bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neanderthal socioeconomic behaviour based on taphonomic and zooarchaeological study of the Mousterian site of Arrillor (Álava, Basque Country, Spain).
Authors: ROMERO Antonio J. , FERNÁNDEZ-LOMANA J. Carlos DÍEZ , ARCEREDILLO Diego , DE BURUAGA Andoni SÁENZ
Published: November 2022

Arrillor (Murua, Álava) is an archeological site on the southeast of Mount Gorbea. The cave is characterized by an extensive archaeological sequence belonging to middle Palaeolithic. This work presents the taphonomic and zooarchaeological study of 11 stratigraphic levels that contain faunal remains. We have identified an ensemble of levels included in three principal stratigraphic complexes. These stratigraphic complexes showed distinct sedimentary and archaeological characteristics. The inequality of bone remains is striking, both in the number of remains and in the nature of their taxa. Ungulates preponderates thoroughly the ensemble and carnivores are usually rare. Human were the main taphonomic agent and other predator actuation on bones is unusual. Throughout the sequence, Neanderthals hunted mainly ungulates from wood, grassland and rocky biotopes. Musterian people were effective hunters and young and adult deer was the favourite prey, but they also practised sporadic scavenging. Hunting tactics conducted by these groups show a big variability throughout the sequence, from waiting for hunting by lonely individuals to the exploitation of herds during heat. Neanderthal communities overcame climate and environmental changes by transferring the orography of their food acquisition activities.
WITHDRAWN: CBD in orofacial pain and TMD - a literature review
Authors: Walczyńska-Dragon Karolina , Nitecka-Buchta Aleksandra , Baron Stefan
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and orofacial pain present therapeutic challenges. Interest in the use of CBD-based medications has outpaced the knowledge of its efficacy and safety in treating TMD. The objective of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of CBD-based medications in individuals with TMD.
Materials and Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Scopus databases were examined. The search was filtered to include only papers published from 2007 to 2022. The main question was asked: Can CBD/Cannabis play an important role in the therapy of orofacial pain and TMD?
Results: After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria and analyzing the abstracts, 31 articles were finally selected.
Conclusions: CBD should be taken into consideration in the therapy of masticatory muscles in patients with TMD and orofacial pain. Further research is needed for CBD administration.
Children’s Well-Being Post the Pandemic and Amid the Economic Crisis in Lebanon
Authors: Nasr Ramona , Haddad Chadia , Raidan Nada , Ibrahim Sara Abou , Swaidan Eman , Karam Joanne
Published: November 2022

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus in 2020 prompted schools to shift their classes from a physical learning environment to an online one to implement measures of social distancing to limit the spread of the pandemic. This disruption negatively influenced the social interaction of children and their well-being. In Lebanon, the situation was further exacerbated due to the severe economic crisis that had and still has obvious negative effects on the well-being of children. This study aims to investigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the economic crisis on the mental health of Lebanese children aged 5 to 14 years old and to assess their well-being in a post-pandemic world.
Method: A quantitative research design was adopted, and the validated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to collect data. 966 responses were collected, among which 627 parental reports and 339 teacher reports. Descriptive analysis was conducted for categorical variables and continuous measures. Means were compared using the independent-sample t-test and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Pearson correlation test was used to evaluate the association between continuous variables. And a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was conducted to compare the total SDQ difficulties score and sub-scores between the teacher and parents.
Results: 34% of the study population are categorized as abnormal and 14.9% as borderline according to the SDQ score, and an expansion of mental health problems among these children is indicated. The study reveals that the most common mental health problems identified among these children are respectively conduct problems, peer, emotional, and hyperactivity problems, and prosocial problems. The main factors impacting the high rates of mental health problems among Lebanese children are gender, parental control, lack of discipline, poor-quality education background, parenting problems, low family income, physical defects among children, and the political situation of the country.
Conclusion: This study highlights the necessity of promoting mental health awareness among parents and teachers and adopting intervention and prevention measures to help children in Lebanon deal with mental health challenges caused by the pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis.
Efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous catheter drainage in severe acute pancreatitis and selection of application timing
Authors: Lu Ting , Fan Qingmin , Wang Jie , Wan Xiaojing , Xu Chunfang , Dong Fenglin
Published: November 2022

Background: Percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) has been widely used in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), but there is still no consensus on when to perform PCD. This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of PCD in the treatment of SAP with acute accumulation and assessed the impact of the choice of PCD timing on the outcome and complications of patients with SAP.Methods: A total of 99 patients diagnosed with SAP accompanied with acute accumulation from 2017.04 to 2022.04 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were included and divided into PCD group (50 cases) and conservative treatment group (49 cases) according to whether they received PCD treatment. The basic information, length of hospital stay, recovery time of laboratory indicators, occurrence of complications, and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. The PCD group was further divided into the early PCD group (<2 weeks, 37 cases) and the late PCD group (>2 weeks, 13 cases) according to the time of PCD, and the information mentioned above of the two groups were compared.Results: Compared with the conservative treatment group, the PCD group had significantly shorter recovery time of blood amylase, duration of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (P<0.05), significantly lower incidence rates of complications and mortality (P<0.05). The early PCD group had significantly shorter length of hospital stay and significantly lower incidence of complications than the late PCD group (P < 0.05).Conclusion: PCD is safe and effective in the treatment of SAP and can improve the prognosis of patients. Early PCD is more likely to shorten patients' hospital stay and reduce complications.
Kb-Ks tephra found in lake sediments in the Jeokjung-Chogye Basin, which was formed by a meteorite impact, and its geological implications
Authors: Shin Seungwon , Lee Jin-Young , Hong S.S. , Kim C.-B. , Lim Hyoun S. , Nahm W.H.
Published: November 2022

