bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abaloparatide and teriparatide enhance mandibular growth in adolescent rats with site- specific effects
Authors: Wang Ruyi , Qiao Hui , Qian Yuran , Zhen Gehua , Li Yu
Published: May 2022

Aims
Teriparatide (TPTD) and abaloparatide (ABL) are two osteoanabolic drugs targeting PTH1R signaling. This study aimed to investigate the effects of TPTD and ABL on adolescent mandibular growth.
Method
Seventy 4-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into 14 groups, treated with intermittent TPDT or ABL at various doses, accompanied by mandibular advancement (MA) or not. 3D printing was used to fabricate an innovative splint for MA. After 4-week treatment, morphological measurement, histological and immunohistochemical analysis were performed. Mandibular condylar chondrocytes (MCCs) were treated with TPTD or ABL, followed by CCK-8 assay, alcian blue staining, RT-PCR and immunofluorescent staining.
Result
In vivo, TPTD or ABL alone increased the condylar length and cartilage thickness, with up-regulated SOX9 and COL II, whilst down-regulated COL X; however, when combined with MA, the promotive effects were attenuated. TPTD or ABL alone increased the mandibular body height and mandibular angle width, whilst increased the mandibular body length and alveolar bone width when combined with MA. In vitro, TPTD or ABL enhanced the MCC proliferation, glycosaminoglycan synthesis, COL II and SOX9 expression, whilst down-regulated COL X, Ihh and PTH1R expression.
Conclusion
Abaloparatide or teriparatide alone increases the mandibular condylar length and cartilage thickness, mandibular body height and mandibular angle width. When combined with MA, they also increase the mandibular body length and alveolar bone width. In general, ABL seems more potent than TPTD.
Clinical Relevance:
Abaloparatide or teriparatide may be potential drugs for growth modification of the mandible, combined with functional appliance treatment or not.
Intraventricular Superatentorial AT/RT in pediatrics : a case report and literature review
Authors: Namer Thana , Alotaibi Maryam , Alhammad Othman
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs) are rare highly malignant and rapidly growing tumors usually seen in the posterior fossa in children and less commonly supratentorial compartment. Intraventricular location is considered even more scarce. The authors report a case of ATRT originating from the lateral ventricle in a child and did a literature review Methodology: To investigate for previous reports of an atypical tertatoid and rhaboid tumors located in the lateral ventricle in children, we performed a literature search that yielded 19 results. These articles were screened for cases of primary supratentorial intraventriuclar AT/RTs.Result: The literature search led to the identification of 11 articles including 11 patients. Herein, the authors present the 12th case of AT/RT in a 5 yr old who presented with vomiting and generalized tonic clonic seizures. Computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging showed heterogeneous huge mass within the left lateral ventricle with central area of hemorrhage and necrosis . The patient underwent Emergency left frontal craniotomy with complete removal of the tumor. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of AT/RTConclusion: The results of a literature search suggest that a ATRT arising in the lateral ventricle is quit rare. These cases emphasize on the necessity of considering AT/RT in the list of differential diagnosis of supratentorial intraventricular tumors in pediatrics. The prognosis of this particular subtype is still poor.
The Power of Big Data Mining to Improve the Health care System in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Alhajaj Khawla Eissa , Moonesar Immanuel Azaad
Published: May 2022

Context Collecting and analyzing data has become crucial for many sectors, including the health care sector, where a hefty amount of data is generated daily. Over time, the amount and complexity of this data increase substantially. Consequently, it is considered as big data that cannot be stored or analyzed conveniently unless advanced technologies are incorporated. Latest advances in technology have divulged new opportunities to use big data analysis to track a patient’s record and their health. Still, it has also posed new challenges in maintaining data privacy and security in the healthcare sector.Purpose This study aims to determine the importance of big data and health informatics in the health care sector and to identify the opportunities related to big data mining in health care. Furthermore, the study focuses on various challenges posed by big data mining in the health care system and explores the tools and technologies for securely harvesting big data in this sector. Methods The research follows the methodology of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) for reporting the reviews and evaluating the randomized trials. Furthermore, to evaluate each article in terms of quality, the Critical Appraisal Checklist for PRISMA 2009 was applied for the research.Findings The study concludes that the healthcare systems in the UAE can be improved through the use of big data; however, the authorities within the UAE must acknowledge that the development of efficient frameworks for the performance and quality assessment of the new health care system is significant. The said goal can be achieved via the integration of big data and health informatics with the help of IT specialists, health care managers and stakeholders.Contribution to KnowledgeBy discussing numerous issues and presenting solutions linked with big data, the current study makes a substantial contribution to the knowledge of big data and its integration into health care systems in the UAE.
Irony detection in patients with borderline personality disorder: an experimental study examining schizotypal traits, response biases and empathy
Authors: Felsenheimer Anne Katrin , Kieckhäfer Carolin , Rapp Alexander Michael
Published: May 2022

