bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing and Evaluating Non-invasive Healthcare Technologies for a Group of Female Participants from a Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Area
Authors: Awad Eman , Ramji Rathi , Cirovic Stefan , Rämgård Margareta , Kottorp Anders , Shleev Sergey
Published: April 2021

Background When compared to the general population, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities frequently experience compromised health. Monitoring the divide is challenging since in general, standardized biomedical tests are linguistically and culturally inappropriate. The aim of this study was to develop a novel healthcare technology for its usage in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.Methods A unique mobile biomedical testbed based on non-invasive analysis, accompanied with the World Health Organization Quality of Life survey, was developed. This healthcare approach was used in Lindängen, a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood in Malmö, which has been listed as one of the twelve most vulnerable neighborhoods in Sweden. Results The less intrusive biomedical approach, compared to conventional setups used, e.g., wrist blood pressure monitoring, bioimpedance analysis and cardiovascular diagnostics, non-invasive determination of blood bioanalytes, was highly appreciated by the participants, i.e., 39 female volunteers of Middle Eastern origin. Surprisingly, the collected biomedical data illustrated that the apparent health of the participants from Lindängen was comparable to the general Swedish population. The Quality of Life-BREF survey, used to gather information regarding subjective health perceptions within the cohort, combined with advanced statistical data analysis, revealed statistically significant correlations between perceived health and biomedical data. Even though the dependences found were complex, the recognition of which is essential in further research. Conclusions Our results validate the potential of non-invasive technologies in combination with advanced statistical analysis, especially when combined with linguistically and culturally appropriate healthcare methodologies, allowing participants to appreciate the significance of the different parameters to evaluate and monitor aspects of health.
Spectroscopic Analysis of Parathyroid And Thyroid Tissues By Ground-State Diffuse Reflectance and Laser Induced Luminescence : A Preliminary Report
Authors: Serra Carlos , Serra João , Ferreira-Machado Isabel L , Vieira-Ferreira Luís F
Published: April 2021

Intraoperative discrimination of thyroid and parathyroid tissues is fundamental in thyroid surgery. Recent fluorescence studies have shown stronger NIR emission in parathyroid tissue than in thyroid tissue, presenting a potential avenue for the development of a tool for surgical assistance. However, the fluorophore responsible for this emission has not yet been identified. In this work, spectroscopic analysis was performed to ascertain the origin of the emission peaks in parathyroid tissue. Ground-state diffuse reflectance (GSDR) absorption spectroscopy and laser-induced luminescence (LIL) emission spectroscopy were performed in parathyroid, thyroid, and fatty tissue samples and the resulting spectra were compared with the peaks of known fluorophores to identify the origin of each peak. The spectra of the different tissue types were also compared in order to evaluate the wavelength which presents the highest parathyroid emission relative to the emission of the surrounding tissues, representing the ideal wavelength for parathyroid detection. An emission peak in these conditions was observed for both thyroid and parathyroid tissue at 711 nm, with a higher intensity in parathyroid sample, making it suitable for detection applications. These results show a potential avenue for the development of a system allowing parathyroid detection in a surgical setting.
Data mining: Traditional Spring Festival Associated With Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Wang Danchen , Zou Yutong , Li Honglei , Yu Songlin , Xia Liangyu , Cheng Xinqi , Qiu Ling , Xu Tengda
Published: April 2021

BackgroundSerum lipid concentrations are affected by long-term high fat diets; thus, we hypothesise that lipid levels increase after Spring Festival in China. In total, 20,192 individuals (males, 10,108; females, 10,084) were enrolled in this retrospective cross-sectional study, based on clinical data from Laboratory Information System (LIS) and Hospital Information System (HIS) in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, from 2014 to 2018. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were analysed. Results Average age, BMI, SBP, and DBP of the participants were 39.4 years, 23.7 kg/m2, 118 mmHg, and 73 mmHg, respectively. Serum TC, TG, and LDL levels were significantly higher in males than in females (P < 0.001); serum HDL-C was statistically lower in males (P < 0.001). In February, the TC, TG, and LDL-C levels were 8.4%, 16.3%, and 9.3% higher than the lowest levels recorded, respectively. Additionally, dyslipidaemia prevalence was statistically higher in the first week after Spring Festival than in May–January. Conclusion Higher TC, TG, LDL-C in winter could be associated with high fat diets during Spring Festival. Spring Festival was immediately followed by a higher lipid concentration. Thus, it is necessary accurately diagnose dyslipidaemia after Spring Festival.
Random analysis of coupled vehicle-bridge systems with local nonlinearity based on explicit time-domain method
Authors: Huang Huan , Zheng Hengbin , Deng Jianliang , Li Wenxiong , Li Yuyu
Published: April 2021