It was recently reported that a Quaternary basin in southeastern Korea was formed by a meteorite impact, and a 12-cm-thick tephra layer was found in lake sediments in this basin. In this study, we analyzed the geochemical composition and refractive index of glass shards to identify the unknown tephra. Based on both results, this tephra was identified as Kb-Ks tephra that erupted in the Kyushu area, Japan, approximately 520 ka. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Kb-Ks tephra in terrestrial sediments in the Korean Peninsula. These findings indicate that the depositional age of the lake sediments is much older than previously suspected (ca. 63 ka), and that the meteorite impact occurred before 520 ka. Although more detailed studies are needed, the discovery of Kb-Ks tephra provides important information concerning the paleoclimate during the middle Pleistocene, as well as the prediction of volcanic hazards in the Korean Peninsula.
KBeagle: An Adaptive Strategy and Tool for Improvement of Imputation Accuracy and Computing Efficiency
Authors: Wang Jiabo , Qin Jie , Liu Xinrui , Liu Yaxin , Wei Peng , Kangzhu Yixi , Zhong Jincheng
Published: November 2022

With the development of molecular biology and genetics, deep sequencing technology has become the main way to discover genetic variation and reveal the molecular structure of genome. Due to the complexity of the whole genome segment structure, a large number of missing genotypes have appeared after sequencing, and these missing genotypes can be imputed by genotype imputation method. With the in-depth study of genotype imputation methods, computational intensive and computationally efficient imputation software come into being. Beagle software, as an efficient imputation software, is widely used because of its advantages of low memory consumption, fast running speed and relatively high imputation accuracy. K-Means clustering can divide individuals with similar population structure into a class, so that individuals in the same class can share longer haplotype fragments. Therefore, combining K-Means clustering algorithm with Beagle software can improve the interpolation accuracy. The Beagle and KBeagle method was used to compare the imputation efficiency. The KBeagle method presents a higher imputation matching rate and a shorter computing time. In the genome selection and heritability estimated section, the genotype dataset after imputed, unimputed, and with real genotype show similar prediction accuracy. However the estimated heritability using genotype dataset after imputed is closer to the estimation by the dataset with real genotype. We generated a compounds and efficient imputation method, which presents valuable resource for improvement of imputation accuracy and computing time. We envisage the application of KBeagle will be focus on the livestock sequencing study under strong genetic structure.
Right-Side Shift of Colorectal Cancer in Trinidad &Tobago: Correcting the Record
Authors: Cawich Shamir O. , Muddeen Alyssa , Barrow Mikhail , Capildeo Kavi D. , Bhim Nazreen , Barrow Shaheeba
Published: November 2022

Purpose: Previously published epidemiologic data from Trinidad & Tobago suggested that left-sided colorectal cancer (CRC) was more common, but accepted, standardized definitions for CRC laterality were not used. We carried out this study to collect data from patients with CRC in Trinidad & Tobago in order to determine anatomic site using standardized definitions.
Methods: We carried out a retrospective audit of hospital records for all patients with CRC over a 10-year period from January 1, 2011 to January 30, 2021. Standardized definitions were used to classify CRC laterality: Right-sided CRC was defined as those that arose in the cecum, ascending colon, hepatic flexure and/or transverse colon. Left-sided primaries were defined as those that originated from the splenic flexure, descending colon and/or sigmoid colon. The following data were extracted: laterality, gender, age and ethnicity. Descriptive statistical analyses were generated with SPSS version 21.
Results: The records of 326 patients with CRC were examined in this study. There was a predominance of right-sided (43%) over left sided primaries. There was a statistically significant relationship between right sided CRC and female gender (58.2% vs 41.8%; P=0.00168), black ethnicity (60.2% vs 38.6%; P=0.0076) and younger age (60.9 vs 65.9 years; P=0.00028).
Conclusions: There is a predominance of right-sided CRC in this eastern Caribbean nation, significantly associated with younger age, female gender and black ethnicity.
The Role of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System in Analyzing Climate Change in the Mesopotamian Marchlands, Iraq
Authors: Khalid Nazar Jameel , Farajzadeh Manuchehr
Published: November 2022