Background: In verbal irony we often convey meanings that oppose the literal words. To look behind these words, we need to integrate perspectives of ourselves, others, and their beliefs about us. Although patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience problems in social cognition and schizotypal symptoms, research on irony comprehension mainly focused on the schizophrenic spectrum. Accounting for possible negative biases in BPD, the current study examined the detection of praising and critical irony in a text message interface. Methods: The cross-sectional study included 30 patients and 30 matched controls, who completed measures of cognitive and affective empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index, IRI), schizotypal (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire; SPQ), and borderline symptoms (Borderline Symptom List; BSL-23) and the irony detection task. The irony task contained critical and praising remarks embedded in a text message interface. Asking for literality (ironic vs. literal) and intention ratings (critical to praising) of the stimuli, it allowed to analyze the sensitivity of literality detection as well as implicit and explicit response biases in a signal detection framework.Results: Borderline symptoms explained lower sensitivity for the detection of literal and ironic statements across groups. While HC showed a negativity bias on an implicit level, BPD perceived praising remarks less praising when explicitly asked, but no difference on critical remarks. Neither empathy, nor schizotypy explained any outcomes. Conclusions: This was the first study to show lower detection of verbal irony in patients with BPD. While patients were less biased and more neutral in implicit measurements of perceived intention, they perceived praising remarks as less positive on explicit measurements. Results stress the potential resource of non-verbal therapies to establish an appreciating therapeutical environment and contribute to difficulties in self-other distinction in BPD.
Attitudes about involvement in hypothetical clinical trial protocols in Mexican and Mexican-American at-risk for autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Reyes Angélica Zuno , Matute Esmeralda , Enstrom Karin , Withers Mellissa , Rodriguez-Agudelo Yaneth , Raman Rema , Ringman John M.
Published: May 2022

Background: The enrollment into clinical trials of persons at risk for autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease in whom the onset of disease can be accurately predicted facilitates the interpretation of outcomes. Attitudes toward involvement in such studies are biased by intrinsic cultural and social characteristics. Our objective was to study how demographic factors such as country of residence, age, sex, schooling, parenthood, and urbanization affect attitudes towards participation in hypothetical clinical trials in Mexican families at risk for ADAD living either in Mexico or in the United States.Methods: Participants were 74 members of different families known to harbor an ADAD mutation living in Mexico (n = 50) or in the United States (n = 24). Participants were asked, in a written questionnaire, their interest in participating in four hypothetical clinical trial scenarios of increasing perceived invasiveness. The questionnaire then asked about their willingness should there be a 50% chance of being assigned to a placebo group. The influences of demographic variables on decisions were performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum for continuous variables and Fisher’s exact for categorical variables. Results: For each hypothetical study, there are differentiated trends in the desire to participate. In general, participants who live in Mexico, who have or plan to have children, who do not attend or do not plan to attend school, and who live in rural areas gave more positive responses regarding their willingness to participate. The 50% chance of being in a placebo group increased willingness to participate for family members living in Mexico. The main reason for participation was to help future generations, while the main reasons for refusal were not wanting to undergo genetic testing and consideration of adverse effects. Conclusions: We found a higher level of willingness to participate in clinical trials among persons living in rural Mexico and our data suggest that altruism towards future generations is a major motivating factor, though this was balanced against concerns regarding side effects. Our results emphasize the importance of sharing information and assessing its understanding in potential participants with diverse backgrounds in the nature of ADAD, and regarding the design of clinical trials prior to their enrollment in such studies.
Effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine in elementary and middle schools: A 10-year follow-up investigation
Authors: Kajiume Teruyuki , Mukai Sumera , Toyota Nobutaka , Kanazawa Ikuo , Kato Akiko , Akimoto Etsushi , Shirakawa Toshio
Published: May 2022

Background: Influenza spreads from schools to the rest of the society. Thus, we conducted questionnaire surveys of influenza vaccination in elementary and middle schools, in a district, for 10 years, to determine immunization rates and infection conditions among students that were potential sources of infection at home. Methods: The questionnaire- based survey on influenza vaccine administration, influenza infection, and influenza types contracted, as well as influenza immunization history, was conducted in 10 seasons over a period of 10 years. Results: Results indicate that, in elementary schools, vaccination was associated with lower morbidity in most years, whereas in middle schools, morbidity increased among students who were vaccinated every year. Our study did not find consistent trends among faculty and staff. In addition, we found that morbidity was significantly higher among elementary (P<.001) and middle (P<.05) school students who had been vaccinated since infancy. Conclusion: These results suggest that vaccinating infants for influenza may increase the risk of contracting influenza later, and thus, the influenza vaccination recommendation for infants should be reconsidered.
Monitoring of telomere dynamics in peripheral blood leukocytes in relation to colorectal cancer patients' outcomes
Authors: Tomasova Kristyna , Kroupa Michal , Zinkova Alzbeta , Korabecna Marie , Vymetalkova Veronika , Skrobanek Pavel , Sojka Ladislav , Levy Miroslav , Hemminki Kari , Liska Vaclav , Hosek Petr , Kumar Rajiv , Vodickova Ludmila , Vodicka Pavel
Published: May 2022

