bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relation between skeletal muscle strength and ubiquitin ligase expression in muscle atrophy models in zebrafish larvae (Danio Rerio)
Authors: Liu Jiao , Le Elisabeth , Schwartzkopf Matthias , Arner Anders
Published: September 2020

Background Skeletal muscle atrophy is often seen in patients with chronic diseases or muscle disuse. Upregulated expression of ubiquitin ligases such as Muscle Ring Finger 1 (MuRF-1) and Muscle Atrophy F-box (MAFbx) has been shown in different immobilization-induced atrophy models, which is believed to be responsible for the enhanced muscle protein proteolysis and thereafter results in muscle weakness. However, currently used immobilization animal models can include artefacts due to difficulty of food intake and stress. Zebrafish larvae 5-6 days after hatching do not require active movement for food intake, and it is possible to assess the muscle function of their trunk muscle. Therefore, we established two muscle atrophy models using zebrafish larvae and aimed to investigate the role of the MuRFs and MAFbx in relation with muscle function.Methods An actin-myosin interaction blocker (BTS) was used to immobilize zebrafish larvae from 3-6 days after hatching; in another series, dexamethasone was fed to larvae from 3-5 days after hatching. Maximal active force of trunk muscles was examined and the distance between adjacent filaments in sarcomeric structure was measured using small angle x-ray diffraction. MuRF and MAFbx expression was determined using real time PCR. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the difference between groups.Results We found a significant up-regulation of MuRF-1 and a lower active force generation in dexamethasone treated larvae. However, although the BTS immobilization induced muscle weakness, it was associated with decreased of MuRF-1 to 3 and MAFbx. After 3 days of immobilization, sarcomere became more compressed compared to the controls.Conclusions Two kinds of muscle atrophy models were successfully established in zebrafish larvae. MuRFs and MAFbx was lowered in BTS treated model whereas MuRF-1 was up-regulated in dexamethasone treated model implicating the complex role of ubiquitin ligase in different muscle atrophy models.
High phosphate levels promote muscle atrophy via myostatin expression in differentiated L6 myotubes
Authors: Sonou Tomohiro , Ohya Masaki , Kawakami Kazuki , Yashiro Mitsuru , Mima Toru , Negi Shigeo , Shigematsu Takashi
Published: September 2020

Background: Sarcopenia is the age-induced, progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. This phenomenon is observed in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the intracellular mechanism underlying the progressive sarcopenia in CKD has not been completely elucidated. Although hyperphosphatemia contributes to cellular senescence, it is unclear whether this condition induces skeletal muscle atrophy. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hyperphosphatemia on skeletal muscle. Methods: Differentiated rat myoblast cells (L6) were exposed to normal (0.9 mM; CON), medium (2.5 mM), and high (3.8mM; HPi) phosphate conditions for 10 days. We measured the protein levels of myosin heavy chain (MHC) and myostatin and determined the ratio of phosphorylated p70S6K and cleaved caspase-3 by western blot. The expression levels of the myogenic transcriptional regulators MyoD and myogenin were measured by qPCR. Results: The levels of MHC were gradually downregulated depending on the phosphate concentration. Myostatin in HPi was about 20 times higher than in CON (P<0.001). In myotubes cultured in HPi, protein synthesis was significantly lower, and degradation was significantly higher than in CON (P<0.01). The mRNA expression of MyoD in HPi was significantly lower than in CON. Conclusions: This study showed that hyperphosphatemia strongly induced muscle atrophy with the accumulation of myostatin. This mechanism might include the downregulation of protein synthesis, upregulation of proteolysis, and attenuated muscle regeneration.
Public Health Risk Assessment Model (PH-RAM) for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps – A case study of North Darfur, Sudan
Authors: Mahmoud Elfadil Mohammed , Pal Indrajit , Abbas Haitham Bashier
Published: September 2020

Background: Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North Darfur of Sudan have been experiencing serious public health risks such as high prevalence rate, and outbreaks of communicable diseases. Public health risk assessment is complex as researchers engaged in disaster science and management use different quantitative models with different interpretations. The objective of the present study is to proposes methodology for developing Public Health Risk Assessment Model (PH-RAM) to quantify and conceptualizing public health risk as a function of hazard, vulnerability, and capacity.Methods: Household-level public health risk has been assessed integrating the three main component indices, hazard, vulnerability, and capacity, using primary data collected from households of the three IDP camps. Administered survey was performed in 326 households in three IDP camps (Shangil Tobaya, Zamzam, and Abu Shouk) using cluster sampling technique. Households were classified into four public health risk levels, i.e., low risk, moderate risk, high risk, and very high risk. Results: The result shows that the levels of public health risk varied significantly across households in three camps. Households of the Shangil Tobaya camp (in a rural area) were found to be the most vulnerable and the most at high risk to communicable diseases compared to other two camps because of insufficient health services, inadequate water, poor sanitation, and low level of income. The study recommended, mitigation and prevention measures to reduce the factors that are increased the vulnerability of the IDPs to health risks. Conclusions: Our study shows that the suggested PH-RAM could be served as household-level public health risk assessment tools in the context of IDPs at the local, national and regional levels.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Pattern of Patient Care in Otorhinolaryngology Practice in a Tertiary Referral Centre
Authors: Sharma Kalpana , Goswami Abhilasha , M Sarun S
Published: September 2020