The world's most essential natural environmental resources are the wetlands. Therefore, in Iraq, the Mesopotamia marshes are considered as the utmost significant swamplands worldwide. They are situated in the massive water meadow of Rivers Tigris and Euphrates in the lower basin of Mesopotamia. In this paper there will be a thoughtful study for the effect of climate and microclimate changing on these Marshes. Since, remote sensing tends to be the most effective approach as it is less costly and consumes fewer time, the Advanced, Very High-Resolution Radiometer is found in polar-orbiting ecological satellites to estimate NDVI the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. Essentially, two ethereal stations located on sensor NOAA was conducted on three different marshes in the study area. A time-series observation of the AVHRR/NDVI for the period 1982-2017 of the three marshes enumerated the vagaries in the ecosystem to help determine hydrology and vegetation. The water system in Iraq is experiencing significant challenges, thus increasing concerns about the Mesopotamian marshes that have been sustaining the region for thousands of years that are likely to disappear soon.
Emotional brain activation across the menstrual cycle in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and associations to serum levels of progesterone-derived neurosteroids
Authors: Stiernman Louise , Dubol Manon , Comasco Erika , Sundström-Poromaa Inger , Boraxbekk Carl-Johan , Johansson Maja , Bixo Marie
Published: November 2022

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a debilitating disorder characterized by severe mood symptoms in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Allopregnanolone (ALLO), a GABAA-modulating progesterone metabolite, is hypothesized to contribute to the development of PMDD symptoms. On the other hand, the endogenous 3\(\beta\)-epimer of ALLO, isoallopregnanolone (ISO), has been shown to alleviate PMDD symptoms through its selective inhibitory modulation of the ALLO effect. There is preliminary evidence showing altered recruitment of brain regions during emotional processing in PMDD, but whether there is some relation to ALLO or ISO is unknown. In the present study, women with PMDD and asymptomatic controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the mid-follicular and the late-luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Brain responses to emotional stimuli were investigated and related to serum levels of ovarian steroids (estradiol, progesterone) and the neurosteroids ALLO, ISO, and their ratio ISO/ALLO. Women with PMDD exhibited greater activity in brain regions which are part of emotion processing networks during the late-luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Furthermore, activity in key regions of emotional networks - the parahippocampal gyrus and amygdala - was differentially associated to the ratio of ISO/ALLO levels in PMDD and control women. Specifically, positive relationships between ISO/ALLO levels and brain activity were found in PMDD women, while the opposite was observed in controls. In conclusion, women with PMDD show altered emotional brain responses in the late-luteal phase of the menstrual cycle which may be related to an altered response to GABAA-active neurosteroids.
Suffering Despite Fleeing Acute Stress Disorder among Ukrainian War Refugees in Europe
Authors: Kordel Piotr , Rządeczka Marcin , Studenna-Skrukwa Marta , Kwiatkowska-Moskalewicz Katarzyna , Goncharenko Olga , Moskalewicz Marcin
Published: November 2022

Fleeing from war, witnessing death and destruction and leaving family behind can be frightening, stressful and result in Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), a mental health condition that can occur in the first month after a traumatic event.
This cross-sectional study of 637 Ukrainian war refugees used two structured surveys. The first consisted of questions regarding demography, the circumstances of the refuge, pre-2/24 2022 traumas and autoimmune diseases, and experiences in the host country. The second instrument was the Acute Stress Disorder Scale.
The prevalence of ASD among refugees was high (93.5%). Several factors increasing the risk of developing ASD were identified, e.g. witnessing Russian attacks, OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.26-6.78, insufficient financial resources, OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.61- 7.91, feeling of loneliness in the host country OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.58-8.69). Pre-existing depression, death of a close person, a spouse left in Ukraine, among others, were found to significantly (p<0.05) exacerbate the ASD symptoms.
The study shows the extreme levels of trauma among the Ukrainian war refugees. The knowledge regarding ASD vulnerabilities in the present conflict (women, witnesses of attacks, depressed, lonely, and discriminated) may facilitate prompt and adequate psychological help. Since ASD is an antecedent of PTSD and several autoimmune disorders, these results may also serve as a predictor of future challenges for the Ukrainian Society
Cost-utility analysis of triplet therapy using gemcitabine, cisplatin, and S-1 for the primary treatment of advanced biliary tract cancer.
Authors: kashiwa munenobu , Matsushita Ryo
Published: November 2022

Background

The results of the KHBO1401-MITSUBA trial suggested the effectiveness of triplet therapy using gemcitabine, cisplatin, and S-1; however, the cost-effectiveness of this treatment regimen remains unclear.

Aim

We conducted a cost-utility analysis comparing triplet therapy using gemcitabine, cisplatin, and S-1 and doublet therapy using gemcitabine and cisplatin for advanced biliary tract cancer from the perspective of a Japanese healthcare payer to investigate the economic sustainability of healthcare interventions.

Method

Based on the results of the KHBO1401-MITSUBA clinical trial, a partitioned survival model set over a 10-year time horizon was developed. Cost and utility data were sourced from earlier studies. Health outcomes were measured as quality-adjusted life-years. Direct medical costs included drug costs and medical fees. The uncertainty and robustness of the model were evaluated using one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. The willingness-to-pay threshold was set at 7.5 million Japanese yen.

Results

Base case analysis revealed that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for triplet therapy was 5,257,388 Japanese yen (47,881 United States dollars) per quality-adjusted life-year. The one-way sensitivity analysis indicated that parameters influencing the overall survival curve for doublet and triplet therapy affected the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggested that triplet therapy had a 72.5 % chance of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of 7.5 million yen per quality-adjusted life-year.