Based on the explicit time-domain method in conjunction with the equivalent linearization technique, an efficient analysis algorithm is developed for the random vibration analysis of the coupled vehicle-bridge system with local nonlinear components under the random irregular excitation from a bridge deck. With the coupled vehicle-bridge system divided into two subsystems, the equivalent linearized subsystem for the vehicle subsystem with the hysteretic suspension spring is constructed for the given time instant using the equivalent linearization technique. Then the dimension-reduction vibration analysis for the equivalent linearized coupled vehicle-bridge system can be carried out based on the time-domain explicit method, which has been proven to be highly efficient. The numerical example indicates that the proposed approach is of feasibility.
Nanoscale Silica Coated Graphene Oxide and Its Demulsifying Performance in Water-in-oil and Oil-in-water Emulsions
Authors: Shen Liwei , Hu Wenxiang , Lei Zhiyun , Peng Jianguo , Zhu Enxiong , Zhang Xuanwei , Yang Ming , Feng Xuening , Yang Ying , Mi Yuanzhu
Published: April 2021

In present study, GO@SiO2 nanocomposites was prepared by coating nanoscale silica onto graphene oxide (GO). The nanocomposites were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (IF-IR). Additionally, the demulsifying performance of the nanocomposites was investigated by the bottle test method. The results showed that GO@SiO2 nanocomposites had a good demulsifying performance both in oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions. When the concentration of GO@SiO2 was 200 ppm in O/W emulsion, the optimal light transmittance of aqueous phase (LTA) and corresponding oil removal rate (ORR) at room temperature could reach 86.9% and 99.48%, respectively. Also, GO@SiO2 had an excellent salt tolerance under acidic condition. Furthermore, GO@SiO2 nanocomposites also could demulsify the W/O emulsion, and the efficiency at 70℃ could reach 80.5% when the concentration was 400 ppm.
Comparison of Geographical Traceability of Wild and Cultivated Macrohyporia Cocos With Different Data Fusion Approaches
Authors: Wang Qinqin , Wang Yuan-Zhong , Wang Yunmei
Published: April 2021

Background Poria originated from the dried sclerotium of Macrohyporia cocos is an edible traditional Chinese medicine with high economic value. Due to the significant difference in quality between wild and cultivated M. cocos, the study aimed to trace the origin of the fungus from the perspectives of wild and cultivation. In addition, there were quite limited studies about data fusion, a potential strategy, employed and discussed in the geographical traceability of M. cocos. Therefore, we traced the origin of M. cocos from the perspectives of wild and cultivation using multiple data fusion approaches. Methods Supervised pattern recognition techniques like partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and random forest, were employed in this study using. Five types of data fusion involving low-, mid- and high-level data fusion strategies were performed. Two feature extraction approaches including the selecting variables by a random forest-based method—Boruta algorithm and producing principal components by the dimension reduction technique of principal component analysis were considered in data fusion. Results (1) the difference of wild and cultivated samples did exist in terms of the content analysis of vital chemical component and fingerprint analysis. (2) the cultivated samples from different origins could be easily identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy or liquid chromatography, while the wild required data fusion. (3) Boruta outperformed principal component analysis (PCA) in feature extraction. (4) Mid-level-Boruta preceded Mid-level-PCA, low-level and high-level data fusion and individual techniques. The Mid-level-Boruta PLS-DA model took full advantage of information synergy and showed the best performance. Conclusions This study proved that both geographical traceability and optimal identification methods of cultivated and wild samples were different, and data fusion was a potential technique in the geographical identification.
Four Centuries of Summer Temperature Changes in Tierra Del Fuego: Atmospheric Drivers and Tree-Ring Reconstruction From the Southernmost Forests of the World
Authors: Matskovsky Vladimir , Roig Fidel A. , Fuentes Mauricio , Korneva Irina , Araneo Diego , Linderholm Hans W. , Aravena Juan Carlos
Published: April 2021

Proxy climate records, such as those derived from tree rings, are necessary to extend relatively short instrumental meteorological observations into the past. Tierra del Fuego is the most austral territory with forests in the world, situated close to the Antarctic Peninsula, which makes this region especially interesting for paleoclimatic research. However, high-quality, high-resolution summer temperature reconstruction are lacking in the region. In this study we used 63 tree-ring width chronologies of Nothofagus pumilio and Nothofagus betuloides and partial least squares regression (PLSR) to produce annually resolved December-to-February temperature reconstruction since AD 1600 which explains up to 65% of instrumental temperature variability. We also found that observed summer temperature variability in Tierra del Fuego is primarily driven by the fluctuations of atmospheric pressure systems both in the South Atlantic and South Pacific, while it is insignificantly correlated to major hemispheric modes: ENSO and SAM. This fact makes our reconstruction important for climate modelling experiments, as it represents specific regional variability. Our reconstruction can be used for direct comparison with model outputs to better understand model limitations or to tune a model or contribute to larger scale reconstructions based on paleoclimatic data assimilation. Moreover, we showed that PLSR has improved performance over principal component regression (PCR) in the case of multiple tree-ring predictors. According to these results, PLSR may be a preferable method over PCR for the use in automated tree-ring based reconstruction approaches, akin widely used point-by-point regression.
Prioritization of hazards for risk and resilience management through elicitation of expert judgement
Authors: ioannou ioanna , Gomez Jaime Cadena , Aspinall Willy , Lange David , Honfi Daniel , Rossetto Tiziana
Published: April 2021