We investigated the possible associations between leukocyte telomere length, therapy outcomes, and clinicopathological features in patients with colorectal cancer. Aditionally, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression was evaluated.Telomere length was measured using singleplex qPCR in 478 consecutive leukocyte DNA samples from 198 patients. Blood was drawn at diagnosis prior to any therapy, and then at 6-month intervals for 18 months.Following diagnosis, the telomeres gradually shortened during the course of the treatment regardless of the patient's age. The most pronounced decrease was observed 12 months after the diagnosis (p < 0.0001). Based on tumor localization, the decrease in telomere length one year after the diagnosis followed different trajectories (p = 0.03). In patients treated with adjuvant therapy, telomere length was correlated with the time elapsed after completion of therapy (p = 0.03). TERT expression did not correlate with the telomere length; however, it was higher in women than men (1.35-fold, 95% CI 1.11–1.65, p = 0.003) and in smokers than non-smokers (1.27-fold, 95% CI 1.01–1.61, p = 0.04).Leukocyte telomere length declines naturally during aging, but the accelerated shortening observed in our patients was age-independent. Telomere length manifestly reflected chemotherapy impact and could be linked to therapy toxicity.
Rabies intervention in Tanzania: An innovative animal vaccination model to train One Health focused student workforces to control and eliminate rabies
Authors: Sambo Maganga , Mahiti Gladys R. , Mohamed Hussein , Bernard Jubilate , Coetzer Andre , Felix Albert K , Kakoko Deodatus , Kimboka Juma E , Mtui-Malamsha Niwael , Mbunde Mourice V , Ngou Athanas A , Nanai Alphoncina , Nonga Hezron Emmanuel , Saidi Khadija , Samson Richard , Sanga Valentina , Mdeg Robinson , Nel Louis H , Fasina Folorunso O. , Killewo Japhet
Published: May 2022

Background: Every year at least 59,000 people are estimated to die from rabies and more than 10 million are treated with post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Over 99% of human rabies deaths occur in developing countries due to bites from domestic dogs. Large-scale mass dog vaccination programs can control dog rabies and, if sustained, can eliminate dog-mediated rabies. However, there has been very little investment in mass dog vaccination against rabies in sub-Saharan Africa, largely due to limited human and financial resources. To overcome this limitation, we piloted the delivery of synchronized dog vaccinations using a temporary workforce of university students. Fifty university students from Sokoine University of Agriculture and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences were selected to deliver dog vaccinations throughout the Kisarawe district in Tanzania in May 2021. We analysed the vaccination coverage achieved and the cost per dog vaccinated in delivering dog vaccinations using the university students compared to the traditional delivery. Results: A total of 1,457 dogs and 242 cats were vaccinated across 48 villages in the Kisarawe district of Tanzania over the course of five days. The overall cost in delivering mass dog vaccinations was estimated at US$ 28,990 equating to approximately US$19.90 per vaccinated dog. Post-vaccination transects were conducted in all 48 villages where dog vaccinations were implemented, counting 387 dogs. Of these, 54% dogs (N=210) were vaccinated against rabies, 67% (N=258) were free-roaming dogs and 72% of dogs encountered were adult (N=277). The overall district-level mean vaccination coverage was estimated to be 54.3% (CI 49.3% - 59.6). Conclusions: We demonstrated that using university students as a One Health workforce is effective in accelerating the countries’ efforts to meet the global target of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies by 2030.
Comparison of Proprioception Recovery Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using an Artificial Graft Versus an Autograft
Authors: Xu Changli , Liu Tianze , Wang Miao , Liu Chang , Li Bo , Lian Qiujian , Chen Tongjiang , Chen Fengmei , Qiao Suchi , Wang Zhiwei
Published: May 2022

Background
To compare proprioception recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with an autograft (hamstring tendon) versus the artificial Ligament Advanced Reinforcement System (LARS).
Material and Methods
Forty patients (9 women, 31 men) with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture were enrolled in this prospective study. Patients were randomized to two groups, ACLR using a hamstring autograft or artificial LARS, with similar patient numbers per group. Proprioception was assessed with joint position sense (JPS) at 45° and 75° flexions, with the contralateral healthy knee as a control.
Results
Proprioception loss as measured by JPS deficit in both groups 3 months after ACLR (e.g., at 45° flexion, 2.81 ± 1.41 vs. 2.16 ± 0.85) was significantly higher than that at 12 months (1.87 ± 0.96 vs. 1.65 ± 0.73) (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference in proprioception loss was detected between the LARS and autograft groups at either 3 or 12 months after ACLR. Analyzing JPS deficit data showed a statistically significant difference between the groups at 3 months, but not at 12 months, after ACLR. Patients receiving the graft within 1 year of injury had a lower proprioception deficit than those receiving the graft more than 1 year after injury (e.g., at 45° flexion, 1.76 ± 0.72 vs. 3.15 ± 1.05). No complications were associated with either ACLR method.
Conclusion
ACLR with an autograft or LARS artificial graft rupture is similarly safe and effective for recovering knee proprioception, which may be primarily related to compensation by the articular capsule, muscle, and other soft tissue.
Development and evaluation of an Explainable Prediction Model for Chronic Kidney Disease Patients based on Ensemble Trees
Authors: Moreno-Sanchez Pedro A.
Published: May 2022