Aims-To study the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on patient load in a tertiary care centre and the innovations and methods used to improve the safety of the healthcare workers, to provide adequate treatment in the department of Otorhinolaryngology.Materials and methods-This study was conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, at a tertiary care hospital centre in North-East India. This study included data collected from the patient registers maintained in our department, and included data over a 4-month period, from April, 2020 to July, 2020. Age, gender, place of residence, clinical diagnosis and the operative procedure performed were included in the data profile for analysis. The above-mentioned registers were also reviewed to retrieve details about the rate of admission during the study period in the previous year. Data was collected and represented, in both descriptive and tabular forms, after proper statistical analysis.Results-We found out that there is a drastic reduction in number of patients attending in our department of Otorhinolaryngology during this COVID-19 pandemic. Certain innovative methods for protecting healthcare workers from viral transmission were put into our practice based on the peer reviewed articles, from June,2020 and the rate of elective procedures and in-patient admissions were thus increased.Conclusion- Knowledge of new innovative methods in Otorhinolaryngology will help overcome the difficulties faced during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Genetic expression and mutation profile analysis in different pathologic stages of hepatocellular carcinoma patients
Authors: Gao Xingjie , Zhao Chunyan , Cui Xiaoteng , Zhang Nan , Ren Yuanyuan , Su Chao , Wu Shaoyuan , Yao Zhi , Yang Jie
Published: September 2020

Background: The expression and mutation of multiple genes are involved in the complicated mechanism regarding the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The clinical pathological stage of HCC is closely linked to clinical prognosis of liver cancer. This study aims at analyzing the gene expression and mutation profile of different clinical pathological stages of HCC (stage I, II, III-IV), based on 367 HCC cases included in TCGA cohort.Results: We identified a series of targeting genes with copy number variation (CNV), which is statistically associated with gene expression. For instance, compared withthe normal group, CCNE2 gene is highly expressed in the tumor group and specificstage I group, which are associated withthree CNV types of single deletion, single gain, and amplification mutations. Protein interaction network construction and followed "Molecular Complex Detection" analysis indicated that the high expression of some cell cycle-related genes in HCC, such as TTK, CDC20, ASPM, is positively correlated with CNV. Non-synonymous mutations mainly existed in some genes, such as TTN, TP53, CTNNB1, MUC16, andALB, however, we did not observe the association between thegene mutation frequency and the clinical pathological grade distribution. The rs121913396 and rs121913400 polymorphisms withintheCTNNB1 gene were associated with the high expression of CTNNB1 protein, but not linked to the clinical prognosis of HCC. We performed the random forest and decision tree approachesfor the modeling analysis and identified a group of genes related to different HCC pathological grades, such as the lowly expressed VIPR1, FAM99A, and GNA14 genes, or highly expressed CEP55, SEMA3F, and PRR11. Moreover, we conducted a principal component analysis (PCA) to obtain several genes associated with different pathological grades, including SLC27A5, ADAM17, SNRPA, SNRPD2, and ALDH2. Finally, we confirmed the highly expressed GAS2L3, SNRPA, SNRPD2 genes in the HCC tissues, for the first time, through a Chinese HLivH060PG02 cohort analysis.Conclusions: The identification of the targeting genes, including GAS2L3, SNRPA, SNRPD2, provides insight into the molecular mechanisms associated with different prognosis of HCC.
COVID-19 Forecasting using Multivariate Linear Regression
Authors: Suganya R. , R.Arunadevi  , M.Buhari Seyed
Published: September 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province. The objective of this research is to propose a forecasting model using the COVID-19 available dataset from top affected regions across the world using machine learning algorithms. Machine Learning algorithms help us achieve this objective. Regression models are one of the supervised machine learning techniques to classify large-scale data. This research aims to apply Multivariate Linear Regression to predict the number of confirmed and death COVID-19 cases for a span of one and two weeks. The experimental results explain 99\% variability in prediction with the R-squared statistics scores of 0.992. The algorithms are evaluated using the error matrix such as Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and accuracy for top affected regions across the world.
May Medium Cut-Off Dialysis Membranes Have Impact on Outcome of COVID-19 Hemodialysis Patients?
Authors: YALIN SERKAN FEYYAZ , MURT AHMET , DINCER MEVLUT TAMER , PARMAKSIZ ERGUN , YADIGAR SERAP , ALTIPARMAK MEHMET RIZA
Published: September 2020

