantified by Ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed and the mean pharmacokinetic variables were compared according to genotypes.
Results
The CYP3A4 rs2242480, ABCB1 rs1045642, CACNA1D rs312481, CACNA1C rs2238032, ACE rs4646994 and SLC14A2 rs3745009 polymorphisms significantly influenced the pharmacokinetics of nifedipine controlled-release tablets with a greater effect being noted on CACNA1D, CACNA1C, and SLC14A2. These results continued to be statistically significant following multivariate correction.
Conclusions
The CYP3A4 rs2242480, ABCB1 rs1045642, CACNA1D rs312481, CACNA1C rs2238032, ACE rs4646994 and SLC14A2 rs3745009 polymorphisms significantly influenced the pharmacokinetics of nifedipine controlled-release tablets. Their pharmacokinetic properties were examined, so as to provide a theoretical basis for individual differences found during treatment.
Randomized clinical trial quantifying the effectiveness of a self-monitoring intervention on cancer patients with peripheral neuropathy: Quantitative study
Authors: Kanda Kiyoko , Ishida Kazuko , Kyota Ayumi , Ishihara Chiaki , Fujimoto Keiko , Hosokawa Mai , Mochizuki Ruka
Published: May 2022

Purpose: Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) is a highly distressing condition that has no effective or helpful pharmacotherapy, alongside no established non-pharmacological treatment. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop supportive care. While self-monitoring has been verified as an effective management method, it has not been studied as a mode of managing CIPN. This study quantified the effectiveness of a self-monitoring intervention for the management of persistent CIPN. Methods: A randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted wherein the participants were using Taxanes or platinum-based anticancer drugs in an outpatient setting. They were randomly assigned to either a control group (CG) (n=32) or a self-monitoring group (SMG) (n=33), wherein the participants recorded their symptoms daily, goals were set in collaboration with the researcher, and feedback (behavioral approval and modification, emotional support) was provided twice every three weeks. The study lasted for six weeks, and the control group received conventional nursing support. Self-management ability, self-efficacy, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) scores were used for evaluation; ANOVA analysis was conducted. Results: There was an interaction effect between the CG and SMG regarding self-efficacy scores. Scores were significantly higher in the SMG than in the CG after three weeks. Quality of life (QOL) scores were also higher in the SMG than in the CG. Conclusions: The self-monitoring intervention maintained the participants’ self-efficacy and QOL. This suggested its effectiveness on patients with peripheral neuropathy.Implications for Cancer Survivors: Self-monitoring interventions enable the maintenance of self-efficacy and QOL for participants associated with CIPN.Trail Registration: This research was registered with UMIN: Registration number (000028618).
Disrupting a socio-ecological system: How could traditional ecological knowledge be the key to preserving the Araucaria Forest in Brazil under climate change?
Authors: Tagliari Mario Muniz , Bogoni Juliano A. , Blanco Graziela D. , Cruz Aline P. , Peroni Nivaldo
Published: May 2022

Socio-ecological systems (SESs) hinge on human groups and ecosystems, promoting interdependence and resilience to environmental disturbances. Climate change effects propagate from organisms to biomes, likely influencing SESs. In southern Brazil, the Araucaria Forest is a typical SES due to the historical interaction between humans and biodiversity. Thus, we empirically and theoretically evaluated how climate change could disrupt this system by interviewing 97 smallholders and assessing their traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). We evaluated and measured the socioeconomic impact of the araucaria’s (Araucaria angustifolia) nut-like seed (pinhão) trade and the ethnoecological knowledge about climate change, as well as generated an ecosystem services network. We used these empirical data with a projected loss of 50–70% of the Araucaria Forest due to climate change to quantify the risks of the potential disruption of this SES. We found evidence that to avoid the disruption of the Araucaria Forests, it is paramount to value TEK holders, safeguard the historical socio-ecological interaction, and promote non-mutually exclusive measures in an integrative response to maintain the resilience of this forest to future disturbances.
The identification of copy number variations in upland cotton using a high-density SNP array
Authors: Ma QingShan , Tao ZhiXin , Du Xiao , Moming Maimaiti , Ai XianTao
Published: May 2022

Background
Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is one crucial natural textile fiber and oilseed crop worldwide. Copy number variation (CNV) represents a form of genomic structural variation underlying phenotypic diversity. Understanding the genomic CNVs of Upland cotton is important for accelerating cotton breeding programs.Therefore,the present study generated a CNV regions (CNVRs) map in Upland cotton using the SNP array-based approach. The roles of CNVs identified were explored based on GO enrichment analysis of genes located in CNVRs.
Results
we used the Illumina Cotton SNP 70K BeadChip array for genome-wide detection of CNVs in 288 Upland cotton accessions. A total of 341 CNVRs were detected, representing approximately 2.0% of the entire cotton genome. Of these, 264 were gains, 55 were losses, 22 were events with gains and losses within the same region. The average length of CNVRs was 125.5kb and the median length was 80.4kb.The gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that genes associated with metabolic process, catabolic process, multiple enzyme activities and transcription regulator activity were significantly overrepresented.
Conclusions
The findings that 90.3% of CNVRs harbored genes indicated the critical roles of CNVs in cotton. we identified two intriguing candidate biological process terms, polysaccharide metabolic process and catabolic process, related to cotton fiber development. Our research characterized the first landscape of CNVRs in cotton, providing an important resource for investigations of cotton genetic variability. It will facilitate further researches of molecular mechanisms underlying CNV-associated traits and improve our knowledge of genomic structure of cotton.
Disentangling the impact of Atlantic Niño on sea-air CO2 flux
Authors: Koseki Shunya , Tjiputra Jerry , Fransner Filippa , Crespo Lander , Keenlyside Noel
Published: May 2022