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), which implies premature mortality if diagnosed late, is currently experiencing a globally increasing incidence and high cost to health systems. Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows discovering subtle patterns in CKD indicators to contribute to an early diagnosis. In addition, eXplainable AI (XAI) meets the clinicians’ requirement of understanding AI models’ output when patients’ life is eventually affected by the AI algorithms’ decision. This work presents the development and evaluation of an explainable prediction model that would support clinicians in the early diagnosis of CKD patients. The model development is based on a data management pipeline that detects the optimal combination, in terms of classification performance, of ensemble trees algorithms with features selected. The main contribution of the paper involves an explainability-driven approach that allows selecting the best prediction model maintaining a balance between accuracy and explainability that provide quantitative information about the effect of the features selected on the probability of having CKD. Therefore, the most balanced explainable prediction model implements an extreme gradient boosting classifier using 3 features (hemoglobin, specific gravity, and hypertension) that achieves an accuracy of 99.2% and 97.5% with a 5-fold cross-validation and with new unseen data respectively. In addition, an analysis of the model´s explainability shows that hemoglobin is the most relevant feature that influences the prediction results of the model, followed by specific gravity and hypertension. This small number of features selected results in a reduced cost of the early diagnosis of CKD implying a promising solution for developing countries.
Effect of posaconazole on the concentration of intravenous and oral cyclosporine in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Zhu Li-E , Huang Hui-Ping , Cai Yi-Peng , Wang Yan , Xu Bao-Hua , Liu Mao-Bai , Wu Xue-Mei
Published: May 2022

Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the interactions between posaconazole (POS) and intravenously/orally administered Cyclosporine A (CsA) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients.
Methods
We included 118 allogeneic HSCT patients who received CsA and POS simultaneously between January 2017 and June 2020 this study. The ratio of CsA blood concentration (ng/mL) to dosage (mg/day) (C/D) before and after POS initiation was compared.
Results
After the initiation of POS, the level of CsA increased 1 to 2 times in 66% (78/118) of patients compared to those without POS. However, the CsA C/D ratio increased by more than threefold in 6% (7/118) of patients after POS initiation, with an increase of more than fourfold in two patients. The median C/D ratio of CsA increased from 0.89 to 1.23 (P < 0.001) and 0.78 to 1.22 (P < 0.001) after POS initiation when CsA was administered intravenously and orally, respectively. In patients who received POS at the time of transition from intravenous to oral CsA, the value increased from 1.01 to 1.38 (P = 0.001). The route of administration had no significant effect on the change in the CsA C/D ratio (P = 0.615). Additionally, we observed the time required for the C/D ratio to reach a plateau after POS initiation was similar on days 13, 8, and 15 under various scenarios.
Conclusion
POS treatment increased blood CsA levels. A large variability was found in the fold-change in the CsA C/D ratio. Therefore, CsA doses should be adjusted by closely monitoring the blood levels of CsA after POS initiation.
Can medical face masks be replaced by reusable community face masks with similar performance ? Impact of washing parameters on bacterial filtration efficiency and breathability.
Authors: Whyte Henrietta Essie , Joubert Aurélie , Leclerc Lara , Sarry Gwendoline , Verhoeven Paul , Coq Laurence Le , Pourchez Jérémie
Published: May 2022

The influence of the number of wash cycles, the wash temperature and the use of detergent was evaluated on the performance of one medical face masks (MFM) and ten community face masks (CFM). The performance of the new and washed masks was characterized from the bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) and the differential pressure (DP). The tests on the new masks showed that the MFM had always better BFE than CFMs. Although two of the CFMs showed a BFE value exceeding 95%, only one can be classified as type I MFM based on both BFE and DP requirements. The influence of the washing parameters was investigated on the MFM and these two CMFs with excellent BFE properties. The parameters had no effect on the BFE of CFMs whilst the MFM exhibited a loss in efficiency when washed with detergent as a result of the loss of electrostatic charges on the meltblown layer. The DP of masks were not impacted by the washing. The results clearly show that even though a compromise has to be made between the BFE and breathability, it seems possible to manufacture CFMs with performances similar to a type I MFM, without being able to achieve type II requirements.
Real-time single-pixel imaging using a system on a chip field-programmable gate array
Authors: Hoshi Ikuo , Shimobaba Tomoyoshi , Kakue Takashi , Ito Tomoyoshi
Published: May 2022

Unlike conventional imaging, the single-pixel imaging technique uses a single-element detector, which enables high sensitivity, broad wavelength, and noise robustness imaging. However, it has several challenges, particularly requiring extensive computations for image reconstruction with high image quality.Therefore, high-performance computers are required for real-time reconstruction with higher image quality. In this study, we developed a compact dedicated computer for single-pixel imaging using a system on a chip field-programmable gate array (FPGA), which enables real-time reconstruction at 40 frames per second with an image size of 128 × 128 pixels. An FPGA circuit was implemented with the proposed reconstruction algorithm to obtain higher image quality by introducing encoding mask pattern optimization. The dedicated computer can accelerate the reconstruction 10 times faster than a recent CPU. Because it is very compact compared with typical computers, it can expand the application of single-pixel imaging to the Internet of Things and outdoor applications.
Preclinical Assessment of Synergistic Efficacy of MELK and CDKs inhibitors in Adrenocortical Cancer
Authors: LAHA DIPRANJAN , Grant Robert , Mishra Prachi , Boufraqech Myriem , Shen Min , Zhang Ya-Qin , Hall Matthew D. , Quezado Martha , De Melo Michelly Sampaio , Rivero Jaydira Del , Zeiger Martha , Nilubol Naris
Published: May 2022