Purpose: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 which is a novel type of coronavirus, may lead to high levels of expression of inflammatory cytokines. Medium cut-off membranes may make greater clearances for large-middle molecules (including cytokines) than low flux membranes. In this study, we aimed to evaluate impact of type of hemodialysis membranes on outcome of COVID 19+ hemodialysis patients.Methods: Forty nine COVID 19 + hemodialysis patients were included into study. The patients were categorized into two groups regarding type of hemodialysis membranes. Clinical data, etiologies of kidney diseases, comorbidities, laboratory and radiologic findings, antiviral, anti-cytokine treatments, and hemodialysis data were taken from medical records. Results: Medium cut-off membranes were used in 15 patients and low flux membranes were used in 34 patients. There were significantly more patients with comorbidities in medium cut-off group compare to low flux group (p=0,014). CRP and ferritin which are each surragates of cytokine storm in COVID-19, were significantly higher in medium cut-off membrane group compare to low flux group (p=0,00, 0,01, respectively).Conclusion: It may be an option to use medium cut-off membranes in hemodialysis patients with COVID 19 in order to reduce cytokine levels and prevent cytokine storm.
G6PD deficiency and severity of COVID19 pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome: tip of the iceberg?
Authors: Youssef Jihad G. , Zahiruddin Faisal , Youssef George , Padmanabhan Sriram , Ensor Joe , Pingali Sai Ravi , Zu Youli , Sahay Sandeep , Iyer Swaminathan P.
Published: September 2020

The severe pneumonia caused by human coronavirus (hCoV)-SARS-CoV-2 has inflicted heavy causalities, especially among the elderly and those with comorbid illnesses irrespective of age. The high mortality in African Americans and males, in general, raises concern for a possible X-linked mediated process that could affect viral pathogenesis and the immune system. We hypothesized that G6PD, the most common X-linked enzyme deficiency associated with redox status, may have a role in the severity of pneumonia. A retrospective chart review was performed in hospitalized patients with COVID19 pneumonia needing supplemental oxygen. A total of 17 patients were evaluated: six with G6PD deficiency and 11 with normal levels. The two groups (normal and G6PD def) were comparable in terms of age, sex and comorbidities and laboratory parameters LDH, IL-6, CRP, and ferritin. Thirteen patients needed ventilatory support, with 6 in the G6PD group (83% vs. 72%). The main differences indicating increasing severity in the G6PD def group included G6PD levels (12.2 vs. 5.6, P=0.0002), PaO2/FiO2 ratio (159 vs. 108, P=0.05), days before intubation (2.5 vs. 4.8 P= 0.03), days on mechanical ventilation (10.25 vs. 21 days P=0.04), hemoglobin level (10 vs. 8.1 P=0.03) and hematocrit (32 vs. 26 P=0.015). Only one patient with G6PD deficiency died; 16 were discharged home. Our clinical series ascribes a possible biological role for G6PD deficiency in SARS-CoV2 viral proliferation. It is imperative that further studies be performed to understand the interplay between the viral and host factors in G6PD deficiency that may lead to disparity in outcomes.
Mutational Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Genomes in Key Cities of China
Authors: Cui Qiwei , Zheng Jeffrey
Published: September 2020

From December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 induced pneumonia broke out in Wuhan and then spread rapidly from multiple resources to other provinces and other cities in China. In this paper, genomes collected in four Chinese cities: Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou were analyzed as the A1 module of the MAS. Starting from the virus gene sequence itself, multiple probability statistics are applied to extract characteristics from virus genomes. Variations of genomes can be compared and visualized in such conditions. It is interesting to see various similar and different properties visualized under various groups after transformations. In this way, key mutation characteristics could be observed and this type of results is helpful for further scientific researches on COVID-19 applications.
The -172A>G Polymorphism in ADAM17 Promoter Region Enhances Its Binding to EGR1 and Confers Susceptibility to Sepsis Progression
Authors: Shao Yiming , Zhang Wenying , Zhao Tian , Lu Furong , Hong Yuan , Liu Lizhen , Cai Yujie , Wei Ning , Cheng HongXiao , Chen Feng , He Junbing , Cui Lili
Published: September 2020

Background: A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) is a proteolytic cleaving protein with a crucial function in inflammatory responses, especially sepsis. But the clear role of ADAM17 in sepsis and the underlying mechanism remained unknown. In this study, we aim to determine the clinical relevance of the ADAM17 rs12692386 (-172A>G) promoter polymorphism in sepsis progression and to further explore the effect and mechanism of the early growth response 1 (EGR1) /ADAM17 pathway in the inflammatory process following sepsis. Methods: A case-control study with a total of 903 sepsis patients and 1150 controls were enrolled to determine the association of ADAM17 -172A>G polymorphism with sepsis. The transcription factor binding to the promoter region of ADAM17 gene was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and verified by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase assays. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to detect EGR1 and ADAM17 expression. Cytokine production was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of EGR1/ADAM17 pathway on sepsis-induced inflammatory responses was evaluated in EGR1-silenced cells and endotoxemia mouse model.Results: Patients with sepsis subtype exhibited significantly lower frequencies of the -172AG/GG genotypes compared to those with severe sepsis (29.3% vs. 45.9%, P=0.0002) or septic shock (29.3% vs. 42.4%, P=0.0032). The frequency of -172G allele in the 28-day non-surviving patients was significantly higher than that in the surviving patients (29.3% vs. 21.8%, P=0.0188). The results of in vitro lipopolysaccharide-stimulated and luciferase assays indicated that the −172 A-to-G variation could functionally upregulate promoter activity and transcription of ADAM17 gene via enhancing the binding affinity of its promoter region with the EGR1. The ChIP assay identified the direct interaction. Further studies demonstrated that the EGR1/ADAM17 intervention could significantly decrease the pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in vitro and improve the survival and inflammatory response of sepsis mouse model.Conclusions: These results provide evidence that the ADAM17 -172A>G polymorphism can functionally enhance ADAM17 expression and promote sepsis-induced inflammatory responses via the EGR1/ADAM17 pathway, which ultimately promote sepsis progression and poor prognosis.
5-methylcytonsine profiles in mouse transcriptomes suggest the randomness of m5C formation catalyzed by RNA methyltransferase
Authors: Liu Junfeng
Published: September 2020