The Atlantic Niño is a major tropical interannual climate variability mode of the sea surface temperature (SST) occurring during boreal summer that shares many similarities with the tropical Pacific El Niño. Although the tropical Atlantic is an important source of CO2 to the atmosphere, the impact of Atlantic Niño on the sea-air CO2 exchange is not well understood. We reveal that the Atlantic Niño enhances (weakens) CO2 outgassing in the central (western) tropical Atlantic. In the western basin, freshwater-induced changes in surface salinity, which considerably modulate the surface ocean CO2 partial pressure (pCO2), is the primary driver for the observed CO2 flux variations. Contrastingly, pCO2 anomaly in the central basin is dominated by the SST-driven solubility change. Here, we reveal that this multi-variable mechanism for pCO2 anomaly differs remarkably from the Pacific where the response is predominantly controlled by upwelling-induced dissolved inorganic carbon anomalies. The contrasting behavior is characterized by the high CO2 buffering capacity in the Atlantic, where the subsurface water mass contains higher alkalinity than in the Pacific. The different mechanisms driving the internannual variability in sea-air CO2 exchange in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific suggests that they may respond differently to climate change.
Decline of young-of-year walleye (Sander vitreus) growth due to Bythotrephes impacts predicted from bioenergetic principles
Authors: Gartshore Danni J , Rennie Michael D.
Published: May 2022

Invasive species are a major threat to ecosystem structure and function. For example, Bythotrephes cederströmii (Bythotrephes hereafter) invasions have significantly reduced native zooplankton density and biomass, resulting in competitive interactions with zooplanktivorous fishes. Young of year (YOY) walleye (Sander vitreus) are initially zooplanktivorous and have recently been shown to display reduced growth in Bythotrephes invaded lakes. Here, we combined a bioenergetics model for larval walleye with changes in the zooplankton community following Bythotrephes invasion and predicted reduced larval walleye growth in the presence of Bythotrephes, supporting field observations. The model predicted much greater impacts in oligotrophic versus mesotrophic lakes, whereby Bythotrephes invasion could potentially lead to walleye recruitment failure in low nutrient environments. As YOY growth, survival, and recruitment are ultimately linked to adult abundance and sustainability of managed stocks, our results highlight the potential impacts of Bythotrephes on the sustainability of walleye populations in boreal lakes.
Digital economy and environmental sustainability: How does ICT affect ecological footprint and what is the role of economic complexity?
Authors: Khan Asif , Ximei Wu
Published: May 2022

In the current era of digital economy, the role of information communication and technology and economic complexity are important for controlling environmental unsustainability and formulating policies to deal with ecological concerns. To inspects the impact of ICT and economic complexity on ecological footprint in G-seven (digital economies) countries from 2001–2018, in the current study we perform first generation as well as second generation unit root testing methods. Findings of both Pesaran’s and B&P’s cross-sectional dependence testing approaches confirms the presence of cross-sectional dependence across all G-seven economies. The empirical findings of cointegration (Pedroni and Kao) tests verify and stable long-run association between ecological footprint, ICT-import, ICT-export, economic complexity, economic growth and other control grouped variables. The empirical evidence obtained from Fully-Modified OLS model suggests that ICT export economic complexity, and economic growth enhance the intensity of ecological footprint, while ICT import, research and development (RD), and trade are helpful to reducing ecological footprint in G-seven economies. These empirical findings obtained from Fully-modified OLS models are also verified by Pooled Mean Group-ARDL(PMG-ARDL) methodologies and confirm that there is no inconsistency in the results. On the basis of these results, some policy implications for ecological footprint, ICT, and economic complexity are discussed.
Energy and exergy assessments of a large grid-connected PV installation under desert climatic conditions in Algeria
Authors: Aoun Nouar
Published: May 2022