Conclusion

Triplet therapy using gemcitabine, cisplatin, and S-1 is cost-effective in the primary treatment of biliary tract cancer in the Japanese healthcare system.
Effect of Kappa Distribution Function with Temperature Anisotropy on Firehose Instability in Earth’s Magneto-Plasma
Authors: Tandon Neeti , Ahirwar Ganpat
Published: November 2022

The firehose instability (FHI) has been studied by kinetic approach with Kappa distribution function in auroral acceleration region of the magnetosphere. The combined effect of temperature anisotropy for ions, electrons, and dust particles, which are responsible to drive firehose instability, is modeled through non-maxwellian Kappa distribution function. The kinetic Vlasove-Maxwell equations are used to describe the dispersion nature of the firehose mode. In the high beta homogenous plasma by applying Kappa distribution function, dispersion relation, growth rate and growth length have been investigated. The effect of spectral index kappa have been studied on FHI. The range of beta parameter and anisotropy is analyzed at different fixed value of kappa index. It is considered that the instability is propagating along the background guiding magnetic field. The interpretation of the analytical results, have been done on the plasma parameters of auroral acceleration region, which is a part of the earth's magnetosphere. The result and analysis may be extended to multi component plasma and in low beta plasma also.
Family Connections vs Treatment at Usual Optimized in the treatment of relatives of people with eating disorders and personality disorders: Study protocol of a randomized control trial
Authors: Guillén Verónica , Pérez Sandra , Garcia-Alandete Joaquín , Fernandez-Felipe Isabel , Marco Jose Heliodoro
Published: November 2022

Background

Family members of patients with eating disorders (ED) often experience high levels of burden, suffering, grief, and helplessness. If, in addition to ED, the patient has a personality disorder (PD), the psychological distress experienced by family members can be devastating. However, few treatments have been developed for family members of people with ED and PD. Family Connections (FC) is a program that has been shown to be effective in relatives of people with borderline personality disorder. The general objectives of this research project are: (a) to adapt and test the FC intervention protocol designed specifically for family members of patients with ED-PD in the Spanish population (FC: ED-PD); (b) to analyze, in a randomized controlled trial, the efficacy of the FC: ED-PD program versus a control condition consisting of optimized treatment as usual (TAU-O); (c) to analyze the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention protocol; (d) to analyze whether the changes that may occur in family members are related to improvements in the family climate and/or improvements observed in patients; and (e) to analyze the perceptions and opinions of families and patients about the two intervention protocols.

Methods

The study design consists of a two-arm randomized controlled trial with two conditions: FC: ED-PD or Treatment as usual optimized (TAU-O). Participants will be relatives of patients who meet DSM-5 criteria for ED and PD or dysfunctional personality traits. Participants will be assessed at pre- and post-treatment and one-year follow-up. The intention-to-treat principle will be used when analyzing the data.

Discussion

These results will also confirm the program’s efficacy and acceptance by family members.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05404035. Accepted: May 2022.
Cross-Chain Interoperability - Validating Smart Contracts to Interoperate Over Diverse Blockchain Networks Using Interoperable Blockchain Framework Design (IBFD)
Authors: Helal Maha , Alsoud Anas Ratib , Alshareef Hazzaa
Published: November 2022

Blockchain technology is meant to perform a potential act to intensify the performance of several information systems. In this view, the platforms and the applications adapted for blockchain must be competitive to communicate and connect. The current blockchain platforms have many limitations, such as interoperability issues in divergent systems. The present platforms of blockchain applications work only within their networks. Blockchain interoperability allows data and values to be sent across various networks. The fundamental technology may be homogeneous, still, it relies on third-party intermediaries using the centralized mechanism to retrieve or exchange data from various interacting blockchain networks. The existing intermediaries incorporate security and trust by maintaining a centralized ledger to monitor ‘account balances’ and verify a transaction’s authenticity. The incompetence of individual and independent blockchains to interact with each other is an ingrained issue in decentralized systems. Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and similar mechanisms support networks like Fabric, Ripple and Ethereum to interrelate and interoperate each other. It is identified that the shortfall in such significant inter-blockchain communication creates a hassle for the mainstream adoption of blockchain. The article discusses different techniques and methods that provide cross-chain interoperability, its significant features and its applications in blockchain technology. It proposes the Inter-operable Blockchain Framework Design (IBFD), a cross blockchain architecture for interoperability of blockchain networks.
Whether misuse the oral hygiene may facilitate the speared of Covid 19 among cohabiting individual?
Authors: Bashardoust Nazanin , mahmoudzadeh Masoumeh , Khoshtarash Mehrnoosh , Mirfarhadi Nastaran
Published: November 2022