5-methylcytosine (m5C) is a type of chemical modification on the nucleotides and is widespread in both DNA and RNA. Although the DNA m5C has been extensively studied over the past years, the distribution and biological function of RNA m5C still remain to be elucidated. Here, I explored the profiles of RNA m5C in four mouse tissues and found that the methylation rates of cytosine were the same with the averages of methylation level at single-nucleotide level. Furthermore, I gave a mathematical formula to describe the observed relationship and analyzed it deeply. The sufficient necessary condition for the given formula suggests that the methylation levels at most m5C sites are the same in four mouse tissues. Therefore, I proposed a hypothesis that the m5C formation catalyzed by RNA methyltransferase is random and with the same probability at most m5C sites, which is the methylation rate of cytosine. My hypothesis can be used to explain the observed profiles of RNA m5C in four mouse tissues and will be benefit to future studies of the distribution and biological function of RNA m5C in mammals.
Socio-emotional Strengths Against Psychopathology and Suicidal Ideation in Fear of Covid-19
Authors: Soto-Sanz Victoria , Falcó Raquel , Piqueras José Antonio
Published: September 2020

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused a global health crisis. It also leads to different types of psychosocial problems in society as a result of preventive health measures and the disease itself. Among others, psychopathological symptoms and suicide behaviors have increased. The PsicorecurSOS COVID-19 online protocol was designed. At baseline, 1,020 Spanish adults were assessed, during confinement, for sociodemographics, fear of COVID-19, anxious-depressive symptoms, covitality, and suicidal ideation. Reliability, descriptive, and frequency analyses were carried out, and the computer tool SPSS PROCESS was used to carry out a conditional process analysis (model 59). A total of 595 participants were included (58.30% response rate from baseline; mean age = 37.18 [SD = 13.30]; 72.44% female). Regarding suicidal ideation, 12% responded differently to “never,” 19.3% exceeded the cutoff point on the anxiety scale, and 24% on the depression scale. Moderate mediation analysis explained 27% of the variance in suicidal ideation. In addition, the indirect effect of moderate mediation was significant (b = -.003, SE = .002 with the presence of covitality; and b = .01, SE = .003 absence of covitality). Sex and age did not influence the overall outcome of the model. The data from this study can serve as a starting point for generating social and health treatment initiatives based on self-examination of anxiety-depressive symptoms and increasing socio-emotional skills in order to prevent and alleviate the psychosocial effects of the pandemic.
Improve Nurses’ Engagement of Public Sector Hospitals in pandemic of COVID-19 through Authentic Leadership: Mediating role of Moral Emotions and Moderating role of Perceived Coronavirus Threat
Authors: Malik Muhammad Faisal , Khan Muhammad Asif , Mahmood Saqib , Ilyas Naveed
Published: September 2020

Background: The study highlighted the issue of the engagement of nurses in the public hospital sector.Objectives: The objective of the current study was to determine the impact of authentic leadership on the engagement of nurses in the mediating role of moral emotions. The perceived threat of coronavirus was considered to be a boundary condition of the relationship. DesignMethod: The study was conducted in accordance with the Positivism Research Philosophy Guidelines, followed by a deductive approach and data was collected through self-directed questionnaires. 134 responses were collected from nurses working in various public sector hospitals operating in twin cities in Pakistan, in particular public sector hospitals where coronavirus patients are being treated. There are 277,402 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, being treated in 11 designation hospitals in twin cities of Pakistan. Results: The result was produced with the help of Amos. Path diagrams for mediation and moderation hypotheses were obtained and interpreted accordingly. The results showed that compassionate individuals were selfless even in the Covid-19 pandemic. Elevation and gratitude as a moral emotion have a more serious effect on the perceived threat to coronavirus.Conclusion: In the current scenario, the organization should identify the nursing staff with full compassion as it has been identified that the compassionate individual performs his or her duties even in the worst situation or during the Covid-19 pandemic.What is already known about the topic?Authentic Leadership are having the potential to influence their followers through personal and organizational Identification and then effect their cognitions.What this paper adds:The current study add novelty and expanded the knowledge about authentic leadership and theory of authentic leadership since it add:· Perceived coronavirus threat as boundary condition· Moral Emotions· Engagement
T1 slope minus cervical lordosis in multilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with or without plate: a mean 6-year follow up
Authors: Ge Rile , Yang Peng , Liu Xin , Wen Bingtao
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Cervical alignment between self-locked cage (SLC) and anterior cage-with-plate (ACP) system was debatable, especially in multilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). T1 slope minus C2-C7 cervical lordosis (T1S-CL) was critical for cervical-balance while without identified threshold. Thus the study was to compare sagittal alignment between SLC and ACP on 3-level ACDF and to identify the threshold of T1S-CL in 3-level ACDF.
Methods