Background
Adrenocortical cancer (ACC) is a rare and aggressive cancer with dismal 5-year survival due to a lack of effective treatments. We aimed to identify a new effective combination of drugs and investigated their synergistic efficacy in ACC preclinical models.
Methods
A quantitative high-throughput drug screening of 4,991 compounds was performed on two ACC cell lines, SW13 and NCI-H295R, based on antiproliferative effect and caspase-3/7 activity. The top candidate drugs were pairwise combined to identify the most potent combinations. The synergistic efficacy of the selected inhibitors was tested on tumorigenic phenotypes, such as cell proliferation, migration, invasion, spheroid formation, and clonogenicity with appropriate mechanistic validation by cell cycle and apoptotic assays and protein expression of the involved molecules. We tested the efficacy of the drug combination in mice with luciferase-tagged human ACC xenografts. To study the mRNA expression of target molecules in ACC and their clinical correlations, we analyzed the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas.
Results
We chose the maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) inhibitor(OTS167) and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor(RGB-286638) because of their potent synergy from the pairwise drug combination matrices derived from the top 30 single drugs. Multiple publicly available databases demonstrated overexpression of MELK, CDK1/2, and partnering cyclins mRNA in ACC, which were independently associated with mortality and other adverse clinical features. The drug combination demonstrated a synergistic antiproliferative effect on ACC cells. Compared to the single-agent treatment groups, the combination treatment increased G2/M arrest, caspase-dependent apoptosis, reduced cyclins A2, B1, B2, and E2 expression, and decreased cell migration and invasion with reduced vimentin. Moreover, the combination effectively decreased Foxhead Box M1, Axin2, glycogen synthase beta, and β-catenin. A reduction in p-stathmin from the combination treatment destabilized microtubule assembly by tubulin depolymerization. The drug combination treatment in mice with human ACC xenografts resulted in a significantly lower tumor burden than those treated with single-agents and vehicle control group.
Conclusions
Our preclinical study revealed a novel synergistic combination of OTS167 and RGB-286638 in ACC that effectively targetsmultiple molecules associated with ACC aggressiveness. A phase Ib/II clinical trial in patients with advanced ACC is therefore warranted.
Clarifying major risk factors in suicide attempts by subjects with drug overdose using machine learning: A retrospective study
Authors: Okamoto Naomichi , Ikenouchi Atsuko , Igata Ryohei , Watanabe Keita , Yoshimura Reiji
Published: May 2022

Background: Suicidal attempts by psychotic drug overdose are a common reason for the emergency ward consultation. The epidemiology of suicide and the psychiatric perspective has been well studied; however, the investigation of the frequency and direction of the patients’ background factors and their associations was not studied adequately. The present study aims to examine the concurrent occurrence of one event with another in background factors of patients with suicide attempts because of drug overdose by the machine learning method. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study using electronic medical record information. Patients who attempted suicide from January 2015 to April 2018 were enrolled in the study. Extracted from disease names, out of 143 suicide cases, patients, who attempted suicide through other means, such as wrist cutting, hanging, and jumping, were excluded, and 101 patients who overdosed on psychotic drugs were included in the study. We assessed participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics by the SAD PERSONS scale and used association rules analysis. Results: The results showed that a depressive state, social support lacking, and no spouse were frequently associated with the other factors. Conclusions: These results suggest that core factors, including depressive state, social support lacking, and no spouse, are essential risk factors, but combined with several other influencing factors, could contribute to the suicidal attempt by drug overdose.
Guanylate binding protein 2b contributes to M1 macrophage polarization during Mycobacterium bovis infection
Authors: Yu Youli , Liu Mengting , Pan Jialiang , Tao Lei , Xue Feng , Tang Fang , Wang Hongsheng , Dai Jianjun , Shan Yuping
Published: May 2022

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the macrophage phenotype switch from M0 to M1 is critical in the clearance of intracellular mycobacteria during Mycobacterium bovis infection. In this study, the entire gene expression profiles of M1 bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) induced by interferon-gamma and lipopolysaccharide, M2 BMDMs induced by interleukin (IL) - 4 and IL-13, M0 BMDMs, and M0 BMDMs after 6 h of infection with M. bovis were subjected to bioinformatics analysis. Forty-eight candidate genes associated with M. bovis infection and involved in M1 polarized macrophages were screened. Thirteen hub genes were subsequently identified based on connectivity degree analysis and multiple external validations. Among these hub genes, Guanylate binding protein 2b (GBP2b) was selected as a key gene for further investigation. In vivo validation results showed significant expression of GBP2b in the tissues of M. bovis -infected mice. For in vitro validation, the RAW264.7 cell line was transfected with GBP2b-specific small interfering RNA and GBP2b plasmid expression vector. Cellular experimental studies confirm that GBP2b was a novel regulatory molecule that promotes M1 macrophage polarization during M. bovis infection and was also an antimicrobial protein that promotes intracellular bacterial clearance. Furthermore, gene co-expression analysis and further experiments showed that GBP2b regulates M1 polarization through activation of Toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-κBp65 protein. These findings expand the understanding of GBP2b for the regulation of inflammatory responses and suggest that GBP2b may be a potential target for the treatment of diseases caused by M. bovis.
Clinical characteristics and associated factors of pediatric acute disseminated encephalomyelitis patients with MOG antibodies: a retrospective study in Hangzhou, China
Authors: Shen Jue , Jiang Tiejia , Gao Feng , Jiang Kewen
Published: May 2022