Risk assessment in communities or regions typically relies on the determination of hazard scenarios and an evaluation of their impact on local systems and structures. One of the challenges of risk assessment for infrastructure operators is how to identify the most critical scenarios that are likely to represent unacceptable risks to such assets in a given time frame. This study develops a novel approach for prioritizing hazards for the risk assessment of infrastructure. Central to the proposed methodology is an expert elicitation technique termed paired comparison which is based on a formal mathematical technique for quantifying the range and variance in the judgements of a group of stakeholders. The methodology is applied here to identify and rank natural and operational hazard scenarios that could cause serious disruption or have disastrous effects to the infrastructure in the transnational Øresund region over a period of five years. The application highlighted substantial divergences of views among the stakeholders on identifying a single ‘most critical’ natural or operational hazard scenario. Despite these differences, it was possible to flag up certain cases as critical among the natural hazard scenarios, and others among the operational hazards.
In vitro characterisation of the MS2 RNA polymerase complex reveals novel host factors that modulate leviviral replicase activity
Authors: Wagner Alexander , Weise Laura , Mutschler Hannes
Published: April 2021

The coliphage MS2 is a well-established model organism that has helped to reveal a variety of fundamental concepts for RNA-based translational control and viral RNA packaging. Despite the comprehensive characterisation of the MS2 life cycle, the macromolecular composition of its RNA replicase remained obscure. Here, we sought to identify the missing host proteins required for the assembly of the active replicase complex. By combining a purified, inactive MS2 replicase sub-complex with selected modules of an in vitro translation system, we confirmed that the three suspected host factors EF-Ts, EF-Tu and ribosomal protein S1 form an active core-enzyme with the viral replicase subunit. Unexpectedly, we also found that the translation initiation factors IF1 and IF3 directly modulate MS2 replicase activity. While IF1 enhances replicase activity in a template-independent manner, IF3 acts as an inhibitor that prevents polymerase initiation and / or elongation. Both observations suggest a previously unknown role of these host proteins during the phage life cycle. Finally, we demonstrate the in vitro formation of small RNAs that contain minimal motifs required for MS2 replicase-dependent amplification. Our work sheds new light on the architecture of the MS2 replication machinery while also providing the basis for a new cell-free evolution platform.
The Role of Structural and Process Quality of Family Planning Care in Modern Contraceptive Use in Indonesia: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Nurjaeni Nurjaeni , Sawangdee Yothin , Pattaravanich Umaporn , Holumyong Charamporn , Chamratrithirong Aphichat
Published: April 2021

Introduction Relatively low modern contraceptive prevalence and high unintended childbearing pose substantial encounters for Indonesia to achieve sustainable development goals. Despite contraceptive behaviors are influenced by multiple and multilevel variables, studies on modern contraceptive use in Indonesia has concentrated on single-level and mostly individual and household variables, and less interest has been devoted to multilevel analysis that accounts for community and SDP characteristics that may affect woman’s decision to use modern FP method.Methods This study analyzed data from the 2016 PMA2020 survey of 10,210 women in 372 communities in Indonesia. The data were analyzed using a multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression to assess the role of structural quality and process quality of family planning care and other factors in modern contraceptive utilization.Result The highest loading factors for structural quality were number of contraceptive provided, SDP supports CHWs, available water and electricity, and skilled FP personnel, while the highest loading factors for process quality were privacy of clients and provision of post-abortion service. There were significant differences across communities in how study variables associated with modern FP adoption. The finding shows the evidence of significant roles of structural and process quality FP care in modern contraceptive use. Moreover, women with high autonomy in FP decision, those who had free national/district health insurance, and those living in a community with higher proportion of women visited by CHW had higher odds of modern contraceptive usage, yet, women who live in a community with higher mean ideal number of children or greater proportion of women citing personal/husband/religion opposition to FP, had lower odds of modern contraceptive use than their counterparts.Conclusions Study findings suggest improvement in structural and process quality of FP care will yield substantial growths in modern contraceptive use. Moreover, FP workers should also address prevailing cultural/traditional customs in community and should target communities where the demand for modern FP was deprived by social beliefs and norms. There was significant variation across communities in how individual, household, community, and SDP factors affect modern FP practice, hence, context should be taken into consideration in the development of FP intervention and promotion programs.
Synthesis of biomass based plasticizer from linoleic acid and cardanol for preparing durable PVC material
Authors: Chu Hongying , Li Huabei , Sun Xiaoyan , Zhang Yaowang
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we synthesized a kind of bio-based plasticizer epoxidized linoleic acid cardanol ester(ELCE) from cardanol and linoleic acid. Its chemical structure was characterized with FT-IR and 1H NMR. Polyvinyl chloride(PVC) blends plasticized with ELCE were prepared via thermoplastic blending with torque rheometer. The performance including torque, mechanical property, thermal stability, plasticizing property and migration resistance of plasticized PVC blends were investigated and compared with plasticized PVC blends with commercial plasticizer dioctyl phthalate(DOP). The results showed that ELCE improved thermal stability of PVC blends. ELCE played more excellent plasticizing effect on PVC blends than DOP. The better solvent extraction resistance and volatile resistance of ELCE make it impossible to completely replace DOP in PVC products.
Immortalized mesenchymal stem cells: a safe cell source for cellular or cell membrane-based treatment of glioma
Authors: Zhang Yuxuan , Liu Jie , Mo Yunzhao , Chen Zetao , Chen Taoliang , Li Yan , Zheng Yaofeng , Deng Shaokang , Xu Xiangdong , Chen Huajian , He Haoqi , Chen Jiansheng , Jin Tao , Sun Xinlin , Ke Yiquan , Wang Jihui
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as putative therapeutic tools due to their intrinsic tumour tropism, anti-tumour, and immunoregulatory properties. The limited passage and self-differentiation abilities of MSCs in vitro hinder preclinical studies of mesenchymal stem cells, and makes the MSC-based treatment of tumours lack a stable, uniform, and homogeneous source of cells. In this study, we focused on the safety of immortalised mesenchymal stem cells (im-MSCs) and, for the first time, studied the feasibility of im-MSCs as candidates for the treatment of glioma.METHODS: The im-MSCs were constructed by the lentiviral transfection of genes, and the proliferative capacity of immortalised MSCs and the proliferative phenotype of MSCs and MSCs co-cultured with glioma cells (U87) were measured using CCK-8 and EdU assays. After long-term culture, karyotype analysis of im-MSCs was conducted. In addition, the tumourigenicity of engineered MSCs was evaluated using soft agar cloning assays. Moreover, the engineered cells were injected into the brain of female BALB/c nude mice. Finally, the cell membranes of im-MSCs were labelled with DIO or DIR to detect their ability to be taken by glioma cells and target in situ gliomas using an IVIS system.RESULTS: Im-MSCs expressed CD73, CD90, CD105, CD29, and CD44 but did not express CD45, CD34, CD14, CD11b, or CD31. Engineered MSCs maintained the ability to differentiate into mesenchymal lineages in vitro. Im-MSCs showed stronger proliferative capacity than unengineered MSCs without colony formation in soft agar, no tumourigenicity in the brain, and normal chromosomes. MSCs or im-MSCs co-cultured with U87 cells showed enhanced proliferation ability, but did not show malignant characteristics in soft agar cloning experiments. Immortalised cells continued to express homing molecules. The cell membranes of im-MSCs were taken up by glioma cells and targeted in situ gliomas in vivo.CONCLUSIONS: Im-MSCs are promising candidates for cellular anti-glioma therapy. Im-MSCs provide a safe, adequate, quality-controlled, and continuous source of cells or cell membranes for the treatment of glioma.
Phase Separation During Blood Spreading
Authors: BENABDELHALIM Houssine , BRUTIN David
Published: April 2021