45 patients of 3-level SLC and 28 cases of 3-level ACP with well-matched demographics were retrospectively enrolled with 6.1-year follow-up. Cervical alignment paramters were CL, C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis (C2-C7 SVA), T1S and T1S-CL, as well as adjacent segment degeneration (ASD), obtained on X-ray. Neck disability index (NDI) and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score were recorded for evaluating quality of life (QOL). NDI of 20 was difined as the cutoff of QOL. Threshold of T1S-CL was determined by both linear and logistic regression model.
Result

CL, C2-C7 SVA and T1S were insignificant at baseline and all parameters were indifferent at last (P ˃0.05). CL and T1S improved at last in both groups (P < 0.05). The incidence of ASD was comparable between groups (P ˃0.05). Both groups acquired inprovement on NDI and JOA (P < 0.001). There were close correlation among alignment paramters and between parameters and NDI at final follow-up. C2-C7 SVA was independent risk factor for NDI and two regression models predicted C2-C7 SVA with a cutoff of 29.2 mm, corresponded to the threshold on T1S-CL of 20.7°.
Conclusions

It is comparable on alignment reconstruction between SLC and ACP system. The cutoff on C2-C7 SVA with 29.2 mm corresponds to a thershold of T1S-CL with 20.7° in multilevel ACDF.
Central Venous Catheterization (CVC) Site Choice Based on Anatomical Landmark Technique: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Short title:CVC Site Choice Strategy
Authors: Gu Yang , Xu Wenting , Zhang Qingqing , Chen Zhigang , Feng Di , Wei Juan , Jin Xiaohong , Zhou Huanping , Song Jiong , Lv Xin
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND: Internal jugular vein (IJV) and subclavian vein (SCV) have been the most preferred central venous catheterization (CVC) sites clinically. Based on individual preference and institutional routine, however, the choice of IJV catheterization (IJVC) or SCV catheterization (SCVC) is lack of high-level evidence. We sought to provide useful clinical strategy by comparing the catheterization time, success rate and the mechanical complications involved of the two CVCs.METHODS: We systematically reviewed eligible studies from PubMed, OVID, Cochrane and ClinicalTrials.gov till February 2020. The primary outcomes were catheterization time and overall success rate, and the secondary outcomes were the first-attempt success rate and the instant mechanical complications. RESULTS: A total of 3378 patients from 7 studies were included in the analysis. Neither difference was found on the catheterization time (SMD 95% CI: -0.095-0.124, p=0.792), nor any difference on the overall success rate (RR=1.017, 95% CI: 0.927-1.117, p=0.721, I2=89.6%) between the 2 procedures. However, subgroup analysis showed overall success rate of IJVC was significantly lower than that of SCVC (RR=0.906, 95%CI:0.850-0.965, p=0.002) in adult patients. The first-attempt success rate of IJVC group was higher than SCVC group in the adult patients (RR=1.472, 95%CI:1.004-2.156, p=0.047). No significance was detected in arterial injury (RR=1.137, 95% CI: 0.541-2.387, p=0.735) and pneumothorax (RR=0.600, 95% CI: 0.32-1.126, p=0.112) between the two procedures. Hematoma was significantly more in IJVC group than that in SCVC group (RR=2.824, 95% CI: 1.181-6.751, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with IJVC, SCVC has a higher overall success rate while a lower first-attempt success rate in adults, and has involved with less hematoma. However, more high-quality studies are essential to provide better evidence especially in pediatric patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This meta-analysis was pre-registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020165444).
Acupuncture Mechanism Studies Employing Task-based fMRI: A Scoping Review Protocol
Authors: Yan Yan , Sheng Ru-ya , Wang Yu , Zhang Chun-hong
Published: September 2020

Background: Acupuncture is a widely used alternative and complementary therapy. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is an important technique to explore the underlying mechanism of acupuncture, and the task-based fMRI can reflect the instant effects or sustained effects of acupuncture in the brain. This scoping review aims to summarize the characteristics of acupuncture mechanism studies employing Task-based fMRI and conclude a reference for future studies.Methods/design: This review will follow the Guidance for Conducting Systematic Scoping Reviews. Eligible articles will be collected from 6 databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CNKI, WanFang and VIP) with the related keywords such as “Acupuncture” and “fMRI” and those articles should be published from the establishment of the database to June 30th, 2020. Each research step will involve at least two reviewers. The PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews) will be used to organize the review.Discussion: This review aims to clarify the extent of acupuncture mechanism studies employing task-based fMRI. It is supposed to make a critical evaluation or to propose quality requirements for future studies by summarizing the objectives and designs of eligible studies. What’s more, directional suggestions will be provided for further studies.Scoping review registration: Open Science Framework https://osf.io/zjrdc/.
Treatment of Coagulopathy in COVID-19 Patients: A scoping review
Authors: MORI HIROTAKA , Ohkawara Hiroshi , Togawa Ryuichi , Rikimaru Mami , Shibata Yoko , Ikezoe Takayuki
Published: September 2020