In this study, a performance analysis of a 20 MW grid-connected PV plant located in Adrar in southern Algeria is carried out. Energetic and exergetic analyses of the PV plant have been performed. The results show that the annual energy produced by the PV system was 35892.2 MWh, ranging between 2725.16 and 3447.54 MWh in the months of July and March, respectively, which is close to the expected theoretical value of 36414 MWh. The annual average performance ratio of subsystems 1 and 2 and the PV plant are 72.6%, 70.83% and 71.71%, respectively. The annual average energy efficiency of subsystems 1 and 2 and the PV plant are 10.95%, 10.69% and 10.82%, respectively. The capture losses of the PV plant were higher and more than 1 h/d around the year. The annual monthly average exergy efficiency and thermal exergy were found to be 4.96% and 5.32 MW, respectively. The decrease in exergy efficiency values was matched by an increase in the values of thermal exergy loss, solar radiation, wind speed, and ambient temperature, where the thermal exergy loss has the highest effect. Similarly, the most influential environmental parameter on thermal exergy loss is solar radiation, with a determination coefficient of 80%.
Validity of the Spurling test in the diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy: A systematic review
Authors: Wang Ting , Wang Ting
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND: Cervical radiculopathy (CR) is a common clinical presentation. The Spurling test is a commonly used provocative test for diagnosing cervical radiculopathy. Various diagnostic accuracy studies on the validity of the Spurling test have demonstrated high specificity but variable sensitivity.OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to find an evidence-based explanation for the variation in sensitivity of the Spurling test to assess the value of the Spurling test for clinical practice.STUDY DESIGN: A review of studies on the diagnostic validity of the Spurling test was conducted. The study sample comprised eight diagnostic accuracy studies of the Spurling test.OUTCOME MEASURES: Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios are presented.METHODS: A literature search of MEDLINE, EMBAS and PubMed was conducted through April 2022. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated by Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS).RESULTS: Eight diagnostic accuracy studies were selected, showing high specificity ranging from 74% to 98.5%, and the sensitivity varied from 14.7% to 95%. Studies that recruited surgical candidates showed a higher sensitivity, ranging from 92% to 95%. Studies that adopted the modified Spurling test maneuvres (incorporating neck extension, head rotation, and lateral neck bending) revealed a slightly higher sensitivity than those using only the lateral neck bending maneuvre. The inherent flaws of the reference standards may have altered the validity of the Spurling test.CONCLUSIONS: The value of the studies on the validity of the Spurling test has been undermined by multiple areas causing bias, such as patient spectrum difference, index test interpretation controversy, and a lack of gold reference standards. Spurling test use in clinical practice should be combined with patient history, careful selection of different Spurling variants, and other provocative tests to increase the diagnostic accuracy. Large-sample-size and well-validated studies on the accuracy of the Spurling test in diagnosing cervical radiculopathy are needed.
Vortioxetine hydrobromide inhibits the growth of gastric cancer cells in vivo and in vitro by targeting JAK2 and SRC
Authors: Liu Kangdong , Li Mingzhu , Duan Lina , Wu Wenjie , Li Wenjing , Zhao Lili , Li Ang , Lu Xuebo , He Xinyu , Dong Zigang , Jiang Yanan
Published: May 2022

Gastric cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed in the advanced stage, and inadequate therapeutic strategies and the high recurrence rate leads to the poor 5-year survival rate. Therefore, effective chemoprevention drugs for gastric cancer are urgently needed. Repurposing clinical drugs is an effective strategy for cancer chemoprevention. In this study, we found vortioxetine hydrobromide, an FDA-approved drug, is a dual JAK2/SRC inhibitor, and has inhibitory effects on cell proliferation of gastric cancer. Computational docking analysis, pull-down assay, cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and in vitro kinase assays were used to illustrate whether vortioxetine hydrobromide directly bound to JAK2 and SRC kinases and inhibited their kinase activities. The results of non-reducing SDS-PAGE and Western blotting indicated that vortioxetine hydrobromide suppressed STAT3 dimerization, nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity. Furthermore, vortioxetine hydrobromide inhibited the cell proliferation dependent on JAK2 and SRC gene expression and suppressed the growth of gastric cancer PDX model in vivo. These data demonstrated that vortioxetine hydrobromide, as a novel dual JAK2/SRC inhibitor, curbed the growth of gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo by JAK2/SRC-STAT3 signaling pathways. It highlights that vortioxetine hydrobromide has the potential application in the chemoprevention of gastric cancer.
Use of Theatresports to Promote Positive Education Among Youth Participants
Authors: Chan Gloria Hongyee , Lo T.Wing , Fung Johnny S.C.
Published: May 2022

This study examined the application of theatresports to promote positive education in youth work settings, with the overall objective of fostering young people’s all-round development. To this end, qualitative research was conducted with 92 participants in a theatresports program. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the participants’ feelings about the program. Overall, the participants perceived the program positively. They acquired various capabilities, including skills that were interpersonal (e.g., social) and intrapersonal (e.g., self-reflection, problem-solving, multi-perspective thinking). They also achieved a positive identity, received peer support, and developed a sense of belonging to the program. Among the implications of the program, practitioners should provide additional support to consolidate participants’ experience and thereby maximize their personal growth.
GediNET- Discover Disease-Disease Gene Associations utilizing Knowledge-based Machine Learning
Authors: Yousef Malik , Qumsiyeh Emma
Published: May 2022