Background: To investigate the clinical characteristics and associated factors of pediatric acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) patients positive for anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies.Methods: This retrospective study included pediatric ADEM patients who underwent serum MOG antibody detection from May 2017 to August 2020. The patients were divided into two groups: those with (MOG+, n=35) and without (MOG−, n=50) anti-MOG antibodies in the serum. Our study analyzed the clinical characteristics of MOG-IgG-positive ADEM pediatric patients and conducted a comparative analysis between the two groups.Results: Thirty-five MOG-IgG-positive ADEM patients (21 males and 14 females) with encephalopathy, multifocal neurological symptoms, and typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities were enrolled. They usually had a favorable outcome, while some suffered from relapse. Compared to the ADEM patients without MOG antibodies, MOG-IgG-positive ADEM patients suffered from a longer disease duration (median: 10 vs. 6 days), more meningeal involvement (31.4% vs. 8%) and frontal lobe involvement (82.8% vs. 68%), higher relapse rates (14.3% vs. 2%), lower serum tumor necrosis factor (1-12.4 pg/ml, median 1.7 vs. 1-34 pg/ml, median 2.2) and interferon-gamma (1-9.4 pg/ml, median 1.3 vs. 1-64 pg/ml, median 3) (all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that a longer disease duration, meningeal involvement, and frontal lobe involvement were associated factors for ADEM patients with MOG antibodies (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Our findings provide clinical evidence that a longer disease duration, meningeal involvement, and frontal lobe involvement are associated with pediatric MOG-IgG-positive ADEM.
Comparison of polynomial and machine learning regression models to predict LDPE, PET, and ABS concentrations in beach sediment based on spectral reflectance
Authors: Huda Faisal Raiyan , Richard Florina Stephanie , Rahman Ishraq , Hua Clarence Tay Yuen , Wanwen Christabel Anfield Sim , Müller Moritz
Published: May 2022

Microplastic (MP) contamination on land has been estimated to be 32 times higher than in the oceans, however, despite most MPs potentially found in soils there is a distinct lack of research on soil MPs compared to marine MPs. Beaches are bridges between land and ocean and present equally understudied sites of microplastic pollution. Visible-near-infrared (vis-NIR) has been applied successfully for the measurement of reflectance and prediction of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) concentrations in soil. The rapidity and precision associated with this method make vis-NIR particularly promising. The present study explores two novel data processing approaches in this field. First, using a spectroradiometer, the spectral reflectance data was measured from treated beach sediment spiked with virgin microplastic pellets (LDPE, PET, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)). The concentration of spiked microplastics in the treated sediment was increased sequentially. Using the recorded spectral data, polynomial regression and machine learning-based regression methods were applied and predictive models developed for each microplastic. Both methods generated models of good accuracy with R2 values greater than 0.7, root mean squared error (RMSE) values less than 3 and standard deviation (SD) < 0.06. Additionally, the optimum wavelengths of each microplastic for their detection in the beach sediment were found to be similar by both the methods in the used vis-NIR spectrum (325 nm – 1075 nm), indicating a higher vis-NIR spectrum range is not required for detection. This study is the first assessing predictive abilities of models created by polynomial regression and machine learning algorithms for soil microplastic contamination and another step towards standardizing the quantification of microplastics in soil samples using vis-NIR spectroscopy.
How do symptoms of each joint contribute to global pain, disease activity and functional disability in rheumatoid arthritis? -a comprehensive association study using a large cohort
Authors: Umemoto Akio , Ito Hiromu , Azukizawa Masayuki , Murata Koichi , Tanaka Masao , Fujii Takayuki , Onishi Akira , Onizawa Hideo , Ishie Shinichiro , Murakami Akinori , Nishitani Kohei , Murakami Kosaku , Yoshitomi Hiroyuki , Hashimoto Motomu , Morinobu Akio , Matsuda Shuichi
Published: May 2022