Background: Coagulopathy, including disseminated intravascular coagulation, is frequently noted in patients with coronavirus infection disease 2019 (COVID-19). Recently, a number of articles on this topic have been reported.Objective: The aim of this study is to identify existing gaps where further research on anticoagulants in COVID-19 patients with coagulopathy needs to be done.Methods: We used the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. The protocol was registered on May 21, 2020, before conducting this review. MEDLINE, CENTRAL, WHO-ICTRP, ClinicalTrial.gov and PROSPERO were used.Result: Eight studies were included; six studies were already published and two are ongoing. The reported results for three publications were from case series, three were from retrospective cohorts and two were from randomized controlled trials. Eight studies examined the effectiveness of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), of which seven studies used a prophylactic dose and four studies used a therapeutic dose of LMWH. A prophylactic or therapeutic dose of unfractionated heparin was investigated in four and three studies, respectively. No recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin was investigated. Conclusion: The anticoagulants are limited to heparinoids, and the study designs were of low quality. Further studies with an improved design are needed to compare other available anticoagulants.
Stöfflerite, (Ca,Na)(Si,Al)4O8 in the hollandite structure: A new high-pressure polymorph of anorthite from martian meteorite NWA 856
Authors: Tschauner Oliver , Ma Chi , Spray John G. , Greenberg Eran , Prakapenka Vitali B.
Published: September 2020

We present the crystal structure, composition, and occurrence of stöfflerite, the naturally occurring Ca-aluminosilicate with hollandite-type structure. Stöfflerite is a high-pressure polymorph of anorthite and an approved mineral. The type material was found in the shergottitic martian meteorite Northwest Africa 856. Type stöfflerite (Sto60Lin40) assumes space group I4/m with unit-cell dimensions a = 9.255(1) Å, c = 2.742(3) Å, V = 235.1(2) Å3, and Z = 2.
Thermal expansion of minerals in the pyroxene system and examination of various thermal expansion models
Authors: Hovis Guy L. , Tribaudino Mario , Leaman Amanda , Almer Christine , Altomare Caitlin , Morris Matthew , Maksymiw Nicole , Morris Derek , Jackson Kevin , Scott Brian , Tomaino Gary , Mantovani Luciana
Published: September 2020

To examine the effects of chemical composition on thermal expansion in the pyroxene mineral group, X-ray diffraction data have been collected from room temperature to ~925 °C on a chemically diverse group of 13 pyroxenes including four orthorhombic and nine monoclinic samples. Additionally, resulting unit-cell volumes computed from the XRD data have proven to be good tests for a large number of thermal expansion models; the physical model by Kroll and coworkers and the empirical one by Fei have been found to be especially useful. Modeling also has allowed the connection of present data, collected at temperatures above 25 °C, to the volume data of other workers for much lower temperatures, well below 0 °C, and also extrapolation of values for volume and thermal expansion well beyond the measurement range.

We have found for orthopyroxenes that Fe2+-Mg2+ substitution has little effect on thermal expansion coefficients for volume. For clinopyroxenes, however, greater thermal expansion occurs in Ca2+-(diopside, augite, hedenbergite, johannsenite) than in Li+-(spodumene) or Na+-bearing members (jadeite, aegirine, kosmochlor). Present data support the observation that differences in volume thermal expansion relate primarily to differences in expansion along the b crystallographic axis. This apparently is due to the greater concentration of M1 polyhedra along the b crystallographic axis, where expansion differences can be related to the shared O1-O1 polyhedral edge and inter-oxygen repulsion that is made easier by divalent, as opposed to trivalent, cation occupancy of the M1 crystallographic site.
Examining antecedents affecting Indian consumers’ adoption of mobile apps
Authors: Arora Neerja , Malik Garima
Published: September 2020

This research aims to integrate the functional, social, security, and personal dimensions to study mobile app usage antecedents in the Northern Capital Region of India. Convenience sampling was used, and an online survey resulted in 407 valid responses. The measurement and structural models were estimated using PLS-SEM. Perceived usefulness and social influence had no significant impact on usage, implying that contemporary consumers are much more discerning and do not get swayed by the benefits offered or the influence of those around them. The findings show that perceived ease of use had a significant impact on perceived usefulness and attitude formation. Since security is the most important factor determining usage and trust, the industry should have stringent standards to maintain security protocols in every interaction with the user. Also, security concerns need to be allayed, and grievances need to be resolved immediately to gain customer satisfaction and loyalty. Personal innovativeness and lifestyle compatibility are important determinants of attitude and usage. Firms should target mobile apps to students and the active working population who possess innovativeness and for whom mobile apps are compatible with their lifestyle. These users can act as influencers and help in improving their adoption.
The State of Affairs of Pangal Women: A Feminist Perspective
Authors: Shah Baharuddin , Khan Chingiz
Published: September 2020

The Pangal community is one of the indigenous communities in Manipur state which lies at the north eastern corner of India. The representation of Pangal women and their condition in terms of polity, society and economy through the lens of feminist perspective in Manipur is minimal and extended to the village/local level only. The paper tries to answer in an integrated way some of the pertinent questions in respect of Pangal women. In this context, an attempt has been made to explore the historical background of the origin of Pangal in Manipur. This paper has also attempted to critically examine the economic, political and social conditions of Pangal women in the light of feminist point of view from the medieval to the post-colonial periods.
Efectos de la inclusión financiera en el desarrollo humano del departamento del Huila-Colombia
Authors: López-Puentes Angy Katherine , Córdoba-Polania Luis Ángel , Vargas-Prieto Amanda
Published: September 2020