Most gene expression studies aim to discover genes associated with specific diseases. The standard approaches based on machine learning utilize several feature selection techniques to identify significant genes that can serve as biomarkers for a given disease. In recent times, the integration of prior knowledge-based approaches for biomarker identification has shown much promise in discovering several biomarkers, thus allowing scope for an increase in translational applications. In this study, we developed a novel approach GediNET that integrates prior biological knowledge about genes associated with diseases like cancer to group genes into groups. The novelty of GediNet is that it discovers disease-disease gene associations within groups rather than disease-gene associations. These groups are later subject to a Scoring component for performing group selections rather than single feature selection. The top-ranked groups are used to train the machine learning model. The process of Grouping and Scoring using the (G-S-M) model is then applied to discover groups of disease genes or biomarkers for a specific disease. One of the outputs of the suggested tool GediNET is a list of significant groups of diseases that combine their associated genes can contribute to developing biomarkers and drugs. GediNET identifies the relationships between diseases, Disease–disease association (DDA) based machine learning, which explores novel associations of diseases that enhance knowledge of disease relationships, which could further improve approaches to disease diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. The GediNET Knime workflow can be downloaded from: https://github.com/malikyousef/GediNET.git or https://kni.me/w/3kH1SQV_mMUsMTS- .
Resilience of females to acute blood-brain barrier damage and anxiety behavior following mild blast traumatic brain injury
Authors: Hubbard Brad , Velmurugan Gopal V. , Brown Emily , Sullivan Patrick G.
Published: May 2022

Low-level blast exposure can result in neurological impairment for military personnel. Currently, there is a lack of experimental data using sex as a biological variable in neurovascular outcomes following blast exposure. To model mild blast traumatic brain injury (mbTBI), male and female rats were exposed to a single 11psi static peak overpressure blast wave using the McMillan blast device and cohorts were then euthanized at 6h, 24h, 7d, and 14d post-blast followed by isolation of the amygdala. After mbTBI, animals experience immediate bradycardia, although no changes in oxygen saturation levels or acute weight loss. Male mbTBI animals displayed significantly higher levels of anxiety-like behavior (open field and elevated plus maze) compared to male sham groups; however, there was no anxiety phenotype in female mbTBI animals. Blast-induced neurovascular damage was explored by measuring expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins (zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), occludin and claudin-5), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and astrocyte end-feet coverage around the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Western blot analysis demonstrates that TJ protein levels were significantly decreased at 6h and 24h post-mbTBI in male rats, but not in female rats, compared to sham. Female animals have decreased GFAP at 6h post-mbTBI while male animals display decreased GFAP expression at 24h post-mbTBI. By 7d post-mbTBI, there were no significant differences in TJ or GFAP levels between groups in either sex. At 24h post-mbTBI, vascular integrity and astrocytic end-feet coverage around the BBB was significantly decreased in males following mbTBI. These results demonstrate that loss of GFAP expression may be due to astrocytic damage at the BBB. Our findings also demonstrate sex differences in acute vascular and behavioral outcomes after single mbTBI. Female animals display a lack of BBB pathology after mbTBI corresponding to improved acute neuropsychological outcomes as compared to male animals.
Dueling dynamics: competition between detachment rupture, splay faults, & off-fault damage
Authors: Biemiller James , Gabriel Alice-Agnes , Ulrich Thomas
Published: May 2022

High-resolution observations show that large earthquakes commonly involve slip on multiple faults along with localized and distributed inelastic off-fault damage. Despite a lack of modern large earthquakes on shallowly dipping detachments, Holocene Mw>7 detachment ruptures are preserved in the paleoseismic record and inferred from historical accounts of such earthquakes and resulting tsunamis. Even in well-recorded megathrust earthquakes, the effects of non-linear off-fault plasticity and dynamically reactivated splay faults on shallow deformation and surface displacements, and thus hazard, remain elusive. Here, we develop geologically, geodetically and geophysically constrained 3D dynamic rupture models of the active Mai’iu fault in Papua New Guinea that highlight how multiple dynamic shallow deformation mechanisms compete in large detachment earthquakes. We show that splay faults in the detachment’s hanging wall are likely to rupture coseismically, with more slip expected on splays that dip at shallow angles synthetic to the detachment. Inelastic off-fault yielding in the hanging wall localizes into subplanar shear bands indicative of newly initiated splay faulting, most prominently above detachments with thick sedimentary basins in their hanging walls. Dynamic splay faulting and sediment failure limit shallow detachment rupture, modulating coseismic subsidence patterns, near-shore slip velocities, and the seismic and tsunami hazards posed by detachment earthquakes.
Heterogeneous scene matching based on gradient direction distribution field
Authors: Li Qingge , Lu Ruitao , Yang Xiaogang , Wang Siyu , Shen Tong , Xia Wenxin , Wei Zhaoying
Published: May 2022