Background
Despite all the existing guidelines regarding Covid-19, there has been less emphasis on oral care to reduce the amount of virus in the mouth and saliva and thus reduce the risk of transmission of this disease. The purpose of this study is to investigate oral hygiene habits and infection control behaviors and their relationship with the rate of family transmission in patients with covid-19.
Methods
In this cross-sectional analytical study, 179 patients with covid-19 referred to the Razi Medical Training Center in Rasht were examined in the form of continuous sampling in 1400–1401. The data collection tool is a 3-part questionnaire including 1) personal social and clinical information of a person infected with Covid-19, basic information from family members in contact with the infected person, and transfer to another person in the family 2) oral hygiene habits during quarantine 3) infection control behaviors. To analyze the collected data, independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Spearman's correlation were used for quantitative variables, and the Chi-square test was used for qualitative variables in SPSS software version 28, and the level of significance in all tests was 0.05.
Results
The findings showed that the rate of family transmission of the disease was 61.5%. There was no significant relationship between oral hygiene habits with the family transmission of Covid-19 (p = 0.108), but the use of a shared toothbrush container and a shared toothpaste tube among family members was significantly related to the rate of family transmission (p = 0.042 and p > 0.001, respectively)
Conclusions
There was no relationship between oral hygiene habits and the transmission of covid-19 disease in family members, but oral hygiene habits were effective in contracting a more severe form of the disease and the rate of hospitalization. The use of toothbrush containers and toothpaste tubes shared between family members increased the chance of family transmission of covid-19.
TACE plus PD-1 successfully achieves conversion therapy for unresectable HCC with multiple macrovascular invasion: a case report
Authors: Guo Bin , Zhou Yi , Ouyang Tianhua , Liu Zhicheng , Xia Feng , Chen Qian , Chen Xiaoping , Xiao Zhenyu
Published: November 2022

Background
There is still a lack of effective treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and macrovascular invasion, and surgical resection is technically feasible but difficult to remove the tumor completely, which often leads to early recurrence. In recent years, it has been found that the combination of systematic therapy and locoregional treatment has shown better anti-tumor effect for advanced HCC than a single drug or method. Higher objective response rate with combined therapy brings new hope for conversion therapy as well.
Case presentation
A 32-year-old male patient was diagnosed with giant HCC with tumor thrombus formation in the right branch of the portal vein, inferior vena cava, and right atrium. After receiving 3 times transarterial chemoembolization combined with 7 cycles of PD-1 inhibitors treatment, the tumor significantly shrunk and the tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava and right atrium disappeared. Finally, the patient underwent radical liver resection successfully. Now a year after surgery, the patient remains in disease-free survival.
Conclusion
TACE plus PD-1 inhibitors may be an ideal conversion regimen for patients with potentially resectable HCC, leading to more surgical resection opportunities. Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio decreased after treatment may suggest that patients respond well to PD-1-based combination therapy.
Blood Parameters in the Domestic Reindeer From the Yamalo-nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia
Authors: Gavrichkin Alexander A. , Serkova Margarita I. , Silivanova Elena A. , Rjabov Sergey A.
Published: November 2022

The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) has a great ecological and economic importance for northern regions. The domestic reindeer population in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is the largest one in the Russian Federation. Due to the lack of published actual data on blood parameters and well-established their reference ranges for Russian reindeer populations, hematology and biochemistry of blood serum of 97 reindeer was studied in August of 2019. Domestic reindeer were grouped into seven groups according to sex and age at the grazing site in the tundra zone of the Priuralsky district, Russia. Animals were tested for tuberculosis and brucellosis and no positively reacting animals were recorded indicating the well-being of the herd at the time of the study. We observed no differences between males and females or between young and adult reindeer for most parameters. The sodium content in the serum was below 110 mmol/L in 29 (about 30%) animals out of 97 while the mean values of this parameter (namely from 127.8 ± 3.9 to 133.8 ± 2.2 mmol/L) for remaining 70% of animals were less compared to the published data. Also, we noted the low protein level (from 4.97 ± 0.62 to 6.44 ± 0.63 g/dL on average) and the increased phosphorus level (from 5.22±0.39 to 7.93±0.62 g/dL on average) the reindeer blood serum compared to the published data. The represented data might be useful to establish baseline hematologic and serum biochemical reference ranges for domestic reindeer in northern regions.
A MR/PA Dual-Modality Imaging for quantitative evaluation of tumor vascular and immune microenvironment
Authors: Xu Nan , Wu Dan , Gao Jingyan , Jiang Huabei , Li Qinqing , Bao Shasha , Luo Yueyuan , Zhou Qiuyue , Liao Chengde , Yang Jun
Published: November 2022