La inclusión financiera se ha convertido en un instrumento dentro de las políticas públicas que ejercen los países en busca de garantizar el acceso a servicios financieros. En Colombia se ha desarrollado el programa “Banca de las Oportunidades” con este propósito. Sin embargo, el programa no analiza el alcance de estos procesos en el bienestar de la población. En este artículo se analizan los efectos de la inclusión financiera en el desarrollo del departamento del Huila. En este sentido, se implementó una metodología mixta, mediante el método DEXPLIS; en la fase cuantitativa se estimó y analizó un modelo estadístico multivariado, a fin de determinar si existe relación entre inclusión financiera y desarrollo; en la fase cualitativa se aplicaron entrevistas a funcionarios de la Gobernación del Huila. Las técnicas de recolección de información fueron revisión de literatura, bases estadísticas y guía de entrevista. Dentro de los resultados obtenidos se determinó que existe una relación positiva entre el Índice de Desarrollo Humano (IDH) y los indicadores de inclusión financiera. Adicionalmente, se identificó que los indicadores de acceso y de uso repercuten en las dimensiones de salud, educación e ingreso siempre y cuando se garantice el uso de los productos y los servicios financieros.
Adenocarcinoma of the Appendix in Elderly: Diagnostic Dilemma
Authors: Nofal Heba , Al-Masari Hayder , Rashed Marwan Mohammed , Ainawi Reham , Idnani Desh , Majdalawi Rawan
Published: September 2020

Acute appendicitis in elderly continue to be a diagnostic dilemma as it raises both the suspicion of malignancy and increased risk of morbidity and
mortality. Cancers of the appendix are rare and most of them are found accidentally on appendectomies performed for acute appendicitis. When
reviewed, the majority of the tumors were carcinoid, adenoma, and lymphoma. Adenocarcinomas of appendix are only 0.08% of all cancers and
the treatment remains controversial. This paper presents a case of 75-year-old female presented to the emergency (ER) with signs and symptoms
mimicking acute appendicitis. Laparoscopic appendectomy was planned after a CT scan was done as it was suggesting acute appendicitis. The
specimen then was sent for pathology lab and a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the appendix was made.
Current Scenario and Future Prospect in the Management of COVID-19
Authors: Borah Pobitra , Deb Pran Kishore , Deka Satyendra , Venugopala Katharigatta N. , Singh Vinayak , Mailavaram Raghu Prasad , Kalia Kiran , Tekade Rakesh Kumar
Published: September 2020

:

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc worldwide due to the lack of
risk assessment, rapid spreading ability, and propensity to precipitate severe disease in comorbid
conditions. In an attempt to fulfill the demand for prophylactic and treatment measures
to intercept the ongoing outbreak, the drug development process is facing several obstacles
and renaissance in clinical trials, including vaccines, antivirals, immunomodulators,
plasma therapy, and traditional medicines. This review outlines the overview of SARS-CoV-2
infection, significant recent findings, and ongoing clinical trials concerning current and future
therapeutic interventions for the management of advancing pandemic of the century.
Metformin: A Growing Journey from Glycemic Control to the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and Depression
Authors: El Massry Mohamed , Alaeddine Lynn M. , Ali Leen , Saad Celine , Eid Assaad A.
Published: September 2020

Metabolic stress, transduced as an altered cellular redox and energy status, presents
as the main culprit in many diseases, including diabetes. However, its role in the pathology of
neurological disorders is still not fully elucidated. Metformin, a biguanide compound, is an
FDA approved antidiabetic drug generally used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The recently
described wide spectrum of action executed by this drug suggests a potential therapeutic
benefit in a panoply of disorders. Current studies imply that metformin could play a neuroprotective
role by reversing hallmarks of brain injury (metabolic dysfunction, neuronal dystrophy
and cellular loss), in addition to cognitive and behavioral alterations that accompany
the onset of certain brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and depression. However,
the mechanisms by which metformin exerts its protective effect in neurodegenerative
disorders are not yet fully elucidated. The aim of this review is to reexamine the mechanisms
through which metformin performs its function while concentrating on its effect on reestablishing
homeostasis in a metabolically disturbed milieu. We will also highlight the importance
of metabolic stress, not only as a component of many neurological disorders, but also as a
primary driving force for neural insult. Of interest, we will explore the involvement of metabolic
stress in the pathobiology of AD and depression. The derangement in major metabolic
pathways, including AMPK, insulin and glucose transporters, will be explored and the potential
therapeutic effects of metformin administration on the reversal of brain injury in such metabolism
dependent diseases will be exposed.
Evaluation of Gastroprotective Activity of Linoleic Acid on Gastric Ulcer in a Mice
Model
Authors: Martins José L.R. , Silva Dayane M. , Gomes Emerson H. , Fava Samuel A. , Carvalho Murilo F. , Macedo Isaac Y.L. , Gil Eric S. , Ghedini Paulo C. , Rocha Fábio F. , Silva Osmar N. , Fajemiroye James O. , Pinto Emerith M.H. , Costa Elson A.
Published: September 2020

Background:

Gastric ulcer has been a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and it has been
linked to factors such as nutritional deficiency, smoking, stress, and continuous intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs). The search for new anti-ulcer therapeutic agents has been the subject of several studies. Recently, the
gastroprotective effect of Celtis iguanaea has been reported, with linoleic acid (LA) responsible for many of the
therapeutic effects of this medicinal plant.