Background: Established assessment tools for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), including disease activity scores (DASs), disease activity indices (DAIs), visual analog scales (VASs), and health assessment questionnaires (HAQs), are widely used. However, comparative associations between joint involvement and disease status assessment tools have rarely been investigated.Methods: We included a dataset of 4016 patients from a large RA cohort from 2012 to 2019. The tenderness and swelling of each joint were counted as a symptom, with 70 and 68 affected joints throughout the body, respectively. The relative contribution of various joints to the disease status assessment tools, VAS scores, and functional disability indexes was analyzed using multiple regression analysis.Results: Upper extremity joints contributed more than the lower extremity joints, except the knee, toward disease assessment. Additionally, larger joints contributed more than the smaller joints overall, but the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints made significant contributions to DASs and DAIs. Further, the ankle played a minor but important role in most assessment tools, especially in HAQs.Conclusions: Larger joints and the joints in the upper extremity contribute more to disease status, VAS score, and functional disability. However, each joint makes a unique contribution to these assessment tools.
IGF2BP3 stabilizes AGAP2-AS1 through m6A and mediates the miR-9-5p/THBS2/PI3K- Akt pathway to promote macrophage M2 polarization in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Feng Jia-fu , Chen Xi , Zeng Jia-wei , Wang Yao-dong , Xie Gang , Yang Wen-yu , Zhang Bin , Li Xiao-han , Wang Jun
Published: May 2022

Objective
Increasing evidence highlights the potential role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the biological behaviors of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Here, we explored the mechanism of IGF2BP3 in the occurrence and development of clear cell RCC (ccRCC) involving AGAP2-AS1/miR-9-5p/THBS2.
Methods
The expressions of IGF2BP3, AGAP2-AS1, miR-9-5p, and THBS2 and the relationship among them were analyzed by bioinformatics. Their expressions were also verified in ccRCC clinical samples and cells. The m6A modification of AGAP2-AS1 was analyzed with RIP. The effect of IGF2BP3 on the stability of AGAP2-AS1 was detected by RNA half-life test. The binding of AGAP2-AS1 and miR-9-5p was measured by RNA-pull-down and their co-localization was assessed with FISH. The targeting relationship between AGAP2-AS1 and miR-9-5p, and, between miR-9-5p and THBS2 was evaluated by dual luciferase reporter assay. Cell viability by CCK-8, proliferation by EdU, invasion by Transwell, and migration by wound healing assay were further performed. Macrophage markers were analyzed real-time PCR, Western blot, and flow cytometry. Finally, we tested the effect of IGF2BP3 on ccRCC tumor formation in xenograft tumors.
Results
The results of RIP and half-life indicated that IGF2BP3 was modified by m6A to stabilize AGAP2-AS1. AGAP2-AS1 was highly expressed in ccRCC tissues and cells. Lentivirus mediated intervention of AGAP2-AS1 in RCC cells significantly affected cell proliferation, invasion and migration and led to M2 polarization of macrophages. In addition, THBS2 promoted M2 polarization of macrophages by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. AGAP2-AS1 could directly bind with miR-9-5p and promote the expression of THBS2 downstream of miR-9-5p. These results were further verified by in vivo experiments with xenograft tumors.
Conclusion
IGF2BP3 stabilizes the expression of AGAP2-AS1 through m6A, and competitively binds to miR-9-5p to up-regulate THBS2, thereby activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and inducing macrophage M2 polarization to promote the occurrence and development of RCC.
Conversion of Lavandula distilled straws into high-quality solid fuel: effect of hydrothermal carbonization conditions on fuel characteristics
Authors: Li Xin , Baran Sumeyra Seniha , Orange François , Bonjour Erik , Jame Patrick , Mija Alice , Lomench Claire , Kuzhir Pavel , Hurel Charlotte
Published: May 2022

Lavandin hydrochars obtained by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of Lavandula distilled straw (LDS) have been studied as an eco-friendly and economical valorization route of residual biomass from cosmetic industry into solid fuels. The critical parameters of the HTC process (temperature and retention time) were normalized to severity factor (SF). Proximate and ultimate analysis, microscopy and thermal analysis were used to characterize hydrochars surface, combustion behavior and kinetics as a function of SF, and to compare them with those of the raw lavandin sample. Results showed that preparation of lavandin hydrochars in temperature and retention time conditions providing SF close to 6 seemed to be the best compromise since under these conditions, the combustion performance of the hydrochar was close to the bituminous coal and lignite.
Ultrasensitive carbon monoxide sensor based on asilver grating coated by single layer of palladiumchloride at room temperature
Authors: Song Gang , Yang Hao , Wang Song , Duan Gaoyan , Lang Peilin , Hu Yanzhu , Zhang Xiao
Published: May 2022

We introduce a sensitive carbon monoxide(CO) sensor based on alayer of palladium chloride dihydrate PdCl2 · 2H2O (PCD) which can work atroom temperature. The core part of the sensor is a plasmonic grating coatedwith PCD. When the CO molecules hit on PCD which will change into palladium (Pd), the reflectivity of the grating will change a lot. First-principlescalculations and finite-difference time-domain methods are employed to calculate the dielectric constant of PCD and the reflection spectra, respectively. Ourresults show that The maximum difference of the reflection spectra betweenbefore and after reactions (∆R = RPCD - RPd) reaches to 20% times as themaximum of the reflection spectrum in certain conditions. According to ourcalculations, CO can be easily detected, when the concentration of CO is aslow as 2.2×10-3ppm. Our proposed structure is quite useful and has potentialapplications in safety productions, food safeties and other fields
Copper sulfate and cupric citrate supplementation improves growth performance, nutrient utilization, antioxidant capacity and intestinal microbiota of broilers
Authors: Wu Xuezhuang , Zhou Yahao , Lu Zhentao , Wen Aiyou , Zhu Mingxia , Jiang Qingkui
Published: May 2022