Backgroud:
Tumor radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy for solid tumors has been proposed, but tumor vascular structure abnormalities and immune microenvironment often affect the therapeutic effect of tumor, and there are few reports on multimodal imaging markers in the study of tumor therapeutic response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dynamic monitoring of tumor blood vessels and microenvironment induced by radiotherapy by magnetic resonance imaging /photoacoustic imaging (MR/PA) imaging, and to explore the therapeutic effect of tumor radiotherapy combined with PD-L1 immunocheckpoint inhibitor.
Methods
The tumor-bearing mice (TBM) were randomly allocated to six groups: the low-dose group, high-dose group, low-dose + PD-L1 group, high-dose + PD-L1 group, anti-PD-L1 group and control group. Animals received 2 Gy/14 Fx (low-dose group) or 8 Gy/3 Fx (high-dose group) radiation and the combination treatment groups were given an anti-PD-L1 antibody for two consecutive weeks. MR/PA imaging was used to noninvasively evaluate the response of breast cancer model to different doses of radiotherapy, combined with histopathological techniques to observe the changes of tumor vessels and microenvironment.
Results
The inhibitory effect of high-dose radiotherapy on tumors was significantly greater than that of low-dose radiotherapy, with the MR images revealing that the signal intensity (SI) decreased significantly (p༜0.05). Compared with those in the other groups, the tumor vascular density decreased significantly, and the vascular maturity index (VMI) increased significantly in the low-dose group (p༜0.05). The PA images showed that the deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) and total hemoglobin (HbT) levels decreased and the SO2 level increased after radiation treatment. In addition, the high-dose group had an increased number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells) and natural killer (NK) cells and increased PD-L1 expression in the tumors (p༜0.05). The combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy increased the survival rate of the mice, and a regimen of an 8 Gy dose of radiation combined with immunotherapy inhibited tumor growth and increased the survival rate of the mice to a greater degree than the 2 Gy radiation dose with immunotherapy combination (p = 0. 002).
Conclusion
Differential fractionation radiotherapy doses exert different effects on tumor vascular remodeling and the immune microenvironment, and MR/PA can be used to evaluate tumor vascular remodeling after radiotherapy, which is of great significance for the clinical applications of radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy.
Chitosan/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Coatings on Mg alloy: Corrosion and Biocompatibility Properties
Authors: Montazeri Arash , Hamghavandi Mohammad Ranjbar , Nezhadfard Mahla Sadat , Kari Ali Yeganeh
Published: November 2022

In the present study, optimal conditions for the fabrication of chitosan (CS)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite coatings were evaluated by the pulse electrodeposition process (PED) on Mg–2wt%Zn scaffolds. The size distribution of CS, GO, and nanocomposite coatings were evaluated using dynamic light scattering (DLS). The coatings microstructure and morphologies were investigated by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV- visible), Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), derivative thermal gravimetric (DTG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Taguchi statistical method was used to optimize the effect of PED parameters, including peak current density (CD) and duty cycle (DC) as well as GO nanosheets content (1,2, and 3wt%). Results showed that optimal coatings were produced under the conditions of 2 wt% GO, CD = 20 mA/cm 2, DC = 0.5 and pH = 5. The process's time, temperature, and frequency were 20 min, 37oC, and 1000 Hz. The biocompatibility of coatings was assessed by in vitro test. The results of cell viability and adhesion of MG63 cells on optimal coating are promising for application in bone tissue engineering.
Adsorption Studies of Methylene Blue And Malachite Green Dyes From Aqueous Solution Using Calix[4]arene – Polyurethane
Authors: Ishak Syahirah , Rosly Nor Zida , Abdullah Abdul Halim , Ahmad Shahrul Ainliah Alang
Published: November 2022

Calix[4]arene-polyurethane (C4PU) polymer was used as an alternative adsorbent for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) and malachite green (MG) dyes, from the aqueous solution. C4PU was synthesised by reacting p-tert-butyl calix[4]arene with hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) as the cross-linking agent. A preliminary study was carried out to determine the best ratio of calix[4arene and HMDI in the adsorption of dyes and C4PU-4 shows a better adsorption compared to the synthesized C4PU in other ratios. The polymer was characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis and point of zero charge (pHPZC). The isotherms and kinetics of the adsorption of MB and MG were studied under a range of experimental conditions, including pH, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, and contact time. The adsorption was determined by the adsorption percentage of MB and MG dyes from the solution. The adsorption process for both dyes is best described by the Langmuir isotherm model, and it follows the pseudo-second order kinetic model, with the maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of MB and MG, respectively, was found to be 1.619 mg.g− 1 and 2.192 mg.g− 1.
Effect of melatonin on steroidogenesis-related enzyme expression and testosterone synthesis following CoCl 2 -induced hypoxia in TM3 Leydig cells
Authors: Karimi Shokooh , Jalili Cyrus , Mansouri Kamran , Bahremand Fariborz , Gholami Mohammad Reza
Published: November 2022

Hypoxia exerts detrimental effects on steroidogenesis and male fertility. Melatonin, a neuroendocrine hormone, modulates steroid production in mammals through its membrane receptors. This study examined the effects of melatonin treatment on steroidogenesis dysfunction and testosterone impairment following CoCl2-induced hypoxia in TM3 Leydig cells. The results indicated that CoCl2 treatment caused HIF1α overexpression in these cells. Moreover, CoCl2 treatment of TM3 Leydig cells led to considerable downregulation of StAR, 3β-HSD and GATA-4 as well as melatonin membrane receptors MT1 and MT2 mRNA/protein expression coupled with testosterone content repression in the cell culture medium. Melatonin administration inhibited HIF1α mRNA/protein expression, but had no significant effect on StAR, 3β-HSD, GATA-4, MT1 mRNA/protein expression or the testosterone level in the cell culture medium. Melatonin reduced the decrease in MT2 gene and protein expression following CoCl2-induced hypoxia in TM3 Leydig cells.
Governance of National Parks influenced by Local Community Participation: China's Potatso National Park
Authors: Ma Ting , Jia Lizhi , Zhong Linsheng , Gong Xinyu , Wei Yu
Published: November 2022