Aim:

This study aims to investigate the gastroprotective activity and the possible mechanisms in which LA may be
involved, through different experimental assays in mice.

Methods:

The gastroprotective activity LA was evaluated in the ulcer induced by indomethacin, HCl/EtOH, hypothermicrestraint stress and pyloric ligation. For the gastroprotective mechanisms investigation the quantification of the volume
(mL), pH and total acidity of gastric secretion were considered.

Results:

The oral administrations of 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg of body weight of LA were capable of protecting
the gastric mucosa against HCl/ethanol (10 mL/kg p.o.), and oral administrations of 50 mg/kg LA showed protection from
ulcers induced by indomethacin, hypothermic-restraint stress and pyloric ligation.

Conclusion:

The results of this study show the gastroprotective role of LA in gastric mucosal damage induced by all
assayed distresses. The observed gastroprotection possibly occurs due to the mediated increase of mucosal defensive
factors.
Indole Alkaloids, Synthetic Dimers and Hybrids with Potential In Vivo Anticancer Activity
Authors: Song Feng , Bian Yunqiang , Liu Jing , Li Zhenghua , Zhao Li , Fang Junman , Lai Yonghong , Zhou Meng
Published: September 2020

Indole, a heterocyclic organic compound, is one of the most promising heterocycles found in
natural and synthetic sources since its derivatives possess fascinating structural diversity and various
therapeutic properties. Indole alkaloids, synthetic dimers and hybrids could act on diverse targets in
cancer cells, and consequently, possess potential antiproliferative effects on various cancers both in
vitro and in vivo. Vinblastine, midostaurin, and anlotinib as the representative of indole alkaloids, synthetic
dimers and hybrids respectively, have already been clinically applied to treat many types of cancers,
demonstrating indole alkaloids, synthetic dimers and hybrids are useful scaffolds for the development
of novel anticancer agents. Covering articles published between 2010 and 2020, this review emphasizes
the recent development of indole alkaloids, synthetic dimers and hybrids with potential in vivo
therapeutic application for cancers.
Berberine: A Promising Natural Isoquinoline Alkaloid for the Development of Hypolipidemic Drugs
Authors: Li Dong-Dong , Yu Pan , Xiao Wei , Wang Zhen-Zhong , Zhao Lin-Guo
Published: September 2020

Berberine, as a representative isoquinoline alkaloid, exhibits significant hypolipidemic activity
in both animal models and clinical trials. Recently, a large number of studies on the lipid-lowering
mechanism of berberine and studies for improving its hypolipidemic activity have been reported, but for
the most part, they have been either incomplete or not comprehensive. In addition, there have been a few
specific reviews on the lipid-reducing effect of berberine. In this paper, the physicochemical properties,
the lipid-lowering mechanism, and studies of the modification of berberine all are discussed to promote
the development of berberine as a lipid-lowering agent. Subsequently, this paper provides some insights
into the deficiencies of berberine in the study of lipid-lowering drug, and based on the situation, some
proposals are put forward.
Bioactivity of Marine Natural Product Xyloketals
Authors: Panda Biswajit , Gooyee Amal Kumar
Published: September 2020

Oceans can play a major role in supplying life-saving medicines to the world. Although considerable
progress has been made in finding new medicines from marine sources, great efforts are still
necessary to examine such molecules for clinical applications. Xyloketals are an important group of
natural products with various powerful and prominent bioactivities such as inhibition of acetylcholine
esterase, antioxidant activity, inhibition of L-calcium channels, radical-scavenging behavior, suppression
of cell proliferation, reduction of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, etc. This review describes
the isolation and structural characterization of all xyloketal natural products giving major emphasis
on their bioactivity.
Plant-Mediated Synthesis of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity: A Review
Authors: Bouafia Abderrhmane , Laouini Salah Eddine
Published: September 2020

In this review, we examine ‘greener’ routes to nanoparticles of iron oxides, in the recent
years; nanotechnology has emerged as a state-of-the-art and cutting edge technology with multifarious
applications in a wide array of fields. Natural products or extracted from natural products, such
as different plant extracts, have been used as reductants and as capping agents during synthesis. A
very easy, efficient, and environment-friendly protocol was developed to synthesize green nanoparticles
(NPs) with an aqueous extract of various plant, phenolic compounds extracted from plants play a
major role as non-toxic reducing and capping agents for nanoparticles. Nanoparticles and their compounds
are known to exert a strong inhibitory and microbial activity on bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
In today's world, because of the epidemic of infectious diseases caused by different pathogenic bacteria
and the development of antibiotic resistance, green synthesis, characterization, and application of
nanoparticles (NPs) are becoming an important challenge in nanotechnology. Green synthesis of nanoparticles
is made in large quantities worldwide for a wide range of applications. This technique is
very safe and environmentally friendly.