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of copper sulfate and cupric citrate on growth performance, nutrient utilization, antioxidant capacity and intestinal microbiota of broilers. A total of 360 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly divided into 5 groups with 6 replicates in each group and 15 broilers per replicate. Broilers in the control group were fed a basal diet, and animals in other four groups were fed basal diets supplemented with 2 sources (copper sulfate and cupric citrate) and 2 levels (50 and 100 mg/kg dry matter). The experiment lasted for 42 days. The results showed that dietary cupric citrate supplementation increased the average daily gain (P = 0.0313). The average daily feed intake and feed gain ratio, however, were not affected by dietary copper sulfate or cupric citrate (P > 0.10). Additionally, dietary copper sulfate or cupric citrate supplementation increased the digestibility of crude protein (P = 0.0554) and energy (P = 0.0191). For intestinal microflora, dietary cupric citrate supplementation decreased the concentration of Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli (P < 0.05) in the ileal digesta or cecal digesta. In addition, dietary Cu supplementation increased the pH in duodenum (P = 0.0008) and jejunum (P = 0.0589). The activities of serum Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (P = 0.0899), and ceruloplasmin (P = 0.0269) were increased by Cu addition. The present study demonstrated cupric citrate fed to broilers has a positive effect on growth and nutrient utilization. Our results also show that moderately high Cu in the diet increases the pH in duodenum and jejunum, and reduced the concentration of Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli in the ileal digesta or cecal digesta.
An integrated pan-cancer analysis of ALKBH5 as an immunological and prognostic biomarker Running title: ALKBH5 as a biomarker in pan-cancer
Authors: Xiang Xiaohong , Shi Doudou
Published: May 2022

Background: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the internal chemical modification of organism mRNA and participates in various biological processes in cancers. Studies have shown that m6A can be cleared by ALKBH5 (alkB homolog 5), indicating that it may play important functions. Therefore, we intend to conduct a comprehensive analysis of ALKBH5 from a pan-cancer perspective to clarify its role in cancers. Methods: Differently expression of ALKBH5 was performed by ‘edger’ package. Cox Univariate and log-rank analysis were used to evaluate the prognosis of ALKBH5. The correlation between ALKBH5 expression and immune cell infiltration, tumor microenvironment, copy number variations, tumor mutational burden, neoantigen, homologous recombination deficiency and microsatellite instability, methyltransferases and stemness scores were analyzed respectively via Pearson or Spearman analysis. ESTIMATE, stromal and immune scores were evaluated through ‘ESTIMATE’ package and tumor mutational burden was calculated by ‘maftools’ package.Results: We found that ALKBH5 was differentially expressed and important for prognosis in some cancers. Also, we found that the expression of ALKBH5 had a significant correlation with immune cell infiltration, tumor microenvironment, copy number variations, tumor mutational burden, neoantigen, homologous recombination deficiency and microsatellite instability in various common cancers. Further, the ALKBH5 expression significantly correlated with the expression of methyltransferases and stemness scores in various cancers.Conclusions: Our research showed that ALKBH5 plays a pivotal role in several cancers and can be a novel immunological and prognostic biomarker, indicating its role as a target of immunotherapy.
Trends of healthcare utilization during COVID-19 in an Egyptian university hospital: a special emphasis on oncology patients’ services
Authors: Kandil Sahar Khalil
Published: May 2022

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has reduced healthcare utilization worldwide and no sufficient studies were published from resource-limited countries. This study aimed to quantify and characterize the changes in service utilization within years 2020–2021 in one of the Egyptian university hospitals, with special emphasis on oncology services. Methods: Data were longitudinally collected for various services and categorized as for all-hospital patients and for oncology patients. Percentage reduction was calculated compared to year 2019. Results: For all-hospital patients, the overall utilization reduced by –23.2% in 2020 and –3.6% in 2021. Also, emergency room visits were reduced (–22.7% in 2020; –17.5% in 2021). For oncology patients, greater reduction was recorded in overall services (–43.7% in 2020; –37.4% in 2021). Reduction, that showed fluctuation according to COVID-19 waves in Egypt, was larger in diagnostic (–44.8% in 2020; –45.4% in 2021) and screening services (–71.2% in 2020; –58.2% in 2021) than therapeutic (–36.2% in 2020; –31.4% in 2021). Despite its much reduction in 2020 (–31.5%), surgeries were the fastest to approach its pre-pandemic level (–1.4%) in 2021. Still lagging services were admissions, outpatient visits, radiotherapy, diagnostics, and screening. Conclusion: With marked utilization reduction, a higher disease burden, stage migration, and premature death is anticipated. Reduction of emergency visits may raise questions for redefining what constitutes an “actual” emergency; or conversely, whether late presentations and/or preventable deaths have occurred. Preparation for, and evaluation of the impact of such experience are needed from policy/decision makers and researchers as well.