Heterogenous scene matching is one of the key technologies in the field of computer vision. The image rotation problem has been a hot and difficult problem in the field of heterogenous scene matching. In this paper, a heterogenous scene matching method based on the gradient direction distribution field is proposed. The Distributed field theory is introduced into the heterogenous scene matching for the first time. First, the gradient direction distribution field is constructed and fuzzified, and then the effective regions are selected. Then, the concept of main direction distribution field is defined to solve the matching errors due to the existence of rotational transformations between heterogeneous source images. Third, the Chi-square distance is introduced as a similarity measure. At last, the hill-climbing method search strategy is adopted, which greatly improves the efficiency of the algorithm. Experimental results on 8 pairs of infrared and visible heterogenous images demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the other state-of-the-art region-based matching methods in terms of robustness, accuracy and real-time performance.
Scene Recognition with Objectness, Attribute and Category Learning
Authors: Zhang Ji , Ainam Jean-Paul , Zhao Li-hui , Song Wenai , Wang Xin
Published: May 2022

Scene classification has established itself as a challenging research problem. Compared to images of individual objects, scene images could be much more semantically complex and abstract. Their difference mainly lies in the level of granularity of recognition. Yet, image recognition serves as a key pillar for the good performance of scene recognition as the knowledge attained from object images can be used for accurate recognition of scenes. The existing scene recognition methods only take the category label of the scene into consideration. However, we find that the contextual information that contains detailed local descriptions are also beneficial in allowing the scene recognition model to be more discriminative. In this paper, we aim to improve scene recognition using attribute and category label information encoded in objects. Based on the complementarity of attribute and category labels, we propose a Multi-task Attribute-Scene Recognition (MASR) network which learns a category embedding and at the same time predicts scene attributes. Attribute acquisition and object annotation are tedious and time consuming tasks. We tackle the problem by proposing a partially supervised annotation strategy in which human intervention is significantly reduced. The strategy provides a much more cost-effective solution to real world scenarios, and requires considerably less annotation efforts. Moreover, we re-weight the attribute predictions considering the level of importance indicated by the object detected scores. Using the proposed method, we efficiently annotate attribute labels for four large-scale datasets, and systematically investigate how scene and attribute recognition benefit from each other. The experimental results demonstrate that MASR learns a more discriminative representation and achieves competitive recognition performance compared to the state-of-the-art methods.
Biofilms preserve the transmissibility of a multi-drug resistance plasmid
Authors: Top Eva , Metzger Genevieve , Ridenhour Benjamin , France Michael , Gliniewicz Karol , Millstein Jack , Settles Matthew L. , Forney Larry , Stalder Thibault
Published: May 2022

Self-transmissible multidrug resistance (MDR) plasmids are a major health concern because they can spread antibiotic resistance to pathogens. Even though most pathogens form biofilms, little is known about how MDR plasmids persist and evolve in biofilms. We hypothesize that (i) biofilms act as refugia of MDR plasmids by retaining them in the absence of antibiotics longer than well-mixed planktonic populations, and that (ii) the evolutionary trajectories that account for the improvement of plasmid persistence over time differ between biofilms and planktonic populations. In this study, we evolved Acinetobacter baumannii with an MDR plasmid in biofilm and planktonic populations with and without antibiotic selection. In the absence of selection biofilm populations were better able to maintain the MDR plasmid than planktonic populations. In planktonic populations plasmid persistence improved rapidly but was accompanied by a loss of genes required for the horizonal transfer of plasmids. In contrast, in biofilms most plasmids retained their transfer genes, but on average plasmid persistence improved less over time. Our results showed that biofilms can act as refugia of MDR plasmids and favor the horizontal mode of plasmid transfer, which has important implications for the spread of MDR.
Research on the influencing factors of vaginal cuff dehiscence after Laparoscopic hysterectomy
Authors: Shi Yao , Wang Lan-ying , Han Ke-ping , Wang Qi-qin , Wang Si-yuan , Huang Chun-fang
Published: May 2022

Objective: To explore the influencing factors of vaginal cuff dehiscence after laparoscopic hysterectomy. Methods: From January 2015 to December 2021, the clinical data of patients who had vaginal cuff dehiscence after laparoscopic hysterectomy in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively, univariately, and multivariately Logistic regression was used to analyze the high-risk factors of vaginal cuff dehiscence. Results: Among 1459 cases with laparoscopic hysterectomy, there were 9 cases with vaginal cuff dehiscence after the operation, with an incidence of 0.617%. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative hemoglobin value, vaginal cuff suture method, and postoperative first sexual lifetime were related to vaginal cuff dehiscence after laparoscopic hysterectomy (P < 0.05). Preoperative hemoglobin value of <90g/L and time interval between postoperative first sexual life and operation <3months were independent risk factors for vaginal cuff dehiscence after laparoscopic hysterectomy (P < 0.05), according to multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: Postoperative hemoglobin correction ≥90g/L and the time interval between postoperative first sexual life and operation ≥ 3months can reduce the occurrence of vaginal cuff dehiscence after laparoscopic hysterectomy.
The joint effect of sleep disorders, initiating sleep and exercise frequency on the risk of coronary heart disease in Chinese urban elderly
Authors: Lin Jiujing , Yao Huichen , Li Jia , Hou Chenyang , Song Xia , An Kang , Tian Shoufeng , Li Xiaoliang , Wang Yun , Guo Qing , Liu Weihua , Zhao Hengxia , He Jinjie , Hou Qingzhi
Published: May 2022