As a governance strategy, community participation is to implement the coordinated development of communities and protected areas. Therefore, the present study explored the community’s participation in the construction of Potatso National Park by means of a mixed-method approach that is derived from Ostrom’s (2007) socio-ecological systems and IUCN framework, calibrated to local residents’ self-assessments about the outcomes of community engagement on national park governance. From the six dimensions of ecological environment, livelihood assets, high-quality ecological products, management efficiency, social order and satisfaction that characterize the governance outcomes of protected areas, residents' attitudes and views on community participation in national park governance were analyzed. The results show that ecological environment has a positive impact on high-quality ecological products, on the contrary, livelihood assets are not significant; in addition, management efficiency has a significant positive impact on the ecological environment, livelihood assets, high-quality ecological products and social order. We concluded that community participation has a certain direct and indirect effect on the governance outcomes of Potatso National Park. It is suggested to continue to improve the community participation mechanism of residents from the two aspects of residents' subjective psychology and ecological compensation mechanism improvement. The transformation from the tourism development model to the national park is still in the process, and there existing quite a few problems. In the future, it is necessary to further realize the functions of national parks through institutional innovation, community participation capacity building, and the introduction of community institution participation.
Targeted next generation sequencing panel based screening and diagnosis of bone marrow failure cohort reveals diverse genomic landscape of pathogenic germline variants
Authors: BHATIA PRATEEK , Palla Swetha , Senguttuvan Gnanamani , Chhabra Prashant , Singh Minu , Khadwal Alka , Jain Arihant , Sharma Pankaj , Thakur Rozy , Sreedharanu Sreejesh , Bansal Deepak , Jain Richa , Peyam Srinivasan , Mohapatra Sonali , Jindal Ankur , Suri Deepti , Das Reena , Varma Neelam , Malhotra Pankaj , Trehan Amita
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Current study is a 4 year experience in diagnosis and screening of bone marrow failure cases using a targeted sequencing panel.
Methods: A total of 171 cases underwent targeted NGS and were categorized as suspected inherited bone marrow failure syndrome (IBMFS) group (106/62%) and idiopathic aplastic anemia (IAA) group (65/38%) based on clinical and laboratory criteria.
Results: 110 (64%) were pediatric (0-12 years) and 61 (36%) adolescent and adults (13-47 years). In suspected IBMFS group, 47 (44%) were positive for a pathogenic variation while in IAA group, 8 (12%) revealed a silent germline pathogenic variation. Whole exome sequencing performed in 15/61 suspected IBMFS group cases, revealed a clinically important variation in 3 (20%) cases. The targeted panel helped in establishing a diagnosis in 44% (27/61) of phenotypically heterogenous unclassified bone marrow failure syndrome cases and also led to amendment of clinical diagnosis in 5 (4.7%) of genotyped cases.
Conclusion: Overall targeted NGS panel yield was comparable to western data, however, this was achievable at 1/5th the cost, making it a cost-effective panel for resource constraint settings.
Evaluating the impact of pH on the growth and nutritional profile of Lemna minor L. (a sustainable alternative for Pakistan’s feed sector)
Authors: Ullah Hafiz , Gul Bakhtiar , Khan Haroon , Rehman Khushnood ur , Hameed Ishfaq , Zeb Umar , Roomi Sohaib , -E-Huma Zill
Published: November 2022

Pakistan's conventional feed supply is rapidly depleting, forcing the country to turn to non-conventional sustainable feed to meet the demand of the livestock and fishery sectors. The current study investigates the effect of pH on the nutritional composition of Lemna minor L., a freshwater macrophyte and a potential alternative feed. Fronds were grown in a pH range of 4–10 and replicated three times. The growth rate was highest (90 gm− 2 Day− 1) at pH 7 while lowest (40 gm− 2 Day− 1) at pH 4. Protein content dropped sharply at pH 4, but the highest (31g/100g) was found at pH 7 and 8. The lipid fraction was high at pH (9,10), while low in acidic. Carbohydrate was maximum (59.3 g/100g dw). A higher level of Ca (34, 37,38 mg/100g dw) was observed in pH 5 and 6 while low content (24 mg/100g dw) in the control group. In contrast, the Mg level slightly increased with increasing pH while the maximum concentration (32 mg/100g dw) was observed at pH10 and in the control group. High Fe moiety (936mg/100g) was found at pH 5 and 6. Elevated Mn (3.0mg/100g) was seen at a slightly acidic pH. The lowest level of Mn, 1.7 mg/100 and 2.0 mg/100 were recorded at pH 9 and 10 respectively. The highest fraction of Zn (0.08mg/100g) was observed in pH 6 and 7 while the lowest Zn came at pH 9. The study concluded that Lemna minor grows best between pH 6–10 under the agroclimatic conditions of Pakistan with optimal nutritional profile.
Halocynthiibacter halioticoli sp. nov., isolated from the abalone Haliotis discus hannai
Authors: Zhang Dan-Dan , Yue Yu-Yan , Zhang Meng-Di , Du Zong-Jun
Published: November 2022