Blood pools can spread on several types of substrates depending on the surrounding environment and conditions. Understanding the influence of these parameters on the spreading of blood pools can provide crime scene investigators with useful information. The focus of the present study is on phase separation, that is, when the serum spreads outside the main blood pool. For this purpose, blood pools with constant initial masses on wooden floors that were either varnished or not were created at ambient temperatures of 21 °C, 29 °C, and 37 °C with a relative humidity varying from 20 % to 90 %. The range 21 °C to 37 °C covers almost all worldwide indoor cases. The same whole blood from the same donor was used for all experiments. As a result, an increase in relative humidity was found to result in an increase in the final pool area. In addition, at the three different experimental temperatures, the serum spread outside the main pool at relative humidity levels above 50 %. This phase separation is more significant on varnished substrates, and does not lead to any changes in the drying morphology. This phenomenon is explained by the competition between coagulation and evaporation.
Progressive Genetic Modifications with Growth Hormone Receptor Knockout Extends Cardiac Xenograft Survival to 9 Months
Authors: Mohiuddin Muhammad , Goerlich Corbin , Singh Avneesh , Zhang Tianshu , Tatarov Ivan , Lewis Billeta , Sentz Faith , Hershfeld Alena , Braileanu Gheorghe , Odonkor Patrick , Strauss Erik , Williams Brittney , Burke Allen , Hittman Jamie , Bhutta Adnan , Tabatabai Ali , Gupta Anuj , Vaught Todd , Sorrells Lorri , Kuravi Kasinath , Dandro Amy , Eyestone Will , Kaczorowski David , Ayares David , Griffith Bartley
Published: April 2021

We report orthotopic (life-supporting) survival of genetically engineered porcine cardiac xenografts (with 3-9 progressive gene modifications) for almost 9 months in baboon recipients. This work builds on our previously reported heterotopic cardiac xenograft (3 gene modifications) survival up to 945 days with an anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody-based immunosuppression. In this current study, life-supporting xenografts containing multiple human complement regulatory, thromboregulatory, and anti-inflammatory proteins, in addition to growth hormone receptor knockout (KO) and carbohydrate antigen KOs, were transplanted. Selective "multi-gene" xenografts demonstrate survival greater than 8 months without the use of adjunctive medications and without evidence of abnormal xenograft thickness or rejection. These data demonstrate that selective “multi-gene" modifications improve cardiac xenograft survival significantly and may be foundational for paving the way to bridge transplantation in humans.
Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Symptom Checker Applications in Primary Health Care (CHECK.APP): Study Protocol of an Interdisciplinary Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Koch Roland , Wetzel Anna-Jasmin , Preiser Christine , Müller Regina , Klemmt Malte , Ranisch Robert , Ehni Hans-Jörg , Wiesing Urban , Rieger Monika A. , Henking Tanja , Joos Stefanie
Published: April 2021