Background: Sleep quality and exercise frequency are closely associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). Few studies focused on the joint effect of initiating sleep, sleep disorders and exercise frequency on the risk of CHD in elderly. Based on Boshan Elderly Cohort Study (BSECS), we explored the sleep quality, exercise frequency and their joint effects on the risk of CHD.Methods: We collected 678 participants whose age ≥60 years old from Boshan district hospital. We used Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to evaluate the sleep quality, and obtained physical examination information from hospital.Results: Compared with non-CHD group, CHD patients spent more time in initiating sleep (time≥60mins, 34.59% vs 22.93%, P=0.025), and less time in exercising(exercise frequency<1times/week, 23.90% vs 17.15%, P=0.024). In multiple logistic regression analysis, sleep latency ≥ 60 mins were associated with CHD risk (adjusted OR=1.82; 95%CI: 1.16, 2.86; P=0.010). The adjusted OR (95%CI) of CHD was 2.24 (1.16, 4.34) for sleep duration <5 hours vs 5 - 9 hours. Compared with exercise frequency <1 times/week, the adjusted OR for exercise frequency ≥ 1 times/week was 0.66 (95% CI: 0.44, 0.98; P=0.037). In addition, the joint effects of long sleep latency (≥ 60 mins) and sleep disorders were associated with CHD (adjusted OR=3.29; 95%CI: 1.35,7.98; P=0.009), and the joint effect of exercise frequency ≥ 1 times/week and good initiating sleep were also associated with CHD, the adjusted OR (95%CI) was 0.39 (0.20, 0.77).Conclusions: Long sleep latency, high frequency of initiating sleep difficulty, sleep disorders and short sleep duration were positively associated with CHD. In addition, the joint effect of long sleep latency and sleep disorders were positively correlated with CHD incident, however, the joint effect of exercise frequency ≥ 1times/week and good initiating sleep were negatively associated with the risk of CHD.
Effect of local endometrial injury in Follicular vs. luteal phase on implantation and pregnancy outcomes of Frozen Embryo Transfer Cycles in women with repeated in vitro fertilization failure.A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Kashani Ladan , parsaiyan zahra
Published: May 2022

Introduction
:recurrent implantation failure(RIF)refers to failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after transferring at least four good quality embryos in a minimum of three fresh or frozen cycles.Endometrial scratch is the newly proposed surgical strategy to improve endometrial receptivity;the healing process following scratch may release cytokines and growth factors which encourage endometrial growth and facilitates implantation.Timing of this procedure is a point that may lead to different outcomes.This study compares follicular versus luteal phase injury due to their different molecular patterns on the outcome of embryo transfer in RIF patients.
Study design:
This study is a double blinded randomized clinical trial.Patients came into infertility clinic of Arash women’s hospital in years2017and2018are divided into two groups. In one group injury was done with pipelle at4th-6thday of frozen embryo transferring cycle(n = 38)and in the other one it was done at21th- 23thday of the cycle before the FET (n = 40).Then the infertility rates were compared.
Results
Totally29(41.4%)chemical pregnancies happened,15(51.7%)of them was in follicular group and14(48.3%)in luteal group.28(40%)clinical pregnancies happened totally which were equal in both groups(14 in each one).Ongoing pregnancies happened in 22(31.4%)patients that12(54.5%)of them were in follicular and the other10(45.5%)were in luteal group.
Conclusion
According to this study,local endometrial injury by pipelle didn’t show any significant differences in both groups pregnancy outcomes.But in the follicular group the IVF cycle time period is decreased and therefore the psychological burden of long time required for luteal phase LEI will decrease and is more acceptable for patients,maybe it’s better to do LEI in follicular phase;more studies with larger sample sizes recommended.
Hypoxia induces chemoresistance to proteasome inhibitors through orchestrating deSUMOylation and ubiquitination of SRC-3 in multiple myeloma
Authors: Liu zhiqiang , Guo Jing , Lv Yangyang , Wang Sheng , Peng Ziyi , Xie Ying , Wang Yixuan , Jiang Hongmei , Li Xin , Wang Qimeng , Hu Meilin , Mu Jiangpeng , Wang Jingya , Xie Yangyang , Cheng Xiankui , Zhao Zhigang
Published: May 2022