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, glide, non-flagellated, and facultatively aerobic bacterial strain, designated as Z654T, was isolated from the gut of abalone Haliotis discus hannai from Rongcheng, Shandong province, China. Cells are 0.2–0.8 µm in width and 0.7–3.4 µm in length. Cells grew best at 30°C (range, 15–37°C), pH 7 (range, 6.0–8.5) and NaCl concentration of 2.0% (w/v) (range, 1–10%). According to the phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence, the strain belongs to the genus Halocynthiibacter and the most close strain is Halocynthiibacter arcticus KCTC 42129T (97.12%). The genome size of strain Z654T was 3296250 bp and the DNA G + C content was 54.2 mol%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) scores and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) scores with H. arcticus KCTC 42129T was 70% and 14.6–18.2% respectively. The predominant quinone was Q-10 and the major fatty acids were C18:0, C18:1 ω7c 11-methyl and summed future 8. The polar lipids were consisted of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, unidentified aminolipid and unidentifed lipids. Based on the phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic data, strain Z654T was considered to represent a novel species of the genus Halocynthiibacter, for which the name Halocynthiibacte halioticoli sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is Z654T (= MCCC 1H00503T = KCTC 92003T).
Saccharomyces cerevisiae surface display of endolysin LysKB317 for control of bacterial contamination in corn ethanol fermentations
Authors: Lu Shao-Yeh , Liu Siqing , Patel Maulik , Glenzinski Kristina , Skory Christopher
Published: November 2022

Background Control of bacterial contamination in bioethanol fermentation facilities has traditionally relied on chemical-based products such as hop acids and the use of antibiotics. Recent emphasis on antibiotic stewardship has prompted new research into development of alternative approaches to microbial remediation strategies. We recently described a recombinant peptidoglycan hydrolase, endolysin LysKB317, that inhibitedLactobacillusstrains in corn mash fermentation. Here,Saccharomyces cerevisiaeEBY100 was used to anchor recombinant LysKB317 using cell surface display with the α-agglutinin proteins Aga1p-Aga2p. Results Immunostaining and confocal fluorescence were used for localization of the extracellular interface of the cells. Yeast surface expressed endolysin demonstrated an 83.8% decrease in bacterial cell counts compared to 9.5% decrease in control yeast. RecombinantS. cerevisiaeexpressing LysKB317 used for small-scale corn mash fermentation, when infected withLimosilactobacillus fermentum, showed the ability to proactively control bacterial infection for 72 hours with at least 1-log fold reduction. HPLC analysis of fermentation products showed improved ethanol concentration from 3.4% to at least 5.9% compared to infection-only control and reduced levels of lactic and acetic acid from 34.7 mM to 13.8 mM and 25.5 mM to 18.1 mM in that order. Conclusion In an optimized yeast surface display system, proactive treatment of bacterial contaminants by endolysin LysKB317 can improve fermentation efficiency in the presence ofL. fermentumcontamination.
Sodium thiosulfate ameliorates atopic dermatitis symptoms via inhibiting inflammatory infiltration and restoring skin barrier function
Authors: Zeng# Yilan , Wang# Dan , Liu Yuanhong , Tang Ziting , Zong Xiule , Li Xuemei , Yang Shengbo , Lu Jianyun
Published: November 2022

Background
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common disease with a considerable impact on the affected individual’s quality of life and has limited treatment options. Sodium thiosulfate (STS) is a traditional medicine used in the rescue of cyanide poisoning, and some pruritus dermatosis. However, the exact efficacy and mechanism of its application with AD are not clear.
Patients and Methods:
We reviewed the records of patients with moderate to severe AD treated in the department of dermatology, the Third Xiangya Hospital, between January 2020 and July 2021. The change of Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis index (SCORAD), Atopic Dermatitis Control Tool (ADCT), Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), skin barrier indexes and serum biochemical indicators were recorded.
Results
A total of 60 moderate to severe AD patients were enrolled, 20 in the STS 0.64g once daily + conventional therapy (STS QD) group, 20 in the STS 0.64g twice daily + conventional therapy (STS BID) group and 20 in the conventional therapy (control) group. Conventional therapy consisted of intravenous fluids of calcium, vitamin C and oral antihistamines rupatadine and bepotastine. Treatment with STS led to greater improvement with higher proportion of EASI50 and EASI75 and lower ADCT index compared to the control group. After treatment, greater improvement in PROs, skin barrier indexes were also observed in the STS treatment group than in the control group. To further study the underlying mechanism of STS, we analyzed the serum biochemical indicators. STS downregulated IgE by 4.12- and 7.26-folds (P = 0.0006 and P < 0.0001, respectively) and eosinophils by 2.24- and 5.28-folds (P = 0.0205 and P < 0.0001, respectively) in STS QD and STS BID group. In addition, STS downregulated interleukin-13(IL-13) by 2.86- and 3.16-folds (Both P < 0.0001) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) by 2.42- and 4.68-folds (Both P < 0.0001) in STS QD and STS BID group.
Conclusion
STS in combination with conventional therapy improves the signs and symptoms of AD by improving skin barrier function and downregulating concentrations of IgE, eosinophils and release of IL-4 and IL-13.