Background: Symptom checker applications (SCA) are accessible tools that provide early symptom assessment for users. Ethical, legal, and social implications of SCA, their impact on the patient-physician relationship, the health care providers and the health care system have sparsely been examined. This study protocol describes an approach to investigate possible impacts and implications of SCA on different levels of health care provision. It considers the perspectives of users, non-users, general practitioners and (international) health care experts. We aim to assess a comprehensive overview of the use of SCA and reveal problematic issues.Methods: The primary outcomes of this study are empirically informed, multi-perspective recommendations for different stakeholders on ethical, legal, and social implications of SCA. Quantitative and qualitative methods will be used in several consecutive and interconnected parts: Study part 1 comprises a survey that will be analyzed with a logistic regression. It aims to assess the user degree of SCA in Germany as well as predictors for SCA usage. Study part 2 will comprise self-observational diary and user-interviews, which will be analyzed as integrated cases to assess the user perspectives, usage pattern and arising problems. Study part 3 will comprise GP interviews to assess their experiences, perspectives, self-image, and concepts and will be analyzed with the basic procedure by Kruse. Moreover, interviews with health care experts will be conducted in study part 3 and will be analyzed by using the reflexive thematical analysis by Braun and Clark. Discussion: Possible ethical, social and legal implications of a widespread use of SCA affect stakeholders and stakeholder groups on different levels of health care. The proposed methodological approach provides a multi-faceted and diverse empirical basis for a broad discussion on these implications.Trial registration: The study is registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) with the ID: DRKS00022465 since the 7th of August 2020.
Influences of Suvorexant and Mirtazapine on Chronic Pain-related Sleep Disorder in Neuropathic Pain Model Mice 
Authors: Ito Hisakatsu , Tusneki Hiroshi , Sasaoka Toshiyasu , Toyooka Naoki , Yamazaki Mitsuaki
Published: April 2021

Chronic pain and sleep disorders are independently associated with a reduction in the quality of life. They can be both a cause and consequence of each other; therefore, they should be treated simultaneously. However, optimal treatments for chronic pain-related sleep disorders are not well established. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of suvorexant, a novel sleep drug, and mirtazapine, a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant, on pain-related sleep disorders in a preclinical neuropathic pain mouse model, which was produced by partial sciatic nerve ligation. We calculated the quantity, duration, and depth of sleep by analyzing the electroencephalogram. Voluntary activity was also evaluated by counting the number of wheel rotations with special cages. Daily administration of suvorexant and mirtazapine normalized the reduced rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep and improved the fragmented sleep, further regaining the depth of sleep at sleep onset in the chronic pain state. Suvorexant decreased voluntary activity, which was prolonged after the end of administration; however, mirtazapine did not decrease it. Both suvorexant and mirtazapine could be potential therapeutic agents for chronic pain-related sleep disorders.
Maximum Resection and Immunotherapy Improve Glioblastoma Patient Survival: A Single-institution Prognostic Analysis 
Authors: Ishikawa Eiichi , Sugii Narushi , Matsuda Masahide , Kohzuki Hidehiro , Tsurubuchi Takao , Akutsu Hiroyoshi , Takano Shingo , Matsumura Akira
Published: April 2021

Purpose. Glioblastoma (GBM) is a refractory disease with a poor prognosis and various methods, including maximum resection and immunotherapy, have been tested to improve outcomes. This retrospective study analyzed the prognostic factors of initially diagnosed glioblastoma patients at our institution to analyze the effect of these methods on prognosis. Methods. Two hundred seventy-seven patients with initially diagnosed glioblastoma who were treated in our institution from 2009 to 2020. Various data, including extent of removal (EOR) and type of adjuvant therapy, were examined and prognostic relationships were analyzed. Results. The median OS of the entire 277-case cohort, 200 non-biopsy cases, and 77 biopsy cases were 16.6 months, 19.7 months, and 9.7 months, respectively. Gross total removal (GTR; 100% of EOR) was achieved in 32.9% of the cases. Univariate analysis revealed younger age, right side, higher Karnofsky performance status, GTR, intraoperative MRI use for removal, proton therapy, combination immunotherapy, and discharge to home as good prognostic factors. Intraoperative MRI use and EOR were closely related. In the multivariate analysis, GTR, proton therapy, and combination of immunotherapies including autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine were the significant prognostic factors. A multivariate analysis of 91 GTR cases showed that immunotherapy contributed to prognostic improvements. The median OS and 5-year OS% values were 36.9 months and 43.3% in GTR cases receiving immunotherapy. Conclusion. GTR, proton therapy, and immunotherapy were good prognostic factors in single-center GBM cases. Tumor vaccine therapy for GTR cases achieved a notably high median survival time and long-term survival ratio, indicating its usefulness in GTR cases.
CHAF1A–PCNA interaction promotes cervical cancer progression via the PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 signaling pathway
Authors: Wen Li , Luo Yuli , Duan Zhaoning , Li Xiaoge , Jia Ying
Published: April 2021