The bone marrow microenvironment where multiple myeloma (MM) originated is hypoxic and an important stimulus for initiation of drug resistance to chemotherapies, but the underlying mechanisms and key regulators are still indistinct. In the current study, we found that hypoxia stimulus easily induced chemoresistance to proteasome inhibitors (PIs) but not to other chemicals, and the steroid receptor coactivator 3 (SRC-3) expression was remarkably augmented at posttranslational level. Protein interactome analysis identified SENP1 as a key modifier of SRC-3 stability, as deSUMOylation by SENP1 attenuated the K11-linked polyubiquitination of SRC-3. Depletion of SENP1 in MM cells by CRISPR/cas9 sgRNA, or in SENP1fl/flCD19Cre/+ B cells, accelerated the degradation of SRC-3, and overcame the resistance to PIs at vast scale, which phenotype was similar to administration of SENP1inhibitor Momordin Ιc (Mc) in the Vk*Myc and 5TGM1 mouse models and patient derived xenograft (PDX) of myeloma. Importantly, SENP1 level was positively correlated with SRC-3 level in the tissues from refractory/relapsed MM, as well as in xenograft tissues from mice treated with bortezomib and Mc. Taken together, our findings suggest that hypoxia induced SENP1 is a crucial regulator of chemoresistance to PIs, and shed light on developing therapeutic strategies to overcome chemoresistance by using small molecules targeting SENP1 or SRC-3.
Daytime napping and the risk of liver cancer in the context of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine: a large population-based prospective cohort study
Authors: Arafa Ahmed , Eshak Ehab S. , Shirai Kokoro , Muraki Isao , Tamakoshi Akiko , Iso Hiroyasu
Published: May 2022

Background: Liver cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Japan and worldwide, that can be prevented by controlling its risk factors. On the other hand, daytime napping is a common behavior, especially among older adults, that was related in previous literature to unfavorable health conditions, including cancer. Thus, investigating whether daytime napping could be associated with liver cancer risk for possible preventive interventions and identifying populations at risk to personalize such interventions are essential. We, therefore, used the framework of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine to study the association between daytime napping and liver cancer risk among the general population of Japan. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, data of 51,185 participants, aged 40-79 years, and registered in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study (JACC Study) were analyzed. Incident cases of liver cancer were diagnosed using cancer registries, hospital records, and death certificates. Daytime napping was assessed using the JACC baseline self-administered questionnaire. We used the Cox regression to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of incident liver cancer among participants in the age categories of the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s who reported daytime napping compared with their counterparts who did not. Results: Within 669,734 person-years of follow-up, 341 participants developed liver cancer. Daytime napping was associated with the increased risk of liver cancer among participants who were in their 60s and 70s of age after adjusting for sex: HRs (95% CIs) 1.88 (1.35, 2.61) and 1.96 (1.18, 3.26), lifestyle and medical history: 1.76 (1.27, 2.47) and 1.82 (1.07, 3.09), and history of liver diseases: 1.66 (1.18, 2.34) and 1.72 (1.01, 2.94), respectively. No associations were detected among participants from the 40s and 50s age groups. The association did not significantly differ between men and women (p- interaction= 0.775). Sensitivity analyses by excluding participants with a positive history of liver disease and those who reported short or long sleep duration did not materially affect the results. Conclusions: Daytime napping was associated with the increased risk of liver cancer among Japanese older adults. For liver cancer risk prevention, older adults should be advised against daytime napping.
Microglia remodelling and neuroinflammation parallel neuronal hyperactivation following acute organophosphate poisoning
Authors: Somkhit Julie , Yanicostas Constantin , Soussi-Yanicostas Nadia
Published: May 2022

Background
Organophosphate (OP) compounds include highly toxic chemicals widely used both as pesticides and as warfare nerve agents. Existing countermeasures are lifesaving but do not alleviate all long-term neurological sequelae, making OP poisoning a public health concern worldwide and the search for fully efficient antidotes an urgent need. OPs cause irreversible acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, inducing the so-called cholinergic syndrome characterized by peripheral manifestations and seizures associated with permanent psychomotor deficits. Besides immediate neurotoxicity, recent data have also identified neuroinflammation and microglia activation as two processes that likely play an important, albeit poorly understood, role in the physiopathology of OP intoxication and its long-term consequences.
Methods
To gain insight into the response of microglia to OP poisoning, we used a previously described model of diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) intoxication of zebrafish larvae. This model reproduces almost all the defects seen in poisoned humans and preclinical models, including AChE inhibition, neuronal epileptiform hyperexcitation and increased neuronal death. Here, we investigated in vivo the consequences of acute DFP exposure on microglia morphology and behaviour, and on the expression of a set of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. We also used a genetic method of microglial ablation to evaluate the role in the OP-induced neuropathology.
Results
We first showed that DFP intoxication rapidly induced deep microglial phenotypic remodelling resembling that seen in M1-type activated macrophages and characterized by an amoeboid morphology, reduced branching, and increased mobility. DFP intoxication also caused massive expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines Il1β and Il8, and, to a lesser extent, immuno-modulatory cytokine Il4, suggesting complex microglial reprogramming that included neuroinflammatory activities. Last, microglia-depleted larvae were instrumental in showing that microglia were major actors in DFP-induced neuroinflammation, and, more importantly, that OP-induced neuronal hyperactivation was markedly reduced in larvae fully devoid of microglia.
Conclusions
DFP poisoning rapidly triggered massive microglia-mediated neuroinflammation probably as a result of DFP-induced neuronal hyperexcitation, which in turn further exacerbated neuronal activation. Microglia are thus a relevant therapeutic target and identifying substances reducing microglial activation could add efficacy to existing OP antidote cocktails.
ToxR is a c-di-GMP binding protein that modulates surface-associated behaviour in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Camara Miguel , Dubern Jean , Romero Manuel , Mai-Prochnow Anne , Messina Marco , Trampari Eleftheria , Gijzel Hardeep Naghra-van , Chan Kok-Gan , Carabelli Alessandro , Barraud Nicolas , Lazenby James , Chen Ye , Robertson Shaun , Malone Jacob , Williams Paul , Heeb Stephan
Published: May 2022

Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses multiple protein regulators that work in tandem to control the production of a wide range of virulence factors and facilitate rapid adaptation to diverse environmental conditions. In this opportunistic pathogen, ToxR was known to positively regulate the production of the major virulence factor exotoxin A and now, through analysis of genetic changes between two sublines of P. aeruginosa PAO1 and functional complementation of swarming, we have identified a previously unknown role of ToxR in surface-associated motility in P. aeruginosa. Further analysis revealed that ToxR had an impact on swarming motility by regulating the Rhl quorum sensing system and subsequent production of rhamnolipid surfactants. Additionally, ToxR was found to tightly bind cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) and negatively affect traits controlled by this second messenger including reducing biofilm formation and the expression of Psl and Pel exopolysaccharides, necessary for attachment and sessile communities’ matrix scaffolding, in P. aeruginosa. Moreover, a link between the post-transcriptional regulator RsmA and toxR expression via the alternative sigma factor PvdS, induced under iron-limiting conditions, is established. This study reveals the importance of ToxR in a novel sophisticated regulation of free-living and biofilm-associated lifestyles, appropriate for establishing acute or chronic P. aeruginosa infections.
Modeling the effect of feed gas perturbation on CO2 removal using potassium glycinate in a membrane contactor
Authors: Ghasem Nayef
Published: May 2022

Gaseous-solvent membrane absorption process is a smart approach for removing impurities such as CO2 present in natural gas, flue gas, and biogas into aqueous solvents. Potassium glycinate solvent has better CO2 absorption performance compared to traditional solvents. However, hollow fiber membrane design has limitations, as the presence of the membrane adds additional resistance to mass transfer compared to conventional solvent absorption. To reduce the effect of this additional resistance, it is necessary to increase the mass transfer in the gas and solvent phase boundary layers. This study aims to increase the mass transfer in the gas phase layer without interfering with membrane structure by oscillating the velocity of the feed gas. Consequently, an unsteady state mathematical model was developed and solved using Comsol Multiphysics. The simulation results reveal an optimal oscillation frequency that enables high CO2 removal to be achieved. Under specific operating conditions and without feeding disturbance, the maximum removal rate was about 30%. Applying a feed gas oscillation frequency of 0.05 Hz doubles this to about 70% for CO2 removal.
Biodegradation of the Cyanotoxin Cylindrospermopsin using Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus and Alcaligenes faecalis
Authors: Peduruarachchi H.T , Y Liyanage G. , Idroos F.S. , Ekanayake E. M. , Manage P.M.
Published: May 2022

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is one of the most prevalent cyanotoxins, which has the potential to inhibit protein synthesis posesing a risk to human health. Conventional water treatment procedures such as flocculation, coagulation, and heating at 100°C will not completely remove CYN due to its heat stability. Hence, contamination of water sources with CYN creates a challenge to provide safe drinking water. The present study focused on the biodegradation of CYN employing four bacterial strains: Bacillus cereus-Y, Bacillus cereus-S, Micrococcus luteus, and Alcaligenes faecalis, which had previously been identified from water sources for degrading toxins, textile dyes, and hydrocarbons. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was carried out to study the CYN degradation kinetic studies to identify the best CYN degrader. The study showed that Bacillus cereus-S degraded 29.75 ± 0.24% of the 5.0ppm concentration of CYN after 14 days of incubation, while the other bacterial strains showed significantly low degradation rates (< 11%). Further, kinetic studies revealed that the B. cereus-S degrade three different initial concentrations of CYN: 1.0ppm, 2.5ppm, and 5.0ppm, with removal percentages of 39.06 ± 2.43%, 34.22 ± 1.25%, and 26.35 ± 0.40%, respectively, after 14 days of incubation. For 1.0ppm, 2.5ppm, and 5.0ppm CYN concentrations, the maximum rates of degradation were recorded on the 6th (0.0479 ± 0.0017ppm/day), 8th (0.0402 ± 0.009ppm/day), and 12th (0.0202 ± 0.012ppm/day) days of incubation, respectively. The findings of the study revealed that as the initial CYN concentration decreases, the rate of degradation increases. Compared to the previous literature, the current study shows Bacillus cereus-S, an excellent candidate with degradation capabilities of various CYN concentrations.