Background

An increasing number of studies demonstrate that histone chaperones play critical roles in tumorigenesis and development. In previous research, we confirmed that CHAF1A was highly expressed in cervical cancer (CC) and was correlated with poor prognosis. However, the biological function and specific mechanism of CHAF1A in the development of CC have not been reported.
Methods

CHAF1A knockdown in SiHa and HeLa.cells by lentivirus vector is verified by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis.CCK-8, flow cytometry assays, colony formation, cell migration assay and real-time cell analysis assay were performed to determine the cellular function of CHAF1A in CC.Tumor xenograft assay was conducted on nude mice to assess the effect of CHAF1A in vivo. Cell immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation were applied to examine the interaction between CHAF1A and PCNA.
Results

We found that CHAF1A knockdown in SiHa and HeLa cell lines inhibited proliferation and promotedits apoptosis. Further research indicated that CHAF1A promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis in CC by activating the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway. Moreover, CHAF1A directly interacts with PCNA and co-promotes CC progression.
Conclusions

The discovery of the mechanism of action of CHAF1A in CC may provide a new direction for the treatment of CC.
Risk factors of synchronous peritoneal metastases in colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Yuanxin , Qin Xiusen , Wang Huaiming , Wu Zhijie , Liu Duo , Du Yang , Wang Hui
Published: April 2021

Background: Early detection of synchronous colorectal peritoneal metastasis (CPM) is difficult due to the absence of typical symptoms and the low accuracy of imaging examinations. Better knowledge of risk factors for synchronous CPM may be essential for early diagnosis and strengthening management. This study aimed to clarify the risk factors. Methods: This meta-analysis was based on PRISMA guidelines. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases was performed. The pooled data was assessed by a random-effects model. Results: 25 studies containing 171932 patients were included. Synchronous CPM was associated positively with female (OR 1.299; 1.118 to 1.509; P = 0.001), T4 (OR 12.331; 7.734 to 19.660; P < 0.001), N1-2 (OR 5.665; 3.628 to 8.848; P < 0.001), poorly differentiated grade (OR 2.560; 1.537 to 4.265; P < 0.001), right-sided colon cancer (OR 2.468; 2.050 to 2.970; P < 0.001), mucinous adenocarcinoma (OR 3.565; 2.095 to 6.064; P < 0.001), signet-ring cell carcinoma (OR 4.480; 1.836 to 10.933; P = 0.001), elevated serum CA19-9 (OR 12.868; 5.196 to 31.867; P < 0.001), PROK1/PROKR2-positive (OR 2.244; 1.031 to 4.884; P = 0.042) and BRAF mutations (OR 2.586; 1.674 to 3.994; P < 0.001). However, it’s associated negatively with rectal cancer and non-mucinous adenocarcinoma, and not associated with KRAS, NRAS, PIK3CA mutations and MSI-H/dMMR. Conclusions: These risk factors are the alerts that could predict the presence of synchronous CPM and contribute to strengthening management and optimal therapeutic strategy.
Increased expression of HIST1H1D in esophageal carcinoma predicts poor survival: A study base on TCGA database
Authors: Huang Shan , Huang Hanwen , Liao Mingchu , Tian Caiqun , Deng Rong , Du Peng , Zhu Mengyuan , Pan Xiaofen
Published: April 2021

Background: Expression level of HIST1H1D, a linker histone H1 gene, was reported to be associated with poor prognosis in some malignant tumors. Online database showed that HIST1H1D was increased in esophageal carcinoma. The current study aimed to evaluated the role of HIST1H1D in esophageal carcinoma using online data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).Methods. Wilcoxon signed-rank test, cox regression analysis and multivariant analysis were used to analyze the relationship between clinical characteristic and HIST1H1D expression level. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the association of HIST1H1D and overall survival. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to identify HIST1H1D-related signaling pathway.Results. Compared to normal sample, HIST1H1D was significantly increased in esophageal carcinoma sample (p=0.000). High HIST1H1D expression was associated with poor survival (p=0.035). Univariate analysis showed that high HIST1H1D expression was associated with a poor overall survival (HR:1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.34, p=0.01). Multivariate analysis indicated that HIST1H1D remained an independent prognostic predictor of overall survival (HR:1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.36, p=0.03). GSEA revealed that alpha linolenic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, histidine metabolism, vascular smooth muscle contraction, primary bile acid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism and ether lipid metabolism were enriched in HIST1H1D high expression phenotype.Conclusions: HIST1H1D may sever as a potential prognostic predictor of poor survival in esophageal carcinoma. Lipid metabolism, histidine metabolism, vascular smooth muscle contraction, primary bile acid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism and ether lipid metabolism may be the key signaling pathway regulated by HIST1H1D.
Graded Rough Sets based on Neighborhood Operator Over two Different Universes and its Application
Authors: Khalil Ahmed Mostafa
Published: April 2021

Abstract The major concern of this paper is to present the notion of rough set based on neighborhood operator on universe set, along with its properties, and examples. Then, we generalize several notions of covering rough sets to neighborhood rough sets with respect to the graded n. Further, we present some notions such as probabilistic neighborhood rough approximations of X, (Type-I / Type-II) probabilistic neighborhood rough approximations of X with error α and β, and (Type-I / Type-II) probabilistic neighborhood rough approximations of X with respect to N . The interesting properties of above notions are investigated in detail. On the other hand, we define the notion of rough set based on neighborhood operator over two different universes. Subsequently, we present some notions (Type-I / Type-II / Type-III) graded n-neighborhood rough sets and give a two approaches to decision-making problems based on the (Type-II / Type-III) grade n-neighborhood rough sets. Then, we construct the decision steps and give two algorithms of the decision methods. Also, we will give two illustrative examples to show the applicability of the rough set based on neighborhood operator over two different universes to solve the rough decision-making problems. Finally, we give a comparison between the Liu et al.’s approach and our approach.
Seasonal Variations and Health Risk Assessment of Trace Elements in Seti River Basin, Gandaki Province, Nepal
Authors: Pant Ramesh Raj , Bishwakarma Kiran , Nepal Jharana , Paudel Sudip , Chand Mohan Bahadur , Qaisar Faizan Ur Rehman , Pal Khadka Bahadur , Thapa Lal B , Wang Guanxing
Published: April 2021

To explore the seasonal variability and associated health risks of dissolved trace elements (TEs), a total of 45 water samples (15 samples in each season) were collected from the Seti River Basin during pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons. A total of 15 (TEs) were analysed and the results revealed that Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr), and Nickel (Ni) were primarily controlled by lithogenic sources, whereas, Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Cesium (Cs), Cupper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), and Zinc (Zn) were derived from both anthropic and geogenic origin. Additionally, the concentration of Zn was markedly high, especially during the post-monsoon season nearby the landfill site, indicating the anthropic signatures. The hazard index and cancer index were found to be < 1.00 and 10− 6-10− 4, respectively indicating minimum health impacts. The water quality index was < 50 throughout the sampling periods, with better water quality during the monsoon. This study could help to formulate the necessary policies for the sustainability of the Himalayan River Basins.
Comparative transcriptome provides strategy for phylogenetic analysis and SSR marker development in Chaenomeles
Authors: Shao Wenhao , Huang Shiqing , Zhang Yongzhi , Jiang Jingmin , Li Hui
Published: April 2021

The genus Chaenomeles has long been considered as an important ornamental, herbal and cash plant and widely cultivated in East Asian. Traditional researches of Chaenomeles mainly focus on evolutionary relationships on phenotypic level. In this study, we conducted RNA-seq for 10 Chaenomeles germplasms supplemented with one related species Docynia delavayi (D. delavay) by Illumina HiSeq2500 platform. After de novo assemblies, we have generated unigenes for each germplasm with numbers from 40 084 to 48 487. By pairwise comparison of the orthologous sequences, 9 659 othologus within the 11 germplasms were obtained, with 6 154 othologous genes identified as single-copy genes. The phylogenetic tree was visualized to reveal evolutionary relationship for these 11 germplasms. GO and KEGG analyses were performed for these common single-copy genes to compare the functional similarities and differences. Selective pressure analysis based on 6 154 common single-copy genes reveals that 45 genes were under positive pressure selection. Most of them involved in plant disease defense system building process. 292 genes containing simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were used to develop SSR markers and compare their function in secondary metabolism pathways. Finally, 10 primers were chosen as SSR markers candidates for Chaenomeles germplasms by comprehensive screening. Our research provides new methodology and reference for future related research in Chaemomeles and is also useful for improvement, breeding and selection project in other related species.
Inulin-Niacin Conjugates: Preparation, Characterization, Kinetic and in vitro Release Studies
Authors: Ganie Showkat Ali , Ali Akbar , Mir Tariq Ahmad , Mazumdar Nasreen
Published: April 2021

Niacin, an essential B-complex vitamin, used in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the first perceived lipid regulating medication, inhibits and reverses hepatic steatosis and inflammation in animals and liver cell cultures. Niacin shows beneficial effects on adiposity. Niacin plays an important role in DNA repair, electron transfer, one-carbon metabolism and fatty acid synthesis in cells. Natural polysaccharides with desirable chemical modifications can be combined with vitamins for developing the supplement treatment for vitamin deficiency disorders. Modification of inulin was carried out by tosylation, amination and then conjugated with niacin. Structural elucidation of the derivatives and conjugates was carried out by FT-IR, 1H NMR and SEM. Thermal behavior was investigated by TGA and DSC techniques. The release and kinetics of niacin, from the conjugate, at different pH was studied. The release was observed to be pH dependent, showing a greater release at higher pH following Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model. Polysaccharide based approach was used for the preparation of stable niacin-inulin conjugates with controllable and prolonged release of niacin. These types of conjugates may be useful as vitamin delivery systems for vitamin deficiency disorders.
Human Mobility and Droplet-transmissible Pediatric Infectious Diseases During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic
Authors: Ae Ryusuke , Shibata Yoshihide , Furuno Toshiki , Sasahara Teppei , Nakamura Yosikazu , Hamada Hiromichi
Published: April 2021

Background: The number of children with common pediatric infectious diseases (PIDs) other than coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) decreased in 2020 compared with those in previous years worldwide. The present study tested the hypothesis that human mobility may be a potential factor contributing to reductions in PIDs that can be transmitted by droplets among children.Methods: An ecological study was conducted using two publicly available datasets: surveillance on infectious diseases collected by the Japanese government and COVID-19 community mobility reports presented by Google. Among common PIDs, we focused on focused on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, pharyngoconjunctival fever (PCF), group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis, hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD), and herpangina because of their nature as droplet-transmissible PIDs. The COVID-19 community mobility reports demonstrated percent decreases in the movement of people over time in groceries and pharmacies, parks, and transit stations. We compared the weekly trends in numbers of patients with PIDs identified in 2020 with those identified in the previous years 2015–2019. We then determined the associations between numbers of patients with PIDs and percentage decreases in human mobility during 2020 using Pearson correlation analysis.Results: Despite experiencing their peak seasons, dramatic reductions were observed in the numbers of patients with PCF and GAS pharyngitis after the 10th week in 2020. Beyond the 20th week, no seasonal peaks were observed in the numbers of patients with all PIDs identified in 2020. Significant correlations were found between percentage decreases in human mobility in transit stations and numbers of patients with HFMD (Pearson correlation coefficient [95% confidence interval]: 0.65 [0.44–0.79]), PCF (0.47 [0.21–0.67]), RSV infection (0.45 [0.19–0.66]), and GAS pharyngitis (0.34 [0.06–0.58]). No significant correlations were found between numbers of patients with PIDs and human mobility in parks.Conclusions: The highest correlations were found for the associations between numbers of patients with PIDs and human mobility in transit stations, suggesting that adult-to-child transmission may be a primary factor associated with increased numbers of patients with PIDs, rather than cross-transmission among children. A reduction in human mobility for adults may contribute toward decreases in the numbers of children with droplet-transmissible PIDs.
Response to Foliar Micronutrients Application: Oil Content, Fatty Acid Profiling, Growth and Yield Attributes in Sunflower Hybrids
Authors: Mehmood Ayaz , Ahmed Junaid , Rukh Shah , Shahzad Khurram , Rafique Mazhar , Imran Muhammad , Khan Ahmad , Qayyum Abdul , Ahmad Waseem , Gurmani Ali , Shah Zahid , Alghabari Fahad , Chung Gyuhwa
Published: April 2021

Micronutrient deficiency is widespread in alkaline soils of Pakistan which ultimately affect the yield and quality of sunflower oil. The current study was designed to investigate the combined as well as the sole effect of micronutrient application on the growth and yield attributes, and fatty acids profiling of selected sunflower hybrids. A field trial was conducted in sub-humid climatic conditions and two sunflower hybrids (FMC-1 and Parsun-3) were grown at the University of Haripur’s research farm. Micronutrients were applied through the foliar application at the start of the bud growing stage and before the flowering stage i.e., after 30 and 55 days of sowing. The application of micronutrients resulted in significant variation in agronomic parameters of sunflower hybrids. Molybdenum among the sole application and in combination treatments Zn, B, and Mo increased the growth traits of sunflower genotypes, while application of Zn and Mo (among sole application), and combination of Zn, B, and Mo increased the yield attributes. Oil content was highest in the combination of three micronutrients (Zn, B, and Mo) application followed by the Zn and B application individually. Sole micronutrients application also increased oil contents in both hybrids. Zinc application resulted in an increase of unsaturated fatty acids and a decrease in saturated fatty acids, while the B increased the oleic acid and stearic acid content and decreased the linoleic acid and palmitic acid contents. Among the varieties, FMC-1 has significantly achieved a higher yield than the Parsun-3. It is concluded from the research that Zn application increased the beneficial (poly- and mono-unsaturated) fatty acids and decreased the harmful (saturated) fatty acids. Zinc application @ 2 kg ha1 is recommended for good quality oil production.
Rapid detection of sedel and 302C>T (rs200157007) responsible for nonsecretor phenotype by real-time PCR-based methods
Authors: Soejima Mikiko , Koda Yoshiro
Published: April 2021

The sedel allele is one of the nonsecretor alleles (se) of FUT2 generated by an Alu-mediated recombination event and was first found in an Indian Bombay phenotype. Like sedel, se302 having a missense single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), 302C > T, is characteristic of South Asians with a frequency of 10–30%. We developed a real-time PCR melting curve analysis for detection of sedel using a 127-bp amplicon encompassing the breakpoint junction. In addition, by performing duplex PCR by amplifying a 65-bp amplicon of the FUT2 coding region at the same time, we could determine the zygosity of sedel in a single tube. We also developed an Eprobe-mediated PCR assay (Eprobe-PCR) for detection of 302C > T of FUT2. These methods were validated by analyzing 58 Tamils and 54 Sinhalese in Sri Lanka. Both the duplex PCR melting curve analysis for determination of sedel zygosity and the Eprobe-PCR assay for detection of 302C > T exactly determined three genotypes. In addition, the results of the present methods were in complete agreement with those obtained by previously established methods. The two present methods were reliable and seem to be advantageous for large-scale association studies of FUT2 polymorphisms in South Asian populations.